Norway considers 5% booze tax increase - The Drinks Business

5th August, 2013 by Patrick Schmitt

Norway has the second highest taxes on alcohol in the world after Iceland

Plans to increase taxation on drinks by 5% in next year?s budget were outlined in a pre-budget report by Norway?s Ministry of Finance, which was picked up by the country?s TV2?station.

The document justified a proposed 5% tax increase with information to suggest such a rise would reduce Norway?s alcohol consumption by KR469 million (?51.7m), although it forecast that there would be a jump in smuggling by KR82m (?9m).

In a letter to Norway?s Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Ministry of Finance wrote, ?Given the assumptions built into the model, it seems that the tax increase on alcohol would reduce Norwegian consumption of alcoholic beverages.?

According to a Norwegian online news resource The Local, Norway, with KR415 (?45.80) on each litre of pure alcohol, has the second highest alcohol taxes in the world after Iceland, which levies KR 461 (?50.90) on the same quantity.

The publication also pointed out that the equivalent levy in the UK would see alcohol taxed at KR230 (?25.40) for each litre of pure alcohol, half that of Iceland.

However, Kjetil Lund, a state secretary in the finance ministry, said described suggestions the government will raise the tax on alcohol as speculation.

?The government has not taken a position on the tax arrangements for 2014 yet,? he said.

He also commented, as reported by The Nose, ?There is often speculation in advance of higher alcohol taxes and we do not comment on such speculation. History shows, however, that most years we have not increased alcohol taxes.?

This article was published on Monday, August 5th, 2013 at 11:01 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response.

Source: http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2013/08/norway-considers-5-booze-tax-increase/

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Google Nexus 7 Second Generation 2013 Tablet Review

Legit Mobile Reviews

Manufacturer:	ASUS
Product:	Nexus 7
Date:	Wed, Jul 31, 2013 - 12:00 AM
Written By:	Nathan Kirsch -
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The Nexus 7 Gets Even Better

Last year we were impressed by the original Nexus 7 and the quality experience that could be had from a 7-inch Android tablet that cost just $200. The Nexus 7 was without a doubt the tablet to get if you were looking for something small. Over the course of the past year we saw the Nexus 7 available for well under $200 when on sale or when a store was offering a savings coupon. Even today the original Nexus 7 is still a solid platform and Google has done a good job at keeping it updated by pushing Android 4.3 out for the original model just this past week. ASUS did a great job with the build quality and hardware in the original model that came out in 2012, so we were really excited to hear that ASUS would be producing the second-generation Nexus 7!?

We ran out and purchased the 2013 Nexus 7 from Best Buy on July 26th and have been using it daily since we picked it up from the store. There are tons of Nexus 7 reviews already online, but we wanted to spend a few days actually using it rather than staying up all night and just posting up a 'quickie' on a product that we never really used.

The new 2013 Google Nexus 7 (16GB w/ WiFi) costs $229 shipped for the base model, which is more than the 2012 Nexus 7 (8GB w/ WiFi) that could be had for $199 at launch. This 15-percent price increase had us worried at first, but you'll see that you get much improved hardware that makes it easy to justify the higher prices. You get a thinner/lighter tablet, reduced bezel, higher screen quality and resolution, a faster processor, improved graphics processor, double the RAM, dual band wireless, updated Bluetooth, wireless charging, a rear facing camera and more. Literally everything that could have been updated has been! Take a look at the table below for a good side-by-side comparison between the two models.

?	Nexus 7 (2013)	Nexus 7 (2012)
Pricing	$229+	$199+
Dimensions	7.87 x 4.49 x 0.34 inches (200 x 114 x 8.7mm)	7.81 x 4.72 x 0.41 inches (198.5 x 120 x 10.5mm
Weight	WiFi: 10.23 oz. (290g); LTE: 10.55 oz. (299g)	WiFi: 11.99 oz. (340g); 3G: 12.24 oz (347g)
Screen size	7.02 inches	7.02 inches
Screen resolution	1,920 x 1,200 pixels (323 ppi)	1,280 x 800 pixels (216 ppi)
Screen type	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Side Bezel Width	0.8-inch	1.0-inch
Maximum brightness	570 cd/m2	288 cd/m2
Battery	3,950mAh	4,325mAh
Internal storage	16/32GB	8/16GB
External storage	None	None
Rear camera	5MP, AF	No rear camera
Front-facing cam	1.2MP	1.2MP
Video capture	1080p/30fps	720p (using front camera)
NFC	Yes	Yes
Radios	varies by market; LTE/HSPA+/GSM/EDGE	varies by market; HSPA+/GSM/EDGE
Bluetooth	v4.0	v3.0
SoC	Snapdragon S4 Pro	NVIDIA Tegra 3
CPU	1.5GHz quad-core Krait (28nm)	1.2GHz quad-core Cortex-A9 (40nm)
GPU	Adreno 320	ULP GeForce
RAM	2GB	1GB
Wireless Charging	Yes	No
WiFi	Dual-band, a/b/g/n	b/g/n
Operating system	Android 4.3	Upgradeable to Android 4.3

These are really impressive hardware specifications and to see them in a $229 tablet is really great. Keep in mind that the Apple ipad mini costs $100 more and has just a 1024 x 768 screen resolution with 163 pixels per inch (PPI). The screen quality on this IPS LCD display is something to see at 1920 x1200 with 323 PPI!? Apple's 16GB iPad w/ Retina Display (264 PPI) costs $499 and the new Nexus 7 looks just as good when it comes to screen quality!

The icing on the cake is that the new Nexus 7 is the first device in the world to run Android 4.3! This means that you use new Android 4.3 features like Restricted Profiles, which allows you to control access permissions on an app by app basis. This is great for tablets as it is likely that the whole family will use the device and you can limit what apps different users can access including, should you choose, a complete restriction on accessing Google Play to add new apps or entire social networks (think Facebook or Twitter blocking). Android 4.2 already lets you create different profiles so each family memory can all have their own log ins, but Restricted Profiles builds on this idea significantly. Other notable new OS features would be OpenGL ES 3.0 support and Bluetooth Smart. OpenGL ES 3.0 improves polygonal graphics performance and allows the tablet to better handles effects like lens flares, shadows, and other shader effects. With Bluetooth Smart, the Nexus 7 can connect to a newer generation of Bluetooth devices as well as transmit metadata like song titles.

The second-generation Nexus 7 is available in three models. The first two are Wi-Fi only, with support for 802.11a/b/g/n on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, hence the dual-band support. The 16GB Wi-Fi model is $229 shipped and the 32GB Wi-Fi version is $269 shipped. The third and most expensive model is the 32GB model that has 4G LTE support (there is no 16GB option with the 4G LTE modem).

We purchased the Nexus 7 16GB Wi-Fi model and that is the model that we'll be showing you in this review.

Inside the retail packaging you'll find the USB charging/data cable, wall charger, warranty & safety guide and a quick setup manual.

Here is a side-by-side shoot with last year's Nexus 7 on the left and this years model on the right. They look similar, but you can see the 2013 Nexus 7 is a tad taller and all black. The headphone jack has been moved from the bottom to the top and the front facing cameras is now offset to the right side. When it comes to looks the new model does look nicer and has a nice weight to it.

The 2013 Nexus 7 measures 7.87 x 4.49 x 0.34 inches versus 7.81 x 4.72 x 0.41 inches on the 2012 Nexus 7. So, it is taller/longer, but noticeably narrower and thinner. It also only weighs 10.23 ounces verses 11.99 ounces for the last version. The cheap looking silver plastic rim around the display is gone and we are happy about that. Now the soft-touch-coated back wraps around the side to the glass display.

Here is a look at the aforementioned soft-touch coating on the back of the Nexus 7. Notice that ASUS also did away with the leather-like finish on the original and that the the back is entirely smooth now. The build quality just feels better this time around!

Next Page - Nexus 7 Camera and Hardware Performance

Source: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/2248/1/

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8/3 Washington Lawyer Estate SALE. $25 & UP! MUST PREBID (Aug 3, 2013) from Museum Art

1CC"Red Head Clown" By Bernard Buffet.

Amazing Lithograph In The Manner Of Bernard Buffet. The French painter and graphic artist Bernard Buffet was born in Paris on July 10, 1929. The numer

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1DBBal Costume - Bronze and Ivory Sculpture by Chiparus

In our opinion a work from the artist?s model, originating in his circle and cast during his lifetime or shortly thereafter, in the manner of Chiparus

Start Price : 2,475.00 | Estimates : 60,000.00 - 70,000.00

1LCPICASSO SIGNED LIMITED EDITION LINOCUT

In the manner Picasso, Limited Edition Linocut. "Picador and Matador" Hand pulled and bearing the signature. Unframed; framing available ...

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Bearing the Signature, Limited Edition Giclee on Paper. Dimensions are approx 20x24. Unframed; framing available at an additional charge.

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1MAClinique Cheron by Steinlen

In the manner of Steinlen Lithograph. Unframed; framing available at an additional charge. Dimensions are approx 20x22

Start Price : 132.00 | Estimates : 8,000.00 - 9,000.00

2CC"Red Man" By Bernard Buffet.

Amazing Lithograph In The Manner Of Bernard Buffet. The French painter and graphic artist Bernard Buffet was born in Paris on July 10, 1929. The numer

Start Price : 125.00 | Estimates : 3,300.00 - 3,500.00

2LCPICASSO SIGNED LIMITED EDITION LINOCUT

In the manner Picasso, Limited Edition Linocut. "Picador and Bull" Hand pulled and bearing the signature. Unframed; framing available at a...

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2MLa Pointe de la Heve by Monet

Bearing the Signature, Limited Edition Giclee on Paper. Dimensions are approx 20x24. Unframed; framing available at an additional charge.

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2MACampell's Soup (Tomato) by Andy Warhol

In the manner of Andy Warhol Lithograph. Unframed; framing available at an additional charge. Dimensions are approx 12x16

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3CC"Good Bye For Now" By Bernard Buffet.

Amazing Lithograph In The Manner Of Bernard Buffet. The French painter and graphic artist Bernard Buffet was born in Paris on July 10, 1929. The numer

Start Price : 125.00 | Estimates : 3,300.00 - 3,500.00

3DBDesmona - Bronze and Ivory Sculpture by Chiparus

In our opinion a work from the artist?s model, originating in his circle and cast during his lifetime or shortly thereafter, in the manner of Chiparus

Start Price : 1,072.50 | Estimates : 38,000.00 - 40,000.00

3LCPICASSO SIGNED LIMITED EDITION LINOCUT

In the manner Picasso, Limited Edition Linocut. "T?te de Femme", 1959. Hand pulled and bearing the signature. Unframed; framing avai...

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3M"Water Lilies" by Monet

Bearing the Signature, Limited Edition Giclee on Paper. Dimensions are approx 20x24. Unframed; framing available at an additional charge.

Start Price : 150.00 | Estimates : 7,000.00 - 8,000.00

3MAShot Orange Marilyn 1964 by Andy Warhol

In the manner of Andy Warhol Lithograph. Unframed; framing available at an additional charge. Dimensions are approx 12x16

Start Price : 132.00 | Estimates : 8,000.00 - 9,000.00

4CC"The Coast" By Robert Wood.

Lovely Lithograph In The Manner Of Robert Wood. Robert Wood was born March 4, 1889 in Sandgate, England, a small town on the Kentish coast not far fro

Start Price : 125.00 | Estimates : 3,300.00 - 3,500.00

4LCPICASSO SIGNED LIMITED EDITION LINOCUT

In the manner Picasso, Limited Edition Linocut."Reclining Woman and Picador Eating Grapes" Hand pulled and bearing the signature. Unframed...

Start Price : 60.00 | Estimates : 3,500.00 - 4,500.00

4MBy the Water by Monet

Bearing the Signature, Limited Edition Giclee on Paper. Dimensions are approx 20x24. Unframed; framing available at an additional charge.

Start Price : 200.00 | Estimates : 7,000.00 - 8,000.00

4MAIn the Meadow by Renoir

In the manner of Renoir Lithograph. Unframed; framing available at an additional charge. Dimensions are approx 20x25

Start Price : 132.00 | Estimates : 8,500.00 - 9,000.00

Source: http://www.icollector.com/8-3-Washington-Lawyer-Estate-SALE-25-UP-MUST-PREBID_as28232?t=RSS_AUCTIONS

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Gary Drewing is Rock Bridge girls soccer coach

Drewing replaces Jack Rubenstein who will be the boys and girls head coach at Battle High School.

Saturday, August 3, 2013 | 8:09 p.m. CDT; updated 8:16 p.m. CDT, Saturday, August 3, 2013

BY Missourian staff

COLUMBIA ? Gary Drewing is the new head girls soccer coach at Rock Bridge High School.

Drewing is a graduate of Hickman High School and played soccer at Columbia College. He was also an assistant coach with the Rock Bridge boys team.

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Source: http://columbiamissourian.com/a/164288/gary-drewing-is-rock-bridge-girls-soccer-coach/

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Panasonic Lumix GX7 Is the Rebirth of Slick

The Panasonic Lumix GX7 is the latest camera in the GX line, a beautiful micro four-thirds shooter.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/Ohs3glYUvV8/

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Samsung Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 3 To Feature 3GB of RAM [REPORT

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930)?recently announced to the public that they?ve already started the mass production of 3GB DDR3 for upcoming smartphones which will likely include the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3. RAM is crucial and more vital than the processor as it enables many apps to run in the background. Since the phones that came out this year feature 2GB, it only makes sense that next year?s model would evolve to 3GB.

Samsung?s current 3GB?LPDDR3 utilizes six 20 nm chips, which are considered the smallest in the industry.

Likely Samsung Galaxy S5 will feature 3GB memory

Although we?re not too sure if?Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) will manage to pack their 3GB memory into the?Galaxy Note 3, it?s highly unlikely the company will have time since it?s set to release next month. However, it is likely the Samsung Galaxy S5 will feature this processor along with a better CPU and GPU.

Android Geeks adds, ?The new memory is very slim and power-efficient, allowing makers to make even thinner devices. It?s also LTE-A compatible, so there shouldn?t be any problem with it.?The company has also announced that by year-end there should be smartphones powered by this memory chip. This could lead us to believe that they might delay Galaxy Note 3?s release date and ship it with the new memory. Though nothing is certain at the moment and we are still trying to find out more information.?

Galaxy S5 expected to be released during May 2014

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930)?is expected to release the Galaxy S5 during May 2014. Thanks to the evolving technology of smartphones, Samsung will need to up the Galaxy S5 if they want to keep up with the evolution of technology. Next year is predicted to be a big year for smartphones. Sony, HTC, Motorola, and LG are all predicted to release new high-end smartphone with 3GB of RAM.

It?s also possible that we might see octa-core chips instead. True octa-core processors, which are not to be confused with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930)?s Exynos Octa CPU, utilizes all cores at the same time. Samsung uses about half at the same time while the other half remain idol. Only time will tell if this prediction is correct.

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This entry was posted on August 2, 2013 at 4:23 pm and is filed under Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Source: http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/08/samsung-galaxy-s5-galaxy-note-3-ram/

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The Week in Pictures: Crunch Time Edition (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

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Bribery trial postponed for ex-Vicksburg mayor Paul Winfield

NATCHEZ, Mississippi -- A federal judge has postponed a trial for former Vicksburg Mayor Paul Winfield on charges he sought $10,000 in cash in exchange for awarding a city contract.

Paul Winfield's trial was scheduled to start Monday in Natchez. On Friday, however, U.S. District Judge David Bramlette delayed it until Sept. 30 to give prosecutors and defense attorneys more time to negotiate a possible resolution of the case.

The Vicksburg Post reports that Winfield was arrested by the FBI earlier this year after he allegedly solicited a bribe from a confidential FBI informant for awarding a debris removal contract.

The Democrat served one term as mayor before losing his re-election bid this year.

If convicted at trial, Winfield faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Source: http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/08/bribery_trial_postponed_for_ex.html

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In Business: North Sea Oil

The headlines are full of energy shortages and the potential of UK onshore shale gas discoveries. But what's happening in and under the North Sea where Britain's energy revolution began almost 40 years ago? Peter Day reports from Aberdeen.

There's record investment of more than 13 billion pounds this year in the North Sea oil and gas industry but production is down as the oil has become harder to extract. Aberdeen itself is booming: there is virtually no unemployment and it has become a global hub of technical expertise, with international firms specialising in the technology and equipment needed to extract the oil. The big oil companies are moving further away to the West of the Shetland Isles in search of large new fields while smaller entrepreneurial firms are exploring for, and producing, oil from the older fields. Meanwhile national oil companies from Korea and China are buying their way in through take-overs.

Producer: Caroline Bayley.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b037sf4c/In_Business_North_Sea_Oil/

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Grey's Anatomy Season Premiere Title: Revealed!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/08/greys-anatomy-season-premiere-title-revealed/

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Stocks Extend Gains In Late Trade; Ocwen At New ... - Investors.com

The major averages built on earlier gains in late-afternoon trading Thursday as investors cheered better-than-expected jobs and manufacturing data.

The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 were each up 1.2%, with the S&P rising above 1700 for the first time ever. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 0.9%. Volume was running 13% higher on the NYSE and was up 1% on the Nasdaq compared with the same time Wednesday.

The stock market today jumped at the open after initial jobless claims unexpectedly fell last week and the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index rose much more than expected in July.

Ocwen Financial (OCN) jumped 7% to a new high after its quarterly earnings report. Volume was heavy as the stock continued to rise above its 10-week line, putting it 20% past a 42.17 buy point.

Ocwen's Q2 profit rose 66% to 53 cents a share, a healthy gain that nevertheless trailed analysts' expectations. But revenue soared 151%, easily beating views, and the company said it may buy back shares.

Software developer Tangoe (TNGO) rose 5% in above-average turnover. It's risen beyond a buying range after breaking out from a base within larger correction. But it's still 13% off its high.

Meanwhile, Facebook (FB) rebounded from Wednesday's 2% loss by climbing 3% to a new high in almost double its average daily volume. The stock was aiming to close above its IPO price of 38 for the first time since debuting in May 2012.

On the downside, Hertz Global (HTZ) slumped 3.5%, dropping back below its 50-day line, in volume that was running more than three times its daily average. And camera-chip designer Ambarella (AMBA) gave up 4% in heavy turnover. It's lost support at its 10-week line for the first time since March.

Source: http://news.investors.com/investing-stock-market-today/080113-666036-stocks-up-volume-higher.htm

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The Real Bradley Manning Problem

Now that a military judge has acquitted Pfc. Bradley Manning of aiding the enemy and convicted him of violating the Espionage Act, civil libertarians are breathing a small sigh of relief. But the Obama administration still has a big problem: how to control the flow of information between government agencies so you don't have a system that allows a private stationed in Iraq--or a contractor dating an acrobat in Hawaii--from downloading and distributing secret documents.

Top officials know they've got a problem. Earlier this month, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter addressed the information-sharing problem at the Aspen Security Forum. "There was an enormous amount of information concentrated in one place," Carter said. "It creates too much information in one place. You had an individual who was given very substantial authority to access that information and move that information. That ought not to be the case, either."

How did we get in this mess? Before the 9/11 attacks, government policies were the worst of both worlds: On one hand, you had a vast overclassification of documents shielding many secrets from government accountability. (See the 1997 panel led by the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan.) And, of course, you had too little sharing between government agencies, which could possibly have prevented 9/11. When it came to the hijackers, we now sadly know the FBI didn't know what the CIA was doing--and vice versa. Even within the FBI, there wasn't enough information sharing.

A number of changes were made after that, thanks to the 9/11 report. There were things like the National Counter Terrorism Center, the Patriot Act's breaking down of walls between agencies, and a vast expansion of computer sharing. As the national security state swelled, there was an explosion in classification, but at least the upside was an ability for agencies to cooperate more easily, and this led to the bin Laden raid and the capture of the Times Square bomber. The vast archives of sensitive information grew, and so did those who had access to them, including Manning, who inserted blank CDs marked "Lady Gaga," slipped them into a drive in Baghdad, donned headphones like he was rocking out, and downloaded some 700,000 documents, shipping them off to WikiLeaks.

As a low-level military intelligence officer, Manning not surprisingly had access to Pentagon secrets. But one of the most perplexing things about the case was his access to State Department cables. When Manning's leak was first uncovered, then-Rep. Pete Hoekstra asked what everyone was wondering. "Why would a private first class, sitting in Baghdad, have access to data far beyond his area of responsibility?" Hoekstra asked. "How can it be that between 500,000 and potentially over a million government employees have access to a database of sensitive State Department cables?"

In the following months, we learned a lot more about the wide availability of State Department cables. "Thee idea was that there was a wealth of information that needed to be available on the ground, to the war-fighters," testified Charlie Wisecarver, the former deputy chief technology officer at State during the Manning trial who outlined the Horizontal Fusion program. Collecting the cables was a high priority at State,?which even asked department enlisted Foreign Service officers' spouses to scan in older cables. Cables were uploaded to the Defense Department's Secret Internet Protocol Router Network. The State Department didn't put much in the way of restrictions on their use by the military, although at Foggy Bottom there were more protocols. The consequence is, Manning's documents rocked the world, perhaps even helping to ignite the Arab Spring when it was revealed how corrupt U.S. officials considered the Tunisian regime.

Steps have been taken to come up with a more sensible information flow. State is scrubbing cables more carefully before sending them to the Pentagon, and the Pentagon is tightening access. As part of a discussion of the Snowden case at the Aspen Security Forum in July, National Security Agency Director General Keith Alexander said, "You limit the numbers of people who can write to removable media. Instead of allowing all systems administrators [to do it], you drop it down to a few and use a two-person rule.... We'll close and lock server rooms, so that it takes two people to get in there."

But Washington is still worried. In a recent interview with National Journal, Republican Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, a former officer in the Navy Intelligence Reserve, said, "We have a classified Internet on the backside of the intelligence community, and if you're on that system, then a Bradley Manning can download the presidential book of secrets like in the movie [National Treasure]." He noted that he didn't have nearly the kind of access to government-wide data when he was in the Balkans and Afghanistan as part of the reserves.

The trouble for Obama and his successors is that there's no easy way to fix the problem. Yes, you can make it harder to download data or have more alerts when someone does. It's pretty clear that no system is safe, and as long as the government has lots of people with lots of access to goldmines of classified data this won't be the last Bradley Manning.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/real-bradley-manning-problem-060034393.html

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Gay couples rush to wed under new Minn. law

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ? Dozens of gay couples began tying the knot early Thursday morning at Minneapolis City Hall as Minnesota became the latest state to legalize same-sex marriage.

"I didn't expect to cry quite that hard," said a beaming Cathy ten Broeke, who with Margaret Miles was the first gay couple to be wed at City Hall.

After Miles and ten Broeke exchanged vows and rings just before midnight Wednesday, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak had musicians kill a few minutes until the clock struck 12:01 a.m. Thursday, when the law went into effect.

Then the attending crowd burst into applause as Rybak pronounced Miles and ten Broeke married. The couple stood nearby embracing their 5-year-old son, Louie.

"We do," all three said to more cheers as they promised to be a family.

Forty-two couples were expected to be married by Rybak and several Hennepin County judges in the hours before dawn.

Weddings were scheduled to start at the stroke of midnight at Minneapolis City Hall, St. Paul's Como Park, Mall of America's Chapel of Love and at county courthouses around the state. One group planned a cluster of weddings in a Duluth tavern.

"I don't think either of us ever thought we'd see this day," said Mike Bolin, of the Minneapolis suburb of Richfield, who was marrying Jay Resch, his partner of six years, at Minneapolis City Hall. "We met at low points in both of our lives, and to have arrived at this point ? there's going to be a lot of tears."

Rhode Island was joining Minnesota on Thursday in becoming the 12th and 13th U.S. states to allow gay marriage, along with the District of Columbia. The national gay rights group Freedom to Marry estimates that about 30 percent of the U.S. population now lives in places where gay marriage is legal. The first gay weddings in Rhode Island were planned for later Thursday morning.

In Minnesota, budget officials estimated that about 5,000 gay couples would marry in the first year. Its enactment capped a fast turnabout on the issue in just over two years. After voters rejected a constitutional ban on gay marriage last fall, the state Legislature this spring moved to make it legal.

Rhode Island becomes the last New England state to allow same-sex marriage. Lawmakers in the heavily Catholic state passed the marriage law this spring, after more than 16 years of efforts by same-sex marriage supporters. Both Minnesota and Rhode Island will automatically recognize marriages performed in other states.

Bolin and Resch celebrated Wednesday night with several hundred others at Wilde Roast Cafe along the Mississippi River north of downtown Minneapolis. Many at the event planned to walk to City Hall for the mass nuptials.

Dayton proclaimed Aug. 1 to be "Freedom to Marry Day" in Minnesota.

Golden Valley-based General Mills Inc. donated Betty Crocker cakes for the event, which was also to feature performances by local musicians and services donated by wedding photographers, florists and other businesses.

Weddings were not limited to the Twin Cities. In St. Cloud, Stearns County court administrator Tim Roberts planned to marry a couple at 12:01 a.m. at the courthouse. "It feels historic. It's an honor to be a part of it," Roberts said. Midnight weddings were also planned for courthouses in Clay County, Polk County and elsewhere.

At Mall of America, Holli Bartelt and Amy Petrich from the southeastern Minnesota town of Wykoff were set to become the first couple married at the Chapel of Love. Owner Felicia Glass-Wilcox said she hoped to start the ceremony a few minutes early, so the vows could be pronounced seconds after midnight.

"We'd like for them to be able to say they are the very first married in the state, but for sure they'll be able to say they're one of the first," Glass-Wilcox said. She said the chapel had four more gay couples booked for weddings in the next five days.

Bartelt, 33, proposed to Petrich, 37, in April in a photo booth at the Bloomington mall. It was a few weeks before the Legislature approved the law, but Bartelt said she was confident by then that it would pass. She had been in contact with a mall employee about the proposal, who later suggested the couple could be first to get married at the chapel.

Bartelt, a health coach, planned to wear an ivory-colored dress, while Petrich, a baker for Mayo Clinic, was wearing an ivory suit. A group of about 50 family members and close friends were planning to join them, including Bartelt's 10-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.

"Everybody deserves the right to be happy," said Bartelt. "That's really what it's all about. It's a big day for us, and a big day for Minnesota, and something I hope my kids look back on some day and say, 'Wow, we got to be part of that.'"

___

Associated Press writers Jeff Baenen in Minneapolis and David Klepper from Providence, R.I., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gay-couples-rush-wed-under-minn-law-050554493.html

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NBA notes: Wizards, John Wall agree for $80M

John Wall has missed about one-quarter of the games since he was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. He hasn?t been an All-Star. His team hasn?t won more than 29 games in a regular season.

Yet his game ? and his team ? got considerably better when he returned from an injury last season, and he remains the cornerstone of the Washington Wizards, who took the calculated risk Wednesday of signing the point guard to a contract extension. Two people familiar with the deal say it?s a max deal, worth about $80 million over five years.

The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team?s announcement Wednesday did not reveal financial terms. A news conference will be held Thursday.

"He is the cornerstone of our team," Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said in the team?s release announcing the extension. "And we have clearly expressed our desire to build around him."

Wall was the top overall pick in the 2010 draft after playing one season of college basketball at Kentucky, immediately becoming the prime building block for a Wizards club that now has missed the playoffs each of the past five seasons.

He has averaged 16.9 points, eight assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 35.8 minutes during his career.

Rockets? Jones arrested for hurting homeless man

Houston Rockets forward Terrence Jones was arrested in Portland, Ore., on Wednesday after he was seen stomping on a homeless man?s leg, a police spokesman said.

A police sergeant making sure people remained orderly while they left a downtown club shortly after 2 a.m. saw the 6-foot-9 Jones walk by a doorway where two homeless men were sleeping and yell, "Wake up!" before lifting his foot and stomping on one man?s leg, said Sgt. Pete Simpson, a Portland police spokesman.

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Jones, 21, was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on a misdemeanor harassment charge. He was released on his own recognizance and later pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.

The homeless man, identified as 46-year-old Daniel Kellerher, had a minor injury that did not require immediate medical attention, Simpson said.

Harris, Mavs work out his return

Free agent Devin Harris has officially rejoined the Dallas Mavericks.

The 10th-year guard was acquired as the No. 5 pick on draft night in 2004 and spent his first 3? seasons with Dallas before a trade with New Jersey that brought Jason Kidd back to the Mavericks.

Harris originally agreed to join Dallas nearly a month ago, but the contract was held up by concerns over a toe injury.

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/56672899-77/wizards-wall-team-guard.html.csp

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US home prices rise 12.2 percent, best in 6 years

In this Tuesday, June 11, 2013, photo, a single house is offered for sale in Santa Monica, Calif. Sandard & Poor's/Case-Shiller reports on home prices in May on Tuesday, July 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

In this Tuesday, June 11, 2013, photo, a single house is offered for sale in Santa Monica, Calif. Sandard & Poor's/Case-Shiller reports on home prices in May on Tuesday, July 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. home prices jumped 12.2 percent in May compared with a year ago, the biggest annual gain since March 2006. The increase shows the housing recovery is strengthening.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index released Tuesday also surged 2.4 percent in May from April. The month-over-month gain nearly matched the 2.6 percent increase in April from March ? the highest on record.

The price increases were widespread. All 20 cities showed gains in May from April and compared with a year ago.

Prices in Dallas and Denver reached the highest level on records dating back to 2000. That marks the first time since the housing bust that any city has reached an all-time high.

Home values are rising as more people are bidding on a scarce supply of houses for sale. Steady price increases, along with stable job gains and historically low mortgage rates, have in turn encouraged more Americans to buy homes.

One concern is that higher mortgage rates could slow home sales. But many economists say rates remain low by historical standards and would need to rise much faster to halt the momentum.

Svenja Gudell, senior economist at Zillow, a home price data provider, said a big reason for the recent price gains is that foreclosed homes make up a smaller proportion of overall sales. Foreclosed homes are usually sold by banks at fire-sale prices.

"Typical home values have appreciated at roughly half this pace for the past several months, which is still very robust," Gudell said.

Gudell said higher mortgage rates and a likely increase in the number of homes for sale in the coming months should slow the pace of price gains and stabilize the housing market.

The index covers roughly half of U.S. homes. It measures prices compared with those in January 2000 and creates a three-month moving average. The May figures are the latest available. They are not adjusted for seasonal variations, so the monthly gains reflect more buying activity over the summer.

Despite the recent gains, home prices are still about 25 percent below the peaks they reached in July 2006. That's a key reason the supply of homes for sale remains low, as many homeowners are waiting to recoup their losses before putting their houses on the market.

Dallas and Denver, the two cities that reached record highs, were not hit hard by the housing bust and therefore didn't experience the sharp price swings like cities in Nevada, Arizona, California and Florida.

In Dallas, prices fell only 11.2 percent from their previous peak in June 2007 through February 2009. That's far less than Las Vegas, where prices plummeted by more than half. Since bottoming out, home prices in Dallas have increased nearly 14 percent.

In Denver, prices dropped 14.3 percent from August 2006 until they also hit bottom in February 2009. Since then, they have risen 17.3 percent.

The biggest price gains are occurring in many of the states that experienced the worst housing bust.

Prices jumped 24.5 percent in San Francisco in May from a year earlier, the largest increase. Las Vegas reported the next biggest gain at 23.3 percent, followed by Phoenix at 20.6 percent. All three remain well below their peak prices.

The smallest yearly gains were in New York, at 3.3 percent, followed by Cleveland with 3.4 percent and Washington, D.C. at 6.5 percent.

Higher home prices help the economy in several ways. They encourage more sellers to put their homes on the market, boosting supply and sustaining the housing recovery. And they make homeowners feel wealthier, encouraging consumers to spend more. Banks are also more willing to provide mortgage loans when homes are appreciating in value.

Mortgage rates have surged since early May, though the increase would have had little impact on the current report. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage has jumped a full percentage point since early May and reached a two-year high of 4.51 percent in late June.

Mortgage rates jumped after Chairman Ben Bernanke said the Federal Reserve could slow its bond-buying program later this year if the economy continues to improve. The Fed's bond purchases have kept long-term interest rates low, encouraging more borrowing and spending.

In recent weeks, Bernanke and other Fed members have stressed that any change in the bond-buying program will depend on the economy's health, not a set calendar date.

Since those comments, interest rates have declined. The average on the 30-year mortgage was 4.31 percent last week.

The Fed begins a two-day policy meeting Tuesday and could clarify its remarks further when the meeting concludes on Wednesday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-07-30-Home%20Prices/id-a198143c76304f5aa5cf8dec2511121d

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Puerto Rico sees more rain, wetter times to come

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) ? Puerto Ricans are used to wet tropical weather, but the past few weeks have unleashed a series of storms of almost biblical proportions, destroying hundreds of homes, sweeping away cars and leaving tens of thousands without power.

It has been the wettest July ever recorded in the U.S. island territory, with 14 inches (36 centimeters) so far drenching the capital. More rain fell on July 18 than had ever come down in a 24-hour period.

The rain rarely stopped that day, with 9 inches (23 centimeters) pelting the San Juan area. People fled homes and cars as water rushed through doors and then windows. Rising floodwaters stranded drivers on highways turned lagoons. Some commuters were forced to use kayaks and paddle boards.

"I've lived here 71 years, and this was the worst," said Andres Colon as he tried to repair his flooded car in a working class San Juan neighborhood of Santurce. "It came fast and without warning."

The storm severely damaged some 500 homes and caused about $1.5 million in losses, according to initial estimates, said San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz.

The territory is just over two months into a seven-month rainy season, and it is already the second wettest start of the year for the region, even though no major tropical storm or hurricane has hit. Nearly 50 inches (127 centimeters) of rain have fallen so far, and more is likely on the way: Remnants of Tropical Storm Dorian were projected to slog through the Caribbean a bit north of the island by Monday or Tuesday.

The deluge follows hard on a string of other wet years. The rainiest year on record was 2010, when 89.5 inches (227.33 centimeters) fell. The island's totals have been trending upward, in part because of warmer ocean temperatures and frequent occurrences of the weather phenomenon known as La Nina, which leads to a more active hurricane season, according to the National Weather Service.

Nearby Cuba has been drenched as well. Authorities reported that June was the wettest on record for the western part of the island. In the first six days of that month alone, 16.6 inches (42.16 centimeters) of rain fell, 188 percent of the historic average for the full month, with isolated accumulations as high as 22 inches (55.88 centimeters).

Hundreds of homes were flooded along with croplands, highways and tobacco leaf-curing buildings in the western province of Pinar del Rio, known as the cradle of Cuba's tobacco industry.

In Puerto Rico, the wet weather has exposed an uncomfortable truth: The territory's roads, bridges, tunnels and drainage systems are ill equipped for the increasingly heavy storms likely to come due to climate change.

"It's an urgent issue, not only because of the problems we've had, but because of the problems we're going to have," said Gabriel Rodriguez, president of the nonprofit Puerto Rico Planning Society. "Those kind of extreme events are going to become more common, and the losses and problems associated with them will become greater."

Even normal years in Puerto Rico already are soggy by the standards of other famously rainy places. The island gets an average of 56 inches (142 centimeters) of rain a year, while Seattle gets an average of 39 inches (99 centimeters) and London sees about 29 inches (74 centimeters).

The territory's problems are compounded by the lack of a general land-use plan. Rodriguez said that means hundreds of homes and businesses are built in flood-prone areas because projects are approved with little scrutiny.

"It's an accumulation of errors that we're paying for with the problems we're seeing now," he said.

And rising sea levels will hurt as well. Rodriguez noted that a dozen flights had to be rerouted when the mid-July storm flooded the main airport, which lies nearly at sea level.

"Eventually, we're going to be left without an airport," he said.

Edgar Rodriguez, vice president of Puerto Rico's Association of Engineers, said another problem is growing pressure on an aging drainage system that has not been properly maintained since it was built decades ago based on weather patterns that have since changed.

"We're building and building and building, and no one's analyzing the impact of that construction," he said.

Rodriguez noted that the island is financially strapped. It's struggling to emerge from a seven-year recession and is battling a $1.2 billion budget deficit and $69 billion in public debt. But he said the infrastructure could collapse without better planning and improved drainage systems.

"We live on a tropical island in the Caribbean, and rain is something you can bet on," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Peter Orsi in Havana contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/puerto-rico-sees-more-rain-wetter-times-come-221840350.html

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Guardians Of The Galaxy Director James Gunn Explains Why Karen Gillan Had To Shave Her Head

One of the most memorable moments of Comic-Con was when actress Karen Gillan surprised fans by revealing she had gone bald for her role as Nebula in Guardians Of The Galaxy. When Karen Gillan made the surprise reveal, fans at Comic-Con cheered. However, some online fans evidently had a different reaction to Gillan?s baldness.

As first reported on Comicbook.com, Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn recently tweeted about getting hate messages over making Karen Gillan shave her head.

Despite the hate messages, James Gunn hasn?t been shy about answering fan questions through Formspring.Unsurprisingly, a couple of the questions have had to do with Karen Gillan?s baldness.

When asked if the head shaving was his decision, James Gunn replied, ?Well basically yes. It was explained that whoever played Nebula would have to shave her head. So Karen knew about this when she auditioned.? In regards to why he didn?t just have her use a bald cap, James Gunn explained, ?A bald cap looks fake when seen repeatedly up close and during long action sequences.?

In addition to the baldness related questions, James Gunn also gave a couple other noteworthy answers to Guardians Of The Galaxy questions. In regards to if Peter Serafinowicz is really a Nova Corps Officer, James Gunn said, ?He is telling the truth. It?s not a secret as he was very prominent in the footage shown at Comicon. He?s John C Reilly?s superior and he?s awesome!?

In regards to if his brother [actor Sean Gunn] will have a cameo in Guardians Of The Galaxy, James Gunn replied, ?Cameo? Not quite.? Gunn?s reply actually makes us think that maybe his brother has a fairly large role in the film, which would not quite be a cameo.

Source: http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/07/31/guardians-of-the-galaxy-director-james-gunn-explains-why-karen-gillan-had-to-shave-her-head/

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Police search lake in Hernandez's Conn. hometown (Providence Journal)

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iPhone 5S: Release-Date Prediction for Apple Gets Even Earlier

**Editor's Note: Click here for our list of June's hottest selling smartphones to see how the iPhone fared against the competition.**

There have been so many new reports of a new iPhone lately, if you hadn't been watching carefully, you might've assumed it was already available.

The latest comes from the German blog iFun, which quotes a very credible source "to be taken seriously" ? OK, admittedly, a possible red flag there ? that the next iPhone, presumably called the 5S, will be "coming to market" right after Labor Day. The suggested release date of Sept. 6 is the earliest we've heard forecasted.

The blog also says to look for "two new device types," but isn't clear what that means. One can only assume it's predicting the much-rumored "budget iPhone" that Apple has consistently denied; nonetheless, most analysts expect it's going to happen.

That cheaper device was "confirmed" by a recent investigation into working conditions at an Apple factory in China, where staff were supposedly working on plastic casings for a new iPhone. But again, take that one with a grain of salt.

The 5S isn't expect to look a lot different than last year's model, but it might include a fingerprint sensor connected to the home button for added security.

Follow senior online managing editor @Craig_Galbraith on Twitter.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PPSiteWideFeed/~3/ChmFMzniziM/iphone-5s-release-date-prediction-for-apple-gets.aspx

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