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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