Budweiser Clydesdale Farm Opens Next Week ? CBS St. Louis

(Hope ? Super Bowl TV star ? at home in Warm Springs Ranch in March 2013)

BOONVILLE, Mo. ? Spring means the return of baseball and, in just a few days, opening day celebrations around the United States. It also marks another annual event celebrated by fans of the Budweiser Clydesdales ? ?opening day? at Warm Springs Ranch in mid-Missouri for public tours, where more than 35 baby Clydesdales are expected to be born in 2013.

Jeff Knapper, general manager for Clydesdale operations for Anheuser-Busch, said that through March 27, seventeen baby Clydesdales have been born at Anheuser-Busch?s state-of-the-art Clydesdale breeding farm, which is home to more than 100 Budweiser Clydesdales. This includes Hope, the star of Budweiser?s award-winning and top-ranked Super Bowl commercial, and Stan, the first-born foal of 2013, named after all-time MLB great Stan Musial.

Public tours begin Monday, April 1, and the ranch remains open until Oct. 31.

?Some tour dates, particularly Saturdays in the spring, already are sold out,? Knapper said. ?On some other days there is limited availability. The popularity of the Super Bowl spot has certainly piqued the public?s curiosity around the training of Budweiser Clydesdales and how they spend their early years.?

The ranch offers twice-daily tours every day except for Wednesday. The tour costs $10 per person and lasts one-and-a-half hours. To reserve a tour spot (reservations are required) or for more information, visit www.warmspringsranch.com.

New for 2013, the ranch now offers a VIP tour. On the tour, guests climb aboard a custom-built vehicle to enjoy a private excursion on the 300-plus acres and talk with Clydesdale handlers. The VIP tour also includes time in the pastures with the Clydesdales, as well as samples of Budweiser for adult guests older than 21 at the end of the tour and a photo opportunity with one of the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Each VIP tour costs $500 and can accommodate up to 16 guests, with the tour offered once daily.

In a little more than a week, on April 7, the Clydesdales will celebrate a major milestone ? the 80th anniversary of their association with Anheuser-Busch. The Budweiser Clydesdales have been an integral part of Anheuser-Busch?s heritage since April 7, 1933, and their strength and majesty symbolize Budweiser quality and team spirit. They were formally introduced to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition for beer.

John Soto, supervisor of Warm Springs Ranch (pictured with Hope), has been providing care for the Clydesdales for 33 years. In fact, he was the inspiration for the handler featured in the ?Brotherhood? Super Bowl commercial that won USA Today?s AdMeter.

?Since the Super Bowl, many people have asked me what it feels like to have been portrayed by an actor on such a large stage,? Soto said. ?I tell them I?m humbled and lucky, but that?s really how I feel every day, getting to share my life with and care for these beautiful animals, each of which has their own personality.?

In 2012 Warm Springs Ranch welcomed 16,252 visitors from around the world, up more than 36 percent from the year before, and also welcomed 28 baby Clydesdales: 18 fillies (girls) and 10 colts (boys). For opening week this year, visitors from more than 10 states, spanning from California to Florida, have already reserved spots on the tours.

Source: http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2013/03/28/budweiser-clydesdale-farm-opens-next-week/

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$5 million donation to TXU Energy Aid program to help needy ...

Zachary Thompson, the county's director of health and human services, says the program does more than pay bills. (Mia Castillo/Staff)

Staff writer Mia Castillo reports:

North Texans who can?t pay their electricity bills will continue to get the help they need thanks to a $5 million contribution to the TXU Energy Aid program.

?In the last 10 years there has been nearly $19 million of bill payment assistance that has helped 94,000 Dallas County residents,? said Kim Campbell, senior manager for customer advocacy for TXU. ?The program truly is a lifeline for our customers that are in need.?

TXU Energy announced the donation during a press conference Thursday morning celebrating the 30th anniversary of the nationally recognized program, billed as the biggest of it kind in the nation. The company matches each dollar in donations by employees, customers and others with a $5 donation of its own.

The program has helped more than 435,000 Texans pay more than $78 million in electricity bills, according to the company.

Representatives from about 20 social service agencies that help distribute the funds were present at the conference, including Zachary Thompson, Dallas County?s director of health and human services.

Thompson said the program goes beyond paying bills for needy customers.

?It brings them into social service centers like Dallas County Health and Human Services and other agencies and gives us the opportunity to provide them additional assistance,? he said.

Those needing help with their bills can call 211 to see if they qualify, and anyone seeking to donate can find information here.

Source: http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2013/03/5-million-donation-to-txu-energy-aid-program-to-help-needy-customers-pay-electricity-bills.html/

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Why Asia's elite is signing up for American MBAs - Fortune ...

UNC's Kenan Flagler Business School

By Lauren Everitt

(Poets&Quants) -- Why would Ning Zhai fly more than 7,300 miles to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for business classes? The 37-year-old already has an MBA and a successful career as the general manager for EasyWay Electronics, a high-tech manufacturer in Shanghai.

But Zhai, who also goes by Amy, recognized that Asia's business climate was changing. She believes she needs fresh knowledge about manufacturing, global supply chains, and international markets to stay competitive. So she enrolled in the Global Supply Chain Leaders Program, a dual-degree executive MBA program at the?Kenan-Flagler Business School?at the University of North Carolina and Tsinghua University in Beijing.

"I was young when I got my first MBA," she says, "but after working, I felt this program would improve me professionally. It would help improve my thinking from an international viewpoint."

Zhai isn't the first Chinese executive to turn westward for an executive education. The demand for advanced business degrees is growing among Asia's professional set, and American and European business schools are partnering with institutions in the East to offer executive MBA and other programs. China's rapid economic development has sparked a series of growing pains, including a shortage of managerial talent. Asia's business class is eager to fill that void and enrolling in EMBA programs.

The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University teamed up with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to offer an executive MBA program that has snagged the top spot in the Financial Times' EMBA rankings for four years in a row. The business schools at University of Maryland and Arizona State University are among a handful of other American institutions that have established ties with China to offer EMBA programs. B-schools in other countries have also embraced the trend. INSEAD and the University of Western Ontario in Canada offer Chinese executives the opportunity to grab an international EMBA.

The UNC-Tsinghua program welcomed its first class of 24 Chinese executives, including four women, in October 2012. Similar to Zhai, the majority of students are experienced professionals -- they have an average of 21 years of work experience. For one-third of the program, students attend class in Beijing once a month from Friday to Sunday. The remaining portion is taught through global residencies and two 16-day sessions in Chapel Hill.

The program will set executives back $60,000, not including residency costs. But the sticker price didn't dissuade Dong Ren, 42, a manager at CITIC International Logistics. "It's a dream for me," he says. "I don't think it's too large of an investment." Ren is paying his own way through the program and aims to start a private company.

Demand for programs like the one at UNC partly stems from China's growing status as an economic heavyweight. As companies expand into new markets, executives are opting to acquire skills to take their businesses to the next level. In Zhai's case, her company is eyeing international expansion, particularly in the U.S. Her employer is paying for her degree so she'll be able to bring global supply chain expertise to bear on the company's growth plans.

Another UNC-Tsinghua student, Tiejun Liu, 39, saw value in broadening his global perspective. As the chief representative at Hong Kong Quam Securities, Liu has a wealth of experience in Asia's financial industry, but he wanted a better understanding of business theory. "It's a different way of thinking," he says. U.S. professors walk you through business cases, and their analyses offer a different viewpoint, he adds. The global residencies, which include trips to Dubai and Seattle, also provided opportunities to learn about different cultures and expand his worldview, Liu says.

The UNC-Tsinghua EMBA program is rather unique in that it offers a dual emphasis on business and engineering, says to Jayashankar M. Swaminathan, associate dean of the program. Graduates walk away with a master of business administration from UNC and a master of engineering management from Tsinghua.

The program initially focused on attracting students with a technical or manufacturing background who had assumed leaderships positions in business. But Swaminathan discovered that students with investment, finance, and marketing backgrounds were also signing up. "I think the program is going to be much broader than we initially thought," he says.

The students are also a bit older than many of their American or European counterparts. The average student age at the UNC-Tsinghua program is 41. By comparison, the average age of American EMBA students in 2010 was 37.1, according to Executive MBA Council data.? Swaminathan says that many students in China lacked access to cutting-edge management education after graduating from college. "Many of these people are not looking to make a career switch. They're looking to enrich their current careers even further."

But the program has faced some hiccups. "Anytime you're talking about collaboration across continents, it's challenging," Swaminathan says. "UNC is the oldest public university and so we have processes in place that we must adhere to. On the other hand, Tsinghua has its own set of regulations and policies, so coming up with a process and program that works at both ends was extremely challenging."

Fortunately, the students seem to be adjusting just fine. Zhai says one of the highlights of the program has been the UNC campus and the cuisine. "I like the food better than in China," she says with a laugh.

More from Poets&Quants:

Source: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/03/29/asia-elite-us-mba/

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PFT: Chargers release free agent bust Gaither

Free agency opened 15 days ago.? This year, the initial surge of cash was more limited than ever, more than a few guys settled for one-year deals, and plenty of other players are still waiting to get paid.

For some, the issue is cap space.? For many, it can?t be.? As of Tuesday, March 26, 13 teams still had more than $10 million in spending room for 2013, and five still had more than $20 million, per a source with knowledge of the NFLPA?s calculation of remaining cap room.

Leading the way are the Bengals, who despite numerous re-signings still have $28.9 million to spend.? The Browns come in a close second, with $28.7 million.

The Bucs get the bronze for saving their gold, with $26.8 million.? Also, the Jaguars have $26.6 million, and the Eagles have $26.3 million.

Others with eight figures include the Packers with $18.3 million, the Bills with $16.8 million, the Dolphins with $15.7 million, the Cardinals with $14.0 million, the supposedly spending-to-the-cap Patriots with $13.4 million, the supposedly cap-strapped Jets with $13.0 million, the Colts with $11.7 million, and the Titans with $10.7 million.

This year, teams are required to spend 89 percent of the unadjusted cap.? But that number is determined at least for now on a four-year rolling average, which essentially allows teams to pocket 44 percent of a single year?s spending limit from 2013 through 2016.? Based on the current cap numbers, some teams are well on their way to that number.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/27/chargers-to-release-jared-gaither/related/

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GreenLancer Raises $275k From Michigan Investors To Move Engineering To The Cloud

Don’t be mistaken. GreenLancer, while seemingly just another consulting firm, is a technology company utilizing the cloud for ambitious engineering projects. Instead of hiring a technology firm to plan, say a solar power array, GreenLancer collects all the pertinent data and farms out the work to contractors through its propitiatory and standardized platform. GreenLancer, a Detroit-based startup, currently focuses on designing solar energy products, but is looking to quickly expand into more alternative energy markets. And with the additional $275k it just raised from four Michigan funds, GreenLancer is quickly headed towards that goal. The startup got off the ground with $160k in seed funding from the owners of Mersino, a Michigan-based construction company. This latest funding comes from investors throughout Michigan: Bizdom (Detroit), Start Garden (Grand Rapids), Blue Water Angels (Midland) and Northern Michigan Angels (Traverse City). ?GreenLancer has created a hybrid business model that leverages technology with the flexibility of the human touch,? said Rick DeVos, Founder and CEO of Start Garden, one of GreenLancer?s newest investors. ?Their assembly line approach has proven that they can provide professional engineering support that is far more cost effective than their brick-and-mortar competitors. This is exactly what the renewable energy industry needs to reduce the soft cost associated with developing clean energy projects.? This round of funding helped the company hire five full time staffers including the two web developers and a database engineer. With these new hires, GreenLancer is looking to build an API to increase its efficiency. In the coming months the company hopes to expand into other green markets including hydro-power, geothermal, solid outside fuel cells, and energy efficiency. “We’re not experts in the fields. We’re experts on the platform” co-founder CEO Michael Sharber told me. GreenLancer is seemingly off to a good start. Founded in late 2011, the company is already showing revenues from projects spanning 32 state and six countries. It’s even more impressive considering the jobs were acquired just from the co-founders personal contacts. GreenLancer plans on opening its platform to general use in early April.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/MP365YXGULY/

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Train hauling Canadian oil derails in Minnesota

By David Sheppard and Jeffrey Jones

NEW YORK/CALGARY (Reuters) - A mile-long train hauling oil from Canada derailed, spilling 30,000 gallons of crude in western Minnesota on Wednesday, as debate rages over the environmental risks of transporting tar sands across the border.

The major spill, the first since the start of a boom in North American crude-by-rail transport three years ago, came when 14 cars on a 94-car Canadian Pacific train left the tracks about 150 miles northwest of Minneapolis near the town of Parkers Prairie, the Otter Tail Sheriff's Department said.

Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd, the country's second-largest railroad, said only one 26,000-gallon tank car had ruptured, adding it was a mixed freight train.

CP spokesman Ed Greenberg said he did not know if the crude was from Canada's tar sands or from conventional oil fields.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency spokesman Dan Olson said up to three tank cars were ruptured and an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 gallons - or 475 to 715 barrels - leaked out.

Cold weather had made the crude thicker, hindering the ability to recover the oil, Olson said, adding the initial cleanup was expected to continue for a day or two.

"We are focusing on drawing up the loose (oil) ... and once that has been taken up, they will then pump up the remaining oil in the tanks," Olson said. "Because of the winter conditions, the ground is frozen and there is not any damage to surface water or ground water. After the initial recovery we will see if the oil has soaked into the soil at all."

In an updated statement, CP said just one car was compromised and other two cars leaked while being moved during the response to the derailment and were contained.

Greenburg said that the Safe clean-up efforts were progressing well and without concern.

"There have been reports that clean-up has been challenging. Our crews are taking appropriate steps in ensuring clean-up is conducted appropriately."

A photo provided by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency showed several large tank cars lying at the side of the railroad tracks in snow-covered fields, as clean-up crews examined the spill and maneuvered pump trucks into position.

"We have options to reroute traffic, so we've been able to continue to move trains while we do the thorough job of cleaning up the area," said Canadian Pacific's Greenberg.

A spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration said two representatives of the U.S. rail regulator are investigating the incident.

CRUDE-BY-RAIL

There has been a rapid increase in rail transport of crude in the last three years as booming North American oil production has outgrown existing pipeline capacity.

Canada is the top exporter of crude to the United States, due to rising output of crude from its vast tar sands deposits.

Around 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) on average were shipped to the United States in 2012, according to data from Canada's National Energy Board.

Suncor Energy Inc SU.TO, Canada's largest oil company, pulled the plug on its long-delayed and partially built Voyageur oil sands upgrading project in northern Alberta on Wednesday, citing surging volumes of crude from the Bakken.

Environmentalists have complained about the impact of developing the reserves, and have sought to block TransCanada Corp's controversial Keystone XL project, which would carry oil produced from the oil sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast refining center.

Some experts have argued oil-by-rail carries a higher risk of accidents and spills.

"It is good business for the rails and bad safety for the public," said Jim Hall, a transportation consultant and former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

"Railroads travel through population centers. The safest form of transport for this type of product is a pipeline. This accident could - and ought to - raise the issue for discussion."

Others noted that spills from rail cars are rare, and crude-by-rail has opened up opportunities for companies to develop huge volumes of oil production in places like the Bakken shale fields in North Dakota, which are not well served by pipelines.

Total shipments of petroleum on U.S. railroads rose more than 46 percent last year to 540,000 carloads, the Association of American Railroads said in January.

"It's not very good publicity, but railroads are incredibly safe, they don't spill often," said Tony Hatch, independent transportation analyst with ABH Consulting in New York who has done work for major railroads. "It should not change the opportunity railroads have to make us more energy independent."

Supporters of the Keystone XL pipeline were quick to jump on the derailment as a reason to build the pipeline.

"It should be clear that we need to move more oil by pipeline rather than by rail or truck," said Don Canton, spokesman for North Dakota Senator John Hoeven, who has been one of the chief political proponents of the line. "This is why we need the Keystone XL. Pipelines are both safe and efficient."

Hoeven has supported the line as it would help carry oil produced in North Dakota to higher priced refining centers on the coast, and could help further expand production in the state that now pumps more oil than Alaska.

(Reporting By David Sheppard, Edward McAllister, Cezary Podkul, Matthew Robinson, Eileen Houlihan, Jeanine Prezioso in New York, Jeff Jones in Calgary and NR Sethuraman in Bangalore; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Leslie Gevirtz, G Crosse and Michael Perry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/train-hauling-canadian-oil-derails-minnesota-034406561.html

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Video: Dumervil not bitter at Broncos? |? Suggs out?

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/51337504#51337504

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'Moving home was harder than I thought' | Generation Emigration

Rachael Cahill

Emigration? We hear this word so much nowadays. Graduates and final years at career fairs get presented with it as the golden branch that their future life must balance on. Almost as if jumping ship is the only way to save the dream they held at leaving certificate.

I do not say this in condemnation. I say it with understanding. In 2010 I finished college and decided to return to Thailand where I had first experienced the joy of teaching English as a foreign language. I lived in a tiny village in the southern town of Krabi, as one of four westerners who would always be classes as ?farang? (foreigner), not out of spite but because no matter what we would never be Thai.

My nickname was ?Nok?, Thai for bird. My children aged 3-6 gave me it as they couldn?t understand how I ?flew? over.

Throughout my time in Thailand, a country I will always recognise as my second home, I got to experience many pleasures, indulgences and also, most importantly, a re-education. I saw children who wanted so badly to learn and expand their knowledge slowly shrink away from education. They couldn?t keep up, they didn?t work enough, or worse ? schools and teachers just passed them on and on until they fell out of the system at 16.

Some days I would sit with my friend App and talk about her own education experiences. App went to local primary schools and secondary schools- underfunded, teacher-stretched schools. She longed to be a teacher of English and from the age of 12 had attended the free English classes provided by the company I worked for. Her dedication and hard work, which finally granted her the opportunity to go to university, was the starting spark for me. App made me think, what is it I want to achieve in this life?

I moved north to Bangkok and took a job at the Village School in Sukhumvit, which caters for children of all races with learning, behaviour and developmental disorders. The focus is on life skills but each child has independent programmes put in place based on their needs. A speech and language specialist, an occupational therapist and a range of teachers and support staff run the school with love and compassion and it was here I realised I wanted to understand more. I wanted to know more about the psychology behind how people learn, and help children to achieve their potential.

But I could not do it alone. It was time to return home to Ireland where I would be surrounded by friends and family and their support would get me through my next undertaking, a return to college.

Coming home from abroad is hard. I had to sacrifice a lot. I left behind friends who had become like family, and have since missed weddings, the birth of children I long to see grow, and been absent when friends who have supported me have suffered loss.

I imagined time would have stood still for the two years I missed. This wasn?t so. Friends had grown up and moved on with their lives. Old friendships had disappeared as new relationships had sprung up. Even organising a group night out seemed almost impossible and I felt angry at my friends and myself for things being so different.

My family had also changed. Their time was less readily available. The late night chats I had so looked forward to with siblings was limited to those I lived with rather than the whole family. I missed hugely what had been before I left and I failed to understand or adapt to the changes.

I threw myself into college and continued to work part time, but I was struggling. The return to my parent?s house, learning to study again as well as work was too much. I eventually quit my job, as a personal illness of epilepsy along with the fatigue I was feeling had become uncontrollable. I began to feel down and cursed myself for returning.

Friends began to notice. They were concerned but that only angered me. But my friend Grace persevered and told me in the most wonderful way to ?get over myself? ? I had been feeling she had made no effort with me, but where was my effort? I had expected all my friends to come running and hang on my every word about my wonderful two years abroad, but I hadn?t been interested in their two years because they had only stayed in Ireland. In other words, I was rude. I didn?t take into account what it was like to watch friends leave and I never thought of the strength it took to stay and build a life in a country where all you hear is how wonderful it is elsewhere.

I now love being home. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my first niece or nephew. My whole family for the first time in six years are living in the same country. I love hearing news not via email or Skype but face to face. I love being able to casually call up an old friend to go for a walk and a chat.

Coming home is humbling. It reminds you that you cannot just up and leave a life. To those that have the strength to embark on the journey of starting from scratch and building a life elsewhere I applaud you, for I know about those lonely nights where all you want is your mammy and a cup of tea. But to those who stay, I bow down to you. You have managed to continue working towards your dream even though it seems this recession is never ending. You have never given up hope, and that is impressive.

Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/generationemigration/2013/03/26/movin-home-was-harder-than-i-thought/

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Sony's PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 controller and Eye found at GDC 2013, we go eyes-on

Sony's next-gen console, the PlayStation 4, is getting an updated DualShock controller when it arrives at retail this holiday. It's also getting an updated PlayStation Eye camera, which brings the camera much more in line with Microsoft's Kinect than any previous versions. We found the PS4 peripherals trapped under a glass box on the Game Developers Conference show floor, and Sony sadly wouldn't let us free them. We of course snapped a mess of pictures regardless, which you can see just below in the gallery. We anticipate the first hands-on opportunity with the DualShock 4 and PS4 Eye at E3 2013 in June, so hang tight for a few months!

Gallery: PlayStation 4 DualShock 4 and PS4 Eye (GDC 2013)

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Peripherals, HD, Sony

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/C6u2Ggy3p2w/

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Nevada Assembly considers first ever expulsion

RENO, Nev. (AP) ? A lawmaker who has been arrested twice in two months, hospitalized for a mental evaluation and accused of threatening to harm a Democratic Party leader could this week become the first person in Nevada history to be kicked out of the Legislature.

A select committee plans to convene Tuesday evening to recommend whether Assemblyman Steven Brooks, D-Las Vegas, should be allowed to return to his seat in the Legislature, be expelled, censured or otherwise reprimanded.

The saga has served as a headache for Nevada lawmakers as they have taken up issues such as taxes, gun laws and the budget with the shadow of Brooks' legal troubles hanging over the session. Brooks took his seat Feb. 4, but was put on leave and banished from the building a week later. He has not participated in legislative business, but will attend the Tuesday evening hearing that had to be moved to a Carson City courthouse because of security concerns given his many tangles with the law.

"It's been an unfortunate situation that clearly has been more than a minimal distraction," said Assembly Majority Leader William Horne, D-Las Vegas, who is leading the seven-member bipartisan panel.

It all started when Brooks was arrested in a car with a gun and dozens of rounds of ammunition in January after allegedly voicing a threat against Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick of North Las Vegas. Days later, Brooks was hospitalized when authorities were called to his grandmother's home for a domestic disturbance. Around the same time, he posed shirtless for a newspaper photograph.

The timing of the arrest put the Nevada Legislature in an odd position because Brooks had to be sworn in just two weeks later, despite the fact that his superiors had to beef up security based on the threat. A police report said that Brooks had said he was "not afraid to die" and was willing to engage in a shootout, but he has not been formally charged in the case.

Then he was arrested again Feb. 10 following a domestic disturbance involving his estranged wife. Las Vegas police alleged that Brooks threw punches and grabbed for an officer's gun. Clark County prosecutors charged him with one felony and three lesser charges which, if he is convicted, could subject him to fines up to $10,000 and as much as six years in jail.

Brooks was denied permission to buy a rifle Feb. 21 at a sporting goods store in Sparks after the Nevada Department of Public Safety reviewed background forms he had filled out. Earlier this month, the father of four lost his job of six years with the city of Las Vegas as a management analyst for Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services management analyst. He also reported his car stolen.

"It has been rough going through all of this as it would be for anyone," said Mitchell Posin, Brooks' lawyer said.

The panel will hear evidence from an independent counsel before recommending whether Brooks should retain his seat. The full Assembly will act on the recommendations of the committee ? likely later in the week. Removing him from the Legislature requires a two-thirds majority, or 28 votes in the 42-member Assembly.

The only other time the Nevada Legislature formally considered expelling one of its members was in 1867 when the accused offender published a letter referring to the Assembly speaker's "sore-eyed, red-haired, baboon-looking face" in a political feud that prompted a ban on some newspaper reporters from the chambers.

Assemblyman A.H. Lissak of Storey County also ridiculed another colleague, but he ultimately apologized and retracted his statements, and a vote on his ouster was postponed indefinitely.

A century and a half later, Brooks is defending himself under the same section of legislative rules that forbid "disorderly conduct."

The target of Brooks' disdain was the Assembly speaker and others whom he blamed for ? among other things ? what he considered to be weak committee assignments. But while Lissak took aim at his rivals on the pages of the Virginia City newspaper where Samuel Clemens had adopted his pen name of Mark Twain four years before, Brooks is accused of leveling physical threats that prompted lawmakers earlier this year to ban him from the building.

"This is the only other time that either house of the Legislature ever pursued an expulsion," said Guy Rocha, a Nevada historian and former longtime state archivist.

Brooks' lawyer has filed papers with the state Supreme Court to challenge any action that prevents him from serving voters in the district they argue legally elected him.

"He should be put back in his seat," Posin said. "The Legislature has imposed an extra-constitutional qualification on Assemblyman Brooks' right and duty to serve his constituents, which they cannot do."

The Nevada Constitution gives the state Senate and Assembly jurisdiction over judging the qualifications of members. Legislative Counsel Brenda Erdoes said in briefs filed with the high court that that includes the authority to determine its own rules and "punish its members for disorderly conduct."

Further, Erdoes argued the Assembly had authority to "take preventative and disciplinary action" against Brooks "based on its inherent power of self-protection."

Posin said he's concerned the committee will adhere to much lower standards in determining Brooks' guilt than would a courthouse jury required to find someone guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

"Here in the Legislature, unfortunately in my opinion, there simply is no standard," he said. "Here it seems like they can levy almost criminal-like sanctions against one of their own without having to comply with those kinds of requirements of proof, or even having a burden of proof."

Posin said he intends to present a "pretty simple message" to the committee on Brooks' behalf.

"He does not present any kind of physical threat to the speaker or anybody else," Posin said.

___

Associated Press writer Sandra Chereb contributed to this report from Carson City, Nev.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-25-Nevada%20Assemblyman%20Arrested/id-92b7e062142f49c986f1379b70dce02c

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Chief justice's lesbian cousin will attend landmark gay-marriage argument

By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News

A cousin of Chief Justice John Roberts who wants to marry her lesbian partner in California says she will attend this week?s landmark Supreme Court argument on gay marriage.

Jean Podrasky will sit in a section of the courtroom reserved for relatives and guests of the chief justice. Her partner of four years, Grace Fasano, will attend with her, she told the Los Angeles Times.

Podrasky said that she has no knowledge of the chief justice?s thinking but expects the court to overturn Proposition 8, a ban on gay marriage that was approved by California voters in 2008.

?He is a smart man,? she told the newspaper. ?He is a good man. I believe he sees where the tide is going. I do trust him. I absolutely trust that he will go in a good direction.?

Podrasky, who lives in San Francisco, said that she usually sees the chief justice only on family occasions. She said he knows that she is gay, and that she hopes he will meet her partner during their visit to Washington.

Roberts was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005. He generally sides with the court?s conservative wing, but last year he sided with liberals on the court in upholding President Barack Obama?s health care overhaul.

The court is hearing two gay-rights cases this week. The argument on Proposition 8 will be Tuesday. The following day, the court will consider the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which blocks federal recognition of gay marriages sanctioned by states.

Podrasky told the newspaper that she got the coveted courtroom seats by emailing Roberts? sister, then going through his secretary. She said that Roberts knows she is attending.

In the weeks before the 2008 election, Podrasky carried a sign opposing Proposition 8 at a transit station and handed out fliers on a college campus, the Times reported.

In a column for the National Center for Lesbian Rights to be published Monday, Podrasky writes that ?everyone in this country? has a gay relative.

?As a Californian, I want nothing more than to marry my wonderful girlfriend,? the column says, as quoted by the newspaper. ?And as a tax-paying citizen, I seek basic fairness.?

Related:

Same-sex couple wins $100,000 dream wedding

Gay marriage's big day in court: What's at stake?

Timeline: Key dates in the struggle for gay rights

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Glance: Other Russians whose deaths have rocked UK

LONDON (AP) ? Russia's transition from a Kremlin-controlled economy to a free market free-for-all in the 1990s brought on a wave of contract killings as criminals, entrepreneurs and corrupt officials tried to muscle each other out of lucrative businesses. The death of 67-year-old Boris Berezovsky ? which remains unexplained ? has raised questions about the safety of oligarchs as opposition figures back in Russia have been making the United Kingdom their home.

Here are some other U.K. incidents involving figures from ? or involved with ? the former Soviet Union:

ALEXANDER LITVINENKO

Litvinenko, a former KGB agent turned fierce critic of the Kremlin, died after ingesting polonium in his tea at a London hotel in 2006. His family blames the Russian state for orchestrating his death, and British authorities have named former KGB officer and Russian lawmaker Andrei Lugovoi as their chief suspect. The Kremlin ? and Lugovoi ? deny being behind the poisoning, which drew headlines worldwide. Perhaps mindful of Litvinenko's experience, British police called in a hazardous materials team to examine Berezovsky's home. They later declared the property clear of hazardous materials.

BADRI PATARKATSISHVILI

Patarkatsishvili, an associate and confidant of Berezovsky's, died in his mansion in southern England in February 2008. Police initially said his death appeared suspicious but authorities later ruled the 52-year-old billionaire had succumbed to heart failure. Patarkatsishvili was active in Georgian politics, retained a small army of bodyguards, and often said he feared he would be targeted in an assassination attempt.

ALEXANDER PEREPILICHNYY

Perepilichnyy was found dead outside his plush home in southern England in November 2012. He had been in possession of documents which allegedly blew the lid off a massive Russian tax fraud involving dirty money being funneled into Swiss bank accounts. Post-mortem examinations have so far failed to determine how the 44-year-old died. In a recent report, the BBC said he had had a checkup and was given a clean bill of health only months before his death.

STEPHEN CURTIS

Described by author Mark Hollingsworth as "the lawyer who knew too much," Curtis died when his helicopter crashed in poor weather on its way to his 19th-century retreat in southern England in March 2004. Investigators ruled the crash was an accident, but Curtis was a big player in the murky world of Russian banking and had recently been receiving death threats.

GERMAN GORBUNTSOV

Russian businessman Gorbuntsov was shot six times in London's Canary Wharf financial district in March 2011. Gorbuntsov ? who survived ? blames disgruntled business associates for the attack. So far no one has been brought to justice.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/glance-other-russians-whose-deaths-rocked-uk-173615564.html

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Buddhists-Muslims violence spreads in Myanmar

MEIKHTILA, Myanmar (AP) ? Sectarian clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar spread to at least two other towns in the country's heartland over the weekend, undermining government efforts to quash an eruption of violence that has killed dozens of people and displaced 10,000 more.

President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency in the region on Friday and deployed army troops to the worst hit city, Meikhtila. But even as soldiers were able to impose order there after several days of anarchy that saw armed Buddhists torch the city's Muslim quarters, unrest was reported in two other towns to the south.

Late Sunday, state television said that mobs burned down a mosque and 50 homes on Saturday in Yamethin, about 64 kilometers (40 miles) from Meikhtila, and another mosque and several buildings were also set ablaze in Lewei, further south near the capital, Naypyitaw.

The government has put the total death toll at 32, and authorities say they have detained at least 35 people allegedly involved in arson and violence in the region.

The spread of violence is posing major challenged to stability as Thein Sein's administration, led by retired military officers, struggles to reform the Southeast Asian country after half a century of army rule officially ended two years ago.

Two similar episodes rocked western Rakhine state last year, pitting ethnic Rakhine Buddhists against Rohingya Muslims who are widely denigrated as illegal migrants from Bangladesh and are denied passports as a result. The Muslim population of central Myanmar, by contrast, is mostly of Indian origin and does not face the same questions over nationality.

Analysts say the emergence of sectarian conflict here is a worrying development, one that indicates violent anti-Muslim sentiment has spread unabated into the country's heartland. Muslims make up about four percent of the predominantly Buddhist country's roughly 60 million people.

The bloodshed "shows that inter-communal tensions in Myanmar are not just limited to the Rakhine and Rohingya in northern Rakhine state," said Jim Della-Giacoma of the International Crisis Group. "Myanmar is a country with dozens of localized fault lines and grievances that were papered over during the authoritarian years that we are just beginning to see and understand. It is a paradox of transitions that greater freedom does allows these local conflicts to resurface."

"If a democratic state is the nation's goal, they need to find a place for all its people as equal citizens," Della-Giacoma said. "Given the country's history, it won't be easy."

On Sunday, Vijay Nambiar, the U.N. secretary-general's special adviser on Myanmar, toured Meikhtila and called on the government to punish those responsible.

He also visited some of the nearly 10,000 people driven from their homes in the unrest. Most of the displaced are minority Muslims, who appeared to have suffered the brunt of the violence as armed Buddhist mobs roamed city.

Nambiar said he was encouraged to learn that some individuals in both communities had bravely helped each other and that religious leaders were now advocating peace. He said the people he spoke to believe the violence "was the work of outsiders," but he gave no details.

"There is a certain degree of fear and anxiety among the people, but there is no hatred," Nambiar said after visiting both groups on Sunday and promising the United Nations would provide as much help as it can to get the city back on its feet. "They feel a sense of community and that it is a very good thing because they have worked together and lived together."

But he added: "It is important to catch the perpetrators. It is important that they be caught and punished."

In Meikthila, at least five mosques were set ablaze from Wednesday to Friday. The majority of homes and shops burned in the city also belonged to Muslims, and most of the displaced are Muslim. Dozens of corpses were piled in the streets, some of them charred beyond recognition.

During his trip, Nambiar visited some of the thousands of Muslim residents at a city stadium, where they have huddled since fleeing their homes. He later visited around 100 Buddhists at a local monastery who have also been displaced.

"The city is calm and some shops have reopened, but many still live in fear. Some still dare not return to their homes," said Win Htein, an opposition lawmaker from the city.

Myanma Ahlin, a state-run newspaper, carried a statement from Buddhist, Muslim, Christian and Hindu leaders expressing sorrow for the loss of life and property and calling on Buddhist monks to help ease tensions.

"We would like to call upon the government to provide sufficient security and to protect the displaced people and to investigate and take legal measures as urgently as possible," the statement from the Interfaith Friendship Organization said.

Muslims, who make up about 30 percent of Meikhtila's 100,000 inhabitants, have stayed off the streets since their shops and homes were burned and Buddhist mobs armed with machetes and swords began roaming the city.

Little appeared to be left of some palm tree-lined neighborhoods, where the legs of victims could be seen poking out from smoldering masses of twisted debris and ash. Broken glass, charred cars and motorcycles and overturned tables littered roads beside rows of burned-out homes and shops, evidence of the widespread chaos that swept the town.

Chaos began Wednesday after an argument broke out between a Muslim gold shop owner and his Buddhist customers. Once news spread that a Muslim man had killed a Buddhist monk, Buddhist mobs rampaged through a Muslim neighborhood and the situation quickly spiraled out of control.

Residents and activists said the police did little to stop the rioters or reacted too slowly, allowing the violence to escalate.

Occasional isolated violence involving Myanmar's majority Buddhist and minority Muslim communities has occurred for decades, even under the authoritarian military governments that ruled the country from 1962 to 2011.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/buddhists-muslims-violence-spreads-myanmar-034703975.html

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Women's Golf Sees First Round in Hilton Head Canceled

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

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Winning numbers drawn for $320 million Powerball jackpot

The drawing for the Powerball jackpot, now at 320 million takes place Saturday. The jackpot is the sixth highest ever. People in 42 states and Washington, D.C., were scrambling for tickets, even with odds at about 175 million to one. NBC's Lester Holt reports.

By Becky Bratu, Staff Writer, NBC News

A winning ticket for Saturday night's $338 million Powerball jackpot was sold in New Jersey, lottery officials said early Sunday.

The winning numbers in the drawing were: 17, 29, 31, 52, 53, 31. The drawing took place Saturday.

Before the drawing, the jackpot had been estimated at $320 million, but late ticket sales pushed that to $338 million -- the fourth-largest Powerball prize ever. The lump-sum option is $211 million.

The Multi-State Lottery Association said a grand prize-winning ticket was sold in New Jersey.?

People in 42 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands scrambled for Powerball tickets until the last minute, even with odds at about 175 million to one.

---

No ticket had matched the six numbers in Wednesday night's Powerball drawing, and no one had won the jackpot since early February.

Bob King in Boston told NBC affiliate WHDH his daughter is getting married next month and winning the lottery could help.

?I don?t hold out hope of winning, but you can?t win unless you play, right?? King told WHDH.

?Well there's a lot of states in it, so it's a one in a million shot, but everybody has a chance,? Frank Weber of Chicopee, Mass., told NBC affiliate WWLP.

Roanna Fightei from Hardin, Mont., said she would use the winnings to help others.

"Something positive to help -- I would most definitely use more than I needed to help others," she told NBC affiliate KULR. "It's just better to love one another, and to help everybody out there. I believe it comes back at you."

?

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Sweet smell of success (Balloon Juice)

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

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C. African Republic president overthrown by rebels

FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2013 file photo, government security forces in a pickup truck drive past a demonstration calling for peace as negotiators prepare for talks with rebels from the north, in downtown Bangui, Central African Republic Saturday. On Friday, March 22, rebels took the town of Damara, beginning a new march to take the capital, Bangui, said a rebel spokesman. Panic spread throughout the capital, with the neighborhoods closest to the northern gate of the city emptying out, as frightened residents locked up their shops, packed their bags and yanked their children out of school. Banks and government offices closed early.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 5, 2013 file photo, government security forces in a pickup truck drive past a demonstration calling for peace as negotiators prepare for talks with rebels from the north, in downtown Bangui, Central African Republic Saturday. On Friday, March 22, rebels took the town of Damara, beginning a new march to take the capital, Bangui, said a rebel spokesman. Panic spread throughout the capital, with the neighborhoods closest to the northern gate of the city emptying out, as frightened residents locked up their shops, packed their bags and yanked their children out of school. Banks and government offices closed early.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 2, 2013 file photo, a convoy of Chadian soldiers fighting in support of Central African Republic president Francois Bozize moves along the road in Damara, about 70km (44 miles) north of the capital Bangui, Central African Republic Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. On Friday, March 22, rebels took the town of Damara, beginning a new march to take the capital, Bangui, said a rebel spokesman. Panic spread throughout the capital, with the neighborhoods closest to the northern gate of the city emptying out, as frightened residents locked up their shops, packed their bags and yanked their children out of school. Banks and government offices closed early.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2013 photo, Francois Bozize, president of the Central African Republic, speaks to the media in front of a map of the country in the colors of its flag, at the presidential palace in Bangui, Central African Republic. On Friday, March 22, rebels took the town of Damara, beginning a new march to take the capital, Bangui, said a rebel spokesman. In power since 2003, Bozize is himself the result of a rebel occupation. After years as a high-ranking military officer, Bozize launched a rebellion in 2001, taking Bangui two years later, when the then-president was out of the country.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) ? Rebels overthrew Central African Republic's president of a decade on Sunday, seizing the presidential palace and declaring that the desperately poor country has "opened a new page in its history." The country's president fled the capital, while extra French troops moved to secure the airport, officials said.

The rebels' invasion of the capital came just two months after they had signed a peace agreement that would have let President Francois Bozize serve until 2016. That deal unraveled in recent days, prompting the insurgents' advance into Bangui and Bozize's departure to a still unpublicized location.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the unconstitutional seizure of power and called for the swift restoration of constitutional order, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

The U.N. chief appealed for calm and reiterated that the January peace agreements "remain the most viable framework to ensure durable peace and stability in the country," Nesirky said. Ban also expressed deep concern at reports of serious human rights violations.

Witnesses and an adviser to Bozize said rebel trucks were traveling throughout the town on Sunday hours after the palace was seized. Former colonial power France confirmed the developments, issuing a statement that said French President Francois Hollande "has taken note of the departure of President Francois Bozize."

"Central African Republic has just opened a new page in its history," said a communique signed by Justin Kombo Moustapha, secretary-general of the alliance of rebel groups known as Seleka.

"The political committee of the Seleka coalition, made up of Central Africans of all kinds, calls on the population to remain calm and to prepare to welcome the revolutionary forces of Seleka," it said.

Central African Republic, a nation of 4.5 million, has long been wracked by rebellions and power grabs. Bozize himself took power in 2003 following a rebellion, and his tenure has been marked by conflict with myriad armed groups.

The rebels reached the outskirts of Bangui late Saturday. Heavy gunfire echoed through the city Sunday as the fighters made their way to the presidential palace, though the president was not there at the time.

"Bozize left the city this morning," said Maximin Olouamat, a Bozize adviser. He declined to say where the president had gone.

The last public news of Bozize's whereabouts came Friday, when state radio announced he had returned from a visit to South Africa.

Coverseas Worldwide Assistance, a Swiss-based crisis management firm that has contacts on the ground, said it believed Bozize was headed toward neighboring Congo. Bangui is located along the Oubangui River that separates the two countries.

Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende, however, said he had no knowledge of Bozize crossing into Congo.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement Sunday that the United States was "deeply concerned about a serious deterioration in the security situation" in Central African Republic.

"We urgently call on the Seleka leadership which has taken control of Bangui to establish law and order in the city and to restore basic services of electricity and water," the statement said.

Rebels from several armed groups that have long opposed Bozize joined forces in December and began seizing towns across the sparsely populated north. They threatened at the time to march on Bangui, but ultimately halted their advance and agreed to engage in peace talks in Libreville, the capital of Gabon.

A deal was signed Jan. 11 that allowed Bozize to finish his term, which expires in 2016, but the rebels soon began accusing the president of failing to fulfill promises made.

They demanded Bozize send home South African forces who were helping bolster the country's military. They also sought to integrate some 2,000 rebel fighters into Central African Republic's armed forces.

Earlier this month, the rebels again took control of two towns and threatening to advance on the capital.

Late Saturday, Bangui was plunged into darkness after fighters cut power to much of the city. State radio went dead, and fearful residents cowered in their homes.

An unspecified number of French citizens have taken refuge in the French Embassy, a French diplomat said on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to be publicly named according to Foreign Ministry policy. The diplomat said extra French troops were brought in to secure the Bangui airport.

Hundreds of French soldiers already were in the country, some of whom were sent in to protect French interests in the former colony. Bozize had appealed to Hollande for help, but the French president said he would not be protecting the government. Other French soldiers have been providing technical support and helping to train the local army, according to the French defense ministry.

South African Brig. Gen. Xolani Mabanga, the country's military spokesman, said there had been "intense" fighting this weekend between rebels and South African forces. "Our base was attacked by the rebels as they were advancing toward the capital," he said.

"We have suffered some casualties," he said. He declined to provide the number of casualties, pending the outcome of an investigation.

The peace deal also had created a prime minister post, which was given to opposition leader Nicolas Tiangaye, who had been sheltering at a military base for forces from regional neighbors known as FOMAC.

The United States urged the rebels to "provide full support" to Tiangaye, citing the "continued legitimacy" of the peace deal signed in January.

___

Krista Larson reported from Dakar, Senegal. Associated Press writers Christopher Torchia in Johannesburg and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Lindsay Lohan Court Drama: Fashion Fail

Sure, Lindsay Lohan deserves a real fashion fail for many of her outfits and hair styles — especially that inappropriate number she wore to court a while back. But this time around it’s just for being so stinking irresponsible. Yes, I know, that’s just her style, but at some point this is all going to catch up to her. As you may know, she was recently in court after being accused of, among a bunch of other things, lying to police. That could have easily given her jail time. Experts say that she could have easily served six months in jail. The biggest fail of all was that prosecutors tried to give her a break. She was offered a plea deal to avoid jail time — and at first she denied it! Finally, in a sudden turn around, she has agreed to goto rehab for 90 days. That came after she missed her flight to be in court on time and had to take a private jet to get there. Now that she came around on the plea deal, it’s anybody’s guess if she will report on time, or even take it seriously. That would be a major fail.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/gNGqG3sxnfM/

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GOP roadmap calls for immigration reform

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Over strong objections from some conservative leaders, the Republican National Committee formally endorsed immigration reform on Monday and outlined plans for a $10 million outreach to minority groups ? gay voters among them ? as part of a strategy to make the GOP more "welcoming and inclusive" for voters who overwhelmingly supported Democrats in 2012.

In a report released Monday, the RNC says that the way the party communicates its principles isn't resonating widely enough and that focus groups perceive the party as "narrow minded," ''out of touch" and "stuffy old men."

"The perception that we're the party of the rich unfortunately continues to grow," Reince Priebus, the RNC chair, said in a Monday morning speech.

To broaden its appeal, the party must reach out to minority voters and others, according to one recommendation in the report: "We must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform. If we do not, our party's appeal will continue to shrink," it said.

Acknowledging the tough road ahead for some immigration reform in a divided GOP, Priebus after the speech refused to say whether "comprehensive immigration reform" should include a pathway to citizenship and distanced himself from some of the report's recommendations.

"Remember these are recommendations made to the RNC. This is not my report," he said.

Party leaders have crafted dozens of recommendations following a months-long self-examination prompted by last year's painful election losses. The report also calls on Republicans to take a harder line with corporate America, loosen political fundraising laws in Washington and in state capitals, and cut in half the number of candidate debates in a shortened 2016 presidential primary calendar.

"When Republicans lost in November, it was a wakeup call," Priebus said.

The Republican National Committee's shift on minority outreach may be the most visible change in the coming months.

Priebus plans to dispatch hundreds of paid workers into Hispanic, black and Asian communities across the nation by the end of the summer, a $10 million effort meant to rival President Barack Obama's national political machine.

The RNC will also push for a tone of "tolerance and respect" in the immigration debate, create "senior level advisory councils" focused on minority groups, and establish "swearing in citizenship teams" to connect with new voters immediately after swearing-in ceremonies.

"We need to go to communities where Republicans do not normally go to listen and make our case," the report says. "We need to campaign among Hispanic, black, Asian and gay Americans and demonstrate that we care about them, too."

The recommendations will not be well received in all corners of the Republican Party.

Some Republicans, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio among them, are working toward bipartisan immigration reform that is likely to include a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants ? sometimes called "amnesty." Conservative commentator Ann Coulter ripped the idea in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend.

"If amnesty goes through, America becomes California and no Republican will ever win another national election," Coulter said.

A veteran Republican strategist and one of the report's authors, Sally Bradshaw, acknowledged Monday that there would be opposition within the party, but said "other Republicans are starting to step up."

"There is not an easy path for this," she said. "These are difficult recommendations."

The RNC's recommendations follow an extensive look at what went wrong in 2012.

Priebus tapped a handful of respected party leaders to examine how the GOP could better talk with voters, raise money from donors and learn from Democrats' tactics. The report also suggests that party officials could lean more on independent groups such as super political action committees to fund television advertising campaigns, allowing the Republican National Committee to focus on strategy and contacting voters.

Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary under former president George W. Bush, and Bradshaw, a top adviser to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, were among those leading the inquiry. Republican National Committeeman Henry Barbour, a GOP strategist and nephew of former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, was also part of the group. RNC members Zori Fonalledas of Puerto Rico and Glenn McCall of South Carolina rounded out the five-person committee that listened to Republicans' ideas and frustrations.

Those leaders heard from 50,000 rank-and-file members about how to respond to the nation's shifting demographics.

Priebus planned a full-scale rollout of their recommendations Monday, although the proposals ? particularly those affecting the presidential primary calendar ? are far from a done deal. They would have to win the approval of the 168-member RNC and then each state's election chief would have to abide by the party's proposed calendar.

The report recommends reducing the number of presidential primary debates to approximately 10 to 12, with the first scheduled no earlier than Sept. 1, 2015. It calls for the primary calendar to begin with the traditional "carve out" states ? such as Iowa and New Hampshire ? before moving to a major reorganization, such as a "regional primary system" finished by mid-May.

While there was much focus on the nuts and bolts of politics, the report also offers extensive recommendations for how Republicans communicate with voters.

The report also calls for the GOP to take a harder line with corporations.

"We have to blow the whistle at corporate malfeasance and attack corporate welfare," it says. "We should speak out when CEOs receive tens of millions of dollars in retirement packages but middle-class workers have not had a meaningful raise in years."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-03-18-US-Republicans/id-2c8d7a4db96344079c517a57723f8ba3

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SEO Versus PPC | ? The Online Marketing Place

There are two major search engine marketing strategies in use today: SEO (search engine optimization) and PPC (pay-per-click). Both strategies are entirely different and it is tough to decide which one or which combination is right for you.

To decide which strategy is best for you, consider the basics. It is easier to judge the pros and cons when taking the big picture into account. People will continue to battle for the top search engine positions. Search engine marketing is undoubtedly one of the best sources of targeted traffic.

As people continuously try to find new and unique ways to get additional traffic to their web sites, the SEO industry continues to grow. PPC refers to advertising on a search engine that charges on a per click basis whenever a visitor clicks on one of your ads. The order of ads is usually based on bidding prices, meaning that the advertiser who bids the highest price per click will be listed first. These sponsored listings are known as PPC listings.

SEO tries to change your search engine ranking by looking at a number of factors including link popularity, Page Rank and so on. If your web site is search engine optimized then obviously you are more likely to have a good ranking in the search engines. A well-optimized and marketed site will be listed in the top results whenever a person searches for related keywords. One of the best benefits of SEO marketing is you don?t have to pay for any clicks! So, how can we decide which method is better? Both methods actually serve different purposes. However, one is likely to be a better fit for your business than the other one.

PPC

PPC traffic, rankings and results tend to be more stable and predictable than SEO, and, combined with its low cost, this makes PPC one of the more popular ways of advertising. Most companies try PPC before they try SEO, because it?s seen as more stable. In many cases PPC lets you rank well on the search engines, without having to do the tedious work involved in SEO ? no finding link partners, posting links, creating content and so on. As long as you have the budget for it, the ranking is yours. Another advantage is that the listing will get posted when you want it and not when the search engine gets around to it. With PPC?s popularity growing day by day, the market is also getting competitive. You will find that CPC?s (costs per clicks) are steadily rising, and for a common man it is getting tough to invest much. As with most auctions, the more people bidding on PPC, the higher the prices get.

SEO

The main benefit of SEO is that it does not cost per click. The disadvantages are that the traffic to your website is more unpredictable and requires a lot of work. With SEO, you have to adapt and constantly change strategies as search engines change their algorithms. SEO is also slower than PPC, as many search engines don?t list new sites. So what should you choose? Well, it depends on how much money you are willing to spend, what your time line is, and what your return on investment is. If you have cash then PPC should be your first choice, as it produces fast results. PPC can also be used for testing the effectiveness of web sites. If you have time and money to invest in long-term results, SEO is an excellent option as well.

All and all, the best marketing strategy is typically to go with PPC in the short term to get immediate traffic and analyze conversions. SEO should then be taken with a long term view in mind, so you can reap the benefits of free traffic later on.

Source: http://theonlinemarketingplace.com/internet-marketing/seo-versus-ppc/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=seo-versus-ppc

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Obama's modest gay marriage move

In a fascinating combination?a modest legal plea wrapped inside an ambitious constitutional argument, the Obama administration on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to strike down California?s Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage.

Source: Chris Walton (Flickr).

This marked the federal government?s first entry into the controversy that has occupied the federal courts continuously since Proposition 8 was challenged in a potentially landmark federal court case four years ago.?? President Obama, of course, has said that he favors allowing gays and lesbians to marry the persons they love, but his government has never sought explicitly to have the courts open marriage to those couples.

Rather than seeking a nationwide ruling to give same-sex couples marriage equality everywhere in the U.S., the administration?s lawyers offered a legal formula that would almost immediately make marriage available to gays and lesbians only in eight states?including California?that do not now allow it.

In addition to California, those states are Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, and Rhode Island.

Considering what the administration might have proposed, that request qualified as quite modest. After all, the two same-sex couples who originated the challenge to Proposition 8 are asking the court to strike down marriage bans for such partners all across America, wherever that is still banned.

But, in order to get to the result the administration is seeking (the overturning of the 2008 ballot measure adopted in the Golden State), the new legal brief filed for the government suggested that the court adopt a sweeping new constitutional test that clearly has the potential to nullify laws of many kinds that treat gays and lesbians less favorably than straight people.

If the court were to mandate that test (which judges and lawyers call ?heightened scrutiny?), that might one day mean the end of all bans on same-sex marriage, too. The administration was not seeking that result at this point, the brief made clear.

In fact, at one point in the new brief, the government?s attorneys said the court could decide the pending case on Proposition 8 without having to decide what the Constitution might require ?under circumstances not present here.? That somewhat opaque phrase was meant to emphasize that the government was not asking the court to treat the basic right to marry, which the Constitution clearly protects, as an institution open to all same-sex couples.

In effect, the arguments made on Thursday offset the goal of advancing the cause of marriage equality to an important degree with a hesitation to push that goal from coast to coast. So, if the court were to follow the path suggested by the government, it very likely would mean that same-sex marriage would, for the time being, remain banned in 33 states (down from the current number, 41).

This arithmetic needs a bit of explaining. There are nine states out of the 50 that currently permit same-sex marriages, along with Washington, D.C. Such marriages are not allowed in the other 41. How would a court decision of the kind the government was suggesting get that number down to 33?

Eight states, including California, now provide all or nearly all of the benefits and legal rights of marriage to both same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples, so they are treated equally in that respect. But, in those states, only opposite-sex couples can go beyond their access to those benefits, and legally get married.

It is those eight states that are the target of the Obama administration?s legal challenge, even though it is framed as a challenge only to California?s Proposition 8.? The argument that was made, in fact, is widely known by the phrase, ?the eight-state solution? for same-sex marriage rights. The government was not proposing a ?50-state solution.?

Under the government?s argument, the constitutional problem arose when the voters of California took away the marriage right for same-sex couples even as they left intact all of the marriage-like benefits for those couples.

When judged by a tough constitutional standard, or ?heightened scrutiny,? that differing treatment of same-sex couples violates the Constitution?s guarantee of legal equality, under the 14th Amendment, the brief asserted.

Proposition 8, the brief contended, ?forbids committed same-sex couples from solemnizing their union in marriage, and instead relegates them to a legal status?domestic partnership?distinct from marriage but identical to it in terms of the substantive rights and obligations under state law.?

The designation of marriage, the brief said, ?confers a special validation of the relationship between two individuals and conveys a message to society that domestic partnerships or civil unions cannot match.?

Examining one by one the arguments that the sponsors of Proposition 8 make for that measure, the administration document found each of them insufficient to make up for the discrimination it argued is the result of that measure.

So, without any justification that would promote ?any important governmental interest,? the brief said, Proposition 8 in the end emerges only as the product of ?impermissible prejudice? against gays and lesbians.

Although the approach the administration has taken in this new filing is notably more modest than the gay rights community had hoped, and that the two same-sex California couples are still pursuing before the court, the administration?s argument does give the justices the option of deciding the pending case more narrowly, if they are not yet prepared to address same-sex marriage as a national issue.

What the brief did leave totally unmentioned, though, was that the court?s endorsement of the tough new constitutional test put forth by the administration would amount virtually to a very broad foundation for a historic new era of gay rights, going well beyond Proposition 8 and even beyond marriage.

Even though acknowledged, that is the potential that could be seen between the lines of 32 pages of legal reason.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/not-ambitious-challenge-proposition-8-120808398.html

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