MOSCOW (AP) — A rocket carrying the Olympic flame successfully blasted off Thursday from earth ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.
NASA Live TV showed the rocket, emblazoned with the pale blue Sochi 2014 logo, launching from the Russian-operated Baikonur cosmodrome on a clear morning in Kazakhstan.
The torch will make its way to the International Space Station before being taken into space itself — making it the Olympic flame's first spacewalk in history.
Russia's Mikhail Tyurin, NASA's Rick Mastracchio and Koichi Wakata of Japan beamed at the crowd as they carried the lit torch aboard the Soyuz rocket.
For safety reasons, the torch will not burn when it's onboard the space outpost. Lighting it would consume precious oxygen and pose a threat to the crew. The crew will carry the unlit torch around the station's numerous modules before taking it out on a spacewalk.
The Olympic torch has flown into space once before — in 1996 aboard the U.S. space shuttle Atlantis for the Atlanta Summer Olympics — but will be taken outside the spacecraft for the first time in history.
"It's a great pleasure and responsibility getting to work with this symbol of peace," Tyurin told journalists on Wednesday ahead of the launch.
The torch will remain in space for five days. Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazanskiy, who are currently manning the International Space Station, will take the flame for a spacewalk on Saturday, before it is returned to earth by three astronauts on Monday.
The four-month Sochi torch relay, which started in Moscow on Oct. 7, is the longest in the history of the Olympics. For most of the 65,000-kilometer (39,000-mile) route, the flame will travel by plane, train, car and even reindeer sleigh, but 14,000 torch bearers are taking part in the relay that stops at more than 130 cities and towns.
Last month, the Olympic flame traveled to the North Pole on a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker. Later this month it will sink to the bottom of the world's deepest lake, Lake Baikal, and in February it will reach the peak of Mount Elbrus, at 5,642 meters (18,510 feet) the highest mountain in Russia and Europe.
The torch will be used to light the Olympic flame at Sochi's stadium on Feb. 7, marking the start of the 2014 Winter Games that run until Feb. 23.
Third-party software support provider Rimini Street is moving ahead with its expected plans for an initial public offering, even as it awaits a showdown in court with Oracle.
Rimini Street filed its draft registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, according to its announcement Wednesday. Like other companies, including Twitter, Rimini Street has taken advantage of a law enacted last year that allows smaller companies to initially file IPO documents confidentially.
Rimini Street provides support services for Oracle and SAP software customers, who will save at least half off their vendor support bills, the company says. The company caters to customers that have stable systems and little desire to continually apply the upgrades that come with vendor support.
Oracle sued Rimini Street in 2010, alleging it had engaged in "massive theft" of Oracle software and support materials. Rimini Street has denied any wrongdoing and countersued, saying Oracle is trying to squash the third-party support market.
Oracle also charged that Rimini Street CEO Seth Ravin has duplicated the business model of TomorrowNow, a former SAP subsidiary Ravin co-founded. After a similar lawsuit by Oracle, SAP shut down TomorrowNow and accepted liability for wrongdoing by its employees. While the case resulted in a sizable damages award to Oracle, it's not yet resolved.
Software vendors are loath to see a major third-party support market emerge, given the high margins they enjoy on maintenance revenue.
Rimini Street remains small compared to Oracle but has reported consistent growth despite the lawsuit, which has yet to secure a trial date.
Last month, Rimini Street said third-quarter revenue had grown 40 percent year-over-year to US$15.8 million, and that it now supports customers in 72 countries.
A Rimini Street spokesman declined to comment Wednesday beyond the company's announcement. An Oracle spokeswoman didn't respond to a request for comment.
Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Chris' email address is Chris_Kanaracus@idg.com
Bill de Blasio was elected mayor of NYC on Tuesday, but is his vision for the city even possible?
Photo by Carlo Allegri/Reuters
For those who dislike Bill de Blasio’s vision for New York City—and even for some who voted for him—his election as the city’s next mayor raises a provocative question: Is a progressive city possible?
For the last half century, the answer to that question seemed to be no.
De Blasio has been very clear about his plans to reduce the city’s inequality by raising taxes on the rich, increasing services for the poor, and ending subsidies for corporations.
But his plan flies in the face of the conventional wisdom that has dominated our thinking about cities since at least the 1970s. According to that wisdom, cities are “competing” in a global marketplace for mobile businesses and residents, and a city’s efforts to redistribute from rich to poor—to provide expanded health care, more education, or a local living wage—are doomed. Cities cannot redistribute because wealthy city residents and the businesses that employ them will pack up and leave. Therefore, the successful metropolis must pursue business-friendly, growth-oriented policies that attract professionals and corporations, even if those policies result in greater income inequality.
For de Blasio’s skeptics, no city can resist mobile capital. Thus, de Blasio will either lead New York City into certain economic decline or he will be forced to abandon his most ambitious policies. If that is true, then there is only one way to be a mayor of a global, post-industrial city: Be Michael Bloomberg—a nonpartisan, technocrat attentive to the city’s competitive position and comfortable with a city of wealth and corporate privilege. A mayor may choose to sound progressive, but when it comes to policy he or she has no choice but to encourage urban investment at the expense of combating inequality.
That view of the city’s ambitions is based on a kernel of economic truth. Certainly there are limits to what cities can do, and we should be realistic about them. But there are good reasons to believe that these constraints are dramatically overstated.
First, we know that cities have always provided more welfare benefits to the poor than seemed possible if the pure “no-redistribution” theory is correct. Consider that over 40 years in the middle of the 20th century, New York City built thousands of working- and middle-class homes, hundreds of schools, libraries, and parks, and thousands of miles of roadways, bridges, tunnels, and subways. This basic infrastructure raised living standards for the urban poor, which in turn helped produce a robust urban middle class by the 1950s.
Second, there is growing evidence that wealthy firms and highly skilled residents are not as mobile as was once thought. The city provides a home for a number of industries—fashion, finance, medicine, law, design, art, tourism—that cannot be easily replicated elsewhere. Industries that rely on sharing ideas, intellectual capital, or a deep bench of skilled workers need to be in a place where people feel connected. That place is the city, and for certain key industries, New York City. The same goes for the amenities that residents come to New York City to enjoy—its street life, restaurants, and so on. The suburbs or other cities often can’t compete.
Third, what we know about the revival of cities in the last 20 years is that it has not been driven by the dramatic lowering of local taxes and regulations. Some of our most economically robust cities—and New York is among them—have high taxes and substantial rules and regulations when compared to the suburbs or cities in the sunbelt. The growing popularity of cities is a global phenomenon and is driven by factors well beyond local tax and welfare policies. Technological and demographic change, shifts in consumer preferences, rising transportation costs, crime reduction, and the rise of the finance, technology, health care, and higher-education sectors of the economy have all contributed to the urban boom.
If a city’s economy is otherwise healthy, then redistributive fiscal policies are unlikely to make much of a difference. And mayors probably cannot control the size of the local economy as much as they claim anyway. But mayors can fight inequality by channeling resources to those who need them most. To those who believe that society has an obligation to pursue social justice, the moral benefits are obvious. The economic benefits of having an urban, healthy, educated workforce are obvious, too.
If a revived urban liberalism is possible, then its time is now, while cities like New York can take advantage of their privileged position as highly desirable places to live. Not all cities are in that enviable position. Many cannot afford what Mayor de Blasio proposes. But if New York City’s new mayor succeeds, he will advance an idea that has mostly gone out of fashion: that cities can play a significant role in creating an urban middle class by providing the kinds of resources necessary for upward mobility. Those resources are basic and obvious: security, education, transportation, health, and shelter. Expanding access to those kinds of municipal goods will create a more equal city. And it may teach us that a progressive city is still possible.
Vitor Belfort has told everyone that would listen that his four straight wins at middleweight (with one loss to Jon Jones at light heavyweight sandwiched in between) have earned him the right to another middleweight shot. Problem is, the last time Belfort got a shot at the middleweight title, he became quick highlight reel fodder for then champ Anderson Silva, losing by KO in the first round.
Belfort is no longer an apparently credible threat to Silva and champ Chris Weidman has his hands full with his rematch with "The Spider." So, "The Phenom" next fights at light heavyweight against Dan Henderson.
Belfort hasn't given up talking about middleweight title shots, though. In a recent interview with Brazilian outlet UOL, Belfort told that middleweight gold is still on his mind, and that he'd be willing to drastically change his fight preparation to get a shot at it.
Belfort routinely asks for therapeutic use exemptions (TUE) to received testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Brazilian commissions have been granting the national hero TUEs but Nevada's commission executive director has gone on record as saying that Belfort would not be granted a TUE for TRT in the UFC's home state.
In 2006, Belfort tested positive for the banned substance, 4-hydroxytestosterone, after a fight in Nevada. Belfort maintains that he stays within allowable testosterone levels while receiving TRT under the supervision of doctors but told UOL that he'd give up the treatments if that made a difference to the UFC giving him a title shot.
"I’ve already said that, if they agree with it, I would [stop receiving TRT]," he said. "No problem at all. If they want me to get there in a disadvantage, that’s ok."
Belfort's promise may be a meaningless one, however, since he says that UFC officials have already told him that they won't require him to stop receiving TRT treatments.
"But they already told me that’s not the problem," he explained.
"UFC told me ‘you can’t get in there in disadvantage.’ The thing is, I’m in normal testosterone levels with TRT. That’s the treatment. People don’t seem to understand that I’m the only guy that does blood tests. Many fighters don’t do this, many use illegal stuff and are not tested like I am. I’m tested all the time. Week after week, month after month. I have to keep the levels normal to make it fair."
Nuclear medicine therapy increases survival for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
6-Nov-2013
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Contact: Susan Martonik smartonik@snmmi.org 703-652-6773 Society of Nuclear Medicine
Reston, Va. (November 6, 2013) For patients who fail to respond to current first-line and second-line treatments for colorectal cancer liver metastases (also known as salvage patients), radioembolization with Y-90 microspheres could extend survival according to new research published in the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. A systematic review conducted by researchers showed that approximately 50 percent of salvage patients have an overall survival of more than 12 months after this nuclear medicine therapy.
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed type of cancer worldwide in men and the second in women, and it is also the third most common cause of death. In approximately 50 percent of patients, metastases to the liver are present at diagnosis or during follow-up, which account for a large portion of morbidity and mortality in patients.
A structured review was performed by researchers to gather all available evidence on radioembolization for the specific group of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases. "Although quite some reviews are printed on the subject of radioembolization, we felt that a structured and comprehensive review on survival and response data for these patients was lacking," said Charlotte E.N.M. Rosenbaum, PhD, lead author of the study "Radioembolization for Treatment of Salvage Patients with Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases: A Systemic Review."
Researchers reviewed a total of 13 articles on Y-90 radioembolization as a monotherapy and 13 articles on Y-90 radioembolization as a combined with chemotherapy. Among the studies, disease control rates (i.e., complete response, partial response and stable disease) ranged from 29-90 percent in the monotherapy studies, which involved 901 patients. In the studies in which Y-90 radioembolization was combined with chemotherapy, involving 472 patients, disease control rates ranged from 59-100 percent.
"From the studies included in this systematic review, survival proportions of approximately 50 percent were found. Therefore, in this group of salvage colorectal cancer liver metastases patients who otherwise have no regular treatment options and a life expectancy of less than six months, Y-90 radioembolization seems to be a hopeful treatment option," noted Rosenbaum.
She continued, "Our paper shows all published data on this subject from the first randomized trial onwards. Furthermore, we have determined 12-month survival proportions for all included articles to provide a better overview and to better allow for comparisons. Finally, this overview of the literature shows which topics have not been the focus of much research and may thus be interesting for further work."
###
Authors of the article "Radioembolization for Treatment of Salvage Patients with Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases: A Systemic Review"include Charlotte E.N.M. Rosenbaum, Helena M Verkooijen, Marnix G.E.H. Lam, Maarten L.J. Smits, Tom van Seeters, Malou A. Vermoolen and Maurice A.A.J. van den Bosch, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands; and Miriam Koopman, Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Nuclear medicine therapy increases survival for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
6-Nov-2013
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]
Share
Contact: Susan Martonik smartonik@snmmi.org 703-652-6773 Society of Nuclear Medicine
Reston, Va. (November 6, 2013) For patients who fail to respond to current first-line and second-line treatments for colorectal cancer liver metastases (also known as salvage patients), radioembolization with Y-90 microspheres could extend survival according to new research published in the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. A systematic review conducted by researchers showed that approximately 50 percent of salvage patients have an overall survival of more than 12 months after this nuclear medicine therapy.
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed type of cancer worldwide in men and the second in women, and it is also the third most common cause of death. In approximately 50 percent of patients, metastases to the liver are present at diagnosis or during follow-up, which account for a large portion of morbidity and mortality in patients.
A structured review was performed by researchers to gather all available evidence on radioembolization for the specific group of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases. "Although quite some reviews are printed on the subject of radioembolization, we felt that a structured and comprehensive review on survival and response data for these patients was lacking," said Charlotte E.N.M. Rosenbaum, PhD, lead author of the study "Radioembolization for Treatment of Salvage Patients with Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases: A Systemic Review."
Researchers reviewed a total of 13 articles on Y-90 radioembolization as a monotherapy and 13 articles on Y-90 radioembolization as a combined with chemotherapy. Among the studies, disease control rates (i.e., complete response, partial response and stable disease) ranged from 29-90 percent in the monotherapy studies, which involved 901 patients. In the studies in which Y-90 radioembolization was combined with chemotherapy, involving 472 patients, disease control rates ranged from 59-100 percent.
"From the studies included in this systematic review, survival proportions of approximately 50 percent were found. Therefore, in this group of salvage colorectal cancer liver metastases patients who otherwise have no regular treatment options and a life expectancy of less than six months, Y-90 radioembolization seems to be a hopeful treatment option," noted Rosenbaum.
She continued, "Our paper shows all published data on this subject from the first randomized trial onwards. Furthermore, we have determined 12-month survival proportions for all included articles to provide a better overview and to better allow for comparisons. Finally, this overview of the literature shows which topics have not been the focus of much research and may thus be interesting for further work."
###
Authors of the article "Radioembolization for Treatment of Salvage Patients with Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases: A Systemic Review"include Charlotte E.N.M. Rosenbaum, Helena M Verkooijen, Marnix G.E.H. Lam, Maarten L.J. Smits, Tom van Seeters, Malou A. Vermoolen and Maurice A.A.J. van den Bosch, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands; and Miriam Koopman, Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
New York Knicks' Tyson Chandler sits on the bench with his knee wrapped after being injured during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Knicks' Tyson Chandler sits on the bench with his knee wrapped after being injured during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Knicks' Tyson Chandler (6) walks off the court with Carmelo Anthony after Chandler injured his leg during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
NEW YORK (AP) — Knicks center Tyson Chandler is expected to miss 4-6 weeks because of a broken bone in his right leg.
The team said Wednesday that tests showed no ligament or nerve damage and surgery is not required. Chandler left in the first quarter of a 102-97 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday.
He has a small fracture in the fibula in his lower leg.
New York is off to a 1-3 start after winning its first Atlantic Division title since 1994 last season. The Knicks will miss his defense and rebounding as they try to keep pace in the deep Eastern Conference.
Patrick Cannon, Charlotte, N.C.'s newly elected Democratic mayor, speaks to students at Queens University on Oct. 29.
Chuck Burton/AP
Patrick Cannon, Charlotte, N.C.'s newly elected Democratic mayor, speaks to students at Queens University on Oct. 29.
Chuck Burton/AP
Governors, legislators and mayors were elected Tuesday across the nation. Voters also made key decisions about taxes, marijuana, genetically modified foods — and even secession.
Below is a roundup of some of Tuesday's most noteworthy election results, reported by NPR member stations:
Colorado voters rejected a ballot measure to increase income taxes by nearly $1 billion to provide more funding for public schools by a 2-1 margin. The campaign behind the measure had raised $10 million and Gov. John Hickenlooper supported the proposal.
Meanwhile, 65 percent of the state's voters approved a tax on all recreational marijuana sales, which are set to begin in January. Colorado legalized the use of recreational pot last year.
Six of the 11 counties in Colorado with the question on its ballot voted to secede and create a new state. But the effort is unlikely to succeed, as it would have to be approved by both the state and Congress.
The incumbent Reed sailed to re-election Tuesday, winning "every precinct, every neighborhood, every quadrant of the city of Atlanta." In his second term, he wants to make Atlanta the "center of logistics in the Western Hemisphere."
Meet Boston's new mayor, Marty Walsh. A son of Irish immigrants, Walsh overcame a childhood fight against cancer and a young adult's struggle with alcoholism. He succeeds Tom Menino, the city's longest-serving mayor in history.
Really want to get down in the weeds on the Boston mayoral race? WBUR has a great interactive ward-by-ward map that shows where City Hall was won and lost.
The Boston City Council will have four new faces next year — the largest turnover in over a decade. In the at-large race, the two top vote earners were women.
In Detroit, voters have elected the city's first new mayor since it was taken over by the state and filed for bankruptcy protection. Race also became an issue in the election — Mike Duggan is the first white mayor to represent Detroit's majority black population in four decades.
City Councilor Betsy Hodges looks likely to emerge victorious from the 35-candidate field in the Minneapolis mayor's election after finishing with 36 percent of voters' first-choice ballots. The city is employing a "ranked choice" voting system for the first time, so the final results won't be known until the second- and third-choice ballots are counted Wednesday.
Bill de Blasio won the New York City mayoral election in a landslide, even though he was widely considered to be a long shot just a few short months ago during the Democratic primary.
Republican Gov. Chris Christie cruised to re-election over Democrat Barbara Buono in New Jersey, prompting speculation about his prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Patrick Cannon came out on top in Charlotte's mayoral race with 53 percent of the vote as Democrats maintained their solid 9-2 majority on the City Council.
Among the amendments approved was Proposition 6, which creates a new water infrastructure loan program with $2 billion from the state's rainy day fund.
You know the Astrodome? The so-called Eighth Wonder of the World? The failure of a bond issue to repurpose the aging hall means it might have to be demolished.
State Sen. Ed Murray appears poised to defeat incumbent Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, earning 56 percent of the vote in the initial round of ballot counting. Since Washington voters submit ballots by mail, some votes have yet to be tabulated.
A ballot measure that requires the labeling of genetically modified food is headed for defeat in Washington state. Some influential members of the food and beverage industry opposed the initiative, raising a state record $22 million to defeat it.
Not satisfied with the dart-launching pistol he whipped up last year, Joerg Sprave went back to the drawing board and came up with a dart-shooting sniper rifle that all but guarantees him domination at his local pub's dartboard.
LONDON (AP) — Finding the treasure hoard was just the start of the hunt.
Phones in the cramped London offices of the Art Loss Register have been ringing off the hook since German prosecutors announced what the register's chairman, Julian Radcliffe, calls "the biggest cache of illegally stored art since the end of the war."
"People who are registered with us have been ringing to say, 'You're on the case, aren't you?'" Radcliffe said Wednesday.
The flurry of activity follows the discovery in Germany of more than 1,400 artworks — some by modern masters such as Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso — stacked in the Munich apartment of an elderly man. For families whose treasures were stolen by Germany's Nazi regime, the discovery has raised hopes — but also stirred frustration.
Citing an ongoing tax probe into the apartment's resident, German authorities have not revealed many details about the vast majority of the paintings, drawings, engravings, woodcuts and prints they have found. At a news conference Tuesday, officials described only a fraction of the spectacular find, including — tantalizingly — previously unknown paintings by Matisse, Chagall and German artist Otto Dix.
That has sparked a clamor for information from art hunters, museums and the lawyers of those seeking to recover looted art.
On Wednesday, a lawyer for the family of the late Parisian art dealer Paul Rosenberg said he was "in the process of submitting a claim" for one of the most spectacular works, a Matisse painting of a seated woman.
"I fully expect when they get my claim letter they will invite me to Munich" to negotiate its return, Chris Marinello, director of the London-based Art Recovery International, told The Associated Press.
Rosenberg lost hundreds of artworks when the Nazis invaded France in 1940. His relatives, including granddaughter Anne Sinclair — the French journalist and ex-wife of former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss Kahn — have sought for decades to retrieve them.
The Munich trove was found in early 2012 at the home of a man whom German officials didn't name but who has been identified in media reports as 80-year-old Cornelius Gurlitt. His father, Hildebrand Gurlitt, was an art dealer who acted for the Nazis in the 1930s to sell art considered "degenerate" by the regime — including Impressionist and modern masterpieces — outside of Germany in return for cash.
Some of the works were seized from museums, while others were stolen or bought for a pittance from Jewish collectors who were forced to sell.
Gerhard Finckh, director of the Von der Heydt-Museum in Wuppertal, western Germany, called for an inventory of the Gurlitt trove to be published online quickly so museums can find out whether their stolen works are among them.
"If our works are among the discovered art, we will do everything to get them back," said Finckh, whose museum lost pieces by Dix, Paul Klee, Vassily Kandinsky and many others.
Jewish groups also have called for the works to be made public immediately.
Spokesman Steffen Seibert said Wednesday that Chancellor Angela Merkel's government favored releasing information about works that "may have been confiscated from people persecuted by the Nazis." But he gave no details or timeframe for that to happen.
That leaves people seeking the return of artworks with no quick path to restitution.
Imke Gielen, a Berlin lawyer specializing in restitution claims, said prospective claimants should approach the Bavarian prosecutors with queries about specific works. She said it was vital to prove ownership of the artwork until Jan. 30, 1933, the day the Nazis seized power. Any art lost after that is presumed to have been sold under pressure or seized, boosting the chances of restitution.
Others will turn to the Art Loss Register, which maintains a database of several hundred thousand works of stolen or missing art.
The organization's team of art sleuths, historians and legal experts was busy Wednesday trying to match works on its database with the items found in Germany. Radcliffe says it has already found one match — not the Matisse — but won't say what artwork it is.
Although there has been criticism of the Germans' delay in announcing the find, art law expert Coco Soodek was sympathetic. She said the trove is so large that it takes time to catalog the works — and "it might take a decade" to reunite them with their owners. German officials say they have done preliminary work on only 500 pieces so far.
"It's like a giant game of 'Concentration,'" said Soodek, head of the art law team at Bryan Cave LLP. "They will designate the ones that we know to exist and match those up with documentation of stolen art. Those are the easy ones. You match up the ones you can get to first, and then you start a big detective search."
She said families who think their artworks may have been stolen by the Nazis "should do a little treasure hunt for records — oral histories or anecdotes or memories of art that might have been in the house."
For the moment, many mysteries remain.
The reclusive Gurlitt sold at least one painting, Max Beckmann's "The Lion Tamer," through a Cologne auction house two years ago. Experts want to know whether he sold others, and where they are now.
Where, for that matter, is Gurlitt? Prosecutors said Tuesday they are not currently in contact with him, although Radcliffe thinks they will seek to strike a deal with him to hand over his artworks in lieu of a huge tax bill.
And prospective owners can be reassured on one count. A German customs investigator says the works were "professionally stored and in a very good condition."
Radcliffe said while works on paper could be fragile, oil paintings on canvas or board should be largely undamaged after decades in storage.
"Oil paintings are fairly robust," he said. "They don't really deteriorate."
____
Grieshaber reported from Berlin. Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin also contributed to this report.
___
Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless
The "Get Lucky" duo teamed up supermodel Gisele Bundchen and rocked a sexy pose with celebrity photographer Terry Richardson.
Sharing her excitement with her followers, the 33-year-old supermodel took to her Instagram account and posted the cover, writing, "New cover of @wsjmag with @DaftPunk by @terryrichardsonstudio. Nova capa para @wsjmag com @DaftPunk for @terryrichardsonstudio."
In addition, Versace shared the cover, in which Gisele dons its collection, and wrote, "Gisele Bundchen is stunning in Atelier Vesrace on the November cover of WSJ Magazine! @WSJMag @giseleofficial"
Crossing genres from pop to country, Jason Mraz arrived at the 2013 CMA Awards in Nashville, Tennessee earlier tonight (November 6).
Thanks to his handsome smile and snazzy attire, the “Living in the Moment” hunk had all the ladies swooning as he made his rounds outside the Bridgestone Arena.
Later in the evening, the 36-year-old Virginia native will take the stage with last year's New Artist of the Year, Hunter Hayes.
A perennial favorite of music fans the world over, the CMA Awards rewards the achievements of country music artists, musicians, producers, songwriters, publishers, video directors and industry executives who work in America's most popular music genre.
PARIS (AP) — A French court ruled Wednesday that Google must rid its search results of nine images of an orgy involving former Formula One chief Max Mosley.
Google's associate general counsel, Daphne Keller, said the ruling amounted to asking the search giant to build a "censorship machine" and that the company would appeal.
In 2008, the now-defunct News of the World newspaper published a story alleging that Mosley participated in a sex session with prostitutes. It also posted a video on its website that purported to show Mosley during the session.
Mosley has acknowledged his involvement but said the British tabloid grossly violated his privacy. He has since taken legal action in several countries and won suits against the paper in British and French courts. Images of the orgy can still be found on the Web.
The court ruled that Google must purge nine images from its search results or pay 1,000 euros ($1,300) each time one appears. It also ordered Google to pay Mosley 1 euro ($1.40) in damages and 5,000 euros ($6,760) in court costs.
Mosley's complaint asked that Google purge all images of the orgy and cited nine examples. The court ruled, however, only that Google had to purge the nine. It was unclear if there are more images on the Web, but the court said it was important to keep the order narrow.
Google, however, still argues that the ruling is too broad. It says it already removes specific Web addresses from its search results when they contain unlawful content and has done so for Mosley. Google is concerned that it wouldn't be able to build a filter that only targets the Mosley images but would accidentally also weed out lawful content.
"This is a troubling ruling with serious consequences for free expression, and we will appeal it," said Keller.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Blake Shelton captured album of the year, Miranda Lambert won female vocalist of the year and Taylor Swift was honored with the Pinnacle award for her achievements, but it was George Strait who won the night's top honor at the Country Music Awards — entertainer of the year.
Strait, who is retiring from the road, nabbed his third trophy in the category but hadn't won the prestigious award since 1990.
He capped a night where there was no clear favorite. Shelton, Swift, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and Florida Georgia Line won two awards each.
But Shelton won the other big award of the night — album of the year for "Based on a True Story" — besides grabbing male vocalist of the year, his fourth time winning the latter award.
Lambert, his wife, also won her fourth straight female vocalist of the year award.
"I really didn't think this was going to happen this year," Lambert said before thanking each of the other nominees.
The husband and wife have been favorites of the CMA's 6,000 voters for the last three years and Wednesday as no different,
"I had mentioned earlier today that if there was an award that would mean the most to me tonight, it would be album of the year," said Shelton, who won entertainer of the year last year and was in contention for it again this year.
Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley scored single and vocal duo of the year. Their quick tally was more proof the so-called bro country movement is the sound of the moment in mainstream country. FGL kicked off the show performing a fist-pumping medley with Luke Bryan, and very quickly returned to the stage to take the trophy for single of the year for their "Cruise" remix featuring Nelly. They also played the new song "Round Here."
"It's been a constant thing all year — we've been trying to wrap our minds around what's going on," Hubbard said backstage. "It's been a dream come true for us and a huge blessing for us and something we could have never imagined."
Kacey Musgraves — who, along with Taylor Swift, led all nominees with six — won the new artist trophy, besting a field that included Florida Georgia Line. With smart songwriting, a progressive bent and a strong sense of self like country's other top women, Musgraves made an auspicious mainstream country debut this year with her album "Same Trailer Different Park." She attended
"This first year for me has just been undescribable," said Musgraves, who set a record for nominations for a woman in her first year on the show.
Hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley got the show going on a jovial note as they took the stage with their opening skit, first joking about feuds in music. They also skewered Obamacare to a Nashville audience that roared with approval, and brought out the guys from the hit show "Duck Dynasty" and parodied Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines."
Lee Brice's "I'd Drive Your Truck," about a fallen soldier whose father still drives his truck, won song of the year, and Little Big Town took its second straight vocal group of the year.
Swift later performed a somber, acoustic version of her hit "Red" with Vince Gill, Alison Krauss and Sam Bush and was given the CMA's Pinnacle Award. The award goes to artists who take country music to a worldwide audience. Garth Brooks is the only previous winner. He won in 2005.
The CMA brought a star-studded welcoming group out of stage for Swift that included George Strait, Rascal Flatts, McGraw, Urban, Faith Hill and Paisley — all of whom gave Swift a chance to open for them on the road a teenager. A video salute followed with appearances by Justin Timberlake, Julia Roberts, Carly Simon, Ethel Kennedy and Mick Jagger — whose appearance made Swift shout.
Swift recounted a call she got out of the blue from her Big Machine Records head Scott Borchetta when she was 16.
"He said, 'Can you be on the road in two days to open for Rascal Flatts,' and I immediately started screaming and said, 'This must be a miracle,'" she said. "He said, 'No, it's not a miracle. Eric Church got fired for playing too long."
She added: "You've made me feel so special right now, thank you."
Swift also is nominated for her third entertainer of the year award, the night's top honor.
Bryan and FGL weren't the only acts teaming up. Collaboration was the theme of the night as Strait and Alan Jackson joined together to salute the late George Jones with a rendition of "She Stopped Loving Him Today." Hunter Hayes and Jason Mraz took a tour of the Bridgestone Arena while performing "Everybody's Got Somebody But Me." And Brown and his band joined in on a growing hard-rock trend in country as Foo Fighter Dave Grohl joined the band on drums for new song high-powered "Day for the Dead
And in one of the night's most anticipated moments, Kenny Rogers received the CMA's Willie Nelson lifetime achievement award and was saluted by Jennifer Nettles, Rucker and Rascal Flatts. Rogers sat on stage and mouthed along as Rascal Flatts sang "Just Dropped In (to See What Condition My Condition Is In)," the crowd helped Rucker sing "The Gambler" and Nettles and Rogers finished the tribute by singing "Islands in the Stream" together.
"It's been a hell of a month," Rogers said. "The (Country Music) Hall of Fame last week, this this week. I can't wait to see what's coming next week."
___
http://www.cmaawards.com
___
Follow AP Entertainment for updates from the show: http://twitter.com/APEntertainment . Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott .
Microwaves are rarely seen as the focal point of your kitchen, but maybe they should be? German appliance maker Caso sure thinks so. The company's new HCMG25 microwave features a giant black mirror glass front panel with a cleverly integrated red LED display that pushes all the buttons to the side to help preserve its minimalist aesthetic.
FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2013 file photo, Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. walks on Capitol Hill …
Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is facing a double-barreled challenge from Democrats and tea-party backed Republicans as he seeks re-election in 2014. And while the outcome of that race could be a referendum on his performance as the Senate's top Republican, this showdown may not actually be so Washington-centric.
Back home in Kentucky, tobacco growers are facing a possible threat from a new European Union rule that could cost the local industry millions within the next decade. McConnell is busy working behind the scenes to protect the state’s cash crop — and reminding growers what he can do for them if he remains in Senate leadership.
Kentucky tobacco farmers are reeling after the EU voted in October to phase in a ban on flavored tobacco products. Burley, one form of tobacco grown mostly in Kentucky, requires added ingredients during the manufacturing process, and as a result could be included in the ban. Kentucky farmers produce 148 million pounds of burley tobacco on average every year, and almost half of that — 43 percent — is exported to Europe. Eight states grow burley, but 70 percent of the crop is produced in Kentucky. Tennessee and North Carolina rank second and third, respectively.
At about $2 per pound, the loss of nearly half the market could deal a devastating blow to growers in Kentucky who produce burley.
As the Senate's top Republican, the sheer muscle of McConnell’s position could be his best argument to convince this bloc of Kentucky voters and donors to keep him in office. The new tobacco rules come amid ongoing negotiations over a major free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union. McConnell is in a strong position — if he chooses — to ensure that the final deal protects Kentucky growers.
“His staff is very much aware of all of these things,“ said Roger Quarles, a former president of Kentucky's Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association and the International Tobacco Growers' Association. “They’re very concerned about it.” The EU is still finalizing how it will enforce and define the new rules — a source with knowledge of the talks in the EU told Yahoo News that the burley issue could be raised as early as Thursday — but the threat has Kentucky tobacco growers looking to McConnell to help save their livelihood.
During his time in public office, McConnell has cultivated a cozy relationship with tobacco growers and the tobacco industry, which has filled his campaign coffers for years.
McConnell leads other senators in donations from the tobacco industry, according to Federal Election Commission data compiled by the Center for Competitive Politics. During McConnell’s re-election campaign in 2008, he received $130,400 from tobacco interests, more money than any other lawmaker received from the industry. Since 1990, McConnell has reaped more than $475,000 from the industry, FEC records show.
“Sen. McConnell is well loved in the tobacco industry,” Quarles told Yahoo News. “McConnell has always been an adamant and ardent supporter of our tobacco growers in Kentucky. There’s none better. He’s never wavered in his support here. As far as someone else coming in and having things less favorable for us or more favorable, I can’t imagine they would do anything more than his support has been so far.”
Workers put recently cut burley tobacco into a barn on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012, on a farm near Finchville, Ky. For …
With McConnell’s election only a year away, the potential crisis for a local industry provides an opportunity to remind the growers what a high-ranking, seasoned lawmaker can do for his constituents.
McConnell is in for a tough campaign in 2014. He currently faces a primary challenge from Republican Matt Bevin, a Kentucky businessman who has backing from some tea party groups. Should McConnell defeat Bevin in the primary next spring, he will likely face Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, the secretary of state of Kentucky and a well-regarded campaigner expected to receive considerable help from the national party.
The reality is that if McConnell loses to either Bevin or Grimes, his successor would be a junior senator with little influence in the nation’s access-obsessed capital city. As McConnell tells burley growers — and other industry groups in Kentucky who could benefit from his Washington influence — any newcomer to the Senate won’t arrive in Washington with his kind of clout. In May, McConnell co-signed a letter with three other senators in tobacco-growing states to EU Ambassador Joao Vale de Almeida, urging the body to reconsider moving forward with the ban.
“[W]e have serious concerns about the [Tobacco Products Directive] and its impact on transatlantic trade relations,” McConnell wrote, along with fellow Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, and Republican Sen. Richard Burr and Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina. “[A]s the Senate considers the potential U.S.-E.U. free trade agreement, the TPD calls into question the EU’s ability to deliver on regulatory commitments to the United States that it will have to make under a comprehensive U.S.-EU trade agreement.”
The message of the letter was clear: A European ban on burley could threaten the trade agreement process. Since the Senate will have to approve the agreement, McConnell is in a position to make those negotiations difficult.
But in order to play, McConnell needs to be in the game after 2014. And his campaign is not shy about telling tobacco growers what he can do for them as the trade talks progress, multiple growers in the state told Yahoo News.
“They remind everybody that whatever influence that is in the leader’s office is carried by Sen. McConnell at the moment,” Quarles said. “Obviously if someone else comes in there, they’re not going to be in the leader’s office. It takes years and years to reach that level of leadership. If it changes, it will be years again for that to come about.”
Indeed, since the four lawmakers sent the letter, McConnell has been working to blunt the impact on growers in his home state, a McConnell spokesman told Yahoo News.
“Sen. McConnell is in regular contact directly with the U.S. Trade Representative, both proactively (such as on the EU issue), and when that office regularly solicits his opinion as the Republican Leader,” McConnell spokesman Don Stewart told Yahoo News in an email.
FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2013 file photo, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, a candidate for U.S. …
In a statement to Yahoo News, a spokeswoman for Grimes said the Democratic candidate would seek export opportunities for Kentucky-based businesses and criticized McConnell for voting against a farm bill when it came up for a vote in the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier this year.
"Alison Lundergan Grimes is committed to preserving our rich agricultural tradition and will ensure that Kentucky's farmers have the support, stability and certainty they deserve," Grimes spokeswoman Charly Norton told Yahoo News. "It starts with expanding Kentucky's export opportunities to help our farmers sell American farm products to the world."
A spokeswoman from Bevin's campaign declined to comment.
McConnell's leadership role, however, is a mixed bag for his re-election effort. On one hand, it comes with a big stick in Washington for the people of Kentucky. But as a lead Republican negotiator for must-pass legislation, such as the one passed last month that re-opened the government and raised the federal debt limit, it also forces him into positions where he can't always hold a pure line in the name of conservative purity.
“You would almost have to be someone that is completely detracting to think that [McConnell's] influence does not mean something on a national level,” said Kentucky State Rep. Jonathan Shell, a conservative Republican who supports McConnell but who is sympathetic to tea party views. “Regardless of whether or not we agreed or disagreed with the outcome of the government shutdown and his negotiations, I think that we all should understand and know that Sen. McConnell was the one in that conversation, and you do not get in that conversation without having that clout that is necessary to have the impact we’re going to need to move farmers forward.”
Democrats with ties to the Kentucky tobacco-farming industry concede that McConnell’s years in the Senate strengthen his hand in 2014.
“Even though we’re in different parties, I think that Sen. McConnell has always been a strong advocate for the Kentucky farmer in general and certainly for the tobacco farmer,” said Kentucky State Rep. Wilson Stone, a co-chair of the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee. “Leadership is always connected to influence whether it’s in the Kentucky General Assembly or in Washington or the Chamber of Commerce here at home. So the higher the leadership position, the more influence you can have on behalf of your constituency.
“Buts there’s going to be a lot of issues in this upcoming race,” he added. “The ag issues might not be [Grimes’] best issues, but certainly she’s a Kentuckian through and through and certainly has an appreciation for rural Kentucky and for agriculture.”
Burley farmers, however, are hopeful that the final language and enforcement of the EU ban won’t be as rigid as first thought. It’s possible that the final ruling could exclude burley, especially if moving forward with the strict ban means not spoiling a pending trade deal with the United States
The tobacco crop, of course, won’t be the only issue driving the election for the Kentucky Senate seat. But with money and jobs possibly at stake in McConnell’s back yard — and his capacity to keep the growers’ export protected — it may be impossible to ignore.
Workers hang burley tobacco in a barn for curing on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012, on a farm near Finchville, Ky. For …
The UFC returns to action this Wednesday, November 6, for UFC Fight Night 31: Fight for the Troops 3. The UFC’s third “Fight for the Troops” event will take place at the home of the legendary 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Tonight’s fight card will air live via FOX Sports 1, with the preliminary cards landing on FS1 and Facebook.
MMAFrenzy will have full results from tonight’s midweek action beginning with the four-fight online card beginning at 3:15PM ET. Be sure to stay tuned to MMAFrenzy for the latest updates from tonight’s action including recaps, play-by-play, and more.
UFC Fight Night 31: Fight for the Troops 3 Results:
Main Card (FOX Sports 1 7PM ET)
Tim Kennedy vs. Rafael Natal
Liz Carmouche vs. Alexis Davis
Ronny Markes vs. Yoel Romero
Rustam Khabilov vs. Jorge Masvidal
Michael Chiesa vs. Colton Smith
Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1 5PM ET)
Bobby Green vs. James Krause
Francisco Rivera vs. George Roop
Dennis Bermudez vs. Steven Siler
Amanda Nunes vs. Germaine de Randamie
Preliminary Card (Facebook 3:30PM ET)
Chris Camozzi vs. Lorenz Larkin
Yancy Medeiros def. Yves Edwards via TKO (uppercut and strikes) at 2:47 of Round 1
Seth Baczynski def. Neil Magny via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Derek Brunson def. Brian Houston via submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:48 of Round 1
'Tearless' onions could help in the fight against cardiovascular disease, weight gain
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
6-Nov-2013
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Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 202-872-6042 American Chemical Society
Onions, a key ingredient in recipes around the globe, come in a tearless version that scientists are now reporting could pack health benefits like its close relative, garlic, which is renowned for protecting against heart disease. They published their laboratory analysis, which suggests a similar heart-friendly role for the tearless onions, as well as a possible role in managing weight gain, in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Colin C. Eady and colleagues note that the onion has a unique chemistry that leads to its tear-inducing effects when cut. Its pungency has driven cooks to don goggles, clench wooden spoons in their mouths and try other usually futile techniques to prevent crying at the cutting board. An answer could arrive in the form of a new type of onion that makes less of the protein blamed for making eyes burn and tear up. Eady's team has developed such a version, which instead makes a sulfur compound similar to one found in cut garlic that may be the key to its cardiovascular benefits. Many people eat garlic cloves or take it as a nutritional supplement in pill form to reduce the clumping of platelets in the blood, which can lead to blood clots and clogged arteries. Garlic also has been shown to reduce weight gain. They wanted to know whether the new onion might also have similar positive effects on health.
The scientists found that in lab tests, extract from the tearless onion significantly reduced platelet clumping, compared to regular onions or even garlic. Other results showed that the new onion had about the same anti-inflammatory properties as the original. Also, preliminary testing in rats showed that the tearless onion could help control weight gain more so than regular onions or garlic.
###
The authors cite funding support from the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.
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'Tearless' onions could help in the fight against cardiovascular disease, weight gain
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
6-Nov-2013
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Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 202-872-6042 American Chemical Society
Onions, a key ingredient in recipes around the globe, come in a tearless version that scientists are now reporting could pack health benefits like its close relative, garlic, which is renowned for protecting against heart disease. They published their laboratory analysis, which suggests a similar heart-friendly role for the tearless onions, as well as a possible role in managing weight gain, in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Colin C. Eady and colleagues note that the onion has a unique chemistry that leads to its tear-inducing effects when cut. Its pungency has driven cooks to don goggles, clench wooden spoons in their mouths and try other usually futile techniques to prevent crying at the cutting board. An answer could arrive in the form of a new type of onion that makes less of the protein blamed for making eyes burn and tear up. Eady's team has developed such a version, which instead makes a sulfur compound similar to one found in cut garlic that may be the key to its cardiovascular benefits. Many people eat garlic cloves or take it as a nutritional supplement in pill form to reduce the clumping of platelets in the blood, which can lead to blood clots and clogged arteries. Garlic also has been shown to reduce weight gain. They wanted to know whether the new onion might also have similar positive effects on health.
The scientists found that in lab tests, extract from the tearless onion significantly reduced platelet clumping, compared to regular onions or even garlic. Other results showed that the new onion had about the same anti-inflammatory properties as the original. Also, preliminary testing in rats showed that the tearless onion could help control weight gain more so than regular onions or garlic.
###
The authors cite funding support from the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.
Follow us: Twitter Facebook
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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