Google offers free online course to turn you into a 'power searcher'

If you're game for learning some new search tricks, they may as well come from the hive mind itself. Mountain View is currently accepting registrations for "Power Searching with Google," a free-of-charge virtual course which will start on July 10th and involve six 50-minute interactive classes spread over two weeks. In addition to plugging Goolge+ at every opportunity, it promises to explain how to "solve real, everyday problems" using advanced search features -- and there's even a certificate at the end of it. Sign up at the course homepage linked below.

Google offers free online course to turn you into a 'power searcher' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trump rep confirms Romney meeting for Thursday

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney steps off his campaign charter plane in Roanoke, Va., Monday, June 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney steps off his campaign charter plane in Roanoke, Va., Monday, June 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

NEW YORK (AP) ? A representative for Donald Trump says that the reality television star will host a $50,000-a-head fundraiser with Mitt Romney this week. But the Romney campaign isn't so sure.

The presumptive Republican presidential candidate's campaign reported Tuesday afternoon there would be no meeting with Trump this week. Minutes later, the Trump representative confirmed the event, which is expected to bring at least 50 people paying $50,000 each to the home of stock investor Martin Zweig in Manhattan's Pierre Hotel.

The fundraiser is planned for Thursday, the same day the Supreme Court is set to decide the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's signature health care overhaul.

Trump has provided Romney with plenty of campaign cash and unwanted attention in recent weeks. They last appeared together at a Las Vegas fundraiser the day before Romney collected enough delegates to become the GOP's presumptive nominee. At the time, Trump's comments about Obama's citizenship overshadowed Romney's success.

The conservative businessman has endorsed the "birther" movement, which questions the legitimacy of Obama's birth certificate and his constitutional qualifications to be president. The debunked conspiracy theory among conservative activists charges that Obama is not a "natural-born citizen" as required by the Constitution.

Romney has said he believes Obama was born in America, but he has not condemned Trump's comments.

Nor was his campaign willing to clarify plans for Thursday. Romney spokesman Rick Gorka said there would be "no meeting" with Trump this week, but he refused to say whether they would appear together at the Manhattan fundraiser.

Trump himself took to Twitter on Tuesday to say he was "looking forward to the 'Dine with Mitt and Donald' this Thursday.'"

"Can't wait to meet the lucky winner," Trump tweeted, referencing a "Dine With the Donald" contest the Romney campaign promoted last month at $3 a ticket.

"That won't be happening this week," Gorka said without ruling out another event with Trump this week.

Associated Press

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Consumers still struggling with debt, savings

June 15, 2012 12:10 am

• 

By Tim Grant?/?Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Consumers are still struggling to repay daunting amounts of debt that piled up during those times when their incomes did not cover the cost of living. While loan balances do appear to be going down, it may be at the expense of many Americans being able to save for future needs.

In a recent University of Michigan Institute for Social Research report, analysts found that at least one out of five families in this country owe more on credit cards, medical bills and other forms of unsecured debt than they have available in savings or other liquid assets.

Perhaps even more disturbing, the report revealed the number of families with no savings in the bank was up to 23.4 percent at the end of 2011, compared to 18.5 percent in 2009, an indication that consumers' personal finances are getting worse even as the economy is on the mend.

"Going into the super recession of 2008 to 2009, the average household was overextended with debt by historical standards," said P.J. DiNuzzo, president of DiNuzzo Index Advisors in Beaver. "That problem became magnified for a significant number of households and continues to provide a formidable challenge to get back on track.

"You can never go wrong paying off debt," he added. "Families may have significant debt to pay down, but you can't ignore saving while paying it down."

The Michigan report is based on a study of homeownership, debt and financial resources among 8,121 families interviewed both before and after the Great Recession. The families were interviewed as part of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, which began in 1968 and is the longest running longitudinal household survey in the world.

To say the economic downturn had a negative impact on household balance sheets would be an understatement. But data from this and other economic studies have made it clear that more Americans need a plan to get out of debt and get back on their feet with savings and retirement planning.

Nancy Skeans, a partner at Schneider Downs Wealth Management in the Strip District, said she would advise consumers who have heavy debt loads to focus on paying it down before worrying about building their savings and retirement accounts. Still, both should be high priorities, she said.

"If an individual is loaded down with bad debt, then it probably makes sense to put savings on hold and get rid of the bad debt as quickly as possible," Ms. Skeans said. "But if you always put savings last, you'll get to retirement and realize you don't have any.

"There is such a thing as good debt -- or better yet, appropriate use of debt," she said. "When one uses debt appropriately, one should be able to save for other goals and objectives at the same time."

Her idea of good debt is taking out loans for buying a home, a car and perhaps a college education as long as the payments fit into a balanced budget. Bad debt, on the other hand, is using credit cards -- which carry the highest interest rates -- to purchase items that you cannot otherwise afford.

Although historically low interest rates make it easier to manage high debt levels, some consumers may find themselves in over their heads when interest rates rise and monthly payments increase. The good news is the Federal Reserve has all but guaranteed that rates will not rise until economic growth picks up.

Government data indicates households are trying to reduce debt.

In its latest quarterly report on Household Debt and Credit, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that overall indebtedness in the nation declined to $11.44 trillion, about $100 billion -- or 0.9 percent -- less than in the fourth quarter of 2011.

But efforts to pay off those loans could be short-lived, according to one company that analyzes credit accounts.

Cardhub.com, an Arlington, Va.-based personal finance company, recently released its "Credit Card Debt Study" for the first quarter of 2012. The study found that, despite paying down nearly $36 billion in credit card debt during the first quarter of the year, consumers are actually on track to end 2012 with $50 billion more credit card debt than they began with.

The Cardhub.com report points out that a big debt decrease is common for the first quarter of the year given that this is typically when consumers receive annual salary bonuses and tax refunds, and shift their focus to paying off purchases made during the holiday season.

"There are reasons to carry debt," Ms. Skeans said. "Most of us can't run out and buy a house without it. But we don't have to have the biggest house or the nicest car or attend the priciest college."

To report inappropriate comments, abuse and/or repeat offenders, please send an email to socialmedia@post-gazette.com and include a link to the article and a copy of the comment. Your report will be reviewed in a timely manner. Thank you.

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RI.gov: RI Workers' Comp Assessment Rate Announced

The RI Department of Labor and Training has proposed an assessment rate for Workers' Compensation insurers of 6.75 percent for the coming year, effective July 15, 2012. This rate has remained level every year since 2008. Director Charles J. Fogarty explains, "By keeping the assessment rate level for 2012, the department has acted on Governor Chafee's advice to minimize any additional governmental costs to area businesses."

The proposed Workers' Compensation assessment rate will be subject to public comment for a 20-day period ending July 5, 2012. During this time, interested persons may submit data, views, comments and/or arguments in writing to the Division of Workers' Compensation, P.O. Box 20190, Cranston, RI 02920-0942, ATTN: Matt Carey. Comments may also be submitted electronically to mcarey@dlt.ri.gov.

Each year, the Workers' Compensation assessment rate is recalculated, based upon the projected costs to fulfill the responsibilities of RIGL 28-37-1(b) pursuant to RIGL 28-37-13(c). These responsibilities include the funding of the Workers' Compensation Court, the Workers' Compensation Fraud Unit, the Workers' Compensation Education Unit, the Workers' Compensation Advisory Council, the Donley Rehabilitation Center and other administrative and operational costs associated with the Workers' Compensation program in Rhode Island.

Workers' Compensation is insurance to provide medical expenses and lost wages to employees who are injured while working. Employers are required to have workers' compensation insurance to cover these benefits. The Division of Workers' Compensation at the RI Department of Labor and Training monitors the workers' compensation system, ensuring claims are paid correctly and that all required employers with one or more employees maintain insurance coverage. It also provides rehabilitative services, including physical therapy, work hardening, vocational services and psychological services through the Donley Rehabilitation Center in Providence. To report an employer without coverage or to report incidents of Workers' Compensation fraud, contact the Workers' Compensation Hot Line at 462-8100 option 7.

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AMD previews FirePro W9000 graphics, possibly throws in dual-chip Radeon HD 7990 for good measure

AMD's CTO Mark Papermaster may have just dropped a minor graphics bombshell at the end of the AMD Fusion Developer Summit. His presentation was officially to show off the FirePro W9000, a beast of a workstation graphics card with 6GB of GDDR5 memory, a 264.8-megapixel fill rate and four teraflops of single-precision math. While the screen behind him showed the one-fan FirePro card, however, he was clearly holding another, three-fan card in his hands -- and though it could be that the W9000's cooling system went through a major revision between presentation slide and production, it may be a clue to a gamer-friendly Radeon part instead. Attendees like Tweakers.net have reason to believe it might be the Radeon HD 7990, a long-rumored dual-chip version of the 7900 series for the very upper echelons of gamers. If so, the bets are on it keeping up the tradition of having two slightly underclocked versions of AMD's fastest chip (here the Radeon HD 7970) working in tandem to produce a big leap in speed despite occupying the same two card slots. AMD hasn't set the matter straight with either a yea or a nay, but with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 690 largely cornering the high-end market unopposed, it's tough to picture AMD simply twiddling its thumbs.

AMD previews FirePro W9000 graphics, possibly throws in dual-chip Radeon HD 7990 for good measure originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 02:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia: Microsoft is giving us "specific support" to compete with Android at even lower prices

Nokia made mention of a broader Lumia phone range coming as part of its major strategy shakeup, but it wasn't clear just where the Windows Phone line was heading. During a call discussing the nitty-gritty of the strategy shift, though, the company made clear that it was swinging towards devices cheaper than the Lumia 610 -- much cheaper. Plans had already been underway to drop the price lower, but Microsoft had given "specific support" to get to lower prices than Nokia "had a sight to." Executives dropped hints that "important catalyst dates" in Microsoft's Windows Phone timetable were instrumental to lower prices; we've got a few ideas as to what Nokia might mean. The cost-cutting was considered vital to competing with the very low-cost Android smartphones that thrive in countries like China, as Nokia wasn't about to throw a mix of basic Symbian phones and Windows Phones against a pure smartphone platform like Google's. Along with narrowing the focus in product launches to fewer countries but more ambitious plans -- think of AT&T's Lumia 900 launch shebang -- Finland's phone giant thinks it can go toe-to-toe with Android-using rivals that can often compete solely on cost.

Nokia: Microsoft is giving us "specific support" to compete with Android at even lower prices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Tragedy of Richard Holbrooke

Instead, in 2009, eager to return to government, Holbrooke took the lesser job he was offered, as the president?s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, or ?Af-Pak,? as he soon called it. He found himself, for the third time in his career, working within but not quite at the top of a Democratic administration, obliged to serve under those who seemed to know less history (and fewer powerful people) than he did. He was working for a secretary of state whom he had tutored in foreign policy and for a president who had been seven years old in 1968, when Holbrooke began working for Harriman at the Paris peace talks on Vietnam.

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Newfound galaxy may be most distant ever seen

A new galaxy has taken the title of most distant known, according to scientists from the Subaru and Keck Telescopes.

The galaxy, called SXDF-NB1006-2, lies a whopping 12.91 billion light-years from Earth. Since its light has taken that long to reach us, we are seeing it as it was less than a billion years after the Big Bang created the universe. So SXDF-NB1006-2 was likely among the first galaxies ever made.?

Astronomers hope that by studying SXDF-NB1006-2 and other far-flung objects, they can piece together what happened in the dawn of the cosmos.

1. More space news from msnbc.com

   1. NASA's chief visits the Dragon's lair

      Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: SpaceX's billionaire founder travels to his Texas rocket facility for a meet-up with NASA's administrator, a close look at the company's history-making Dragon space capsule ... and a little Texas-style politicking.

   2. Huge asteroid to fly by Earth Thursday
   3. Alien Earths may be plentiful in galaxy
   4. Black-hole telescope blasted into orbit

The newfound is the latest contender for the oldest and farthest galaxies yet seen. Earlier this month, astronomers at the University of Arizona also found a galaxy that appeared to be nearly 13 billion light-years from Earth.

Last year, another team of scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope announced the discovery of a galaxy that may be even older and farther away. That galaxy was found to be 13.2 billion light-years from Earth, but remains a "galaxy candidate" and is awaiting confirmation by follow-up studies.

The Big Bang is thought to have sparked the universe about 13.7 billion years ago. At first, it was too hot and dense for objects, or even atoms, to bind together. As the baby universe expanded, it cooled, and eventually quarks bonded to form protons, which eventually linked with electrons to form neutral hydrogen atoms 380,000 years after the Big Bang.

This gas cooled over time, and by 200 to 500 million years after the universe's birth, clouds of neutral hydrogen condensed to form the first stars and the first galaxies.

Galaxy SXDF-NB1006-2 existed around 800 million years after the Big Bang, so it offers a glimpse closer than ever to that critical time.

"The day is not so far off when the mysteries of the dark ages of the Universe and the physical properties of the first galaxies will be revealed," Masanori Iye, the leader of the Thirty Meter Telescope project at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, said in a statement.

To observe such a distant, faint object, scientists had to collect light through the telescopes over 37 hours, letting more and more light accumulate to see as deep as possible. Researchers, led by Takatoshi Shibuya of The Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan, counted 58,733 objects in the image, and narrowed those down to two possible candidates for extremely distant galaxies.

With followup spectroscopic measurements that broke up the light into its constituent wavelengths, the astronomers identified one very faraway galaxy.

SXDF-NB1006-2 replaces the previous record holder for farthest galaxy known, GN-108036, which was also found by Subaru and was just slightly closer to us.

The findings will be published in the June 20, 2012, edition of the Astrophysical Journal.

Follow SPACE.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also onFacebook & Google+.

? 2012 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.

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Beaumont Family Dentistry Wins Second Consecutive Talk of the ...

Lexington, KY, June 14, 2012 ?(PR.com)? For the second straight year, Beaumont Family Dentistry has won the prestigious CMUS Talk of the Town Customer Satisfaction Award with the highest rating of 5 stars.

The Talk of the Town Awards, presented by Talk of the Town News, Customer Care News magazine and Celebration Media U.S. (CMUS), honors companies and professionals that provide excellent customer service as reported by their customers through no-cost, user-review websites, blogs, social networks, business rating services, and other honors and accolades. This data is analyzed by a team of researchers who calculate a company?s CMUS Power Rating?. Only those that receive a 4-star to 5-star rating receive the CMUS Talk of the Town Customer Satisfaction Award.

Patricia Takacs, DMD, established her practice in 1984, later naming it Beaumont Family Dentistry. Now with two locations to serve the Lexington, Ky., area, the practice offers comprehensive dental services, including general and family dentistry, cosmetic services, dental implants, and full-mouth reconstruction. Exceptional dental care is provided, using the latest in technology.

With an emphasis on providing excellent customer service, the team at Beaumont Family Dentistry spends time listening to patients? needs, explaining treatment options and helping them schedule convenient appointments. ?We pride ourselves on patient comfort, convenience and satisfaction,? says Dr. Takacs. ?We offer a warm and caring atmosphere where our patients? comfort is our top priority.?

The priority on patients? comfort can be seen in many ways throughout the office, including the massage therapist who provides relaxing hand and arm massages during treatments. In addition, the smell of freshly baked cookies welcomes patients as they enter the office, and muffins and coffee are also available for patients.

Takacs gives credit to her staff for the excellent care that patients receive. ?We have some of the most caring employees who have been with our practice for many years,? she says. ?This longevity has allowed us to build close relationships with each patient and make them feel like part of our family.?

Beaumont Family Dentistry is located at 3141 Beaumont Center Circle, Ste. 300 in Lexington, Ky. Its newest office is at 100 Trade Street, Ste. 175 in Lexington. For more information, call 859-223-2120 or go online to www.beaumontfamilydentistry.com.

About the Award and Sponsors:
This is the fourth year CMUS, Talk of the Town News and Customer Care News have honored companies for achieving high levels of customer satisfaction with the Talk of the Town Awards. Businesses eligible to receive the award include, but are not limited to, beauty salons, spas, restaurants, bakeries, dentists, auto repair facilities, veterinarians, home repair and improvement contractors, florists, hospitals, and physicians.

For more information about the award or its sponsors, please contact CMUS and Talk of the Town News at 877-498-6405 or go online to www.talkofthetownnews.com.

Contact Information:
Celebration Media, Inc.
Jamie Rawcliffe
877-498-6405
Contact via Email
www.talkofthetownnews.com

Click here to read the full story: Beaumont Family Dentistry Wins Second Consecutive Talk of the Town Customer Satisfaction Award

Press Release Distributed by PR.com

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NFL roundup: Texans extend contracts of coach Kubiak, GM Smith

Texans owner Bob McNair followed through on his promise last month to have new contracts signed by coach Gary Kubiak and general manager Rick Smith before training camp.

? Both received long-term deals to be announced Thursday.

? Kubiak was handsomely rewarded for guiding the franchise to the AFC South title and first ever playoff appearance in 2011.

? Hired along with Smith in January 2006, Kubiak coached the Texans to only one winning season -- Houston went 9-7 in 2009 -- before taking the division with a 10-6 mark last season. He's 47-49 in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs.

? ?I think they've done an outstanding job. I'm pleased with them, and if that wasn't the case, we wouldn't be extending 'em,? McNair said last month.

? ---The Redskins finished nine weeks of offseason work with a final practice on Wednesday and workouts and film sessions on Thursday. The third of three minicamp days on the field was cancelled because so many players were banged up -- although all are expected to be ready for training camp -- and because coach Mike Shanahan was so pleased with how hard his team worked in an accomplished series of workouts.

? Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, who's being counted on to start and lead a long-awaited renaissance in Washington, is ahead of his schedule in his grasp of the offense. Defensive end Jarvis Jenkins, the 2011 second-round pick who missed his rookie year with a torn ACL, and two-time Pro Bowl tight end Chris Cooley, who was sidelined for most of last season with his own knee injury, both showed no after-effects from those surgeries.

? Santana Moss, deposed last year after six seasons as the Redskins' No. 1 receiver, responded to the challenge presented by the signings of free agent receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan and earned praise from Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

?

? --Now that the Bears have accumulated more offensive skill-position talent than they've had in a generation, offensive coordinator Mike Tice has to figure out how best to utilize the different components.

? ?I think he's got probably the hardest job in the building of being able to mesh these offensive players with different schemes,? quarterback Jay Cutler said after Tuesday's minicamp practice at Halas Hall. ?It's always hard as a first-time coordinator installing your offense and getting it up and running for Game One. He's got a tough gig, but he's doing a great job. He's listening to a lot of different guys and taking everyone's opinion into consideration and then trying to find the best solution.?

? The biggest goal is to provide Cutler with the highest level of comfort possible.

? --Team president Mike Holmgren didn't play his cards too close to the vest Thursday when he weighed in on the ongoing competition between quarterbacks Colt McCoy and Brandon Weeden.

? Weeden, the rookie challenger to the incumbent McCoy, has taken the majority of first-team snaps with the offense at minicamp and third-string quarterback Seneca Wallace has been a distant enough third that he wondered aloud if he was going to be in Cleveland this season.

? ?He's as prepared to come in and start as any rookie as any quarterback I've seen in a long time,? Holmgren said Thursday.

?

? --Veteran defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch is not taking reps in Lions' minicamp and left end Cliff Avril isn't even in the area code as his contract impasse with management enters a fifth month.

? At age 33 and about 17 months removed from serious neck-fusion surgery, the Lions are letting discretion be the better part of valor with Vanden Bosch, even if it means operating defensive line drills and seven-on-seven work with a pass rush consisting of four defensive tackles spread across the line.

? ?He's been cleared but we just want to take away as many opportunities for wear and tear on his neck as we can,? coach Jim Schwartz said.

? --Phil Dawson, the only full-time kicker the Browns have had since their return in 1999, wants to make 2012 a special season.

? Dawson attended the mandatory minicamp last week after skipping the voluntary OTAs the previous two weeks. He had his reasons for being absent, but they were not out of protest. He can get his kicking in at home in Austin, Tex., and still be with his family. He is not attending OTAs this week with the approval of coach Pat Shurmur.

? --Eagles coach Andy Reid left his 90-man roster with a message he wants top of mind until the team reconvenes at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., at the end of July.

? ?This is going to be a tough training camp for them,? Reid said as minicamp concluded Thursday. ?I've talked to the team about that. It's going to be a demanding training camp, and from now until we get up there, they need to keep themselves in the shape that they're in right now.?

? The Eagles had 80 percent attendance at non-mandatory strength and conditioning sessions with Barry Rubin before entering the nine-week on-field phase.

? --Terrell Suggs discarded his crutches Monday, but he was back on the comeback stump in a press conference at the Ravens' facility Thursday.

? ?Like I said before when I first got injured: I will be in a Baltimore Ravens uniform in 2012,? Suggs said. ?The only question in when.?

? Suggs said he injured his Achilles in May doing a fitness test, again denying ESPN reports and witness accounts that he was playing a pickup basketball game at the time.

. Thursday he said a November return might be optimistic, but he's planning on continuing with that approach.

? --Since Kurt Warner retired two years ago, coach Ken Whisenhunt has had trouble picking a starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. In fact, he's had five of them.

? Not one of them seized the job. That's why there is ?open? competition now between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton. Those two split the starting job last year, mostly because Kolb missed seven games with injuries.

? --The Rams agreed to a one-year deal with outside linebacker Rocky McIntosh, who participated in the team's minicamp on a tryout basis after six seasons with the Redskins.

? McIntosh, a second-round pick in 2006, was benched last season in favor of Perry Riley and drew little interest as an unrestricted free agent. He took free-agent visits to Miami (April 1) and Minnesota (May 7) before working out for the Rams and coach Jeff Fisher this week.

? The 29-year-old will compete at outside linebacker with newcomers Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Mario Haggan as the Rams makeover the back seven of their defense behind a very talented defensive line.

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Kidnapping by Mexican police caught on video

In this frame grab taken from video filmed by a surveillance camera on Jan 20, 2012, and released by the Jalisco state prosecutors' office on June 14, 2012, three men walk away from a hotel in their underwear with their hands tied behind their backs and some blindfolded, as they are led by men dressed in police uniforms toward police vehicles in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico. The men later were found asphyxiated and beaten to death. Jalisco prosecutors' spokesman Lino Gonzalez said Thursday June 14, 2012 that the five officers, their commander and the local police chief in Lagos de Moreno have been detained pending charges. (AP Photo/Jalisco state prosecutors' office)

In this frame grab taken from video filmed by a surveillance camera on Jan 20, 2012, and released by the Jalisco state prosecutors' office on June 14, 2012, three men walk away from a hotel in their underwear with their hands tied behind their backs and some blindfolded, as they are led by men dressed in police uniforms toward police vehicles in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico. The men later were found asphyxiated and beaten to death. Jalisco prosecutors' spokesman Lino Gonzalez said Thursday June 14, 2012 that the five officers, their commander and the local police chief in Lagos de Moreno have been detained pending charges. (AP Photo/Jalisco state prosecutors' office)

In this frame grab taken from video filmed by a surveillance camera on Jan 20, 2012, and released by the Jalisco state prosecutors' office on June 14, 2012, police officers enter a hotel before escorting out three men in their underwear with their hands tied behind their backs and some blindfolded in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico. The men later were found asphyxiated and beaten to death. Jalisco prosecutors' spokesman Lino Gonzalez said Thursday June 14, 2012 that five officers, their commander and the local police chief in Lagos de Moreno have been detained pending charges. (AP Photo/Jalisco state prosecutors' office)

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? There it was on video: Five heavily armed policemen barge into a hotel in western Mexico before dawn and march out with three handcuffed men in underwear.

But police weren't making an arrest. Prosecutors say they apparently were taking orders from criminals. Just hours after the three were seized, they were found asphyxiated and beaten to death.

Mexicans have become inured to lurid tales of police collaboration with narcotics gangs during 5 ? years of a drug war that has cost more than 47,500 lives. But seldom can they actually see it occur, and the video broadcast on national television was a shocker.

"One assumes that in some cities ... the municipal police work for the drug cartels," said Jorge Chabat an expert on security and drug trafficking at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching. "But what is different here is that there is a video. It's not the same thing to imagine that this going on, and to see it."

The Jan. 20 video released by prosecutors late Wednesday shows a police truck pulling up to the hotel in the city of Lagos de Moreno, quickly followed by a pickup carrying four armed men in civilian clothing. A city policeman carrying an assault rifle runs over to their truck and is given what appears to be a list. Then he and his fellow officers trot into the hotel and present the list at the reception desk, apparently asking what rooms the men are staying in.

In the next segment of the video, the victims are trotted out of the hotel in their underwear with their hands cuffed behind their backs. One is being hustled along by a man in civilian dress, who stuffs him into a patrol car. The gunmen ? police are investigating whether they belong to the Jalisco New Generation drug gang ? appear to be calling the shots throughout, with the police officers serving as gofers.

The police then watch and wait in front of the hotel while the men's luggage and vehicle are stolen. Finally, the police truck carrying the victims follows the gunmen as they drive away in the own pickup and the stolen vehicle.

While the kidnapping and murder occurred in January, and the faces of several officers were clearly seen on the videos, the officers were not detained until June 6, when soldiers and state police raided a local police station. And they still have not been formally charged with any crime.

"It took time to obtain the video tapes, to do the investigation, and to get the arrest warrants," said Jalisco state prosecutor's spokesman Lino Gonzalez said Thursday. "We didn't have the information."

In any case, the release of the dramatic images comes less than three weeks before national and state elections in which security is a major issue. Critics accuse President Felipe Calderon of setting off a bloodbath with his strategy against gangs, while his party's presidential candidate, Josefina Vazquez, has suggested her opponents are ready to compromise with the cartels.

Jalisco is governed by Calderon's party. The man who was mayor of Lagos de Moreno when the video was shot is now a rival party's candidate for the state legislature.

Gonzalez said that so far, seven policemen and officials of the municipal police force of Lagos de Moreno have been detained pending charges. And state Attorney General Tomas Coronado said the four men in civilian clothing also have been detained separately in other cases. He declined to say what gang they might belong to.

There are still mysteries surrounding the case, including whether the gunmen thought the victims were members of a rival drug cartel. The victims were from the northern state of Coahuila, where the hyperviolent Zetas cartel has been battling the Sinaloa cartel, allies of the local Jalisco Nueva Generacion gang.

Gonzalez said the victims, before checking into the hotel, had been briefly detained by police at the local jail for a minor infraction. They paid a fine and were released. But while in custody, "They said something indiscrete," Gonzalez said. "Apparently they said something like 'We're from Coahuila, and we're part of the mafia.'"

It's not unusual in Mexico for detainees to boast about their connections, hoping to press corrupt police to release them.

This time, however, it backfired.

"Apparently, somebody at the jail heard the comment, and reported it to the real criminals," Gonzalez said.

Coronado told local media the men had claimed to be Zetas.

Gonzalez said it has never been proved the kidnapped men were gang members. They may have just been in Lagos de Moreno collecting the rent on a ranch, and they are being treated simply as victims.

Chabat noted that corruption has reached so deep that in 2010 in the northern state of Nuevo Leon, seven local police officers in the town of Santiago were arrested on allegations they were working for the Zetas drug gang and that they kidnapped and killed the town's Mayor, Edelmiro Cavazos, in retaliation for his attempts to cut corruption.

"There are police officers who kill the mayors they are supposed to protect," Chabat said. But this week's video "is cause for despair," he said. "It gives rise to the feeling that this is not going to be solved in the short term."

Associated Press

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Europe crisis spreads as Merkel resists big steps

MILAN (AP) ? A growing number of European countries are being squeezed by a financial vise just days before a Greek election that could escalate the region's political and economic turmoil.

The rise of Italian and Spanish borrowing costs to alarming levels Thursday heaped pressure on leaders to prevent Europe's debt crisis from engulfing its largest countries. No grand solution appears imminent.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel opposes solutions that many experts are pushing that would increase costs for Berlin.

Merkel has found herself isolated from the leaders of Spain, Italy and France, who want the 17 countries in the euro currency union to move quickly to bind their governments' finances and debt.

Such action could take the form of jointly issued debt or European-wide guarantees on bank deposits. Either step would spread the risks that individual countries bear across the eurozone.

Italian Premier Mario Monti has agreed with French President Francois Hollande on the need for such measures. But Germany, which as Europe's largest economy bears most of the cost of bailouts, is reluctant to expose itself even more.

The proposed steps are expected to dominate talks at next week's summit of Group of 20 leaders in Mexico.

Compounding the debt crisis is the fear that's gripped European banks about lending to each other ? a key element of a stable banking system.

"The European banking system is paralyzed," said Nicolas Veron, senior fellow at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. "So many banks hold massive amounts of Spanish and Italian government bonds that are losing value. We no longer have a functioning interbank (lending) market in the eurozone."

On Thursday, the Institute of International Finance called for some coordinated action by major central banks to address the crisis. And Britain's Treasury chief said the government and the Bank of England will launch an emergency bank lending plan to try to ease credit. Britain isn't in the euro currency union, but British banks have been wary of lending in part because of worries about the fate of the eurozone.

Experts warn that the need for a solution is urgent and that European leaders must signal to investors soon that a consensus is forming around some plan. They note how fast fears about Spain have spread to Italy. Matters could worsen this weekend, when Greece holds elections that could determine whether that country sticks to the terms of its bailout.

Abandoning the bailout deal would likely require Greece to leave the currency union, bringing uncertain consequences for Europe and the global economy.

"We're at a tipping point," said Michael Hewson, a senior analyst at CMC Markets. "You either have to deliver or disband."

Here's a look at the situation in individual countries:

? ITALY

Investors are demanding high interest rates on bonds for fear that Italy might soon need financial aid.

The interest Italy must pay to raise ?3 billion ($3.76 billion) in three-year loans from financial markets jumped Thursday to 5.3 percent. That's the highest rate since December. Italy also auctioned 10-year bonds at a worryingly high rate of 6.13 percent.

The rates spiked after a European deal to save Spain's banks failed this week to defuse worries about Spanish debt.

"They mucked up Spain so badly that now it's impacted Italy," said Gary Jenkins of Swordfish Research, a bond research consultancy. "There's a lot of fragility there."

Italy has the eurozone's third-largest economy. For now, it can finance its debt. But the rising cost of doing so is causing pain. With the economy in a deep recession, the debt is expected to keep rising. The latest figures released Thursday showed it hit a new high of ?1.95 trillion ($2.4 trillion) in April.

To lower the debt, Italy's economy must become more competitive. Monti has admonished Italian lawmakers not to slow the passage of key reforms. Still, he recognizes that a resolution can't happen if bond investors keep pushing up Italy's borrowing rates over concern about the eurozone's future.

? SPAIN

Spain's troubles keep growing. A ?100 billion European rescue loan for its banks was meant to help. Yet it's raised concern that the government, which is ultimately liable for the money, will have trouble repaying it. The Moody's ratings agency on Wednesday downgraded Spain's sovereign debt three notches because of that.

As a result, Spain's key borrowing rate hit a fresh high Thursday.

The interest rate ? or yield ? on the country's benchmark 10-year bonds rose to a record 6.96 percent in early trading, close to the level that many analysts say is unsustainable in the long run and the rate that forced Greece, Ireland and Portugal to seek bailouts.

Spain won't immediately collapse if the rate hits 7 percent, Reaching that point, though, would squeeze the government next week, when it's scheduled to auction debt.

"The clock is definitely ticking," said Michael Hewson, an analyst with CMC Markets.

Details of what the bailout might look like began to emerge Thursday. European officials are considering liquidation ? selling a bank's assets ? as part of the plan to bolster Spain's banks, a spokesman for Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said.

"Liquidation is always looked at," said Antoine Colombani. "We prefer to liquidate when it's cheaper for the taxpayer."

? GREECE

Greece's national election this weekend has become the next focal point for Europe's financial crisis. The left-wing Syriza party, which finished second in the first round of voting in May, wants to abandon the country's international bailout terms. As a result, Greece would be cut off from loans, face bankruptcy and possibly leave the euro.

In the latest official polls, the party was essentially tied with the conservative New Democracy. Still, Greece's stock markets soared on rumors that New Democracy would win enough votes to create a coalition and keep Greece in the eurozone. Analysts warned against taking the rumors as fact.

It isn't clear what effect a Greek exit from the euro would have. Some experts say it would fuel fear that other countries like Portugal might leave as well, threatening to create a domino effect. Because Europe, as a whole, is the largest economy in the world, a Greek exit would roil financial markets. It would also hurt Greece's trade with countries from the United States to Japan.

? GERMANY

Any major steps to ease Europe's debt crisis must meet Berlin's approval. So far, Merkel has balked at anything that might heavily expose Germany to other countries' financial weaknesses.

Merkel has long favored austerity as the best way for European governments to heal their public finances. But that stance is under fire, with sentiment in Europe shifting toward seeking ways to foster growth.

Merkel stressed Thursday that nations that have needed bailouts must work to restore trust and their public finances. She's unlikely to agree to allowing greater government spending to spur growth. But she might be open to allowing some countries to slow their pace of spending cuts.

Fears that Spain or Italy cannot manage their debts could subside if a stronger country like Germany agreed to shoulder some of it.

Merkel said Thursday that Germany is open to wide-ranging reforms ? such as eurobonds or a centralized banking authority with the power to bail out banks. But she cautioned that they're no quick fix for the crisis. Europe's weak governments must fix their public finances first.

"Yes, Germany is strong," she said. "But we also know that Germany's strength is not infinite."

___

Associated Press writers Juergen Baetz in Berlin, Harold Heckle and Alan Clendenning in Madrid, Sarah DiLorenzo in Brussels and Paul Wiseman in Washington contributed to this report.

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WHO demands action on drug-resistant gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea, a sexually-transmitted infection also known as "the clap", is making a comeback ? and this time it may be incurable. New strains have emerged that resist the last few antibiotics that still worked against the disease.

In a rare public alert last week, the World Health Organization warned that highly resistant cases of gonorrhoea have now been detected in Japan, Europe and Australia. It is calling for a worldwide effort to track the superbug ? and to develop new gonorrhoea drugs and vaccines.

That's a slim hope. Between the limited profits to be made from drugs that cure infections and the previous success of antibiotics against gonorrhoea, there has been little investment in the disease. "There are no new therapeutic drugs in development," says Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan of the WHO's Department of Reproductive Health and Research.

Yet epidemiological models show that the current official policies for managing gonorrhoea are virtually guaranteed to lead to a rebound in cases, and to antibiotic resistance.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, also known as Gonococcus, infect an estimated 106 million people a year worldwide. The infection causes painful urination in men and can be symptomless in women, but left untreated it may cause painful pelvic inflammation and potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy. It can cause blindness in babies, and makes it easier to contract HIV.

Antibiotic resistance

It was among the first diseases to fall to antibiotics in the 1940s, but the bacteria readily acquire antibiotic resistance genes and keep them, even when the antibiotics they resist are no longer used. N. gonorrhoeae is now resistant to penicillin, and the subsequent families of antibiotics used to treat it.

Now only a couple of third-generation antibiotics are left. But resistance to these has been creeping up, and last year N. gonorrhoeae resistant enough to be dubbed a "superbug" was reported in Japan.

Most people clear the infection faster than they change sex partners, so don't spread the bug to someone new. But people who change partners faster, such as sex workers and promiscuous communities of men who have sex with men, are likely to pass on the infection. Targeting such groups for treatment caused gonorrhoea infection rates to drop steeply in industrialised countries since the 1970s ? but now they are climbing again.

This could be because in models, treating these "core groups" is the only way to slash infection rates. But this is also an efficient way to select for antibiotic resistance, which then spreads widely. "It's a catch-22," says David Fisman of the University of Toronto, Canada.

Gonorrhoea vaccine?

Worse, the models show that relying on one drug until resistance builds up, then switching to another ? precisely what health agencies have done ? causes resistance fastest.

One way out might be diagnostic tests that reveal not just the strain of gonorrhoea responsible for infection, but which antibiotics it resists. Current DNA-based tests do not, meaning resistant infections are treated blindly, often with a drug that has no effect and can just worsen resistance. Fisman thinks this could be why gonorrhoea is increasing in some places.

The ultimate answer would be a gonorrhoea vaccine. Some efforts are underway, but have been unsuccessful ? partly because the ancient disease is so well adapted to humans, people do not become immune even from repeated infections.

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Authorities investigate lungs found on L.A. sidewalk

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Car bombs targeting Shiites kill 65 in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP) ? A coordinated wave of car bombs struck Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad and several other cities Wednesday, killing at least 65 people and wounding more than 200 in one of the deadliest days in Iraq since U.S. troops withdrew from the country.

The bloodshed comes against a backdrop of political divisions that have raised tensions and threatened to provoke a new round of the violence that once pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war. Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but they bore the hallmarks of Sunni insurgents who frequently target Shiites in Iraq.

Wednesday's blasts were the third this week targeting the annual pilgrimage that sees hundreds of thousands of Shiites converge on a golden-domed shrine in Baghdad's northern neighborhood of Kazimiyah to commemorate the eighth century death of a revered Shiite saint, Imam Moussa al-Kadhim. The commemoration culminates on Saturday.

Puddles of blood and shards of metal clogged a drainage ditch at the site of one of the bombings in the city of Hillah, where hours before pilgrims had been marching. Soldiers and dazed onlookers wandered near the charred remains of the car that had exploded and ripped gaping holes in nearby shops.

Most of the 16 separate explosions that rocked the country targeted Shiite pilgrims in five cities, but two hit offices of political parties linked to Iraq's Kurdish minority in the tense north. Authorities had tightened security ahead of the pilgrimage, including a blockade of the mainly Sunni area of Azamiyah, which is near the twin-domed Shiite shrine.

The level of violence has dropped dramatically in Iraq since peaking in 2006-2007 as the country faced a Sunni-led insurgency and retaliatory sectarian fighting that broke out after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. But Iraqis still face near-daily attacks and Shiite pilgrimages are often targeted.

Political divisions also have only deepened, paralyzing the country since the Americans withdrew all combat troops in mid-December.

Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been accused of trying to monopolize power, and tensions spiked after Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi ? the highest-ranking Sunni in Iraq's leadership ? was charged with running death squads. The government began his trial in absentia since al-Hashemi was out of the country, drawing allegations the charges were part of a vendetta by the Shiite-led government.

The political stagnation has set back hopes for stability in Iraq and stalled efforts to rebuild the country after eight years of U.S. occupation.

"These violent acts reflect the depth of the political crisis in the country and the escalation of political differences among blocs," said politician Abdul-Sataar al-Jumaili of the Sunni political bloc Iraqiya.

Baghdad military command spokesman Col. Dhia al-Wakeel said the attacks were intended to reignite all-out sectarian bloodshed, "but Iraqis are fully aware of the terrorism agenda and will not slip into a sectarian conflict."

According to accounts compiled by police and health officials in the targeted areas, the first bomb struck a procession at around 5 a.m. in the town of Taji, north of Baghdad, killing seven people and wounding two others.

That was followed by four more morning blasts that hit other groups of pilgrims across the capital, killing 25 people and wounding more than 70.

South of Baghdad, two car bombs exploded minutes apart at dawn in the center of the mainly Shiite city of Hillah, killing 21 people and wounding 53, according to two police officers and one health worker.

A parked car bomb also exploded near a group of pilgrims in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 90 kilometers (55 miles) south of Baghdad, at about 8 a.m., killing two people and wounding 22 others.

In the Shiite town of Balad, 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Baghdad, two nearly simultaneous car bombs killed seven pilgrims and wounded 34.

Explosions also targeted Iraqi Kurds in the north.

One person was killed as three blasts rocked the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk, one of them outside the local office of Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani's political party.

Another car bomb targeted an office of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in the northern city of Mosul, killing two people and wounding four. Two other explosions wounded five people elsewhere in Mosul, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad.

The details were reported by officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.

The overall toll made it the deadliest day in Iraq since Jan. 5, when a wave of bombings targeting Shiites killed 78 people in Baghdad and outside the southern city of Nasiriyah.

Shortly after the attacks, al-Maliki chaired a meeting with senior army and police officials to discuss ways to overcome security gaps "used by the terrorists," a statement on the prime minister's website said.

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Hitchhiker writing book called ?The Kindness of America? shot

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Four dead in Sacramento gang shooting

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Coast Guard: Yacht blast hoax calls came from land

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OleMissMTennis: A walk down memory lane to commemorate 2009 NCAA Champion Devin Britton who just won his 1st pro singles title.... http://t.co/uoQ5UJZR

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AZ Central ? Westcor turns back state land for Palisene ? Scottsdale ...

A regional-mall site intended for Westcor?s Palisene project is going back to the Arizona State Land Department.

Westcor and the Land Department reached an agreement last week to end Westcor?s 99-year lease of 112 acres of state trust land northwest of Scottsdale Road and Loop 101.

?We?re getting the piece back intact,? state Land Commissioner Maria Baier said. ?It?s ready for the next healthy market.?

The property can be auctioned again as the commercial real-estate market recovers, Baier said.

The settlement puts a halt to Westcor?s 20-year plan for a mall and mixed-use development on the state land just west of Scottsdale Road in Phoenix.

It stalls planning and development of roads, utilities and flood control for thousands of acres in the Paradise Ridge area.

Westcor was the sole bidder four years ago to lease the 112-acre Palisene site for $32 million, with the obligation to invest $67 million for development improvements that would have served the broader area of state land northwest of Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road.

Scott Nelson, Westcor vice president of development, said the property is some of the best-located land in the Valley but it lacks water, sewer, streets and flood control.

?There is not a comprehensive drainage solution to allow for development to occur,? Nelson said. ?That became the impetus for canceling this lease.?

It was difficult for Westcor to walk away from the site after spending so many years planning for its development, he said.

It?s still going to be great real estate,? Nelson said. ?The community and the cities (Scottsdale and Phoenix) need to look hard at how this area should be developed and how to get the public infrastructure funded.?

Baier said Westcor had planned on recovering infrastructure costs from Phoenix but that was no longer possible after Arizona Supreme Court rulings on development agreements involving CityNorth at 56th Street and Loop 101. The court in 2010 put strict limits on municipal tax incentives to ensure there is clear public benefit.

Westcor, a division of Santa Monica, Calif.-based Macerich, paid $1.26 million in lease payments to the Land Department through 2010 and deferred its $1 millionpayment for 2011.

The settlement, reached with the help of a mediator, divides $18 million in an escrow account with $10 million going to the Land Department and $8 million to Westcor, Baier said.

The Land Department keeps $1.26 million of Westcor?s lease payments but reimburses Westcor $1.1 million for its $2.5 million in expenses in developing a master plan for the site, Baier said.

The Land Department plans to spend $8 million of the funds from Westcor to improve the area?s infrastructure, which will make it more valuable for development, she said.

Westcor for at least two decades targeted Paradise Ridge northwest of Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road for a regional mall. In 2005, company officials unveiled conceptual plans for an ambitious mixed-use plan for the area in partnership with the Landmark Land Co.

The Palisene shopping center was to include 1 million square feet of high-end retail, restaurants and entertainment on 72 acres. Westcor envisioned a 2,100-acre mixed-use project at Paradise Ridge with offices, homes and condominiums, a hotel and buildings rising to 17 stories.

With the economy in high gear, developers were racing to build major mixed-use projects in the Northeast Valley including CityNorth, Scottsdale Quarter, One Scottsdale and Palisene.

CityNorth and Scottsdale Quarter got built and struggled out of the gate in 2009 as the economy faltered. Westcor went ahead with acquisition of the Palisene site in April 2008 and later that year announced plans for a retractable roof for the shopping center.

But retailers pulled back as the recession hit. In the past year, Westcor tried to land a luxury outlet mall for the site but was unsuccessful.

Nelson said it is hard to say if the company would once again pursue the Palisene site in a future state land auction.

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