NKorea calls nukes country's 'life' at big meeting

South Korean Army soldiers patrol along a barbed-wire fence near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, Sunday, March 31, 2013. North Korea warned South Korea on Saturday that the Korean Peninsula had entered "a state of war" and threatened to shut down a border factory complex that's the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean Army soldiers patrol along a barbed-wire fence near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, Sunday, March 31, 2013. North Korea warned South Korea on Saturday that the Korean Peninsula had entered "a state of war" and threatened to shut down a border factory complex that's the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean Army soldiers patrol along a barbed-wire fence near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, Sunday, March 31, 2013. North Korea warned South Korea on Saturday that the Korean Peninsula had entered "a state of war" and threatened to shut down a border factory complex that's the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean Army soldiers patrol along a barbed-wire fence near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, Sunday, March 31, 2013. North Korea warned South Korea on Saturday that the Korean Peninsula had entered "a state of war" and threatened to shut down a border factory complex that's the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? A top North Korean decision-making body issued a pointed warning Sunday, saying that nuclear weapons are "the nation's life" and will not be traded even for "billions of dollars."

The comments came in a statement released after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over the plenary meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party. The meeting, which set a "new strategic line" calling for building both a stronger economy and nuclear arsenal, comes amid a series of near-daily threats from Pyongyang in recent weeks, including a vow to launch nuclear strikes on the United States and a warning Saturday that the Korean Peninsula was in a "state of war."

Pyongyang is angry over annual U.S.-South Korean military drills and a new round of U.N. sanctions that followed its Feb. 12 nuclear test, the country's third. Analysts see a full-scale North Korean attack as unlikely and say the threats are more likely efforts to provoke softer policies toward Pyongyang from a new government in Seoul, to win diplomatic talks with Washington that could get the North more aid, and to solidify the young North Korean leader's image and military credentials at home.

North Korea made reference to those outside views in the statement it released through the official Korean Central News Agency following the plenary meeting.

North Korea's nuclear weapons are a "treasure" not to be traded for "billions of dollars," the statement said. They "are neither a political bargaining chip nor a thing for economic dealings to be presented to the place of dialogue or be put on the table of negotiations aimed at forcing (Pyongyang) to disarm itself," it said.

North Korea's "nuclear armed forces represent the nation's life, which can never be abandoned as long as the imperialists and nuclear threats exist on earth," the statement said.

North Korea has called the U.S. nuclear arsenal a threat to its existence since the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula still technically at war. Pyongyang justifies its own nuclear pursuit in large part on that perceived U.S. threat.

While analysts call North Korea's threats largely brinkmanship, there is some fear that a localized skirmish might escalate. Seoul has vowed to respond harshly should North Korea provoke its military. Naval skirmishes in disputed Yellow Sea waters off the Korean coast have led to bloody battles several times over the years. Attacks blamed on Pyongyang in 2010 killed 50 South Koreans.

The plenary statement also called for strengthening the moribund economy, which Kim has put an emphasis on in his public statements since taking power after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in late 2011. The United Nations says two-thirds of the country's 24 million people face regular food shortages.

The statement called for diversified foreign trade and investment, and a focus on agriculture, light industry and a "self-reliant nuclear power industry," including a light water reactor. There was also a call for "the development of space science and technology," including more satellite launches. North Korea put a satellite into orbit on a long-range rocket in December. The United Nations called the launch a cover for a banned test of ballistic missile technology and increased sanctions on the North.

The central committee is a top decision-making body of the North's ruling Workers' Party. The committee is tasked with organizing and guiding the party's major projects, and its plenary meeting is usually convened once a year, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry. South Korean media said the last plenary session was held in 2010 and that this was the first time Kim Jong Un had presided over the meeting.

The White House says the United States is taking North Korea's threats seriously, but has also noted Pyongyang's history of "bellicose rhetoric."

On Thursday, U.S. military officials revealed that two B-2 stealth bombers dropped dummy munitions on an uninhabited South Korean island as part of annual defense drills that Pyongyang sees as rehearsals for invasion. Hours later, Kim ordered his generals to put rockets on standby and threatened to strike American targets if provoked.

___

Associated Press writer Hyung-jin Kim contributed to this report. Follow Foster Klug at www.twitter.com/APKlug.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-31-Koreas-Tension/id-606cf31256544346ab62310d9e16346e

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Demand for Coffee Soars | Convenience Store Decisions

Sales of coffee dominate sales of hot beverages, making up 83.3% of the total hot beverage market in the U.S. Coffee consumption is expected to increase through 2015 at an average annual rate of 2.7%, while tea consumption is expected to increase through 2015 at an average annual rate of 3.1%, according to the National Coffee Association?s (NCA) National Coffee Drinking Study.

Positive expectations for continued growth in coffee sales, despite its ?mature? product position in the market, are due to the innovations in premium coffee products. Despite the economic woes, 37% of total coffee consumed was classified as ?gourmet,? NCA reported. This suggests consumers were set on drinking good coffee even in the face of an uncertain economy.

NCA also noted an increase in the average price of coffee by 25% since 2007, owing largely to operators having to pass on commodity price increases to consumers. This trend has eased after peaking in early 2011.

Finding Your Niche
With c-stores putting much focus on the coffee category, consumers stop to buy coffee at c-stores more than they fill up their cars. For chains like Rutter?s Farm Stores in York, Pa., the appeal for coffee goes beyond the consistency of the beverage itself. It is the customization.

?We?re in an era of options,? Weiner said. ?People want to personalize everything. I find it in food and certainly in coffee and fountain drinks. Everybody is making things the way they want it, and they become very particular about it. It becomes their beverage or their sandwich, salad or whatever they?re consuming.?
Rutter?s sells seven different coffees, available 24 hours a day. Most condiments, which include milks, creamers, whipped cream, and caramel and chocolate syrups, are merchandised in a self-service cold well.

Aside from satisfying demands, condiments help convenience stores compete more effectively with the likes of Starbucks, Dunkin? Donuts and other coffeehouses by leveling the playing field on niche flavors.

Most c-stores have embraced the consumer?s desire for customization by offering broad coffee and condiment selections and stations for customers to prep their cups the way they like. C-stores are improving coffee quality in line with greater demand for gourmet varieties and taking great strides to use filtered water to ensure flavor consistency from store to store. Some operators push the coffee envelope further by promoting higher-caffeinated brews and functional ingredient additives.

Profile of today?s Coffee Customer

According to the latest National Coffee Drinking Study from the National Coffee Association (NCA), 40% of 18-24 year olds are drinking coffee each day?this is a sharp rise from the 31% of this age group who said they enjoyed a daily dose of java during 2011. This increase brought consumption of coffee among this age group back to its 2009 level.
?? ?
? In the same National Coffee Drinking Study, 54% of adults age 25-39 reported drinking coffee each day, another significant increase from the 44% who reported drinking coffee daily during 2011.

? Why the strong increase is less clear: 29% of the 18-39 age group said they felt better about their financial situation (only 12% of those over 40 felt similarly positive), but no other group shared the same focus on finances. Overall, 46% of coffee drinkers characterized their financial situation as ?the same? when compared to 2011.

? The study also found that over 75% of U.S. adults drink coffee, and 58% reported drinking coffee daily.

? Coffee drinkers still outnumber tea drinkers in the U.S.: 183 million coffee drinkers to 173.5 million tea drinkers. In 2012, combined sales of coffee and tea at restaurants and drinking places is estimated to total $18.7 billion, according to David Sprinkle, publisher of Packaged Facts. He also noted strong increases in demand for specialty coffee drinks (cappuccinos, lattes, Americanos and Macchiatos), with Macchiatos surging in popularity (as measured by market penetration) by 50% since 2007.

Source: http://www.csdecisions.com/2013/03/29/demand-for-coffee-soars/

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Tape Your Friends' Wi-Fi Password to their Router for Easy Tech Support

While I think it's safe to assume that the average Lifehacker reader knows their Wi-Fi password off the top of their head, the same can probably not be said for most of our friends and family members.

When you visit with someone a little less tech-savvy, make a point to find their Wi-Fi password and write it on a piece of masking tape. Just stick the tape to the back or the bottom of their router, and they'll always have it nearby if they need to share if with a house guest or service technician. This will also come in handy if you're trying to remotely diagnose their connection issues over the phone.

Of course, if this is your own router we're talking about, it's much cooler to use a QR code for easy password sharing.

A Quick and Easy Wi-Fi Password Reminder Solution | Apartment Therapy

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/AHhsIe0kOMQ/tape-your-friends-wi+fi-password-to-their-router-for-easy-tech-support

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Alaska lawmaker criticized for racial slur

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Rep. Don Young, the gruff Republican veteran who represents the entire state of Alaska, said he "meant no disrespect" in referring to Hispanic migrant workers as "wetbacks."

The 79-year-old Young, the second-most senior Republican in the House, issued a statement late Thursday seeking to explain his remark after using the derogatory term to describe the workers on his father's farm in central California, where he grew up.

Young, discussing the labor market during an interview with radio station KRBD in Ketchikan, Alaska, said that on his father's ranch, "we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes." He said, "It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It's all done by machine."

"Wetbacks" often refers to Mexican migrants who have entered the country illegally, and Hispanics consider the word, which can be used to disparage all Hispanics, to be highly pejorative.

Young's use of the word drew swift criticism from Republicans working to temper the party's hard-line positions on illegal immigrants and to improve GOP standing among Hispanic voters.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Young's remarks were "offensive and beneath the dignity of the office he holds." Boehner said he didn't care why Young said it; "there's no excuse, and it warrants an immediate apology."

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus said the party offers a "beacon of hope" for those seeking liberty around the world and that Young's remarks "emphatically do not represent the beliefs of the Republican Party."

"Shame on Don Young," said Congressional Hispanic Caucus chairman Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas. "It is deeply disheartening that in 2013, we are forced to have a discussion about a member of Congress using such hateful words and racial slurs."

In his statement, Young said he had "used a term that was commonly used during my days growing up on a farm in central California. I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays and I meant no disrespect."

He added that during the interview, he had "discussed the compassion and understanding I have for these workers and the hurdles they face in obtaining citizenship" and said the country must tackle the issue of immigration reform.

Among his jobs before entering politics were teaching school to indigenous Alaskans and working as a tugboat captain in the Yukon. Since entering Congress in 1973, Young has been known for his hot temper, his salty language and his independent streak.

As resources committee chairman in the late 1990s, he took on environmentalists and the Bill Clinton administration in pushing for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and logging in Alaska national forests. He headed the transportation committee during much of the George W. Bush administration, during which he defied his own party's anti-tax positions by supporting an increase in the federal gas tax to help pay for bridge and highway construction.

It was under Young's chairmanship that the "bridge to nowhere," which was actually two proposed Alaska construction projects, became a symbol for questionable special projects inserted into spending bills.

He also is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which is looking into whether he failed to report gifts on his annual disclosure forms, misused campaign funds and lied to federal officials. The investigation comes from an earlier Justice Department probe into whether Young accepted gifts in return for political patronage. Young has said that Justice cleared him of those charges.

"I've been under a cloud all my life," he told reporters in Juneau Thursday. "It's sort of like living in Juneau. It rains on you all the time. You don't even notice it."

Young said he plans to run for re-election next year, saying he doesn't know anyone who can do a better job than he does in representing the state.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/alaska-lawmaker-criticized-racial-slur-155625773.html

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Pistorius allowed to leave SAfrica with conditions

FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2013 file photo, Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius stands during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa A judge in South Africa says Pistorius, who is charged with murdering his girlfriend, can leave South Africa to compete in international competition, with conditions. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 21, 2013 file photo, Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius stands during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa A judge in South Africa says Pistorius, who is charged with murdering his girlfriend, can leave South Africa to compete in international competition, with conditions. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

State prosecutor Gerrie Nel, prepares for a hearing in the Pretoria, South Africa high court, Thursday, March 28, 2013. The state is opposing the relaxation of bail conditions in the charges against athlete Pistorius who is charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last month. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2012 file photo, South Africa's Oscar Pistorius wins gold in the men's 400-meter T44 final at the 2012 Paralympics in London. A judge in South Africa says Pistorius, who is charged with murdering his girlfriend, can leave South Africa to compete in international competition, with conditions. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

The defense team for Oscar Pistorius, led by Barry Roux, left, prepare for an appeasl against bail conditions in the Pretoria, South Africa high court, Thursday, March 28, 2013. Pistorius is charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last month. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2012 file photo, South Africa's Oscar Pistorius competes during Men's 100m T44 round 1 at the 2012 Paralympics in London. A judge in South Africa says Pistorius, who is charged with murdering his girlfriend, can leave South Africa to compete in international competition, with conditions. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, File)

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) ? International athletics body the IAAF says Oscar Pistorius would be allowed to run at this year's world championships if he qualifies after the double-amputee runner was cleared by a court to leave South Africa to compete in track meets.

The Olympic athlete had appealed against some of his bail conditions, and a judge ruled Thursday that Pistorius can travel outside of South Africa to run, but with certain conditions. Pistorius is charged with murder in the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

IAAF spokesman Yannis Nikolau says in a statement that there would be no objection from the world body to Pistorius competing at the worlds, saying "on the basis of the 'innocent until proven guilty' principle he would be free to run."

Nikolau says the decision on whether Pistorius could run at other events would be at the "discretion of meeting organizers" and not the IAAF.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-28-Pistorius-Shooting/id-7f70f4547f2e4a55a905938476d3126f

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NYC aquarium rebounds, rebuilds after Sandy

NEW YORK (AP) ? The New York Aquarium has cherished its big-city setting by the sea for half a century. But the ocean that is the aquarium's lifeblood dealt it a shattering blow last fall.

Superstorm Sandy's surge overran carefully calibrated tanks with oily, debris-filled water, knocked out even backup power to all the exhibits and made it impossible to check on some of them for days. Managers contemplated shipping animals away and wondered whether the institution itself could survive in its spot on Coney Island.

Five months later, more than 80 percent of the collection is intact, and visitors should be able to see walruses, angelfish, otters and others when about half the aquarium reopens late spring. A planned expansion remains on track, now coupled with rebuilding and floodproofing an institution that aims to be an object lesson in enduring on the shore.

"I don't think we could abandon this facility. Not that we didn't think about it ? we thought through everything," aquarium Director Jon Forrest Dohlin said this week as he stood amid pipes and cables in a now-empty jellyfish exhibit.

"We want to be here, and we also want to be able to talk to the community about what we did, how we handled this, and how the city of New York can start to look toward the future of living in this coastal environment."

As he walked through the 14-acre grounds, penguins watched like squat sentries from their outdoor habitat. Walruses snoozed as sea lions arced through the air on their trainers' cues, staying in practice for shows to resume in a few months. Angelfish and other tropical species shimmered around a coral reef and hefty pacu, a fruit-eating piranha relative, hovered in an Amazonian display in the one building where exhibit space wasn't flooded.

But the effects of the Oct. 29 storm were still starkly visible elsewhere.

The floor was torn out of a building that houses jellyfish, seahorses, lungfish and other unusual creatures. Many were still there but set to start moving next month to other aquariums while their facility is rebuilt. The open pool in front of it was drained dry; it housed hundreds of freshwater koi that died in the saltwater surge.

Sharks, sea turtles and rays circled serenely in a tank in the aquarium's veterinary hospital. They're healthy but were shuttled there after the storm put an exclamation point on plans to reinvent their exhibit. Nearby, the gutted cafeteria still has "Happy Halloween!" signs on its windows.

There's no firm date yet for this spring's partial reopening. The rest of the exhibits, including the new $120 million shark display, are to open in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the aquarium, is determining how much insurance and government aid may pay toward fixing roughly $65 million in estimated damage.

The aquarium was founded in 1896 in lower Manhattan. It moved in 1957 to Coney Island, a faded seaside playground now striving for rebirth. Drawing more than 750,000 visitors a year, it's "the economic engine for Coney Island," says City Councilman Domenic Recchia Jr., who represents the area.

Aquariums are often built by the water and have proven vulnerable to hurricanes. New Orleans' Audubon Aquarium of the Americas lost thousands of fish when generators failed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It reopened about five months later.

In Galveston, Texas, Hurricane Ike's storm surge in 2008 killed about three-quarters of the fish in Moody Gardens' rainforest exhibit, General Manager Robert Callies said. The exhibit reopened in 2011 after bringing back hundreds of birds, reptiles and mammals sent to other zoos after the storm.

At the New York Aquarium, Sandy's surge coursed through air-intake vents in flood doors under the Coney Island boardwalk, punched through sand into the parking lot and rushed in from the parking lot after a creek overflowed blocks away.

As the water rose three feet high in Dohlin's ground-floor office, he watched it pour down a stairwell into a basement that housed exhibits and the equipment that keeps them alive.

"'We lost the aquarium,'" he thought.

Basements were under up to 15 feet of water. Generators were either damaged or useless because equipment needed to distribute their power was fried. The pump house that draws from the ocean to refresh the 1.5 million-gallon exhibits was out of commission, as were systems that treat the seawater, tailor it to different environments and maintain the oxygen levels, temperatures and water chemistry the aquarium's 12,000 animals need.

None had been evacuated. That would have been very difficult to arrange in the few days the aquarium had to prepare, Dohlin said.

Scrambling to save the collection, 18 staffers used hospital-style canisters to get crucial oxygen into the water, rebuilt filters and pumps on the fly and called in equipment from the Wildlife Conservation Society's four zoos. They mixed artificial seawater in garbage cans and warmed rooms with space heaters to keep water temperatures up, animal operations director David DeNardo said.

At the same time, managers weighed how much longer they had to get systems going before having to ship animals away, an unwelcome prospect for already stressed creatures. On Nov. 1, the wildlife society announced that a decision would probably have to be made in 24 hours. But key systems were at least partially running in all the exhibits two days later, and the animals stayed.

The koi and some other fish were dead. But many other fish and all the mammals were fine ? including Mitik, an orphaned walrus calf that arrived only weeks before. He seemed to enjoy splashing in a couple of feet of surge water, Dohlin said.

A 3-foot-long American eel disappeared from its tank but turned up, unharmed, in a staff shower stall. Seahorses held on to life despite the cold, dirty surge water that flowed into their tropical tanks.

Now, plans call for raising the new shark building several feet higher to meet new flood-zone predictions, moving air intake vents from the flood doors to the roof, moving electrical panels out of basements and installing full-height storm doors on some glass doors that were only partly protected.

It's an unexpected chance, Dohlin says, to improve both the aquarium's exhibits and endurance at once.

"Not to let any crisis go to waste," he said. "That's the real opportunity here."

___

Follow Jennifer Peltz at http://twitter.com/jennpeltz

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nyc-aquarium-rebounds-rebuilds-sandy-065224810--finance.html

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Kendall Jenner Poses for Harper's Bazaar Arabia, Is Unable to Gain Weight

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/kendall-jenner-poses-for-harpers-bazaar-arabia-is-unable-to-gain/

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Arctic change reverberates around globe, experts say

Beluga Shipping / AP

In this 2009 photo, a pair of German merchant ships traverse the fabled Northeast Passage through the Arctic.

By John Roach, Contributing Writer, NBC News

Most of the sea ice that forms each fall and winter in the Arctic now melts each spring and summer, a recent change that is impacting global patterns of weather and trade as well as the U.S. military's strategic planning, experts told reporters during a briefing Tuesday.

"There are tremendous two-way and multiple interactions between the Arctic and the rest of the world," retired Rear Adm. David Titley said during the teleconference organized by Climate Nexus, a group trying to raise awareness about climate change.

Experts tied the melting ice in the Arctic to the recent spate of stormy winter weather in parts of the U.S. and Europe. They also noted that the prospect of ice-free summers in the Arctic as soon as 2030 is already impacting international trade and U.S. Navy plans to protect Arctic resources.

Maximum extent reached
The briefing was held the day after the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) announced that the Arctic sea ice reached its maximum reach for the year on March 15, covering 5.84 million square miles. This is the sixth lowest maximum sea ice coverage in the 35-year satellite record.

"The last 10 years have been the lowest 10 years," said Walt Meier, a research scientist at the NSIDC. He added that while this year was low, "we actually have the largest growth of ice in our record from the minimum to the maximum" primarily because the ice was recovering from the record low in 2012.?

In addition to the shrinking extent of sea ice, the remaining ice is thinning perhaps twice as fast as the observed ice extent, noted Wieslaw Maslowski, an oceanographer at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Changing weather patterns
The changing sea ice dynamics are perhaps most felt outside of the Arctic via changes in weather patterns, noted Stephen Vavrus, a senior scientist with the National Institute Center for Climatic Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jim Vaiknoras / AP

A storm system stretching from the Dakotas to the Florida Panhandle is predicted to bring snow to the mid-Atlantic states.

The melting ice, he explained, allows heat stored in the ocean to escape to the atmosphere where it changes the pressure patterns, including "the jetstream level winds that affect our weather in the middle latitudes."

In particular, he and colleagues hypothesize that the warming Arctic causes the jetsteam to slow down and meander like a river flowing through the plains. This, in turn, transports less warm air over the lands from the oceans.

"That essentially helps to refrigerate the land during the wintertime and we get more cold and more snow and more extreme cold as well," Vavrus said. "And we've seen examples of that in this past winter with the slowed westerly wind."

The same meandering jetstream, he noted, could also explain the unusually warm spring in 2012. If a meandering jetstream is like a river, some bends are favorable to cold outbreaks, others are favorable to extreme warmth.

"Just depending on how those jetstream waves happen to set up in a particular week or month or season, that could help to explain why you could get weather extremes of both types," he said.

More commerce, new conflicts?
Less ice in the Arctic and the potential for ice-free summers is ratcheting up commercial interest in the region for oil and mineral extraction as well as use as a shipping route, developments that have the U.S. Navy studying how to establish an increased presence there.

"We see the potential for direct armed conflict in the Arctic to be very, very low," Titley said, but the military nevertheless is preparing its ships to be Arctic worthy, to establish infrastructure such as ports, and to strengthen communications and weather forecasting.

"The Arctic it is a very austere and harsh place," he said. "Even as it warms, it's a really hard place to operate."?

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News. To learn more about him, visit his website.?

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a057fed/l/0Lscience0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C260C174755930Earctic0Echange0Ereverberates0Earound0Eglobe0Eexperts0Esay0Dlite/story01.htm

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Some healthcare costs may rise when "Obamacare" implemented: official

By Jeff Mason and David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's top healthcare adviser acknowledged on Tuesday that costs could rise in the individual health insurance market, particularly for men and younger people, because of the landmark 2010 healthcare restructuring due to take effect next year.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said definitive data on costs will not be available until later this year when private health plans become authorized to sell federally subsidized coverage on new state-based online marketplaces, known as exchanges.

"Everything is speculation. I think there's likely to be some shifting in the markets," she told reporters at the White House.

The law, also known as "Obamacare," eliminates discriminatory market practices that have imposed higher rates on women and people with medical conditions.

It also limits how much insurers can charge older people. But while the changes are expected to lower costs for women, older beneficiaries and the sick, men and younger, healthier people will likely see higher rates as insurers try to hedge against continued risks.

"Women are going to see some lower costs, some men are going to see some higher costs. It's sort of a one to one shift ... some of the older customers may see a slight decline, and some of the younger ones are going to see a slight increase."

Insurance premiums could rise for some with individual plans, she said, as Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act enhances the level of coverage and either eliminates or reduces the rate of price discrimination against people who are older, female or have preexisting medical conditions.

"These folks will be moving into a really fully insured product for the first time, so there may be a higher cost associated with getting into that market," Sebelius said.

But those who qualify for federal subsidies through state healthcare exchanges would still get a better deal, she said.

Her remarks coincide with growing uneasiness about possible cost increases among lawmakers and executives in the $2.8 trillion U.S. healthcare industry.

A new study released on Tuesday by the nonpartisan Society of Actuaries estimates that individual premiums will rise 32 percent on average nationwide within three years, partly as a result of higher risk pools. Changes would vary by state, from an 80 percent hike in Wisconsin to a 14 percent reduction in New York.

Obama's healthcare restructuring, the signature domestic policy achievement of his first term, is expected to provide coverage to more than 30 million people beginning on January 1, 2014, both through the state exchanges and a planned expansion of the government-run Medicaid program for the poor.

Subsidies in the form of premium tax credits, available on a sliding scale according to income, are expected to mitigate higher costs for many new beneficiaries.

But the insurance industry, which is set to gain millions of new customers under the law, is warning of soaring premium costs next year because of new regulations that include the need to offer a broader scale of health benefits than some insurers do now.

That has raised concerns about people with individual policies not subject to subsidies and the potential for cost spillovers into the market for employer-sponsored plans, which according to U.S. Census data, cover about half of U.S. workers.

'LITTLE IMPACT'

Sebelius dismissed the idea of significant change for employer plans, saying that market segment was "likely to see very little impact."

Separately, a Democratic U.S. senator on Tuesday said the federal government has limited scope to help millions of people likely to remain without affordable health insurance under the new law.

Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, released a report submitted to the panel by the administration that outlines an "employee choice" policy that would allow some employers to offer a wider range of coverage choices to their workers at reduced rates for 2014.

But Wyden said the approach would not help many of the nearly 4 million worker dependents who may have to forego subsidized private health coverage as a result of an IRS ruling.

"Even in the states that allow for employee choice, it will be limited to a small number of workers," Wyden said.

The law would have most people with employer insurance remain under their current plans. Workers can opt for subsidized coverage if their employer plan is unaffordable, but only according to a narrow definition of what is affordable.

The IRS ruled in January that the cost of insuring a worker's family will be considered unaffordable if the employee's contribution to an individual coverage plan exceeded 9.5 percent of that person's income. That rule ignores the fact that family coverage is far more expensive than individual coverage.

As a result, the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 3.9 million family dependents could be left unable either to afford employer-sponsored family coverage or to obtain federally subsidized insurance through an exchange.

In its report to the Senate committee, Sebelius' department said some employers could claim a tax credit in 2014 to make coverage more affordable and offer workers a range of coverage plans through state-based exchanges.

(Writing by David Morgan; Editing by Fred Barbash and Paul Simao)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/healthcare-costs-may-rise-obamacare-implemented-official-232541131.html

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Traffic Law | Legal Academia

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Rebels capture Central African Republic: Now can they govern it?

A rebel alliance in the Central African Republic seized the capital city of Bangui Sunday and toppled the president. But that doesn't mean political stability will follow.?

By Max Delany,?Correspondent / March 25, 2013

In this Mar. 22 photo, provided by the French Army, French soldiers arrive at Bangui airport, Central Africa Republic. Rebels overthrew Central African Republic's president of a decade on Sunday, seizing the presidential palace and declaring that the desperately poor country has "opened a new page in its history."

Elise Foucaud, ECPAD/AP

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Just over two months after signing a power-sharing deal aimed at halting their lightning advance, rebels in the Central African Republic captured the capital city of Bangui Sunday, forcing President Francois Bozize to flee and?opening the way for them?to proclaim a new government.?

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Looting broke out in the city as Mr. Bozize fled to neighboring Cameroon.?Rebels claim that the president backtracked on their January deal, which included setting up a unity government and freeing political prisoners.?

While spokesmen for the various factions of the Seleka rebel coalition ? a word that simply means ?alliance? in the local Sango language ? proclaimed victory, the group's leader?Michel Djotodia?has apparently assumed power and set about appointing a government.

But already the alliance ? which launched its latest offensive in December over claims it was excluded from power by Mr. Bozize's nepotistic rule?? is looking shaky, with representatives of other factions?within the rebel coalition?saying their aim was not to capture office but to pave the way for elections to be held in eighteen months. ??

?The January peace deal was contested from the beginning by some Seleka factions and, in the recent weeks, they voiced their discontent so loud that they managed to persuade the political leadership of the movement to get back to their December goal: taking power,"?says Thierry Vircoulon, project director for central Africa at International Crisis Group, an international NGO based in Belgium.

?This clearly demonstrates where the real power is within Seleka: The military commanders dominate the political leadership," he says. "This is a source of concern as the Seleka does not seem to have a political program or even the first page of a political program."?

International reaction, meanwhile, ranged from cool to condemnatory.

Former colonial power France ? which has repeatedly intervened in CAR since independence in 1960 but refused to prop up Bozize this time ? dispatched several hundred additional troops?this weekend?to protect French citizens and President Fran?ois Hollande called on rebel leaders to ?remain calm."?

Meanwhile?the African Union lashed out at the rebels,?on Monday suspending CAR from the organization and saying it was imposing sanctions on?Seleka's leadership.

But continental leaders have already been left embarrassed and bruised by their failure to check the rebels' advance and reinforce CAR's feeble national army.

In January, South African President Jacob Zuma sent 200 troops to bolster a regional force aimed at halting the rebels, but they have proven largely ineffective ? with at least?13 South African and three Chadian soldiers killed either by advancing rebels or fleeing government?troops in the latest assault on Bangui. The remaining South African soldiers were said to be waiting for safe passage out of the country.

For the rebels, capturing power and kicking out Bozize was the easy part. Trying to rule their vast, dysfunctional homeland will prove a lot tougher.

Despite huge mineral deposits, CAR remains cripplingly poor and has been wracked by years of rebellions and lawlessness. Almost two-thirds of its 4.5 million inhabitants live below the poverty line, and the country ranked 180th of 186 countries on the most recent United Nations human development index.?

It is also a country where the gun has frequently proven more effective than the ballot box in winning power ? Bozize himself snatched the presidency in a 2003 coup.?

With squabbles over the spoils of victory likely to intensify, Seleka's marriage of convenience looks likely to face severe strain.

?Seleka's unity seemed to be in disarray a few weeks ago and is going to be tested very much in the coming weeks,? Mr. Vircoulon of the ICG says. ?It remains to be seen if the Seleka can be something else than another predatory rebellion and lead to an effective and inclusive government.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/BLuUOrakvrE/Rebels-capture-Central-African-Republic-Now-can-they-govern-it

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Doubt over Sanofi drug in EU may hurt wider MS market

LONDON (Reuters) - Uncertainty over European exclusivity for Sanofi's new multiple sclerosis (MS) pill Aubagio could disrupt the wider market and impact other companies, according to a leading industry analyst.

The French drugmaker won an approval recommendation on Friday for the medicine from the European Medicines Agency, but the regulator refused to give it a "new active substance" (NAS) designation because it is very similar to a much older drug.

Without this designation, Tim Anderson of brokerage Bernstein said generic copies could be launched in Europe in as little as three years - the time required for brief clinical studies of generics and to review applications for approval.

That might not be a disaster for Sanofi, since most of the drug's sales are expected to come from the United States, but Anderson said in a research note it could wreak "havoc" on the rest of the European MS market because of the price disparity that would suddenly exist between generic Aubagio and rivals.

Products that could be hit include injectable MS drugs like Teva's Copaxone and Biogen Idec's Avonex and Tysabri, as well Novartis's MS pill Gilenya. It could also hurt Biogen's new tablet, known as Tecfidera or BG-12, which was recommended for approval in Europe last week.

Sanofi said it was very disappointed by the European regulator's decision on the NAS designation for Aubagio and planned to request a re-examination of the case.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by David Holmes)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/doubt-over-sanofi-drug-eu-may-hurt-wider-081007479--finance.html

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Search warrant: Same ammunition used in Texas shootout and slaying of Colorado prisons boss

Investigators are looking into whether a paroled white supremacist may have killed a pizza delivery man and gunned down the top prisons official in Colorado before he led Texas authorities on a wild chase and shootout. NBC's Kristen Dahlgren reports.

By Erin McClam and M. Alex Johnson, NBC News

Shell casings from the same type of ammunition that was used in the slaying of the top prisons official in Colorado were also found near the car of a paroled white supremacist who led Texas police on a wild chase and shootout, authorities said in court records filed Friday.

Investigators are looking into whether the parolee, Evan Spencer Ebel, 28 ? who died Thursday after the chase and shootout in Texas ? may also have killed a pizza delivery man and Colorado Corrections Director Tom Clements, who was shot to death at his front door Tuesday night in the Denver suburbs.?

---

Authorities from Colorado were in Texas on Friday, examining the car for evidence that might tie Ebel to the Colorado killings.

In a search warrant (.pdf) seeking permission to search the car Ebel was driving, Texas Rangers told a Wise County judge that Hornady 9mm shell casings were recovered at the scene of the shootout in Decatur, which it said were the same brand and caliber used to kill Clements.

Authorities from both states offered few other details Friday about what evidence they have turned up and stressed that the investigation was still open.

One theory is that the Colorado gunman killed the delivery man for his uniform and used the disguise to get Clements to open the door. Investigators also believe the spree may be connected to a gang of white supremacists who are still in prison.

"We don't know yet exactly whether this is the guy," Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper told reporters. "There's some indication. I hope it is."

Wise County, Texas, Sheriff David Walker said investigators had "no idea" why Ebel was in Texas. Medical examiners ruled Friday that he died of a single gunshot wound to the middle of the forehead.

Two days later and hundreds of miles away, late Thursday morning in Texas, authorities came across a dark sedan in a traffic stop. The man inside shot a sheriff's deputy three times before speeding away.

As more police followed, the man opened fire again.

"When he came by me, he was running I'd say around 100 miles an hour, just had his left arm out the window, and he was just shooting," Decatur Police Chief Rex Hoskins said. "He wasn't planning on being taken alive."

Authorities say the suspect collided with an 18-wheeler, got out of his car and kept firing until officers shot him. Medical examiners in Tarrant County, Texas, said Ebel died Thursday afternoon.

Inside the suspect's mangled car, authorities found a pizza delivery uniform that police believe may be linked to the murder of Nathan Leon, a Domino's delivery man, Sunday in Golden, Colo.

The car in the crash had a Colorado license plate and matched at least the vague description of the car that was seen outside Clements' home.

The deputy who made the traffic stop, Montague County, Texas, sheriff's Deputy James Boyd,?was wearing a bulletproof vest and was taken to a hospital in Fort Worth. He was recovering Friday.

Sources told NBC station KUSA of Denver that Ebel had been recruited into a white supremacist gang called the 211 Crew.

Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, said the gang was extremely vicious. He said it requires its members who leave prison to make money through criminal enterprises and return it to gang leaders.

He said the gang has a "blood in, blood out" ideology, meaning its members must carry out a violent attack to get in and can't get out until they themselves die.

The gang was implicated in the 1997 killing of an African immigrant at a Denver bus stop. One of its members, Nathan Thill, pleaded guilty to murder and said at his sentencing that the immigrant was wearing an "enemy uniform," which Potok said was understood to mean black skin.

The gang is believed to have several hundred to 1,000 members, most of them in Colorado prisons. It gets its name from a section of the California penal code that deals with robbery. Potok said it wasn't clear why the gang was named for that section.

"The bulk of it is still inside the prisons, but increasingly they're spilling out onto the streets," he said. "A lot of drug-running, weapons trafficking, other crimes. They're well-known for the harshness of the discipline on members ? disobey a rule and you're risking your life or a serious beating."

EARLIER:

Man in Texas car chase, shootout may have ties to Colorado prison chief death

Manhunt on for killer of Colorado prisons chief

This story was originally published on Fri Mar 22, 2013 6:32 PM EDT

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Valerie Harper To Reunite With Mary Tyler Moore Show Castmates On Hot In Cleveland

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 22 (Reuters) - Police evicted two dozen Amazon natives on Friday from an old Indian museum that will be demolished to clear areas adjacent to Brazil's legendary Maracana soccer stadium, the main venue for next year's World Cup. The Indians from different Amazon tribes had been living on the grounds of the Rio de Janeiro museum since 2006 and were resisting its demolition, which caused further delays to the overhaul of the stadium complex. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/valerie-harper-reunite-mary-tyler-moore-show-castmates-160110707.html

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Ashley Greene Fire: Huge Blaze Engulfs Twilight Star's Condo, Kills Dog

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More people have access to cell phones than toilets

A new U.N. report says more people have access to cellphones than toilets (original images, AP)A new United Nations study has found that more people around the world have access to a cellphone than to a working toilet.

The study?s numbers claim that of the world?s estimated 7 billion people, 6 billion have access to mobile phones. However, only 4.5 billion have access to a toilet.

At a press conference announcing the report, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson announced the organization is launching an effort to halve the number of those without access by the end of 2015.

?Let?s face it?this is a problem that people do not like to talk about. But it goes to the heart of ensuring good health, a clean environment and fundamental human dignity for billions of people,? Eliasson said at the press conference.

In August 2012, the Bill Gates Foundation began its own effort to ?reinvent the toilet? as a way to help curb the number of people around the world without access to sanitary waste disposal.

Interestingly, the report states that India alone is responsible for 60 percent of the world?s population that does not use a toilet, an estimated 626 million individuals. Yet, at the same time, there are an estimated 1 billion cellphones in India.

Conversely, in the world?s most highly populated country, China, only 14 million people do not have access to a toilet. However, there are also fewer cellphones in China, 986 million, according to the Daily Mail.

Driving the point home, more than 750,000 people die each year from diarrhea and one of its primary causes is from unsanitary conditions created in communities without access to toilets.

And there are other benefits of installing more modern sanitation options that don?t immediately come to mind.

?This can also improve the safety of women and girls, who are often targeted when they are alone outdoors,? said Martin Mogwanja, deputy executive director of the U.N. Children?s Fund. ?And providing safe and private toilets may also help girls to stay in school, which we know can increase their future earnings and help break the cycle of poverty.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/more-people-access-cell-phones-toilets-010850961.html

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AMD intros Radeon HD 7790 graphics card for $149, promises cooler and quieter 1080p gaming

We were half expecting AMD's next graphics card to be some sort of supercomputing colossus, given all the buzz around NVIDIA's GTX Titan. As it turns out, though, we're looking at something more subtle and just slightly more affordable: the new Radeon HD 7790. It slots into a cosy niche between the 7770 and the 7850, targeting gamers who want a good helping of 28nm silicon and potential for CrossFire expansion but who don't want to stretch beyond $149. Efficiency tweaks allow the 7790 to offer almost 50 percent more processing power than the 7770 while only demanding a smidgen of extra wattage (85 W instead of 80 W), which bodes well for cooling and decibels. Relative to the 7850, which can now be had for under $200, you'd be getting a card with half the power consumption, half the memory (1GB GDDR5), half the memory bandwidth (128-bit) and around 30 percent less processing power.

Compare it to the closest rival from NVIDIA, the GTX 650 Ti, which currently fetches upwards of $140, and AMD claims the Radeon HD 7790 offers an average 20 percent advantage in frame rates at 1080p -- enough that you shouldn't need to worry about games like Tomb Raider or Hitman: Absolution at that resolution. Check out the slide deck for further details and official frame-rate charts, and expect to see the card reach retailers starting April 2nd.

Gallery: AMD Radeon HD 7790 slide deck

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, AMD

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/iMu7uOVIgUE/

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Tyga Gathers Wiz Khalifa, Mally Mall For 'Crazy' 'Molly' Video

Young Money MC tells MTV News that clip is influenced by 'I, Robot' and 'Alice in Wonderland.'
By Jocelyn Vena

Tyga on the set of "Molly" ft. Wiz Khalifa and Mally Mall
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704083/tyga-wiz-khalifa-mally-mal-molly-video.jhtml

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100 tea bags a day causes rare bone disease in woman

A 47-year-old Michigan woman developed a bone disease rarely seen in the U.S. after she drank a pitcher of tea made from at least 100 tea bags daily, for 17 years, researchers report.

The Detroit woman visited the doctor after experiencing pain in her lower back, arms, legs and hips for five years.

X-rays revealed areas of very dense bone on the spinal vertebrae and calcifications of ligaments in her arm, said study researcher Dr. Sudhaker D. Rao, a physician at Henry Ford Hospital who specializes in endocrinology and bone and mineral metabolism.

The researchers suspected the woman had skeletal fluorosis, a bone disease caused by consuming too much fluoride (a mineral found in tea as well as drinking water).

The patient's blood levels of fluoride were four times higher than what would be considered normal, the researchers said.

Skeletal fluorosis is endemic in regions of the world with naturally high levels of fluoride in drinking water, including some parts of India and China, but is rare in Europe and North America. (Low levels of fluoride are added to drinking water in the United States to prevent cavities, but aren't high enough to cause fluorosis.)

Rao said the patient was originally referred to him because her doctors suspected she had cancer, which can also show up on an X-ray as areas of dense bone. But because Rao had seen cases of skeletal fluorosis in his native India, "I was able to recognize it immediately," he said.

Excess fluoride is typically eliminated from the body by the kidneys, Rao said. But if one consumes a lot of it, as this patient did through tea drinking, over time, the fluoride forms crystal deposits on bone, Rao said.

A few other cases of skeletal fluorosis caused by tea drinking have been reported in the United States. In these cases, patients typically drank a gallon of tea a day, Rao said. Rao and colleagues instructed their patient to stop drinking tea, after which she experienced an improvement in symptoms. The fluoride deposits will gradually go away as the bone remodels (or repairs) itself, a process that occurs frequently in the body, Rao said.

A description of the case will published tomorrow (March 21) in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Pass it on: A 47-year-old U.S. woman developed a bone disease after drinking a pitcher of tea a day for 17 years.

Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily @MyHealth_MHND, Facebook & Google+.

Copyright 2013 MyHealthNewsDaily, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/too-much-tea-causes-unusual-bone-disease-222359924.html

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Existing-Home Sales and Prices Continue to Rise in February ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. ? March 21, 2013 ? (RealEstateRama) ? February existing-home sales and prices affirm a healthy recovery is underway in the housing sector, according to the National Association of Realtors^?. Sales have been above year-ago levels for 20 consecutive months, while prices show 12 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases.

Total existing-home sales¹, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 0.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.98 million in February from an upwardly revised 4.94 million in January, and are 10.2 percent above the 4.52 million-unit level seen in February 2012. February sales were at the highest level since the tax credit period of November 2009.

Lawrence Yun , NAR chief economist, said conditions for continued housing improvement are at play. ?Job growth in the improving economy and pent-up demand are causing both home sales and rental leasing to rise. Though home prices are rising much faster than rents, historically low mortgage rates are still making home purchases affordable,? he said. ?The only headwinds are limited housing inventory, which varies greatly around the country, and credit conditions that remain too restrictive.?

Total housing inventory at the end of February rose 9.6 percent to 1.94 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 4.7-month supply ² at the current sales pace, up from 4.3 months in January, which was the lowest supply since May 2005. Listed inventory is 19.2 percent below a year ago when there was a 6.4-month supply.

The national median existing-home price³ for all housing types was $173,600 in February, up 11.6 percent from February 2012. The last time there were 12 consecutive months of year-over-year price increases was from June 2005 to May 2006. The February gain is the strongest since November 2005 when it was 12.9 percent above a year earlier.

?A strong rise in home values is contributing to housing wealth recovery, which has risen by $1.4 trillion in the past year and looks to top that increase this year,? Yun said. ?The extra consumer spending arising from growth in housing wealth is expected to be $70 billion to $110 billion this year.?

Distressed homes⁴ ? foreclosures and short sales ? accounted for 25 percent of February sales, up from 23 percent in January but down from 34 percent in February 2012. Fifteen percent of February sales were foreclosures, and 10 percent were short sales. Foreclosures sold for an average discount of 18 percent below market value in February, while short sales were discounted 15 percent.

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.53 percent in February from 3.41 percent in January; it was 3.89 percent in February 2012.

NAR President Gary Thomas, broker-owner of Evergreen Realty in Villa Park, Calif., said interest rates remain extraordinarily low. ?In the history of mortgage interest rates since 1971, the 30-year fixed rate has been below 4 percent in only 15 months, and those have all been in the past 15 months,? he said. ?Even with rising home prices, affordability remains historically favorable because home prices over-corrected during the downturn. This means there is still great value for buyers in the current market.?

The median time on market for all homes was 74 days in February, which is 24 percent below 97 days in February 2012. Short sales were on the market for a median of 101 days, while foreclosures typically sold in 52 days and non-distressed homes took 77 days. One out of three homes sold in February was on the market for less than a month.

First-time buyers accounted for 30 percent of purchases in February, unchanged from January; they were 32 percent in February 2012.

All-cash sales were at 32 percent of transactions in February, up from 28 percent in January; they were 33 percent in February 2012. Investors, who account for most cash sales, purchased 22 percent of homes in February, up from 19 percent in January; they were 23 percent in February 2012.

?There was an upward bump in the shares of investor and all-cash closed purchases in February. These sales result from purchase offers during the holidays when shopping activity by traditional home buyers slows, but investors, who typically pay cash, remained active,? Yun said. ?This is a seasonal pattern, but we?re now seeing a general increase in buyer traffic, which is 25 percent above a year ago.?

Single-family home sales slipped 0.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.36 million in February from an upwardly revised 4.37 million in January, but are 8.7 percent above the 4.01 million-unit pace in February 2012. The median existing single-family home price was $173,800 in February, which is 11.3 percent higher than a year ago.

Existing condominium and co-op sales rose 8.8 percent to an annualized rate of 620,000 in February from 570,000 in January, and are 21.6 percent above the 510,000-unit level a year ago. The median existing condo price was $172,500 in February, up 13.9 percent from February 2012.

Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast fell 3.1 percent to an annual rate of 630,000 in February but are 8.6 percent above February 2012. The median price in the Northeast was $238,800, which is 7.6 percent above a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the Midwest slipped 1.7 in February to a pace of 1.14 million but are 12.9 percent above a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $129,900, up 7.7 percent from February 2012.

In the South, existing-home sales increased 2.6 percent to an annual level of 2.01 million in February and are 14.9 percent above February 2012. The median price in the South was $150,500, up 9.3 percent from a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the West rose 2.6 percent to a pace of 1.20 million in February and are 1.7 percent above a year ago. With limited choices and multiple bidding, the median price in the West rose to $237,700, which is 22.7 percent above February 2012.

The National Association of Realtors^?, ?The Voice for Real Estate,? is America?s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. For additional commentary and consumer information, visit www.houselogic.com and http://retradio.com.

# # #

NOTE: For local information, please contact the local association of Realtors^? for data from local multiple listing services. Local MLS data is the most accurate source of sales and price information in specific areas, although there may be differences in reporting methodology.

¹ Existing-home sales, which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings from Multiple Listing Services. Changes in sales trends outside of MLSs are not captured in the monthly series. NAR rebenchmarks home sales periodically using other sources to assess overall home sales trends, including sales not reported by MLSs.

Existing-home sales, based on closings, differ from the U.S. Census Bureau?s series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. In addition, existing-home sales, which account for more than 90 percent of total home sales, are based on a much larger data sample ? about 40 percent of multiple listing service data each month ? and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions.

The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns. However, seasonal factors cannot compensate for abnormal weather patterns.

Single-family data collection began monthly in 1968, while condo data collection began quarterly in 1981; the series were combined in 1999 when monthly collection of condo data began. Prior to this period, single-family homes accounted for more than nine out of 10 purchases. Historic comparisons for total home sales prior to 1999 are based on monthly single-family sales, combined with the corresponding quarterly sales rate for condos.

² Total inventory and month?s supply data are available back through 1999, while single-family inventory and month?s supply are available back to 1982 (prior to 1999, single-family sales accounted for more than 90 percent of transactions and condos were measured only on a quarterly basis).

³ The median price is where half sold for more and half sold for less; medians are more typical of market conditions than average prices, which are skewed higher by a relatively small share of upper-end transactions. The only valid comparisons for median prices are with the same period a year earlier due to a seasonality in buying patterns. Month-to-month comparisons do not compensate for seasonal changes, especially for the timing of family buying patterns. Changes in the composition of sales can distort median price data. Year-ago median and mean prices sometimes are revised in an automated process if additional data is received.

The national median condo/co-op price often is higher than the median single-family home price because condos are concentrated in higher-cost housing markets. However, in a given area, single-family homes typically sell for more than condos as seen in NAR?s quarterly metro area price reports.

⁴ Distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales), days on market, first-time buyers, all-cash transactions and investors are from a monthly survey for the NAR?s Realtors^? Confidence Index, posted at Realtor.org.

The Pending Home Sales Index for February will be released March 27, and existing-home sales for March is scheduled for April 22; release times are 10:00 a.m. EDT.

Media Contact:
Walter Molony / 202-383-1177

?

?

Related posts:

• Existing-Home Sales Improve in July, Prices Continue to Rise
  WASHINGTON, DC - August 22, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of existing homes rose in July even with constraints of affordable inventory, and the national median price is showing five consecutive months of year-over-year increases, according to the National Association of Realtors?. Monthly sales rose in every region but the West, where inventory is very tight....

• Existing-Home Sales Slip in December, Prices Continue to Rise; 2012 Totals Up
  WASHINGTON, DC - January 22, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Existing-home sales eased in December but are well above a year ago, while limited inventory maintained the upward momentum in home prices, according to the National Association of Realtors?. Total sales in 2012 were the highest in five years, while the annual price rose the most since 2005....

• August Existing-Home Sales and Prices Rise
  WASHINGTON, DC - September 19, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- Existing-home sales continued to improve in August and the national median price rose on a year-over-year basis for the sixth straight month, according to the National Association of Realtors...

• September Existing-Home Sales Down but Prices Continue to Improve
  WASHINGTON, DC - October 19, 2012 - (RealEstateRama) -- September existing-home sales declined modestly, but inventory continued to tighten and the national median home price recorded its seventh back-to-back monthly increase from a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors?....

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Source: http://www.realestaterama.com/2013/03/21/existing-home-sales-and-prices-continue-to-rise-in-february-ID019811.html

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Museum cancels metal show over noise fears

Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images file

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

By Belinda Goldsmith, Reuters

LONDON -- London's famed Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has canceled an experimental concert by extreme metal band Napalm Death, fearing the noise level could damage the 104-year-old building.

Ceramic artist Keith Harrison from the V&A, the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, collaborated with Napalm Death on a set to be played through a sculptural sound system which would disintegrate under decibel stress.

But museum officials said the one-off performance, scheduled for Friday in the V&A's Europe Galleries, had been canceled out of concern it was not only the intended sculpture that would be damaged.

"A further safety inspection has revealed concerns that the high level of decibels generated by the concert would damage the historic fabric of the building," a museum statement said.

"The V&A is committed to an exciting program of exhibitions and events but the safety of our visitors and building remains our priority at all times."

Napalm Death, a self-described "grindcore" band which has released 14 albums since forming in Birmingham in central England 30 years ago, said the project aimed to merge extreme metal and art.

The band, whose last album included songs like "Leper Colony" and "A Gag Reflex", is listed by Nielsen SoundScan as the seventh best-selling death metal band in the United States.

Put on your good listening ear to sample this music video, "Silence is Deafening":

Source: http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/20/17385786-london-museum-cancels-heavy-metal-gig-fearing-noise-damage?lite

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Kennedy key in court's gay marriage case

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

As the Supreme Court?s unpredictable swing vote, Justice Anthony Kennedy often finds himself the subject of scrutiny before big, controversial Supreme Court cases. But next week, when he hears arguments in two cases with the potential to transform the way gays and lesbians are treated in the country, Kennedy watchers have two landmark opinions written by the justice to mine for clues as to how he will rule.

Starting Tuesday, judges will hear oral arguments over whether California?s voter-approved ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8, violates the constitutional rights of gay people in the state; and over whether the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which states that only marriages between people of the opposite sex are federally valid, is legal.

The former, called Perry v. Hollingsworth, could be especially significant as the justices, in theory, could either declare all state gay marriage bans unconstitutional?or say that gay couples have no constitutional claim to marriage at all.

Kennedy, a 76-year-old Sacramento native and Ronald Reagan appointee, most often votes with his four conservative colleagues. But the devout Catholic has broken with that pattern to side with the more liberal wing of the court in some key cases, such as when he affirmed Roe v. Wade?s holding that women have a right to abortions in 1992, and when he ruled in 2005 that states may not sentence criminals to death if they committed their crimes as juveniles.

Included in Kennedy?s swings toward the liberal wing of the court are two of the most important Supreme Court decisions involving, and ultimately affirming, gay rights, authored by Kennedy himself: Lawrence v. Texas (2003) and Romer v. Evans (1996). Advocates for gay marriage and legal experts think Kennedy?s decision to break with his conservative colleagues and expand rights for gay people in these two decisions means he will be reluctant to rule against same-sex marriage this time around.

?I think he?s very aware" of his legacy on gay rights, said Geoffrey Stone, a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago. ?My guess is he?s proud of it and won?t do anything to tarnish it.?

But Stone, like many court watchers, doubts Kennedy would go so far as to strike down all 41 state laws that ban gay marriage. Kennedy could strike down California?s Proposition 8 on much narrower grounds, in a way that would affect only California or, at most, a handful of states. That would still hand gay marriage proponents a victory, encouraging them to continue trying to pass gay marriage laws state by state, without sparking charges of judicial overreach.

?I don?t think Kennedy is going to come out in a kind of Loving v. Virginia [decision] saying there?s a right to gay marriage,? said Northern Illinois University Law Professor Artemus Ward, referring to the landmark case striking down state bans on interracial marriage. ?That would be a huge, bold decision that no one expects.?

Kennedy?s reputation as a judicial supporter of gay rights began when he wrote the opinion for Romer v. Evans striking down a Colorado constitutional amendment that barred local governments from passing laws that prevented discriminating against gay people. According to one of Kennedy?s former clerks quoted in a paper by Ward, Kennedy thought the law was an ?outrage? because it appeared to him to be motivated purely by hatred for a group of people.

In his opinion, Kennedy wrote that the amendment ?seems inexplicable by anything but animus toward the class it affects; it lacks a rational relationship to legitimate state interests.? He wrote that the law singled out a group of people simply to deny them rights and make them unequal to others.

In Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down state sodomy statutes, Kennedy wrote that laws punishing people for engaging in anal sex ?seek to control a personal relationship that, whether or not entitled to formal recognition in the law, is within the liberty of persons to choose without being punished as criminals.? And he noted that the constitution guaranteed gay people the right to have sexual relationships in private while still retaining ?their dignity as free persons.?

In a scathing dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia warned that the logic behind Kennedy?s decision opened the door to striking down laws that prevent same-sex marriage, since Kennedy effectively ruled that moral disapproval is not by itself a legitimate reason for the government to outlaw behavior.

Both of these decisions suggest that Kennedy is hostile to laws that single out gay people as a group based on a moral dislike of them. But opponents of gay marriage point out that gay marriage bans like Proposition 8 do not explicitly mention or single out gay people; instead they define marriage as occurring only for opposite sex couples.

?There?s nothing in those decisions that compels Kennedy to take" the step of striking down gay marriage bans, John Eastman, a law professor at Chapman University and chairman for the anti-gay marriage group the National Organization for Marriage, said.

In past decisions, Kennedy has also placed importance on public opinion and international law, which sets him apart from his colleagues. Kennedy carefully cited public opinion polls and state laws in his opinion declaring the death penalty for juveniles unconstitutional, saying that most Americans and states disapproved of the practice. And Kennedy cited other countries' decisions to repeal sodomy laws in his Lawrence opinion.

Eastman finds this tendency of Kennedy's hopeful for his cause, as a majority of states have adopted gay marriage bans. And fewer than a dozen countries have recognized the right to gay marriage.

But public opinion is changing rapidly on the issue, with recent polls showing a majority of Americans for the first time supporting gay marriage. Younger people overwhelmingly support same-sex marriage. Kennedy, more than any other justice, may be swayed by this emerging shift.

?It?s clear what the trend line is with regard to this issue,? said Kent Greenfield, a law professor at Boston College and former clerk for Justice David Souter. ?He probably doesn?t want to be out too far in front, but at the same time he doesn?t want to be the person who writes the equivalent of Dred Scott.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/justice-kennedy-strike-down-california-gay-marriage-ban-091810994--election.html

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