Former Nev. lawmaker arrested after freeway chase

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Police chased a former lawmaker on a freeway between Las Vegas and Los Angeles and arrested him at gunpoint following a struggle, hours after he became the first person ever expelled from the Nevada Legislature.

Steven Brooks was jailed in California's San Bernardino County after being subdued with punches and a Taser. Police alleged he attacked a police dog with a wrench.

"It's hard to know where he was going, what he thought he was doing and why he would be involved in a high-speed chase," Brooks' attorney, Mitchell Posin, told The Associated Press on Friday. "I think he feels the world is against him. But I'm just piecing together bits of information."

Brooks' arrest Thursday near the California city of Victorville was his third since January, and came just hours after colleagues in the Legislature deemed the Democrat from North Las Vegas too dangerous and unpredictable to serve his elected term. Lawmakers wept Thursday as they cited concerns about their own safety and evidence collected about an increasingly bizarre series of public incidents.

Police allege that Brooks threatened a Democratic party Assembly leader before one arrest and threw punches and grabbed for the gun of a police officer in his second arrest about three weeks later. He also was hospitalized for five days for a mental evaluation following another police encounter that didn't result in an arrest.

He was sworn in and then banished from the Legislature building as a possible security risk days after arriving in a hooded sweatshirt and ducking into an office to avoid reporters.

He posed shirtless for a newspaper photograph to show injuries that he said he suffered during his first arrest, but that weren't apparent. He tried unsuccessfully to buy a rifle at a sporting goods store in Sparks. He bought body armor from a radio show host in Las Vegas. He lost his job as a Las Vegas city management analyst. And he reported his car stolen.

Assembly Majority Leader William Horne, D-Las Vegas, who called Brooks "potentially dangerous" and issued an order banning him from the Legislature building in Carson City, said Friday he was saddened by Brooks' arrest.

"I hope they get Steven the help he clearly needs before he or someone else is hurt or worse," Horne said.

During Thursday's arrest Brooks appeared to be punched by one uniformed officer before he was shackled by the wrists and ankles and taken away on an ambulance gurney. Police said the chase followed a call from a tow truck operator who argued with a motorist about the cost of fixing a flat tire on the freeway shoulder in Barstow.

"We just know the tow truck driver was uncomfortable enough to call us for assistance," California Highway Patrol Officer Don Spiker said. "He said the subject was acting strange."

The tow operator didn't immediately respond Friday to messages from The Associated Press.

Barstow police allege Brooks, 41, sped away with the tire still flat and tossed objects from the vehicle before a spike strip was deployed to disable the SUV and he tangled with uniformed officers and the police dog at the side of the freeway. The objects were not described, and police didn't respond to questions about whether Brooks was armed.

Witness Jennifer Simpson said she was alerted to the chase by police helicopters overhead and saw a man get out of a red four-door SUV after it veered to the side of the road near Victorville, about 180 miles southwest of Las Vegas.

Simpson, a mother of two who lives in an apartment near the interstate, said the man didn't follow officers' commands to turn around and put his hands in the air. He instead ran back to the SUV, chased by a police dog.

Simpson said the driver shut himself in the vehicle before several officers with guns drawn pulled him out. She said she saw at least one officer punch the man several times.

Simpson's husband videotaped four minutes of the struggle, in which uniformed officers wrestle the driver to the ground in front of the SUV and an officer in a tan uniform raises his arms three times in apparent punching motions. The driver cannot be seen on the ground.

Kris Reilly, city editor of The Daily Press in Victorville, said he arrived to see the motorist a few minutes later, struggling against wrist and ankle restraints as he was loaded on a gurney into an ambulance.

"He was yelling something to the effect that, 'These cops are going down!'" Reilly said. "He was yelling quite a bit."

Barstow Police Chief Albert Ramirez released a statement alleging that when the police dog was sent into the SUV, Brooks choked and hit the dog with a socket wrench. The dog, named Buck, was treated by a veterinarian head and leg cuts.

"Brooks continued to resist the officers and not comply with their orders," the Barstow police statement said. "A Taser was utilized on Brooks and after this, handcuffs were applied."

The police report does not describe any police officers being injured and doesn't address whether officers punched Brooks.

Telephone and email messages for Ramirez and other Barstow police supervisors weren't returned.

Brooks was examined at Barstow Community Hospital before he was taken to a San Bernardino County jail in Rancho Cucamonga, police said.

Jail records showed Brooks was being held on $100,000 bail on four felony charges including resisting a police officer with force, willful harm to a police service dog, felony evading arrest and throwing objects from a vehicle with intent to harm.

San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said Brooks was due for arraignment Tuesday in Barstow.

Brooks' expulsion from the state Assembly came by voice vote following a recommendation from a bipartisan panel that met largely behind closed doors. The seven panel members voted 6-1 for expulsion after considering a more than 900-page investigative report produced by a Las Vegas lawyer hired as a special counsel.

A coalition of Nevada media outlets is seeking to have the investigative report made public.

Brooks' first arrest was Jan. 19, after he was accused of making threats toward legislative colleagues including Assembly Democratic Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick. North Las Vegas police said Brooks had a gun and ammunition in his car when he was arrested. The state attorney general's office hasn't filed criminal charges in the case.

Brooks was sworn in at the Legislature on Feb. 4, but was arrested again Feb. 10 at his estranged wife's home in Las Vegas after police alleged he tried to punch and grabbed for the gun of an officer who responded to a domestic dispute. Brooks faces a court hearing in May in Las Vegas on one felony and three lesser charges.

___

Associated Press Writer Tami Abdollah in Los Angeles and researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

___

Find Ken Ritter on Twitter at http://twitter.com/krttr and Michelle Rindels at http://twitter.com/RindelsAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/former-nev-lawmaker-arrested-freeway-chase-080839188.html

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Surgical menopause may prime brain for stroke, Alzheimer's

Public release date: 28-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Toni Baker
tbaker@gru.edu
706-721-4421
Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University

Women who abruptly and prematurely lose estrogen from surgical menopause have a two-fold increase in cognitive decline and dementia.

"This is what the clinical studies indicate and our animal studies looking at the underlying mechanisms back this up," said Brann, corresponding author of the study in the journal Brain. "We wanted to find out why that is occurring. We suspect it's due to the premature loss of estrogen."

In an effort to mimic what occurs in women, Brann and his colleagues looked at rats 10 weeks after removal of their estrogen-producing ovaries that were either immediately started on low-dose estrogen therapy, started therapy 10 weeks later or never given estrogen.

When the researchers caused a stroke-like event in the brain's hippocampus, a center of learning and memory, they found the rodents treated late or not at all experienced more brain damage, specifically to a region of the hippocampus called CA3 that is normally stroke-resistant.

To make matters worse, untreated or late-treated rats also began an abnormal, robust production of Alzheimer's disease-related proteins in the CA3 region, even becoming hypersensitive to one of the most toxic of the beta amyloid proteins that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's.

Both problems appear associated with the increased production of free radicals in the brain. In fact, when the researchers blocked the excessive production, heightened stroke sensitivity and brain cell death in the CA3 region were reduced.

Interestingly the brain's increased sensitivity to stressors such as inadequate oxygen was gender specific, Brann said. Removing testes in male rats, didn't affect stroke size or damage.

Although exactly how it works is unknown, estrogen appears to help protect younger females from problems such as stroke and heart attack. Their risks of the maladies increase after menopause to about the same as males. Follow up studies are needed to see if estrogen therapy also reduces sensitivity to the beta amyloid protein in the CA3 region, as they expect, Brann noted.

Brann earlier showed that prolonged estrogen deprivation in aging rats dramatically reduces the number of brain receptors for the hormone as well as its ability to prevent strokes. Damage was forestalled if estrogen replacement was started shortly after hormone levels drop, according to the 2011 study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The surprising results of the much-publicized Women's Health Initiative a 12-year study of 161,808 women ages 50-79 found hormone therapy generally increased rather than decreased stroke risk as well as other health problems. Critics said one problem with the study was that many of the women, like Brann's aged rats, had gone years without hormone replacement, bolstering the case that timing is everything.

###

The research was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, an American Heart Association Scientist Development grant and a National Natural Science Foundation grant.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 28-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Toni Baker
tbaker@gru.edu
706-721-4421
Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University

Women who abruptly and prematurely lose estrogen from surgical menopause have a two-fold increase in cognitive decline and dementia.

"This is what the clinical studies indicate and our animal studies looking at the underlying mechanisms back this up," said Brann, corresponding author of the study in the journal Brain. "We wanted to find out why that is occurring. We suspect it's due to the premature loss of estrogen."

In an effort to mimic what occurs in women, Brann and his colleagues looked at rats 10 weeks after removal of their estrogen-producing ovaries that were either immediately started on low-dose estrogen therapy, started therapy 10 weeks later or never given estrogen.

When the researchers caused a stroke-like event in the brain's hippocampus, a center of learning and memory, they found the rodents treated late or not at all experienced more brain damage, specifically to a region of the hippocampus called CA3 that is normally stroke-resistant.

To make matters worse, untreated or late-treated rats also began an abnormal, robust production of Alzheimer's disease-related proteins in the CA3 region, even becoming hypersensitive to one of the most toxic of the beta amyloid proteins that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's.

Both problems appear associated with the increased production of free radicals in the brain. In fact, when the researchers blocked the excessive production, heightened stroke sensitivity and brain cell death in the CA3 region were reduced.

Interestingly the brain's increased sensitivity to stressors such as inadequate oxygen was gender specific, Brann said. Removing testes in male rats, didn't affect stroke size or damage.

Although exactly how it works is unknown, estrogen appears to help protect younger females from problems such as stroke and heart attack. Their risks of the maladies increase after menopause to about the same as males. Follow up studies are needed to see if estrogen therapy also reduces sensitivity to the beta amyloid protein in the CA3 region, as they expect, Brann noted.

Brann earlier showed that prolonged estrogen deprivation in aging rats dramatically reduces the number of brain receptors for the hormone as well as its ability to prevent strokes. Damage was forestalled if estrogen replacement was started shortly after hormone levels drop, according to the 2011 study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The surprising results of the much-publicized Women's Health Initiative a 12-year study of 161,808 women ages 50-79 found hormone therapy generally increased rather than decreased stroke risk as well as other health problems. Critics said one problem with the study was that many of the women, like Brann's aged rats, had gone years without hormone replacement, bolstering the case that timing is everything.

###

The research was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, an American Heart Association Scientist Development grant and a National Natural Science Foundation grant.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-03/mcog-smm032813.php

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F-35B fighter jet's first vertical landing was years, billions in the making (video)

Lockheed Martin's F-35 program has been a political whipping boy seemingly forever, but the VTOL 'B'-variant of the pricey supersonic jet finally did what it was made for: a vertical landing. That happened nearly two years to the day after the estimated $304 million (each!) jet's first mid-air hover, at which point the Pentagon pegged the cost at $83 million. Inflation aside, it seemed to make a fine, if solid three point landing and Lockheed Martin says it's made considerable strides in the flight testing program over the last couple of years, despite all the overruns and delays. Hopefully that means the Marines, Britain's Royal Air Force et. al. will be able to deploy their F-35B's soon -- ie, before they're already obsolete. Check the video after the break.

Filed under: Misc

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Via: Megazone (Google+)

Source: Lockheed Martin (YouTube)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/27/f-35b-fighter-jets-first-vertical-landing/

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Self Improvement | Emotional Intelligence - The Art of Being Human ...

By Dr Anne Hilty ?

We all know about intelligence: the kind measured by IQ (and Mensa) tests. A measurement of verbal-linguistic and logical-mathematic skills, this appears on first consideration to be an accurate portrait of intellect. Howard Gardner, a psychologist at Harvard, theorized (and popularized) the concept of ?multiple intelligences? during the past two decades, a theory which highlights types of intelligence beyond this measure: musical, kinetic, visual-spatial, and more. While critics suggest that some of these so-called ?intelligences? are actually talents, Gardner counters with the proposal that if they are, so are the abilities one might have in the original concept of intelligence ? that is, if we are musically talented (rather than having a high musical intellect), then we are also verbally or mathematically talented. The concepts are parallel.

Daniel Goleman, a psychologist at Rutgers and visiting professor at Harvard, developed two aspects of Gardner?s theory ? intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences ? into what he refers to as emotional intelligence. His book by the same name, published in 1995, was a best-seller for nearly two years. His earliest work was in the field of meditation, and he directs a center dedicated to the study of meditation?s effects on emotional intelligence. Currently, he is working on a concept he calls, social intelligence.

. Unlike the traditional IQ, which is more or less static throughout one?s life, emotional intelligence can be improved with training.

Emotional intelligence [EI] is both innate and learned. Often, the distinction is made between emotional intelligence, which a person has to some degree or another from birth, and emotional quotient [EQ], which is measurable and includes learned skills. Emotional intelligence is given many definitions, but one that I particularly like is: ?the innate potential to feel, use, communicate, recognize, remember, describe, identify, learn from, manage, understand and explain emotions? [Steve Hein].

Synonyms for the concept of emotional intelligence might be: emotional sensitivity, emotional memory, emotional processing and problem-solving ability, or emotional learning ability.

There is a generally accepted, 4-branch model of emotional intelligence: emotional perception, (for example, identifying emotions in faces, music, stories), emotional facilitation of thought (such as, relating emotions to other mental sensations, and using emotion in reason and problem-solving), emotional understanding (solving emotional problems ? knowing how various emotions are similar or opposite to one another, and what relations they convey), and emotional management (understanding the social implications of one?s emotions and having the ability to regulate them in oneself and in others).

A simpler and more direct version is this: (1) accurately identify emotions; (2) use emotions to help you think; (3) understand what causes emotions; and, (4) manage to stay open to these emotions in order to experience the wisdom of our feelings.

Our brains have three primary regions: the neocortex, by which all cognition occurs; the brain stem, the concern of which is primal, reflexive functions designed for survival (such as breathing and heartbeat); and, the limbic system. The latter, also called the ?paleo-mammalian brain?, is what we know to be our emotional center. The brain developed in the primordial human, and develops in each fetus, from the brain stem upward, based on importance for survival; as the limbic system develops after the brain stem and before the neocortex, it may actually be more important to our survival than our conscious thought processes.

There?s a saying in biomedicine: ?That to which we give attention grows.? The human species has emphasized the abilities of the neocortex for millennia, and the neocortex in present-day humans is vastly larger and more well-developed than that of our ancestors. However, the limbic system is under-developed, and the argument can be made that we would do well to place more emphasis upon this aspect of our intellect.

This is also culturally based: in Asia, for example, great emphasis is placed upon social harmony and, therefore, emotional intelligence. Connectedness is highly valued, and emotional resonance with one another the basis of society. In Korea, where I made my home for five years, this is called nunchi, ?the subtle art of listening and gauging another?s mood? [Hilty, Streetwise in Seoul]. It is such a powerful phenomenon that Korean people feel their thoughts might be able to be read by one another, and they keep their emotions well in check. It?s also one of the cultural difficulties between Koreans and non-Asian foreigners who have no awareness of or experience with this idea.

In our brains, the amygdala is a part of the limbic system that responds quickly and dramatically to perceived threat. Designed to protect the human from harm in a world of constant physical stress, it is now somewhat obsolete in that, except for those in war zones for example, most of us are living in a ?complex, symbolic reality with symbolic threats? [Goleman]. The amygdala communicates directly with the pre-frontal cortex [PFC], the ?executive center? of the brain which scans all possible intellectual input for this ?perceived threat? and then controls, through the left PFC in particular, the over-reaction that the amygdala would otherwise generate. Of course, many other parts of the brain also contribute to emotional intellect.

Scientists have also hypothesized and are studying the possibility of mirror neurons in humans, which are known to exist in primates; these neurons elicit a mirror image of what another organism is doing, feeling, or intending, to synchronize interaction. It seems that human brains interact as a social brain network, attuning and regulating themselves to the circuitry of one another.

The circuitry between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex isn?t fully developed until one?s mid-20s, so when it comes to emotional regulation, we must teach ? and be patient with ? youth. All neural circuitry is malleable, able to continue to be altered and developed throughout a person?s life, a quality which is called neuroplasticity. There are many ways to develop our Emotional Quotient, from tools of self-awareness such as mindfulness to a variety of meditative practices which science has shown to strengthen the left prefrontal cortex. Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social skills are the four areas in which the development of EQ focuses.

It?s imperative for our own growth and development, as individuals and as societies, that we learn the wisdom of our emotions ? necessary for decision-making and for creating a more benevolent and interconnected world.

How?s your emotional intelligence? Would you qualify for a ?high EQ society?? For a free test of your own emotional intelligence, I recommend this site: http://www.queendom.com/tests/access_page/index.htm?idRegTest=1121.

Dr Anne Hilty is an health psychologist with a transpersonal orientation; she has a clinical practice in integrative psychotherapy which is additionally influenced by classical Chinese medicine, somatic psychology, and Asian shamanic traditions. Located in the Central district of Hong Kong, she can be contacted at: annehilty at gmail dot com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Anne_Hilty
http://EzineArticles.com/?Emotional-Intelligence?The-Art-of-Being-Human&id=4130053

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Source: http://theselfimprovementblog.com/self-improvement/self-improvement-tips/emotional-intelligence-the-art-of-being-human-2/

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However court rules, gay marriage debate won't end

Kevin Coyne of Washington holds flags in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The U.S. Supreme Court, in the second day of gay marriage cases, turned Wednesday to a constitutional challenge to the federal law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Kevin Coyne of Washington holds flags in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The U.S. Supreme Court, in the second day of gay marriage cases, turned Wednesday to a constitutional challenge to the federal law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Gabriela Fore, 6, of Upper Darby Pa., holds a sign with her moms in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, as the court heard arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In the second of back-to-back gay marriage case, the Supreme Court is turning to a constitutional challenge to the law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Map shows distribution of same-sex households. Table defines key terms and shows which states have laws that provide for same-sex couples

NEW YORK (AP) ? However the Supreme Court rules after its landmark hearings on same-sex marriage, the issue seems certain to divide Americans and states for many years to come.

In oral arguments Tuesday and Wednesday on two cases involving gay couples' rights, the justices left open multiple options for rulings that are expected in June. But they signaled there was no prospect of imposing a 50-state solution at this stage. With nine states now allowing same-sex marriages and other states banning them via statutes or constitutional amendments, that means a longer spell with a patchwork marriage-rights map ? and no early end to bruising state-by-state battles in the courts, in the legislatures and at the ballot box.

A decade ago, opponents of same-sex marriage were lobbying for a nationwide ban on gay nuptials. They now seem resigned to the reality of a divided nation in which the debate will continue to splinter families, church congregations and communities.

"It's a lot more healthy than shutting off an intense debate at the very moment of its greatest intensity," said John Eastman, chairman of the National Organization for Marriage and a law professor at Chapman University in Orange, Calif.

By contrast, supporters of same-sex marriage believe a nationwide victory is inevitable, though perhaps not imminent. Many of them see merit in continuing an incremental hearts-and-minds campaign, given that many opinion polls now show a majority of Americans supporting their cause.

"No matter what the Supreme Court decides, we are going to be in a stronger place in July than where we before," said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry.

"We have the momentum and we have the winning strategy," Wolfson said. "We are going to win the freedom to marry, whether in June or in the next round, when we go back to the court with more states, more public support and perhaps new justices."

Even if the Supreme Court shies away for now from any broad ruling in favor of marriage rights for gay couples, its decisions in June could produce major gains for gay-rights activists.

In one case, the justices could strike down a section of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that denies legally married same-sex couples a host of federal benefits available to straight married couples. In the other, concerning California's Proposition 8 ballot measure banning same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court could leave in place a lower court ruling striking down the ban. That would add the most populous state to the ranks of those already recognizing gay marriages: Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Washington, plus the District of Columbia.

With California included, that group would account for about 28 percent of the U.S. population.

Meanwhile, legislative efforts to legalize same-sex marriage are under way in Illinois, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Delaware, and lawsuits by gay couples seeking marriage rights have been filed in several other states. In Oregon, gay-rights activists hope to place a measure on next year's ballot that would overturn a ban on gay marriage approved by voters in 2004. Legislators in Nevada are debating a bill that could lead to repeal of a similar ban there.

In advance of the Supreme Court hearings, gay-marriage backers mustered support from a broad array of interest groups, including labor and religious leaders, major corporations, even dozens of prominent Republicans who co-signed a brief filed with the high court. In the past few weeks, a parade of politicians have publicly endorsed same-sex marriage for the first time, including Republican Sen. Rob. Portman of Ohio and Democratic Sens. Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana and Mark Warner of Virginia.

Former President Bill Clinton chimed in, too, writing that he now regretted his decision to sign the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and urging that it be struck down. President Barack Obama's administration also asked that DOMA be declared unconstitutional and that Proposition 8 be struck down.

For gay-marriage opponents, it's been an occasionally daunting period as they watch a steady stream of prominent politicians and institutions join the rival side.

The conservative American Family Association's website, for example, listed some of the many well-known corporations that are now supporting same-sex marriage ? including Google, Microsoft, Citigroup, Apple, Nike, Facebook and Starbucks. The website suggests that Americans opposed to gay marriage should boycott these companies, but the president of the Mississippi-based association, Tim Wildmon, acknowledges that would be impractical.

"There's too many of them to effectively boycott," he said in a telephone interview.

Wildmon expects the U.S. to remain divided over gay marriage for a long time and hopes neither Congress nor the courts try to interfere with the right of states to set their own policies.

"That's just the way it's going to be," he said. "If you want to be a homosexual married couple, move to a state that accepts it."

Such interstate moves could indeed occur, but with a potential cost for the states being forsaken, said gay rights lawyer Jon Davidson of Lambda Legal. "Maybe that's what some states want, but the outpouring of business support for us indicates a lot of businesses don't want that to happen," he said. "It creates all sorts of problems."

Among some conservatives, there's been frustration at the frequent exhortation from gay-rights activists that the Supreme Court should be "on the right side of history" by endorsing same-sex marriage.

"It requires no courage, at this point in history, to side with gay marriage advocates," Maggie Gallagher, a co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage, wrote in a commentary. "Respecting the rights of the millions of Americans who disagree, and respecting the boundaries of our Constitution, is staying on the right side of history."

Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, on his show Wednesday, suggested the spread of same-sex marriage was indeed inevitable. He cited signs of increasing divisions among Republicans on the issue.

"Whether it happens now at the Supreme Court or somehow later, it is going to happen," Limbaugh said. "It's just the direction the culture is heading. ... The opposition that you would suspect exists is in the process of crumbling on it."

In any case, it's unlikely that some of the most conservative states ? those that adopted gay-marriage bans by overwhelming margins ? will recognize same-sex marriages unless forced to by the courts.

A likely result is a steady stream of state-level lawsuits by gay couples, according to Boston-based lawyer Mary Bonauto, whose work with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders helped legalize same-sex marriage in several New England states.

"There are committed gay couples in every state who want to stand up and make that legal commitment to marriage," Bonauto said. "They're not going to go away. ... They believe our national promise of equal protection under the law applies to them, too, not just to the East and West coasts and Iowa."

Depending on how such lawsuits fare, Bonauto said, "I think this issue could be back at the Supreme Court in a number of years."

___

Follow David Crary on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CraryAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-28-US-Gay-Marriage-Outlook/id-7cabf02313824568b85f96cb2dcf5e7c

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eBay seller auctioning Jim Carrey autographed photo to buy gun

Jim Carrey is facing plenty of backlash for his anti-gun song??Cold Dead Hand,??but one Second Amendment enthusiast is expressing his or her disagreement in a unique way ???by selling an?autographed Jim Carrey photo on eBay?to buy a new gun.

The eBay description reads, ?I?m selling this Jim Carrey Autographed B&W 8X10 Photo (mint condition) in hopes that I sell it for enough to buy a GUN to protect my family.?

This is probably not the response Carrey had in mind when he released his song on Monday, attacking gun owners and singing lyrics such as ?the psychos win no matter what you do because they?ll always buy more guns than you.?

The picture seller, astrobuzz, hopes to net at least $640 to buy a ?Glock G30S .45 ACP Pistol.? If the photo goes for more than the price of the gun, the seller promises to spend the extra cash on a laser for the gun along with gun safety classes and a concealed carry permit.

It looks like the seller will be toting around a new Glock in no time, as the bidding was already up to $860 on Wednesday, with 5 days left to bid.

In case there was any doubt, the seller said the choice to sell the item was in response to Carrey?s extremely offensive, anti-Second Amendment song.

?I lost all respect for Mr. Carrey after he released his ?Cold Dead Hands? video mocking responsible gun owners and Charlton Heston,? the seller wrote in the eBay description. ?I believe in the 2nd Amendment and my rights shall not be infringed! From MY cold dead hands Mr. Carrey!?

The picture itself is a portrait of Carrey along with his John Hancock and the message ?Spank you very much!? ? to which the future Glock owner says, ?And spank u. Jim.?

Yee haw!

Source: http://redalertpolitics.com/2013/03/27/ebay-seller-auctioning-jim-carrey-autographed-photo-to-buy-gun/

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Bloomberg vs. the NRA: Mayor vows to spend $12 million on ads

LaPierre, Bloomberg (Getty Images)

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and National Rifle Association chief Wayne LaPierre squared off on Sunday's "Meet The Press" over the assault weapons ban being debated in Congress.

"I don't think there's ever been an issue where the public has spoken so clearly, where Congress hasn't eventually understood and done the right thing," Bloomberg, who has become one of the most vocal gun control advocates in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shootings, said in a taped interview with NBC's David Gregory.

"We are going to have a vote for sure on assault weapons and we're going to have a vote on background checks," Bloomberg continued. "And if we were to get background checks only, it wouldn't be as good as if we got both, but we demanded a plan and then we demanded a vote. We've got the plan, we're going to get the vote. And now it's incumbent on us to make our voices heard."

To do so, the billionaire mayor said he's spending $12 million on an advertising campaign?set to launch in 10 states on Monday?that touts tighter gun laws.

"I think I have a responsibility, and I think you and all of your viewers have responsibilities, to try to make this country safer for our families and for each other," he said. "And if I can do that by spending some money and taking the NRA from being the only voice to being one of the voices, so the public can really understand the issues, then I think my money would be well spent, and I think I have an obligation to do that."

LaPierre says Bloomberg would be better off spending his money elsewhere.

"He's going to find out this is a country of the people, by the people and for the people," LaPierre told Gregory. "And he can't spend enough of his $27 billion to try to impose his will on the American public. They don't want him in their restaurants, they don't want him in their homes. They don't want him telling them what food to eat; they sure don't want him telling them what self-defense firearms to own. And he can't buy America."

[Related: NRA's LaPierre slams critics of school gun plan]

The NRA chief criticized the gun control legislation currently on Capitol Hill, calling the proposed universal background checks a "speed bump" for law-abiding gun owners.

"The whole thing, universal checks, is a dishonest premise. There's not a bill on the Hill that provides a universal check. Criminals aren't going to be checked," LaPierre said. "The mental health records are not in the system, and they don't prosecute any of the criminals that they catch. ... It slows down the law abiding and does nothing to anybody else."

LaPierre then reiterated the NRA's post-Newtown plea for armed security officers in every American public school. "Not a mom or dad wants to drop their kid off at school and leave their kids unprotected."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/bloomberg-nra-guns-assault-weapons-ban-173107813.html

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Physical activity during youth may help reduce fracture risk in old age

Mar. 23, 2013 ? Get out there and regularly kick that soccer ball around with your kids, you may be helping them prevent a broken hip when they are older, say researchers presenting their work at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day in Chicago, IL.

"According to our study, exercise interventions in childhood may be associated with lower fracture risks as people age, due to the increases in peak bone mass that occurs in growing children who perform regular physical activity," said lead author, Bjorn Rosengren, MD, PhD of Skane University Hospital, Malmo, Sweden.

Rosengren and his colleagues conducted a population-based controlled exercise intervention for six years in children age 7-9 years in Malmo, Sweden. In the intervention group 362 girls and 446 boys received 40 minutes of daily physical education at school. The control group of 780 girls and 807 boys received 60 minutes of physical education per week. Researchers registered incident fractures in all participants and followed skeletal development annually. During the time of the study there were 72 fractures in the intervention group and 143 in the control group resulting in similar fracture risks. The increase in spine bone mineral density was higher in both the boys and girls in the intervention group.

During this same time, researchers performed a retrospective cross-sectional study of 709 former male athletes with a mean age of 69 years and 1,368 matched controls with a mean age of 70 years to determine how many had suffered fractures and rates of bone density loss. Within the former athletes group, bone mass density dropped only minimally from +1.0 to +0.7 standard deviations compared to the control group.

"Increased activity in the younger ages helped induce higher bone mass and improve skeletal size in girls without increasing the fracture risk. Our study highlights yet another reason why kids need to get regular daily exercise to improve their health both now and in the future," said Rosengren.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/Gkad6HDjMcs/130323152440.htm

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Car bomb defused near Northern Ireland G8 venue

By Ian Graham, Reuters

Northern Irish police defused a bomb in a car on Saturday close to where G8 leaders will meet at a summit in June and said that the device was likely to have been intended for a police station nearby.

Army bomb disposal experts defused the device after a security operation that lasted almost 36 hours in the county Fermanagh town of Enniskillen. The Group of Eight leaders meet just outside the town in three months' time.

A senior Northern Irish officer said police believed the bomb was en route to a police station in a town nearby and would have killed or injured people if it had not been intercepted.

"Once again our community has been disrupted and the lives of residents put at risk by an element intent on causing loss of life and disruption," District Commander Pauline Shields said in a statement.

"The people responsible for this have no regard for the lives of anyone in our community. It is fortunate that no-one was killed or seriously injured as a result of this reckless act."

A 1998 peace deal largely ended more than three decades of violence in the British-controlled province between mainly Catholic Irish nationalists seeking union with Ireland and predominantly Protestant unionists who want to remain part of the United Kingdom.

However militant nationalists, who include former operatives who split from the Irish Republican Army (IRA) after it declared a ceasefire, still stage sporadic gun and bomb attacks and have targeted security forces in particular.

An attempt to fire mortar bombs at a police station was foiled earlier this month in what would have been the first attack of its kind in the United Kingdom since the peace deal ended the IRA's campaign of violence.

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Marines ID gunman, 2 victims in Va. base shooting

QUANTICO, Va. (AP) ? A Marine who shot two of his colleagues to death and then killed himself was a tactics instructor at a school that tests Marines who want to become officers, military officials said Saturday.

Sgt. Eusebio Lopez, 25, gunned down 19-year-old Lance Cpl. Sara Castromata and Cpl. Jacob Wooley, 23, on Thursday night inside barracks at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in northern Virginia. Other than to say the three Marines worked together at the school, military officials have not described their relationship or released a motive for the shooting.

Lopez, of Pacifica, Calif., was a teacher whose specialty was machine gunner. He joined the corps in May 2006 and deployed in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Castromata, of Oakley, Calif., was a warehouse clerk who had been in the Marines since December 2011. Wooley, of Guntown, Miss., was a field radio operator. He joined the Marines in February 2010.

Lopez was an instructor at officer candidates school, known for its grueling 10-week program that evaluates Marines on physical stamina, intelligence and leadership. The candidates must complete obstacle courses, hikes of up to 12 miles in full combat gear and take classes on navigation and tactics that help them in the field, according to the school's website.

Lopez's great-grandfather, also Eusebio Lopez, said the Marines contacted their family on Friday night.

"They told us they were investigating more, and they'd let us know. He wasn't the type to do stuff like that," said Lopez, 81.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/marines-id-gunman-2-victims-va-shooting-023203158.html

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Did evolution give us inflammatory disease?

Mar. 22, 2013 ? In new research published in the April 4, 2013 issue of The American Journal of Human Genetics, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) demonstrate that some variants in our genes that could put a person at risk for inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease or rheumatoid arthritis, have been the target of natural selection over the course of human history.

The research team, led by Philip De Jager, MD, PhD, BWH Department of Neurology, and Barbara Stranger, PhD, University of Chicago looked at genome-wide association studies along with protein-protein interaction networks, as well as other data and found 21 places in the genome that bear a 'signature' for both inflammatory disease susceptibility and natural selection.

Towfique Raj, PhD, BWH Department of Neurology, is the lead author on this study. The findings suggest that in the past these variants rose in frequency in the human population to help protect us against viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. But now in our modern world, the environment and exposure to pathogens has changed, and the genetic variants that were originally meant to protect us, now make an autoimmune reaction more likely. These results are consistent with the hygiene hypothesis in which our cleaner environment is thought to contribute to the increasing prevalence of inflammatory diseases.

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Journal Reference:

1. Towfique Raj, Manik Kuchroo, Joseph?M. Replogle, Soumya Raychaudhuri, Barbara?E. Stranger, Philip?L. De?Jager. Common Risk Alleles for Inflammatory Diseases Are Targets of Recent Positive Selection. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2013.03.001

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/ZKL9UILABNw/130322104255.htm

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Andrew ?weev' Auernheimer Obtains New Lawyer, Files Appeal

According to his brand new lawyer, Andrew "weev" Auernheimer, otherwise known as the AT&T hacker, will appeal his sentence of 41 months in prison, three years probation, and restitution of $73,000 owed to AT&T. Orin Kerr, a civil rights lawyer who is now on the faculty of the George Washington University Law School, has stated on a blog that he will be representing Auernheimer in his appeal pro-bono.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/YcmuXnZlky4/

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2 killed when jet crashes in Indiana neighborhood

The front end of a Hawker Beachcraft Premier jet sits in a room of a home on Iowa Street in South Bend, Ind., Sunday, March 17, 2013. Authorities say a private jet apparently experiencing mechanical trouble crashed resulting in injuries. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Roland Herwig says the Beechcraft Premier I twin-jet had left Tulsa, Okla.'s Riverside Airport and crashed near the South Bend Regional Airport on Sunday afternoon. (AP Photo/South Bend Tribune, Mike Hartman)

The front end of a Hawker Beachcraft Premier jet sits in a room of a home on Iowa Street in South Bend, Ind., Sunday, March 17, 2013. Authorities say a private jet apparently experiencing mechanical trouble crashed resulting in injuries. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Roland Herwig says the Beechcraft Premier I twin-jet had left Tulsa, Okla.'s Riverside Airport and crashed near the South Bend Regional Airport on Sunday afternoon. (AP Photo/South Bend Tribune, Mike Hartman)

South Bend police and fire officials examine a home where a a plane crash occurred near the South Bend Regional Airport Sunday, March 17, 2013 in South Bend, Ind. The private jet apparently experiencing mechanical trouble crashed in the northern Indiana neighborhood, resulting in injuries and striking three homes, authorities and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

South Bend police and fire officials examine the scene of a plane crash near the South Bend Regional Airport Sunday March 17, 2013 in South Bend, Ind. The private jet apparently experiencing mechanical trouble crashed in a northern Indiana neighborhood, resulting in injuries and striking three homes, authorities and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

South Bend police remove a resident from her home near the scene of a plane crash near the South Bend Regional Airport Sunday March 17, 2013 in South Bend, Ind. The private jet apparently experiencing mechanical trouble crashed Sunday in a northern Indiana neighborhood, resulting in injuries and striking three homes, authorities and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

South Bend police and fire officials examine a home where a a plane crash occurred near the South Bend Regional Airport Sunday March 17, 2013 in South Bend, Ind. The private jet apparently experiencing mechanical trouble crashed in a northern Indiana neighborhood, resulting in injuries and striking three homes, authorities and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) ? A private jet apparently experiencing mechanical trouble crashed Sunday in a northern Indiana neighborhood, hitting three homes and killing two people aboard the plane, authorities said.

The Beechcraft Premier I twin-jet had left Tulsa, Okla.'s Riverside Airport and crashed near South Bend Regional Airport, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Roland Herwig in Oklahoma City said. Two of four people aboard the plane were killed, Herwig said.

It was not clear if anyone on the ground was killed, and Herwig did not have any additional information.

South Bend Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Maggie Scroope said three people injured in the crashed were being treated there; one was in serious condition and two were in fair condition. Scroope did not know if they were on the plane or the ground.

The plane was registered to 7700 Enterprises of Montana LLC in Helena, Mont. The company is owned by Wes Caves and does business as DigiCut Systems in Tulsa, Okla. It makes window film and paint overlay for automobiles.

A woman identifying herself as Caves' wife answered the phone at their home Sunday and said, "I think he's dead," before hanging up.

In South Bend, Assistant Fire Chief John Corthier said everyone on the plane and in the first house struck by the jet had been accounted for four hours after the crash. That wasn't true of the other two houses, Corthier couldn't say how many people they were still trying to track down.

"We absolutely don't know," Corthier said, adding that the presence of jet fuel and structural damage made the scene "very dangerous" for investigators. The aircraft remained lodged in one of the homes late Sunday.

"We have to shore up the house before we can enter the house," he said.

Part of the neighborhood southwest of the airport was evacuated. Buses transported up to 200 people to a nearby shelter, Red Cross volunteer Jackie Lincoln said.

Mike Daigle, executive director of the St. Joseph County Airport Authority, said the jet attempted a landing, went back up and maneuvered south to try another landing, but eight minutes later the airport learned the plane was no longer airborne.

"There was an indication of a mechanical problem," Herwig said.

Stan Klaybor, who lives across the street from the crash scene, said the jet clipped the top of one house, heavily damaged a second, and finally came to rest against a third. Neighbors did not know if a woman living in the most heavily damaged house was home at the time, and a young boy in the third house did not appear to be seriously injured, Klaybor said.

"Her little boy was in the kitchen and he got nicked here," Klaybor said, pointing to his forehead.

His wife, Mary Jane, regularly watches planes approach the airport.

"I was looking out my picture window. The plane's coming, and I go, 'Wait a minute,' and then, boom," she said.

"This one was coming straight at my house. I went, 'Huh?' and then there was a big crash, and all the insulation went flying," she said.

___

Associated Press writer Chuck Bartels in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-17-South%20Bend%20Crash/id-0d45c409d26b4af889a1d14b9d0ea43f

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'The Call' Reviews, Bon Jovi's 'What About Now,' Hurts' 'Exile ...

Bon Jovi made a lackluster return this week with their 12th studio album "What About Now." Though the album sticks close to a familiar sound for the group, it lacked the focus and energy of their previous projects. Eric Clapton's "Old Sock" was praised for its soothing tracks, but the jump in genres was a bit jarring for some reviewers. Rachel Zeffira's "The Deserters" was marked as a little boring at times and Hurts' "Exile" debuted to fairly mixed reviews with it's greatest praise coming from the slick production of the album's tracks.

In movies, "The Call" fell victim to a ridiculous, unbelievable plot that derailed the film early on and most critics agreed "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" was a silly and painfully unfunny waste of time. "Spring Breakers" received some of the strongest movie reviews this week but some critics felt the film was just a mashup of the same material. Finally, the narrative of "Upside Down" failed to match its beautifully shot scenes resulting in a gorgeous film that lacked substance.

As always we have gathered the worst reviews in the slideshow below. Did you think "Spring Breakers" was really that terrible? Did you actually enjoy Bon Jovi's new album? Let us know in the comments section below.

• "Exile" - Hurts

  The album didn't win The Independent over. <blockquote><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-review-hurts-exile-rca-8525374.html" target="_blank">"Innovation, clearly, is not the highest of their priorities. In truth, everything comes a distant second to style."</a></blockquote>

• "What About Now" - Bon Jovi

  There isn't too much substance to the album, says the Boston Globe. <blockquote><a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2013/03/10/album-review-bon-jovi-what-about-now/5DF5Uaz21IvRAhIiNAwejO/story.html" target="_blank">"The best way to enjoy What About Now is to not listen too closely, ignore the clumsy lyrics ("I feel just like Picasso, and you're my masterpiece"), and ignore that it's watered down U2 flirting with pop-country."</a></blockquote>

• "Old Sock" - Eric Clapton

  The album was easy to listen to but did't offer anything new according to Exclaim. <blockquote><a href="http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/FolkAndCountry/eric_clapton-old_sock" target="_blank">"Old Sock [is] a pleasant, but ultimately uninspired collection that ranges from country and folk standards such as 'Born to Lose' and "Goodnight Irene" to the classic jazz of "All Of Me" and 'Our Love is Here to Stay.'"</a></blockquote>

• "The Deserters" - Rachel Zeffira

  The album toes the line of boring and quietly commanding, says The Guardian. <blockquote><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/jan/03/rachel-zeffira-the-deserters-review" target="_blank">"Now and then she mistakes bland tastefulness for classy restraint; otherwise, subtlety is The Deserters' chief charm." </blockquote></a>

• "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone"

  The movie is a waste of time, says Tony Medley. <blockquote><a href="http://www.tonymedley.com/2013/Incredible_Burt_Wonderstone.htm" target="_blank">"The only magic in this ridiculous, irresponsible movie is that it actually got made and distributed." </blockquote></a>

• "The Call"

  Anyone with an ounce of intelligence should stay clear of the movie, says ReelViews. <blockquote><a href="http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=2596" target="_blank">"This is as brain-dead as a movie can be and it assumes the audience will have the I.Q. of a rutabaga." </blockquote></a>

• "Spring Breakers"

  The movie's scenes seemed to be on repeat according to the New York Post. <blockquote><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/movies/girls_gone_reviled_lTSxzHlGgsWVHdvdwaPbNI" target="_blank">"Basically a "Girls Gone Wild'' short artily padded out to feature-length by endlessly repeating the same scenes and lines of dialogue, often three or more times." </blockquote></a>

• "Upside Down"

  The movie was pretty but that is about it, says Kyle Smith. <blockquote><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/movies/dunst_lands_in_dud_LErcq7ClIjUpnX2Qxl7noN" target="_blank">"Upside Down" is such a gorgeous wreck that I could almost sense Terry Gilliam somewhere muttering, "Wait a minute, I should have been the one to screw up this idea." </blockquote></a>

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As U.S. drone monopoly frays, Obama seeks global rules (reuters)

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2 inmates escape from Quebec jail in helicopter

Police vehicles block a road just outside the town of Chertsey, Quebec, Sunday, March 17, 2013, during a search for escaped prisoners. A dramatic daylight jailbreak involving two Quebec inmates climbing a rope into a hovering helicopter swiftly escalated into a large police operation Sunday night in which at least one escapee was tracked down hours after he fled. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

Police vehicles block a road just outside the town of Chertsey, Quebec, Sunday, March 17, 2013, during a search for escaped prisoners. A dramatic daylight jailbreak involving two Quebec inmates climbing a rope into a hovering helicopter swiftly escalated into a large police operation Sunday night in which at least one escapee was tracked down hours after he fled. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

Police vehicles block a road just outside the town of Chertsey, Quebec, Sunday, March 17, 2013, during a search for escaped prisoners. A dramatic daylight jailbreak involving two Quebec inmates climbing a rope into a hovering helicopter swiftly escalated into a large police operation Sunday night in which at least one escapee was tracked down hours after he fled. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

SAINT-JEROME, Quebec (AP) ? Two Quebec inmates climbed up a rope into a hovering helicopter to make a daring daylight escape Sunday from a jail northwest of Montreal, authorities said.

Quebec provincial police said later that they had arrested three people about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of the Saint-Jerome jail from which the inmates escaped. One of those arrested was 36-year-old inmate Benjamin Hudon-Barbeau.

Authorities late Sunday located the second inmate and said a security perimeter had been set up around the area where 33-year-old Danny Provencal was found.

Quebec provincial police Sgt. Benoit Richard said authorities were in contact with Provencal and have him surrounded at a compound near where the three others were arrested.

"We're still in negotiations and that's still going on," Richard said. "He's in a compound and we are in contact with him and we are trying to find a peaceful resolution."

Earlier on Sunday, police received a call from the staff at the Saint-Jerome jail, reporting the escape around 2:20 p.m., Richard said.

The jail's warden told police that Hudon-Barbeau and Provencal had grabbed a rope dropped from the helicopter to make their getaway, Richard said.

Quebec provincial police tracked down the helicopter used in the escape on Sunday afternoon to Mont-Tremblant, about 53 miles (85 kilometers) away from the jail but only the chopper's pilot was still at the scene. He was taken to a local hospital and was treated for shock, Richard said. He called the pilot "an important witness" in the case.

According to a provincial police, Hudon-Barbeau was arrested in November on two firearm related charges and associating with people who have a criminal record. The arrest came as part of an investigation of a double murder in Quebec.

A Montreal radio station, 98.5 FM, said it received a call Sunday from a man claiming to be Hudon-Barbeau, who said he was "ready to die" as he tried to evade police.

"The way they're treating me in there, it's unreal," the man told the radio station. "They won't let me be. They put me back in prison for nothing."

Authorities did not immediately respond to the claims made in the radio station interview.

Yves Galarneau, the correctional services manager who oversees the Saint-Jerome jail, said he'd never seen anything like the dramatic escape in more than three decades on the job.

Galarneau said there are no security measures in place at the jail to prevent a helicopter from swooping down from above.

"As far as I know, it's a first in Quebec," he told reporters at the scene. "It's exceptional."

Although the tactic may have been a first for Quebec, using a chopper to break out of jail has a long and colorful history, and not just in the movies.

A New York businessman, Joel David Kaplan, used a chopper to escape from a Mexican jail in 1971, and went on to write a book about it. Pascal Payet, a French prisoner, used a helicopter to escape on three occasions, only to be caught by authorities every time.

The jail at the center of Sunday's escapade in Quebec is a provincial detention center with a maximum-security wing.

Saint-Jerome jail, located about 37 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of Montreal, experienced a mini-riot by about a dozen prisoners a little over a month ago. In that incident, police were called in to secure the outside of the jail, which holds about 480 inmates, and jail staff used pepper spray to disperse the mob.

_________

Associated Press writer Benjamin Shingler in Montreal contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-18-CN-Canada-Prison-Escape/id-ba212468479c4f58a090ed147184c19b

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Vail Resorts Announces Record Capital Plan for Calendar 2013 ...

?Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:? MTN) today announced its calendar 2013 capital expenditure plan.? The Company?s 2013 capital plan includes a high-impact new lift, significant terrain expansion, a new restaurant and the fourth generation of EpicMix, as well as $25 million in spending for the first phase of its new summer operations and nearly $10 million in upgrades for each of the recently acquired Afton Alps and Mt. Brighton, resulting in the largest number of planned improvements in the Company?s history.? The Company currently anticipates it will spend approximately $130 million to $140 million in resort capital expenditures in calendar year 2013, including approximately $47 million to $52 million in maintenance capital, which is necessary to maintain the appearance and level of service appropriate to resort operations, including routine replacement of snow grooming equipment and rental fleet equipment.? All of the proposed capital projects are subject to applicable regulatory approvals, including U.S. Forest Service approval.

Highlights of the calendar year 2013 capital expenditure plan include:

• Epic Discovery ??This first phase of Epic Discovery, the Company?s summer mountain activity plan, includes approximately $25 million to transform the summer experience at six of its mountain resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly and Northstar).? Plans for each mountain, include a selection of zip lines, ropes courses, signature climbing walls, Forest Flyers^TM, summer tubing, expanded hiking and mountain biking trails and education centers.? ?Each of these new activities will capitalize on the existing summer visitation at each resort and leverage existing infrastructure, creating the opportunity for high-impact and high-return projects.? The Company expects these activities, in total, to generate approximately $7 million of incremental Mountain Reported EBITDA in their first full summer of operation.
• Improvements at Afton Alps & Mt Brighton ? The Company is planning major enhancements and upgrades to the newly acquired Afton Alps near Minneapolis, Minn., and Mt. Brighton near Detroit, Mich.? The Company plans to invest nearly $10 million at each resort to bring a completely new ski experience to these markets, which are home to more than 450,000 skiers and riders.? The Company?s plans include (i) dramatic improvements in snowmaking to extend the season and provide a more consistent and high quality snow surface, (ii) the creation of state-of-the-art terrain parks with extensive new features, animation and dedicated lifts; (iii) upgrades to base area facilities; (iv) the addition of EpicMix, EpicMix Racing and lift ticket scanning to personalize the guest experience and better promote the Company?s western resorts to these skiers; and (v) improvements to guest safety and quality across the ski areas.? These improvements are being announced along with new season pass plans for the resorts and a more dedicated sales effort in those markets to drive a stronger connection between those guests and the Company?s Colorado and Tahoe resorts.? The Company believes that following these plans, future capital spending at each resort will be more limited in scope.
• Peak 6 terrain expansion at Breckenridge ? The Peak 6 terrain expansion includes two new chairlifts and 543 acres of new terrain, a 23 percent expansion to the resorts skiable acreage.? Peak 6 will offer an intermediate ?bowl? skiing experience, with the opportunity for a wide variety of guests to ski this new high alpine area that sits above tree line.? Peak 6 will become another iconic feature of Breckenridge, and will better disperse skiers and improve the guest experience across the resort, which is perennially the #1 or #2 most visited mountain resort in the United States.
• New Red Tail Camp restaurant at Beaver Creek ??In advance of the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships, the Company is building a new 500 seat restaurant at Red Tail Camp, located at the finish of the men?s and women?s downhill courses, which more than doubles the existing restaurant?s capacity.? Red Tail Camp will offer gourmet dining options in an upscale cafeteria setting and will add a second high quality and high capacity dining venue for Beaver Creek, better positioning the resort for continued growth in visitation.? The new restaurant will follow on the success the Company has had with the Tamarack Lodge at Heavenly, the Zephyr Lodge at Northstar and The 10^th at Vail.
• Replacing Vail?s Chair 4 (Mountain Top Express) with a high speed, six-person chairlift ??Vail?s Mountain Top Express (#4) is one of the most recognized and highly utilized chairlifts in North America- serving both a critical skiing pod for the mountain and an important transportation lift from Lionshead and Vail Village to the Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin.? The new six-person chairlift will increase capacity by 33 percent, dramatically reducing lift lines and building on this year?s success of the newly built Gondola One.? The new chair will continue to build upon Vail?s preeminent position in delivering the best experience in the ski industry worldwide.
• EpicMix Academy ? EpicMix Academy will be the fourth generation of the groundbreaking and award-winning EpicMix application, following the introductions of EpicMix Photo and EpicMix Racing.? With EpicMix Academy, the Company?s ski school instructors will be able to certify the attainment of certain skills and ski levels for any of the students in their classes.? Children and adults in both group and private ski lessons will be able to earn permanent recognition and review their accomplishments online. ?Parents will be able to track the progress of their kids and the Company?s ski schools will immediately know the ability level of every student before the start of each lesson.? EpicMix Academy will offer special certified digital pins, which can be easily shared through Facebook and Twitter along with pins for vertical feet, photos and racing medals.

The Company has historically invested significant cash in capital expenditures for resort operations and believes the calendar 2013 capital plan maintains the high-quality standards for which Vail Resorts is known and invests in improvements across the Company?s resorts and new growth opportunities. ?All discretionary capital improvements are evaluated based on an expected level of return on investment. The Company plans to utilize cash on hand, borrowings available under its Credit Agreement and/or cash flow generated from future operations to provide the cash necessary to execute its capital plans.

Commenting on the resort capital expenditure announcement, Rob Katz, chief executive officer, said, ?The 2013 capital plan is unprecedented in its size and underscores our operating philosophy of continually reinvesting in our resorts to offer the absolute highest quality experience to our guests and highlights several of our unique growth opportunities in Epic Discovery and newly acquired resorts.? Our commitment to continually investing in our resorts to enhance the guest experience grows our season pass programs that create customer loyalty, supports our premium pricing strategy, drives new visitation, and increases guest spending.? This year?s plan represents the culmination of many years of hard work with recent regulatory approvals allowing for projects such as Epic Discovery and the Peak 6 terrain expansion at Breckenridge, as well as a focused acquisition strategy that allows for a stronger connection to skiers and riders in Minneapolis and Detroit.?

About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)

Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company?s subsidiaries operate the mountain resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Afton Alps in Minnesota and Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company?s subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release, other than statements of historical information, are forward looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.? Such forward-looking statements include estimates of capital expenditures, expected returns on those investments, expected cash flows from operations and borrowing availability under our Credit Agreement.? All forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected.? Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.? Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to prolonged weakness in general economic conditions, including adverse affects on the overall travel and leisure related industries; unfavorable weather conditions or natural disasters; adverse events that occur during our peak operating periods combined with the seasonality of our business; competition in our mountain and lodging businesses; our ability to grow our resort and real estate operations; our ability to successfully initiate, complete, and sell, new real estate development projects and achieve the anticipated financial benefits from such projects; further adverse changes in real estate markets; continued volatility in credit markets; our ability to obtain financing on terms acceptable to us to finance our real estate development, capital expenditures and growth strategy; our reliance on government permits or approvals for our use of Federal land or to make operational and capital improvements; demand for planned summer activities and our ability to successfully obtain necessary approvals and construct the planned improvements; adverse consequences of current or future legal claims; our ability to hire and retain a sufficient seasonal workforce; willingness of our guests to travel due to terrorism, the uncertainty of military conflicts or outbreaks of contagious diseases, and the cost and availability of travel options; negative publicity which diminishes the value of our brands; our ability to integrate and successfully realize anticipated benefits of acquisitions or future acquisitions; implications arising from new Financial Accounting Standards Board (?FASB?)/governmental legislation, rulings or interpretations; and other risks detailed in the Company?s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the ?Risk Factors? section of the Company?s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012.

All forward-looking statements attributable to us or any persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements.? All guidance and forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof and we do not undertake any obligation to update any forecast or forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Statement Concerning Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes the estimated incremental Mountain Reported EBITDA impact of our summer activity effort.? Mountain Reported EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure used by the Company, which we define as segment net revenue less segment operating expense plus or minus segment equity investment income or loss.? Mountain Reported EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies and should not be considered in isolation or an alternative to, or substitute for, measures of financial performance or liquidity prepared in accordance with GAAP.? We refer you to the Company?s periodic reports filed with the SEC, including the Company?s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended January 31, 2013 filed as of the date of this press release, for further information regarding the Company?s use of this non-GAAP financial measure and a reconciliation of the Company?s historical Mountain Reported EBITDA to its GAAP results.

Source: http://blog.ronbyrne.com/2013/03/15/vail-resorts-announces-record-capital-plan-for-calendar-2013/

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