Video: Rupert Murdoch: 'A Split Makes Sense'

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KCYDN Jobs: Adoption and Foster Care Specialist - Amara formerly ...

Become an integral and valued part of a team working to achieve Amara?s vision of ?a home for every child.? We are currently seeking an Adoption and Foster Care Specialist to join our clinical team. This individual will be responsible for providing a wide range of services on behalf of children in need of permanency, including family preparation and homestudy assessment; child transition and placement; post-placement monitoring and support; and liaising with multiple professionals in the child welfare arena. All Specialists must participate in facilitation of family trainings and support groups, and must be able to flex hours to accommodate family needs on an occasional and ongoing basis.

POSITION REQUIRES

• MSW or equivalent in similar field
• A minimum of 4 years of full time social work experience
• Experience working with families of different ages, religions, races and cultures
• Knowledge of child developmental levels and family systems
• Commitment to carefully documenting case records, client and peripheral interactions legal paperwork, and other service delivery information
• Ability to work in tandem with an outstanding professional team
• Initiative, independence, flexibility, maturity and a sense of humor
• A valid Washington State driver?s license and proof of auto insurance

SALARY
$38,000 starting salary DOE. Generous personal leave and benefits package, including paid time off; health, dental, life and disability insurance; and 401K plan.

Source: http://kcydn.blogspot.com/2012/06/adoption-and-foster-care-specialist.html

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Willow Smith Pierces Tongue: First Look!

Willow Smith has left her hair alone, but still changed up her look once again.

The young daughter of Will and Jada has changed her locks back to their original color - after going green and then pink - but also taken yet another extreme step in her ever-changing appearance.

She has pierced her tongue:

In the state of California a child needs the approval of his/her parents to make such a move. So either Will and Jada or on board or Willow has gone rogue.

What do you think of the piercing?

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Post-tax hike, Illinois weathers attempts to poach jobs

Editor's note: This is the first in a two-day series examining the impact of the increased corporate tax on Illinois and its business climate.

Coming Monday: Caterpillar Inc. CEO Doug Oberhelman hasn?t been afraid to speak his mind when it comes to Illinois? business climate, including the state?s workers? compensation costs.

***

When Illinois legislators approved increasing the income tax in January 2011, a couple of neighboring governors wasted no time trying to take advantage.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker shed a few crocodile tears, bought billboard and newspaper ads urging Illinois businesses to flee and barnstormed the airways to proclaim their states would benefit from Illinois? desperate attempt to soak up the red ink smeared across its balance sheet.

Roughly 18 months later, Indiana says it has attracted 1,600 jobs from firms that moved Illinois employment to the Hoosier state or from companies with Illinois presences that have expanded in Indiana. The Wisconsin state economic development agency says it does not really track how many jobs went north, but has done deals with two companies to bring 116 jobs over the border.

Those numbers may be significant in the sense that no state wants to lose jobs to another, but they?re not quite the windfall that would match up with the rhetoric of a year and a half ago. Illinois officials say they are holding their own in a tough global marketplace because of the state?s major assets ? Chicago, which is a global city, and Illinois? vast transportation network of highways, railroads and O?Hare International Airport ? and because they have been able to show slow, but steady progress in addressing shortcomings that make businesses skittish about coming here.

David Vaught, Illinois? former budget director who now directs the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, points out that the state has gained 48,000 private-sector jobs since the tax increase passed, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report released in April.

?I?m sure they can find a company here or there, and we can find a company that came from those other states to ours,? Vaught said. ?I don?t think we should get too carried away with the border analysis because it?s the net change that?s most important when you?re competing in the international economy.

?I think when businesses look at business location, they look at more than that (tax rates). Chicago and Illinois are leaders in the international economy.?

Regional view

Indiana Commerce Secretary Dan Hasler, a former executive at the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and an Illinois native, said Indiana never had a goal for the number of businesses it wanted to poach.

?I think it?s about what we expected,? Hasler said of the 1,563 jobs and $294.1 million in investments that firms with Illinois connections plan to make in Indiana. ?The situation for a business operating in Illinois and Indiana is so dramatically different.

?I was just with a group of site selectors this morning. I said, ?You know what, everyone wants Illinois to do better.? We are better served by a strong Midwest than just a strong Indiana.

?I can guarantee you most people in China don?t know about Indiana. But they have heard about the Midwest, the breadbasket, the heartland of America, Chicago, that?s what we need strong, and we will all benefit from that. But some of our neighboring states need to get their game on.?

Some of the rhetoric clearly has been toned down in recent months. Walker told reporters in an April appearance in Springfield that he did not believe firms would relocate entire operations from Illinois to Wisconsin.

?We don?t keep track of that,? Walker said in April. ?What it?s going to be is companies that want to grow and expand. The biggest thing we keep track of is the unemployment rate. Illinois? is 9.1 percent. Wisconsin?s is 6.9 percent, and I believe it?ll continue to drop because of our policies.?

Stealing businesses was never the point of Indiana?s ?Illinoyed? campaign, Hasler said.

?I don?t want to poach Illinois companies or Michigan companies or California companies, but doggone it, if they?re going to leave Illinois, if they?re going to leave Michigan, I sure as fiddle want to keep them in the Midwest,? Hasler said. ?What we?re doing is frankly catch them as they fly by and show them they don?t have to go to Texas. Indiana is an incredible alternative.?

Jobless rates

While Vaught touted Illinois? jobs numbers, there is some early evidence that businesses have fled. Secretary of state records how many corporations and limited-liability companies are registered in the state. There were 71,449 corporations and LLCs registered in the state?s 2010 fiscal year, which ran from July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010. In FY2011, 73,130 businesses were registered. The number fell back to 71,434 in FY12 as of June 13, with 17 days to go in the fiscal year.

?I think these numbers go up and down,? Vaught said. ?The number that we?re really happy about in the Bureau of Labor Statistics report are the sector numbers, like manufacturing. People have thought for a long time that ... manufacturing jobs were going overseas, that that was a permanent drain. 2011 was an uptick in manufacturing in Illinois. When you add what?s happened in 2012, through April, with what?s happened in 2011, over 22,000 new manufacturing jobs have been created in Illinois. So we tend to look at it through a jobs lens.?

In May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that Indiana and Wisconsin both have lower unemployment rates than Illinois -- 7.9 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively. Illinois? unemployment rate was 8.7 percent. Indiana has gained 111,000 jobs since Illinois passed its income tax increase, while Wisconsin has lost 13,000 jobs, according to the bureau.

What?s important?

Asked to make the case for Indiana, Hasler said he doesn?t have to because national publications and fiscal watchdogs already have. In January, the non-partisan Tax Foundation ranked Illinois? business tax climate 28th while Indiana?s ranked 10th. Site Selection magazine ranked Indiana?s business climate sixth in the nation while Illinois came in 21st. CEO Magazine ranked Illinois as the 48th best state to do business while Indiana came in fifth.

?You shouldn?t pay attention to me, and you shouldn?t pay attention to the governor, OK?? Hasler said, referring to Daniels. ?I?m a big believer in third-party reference as opposed to what a politician or I might say.?

There?s more to living in a place than its tax rates, Vaught countered.

?We don?t hear a lot about those ratings from companies. They?re much more specific about what they want to do and what they want to accomplish,? Vaught said. ?The overall ability of people to educate their kids, have a vibrant place to live, those are crucial to people as well.

?The one I saw most recently ? I didn?t get to open my National Geographic from December 2011, I just opened it this month ? there?s a survey in there about the most influential cities in the world, and Chicago, I believe, was ranked No. 6 only behind New York in the United States. It ranked right up there with Paris and London and Hong Kong as major influential cities in the world. You can?t talk about the Illinois economy without considering how vibrant and strong Chicago is, culturally and otherwise. That?s what we tell them.?

Moreover, Illinois has made progress in addressing some of the things that have given it a bad reputation, Vaught noted. It has made changes in its workers? compensation system, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill this month aimed at restructuring the state?s budget-busting Medicaid system, and talks continue on overhauling a pension system that has the state $83 billion in debt.

Vaught also pointed to two changes that he believes have flown under the media radar ? extending a tax credit for research and development for five years and restoring a tax deduction for corporate operating losses that was in effect for a year.

?Our research-and-development credit ? expired numerous times. It had created huge uncertainty,? Vaught said. ?It was a step toward making sure some of our tax incentives were applied in very effective places, not in old, obsolete ways. I think that was an important signal to the business community that we as a state are willing to make adjustments, make our tax code better through tax reform.?

Tax credits, too

Of the 14 companies cited by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation as having chosen Indiana over Illinois, 11 have or will relocate some or all of their Illinois jobs to the Hoosier state. Three of the companies have an Illinois presence, but are expanding operations in Indiana. At least two of the 14 are based in Indiana, have an Illinois presence and are expanding in Indiana.

Each received tax incentives conditioned on the companies meeting job-creation and capital-investment requirements.

?The companies receive their incentives from the state, which are in the form of refundable tax credit, after we have validated by Social Security number that they have hired and paid a Hoosier,? Hasler said. ?It keeps you out of these games of a company making a promise, they?re here for six months, the state?s out $40 million and these guys bolt, everybody?s upset and it?s a big waste of money.

?That gets with our philosophy, too. I don?t want companies to move to Indiana because they got a big incentive package. You cannot make a bad move to Indiana or a bad move to Illinois good enough by paying a boatload of incentives. They?re coming to Indiana because we can, time and time again, show them they can reduce their operating costs as a business (by) 20 to 30 percent ? payroll taxes, corporate taxes, real estate, lease, workmen?s compensation, wages, you name it, energy cost, logistics costs.?

?Big problem?

Officials from most of the companies involved did not return phone calls seeking information about why they moved jobs from Illinois or expanded in Indiana. Those that did said factors beyond the income tax increase played a role.

Franciscan Alliance, a 13-hospital health-care system with operations in Indiana and Illinois, is moving its physician-billing operations to suburban Indianapolis, creating 84 jobs and investing $8.3 million to buy and remodel a 96,500-square-foot building.

?If the question is are we moving away from Illinois in general, it would be yes,? said the alliance?s regional CEO, Gene Diamond. ?It?s the malpractice climate, to tell you the truth.?

The alliance has two hospitals in Illinois in south suburban Chicago; the rest are in Indiana. The medical malpractice insurance costs for the two Illinois hospitals cost as much as all of the Indiana facilities combined, Diamond said. Caps on medical malpractice damages were passed and found constitutional in Indiana. Illinois? attempts to cap them have been ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court.

?We?ve got a big problem in Illinois,? Diamond said.

As for the billing services themselves, they are being relocated because "it?s a little bit less expensive to operate them in Indiana. We?re primarily an Indiana system,? Diamond said, also citing cheaper property and a more attractive climate in central Indiana.

Because the system is not-for-profit, the income tax increase was a factor only in that Indiana employees will not have to pay it.

Uncertainty hurts

Central Illinois was not any different from the rest of the state when it came to talk of iconic businesses leaving, whether it was a large, international manufacturing firm like Caterpillar Inc. or a small business, like Springfield?s downtown popcorn shop, Del?s. Neither has left so far, although Caterpillar ruled out Illinois for its expansion plans in the immediate future.

Shellie Jacobs posted protest signs in the window of Del?s Popcorn Shop, 213 S. Sixth St., in early 2011, about when legislators and Gov. Pat Quinn began debating the possibility of a major increase in Illinois income taxes.

But the Springfield business owner said it wasn?t so much higher taxes as it was the added uncertainty that prompted her unusual protest.

?It was just another straw on the camel?s back,? said Jacobs, who has owned the shop for 27 of its 31 years.

Rising employer costs for unemployment withholding, a state minimum wage higher than the federal standard, unpaid state bills and state debts all have made it more difficult to plan for expenses, said Jacobs.

?You can price your product wherever you want, and then you get this notice from the Illinois Department of Employment Security that they?re going to triple your unemployment compensation costs,? said Jacobs.

?I can?t make the assumption my costs are going to be the same next year as they are this year, because someone is probably going to come along and change it.?

Locally committed

Del?s and the Jimmy John?s restaurant chain both received widespread attention for their protests against higher income taxes in early 2011. Jimmy John?s owner, Jimmy John Liautaud, threatened to move the corporate headquarters in Champaign out of Illinois.

The company remains in Champaign, and Jimmy John?s spokeswoman Mary Trader said executives would have no further comment on the issue.

Jacobs, too, suggested in 2011 that any expansion of Del?s Popcorn outlets would be outside Illinois. A new company, Del?s Global Popcorn Inc., was formed to oversee the expansion. Florida was an early target market.

An already-planned shop in Taylorville, about 30 miles southeast of Springfield, opened in April 2011, and Jacobs announced recently that a shop will be added on the west side of Springfield this summer. However, the new Springfield store replaces the one in Taylorville.

Jacobs said the second Springfield location opens the way for her son, Logan Kolhrus, to get into the family business.

Jacobs said expansion remains a possibility and that she does not rule out adding stores in Illinois ? her concerns about taxes notwithstanding.

?Are we going to invest in Illinois? That card is still out there,? said Jacobs. ?There are states that are more business friendly.

?I?m scared to death,? Jacobs added. ?Are they (legislators and the governor) going to be able to fix it? I don?t know. I?m just committed to Springfield. I?m not going anywhere.?

***

Illinois? income tax increase

Effective January 2011

--The individual income tax increased from 3 percent to 5 percent

--The corporate income tax increased from 4.8 percent to 7 percent. Illinois corporations also pay a 2.5 percent personal property replacement tax.

Chris Wetterich can be reached at 788-1523. Tim Landis can be reached at 788-1536.

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Champs! James' triple-double lifts Heat to title

MIAMI (AP) ? Music blared and confetti fell, the only celebration LeBron James really wanted in Miami.

Not that one two summers ago, the welcoming rally where he boasted of multiple titles, perhaps without realizing how hard it would be to win just one.

He dreamed of this moment, with teammates surrounding him and the NBA championship trophy beside him.

"You know, my dream has become a reality now, and it's the best feeling I ever had," James said.

James had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, leading the Miami Heat in a 121-106 rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night to win the NBA Finals in five games.

Ripped and ridiculed for the way he announced he was leaving Cleveland and taking his talents to South Beach, it's all worth it now for James.

Best player in the game. Best team in the league.

And now, NBA champion.

"I'm happy now that eight years later, nine years later since I've been drafted, that I can finally say that I'm a champion, and I did it the right way," James said. "I didn't shortcut anything. You know, I put a lot of hard work and dedication in it, and hard work pays off. It's a great moment for myself."

And for his teammates, who watched the Dallas Mavericks celebrate on their floor last year.

James left the game along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for good with 3:01 remaining for a round of hugs and the start for a party he's been waiting for since arriving in the NBA out of high school as the No. 1 pick of the 2003 draft. James hopped up and down in the final minutes, shared a long hug with opponent Kevin Durant, and then soaked in the "MVP! MVP! chants during the raucous postgame.

"I wanted to become a champion someday," James said. "I didn't know exactly when it would happen, but I put in a lot of hard work."

He was a choker last year, the guy who came up small in the fourth quarter, mocked for "shrinking" in the moment while playing with what he called "hatred" in trying to prove his critics wrong.

He came to Miami seeking an easier road to the finals but found it tougher than he expected, the Heat coming up empty last year and nearly getting knocked out in the Eastern Conference finals this time by Boston. Facing elimination there, James poured in 45 points on the road to force a Game 7 and the Heat won it at home.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever done as a basketball player," James said. "You just put a lot of hard work into it and you hope that one day it will pay off for you."

This time, with a chance to clinch, the Heat took control in the second quarter, briefly lost it and blew the game open again in the third behind their role players, James content to pass to wide-open 3-point shooters while the Thunder focused all their attention on him.

The disappointment of losing to Dallas in six games a year ago vanished in a blowout of the demoralized Thunder, who got 32 points and 11 rebounds from Durant.

Bosh and Wade, the other members of the Big Three who sat alongside James as he promised titles at his Miami welcoming party, both had strong games. Bosh, who wept as the Heat left their own court after losing Game 6 last year, finished with 24 points and Wade scored 20. The Heat also got a huge boost from Mike Miller, who made seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points.

That all made it easier for James, the most heavily scrutinized player in the league since his departure from Cleveland, when he announced he was "taking his talents to South Beach" on a TV special called "The Decision" that was criticized everywhere from water coolers to the commissioner's office. James has said he wishes he handled things differently, but few who watched the Cavs fail to assemble championship talent around him could have argued with his desire to depart.

In Miami he found a team that didn't need him to do it alone, though he reminded everyone during this sensational postseason run that he still could when necessary. He got support whenever he needed it in this series, from Shane Battier's 17 points in Game 2 to Mario Chalmers' 25 in Game 4.

In the clincher it was Miller, banged up from so many injuries that he limped from the bench to scorer's table when he checked in. He made his fourth 3-pointer of the half right before James' fast-break basket capped a 15-2 run that extended Miami's lead to 53-36 with 4:42 remaining in the first half.

The Thunder were making a remarkably early trip to the finals just three years after starting 3-29, beating the Mavericks, Lakers and Spurs along the way. With Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden all 23 or younger, the Thunder have the pieces in place for a lengthy stay atop the Western Conference.

But their inexperience showed in this series, a few questionable decisions, possessions and outright mistakes costing them in their franchise's first finals appearance since Seattle lost to Chicago in 1996. Westbrook scored 19 but made only four of his 20 shots, unable to come up with anything close to his 43-point outing in Game 4, and Harden finished a miserable series with 19.

"It hurts, man," Durant said. "We're all brothers on this team and it just hurts to go out like this. We made it to the finals, which was cool for us, but we didn't want to just make it there. Unfortunately we lost, so it's tough."

Nothing they did could have stopped James, anyway.

Appearing fully recovered from the leg cramps that forced him to sit out the end of Game 4, he was dominant again, a combination of strength and speed that is practically unmatched in the game and rarely seen in its history.

Wade skipped to each side of the court before the opening tip with arms up to pump up the fans, then James showed them nothing wrong with his legs, throwing down an emphatic fast-break dunk to open the scoring. He made consecutive baskets while being fouled, showing no expression after the second, as if he'd hardly even known he was hit. Drawing so much attention from the Thunder, he started finding his wide-open shooters, and the Heat built a nine-point lead before going to the second up 31-26.

Oklahoma City got back within five early in the third before consecutive 3-pointers by Chalmers and Battier triggered a 27-7 burst that made it 88-63 on another 3-pointer by Miller. James didn't even score in the run until it was almost over, hitting a pair of free throws after he was flagrantly fouled by Derek Fisher while powering toward the basket.

Gone was the tentative player who was mocked for shrinking on the big stage last year, too willing to defer to others who didn't possess half his talents. This time, he was at peace off the court and attacking on it, vowing to have no regrets and playing in such a way they wouldn't be necessary.

Miami had outscored Oklahoma City by just 389-384 over the first four games, but the Thunder were buried under a barrage of 14 3-pointers, tying the NBA record.

"They just hit 3s after 3s. They got it going and we couldn't stop them," Thunder center Kendrick Perkins said. "Things just didn't go our way."

Notes: Miami became the third team to sweep the middle three games at home in the 2-3-2 format. The Detroit Pistons took all three from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004 before the Heat did it against Dallas in 2006. ... Coach Erik Spoelstra tied Rick Riley for the Heat franchise record with his 34th postseason win. He is 34-22, while Riley was just 34-36. ... The four-game losing streak that Oklahoma City finished the season with was its longest of the season. The Thunder had dropped three straight games to Memphis, Miami and Indiana from April 2-6.

___

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

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App eases public transit woes for blind and disabled riders

Featured

12 hrs.

Sean Fallon , Nerd Approved

Are you your own worst enemy? If so, the following gadgets might be able to help you overcome some?relatively minor shortcomings. That is to... Read more

4 hrs.

Devin Coldewey

Researchers in Barcelona have created an app that may prove useful to riders of public transit who are blind, deaf or otherwise disabled. OnTheBus hooks into GPS and transit data and alerts the user where and when they need to board, signal and disembark.

While transit systems make some allowances for riders who may be unable to see or hear when the bus arrives, or they themselves have arrived at their stop, there are doubtless many riders who could use some additional help.

After checking a few routes with the user, the app will direct them to the nearest bus stop and inform them when their bus should be arriving. Once on, it will tell them how many stops they will be riding for, and tells them when to activate the "stop" cord or button. And once they've returned to the pavement, it continues guiding them to their destination with walking directions.

Users don't have to type, either: The app will accept voice input or writing with symbols, and a separate interface was designed for people with severe visual impairment or total blindness. You can watch a demonstration of the app below; it's in Spanish, but the functionality is easy to understand:

It only works with buses for now, as the GPS signal would be blocked in subway systems. But the researchers are looking to expand into other transit styles, and are even considering adding augmented reality features to help people locate stops ? for instance, after determining the user's position and orientation, the phone's camera could display the bus stop through the landscape and give turn-by-turn directions.

The OnTheBus database currently supports buses in Barcelona, Madrid, and Rome, in several languages. The makers hope to expand it to other cities and languages, though beyond the next few their plans are not being stated. The app is available now for Android.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

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FACT CHECK: Romney's immigration promises

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaks at the NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials) conference in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, June 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaks at the NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials) conference in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, June 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Courting Hispanic voters, Mitt Romney is promising to ease the path to a green card, fix a complicated and cumbersome system to let farm workers into the United States and finish a high-tech fence along the Mexican border.

What Romney glossed over Thursday before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials was how difficult some of those changes could be. Some already have been tried, with little or no success. Here's a closer look at his immigration assertions and how they match up with the facts:

ROMNEY: "As president, I'd reallocate green cards to those seeking to keep their families under one roof. And we will exempt from caps the spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents. And we will eliminate other forms of bureaucratic red tape that keep families from being together." He added: "And if you get an advanced degree here, we want you to stay here. So I'd staple a green card to the diploma of someone who gets an advanced degree in America."

THE FACTS: It's unclear whether Romney would have the authority if elected president to change the way green cards are issued, or whether he would need help from Congress. It is Congress that sets the annual limits for visas for foreigners who have advanced degrees in certain fields of science, math and other professions. Lately, Republicans and groups representing U.S. workers have blocked legislative attempts to increase those limits.

Advocates for immigration reform have long argued that the president can use executive powers to relax or change various immigration regulations. President Barack Obama has done that twice in the last year. First, he allowed prosecutors discretion to focus deportation of illegal immigrants on those with a criminal record or who otherwise pose a threat. Last week, he announced plans to stop deporting many young illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children who have not committed a crime in the U.S. and to grant them work permits.

Republicans have argued that Obama stretched his authority, but Romney seems to be suggesting he, too, could act alone to make broad changes.

And Romney's proposal for keeping educated foreigners in the U.S. isn't original. Obama, in a May 2011 immigration proposal, called for "encouraging foreign students to stay in the U.S. and contribute to our economy by stapling a green card to the diplomas" of those with advanced science, technology, engineering and math degrees.

ROMNEY: "I will work with states and employers to update our temporary worker visa program so that it meets our economic needs."

THE FACTS: Temporary and seasonal workers are considered a necessity for the U.S. agriculture industry, but importing legal workers has proved difficult. The Labor Department's visa program for temporary seasonal workers has long been viewed as costly, cumbersome and inefficient.

Several attempts to overhaul it that included a path to legalization for the workers have been blocked in Congress. Republicans have repeatedly said that any immigration bill offering a path to legalization would not win their support.

ROMNEY: "We should field enough Border Patrol agents, complete a high-tech fence and implement an improved exit verification system."

THE FACTS: Romney's plans don't take notice of what's already been done, including record-high staffing levels along the border and the failure of a Bush-era virtual fence plan.

The Border Patrol has more than 18,500 agents working on the southern border. In the year budget ending last September, agents apprehended about 340,000 illegal immigrants, the fewest in nearly 40 years ? an average of 18 apprehensions per agent. The decrease in apprehensions has been linked to a weak economy producing fewer jobs in the U.S. and to more law enforcement agents and technology being deployed along the border.

Under the Bush administration, the government built hundreds of miles of fencing along the Mexican border. A planned virtual fence was also started, but then scrapped by the Obama administration in 2010 after the project was deemed a failure. About 53 miles of virtual fencing is in place, at a cost of about $1 billion.

An exit verification system has been sought since after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but efforts to build one have been repeatedly stymied, most often because of the projected costs. Earlier this year, John Cohen, deputy counterterrorism coordinator for the Homeland Security Department, told a congressional panel that the agency was finalizing plans for a biometric data system to track who leaves the country and when. He didn't give details.

___

Associated Press writer Suzanne Gamboa contributed to this report.

___

Follow Alicia A. Caldwell on Twitter at www.twitte.com/acaldwellap

Associated Press

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Bullied bus monitor: Karen Klein case shows power of crowdfunding

Donations for bullied bus monitor Karen Klein poured into a website at such a clip that they overwhelmed the site. Her case may be a tipping for the phenomenon called crowdfunding.?

By Mike Eckel,?Contributor / June 22, 2012

In this video image taken from AP video, bus monitor Karen Klein speaks during an interview, Thursday, in Greece, N.Y. A video of four seventh-grade boys mercilessly taunting the 68-year-old Klein that went viral has turned the victim into an international fundraising juggernaut and opened her tormentors to an onslaught of threats and abuse.

AP

Enlarge

The horror of ruthless bullying reduced a 68-year-old bus monitor in upstate New York to tears and made the video of her torment viral on the Internet. It may also have been a tipping point for the growing phenomenon known as crowdfunding.

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The plight of Karen Klein, the bus monitor in Greece, N.Y. who was shown crying as some middle schoolers taunted her mercilessly, shocked millions of viewers who saw the video after it was posted on YouTube Tuesday, and prompted a Canadian man to turn to the crowdfunding website IndieGoGo.

"As soon as I heard of Karen Huff Klein I had to create a fundraiser here for this nice lady,? Max Sidorov wrote on the fundraising page he set up for Ms. Klein. ?Let?s give Karen a vacation of a lifetime, let?s show her the power of the internets and how kind and generous people can be.?

Mr. Sidorov, who reportedly lives in Ontario, could not be immediately reached for further comment.

The result was an unprecedented deluge of money from people mainly appalled by the students? bullying. As of Friday, the campaign had raised nearly $600,000, and the crush of interest from around the world had slowed down the website to the point that it had appeared the servers had crashed. IndieGoGo says never had one of its causes raised so much money in such a short time.

?The world has never seen such a convergence of social media, communication, transparency, and connection. That?s what crowdfunding is,? says Slava Rubin, a co-founder of the San Francisco-based company. ?What has happened in the 48 hours is absolutely remarkable.?

The concept of crowdfunding is a close cousin to the better-known term crowdsourcing: tapping into a mass of knowledge by using the Internet to find users of, say, Facebook or Yelp or Cats.com. From there, it?s a small evolution to using the Internet to garner money from farflung individuals, something that only really became possible with technology in the late 1990s to facilitate business transactions and to transfer money easily and safely, with websites like PayPal and Amazon and eBay.

In the past half-decade, the idea of using the Internet and crowds of otherwise unconnected people to raise money has steadily gained traction. Musicians, writers, and filmmakers use crowdfunding to persuade people to chip in a few dollars here and there to record albums, write books, or make films. Philanthropists have used the concept to generate interest and funding for orphans in third-world countries. Entrepreneurs have used it to raise money for new devices or video games. One couple used IndieGoGo to raise money for a medical procedure to help them get pregnant.

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Getting Direction In Rapidly Solutions Of wulinshen - studentsineurope

With far more people each and every year turning to all-natural or alternative therapies, the usage of purely natural rest aids is increasing. It is really not surprising due to the fact substitute and holistic wellbeing methods are easily becoming portion on the mainstream. Actually, more folks are applying pure solutions each year, along with the percentage has been growing steadily about the last a few decades.

Insomnia is probably the most common complaints health professionals listen to from their patients, but most are hesitant to prescribe sleeping capsules as a result of likely facet results and also other complications of their use. This is certainly in sharp contrast on the way wherein sleeping aids are pushed by producers. You cannot get by way of a night of television programming without the need of viewing an advertisement for a minimum of an individual prescription or around the counter rest medicine.

Purely natural Sleeping Aids are Element from the Holistic Wellbeing Motion

Holistic healthcare focuses not simply on the signs or symptoms, although the root of our healthcare issues, and that is why it truly is exceptionally well known with young family members who will be savvy about their wellness. Relatively than just temporarily masking a symptom (sleeplessness) with yet another symptom (drugged snooze), pure sleeping aids concentrate on why you can?t sleep. A normal sleep support should help you take it easy should you be tense or that will help reduce stress should you be overly stressed. The two tension and strain are typical triggers of sleeplessness in adults.

Men and women favor natural remedies for his or her insufficient side results in addition. Even though many sleeping pills contain components which will trigger allergic or adverse reactions, natural sleeping aids seldom if actually bring about an issue. These are derived from all-natural plant extracts or are substances (such as melatonin) that our very own bodies obviously create. To the exact same causes, you will not turn into hooked on a normal sleeping help. You can use one particular assuming that vital, and whenever you not need it, you?ll sleep high-quality without having assist and with no unpredicted facet results.

Natural Sleeping Aids are Gentler

Probably the most frequent ingredients in normal slumber aids contain Valerian and Lemon Balm, two plant derived components that are light towards your belly and central nervous technique. You could utilize them to help you chill out, unwind and put together your thoughts for rest devoid of waking up with all the groggy, unfocused hangover that lots of folks working experience from prescription snooze aids, which regularly have narcotics or other severe drugs.

It really is also awesome to learn it is possible to maintain a organic sleep support available for whenever chances are you?ll need it. Many of us don?t have insomnia on a regular basis, so we don?t see our health professionals in regards to the difficulty. If you sometimes working experience sleeplessness, having said that, you do not need to be lying awake all evening, staring at the ceiling simply because you did not know you?ll want a sleep help on that exact evening. You?ll be able to obtain purely natural rest aids from any most significant pharmacies, online or from a health and fitness meals store. This way, any time you might have hassle falling asleep, you do have a gentle, effective method to reduce the challenge with out waiting around for your doctor?s appointment.

Look at a mix Strategy

You?ll be able to securely incorporate over just one normal slumber aid like xylaria nigripes for maximum outcome in case you know what quantities to choose of each and every one. The truth is, you will find now numerous versions on the current market that have been designed by holistic health and fitness practitioners and medical practitioners that have presently finished this for your needs. Quite possibly the most successful kinds typically contain a blend of Melatonin, Valerian and Lemon Balm. This distinctive mixture relieves stress, induces relaxation and allows to reset your own private internal biological clock ? all of which contribute to falling asleep more quickly and at the good time.

If you need to get rid of insomnia without pumping yourself filled with possibly addictive or tough prescriptions, search for all all-natural ingredients during the sleep aid you end up picking. Through the use of a purely natural sleep assist, you shield equally your whole body and also your snooze. This article on wulinshen was written by Ryan l. Weston.

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Lacto-Fermented Squash Salsa & Creative @ Home Wednesday ...

Summer means one thing in our area?squash. Since there are plenty, there?s plenty to experiment with. I?ve really been getting into lacto-fermentation lately and so I thought why not lacto-ferment squash. My husband suggested we try a Squash Salsa, my youngest calls it Squasha?lol! We?re all still getting use to the lacto-fermented taste. I think it?s a bit of a required taste, but each new thing we try, we?re liking more and more. This actually turned out pretty good, a bit salty, which can always be rinsed off before serving. I think my husband is going to really like it though. I?m just kind of so-so about it, but I?m not that crazy about yellow squash, unless it?s cooked into something. So here is the recipe

4 yellow crookneck squash, chopped
1 onion, chopped
6 jalapenos, chopped
1 cup water
1/2 tbsp. real salt
4 tbsp. whey
Pure water

Chop all the vegetable into small chunks. Stuff down into a wide-mouth quart canning jar, leaving 1 inch head-space. In a bowl, mix together the 1 cup water, salt and whey. Pour over the vegetables in the jar. Add additional pure water if you need more liquid. Leave 1 inch head-space. Use a rubber spatula to release any air bubbles in the jar. Put the lid on and let sit out on the counter for 2 days. Refrigerate and enjoy!

How are you using up all your summer squash?
Please share your great ideas and tips!
You may leave your comments below and I appreciate you reading Finding Beauty!

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Creative @ Home Wednesday is a weekly Link-Up Party all about those creative things you do at home! We are looking for all your creative posts, crafts/hobbies, food/cooking/recipes, home decor/remodel, fun & games for the kids, homemaking, etc. If it?s creative, we want you to share it! Please join in the fun and do a little blog hopping! This is a fun way to discover new blogs and make some new friends. Leave a link to ANY AND ALL of your creative blog posts

Instructions:

1. Post a link to your creative posts to the linky below. Simply click on the text link that says: You are next? Click here to enter
2. Enter your DIRECT link to the post you wish to share and fill out the remaining information requested.
3. You may enter as many links as you desire.
4. You MAY link to other link-ups, giveaways, and reviews..
5. Once you post a link to your blog post, please place a text link or use the graphic below to link back to the Creative @ Home Link-Up Party. You should have a link to this link-up part on EACH post you share here.
6. Be sure to also click ?like? on any article you liked to vote for that article. I will be featuring the most popular articles next week on the blog and my Facebook page!
7. Have fun! I can?t wait to see what links you leave behind!

If you would like to use the graphic below, simply cut and paste the html coding out of the box below the graphics to quickly link back to here.

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'Apologizing for America': Finally the Parties Can Agree! (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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

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The Dry Ice 'Snowflakes' of Mars

There is a place called the "Dry Valleys" high in the Antartic mountains that is considered the best terrestrial proxy for Martian conditions. There has been no rain or snowfall there for two million years and it can get cold enough for dry ice to form (whether it does or not I don't know). Of course it has a denser and different atmosphere, but like Mars the humidity is for all practical purposes zero.

From the oblig. WP article: "The unique conditions in the Dry Valleys are caused, in part, by katabatic winds; these occur when cold, dense air is pulled downhill by the force of gravity. The winds can reach speeds of 320 kilometres per hour (200 mph), heating as they descend, and evaporating all water, ice and snow." Note that it states the ice "evaporates", as with Mars, water ice normally sublimates directly into the atmosphere rather than running off as melt water. Despite having similar tempratures and moisture levels to those found on Mars the WP page lists two groups of bacteria that are native to the area. One group lives inside granite the other underneath a glacier that protrudes into one of the valleys.

Life is incredibly durable, once it takes hold of a planet I find it hard to believe that anything short of a Venutian style "runaway greenhouse" will erase it. If life did once take hold of Mars in the distant past then I think it follows that it is still there,most probably just below the surface.

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AMA not happy about mammogram guidelines

CHICAGO ? Recent recommendations on breast cancer and prostate cancer screening made by a government-appointed panel did not include enough input from experts in treating these cancers, doctors said here today (June 19).

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The American Medical Association voted today to officially express concern over the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommendations on mammography and prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing.

"We have concerns that adequate input from specialists in these areas is not given or enlisted," when the task force makes its recommendations, said Dr. Robert Hughes, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York.

In 2009, the task force recommended women receive regular mammograms starting at age 50, going against the common practice of screening women beginning at age 40. And recently, the task force recommended against PSA testing for men altogether.

Hughes said that doctors' reactions to these recommendations have been "outrage, disappointment, frustration [and] sadness."

"They put undo emphasis on possible risks, without adequately emphasizing the obvious benefits of early screening," which include early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, Hughes said.

The task force has said the risks of screening, which include unnecessary tests and anxiety caused by false-positive results, do not outweigh their benefits. In addition, the task force said evidence shows men who receive prostate cancer screening do not live longer than men who don't receive screening.

Doctors here said the task force does not have enough input from specialists when making its recommendations.

The new AMA policy says the organizations should encourage task force "to implement procedures that allow for meaningful input on recommendation development from specialists and stakeholders in the topic area under study."

The task force does hold a comment period for their recommendations, but some doctors feel these periods are not enough, and do not adequately engage medical specialists societies, Hughes said.

More from MyHealthNewsDaily:

10 Do's and Don'ts to Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

Are Mammograms Needed in Your 40s? Study Reignites Debate

5 Things You Should Know About Prostate Cancer

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The (W) - Rap & Hip-Hop Music Reviews, News & Interviews ...

If you missed any of the new reviews including Kool Keith's "Love & Danger" then do yourself a favor and check out this week's edition of the (W)rap Up!Kool Keith :: Love & Danger
Junkadelic Music
Author: Steve 'Flash' Juon

"When listening to the second track of Kool Keith's brand new album "Love & Danger" entitled "You Love That," it's entirely open to interpretation if Keith is celebrating oversized women who love to eat or mocking their obesity. Needless to say, not every rapper will come to a woman by saying "I'll lace you with that Dannon yogurt." If you expect clearer explanations of what's going on, then you should know right now you've got the wrong rapper. Keith Thornton remains as inscrutable in 2012 as ever. In a career that now spans four different decades, he's been lyrically ahead of his time and a sex obsssed pervert, exhibited multiple personality disorder, and even been incomprehensibly whack at times - but never boring or average. Kool Keith is probably the only person in hip-hop who can get away with the line "Can I have my own autograraph pleeeeease?" in a song like "New York" and have it make perfect sense. On any given day, he may not even know who he is, which is his gift to hip-hop. Make no mistake though, his is a carefully calculated madness with a specific method behind it.DJ Junkaz Lou falls into that rare category of producers who could give Keith a diamond clarity lens to focus his laser beam raps through. Keith is often his own worst enemy, as his self-made audio experiments are often insufferable noise, over which he delivers songs lacking in any recognizeable structure."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_06F_loveanddanger.html

Big K.R.I.T. :: Live From the Underground :: Def Jam
as reviewed by Emanuel Wallace

"Reading those lines from 2005 now almost seems prophetic, but that was the attitude that Big K.R.I.T. has always seemed to inject into his music. Most of the world, self included, didn't really take notice of him until 2010's "K.R.I.T. Wuz Here," but Krizzle was doing his thing way before then. Years prior, K.R.I.T. dared the world to picture him being a success with his "See Me On Top" and "See Me On Top II" mixtapes. It was a pretty lofty goal, being that Justin Scott was only 18 years old at the time, but he remained focused. Back then, K.R.I.T. was still developing his voice and the sounds of others that certainly influenced him could be heard in his flow. Southern legends like T.I., Juicy J, MJG and even a bit of Pastor Troy definitely appear to have left their mark on the younger BK, as he then sometimes would call himself. On the production side, Kritikal was the name and the beats weren't always as soulful as they can be now. On the other hand, many of his beats had a Hypnotized Minds feel to them, so there were always glimmers of his potential. For example, "Just Touched Down" first appeared on "See Me On Top II" before undergoing several tweaks both lyric and production-wise before the release of "K.R.I.T. Wuz Here." With that release, the internet world began buzzing about a dude from Mississippi that wasn't David Banner and sounded a hell of a lot like Pimp C. I usually don't feed into hype but on a whim, I decided to give the project a listen. Honestly, initially I gave K.R.I.T. a chance because of where exactly in Mississippi he was from. Meridian is not far from the state line at all and I have family on the other side of that line over in Alabama. When I visit down there, we go to Meridian to do our shopping at the Bonita Lakes Mall. I've taken photos at the Bonita Lakes Park. Very nice place."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_06_livefromtheunderground.html

various artists :: Hip Hop Mix USA (Mixed by DJ Woogie) :: Phase One Music
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon

"It's time for a summer mix - the weather is getting hella hot, the line to get ice cream is getting long, and the pools are packed full of teenagers as the opening night of The Hunger Games. People need some party tunes they can get their dance moves on to, and "Hip Hop Mix USA (Mixed by DJ Woogie)" aims to be your summer lick of chocolate, vanilla or swirl. It's fifteen songs made for the dance floor, and if you buy the physical version of this album it even comes with an instructional DVD showing you how to do the dances some of these songs made famous. Let's stop daydreaming like Rae, Meth, Cap and Ghost though and come back for two scoops in a minute - there's some actual factuals to get through about this mix. There are 15 songs in total, and even though you can chapter your way to individual hits if you like, it's presented as one continous mix you can play from start to finish at your dance party/social gathering. The woman showing off her curves and moves on the cover may not be PG, but the mix itself is - no advisory sticker and no explicit versions of the songs on hurr. For these tracks the lyrics are somewhat secondary to the beat and dance anyway though. You might know the difference between the two versions of "Teach Me How to Dougie," but I guarantee if you're getting your D-Town boogie on, it doesn't matter. "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_06_hiphopmixusa.html

58Beats presents :: Wor(l)d Connects Vol. 1 :: 58Beats/Groove Attack
as reviewed by Matt Jost

"Yeah so technically this is billed to 58Beats, but effectively "Wor(l)d Connects Vol. 1" is somewhat of a follow-up to Glam's "Laceration," which we covered in 2007. As 58Beats' in-house producer he crafted all the tracks on the label's latest release. The difference is that this time around the global connections were established through Urban Vibes, a concert series taking place in Munich since 2006 that aims to showcase urban music from all four corners of the world. Urban Vibes is an official event held under the auspices of the city, more precisely Munich's Department of Arts and Culture, sub-sections Cultural Education/International Relations/Urban Cultures. Glam and crew stick to hip-hop, but they demonstrate diversity on plenty levels. Senegalese rap veterans are featured back to back on track one and two. With someone chatting in patois over a funky, bouncy beat, "Who We Are" could be mistaken for a Kardinal Offishall track first, but the French and German raps that follow mean that Dakar's Pee Froisss are joined by David Pe, rapper for Glam's group Main Concept. Characterizing his vocabulary as regional yet his language as global, David Pe affirms that the whole 58Beats posse can get behind a project like this. "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_06_worldconnectsvol1.html

Clams Casino :: Instrumental Mixtape 2 :: {self-released}
as reviewed by Patrick Taylor

"There are two divergent trends in hip-hop production these days. On the one hand you have producers getting noisier and noisier. Death Grips, El-P, and Bigg Jus have all put out albums in the past few months that sound a little bit like a robot getting into a fight with a laundry machine and electric guitar. These artists are making beats that are chaotic and cacophonous, as soothing as a root canal and as peaceful as an explosion. On the other hand, you have artists like Blue Sky Black Death and Clams Casino who are making music that has more in common with ambient electronica than funk or jazz. Clams Casino has made a name for himself as the go-to producer for Lil B and A$ap Rocky. He has just released his second instrumental mixtape. Volume 2 sees Clams Casino continuing to build on and expand the sounds he worked with on his first instrumental mixtape. There are lots of ethereal synths and re-worked female vocals. He combines these elements with banging bass, skittering hi-hats, and snapping snares. It's Dirty South mixed with Bristol trip-hop, and it works as well here as it did on the first installment. It's not all mellow, however. He mixes things up on Squadda B's "Kissing on My Syrup," which has pulsing synths and driving snares. "Palace" is about as close to Lex Luger as Clams Casino is going to get, adding a vocal chorus to make music that is both bombastic and pretty. "Bass" trades on staccato synth bursts, and "Angels" combines blown-out bass and a woman's voice to create a beat that is both peaceful and energetic."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_06_clamsmixtape2.html

Jesse Abraham & PremRock :: Live at Southpaw :: DJ Booth
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon

"Jesse Abraham and PremRock got together for a live set in August of 2011, and as so often happens at live concerts, someone there in the venue was recording the show. Thankfully in this case it didn't turn wind up as a poor quality bootleg of a bootleg sold secondhand on eBay. Abraham and Prem set up their OWN recording equipment. "Live at Southpaw" captured the sound of the live raps so clearly it could almost be mistaken for an in-studio recording session. Wait - is that necessarily a good thing? I'm certainly not praising the audio quality of a third generation concert bootleg, but by the same token if you're going to capture what it means to be "live" it has to sound a little dirty. On "JA Medley" they have to encourage the audience to make MORE noise just so you can get the feeling there's somebody in the room with them. The audio sounds slightly distorted by the microphones and amplifiers, but in 2012 we know it's possible to create that effect in the studio, as numerous Beastie Boys albums have shown us over the years. (R.I.P. Adam Yauch.) Sometimes it's the belching of drunk audience members, random haters yelling shit at the stage, and miscues as the performer misses a word or a beat that helps you grab that "live" sound by the throat. By the end of the "JA Medley" they do get that right, as Abraham does his own live cover of the OutKast classic "Bombs Over Baghdad." You can hear that a FEW members of the audience got that it was a call and response song, but the volume of silence as most of them don't sing along with the chorus is almost deafening. That's a live show - when you try something as an experiment and it doesn't work, but nevertheless you suck it up and continue for the packed venue."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_06_liveatsouthpaw.html

Koolade :: Koolade Beats Rocky :: Blackout Entertainment
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon

"Even if the name "Rocky" wasn't in the title of this album, the lyrics of the above track would have hipped you to the fact this Koolade album is all the way live to 2-1-5. There's an interesting twist to this Phillie Blunt though. As Maylay notes in the opening to "Philly Morning" this album is "all world, West Philly to Zagreb [...] even out in Croatia they feel this shit." Say word? Word son, because that's where Koolade comes from. The man behind some of your favorite songs from Masta Ace, Styles P and Ghostface Killah hails from the biggest little country in Europe, a land of proud people with big balls who drink Oujsko beer and sing about how their soldiers once marched all the way to Paris. The next time you have to put on a three piece suit for a classy function, you can thank them for introducing Parisyans to the style of wearing neckties. (I learned all this from an episode of Zane Lamprey's "Three Sheets.") Getting back on track though, Koolade has decided for the first time in 15 years to create an album of his own, and in keeping with that length, he's created a 15 song release that's styled after the 15 rounds that Rocky Balboa boxes in his title fights on the Hollywood screen. As you'd expect the instrumentals of Bill Conti factor heavily into this CD, which may in part be why this album was given away as a free download. Somehow though I lucked into a hard copy of the album though, and even though it only came in a CD sleeve, it has a professionally printed insert and disc artwork. If it weren't for the high cost of clearing these samples, you'd probably find this one at retail stores somewhere near you. "

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_06_kooladebeatsrocky.html

Stretch Money :: 25 Miles Per Hour :: Hot Lava Records
as reviewed by Mike Baber

"Like many underground rappers today, Stretch Money sees a problem with the current state of mainstream hip-hop. After growing up listening to legends such as Biggie, Nas, and Tupac, Stretch reminisces on the days when hip-hop had "substance" and attempts to steer it back in the right direction with his sophomore album "25 Miles Per Hour," inspired by both his love for the music and his struggles growing up in a single-parent household in Detroit. Of course, while this sounds good in theory, it takes more than just grit and determination to make it in hip-hop, and while it is evident that Stretch Money possesses both these qualities, absent from his latest release is the lyrical prowess and complexity ? the substance ? that is necessary to warrant significant replay value. The lyrical shortcomings are evident from the opening track, "Work of Art," as Stretch Money gives the listener a window into his personal life and his career trying to make it in the rap game, voicing his frustration with the hardships he encounters along the way. While Stretch succeeds in getting his message across, the lyrics are very straightforward and lack the clever wordplay or intricate rhyme scheme necessary to set him apart from any number of similarly situated artists with the same story."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2012_06_25milesperhour.html

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Facebook Did Not Confirm Hyper-Local Mobile Ad Product, But Here?s How It Would Target You

Facebook may one day let advertisers target mobile users based on their exact current location, but VP Carloyn Everson did not confirm that such a product is in the works to Bloomberg, Facebook tells me. The New York media company misinterpreted statements from Everson, who merely said you could imagine the product evolution afforded by a mobile phone's location awareness. So we won't say Facebook is "readying" such a product, but that doesn't mean it won't emerge eventually. let's imagine how it could look. Real-time hyper-local Facebook advertising could allow local businesses to advertise to people in sight of their brick-and-mortar store, or let travel companies target people when they're away from their home city. And competition to reach those out-and-about users could drive up ad prices and earn Facebook more money.

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Sandusky defense: Police gave details to accusers

Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky arrives at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Sandusky is charged with 51 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a period of 15 years. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky arrives at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Sandusky is charged with 51 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a period of 15 years. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky arrives at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Sandusky is charged with 51 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a period of 15 years. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky arrives at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Sandusky is charged with 51 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a period of 15 years. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky arrives at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Sandusky is charged with 51 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a period of 15 years. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Dorothy Sandusky, wife of former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky arrives at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., Tuesday, June 19, 2012. Jerry Sandusky is charged with 51 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a period of 15 years. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) ? Defense attorneys in Jerry Sandusky's child sex-abuse trial suggested in their questioning Tuesday that investigators shared details among accusers that led to evolving accounts of abuse.

The defense also called more witnesses who lauded the former Penn State assistant football coach's reputation as an upstanding citizen, but defense attorney Joe Amendola had sharp questions for two state police investigators who interviewed alleged victims.

Amendola questioned the investigators about what details they shared during those interviews, in particular with the accuser known in court papers as Victim 4.

Amendola asked retired Cpl. Joseph Leiter if, in the course of investigating Sandusky, whether they told interviewees about others who had stepped forward and asked if they had been abused by Sandusky.

"In some of our interviews ... we did tell them," he said.

Asked why, Leiter said it was to let possible victims know they were not alone.

"Each of these accusers was very, very seriously injured, and very concerned, and we had told them ? especially prior to going to the grand jury ? that they wouldn't be alone, that there were others," Leiter said.

Leiter said that did not include sharing individual accusers' recollections of abuse, such as specific sex acts.

"We never told them what anyone else had ever told us," he said.

But Amendola later read Leiter portions of an interview transcript in which the investigator told the victim others had reported abuse that progressed to oral sex.

Meanwhile, another witness told jurors she knew Victim 4 through her brother and that he had a reputation for "dishonesty and embellished stories." The woman, who said her brother was the alleged victim's best friend, is an Iraq war veteran who suffered a brain injury before she was discharged.

The defense also called former New York Jets linebacker Lance Mehl, who played for the Nittany Lions in the 1970s.

"We all looked up to him as a class act," Mehl said when Amendola asked him about Sandusky's reputation.

Earlier Tuesday, Amendola told reporters to "stay tuned" to find out if Sandusky would take the stand himself, comparing the case to a soap opera. Asked which soap opera, defense attorney Joe Amendola initially said "General Hospital," then "All My Children."

Sandusky is charged with 51 criminal counts related to 10 alleged victims over a 15-year span. He's accused of engaging in illegal sexual contact ranging from fondling to forced oral and anal sex.

Prosecutors rested their case Monday after presenting 21 witnesses, including eight who said they had been assaulted by Sandusky. The identities of two other alleged victims are unknown to investigators.

Remaining possible defense witnesses include Sandusky's wife, Dottie, and an expert who could discuss whether Sandusky has "histrionic personality disorder," which experts have called a personality disorder characterized by inappropriate sexual behavior and erratic emotions.

The list of potential witnesses also includes a physician who spoke with key prosecution witness Mike McQueary the night he said he saw Sandusky attack a child in a football team shower in 2001, and members of former football coach Joe Paterno's family, although it was unclear how they might fit into the defense case or whether they will be called.

Attorneys retained by the accusers say they've also received subpoenas to testify.

Sandusky's arrest led the university trustees to fire Paterno as coach in November, saying his response to the 2001 report from McQueary showed a lack of leadership. Paterno died of cancer in January.

Associated Press

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