MIDEAST STOCKS-Gulf mkts mixed but bulls dominate in Q2; Egypt rises

By Nadia Saleem

DUBAI (Reuters) - Gulf bourses were mixed on Sunday and for the month of June but bulls ran ahead in the second quarter, outperforming frontier peers and a poor performance on emerging markets, as attractive valuations and strong economic outlook spurred buying.

Egypt's bourse however, rose to a near-three-week high on Sunday in very thin trading but posted its third consecutive quarterly loss as bears dominated amid escalating political tensions.

Markets in the United Arab Emirates were the strongest gainers for the quarter as a partial recovery in property prices triggered positive sentiment among investors.

Government spending plans and a buoyant tourist industry have added their weight to the healthy economic outlook.

Speculative buying also propelled the market ahead of the mid-June announcement by index compiler MSCI that it would upgrade the UAE and Qatar to emerging market status.

Dubai's index, flat on Sunday, rose 21.5 percent in the second quarter and Abu Dhabi's benchmark added 0.3 percent to push its quarterly gain to 17.4 percent - its best performance since the third quarter of 2009.

"The markets have to correct during the summer and Ramadan (Muslim month of fasting) but expect a comeback if the global scene is benign," said Ali Adou, portfolio manager at The National Investor.

Strong tourism numbers in Dubai and a potential for the emirate to secure the right to host Expo 2020, along with heavy infrastructure investments in Abu Dhabi, underpin a bullish outlook for the UAE, he added.

Qatar's index slipped 0.3 percent on Sunday, trimming its quarterly rise to 8.1 percent - but still outperforming the last nine quarters. Investors bought bluechips that lagged regional peers, which had rallied in the opening half of the year, with sentiment further buoyed by an MSCI upgrade.

In Saudi Arabia, the benchmark slipped 0.1 percent, but closed the quarter up 5.2 percent. Growth concerns for Saudi banks and petrochemical shares have kept the market from matching the rally experienced by other regional exchanges.

BY comparison, Morgan Stanley's emerging market index lost 9.1 percent in the second quarter and its frontier market index ticked up 0.7 percent.

In Kuwait, the index dropped 1.8 percent as investors adjusted their portfolios at the end of the quarter, said Fouad Darwish, head of brokerage at Global Investment House. However, the market still rose 15.6 percent in the second quarter, mainly driven by retail investor interest.

Elsewhere, foreign investors lifted Egypt's bourse to a near-three-week high ahead of anti-government protests on Sunday but trading volumes were thin as many investors opted to stay out of the high-risk market.

Opponents of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi have planned protests on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of him taking office. Major rallies were not expected before late afternoon and streets in major cities were quiet as the working week resumed.

The index climbed 1.4 percent to its highest finish since June 11 but recorded its worst monthly performance since November 2012.

Foreign investors were net buyers, against local and Arab sellers, according to bourse data. Foreign funds often buy Egyptian stocks when political tensions are high, expecting the market to recover in following sessions. But thin volumes suggest very few optimistic bets are being placed.

"Investors are shying away with a wait-and-see approach, bearing in mind the risk involved in today's possible outcome," said Mohamed Radwan, director of international sales at Pharos Securities.

SUNDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

DUBAI

* The index ended flat at 2,223 points.

ABU DHABI

* The index gained 0.3 percent to 3,551 points.

QATAR

* The index slipped 0.3 percent to 9,276 points.

SAUDI ARABIA

* The index dipped 0.1 percent to 7,497 points.

KUWAIT

* The index fell 1.8 percent to 7,773 points.

EGYPT

* The index rose 1.4 percent to 4,752 points.

OMAN

* The index ticked up 0.07 percent to 6,338 points.

BAHRAIN

* The index eased 0.08 percent to 1,188 points. (Editing by David French)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mideast-stocks-gulf-mkts-mixed-bulls-dominate-q2-143120854.html

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AP PHOTOS: Images of the western US heat wave

AAA??Jun. 29, 2013?5:56 AM ET
AP PHOTOS: Images of the western US heat wave
By The Associated Press??By The Associated Press

A jet looks like it is melting into the runway as it is distorted by the heat waves rising up from the north runway at Sky Harbor International Airport, Friday, June 28, 2013, the hottest day of the year so far. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Tom Tingle) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES

A jet looks like it is melting into the runway as it is distorted by the heat waves rising up from the north runway at Sky Harbor International Airport, Friday, June 28, 2013, the hottest day of the year so far. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Tom Tingle) MARICOPA COUNTY OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES

Elephants at Utah's Hogle Zoo are cooled off with a water hose Friday, June 28, 2013, in Salt lake City. The heat wave that is gripping the western U.S. is one of the worst in years, with desert locations in the Southwest seeing temperatures approach 120 degrees. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Michael Jackson impersonator Juan Carlos Gomez drinks some water as he takes a break from posing for photos with tourists along The Strip, Friday, June 28, 2013 in Las Vegas. A blazing heat wave expected to send the mercury soaring to nearly 120 degrees in Phoenix and Las Vegas settled over the West on Friday, threatening to ground airliners and raising fears that people and pets will get burned on the scalding pavement. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Ten-year-old Easton Martin, of Mesa, Ariz., stops to cool off in a misting fan while walking along The Strip with his family, Friday, June 28, 2013 in Las Vegas. A blazing heat wave expected to send the mercury soaring to nearly 120 degrees in Phoenix and Las Vegas settled over the West on Friday, threatening to ground airliners and raising fears that people and pets will get burned on the scalding pavement. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Bess, an orangutan at the Phoenix Zoo, keeps cool under a wet sheet and a hose, Friday, June 28, 2013 in Phoenix. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Dangerously hot temperatures are expected across the Arizona deserts throughout the week with a high of 118 Friday. (AP Photo/Matt York)

A heat wave across the western U.S. was so punishing that rangers took up positions at trailheads at Lake Mead in Nevada to persuade people not to hike. Zookeepers in Phoenix hosed down the elephants and fed tigers frozen fish snacks. Dogs were at risk of burning their paws on scorched pavement, and airlines kept close watch on the heat for fear that it could cause flights to be delayed.

Here are pictures of the heat wave:

___

Follow AP photographers and photo editors on Twitter: http://apne.ws/15Oo6jo

Associated Press

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Stocks sag, but Dow logs best first half of year since 1999

stocks

JeeYeon Park CNBC

3 hours ago

The Dow and S&P 500 dropped on Friday as investors were reluctant to jump in following a three-day rally, but major averages still capped the volatile quarter with gains.

Stocks finished lower for the month of June, logging their first monthly drop this year. But all three major averages logged their third winning quarter in four. And so far for the year, the Dow has surged more than 14 percent, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq have spiked more than 13 percent each.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 114.89 points to close at 14,909.60, pulling back after logging its third-straight day higher. Still, the Dow posted its strongest first half of the year since 1999.

The S&P 500 fell 6.92 points to finish at 1,606.28. The S&P 500 logged its best first half performance since 1998. The Nasdaq eked out a gain of 1.38 points to end at 3,403.25.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, finished unchanged below 17.

For the quarter, the Dow rose 2.27 percent, the S&P 500 climbed 2.36 percent, and the Nasdaq soared 4.15 percent. Microsoft was the best performer for the quarter on the Dow, while IBM tumbled.

Financials topped the S&P 500 sector gainers in the second quarter, while utilities lagged.

Stocks initially opened in negative territory after Fed Governor Jeremy Stein highlighted the upcoming September policy meeting as a possible time when the central bank may need to consider paring back its QE program, adding that the Fed consider the overall economic improvements since it launched the stimulus instead of giving undue weight to the most recent round of tepid economic data.

(Read More: Buckle Up! Expect More Market Volatility This Year)

Stein's comments contradicted comments from other Fed policymakers who have suggested the central bank will bide its time before scaling back its bond purchases.

Menawhile, Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker said markets should brace for more volatility as they digest news the Fed will scale back bond buying later this year, but the swings will not derail growth. Lacker said he expects U.S. growth to remain around 2 percent for the "foreseeable future."

(Read More:Fed Out in Force as Markets Stabilize)

On the economic front, business activity index in the Midwest fell in June to 51.6 from 58.7 in May, according to the Institute for Supply Management-Chicago. A Reuters survey of economists on average expected a median reading of 56.0 in June versus the May figure of 58.7.

Meanwhile, consumer sentiment improved in late June, with the final reading on the overall index at 84.1, above the preliminary reading of 82.7, according to Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the final June reading of 82.8.

Japan's benchmark stock index hit a three-week high on the heels of positive economic reports that include much stronger than expected industrial output and retail sales numbers.

"We had better job market numbers, better production numbers, and even consumer prices are picking up. So data-wise, today is a pretty good day for Japan," said Takuji Okubo, principal and chief economist at Japan Macro Advisors.

Traders will closely watch gold prices, as the precious metal dipped below a key level of $1,200 per ounce. Analysts warned that miners could be severely affected if prices remain this low.

(Read More: Three Reasons Gold Will Go to $800)

? 2013 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved

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Champion News | Sen. Cruz Proposes Amendment to Prevent ...

Sen. Ted Cruz exposed and tried to stop a provision in the Senate version of the Immigration Bill that actually penalizes businesses $5,000 for hiring citizens and legal immigrants, while there is no penalty for hiring those with Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI).

?I filed an amendment that would have corrected one of the most egregious aspects of the gang of eight bill as it intersects with Obamacare legislation, namely a penalty imposed on U.S. employers for hiring U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. This bill says if an employer hires a citizen or a legal immigrant, the IRS can impose a $5,000 penalty on that employer. But if the employer instead hires someone with RPI status, that penalty will go away. That is utterly and completely indefensible,? Sen. Cruz said.

See full transcript and press release at Cruz.Senate.Gov?

Source: http://www.championnews.net/blog/2013/06/28/sen-cruz-proposes-amendment-to-prevent-penalty-for-hiring-citizens-and-legal-immigrants/

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Methane in Pennsylvania Groundwater May Originate in Fracked Gas Wells

Are natural gas wells in northeastern Pennsylvania contaminating the groundwater supply? Some researchers think so. Scientists at Duke University detected elevated levels of methane, ethane and propane in groundwater samples near active fracking sites. The scientists conclude that the gasses come from the wells, not natural sources, but that the problem could be solved with better-designed casings. "We think there's a well-integrity problem in this part of the Marcellus,? says Robert Jackson, a professor at Duke and lead author on the paper describing the findings. "And well problems are relatively easily fixed. They?re especially easier to fix than if there's some fundamental problem with fracking." Hydraulic fracturing?more commonly referred to as fracking?extracts natural gas reserves that are unreachable by conventional techniques. The process requires drilling wells thousands of meters down and then blasting them with a mix of water, sand and chemicals to induce fractures in the underlying rock. Gas seeps through these fractures and flows back up the well where it is captured. But if the wells aren?t properly sealed, then gas can leak into the groundwater. The wells are lined with metal casings that prevent extracted gas and contaminated water from leaching into the surrounding rock. To block gas from flowing up the outside of the well shaft, engineers pour cement around the outer casing to plug any gaps. If the cement or casing isn?t properly set, then gas from deep shale deposits can find its way in to shallow groundwater. If the casing ruptures, fracking chemicals can also enter the water supply. The researchers sampled well water from 141 homes in six counties. Many of the samples contained methane, but those wells within one kilometer of a gas well showed concentrations six times higher than average. Ethane in those nearby homes was 23 times above that of homes farther away. Ten homes also showed traces of propane. The paper, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, builds on a previous study done in 2011. The researchers added 81 homes to their data and expanded their analysis to identify the source of the stray gases. There are many natural sources of methane, none of which have to do with fracking. Microbes, for example, produce methane as they break down organic matter. Shallow gas pockets also can find their way through underground fissures and into water supplies. But methane has a way of telling researchers where it came from. Its molecule consists of one carbon atom attached to four hydrogen atoms. But not all carbon atoms are alike; some are slightly heavier than others. These heavier flavors, or isotopes, of methane can tell scientists where the gas has been. Microbes, for example, favor lighter carbon atoms. Deep natural gas reserves, like the Marcellus shale, tend to be heavier. Isotope analysis showed gases that look like they come from the Marcellus Formation. The appearance of ethane and propane also rules out microbes as a source in some cases. Biological sources of methane do not produce ethane and propane. Beyond one kilometer from the gas wells the background level of ethane and propane is almost zero. But within that radius, the level jumps dramatically. ?Where we find higher methane concentrations,? Jackson explains, ?sometimes it looks like natural background, sometimes it looks like Marcellus gas. When it?s Marcellus gas, that points to a problem with well casings.? He points out that the elevated gas level is not a criticism of fracking itself, but it does suggest that there are well problems and that these need to be addressed. ?The place to start is well integrity.? Fred Baldassare, owner and senior geochemist at ECHELON Applied Geosciences Consulting, disagrees. ?I don?t get a really strong sense of where they collected the water samples from,? he says. Without that information, he explained, it is difficult to independently assess the Duke study?s conclusions. ECHELON investigates stray gas incidents for clients such as the Marcellus Shale Coalition and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Lisa Molofsky, an environmental geologist at GSI Environmental, a consulting group that works with industry to manage and assess environmental risk, echoes Baldassare?s concerns. "How were these water wells selected?" she asks. "Are these from people who are already concerned? If so, there is a high potential for selection bias." John Connor, president of GSI, also cautions against extrapolating to a wider problem. "They're making very broad statements about things that could be very local," he says, referring to other studies that do not show evidence for methane contamination on a wider scale. "If you happen to pick the one place where a meteor hit the planet, you'll think meteors hit all the time. Maybe they're just standing on the edge of a smoking crater." Connor and Molofsky wrote a report in 2011 for the Oil & Gas Journal that challenges Jackson?s findings. They find methane to be not only common in groundwater in northeastern Pennsylvania, but also more concentrated in valleys as opposed to higher elevations. They argue that geology, not compromised well casings, is to blame for methane contamination. Houston-based Cabot Oil & Gas Corp., owner of numerous wells in the Marcellus shale region, supported the research. "It's very important to talk about this candidly," Baldassare says. "There have been incidents related to gas well drilling, I'll be the first to admit that.? In 2009, for example, the town of Dimock, Pa, garnered attention when one water well exploded after an electric spark ignited methane in the water. Thirteen wells in the area showed dangerously high levels of a wide range of contaminants, including methane. "But from 2009 to 2013 the way the industry operates is like day and night. They're working hard to improve well integrity." Both Connor and Molofsky stress the importance of understanding the local geology and getting better baseline data. Whereas the ethane and propane data do seem to rule out a biological source, there are many ways natural gas can seep into the water supply. "It?s hard to say which hat a rabbit came from when all hats contain rabbits," Connor says. "We don't want to bash these guys,? Connor adds. ?No one has this really figured out. Papers like this are important in moving the ball forward. They're posing questions, important questions. It's helpful to the overall process." To move forward, researchers need water samples taken before wells are drilled. Pre-drilling data will establish a baseline for naturally occurring gases and help determine whether or not drilling is introducing methane into the water supply. Some of the homes in the Duke study were selected because they are in areas slated for wells in the next few years. "My motivation is to figure out why sometimes things go wrong and how to fix it," Jackson says. "We're not interested in shutting an industry down, we're interested in solving problems. We just want to make this better." ? Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.
? 2013 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/methane-pennsylvania-groundwater-may-originate-fracked-gas-wells-100000085.html

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Extreme weekend heat wave to scorch western US

Record hot temperatures beat down on parts of the country. NBC News' Chris Clackum reports.

By Daniel Arkin and M. Alex Johnson, NBC News

A wave of record-setting, life-threatening heat is expected to blaze across the West this weekend, with temperatures in some areas projected to top 120 degrees.

Death Valley, Calif., could even top 130 degrees Saturday through Monday, just below the world record high of 134 recorded there on July 10, 1913, The Weather Channel said.

---

The cause is a high pressure system that will scorch a long arm of the Southwest. Temperatures in Phoenix and Las Vegas are expected to soar into the triple digits, with temperatures hovering between 115 and 120 degrees. In western parts of Arizona, temperatures could reach 125.

Officials in Arizona warned residents to take precautions.

"If you get dizzy or lightheaded, those are some signs of dehydration. If you become confused, that's a real warning sign," Dr. Kevin Reilly of the University of Arizona Department of Emergency Medicine told NBC station KVOA of Tucson.

In Las Vegas, meanwhile, the National Weather Service warned of the potential for a "life-threatening heat event." Temperatures were expected to match those of a July 2005 heat wave when 17 people died in the Las Vegas Valley.

The extreme weather is expected to reach Reno, Nev., reach across Utah and stretch into Wyoming and Idaho, where forecasters are predicting potentially lethal hot spells. Triple-digit temperatures were forecast during Idaho's Special Olympics in Boise.

Matt York / AP

Runners take advantage of lower temperatures at sunrise Thursday in Mesa, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada and Arizona.

Organizers urged coaches to prepare their athletes.

"The basic stuff, wearing breathable, appropriate clothes, staying in the shade as much as possible, staying hydrated is obviously a big thing," Matt Caropino, director of sports and training for Special Olympics Idaho, told NBC station KTVB. "We've put in place some misters that we're going to have at our outdoor venues."

The National Weather Service advised people to keep tabs on signs of potentially lethal heat stroke.

"Heat stroke symptoms include an increase in body temperature, which leads to deliriousness, unconsciousness and red, dry skin," it said in a report. "Death can occur when body temperatures reach or exceed 106-107 degrees."

Los Angeles was forecast to peak between the upper 80s and the lower 90s Saturday as inland communities like Burbank edge toward the low 100s. Palm Springs, Calif., no stranger to steamy summers, may peak at 120 degrees, NBC station KMIR reported. Sweltering heat also is expected for the state's Central Valley, according to The Weather Channel.

Commercial airlines were also monitoring conditions because excessive heat can throw flights off course. The atmosphere becomes less dense in extremely high heat humidity, meaning there's less lift for airplanes ? calculations that have to be made individually for every type of aircraft.

Triple-digit heat forced several airlines to bring operations to a halt after Phoenix climbed to 122 degrees in June 1990.

Related:

'It's brutal out there': Weekend heat wave to bake western US

Alaska sweating through brutal blast of heat

Oppressive heat hits West as storms soak East

This story was originally published on Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:50 AM EDT

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Holmes to wear hidden harness anchored to floor

DENVER (AP) ? Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes will be restrained during his trial by wearing a harness under his clothes that will be anchored to the floor, the judge said Thursday.

Judge Carlos A. Samour Jr. also ruled the jury will not be sequestered during the trial, which is scheduled to start in February and is expected to take four months.

Holmes is accused of killing 12 people and injuring 70 others at a movie theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora in July.

He has worn heavy shackles on his wrists and ankles during pretrial hearings. His lawyers wanted him to be unshackled during the trial, saying the restraints would make him look guilty to the jury.

Samour said Holmes has to be restrained because he is charged with violent crimes. He said jurors won't see the harness, and the anchoring cable will blend in with computer cables at the defense table.

The judge ruled earlier that Holmes can wear civilian clothing at his trial.

Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to multiple charges of murder and attempted murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

Defense lawyers wanted the jury sequestered and wanted the jurors barred from having phones, laptop computers or any other electronics devices during the trial.

The judge said sequestration for such a long time would be costly and impractical, and would create an undue burden on jurors. He implied it also could prompt some prospective jurors to try to avoid the case.

However, Samour said he would allow defense lawyers to renew the request later if they think they have grounds to do so.

Denying jurors access to smartphones, computers, television sets and radios ? along with email and the Internet ? would be drastic and unfair, the judge said.

But he did rule jurors will not be allowed to have the devices in court or during deliberations.

Samour said he might seat as many as 12 alternate jurors ? an unusually large number ? in the event any of the 12 regular jurors is dismissed for hearing outside information or other reasons.

"The court cannot keep the jurors in a bubble, completely sealed off from the outside world," the judge said.

Samour has said 5,000 potential jurors will get a summons and that he expects 3,200 to 3,500 to respond.

Holmes' lawyers had also asked the judge to scale back the heavy security that has been present during 11 months of pretrial hearings, saying it would be "extraordinary and unnecessary" during the trial and would prejudice the jury against Holmes.

They also objected to deputies standing so close to Holmes in the courtroom that they could hear his conversations with his attorneys.

Eight Arapahoe County sheriff's deputies usually stand guard in the courtroom during hearings. Others watch from the rooftops of the two courthouse buildings and in the parking lot.

Samour said four of the deputies in the courtroom will wear uniforms during the trial, and any others will wear street clothes. He also said they will keep a reasonable distance from the defense table.

The judge overruled the defense objection to having deputies on the rooftops and in the parking lot, saying they're necessary to protect Holmes and the public.

Samour said Sheriff Grayson Robinson had agreed to the hidden harness and tether for Holmes and the plainclothes deputies in the courtroom. Samour added he trusts Robinson's expertise and will heed his advice.

___

Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/holmes-wear-hidden-harness-anchored-floor-224856057.html

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House panel pressing IRS figure to talk

Acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 27, 2013, to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee hearing to report on the internal investigation into the extra scrutiny the IRS gave Tea Party and other conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 27, 2013, to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee hearing to report on the internal investigation into the extra scrutiny the IRS gave Tea Party and other conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Acting IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, June 27, 2013, before the House Ways and Means Committee hearing to report on the internal investigation into the extra scrutiny the IRS gave Tea Party and other conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A Republican-led House committee Friday increased pressure on Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner to break her silence on who in the tax agency was behind decisions to make it more difficult for tea party and other conservative groups to obtain tax-exempt status.

The Oversight and Government Reform Committee, in a 22-17 party line vote, ruled that Lerner, who headed the division that oversaw nonprofits, had forfeited her right to invoke the Fifth Amendment and refuse to answer questions when she appeared before the panel on May 22.

The GOP-written resolution said Lerner gave up her right to silence when she opened the hearing with a statement denying that she had done anything wrong.

"A witness may not testify voluntarily about a subject and then invoke the privilege against self-incrimination when questioned about the details," it said.

Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said that after consulting with House lawyers he was certain that Lerner had waived her Fifth Amendment rights. Witnesses, he said, cannot "give one side of the story and not allow themselves to be cross-examined."

Some Republicans who have aggressively pursued the investigation against IRS harassment if conservative groups saw Lerner's refusal to talk as more than just a legal issue. "Lois Lerner is in fact a poster child for a federal bureaucrat thumbing her nose at Congress," said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla. He said the case was a "showdown" over who is in control of government.

Neither Lerner nor her lawyer were present at Friday's vote and Democrats on the committee said Republicans should have allowed testimony from legal experts on Fifth Amendment protections for people testifying before Congress.

"I want to hear Ms. Lerner's testimony," said Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, top Democrat on the committee. "But we must respect the constitutional rights of every witness who comes before the committee."

Lerner's attorney, William W. Taylor, responded to the vote with a statement that "a party-line vote does not affect anyone's constitutional rights, and this one does not affect Ms. Lerner's." He said Lerner "had requested that she not be required to appear at all, and was forced against her will to invoke her rights in public. When she was forced to do that, she was entitled to say what she said."

The vote opens up the possibility that Lerner will be summoned back to the committee for another round of questioning. Issa dodged a Democratic question about whether Lerner might be offered limited immunity in exchange for her testimony. If she again invokes the Fifth, she could face contempt charges.

Under the rules, any immunity deal with Lerner would have to be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Oversight committee, and then accepted by the Justice Department and a federal judge.

The committee and the full House would have to approve contempt charges, which would then be turned over to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Whether that attorney would be required to prosecute is unclear.

Lerner, now on administrative leave, was a high-ranking IRS official in Washington who oversaw the agency's Cincinnati workers who screened applications for tax-exempt status. The IRS has apologized for imposing tough scrutiny on conservative groups who applied for that designation. It has since emerged that progressive groups also appeared on agency screening lists and that some suffered similar treatment.

Three congressional committees are investigating the IRS treatment of conservative groups, as is the Justice Department and the new leaders of the IRS itself. House Democrats are trying to expand the investigation to include how progressive groups were treated.

On Thursday, the controversy moved in another direction as a clash escalated between the Treasury Department inspector general who investigated the IRS and congressional Democrats who called his probe of the agency misleading.

In a letter to lawmakers, J. Russell George said that only a small number of groups with "progress" or "progressive" in their names had their applications set aside for screening. Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, said George should have revealed the involvement of progressive groups before now.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-06-28-US-IRS-Political-Groups/id-1c8123c0481f4e97b7cd5001ac5ca402

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David Chase memorializes James Gandolfini

NEW YORK (AP) ? The creator of "The Sopranos" said at James Gandolfini's funeral that the actor brought the traits of a sad boy, "amazed and confused," to the role of Tony Soprano.

"You were a good boy," David Chase said Thursday at the ceremony at New York's Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.

One of four speakers at the funeral, Chase gave his remarks in the form of a letter to Gandolfini. The actor's widow, Deborah Lin Gandolfini, and two family friends were also speakers at the ceremony.

Chase remembered that Gandolfini once told him that "you know what I want to be? A man. That's all. I want to be a man." Chase said he marveled upon hearing that, since Gandolfini was a man so many others looked up to.

Chase added that, paradoxically, he always felt that in Gandolfini he was seeing a young boy as well as a man.

"A sad boy, amazed and confused," he said. "You could see it in your eyes. That's why you were a great actor."

The 51-year-old actor best known for his role as mob boss Tony Soprano in the HBO series died of a heart attack last week while vacationing with his son in Italy.

Celebrities and fellow actors were among the mourners, along with members of the public who wanted to salute Gandolfini's work.

Those from "The Sopranos" included Edie Falco, Joe Pantoliano, Dominic Chianese, Steve Schirripa, Aida Turturro, Vincent Curatola, Tony Sirico, Lorraine Bracco and Michael Imperioli. Yet another former castmate, Steve Buscemi, chatted with talk show host-comedian Dick Cavett before the ceremony started.

Others from the acting community included Julianna Margulies, Alec Baldwin, Chris Noth, Marcia Gay Harden and Steve Carell. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was also on hand.

Some 1,500 seats had been set up in the huge sanctuary. A private family wake was held for the actor Wednesday in New Jersey.

Broadway theaters paid tribute by dimming their lights briefly Wednesday night. Gandolfini was nominated for a Tony Award in 2009 as an actor in "God of Carnage."

Susan Aston, who was Gandolfini's longtime dialogue coach and collaborator, spoke at the funeral of how the actor was devoted to his craft.

"He worked hard," Aston said. "He was disciplined. He studied his roles and did his homework." But when the cameras rolled, his performance would become an act of faith that carried him, she said, "to an uncharted place."

New Jersey accents were easy to hear among members of the public waiting outside the cathedral and waiting for a chance to get in. A few people spoke in Italian.

"I'm a fan," said Saul Stein, 60. "I came to pay my respects today because he's a character I identify with, a family man."

One casual meeting with Gandolfini was enough to bring Robin Eckstein to the funeral.

"I had friends that worked with him," she said. "I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times and he was just lovely. So warm ... As soon as he knew you were a friend of a friend you were his friend too. He'll be missed. I missed a meeting at work today. I told them I had a funeral to go to."

Meanwhile, directly across Amsterdam Avenue, in the window of a bar, a large photograph of a grinning Gandolfini was on display, accompanied by a handwritten message that spoke for the actor's fans and friends. It said, simply, "Thank you."

___

Associated Press correspondent Bethan McKernan and Television Writer David Bauder contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/david-chase-memorializes-james-gandolfini-152830544.html

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Not One, but Three 'Goldilocks Planets'?

In a study published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, researchers say that they've discovered a solar system with not just one, but three planets that could support life only 22 light-years away from Earth. Rory Barnes, the lead U.S. author of the study, talks about how it's possible to find multiple "Goldilocks planets" around one star.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/06/28/196594980/not-one-but-three-goldilocks-planets?ft=1&f=1007

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U.S. boss held hostage now free

BEIJING (AP) ? An American boss detained nearly a week by his company's Chinese workers left the Beijing factory Thursday after he and a labor representative said the two sides had reached agreement in a pay dispute.

Chip Starnes, who said he was "saddened" by the experience, told The Associated Press a deal was reached overnight to pay the scores of workers who had demanded severance packages similar to ones given to laid-off co-workers in a phased-out division, even though the company said the remaining workers weren't being laid off.

The workers at the medical supply plant in Huairou district, on the outskirts of Beijing, said that the company owed them unpaid salary, that they believed the entire factory was shutting down and that they saw equipment being packed and itemized for shipping to India.

Starnes said the workers' demands were unjustified. Neither he nor district labor official Chu Lixiang gave details of the agreed compensation. Chu said all the workers would be terminated, although Starnes said some would be rehired later.

"It has been resolved to each side's satisfaction," Chu told reporters at the plant. She said they had been sorting out paperwork until 5 a.m. and that 97 workers had signed settlement agreements.

Starnes, a co-owner of Florida-based Specialty Medical Supplies, had quietly departed the factory grounds by the time Chu spoke, returning to his hotel in Beijing.

"Yes!! Out and back at hotel," Starnes wrote in a text message. "Showered.. 9 pounds lost during the ordeal!!!!!!"

Police in Huairou district had made no moves to halt the labor action but guarded the plant and said they were guaranteeing Starnes' safety while local labor officials brokered negotiations.

It is not rare in China for managers to be held by workers demanding back pay or other benefits, often from their Chinese owners. Police are reluctant to intervene, as they consider it a business dispute, and local officials typically are eager to see the matter resolved in a way least likely to fuel unrest.

The labor action reflected growing uneasiness among workers about their jobs amid China's slowing economic growth and the sense that growing labor costs make the country less attractive for some foreign-owned factories.

About 80 workers started blocking all exits starting last Friday, and Starnes had spoken to reporters in recent days through the barred window of his factory office.

Earlier Thursday, he said in a telephone interview that he had been forced to give in to what he considered unjustified demands. He summed up the past several days as "humiliating, embarrassing." At the beginning of his captivity, workers had deprived him of sleep by shining bright lights and banging on windows of his office, he said.

"We have transferred our funds from the U.S.," he said. "I am basically free to go when the funds hit the account here of the company."

Starnes told the AP he planned to get back to business, and even rehire some of the workers who had been holding him.

He previously said the company had been winding down its plastics division, with plans to move it to Mumbai. When he arrived in Beijing last week to lay off the last 30 people, workers in other divisions started demanding similar severance packages.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-boss-held-china-leaves-plant-payout-044656354.html

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Body of NYC storm victim lay undetected for months

NEW YORK (AP) ? In the chaotic days after Superstorm Sandy, an army of aid workers streamed onto the flood-ravaged Rockaway Peninsula looking for anyone who needed help. Health workers and National Guard troops went door to door. City inspectors checked thousands of dwellings for damage. Seaside neighborhoods teemed with utility crews, Red Cross trucks and crews clearing debris.

Yet, even as the months dragged by, nobody thought to look inside the tiny construction trailer rusting away in a junk-filled lot at the corner of Beach 40th Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard.

If they had, they would have found the body of Keith Lancaster, a quiet handyman who appeared to have been using the trailer as a home the night Sandy sent 5 feet of water churning through the neighborhood.

It took until April 5 before an acquaintance finally went to check on the 62-year-old's whereabouts and found his partially skeletonized remains. His body lay near a calendar that hadn't been turned since October and prescription pill bottles last refilled in the fall.

New York City's medical examiner announced this week that Lancaster had drowned, making him the 44th person ruled to have died in New York City because of the storm.

Neighborhood residents described Lancaster as a loner and something of a drifter, and police said he had never been reported missing. No one stepped forward to claim his body from the city morgue, either, after he was finally discovered this spring. He was buried in a potter's field on an island in Long Island Sound, the medical examiner's office said. A police missing-person squad is still trying to identify any relatives.

But in life, he was well liked by some of the people who saw him sweeping sidewalks around the vacant lot where he sometimes slept.

"When we first moved here, he weeded our entire backyard," said Gerald Sylvester, 55, a retired transit worker who lives in a small bungalow just feet from the trailer where Lancaster died.

Sylvester and his wife, Carrie Vaughan, 60, said Lancaster also mended their fence and once fixed an outdoor light at their house ? but he always refused any money for his help. He wouldn't take any food, either, when they offered, and politely declined their invitations to come inside, explaining he didn't like to go into people's houses.

"He didn't talk a lot, but if he knew you, you could have a decent conversation," said Vaughan. "He was very nice. A gentleman at all times."

She said it wasn't entirely clear where he was living. Lancaster, who the family said looked slightly frail, told her he didn't want to settle in one place.

As the storm approached and the neighborhood evacuated, Sylvester said he went looking for Lancaster to see if he wanted to leave with the family, but never found him.

After the Oct. 29 storm, many neighborhood residents were unable to return to their homes. Even today, some buildings remain empty or under repair. Vaughan and Sylvester were away for two months, living in a FEMA-funded apartment, before they came back.

The lot where Lancaster's trailer sat has been vacant for many years and, at just 15 feet wide, is easy to miss. Someone passing by would probably assume, wrongly, that it is the side yard of one of the bungalows that sit next door.

The company that owns the plot, the Master Sheet Co., hasn't paid any property taxes on the parcel for years, according to city records, and it wasn't clear whether anyone associated with the business was aware someone was living on the property. A lawyer for the owners, Robert Rosenblatt, said Wednesday that he wasn't immediately able to reach his clients.

New York City's Office of Emergency Management didn't respond Wednesday to inquiries about the efforts the city had made to locate and identify storm victims, and why they failed to reveal Lancaster's death for so long. The mayor's office also didn't respond to an inquiry.

The lot where Lancaster died remained filled with junk this week, including an old office chair, plastic crates and bottles and stuffed animals. The trailer ? barely big enough to stand in ? is itself filled with trash.

Vaughan said that when her family returned home, she wondered what had become of Lancaster, but never suspected that he had been killed or that his body was in the trailer, which sits on cinder blocks just a few feet from her home.

"He was like a fixture of the community. We were wondering what happened to him," said Vaughan. "We would've taken him with us."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/body-nyc-storm-victim-lay-undetected-months-065513402.html

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SK Telecom launches the world's first LTE-Advanced network, and the Galaxy S4 LTE-A

Just days after an LTE-Advanced variant of Samsung's Galaxy S 4 leaked, Korean carrier SK Telecom has officially announced it's launching the world's first publicly available LTE-Advanced wireless network. The Galaxy S4 LTE-A is also official (in red or blue) as the first device able to take advantage of the new technology for even faster data transmission speeds. According to the press release, SK Telecom plans to have as many as seven LTE-A devices available by the end of the year, all capable of up to 150Mbps. While SK Telecom is using Carrier Aggregation and Coordinated Multi Point technology to improve speeds right now, it will add Enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Coordination in 2014 to go even faster. After that, it suggest carrier aggregation will improve to support higher speeds and faster uploads in subsequent years.

To take advantage of the higher speeds, SK Telecom's Btv IPTV service will begin offering 1080p video streaming in early July. That will be accompanied by enhanced multiview baseball broadcasts, more free videos, an HD video shopping service with six channels on one screen in August and the addition of FLAC audio files via its music package. Right now, the company has Seoul covered in LTE-A, and plans to eventually offer it in 84 cities, all at the same price as existing LTE service. Check after the break for the press release with all the details, plus video of a speed test.

Update: We've just come across another juicy tidbit that makes the Galaxy S4 LTE-A all the more worthwhile... it'll ship with a Snapdragon 800 SoC that contains a 2.3GHz quad-core CPU. It goes without saying that this phone will be speedy on all angles.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: Samsung Tomorrow (1), (2)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/K2JH_d1QwZI/

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Obama to unveil climate change plan with sweeping emissions cuts

Recognizing that Congress is unlikely to pass significant climate change legislation during his second term, President Obama will take some of the most sweeping measures available to him to unilaterally combat global warming.

The new plan, which Mr. Obama will unveil Tuesday at Georgetown University, is expected to include a ramping up of energy efficiency and renewable energy in addition to national preparations to deal with the meteorological and financial impacts of climate change. But by far the strongest element of the plan is a set of new regulations intended to slash greenhouse-gas emissions from existing coal-fired power plants ? not just power plants built in the future.

Obama intends to issue a presidential memorandum directing the Environmental Protection Agency to implement new regulations of greenhouse-gas emissions under the authority of the Clean Air Act. The president's plan is an attempt to deliver on his promise to cut carbon emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, White House officials told reporters in a conference call Monday.

RECOMMENDED: Think you know the odd effects of global climate change? Take our quiz.

The move has the potential to cut annually hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) ? a potent greenhouse gas ? and far overshadow any carbon-emissions cuts the Obama administration has achieved so far through improved fuel-efficiency standards. But it could also accelerate the closure of many existing older coal-fired power plants across the country, which are already struggling to meet current standards.

"Nothing on this scale in the Clean Air Act has ever been attempted before," says Kevin Book, an energy analyst with ClearView Partners, an energy economics consulting firm in Washington. "This step will be the catalyst for the next wave of coal-fired power plant retirements. It's almost certainly going to get hung up in the courts for years."

Obama seeks to combat global warming in a variety of ways in the new plan. Among the highlights:

• Create new energy-efficiency standards for federal buildings and appliances.
• Ramp up enough clean-energy production on public lands to power 6 million homes by 2020.
• Extend $8 billion in loan-guarantee authority to accelerate investment in advanced fossil-energy and efficiency projects.
• End public financing of coal-fired plants overseas and push for free trade in clean-energy technologies.

But a concrete plan to reach a 17 percent cut in carbon emissions is seen as the cornerstone of Obama's move. That figure is widely considered a requirement for the US to be taken seriously in ongoing international climate talks. Obama wants to reinvigorate US efforts to lead in those talks, White House officials said.

Want your top political issues explained? Get customized DC Decoder updates.

They said the plan to address existing-power-plant emissions has a firm timeline ? adding credibility to the effort. The goal is to finalize power plant emissions regulations by June 2015, long enough before Mr. Obama leaves office to be solidly in force before the next administration takes over.

"We know that we have to get to work quickly in order to not only propose, but finalize the rule," said a senior White House official. "The president will be directing the EPA to start that work."

Neither the briefing for reporters nor the fact sheet and background materials provided by the White House presented an estimate for the tonnage of carbon emissions expected to be cut overall. Electricity-generating power plants emit about 2.4 billion tons of CO2 each year, roughly 40 percent of the nation?s total emissions. But the plan was still received enthusiastically by environmentalists.

"If this means a launch to begin [emissions] cuts to existing power plants, we?ll be very pleased. It?s everything we?ve been asking for,? says David Doniger, climate policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington.

Lack of details on exactly how much tonnage of carbon emissions is expected to be cut is not a problem at this point, he and others say.

?It seems they?re not ready to say exactly what they?re going to propose,? Mr. Doniger says. ?But if they are willing to commit to [regulating] existing power plants, then that?s the core of it. That?s what we?ve been asking for. If there?s a deadline now, then that?s them carrying out the Clean Air Act the way it?s supposed to work....?

Coal-industry groups said the plan was misguided and would come at an enormous cost.

?We do not believe EPA regulations are an effective way to address concerns about global climate change,? said Robert Duncan, president and CEO of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. ?If EPA proceeds with regulations, they should be based on adequately demonstrated technology and provide an achievable timeframe to allow the coal industry to continue advancing clean coal technologies.

The past several years have not been kind to the coal industry, given the low cost of natural gas and the development of clean energy.

In the first half of last year, for example, 165 new power generators were added in 33 states, but among the 10 states with the bulk of new generating capacity, "most of the new capacity uses natural gas or renewable energy," the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported.

The trend is expected to continue, with natural gas-fired plants accounting for 60 percent of capacity additions between 2011 and 2035, EIA found. Coal is expected to account for 7 percent.

Utilities have shuttered about 12 percent of the nation?s coal-fired generating fleet since 2010, according to M.J. Bradley & Associates, an environmental consulting firm in Concord, Mass. Most, the study said, are "small, old, and lack advanced pollution control equipment."

These trends led to a 13.1 percent falloff in CO2 pollution from coal-fired electric power plants between 2005 and 2012, according to a recent analysis of EIA data by the Environmental Integrity Project, a Washington-based environmental group.

But the first quarter of 2013 has seen a 7.1 percent increase in CO2 emissions from coal compared with the same period last year as natural gas prices rose, encouraging more use of coal, according to the analysis. Global warming emissions from coal-based electricity are projected to rise 8.7 percent this year, though they are not expected to return to the peak levels of five to 10 years ago, the EIA has projected.

New regulations directed at existing plants could turn that trend, with many more coal-fired plants shuttered ? including even newer plants that cannot meet the new standards, energy experts say.

Still, the Obama administration says cutting carbon pollution will help modernize power plants, spark innovation to create new clean-energy technologies, and put Americans to work. Greater energy efficiency will save American families money, officials add.

Moreover, they point to the rising costs from extreme weather events, which many scientists say can be amplified by the effects of global warming. Last year alone, 11 different weather and climate disaster events incurred estimated losses of more than $1 billion each across the nation. Those events together resulted in over $110 billion in estimated damages, the second-costliest year on record.

?We don?t have to choose between cutting carbon pollution to protect the health of our kids and creating jobs,? a senior administration official told reporters. ?Americans know that we can do both.?

RECOMMENDED: Think you know the odd effects of global climate change? Take our quiz.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-unveil-climate-change-plan-sweeping-emissions-cuts-100256594.html

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American Airlines finishes rolling out iPad flight bags

Some airlines and aircraft makers have made a big deal of moving to tablet-based flight bags, but few can say they've made a complete switch. American Airlines can -- it just finished deploying iPad-based kits to all its cockpits, which can use the tablets at every stage of flight. The move lets the carrier ditch paper charts and manuals across the board, with an according round of savings in fuel and weight. Regional partners haven't made the leap to digital, although that may come soon: American Eagle Airlines will have the choice of using iPad flight bags starting on July 10th. While most of us in the passenger seats will never notice the difference, the shift will likely help American's bottom line.

Filed under: Tablets, Transportation, Apple

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Source: American Airlines

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/24/american-airlines-finishes-rolling-out-ipad-flight-bags/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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UN to make sure Chad has no child soldiers in Mali

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations will screen all Chadian troops offered for the world body's peacekeeping force in Mali to make sure there are no child soldiers in their ranks, the head of U.N. peacekeeping said on Tuesday.

Chad was included in a U.N. list of countries published last week where children are recruited, killed, maimed or raped by government forces and armed groups. Others on the list include Afghanistan, Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, and Mali.

Countries that have child soldiers are barred from participating in U.N. peacekeeping missions. Chad has vowed to cleanse its ranks of child soldiers and the United Nations has given the country four months to take steps to end the recruitment of children.

"Let me assure you that the United Nations is making every effort to screen the Chadian contingent to ... ensure that no troops under 18 are among them, as well as provide training on child protection issues," U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the 15-nation Security Council.

France, aided by 2,000 troops from Chad, began a military offensive in January to drive out Islamist fighters who hijacked a revolt by the Tuareg rebels and seized two-thirds of Mali. U.N. officials and diplomats say that the Chadians proved to be an extremely effective fighting force in Mali.

The U.N. peacekeeping force - to be known as MINUSMA - is expected to assume authority next month from a U.N.-backed African force deployed there to take over from the French. Most of the African force, including the Chadians, are expected to become part of the U.N. force, U.N. officials and diplomats say.

The deployment of the force is subject to a council review of Mali's security situation, the focus of Tuesday's meeting of the 15-nation Security Council.

Ladsous also reiterated his concerns about the need to properly equip the peacekeeping force.

"It is important to note that we are still seeking pledges for important outstanding capabilities, including medium utility helicopters, armed helicopters, intelligence, information operations and special forces," he told the council.

He described the shortages as "critical shortfalls."

MELTING COMPONENTS

Once the U.N. peacekeeping force, to be known as MINUSMA, is deployed, France will continue to handle counterterrorism and peace enforcement operations as needed in Mali, while the U.N. blue helmets will handle traditional peacekeeping duties of policing and trying to ensure new violence does not erupt.

In April, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a mandate for the 12,600-strong MINUSMA peacekeeping force from July 1. The force will be supported by French troops if needed to combat Islamist extremist threats.

Ameerah Haq, head of the field support for U.N. peacekeeping, told the council that the hot climate in the vast West African state created serious challenges. Haq said the United Nations could not deploy its mobile communications system to the northern, rebel-held town of Kidal "because its sensitive components will melt."

Last week Mali signed a ceasefire deal with Tuareg separatist rebels, clearing the way for government troops to return to Kidal before a presidential election next month.

The U.N. special envoy for Mali, Albert Gerard Koenders, told the council by video link that the agreement "is an important first step towards full restoration of constitutional order and territorial integrity ... (and) paves the way for holding elections nationwide, including in Kidal."

Koenders said he would chair an international commission to oversee implementation of the agreement. Another international commission, he said, will look into allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, sexual violence and other serious human rights violations in Mali.

Mali's Tuargeg rebels launched an uprising early last year and soon allied themselves with Islamist fighters who took advantage of a coup in the capital in March 2012 to seize the desert north. They were later sidelined by the better armed Islamist groups.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/un-sure-chad-no-child-soldiers-mali-063553962.html

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BlackBerry launches Secure Work Space for Android and iOS

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B singer Chris Brown, on probation for beating his former girlfriend, was charged on Tuesday with a hit-and-run and driving without a valid license in connection with a May 21 traffic accident in Los Angeles. Brown, 24, allegedly rear-ended another car and faces up to six months in jail on each misdemeanor charge, L.A. City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said. He will be arraigned in Los Angeles Superior Court on July 15, Mateljan said. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-launches-secure-space-android-ios-214055554.html

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Opening statements begin in Zimmerman trial

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? George Zimmerman's defense attorneys can use statements the neighborhood watch volunteer made to a police officer and neighbor immediately after he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.

Judge Debra Nelson made the ruling Monday that the remarks could be used shortly before opening statements in Zimmerman's second-degree murder trial.

Zimmerman told the officer and neighbor that he was yelling for help but nobody responded during his confrontation with Martin.

Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming self-defense.

Arguments over whether the remarks could be used by the defense delayed opening statements by a few minutes.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/opening-statements-begin-zimmerman-trial-094426278.html

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New study says a person's physical environment affects their likelihood of dishonest behavior

Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Evan Nowell
egn2109@columbia.edu
212-854-2747
Columbia Business School

Researchers from Columbia, MIT, Northwestern, Harvard and Berkeley, conclude that stealing, cheating, and even traffic violations can be influenced by the expansiveness (or lack thereof) of physical space

NEW YORK A new study from researchers at leading business schools reveals that expansive physical settings (e.g. having a big desk to stretch out while doing work or a large driver's seat in an automobile) can cause individuals to feel more powerful, and in turn these feelings of power can elicit more dishonest behavior such as stealing, cheating, and even traffic violations.

"In everyday working and living environments, our body postures are incidentally expanded and contracted by our surroundings by the seats in our cars, the furniture in and around workspaces, even the hallways in our offices and these environments directly influence the propensity of dishonest behavior in our everyday lives," said Andy Yap, a key author of the research who spearheaded its development during his time at Columbia Business School.

The study states that while individuals may pay very little attention to ordinary and seemingly innocuous shifts in bodily posture, these subtle postural shifts can have tremendous impact on our thoughts, feelings and behavior. Building on previous research that expansive postures can lead to a state of power, and power can lead to dishonest behavior, the study found that expanded, nonverbal postures forced upon individuals by their environments could influence decisions and behaviors in ways that render people less honest. "This is a real concern. Our research shows that office managers should pay attention to the ergonomics of their workspaces. The results suggest that these physical spaces have tangible and real-world impact on our behaviors" said Andy Yap.

The research includes findings from four studies conducted in the field and the laboratory. One study manipulated the expansiveness of workspaces in the lab and tested whether "incidentally" expanded bodies (shaped organically by one's environment) led to more dishonesty on a test. Another experiment examined if participants in a more expansive driver's seat would be more likely to "hit and run" when incentivized to go fast in a video-game driving simulation.

To extend results to a real-world context, an observational field study tested the ecological validity of the effect by examining whether automobile drivers' seat size predicted the violation of parking laws in New York City. The field study revealed that automobiles with more expansive driver's seats were more likely to be illegally parked on New York City streets.

###

The research, titled The Ergonomics of Dishonesty, will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Psychological Science. It is co-authored by Andy Yap, a former PhD student at Columbia Business School and currently a visiting professor at MIT Sloan School of Management; Abbie Wazlawek, a PhD student at Columbia Business School; Brian Lucas, a PhD student at Kellogg School of Management; Amy Cuddy, a professor at Harvard Business School; and Dana Carney, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

About Columbia Business School

Led by Dean Glenn Hubbard, the Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School is at the forefront of management education. The School's cutting-edge curriculum bridges academic theory and practice, equipping students with an entrepreneurial mindset to recognize, capture, and create opportunity in a competitive business environment. Beyond academic rigor and teaching excellence, the School offers programs that are designed to give students practical experience making decisions in real-world environments. The school offers MBA, Masters, and PhD degrees, as well as non-degree Executive Education programs. For more information, visit http://www.gsb.columbia.edu.

---

[ | 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: 24-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Evan Nowell
egn2109@columbia.edu
212-854-2747
Columbia Business School

Researchers from Columbia, MIT, Northwestern, Harvard and Berkeley, conclude that stealing, cheating, and even traffic violations can be influenced by the expansiveness (or lack thereof) of physical space

NEW YORK A new study from researchers at leading business schools reveals that expansive physical settings (e.g. having a big desk to stretch out while doing work or a large driver's seat in an automobile) can cause individuals to feel more powerful, and in turn these feelings of power can elicit more dishonest behavior such as stealing, cheating, and even traffic violations.

"In everyday working and living environments, our body postures are incidentally expanded and contracted by our surroundings by the seats in our cars, the furniture in and around workspaces, even the hallways in our offices and these environments directly influence the propensity of dishonest behavior in our everyday lives," said Andy Yap, a key author of the research who spearheaded its development during his time at Columbia Business School.

The study states that while individuals may pay very little attention to ordinary and seemingly innocuous shifts in bodily posture, these subtle postural shifts can have tremendous impact on our thoughts, feelings and behavior. Building on previous research that expansive postures can lead to a state of power, and power can lead to dishonest behavior, the study found that expanded, nonverbal postures forced upon individuals by their environments could influence decisions and behaviors in ways that render people less honest. "This is a real concern. Our research shows that office managers should pay attention to the ergonomics of their workspaces. The results suggest that these physical spaces have tangible and real-world impact on our behaviors" said Andy Yap.

The research includes findings from four studies conducted in the field and the laboratory. One study manipulated the expansiveness of workspaces in the lab and tested whether "incidentally" expanded bodies (shaped organically by one's environment) led to more dishonesty on a test. Another experiment examined if participants in a more expansive driver's seat would be more likely to "hit and run" when incentivized to go fast in a video-game driving simulation.

To extend results to a real-world context, an observational field study tested the ecological validity of the effect by examining whether automobile drivers' seat size predicted the violation of parking laws in New York City. The field study revealed that automobiles with more expansive driver's seats were more likely to be illegally parked on New York City streets.

###

The research, titled The Ergonomics of Dishonesty, will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal Psychological Science. It is co-authored by Andy Yap, a former PhD student at Columbia Business School and currently a visiting professor at MIT Sloan School of Management; Abbie Wazlawek, a PhD student at Columbia Business School; Brian Lucas, a PhD student at Kellogg School of Management; Amy Cuddy, a professor at Harvard Business School; and Dana Carney, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

About Columbia Business School

Led by Dean Glenn Hubbard, the Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School is at the forefront of management education. The School's cutting-edge curriculum bridges academic theory and practice, equipping students with an entrepreneurial mindset to recognize, capture, and create opportunity in a competitive business environment. Beyond academic rigor and teaching excellence, the School offers programs that are designed to give students practical experience making decisions in real-world environments. The school offers MBA, Masters, and PhD degrees, as well as non-degree Executive Education programs. For more information, visit http://www.gsb.columbia.edu.

---

[ | 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/2013-06/cbs-nss062413.php

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