IBEX probe glimpses interstellar neighborhood

ScienceDaily (Jan. 31, 2012) ? Space scientists, including researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory, have described the first detailed analyses of captured interstellar neutral atoms -- raw material for the formation of new stars, planets and even human beings. The information was presented in Washington, D.C., at a press conference sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Researchers at the conference presented data from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), which directly sampled material carried from outside our solar system across the galaxy by solar and stellar winds. Full details of the research comprise a six-paper special section in the February edition of Astrophysical Journal Supplements.

IBEX was launched in October 2008 and has maintained an elliptical orbit around Earth ever since. The space probe uses a pair of special cameras, one of which was developed to a large degree at Los Alamos National Laboratory, to sample neutral atoms reaching Earth's surroundings from the edges of the solar system and its immediate neighborhood.

Earth is mostly shielded from direct bombardment by interstellar particles because the solar wind -- a blast of charged particles emanating from the surface of the Sun -- creates a protective bubble around us that deflects charged particles back into space. Without this bubble, called the heliosphere, Earth would be pummeled by cosmic radiation. IBEX provides the first global view of the outer boundary of this protective bubble.

IBEX also provides a direct sample of the surrounding neutral gas, which blows as an interstellar wind through the solar system.

"Interstellar particles are the raw stuff that form stars, planets, and even us," said Eberhard Moebius, a University of New Hampshire professor and IBEX team member currently on sabbatical at Los Alamos. UNH developed key systems of IBEX's second camera. "In the beginning there was only hydrogen and helium. These two elements formed the first stars. When those stars collapsed and died, they spewed their material, including new elements created through the process of nuclear fusion, out into space. We can tell a lot about the evolution of our universe and perhaps gain insight into other galaxies and planetary systems by analyzing these particles."

With the capacity to detect and analyze helium, hydrogen, neon, and oxygen, IBEX has been able to provide researchers with more information about our galactic neighborhood and raise some pressing questions about it. The IBEX research team has been able to characterize the ratio of oxygen to neon in Earth's present location and compare it to other data. The IBEX observations suggest that the ratio of neon to oxygen in material emanating from outside our solar system is larger than the ratio from within our solar system and also the Milky Way -- our home galaxy -- as a whole.

The ratio difference may suggest that the Sun's present location differs from its birthplace, or that a significant amount of oxygen might be bound up in grains of dust floating in interstellar space. Regardless of which hypothesis is correct, the IBEX mission findings are significant because this is the first time scientists have been able to gain direct quantitative measurements of the hydrogen, oxygen, and neon flow from outside our solar system, along with far more detailed observations of the interstellar helium flow.

Which leads to another interesting IBEX discovery:

The IBEX team has learned that the interstellar wind blows at about 52,000 miles per hour -- about 7,000 miles an hour slower than previously measured.

IBEX takes advantage of a nature-provided "speedometer" for the interstellar wind by observing the degree of deflection of the gas on its journey into the solar system and past the Sun. The Sun's gravity deflects slower atoms to a stronger degree than it deflects faster atoms. IBEX is able to measure the flow direction in Earth's orbit with high precision, therefore providing the true speed and direction of the interstellar wind. With this tool, the researchers have been able to gain a better understanding of where Earth currently resides relative to known nearby clouds of interstellar material within our home planet's galactic neighborhood.

These nearby interstellar clouds are denser than the surrounding space and are moving at substantial speeds. Astronomers have measured the speed of many neighboring clouds and wondered about Earth's position among the closest clouds because the previously known interstellar wind speed did not match with any of the closest clouds. However, the new IBEX observations place the solar system within what is called the Local Interstellar Cloud.

Astronomers tell us that Earth is traveling near the edge of this cloud and will leave it at any time within the next few thousand years -- just the blink of an eye on astronomical time scales. When this occurs, the heliosphere, the protective bubble surrounding us, may expand significantly since it will be less constrained by the sparsely populated region it enters. On its journey roughly in the direction of the center of the Milky Way, Earth and our solar system will meander toward and into the next cloud over, called the G cloud (named for the cloud toward the galactic center).

Just three and a half years into the IBEX mission, at a time when the two Voyager spacecraft are due to exit the heliosphere within the next decade, who knows what other surprises researchers will uncover about our solar system and its immediate neighborhood? Only time will tell.

"How wonderful it is to see that some of the same technologies developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for keeping our nation safe are being used to understand how Earth keeps itself safe from the turbulent forces of the universe and to gain a better understanding of our place in the galaxy," said Los Alamos's Herb Funsten, part of the original research team responsible for development of one of IBEX's cameras.

NASA Briefing Materials: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ibex/multimedia/013112-briefing-materials.html

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131150828.htm

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25 EU nations to sign treaty to stop overspending (AP)

BRUSSELS ? All countries in the European Union, except Britain and the Czech Republic, agreed Monday to sign up to a new treaty designed to stop overspending in the eurozone and put an end to the bloc's crippling debt crisis, while also pledging to stimulate growth across the region.

The new treaty, known as the fiscal compact, was agreed at a summit of European leaders in Brussels on Monday. It includes strict debt brakes and makes it more difficult for deficit sinners to escape sanctions. The 17-country eurozone hopes that the tighter rules will convince investors that all countries will get their debts under control and restore confidence in their joint currency.

"We have a majority of 25 that will now sign up to the fiscal compact," Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said after the summit.

Although the new rules only apply to the 17 euro states, the currency union was hoping to get broad support from the other EU states, in the hope that the accord could eventually be integrated into the main EU treaty.

Britain had already said in December that it wouldn't sign the new treaty. Reinfeldt said that the Czech Republic didn't sign up because of parliamentary procedural problems.

The summit also promised Monday to stimulate growth and create jobs across the region, in a tacit acknowledgment that their exclusive focus on austerity has had painful side effects.

"Yes we need discipline, but we also need growth," said Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission.

The leaders pledged to offer more training for young people to ease their transition to the work force, deploy unused development funds to create jobs, reduce barriers to doing business across the EU's 27 countries, and ensure that small businesses have access to credit. However there was no offer of any new financial stimulus.

"We must do more to get Europe out of the crisis," the leaders said in a statement.

Barroso said that there are still euro82 billion ($107.5 billion) in development funds that have yet to be allocated and which small and medium businesses could use as guarantees to get funding from banks.

He also said that the Commission will dispatch action teams to the eight countries where youth unemployment is the highest and help fund apprenticeships and young startups.

Europe's debt crisis has put the continent and its leaders in an almost impossible situation. While they have to slash their deficits to reassure the financial markets and investors reluctant to lend to them, the debt crisis has also sent unemployment soaring. Many analysts, politicians and trade unions think that only government spending can restart growth.

Overall, 23 million people are jobless across the EU, 10 percent of the active population. In Spain, unemployment has soared to nearly 23 percent and closed in on 50 percent for those under age 25, leaving more than 5 million people out of work as the country slides toward recession.

Even the most influential countries in Europe ? which are generally better off ? are suffering. The French government was forced Monday to revise down its growth forecast for its economy for the year from 1 percent to just 0.5 percent.

In fact, many now fear that Europe is on the verge of another recession, and leaders gathering in Brussels said that while austerity is important, more needs to be done for growth. Economists often note that cutting spending is just one way to slash deficits; another equally important method is to boost growth, which increases the amount of money pouring into government coffers.

While the leaders meeting in Brussels focused on walking the fine line between reining in spending and stimulating growth, the elephant in the room was Greece.

Greece and its bondholders have come closer to a deal to significantly reduce the country's debt and pave the way for it to receive a much-needed euro130 billion ($170 billion) bailout.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday he hoped a final agreement on Greece will be achieved "in the coming days," either at a special meeting of eurozone finance ministers or leaders.

Negotiators for Greece's private creditors said Saturday that a debt-reduction deal could become final within the next week. If the agreement works as planned, it could help Greece avoid a catastrophic default, which would be a blow to Europe's already weak financial system.

But European officials are afraid that even that deal may not be enough to fix Greece's finances, with some blaming Athens for dithering on its promise to cut spending and introduce austerity measures.

___

Associated Press writers Don Melvin, Robert Wielaard and Raf Casert contributed to this story.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_europe_financial_crisis

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Priebus vs. Obama: 'Sinking Ship' Remark Shows Incivility (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Reince Priebus, Francesco Schettino, Barack Obama.

If we only knew the name of the U.S. president until now, and not the name of the Republican National Committee chairman or the captain of the sunken Italian cruise ship, chances are today we know all three.

That's because Priebus has compared Obama to "our own little Capt. Schettino," the analogy being that Obama, in heading for the campaign trail, has bailed out on his presidential duties and the sinking ship of the federal government, the same as Schettino allegedly bailed out of the Costa Concordia while some of his passengers were ultimately drowning.

Priebus' predecessor as RNC chair, Michael Steele, deemed the remark as "inappropriate." Steele no doubt holds no love lost toward Priebus, the foe who ousted him. But his description of "inappropriate" simply seems, well, appropriate.

Of course, far worse condemnations have been uttered in politics. To start, Obama and George W. Bush are merely the two most recent presidents to have been compared to Hitler. Sometimes, the cited examples of incivility seem minor by comparison.

Obama once misguidedly joked the Jonas Brothers, idolized by his daughters, could face his protective-fatherly "predator drones" if they ever tried to get fresh with the girls. Sarah Palin's political action committee drew mapped cross-hairs on the districts of congressional incumbents targeted for defeat, which unfortunately included the district of Gabrielle Giffords before she was shot.

At the time, Giffords presciently reacted, "When people do that, they've got to realize there are consequences."

Those are words of wisdom for anyone in public life, or anyone who criticizes those in public life, or for that matter, anyone engaging in any form of communication. Be sensitive and avoid violent, tragic references. Priebus should be the latest to learn, and should apologize.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120130/pl_ac/10904951_priebus_vs_obama_sinking_ship_remark_shows_incivility

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`The Help,' Dujardin win at lively SAG Awards (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Finally, an awards show with some surprises and spontaneity.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards featured some unexpected winners, including "The Help" for best overall cast performance and Jean Dujardin for best actor in "The Artist" alongside some of the longtime favorites in movies and television.

But there was a looseness and a playfulness that permeated the Shrine Exposition Center Sunday night ? maybe because it was a room full of people who love to perform, without the rigidity of one single host to lead them.

Unlike the great expectations that came with the sharp-tongued Ricky Gervais' reprisal at the Golden Globes a couple weeks ago or the much-anticipated return of Billy Crystal to the Academy Awards next month, there was no master of ceremonies at the SAG Awards. The presenters and winners seemed to have more room to improvise and put their own spin on the evening ? but mercifully, the show itself still managed to wrap up on time after just two hours.

And so we had three of the stars of best-cast nominee "Bridesmaids" ? Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy ? introducing their comedy with a joke about turning the name "Scorsese" into a drinking game, which became a running gag throughout the night. When HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" won the award for best drama series cast, among the first words star Steve Buscemi uttered in accepting the prize were "Martin Scorsese" ? he just happens to be one of the show's executive producers.

One of the more exciting moments of the night was the announcement of Dujardin's name in the best-actor category for his performance in the silent, black-and-white homage "The Artist." In winning the award for his portrayal of a silent-film star who finds his career in decline with the arrival of talkies, Dujardin definitely boosts his chances at the Oscars on Feb. 26. Little-known in the United States before this, the French comic bested bigger names like George Clooney ("The Descendants"), Brad Pitt ("Moneyball") and Leonardo DiCaprio ("J. Edgar").

If he follows this up with an Academy Award, Dujardin would become the first French actor ever to take the prize. Asked backstage how it would feel, Dujardin launched into a jaunty rendition of "La Marseillaise," the French national anthem.

"Pressure, big pressure," Dujardin then added in his halting English. "It's unbelievable. It's amazing already. Too early to tell."

Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer continued to cement their front-runner status in the actress and supporting actress categories, respectively, for their formidable work in "The Help." Both women play black maids in 1960s Mississippi who dare to go public about the bigotry they've endured.

"I just have to say that the stain of racism and sexism is not just for people of color or women. It's all of our burden, all of us," Davis said, accepting the ensemble prize on behalf of her "The Help" co-stars.

Backstage, Davis said of her own victory: "A few more people checked my name in the box for whatever reason. This time I kind of fooled them."

Meanwhile, Christopher Plummer picked up yet another supporting-actor prize for his lovely turn as an elderly widower who finally comes out as gay in "Beginners." Plummer won at the Golden Globes and is nominated for an Oscar. He would become the oldest actor ever to win an Academy Award at age 82, two years older than Jessica Tandy was when she won best actress for "Driving Miss Daisy."

Backstage, Plummer joked when asked if he would like to win an Oscar, an honor so elusive during his esteemed 60-year career that he did not even receive his first Academy Award nomination until two years ago, for "The Last Station."

"No, I think it's frightfully boring," Plummer said. "That's an awful question. Listen, we don't go into this business preoccupied by awards. If we did, we wouldn't last five minutes."

The win for overall cast for "The Help," when "The Artist" and "The Descendants" have been the favorites all along, makes the conversation more interesting but it isn't necessarily an indicator of how the film will do come Oscar time.

The guild's ensemble prize, considered its equivalent of a best-picture honor, has a spotty record at predicting what will win the top award at the Oscars. While "The King's Speech" won both honors a year ago, the SAG ensemble recipient has gone on to claim the top Oscar only eight times in the 16 years since the guild added the category.

The winners at the SAG ceremony often do go on to earn Oscars, however. All four acting recipients at SAG last year later took home Oscars ? Colin Firth for "The King's Speech," Natalie Portman for "Black Swan" and Christian Bale and Melissa Leo for "The Fighter."

On the television side, comedy series awards went to "Modern Family" for best ensemble; Alec Baldwin as best actor for "30 Rock"; and Betty White as best actress for "Hot in Cleveland."

"You can't name me, without naming those other wonderful women on `Hot in Cleveland,'" the 90-year-old White said. "This nomination belongs to four of us. Please, please know that I'm dealing them right in with this. I'm not going to let them keep this, but I'll let them see it."

The TV drama show winners were: Jessica Lange as best actress for "American Horror Story"; and Buscemi as best actor for "Boardwalk Empire."

For TV movie or miniseries, Kate Winslet won as best actress for "Mildred Pierce," while Paul Giamatti was named best actor for "Too Big to Fail."

The guild gave its lifetime achievement award to Mary Tyler Moore, presented by Dick Van Dyke, her co-star on the 1960s sit-com "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

Moore recalled that when she entered show business at age 18 in 1955, there were already six others Mary Moores in the Screen Actors Guild. Told to change her name, she quickly added Tyler, the middle name she shares with her father, George.

"I was Mary Tyler Moore. I spoke it out loud. Mary Tyler Moore. It sounded right so I wrote it down on the form, and it looked right," she said. "It was right. SAG was happy, my father was happy, and tonight, after having the privilege of working in this business among the most creative and talented people imaginable, I too am happy, after all."

___

AP writers David Germain and Beth Harris contributed to this report.

___

Online:

http://www.sagawards.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_en_mo/us_sag_awards

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Police: Rebels kill 4 at Indian polling station (AP)

IMPHAL, India ? A suspected Naga rebel opened fire at a police station packed with voters on a tense election day Saturday in northeast India, killing four people before he was shot dead, police said.

The gunman lined up with other voters outside but pulled out a revolver once he entered the building and began shooting indiscriminately, said Priyo Kumar Singh, police superintendent for Chandel district in the state of Manipur.

Dozens of militant groups are active in northeast India, and the Manipur's state assembly elections were already tense with the threat of violence, after seven militant groups banded together against the governing Congress Party.

Some 35,000 security personnel were deployed alongside armed police at more than 2,300 voting stations statewide.

Police said the gunman was a suspected member of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, which has been fighting for decades for an independent homeland. About 2 million Nagas live in northeast India bordering Myanmar.

He killed two poll workers, a paramilitary officer and a woman before another paramilitary officer shot him dead. The station is in Thangpi, about 40 miles (70 kilometers) south of the state capital of Imphal.

"I can say this looks like a suicide mission," Singh said. "It is difficult to understand why only one militant would come to attack."

Press Trust of India said several suspected bombs were also found and defused before polling started. PTI did not cite sources for the report, and it was not clear who may have planted the alleged bombs.

The dozens of militant groups in northeast India seek independence or more autonomy for different ethnic, cultural or political groups. Most accuse the Indian government of neglecting and discriminating against the region while also exploiting its rich natural resources.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_re_as/as_india_election_violence

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Bucks keep Lakers' road woes going with 100-89 win

Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol (16) and the Milwaukee Bucks' Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) fight for the rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol (16) and the Milwaukee Bucks' Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) fight for the rebound during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol, left, and Matt Barnes (9) fight for the ball with the Milwaukee Bucks' Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol (16) reacts to a foul against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

Los Angeles Lakers' Derek Fisher, left, dives for the loose ball as the Milwaukee Bucks' Luc Richard Mbah a Moute grabs it during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant drives to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks' Carlos Delfino during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

MILWAUKEE (AP) ? (AP) ? Drew Gooden scored 23 points and the undermanned Milwaukee Bucks made sure the Lakers' road struggles continued, beating Los Angeles 100-89 on Saturday night.

Kobe Bryant scored 27 for the Lakers, who are 1-7 on the road this season.

Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Dunleavy added 15 points each for the Bucks, who managed to beat the Lakers without two of their best players.

Already scrambling to compensate for the long-term absence of injured center Andrew Bogut, the Bucks found themselves without guard/forward Stephen Jackson on Saturday because of an NBA suspension.

Bryant made six free throws to break Jerry West's franchise record for free throws made. Coming into Saturday's game, Bryant needed three makes to tie West's mark of 7,160.

Bryant also came closer to becoming the Lakers' career leader in field goals made. He was 10 of 21 from the floor Saturday, leaving him three short of the 13 field goals he needed to tie Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's franchise record of 9,935 field goals made.

Even without Bogut and Jackson, the Bucks were in control most of the way. Ilyasova hit a jumper at the horn to end the third quarter, and the Bucks took an 80-73 lead into the fourth.

The Bucks led 85-76 after an inside score from Ilyasova with just under eight minutes left, but Bryant scored five straight points to cut the lead to four.

But Luc Richard Mbah a Moute hit a jumper, then Gooden scored on a turnaround hook shot and hit a pair of free throws to run the lead back to 91-81.

Andrew Bynum scored inside, but Dunleavy hit a long jumper to give the Bucks a 93-83 lead with just over two minutes left.

After Bryant made a pair of free throws, Dunleavy drilled a 3-pointer to put the game away with 1:24 left.

The Bucks managed the beat the Lakers without Jackson, whose suspension was announced a few hours before the game.

The NBA suspended Jackson one game for verbal abuse of a game official and failure to leave the court in a timely manner at the end of the Bucks' 107-100 loss at Chicago on Friday night.

It's another rough moment for Jackson, who was benched by coach Scott Skiles in the Bucks' Jan. 20 game at the New York Knicks.

Bogut, meanwhile, fractured his left ankle in Wednesday's game at Houston and is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks ? a crushing blow for Milwaukee.

Without Bogut, the undersized Bucks faced a tough test from the Lakers' pair of 7-footers: Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

But they held their ground on defense early on, taking a 51-43 lead at halftime. The Bucks forced the Lakers into 10 turnovers in the first half, and limited Gasol to six points on 3 for 10 shooting.

Gasol finished the game with 12 points and 15 rebounds, but was 6 for 18 from the floor.

Lakers rookie guard Andrew Goudelock scored 13 points despite being hospitalized for dehydration overnight. Goudelock was coming off his best performance of the year, having scored a career-high 14 points against the Clippers on Wednesday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-29-Lakers-Bucks/id-48c1b33bad464c8998da79f03016f176

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AP Interview: Roubini warns of tough times ahead (AP)

DAVOS, Switzerland ? Economist Nouriel Roubini, nicknamed "Dr. Doom" for his gloomy predictions in the run-up to the financial meltdown four years ago, says the fallout from that crisis could last the rest of this decade.

Roubini, widely acknowledged to have predicted the crash of 2008, sees tough times ahead for the global economy and is warning that without major policy changes things can still get much worse.

Until Europe radically reforms itself and the U.S. gets serious about its own debt mountain, he said, the world economy will continue to stumble along to the detriment of large chunks of the world's population who will continue to see their living standards under pressure, even if they have a job.

Roubini, a professor of economics and international business at New York University, spoke in an interview this week with The Associated Press at a dinner on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, where he is one of the hotly pursued stars.

Looking at economic prospects this year, he agreed with the International Monetary Fund's latest forecast that the global economy is weakening and said he might be "even slightly more bearish" on its prediction of 3.3 percent growth in 2012.

He painted a grim picture of the eurozone in recession and key emerging markets in China, India, Brazil and South Africa slowing down, partly related to weakness in the eurozone. He predicted that the U.S. economy, the world's largest, will grow by just 1.7-1.8 percent this year, with unemployment remaining high. The government, he added, was "kicking the can down the road" and not taking measures to increase productivity and competitiveness.

"We live in a world where there is still a huge amount of economic and financial fragility," he said. "There is a huge amount of uncertainty ? macro, financial, fiscal, sovereign, banking, regulatory, taxation ? and there is also geopolitical and political and policy uncertainty."

"There are lots of sources of uncertainty from the eurozone, from the Middle East, from the fact that the U.S. is not tackling its own fiscal problem, from the fact that Chinese growth is unbalanced and unsustainable, relying too much on exports and fixed investments and high savings, and not enough on consumption. So it's a very delicate global economy," Roubini said.

He said the biggest uncertainty is the possibility of a conflict with Iran over its nuclear program that involves Israel, the United States, or both. That could lead oil prices now hovering around $100 a barrel to spike to $150 per barrel, he said, and lead to a global recession.

Unemployment and economic insecurity have become big issues from the Mideast to the Occupy Wall Street movement in the U.S., and protests from Israel and India to Chile and Russia ? and at the same time there is rising inequality between rich and poor.

"All these things lead to political and social instability," he said. "So we have to reduce inequality. We have to give growth to jobs, skills, education, and increase human capital so workers can compete."

Roubini called for a major change in policy priorities.

"We have to shift our investment from things that are less productive like the financial sector and housing and real estate to things that are more productive like our people, our human capital, our structure, our technology, our innovation," he said.

Roubini said slow growth in advanced economies will likely lead to "a U-shaped recovery rather than a typical V," and it may last for another three to five years because of high debt.

"Once you have too much debt in the public and private sector, the painful process could last up to a decade, where economic growth remains weak and anemic and sub-par until we have cleaned up the balance sheet and invested in the things that make us more productive for the future," he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_davos_forum_economist

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Video: PRESS Pass: Director of the Consumer Protection Bureau Richard Cordray

A Second Take on Meeting the Press: From an up-close look at Rachel Maddow's sneakers to an in-depth look at Jon Krakauer's latest book ? it's all fair game in our "Meet the Press: Take Two" web extra. Log on Sundays to see David Gregory's post-show conversations with leading newsmakers, authors and roundtable guests. Videos are available on-demand by 12 p.m. ET on Sundays.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/46154968#46154968

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SEC charges trader with hijacking accounts (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? U.S. securities regulators charged a Latvian trader with reaping more than $850,000 in illegal profits by hacking into online brokerage accounts and manipulating more than 100 securities.

In a complaint filed in federal court in San Francisco on Thursday, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Igors Nagaicevs broke into accounts at large U.S. brokerages and drove up stock prices by making unauthorized purchases and sales.

Separately, the SEC also took administrative enforcement action on Thursday against four electronic trading firms and eight executives, saying they all enabled Nagaicevs's scheme by giving him "anonymous and unfiltered access" to the U.S. market.

Two individuals and one firm have agreed to settle the matter, the agency said.

(Reporting By Sarah N. Lynch; editing by John Wallace)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120126/us_nm/us_sec_hacking

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"For Dummies" Book Implies Facebook and Twitter Gets Seniors Laid [Video]

You probably spend a good amount of your time explaining tech problems to old people, or young people who are simply dumb. But those few who are old and dumb? Here's a guide book that will lead their charge onto social media, and if we're reading that video correctly, start having lots of social network-enabled sex with each other. [Amazon via Buzzfeed] More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/YCTCwYeS3b8/for-dummies-book-implies-facebook-and-twitter-gets-seniors-laid

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Do Democrat Presidents Demand More from Congress in Their State of the Union Speeches? (ContributorNetwork)

ANALYSIS | President Barack Obama's critics have frequently derided him for being long-winded and prone to making many demands for Congress to enact his laws. In fact, Yahoo records 5,200 more cases where "President Obama" is referred to as "long-winded" more than "President Bush" (both combined, no doubt).

Perhaps long speeches and congressional demands can be a proxy for "bigger government."

To examine whether Democrats are guilty of longer, pushier speeches, I look at the University of California at Santa Barbara's data from their American Presidency Project, developed by Jon Woolley and Gerhard Peters. One dataset includes the number of words in the State of the Union speeches. The other dataset includes presidential requests of Congress in the State of the Union speeches.

When looking at all presidents from Trman to Obama for the length of the speech, I find that the six Democratic Party presidents average 5,662 words in their State of the Union speeches, while the six Republican Party presidents average only 4,799 words per State of the Union speeches.

As for presidential requests from Congress, Democrats also make more of these. Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton combined for an average of 22.22 requests of Congress in their State of the Union speech. Republicans only averaged 18.434 requests of Congress from Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush (this dataset ran from 1948 to 1997).

I'm sure this information doesn't surprise anyone. We all assume those professorial types like Clinton and Obama would go on longer than the George Bushes, and Democrats want Congress to do more. But though there's a difference, it's only a slight one. Deeper analysis shows that the difference between the two average in words and requests is not statistically significant.

An examination of the data reveals that more recent U.S. Presidents actually provide longer speeches, and make more demands of the legislative branch, regardless of political party. George W. Bush gave longer speeches than his fellow Republicans, and even LBJ and Carter. Bush even averaged more congressional requests in his State of the Union speeches than even Clinton, by a hair. And Clinton and Obama provided longer speeches than their Democratic counterparts from earlier decades. As Americans increasingly demand more of their presidents, they can expect longer speeches and more calls for congressional action.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/democrats/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120125/pl_ac/10881219_do_democrat_presidents_demand_more_from_congress_in_their_state_of_the_union_speeches

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Romney says he favors 'self-deportation' (AP)

TAMPA, Fla. ? Mitt Romney said in Monday's GOP debate that he favors what he calls "self-deportation" over policies that require the federal government to round up illegal immigrants and return them to their home countries.

"The answer is self-deportation, which is people decide they can do better by going home because they can't find work here because they don't have legal documentation to allow them to work here," Romney said.

Romney's answer came after he was pressed on how he could be in favor of illegal immigrants returning to their home countries and applying for citizenship while also saying that he does not want the federal government to round people up and deport them.

Romney said that if employers enforce high standards for legal documentation of their employees, potential illegal immigrants will not be able to find work. He says this will allow the federal government to avoid having to round up people because they will leave on their own.

The federal government has previously experimented with a trial self-deportation program under the Bush Administration. It gave illegal immigrants up to 90 days to leave the country but was scrapped after two-and-half weeks in 2008 when it only produced eight volunteers. That left federal immigration officials vowing to intensify their efforts to track down illegal immigrants ? a policy Romney has said he does not support.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_debate_immigration

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Scorsese's 'Hugo' leads Oscars 11 nominations

In this image released by Paramount Pictures, Asa Butterfield portrays Hugo Cabret in a scene from "Hugo." The film was nominated Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 for an Oscar for best film. The Oscars will be presented Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Billy Crystal and broadcast live on ABC. (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Jaap Buitendijk)

In this image released by Paramount Pictures, Asa Butterfield portrays Hugo Cabret in a scene from "Hugo." The film was nominated Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 for an Oscar for best film. The Oscars will be presented Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Billy Crystal and broadcast live on ABC. (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Jaap Buitendijk)

FILE- In this file film publicity image released by The Weinstein Company, Jean Dujardin portrays George Valentin, left, and Berenice Bejo portrays Peppy Miller in a scene from "The Artist." (AP Photo/The Weinstein Company, FILE)

FILE- In this file film publicity image released by Disney, Viola Davis is shown in a scene from "The Help." (AP Photo/Disney, Dale Robinette, FILE)

In this image released by Fox Searchlight Films, George Clooney, left, and Shailene Woodley are shown in a scene from "The Descendants." The film was nominated Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 for an Oscar for best film. The Oscars will be presented Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Billy Crystal and broadcast live on ABC. (AP Photo/Fox Searchlight Films, Merie Wallace)

Jennifer Lawrence, left, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announce the best motion picture of the year nominations for the 84th Annual Academy Awards on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 in Beverly Hills, Calif. The 84th Annual Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) ? Martin Scorsese's Paris adventure "Hugo" leads the Academy Awards with 11 nominations, among them best picture and the latest director slot for the Oscar-winning filmmaker.

Also nominated for best picture Tuesday: the silent film "The Artist"; the family drama "The Descendants"; the Sept. 11 tale "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"; the Deep South drama "The Help"; the romantic fantasy "Midnight in Paris"; the sports tale "Moneyball"; the family chronicle "The Tree of Life"; and the World War I epic "War Horse."

The nominations set up a best-picture showdown between the top films at the Golden Globes: best musical or comedy recipient "The Artist" and best drama winner "The Descendants."

"The Artist" ran second with 10 nominations, among them writing and directing nominations for French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius, a best-actor honor for Jean Dujardin and a supporting-actress slot for Berenice Bejo.

Because of a rule change requiring films to receive a certain number of first-place votes, the best-picture field has only nine nominees rather than the 10 that were in the running the last two years.

Dujardin, who won the Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy as a silent-era star whose career goes kaput with the arrival of talking pictures, will be up against Globe dramatic actor winner George Clooney for "The Descendants," in which the Oscar-winning superstar plays a dad trying to hold his Hawaiian family together after a boating accident puts his wife in a coma.

Other best-actor contenders are: Demian Bechir as an immigrant father in "A Better Life"; Gary Oldman as British spymaster George Smiley in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"; and Brad Pitt as Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane in "Moneyball."

Globe winners Meryl Streep (best dramatic actress as Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady") and Michelle Williams (best musical or comedy actress as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn") scored Oscar nominations for best actress.

Two-time Oscar winner Streep padded her record as the most-nominated actress, raising her total to 17 nominations, five more than Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson, who are tied for second-place.

Streep went two-for-four on her first nominations, winning supporting actress for 1979's "Kramer vs. Kramer" and best actress for 1982's "Sophie's Choice." But she has lost her last 12 times, and the Globe win for her spot-on personification of Thatcher looks like her best chance yet to break that losing streak.

Along with Streep and Williams, best-actress nominees are: Glenn Close as a 19th century Irishwoman masquerading as a male butler in "Albert Nobbs"; Viola Davis as a black maid going public with tales of white Southern employers in "The Help"; and Rooney Mara as a traumatized, vengeful computer genius in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

___

David Germain reported from Park City, Utah.

___

Online:

http://www.oscars.org

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-24-Oscar%20Nominations/id-73b66dcefc0641dd99acf96542ce0f31

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GOP Candidates Pick Up a Few Other Celebrity Endorsements (ContributorNetwork)

With a few notable exceptions, such as the recent endorsement of Newt Gingrich by action star Chuck Norris, as reported in Reuters, Republican candidates tend not to get celebrity endorsements. This mainly has to do with the politics and culture of the entertainment industry.

That does not mean that some actors and musicians will not cross the aisle and give some love to a Republican running for office. Here are a few recent examples.

Kinky Friedman endorses Rick Perry

Texas Gov. Rick Perry may have failed in his quest for the presidency, but it was not for the want of an endorsement of a former opponent. Kinky Friedman, as reported in the Daily Beast. Friedman ran for governor twice against Perry, once in 2006 as an independent and again in 2010 as a Democrat.

Dennis Miller endorses Herman Cain -- Then Changes His Mind

Comedian and TV personality Dennis Miller is a comedian, a film actor, and a radio talk show host. He endorsed Herman Cain, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, for president, according to the Daily Caller. But then Cain ran into multiple allegations of sexual harassment and worse -- all unproven -- and so Miller withdrew his endorsement just before Cain withdrew from the race, according to Mediate,

Kelsey Grammar endorses Michele Bachmann

Kelsey Grammar is best known as the star of a number of TV shows such as "Frasier" and the current Starz Network production "Boss" as well as movies like the delightful and underrated "Down Periscope." His nod went to Rep, Michele Bachmann, as reported by Victoria Q. Nerdballs blog, citing MSNBC. Bachmann is now out of the race.

Cindy Crawford endorses Mitt Romney

Cindy Crawford is known as a super model and an actress in such movies as "Fair Game" will Alec Baldwin's brother William and guest appearances in a few TV shows such as "Third Rock from the Sun." Crawford has endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president, according to Gateway Pundit.

Vince Vaughn endorses Ron Paul

Vince Vaughn, who has appeared in such films as "The Wedding Crashers," "Be Cool," and "Couples Retreat" has not only endorsed Texas Rep. Ron Paul, as reported by the Daily Caller, but has introduced him at a number of events.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120122/pl_ac/10864725_gop_candidates_pick_up_a_few_other_celebrity_endorsements

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Does Your Business Need Mobile Apps? Bizness Apps (& More) Give You The Premium Tools

Let's say you want to give your small business a mobile presence. You'd like to develop some mobile apps, but you don't have the time, money, or technical skills to do it yourself, and you're not too excited about the idea of paying a developer an armload to do it for you. Of course, on the other hand, you may be willing to pay a little more of a premium to have someone else do the work for you, work with you directly, and walk you through the process, customizing your app as you go.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TQEvC8QcGEw/

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Analysis: Italy disaster shows Titanic lifeboat issues linger (Reuters)

LONDON/BOSTON (Reuters) ? The capsizing of the Costa Concordia will pressure the cruise industry to address a safety question that has lingered since the Titanic disaster almost 100 years ago - how to get thousands of people off a giant cruise ship into lifeboats quickly.

Carnival Corp, owner of the Concordia, conceded on Thursday that the accident, which has led to the deaths of at least 11 people with another 24 unaccounted for out of its 4,200 passengers and crew, "has called into question our company's safety and emergency response procedures." A Carnival spokesman could not immediately comment on whether the company's safety review would include the lifeboats.

Veteran mariners say the Concordia wreck - particularly the problems the passengers encountered in launching lifeboats as the ship listed to one side - proves there are problems the industry, try though it might, still has not solved.

"The regulations rely on untrained and frightened passengers being able to deal with life rafts in the absence of trained crew members - including having to board them from the water," said John Dalby, a former oil tanker captain who now runs maritime security firm Marine Risk Management.

"The whole point of the Titanic regulations was to avoid what happened with her, and it has now happened again with Costa - that is, the difficulty, if not impossibility, of launching lifeboats from the 'high side,'" Dalby said, referring to the side of the boat tipped into the air.

In the wake of the Titanic disaster, maritime regulations make it mandatory for all ships to have a minimum of 125 percent lifeboat and life raft capacity, comprising 50 percent on each side of the ship plus an additional 25 percent available. According to the International Chamber of Shipping, they are designed to be ready for use within 5 minutes and to be filled as quickly as needed.

But all of that is for naught if the lifeboats cannot get into the water, or if the ship finds itself in distress in adverse conditions - late at night, in a storm or far from land, for example.

That was the lesson the Titanic first taught in 1912, when - besides not having enough lifeboats on board - some lifeboats did not launch properly in the ship's final, harried minutes.

"The frightening thing is how quickly the ship went on its side. If it had been out to sea there would have been a massive loss of life," said one marine underwriter at the Lloyd's of London insurance market.

"It's very similar to the Titanic disaster. The Titanic hit an iceberg and opened up like a can of sardines."

SHIPBUILDING CHALLENGE

One veteran mariner said in a dire situation, there are certain judgment calls the ship's captain has to make.

"The requirement for lifeboats is that they should be capable of being launched from a ship with a list of up to 20 degrees," said Tom Allan, a naval architect and expert on maritime safety who has held senior positions in several regulatory bodies including the International Maritime Organisation.

"If it gets to more than 20 degrees, I would suggest that a lot of lifeboats could still be launched, but then it gets to a stage where the master has to make a decision as to whether it's safe to launch them."

Yet the question of the lifeboats aside, Allan and others in the industry generally believe that not only are large cruise liners safe, in some ways they offer more safety than older, smaller ships.

"Ships grew in average size over the past 10 years, but of course safety measures were adjusted accordingly," said a spokesman for Meyer Werft, the German shipyard that has been building cruise liners for more than 30 years.

Considered one of the industry's "big three," the German yard has built ships for nine different lines, including Carnival units Holland America and P&O.

"Aviation and shipping are very different from, for instance, the automotive sector. There is a lot more redundancy in safety systems," the spokesman said. "We don't see any major impact (from Costa Concordia) on the industry because we do not have a fundamental crisis on our hands."

OPEN QUESTIONS

One European regulator acknowledged that in extreme cases of distress, there are still questions for which the cruising industry has no answers.

"If a great number of people fall into the water, it is challenging to pick them up," said Tuomas Routa, maritime safety director for the Finnish Transport Safety Agency. "I'm sure the next new ships will be different in some way, more safe."

That could require new training in addition to design changes. One legal and maritime expert said the passenger ship industry lacked the precise training the military has, as well as the will to institute that training.

"The cruise industry is slightly unto itself," said David Loh, a maritime lawyer with Cozen O'Connor in New York and former lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy.

"Their training and certification is different than other vessels."

Loh and others have said there may be gaps in the way training is administered and enforced worldwide. But training aside, expert sailors say in many ways the problems still come back to inexorable issues of design.

"The immediate aftermath of the Titanic was to increase lifeboat capacity to enable all people to be disembarked into boats ... and to look again at the heights of watertight bulkheads. This has been a difficult area as designs and tonnage rules have changed over the years," said Mike Smith, a retired master mariner with 45 ship commands under his belt.

(Reporting by Jonathan Saul, Ben Berkowitz; Additional reporting by Myles Neligan and Estelle Shirbon in London, Maria Sheahan in Frankfurt and Jussi Rosendahl in Helsinki; Editing by Martin Howell, Gary Hill)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/wl_nm/us_italy_ship_lifeboats

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Anonymous Just Deleted CBS.com and Took Down Universal [Hackers]

Taking a shorter break than their last vacation, Anonymous is back at it already. Reports are coming in that they had completely knocked out CBS.com and are continuing their revenge spree. The CBS takedown wasn't your regular DDoS attack because if you went to CBS.com at the time Anon attacked it, there was nothing except an index page with a single file. That's it. Basically, Anonymous gained access to CBS.com and deleted EVERYTHING. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/3XoHlIGG5-A/anonymous-deleted-cbscom

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Proteins may warn of diabetic kidney disease risk

Levels of a natural compound in blood seem to foreshadow high risk of renal failure

Web edition : Thursday, January 19th, 2012

A simple blood test might reveal which people with diabetes are most prone to kidney failure, two long-term studies show. An abundance of two compounds better known as culprits in inflammation seems to pinpoint high-risk diabetes patients years before they show outward signs of kidney problems, researchers say.

Both studies linked high levels of proteins called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors with elevated incidence of kidney disease up to 12 years later. The association showed up in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the researchers report online January 19 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Study leader Andrzej Krolewski, a kidney researcher at Harvard Medical School and the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, says the findings may ultimately improve care for at-risk diabetes patients. ?The most immediate application,? says study coauthor Monika Niewczas, a researcher also at Harvard and Joslin, ?will be a diagnostic test that we hope would be available soon.?

TNF receptors serve as docking stations on cells. When their counterpart protein latches onto the receptor, the signal produced by that binding can instruct a cell to trigger inflammation or to take on other duties. Some TNF receptors also roam free, showing up in the blood, a characteristic the scientists measured in the new studies.

In one study, the researchers tracked the health status of 410 people with type 2 diabetes who didn?t have kidney disease in the early 1990s. Patients provided initial blood samples followed by information on their health over the subsequent eight to 12 years. By the end of the study?s follow-up period, 52 percent of the patients with high concentrations of TNF receptors in that initial blood sample had developed kidney failure and needed dialysis or a transplant, whereas only 3 percent of patients with low levels of TNF receptors did. After accounting for differences among the patients, the high-receptor group was still about six times more prone to kidney failure, Niewczas says.

The other study included 628 patients with type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile-onset diabetes. Over five to 12 years of follow-up, participants who had high TNF receptor levels at the start were three times as likely to develop chronic kidney disease as those with low receptor levels.

?These are good pilot studies, very well conducted,? says Sankar Navaneethan, a nephrologist at the Cleveland Clinic, who wasn?t involved in the new research. ?But they need to be replicated in future studies before we can embark on using this biomarker for predicting these outcomes in patients.?

Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure, accounting for 44 percent of new cases in 2008. Chronic inflammation has long been suspected in this connection, but the Joslin team reports that several common inflammatory proteins don?t show a link to kidney disease ? only the TNF receptors do.

The researchers ?provide very solid statistical and epidemiological evidence? linking TNF receptor abundance with kidney damage, says Klaus Ley, a physician at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology in California. ?But we don?t know why the receptor levels are increased in these patients. This is just the beginning of a very exciting story.?

Found in: Body & Brain

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/337761/title/Proteins_may_warn_of_diabetic_kidney_disease_risk

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Libya had undeclared chemical weapon stockpile (AP)

AMSTERDAM ? International inspectors have confirmed that late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi had an undeclared stockpile of chemical weapons, the organization that oversees a global ban on such armaments announced Friday.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said inspectors who visited Libya this week found sulfur mustard and artillery shells "which they determined are chemical munitions," meaning the shells were not filled with chemicals, but were designed specifically to be loaded with chemical weapons.

"They are not ready to use, because they are not loaded with agents," OPCW spokesman Michael Luhan said.

He would not divulge the amounts of chemicals in the previously unknown stockpile, except to call it "a fraction" of what Gadhafi disclosed in the past.

Libya's new rulers told the Hague-based organization about the chemicals last year after toppling Gadhafi from power. The longtime Libyan strongman was killed in October after being captured by rebel fighters.

The newly confirmed chemical armaments are stored at the Ruwagha depot in southeastern Libya together with chemical weapons that Gadhafi had declared to international authorities in 2004 as he tried to shake off his image as an international pariah and rebuild relations with the West.

He declared his regime had 25 metric tons (27.6 tons) of sulfur mustard and 1,400 metric tons (1,543 tons) of precursor chemicals used to make chemical weapons. His regime also declared more than 3,500 unfilled aerial bombs designed for use with chemical warfare agents such as sulfur mustard, and three chemical weapons production facilities.

Those stockpiles were being destroyed until a technical problem halted destruction last year at the same time as the popular uprising began that led to Gadhafi's ouster and death.

Libya was to have completed destruction of its chemical weapons by April 29 of this year, but can no longer meet the deadline after the turmoil that roiled the country last year. The country's new government now has until that date to file a plan and proposed completion date for destroying its entire chemical weapon stockpile.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120120/ap_on_re_eu/eu_libya_chemical_weapons

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'American Idol': Where Are Katharine McPhee, Leah LaBelle Now?

We also check in with Justin Guarini, Ruben Studdard, Constantine Maroulis and more 'Idol' alumni before season 11 kicks off.
By Jim Cantiello

Katharine McPhee
Photo: Getty Images

"American Idol" kicks off its 11th season Wednesday night with its first of eight audition episodes. But before we're inundated with a new batch of contestants (many of whom we'll forget about by June), let's play catch-up with some noteworthy alums.

Sure, our Kellys and Carries have remained household names throughout the years, but others — like Katharine McPhee and Leah LaBelle — are poised to have their biggest post-"Idol" years yet.

Let's check in with standouts from seasons one through five:

Season One
The One You Know: Kelly Clarkson's fifth studio album, Stronger, is selling just fine, even if recent "Ron Paul sales bump" rumors were proven to be a bunch of hooey. The original Idol just kicked off her latest tour last week. On the radio, you'll hear "Mr. Know It All" approximately 17 times an hour, until it's replaced by new single "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)."

The Goofy One: Justin Guarini hasn't released a full-length album since 2005's Stranger Things Have Happened, but the inaugural runner-up kept busy in 2011 appearing in Broadway's "American Idiot" as well as touring companies of "Rent" and "Chicago." On a personal note, the crooner and his wife had a baby boy last April. And yes, since "Idol," he's chopped his signature "Felicity-meets-Sideshow Bob" locks.

Season Two
The One You Know: Clay Aiken can be seen in promos for the upcoming season of "Celebrity Apprentice," accusing a teammate of being patronizing — all in the name of charity. Although his last few albums haven't made a big dent in pop culture, Clay still remains the fourth-best-selling "Idol" contestant ever, right behind the holy trinity. (That's Underwood/Clarkson/Daughtry, obviously.)

The One You Shouldn't Count Out Just Yet: Most of America hasn't paid much attention to the Velvet Teddy Bear since "Sorry (2004)," and Ruben Studdard finally realized fans like him best when he sings about calendars. Studdard kicked off 2012 with a well-reviewed single called "June 28th (I'm Single)" about his recent divorce. The catchy throwback jam is currently climbing the urban charts, so don't be surprised if his upcoming album moves some serious units when it lands in March.

The One You Had No Idea Was On "Idol": Ashley Hartman had a six-episode stint on the first season of "The O.C." as Summer and Marissa's buddy Holly. Turns out Simon Cowell's "You should act, not sing" critique was correct!

Season Three
The One You Know: Seventh-placer Jennifer Hudson spent 2011 promoting her sophomore album, I Remember Me, but her turn as Weight Watchers' official spokesperson kept her skinny body in the spotlight and earned her a book deal. The Oscar winner's turn as Winnie Mandela has yet to be released in the U.S., but she'll appear as a nun in the Farrelly Brothers' "Three Stooges" big-screen update this year. Might we suggest a remake of Lily Tomlin's "The Incredible Shrinking Woman" next?

The One We Can't Stop Rooting For: Fantasia, Fantasia, Fantasia. Your 2010 album Back to Me was full of retro nuggets like the Grammy-winning "Bittersweet" and shoulda-been-a-hit "Collard Greens and Cornbread," but just when your music career gets back on track, your life spins out of control. Here's hoping you can turn your personal drama into big-screen gold when you star as Mahalia Jackson in your first official feature-film role.

The One You Shouldn't Count Out Just Yet: Leah LaBelle barely made the top 12 back in 2004 — when she was a cocky 17-year-old with shaky vocals living under the shadow of a Bulgarian pop-star mother — but the 25-year-old just made headlines by getting signed to L.A. Reid's Epic Records under the guidance of heavyweights Jermaine Dupri and Pharrell Williams. Seriously!

The One You Had No Idea Was On "Idol": Soap fans might remember Duke Buchanan on "One Life to Live" before he was killed by a tornado in 2006. The Matthew Morrison look-alike got his start on "Idol" as a semifinalist.

Season Four
The One You Know: In 2011, country megastar Carrie Underwood starred in a hit film, "Soul Surfer," reached her 11th #1 single on a duet with Brad Paisley and finally surpassed Kelly Clarkson as the biggest-selling "Idol" winner ever. She's got a new album on the way and hinted that she'll be participating in "something special" with Steven Tyler, fueling a rumor that she'll be taking the CMT "Crossroads" stage with the new "Idol" judge and — randomly — '90s band Sugar Ray.

The Goofy One: Constantine Maroulis finally got some respect with a Tony-nominated turn in Broadway's "Rock of Ages" in 2009. Constantine fans might be bummed that he won't be reprising the Drew role in the big-screen adaptation coming out in 2012, but keep your eyes peeled, because director Adam Shankman gave him a quick walk-on appearance as a producer.

The One You Had No Idea Was On "Idol": Prior to winning the sixth season of "Nashville Star," Melissa Lawson made it to the top 75 during Hollywood Week on "Idol."

Season Five
The One You Know: Daughtry's 2011 album Break the Spell went gold in December. Chris and the band will be hitting the road for their second headlining tour this March.

The One You Shouldn't Count Out Just Yet: Katharine McPhee's career has been full of starts and stops. But now that she's on NBC's high-profile midseason replacement "Smash" (including an inescapable ad campaign that claims to be "introducing" McPhee to America's living rooms), expect to see the season five runner-up reach new heights. You saw her hobnobbing with Hollywood's elite at the Golden Globes this past Sunday. Twelve months from now, you may just see her onstage holding a Globe of her own.

The Goofy One: Taylor Hicks got some love last April when Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert invited him to appear on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" during Colbert's cover of Rebecca Black's "Friday," a performance that instantly went viral and showed that Hicks is still as charmingly offbeat as you remember. The other goofy alum of season five, Kellie Pickler, is ready to show her mature side with a traditional country album, 100 Proof, out next week.

On Thursday, Jim will check in with standouts from seasons six through 10.

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677437/american-idol-katharine-mcphee-leah-labelle.jhtml

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Will Jon Stewart go to jail for running Stephen Colbert's super PAC?

As the head of a super political-action committee supporting Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart is not allowed to 'coordinate' with Colbert. But the two are pushing the limits in the name of satire.

Jon Stewart does not want to go to jail. This is understandable ? the bagels in prison aren?t fresh, and Wi-Fi access is extremely limited.

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So ? as he explained on Tuesday night?s show ? he is worried about his new position as head of Stephen Colbert?s super political-action committee. He?s happy with the money, of course, and the power, and so on. He?s thinking of buying himself one of Elizabeth Taylor?s tiaras. (We?re not making this up.) But he heard Mitt Romney say on ?Morning Joe? that he (Mitt) can?t coordinate with his own super PAC or he?ll go the ?big house.?

?Which of your big houses do you go to? The beach house or the ski chalet?? asked Mr. Stewart, before mugging it up in mock horror at finally getting Mr. Romney?s joke.

?I don?t want to go to jail! I need guidance! Stephen!? said Stewart. Then Mr. Colbert himself walked out on stage and the audience exploded in glee.

Let?s back up for second here, shall we? For some time, Colbert has had a super PAC, a new kind of political money machine that?s allowed to accept unlimited amounts of money from private donors, and spend it on ads, or whatever, in support of its favorite candidates.

The only catch is that candidates themselves can?t run super PACs. If they did, donations would subject to low Federal Election Committee limits. And Colbert is now exploring the possibility of running for president of South Carolina. So he?s turned his super PAC over to Stewart. It?s now called the ?Definitely not coordinating with Stephen Colbert Super PAC.?

The point they?re making is that the line here is tissue-thin. The law says candidates cannot ?coordinate? with super PACs. That means they cannot request, assent to, or suggest any super PAC activities.

But there is a loophole, or, as Colbert called it, a ?loop-chasm.? A candidate can talk to his associated super PAC via the media. And the super PAC can listen, like everybody else.

?I can?t tell you [what to do]. But I can tell everyone through television,? said Colbert on Stewart?s Comedy Central Show. ?And if you happen to be watching, I can?t prevent that.?

Stewart then played a clip of Newt Gingrich calling on his super PAC to scrub ads attacking Mitt Romney for possible inaccuracies.

Stewart and Colbert then talked to elections lawyer Trevor Potter ? who is the attorney for both Colbert?s exploratory committee and the super PAC ? through the same phone. Stewart said he?d bought air time in South Carolina, and so on, and Colbert just said he couldn?t coordinate, but smiled or frowned, depending on which city the ad time was in. Columbia, no. Charleston, yes!

Is this all legal, or are these comedians pushing the legal envelope and in fact risking jail time?

Nope, amazing as it sounds, they?re doing everything right. Election law expert Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California-Irvine, on his blog linked to clips from the show, and posted but one additional word: ?hilarious.?

So which of the GOP candidates stand to benefit most from super PAC money? So far the Romney-friendly ?Restore Our Future? super PAC has spent about $7.8 million on ads and other pro-Romney activities, according to an analysis from the Center for Responsive Politics.

?That?s far more than any other super PAC involved in the 2012 GOP presidential primaries,? wrote analyst Michael Beckel on the group?s ?Open Secrets? blog.

The pro-Gingrich ?Winning Our Future? has spent about $4.2 million so far. Groups associated with the other candidates have all spent much less, according to CRP.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/934iTl0xg40/Will-Jon-Stewart-go-to-jail-for-running-Stephen-Colbert-s-super-PAC

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