BP to pay US billions for Gulf of Mexico spill

Apart from the huge fine, two BP employees face manslaughter charges over the death of 11 people in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that triggered the massive spill.

The author has posted comments on this articleAP | Nov 15, 2012, 10.00PM IST NEW ORLEANS: British oil giant BP has agreed to pay a criminal penalty in the billions of dollars for the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the US coast, a person familiar with the deal said on Thursday.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about the deal, also said two BP PLC employees face manslaughter charges over the death of 11 people in the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that triggered the massive spill.

The person said BP will plead guilty to obstruction for lying to Congress about how much oil was pouring out of the ruptured well.

The Deepwater Horizon rig, 80 kilometres off the Louisiana coast, sank after the April 2010 explosion.

The well on the sea floor spewed an estimated 206 million gallons of crude oil, soiling sensitive tidal estuaries and beaches, killing wildlife and shutting vast areas of the Gulf of Mexico to commercial fishing.

The spill exposed lax government oversight and led to a temporary ban on deepwater drilling while officials and the oil industry studied the risks, worked to make it safer and developed better disaster plans.

BP's environmentally friendly image was tarnished, and independent gas station owners who fly the BP flag claimed they lost business from customers who were upset over the spill.

BP chief executive Tony Hayward stepped down after the company's repeated gaffes, including his statement at the height of the crisis: "I'd like my life back".

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/BP-to-pay-US-billions-for-Gulf-of-Mexico-spill/articleshow/17232808.cms

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Girl paralyzed by drunk driver leaves jury in tears

The life of Xitclalli "Chilli"Vasquez, 9, took a tragic turn in the summer of 2011 when a drunk driver's car collided head-on with the car the Fort Worth, Texas, girl was riding in, leaving her paralyzed from chest down.

Last week, on the day of convicted drunk driver Jeremy Solis's sentencing at Tarrant County Court, Vasquez had a chance to read him a letter she had written, a letter that brought Solis, the jury, and everyone present in the court room to tears, witnesses said.

The four-page handwritten letter, titled "From One of Your Victom," presented to the jury explained how Vasquez was going to the mall with her sister "to get my hair cut and my nails done." That was all she could recall of the fateful day of the crash. "I don't remember the first several days. I could not talk, so I had to use my thumb to answer yes or no. While I was in UCLA I had very bad moments. They take xrays of me every day. Feed me through by gbutton. I had tubes through my mouth and nose."

"There were times that I would cry and cry?in therapy they showed me how to lift myself and dress myself. But right now it's still very hard. My mom does a lot for me but I try myself. There are days that I cry cause I can't do what I used to. Well, I could keep going but my hand is getting tired. I would like you to meet me and my family?there are days that are bad because I have a hard time getting around. "

"Look at what I said and the words I said and tell me how I look and feel. How do you feel today? Do you remember July 9th?"

Vasquez, who is the third of five siblings, turned 8 three days after her July 9, 2011 accident. She is a fourth grader who has a talent for mathematics, and wants to be a doctor some day. Her dream is to walk again.

"I hope Jeremy would respond to my letter," Chilli told ABC News. "It will make me happy if he says he is sorry," she said. Chilli said she planned to send him more letters while he was serving his sentence and hoped he would respond.

The prosecutor for Solis's case, Allenna Bangs, said that Solis was sentenced to 10 years in prison and would be eligible for parole in five years. "There were no restitution charges. It was not a trial, rather it was a plea case and he pleaded [guilty]," said Bangs. Solis pleaded guilty to two counts of intoxication assault.

Bangs said that at the time of the accident Solis's blood alcohol level was 0.23. "This is nearly three times the legal limit. He is 21 years old with no criminal history," she said.

Amid Vasquez's ordeals with rehab and therapy, her family said that she was a miracle child. "It is very difficult when your child suddenly has a handicap. But no matter how bad it is, we feel blessed to have Chilli with us and fortunate that she made it alive," Arabella Vasquez, Vasquez's mother, told ABC News. "She is a survivor. Many people die because of drunk driving accidents but Chilli made it alive and we all have faith she will walk again someday," she said.

Also Read

Source: http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/girl-paralyzed-drunk-driver-leaves-jury-tears-151145113--abc-news-topstories.html

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New Global Fund head targets killer diseases with cash

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (TrustLaw) - The Global Fund's new executive director, Mark Dybul, said he will move quickly to raise fresh money and release funding to combat the killer diseases AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

New scientific research shows that these diseases can be contained and his mission will be to achieve that in partnership with hard-hit countries, Dybul said in an interview on Thursday shortly after his appointment to head the epidemic-fighting agency based in Geneva.

"We are going to move aggressively to get money out of the door," said Dybul, a former U.S. global AIDS coordinator. "We will be working to increase the resources of the Fund and its contributions. We will be very aggressive."

"We have the scientific knowledge to completely control these diseases, and we want to have the resources," Dybul added, although he did not set time frames nor financial goals.

Since its founding in 2002, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has approved $22.9 billion in funding for more than 1,000 programs in 151 countries. Its programs have helped treat 3.6 million people with AIDS, 9.3 million with anti-TB treatments and delivered 270 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets to prevent malaria, it said.

Dybul joins the Global Fund after a turbulent year for the public-private organization.

Set up a decade ago to combat the three epidemics, it was forced to halt new program funding in face of a revenue shortfall after the start of the global financial crisis. The Global Fund also faced criticism over misuse of funds, prompting its head, Michel Kazatchkine of France, to step down in January.

Its chief auditor, John Parson, was fired on Thursday after the board deemed his performance "unsatisfactory."

Dybul, an AIDS clinician with a specialty in immunology who held leading posts under former U.S. President George W. Bush at the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief and as an ambassador for AIDS, brushed aside any concern about the recent upheavals at the Fund.

"It is on a very strong forward trajectory," he said. "It is in a very strong position and has a very strong emphasis on value for money and focus on the three killer diseases."

He said the recent challenges demonstrate that the Fund is a "learning institution that reflects, reviews and reacts."

The Fund's board also on Thursday approved a new funding model, starting in 2013, that is designed to be simpler, more flexible and have greater impact in conquering the diseases.

The new system relies upon closer discussions with the recipient countries, along with other donor groups and experts, over the design of their disease-fighting programs, it said.

Funding also will focus on addressing the needs of the poorest countries with the highest number of infections, it said. Additionally, grant cycles will be flexible instead of falling in set time periods, so that they can be coordinated better with a country's budgetary cycle, it said.

Medecins Sans Frontieres said in a news release that the first priority for the new executive director "should be making sure funding for new proposals gets out the door to accelerate much-needed treatment of HIV and drug-resistant tuberculosis, and raising the necessary funds to do so."

Dybul said he will seek to build strong partnerships with countries in the design of comprehensive programs to control the epidemics, and work with other organizations in obtaining financing.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/global-fund-head-targets-killer-diseases-cash-072519998.html

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Hong Kong's Causeway Bay now the world's priciest retail area

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's Fifth Avenue ended its 11-year run as the world's most expensive retail area, dethroned by Hong Kong's Causeway Bay, according to a survey by real estate services company Cushman & Wakefield.

The average retail real estate rent in the Causeway Bay shopping area surged 34.9 percent from a year earlier to an annual $2,630 per square foot, Cushman & Wakefield said in its report released on Tuesday.

Manhattan's Fifth Avenue came in second with average retail rent at $2,500 per square foot, up 11.1 percent, according to the review of 326 prime locations in 62 countries.

Paris's Avenue des Champs-Elysees, where the average rent rose 30 percent to $1,129 per square foot (9,573 euros per square meter) jumped two places to third place, leaving Tokyo's Ginza district in fourth place with average annual rent at $1,057 per square foot.

Luxury retailers are competing for the most coveted shopping destinations, pushing up rents, despite recent slower sales growth, Cushman & Wakefield said.

Five of the 10 most expensive global retail locations were in the Asia-Pacific region.

Within the Americas, the United States dominated the top 10 most expensive retail locations. Times Square made the survey for the first time, grabbing second place behind Fifth Avenue with rental growth of 55.6 percent. Madison Avenue and East 57th Street shared the third spot within the Americas.

In Brazil, rents surged 64.7 percent in the highly sought after area of Garcia D'avila (Ipanema) in Rio de Janeiro.

In Europe, Cushman & Wakefield said rents were strong in prime retail locations, even as secondary locations struggled with weak consumer sentiment.

Following Paris's Avenue des Champs-Elysees, London's New Bond Street was the second most expensive shopping area in Europe with rents up 3.1 percent to $936 per square foot. Switzerland's Bahnhofstrasse was third with rents up 8.7 percent to $854 per square foot.

(Reporting By Ilaina Jonas; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hong-kongs-causeway-bay-worlds-priciest-retail-area-010049722.html

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Getting started with foster care || Texas Baptists

November 15th, 2012 at 11:08 am

Foster parenting is hard work, but the reward of making a difference in the life of child can make it worth all of the effort. It?s not for everyone, but if you want to provide a home for a child in need, there is a clear path to making it happen.

Let?s say you?ve been considering fostering a child. Maybe you have friends who are foster parents. Maybe there?s a hole in your life and your heart that you want to fill. Maybe friends at church told you about their foster care experience. Now ? how do you become a foster parent?

Getting started is a three-step process.

First, pray about it. Ask God if it is right for you and your family. Ask Him to search your heart and give you strength, direction and patience.

Second, talk about it with your spouse and other family members. Foster parenting will involve the entire family, so it?s only right that they all be on board with the idea.

Third, attend an orientation meeting at a Christian foster care agency like STARRY, where you can have your questions answered and learn about the process of becoming a foster or adoptive parent.

Then, if you decide to become a foster parent, you will need to be licensed by the state. Licensing includes training (both in a classroom setting and online), background checks and home inspections. Fortunately, STARRY will be at your side as you work your way through the licensing process.

You will be asked to fill out a detailed application, required by Texas Child Protective Services, seeking information about your family, work background and home life. You also will be required to pass a background check.

At STARRY, during the course of your foster care training STARRY case managers will lead you through a unique Bible-based classroom study?our BRIDGE curriculum?for 19 hours over the course of a month. At the same time, you also will be asked to participate in online training sessions in order to help prepare you for the responsibility of foster parenting.

The final step before licensing is the home study, an interview conducted with all of the family members to discuss your backgrounds, assess your current family life, inspect your home and review the reasons why you want to be foster and/or adoptive parents.

The most time-consuming aspects of licensing are elements that are out of the control of either the foster care agency or the prospective foster parents, such as health inspections, fire inspections and background checks.

Often the biggest fear of a foster parent is becoming attached to a child, only to have him or her removed from their care and be reunited with the birth parents. Foster parents must know that they can always count on a strong support group of caring staff at STARRY or at the agency where they chose to partner, as well as a strong community of other foster parents who can pray for them, encourage them, and offer support in difficult times.

Foster parenting is highly rewarding, but foster parents need to enter the process fully aware, with clear expectations and a firm grasp of the realities that come with becoming licensed and subject to all of the standards of the state CPS system.

Finally, introducing into your home a small stranger ? who may come with emotional or behavioral issues because his or her previous family experiences ? will require unconditional love, enormous patience and faithful prayer. Are you and your family prepared for that?

If you are, the fostering experience can be the hardest work you?ll ever love. Ask any foster parent and they will tell you that the rewards far outweigh the risks and inconveniences. Getting that first hug from a foster child is an incomparable joy.

At STARRY, which is based in Round Rock and provides foster and adoption services in Central Texas, our team of foster care professionals can help you make a decision whether foster parenting is right for you. Once you are licensed, we will partner with you to help you navigate the system, clear hurdles that might arise and answer any questions that come up.

If you think you might be interested in foster parenting, call STARRY at (512) 246-4288 and let?s talk about it.

????

Stefanie Miller is the Foster Care Coordinator at STARRY Foster Care and Adoption in Round Rock. STARRY?s goal is to be a beacon of light for children, youth and families in the midst of crisis, no matter how big or small. You can reach Stefanie at stefanie.miller@starryonline.org. STARRY is part of the Children At Heart Ministries family.

Related News

Texas Baptists Family and Foster Care Ministries

Texas Baptists have a huge heart for families in crisis, whether that be through helping single moms get additional training through efforts like Christian Women?s Job Corp to better provide for their families or facilitating Foster Care through numerous agencies desiring to provide a safe haven for abused or neglected children. When you give to missions through the Texas Baptists Cooperative Program, you support these ministries, allowing them to continue sharing hope with families in need. Full Story ?

Hope for a child?s shattered world

What does the Bible say about foster care? Although the actual term is a more modern development in today?s society, the concept dates all the way back to biblical times. Full Story ?

Being a family

What does it mean to ?be a family?? Nothing has taught us more about being a family than becoming a foster family. Full Story ?

Why I foster

It doesn?t matter where they grow up, children everywhere deserve a chance. Full Story ?

Five ways to bless a foster family

Whether you are ready to open your home to foster or adopt a child, there are plenty of ways you can encourage, love and support those who have taken this step. Learn a few ways to help from this article originally published by Buckner International. Full Story ?

Source: http://texasbaptists.org/2012/11/getting-started-with-foster-care/

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Badge, body armor stolen in Metairie burglary | NOLA.com

An agent with the U.S. Border Patrol returned home to find his Metairie residence burglarized. The thief made off with $1,875 worth of property, including a gold badge from his dress uniform, according to a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office incident report.

The agent discovered the break-in Thursday afternoon when he arrived at his residence on North Sibley Street in Metairie, according to the report. Someone forced open the back door and rifled through things.

The badge had been taken from his uniform, but the thief also made off an agency-issued, green bullet-proof vest as well a personal laptop computer, the report said.

Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to call the Sheriff's Office investigations bureau at 504.364.5300. The public can also call Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111 or toll-free at 877.903.7867. Tips can be texted to C-R-I-M-E-S (274637); text TELLCS then the crime information. Callers or texters do not have to give their names or testify and can earn a $2,500 reward for information that leads to an indictment.

Source: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/11/badge_body_armor_stolen_in_met.html

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Livestrong Says No Donor Revolt From Lance Armstrong Scandal ...

November 13, 2012, 10:42 am

The Lance Armstrong Foundation said its fundraising has risen since the release last month of a report on alleged doping by its namesake founder and that only eight donors have asked for their money back as a result of the scandal, USA Today writes. The cancer charity, widely known as Livestrong, said donations are up by 7 percent since the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency moved on Aug. 23 to strip Mr. Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and by 15 percent since the watchdog issued a compendium of its evidence that the cycling champion cheated throughout his career.

Mr. Armstrong quietly left the foundation?s board of directors earlier this month, severing his last official tie with the charity he founded in 1997 after surviving testicular cancer. ?The foundation is counting on him to remain an active advocate in the global cancer movement, and we certainly welcome his participation, however he chooses to be involved,? said Katherine McLane, a Livestrong spokeswoman.

This entry was posted in News-updates. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://philanthropy.com/blogs/philanthropytoday/livestrong-says-no-donor-revolt-from-lance-armstrong-scandal/57598

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Getting the Support You Need When You're Struggling with ...

?Our need for connection and love is just as fundamental as our need for food, water, and shelter,? writes clinical psychologist Lee H. Coleman, Ph.D, in his book Depression: A Guide for The Newly Diagnosed. So when you?re struggling with depression ? or any mental illness, condition or concern ? having support is incredibly important for getting better.

In her book Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes, author Therese Borchard cites several studies about the power of support groups.

For instance, she mentions a 2002 study, where 95 percent of people with severe depression reported that online support groups helped their symptoms.

According to Coleman, people meet their needs for connection and social support in different ways. That?s simply because each person is different. As he writes, ?An introverted, intellectual scientist is obviously not going to meet his needs for closeness in the same way that an outgoing entertainer would.?

In his book, Coleman suggests taking the time to identify the type of support you need, whether it?s at home, work, school or from others. These are some of the questions he recommends asking:

• Would you like to spend more time with a particular person?
• What are your needs for affection and sex?
• If your sex drive is lower, what other ways can you connect with your partner?
• If you might isolate yourself, how should others reach you? ?When and how often??
• Who would you like to tell about your depression?
• Who would you rather not tell?
• How is depression affecting your work?
• Which work responsibilities are you having a harder time with? (?List some of your specific problems.?)
• Do you need to take time off from work?
• Do you need to adjust your responsibilities at home such as cooking, cleaning or childcare?
• If you?re a student, do you need to get extensions on assignments? Or a leave of absence?
• Do you need to change what you?re eating?
• Do you need some help with grocery shopping or buying other necessities?
• If concentration is a concern, would creating reminders help?
• If you?re feeling overwhelmed, do you need help in making decisions or plans?
• Do you need help in finding a mental health practitioner or transportation to your appointments or something else treatment-related?

Remember that people can?t read your mind, Coleman says, so it?s important to clearly communicate your needs to others. Also, consider carefully the people you?d like to share your diagnosis with. ?You?ll want to weigh the benefits against your privacy and the likely effect on your relationship,? he writes.

When it comes to approaching your boss, if you?re not sure how they?ll react, ?err on the side of caution by not immediately using the word ?depression,?? Coleman writes. Instead, be specific about the accommodations you need. If pressed, he says, mention that you?re ill ? without providing details.

As Coleman writes, ?There?s no shame in dealing with depression, but the reality is that some people still attach a stigma to it.? And your employer might be one of those people. So it?s important to protect your privacy and yourself.

If your symptoms are severely affecting your performance, you might need to request reasonable accommodations. (The Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University has a helpful page on academic and work accommodations.)

Think about how depression has affected your life, and what you need right now. Seek support from the close people in your life, and consider face-to-face or online support groups. You can find a list of support groups and other resources at the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. And, if you aren?t already, consider working with a clinician.

Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. is an Associate Editor at Psych Central and blogs regularly about eating and self-image issues on her own blog, Weightless.

Like this author?
Catch up on other posts by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. (or subscribe to their feed).

????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 12 Nov 2012
????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Tartakovsky, M. (2012). Getting the Support You Need When You?re Struggling with Depression. Psych Central. Retrieved on November 14, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/11/13/getting-the-support-you-need-when-youre-struggling-with-depression/

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Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/11/13/getting-the-support-you-need-when-youre-struggling-with-depression/

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How to choose the best hardware and software for your business ...

Expert tips on finding the right technology to help run your business.

Apple?or?Windows? Not long ago, a?startup?s answer to this question would have locked it into a relatively closed ecosystem of computers, smartphones and software that didn?t always play nicely with others.

Today that decision is less of an issue, thanks to programming that enables technology-including tablets and the latest smartphones?-to work across a variety of platforms.

For an expert?s take on the new Apple vs. PC paradigm, we sat down with Campbell Hyers, co-founder and CEO of New York-based Control Group. Hyers? company specialises in creating technology work flows for business environments, including digital content creation tools for clients like?The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

?to read this article in full,?visit leading US entrepreneurial resource, Entrepreneur.com

Source: http://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/entrepreneur_mag/how-to-choose-the-best-hardware-and-software-for-your-business-14112012.html

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Warming temperatures will change Greenland's face

ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2012) ? Global climate models abound. What is harder to pin down, however, is how a warmer global temperature might affect any specific region on Earth.

Dr. Marco Tedesco, associate professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at The City College of New York, and a colleague have made the global local. Using a regional climate model and the output of three global climate models, they can predict how different greenhouse gas scenarios would change the face of Greenland over the next century and how this would impact sea level rise.

The resulting fine-scale model gives a high-resolution picture of the island's future. "We put Greenland under a microscope to see what accounts for melting and for ice mass changes in different regions," said Professor Tedesco.

He and his colleague, Xavier Fettweis of the University of Liege, Belgium, reported their results online November 8 in Environmental Research Letters.

They compared two possible future CO₂ scenarios: a concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere projected for the end of the century of 850 parts per million (ppm) versus a more aggressive projection of 1370 ppm. The first approximates the current rate of increase.

The Greenland ice sheet would lose more ice and snow to melting than it would accumulate in both scenarios. Basins on the southwest and north coasts would suffer the greatest losses. Temperatures would only have to increase by 0.6 to 2.16 degrees Celsius (1.8-3.9 ? F) to tip the balance into more loss than gain.

The new model shows how a melting would alter the topography of "one of the world's refrigerators," potentially affecting adjacent ocean circulation and salinity, and speeding further melting.

Though dramatic, Professor Tedesco said the predictions he reported might be too conservative. "They don't take into account progressive effects of the changing elevations and topography and the acceleration of ice sheet movement." These results, however, represent a step forward toward understanding the potential repercussions of warming temperatures; an improvement on models that give a much coarser view into the future, he added.

"Some areas will be 400 meters below the current elevation just because of melting. This might very well impact the speed and amount of ice that is flowing to the ocean. It would increase the rate of melting, because conditions get warmer at lower elevations" he noted. "Imagine an ice cream that is melting much faster in one area. This will change the shape of the ice mass over Greenland."

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by City College of New York.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. M Tedesco, X Fettweis. 21st century projections of surface mass balance changes for major drainage systems of the Greenland ice sheet. Environmental Research Letters, 2012; 7 (4): 045405 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/045405

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/jnOzEd7pXTY/121113134813.htm

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Rams, 49ers play to 24-24 tie

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Two typically reliable kickers missed. Penalties doomed both sides. And a furious, thrilling finish to regulation ended with a dramatic dud in overtime: a tie.

And nobody particularly likes a tie. Especially not the NFC West-leading 49ers, with a chance to separate themselves against a division rival. Or the Rams, eager to snap a three-game losing streak.

San Francisco and St. Louis played the NFL's first tie game in four years as both teams missed overtime field goals in Sunday's 24-24 outcome.

"I have to say, I've been doing this a while. I don't think I've ever been in a game like this," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. "As I told our guys, we had a number of chances to put the game away. And, unfortunately, we didn't."

Greg Zuerlein kicked a 53-yarder, but the Rams were penalized 5 yards for delay of game ? which holder Johnny Hekker said was his fault. Zuerlein tried again from 58 as Fisher played for the win, and missed wide right with 2:42 left in OT.

San Francisco's David Akers missed wide left on a 41-yard attempt that could have sealed it for the 49ers (6-2-1), who lost quarterback Alex Smith to a first-half concussion.

And just when it seemed the 49ers ? and Akers' typically reliable left leg ? would have one more chance to win it, San Francisco linebacker Patrick Willis was flagged for holding Lance Kendricks on third down. That extended St. Louis' last drive, a costly mistake in a long list of them on an uncharacteristically sloppy day by coach Jim Harbaugh's team.

"I don't know what to make of this," Willis said. "We have one of the best kickers in the game, and it came down to him at the end and he misses it. That tells you right there something wasn't right."

Akers booted a tying 33-yarder with 3 seconds left in regulation after Sam Bradford threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Austin Pettis with 1:09 remaining.

On the first play of OT, Bradford completed an 80-yard pass to Danny Amendola that took St. Louis (3-5-1) to the 2, but the play was called back for an illegal formation. Some 49ers fans got up to leave, then returned to their seats.

The last tie was between Philadelphia and Cincinnati, 13-13 in 2008. San Francisco played its first tie since 1986.

Frank Gore ran for a 20-yard touchdown with 8:23 to go in regulation just 17 seconds after backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick scurried 7 yards for a score. Kaepernick finished 11 for 17 for 117 yards and also had eight carries for 66 yards, calmly leading the Niners after it took several series to find his groove.

"It just feels like it's unfinished business," San Francisco cornerback Tarell Brown said.

Gore ran for 97 yards, while Michael Crabtree made five catches for 70 yards and a 14-yard touchdown from Smith before he left the game.

Amendola returned for the Rams following a three-game absence with a shoulder injury to make 11 catches for 102 yards. Bradford went 26 for 39 for 275 yards and two touchdowns.

Smith took a hard hit on the back of the neck from linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar after a scramble with 1:10 left in the first quarter. But the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft stayed in and completed his next five passes, including Crabtree's TD.

After the hit, Smith was sacked three plays later and also clobbered again on a fourth-and-1 keeper. Doctors indicated to Harbaugh that might have been the play that caused injury.

Harbaugh said Smith would be evaluated this week per NFL concussion protocol. He wasn't available to speak to reporters. Smith, who has started 28 straight games, wound up 7 for 8 for 72 yards.

The 49ers didn't face Bradford in either meeting last season as the Rams quarterback missed six games with a high left ankle sprain. He had all kinds of extra opportunities this time.

"It's a weird feeling. I've never been a part of a game like that before," Bradford said. "I think the mood in this locker room is disappointment."

Late in the third period, the Rams benefited from Dashon Goldson's 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taking off his helmet. Then, defensive tackle Ray McDonald was flagged for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Bradford when he came in under the quarterback's chin, extending another Rams drive. Zuerlein kicked a 27-yard field goal.

The penalties and miscues were certainly uncharacteristic of San Francisco's defense.

Crabtree's touchdown midway through the second quarter gave him a TD reception in five straight games against the Rams. It was his third touchdown in two games, and all of his team-leading four TD catches have come in the last five games.

Kaepernick took over as Smith went to the bench to be examined by medical personnel and soon left for the locker room.

One wild play late in the first half summed up this wacky day. Punter Hekker completed a 21-yard pass to safety Rodney McLeod from the end zone after Chris Culliver didn't cover McLeod. Hekker did it again in the fourth quarter and had a notable 118.8 passer rating on the day.

On the Rams' 14-play, 18-yard drive over the final minutes of regulation, Hekker faked an end-around and threw a 19-yard completion to Kendricks on fourth-and-8 from the Rams 33.

But the Rams' defense couldn't get a stop, allowing Kaepernick to get his team back into field-goal range for Akers to tie it.

The Rams played without a pair of starters held out for an unspecified team rules violation, cornerback Janoris Jenkins and wide receiver Chris Givens ? and Fisher said afterward he isn't sure if they will play next week at home against the New York Jets.

The 49ers will regroup to face the Bears in prime time.

"It feels weird," safety Donte Whitner said. "We're about wins around here."

Notes: Rams LT Wayne Hunter played after missing two games with a back injury. ... Fans spelled out "THANK YOU VETERANS" in the stands with shiny red, white and blue cards after the first quarter. A special military coin also was used for the pregame toss on Veteran's Day.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rams-49ers-play-24-24-tie-012335839--spt.html

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Christmas tree grower hard hit by Sandy

10 hrs.

David Dishneau , AP

HAGERSTOWN, Md. --?The World Bank, CIA and other Washington-area customers won't be getting the giant Christmas trees they ordered after Superstorm Sandy buried a Maryland farm in more than 2 feet of snow and snapped many of the 15- to 35-foot firs.

Gale-force winds drove wet snow deep into the boughs of firs at Pinetum Christmas Trees in Swanton, high in the Appalachian Mountains. The snow then froze and pulled limbs from their sockets, said the owner, Marshall Stacy. More than 3,000 trees were damaged, resulting in roughly $40,000 in losses.

"It was like dominoes ? one tree came down and hit the next one," Stacy said. He has refunded nearly 70 percent of his orders.

Customers will have to look elsewhere, but there are few farms that sell oversized trees. That's because it takes so long to grow them, said Rick Dungey of the National Christmas Tree Association. Other growers in Maryland's Garrett County said the storm did little damage to their smaller trees.

The Brickman Group, a Gaithersburg-based commercial landscaper, said it found another supplier for the 15 trees that will decorate a corporate office park in Virginia but they are about 3 feet smaller than the 16-footers the company usually provides.

Stacy said the damaged trees can't be sold for paper pulp because their bushy branches ? the result of annual trimming ? makes them too costly to process. Some of the boughs will be made into wreaths, he said.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/christmas-tree-grower-hard-hit-sandy-1C7009963

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Better Brain Implants With Ultrathin Carbon Fiber Electrodes

An anonymous reader writes "A new neural interface delicate enough not to damage nerve tissue, but resilient enough to last decades has been made. Made from a single carbon fiber and coated with chemicals, the technology is believed to be fully resistant to proteins in the brain. From the article: 'The new microthread electrode, designed to pick up signals from a single neuron as it fires, is only about 7 micrometers in diameter. That is the thinnest yet developed, and about 100 times as thin as the conventional metal electrodes widely used to study animal brains. ?We wanted to see if we could radically change implant technology,? says Takashi Kozai, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh and the lead author on the paper, published today in the journal Nature Materials. ?We want to see an electrode that lasts 70 years.?'"

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/REP3DBFENnA/better-brain-implants-with-ultrathin-carbon-fiber-electrodes

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Sweeping child abuse scandal shakes UK institutions

BBC Director General George Entwistle resigned on Saturday as the BBC spiraled further into scandal over its coverage of two separate sex abuse cases ? one, a cover up, and the other, a possible wrongful accusation. NBC's Keir Simmons reports.

By Keir Simmons, NBC News

The director general of the British Broadcasting Corporation, George Entwistle, resigned Saturday after only 54 days in the role - ?the latest to be caught in the wake of a child sex-abuse scandal that has thrown?the 90-year-old publicly funded behemoth and other U.K. institutions into deepening turmoil.

The scandal, which began with allegations against a single former BBC employee,?has since engulfed hospitals, children?s homes, even the police.

It also poses questions for?Mark Thompson, Entwistle's immediate predecessor, who on Monday becomes chief executive?of The New York Times.

For an entire week, one of the BBC's key news shows suggested a leading Conservative party politician, who wasn?t named, had been involved in the rape of a young boy in Wales decades ago. The man accused denied it; the victim himself now says it was a case of mistaken identity.

Many networks ran interviews with the victim -- one even asked whether a pedophile network had been protected by a masonic conspiracy.?Did a judge who led an early inquiry into the abuse at a North Wales children?s home deliberately hide the names of famous or influential abusers?

Max Nash / AP

The BBC Director General, George Entwistle, announces his resignation from the BBC outside New Broadcasting House in central London, Saturday Nov. 10.

In front of 1 million television viewers, a?morning TV host handed a list of alleged pedophiles?to the British Prime Minister David Cameron live on air.?That list, allegedly including the names of other senior politicians, was compiled based on unsubstantiated Internet rumors.?

The revelation that all of this was a mistake is once again causing Britain's media organizations to question their own values, only months after news of newspaper phone-hacking.?It has filled Britain with outrage, astonishment and self-doubt.?

The scandal had begun with separate claims that BBC - one of the most respected brands in journalism worldwide - had failed to expose the late BBC?children's television personality and fundraiser, Jimmy Savile,?as a pedophile even though it had interviewed several victims who made allegations against the star.?

It?s now clear those allegations are well founded. Yet the same BBC program, 'Newsnight',?that shelved the original and apparently accurate?Savile story was the first to broadcast the latest false allegations.?

'Newsnight' has apologized on air for its mistake, another inquiry has been launched, and the program has temporarily suspended all its investigatory work. On Saturday, Entwistle, who took his post in September,?resigned in response to the growing scandal?after a humiliating interview?on the BBC?s own flagship radio news program, 'Today'. The BBC is in crisis.

BBC boss Entwistle quits amid turmoil over network's child sex abuse scandal

On Sunday, the head of the BBC's governing body - former Thatcher-era government minister Lord Patten - admitted the issue of public trust in BBC journalism was paramount, and said a?"thorough, radical, structural overhaul" of the organization was now necessary.

Savile had been a British institution, presenting TV shows during the 1970s and '80s that attracted huge audiences. Now police investigators suspect that he was abusing hundreds of children, even on BBC property.

One man described how, at the age of 9, he went to be part of the audience for the Savile show "Jim?ll Fix It." He says Savile abused him in a dressing room.

?He put his hand on my knee and started touching me,? the man said in an interview.? ?And grabbed my hand and forced it on top of his trousers. I was absolutely petrified.?

The allegations became public only weeks after the departure of Entwistle's predecessor, Mark Thompson, who starts his job as NYT chief executive on Monday.

In a statement last month, quoted by The New York Times, Thompson said, ?During my time as director general of the BBC, I never heard any allegations or received any complaints about Jimmy Savile.?

Lewis Whyld / AP

Jimmy Savile is shown in a March 2008 file photo.

But NBC News has spoken to one of the journalists who broke the Savile story. He says he called Thompson?s office in May and outlined the allegations to his personal assistant.

?I absolutely remember saying it,? says Miles Goslett. ?I always felt it extraordinary that no senior people in the BBC including Mark Thompson as director general addressed this issue.?

When asked about Goslett?s allegations, the BBC sent NBC News a prepared statement regarding Thompson?s knowledge of the affair:

?Mark Thompson has repeatedly made clear he had no personal knowledge of the allegations. While Ms. Cecil recalls Mr Goslett telephoning her to complain about a Freedom of Information request she does not recall that he mentioned the nature of the allegations against Savile." (Click?here for the BBC?s full statements?on the affair?)

Jessica Cecil is the head of the director general's office.

This week NBC News approached Thompson for an interview, after a lecture he gave at Oxford University. Thompson declined, saying he wanted to wait for the outcome of that BBC inquiry.

But whatever its conclusions, the implications for the BBC are already becoming clear. Trust in the institution had dropped from 62 percent in 2009 to 47 percent last week, according to a poll conducted by one of the BBC?s own radio stations.

It is not alone. This scandal has rocked people?s faith in many of Britain?s institutions and left a country questioning itself and its elite.

More world stories from NBC News:

Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/11/15078957-sweeping-child-abuse-scandal-shakes-bbc-and-other-british-institutions?lite

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Looking For Fitness Ideas? Check These Out! ?

The amount of alternatives offered is mind-boggling in terms of picking a fitness plan. Frequently, people are prepared to make the job to remain in condition but struggle to go after an issue that is effective. Browse the recommendations in this post and use these to formulate an excellent health and fitness approach match for the person needs.

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Make sure you check your body for almost any warning signs of injury or condition. Visit your medical doctor regularly where you can check-up and conduct some exams together with your physician. This will make sure that you are keeping nice and healthy surely nothing will turn up and delight you

In order to manage quicker, perhaps you should try pumping some iron. An investigation has confirmed that seasoned joggers who performed weight training exercise for 8 weeks enhanced their 5-K periods by about 30 secs. This 35 moments may be the difference between succeeding and dropping a competition.

Determine how well your abdominal muscles are accomplishing by testing them with a in reverse sit down-up. Start with sitting down along with your ft . flat, hip and legs curved, and fingers behind your ears together with your elbows out. Try and reduce your self straight down slowly and gradually any under 5 seconds suggests that you need to concentration more about your abdominal program. The best way to do this is actually by caring for your abdominal muscles initial in your exercise routine.

Using a treadmill might be the way to go for people who wish to boost their cardio health and fitness when having the capacity to remain in the same space securely at home and not out running or operating over a sidewalk anywhere. The treadmill provides one an constantly available constantly prepared to use selection for keeping fitness.

To preserve your level of fitness, you must remain consistent. Instead of engaged in intense exercising and dieting occasionally, you ought to produce the habit of smoking of exercising a moderate diet and exercise prepare day-to-day, upon an continuing basis. When you are getting quarter-hour to thirty minutes of lighting to average exercising everyday and eat a balanced, healthier diet program, you will get and keep the ideal in exercise.

In case you are going to start a new physical fitness routine and possess not worked out prior to or maybe in a long time, or have got a disease of some kind that might be exacerbated by workout, it is a great idea to see your physician before starting a software program. Receiving a health care examination will help ensure that you choose the most effective exercise regime on your own.

The guidelines in this post are priceless in aiding you sort through the mind-boggling level of exercise programs and advice on the market. They produce apparent outcomes that will help you stay experiencing good and staying in condition. The recommendations lets you pursue your fitness goals within an organized, simple manner.

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Source: http://www.coachbagsreviews.com/?p=335

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Car Insurance Basics

Renters Insurance Bethesda There are more cars and drivers hitting the road every year. With the increasing number of vehicles on the road, accidents will happen. If you get in a car crash, the auto insurance you own can make a big difference in what happens next. How can you decide what insurance you require and how you can buy it? Auto insurance protects you by covering the cost of damage or injury you cause others while driving your car, damage to your vehicle or personal injury or injury to your passengers from a crash, and certain other occurrences, such as burglary. Car insurance is mandated by state law. By not owning insurance, you risk having to pay the total price of the harm or injury you cause others. Liability: Personal injury and property damage that you are responsible for will be covered under liability insurance. Bodily injury damages include medical fees, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Property damage includes car repair costs or loss of property use. It can also cover your defense and court costs if you are sued. Recommended, more comprehensive levels of insurance are available that take care of more events than the lower, state-mandated insurance. Personal Injury Protection: This is mandated in some states and is optional in others. It pays you or your passengers for medical treatment resulting from a crash, regardless of who may have been at fault, and is often called no-fault coverage. This insurance can also cover lost wages, service replacement and funeral costs. The minimum amount of this insurance is typically set by the state. Medical Payments: Medical payment coverage can be purchased in states that are not considered no-fault and will pay no matter who is responsible for the accident. All necessary medical or funeral expenses will be paid for under this insurance coverage. Collision: Damages that occur from a car accident will be paid for under this type of insurance. Comprehensive: Protect your vehicle from damages from other sources when you buy this type of coverage. This may include protection from burglary, vandalism, and fire or flood damage. Uninsured Motorist: This pays for damages when someone with insurance is in a crash caused by another person who does not have liability coverage. Under-Insured Motorist: Many drivers have liability insurance that might not be able to cover all the expenses they are supposed to take care of. This type of insurance protects you from those drivers. Other types of coverage, including car rental, are also available. Your auto insurance payments vary by company and will depend on multiple factors, including: * What coverage you select * The make and model of the vehicle you own * Your driving record * Your age, gender and marital status * Where you live Some people think they can get by without auto insurance, but it is honestly something you don?t want to live without. Evaluate your needs, research your options, and with the guidance of your insurance agent, choose the option that fits you best.

Source: http://www.cretique.com/car-insurance-basics/

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Citigroup to pay former executives more than $15 million each

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Antibiotics disrupt gut flora in infants: Recovery still incomplete after eight weeks

ScienceDaily (Nov. 8, 2012) ? Eight weeks after antibiotic treatment of infants, the diversity of gastrointestinal flora remained diminished, although the number of individual bacteria was back to normal, according to a paper in the November 2012 issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Additionally, the potentially disease-causing Proteobacteria were now the dominant population in the treated infants.

"This is the first sequencing-based study to demonstrate the negative effects of short-term antibiotic treatment on the beneficial gut bacteria populations in infants," says coauthor Catherine Stanton of the Teagasc Food Research Centre, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland.

In the study, nine infants were treated with intravenous ampicillin/gentamicin within 48 hours of birth, and over the two month study period, their gastrointestinal flora were compared to that in nine control infants. At four weeks, bacteria from the beneficial genera, the Bifidobacteria and the Lactobacilli, were significantly reduced, and although the numbers bounced back by the study's end, the species diversity did not. The researchers used advanced DNA sequencing to identify the species of gut flora, and to quantify their numbers, says Stanton.

By altering the gut microbiota, and thus the immune system very early in life, the antibiotics could negatively influence long-term health, particularly by boosting the risk of developing asthma, allergy, and obesity, according to the report. The risk is heightened by the fact that the antibiotic-driven disruption of the microbiota comes at a time "when this population is in rapid flux and can easily be unbalanced," according to the report.

These results notwithstanding, because the sequencing data reveal only proportions of species present, rather than absolute numbers, it remains unclear whether the potentially harmful Proteobacteria predominate because their population has grown or because the other populations have shrunk, the researchers write. However, the data suggest the former, which jibes with previous research.

"This research suggests that the merits of administering broad spectrum antibiotics -- those that kill many bacterial species -- in infants should be reassessed, to examine the potential to use more targeted, narrow-spectrum antibiotics, for the shortest period possible," says Stanton.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Society for Microbiology.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. F. Fouhy, C. M. Guinane, S. Hussey, R. Wall, C. A. Ryan, E. M. Dempsey, B. Murphy, R. P. Ross, G. F. Fitzgerald, C. Stanton, P. D. Cotter. High-Throughput Sequencing Reveals the Incomplete, Short-Term Recovery of Infant Gut Microbiota following Parenteral Antibiotic Treatment with Ampicillin and Gentamicin. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2012; 56 (11): 5811 DOI: 10.1128/AAC.00789-12

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/mv3obVVn4Qk/121108195409.htm

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