National marches back to power in New Zealand
(Reuters)
AUCKLAND (Reuters) ? The ruling center-right National Party returned to power in a crushing win in New Zealand's general election on Saturday and secured the backing of minor parties to ensure a majority for asset sales and welfare reforms.
National, led by former foreign exchange dealer John Key, was sitting on 48 percent share of the vote on election night. That would give the party 60 seats in the 121-seat parliament from its current 58.
Key was guaranteed a second three-year term with the return of current coalition partners, free-market ACT and centrist United Future, each with one member.
"New Zealand has voted for a brighter future, and there will be a brighter future," Key, draped in blue and white streamers, told ecstatic supporters.
National campaigned on promises to build on policies of the past three years with an emphasis on sparking economic growth by cutting debt, curbing spending, selling state assets and returning to a budget surplus by 2014/15.
"The government will be focused on building a more competitive economy, with less debt, more jobs, and higher incomes," added Key, 52, flanked by his wife and son.
The opposition Labour Party's share of the vote was around 27 percent, which would give it 34 seats, a loss of nine.
"It wasn't our time this time," Labour leader Phil Goff told
supporters. "We're a bit bloodied, but we're not defeated."
Under New Zealand's proportional voting system, parties must secure either a local electorate seat, or 5 percent of the nationwide vote to get into parliament.
The final tally of seats could yet change when tens of thousands of absentee votes are counted over the next two weeks.
Opinion polls published in the last day of the campaign put the National Party up to 25 percentage points ahead of Labour.
CHAMPAGNE CORKS POP
The affable Key has been one of the most popular leaders in New Zealand history and has been seen as a safe pair of hands as he led the country through earthquakes, a coal mine disaster, and the global economic turmoil.
He has also benefited from linking himself with film maker Peter Jackson, who is making two movies based on the Hobbit books, and the country's All Black rugby team, which won the Rugby World Cup on home soil last month.
"Of all the politicians that New Zealand could have he's got the most experience and is best positioned I think to lead us into the future," said Denis MacNamara, a 63-year-old lawyer from Auckland, as champagne corks popped and supporters danced.
Key said the government, including ACT and United Future, would have 62 seats, allowing it to implement major policies, such as asset sales. But he would also look to renew a deal with the Maori Party representing the interests of indigenous Maori people.
"He understands proportional representation. He wants other people with him, including the Maori Party," said Canterbury University political scientist Therese Arsenau.
The surprise of the election was the near 7 percent showing for the nationalist New Zealand First Party, led by the mercurial veteran Winston Peters, ousted from parliament in 2008 amid a scandal over secret donations.
"Our aim is to be cooperative and constructive...we told people to hang on because help is on its way and tonight it's arrived," he said, adding the party would be independent and look to keep the government honest.
Of the other parties, the Greens were on track for 13 seats from their current nine, and the Maori Party retained three of the seven seats reserved for Maoris.
(Additional reporting by Mantik Kusjanto and Greg Stutchbury; Writing by Gyles Beckford; Editing by Ron Popeski)
Keith Urban recovering from throat surgery
(Reuters)
NASHVILLE (Reuters) ? Country singer Keith Urban underwent successful throat surgery to remove a polyp from his vocal cord earlier this week and is doing fine, the singer's spokesman said on Friday.
Urban had the procedure on Tuesday, and he will not be able to speak for three weeks, spokesman Paul Freundlich told Reuters. The singer is recovering at an undisclosed location.
One day ahead of the procedure, Urban posted a video on his website thanking fans for their support.
"I want to thank you for sending such good wishes for my upcoming surgery," Urban said. "I can't express enough my gratitude to you guys; it feels like family."
He said he had received cards, gifts, emails, flowers and a large basket of items he would need as he recuperates including hand-written notes to hold up when he needs something.
Urban, whose hits include "Long Hot Summer" and "You Look Good in my Shirt," announced earlier in November that he was postponing several shows while he sought medical care.
The polyp developed during his recent "Get Closer World Tour 2011," and in Monday's video Urban took note of the fans who had turned out to see him perform during what he called his "crazy great phenomenal year.
"The tour was incredible for me, and seeing you guys sing along with my new songs was heartening for me. Personally I had an incredibly great time and I was sad to see it end," he said.
Urban is not the only singer to have problems with his vocal cords. In the past month, British pop singer Adele had similar surgery as did Kiss frontman Paul Stanley.
About Automobile Insurance policy | Welcome to alfim2007 ...
Car or truck insurance policy covers the price of repairing injury for the reason that of a collision or other sorts of residence loss. It also covers health care expenses owed to injury in a collision. Most states demand a minimum total of automobile insurance policy, though the specifics fluctuate by state. Definitions Personal liability [...]
Car or truck insurance policy covers the price of repairing injury for the reason that of a collision or other sorts of residence loss. It also covers health care expenses owed to injury in a collision. Most states demand a minimum total of automobile insurance policy, though the specifics fluctuate by state.
Definitions
Personal liability insurance policy pays the health care expenses for accidents that arise in a collision when you are deemed to be at fault. Property liability insurance policy covers damages from a collision when you are deemed to be at fault. This can consist of injury to your vehicle, as very well as other vehicles involved in the collision. Property injury liability may perhaps also cover loss of residence due to theft, hearth and acts of God.
Styles
Three sorts of automobile insurance policy coverage exist: injury liability for one human being, injury liability for the incident and residence liability. The injury liability part of your automobile insurance policy refers to the greatest total that the insurance policy covers for every person?s accidents. The injury liability for the incident is the total total of coverage that the insurance policy provides for all accidents owed to the incident. Property liability refers to the coverage for repairing or changing residence that was damaged in the incident.
Protection
Insurance coverage agents commonly express the coverage of an insurance policy policy as X/Y/Z, the place X is the specific liability restrict, Y is the incident liability restrict and Z is the residence liability restrict. The Insurance coverage Buyer Advocate Network advises that a standard automobile insurance policy policy should present 50/a hundred/25 coverage. This implies that your automobile insurance policy should present at minimum $50,000 for specific liability, $a hundred,000 for incident liability and $25,000 for residence liability with dental insurance for individuals california.
Deductible
The deductible is the total of money you have to fork out previous to the insurance policy starts to cover the expenses. For illustration, a policy with a deductible of $200 implies that you would have to fork out for the initially $200 well worth of damages previous to your insurance policy would get started to fork out for the damages. Property liability insurance policy commonly has a greatest deductible of $1500, in accordance to the ICAN.
Top quality
The premium is the total of money you will need to fork out for the insurance policy policy, and your coverage will have a immediate effect on your premium. A inadequate driving record or history of promises will enhance your rates. The sort of automobile you generate will also have a immediate effect on your insurance policy premium. For illustration, sports vehicles commonly have significant insurance policy rates due to the price of changing the vehicle and the greater likelihood of a significant-pace collision. Sport utility vehicles are much more inclined to rollover, and this will be mirrored in the premium. A policy with a reduced deductible typically implies a increased insurance policy premium.
LONDON (Reuters) ? German government bond yields hit their highest in nearly a month on Thursday and world stocks held near 7-week lows as a weak debt sale the previous day fanned fears the euro zone debt crisis may finally begin to threaten its biggest economy.
The euro was also near 7-week lows as markets eyed a meeting of leaders from France, Germany and Italy for any signs of cracks in Berlin's resistance to stronger action to end the two-year old crisis.
Repercussions from the auction -- where bids fell well short of the 6 billion euros on offer -- extended into a second day, with Bund futures falling 115 ticks on the day to 134.66, the lowest since October 31.
Ten-year German government bond yields rose as high as 2.12 percent in early trade.
Investors were reluctant to buy riskier assets even after eight consecutive sessions of losses for world stocks which should make prices attractive.
"A lot of people are still cautious with regards to the uptick and it could prove rather temporary as the backdrop is still difficult," Keith Bowman, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said.
"Events in Europe are still dominating and the German bond auction yesterday just added another level of caution."
MSCI world equity index was steady on the day. The index has fallen 15 percent since January.
European stocks were also broadly unchanged on the day while emerging stocks rose 0.1 percent.
U.S. crude oil rose half a percent to $96.60 a barrel.
The euro was up 0.1 percent at $1.3363, having fallen as low as $1.3318 on Wednesday.
"If Germany has to pay higher costs for its borrowing, it's obvious it cannot help the entire euro zone. If German bond yields keep rising, that could even be a trigger for break-up of the euro," said Makoto Noji, senior strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities.
The dollar fell a quarter percent against a basket of major currencies.
The LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer ($99.99 list) is the new personalized learning tablet just for kids! A built-in camera/video recorder, a library of over 100 cartridge games and activities and innovative creativity and reading apps offer limitless learning and endless ways to play.
The LeapPad measures 1 by 5.1 by 7 inches (HWD) and takes four AA batteries. Its green and white chassis is rugged enough to handle the rough-and-tumble play of children. The LeapPad has a built-in Webcam that can take both photos and videos. The high-resolution touch screen measures five inches and can be used both horizontally and vertically. LeapPad works with all Leapster Explorer and LeapFrog Explorer cartridge games and downloadable apps?more than 100 learning adventures available on LeapFrog's site. Touch the screen with a finger, tap it with the stylus or turn, twist and shake the tablet for exciting motion-based play.
Reinforce school skills like reading and mathematics, and build skills like art, music, language, health and hygiene. Skill levels adjust automatically for each child?keeping the challenge just right and remembering progress so the learning and fun keep moving forward.
Malls plan to track shopper locations through cell phones on Black Friday
(Digital Trends)
Starting on Black Friday and running through the entire shopping season, the?Promenade Temecula shopping mall in southern California and Short Pump Town Center shopping mall in Richmond, Virginia plan to track customers locations within the mall by monitoring cell phone signals as reported by CNN earlier today. The malls intend to follow the path of each shopper and collect data to understand typical shopping patterns. While the malls claim that the data collected will be anonymous, mall officials will be able to tell which portion of the mall is unpopular, the amount of time that people spend inside a particular store and which stores compliment each other based off customer behavior.
The malls do plan to alert customers of the tracking program and encourage shoppers to turn off the cell phone while shopping. However, it?s unlikely that customers will turn off their main device for communication and busy shoppers may miss the notifications posted within the mall. ?Forest City Commercial Management is the company that manages both malls and equates the tracking program to monitoring migratory patterns of birds. The name of the tracking system is?FootPath Technology and uses a group of?antennas that monitor the?unique identification number used by each phone while the customer travels through the shopping mall.
It?s?impossible?for?FootPath Technology to tie identifying personal details to the cell phones without the cooperation of wireless providers like Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. The system also cannot capture personal information being transmitted from the phones like text messages or photos. The system is designed by a British company called?Path Intelligence and has been rolled out within shopping centers in both Europe and Australia. Both Home Depot and?JCPenney are both considering rolling out the tracking system in stores, but haven?t made any official announcements regarding a potential launch.?
This article was originally posted on Digital Trends
More from Digital Trends
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New document reveals which carriers are collecting the most data and for how long
Sprint iPhone still in the works, possibly available this summer?
The big four phone carriers spill on their location and customer data collection policies
Jailbreak: Add a blurred background to Notification Center with BlurriedNCBackground
If you’re jailbroken on iOS 5 you’ll want to check out BlurriedNCBackground, a neat little tweak that makes Notification Center that much cooler. BlurriedNCBackground simply makes the background of notification center blurry instead of the default Apple background. Once you install it there’s nothing to configure....
Following a couple of health scares this year, Robin Gibb is in the fight of his life.
The Bee Gees star has reportedly been diagnosed with liver cancer, according to the Daily Mail ? a condition he became aware of several months ago.
MORE: Bee Gee Robin Gibb Back Home After Health Scare
The 61-year-old "Stayin' Alive" singer, who has become noticeably thinner in recent months, has had to cancel several appearances recently due to issues with severe abdominal pain.
Most recently, Gibb was rushed to the hospital Tuesday, following an emergency call from his home. He was released later that day.
News of Gibb's diagnosis comes on the heels of another hospitalization in October, due to severe abdominal pain.
More Entertainment stories
Pass the turkey: TV's classic Thanksgivings
The dining room table typically hosts the most memorable Turkey Day moments, but worthwhile ones have taken place on the b...
'Planes, Trains' is best Thanksgiving movie
?X Factor?s? Astro says he?s sorry for outburst
'Muppets' make welcome return
The Muppets take ?Saturday Night Live?
And sadly, the ailing musician's health issues are nothing new.
MORE: Bee Gee Robin Gibb Hospitalized in England
Back in August 2010, Gibb had emergency gastro-intestinal surgery. Then in April, he was hospitalized again after falling ill with severe abdominal pain, causing him to cancel a scheduled tour of Brazil.
PHOTOS: British Invasion ? 2011 Edition!
After Gibb pulled out of several appearances recently, Bee Gee fans originally feared he was suffering from the same condition that caused the untimely death of his twin brother and former band mate, Maurice, who died of a heart attack in 2003 during surgery for a twisted intestine.
No official statement has been released yet regarding Gibb's current health condition on his website, but we will keep you posted.
? 2011 E! Entertainment Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The Brown family ventured out of the Las Vegas suburbs on Sunday night's "Sister Wives."
By Ree Hines
Life in the Las Vegas suburbs seems to suit the relocated ?Sister Wives? family ? minus a few of the kids, who still grumble about the fact that it?s not Utah ? but once the group ventured out onto the Vegas strip, all bets were off.
On Sunday night?s episode of the reality series, Kody Brown?s four wives hit the famous stretch of Sin City and soon saw more than they bargained for.
?Once we got down to the end of Fremont Street, it was a more adult version (of the strip),? Brown?s first bride, Meri explained as images of dancers flashed on the screen. ?We realized, ?You know what? We?ve gone past where we should have gone.?
Robyn, who just joined the family last year, seemed particularly upset about the sexy scenes on the strip. Later, in an interview at home, she explained that despite being part of a plural marriage, life with their husband isn?t centered around sex like that.
?People look at our lifestyle and they think this is all about sex,? she said. ?I mean, if this was really about sex....?
?... Why take on the responsibility of a wife?? Wife three, Christine said, finishing Robyn?s sentiment. ?Why take on the responsibility of supporting her children??
As for Janelle, Brown?s second wife, she admitted to be shocked by what she saw on Fremont Street, but she maintains a live and let live attitude.
?You know, for me, because we are so conservative in our dress and we are so conservative in the way we view things, when you run into something that?s so blatantly opposite from yourself, it?s always kind of like, ?Oh!?? she said of her initial reaction to seeing the dancers. ?I kind of feel like everybody has to choose. Some choose it out of necessity. And I do think some choose it because they don?t mind the attention. But again, I just have to let everybody choose, and I would ask that they let me choose my life, too.?
Do you think Las Vegas is a good fit for the ?Sister Wives? family? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.
Contact: Daniel Schaffer schaffer@twas.org 39-040-224-0538 TWAS
The immediate past president of TWAS wins the prize for 'monumental contributions to the frontiers of materials science'
Trieste (Italy), November 21, 2011. CNR Rao, Linus Pauling research professor and honorary president of the Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research and immediate past president of TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, has been named the winner of the 2011 Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize.
The prize, which is designed to give international recognition and visibility to eminent scientists in the developing world, is sponsored by the world-renowned coffee maker, illycaff, supported by the Ernesto Illy Foundation and administered by TWAS. It carries a USD100,000 cash award. This year's award was given in the field of material science.
Over a distinguished career that spans more than five decades, Rao has left his mark on scientific research, education, administration and policy, both in his home country of India and throughout the world.
Rao's broad-ranging research, focusing on the characterization, synthesis and design of new materials, has enabled him to become one of the world's most respected scientists. Meanwhile, his passionate life-long commitment to strengthening scientific research and education in India has made him a revered and influential figure in his home country.
In the 1950s, Rao was one of a small group of pioneering scientists who propelled the emerging field of solid state chemistry to the forefront of global science. He is particularly noted for his research on metal oxides, nanomaterials and graphene.
From an intellectual perspective, he has been a key figure in the integration of chemical physics and materials chemistry. From a technical perspective, he has made innovative use of a wide variety of cutting-edge technologies, ranging from photoelectron spectroscopy to electron microscopy to diffraction.
As a young, talented scientist with PhD from Purdue University in the United States and postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, USA, Rao returned to his home country in 1959 to assume a position at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, India's oldest and most prestigious research institute. In 1963, he moved to the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT), Kanpur, where he became head of the chemistry department.
At the time, science in India was hamstrung by poor facilities, inadequate funding, low salaries and bureaucratic roadblocks that made the purchase of equipment and supplies a slow and tedious process. Yet, Rao was determined to build a well-equipped laboratory for solid state and materials chemistry capable of competing with laboratories in developed countries.
Pursuing his dream, Rao returned to the IISc where he did indeed build a world-class laboratory and later served as director from 1984 to 1994. In 1989, he also became the founding president of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore, serving in that position until 1999. Since his retirement, he has continued to pursue an active research agenda.
Over the course of his long career, Rao has published 45 books, and more than 1,500 articles. More recently, he has written several children's books designed to spur interest in science among young people.
Rao has received more than 50 honorary degrees from universities in India and abroad. He is a fellow at the Indian Academy of Sciences and Indian National Science Academy, and a foreign member of numerous science academies worldwide, including the US National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society in the UK, the French Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Japan Academy, the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
In terms of science policy, he has been a driving force behind the success of TWAS, first as one of the founding members in 1983 and then as president from 2000 to 2007. He remains active in the Academy's affairs to this day. Rao has also played a central role on many governmental agencies and committees in India, most notably chairing the prime minister's science advisory council since 2009.
In terms of scientific research, Rao has helped to shape the contours of materials science, lending his keen intelligence, deep insights and well-honed technical skills to a discipline that is now recognized as one of the pre-eminent fields of "science for development" in the 21st century. Broad applications of materials science have impacted and will undoubtedly continue to impact key aspects of society and the economy in both the developing and developed worlds ranging from improvements in communications and the generation and distribution of energy, to enhanced access to safe drinking water, to more precise delivery of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of disease.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Rao's ground-breaking research on non-organic transition metal oxides enhanced scientific understanding of high-temperature superconductivity. His novel research subsequently led to the identification of large-scale, electronic-phase separation in metal oxides and to the discovery of new routes for multiferroics.
He then turned his attention to the intricate interface between organic and inorganic hybrid materials. More recently, he has focused his attention on nanomaterials, exploring, for example, the liquid-liquid interface to generate nanocrystals and uncovering a simple method for separating semiconducting and metallic carbon nanotubes.
Rao's research has been consistently multi-dimensional in terms of both the broad range of materials he has explored and the wide-ranging techniques he has tapped to examine these materials. He has developed new and novel methods of synthesis and design, prepared and characterized a number of new classes of materials and nanostructures, and dissected the formation of complex structures.
His work has crossed the once distinct boundaries between inorganic, organic and hybrid materials, and has cast revealing light on the relationship between simple one- or two-dimensional structures and more complex multi-dimensional structures a relationship that plays a significant role to the bonding of materials.
For all of these reasons and more, CNR Rao has been chosen the 2011 recipient of the Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize in materials science.
###
Editor's Notes
Rao's significant contributions:
Conducted an independent synthesis on the first liquid-nitrogen cuprate semiconductor
Identified large-scale electronic phase separation in metal oxides
Prepared Y-junction and metallic nanotubes
Ascertained a simple method to separate semiconducting and metallic carbon nanotubes
Formulated new methods for the synthesis of graphene
Discovered new bifunctional oxide materials
Created a strategy to determine the experimental charge densities of atoms in organic molecular crystals
Determined how simple oxyanions and selenate can be used to build complex inorganic architectures
The Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize, instituted by TWAS and illycaff and supported by the Ernesto Illy Foundation, and now in its seventh year, is designed to bring recognition and distinction to the developing world's most eminent scientists. The award, bestowed under the High Patronage of the Presidency of the Republic of Italy, is dedicated to Trieste, a city in northeast Italy that has made significant contributions to the promotion of science in the developing world. The prize, also named for the long-time chairman of illycaff, Ernesto Illy, rotates among the following fields: climate change and its impact on agriculture in developing countries (2009), energy (2010), materials science (2011) and human health (2012). For additional information, see http://twas.ictp.it/prog/prizes/trieste-science-prize.
illycaff - Based in Trieste, Italy, illycaff produces and markets a unique blend of espresso coffee under a single brand leader in quality. Over 6 million cups of illy espresso coffee are enjoyed every day. illy is sold in over 140 countries around the world and is available in more than 100,000 of the best restaurants and coffee bars. espressamente illy, the chain of franchised Italian-style coffee bars is now present in 30 countries and comprises more than 230 outlets. With the aim of spreading the coffee culture, illy has founded the Universit del caff, the centre of excellence offering theoretical and practical training on every aspect of coffee for coffee growers, coffee shops staff and enthusiasts. On a global level, illycaff employs over 796 people and has a consolidated turnover of 305 million (figures for 2010). illycaff buys green coffee directly from the growers of the highest quality Arabica through partnerships based on the mutual creation of value. The Trieste-based company fosters long-term collaborations with the world's best coffee growers - in Brazil, Central America, India and Africa - providing know-how and technology and offering above-market prices.
TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, is the world's foremost academy for scientists from the developing world. Its membership currently consists of over 1,000 eminent scientists, more than 80 percent of whom live and work in the developing world. Based in Trieste, Italy, TWAS sponsors a large number of research and training programmes for scientists from the developing world. The Academy is administered by the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) and receives its core funding from the Italian government. For additional information, see www.twas.org
The Ernesto Illy Foundation created by illycaff and open to other supporting members aims to develop and increase the rich heritage of ideas, projects and activities that Ernesto Illy left as his legacy. Its mission consists in fostering knowledge, ethics and sustainability not only as absolute values but also as business pursuits in ways that promote research as the principal way to attain the truth and human progress. The Foundation's activities mainly focus on ethics, sustainability, scientific research and coffee culture. Anna Rossi Illy, widow of the late Ernesto and honorary president of illycaff, chairs the Foundation. For additional information, see www.fondazionernestoilly.org.
For additional information and requests for interviews, contact:
Daniel Schaffer,TWAS, schaffer@twas.org, ph. +39-040-2240 538 / Cristina Serra, TWAS, cserra@twas.org, ph +39 040 2240.429
Anna Adriani / Christine Pascolo, illycaff Trieste ph. +39-040-3890111
Eliana Bertrand/ Alessandra Bettelli, Cohn & Wolfe Milano ph.+39-02-20239391
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Contact: Daniel Schaffer schaffer@twas.org 39-040-224-0538 TWAS
The immediate past president of TWAS wins the prize for 'monumental contributions to the frontiers of materials science'
Trieste (Italy), November 21, 2011. CNR Rao, Linus Pauling research professor and honorary president of the Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research and immediate past president of TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, has been named the winner of the 2011 Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize.
The prize, which is designed to give international recognition and visibility to eminent scientists in the developing world, is sponsored by the world-renowned coffee maker, illycaff, supported by the Ernesto Illy Foundation and administered by TWAS. It carries a USD100,000 cash award. This year's award was given in the field of material science.
Over a distinguished career that spans more than five decades, Rao has left his mark on scientific research, education, administration and policy, both in his home country of India and throughout the world.
Rao's broad-ranging research, focusing on the characterization, synthesis and design of new materials, has enabled him to become one of the world's most respected scientists. Meanwhile, his passionate life-long commitment to strengthening scientific research and education in India has made him a revered and influential figure in his home country.
In the 1950s, Rao was one of a small group of pioneering scientists who propelled the emerging field of solid state chemistry to the forefront of global science. He is particularly noted for his research on metal oxides, nanomaterials and graphene.
From an intellectual perspective, he has been a key figure in the integration of chemical physics and materials chemistry. From a technical perspective, he has made innovative use of a wide variety of cutting-edge technologies, ranging from photoelectron spectroscopy to electron microscopy to diffraction.
As a young, talented scientist with PhD from Purdue University in the United States and postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, USA, Rao returned to his home country in 1959 to assume a position at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, India's oldest and most prestigious research institute. In 1963, he moved to the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT), Kanpur, where he became head of the chemistry department.
At the time, science in India was hamstrung by poor facilities, inadequate funding, low salaries and bureaucratic roadblocks that made the purchase of equipment and supplies a slow and tedious process. Yet, Rao was determined to build a well-equipped laboratory for solid state and materials chemistry capable of competing with laboratories in developed countries.
Pursuing his dream, Rao returned to the IISc where he did indeed build a world-class laboratory and later served as director from 1984 to 1994. In 1989, he also became the founding president of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore, serving in that position until 1999. Since his retirement, he has continued to pursue an active research agenda.
Over the course of his long career, Rao has published 45 books, and more than 1,500 articles. More recently, he has written several children's books designed to spur interest in science among young people.
Rao has received more than 50 honorary degrees from universities in India and abroad. He is a fellow at the Indian Academy of Sciences and Indian National Science Academy, and a foreign member of numerous science academies worldwide, including the US National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society in the UK, the French Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Japan Academy, the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
In terms of science policy, he has been a driving force behind the success of TWAS, first as one of the founding members in 1983 and then as president from 2000 to 2007. He remains active in the Academy's affairs to this day. Rao has also played a central role on many governmental agencies and committees in India, most notably chairing the prime minister's science advisory council since 2009.
In terms of scientific research, Rao has helped to shape the contours of materials science, lending his keen intelligence, deep insights and well-honed technical skills to a discipline that is now recognized as one of the pre-eminent fields of "science for development" in the 21st century. Broad applications of materials science have impacted and will undoubtedly continue to impact key aspects of society and the economy in both the developing and developed worlds ranging from improvements in communications and the generation and distribution of energy, to enhanced access to safe drinking water, to more precise delivery of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of disease.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Rao's ground-breaking research on non-organic transition metal oxides enhanced scientific understanding of high-temperature superconductivity. His novel research subsequently led to the identification of large-scale, electronic-phase separation in metal oxides and to the discovery of new routes for multiferroics.
He then turned his attention to the intricate interface between organic and inorganic hybrid materials. More recently, he has focused his attention on nanomaterials, exploring, for example, the liquid-liquid interface to generate nanocrystals and uncovering a simple method for separating semiconducting and metallic carbon nanotubes.
Rao's research has been consistently multi-dimensional in terms of both the broad range of materials he has explored and the wide-ranging techniques he has tapped to examine these materials. He has developed new and novel methods of synthesis and design, prepared and characterized a number of new classes of materials and nanostructures, and dissected the formation of complex structures.
His work has crossed the once distinct boundaries between inorganic, organic and hybrid materials, and has cast revealing light on the relationship between simple one- or two-dimensional structures and more complex multi-dimensional structures a relationship that plays a significant role to the bonding of materials.
For all of these reasons and more, CNR Rao has been chosen the 2011 recipient of the Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize in materials science.
###
Editor's Notes
Rao's significant contributions:
Conducted an independent synthesis on the first liquid-nitrogen cuprate semiconductor
Identified large-scale electronic phase separation in metal oxides
Prepared Y-junction and metallic nanotubes
Ascertained a simple method to separate semiconducting and metallic carbon nanotubes
Formulated new methods for the synthesis of graphene
Discovered new bifunctional oxide materials
Created a strategy to determine the experimental charge densities of atoms in organic molecular crystals
Determined how simple oxyanions and selenate can be used to build complex inorganic architectures
The Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize, instituted by TWAS and illycaff and supported by the Ernesto Illy Foundation, and now in its seventh year, is designed to bring recognition and distinction to the developing world's most eminent scientists. The award, bestowed under the High Patronage of the Presidency of the Republic of Italy, is dedicated to Trieste, a city in northeast Italy that has made significant contributions to the promotion of science in the developing world. The prize, also named for the long-time chairman of illycaff, Ernesto Illy, rotates among the following fields: climate change and its impact on agriculture in developing countries (2009), energy (2010), materials science (2011) and human health (2012). For additional information, see http://twas.ictp.it/prog/prizes/trieste-science-prize.
illycaff - Based in Trieste, Italy, illycaff produces and markets a unique blend of espresso coffee under a single brand leader in quality. Over 6 million cups of illy espresso coffee are enjoyed every day. illy is sold in over 140 countries around the world and is available in more than 100,000 of the best restaurants and coffee bars. espressamente illy, the chain of franchised Italian-style coffee bars is now present in 30 countries and comprises more than 230 outlets. With the aim of spreading the coffee culture, illy has founded the Universit del caff, the centre of excellence offering theoretical and practical training on every aspect of coffee for coffee growers, coffee shops staff and enthusiasts. On a global level, illycaff employs over 796 people and has a consolidated turnover of 305 million (figures for 2010). illycaff buys green coffee directly from the growers of the highest quality Arabica through partnerships based on the mutual creation of value. The Trieste-based company fosters long-term collaborations with the world's best coffee growers - in Brazil, Central America, India and Africa - providing know-how and technology and offering above-market prices.
TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, is the world's foremost academy for scientists from the developing world. Its membership currently consists of over 1,000 eminent scientists, more than 80 percent of whom live and work in the developing world. Based in Trieste, Italy, TWAS sponsors a large number of research and training programmes for scientists from the developing world. The Academy is administered by the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) and receives its core funding from the Italian government. For additional information, see www.twas.org
The Ernesto Illy Foundation created by illycaff and open to other supporting members aims to develop and increase the rich heritage of ideas, projects and activities that Ernesto Illy left as his legacy. Its mission consists in fostering knowledge, ethics and sustainability not only as absolute values but also as business pursuits in ways that promote research as the principal way to attain the truth and human progress. The Foundation's activities mainly focus on ethics, sustainability, scientific research and coffee culture. Anna Rossi Illy, widow of the late Ernesto and honorary president of illycaff, chairs the Foundation. For additional information, see www.fondazionernestoilly.org.
For additional information and requests for interviews, contact:
Daniel Schaffer,TWAS, schaffer@twas.org, ph. +39-040-2240 538 / Cristina Serra, TWAS, cserra@twas.org, ph +39 040 2240.429
Anna Adriani / Christine Pascolo, illycaff Trieste ph. +39-040-3890111
Eliana Bertrand/ Alessandra Bettelli, Cohn & Wolfe Milano ph.+39-02-20239391
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Two UC Davis officers put on leave after pepper spray video
(Reuters)
(Reuters) ? Two University of California, Davis police officers have been placed on administrative leave while the school investigates the apparent use by campus police of pepper spray against seated student protesters, the university said Sunday.
Video footage of a policeman in riot gear using pepper spray on a group of roughly a dozen student protesters at close range in the university's quad area posted on YouTube spread quickly over the Internet, sparking outrage among some university faculty members.
The officers will be paid while on leave, university spokeswoman Claudia Morain said. She did not identify them.
In a public statement Saturday, UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi wrote that the use of pepper spray as shown on the video "is chilling to us all and raises many questions about how best to handle situations like this."
Student protesters at Davis had set up an encampment in the university's quad area earlier this month as part of the nationwide Occupy movement demonstrations against economic inequality and excesses of the financial system.
Their demonstrations, which had been endorsed by a faculty association, included protests against tuition increases and what they viewed as police brutality on University of California campuses in response to recent protests.
The students had set up about 25 tents in a quad area, but they had been asked not to stay overnight and were told they would not be able to stay during the weekend due to a lack of university resources, Katehi said.
Some protesters took their tents down voluntarily while others stayed. The pepper spray incident appeared to take place on Friday afternoon, when campus police moved in to forcibly evict the protesters.
Katehi said she was "saddened" by the manner in which protesters were removed and on Saturday announced a task force of faculty, students and staff to investigate the incident.
She said she had also instructed the school to reevaluate whether university policy on encampments offered students sufficient "flexibility to express themselves."
The move announcing the task force came after Katehi came under criticism from members of her own faculty.
(Writing by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by David Bailey)
CALUMET TOWNSHIP, Mich.?? A pop-up window that interrupted Aimee Ryding's Internet research lured her to a website that informed viewers of dogs in danger of being euthanized.
"I took a break from my paper and I looked at it," she said. "I don't know why, but something told me to do it."
Ryding, who at the time was in the process of completing her nursing degree through Gogebic Community College, soon found herself networking with animal rescue groups across the U.S.
One could say her life hasn't been the same since, because less than a month after graduation in May 2010, Ryding established her own animal rescue out of her Calumet Township home.
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"She completely changed our lives," Ryding said of her now 2-year-old puggle (beagle and pug crossbreed) Mandy, which she rescued from a "kill shelter" in Anderson, Ind. "She only had three days to live so I filled out the application online for her. I knew she needed us and we needed her."
Story: Good buddies: Grizzled truckers transport rescued animals to safety
Since Ryding started Because of Mandy Dog Rescue a year and a half ago, she's saved more than 400 dogs from kill shelters - places she had never heard of until she adopted Mandy ? across the country.
Ryding said "thousands and thousands" of animals are victim to high-kill shelters due to overcrowding and lack of room.
"It all boils down to people spaying and neutering their pets and not breeding their animals," she said. "There's a lot of puppy mills where there's 300 to 400 dogs living in cages. I have been to those places and I have taken dogs."
Ryding's organization, Because of Mandy, is a nonprofit that operates solely on a volunteer basis. Funds for medical bills, dog food and other necessities are raised through donations, fundraisers and adoption fees.
Ryding said her first major transport was the farthest distance she's had to travel. Along with her 14-year-old son, Austin, she drove a rental van to Arkansas, where they rescued 30 dogs and three kittens.
The 20-hour ride there turned into a 40-hour trip back.
"Every two hours we potty them, take them for a walk and give them water," Ryding said. "It's very heartwarming but it's very crazy."
On that particular trip, Ryding said she returned home with an empty van because each of the animals she rescued had places to go.
Story: To snag homes, shelter pets get glam makeovers
"They all had pre-approved adopters," she said. "We just did the transport."
A month and a half ago, Ryding received 17 dogs from Missouri and of that bunch, only one is waiting adoption.
Unlike the facilities Ryding rescues animals from, dogs in her care have no time limit.
"A dog will never be put down because it's been here for too long," she said.
Instead, they live in a home-like environment during their stay and become an extension of her own family until they're placed. Volunteer foster homes provide additional living arrangements if space becomes an issue.
While Ryding admits she's neither a dog trainer or a veterinarian, she does work with each of them individually to help them settle in comfortably.
"I'm just a normal person who's trying to make a difference for them," she said. "We just do our best. It's something we're learning every day."
Ryding has a strong support system, between her husband Robert, her grandfather, Robert Gillstrom, and a handful of volunteers who help with fundraising and transports.
The Copely family from L'Anse, she said, has traveled as far as Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin, rescuing dogs.
"Then I have a wonderful friend in Negaunee, Jan, who donates dog food and rawhides," she said. "She even comes here and helps me."
Several businesses near and far have contributed items to Because of Mandy, and monetary donations have been mailed from as far as California.
"It's just all that kind of help that adds up really, really quickly," she said.
Ryding said Facebook has been instrumental in a number of rescues, not only for Because of Mandy, but for rescue groups around the world. It allows for instant networking, and timing is everything in the event of saving an animal, she said.
"It's nice because whenever we post for help with a dog needing an overnight foster home someone usually steps up and says 'I'll help you with that,'" she said. "All around we've met a lot of nice people."
Ryding said she works closely with a number of organizations including K-SNAG, the Copper Country Humane Society and the Ontonagon County Animal Protection.
Currently, she has seven dogs available for adoption.
Story: Deformed puppy, rescued from trash, learns to walk
"One thing I do want to get across ... a lot of people seem to think dogs from Missouri don't have a place here, but it's my dream," she said. "It all started with Mandy. We pay tribute to Mandy by getting them out of a bad situation and finding them a good home."
For anyone who is interested in making a donation, Ryding said they're always in need of dog food, rawhides, toys and foster homes. Recently, she welcomes anyone who would like to walk the dogs.
In the meantime, Ryding said she's going to continue with her mission.
"You cry a lot and a lot of times there's happy tears," she said. "When you get a 'thank you' from somebody that's adopted a dog and it's changed their life, it makes all of this worth it."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The HTC Rezound is an amazing Internet and multimedia machine that fits into your pocket, but it's bulky and a little buggy.
Penn State lesson: what to do if you suspect sexual abuse of a child
Whether or not Mike McQueary told police of the alleged sexual assault of a young boy, the Penn State scandal raises the issue of how to handle such cases. Every US state has its own laws.
Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary?s assertion, now disputed by police, that he talked to the police after the alleged sexual assault of a young boy by former coach Jerry Sandusky raises the important question: What is the right way to handle such cases?
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It turns out that every state in the nation has its own specific laws on reporting the sexual abuse of a child. If there is any unifying theme, it is that the person who has ?reasonable cause? to believe a child has been abused must notify law enforcement officials and child welfare agencies. People who work in certain fields or at certain institutions have to notify their boss, who is then required to report the abuse, usually within 48 hours.
?Anybody may report it,? says Carolyn Atwell-Davis, director of legislative affairs at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, Va. ?States want people who are in a position to become aware of child sexual abuse to report? their allegation.
Almost every state also lists specific professions, especially those licensed by the state, that are expressly required to notify both the police and child welfare agencies.
For example, the state of Vermont lists 34 different professions or jobs in which instances of child abuse or neglect must be reported within 24 hours. This includes such professions as doctors, dentists, nurses, teachers, librarians, social workers, camp counselors, and clergy.
But Vermont is even more specific for certain professionals who are required to report any abuse immediately. This includes 15 specific types of jobs such as any involved in medicine, hospital work, teaching, child care, or social work.
Yet other states, such as Washington, include any adult who has reasonable cause to believe that a child who resides with them has suffered severe abuse. The state of Tennessee requires any neighbor, relative, friend, ?or any other person? who knows about sexual abuse or has a reasonable cause to suspect it.
Some states, however, including New York and Pennsylvania, require individuals in institutions such as schools to report abuse to the person in charge, not the authorities. Then, the person in charge ? in Penn State?s case, the athletic director and the individual in charge of the Campus Police ? are required to notify the police and child welfare agency.
3 patients die in Australian nursing home fire
(AP)
SYDNEY ? Two fires raced through a Sydney nursing home filled with bedridden and mentally ill patients before dawn Friday, killing three elderly people and leaving another 14 in intensive care after firefighters crawled through blinding smoke to rescue victims.
Authorities were investigating whether the fires, which broke out in separate parts of the complex, were arson. Fire Assistant Commissioner Jim Smith said a sniffer dog would search the ruins for traces of gasoline or other accelerants.
A total of 88 patients were evacuated from the single-story building in suburban Quakers Hill, many of them left in the open on beds and in wheelchairs until they could be transported to alternative accommodation. Many of the patients have dementia.
"This is a firefighter's worst nightmare," Fire Commissioner Greg Mullins said. "Turning up to a nursing home with elderly people who can't get themselves out of harm's way."
Flames raced through the ceiling, and part of the roof of a wing collapsed. Police confirmed that three patients were dead, including two whose bodies remained in the charred ruins of a room where one of the fires started. That area was too dangerous for investigators to enter.
Acting Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said by Friday afternoon 32 patients were in hospitals for smoke inhalation and minor burns. Of these, 14 were in intensive care units ? specialized wards for the sickest of patients where machines keep them breathing. No staff member was injured.
Federal Minister for Mental Health and Aging Mark Butler said the nursing home's fire safety systems were found to meet standards during an audit in July. Smith, the assistant fire commissioner, said the nursing home did not have sprinklers but was not required by law to have such a fire safety system.
"The reason there's not more fatalities is the tremendous work of the emergency workers getting there very quickly ... and rescuing those patients very quickly," Smith said.
Neighbor Don Cook, who shares a fence with the nursing home, was among the first on the scene to see patients carried out.
"The old people, a lot of them seemed to be staring into space ? they didn't know what was going on," Cook told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. "To me, a lot of them looked bewildered."
Firefighters described the blaze as Sydney's worst since 16 patients died in a nursing home fire in suburban Sylvania Heights in 1981.
Runaway Stars May Be Rejects from Stellar Threesomes
(SPACE.com)
Most "runaway stars" that are zipping through space may be fleeing the breakup of cosmic threesomes, scientists say.
Most of the stars in our galaxy move relatively slowly. However, approximately 20 percent of all massive stars in the Milky Way travel unusually quickly, at more than 67,000 mph (108,000 kph).
The origin of these runaway stars has puzzled astronomers for nearly 50 years. Some suspect they were once partners of stars that exploded as supernovas. Others speculate they were slung through space by the pull of other stars' gravity.
But now, researchers find that most runaway stars may arise from m?nages ? trois ? encounters with binary systems, or paired stars, within the centers of clusters of stars. The runaways get slung outward after strong gravitational interactions with the binaries.
To reach this finding, scientists developed state-of-the-art computer simulations of star cluster behavior. They found that models involving star clusters 5,000 to 10,000 times the mass of the sun compared well with actual observations of the more than 100 runaway stars detected around young clusters in our galaxy, those younger than 1 million years old.
One consequence of these findings is that star clusters may "be born with densities far higher than observed in today's clusters," said study co-author Simon Portegies Zwart, a computational astrophysicist at the University in Leiden in the Netherlands.
Once-dense star clusters may have shrunk over time after hurling stars away from them.
"One can learn possibly more about the history of a star cluster by looking away from it," Portegies Zwart told SPACE.com.
To seek further proof of this model, Portegies Zwart and his colleagues could try tracing the trajectory of runaway stars backward to see if they do in fact emerge from binary systems, he said.
Portegies Zwart and colleague Michiko Fujii detail their findings online in the Nov. 17 issue of the journal Science.
Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter@Spacedotcomand on Facebook.
Kristen Stewart Talks Breaking Dawn, Reflects on Bella Swan Milestones
No offense to Edward, Jacob and their respective team members, but Breaking Dawn is all about Bella. In the epic Twilight conclusion, Kristen Stewart's character is seen as a newlywed, a newly-turned vampire and as a pregnant woman.
Going through all of those changes with a girl she's played for so long was not easy for Stewart, who feels like a part of herself will always be entwined with Bella Swan.
"I’m pretty wrapped up in her," Kristen tells Movie Fanatic. "If you’re the type of girl to identify with Bella then you’re just kind of on her. So it’s really hard for me."
"I genuinely had to justify every decision she made the whole way through."
Among the many milestones crammed into the first part of Breaking Dawn (in theaters this Friday) is Bella's wedding to Edward, played by Robert Pattinson.
"I had a million different things going through my head," she recalled of walking down the aisle. "What I kept telling myself was, “Stop, stop, stop. Like just do it. Actually have this experience because you’re just about to ruin it.”
Of co-stars Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, she says, "I can’t imagine what this film would have been if I didn’t have really, really solid and growing relationships with them."
"When you work with people like that, you give so much, you’re so comfortable and you can do no wrong, and so they’ve got you. I think we all just got along, and it shows."
Deep-chilling trauma patients to try to save them
(AP)
WASHINGTON ? Suspended animation may not be just for sci-fi movies anymore: Trauma surgeons soon will try plunging some critically injured people into a deep chill ? cooling their body temperatures as low as 50 degrees ? in hopes of saving their lives.
Many trauma patients have injuries that should be fixable but they bleed to death before doctors can patch them up. The new theory: Putting them into extreme hypothermia just might allow them to survive without brain damage for about an hour so surgeons can do their work.
In a high-stakes experiment funded by the Defense Department, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is preparing to test that strategy on a handful of trauma victims who are bleeding so badly from gunshots, stab wounds or similar injuries that their hearts stop beating. Today when that happens, a mere 7 percent of patients survive.
Get cold enough and "you do OK with no blood for a while," says lead researcher Dr. Samuel Tisherman, a University of Pittsburgh critical care specialist. "We think we can buy time. We think it's better than anything else we have at the moment, and could have a significant impact in saving a bunch of patients."
Tisherman calls the rescue attempt "emergency preservation and resuscitation," EPR instead of CPR. His team plans to begin testing it early next year in Pittsburgh and then expanding the study to the University of Maryland in Baltimore.
If the dramatic approach works, it will spur some rethinking about that line between life and death, says Dr. Arthur Caplan, a University of Pennsylvania bioethicist who is watching the research.
But before the first candidates get chilled, the scientists face a hurdle: The law requires that patients consent to be part of medical experiments after they're told the pros and cons. That's impossible when the person is bleeding to death. There won't even be time to seek a relative's permission.
So starting Tuesday, the Pittsburgh team is beginning a campaign required by the Food and Drug Administration to educate area residents about the study instead ? with signs on city buses, video on YouTube, a web site and two town-hall meetings next month. Residents worried about possible risks, such as brain damage, could sign a list saying they'd opt out if they ever were severely injured.
Go even a few minutes without oxygen and the brain in particular can suffer significant damage. Doctors have long sought to use hypothermia in medicine since discovering that cooling can slow the metabolism of the brain and other organs, meaning they can go without oxygen for longer periods. Donated organs are chilled to preserve them, for example. And people whose hearts are shocked back into beating after what's called cardiac arrest often are iced down to about 90 or 91 degrees, mild hypothermia that allows the brain to recover from damage that began in those moments between their collapse and revival.
But the CPR that buys time during more routine cardiac arrest doesn't help trauma patients who've already lost massive amounts of blood. Injuries are the nation's fifth-leading killer, and hemorrhage is one of the main reasons, says Dr. Hasan Alam of Massachusetts General Hospital, who is collaborating with the Pitt study.
Enter deep hypothermia, dropping body temperature to around 50 degrees. It has worked in dogs and pigs, animals considered a model for human trauma, in experiments over the past decade conducted by Tisherman, Alam and a few other research groups.
The animals were sedated and bled until their hearts stopped. Ice-cold fluids were flushed through the body's largest artery, deep-chilling first the brain and heart and then the rest of the body. After more than two hours in this limbo, they were sewn up, gradually warmed and put on a heart-lung machine to restart blood flow. Most survived what should have been a lethal injury and most appeared to be cognitively fine, Tisherman and Alam say.
Hypothermia is counterintuitive for trauma because the cold inhibits blood clotting, something to watch while rewarming people in the planned study. Still, humans can get that cold and fare well, says Tisherman, who is co-author of a pending patent for emergency-preservation methods. He points to rare cases of people who fall through ice and instead of drowning are rewarmed and wake up, as well as deep-chilling that happens during certain heart operations that require completely stopping blood flow for a short time.
"Nothing is magical. Everything has got its limitations," cautions Alam. He says the big question is whether deep hypothermia can help in the chaos of real-life trauma when "the blood has already been lost and you're trying to do catch-up."
Bioethicist Caplan says one concern is that some people might survive but with enough brain damage that they'd have preferred death. He says the "informed community" procedure designed for studies of emergency treatments cannot adequately cover that scenario.
"Most people are going to say, `Yes I would like you to try and save my dad,'" says Caplan, who calls emergency preservation promising. But, he says, "we continue to ignore the 900-pound gorilla of who's going to manage the bad outcome."
___
EDITOR'S NOTE ? Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press.
Justices unlikely to have last word on health care
(AP)
WASHINGTON ? The weight of a Supreme Court decision isn't likely to settle the contentious debate over health care in America, a nation disdainful of big government and historically unable to guarantee affordable basic coverage to all its citizens.
The court announced Monday it will take up the constitutional challenge to President Barack Obama's landmark health care law, with a decision expected next summer in the thick of the presidential election. But even if the law is upheld, Republican congressional leaders say they'll keep crusading for its repeal.
Administration officials respond with a dose of hope and bravado. Publicly, they're confident Obama's plan for covering the uninsured will be upheld to the last comma.
But privately, there's a Plan B: If the court strikes down the law's unpopular linchpin ? the so-called individual mandate requiring most Americans to carry health insurance ? the administration would take whatever's left and try to put that into in place.
"Either way it rules, the Supreme Court decision will not end the debate on health care," said former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, an influential Democratic adviser. "It is, and will largely remain, a debate on the role of government."
That's pretty much how Republican congressional leaders see it, too.
"Job-killing tax hikes on families and small businesses may well be constitutional ? that doesn't mean we would support them," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio remains committed to repealing the overhaul and replacing it with a Republican plan regardless of the Supreme Court ruling, his spokesman said.
The law's coverage expansion to more than 30 million uninsured is still two years away, but the Supreme Court took the case after lower courts split and the administration, as well as its opponents, asked for a decisive ruling.
Of four federal appeals courts that have ruled, two upheld the law, one struck down only the insurance mandate, and one punted, saying it is premature to decide the merits until the law's main coverage provisions take effect in 2014.
Appeals courts in the District of Columbia and Cincinnati that upheld the law found that requiring Americans to carry health insurance ? even if intrusive ? is within the power of Congress to regulate interstate commerce.
Starting with 2014 tax returns, the law imposes a penalty on those who do not have coverage through an employer or a government program, or through individual purchase. In passing that requirement, a Democratic-led Congress found that the health care system is a major part of the national economy and that insurance can't work if people can postpone getting coverage until they become sick.
A federal appeals court in Atlanta saw things differently.
Ruling against the administration in a lawsuit by 26 states, that court found that Congress overstepped its constitutional authority by imposing the insurance mandate. The unprecedented requirement to carry health insurance would force average citizens to buy an expensive product from a private company from cradle to grave, the majority said.
While the biggest controversy is over the mandate, the law has other major provisions.
To make it affordable for the uninsured to obtain coverage, Congress expanded the Medicaid program for low-income people and set up a system of tax credits for middle-class people who purchase their own policies. It also barred insurers from turning away those in poor health or charging them more.
The Supreme Court's decision will turn on legal precedents developed through the decades, as the federal government sought to extend its reach over economic affairs. But the immediate impact of a decision in 2012 is likely to be political.
Upholding the law will be seen as vindication for Obama's approach to governing, said Robert Blendon, a Harvard public health professor who follows opinion trends on health care. "This is not only an issue of whether or not the bill is constitutional, or what is the best public policy," said Blendon. "It's an issue about the judgment of the president."
At the other end of the spectrum, the Supreme Court could strike down the entire law, validation for Republicans who from the start called it government overreach. But no appeals court has gone that far.
A mixed verdict would create its own problems. The court could strike down only the insurance mandate, leaving the rest of the law in place. That includes a Medicaid expansion expected to help about 16 million uninsured people, the creation of new state health insurance markets, Medicare cuts and a slew of regulations.
While the Obama administration would still be left with pieces of a law to carry out, the demise of the insurance requirement would create a real crisis for the insurance industry. Insurers may be forced to accept patients who apply after getting sick, but at the same time deprived of a larger pool of insured people over which to spread their costs.
Administration lawyers maintain that if the insurance mandate is struck down, the requirement that insurers accept people in poor health should also be invalidated. But the justices don't have to follow that advice.
Sooner or later, the whole muddle could wind up back in Congress.
The malls do plan to alert customers of the tracking program and encourage shoppers to turn off the cell phone while shopping. However, it?s unlikely that customers will turn off their main device for communication and busy shoppers may miss the notifications posted within the mall. ?Forest City Commercial Management is the company that manages both malls and equates the tracking program to monitoring migratory patterns of birds. The name of the tracking system is?FootPath Technology and uses a group of?antennas that monitor the?unique identification number used by each phone while the customer travels through the shopping mall.
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Public release date: 21-Nov-2011
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