Report: Foreclosure sales fell sharply in 2Q

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Sales of bank-owned homes and those already on the foreclosure path fell sharply in the second quarter, reflecting a thinner slate of properties for sale in many cities as banks take a measured approach to placing homes on the market.

Even so, foreclosure sales' share of all U.S. home purchases grew in the April-to-June period, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.

The combination of fewer bank-owned homes for sale and stronger demand during the traditional spring home-buying season also pushed sale prices higher. Bank-owned homes and those in some stage of foreclosure posted the biggest annual increase in average sales price since 2006, before the housing bubble burst, the firm said.

"It boils down to supply and demand ? limited supply and pretty strong demand ? especially during the second quarter, when a lot of buyers come out of the woodwork and look to buy," said Daren Blomquist, a vice president at RealtyTrac.

As of last month, there were 1.47 million U.S. homes in some stage of the foreclosure process or owned by banks. Of the 620,751 in lenders' possession, only about 15 percent are listed for sale, according to RealtyTrac.

The measured approach has triggered bidding wars and led to higher prices in markets like Las Vegas, where the inventory of bank-owned homes sank to a 6.2-month supply in June.

The pool of foreclosed properties for sale also has declined because many pending foreclosure cases were put on hold last year while banks sorted through foreclosure abuse claims. A $25 billion settlement in February cleared the way for lenders to tackle that backlog of foreclosures, and the number of homes entering the foreclosure process has been rising.

Still, those properties, should they end up foreclosed, are not likely to hit the market until next year.

All those factors helped set the stage for the second-quarter decline in foreclosure sales, which includes bank-owned homes and homes in the foreclosure process, which are most commonly short sales, when the lender agrees to accept less than what the seller owed on the mortgage.

Lenders are increasingly favoring short sales versus waiting for troubled loans to go through the foreclosure process.

Short sales on properties that hadn't even started the foreclosure process rose 18 percent between January and May compared to the same stretch of 2011, the firm said.

"Selling a bank-owned property has become a lot less attractive to lenders than it was in the past, and it just opens them up to additional risk," Blomquist said.

All told, 224,429 homes in the foreclosure sales category were purchased in the second quarter. That's down 12 percent from the first three months of the year and down 22 percent from the second quarter last year, RealtyTrac said.

Despite the decline in foreclosure sales, their share of all home sales grew.

Foreclosure sales accounted for 23 percent of all U.S. home sales, which includes sales of previously occupied homes and new homes. That's up from 22 percent in the first quarter and up from 19 percent a year earlier, the firm said.

While rising, the share of foreclosure sales remains well below its first-quarter 2009 peak of 45 percent of all sales. They comprised less than 1 percent of all sales in 2005, at the height of the housing boom.

Homebuyers who purchased a foreclosure sale in the second quarter paid an average of $170,040. That's up 6 percent from the first three months of the year and up 7 percent from a year earlier.

While costing more, the average price of a foreclosure sale amounted to a 32 percent discount on the average price of non-foreclosure homes, RealtyTrac said. The discount rose from 30 percent in the first quarter and second quarter of 2011.

The wider price gap between foreclosure sales and those of non-foreclosure properties reflects rising home prices as sales have improved this year.

The Standard & Poor's/Case Shiller index for June showed the first year-over-year increase in home prices since September 2010.

Sales of new homes in the second quarter were up 18 percent from a year earlier. As of last month, they're up 25 percent from a year earlier. Sales of previously occupied homes rose nearly 9 percent in the April-to-June quarter. They jumped 10 percent in July compared with the same month last year.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-08-30-US-Foreclosure-Sales/id-7bbb15a2b23b478b9239be521a7777e8

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Lufthansa cancels flights as cabin crews strike

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) ? Lufthansa flight attendants walked off the job Friday at Germany's busiest airport, causing more than 200 flights to be canceled as their union warned of more stoppages unless the airline gives in to its demands.

Lufthansa, Germany's largest airline, said it canceled more than 200 short- and medium-haul flights from and to Frankfurt airport after some 1,000 cabin crew went on strike. A small number of long-haul flights were canceled as well, including to and from New York, Boston and Seattle.

Thousands of stranded passengers crowded Frankfurt's main terminal building waiting for word on their flights. Lufthansa workers handed out water and juice to people stuck in long lines.

The short-term strike was to last eight hours until early afternoon, but Lufthansa said it would affect Frankfurt flight traffic throughout the day.

Airline spokesman Klaus Walther accused the UFO union of putting its demands "on the back of the customers" and urged them to return to the negotiation table.

But UFO union head Nicoley Baublies said on Bayerischer Rundfunk radio that the Frankfurt strike may just be the beginning if Lufthansa does not meet its demands. The union called the strike after 13 months of negotiations for higher pay and guarantees on conditions failed to produce an agreement.

"It depends on how Lufthansa responds now and how much they try to break the strike and put our people under pressure," Baublies said. He said the union would decide Friday whether to stage similar strikes again Saturday and whether to expand them to other airports.

"That's always possible and we will announce it with six hours' notice," he said.

UFO is seeking a 5 percent pay raise for the airline's more than 18,000 cabin crew workers. Lufthansa has said it is offering a 3.5 percent raise.

Other issues include the union's opposition to Lufthansa's demand that flight attendants assigned to Berlin's new airport, whose opening has been delayed, work more hours than elsewhere for the same pay. The two sides are also at odds over the possibility of Lufthansa transferring flight attendants to its partner budget airlines with cheaper contracts as part of a cost-saving program.

Lufthansa is trying to cut some ?1.5 billion from its costs by the end of 2014.

____

Christoph Noelting contributed to this report from Frankfurt; Rising reported from Berlin.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lufthansa-cancels-flights-cabin-crews-strike-083224998--finance.html

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An ?optimal? speech, and then some (Powerlineblog)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/244518699?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Self Improvement & Memory Training: Brainwave Entrainment ...

When you are in stress, your brainwaves vibrate in a very fast frequency, non-stop, causing your brain to release stress response hormones that wash over your mind and your body.

Stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine, when in excess, harm and weaken your body in many ways, which ultimately leads to illness and disease, shortening your life.

Brainwave entrainment is a neuro-technological tool that alters the messages your mind receives when encountering a stressor, stopping the firing of neural networks that are out of control, while making and using, new networks that heal and feel good.

It makes perfect sense to change your brainwave frequency, which in turn changes neural networks, from one of stress, to one of stress relief, in order to stop damage to your mind and body.

How The Brain Interprets Stress

When you are in stress, you respond both emotionally and physically, setting in motion a series of chemical releases and reactions.

Source: http://selfimprovementandmemorytraining.blogspot.com/2012/08/brainwave-entrainment-changes-neural.html

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Texas school to open $60M football field of dreams

Football coach Jeff Fleener tosses a football to players during practice at the new $60 million football stadium at Allen High School Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 in Allen, Texas. Allen High School northeast of Dallas christens the stadium Friday night with a matchup against defending state champion Southlake Carroll. While other school districts are struggling to retain teachers and keep classroom sizes down, Allen voters approved a $119 million bond issue that pays for the stadium and other district facilities. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Football coach Jeff Fleener tosses a football to players during practice at the new $60 million football stadium at Allen High School Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 in Allen, Texas. Allen High School northeast of Dallas christens the stadium Friday night with a matchup against defending state champion Southlake Carroll. While other school districts are struggling to retain teachers and keep classroom sizes down, Allen voters approved a $119 million bond issue that pays for the stadium and other district facilities. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Visitors take in the new $60 million football stadium at Allen High School Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 in Allen, Texas. Allen High School northeast of Dallas christens the stadium Friday night with a matchup against defending state champion Southlake Carroll. While other school districts are struggling to retain teachers and keep classroom sizes down, Allen voters approved a $119 million bond issue that pays for the stadium and other district facilities. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Students walk across the indoor practice field that is part of the new $60 million football stadium at Allen High School Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 in Allen, Texas. Allen High School northeast of Dallas christens the stadium Friday night with a matchup against defending state champion Southlake Carroll. While other school districts are struggling to retain teachers and keep classroom sizes down, Allen voters approved a $119 million bond issue that pays for the stadium and other district facilities. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

The scoreboard is shown at the new $60 million football stadium at Allen High School Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 in Allen, Texas. Allen High School northeast of Dallas christens the stadium Friday night with a matchup against defending state champion Southlake Carroll. While other school districts are struggling to retain teachers and keep classroom sizes down, Allen voters approved a $119 million bond issue that pays for the stadium and other district facilities. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

The sun shines over the $60 million new football stadium at Allen High School Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 in Allen, Texas. Allen High School northeast of Dallas christens the stadium Friday night with a matchup against defending state champion Southlake Carroll. While other school districts are struggling to retain teachers and keep classroom sizes down, Allen voters approved a $119 million bond issue that pays for the stadium and other district facilities. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

ALLEN, Texas (AP) ? Call it the palace of high school football: A gleaming $60 million facility with seats for 18,000 roaring fans, a 38-foot-wide high-definition video screen, corporate sponsors and a towering upper deck.

Welcome to the new home of Eagles Football.

As school districts across the country struggle to retain teachers, replace outdated textbooks and keep class sizes from ballooning, the wealthy, burgeoning Dallas suburb of Allen is preparing to christen its new stadium with a sold-out Friday night matchup against defending state champions Southlake Carroll.

It's not the biggest high school stadium in football-mad Texas, but Eagle Stadium is the grandest, with a spacious weight room for the players and practice areas for Allen High School's wrestling and golf teams. The school district decided to build it in a down economy, knowing full well it will never recoup the costs.

It's a decision that local officials and team supporters defend, saying the stadium will serve as a community centerpiece and source of pride for years to come and will more than pay the costs of operating it.

"There will be kids that come through here that will be able to play on a field that only a few people will ever get the chance to play in," said Wes Bishop, the father of a junior linebacker on the team and head of the local booster club.

For longtime Allen fans, it's a giant step forward from a facility that district spokesman Tim Carroll called "inadequate in almost every way."

The old building opened in 1976, when Allen had fewer than 8,000 residents, with 7,000 permanent seats, one concession stand and one set of bathrooms. As the town grew to its current population of 87,000, the school had to add portable toilets and rent temporary bleachers, which added 7,000 seats at a cost of $250,000 a year, Carroll said.

Today, the high school has 4,000 students enrolled and a 700-member band that's among the biggest in the country. Collin County, which includes Allen and other Dallas suburbs, is one of the wealthiest areas of Texas ? and home to some of the state's top football teams.

About 63 percent of voters supported a $119 million bond package in 2009. Construction on the stadium began a year later. District officials went with more expensive concrete seating over all-aluminum benches, adding perhaps $4 million more to the cost, according to officials. But they said they expected this stadium to last decades.

"Our intention is not to recoup the money it cost to build the stadium," Carroll said. "It's not practical to say we'll get that money back. (But) the revenue we receive from the stadium will far exceed the cost of operating it."

While the district did not have estimates, Carroll said he expects the stadium to be competitive in hosting high school playoff games and other events. The school has also sold six sponsorships for about $35,000 a year, he said.

The new stadium revives an old argument in Texas about whether communities and their schools have their priorities straight.

In 1982, when the West Texas city of Odessa built a 19,000-seat stadium for a then-unheard-of $5.6 million, it drew scorn from some people who questioned the district's priorities. Odessa would be featured a few years later in the book "Friday Night Lights," a national best-seller that inspired a movie and a TV series.

Ross Perot, the billionaire businessman and former presidential candidate, repeatedly took aim at his home state's football culture as he pushed the state to shed extracurricular activities and increase accountability measures.

"Do we want our kids to win on Friday night on the football field or do we want them to win all through their lives?" Perot said in a 1988 Washington Post column. "That's what we have to start asking ourselves."

Today, neighboring Plano High School's stadium seats more than 14,000 people. Mesquite, about 30 miles away from Allen, has a 20,000-seat stadium. And the Berry Center, a suburban Houston facility with a stadium, an arena and theater, opened in 2006 and cost about $84 million.

"In a couple of years, someone's going to do something that's bigger and bigger," said Robert McSpadden, who runs the high school football site TexasBob.com.

Officials in Allen reject the premise that they're focusing on sports over academics. The bonds approved three years ago also funded a new performing arts center, and Carroll said extra revenue from stadium operations will go into the district general fund. Allen's student test scores are also largely stellar.

But for now, Eagle Stadium is gaining wide notoriety. The No. 8-ranked Eagles' Friday game against Southlake Carroll, which won a state championship last year and is ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press' Class 5A preseason poll this season, sold out in just over a day. More than 2,000 people are expected to watch from standing-room areas.

Bishop's son Zack, a linebacker, said he and his teammates already noticed differences: a more spacious weight room, a softer playing field.

"It's going to be really incredible to step out in front of a full house and a sold-out game," he said.

Chris Wallace, whose oldest son is a senior quarterback, said she had to reassure him when they visited smaller colleges over the summer with older facilities.

"In his mind, this is it," she said. "He can't even believe it's here already."

And there's always room for growth.

Fred Montes, one of the architects of what he called "an incredible project," said the district's master plan left open the possibility for more construction, if needed.

"The end zone that has seats currently can be expanded," he said. "And on the visitors' side, you can always put a deck."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-08-30-Friday%20Night%20Palace/id-f6508f2eba894d54b31516f949bb13fc

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Flight attendant, 83, in Guinness book for longest tenure

AP Photo/Courtesy of Jean Akana-Lewis

In this 1992 photo provided by his family, Ron Akana poses in an airplane with his wife Betsy and his daughter Jean Akana-Lewis.

In 63 years, Ron Akana has seen it all?from 35,000 feet in the air, that is.

The 83-year-old United Airlines flight attendant will appear in the Guinness World Records book?in October for being the longest-serving flight attendant in U.S. history.

Akana, now a Boulder, Colo. resident, finished up his final route last weekend on a United Airlines flight from Denver to Kauai, The Associated Press reported.

"I wasn't expecting this much attention," he told the AP on Tuesday.

---

His airborne days started in 1949, when he was a student at the University of Hawaii and his friends saw a newspaper ad.?

"We didn't even know what a flight steward was," he told the AP. "But it meant getting to the mainland, which was a huge deal in those days."

He became one of United's first male flight attendants:?"We just liked working with girls," he told the AP.

AP Photo/Courtesy of Jean Akana-Lewis

In this 1957 photo provided by his family, Ron Akana, third from right, poses with his United Airlines crewmates in new flight attendant uniforms. Also pictured from left to right is Matt Ah Chong, Clem Keliikipi, Timmy Pang, Eddie Takahashi and Roy Miyose.

With the exception of two years away to serve in the Korean War, Akana has been in the skies ever since.

In over six decades, he has seen the transformation of air travel. He saw meal service improve, the start of?in-flight movies, passengers go from dressing up to dressing down,?smoking become a federal offense and tighter?security?in the post-9/11 world.

After being offered a buyout, he is retiring, the AP reported.

"It was a job that started to grow on a person. I always flew with new personalities," Akana told Boulder's Daily Camera. "I know I'll miss it, but the time has come. Aching bones and joints."

But his frequent flier days are far from over: In his retirement, Akana plans to travel frequently with his wife, the Daily Camera reported.

"I got terrific travel privileges," he told the AP, adding: "There's a lot to be seen."

Akana will miss the passengers and fellow crew members the most:?"It's the people I worked with," he told the Daily Camera. "They always had interesting experiences that we all became part of."

"We are grateful for Ron?s many years of service and wish him well in his retirement," said United spokesperson Charles Hobart, in a written statement.

Guinness World Records did not?immediately?respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More stories you might like:

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/30/13570654-united-airlines-flight-attendant-83-lands-in-guinness-book-for-longest-tenure?lite

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Retail Business Booms Near University of Texas in Austin

Local Austin retail businesses can finally breathe a sigh of relief. ?As the summer months come to an end and school is back in session at The University of Texas sales have exploded for retail businesses near the campus. ?Bars, restaurants, and retail stores of all kinds have all seen an increase in sales like never before. ?Business is typically stagnant for most stores so students here are welcomed back with open arms.

Read more about this here:
Business booms near University of Texas | kxan.com

Nathan K Smith is an Austin commercial real estate advisor that specializes in helping companies find the best deals on Austin office, retail, and other commercial real estate properties. Connect with Nathan on Google+ This entry was posted in Austin Retail Space and tagged Austin Retail Space. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.austintenantadvisors.com/austin-office-commercial-blog/retail-business-booms-near-university-of-texas-in-austin/

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Wrongful Termination Lawyer of Orange County

August 29th, 2012 by admin

Sexual harassment is a sensitive and serious issue. If you have ever been victimized by someone at work, you should contact a Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Orange County.

California law defines sexual harassment as ?unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.?

Consider the following sexual harassment example:

Say you are a young female who has been working at a natural gas company for a few years. As a junior chemical engineer, you work closely with a senior engineer who is an older male. Over the years the two of you have gotten to know each other well. Recently, your male co-worker revealed he has broken up with his long term girlfriend. A few days later, you are horrified as your co-worker makes an unusual proposition. He asks if you will come to his apartment once a week to fulfill his sexual needs to exchange for high marks on your next bi-yearly work evaluation. He tells you that this could be the push you need to be promoted with a higher salary. You immediately say no, but the following week you are harassed on a daily basis by inappropriate nude pictures from your co-worker via text with reminders about the upcoming work evaluations.

Now say that later, your co-worker ends up writing a false work evaluation on you and as a result, you are fired. This would be grounds for wrongful termination and you should contact Wrongful Termination Attorney in Orange County for a consultation.

Source: http://www.bluelotusgroup.net/uncategorized/wrongful-termination-lawyer-of-orange-county/

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Bettman, NHL issue another proposal to players

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman leaves after speaking to reporters after NHL labor talks in Toronto, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian, Chris Young)

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman leaves after speaking to reporters after NHL labor talks in Toronto, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian, Chris Young)

Donald Fehr, executive director of the NHL Players' Association, speaks to reporters following collective bargaining talks between the NHLPA and the NHL in Toronto on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The NHL issued a new proposal to the players' association Tuesday as a lockout looms next month.

And at least one side is happy about it.

"We believe," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, "that we made a significant, meaningful step."

Time will tell, but at least NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr and his players have another proposal ? the league's second this summer ? to digest. The two sides will meet again on Wednesday at the NHL offices.

A less optimistic Fehr labeled the offering "a proposal that we intend to respond to." Meanwhile, Bettman called it a "counterproposal" to the offer the players presented to the league earlier this month. In that proposal, the players had offered to take two-, four- and six-percent reductions in Hockey Related Revenue for the first three years of a new collective bargaining agreement.

"We felt in order to move the process along," Bettman said, "we tried to address the fundamental issues."

Neither the league nor the players would divulge specifics of the proposal, although Montreal forward Mathieu Darche said he was "encouraged."

"We had a lot of people at the office evaluating the proposal," said Darche, who estimated he received "20, 25 texts" from players asking for details of the different proposal. "It didn't take them five minutes to write it and it won't take us five minutes to read it."

The current CBA expires Sept. 15 and the NHL has said it will lock the players out if a new deal isn't reached.

Limiting the personnel at the bargaining table in the hope of making progress, only Fehr and his top assistant, Steve Fehr, met with Bettman and NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly on Tuesday morning when the proposal was issued. Traditionally, several players have joined in on the talks.

Tuesday's session was the second time in six days that the meeting was limited to just the four executives. They met for two hours last Wednesday in Toronto, exclusively. That meeting was to discuss the state of the negotiations.

"We don't know the answer to that," Fehr said when asked if the smaller meetings jumpstarted the negotiating process. "If it doesn't (work), we'll find another way."

After the sessions in Toronto, the return to New York was a strange one for both sides. Negotiations resumed in the morning, as planned, but then took a slight break while Fehr left the building. Upon exiting, he told reporters talks had paused just for a bit.

"I think the appropriate thing to do under the circumstances is go back (to our office). We've got constituents and so on," Fehr said at the time. "And so we'll see you later on I'm sure."

He eventually returned to confirm the proposal, and was joined by player representatives this time. Fehr was accompanied by Darche, San Jose defenseman Douglas Murray and Winnipeg defenseman Ron Hainsey.

Tuesday's session was billed as "core economic," and if nothing else, the players now have more to work with.

"I'm trying to get us on to the same page," Bettman said. "I'm trying to get us on to a common language."

But, clearly, he knows what he's up against. In fact, following the session, Bettman said he wouldn't "feel better about this process until it is successfully completed." He defined successful completion as having "a collective bargaining agreement."

Time's running out for that.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-08-28-NHL-Labor/id-86a6dc03735d4663b84a5cf69ca642d5

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Remote Alaska to stockpile food, just in case

In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2012, Alaska Emergency Management Director John Madden stands inside the state emergency operations center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska, one of the most remote states in the nation, is planning to build two warehouses large enough to hold enough food to feed 40,000 people for up to four days in case of a catastrophic event. Madden said help for Alaska is a long ways away in case of a disaster. "Hazards do not respect the distance we are from suppliers," he said. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2012, Alaska Emergency Management Director John Madden stands inside the state emergency operations center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska, one of the most remote states in the nation, is planning to build two warehouses large enough to hold enough food to feed 40,000 people for up to four days in case of a catastrophic event. Madden said help for Alaska is a long ways away in case of a disaster. "Hazards do not respect the distance we are from suppliers," he said. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2012, Alaska Emergency Management Director John Madden poses in his office at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska, one of the most remote states in the nation, is planning to build two warehouses large enough to hold enough food to feed 40,000 people for up to four days in case of a catastrophic event. Madden said help for Alaska is a long ways away in case of a disaster. "Hazards do not respect the distance we are from suppliers," he said. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2012, Alaska Emergency Management Director John Madden poses outside his office at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska, one of the most remote states in the nation, is planning to build two warehouses large enough to hold enough food to feed 40,000 people for up to four days in case of a catastrophic event. Madden said help for Alaska is a long ways away in case of a disaster. "Hazards do not respect the distance we are from suppliers," he said. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) ? Alaska is known for pioneering, self-reliant residents who are accustomed to remote locations and harsh weather. Despite that, Gov. Sean Parnell worries a major earthquake or volcanic eruption could leave the state's 720,000 residents stranded and cut off from food and supply lines. His answer: Build giant warehouses full of emergency food and supplies, just in case.

For some in the lower 48, it may seem like an extreme step. But Parnell says this is just Alaska.

In many ways, the state is no different than the rest of America. Most people buy their groceries at stores, and rely on a central grid for power and heat. But, unlike the rest of the lower 48, help isn't a few miles away. When a fall storm cut off Nome from its final fuel supply last winter, a Russian tanker spent weeks breaking through thick ice to reach the remote town.

Weather isn't the only thing that can wreak havoc in Alaska, where small planes are a preferred mode of transportation and the drive from Seattle to Juneau requires a ferry ride and 38 hours in a car. The state's worst natural disaster was in 1964, when a magnitude-9.2 earthquake and resulting tsunami killed 131 people and disrupted electrical systems, water mains and communication lines in Anchorage and other cities.

"We have a different motivation to do this, because help is a long ways away," said John Madden, Alaska's emergency management director.

The state plans two food stockpiles in or near Fairbanks and Anchorage, two cities that also have military bases. Construction on the two storage facilities will begin this fall, and the first food deliveries are targeted for December. The goal is to have enough food to feed 40,000 people for up to a week, including three days of ready-to-eat meals and four days of bulk food that can be prepared and cooked for large groups. To put that number into perspective, Alaska's largest city, Anchorage, has about 295,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and Juneau, its third largest, about 31,000.

It's not unusual for states that routinely experience hurricanes or other large-scale disasters to have supplies like water, ready-to-eat meals, cots and blankets. But Alaska is interested in stocking food with at least a five-year shelf life that meets the nutrition, health and cultural requirements of the state's unique demographics. That means, as part of the effort, trying to incorporate cultural foods like salmon for Alaska Natives as well as foods that would be more common in urban areas, state emergency management spokesman Jeremy Zidek said.

An estimated 90 percent of commodities entering Alaska are delivered through the Port of Anchorage. Air service is also a critical link to the outside world and generally the only way to reach many rural communities. A volcanic blast emitting a large amount of smoke and ash could disrupt supply lines by air and water for an extended period, Madden said, and an earthquake could knock out airport runways or ports. Those are just some of the disasters that might require emergency supplies.

Parnell has made disaster readiness a priority of his administration. His spokeswoman said he has experienced firsthand the devastation of natural disasters, including heavy flooding that knocked some buildings off foundations in Eagle in 2009, when he was lieutenant governor, and the Joplin, Mo., tornado last year. Parnell and his wife visited Joplin with members of the relief organization Samaritan's Purse.

Madden said Alaska's readiness is better than it once was and it continues to improve.

State officials have been working to encourage individual responsibility, with talks at schools and public gatherings. Emergency management officials plan to have a booth at the Alaska State Fair. A statewide disaster drill is planned for October.

Over the past year, the state has acquired or purchased water purification units and generators designed to work in cold climates, including units that could power facilities like hospitals, Madden said. Officials also are determining what the state needs in terms of emergency medical supplies and shelter, he said.

Delivery of the food stockpiles would be staggered over three years. It would be replaced after it's used or expired, and it's entirely possible that much of the food will never be needed. It is not clear what the state will do with the expired, unused food.

The project has a budget of around $4 million and hasn't generated any real controversy.

Allen Geiger, enjoying hot dogs from a street vendor Tuesday in Anchorage's Town Square Park, said he had no objections to the plan.

"It seems like an OK idea," Geiger said. "The scale of it is not too huge."

___

Associated Press writer Dan Joling in Anchorage contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-08-28-Alaska-Hoarding%20Food/id-b5cdabc5487840e7b982a58e20ef0107

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Dreena Burton's Plant-Powered Lunchbox ... - In a Vegetarian Kitchen

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This post is excerpted from Dreena Burton?s Plant-Powered Kitchen. For the entire article, with lots more tips and photos, go to Vegan Children at School and Packing Plant-Powered Lunches.?Here are some great ideas for lunch meals you can prepare for your children.

Wraps. Wraps are easy for the kids to eat, and can be filled with ?ingredients, such as baked beans, refried beans, chickpeas, lentils and other beans, corn, chopped or grated raw veggies], whole grains, and/or ?chopped leftover baked or roasted potatoes. Also, wraps are a good way to sneak in veggies they might not otherwise eat, plus other nutritional add-ins such as tahini and nutritional yeast. ?Use whole-grain tortillas, nori, or ? if your kids are green leafy stars ? wrap fillings in kale or collard leaves.

Bean Dips ? and yes, Hummus! Typically I make triple (or quadruple) batches of hummus, and freeze one or more containers. Hummus?(more recipes in my books too)?thaws brilliantly ? just takes a little time ? so give this time-saver tip a try. ?Not just for dipping with pitas and ?veggies, hummus can also be used in sandwiches as a spread, in wraps, as a layer on pizzas to hold veggies, or even mixed with grains such as rice or into pasta. Hummus is truly a lunch lifesaver. Make it your friend (and make it yourself; it?s much cheaper and far tastier).

?PB&J?. ?I doubt any schools still allow peanut butter. But some allow nuts, and if not, seeds are usually permitted. So, try different nut and seed butters in sandwiches. ?Since seed butters can be bitter, try adding ground cinnamon to make them naturally sweeter, and a splash of pure maple syrup. dAlso, look into organic soy nut butter spreads? there are even varieties that contain cocoa, for a special treat. Use with whole-grain breads, crisp breads, pitas, tortillas, etc.

Soups and Stews: Soups make a hearty, satisfying lunch for your kids. If you didn?t get to batch-cooking on the weekend, there are some wholesome store-bought alternatives that are also timesavers. I often like to add some cooked beans or whole grains to these soups, to boost the nutritional value. ?I have many hearty soups in my books. ?Some kiddo faves are One While Chick Soup and Mellow Sniffle Lentil Soup from?Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan, and Tomato Lentil Soup with Cumin and Fresh Dill?(doesn?t sound kid-friendly, but is!) and ?Kids? Cheesy Chickpea and White Beans Soup? in Let Them Eat Vegan?(and more examples to follow).

Sauce It Up!: ?Kids love to dip and dunk, so send small containers with lids filled with some of their fave sauces, like tahini or other seed/nut-based sauce, tomato sauce, ?KD Dip?, or a homemade sauce/salad dressing, or maybe a container with nutritional yeast for sprinkling! ?Our girls love nutritional yeast mixed with tahini sauce? whatever works, right? ?And, our girls do not really love pasta (tomato) sauce. ?But, if I add in a splash of balsamic vinegar, they enjoy it much more! ?All these sauces can also be used to mix into whole grains or pasta, along with veggies/seeds/beans/tofu, etc. As I often say ?a sauce makes a meal?!

Grain Bowls: Much like how most vegan restaurants have a ?Buddha Bowl?, you can make something similar for lunches. ?This is where batch-cooking comes in handy. ?Cook more grains than you need for a given meal, so you have extra stored in the fridge during the week. Start with a whole grain/pseudo-grain ? quinoa, millet, brown rice, wild rice, etc ? and add in fave veggies (I use frozen peas a lot ? simply thaw in a bowl of boiled water, then drain and toss in) ? or even fruits like chopped grapes or berries, along with any other nutrient-dense add-ins like hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, beans, tempeh cubes, etc. ?Here is where you can add some of those zippy sauces! ?Pack in a sealed container with a fork/spoon ? read to go!

Pasta Bowls: Much of what you can do with a grain bowl works equally well for leftover pasta. ?I always cook extra pasta (either whole-wheat, kamut, or brown rice), and store in a container in the fridge. ?When making lunches, the pasta will be a little tough/chewy after refrigerating (especially brown rice pasta). ?Simply place in a big bowl, cover with boiled water, then drain after a minute. ?It will soften the pasta again, and also make it more amenable to coating with sauces/seasonings. ?If find the cut shapes (rotini, penne, etc) work best for lunches, easier and neater for little ones to eat than long noodles like spaghetti.

Veggies: ?If you kiddo is really picky about veggies, try grating them fine ? very fine? or mincing in a mini-food processor until almost a pulp, and mixing INTO dips, spreads, nut butters, tofu or chickpea sandwich mashes, or into those grain bowls, pasta dishes, wraps, and more. Yeah, they might notice them ? but they will be too tiny to pick out, and if they like the overall flavor of the dish, they will eat it. ?And, if added to a pasta with other items they love (dried fruit, tamari roasted chickpeas, tofu cubes), they will more likely accept!

Breakfast Foods: Some children love to have some breakfast foods like pancakes, french toast, tofu scrambles, or ?momelets? in their lunchboxes. ?If you prepare a batch or two on the weekend, it can carry you over two or more lunches during the week. ?Momelet?photo by Ricki Heller ? Diet, Dessert and Dogs.

Savory sandwiches. If you have leftover grilled or baked tofu, pulse it through a mini-food processor and then mix in chopped veggies and condiments and use as a sandwich filling. Or simply use slices in sandwiches, with a tahini spread, hummus, or other condiment to hold the tofu in place. Chickpeas can be mashed or pureed and again mixed with veggies and condiments for a hearty sandwich filling, and one that looks not much different from the egg or tuna sandwiches other kids might be eating. Grilled cheese sandwiches are a favorite, and you can use any vegan cheese you prefer, or a nut or seed cheese in place of a commercial vegan cheese. Let cool before packing, and include a small container of ketchup for dipping. If your child is a true veggie lover, make simple sandwiches with chopped, sliced, or grated fresh veggies. ?Use whole grain/sprouted breads, or whole-grain pitas or bagels.

Fruit: Fresh fruit is an obvious choice, especially easy-to-eat fruit such as grapes, strawberries, and orange segments. But others such as cubed melon, plums, kiwi wedges (the kids can eat them like an orange), and half a mango (scored) are welcome changes. Also try replacing raisins with other dried fruit such as apple slices, mango, or apricots. Choose unsulfured and organic whenever possible.

Baked Goods: I am always doing double batches of some variety of muffin, mini-muffin, healthy cookie, snack bar, etc. ?I give many examples at the end of this post of recipes from my books. Coconut Banana Muffins (becoming very popular! See photo at top of post) from Let Them Eat Vegan.

Store-bought items. Lunches and snacks are made even easier with a few prepared items: healthier granola bars, dairy-free yogurts, whole organic fruit bars, unsweetened applesauce cups, crackers, and other more natural snacks. ?And, while foods like Daiya cheese, cheese spreads, and veggie dogs are more processed, there is nothing wrong with incorporating them occasionally, especially on those joyous ?hot lunch? days! I particularly like the Wayfare brand of cheese spread. ?It is oat-based, the ingredients are not from some science experiment, and it works really well for a sandwich/wrap spread to ?hold? other ingredients when you are plum out of hummus! ?(hmmm, plum hummus? plummus?) ?I?ll stop.

Nibbly Bites: ?Kids love finger foods, so things like beans (for our kids, that means Tamari Roasted Chickpeas, Cinnamon Tortilla Strips, Softly Spiced Nuts (if nuts permitted, or you could sub seeds and dried fruit in this recipe), small bites of tofu, tempeh strips?(I simply bake these in the toaster oven on a parchment-lined tray until lightly browned), or seitan, sheets of nori, seaweed snacks, raw crackers, or whole-grain/raw cereals.?Kaia has a line of raw snacks, and some may be just right for your lunchboxes, like ?salt and vinegar pumpkin seeds?!

Dreena Burton is the author of Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan, Let Them Eat Vegan, and other books. For more of Dreena?s recipes and tips, visit Plant-Powered Kitchen.

Dreena Burton?s Plant-Powered Lunchbox Solutions, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating ?Print This Post

Source: http://www.vegkitchen.com/kid-friendly-recipes/healthy-school-lunch/dreena-burtons-plant-powered-lunchbox-solutions/

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Controlling gene expression: How chromatin remodelers block a histone pass

Monday, August 27, 2012

Two opposing teams battle it out to regulate gene expression on the DNA playing field. One, the activators, keeps DNA open to enzymes that transcribe DNA into RNA. Their repressor opponents antagonize that effort by twisting DNA into an inaccessible coil around histone proteins, an amalgam called chromatin, effectively blocking access to DNA by enzymes that elongate an RNA strand.

Both teams maneuver by chemically modifying histones?the activators by decorating histones with acetyl groups?let's call them green flags?causing them to loosen their grip on DNA. The repressors retaliate by marking histones with red flags, often methyl groups, which call in de-acetylase enzymes to clip off the green flags, restore the chromatin barrier and end that round of gene expression. Disturbing this biochemical balance lies at the heart of many diseases, particularly cancer.

Recently, the lab of Jerry Workman, Ph.D., investigator at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, reported in the journal Nature that a reserve of "pre-acetylated" histones sits on the chromatin sidelines ready to sub for histones whose green flags get clipped by repressors, a tactic aiding the activators called "histone exchange". In a companion study published in the Aug. 26, 2012 Advance Online Publication of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology the Workman lab now shows that a repressor called Set2 in yeast recruits a protein assistant to block the histone exchange. That study reveals a heretofore unknown mechanism to keep gene activation under control and ensure that erroneous transcription does not occur.

"Accurate gene expression is critical for normal cell function, and when this control is lost cells grow abnormally," says Workman. "These two studies identify mechanisms used by cells to regulate gene expression, which is important for our understanding of what goes wrong in diseases marked by unregulated cell growth, like cancer."

The study began when the group, in collaboration with Stowers proteomics experts Michael Washburn, Ph.D., and Laurence Florens, Ph.D., applied mass spectrometry analysis to identify any protein expressed in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that bound to chromatin in regions patrolled by Set2. Those regions were readily apparent by the presence of Set2's red flag methyl group planted in a specific histone protein interacting with DNA.

"We knew that Set2 added this mark in the middle and downstream parts of genes to recruit de-acetylases," says the study's lead author Michaela Smolle, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Workman lab. "But the proteomic search allowed us to cast a wide net for other proteins associated with that mark?a bit like fishing."

Among the fish caught was a component of a yeast chromatin "remodeler" known as Isw1, providing circumstantial evidence that the Set2 red flag attracts Isw1 as well as de-acetylases. Additional genomic experiments evaluating the entire genome of a yeast mutant lacking Set2 supported that idea: not only were the red methyl flags missing but the chromatin landscape was devoid of Isw1 as well.

To assess Isw1's biological function the group exploited yet another yeast mutant, this one lacking the ISW1 gene itself. Microarray analysis of global transcription in ISW1 CHD1 mutants showed widely perturbed gene expression marked by aberrant expression of RNA snippets rather than complete transcripts. Biologists view the presence of such "cryptic transcripts" as indicators of cellular stress.

Analysis of acetylation and methylation patterns in chromatin of ISW1 mutants revealed the probable cause: mutants showed ramped up histone exchange activity marked by excessive levels green-flagged pre-acetylated histones along the length of many genes, a condition likely favoring initiation of truncated RNAs.

"Our work shows that the Set2 methylation mark plays two important roles to ensure that RNA transcription starts only at the beginning of the gene and not in the middle," says Workman. "On one hand, it recruits Isw1 to block incoming histones, and on the other it also recruits a deacetylase to remove any acetylation marks that might happen to have sneaked in."

The Workman lab uses yeast, fruit flies and mammalian cells to study multiple factors that activate and repress transcription. Thus far, they have characterized players in the repressive Set2 pathway primarily in yeast, in part because yeast represents an ideal organism for mutational analysis and has a fairly small genome?6,000 genes compared to the 25,000 or so in humans or mice.

Smolle notes that although yeast genomes are simpler, the principles that govern Set2 activity in yeast will likely hold true for its human counterparts, among them the human protein SETD2. "Yeast has a single methylase, while humans have several, and flies and humans have several Isw1-like proteins," she says. "While you cannot equate one with the other precisely, you can be reasonably sure that what happens in yeast happens in humans as well but tends to be more complicated."

Workman agrees, adding that these discoveries have significant implications for human disease. "Strikingly, the human homolog of Set2, SETD2, is implicated as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer and in renal carcinoma, and those cells are deficient in the SETD2 methylation mark," he says. "These findings strongly suggest that SETD2 could be important in controlling cell growth and preventing tumors. Thanks to yeast, we now know more about how Set2 does that."

###

Stowers Institute for Medical Research: http://www.stowers-institute.org

Thanks to Stowers Institute for Medical Research for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/122939/Controlling_gene_expression__How_chromatin_remodelers_block_a_histone_pass

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Mini Must-Have: Violet Affleck?s Cozy Sweats

See how cute Violet Affleck looks in her Peace Love World's sweats while grabbing breakfast with mom Jennifer Garner on Aug. 4 in Santa Monica, Calif.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/gu97F-T5EPI/

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Nobel Biocare CEO aims for growth, not M&A: paper

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss dental implant maker Nobel Biocare Holding AG is hoping to grow at a high single-or low double-digit rate, its chief executive was quoted as saying on Sunday.

The economic downturn has caused patients to put off pricey dental work, hurting implant makers like Nobel Biocare and rival Straumann Holding AG . The firm's screw-in prosthetic teeth can cost thousands of francs apiece.

"If we do everything right and the economy improves, it would be possible that we grow twice as fast as the sector average," CEO Richard Laube told the SonntagsZeitung in response to a question about where Nobel Biocare would be in five years' time.

"In concrete terms, I think growth in the upper single digit or even in the lower double digit realm is realistic."

In response to a question about whether Nobel Biocare would remain autonomous, Laube said the board was not currently involved in any talks on acquisitions or a buyout of the company.

"We ourselves have looked at takeovers but came to the conclusion that you'd not make any money with them," he said. "But consolidation in the sector will go ahead without us."

Laube also said he would work for the firm beyond 2014, if the board wished him to continue.

(Reporting by Catherine Bosley; editing by Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nobel-biocare-ceo-aims-growth-not-m-paper-142623154--finance.html

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Economics and Investing: - SurvivalBlog.com

This page contains a single entry by Jim Rawles published on August 26, 2012 12:01 AM.

Odds 'n Sods: was the previous entry in this blog.

Letter Re: Getting A Mortgage After Relocating is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Source: http://www.survivalblog.com/2012/08/economics-and-investing-1274.html

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Sales Pro: Business Development Manager - IT Efficiency Solutions

Job ID: 78030

Job Views: 55

Location: London, London

Job Category: Field Sales

Employment Type: Full time

Salary:

Posted: Sat Aug 25

Keywords (tags):

Job Description

Business Development Manager ? IT Efficiency Solutions
30-40k Base, 60-70k OTE plus Executive Benefits
London

Our award winning client is a global leader in IT Efficiency Solutions. Often thought of as an industry pioneer, our client?s services and solutions identify unused IT and optimise systems to help reduce servers, network bandwidth constraints, software licenses and energy consumption. Due to growth, they now have an exciting opening in London for a Business Development Manager to target new and existing accounts.

As a London based Business Development Manager you will work alongside and Account Director to win and develop sufficient business to meet agreed targets. This hybrid role will cover a mix of lead generation into enterprise accounts and the account management/handling of medium sized organisations. Moe specifically, you will develop lead generation activity with channel partners, respond to and manage incoming leads/evaluation requests (primarily from web site) from existing customers and new prospects and close (and manage) sales opportunities from start to finish as agreed. You will also proactively engage with existing customers, identify and support marketing events, partner events and community activities and complete all required sales administration. Contact the Technology sales team at Certus Sales Recruitment for further information.

Applications are invited from degree educated candidates who possess excellent sales and customer management skills along with a proven record of lead generation, account management and sales closure within a high performing IT Solutions sales team. You will be skilled at C-level prospecting, new business development and account management in an Enterprise software environment (products and services), have excellent customer relationship skills and have excellent communication skills with an open, clear and assertive communication style. Ability to articulate business benefits, as well as the technology benefits of software solutions and influence the customer via both telephone and in written forms is also required.

The successful candidate can expect a base salary circa 30-40k with an uncapped OTE of 60-70k plus an excellent benefits package.

Certus is an established and experienced specialist sales recruitment and marketing recruitment consultancy, providing sales and marketing recruitment services to the business to business marketplace throughout the UK. We are experts in the recruitment of internal and external (field sales) sales professionals from Graduate & Sales Trainee through to Sales Manager and Sales Director levels. With specialist Sales divisions covering: Commercial Sales, FMCG, Information, Financial, Medical and Pharmaceutical, IT/Technology (Software, Hardware, Telco and Services), Media, Rec2Rec and a Marketing division covering everything from Marketing Executives through to PR Managers and Marketing Director level positions; we are well positioned to deliver cost effective recruitment solutions in a timely manner. To find out more about Certus, please visit http://www.certussales.com and http://www.certusmarketing.com

Contact Details

Source: http://www.salesprorecruitment.co.uk/display-job/78030/Business-Development-Manager---IT-Efficiency-Solutions.html

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Heat Pads For Back Pain | Health & Fitness

Suffering pains in any space of the body usually brings a person?s day to a halt. Even with the supply of over-the-counter medications for these symptoms, some individuals cannot or like to not take chemicals to search out relief. As such, they're inspired to use different remedies. One such suggestion includes victimisation heat pads for back pain.

A heater is device that uses electricity to heat up a soft textile that covers electrical elements. These elements, once warm, are often applied to the affected space of the person?s body. the heat then relieves the discomfort that the individual is experiencing.

When individuals use this invention, they're warned to require bound precautions to avoid injury or accident. Doctors warn that an individual mustn't use it around water or within the vessel or shower. as a result of it runs on electricity, the person would get aghast and probably killed if it's employed in water.

Likewise, the individual ought to be fully dried off if victimisation it once a shower or tub. If the person?s skin is wet, the heating may burn the person?s body and perhaps leave scars. As such, it should be recommended to avoid victimisation it right once a shower or a shower.

Many people prefer to use this device in bed and generally lay on them whereas resting. Safety consultants note that short periods of victimisation it during this manner is acceptable; but, they must take care to not go to sleep whereas contact it. The heated elements could combust if left on the bed too long.

In fact, most heating pads have totally different settings of heating. most people set it to the very best setting so as to realize the quickest quantity of relief. However, makers advocate solely victimisation this setting for a brief amount of your time. victimisation it for prolonged periods might also lead to burns or injury. Safety consultants additionally indicate that it should be recommended to wrap pads during a towel or pillow case. Applying the heated elements on to a person?s skin could lead to burns and scarring.

To find relief from muscle or sinew discomfort, individuals could seek for alternatives to taking over-the-counter medicine. they may be unable to digest such medications and thus want one thing else to assist them realize comfort. Doctors counsel that they may use heat pads for back pain. they're suggested to require precautions and bear in mind of the security warnings whereas victimisation this product.

Source: http://www.healthidia.com/2012/08/heat-pads-for-back-pain.html

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Editorial: Engadget on the Apple vs. Samsung ruling

It's done. It's all over. There's nothing left now but the tears, the big checks -- and the appeals. After weeks of laborious deliberations and no shortage of courtroom antics the jury has issued its verdict and, while it isn't a complete victory for Apple, it's most certainly a loss for Samsung. Naturally, we have some thoughts on the subject. Join us after the break as we express our feelings.

Continue reading Editorial: Engadget on the Apple vs. Samsung ruling

Editorial: Engadget on the Apple vs. Samsung ruling originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 17:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/jEaA_Au4GRo/

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Mexico investigates why federal cops fired at U.S. govt. car

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? Mexican authorities are trying to sort out why a U.S. Embassy vehicle was shot up by federal police on a rural back road in mountains south of the capital, leaving two U.S. government workers wounded.

Officials from both nations said the federal officers were chasing criminals Friday morning when a hail of bullets was fired at the embassy sport utility vehicle, but the accounts left many questions unanswered.

The two American workers were taken to a hospital in the nearby resort city of Cuernavaca. One had a gunshot wound in his leg and the other was wounded in the stomach and a hand, said a Mexican government official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Hospital officials in Cuernavaca said the wounded were later transferred to a Mexico City hospital in stable condition.

The U.S. Embassy did not release the names of the injured workers, who it said were heading to a military training base south of Mexico City. Its statement said the employees and a Mexican naval captain traveling with them were fired on by a group of men, and were chased when they tried to escape. The naval officer was not seriously injured.

Mexico's federal police agency acknowledged that its own officers fired on the embassy's SUV, which appeared to be armored and has diplomatic plates. It said the officers were in the area hunting for criminals, but it did not explain what happened.

Its statement said at least four vehicles fired at the embassy vehicle on a road south of the capital, but it did not clarify whether any or all of them were federal police units. Federal police spokesmen did not respond to The Associated Press requesting further comment.

A U.S. official who was briefed on the shooting said later that all the shots were fired by federal police.

Mexican prosecutors said in a statement late Friday that 12 officers based in Mexico City were being held for questioning. Officers based in the capital have jurisdiction only in Mexico City and in four suburbs of neighboring Mexico State, not in Cuernavaca.

The embassy employees were on their way to do training or related work at a military base, the U.S. official said.

"Apparently the police were looking for some bad guys and they ran into each other," said the official, who agreed to discuss the incident only if his name was not used. "It looks like it was just a bad mistake ... they just shot and kept shooting."

The shooting broke out in an area that has been used by common criminals, drug gangs and leftist rebels in the past.

Mexican officials said the Americans' vehicle initially was fired on by a carload of gunmen who first displayed their weapons as the embassy SUV drove along a stretch of dirt road off a highway that connects Mexico City to Cuernavaca. The U.S. driver of the Toyota tried to escape, but three other vehicles joined the original one in pursuing them down the dirt road and onto the highway.

Passengers in all four vehicles fired, and the Mexican naval captain called for help, government officials said. Federal police officers and Mexican soldiers then showed up on the road.

The SUV stopped on the highway, but it wasn't clear if the driver was halted by the chasers or stopped because of the wounds.

The vehicle was riddled with bullets, most concentrated around the passenger-side window. The area was cordoned off and guarded by more than 100 heavily armed marines and soldiers, and the highway was closed for hours. Investigators examined what appeared to be shell casings.

The U.S. Embassy said it was helping Mexico's government in its investigation of the incident. It said the wounded were not agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration or the FBI, but officials for neither country identified what agency they work for.

"They are receiving appropriate medical care and are in stable condition. We have no further information to share at this time," said Victoria Nuland, a State Department spokeswoman in Washington.

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Texas who closely follows the affairs with Mexico, said both countries appeared to be working together to find out what went wrong.

"If the Mexicans are cooperating with U.S. officials to find out exactly what happened here then I don't think this will affect the U.S.-Mexico relationship," he said.

Attacks on diplomatic personnel in Mexico were once considered rare, but this was the third shooting incident in two years.

In 2011, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was killed and another wounded in a drug gang shooting in northern Mexico.

A drug-gang shooting in 2010 in the border city of Ciudad Juarez killed a U.S. consulate employee, her husband and another man.

While Mexico City has largely been spared the drug violence that hits other parts of the country, Cuernavaca has been the scene of drug gang turf battles involving remnants of the Beltran Leyva cartel.

___

Associated Press writers Mark Stevenson and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mexico-probe-why-federal-cops-fired-us-gov-053931124.html

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Romney turns to Ohio amidst distractions

POWELL, Ohio (AP) ? Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney declared Saturday that "women need our help" as he promised to help promote women-led businesses should he defeat President Barack Obama in November's election.

The appeal came as the former Massachusetts governor tried to shrug off a series of unwanted distractions before the Republican convention opens Monday in Florida.

"Just a word to the women entrepreneurs out there, if we become president and vice president, we want to speak to you, we want to help you," Romney said with running mate Paul Ryan at his side during an outdoor rally that drew an estimated 5,000 people to the Columbus area. "Women in this country are more likely to start businesses than men. Women need our help."

The promise comes as Republicans face difficult questions about the party's position on abortion after a Missouri Senate candidate's recent suggestion that women's bodies can prevent pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape."

It also comes less than 24 hours after Romney raising the discredited rumor that Obama wasn't born in the United States. The comment, and Romney's efforts to explain it, overshadowed his economic message as he campaigned near his Michigan birthplace on Friday.

Romney did not repeat the remark on Saturday, but instead assailed the Democratic incumbent for failing to deliver on his campaign promises.

"I can almost read his speech now. It'll be filled with promises and tell people how wonderful things are," Romney said of the speech Obama will give at the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina next month. "It is not his words people have to listen to. It's his action and his record. And if they look at that, they'll take him out of the office and put people into the office who'll actually get America going again."

At the same time, Obama used his weekend radio and Internet address and a new TV ad to highlight Romney's plans for the Medicare health program for seniors.

Obama doesn't mention his Republican challenger in the radio address but says the Medicare program is about keeping promises to millions of seniors who have put in a lifetime of hard work.

His new 30-second TV ad says Romney "would break that promise" and replace the current Medicare system with a voucher program that wouldn't keep up with costs.

"Insurance companies could just keep raising rates," the new ad says.

Romney's Ohio rally is expected to be his final public appearance before the Republican National Convention opens Monday in Tampa, Fla., where the former Massachusetts governor will formally accept the presidential nomination.

While GOP officials suggest the momentum is on their side heading into the crucial period, Romney and his party have faced tough questions in recent weeks on Medicare and abortion.

Now his joking reference to the president's birth certificate links him to the so-called birther movement and a wing of his party ? a combined 25 percent in an April Pew Research Center poll ? that says it either isn't sure or doesn't believe Obama was born in the U.S.

Romney caused another stir earlier in the week by declaring that big business was "doing fine" in the current economy in part because companies get advantages from offshore tax havens.

Still, polls suggest the presidential contest is essentially a tossup as Obama struggles under the weight of a weak economy.

The president's re-election campaign has pushed voter attention away from the economy in recent weeks, particularly after Romney introduced Ryan as his running mate. Ryan is the author of a controversial budget plan that would transform Medicare into a voucher-like system for future retirees.

Outside the Ohio rally, protesters heckled the presumptive GOP ticket about its plans for seniors' health care.

Speaking before Romney, Ryan said one in six Americans lives in poverty. He said the country is done being fooled by Obama's promises to change Washington.

Democrats also have seized on Missouri Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin's comment about "legitimate rape."

The congressman announced Friday that he would not leave the Senate contest despite overwhelming pressure from Romney and top Republican officials.

Romney made the birth certificate remark at a large outdoor rally in Michigan, where he grew up and where his father, George, served as governor. He told supporters that he and his wife, Ann, had been born at nearby hospitals.

"No one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised," Romney said.

The crowd of more than 7,000 responded with hearty laughter.

Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt swiftly denounced the remark, saying Romney "embraced the most strident voices in his party instead of standing up to them."

Romney later denied that the remark was directed at the president.

"No, no, not a swipe," Romney told CBS News. "I've said throughout the campaign and before, there's no question about where he was born. He was born in the U.S. This was fun about us and coming home. And humor, you know ? we've got to have a little humor in a campaign."

The authenticity of Obama's birth certificate has been questioned by Republican critics who insist he is not a "natural-born citizen" as required by the Constitution. Obama released a long-form version of his birth certificate last year as proof that he was born in Hawaii in 1961.

But conservative questions have lingered. And Romney has declined to condemn such questions, particularly from prominent donor Donald Trump.

The Obama campaign released a web video Friday night featuring Romney's remark and declaring that "America doesn't need a birther-in-chief." Democrats intend to keep the pressure on as the Republican convention gets under way.

Obama was spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, as Republicans began arriving in Tampa for their convention. But Democrats were planning to counter Romney's message throughout the week.

Reaching out to young voters, a key component of his 2008 election, Obama scheduled stops Tuesday and Wednesday in the college towns of Ames, Iowa; Fort Collins, Colo.; and Charlottesville, Va.

Vice President Joe Biden canceled plans to appear in Tampa on Monday because of Tropical Storm Isaac, but was scheduled to be in Orlando and St. Augustine, Fla., on Tuesday.

After Ryan gives his convention address on Wednesday night, first lady Michelle Obama is set to appear on CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman."

The high-profile events are paired with a number of smaller gatherings around the country by Democrats aiming to attract female voters and a bus tour with party activists in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Obama campaign deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter said the president's team was "not going to cede four days of this campaign just because of a party convention."

___

Associated Press writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-turns-ohio-amidst-distractions-072025970.html

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