France's Hollande said to back away from reshuffle

By Elizabeth Pineau

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande is unlikely to reshuffle his government before the summer break and will instead urge ministers to sharpen their focus on unemployment and other issues sapping their popularity, sources told Reuters.

Hollande, who had hinted in May that changes to his top team were in the works, has since backed away from the idea of a ministerial shake-up, an Elysee source said.

A reshuffle "is not currently envisaged and we don't think it's what voters expect", said the source, who asked not to be identified. "That's why ministers have to mobilize."

The rethink is likely to come as a relief for government members including Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici - whose departure had been considered likely in any changeover. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius fanned those flames last month by saying that the finance ministry "needs a boss".

Hollande's popularity ratings fell faster than any other elected president during his first year in office, largely due to his failure to tame rising unemployment. The jobless rate stands at a record high of 10.4 percent amid mounting discontent over weak spending power, compounded by a housing shortage.

"When times are tough, a strategy switch is about the last thing you should do," said a government minister close to the president. "You just have to hold on tight, whatever the cost."

(Writing by Laurence Frost; editing by Andrew Roche)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/frances-hollande-said-back-away-reshuffle-170948472.html

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Appeals order on gay marriages may be reversed in California

Texas Guardian Sunday 30th June, 2013

California gay marriage opponents have acted to re-impose a ban on gay marriage.

Gay weddings, which resumed across California on the weekend, may once again have to be called off.

On Friday, in a historic ruling for gay marriage, a federal appeals court in San Francisco lifted a ban that had been in place since 2008.

On Saturday, opponents of same-sex marriage in California filed an emergency petition to the US Supreme Court to try to halt any further gay weddings in the state.

Opponents have said the appeals court should have, by law, allowed them more time to appeal before the lifting of the ban.

A group called Alliance Defending Freedom has said the Supreme Court should now overrule the order by the appeals court because, by law, it had 25 days to challenge the original Supreme Court ruling.

The gay marriage ban, known as Proposition 8, was approved by voters in 2008, months after California's Supreme court decided such unions were legal.

Last Wednesday the Supreme Court ruled that a private party, such as Alliance Defending Freedom, would have to demonstrate it would suffer injury if same-sex marriages were allowed.

Source: http://www.texasguardian.com/index.php/sid/215533427/scat/b8de8e630faf3631

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Dendritic cell therapy improves kidney transplant survival, team finds

June 28, 2013 ? A single systemic dose of special immune cells prevented rejection for almost four months in a preclinical animal model of kidney transplantation, according to experts at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Their findings, now available in the online version of the American Journal of Transplantation, could lay the foundation for eventual human trials of the technique.

Organ transplantation has saved many lives, but at the cost of sometimes lifelong requirements for powerful immunosuppressive medication that can have serious side effects, said senior investigator Angus Thomson, Ph.D., D.Sc., distinguished professor of surgery and of immunology, Pitt School of Medicine. Scientists have long sought ways to encourage the organ recipient's immune system to accept or tolerate the donor organ to reduce the need for drugs to stave off rejection.

"This study shows it is possible to prepare the patient's immune system for a donor kidney by administering specially treated immune cells from the donor in advance of the transplant surgery," Dr. Thomson said. "This could be very helpful in the context of planned kidney donations from living relatives, and could one day be adapted to transplantation from deceased donors."

For the project, the research team generated immune cells called dendritic cells (DCs) from the blood of rhesus macaques that would later provide a kidney to recipient monkeys. Dendritic cells are known to be key regulators of the immune system by showing antigens to T-cells to either activate them against the foreign protein or to suppress the T-cell response. The researchers treated the donor DCs in the lab to prevent them from fully maturing and having the capacity to trigger an immune reaction against foreign proteins.

One week before having a kidney transplant, recipient monkeys received a single infusion of treated DCs obtained from their respective donor animals. Another group of monkeys was transplanted without receiving the cells, but both groups were given the same regimen of immunosuppression drugs, a modified protocol for experimental purposes that eventually results in donor organ rejection. The researchers found that the donor kidney was rejected in about 40 days among animals that got only the drugs, but survived for about 113 days in the group that had a prior infusion of treated DCs.

The modified donor DCs sent signals to the recipient immune system to stay quiet and not launch an attack against the donor organ, explained lead author Mohamed Ezzelerab, M.D., research assistant professor, Department of Surgery, Pitt School of Medicine.

"The results indicate that we achieved immune system regulation without side effects of the DCs, but better yet, the monkeys were healthier from a clinical perspective," he said. "They maintained a better weight, had less protein in the urine and fewer signs of kidney damage than the other group. Ultimately, all these factors played a role in prolonging organ survival in the group that received DC therapy."

Co-authors of the paper include other researchers from the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, and the departments of Surgery, Immunology, Medicine and Pathology, Pitt School of Medicine. The project was funded by National Institutes of Health grant AI051698.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/R_OkREoSSY4/130628113214.htm

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After Three Months Of Work, Digg Reader Officially Opens To The Public

Despite much wailing and gnashing of teeth Google Reader is finally set to go dark next week, and more than a few companies (including TechCrunch owner AOL) are shooting to fill the gap it's going to leave behind. Digg Reader is probably the most prominent of those reader replacements, and just a few minutes ago the team officially announced on the Digg blog that the long-running project is now open to the public.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/scfwWgC3Mhg/

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7 Billion People And Trillions Of Creatures To Be Photographed Together On July 19

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Prolonged Stretch Of Unsettled Weather

By CBS 3 Weather Team

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) ? It feels like a scene right out of the movie ?Groundhog Day.? The Philadelphia region has been stuck in the same steamy weather pattern since earlier this week, and the pattern doesn?t look to be breaking anytime in the near future.

The Bermuda High, a strong high pressure system which sets up south of the Azores Islands, has stationed itself off-shore and to our east. The clockwise flow of the high has been bringing a general southerly wind to the Philadelphia region, allowing the warmer temperatures and humidity from the southern states to creep north.

The pattern has also been influenced by a trough set-up, which is located over the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley Region. As the trough continues to deepen further south, tropical moisture and humidity are being siphoned up from the Gulf of Mexico along the eastern side of the trough.

This has helped enhance the chance for showers and storms, moving disturbances from the Gulf of Mexico and the warm southern waters up the eastern seaboard. We have seen measureable rainfall each of the past five days at Philadelphia International Airport, and the Storm Prediction Center has placed our area under a ?Slight Risk? for severe thunderstorms later Friday afternoon.

With measurable rainfall being recorded 13 out of the 27 days completed in the month of June, Philadelphia is knocking on the door of the 10.06? June monthly record. As of Thursday, Philadelphia has received 9.37? for the month, making it the second wettest June of all-time, and only 0.69? is needed before Monday to tie the record.

Friday?s showers and storms will move through the area in the late afternoon and early evening, and Saturday looks like the better day of the weekend. Rain returns to the forecast on Sunday, lingering around throughout most of the day. The work-week is filled with showers and storms almost every day as the unsettled pattern continues at least beyond the Fourth of July. Instability in the atmosphere will also keep the potential for strong storms in the forecast also.

Meanwhile, we saw our second heat wave of the year Monday through Wednesday, and temperatures are expected to hover in the mid-to-upper 80?s through the July 4th holiday.

Source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/06/28/prolonged-stretch-of-unsettled-weather/

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Kerry's palate gets workout in Mideast peace talks

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Red tuna and sea bream with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A two-hour lunch of shish tawook and rice on Friday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Back again with Netanyahu, it was hummus and mixed nuts.

Secretary of State John Kerry's palate is getting a workout during his latest round of Mideast diplomacy, yet it's unclear if his chat 'n chews will yield progress in getting the two sides to reopen negotiations to end their decades-long conflict.

This is Kerry's fifth trip to the region to try his hand at helping craft a two-state solution. He apparently is not trying to seal a deal on this trip; there were no plans for a three-way meeting. His three days of diplomacy are amounting to talks about talks ? discussions to nail down what exactly each side needs to agree to resume negotiations, which broke down in 2008.

Kerry used Amman, Jordan, as his base of shuttle diplomacy. He made the 90-minute drive from Amman to Jerusalem in a convoy of SUVs for four hours of talks and a dinner, which included tuna sashimi with roots salad and wasabi cream, dried salted beef and salmon ceviche with chili, mint and pineapple.

When he traveled back to Jerusalem to meet Netanyahu again ? this time via helicopter ? a table in a hotel suite where they talked was filled with trays of hummus, baba ghanoush, spiced pickles, tabouli salad, dates and nuts.

"So soon," Kerry said with a smile as he shook hands with the Israeli leader for the second time in less than 24 hours.

On Saturday, Kerry heads back to Amman for another meeting with Abbas.

Kerry spokesmen were tight-lipped about how the talks went, saying only that he had a "detailed and substantive" three-hour conversation with Netanyahu.

Israeli officials also have declined to provide details about the talks. Palestinian officials could not be reached for comment despite numerous attempts.

So far, there have been no public signs that the two sides are narrowing their differences. No progress was publicly reported during Kerry's four earlier visits to the region either.

In the past, Abbas has said he won't negotiate unless Israel stops building settlements on war-won lands or accepts its 1967 lines ? before the capture of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in a Mideast war that year ? as a starting point for border talks. The Palestinians claim all three areas for their future state.

Netanyahu has rejected the Palestinian demands, saying there should be no pre-conditions ? though his predecessor conducted talks on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, and the international community views the settlements as illegal or illegitimate.

People who have watched Mideast peace negotiations come and go are skeptical, but hold out hope that a deal can be crafted.

"There's no question that Kerry could be successful restarting negotiations," said Jon Alterman, a Middle East expert from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "The real question is whether those negotiations can be successful.

"The problem is twofold: First, the parties don't trust each other, and each fears that the other will start negotiations only to pull out and blame the other for the collapse. Second, there's not much political support in either Israel or the Palestinian Authority for negotiations generally, let alone making any concessions to the other side."

State Department officials say that beyond trying to precisely ascertain their conditions for restarting talks, Kerry wanted to talk with them about the positive outcomes, such as enhanced economic growth, of a two-state solution. At the same time, they said he would remind them of what's at stake if the conflict is left unresolved.

Earlier this month, in a speech to the American Jewish Committee Global Forum in Washington, Kerry warned of serious consequences if no deal is reached with what he termed the current "moderate" Palestinian leadership. "The failure of the moderate Palestinian leadership could very well invite the rise of the very thing that we want to avoid: the same extremism in the West Bank that we have seen in Gaza or from southern Lebanon," he told the Jewish audience.

William Quandt, who was involved in negotiations that led to the Camp David Accords and the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty, said Kerry might succeed in getting the two sides back to the table, "but that does not count for much." He said he doubts the two sides have agreed to an outline of territory for a Palestinian state. "I'm not very optimistic," he said.

Efraim Inbar, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Israel's Bar-Ilan University, doesn't have high hopes for the two sides getting back into negotiations, but said that as long as Kerry continues to visit the region, his attempt won't be seen as a failure.

"As long as he keeps coming, people will have some hope," Inbar said. "He is very perseverant but the chances of him renewing negotiations are very slim."

Inbar said Abbas faces opposition to talks with Israel from within his own Fatah party as well as from its rival, the Islamic militant group Hamas. The Palestinians have been split since 2007 when Hamas overran Gaza ousting forces from the Fatah party led by Western-backed Abbas. Abbas has since governed only in parts of the West Bank, and Hamas rules Gaza.

"The Palestinians are not interested in negotiations because of domestic politics, Hamas pressure and with the whole region becoming more Islamic it's more difficult for them to make a deal," Inbar said. Within Netanyahu's own party, "there are those who are openly saying that negotiations go nowhere," he added.

After meeting with Netanyahu, Kerry visited Israeli President Shimon Peres, who received the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in a landmark interim peace accord in 1003. Peres, who turns 90 in August, encouraged Kerry to soldier on.

"All of us admire your investment in creating really the right environment to open the peace," Peres said. "I know it's still difficult. There are many problems, but as far I am concerned, I can see there is a clear majority for the peace process and the two-state solution and the great expectation that you will do it and that you can do it."

___

Associated Press Writers Ian Deitch in Jerusalem and Jamal Halaby in Amman, Jordan, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kerrys-palate-gets-workout-mideast-peace-talks-191410648.html

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Pitch-Perfect: Why Our Shoulders Are Key To Throwing

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Pitch-Perfect: Why Our Shoulders Are Key To Throwing
Being able to throw stones with power and precision must have been fun for humans' early ancestors. It was essential, too, since we lack the the fangs and claws of other predators. A recent study suggests the ability to fire rocket fastballs depends on shoulder anatomy that chimps don't share.

Source: NPR
Posted on: Thursday, Jun 27, 2013, 8:51am
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128809/Pitch_Perfect__Why_Our_Shoulders_Are_Key_To_Throwing

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Stocks take roller-coaster on Fed, China fears; Dow closes almost 1% lower

stocks

JeeYeon Park CNBC

June 24, 2013 at 5:12 PM ET

Richard Drew / AP

What goes up... Trader David O'Day, left, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, June 21, 2013.

Stocks took a roller-coaster ride in the red on Monday, at one point dropping to two-month lows, before recovering, but the Dow still finished the day nearly 1 percent down on concerns about Fed policy and a possible cash crunch in China.

Treasury prices rose in choppy trading following comments from some Fed policymakers that downplayed market worries over the end to the central bank's bond-buying program.

"This is a pretty amazing snap back, but what we're going to have to get used to for the rest of the summer would be volatility," said Art Hogan, managing director of Lazard Capital Markets.

Treasury prices gained in choppy trading. The benchmark 10-year note yield were just below 2.53 percent after earlier pushing around 2.66 percent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which lost more than 2 percent last week, closed 139 points lower at 14,659.56 after being down nearly 250 points in the morning.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were both more than 1 percent in the red, as investors? fears that the Federal Reserve will ease off its stimulus to the markets was compounded by concerns of a possible cash crunch in China. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, ended above 20.

Among key S&P sectors, defensive areas such as utilities and consumer staples erased their losses, while materials and financials remained in the red.

Stocks were sharply lower for most of the session amid worries the Federal Reserve's stimulus measures may be winding down and a possible cash crunch in China. The Shanghai Composite suffered its worst one-day selloff in nearly four years. And Goldman Sachs became the latest bank to downgrade China's growth outlook, saying tighter financial conditions are a downside risk for the world's second largest economy.

(Read More:China's Credit Squeeze Deals Fresh Blow to Stocks)

"We're currently in a risk off environment that has built up over the recent days," said Michael Sheldon, chief market strategist at RDM Financial Group. "Here in the U.S., it will be important to watch the economic data over the next few months?if the economy can be supported with higher interest rates, investors should return to equities. But if the economy is unable to stand on its own and the Fed still wants to take away the punch bowl, that could spell more difficulty for the equity markets."

(Read More: Buy Treasurys, as Bernanke Is All Talk: Bond Pros)

The U.S. dollar rallied against a basket of currencies, trading near its highest level in almost three weeks.The dollar index extended its sharp gains from last week's 2 percent rally, its biggest weekly rally since November 2011.

"We could see a bit more downside as the market comes to grips that the end of the Fed stimulus program is in sight," said Sheldon. "Also, the key is to watch the bond market?the rates have increased rapidly and we need to see that settle down."

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) waved a red flag for central banks over the weekend, saying it was time to end ultra-lose monetary policy. BIS?known as the central bank for central banks?said in its annual report that current monetary policy in the U.S., euro zone, U.K. and Japan will not bring about much-needed labor and product market reforms, and is a recipe for failure.

Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher said he advocates a reduction of the central bank's stimulus program but stressed this should be done gradually.

"I'm not in favor of going from wild turkey to cold turkey over night," Fisher, a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee next year, said in a speech.

Meanwhile, Minneapolis Fed President Narayana Kocherlakota said markets are wrong to view the Fed as having become more hawkish in its views on the need to tighten monetary policy.

No major economic reports were scheduled for release Monday.

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Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663286/s/2dded3e1/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Cstocks0Etake0Eroller0Ecoaster0Efed0Echina0Efears0Edow0Ecloses0Ealmost0E6C10A429666/story01.htm

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Deal of the Day: Body Glove Hybrid Fusion Steel Case for Galaxy S4

The June 27 ShopAndroid.com Deal of the Day is the Body Glove Hybrid Fusion Steel Case for Galaxy S4. This case is a flexible TPU skin with a brushed metal design inlay on the back. The TPU skin gives your Galaxy S4 the sleek look of a hard case while providing shock-absorbing protection. Available in black and purple.

The Body Glove Hybrid Fusion Steel Case is available for just $18.00, 40% off today only. Backed by our 60-day return policy and fast shipping!

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/fXkOoSWUsCI/story01.htm

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PFT: NFL issues statement on Hernandez arrest

Reuters

A stunning, surreal day has taken yet another stunning, surreal turn.

Aaron Hernandez has been charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd.

It?s one of several charges filed today against Hernandez, arising directly from the June 17 discovery of Odin Lloyd?s body less than a mile from Hernandez?s home.

Lloyd, according to the prosecutor, was shot multiple times.

The prosecutor also explained that there was no evidence of a robbery, and that Lloyd?s phone showed communications with Hernandez in the hours preceding his death.? Lloyd?s sister told authorities that Lloyd left his home that morning at 2:30 a.m. in a car believed to belong to Hernandez.

The prosecutor told the court that roughly six to eight hours of footage were missing from Hernandez?s surveillance system after the murder.? The prosecutor likewise outlined a series of text messages indicating a desire by Hernandez to meet with Lloyd, along with instructions that one or more others urging them to return to the area, presumably for the meeting with Lloyd.

Text messages and public surveillance cameras, per the prosecutor, indicate that Hernandez picked up Lloyd at 2:30 a.m. ET and drove back to North Attleboro.? The prosecutor claims that Hernandez then told Lloyd he was upset that Lloyd had said certain things to others, making it hard for Hernandez to trust him.

Likewise, the prosecutor explained that Lloyd sent text messages while in the car with Hernandez, making others aware that he was with Hernandez.

The prosecutor said that workers at the industrial park heard gunshots, and that surveillance cameras allow prosecutors to piece together that the car Hernandez was driving was at the industrial park, and within minutes thereafter at Hernandez?s home.

The prosecutor said that Hernandez?s surveillance system shows a person getting out of the car with a gun after the shooting, and walking through the house with the gun.? Shortly after that, the surveillance system shuts down.

Perhaps most importantly, the prosecutor said a shell casing was found in the car rented by Hernandez.? It matches the shell casings found at the scene of the shooting, according to the prosecutor.

The prosecutor called it an ?execution,? and he characterized Hernandez as the person who orchestrated the crime, had the motive and means to kill Lloyd, and engaged in efforts to cover up the crime, including telling his fianc?e to stop talking to police.

The prosecutor concluded his remarks by asking that Hernandez be jailed without bail.

Hernandez?s lawyer, Michael Fee, then called the case ?weak? and ?circumstantial.?? He argued that Hernandez is not a flight risk, and that it would be impractical for him to flee.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/26/nfl-issues-statement-on-aaron-hernandez-arrest/related/

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Dems move past Scott Brown ghost with Mass. win

BOSTON (AP) ? Drawing on the political might of the White House, Democrats have exorcized the ghost of Scott Brown.

Three years after the little-known Republican state senator shocked the political world with an unlikely victory here, veteran Democratic Congressman Ed Markey won the special election for U.S. Senate to replace John Kerry on Tuesday, defeating a Republican political newcomer with an all-star resume who failed to inspire Massachusetts voters and Washington's Republican leaders alike.

It was a resounding victory in a low-turnout election for a national Democratic Party still haunted by Brown's 2010 special election stunner.

"To everyone in the state, regardless of how you voted, I say to you tonight this is your seat in the United States Senate," Markey, 66, declared in his victory speech, echoing one of Brown's most common lines.

Markey defeated Republican Gabriel Gomez, a former Navy SEAL, 55 percent to 45 percent.

Tuesday's contest served as a reminder that President Barack Obama has vowed to play a more aggressive political role for his party through next year's mid-term elections with huge stakes for his legacy and final-term agenda. Democrats face several competitive Senate contests in less-friendly terrain in 2014, when their grip on the Senate majority will be tested.

The White House, led by Obama himself, invested heavily in the Massachusetts' election, fueled largely by widespread fear of another Brown-like surprise.

"The people of Massachusetts can be proud that they have another strong leader fighting for them in the Senate, and people across the country will benefit from Ed's talent and integrity," Obama said in a statement Tuesday night.

Republicans claimed a moral victory of sorts, having forced Democrats to deploy their biggest political stars in an election in which Markey enjoyed significant advantages in Democrat-friendly Massachusetts. Markey's victory follows personal visits by Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton and Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.

"Not every fight is a fair fight," Gomez said in his concession speech. "Sometimes you face overpowering force. We were massively overspent. We went up against literally the whole national Democratic Party. And all its allies."

From the beginning, it appeared that national Democrats were more committed to the contest than national Republicans, raising questions about the GOP's commitment to candidates who might help improve the party's appeal after a painful 2012 election season.

Washington Republican leaders distanced themselves from Gomez partly by design. The 47-year-old businessman attacked Markey as the ultimate Washington insider and was reluctant to link himself to the same national forces he condemned. But as Democrats poured money and manpower into Massachusetts, Gomez needed help to capitalize on Markey's weaknesses.

U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani campaigned in Boston for Gomez.

But what help he got appeared to be too little too late.

"It's unclear whether Republicans in Washington intended to compete in this race and truly let an opportunity slip away or they were just blowing smoke the whole time," Guy Cecil, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, wrote in a post-election memo.

Both sides conceded that Markey was not a perfect candidate.

The senator-elect, who first became a congressman in 1977, struggled to connect with voters at times on the campaign trail. He also faced repeated questions about whether he was a full-time resident of Washington or Massachusetts.

On paper, Gomez's credentials appeared to fit the gold standard for the new breed of mass-appeal Republican that the GOP wants as it works to improve its standing among women and minorities. A former Navy SEAL turned businessman, Gomez speaks Spanish, supports immigration reform and moderate positions on social issues ? characteristics the Republican National Committee recently called for in a post-election internal autopsy as key to GOP growth.

Washington's traditional Republican campaign apparatus sent Gomez some paid workers and campaign cash, but Markey and his national allies dramatically outspent Gomez's side. The disparity was fueled by Gomez's inability to attract pro-Republican super PACs that funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into elections to help Republican candidates last fall.

At the same time, Gomez's moderate positions alienated the GOP's most passionate voters. The national tea party movement that helped fuel Brown's rise sat out the race.

"Gomez left his base unenthused and unexcited," said Sal Russo, chief strategist to the Tea Party Express, which was among the first national groups to help Brown's 2010 campaign. "When a Republican tries to look like a Democrat-light, what Democrats do is vote for a Democrat. You have to create some contrast."

Still, Republicans suggest that Markey's need to involve the White House could mean trouble for Democrats in the mid-term elections.

Almost immediately after winning re-election, Obama vowed to go all out for his party for the 2014 elections, mindful that sending more Democrats to Congress could be the difference between success and failure for key aspects of his second-term agenda like immigration, climate change and a budget deal.

Already, Obama and the first lady have hit the campaign trail with vigor this year, traversing the nation to raise money and rally support for Democratic candidates and the committees that work to elect them. In addition to Massachusetts, the president has campaigned this year in California, Texas, Illinois, New York and Georgia. But Republicans and Democrats agree that Obama's direct involvement would be less helpful in competitive 2014 Senate contests in states such as South Dakota, West Virginia, Arkansas and Iowa, where he's not as popular as in Massachusetts.

"The national climate for Democrats is not good," said Republican strategist Ron Kaufman, also a Massachusetts national Republican committeeman. "I promise it's not good in places like Iowa and the Dakotas where we have open Democrat seats."

Meanwhile, Gomez's future is unclear.

He said this week that, win or lose, he'd be willing to help the GOP expand its appeal among the nation's growing Hispanic population. And he has repeatedly hinted that his political career would not end with Tuesday's election.

"In the future, we are going to be better," Gomez said in Spanish at the end of his concession speech.

Markey, who serves out the rest of Kerry's term, faces his first re-election test in 2014.

___

Associated Press writers Steve LeBlanc and Bob Salsberg contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dems-move-past-scott-brown-ghost-mass-win-064117313.html

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Study ranks social contacts by job and social group in bid to fight infectious diseases

June 25, 2013 ? In the light of Novel Corona Virus, concerns over H7N9 Influenza in S.E. Asia, and more familiar infections such as measles and seasonal influenza, it is as important as ever to be able to predict and understand how infections transmit through the UK population.

Researchers at the University of Warwick and University of Liverpool have mapped the daily contact networks of thousands of individuals to shed light on which groups may be at highest risk of contracting and spreading respiratory diseases.

These scientists used an anonymous web and postal survey of 5,027 UK residents to collect information on the types of social contact likely to lead to the transmission of respiratory infections.

The study, Social encounter networks: characterising Great Britain, was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B

The survey is believed to be the largest national study of its kind to date and allowed the scientists, for the first time, to quantify social contact patterns and how these varied with age and job.

Although it is common sense that some jobs may be associated with more social contacts, there is huge value in possessing hard data on the number and duration of social contacts as it allows the complex interactions of the UK population to be analysed mathematically in the event of an outbreak.

According to the study, children were top of the table for social contacts, making them most at-risk for catching and transmitting infection.

A social contact is defined as a face-to-face conversation within two metres or skin-on-skin physical touch with another person.

Among adults, those working in schools, in the health sector and in client-facing service jobs such as shop workers or commercial roles had among the highest number of social contacts.

Students, unemployed people and retired people had among the lowest levels of social contacts.

According to the data collected, during a working day a teacher sees on average 62.1 different people, whereas a retired person only sees around 19.3.

The length of time a person spends with a contact is an important risk factor in transmitting infection, so the results were converted into total contact hours, the sum of the durations of all contacts in one given day.

Most people have an average of around 26 social contact hours a day but a small number have up to 50 contact hours a day since people can spend time with more than one individual simultaneously.

For example, children have an average of more than 47 contact hours, a health sector worker has on average just less than 33 contact hours a day, a teacher has 32 contact hours whereas retired people have slightly more than 19 contact hours.

The researchers also found that sociability tends to decline as people get older, with school-age children having the most social contact hours and people of retirement age having the fewest.

However there is a noticeable rebound in social contact hours in people aged between 35 and 45, which the researchers suggest may be down to ?school-gate? contacts among parents with school-age children.

Dr Leon Danon from the Mathematics Institute at the University of Warwick said: ?People working as teachers or health professionals are no doubt already aware that they have higher risks of picking up bugs like colds and flu.

??But before this study there was very little data mapping out the contact patterns humans have in their daily life.

?By quantifying those social interactions, we can better predict the risks of contracting and spreading infections and ultimately better target epidemic control measures in the case of pandemic flu for example.?

?Professor Jeremy Dale, Professor of Primary Care at Warwick Medical School, commented:

?This study provides light on why some groups may be at greater risk of being exposed to respiratory and other infections that are linked to close social contact.

?It should not however cause people in these groups undue concern.

?There are many sensible measures people can take to cut down on the risk of catching or passing on these kinds of infections. These include regularly washing your hands with soap and water, keeping surfaces clean and using tissues when you cough or sneeze.?

Transport workers, such as taxi and bus drivers, also featured very high on the league tables but researchers were cautious about reading into this because of the small number of respondents in this group.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/IgJn42Rko6w/130625192549.htm

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Keystone XL pipeline: Did Obama just drop a big hint about his decision?

Obama said the Keystone XL pipeline would only be approved if it won't increase greenhouse gas emissions. That cheered some foes of the project, but others see the president finding a way to say yes.

By Linda Feldmann,?Staff writer / June 25, 2013

President Barack Obama, seen here speaking last year at the TransCanada Pipe Yard in Cushing, Okla., announced Tuesday that the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project from Canada to Texas should only be approved if it doesn't worsen carbon pollution.

LM Otero/AP/File

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President Obama broke his silence on the Keystone XL pipeline Tuesday, saying that the controversial project should be approved only if it will not produce a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

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The politically charged issue has hung over the Obama administration for years, as environmentalists have competed with energy interests and some labor unions for the president?s ear and public opinion. If approved by the State Department ? and ultimately by the president ? the pipeline would carry oil from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, 1,200 miles to the Gulf of Mexico.

?Our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution,? Mr. Obama said in a major speech on climate change at Georgetown University. ?The net effects of the pipeline's impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward.?

Obama did not provide specifics on how the environmental impact of the pipeline would be measured. A final decision on Keystone XL is not expected until later this year or early next year. Critics have charged that drilling in tar sands, and turning the extracted bitumen into crude oil, causes significant air and water pollution.

Obama has long described his energy policy as ?all of the above? ? leading many observers to conclude that he would eventually approve the pipeline, balanced with more renewable energy and stricter limits on carbon emissions from coal-fired plants.

But some environmentalists cheered Obama?s remarks yesterday, pointing to studies that show the pipeline would produce higher emissions, leading them to conclude that the president will ultimately reject Keystone XL. Others weren?t so sure, suggesting his language was sufficiently vague to leave him wiggle room to approve the project.

Bill McKibben, a leading voice among environmentalists and founder of the activist group 350.org, reacted positively.

"This is an appropriate standard that the president appears to be setting on Keystone XL,? Mr. McKibben said. ?The president is saying what the science has always demanded. It's encouraging news for certain."

Another activist suggested that there?s no way the pipeline can pass Obama?s test ? and therefore he can?t approve it.

?The president made it emphatic: He won't green light a tar sands pipeline that means more carbon pollution, more climate chaos, more drought, heat, fire, and floods,? said Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, director of the international program with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

But a leading Senate opponent of the pipeline, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) of Vermont, sounded as if Obama?s statement meant he was planning to go ahead and approve the pipeline.

?The president must not give speeches about the dangers of global warming and then turn around and allow construction of the Keystone pipeline from Canada?s tar sands oil fields which would result in a huge increase in carbon emissions,? Senator Sanders said in a statement.

In a follow-up comment, Sanders? spokesman said the standard that Obama referenced in his speech is one that a State Department report issued in March already claims would be met.

Obama is walking a political tightrope over Keystone XL. Though safely reelected, he still needs to keep his political base with him, lest his job approval ratings keep falling, reducing his clout. But elements of his base fall on both sides of the issue: Environmentalists fear for the pipeline?s impact on the global climate, while labor unions are eager for the jobs that the construction and maintenance of the pipeline would produce. And if Obama is seen as going too far to the left on energy and the environment, that could hurt vulnerable Senate Democrats running for reelection next year, and potentially jeopardizing Democratic control of the Senate.?

One reason for rejecting the pipeline has diminished over time. Initially, the Republican governor of Nebraska opposed the project, saying it could endanger the water supplies in a major aquifer. When the owner, TransCanada, redrew the proposed route, the governor approved it.

Two portions of the Keystone pipeline system have already been constructed. Last year, Obama approved construction of the lower remaining portion, which runs from Cushing, Okla., to the Texas Gulf Coast. It?s the upper remaining portion that remains in limbo.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/unbj4UA-s4Y/Keystone-XL-pipeline-Did-Obama-just-drop-a-big-hint-about-his-decision

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RCI? Stirs up a Crowd at the Shanghai World Travel Fair ...

Shanghai (June 24, 2013) ? RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), partnered with four of its affiliated resorts in China to participate in the Shanghai World Travel Fair 2013, held on May 9-12, 2013. RCI worked with affiliated resorts Club Vac, Iconic Vacation Club, Shanghai Freedom Vacation Club and Shanghai Runner Vacation Club as part of its continuous efforts to promote the benefits of vacation ownership.

Shanghai World Travel Fair is one of the most influential tourism events in China. It is designed to be a platform for both domestic and international tourism players to showcase their travel services to the vast market in China. The recently-concluded fair featured more than 500 exhibitors from more than 50 countries and welcomed a total of 77,000 visitors.

This was the first time RCI partnered with its affiliated resorts to participate in a consumer travel event, and the combined presence generated great interest in vacation ownership. Visitors to the booth received a goodie bag, travel vouchers and a chance to win one of several prizes for completing a simple survey. A total of 30 prizes were given away at the booth, generating positive attention from both the media and the general public.

?The World Travel Fair is an effective avenue to generate publicity and positive interest for both RCI and our affiliates,? said Gavin Cheong, director of business development for RCI. ?It is a win-win collaboration and we look forward to working together with our affiliates to participate in future events.?

As Chinese consumers? disposable income continues to rise, Chinese citizens are increasingly travelling for leisure purposes. There is great potential for China?s vacation ownership market to grow and benefit consumers, developers, and supporting industries. Today, RCI is leading the industry to build cohesiveness, credibility and momentum with players in the vacation ownership industry. The company is working alongside Chinese government bodies to capture the opportunities and to facilitate the industry?s healthy growth and sustainable development.

For more information, visit www.RCIAffiliates.com.

About RCI
RCI is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange with more than 4,000 affiliated resorts in approximately 100 countries. RCI pioneered the concept of vacation exchange in 1974, offering members increased flexibility and versatility with their vacation ownership experience. Today, through RCI? Weeks, the traditional week-for-week exchange system, and RCI Points?, the industry?s first global points-based exchange system, RCI provides flexible vacation options to its approximately 3.7 million RCI subscribing members each year. RCI?s luxury exchange program, The Registry Collection?, is the world?s largest program of its kind with more than 200 affiliated properties either accessible for exchange or under development on six continents. RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). For additional information visit our media center, rciaffiliates.com or The RCI Blog. RCI also can be found on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

SOURCE: RCI

Source: http://www.insidethegate.com/2013/06/rci-stirs-up-a-crowd-at-the-shanghai-world-travel-fair/

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Obama to limit power plant emissions

25 June 2013 Last updated at 07:19 ET By Paul Rincon Science editor, BBC News website

US President Barack Obama is preparing to lay out a package of measures aimed at curbing climate change, including limits on emissions from power plants.

He will also unveil plans for an expansion of renewable energy projects, improved flood resilience and seeking an international climate deal.

The president will make a speech at Georgetown University on Tuesday.

Continue reading the main story

?Start Quote

On the international level however the promises for action, while welcome, are too little too late?

End Quote Saleemul Huq International Institute for Environment and Development

But he is considered unlikely to broach the issue of the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

And administration officials have previously rejected any prospect of a "carbon tax".

The speech will give shape to the president's intentions - voiced in his inaugural address in January - to act on climate change in his second term.

"While no single step can reverse the effects of climate change, we have a moral obligation to future generations to leave them a planet that is not polluted and damaged," the White House said in a statement.

The statement further argued that climate change posed an immediate threat, with the 12 hottest years on record all occurring in the past 15 years.

Executive action

Most of the strategy involves using President Obama's executive authority without congressional approval.

But other parts of the plan could face political opposition and legal challenges.

The US House is dominated by Republicans and Speaker John Boehner has already called the plans "absolutely crazy". Speaking last week, he told reporters: "Why would you want to increase the cost of energy and kill more American jobs at a time when the American people are still asking the question, where are the jobs?"

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Finally, 16 years after the global agreement to tackle climate change in Kyoto Protocol, the world can see how the US intends to play its part.

It may be cutting CO2 only 4% on 1990 levels by 2020 - less than a fifth of the amount achieved in the EU - but this is at least a plan, and some of the US green think-tanks are grateful for it.

But this is part of what the White House calls an "all of the above" strategy which includes new efficiency standards on trucks, electrical appliances and government buildings - a change that will lift the US out of the 1950s design age; a reduction in short-lived greenhouse gases like methane and soot; a further doubling of wind power, especially on public land; future-proofing infrastructure against climate damages and more.

There are things to upset environmentalists, like the absence of any commitment to drop Keystone XL and the continuing support for biofuels. Nor is the plan as precisely quantified as the UK's climate policy, for instance, which commits to methodically cutting emissions through to 2050.

But if the president has the stomach for a legal fight over bypassing Congress on coal, if he's willing to impose extra measures in a few years and if his policies don't get overturned, today's announcement could help the US achieve its international carbon pledges up to 2020. That would be a start.

The president is expected to reaffirm his 2009 commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17% below 2005 levels by the end of the decade. But critics say these reductions fall short of the action needed to avoid the worst effects of climate change and are less aggressive than European Union targets.

The centrepiece of the plan is a memorandum to launch the first-ever limits on carbon emissions from existing power plants. These are the single biggest source of carbon pollution, accounting for a third of US greenhouse gas emissions and 40% of its carbon output.

But it remains unclear how strict these limits will be.

Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed regulating emissions from new power plants, but the body has delayed that ruling.

Seven US governors have already written to President Obama, calling on him to abandon this proposal, which they say would "effectively shutter" coal-fired power plants and prevent the construction of new ones.

Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, said imposing carbon rules on power plants amounted to a national energy tax.

"Will the President explain the massive costs to American jobs? Will the president explain how low-income Americans would pay for their new, higher utility bills?" he told the AP news agency.

President Obama is also calling for an end to US support for public financing for new coal-fired plants abroad, officials said, but will exempt plants in the poorest nations if the cleanest technology available in those countries is being used.

Pipeline challenge

He also plans an expansion of solar and wind energy projects on public lands, with the aim of generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of six million homes by 2020. He will also set higher goals for renewables installed at federal housing projects.

In addition, he is announcing $8bn in federal loan guarantees to spur investment in green technologies.

But the $7bn, 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline, meant to bring heavy crude from the tar sands of Alberta in Canada to the refineries of Texas, is unlikely to get a mention.

Backed by industry and labour unions, but staunchly opposed by green campaigners, it has turned into one of the biggest environmental challenges of the President's time in office.

The project is currently being reviewed by the US State Department, with a decision not likely to come before the Autumn.

On Tuesday, President Obama will also announce stricter efficiency standards on electrical appliances and buildings. He will also propose steps to protect the US from the impacts of climate change, such as drought and flooding.

Saleemul Huq, senior fellow at the International Insitute for Environment and Development (IIED), commented: "This is the first time that the Federal government has announced significant adaptation actions at home, reflecting the fact that - importantly - Obama recognises that the United States faces adverse impacts from climate change that it must adapt to.

"On the international level, however, the promises for action, while welcome, are too little too late. While it is good to see a leader of the world's richest country and biggest cumulative polluter finally promise to take actions, after over a decade of refusal to do so, the problem has become much bigger while the US was ignoring it."

Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23032890#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Prize-winning pianist caught between anger and ecstasy

By Barbara Lewis

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Competitions are for horses, not for artists was the verdict of the great Hungarian composer and pianist Bela Bartok.

And there is a part of Israeli pianist Boris Giltburg, declared winner on June 1 of one of the world's most prestigious and grueling music contests, that agrees.

He won Belgium's Queen Elisabeth Competition in spite of a memory lapse that froze him as he performed Mozart in the semi-finals. His mother and grandmother, both pianists, left the room where they were listening, convinced it was all over, as was Giltburg.

"What I most wanted to do was crawl away, but I knew I couldn't. It's a feeling of utter hopelessness," he told Reuters, relaxing at last over chocolate dessert in a Brussels brasserie.

After the performance, he forced himself to play back the recording and discovered, contrary to his expectations, he had not actually stopped.

His right hand had continued to play "something", he said. But the revelation, was that, after the blackout, he recovered, his playing improved, his muscles relaxed and Mozart flowed.

Still, he was incredulous that he was selected for the finals - and the next ordeal in the form of a week of confinement in Waterloo, near Brussels.

In the "Chapelle musicale" (literally musical chapel), built for the purpose, the 12 finalists, denied all access to the outside world, had to learn a fiendishly difficult new work by French composer Michel Petrossian, as well as rehearsing their chosen performance pieces - in Giltburg's case a Beethoven sonata and a Rachmaninov concerto.

To add to the hot-house atmosphere, in which everyone was acutely aware of everyone else's talent, Petrossian's piece was 16 minutes long, compared with the average of about 10 minutes for the surprise work handed to the contestants at this stage.

That meant 50 percent more highly complex music to learn.

'A BIT ANGRY'

Torn between anger and despair, Giltburg, who has just turned 29, said it was one of the toughest weeks of his life so far and the anger has not subsided.

"I'm a bit angry at the world for not having come up with another way of discovering talent other than competitions," he said.

He vows he would never be on a jury, making the kind of decision that determines someone's future, but at the same time he brims with gratitude for the judges who selected him - themselves performers aware that even superb pianists can forget a few notes.

Set up by Belgium's Queen Elisabeth, the Brussels-based contest is one of a handful of truly great springboards for a musician's career. On the strength of it, Giltburg has more than 80 concerts worldwide before the end of the year.

They include performances in Russia, where he was born, and Israel, where he has lived since his family emigrated there in 1990.

While the family was on the move, Giltburg briefly tried to learn the violin, but there was no affinity and he persuaded his reluctant mother, who thought there were enough pianists in the family, that she had to teach him. "She's still my harshest critic," he said.

He also studied with Israel's Arie Vardi and attended the Buchmann-Mehta Academy of Music, part of Tel Aviv University.

For the future, he said there will be no more competitions, only concert performances, which he loves.

"It's my main driver forward. There comes a point where you can't advance any more without performing before an audience. It's the real thing, which is un-simulate-able," he said.

In concerts, technical perfection takes second place to creating an atmosphere and communicating and Giltburg has a mission to reach beyond the typical classical audience.

He has a Facebook page and a blog to try to explain to the non-initiated classical music's power. "Music, as a creation of humanity, there's little I would place above it," he said. "I want to bring the same kind of feeling to everybody."

(Editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/prize-winning-pianist-caught-between-anger-ecstasy-172836567.html

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Modified immune cells seek and destroy melanoma

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

Contact: Jillian Hurst
press_releases@the-jci.org
Journal of Clinical Investigation

In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Scott Pruitt at Duke University and Merck Research Laboratories report on a human clinical trial in which modified dendritic cells, a component of the immune system, were tested in patients with melanoma. All cells express a complex known as the proteasome, which acts as the garbage disposal for the cell. There are two types of proteasomes: constitutive proteasomes (cPs), which are found in normal tissues, and immunoproteasomes (iPs), which are found in stressed or damaged cells. In a damaged cell, the iP generates protein fragments that are displayed on the surface of the distressed cells, triggering recognition by dendritic cells and subsequent destruction by the immune system.

Most cancers, including melanoma, exclusively express cPs, making it impossible for them to express the protein fragments that are recognized by the immune system. To make it easier for the immune system to find cancer cells, Pruitt and colleagues engineered a specific type of immune cell, known as a dendritic cell, that recognizes protein fragments of cancer specific antigens made by cPs. The engineered dendritic cells were then injected into patients that were in remission from melanoma.

The trial consisted of 4 patients that were vaccinated with regular dendritic cells, 3 patients that received cells that underwent a control treatment, and 5 patients that received dendritic cells that recognized cancer-made protein fragments. Vaccination with all three types of dendritic cells elicited an immune response, which peaked after 3-4 vaccinations with dendritic cells. Patients that received the specially modified dendritic cells had a longer lasting immune response and fewer circulating melanoma cells. Of the two patients that had active disease, treatment with modified dendritic cells resulted in a partial clinical response in one and a complete clinical response in the other.

These results suggest that modification of dendritic cells so that they recognize cP-produced tumor antigens enhances immune recognition of melanoma cells.

###

This study was funded by Duke Clinical Research Institute/Duke Translational Medicine Institute, Duke Melanoma Consortium, and Duke University Department of Surgery. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, etc.

---

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?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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

Contact: Jillian Hurst
press_releases@the-jci.org
Journal of Clinical Investigation

In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Scott Pruitt at Duke University and Merck Research Laboratories report on a human clinical trial in which modified dendritic cells, a component of the immune system, were tested in patients with melanoma. All cells express a complex known as the proteasome, which acts as the garbage disposal for the cell. There are two types of proteasomes: constitutive proteasomes (cPs), which are found in normal tissues, and immunoproteasomes (iPs), which are found in stressed or damaged cells. In a damaged cell, the iP generates protein fragments that are displayed on the surface of the distressed cells, triggering recognition by dendritic cells and subsequent destruction by the immune system.

Most cancers, including melanoma, exclusively express cPs, making it impossible for them to express the protein fragments that are recognized by the immune system. To make it easier for the immune system to find cancer cells, Pruitt and colleagues engineered a specific type of immune cell, known as a dendritic cell, that recognizes protein fragments of cancer specific antigens made by cPs. The engineered dendritic cells were then injected into patients that were in remission from melanoma.

The trial consisted of 4 patients that were vaccinated with regular dendritic cells, 3 patients that received cells that underwent a control treatment, and 5 patients that received dendritic cells that recognized cancer-made protein fragments. Vaccination with all three types of dendritic cells elicited an immune response, which peaked after 3-4 vaccinations with dendritic cells. Patients that received the specially modified dendritic cells had a longer lasting immune response and fewer circulating melanoma cells. Of the two patients that had active disease, treatment with modified dendritic cells resulted in a partial clinical response in one and a complete clinical response in the other.

These results suggest that modification of dendritic cells so that they recognize cP-produced tumor antigens enhances immune recognition of melanoma cells.

###

This study was funded by Duke Clinical Research Institute/Duke Translational Medicine Institute, Duke Melanoma Consortium, and Duke University Department of Surgery. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, etc.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/joci-mic061713.php

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Officials mum over probe linked to Pats' Hernandez

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) ? Authorities continue to investigate, but not talk about, the killing of a semi-pro football player whose body was found a mile from New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez.

A spokeswoman for the Bristol County district attorney's office said Sunday that officials are not releasing details. Spokeswoman Yasmina Serdarevic said officials also are not talking about the cause of death of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, whose body was found on Monday. His death was ruled a homicide.

Hernandez was questioned and his home searched as part of the police investigation into the Dorchester man's death.

State police officers and dogs searched Hernandez's North Attleboro home for more than three hours on Saturday.

An attorney for Hernandez has said he would not comment on the searches.

New England Patriots spokesman Stacey James has said the team does not expect to comment during the police investigation. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was waiting for the legal process to take its course.

The Patriots drafted Hernandez out of Florida in 2010. He has since combined with Rob Gronkowski to form one of the top tight end duos in the NFL. He missed 10 games last season with an ankle injury and had shoulder surgery in April but is expected to be ready for training camp. Last summer, the Patriots gave him a five-year contract worth $40 million.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/officials-mum-over-probe-linked-pats-hernandez-195605082.html

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Zimmerman portrayed as vigilante in Fla. shooting

George Zimmerman waits for his defense counsel to arrive in Seminole circuit court for his trial, in Sanford, Fla., Monday, June 24, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Joe Burbank/Pool)

George Zimmerman waits for his defense counsel to arrive in Seminole circuit court for his trial, in Sanford, Fla., Monday, June 24, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Joe Burbank/Pool)

Assistant State Attorney John Guy gestures during his opening statement in George Zimmerman's trial, in Seminole circuit court, in Sanford, Fla., Monday, June 24, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Joe Burbank, Pool)

FILE - This June 20, 2013 file photo, George Zimmerman listens as his defense counsel Mark O'Mara questions potential jurors during Zimmerman's trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla. Judge Debra Nelson said Saturday, June 22, 2013, that prosecution audio experts who point to Trayvon Martin as screaming on a 911 call moments before he was killed won't be allowed to testify at trial. Nelson reached her decision after hearing arguments that stretched over several days this month on whether to allow testimony from two prosecution experts. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary Green, Pool, file)

Don West, a defense attorney for George Zimmerman describes the shooting of Trayvon Martin to the jury while holding an evidence photo of a gun during opening statements in Zimmerman's trial in Seminole circuit court, in Sanford, Fla., Monday, June 24, 2013. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Joe Burbank,Pool)

George Zimmerman, left, arrives in Seminole circuit court, with his wife Shellie, in Sanford, Fla., Monday, June 24, 2013. Zimmerman is accused in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Joe Burbank/Pool)

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? George Zimmerman was fed up with "punks" getting away with crime and shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin "because he wanted to," not because he had to, prosecutors argued Monday, while the neighborhood watch volunteer's attorney said the killing was self-defense against a young man who was slamming Zimmerman's head against the pavement.

The prosecution began opening statements in the long-awaited murder trial with shocking language, repeating obscenities Zimmerman uttered while talking to a police dispatcher moments before the deadly confrontation.

The defense opened with a knock-knock joke about the difficulty of picking a jury for a case that stirred nationwide debate over racial profiling, vigilantism and Florida's expansive laws on the use of deadly force.

"Knock. Knock," said defense attorney Don West.

"Who is there?"

"George Zimmerman."

"George Zimmerman who?"

"All right, good. You're on the jury."

Zimmerman, 29, could get life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder for gunning down Martin on Feb. 26, 2012, as the unarmed black teenager, wearing a hoodie on a dark, rainy night, walked from a convenience store through the gated townhouse community where he was staying.

The case took on racial dimensions after Martin's family claimed that Zimmerman had racially profiled Martin and that police were dragging their feet in bringing charges. Zimmerman, whose mother is Hispanic and whose father is white, has denied the confrontation had anything to do with race.

Prosecutor John Guy's first words to the jury recounted what Zimmerman told a dispatcher in a call shortly after spotting Martin: "F------ punks. These a-------. They always get away."

Zimmerman was profiling Martin as he followed him, Guy said. He said Zimmerman viewed the teen "as someone about to a commit a crime in his neighborhood."

"And he acted on it. That's why we're here," the prosecutor said.

Zimmerman didn't have to shoot Martin, Guy said. "He shot him for the worst of all reasons: because he wanted to," he said.

The prosecutor portrayed the watch captain as a vigilante, saying, "Zimmerman thought it was his right to rid his neighborhood of anyone who did not belong."

West told jurors a different story: Martin sucker-punched Zimmerman and then pounded the neighborhood watch volunteer's head against the concrete sidewalk, and that's when Zimmerman opened fire.

Showing the jury photos of a bloodied and bruised Zimmerman, the defense attorney said, "He had just taken tremendous blows to his face, tremendous blows to his head."

West said the story that Martin was unarmed is untrue: "Trayvon Martin armed himself with a concrete sidewalk and used it to smash George Zimmerman's head."

The prosecutor, however, disputed elements of Zimmerman's story, including his claim that Martin put his hands over Zimmerman's mouth and reached for the man's gun. Guy said none of Zimmerman's DNA was found on Martin's body, and none of the teenager's DNA was on the weapon or the holster.

But West said that doesn't prove anything, arguing that crime-scene technicians didn't properly protect Martin's hands from contamination.

Two police dispatch phone calls that could be important evidence for both sides were played for the jury by the defense. Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, left the courtroom before the second recording, which has the sound of the gunshot that killed Martin.

The first was a call Zimmerman made to a nonemergency police dispatcher, who told him he didn't need to be following Martin.

The second 911 call, from a witness, captures screams in the distant background from the struggle between Zimmerman and Martin. Martin's parents said the screams are from their son, while Zimmerman's father contends they are his son's.

Circuit Judge Debra Nelson ruled last weekend that audio experts for the prosecution won't be able to testify that the screams belong to Martin, saying the methods used were unreliable.

On Monday, one of the first witnesses for the prosecution was a custodian of police dispatch calls. During the witness' testimony, prosecutors started playing police calls Zimmerman had made in the months before he shot Martin. The defense objected, arguing the calls were irrelevant.

The judge said she would address the matter Tuesday and sent the jurors to the hotel where they are being sequestered for the duration of the trial, which could last several weeks

Other witnesses who testified Monday included a convenience store clerk and the 911 dispatcher who took Zimmerman's call when he was following Martin. Martin had gone to the convenience store to buy Skittles and a can of iced tea.

The 911 dispatcher, Sean Noffke, testified that he had advised Zimmerman not to follow Martin.

Randy McClean, a criminal defense attorney in Florida with no connection to the case, called the prosecution's opening statement "brilliant" in that it described Zimmerman's state of mind. But he described the knock-knock joke as less than stellar.

"If you're defending your client for second-degree murder, you probably shouldn't start your opening with a joke," McClean said.

___

Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KHightower

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-06-24-Neighborhood%20Watch/id-dd3a7b5d186e48bfb0744436119ad638

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