News laws kick in around nation on July 1

In this June 25, 2013 file photo, Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, is speeks during her filibuster of an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill will get another chance next week now that the Gov. Rick Perry has called another special legislative session. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

In this June 25, 2013 file photo, Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, is speeks during her filibuster of an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill will get another chance next week now that the Gov. Rick Perry has called another special legislative session. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

FILE--In a March 2013 file photo the "Speaker's gavel" is seen in the House of Representatives at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. Around the nation, July 1 marks the start of fiscal calendars and the date recently passed legislation goes into effect, although many states celebrate their independence by also enacting new regulations on their own calendar. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, file)

In this photo taken on Thursday, June 27, 2013, Richard Taylor manager of at Firing-Line gun store in Aurora, Colo., shows some of the pistols that he won't be able to sell after June 30 because their magazines hold more than 15 rounds. Limits on ammunition magazines and universal background checks, signature pieces of Colorado Democrats? gun-control legislation in response to mass shootings, take effect July 1, even as county sheriffs fight to overturn the new laws. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

Early July is about more than fireworks, cookouts and long weekends. It's also about hundreds of new state laws.

Around the nation, July 1 marks the start of new fiscal years and the date recently passed legislation goes into effect, although states often mark their independence by enacting new regulations on their own calendars.

The laws and effective dates vary somewhat from state to state, but an overview of legislation set to hit the books Monday shows that state lawmakers took positions on the following five topics of national debate:

? GUNS: State legislatures across the U.S. discussed gun laws in the wake of mass shootings that shocked the nation in 2012. Most efforts to pass restrictions faded amid fierce opposition. Only a handful of states enacted new limits, some of which go into effect Monday. Among them Colorado is notable for requiring background checks for private and online gun sales and outlawing high-capacity ammunition magazines. At least 18 states, however, have gone the other way and loosened gun laws. Kansas laws set to take effect will allow schools to arm employees with concealed handguns and ensure that weapons can be carried into more public buildings.

? TECH: Dozens of states examined technology laws. Recently passed legislation in eight states will prevent businesses from demanding passwords to social media sites as a condition of employment. The law in Washington state also stops employers from compelling workers to add managers as "friends" so their profile can be viewed. Four states updated tech laws to allow drivers to show proof of car insurance on an electronic device, such as a smartphone.

? CARS: A handful of states have restricted cellphone use while driving. Starting Monday in Hawaii and West Virginia motorists will have to put down handheld devices. Meanwhile, in South Dakota beginning drivers will face similar restrictions. Utah also enacted limits for newbies with a law that has already taken effect. A few states have banned texting while driving. Other state laws affecting drivers will make it illegal to smoke in a car with a child, raise highway speed limits, crackdown on drunken drivers and raise gas taxes.

? ABORTION: Nationally, state lawmakers proposed more than 300 bills that would have restricted abortions, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. At least 13 state legislatures passed new limits, though two are waiting for governors to sign off. Notably, a bill that would have closed almost every abortion clinic in Texas was dramatically defeated by a Democratic filibuster and a restless crowd in late June. The Texas governor, however, has ordered another special legislative session to push the bill through. North Dakota has passed the nation's strictest abortion law, which takes effect in August, banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

?DRONES: An Idaho law taking effect Monday forbids anyone from using an unmanned aircraft for spying on another. Virginia has passed a ban preventing authorities from using drones for the next two years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Four other states approved anti-drone regulations, though legislation aimed at law enforcement in Texas isn't effective until fall.

___

Not all of the measures set to take effect were matters dominating national political discussion. The following five examples of recently approved legislation show state-level updates can cover a variety of topics:

? SEXIST LANGUAGE: Washington lawmakers are completing work to strip the state's books of sexist language. References to "his" will be changed to "his or her," college "freshmen" will become "first-year students" and "penmanship" will be called "handwriting."

? JACKPOT: Wyoming residents might soon consider 7, 1 and 13 as lucky numbers. A Cowboy State law kicking in Monday calls for the state to establish a lottery for the first time, leaving a dwindling list of only a handful of states without such a prize drawing.

? ELECTION DAY DRINKING: Kentucky has lifted a ban on election day drinking. It was one of the last states with Prohibition-era restrictions on the sale of alcohol while polls are open.

? EDIBLE LANDSCAPING: Maine lawmakers this session have directed officials to plant edible landscaping, such as fruit trees or berry shrubs, around the Statehouse.

? TANNING: Dozens of states this year considered keeping minors out of tanning beds. New Jersey and Nevada restrictions kick in July 1, and an Oregon limit takes effect in January. The home of MTV's reality series "Jersey Shore" and its famously bronzed cast, however, took the law beyond sun lamps to block anyone younger than 14 from getting even a spray tan.

___

Associated Press writers Lauren Gambino in Salem, Ore., and Greg Moore in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-30-New%20Laws/id-5f99931e27ec49cca05068c985cc68e0

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Bill Haas pulls away to win at Congressional

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) ? Bill Haas won the AT&T National on Sunday and joined some distinguished company.

Haas pulled away from a crowd of contenders with three straight birdies, two key pars and one good hop out of the rough. It led to a 5-under 66 on a muggy day at Congressional and a three-shot win over Roberto Castro.

As many as six players had a share of the lead at some point until Haas rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 8. Worried about a splotch of mud on his ball, he hit his approach to just inside 12 feet for birdie on the par-5 ninth, and then hit a 5-iron to 10 feet for another birdie on the 10th.

Haas led by at least two shots the entire back nine, though he never allowed himself to think about winning until he stood over a 3-foot par putt on the 18th hole and realized he had three putts to win.

"I just kept the ball in front of me," Haas said. "Nothing too crazy."

Haas has won at least one PGA Tour event in each of the last four years, joining Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose. And with a half-dozen players trying to win for the first time on tour, Haas kept a high pedigree of winner at the AT&T National. In the seven-year history of the tournament, Rose was the lowest-ranked player to win. He was at No. 35 in 2010 at Aronimink.

The 31-year-old won for the fifth time in his career, and this was the first one with Tiger Woods on the property ? not to play, but to hand out the trophy. Woods sat out this week with an elbow injury and won't play again until the British Open, though he was impressed with what he saw.

"He played beautifully today," Woods said. "He handled his business through the tougher stretch of holes and pulled away."

Castro, part of a four-way tie for the lead at the start of the final round, made Haas work for it.

The other leaders fell away. Andres Romero had a double bogey on the fourth hole and shot 75. James Driscoll didn't make a birdie in his round of 74.

Jordan Spieth, the 19-year-old from Texas who needs a win to become a PGA Tour member and be eligible for the FedEx Cup playoffs, started his day by holing out from a fairway bunker for eagle and chipping in for birdie to tie for the lead. He dropped a shot at No. 11 ? the hardest hole at Congressional ? about the time Haas was on his critical run of birdies. Spieth had a 69 and finished sixth, pushing his earnings for the year over $1.1 million.

Castro bogeyed the opening hole, and that was his only mistake. He was one shot out of the lead at the turn, couldn't match birdies with Haas at the par-3 10th, and then stuck with him the rest of the day.

"It helped that Roberto played so well," Haas said.

Haas, who finished on 12-under 272, never allowed himself to think about winning, even after he seized control around the turn. Congressional wouldn't let him. Even though he made 15 birdies on the weekend, he remembered the triple bogey on the 11th hole Saturday that temporarily derailed him.

This time, he found the fairway, hit onto the green, took two putts for par and exhaled.

Haas saved par from a bunker on the par-3 13th with a 6-foot putt that swirled 360 degrees around the cup before falling, and then picked up an unlikely birdie on the 14th when his 9-iron was drifting toward a mound covered with shaggy rough to the right of the green. It hopped off the mound to about 10 feet, and he went from a possible bogey to a birdie when he made the putt.

He made one more birdie with a wedge that checked up a foot from hole on the par-5 16th, and Haas was on his way.

The biggest struggle after that was hoisting the silver trophy of the U.S. Capitol over his head in the stifling heat of the closing ceremony on the 18th green.

Haas was still smarting over losing a three-shot lead in the final round at Riviera, making five bogeys in a seven-hole stretch in the middle of his round. He had the 36-hole lead at the Memorial until a 76-71 weekend.

He was solid on Sunday at Congressional, and the win moved him to No. 7 in the FedEx Cup standings with the playoffs about two months away. That's important to Haas, who won the FedEx Cup in 2011 and failed to qualify for the Tour Championship last year.

D.H. Lee made nine birdies to match a tournament-best 64 and tied for third with Jason Kokrak, who briefly shared the lead on the front nine and had a 69. Stewart Cink closed with a 67 and finished alone in fifth, his best finish on the PGA Tour since he reached the quarterfinal of the Match Play Championship in 2010.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bill-haas-pulls-away-win-congressional-193633107.html

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Military veterans and volunteer guides come together for a week of muskie fishing

• Veterans and guides participating in this year's Operation Muskie

Veterans and guides participating in this year's Operation Muskie watch and listen as Wisconsin fishing guide Norm Wild demonstrates casting and muskie fishing techniques Monday at Walsh's Bay Store Camp on Oak Island of Lake of the Woods. Now in its sixth year, Operation Muskie pairs 20 veterans who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan with 10 guides who volunteer their services to take the soldiers muskie fishing for four days. (Brad Dokken photo)

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OAK ISLAND, on Lake of the Woods ? The fish did what muskies often do, appearing beside the boat seemingly out of nowhere Monday afternoon, just minutes into Rich Thorpe?s muskie excursion on the Ontario side of Lake of the Woods.

The follow ? as it?s known in muskie-speak ? didn?t result in a hookup, but it set the stage for a week Thorpe and 19 other anglers won?t soon forget.

A master sergeant at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts, Thorpe was one of 20 veterans selected to participate in the sixth annual ?Operation Muskie? on Lake of the Woods.

Walsh?s Bay Store Camp on Oak Island hosts Operation Muskie, which this year featured veterans from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska and Massachusetts. The event pairs the veterans with 10 topnotch muskie guides who volunteer their services for the week.

Operation Muskie wrapped up Friday morning.

?I sit in Boston dreaming to be up here in this ? I don?t know what you?d call it ? a sportsman?s paradise, a fisherman?s dream,? said Thorpe, a New Jersey native who was stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base from 2004 to 2010. ?You see the pictures, but you don?t really realize what you?re getting into until you get up here and experience it firsthand.?

How it started

According to Dick Pearson, a South Dakota muskie fishing authority and author of the book, ?Muskies on the Shield? and producer of a DVD with the same name, the idea for Operation Muskie developed from a soldier?s request to go fishing after a deployment to Iraq.

Pearson, who has a cabin on Oak Island and logs hundreds of hours fishing muskies, had sent copies of his books and DVDs to soldiers in Iraq and was corresponding with a few of the veterans.

He contacted Frank and Laura Walsh, island neighbors who own Walsh?s Bay Store Camp, to check on reserving a cabin.

Round up, 19 more veterans, they told him, and they?d turn over the camp for a week.

?We figured we could come up with 10 guides and 20 vets a year, so we decided to give it a try,? Pearson said. ?It was just an amazing experience and a tremendous success so we kept doing it.?

With this year?s Operation Muskie, organizers have entertained 120 veterans since 2008, Pearson said. All of the veterans have served deployments in either Iraq or Afghanistan, and Operation Muskie is a way of thanking them for their service.

?It?s an emotional thing for me,? Pearson said. ?It?s just so inspiring. You see the vets arriving, and I hate to use the word skeptical, but they?re looking, ?Where?s the catch, can it really be what it sounds like?? And by the end of the first evening, it?s a total different atmosphere. They?re happy, they?re laughing, they?ve caught a fish or they?ve had an experience.

?It?s just a great thing.?

Staying involved

Jeff Wiegand and Chris Green participated in the first Operation Muskie in 2008 and found the experience so moving they decided to stay involved. The veterans both were serving in Iraq when they heard about Operation Muskie and said being selected helped make the time overseas go by faster.

?It was so important to us and meant so much to us that we wanted to be part of this organization and provide other veterans an opportunity like we received,? said Wiegand, Sun Prairie, Wis., who was deployed to Iraq six times. ?It really has been life changing because we love it, helping take care of the veterans and giving them the opportunity and working with so many neat guides and Operation Muskie staff.?

Operation Muskie today is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a board of directors and volunteers who help with everything from fundraising to soliciting donations of fishing gear and other supplies. An online auction is the big fundraising event of the year, and sponsors include companies, private individuals and anonymous donors.

Wiegand is fundraising director, while Green, of Edgerton, Wis., is veteran affairs adviser, overseeing the selection process and coordinating fishing licenses and other documents the veterans need to access Canadian waters.

The hard part, Green said, is notifying the veterans who aren?t selected. As many as 130 veterans have applied for Operation Muskie in a given year.

Operation Muskie covers all of the costs after the veterans get to Warroad, Minn., where they receive a sendoff from a color guard before making the trip by road to the Northwest Angle and by boat to Oak Island.

?It?s cool for us because we know the excitement they?re feeling,? Wiegand said. ?We try to make it where it?s not about catching fish ? it?s about the experience.?

That experience also includes sharing stories. Last year, a guide Wiegand described as ?rough around the edges? pulled him aside and became emotional about the stories he?d heard on the water.

The veteran shared war stories he?d never told anyone and thanked the guide for listening.

?The guide was like, ?wow, you?ll never pull me out of Operation Muskie,?? Wiegand said.

Guide perspectives

Paul Klein of Van Dyne, Wis., hosted Thorpe and Terry Larson of Farmington, Minn., on Monday afternoon. Head guide for Operation Muskie, the Wisconsin muskie fanatic has been involved since the first event in 2008.

?It?s just a great way to say thanks,? Klein said. ?It?s just an unbelievable experience and opportunity.?

Also guiding was Jim Best of Gilbert, Ariz., who has a cabin on Oak Island. Best, who owns a mortgage company, is Operation Muskie?s business adviser, and his wife, Pam, is treasurer.

?It?s been just a riot ? by far my favorite week of the whole year,? Best said. ?I thought about the military when I was younger. There wasn?t anything of importance going on at the time. One of my biggest regrets was not being part of the military, but I can?t say why. This is my way of being part of it.?

Best said he enjoys watching the dynamic between the veterans change throughout the week and hearing their stories, some of which he can?t repeat.

?By the end of the week, they?re best friends and exchanging phone numbers,? he said. ?When it comes down to it, they appreciate each other. The quality of these military guys is just unbelievable, and I?m not sure they all go into the service that way.?

With another Operation Muskie in the books, there?ll be a few months to regroup and reflect before fundraising and selecting veterans for next year begins.

Pearson, the event?s founder, said he never envisioned what Operation Muskie would become.

?We weren?t sure how to do things, but it just turned out to be magical, and it?s gone smoothly every year,? Pearson said. ?They?re just so happy to be here, and it?s such a life-changing event for some of them, and I would think most of them. I don?t think we?ve had a single complaint.?

Thorpe, who boated his first muskie Wednesday afternoon, said he felt right at home on Oak Island.

?The numbers of fish, the follows, the strikes, the scenery, the guides ? it?s been amazing, just unbelievable,? Thorpe said. ?You learn so much from them. We saw some monster fish. This place is absolutely incredible.?

? On the Web:

operationmuskie.com.

baystorecamp.com.

---

Dokken reports on outdoors. Call him at (701) 780-1148; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1148; or send e-mail to bdokken@gfherald.com.

Tags: lake of the woods,?outdoors,?updates,?fishing,?fish,?travel,?muskies,?veterans,?ontario

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Source: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/267251/

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Federal rule could upend states' shark fin bans

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ? Several members of Congress representing coastal states are voicing concern about a proposed federal regulation that could pre-empt state bans on buying or selling shark fins.

Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman of California is being joined by representatives of New York, Florida and Guam in seeking changes to a proposal they say would take away a state tool to protect shark populations.

California, Hawaii, New York and several other states have passed regulations on the sale and trade of shark fins, which are used in a soup considered an Asian delicacy. California's ban on the sale, trade and possession of shark fins will go into effect Monday after a compromise allowed time for restaurants and businesses to use up their existing supplies.

A letter from the representatives and the delegate from Guam states that a proposed rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fisheries management division, the National Marine Fisheries Services, would undermine those laws. California state lawmakers were also circulating an opposition letter.

"If we are to address the problem of shark-finning head on, we must allow state and territorial statutes to complement the federal regulations and further the U.S. leadership in global shark conservation," states the letter, which has not yet been sent to the fisheries service but was given in advance to The Associated Press.

In addition to Huffman, it is to be signed by Democratic Reps. Sam Farr of California and Grace Meng of New York, Florida Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan and Democratic Delegate Madeleine Bordallo of Guam. Their letter is dated July 8, which is when the public comment period on the proposed rule is scheduled to end.

A request for comment was left with a press officer for the National Marine Fisheries Services.

The proposal under consideration says state and territory shark fin laws are pre-empted if they are found to be inconsistent with federal fishery management plans or regulations.

Conservation and animal welfare groups have begun circulating petitions against the proposal, but representatives of the fishing industry have argued that federal pre-emption is necessary to maintain fishing of commercially viable shark species.

Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed the Shark Conservation Act of 2010 in an effort to strengthen federal laws against shark finning in U.S. waters and require that sharks be landed with their fins still attached. Since then, the fisheries service has been working to craft regulations to implement the act.

Conservation and animal advocacy groups said fishermen have been able to sidestep the rules by taking only the fins of sharks and dumping the carcasses back into the sea. Advocates say tens of millions of sharks are killed each year for the worldwide demand of shark fins and products.

Jill Hepp, director of shark conservation at The Pew Charitable Trusts, said states should have the right to go beyond federal rules in protecting shark populations.

"If this goes forward as they are proposing, this has the potential to undermine the states' shark fin trade ban and it would be a considerable setback for global shark conservation," Hepp said.

But John Whiteside, an attorney for Sustainable Fisheries Association, a Massachusetts nonprofit founded by four seafood processors, said the federal government should have the final say over regulations, especially fish caught in federal waters.

Not doing so would violate trade laws and run afoul of treaties the federal government has with governments around the world, he said. Commercial fishing groups were successful at getting exemptions in some states for certain species of sharks, such as the dogfish, a small shark also used for fish and chips that is sustainably harvested.

However, California provides no such exemption.

"You're building a wall around the state of California from which the free flow of legal goods is forbidden," he said. "If you have these states around the country that build these little islands, you can't have the free flow of commerce and that's what this country needs."

Jennifer Fearing, California director for The Humane Society of the United States, said the state drafted its bill specifically to ban the sale of shark fins, no matter where the shark was caught.

She noted that a federal judge let California's ban stand earlier this year after the nonprofit Chinatown Neighborhood Association argued in part that state law violated Congress' authority to regulate interstate commerce.

"It's not California sharks being finned," she said. "It's dried processed shark fins arriving here already processed and dried. We have no idea where those sharks come from and the only way California can protect sharks globally is if they were not selling."

California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Oregon and Washington have passed laws banning the buying and selling of shark fins, according to the Humane Society. Similar bans are in effect in three U.S. Pacific territories ? Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Hawaii state Sen. Clayton Hee, a Democrat who wrote the bill that made the 50th state the first to ban the possession, sale and distribution of shark fins, said Friday that the changes would benefit corporations outside the United States involved in the trade. Hee said he can't think of another incentive for the rule changes unless the agencies are arguing that there are too many sharks in the ocean.

"It's baffling to me why a government agency would work to rid the ocean of its health by taking sharks," Hee said.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie said the state's law must be preserved.

"Our law is working as intended," he said. "We have educated fishers and restaurants, and they are complying."

___

Associated Press writer Oskar Garcia in Honolulu contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/federal-rule-could-upend-states-shark-fin-bans-203717163.html

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48th edition film fest opens at Czech spa town

PRAGUE (AP) ? An international film festival in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary is bestowing its Crystal Globe awards on actor John Travolta and director Oliver Stone for outstanding contributions to world cinema.

Travolta is receiving his award on Friday, the opening day of the 48th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Stone has to wait for the final day, July 6.

Fourteen movies are competing for top honors, including "A Field in England" directed by Ben Wheatley, and U.S.-Swedish production "Bluebird" by director Lance Edmands.

The grand jury is led by Polish director Agnieszka Holland.

The festival, known for its relaxed atmosphere, features some 200 movies.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/48th-edition-film-fest-opens-czech-spa-town-181736378.html

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U.S. asked Ecuador to deny Snowden asylum, leader says

By Brian Ellsworth

QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said on Saturday the United States had asked him not to grant asylum for former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden in a "cordial" telephone conversation he held with Vice President Joe Biden.

Correa said he vowed to respect Washington's opinion in evaluating the request. The Andean nation says it cannot begin processing Snowden's request unless he reaches Ecuador or one of its embassies.

Snowden, who is wanted by the United States for leaking details about U.S. communications surveillance programs, is believed to still be at the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow after leaving Hong Kong.

Praising Biden's good manners in contrast to "brats" in the U.S. Congress who had threatened to cut Ecuador's trade benefits over the Snowden issue, Correa said during his weekly television broadcast: "He communicated a very courteous request from the United States that we reject the (asylum) request."

Biden initiated the phone call, Correa said.

"When he (Snowden) arrives on Ecuadorean soil, if he arrives ... of course, the first opinions we will seek are those of the United States," Correa said.

A senior White House official traveling with President Barack Obama in Africa on Saturday confirmed the conversation had taken place.

The case has been a major embarrassment for the Obama administration, which is now facing withering criticism around the world for the espionage program known as Prism that Snowden revealed.

A German magazine on Saturday, citing secret documents, reported that the United States bugged European Union offices and gained access to EU internal computer networks, which will likely add to the furor over U.S. spying efforts.

Correa has for years been at loggerheads with Washington on issues ranging from the war on drugs to a long-running environmental dispute with U.S. oil giant Chevron.

A leftist economist who received a doctorate from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Correa denied he was seeking to perturb relations and said he had "lived the happiest days of my life" in the United States.

But he said the United States has not heeded Ecuador's request to extradite citizens sought by the law, including bankers he said have already been sentenced.

"There's a clear double standard here. If the United States is pursuing someone, other countries have to hand them over," Correa said. "But there are so many fugitives from our justice system (in the United States) ... and they don't return them."

TRAVEL DOCUMENT CONFUSION

Correa said Ecuador's London consulate issued Snowden an unauthorized safe-passage document, potentially as a result of communication with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is living in the London embassy after receiving asylum last year.

Assange said on Monday that Snowden had received refugee papers from the Ecuador government to secure him safe passage as he fled Hong Kong for Russia. Correa's government had originally denied this.

A "safe-pass" document published by U.S. Spanish-language media network Univision which circulated widely online purported to offer Snowden safe passage for the purpose of political asylum. The United States has revoked his passport.

"The truth is that the consul (overstepped) his role and will face sanction," Correa said during the broadcast.

The decision was "probably in communication with Julian Assange and out of desperation that Mr. Snowden was going to be captured, but this was without the authorization of the Ecuadorean government."

Correa's critics have in recent days accused him of letting Assange take charge of crucial foreign policy matters.

Assange, who is wanted in Sweden for questioning over sexual assault allegations, has not been able to leave the London embassy because Britain will not give him safe passage.

Snowden's lack of a valid travel document appears to be one of the primary obstacles to his leaving the transit area of the Moscow international airport. Without a passport, he cannot board a commercial flight or move through airport immigration, according to diplomacy experts.

Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino declined on Thursday to comment on whether Ecuador would send a government plane to pick Snowden up. But Correa has indicated he does not have plans to provide Snowden with transport to an embassy.

Correa scoffed at reports that he himself had been aware that the document was issued or was involved in the decision.

"They think I'm so dumb that I ordered our consul in London to write a safe passage document for a U.S. citizen traveling from Hong Kong to Russia. That's simply absurd," he said.

(Additional reporting by Mark Felsenthal in Johannesburg; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Vicki Allen and Sandra Maler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/biden-spoke-ecuadors-correa-snowden-white-house-180538899.html

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Senate passes sweeping immigration legislation (reuters)

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Kickstarter Allowing Canada-Based Projects Beginning This Summer

Kickstarter just announced via its Twitter account that it will be opening up its crowdfunding platform for Canada-based projects as of "later this summer." Thus far, that's as specific as the company is getting, but anyone interested in finding out more can sign up at Kickstarter's Canada launch page with their email and project category of interest to get an alert when things go live.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/LL94SxO-QZk/

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Are electric cars really cheaper than gas cars?

A new website from the US Department of Energy compares the energy costs of driving an electric car relative to gasoline prices. The tool?might prove useful, Styles writes, but only as long as it is grounded in the best information we have about the vehicle choices that potential electric car buyers are actually considering.

By Geoffrey Styles,?Guest blogger / June 27, 2013

An electric charging station is shown in Montpelier, Vt.

Toby Talbot/AP/File

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I?ve been looking through a?new website?developed by the US Department of Energy (DOE)?to assist consumers in comparing the energy costs of driving an electric vehicle (EV), relative?to posted gasoline prices in their state. I heard about this site at the US Energy Information Administration?s (EIA)?annual energy conference?in Washington, DC earlier this week.?It sounded like?a handy feature for both current EV owners and those considering buying one, but I couldn?t help thinking about it in the context of a presentation I saw at the same conference on the cost effectiveness of federal tax credits for EV purchases.?A key question in both instances concerns just what kind of car is being replaced by that new EV.

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Our mission is to provide clear, objective information about the important energy issues facing the world, address and correct misconceptions, and to actively engage readers and exchange ideas.?For more great energy coverage, visit?Energy Trends Insider.

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The website uses simple math, together with the EIA?s continuously updated data on gasoline and electricity prices around the country, to come up with?a national and state-by-state price for an ?eGallon?. That imaginary construct is essentially the quantity of?electricity that would take a typical EV as far as a gallon of gasoline would take the average new conventional car.?As the text points out, it?s hard for consumers to do this for themselves.?They see gasoline prices everywhere they drive but must dig through their utility bills to find their electricity price?not always obvious?and then might not know how to compare the two.

The?site?s documentation?indicates the eGallon calculation is based on the average energy usage of five specific EVs, including the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf, and Ford Focus EV, along with the 2012?EPA?fleet average fuel economy for what EPA defines as small and mid-size cars. The result is side-by-side postings of the US average gasoline and eGallon prices, plus a drop-down menu to replicate that for each state.?The site also includes?the chart at left, comparing these two prices?over the last decade.?

Obama: Marriage benefits should cross state lines

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) ? President Barack Obama on Thursday praised the Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage as a "victory for American democracy" and said recognition for same-sex unions should cross state lines.

Obama's remarks came in his first stop on a planned weeklong African tour, in a country that outlaws homosexuality. He said while he respects differing religious views on the matter, he wants to send a message to Africans as well about the importance of nondiscrimination under the law.

"People should be treated equally and that's a principal that I think applies universally," he said.

Obama spoke at a news conference after a private meeting with Senegalese President Macky Sall in which Obama said gay rights did not come up. Sall responded that Senegal leads "a very tolerant country" and anti-gay laws are not being prosecuted, "but we are still not ready to decriminalize homosexuality."

"We are still not ready," Sall said, adding that "does not mean we are homophobic."

Obama said he's directing his administration to comb through every federal statute to quickly determine the implications of Wednesday's ruling, which gave the nation's legally married gay couples equal federal footing with all other married Americans.

He said he wants to make sure that gay couples who deserve benefits under the law get them quickly. Obama said he personally believes that gay couples legally married in one state should retain their benefits if they move to another state that doesn't recognize gay marriage.

"I believe at the root of who we are as a people as Americans is the basic represent that we are all equal under the law," he said. "We believe in basic fairness. and what I think yesterday's ruling signifies is one more step towards ensuring that those basic principles apply to everybody."

Obama also offered prayers for former South African President Nelson Mandela, who is gravely ill, ahead of Obama's planned visit to his country this weekend. Obama credited Mandela's example in the anti-apartheid movement of being willing to sacrifice his life for a belief in equal treatment with inspiring Obama's own political activism.

"If and when he passes from this place, his legacy is one that will linger on throughout the ages," Obama said.

Later Obama plans to reflect on the ties many African-Americans share with the continent as he takes a tour of Goree Island, Africa's westernmost point. Africans reportedly were shipped off into slavery across the Atlantic Ocean through the island's "Door of No Return."

Thousands of boisterous revelers welcomed Obama's motorcade Thursday morning in Dakar, cheering and waving homemade signs as the first African-American president made his way to the presidential palace. A large sign outside his hotel gate had pictures of smiling Obama and Sall that read, "Welcome home, President Obama.."

Some in the crowd drummed, danced and sang, and many wore white as a symbol for peace. Sall and his wife, Marieme Faye Sall, greeted Obama and first lady Michelle Obama before entering the palace for a bilateral meeting between the two presidents.

Obama's focus in Senegal is on the modern-day achievements of the former French colony after half a century of independence. Sall ousted an incumbent president who attempted to change the constitution to make it easier for him to be re-elected and pave the way for his son to succeed him. The power grab sparked protests, fueled by hip-hop music and social media, that led to Sall's election.

"Senegal is one of the most stable democracies in Africa," Obama said. "It's moving in the right direction."

But such people-powered democratic transitions are not always the story of the African experience. Fighting and human rights abuses limited Obama's options for stops in his first major tour of sub-Saharan Africa since he took office more than four years ago. Obama is avoiding his father's homeland, Kenya, whose president has been charged with war crimes, and Nigeria, the country with the continent's most dominant economy. Nigeria is enveloped in an Islamist insurgency and military crackdown.

Obama's itinerary in Senegal was designed to send a message, purposefully delivered in a French-speaking, Muslim-majority nation, to other Africans in countries that have not made the strides toward democracy that Senegal has. Obama plans to meet with civil society leaders at the Goree Institute and visit the Supreme Court to speak about the importance of an independent judiciary and the rule of law in Africa's development.

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Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nedrapickler

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-marriage-benefits-cross-state-lines-113509900.html

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Queen scores record profit from booming London property

LONDON (Reuters) - The Crown Estate - owned by Queen Elizabeth - on Thursday said it made record profit in the year to March, thanks to the strong performance of its central London properties.

Crown Estate's 5.2 percent rise in profits to 252.6 million pounds gives the queen a 38 million pounds 2014/15 payout, pegged at 15 percent of the total by a 2012 law designed to link her income to the UK's economic health.

The rest of the profits go to Britain's Treasury or finance ministry. Chancellor George Osborne on Wednesday detailed 11.5 billion pounds of spending cuts.

Owner of wind farms and most of Britain's sea bed along with its Regent Street properties, the company has outperformed the wider economy due to strong overseas interest in London property and the UK's growing reliance on green energy.

"We are proud that another record Crown Estate performance will again make a strong contribution to the nation's finances," said Chairman Stuart Hampson. The company's property portfolio is now worth 8.1 billion pounds.

The Queen - whose payout rose 20 percent to 36 million this year - was previously paid by taxpayers through an allowance set by parliament and other government grants.

It is not allowed to borrow in capital markets and has formed joint ventures with overseas funds to finance its redevelopment plans. In May, it signed a 320 million pound deal with Oxford Properties, owned by one of Canada's largest pension funds, to redevelop London's upmarket St James's Market district.

The Queen, who celebrated the 60th anniversary of her coronation earlier this month, uses her salary mainly to pay the royal household's staff as well as items such as laundry, stationery and official functions.

The Crown Estate belongs to the reigning king or queen but its properties cannot be sold by the monarch. King George III ceded its profits to the government in 1760.

(Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Louise Ireland and Tom Bill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/queen-scores-record-profit-booming-london-property-081137029.html

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Imagination can change what we hear and see

June 27, 2013 ? A study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden shows, that our imagination may affect how we experience the world more than we perhaps think. What we imagine hearing or seeing "in our head" can change our actual perception. The study, which is published in the scientific journal Current Biology, sheds new light on a classic question in psychology and neuroscience -- about how our brains combine information from the different senses.

"We often think about the things we imagine and the things we perceive as being clearly dissociable," says Christopher Berger, doctoral student at the Department of Neuroscience and lead author of the study. "However, what this study shows is that our imagination of a sound or a shape changes how we perceive the world around us in the same way actually hearing that sound or seeing that shape does. Specifically, we found that what we imagine hearing can change what we actually see, and what we imagine seeing can change what we actually hear."

The study consists of a series of experiments that make use of illusions in which sensory information from one sense changes or distorts one's perception of another sense. Ninety-six healthy volunteers participated in total.

In the first experiment, participants experienced the illusion that two passing objects collided rather than passed by one-another when they imagined a sound at the moment the two objects met. In a second experiment, the participants' spatial perception of a sound was biased towards a location where they imagined seeing the brief appearance of a white circle. In the third experiment, the participants' perception of what a person was saying was changed by their imagination of a particular sound.

According to the scientists, the results of the current study may be useful in understanding the mechanisms by which the brain fails to distinguish between thought and reality in certain psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Another area of use could be research on brain computer interfaces, where paralyzed individuals' imagination is used to control virtual and artificial devices.

"This is the first set of experiments to definitively establish that the sensory signals generated by one's imagination are strong enough to change one's real-world perception of a different sensory modality" says Professor Henrik Ehrsson, the principle investigator behind the study.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Karolinska Institutet.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Christopher?C. Berger, H.?Henrik Ehrsson. Mental Imagery Changes Multisensory Perception. Current Biology, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2013.06.012

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/SDPHCPJBUGM/130627125156.htm

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New study finds Colorectal cancer treatment can be achieved ...

(PR NewsChannel) / June 25, 2013 / WEST BABYLON, N.Y. ?

A remarkable new study out of the University of Colorado has found a surprisingly effective treatment for colorectal cancer: grape seed extract.

Effectively targeting cancer cells without affecting healthy cells, researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center have discovered that grape seed extract is extraordinarily valuable in inhibiting the growth of colorectal cancer cells.

Interestingly, researchers have determined that the more advanced the colorectal cancer cells are, the more grape seed extract stops their growth and survival.

Scientists believe grape seed extract?s effectiveness is derived from the antioxidant?s employment of oxidative stress to cancer cells which results in cell death.

Due to increased colorectal cancer rates stemming from sedentary lifestyles and high fat diets, researchers note because of lack of screening over 60% of those diagnosed already have advanced stages of the disease.

?While we?ve known grape seed extracts? positive effects on cancer cells and Alzheimer?s disease, it?s shocking to see the true extent of its cancer fighting powers,? said Debbie Morgan, president of Delta Labs. ?We?re proud to know that our Resveratrol formula benefits customers in another potentially life-changing way.?

(Watch the Delta Labs video online: http://youtu.be/IjZFUNEHWW0)

Delta Labs? Resveratrol Extra Strength Red Wine Extract employs the finest grape seed extract, pure resveratrol root and pure red wine extract to help challenge visible signs of aging while also providing proven cardiovascular and other health benefits. The formula is comprised of three sources of high potency and?heart healthy antioxidants?that utilize one of nature?s most potent polyphenols to promote advanced skin protection at the cellular level.

Recent studies have also found that Resveratrol, the key ingredient in Delta Labs? formula, can help treat a number of other disorders, including Alzheimer?s disease, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Although not yet endorsed by the Federal Drug Administration as a treatment for any condition, it?s important to note that most research is still in their preliminary stages.

With the equivalent of?100 glasses of wine?in two small capsules, Delta Labs? Resveratrol Extra Strength Red Wine Extract provides heart-healthy benefits that would only be achieved through consuming large amounts of wine. Delta Labs? formula ensures maximum benefits while being completely safe to consume on a daily basis.

For more information on Delta Labs or Resveratrol Extra Strength Red Wine Extract, visit?www.deltalabsusa.com or visit the Delta Labs??YouTube page.

About Delta Labs:?Delta Labs? mission is to develop the highest quality, most affordable and comprehensive line of women?s health and wellness formulas founded on scientific research. By partnering with some of the nation?s leading scientific minds, nutritionists, and world renowned physicians, Delta Labs is able to help women lead more invigorating and fulfilling lifestyles. They also believe that the quality of ingredients a woman ingests is one of?the most important choices she can make. This is why the entire Delta Labs product line is manufactured under strict cGMP guidelines established by the FDA, guaranteeing women the safest, highest quality and most effective all natural ingredients around.

MEDIA CONTACT
Glenn Selig
PR firm: The Publicity Agency
Email:?glenn@thepublicityagency.com?
?Phone: 813-708-1220 x7777 | Cell: 813-300-5454

Tyler Ragghianti
PR firm: The Publicity Agency
Email:?tyler@seligmultimedia.com?
Phone: 813-708-1220 x7780 | Cell: 813-295-3269

Direct link:??http://www.prnewschannel.com/2013/06/25/new-study-finds-colorectal-cancer-treatment-can-be-achieved-through-simple-grape-seed-extract/

SOURCE:??Delta Labs

This press release is distributed by PR NewsChannel. Your News. Everywhere.

Source: http://www.prnewschannel.com/2013/06/25/new-study-finds-colorectal-cancer-treatment-can-be-achieved-through-simple-grape-seed-extract/

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House Spent About $2M of Taxpayers' Money on Coffee, Pastries

The Sunlight Foundation found that the House of Representatives spent nearly $2 million on coffee and food in 2012??

Most Americans start their day with at least one cup of coffee, maybe paying $2 to $5, but many might be surprised to know they also treat their members of Congress to some joe and a bagel or two, as well.

The Sunlight Foundation, a watchdog group advocating for government transparency, crunched the numbers for ABC News and found that the House of Representatives spent nearly $2 million on coffee and food in 2012 for events in and around the Capitol.

"Congress is spending an awful lot of money to entertain their members," said Bill Allison, the foundation's editorial director. "[It's] coffee and doughnuts and then some very nice catering places in Washington, D.C., as well."

The money is part of lawmakers' representational allowances, which can be used to pay for everything from sending mail to constituents to entertaining visitors. The foundation did not know who the visitors were.

Although lawmakers were paring back, Allison said, they hadn't changed certain rules when it came to food and drink.

"Catering companies can get as much business from the House as they have in the past," he said.

The Sunlight Foundation found that expensive catering was truly a bipartisan effort, with leaders hosting their own members. Republican House Speaker John Boehner spent $64,000. Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi spent $61,000. and No. 2 Democrat Steny Hoyer spent $52,000.

The biggest spender in the House was No. 3 Republican Kevin McCarthy of California. On his Facebook page, pictures of meetings include fruit, bagels, croissants and coffee.

McCarthy's 2012 grand total - $95,000, with an additional $4,000 being spent on bottled water - was enough to pay the salaries of two mid-level staffers on Capitol Hill.

"That's a couple of jobs for the average American," Allison said.

McCarthy declined an ABC News request for an interview.

When ABC News approached him as he walked down a hallway in the Capitol to ask about the nearly $100,000 spent to cater meetings and dinner, he responded: "You noticed. We cut it out."

Actually, what ABC News noticed were the leftovers from a meeting McCarthy had just attended. A staffer even offered a bagel.

While McCarthy said he was making cuts, his office did not provide any numbers.

Allison said Americans should ask their leaders to buy their own coffee and pastries.

"We are in an age of austerity and sequestration and budget cuts," Allison said. "It seems like if you are looking for places to cut, the entertainment budget would be the first one you would go to."

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/house-spent-2m-taxpayers-money-coffee-pastries-234433803--abc-news-politics.html

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Australia to world court: Ban Japanese whaling

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) ? Japan's annual whale hunt is a commercial slaughter of marine mammals dressed up as science, Australian lawyers argued Wednesday as they urged the United Nations' highest court to ban the hunt in the waters around Antarctica.

Australia's case at the International Court of Justice, supported by New Zealand, is the latest step in years of attempts by governments and environmental groups to halt the Japanese whaling fleet's annual trips to harpoon minke and fin whales for what Tokyo argues is scientific research allowed under international law.

Australia calls the research claim a front for a commercial hunt that puts whale meat, considered a delicacy in Japan, on plates across the country. Commercial whaling was halted by a 1986 moratorium.

"Japan seeks to cloak its ongoing commercial whaling in the lab coat of science," Australia's agent to the court, Bill Campbell told the 16-judge panel in the wood-panelled Great Hall of Justice in The Hague.

"You don't kill 935 whales in a year to conduct scientific research. You don't even need to kill one whale to conduct scientific research," Campbell told journalists.

Japan insists its hunt is legal under a 1946 convention regulating whaling.

The case in The Hague covers Japan's hunt in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica, but Japan also hunts in the northwestern Pacific.

"Japan's research programs have been legally conducted for the purposes of scientific research, in accordance with the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling," Japan's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Koji Tsuruoka said outside the courtroom. "Australia's claim is invalid. Japan's research whaling has been conducted for scientific research in accordance with international law."

But Australia argued that the scientific whaling program, under which thousands of whales have been killed in factory ships plying Antarctic waters, was set up simply to sidestep the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling.

"No other nation, before or since, has found the need to engage in lethal scientific research on anything like this scale," Australian Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson told the judges.

Japan's government claims the research is needed to provide data on whale populations so that the international ban on commercial hunt can be re-examined or hopefully lifted eventually based on scientific studies.

"This is something we are prepared to demonstrate: That our program is in line with Article Eight of the convention and is not commercial whaling at all," said Noriyuki Shikata, spokesman for Japan's delegation at the court.

Shikata also said that Japan would be challenging the court's jurisdiction to hear the case, but did not elaborate on the reason for the challenge.

Australia is presenting its legal arguments this week and Japan will make its case starting July 2. New Zealand also gets a chance to outline its arguments July 8.

The Sea Shepherd environmentalist group, whose pursuit of Japanese whalers ensures the hunt makes news each year, said that the opening of the case was a victory for whales and vindication of the group's controversial tactics in confronting the harpooners in the icy waters of the Southern Ocean.

"Without that, trade considerations would have been more important than the slaughter of whales in Australian waters and the Antarctic whale sanctuary," said Geert Vons of the Dutch arm of Sea Shepherd, who was in court to watch proceedings.

"It's a shame it's taken 10 years, but it is good that Australia is making this public statement by bringing this case against Japan."

Campbell sought to broaden the dispute by casting Japan's decision to kill whales as undermining the global consensus to protect the broader environment.

"There is now broad recognition ... that the environment and its constituent elements are a common resource which has to be safeguarded and managed by collective action," he said.

He also highlighted the devastating effect of wide-scale whaling before it was reined in by the 1946 convention, saying that the global blue whale population was estimated at 235,000-307,000 before whaling. A 1998 estimate put the population at "a mere 2,280 worldwide," he said.

The court will take months to issue a final and binding decision on the legality of Japan's hunt.

Australian officials are hoping that the court will deliver a judgment by the end of the year, ahead of the Southern Hemisphere summer, when Japan's annual hunt begins near Antarctica.

Greenpeace campaigner John Frizell said he was impressed by the opening of the case.

"We have heard very strong arguments from Australia why this whaling should cease and I certainly hope they will prevail," he said outside court. "This is commercial whaling and it should stop."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/australia-world-court-ban-japanese-whaling-062519596.html

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AOL Launches Its Own News Reader

With Google Reader's demise looming, a host of media companies have jumped to fill the impending void. The latest? Good ol' AOL.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/06/aol-launches-its-own-reader/

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Highlights of Obama's climate plan

President Barack Obama unveiled a sweeping plan Tuesday to combat climate change and prepare the U.S. and other nations for its effects. Some highlights of the president's plan:

REDUCE POLLUTION

? Issue a presidential memorandum to launch the first-ever federal regulations on carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants.

? Revise and reissue proposed limits on carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants.

? Provide up to $8 billion in federal loan guarantees to spur investment in efficiency projects and advanced fossil energy, including technology to limit carbon emissions.

? Expand permitting for renewable energy projects like wind and solar on public lands, with a goal of powering more than 6 million homes by 2020.

? Set a goal of installing 100 megawatts of renewable energy projects on federally assisted housing projects by 2020.

? Take more aggressive steps to increase efficiency for appliances and federal buildings, with a goal of reducing carbon dioxide pollution by 3 billion metric tons overall by 2030.

? Develop a new set of fuel-economy standards for heavy-duty vehicles.

PREPARE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

? Create a National Drought Resilience Partnership to help communities, farmers and landowners prepare for droughts and wildfires.

? Promote climate change preparedness by creating a toolkit for local governments and businesses, and by partnering with hospitals.

? Update flood risk reduction standards that all federally funded projects must meet.

GLOBAL EFFORTS

? Work with China, India and other major polluting countries to reduce emissions.

? End U.S. public financing for new coal-fired power plants in other countries. Plants in the poorest countries using the most efficient technology available would be exempt.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/highlights-obamas-climate-plan-190959869.html

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Samsung Galaxy NX mirrorless camera strikes a pose for the FCC

It's by no means a phone, so adjust your expectations accordingly. Samsung's Android-infused Galaxy NX camera, revealed last week at the company's London bonanza, has just reared its LTE-capable body at the FCC. Sporting model number EK-GN120, the portable mirrorless camera offers up no real surprises -- it has all the internal trimmings Samsung already officially announced, like WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and radios for WCDMA (850/1900MHz) and LTE (Band 5). Nothing in the filing pegs this as a US release, so the usual "(insert carrier)-friendly bands" won't apply here. In fact, its mix of radios clearly mark this Galaxy NX for a South Korean debut. Just when that'll be, we still don't know. It's currently slated for a vague summer release in the UK. On the plus side, this means you still have plenty of time to save up for what should be a hefty price tag.

Filed under: Cameras, Wireless, Samsung, Google

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Source: FCC, (2)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/d2YIGCaQQSU/

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Take the Best of Portland 2013 Survey and Win $250, $50 Gift Cards -

The 2013 Portland food and drink survey is now open. Since we already covered coffee, those questions have been removed, along with a few others. There is one new question ? ?Best outdoor dining space?.

I have purchased a $250 gift card to Timberline Lodge as an incentive. One lucky person will be awarded the card in a random drawing, so if you want to be eligible, be sure to leave your email address (it will never be given out, but just used to notify the winner). The gift card can be used for any purchase at Timberline Lodge or the Ice Axe Grill, lift tickets, rentals, lessons etc. A $50 gift certificate to a restaurant of your choice will be given out as a second prize. The survey will close after we have at least 1,000 responses.

In case you want to think about it for a bit, here are the winners of the last survey. The questions this year are as follows:

• Best Pizza
• Best Burger
• Best Bakery
• Best Vietnamese
• Best Chinese
• Best Vegetarian
• Best Thai
• Best Steak
• Best Sushi
• Best Mexican
• Best BBQ
• Best Italian
• Best Seafood
• Best Lebanese
• Best Indian
• Best Brunch/Breakfast
• Best late night snack
• Best Desserts
• Best Beer Bar
• Best Bar
• Best Happy Hour
• Best Business Lunch
• Best Lunch (excluding food carts)
• Best place to dine with a large group
• Best New Restaurant
• Of the restaurants that closed in 2012 ? 2013, I will miss this one the most
• Most Family Friendly
• I had to break up with this restaurant in 2012-2013 ? it went downhill
• Most Romantic Restaurant
• Best First Date Restaurant
• This Restaurant is Coasting on its Reputation
• Lousy service in a restaurant that is pretty darn good otherwise
• I thought this restaurant would be great, but I didn?t like it!
• Best Cheesemonger
• Best Butcher/Meat Counter
• Best Fishmonger
• Best Gourmet Food Store
• Best Wine Shop
• If I want quiet conversation, I go to:
• Best outdoor dining ? patio/deck/etc.

You favorite six restaurants in Portland are:

Take the survey by clicking here!

"I have a wide-range of food experience - working in the restaurant industry on both sides of the house, later in the wine industry, and finally traveling/tasting my way around the world. Whether you agree or disagree, you can always count on my unbiased opinion. I don't take free meals, and the restaurants don't know when, or if, I am coming."

Source: http://portlandfoodanddrink.com/take-the-best-of-portland2013-survey-win-250-50-gift-cards/

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Business Highlights

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AP IMPACT: Post-recession, higher education paths diverge

CHONGQING, China (AP) -- Determined to learn their way out of the Great Recession ? or eager to rise above the deprivation of developing lands ? unprecedented millions of people have enrolled in colleges and universities around the world in the past five years.

What they're finding is an educational landscape turning upside down.

In the United States ? where top schools have long championed a liberal style of learning and broad education before specialization ? higher education's focus is shifting to getting students that first job in a still-shaky economy. Tuition is so high and the lingering economic distress so great that an education not directly tied to an occupation is increasingly seen as a luxury.

Elsewhere in the world, there is a growing emphasis on broader learning as an economic necessity.

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China slump, higher bond yields weigh on markets

More uncertainty about China's economy and rising bond yields led to a broad sell-off in stocks Monday, leaving the market down 5.7 percent from its all-time high last month.

It's the first pullback of 5 percent or more since November.

U.S. trading started with a slump Monday. The market recovered much of its loss, then fell back again. By the close of trading the big stock indexes were clinging to modest gains for the second quarter. The last trading day of the quarter is Friday.

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Boost for cars or bust? Ethanol debate heats up

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's a dilemma for drivers: Do they choose a gasoline that's cheaper and cleaner even if, as opponents say, it could damage older cars and motorcycles?

That's the peril and promise of a high-ethanol blend of gasoline known as E15. The fuel contains 15 percent ethanol, compared with the current 10 percent norm sold at most U.S. gas stations.

The higher ethanol blend is currently sold at fewer than two dozen stations in the Midwest, but could spread to other regions as the Obama administration considers whether to require more ethanol in gasoline.

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Neiman Marcus plans to raise up to $100 million in IPO

NEW YORK (AP) -- Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus plans to raise up to $100 million by returning to the stock market with an initial public offering.

That amount is likely to change, though, as bankers gauge investor interest. The plan to go public, announced in a regulatory filing Monday, comes about eight years after private equity firms TPG Capital and Warburg Pincus bought Neiman Marcus for $5.1 billion.

Neiman Marcus has benefited from affluent shoppers who are willing to drop $1,000 for a pair of shoes. During the recession, Neiman Marcus was not as hurt by the consumer spending pullback as other retailers, because the wealthy suffered less in the poor economy.

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New Samsung tablets mimic Galaxy phones

NEW YORK (AP) -- Samsung is expanding its lineup of tablet computers and making them look more like its Galaxy smartphones, as it hopes to translate its success in phones to the tablet market, where Apple is dominant.

Samsung Electronics Co., the second-largest maker of tablets after Apple, on Monday said it is putting three new tablets in the Galaxy Tab 3 series on sale in the U.S. on July 7. The cheapest, a $199 device, will have a screen that measures 7 inches diagonally. An 8-inch model will go for $299 and a 10-inch one for $399.

The "Tab" line is Samsung's value brand, undercutting the price of similar Apple models. Samsung's premium tablets are in the "Note" line, which include styluses. The 7-inch and 10-inch tablets had "Tab 2" equivalents, but the 8-inch model is new, and coincides closely in size with Apple's iPad Mini, which came out late last year.

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Promise of price cut on hospital bills is in limbo

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Huge list prices charged by hospitals are drawing increased attention, but a federal law meant to limit what the most financially vulnerable patients can be billed doesn't seem to be making much difference.

A provision in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul says most hospitals must charge uninsured patients no more than what people with health insurance are billed.

The goal is to protect patients from medical bankruptcy, a problem that will not go away next year when Obama's law expands coverage for millions.

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Studies find methane in Pennsylvania drinking water

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- New research in Pennsylvania demonstrates that it's hard to nail down how often natural gas drilling is contaminating drinking water: One study found high levels of methane in some water wells near gas wells, while another found some serious methane pollution occurring naturally, far away from drilling.

The findings represent a middle ground between critics of the drilling technique, known as hydraulic fracturing, who claim it causes widespread contamination, and an industry that suggests contamination is rare or nonexistent.

The contamination from drilling is "not an epidemic. It's a minority of cases," said Rob Jackson, a Duke University researcher and co-author of the study released Monday. But he added the team found that serious contamination from bubbly methane is "much more" prevalent in some water wells within about half a mile of gas drilling sites.

Methane is an odorless gas that in high concentrations can be explosive and deadly.

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Dissension and fiscal woes beset the Girl Scouts

NEW YORK (AP) -- Given the friction and financial woes facing the Girl Scouts these days, perhaps it's time for a giant friendship circle. Under that long-standing tradition, a ring of Scouts clasp hands and give a little squeeze, accompanied by a silent wish of good will.

Just a year after its centennial celebrations, the Girl Scouts of the USA finds itself in a different sort of squeeze. Its interconnected problems include declining membership and revenues, a dearth of volunteers, rifts between leadership and grassroots members, a pension plan with a $347 million deficit, and an uproar over efforts by many local councils to sell venerable summer camps.

The tangle of difficulties has prompted one congressman to request an inquiry by the House Ways and Means Committee into the pension liabilities and the sale of camps.

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Vodafone launches bid for Kabel Deutschland

LONDON (AP) -- Britain's Vodafone PLC has launched a takeover bid for Germany's biggest cable operator, Kabel Deutschland, as part of its push to dominate media services in its biggest market.

The British cellphone company with wide international interests on Monday confirmed the 7.7 billion euros ($10.2 billion) deal.

Vodafone Group Chief Executive Vittorio Colao said the deal aims to tap growing German demand for fast broadband and data services.

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Ousted Men's Wearhouse exec. chairman quits board

NEW YORK (AP) -- Ousted Men's Wearhouse founder George Zimmer has quit the company's board.

Zimmer was fired as the company's executive chairman last week. On Monday he submitted a letter resigning from the board.

Zimmer said in the letter that it's clear from his firing that the board is determined to avoid addressing his growing concerns with recent board decisions and the company's direction.

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By The Associated Press=

The Dow Jones industrial average finished down 139.84 points, or 0.9 percent, at 14,659.56. The S&P 500 index fell 19.34 points, or 1.2 percent, to 1,573.09. The Nasdaq dropped 36.49 points, or 1.1 percent, to 3,320.76.

Benchmark oil for August delivery rose $1.49 to close at $95.18 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to price oil used by many U.S. refineries to make gasoline, rose 25 cents to finish at $101.16 a barrel.

Wholesale gasoline lost 2 cents to end at $2.74 a gallon. Heating oil rose 1 cent to finish at $2.85 per gallon. Natural gas slipped 3 cents to finish at $3.74 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/business-highlights-221928528.html

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