Fearing Afghan instability, Russia mulls border troops

By Amie Ferris-Rotman

KABUL (Reuters) - Russia, predicting instability once NATO-led troops withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of next year, is considering deploying border guards on the Tajik-Afghan border, Moscow's envoy to Kabul told Reuters in an interview.

Moscow, still sore from its disastrous, decade-long war in Afghanistan in the 1980s, is increasingly concerned by what it describes as the combined threat of narcotics and terrorism reaching Russia through former Soviet Central Asian countries.

"We prefer to tackle this problem on the Afghan border to stop these threats," Andrey Avetisyan said late on Thursday in the Russian embassy in Kabul.

Its sprawling grounds host a Soviet-built teal Volga car recovered in Afghanistan by embassy staff and a memorial to the 15,000 Soviet lives lost in the war against mujahideen fighters.

"We used to have a serious presence on the Afghan-Tajik border and, at that time, the situation there was much better, so it would be in the interest of both Russia and Tajikistan and even Afghanistan if Russia is present there," he said.

Avetisyan said such a presence would involve Russian border troops, but declined to give a number.

Russian border guards used to patrol the Tajik frontier with Afghanistan but left in 2005, ending a Soviet-era legacy and handing all power over to local authorities. Ex-Soviet Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan also border Afghanistan to its north.

Avetisyan said any agreement on border troop deployment would "of course" have to be agreed upon with Tajikistan.

Intensifying violence across Afghanistan, less than two years before foreign combat troops withdraw, has sent tremors of worry across Russia, which is battling an Islamist insurgency in its North Caucasus as well as widespread use of heroin and a huge increase in the incidence of HIV and AIDS.

Russia is involved in a series of ambitious construction projects in Afghanistan, including rebuilding its Soviet-era cultural centre [ID:nL3E8MB2NJ], aimed at fostering stability in the country which produces 90 percent of the world's opium.

Avetisyan, who also worked for the Soviet government in Kabul during Moscow's war, said fighting in northern Afghanistan -- traditional bastions of anti-Taliban power groups -- offers proof of a "general destabilization of the situation".

COMPARISONS WITH SOVIET CAMPAIGN

Comparisons are being increasingly drawn between the Soviet and NATO-led wars, and the Taliban have repeatedly warned Washington that it will encounter the same fate met by Moscow.

After the dispirited Soviet exit in 1989, the Afghan communist government collapsed, leading to infighting between warlords and a civil war that reduced much of Kabul to rubble and paved the way for the Taliban's rise to power in 1996.

"What have they been doing for the past 12 years?" Avetisyan asked of the current campaign, America's longest war.

"Fighting against terrorism with 150,000 troops without any success," he said, adding that a continued troop presence after 2014 "doesn't make any sense".

U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to soon announce how many combat troops Washington will leave after the withdrawal. Many Afghans are eager to know the size of the post-2014 force, fearing chaos and civil war could erupt with no foreign presence.

The United States is widely expected to retain nine bases across Afghanistan after 2014, NATO officials said after Afghan President Hamid Karzai revealed the plan this month.

But Avetisyan said any future U.S. military role in the country must be an international legal arrangement approved by the United Nations Security Council, in which Russia has veto power.

"A long-term or permanent military presence of a foreign force will be a reason of concern for us, especially if they are military bases. We would like to know what the purpose is and we still don't have answers to these questions," he said.

(Editing by Ron Popeski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fearing-afghan-instability-russia-mulls-border-troops-081751277.html

andy cohen mozambique oosthuizen great expectations jake owen oosthuizen louis double eagle

Porsche shows 918 Spyder in production form

Porsche isn't about to let the LaFerrari steal the hybrid spotlight: it just unveiled the finished design of the 918 Spyder, which is expected to ship as a 2015 model. The look won't shock anyone keeping up with their spy videos, although Porsche's formal unveiling helps firm up the specifications that customers will get if they've dutifully shelled out $845,000. The performance is even more intimidating than it was in 2011, we know that much: there's 887HP of combined V8 and plug-in electric power, a 0-62MPH time of 2.8 seconds and up to 18 miles of gas-free driving. About the only disappointment (price notwithstanding) is the lack of options beyond a weight reduction package. We doubt many Spyder buyers will complain when they can even outrace a 911 GT3.

Filed under: Transportation

Comments

Via: Autoblog

Source: Porsche

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

roger ebert north korea Daddy Yankee jay leno Brian Banks amber alert LucasArts

Bill Gates regains title of world's richest person as Microsoft stock hits five-year high

Bill Gates may be more philanthropic than ever since leaving the top job at Microsoft, but he still owns a ton of stock in the company, which today just so happened to close at a five-year high. As Bloomberg reports, that shift was finally enough to push Gates' net worth back above that of telecom mogul Carlos Slim, who took the title of "world's richest person" away from Gates way back in 2007. As things stand now, Gates has some $72.7 billion to his name, while Slim stands at $72.1 billion. A situation that offers no material for puns whatsoever.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

Comments

Source: Bloomberg

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/bZoKaXo0syk/

dharun ravi george clooney arrested ravi leigh espn greg oden st patricks day

Herpes infections: Natural killer cells activate hematopoiesis

Public release date: 16-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Luise Dirscherl
dirscherl@lmu.de
49-892-180-2706
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt Mnchen

Infections can trigger hematopoiesis at sites outside the bone marrow in the liver, the spleen or the skin.Researchers of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich now show that a specific type of immune cell facilitates such "extra medullary" formation of blood cells.

Balanced hematopoiesis is essential for the function of the immune system. During fetal development, hematopoiesis takes place mainly in the liver and the spleen. Later the process is delegated to the bone marrow, and this tissue normally serves as the sole source of blood cells for the rest of one's lifetime. However, certain infections can reactivate hematopoiesis at sites other than the bone marrow, a process which is referred to as "extramedullary" hematopoiesis. One of the best known inducers is the so-called cytomegalovirus (CMV), a member of the herpesvirus family, which is widespread in human populations worldwide, and can lead to serious illness in individuals with immature or otherwise compromised immune systems.

An international team led by Professor Ulrich Koszinowski at LMU's Max von Pettenkofer-Institute has now examined how this virus activates hematopoiesis in tissues other than the bone marrow. "Herpesviruses are highly species-specific," explains Dr. Stefan Jordan, the lead author on the new paper. "So, in order to study the phenomenon of extramedullary hematopoiesis in an animal model, we were forced to turn to the mouse virus." The murine CMV induces extramedullary hematopoiesis principally in the spleen.

Killing of infected cells paves the way

The new findings reveal a hitherto unsuspected link between natural killer (NK) cells and hematopoiesis. NK cells play an important role in combating CMV infections, because they are the immune system's first line of defense against the virus. In the first place, they are able to recognize and eliminate CMV-infected cells and, secondly, they synthesize and secrete signal molecules that mobilize other types of immune cells to mount a concerted attack on the pathogen.

"The decisive factor that leads to hematopoiesis at otherwise dormant sites is the ability of NK cells to find and destroy virus-infected cells," says Jordan. Extramedullary hematopoiesis is actually initiated by the inflammatory reaction that occurs as an early response to infection with CMV. But when the virus can replicate and spread to other cells, the pathogen suppresses the process. "The development of extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen is dependent on the capacity of NK cells to prevent virus spread by effectively eliminating infected cells," Jordan explains.

Extramedullary hematopoiesis itself thus appears to be an antiviral reaction. This in turn has obvious implications for the development of novel therapies. Thus, targeted stimulation of the mechanism that triggers the process could help to fight and resolve viral infections. Conversely, there are situations in which the immune system overshoots, and the spleen becomes so enlarged that it has to be surgically removed. "In this context, it would be particularly useful to understand how CMV suppresses extramedullary hematopoiesis then one might be able to exploit the mechanism to prevent rupture of the splenic capsule and life-threatening internal bleedings," Jordan concludes.

###

---

[ | 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.

Public release date: 16-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Luise Dirscherl
dirscherl@lmu.de
49-892-180-2706
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt Mnchen

Infections can trigger hematopoiesis at sites outside the bone marrow in the liver, the spleen or the skin.Researchers of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich now show that a specific type of immune cell facilitates such "extra medullary" formation of blood cells.

Balanced hematopoiesis is essential for the function of the immune system. During fetal development, hematopoiesis takes place mainly in the liver and the spleen. Later the process is delegated to the bone marrow, and this tissue normally serves as the sole source of blood cells for the rest of one's lifetime. However, certain infections can reactivate hematopoiesis at sites other than the bone marrow, a process which is referred to as "extramedullary" hematopoiesis. One of the best known inducers is the so-called cytomegalovirus (CMV), a member of the herpesvirus family, which is widespread in human populations worldwide, and can lead to serious illness in individuals with immature or otherwise compromised immune systems.

An international team led by Professor Ulrich Koszinowski at LMU's Max von Pettenkofer-Institute has now examined how this virus activates hematopoiesis in tissues other than the bone marrow. "Herpesviruses are highly species-specific," explains Dr. Stefan Jordan, the lead author on the new paper. "So, in order to study the phenomenon of extramedullary hematopoiesis in an animal model, we were forced to turn to the mouse virus." The murine CMV induces extramedullary hematopoiesis principally in the spleen.

Killing of infected cells paves the way

The new findings reveal a hitherto unsuspected link between natural killer (NK) cells and hematopoiesis. NK cells play an important role in combating CMV infections, because they are the immune system's first line of defense against the virus. In the first place, they are able to recognize and eliminate CMV-infected cells and, secondly, they synthesize and secrete signal molecules that mobilize other types of immune cells to mount a concerted attack on the pathogen.

"The decisive factor that leads to hematopoiesis at otherwise dormant sites is the ability of NK cells to find and destroy virus-infected cells," says Jordan. Extramedullary hematopoiesis is actually initiated by the inflammatory reaction that occurs as an early response to infection with CMV. But when the virus can replicate and spread to other cells, the pathogen suppresses the process. "The development of extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen is dependent on the capacity of NK cells to prevent virus spread by effectively eliminating infected cells," Jordan explains.

Extramedullary hematopoiesis itself thus appears to be an antiviral reaction. This in turn has obvious implications for the development of novel therapies. Thus, targeted stimulation of the mechanism that triggers the process could help to fight and resolve viral infections. Conversely, there are situations in which the immune system overshoots, and the spleen becomes so enlarged that it has to be surgically removed. "In this context, it would be particularly useful to understand how CMV suppresses extramedullary hematopoiesis then one might be able to exploit the mechanism to prevent rupture of the splenic capsule and life-threatening internal bleedings," Jordan concludes.

###

---

[ | 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/2013-05/lm-hin051613.php

att wireless Mother Jones cars Bacon Number Kate Middleton photos Chi Magazine Kate Middleton Nude Photos

Extreme weather compels emergency relief from ... - Minivan News

Maldivian government authorities are providing emergency services and relief funds to island communities battered by three weeks of ?extreme weather?.

The National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) issued a statement today (May 15) urging island and atoll councils to report any damage caused by the ?harsh weather? as soon as possible.

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik met with officials from the Maldives Police Service, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), the NDMC, and other high-ranking government officials yesterday (May 14) to discuss damages sustained and relief?counter measures being taken nationwide.

Waheed provided assurances that government authorities will collaborate with island communities to provide ?all the assistance and support needed?. Thus, it was decided state funds will be provided to assist ?those islands with maximum damage? through the Ministry of Finance and Treasury?s contingency budget.

State funds will not be released directly to NDMC, instead the Finance Ministry will maintain control of money allocated for relief efforts and ?coordinate bills? with the centre, NDMC Project Director Hisan Hassan told Minivan News today.

The exact amount of emergency relief funds will be determined today, Hassan added.

Meanwhile, the MNDF and police have issued precautionary warnings to the public due to the severe weather conditions.

The Coast Guard issued a request yesterday that ?all travelers to take necessary precautionary measures before setting on their journeys due to the severe weather with heavy rain and thunderstorms? particularly in the northern and southern regions of the Maldives.?

They recommended travelers test communications sets and obtain updated weather forecasts before embarking on any journeys.

The Coast Guard further stated that average wind speeds of 15-25 miles per hour (mph) in the southern atolls and 7-17 mph are expected in the northern atolls, while wind gusts during thunderstorms will reach 40-50 mph.

Additionally, the police issued an SMS bulletin today also warning the public to ?take precautionary measures due to the bad weather?.

A ?white bulletin? was also issued by the Maldives Meteorological Service (MET) today, warning that the central atolls can expect average winds speeds of 23-30 mph.

Food shortages and flooding

Thus far damage assessment reports have been submitted by 12 islands from seven atolls ? Shaviyani, Meemu, Dhaalu, Thaa, Laamu, Fuvahmulah, and Addu City ? representing regions from the far north to the far south of the Maldives, the NDMC told Minivan News today.

Hassan explained that other islands have reported storm-related damage directly to the media or have spoken with the NDMC, but have yet to official report these issues to the centre.

Flooding due to three weeks of severe weather and heavy rain has damaged households, sewerage systems, as well as caused extensive agricultural destruction, according to Hassan.

Food shortages on some islands have resulted from agricultural damage and the disruption of transportation and supply networks due to bad weather.

?All islands import food from Male?, however the seas have been so rough [supply] boats are still in Male? and unable to reach the islands,? Hassan explained. ?Yesterday the State Trading Organisation (STO) announced the they will try to send [food supplies] somehow.?

STO is not providing free food-stuffs to islands, rather they are seeking ways to reach the islands so community shops can restock. Normally, supply boats travel between the atolls at least twice a week, according to Hassan.

?Some small islands? [residents] are a little afraid to travel to a nearby island [to resupply] because travel is difficult,? he said.

Hassan emphasised that food shortages have not reached ?emergency situation? levels.

?For the time being there is no emergency. If an island completely runs out of food, the MNDF is always on board [collaborating] with STO and NDMC, and will send vessels,? said Hassan.

The MNDF and police will deploy and provide first response emergency services, if necessary, he added.

?The MNDF is also assisting with flood relief. They take fire fighting equipment to islands and help pump water,? said Hassan.

?Houses are flooding because they are not built on high platforms, so with one or one and a half feet of flooding, water will rush into homes,? he added.

Hassan emphasised the need for people to ?take responsibility? and precautionary measures to ensure their safety in the bad weather conditions.

?They should not wait until flood waters reach knee-high levels and require the MNDF to provide assistance,? Hassan said.

?People should move [their] belongings to higher ground, get rid of old trees and branches, clean their roofs, and collect rainwater in tanks. Also, sandbags should be used to minimise further flooding,? he added.

Ensuring roofs and houses are secure is also essential given the strong winds that have accompanied the recent severe storms.

The NDMC is coordinating with the relevant ministry?s to ensure damages are evaluated and addressed promptly.

Source: http://minivannews.com/society/extreme-weather-compels-emergency-relief-from-maldives-government-57951

green bean casserole green bean casserole recipe red dawn sweet potato pie sweet potato pie Turkey Cooking Time Kmart Black Friday

'The Voice': Vedo Eliminated Along With Garrett Gardner As Top 10 Revealed

Two more contestants are saying goodbye to "The Voice": Vedo from Team Usher and Garrett Gardner from Team Shakira were eliminated.

This week, the choice was up to America and the judges could no longer save their team members. With Garrett and Vedo eliminated, newbie "Voice" coaches Shakira and Usher are down a competitor. Veteran "Voice" coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton both have three contestants still in the running.

Kris Thomas from Team Shakira was the first contestant to join the Top 10, then the Swon Brothers from Team Blake, Sarah Simmons from Team Adam, Josiah Hawley from Team Usher, Judith Hill from Team Adam, Danielle Bradbery from Team Blake, Michelle Chamuel from Team Usher, Amber Carrington from Team Adam, Holly Tucker from Team Blake and Sasha Allen from Team Shakira.

Before it was time for Garrett and Vedo to bid farewell to "The Voice," there were some impressive performances. "Voice" mentors Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams sang "Blurred" along with T.I.; Blake Shelton and his team -- Holly Tucker, the Swon Brothers and Danielle Bradbury -- took on Brooks & Dunn's "Play Something Country"; Lady Antebellum, featuring Team Adam mentor Hillary Scott, performed their song "Goodbye Town," accompanied by Team Adam's Amber Carrington, Judith Hill and Sarah Simmons; and finally, Adam Levine and his team performed The Cure's "Love Song."

Did "The Voice" voters get it right in sending Vedo and Garrett home? Who are you voting for? Sound off in the comments!

"The Voice" airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.

• The Voice Season 4

  Adam Levine

• The Voice Season 4

  Shakira

• The Voice Season 4

  Blake Shelton

• The Voice Season 4

  Usher

• The Voice Season 3

  Pictured: (l-r) Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)

• The Voice Season 3

  Pictured: (l-r) Blake Shelton, Adam Levine -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)

• The Voice Season 3

  Pictured: CeeLo Green, Adam Levine -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)

• The Voice Season 3

  Pictured: (l-r) Carson Daly, Christina Aquilera, Blake Shelton, CeeLo Green, Adam Levine -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)

• The Voice Season 3

  Pictured: Blake Shelton, Michael Buble -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)

• The Voice Season 3

  Pictured: (l-r) Adam Levine, Mary J. Blige -- (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)

Related on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/14/the-voice-vedo-garrett-gardner-eliminated_n_3276653.html

Bayern Munich the blaze Michael Shannon Chrissy Amphlett Java stevie wonder 2013 NFL Mock Draft

CNN anchor Sambolin has cancer, is getting double mastectomy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - CNN anchor Zoraida Sambolin said on Tuesday that she had breast cancer and was getting a double mastectomy, following an announcement by actress Angelina Jolie that she had undergone that procedure.

Sambolin, who anchors CNN's "Early Start" morning show, discussed her condition on the show while talking about Jolie's preventive double mastectomy.

"I struggled for weeks trying to figure out how tell you that I had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was leaving to have surgery," Sambolin, 47, said in a posting to her Facebook page. "Then .. Angelina Jolie shares her story of a double mastectomy and gives me strength and an opening."

Sambolin told viewers she was scheduled to have the surgery on May 28.

In a New York Times op-ed piece on Tuesday, Jolie, 37, said she had a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a gene that made it very likely she would get breast cancer.

The Oscar-winning actress said she hoped her story would inspire other women fighting the life-threatening disease.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Scott Malone and Lisa Von Ahn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cnn-anchor-sambolin-cancer-getting-double-mastectomy-124119466.html

bret michaels pekingese tcu football westminster bonnaroo 2012 lineup twisted metal sea lion

Budget cuts pare real-time monitoring of volcanoes

This undated image from the Alaska Vocano Observatory shows Geologist Kristi Wallace, left, and Scientist-in-Charge John Power in the AVO operations room. Scientists monitoring Alaska's volcanoes have been forced to shut down stations that provide real-time tracking of eruptions and forgo repairs of seismic equipment amid ongoing federal budget cuts _ moves that could mean delays in getting vital information to airline pilots and emergency planners. (AP Photo/Alaska Volcano Observatory and U.S. Geological Survey)

This undated image from the Alaska Vocano Observatory shows Geologist Kristi Wallace, left, and Scientist-in-Charge John Power in the AVO operations room. Scientists monitoring Alaska's volcanoes have been forced to shut down stations that provide real-time tracking of eruptions and forgo repairs of seismic equipment amid ongoing federal budget cuts _ moves that could mean delays in getting vital information to airline pilots and emergency planners. (AP Photo/Alaska Volcano Observatory and U.S. Geological Survey)

In this Tuesday, May 7, 2013 photo, at the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage, Ak., geophysicist John Power of the U.S. Geological Survey talks about the impacts of federal budget cuts that have hampered the maintenance of aging seismic equipment. Four other U.S. observatories face funding challenges as well. (AP Photo/Rachel D'Oro)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) ? Scientists monitoring Alaska's volcanoes have been forced to shut down stations that provide real-time tracking of eruptions and forgo repairs of seismic equipment amid ongoing federal budget cuts ? moves that could mean delays in getting vital information to airline pilots and emergency planners.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory can no longer seismically monitor five volcanoes with real-time equipment to detect imminent eruptions. Such equipment is especially important in helping pilots receive up-to-the-minute warnings about spewing ash that can cause engine failures and other problems.

Alaska has 52 active volcanoes, with many of them located on the Aleutians Islands along international air routes between Europe, North America and Asia.

Alaska Airlines officials said the observatory, funded by the U.S. Geological Survey, provides a crucial service, including early warnings of seismic changes that may portend an impending eruption. Monitors need to be operating all the time, not just during major eruptions, said Betty Bollert, an Alaska Airlines dispatcher.

"I think the public gets kind of complacent when nothing exciting is happening ... and think, 'Oh, why should we throw money at that?'" said Bollert, who was on duty in 1989 when the Redoubt Volcano blew 115 miles from Anchorage.

Following that eruption, several aircraft experienced damage from ash ? including a Boeing 747-400 carrying 231 passengers that lost all four engines after flying into an ash cloud. The plane dropped more than two miles in five minutes before the crew was able to restart the engines and land safely in Anchorage.

Worldwide, hundreds of flights are diverted each year because of volcanic activity. In 2010, an eruption in Iceland spread debris over Northern Europe, threatening most flight routes from the East Coast to Europe, and within Europe itself.

The Alaska volcano monitoring system, first created in 1988, is intended to help pilots avoid such problems. But it has regressed over the past few years because of shrinking finances, and now the across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration are further squeezing operations.

For example, gone is a plan to install seismic monitors at Cleveland Volcano, a remote mountain on an uninhabited island in the Aleutians. The volcano experienced a low-level eruption earlier this month that continues to discharge steam, gas and heat, although no ash clouds have been detected in the past week.

"Because our budget has been declining for so long, we have no hope of actually addressing the Cleveland eruption in the way that it really should be," said geophysicist John Power, the USGS scientist in charge at the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

A second Alaska volcano began heating up Monday. Pavlof Volcano, 625 miles from Anchorage, does have seismic instruments, which picked up tremors signaling a possible eruption. Satellite imagery also showed a lot of heat in the mountain.

In Alaska, 32 volcanoes once had 200 working seismic instruments. Now 80 of those instruments have fallen into disrepair and can't be fixed due to the USGS budget cuts. That means five of those volcanoes aren't monitored electronically at all, and the number could rise if more instruments go without maintenance.

Cuts also have reduced the number of days helicopter crews can fly to repair equipment in remote locations, from 140 days in 2008 to 36.

The observatory still uses satellite data, infrasound and reports from pilots and others to detect eruptions. But none of those offer real-time information. Sound waves picked up the Cleveland eruption, but it took 40 minutes for the data to reach scientists in Anchorage, 940 miles northeast of the volcano.

Decreasing funds, once boosted by $2.5 million in now-defunct congressional earmarks, also have forced staff reductions. These days, the observatory is operating on $4 million annually, roughly half of its heyday budget.

Four other observatories in the U.S. ? in Wyoming, California, Washington and Hawaii ? also have faced cuts, leading to a reduction in lab research, studies of eruption histories and lava survey flights. In Hawaii, lava flyovers of the Big Island's Kilauea volcano were reduced from once a week to once every two weeks.

It's still early in the federal downsizing process, and resources already are spread thin, said Tom Murray, chief of the five USGS observatories. And while these types of cuts may not be immediately felt by the public ? unlike the furloughs of air traffic controllers that caused flight delays nationwide ? they are just as damaging, said Murray.

"The challenges with what we do is that it doesn't happen all the time," he said. "But when it does happen, then the ramifications can be very large."

___

Follow Rachel D'Oro at https://twitter.com/rdoro

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-05-14-Watching%20the%20Volcanoes/id-c6e136eb895b4958803b6eb9e7032288

morris claiborne clippers lisa lampanelli lisa lampanelli bronx zoo memphis grizzlies celebrity apprentice

'New Girl' Season Finale: Taylor Swift, A Wedding And A Badger

'When you watch it, I want you to think of that sweet little badger devouring the heads of nice mice,' Jake Johnson tells MTV News.
By Amy Wilkinson

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1707306/new-girl-finale-taylor-swift.jhtml

breaking dawn part 2 Jennifer Lacy Honey Baked Ham hostess israel AMA BCS Standings 2012

Stephen Amell: Out of Fifty Shades of Grey Movie After Reading Book?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/stephen-amell-out-of-fifty-shades-of-grey-movie-after-reading-bo/

hungergames bagpipes aspirin aspirin 21 jump street illinois primary results acapulco mexico

IRS assured Congress Tea Party not targeted

WASHINGTON (AP) -- When members of Congress repeatedly raised concerns with the Internal Revenue Service about complaints that Tea Party groups were being harassed last year, a deputy IRS commissioner took the lead in assuring lawmakers that the additional scrutiny was a legitimate part of the screening process.

That deputy commissioner was Steven T. Miller, who is now the acting head of the agency.

In several letters to members of Congress, Miller went into painstaking detail about how applications for tax-exempt status were screened. But he never mentioned that conservative groups were being targeted, a fact that was known to people he oversaw, according to an upcoming report by the agency's inspector general.

In one 10-page response, Miller said a revenue agent uses "sound reasoning based on tax law training" to determine which applications for tax-exempt status need additional scrutiny.

"We are going to need to find out how much he knew," said Rep. Dave Camp, R- Mich., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Camp is holding a hearing on the issue Friday and Miller is scheduled to testify.

The Senate Finance Committee announced Monday that it will join a growing list of congressional committees investigating the matter.

"We need to know who knew what, and exactly what mistakes were made," said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the finance committee. "The American people have questions for the IRS and I intend to get answers."

Camp and other members of the Ways and Means Committee sent at least four inquiries to the IRS, starting in June 2011. Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, sent three inquiries. And Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House oversight committee, sent at least one.

None of the responses they received from the IRS acknowledged that conservative groups had ever been targeted.

"They really failed to disclose to us what they were up to, even though we obviously had a concern that they were targeting taxpayers for their political beliefs," Camp said. "Given all of that attention, they had an obligation and duty to come forward with this information."

The IRS did not respond Monday to several requests for comment.

The agency apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was "inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status. In some cases, the IRS acknowledged, agents inappropriately asked for lists of donors.

The agency blamed low-level employees in a Cincinnati office, saying no high-level officials were aware.

But on June 29, 2011, Lois G. Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt organizations, learned at a meeting that groups were being targeted, according to a draft of the report by the Treasury inspector general for tax administration.

At the meeting, Lerner was told that groups with "Tea Party," ''Patriot" or "9/12 Project" in their names were being flagged for additional and often burdensome scrutiny, the report says. Lerner instructed agents to change the criteria for flagging groups "immediately."

However, when Lerner responded to inquiries from the House oversight committee, she didn't mention the fact that Tea Party groups had ever been targeted. Her responses included 45-page letters to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who chairs the committee, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who chairs a subcommittee.

Lerner also met twice with staff from the House Ways and Means oversight subcommittee to discuss the issue, in March and in May 2012, according to a timeline constructed by committee staff. She didn't mention at either meeting that conservative groups had been targeted, according to the timeline.

At the IRS, Lerner reports to Joseph Grant, commissioner of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division. Grant responded to two congressional inquiries, both without mentioning the targeting of conservative groups.

Grant reported to Miller, when Miller was the deputy commissioner.

"Knowing what we know now, the IRS was at best being far from forth coming, or at worst, being deliberately dishonest with Congress," Hatch said Monday.

Miller became acting commissioner in November, after Commissioner Douglas Shulman completed his five-year term. Shulman had been appointed by President George W. Bush.

Shulman was adamant that conservative groups were not targeted when he testified before a Ways and Means subcommittee in March 2012.

"There's absolutely no targeting," Shulman testified. "This is the kind of back and forth that happens when people apply for (tax-exempt) status."

On Monday, President Barack Obama said he first learned about the issue from news reports on Friday. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the White House counsel's office was alerted the week of April 22 that the inspector general was finishing a report concerning the IRS office in Cincinnati. But, he said, the counsel's office did not get the report and the president did not learn the focus until Friday.

"If, in fact, IRS personnel engaged in the kind of practices that had been reported on and were intentionally targeting conservative groups, then that's outrageous and there's no place for it," Obama said Monday at a press conference. "And they have to be held fully accountable, because the IRS as an independent agency requires absolute integrity, and people have to have confidence that they're applying it in a non-partisan way, applying the laws in a non-partisan way."

There has been a surge of politically active groups claiming tax-exempt status in recent elections ? conservative and liberal. These groups claim tax-exempt status under section 501 (c) (4) of the federal tax code, which is for social welfare groups. Unlike other charitable groups, these organizations are allowed to participate in political activities, but their primary activity must be social welfare.

That determination is up to the IRS.

In all, about 300 groups were singled out for additional review, the IRS said. Of those, about a quarter were singled out because they had "tea party" or "patriot" somewhere in their applications.

About 150 of the cases have been closed and no group had its tax-exempt status revoked, though some withdrew their applications, Lerner said Friday.

___

Associated Press reporters Jim Abrams and Henry C. Jackson contributed to this report.

___

Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stephenatap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irs-assured-congress-tea-party-210457652.html

david foster wallace pinterest attwireless taylor swift zac efron the scream stephen colbert new madrid fault

Shaun Business Start-up: Marketing & Promoting

The use of search engines for a n online business

The social media websites?that I will? look at are - Facebook, Twitter &?LinkedIn.

How do they operate?

How can Facebook be used for a business online?

Facebook is the largest online social networking website and has currently over 1 billion users.

More and more businesses with an online presence will link users to a Facebook page. They will also frequently use twitter and RSS feeds.?Knowing how to use?Facebook for business has become an essential skill to have in the job search and a vital part of online marketing strategies.?Facebook has found a way to make itself the link between the brand and the consumer.

Fan Pages are targeted more toward a specific entity rather than an individual social networking with friends and family. Just because they are labelled Fan Pages does not necessarily mean that the entity is a celebrity, a band, etc.

Fan sites can be created for anything, especially online stores. More and more businesses are making use of Fan pages to target their users to a Facebook entity that represents their enterprise.
?

How can Twitter be used for a business online?

Twitter is a good way to promote your business online in my opinion. These facts will help you to understand why:

You will be able to connect to your customers as they themselves will be using Twitter. Twitter has become a daily routine for many people as an unsatisfied customer will leave feedback on there and then you can help them.

Branding is one of the main uses for Twitter, this allows you to connect with people and allows you to create an account.

?

?

Once you have connected with your customers you will for sure be getting feedback on how you can improve your product, your services and maybe even improve your customer?s service. Listening to them will help you in the future.

Marketing?is one of the?reasons to use twitter?as it gets?your?market your product or services to more people and the best part about that is its free. You don?t have to pay.

If you have succeeded gaining some popularity with your Twitter account you will know how viral Twitter can be. This will be part of your marketing strategies that you can use in the future.

Twitter can help you increase sales and help make a profit.

Once you have engaged with Twitter then your customers/followers will be loyal to your brand for a long time.

This is a link to my Twitter account, @tampsett10

How can LinkedIn be used for a business online?

LinkedIn is the biggest professional network in the world with 100 million members. There are a lot of reasons why LinkedIn?could be really valuable to your business, so let me share with you some reasons you should use LinkedIn.

To attract business clients, accelerate go to market opportunities, generate new leads & fill pipelines, shorter sales cycles, larger per deal purchases, longer clients lifecycles, to create an online community, to maintain "Top of mind awareness" and to establish cutting edge social strategies.

How to use them effectively?

The use of social media can be very useful in online businesses today as everyone goes online and most people nowadays own a computer.

It is a fact of corporate life nowadays that more and more businesses are waking up to the potential of social networking and how they can exploit it in order to gain a competitive advantage.

This could mean that Facebook or Twitter can be used purely as a marketing tool or as another customer-facing communication channel.

Did you know that around 83 percent of people in the United Kingdom own a computer.

To see some fascinating statistics about the internet and how many people use it from different countries then click on the link below:
http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats4.htm

Other areas of promotion - Podcasts & Banner Adverts

Research into trends, competitor analysis etc.

Source: http://shaun-business-start-up.blogspot.com/2013/05/marketing-promoting.html

hoodie hoosiers temperance world bank kim kardashian flour bomb hunger games box office xavier

'The Client List': Riley's Work Follows Her Home In A Devastating Way For Lacey (VIDEO)

"Family Tools" (ABC)

<em>Series premieres Wed., May 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: Starring J.K. Simmons and Kyle Bornheimer, "Family Tools" centers on a guy who returns home to take over his dad's hardware business when he finds himself jobless.

"MythBusters" (Discovery Channel)

<em>Season 10 premieres Wed., May 1 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> What To Know</strong>: This season there will be a "Breaking Bad" themed episode and the crew will tackle myths such as "Are women better than men at multitasking?" and "Which is more sanitary: drying your hands with a hand dryer or a hand towel?"

"The Big Brain Theory" (DSC)

<em>Series premieres Wed., May 1 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: Hosted by Kal Penn, this reality competition show will give contestants 30 minutes to solve a daunting engineering challenge.

"Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous" (MTV)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 2 at 10:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> The series follows Zach (Bo Burnham), who hires a camera crew to film him throughout his daily life as a part of his quest to become an overnight celebrity ? even though he possesses no real talent. From Zach?s attempts to become a celebrity chef or a ring-tone recording artist to purposefully going missing, he?ll try any avenue to get noticed and stop at nothing until he reaches fame.

"The Show With Vinny" (MTV)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 2 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> For the legions who can't say goodbye to "Jersey Shore" just yet, the legacy continues as we follow GTLer Vinny into his sure-to-be-scintillating home life. The premise has random "celebrities" dropping by his house for impromptu interviews -- and Vinny going to visit their homes, too.

"Newlyweds: The First Year" (Bravo)

<em>Series premieres Mon., May 6 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Bravo's new eight-episode docu-series follows four newlywed couples and their most personal moments, from their wedding day to their first anniversary. There's bi-coastal Christian couple Kimberly and Alaska; domestic partners Jeff and Blair, who are 16 years apart; Indian pop star Tina and her modeled-turned-tech-geek husband Tarz; and suburbanites Kathryn and John.

"Million Dollar Listing: New York" (Bravo)

<em>Season 2 premieres Wed., May 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Because we're all so fascinated by real estate that we could never realistically afford, this show is returning for a second season. C'mon, it's fun to live vicariously.

"Wipeout" (ABC)

<em>Season 6 premieres Thurs., May 9 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> With Season 5 episodes titled "Hillbilly Wipeout," "Gorillas In Our Midst" and "Hotties vs. Nerds 2.0," there can only be more magic in store for Season 6. Viewers of all stripes love watching people hurt themselves in new and remarkable ways.

"Family Tree" (HBO)

<em>Series premieres Sun., May 12 at 10:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> "Bridesmaids" funnyman Chris O'Dowd stars in Christopher Guest's ("Best in Show") new documentary-style series about a hapless thirtysomething trying to find meaning in his life by tracing his heritage.

"Long Island Medium" (TLC)

<em>Season 4 premieres Sun., May 12 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> We were hoping that those nails and that hair would be around for another season -- and our wish came true! Theresa Caputo is back, communicating with the dead, for at least another 30 episodes.

?Breaking Amish: Brave New World? (TLC)

<em>Season 2 premieres Sun., May 12 at10 p.m. ET .</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Speculation and accusations about the show?s ?reality? aside, ?Breaking Amish? was a hit for TLC. Now, the five Amish and Mennonite rebels, who moved to New York City in the show?s first season, are headed south to Florida ... but trouble seems to follow them wherever they go.

"Small Town Security" (AMC)

<em>Season 2 premieres Thurs., May 9 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> In Season 1, we met the owners and employees of JJK Security in small-town Ringgold, Georgia, and Season 2 will offer more insight into the unscripted lives of this unusual group, including Dennis' ongoing journey in his gender transition from female to male.

"So You Think You Can Dance" (Fox)

<em>Season 10 premieres Tues., May 14 at 8 p.m. ET. </em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> After a season of intense competition, Eliana Girard and Chehon Wespi-Tschopp took home first place wins, both for ballet, while Tiffany Maher was the female runner-up for jazz and Cyrus Spencer was the male runner-up for popping/animation.

"Motive" (ABC)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 23 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Billed as a unique, original approach to the typical cop drama, "Motive" operates backwards. Each episode starts off showing the victim, and then works its way towards finding the perpetrator and his/her motivations by the end of the episode.

"The Goodwin Games" (Fox)

<em>Series premieres Mon., May 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know: </strong> The Fox comedy centers on estranged siblings Henry (Scott Foley), Chloe (Becki Newton) and Jimmy (T.J. Miller) as they attempt to "rediscover their lives" with the money their father left them.

"MasterChef" (Fox)

<em>Season 4 premieres Wed., May 22 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The home cook competition crowned its third consecutive female winner last season, Christine Ha. Cool fact: She is legally blind. No telling what twists they'll have this season.

"Rookie Blue" (ABC)

<em>Season 4 premieres Thurs., May 23 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The last time we saw the cops at 15 Division, they were all in the midst of making some serious decisions about their lives -- including career calls, a possible transfer and, for Andy, a major emotional choice.

"Save Me" (NBC)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., May 23 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> After a near-death experience, Beth (Anne Heche) is revived only to realize she now has a direct line to God. Of course, her husband Tom (Michael Landes) is skeptical and dismissive -- but when inexplicable things begin to happen, everyone?s beliefs are tested.

"The Bachelorette" (ABC)

<em>Season 9 premieres Mon., May 20 at 9 p.m ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Emily Maynard of North Carolina thought she'd finally found love in Jef Holm, but after only being engaged for a short time, they broke up. Here's to hoping "Bachelor" contestant Desiree Hartsock has better luck!

"Arrested Development" (Netflix)

<em>Season 4 premieres Mon., May 26 at 12:01 a.m. PT.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> The Bluths are finally back, but there's no telling where and how we'll actually find them. One thing we do know: Each of the nine main characters will have their own episode in this season's 15-episode order, chronicling what they've been up to the last seven years. Some may cross over, but they'll all be complementary -- and they're all meant to set up an eventual "AD" movie. Considering the season will all be available the day it premieres, it sounds pretty perfect for a marathon viewing.

"The Glades" (A&E)

<em>Season 4 premieres Mon., May 27 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> In the Season 3 finale, Jim (Matt Passmore) proposed to Callie (Kiele Sanchez), even though she passed her board exam and may move to Atlanta. But she didn't respond yet ...

"Longmire" (A&E)

<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., May 27 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Did Walt Longmire murder his wife's killer? Season 1 saw flashbacks of the Sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, that would support the theory, but when the FBI asked him in the Season 1 finale, he simply said, "No."

"Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" (ABC)

<em>Season 3 premieres Tues., May 28 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> As in the seasons before it, "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" will center on a group of people losing large amounts of weight over the course of a year through diet and exercise.

"Brooklyn DA" (CBS)

<em>Series premieres Tues., May 28 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: The six-part series takes viewers behind the scenes of the Brooklyn District Attorney's office. ADA Kathleen Collins (pictured) is just one of the profiled attorneys. "When you?re on trial, there?s never a day that you really go home and don?t feel stressed," she said.

"The American Baking Competition" (CBS)

<em>Series premieres Wed., May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Based on a popular British reality competition, this new Jeff Foxworthy-hosted show features 10 home cooks vying for the title of best amateur baker in America, as well as a contract to publish their own cookbook and a $250,000 grand prize. Not bad for a couple of pies work, huh?

"Melissa & Joey" (ABC Family)

<em>Season 3 premieres Wed., May 29 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Joe married Russian businesswoman Elena, but then she received a call that prompted her to fly back to Russia to testify for one of her innocent colleagues. The Season 2 finale ended with Mel -- who officiated the wedding -- and Joe toasting to the next "Mrs. Longo," wherever she may be.

"Baby Daddy" (ABC Family)

<em>Season 2 premieres Wed., March 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET. </em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Ben and Riley's friend Katie faced some major drama when they found themselves in bed together after a night of partying. The only problem with their little tryst was that Katie was supposed to get married (to someone else) the next day. Luckily, they soon find out that nothing happened, and Riley and Ben share a romantic dance.

"Dancing Fools" (ABC Family)

<em>Series premieres Wed., May 29 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know: </strong> The half-hour comedy clip show, hosted by "Baby Daddy" star Melissa Peterman, features the funniest, most outrageous and memorable dances caught on camera. The dancers from the top two clips of the week compete on stage for a chance to win $10,000.

"The Killing" (AMC)

<em>Season 3 premieres Sun., June 2 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Season 2 ended with Rosie Larsen's Aunt Terry being arrested for her murder. Detectives Linden (Mireille Enos) and Holder (Joel Kinnaman) got a call about a new case, but Linden wanted no part of it. Season 3 picks up a year later, with Holder searching for a runaway girl and discovering a string of murders connected to one of Linden's old cases. Though Linden is no longer a detective, she inevitably gets pulled back in.

"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" (Bravo)

<em>Season 5 premieres Sun., June 2 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> Where We Left Off</strong>: The "Housewives" were fractured -- to say the least -- but the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy brings new beginnings for the first ladies of the Garden State. Of course things could certainly go sour yet again.

"Princesses: Long Island" (Bravo)

<em>Series premieres Sun., June 2 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know</strong>: The reality series follows six college-educated women from affluent areas of Long Island who are still living with their families.

?Keeping Up With the Kardashians? (E!)

<em>Season 8 premieres Sun., May 20 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Kim and Kanye?s relationship was just breaking the Internet, and now we?ll see it all on screen -- including their baby drama. Khloe?s fertility issues continue, but new ?castmember? Brody Jenner -- Bruce?s son from a previous marriage who is no stranger to reality TV -- looks to be this season?s biggest diva.

"Mistresses" (ABC)

<em>Series premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Soapy drama "Mistresses" stars Alyssa Milano, Yunjin Kim, Rochelle Aytes and Jes Macallan as four friends all struggling with different issues in their love lives, with men (including Jason George) and other women complicating matters. And as the title suggests, some of them are flirting with disaster and becoming mistresses themselves.

?The Fosters? (ABC Family)

<em>Series premieres Mon., June 3 at 9 p.m. ET. </em> <strong>What To Know: </strong>This new one-hour drama from executive producer Jennifer Lopez follows a multi-ethnic, blended family, being raised by two working moms, as they welcome another troubled child into their home.

"Teen Wolf" (MTV)

<em>Season 3 premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> At the end of last season, Allison broke up with Scott, Peter warned Isaac and Derek that a new pack made up entirely of Alpha werewolves was coming, and said Alphas trapped Boyd and Erica in the woods, leaving viewers uncertain of their fate. Season 3 will pick up four months later, and focus on the introduction of the Alpha pack and the havoc they wreak.

"Push Girls" (Sundance Channel)

<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., June 3 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Throughout Sesaon 1 we got to know Auti, Mia, Tiphany and Chelsie, four women living in Hollywood who also happen to all be in wheelchairs. Season 2 will follow the foursome's new loves and new adventures, including 21-year-old Chelsie's decision to move out of her parents' home.

"America's Got Talent" (NBC)

<em>Season 8 premieres Tues., June 4 at 9 p.m. ET</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Last season, traveling dog act Olate Dogs was crowned the winner. This year, a new crop of performers will compete for the $1 million prize. Spice Girl Mel B. and Heidi Klum join the judging panel with Howie Mandel and Howard Stern.

"Burn Notice" (USA)

<em>Season 7 premieres Thursday, June 6 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> In an effort to get more information on Riley, Michael sent Bly to tail her to a meeting with the cartel kingpin, but a cartel member disguised as security blew up Bly's car, killing him and destroying the evidence they collected on Riley. Michael later incapacitated Riley and got her to agree to confess. Then, Fiona, Madeline, Sam and Jesse were released from their prison cells. Michael explained he "did what [he] had to do," but Fiona corrected him, saying, "You did what you wanted to do."

?Graceland? (USA)

<em>"Graceland" premieres Thurs., June 6 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> This cop drama, starring Daniel Sunjata and Aaron Tveit, follows a special group of law enforcement agents from the FBI, the DEA and U.S. Customs who all live under the same roof in sunny Southern California. Like frat guys (and girls), but with badges.

"The Hero" (TNT)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., June 6 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is producing this competition series to test the strength, courage and integrity of a diverse group of nine individuals. Each week, the contestants will be challenged physically, mentally and morally as they try to prove that they truly deserve the title of "The Hero" and the life-changing grand prize that goes with it.

"72 Hours" (TNT)

<em>Series premieres Thurs., June 6 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Contestants on this "Survivor"-esque reality show are dropped into the wilderness with only a bottle of water and a GPS device on a mission to find a briefcase filled with $100,000.

"Continuum" (Syfy)

<em>Season 2 premieres Fri., June 7 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> According to series lead Rachel Nichols, Season 2 is all about responsibility. Kiera, Alec and even the terrorists at Liber8 all have to make intense choices that could change the very fabric of their worlds.

"Dexter" (Showtime)

<em>Season 8 premieres Sun., June 30 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off: </strong> Deb finally learned the truth about Dexter's dark secret, and took a page out of her step-brother's book in the shocking season finale. Can she live with what she did? And can Dexter escape the series without being brought to justice in this final season?

"Being Human" (BBC America)

<em>Season 5 premieres Sat., June 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Our favorite supernatural threesome is back from across the pond for their fifth and final season where they'll finally confront the Devil, once and for all. No biggie.

"Sinbad" (Syfy)

<em>Series premiere Sat., June 8 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> The 12-episode British series follows the epic sea journey of the flawed hero Sinbad (Elliot Knight), who embarks on a quest to rid himself of a curse and embrace his destiny. Look for "Lost" alum Naveen Andrews as Lord Akbari.

"Primeval: New World" (Syfy)

<em>Series premieres Sat., June 8 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong> What To Know</strong>: The 13-episode first season follows a team of animal experts and scientists that investigate paranormal events.

"Falling Skies" (TNT)

<em>Season 3 premieres Sun., June 9 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Last season ended with the arrival of a new species of alien, and Anne became pregnant with Tom's child. Season 3 will explore whether the new alien is on the side of the humans or has another dark purpose in mind. We'll also learn what happened to Hal while he was unconscious, and what that might mean for the rebellion.

"Switched At Birth" (ABC Family)

<em>Season 2 summer premiere Mon., June 10 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off</strong>: "Switched At Birth" left on a big cliffhanger: Daphne struggled to keep the Carlton School for the Deaf open, John's campaign for office came to a startling halt and Emmett told Bay about Daphne and Noah's kiss.

"Major Crimes" (TNT)

<em>Season 2 premieres Mon., June 10 at 9 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off</strong>: Rusty became a ward of the state to the delight of everybody, and Captain Raydor continued to gain the trust and respect of the Major Crimes unit.

?King & Maxwell? (TNT)

<em>Series premieres Mon., June 10 at 10 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>What To Know:</strong> Based on author David Baldacci?s bestselling private eye series, Rebecca Romijn and Jon Tenney star as the titular former Secret Service agents now working as private investigators who aren?t always by-the-books.

"Pretty Little Liars" (ABC Family)

<em>Season 4 premieres Tues., June 11 at 8 p.m. ET.</em> <strong>Where We Left Off:</strong> Red Coat, who looked a whole lot like Ali, saved Emily, Aria, Hanna and Mona from a fire, while Spencer looked on in shock. The first episode of Season 4 is titled "A Is For A-L-I-V-E" and <a href="http://www.eonline.com/news/394204/spoiler-chat-scoop-on-pretty-little-liars-once-upon-a-time-revolution-new-girl-and-more" target="_hplink">E! News reports that viewers will meet Marion, Toby's mother</a>, who was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jaimie-etkin/pretty-little-liars-recap_b_2673316.html" target="_hplink">revealed to be dead in Season 3, Episode 18, "Dead To Me."</a> "All of the questions fans have will be answered," <a href="http://www.wetpaint.com/pretty-little-liars/articles/pretty-little-liars-star-sasha-pieterse-dishes-on-season-4-questions-will-be-answered-exclusive" target="_hplink">star Sasha Pieterse told Wetpaint Entertainment recently</a> of Season 4.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/13/the-client-list-riley-work-lacey-loss-video_n_3264762.html

new york knicks president day lin j.r. smith espn jeremy lin sleigh bells meek

Herndon High School Boy Varsity Soccer | Herndon Sports ...

For students in grades 9 - 12, Herndon High School is the local public school in both the town of Herndon and outlying areas like Reston.? First opened in 1911 in the current location of Herndon Middle School on Locust Street, the high school moved to its current location in 1967. The school mascot is the Fighting Hornet.

Source: http://herndon.patch.com/events/herndon-high-school-boy-varsity-soccer

kurt busch kurt busch nba dunk contest 2012 act of valor woody guthrie benson henderson 2012 dunk contest

AP PHOTOS: Pakistanis defy dangers, go to polls

AAA??May. 11, 2013?9:45 AM ET
AP PHOTOS: Pakistanis defy dangers, go to polls
By The Associated Press??By The Associated Press

An elderly Pakistani woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed and wounded dozens of people underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

An elderly Pakistani woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed and wounded dozens of people underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

A Pakistani girl stands between women waiting to enter a polling station to cast their ballots, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But bombings that killed ten people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

Pakistani voters line up outside a polling station waiting to enter and cast their ballots, on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But bombings that killed several people and wounded dozens more underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

Pakistanis receive their ballot papers before at a polling station in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent. But attacks that killed and wounded dozens of people underlined the risks many people took just casting their ballots. (AP Photo/Rebecca Conway)

A Pakistani man, who was injured in a bomb blast outside a polling station, is rushed to a hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, Saturday, May 11, 2013. A bomb exploded outside a polling station, killing at least one person and wounding 10 others, said police officer Mukhtiar Khan in Peshawar. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

Pakistanis streamed to the polls Saturday in a historic vote despite a series of violent attacks that has killed over 130 people in recent weeks.

It is the first time in the nation's history that an elected government is fulfilling its term and handing over power to another. Pakistan has seen three military coups.

Here are some images from regions across the nation on election day.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-11-AS-Pakistan-Photo-Gallery/id-3844c82ebf474f30a0595195fc8d5e41

nazi ss andrej pejic steve jobs fbi safehouse brown recluse brown recluse front door