Calif. man faces prison for foiled murder plot

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Eugene Temkin was intent on having a hitman kidnap, torture and kill a former business partner and his family because he felt he wasn't repaid for a deal that soured nearly a decade earlier.

Temkin not only tried once, he tried again four months after FBI agents learned about the plot and warned him to stay away from Michael Hershman. In both instances Temkin, 51, unwittingly tried to hire an undercover law enforcement officer to carry out the hit.

On Monday, Temkin is scheduled to be sentenced in a Los Angeles federal courtroom after being convicted last year of three murder-for-hire-related counts with prosecutors asking for a 20-year prison sentence.

Court documents portray the fear, helplessness and frustration of Temkin's victims, who said they were terrorized and traumatized while getting little help from authorities.

For Hershman and his family, the last several years have been painful and agonizing. His 20-year-old son died from an accidental drug overdose in late 2010 and he slept with a machete because Temkin hired people to stalk and harass him, Hershman said. His college-age daughter has been placed in a psychiatric clinic in Texas where she has hallucinations and believes she's been kidnapped by Temkin and put there by him, he said.

"Every day he is thinking and plotting revenge on us, his life revolves around it," Hershman wrote in a letter to U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson. "He will not stop. Please help us."

The men met one another when they were selling drugs in the 1980s, according to court documents. In 2001, Temkin lent Hershman $500,000 ? money from a second mortgage on an apartment building he owned ? to invest in a casino in Equatorial Guinea. When Hershman was unable to repay Temkin right away because the casino had not fared well, Temkin sued his then-business partner after losing the apartment complex in foreclosure.

The lawsuit was settled in 2006, but authorities said Temkin wanted about $5 million for unrealized profits he would have received had he sold the apartment building before the real estate market crashed.

Temkin repeatedly threatened and harassed Hershman and his family, investigators said. Pictures and other heirlooms were stolen from Hershman's storage unit. Their e-mails were hacked and his children said they were followed by strange men.

Temkin was never charged in connection with those incidents but Hershman obtained a restraining order against him in 2007, saying Temkin made gun signals to him with his hands, according to an affidavit.

Hershman said he pleaded with numerous law enforcement agencies to investigate Temkin but they did nothing.

The investigation took a turn in late 2009 when one of Temkin's friends approached Los Angeles County sheriff's detectives saying Temkin wanted to extort money from Hershman before killing him.

A series of meetings were arranged between an undercover detective posing as a hitman and Temkin, who gave varying scenarios how Hershman should be killed.

One plot involved a crew kidnapping Hershman and his family in the Dominican Republic and have the undercover officer kill them.

"Hang him from a door, throw him from a fishing boat, all works for me," Temkin said during one of the recorded conversations with the investigator.

In March 2010, FBI agents met with Temkin who told them about the dispute but denied making threats. The agents then told Temkin not to threaten, hurt or kill Hershman, according to court documents. Temkin agreed.

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller says it's not uncommon for law enforcement agencies to receive cases where death threats are made.

"The government has to prove a legal intent that someone planned to go through with it," Eimiller said.

Temkin apparently wasn't dissuaded because several months later authorities learned he was still interested in killing Hershman. Another undercover officer, acting as a hit man, began meeting with Temkin, who indicated he had another hired hand to kill Hershman but would call the officer if plans fell through.

In July 2010, Temkin gave the officer the green light to kill Hershman, his wife and a business partner, authorities said.

Temkin provided the undercover officer with Hershman's passport number, photographs of the would-be victims and 30 $100 bills for the job expected to cost $30,000.

Temkin was arrested six days later at his home outside of Santa Barbara.

In arguing for a sentence no greater than six years, defense attorney Richard Callahan said Temkin called off plans to kill Hershman after the meeting with FBI agents.

"While Mr. Temkin was angry and fixated on Hershman's debt, he never took action on it for almost 10 years despite clear opportunities to do so," Callahan wrote. It wasn't until the FBI intervened that Temkin "crossed the line."

"It is submitted that without the intervention of the FBI, that 'line' would never have been crossed," he added.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-30-Thwarted%20Murder%20Plot/id-4efc01bc25784afc9d0172d088da2fac

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We're hiring a Communications Director

Position: Communications Director

Organization:
The Regeneration Project is the national office of the Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) campaign. The IPL campaign is mobilizing a religious response to global warming in concert with our affiliate organizations in 39 states. IPL engages congregations through energy conservation and renewable energy programs, education and outreach, and public policy advocacy. IPL is working with faith communities around the country to become leaders in the fight against global warming. Over 14,000 congregations of all faiths are involved, in all 50 states.

Position Summary:
The Communications Director (CD) will develop and implement a national communications strategy to raise the profile of Interfaith Power & Light and broadcast faith-based and moral messages for climate action. The CD will be responsible for promoting our national policy priorities, strategic message development, recruiting and training spokespersons, and interacting directly with media outlets. Candidates should have demonstrated success in generating earned media in both traditional and online outlets. Candidates should also be experienced in utilizing social media for message amplification and list-building. The position is suited for an experienced communications professional who is excited about taking a relatively new and rapidly growing organization (we?ve just entered our second decade) to the next level. The ideal candidate will also have experience with the faith community and climate and/or energy policy advocacy along with at least three years project management experience.

This is an opportunity to join a unique and dynamic organization in a newly created, strategic position.

Responsibilities:
? Develop and implement national communications plan targeting both traditional and new media opportunities
? Ensure that social media communications are consistent with overall media strategy and messages
? Create and oversee development of compelling written materials including website content
? Maintain and develop relationships with reporters and editors; manage media database and track news coverage
? Monitor and analyze media coverage of national campaigns and state affiliates
? Work with state affiliate leaders to help them develop their communications programs
? Collaborate with other staff to integrate media outreach into campaign planning
? Travel to training events, strategy sessions, visibility events, or other large events and conferences as needed
? Provide creative input and work with multiple teams
? Collaborate with development team to ensure effective communication with funders, board members, and supporters
? Work with president and executive director to ensure program is meeting strategic priorities
? Work in coalitions with other environmental and faith-based organizations

Qualifications:
? B.A. or B.S.
? Seven to ten years media experience including at least three years in a senior management position
? Proven experience developing and implementing successful media and communications strategies
? Strong track record developing and managing creative online campaigns using social media, including list building campaigns
? Excellent written and oral communications skills
? Experience with climate, energy efficiency, and/or renewable energy policy
? Experience working in a nonprofit setting
? Experience working with the faith community preferred
? Ability to plan, organize and handle multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment; excellent attention to detail and follow-through are essential
? Ability to take initiative, think creatively and work collaboratively with people of diverse backgrounds and skills
? Proficiency with MS Word Office Suite and aptitude with Internet applications including email, social media, constituent relationship management and other related database tools
? Experience with Macintosh computers, online CRM and CRS software a plus

Compensation:
The Regeneration Project offers a competitive salary package commensurate with skills and experience plus excellent benefits that include medical, dental, and vision coverage, generous vacation time, commuter benefits and a retirement savings plan.

Location:
San Francisco (Financial District)

To Apply:
Please send a resume and cover letter by February 24, 2012 to:
Communications Director Search
Care of Gretchen Killion
Gretchen@theregenerationproject.org
Please note where you saw the job posting.

Download PDF of job posting.

Source: http://interfaithpowerandlight.org/2012/01/were-hiring-a-communications-director/

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Pamela Glasner: Who Protects and Serves When The Elderly Are Fleeced?

Nine months ago, before my mother passed away, before this horror show (my awareness of my parents' money being stolen right out from under everyone's noses) began, if anyone had suggested to me just how easy it is to steal from the elderly and just how often it happens -- AND how unattainable justice is after the fact -- I think I might have gasped incredulously but privately I'd probably have reassured myself with something like, "It's a terrible crime, of course, but it could not possibly happen with that kind of frequency. Surely, in this great country of ours, such horrendous and flagrant violations of the law could not possibly go unpunished!"

And guess what? I'd have been dead wrong. This is not Law and Order, and it will not get neatly wrapped up at the end of sixty minutes. In fact, hard a pill as it is for me to swallow, I now know it will never get wrapped up, neatly or otherwise. Hence the birth of my upcoming film, Last Will and Embezzlement -- a feature-length documentary which delves deeply into topic of elder exploitation. I had to something ...

What most Americans are unaware of (and that included me, I assure you!) are the "threshold policies" throughout the US. Simplistically put, because resources are stretched so thin these days, and because all prosecutions have an expense associated with them, each state establishes its own "off the books" policy regarding "dollar amount thresholds" -- the actual financial value assigned to a particular embezzlement case (money stolen vs. what the state might be able to realize at the end of a successful prosecution) -- below which a case simply is not in their interest to pursue. In other words, if they don't think it's worth it, the authorities will simply refuse to do anything about it. Of course, they will never state it that way, but that's what happens.

The effect of these thresholds, outside of saving the state loads of money, is that the lion's share of perpetrators will never be prosecuted -- and they know it. And the effect of that is that it actually encourages repeat offenses, because it creates safety zones in which these perpetrators may operate with impunity.

Implausible as all this may sound, it is more often the rule than the exception. And if you think for one moment that this social problem is not something that effects you, think again. Baby Boomers control 80% of the world's personal finances and we are turning 65 at a rate of 61,000 per day across the globe (in modernized countries, that is).

Our world is facing the largest transfer of wealth from one generation to the next in history, putting into harm's way more than 500 million Baby Boomers as we march headlong into old age ourselves -- not to mention our adult children and our already-aged parents. And all I can say is every man, woman and child had better wake up and they'd better do it soon.

Pamela S. K. Glasner is a published author and a filmmaker. More information about Last Will and Embezzlement and Ms. Glasner can be found at www.lastwillandembezzlement.com, http://tinyurl.com/6tmtfmp, and http://tinyurl.com/2cn8bpo

Copyright by Pamela S. K. Glasner ? 2011, All Rights Reserved

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Follow Pamela Glasner on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PamelaGlasner

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-glasner/who-protects-and-serves-w_b_1229134.html

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Imperial War Museum Collection ? Cheap Automobile Insurance in ...

Posted on Sunday, January 29, 2012 in iwm

Searching for inexpensive California auto insurance? The key to discovering the cheapest California auto insurance rates is to take advantage of discounts, buy only the amount of protection that you require, and to regularly store about for California car insurance coverage estimates from numerous various insurance businesses a minimum of as soon as each and every six months. After all, California auto insurance prices alter often and its your decision to invest a couple of moments doing some study so you can find a cheap California auto insurance policy for your self!

California is one of the greatest states in the whole nation having an estimated 36,457,549 million people and specialists only predict that it?ll continue to develop (it?s developed a staggering 7.6% from 2005 to 2006). With so many individuals residing in the state, one are only able to presume that there?ll be numerous more motorists entering the this Western area from the United states, therefore more vehicles will be on the streets of California in many years to come. Due to this it?s no surprise that rates in California can get to become extremely costly when it comes to automobile insurance, especially in cities like La, San Francisco and San Diego.

It?s essential to know however, that possible customers can nonetheless find inexpensive CA automobile insurance when they shop around and do every thing they need to do before deciding on a company. 1 factor about this state is the fact that has great variety when it comes to population. People from all around the world come to California to live and because of the car insurance businesses need to form their coverage to them.

Prior to even choosing the type of coverage you would like from the particular car insurance business it?s essential to understand the state specifications (or state?s minimums) for California. This may allow you to see the minimum coverage feasible that you can select from a particular car insurance coverage business, thus it?ll give you the least expensive price feasible. The state of California dictates that 1 should be accountable for their very own actions with regards to driving a motor vehicle and that an individual must know the danger related with being behind the wheel of the automobile.

The statutory limitations for automobile Insurance coverage inside the state of California are 15/30/5. This implies that any person driving an automobile within the roads of the state has to have a minimal of Bodily Damage of 15,000 for demise of damage of anybody individual, Bodily Damage or 30,000 for all individuals in a single incident and Home Damage of $5,000 per accident. This really is clear as California car insurance legislation is trying to stop authorized arbitrations toward any driver when is comes to car accidents.

1 factor of note is the fact that even though having the minimum protection will help you with the rates, in case of an incident you?ll not have complete or collision coverage. Also, these people that bought an automobile and therefore are still generating payments on it, or these of you who leased a vehicle won?t be able to obtain minimal protection (they?re necessary to have comprehensive and collision protection). Because of this reason, it is essential to bear in mind not just just how much cash you can afford when purchasing a new automobile, but just how much your insurance will rise if you purchase it.

Aside from getting the minimal coverage the state of California enforces you will find many other issues a driver must take into account when they desire a cheap California automobile insurance coverage policy. One of them is to try and obtain a substantial deductible; nevertheless it must be a deductible that they can afford just in case some thing occurs.

If you personal a relatively old automobile and are done making payments around the car you need to be okay having a minimum protection along with a substantial deductible (the most affordable car insurance coverage coverage), however in the event you want to be protected and have a less out of pocket price in case something happens try a low deductible. The most common deductible is the fact that of $500 because it is not to reduced or too high simultaneously, but people could even go so far as having a $1000 deductible which would decrease their rates dramatically.

Final although not least is it essential to mention the selection of discounts that California automobile insurance businesses provide to reduced the prices of potential clients attempting to enroll in their ideas. These reductions can be the main factor when it comes to cheap automobile insurance coverage prices in the state of California.

1 factor that can definitely help your price is if you possess a clean driving file. Since the state of California is really a busy 1, especially when it comes to visitors, insurance businesses will lower your price if you really are a good driver and drive defensively. In the event you obtain a DUI in the state, expect to pay much more than ambigu what you would for car insurance.

Another essential discount that just about all insurance coverage companies give is the fact that of car equipment. In the event you have security functions this kind of as air bags, anti-theft alarms, anti-lock brakes and any other people; then you will be great to go when it comes to reductions. Keep in mind that theft is really a high risk that insurance coverage companies base their prices on, so in the event you try to stop it with these functions, your rate will be much reduced.

Final but not minimum it?s great to discuss other reductions this kind of nearly as good pupil and licensed driver?s certificate. This first 1 if important simply because as you start your driving career you will be hit difficult with high insurance coverage rates merely because you wont have experience and insurance businesses are taking a danger by insuring you. If you are a great student that makes great grades, you?ll have the ability to get discounts.

Also, in the event you go and attend a defensive motorists program, most California Auto Insurance Businesses will be able to give you a huge discount merely because you learned techniques which will help you turn out to be a much better driver.

It is not hard to get a cheap automobile insurance coverage coverage within the state of California. Even though the state has much more vehicles around the streets than ever before before and insurance coverage rates are going up, you can steer clear of paying plenty of cash in the event you merely do the things mentioned above.

In the event you want the cheapest auto insurance coverage policy available then go forward and obtain the minimum specifications, however you cannot be leasing or making payments on your automobile. If you just merely want a rate that is not sky rocket high, then simply attempt elevating your deductible a bit bit or requesting a few of the numerous discounts that insurance coverage companies may give.

Right here is some more info:
Buying a new car may be a fun and exciting expertise. You get to walk the lot picking out the vehicles that match you best. Once you discover the 1 you like nothing beats that new car smell. You cannot wait around to point out of one?s new automobile to all of your friends and loved ones. Then reality sets in and you realize you need to purchase car insurance for brand new vehicles and you?ve got to pay for tags and sales tax. This new automobile will quickly set you back an additional thousand dollars from pocket. Fortunately, there are methods to save on automobile insurance coverage for new vehicles. Think about the following four tips to save in your new coverage.

Suggestion 1: Choose Your car Cautiously

When you are nonetheless around the great deal you should consider purchasing your insurance. In the event you wish to save cash search for an automobile that has plenty of security features and is rated highly by car and driver. Numerous insurance businesses give reductions for security features. Their view is that if you are safe they?re less likely to pay out an insurance coverage claim. Make sure you get passenger air bags, anti-lock brakes, and a security system in your new automobile.

Suggestion Two: Evaluate Protection to get a Great Deal

The best method to make sure you?re obtaining the best car insurance for new cars is to complete an online research and comparison. You can total a research by your zip code to locate nearby insurance agents. Nevertheless, you will find you will find many companies that go over a number of states. Filling out the form is easy. Just make sure you have your driver?s license and VIN number for your car. Enter your own information and also you can get instant quotes from many various companies immediately.

Tip 3: Don?t Buy More Than You need

Buying car insurance coverage is type of like shopping for groceries. You can purchase around you want, however you do not always require what you are buying. Every state has minimum coverage limits. However, there are no maximums. When you purchase automobile insurance for new cars you need to sit down and choose just how much coverage you?ll need.

Does one need $25,000 bucks of health-related coverage or $250,000? The difference in between the two quantities is very drastic. You coverage could even ambigu whenever you include on substantial protection amounts. It?s up to you to decide if you really need this much coverage.

Tip Four: Raise Your Deductible Also compare Auto Insurance North Carolina here.

In the event you are purchasing car insurance coverage for brand new cars you will have to choose just how much you would like your deductible to become. This is actually the amount you pay from pocket if you enter into an incident. Most companies permit you to select deductibles from $500 to $1,500.

Elevating your deductible will lower your insurance top quality. However, you need to make sure you have the money to spend a $1,500 dollar deductible if you enter into a wreck. This could be very challenging.

As you can see purchasing car insurance for brand new vehicles can be a bit tricky. However, whenever you know what you?re performing the process is easier.

Source: http://iwmcollections.org/2012/01/29/cheap-automobile-insurance-in-california-how-you-can-find-inexpensive-california-auto-insurance-rates/

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80 percent of 'irreplaceable' habitats in Andes unprotected

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Hundreds of rare, endemic species in the Central Andes remain unprotected and are increasingly under threat from development and climate change, according to a Duke University-led international study.

"These species require unique ecological conditions and are particularly vulnerable to changes in the environment or climate. Yet our analysis shows that region-wide, about 80 percent of the areas with high numbers of these species lack any protection," said Jennifer Swenson, assistant professor of the practice of geospatial analysis at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment.

The study, published today in the peer-reviewed, open-access journal BMC Ecology, identifies and maps the geographic ranges of hundreds of species of plants and animals ? including mammals, birds and amphibians ? that are found nowhere in the world outside the Andes-Amazon basin in Peru and Bolivia.

The threat to these species has become especially severe in recent years, Swenson said, as oil and gold mining, infrastructure projects, agriculture and other human activities encroach farther into the region's biologically rich landscapes.

"This is one of Earth's most rapidly changing areas," she said.

To conduct their study, Swenson and her colleagues collected more than 7,000 individual records of endemic species locations for 115 species of birds, 55 mammals, 177 amphibians and 435 plants. They combined these with satellite images and climate, topography and vegetation data to create models, detailed to one kilometer, that mapped endemic species distributions across the entire basin ? from the forested slopes and dry inter-mountain valleys of the Andes all the way to the low-lying Amazonian wetlands and savannas.

By overlaying this data with maps showing modern political boundaries in the Andes-Amazon basin, the researchers found that only about 20 percent of the areas with high numbers of endemic species or high levels of irreplaceability fell within national parks or protected areas, and that 226 rare endemic species lacked any national-level protection at all. Irreplaceability is a term used by conservationists to denote biodiversity hotspots where high numbers of endemic species with very small ranges live. These are often among the most vital ? and vulnerable ? habitats in a region.

"Interestingly, one of the areas we identified with the highest number of bird and mammal species and one of the highest levels of irreplaceability was an unprotected region surrounding the World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu, one of the most heavily visited tourist destinations in the region," Swenson noted.

As the effects of development and climate change continue to shrink or shift geographic ranges in coming decades, some species may literally be running out of ground, she said.

"Conservation strategies across the Andes urgently need revising," she said. "There is already evidence of species migrating upslope to keep up with climate change. We hope our data will help protect this incredibly unique region."

Bruce E. Young, director of species science at the nonprofit conservation organization NatureServe, was principal co-author of the study. Twenty additional collaborators from conservation agencies and organizations in Peru and Bolivia helped gather data.

###

Duke University: http://www.duke.edu

Thanks to Duke University for this article.

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

This press release has been viewed 73 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117154/___percent_of__irreplaceable__habitats_in_Andes_unprotected

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F-BOMB $50 surveillance computer hides in your CO detector, cracks your WiFi

What happens when you take a PogoPlug, add 8GB of flash storage, some radios (WiFi, GPS) and perhaps a few sensors, then stuff everything in a 3D-printed box? You get the F-BOMB (Falling or Ballistically-launched Object that Makes Backdoors), a battery-powered surveillance computer that costs less than $50 to put together using off-the-shelf parts. The 4 x 3.5 x 1-inch device, created by security researcher Brendan O'Connor and funded by DARPA's Cyber Fast Track program, is cheap enough for single-use scenarios where costly traditional hardware is impractical. It can be dropped from an AR Drone, tossed over a fence, plugged into a wall socket or even hidden inside a CO detector. Once in place, the homebrew Linux-based system can be used to gather data and hop onto wireless networks using WiFi-cracking software. Sneaky. Paranoid yet? Click on the source link below for more info.

F-BOMB $50 surveillance computer hides in your CO detector, cracks your WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/BWK7B6yA4Ig/

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'Real' Housewife Kim Richards Admits: "I'm an Alcoholic"

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kim Richards is finally ready to admit what anyone who watches her show has known all along.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/kim-richards-admits-shes-alcoholic/1-a-422286?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Akim-richards-admits-shes-alcoholic-422286

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Florida Debate Live Blogging Pt.1

8:11 PM : When?s the fighting start? 8:17 PM : Really good answer there. 8:18 PM : Mittdignation! 8:19 PM : Is Newt actually managing to use logic and understatement this time? That?s total newtjitsu. 8:22 PM : Okay, this may be a problem for Mitt. He just said he hadn?t seen this ad about Gingrich allegedly attacking the Spanish language and doubted it was his. ( Here?s the ad .) Well, it?s his ad and actually have the ?I approve this message? tag at the end.

Read the original:
Florida Debate Live Blogging Pt.1

Source: http://www.liberalwhoppers.com/2012/01/27/florida-debate-live-blogging-pt-1/

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Amazon prices Verizon Galaxy Nexus at $99, tests your self control

Looking for an excuse to buy a LTE-enabled superphone? Look no further. Online retail giant Amazon has priced Verizon's iteration of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus at a paltry $99 for customers opening a new line of service. For those keeping score at home, that's a full $200 less than the on-contract price ($299) currently being peddled by Big Red. Why are you still reading this? Hit the source link, hammer in your Amazon credentials and get yourself one of these lean, mean, Ice Cream Sandwich running machines.

Amazon prices Verizon Galaxy Nexus at $99, tests your self control originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink AndroidCentral  |  Amazon  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/WoOSIlwVvm4/

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Erratic, Reckless, Grandiose (talking-points-memo)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/191866885?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Fed says no rate hikes until at least late 2014 (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday said it will not raise interest rates until at least late 2014, even later than investors expected, in an effort to support a sluggish economic recovery.

Without making major shifts to its outlook for the economy, the central bank described the unemployment rate as still elevated and said it expects inflation to remain at levels consistent with stable prices.

It depicted business investment as having slowed, dowgrading its assessment from the December meeting.

Economic conditions "are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate at least through late 2014," the central bank said in a statement.

Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker, an inflation hawk who rotated into a voting seat this year, dissented against the decision. He preferred to omit the description of the time period for ultra-low rates.

As part of an effort to provide more insight on its thinking to financial markets and the public, the Fed later on Wednesday will begin publishing individual policymakers' projections for the appropriate path of the benchmark federal funds rate. That release is scheduled for 2 p.m. (1900 GMT)

If the Fed can convince financial markets it will be on hold longer than they had anticipated, long-term interest rates could drop as investors price in the new information.

"A significant contingent of the committee views this exercise not so much as a process improvement but more as an opportunity to ease again via the forward rate communications channel," Stephen Stanley, an economist at Pierpoint Securities, said ahead of the Fed's announcement.

There is also the possibility that officials will announce an explicit inflation target, perhaps a hard marker of 2 percent or a range of 2 percent or a bit below. The Fed has been debating a statement on its long-run goals, but whether one will be released on Wednesday is unclear.

While forecasters expect the U.S. economy grew at a 3 percent annual rate in the last three months of 2011, they look for growth of just around 2 percent this year.

Fed officials appear likely to bide their time in determining whether more monetary stimulus is needed. Many economists expect they will eventually decide on another spurt of Fed bond buying - probably one focused on mortgage debt.

In response to the deepest recession in generations, the Fed slashed the overnight federal funds rate to near zero in December 2008. It has also more than tripled the size of its balance sheet to around $2.9 trillion through two separate bond purchase programs.

The policy is credited with having prevented an even more devastating downturn, but it has been insufficient to bring unemployment down to levels considered normal during good economic times.

In December, the U.S. jobless rate stood at 8.5 percent, and some 13 million Americans were still actively looking for work but could not find it.

Analysts said the Fed's shift in communications will put an even greater emphasis on a post-meeting news conference by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke set for 2:15 p.m. (1915 GMT).

"The chairman is likely to remain non-committal to any additional policy easing, but he is likely to reinforce the Fed's commitment to 'review the size and composition of its securities holdings' and be 'prepared to adjust those holdings as appropriate,'" said Millan Mulraine, senior macro strategist at TD Securities.

(Editing by Tim Ahmann and Andrea Ricci)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/bs_nm/us_usa_fed

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New library e-catalogs offer expanded selection

NEW YORK (AP) ? Library users searching for e-books will soon get to look through a much bigger catalog and help decide what their local branch might carry.

OverDrive Inc., a major e-distributor for libraries, announced Wednesday the launch of a vastly expanded list for patrons, featuring not just e-books available for lending, but hundreds of thousands of those which aren't, from older releases to foreign-language titles. Viewers can look at excerpts, purchase books from a retailer or request that their library add an e-book that wasn't being offered.

"We're allowing libraries to be better connected with their communities," OverDrive CEO Steve Potash said during a recent interview. "Right now, we have librarians who are trying to add books to the e-catalogue but don't always know what to add. Now, by exposing a publisher's entire list, it becomes like crowdsourcing, where patrons can offer their suggestions."

Potash said he expects the program to begin within a couple of weeks, in a handful of library systems, including New York City, Boston and Cuyahoga County in Ohio.

"If we had an unlimited budget we'd just buy everything ahead of time, so we have to purchase more wisely," said Michael Colford, director of library services for the Boston Public Library. "There are books which we obviously need, like current best-sellers, but there are a lot more books which aren't surefire hits. And we would have a much better idea of what to get if our customers were able to tell us."

The catalog will include offerings from hundreds of publishers, from Random House Inc. and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to Lonely Planet and the children's publisher Nickelodeon. OverDrive also will feature thousands of foreign-language titles, in Russian, Spanish, Swedish and dozens of other languages

Potash noted that while Random House has digitized over 18,000 books, even larger public libraries offer a fraction of those titles.

"Now every new title, midlist title and early works will be included in a reader's search," Potash said.

The library e-market, like the commercial market, has grown rapidly and Potash said that in the past year OverDrive added dozens of publishers, including Lonely Planet and the religious publisher Thomas Nelson. He sees the new catalog as a "reward" for those "who are strong supporters of lending" and "very enlightened" about exposing their authors to libraries.

HarperCollins, which has restricted lending of its e-books, is participating, but not Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and other publishers who don't offer downloads to libraries, citing concerns about lost sales. Potash said he did not intend any criticism, but added that he was a "little bit discouraged that publishers who have built some of their biggest successes around book clubs and word of mouth were underappreciating the value" of the library market.

Macmillan CEO John Sargent said that the publisher "continued to talk to the library community. We continue to be hopeful that our ongoing dialogue will solve the thorny problems this market presents."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-25-Books-LIbraries/id-434bc2ba20224218af79f746ed6bf00f

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Sweeping genetic analysis of rare disease yields common mechanism of hypertension

ScienceDaily (Jan. 22, 2012) ? Analyzing all the genes of dozens of people suffering from a rare form of hypertension, Yale University researchers have discovered a new mechanism that regulates the blood pressure of all humans.

The findings by an international research team headed by Yale scientists, published online Jan. 22 in the journal Nature, may help explain what goes wrong in the one billion people who suffer from high blood pressure. The study also demonstrates the power of new DNA sequencing methods to find previously unknown disease-causing genes.

The team used a technique called whole exome sequencing -- an analysis of the makeup of all the genes -- to study a rare inherited form of hypertension characterized by excess levels of potassium in the blood. They found mutations in either of two genes that caused the disease in affected members of 41 families suffering from the condition.

The two genes interact with one another in a complex that targets other proteins for degradation, and they orchestrate the balance between salt reabsorption and potassium secretion in the kidney.

"These genes were not previously suspected to play a role in blood pressure regulation, but if they are lost, the kidney can't put the brakes on salt reabsorption, resulting in hypertension," said Richard Lifton, Sterling Professor and chair of the Department of Genetics at Yale and senior author of the paper.

The mutations had previously been difficult to find because there were very few affected members in each family, so traditional methods to map the genes' locations had been ineffective.

"The mutations in one gene were almost all new mutations found in affected patients but not their parents, while mutations in the other gene could be either dominant or recessive. The exome sequencing technology was ideally suited to cutting through these complexities," said Lynn Boyden of Yale, the first author of the paper.

The next step is to establish how these new components are involved in regulating sodium reabsorption in the kidney, in hopes of finding new ways intervene in hypertension, a major global health problem.

"We are finding all the individual parts to a complicated machine, and we need to understand how they are all put together to make the machine work," said Lifton, who is also an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Physicians from 10 countries and 17 states in the United States recruited patients and families with this rare disease and participated in the research.

The work was funded by the HHMI and Leducq Transatlantic Network for Hypertension and from National Institutes of Health grants from a O'Brien Center and the Yale Clinical and Translational Science Award grant through the National Center for Research Resources.

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Journal Reference:

1. Lynn M. Boyden, Murim Choi, Keith A. Choate, Carol J. Nelson-Williams, Anita Farhi, Hakan R. Toka, Irina R. Tikhonova, Robert Bjornson, Shrikant M. Mane, Giacomo Colussi, Marcel Lebel, Richard D. Gordon, Ben A. Semmekrot, Alain Poujol, Matti J. V?lim?ki, Maria E. De Ferrari, Sami A. Sanjad, Michael Gutkin, Fiona E. Karet, Joseph R. Tucci, Jim R. Stockigt, Kim M. Keppler-Noreuil, Craig C. Porter, Sudhir K. Anand, Margo L. Whiteford, Ira D. Davis, Stephanie B. Dewar, Alberto Bettinelli, Jeffrey J. Fadrowski, Craig W. Belsha, Tracy E. Hunley, Raoul D. Nelson, Howard Trachtman, Trevor R. P. Cole, Maury Pinsk, Detlef Bockenhauer, Mohan Shenoy, Priya Vaidyanathan, John W. Foreman, Majid Rasoulpour, Farook Thameem, Hania Z. Al-Shahrouri, Jai Radhakrishnan, Ali G. Gharavi, Beatrice Goilav, Richard P. Lifton. Mutations in kelch-like 3 and cullin 3 cause hypertension and electrolyte abnormalities. Nature, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nature10814

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/7eUiI5yhRCA/120122152548.htm

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BlackBerry maker co-CEOs step down

TORONTO (AP) ? BlackBerry maker Research in Motion'co-CEOs, Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis, announced Sunday they are stepping down from the once-iconic company that has struggled to compete in recent years.

The pair who founded RIM will be replaced by Thorsten Heins, a chief operating officer who joined RIM four years ago from Siemens AG, RIM said.

Balsillie and Lazaridis have headed Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM together for the past two decades.

"There comes a time in the growth of every successful company when the founders recognize the need to pass the baton to new leadership. Jim and I went to the board and told them that we thought that time was now," Lazaridis said in a statement.

The Canadian company has suffered a series of setbacks and has lost tens of billions in market value. A company that was worth more than $70 billion a few years ago now has a market value of $8.9 billion.

RIM said last month that new phones deemed critical to the company's future will be delayed until late 2012. And its PlayBook tablet, RIM's answer to the Apple iPad, failed to gain consumer support, forcing the company to give it deep discounts to move the devices off store shelves.

A widespread outage also frustrated tens of millions of BlackBerry users in October.

Lazaridis will take on a new role as vice chairman of RIM's board and chairman of the board's new innovation committee. Balsillie remains a member of the board.

"I agree this is the right time to pass the baton to new leadership, and I have complete confidence in Thorsten, the management team and the company," Balsillie said in the statement. "I remain a significant shareholder and a director and, of course, they will have my full support."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-22-CN-RIM-CEOs-Resign/id-ddfa6d992b2c4d938749c67831106287

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Earthquake north of Dominican Republic capital (AP)

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic ? A moderate earthquake has shaken parts of the Dominican Republic north of the capital.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.1. The epicenter was about 74 miles (120 kilometers) north of Santo Domingo and 22 miles (35 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco de Macoris.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Tremors were felt as far away as Cap Haitien in northern Haiti on Monday.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120123/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_dominican_republic_earthquake

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Ice Cream Sandwich update for original Transformer coming 'mid-February,' says ASUS

Last we heard, the Ice Cream Sandwich update making its way to the O.G. Transformer was still "in the process of being approved" by the G-men. Although we've heard rumors that the holo-coated upgrade would come in February, nothing's been confirmed until now. ASUS replied to a life long fan's Facebook post, revealing that the update should arrive "mid-February." We know hearing the news that you'll have to keep waiting might not stop you from rolling on the floor and throwing a temper tantrum, but hey, you could not be getting one at all.

[Thanks, Udupa]

Ice Cream Sandwich update for original Transformer coming 'mid-February,' says ASUS originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/21/ice-cream-sandwich-update-for-original-transformer-coming/

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Recommended: Science on Ice: Four Polar Expeditions (preview)

Recommended | More Science See Inside

Books and recommendations from Scientific American

By Anna Kuchment and Michael Moyer ?| January 20, 2012

Image: Jeff Wilson, used with permission from Frozen Planet, by Alastair Fothergill and Vanessa Berlowitz, 2011 Firefly Books

Science on Ice: Four Polar Expeditions

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=385f16da429e5c91587c4bb25e11d5ac

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No. 2 Kentucky holds on to beat Alabama, 77-71

Kentucky's Marquis Teague (25) shoots in front Alabama's Trevor Lacey (3) and Alabama's Tony Mitchell (5) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Kentucky's Marquis Teague (25) shoots in front Alabama's Trevor Lacey (3) and Alabama's Tony Mitchell (5) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Kentucky's Doron Lamb (20) puts up a shot next to Alabama's Tony Mitchell during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Kentucky's Anthony Davis, center, shoots between Alabama's Moussa Gueye (14) and JaMychal Green during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Kentucky won 77-71. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Kentucky's Terrence Jones, center, shoots between Alabama's Nick Jacobs, left, and Levi Randolph during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Kentucky won 77-71. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) ? Alabama's plan to beat Kentucky involved swarming freshman Anthony Davis.

The only place he and the rest of the Wildcats found some elbow room was at the free-throw line.

Terrence Jones scored 15 points and No. 2 Kentucky hit all eight of its free throws in the final minute to hold on to beat Alabama 77-71 on Saturday for the Wildcats' 47th straight home victory.

"That's one of the more physical games I've played. It's going to get worse. I've just got to fight through it," said Davis, who finished 2 of 10 from the field and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line for 11 points. "There's going to be other teams just like that. There's not going to be any games off ? Vanderbilt, Florida, Georgia. They're all going to be games where we have to come out and be physical."

Kentucky (19-1, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) took the lead for good early in the first half, but Alabama's Trevor Releford scored all 17 of his points in the second half to keep the Crimson Tide (13-6, 2-3) close until the end.

"We came into the game and we knew we had to be physical and hit them because they're athletic and long in the front court," Alabama's JaMychal Green said. "Our focus mainly was hitting them, being physical and rebounding."

All of Alabama's hitting turned into foul shots and the teams combined for 45 fouls called.

Jones made Kentucky's final field goal with 6:57 left, but the Wildcats hit 23 of 29 second-half free-throw attempts and scored their final 15 points from the free-throw line.

Green had 22 points and 12 rebounds and Trevor Lacey added 10 points for Alabama, which lost its third in a row, but may have provided a blueprint for how to slow the Wildcats.

"I always kept a body on Davis if he rolled to the goal because we watched him play," Green said. "We saw a lot of lobs and dunks, so we knew that's how he scored. We just kept him off the boards."

But not out of the box score.

Leading 75-71 in the closing seconds, Davis blocked his fourth shot of the game and grabbed his ninth rebound when Charles Hankerson drove into the lane. Davis was fouled with 4.5 seconds left and made both his free throws for the final margin.

"Somebody's hip was on him 24-7 until the game ended," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "As a matter of fact, they put a hip on him in the postgame handshake, too."

That provided the Wildcats' other opportunities to score.

Doron Lamb had 14 points, freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 13, Darius Miller 11 and freshman Marquis Teague 10 for the Wildcats.

With 1:06 left, Kidd-Gilchrist fouled out trying to stop Andrew Steele, who hit two free throws that cut Kentucky's lead to 69-67.

The teams traded free throws with Miller making two foul shots and Green added two more with 37 seconds to play. Teague hit two and Steele answered with two more when Lamb fouled him on the inbounds pass with 24 seconds to go that cut it to 73-71.

But Miller hit two more free throws with 14 seconds to play before Davis' block. He set the school's single-season block record in Kentucky's previous win against Arkansas and added to his nation's leading blocks total.

"It was a rough game," said Davis, who has 93 blocks this year. "We had to fight through it, grind it out and that's what we did."

Releford rallied the Crimson Tide and Alabama trailed 49-48 with 12:37 left, but never took the lead despite Releford's scooping layup just beyond Davis' attempted block off the glass and then his floater that rattled around the rim and fell that cut Kentucky's lead to 55-52.

Jones' jumper made it 62-57 with 6:57 left, but Kentucky wouldn't score again from the field. The Wildcats fouled out Alabama's leading scorer and rebounder Tony Mitchell with 5:32 left.

Mitchell scored six points on 2-of-9 shooting for his second straight subpar performance after failing to score in 31 minutes in a loss to Vanderbilt.

Kentucky lost to Alabama last year on the road, but avenged it with a victory in the SEC tournament and got off to a fast start against the Crimson Tide in this one, too.

After Alabama took an early 5-1 lead, Kidd-Gilchrist sparked Kentucky on a 15-3 run that they never relinquish.

Davis missed his first seven shots before he followed up a miss by Teague with a dunk that gave Kentucky a five-point lead. The Wildcats maintained that advantage, taking a 37-32 lead into the break that they managed to hold onto throughout the foul-filled second half.

"Especially at the start, we weren't able to play through the physical play," Calipari said. "Until we learn to do that, every team's going to play us that way."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-21-T25-Alabama-Kentucky/id-22a0dd6ac5864ce4ad7571c8d7630cd4

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President Obama Sings Al Green's 'Let's Stay Together' During Fundraiser At Apollo Theater In Harlem (VIDEO)

President Obama has a message to his donors: Let's stay together.

While speaking Thursday night during a fundraiser at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, the commander in chief showed off some impressive singing abilities. After mentioning that soul legend Rev. Al Green was at the event, Obama belted out a short rendition of Green's classic hit "Let's Stay Together."

"I...I'm so in love with you," sang the President.

Obama then playfully pointed backstage and explained, "those guys didn't think I would do it. I told you I was gonna do it." Addressing Green in the audience, Obama said, "Don't worry Rev, I cannot sing like you, but I just wanted to show my appreciation."

ABC News explains that about 1,400 supporters attended the event, which included performances from Al Green and India.Arie. As Politico reports, Obama likely raised at least $3.1 million from his various New York fundraisers on Thursday.

WATCH PRESIDENT OBAMA SING IN THE VIDEO ABOVE (via YouTube/CNN)

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/obama-al-green-apollo-theater_n_1218070.html

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Patrick Wallace: Adopted by Two Gay Dads After a Tumultuous Upbringing, 15-Year-Old Zac Shares a Letter of Love (Huffington post)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/188339403?client_source=feed&format=rss

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A Q&A on contested Internet anti-piracy bills (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Online piracy costs U.S. copyright owners and producers billions of dollars every year, but legislation in Congress to block foreign Internet thieves and swindlers has met strong resistance from high-tech companies, spotlighted by Wikipedia's protest blackout on Wednesday, warning of a threat to Internet freedom.

House and Senate bills that once seemed to be on a path toward approval now face a rockier future. House Speaker John Boehner on Wednesday said it was "pretty clear to many of us that there is a lack of consensus at this point."

Amid the high-tech campaign against the bills, several lawmakers came out in opposition. At least four Senate Republicans who had previously cosponsored the Senate bill ? Orrin Hatch of Utah, Roy Blunt of Missouri, John Boozman of Arkansas and Charles Grassley of Iowa ? issued statements Wednesday saying they were withdrawing their support. Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland last week said that, after listening to constituent concerns, he could not vote for the Senate bill as it is currently written.

On the House side, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., issued a statement that he had heard from many of his constituents and come to the conclusion that the House and Senate bills "create unacceptable threats to free speech and free access to the Internet."

Here are some of the some of the questions being raised about the bills being considered:

Q. Why is legislation needed?

A. There's no argument that more needs to be done to protect artists, innovators and industries from copyright thieves and shield consumers from products sold on the Internet that are fake, faulty and unsafe. Creative America, a coalition of Hollywood studios, networks and unions, says content theft costs U.S. workers $5.5 billion a year. The pharmaceutical industry loses billions to Internet sellers of drugs that are falsely advertised and may be harmful.

Q. What is Congress trying to accomplish?

A. The two main bills are the Protect Intellectual Property Act, or PIPA, in the Senate, and the similar Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, in the House. There are already laws on the books to combat domestic websites trafficking in counterfeit or pirated goods, but little to counter foreign violators.

The bills would allow the Justice Department, and copyright holders, to seek court orders against foreign websites accused of perpetrating or facilitating copyright infringement. While there is little the United States can do to take down those websites, the bills would bar online advertising networks and payment facilitators such as credit card companies and PayPal from doing business with an alleged violator. It also would forbid search engines from linking to such sites.

The original bills would have let copyright holders and Internet service providers block access to pirate websites. Critics and Internet engineers complained that would allow copyright holders to interfere in the behind-the-scenes system that seamlessly directs computer users to websites. They said that causing deliberate failures in the lookup system to prevent visits to pirate websites could more easily allow hackers to trick users into inadvertently visiting websites that could infect their computers. The White House also took issue with that approach, saying "We must avoid creating new cybersecurity risks or disrupting the underlying architecture of the Internet."

Responding to the critics, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, said he is taking the blocking measure out of his bill. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., also is reworking his bill to address those cybersecurity issues.

Q. What are other concerns with the bills?

A. Critics say they would constrain free speech, curtail innovation and discourage new digital distribution methods. NetCoalition, a group of leading Internet and technology companies, says they could be forced to pre-screen all user comments, pictures and videos ? effectively killing social media. Search engines, Internet service providers and social networks could be forced shut down websites linked to any type of pirated content.

In addition, critics contend that young, developing businesses and smaller websites could be saddled with expensive litigation costs. And, they contend existing rights holders could impede new investment in the technology sector.

The White House said it would "not support any legislation that reduces freedom of expression ... or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet."

Leahy responded that there is nothing in the legislation that would require websites, Internet service providers, search engines, ad networks, payment processors or others to monitor their networks. He said his bill protects third parties from liability that may arise from actions to comply with a court order.

Michael O'Leary, a senior vice president at the Motion Picture Association of America, a key supporter of the legislation, said his industry is built upon a vibrant First Amendment. "We would never support any legislation that would limit this fundamental American right," he said. Neither PIPA nor SOPA "implicate free expression but focus solely on illegal conduct, which is not free speech."

Q. Who else supports the bills?

A. The most visible supporters are entertainment-related groups such as the MPAA and the National Music Publishers' Association. But the bills also enjoy support from the pharmaceutical industry, which is trying to shut down illegal online drug operations, and electronic and auto industries concerned about people going online to buy counterfeit parts that may be substandard. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several law enforcement groups also back the legislation.

Q. Who are the opponents?

A. In addition to Wikipedia, many major Internet and technology companies, including Google, Yahoo!, Amazon.com and eBay, are part of the NetCoalition group opposing the bills. Disparate political groups such as the liberal Democracy for America and the conservative Heritage Action have also voiced concerns about censorship.

Q. What is the status of the bills?

A. Momentum for the bills has slowed, giving the edge to Silicon Valley over Hollywood. The Senate, as its first major business when it returns to session next Tuesday, is to vote on whether to take up the bill. Sixty votes are needed to clear that legislative hurdle. It's unclear whether supporters have the votes.

Six Republicans on the Judiciary Committee last week wrote Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., saying that while the problem of intellectual property theft must be addressed, "the process at this point is moving too quickly" and a vote on moving to the bill "may be premature."

Reid replied that the vote will occur as scheduled, saying that while the bill was not perfect and he had urged Leahy to make changes, the issue was "too important to delay."

In the House, Judiciary Committee Chairman Smith said his panel would resume deliberations on SOPA in February. Meanwhile, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and an ally of the high-tech industry, said he had received assurances from GOP leaders that anti-piracy legislation would not move to the House floor this year unless there is a consensus on it.

Issa, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., are pushing an alternative to SOPA and PIPA that would make the International Trade Commission, which already is in charge of patent infringements, responsible for taking steps to prevent money and advertising from going to rogue sites.

Issa formally introduced his bill Wednesday, saying the Internet blackout had "underscored the flawed approach taken by SOPA and PIPA" and his bill was "a smarter way to protect taxpayers' rights while protecting the Internet."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_go_co/us_internet_piracy_q_a

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