Stalemate over, Italy's Letta names new government

By James Mackenzie and Gavin Jones

ROME (Reuters) - Italian center-left politician Enrico Letta named a coalition government on Saturday, making one of Silvio Berlusconi's closest allies deputy prime minister and ending two months of damaging political stalemate.

Letta has said his priorities would be the economy, unemployment and restoring faith in Italy's discredited political institutions as well as trying to turn Europe away from austerity to focus more on growth and investment.

An inconclusive general election in February left Italy, the euro zone's third-largest economy, without effective government, threatening investor confidence and holding up efforts to end a recession set to become the longest since World War Two.

Letta, the 46-year-old deputy head of the Democratic Party (PD), said he felt "sober satisfaction" after three days of talks with rival parties produced a government that included a record number of women ministers but few political big hitters.

"I hope that this government can get to work quickly in the spirit of fervent cooperation and without any prejudice or conflict," President Giorgio Napolitano said.

The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement has refused to join a government which party leader Beppe Grillo said "bordered on incestuous" given the relationship between Letta and his uncle Gianni Letta, Berlusconi's long-time chief of staff.

Angelino Alfano, secretary of Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party, will be deputy prime minister and interior minister, giving the center-right a strong voice.

But otherwise the big ministries were dominated by lower profile politicians or technocrats, which could limit their power to pass unpopular measures and leave a powerful backstage role for Berlusconi, who will not be joining the government.

The cabinet, which Letta said would contain a record number of women, will be sworn in at 05.30 EST on Sunday before a parliamentary vote of confidence, expected on Monday.

Napolitano asked Letta, a career politician on the right of the PD, to try to form a government after a dramatic week in which party leader Pier Luigi Bersani was forced out by a factional mutiny.

The PD's centre-left alliance won control of the lower house in the February election but fell short of the Senate majority needed to govern, exacerbating tensions in its ranks.

The still-unhealed divisions could affect the stability of the new government given the resistance felt by many in the PD to any alliance with Berlusconi, their foe for almost 20 years.

ENCOURAGEMENT

Letta received some encouragement late on Friday when the ratings agency Moody's kept its rating on Italian government debt unchanged at Baa2 because low interest rates were making it possible to buy time to implement much-needed reforms.

Bond yields have fallen to their lowest in more than two years as investors hope for enough stability to help Italy revive its economy and gradually tackle its large public debt.

However, Moody's also said medium-term growth prospects were weak and forecast the economy would shrink by 1.8 percent this year, compounding more than two decades of stagnation.

Berlusconi, in the middle of legal battles over a tax fraud conviction and charges of paying for sex with a minor, had pressed for the cabinet to include close political allies and opposed the inclusion of technocrats.

In the event, however, several of the big ministries were led by non-political figures, with Bank of Italy Director General Fabrizio Saccomanni becoming economy minister.

Anna Maria Cancellieri, a former police official who served as interior minister under Monti, took the justice portfolio and the labor ministry went to Enrico Giovannini, head of statistics agency ISTAT.

Former European Commissioner Emma Bonino will be Italy's first woman foreign minister and Congo-born Cecile Kyenge, named minister for integration, will be its first black minister, according to the Corriere della Sera daily.

(Additional reporting by Roberto Landucci, Steve Scherer; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italian-government-could-settled-saturday-sources-035335771.html

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Was that the president in my Beijing taxi?

A rumor that Chinese President Xi Jinping traveled undetected among the commoners of Beijing sparked enormous interest, echoing popular lore of?Chinese emperors moving about in disguise.

By Peter Ford,?Staff Writer / April 18, 2013

China's President Xi Jinping speaks during a meeting with Bill Gates (not in picture), on April 8, 2013.

Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Enlarge

When was the last time the Chinese president hailed a Beijing taxi?

Skip to next paragraph Peter Ford

Beijing Bureau Chief

Peter Ford is The Christian Science Monitor?s Beijing Bureau Chief. He covers news and features throughout China and also makes reporting trips to Japan and the Korean peninsula.

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Just a few weeks ago, if taxi driver Guo Lixin is to be believed. Mr. Guo told a Hong Kong newspaper on Thursday that President Xi Jinping took an incognito ride in his cab last month, and chatted about ? what else? ? air pollution.

The news sparked enormous interest on the Chinese Internet, with most of those posting comments on Twitter-like social media platforms apparently believing the tale, but many skeptical about the value of the president?s alleged outing.

Stories about Chinese emperors passing disguised amongst their subjects, so as to learn first hand about their lives, are a staple of Chinese TV soap operas. The official media have recently made a point of presenting Mr. Xi as a ?man of the people.?

According to Ta Kung Pao, the Hong Kong daily to whom Mr. Guo gave his account, two men got into his taxi on the evening of March 1. One of them, he said, looked uncommonly like Xi, head of China?s ruling Communist Party and on the verge of being elected the country?s president.

When he commented on the fact, his mystery passenger replied ?you are the first taxi driver to recognize me,? Guo said, before writing a note wishing the driver ?safe and smooth journeys.?

There are those who saw the story as a PR exercise, pointing out that Ta Kung Pao is a strongly pro-Beijing paper. Official Chinese websites ran the story, too, giving it a degree of credibility, or at least of government approval.

Other observers were dubious about the real identity of Guo?s passenger because the handwriting of his note had nothing in common with handwriting that the verified President Xi has left in visitors? books around the country.

The story sat well, however, with the Communist Party?s propaganda efforts to build the president?s image as a forthright, honest fellow with the common touch. Xi has attracted attention by ordering the police not to block the traffic near places he is visiting just to let his motorcade past. Last week he mingled with fisherfolk on the southern island of Hainan, discussing their catch in the same way that a Western politician might on a flesh-pressing jaunt.

Not everyone is impressed, however. ?The most effective plainclothes visit is to look at Weibo every day,? commented Feng Xincheng, a well known newspaper editor, referring to Sina Weibo, a censored but nonetheless lively Twitter-like service where public criticism of the authorities is common.

It did not seem from taxi driver Guo?s account that Xi (if it was indeed he) learned much that he did not already know. As soon as he recognized his passenger Guo broke out in a cold sweat, he said, and told the distinguished man in the front passenger seat that he thought the Communist Party and government policies were correct, if not always well implemented.

?Xi,? meanwhile, fed his ordinary citizen interlocutor the same pap as government officials feed the public about how long it will take and how hard it will be to clean up Beijing?s pollution.

Neither the alleged president nor his driver ended up much the wiser, it seems. And then on Thursday evening, the official Xinhua news agency stamped on all the speculation with a terse one line announcement.

Ta Kung Pao?s report, said Xinhua, ?has proven to be a fake story.??

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/gKlDEKXBPOw/Was-that-the-president-in-my-Beijing-taxi

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Bring on beef in draft, starting with OT Fisher

Tackle Eric Fisher from Central Michigan stands with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected first overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Tackle Eric Fisher from Central Michigan stands with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected first overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Luke Joeckel, from Texas A&M, stands with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected second overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Dion Jordan, a defensive end from Oregon, stands with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected third overall by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Lane Johnson, from Oklahoma, speaks during a news conference after being selected fourth overall by the Philadelphia Eagles during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Defensive end Barkevious Ming from Louisiana State holds up the team jersey after being selected sixth overall by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2013 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

NEW YORK (AP) ? NFL teams bought in bulk in Thursday night's draft.

Unlike the last few glam-and-glitter years when bumper crops of quarterbacks reigned, this was pure brawn: more than 600 pounds at the outset with offensive tackles Eric Fisher of Central Michigan and Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M.

The first seven picks were all linemen: four on offense, three on defense.

Not until Florida State's EJ Manuel went to Buffalo at No. 16 was a quarterback taken ? the lowest since 2000, when Chad Pennington went 18th to the Jets.

Fisher became the first Mid-American Conference player selected at the top when Kansas City's new regime led by coach Andy Reid chose the 6-foot-7, 306-pound offensive tackle.

"This is so surreal," Fisher said. "I'm ready to get to work right now. I'm ready to start playing some football. I can't process what's going on right now."

Fisher was followed by All-American Joeckel going to Jacksonville, defensive end Dion Jordan of Oregon to Miami, which traded up with Oakland, and Oklahoma tackle Lane Johnson to Philadelphia. Not a skill position player yet in sight ? a stark change from the last four drafts, when quarterbacks went first.

The procession of linemen continued with BYU defensive end Ziggy Ansah, born in Ghana, going to Detroit; LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo to Cleveland; and North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper to Arizona.

"That's a lot of love for the big boys up front, which we usually don't get," Fisher said.

That made for a ton of beef after the first seven picks.

And they wore it well, with their designer suits that barely were ruffled when they each engulfed Roger Goodell in the now traditional bear hugs between draftee and commissioner.

"It's called a three-piece, right?" asked Joeckel, who sported blue checks with the vested suit, along with a striped tie.

Fisher was only the third offensive tackle picked No. 1, joining Orlando Pace (1997) and Jake Long (2008) since the 1970 merger of the NFL and AFL. It's also the first time since '70 that offensive tackles went 1-2.

Even without a high-profile passer, runner or tackler going at the outset, the fans in the home of the Rockettes were pumped. They chanted "U-S-A, U-S-A" when Goodell paid tribute to the first responders at the Boston Marathon bombings and to the victims of the West, Texas explosion. They roared when Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath began the countdown to the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather site by taking the podium and screaming: "New York; Super Bowl 48."

The crowd didn't seem to care that early on the picks were all heffers, not hoofers. No Andrew Lucks or RG3s at the top of this crop.

"What you're getting is a very athletic player, a great kid, smart kid, engineering major," Reid said of Fisher, who really began to draw attention with a strong Senior Bowl, showing he could handle the highest level of competition. "He can play any position along the line, and loves to play the game."

Joeckel didn't seem any less thrilled to go No. 2.

"I don't have words for all the emotions I feel," he said. "It's the best feeling of my entire life."

Miami, envisioning Jordan as the next Jason Taylor, sent its first-rounder (12th overall) and this year's second-rounder to Oakland.

"Tackle is not a very sexy position," Johnson said. "But it's a position of dire need."

The next big trade saw the Rams move up eight spots ? and send four picks to Buffalo to do so. St. Louis ended the pursuit of heft by grabbing West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin, who at 5-8, 174 pounds, could probably fit in the hip pocket of any of the guys picked ahead of him.

The New York Jets may have found a replacement for star cornerback Darrelle Revis ? traded to Tampa Bay ? when they picked Alabama All-American Dee Milliner. That was the first of three straight selections from two-time national champion Alabama: Tennessee took guard Chance Warmack and San Diego got offensive tackle D.J. Fluker.

Roll Tide, indeed.

Oakland used the pick it got from the Dolphins for Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden, who nearly died last November after a collision in practice tore a blood vessel off the back of his heart. He was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery.

Unlike with their choice of Milliner, which was met raucous cheers, the Jets next selection, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson of Missouri, drew scattered boos and even a few "Who?" comments.

"I'm here to bring a championship back to New York," Richardson said.

Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, who also had a heart scare at the NFL combine but then checked out fine, went 14th to Carolina, followed by Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro to New Orleans.

Then came Manuel, although many analysts pegged West Virginia's Geno Smith as the top quarterback.

Pittsburgh, which always seems to find standout linebackers, took the highest-rated one in Georgia's Jarvis Jones. His fellow All-American, Notre Dame's Manti Te'o, was still on the board.

But another member of the Fighting Irish, tight end Tyler Eifert, was chosen 21st overall by Cincinnati.

Atlanta's choice of Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant gave that family three brothers in the league. His older siblings Marcus and Isaiah preceded him.

One major surprise was the New York Giants' selection of Justin Pugh ? yet another tackle, but one who wasn't projected to go in the opening round by many draft analysts.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-25-NFL%20Draft/id-673c13bd99a1479f8a1236a081c12baf

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The last word on...the Galaxy S4

On Tuesday night, a flash flood of Galaxy S4 reviews was released upon the internet, as Samsung granted permission to tech writers to publish their thoughts on the new smartphone. These reviews can be difficult to sift through -- and honestly, who has time to read dozens of smartphone reviews? -- so we're bringing together the final, summarizing paragraphs from several different reviews in one place, for your convenience.

We call it THE LAST WORD.

Brian Klug, AnandTech:

At the end of the day, the Galaxy S 4 is an evolution of the Galaxy S 3 in pretty much all of the areas you'd expect it to be. Whether or not that's what you wanted in a new Android smartphone is going to vary from one person to the next. The good news is that you at least have a choice.

David Pierce, The Verge:

I don't need more cores, more gigahertz, or more software features that ostensibly help me use my phone more easily. I need a phone that feels good in my hand, looks good on my desk, does everything I expect it to, and gives me no reason to think it won't last the life of my two-year contract. I bought an iPhone 5 because last fall it was the only phone that fit that bill ? now there are several Android options as well, and they?re good enough to make me want to switch back to Google?s OS.

For now, it's a choice every buyer will have to make. You can have the far better-looking phone or you can have the slightly better-performing phone ? and you really can't choose wrong. If the GS III is any indication, millions upon millions will choose the GS4. Me? I think design matters. Polish matters. The Galaxy S4 is fast and impressive, but it's also noisy and complex. The One is refined, quiet, comfortable, beautiful, and above all simply pleasant. I love using that phone, in a way I haven't experienced with anything since the iPhone 5. That's why, when my contract is up in June, I'll probably be casting my lot with HTC instead of Samsung.

Walt Mossberg, AllThingsD:

While many will compare the Galaxy S 4 with the iPhone 5, I also compared it with the $200 HTC One, which came out April 19. The HTC has a handsome, sturdier, aluminum body, dual stereo speakers, an excellent camera, better screen resolution than the new Samsung and twice the base memory for the same price.

If you?re a nut for lists of new features, love Samsung or crave an even bigger display, the Galaxy S 4 may be for you. It?s a good phone, just not a great one.

Jonathan Geller, BGR:

The new smartphone is thinner and faster than its predecessor, and it has innovative new ways to control and interact with the software. It also includes a myriad of sensors, more memory, the latest version of Android and software enhancements that generally do make using a smartphone better. What Samsung is doing is creating an ecosystem on the phone itself, one in which you don?t have to venture out into the Google Play badlands to find a single-purpose, gimmicky app, and it?s working.

Packing all of these features into a phone does make for a complicated device, and there are various functions that very few people will even use, or discover. But the concept is a good one and since Samsung can?t rely on third-party software the way that Apple can, it?s smart to try to make the Galaxy S4 a phone you can just pick up and be happy to use right out of the box ? and it?s easily the best Android phone I have ever used.

Brad Molen, Engadget:

If you're considering a move from an older Samsung device, the GS 4 is absolutely the handset you want. Your learning curve will be minimal thanks to TouchWiz's consistent UI, and besides, it's generally a great smartphone -- heck, the phone itself is the best Samsung handset we've used to date, and it'll definitely give the One a run for its money. All told, both phones have different strengths and weaknesses, so one handset unfortunately won't fit all. But when we compare it to the eye-catching look and feel of the One, we can't help but think of one word to describe Samsung's particular flagship entry: predictable.

David Pogue, The New York Times:

In the end, the Galaxy S4 is a good choice for people at opposite ends of the technical spectrum: gadget hounds who love to customize at one end, and (thanks to Easy Mode) the easily overwhelmed at the other.

For everyone else, the S4 may be buggy in spots and laden with not-quite-there features. But the basics are excellent; this phone is still a fast, bright, handsome pocket rocket. It easily earns its place as a successor to the Galaxy S3 and a rival to the iPhone.

Next time, it may be Apple?s turn to try harder.

Kevin Tofel, GigaOM:

Even though the Galaxy S 4 looks much like the model it replaces, this phone is a big step up thanks to the innovative software features and functions that Samsung has integrated. No phone is perfect for everyone, of course. I think most people, however, would be happy to have this device in their pocket.

Last year, I called the Galaxy S 3 ?Android?s defining phone.? This year, I?m calling the Galaxy S 4 ?Samsung?s defining phone? due to the Samsung-specific software features that differentiate this model.

Florence Ion, Ars Technica:

None of this takes away from the performance of the Galaxy S 4, though. It's an extremely solid phone, and it's going to be hard to go back to the S III after a week with this one. It feels great to hold, it's comfortable to use throughout the day, and it takes much better photos than its predecessor. The aluminum ring on its chassis makes the handset look more modern than its predecessors. The display doesn't hurt either?it's really something to look at. Samsung definitely has another hit on its hands.

Harry McCracken, TIME:

So where does that leave the S 4 compared with its major competitors? If you want the most polished phone with the best selection of apps, the iPhone 5 still has no peer. If you crave Apple-like panache but love Android, HTC?s One is a fine choice. And if what you want is the mainstream phone with the biggest screen and the most built-in stuff, the Galaxy S 4 is your most logical option.

Steve Kovach, Business Insider:

Make no mistake about it, the Galaxy S4 is a great phone, and easily one of the best you can buy right now. You get an amazing Android experience on a big, beautiful display.

As long as you don't mind a bunch of plastic, you'll be perfectly happy with the Galaxy S4.

But is it the best phone? No. You're still much better off with the iPhone 5 or the HTC One if you like Android.

Joanna Stern, ABC News:

If you are looking for an Android smartphone, the Galaxy S4 is a great choice. It's jam-packed with new camera features, it's fast, and it has all-day battery life. Beyond all that, its software enhancements ? not those gimmicky waving and tilting ones, but the other ones -- make it standout amongst all other Android phones and even the iPhone.

I just wish Samsung had put that same attention into the design of the physical phone. The HTC One and the iPhone 5 are simply better-designed and crafted pieces of hardware. But there's no two ways around it: the Galaxy S4 is a phone that you will enjoy having by your side or in your pocket. Yes, it's a life companion you won't regret commiting to.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/galaxy-s4-reviews-samsung-critics-151921094.html

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Boston bombing suspect may be linked with another murder

>>> another twist in the life of the suspected boston marathon bomber, tamerlan tsarnaev. a man described as his best friend , brendan moss and two other friends were found dead on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. their throats were slashed. their bodies apparently sprinkled with marijuana. $5,000 left on the scene outside of boston. michael daly wrote about this case. he joins me now. the relevance of the reference all over the bodies, the authorities thought this was some kind of drug deal gone bad. but the drugs and the money reportedly left behind .

>> that would mean a drug deal gone really bad. yang a drug rip-off leaving $5,000 around unless they did not see it. you would think they would have taken the spotted pot rather than sprinkle it around them. a year and a half into this, they haven't come up with any suspects. and in the aftermath you find out one of the three victims was the best friend , the person that tamerlan described as his best friend . you have to wonder if there is somehow some connection. would you have to horrific acts of violence and one common denominator.

>> it is still open. i didn't mean to interrupt you. the case has remained open. they say they will pursue any leads that arise from the boston marathon bombing case. i think they're going to ask if they saw any people around the apartment. they'll be going through attemptland's apartment to see if there is anything from brendan mess's place. they'll go over the forensics. i think they'll look for any possible connection. as far as the link between them, i've read they were best friends , that they were workout buddies, it is all over the place. what have you been able to find out regarding their friendship or relationship?

>> what i've been told is they did work out together. tamerlan was a boxing guy. the other guy was a martial arts guy. what i've been told at one point, tamerlan introduced brendan as his best friend . i think brendan may have been tamerlan 's only friend. i haven't seen anyone coming forward saying he was my friend, we used to do this together, that together. a couple people that were roommates on boxing trips but there doesn't seem to be a real friendship developed. the only real friend out of this is brendan mess. and he seemston a very pleasant generally happy go lucky guy a lot of people liked.

>> thank you very much. people should go on to the daily beast and read more of your report on this investigation. this triple murder investigation with its strange ties to

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2b139fd1/l/0Lvideo0Bmsnbc0Bmsn0N0Cid0C51635577/story01.htm

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Hackers send fake market-moving AP tweet on White House explosions

By Alina Selyukh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hackers took control of the Associated Press Twitter account on Tuesday and sent a false tweet about explosions in the White House that briefly sent U.S. financial markets reeling.

In the latest high-profile hacking incident involving social media service Twitter, an official @AP account reported that two explosions at the White House injured President Barack Obama.

AP spokesman Paul Colford quickly confirmed the tweet was "bogus," and White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that Obama was fine, just minutes after the tweet hit a little after 1 p.m. (1700 GMT).

But within 3 minutes of the tweet's release, virtually all U.S. markets took a plunge on the false news in what one trader described as "pure chaos."

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is looking into the bogus tweet and its impact on the markets, SEC Commissioner Daniel Gallagher told Reuters in an interview.

"I can't tell you exactly what the facts are at this point or what we are looking for, but for sure we want to understand major swings like that, however short it was," Gallagher said.

Reuters data showed the tweet briefly wiped out $136.5 billion of the S&P 500 index's value before markets recovered. Some traders attributed the sharp fall and bounce-back to automatic electronic trading.

At a time when cybersecurity and hacking have become top national security concerns, Twitter and its reach to hundreds of millions of users is coming under growing scrutiny for the risk of privacy breaches on the site.

A group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army, which is supportive of that country's leader, President Bashar al-Assad, during the two-year civil war, claimed responsibility on Tuesday on its own Twitter feed for the AP hack.

The group has in the past taken credit for similar invasions into Twitter accounts of National Public Radio, BBC, CBS's "60 Minutes" program and Reuters News.

A Twitter spokesman declined to comment on the Tuesday breach, saying the company did not comment "on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons." An FBI representative had no immediate comment.

"There's plenty of blame to go around," said Stewart Baker, a cybersecurity lawyer at Steptoe & Johnson in Washington. "AP should have had better passwords, Twitter should have gone to at least optional two-factor authentication months ago, and guys on the Street really should be thinking twice before they trade on Twitter reports. That's risky."

For years, security experts have called on Twitter to introduce a two-factor authentication measure, which requires a two-step process to log in and which they say would greatly reduce such breaches.

In recent months, the San Francisco company has hired security experts and posted job listings for software engineers, who could help the company roll out two-factor authentication.

The AP has said hackers made repeated attacks before Tuesday's incident to steal the passwords of AP journalists. AP's Twitter accounts @AP and @AP_Mobile are currently suspended.

'A NEW LOW' FOR INVESTOR COMMUNITY

The false "BREAKING" tweet, which went out to the AP's nearly 2 million Twitter followers, sent the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average falling sharply before they recovered. Stock and bond futures also were affected.

"It's a new low in the capital market sales and trading and investor community," said Russ Certo, managing director in fixed income at Brean Capital in New York.

A spokesman for U.S. Representative Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat who has warned about the potential for high-frequency trading to disrupt markets, said the trading chaos on Tuesday showed the SEC needed to rein in the practice.

"As today's events yet again illustrate, the security of our markets is a part of our overall national and economic security, and we need to take steps to protect ordinary Americans from unfair or reckless trading practices," said Eben Burnham-Snyder, a spokesman for Markey.

After the false tweet, the benchmark S&P 500 dropped 14 points to as low as 1,563.03 before recovering, all in about five seconds. The Dow Jones Industrial Average temporarily dropped 143.5 points, or 0.98 percent.

For a graph of the S&P plunge, see: http://link.reuters.com/gez57t.

"You have to wonder (about) this system we've built based on technology and speed," said Joe Saluzzi, co-manager of trading at Themis Trading in Chatham, New Jersey.

"The (SEC's) mission is to protect the individual investor. And they don't feel protected today," he said. "Events like today shatter confidence, and the problem is you don't get confidence back tomorrow."

Earlier this year, Bloomberg's professional trading platform started incorporating tweets after the SEC clarified how companies can disclose material information through social media.

On Tuesday, spokeswoman Sabrina Briefel said the fake tweet appeared on the Bloomberg terminal. She said the company was not reconsidering its decision to include tweets.

The AP is the latest media organization to come under siege from hackers in a spate of incidents over the past several months. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal said their systems were hacked, prompting the White House and lawmakers to push through legislation designed to help better defend against cyber attacks.

(Reporting by Alina Selyukh in Washington; with additional reporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Susan Heavey and Emily Stephenson in Washington; Gerry Shih in San Francisco; and Jennifer Saba, Doris Frankel in New York; Editing by Karey Van Hall, Philip Barbara and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-spokesman-says-tweet-white-house-explosions-bogus-172942863.html

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Jelly Bean now available for the Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G

This solid mid-range qwerty slider has an update to Android 4.1.2 ready and waiting both OTA and via Samsung Kies

The Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G now has an official Jelly Bean update ready and waiting from Samsung and T-Mobile. The update to Android 4.1.2, version T699UVBMC5 is available both over the air, and through Samsung's desktop software Kies. The OTA update will remain available until May 30, and devices must be running version T699UVMA2, T699UVLJ1 or T699UVLH1 to be able to install today's update to Jelly Bean.

This new platform update brings along the features from Android 4.1.2, including notables like Google Now and Project Butter and should make quite a nice difference in performance and reliability. If you're using one of these solid sliders, you'll want this one.

While the Galaxy S3 may have captured most of the attention from Samsung last year, the fact is they made plenty of other quality, mid-range devices. The Relay 4G is one of those, and we're glad they were able to bump the version up for the folks that picked up this one. For more information about updating, see the source link below.

Source: T-Mobile

 

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/rqMSoC61OlU/story01.htm

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Deal of the Day ? Dell XPS 14 Core i5 Ultrabook with Gorilla Glass and 900p display

Tuesday’s LogicBUY Deal is the?14″ Dell XPS 14 “Ivy Bridge” Core i5 Ultrabook starting at?$739.99. ?Features: Core i5-3317U 4GB RAM 500GB hard drive, 32GB mSATA SSD, 3-in-1 card reader Bonded Gorilla Glass 14″ HD+ 900p display, 400-nit brightness,?Intel HD 4000 graphics Waves MaxxAudio 4 miniDisplayport, HDMI, two USB 3.0 ports $1099.99 – $300 instant savings [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/04/23/deal-of-the-day-dell-xps-14-core-i5-ultrabook-with-gorilla-glass-and-900p-display/

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Samsung Galaxy S4 screen weathers a flurry of blades

Over the weekend, one Romanian reviewer put the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S4 through a gauntlet of durability tests. Three different knives, a pen, a set of keys, and a fistful of coins didn't seem able to put the slightest mark on the S4's front face. This is good news for those that are on the verge of picking up one of these bad boys. 

The Galaxy S4 is the first handset to use Gorilla Glass 3, which we've seen take a pretty harsh beating at CES, showing that it can do as well with impacts just as it can with scratches. 

After seeing the video below, are you any more convinced about picking up a Samsung Galaxy S4? How highly does screen durability rate in your purchasing decisions? 

Via: SamMobile

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/_bP3TiQcIxs/story01.htm

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Gone, but not forgotten: Scientists recall EP, perhaps the world?s second-most famous amnesiac

Apr. 22, 2013 ? An international team of neuroscientists has described for the first time in exhaustive detail the underlying neurobiology of an amnesiac who suffered from profound memory loss after damage to key portions of his brain.

Writing in this week's Online Early Edition of PNAS, principal investigator Larry R. Squire, PhD, professor in the departments of Neurosciences, Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veteran Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) -- with colleagues at UC Davis and the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain -- recount the case of EP, a man who suffered radical memory loss and dysfunction following a bout of viral encephalitis.

EP's story is strikingly similar to the more famous case of HM, who also suffered permanent, dramatic memory loss after small portions of his medial temporal lobes were removed by doctors in 1953 to relieve severe epileptic seizures. The surgery was successful, but left HM unable to form new memories or recall people, places or events post-operation.

HM (later identified as Henry Gustav Molaison) was the subject of intense scientific scrutiny and study for the remainder of his life. When he died in 2008 at the age of 82, he was popularized as "the world's most famous amnesiac." His brain was removed and digitally preserved at The Brain Observatory, a UC San Diego-based lab headed by Jacopo Annese, PhD, an assistant adjunct professor in the Department of Radiology and a co-author of the PNAS paper.

Like Molaison, EP was also something of a scientific celebrity, albeit purposefully anonymous. In 1992, at the age of 70, he was diagnosed with viral encephalitis. He recovered, but the illness resulted in devastating neurological loss, both physiologically and psychologically.

Not only did he also lose the ability to form new memories, EP suffered a modest impairment in his semantic knowledge -- the knowledge of things like words and the names of objects. Between 1994, when he moved to San Diego County, and his death 14 years later, EP was a subject of continued study, which included hundreds of different assessments of cognitive function.

"The work was long-term," said Squire, a Career Research Scientist at the VASDHS. "We probably visited his house 200 times. We knew his family." In a 2000 paper, Squire and colleagues described EP as a 6-foot-2, 192-pound affable fellow with a fascination for the computers used in his testing. He was always agreeable and pleasant. "He had a sense of humor," said Squire.

After his death, EP's brain was also processed at The Brain Observatory. The last five years have been spent parsing the data and painting a full picture of what happened to EP and why. Squire said EP's viral encephalitis infection wreaked havoc upon his brain: Large, bilateral, symmetrical lesions were found in the medial temporal lobe, portions of the brain responsible for formation of long-term memory; and whole, crucial structures were eliminated -- the amygdala and hippocampus among them. Additionally, other brain regions had atrophied and white matter -- the support fibers that transmit signals between brain structures -- had become gliotic or scarred.

Though HM is generally considered the "gold standard" of amnesia patients -- "he was the first case and studied so elegantly," said Squire -- EP provides new and surprising twists in understanding how memory functions and fails.

For example, HM's declarative memory was almost nil -- half an hour after lunch, he would have forgotten what he ate or if he had eaten at all -- but in tests, HM showed some small capacity to learn new things. "His ability to learn was nowhere close to zero," Squire said, "so the thinking was that maybe there were other ways that information was getting in, that there was something special about the capacity for learning facts."

EP undermines that notion. Due to the total destruction of specific memory-linked brain structures, EP was utterly unable to learn anything new. "It really was absolutely zero," said Squire. "That suggests there isn't any special mechanism. HM simply retained some ability because he retained some residual tissue."

Squire noted that the massive scope of EP's brain damage also appeared to trigger secondary consequences. "If a lesion gets large enough, it results in other negative changes due to the loss of connectivity," he said. In EP's case, one result was his impaired semantic knowledge, which wouldn't have been harmed by damage to medial temporal lobes, but was the consequence of subsequent atrophy in adjacent tissues.

Finally, EP presents a continuing, confounding mystery. In most patients with retrograde amnesia, memory loss is limited. They can't remember things within a few months or years of the brain impairment. In EP's case, he suffered amnesia extending back 40 to 50 years, affecting memories that theoretically should have been well-established and consolidated, though he could recall his childhood on a central California farm.

Squire said the effect is likely the result of lateral temporal damage caused as a secondary consequence of the initial disease-related brain damage. For researchers and clinicians, he said, EP is a cautionary and troubling tale.

Co-authors are Ricardo Insausti, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, UC Davis and Laboratory of Human Neuroanatomy, Department of Health Services and Regional Center for Biomedical Research, School of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain and David G. Amaral, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - San Diego. The original article was written by Scott LaFee.

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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/top_news/top_science/~3/eyQCwG3YuEM/130422154947.htm

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Shipments of low-cost smart phones poised to dramatically increase

Sub-$250 devices could represent as much as 46-percent of smart phones sold by 2018

As much as the latest high-end devices steal the news cycle (especially at a time like this), a large number of the phones sold around the world are still decidedly mid- and low-end. If analysis by ABI Research is to be believed, shipments of these low-end devices are going to increase at a much faster pace than the market as a whole. In 2018, 788 million low-end smart phones are expected to be shipped, compared to mid- and high-end devices combined at 925 million.

Depending on the market, the reasons for this may be slightly different, however. For emerging markets that are much more price-sensitive, low-end devices may be the only option those consumers have to get their hands on something with internet access. As carriers in those areas look to maximize profits from data traffic, they will push to have very inexpensive smart phones available for them.

In less price-sensitive (or heavily subsidized) markets like Western Europe and the U.S., there are still millions upon millions of people waiting to make that move from their feature phone onwards to a smart phone. Factoring the jump to a more expensive monthly rate including data, those consumers may need a stepping stone in the way of a more affordable (think $0 on-contract) option. These inexpensive phones also have the added bonus of carrying a smaller subsidy for the carriers to manage. Remember that while we like to focus on the highest of high-end devices, there's a whole market out there for phones that are a little more pedestrian.

Source: ABIresearch (BusinessWire)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/qWHE-yWmxok/story01.htm

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PFT: Revis to Bucs done? |? Six-year contract

AP

C Eric Wood has moved into a leadership role with the Bills.

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald wonders if Dolphins G.M. Jeff Ireland will panic when it comes to making a trade for Chiefs T Branden Albert.

Adding some beef to the interior of the defensive line in the draft is a possibility for the Patriots.

What?s the fallout from the Revis trade for Jets coach Rex Ryan?

Ravens coach John Harbaugh took part in a Tough Mudder race.

Could Michigan State RB Le?Veon Bell wind up with the Bengals?

An argument that the Browns?will be unaffected?by the investigation into owner Jimmy Haslam?s family business.

The Steelers website compares Georgia LB Jarvis Jones with former Steeler Chad Brown.

An attempt to simulate the Texans? draft board.

Colts G.M. Ryan Grigson admits to taking a look at mock drafts in the weeks leading up to the real draft.

Jaguars G.M. David Caldwell will be trying to avoid making the draft mistakes his predecessors made.

Will Bernard Pollard or George Wilson start at safety for the Titans?

With four offensive linemen coming off surgeries, the Broncos could be in the market for some help at the position in the draft.

The Chiefs may be targeting skill position players at the end of the draft.

Raiders T Jared Veldheer has bulked up this offseason.

QB Phillip Rivers is learning the Chargers? new offense as quickly as he can.

Cowboys DE DeMarcus Ware has started lifting weights after shoulder surgery.

Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post thinks the Giants could take Notre Dame LB Manti Te?o.

Are the Eagles better off keeping or trading the fourth overall pick?

Redskins QB Kirk Cousins tried out broadcasting during the Michigan State spring game.

Former Navy LB Keegan Wetzel visited with the Bears.

The Lions wouldn?t mind a wide receiver to take some pressure off Calvin Johnson.

A pre-draft look at Vanderbilt QB Jordan Rodgers, younger brother of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers.

The Vikings have made a place for analytics in their personnel evaluations.

Character traits are an important part of the profile when the Falcons look at potential draftees.

The Panthers aren?t hurt by a lack of strong quarterback and running back prospects in the draft.

Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune thinks the Saints will wind up trading RB Chris Ivory to the Jets.

Even with Darrelle Revis in the fold, Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times thinks the Buccaneers need help at cornerback.

The Cardinals own the seventh overall pick, a spot which has landed teams some star players in recent years.

The Rams probably aren?t looking for a kicker or punter in this year?s draft.

Bills big and small are adding up as the 49ers building their new stadium.

Is linebacker on the Seahawks? list of draft priorities?

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/21/jets-most-likely-will-get-a-third-round-pick-in-2014-for-revis/related/

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Transit officer still critical after shootout

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) ? Doctors say the Boston transit police officer wounded in a shootout with the marathon bombing suspects had lost nearly all his blood and his heart had stopped from a single gunshot wound that severed three major blood vessels in his right thigh.

Surgeons at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge say 33-year-old Richard Donohue is in stable but critical condition. He is sedated and on a breathing machine but opened his eyes, moved his hands and feet and squeezed his wife's hand Sunday.

Emergency workers started CPR on the scene to restart his heart. Doctors say he is expected to make a full recovery and that nerves and muscles in his leg are intact.

Transit officials say Donohue had gotten out of his cruiser and was shooting at the suspects when he was hit late Thursday night in a gunbattle in Cambridge.

"He went in there and engaged people who were shooting at his fellow officers," Donohue's brother, Edward, said at a news conference Sunday at the hospital. "I cannot describe the pride I have," said the younger Donohue, who is a patrolman for the Winchester Police Department.

The fellow officers included a friend, MIT police officer Sean Collier, who died in the shootout.

Richard Donohue has been a transit officer for three years, said Paul MacMillan, chief of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

The bullet wound did not injure bone but severed the femoral vein and both branches of the femoral artery in Richard Donohue's right thigh, doctors said.

"The officer's blood volume was almost entirely lost to the point of the heart stopping," said Dr. Russell Nauta, chairman of surgery at Mount Auburn. It was a 45-minute effort to get it beating again, he said.

Doctors say Donohue's prognosis is good, and family members expect his sense of humor to return.

"His wife said: 'We'll never live this down. He'll never have to make himself another sandwich,'" the brother said.

Richard Donohue's wife, Kim; 6-month-old son, Reggie; father; sister; grandmother and others were with him at the hospital.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/transit-officer-still-critical-shootout-194025425.html

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Gay marriage opponents stage last-ditch protest in Paris

By Pauline Mevel

PARIS (Reuters) - Thousands of gay marriage opponents waving pink and blue flags marched through Paris on Sunday in a last-ditch protest before a law allowing same-sex union and adoption is passed next week.

Chanting "We don't want your law, Hollande!", some 50,000 protesters massed behind a banner reading: "All born of a Mum and a Dad" and said it was undemocratic to bring about such a fundamental social change without holding a referendum.

Hastily organized after the law's passage was sped up to circumvent a big rally set for late April, Sunday's march capped months of protests by a dogged opposition movement that has sullied President Francois Hollande's flagship social reform.

"We warned the president back in November that we would not give up and that we would do everything to stop this law being passed, or to get it repealed if it is adopted," one of the protest organizers, Alberic Dumon, told Reuters.

Attended largely by families with children and old people, it was much more peaceful than a series of agitated demonstrations outside parliament this month that saw hard-right youths pelt police with stones and bottles and damage cars.

The piggy-backing by hard-right youths of a movement led by conservatives and Catholics has fed other ugly scenes including the public stalking of government ministers and a spate of homophobic attacks around the country.

As far back as January, the "anti" movement came under fire when some 350,000 protesters massed under the Eiffel Tower tore up the lawns beneath the monument.

Hollande, who is grappling with the lowest popularity ratings of any recent French president as unemployment surges above 10 percent, hoped to win some glory from passing a reform already in place in a dozen other countries.

Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, one of very few French public officials who is openly gay, headed a rival march in favor of same-sex marriage and said that it was too late for anything to derail the law, set for a final parliament vote on Tuesday.

(Additional reporting by Yves Clarisse; Writing by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Stephen Powell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gay-marriage-opponents-stage-last-ditch-protest-paris-154907583.html

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Demonizing Ted Cruz (Powerlineblog)

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Video: President Bush welcomes Texans cheerleaders

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/51601871#51601871

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Florida?s WMD disaster response unit saved from elimination

A member of the Florida National Guard's 48th Civil Support Team (left) trains with a civilian first responder during an emergency management exercise in Central Florida, March 2013. Photo by Master Sgt. Thomas Kielbasa

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (April 18, 2013) ? A Florida National Guard unit based in Pinellas County and designed to respond to weapons of mass destruction incidents was saved from possible elimination this week, according to testimony from Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.

Speaking on April 16 before the House Appropriations Committee?s defense subcommittee, Hagel said that the Florida National Guard?s 48th Civil Support Team (CST) and the New York National Guard?s 24th CST, will not be eliminated as was previously planned.

Florida and New York each have two National Guard civil support teams assigned to their states, and due to Department of Defense budget cuts each was slated to lose one 22-person team.

Subcommittee Chairman Rep. C.W. ?Bill? Young noted that the 24th CST had responded to the Boston Marathon bombing incident that day.

?These are important teams, and Congress is very, very supportive of those teams,? the congressman said during the hearing.

Young?s congressional district in Florida includes Clearwater, Fla., where the 48th CST is based.

?We have funded both the New York and the Florida teams,? Hagel told the committee, as part of testimony which focused on the President?s fiscal 2014 budget request for the Department of Defense.

During the hearing Rep. Nita Lowey of New York also received assurance from the Secretary of Defense that the units would not be eliminated. In a statement on her website, the congresswoman recognized both Rep. Young and subcommittee member Rep. Bill Owens of New York for their roles in preventing the ?National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams in Florida and New York from being eliminated.?

The 48th CST and its highly-trained members can provide assistance to state and local authorities during domestic incidents by: identifying chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive agents or substances; assessing potential consequences; and assisting with determining appropriate response measures.? The unit can deploy with high-tech equipment and expertise to advise civilian agencies during emergency operations and facilitate requests for assistance of additional state and federal assets to help save lives, prevent human suffering and mitigate property damage.

??We are gratified by Secretary Hagel?s determination to reverse last month?s decision to disestablish the 48th Civil Support Team,? said the Adjutant General of Florida Maj. Gen. Emmett R. Titshaw Jr. ?In view of the clear threats to our nation ? and recognizing Florida?s high concentrations of valuable infrastructure, population densities, tourist destinations and size ? it was imperative that Florida retain both existing CSTs.?

###

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FloridaNationalGuard/~3/e4W6QKn4utk/283906

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'True Blood' and 'Twilight' stars' sexy showdown

Bravo

Joe Manganiello and Peter Facinelli on "Watch What Happens Live!"

By Drusilla Moorhouse, TODAY contributor

Hope Andy Cohen had a fire extinguisher handy when Joe Manganiello and Peter Facinelli heated up the clubhouse on "Watch What Happens Live" Thursday night!

The smoldering stars of "True Blood" and the "Twilight" film franchise battled each other in several contests, including a sexy face-off. Maganiello, who plays werewolf Alcide on "True Blood," easily took the win with his seductive stare. Facinelli, meanwhile, was chided by Cohen for his terrible Justin Bieber impression.

Then the actors' brute strength was tested in the "Can They Rip It?" game, in which both men tore panties with their teeth, and Manganiello decapitated an adorable teddy bear. (Like peaceable vampire Carlisle Cullen, Facinelli chose to cuddle the stuffed animal instead.)

Both heartthrobs offered candid answers to fan questions, including whether they favored boxers or briefs. Facinelli surprised Cohen by admitting that he goes commando, quipping, "I like to air dry." Manganiello, on the other hand, revealed that he usually wears boxer briefs -- except while filming "True Blood."

"Werewolves are commando," he said, explaining that underwear would complicate the shift from human to beast. "It's method!"

"True Blood" returns June 16, and you can catch Facinelli on "Nurse Jackie," airing now on Showtime.

Which supernatural star do you think is hotter? Tell us on our Facebook page!

More in The Clicker:

Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/04/19/17827333-true-blood-and-twilight-stars-sexy-showdown-on-watch-what-happens-live?lite

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Video: Buy Apple Below $400?

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Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/51580820/

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AMD Q1 2013 earnings: softer $146 million net loss on $1.09 billion revenue

Just two days after the earnings report of its storied rival, AMD has followed suit with a Q1 2013 balance sheet of its own. The company reported a net loss for the quarter of $146 million, which stings, but isn't quite so painful as the $473 million loss that it took just one quarter earlier. Meanwhile, AMD's revenue of $1.09 billion is more or less flat from the previous quarter, but has fallen by $500 million since Q1 of the previous year. The announcement was enough to make investors wince, as AMD's stock price is now declining in after-hours trading. As for a silver lining, AMD emphasized that its gear will power the upcoming PS4. If Microsoft were to make a similar decision, then perhaps AMD could turn its financial frown upside-down.

Filed under: AMD

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Source: AMD

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/P9bAkWKBEWY/

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Hawaii teachers to vote on tentative agreement

HONOLULU (AP) -- Hawaii's public school teachers are voting at polls across the islands Wednesday on a tentative labor agreement that follows years of acrimony over wages and other issues.

The last contract expired in June 2011, and teachers have been working under a last, best and final offer.

The new deal restores a previous 5 percent pay cut and gives teachers a 3 percent raise on top of that in July. Teachers will get raises of 3 percent and 3.2 percent in following years. They'll also have a say in statewide decisions about evaluations.

Educators nationwide have been paying attention to what happens in Hawaii ? the 10th largest school system in the nation and the only statewide district in the country ? as Hawaii grapples with the controversial issue of educator evaluations. Many teachers are skeptical about evaluations, which have been a sticking point in the contract. Teachers are critical about using student performance in evaluations and determining compensation.

This vote comes after teachers rejected a contract offer last year. Then, in an unusual move, they tried to pressure the state to accept it later by voting on it again and approving it, 66 percent to 34 percent.

Wil Okabe, president of the 13,500-member Hawaii State Teachers Association, said he expects teachers to ratify the contract. The union has been holding various information sessions on details of the deal since the union and the state came to an agreement last month, after seeking help from a federal mediator.

Mililani High School teacher Amy Perruso planned to vote in favor of the deal, but not wholeheartedly.

"I feel really ambivalent," she said. "I think a lot of teachers feel as though they really don't have any viable options."

She said she continues to have doubts that the state can properly implement an effective and fair evaluation system.

Evaluations will "increase the anxiety levels of teachers who do the hardest work, the teachers who work with students who are struggling," she said. "The students who are best supported and best prepared for school, for the most part, go to private schools."

Okabe said teachers need to understand evaluations aren't only based on test scores and that the new deal allows for teachers to be part of the committee that crafts the evaluation system.

"This evaluation system will address how we can improve teaching in Hawaii," he said. "Evaluations should not be something we should be looking at as a punitive measure."

While some schools are already using evaluations under a pilot program, most teachers will see them starting in the 2015 school year. Teachers fresh out of college will be evaluated starting in July, Okabe said.

Okabe said another attractive feature of the deal is the health insurance language. He said it represents savings of at least 20 percent, depending on the plan a teacher selects.

Teachers are now too tired to fight and can't afford to strike, Perruso said.

"We'll have a contract," she said. "In that sense, it's better than no contract."

Voting was scheduled for 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with results available later in the evening. The agreement needs to be approved with 50 percent plus one votes to be ratified.

___

Follow Jennifer Sinco Kelleher at http://www.twitter.com/jenhapa .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hawaii-teachers-vote-tentative-agreement-162306048.html

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