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Kansas town, not Death Valley, is US heat hub

Death Valley ain't got nothing on Hill City -- at least not this week. The Kansas farm town was the hottest place in the nation over the past five days and, while a bit cooler Thursday, was still a symbol for the heat wave sitting atop the central U.S. and slowly spreading east.

"We've pretty much restricted our travel and stayed indoors," Kirk Schweitzer, director of the local economic development office, told msnbc.com.

Hill City topped out at 115 degrees on Wednesday -- 8 degrees above its previous record for a June 27.

"To have days on end, plus this early in the year ... that's what worries people," he said. "Is this a foreshadowing of summers in years to come or just an anomaly?"

A Midwest town having the nation's highest temperature for five days in a row is very unusual, Chris Foltz, a National Weather Service meteorologist, told Reuters.

"It's what you expect in the desert of Nevada or California," Foltz said. (Death Valley reached 110 on Wednesday.)

"Hill City is where the high pressure is anchored," Foltz added. "It's like the heat perpetuates itself."

"It feels like you have a big old furnace blowing in your face," said Rayson Brachtenbach, a technician at Elliott Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning and Electric in Hill City, population 1,500.

The heat has kept him busy, Brachtenbach told Reuters. "Five or six days around 115 degrees is really hard on" on compressors, he said.

Any upside to the notoriety? "It does make people go to a map and look for Hill City," said Schweitzer, who's in the business of recruiting new employers to Graham County.

Still, he doesn't expect the area to market it's "hottest in the USA" label.

"No barbecue sauce business has cropped up to promote that," he said.

Kansas on Thursday was one of nine states where "excessive heat warnings" were issued by the National Weather Service. The others were Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

The Weather Channel estimated that nearly 93 million Americans were in areas under "heat advisories" and 21 million in areas with "excessive heat warnings."

Indianapolis on Thursday saw its warmest June day on record when the thermometer reached 103 degrees.

Chicago reached 100 degrees at 3 p.m. local time -- but the heat index made it feel like 111.

In Kansas City, Mo., the heat was suspected of contributing to the deaths of a man and an infant, KSHB-TV reported.

Meteorologists expect little relief over the next couple of weeks.

"This overall pattern looks like it is going to stick around well into July," Alex Sosnowski, a meteorologist with AccuWeather.com, told Reuters.

Story: Hundreds of homes destroyed in Colorado Springs fire

"It looks pretty much rock solid centered on the Central Plains and Central Rockies over into the Tennessee Valley interior south," Sosnowski said. "It's anchored in there and it's really not going to change much."

Sosnowski said temperatures would spike toward 100 degrees from Chicago to Washington D.C. and possibly New York every now and then, and areas from Colorado to the interior of the Carolinas would have little hope for temporary relief.

Temperatures will push 90 degrees most days in New York, Washington and Philadelphia the next two weeks, while Denver, Kansas City and the middle of the nation will tend to see high temperatures pushing 100 degrees, he said.

The dry conditions and high temperatures have exacerbated wildfires in western states, and have threatened corn crops and stressed livestock in the Central Plains.

In Sidney, Neb., Keith Rexroth is in the middle of harvesting wheat that's ready earlier than normal due to the spring heat.

One of the worst parts about dealing with temperatures above 110, he told the Associated Press, was the feeling of the heat hitting his body as he leaves an air-conditioned environment.

"It'll give you an instant headache," Rexroth said.

More than 1,000 temperature records broken in a week

Rexroth rotates different duties on his harvest crew to give them breaks from the heat. Rexroth's combine is air-conditioned, but the grain truck is not.

"The short straw is the truck," he said.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47991674/ns/weather/

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Tips For Successful Sales And Purchases In The Commercial Real ...

The decision to invest in commercial properties can carry significant tax benefits. Not only are there interest deductions, but also depreciation benefits to be aware of. Sometimes an investor will get a bit of money that is taxed even though it is not received. Try to understand this before you invest.

When you buy commercial real estate, look for opportunities to buy bigger. Taking care of more units does not cost much more and this will bring down the price of every individual unit.

You could edit or lead a newsletter regarding commercial properties in your community, or contribute regular content to social media. Do not fade away in the online world once you have completed a deal.

If you are taking out a commercial loan, you must pay for the appraisal yourself. The bank won?t let you make use of it later. Cover your bases and order the appraisal yourself.

When considering commercial real estate, you should think about the importance of honing relationships with private investors. For example, those in your network can give you the ?inside scoop? on properties, even those that are unlisted.

Size is highly important when you are searching for space for your growing business. If you don?t invest in commercial property that allows for growth, your business is going to be hunting for a new home again within a few short years.

Before you begin your search for the perfect commercial property, have a clear picture of your needs. Take the time to outline what your needs may be, from number of rooms to types of spaces needed. This should include the appropriate number of washrooms based on people present.

If you are under a lease for commercial real estate, be wary of standard lease forms. Sometimes, a long lease contains not only standard lease clauses, but extra agreements that the real estate company sneaked into the lease without discussing with you. If you read the whole document carefully, it is possible for you to avoid the pain that a lease can bring your way.

Consider online references that contain information written for both real estate novices and veterans. No one can ever honestly claim that they know too much.

You?ll have to pay more upfront for a commercial loan than for a residential loan, and there are other differences between the two types of loans. The most commonsense way to obtain commercial financing is by checking out different lending agencies and by asking around regarding the best types of investments.

It is essential that you become aware of any environmental issues associated with properties you are considering. One major problem is when your property has hazardous waste material issues. Once you own the property, any problems, hazardous waste related or otherwise, are yours to deal with.

You want to make sure the square footage is clearly available. There are two ways of measuring commercial real estate property. You can measure in usable square feet to determine the size of the area in which you will conduct business. You can also measure by total square feet for the complete size of the edifice, including areas that will not be in public use. It is a good idea to know measurements for each type of square footage. This will allow you to make decisions and speed up the process.

One of the biggest considerations in the process of attaining commercial property is to know the neighborhood of each and every prospective location. For example, if you?re offering high-priced goods or services, you might want to purchase property in wealthier areas where people are likely to be able to afford to buy from you. If your business services will do better in a poor neighborhood, buy property there!

You need to realize that every property has a lifetime. Don?t make the mistake of overlooking the fact that you will need to put a substantial amount of money into the property to keep it well-maintained. The building might need to have its roof replaced, or have the electrical wiring brought up to code. All building need this kind of care. However, some may need more upkeep than others. Plan for these repairs as they will happen in the future.

Focus on only one investment at the same time. Whether it?s an office building, land, or apartments, you should focus on just one kind of investment. Each kind of investment will requires a full time commitment. Master one type of investment at a time. Mediocre profits from several types of investments aren?t worth the effort, but major profits from one type of investment is.

Use of a digital camera is a simple and effective strategy. Be sure that the pictures show any current problems with or damage to the home.

When having your real estate inspected (as you should), always ask for the qualifications of the inspectors. This guideline is especially important when working with people who deal in pest management; these specific fields are often populated by practitioners who lack proper credentials. Ultimately, this can help you to bypass larger, more expensive problems.

Do your research so you know ahead of time if you will have issues with the environment surrounding your property. Should a problem with environmental waste ever occur, it is your obligation to properly clean your building and property. Are you considering purchasing a piece of real estate in an area prone to flooding? Think again! Call some agencies that assess the enviornment and find out what is up with the area your property is in.

There is a considerable amount of money to be made in commercial real estate. You have to invest a large down payment, sufficient time and enormous effort if your investment is to succeed. To make this happen, put the advice you just learned in the above article to use.

&copy Copyright 2012admin, All rights Reserved. Written For: Boca Highend Homes

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How You Can Make Your Home An Oasis With Some Improvements

Handy items you need to have are ladders, the right belt of bag for working, a good metric ratchet set, chisels and also reliable rubber mallet. There are things that you do not necessarily need but are very useful around the house.

A floor lamp can be a great addition to the room and free up valuable space on a nightstand or dresser. Floor versions are great because they can be easily moved to different locations. There are literally thousands of attractive floor lamps for sale.

When buying a home, always set up a home inspection by a professional. That way you need not rely on the seller and your eyes about what has to be replaced or fixed if you buy the house. A professional can also act as a mediator, allowing the transaction to stay civil.

Searching for information is helpful when making home improvements. You could also check out some books at the library or purchase some. Visit paint and carpet stores and pick up color samples and fabric swatches. The more you know about your project, the better prepared you will be to complete it successfully.

Give your home?s exterior a scrub down with a pressure washer using soap made specifically for home siding. It does not cost much to rent pressure washers, and they can go a long way toward removing the dirt and grime from your home?s exterior. Be careful, though, around windows and your roof line. You want to avoid knocking things loose.

Don?t just believe your contractor when she says she is insured. Give the insurance company a call to verify the contractor?s insurance status. Contractors will sometimes attempt to fool others by carrying around a card to appear insured but in reality they aren?t.

Home improvement projects allow you to stamp your own style on your home, and they can be simple to do if you plan projects out. This allows you to concentrate on the task itself instead of leaving you distracted by details relating to cost and design. Figure out what you want to do by visiting neighbors? homes and checking out media that deals with home improvement.

When you get together with your contractor to arrange the payment terms for your home improvement project, tie payments to the percentage of work completed, not the amount of time elapsed. This allows you to fire a contractor if his or her work is incomplete or shoddy or if the contractor starts asking for more money.

It?s helpful to determine your priorities for your wish list when it comes to home improvements. Know why you wish to make the improvements and think about whether it will improve the quality of life in the home. You need to be committed to making home improvements, and it?s important you are putting your time to good use.

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Door Monitor

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Standoff with Iran focus of Putin visit to Israel

JERUSALEM (AP) ? The West's standoff with Iran over its nuclear program will be the hot topic when Russian President Vladimir Putin huddles with Israeli leaders during a 24-hour visit here.

Israel wants Russia to pressure Iran to abandon its uranium enrichment program, which Israeli and world leaderJs believe is designed to produce bombs, not energy as Iran claims.

Russia has worked with China to water down international sanctions against Iran.

Israel has warned that if the sanctions don't force Tehran to curb its nuclear ambitions, then a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities might follow.

Putin is expected to arrive Monday morning and meet with Israel's Russian-speaking foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Tuesday, he heads to the Palestinian Authority and Jordan.

Associated Press

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Gorgeous Look at the Aurora Borealis Took Three Years to Create [VIDEO]

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Euro as a currency is working ? MarketWatch - Forex Trading ...

Austrian Business & Financial News
ECB's Nowotny: Euro as a currency is working
MarketWatch
European Central Bank Governing Council Member Ewald Nowotny Saturday said the euro as a currency is working, but that financial markets have some ...
Euro in good shape despite Spain's woes: NowotnyInteractive Investor

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Suspected explosives seized at Sweden nuke site

Bjorn Larsson Rosvall / Scanpix via EPA

A view of the Ringhals nuclear power plant in Varberg, Sweden, on Thursday.

By msnbc.com staff and news services

STOCKHOLM -- The threat level was raised at all of Sweden's nuclear sites after security personnel found suspected explosives during a routine vehicle search at a?nuclear power station on Wednesday, according to reports.

"In the afternoon, a suspected explosive was discovered in a truck on its way in to Ringhals' operating facility,"?the plant's operator Vattenfall said in a statement.?"A sample of the material was sent during the evening to the Swedish National Laboratory of Forensic Science for analysis."

---

The Local reported?cited an official as saying the material had been placed near a fire extinguisher "under the first step onto the truck." It was said to be the size of a "small fist," according to The Local.

"The assessment is that the situation is under control," police spokesman Lars Grimbeck told MarketWatch.

Ringhals' four reactors, on the southwest coast of Sweden near the city of Gothenburg, produce nearly 20 percent of the country's electricity.

State-owned Vattenfall has a 70 percent stake in the plant and Germany's owns nearly 30 percent.

Reuters contributed to this report.

More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

?

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Answers to Popular Questions Regarding Workers' Compensation

In the event youve endured private injuries or illnesses due to a function collision or unsafe circumstances in the state of New York, you are qualified to apply for workers compensation. Although youre performing a own private research, certain facets of NY state workers compensation regulations may be challenging to recognize. Listed below are explanations of a lot of of the most frequently asked queries regarding processing an insurance claim, compensation and just how to deal with it if you are decreased for getting the benefits you want.

What specifically does Workers Compensation recover?

Workers Compensation applies to afflictions or damage incurred throughout the ordinary workday, whilst performing work-related projects. This may vary from important traumas or disability due to the collision or unsafe functioning settings, to slowly visible circumstances, like with carpal tunnel syndrome. The authentic crisis room or physician visit, prescription medications, lost pay due to the sickness, travel, plus learning a different or associated job may all possibly be included in workers reparation however are dependant on the severity of the damage. Even in the event the staff member didnt request workers compensation, the insurance carrier should nevertheless cover any medical-related costs resulting from any treatment solution proper after the collision.

How is the amount of cost decided?

The rate plus amount of compensation you can easily get is dependent upon the intensity of the damage, if or how shortly you may return to a job, certain health treatments connected with the damage plus additional circumstances. In the event of total short-term incapability, which means a individual is not yet fine sufficient to return to function however is likely to be sooner or later, the damaged staff member usually end up with two-thirds inside conventional wages.

Must I begin to see the physician that the insurance provider recommends?

To place it briefly, yes. Although there could be stress which the specialist is biased for the interests of the insurance provider, declining the evaluation is likely to hurt a statement plenty. This physicians opinion usually element into the best decision regarding precisely how much you may collect in workers comp advantages. Tell the truth regarding any plus all symptoms of disease, plus youre permitted to consult with a own private doctor for their ideas on the matter.

What if the insurance provider rejects the claim?

The insurer may contest a claim by generating a formal Notice of Controversy, plus then usually have to demonstrate precisely why the case are not honored. The court then makes the best decision. If the individual is not satisfied with all the result, they might file an official request for an additional review of the initial claim.

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Greek banker once jailed by junta takes on new fight

ATHENS (Reuters) - As a young student, banker Vassilis Rapanos was jailed in one of Greece's most infamous prisons for fighting a military dictatorship.

Four decades later he is facing what may be an even bigger battle as Greece's new finance minister, charged with negotiating with foreign powers exasperated by the near-bankrupt country's repeated failure to keep reform pledges.

An economist who advised Greece's government when it joined the euro zone, the understated Rapanos is regarded by many of his peers as among the best qualified men to lead the fight for the country's survival in the single currency bloc.

"He is a low-key, consensus builder but has his limits on what he will tolerate and is known to bang his fist on the table when needed," said one banker who has worked with him closely.

"He has fought battles in his life but is humble."

Bankers and officials who know him describe him as a reliable, experienced hand known for playing by the rules - traits likely to earn him credibility among European partners suspicious of Greece's notoriously unreliable political class.

"He is very measured and serious - a man you can trust," said a senior official in the previous Greek government led by technocrat Lucas Papademos until earlier this year. "He has very good knowledge of how the Greek economy works."

Rapanos, 64, declined to make any comment before his swearing-in as finance minister, which is expected later this week.

But in a Reuters interview earlier this year at his office at the National Bank of Greece, where he is chairman, the slim, unassuming banker recalled the early 2000s when the country first joined the euro as the golden era of his career.

"The best period of my professional life was when Greece joined the euro and was held up as the example for other countries wishing to join," he told Reuters at the time.

"Greece was really the good example for newcomers - the Czech Republic, Slovakia. What we failed to do in the last 10 years was to move ahead with all the changes needed to make the economy competitive and put our finances in order."

SOBER AND CALM

Born on the island of Kos, Rapanos was jailed by Greece's military junta from 1969 to 1973 in prisons including the notorious Genti Koule in the northern city of Thessaloniki.

He was picked up for being part of a left-wing guerrilla group, police say.

After being freed under an amnesty, Rapanos served in the Greek army and then left for Canada where he earned a master's degree in economics and a Ph.D.

On his return to Greece, he worked as a researcher at an economic research institute and then became a professor at the University of Athens, where he continues to teach economics.

One minister in the outgoing government who knows the banker well said Rapanos's classes were always popular with students, who flocked in large numbers to listen to his lectures.

"He never misses a lecture at university and all his students love him," said the former minister, who asked not to be named. "Lecture rooms always fill up when he speaks."

In 1995, he became deputy governor and later governor at the National Mortgage Bank of Greece before being appointed chairman of Greece's top telecoms operator, the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization from 1998 to 2000.

He then assumed one of his most significant roles by becoming the chief economist to then Socialist Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who ran the country when it entered the euro in 2001.

In 2009, as Greece began sinking into the sovereign debt crisis that threatens to push it to bankruptcy and out of the euro zone, Rapanos became chairman of Greece's biggest commercial bank, the National Bank of Greece.

He also heads the banking association, where his calm skills have again been in demand as the Greek financial system buckles.

Still, analysts say the banker has yet to be tested on the national stage, at a time when Greeks are enraged by years of austerity cuts.

"He's a technocrat, not a politician, and this can help Greece with its European partners. But as far as Greeks are concerned, he has not proven his political and diplomatic skills," said Martin Koehring, an economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

"He will have to convince his (European) counterparts to ease the terms of the bailout and we do not know how effective he will be in that."

Rapanos, however, is expected to use the same low-key, no-frills style that has helped take him from a jail in Thessaloniki to the corridors of power in Athens.

"One must be sober and calm to deal with the crisis," he said in the Reuters interview earlier this year. "We cannot wait for miracles. It will take hard work and commitment from the political system."

(Additional reporting by Greg Roumeliotis and Lefteris Papadimas; Writing by Deepa Babington; Editing by Barry Moody and Peter Graff)

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Real Estate Property Management | Baltimore Share

rental homes Chesterfield Va Owning real estate can be a profitable and memorable experience as you monitor the development and profits of your property over a long period of time. It can also be an incredibly time-consuming process with payments to collect, residents to find, and areas to update and repair. If you have purchased a property but also have other responsibilities and projects, you probably don?t have the time to manage your investment properly. Choose a responsible property manager to help correct this problem. Property managers can assist in the process of finding residents, receiving rent, and communicating with the tenants of the property. We always work diligently to provide the finest property management services you can find anywhere. We understand that different forms of real estate require different procedures and we are flexible and innovative. Call us today for a great solution to your property management concerns. Rental Management

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Samsung, LG bet on new display to revive TV sales

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? South Korean TV manufacturers are making billion dollar bets on a new display technology that promises an even thinner screen and imagery of eye-popping clarity. It might prove to be a costly last gasp of innovation from an industry finding it ever harder to excite consumers who've been wowed by smartphones and tablets.

Undeterred by the 3-D TV flop and failure of Internet connected TVs to boost sales, Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. are hoping "OLED" technology will keep them ahead in an intensely competitive business that has caused losses in the TV division of Japan's Sony for the past eight years.

The arrival of flat screen televisions 15 years ago was an advance in TV technology that tantalized consumers nearly as much as color televisions in the late 1960s. The first generation of flat screens now look positively obese next to the most recent ultra thin TVs. Picture quality has also made giant strides.

But for most consumers, such incremental changes matter less and less. Why pay for great picture clarity when good quality will do. And why pay a premium for a TV when smartphones and tablet computers can offer a similar function and much more.

When South Korean Lee Sang-hyun decided to get his first television, his priority was to find a reasonably priced TV with a screen big enough to play games. The 30-year-old office worker had a tight budget after splurging on pricey gadgets: an iPhone, an iPad and a laptop computer.

To slim down, he picked a 42-inch plasma TV without fancy features. He paid 640,000 won ($550) ? less than half of the highest-end television of the same size.

Consumers like Lee epitomize the tough challenges facing makers of high-end displays. As TVs no longer enjoy a monopoly over broadcasting moving images, consumers' viewing habits are changing. People are spending less time to watch live TV shows in the living room. Smartphones and tablet computers can stream live shows and videos on demand.

But Samsung and LG are giddy about a technological leap that they are comparing to the invention of the first color TV in the early 1950s. Short for organic light-emitting diode, the wafer-thin OLED TVs boast vivid, saturated colors and deeper contrast than the TV displays now available.

They hope the technology will help them command premium prices in the face of quickly eroding TV profit margins and heightened competition from Chinese makers.

There is at least one catch in the near term though. As Samsung and LG are not yet prepared for mass production, the premium for this new technology will not be just a couple of hundred dollars. It will be several thousands.

Set to hit shelves in selected European, Asian and North American markets in time for the Christmas shopping season, the 55-inch OLED TVs by Samsung and LG will cost at least $9,000. That's more than twice as expensive as the top 55-inch model currently available.

OLED "is the closest to the display of dreams," said Lee Kyungshik, vice president of Samsung's TV business.

Samsung's visual display division, which makes TVs and home entertainment systems, accounted for about 17 percent of the company's 45.3 trillion won ($39 billion) of revenue in the first quarter. LG's home electronics division contributed more than 40 percent of its 12.2 trillion won of quarterly revenue.

Samsung and LG have reason to be proud of their latest achievement in display technology. Even though Sony showed off the first OLED TV in 2007 with an 11-inch screen, a bigger display never followed.

"Until the end of next year, only two companies in the world will have a capacity to make (large screen) OLED TVs: Samsung and LG," said Jang Moon-ik, director of LG's TV business.

The last year was tough for the entire TV industry as the European debt crisis and a slow turnaround in the U.S. economy sapped demand for consumer electronics. The notable exceptions were smartphones and tablet computers.

Sales growth in LCD, or liquid crystal display, TVs slowed and plasma TV sales dropped. In 2011, worldwide annual TV shipments fell for the first time since 2004, according to NPD DisplaySearch.

The feeble global demand hit Sony Corp. especially hard. It lost a record $5.7 billion in 2011. It was the eighth straight year that once-trend-setting Japanese firm lost money in its mainstay TV business.

Samsung and LG weathered the downturn in the TV industry well enough to keep cash to invest in production lines for the new display technology. They think its profitability will not fall as quickly as LCD TVs because the technological gap is wide enough to keep late-coming rivals at bay.

Others disagree.

"The problem with the current business model is that it has a lot of imitators," said Paul Gray, a director TV Electronics & Europe TV Research at DisplaySearch, in an email.

"The fact that Sony and Panasonic and AU Optronics Corp. are already trying to break into OLED for large screens suggests that future margins will be severely damaged by companies trying to enter the market," he said.

News reports last month said Sony and Panasonic are in talks to form an alliance for the OLED TV business.

For Samsung and LG, a bigger challenge may not be coming from Japanese, Chinese or Taiwanese rivals but from a shift in viewing habits.

"I just needed a TV to play games and to me the screen quality didn't make a big difference," said Lee, the office worker. "I would have cared more about its thinness if I were buying a computer monitor."

He said he might consider upgrading to a new television for a better screen after one or two years. By then, OLED TVs will be more affordable but less profitable for the makers.

DisplaySearch forecasts the price of a 55-inch OLED TV to decline to around $4,000 by the end of 2013 and to continue falling to about $1,500 by the end of 2015.

That price forecast is good news for consumers. For Samsung and LG, however, it means they will still be grappling with keeping their TV businesses on a sustainable footing.

"There are no single quick fixes," said DisplaySearch's Gray. "Success in the TV industry will also depend on understanding what the TV is used for in all the new interactive possibilities."

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Facebook Adds Subscription Billing For App Developers, Backs Away From Credits As Primary Currency

Facebook is adding subscription billing for app developers, in what should help gaming and media companies earn more revenue from their most loyal users. Starting next month, developers will be able to offer premium plans or special content from a monthly fee.

Kixeye, a mid-core game developer, for example, is going to give exclusive items for $9.95 per month. Since they target a smaller core of users that are more inclined to spend, this might produce a pretty interesting revenue stream for the company. Kixeye already said it was going to break $100 million this year in annualized revenue.

Facebook is keeping the same 30-70 percent revenue share that it has with in-app purchases. The company hinted in its road show video that it might lower its 30 percent take for other verticals, but it hasn?t officially announced plans to do so. The lowest price point a developer can set for a monthly subscription is $1.

The other thing that Facebook is changing is that it?s backing away from having Facebook Credits be the primary way items are priced. Two or three years ago, Facebook had pushed Credits more as a primary currency. That would have given Credits more mindshare with consumers and made it easier for them to associate spending online with Facebook.

However, game developers preferred to price things in their own virtual currencies. It was easier manage a virtual economy this way and also lock-in consumers to a single title or portfolio of games. ?Most games on Facebook have implemented their own virtual currencies, reducing the need for a platform-wide virtual currency,? the company said in a blog post.

Now items will be priced in the local currency, whether that?s the U.S. dollar, the British pound or Japanese yen.

This mirrors what Apple and Google do in both of their app stores. There?s no single Apple virtual currency, for example. But developers can charge anywhere from 99 cents to $99.95 for packs of their own virtual currency. Facebook says it will convert any Credit balances into the a game?s local currency if the user wants. Google?s app store also recently added subscription billing.

Zynga said in a statement that subscription billing might affect some of the company?s accounting methods. Right now, Zynga using a metric called ABPU or average bookings per user. There is a difference between the way they report revenues and bookings. Bookings are what the user pays for upfront while revenues are acknowledged when the consumer actually uses the item.

?Today?s announcement doesn?t change the economic relationship between the two companies,? Zynga said in a statement. ?We?ll be working with Facebook over the coming months as they phase out Facebook credits and will be sharing more details on this when we report our Q2 earnings.?

February 1, 2004

NASDAQ:FB

Facebook is the world?s largest social network, with over 845 million monthly active users. Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg in February 2004, initially as an exclusive network for Harvard students. It was a huge hit: in 2 weeks, half of the schools in the Boston area began demanding a Facebook network. Zuckerberg immediately recruited his friends Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes, and Eduardo Saverin to help build Facebook, and within four months, Facebook added 30 more college networks. The original...

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Video: Moving 3D computer model of key human protein is powerful new tool in fight against cancer

Video: Moving 3D computer model of key human protein is powerful new tool in fight against cancer

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

A picture is worth 1,000 words when it comes to understanding how things work, but 3D moving pictures are even better. That's especially true for scientists trying to stop cancer by better understanding the proteins that make some chemotherapies unsuccessful.

Researchers for decades have had to rely at best on static images of the key proteins related to recurring cancers.

Now SMU biochemist John G. Wise at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, has brought to life in a moving 3D computer model the structure of human P-glycoprotein, which is thought to contribute to the failure of chemotherapy in many recurring cancers.

"This is a very different approach than has been used historically in the field of protein structure biochemistry," Wise said. "Historically, proteins are very often viewed as static images, even though we know that in reality these proteins move and are dynamic."

The model is a powerful new discovery tool, says Wise, particularly when combined with high-performance supercomputing. The dynamic 3D model already has made it possible for Wise to virtually screen more than 8 million potential drug compounds in the quest to find one that will help stop chemotherapy failure.

So far, the supercomputer search has turned up a few hundred drugs that show promise, and Wise and SMU biochemist Pia Vogel have begun testing some of those compounds in their wet lab at SMU.

"This has been a good proof-of-principle," said Wise, a research associate professor in the SMU Department of Biological Sciences. "We've seen that running the compounds through the computational model is an effective way to rapidly and economically screen massive numbers of compounds to find a small number that can then be tested in the wet lab."

The research is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health.

Seeking new drugs that would allow chemotherapeutic compounds to enter and destroy cancer cells

Since the 1970s it has been known that the so-called multidrug resistance protein, P-gp, is most likely responsible for the failure of many chemotherapy drugs. P-gp is nature's way of pumping toxins from a cell, but if cancer cells express more P-gp than cells normally would, the chemotherapy is no longer effective because the protein considers it a toxin and pumps it out before it can destroy the cancer.

"We're looking for small molecules that will temporarily inhibit the pump; a new drug that could be co-administered with the chemotherapeutic and that stops the sump pump in the cancer cell so that the cancer chemotherapy can remain in the cell and kill the cancer," Wise said.

High-performance computer enables millions of digital screenings

Wise has run about 10.5 million computational hours since August 2009 and has screened roughly 8 million potential drugs against different protein structures.

"We are currently screening about 40,000 compounds per day on SMU's High Performance Computer," Wise said.

"We found a couple hundred compounds that were interesting, and so far we chose about 30 of those to screen in the lab," Vogel said. "From those, we found a handful of compounds that do inhibit the protein. We were thrilled. Now we're going back into the models and looking for other compounds that might be able to throw a stick in the pump's mechanism."

Massive increases in computational power in recent years have made the screening research possible, Wise said. "Ten years ago you couldn't have docked 8 million compounds ? there just wasn't enough computational power."

Human P-gp: "We don't know what it looks like exactly."

Every organism has a version of P-gp. Its structure has been previously determined for some organisms ? mostly bacteria, but also in mice ? by studying the arrangement of atoms within protein crystals. However, the exact structure of the human enzyme remains unclear. Wise deduced the structure of human P-gp by relying on evolutionary relationships and scientific understanding of how proteins are put together. He then used computer programs to model the protein in a way that brings the static picture of the human pump to life in the computer. See http://bit.ly/Lncc6T.

To develop the model, Wise used freely available simulation software developed by researchers at the University of Illinois, the National Institutes of Health and the Scripps Research Institute. Wise and Vogel use compounds from ZINC, a free database of more than 21 million commercially available compounds for virtual screening. ZINC is provided by the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco.

"We can physically build these molecules in the computer, in silico, and computationally we can model a variety of conditions: We can raise the temperature to 37 degrees Centigrade, we can have the right salts and all the right conditions, just like in a wet-lab experiment. We can watch them thermally move and we can watch them relax," Wise said. "The software is good enough that the model will move according to the laws of physics and the principles of biochemistry. In this way we can see how these compounds interact with the protein in a dynamic way, not just in a snapshot way."

Even with the 3D dynamic model and a supercomputer, the odds are stiff

Theoretically, if a drug can be found that can temporarily knock out the sump-pump proteins, then all those cancer chemotherapies that don't work for a patient will work again.

"The ultimate goal of our research would be to find a compound that is safe and effective," Wise said. Even with a supercomputer, however, the odds are steep.

"Out of a hundred good inhibitors that we might find, 99 of them might be extremely toxic and can't be used. In the pharmaceutical industry there are many, many candidates that fall by the wayside for one reason or another," he said. "They metabolize too quickly, or they're too toxic, or they're not soluble enough in the acceptable solvents for humans. There are many different reasons why a drug can fail. Finding a handful has been a great confirmation that we're on the right track, but I would be totally amazed if one of the first we've tested was the one we're looking for."

Vogel is an associate professor and director of SMU's Center for Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery. CD4 was launched by SMU's Biological Sciences and Chemistry departments and has as its mission the search for new drug therapies and delivery methods that can be developed into clinical applications.

###

Wise describes his research findings in Biochemistry in the article "Catalytic Transitions in the Human MDR1 P-Glycoprotein Drug Binding Sites" online at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bi300299z

Southern Methodist University: http://www.smu.edu

Thanks to Southern Methodist 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 19 time(s).

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It?ll Be a Boy for Bill and Giuliana Rancic

The results of the shower are in - and a flurry of blue balloons has confirmed that it'll be a boy for Giuliana and Bill Rancic.

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Ancient global warming allowed greening of Antarctica

Monday, June 18, 2012

Ancient Antarctica was warmer and wetter than previously suspected, enough to support vegetation along its edges, according to a new study.

By examining the remnants of plant leaf wax found in sediment cores taken below the Ross Ice Shelf, scientists from the University of Southern California, Louisiana State University and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory were able to determine that summer temperatures along the Antarctic coast 15 to 20 million years ago were 20 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celsius) warmer than they are today, reaching up to about 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius); with several times more precipitation.

This occurred during a period of global warming in the middle Miocene epoch that coincided with increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

"This is some of the first evidence of just how much warmer it was," said Sarah J. Feakins, an assistant professor of earth sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and lead author of a paper on the research published in Nature Geoscience on June 17.

Scientists began to suspect that high-latitude temperatures during the middle Miocene were warmer than previously believed when Sophie Warny, co-author of the Nature Geoscience paper, discovered large quantities of pollen and algae in sediment cores taken around Antarctica.

Fossils of plant life in Antarctica are difficult to come by because the movement of the massive ice sheets covering the landmass grinds and scrapes away the evidence.

"Deep sea cores are ideal to look for clues of past vegetation as the fossils deposited are protected from ice-sheet advances, but these are technically very difficult to acquire in the Antarctic and require international collaboration," said Warny, assistant professor of palynology at Louisiana State University.

"Ice cores can only go back about one million years," Feakins said. "Sediment cores allow us to go into 'deep time.'"

Tipped off by the tiny pollen samples, the USC-led team opted to look at the remnants of leaf wax taken from sediment cores for clues. Leaf wax acts as a record of climate change by documenting details about the hydrogen isotope ratios of the water the plant drank while it was alive.

Jung-Eun Lee, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a co-author on the paper, created model experiments to find out just how much warmer and wetter climate may have been. "When the planet heats up, the biggest changes are seen toward the poles. The southward movement of rain bands made the margins of Antarctica less like a polar desert, and more like present-day Iceland."

The peak of Antarctic greening during this time period, known as the middle Miocene, occurred between 16.4 and 15.7 million years ago. For reference, this was well after the age of the dinosaurs, which died out 64 million years ago. During the Miocene epoch, mostly modern looking animals such as three-toed horses, deer and camel roamed Earth. Various species of apes also existed, though modern humans did not appear until 200,000 years ago.

Warm conditions during the middle Miocene are thought to be associated with carbon dioxide levels, probably around 400 to 600 parts per million (ppm). In 2012, carbon dioxide levels have climbed to 393 ppm, the highest they've been in the past several million years. At the current rate of increase, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are on track to reach middle Miocene levels by the end of this century.

The ultimate goal of the study was to better understand what the future of climate change may look like, Feakins said. "Just as history has a lot to teach us about the future, so does past climate: what this record shows us is how much warmer and wetter it can get around the Antarctic ice sheet as the climate system heats up."

###

University of Southern California: http://www.usc.edu

Thanks to University of Southern California 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 20 time(s).

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Instapaper (for iPad)

The Instapaper 4.2.2 ($4.99) bills itself as "a simple tool to save Web pages for reading later." That is an apt description, as it lets anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch?and a serious Web browsing habit?save Web articles and read them offline, or at a more convenient time. The latest version features a number of additions since the app's 2010 debut, fixing many of the issues we had with the app's initial release.

How It Works
When Instapaper first launched, you had to first register at Instapaper.com, as you couldn't create an account from within the app. No more. Instapaper now lets you sign up for an account from within the app, which makes it feel like a true standalone piece of software instead of an extension of the website.

Tapping the Web icon opens an address bar in which you can key in an URL. I like that I could do this within Instapaper and not in Safari; Pocket (free, 4 stars), Instapaper's rival "read it later" app, requires you to install a bookmarklet into mobile Safari which has a somewhat confusing setup. When you come across a webpage of note, you simply tap "Read Later" in the upper-right corner of the screen to bookmark the page. Saved sites synced to the Web version of Instapaper nearly instantaneously, but, curiously, I couldn't save a few top-level domains, only their individual pages.

There's also an applet that you can drag onto your computer's Web browser. This will add a "Read Later" option to your bookmark list. From that point on, any time you visit a Web page, or even see a headline in Google Reader, you can Click Read later to send it to Instapaper.

You can view all of your saved pages by tapping the "Read Later" icon. The links are presented in a grid that features the articles title and the first few lines of text. Tapping a square opens a stripped down version of the story with just text and images, but you can use the "Open in Browser" option to see the real deal. As with Pocket, Instapaper lets you can read these articles without a wireless connection?this makes Instapaper ideal for commuting home on the subway, or any scenario where you would be unable to connect to the Web. You can also read your Instapaper collection on the Web using any browser, but of course, that requires an Internet connection. Once you have read an article, you can move it to your archive. The app will store up to 500 articles.

Unfortunately, you need to shell out additional money to search article text: $2.99 for a 3 month subscription, $5.99 for a 6 month subscription, and $11.99 for a 1 year subscription. Frankly, this comes off as a bit of a nickel-and-dime as I've already dropped $5 on the app?search should be included at no extra charge. Still, it's not huge ding as most users won't need the feature.

Extras
Instapaper serves up numerous sharing options. You can fire off links to others via email, Evernote, Facebook, Pinboard, Tumblr, and Twitter. You can also sign into any of those services to find friends who've liked articles on Instapaper. I liked this, as I was able to check out articles from people with similar interests. Pocket lacks this social element.

Instapaper also has a section called "The Feature," editorial selections from the best articles saved to Instapaper. The stories came from outlets such as The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Wired, and other high-profile and popular outlets.

The Wrap on Instapaper
Instapaper represents everything I love about software?it's a simple, elegant solution to a universal problem. It isn't as real-time or interactive as Flipboard?(Free, 4.5 stars), but that's because it's designed for offline reading (in fact, you can use Instapaper to save Flipboard articles). To be clear, if you aren't the type of person who finds the Web filled with curious stories that you would read if you just had a little more time, Instapaper isn't for you. For me, however, Instapaper is an essential app; its overall usefulness makes it an Editors' Choice award winner, and a must-download for any iPad owner.

More iPad Apps Reviews
??? Instapaper (for iPad)
??? Pocket (for iPad)
??? NASA Visualization Explorer (for iPad)
??? Catan HD (for iPad)
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?? more

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Summit lets Obama, Putin size up the competition

FILE - In this July 7, 2009 file photo, President Barack Obama shakes hands with then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow. With global anxiety rising, President Barack Obama is searching for bolder, swifter signals from Europe that it will contain its fiscal mess and keep it from torpedoing the U.S. economy and his re-election chances along with it. Yet as he prepares to plunge into summit talks with the other world leaders, Obama is down to the power of persuasion and little else. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

FILE - In this July 7, 2009 file photo, President Barack Obama shakes hands with then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow. With global anxiety rising, President Barack Obama is searching for bolder, swifter signals from Europe that it will contain its fiscal mess and keep it from torpedoing the U.S. economy and his re-election chances along with it. Yet as he prepares to plunge into summit talks with the other world leaders, Obama is down to the power of persuasion and little else. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with the military top brass while visiting a military airbase in the city of Korenovsk, about 1200 kilometers (750 miles) south of Moscow, Thursday, June 14, 2012. President Vladimir Putin says Russia needs a new strategic bomber and will develop it despite high costs. Speaking Thursday at a meeting with the military top brass after visiting a base in southern Russia, Putin said the project would be expensive and technologically challenging. He added that the job needs to be done despite high costs, according to Russian news agencies. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attaches a Russian military medal to an air regiment banner during an award ceremony at a military airbase in the city of Korenovsk, about 1200 kilometers (750 miles) south of Moscow, Thursday, June 14, 2012. President Vladimir Putin says Russia needs a new strategic bomber and will develop it despite high costs. Speaking Thursday at a meeting with the military top brass after visiting a base in southern Russia, Putin said the project would be expensive and technologically challenging. He added that the job needs to be done despite high costs, according to Russian news agencies. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a signing ceremony of an agreement between state-controlled Russian oil company Rosneft and Exxon Mobil corporation at the Black Sea port of Tuapse, southern Russia, Friday, June 15, 2012. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Mikhail Klimentyev, Presidential Press Service)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin will use their meeting Monday, the first since Putin returned to Russia's top job, to claim leverage in a mutually dependent but volatile relationship.

Obama needs Russia to help, or at least not hurt, U.S. foreign policy aims in the Mideast and Afghanistan. Putin needs the United States as a foil for his argument that Russia doesn't get its due as a great power.

Obama and Putin are set to meet on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic gathering in Mexico that will otherwise focus largely on the European economic crisis. Greece's fate as part of the eurozone may be sealed as Obama and other world leaders meet, and the gathering is a natural forum for sideline discussions of the urgent crisis in Syria as well as diplomatic efforts to head off a confrontation with Iran.

Russia is a linchpin in several U.S. foreign policy goals. Chief among them are the international effort to deny Iran a nuclear weapon and a smooth shutdown of the Afghanistan war. Brutal attacks on anti-government protesters in Syria and the threat of civil war in the Mideast nation pose the most immediate crisis. In the longer term, Obama wants Russia's continued cooperation in nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation.

Russia's membership in numerous world bodies and its veto power at the U.N. Security Council give it leverage beyond its economic or military power.

Obama holds far greater power and both leaders know it. But Putin can be a spoiler and irritant to the administration.

Things got off to a rocky start this spring, when Obama pointedly withheld a customary congratulatory phone call to Putin until days after his election. Putin appeared to snub Obama by skipping the smaller and weightier Group of Eight meeting that Obama hosted last month at Camp David.

"Putin is in a petulant sort of mood," said Russia scholar Mark N. Katz of George Mason University. "He's got all these grievances about American foreign policy and he's looking for us to satisfy him, and I don't think we're going to do that. No amount of bonhomie or talking nicely is going to fix that."

Obama made a special project of Russia in his first term and arguably needs Moscow's help even more if he wins a second one. He is trying to avoid a distracting public spat with Russia during this election year, as suggested by an overheard remark to outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in March. Obama told Medvedev he would have more flexibility to answer Russian complaints about a U.S.-built missile defense shield in Europe after the November election.

For all Obama's talk of resetting the relationship with Russia, it remains a wary standoff. That's apparently just the way Putin prefers it.

Putin's campaign included some of the strongest anti-American rhetoric from Moscow in a decade and he openly accused Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton of inciting protests against him. The Obama administration mostly tried to shrug it off, but Putin's return to the presidency makes it more likely that any help Russia provides in Syria, Iran or other matters will come at a cost.

U.S. strategy has favored flattery that may overstate Russia's influence, especially on Syria, and efforts to highlight areas where U.S. and Russian goals align.

"The reset with Russia was based on the belief that we could cooperate with them on areas of common interest, understanding that we saw some differences," White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Friday.

Syria is at the top of the list of differences, especially on the question of whether the crisis can be resolved without deposing President Bashar Assad. Diplomatic hopes have rested on Washington and Moscow agreeing on a transition plan that would end the four-decade Assad family rule. Russia, as Syria's longtime ally and trading partner, is seen as the best broker for a deal that could give Assad political refuge.

So far, Moscow has said no.

There is no formal meeting on Syria scheduled at the G-20, but U.S. and other diplomats have said they expect Syria to be a main topic in other settings.

The White House tried to soften the blow of Clinton's accusation days before the G-20 meeting that Russia was equipping the Syrian government with attack helicopters that could bused against civilians. She later acknowledged they were only helicopters already owned by Syria that had been sent back to Russia for repairs, but Russia was already annoyed.

Russia insists that any arms it supplies to Syria are not being used to quell anti-government dissent that began more than a year ago, and has rebuffed efforts to impose an international arms embargo. Russia and Syria have a longstanding military relationship and Syria hosts Russia's only naval base on the Mediterranean Sea.

The United States has refused to arm anti-Assad rebels in part to avoid a proxy fight in which Iran and Russia and others arm one side and the U.S. and Sunni Arab states arm the other. Opposition groups estimate 13,000 people have died in violence that the U.S. fears is sliding into civil war.

Carney brushed aside questions about whether the U.S. might yank support for Russia's membership in World Trade Organization if Russia refuses to help on Syria. He underscored that the U.S. supports that core Russian goal, which will be a centerpiece of the talks.

The Obama-Putin meeting also comes the same day as Moscow hosts an international negotiating session with Iran. Russia has gone along with U.N. Security Council efforts to tighten some penalties against Iran because of questions about its nuclear weapons ambitions, but has blocked the harshest punishments. Still, the United States needs Russia's participation to lend legitimacy to the argument that Iran faces broad international condemnation. Iran usually paints the dispute over its nuclear program as a confrontation with the U.S. and its ally Israel.

The Pew Research Center's newly released global public opinion survey gives Putin job approval ratings Obama can only dream of. About 72 percent of Russians have a favorable opinion of Putin, and a majority put more faith in a strong leader than in a democratic form of government. Nearly three-quarters of those polled said Russia deserves greater respect from other countries.

Despite that footing, tens of thousands of protesters thronged Moscow streets this past week in the first mass protest against Putin since he returned to the presidency in May. His tactics in cracking down on political opponents will make it difficult for Obama to play down longstanding U.S. complaints about human rights abuses that infuriate Russian leaders. The Kremlin ordered the detention and interrogation of at least one activist and searches of others' homes last week.

Putin's own return to the presidency was far more certain than Obama's re-election chances. Despite their differences, Putin probably would prefer a second Obama term to a Mitt Romney presidency, Katz said, not least because the Republican challenger has called Russia the chief strategic enemy of the United States.

Associated Press

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Where the US and Pakistan are working together

The $75 million USAID Teacher Education Project alone won't patch the US and Pakistan governmental relationship. But education projects are one way to maintain people-to-people relations.?

By Jenna Fisher,?Staff writer / June 15, 2012

A group of 22 high-ranking Pakistani education officials and policymakers are in the US meeting with education experts, as part of the USAID Teacher Education Project.

Courtesy of Education Development Center

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Every few months, US-Pakistan relations seem to fall to a new low. ?

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The latest tumble happened this week when the United States announced it had called off negotiations with Pakistan to reopen NATO supply routes.?

But even as Washington and Islamabad figure out how to mend their struggling relationship, soft diplomacy efforts ? and billions of dollars ? are in place to keep US-Pakistan ties from fraying completely.?

In fact, a group of 22 high-ranking Pakistani education officials and policymakers are in the US meeting with education experts. It's part of a first-of-its-kind, USAID-funded project to professionalize Pakistan's teachers and upgrade the quality of education in the nation's elementary and secondary schools.

The USAID Teacher Education Project alone may not patch the relationship between the US and Pakistan, but funding education projects is one way the US is able to support the kinds of moderate values that both the Pakistani government and the US say they want to promote.

?We need a strong civil society here in Pakistan that is safe and secure. We cannot produce that without good education,? says Mahmood ul Hasan Butt, director of the USAID Teacher Education Project, which is being?implemented by?EDC,?a nonprofit based outside Boston.

Pakistan is having trouble attracting both teachers and students to classrooms. Dr. Butt attributes a large portion of these problems to the state of the teaching profession. Until now, there was no special training for teachers and few incentives to teach.

The USAID Teacher Education Project is a $75 million, five-year project under the Kerry-Lugar-Bergman Act. Since the project began in 2009, Pakistani teachers and policymakers have been meeting regularly in Pakistan, working on developing and implementing their own education policy changes, developing new syllabuses, and working with the higher education commission to implement new education degrees.

Pakistan is introducing both a two-year associate's degree and a four-year bachelor?s degree in education, with a plan to require a bachelor's degree in education by 2018. To encourage teachers to get the degree now, schools are offering higher pay to teachers with the new qualification.

Some in Pakistan criticize USAID?s approach to dispensing aid and Pakistan?s apparent dependence on it. The US has pumped $20.7 billion in aid into Pakistan since 2002 (some two-thirds military, the rest civilian). US lawmakers often complain that Pakistan does not cooperate as much as hoped, and have threatened to suspend aid. And in some cases have acted: After the doctor who helped the US track down Osama bin Laden was sentenced to 33 years in prison, the Senate voted to cut aid by $33 million. And more recently, the US cut?$20 million for the Pakistani version of Sesame Street after USAID made allegations of fraud against the show's producers.

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Anthropogenic Global Warming: Wrong Again (Powerlineblog)

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

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US, Russian leaders to work on Syria 'disagreements'

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