Improving medical treatment requires risk-based approach to regulate clinical trials

Public release date: 30-Jan-2012
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Contact: Elizabeth de Bony
elizabeth.debony@bm.com
32-274-36652
European Science Foundation

Strasbourg/Brussels -- Current EU legislation represents a major hurdle to improving medical treatment due to the straight-jacket of EU legislation that the 2001 Clinical Trials Directive imposes, a group of leading European medical scientists charged today in a position paper1 issued in Brussels and Strasbourg.

The paper issued by the European Science Foundation (ESF) and its European Medical Research Councils (EMRC) welcomes the planned revision of the 2001 Clinical Trials Directive expected later this year, but urges the Commission to take the opportunity to introduce a series of improvements to the Directive. These improvements include streamlining procedures, introducing a risk-based approach to authorising clinical trials and crucially ensuring greater harmonisation in the implementation of EU rules at national level so that clinical trials can take place across national borders.

"Balancing these aims with the imperative of maintaining a high level of patient safety is the major challenge facing the revision," said Professor Liselotte Hjgaard, Chair of the EMRC.

Finding that balance, however, is the key to preserving Europe's position as an innovative and competitive research area.

The 2001 Directive was a landmark in the pursuit of quality medicine in Europe. It aimed to facilitate clinical research across the EU, while at the same time maintaining a high level of protection for public health. It established specific provisions regarding the conduct of clinical trials on humans involving medicinal products in particular relating to the implementation of good clinical practice defined as a set of internationally recognised ethical and scientific quality requirements which must be observed for designing, conducting, recording and reporting clinical trials.

1 The position paper "Proposal for a revision of the 'Clinical Trials Directive (2001/20/EC) and other recommendations to facilitate clinical trials" is available on the ESF website: www.ESF.org

It is widely recognised that the 2001 Directive radically enhanced the quality of Europe's clinical trials on which patient safety resides, and the ESF, EMRC and many other European organisations want the revision to preserve that high standard. But in line with Europe's 2020 objectives it must also be designed to boost innovation and improve medical treatments.

Since its implementation in 2003 the Directive has been under a lot of criticism for adding to rather than reducing red tape. No one argues the benefits of the strict regulations for high risk trials involving experimental medicines for humans, but the EMRC argues in favour of a sliding scale of requirements depending precisely on the risk involved. In this way low-risk trials or comparative trials could benefit from a less restrictive framework than high risk trials. Clinical researchers wanting to verify the effectiveness of one already licensed medication over another aspirin versus paracetamol for example would not have to fulfil the full gamut of rules. "It is time now to align requirements with the risk involved," stressed Prof Hjgaard.

Another key objective for research is to harmonise national implementation of the clinical trials directive. Currently the 27 member states have each translated the Directive into national law with different definitions and varying restrictions so every pan-European trial has to deal with that complexity. This is a non-starter for academic research groups with a low research budget. The EMRC therefore welcomes indications from the Commission that improved harmonisation and cooperation in clinical trials will be part of the revised legislative.

"Excellence in clinical research requires a truly functioning harmonisation," emphasised Professor Hjgaard. "We urge the Commission, European Parliament and the member states to enact a law that unifies clinical trials in Europe."

###

For further information please contact:

At the European Science Foundation

Prof Liselotte Hjgaard, EMRC Chair
University of Copenhagen and Danish Technical University, Denmark
45-3545-4215 or 45-3545-1792 / lottepet@rh.dk

Dr. Kirsten Steinhausen, Science Officer
Biomedical Sciences Unit
33-3-88-76-2184 / KSteinhausen@esf.org

Shira Tabachnikoff, Head of Communications
33-3-88-76-71-32 / stabachnikoff@esf.org

At Burson-Marsteller in Brussels

Elizabeth de Bony, Director
32-2-743-66-52 /elizabeth.debony@bm.com

Notes to editors

The European Science Foundation (ESF) The European Science Foundation (ESF) was established in 1974 to provide a common platform for its Member Organisations to advance European research collaboration and explore new directions for research. It is an independent organisation, owned by 78 Member Organisations which are research funding organisations and research performing organisations, academies and learned societies from 30 countries. ESF promotes collaboration in research itself, in funding of research and in science policy activities at the European level. www.esf.org

The European Medical Research Councils (EMRC) is the membership organisation for all the Medical Research Councils in Europe under the ESF. The EMRC's is to promote innovative medical research and its clinical application towards improved human health. EMRC offers authoritative strategic advice for policy making, research management, ethics, and better health services. In its activities, EMRC serves as a voice of its Member Organisations and the European scientific community. EMRC disseminates knowledge and promotes the socio-economic value of medical research to the general public and the decision makers.

---

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?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 30-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elizabeth de Bony
elizabeth.debony@bm.com
32-274-36652
European Science Foundation

Strasbourg/Brussels -- Current EU legislation represents a major hurdle to improving medical treatment due to the straight-jacket of EU legislation that the 2001 Clinical Trials Directive imposes, a group of leading European medical scientists charged today in a position paper1 issued in Brussels and Strasbourg.

The paper issued by the European Science Foundation (ESF) and its European Medical Research Councils (EMRC) welcomes the planned revision of the 2001 Clinical Trials Directive expected later this year, but urges the Commission to take the opportunity to introduce a series of improvements to the Directive. These improvements include streamlining procedures, introducing a risk-based approach to authorising clinical trials and crucially ensuring greater harmonisation in the implementation of EU rules at national level so that clinical trials can take place across national borders.

"Balancing these aims with the imperative of maintaining a high level of patient safety is the major challenge facing the revision," said Professor Liselotte Hjgaard, Chair of the EMRC.

Finding that balance, however, is the key to preserving Europe's position as an innovative and competitive research area.

The 2001 Directive was a landmark in the pursuit of quality medicine in Europe. It aimed to facilitate clinical research across the EU, while at the same time maintaining a high level of protection for public health. It established specific provisions regarding the conduct of clinical trials on humans involving medicinal products in particular relating to the implementation of good clinical practice defined as a set of internationally recognised ethical and scientific quality requirements which must be observed for designing, conducting, recording and reporting clinical trials.

1 The position paper "Proposal for a revision of the 'Clinical Trials Directive (2001/20/EC) and other recommendations to facilitate clinical trials" is available on the ESF website: www.ESF.org

It is widely recognised that the 2001 Directive radically enhanced the quality of Europe's clinical trials on which patient safety resides, and the ESF, EMRC and many other European organisations want the revision to preserve that high standard. But in line with Europe's 2020 objectives it must also be designed to boost innovation and improve medical treatments.

Since its implementation in 2003 the Directive has been under a lot of criticism for adding to rather than reducing red tape. No one argues the benefits of the strict regulations for high risk trials involving experimental medicines for humans, but the EMRC argues in favour of a sliding scale of requirements depending precisely on the risk involved. In this way low-risk trials or comparative trials could benefit from a less restrictive framework than high risk trials. Clinical researchers wanting to verify the effectiveness of one already licensed medication over another aspirin versus paracetamol for example would not have to fulfil the full gamut of rules. "It is time now to align requirements with the risk involved," stressed Prof Hjgaard.

Another key objective for research is to harmonise national implementation of the clinical trials directive. Currently the 27 member states have each translated the Directive into national law with different definitions and varying restrictions so every pan-European trial has to deal with that complexity. This is a non-starter for academic research groups with a low research budget. The EMRC therefore welcomes indications from the Commission that improved harmonisation and cooperation in clinical trials will be part of the revised legislative.

"Excellence in clinical research requires a truly functioning harmonisation," emphasised Professor Hjgaard. "We urge the Commission, European Parliament and the member states to enact a law that unifies clinical trials in Europe."

###

For further information please contact:

At the European Science Foundation

Prof Liselotte Hjgaard, EMRC Chair
University of Copenhagen and Danish Technical University, Denmark
45-3545-4215 or 45-3545-1792 / lottepet@rh.dk

Dr. Kirsten Steinhausen, Science Officer
Biomedical Sciences Unit
33-3-88-76-2184 / KSteinhausen@esf.org

Shira Tabachnikoff, Head of Communications
33-3-88-76-71-32 / stabachnikoff@esf.org

At Burson-Marsteller in Brussels

Elizabeth de Bony, Director
32-2-743-66-52 /elizabeth.debony@bm.com

Notes to editors

The European Science Foundation (ESF) The European Science Foundation (ESF) was established in 1974 to provide a common platform for its Member Organisations to advance European research collaboration and explore new directions for research. It is an independent organisation, owned by 78 Member Organisations which are research funding organisations and research performing organisations, academies and learned societies from 30 countries. ESF promotes collaboration in research itself, in funding of research and in science policy activities at the European level. www.esf.org

The European Medical Research Councils (EMRC) is the membership organisation for all the Medical Research Councils in Europe under the ESF. The EMRC's is to promote innovative medical research and its clinical application towards improved human health. EMRC offers authoritative strategic advice for policy making, research management, ethics, and better health services. In its activities, EMRC serves as a voice of its Member Organisations and the European scientific community. EMRC disseminates knowledge and promotes the socio-economic value of medical research to the general public and the decision makers.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/esf-imt013012.php

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Nanotech-enhanced 'smart paint' promises to detect structural damage

We've seen scientists explore a number of ways to make paint "smarter" over the years, and now a team of researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow have devised a method that they say could do nothing short of "revolutionize structural safety." The key to that is some novel nanotechnology that effectively turns the paint into a sensor network that's able to detect minor structural faults before they become a severe problem. More specifically, the paint consists of a mix of highly aligned carbon nanotubes and a recycled waste material known as fly ash -- when the nanotubes bend, the conductivity changes, indicating that there could be a structural problem developing. What's more, the fly ash is also said to give the paint a cement-like structure, which the researchers say could let it be used in harsh conditions where traditional structural monitoring can prove difficult (and expensive).

Continue reading Nanotech-enhanced 'smart paint' promises to detect structural damage

Nanotech-enhanced 'smart paint' promises to detect structural damage originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/xMjaejon8JE/

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Gingrich???s Space Colony Proposition Unrealistic (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Apparently the moon is the next prime real estate for U.S. citizens, or so former Speaker of the House and Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich seems to think.

In the Thursday Florida primary debate, Gingrich expanded on his previous claim that if elected president, he would make every effort to establish a space colony on the moon by 2020. What's more, it's estimated 13,000 inhabitants would be able to qualify for American citizenship.

This illustrious plan sounds a bit "spacey" to me. Just think: A presidential nominee who supposedly recognizes the economic woes that Americans have been facing and who bashes President Barack Obama for misallocation of national funds and ill-conceived solutions to bring the country back from its multitrillion-dollar deficit has the notion that American taxpayers have the means to support a colony in space.

I understand the argument that commercializing NASA and other space exploits is a compromising method to not let expensive equipment go to waste. I get that for Americans to remain a dominant world power, they must retain a presence in space.

But the convoluted part for me is how repurposing space equipment on Earth is going to ready average U.S. citizens for eventual long-term establishment in space. That begs the question of how Gingrich expects to pay for it, with so many other philanthropies vying for funding. I also wonder how Gingrich plans for Americans to remain the lone nationality represented on the moon.

The 1961 lunar landing guaranteed the U.S. a place in space race history. Chances are NASA wouldn't have made nearly the number of discoveries and strides in its 30 years if the U.S. hadn't laid the foundation early. But is a space colony the type of semi-permanent mark Americans want to make without funds to accommodate it?

It may do Gingrich well to recall another memorable point in the history of U.S. colonization, when the British colonies were established in North America but were expected to pay the same taxes as those residing in England.

Gingrich might soon realize his flat tax initiative is a bust with the anticipated tax inflation and strain a space colony would put on Americans in the U.S. The sheer amount of resources needed to sustain a colony on the moon would be astronomical. Not only would U.S. space residents lose their national identity and affiliation; I'm sure that terra firma-lovers would realize the wasted allocation of money resources to sustain their brothers in orbit. Sounds eerily similar to Gingrich's own sentiments about the current commander-in-chief.

An American-only space colony is an impressive campaign goal, but it may be a bit too lofty for Gingrich or others to achieve in the current economic climate. There's no doubt that it's a project that could take off in the distant future; after all, the U.S. did put a man on the moon. It has no chance, though, until financial feasibility catches up to American capability.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120129/pl_ac/10893623_gingrichs_space_colony_proposition_unrealistic

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PFT: Lions fear Best's career is over

AP

So why is Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger planning to park his rear end on the other side of Art Rooney?s desk and ask hard questions about the future of the offense?

It could be that Roethlisberger wants to ensure that quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner replaces Bruce Arians as the next offensive coordinator of the Steelers.

?When I get back, I?m going to go up to Mr. Rooney?s office and ask him what he wants from me, what he wants from this offense, because I think that?s a viable question for him,? Roethlisberger said recently.? ?He?s our owner and our boss, so I really would like to know kind of what he wants and where he sees our offense going because I?d like to tell him where I see us going.?

Roethlisberger surely sees the offense going toward Fichtner, who has joined Ben in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl and who has worked with the quarterback since 2007, when coach Mike Tomlin hired him.? Fichtner previously ran a spread offense at Memphis, and Peter King explained last night on NBC SportsTalk that Fichtner was instrumental in helping Roethsliberger reintegrate into the roster after a four-game suspension to start the 2010 season.

And so the deeper question is whether Rooney wants to change the offense, or whether he simply wanted to change the coordinator.? If it was a matter of dumping Bruce Arians and promoting Fichtner, the move probably would have happened by now.

Some may wonder why Rooney would possibly want to retreat to a more traditional Steelers attack ? play great defense, run the ball extensively, and pass selectively not extensively.? That would seem to be an unusual decision, given the presence of three very good young receivers:? Mike Wallace, 2011 team MVP Antonio Brown, and Emmanuel Sanders.

But here?s the thing.? Receivers who catch a lot of passes eventually command a lot of money.? So if the Steelers continue to stretch the field, it could force them to stretch their wallet and/or salary cap in order to keep the pieces in place.? Competent running backs, generally speaking, are much cheaper, more interchangeable, and far easier to find.

Rooney offered no concrete clues during a recent interview with Steelers Digest editor Bob Labriola when commenting on the fact that the two Super Bowl teams have quarterbacks who passed for more than 10,000 yards combined this season and defenses that landed near the bottom of the league.

?There?s no question the league is changing and the league?s always evolving,? Rooney said.? ?And there?s no doubt that I think we?ve seen quarterback play in general this year at maybe the highest level we?ve ever seen it, from a number of players.? And so number one I think we?re fortunate to have a lot of very good quarterbacks in the league right now.? Number two, the rules have changed to allow more prolific passers.? And so I think that?s what we?re looking for for our quarterback, to be up there with the elite quarterbacks and to have that kind of production.? And so I think you have to recognize all those facts.

?The other side of the coin is I think if you look at these playoffs so far, we?re not seeing teams scoring 30 and 40 points a game.? And so I think you have to remember what playoff football is all about.? Defense still is a big part of the game.? And the games that we?ve seen for far in the playoffs, the defenses have made big plays.? And as I say, the scoring has been fairly consistent with past playoffs.? And so I think the game is evolving, but maybe not to the degree that some people would like to play it.?

Apart from the fact that the Giants scored 37 at Lambeau Field and the Pats scored 45 against the Broncos, who scored one point less than 30 against the Steelers, and the 49ers and Saints combined for 68 points and the Saints and Lions cominbed for 73 points, Rooney seems to be struggling to reconcile the recent explosion in offense with the time-honored notion that defense wins championships.

Of course, there?s also a chance that Rooney wants to continue to stretch the field, but that he doesn?t believe Fichtner is the right guy to orchestrate the attack.? Either way, these decisions about the future of the Steelers offense seem to be coming not from the top of the coaching staff, but from the top of the organization.? And it?ll be interesting to see whether Roethlisberger likes what he hears when he plops his caboose in Art Rooney?s office.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/28/report-many-in-lions-organization-fear-that-jahvid-bests-career-is-over/related/

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HBT: Safeco Field retractable roof breaks down

The Mariners product on the field isn?t the only thing in need of repairs.

Seattle?s FanFest was dampened Saturday because two of the retractable roof?s panels remained stuck in place, the result of a broken wheel and axle.

The problem was discovered Thursday, but the Mariners went ahead with the FanFest anyway. While they were able to keep most of the field and activities covered, a light rain fell on the east side of the field.

?The good news is it?s now, and not when we?re playing baseball,? vice president of ballpark operations Scott Jenkins said. ?If it happened during the season, it could be a problem. But we have time to deal with it.?

The roof is expected to be fixed next week.

According to MLB.com?s Greg Johns, the Safeco roof has failed just once during a game, that leading to a 54-minute rain delay in a contest versus the Rangers on July 23, 2000.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/28/safeco-field-roof-breaks-down/related/

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Mobile Miscellany: week of January 23, 2012

This week may not have been incredibly packed with news in the mobile world, but it was still easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of January 23, 2012:

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of January 23, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of January 23, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/28/mobile-miscellany/

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Bayern Munich apologizes for hoax player signing

Associated Press Sports

updated 3:01 p.m. ET Jan. 27, 2012

MUNICH (AP) -Bayern Munich apologized Friday for tricking fans over a "spectacular new signing" after supporters reacted angrily to a publicity stunt in which the Bundesliga leaders sought to increase their fanbase on Facebook.

Bayern said on its website that it had taken fans' numerous comments into account to determine that many were "very angry" with the club.

"We're sorry. But it wasn't our intention to disappoint you with the new FC Bayern app," Bayern said. "Rather, we wanted to put the focus on you with this action, to show how important each fan is for Bayern Munich."

Fans had been directed to Facebook to watch the announcement of a new striker Thursday, and were made to "like" Bayern's page in order to view the proceedings.

Instead of learning the identity of striker Mario Gomez's backup, fans were then presented with an app called "The New FCB Star."

"Dear fans, you probably already noticed that we did not sign a new player. This app is for our fans to show the importance of you for our club," the club had said. "Each Bayern fan is the 'spectacular new signing,' our 12th man!"

Thousands of fans reacted negatively, leaving uncomplimentary comments on the club's Facebook page - even though Bayern described the whole thing as "a bit of fun for our fans."

Bayern's own goal was compounded when Munich's TZ newspaper reported that the club had warned its players about publishing photos or sharing information on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, with an outright ban coming into effect within 90 minutes of a game.

The warning came after Bayern defender Breno complained on Twitter of being forced to play in the reserve team, and midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk posted footage of Uli Hoeness' 60th birthday party on YouTube and a picture of the Bayern dressing room before a game.

"The players know that they need to cut it down," Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes told Bild on Thursday - the day of Bayern's "spectacular new signing."

"It's not on that you take photos or allow photos be taken before a game - like Tymoshchuk - and put them on the internet. It's tomfoolery, it's unprofessional."

Heynckes said Friday that the timing and manner of Bayern's publicity stunt "weren't quite so fortunate," especially after the 3-1 loss at Borussia Moenchengladbach last weekend.

"If we had won 4-0 in Moenchengladbach and it had been presented in a different manner, then it would have been somewhat more successful," Heynckes said.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Postmodern Business Cycles - NYTimes.com

January 27, 2012, 8:24 am

Noah Smith finds John Taylor claiming that the V-shaped recovery from the 1981-2 recession proves that Reagan roolz. Kind of sad, really: I find it hard not to believe that Taylor actually knows better.

But anyway, this gives me an occasion to talk about why the sluggish recovery was predictable ? and predicted. This is not an after-the-fact rationalization, I was explaining very early on that this wasn?t going to be like the 1981-2 recession.

As I said then, there?s a definite change in the character of recessions after the mid-1980s. Before then, recessions were basically brought on by the Fed, which raised interest rates sharply to curb inflation, causing a slump in housing. When the Fed decided that we had suffered enough, it let rates fall again, and there was a surge from pent-up housing demand. Morning in America!

Since then, however, inflation has been well under control, and booms have died of old age ? or more precisely, they have died because of overbuilding and an excessive level of debt. The Fed is then in the position of trying to goose housing (which is the principal channel for monetary policy) even though housing may already be overbuilt (which was the point I was making, sarcastically, when I said long ago that the Fed has to create a housing bubble), and it is cutting rates from an initial level which isn?t that high. So the odds of running up against the zero lower bound are high, and recovery can be a long time in coming.

You can see what I?m talking about here:

The early-80s slump was brought on by a huge rise in the Fed funds rate, which left lots of room for cuts, and was driven by a deep slump in housing, which meant that there was lots of pent-up demand when rates fell again. The 2007-? slump was brought on by the bursting of a housing and debt bubble, and left the Fed largely pushing on a string.

And what about Reagan? Reagan who? This had nothing to do with tax cuts. Did I mention that Reagan actually raised taxes in 1982?

Source: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/postmodern-business-cycles/

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Biden says GOP obstruction benefits Democrats (AP)

CAMBRIDGE, Md. ? Vice President Joe Biden said Friday that Republican obstructionism will help Democrats' elections prospects in November, from the party's hopes of reclaiming the House to President Barack Obama's bid for a second term.

In a pep talk to House Democrats gathered in Maryland for a three-day retreat, the vice president said the American people will reject GOP unwillingness to compromise and its blatant determination to make Obama a one-term president. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has said that ensuring Obama's defeat is a priority.

Biden also said Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's criticism of the auto bailout and a host of positions stated by rival Newt Gingrich on government intervention will create a clear contrast for voters.

"These guys are helping us by saying what they believe," Biden said in a nearly 50-minute speech that he shortened because of a cold.

"We need this to be rung out. Their America vs. our America," the vice president said.

The president was scheduled to address the Democrats in early afternoon.

The administration and congressional Democrats haven't always seen eye to eye in Obama's three years in office, with some Democrats frustrated with the president's willingness to compromise with the GOP. Biden mentioned that disconnect.

At last year's conference, Biden said the message he heard from Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was "get tough. Enough is enough." He said several Democrats in the room were furious when the administration agreed on an end-of-the-year deal on extending President George W. Bush's tax cuts in December 2010.

"The message was heard. The message was heard," Biden said. "And I think we've delivered."

Obama will encounter a more unified group of House Democrats, who have welcomed the populist pitch and middle-class message of his State of the Union address Tuesday night. The bitter divisions among Republican White House hopefuls have helped bring them together, as well.

"Long may it last," said Rep. Rob Andrews, D-N.J., on the prospect of a drawn-out, bare-knuckle GOP nomination fight between top candidates Romney and Gingrich.

House Democrats echoed many of the themes from Obama's speech on economic fairness, boosting manufacturing and helping middle-class Americans, a reflection of campaign messaging and a recognition that their fate is inextricably linked to the president. They held a series of closed-door sessions on strategy for the coming year and later spoke to reporters.

It's a more upbeat Democratic caucus than the one Obama encountered last year when backbiting and frustration split Democrats after a thrashing in the November 2010 midterm elections.

Being out of power for a year will do that. So will a week in which Democrats saw some positive signs, from Obama's address to polls showing more voters think the country is on the right track, to a daring hostage rescue of an American in Somalia. Signs of an economic rebound are prevalent; Commerce Secretary John Bryson told the Democrats that of the 3 million new jobs, 300,000 were in manufacturing.

As for the Democrats' own finances, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised more than $61 million last year and has $11.6 million cash on hand. It also eliminated a lingering debt.

Democrats face a tough challenge in recapturing the House as Republicans have shored up their vulnerable lawmakers through redistricting. The GOP scoffs at the notion that Democrats can win the 25 seats necessary to take control.

"It's the first time I've seen Democrats this united," said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.

That unity will be tested by months of campaigning and legislative fights as well as clear signals from Obama that he will run against Congress.

While Democrats talked about message, Obama was on a three-day, five-state swing that included a stop in Aurora, Colo., where he told the crowd, "We're not going to wait for Congress," on some issues such as producing clean energy to power 3 million homes. He made similar arguments in his speech.

Democratic leaders said Obama should run against a "do-nothing Congress" to highlight for American voters how Republicans have obstructed his agenda. Yet that kind of campaign strategy could be equally damaging to Democrats, who hold 191 seats in the House and control the Senate by a narrow margin, 51-47, plus two independents who generally vote with them. Public approval ratings for Congress have hit all-time lows, dipping to the teens. Voters easily could send scores of members from both parties packing in November.

Republicans signaled they have a ready response to the White House strategy.

"The president can blame anyone he wants, but it won't change the fact that this year will be a referendum on his economic record," said Kevin Smith, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

For now, Democrats will press ahead with an agenda and rhetoric that mirrors Obama's.

In his State of the Union speech, Obama called for a new minimum tax rate of at least 30 percent on anyone making more than $1 million. It's the so-called Buffett rule, named after a recommendation by billionaire financier Warren Buffett, who benefits from a low 15 percent tax rate on investments, that he be required to pay a higher rate than his secretary. The president also pleaded for legislation that rewards companies that create jobs in the United States instead of shipping them overseas.

Senate Democrats said this week they will move ahead this year with legislation.

Obama also said he would sign a bill that would ban lawmakers from buying and selling stock based on insider information. Senate Democrats signaled they would consider a bill next week.

House Republicans, not Democrats, have the final say on what legislation comes to the floor. Still, House Democrats say the messaging is in sync.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_go_co/us_house_democrats

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Actor James Farentino dies at 73 (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Actor James Farentino, who played more than 100 roles in TV, film and on stage, has died at age of 73, a family spokesman said on Wednesday.

Farentino died in a Los Angeles hospital on Tuesday after what the spokesman called a lengthy illness.

Farentino was a regular face in TV series such as "ER", where he played the father of George Clooney's character, in 1996, "Dynasty" and "Melrose Place".

He received an Emmy nomination for his role as disciple Simon Peter in the miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth" and was critically-acclaimed for his performance as Stanley Kowalski in a 1973 Broadway revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire".

Married four times, Farentino became as well known for his life off camera. In 1994, he pleaded no contest to a stalking ex-girlfriend Tina Sinatra, the daughter of singer Frank Sinatra, derailing his acting career.

His most recent acting credit was in the 2006 TV comedy movie "Drive/II".

Farentino's movie roles included comedy "The Pad and How to Use it" for which he received a Golden Globe Award as most promising newcomer in 1967. He also appeared in the 1996 Adam Sandler action caper "Bulletproof" and 1980 sci-fi film "The Final Countdown".

Farentino is survived by his fourth wife Stella and two sons.

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120125/film_nm/us_jamesfarentino

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American Public School Teacher Tenure Rights Weakening As States Seek To Fire Underperforming Educators

WASHINGTON -- America's public school teachers are seeing their generations-old tenure protections weakened as states seek flexibility to fire teachers who aren't performing. A few states have essentially nullified tenure protections altogether, according to an analysis being released Wednesday by the National Council on Teacher Quality.

The changes are occurring as states replace virtually automatic "satisfactory" teacher evaluations with those linked to teacher performance and base teacher layoffs on performance instead of seniority. Politically powerful teachers' unions are fighting back, arguing the changes lower morale, deny teachers due process, and unfairly target older teachers.

The debate is so intense that in Idaho, for example, state superintendent Tom Luna's truck was spray painted and its tires slashed. An opponent appeared at his mother's house and he was interrupted during a live TV interview by an agitated man. Why? The Idaho legislature last year ended "continuing contracts" ? essentially equivalent to tenure ? for new teachers and said performance, not seniority, would determine layoffs. Other changes include up to $8,000 in annual bonuses given to teachers for good performance, and parent input on evaluations. Opponents gathered enough signatures to put a referendum that would overturn the changes on the November ballot.

Luna says good teachers shouldn't be worried.

"We had a system where it was almost impossible to financially reward great teachers and very difficult to deal with ineffective teachers. If you want an education system that truly puts students first, you have to have both," Luna said.

On Tuesday night, President Barack Obama weighed in on the issue during his State of the Union address. He said schools should be given the resources to keep and reward good teachers along with the flexibility to teach with creativity and to "replace teachers who just aren't helping kids learn."

Tenure protections were created in the early 20th century to protect teachers from arbitrary or discriminatory firings based on factors such as gender, nationality or political beliefs by spelling out rules under which they could be dismissed after a probationary period.

Critics say teachers too often get tenure by just showing up for work ? typically for three years, but sometimes less, and that once they earned it, bad teachers are almost impossible or too expensive to fire. The latest statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics, dating to the 2007-2008 school year, show about 2 percent of teachers dismissed for poor performance, although the numbers vary widely by school district.

The analysis by the National Council on Teacher Quality, a research and policy group that seeks to improve the quality of teaching, documents the shift in laws. In 2009, no state required student performance to be central to whether a teacher is awarded tenure; today, eight states do. The analysis also says four states now want evidence that students are learning before awarding tenure.

Other changes:

_ In Florida, tenure protections were essentially made null and void with policy changes such as eliminating tenure-like benefits altogether for new teachers, but also spelling out requirements under which all teachers with multiple poor evaluations face dismissal.

_ Rhode Island policies say teachers with two years of ineffective evaluations will be dismissed.

_ Colorado and Nevada passed laws saying tenure can be taken away after multiple "ineffective" ratings.

_ Eleven states now require districts to consider teacher performance when deciding who to let go.

_ About half of all states have policies that require classroom effectiveness be considered in teacher evaluations.

_ Florida, Indiana and Michigan adopted policies that require performance to be factored in teacher salaries.

A growing body of research demonstrates the dramatic difference effective teachers can play in student lives, from reducing teenage pregnancies to increasing a student's lifetime earnings. Meanwhile, while controversial, teacher evaluations have evolved in a way that proponents say allows better accounting of students' growth and of factors out of a teacher's control, like attendance.

The Obama administration has helped nudge the changes with its Race to the Top competition, which allowed states to compete for billions of education dollars, and offering states waivers around unpopular proficiency requirements in the No Child Left Behind education law. To participate in either, states have to promise changes such as tying teacher evaluations to performance.

"There's a real shift to saying all kids, especially our most disadvantaged kids, have access to really high quality and effective teachers. And, that's it's not OK for kids to have ... an ineffective teacher year after year," said Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the National Council on Teacher Quality.

Jacobs said tenure should be meaningful, but that in 39 states it's automatic.

"That's the problem with tenure, everybody gets it," she said. "If you're held to a high bar where you've really demonstrated that you are effective in the classroom, then there's nothing wrong with that as long as the due process rights that you do get are reasonable."

But many teachers feel under siege. They argue the evaluation systems are too dependent on standardized tests. While teachers' unions have gotten more on board with strengthening teacher evaluations, they often question the systems' fairness and want them designed with local teachers' input.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said unions understand the tenure process needs change, but that too often, school administrators have used it as an excuse to mismanage. "They want teachers to basically do exactly what they say, give them no resources and then blame them if they don't in a time of tremendous fiscal instability and fiscal pressures," Weingarten said.

In Boise, Idaho, Lane Brown, 56, a biology and horticulture teacher who moved from a private school a few years ago to a public alternative high school to seek new challenges after three decades of teaching, said her school's climate has dramatically changed.

"There's nobody in this building that doesn't understand it could be one of us, not just the newest teacher or the teacher with the fewest number of students. It could be anybody, ... which is scary. Every teacher here is saying, `I don't know if I'm going to have a job next year,'" Brown said.

In Florida, teachers fear expressing what they feel is best for students, said Andy Ford, president of the Florida Education Association.

"Teachers see positions not being filled, class sizes increasing, more demands, more testing, and you add all that together with their economic uncertainty about continued employment and it certainly doesn't allow you to go out and plan for long term investments like a home," Ford said.

Kathy Hebda, the deputy chancellor for education quality in Florida, said the contract-related changes were not done in "isolation," but as part of broader changes that improve accountability and provide teachers feedback.

Michelle Rhee, the former schools chancellor in Washington, D.C., acknowledged widespread mistrust among teachers about evaluations, but she said once teachers are brought into discussions, many are won over.

"If we know who the effective teachers are, if we know what kind of an impact effective teachers can have on individual kids and on our society overall, then why wouldn't we take the obvious step of utilizing the information on who are the most effective teachers to make our staffing decisions?" said Rhee, whose education advocacy group StudentsFirst is pushing for changes to layoff policies based on seniority.

Coming up, Missouri legislators appear poised to take up the contentious topic of teacher tenure. In Connecticut, the Connecticut Education Association launched a TV advertising campaign after Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and legislative leaders said education reform ? and possibly tenure ? will be the major focus of this legislative session. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie, both Republicans, are eyeing tenure law changes.

"Tenure laws will be under assault for many years to come," said Marjorie Murphy, a professor of history at Swarthmore College who wrote a book about the teacher labor movement. Murphy said ending tenure protections will "take over any sense of fair play between employer and employee. All of that will be gone."

_____

____

Chris Blank in Jefferson City, Mo., and Jessie Bonner in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/25/american-public-school-te_n_1230026.html

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Belfry brings Stocks and Weather, other native iPhone apps to jailbroken iPads

Rounding out the honeymoon period with that freshly jailbroken iPad 2? Well now we have some new apps for you to play with, and you may already be acquainted. iOS hacker Ryan Petrich's most recent project, dubbed Belfry, lets you install stock iPhone apps that are otherwise absent from both versions of Apple's tablet including Clock, Voice Memos, Stocks, Calculator, Compass and Weather. As to why these aren't included already is beyond our knowledge, but at least there's an alternative. Users can install Belfry directly within Cydia for free from the BigBoss repository. If you're looking for proof to seal the deal, you can catch the bashful Belfry and his silent film antics after the break.

Continue reading Belfry brings Stocks and Weather, other native iPhone apps to jailbroken iPads

Belfry brings Stocks and Weather, other native iPhone apps to jailbroken iPads originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  GitHub (Ryan Petrich), Repository (Ryan Petrich)  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/p3zCacrA-AU/

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Tim Cook: Apple TV IS Still A Hobby, But I Couldn?t Live Without It

Apple TV is still a hobby. The word comes from Apple's Chief, Tim Cook who nevertheless championed the company's current offering. He stated that Apple sold more than 2.8 million Apple TV units last fiscal year with 1.4 million moved within Q1 2012 (a new record for the device). ?Our Apple TV product is doing quite well? but in the scheme of things, we still classify Apple TV as a hobby. We continue to add things to it. If you?re using the latest one ? I don?t know about you, but I can?t live without it. Other than that, no comment.? said Cook.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/A-j5CpDOi2c/

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Icy river sweeps girl, 6, away from father

Rescue crews continue to search for a 6-year-old Oregon girl that has been missing since Sunday, when she fell into the icy Clackamas River. KGW-TV's Mark Hanrahan reports.

?

By msnbc.com staff and news services

ESTACADA, Ore. -- An Oregon man raced along the rain-swollen Clackamas River but couldn't keep up with his 6-year-old daughter who had fallen into the stream and was swept downriver, authorities said.

Rescue workers searched without success Monday for Vinesa Snegur, who fell Sunday into the river,?running fast and cold from a recent winter storm.

---

The Clackamas County sheriff's office said the search would resume Tuesday.

"It was just a second of inattention," sheriff's Sgt. James Rhodes said of the little girl's fall, explaining that her father turned away, "then splash, and she fell in. He ran and tried to keep up with her, but he was unable to."

Rhodes said the girl and her parents, Igor and Marina Snegur, are from southeast Portland and drove Sunday to play in the snow. They parked near Austin Hot Springs in the Mount Hood National Forest where a road is close to the stream.

The spot is about 60 miles southeast of Portland. There's no cell service, and the family couldn't call for help until they got to a phone at a ranger station an hour later, Rhodes said.

Rick Bowmer / AP

A member of the Multnomah County Sheriff Search and Rescue team searches along the Clackamas River for 6-year-old Vinesa Snegur on Monday.

The water temperature Monday was just above freezing, and the river is carrying a heavy load of trees and roots, imperiling rescue workers, he said.

About 50 ground searchers and divers suspended their search at nightfall Monday. A helicopter with thermal imaging equipment also was used to scan the river.

Purple jacket, pink hat
Steve Duin, who joined the search and wrote about it in a column for The Oregonian, said that by noon Monday about 50 people had joined the search, including divers in the water and relatives of the child, who was wearing a purple jacket, pink hat and white pants when she fell.

"Flares have been set out on the road into Austin Hot Springs, the smoke drifting over the divers and the bridge. The black ice is long gone as I slide down the hill, but I slow each time the river comes into view, searching for a blink of purple or pink somewhere," he wrote.

The Oregonian reported that Vinesa's parents were still on the mountain "surrounded by family and trauma specialists" late on Monday.

A series of storms stretching from coast to coast brought snow and ice to the Pacific Northwest, grounded planes in Chicago and 2012's first snow to the Northeast. NBC's Bill Karins and the Weather Channel's Mike Seidel report.

At Vinesa's Mill Park Elementary School, about 140 students visited a special 21-person crisis counseling team Monday, The Oregonian reported. Barbara Kienle, students services director, said half a dozen employees, including some of Vinesa's teachers, also talked to counselors.

"She has many friends," Principal Rolando Florez told the newspaper. "There were lots of sad kids in her class today."

Like many streams in western Oregon, the Clackamas River is swollen by heavy rain that fell late last week as a winter storm moved into the region. The storm caused flooding in many communities in the Willamette Valley.

A mother and her 1-year-old son died after a creek swept away their car from an Albany, Ore., parking lot. A father and his son were able to escape.

Most streams have receded, but more rain is been forecast this week in western Oregon, raising the possibility of more floods.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/24/10222696-a-second-of-inattention-icy-river-sweeps-girl-6-away-from-father

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US beats Venezuela 1-0 on Clark's late goal

/

By BOB BAUM

updated 12:49 a.m. ET Jan. 22, 2012

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Ricardo Clark had barely played in the last six months. His last appearance for his German second-division team came in July, and this was his first game for the U.S. national squad since August.

Finally given a chance, he provided the goal that had eluded his team all night.

Clark headed Jermaine Jones' corner kick into the net in the 7th minute of stoppage time and the United States beat Venezuela 1-0 in a friendly on Saturday night.

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann inserted Clark into the game in the 86th minute.

"Ricardo came in and you could see that he was struggling because he hasn't played for many months," Klinsmann said. "He was trying hard to catch up with the group and still not there because of that long stretch. But once on the field he is a player that is technically very gifted."

The U.S. had dominated play with nothing to show for it before Clark beat goalkeeper Jose Morales from 7 yards away for his third international goal and first since September 2009.

Venezuela was livid at the finish, upset with a series of calls and non-calls by officials that led to a series of events concluding with the winning goal.

Moments after Clark scored, Venezuela's Jose Velasquez was ejected with a red card. Venezuela drew four yellow cards to one for the United States.

"For us, it was sad to give up a goal in the 98th minute," Venezuela coach Cesar Farias said. "For us, this result leaves a sour taste and the way we lost, but the experience is important."

The first match between the countries in five years featured the "B" teams of both nations because the top players are with their professional squads.

An exception was Jones, who is playing with the national team while serving an eight-game suspension by the German soccer federation.

"It was a great cross," Clark said of the corner kick that led to the goal. "I found a good spot and made the most of it."

It was Clark's first game since the United States played Mexico on Aug. 10. He last scored in international competition against Trinidad and Tobago on Sept. 9, 2009.

The 28-year-old midfielder from Jonesboro, Ga., is ignominiously remembered for a play in the 2010 World Cup, when Ghana's Kevin-Prince Boateng stripped the ball from him and put the Black Stars ahead in the fifth minute. Ghana went on to eliminate the Americans 2-1 in overtime.

Jones, who served as U.S. captain for the game, was suspended when the German federation concluded he had intentionally stepped on the foot of star player Marco Reus during a break in the action of a German Cup game between Jones' team Schalke and Borussia Moenchengladbach.

The U.S. outshot Venezuela 15-6, many of the opportunities from short range, but the shots were errant, or Morales made one of his five saves.

Even though it was a struggle, Klinsmann liked what he saw from his young players.

"We had 10, 12 chances and they had no chances, we controlled completely and that gives them confidence," he said. "We wanted to give them a feeling of this type of game that they can play with these nations."

Morales was shaken up after he took a knee to the left thigh from American C.J. Sapong. The goalkeeper sat on the ground for several minutes until the decision was made to leave him in the game, an incident that led to the extended stopping time that featured the winning goal.

The United States beat a team from South America for the first time since a 3-1 win over Ecuador on March 25, 2007. The U.S. had 10 losses and three ties against teams from that continent since then.

The U.S .improved to 3-4-1 since former German World Cup star Klinsmann took over from Bob Bradley as coach last year.

Jones had one of the best chances for a goal but missed from point-blank range. The U.S. had also failed miserably on set plays until the game winner.

Venezuela had a scoring shot in the 62nd minute but Carlos Salazar's header went right into the hands of goalkeeper Bill Hamid. Moments later, the U.S. squad missed another chance when Teal Bunbury's shot off a breakaway was just right of the post.

Venezuela and the United States played for the fourth time. The U.S. leads the series 2-0-1.

Clark's goal was only the sixth for the U.S. teams in Klinsmann's eight games as coach.

Clark, a former player with Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo, is with Eintracht Frankfurt but has fallen out of favor and hasn't been in a match for the team since July 25, the second game of the season.

The United States plays Panama in Panama City on Wednesday.

Hamid made his U.S. national team debut along with defender A.J. DeLaGarza, midfielder Graham Zusi and substitute Sapong.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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First American EPL hat trick

Clint Dempsey became the first American to score a hat trick in England's Premier League, helping Fulham rally from a halftime deficit to rout Newcastle 5-2 Saturday.

Boris Streubel / Getty Images

Best of the US

Abby Wambach and Clint Dempsey are voted top players by the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46088226/ns/sports-soccer/

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Russian Scientist Claims Signs of Life Spotted On Venus

The ancient astronomers have seen a hunter, a scorpion, a bull, a big bear, a small bear, a girl, a lion etc etc for a long time in the skys with nothing more than a few pin pricks of light. When you have the imagination, you can see anything.

Your puny human vision requires to to have imagination, and when your sleep cycle scrubs your short term memory, committing important thoughts to longer term storage by way of randomized synapse firing & strengthening you DO "see anything". When conscious what you see as pins' prickings I see as enormous gravity furnaces that warp the very essence of the Universe and forge new stable configurations of energy (matter). Reality is stranger than fiction.

You don't even want to know what's going on insi

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/BAzZ9cnR3gQ/russian-scientist-claims-signs-of-life-spotted-on-venus

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Erick Erickson: 'The Base is Revolting' (Little green footballs)

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Search resumes above waterline after ship shifts

In this undated underwater photo released by Carabinieri (Italian paramilitary police) Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 two Carabinieri scuba divers swim next to the Costa Concordia cruise ship's bell, off the tiny Giglio island, Italy. The $450 million Costa Concordia was carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew when it slammed into well-marked rocks off the island of Giglio after the captain made an unauthorized diversion from his programmed route. The ship then keeled over on its side. (AP Photo/Carabinieri)

In this undated underwater photo released by Carabinieri (Italian paramilitary police) Friday, Jan. 20, 2012 two Carabinieri scuba divers swim next to the Costa Concordia cruise ship's bell, off the tiny Giglio island, Italy. The $450 million Costa Concordia was carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew when it slammed into well-marked rocks off the island of Giglio after the captain made an unauthorized diversion from his programmed route. The ship then keeled over on its side. (AP Photo/Carabinieri)

Rescuers approach the grounded Costa Concordia cruise ship off the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. The cruise ship grounded off Tuscany shifted again on its rocky perch Friday, forcing the suspension of diving search operations for the 21 people still missing and raising concerns about the stability of the ship's resting place. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

People take photographs of the grounded Costa Concordia cruise ship off the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. The cruise ship grounded off Tuscany shifted again on its rocky perch Friday, forcing the suspension of diving search operations for the 21 people still missing and raising concerns about the stability of the ship's resting place. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

People watch the Costa Concordia cruise liner off the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. The cruise ship grounded off Tuscany shifted again on its rocky perch Friday, forcing the suspension of diving search operations for the 21 people still missing and raising concerns about the stability of the ship's resting place. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

People look out toward the Costa Concordia cruise liner off the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. The cruise ship grounded off Tuscany shifted again on its rocky perch Friday, forcing the supension of diving search operations for the 21 people still missing and raising concerns about the stability of the ship's resting place. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

ROME (AP) ? The cruise ship grounded off Tuscany shifted again on its rocky perch Friday, forcing the suspension of diving search operations for the 21 people still missing and raising concerns about the stability of the ship's resting place.

However, crews began combing the area above the waterline in the evening after officials determined the ship had stabilized enough, and they will evaluate the situation Saturday morning to see if the diving operation can resume, said Coast Guard spokesman Cmdr. Cosimo Nicastro.

The diving operation focuses on an area where passengers would have sought lifeboats, Nicastro said.

"We are ready to go for the morning," he said, as long as the partially submerged ship is not shifting.

The $450 million Costa Concordia was carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew when it slammed into well-charted rocks off the island of Giglio a week ago. Eleven people have been confirmed dead.

It was not clear if the slight movements registered by sensors placed on board the Costa Concordia were just vibrations as the ship settles on the rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio or if the massive ocean liner is slowly slipping off the reef.

The sensors detected that the ship's bow was moving about 15 millimeters (half an inch) an hour and the stern about 7 millimeters (one-quarter inch) an hour, said Nicola Casagli of the University of Florence, who was called in by Italian authorities to monitor the ship's stability.

The Concordia's movements are being watched since any significant shift could be dangerous for divers trying to locate those missing since the Concordia ran aground Jan. 13. An additional fear is that movement could damage tanks holding a half-million gallons of fuel oil and lead to leaks.

The sea floor drops off sharply a few meters (yards) from where the ship is resting, and Italy's environment minister has warned it risks sinking.

Capt. Francesco Schettino, who was jailed after he left the ship before everyone was safely evacuated, is under house arrest, facing possible charges of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning his ship.

On Friday, relatives of some of the 21 missing were at Giglio's port getting briefings from rescue teams.

Casagli told Sky TG24 that some movement in the Concordia was only natural given the immense weight of the steel-hulled ship, which is being held in place by two huge rocks at bow and stern.

But the latest movements indicate it isn't stable, he said. "These are small, regular movements that are being monitored because they're going in the same direction," he told Sky.

Late Thursday, Costa-owner Carnival Corp. announced it was conducting a comprehensive audit of all 10 of its cruise lines to review safety and emergency response procedures in the wake of the Costa disaster. The evacuation was chaotic and the alarm to abandon the ship was sounded after the Concordia had capsized too much to get many life boats down.

____

Andrea Foa contributed from Giglio, Italy.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-20-Italy-Cruise%20Aground/id-5e4db0ab17944b31a8ce46c6c26d8bf8

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Pets

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[OOC] Through the Looking Glass

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Through the Looking Glass?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Through the Looking Glass"

Use this to discuss the plot, have fun, and get to know each other. Anyone thinking of submitting a character can ask about the concept here! Currently, we have:

Real World:

Sibyl Volur
Sarah Hoffmann

Fantasy World:

Queen Abela Grimhild
Queen Miranda Wilster

Last edited by LSunday on Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

LSunday

Member for 1 years

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Interesting, was wondering if I could be the little mermaid in the fairy tale world and the real world character is a marine biologist.

snipergirl24

Member for 1 years

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It's an interesting idea, but within the roleplay it'll be very impractical. Once the reality switch happens, it'll be very difficult to pull off the "walking around in New York without legs" aspect.

To help clarify, the two characters are actually switching bodies. Meaning, if you are a mermaid, you will switch into the real world with a flipper, and the real world character will appear underwater.

LSunday

Member for 1 years

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I think it can be worked out if when the mermaid walks onto land her fins turn to legs ::crosses fingers::

snipergirl24

Member for 1 years

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Subitted mine.

I has a question, is this based off the book The Looking Glas Wars? c:

AliceHearts

Member for 0 years

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I'll tell you what I'll go ahead and make the character and if you still don't think it will work after I iron out the details of it thats fine. But atleast give me a chance to work out the mechanics of the characters.

snipergirl24

Member for 1 years

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That's fine. Looking forward to seeing the character!

LSunday

Member for 1 years

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