Singer Morrissey says no to Kimmel, 'Duck Dynasty'

FILE - In this July 21, 2012 file photo, British rock singer Morrissey, the former front man of the alternative rock group The Smiths, sings during his concert in Tel Aviv, Israel. Animal rights activist and singer Morrissey said he?s canceled an appearance Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, on Jimmy Kimmel?s talk show because cast members of A&E?s ?Duck Dynasty? also were scheduled to appear. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty, File)

FILE - In this July 21, 2012 file photo, British rock singer Morrissey, the former front man of the alternative rock group The Smiths, sings during his concert in Tel Aviv, Israel. Animal rights activist and singer Morrissey said he?s canceled an appearance Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, on Jimmy Kimmel?s talk show because cast members of A&E?s ?Duck Dynasty? also were scheduled to appear. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty, File)

FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 24, 2012 file photo, England's singer Morrissey performs at the 53rd annual Vina del Mar International Song Festival in Vina del Mar, Chile. Animal rights activist and singer Morrissey said he?s canceled an appearance Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, on Jimmy Kimmel?s talk show because cast members of A&E?s ?Duck Dynasty? also were scheduled to appear. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File)

FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 24, 2012 file photo, England's singer Morrissey performs at the 53rd annual Vina del Mar International Song Festival in Vina del Mar, Chile. Animal rights activist and singer Morrissey said he?s canceled an appearance Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, on Jimmy Kimmel?s talk show because cast members of A&E?s ?Duck Dynasty? also were scheduled to appear. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The TV series "Duck Dynasty" is coming between Morrissey and Jimmy Kimmel.

The singer and animal rights activist says he canceled his appearance Tuesday on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" because "Duck Dynasty" cast members will be on the talk show.

Morrissey says he can't perform on a show with what he called people who "amount to animal serial killers."

A&E's "Duck Dynasty" reality show follows a Louisiana family with a business selling duck calls and decoys.

A&E did not immediately respond to requests for comment from it and the Robertson family.

A person familiar with the Kimmel show's plans confirmed that Morrissey was to appear. The person lacked authority to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The person says Morrissey's performance will be rescheduled.

ABC says the Churchill band will perform Tuesday on Kimmel's show but declined comment on the switch.

___

Reach AP Television Writer Lynn Elber at http://www.twitter.com/lynnelber .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-25-US-TV-Morrissey-Kimmel/id-799e06e68cb34b87b1eef4f18e7b4176

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When children can hop on one leg: Motor development in children under 5 can now be tested reliably

Feb. 21, 2013 ? Motor development in children under five years of age can now be tested reliably: Together with colleagues from Lausanne, researchers from the University Children's Hospital Zurich and the University of Zurich have determined normative data for different exercises such as hopping or running. This enables parents and experts to gauge the motor skills of young children for the first time objectively and thus identify abnormalities at an early stage.

My child still can't stand on one leg or walk down the stairs in alternating steps while all the other children already can. Are my child's motor skills normal or does he need therapy? Parents of children of a pre-school age often ask questions like these and experts wonder from which age a child should really be able to perform certain motor tasks.

Until now, there has been a lack of reliable data that describes the age from which children are able to stand on one leg, hop on one leg, climb stairs or run. Such standards have been lacking as it was assumed that motor performance in children under the age of five could not be measured reliably. For children aged between five and eighteen, however, there is an instrument called the Zurich Motor Assessment created by Remo Largo and his team at the University Children's Hospital Zurich in 2001. This test procedure is used by many experts to examine neuromotor skills in children of a school age.

New tests for young children

Neurophysiologist Tanja Kakebeeke and developmental pediatrician Oskar Jenni from the University Children's Hospital Zurich have now extended this test, simplified it for pre-school children aged between three and five and collected normative data for this age group. The test contains gross and fine motor exercises and additional tasks where children are supposed to run, hop, climb stairs and balance.

The tests described in their study reveal that young pre-school children are not yet able to perform certain tasks such as hopping or standing on one leg for longer than two seconds. "Children develop these skills between the age of three and five but very quickly and they are able to at the age of five," explains Kakebeeke.

At the age of three, only forty percent of the children were able to stand on one leg briefly. At five years of age, they all could. As soon as a child was able to do a task and his or her performance was measurable, it was classified on a five-point scale. The best performance, for example, was thus: The child can stand on one leg -- the right and the left -- for longer than five seconds. The normative data then developed from the proportion of children who can perform a skill and the actual performance of these children. With the normative data, motor development abnormalities can now be diagnosed at an early stage and therapeutic measures initiated.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Zurich.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Tanja H. Kakebeeke, Jon Caflisch, Aziz Chaouch, Valentin Rousson, Remo H. Largo, Oskar G. Jenni. Neuromotor development in children. Part 3: motor performance in 3- to 5-year-olds. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 2013; 55 (3): 248 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12034

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/dzQy21dRsms/130221084602.htm

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Xenon flash for photos in dark from smart phones

Feb. 20, 2013 ? A Singapore invention looks set to equip mobile phones with a built-in, small yet powerful Xenon flash, allowing consumers to take great photos even in low-light conditions.

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have made a revolutionary capacitor that overcomes the limitations of current capacitors, which are needed to store enough energy to fire a powerful flash like those found on digital cameras but are too big to fit in slim mobile devices.

This invention by Associate Professor Lee Pooi See from NTU's School of Materials Science and Engineering, will be made a consumer reality in partnership with Xenon Technologies (XT), the world's largest Xenon flash manufacturer.

Made from polymers layered together, the new capacitor is at least four times smaller than current electrolytic capacitors and is several times faster than current ceramic-based capacitors. The multi-layered polymer capacitor is also able to deliver the same electricity charge needed to power high-intensity xenon flash light matching those found in digital cameras.

Through the university's Nanyang Innovation and Enterprise Office, NTU and XT entered into a Collaboration Agreement to research and develop a Multilayer Polymer Capacitor for xenon flash imaging applications.

Mr Jack Tuen, CEO of Xenon Technologies said: "This project will yield a breakthrough solution for the digital imaging industry, which will be the world's smallest Xenon flash. Our customers and consumers at large constantly demand for a proper xenon flash which can fit into increasingly smaller and beautiful form factor mobile devices. This is the answer which fulfils that need."

Prof Lee, whose researchers had worked on the invention for the past two and a half years, hopes that this collaboration with XT will accelerate the transfer of her innovation from research lab to industry.

"With XT's expertise in developing successful commercial products, we are confident that this collaboration will result in a disruptive innovation, not just in the area of flash technology, but also in the world of consumer electronics, as all computers and devices requires the use of capacitors in one way or another," she said.

The new breed of capacitors

Polymer capacitors such as the one developed by Prof Lee, generally possess a higher energy density than ceramic-based multilayer capacitors.

NTU's new material, a grafted co-polymer that stores charges similar to a multilayer ceramic capacitor, can be operated at high voltages. Capacitors made using this grafted co-polymer are flexible and much smaller than the conventional capacitors. In addition, the charge and discharge times of the capacitor are faster than other types of energy storage devices making it suitable for flash applications.

Currently, the polymer capacitor project is funded by Singapore's National Research Foundation (NRF) Proof-of-Concept grant. The NTU-Xenon team is expected to develop a working commercial prototype by September 2013.

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/technology/~3/_CEFPpTuScI/130220084442.htm

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Supreme Court to revisit campaign finance limits

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three years after easing limits on corporate political donations in the Citizens United decision, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to consider whether to lift caps on how much individuals may contribute to candidates.

In a brief order, the court agreed to hear McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, a challenge by Alabama businessman Shaun McCutcheon and the Republican National Committee to limits on aggregate donations over a two-year period.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., in September had rejected McCutcheon's argument that capping donations violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

But if the Supreme Court disagrees, it could use the case to change part of its landmark 1976 decision, Buckley v. Valeo, that upheld such caps, which are sums in the mid-five figures.

"It's not a watershed case in the sense Citizens United was, but it could extend that case's logic to contribution limits, which could be very significant," Richard Hasen, a campaign finance expert and law professor at the University of California at Irvine, said in a phone interview.

The Citizens United case was decided in 2010 by a 5-4 vote, and removed limits on independent expenditures made by companies and unions to support or oppose political candidates. The court based its ruling on a First Amendment right to free speech.

Critics of the position taken by the RNC and McCutcheon believe that lifting contribution limits could allow individual donors undue influence.

"If the Supreme Court reverses its past ruling in Buckley, the Court would do extraordinary damage to the nation's ability to prevent the corruption of federal officeholders and government decisions," Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, said in a statement. The group plans to submit a brief urging the court to uphold the limits, he said.

The Democratic National Committee declined to comment.

PETITIONER BACKED REPUBLICANS

McCutcheon is chief executive of Coalmont Electrical Development Co, a general contractor in McCalla, Alabama, located about 20 miles southwest of Birmingham.

He contributed $33,088 to 16 candidates in the 2012 election cycle. Many donations were in increments of $1,776, referring to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed.

McCutcheon had wanted to contribute another $21,312 to 12 more candidates and make donations to the RNC and to committees supporting Republican candidates. But those contributions would have caused McCutcheon to run afoul of a $46,200 limit on contributions to candidate committees.

Another limit capped overall contributions to national political parties, state political parties and non-party political committees at $70,800, so long as no more than $46,200 goes to the latter two groups.

"I am very glad and excited that our case and other cases are moving forward as expected," McCutcheon said in an email.

DISTORTION ALLEGED

Lifting the limits could allow individuals to funnel more money overall to candidates. For example, an individual could choose to donate $1 million to 400 candidates in $2,500 increments, but not donate $1 million to a single candidate.

"The limits distort the system by forcing people to give money to Super PACs and advocacy groups, when they would rather give money to individual candidates and parties," James Bopp, a lawyer for McCutcheon and the RNC, said in a phone interview.

"That drives money away from the most accountable and transparent actors in our political system, in favor of entities that are basically unaccountable to the voter," he added.

Super PACs are a type of political action committee spawned in part by the Citizens United decision.

More than a dozen of these groups spent nearly half a billion dollars to support Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Some pro-Republican groups raised seven-figure sums monthly from Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife. A Super PAC supporting Democratic President Barack Obama collected million-dollar contributions from Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide the McCutcheon case in its next term, which starts in October and ends in June 2014.

The case is McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 12-536.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley and Jonathan Stempel; Additional reporting by Patrick Temple-West and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Howard Goller, Bill Trott and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-revisit-campaign-finance-limits-002251044--finance.html

Christoph Waltz

JB students get personal look at solar, wind energy options

Click photo to enlarge

Teacher Bill Brooks with students Lane Brunner and Joseph Heintzelman at the school's solar panels.

Students in Bill Brooks' engineering courses at James Buchanan High School can step outside their classroom and stand beside technology they learn about in class.

Within the past nine months, the Tuscarora School District has added a solar hot water heating system and a wind turbine on campus.

The tools can provide a modest energy savings to the district. Teachers say value of the technology in students' hands can't be measured.

"It was a field trip that didn't require any expense, other than just walking down the yard, looking at the solar panels, looking at how it functions and how it's all put together," Brooks said. "These guys now have real-world hands-on applications."

The two additions are the latest changes to beef up a blossoming Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) program in the district.

Middle school science teacher Kristie Guldin said she's already timed the walk from the middle school to the solar panels and wind turbine to create trips for students. Penn State students visit JB eighth-graders every year for an engineering lesson.

"To me, engineering and STEM is problem solving," Guldin said. "You learn how to use that process of what's the problem, how can I fix it, developing the prototypes, troubleshooting and redesigning. They come out of this program knowing the language and the tools along with the people who come in from Penn State.

"Eighth-graders realize engineering isn't just nuts and bolts. It's chemical engineering,

it's nuclear engineering, it's food engineering. If you're not so strong in physics, but you absolutely love chemistry, there is an engineering program for you that will tie into what your interests are and what your forte is."

The Project Lead the Way curriculum at the high school - a STEM-centered education - was instituted four years ago. It includes five courses - Introduction to Engineering, Digital Engineering, Principles of Engineering, Aerospace Engineering and a capstone course.

"I like the hands-on activities," sophomore Joseph Heitzelman said. "Usually in classrooms, you have a lot of book work and paperwork. In engineering, you get on the computer or come out to the shop and create something."

It's preferred that students have at least Algebra I as a background before taking the leap, and Brooks said students can start the curriculum at any point of their high school career, beginning with the Introduction course.

"We're not trying to exclude anybody," he said. "I think there's a real benefit to having everything in one curriculum. Math is math - students may think they'll never use it. If they come into the engineering program, they see how it really is connected to real life (and) it may give them motivation to do better."

Senior Blake Mowen has spent four years in the program. Mowen's experience in the program earned him an internship on the engineering floor at D.L. Martin.

"It helps a lot," Mowen said. "Back when I had that class and we talked about solar panels and the turbine, it was only pictures on a board. We talked about it and took notes about it. Now you can actually go out, look at it, and see how they work. It's incredible to watch."

The turbine came from Penn State University's Wind for Schools program. Funding from Penn State ($12,000), West Penn Power ($6,000) and the Tuscarora Education Foundation ($2,000) helped make the turbine a reality.

Guldin and three other middle school science teachers attended a workshop at Penn State to get ideas on how the turbine could be used in the classroom.

The teachers also came back to Mercersburg with supplies.

"We got some great stuff," said Guldin said. "We got several models of wind turbines that kids can see in the classroom. They can experiment with design, number of blades, pitch of the blades. We got the materials to make generators. As they build their wind turbines, we can use multimeters to figure out how much electricity they're generating based off a number of variables."

The use of the wind turbine can provide a measurable, if modest, energy boost to the school district. Students will be able to track the energy-generating source. In addition to having the turbine on campus, students can also follow the data.

Similarly, they can track data that has been produced with the new solar panels. The panels are used to heat cold water up to about 120 degrees. Then, the traditional hot water heaters only need to heat the water an additional 60 degrees before use the kitchen. An ally throughout the process has been Facilities Manager Stanley Morgan.

Students also enjoy working with a 3D printer acquired two years ago.

"It's been a wonderful experience," sophomore Lane Brunner said. "I found new ways I can build things and make them more efficient. It's a fun an enlightening experience.

"I love being able to make something, print it out on the 3D printer and actually see it work."

The new technology has placed James Buchanan in a unique position - no other school in the county has a wind turbine on its campus. While other schools have solar hot water heaters, they're located on roofs, preventing students from getting a close-up view of how those systems work.

Students like Brunner and Heitzelman didn't expect to have this type of technology at their fingertips before they graduated.

"I figured this is a small school, small area, where in the world are we going to get this stuff?," Brunner said. "Then, you show up for the next school year and boom, they're here."

------

Brian Hall can be reached at 262-4811 and bkhall@publicopinionnews.com, or follow him on Twitter @bkhallpo.

Ahead of the curve

Bill Brooks' engineering students at James Buchanan High School in the Project Lead the Way program have a large amount of technology at their fingertips:

All James Buchanan High School students carry Apple Macbooks to and from school;

A 3D printer allows students to plan projects, design them on CAD software and then print them on a 3D printer;

Students can study data from new solar hot water heaters on campus;

And a new wind turbine on campus allows students to study the technology and ultimately track results.

Source: http://www.publicopiniononline.com/latestnews/ci_22616773/jb-students-get-personal-look-at-solar-wind?source=rss_viewed

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Pistorius charged with murdering girlfriend

A woman holds a photo of Reeva Steenkamp, as she leaves her funeral, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is charged with the premeditated murder of Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day. The defense lawyer says it was an accidental shooting. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

A woman holds a photo of Reeva Steenkamp, as she leaves her funeral, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is charged with the premeditated murder of Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day. The defense lawyer says it was an accidental shooting. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

El atleta ol?mpico Oscar Pistorius, centro con la cabeza cubierta, sale escoltado en una patrulla de la Estaci?n de Polic?a Brooklyn, el martes 19 de febrero de 2013, en Pretoria, Sud?frica. (Foto AP/Waldo Swiegers)

Barry Steenkamp, third left, the father of Reeva Steenkamp, greets people as he and others attend her funeral, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013.Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is charged with the premeditated murder of Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day. The defense lawyer says it was an accidental shooting. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

Barry Steenkamp, the father of Reeva Steenkamp, leaves his home to attend her funeral ceremony in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is charged with the premeditated murder of Steenkamp on Valentine's Day. The defense lawyer says it was an accidental shooting. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

South African rugby player Francois Hougaard, left, arrives for the funeral of Reeva Steenkamp in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is charged with the premeditated murder of Steenkamp on Valentine's Day. The defense lawyer says it was an accidental shooting. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) ? Olympian Oscar Pistorius fired into the door of a small bathroom where his girlfriend was cowering after a shouting match on Valentine's Day, hitting her three times, a South African prosecutor said Tuesday as he charged the sports icon with premeditated murder.

The magistrate ruled that Pistorius faces the harshest bail requirements available in South African law. He did not elaborate before a break was called in the session.

Pistorius sobbed softly as his lawyer insisted that Reeva Steenkamp's shooting was an accident.

"She couldn't go anywhere. You can run nowhere," prosecutor Gerrie Nel said at a bail hearing.

The shooting death has shocked South Africans and many around the world who idolized Pistorius for overcoming adversity to become a sports champion, competing in the London Olympics last year in track besides being a Paralympian. Steenkamp, 29, was a model and law graduate who made her debut on a South African reality TV program that was broadcast on Saturday, two days after her death.

Nel said the couple had had a shouting match and Steenkamp fled to the bathroom, down a seven-meter (yard) passage from the bedroom, and locked herself in. He said the 26-year-old Pistorius got up from bed and had to put on his prosthetic legs to reach the toilet door.

Nel told the court the door was broken open after the shots were fired. Pistorius' lawyer insisted there was no evidence to substantiate a murder charge.

"Was it to kill her, or was it to get her out?" defense attorney Barry Roux asked the court, referring to the broken-down door. "We submit it is not even murder. There is no concession this is a murder."

Pistorius, who had appeared grim and solemn at the start of the hearing, broke down and sobbed softly with his head in his hands as his lawyer argued that it was an accidental shooting. It occurred in the early hours of Feb. 14. Neighbors had heard a loud argument and then gunshots, police have said. The couple had been dating for only about three months.

As details emerged at the dramatic court hearing in the capital, Steenkamp's body was being cremated Tuesday at a memorial service in the south-coast port city of Port Elizabeth. The family said members had arrived from around the world. Six pallbearers carried her coffin, draped with a white cloth and covered in white flowers, into the church for the private service.

June Steenkamp, the mother, said the family wants answers.

"Why? Why my little girl? Why did this happen? Why did he do this?" she said in an interview published Monday in The Times newspaper.

Outside the court, several dozen singing women protested against domestic violence and waved placards urging Pistorius be refused bail. "Pistorius must rot in jail," one placard said.

South Africa has some of the world's worst rates of violence against females and the highest rate in the world of women killed by an intimate partner, according to a study by the Medical Research Council. Another council study estimates a child or woman is raped every four minutes. While homicide rates have dropped, the number of women killed by current or former partners has increased, said the council's Professor Rachel Jewkes. At least three women are killed by a partner every day in the country of 50 million, she said.

Steenkamp campaigned actively against domestic violence and had tweeted on Twitter that she planned to join a "Black Friday" protest by wearing black in honor of a 17-year-old girl who was gang-raped and mutilated two weeks ago.

What "she stood for, and the abuse against women, unfortunately it's gone right around and I think the Lord knows that statement is more powerful now," her uncle and the family spokesman Mike Steenkamp said after her memorial.

He said the family had planned a big get-together at Christmas but that had not been possible. "But we are here today as a family and the only one who's missing is Reeva," he said, breaking down and weeping.

At the court, Nel said the killing was premeditated because Pistorius had planned to say that he thought he was shooting an intruder, and had told that story to his sister, Aimee.

"It was all part of the preplanning. Why would a burglar lock himself inside the bathroom?" Nel asked. The shooting happened at Pistorius' home in a guarded and gated community in a luxury suburb of Pretoria.

Roux, in arguing that Pistorius should be freed on bail, he said there were no other charges outstanding against the double-amputee who last year became the first double-amputee track athlete to run at the Olympics.

Legal experts say it could take months for the case to be tried.

Pistorius, in a gray suit and tie, nodded after the chief magistrate asked if he was well. And he nodded his appreciation when his brother, Carl, pressed his shoulder in support. Journalists jammed into the courtroom, which was full with almost 100 people, including Pistorius' father, Henke, and sister Aimee.

In an email to The Associated Press on Monday, Pistorius' longtime track coach ? who was yet to comment ? said he believes the killing was an accident.

"I pray that we can all, in time, come through this challenging situation following the accident and I am looking forward to the day I can get my boy back on the track," Ampie Louw wrote in his statement. "I am still in shock following the heart-breaking events that occurred last week and my thoughts and prayers are with both of the families involved."

---

Associated Press writer Michelle Faul contributed from Johannesburg and AP photographer Schalk van Zuydam from Port Elizabeth.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-19-Pistorius-Shooting/id-a7a99d736c1c4ce3ad774eef417137d9

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Former Rangers current Angels player Josh Hamilton says that Dallas has always been a football town and that fans got a litt...

SbB LIVE FROM LA (Feb 18, 2013 @ 5:21pm ET)

5:15 PM: The Green Bay Packers have released center Jeff Saturday, who is expected to sign a one-day contract and officially retire as an Indianapolis Colt.

5:00 PM: Magic Johnson tweets about the death of Lakers owner & his "2nd dad" Jerry Buss: "WOW! Where do I begin?! I was 19 when I first met Dr. Buss and for 34 yrs he has been a father figure and best friend."

4:45 PM: Three vehicles driving on Interstate 78 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania were damaged last Wednesday after being hit by a hot air balloon basket that fell off a pickup truck.

4:30 PM: The Boston Bruins brought the Stanley Cup to Newtown, Connecticut on Monday as part of a variety of events to help the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

4:15 PM: Cal athletic director Sandy Barbour issued a statement saying that basketball coach Mike Montgomery's shove of player Allen Crabbe during Sunday's game against USC was "unacceptable". But Barbour added: "I am confident that something like this will not happen again."

4:00 PM: L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling released a statement on the death of Lakers owner Jerry Buss: "Jerry Buss was a visionary, a winner and a dear friend. Our city will miss him, our league will miss him and the Sterling family will truly miss him."

3:45 PM: Former Duke basketball player Phil Henderson died in the Philippines at the age of 44 from apparent cardiac arrest. Henderson played for the Blue Devils from 1986-90 & started in three NCAA Final Fours.

3:30 PM: Former Alabama running back Eddie Lacy reportedly won't attend this week's NFL Scouting Combine after suffering a hamstring injury.

3:15 PM: Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Mat Gamel is out for the 2013 season after re-tearing his right ACL.

3:00 PM: After saying that some of his players were "not real coachable" following Saturday's loss to Tennessee, Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari said on Monday: "I may say publicly they are 'uncoachable,' but I refuse to believe that because I believe in these guys and I believe they can change."

2:45 PM: Detroit Lions receiver Nate Burelson is pleading with Reggie Bush to join his team: "You already took your talents to South Beach, come on to Detroit. I know it's not as sunny, and it might not be the same type of glitz and glamor, but you can do wonders for us."

2:30 PM: Former Florida International head coach Mario Cristobal, who recently joined the Miami Hurricanes as assistant head coach & tight ends coach, is reportedly leaving for Alabama to become the Crimson Tide's offensive line coach.

2:15 PM: Former North Carolina State basketball coach & current Utah Jazz assistant Sidney Lowe was arrested Monday on charges of failing to file state tax returns in North Carolina from 2009 through 2011.

2:00 PM: A British couple attempting to bicycle around the world were killed after being run over by a pickup truck in Thailand. Peter Root and Mary Thompson were both 34 years old.

1:45 PM: The Nyack-Tappan Zee (New York) High School co-op hockey team forfeited a playoff game after players took part in a Harlem Shake online video.

Source: http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/sbblive?eid=48311

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Architect Grace La of La Dallman to become professor at Harvard University

Grace La, who cofounded La Dallman Architects in Milwaukee, is expanding the firm to Boston as she takes a new post as a professor at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

La is one of Milwaukee?s most prominent building designers, and served as an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Urban Planning between 2005 and 2012, when she became a full professor. On July 1, she will start as a full professor with tenure at Harvard University.

La Dallman, which La founded with James Dallman, will continue working on projects in Milwaukee, but will also expand to Boston.

?I am honored with this appointment and for the opportunity to further advance my pedagogy,? La said. ?James and I are grateful for the continuing support of our clients, colleagues, and community collaborators. The support has allowed our teaching, research and practice to innovate on contemporary architectural challenges.?

La Dallman Architects? projects include the Kilbourn Tower condo high-rise in downtown Milwaukee and two exhibits in Discovery World At Pier Wisconsin. The company currently is designing the Harmony Initiative project that is to be built adjacent to the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.

Sean Ryan reports on real estate, construction and public transit in southeast Wisconsin

Source: http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~r/vertical_24/~3/HUC-UdTR7hA/architect-grace-la-of-la-dallman-to.html

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Heights public art project attracts submissions from across Canada, U.S.

Call for proposals for a public art project planned for the corner of Hastings Street and Delta Avenue has resulted in 40 submissions from artists from across the Lower Mainland, Canada and even the U.S.

Isabel Kolic, executive director of the Heights Merchants Association, said the interest was likely due to the $30,000 honourarium that will be awarded to the winning artist as part of the project's $110,000 budget.

She said the figure was intended to elicit quality submissions from professional artists. Funding will come from the association, the Burnaby Art Gallery and planned fundraising efforts.

A nine-member committee will come up with a shortlist in coming weeks.

Dubbed the "Gateway Project," the public art piece will be no taller than two storeys and is meant to serve as a landmark to usher people into the Heights neighbourhood.

Epta Properties has granted an eight-by-24-foot easement to allow the artwork to be installed on the site of its Montage development under construction on the southern side of Hastings, between Gamma and Delta avenues. Installation of the artwork is expected in spring of 2014.

wchow@burnabynewsleader.com

twitter.com/WandaChow

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Source: http://www.burnabynewsleader.com/entertainment/191123771.html

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Bomb kills 64 in Pakistan's Quetta

QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Sixty-four people including school children died on Saturday in a bomb attack carried out by extremists from Pakistan's Sunni Muslim majority, police said.

A spokesman for Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Sunni group, claimed responsibility for the bomb in Quetta, which caused casualties in the town's main bazaar, a school and a computer center. Police said most of the victims were Shi'ites.

Burned school bags and books were strewn around.

"The explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device fitted to a motorcycle," said Wazir Khan Nasir, deputy inspector general of police in Quetta.

"This is a continuation of terrorism against Shi'ites."

"I saw many bodies of women and children," said an eyewitness at a hospital. "At least a dozen people were burned to death by the blast."

Most Western intelligence agencies have regarded the Pakistani Taliban and al Qaeda as the gravest threat to nuclear-armed Pakistan, a strategic U.S. ally.

But Pakistani law enforcement officials say Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has become a formidable force.

TENSIONS

Last month the group said it carried out a bombing in Quetta that killed nearly 100 people, one of Pakistan's worst sectarian attacks. Thousands of Shi'ites protested in several cities after that attack.

Pakistani intelligence officials say extremist groups, led by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, have escalated their bombings and shootings of Shi'ites to trigger violence that would pave the way for a Sunni theocracy in U.S.-allied Pakistan.

More than 400 Shi'ites were killed in Pakistan last year, many by hitmen or bombs, and the perpetrators are almost never caught. Some hardline Shi'ite groups have hit back by killing Sunni clerics.

The growing sectarian violence has hurt the credibility of the government, which has already faced criticism ahead of elections due in May for its inability to tackle corruption and economic stagnation.

The schism between Sunnis and Shi'ites developed after the Prophet Muhammad died in 632 when his followers could not agree on a successor.

Emotions over the issue are highly potent even today, pushing some countries, including Iraq five years ago, to the brink of civil war.

Pakistan is nowhere near that stage but officials worry that Sunni extremist groups have succeeded in dramatically ratcheting up tensions and provoking revenge attacks in their bid to destabilize the country.

(Reporting by Jibran Ahmed; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Stephen Powell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bomb-kills-64-pakistans-quetta-060524589.html

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Microsoft Windows 8 Operational System

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Police arrest two in College Park robbery case

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13.02.17 08:00 Spaghetti Dinner Boy Scount Troop 151 - Sunday February 17, 2013 from 8:00 am to 9:00 am @ Asbury Church

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Judge sets trial date for Kardashian divorce

By Alexis L. Loinaz and Claudia Rosenbaum, E! Online

Kevin Winter / Getty Images file

Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" in October 2011.

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries' divorce will finally have its day in court. Judge Stephen Moloney has ordered the ex-couple's divorce case to proceed to trial, putting the kibosh on Humphries' bid to delay the proceedings due to "uncooperative third parties" while bolstering Kardashian's push for an expedited trial date amid concerns that her ex was needlessly holding her "hostage."?

The trial date has been set for May 6 and is expected to last for five days. The trial will be heard by Judge Scott Gordon, who's no stranger to high-profile splits, having presided over Britney Spears' divorce from Kevin Federline back in 2007.?

Three witnesses are expected to testify on behalf of Kardashian, while between three and five witnesses will take the stand to speak for Humphries.?

Kim Kardashian divorce: Kris Humphries' lawyer wants out?

Kardashian's attorney, Laura Wasser, had requested for an earlier trial date, which was met with pushback by Humphries' legal eagle, Marshall Waller, who argued that Humphries' schedule as a professional basketball player would make it difficult to appear it to court any sooner.

In a none-too-subtle jab, Gordon said that everyone--including firefighters and police officers--must find a way to appear in court.

In delivering her final statement before the judge issued his ruling, Wasser said, "We are not asking for special treatments, and we believe arguments made by (Humphries') side are without merit." She added that she believed there had been ample time to prepare for trial and criticized Humphries' no-show for Kardashian's deposition due to his purported basketball commitments.

"Sometimes litigants had to miss a day or two of work," she explained, arguing that Humphries should not receive special treatment just because of his schedule as a professional athlete.?

Kim Kardashian divorce attorney: Kris Humphries is holding her "hostage"?

Afterward, Humphries' lawyer, Waller, addressed the court and defended his client's busy schedule, explaining that Humphries remains committed not only to his to his basketball games but also to other contractual obligations.

He also argued that the nature of the case required a more extensive discovery period.

"This is a fraud case," Waller told the court. "It really is. And that is a case that takes a lot of time to develop. We are not ready to go forward. We do need more time."?

Kim's attorney maintains that her client is "handcuffed" to Kris Humphries?

Before announcing his decision, Judge Moloney told the courtroom he had tentatively already decided to deny Wasser's motion to bifurcate the case so that Kardashian can be legally divorced even if their financial issues are not sorted out.

He also gave a dressing-down to Humphries' legal camp, saying, "I think there was enough evidence that ?(Kardashian) was available and (Humphries) could have traveled here for a deposition," adding that the latter's legal team had "more than adequate time to depose and has not shown due diligence."

Check out Kim and Kanye living it up in Brazil?

The judge also asked if there had been any talks of settlement, to which Waller responded, "We have been discussing it and continue to discuss."

Wasser, meanwhile, told E! News that the next court date is set for on April 12 for a mandatory settlement conference required by law before a case proceeds to trial, and both Kardashian and Humphries have been ordered to appear.

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Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/02/15/16977917-judge-sets-trial-date-for-kardashian-humphries-divorce?lite

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Daily Chronicle | District 427 announces new finance director

SYCAMORE ? Sycamore School District 427 will promote its accountant and assistant treasurer when finance director Luke Glowiak retires in June.

District officials announced this week that Nicole Stuckert will be the new director of finance July 1.

?It?s such an important position, and we?re so confident with Nicole?s skills,? Superintendent Kathy Countryman said. ?We look forward to continuing to work with her.?

Stuckert has been the district?s accountant and assistant treasurer since 2009. She said she has been working toward this position for some time and things seemed to fall into place with Glowiak?s retirement.

?I?ve had a great mentor working with Luke Glowiak,? Stuckert said. ?I?ve been trying to soak up everything I can working with him.?

The district is still negotiating her contract, but Stuckert could earn anywhere between $70,000 and $80,000 a year in her new role. Her current salary as accountant and assistant treasurer is $55,500.

Stuckert graduated from Rochelle Township High School and earned bachelor?s and master?s degrees in Business Administration from Northern Illinois University in 2008.

There are 20 hours, 22 minutes remaining to comment on this story.

Source: http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2013/02/13/district-427-announces-new-finance-director/agis8su/

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Romanian movie 'Child's Pose' wins at Berlin fest

Director Calin Peter Netzer holds the Golden Bear for his film Child's Pose at the closing ceremony at the 63rd edition of the Berlinale, International Film Festival in Berlin, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

Director Calin Peter Netzer holds the Golden Bear for his film Child's Pose at the closing ceremony at the 63rd edition of the Berlinale, International Film Festival in Berlin, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

Director Calin Peter Netzer holds the Golden Bear for his film Child's Pose alongside producer Ada Solomon at the closing ceremony at the 63rd edition of the Berlinale, International Film Festival in Berlin, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

Actor Nazif Mujic with his Silver Bear Best Actor award for his role in An Episode In the Life of an Iron Picker, at the closing ceremony at the 63rd edition of the Berlinale, International Film Festival in Berlin, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

Director Danis Tanovic with his Silver Bear Jury Grand Prix for his film in An Episode In the Life of an Iron Picker, at the closing ceremony at the 63rd edition of the Berlinale, International Film Festival in Berlin, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

Actress Paulina Garcia with her Silver Bear Best Actress award for her role in Gloria at the closing ceremony at the 63rd edition of the Berlinale, International Film Festival in Berlin, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

BERLIN (AP) ? A Romanian drama that centers on a woman's effort to cover up her son's responsibility for an accident in which a boy is fatally injured won the Berlin film festival's top Golden Bear award on Saturday.

"Child's Pose," directed by Calin Peter Netzer, emerged as the winner from a field of 19 films that included a strong eastern European contingent this year ? the 63rd edition of the event, the first of the year's major European film festivals. Netzer said he was "a little bit speechless" at the award.

The tale of corruption and guilt depicts the efforts of an upper-class mother, played by Luminita Gheorghiu, to bribe witnesses to give false statements and keep her son ? the driver, who was speeding at the time of the accident ? out of prison.

"This is about a ... pathological relationship between mother and son," he told reporters later. "The rest is really just a backdrop," Netzer told reporters, stressing that it is "a very universal story" and that "corruption is not something which is only taking place in Romania."

A runner-up Silver Bear went to "An Episode In the Life of an Iron Picker," in which a Bosnian Roma, or gypsy, couple re-enact their own struggle to get treatment after their baby died in the womb. The movie was made on a tiny budget by Danis Tanovic, whose "No Man's Land" won the Oscar for best foreign-language film in 2002.

Nazif Mujic, the husband, was voted best actor by the festival jury.

"Of course, I'm not an actor ? I simply played my own story. I played myself in my family. I don't know what I should say," Mujic, who says that he still has no regular job and collects scrap metal as he did at the time the drama played out, told 3sat television.

Best actress was Paulina Garcia for the title role in Chilean director Sebastian Lelio's "Gloria." Garcia plays a divorcee at the end of her 50s trying to stave off loneliness, rushing into singles' parties but struggling to overcome disappointment.

American filmmaker David Gordon Green was honored as best director for "Prince Avalanche," a movie about two road workers whiling their way through a long, monotonous summer with little more than each other for company. It's a remake of an Icelandic film, "Either Way."

The best script award went to dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi for "Closed Curtain," a movie he co-directed with longtime friend Kamboziya Partovi in defiance of a ban on filmmaking.

The film, in which the two directors play the main roles, reflects Panahi's frustration at being unable to work officially ? it's set inside an isolated seaside villa, much of the time with the curtains drawn.

Partovi accepted the award on behalf of Panahi, who wasn't allowed to leave Iran, telling the audience that "it's never been possible to stop a thinker and a poet."

The prize for outstanding artistic achievement went to Aziz Zhambakiyev for his camerawork in Kazakh director Emir Baigazin's "Harmony Lessons," which centers on a teenager tormented by his schoolmates.

The festival's Alfred Bauer prize for innovation went to Canadian director Denis Cote's "Vic+Flo Saw a Bear."

A seven-member jury led by filmmaker Wong Kar-wai chose the winners.

Wong said the jury gave "special mentions" to two more films that didn't win awards, acknowledging "the integrity of their vision and their conviction that cinema can make a difference."

Those were Matt Damon's Gus Van Sant-directed drama on shale gas drilling, "Promised Land," and South African director Pia Marais' "Layla Fourie."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-16-Berlin%20Film%20Festival/id-05b8b49c8699495abc04e5881b807367

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Hundreds Reported Injured in Blast from Meteor Strike over Russia [Video]

A meteor fireball lit up the morning sky over Chelyabinsk in?central Russia, producing a shock wave that shattered windows and injured an estimated 500 people. Although much of the parent object likely burned up in the atmosphere, Russian authorities say that several meteorite fragments have already been recovered,?according to the Interfax news agency.

A preliminary analysis posted to the Web site of the Russian Academy of Sciences estimates that the object that struck Earth?s atmosphere?was a few meters in diameter, ?the weight of the order of ten tons [and] the energy of a few kilotons,? according to a Google translation. That ?would make the Chelyabinsk event a fairly common occurrence, although such strikes usually occur over less-populated regions, not cities of more than a million people. On average, a four-meter asteroid hits Earth every year, delivering five kilotons of energy,?Southwest Research Institute senior scientist Clark Chapman found in a 2004 analysis.

The Chelyabinsk?impact appears unrelated to the close passage of the 50-meter asteroid 2012 DA14, which is expected to zip past Earth at a distance of less than 30,000 kilometers around 2:30 P.M. Eastern time today?inside the orbit of some satellites. On Twitter, the European Space Agency stated that agency experts have confirmed that there is no link between the two events.

A dashboard camera captured some dramatic footage (below) of this morning?s event.

We will update this post as more information becomes available.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=0c330e16420b7d8bab685446a5a51b7e

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Katie Price 'Having 11 Bridesmaids At Wedding'

09:44, Friday, 15 February 2013

Katie Price is reportedly planning to have 11 bridesmaids for her white wedding to third hubby Kieran Hayler.

The reality TV star actually tied the knot with part-time stripper Kieran, 25, in the Bahamas last month - but a less-than-satisfactory experience and a magazine deal have prompted the happy couple to re-stage their nuptials back in Blighty.

KP's long-time best pal Michelle Heaton will be among the bridesmaids again, according to The Mirror.

And Katie's kids Princess, Harvey and Junior will be flower girl and page boys respectively.

The wedding is apparently set to take place in the summer, and 34-year-old Katie has already been trying on dresses at a boutique in Worthing.

KP?was recently involved in a public row with Kelly?Brook.

Watch MTV News on the hour every hour on MTV - Sky Channel 126 and Virgin Channel 311

Source: http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/katie-price/375454-katie-price-having-11-bridesmaids-at-wedding

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Funds, speculators pushing up energy prices - U.S. regulator

By Douwe Miedema

WASHINGTON | Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:00am EST

WASHINGTON Feb 13 (Reuters) - Hedge funds and other speculators are pushing up energy prices and hurting consumers, a top U.S. commodity regulator said, as oil and gasoline prices have surged to recent highs.

Bart Chilton, a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said that the markets watchdog would push on to impose maximum limits on speculative positions that investors can hold.

"There is plenty of reputable and reliable evidence documenting what many of us simply know: that excessive speculation can contort markets," Chilton said in the text of a speech due for delivery on Wednesday.

A Reuters analysis this week found that hedge funds have almost doubled their bets on higher oil prices since Dec. 11, taking their total speculative position close to the highest level ever reported.

At the same time, U.S. crude oil prices have risen sharply, while Brent crude oil is trading near a five-month high.

U.S. gasoline prices have closely followed, surging 30 cents since the start of this year, hitting an average of $3.68 a gallon in the week through Monday, according to the Energy Information Agency.

"Today, energy costs for most families have risen more than 20 percent since 2001. This hurts not only American households, but also American business - like many of your businesses - that rely on energy," Chilton said.

"That's why I continue to lead the charge for position limits - to help keep the markets working for you," he added.

A court ruling last September threw out the CFTC's rule to curb speculation in commodity markets by putting maximum caps on trading positions. The CFTC is appealing that decision, and at the same time, is drawing up a new rule.

Chilton, one of the CFTC's three-strong Democrat majority, is an often outspoken critic of the financial industry, and has usually sided with Chairman Gary Gensler in his overhaul of the opaque $650 trillion derivatives market.

A large influx of cash into index funds that track the overall market caused oil to spike in the middle of 2008, leading to gasoline prices of $4.10 a gallon at the pump in the United States, Chilton said.

He cited studies by Goldman Sachs, Rice University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, which all underscore the relationship between market speculation and high prices.

The CFTC's staff had also found that speculators were dominating oil markets, establishing that only a tiny fraction of the trades that account for price changes were conducted by producers, processors and merchants.

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/companyNews/~3/lNbA-gdFdBI/energy-speculators-idUSL1N0BCHJS20130213

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"Under the Dome" to stream on Amazon days after CBS airing

Feb 11 (Reuters) - Big-spending Cleveland Indians continued their bold off-season by acquiring free agent outfielder Michael Bourn, the team said on Monday. Bourn, who was an All Star for the Atlanta Braves last season, has agreed to a four-year deal worth $48 million, according to local reports, to join the American League pending his physical. The deal is just the latest splash by the Indians who have also hired manager Terry Francona and picked up free agent Nick Swisher. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/under-dome-stream-amazon-days-cbs-airing-210654667.html

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Hartford current: Notes from the Mental Health Task Force | Darien ...

State Rep. Terrie Wood

Democracy works, and our mission is clear.

On Dec. 14 our world was changed when we heard the breaking news of the school massacre in Newtown. I knew we had reached the tipping point of gun violence in our country. This would be the point that we, as a state and country, would address the mass shootings in schools and other public places. I also sensed that it was a tragic situation involving the mental health of the shooter as well the accessibility of weapons by the wrong person.

In January, Hartford legislative leaders appointed a Bipartisan Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Task Force, comprised of three working groups: Gun Prevention, School Security and Mental Health Services. Each group will report their recommendations back to the leadership by Feb 15. Leadership will work through the recommendations and deliver it to the Senate and the House at the end of February as an Emergency Certified bill (E-cert) to be effective immediately.

I was appointed co-chairman of the Mental Health working group along with Senator Toni Harp, a Democrat from New Haven. The co-chairmen and Task Force are split evenly between Republican and Democratic legislators. This is a unique situation where both parties come together to work for a solution and not push party politics. Governor Malloy formed a separate Task Force with 16 people who will present their findings in the middle of March.

Typically, legislative work spans three to five months, starting with committee meetings and public hearings, followed by moving bills to the floor of both legislative chambers. By design, a deliberate process. To bring legislation forward in six weeks is a break-neck pace, but is the right thing to do in this situation. We must be careful to do thorough due diligence to avoid unintended consequences.

One challenge (and frustration) we have is that the police report on the alleged shooter, results of autopsy, and psychiatric history and treatment have been sealed as the investigation is ongoing. It would be tremendously helpful, essential really, to know the details of how this person eluded the laws and safetys net that are in place. We need to know what went wrong to effectively address it with legislation.

All three working groups have had their public hearings. Gun Safety had over 1,300 people sign up to testify, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 3:30 a.m. We heard over 120 people from the public testify for the Mental Health Services over 12 hours. The public was welcome to testify with a three-minute limit. Those wishing to submit testimony may still do so at asaferconnecticut@cga.ct.gov. The information on the task force and all submitted testimony is available on the website, cga.ct.gov, you will see the link on the upper right hand corner.

The Mental Health Working Group commenced with an Informational Panel of the public and private delivery systems and the court system. Testimony from the public immediately followed.

Informational panels included the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Department of Children and Families, Office of the Healthcare Advocate, several psychiatrists, National Association of Mental Illness, the Court System was represented by the Probate Court System, and CT Legal Rights and Victims Advocacy Center.

Themes were consistent and several areas stood out. First and foremost, the stigma that still exists around mental health. Depression, anxiety, schizophrenia., bi-polar and other mood disorders are not understood by the general public. With little understanding comes little tolerance for some of the issues of the mental and developmentally disabled. Mental illness, unlike a broken bone, cancer or the flu, is much harder to measure and quantify. Many speakers stressed the importance of early identification and early intervention for those with mental and emotional challenges. There is no question that we need to do a better job of diagnosing and treating it in our communities.

Among other mental health needs identified were lack of practicing psychiatrists in the state, and not enough social workers and psychologists in schools. Fragmentation of services for those ages 18-25, transitioning out of the DCF system into Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services was often mentioned. Lastly, the importance of aligning the probate court system with mental health delivery was heavily stressed.

Now that we have heard both expert and public testimony, it is time to create meaningful and effective legislation.

Next column, I will update what our committee is likely to recommend and also some details on what the School Security and Gun Prevention Work Groups are looking at for recommendations.

Terrie Wood, a Republican, represents the 141st District, which includes Darien and Royalton, in the State House. She can be reached at terrie.wood@housegop.ct.gov or 800-842-1423. She can be followed on Twitter @terriewood.

Source: http://www.darientimes.com/15625/hartford-current-notes-from-the-mental-health-task-force/

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Soldiers clash in Mali's capital

TIMBUKTU, Mali (AP) ? A woman who lives in the military camp occupied by Mali's Red Beret presidential guard said that a contingent of soldiers from a rival unit allied with the leader of last year's military coup stormed the camp Friday morning in Mali's capital, Bamako

"Since 6 a.m., the soldiers arrived in armored cars and pickup trucks, all of them armed to the teeth to attack our base. The women and children tried to stop them from entering the camp. They shot tear gas at us and started shooting volleys in the air," said Batoma Dicko.

Dr. Amadou Diallo, who works at the infirmary in the Djicoroni Para Camp, said there was at least one dead and five wounded.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/soldiers-clash-malis-capital-101518433.html

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Cornering the free agent market

Although the 2013 NFL Free Agency period is one month away and the market will be thinned at the top by franchise tags and contract extensions, this is a good time to survey the prospective field. The NFL Scouting Combine kicks off in less than two weeks, and it is in Indianapolis that free-agency scuttlebutt commences as player representatives meet face-to-face with team officials.

This is a free agency position ranking. As it stands, I believe cornerback to be the deepest, most talented group of players with expiring contracts. I think quarterback is the weakest, for an obvious reason: NFL teams simply don't let franchise signal callers hit the open market. Offensive tackle and defensive end look very strong. Inside linebacker and center are bereft of quality starters.

On the back page is my Free Agent Top 40 for the 2013 offseason. I did not include Joe Flacco or Ryan Clady, because neither of them is going anywhere. Tony Gonzalez's contract is up, but his future is murky at best and he is not included, either.

Restricted Free Agents are not considered here because they so rarely change teams.

1. Cornerback

This position is loaded with quality NFL starters, and the prohibitive $10.67 million cornerback franchise number ensures it will stay that way. Aqib Talib, 27, Brent Grimes, 29, Sean Smith, 25, Chris Houston, 28, Derek Cox, 26, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, 26, all have experience as No. 1 corners, and of them only Grimes will be 30 years old when the 2013 season starts.

Super Bowl champ Cary Williams, 28, is believed to be looking to break the bank and may have trouble landing the lucrative deal he desires. E.J. Biggers, 25, Antoine Cason, 26, Keenan Lewis, 26, and Mike Jenkins, 27, could be more affordable targets with their best football ahead of them. Bradley Fletcher, 26, and Greg Toler, 28, are potential diamonds in the rough. Darius Butler, 26, Brice McCain, 26, Kyle Arrington, 26, and D.J. Moore, 25, can cover the slot on passing downs. Pacman Jones, 29, is coming off a quietly solid season as Cincinnati's nickel back. Jerraud Powers, 25, and Tracy Porter, 26, are intriguing "rehab" projects after injury-affected years.

Obviously past their primes, Sheldon Brown, 33, Quentin Jammer, 33, Terence Newman, 34, and Rashean Mathis, 32, each may have a year or two left as solid starting cornerbacks in the league. Brown, Jammer, and Mathis could potentially extend their careers by converting to safety.

Although former first-round pick Leodis McKelvin has not panned out as a cover corner, he is still only 27 and led the NFL in 2012 punt return average while bringing back two punts to the house.

2. Offensive Tackle

If cornerback is the gold standard in 2013 free agency, offensive tackle isn't far behind. Even with Clady off the board, Andre Smith, 26, Branden Albert, 28, Jake Long, 27, Sebastian Vollmer, 28, Will Beatty, 27, Gosder Cherilus, 28, Phil Loadholt, 27, Jermon Bushrod, 28, and Sam Baker, 27, all have extensive, successful track records as strong NFL starters and will be paid accordingly.

Since the positions are valued differently inside the NFL, offensive tackles can be halved into left and right. Left tackles are the highest paid O-Line position. Right tackles are viewed as inferior, although the league's best running teams unfailingly field high-impact tackle play on the right side.

Albert, Long, Beatty, Bushrod, Baker, and Bryant McKinnie, 33, are the best left tackles free agency has to offer. Smith, Vollmer, Cherilus, and Loadholt are difference makers on the right side. Vollmer is especially intriguing because he possesses athleticism and length to play both tackle spots, and made five starts on Tom Brady's blindside as a rookie in 2009. If Vollmer hits free agency -- and the Patriots will probably make sure that he does not -- it's conceivable that interested teams would view him as a left tackle, setting up Vollmer for a monster pay day.

3. Defensive End

This year's free-agent defensive end class isn't quite as talent rich as the big names atop the list might indicate. But it's a reasonably solid group with, by my count, at least seven capable NFL starters.

Cliff Avril, 26, has 29 sacks and nine forced fumbles over the past three seasons. He's "scheme versatile," capable of fitting 3-4 defenses at outside linebacker and 4-3s as a hand-in-the-dirt end. Avril is the clear prize of this year's defensive end class. Michael Johnson, 26, isn't far off after a breakout, 11.5-sack season. Always oozing talent, Johnson has long faced questions about his motor, however, and it's red-flaggy that he put together a career year in a contract season. It makes him an ideal franchise-tag candidate for the Bengals. So perhaps he won't hit the market.

Versatile Michael Bennett, 27, is No. 3 in the defensive end rankings and can rush the passer from both tackle and left end. Bennett was a key contributor on Tampa's league-best run defense in 2012. Osi Umenyiora, 31, Dwight Freeney, 32, and Israel Idonije, 32, all have good football left but are past their primes. Matt Shaughnessy, 26, once looked like a future star in Oakland, but lost his passing-down role to early-season street free-agent pickup Andre Carter because Shaughnessy couldn't generate any pressure. He still may be the best value signing in this group.

Wallace Gilberry, 28, Mike DeVito, 28, Darryl Tapp, 28, William Hayes, 27, Lawrence Jackson, 27, and Jonathan Fanene, 30, are all role players but give the position some free-agent depth.

Although the 2013 NFL Free Agency period is one month away and the market will be thinned at the top by franchise tags and contract extensions, this is a good time to survey the prospective field. The NFL Scouting Combine kicks off in less than two weeks, and it is in Indianapolis that free-agency scuttlebutt commences as player representatives meet face-to-face with team officials.

This is a free agency position ranking. As it stands, I believe cornerback to be the deepest, most talented group of players with expiring contracts. I think quarterback is the weakest, for an obvious reason: NFL teams simply don't let franchise signal callers hit the open market. Offensive tackle and defensive end look very strong. Inside linebacker and center are bereft of quality starters.

On the back page is my Free Agent Top 40 for the 2013 offseason. I did not include Joe Flacco or Ryan Clady, because neither of them is going anywhere. Tony Gonzalez's contract is up, but his future is murky at best and he is not included, either.

Restricted Free Agents are not considered here because they so rarely change teams.

1. Cornerback

This position is loaded with quality NFL starters, and the prohibitive $10.67 million cornerback franchise number ensures it will stay that way. Aqib Talib, 27, Brent Grimes, 29, Sean Smith, 25, Chris Houston, 28, Derek Cox, 26, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, 26, all have experience as No. 1 corners, and of them only Grimes will be 30 years old when the 2013 season starts.

Super Bowl champ Cary Williams, 28, is believed to be looking to break the bank and may have trouble landing the lucrative deal he desires. E.J. Biggers, 25, Antoine Cason, 26, Keenan Lewis, 26, and Mike Jenkins, 27, could be more affordable targets with their best football ahead of them. Bradley Fletcher, 26, and Greg Toler, 28, are potential diamonds in the rough. Darius Butler, 26, Brice McCain, 26, Kyle Arrington, 26, and D.J. Moore, 25, can cover the slot on passing downs. Pacman Jones, 29, is coming off a quietly solid season as Cincinnati's nickel back. Jerraud Powers, 25, and Tracy Porter, 26, are intriguing "rehab" projects after injury-affected years.

Obviously past their primes, Sheldon Brown, 33, Quentin Jammer, 33, Terence Newman, 34, and Rashean Mathis, 32, each may have a year or two left as solid starting cornerbacks in the league. Brown, Jammer, and Mathis could potentially extend their careers by converting to safety.

Although former first-round pick Leodis McKelvin has not panned out as a cover corner, he is still only 27 and led the NFL in 2012 punt return average while bringing back two punts to the house.

2. Offensive Tackle

If cornerback is the gold standard in 2013 free agency, offensive tackle isn't far behind. Even with Clady off the board, Andre Smith, 26, Branden Albert, 28, Jake Long, 27, Sebastian Vollmer, 28, Will Beatty, 27, Gosder Cherilus, 28, Phil Loadholt, 27, Jermon Bushrod, 28, and Sam Baker, 27, all have extensive, successful track records as strong NFL starters and will be paid accordingly.

Since the positions are valued differently inside the NFL, offensive tackles can be halved into left and right. Left tackles are the highest paid O-Line position. Right tackles are viewed as inferior, although the league's best running teams unfailingly field high-impact tackle play on the right side.

Albert, Long, Beatty, Bushrod, Baker, and Bryant McKinnie, 33, are the best left tackles free agency has to offer. Smith, Vollmer, Cherilus, and Loadholt are difference makers on the right side. Vollmer is especially intriguing because he possesses athleticism and length to play both tackle spots, and made five starts on Tom Brady's blindside as a rookie in 2009. If Vollmer hits free agency -- and the Patriots will probably make sure that he does not -- it's conceivable that interested teams would view him as a left tackle, setting up Vollmer for a monster pay day.

3. Defensive End

This year's free-agent defensive end class isn't quite as talent rich as the big names atop the list might indicate. But it's a reasonably solid group with, by my count, at least seven capable NFL starters.

Cliff Avril, 26, has 29 sacks and nine forced fumbles over the past three seasons. He's "scheme versatile," capable of fitting 3-4 defenses at outside linebacker and 4-3s as a hand-in-the-dirt end. Avril is the clear prize of this year's defensive end class. Michael Johnson, 26, isn't far off after a breakout, 11.5-sack season. Always oozing talent, Johnson has long faced questions about his motor, however, and it's red-flaggy that he put together a career year in a contract season. It makes him an ideal franchise-tag candidate for the Bengals. So perhaps he won't hit the market.

Versatile Michael Bennett, 27, is No. 3 in the defensive end rankings and can rush the passer from both tackle and left end. Bennett was a key contributor on Tampa's league-best run defense in 2012. Osi Umenyiora, 31, Dwight Freeney, 32, and Israel Idonije, 32, all have good football left but are past their primes. Matt Shaughnessy, 26, once looked like a future star in Oakland, but lost his passing-down role to early-season street free-agent pickup Andre Carter because Shaughnessy couldn't generate any pressure. He still may be the best value signing in this group.

Wallace Gilberry, 28, Mike DeVito, 28, Darryl Tapp, 28, William Hayes, 27, Lawrence Jackson, 27, and Jonathan Fanene, 30, are all role players but give the position some free-agent depth.

4. Wide Receiver

The wide receiver free-agent eligibles fall off a cliff after the initial six or so players, but there is obvious star power at the top. Dwayne Bowe, 28, can take over games when focused, and he's never, ever played with a competent quarterback. Mike Wallace, 26, was considered the NFL's premier deep threat as recently as the 2012 offseason. Greg Jennings, 29, is a playmaker both in the slot and along the sidelines. Wes Welker, 31, is uncoverable between the numbers. Soo too is Danny Amendola, 27, at least when healthy. Brian Hartline, 26, was stretched as the Dolphins' No. 1 receiver in 2012, but is still coming off a breakout year.

The best of the rest are slot receiver/special teamer Julian Edelman, 26, brittle burner Donnie Avery, 28, mentally unreliable Jerome Simpson, 26, washed-up Randy Moss, 36, and Braylon Edwards, 29, concussion-prone Austin Collie, 27, and flash-in-the-pan Kevin Ogletree, 25.

5. Defensive Tackle

There's a good chance you've never heard of Desmond Bryant, 27, but you need to get used to it. He's going to be a very hot free agent. I recall watching tape of offensive skill position players last offseason, and defensive end No. 90 for Oakland kept showing up. In 2012, Bryant kicked inside to replace injured Richard Seymour and graded out as Pro Football Focus' No. 6 overall defensive tackle. He was the best player on a bad defense. A Harvard alum with a scheme-versatile body (6'6/311), Bryant will appeal to 3-4 teams as a five-technique end and 4-3 clubs at interior tackle.

Almost like offensive tackle, defensive tackle can be split into two parts: Pass rushers and run-plugging space eaters. The best free-agent interior pass rushers are Bryant, Henry Melton, 26, Randy Starks, 29, Jason Jones, 26, Seymour, 33, Chris Canty, 30, Glenn Dorsey, 27, and Corey Williams, 32.

The top free-agent space eaters include "Pot Roast" Terrance Knighton, 26, Isaac Sopoaga, 31, Vance Walker, 25, Casey Hampton, 35, Roy Miller, 25, Sammie Lee Hill, 26, and Pat Sims, 27.

6. Rush Linebacker

"Rush linebacker" is traditionally associated with 3-4 defenses. As the 3-4 becomes more and more prevalent, we need to consider "rush 'backer" its own position rather than grouping it in with defensive ends or outside linebackers.

Paul Kruger, 27, was the Super Bowl champions' best pass rusher for the duration of the 2012-2013 season and is arguably the premier prize of free agency. He's going to rake in a ton of money. Anthony Spencer, 29, was always a stud edge-setting run defender before breaking out with 11 sacks this past year. He outplayed future Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware. Connor Barwin, 26, registered 11.5 sacks in 2011 before crashing back to Earth with three in 2012. Barwin is not an explosive outside-edge rush 'backer and is a candidate to get overpaid on the open market.

Shaun Phillips, 31, Antwan Barnes, 28, and Victor Butler, 25, round out the rush linebacker depth. Butler is intriguing. Buried behind Spencer and Ware the past four seasons, Butler still managed 11 sacks and four forced fumbles while starting just 1-of-63 games. He is a free-agent sleeper.

7. Safety

The safety class looks swell on paper, but I'm afraid it'll be thinned out by franchise tags and seemingly obvious re-signings. The franchise number for safeties is an affordable $6.798 million; only tight ends and kickers cost less to tag. I think we'll see top safety Jairus Byrd, 26, tagged and quite possibly William Moore, 27. The Niners also won't let Dashon Goldson, 28, get away.

So that would leave Ed Reed, 34, Ronde Barber, 37, physically unreliable Louis Delmas, 25, and LaRon Landry, 28, benched ex-Patriot Pat Chung, 25, former first-round disappointment Kenny Phillips, 26, and Texans free safety Glover Quin, 27, atop this year's free-agent safety group.

Chung and Phillips might be the safeties to target for teams incapable of ponying up for what'll be an unwieldy price tag on Landry, Byrd, Moore, or Goldson. Chung and Phillips both possess Pro Bowl-caliber talent; only bad injury luck has diminished their market value. Since both are under 27 years old, it's quite possible Phillips and Chung would be amenable to one-year, prove-it deals.

8. Tight End

I have tight end ranked relatively low, but I think it's a quietly strong group. Especially when you include Texans fullback/H-back James Casey, 28, who demonstrates Hernandezian movement skills in pass routes but played out of position as a lead blocker in Gary Kubiak's offense. Casey needs to get out of Houston and find a chance to start. He can get open and has great hands.

Fred Davis, 27, is a field stretcher and underrated blocker if his Achilles' checks out. Dustin Keller, 28, has been held hostage statistically by putrid Jets offenses and needs to leave New York to maximize his god-given ability. Jared Cook, 25, is a freak of nature talent. Martellus Bennett, 25, is a terrific blocker and flashed taking his receiving game to a top-ten level when healthy in 2012.

Other free agent tight ends include backup types Delanie Walker, 28, Brandon Myers, 27, Dallas Clark, 33, Ben Watson 32, and Anthony Fasano, 28.

9. Outside Linebacker

This is where free agency begins to really thin out. The top get would be longtime Jaguars outside linebacker Daryl Smith, who can play strong side, weak side, or even man the middle. Smith, however, is going on age 31 and struggled in his only two 2012 appearances after returning from recurring groin problems.

Aside from Smith, Erin Henderson, 26, and Philip Wheeler, 28, the best 4-3 outside linebacker free agents all have injury concerns. Thomas Howard, 29, is coming off a torn ACL. Gerald McRath, 26, ruptured his patellar tendon. Justin Durant, 27, has a scary concussion history. Leroy Hill, 30, is facing a suspension. Jonathan Casillas, 25, is brimming with talent but has never stayed healthy.

Ultimately, 4-3 outside linebacker offers only stopgap solutions in free agency.

10. Running Back

Steven Jackson will be the cream of the 2013 free-agent running back crop if he declines his $7 million player option. Jackson has until March 12 -- the first day of free agency -- to decide. It's been expected that S-Jax will indeed decline the option, though it's always possible Jackson and his agent will determine they wouldn't pull in more money on the open market. I'd probably set Jackson's chances of returning to St. Louis at 55:45. If he doesn't, expect Atlanta and Green Bay to be among the contenders that pursue him. At age 29, Jackson has plenty left in the tank.

There's a steep falloff behind him.

Reggie Bush, 27, is best suited for a complementary, third-down type role in a pass-first offense, ideally playing in a dome. The pass-happy Lions make a lot of sense as a suitor, assuming Bush's price tag is reasonable. Rashard Mendenhall, 25, has talent to be an NFL feature back, but his health has been unreliable the past two seasons and Mendenhall is maddeningly inconsistent on inside runs, too often bouncing outside. Released by the Giants, 26-year-old Ahmad Bradshaw suffers from chronic foot injuries and is much too brittle for any team to count on as a starter. He'll be viewed as a potential committee back or strict backup by clubs in the market for running backs. Cedric Benson, 30, is coming off a Lisfranc fracture. Bernard Scott, 29, returns from a torn ACL.

Shonn Greene, 27, Felix Jones, 25, Peyton Hillis, 27, Danny Woodhead, 28, and Cedric Peerman, 26, are other notable free-agent running back names. They are all backups or role players at best.

11. Offensive Guard

Another thin free-agent position, guard offers five or six NFL starters with two or three who might command big money should they hit the market. Athletic Andy Levitre, 26, has never missed a start in four seasons with Buffalo and was a top-ten guard in 2012 per Pro Football Focus' ratings. The Bills need to make re-signing Levitre a priority.

Donald Thomas, 27, can play all three interior line positions and held up well in seven 2012 starts. Brandon Moore, 32, is limited to right guard but is still blocking at a high level. Louis Vasquez, 25, is well regarded around the NFL and after Levitre may be the likeliest guard to receive a lucrative, long-term deal. Lance Louis, 27, Geoff Schwartz, 26, and Chad Rinehart, 27, are young guards with potential.

12. Fullback

Jerome Felton, 26 brings little to the table as a ball carrier or receiver, but he was the NFL's premier lead blocker in 2012 and deserved first-team All-Pro recognition over Baltimore's Vonta Leach. Fullbacks historically have short shelf lives and ought to max out their market whenever possible. If Felton and his agent are smart, they will prioritize testing free agency unless the Vikings blow their socks off with a contract offer before March 12.

Greg Jones, 31, is the only other fullback who might generate serious free-agent interest. Jones is getting up there in age, but he's still a pile-driving run blocker and also excels in blitz pickup.

13. Inside Linebacker

I haven't studied up much yet on this year's draft-eligible inside linebacker class. But if it isn't stocked with talent, your team is in trouble if it needs a starter inside. Rey Maualuga, 26, is a poor starter and he's among the best free agency can offer. Brian Urlacher's 34-year-old knees are shot. Tim Dobbins, 30, is a major liability in coverage. Dannell Ellerbe, 27, is a candidate to get overpaid on the heels of his team's Super Bowl win.

Perhaps the one free agent inside linebacker worth the longest look for needy teams is Brad Jones, a 26-year-old converted pass rusher who more than adequately replaced D.J. Smith for the Packers in 2012. Jones started ten games and outplayed A.J. Hawk. Teams still figure to be wary of Jones because his experience inside is so limited.

14. Center

There isn't a free-agent center who'll be viewed as a surefire starter. Todd McClure, 36, Brad Meester, 35, and Dan Koppen, 33, are all nearing retirement. And they're the best there is in this year's center class.

15. Quarterback

With Flacco a virtual lock to return to Baltimore, quarterback is another position that lacks a single bankable starter. Matt Moore, 28, comes the closest after losing the Dolphins' starting job to Ryan Tannehill last summer. Moore will probably wind up in a camp battle on a quarterback-desperate team like the Jets, Cardinals, Jaguars, or Bills.

Tarvaris Jackson, 29, Jason Campbell, 31, Josh Johnson, 26, Byron Leftwich, 33, Brady Quinn, 28, and Rex Grossman, 32, are all low-end NFL backups. Chase Daniel, 26, and Brian Hoyer, 27, have major arm strength limitations. David Garrard, 34, never did latch on with a team in 2012 and it's unclear if he envisions football in his future. Vince Young, 29, may be done in the league.

1. Rush linebacker Paul Kruger
2. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe
3. Defensive end Cliff Avril
4. Cornerback Aqib Talib
5. Rush linebacker Anthony Spencer
6. Free safety Jairus Byrd
7. Offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer
8. Defensive tackle Henry Melton
9. Wide receiver Mike Wallace
10. Free safety Dashon Goldson
11. Defensive end Michael Johnson
12. Left tackle Branden Albert
13. Cornerback Brent Grimes
14. Left tackle Jake Long
15. Right tackle Andre Smith
16. Wide receiver Wes Welker
17. Defensive lineman Desmond Bryant
18. Guard Andy Levitre
19. Cornerback Sean Smith
20. Running back Steven Jackson
21. Defensive end Michael Bennett
22. Defensive tackle Randy Starks
23. Strong safety William Moore
24. Right tackle Phil Loadholt
25. Wide receiver Greg Jennings
26. Wide receiver Danny Amendola
27. Tight end Dustin Keller
28. Defensive tackle Jason Jones
29. Free safety Louis Delmas
30. Tight end Jared Cook
31. Running back Reggie Bush
32. Cornerback Chris Houston
33. Guard Louis Vasquez
34. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora
35. Outside linebacker Daryl Smith
36. Free safety Ed Reed
37. Tight end Martellus Bennett
38. Nose tackle Terrance Knighton
39. Running back Rashard Mendenhall
40. Fullback Jerome Felton

Source: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/42496/309/nfl-free-agency-rankings

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