duodena mordecai: June 2013

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Teaching and safety-net hospitals show variations in quality and outcomes of care

Public release date: 17-Jun-2013
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Contact: Connie Hughes
connie.hughes@wolterskluwer.com
646-674-6348
Wolters Kluwer Health

Concerns about disproportionate impact of changes in hospital payment methods

Philadelphia, Pa. (June 17, 2013) Teaching hospitals with a higher intensity of physician-training activity achieve lower mortality rates, but higher hospitalization readmission rates for key medical diagnoses, reports a study in the July issue of Medical Care, published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

The disparity in readmissions is greatest for "safety-net" hospitals serving low-income populations, according to the new research led by Dr Stephanie K. Mueller of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. They write, "These findings suggest that high teaching intensity and safety-net institutions may be disproportionately affected by recent and upcoming changes in hospital payment models."

Variations in Outcomes at Higher-Intensity Teaching Hospitals

Using two nationally representative databases, the researchers evaluated the relationship between hospital teaching status, the quality of care provided, the patients outcomes achieved. Teaching hospitalsthose which train medical residentswere classified by teaching intensity, based on the ratio of residents to patient beds.

The study focused on three conditions widely used in assessing the quality and outcomes of hospital care: acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), congestive heart failure, and pneumonia. In addition to teaching status, the researchers looked for possible differences in quality of care at safety-net hospitalsthose treating a high proportion of Medicaid patients.

The study included data on 2,418 hospitals for the years 2007-08. Overall, 37 percent of hospitals were teaching hospitals. Five percent were medium-intensity and three percent were high-intensity teaching hospitals.

The teaching and nonteaching hospitals performed "uniformly well" on quality of care process measures. This meant that they had high rates of performing and reporting recommended care steps for all three diagnoses.

But there were some significant differences in patient outcomes by teaching hospital status. Medium- and high-intensity teaching hospitals had higher rates of repeat hospital admission for patients with all three conditions, compared to nonteaching hospitals.

In contrast, for myocardial infarction and heart failure, high-intensity teaching hospitals had lower mortality rates than nonteaching hospitals. The differences in outcomes remained significant after adjustment for patient risk factors.

Differences Are Most Pronounced at Safety-Net Hospitals

For the two heart disease diagnoses, there was a significant interaction between teaching intensity and safety net status. Among hospitals that served a higher percentage of Medicaid patients, higher-intensity teaching hospitals had persistently higher readmission rates for myocardial infarction and heart failure

Traditionally, teaching hospitals have been supported by a combination of patient revenues and government subsidies. Pressures to reduce government support for medical education pose a threat to the financial health of teaching institutions. Many teaching hospitals are also safety-net hospitals, which serve higher-risk patients. As a result they may also take a financial hit from new payment rules penalizing hospitals with higher readmission rates.

The new study suggests that teaching hospitalsespecially higher-intensity teaching hospitals that are also safety-net hospitalshave higher readmission rates for key diagnoses. This is despite the fact that they have lower mortality rates for major heart disease diagnoses.

How to explain this seeming contradiction? Lack of patient education at discharge may contribute to higher readmission rates at teaching hospitals. Another possibility is that patients with more complex conditions treated at teaching hospitals are more likely surviveand more likely to return for care requiring rehospitalization.

The study raises important questions about how changes in hospital payment based on quality and outcome measures may affect funding of teaching hospitals, Dr Mueller believes. She comments, "Financial incentives may disproportionately impact the financial health of higher teaching intensity hospitals and safety net hospitals, particularly with respect to penalties for higher readmission rates."

###

About Medical Care

Rated as one of the top ten journals in health care administration, Medical Care is devoted to all aspects of the administration and delivery of health care. This scholarly journal publishes original, peer-reviewed papers documenting the most current developments in the rapidly changing field of health care. Medical Care provides timely reports on the findings of original investigations into issues related to the research, planning, organization, financing, provision, and evaluation of health services. In addition, numerous special supplementary issues that focus on specialized topics are produced with each volume. Medical Care is the official journal of the Medical Care Section of the American Public Health Association

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher of trusted content delivered in innovative ways to practitioners, professionals and students to learn new skills, stay current on their practice, and make important decisions to improve patient care and clinical outcomes.

LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry.

Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2012 annual revenues of 3.6 billion ($4.6 billion).

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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.

Teaching and safety-net hospitals show variations in quality and outcomes of care

Public release date: 17-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: Connie Hughes
connie.hughes@wolterskluwer.com
646-674-6348
Wolters Kluwer Health

Concerns about disproportionate impact of changes in hospital payment methods

Variations in Outcomes at Higher-Intensity Teaching Hospitals

Differences Are Most Pronounced at Safety-Net Hospitals

###

About Medical Care

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry.

Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company with 2012 annual revenues of 3.6 billion ($4.6 billion).

[ | 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/2013-06/wkh-tas061713.php

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Anger in southern Egypt over Islamist governor

LUXOR, Egypt (AP) ? Angry tourism workers and activists in Luxor threatened Monday to block a newly appointed Islamist governor from his office because of his links to a former militant group that killed scores of people in a 1997 attack in the ancient city and devastated Egypt's sightseeing industry.

Adel el-Khayat was named to the provincial governor's post Sunday by President Mohammed Morsi, causing the outrage. El-Khayat is a member of the Construction and Development party, the political arm of Gamaa Islamiya, which waged an armed insurgency against the state starting in 1992 and attacked police, Coptic Christians and tourists.

In November 1997, gunmen from the group attacked tourists at Luxor's 3,400-year-old Hatshepsut Temple, killing 58. More than 1,200 people died in the campaign of violence by the group and another militant organization, Islamic Jihad.

Tourism is the lifeblood of Luxor, home to some of Egypt's most dramatic ancient temples and pharaonic tombs, including that of King Tutankhamun. The city has been hit hard by the downturn in foreign visitors since the Arab Spring unleashed political turmoil since 2011.

Hundreds of people protested outside the governor's office Monday night. The tourism workers, opposition politicians and activists in the crowd said they would consider sealing off the site with locks and chains, and sending el-Kayat back to Luxor's airport.

"When I heard about the appointment, I remembered the whole scene," said Tharwat Agamy, the head of Luxor's Tourism Chamber who witnessed the 1997 attack.

"With my own arms, I carried the blooded bodies of the women, children and men," Agamy said, recalling that the victims' corpses were mutilated.

"I still remember the ... newlywed Japanese couple hugging each other and both dead," he added. "Are these human beings? Do they have mercy inside their hearts?"

Not only are the horrific memories of what has been dubbed the "Luxor Massacre" still fresh in the minds of many residents, but they also worry about the impact of a hard-line Islamist running the southern city and surrounding province.

El-Khayat's party calls for strict implementation of Islamic Shariah law, which includes imposing an Islamic dress code for women, banning alcohol, and preventing the mixing of the sexes. Workers in a city as heavily dependent on tourism as Luxor worried that such policies would further hurt their business.

His appointment was also seen as a move aimed at solidifying Morsi's support among hard-liners ahead of protests planned for later this month by the liberal opposition and youth activists. The Gamaa's party has threatened to counter opposition demonstrations with an "Islamic revolution."

Both the Gamaa and Islamic Jihad renounced violence in the 2000s amid a crackdown by then-President Hosni Mubarak. Since Mubarak's ouster in 2011, both have launched political parties, and the Gamaa's is allied to Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

El-Khayat, who was among 17 new governors appointed by Morsi, said he would not be influenced by his political affiliation.

"I am honored to belong to the Islamist current, but now as a governor, I am in the service of the nation," he said in comments emailed to The Associated Press by the group's media representative. "It is not fair to judge someone just because of affiliation but by evaluating their work, performance and skills."

He said the Gamaa also suffered under Mubarak, that the group didn't order the Hatshepsut Temple attack, was not aware of it, and condemned it afterward.

At the time of the attack, however, the group claimed responsibility for it. Two years later, one of the top group's leaders, Rifai Ahmed Taha, warned the government that there could be another such attack if Egypt did not change its hostile policy toward the Islamic movement.

One of the founders of Gamaa Islamiya, Nageh Ibrahim, said that el-Khayat split from the group when it diverted to militancy and worked for 30 years as an engineer in an agency of the Ministry of Housing.

Ibrahim said the group is short of members who are qualified to hold a senior government post so it nominated el-Khayat.

"He didn't participate in any violence. He has nothing to do with the attacks," Ibrahim said.

But many residents of Luxor still found Morsi's move shocking. Tourism is the main employer in the province of about 1 million people, and practically the only industry besides farming and a sole factory processing the region's sugar cane crop.

"Does the president and his advisers know that Luxor is a tourist province? Do they know the culture background and the black history of the affiliates of the Islamic group?" asked poet Hussein al-Kabahi.

Driver Ahmed Gahlan wondered how a hard-line Islamist who belongs to a conservative group could even be considered for the leadership of a city and province where tourism has such a high priority.

"Is he going to shake hands with foreigners, whom they consider as devils? They even refuse to shake hands with Muslim women, so what about foreigners?" he asked.

Boat operator El-Nadi el-Rawi said the appointment of el-Khayat would have a "disastrous" impact on European sightseers.

"They want to kill tourism," the 26-year-old added. "Why Luxor? There are many other provinces where the governor can serve."

Hotel manager Gamal Ahmed Mahmoud, 49, said that the decision was another setback for his livelihood.

"Hotel managers are about to close their hotels because of heavy debts," he said.

Tourism in all of Egypt has been struggling since Mubarak's ouster and the breakdown in security in the country.

The number of tourists coming to Egypt fell to 9.8 million in 2011 from 14.7 million the year before, and revenues plunged 30 percent to $8.8 billion. Last year, the numbers climbed up to slightly more than 10 million, but most visitors go to the beach resorts of the Red Sea, staying away from Nile Valley sites like Luxor.

___

Michael reported from Cairo.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/anger-southern-egypt-over-islamist-governor-171520264.html

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With Samsung, Jay-Z's business continues to boom

FILE - This May 1, 2013 file photo shows Jay-Z at "The Great Gatsby" world premiere at Avery Fisher Hall in New York. Jay-Z is teaming up with Samsung to release his new album, unveiling a three-minute commercial during the NBA Finals and announcing a deal that will give the music to 1 million users of Galaxy mobile phones. The new album, called ?Magna Carta Holy Grail,? will be free for the first 1 million android phone owners who download an app for the album. Those who do so will get the album on July 4, three days before its official release. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file )

NEW YORK (AP) ? He really is more than a businessman.

Jay-Z's partnership with Samsung for his new album, "Magna Carta Holy Grail," is another sign of how musicians are finding new ways to push, sell and promote their music, and how the multiplatinum performer ? who famously rapped "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man" ? continues to leverage his enduring popularity into a successful brand.

Jay-Z will give his new album to 1 million users of Galaxy mobile phones on July 4, three days before the album's official release date. The 43-year-old broke the news about his twelfth album in a three-minute commercial during the NBA Finals.

Details about the Samsung-Jay-Z deal, announced Sunday, weren't disclosed and both parties did not grant interviews.

But Jay-Z's partnership is just another way artists are promoting their music at a time when album sales are low and the digital market has taken the lead in the music industry.

Jim Donio, president of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM), said top level acts like Jay-Z and Taylor Swift have the power to launch new albums in spectacular ways with various partners.

"For an artist whose album release is an event in itself ... they carry with them a much wider profile in the marketplace that they speak to, so their audience and all the things that they do affords these unique opportunities," he said.

In 2011, Lady Gaga sold 440,000 copies of her "Born This Way" album on Amazon for just 99 cents when it was on sale for two days, helping the album sell 1.1 million in its debut week. Others have also used that trend to sell albums, though not in its debut week: Last year, Phil Collins' greatest hits jumped into the Top 10 at No. 6 ? its peak ? when it was sold for 99 cents for a day. And Bruno Mars' "Doo-Wop & Hooligans" and Demi Lovato's "Unbroken" both jumped about 100 spots on the Billboard chart when they were on sale for 99 cents months after they were released.

Taylor Swift, one of the top sellers in music, had her second platinum-debut week with "Red" last year. Her partnerships for the album included Target, Walgreens and Papa John's (you could order a pizza and a Swift album at the same time).

"Even if you didn't purchase the CD, her face was still on the pizza box," Donio said.

And Prince released his "20Ten" album in 2010 via the Daily Mirror newspaper in United Kingdom.

Jay-Z's new partnership is one of his many business deals. His Roc Nation agency, which manages Rihanna, Shakira and other musicians, recently expanded into the sports world, and he now is helping the careers of New York Yankee Robinson Cano, New York Jets rookie Geno Smith and others. Jay-Z has launched fashion lines, has a string of 40/40 nightclubs, was also the president of Def Jam and owned part of 1 percent of the Brooklyn Nets.

He's still a consistent hit maker and a superstar who transcends music ? which is why Samsung likely partnered with him on his new album. Samsung has chipped away at Apple's share of the mobile market with its Galaxy phones, and companies are relying more on music to lure new customers (Apple last week announced it will debut iRadio, its streaming music service, in the fall).

One of the many questions about the Samsung deal still unanswered: Will the 1 million downloads count toward first-week sales of the album, giving it elite status of debuting with platinum sales, an accomplishment few artists have achieved? Billboard, which tracks album sales and chart information for the industry, did not return emails seeking comment. Samsung reportedly purchased the albums though it's unclear what the price-point was.

Jay-Z made it clear Monday what he felt the trade publication should do.

"If 1 Million records gets SOLD and billboard doesn't report it, did it happen? Ha," Jay-Z tweeted, adding: "Platinum!!!"

Donio said he thinks more deals like Samsung-Jay-Z are on the horizon.

"The record labels that are putting out the music and partnering with a variety of types of commerce outlets are going to look at just anything and everything that may work with that particular artist and that particular album release," he said.

____

Online:

http://www.magnacartaholygrail.com/

____

Follow Mesfin Fekadu on Twitter: twitter.com/MusicMesfin

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-06-18-Music-Jay-Z/id-b748a6b5a1cb4691908ee9cf26356412

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ToughWriter prototype brings color printing to the cockpit, we go hands-on

You might be surprised to hear that many current aircraft already have the ability to print documents at 30,000 feet. Long-haul airliners like the Boeing Dreamliner and Airbus A340 ship with a ToughWriter flight deck printer installed and ready to go, but the device has been limited to black and white output, which can be a bit restrictive when it comes to spitting out charts and weather information. Astro-Med, the company behind the cockpit printer currently churning out reports in thousands of commercial, business and military planes, has a spiffy new model on the way. We spotted an early prototype on display at the Paris Air Show this week, and while it's still a ways off from being cockpit-ready, the device works quite well, printing to ZINK paper at about 30 seconds per page, compared to 5 seconds for the monochrome version.

Unlike the printers we're accustomed to using on the ground, a ToughWriter must be installed before an aircraft is certified, so it's really something you need to factor in before the FAA signs off on your plane. In other words, don't expect to simply swap in this new color model once it hits the market. It's also an expensive acquisition -- it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect pricing in the $25,000 range, though that detail has yet to be announced. The version we saw in Paris is very much a work in progress -- it far exceeds the maximum size allowed, and it's heavier than the targeted 10 pounds, too. It does print quite nicely, though, and once engineers manage to squeeze the printer into a smaller housing, it'll likely include AirPrint so pilots can print from their iPads, and possibly Android wireless support, too. Astro-Med reps weren't able to tell us when the color ToughWriter will take to the skies, and considering the certification involved, it could be a few years out. Catch it in action in the gallery below.

Gallery: Astro-Med ToughWriter color cockpit printer hands-on

Filed under: Peripherals, Transportation

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/18/toughwriter-color-cockpit-printer/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Green Chemists Synthesise Vanillin From Sawdust

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Living Walls: How They Can Improve Your Home and Your Health

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A living wall, or a green wall, ?is a garden that grows vertically, as opposed to horizontally, which can exist inside or outside the home. Any well lit place inside your home, would make a suitable environment. Indoor herb gardens are growing in popularity and thrive well in sunny kitchens. Conversely any outside wall would do as well. Green, or living walls, are beneficial to us in so very many ways. Below I discuss, in simple terms, how these vertical gardens can protect your home and environment, save you energy, and benefit your health.

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How living walls can improve indoor air quality

Pollutants exist all around us, both outdoors and indoors. Toxic fumes infiltrate the air we breathe through our air systems and ductwork and can cause what we commonly call ?Sick Building Syndrome.? Green, or living walls, can significantly clear up the toxins. While all plants absorb pollutants, there are certain plants that do so with much more efficiency. While even one plant can remove toxins from your home or building, the more plants that are added, the more toxins are absorbed.

A green wall can contain as many as thousands of plants. These living walls can help to remove formaldehyde, VOCs, Carbon Monoxide and many other harmful pollutants. ? NASA (The National Aeronautic and Space Administration) has identified the 15 best plants for living walls. For the list, visit Ecologic Design Lab.

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?How green walls can protect your home or building

Outdoor living walls offer your building ?protection by acting as a climate control. The plantings prevent dramatic temperature fluctuations which then prevents the building from corrosion that results from expanding and contracting which occurs during extreme temperatures. These plants act as a natural insulation, keeping air inside the buildings cooler in the summer months and warmer during the winter months. The manner in which these vertical gardens are constructed allows the building to breathe, shields the walls from precipitation, wind, harmful UV rays and corrosive rain. ?Living walls and green roofs help to provide a natural environment for birds, butterflies and bees.

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How vertical gardens save energy

Simply put, the plants on the building?s exterior keep the building protected by the heat of the sun, therefore keeping the building itself cooler meaning less energy is utilized when cooling the building. Interior green walls also greatly help to reduce energy by helping to keep the interior cool. With each additional plant, energy consumption is reduced, therefore a room with hundreds of plants can see a temperature reduction of as much as 7 degrees celsius or 44 degrees fahrenheit. This is indeed significant! Conversely, during the cold winter months these green walls have the opposite effect and act as insulation from the bitter temperatures. The additional layer prevents heat from escaping thus dramatically lowering your gas or heating oil consumption.

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?The health benefits of living walls

Plants offer instant stress relief by softening the environment around us. They reduce noise and eliminate pollution. ?Gardens have an instant calming effect. In workplaces plants have been shown to increase productivity, in the home they increase tranquility. They ease stress and fatigue, and offer energy rich oxygen. Gardens are strategically placed in hospitals to for their calming benefits which can lead to a patient?s shortened stay. ?Try doubling the health benefits by building an edible living wall in your kitchen. Not only will these greens relax you and purify the air you breathe, but edible plants such as herbs and lettuces have their own health benefits.

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How to build your own living wall

First decide whether you would like your wall to be indoors or outdoors. It may be wise, when starting out, to start with an indoor wall which is both easier to build and to maintain. You may want to meet with a garden or vertical wall specialist to get advice based on your needs and lifestyle. A garden specialist will help you decide which plants would be best for you. Specific plants such as bamboo palm, azalea, chrysanthemums, spider plants and aloe vera, ivy and peace lilies are among many of those that are especially good at removing toxins. You?ll need to consider which wall to use and whether that wall receives much direct sunlight or not. You?ll also need to think about humidity levels and water availability.

There are several ways in which vertical gardens can be constructed. Before you do so you may want to consult with someone who is well versed in these types of gardens, or go to a designated site such as Clean Air Gardening. ?Generally speaking, these walls are vertical and comprised of shelves or plant containers that attach themselves directly onto the walls. Some containers may hang from ceilings and more complicated configurations may contain both vertical and horizontal structures. Most important is to ensure that each plant gets the proper amount of light needed and can easily be watered. Plants require air, and therefore the plants should be set up in such a way that air can freely flow around the plants themselves.

Source: http://freshome.com/2013/06/17/living-walls-how-they-can-improve-your-home-health/

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Pro-Obama group airing health ads

WASHINGTON (AP) ? An outside group supporting President Barack Obama's agenda plans to air a series of ads this summer promoting Obama's health care overhaul.

Organizing for Action intends to spend at least $1 million this summer on ads to draw attention to the implementation of the health care law, including its quality of care and coverage of uninsured Americans.

The move comes as the White House works to implement the law. People without access to health coverage through their jobs can start shopping for subsidized private insurance in new state markets beginning Oct. 1. Those benefits will kick in Jan. 1.

The organization's first ad touts benefits for consumers, including preventive care, average rebate checks of $150 last year and tax credits for small businesses to pay for part of their workers' coverage.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-06-17-Health%20Overhaul-Ads/id-bd5d505a36314d62af5b1adf2bbcadd9

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Obama: Northern Ireland peace will be tested

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (AP) ? President Barack Obama declared peace in Northern Ireland a "blueprint" for those living amid conflict around the world, while acknowledging that the calm between Catholics and Protestants will face further tests. Summoning young people to take responsibility for their country's future, Obama warned there is "more to lose now than there's ever been."

"The terms of peace may be negotiated by political leaders, but the fate of peace is up to each of us," Obama said Monday during remarks at Belfast's Waterfront Hall. The glass-fronted building would never have been built during the city's long era of car bombs.

Obama arrived in Northern Ireland Monday morning after an overnight flight from Washington. Following his speech to about 1,800 students and adults, he flew to a lakeside golf resort near Enniskillen, passing over a sweeping patchwork of tree-lined farms as he prepared to meet with other leaders of the Group of 8 industrial nations on Syria, trade and counterterrorism.

Obama and European Union leaders emerged from a group roundtable meeting to announce that they were opening negotiations next month in Washington toward a broad trade deal designed to slash tariffs, boost exports and fuel badly needed economic growth.

Obama said there will be sensitivities and politics to overcome by parties on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, but he's hopeful they can "stay focused on the big picture" of the economic and strategic importance of the agreement. "America and Europe have done extraordinary things together before and I believe we can forge an economic alliance as strong as our diplomatic and security alliances, which of course have been the most powerful in history," Obama told reporters.

One-on-one meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta all were on Obama's agenda for Monday. Cameron selected Enniskillen as the site of this year's meeting as a way to highlight Northern Ireland's ability to leave behind a four-decade conflict that claimed 3,700 lives.

Significant progress has been made in the 15 years since the U.S.-brokered Good Friday Accords, including a Catholic-Protestant government and the disarmament of the IRA and outlawed Protestant groups responsible for most of the 3,700 death toll. But tearing down Belfast's nearly 100 "peace lines" ? barricades of brick, steel and barbed wire that divide neighborhoods, roads and even one Belfast playground ? is still seen by many as too dangerous. Obama cited that playground in his speech, lauding an activist whose work led to the opening of a pedestrian gate in the fence.

Acknowledging the reality of a sometimes-fragile peace, Obama recalled the Omagh bombings that killed 29 people and injured hundreds more. It was the deadliest attack of the entire conflict and occurred after the Good Friday deal.

Peace will be tested again, Obama said in Belfast.

"Whenever your peace is attacked, you will have to choose whether to respond with the same bravery that you've summoned so far or whether you succumb to the worst instincts, those impulses that kept this great land divided for too long. You'll have to choose whether to keep going forward, not backward," he said.

Last month, the Catholic and Protestant leaders of Northern Ireland's unity government announced a bold but detail-free plan to dismantle all peace lines by 2023. British Prime Minister David Cameron formally backed the goal Friday, and Obama followed with his own endorsement Monday.

The president specifically endorsed an end to segregated housing and schools, calling it an essential element of lasting peace.

"If towns remain divided ? if Catholics have their schools and buildings, and Protestants have theirs, if we can't see ourselves in one another, if fear or resentment are allowed to harden ? that too encourages division. It discourages cooperation," Obama said.

One symbol of that effort to end the segregation was on display as Obama spoke to an audience that brought together students from both faiths, effectively integrating Northern Ireland's schoolchildren if just for a morning. Later, in Enniskillen, Obama and Cameron rolled up their sleeves at one of Northern Ireland's first integrated schools, talking hunger and poverty with children who were studying the G-8.

Drawing on America's own imperfect battle with segregation, Obama recalled how a century after the U.S. Civil War, the nation he leads is still not fully united. His own parents ? a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya ? would not have been able to marry in some states, Obama said, and he would have had a hard time casting a ballot, let alone running for office.

"But over time, laws changed, and hearts and minds changed, sometimes driven by courageous lawmakers, but more often driven by committed citizens," he said.

Though Obama did not specifically mention Syria, his remarks on Northern Ireland recalled the fierce conflict there that has so far resulted in 93,000 deaths. For those looking for a way out of conflict, Obama said Northern Ireland is "proof of what is possible."

Obama and other G-8 leaders were expected to discuss Syria Monday night over a working dinner. Obama will be looking to Britain and France to join him in sending weapons to the Syrian opposition.

Casting a shadow over the summit are new revelations by the Guardian newspaper that the British eavesdropping agency GCHQ repeatedly hacked into foreign diplomats' phones and emails when the U.K. hosted international conferences, including a 2009 Group of 20 summit in London. The report follows recent disclosures about the U.S. government's own surveillance programs and could lead to awkward conversation as the leaders open another international gathering that Britain is hosting.

Despite an agenda devoted to trade, economic growth and international tax issues, the G-8 will be eclipsed by discussions over how to address the two-year-old civil war in Syria and the decision by the United States to begin supplying rebels with military aid.

Obama's meeting with Russia's Putin later Monday will highlight the rift between their countries in addressing fierce fighting in Syria. While Putin has called for negotiated peace talks, he has not called for Syrian President Bashar Assad to leave power, and he remains one of Assad's strongest political and military allies.

In a likely preview of his discussions with Obama, Putin defended Russia's continuing supply of weapons to Assad's military Sunday and said Russia was providing arms "to the legitimate government of Syria in full conformity with the norms of international law."

The White House is not expecting any breakthrough with Putin on Syria during Putin's meeting with Obama.

Obama is making his first visit to Northern Ireland, though he visited the neighboring Republic of Ireland in 2011. That trip included a public speech in the center of Dublin, as well as a stop in the village of Moneygall, where Obama's great-great-great grandfather was born. The president called that visit "magical."

First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha, who also made the trip from Washington, were to spend Monday and Tuesday in Dublin while the president attended the G-8 summit. Later Tuesday, the first family departs for Germany, where the president will meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel and speak at the Brandenburg Gate.

___

Associated Press writers Julie Pace in Sligo, Ireland, and Shawn Pogatchnik in Enniskillen contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-northern-ireland-peace-tested-090605238.html

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G20 summits: GCHQ intercepted foreign politicians' communications

London Guardian
June 17, 2013

Foreign politicians and officials who took part in two?G20 summit meetings in London in 2009 had their computers monitored and their phone calls intercepted on the instructions of their British government hosts, according to documents seen by the Guardian. Some delegates were tricked into using internet cafes which had been set up by British intelligence agencies to read their email traffic.

The revelation comes as Britain prepares to host another summit on Monday ? for the G8 nations, all of whom attended the 2009 meetings which were the object of the systematic spying. It is likely to lead to some tension among visiting delegates who will want the prime minister to explain whether they were targets in 2009 and whether the exercise is to be repeated this week.

The disclosure raises new questions about the boundaries of?surveillance by?GCHQ and its American sister organisation, the National Security Agency, whose access to phone records and internet data has been defended as necessary in the fight against terrorism and serious crime. The G20 spying appears to have been organised for the more mundane purpose of securing an advantage in meetings. Named targets include long-standing allies such as South Africa and Turkey.

Full article here

GCHQ: Fake Internet Cafes
Officials: NSA ?mistakenly? intercepted emails, phone calls of innocent Americans
GCHQ: Mastering the Media
G20 summit: NSA targeted Russian president Medvedev in London
Flashback: NSA intercepted and mocked soldiers? phone calls as far back as 2008

This article was posted: Monday, June 17, 2013 at 4:52 am

Source: http://www.prisonplanet.com/g20-summits-gchq-intercepted-foreign-politicians-communications.html

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U.S. Shouldn't Be Too Thrilled with Iran's Election of Hassan Rouhani

COMMENTARY | The West just misunderstands Friday's presidential elections in Iran. The government of Iran cannot be compared to any form of government we have ever considered. In February, the Obama administration broached the possibility of direct talks with outgoing President Mahmood Ahmadinejad. In the context of these talks, Ahmadinejad was compared to Barack Obama. Ahmadinejad was quoted as offering to negotiate "himself," if Iranian demands were met first.

The relative positions of the two presidents bear no relation to each other. In the United States, the elected representatives direct policy while the bureaucrats implement them. In Iran, the theocrats direct policy while the elected officials implement them. The equivalent of Ahmadinejad would be an undersecretary at the State Department, if that.

Iran is ruled by a Supreme Ruler. There is no such concept in the U.S. government. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has supreme authority over every aspect of government. The president's administration is only one of the many bodies that allow the Supreme Ruler to govern. The Guardian Council is the true legislature, if a country whose laws are derived from theological principles can even be said to have a legislature. All the candidates in this election were selected by the Guardian Council that vetted Ahmadinejad. The Guardian Council will oversee Rouhani's administration just as it did Ahmadinejad's administration.

In this election, the Guardian Council vetoed the candidacy of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani for being too liberal. Rafsanjani is one of the most prominent architects of the Islamic Revolution and holds key positions of power even now. He is one of the closest living colleagues of the late Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini and a candidate for Supreme Leader himself.

This should give pause to anyone who would like to see real reform come from the approved candidates.

Hassan Rouhani is no maverick nor is he a moderate. Rouhani may not be an Ayatollah, but he is a Mujtahed, one of the highest ranking Muslim clerics. The position is dedicated to advancing Islam through intellectual jihad. Is someone who has risen through the ranks of Iran's clergy to such a lofty position going to be the agent of radical reform? Not likely, even if his administration was not supervised by the Supreme Ruler and Guardian Council.

Nor does Rouhani's record establish him as any sort of hope in the nuclear standoff at the heart of international concern. He may be more superficially diplomatic than Ahmadinejad. He has served as the top negotiator with European countries on nuclear issue. Yet, it is difficult to assert that his election will contribute to new offers to reduce the military threat Iran poses -- especially when you consider that his political party is the Combatant Clergy Association.

Tio Akop is a political asylee from Iran living in Los Angeles. He graduated with a Juris Doctorate and Masters of Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-shouldnt-too-thrilled-irans-election-hassan-rouhani-205900863.html

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Monday, June 17, 2013

CA-NEWS Summary

Turkish riot police quell protests ahead of Erdogan rally

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Riot police used teargas in Istanbul and Ankara on Sunday to try to prevent anti-government demonstrators from regrouping ahead of a rally by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party. Bulldozers removed barricades and municipal workers swept the streets around Istanbul's Taksim Square, sealed off by police after thousands took to the streets overnight following a raid by riot police firing teargas and water cannon to evict demonstrators from the adjoining Gezi Park.

Iranians count on president-elect Rohani to bring change

DUBAI (Reuters) - Thousands of Iranians celebrated on the streets into Sunday's early hours, counting on moderate president-elect Hassan Rohani to follow through on promises of better relations abroad and more freedom at home after routing hardliners at the polls. A mid-ranking Shi'ite cleric, Rohani is an Islamic Republic insider who has held senior political and military posts since the 1979 revolution and maintained a good rapport throughout with theocratic Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's most powerful man who has the last word on all the big issues.

North Korea wants to hold high-level talks with U.S.

SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea on Sunday offered high-level talks with the United States to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, but the White House said that any talks must involve Pyongyang taking action to show it is moving toward scrapping its nuclear weapons. The offer came only days after North Korea abruptly canceled planned official talks with South Korea, the first planned talks in more two years. The North blamed the South for scuttling discussions that sought to mend estranged ties between the rival Koreas.

Mandela getting better but remains 'serious'

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela continues to recover in hospital from a lung infection but remains in a serious condition, South African President Jacob Zuma said on Sunday. Mandela has been in a Pretoria hospital for a week, the fourth time the 94-year-old former president and anti-Apartheid leader has been admitted to hospital since December.

EU lawmaker to Canada asylum seeker: A Roma's long trek

TORONTO (Reuters) - Less than four years ago, Viktoria Moh?csi enjoyed the life of an international politician, eating at pricey restaurants in Brussels and winning awards as a human rights activist. Today, the 38-year old mother of three sleeps on the floor of a one-room basement apartment in Toronto and faces deportation. As a political asylum seeker, she hopes to convince Canada that the life of a former member of the European Parliament could be in danger in a democratic country like Hungary.

Zimbabwe's Mugabe says rivals scared of 'sure' defeat

HARARE (Reuters) - President Robert Mugabe accused political rivals of seeking to delay elections in Zimbabwe because they fear defeat, after regional leaders urged his ruling coalition to ask the courts to extend a July 31 deadline for holding the vote. His rivals said reforms to restrictive media and security laws were essential for any fair election to be held and that it was Mugabe's party that was not ready to go the polls.

Greek PM dismisses talk of early election

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Sunday dismissed talk of an early election over the abrupt closure of the state broadcaster, which brought protests from viewers, workers, the opposition and his coalition partners. Samaras defended his decision to close ERT and relaunch what he said would be a smaller, more efficient version as a way for Greece to show it was serious about implementing reforms and saving money under the terms of its international bailout.

U.S. spy agency paper says fewer than 300 phone numbers closely scrutinized

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government only searched for detailed information on calls involving fewer than 300 specific phone numbers among the millions of raw phone records collected by the National Security Agency in 2012, according to a government paper obtained by Reuters on Saturday. The unclassified paper was circulated Saturday within the government by U.S. intelligence agencies and apparently is an attempt by spy agencies and the Obama administration to rebut accusations that it overreached in investigating potential militant plots.

France condemns attack on Chinese wine students

PARIS (Reuters) - France's interior minister has condemned as racist an assault on six Chinese students by drunken locals in the Bordeaux wine-producing region that left one seriously injured. The attack comes amid reports that wealthy Chinese tourists are being increasingly targeted by muggers in Paris. It will do little to ease tensions between France and China, locked in a trade dispute ranging from solar panels to wine.

Kuwait court orders dissolution of parliament, new elections

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait's top court ordered the dissolution of parliament on Sunday and called for fresh elections, a ruling likely to herald fresh political volatility in the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state. The Constitutional Court made its ruling after throwing out opposition challenges to changes to the electoral system decreed by the emir, hereditary ruler of the oil-exporting country, head judge Youssef al-Mutawa told reporters.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-005203222.html

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Apple details government requests for data

NEW YORK (AP) ? Apple says it received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement for customer data for the six months ended in May.

The company, like some other businesses, had asked the U.S government to be able to share how many requests it received related to national security and how it handled them. Those requests were made as part of Prism, the recently revealed highly classified National Security Agency program that seizes records from Internet companies.

Prism appears to do what its name suggests. Like a triangular piece of glass, Prism takes large beams of data and helps the government find discrete, manageable strands of information.

Prism was revealed this month by The Washington Post and Guardian newspapers, and has touched off the latest round in a decade-long debate over what limits to impose on government eavesdropping, which the Obama administration says is essential to keep the nation safe.

Apple Inc. said that between 9,000 and 10,000 accounts or devices were specified in data requests between Dec. 1, 2012, and May 31 from federal, state and local authorities and included both criminal investigations and national security matters.

It said that the most common form of request came from police investigating robberies and other crimes, searching for missing children, trying to locate a patient with Alzheimer's disease, or hoping to prevent a suicide.

The company also made clear how much access the government has.

"We do not provide any government agency with direct access to our servers, and any government agency requesting customer content must get a court order," Apple said in a statement on its website.

Apple explained that its legal team evaluates each request and that it delivers "the narrowest possible set of information to the authorities" when deemed appropriate. The company said that it has refused some requests in the past.

Facebook Inc. has said that it received between 9,000 and 10,000 requests for data from all government agencies in the second half of last year. The social media company said fewer than 19,000 users were targeted.

Apple's stock rose $3.36 to $433.41 in premarket trading on Monday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-06-17-Apple-Privacy/id-3d25c7e470fd4ca4b14c8fa609b6ad8b

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Court: Ariz. citizenship proof law illegal

WASHINGTON (AP) ? States can't demand proof of citizenship from people registering to vote in federal elections unless they get federal or court approval to do so, the Supreme Court ruled Monday in a decision complicating efforts in Arizona and other states to bar voting by people who are in the country illegally.

The justices' 7-2 ruling closes the door on states independently changing the requirements for those using the voter-registration form produced under the federal "motor voter" registration law. They would need permission from a federally created panel, the Election Assistance Commission, or a federal court ruling overturning the commission's decision, to make tougher requirements stick.

Justice Antonin Scalia, who wrote the court's majority opinion, said federal law "precludes Arizona from requiring a federal form applicant to submit information beyond that required by the form itself."

Voting rights advocates welcomed the ruling.

"Today's decision sends a strong message that states cannot block their citizens from registering to vote by superimposing burdensome paperwork requirements on top of federal law," said Nina Perales, vice president of litigation for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. "The Supreme Court has affirmed that all U.S. citizens have the right to register to vote using the national postcard, regardless of the state in which they live."

Under Proposition 200 approved in 2004, Arizona officials required an Arizona driver's license issued after 1996, a U.S. birth certificate, a passport or other similar document before the state would approve the federal registration application. It can no longer do that on its own authority.

Less than 5 percent of people registering to vote in Arizona use the federal form, said Matt Roberts, a spokesman for Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett. The rest register through the state, meaning they will continue to be asked to provide proof of citizenship when signing up to vote.

But because of the court ruling, people can merely choose the less onerous federal form, which asks people to swear if they are citizens or not, but does not demand proof.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, who argued the case before the Supreme Court, expects the state will ask the Election Assistance Commission to approve the citizenship proof on the federal form and to fight any denial in court ? the process laid out in Monday's ruling.

"The U.S. Supreme Court has given us a clear path to victory for the people of Arizona, who overwhelmingly approved the state constitutional amendment that was the subject of the legal challenge," Horne said. "Since the U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that this pathway exists, Arizona should use it. The sanctity of the ballot box is a cherished right for all Americans and it must be protected."

Federal officials deadlocked on Arizona's request in 2005, and the state did not appeal.

In other actions Monday, the court:

?Ruled that agreements between the makers of name-brand and generic drugs to delay the generics' availability can be illegal and challenged in court.

?Ruled that prosecutors in some instances may use a suspect's silence at an early stage of a criminal investigation against him or her, before the suspect has been arrested or informed of constitutional rights.

?Agreed to decide in its next term a new dispute involving race; specifically, whether federal housing law requires proof of intentional discrimination.

The Arizona case is the first of two major voting decisions to be made by the court this month. Justices have yet to say whether a section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a law that has helped millions of minorities exercise their right to vote, especially in areas of the Deep South, was still needed, despite several justices voicing deep skepticism during arguments in February.

Arizona has tangled frequently with the federal government over immigration issues involving the Mexican border, health care and more. But the decision on voter registration has broader implications because other states have similar requirements, such as Alabama, Georgia, Kansas and Tennessee, and still others are contemplating such legislation.

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp called the decision disappointing but said he would continue working with state officials to "provide a safe, secure and legal system for voter registration."

Tom Caso, a professor at Chapman University School of Law in California and supporter of the Arizona law, said the decision "opened the door" to noncitizen voting.

"The court's decision ignores the clear dictates of the Constitution in favor of bureaucratic red tape," Caso said. "The notion that the court will not enforce the Constitution unless you first apply to a commission that cannot act because it has no members is mind-boggling."

Currently, the Election Assistance Commission has no active commissioners. The four commissioners are supposed to be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The last two left in 2011, according to the panel's website.

Kathy McKee, who led the push to get Proposition 200 on the ballot in Arizona, said the ruling makes it harder to combat voter fraud, including fraud carried out by people who don't have permission to be in the country. "To even suggest that the honor system works, really?" McKee said. "You have to prove who you are just to use your charge card now."

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito were the only two dissenters. Alito said the decision means that Arizona now has two voter registration systems, and that the success of an applicant could come simply by the system he or she chooses. "I find it very hard to believe that this is what Congress had in mind," he said.

Opponents of Arizona's law saw it as an attack on vulnerable voter groups such as minorities, immigrants and the elderly. They say they've counted more than 31,000 potentially legal voters in Arizona who easily could have registered before Proposition 200 but were blocked by the state law in the 20 months after it passed. They say about 20 percent of those thwarted were Latino.

Arizona officials say they should be able to pass laws to stop noncitizens from getting on their voting rolls. The Arizona voting law was part of a package that also denied some government benefits to people in the country illegally and required Arizonans to show identification before voting.

Arizona can ask the federal government to include the extra documents as a state-specific requirement, Scalia said, and challenge any adverse decision by the government in court. Louisiana's request already has been granted, Scalia said.

The ruling upholds one by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said the 1993 National Voter Registration Act of 1993 trumps Arizona's Proposition 200.

The case is 12-71, Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc.

___

Associated Press writer Jacques Billeaud contributed to this story from Phoenix.

___

Follow Jesse J. Holland on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jessejholland

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/court-ariz-citizenship-proof-law-illegal-143112344.html

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Making electric vehicles smaller and more comfortable

June 17, 2013 ? The vehicle looks like an electric scooter and zooms by almost without a sound. Its driver masters tight corners first and then safely brakes to a halt. He doesn't need to put his feet on the ground because the two rear wheels provide plenty of stability. Daniel Borrmann is satisfied with the first test drive of the Electromobile City Scooter. The new three-wheeled electric vehicle from the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO in Stuttgart is designed to open up new possibilities for the urban transportation of tomorrow.

"Although electric scooters offer many advantages, a lot of motorists either cannot or do not want to make the switch for trips into town. They simply lack the experience of traveling on two wheels," says Borrmann. This is exactly where the Electromobile City Scooter comes in.

Thanks to the additional wheel on the rear axle combined with a special chassis, the electric vehicle manages to be both stable and nimble. To enable it to lean into curves despite having two rear wheels, the IAO researchers suspended the rear wheels separately and supported them in the frame by means of air springs. In fact, the model is scarcely any wider than a regular two-wheeled scooter. Following initial drafts, the scientists worked out detailed specifications, which the engineering firm GreenIng subsequently implemented on a conventional two-wheeled electric scooter. "We demonstrated that our idea works on a real scooter. In the next step, we want to make the vehicle even more comfortable. For example, by means of systems for riding helmet-free, for protecting riders from the elements, and for luggage storage," says Borrmann, summarizing his team's objectives, before getting back on the scooter and zipping off into a new round of tests to the sound of the engine's gentle hum.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/electricity/~3/Ttg6EEwq0kU/130617092441.htm

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