Real Estate Weekly - 6/21/13 | Maryland Daily Record

New community rec center opens in Ellicott City

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and other local officials officially opened the state-of-the-art Roger Carter Community Center on June 15, which was the 17-year anniversary of the original recreation center that the new community center replaces. The $15 million facility serves the new Burgess Mill community and all of Ellicott City. Its 46,000 square feet houses swimming and diving pools with a rain-sensing, retractable roof, basketball and volleyball courts, classroom and community rooms, fitness and exercise rooms with cardio and Precor strength training equipment, a 28-foot climbing wall and much more.

Six-year-old IT company moves into new office space in Hanover

Anne Arundel County Executive Laura Neuman and other county leaders and business owners on Monday welcomed Enlighten IT Consulting to its new headquarters in Hanover. Enlighten IT Consulting provides Department of Defense organizations, federal, state and local institutions, and commercial companies with specialized Cloud/Cyber IT services, including software development, integration and engineering for new and pre-existing technology. The company started in 2007 and has grown and been profitable each year of operations, and has already doubled its size in 2013. The company now has 23 employees and, after years of being a home-based business, has moved into their first executive office space, in the Secure Offices LLC space in Hanover.

Cassidy Turley picked to lease Route 100 Distribution Center

Cassidy Turley, a full-service commercial real estate services provider in the U.S., announced that San Francisco-based Terreno Realty Corp. has selected Cassidy Turley as exclusive leasing agent and property manager for Terreno?s newly acquired Route 100 Distribution Center. The center is located at 6660 Santa Barbara Road and 6675 Amberton Drive in Elkridge, and is comprised of two industrial distribution buildings totaling 348,610 square feet. Jarred Testa and Tilghman Herring, of Cassidy Turley?s Baltimore Core Industrial Leasing Team, will act as leasing agents. Said Testa, senior vice president/principal at Cassidy Turley, ?We?re thrilled to work with Terreno on this assignment, and look forward to creating value for our client through the successful lease up of this 37 percent vacant project.?

C&W picked to market and sell Multi-Properties? multifamily portfolio

Cushman & Wakefield Inc. announced that it has been retained as the exclusive sales agent for a five-property multifamily portfolio totaling almost 700 garden and townhouse units, currently owned and operated by Multi-Properties Inc. Dispersed throughout the Baltimore metro region, the portfolio is comprised of Beacon Pointe (201 units) in the Edgemere section of southeast Baltimore County, Edgewood Park (132 units) in Harford County, along with Fox Crossing (117 units), Hillsdale Manor (180 units) and Forest Glen Rental Townhomes (64 units), a grouping located in various parts of Baltimore city. Purchase offers for the portfolio will be considered on a comprehensive, mini-portfolio of individual basis. Cushman & Wakefield?s Multifamily Advisory Group of Jorge Rosa, Jeffrey Pacy and Anthony ?TJ? Liberto will market the property for sale on behalf of the seller.

Dundalk shopping center changes hands

Continental Realty Corp., a Baltimore-based commercial real estate development and management company, said it has acquired Merritt Manor, a 91,000-square-foot neighborhood shopping center in Dundalk. The shopping center is presently 83 percent leased and is anchored by Gold?s Gym, a national fitness center franchise. CRC paid $8.6 million, or approximately $94 per square foot, for the property, acquired from Koninklijke Ahold N.V., a Netherlands-based international supermarket owner. H&R Retail represented the seller in the transaction. CRC officials said the price they paid was well-below replacement cost, and they are confident they can attract new retailers to fill the available vacancies.

Raffle of Middletown home postponed

Slow ticket sales have forced a group in Middletown to postpone a raffle drawing for a four-bedroom home valued at $475,000. The Frederick News-Post reported Friday that the Middletown High School Sports Club has sold just over 3,000 tickets at $100 each. The group said it had to sell at least 6,000 to hold a drawing that had been scheduled for Thursday. Club Vice President Keith Powell said the drawing will now be held in September. He said this is a one-time extension. Proceeds from the raffle were to be used to help fund the renovation of the school?s football field and athletic facilities.

Marriott Hotels revises image, brand

Marriott Hotels, the signature brand of Bethesda-based Marriott International Inc., the largest publicly traded hotel chain in the U.S. announced the launch of a new, multiyear global marketing campaign. The campaign, called ?Travel Brilliantly,? includes TV, digital and mobile advertising, a new brand look and logo, and enhanced social media platforms. In addition, Marriott is launching a new website ? www.travelbrilliantly.com ? revealing innovations under development, as well as a co-creation platform to solicit user-generated ideas. Grey NY, an advertising and communications agency headquartered in New York City, developed the integrated campaign and the new brand voice. Marriott hotels has more than 500 hotels and resorts in nearly 60 countries around the world.

2 Tower Cos. buildings rated by BOMA

The Tower Cos., a Rockville-based real estate development company, announced that two of its office buildings in Washington, 1909 K St., known as the Millennium Building, and 1828 L St., have been designated as BOMA 360 Performance Buildings. This puts them in an elite group of properties that have demonstrated they are managed to the highest standards of excellence of the Building Owners and Managers Association, a national trade group representing building owners, managers, developers and leasing personnel. Both buildings are among the first green buildings in the Washington area, according to Tower Cos. partner Jeffrey S. Abramson.

SNAE to hold ribbon-cutting at new HQ

Station North Arts & Entertainment Inc. will hold a ribbon-cutting Wednesday at its new headquarters at 1 North Ave. The headquarters occupies a renovated former fried chicken restaurant at North Avenue and Charles Street. Dubbed the Station North Chicken Box, it includes gallery space and a flexible theater. Ziger/Snead Architects, of Baltimore, designed the renovation, which was carried out by C&H Construction. The latter firm is located within the district and made up of individual artists, eight of whose artwork will be exhibited in the gallery space. SNAE, a nonprofit organization, promotes and supports artists and cultural organizations in the arts and entertainment district.

NW Hospital opens eye institute office

The LifeBridge Health Krieger Eye Institute has opened a new office and optical shop at Northwest Hospital in Randallstown. The full-service office offers patients a complete range of ophthalmic subspecialties, as well as general eye care and vision screenings. The location complements the other Krieger Eye Institute offices at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and the Quarry Lake development in Pikesville. The office is staffed by several ophthalmic subspecialists, an optometrist and certified ophthalmic assistants and technicians. The onsite optical shop provides a complete range of eyeglass frames and lens selections for every age, including young children.

Open house set at Owings Mills building

The Baltimore County Public Library and the Community College of Baltimore County are hosting an open house on Saturday to introduce the public to their facilities at the County Campus Metro Centre at Owings Mills. The library and the CCBC branch share space in the new, six-story, 120,000-square-foot building at 10300 Grand Central Ave. There will be public tours of the facilities and mini-presentations and demonstrations throughout the day, plus entertainment for children, and food and drink for sale. The library branch ? the largest in the county public library system ? opened its doors to the public in March; CCBC will begin holding classes at the new branch on July 8.

Accenture to take over Marriott unit

Marriott International Inc., of Bethesda, the largest publicly traded hotel chain in the U.S., announced it will transfer its Louisville, Tenn.-based Marriott Business Services finance and accounting unit to New York-based Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Accenture will provide F&A services to Marriott and its franchisees, starting in August, with full completion envisioned by early September. In conjunction with the transition, Accenture will create a new business service, Accenture Hospitality Services, built in part around the operations and capabilities coming from Marriott?s MBS unit. Accenture Hospitality Services will provide management consulting, technology and business process outsourcing services to companies in the hospitality industry. Financial details of the arrangement were not disclosed.

Silver Spring to get affordable housing

Construction has begun on The Residences at Thayer Avenue, an $18 million affordable housing development in downtown Silver Spring. Eighty percent of the development?s 52 units will be rented to households earning 60 percent or less of Montgomery County?s median household income, or around $57,000 a year. Landex Development LLC, of Linthicum, is the developer. According to Landex, funding for the complicated project came from 10 different sources, including revenue bonds, the Rental Housing Works initiative, the Rental Housing Production program, low income housing tax credits and private equity. Construction is expected to take about 13 months.

REIT completes industrial buildings? sale

First Potomac Realty Trust, a Bethesda-based real estate investment trust, said it completed the previously announced sale of 24 industrial properties, comprising approximately 4.3 million square feet, for a total of $259 million. Twenty-three buildings containing approximately 4 million square feet ? 16 in southern Virginia, seven in the Baltimore-Washington corridor ? were acquired by an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII for $241.5 million. The 24th property, a 236,000-square-foot industrial building in Haymarket, Va., was sold to Columbia-based Corporate Office Properties Trust for $17.5 million. First Potomac had announced the sale of the properties in May.

LEASES

Cushman & Wakefield of Maryland Inc. announced it has leased 38,433 square feet of industrial space at 4517 North Point Blvd. in Edgemere to the Nelson Co., a manufacturer and distributor of industrial packaging products. Founded in 1921, Nelson supplied wood packaging to the Bethlehem Steel Co. tin mill in Baltimore. Today, it is the oldest active supplier to the tin mill industry and provides full-service transport packaging management including manufacturing, warehousing and recycling. C&W?s David Baird represented the landlord, F2 LLC. Chris Wright, also of C&W, represented the tenant. Currently, 28,500 square feet is available for lease at 4517 North Point Blvd. The industrial manufacturing facility features up to a 34-foot ceiling height and a fenced 24-acre lot. It is located in the Baltimore County East Industrial Submarket.

Cassidy Turley announced three leases, totaling 79,362 square feet of industrial space, at Candlewood Commerce Center, a three-building complex at 7462-7468 Candlewood Road in Hanover. Those signing leases were Atlantic Emergency Solutions, which leased 27,788 square feet at 7462 Candlewood Road; National Parcel Logistics, which agreed to lease 46,583 square feet at 7466 Candlewood Road; and Tower Resource Management, which signed for 4,991 square feet at 7468 Candlewood Road. The buildings total 357,706 square feet and are owned by TIAA-CREF, a financial services company. Atlantic Emergency Solutions was represented by Michael Elardo and Michael Kimmel of Cushman & Wakefield. National Parcel Logistics was represented by Tommy Hughes of Hughes Commercial Real Estate. Tower Resource Management was represented by Dave Sciamarelli of MacKenzie. Jarred Testa and Tilghman Herring of Cassidy Turley?s Core Industrial Leasing Team represented the landlord.

H&R Retail Inc., a Baltimore-Washington region retail brokerage company, announced it negotiated four retail lease transactions recently:

* ASAP Cleaners leased 1,967 square feet of space for a dry cleaning establishment at 670 Old Mill Road in Millersville. Brian Mitchell of H&R Retail represented the landlord in the transaction.

* Aaron?s Inc. leased 8,386 square feet for a new furniture store at 4578 Edmondson Road in Baltimore. Brian Mitchell of H&R Retail represented the landlord.

* ATI Physical Therapy leased 1,955 square feet for a doctor?s office at 8511 Liberty Road in Randallstown. Brad Buslik of H&R Retail represented the tenant in the lease transaction.

* Jersey Mike?s leased 1,790 square feet for a restaurant at Rhode Island Avenue NE in Washington. Brad Buslik of H&R Retail represented the landlord in this transaction.

SALES

1820 Portal Street

Cassidy Turley announced the sale to Belt Logistics Services of a 171,000-square-foot warehouse at 1820 Portal Street in the Holabird Business Park, near the Port of Baltimore. The building was formerly occupied by a printing company, Cenveo, which vacated it in July 2011. Belt Logistics Services purchased the property from its owner, Chicago-based First Industrial Realty Trust, for $7,181,000, and will occupy the building, The Cassidy Turley team of Jonathan M. Carpenter, James S. Wellschlager, Craig S. Lewis, J. Richard Latini and Jarred M. Testa represented First Industrial Realty Trust.

4001 North Point Blvd.

St. John Properties Inc., in partnership with N.P. Investment LLC, sold an 11-acre parcel of land at 4001 North Point Boulevard in the Dundalk section of Baltimore County to K. Hovnanian Homes for $2 million. The national homebuilder intends to develop The Townes at North Point, a 108-unit upscale townhome community on the former North Point drive-in theater site that most recently functioned as an outdoor flea market. St. John Properties and N.P. Investment will retain two pad sites, and plan to construct a 10,000-square-foot retail building on one of these parcels. Burger King currently operates a fast food restaurant and drive-thru at the location. K. Hovnanian Homes, a national home builder based in Red Bank, N.J., plans to break ground on its new townhome development later this year.

Source: http://thedailyrecord.com/2013/06/21/real-estate-weekly-62113/

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UFO: Britain releases documents explaining closure of military UFO desk

UFO Britain:?The National Archives has been releasing declassified Ministry of Defense files on?UFOs in the UK?for the past five years.?

By Cassandra Vinograd,?Associated Press / June 21, 2013

Stonehenge, seen here during a meteor shower, is the site of reported UFO sightings, as revealed in newly declassified files from Britain's Ministry of Defense.

Kieran Doherty/Reuters/File

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Newly declassified files from?Britain's?Ministry of Defense shed further light on why the military shut down its?UFO?desk nearly three years ago: despite a surge in reported sightings, the expensive operation just had no defense benefit.

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The National Archives has been releasing declassified Ministry of Defense files on?UFOs?for the past five years. The 10th and final tranche released Friday covers the work carried out during the final two years of the Ministry of Defense's?UFO?desk, from late 2007 to November 2009.

The 25 files detail reports of alien abductions, sightings, offers to develop weapons to shoot?UFOs?out of the sky ? and the reason for the?UFO?desk's shutdown.

Among the documents ? spread out over 4,400 pages ? was a memo to then-Defense Minister Bob Ainsworth in November 2009, saying that the?UFO?operation was "consuming increasing resource, but produces no valuable defense output."

In more than 50 years, no?UFO?sighting report "has ever revealed anything to suggest an extraterrestrial presence or military threat to the U.K.," the memo said.

The records show that 2009 saw 600?UFO?sightings and reports ? triple the number of the previous year and the largest ever number of?UFO?sighting reports since 1978, the year "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" was released in cinemas.

Whatever the reason behind the surge ? some files suggest the popularity of releasing Chinese lanterns at weddings was behind it ? the decision was taken to close the desk.

"The level of resources diverted to this task is increasing in response to a recent upsurge in reported sightings, diverting staff from more valuable defense-related activities," the documents said, with one saying the desk "merely encourages the generation of correspondence."

A great deal of that correspondence is contained in the latest release of the declassified files ? with a wide variety of examples of sighting reports and the?UFO?desk's always polite and often entertaining responses.

One child wrote in, with a drawing of an alien waving from a?UFO?? to ask if there were living things outside of Earth got a nice letter ? and bag of Royal Air Force goodies ? from the Ministry of Defense.

"It's an interesting question and we remain totally open-minded about it, but we don't know of any evidence to prove life exists in outer space," the?UFO?desk replied in 2009. "We do look at reports of 'unidentified flying objects' but only to see if the country's airspace might have been affected but we haven't had any evidence of this so far."

The files also contained letters sent to officials ranging from former Prime Minister Gordon Brown to Queen Elizabeth II voicing concerns that the government was ignoring the threat of unidentified flying objects and even offering technological guidance on how to shoot down?UFOs.

Among the sightings were reports of?UFOs?seen hovering opposite the Houses of Parliament and near Stonehenge. The files show the desk also took hotline calls about alleged contact with aliens ? from a man who claimed in 2008 that he had been "living with an alien for some time" to another saying a?UFO?had stolen his dog, car and tent while was camping in 2007.

The desk sent the man a response, explaining that the defense ministry does not investigate each sighting unless there is evidence of a potential threat to the U.K. from an external source. But the message, sent in January 2008, added: "you informed us that your dog and possessions were abducted. Abduction, kidnap and theft are criminal offences and therefore would be a matter for the civilian police."

When the?UFO?desk did check into a reported sighting, explanations varied.

In response to one email sent in August 2009, an unidentified Ministry of Defense staffer suggested that "everyone who has seen" attached photos of a reported sighting thinks that two look like stunt kites, and "the third looks like a seagull head on.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/hZTMHqmTVwk/UFO-Britain-releases-documents-explaining-closure-of-military-UFO-desk

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3D Printing Arbitrage Is The New Hotness

As the 3D printing space heats up and home printers gain ground, there's a new breed of start-up that aims to grab the transactional costs associated with connecting printers and people. The first one I saw (and used), MakeXYZ.com, launched last February. Now the space is about to be inundated with competitors.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/o6p2HY-GP9U/

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Sony May Take Another Stab At A Smartwatch And Show It Off Next Week

Neither of Sony's two previous smartwatches were runaway hits, but that doesn't seem to have stopped the Japanese electronics giant from taking another crack at the concept. A slew of tweets hash-tagged #itstime started appearing on the official SonyXperia account the other day, and they hinted heavily that the company is preparing to show off yet another smartwatch at the Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai next week.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/UTKZXGOBpV4/

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Western and Arab allies try to coordinate Syria rebel aid

By Lesley Wroughton and Amena Bakr

DOHA (Reuters) - Western and Arab opponents of Bashar al-Assad met in Qatar on Saturday to tighten coordination of their support for rebels battling to overthrow the Syrian president.

Ministers from 11 countries including the United States, European and regional Sunni Muslim powers, held talks that Washington said should commit participants to direct all aid through the Western-backed Supreme Military Council, which it hopes can offset the growing power of jihadist rebel forces.

After a series of military offensives by Assad's troops, including the recapture of a strategic border town two weeks ago, President Barack Obama said the United States would increase military support for the rebels.

Two Gulf sources told Reuters on Saturday that Saudi Arabia, which has taken a lead role among Arab opponents of Assad, had also accelerated delivery of advanced weapons to the rebels.

"In the past week there have been more arrivals of these advanced weapons. They are getting them more frequently," one source said, without giving details. Another Gulf source described them as "potentially balance-tipping" supplies.

Rebel fighters say they need anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons to stem the fightback by Assad's forces in a civil war that has already killed 93,000 people and driven 1.6 million refugees into neighboring countries.

Rebel spokesman Louay Meqdad said the council, led by former Syrian army general Salim Idriss, had received several batches of weapons.

"They are the first consignments from one of the countries which support the Syrian people and there are clear promises from Arab and foreign countries that there will be more during the coming days," he told Reuters Television in Istanbul.

"FORCE IS NECESSARY"

The increasingly sectarian dynamic of the war pits mainly Sunni Muslims against forces loyal to Assad, from the Alawite minority which is an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam, and has split the Middle East along Sunni-Shi'ite lines.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, whose country has been one of the most open backers of the anti-Assad rebels, said that supplying them with weapons was the only way to resolve the conflict.

"Force is necessary to achieve justice. And the provision of weapons is the only way to achieve peace in Syria's case," Sheikh Hamad told ministers at the start of the talks.

"We cannot wait due to disagreement among Security Council members over finding a solution to the problem," he said. He also called on Lebanon's government to halt intervention by Lebanese factions in the neighboring conflict.

Lebanese guerrillas from the pro-Iranian Hezbollah led the assault by Assad's forces to recapture the town of Qusair earlier this month.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the meeting of 11 countries in Qatar was a chance to discuss "efforts to increase and coordinate support for the Syrian political and military opposition". Kerry said Assad had allowed Iranian and Hezbollah fighters "to cross the lines from Lebanon and engage in the fight on the ground".

"The Assad regime's response to a legitimate global effort to try to have a peace conference was to in fact militarize the efforts and internationalize (the conflict) and make the region far more dangerous as a consequences," he said.

A diplomat who had seen the draft communiqu? of the meeting said it also spoke of putting pressure on Assad to allow greater access for humanitarian aid after the United Nations launched a $5 billion appeal earlier this month - its biggest ever.

But he said there was no mention of establishing a no-fly zone - a move which diplomats have said the United States was studying but which the White House has played down - or specific mention of weapons supplies to the rebels.

COUNTERING JIHADI REBELS

The meeting in Qatar brings together ministers of countries that support the anti-Assad rebels - France, Germany, Egypt, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Britain and the United States.

Western countries hope by channeling assistance through Idriss they can reduce the influence in the opposition ranks of radical Islamist groups such as the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague reiterated that London had yet to take a formal decision on arming the rebels, but said that only by strengthening the opposition could the West hope to bring about talks for a political settlement.

"We won't get a political solution if Assad and his regime think they can eliminate all legitimate opposition by force, and so we do have to give assistance to that opposition," he told reporters before the start of Saturday's talks.

The United States and Russia, which back opposing sides in the conflict, hope to bring them together for negotiations in Geneva originally scheduled for this month. Hague said there was little prospect of that happening "in the next few weeks".

"This crisis is on a worse trajectory, it is set to get worse ... I don't want to underestimate the severity and the bleakness of it," Hague said.

Moscow, which says it will not break off military supply contracts with Damascus, opposes arming rebel forces that it says include terrorist groups, and has warned that a swift exit by Assad would risk a dangerous power vacuum.

In northern Syria, rebels announced an offensive that they said aimed to capture the western districts of the city of Aleppo from government forces.

Assad's troops are have been fighting rebels in rural areas around Syria's biggest city and are believed to be reinforcing in the region, ahead of their own expected assault on rebel-held parts of the contested northern hub.

In Damascus, the army sustained its bombardment of the eastern rebel-held district of Qaboun and soldiers clashed rebels in the Barzeh district, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Before his departure from Washington, Kerry spent Thursday briefing Congress on the administration's Syria plans, with some lawmakers pressing for the United States to do more and others decrying any deeper involvement in the civil war.

Having withdrawn U.S. troops from Iraq and working to wind down American forces in Afghanistan, some lawmakers are wary of getting involved in another costly conflict. Some worry that the weapons could end up in the hands of radical Islamist groups who could one day use them against Western interests.

Until now the United States has been providing non-lethal aid - food and medicine - to the rebels.

(Additional reporting by Yara Bayoumy in Doha and Ayhan Uyanik in Istanbul; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/putin-warns-arming-syrian-rebels-conflict-widens-083445291.html

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NFL: Family seeks answers in death near Hernandez home | The ...

Boston ? At least one company yanked an endorsement deal from New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez on Friday as puzzled family members of a friend found slain a mile from Hernandez?s home sought answers about how he died.

Police have searched in and around Hernandez?s sprawling home in North Attleborough, not far from where the Patriots practice, but a court clerk said that as of Friday afternoon no arrest warrants had been issued in the case. The Bristol County district attorney has not released any information, other than saying the death of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd was being treated as a homicide.

A jogger found Lloyd?s body in an industrial park Monday. Family members said Friday that Lloyd had been dating Hernandez?s fiancee?s sister for about two years. They said the two men were friends who were together the night Lloyd died.

Police in nearby Providence, R.I., said they had assisted Massachusetts state police and North Attleborough police with activity related to the Hernandez investigation at a strip club named Club Desire. It was unclear if they believed Lloyd and Hernandez might have been at the club in the days before Lloyd died.

Family members have said Lloyd, 27, was never in trouble.

CytoSport, a Benicia, Calif.-based company that makes Muscle Milk and other supplements for athletes, said Friday it was ending Hernandez?s endorsement contract, effective immediately, because of the investigation.

A reporter was escorted out of the club Friday afternoon before she could speak with employees or patrons.

Family members have said Lloyd, 27, was never in trouble.

story continues below

"I want the person that killed my son to be brought to justice," said Lloyd?s mother, Ursula Ward. "That?s my first-born child, my only boy child, and they took him away from me. ... I wouldn?t trade him for all the money in the world. And if money could bring him back I would give this house up to bring my son back. Nothing can bring my son back."

Family members said they had heard from Lloyd?s girlfriend but not from Hernandez after Lloyd?s death. They are anxiously awaiting an arrest in the case.

"We?re just hoping for justice," cousin Marsha Martin said. "We don?t want Odin to have died in vain."

Hernandez?s attorney Michael Fee has acknowledged media reports about the state police search of Hernandez?s home but said he wouldn?t have any comment on it.

Attleboro District Court clerk magistrate Mark E. Sturdy said three search warrants were issued in the investigation earlier in the week but have not been returned, meaning they?re not public. He said no arrest warrants had been filed in state courts by the time court closed at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

Hernandez was gone from his home for most of the day Friday, including when two state police officers knocked on his door. He returned home with his attorney around 5 p.m.

Patriots spokesman Stacey James has said the team does not anticipate commenting publicly during the police investigation. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was waiting for the legal process to take its course.

CytoSport, a Benicia, Calif.-based company that makes Muscle Milk and other supplements for athletes, said Friday it was ending Hernandez?s endorsement contract, effective immediately, because of the investigation.

The Patriots drafted Hernandez out of Florida in 2010. Since then, he has combined with Rob Gronkowski to form one of the top tight end duos in the NFL. He missed 10 games last season with an ankle injury and had shoulder surgery in April but is expected to be ready for training camp. Last summer, the Patriots gave him a five-year contract worth $40 million.

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Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/56495530-77/hernandez-lloyd-friday-family.html.csp

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Blog: Is Mobile Gaming Really Gaming?

As mobile gaming as grown in popularity, there has been a growing rift between those who play games on mobile devices, and those who play "real" games. I first realized that people made this distinction when the creator of Angry Birds claimed that consoles were dying, and wanted people to stop using the term "casual" games.

This all boils down to the simple question of "what is a gamer?" Sadly, it's also incredibly subjective. My definition may be very different from your own - and how can we agree whether the guy playing Angry Birds for hours on end is a gamer if we can't agree on what we're arguing about?

So what could a gamer be? From my experience there are a handful of popular viewpoints on this.

• Someone who has been playing video and computer games regularly, and seems likely that they will continue to do so. Usually it's someone whose primary entertainment medium is video games. They may watch movies or hang out with friends, but if they had their way the majority of their time would be spent gaming.
• Someone entrenched in the gaming culture. They know the lingo, they bond with other gamers, they stay up-to-date on what's happening, etc. These aren't just people who sit down and play Call of Duty for a few hours; they're the ones with a Triforce tattoo, a framed ticket from Comic-Con, or a Super Mario Bros ringtone.
• Anyone who appreciates video games. Maybe they don't have the time to sit down with a 20 hour adventure game, or their game time is so erratic that it's easier to play simpler games. While they may not play often, they enjoy when they do play.

I've obviously painted some pretty broad strokes, and even omitted some groups entirely. While there may be those who play Warmachine or Magic and not video games, I've found that video games are a gateway hobby that leads to more enjoyable types of gaming.

But as you can see, it's hard to hammer down an agreeable definition. I've seen criticisms of mobile gaming ranging from lack of story, not hard, shallow gameplay, bad graphics, not expensive enough (what?), no controller or mouse/keyboard, ?etc. But the problem with that is that you can apply that criteria to many popular games as well.?

Games like Call of Duty and Halo, while possessing a single player story, could sell games solely for the multiplayer. That's because the "hardcore" gamers play it for the competitive side, while some enjoy it for the story. When I'm shooting an enemy because he's standing on a flag in the streets of an African village, there's really no story there. There's an essence of story (local militia vs. foreign army), but nothing more elegant than birds getting revenge on thieving pigs.?

Or what about games that aren't there for their difficulty? Games like Fable and Skyrim have great stories, but their difficulty is either non-existent or incredibly arbitrary. They aren't designed for a challenge, but around what you can do in the game. You can die, and there may be some tough areas, but for the most part your goal isn't to survive but to explore the world and enjoy the story.

I don't want to nit-pick, but my point is that not all games have all aspects. A game can have a great story but low content, or offer a high learning curve and terrible graphics. Sometimes you can squeeze most of them in to a game, and sometimes you can't. Yet as long as they're playing these games on consoles or PC, we call them gamers.

Why isn't the same true of people who play on mobile devices? Games like Chaos Rings or Infinity Blade have stunning graphics but rather simple controls. The games are difficult and satisfying, so why does the screen size matter? Or what about games like The Walking Dead that were huge hits on consoles and were "basic" enough to be translated to mobile devices?

It seems to me that a new breed of gamers has been created, and we don't know how to treat them. Whether its a sense of elitism or just being protective of our hobby, we criticize those who want to identify themselves as gamers without owning a single console/PC game. Someone can have a high score in Angry Birds, or has beaten the entire Zenonia series, and yet we give them a derisive snort and turn back to playing Borderlands. Instead we should welcome what they bring to the table - an escape for those who want to game, but don't have the time or money to keep up with it.

My view? I say anyone who enjoys gaming is a gamer. I don't care where you do it, or what you do it on. If you're spending your free time collecting pointless things, getting invested in a fictional world, competing against humans or AI, or just saving pixelated princesses, you're okay in my book.

See you tomorrow!

Remember to follow me on Facebook. I'm doing a blog post every single day for 2013, and Facebook is a great way to stay up-to-date as well as take part in my monthly giveaways!

Source: http://rayofpaintstudios.blogspot.com/2013/06/is-mobile-gaming-really-gaming.html

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This Week On The TC Gadgets Podcast: Instagram Video, Samsung Stuff, And MakerBot

Did you hear? Did you hear? Instagram now has video! It may or may not be better than Vines. Samsung released a bunch of computers and cameras and phones with strange names. That was fun. And of course, 3D printing sweetheart Makerbot sold for $400 million to Stratasys.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Yt7SLVd_2k0/

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Appeals court reinstates Cole bombing lawsuit

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) ? Families of 17 sailors killed in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole have new hope for being compensated for their pain and suffering after a federal appeals court reinstated their $282 million lawsuit against Sudan on Thursday.

A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected a lower court's ruling that the families could not seek damage for emotional distress because they had already won an earlier judgment for compensatory damages. U.S. District Judge Robert Doumar had said the plaintiffs could not sue twice for the same terrorist attack.

But the appeals court ruled that a law passed by Congress in 2008 while the first lawsuit was still on appeal specifically allowed the families to file the second complaint.

"It's been a 12-year fight, so this is a major step forward for us. Just tremendous," said Andrew Hall, attorney for the families.

The case will now go back to Doumar for trial. Sudan has not participated in the cases since it initially unsuccessfully challenged the district court's jurisdiction.

"They're more than welcome to enter because I have a lot of questions I'd like to ask," Hall said.

The first lawsuit was filed under the 1920 Death on the High Seas Act, which allows only compensatory damages to spouses and children of victims. The families won a judgment of $8 million. Interest has increased the amount to more than $14 million.

In 2008, Congress passed the Justice for Victims of State Sponsored Terorism Act. That law allows for retroactive punitive-damages awards against nations that sponsor terrorism. It also expands the pool of potential plaintiffs to include the victims' parents and siblings. The families filed another lawsuit under that law.

Without being asked by Sudan, Doumar declared that a legal doctrine barring repetitive litigation barred the second lawsuit. The appeals court said Doumar had authority to consider the issue on his own, but that he reached the wrong conclusion.

Judge Allyson Duncan wrote that allowing a defense that effectively shields state sponsors of terrorism would undermine the congressional purpose for enacting the 2008 law.

The families of the 17 sailors who were killed claim that Sudan provided support to the al-Qaida terrorists who steered an explosives-laden boat into the USS Cole, a guided-missile destroyer, on Oct. 12, 2000, while it was stopped to refuel in a port in Yemen. The attack also injured 42 other sailors and tore a massive hole into the side of the ship. The Norfolk-based ship was recommissioned in 2002.

___

Follow Larry O'Dell on Twitter: http://twitter.com/LarryOatAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/appeals-court-reinstates-cole-bombing-lawsuit-184322768.html

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U.S. sets $1 billion healthcare innovation initiative

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday announced a $1 billion initiative to fund innovations in federal healthcare programs aimed at cutting costs while improving the health results.

The Department of Health and Human Services said the money will be used to award and evaluate projects that test new payment and delivery models for federal programs including Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

The announcement marks the second round of innovation initiatives for the administration under President Barack Obama's 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The government is looking for models that can quickly cut costs in outpatient or post-acute settings, improve care for people with special needs, transform healthcare providers' financial and clinical models or improve health conditions by clinical category, geographic area or socioeconomic class.

The application period runs from June 14 to August 15.

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-sets-1-billion-healthcare-innovation-initiative-140919323.html

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Living Inside the Box

Copyright ? 2013 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

Here with us now is Flora Lichtman, our correspondent and managing editor for video. Flora, welcome.

FLORA LICHTMAN, BYLINE: Hi.

FLATOW: What wonderful stuff do you have for us this week?

LICHTMAN: Well, from the less practical or the no practical application to the very practical in this week's Video Pick.

FLATOW: Ooh.

LICHTMAN: This week's Video Pick. Let me just tell you the story of Michele Bertomen and David Boyle. They are - they were property owners in Brooklyn, New York. They had this little lot, 20 by 40 feet, in Williamsburg. And they had the dream of building their own home. Now, Michele is an architect and David is a contractor, and they thought, well, let's build something conventional. You know, it's a small lot, but maybe we can make something sort of, you know, just a nice little home. And they sent out the plans and it came back at over $300,000. And this as more than they have.

FLATOW: Yeah.

LICHTMAN: You know, they thought it's small place, right?

FLATOW: Sure.

LICHTMAN: But it turns out that the costs for building houses, at least in their experience, it wasn't the materials. It was the manpower, the insurance.

FLATOW: This is New York.

LICHTMAN: So they had another idea.

(LAUGHTER)

LICHTMAN: And that's this week's Video Pick. They decided to try building with shipping containers. You know what I'm talking about?

FLATOW: Those rectangular boxy things...

LICHTMAN: Yeah, the big metal boxes.

FLATOW: Big metal boxes.

LICHTMAN: You see them on cargo ships.

FLATOW: Right. They're stacked up like crazy.

LICHTMAN: They're stacked up, right. They can take a lot of weight.

FLATOW: Yeah. This is SCIENCE FRIDAY from NPR.

LICHTMAN: I'm Flora Lichtman.

FLATOW: I'm Ira Flatow, talking about where we left off with the shipping containers.

LICHTMAN: Right. So people have done this before. But the amazing thing about this - so we took a tour of their home, and that's this week's video. The amazing thing about this is that Michele went to work in the morning and she came home and the building was up. And not only that, the reason why they chose shipping containers is because it was just a lot less expensive. So it was like $50,000 to get the building envelope with these recycled shipping containers, which, by the way, had been in service for 10 years shipping goods, versus the $300,000 for the envelope of the building that they had mapped out.

FLATOW: Mm-hmm. And so they saved a lot of money.

LICHTMAN: They saved - and they have a beautiful home.

FLATOW: It's our Video Pick of the Week. It's up there on our website, and it really is beautiful. You took - you got the 50 cent tour of the place.

LICHTMAN: Oh, I occupied them for hours.

(LAUGHTER)

LICHTMAN: I went through the drawers. I was in the bathrooms. I wanted to see it all. And it really was - one of the cool things is they have all these roof decks. So the way it's arranged, there are these - there are three shipping containers on one side stacked up.

FLATOW: Right.

LICHTMAN: And then on the other, there are two. And in between, they constructed kind of a light passageway of the stairs and what have you. And so on top of one, they have two roof decks, basically, you know, really cool stuff. And one of the things that I learned about it that I didn't know is that it's a lot easier to use sort of up-cycled or recycled materials. Because the shipping containers are so easy to cut into, you can, for instance, build your house and then go look for your windows. And then you go to find recycled windows and they're in different shapes and you just cut out the hole for them.

FLATOW: Yeah, yeah. That's right. You can build it to order. And this is the first one in New York, right?

LICHTMAN: Yes. So they say they think it's the first one in New York. I'm still waiting on a callback from the building department.

(LAUGHTER)

FLATOW: Well, how easy is it to get the permits and go through all that paperwork?

LICHTMAN: You know, it sounded like it was a very trying experience. Michele Bertomen talks a lot about sort of bad memories. It took many years. They were stopped for months. And you know, ultimately I think it ended up being beautiful. But there were times during that process where they weren't sure that they were going to be able to do it. And they said that if they hadn't been architects and contractors and known sort of the ins and outs, they aren't even sure. But they sort of blazed trail

FLATOW: Yeah.

LICHTMAN: And it's kind of inspiring, I thought.

FLATOW: If you drive by, can you look at it and say that's a shipping container?

LICHTMAN: Yes. It's on Keep Street(ph) for you New Yorkers out there.

(LAUGHTER)

LICHTMAN: It's published. You can find it.

FLATOW: That's in Brooklyn, right?

LICHTMAN: Yeah. And they see people all the time will stop in front of their house and sort of start staring until they come out. And you know what, one - here's one other little tidbit that I thought was amazing. You know, there were some unexpected things about living in shipping containers, and one has to do with what it sounds like.

(SOUNDBITE OF VIDEO)

MICHELE BERTOMEN: David really likes the sound of the rain and the snow.

DAVID BOYLE: Hail is great. It's like ting, ting, ting, ting, ting, ting, ting, ting.

BERTOMEN: Yeah. It's really different.

BOYLE: It's not annoying.

BERTOMEN: It's very romantic.

LICHTMAN: Michele Bertomen and David Boyle talking about living in shipping containers.

FLATOW: And so if you're a New Yorker, there is still hope for you in those little spots between buildings.

LICHTMAN: That's right. This has been baking for 60 years.

FLATOW: Sixty years. And you can fit - how long - how wide is the container?

LICHTMAN: I think they're - I'm not exactly sure.

FLATOW: Ten, 12 feet, something like that?

LICHTMAN: Yeah, something like that, and 40 feet long.

FLATOW: OK. There's a spot for you. There are plenty of those spots in Brooklyn.

LICHTMAN: And the shipping containers run 1,500 to 2,500 recycled. You can go to New Jersey and get them. Apparently there are many.

(LAUGHTER)

FLATOW: Yeah. I know a guy.

LICHTMAN: Yeah...

(LAUGHTER)

FLATOW: Thank you, Flora.

LICHTMAN: Thanks, Ira.

FLATOW: That's about all the time we have for today.

Copyright ? 2013 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2013/05/03/180824406/living-inside-the-box?ft=1&f=1007

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Giant rubber duck sails into Hong Kong harbor

May 1 (Reuters) - Post position for Saturday's 139th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs after Wednesday's draw (listed as barrier, HORSE, jockey, trainer) 1. BLACK ONYX, Joe Bravo, Kelly Breen 2. OXBOW, Gary Stevens, D. Wayne Lukas 3. REVOLUTIONARY, Calvin Borel, Todd Pletcher 4. GOLDEN SOUL, Robby Albarado, Dallas Stewart 5. NORMANDY INVASION, Javier Castellano, Chad Brown 6. MYLUTE, Rosie Napravnik, Tom Amoss 7. GIANT FINISH, Jose Espinoza, Tony Dutrow 8. GOLDENCENTS, Kevin Krigger, Doug O'Neill 9. OVERANALYZE, Rafael Bejarano, Todd Pletcher 10. PALACE MALICE, Mike Smith, Todd Pletcher 11. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/50-foot-rubber-duck-sails-hong-kong-harbor-190949396.html

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Cubs leave Wrigley Field? North Siders call $300 million plan a strikeout.

The Chicago Cubs want to upgrade Wrigley Field with $300 million in renovations. But locals worry that the changes could hurt the neighborhood and the park.

By Mark Guarino,?Staff writer / May 2, 2013

This artist rendering shows the proposed 6,000-square-foot video screen behind left field at Wrigley Field.

Chicago Cubs/AP

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To Major League Baseball fans, the Chicago Cubs without Wrigley Field is like a hot dog without mustard or a Cracker Jack box without a toy.

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The scenario may sound improbable for long-time fans of the North Side's lovable losers, who have not won a World Series since 1908, but on Wednesday Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts told a meeting of business leaders he would ?consider moving? the team from the 99-year-old ballpark if the city did not approve his controversial $300 million renovation plan.

It was the same conundrum faced by Boston's Fenway Park not too long ago: Baseball's last two legacy parks are not designed to accommodate the revenue-generating aspects of the modern baseball experience, from extensive food and drink options to plenty of entertainment and parking galore. A $285 million renovation of Fenway ? most notably adding the now-iconic seats atop the Green Monster ? eased the 1912 park into the 21st century.?

Now the Cubs are trying to do the same for Wrigley, built in 1914, but that means putting the local community in a bind. Mr. Checketts imagines a 6,000-square-foot video board, 40 more night games, extended beer sales, the expansion of an adjacent club, and the right to shut down neighboring Sheffield Avenue for street fairs. He also wants to build a nine-story luxury hotel and office building across the street from the ballpark, and a walkway that connects both to Wrigley Field.

In other words, the very things that make Wrigley unique ? its intimate place in a quaint North Side neighborhood ? are precisely what need to change to help the Cubs generate more revenue. City officials, neighbors, and business owners say the changes will impact density, increase public safety concerns, and destroy the nostalgia factor.

The question now is how the tensions will play out. Could the Cubs possibly abandon Wrigley??

?The Cubs have always marketed Wrigley Field, and they reaped the benefits. From a fan?s standpoint, it would probably take a lot of marketing to switch them to somewhere else,? says Ted Cox, a long-time Chicago sports journalist and author of ?1,001 Days in the Bleachers: A Quarter Century of Chicago Sports.?

The ?somewhere else? for the Cubs would be Rosemont, Ill., a booming suburb of largely industrial and commercial development that borders O?Hare International Airport and the city?s northwest side. Already housing a casino, convention center, sports arena, a string of luxury hotels and nightclubs, Rosemont is actively pursuing Ricketts with the lure of public financing, an option Chicago city officials say is off the table.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/t4jUJNu8gYo/Cubs-leave-Wrigley-Field-North-Siders-call-300-million-plan-a-strikeout

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N. Korea sentences American to 15 years of hard labor

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? An American detained for nearly six months in North Korea has been sentenced to 15 years of "compulsory labor" for unspecified crimes against the state, Pyongyang announced Thursday.

The sentencing of Kenneth Bae, described by friends as a devout Christian and a tour operator, will further complicate already strained relations between Pyongyang and Washington as the countries pursue tentative diplomacy following weeks of warlike threats from North Korea.

Pyongyang's official state media said Bae's trial took place Tuesday, but the dispatch provided few new details. Bae was tried in the country's Supreme Court on charges of plotting to overthrow the government. He could've faced the death penalty.

The exact nature of his alleged crimes has not been revealed.

Bae was arrested in early November in Rason, a special economic zone in North Korea's far northeastern region bordering China and Russia, North Korea said.

The trial mirrors a similar situation in 2009, when the U.S. and North Korea were locked in a standoff over Pyongyang's decision to launch a long-range rocket and conduct an underground nuclear test. At the time, North Korea had detained two American journalists, whose eventual release after being sentenced to 12 years of hard labor paved the way for diplomacy following months of tensions.

In North Korean dispatches, Bae, a Korean American from Washington state, is called Pae Jun Ho, the North Korean spelling of his Korean name.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nkorea-sentences-american-15-years-hard-labor-023655233.html

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Steven Spielberg to direct 'American Sniper'

FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2013 file photo, director Steven Spielberg arrives at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Spielberg has his sights set on his next film. A spokeswoman for DreamWorks Studios said Thursday, May 2, 2013, the filmmaker plans to direct Bradley Cooper in an adaptation of the best-selling book "American Sniper." (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2013 file photo, director Steven Spielberg arrives at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Spielberg has his sights set on his next film. A spokeswoman for DreamWorks Studios said Thursday, May 2, 2013, the filmmaker plans to direct Bradley Cooper in an adaptation of the best-selling book "American Sniper." (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - in this March 28, 2013 file photo, actor Bradley Cooper attends the premiere of Focus Features' "The Place Beyond The Pines" at the Landmark Sunshine Theater in New York. Steven Spielberg has his sights set on his next film. A spokeswoman for DreamWorks Studios said Thursday, May 2, 2013, the filmmaker plans to direct Bradley Cooper in an adaptation of the best-selling book "American Sniper." (Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Steven Spielberg has his sights set on his next project, a movie about former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle.

A spokeswoman for DreamWorks Studios says the filmmaker will direct Bradley Cooper in an adaptation of the best-selling book "American Sniper."

"Spread" screenwriter Jason Hall wrote the script based on the autobiography of Kyle, who was killed along with a friend earlier this year while at a North Texas gun range. An Iraq war veteran who they were trying to help deal with PTSD is charged with the killings.

Kyle is considered to be the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history. At the time of his death, he was working on another book, "American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms."

The film will be a co-production of DreamWorks and Warner Bros.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-05-02-Film-American%20Sniper/id-69e5f32191ab4534990cca3ee45d04a2

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Shell CEO Voser to retire in 2014

AMSTERDAM (AP) ? Royal Dutch Shell PLC said Monday Chief Executive Peter Voser will step down in early 2014, and the company reported lower first-quarter profits in the wake of a decline in oil prices.

The departure comes as a surprise, as Voser is just 54 years old and is well-regarded within the industry. Shell broke with a longstanding tradition of alternating British and Dutch chief executives with the July 2009 appointment of Voser, a Swiss national.

"I feel it is time for a change in my lifestyle and I am looking forward to have more time available for my family and private life," Voser said in a note to staff. Voser has been at Shell for 25 years, including five years as CFO and four as CEO.

He added that he plans to serve in non-executive business positions outside Shell.

Since taking Shell's top job, Voser has invested heavily in production, much of which is just starting to come online. In particular he has focused on expanding the company's presence in liquefied natural gas, or LNG, which can be transported without pipelines.

The company also became Europe's largest oil company by market capitalization on his watch, as major rival BP PLC struggled to recover after its massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Among independent oil companies globally, only ExxonMobil is larger.

Chairman Jorma Ollila praised Voser for "reorganizing the company, delivering growth, and developing a clear forward strategy with a strong portfolio of new options."

He said a search for a new CEO is underway, with candidates inside and outside the company under consideration.

"The search for a replacement CEO will be an unwelcome distraction," said analyst Richard Hunter, Head of Equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, who rates shares a hold.

The surprise announcement came as Shell said its net profit fell to $8.18 billion from $8.74 billion in the first quarter of 2012. Revenues fell 5.1 percent to $112 billion.

Stripping out the impact of oil price fluctuations and asset sales, underlying earnings grew 2 percent, the company said in a statement.

Shell produced 3.56 million barrels of oil per day, fractionally higher than 3.55 million a year ago. Shell said core production is growing, but some of its capacity in Nigeria is closed due to security threats.

Production earnings fell 10 percent to $5.65 billion due to lower oil prices. The company's refining arm profits rose 28 percent to $1.69 billion amid better margins.

Hargreaves Lansdown's Hunter said the company's earnings were better than expected, but highlighted that Shell is playing a "long game" by investing heavily in infrastructure to increase earnings over time.

He said Shell has an "extensive project plan...to underpin future production across several energy sources." Around 30 projects are under development.

In a conference call with reporters, CFO Simon Henry said the security situation in Nigeria was deteriorating and that oil stolen by militias breaking into pipelines in the chaotic Niger Delta has been running at $5-7 billion per year. If anything, he said that figure was increasing and impacting upon Shell's activities.

He said that when Shell closed part of one pipeline for repairs, thieves promptly attacked it elsewhere. "It's finger in the dike time," he said.

He said the thieves' disregard for spills left Shell little choice but to shut down operations.

"The environmental impact from the theft is of an order of magnitude higher than anybody would ever want to see," he said.

He also noted that Shell is awaiting word on licenses from the U.S. government before deciding whether it will resume attempts to drill offshore in the Arctic circle off the shore of Alaska in 2014, something that is opposed by environmental groups.

"We do expect to be able to drill" eventually, he said, adding that Shell currently values its Alaskan operations at $2.8 billion.

Shares rose 1.6 percent to 26.25 euros in early trading in Amsterdam.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shell-ceo-voser-retire-2014-080005340.html

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Feds bust New York sex trafficking ring

NEW YORK (AP) ? The young Mexican women were driven to rural New Jersey, U.S. authorities said, where their handlers used threats to make them have sex with 25 farmworkers a day. Or they were confined to dingy brothels in the New York City area that advertised their services with "chica cards," business cards passed out on street corners to attract customers. They were paid very little, or nothing at all.

Their ordeal was detailed in a criminal complaint charging 13 people with smuggling dozens into the United States and forcing them into prostitution. Some of the defendants were to appear Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan to face multiple counts including sex trafficking and interstate transportation for prostitution.

The ring "lured their unsuspecting victims to the United States and then consigned them to a living hell," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.

The investigation was among several aimed at "blockading the repugnant sex trafficking corridor" used to exploit victims from Tenancingo, Mexico, said James Hayes, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New York.

Tenancingo, an impoverished town in Tlaxcala state, has long been a notorious haven for pimps who use a combination of threats, abuse and broken promises of marriage and jobs to put innocent victims, some only in their teens, on a path to sex slavery in Mexico City and in large cities in the United States.

Most victims eventually manage to escape, authorities say in court papers. But, they add, "without legal status in the United States, without family and friends for support, without employment opportunities and as a result of the trauma they suffered, victims sometimes return to prostitution."

In interviews with investigators, one unidentified woman described how when she refused to work at brothels located in apartments in Queens and suburban Yonkers, she and her child were locked out of their home on a cold winter night. She also told authorities that her pimps, believing she was pregnant, forced to take drugs intended to induce a miscarriage, and that she was beaten when she once tried to withhold some of her earnings.

Another woman recounted becoming romantically involved with a man who smuggled her into the United States, only to learn he made a living delivering prostitutes to New Jersey to have sex with farmworkers. She said he used threats to force her into the sex trade for two years before he was deported.

According to the complaint, the ring provided its victims with condoms and birth control pills while making them have sex with up to 30 men a day. The men paid $30 for 15 minutes. The women sometimes got a $15 cut but that usually went to the traffickers.

If convicted, some of the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The evidence includes wiretaps of customers and pimps haggling over prices, the complaint says.

"What girls do you have?" one customer asked.

"From Salvador and Mexico."

"How do they look?"

"They both look good."

The pimp quoted a price of $70.

"Can you do it for 60?"

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-women-ny-nj-forced-sex-25-times-194301077.html

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Mindy Weiss: 15 Things We Learned From The Celebrity Wedding Planner

There's no official rule about adding "to the stars" to your title. Personal trainer to the stars. Caterer to the stars. Hairstylist to the stars. We've seen them all. But some names come up so often and in connection with so many stars that you just know they're the real deal. Wedding planner, Mindy Weiss, who counts Ellen DeGeneres and Jessica Simpson among her clients, is one of these people.

So when HuffPost Weddings got an invitation to have lunch with Weiss, an event hosted by Perfect Circle jewelry insurance, we RSVP'd with an enthusiastic yes. Though not every couple has the budget of, say, Gwen Stefani, another star who's worked with Weiss, the planner offered a lot of advice that can apply to any wedding. Here are 15 takeaways:

1. Rose-gold and yellow-gold jewelry is very in. Weiss was surprised when her daughter-in-law wanted a rose-gold wedding band, but now she's realized that it's on trend. "It's very cool, it's original, it's self-expressive," she said.

2. Creams and greens are the hot colors right now. Though she's still seeing lots of lavender, Weiss is noticing an uptick in pistachio bridesmaid dresses. She wonders if this has to do with the Pantone color of the year.

3. Engraving is back. Though letterpress isn't out entirely, engraving is popular once again. Weiss says gimmicks are fine for the save-the-date, but couples are going the classic route for the actual invitation. That said, more and more save-the-dates are being sent by email, a good way to save money.

4. "Lighting is out of control." Weiss says people are getting a little tired of chandeliers and looking for more interesting fixtures.

5. Lace is here to stay. Weiss likes either just a touch of the material or a ton of it. She's particularly excited about one over-the-top idea: "We are draping a whole tent in lace."

6. Rehearsal dinners should be fun and casual. Why should guests have to get dressed up two nights in a row? Weiss suggests something more low-key for the rehearsal dinner and mentioned Mexican fiesta and Italian family style as possibilities. "I theme everything," she said.

7. "The candy shop's going away." As pretty as these displays are, Weiss isn't doing them as much anymore. Instead, couples are opting for other old-fashioned desserts like cookies or Rice Krispies treats. "No one's doing fancy desserts."

8. Couples are more willing to skip videography and cake cutting. Weiss disagrees with both of these decisions. She's had brides and grooms tell her they don't even eat cake. Her response? "Just cut the cake."

9. Brides are carrying purses. Well, not necessarily carrying them. Weiss is the one who often ends up holding the handbag. Still, inspired by the looks on the red carpet, more women are deciding they need this accessory.

10. Many women are still buying two dresses. Weiss isn't opposed to different outfits for the ceremony and the reception, but she does think brides are changing too soon. She says they should stay in their gowns for at least the first dance and the cake cutting. She adds that grooms are also changing from tuxes into nice suits.

11. Tables should have lots of low flowers. Such arrangements help create a sense of intimacy, so guests don't have to talk around the centerpieces.

12. An empty chair is a good way to honor the deceased. Weiss thinks this tribute, combined with a mention from the officiant, is better than writing "the late ..." before the person's name on the invitation.

13. Carolina Herrera is making a comeback. Weiss loved the designer's collection at the recent New York Bridal Market.

14. Artsy photographers are getting into the wedding business. Their style is "great for about 10 pictures," Weiss said. "[But] you still need Grandma ... it's not just a picture of the shoes." She says these photographers need to learn the important shots to take as they expand into this area.

15. DJs are becoming increasingly cool. If you don't have one at the reception, you may want to hire one for later in the evening. Because as Weiss says, "Everyone has an after-party."

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/01/mindy-weiss-_n_3188258.html

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NKorea sentences US man in possible bid for talks

A photo provided by Bobby Lee, shows Kenneth Bae, right, and Bobby Lee together when they were freshmen students at the University of Oregon in 1988. Bae is being detained in North Korea and could face the death penalty if he is convicted on charges that he planned to overthrow the North Korean government. (AP Photo/The Register-Guard, Bobby Lee)

A photo provided by Bobby Lee, shows Kenneth Bae, right, and Bobby Lee together when they were freshmen students at the University of Oregon in 1988. Bae is being detained in North Korea and could face the death penalty if he is convicted on charges that he planned to overthrow the North Korean government. (AP Photo/The Register-Guard, Bobby Lee)

In this March 20, 2013 photo, a North Korean flag hangs inside the interior of Pyongyang?s Supreme Court. North Korea says it will soon deliver a verdict in the case of detained American Kenneth Bae it accuses of trying to overthrow the government, further complicating already fraught relations between Pyongyang and Washington. The announcement about Bae comes in the middle of a lull after weeks of war threats and other provocative acts by North Korea against the U.S. and South Korea. Bae, identified in North Korean state media by his Korean name, Pae Jun Ho, is a tour operator of Korean descent who was arrested after arriving with a tour on Nov. 3 in Rason, a special economic zone bordering China and Russia. (AP Photo)

In this March 20, 2013 photo, a North Korean flag hangs inside the interior of Pyongyang?s Supreme Court. North Korea says it will soon deliver a verdict in the case of detained American Kenneth Bae it accuses of trying to overthrow the government, further complicating already fraught relations between Pyongyang and Washington. The announcement about Bae comes in the middle of a lull after weeks of war threats and other provocative acts by North Korea against the U.S. and South Korea. Bae, identified in North Korean state media by his Korean name, Pae Jun Ho, is a tour operator of Korean descent who was arrested after arriving with a tour on Nov. 3 in Rason, a special economic zone bordering China and Russia. (AP Photo)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? A Korean American detained for six months in North Korea has been sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for "hostile acts" against the state, the North's media said Thursday ? a move that could trigger a visit by a high-profile American if history is any guide.

Kenneth Bae, 44, a Washington state man described by friends as a devout Christian and a tour operator, is at least the sixth American detained in North Korea since 2009. The others eventually were deported or released without serving out their terms, some after trips to Pyongyang by prominent Americans, including former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

With already abysmal U.S.-North Korean ties worsening since a long-range rocket-launch more than a year ago, Pyongyang is fishing for another such meeting, said Ahn Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies think tank in South Korea.

"North Korea is using Bae as bait to make such a visit happen. An American bigwig visiting Pyongyang would also burnish Kim Jong Un's leadership profile," Ahn said. Kim took power after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in December 2011.

The authoritarian country has faced increasing criticism over its nuclear weapons ambitions. Disarmament talks including the Koreas, the United States, Japan, China and Russia fell apart in 2009. Several rounds of U.N. sanctions have not encouraged the North to give up its small cache of nuclear devices, which Pyongyang says it must not only keep but expand to protect itself from a hostile Washington.

Pyongyang's tone has softened somewhat recently, following weeks of violent rhetoric, including threats of nuclear war and missile strikes. There have been tentative signs of interest in diplomacy, and a major source of North Korean outrage ? annual U.S.-South Korean military drills ? ended Tuesday.

In Washington, the U.S. State Department said it was working with the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang to confirm the report of Bae's sentencing. The United States lacks formal diplomatic ties with North Korea and relies on Sweden for diplomatic matters involving U.S. citizens there. The Swedish ambassador in Pyongyang, Karl-Olof Andersson, referred queries to the State Department.

"While Washington will do everything possible to spare an innocent American from years of hard labor, U.S. officials are aware that in all likelihood the North Korean regime wants a meeting to demonstrate that the United States in effect confers legitimacy on the North's nuclear-weapon-state status," Patrick Cronin, a senior analyst with the Washington-based Center for a New American Security, said in an email.

Cronin called Bae's conviction "a hasty gambit to force a direct dialogue with the United States."

Bae's trial on charges of "committing hostile acts" against North Korea took place in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said. The announcement came just days after KCNA said Saturday that authorities would soon indict and try him. KCNA has referred to Bae as Pae Jun Ho, the North Korean spelling for his Korean name.

Bae, from Lynnwood, Washington, was arrested in early November in Rason, a special economic zone in North Korea's far northeastern region bordering China and Russia, state media said. The exact nature of Bae's alleged crimes has not been revealed.

Friends and colleagues say Bae was based in the Chinese border city of Dalian and traveled frequently to North Korea to feed orphans. Bae's mother in the United States did not answer calls seeking comment Thursday.

There are parallels to a case in 2009. After Pyongyang's launch of a long-range rocket and its second underground nuclear test that year, two American journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor after sneaking across the border from China.

They later were pardoned on humanitarian grounds and released to Clinton, who met with then-leader Kim Jong Il. U.S.-North Korea talks came later that year.

In 2011, Carter visited North Korea to win the release of imprisoned American Aijalon Gomes, who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labor for crossing illegally into the North from China.

Korean American Eddie Jun was released in 2011 after Robert King, the U.S. envoy on North Korean human rights, traveled to Pyongyang. Jun had been detained for half a year over an unspecified crime.

Jun and Gomes are also devout Christians. While North Korea's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, in practice only sanctioned services are tolerated by the government.

U.N. and U.S. officials accuse North Korea of treating opponents brutally. Foreign nationals have told varying stories about their detentions in North Korea.

The two journalists sentenced to hard labor in 2009 stayed in a guest house instead of a labor camp due to medical concerns.

Ali Lameda, a member of Venezuela's Communist Party and a poet invited to the North in 1966 to work as a Spanish translator, said that he was detained in a damp, filthy cell without trial the following year after facing espionage allegations that he denied. He later spent six years in prison after a one-day trial, he said.

___

Associated Press writers Jean H. Lee in Seoul and Lou Kesten in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-02-NKorea-American%20Detained/id-7f5e4a2eb079453ca6adbaba7fcaf898

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