Top M News

Friday, December 5, 2014

EU Budget Talks Collapse, Markets Shrug

The latest negative headline from Europe did nothing to damage the positive sentiment in financial markets, with both US stocks and EUR/USD holding near session peaks. Adrian Miller, senior global market strategist at GMP Securities, argues that the breakdown of EU budget talks is part of a longer-term restructuring of how the EU does business. "This is a separate issue relative to the short-term problems of Greece and its budget negotiations," he says, adding that "the Greece issue is more important with regards to market behavior and performance expectations over the near term."

Friday, March 9, 2012

Pink Slime

On Monday, the online publication the Daily reported that the USDA has purchased ground beef for use in the National School Lunch Program containing, collectively, 7 million pounds of the substance commonly known as “pink slime.” For those who aren’t familiar with pink slime, it’s a product (officially called “Lean Beef Trimmings”) produced by Beef Products, Inc., a processing plant in South Dakota. BPI injects a mixture of cooking oil and fatty beef trimmings (formerly used only for pet food and rendering, not human consumption) with ammonia hydroxide in an attempt to remove E. coli and salmonella. (Because of where these scraps come from on the cow’s carcass, they’re more likely to be infected with pathogens than other meat.)

After a damning exposé of BPI’s practices by the New York Times in December, 2009, followed by a graphic demonstration of pink slime by Jamie Oliver on his “Food Revolution” show last summer, there has been growing consumer concern with the use of pink slime in food products. For this reason, fast food chains like McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell have agreed to stop using it in their food.

I had written about pink slime on The Lunch Tray in 2010 (“One Burger, Please, Extra Ammonia and Hold the E Coli“) and thought at that time that the USDA had decided to put an end to its use in school food. But I was obviously mistaken, as the Daily story made clear.

I was outraged by the fact that American school children are being fed a product of questionable safety — and which wasn’t even regarded as fit for human consumption in the recent past — so I decided to start my very first Change.org petition about it. I posted the link on The Lunch Tray Tuesday morning, shared it on Facebook and Twitter, and then left the house to go about my day.

You can imagine my surprise when, hours later, the petition had garnered over 600 signatures. By late afternoon, it had reached 1,000. As of this writing, almost 3,500 people have signed on — and the number goes up every few minutes. In the meantime, I’ve been interviewed about this issue by Channel Two News here in Houston, the petition has been mentioned in the Washington Postblog, and requests for more interviews are coming in.

I’ve been so gratified by this overwhelming response and hope that Spork Report readers will consider signing and sharing the petition as well. And if you’d like more information on why pink slime has no place on our kids’ lunch trays, be sure to check out this excellent article posted by Tom Philpott today.

Before signing off, I’d like to make clear that although this is an HISD school food blog, I have no knowledge of whether the meat served to Houston students contains pink slime. Indeed, because the federal government doesn’t require its labeling on ground beef, it’s very hard for any district to know whether or not the beef it uses contains this substance.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Chevy Volt

The Chevrolet Volt has won the prestigious top prize as European Car of the Year - but nobody is buying it.

Battery-operated cars are electrifying environmentalists, progressives and award-givers. The only ones who aren’t juiced about them, it seems, are autobuyers.

The ‘Best Car’ tag was awarded only days after General Motors said it has suspended production of its electric Chevy Volt for five weeks in order to match supply to weak demand.

"We're going to take five weeks of downtime at the plant as we are going to build to what the market demands," said apokeswoman Michelle Bunker Malcho.

"We had a great month in February (over 1,000 in sales) and are very pleased with what we see happening in the marketplace especially with Volt now being eligible for HOV lanes in California."

Despite the low volumes, the Volt has paid dividends in terms of helping the once-struggling automaker's attract new customers and burnishing its green credentials. The Volt was the first plug-in to reach the U.S. market.

Is the Volt headed for the scrap heap? No one is saying. GM's head of product planning said the automaker should know by May or June if the Volt has the "legs" to succeed in the market.

The big hurdle is the price premium on electric vehicles at a time when gas-powered cars are making big improvements on fuel efficiency.

The Volt shared the prize with its European U.S. cousin the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera, based on the Volt with both models sharing the same unique powertrain, which consists of an electric motor powered by a battery that can either be charged from an outlet or from an on-board generator which is powered by gasoline.

Consumer demand was undoubtedly stymied by a federal investigation into reports of battery fires in the Volts late last year, resulting in sales of 603 cars in January 2012 – the lowest in five months. After the government reported the Volt safe to buy and drive, sales recovered in February to 1,023 units, still well under projected sales.

It marks the second year in a row that a battery-powered model has won the award, as Nissan's Leaf was handed the gong in 2011.

The Ampera and Volt won out of a field of seven models, outstripping the Volkswagen Up! in second place by a considerable margin, with 330 points to 281.

The other cars in the running were the Citroën DS 5, Fiat Panda, Ford Focus, Range Rover Evoque and the Toyota Yaris.

The award for the Volt is a blow to Ford who recently announced that the Focus Electric will be the most efficient family car in America. The cars is setting a new benchmark for rivals such as the Nissan Leaf and the Volt.

Confirming the results of US Environmental Protection Agency testing, Ford said that the Focus Electric had earned a 110 miles per gallon (2.12 l/100km) equivalent rating in the city, higher than any other five-passenger vehicle.

On the highway, the Focus will offer 99 MPGe (2.37 l/100km), Ford said, giving the all-electric vehicle a rating of 105 MPGe (2.24 l/100km) combined.

But sales/lack of sales aren’t the only factor by which GM is gauging the Volt’s success or failure. Its mere existence has helped counteract GM’s reputation as an out-of-touch maker of shoddy, unimaginative cars no one wants to buy. Their Volt was the first plug-in car to be launched in the U.S. market, and it picked up the lion’s share of press and good will. Other battery-operated or electric vehicles soon followed here and in Europe, but none have the Volt’s instant recognizability.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/chevy-volt-wins-european-car-year-award-days-automaker-suspends-production-article-1.1033850#ixzz1oMT8mtZy

Big East Tournament

Seton Hall finished its regular season at 19-11 and on the NCAA Tournament bubble heading into the Big East tournament. Had you been a Pirates fan and read that sentence back in say, October, you would have signed on the dotted line. But that was before you knew the context. It changes everything.

Picked to finish 13^th in the 16-team Big East, with just two seniors and in the second year of new coach Kevin Willard's tenure, Seton Hall wasn't supposed to be in the picture for the Big Dance when the season started. Then the wins started piling up. Reigning Final Four participant Virginia Commonwealth was a victim, as were quality sides St. Joe's and Dayton. When The Hall rebounded from a drubbing at the hands of then-No. 1 Syracuse to rattle off home wins over West Virginia and UConn, the talk started. Could Seton Hall keep this up? And if they could, could they end up you know where?

Less than a week after the UConn win, Seton Hall found itself nationally ranked for the first time since 2001. They won their first game as a ranked side over DePaul to get to 15-2, one of the best starts in the past 20 years for the team. Then, it went south. Six straight losses, albeit to generally good competition, and the team was back where it started. The streaky Pirates responded to win four of their next five, including a landmark home win over No. 8 Georgetown. With two games left in the regular season, all Seton Hall needed to do was beat bottom dwellers Rutgers and DePaul, and they'd clinch a tournament berth for the first time since 2006.

Not so fast.

Two of the most crushing losses in the school's recent history have put the Pirates in a precarious position heading into Tuesday's Big East Tournament opener against Providence. The Pirates likely need two victories to ensure that their name be called on Sunday. A loss to Providence ends the Pirates' hopes. A win over the Friars and a loss to 7 seed Louisville, and they'll have to sweat it out.

It's unfortunate because tournament appearances for Seton Hall have been few and far between. Willard finally has the program seemingly in the right direction after the tumultuous tenure of Bobby Gonzalez. He's brought a sense of team unity, hard work and respectability back to the program. But the team relies heavily on its two seniors, guard Jordan Theodore and forward Herb Pope. With the duo graduating after this season, the Pirates will be a question mark heading into next season.

But despite the late season slide, the season isn't over. The careers of Theodore and Pope have yet to be written. It's teetering on the edge, but the Pirates' destiny remains in their hands. Entering the Big East Tournament, they are squarely on the bubble. If they can find a way to reclaim the form that saw them jump out to a 15-2 record, that helped them defeat quality teams all season, then they have a great chance to win a few games and secure a bid.

It would be a great way for Theodore and Pope to end their careers. For Willard, it would be a landmark achievement in the second year of what's expected to be a long process of getting Seton Hall back to national prominence. A loss to Providence and an NIT bid? Perhaps it would be a learning experience for the young Pirates, for Willard and his coaching staff.

Yet for a team that had everything in its grasp just two weeks ago, it won't feel any good.

Christina Hendricks

Christina Hendricks has revealed that she has very little in common with her Mad Men character Joan.

Hendricks explained that she's very demure, whereas Joan is always willing to use her feminine mystique to get her way.

"I feel like I don't relate to Joan that much," the actress told Women's Health UK. "I think we have elements of the characters we play - Joan is much ballsier than I am; I'm a bit of a softie. There's a big difference there."

Hendricks went on to say that there are lessons Mad Men's female fans can learn from Joan.

"I think sexuality is incredibly powerful, but I don't think Joan is aggressive with it, just confident. She 'owns' it," she said. "When a woman is confident with her sexuality men respond to it and I think women aspire to feel confidence.

"The tight-fitting clothes she wears are never vulgar: it's sleek and sophisticated. That era was all about carrying yourself with confidence."

Mad Men's fifth season premieres in the US on AMC on March 25. The series returns to the UK on Sky Atlantic on March 27.

Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu assured President Barack Obama on Monday that Israel has not made any decision on attacking Iran's nuclear sites, sources close to the talks said, but the Israeli prime minister gave no sign of backing away from possible military action.

With Obama appealing for more time to allow international sanctions to work against Tehran, the two men agreed to keep up their coordination on the issue, but differences remained on how to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Even as the leaders sought to project solidarity in their White House meeting, the most pointed reminder that Israel might end up acting on its own was Netanyahu's insistence that the Jewish state must be the "master of its fate."

Behind closed doors, Netanyahu confirmed to Obama that Israel has yet to decide whether to hit Iran's nuclear sites, though it retains the right to use military action, the sources close to the meeting said.

But there was no immediate sign that Obama's sharpened rhetoric against Tehran and his plea for Israeli restraint had caused Netanyahu to reconsider what Washington fears could be a rush to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.

And the sources said Obama - who has publicly backed Israel's right to self-defense - made no such request to right-wing Israeli leader, with whom he has had a sometimes strained relationship.

"The pressure (on Iran) is growing but time is growing short," Netanyahu was quoted as telling Obama during what was seen as the most consequential meeting of U.S. and Israeli leaders in years.

Later, addressing the influential pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, Netanyahu said: "None of us can afford to wait much longer. As prime minister of Israel, I will never let my people live in the shadow of annihilation."

At the podium, he held up a copy of a 1944 letter from the U.S. War Department to world Jewish leaders turning down their request to bomb the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz.

Drawing a parallel with arguments against attacking Iran, Netanyahu said the War Department explained that such an operation at Auschwitz could provoke "even more vindictive action by the Germans".

"Think about that, even more vindictive action than the Holocaust," Netanyahu said.

Obama, facing election-year pressure from Israel's U.S. supporters and Republican presidential contenders, sought to reassure Netanyahu the United States was keeping its own military option open as a last resort and "has Israel's back."

But he also urged Israel to allow international sanctions and diplomacy to work to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions.

SELF-DEFENSE

Netanyahu, who has made clear that Israel is operating on a shorter timeline than the United States, warmly welcomed expressions of U.S. resolve against Iran but also declared that Israel was entitled to "defend itself, by itself."

While the United States and Washington share a commitment to prevent Iran from becoming nuclear-armed, Israel sees a threat to its existence from Tehran atomic program, which Iranian officials say has only peaceful purposes.

"We do believe there is still a window that allows for a diplomatic resolution to this issue," Obama said.

Even though Obama has ratcheted up his tone against Iran in recent days, he and Netanyahu went into the talks divided over how quickly the clock is ticking toward possible military action. The meeting appeared unlikely to change that.

In private, the leaders made no concrete decisions but looked at both the price of taking action against Iran - which could spike oil prices and sow global economic upheaval - and the consequences of inaction, which could lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

They remain far apart on any explicit nuclear "red lines" that Iran must not be allowed to cross, and officials on both sides said the question was not even raised in the White House talks.

Despite that, the body language between the two leaders was a stark contrast to their last Oval Office meeting in May 2011 when Netanyahu lectured Obama on Jewish history and criticized his approach to Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

This time, Obama and Netanyahu appeared businesslike but cordial as they sat side-by-side, chatting amiably as reporters entered the room and sometimes nodding when the other spoke.

Obama's encounter with Netanyahu was considered crucial to preserving the trust of America's closest Middle East ally, which fears that time is running out for an effective Israeli strike on Iran, and to counter election-year criticism from Republican rivals who question his support for the Jewish state.

He is also trying to tamp down increasingly strident talk of another war in the region, which could have damaging repercussions for the fragile U.S. economic recovery - a consequence that could threaten his re-election chances.

Speculation has mounted that Israel could opt to act militarily on its own unless it receives credible guarantees that the United States will be ready to use force against Iran if international sanctions and diplomacy fail.

Israel, believed to be the only nuclear weapons power in the Middle East, fears Iranian nuclear facilities may soon be buried so deep that they would be invulnerable to its bunker-busting bombs, which are less powerful than those in the U.S. arsenal.

Israel insists that military action against Iran would be warranted to prevent it from reaching nuclear weapons capability, as opposed to when it actually builds a device. Washington has not embraced that idea.

U.S. officials say that while Iran may be maneuvering to keep its options open, there is no clear intelligence that the country has made a final decision to pursue a nuclear weapon.

Mitch McConnell, the U.S. Senate's top Republican, told the AIPAC meeting he would propose that Congress authorize the use of force against Iran if the U.S. intelligence community finds that Iran is enriching uranium to weapons grade levels or has decided to develop a nuclear bomb.

Obama said both he and Netanyahu "prefer to resolve this diplomatically" and also understand the cost of military action.

Netanyahu did not echo that sentiment, saying instead that "Israel and America stand together."

After talks with Obama and his aides and lunch with the president, Netanyahu told reporters, "They understood Israel's position that it has a right to defend himself."

Nick Lachey

Dad-to-be Nick Lachey says he’ll be there for wife Vanessa Lachey when she welcomes their first child – at least, from the waist up.

“I’ve been told – because that’s what happens now, I’m told things – that it’s going to be a waist-up situation, if you know what I mean,” Nick told Kelly Ripa on Tuesday morning as he co-hosted on “Live! With Kelly” for a second day.

“I’m gonna be there, I’m gonna be supportively there, holding hands, and coaching, breathing, all that good stuff,” he continued. “But apparently I won’t be down below, seeing what’s happening. I’ll be up above, helping.”

Adding with a laugh, “My work there is done! I was successful there. So we’ll keep it waist-up.”

On Monday, Nick, 38, announced that he and his 31-year-old “Wipeout” host wife are expecting their first child.

“She’s due late summer/early fall,” Nick told Kelly. “It’s fun, the whole experience.”

Last month, Vanessa stopped by Access Hollywood Live, where she told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover that the couple is hoping for three kids – at least.

“Three is the magic number,” Vanessa said at the time. “We would love to, ultimately, just have them be happy and healthy, but if I had a choice, I’d have two or three boys, then a girl.”

Cell Phone Jammer

Fancy gadgets that can be used to jam cell phone signals are illegal and potentially dangerous, experts say.

So, why was Google lighting up Monday with people searching for them? You can thank a guy in Philadelphia who got fed up with folks yakking during his daily bus ride and a local news reporter who happens to ride the same bus.

Days after the story broke on Friday, the apparently fresh interest in the devices, which can be had online for anywhere from less than $40 to more than $1,000, is cause for concern among some security experts.

"The general public doesn't realize what they're jamming if they were to start using these things," said Richard Mislan, an assistant professor of computer and information technology at Rutgers University who specializes in cyberforensics. "What's not obvious is all the wireless connectivity systems that are in the background and maintaining data communications in our daily lives."

Last week, Philadelphia TV station NBC10 reported on a man who admitted to using a cell-phone jammer during his bus commute to shut down fellow passengers when they were talking loudly.

"I guess I'm taking the law into my own hands, and quite frankly, I'm proud of it," said the man, who the station identified only as "Eric."

He called people using their phones on public buses irritating and rude.

"A lot of people are extremely loud, no sense of, just, privacy or anything," said "Eric," who was first noticed by a writer for the station. "When it becomes a bother, that's when I screw on the antenna and flip the switch."

The story spread. And, apparently, piqued people's interest.

Throughout the weekend, and as recently as Monday afternoon, "cell phone jammer" was one of the top 10 searches on Google Trends, cropping up between searches for Lindsay Lohan's "Saturday Night Live" performance and news about the Super Tuesday primaries.

The legality of the jammers varies from country to country. In the United States, it is generally illegal to sell, own or use one without the government's permission. The devices are offered for sale on a handful of websites.

Mislan, a former communications electronic warfare officer in the U.S. Army, said law enforcement has "very specific worries" about how cell-phone jammers could be used by criminals.

But even someone looking to do no more than hush an annoying neighbor on the bus could do some harm, he said.

For example, in the Philadelphia case, the jammer could have cut off the bus driver's communication with a dispatcher who was trying to communicate emergency or traffic information. And that's not to mention other folks in the area (aside from the offensive loud talkers) who may have missed potentially important phone calls.

"Who is he to play god with our cellphones?" Mislan said.

Jammers work in much the same way online denial-of-service attacks on websites do -- transmitting a signal on the same frequency as mobile phone calls in the area.

"In layman's terms, they basically just interrupt the signals in the area," Mislan said. "They are a louder signal, if you will, than anything else in the area. As a phone tries to connect to a tower, it can't because there's this other noise, if you will, in the way."

Under federal law, illegally using a jammer can result in jail time and fines up to $16,000.

So, if they're illegal and potentially harmful, why is it so easy to find a jammer online?

"It's the Internet. I can buy anything I want, anywhere at any time," Mislan said. "Unfortunately, it's all about the dollar."

Sandra Fluke

Law student Sandra Fluke can "definitely" sue Rush Limbaugh for slander over the talk-show host's ugly remarks on his radio program, legal experts say. Fluke seems to be leaving her options open.

"I've certainly been told I might have a case," Fluke, 30, told The Daily Beast on Friday, "but it's not something I've made any decisions about at this point."

The next day, Rush Limbaugh apologized for calling Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" over the air. Liberal activists are clamoring for legal action.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, initiated the call for Sandra Fluke to sue Rush Limbaugh, according to The Daily Beast. Maloney, speaking at New York Law School, suggested firing back at Limbaugh with a civil lawsuit alleging slander.

Slander is a type of defamation in which a hurtful statement is spoken. To win a slander lawsuit, a victim must prove someone made a false statement that was "published" to at least one other person, and that the statement caused injury.

Public figures must also prove actual malice -- that the statement was made with intentional disregard for the truth.

In Sandra Fluke's case, she is not a public figure, lawyers told the Philadelphia Daily News. Fluke can "definitely" prove Limbaugh made the hurtful comments and "published" them to millions of listeners, one attorney said.

Rush's potential defenses -- such as free-speech protections and that he was just joking -- may not hold up with a jury, the attorney told the Daily News.

"His statements implied facts about somebody's sex life, that she was promiscuous and trading sex for money," the attorney explained. The company that syndicates Limbaugh's radio show may also be liable for "publishing" the comments, the attorney said.

As for Limbaugh's apology, a judge or jury may consider it in coming up with a damage award. Sandra Fluke may be thinking about that as she considers suing Rush Limbaugh.

Kirk Cameron

Kirk Cameron is fighting back against the “hate speech” he feels he’s endured since calling homosexuality “unnatural,” “detrimental,” and “ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization” during a Friday appearance on “Piers Morgan Tonight” to promote his new film, “Monumental.”

In an email statement released exclusively to ABCNews.com today, Cameron said that when Morgan asked him to share his views on homosexuality, “I spoke as honestly as I could, but some people believe my responses were not loving toward those in the gay community. That is not true. I can assuredly say that it’s my life’s mission to love all people.”

“I should be able to express moral views on social issues,” he said, “especially those that have been the underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years — without being slandered, accused of hate speech, and told from those who preach ‘tolerance’ that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I’m in the public square.”

He concluded, “I believe we need to learn how to debate these things with greater love and respect,” and added, “I’ve been encouraged by the support of many friends (including gay friends, incidentally).”

Cameron’s “Growing Pains” co-stars Tracey Gold and Alan Thicke have spoken out against his comments, along with many other celebrities. Over the weekend, GLAAD launched a petition called Tell Kirk Cameron It’s Time to Finally Grow Up. It had more than 5,500 signatures this afternoon.

Super Tuesday

As the four remaining Republican presidential candidates reached the most consequential voting day yet, each sought Tuesday to achieve a breakout moment that so far has proved elusive.

The two leading contenders, locked in a dead heat in Ohio, spread out across this marquee Super Tuesday battleground in an effort to reinforce doubts about each other. Mitt Romney argued that he is the only candidate who could fix the economy “because I’ve actually been in it,” while Rick Santorum tried to raise fresh concern about Romney’s conservative credentials.

The 10 states voting Tuesday could help provide clarity for a race that has moved from one would-be Romney challenger to the next. The latest of those is Santorum, who is trying to take advantage of the strength he has built over the past month and prove that he can mount a sustained challenge.
With more than 400 delegates at stake, the Super Tuesday contests offer a significant boost in the quest for the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the GOP presidential nomination. The states voting Tuesday are Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming.
Santorum feels the most pressure in Ohio, where the former senator from Pennsylvania built a lead by highlighting his blue-collar roots but where Romney is now considered to have greater momentum.
Santorum left the campaign trail in Ohio and traveled to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, while Romney spoke to the influential pro-Israel lobbying group by video link from the Buckeye State. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich also addressed the group by video connection.
After weeks of being sidetracked by discussions about contraception, education and other issues, Santorum returned Monday to his criticism of Romney’s conservative record. He questioned whether conservative voters can trust Romney, highlighting the former Massachusetts governor’s health-care law in that state.
“The underlying problem that I hear when I talk to people all over — they say they just don’t trust Mitt Romney to not do what’s the fashionable thing at the moment,” Santorum said in a conference call with reporters. He argued that Romney had shifted with the political winds on issues including global warming and the individual mandate in his health-care plan.
Romney emphasized his economic message and business experience as key to taking on President Obama in the general election. Romney hopes a win in the quintessential swing state of Ohio might finally rally reluctant Republicans around his candidacy.
“I hope that I get the support of people here in Ohio tomorrow, and in other states across the country,” Romney said at a town hall meeting in Youngstown. “I believe if I do, I’ll get the nomination. And then we can start organizing our effort to make sure that we replace President Obama.”
Romney, who with Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) toured a factory in Canton that makes highway guardrails, said: “What I know is the economy. I’ve spent my life in the real economy. I understand why jobs come and why they go. Other people in this race have debated about the economy, they’ve read about the economy, they’ve talked about it in subcommittee meetings, but I’ve actually been in it.”

Complicating Santorum’s bid to become the last remaining Romney rival is Gingrich, who is heavily favored to win his home state of Georgia and is banking on victories there and perhaps in Tennessee to revive his candidacy.
Gingrich showed no signs of slowing down and rejected any suggestion that he may drop out of the contest. Addressing overflow crowds in Tennessee, he rallied supporters by pledging that he would bring the price of gas below $2.50 a gallon.
“Tuesday is going to be a mixed bag, and I think the race will go on,” Gingrich said on CNN. “There won’t be any decisive winner Tuesday.”
The stakes are also high for Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.), who campaigned in Idaho on Monday after stumping in Alaska on Sunday. His hope is to marshal loyal supporters in those two sparsely populated states to record his first primary victory of the year.
Romney, meanwhile, is hoping to win enough delegates in Tuesday’s contests to break away from the field. Aides said he anticipates winning a majority of the roughly 400 delegates up for grabs. He campaigned Sunday in Georgia and Tennessee, where other candidates are favored to win, because he could gain delegates that are awarded proportionally.
Monday in Ohio, Romney campaigned as a front-runner, repeatedly touting new endorsements from House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) and other leaders in the party establishment as evidence of a Republican consolidation.
Polls over the past couple of days show Romney opening a double-digit lead nationally. Surveys also show that he has the momentum in Ohio, although the race here remains essentially tied.
A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday shows Romney leading Santorum by 34 percent to 31 percent — within the margin of error. The same survey a week ago had Santorum leading Romney by 36 percent to 29 percent. A second poll released Monday, by Suffolk University, also showed the Ohio race within the margin of error, but with Santorum at 37 percent and Romney at 33 percent.
Romney’s advisers believe he is building support in Ohio because of a disciplined focus on the economy. “He’s boots on the ground in Ohio, conducting events, spreading his pro-jobs message,” senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom told reporters. “He’s not like other candidates, who get distracted by non-economic issues. He stays focused on the economy, and I think that more than anything else explains why he’s surging.”
Still, Romney’s team tried to tamp down expectations in Ohio, dismissing any suggestion that the candidate can’t afford to lose but arguing that a Santorum defeat would be harmful.
“I think it’s more damaging to Rick Santorum if he doesn’t win, because he’s been up even double-digits in the polls as recently as last week,” Portman told reporters. “So, the expectation is that Santorum will do very well here. And if he does not, then I think it’s more difficult for him to make the argument that he is able to win enough delegates to be the nominee.”

Patricia Heaton

Rush Limbaugh is losing advertisers for his radio show one after the other in the wake of his controversial comments about a Georgetown law student, and now he’s lost a prominent advocate on Twitter: Patricia Heaton.

The star of "The Middle" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" pulled an Alec Baldwin and temporarily deleted her Twitter account after siding with Limbaugh’s criticisms of Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke last week via a series of barbed tweets. She returned on Monday to apologize to Fluke.

On Feb. 29, the actress wrote, "Hey G-Town Gal: Plz let us also pay for your Starbucks, movie theater tickets and your favorite hot wings combo deal at KFC! Anything else?"

"Hey G-Town Gal: If your parents have to pay for your birth control, maybe they should get a say in who you sleep with! Instant birth control!"

"If every Tweaton sent Georgetown Gal one condom, her parents wouldn’t have to cancel basic cable, & she would never reproduce - sound good?"

The controversy began after Limbaugh called Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" after she advocated for expanded access to birth control. In the wake of those comments, Limbaugh has been blasted from nearly all quarters, including by Republican House Speaker John Boehner, and has shed a string of high-profile advertisers, including AOL.

Limbaugh publicly apologized, and so did Heaton, who offered her regrets Saturday before making her account inaccessible.

"Mea culpa Sandra! Wasn’t being respectful 2 u re my tweets as I hope people wd b w/me. Don’t like you being dissed -so sorry," she wrote.

She reiterated that apology again on Monday, telling readers, "I apologized to Ms Fluke last week. I may not agree with her views but I didn’t treat her with respect and I’m sorry. I was wrong. Mea Culpa."

Vincent Jackson

What could have been a loaded free agent wide receiver class lost some of its luster on Monday as two of the league’s top pass catchers were slapped with the franchise tag.

New England Patriots All-Pro Wes Welker and Kansas City Chiefs big-play man Dwayne Bowe were both tagged by their respective teams, joining Philadelphia Eagles speedster DeSean Jackson as potential free agents who will likely be staying up.

The San Diego Chargers were one of only 11 teams not to use their tag, and as a result, wide receiver Vincent Jackson will be an unrestricted free agent on March 13th — and he can expect plenty of offers.

While the Chargers would like to keep Jackson in San Diego, they used the tag on him last year and doing so again would require a salary-cap figure of about $13.7 million.

Now Jackson is free to explore his options, which may include the likes of the Redskins, Bears, Panthers, 49ers, Vikings, Seahawks and Bills.

The 29-year-old, two-time Pro Bowl selection caught 60 passes for 1,106 yards and nine touchdowns last season — his third 1,000-yard campaign in the last four years.

Other notable wideouts who may be on the move include Marques Colston (80-1,143-8), Brandon Lloyd (70-966-5) and Pierre Garcon (70-947-6).

What team would be the best fit for Jackson and where will the rest of these guys end up?

BuckyBalls

Payton Bushnell, a 3-year old toddler from Portland, Oregon, is in full recovery after undergoing emergency surgery to remove 37 Rare Earth Buckyballs magnets from her intestines.

The toddler’s parents thought Payton Bushnell had the flu when she wasn’t feeling well, but after her symptoms didn’t get better, they took her to the doctor. Doctors took an X-ray of her stomach when they saw a circle.

Payton’s mother, Kelli Bushnell said, “They saw a circle had formed in her stomach, and they thought she swallowed a bracelet.”

When the doctors tried to remove it from the toddler’s stomach, they then realized what they were dealing with and it wasn’t a bracelet. It was 37-high powered Buckyballs magnets that are meant for adults.

Sandy Nipper, R.N., from Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel’s Safety Store said, “In all the research I have done, I have never seen any child swallow more than 10 magnets.”

The doctors were able to remove the magnets during an invasive surgical procedure. By the time Payton Bushnell had surgery, the magnets had already damaged her lower intestine and ripped a small hole in her stomach, but they were able to repair the tears and holes in surgery.

Kelli Bushnell, Payton’s mother said, “I’m thinking that she kind of put two and two together and thought these look like what we put on Christmas cookies. If we had any idea what those magnets could have done to our daughter’s intestines I would have never had them in our house.”

On the Buckyballs website they state: “Buckyballs & Buckycubes are for adults only and must be kept away from all children under the age of 14. Buckyballs & Buckycubes are dangerous for kids because swallowed magnets can stick to intestines causing serious injury or death. Magnets should not be put in the nose or mouth. Buckyballs should never be used as tongue or nose rings as they can be accidentally swallowed.”

The company Buckyballs heard about the 3-year swallowing the magnets and posted on their website: “Buckyballs was saddened to learn that a 3-year old girl in Oregon had swallowed high-powered magnets, but we are relieved that she is expected to make a full recovery. This unfortunate incident underscores the fact that Buckyballs and Buckycubes are for adults. They are not toys and are not intended for children. We urge all consumers to read and comply with the warnings we place on all our products, on our website and in stores. Please keep these products out of the hands and reach of all children.”

Consumer Product Safety Commission has received 22 reports of magnet incidents involving children between the ages of 18 months and 15 years old since June 2009. In 11 incidents, the magnets had to be removed by surgery. Reports of incidents have increased since 2009. CPSC has reports of a single incident in 2009, seven in 2010 and 14 through October 2011.

Doctors say that if swallowed, magnets can cause symptoms such as pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

The rare-earth magnets are not intended to be used to mimic teenage body piercings. What you can do to avoid a magnet swallowing injury:

Keep small magnets and small pieces containing magnets away from young children who might swallow them.
Look out for loose magnet pieces – regularly inspect toys and children’s play areas for missing or dislodged magnets.

If you suspect that magnets have been swallowed:

Seek immediate medical attention.
Look for abdominal symptoms such as abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Note that in X-rays, multiple magnetic pieces may appear as a single object.

Earthquake San Francisco

San Francisco

Two small, back-to-back earthquakes shook San Francisco Bay area residents awake Monday morning but appeared to leave no serious damage or injury.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that a magnitude-3.5 quake struck at 5:33 a.m. about eight miles northeast of San Francisco in the city of El Cerrito. It was followed eight seconds later by a magnitude-4.0 temblor, said geophysicist Paul Caruso. The USGS originally reported that the first quake had a magnitude of 2.9.

The shaking was felt within a 60-mile radius, from Santa Rosa in the north to Santa Cruz in the south.

The California Highway Patrol, San Francisco police and El Cerrito police said they didn't receive any immediate reports of injury or damage.

Bay Area commuter trains were briefly delayed after the quake to inspect the tracks.

Seismologists said the quake appeared to occur on the Hayward Fault, a seismically active fault that runs along the eastern San Francisco Bay. A 2003 USGS report said the Hayward Fault had the highest chance -- 27 percent -- of producing a large earthquake of magnitude-6.7 or higher in the Bay Area within 30 years.

"We know that the Hayward Fault is the really important fault in the Bay Area," USGS seismologist David Schwartz told KGO-TV on Monday. "These earthquakes, these 4's, are just an indication of ongoing activity, ongoing stress on the fault. They do nothing to relieve the likelihood of something larger happening."

Overall, there was a 62 percent probability that the Bay Area would see a large quake by 2032, according to the report.

Vanessa Minnillo

Vanessa Minnillo and Nick Lachey are having a baby.

The Sing-Off host has revealed that Minnillo, who replaced Jill Wagner as the co-host of ABC's Wipeout this season, is pregnant with the couple's first child.

"We're having a baby!" Lachey told Live! with Kelly host Kelly Ripa during Monday's broadcast of the morning talk show.

"I've had the chance to do a lot of great things in my career and my life, but this is the one thing that more than any other I've looked forward to. The fact that it's actually here, and we're going through all these experiences, it's overwhelming."

While they don't know whether they are having a boy or a girl yet, Minnillo and Lachey -- who wed in a July 2011 ceremony that was later broadcast as a wedding special on TLC -- plan to learn the child's sex as soon as possible.

"We don't yet, but we definitely want to know. I can't take the knowledge that someone out there knows, but I don't know," Lachey told Ripa.

"It's like watching a sports game on TiVo -- I can't do it! If it's live, have to see it live."

Lachey and Minnillo began dating in 2006 and got engaged in November 2010 following a brief breakup in 2009.

Rush Limbaugh

Only a small percentage of voters see it as a constant source of information on elections, but Twitter has an important role in political communication - U.S. House race

Some days it was quite a desirable job in American journalism: the accompaniment of a presidential candidate during the election campaign. "The boys on the bus" (other - that women journalists also joined) swung Although long days between centers at a crossroads in the house - Fathers distant suburb, but close proximity to a politician trying to get to - White produced quite a few stories, sometimes even books. This was also when a chartered plane replaced the bus. But in recent years The spell was broken. candidate himself has not finished the day a frank conversation with reporters on a bottle of beer in a motel on the road. oiled system of communication consultants motivated such meetings. candidate may emit forbid something embarrassing, or deviate from pages of messages, Perry meticulously planned marketing strategy.

This year's even more frustration among reporters, now called "embedded" (embeds), a term borrowed reporters attached to American military units during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Embedded politics often feel unnecessary. Some candidates just ignore them, preferring to manage the media discourse over their heads. Mitt Romney, for example, generally chooses the favorable stage of the Fox network - Conservative News, answering questions on traveling reporters with him. Other candidates send their messages to the world through social networking.

In recent days CNN reported on "almost a revolt" among members of the media Shutmo Romney's entourage, having failed to persuade the candidate to answer their questions. All they wanted was to hear his reaction to the controversial statement of the radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh. Broadcaster's venomous tongue ultra - conservative sent her last week of Law student Sandra Plock, calling President Obama to commit to his health care reform will ensure easy availability to women about contraception. "Slut," Limbaugh called her, and the media storm.

Romney did not really want to get into this fray. He was entrapped: moderate Republicans, who disliked his style of limbo, expecting the Romanian condemn the statement affordable. On the other hand, a bad word about Limbaugh could complicate it with unbridled radio man, the darling of the right wing in the Republican Party. Romney chose to avoid microphones and cameras. It was the same as Jim Acosta, political correspondent of CNN, asked for his reaction. Romney simply ignored. Acosta did not give up: He reported on Twitter on Romney's embarrassing silence.

Other reporters have duplicated the chirp, quoted in blogs and online news sites. Within hours, almost pushed Romney's wavering story the words of Limbaugh agenda of the media and political consultants. Candidate condemnation silent, afraid to speak his mind, had a circulation of hundreds of thousands of chirps.

Finally understood that the assault Romanian Twitter will not let him remain silent. He chose to put it mildly. "I'll say this: I would not use such language," said the chattering of limbo. Home - the White quipped on Twitter David Axelrod, senior adviser to President Obama: "Indeed, the profile of courage", to paraphrase the name of John F. Kennedy's book on the American role models. And another adviser of the President joined him tweet: "There, that's leadership".

At least in the media community - political, Twitter is already portrayed as one of the big winners of the elections in 2012. There are those who believe that pushing the twitter network Yo - Reclamation, which was a major player in the previous election. Then, in 2008, many candidates made use of short video clips to deliver messages, respond to statements made by opponents and conduct two - dialogue with selected video clips raised for and against candidates. Twitter was just a beginning of his career; year is one of the main channels, and no political actor can not ignore. The connection between the messages of 140 characters is almost natural campaign, an era when political platform shrinks Lsaondbeit brief like "read my lips", or "Yes we can".

But like all other social networks, Twitter is also a complex challenge for politicians. Romanian candidates not only have trouble dealing with attacks tweeter. Aides and advisers of politicians in the race forced to make-up of 24 hours a day after chirping, that crop up on statements or quotations should not ignore them. Viral distribution overwhelms the political space quickly and efficiently that were not previously known. Each camp must know to take advantage of the Twitter-initiated distribution of information, but also required to be set at any moment to repel attacks.

Twitter plays a key role not only in political communication in the campaign. President Barack Obama comes out from time to time B"bmtkft Twitter "in which he asks his supporters to squeak support during changes in tax laws in the United - States or the health insurance issue. Also said Obama's support in his speech at the AIPAC conference was immediately echoed very well. His Twitter account, run - hands down his re-election campaign, there were 12,826,290 followers earlier this week, and he follows the 861,518 Tziitznim. So on - from the site "political twittering "The Center addresses updated Twitter and twittering of hundreds of American politicians.

Still, should not be overly enthusiastic renewal. Twitter scored him a central place among journalists, politicians, consultants and publicists, but as a source of political information to the general public during the election campaign is still shuffling behind. Survey conducted in January - the Pew Research Institute found that only two percent of respondents reported that they regularly use Twitter as a source of information on the election. Other social networks also receive lower rates of use of the - according to the survey: 6% on Facebook, 3% Bio - reclamation.

On - According to Pew, the first place a permanent source for information about the election is still in television: cable television networks (36%), local news (32%) and national news networks (26%). Internet for the first time urged the printed press in the second place: 25% of respondents said they rely primarily on the network, and only 20% still get their information mainly local newspapers (The percentages add up to more than 100% because some respondents showed more than one central source of information) .

Compared to previous elections, all media except the Internet, are in decline as a source of primary information. Use of the Internet to follow up regularly after the election by one percent compared to elections in 2008. But even this media is the main use of mobile sites and applications of established media and traditional, such as CNN.

Another prominent figure emerging from the survey is a general reduction in the public's interest rate election compared to 2008. The reason for this, so explain, lies in the fact that now only the struggle within the Republican Party, unlike the previous election, in which both parties choose new candidates at the end of the double tenure of George W. Bush. When the games so far only about half the lot, no wonder that even Twittered do not wake up the audience.