June 14 - Report: Obama's Africa trip could cost $60-$100 million

Presidential trips are expensive, and President Obama's journey to Africa this month will in no way be an exception. The Washington Post estimates that Obama's Africa trip could cost $60 million to $100 million, citing a person familiar with the details who cited previous presidential missions to Africa. A more precise estimate is impossible because details about the president's security are classified. "The infrastructure that accompanies the president's travels is beyond our control," said Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, to the Post. "The security requirements are not White House-driven, they are Secret Service-driven." Also reports the Post: "Hundreds of U.S. Secret Service agents will be dispatched to secure facilities in Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. A Navy aircraft carrier or amphibious ship, with a fully staffed medical trauma center, will be stationed offshore in case of an emergency. "Military cargo planes will airlift in 56 support vehicles, including 14 limousines and three trucks loaded with sheets of bullet­proof glass to cover the windows of the hotels where the first family will stay. Fighter jets will fly in shifts, giving 24-hour coverage over the president's airspace, so they can intervene quickly if an errant plane gets too close. "The elaborate security provisions -- which will cost the government tens of millions of dollars -- are outlined in a confidential internal planning document obtained by The Washington Post. "While the preparations appear to be in line with similar travels in the past, the document offers an unusual glimpse into the colossal efforts to protect the U.S. commander in chief on trips abroad." posted by Dara

June 14 - Double giant flags mark Flag Day in Sandy

Two huge American flags were raised simultaneously Friday at the corporate headquarters of Colonial Flag and Challenger School, marking Flag Day and the flag’s 236th birthday. Colonial Flag, a flag manufacturer, has had a 120-foot giant flagpole at its Sandy offices for more than 15 years, flying a 30 foot by 60 foot flag, the company said in a statement. It was joined last year by a twin 120-foot flagpole across the street on 9400 South, at the new corporate headquarters for Challenger School, which has 23 private schools in California, Idaho, Nevada, Texas and Utah. Challenger School founder Barbara Baker, who passed away last fall, was adamant about placing flag poles prominently at all of the company’s campuses, it said in a statement. When she designed the Sandy offices, she wanted the flag and pole to be as big as the city would allow, it said. The companies planned a brief ceremony to mark Flag Day, including the flag raising and music from the Ogden High Honor Choir. Flag Day honors the June 14, 1777, resolution from the Continental Congress that created the American flag. It read: "Resolved, that the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation." President Woodrow Wilson established a national Flag Day in 1916. The current version of the flag dates to July 4, 1960, when Hawaii became the 50th state, according to America’s Story, a website by the Library of Congress. posted by Dara

June 12 - New Human Body Part Discovered

The newest addition to human anatomy is just 15 microns thick, but its discovery will make eye surgery safer and simpler. Harminder Dua, a professor at the University of Nottingham, recently found a new layer in the human cornea, and he's calling it (can you guess?) Dua's layer. Dua's layer sits at the back of the cornea, which previously had only five known layers. Dua and his colleagues discovered the new body part by injecting air into the corneas of eyes that had been donated for research and using an electron microscope to scan each separated layer. The researchers now believe that a tear in Dua's layer is the cause of corneal hydrops, a disorder that leads to fluid buildup in the cornea. According to Dua, knowledge of the new layer could dramatically improve outcomes for patients undergoing corneal grafts and transplants. “This is a major discovery that will mean that ophthalmology textbooks will literally need to be re-written," Dua says. “From a clinical perspective, there are many diseases that affect the back of the cornea which clinicians across the world are already beginning to relate to the presence, absence or tear in this layer.” posted by Dara

June 12 - New 'time cloak' can hide almost half of the data in its path, but even recipients can't see it

When temporal cloaking devices — or "time cloaks," a type of fiber optic connection that can hide the transfer of data — were first proposed in a 2010 paper, they were only able to hide data for extraordinarily brief moments and only on rare occasions. But research published today in Nature is making a big leap forward. Researchers at Purdue University have now determined a method that hides data 46 percent of the time, and it even works at the full speed of common fiber optic networks. The cloaking technology is still in its very early stages, but it could eventually be used to secure sensitive information and to advance common communication tools. The two waves hide one another The cloaking device works by making inverse waves of data overlap, effectively having a positive and a negative bit balance out to nothing. This gives the appearance to onlookers that no data was being transmitted at all — unfortunately, right now it also has the effect of leaving the data unretrievable. "We erased the data-adding event entirely from history," Joseph Lukens, the study's lead author, told Nature. "There’s no way that data could be sent as a useful message to anyone, even a genuine recipient." Despite the major fault, physicist Martin McCall — who originally proposed time cloaks, but was not involved in the new study — believes that further research will be able to rectify the data's total disappearance. McCall told Nature that Lukens' work "brings temporal cloaks within reach of practical applications." Clearly, there's a long way to go, but the new research serves as an important proof of concept for the technology. posted by Dara

May 31 - Pig using wheelchair becomes an inspiration

In many circumstances, a piglet without the use of its hind legs would be put down. But Chris P. Bacon's unusual condition has made him an international star and an inspiration to those with disabilities. When Chris was born in Florida, a woman brought him into Len Lucero's veterinary office, assuming the animal would be euthanized. But Lucero noticed how the little pig pulled himself along with his front legs. Lucero says he couldn't euthanize the pig and brought it home. Lucero built a wheelchair out of some of his son's toys so Chris could move around, then found a dog-sized harness and cart. Chris is now 22 pounds and inspires people around the world. His Facebook page and website recently helped him land a three-book publishing deal. posted by Dara

May 30 - Oprah Winfrey tells Harvard graduates to learn from their failures

No, Oprah Winfrey did not say at Harvard that "You will get a diploma, and you will get a diploma, and the whole audience will get diplomas." But in receiving an honorary degree she did tell graduates that they should learn from their failures. "Oh my goodness. I'm at HAAAARVARD!" she said, kicking off her speech. "Not too many girls from rural Mississippi have made it all the way here to Cambridge. ... I consider today to be a defining milestone." USA Today said that she realized "while I may not have graduated from here, my personality is about as Harvard as they come." She went on to cite her career in television, "pushing, pushing, pushing myself." Expect failure at some point in your lives, Winfrey said to Harvard's graduating class on Thursday afternoon. How you deal with difficulty will ultimately define your success, she added, according to philly.com. "It doesn't matter how far you might rise because at some point you might stumble," she said before the sea of students dressed in black and crimson robes. "There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction," added the extremely successful media mogul, who cited her first year at OWN as an experience that left her "stressed" and "frustrated." Though it would not be a story worth sharing without a triumphant ending: "I have turned that network around!" she exclaimed. "Learn from every mistake," Winfrey said. "Each mistake will force you to learn who you really are. Then figure out what's the next, right move." Oprah took the crowd through her journey from rural Mississippi to Cambridge and the many places (and faces) in between, EW.com reported. She declared that her speech was for those who "felt screwed by life." posted by Dara

May 30 - Two small tornadoes hit Oklahoma; third hits Arkansas

Hard-hit Oklahoma is hunkering down for another round of tornadoes after a severe storm system caused two small twisters Thursday afternoon. The Weather Service said a tornado touched ground Thursday near the town of Perkins in northeast Oklahoma. A second tornado was reported near Ripley, about 10 miles to the east. There were no immediate reports of injuries. A third twister was reported near Oden, Arkansas, a rural area in the western part of the state, injuring at least one resident whose home was destroyed. The Weather Service said the threat of tornadoes for eastern Oklahoma and northwest and west-central Arkansas remains through Thursday night; tennis-ball-size hail, strong wind and isolated flooding are a concern. "Right now we've been getting a few thunderstorms, but they're very severe supercell thunderstorms," says meteorologist Michael Scotten. "The whole storm rotates, and they produce on occasion some tornadoes and heavy hail." Oklahoma is still reeling from the devastating May 20 twister that hit the city of Moore, killing 24 and injuring more than 250. Severe weather was also possible in other parts of the central United states, including parts of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Ongoing thunderstorms had already dumped up to 5 inches of rainfall in some areas of the region, which could lead to flooding later Thursday. The weather delay the start of the outdoor Wakarusa Music Festival north of Ozark, Ark. About 15,000 attending the festival took shelter in their vehicles while a storm passed. posted by Dara

May 23 - Boy Scouts voting on end to ban on gay members

Delegates voted Thursday afternoon at a resort in Grapevine, Texas, on overturning the Boy Scouts of America's ban on gay members. No protests were reported at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Gravevine, USA Today reported. On Wednesday evening, supporters of the ban, many of them carrying signs with slogans like "Keep Scouts Morally Straight," stood outside. If the ban is overturned, open homosexual adults will still be barred from volunteer or paid positions in the BSA, The Dallas Morning News said. About 2,000 delegates and officials were at the hotel for the meeting. The results of the vote are scheduled to be announced at 5:15 p.m., local time, (6:15 p.m. EDT). Barry Price, 68, of Grapevine, a businessman and former Boy Scout who joined Wednesday's protest, told the Los Angeles Times ending the ban on gays would be the end of the Boy Scouts. But a petition to change the rules picked up 1.8 million signatures, far more than a petition to keep the ban. Zach Wahls, 21, an Idaho Eagle Scout who has lesbian mothers and helped gather signatures for the first petition, said the organization is now in a "conversation" on gays in scouting. "That being said, we want full inclusion -- ending the ban on gay youth and leaders," he told the Times. posted by Dara

May 23 - Study finds for first time frogs and other amphibians declining around US at alarming rate

A new study has determined for the first time just how quickly frogs and other amphibians are disappearing around the United States, and the news is not good. The U.S. Geological Study says populations of frogs, salamanders and toads have been vanishing from occupied sites at a rate of 3.7 percent a year. That puts them on a path to disappearing from half the occupied sites nationwide in 20 years. USGS ecologist Michael Adams says the alarming news is that even species thought to be doing OK are declining, though at a slower rate. It has been known that amphibians are in trouble around the world from a killer fungus, habitat loss and a changing climate, but this is the first time that decline has been measured. posted by Dara

May 17 - The Mystery of the 'Immaculately Conceived' Baby Anteater

Confused Connecticut conservation officers are wondering how a female anteater, who has given birth at the centre, conceived without a male in the pen.

Officials at the LEO Zoological Conservation Center tell the Greenwich Time they had removed the only male anteater from the enclosure in August, long before the six-month gestation period for baby Archie would have begun.

They feared that male, Alf, would kill another baby in the pen.

That left the mother Armani, and the young female, Alice, in the enclosure.

But little Archie was born in April anyway.

Marcella Leone, founder and director of the conservation center, suspects this might be a rare case of delayed implantation, when fertilized eggs remain dormant in the uterus for a period of time.

posted by Dara

North Korea to cut all channels with South

SEOUL (Reuters) - Reclusive North Korea is to cut the last channel of communications with the South because war could break out at "any moment", it said on Wednesday, days of after warning the United States and South Korea of nuclear attack.

The move is the latest in a series of bellicose threats from North Korea in response to new U.N. sanctions imposed after its third nuclear test in February and to "hostile" military drills under way joining the United States and South Korea.

The North has already stopped responding to calls on the hotline to the U.S. military that supervises the heavily armed Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the Red Cross line that has been used by the governments of both sides.

"Under the situation where a war may break out at any moment, there is no need to keep north-south military communications which were laid between the militaries of both sides," the North's KCNA news agency quoted a military spokesman as saying.

"There do not exist any dialogue channel and communications means between the DPRK and the U.S. and between the north and the south."

The Pentagon condemned the latest escalation in North Korean rhetoric, with spokesman George Little calling Pyongyang's declaration "yet another provocative and unconstructive step."

The U.S. military announced on March 15 it was bolstering missile defenses in response to threats from the North, including a threat to conduct a preemptive nuclear strike against the United States.

Despite the shrill rhetoric, few believe North Korea, formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), will risk starting a full-out war.

North and South Korea are still technically at war anyway after their 1950-53 civil conflict ended with an armistice, not a treaty, which the North says it has since torn to pieces.

The "dialogue channel" is used on a daily basis to process South Koreans who work in the Kaesong industrial project where 123 South Korean firms employ more than 50,000 North Koreans to make household goods.
- 03/27/2013 from George - Viewfinder's

338,000,000 Powerball

PASSAIC, N.J. (AP) — The winner of a $338 million Powerball jackpot told several media outlets Monday that his first priority will be helping his family.

Pedro Quezada, 44, entered Eagle Liquors store, where the ticket was sold, late Monday afternoon. The Passaic store owner ran Quezada's ticket through the lottery machine to validate that it was a winner as a newspaper and television outlets recorded the moment.

The New Jersey Lottery confirmed that the winning ticket was validated at the store at 4:30 p.m. Monday, but officials said they didn't yet know the winner's name.

Quezada, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, told reporters in Spanish that he was "very happy" and that he intends to help his family.

His wife, Ines Sanchez, told The Record in Bergen County that Quezada called her with the news Monday afternoon.

"I still can't believe it," she said. "We never expected it but thank God."

The numbers drawn Saturday were 17, 29, 31, 52, 53 and Powerball 31. A lump sum payout would be $221 million, or about $152 million after taxes. It's the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

The family's apartment sits at the end of a short dead end block that abuts a highway in Passaic, 15 miles northwest of New York City. Neighbors spoke with pride that one of their own had struck it rich.

Eladia Vazquez has lived across the street from Quezada's building for the past 25 years. The block has a half-dozen three-story brick apartment buildings on each side, and Vazquez says it's a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, including what car they drive and what parking space they use.

Vazquez described Quezada and his wife as "quiet and not overly talkative" but sensed that they seemed to be working all the time.

"This is super for all of us on this block," she said. "They deserve it because they are hardworking people."

Alberto Liranzo, who lives two floors below Quezada, said the lottery winner has five children and owns a bodega in Passaic.

Dominican immigrant Jose Gonzalez said he barbecues and plays domino with Quezada in the summers in a backyard on their street.

"He sometimes would work from six in the morning to 11 at night, so I did not see him much," Gonzalez said in Spanish. "I am happy for him. ... I don't know where he is now but I imagine he will drop by to say hi to his friends."

Richard Delgado, who lives down the block from Quezada's building, also described Quezada as "a hard worker, like all of us here. We all get up in the morning and go to work."

Delgado said he got up Sunday morning and was going to take his dog for a walk when he heard the radio announce the Powerball results.

"When I heard there was one winner and it was in New Jersey, I immediately went and checked my tickets," Delgado said. "I wanted to be that guy."

When asked what it would be like to suddenly win such a large amount, Delgado said a person would have to set priorities.

"No. 1 is your health, because if you don't have that, the rest doesn't matter," he said. "No. 2 is your family. You take care of your own and live the rest of your life in peace. That's all anyone can do."
- 03/25/2013 from George - Viewfinder's

Cyprus Bailout

The latest European bailout is blowing up.
Two days after the European Union revealed a €10 billion rescue for Cyprus, the tiny island nation said its banks would not reopen at least until Thursday to give it more time to win the backing of parliament for a controversial tax on deposits.
The unprecedented tax on bank deposits led to a run on cash machines in Cyprus over the weekend. It also spooked investors, who feared that other weak eurozone states could eventually be forced down the same path, despite EU statements to the contrary.
Shares across the region fell Monday, and banks were hit particularly hard. The prices of government bonds across southern Europe also fell, pushing up yields. There were no signs of bank runs in other European countries, including Italy and Spain.
"The contagion from Cyprus is fairly limited but there is a tail risk that this measure could backfire," wrote Berenberg Bank analysts in a note.
As part of the plan to rescue Cyprus' outsized banking sector and head off national default, the EU said deposits of more than €100,000 would be subject to a one-off levy of 9.9%. Smaller depositors would be subject to a levy of 6.75%.
It was the first time that the EU has insisted on such terms for bank depositors as part of a bailout. The EU's bailouts of other nations, such as Greece, have been accompanied by strict budget restrictions and led to losses for bond holders and shareholders.
Related: 5 reasons why Cyprus bailout matters
Parliament had been due to vote on the plan Monday -- a bank holiday in Cyprus -- with the tax due to take effect Tuesday. But officials were working on changes to the proposals to force richer savers to bear a bigger share of the cost, reducing the burden on those with less than €100,000 in deposits.
The speaker of the parliament confirmed that the debate had been delayed until Tuesday, with a vote tentatively scheduled for midday ET.
After an emergency meeting on Monday, eurozone officials generally stuck to their guns. The reform plan approved on Saturday "is the best guarantee for a more prosperous future for Cyprus and its citizens," EU officials said.
The EU officials also said they would endorse a change to the original bailout plan that shielded small bank customers more than the proposal.
Either way, analysts said the levy set a dangerous precedent and could undermine depositors' belief that their savings are safe.
"The Cyprus deal may prompt Europeans to question that," wrote financial markets analyst and blogger Louise Cooper. "A fundamental safeguard to Europe's banking industry has been compromised for a tiny country costing 10-20 billion euros to bailout -- not a good trade."
The bailout, while small compared to the emergency loans supporting other troubled European nations like Greece, represents more than half the size of the €18 billion Cyprus economy. Cyprus is the third smallest economy in the eurozone, bigger only than Malta and Estonia.
The problem is its banking sector, which is several times the size of the economy. The country made a formal request for help last June after its banks were decimated by losses on Greek debt -- losses that caused lending to stall and sent the economy into a deep recession.
Negotiations on a bailout stalled last year after a previous government objected to the conditions that international lenders were looking to attach. They restarted following the election of President Nicos Anastasiades last month.
Related: Europe financial sector is fragile, says IMF
EU concerns about money laundering also hampered progress on a bailout. Cypriot banks have large volumes of international deposits, with Russian businesses believed to hold about $19 billion, according to ratings agency Moody's. As part of the bailout deal, Cyprus has agreed to an international anti-money laundering audit.
Russia has come to Cyprus' aid in the past, providing a €2.5 billion loan in 2011 to shore up government finances, but its participation in the new rescue was looking uncertain Monday after President Vladimir Putin attacked the tax on bank deposits.
"If such a decision was made, it would be unfair, unprofessional and dangerous," Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying.
In addition, a finance ministry spokesman said Russia was reviewing its position after not being consulted on the decision to impose the levy.
The International Monetary Fund was expected to contribute to the deal as it has in others. Christine Lagarde, the fund's managing director, said Saturday that she supports the terms and would recommend that the IMF help provide financing for it.
In addition to the tax on bank deposits, other conditions for the bailout loans include an overhaul of the financial sector and an increase in corporate taxes.
Cyprus is the fourth of 17 eurozone states to be granted a bailout by its EU partners and the IMF, after Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Spain has been given EU assistance to rescue its banks, but has so far avoided asking for a full sovereign bailout.
- 03/19/2013 from George - Viewfinder's

Feds charge Reuters employee with hacking

social media editor for the Reuters news agency was charged Thursday with conspiring with the hacker group "Anonymous" to hack into and alter an online Tribune Company news story, the Justice Department said. The Los Angeles Times reported that the case involved an attempt to change an online version of one of its stories. Matthew Keys, 26, of Secaucus, N.J., was named in an indictment in the Eastern District of California. He was charged with one count each of transmitting information to damage a protected computer, attempted transmission and conspiracy, the Justice Department said. Keys worked for a Sacramento television station, KTXL Fox 40, as a web producer until he was fired in October 2010, the department said. The station and Los Angeles Times are owned by the Tribune company. A spokesman for Thomson Reuters Corp. declined comment, the Associated Press reported. The indictment alleges that two months after leaving the TV station, Keys provided members of the hacker group Anonymous with log-in credentials to a Tribune Co. computer server. The Justice Department said Keys identified himself as a former Tribune employee during an Internet forum chat and provided the Anonymous group with a login and password, then allegedly encouraged group members to disrupt the website. The indictment alleges that at least one computer hacker used the credentials provided by Keys to log into the Tribune server and make changes to the web version of a Los Angeles Times story. The Times displayed on its website a Dec. 14, 2010 story from its Washington bureau that appeared to have been altered. The story, involving congressional action on taxes, had the words "CHIPPY 1337" inserted in the headline and other changes. If convicted, Keys faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count. - 03/14/2013 from Dara

Carnival to fly passengers home after another cruise failure

Carnival Cruise Lines will fly all passengers on one of its cruises back to Florida after the ship suffered a generator failure while docked in the Caribbean. The experience on the Carnival Dream became something of a nightmare for some passengers Wednesday when power went off, some toilets stopped working, and no one was allowed to get off the vessel even though the ship was docked at Philipsburg, St. Maarten, in the eastern Caribbean. Although power had been restored and facilities were functioning again, the ship still couldn't leave port. Cruise passengers received a letter from the captain, according to a passenger who e-mailed a photo of the correspondence to CNN. Captain Massimo Marino told passengers they will be booked on flights to Orlando or another destination. Passengers with cars at Port Canaveral will be bused from Orlando to the facility about an hour away. The letter also offers passengers a three-day refund and a half-price cruise in the future. The captain said passengers could "enjoy another day in beautiful St. Maarten" or stay onboard for a "full schedule" of activities. "We sincerely apologize for the disappointment this unexpected change has caused and regret we were unable to provide you with the fun and memorable cruise vacation we had in store for you," he wrote. In a written statement, Carnival said the ship's emergency diesel generator failed. The ships next voyage was canceled, the cruise line said. Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said Thursday that 4,300 guests were aboard the Dream along with about 1,300 crew members. Carnival's website puts the ship's capacity at 3,646 passengers, but that's based on only two people per cabin, and some cabins hold more, Gulliksen explained. There are also three- and four-person cabins aboard. Kris Anderson, a passenger on the ship and reporter for CNN affiliate WREG, said Thursday that passengers have been told they will be allowed off the ship to enjoy the island while flight arrangements are made. On Tuesday, Carnival announced it was conducting "a comprehensive review" of all of its 23 ships after a fire last month that crippled one of its ships in the Gulf of Mexico, leaving passengers stranded for days while the vessel was towed back to land. Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill said the probe will focus on the prevention, detection and suppression of fires, engine room redundancies, and what additional hotel facilities might be provided and might run off the emergency generators. His comments, posted on Carnival's website, were made at an annual cruise industry conference in Miami. - 03/14/2013 from Dara

Colorado movie theater shooting suspect was hospitalized, restrained

Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes was taken from jail to the psychiatric ward of a hospital in November because he was considered a danger to himself, and he was frequently held in restraints while hospitalized, according to a court document released Friday. The document said Holmes was taken to Denver Health Medical Center on Nov. 15 because he was "in immediate need of a psychiatric evaluation." It said he was held there for several days. The document also described an earlier incident in which Holmes was hospitalized for "potential self-inflicted head injuries in his cell." It did not say when that incident occurred. The revelations heighten expectations that Holmes would plead not guilty by reason of insanity on Tuesday, his next scheduled court appearance. Holmes' lawyers said on Nov. 14 that he had been taken to a hospital but did not say why. It's not clear if that was the same incident that the new document said occurred on Nov. 15 or the earlier incident. The hospitalizations were disclosed in a motion by Holmes' lawyers asking the judge to order investigators to preserve hospital surveillance video of the November incident. Holmes faces multiple counts of murder and attempted murder in the July 20 shootings in the Denver suburb of Aurora. Twelve people were killed and 70 injured. His mental health has been mentioned with increasing frequency in court documents and hearings, and last week, defense attorneys publicly acknowledged for the first time that they were considering an insanity plea. That would have both benefits and risks for Holmes. If he were found not guilty by reason of insanity, he would avoid prison or execution. Even though he could be sent to the state mental hospital indefinitely, he might be released someday if doctors find he is no longer insane. But under Colorado law, an insanity plea means prosecutors would have access to potentially incriminating evidence such as mental health records. If Holmes simply pleads not guilty, prosecutors would not have access to that evidence. But that plea would remove the possibility of being committed to the mental hospital. Regardless of whether he pleads insanity, Holmes could get the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole if he were convicted. Prosecutors have not said if they will seek the death penalty. They must declare their intentions within 60 days of the day Holmes enters his plea. Last week, Holmes' lawyers asked the judge hearing the case, William Sylvester, to declare a state law on the insanity plea unconstitutional, saying it violated his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. They also said they could not give Holmes effective advice on how to plead because of questions they had about the insanity law. In a ruling released Friday, Sylvester refused to declare the law unconstitutional, saying appeals courts already have upheld it. He also said he would not address "hypothetical" questions raised by the defense. Sylvester granted one defense request, for a written explanation of the consequences of pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. - 03/08/2013 from Dara

Gun owners arming themselves with lawyers even before shots are fired

Beyond guilt or innocence, the case against Florida murder suspect George Zimmerman will undoubtedly leave him broke.

The controversial concealed handgun license holder made headlines last spring when he claimed he killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in self-defense during a violent scuffle. Zimmerman hasn’t worked in the year since the shooting and faces a mountain of debt to avoid a possible 25 years to life in prison.

“He’s going through $1 million of costs, and his life is being destroyed because he acted properly in the use of his weapon,” his attorney, Mark O’Mara, told Yahoo News. “Other people need to learn a very expensive lesson from George, in that you need to be careful even when you use your weapon properly.”

Gun owners seem to be heeding the message that, even in self-defense, pulling the trigger can be a costly proposition. Exact stats aren’t kept, but anecdotal evidence points to more gun owners proactively seeking legal assistance.

Around the country, a growing number of attorneys and gun-rights groups now offer prepaid legal plans for self-defense shootings. The programs, which are sold as either insurance or legal services, range from $100 to $300 a year and vary in coverage. Some reimburse set amounts for attorney fees, while others are like having a lawyer on retainer.

In Texas, 49,000 gun owners have signed on with the legal defense program U.S. Law Shield in less than four years. The firm made up of gun-rights attorneys recently expanded to Florida and Oklahoma. Last year, the NRA began selling self-defense coverage to its members. Oklahoma City attorney Doug Friesen now markets his prepaid services at YourGunLawyer.com.

“For the first time in the last year, we’re seeing people buying guns because they are genuinely afraid of what can happen in life to them,” said Friesen, who offers single coverage and family plans. “And they are saying something bad can happen if I’m not prepared to defend myself. I think it’s that reality.”

Zimmerman, whose parents are mixed-race, did not have a prepaid legal plan. He and his wife were living paycheck to paycheck when the volunteer neighborhood watchman shot Martin, who is black, during a violent scuffle in their gated Sanford, Fla., community, O’Mara said.

“No savings, no nothing, so they are well worse than broke,” the attorney said. “It’s a great idea that gun owners have some type of insurance coverage to protect themselves from the liability of their weapon and from having to defend their actions.”

While O’Mara has vowed to represent his client without compensation if necessary, he said at least $30,000 a month in donations is needed for experts, security and other expenses. Zimmerman now sends autographed thank-you notes to donors of his legal defense fund.

“We’re at the point now where we need money to literally survive,” O’Mara said.

Media attention and the circumstances of his case have made Zimmerman’s legal fight extremely expensive, but legal experts agree that even routine gun cases can escalate from thousands to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

For $10.95 a month, U.S. Law Shield clients get criminal and civil representation for any gun-related charge as long as the member was lawfully carrying the weapon. Exclusions vary by state but could include incidents occurring in a bar, hospital or at a school sporting event.

While not all calls involve actual shootings, U.S. Law Shield attorney Kirk Evans said the phone rings with new cases nearly every day.

“Part of the benefit hopefully is getting cases dismissed earlier or getting you no-billed at the grand jury,” Evans said.

One of his cases that went to trial involved a motorcyclist whose money was falling out of his pockets on the freeway. The man shot at people who were attempting to steal his cash before he could scoop it back up.

“He plea-bargained to attempted obstruction of a highway, which is a Class C misdemeanor,” Evans told Yahoo News. “He did not receive a complete acquittal, but he sure as heck didn’t get convicted of attempted murder or assault with a deadly weapon.”

Texas attorney Philip Hilder scoffs at the defense-by-subscription trend.

“There is no rule of thumb,” said Hilder, a former prosecutor who now defends criminals. “Every case is going to be fact-specific. What they are charging is unrealistic. You get what you pay for.”

Staying out of jail is one thing, but gun owners are also being warned about being sued by people they’ve shot.

The NRA’s self-defense plan, priced at $165 and $254 a year, includes liability insurance in addition to civil and criminal defense. Options include $100,000 and $250,000 limits.

“It does not surprise me that the products are out there,” said Amy Bach, co-founder of United Policyholders, a nonprofit advocate for insurance consumers.

Homeowner policies seldom pay for shootings, she said.

“Insurance is supposed to cover accidents, not when you do something on purpose,” Bach said. “If I were a gun owner, which I am not, I would consider this a worthwhile expense.” - 03/06/2013 from Rebeka

Scientists tag 2,000-pound great white shark near Florida surf spot

Florida surfers who ride waves at Mayport Poles might find this news a little unsettling, but scientists sure were delighted to have tagged and released a large great white shark Sunday afternoon immediately beyond the popular surf spot, in only 25 feet of water.

It's the first time a great white has been tagged in the Jacksonville area, Chris Fisher, founder of Ocearch, told the Florida Times-Union. Mayport Poles is named after the nearby Mayport Naval Station.

The shark measured 14 feet, 6 inches, and weighed 2,000 pounds. It was given the name Lydia and, after its tag was fitted and tissue samples and a blood work were taken, the shark was lowered from the research vessel's tagging cradle and turned loose.

Ocearch stated on its Facebok page: "After days of relentless determination, the OCEARCH team was able to successfully tag and release the first great white shark off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. Meet Lydia, weighing in at approx. 2,000 lbs at 14 ft, 6 in!"

The same researchers tagged a much larger great white, weighing nearly 3,500 pounds, last September off Cape Cod. That shark, named Mary Lee, appeared close to the Jacksonville coast last January and is presently much farther offshore, southwest of Bermuda.

It's hoped that the long-term tracking study will enable scientists to learn more about the movements of white sharks off the East Coast.

Of Lydia's close proximity to shore Sunday, Greg Skomal of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries told the Times-Union: "These sharks have probably been doing this for eons."

Skomal, who is part of the Ocearch effort, added that despite the great white's fearsome reputation, "the sharks have been pretty much going undetected."

People can check on the movements of sharks tagged by Ocearch via its website, and receive updates via its Facebook page. They can read more about the capture of Lydia via the expedition blog. - 03/06/2013 from Rebeka