Editorial Takes on the National Flood Insurance Program

National Blog Helping coastal communities address weather and climate hazards. National Blog Not from any of these states? Please click here to find out more information about getting StormSmart Coasts in your state.

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Source: http://us.stormsmart.org/2012/11/29/editorial-takes-on-the-national-flood-insurance-program/

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Overtime Attorney Blog ? Personal Injury Attorneys Vs. General ...

Personal Injury Attorneys Vs. General Attorneys

Anyone who has recently experienced an auto accident, an injury due to medical malpractice, or even a workplace injury will want to contact an attorney to help protect their rights.? However, many people are confused about what type of lawyer to contact.? Some search for general attorneys and some search for personal injury attorneys.? In order to decide which type of lawyer to pursue, it is important to understand the education, training, and experience of both types of lawyers.

General Attorneys

A general attorney has a broad scope to their practice.? They can take several different types of cases such as family law, property law, employment law, bankruptcy, financial law, and personal injury law, as well as many other areas.? They have some experience in each area that they practice, but do not have one area in which they specialize.? Such a wide range of practice can sometimes impact their performance in each area of the law.

Personal Injury Attorneys

In contrast,?personal injury lawyers are educated and licensed so that they can practice in almost any field of the law that they so choose, however, they specialize in tort law.? Personal injury attorneys have extensive training and knowledge in tort law.? Tort law is a specific area of law that covers civil wrong-doing, as well as financial and non-financial damages to a person?s property, rights, or even reputation.?? Personal injury attorneys focus on the following types of cases:

? Automobile accidents

? Motorcycle accidents

? Slip and fall accidents

? Other types of accidents

? Work Injuries

? Medical mistakes and malpractice

? Birth injuries

? Defective products

? Wrongful death

Responsibilities of Personal Injury Attorneys

Personal injury lawyers are held to a strict standard of legal ethics when it comes to representing their contracted clients.? They must protect their client?s best interest and maintain loyalty and confidentiality.? They also must keep up to date with any changes in their field by completing the required continuing legal education and keep informed of changes in their field.? By limiting themselves to personal injury law only, personal injury attorneys gain more experience in the field and can focus in on tort law.? They can also become certified in the specialty of personal injury by the American Bar Association.?

Finding a Personal Injury Attorney

If someone is?searching for a personal injury attorney they can ask for references, including references from doctors, and utilize the internet and yellow pages.? It is important to keep in mind that the lawyer with the biggest yellow pages ad, or the one with the fancy daytime television commercial may not necessarily be the best or the most experienced.

Important Questions to Ask

Most personal injury attorneys offer a free consultation in order for them to find out if the victim has a case, and for the victim to?ask them questions.? Once someone has found an attorney they would like to consider for representation there are several important questions to be asked.? Such as:

? What is your?contingency fee?

? What is your experience with my type of personal injury case?

? Do you have the time to work on my case now?

? When can I expect my lawsuit to be filed?

? What is my case worth?

? What is my own role in my case?

? Will you be the attorney working on my case?

All of these questions are important so that someone with a potential personal injury case knows what to expect from time frame to finances and everything in between.? A strong attorney will be prepared for these questions and will not act annoyed or waiver in their answers.? Some of these questions may have estimations as answers, for example how long it will take for a lawsuit to be filed, but the attorney should be able to give an approximate date based on previous experiences.

Anyone needing a lawyer for a personal injury case should only consider attorneys who specialize in personal injuries.? This will increase the chances of the victim getting fair compensation for their injuries.? They should also consult with the personal injury attorney prior to hiring them and ask they appropriate questions.

Dan Thomas has worked in the legal field for many years, and knows that it is important to find a lawyer that specializes in your area of need for the best results. Seeking help with the injury lawyer Atlanta firm can bring beneficial results to your case.

Source: http://www.overtimeattorneyblog.com/2012/11/personal-injury-attorneys-vs-general-attorneys/

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An ocean away: Two new encrusting anemones found in unexpected locations

ScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2012) ? As a result of field work by associate professor James Davis Reimer and two graduate students from the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan has found two new species of encrusting anemones, or colonial zoanthids, in unexpected locations. The species belong to the genus Neozoanthus, which was previously known only from a single species in the Indian Ocean. Surprisingly, the new species were found in the Pacific Ocean, in southern Japan and on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.

The only previous species of Neozoanthus was described in 1972 from Madagascar, and subsequently it was not seen for almost 40 years, until recent research had ascertained that new Pacific specimens likely belonged to Neozoanthus (Reimer et al. 2011, in the journal Marine Biology). The new study formally describes these new specimens as two species.

The members of this genus are small, with individual polyps no more than 6 mm in diameter, and have red, gray, blue or purple oral discs; all inhabit coral reef ecosystems in areas with strong currents and some siltation. Both new species and the species from Madagascar contain symbiotic, photosynthetic, single-celled algae that can provide them with energy from the sun.

"We were very surprised in 2008 to discover Neozoanthus in the Pacific, in Japan," said Reimer, "and initially thought that perhaps these were very rare." However, further research in southern Japan by graduate students Yuka Irei and Takuma Fujii, co-authors on the new paper, revealed that the Japanese species was locally common. A further surprise came during the Census of Marine Life's Census of Coral Reef Ecosystems (CReefs) surveys on the Great Barrier Reef in 2009 and 2010, when similar encrusting anemones were found thousands of kilometers away from both Madagascar and Japan.

"These findings can be explained by the fact that there are very few zoanthid researchers in the world. These species are not particularly hard to find, but there was no one looking for them," Reimer added. "This research demonstrates how little we know about marine biodiversity, even in regions relatively well researched."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Pensoft Publishers, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. James Reimer, Yuka Irei, Takuma Fujii. Two new species of Neozoanthus (Cnidaria, Hexacorallia, Zoantharia) from the Pacific. ZooKeys, 2012; 246 (0): 69 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.246.3886

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/s4_9HhVkuno/121129103549.htm

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WWE Main Event results: One 'Hell' of a Night

Team Hell No vs. Team Rhodes Scholars: WWE Main Event, Nov. 14, 2012A look at the rivalry between Team Hell No and Team Rhodes Scholars: WWE Main Event, Nov. 14, 2012The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler is announced for next week: WWE Main Event, Nov. 14, 2012Dr. Sampson gives an update on Cody Rhodes: WWE.com Exclusive, November 14, 2012Santino Marella vs. David Otunga: WWE Main Event, Nov. 14, 2012 CLEVELAND ??With only days before Survivor Series, Team Rhodes Scholars battled Team Hell No for the WWE Tag Team Championships and David Otunga made his WWE Main Event debut hoping to demolish Santino Marella. Also, the egos of The Miz and Dolph Ziggler clashed before they join forces with Team Hell No and Team Rhodes Scholars, respectively, in the Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match.

WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No def. Team Rhodes Scholars (PHOTOS | WATCH)

At Survivor Series, Team Hell No and Team Rhodes Scholars will be on opposite sides during the Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team Match. On WWE Main Event, the stakes for both teams were arguably much higher with the coveted WWE Tag Team Championships on the line. Before the contest, Kane and Daniel Bryan characteristically argued with each other, prompting The Big Red Monster to walk away from his partner. This opened the opportunity for Team Rhodes Scholars to attack Daniel Bryan in an effort to gain an advantage in the contest to capture the Tag Team Titles.

Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow displayed a bit of trepidation after their attack, no doubt realizing they may have redirected the misguided anger of Team Hell No directly at them. The inclinations of Team Rhodes Scholars were correct as Kane and Bryan made their way to the ring ? not waiting for the opening bell and immediately going after their opponents.

As the bout finally got underway, Kane focused his attention on Rhodes, countering the second-generation Superstar?s agility with raw power and experience. Unfortunately for Rhodes, both The Big Red Monster and Bryan unleashed their fury to the delight of the WWE Universe. The dysfunctional WWE Tag Team Champions worked together as one unit until Rhodes managed to duck a punch from Kane that accidentally connected with Bryan. The miscue between Team Hell No and subsequent apology was enough for Team Rhodes Scholars to halt the momentum against them.

Rhodes & Sandow now had the opportunity to show off their impressive teamwork and prove to the WWE Universe why they are top contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championships. As Rhodes built a strong offense against Kane, however, he ran off the ropes and was tossed into mid-air by The Big Red Monster, landing awkwardly on his shoulder and head. The second-generation Superstar was immediately shaken, later being diagnosed with a shoulder injury and a concussion.?(FULL STORY)

The battle raged on and Rhodes proved his resiliency by staying in the fight. Although, once he made the tag to his partner and stood on the apron, the former Intercontinental Champion was clearly in agonizing pain. Sandow tried to keep the edge over the WWE Tag Team Champions, but he was no match for the combined efforts of Team Hell No. Rhodes tried to continue, but he was in no condition to compete and the WWE Tag Team Champions finished off Sandow with a Chokeslam and a diving headbutt to secure the victory.

Following Team Hell No?s successful title defense, Matt Striker asked Bryan if he could bury the hatchet with his Survivor Series teammate, The Miz. After some reluctance, Kane encouraged his tag team partner to settle his differences with The Awesome One with a hug, but Miz wasn?t ready for a friendly embrace. For Team Foley?s sake, hopefully Bryan can coexist with all of his teammates at Survivor Series.

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Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/wwemainevent/2012-11-14/results

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French Greens, Stalinists staggered by President Hollande?s unpopularity

Home ? World News

By Kumaran Ira
14 November 2012

The endorsement of former Airbus CEO Louis Gallois? competitiveness report by the Socialist Party (PS) government of President Fran?ois Hollande has provoked a crisis among the PS? usual parliamentary and petty-bourgeois ?left? allies. They have nervously watched Hollande?s approval ratings collapse to 36 percent from 60 percent after his election in May.

Various parties that unconditionally supported Hollande?s election?Europe Ecology/The Greens (EELV) and the Stalinist French Communist Party (PCF)?are now cynically trying to distance themselves from his austerity policies. They aim to disorient popular opposition to Hollande, hoping to sow illusions that if the population supports them, they will shift Hollande?s policies.

The Gallois report made Hollande?s agenda quite clear, nakedly arguing for boosting French corporate competitiveness by lowering workers? living standards. It proposed a ?competitiveness shock,? with ?20 billion (US$25.4 billion) in cuts to corporate taxes, increases in value-added taxes and cuts to public spending. The ?20 billion corporate tax cut will reduce labour costs by 6 percent.

On Friday EELV officials briefly threatened to quit the government. EELV Senate leader Jean-Vincent Plac? said, ?Since the post-Gallois report turn and very pro-business announcements without counter-offers or ecological conversion, I am increasingly puzzled at our participation in the government.?

EELV occupies two ministerial posts, Housing and Foreign Affairs, and cynically postures as an advocate of the middle classes while signalling that it is a safe pair of hands for finance capital. Having voted against pro-austerity European treaty, EELV voted for the Organic law that inscribed the balanced-budget ?golden rule? into French law, a requirement listed in the EU fiscal treaty. EELV also voted for the 2013 French austerity budget.

After initial controversy inside EELV over his comments, Plac? rapidly backed down from his criticisms. He stressed, ?I never said that we would leave the government tomorrow.?

There were also some impotent criticisms from the periphery of the PCF, the PS? long-time governing partner from the 1980s and 1990s. The PCF is technically not part of the governing parliamentary coalition, but in practice it supports the Hollande government.

On Monday the Left Party (PG) of former PS minister Jean-Luc M?lenchon?which serves as the go-between for the PS and the PCF?unveiled an ?alternative budget.? It calls for raising hundreds of billions of euros by taxing the wealthy in France. As with the PG?s campaign proposal to raise the monthly minimum wage to ?1700, this entirely legitimate demand is worthless because the PG has no intention of carrying it out.

A party of long-time PS operatives, the PG is closely integrated into the presentation of Hollande?s austerity policies. It acts primarily to promote illusions that the class character of the PS? policies can be shifted by parliamentary manoeuvres carried out by PG members and hence block the development of politically independent opposition to Hollande?s austerity measures. (See also: ?What are the politics of French Left Front candidate Jean-Luc M?lenchon??)

The collapse of the Hollande administration?s support even moved the PCF to criticize Hollande. The PCF daily l?Humanit? observed, ?The recommendations of industrial boss Louis Gallois threaten to cost the French people dearly, very dearly, without allowing our country to get out of an economic and financial dead end and thus develop jobs.?

L?Humanit? cynically criticized Hollande?s use of public money for corporate bailouts. It noted the funds ?can be used for many other purposes than investment and jobs,? and that Hollande had not established job-creation and investment targets.

The paper kept silent on the fact that the Hollande administration is in fact using these funds to finance outsourcing and plant shutdowns negotiated with the union bureaucracy, inside which the PCF remains a leading political force.

L?Humanit? sought to encourage illusions that pressure from forces like the PCF can shift Hollande?s policies: ?The government? is sinking into an austerity policy all of whose examples, in France and Europe, show that it leads into the wall. It is time to listen to the voices on the left that call for a change of course.?

Though L?Humanit? does not say it, the most obvious recent precedent for Hollande?s policy is that of social-democratic Prime Minister George Papandreou in Greece. Papandreou?s policies have thrown Greek society back decades?producing a 25 percent contraction of Greece?s economy, the collapse of health, education and social services, and the rise of unemployment to over 25 percent. L?Humanit? cannot raise it directly, however, as this would make too clear the reactionary character of its endorsement of Hollande in the presidential elections.

This is because L?Humanit??s criticisms reflect not opposition in the working class, but the concerns of the trade union bureaucracy and other sections of the affluent middle classes integrated into the French ruling elite, for which the PCF speaks. They do not object to Hollande?s policy of plant closures or warn clearly of the potential impact of Hollande?s spending cuts, but they are concerned at the implications for French capitalism of continuing along this path.

Their criticisms align them with sections of the French bourgeoisie concerned that Hollande?s policy will condemn them to accepting German control of Europe and the euro zone. (See also: ?Former finance minister confirms France considered leaving euro zone?)

Above all, they reflect growing concerns of the French ruling elite at the emergence of mass popular opposition to the Hollande from the left, which they fear they could not control.

After taking power, the Hollande administration has ditched its fraudulent and ambiguous electoral promises and endorsed austerity policies and mass layoffs in key industries. The administration voted for the 2013 austerity budget that includes ?30 billion in cuts to social spending. Last month, it ratified the European Union fiscal treaty designed to impose savage austerity measures by specifying stringent deficit-cutting targets.

The government, the unions and the bosses are negotiating ?labour market? reforms to eliminate remaining labour protection, as well as slashing labour costs.

This highlights the political responsibility of the petty-bourgeois ?left? parties in promoting Hollande?s election. They channelled popular opposition to Sarkozy?s policies behind Hollande, arguing that he would pursue less reactionary policies, even though they acknowledged that PS has had a record of anti-working class policies when in power.

Their bankrupt line has been refuted by Hollande?s right wing policies. Hollande has approved measures initially proposed by his unpopular conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy, including raising sales taxes and cutting labour costs by ?20 billion?considerably more than the ?13 billion Sarkozy initially proposed.

The opposition to Hollande government must be based on the independent political mobilization of the working class in a revolutionary struggle. The petty bourgeois ?left,? which is organically tied to the PS, is deeply hostile to such a struggle.

Source: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/nov2012/fran-n14.shtml

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Green Blog: When a Green Job Is More Than a Green Job

Can a community like the South Bronx, which? suffers from? high unemployment, underinvestment and so-called environmental injustice, fit into the green economy? In 2010 a union-backed training initiative took on the question, enrolling unemployed? residents, including many who had served time in prison, in a green jobs certification program.

Two and a half years and 400-plus graduates later, the Center for Environmental Workforce Training has had some gratifying results. Half of the center?s graduates have gone on to find? jobs, for example.

Over a third of those hired are working in the energy efficiency field, mostly with companies doing efficiency upgrades for residential and commercial buildings. Another third have found ostensibly green jobs in areas like building maintenance, construction, repairs, sustainable manufacturing and landscaping. The rest of those hired are in occupations that would not be classified as environmentally related.

But as? the project?s director, Rebecca Lurie, sees it, ?one day, every job will be a green job.?? In her view, work activity will have to shift in coming years toward conserving natural resources or, at a minimum, not harming the environment.

The South Bronx-based training center, a collaboration between the Consortium for Worker Education?and six? partner organizations that is supported by a Recovery Act grant, offers training in ?hard? and ?soft? skills, from mechanical theory to basic plumbing to upgrading electrical systems for energy efficiency. The curriculum also includes courses on seeking and holding down a job? and on environmental literacy.

Students have the option of obtaining certification as energy efficiency technicians or building analysts, among other green occupations.

Ms. Lurie, who is? the economic development director for the Consortium for Worker Education, said that PlaNYC, the Bloomberg administration?s? far-reaching sustainability plan for the city, provided some of the impetus for the training program. Many? in the organized labor and job development fields had questions, she noted, like ?How is the work force going to be ready to carry this plan out??

She said that groups like her own had determined that making New York?s buildings more energy-efficient would be an important source of jobs in coming years. One of her goals was figuring out how to open up that? opportunity up to a broader range of city residents: ?Can we get poor, unemployed people skilled up to meet those demands??

Ms. Lurie said it was clear to her organization that? there were skill gaps among those at the lower socioeconomic levels. ?You need lots of math and science,? she said. ?We designed classes to fill these particular gaps.? And at the? fundamental level, the participants need construction skills, ?to know how buildings are built.?

Because of the recession,? local green jobs in fields like weatherization and renewable energy did not materialize to the extent organizers had hoped, she said. Nonetheless, center graduates are working their way into segments of the green economy.

They benefit financially by doing so: an analysis of the jobs obtained by the center?s graduates showed that the average hourly wage for those with green jobs was $13.51. For nongreen jobs, it was $10.94.

The consortium has also begun to examine how the training program may have influenced students? lifestyles and thinking. A survey conducted this fall found that the percentage who reported shopping at farmers? markets had doubled by the time they finished the coursework. The students also said that they were conserving more energy and water and thinking about how they disposed of consumer goods like appliances and clothing.

?After a week or two, I realized how much energy I am wasting ? little things like cellphone chargers plugged into your wall,? one graduate,? Sean Brailsford, said in a phone interview. It ?taught me how to conserve and be less wasteful.?

Mr. Brailsford found his way into the program through the Osborne Association, a nonprofit group that offers job training and placement and other services to New Yorkers who have passed through the criminal justice system. Before enrolling, he said, he had no green knowledge or experience, but? ?I was ready for some more growth and change.?

After completing the program, Mr. Brailsford was hired by Osborne to help track graduates and job placement.

The federal grant that supported the training center?s creation in 2010 is now winding down. Ms. Lurie said that three of the center?s partner organizations ? Osborne, Sustainable South Bronx and Non-Traditional Employment for Women ? are? positioned to carry the training forward with other funds. She said the biggest benefit of the federal grant was?the development of a strong curriculum.

The program introduces students to basic concepts. ?We are helping guys get their foot into the door,? said Alvin Banks, a center graduate who now teaches construction skills like framing and electrical wiring at Osborne. ?Students have varying degrees of knowledge ? they are being made employable.?

As for green principles, students learn that they make economic sense, Mr. Banks said. ?You want to help your boss conserve material,? he explained. ?I try to convey how to best do the job effectively and efficiently.?

For participants who have served time, the introduction to new ways of thinking can be just as important as hard skills, he suggested. Mr. Banks himself spent nine and a half years in prison for bank and wire fraud and identity theft before finding his way, through a city referral, to Osborne and the center.

?When a person has been incarcerated, their ability to think on their own has been suppressed,? he said. ?Once people are exposed to green ideology, people are like, ?wow? ? you start to rethink.?

?It?s the little things, conscious decisions of behavior,? he said.

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/when-a-green-job-is-more-than-a-green-job/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Square reaches $10 billion in payments per year, stays ahead of a growing pack

It was just this spring that Square had reached a grandiose $5 billion per year payment rate and cemented its position at the top of the mobile payment processing field it practically started. Any attempts to catch up just got a lot harder now that the startup has crossed the $10 billion mark, only half a year later. A fifth of that new rate came in the past two months and hints that the company isn't about to slow down anytime soon. The increase doesn't have any clear driver, apart from wider media exposure, but founder Jack Dorsey notes that this doesn't include the Starbucks deal that took effect just days ago. We know the rocket-like pace won't last forever; all the same, the record-high levels of business undoubtedly give Square a lot of competitive padding when a deluge of recently established alternatives are still getting started.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet

Square reaches $10 billion in payments per year, stays ahead of a growing pack originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/xTWV4polDWk/

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Comrade: Gen. Allen's emails to Kelley misconstrued

Officials say that thousands of emails between General John Allen and Florida socialite Jill Kelley are flirtatious, but the general denies a relationship. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

By NBC News staff

Updated 4 p.m. ET: Allegedly ?inappropriate? emails between U.S. Gen. John Allen and the woman who sparked the investigation into CIA Director David Petraeus do not signify the two had an affair, a defense official told NBC News on Tuesday.

?There was no affair,? said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.? The emails in question could be misconstrued, the official said, predicting that the investigation will prove Allen?s innocence.

Allen, the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, is under investigation over allegations that he exchanged ?inappropriate? emails with Jill Kelley, a senior defense official told reporters earlier Tuesday.

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A difference of opinion appeared to be brewing at the Pentagon about how to characterize the emails, with another official calling them flirtatious.

Kelley, a Tampa, Fla., woman who has acted as a volunteer ?social liaison? with military officials at MacDill Air Force Base,? inadvertently launched the investigation that led to Petraeus? resignation by complaining to the FBI about anonymous emails she received.? FBI agents traced the allegedly threatening emails to Paula Broadwell, Petraeus' biographer.?

Emails on 'coming and goings' of Petraeus, other military officials escalated FBI concerns

During the investigation, agents discovered emails between Petraeus and Broadwell that were indicative of an extramarital affair between them, according to government and law enforcement officials.

Petraeus, who was appointed 14 months ago to head the Central Intelligence Agency, announced his resignation on Friday, citing an extramarital affair.

Word of the investigation into Gen. Allen?s involvement came early Tuesday, when U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta issued a statement during a flight to Australia for a meeting with defense officials there, saying that? the FBI had referred ?a matter involving" Allen to the Department of Defense's Inspector General.

Those who know the two women at the center of General David Petraeus' affair scandal are speaking out. Jill Kelley's brother says she is "dedicated" to her husband, while Paula Broadwell's friend calls her "a pretty great person." NBC's Kristen Welker reports.

?Today, the secretary directed that the matter be referred to the Inspector General of the Department of Defense for investigation, and it is now in the hands of the Inspector General,? Panetta said.

Panetta?s statement did not include specifics, but a senior defense official traveling with him told reporters that Allen ?was under investigation for ?inappropriate communications? with Kelley.

The official also said the investigation involved some 20,000 to 30,000 pages of material, mostly emails, which were sent from 2010 to 2012, adding that Allen ?disputes that he has engaged in any wrongdoing in this matter.?

Later in the day, however, a defense official at the Pentagon told NBC News that the number of emails between Allen and Kelley was inflated.

?

The FBI eventually discovered that the emails received by Jill Kelley, a close friend of the Petraeus family, were sent by Paula Broadwell. And as they dug deeper, the affair between Broadwell and Petraeus came to light. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

"That is a mischaracterization," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The communications with General Allen were lumped in with a lot of other email traffic."

The official said that the Allens and Kelleys were "family friends," and the emails were written in that manner. Many of the emails were not personal communications between the general and Jill Kelley, the official added, but included Allen's wife. And many were between Allen's wife and Jill Kelley, with General Allen just copied, the official said.

"What we're dealing with is the possible perception of inappropriateness," the official said, but it will become clear that there was no wrongdoing. "This is not at the level of the director of the CIA."

According to a senior U.S. military official, Pentagon General Counsel Jeh Johnson read "a number" of the emails between Allen and Kelley before he advised Panetta to refer the matter to the Inspector General.

"Leon Panetta didn't make this decision lightly," the official said late Tuesday. The emails were more than just calling one another "sweetheart," characterizing them as flirtatious, the official said.

While the emails may not prove an affair or even be inappropriate, they were unprofessional, the official said.

Allen will meet with investigators over the next few days, but then he is expected to head back to Afghanistan to continue in his role as Commander of ISAF, according to the official.

Panetta?s statement said that Allen would remain commander of ISAF during the investigation and that he was ?entitled to due process in this matter.?

But Allen?s nomination to take over as head of U.S. forces in Europe and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, was put on hold ?until the relevant facts are determined,? Panetta said.

ISAF via Reuters file

Meet the people who have been pulled into the scandal that caused Gen. David Petraeus to resign.

Allen was in Washington, D.C., preparing for his Senate confirmation hearings which were originally scheduled for Thursday, NBC News reported.

Allen had no advance warning about the investigation, a close aide of Allen?s told NBC News. He was alerted to the probe by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey Monday night ET. Allen had a number of meetings scheduled for Tuesday on Capitol Hill, although the aide was unsure if they would take place.

Allen?s connection to the Petraeus investigation also seems to have caught the Defense Department off guard.

?This came as very surprising news, to say the least. No one in the Pentagon is leaping to conclusions just yet,? a senior defense official traveling with Panetta told NBC News.? ?It's important to review the materials to determine the facts, and it's too early speculate about where this will lead.? In the meantime, Gen. Allen needs to focus on the war effort, which he's successfully led since last year.?

The ISAF was also unaware of the investigation until late Monday or early Tuesday, and it declined to comment, in a written statement, referring all questions to the Defense Department.

Allen, a highly decorated officer, took over as ISAF commander in July 2011, and was nominated on Oct. 10 to take over as NATO commander, the same time that his successor at the ISAF was named as Gen. Joseph Dunford.

The confirmation of Dunford, currently assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, is now expected to be fast tracked.

?The secretary has respectfully requested that the Senate act promptly on that nomination," Panetta?s statement said.

NBC News' Courtney Kube, Jeff Black, Ian Johnston and Rachel Elbaum contributed to this report.

?

Some members of Congress are saying that they or, at the least President Obama, should have been told about the investigation into the director of the CIA while it was going on. NBC's Pete Williams reports.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/13/15130151-defense-official-fires-back-denies-afghanistan-commander-exchanged-inappropriate-emails

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Cheerleading needs sports safety rules, docs say

Click photo to enlarge

A cheerleader from Nampa High School is thrown into the air as the cheer squad practices their stunts before a game in Nampa, Idaho. In a new policy statement in the journal Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics says school sports associations should designate cheerleading as a sport, and make it subject to safety rules and better supervision.

CHICAGO (AP) - Cheerleading isn't just jumping and waving pompoms - it has become as athletic and potentially as dangerous as a sport and should be designated one to improve safety, the nation's leading group of pediatricians says.

The number of cheerleaders injured each year has climbed dramatically in the last two decades. Common stunts that pose risks include tossing and flipping cheerleaders in the air and creating human pyramids that reach 15 feet high or more.

In a new policy statement released online Monday in the journal Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics says school sports associations should designate cheerleading as a sport, and make it subject to safety rules and better supervision. That would include on-site athletic trainers, limits on practice time and better qualified coaches, the academy says.

Just like other athletes, cheerleaders should be required to do conditioning exercises and undergo physical exams before joining the squad, the new policy says.

"Not everyone is fully aware of how cheerleading has evolved over the last couple of decades. It used to be just standing on the sidelines and doing cheers and maybe a few jumps," said Dr. Cynthia LaBella, a sports medicine specialist at Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital and an author of the new policy.

But she said cheerleading often results in injuries that include severe sprains, broken arms and legs, neck injuries and concussions.

Last year, there were almost 37,000 emergency room visits for cheerleading injuries among girls aged 6 to 22, according to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That's more than four times higher than in 1980, when cheerleading was tamer.

While there are still traditional cheerleading squads that support schools' athletic teams, some schools and private clubs have separate cheerleading teams that compete against other teams.

Kali Wald of Elburn, Ill., suffered a serious concussion last year during an acrobatic routine with her high school's competitive team; teammates tossed her in the air but she landed wrong twice, first on her upper back and neck, then on her head. She blacked out for several minutes.

Her father, Dave Wald, said her coaches didn't realize she was seriously injured and never called an ambulance. She still has short-term memory loss and can't attend school full-time because of dizziness, headaches and other concussion symptoms.

Kali, 18, said she believes that cheerleading should be considered a sport and made safer.

Her father agreed and said there needs to be better awareness about the rigors of cheerleading and the potential risks.

Injuries have increased as cheerleading has become more popular. Data suggest there are more than 3 million cheerleaders nationwide aged 6 and older, mostly girls. That includes about 400,000 in high school, according to data cited in the new policy.

While the overall injury rate in high school cheerleading is lower than in other girls sports, including gymnastics, soccer and field hockey, the rate of catastrophic injuries like skull fractures and paralyzing spine injuries is higher, the academy noted.

Kasey Bronstein, 14, and her sister Kori, 17, of Mahwah, N.J., both tore a knee tendon while cheerleading for a private competitive team run by their parents. They twisted their knees doing acrobatic moves while standing on the raised-up hands of their teammates. They had knee surgery last November, followed by extensive physical therapy, and have returned to cheerleading.

Both said it should be considered a sport but they also think it's already pretty safe.

"They're kind of making it too safe, taking out skills that are very exciting to do," Kori said. That includes a double flip stunt no longer allowed on her team.

Some schools and state high school sports associations already consider cheerleading a sport and require the kind of safety oversight that the academy is recommending. But many do not, said Jim Lord, executive director of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches & Administrators. Some don't consider it a sport because not all cheerleading squads are involved in their own competitions, he said.

Lord said the academy's policy mirrors many of his group's safety recommendations for high schools and colleges.

That includes limiting the height of human pyramids in high school cheerleading to just two people. The academy also says routines that include pyramids, tumbling or tosses should not be performed on hard surfaces.

Lisa Kluchorosky, a sports medicine specialist who works with the academy and the National Athletic Trainers Association, said the new policy will help erase misconceptions that cheerleading is not very athletic.

"The statistics are compelling and you can't turn your head from that," she said.

Source: http://www.demingheadlight.com/deming-sports/ci_21996514/cheerleading-needs-sports-safety-rules-docs-say?source=rss

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Sex Offender Suicides and Other Deaths +: Dying killer focuses on ...

11-15-2012 Texas:

HUNTSVILLE ? Looking at his brother, the only member of his family to witness his execution Wednesday, Ramon Hernandez asked him to tell everyone he loved them.

?Did I ever tell you, you have dad's eyes?? Hernandez said to his brother.

His brother, standing close to the glass and crying said: ?I love you.?

Hernandez, called a serial rapist and murderer by prosecutors, was pronounced dead at 6:38 p.m., 26 minutes after the lethal dose of drugs began flowing.

A jury sentenced Hernandez to death for the 2001 abduction, rape and strangulation slaying of Rosa Maria Rosado, 37, a single mom who was snatched from a West Side bus stop.

Hernandez's girlfriend at the time, Asel Abdygapparova, led police to Rosado's body five days later. She had been buried in a shallow grave by Loop 1604 and UTSA Boulevard.

Abdygapparova was given life in prison, and a third co-defendant, Santos Minjarez, was given the death penalty. He died in January from natural causes before his execution date was set.

Abdygapparova's sentence was overturned in 2007 and she remains in Bexar County Jail, awaiting a new trial.

During the investigation into Rosado's homicide, authorities linked Hernandez through DNA to another high-profile case from the mid-1990s.

In that case, Sarah Gonzales, 13, and her cousin Priscilla Almares, 12, were reported missing Dec. 16, 1994, then found the next day in Rodriguez Park. They had been raped, beaten and strangled.

Family members of Priscilla and Rosado also witnessed the execution. Standing up to the glass, Priscilla's sister Brenda Ayala had tears in her eyes as Hernandez spoke his last words.

He was strapped to the gurney just after 6 p.m. and began his last statement at 6:11 p.m.

?I'm sorry for putting you through all of this ...,? he said, looking at his brother. ?I am very sorry for all of the pain. I love them all, tell mom, everybody.?

After Hernandez appeared to stop breathing, his brother had to turn away for several minutes. He was supported by three spiritual advisers.

Ayala spoke after the execution and said she had hoped Hernandez would have apologized directly to the families of his victims but instead focused on just his brother.

Ayala, sitting with her father Marcos Almares, said the family didn't find closure in the execution.

?We're not cruel people; we don't want to have to watch somebody die,? she said. ?It doesn't give us happiness at all. If anything I felt sorrow for his family. They'll have to feel what we felt.?

Rosado's family ? her two sisters and a brother-in-law ? didn't speak to the media.

Attempts to reach Hernandez's family weren't successful.

Hernandez's was the first of two executions scheduled this week ? Preston Hughes, 46, of Harris County faces injection today. ..Source..

Source: http://on-suicides-deaths.blogspot.com/2012/11/dying-killer-focuses-on-his-brother.html

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