Defense wants Pa. boy murder suspect released (AP)

PITTSBURGH ? Attorneys for a western Pennsylvania boy who was 11 when he allegedly killed his father's pregnant fiancee want an appeals court to release him from custody while it decides whether his trial will be public at the request of three newspapers.

The state Superior Court heard the newspapers' appeal last week in the case of Jordan Brown, now 14.

His trial, originally scheduled for September 2011, has been delayed indefinitely by the appeal filed by the New Castle News, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The court is "expediting" the newspapers' appeal, but defense attorney Stephen Colafella told The Associated Press on Thursday he feels Brown has been incarcerated too long without a trial. That's why the defense filed a Superior Court petition Wednesday, first reported by the Beaver County Times, seeking Brown's release.

Colafella said it's possible the newspaper appeal will be decided, and the juvenile trial rescheduled, even before the appeals court takes up the release petition.

Brown has been in a juvenile detention center in Erie, about 80 miles from his home in Wampum, since shortly after the Feb. 20, 2009 killing of 26-year-old Kenzie Houk. Her unborn son also died from a lack of oxygen after Brown killed her with his shotgun minutes before leaving for school, prosecutors said.

State law requires criminal homicide charges to be filed in Common Pleas, or "adult" court, regardless of a defendant's age so Brown's identity and other details were widely reported before his attorneys convinced a Lawrence County judge to move the case to juvenile court last year. Another judge then ruled the trial would be closed.

State law says juvenile court trials for certain serious felonies must be public if the defendant was at least 12. But judges have discretion to close trials for younger defendants to protect their privacy and other rights while under juvenile court jurisdiction, which ends when they turn 21. Brown faced up to life in prison if convicted in "adult" court.

The newspapers contend prior publicity has made a closed trial unnecessary and argued Brown's attorneys and his father, Christopher ? who proclaimed Jordan's innocence on ABC's "Good Morning America" last year ? have made the trial's outcome a matter of compelling public interest.

Investigators contend only Houk's two younger daughters, ages 7 and 4, were the only others home when she was shot and even the judge who moved the case to juvenile court conceded the evidence points to Jordan.

But the defense argues Brown hasn't waived his rights to a closed trial and cloistered court supervision because of the past publicity, and Colafella said real questions remain about the boy's guilt.

"I can tell you we intend to paint a different picture when we go to trial," Colafella said.

A state attorney general's spokesman declined to comment.

___

Information from: Beaver County Times, http://www.timesonline.com/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_re_us/us_pregnant_woman_killed

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The "Eye of America" Takes Two-Story-Tall Pictures [Video]

To celebrate the 200th birthday of the invention of the camera, photographer Dennis Manarchy built one of his own. It looks just like a classic film camera with a wooden frame, leatherette, and brass hardware but, oddly, I don't remember cameras normally being 35-feet long. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/-K4F3gsupkU/the-eye-of-america-takes-two+story+tall-pictures

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It?s a Girl - In India, China and many other parts of the...

It?s a Girl?-?In India, China and many other parts of the world today, girls are killed, aborted and abandoned simply because they are girls. The United Nations estimates as many as 200 million girls are missing in the world today because of this so-called ?gendercide?.

This documentary film tells the stories of abandoned and trafficked girls, of women who suffer extreme dowry-related violence, of brave mothers fighting to save their daughters? lives, and of other mothers who would kill for a son. Global experts and grassroots activists put the stories in context and advocate different paths towards change, while collectively lamenting the lack of any truly effective action against this injustice.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youmightfindyourself/~3/syTa3ihQwP4/16068493310

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"The Artist," "Thor" among Costume Guild nominees (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Thor's hammer and cape and the "Bridesmaids" dresses will both vie for honors at the 14th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards.

The guild announced its list of nominees, with a diverse list of contenders that included "Thor," "Bridesmaids," "The Artist," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2" and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."

On the TV front, HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" and "Game of Thrones" are both up for nods, as well as Showtime's "The Borgias" among others.

The ceremony, which will be hosted by Jane Lynch of "Glee" (which is also up for an award), will take place on February 21 in Los Angeles.

(Editing by Chris Michaud)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/enindustry/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/media_nm/us_costumeguild

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Thor Star Chris Hemsworth and Wife Expecting First Child (omg!)

Where can Chris Hemsworth register for a Mjolnir-shaped rattle?

The Thor star and his wife, Spanish actress Elsa Pataky, are expecting their first child, Hola! magazine reports.

Check out the rest of today's news

Pataky tells the magazine that the couple will wait to learn the sex of their child and that Hemsworth, 28, will be taking a crash course in Spanish to prepare for the new arrival. "I'm only going to speak to the baby in Spanish," Pataky, 35, says. "I already told my husband, 'Get ready fast with Spanish because, if not, you're not going to be able to understand what we say.'"

Hemsworth and Pataky married in Australia over the 2010 Christmas holidays.

Hemsworth will next appear on the big screen in this summer's Snow White and the Huntsman. He's also the older brother of Liam Hemsworth, who stars in the adaptation of The Hunger Games, opening in theaters in March.

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_thor_star_chris_hemsworth_wife_expecting_first_child005500124/44224298/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/thor-star-chris-hemsworth-wife-expecting-first-child-005500124.html

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Kelsey Grammer & Kayte Walsh Having Twins

Will Android be the death of PCs?

Horace Dediu/Jeremy Reimer/Asymco

History of computer platforms

By Athima Chansanchai

In a viewpoint the author admits is "extremist," an industry analyst believes that if iOS and Android devices are considered to be substitutes for personal computers, then not only is the latter's market share going to dip below 50 percent, but collapse is also imminent.

Finland-based?Horace Dediu, who runs Asymco, which on LinkedIn is self-described as "a company selling software development and consulting services for companies interested in deploying mobile applications," published a blog post today?that might make some people's heads explode?? particularly those of us without a penchant for numbers. In that post, he charts "The rise and fall of personal computing," which compares PCs to Macs, iOS and Android devices in shipped units and market share.

In his last graph, Dediu talks about the integration of smartphones into the personal computing space.

I will concede that this last view is extremist. It does not reflect a competition that exists in real life. However, I put this data together to show a historic pattern. Sometimes extremism is a better point of view than conservatism. Ignoring this view is very harmful as these not-good-enough computers will surely get better. A competitor that has no strategy to deal with this shift is likely to suffer the fate of those companies in the left side of the chart. Treating the first share chart as reality is surely much more dangerous than contemplating the third.

Horace Dediu/Asymco

Market share, with data from Gartner and IDC

As the commenters below the post note, there is no inclusion of Nokia's Symbian or Research in Motion's BlackBerry; but in a world that seems increasingly skewed toward Android and iOS, Dediu looks like he's already made the leap.?

As he puts it:

The ?entrants? into personal computing, the iPad, iPhone and Android, have a combined volume that is higher than the PCs sold in the same period (358 million estimated iOS+Android vs. 336 million PCs excluding Macs in 2011.) The growth rate and the scale itself combine to make the entrants impossible to ignore.

Live Poll

Do you spend more time on your smartphone or your personal computer?

  • 173604

    Smartphone. I can do everything on it, and it's with me all the time.

    22%

  • 173605

    PC/Mac/other. I have a smartphone, but it won't be replacing my home/laptop anytime soon.

    78%

VoteTotal Votes: 2438

We've seen the addition of iPhones supplementing Macs and PCs at home, and Chromebooks arriving after Android handsets. We've also seen the rapid rise of Android, how its handsets have overtaken the iPhone in the U.S., and how its apps in the Android Market will close in on Apple's, but have we arrived at that moment when smartphones replace the personal computer? Take our poll and let us know where you're at.

More stories:

Check out Technolog on?Facebook, and on Twitter, follow?Athima Chansanchai, who is also trying to keep her head above water in the?Google+?stream.

Source: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/17/10173984-will-android-be-the-death-of-pcs

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Soundtrack to be released for MTV's 'Teen Mom' (AP)

NEW YORK ? The TV shows "Teen Mom" and "Teen Mom 2" are getting a soundtrack ? and no, it won't consist of lullabies.

Instead, the soundtrack "Teen Mom" features the songs from emerging acts featured on the hit MTV shows. Proceeds from now until July 17 will benefit The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. It's being released Tuesday on iTunes.

Joe Cuello, senior vice president of creative music integration at MTV, says this is the first time MTV has used a series soundtrack to "promote and support a cause."

The hit shows document the plight of several young women as they deal with the hardships of young motherhood and more.

___

Online:

http://www.soundtrack.mtv.com

http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_en_mu/us_music_teen_mom

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Late-night talks end as Nigeria fuel strike looms

(AP) ? Late-night negotiations Sunday between Nigeria's government and union officials again failed to bring an end to a crippling nationwide strike over high fuel costs, as the oil-rich nation's president alleged provocateurs could be attempting to hijack protests to make the country unstable.

President Goodluck Jonathan and leaders left the meeting at Nigeria's presidential palace in the capital Abuja without offering details of the talks to waiting journalists. Early Monday morning, Nigeria Labor Congress President Abdulwaheed Omar told journalists the union would halt street protests at Jonathan's request after the leader claimed the protests could become violent.

"He appealed to labor, considering the fact there have been serious security reports which indicated there are people outside ... that will try and hijack the street protests," Omar said.

Omar did not offer specifics on what evidence Jonathan provided to convince unions of the threat. Jonathan had been scheduled to give a speech to be aired at 9 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) Sunday on state-run television, but the time passed without any message. The presidency later said a speech by the leader would air at 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) Monday.

The strike began Jan. 9, paralyzing the nation of more than 160 million people. The root cause remains gasoline prices: Jonathan's government abandoned subsidies that kept gasoline prices low on Jan. 1, causing prices to spike from $1.70 per gallon (45 cents per liter) to at least $3.50 per gallon (94 cents per liter). The costs of food and transportation also largely doubled in a nation where most people live on less than $2 a day.

Anger over losing one of the few benefits average Nigerians see from living in an oil-rich country led to demonstrations across the nation and violence that has killed at least 10 people. Red Cross volunteers have treated more than 600 people injured in protests since the strike began, officials said.

Jonathan and other government officials have argued that removing the subsidies, which are estimated to cost $8 billion a year, would allow the government to spend money on badly needed public projects across a country that has cratered roads, little electricity and a lack of clean drinking water for its inhabitants. However, many remain suspicious of government as military rulers and politicians have plundered government budgets since independence from Britain in 1960.

The strike also could cut into oil production in Nigeria, a nation that produces about 2.4 million barrels of crude a day and remains a top energy supplier to the U.S. A major oil workers association threatened Thursday to stop all oil production in Nigeria at midnight Saturday over the continued impasse in negotiations. However, the Nigeria Labor Congress said the association had held off on the threatened production halt.

Oil workers association president Babatunde Ogun and other union officials could not be reached for comment Sunday.

The association's ability to enforce a shutdown across the swamps of Nigeria's southern delta to its massive offshore oil fields remains in question. Much of Nigeria's land-based oil fields remain largely automated and an increasing amount of production comes from large offshore oil fields far from the country's coasts. However, any perceived impact on production could cause oil futures to rise as trading begins in stock markets Monday.

Fears of tightened global supplies could raise oil prices by $5-$10 per barrel on futures markets in the upcoming week. Gasoline prices would follow, rising by as much as 10 cents per gallon and forcing U.S. drivers to spend an additional $36 million a day at the pump.

The Nigeria Labor Congress and the Trade Union Congress called for a brief hiatus on demonstrations this weekend, allowing Nigerians to leave their homes to stock up on gasoline, food and other supplies. However, the mood remains tense in a nation already uneasy over recent sectarian attacks by a radical Islamist sect that have killed at least 67 people since the start of the year, according to an AP count.

The unions addressed that concern in a statement Sunday, saying: "We are ... not campaigning for 'regime change.'"

"The labor movement is wedded to democracy, therefore, anybody or group that wants a change in the political leadership of the country at whatever level should do so through the ballot box," the groups said.

However, tension could be felt at an Armed Services Remembrance Ceremony held Sunday in Abuja. The program, aired live on the state-run Nigerian Television Authority, showed a somber Jonathan attending. An announcer also tried to relax the crowd ahead of a 21-gun salute in a nation with a history of coups against civilian governments.

"Please, it is a part of the ceremony, don't panic," the announcer said.

___

Jon Gambrell reported from Lagos, Nigeria and can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-15-AF-Nigeria-Fuel-Subsidy/id-5d34f51ea2ae4cc794691c448e788783

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Test Tube Yeast Evolve Multicellularity

News | Evolution

By watching evolution in progress, scientists reveal key developments in the evolution of complex life and put evolutionary theories to the test


Image: William Ratcliff

The transition from single-celled to multicellular organisms was one of the most significant developments in the history of life on Earth. Without it, all living things would still be microscopic and simple; there would be no such thing as a plant or a brain or a human. How exactly multicellularity arose is still a mystery, but a new study, published January 16 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that it may have been quicker and easier than many scientists expected.

"This is a significant paper that addresses one of the most fundamental questions in evolutionary and developmental biology," says Rick Grosberg, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California at Davis, who was not involved with the research.

Since evolution acts on individual cells, it pays off for a cell to be selfish. By hogging resources and hindering neighbors, a cell can increase the odds that more of its own genes get passed into the next generation. This logic is one of the reasons it has been challenging to imagine how multicellularity arose; it requires the subjugation of self-interest in favor of the group?s survival.

"Traditional theories make this out to be a difficult transition because you have to somehow turn off selection on the individual cells and turn it on for the collective," says Carl Simpson, a paleobiologist at the Museum f?r Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany, who also was not involved in the research. "The big result here is that these transitions can be super easy."

In the new paper, researchers at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis?used a simple but elegant technique to artificially select for multicellularity in yeast. They dumped unicellular yeast into a tube of liquid food and waited a few minutes for the cells to settle. Then they extracted the lowest fraction of the liquid and allowed whatever cells it contained to form the next generation. Because the cells had to cluster together in order to sink to the bottom and survive, the artificial selection made it more advantageous for yeast to cooperate than to be solitary.

After just 60 generations, all of the surviving yeast populations had formed snowflake-shaped multicellular clusters. "Hence we know that simple conditions are sufficient to select for multicellularity," says biologist Michael Travisano, who led the research.

But at what point do the yeast become something more than a cluster of cells? When do they begin behaving as one organism?

In a true multicellular organism, such as a rabbit, evolution acts upon the rabbit and not upon each of the billions of cells that build it. So the researchers set out to determine whether artificial selection would act upon the snowflake yeast as if they too were multicellular organisms. To test it, one batch of the multicellular yeast was allowed only five minutes to settle in a tube (representing a strong selection pressure), while another batch was given 25 minutes (a weaker selection pressure). After 35 generations, the yeast that were exposed to stronger selection evolved to have larger cluster sizes, while those in the weak selection group actually shrank in size. This indicated that each cluster of cells was evolving as one organism.

In addition, time-lapse photography [video below] revealed that, in order to reproduce, the multicellular yeast divides itself into branches that develop into the multicellular form as well. The daughter clusters did not create their own offspring until they had reached a similar size as their parents. The presence of this juvenile stage shows that the snowflake yeast had adopted a multicellular way of life, says William Ratcliff, a postdoctoral student in Travisano?s lab.

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The researchers also found evidence of rudimentary division of labor, which is an essential characteristic for more complex multicellular life forms. In a human, for example, some cells may differentiate into blood cells, others may differentiate into immune cells, but only select egg or sperm cells help form the next generation.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=35fbfacf6c4ce7c9db435c1adb1f2cf1

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