Caribbean Beauties: Two New Orchid Species Found

One of the world's newest orchid species is also its most delicate, with tiny white flowers smaller than a dime. Yet the flower finds its home amid boulders near the banks of rushing streams in Cuba's remote eastern mountains.

The orchid is one of two new species identified by botanists in Cuba, a hotbed for orchids ? the largest and most diverse plant family in the world. The islands of the Caribbean have more the 25,000 species of orchids tucked into their forests and rivers.

The new species was named Tetramicra riparia, a nod to its discovery along stony streams in the mountains of Baracoa, one of the rainiest and least explored areas in Cuba, ?ngel Vale, a researcher at the University of Vigo in Spain, said in a statement. The plant has an unusually broad, sturdy base: Its pedicel is almost four times as large as its column, Vale and his co-authors report.

The second new orchid, from the western tip of the island, dwarfs its neighbor in size. The flower's showy purple and green petals are similar to a daffodil in appearance, spreading more than 2.5 inches (7 centimeters), with up to 20 blooms on one plant.

Like many orchids, the flower, dubbed Encyclia navarroi, is epiphytic, meaning it grows on other plants for support, but not for nutrients. Along the western coast, the species preferred to perch on plumeria and ficus, the researchers discovered.

Both new species are deceit pollinators, Vale said, enticing bees to spread their pollen without a reward. "Contrary to most plants, many orchids do not produce nectar or other substances to compensate insects and birds that visit them," he said.

Vale and his colleagues are studying orchids throughout the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico) to reconstruct their evolutionary history and analyze the effect of pollinators in their development. One of the mysteries they aim to solve is whether deceit orchids have greater diversity than other nectar-producing species.

"Despite the fact that T. riparia's flowers have a complete central petal, just like other species that make up a subgenre endemic to Cuba; the way they grow is very similar to a more widespread group that seems to have diverged on the neighboring island of Hispaniola," Vale said. "Our work provides molecular evidence of the greater relationship of T. riparia with these species on the neighboring island."

The findings were detailed in the October 2012 issue of the journal Systematic Botany and the April 2012 issue of the journal Annales Botanici Fennici.

Reach Becky Oskin at boskin@techmedianetwork.com. Follow her on Twitter @beckyoskin. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter?@OAPlanet. We're also on?Facebook?and Google+.

Copyright 2012 OurAmazingPlanet, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/caribbean-beauties-two-orchid-species-found-194619344.html

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Iran starts navy drills in Strait of Hormuz -IRNA

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran started on Friday six days of naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz, the official IRNA news agency reported, maneuvers aimed at showcasing its military capabilities in what is a vital oil and gas shipping route.

Naval commander Habibollah Sayyari said the "Velayat 91" drills would last until Wednesday across an area of about 1 million square kilometers in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and northern parts of the Indian Ocean, IRNA said.

Sayyari said the goal of the maneuvers were to show "the armed forces' military capabilities" in defending Iran's borders as well as sending a message of peace and friendship to neighboring countries.

Iranian officials have often said Iran could block the strait - through which 40 percent of the world's sea-borne oil exports pass - if it came under military attack over its disputed nuclear program.

Iran held a similar 10-day drill last December and sent a submarine and a destroyer into the Gulf four months ago just as U.S. and allied navies were conducting exercises in the same waters to practice keeping oil shipping lanes open.

Sayyari was quoted as saying on Tuesday that the new drill would test the navy's missile systems, combat ships, submarines and patrol and reconnaissance methods.

A heavy Western naval presence in the Gulf is meant to deter any attempt to block the waterway.

(Reporting by Zahra Hosseinian; editing by Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-starts-navy-drills-strait-hormuz-irna-062354925.html

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2013 to bring new hotel, new casino to local gamblers | TribLIVE

The $50 million Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin will open in summer at the Fayette County resort. This depicts the exterior of the former Wildside arcade, where the casino will be located. Source: Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.

By Mark Gruetze

Published: Friday, December 28, 2012, 8:58?p.m.
Updated 17 hours ago

A hotel at The Meadows, a casino in Fayette County and new games are on tap for Western Pennsylvania gamblers in 2013.

Regulators will award the license for the state?s 13th casino, as gambling industry leaders hope Americans have enough confidence in the economy to keep the slots spinning and the cards turning.

?We?re a discretionary income business,? Rivers General Manager Craig Clark says of casinos in general. ?We?re one of the first to be cut? when people have to reduce their spending.

In the first 11 months of the year, Pennsylvania casinos generated $2.9 billion in gambling revenue, an increase of 4.7 percent from the total through November 2011. With an eye toward increasing that figure again in 2013, casino executives plan new offerings to attract new players and keep familiar faces returning.

Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin will open in the summer at the Fayette County resort, says Isle of Capri spokeswoman Jill Alexander. Isle of Capri, which operates 15 casinos in six other states, will manage Lady Luck.

It will have 600 slot machines and 28 table games but no poker room, Alexander says. The casino will have 450 employees.

Lady Luck Nemacolin will be a resort casino, meaning it will be open only to hotel guests and to people making a $10 purchase, such as food, a souvenir or a gift card. Managers of existing Western Pennsylvania casinos say they don?t worry about competition specifically from Lady Luck.

?Nemacolin will have some minor effect, but I don?t think it will be dramatic,? says Sean Sullivan, vice president and general manager at The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in North Strabane. ?It?ll be attractive to certain types of players.?

Clark sees Nemacolin as more of a destination location, while most Rivers customers come from Allegheny County.

The Meadows

Officials are ?working tirelessly? on a hotel that will be connected to the casino, Sullivan says. He expects groundbreaking in the spring.

The hotel will have about 200 rooms. Although about 1,000 rooms are available in nearby hotels, Clark says an on-site facility is a ?critical component? for casino guests. ?Meadows Hotel? will be built below the south parking garage, in an area now used for bus parking.

Work also is to start in the spring for a retail development tentatively called ?The Street.? It will front on Racetrack Road and include shops, restaurants and a bank. Tenants might be announced next month.

Rivers

The casino recently remodeled its poker room and installed a new high-limit room.

Clark says Rivers? focus in 2013 will be on slot machines and promotions. The casino plans to add new slots and get new titles out faster. He says promotions will be bigger and more exclusive. The $300,000 ?mortgage mania? promotion in January offers to cover the winner?s mortgage payments for a year, up to $18,000, with secondary prizes of making car and credit card payments.

The casino will continue its emphasis on community involvement, he says. It will again be a partner with the Auto Show and plan a NASCAR event that will put winners in a NASCAR simulator.

?Our business is based in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. We?re supported by the local community in a very significant way,? he says.

Statewide

A major decision for the Gaming Control Board will be awarding the license for a second casino in Philadelphia. Six companies are vying for the state?s last Category 2 license, which allows a stand-alone casino with up to 5,000 slot machines and 250 table games.

Although Pennsylvania appears to have replaced New Jersey as the No. 2 gambling states, it faces competition from expansion in New York, Massachusetts, Maryland and elsewhere.

The state Gaming Control Board will see that the approval process for new games is quick and efficient, a spokesman says. The board also notes that several casinos are adding entertainment and conference venues, hotels and additional restaurants.

Nationwide

Online gambling will remain the No. 1 topic. Supporters of federal legislation authorizing legal online poker pulled the plug on their proposal in mid-December, while pledging to try again in 2013.

A 2011 U.S. Department of Justice ruling says states may offer online games within their borders. Nevada has authorized operators of online poker site that are expected to begin operations this year, and Delaware seems poised to offer online slots as well as poker, roulette, blackjack and other games.

Last week, New Jersey?s Legislature approved allowing online versions of any game offered in Atlantic City casinos. The bill was sent to Gov. Chris Christie.

California and other states are exploring legalization of online gambling.

Mark Gruetze is administrative editor for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7838 or players@tribweb.com.

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Source: http://triblive.com/aande/gambling/3191458-74/casino-says-online

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House to return to session Sunday evening

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House will be back in session Sunday evening as the "fiscal cliff" looms, threatening across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts with the new year.

Officials said the Republican leadership informed the GOP rank and file of the plan to meet during a conference call Thursday.

It is unclear what legislation the House might consider Sunday, since Speaker John Boehner is publicly insisting that the Senate must make the next move to avert the cliff.

With the Senate in session, Democrats in both chambers of Congress have been harshly critical of the House's absence.

The "fiscal cliff" deadline is four days away.

The officials who disclosed plans for the Sunday session did so on condition of anonymity, saying no public announcement had yet been made.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/house-return-session-sunday-evening-202007301.html

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Reaction to death of Norman Schwarzkopf

Reaction to the death of retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf:

___

"Barbara and I mourn the loss of a true American patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation. A distinguished member of that 'Long Gray Line' hailing from West Point, Gen. Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises. More than that, he was a good and decent man ? and a dear friend. Barbara and I send our condolences to his wife, Brenda, and his wonderful family." ? former President George H.W. Bush.

___

"With the passing of Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, we've lost an American original. From his decorated service in Vietnam to the historic liberation of Kuwait and his leadership of United States Central Command, Gen. Schwarzkopf stood tall for the country and Army he loved. Our prayers are with the Schwarzkopf family, who tonight can know that his legacy will endure in a nation that is more secure because of his patriotic service." ? White House press secretary Jay Carney.

___

"With the passing of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, America lost a great patriot and a great soldier. Norm served his country with courage and distinction for over 35 years. The highlight of his career was the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm. 'Stormin' Norman' led the coalition forces to victory, ejecting the Iraqi Army from Kuwait and restoring the rightful government. His leadership not only inspired his troops, but also inspired the nation. He was a good friend of mine, a close buddy. I will miss him. My wife, Alma, joins me in extending our deepest condolences to his wife, Brenda, and to her family." ? former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

___

"The men and women of the Department of Defense join me in mourning the loss of Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, whose 35 years of service in uniform left an indelible imprint on the United States military and on the country. The son of a decorated Army officer, Gen. Schwarzkopf followed his father's legacy of service by enrolling in West Point in the 1950s. His bravery during two tours in Vietnam earned him three Silver Stars, and set him on the path lead our troops into battle in Grenada, and then to take charge of the overall allied effort in the first Gulf War as commander of United States Central Command. Gen. Schwarzkopf's skilled leadership of that campaign liberated the Kuwaiti people and produced a decisive victory for the allied coalition. In the aftermath of that war, Gen. Schwarzkopf was justly recognized as a brilliant strategist and inspiring leader. Today, we recall that enduring legacy and remember him as one of the great military giants of the 20th century. My thoughts and prayers are with the Schwarzkopf family in this time of sadness and grief." ? Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

___

"I was saddened to learn today of the passing of Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, a fellow West Point graduate, former CENTCOM commander and one of the 20th century's finest soldiers and leaders. I join the civilian and military leaders of our country, and servicemen and women, past and present, in mourning his death. Gen. Schwarzkopf embodied the warrior spirit, serving with distinction in three conflicts over his 35 years of dedicated service. The hallmark of his remarkable career was the swift and decisive victory over Saddam Hussein's forces after they invaded Kuwait. The thoughts and prayers of the Joint Chiefs and the Joint Force are with Gen. Schwarzkopf's family and friends." ? Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/reaction-death-norman-schwarzkopf-014655500.html

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CRITIQUE ARTICLE 2: Use of Career Education and ... - Blog Archive

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

ARTICLE 2:

Use of Career Education and Occupation Information Services in

Boosting Enrolment into Vocational and Technical Education

Programs in Nigeria

By:

Igbinedion, V. I.1 & I. J. Ojeaga1

Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Faculty of Education, University of Benin, Benin

(International Education Studies; Vol. 5, No. 4; 2012)

ARTICLE REVIEW:

The authors has discussed about to address issues of youth unemployment, poverty and international competitiveness in skills development towards current and projected opportunities and challenges. Numerous reforms in vocational and technical education programs over the years, they still remain greatly detested by students and parents in Nigeria as evidenced in low enrolment when compared with sciences, engineering, banking and finance, and medicine.

The authors was also describe that technical and vocational education in Nigeria is so misconstrued that it has become extremely difficult in management perspective, to administer the program to meet societal ever changing needs. Presently, the program is bedeviled by many challenges that hinder the realization of its objectives as specified by the National Policy on Education of Federal Government of Nigeria (2004). One of these challenges is low enrolment. It is the concern of that enrolment into technical and vocational programs may be low not because Nigerian youths are lazy nor do not want to use their hands to work. But it may be because many Nigerians do not fully understand the benefits, scope and content of the program and lack of vocational or career education and occupation information services to students while in or out of schools.

The authors also mentioned that many of them make choices without proper understanding of their abilities, interests and attitudes. Most of the young people are said to select occupations like medicine, engineering, accounting mainly because of the positions and prestige attached to the job and not necessarily as a result of conscious assessment of the individual?s interests and abilities. Therefore, career education may be a veritable means of providing career awareness and information services to students in order to improve enrolment in vocational and technical education in Nigeria. Students, parents and the society at large look unto the school to help the adolescents and youth make career decision based on realistic abilities, interests and availability. Therefore, it is required to use of career education and occupation information services in boosting enrolment in vocational and technical education programs in Nigeria.

In addition, from the author?s research, they are also identified some of the factors responsible for low enrolment in TVET in Nigeria which are:

1.? Poor Societal Perception: Many people are yet to understand the meaning, scope and content of vocational and technical education. Some view it as education for the handicapped or education for those who cannot cope with the sciences. (Osa-Edoh ,2008)

2.??? Poor Societal Attitude: The attitude of people towards vocational and technical education contributes to the problems in teaching the subject. It notes that in schools, the teacher could be teaching people who are not interested in the subject that is being taught. (Idialu, 2007).

3.???Elitism: Elitism could be described as the belief of a group in society that because of superior privileges, power and talent they tend to hold on to this belief through a system of education that will sustain this group?s interest. (Oviawe and Anavberokhai, 2008).

4.??? Poor Entry Level: Students who enroll in vocational and technical education programs are considered to have low aptitude. The technical schools find it hard to attract good students because there is a strong misconception that they are reserved for the never-to- do-wells and other negative by-products. Those admitted because they cannot find other things to do barely pass through the program because of poor aptitude and attitude. (Oviawe and Anavberokhai, 2008).

5.?? Lack of Recognition: There is a low recognition associated with manual labor in Nigeria. Unlike her counterparts in developed countries, the skilled craftsman does not enjoy the same recognition. (Oviawe and Anavberokhai, 2008).

6.????Discrimination against Graduates of Technical and Vocational Education: There is also the problem of unhealthy perception or discrimination against technical graduates. It was stated that this discrimination is virtually visible amongst graduates of technical schools (technical college, monotechnics, colleges of technology, polytechnics) and university graduates. Up till now, the former is being managed by National Board for Technical Education while the latter is under the supervision of National Universities Commission. countries, the skilled craftsman does not enjoy the same recognition (Ogidefa, 2010).

DISCUSSION

From the above, it shows that the TVET programmes in Nigeria are still not being acceptable by most of the people. Low prestige given to the TVET is the most factors that hinder the participation of the students to the TVET. Other factors like discrimination to the TVET programme, poor entry level to TVET, elitism, etc are also will become crucial if no actions taken to this issue. It is agreed that it was difficult to the government in enhancing or rebranding the educational systems especially TVET as it requires a lot of financial support and resources. However, due to the current globalization of the economy systems, the government of Nigeria needs to do something in promoting TVET as the economy will grow with the support from the TVET. The growth of the country is actually depending on how many unemployed in that country. The less number of unemployed, the more established the country. Few actions can be taken in promoting TVET like career conference, field trip, collaborating industrial training, providing career information center, etc.

REFERENCE

2.? Ogidefa, I. (2010). Enhancing Technical Vocational Education in Nigerian Schools. Socyberty. Retrieved from:

3.??? Osa-Edoh G. I. (2008). The Place of Vocational And Technical Education In Skills Acquisition By Secondary School Students ? Implication For Counseling. Technical and Vocational Education Journal. 1(2). 84-90.

4.? Oviawe, J.I. & Anavberokhai, M.O. (2008). The Role of Entrepreneurship Education In The Realization Of The National Economic Empowerment And Development Strategy (NEEDS). Technical and Vocational Education Journal, 1(1).

Prepared By: Nurihah Mohamad Saleh (MP 111227)

Source: http://citve1213.blogspot.com/2012/12/critique-article-2-use-of-career.html

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The Clock Is Ticking On Obama To Solve The ... - Business Insider

International crises are supposed to last days. Perhaps, like the Cuban missile crisis, they can stretch to weeks or, like the prelude to war in 1914, even months. But the Iranian nuclear crisis, which began with the revelation of secret nuclear sites in 2002, has now lasted a full decade. Although some might consider 10 years without war to be a success, it would be foolish to assume we can endure another 10.

It is now more important than ever that we take advantage of fortuitous diplomatic circumstances and seek a deal with Iran, one which both addresses our basic security concerns and allows Iran to come away with dignity.

The window for nuclear diplomacy between Iran and the west has been open since Barack Obama's re-election. But it will start inching shut as we approach the Iranian presidential elections in June. The same election-season policy paralysis that grips Washington every four years also afflicts Tehran. Iran's political system has been especially fragmented during president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's second term, and factional competition will intensify. Since negotiations can't be held before January, that leaves a short period ? no more than five months ? in which to hammer out an agreement.

Everyone understands what the compromise should look like. The west would offer limited sanctions relief and, despite UN security council resolutions demanding the contrary, would allow Iran to enrich uranium. Iran, in turn, would cap its enrichment to 5%, thus excluding the production of uranium enriched to the more dangerous 20% (nine-tenths of the way to weapons-grade). Iran would also have to agree to convert its stockpile to fuel (which is harder to use for bombs), limit its ability to produce more in the future, and ? most important of all ? agree to intrusive inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The latter is a crucial point. If Iran did seek to dash for a bomb, its main problem would not be getting material, but getting caught. We must ensure it stays that way. We should, counterintuitively, prefer a bigger, more transparent Iranian nuclear programme to a smaller, more opaque one.

Finally, if and when the agency gives Iran a clean bill of health ? something it cannot do now, while Iran remains unco-operative ? all sanctions could be lifted. Iran may be worried that if it comes clean, it would simply face further punishment. There is a solution: in return for total transparency, Iran should be offered an amnesty for past transgressions. After all, many countries ? South Korea, Taiwan, Sweden, South Africa ? have conducted illicit nuclear research, and been forgiven.

The problem, as so often in negotiations, is that each side is convinced it can outlast the other. We assume that Iran, creaking under the weight of unprecedentedly tough sanctions, will eventually agree to far greater concessions than those outlined above. This may be a mistake.

First, long-term sanctions can have catastrophic humanitarian and diplomatic effects, as they did in Iraq in the 1990s. In those western countries spearheading sanctions, there is disturbingly little debate over the consequences.

Second, the longer the crisis lasts, the greater the risk that Israel, fearful of Iran making unseen advances in the development of a nuclear bomb, launches air strikes. That would result in Iran expelling inspectors, reconstituting its nuclear programme out of sight, and redoubling its efforts ? just as Iraq did after it was bombed by Israel in 1981.

Finally, it may seem desirable that sanctions drive Iranians on to the streets. But such protests, by making the regime more vulnerable, can increase the appeal of a nuclear deterrent and empower hardliners. Moreover, as we found during the 2009 green revolution, it can be politically awkward to negotiate with a regime visibly cracking down on its citizens. That undermines the core purpose of sanctions: to negotiate from a position of strength.

There are other reasons why we should show flexibility. The Obama administration has already indicated it is willing to engage in direct talks with Iran, but a president is never as politically strong as at the beginning of a second and final term. Moreover, the increasingly probable collapse of the Assad regime in Syria will deprive Iran of one of its only true allies. When that happens, Tehran's stance can be expected to harden further.

Iran might simply refuse to make the necessary concessions. In that case, we are no worse off than we are now. But it would be negligent not to try. Considering that every internationally recognised nuclear weapons state took less than 10 years to produce their bombs, the duration of this crisis is remarkable and troubling. Just waiting Iran out is not a good strategy. Sanctions may have played a role in forcing Iran back to nuclear talks over the past year, but they can no longer do all the heavy lifting.

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-clock-is-ticking-on-obama-to-solve-the-iranian-nuclear-crisis-2012-12

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Obama thanks EPA's Jackson for service on environment

Slipping in her entry for Weirdest Celebrity News of 2012 just under the wire, Kate Winslet of all people went and had a secret marriage early this month that only came to light last night. And who did she marry? A man named Ned Rocknroll. Or Rock'nRoll, depending on who you ask. Yup. Kate Winslet has married the old cartoon mascot for the Hard Rock Caf?. Well, no, such a thing never existed, but that sure is what Ned Rocknroll sounds like. Or maybe an American guest character on a Japanese cartoon. Something like that. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-thanks-epas-jackson-environment-154446842.html

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Toyota settlement will top $1 billion

15 hrs.

From wire services , NBC News

Toyota Motor Corp. has agreed to pay as much as $1.4 billion to settle U.S. litigation claims that its vehicles suddenly and unintentionally accelerated, according to court filings made public Wednesday.

The company said the deal will resolve hundreds of lawsuits from Toyota owners who said the value of their cars and trucks plummeted after a series of recalls stemming from claims that Toyota vehicles accelerated unintentionally.

Steve Berman, a lawyer representing Toyota owners, said the settlement is the largest in U.S. history involving automobile defects.

"We kept fighting and fighting and we secured what we think was a good settlement given the risks of this litigation," Berman told The Associated Press.

The proposed deal was filed Wednesday and must receive the approval of U.S. District Judge James Selna, who was expected to review the settlement Friday.

Toyota said it will take a one-time, $1.1 billion pre-tax charge against earnings to cover the estimated costs of the settlement. Berman said the total value of the deal is between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion.

Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against Toyota since 2009, when the Japanese automaker started receiving numerous complaints that its cars accelerated on their own, causing crashes, injuries and even deaths.

The cases were consolidated in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana and divided into two categories: economic loss and wrongful death. Claims by people who seek compensation for injury and death due to sudden acceleration are not part of the settlement; the first trial involving those suits is scheduled for February.

The deal includes direct payments to customers as well as the installation of a brake override system in about 3.25 million vehicles, plaintiff attorneys said.?The terms also?include a $250 million fund for former Toyota owners who sold vehicles at reduced prices because of bad publicity, and a separate $250 million fund for owners not eligible for the brake override system.

The settlement would also establish additional driver education programs and fund new research into advanced safety technologies.

"In keeping with our core principles, we have structured this agreement in ways that work to put our customers first and demonstrate that they can count on Toyota to stand behind our vehicles," said Christopher? Reynolds, Toyota vice president and general counsel.

Current and former Toyota owners are expected to receive more information about the settlement in the coming months. Some information is also available at http://www.ToyotaELsettlement.com, a website created for Toyota owners affected by the settlement.

"We are extraordinarily proud of how we were able to represent the interests of Toyota owners, and believe this settlement is both comprehensive in its scope and fair in compensation," Berman said.

Toyota has recalled more than 14 million vehicles worldwide due to acceleration problems in several models and brake defects with the Prius hybrid. Toyota has blamed driver error, faulty floor mats and sticky accelerator pedals for the unintended acceleration.

Plaintiffs' attorneys have spent the past two years deposing Toyota employees, poring over thousands of documents and reviewing software code, but the company maintains those lawyers have been unable to prove that a design defect ? namely Toyota's electronic throttle control system ? was responsible for vehicles surging unexpectedly.

Both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and NASA were unable to find any defects in Toyota's source code that could cause problems.

The company has been dogged by fines for not reporting problems in a timely manner.

Earlier this month, NHTSA doled out a record $17.4 million fine to Toyota for failing to quickly report floor mat problems with some of its Lexus models. Toyota paid a total of $48.8 million in fines for three violations in 2010.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda appeared before Congress last year and pledged to strengthen quality control. Recent sales figures show the company appears to have rebounded following its safety issues.

Information from the Associated Press and Reuters was included in this report.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/toyota-settlement-over-acceleration-problems-top-1-billion-1C7659318

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Pet-Friendly Condos and Your Vacation

If you want to take your dog or cat on vacation, there are lots of condos available that accept pets. Many of us love our animals at least as much as our family members. In fact, we may consider Rover or Fluffy to be our family members. Beloved companion animals are great company, more loyal than any human, and lots of fun. Dogs are always up for a walk, never complain about what?s for dinner, and will play catch with an old tennis ball till their slobber dries up. While felines are a bit more persnickety, they are still comforting friends who allow you to hold them on your lap occasionally. If leaving your pet behind when you go on vacation sounds like torture, bring them along. There are hotels and condominiums that will welcome your furry friends.

How to Locate Lodging That Accepts Animals

It?s easy to search online for pet-friendly condos. Simply type those exact words into Google along with the location you?re traveling to and watch the pages of options pop up. Next step is to peruse the websites of these hotels and rental spaces that claim to accept kitties and canines. If you find some great possibilities, give them a call. It?s always best to telephone the management in order to inquire if they are indeed accepting animals as guests. Sometimes ads aren?t current, as the management may have changed. It?s important to ask if there are weight limits for your dogs or breed exclusions before traveling to the site, as well.

Fees that May Be Involved

Be aware that there are usually extra costs to hotel guests or condominium visitors who opt to bring their animals. The nightly cost may be slightly higher and there may be a security deposit. Some lodging options will want to see proof that Fido has had his immunizations and may even want verification that your dog or cat is healthy. This can be obtained as a Bill of Health from your pet?s veterinarian.

What to Bring

As you pack your suitcase full of your own clothes and toiletries, don?t forget to pack your pet?s ?must haves? in your luggage, as well. For canines, bring leashes, food dishes, chew toys, dog beds, and tennis balls. If your dog is an avid Frisbee player, bring a few of those, too. Kitties need catnip, their little dishes to eat from, and a litter box. It?s helpful to bring edible treats for your animals so they can remain placated while traveling. If they are typically nervous about new adventures, it wouldn?t hurt to ask your vet for a few tranquilizers for the trip.

Hooray for you! You get to go out of town on a long awaited vacation to condos in a beach town or a cabin in the pines. Don?t forget to clean up after your animals along the way. Bring plenty of plastic bags, clean litter, and scoops so you and your animals will be welcomed back again.

Are you looking for pet friendly orange beach al condos? Contact our staff at http://www.brett-robinson.com and find the right place for you and your pet.

Source: http://www.articlesrx.com/pet-friendly-condos-and-your-vacation/10126

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Children, many ill, would be victims of Russia ban on U.S. adoption

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Family Christmas cards and smiling snapshots of children sent by their adoptive American parents fill Galina Sigayeva's office in Russia's second city St Petersburg.

Many of them were crippled by illness and in desperate need of medical care before her agency helped organize their adoption into U.S. families, she recalls.

Children's rights campaigners say kids like these will suffer most if President Vladimir Putin approves a law barring American adoptions that has been rubber-stamped by Russian lawmakers. The act retaliates against a new U.S. law that will punish Russians accused of human rights violations.

Critics of the bill say Russian orphanages are woefully overcrowded and the fate of vulnerable children should not be used as a bargaining chip in a bilateral feud.

"These children are not even offered to foreigners until they get a certain number of (adoption) refusals from Russians," said Sigayeva, a neatly-styled brunette who heads the New Hope Christian Services Adoption Agency.

"These are children with complicated diagnoses, really complicated. They are very ill children."

She smiled as she flipped through photos of children embraced by their adoptive parents, playing with family pets and enjoying presents and other trappings of holiday cheer.

"What surprises me is that here they all look so healthy, so fantastic, but you should see what they look like when they are taken from here," Sigayeva said.

"Some had to be carried to the border. We had a girl with hepatitis whom we helped from the emergency room."

Both sides in the heated debate surrounding the bill agree Russia's orphanage system is overwhelmed, riddled with corruption and mostly failing to place children in families.

More than 650,000 children are considered orphans in Russia - though some were rejected by their parents or taken from dysfunctional homes. Of that total, 110,000 lived in state institutions in 2011, according to the Ministry of Science and Education.

By contrast, in the United States - which has more than twice Russia's population - about 58,280 children were living in group homes and institutions last year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Adoptions by Russian families remain modest, with some 7,400 adoptions in 2011 compared with 3,400 adoptions of Russian children by families abroad.

Russian politicians say it is an embarrassment that the country cannot care for its own, and supporters of the measure argue it will help stimulate reform and domestic adoptions.

"Foreign adoption is a result of the state and society's lack of attention to orphans ... It is, if you will, a result of our indifference," Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told officials at a ruling party congress last week.

American families adopt more Russian children - 956 last year - than those of any other country. Of the children adopted by Americans in 2011, 9 percent - or 89 - were disabled, according to official Russian figures.

Opponents of the legislation - who include senior officials such as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov - say politicking should not deprive orphans of this chance at better life.

"Russia is not able to provide for all its orphans," Boris Altshuler, director of the Moscow-based Rights of the Child advocacy group, said. "Although 1,000 is a small fraction - it was a help."

Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets has said the ban would violate international treaties on child rights, and the Kremlin's own human rights council called it unconstitutional.

"AMERICAN ROULETTE"

The ban responds to a U.S. law known as the Magnitsky Act which punishes Russians suspected of being involved in the death in custody of anti-graft lawyer Sergei Magnistky in 2009, and of other human rights violations, by barring them from entering the United States.

In a pointed echo of the Magnitsky Act, Russia's legislation is named the Dima Yakovlev law, after a Russian-born toddler who died of heat stroke after his American adoptive father left him locked in a sweltering car.

His death and that of 19 other Russian-born children in the hands of U.S. citizens in the last decade has helped drive support for the bill and for tougher adoption rules in a deal with the United States in June.

"It's American roulette," said Pavel Astakhov, Russia's Children's Rights Commissioner and a supporter of the ban.

"One handicapped girl from Russia got lucky. She was Jessica Long - a Paralympic champion. Another did not. She was Masha Allen ... who was raped by her pedophile adoptive father."

DISABLED CHILDREN

If Putin signs it into law, the ban will come into force on January 1, most immediately affecting the fate of children whose adoption is in the works.

The placement of 46 children with American families will be cancelled, Astakhov told the Interfax news agency on Wednesday.

Sigayeva said a six-month halt on American adoptions until a new bilateral deal entered force in November showed how it would aggravate problems in Russia's strained child-protection system.

"Hospitals were overwhelmed. There was no room in orphanages or hospitals for children whom their parents had rejected. So what's next then?" said Sigayeva, whose agency has helped place some 200 children in American families since 1992.

Advocates who work with disabled children say a reform proposal drafted by Astakhov ignores their plight. They say it calls for a reduction in the number of institutions caring for children with disabilities without explaining how they will find foster homes and medical care.

"No concrete measures are being suggested. Nothing exists but a lot of children's pain, which will only increase now," said Sergei Koloskov, a campaigner for children with Down's Syndrome.

"They are being left parentless in addition to being ill."

(Additional reporting by Alexander Chizhenok in St. Petersburg; Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Peter Graff)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/children-many-ill-victims-russia-ban-u-adoption-123222651.html

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