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Freedom of information advocates wants Aquino to make FOI bill a priority

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

Members of the Right to Know Right Now Coalition on Friday urged President Benigno Aquino III to name the Freedom of Information Act a priority bill in his third State of the Nation Address.

The coalition has sent several letters requesting the Presidents endorsement of the bill, including an open letter signed by advocates from over 40 countries, but has yet to receive a reply.

Sa SONA naming hihintayin ang kanyang sagot, Rowena Paraan of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said.

The international community is also watching closely whether the President will mention the FOI bill in his SONA, said Atty. Nepomuceno Malaluan, the coalitions lead convenor.

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Freedom of information advocates wants Aquino to make FOI bill a priority

Department of Defense Announces Recipients of 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense agency, announced today the 15 recipients of the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The Freedom Award is the DoDs highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of Guard and Reserve employees. These employers distinguished themselves from the 3,236 nominations received from Guardsmen and Reservists, or family members acting on their behalf.

The 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award recipients are:

Employer

Freedom Award recipients stand out by going above and beyond what the law requires of Guard and Reserve employers. They go to extraordinary lengths to support their military employees through both formal and informal initiatives. The 2012 recipients have provided such outstanding support as special hiring and career development programs for Guard and Reserve members; maintaining an open door policy for deployed employees family members in need of assistance; and forming internal veterans networks that maintain contact with deployed colleagues, organize care package drives, and advise managers on issues related to employing members of the military.

"On behalf of the Secretary of Defense, I thank the 2012 Freedom Award recipients for taking such exceptional care of the Guard and Reserve members they employ," said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Jessica L. Wright. "Our military could not meet todays national security demands without the Guard and Reserve, who in turn could not provide such dedicated service without the cooperation of their employers at home. These Freedom Award recipients have distinguished themselves nationally for their remarkable efforts, and we greatly appreciate their unwavering support."

A selection board comprised of senior DoD officials, business leaders and prior awardees selected the 15 recipients. Since 1996, only 160 employers have received the Freedom Award. The 2012 honorees will be recognized at the 17th annual Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C. on September 20th.

For more information about the Freedom Award and this years recipients, visit http://www.FreedomAward.mil.

About ESGR and the Freedom Award:

The Freedom Award was instituted in 1996 under the auspices of ESGR to recognize exceptional support from the employer community. In the years since, 160 employers have been honored with the award. Established as a DoD agency 40 years ago, ESGR develops and maintains employer support for Guard and Reserve service. ESGR advocates relevant initiatives, recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of applicable laws, and resolves conflict between service members and employers. Paramount to ESGR's mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.

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Department of Defense Announces Recipients of 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award

Who is Freedom from Religion?

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

Freedom from Religion, an atheist group based hundreds of miles away in Wisconsin, is making waves in East Tennessee.

It's a name you have likely heard recently. They have made themselves known by questioning prayer at school events and public meetings, Ten Commandment statues, and police patches in East Tennessee.

This year alone, Freedom from Religion has written 39 letters to Tennessee government bodies and school systems asking them to stop their practices and threatening lawsuits. The foundation's focus is to remove religion from government.

Freedom from Religion has more than 19,000 members with 300 of them in Tennessee.Co-president Laurie Annie Gaylor said they have had much success in their more than 30 years of existence. But some East Tennessee governmental bodies seem unfazed by their demands.

They succeeded in getting Lenior City schools to stop praying before school board meetings and football games, but this week the city refused to remove the word religion from their police patch.

Thursday morning, Knox County Commission also rejected their request to stop praying before the meetings. Instead, the Rules Committee recommendeded a written prayer policy to the full commission that Knox County's Law Director, Joe Jarret, said would protect them in a lawsuit.

"I'll have to disagree with their [Freedom from Religion's] interpretation of the law. It is certainly legally permissible for the commission to do so, especially in the matter in which they have done it in the past," said Jarret. Jarret said the law however does draw a line of distinction with schools.

"They pray in the federal House and Senate and in the state House and Senate. It's been a tradition and I don't think we should change it," said Knox County Commission Vice Chairman Brad Anders.

Anders doesn't understand why the group is involved in local affairs.

"I think they need to let communities be the community that they are," he said.

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Who is Freedom from Religion?

Jim Kershner's this day in history – Fri, 20 Jul 2012 PST

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

July 20, 2012 in City

Judge Warren W. Foster, of New York, passed through Spokane on a pleasure trip and spoke to reporters about the subject that had made him controversial:eugenics.

Judge Foster believed that criminals should be sterilized to prevent propagation among criminals. He also believed that the marriage of persons physically unfit is acrime.

He said that his beliefs were based on a branch of the science of eugenics, which every sane person admits is worthy of earnestconsideration.

From the golf beat: The Spokesman-Review wrote an editorial extolling the virtues of golf in Spokane andvicinity.

There are courses here and at Hayden Lake where the golfer can find opportunities and bunkers equal to any on the eastern links, said theeditorial.

It also made the following highly questionable assertion: The climate allows (a golfer) to play outdoors more days in the year in the Spokane country than he can do at any place east of theRockies.

(From the AssociatedPress)

1969: Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon after reaching the surface in their Apollo 11 lunarmodule.

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Jim Kershner's this day in history - Fri, 20 Jul 2012 PST

Ramblings from Ben: Things that people don't like to think

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

Margaret Sanger, you will learn today, was an admitted racist and eugenicist. Yes, I actually just wrote that. The spewing of volatility may shortly ensue. Eugenics may have its place amongst our modern-day engineers of society through a number of rationalizations or outright justifications, but most in the progressive category would prefer to shy away from the fact that the founder of Planned Parenthood encouraged the extermination of the negro population. Her words, not mine. When you take a ride to your local clinic to get a handful of condoms, remember these words: "We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population," she said, "if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members." Woman's Body, Woman's Right: A Social History of Birth Control in America, by Linda Gordon. Am I quoting out of context? Decide for yourselves.

Planned Parenthood, I assure you, will not be suing this reporter for libel. Sanger, if nothing else, was admirably honest in her opinions. Irresponsible of me it would be, though, to suggest that the organization still holds to those ideals. Their founder, in her own words, did. Through the power of google, you can learn more. Margaret's words and writings are burned into the electronic engine that governs life. Find her others on your own. Educate yourselves.

"The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it," Sanger said in her book, Woman and the new race. Of note with this quote is the use of "kill," rather than our more sanitized modern reference of "termination of pregnancy." If those reading are supporters of eugenics, so be it. Live your convictions. Beyond doubtful it is, however, that many proponents of abortion-rights are even aware of Planned Parenthood's background. Google eugenics. Google population control. Gather some facts before opting to hug the concept of a woman's right to choose. Conveniently, the term negates to mention eugenics or racism.

One thing I don't want. Christian readers don't facebook-respond, don't email me and don't call up the paper saying that I'm doing God's work. I didn't write the above from a Christian perspective. I've read the Bible and have found it to be full of factual, logistical, mathematical and theological inconsistencies. If you wish to believe based on faith and the manifestation of God in your lives, so be it. Do not claim ever that your book is more accurate than that of another faith based on this and that. The Bible, our modern version of it, has undergone change after change. When human hands touch something, flawlessness is not the result you'll find. If I choose to have faith in the Christ story, it will not be because of Biblical accuracy. The rock of ages it may be, but something to set your watches to it is not. Google Biblical inaccuracies.

Sterilization Victims Foundation restarts victim verification requests

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

People who believe theyor someone they knowwere involuntarily sterilized as part of the state's eugenics board can again request that their cases be reviewed.

The N.C. Justice For Sterilization Victims Foundation, which verifies the cases, temporarily suspended accepting requests on June 20, after the N.C. Senate eliminated its operational fundingand compensation for the victimsin the state budget. At that time, the foundation was processing 140 requests; it has received a additional inquiries since.

The foundation is again accepting inquiries, and to keep it open, the N.C. Department of Administration has trimmed funding from other agency services.

Executive Director Charmaine Fuller Cooper is now the only staff member.

Original legislation, which was supported by Gov. Bev Perdue, provided a lump sum of $50,000 to each verified living victim of the eugenics program. Her budget for compensation and operational costs totaled $10 million.

Nearly 7,600 people were sterilized between 1929 and 1974; an estimated 1,350 to 1,800 victims are still alive. So far, the foundation has verified 161 eugenics victims in 57 counties; 146 are still living.

For information about filing a victim verification request, contact the foundation toll-free at 877-550-6013 or 919-807-4270. Or go to http://www.sterilizationvictims.nc.gov.

See public documents related to the eugenics program at the N.C. Digital Collections or the Foundation website.

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Sterilization Victims Foundation restarts victim verification requests

N.C. eugenics foundation to continue identifying victims

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

The foundation that verified whether people were involuntarily sterilized by the former N.C. Eugenics Board has resumed operations, the state announced Thursday.

"There are still many people in North Carolina who were impacted by the Eugenics Board program," said Jill Lucas, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Administration. "And these individuals still have the right to access their records."

The foundation stopped taking new requests last month when it appeared operating funds would end, but the legislature passed a bill directing the foundation to keep going with $128,000 from the Department of Administration.

"The status of the agency will be evaluated in the fall and we'll determine the ongoing resources they will need at that point," Lucas said.

The foundation will be pared down, with two support staff positions being eliminated, leaving only Executive Director Charmaine Fuller Cooper. Its sole mission will be victim verification requests.

The Eugenics Board operated a program between 1929 and 1974 that was responsible for the forced sterilization of nearly 7,600 people in 100 counties.

The foundation has verified 161 eugenics victims in 57 counties, including 146 living victims. There were 140 requests being processed when the foundation suspended operations.

A bill that would have given each victim $50,000 in compensation passed the N.C. House but failed to pass the state Senate.

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N.C. eugenics foundation to continue identifying victims

Dome: Eugenics office operating on shoestring

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

The N.C. Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation, which helps determine whether residents were sterilized under the state eugenics program, had stopped taking new requests for verification on June 20 when it ran out of money.

Before the temporary freeze, the foundation had verified 161 eugenics victims, 146 of them living.

The office is back working again, but no one knows for how long.

The state ran a eugenics program for about 40 years that lasted until 1974. A state board ordered sterilized residents who were mentally diseased, feeble-minded or epileptic. The board also ordered sterilized people who were poor or who were thought likely to have disabled children. About 7,600 people were sterilized under the auspices of the state board. The N.C. State Center for Health Statistics last month revised its projection of likely living victims from about 1,500 to 2,000 to about 1,350 to 1,800.

Legislators had talked for years about compensating victims, and the idea gained traction this year.

Gov. Bev Perdue and the state House had proposed giving victims $50,000 each in compensation, but Senate Republicans refused to go along. The verification work would have ended, but in the final days of the legislative session, the legislature directed the Department of Administration to find money to keep it going. The three-person staff is down to one executive director Charmaine Fuller Cooper.

The foundation had more than 140 requests for verification on June 20, and is again accepting new requests.

Were going to continue as usual as long as we can, Cooper said.

Burr wins on Haqqani network

Congress has passed a bill forcing the State Department to declare the Pakistani Haqqani network a terrorist organization or to provide a detailed explanation of why the label is not fitting.

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Dome: Eugenics office operating on shoestring

Countering McDonald’s denial, cyborg posts new photo of alleged assault

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

20 hrs.

Avram Piltch , Laptop

Its just another one of those Cyborg said, McDonalds said disagreements.

After Human Cyborg Steve Mann published a blog post on Monday saying he wasassaulted by employees at a Paris McDonaldsearlier this month, the fast food chainstruck back on Wednesday, saying its own investigation had determined that staffers did ask him to leave but that their interaction with Dr. Mann was polite and did not involve a physical altercation. However, after we wrote Mann and asked for his reaction, he sent us a previously-unpublished photo that appears to show a McDonalds employee grabbing his glasses.

The shot above comes directly from Manns EyeTap Glass headset, which he was wearing when a McDonalds employee he calls Perpetrator 1 allegedly tried to rip it off his face. The employee and his coworkers were apparently trying to enforce that particular restaurants strict no-photo policy and were concerned that Manns headset was shooting pictures or video. According to Mann, the EyeTap Glass does indeed capture images of everything the wearer sees in real-time, but does not permanently store them by default. However, when the device was damaged, it retained images from the incident, including this one.

Were not forensic photography experts, but this new image certainly makes it look like the McDonalds staffer in question has, at the very least, made physical contact with Dr. Manns glasses. Since we dont have video, we have no way to determine from the photo alone whether he brushed up against the glasses accidentally or was actively trying to pull them off of the professors head. In addition to this grabbing photo, Mann directed our attention to a different picture he had posted where another McDonalds employee appears to be tearing up a piece of paper, which he says is the doctors note he showed them to explain why he needs to wear this non-removable headset.

Judge for yourself, he told us. Plus they cant deny tearing up the letter from my doctor, so that also would seem to suggest ill intent, e.g. that in itself is also willful damage to customers property.

As of 1 a.m. ET, the new photo of the employee allegedly grabbing the glasses had also been added toManns original blog post.

Middletown, Fort Adams beaches reopen to swimming

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

MIDDLETOWN, R.I.Two area beaches are open again after Rhode Island health officials closed them for swimming.

The Health Department says on Thursday that the Atlantic Beach Club beach in Middletown and Fort Adams State Park beach in Newport are both open after water samples showed bacteria was back down to acceptable limits.

The state regularly tests the water at public beaches during the summer season to make sure that it's safe for swimming.

Water analysis is done by the health department or a laboratory certified by the state.

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Middletown, Fort Adams beaches reopen to swimming

Bombardier Aerospace: Committed to Health, Safety and the Environment – Video

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

18-07-2012 22:59 At Bombardier, we consider the protection of health, safety and environment a fundamental responsibility and a value governing all our activities. We are committed to fostering innovative and sustainable operations. We monitor key environmental performance indicators, setting realistic targets and developing concrete initiatives to achieve our goals. It also includes implementing innovative programs like our Bombardier Green Fund, dedicated to leveraging employee insight to improve the environmental efficiency and impact of our operations. 'Operations' is one of the pillars of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy -- you can check out the six pillars on our CSR dedicated website: csr.bombardier.com. About Bombardier Bombardier is the world's only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation. Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, we posted revenues of $18.3 billion USD. News and information are available at or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Aerospace execs tell Congress that 'sequestration' will cost jobs

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

Aerospace industry executives told the House Armed Services Committee that the government hasnt given them proper insight in how to prepare for proposed budget cuts threatening to hit Pentagon spending.

Under a law approved last year, $500 billion in federal funds of all kinds would be held back "sequestered" until Congress reaches an agreement on reducing the mounting federal deficit.

Although there is much speculation about whether Congress would let those automatic cuts actually occur in January, military contractors are ringing alarms now.

Robert J. Stevens, chief executive of Lockheed Martin Corp., the world's largest defense firm, told the committee Wednesday that his company is trying to prepare for the automatic cuts.

From an industry perspective, because of the specter of sequestration, the near-term horizon is completely obscured by a fog of uncertainty, he said. The impact on industry would be devastating, with a significant disruption to ongoing programs and initiatives, leading to facility closures and personnel reductions that would significantly disrupt advanced manufacturing operations, erode engineering expertise, and accelerate the loss of skills and knowledge.

Although there has been no specificity on what programs will be cut, Stevens estimated that his company would be force to lay off 10,000 people.

The Aerospace Industries Assn., an Arlington, Va.-based trade group, released a study Tuesday that concluded 2.14 million American jobs could be lost if the mandate takes effect.

But last week, the Congressional Budget Office released a report that said even if the automatic cuts were enacted in January, the process would be complicated, but not unbearable.

Accommodating those automatic reductions, in particular, could be difficult for the department to manage because it would need to be achieved in only nine months, the report said. Even with that cut, however, [the Pentagons] base budget in 2013 would still be larger than it was in 2006 (in 2013 dollars) and larger than the average base budget during the 1980s.

Still, Sean OKeefe, chief executive of European Aeronautic Defense & Space's unit, EADS North America, told the Armed Services Committee that the administration must communicate its sequestration implementation plans.

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Aerospace execs tell Congress that 'sequestration' will cost jobs

Howard Murad, M.D. to Share Inclusive Health Insights in Institute for Integrative Nutrition Webinar

Posted on July 20, 2012 by ev1

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Institute for Integrative Nutrition has announced a free educational webinar to feature Howard Murad, M.D., whose scientifically-proven methodologies and Inclusive Health approach to overall well-being have helped millions enjoy healthier, more beautiful lives. During the special exclusive webinar taking place on Monday, July 23 at 2 p.m. EDT, Dr. Murad will share easy ways to look and feel younger.

In this exclusive live discussion, moderated by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Dr. Murad will share his philosophies on Inclusive Health, youth building and how to improve total well-being from the inside out. Hell also address audience questions about looking and feeling younger and healthier!

Dr. Murad will also be explaining his scientific discovery of The Science of Cellular Water, which identifies the common denominator of aging and illness as cellular water loss, is now recognized as a comprehensive approach to understanding health and aging, looking at the ability of cell membranes to hold water as the fundamental marker of youthful good health.

When: Monday, July 23 at 2pm Eastern Time

Where: Your computer or telephone

What: A live interview and Q&A session with the founder of Inclusive Health -- Dr. Howard Murad!

Since 1992, Integrative Nutrition has been the cutting-edge leader in holistic nutrition education. As the worlds largest nutrition school, it trains students around the world to become certified Health Coaches. These Health Coaches work one-on-one with clients to help them create a balanced life, reach wellness goals and achieve optimum health.

Howard Murad, M.D., FAAD, is changing the way people think about health and wellness with scientifically-proven methodologies and an Inclusive Health approach to overall well being that has helped millions enjoy healthier, more beautiful lives. A board-certified dermatologist, trained pharmacist, founder of the University of Inclusive Health, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA, Director of Murad Research Labs, and best-selling author of The Water Secret, Dr. Murad has treated over 50,000 patients and continues to practice medicine at the Murad Inclusive Health Medical Group in El Segundo, California.

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Howard Murad, M.D. to Share Inclusive Health Insights in Institute for Integrative Nutrition Webinar

Christopher Reuter Talk on Industrial Microbiology Part 2 – Video

Posted on July 20, 2012 by ev1

19-07-2012 08:48 Chris Reuter, Ph.D. Vice President of Science Osprey Biotechnics Inc, Florida

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Christopher Reuter Talk on Industrial Microbiology Part 2 - Video

Research and Markets: Israel In Vitro Diagnostics Market Outlook to 2017 – Clinical Chemistry Genetic Testing …

Posted on July 20, 2012 by ev1

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/wsdqpt/israel_in_vitro_di) has announced the addition of GlobalData's new report "Israel In Vitro Diagnostics Market Outlook to 2017 - Clinical Chemistry Genetic Testing, Haematology, Histology and Cytology, Immuno Chemistry, Infectious Immunology and Microbiology Culture" to their offering.

This new report provides key market data on the Israel In Vitro Diagnostics market. The report provides value (USD million) data for each segment and sub-segment within seven market categories - Clinical Chemistry, Genetic Testing, Haematology, Histology And Cytology, Immuno Chemistry, Infectious Immunology and Microbiology Culture. The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for each of the aforementioned market categories. The report is supplemented with global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants with information on company financials and pipeline products, wherever available.

This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research and in-house analysis by GlobalData's team of industry experts.

Scope

- Market size and company share data for In Vitro Diagnostics market categories - Clinical Chemistry, Genetic Testing, Haematology, Histology And Cytology, Immuno Chemistry, Infectious Immunology and Microbiology Culture.

- Annualized market revenues (USD million) data for each of the segments and sub-segments within seven market categories. Data from 2003 to 2010, forecast forward for 7 years to 2017.

- 2010 company shares and distribution shares data for each of the seven market categories.

- Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the Israel In Vitro Diagnosticsmarket.

- Key players covered include Siemens Healthcare, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Abbott Laboratories, Beckman Coulter, Inc., bioMerieux S.A., Becton, Dickinson and Company and others.

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Research and Markets: Israel In Vitro Diagnostics Market Outlook to 2017 - Clinical Chemistry Genetic Testing ...

DNA From Boxer's Bloody Swab Leads to Arrest

Posted on July 20, 2012 by ev1

Jul 19, 2012 6:05pm

A boxer could be facing jail time following his most recent boxing match, thanks to a bloody nose and a resourceful FBI agent.

Martin Tucker, a light welterweight, won his last boxing match, but a bloody cotton swab discarded at the ring was picked up by undercover FBI agent Robert Schmitz, who was investigating a bank robbery.

Schmitz suspected Tucker was involved in a 2009 armed robbery of a credit union in Temperance, Mich. Subsequent tests of the DNA collected from the bloody swab proved his hunch correct, according to court filings.

Tucker, a roofer and part-time boxer, was arrested this week, and ordered held withoutbail Wednesday. Hes accused of using a semi-automatic weapon in the theft of nearly $5,400.

One other man involved in the robbery, Quentin Sherer, was arrested in November 2011.

During his investigation of the robbery, Schmitz began looking through Sherers social networking profiles and found a picture of Sherer and Tucker together, according to court documents filed by Schmitz. Tucker matched the physical description of the unknown suspect in the 2009 robbery. Schmitz began looking into Tucker.

In a Myspace Internet search, [Schmitz] learned that Tucker was featured in a boxing match in Toledo, Ohio, the affidavit reads. During the match, Tucker sustained a bloody nose, and [Schmitz] was able to obtain a discarded Q-tip that contained Tuckers blood.

That Q-tip was submitted to an FBI lab, where it was found that Tuckers DNA matched the DNA found on a mask worn by one of the alleged bank robbers, as well as the steering wheel of the getaway vehicle.

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DNA From Boxer's Bloody Swab Leads to Arrest

DNA could reveal ID of Sydney bodies

Posted on July 20, 2012 by ev1

DNA tests could reveal the identities of bodies found in an underworld graveyard in Sydney.

The tests could verify the bodies of Melbourne hitman Christopher Dale Flannery and missing heiress Juanita Neilsen, presumed victims of Sydney gangsters in the 1970s and '80s, News Ltd reports.

The pair's DNA will be be tested against samples from bones found in sand dunes at Kurnell, near Botany Bay, by workers building a desalination plant in 2005.

Soon after police contacted relatives of Flannery, known as Mr Rent-a-Kill, to obtain a DNA sample, the report says.

NSW homicide commander Detective Superintendent Michael Willing says the remains belong to two males and there is the possibility of a third person.

Police will match samples against their missing persons database.

There is speculation the dunes could have been a dumping ground for killers such as Neddy Smith, the report says.

'Because of that, some people are suggesting they (the bones) could be Flannery's or a missing prostitute called Lyn Woodward,' Det Willing told News Ltd.

'To be honest, we do not have any idea whose remains they are.'

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DNA could reveal ID of Sydney bodies

Keystone Symposia announces new 3-year grant to tackle major global health challenges

Posted on July 20, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 19-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Yvonne Psaila yvonnep@keystonesymposia.org 970-262-2676 Keystone Symposia on Molecular & Cellular Biology

SILVERTHORNE, CO July 19, 2012 Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology is pleased to announce that it has received a fourth grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to promote discoveries that will solve urgent global health problems via support of infectious disease conferences in the "Keystone Symposia Global Health Series." The grant also funds Global Health Travel Awards for investigators from developing countries, a pre-meeting workshop for Travel Awardees, and registration costs for local participants at the conferences that are based in developing countries.

A Colorado, USA-based nonprofit organization, Keystone Symposia received three previous grants from the Foundation, beginning in 2004 and ending with the December 2012 conference on "Immunological Mechanisms of Vaccination" in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, which will be held following the conclusion of the Grand Challenges meeting for that program's grantees. Keystone Symposia typically holds one Global Health Series conference each year in conjunction with the Grand Challenges meeting.

The new grant will provide support for conferences in 2013, 2014 and 2015. It consists of $2.25 million in funding over three years or $750,000 per year.

The five 2012-2013 season Keystone Symposia conferences funded by the new grant are: "Malaria" in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA in January 2013; "HIV Vaccines" in Keystone, Colorado, USA in February 2013; "Tuberculosis: Understanding the Enemy" in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada in March 2013; "Immune Activation in HIV Infection: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Implications" in Breckenridge, Colorado, USA in April 2013 and "The Innate Immune Response in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease" in Ouro Preto, Brazil in May 2013. The latter will be the first conference for Keystone Symposia in Latin America.

More than half of the grant is used to fund Global Health Travel Awards for investigators, clinicians, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from developing countries where the health issues of the meeting topic are endemic. Without these awards, these individuals would not be able to attend the conferences and participate in the valuable knowledge-sharing and collaboration-building that result. To date, more than 1,100 individuals from at least 50 countries have participated in Keystone Symposia conferences as a result of Global Health Travel Awards.

A unique component of the Global Health Series meetings that the funding also supports is a pre-meeting workshop for Travel Awardees in which three to four speakers provide an overview of the field, its current status and primary challenges. This has proved enormously valuable to participants who may be more involved in field work and therefore not as close to the latest research.

The grant will also help fund some registration costs for local scientists, postdoctoral associates and students when the conferences are held in developing countries. This promotes sharing of the latest research advances with those on the frontlines of battling global health challenges. It also stimulates growth of the research enterprise in developing countries.

James Aiken, Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Symposia, expressed his deep appreciation for the grant: "The support from the Foundation is an essential base that we build upon to expand our global science educational activities and to enhance science capability worldwide."

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Keystone Symposia announces new 3-year grant to tackle major global health challenges

Hartemink Named New Director for Duke's Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program

Posted on July 20, 2012 by ev1

igsp headline news Published by KENDALL MORGANTuesday, July 10, 2012

Alex Hartemink, the Alexander F. Hehmeyer Associate Professor of Computer Science, Statistical Science, and Biology, has been appointed as the new Director of the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (CBB) Program, effective July 2012. Based in the Duke Institute for Genomes Sciences& Policy, the CBB Program is an integrative, multi-disciplinary doctoral program encompassing the study of biology using computational and quantitative methods.

"I'm really excited to be doing this because of the many people who have contributed their time and energy to build the program to its present level of excellence," Hartemink said. "It's exciting to be involved with a program that inspires that kind of commitment, and I look forward to working with colleagues and students to make the program even better going forward."

In his new role, Hartemink will be responsible for the overall leadership, management, and maintenance of the PhD and certificate training activities of the program. Hartemink says that in addition to focusing on the existing doctoral program, he will also consider the potential for other innovative opportunities in computational biology and bioinformatics at Duke, including at the undergraduate and post-doctoral levels.

"This is an important time for the field because several strands are coming together at the same time," Hartemink says. "As one example, next-generation sequencing technology and the plummeting cost of sequencing has really changed the amount of data people regularly collect, and we need to be able to understand those data in a computationally efficient and statistically principled way. Quantitative expertise has become increasingly valuable in this big data world."

Learn more about the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program.

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Hartemink Named New Director for Duke's Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program

'Grey's Anatomy' Casts Camilla Luddington Of 'True Blood' And More Casting News

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Danzig

"The Bachelor"

"The Bachelor," ABC
Status: Renewed
Why: You really think we've seen the last rose handed out? Not in a million years. ABC has already tapped their next "Bachelorette," and we know they'll have their eyes peeled for a hot rejected man from that spinoff to be the next "Bachelor."

"The Bachelorette," ABC
Status: Likely to be renewed
Why: "Bachelor" Brad's also-ran Emily Maynard is getting her turn as the rose giver for the seventh season of "The Bachelorette" this summer. As long as there are people willing to look for love on reality TV, this show will keep on trucking.

"Body of Proof," ABC
Status: Renewed
Why: "Body of Proof" has been falling below its timeslot competitor, CBS's "Unforgettable," but it still draws a decent audience and its fans are very vocal. ABC has decided it deserves a third season.

"Castle," ABC
Status: Renewed
Why: This show's ratings have definitely suffered without "Dancing With the Stars" airing beforehand, but it is a consistent performer. And now that Castle and Beckett's relationship is evolving, a fifth season of "oh yes they will" is a no-brainer.

"Charlie's Angels," ABC
Status: Canceled
Why: Not really a shock for anybody, but "Charlie's Angels" is cooked. Flimsy story, bad remake, questionable casting.

"Cougar Town," ABC
Status: Renewed -- for TBS!
Why: The Season 3 ratings weren't boosted much by holding this show until midseason, but ABC's wonky air schedule also didn't help ... which is why the news that TBS has picked up the show for a fourth season is huge. Cheers with your Big Carl!

"Dancing With the Stars," ABC
Status: Renewed
Why: "DWTS" may have lost its luster in the ratings, but if the viewers are still coming.

"Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23," ABC
Status: Renewed
Why: ABC's new bleep-worthy comedy starring Krysten Ritter, Dreama Walker and James Van Der Beek is a funny one, and definitely embraces the quirk (Beek Jeans!), so we're excited to see what they do with a second season.

"Desperate Housewives," ABC
Status: Canceled
Why: After countless deaths, murders, betrayals and natural disasters on Wisteria Lane over the show's eight seasons, the ladies of "Desperate Housewives" will say goodbye forever this May.

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