Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/288143628?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Thursday, February 28, 2013
Behind the scenes of 'Top Chef: Seattle' finale
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Kristen Kish made winning the "Top Chef: Seattle" finale look easy.
In reality, preparing her five-course meal on the fly as the Bravo cooking competition's judges and a crowd of diners spectated from the sidelines was a non-stop endeavor requiring several hours of preparation ? and some phony silverware.
The 28-year-old chef de cuisine at Boston restaurant Stir was crowned champion of the 10th season Wednesday and took home the $125,000 grand prize after facing off against Brooke Williamson, the 34-year-old co-executive chef of Los Angeles restaurants Hudson House and The Tripel.
Kish's winning menu consisted of chicken liver mousse, citrus and lavender cured scallop, bone marrow and red snapper with leeks, Little Gem lettuce, tarragon, uni and shellfish nage.
"At the end of the day, my cooking is not super complicated," Kish said after winning. "My goal for this menu was just to do simple, good, elegant food with precision and excellence, taking simple things like chicken liver mousse, bone marrow or a piece of fish and executing them well."
Here's a taste from behind the scenes of Kish's win at the "Top Chef" finale filmed earlier this month:
? Kish and Williamson's finale battle played out in less than an hour on TV, but it actually lasted more like eight hours. The chef'testants each had a set amount of time to prepare each course, and an audio snafu delayed production by an hour. However, the clock ? and the cooking ? never stopped during the ongoing "Iron Chef"-like showdown. Even when Kish and Williamson faced critiques from the judges, their sous chefs were behind them readying the next courses.
? The portions for diners were much smaller than those the judges devoured, and most of the crowd wasn't able to taste both finalists' dishes. Also, despite the presence of each winner from the previous nine seasons, they didn't have a say on who would join their ranks. ("That was more intimidating than anything," Kish later said. "It was kind of comforting because they knew what we were going through, but it was very intimidating because they can be some of the harshest critics.")
? While the massive kitchen stadium erected inside a Van Nuys soundstage was impressive, the dining experience itself was more like a picnic. That's mostly because eaters had to taste the finalists' dishes with plastic flatware. "Top Chef" executive producer Dave Serwatka said they often use silver-toned plasticware instead of the real thing during filming because it doesn't make clanging and scratching noises that can be picked up by microphones.
? Kish was selected as the winner before the final course, but she still managed to serve her dessert: a lemony olive oil cake.
___
Online:
http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang .
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/behind-scenes-top-chef-seattle-finale-072017457.html
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Researchers show that lipid nanoparticles are ideal for delivering genes and drugs
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Public release date: 28-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Aitziber Lasa
a.lasa@elhuyar.com
34-943-363-040
Elhuyar Fundazioa
UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country researchers are using nanotechnology for therapeutic purposes
This press release is available in Spanish.
At the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Basque Public University (UPV/EHU) the Pharmacokinetics, Nanotechnology and Gene Therapy research team is using nanotechnology to develop new formulations that can be applied to drugs and gene therapy.Specifically, they are using nanoparticles todesignsystems for delivering genes and drugs; this helps to get the genes and drugs to the point of action so that they can produce the desired effect.
The research team has shown that lipid nanoparticles, which they have been working on for several years, are ideal for acting as vectors in gene therapy.Gene therapy is a highly promising alternative for diseases that so far have no effective treatment.It consists of delivering a nucleic acid, for example, a therapeutic gene, to modulate the expression of a protein that is found to be altered in a specific disease, thus reversing the biological disorder.
The main obstacle is that the genetic material cannot be formulated in conventional pharmaceutical ways, because it becomes degraded within the organism and cannot perform its function.To overcome this obstacle, viral vectors are normally used and they are able to deliver the therapeutic gene to the cells in which it has to act.However, as Dr Alicia Rodriguez explains, "viral vectors have a great drawback because they have a great potential to develop tumours.That is why there is a lot of interest in developing non-viral vectors, like vectors based on lipid nanoparticles."
"In this respect," adds Dr Rodriguez, "we have for several years been working to develop formulations for treating degenerative retina diseases, diseases for which there is currently no effective curative or palliative treatment and which causes blindness in the patients who in many cases are very young people."The research they have done has borne fruit already, and they have in fact managed to develop a vector capable of making a protein express itself in the eyes of rats after ocular delivery.The work has produced two patents and various papers published in top scientific journals, like Human Gene Therapy.
Aim:to improve drug absorption
Another application of lipid nanoparticles is to develop new formulations to deliver drugs that are not particularly soluble or which are difficult to absorb.Dr Rodriguez explained the problem with these drugs:"40% of the new pharmacologically active molecules are reckoned to be insoluble or not very soluble in water; that prevents many of these potentially active molecules from ever reaching the clinic because of the problems involved in developing a safe, effective formulation."
The Faculty of Pharmacy's research team has shown that the strategy of encapsulating drugs of this type in lipid nanoparticles is effective:"They are spheres made of lipids and they have very small particleswhich encase the drug.That way, the absorption of the drug given orally can be increased," points out Dr Rodriguez.
Part of the research was done in collaboration with the research team led by DrVroniquePrat, of the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium.There they studied the capacity of the nanoparticles to pass through the intestinal barrier and therefore increase the permeability of the drug.The results of this work have been published in the Journal of Controlled Release, a leading journal within the specialty.
Furthermore, while considerable advances have been made in both areas (vectors for gene therapy and improvement in insoluble drug absorption), the researchers in the Pharmacokinetics, Nanotechnology and Gene Therapy team are working in a third area linked to hepatitis C in which they also hope to achieve positive results.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 28-Feb-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Aitziber Lasa
a.lasa@elhuyar.com
34-943-363-040
Elhuyar Fundazioa
UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country researchers are using nanotechnology for therapeutic purposes
This press release is available in Spanish.
At the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Basque Public University (UPV/EHU) the Pharmacokinetics, Nanotechnology and Gene Therapy research team is using nanotechnology to develop new formulations that can be applied to drugs and gene therapy.Specifically, they are using nanoparticles todesignsystems for delivering genes and drugs; this helps to get the genes and drugs to the point of action so that they can produce the desired effect.
The research team has shown that lipid nanoparticles, which they have been working on for several years, are ideal for acting as vectors in gene therapy.Gene therapy is a highly promising alternative for diseases that so far have no effective treatment.It consists of delivering a nucleic acid, for example, a therapeutic gene, to modulate the expression of a protein that is found to be altered in a specific disease, thus reversing the biological disorder.
The main obstacle is that the genetic material cannot be formulated in conventional pharmaceutical ways, because it becomes degraded within the organism and cannot perform its function.To overcome this obstacle, viral vectors are normally used and they are able to deliver the therapeutic gene to the cells in which it has to act.However, as Dr Alicia Rodriguez explains, "viral vectors have a great drawback because they have a great potential to develop tumours.That is why there is a lot of interest in developing non-viral vectors, like vectors based on lipid nanoparticles."
"In this respect," adds Dr Rodriguez, "we have for several years been working to develop formulations for treating degenerative retina diseases, diseases for which there is currently no effective curative or palliative treatment and which causes blindness in the patients who in many cases are very young people."The research they have done has borne fruit already, and they have in fact managed to develop a vector capable of making a protein express itself in the eyes of rats after ocular delivery.The work has produced two patents and various papers published in top scientific journals, like Human Gene Therapy.
Aim:to improve drug absorption
Another application of lipid nanoparticles is to develop new formulations to deliver drugs that are not particularly soluble or which are difficult to absorb.Dr Rodriguez explained the problem with these drugs:"40% of the new pharmacologically active molecules are reckoned to be insoluble or not very soluble in water; that prevents many of these potentially active molecules from ever reaching the clinic because of the problems involved in developing a safe, effective formulation."
The Faculty of Pharmacy's research team has shown that the strategy of encapsulating drugs of this type in lipid nanoparticles is effective:"They are spheres made of lipids and they have very small particleswhich encase the drug.That way, the absorption of the drug given orally can be increased," points out Dr Rodriguez.
Part of the research was done in collaboration with the research team led by DrVroniquePrat, of the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium.There they studied the capacity of the nanoparticles to pass through the intestinal barrier and therefore increase the permeability of the drug.The results of this work have been published in the Journal of Controlled Release, a leading journal within the specialty.
Furthermore, while considerable advances have been made in both areas (vectors for gene therapy and improvement in insoluble drug absorption), the researchers in the Pharmacokinetics, Nanotechnology and Gene Therapy team are working in a third area linked to hepatitis C in which they also hope to achieve positive results.
###
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/ef-rst022813.php
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013
2 police officers killed in Calif.; suspect dead
A California Highway Patrol officer carries his rifle near the shooting scene in Santa Cruz, Calif., where two Santa Cruz Police detectives were shot and killed Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. The shooting in the community about 60 miles south of San Francisco took place as police were investigating a report of a sexual assault, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak said. A suspect was shot while police were in pursuit of the shooter, the sheriff said. Authorities said that person also died. (AP Photos/Santa Cruz Sentinel, Dan Coyro)
A California Highway Patrol officer carries his rifle near the shooting scene in Santa Cruz, Calif., where two Santa Cruz Police detectives were shot and killed Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. The shooting in the community about 60 miles south of San Francisco took place as police were investigating a report of a sexual assault, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak said. A suspect was shot while police were in pursuit of the shooter, the sheriff said. Authorities said that person also died. (AP Photos/Santa Cruz Sentinel, Dan Coyro)
A California Highway Patrol officer loads an ammunition clip into his rifle near the shooting scene in Santa Cruz, Calif., where two Santa Cruz Police detectives were shot and killed Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. The shooting in the community about 60 miles south of San Francisco took place as police were investigating a report of a sexual assault, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak said. A suspect was shot while police were in pursuit of the shooter, the sheriff said. Authorities said that person also died. (AP Photos/Santa Cruz Sentinel, Dan Coyro)
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Deputy member of the SWAT team gears up to enter the shooting scene Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013 where two Santa Cruz Police detectives were shot and killed. The shooting in the community about 60 miles south of San Francisco took place as police were investigating a report of a sexual assault, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak said. A suspect was shot while police were in pursuit of the shooter, the sheriff said. Authorities said that person also died. (AP Photos/Santa Cruz Sentinel, Dan Coyro)
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Deputies prepare to join officers from other agencies in securing the shooting scene near N. Branciforte Avenue and Doyle Street Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013 in Santa Cruz, Calif., where two Santa Cruz Police Detectives were shot and killed. The shooting in the community about 60 miles south of San Francisco took place as police were investigating a report of a sexual assault, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak said. A suspect was shot while police were in pursuit of the shooter, the sheriff said. Authorities said that person also died. (AP Photos/Santa Cruz Sentinel, Dan Coyro)
Santa Cruz County District Attorney Bob Lee confers with members of the Sheriff's Department near the shooting scene in Santa Cruz, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013. Two Santa Cruz police officers were shot and killed Tuesday while investigating a sexual assault, and a suspect was also fatally shot, authorities said. (AP Photo/The Santa Cruz Sentinel, Dan Coyro)
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) ? The quiet of this seaside community erupted in violence Tuesday when two detectives investigating a sex crime were fatally shot while trying to question a man who was later killed in a police shootout, leaving the chief to call it the darkest day in the department's history.
Sgt. Loren Butch Baker and detective Elizabeth Butler were shot and killed during an altercation at the home of the coffee shop worker, according to police and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's office.
They were shot while following up on allegations that barista Jeremy Goulet, 35, made inappropriate sexual advances on a co-worker at her home, authorities said. Goulet was arrested Friday and was fired the next day, The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported.
Baker, a 28-year veteran of the force, and Butler, a 10-year veteran, had gone to the house where Goulet was living to follow up on the case, authorities said. They were subsequently fired upon and called for backup, and responding officers found Goulet, who was killed in the gunfire that followed, the sheriff's office said.
"There aren't words to describe this horrific tragedy," said Police Chief Kevin Vogel. "This is the darkest day in the history of the Santa Cruz police department."
The shootings prompted the lockdown of two schools and an automatic police call to nearby residents, warning them to stay locked inside. The ordinarily quiet residential neighborhood echoed with a brief barrage of gunfire that killed the suspect about a half hour after the officers were shot.
A store clerk a few buildings from the shooting said the shootout was "terrifying."
"We ducked. We have big desks so under the desks we went," said the clerk, who spoke on condition of anonymity and asked that her store not be identified because she feared for her safety.
After the shootings, police went door-to-door in the neighborhood, searching homes, garages, even closets, to determine whether there might be additional suspects. Law enforcement officers filled intersections, and helicopters and light aircraft patrolled the neighborhood about a mile from downtown Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
The city's mayor, Hilary Bryant, said in a statement that the community about 60 miles south of San Francisco was "heartbroken at the loss of two of our finest police officers who were killed in the line of duty, protecting the community we love."
"This is an exceptionally shocking and sad day for Santa Cruz and our police department," Bryant said.
Goulet, a barista at a coffee shop in the Santa Cruz harbor, was previously convicted in Portland, Ore., in May 2008 of peeping on a 22-year-old woman who was showering in her condominium and of carrying concealed weapon, according to a Portland newspaper, The Oregonian. He was on probation but was sentenced to two years in jail after a dispute with his probation officer.
The shootings came amid a recent spike in assaults, which community leaders had planned to address in a downtown rally scheduled for Tuesday. That, along with a City Council meeting, was canceled after teary-eyed city leaders learned of the deaths.
The recent violence included the killing of a 32-year-old martial arts instructor who was shot outside a popular downtown bar and restaurant; the robbery of a student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who was shot in the head; a 21-year-old woman who was raped and beaten on the UC campus; and a couple who fought off two men during a home invasion.
___
Associated Press writer John S. Marshall in San Francisco contributed to this report.
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Huge crowd in St Peter's Square for pope's last audience
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A huge crowd gathered in St Peter's Square on Wednesday to bid goodbye to Pope Benedict the day before he becomes the first pontiff in some six centuries to step down.
The pope was to hold his last general audience, which usually takes place in an indoor auditorium but was moved outside into the sprawling square to accommodate more people.
"He did what he had to do in his conscience before God," said Sister Carmela, from a city north of Rome, who came to the capital with her fellow nuns and members of her parish.
Many in the crowd, which streamed into the square across the Tiber River and along nearby streets, held up banners thanking the pope and wishing him well. They came from all over Italy and abroad.
"This is a day in which we are called to trust in the Lord, a day of hope," said Sister Carmela. "There is no room for sadness here today. We have to pray, there are many problems in the Church but we have to trust in the Lord."
Some 50,000 people asked for the free tickets but the crowd was larger and many people had to stand at the back. No immediate crowd estimate was available.
"He was very humble to do this," said Carla Mantoni, 65, from a parish in Rome.
"I understand why he did this. It was clear from the start that he was more at home in a library. A very good man but he realized in his heart that this was the right thing to do for himself and the Church and now he will pray, he will pray for all of us," she said.
Despite the praise and sympathy for the pope from faithful in the square, many catholics were stunned by his decision and worry about the effect it will have on the future of a troubled Church.
The Vatican has said that Benedict, who will move to the papal summer residence south of Rome on Thursday night when the papacy becomes vacant, will assume the title of "pope emeritus" and be addressed as "your holiness".
SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN
He will lay aside the red "shoes of the fisherman" that have been part of his papal attire and wear brown loafers given to him by shoemakers during a trip to Leon, Mexico last year. He will wear a "simple white cassock", Lombardi said.
His lead seal and his ring of office, known as the "ring of the fisherman", will be destroyed according to Church rules, just as if he had died.
The Vatican said on Tuesday that the pope was sifting through documents to see which will remain in the Vatican and go into the archives of his papacy and which "are of a personal nature and he will take to his new residence".
Among the documents left for the next pope will be a confidential report by three cardinals into the "Vatileaks" affair last year when Benedict's former butler revealed private papers showing corruption and in-fighting inside the Vatican.
The new pope will inherit a Church marked by Vatileaks and by child abuse scandals involving priests in Europe and the United States, both of which may have weighed on Benedict's decision that he was too old and weak to continue.
On Thursday, he will greet cardinals in Rome, many of whom have come to take part in the conclave to elect his successor.
That afternoon at 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) he will fly by helicopter to the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo, a 15-minute journey south of Rome.
There he will make an appearance from the window of the papal villa to greet residents and well-wishers expected to gather in the small square.
That will be Pope Benedict's last public appearance.
At 8 p.m. the Swiss Guards who stand as sentries at the residence will march off in a sign that the papacy is vacant.
Benedict will move into a convent in the Vatican in April, after it has been restored.
On Friday, cardinals in Rome will begin meetings known as "general congregations" to prepare for the secret conclave that will elect a new pope.
This week Benedict changed Church rules so that cardinals could begin the conclave earlier than the 15 days after the papacy becomes vacant prescribed by the previous law.
The change means that the cardinals, in their pre-conclave meetings, can themselves decide when to start.
The Vatican appears to be aiming to have a new pope elected by mid-March and installed before Palm Sunday on March 24 so he can preside at Holy Week services leading to Easter.
Cardinals have begun informal consultations by phone and email in the past two weeks since Benedict said he was quitting.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/huge-crowd-st-peters-square-popes-last-audience-092643759.html
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Video: Giada cooks up 2 simple seafood dinners
>>> giada today, our contribut contributor is here. let's start with the basics. you're in the supermarket, shopping for fish fillets or whole fish. what are you looking for?
>> when you're buying fish, first of all, make sure it doesn't have any discoloration and that it's nice and moist, especially in the corners. when fish has been sitti for too long that's where you start to see.
>> do you touch the fish? looking for firmness?
>> you can touch it, it should bounce back a little bit. the meat of the fish should all be together. it shouldn't start to separate.
>> when it comes to whole fish?
>> it's a different story but the scales should all be very tight to the skin and the eyes should be nice and bright as you see that one is. you want to make sure, give it a nice smell if you can.
>> if it's a little off --
>> if it's a little off, get away from it.
>> forget about it?
>> exactly.
>> this is incredibly easy?
>> very, very easy. if you like sole, and i think you do.
>> i love sole.
>> my daughter love it is because it doesn't have a fishy --
>> even people who aren't sure if they like fish love sole.
>> put this down. you're going to try to learn something today. salt and pepper everything. pepper, little olive oil . we're going to stick this in the broiler. it cooks in five minutes.
>> there's olive oil on it already. a little more?
>> never hurt anyone. give it a nice tan. put it in the broiler for five minutes. the fish starts to -- the meat starts to flake and it's ready. it ends up looking like that. we'll make a really easy sauce. greek yogurt .
>> whisk?
>> sure. agave.
>> molasses is a little too smoky -- go ahead.
>> mustard?
>> little dijon. lemon juice and chives for color and a little onion flavor. mix it all together. and you see with the agave, you could use honey. it's a more floury flavor that overpowers the fish.
>> you're not going to cook it in this? this is the sauce.
>> no. it goes on top. mix it really well because you want it to emulsify and get thick like a dressing. you got muscle there.
>> muscles, plural.
>> you're only using one muscle in that arm. pour over the fish. that's it.
>> perfect. if you're not a sole fan you'll move on to salmon .
>> that sauce works over any kind of fish or chicken. if you are a salmon fan, this is really good. cut the salmon . again, salt and pepper and olive oil .
>> are you looking for farm raised or wild salmon ? what do you like?
>> obviously, i like wild.
>> right.
>> it depends on what you can find in the grocery store. i wouldn't eat a ton of farm raised if i were anybody. once in a while , no big deal . not all the time. if you can avoid it, even better.
>> great.
>> now make a little topping. you're thinking you're done, you're not. parsley, chives, lemon zest . matt does not like to use his hands.
>> i don't know if i washed my hands before the segment. that's why i didn't do that.
>> sprinkle it?
>> go ahead.
>> more than sprinkle really, we're supposed to pat it down but since you don't want to use your hands.
>> almost a rub you've made?
>> exactly. see how pretty that looks?
>> yes.
>> 375.
>> for how long?
>> ten minutes. sometimes less, depending on the thickness of the salmon ?
>> you wouldn't broil it?
>> no, this we're baking. baked salmon , broiled sole. now we make a topping.
>> hi, guys.
>> we're here to eat.
>> something nice and light. chopped arugala. go ahead. he keeps thinking i'm not going to make him work. capers.
>> lemon juice again?
>> lemon juice .
>> what spices are here?
>> red pepper and a little lemon zest . we're going to do olive oil and salt.
>> sorry, sorry, sorry. go ahead. natalie, do the olive oil there team work , guys.
>> mediterranean diet .
>> it is, it is. and the great thing about these sauces is that they come together really fast and you can use them all -- there we go. you can use them on anything. this can be over steak, chicken, any kind of fish. i hear from a lot of people nobody likes the skin on the salmon .
>> i love the skin.
>> some people do. the problem is that it's hard to get crispy. so you can always have the person -- your fish person anywhere take it off for you if you prefer.
>> like a chimichurra this one.
>> exactly but with arugula.
>> these look great.
>> done.
>> delicious.
>> great steals and deals after your local news and weather. wednesday morning, february 27th , 2013 . it is a soggy day so far here in new york city . luckily, we're inside studio 1a .
Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50971280/
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Obama warns spending cuts could idle shipbuilder
President Barack Obama addresses the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
President Barack Obama addresses the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, accompanied by fellow members of the House GOP leadership, responds to President Barack Obama's remarks to the nation's governors earlier today about how to fend off the impending automatic budget cuts, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is arguing that looming government-wide spending cuts could idle military resources like naval aircraft carriers, while Republicans are criticizing the president for taking his arguments outside Washington instead of staying to work out a plan before Friday's deadline.
The president planned to appear Tuesday at Virginia's largest industrial employer, Newport News Shipbuilding, which would be affected by cuts to naval spending. Obama warned Monday that if the so-called sequester goes into effect later this week, the company's "workers will sit idle when they should be repairing ships, and a carrier sits idle when it should be deploying to the Persian Gulf."
Obama urged Congress to compromise to avoid the cuts, but there has been no indication the White House and congressional Republicans are actively negotiating a deal. The last known conversation between Obama and GOP leaders was last week, and there have been no in-person meetings between the parties this year.
Obama wants to replace the sequester with a package of targeted cuts and tax increases, while Republican leaders insist the savings should come from reduced spending alone.
Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chair of the House Republican Conference, criticized Obama for traveling to southern Virginia rather than up the street to Capitol Hill to come up with a solution.
"We need the president to stop campaigning for higher taxes, come back here to Washington, D.C., and lead," McMorris Rodgers said during a news conference Monday with GOP leaders.
"We're very concerned about the impact of the sequester. This was President Obama's idea," she said Tuesday in an appearance on "CBS This Morning."
"The Republicans, almost 300 days ago, put forward our plan," she said. "There's a smarter, better way to do it," Rodgers said.
The sequester was designed as an unpalatable fallback, meant to take effect only if a congressional super-committee failed to come up with at least $1 trillion in savings from benefit programs.
The White House has warned the $85 billion in cuts could affect everything from commercial flights to classrooms to meat inspections. The cuts would slash domestic and defense spending, leading to furloughs for hundreds of thousands of workers.
In Virginia alone, the White House says, about 90,000 civilians working for the Defense Department would be furloughed for a cut of nearly $650 million in gross pay. The White House also says the sequester would cancel maintenance of 11 ships in Norfolk, as well as delaying other projects around the area.
The Navy has already delayed a long-planned overhaul of the USS Abraham Lincoln at Newport News Shipbuilding as a result of the budget uncertainty, and other plans call for delaying the construction of other ships.
Obama planned to travel Tuesday with two Virginia congressmen, Democrat Bobby Scott and Republican Scott Rigell.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., offered a potential way out of the stalemate Monday by indicating he was open to raising tax revenue if Obama offered to overhaul big-ticket entitlement programs. Many Republicans say they are done raising revenue after letting taxes on top earners increase in December.
"I'll raise revenue. Will you reform entitlements?" Graham said in a challenge to the president on CNN. "And both together, we'll set aside sequestration in a way that won't disrupt the economy and hurt the Defense Department."
___
Associated Press writers Jim Kuhnhenn in Washington and Brock Vergakis in Norfolk, Va., contributed to this report.
___
Follow Nedra Pickler on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nedrapickler
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Stocks edge lower; Barnes & Noble, Hertz jump
NEW YORK (AP) ? Stocks edged lower on Wall Street Monday, erasing an early rally, following signs that Italy could be headed for political gridlock.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 33 points, or 0.2 percent, to 13,967 as of 12:40 p.m. EST. It had been up as much as 81 points. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell four points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,510 and the Nasdaq composite dropped 1, or 0.04 percent, to 3,158.
Stocks rallied in the early going as exit polls showed that a center-left coalition in Italy that favored economic reforms in the euro region's third-largest economy was leading in the polls. That gain evaporated after another poll showed that the elections appear to be heading toward gridlock. Stocks slumped last year on concern that Italy would become engulfed in the European government debt crisis.
"The Italian elections have implications for the credit markets," said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist at Prudential. "The ultimate worry is that the credit markets start reacting."
The yield on Italy's 10-year government bond edged up to 4.43 percent from 4.40 percent as investors sold them. The country's benchmark stock index, the FSTE MIB, rose 0.7 percent, giving up an early gain of 4 percent.
On the New York Stock Exchange, Barnes & Noble rose $1.33, or 10 percent, to $14.85 after founder and chairman Leonard Riggio told the bookseller he is going to try to buy the company's retail business. Hertz advanced $1.15 to $19.87, despite posting a fourth-quarter loss, after the rental car company said that pricing improved, volume rose and it cut costs.
Stocks gained even with the threat of across-the-board automatic government spending cuts less than a week away. Some $85 billion in cuts will occur over the next seven months starting March 1, with more in following years if lawmakers can't come to an agreement on how to reduce spending in a more measured and targeted manner.
The Standard & Poor's 500 had its first weekly decline of the year last week. Investors sent stocks plunging after minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting revealed disagreement over how long to keep buying bonds in an effort to boost the economy.
Many analysts say the Fed's bond-buying program and the resulting low interest rates have been a big driver behind this year's stock rally, which lifted indexes to their highest levels since 2007.
Japanese stocks surged on reports that the prime minister's pick for central bank governor will be a strong advocate of loose monetary policy aimed at reviving the moribund economy. The Nikkei 225 gained 2.4 percent to end at 11,662.52
European stocks also advanced, but gave back much of their early gains. Benchmark indexes were up 0.4 percent in France, 1.5 percent in Germany and 0.8 percent in Spain. Britain's index was up just 0.3 percent after Moody's stripped the country late Friday of its triple-A credit rating.
The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price, fell two basis points to 1.93 percent.
Among other stocks making big moves:
? Drugmaker Affymax plunged $14, or 85 percent, to $2.43 after the company recalled its anemia drug following severe allergic reactions and the deaths of some kidney dialysis patients.
?Mead Johnson fell $2.54 to $76.45 after the company said that a new regulation in Hong Kong could affect the company's sales there as well as in mainland China.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-edge-lower-barnes-noble-hertz-jump-172734343--finance.html
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Florida town remembers Trayvon Martin a year after killing
SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - A year after the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager in this central Florida town, there is a small memorial, a new police chief and an effort to improve race relations.
Trayvon Martin, 17, was gunned down on February 26, 2012, as he walked to his father's fiancee's home in one of Sanford's gated communities. The man accused of his killing, George Zimmerman, 28, a white Hispanic on neighborhood watch, is set to be tried on June 10.
A judge could grant immunity to Zimmerman at a pre-trial hearing on April 29 under Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law, which allows people to use lethal force in self defense if they are in fear of serious bodily harm.
Martin's death drew top-tier civil rights leaders, such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who brought a national spotlight to this town just north of Orlando and not far from Disney World.
That spotlight forced the town of 53,000 to confront police work that seemed to be a throwback to the days of separate and resolutely unequal racial sensibilities.
"This situation, with all eyes on Sanford is making them (city leaders) do something about it now," said Cindy Philemon, 49, who helps run the local black heritage museum and welcome center.
A year later Martin's family says it does not want the case considered in racial terms. "We don't want people to see this as a black kid. I want people to see this as a teenager ... who was walking, minding his own business," Martin's mother, Sabrina Fulton, told the NPR radio show "Tell Me More" on Monday night.
Despite the pain of losing her son, Fulton said she was glad that a debate had opened up about Florida's Stand Your Ground law.
The family is backing an amendment to the law seeking to restrict its application. "You can't follow, pursue and chase anyone, be the aggressor, have a confrontation with him, shoot and kill him, and then go home to your bed and nothing happens," she said.
During the weekend, volunteers in the black community hastily worked to complete a modest memorial of stuffed animals, cards and crosses in time to remember the first anniversary of Martin's shooting. It has also become a way for Sanford to remember the many other black victims of violence whose stories largely went untold.
City Manager Norton Bonaparte, who is black, said Sanford had begun to tackle deep-seated problems between police and the black community that were exposed in public forums after Martin's death.
"In honoring Trayvon's life, we have to make ourselves a better community," Bonaparte said.
The police chief at the time of Martin's shooting lost his job over criticism that his department and prosecutors chose not to charge or arrest Zimmerman.
The new chief starts his job in April.
"Now, it's like the police are getting more involved in being with the community," Philemon said. "They are starting to do their part in interacting with us. They say there is not as many shootings as there once was."
Another resident, Thelma Holmes, 62, agreed saying, "It is better than what it was before, because we had a lot of killings of young men ... The people and the police, they're both trying."
Trayvon's death will not be forgotten.
"It started people to come forward. So his death is not going to be in vain," Philemon said. "And he will always be remembered."
Martin's parents and lawyers will be in New York City, not Sanford, to hold a candlelight vigil on Tuesday night.
Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder, was granted bond and ordered to surrender his passport, agree to be electronically monitored, reside in Seminole County, and observe a nighttime curfew.
(Editing by David Adams, Leslie Gevirtz and Bill Trott)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/florida-town-remembers-trayvon-martin-killing-034053549.html
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Monday, February 25, 2013
NFL Combine Live: Geno Smith, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey Among Prospects to Watch During Day 4 Drills
11:20 a.m.:?Geno Smith just did himself a favor. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash, which is the best of the quarterbacks so far. E.J. Manuel is second at 4.62.
Smith shows underrated mobility in the pocket, but he hasn?t flashed great skills at putting the ball away and scrambling. His mobility should be viewed more like that of Blaine Gabbert than Jake Locker.
11:13 a.m.:?Marquise Goodwin was timed in the 4.1?s by some scouts at the combine. Gil Brandt of NFL.com timed him at 4.17 and 4.19. It will be very interesting to see where his ?official? time stands. He clocked an unofficial time of 4.25.
Chris Johnson has the official combine record of 4.24. Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson were both reportedly timed in the 4.1?s back in the 1980s.
10:56 a.m.:?Tavon Austin and DeAndre Hopkins are shining in wide receiver drills. That should come as no surprise, both should be first-round picks. Hopkins probably has the best hands in this entire class.
The second group of quarterbacks and wide receivers starts up at 11 a.m. Geno Smith, Cordarrelle Patterson, Denard Robinson and Da?Rick Rogers are players to watch.
10:32 a.m.:?There?s some debate out there over how much the combine actually means. For me, it?s a nice update on where these players are two months after the season ended. Players have been training at facilities since the end of December and they?ve been improving their speed, technique, strength, etc.
That?s why it?s slightly annoying to see a player like Justin Hunter say he lost 15 pounds to run a faster 40-yard dash. That?s not an accurate representation of what he?ll be in the NFL. Some players gain weight for the combine, but that?s usually because they?ll have to do the same to play in the league. Hunter ran a 4.41, but what would he have run at this actual playing weight?
10:15 a.m.:?DeAndre Hopkins would be a perfect fit for the Patriots in Round 1, but they don?t have a history of drafting wide receivers who run 4.5 or slower. He has some of the best hands in this draft and just showed it in the gauntlet drill.
10:12 a.m.:?Tavon Austin is tearing the combine apart. He ran a 4.31 in his second 40 attempt and now he just performed perfectly in the wide receiver gauntlet drill.
Austin has proven himself to be one of the best players in this entire class already today. Someone described him as a combination of Percy Harvin and Wes Welker. That may be accurate.
9:37 a.m.:?Stedman Bailey helped himself out with his second 40-yard dash. He ran a 4.50 in his second attempt. That was after running 4.57 in the first try.
Bailey was called the best route runner in college football by his high school and college teammate Geno Smith. Bailey has a bit of Wes Welker to his game.
9:29 a.m.:?DeAndre Hopkins is another player that should be on Patriots fans? radar. Hopkins ran a 4.50, which is about what was expected out of him.
Justin Hunter, who NFL Network said lost weight to run the 40, ran a 4.44.
9:22 a.m.:?Now that I?ve had time to actually wrap my head around Tavon Austin running a 4.25 unofficial 40, there?s no way he makes it to No. 29 in the draft to New England. Despite weighing just 174 pounds and standing 5-foot-8, he?ll be a top 15 pick. Austin is a special player.
Josh Boyce helped himself out with a 4.40. Corey Fuller ran a 4.38 and Marcus Davis ran 4.40 at 233 pounds.
Marquise Goodwin just matched Tavon Austin with a 4.25. Wow.
9:15 a.m.:?Tavon Austin, who should be a Patriots target, just absolutely killed it with a 4.25 40. He wasn?t kidding when he said he was recently timed at 4.29.
9:11 a.m.:?The first group of quarterbacks are done. Now it?s time for the first group of wideouts, which features Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey and some more intriguing burners.
For the QBs, Colby Cameron came out on top with a 4.66 40. Cameron is a Louisiana Tech product.
Collin Klein ran a 4.78 40 on his second attempt.
9:03 a.m.:?The day was kicked off with Tyler Bray running ?a 5.00 unofficial 40-yard dash. Mike Glennon, one of the top quarterbacks in this class, matched Glennon with a 5-flat 40.
MarQueis Gray helped himself out at possibly making an NFL roster as a tight end by running a 4.69.
Collin Klein, who was a front runner for the Heisman at one point, churned out a 4.81. That?s a bit disappointing.
8 a.m. ET:?By the end of the day, NFL draft pundits will be wearing old gold and blue because West Virginia prospects will be taking center stage at Day 4 of the combine.
Quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs will be running through the NFL scouting combine gauntlet (or inferno) today, and three of the most hyped prospects in that group are Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith and wide receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. All three players should test well and shine in positional drills.
Because California wide receiver Keenan Allen is sitting out, Austin will be the first player to run the 40-yard dash at 9 a.m. The small, shifty wide receiver says he recently ran a 4.29 40-yard dash, but players have a tendency of slowing down considerably once they hit Indianapolis.
Bailey may not be quite as fast or agile as Austin, but he?s a bigger player who will shine in positional drills, especially when he?s displaying his route-running skills. Bailey will likely want to take passes from Smith in those drills ? the two have been teammates since high school.
Without a top-tier running quarterback, it might be important for Smith to time well in the 40 to set himself apart from the Ryan Nassibs, Tyler Wilsons and Mike Glennons of the draft.
Among other players to watch on Day 4 of the combine are Oklahoma State running back Joseph Randle, Oregon running back Kenjon Barner and UNC running back Giovani Bernard. All could time very well in the 40 and 3-cone agility drill.
Tennessee wide receivers Cordarrelle Patterson and Justin Hunter are among the most athletic in this class, but Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin has the best shot to break Chris Johnson?s combine record 4.24 second 40. Michigan ?wide receiver? Denard Robinson might be the player I?ll be watching most closely. He?ll have to display some top-notch speed and agility to be considered more than just a project with so many great wideouts in this draft.
So tune in here all day for all the latest times, news and analysis. If yesterday was any indication, we could see some record breaking times turned in by the skill position players.
Photo via Facebook/WVU Football
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Automatic budget cuts find few fans
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, left, gestures asIshe speaks to a reporter before the start of a Health and Homeland Security Committee meeting on ?Protecting Our Nation: States and Cybersecurity? during the National Governors Association 2013 Winter Meeting in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Standing at the back right, is Governor of Puerto Rico Alejandro Garc?a Padilla. Washington's protracted budget stalemate could seriously undermine the economy and stall gains made since the recession, exasperated governors said Saturday as they try to gauge the fallout from impending federal spending cuts. And both Democrat and Republican CEOs expressed pessimism that both sides could find a way to avoid the massive, automatic spending cuts set to begin March 1. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, left, gestures asIshe speaks to a reporter before the start of a Health and Homeland Security Committee meeting on ?Protecting Our Nation: States and Cybersecurity? during the National Governors Association 2013 Winter Meeting in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Standing at the back right, is Governor of Puerto Rico Alejandro Garc?a Padilla. Washington's protracted budget stalemate could seriously undermine the economy and stall gains made since the recession, exasperated governors said Saturday as they try to gauge the fallout from impending federal spending cuts. And both Democrat and Republican CEOs expressed pessimism that both sides could find a way to avoid the massive, automatic spending cuts set to begin March 1. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, left, speaks to reporters during a break at the opening session of the National Governors Association 2013 Winter Meeting in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Exasperated governors who are trying to gauge the fallout from impending federal spending cuts say Washington's protracted budget stalemate could seriously undermine the economy and stall gains made since the recession. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The automatic budget cuts set to take hold this week were roundly condemned Sunday as governors, lawmakers and administration officials hoped for a deal to stave off the $85 billion reduction in government services.
Suggestions intended to instill a spirit of compromise included bringing all sides to the bargaining table, where they could act like "adults, a presidential summit at Camp David and even a field trip to watch "Lincoln."
The alternative, as the White House outlined, is a damaging impact on everything from commercial flights to classrooms and meat inspections.
With Friday's deadline nearing, few in the nation's capital were optimistic that a realistic alternative could be found. Instead of dealing with problem at hand, both sides made assigning blame a priority as the clock ticked down.
"Unless the Republicans are willing to compromise and do a balanced approach, I think it will kick in," said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
No, it's the Democrats who are to blame, the GOP countered.
"The reason there is no agreement is because there's no leadership from the president on actually recognizing what the problem is," said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
The administration warned of the approaching economic fallout.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said travelers could see delayed flights. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said 70,000 fewer children from low-income families would have access to Head Start programs. Furloughed meat inspectors could leave plants idled.
"It's senseless and it doesn't need to happen," said Gov. Martin O'Malley, D-Md., during the annual meeting of the National Governors Association this weekend.
"And it's a damn shame, because we've actually had the fastest rate of jobs recovery of any state in our region. And this really threatens to hurt a lot of families in our state and kind of flat line our job growth for the next several months."
Some governors said the impasse was just the latest crisis in Washington that is keeping businesses from hiring and undermining the ability of state leaders to develop their own spending plans.
"I've not given up hope, but we're going to be prepared for whatever comes," said Gov. Brian Sandoval, R-Nev. "There will be consequences for our state."
Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy said it is past time for both sides to sit down to help dodge cuts that will hurt all states' budgets.
"Come to the table, everyone. Everybody. Let's work this thing out. Let's be adults," Malloy said.
Obama has not been able to find success for his approach of reducing deficits through a combination of targeted savings and tax increases. House Republicans have said reduced spending needs to be the focus and have rejected the president's demand to include higher taxes as part of a compromise.
LaHood warned travelers could face delays because the Federal Aviation Administration is in line for $600 million in spending cuts.
"We're going to try and cut as much as we possibly can out of contracts and other things that we do," said LaHood, a Republican serving in the Democratic Obama administration. "But in the end, there has to be some kind of furlough of air traffic controllers, and that then will also begin to curtail or eliminate the opportunity for them to guide planes in and out of airports."
Duncan said school districts were already bracing for fewer teachers when school starts in the fall but urged lawmakers to return to negotiations.
"This is not rocket science. We could solve this tomorrow," Duncan said.
There are fewer signs of urgency among congressional leaders, who have recently indicated their willingness to let the cuts take effect and stay in place for weeks, if not much longer.
"It will kick in, but at a pro rata rate. So, you're not going to see $85 billion all of a sudden shrink from the federal government," Coburn said, suggesting the reality would not turn dire immediately.
The cuts would trim from domestic and defense spending alike, leading to furloughs for hundreds of thousands of workers. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the cuts would harm the readiness of U.S. fighting forces.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called those defense cuts "unconscionable" and urged Obama to call lawmakers to the White House or the presidential retreat of Camp David for a last-minute budget summit.
"I won't put all the blame all on the president of the United States. But the president leads. The president should be calling us over somewhere ? Camp David, the White House, somewhere ? and us sitting down and trying to avert these cuts," McCain said.
LaHood, who served as a Republican representing Illinois in the U.S. House, urged his colleagues to watch "Lincoln," Steven Spielberg's film about President Abraham Lincoln's political skills.
"Everybody around here ought to go take a look at the 'Lincoln' movie, where they did very hard things by working together, talking together and compromising," LaHood said. "That's what's needed here."
McCaskill and Coburn appeared on "Fox News Sunday." Malloy and McCain were interviewed on CNN's "State of the Union." LaHood spoke with CNN and NBC's "Meet the Press." Duncan spoke to CBS' "Face the Nation."
___
Follow Steve Peoples at: http://twitter.com/sppeoples and Ken Thomas at: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas
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NFL combine: Can teams trust Manti Te'o?
INDIANAPOLIS ? The most anticipated and attended news conference in the 27-year history of the NFL scouting combine ended with a thank-you.
From Manti Te'o.
Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o answers a question during a news conference at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis on Saturday.
Michael Conroy, AP
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Yes, that's right, the Notre Dame linebacker/unwitting participant in a "Catfish" hoax thanked us, his family, his university and all of his supporters for helping him through this uniquely trying time. No hints of anger, bitterness, frustration or annoyance.
How can you not like a guy like that?
If Te'o wanted to convince the public that he's a sincere, grounded young man, he accomplished that objective during a 14 1/2-minute, no-holds-barred Q-and-A on Saturday with about 200 media members who staked out their spots as if positioning themselves for a rock concert (or a free meal).
This was Te'o's first group interview since the bizarre story of his virtual girlfriend came to light in mid-January, and he handled it with aplomb. Of course, the greater challenge is to convince NFL teams that he's the high-character person we all thought he was before Deadspin broke the story that shrouded Te'o in doubt.
"They want to be able to trust their player," Te'o acknowledged. "You don't want to invest in somebody you can't trust. ... I understand where they're coming from."
When he spoke to the media at 2:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, Te'o had met with two teams formally: Green Bay and Houston. He said he had 18 more interviews to go.
Other teams had met with him informally, and every single one had asked about the incident, as you'd expect. The amount of time spent on it varied.
Relatively speaking, what Te'o did ? falling victim to a hoax, then embellishing the story through the media ? was benign. He didn't commit any crimes. He didn't break any laws. He didn't disparage any groups of people.
(Shortly after Te'o spoke, Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree appeared at the same podium. Maybe one-fourth as many reporters showed up to grill him about his arrest for DUI earlier this month.)
But Te'o's actions generated an unhealthy dose of skepticism among the people who matter most ? his potential employers.
San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh had said earlier in the week that he couldn't trust someone who wasn't truthful. Not that any other coach would cite Judge Judy as his inspiration, as Harbaugh did, but his sentiment was representative of the way the rest of the league's decision-makers feel.
"When you lie in Judge Judy's courtroom, it's over," Harbaugh said. "Your credibility is completely lost. You have no chance of winning that case. So I learned that from her. It's very powerful, and true. Because if somebody does lie to you, how can you ever trust anything they ever say after that?"
Harbaugh then was asked if that made Te'o undraftable. Harbaugh said it wouldn't, perhaps an indication that the incident won't affect Te'o's draft stock as much as some believe, if at all. (Of course, it's easy for Harbaugh to say ? the 49ers are set at inside linebacker.)
The bigger issue for NFL teams might be Te'o's poor performance in the BCS title game against Alabama. After a stellar season in which he was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, Te'o missed multiple tackles in Notre Dame's lopsided loss. He looked nothing like the first-round pick he was projected to be at the time.
Was Te'o distracted by his chaotic personal life, which few knew about at the time? Or did the Crimson Tide, loaded with NFL-bound players, expose him?
To his credit, Te'o made no excuses Saturday. "That's all on me," he said of his struggles against Alabama.
Unfortunately, the episode hasn't affected only Te'o. He said the toughest moment was receiving a phone call from his sister, who told him their family had to sneak into their house because so many reporters were camped outside. Te'o said he felt frustrated because he couldn't do anything to help them, embarrassed because he had besmirched the family name.
"You treasure your last name," Te'o said. "That's what you hold dear. To see your last name everywhere and know I represented my family and all my cousins and aunties and uncles ..."
Given his family's suffering, no one would blame Te'o if he sued Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the perpetrator of the hoax. But that's not Te'o.
"That's the worst thing you could do," he said. "Both families are going through chaos."
So what's Te'o's approach? To forgive.
"If you forgive," he said, "you'll get the majority of the blessings."
Te'o can only hope at least one NFL team sees it the same way.
NOTE
USC center Khaled Holmes (Mater Dei High) was unable to work out Saturday after injuring a pectoral muscle during the bench press Friday. However, Holmes said the injury was "just a strain" and that he would be fine. USC's pro day is March 27.
Contact the writer: mlev@ocregister.com
Source: http://www.ocregister.com/sports/nfl-497102-harbaugh-trust.html
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Sunday, February 24, 2013
Smugglers still cashing in on Michigan can refund
A Michigan deposit is shown printed on a beverage in Detroit, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Michigan lawmakers want to crack down on can and bottle smugglers they say are scamming Michigan for undeserved recycling refunds, corrupting a generous 10-cent per container payback policy once infamously portrayed in a "Seinfeld" episode and which beverage officials now claim costs the state millions of dollars annually. Lawmakers say it's a serious problem, especially in border counties, and they want to toughen penalties on people who try to return un-marked, out-of-state cans and bottles for refunds. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
A Michigan deposit is shown printed on a beverage in Detroit, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Michigan lawmakers want to crack down on can and bottle smugglers they say are scamming Michigan for undeserved recycling refunds, corrupting a generous 10-cent per container payback policy once infamously portrayed in a "Seinfeld" episode and which beverage officials now claim costs the state millions of dollars annually. Lawmakers say it's a serious problem, especially in border counties, and they want to toughen penalties on people who try to return un-marked, out-of-state cans and bottles for refunds. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
A Michigan deposit is shown stamped on a beverage in Detroit, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Michigan lawmakers want to crack down on can and bottle smugglers they say are scamming Michigan for undeserved recycling refunds, corrupting a generous 10-cent per container payback policy once infamously portrayed in a "Seinfeld" episode and which beverage officials now claim costs the state millions of dollars annually. Lawmakers say it's a serious problem, especially in border counties, and they want to toughen penalties on people who try to return un-marked, out-of-state cans and bottles for refunds. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
LANSING, Mich. (AP) ? Michigan lawmakers want to crack down on can and bottle smugglers they say are scamming Michigan for undeserved recycling refunds, corrupting a generous 10-cent per container payback policy once infamously portrayed in a "Seinfeld" episode and which beverage officials now claim costs the state millions of dollars annually.
"Seinfeld" characters Kramer and Newman failed miserably in their comedic attempt to cash in on the refund, when they loaded a mail truck full of cans and bottles in New York and attempted to drive them to Michigan. But lawmakers say it's a serious problem, especially in border counties, and they want to toughen penalties on people who try to return unmarked, out-of-state cans and bottles for refunds.
"If you are intending to defraud ... then you should be held accountable for it," said Republican Rep. Kenneth Kurtz of Coldwater. He recently introduced legislation aimed at cracking down on scammers who drive car and truck loads of cans from Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio ? states that do not offer refunds ? to stores across the border in Michigan.
His legislation would make an attempt to return between 100 and 10,000 non-returnable containers punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Current law sets penalties only for those who actually return fraudulent containers.
Michigan's 10 cent-per-container refund ? the highest in the country ? was enacted more than 30 years ago to encourage recycling. Many say it's worked. The state's recycling rate for cans and bottles was nearly 96 percent in 2011. By contrast, New York, one of nine states with nickel deposits on most containers, saw only a 66.8 percent redemption rate in 2007, the most recent figure available.
Despite measures Michigan lawmakers have taken over the years, including tougher penalties for bottle scammers and new machines that kick out fraudulent cans, store owners and distributors along the border say illegal returns persist.
Mike Hautala owns Hautala Distributing, which services Gogebic and Ontonagon counties in the western part of the Upper Peninsula near the Wisconsin border. He said for every case of beer his distributorship delivers to a store along the border, it picks up about seven more cases of empty cans.
The state loses $10 million to $13 million a year to fraudulent redemptions, according to most recent 2007 estimates from the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association. Angela Madden, the association's director of governmental affairs, said that number has likely gone down slightly because of changes implemented since, but not by much.
Bill Nichols, store director at Harding's Friendly Market in Niles about three miles from the Indiana border, said the store takes in about $6,000 worth of cans a week. He said every week he kicks out people for trying to return large garbage bags full of cans from Indiana, a state that offers no refund.
"You can go into the parking lot and look at the license plates and see that it says Indiana," he said.
Distributors pick up the containers people drop off at stores and pay the store a dime for every container. If the distributor picks up more bottles and cans than it left ? the likely result of fraudulent redemption ? the distributor is left in the hole, Madden said. If the distributor picks up fewer cans than it dropped off, the money that does not go back to the store is sent to the state. Twenty five percent of that money is sent back to retailers and 75 percent is put in a fund that pays for things like environmental cleanup, she said.
Hautala said he lost about $25,000 last year picking up more returned containers than he delivered. He said his company will recover some of that money from distributors who sell more containers than they pick up.
In 2008, Michigan passed laws aimed at cracking down on bottle fraud. One of the primary components required manufacturers to place a special mark on Michigan cans and bottles and said those containers could only be sold in Michigan or other states that have deposit laws.
A report the Department of Treasury delivered to Michigan lawmakers last fall estimated that the technology may have helped reduce redemptions of out-of-state containers by nearly 4 percent. But that reduction could also come from decline in sales, the report said.
As containers were given Michigan-specific marks, vending machines used in stores to count the cans and bottles were formatted with new technology to read the mark and reject cans that come in from across the border.
But Madden told the committee that many retailers have not yet taken advantage of the technology. She said while the state has provided funding for business to pay for the $5,000 machine upgrade, many "just refuse." If a store has an older model machine, they might have to shell out big bucks for a brand new machine that is compatible with the new technology, she said.
Hautala said only four machines are in the two counties his company serves.
And the machines are not "100 percent fool-proof," Nichols said. If a person repeatedly puts an out-of-state can into the machine, it will often accept it, he said.
Michigan is not alone in its fight against bottle fraud. Mark Oldfield, spokesman for California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, said the state, which gives a 5-cent refund for most containers and 10 cents for those more than 24 ounces, is losing about $30 million to $50 million a year from redeeming out-of-state cans. The state's redemption rate for the first six months of 2012 was 87 percent.
Oldfield said a new law in California this year requires people who bring in more than 25 pounds of aluminum or plastic, or more than 100 pounds of glass, to report the source and the destination of the material to the state. Border patrol stations along the major highways near the border also gather license plate numbers and information of vehicles seen bringing in cans and bottles.
Despite their best efforts to clamp down on fraudulent bottles, a federal lawsuit may shake things up even more. In 2012, a federal appeals court in Cincinnati struck down the Michigan law that makes beverage companies put a special mark on cans sold in the state. It said the Michigan law is illegally affecting interstate commerce by dictating where cans can be distributed.
Joy Yearout, spokeswoman for Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, said the office has requested a stay on the ruling and plans to file a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court in April.
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