Kerry pushing Israel, Palestinians to resume talks

JERUSALEM (AP) ? U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, engaged in breakneck shuttle diplomacy to coax Israel and the Palestinians back into peace talks, is flying to the West Bank on Sunday to have a third meeting in as many days with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

U.S., Israeli and Palestinian officials have declined to disclose details of the past three days of closed-door meetings, but Kerry's decision to fly from Jerusalem to Ramallah, West Bank, to see Abbas again before he leaves the region was an indication that the secretary believes there is a chance of bringing the two sides together.

"Working hard" is all Kerry would say when a reporter asked him at a photo-op whether progress was being made.

Despite the lack of readouts, there are several clues that the meetings have been more than routine chats.

Most of Kerry's meetings have lasted at least two hours and several of them were much longer. His initial dinner meeting Thursday night with Netanyahu was clocked at four and the one Saturday night with the Israelis that started around 9 p.m. in a hotel suite was still going on at 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

Legal, military and other officials accompanied Netanyahu at the meeting, perhaps an indication that discussions had reached a more detailed level.

Kerry canceled a visit to Abu Dhabi on his two-week swing through Asia and the Mideast because of his extended discussions on the Mideast peace process in Jerusalem and Amman, Jordan.

And just the sheer number of meetings since Thursday ? three with Netanyahu and soon-to-be three with Abbas ? could indicate that the two sides are at least interested in trying to find a way back to the negotiating table.

A senior U.S. State Department official said Kerry would travel to Ramallah on Sunday to meet Abbas. The U.S. official was not authorized to discuss the negotiations by name and requested anonymity.

The meeting, however, will further squeeze Kerry's itinerary. He's scheduled to be at a Southeast Asia security conference on Monday and Tuesday in Brunei ? some 5,400 miles from Israel. On the sidelines of the conference, Kerry is to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an exchange that likely will focus on National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden. Kerry also is to have a trilateral discussion with Japanese and South Korean officials that likely will include the topic of North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

For now, however, Kerry has his head in the Middle East. Except for quick flights to meetings in Amman, Kerry mostly has been holed up on the upper floors of a hotel near Jerusalem's Old City engaged in deep, serious conversations about the decades-old conflict. On other floors, the hotel has been hosting large family gatherings, and noisy children in party clothes have been running up and down the hallways, oblivious to Kerry's presence.

There is deep skepticism that Kerry can get the two sides to agree on a two-state solution. It's something that has eluded presidents and diplomats for years. But the flurry of meetings has heightened expectations that the two sides can be persuaded to restart talks, which broke down in 2008, at the least.

So far, there have been no public signs that the two sides are narrowing their differences.

In the past, Abbas has said he won't negotiate unless Israel stops building settlements on war-won lands or accepts its 1967 lines ? before the capture of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem in a Mideast war that year ? as a starting point for border talks. The Palestinians claim all three areas for their future state.

Netanyahu has rejected the Palestinian demands, saying there should be no pre-conditions for talks.

Abbas made significant progress with Netanyahu's predecessor, Ehud Olmert, in talks in 2007 and 2008, but believes there is little point in negotiating with the current Israeli leader.

Netanyahu has adopted much tougher starting positions than Olmert, refusing to recognize Israel's pre-1967 frontier as a baseline for border talks and saying east Jerusalem, the Palestinians' hoped-for capital, is off the table. Abbas and his aides suspect Netanyahu wants to resume talks for the sake of negotiating and creating a diplomatic shield for Israel, not in order to reach an agreement.

Abbas has much to lose domestically if he drops his demands that Netanyahu either freeze settlement building or recognize the 1967 frontier as a starting point before talks can resume. Netanyahu has rejected both demands. A majority of Palestinians, disappointed after 20 years of fruitless negotiations with Israel, opposes a return to talks on Netanyahu's terms.

While details of the ongoing discussions have remained closely held, it has not quelled speculation. Midday Saturday, news reports said a four-way meeting was going to be held in coming days with the U.S. Jordan, Israel and the Palestinians at the table.

"They're saying a four-way summit, did you hear that?" Netanyahu asked Kerry during a photo-op before his latest meeting with Kerry.

"I did," Kerry replied.

There is speculation that talks are going well and that they're headed nowhere.

Asked if the two sides were close to resuming negotiations, Israeli Cabinet Minister Gilad Erdan told Channel 2 TV: "Regrettably, so far, no."

___

Associated Press writer Karin Laub in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-pushing-israel-palestinians-resume-talks-214829857.html

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James Bond Lotus Esprit submarine car headed to auction [w/video ...

BOND CAR SURFACES! ICONIC 007 LOTUS ESPRIT 'SUBMARINE' CAR TO GO UNDER THE HAMMER AT RM'S FORTHCOMING LONDON SALE

- RM Auctions lifts the gavel on the one and only functional submarine car, used in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, at its eagerly awaited central London sale, 8?9 September
- Fully functioning submarine car was designed and fitted to propel underwater
- The actual car seen, on screen, driving underwater; one of the most famous movie cars of all time
- Never before offered for sale
- Amazing story of 'lost and found'

LONDON (at a top secret location) 28 June, 2013 ? "Pay attention, 007, RM Auctions is about to sell one of my most ingenious creations and we wouldn't want it to fall into enemy hands". Well, 'Q' might be a little concerned that his incredible Lotus Esprit Series 1 'Submarine' Car is due to be sold at auction, but for millions of movie fans out there, the appearance of this iconic Bond car on the open market represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

No Bond car has ever done anything as outrageous as transform itself into a submarine. Used to incredible effect in the film The Spy Who Loved Me, starring Roger Moore, the white Lotus commonly tops the polls when generations of movie fans are asked to vote on their favourite film cars of all time. Like all the best Bond cars, the Lotus was a veritable war chest of weaponry and gadgetry, all designed to fox and foil the enemy, whilst also helping Bond to another hard-won victory for Queen and country.

The vehicle to be offered by RM Auctions at its forthcoming London sale, 8-9 September, in Battersea Park, is the one and only fully functioning car especially designed and built for the famous underwater sequence seen on screen in the 1977 film. Abundantly authenticated, and known as 'Wet Nellie' on the set, it was developed from one of six Esprit body shells used in the making of the film. As the only car to be built into a fully operational, self-propelled 'submarine', by Perry Oceanographic, based in Riviera Beach, Florida, it is the vehicle which claimed the most screen time in the film. The driver of the car was Don Griffin, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL and test pilot for Perry, who operated the vehicle utilizing its motorized propellers while manoeuvring with levered steering mechanisms. At the time, the car was said to have cost over $100,000 to create (equivalent to nearly a half million dollars today).

Subsequent to filming the underwater scenes in the Bahamas, the vehicle was shipped to Long Island, NY, where it was kept in an unassuming storage unit on a ten year rental, paid in advance. Fate later intervened when, in 1989, the then rent delinquent unit was put up 'blind' for public auction. A modest winning bid from an area couple brought surprise and wonder when the blankets were removed to reveal the iconic 007 'Submarine' Car. After positive authentication, the Lotus was shown occasionally ? including a stint at the Petersen Automotive Museum ? but mostly kept closely under wraps, until now.

Max Girardo, Managing Director, RM Auctions, Europe, says: "We have a great track record in selling incredible and iconic movie cars, and this particular Lotus is certainly up there amongst the most famous cars of all time. Over the years, millions of moviegoers have stared in awe as the Lotus transformed itself into a submarine, and now, perhaps one of them will have an opportunity to own it. Her Majesty's Secret Service aside, it surely is the ultimate beach accessory"!

RM Auctions sold "the most famous car in the world", the Aston Martin DB5 used by Sean Connery in the enormously popular Goldfinger and Thunderball movies, for an incredible ?2.9 million during its 2010 London sale.

For further information on RM Auctions' forthcoming London sale, or to view a frequently updated list of entries, visit rmauctions.com or contact RM's London office at +44 (0) 20 7851 7070.

About RM Auctions

RM Auctions is the world's largest auction house for investment-quality automobiles. With over three decades of experience in the collector car industry, RM's vertically integrated range of services, from restoration to private treaty sales, auctions, estate planning, and financial services, coupled with an expert team of car specialists and an international footprint, provide an unsurpassed level of service to the global collector car market. RM proudly holds five of the top ten all-time records for the most expensive motor cars sold at auction. RM's restoration division has achieved unprecedented accolades, earning Best of Show honours at the world's top concours events. For further information, please visit rmauctions.com, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @rmauctions.

Media Information

If you are interested in attending RM's London auction as a member of the media, please visit www.rmauctions.com/credentials to register for media credentials. For further information, hi-res images, and interview opportunities, please contact

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/28/james-bond-lotus-esprit-submarine-car-headed-to-auction-w-video/

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U.S. asked Ecuador not to give Snowden asylum: Correa

By Brian Ellsworth

QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said on Saturday the United States had asked him not to grant asylum for former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden in a "cordial" telephone conversation he held with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

Correa said he vowed to respect Washington's opinion in evaluating the request. The Andean nation says it cannot begin processing Snowden's request unless he reaches Ecuador or one of its embassies.

Snowden, who is wanted by the United States for leaking details about U.S. communications surveillance programs, is believed to still be at the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow after leaving Hong Kong.

Praising Biden's good manners in contrast to "brats" in the U.S. Congress who had threatened to cut Ecuador's trade benefits over the Snowden issue, Correa said during his weekly television broadcast: "He communicated a very courteous request from the United States that we reject the (asylum) request."

Biden initiated the phone call, Correa said.

"When he (Snowden) arrives on Ecuadorean soil, if he arrives ... of course, the first opinions we will seek are those of the United States," Correa said.

A senior White House official traveling with President Barack Obama in Africa on Saturday confirmed the conversation had taken place.

The case has been a major embarrassment for the Obama administration, which is now facing withering criticism around the world for the espionage program known as Prism that Snowden revealed.

A German magazine on Saturday, citing secret documents, reported that the United States bugged European Union offices and gained access to EU internal computer networks, which will likely add to the furor over U.S. spying efforts.

Correa has for years been at loggerheads with Washington on issues ranging from the war on drugs to a long-running environmental dispute with U.S. oil giant Chevron.

A leftist economist who received a doctorate from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Correa denied he was seeking to perturb relations and said he had "lived the happiest days of my life" in the United States.

But he said the United States has not heeded Ecuador's request to extradite citizens sought by the law, including bankers he said have already been sentenced.

"There's a clear double standard here. If the United States is pursuing someone, other countries have to hand them over," Correa said. "But there are so many fugitives from our justice system (in the United States) ... and they don't return them."

TRAVEL DOCUMENT CONFUSION

Correa said Ecuador's London consulate issued Snowden an unauthorized safe-passage document, potentially as a result of communication with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is living in the London embassy after receiving asylum last year.

Assange said on Monday that Snowden had received refugee papers from the Ecuador government to secure him safe passage as he fled Hong Kong for Russia. Correa's government had originally denied this.

A "safe-pass" document published by U.S. Spanish-language media network Univision which circulated widely online purported to offer Snowden safe passage for the purpose of political asylum. The United States has revoked his passport.

"The truth is that the consul (overstepped) his role and will face sanction," Correa said during the broadcast.

The decision was "probably in communication with Julian Assange and out of desperation that Mr. Snowden was going to be captured, but this was without the authorization of the Ecuadorean government."

Correa's critics have in recent days accused him of letting Assange take charge of crucial foreign policy matters.

Assange, who is wanted in Sweden for questioning over sexual assault allegations, has not been able to leave the London embassy because Britain will not give him safe passage.

Snowden's lack of a valid travel document appears to be one of the primary obstacles to his leaving the transit area of the Moscow international airport. Without a passport, he cannot board a commercial flight or move through airport immigration, according to diplomacy experts.

Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino declined on Thursday to comment on whether Ecuador would send a government plane to pick Snowden up. But Correa has indicated he does not have plans to provide Snowden with transport to an embassy.

Correa scoffed at reports that he himself had been aware that the document was issued or was involved in the decision.

"They think I'm so dumb that I ordered our consul in London to write a safe passage document for a U.S. citizen traveling from Hong Kong to Russia. That's simply absurd," he said.

(Additional reporting by Mark Felsenthal in Johannesburg; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Vicki Allen and Sandra Maler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/biden-spoke-ecuadors-correa-snowden-white-house-180538899.html

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Corrections

Photo by Gabriela Insuratelu

In a June 27 "Crime" blog post, Justin Peters originally stated that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is 20 years old. He is 19.

In a June 27 "Future Tense" blog post, Jason Bittel left the "s" off of Geriatrics in the American Geriatrics Society.

In a June 27 "Future Tense" blog post, Jason Bittel originally omitted the word "Democratic" from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In a June 27 "Moneybox" blog post, Matthew Yglesias misspelled Nicola Fuchs-Sch?ndeln's last name.

In a June 26, "Frame Game," William Saletan misidentified the litigants who sought to reinstate California?s ban on gay marriage. They were petitioners, not the plaintiffs.

In a June 26 ?Jurisprudence,? Jessica Winter defined the Scalia-ism "lynch mob" as an epithet used by opponents of marriage equality. Scalia employs it as an epithet used by proponents of marriage equality.

In a June 26 "Moneybox" blog post, Matthew Yglesias described the Federal Reserve's dual mandate as including "maximum unemployment." The Fed is supposed to maximize employment and minimize unemployment.

In a June 26 ?Technology,? Will Oremus misspelled the surname of LinkedIn product lead Brad Mauney.

In a June 26 ?Weigel? blog post, Emma Roller wrote that Glenn Greenwald has citizenship in Brazil. He is living in Brazil on a permanent visa.

In the June 25 ?Interrogation? of Pedro Almod?var, June Thomas asserted that the director?s brother, Agust?n, didn?t make a cameo appearance in the 1995 film The Flower of My Secret. In fact, he is seen in the press room of El Pa?s newspaper.

In a June 25 ?Weigel? blog post, David Weigel misspelled John Dickerson?s last name.

In a June 24 "Crime" blog post, Justin Peters stated that Edwin Ernesto Rivera Gracias has a round, unmemorable baby face. Jose Manuel Garcia Guevara is the baby-faced fugitive in question.

In a June 24 Mad Men ?TV Club,? Hanna Rosin misstated that Sally got kicked out of school. She was suspended.?

Slate?strives to correct all errors of fact. If you've seen an error in our pages, let us know at?corrections@slate.com. General comments should be?posted?in our Comments sections at the bottom of each article.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/briefing/corrections/2013/06/slate_s_mistakes_for_the_week_of_june_24.html

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ITC judge rules against InterDigital in first round of 3G patent case (update)

After two long years, the International Trade Commission has finally come to a decision in favor of Huawei, Nokia and ZTE in a 3G patent case brought by InterDigital in 2011. According to an ITC judge, the three phone manufacturers did not violate the seven InterDigital-owned patents that covers various WCDMA and CDMA2000 technologies used to make their devices. InterDigital even went so far as to request the ban of US sales of these devices pending a decision. The Pennsylvania-based company filed a similar complaint against LG, which chose a settlement instead of going through the courts but it argued it had a right to arbitration based on a previous licensing agreement and was taken out of the case (see update below). Still, this is just a preliminary ruling; the final decision of the case is expected in October.

Update: The story initially said LG chose a settlement instead of going through the courts, which is incorrect. We learned from InterDigital that while LG was in the original case, the ITC took the Korean company out once LG said it had a right to arbitration. However, the Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit ruled earlier in June that the ITC has made a mistake in excluding LG. So, LG could still face the initial charges brought to it by InterDigital.

Comments

Source: Reuters

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/28/itc-judge-rules-against-interdigital-in-first-round-of-3g-patent/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Requiem for the Fire Lookout

Jack Kerouac, here circa 1956, once served as a fire lookout.

Photo courtesy of Tom Palumbo/Wikimedia Commons

As wildfire season peaks this summer and Colorado recovers from a destructive 15,500-acre fire, U.S. Forest Service employees, stationed on remote mountaintops, will keep watch across the country. Lookouts like these men and women have served the Forest Service, state agencies, and private landowners for more than a century, and have developed a rich tradition of self-sufficiency and Americana.

But lookouts have increasingly been rendered useless by encroaching development, smoke-detecting pattern-recognition software, GPS, cellphones, widespread Internet access, and cameras. Mountains that once were far from civilization now have highways and residential developments nearby, and civilians can immediately call in a fire from their cellphones. Reconnaissance airplanes can fly over a fire and use GPS to pinpoint a position. And the Forest Service and state agencies are installing rotating cameras in lookout towers that send images back to their dispatch centers.

Over the last 30 to 40 years, the number of lookouts employed around the country has decreased steadily. Only 826 out of 2,552 lookout stations are staffed, according to a compilation by the Forest Fire Lookout Association. And about 6,225 lookout towers have been knocked down.

This trend is clearly cost-effective. Employees require pay (the lowest I?ve found is $8.53 per hour), and lookout stations need frequent maintenance. There are hosts of safety issues. Installing a camera, meanwhile, is a one-time cost with few recurring expenses and virtually no dangers involved.

In Arizona?s Tonto National Forest, Mount Ord will soon be home to a 355-degree rotating camera that sends a feed to a dispatch center in Phoenix, 50 miles southwest of the mountain. The camera will cost about $700 and should be installed by the end of this wildfire season, said Tonto deputy fire manager Helen Graham.

Graham declined to discuss specific staffing details, but Mount Ord lookout Robert Brownell, who has been a lookout in various locations around the country since 1994, said he expects to be out of a job. Cutting his position should make up for the cost of the camera in no more than a couple of weeks.

Those savings are the upside of this trend. The downside is the death of an American icon. Lookouts are more than government employees. They represent the independence that Americans want to see in themselves.

Argow described the 1930s as the first heyday of wildfire lookouts, as the New Deal employed young men as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps. A significant portion of the CCC?s work focused on forestry, wildlife, and fighting wildfires, and this increased the number of lookouts employed by the Forest Service. But the occupation made its mark on American culture in the 1950s and ?60s, when literary figures including Jack Kerouac, Gary Snyder, and Norman Maclean worked as lookouts and drew inspiration from the seclusion of their mountains. Lookouts simultaneously reflect the quest to conquer nature that dominated American environmental policy in the first half of the 20^th century, and the Buddhism-influenced sense of oneness with nature that inspired writers like Kerouac and Snyder.

Snyder reflected on the life of a lookout and its peaceful sense of seclusion in his poem, ?Mid-August at Sourdough Mountain Lookout?:

Down valley a smoke haze
Three days heat, after five days rain
Pitch glows on the fir-cones
Across rocks and meadows
Swarms of new flies.

I cannot remember things I once read
A few friends, but they are in cities.
Drinking cold snow-water from a tin cup
Looking down for miles
Through high still air.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/06/fire_lookouts_lose_their_jobs_to_technology.html

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Facebook announces Android app beta testing program starting June 27th (that's today)

Facebook's always working on improving its mobile apps, and doing so for Android has proven to be a unique challenge. To aid in Android development, Facebook's starting up a new beta testing program to help identify bugs and get user feedback before each monthly release. You see, Facebook has found that the huge diversity of hardware and OS software in the Android ecosystem makes it difficult to find every bug and issue with new releases when using only internal folks (and their limited number and kinds of devices) as testers. Thankfully, at Google I/O this year, Google announced a new framework that allows app builders to create a Google Group for beta testers and have them download beta versions of apps from the Play Store.

Facebook has created just such a group and wants Android users the world over to sign up as beta testers. To get in on the dogfooding action, folks simply need to sign up for the Google group, then opt-in to become a beta tester and head over to Google Play to download the app. Additionally, Facebook has created its own FB group to facilitate discussion between testers and devs, and while it wants folks to join, it's not a requirement. Once you're on the new version, you need only use the app as they normally would. Reporting bugs is easy: just tap the new "Report Bug" icon in the settings menu, and the necessary information will get sent to Zuckerberg's crew. The best news? The program starts today at noon, and you'll be able to download the newest Facebook app beta directly.

Filed under: Software, Facebook

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/27/facebook-announces-beta-testing-program-android/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Access Hollywood section

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.today.com/id/7358550/ns/today-entertainment/

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Friend: Trayvon Martin encounter racially charged

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? George Zimmerman's defense attorney insisted during several testy exchanges with a important prosecution witness Thursday that Trayvon Martin injected race into a confrontation with the neighborhood watch volunteer and insinuated the young woman was not believable because of inconsistencies in her story.

However, 19-year-old Rachel Jeantel stood firm in her testimony about the night Zimmerman shot the unarmed black 17-year-old after a fight that Jeantel said she overheard while on the phone with Martin. Jeantel has said Martin told her he was being followed by a "creepy-ass cracker" ? implying Martin was being followed by a white man because of his race.

Zimmerman identifies as Hispanic. Race has permeated nationwide discussions of the case since the February 2012 shooting, which prompted nationwide protests and claims from critics that police took too long to arrest Zimmerman.

The neighborhood watch volunteer has pleaded not guilty and says he acted in self-defense.

Defense attorney Don West also zeroed in on slight differences among three different accounts of what happened before Martin's killing, in an apparent effort to discredit her. Jeantel has described what she heard over the phone in a deposition; a letter to Martin's mother; and an interview with the Martin family attorney. Among the differences highlighted by West:

? In some accounts, she said race was an issue but not in others.

? Jeantel testified Wednesday that her friend's last words were "Get off! Get off!" before Martin's phone went silent. But on Thursday, under cross-examination, she conceded that she hadn't mentioned that in her account of what happened to Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton. She had left out some details to spare Fulton's feelings, and also because neither Fulton nor the Martin family attorney asked her directly about them, Jeantel said.

? After Martin asks why he is being followed, Zimmerman responds, "What are you doing around here?" in one account by Jeantel. In another account, according to West, she says Zimmerman said, "What are you talking about?"

Zimmerman, 29, could get life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. Zimmerman followed Martin in his truck and called a police dispatch number before he and the teen got into a fight.

Zimmerman has said he opened fire only after the teenager jumped him and began slamming his head against the concrete sidewalk. Zimmerman has denied the confrontation had anything to do with race, as Martin's family and their supporters have claimed.

Jeantel testified Thursday that she thought race was an issue because Martin told her he was being followed by a white man.

But West responded, "It was racial because Trayvon put race in this?"

She answered no.

The exchanges got testier as the day progressed.

When asked by West if she had previously told investigators that she heard what sounded like somebody being hit at the end of her call with Martin, Jeantel said, "Trayvon got hit."

"You don't know that? Do you? You don't know that Trayvon got hit," West answered angrily. "You don't know that Trayvon didn't at that moment take his fists and drive them into George Zimmerman's face."

Later in the morning, West accused Jeantel of not calling police after Martin's phone went dead because she thought it was a fight he had provoked.

"That's why you weren't worried. That's why you didn't do anything because Trayvon Martin started the fight, and you knew that," West said.

"No sir!" Jeantel said. "I don't know what you're talking about."

At one point, West handed her a letter she had written with the help of a friend to Martin's mother explaining what happened. She looked at it but then said she couldn't read cursive handwriting. Jeantel later explained she is of Haitian descent and grew up speaking Creole and Spanish.

Thursday's testimony began with a more subdued tone that it did a day earlier, when Jeantel frequently bristled at West's questions and she at one point told him to move on to the next question: "You can go. You can go."

West took note of her calmer demeanor in the morning. She answered many of West's early questions by repeating "yes, sir," almost in a whisper.

"You feeling OK today? You seem different than yesterday," West said.

"I got some sleep," she answered.

After Jeantel left the witness stand, a mobile phone manager testified about Martin's cell phone records and a former neighbor of Zimmerman testified she heard yelps for help outside her townhome on the night Martin was shot. Jenna Lauer said she couldn't tell who was screaming.

"They were being hurt," Lauer said, describing the person screaming.

Before court recessed for the day, defense attorney Mark O'Mara asked another former neighbor to recreate for jurors how she reacted when she heard what turned out to be a gunshot and ran out of her town-house to see what was going on. The request had Selma Mora in the unusual position of standing up from the witness stand and pretending to be in her kitchen in front of the judge's bench.

___

Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KHightower

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/friend-trayvon-martin-encounter-racially-charged-134457254.html

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Square Market launches, provides easy online storefronts for small ...

Local businesses can now sell online with Square Market

SAN FRANCISCO ? June 26, 2013 ? Today Square, the company making commerce easy for everyone, introduced Square Market, an online marketplace for businesses to sell everything from handmade jewelry, housewares and merchandise, to yoga lessons and beauty services. Square Market provides local businesses across the U.S. the ability to sell their products throughout the country to anyone, anywhere.

Square has enabled millions of businesses to use the Square Reader and free Square Register app on their mobile device to process payments, run, and grow their business. Now sellers can reach more customers and sell more goods by setting up in the Square Market.

"We're focused on making easy-to-use tools for merchants that create an incredible experience for their customers - no matter where they are. Creating an online marketplace is our next step in making commerce easy for everyone," said Ajit Varma Square's Director of Discovery. "Square Market makes local businesses accessible to customers down the block and across the country."

Sellers no longer need to waste money on expensive website development, complicated fees, or complex inventory management. Square Market enables anyone to open a store for free with items, photos, and a profile for their business. Sellers can post items directly to Twitter for their followers to discover and share. Square offers one low fee of 2.75% per item sold and there is no charge to list items.

Many Square businesses are already selling their items in the Square Market.

Standard & Strange, American-made men's apparel, began using Square for pop-ups and trunk shows before opening an Oakland-based retail shop in 2012. "We're small and it would have been really tough to make a go at eCommerce on our own," said owner Neil Berrett. "Running an online store is like having a whole other business. Square makes it easy with a simple solution, and we are featured along with other great brands."

Indie electronic band The Limousines sells their albums to fans across the country on Square Market. "In a world where retail space is getting harder to come by, we've got a gorgeous, user-friendly storefront that's open 24 hours. The backend couldn't be more intuitive and the money from sales automatically goes straight to our bank account," Eric Victorino of the Limousines said. "Being in a band is an unpredictable adventure, but selling our music should be cut and dry - it is, thanks to Square."

Square is making sophisticated, big-business tools simple, easy to use, and available to anyone. Visit www.squareup.com/market to create a store in the Square Market to start selling online today.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/26/square-market-launches/

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Senate immigration bill a ?pipe dream?

Illinois Republican Rep. Peter Roskam (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The Senate is poised to pass a comprehensive immigration bill this week. Immigration reform proponents will cheer! Immigrant activists will cry tears of joy! DREAMers will dream bigger dreams!

Not to be a heartbreaker, but this party probably won't last long.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives hasn't the slightest intention of passing the thing as a whole, says Illinois Republican Rep. Peter Roskam, a lawmaker responsible for counting Republican votes.

Roskam, who serves as the Republican chief deputy whip, made it clear on Thursday that House leaders do not plan to put the complete Senate bill to a vote on the floor of the lower chamber. Even if they did, it likely wouldn't pass.

?The House has no capacity to move that bill in its entirety. It just won?t happen," Roskam said during a meeting with reporters on Thursday morning. "It is a pipe dream to think that that bill is going to go to the floor and be voted on. The House is going to move through in a more deliberative process.?

While Senate members have agreed to take a comprehensive approach on the legislation?their bill would provide a pathway to legality for unauthorized immigrants and to spend billions on border security?House lawmakers intend to pass the bill in pieces, starting with a bill that shores up border security and then (maybe) another measure that deals with the 11 million people currently living in the United States illegally.

But that approach won't fly with Senate Democrats or President Barack Obama, who say they won't accept an immigration bill that doesn't have a pathway to legal status baked into the cake. Some might call it an impasse, a term more commonly referred to as just another day in Washington.

Unlike their counterparts in the Senate, who have taken steps to pass the bill quickly, the House is in no rush to act.

In one important way, the roles between the two chambers are reversed. There is a long-standing Washington tradition in which the House passes bills and the Senate ceremonially (and proudly) ignores them. This time, the House is the saucer that will cool the Senate's tea. Or, to put it another way, House Republicans want to slow-jam the immigration bill; Senate Democrats are thinking more Busta Rhymes.

For the moment, the House seems to be enjoying the role-reversal. Some aren't even reading the Senate version at all.

?I have not gone through chapter and verse on the Senate bill," Roskam said. "I don?t think I?m going to be voting on the Senate bill, so it?s not as if I?m marinating in study.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/senate-immigration-bill-pipe-dream-house-gop-lawmaker-155313110.html

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Exercise benefits patients with type 2 diabetes

June 25, 2013 ? Moderate-intensity exercise reduces fat stored around the heart, in the liver and in the abdomen of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, even in the absence of any changes in diet, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin, a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into the cells, or when the cells resist the effects of insulin. The disease can lead to a wide range of complications, including damage to the eyes and kidneys and hardening of the arteries.

Exercise is recommended for people with diabetes, but its effects on different fat deposits in the body are unclear, according to the study's senior author, Hildo J. Lamb, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Radiology at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

"Based on previous studies, we noticed that different fat deposits in the body show a differential response to dietary or medical intervention," he said. "Metabolic and other effects of exercise are hard to investigate, because usually an exercise program is accompanied by changes in lifestyle and diet."

For the new study, Dr. Lamb and colleagues assessed the effects of exercise on organ-specific fat accumulation and cardiac function in type 2 diabetes patients, independent of any other lifestyle or dietary changes. The 12 patients, average age 46 years, underwent MRI examinations before and after six months of moderate-intensity exercise totaling between 3.5 and six hours per week and featuring two endurance and two resistance training sessions. The exercise cycle culminated with a 12-day trekking expedition.

MRI results showed that, although cardiac function was not affected, the exercise program led to a significant decrease in fat volume in the abdomen, liver and around the heart, all of which have been previously shown to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk.

"In the present study we observed that the second layer of fat around the heart, the peracardial fat, behaved similarly in response to exercise training as intra-abdominal, or visceral fat," Dr. Lamb said. "The fat content in the liver also decreased substantially after exercise."

Dr. Lamb noted that the exercise-induced fat reductions in the liver are of particular importance to people with type 2 diabetes, many of whom are overweight or obese.

"The liver plays a central role in regulating total body fat distribution," he said. "Therefore, reduction of liver fat content and visceral fat volume by physical exercise are very important to reverse the adverse effects of lipid accumulation elsewhere, such as the heart and arterial vessel wall."

The findings point to an important role for imaging in identifying appropriate treatment for patients with type 2 diabetes, which the World Health Organization projects to be the seventh leading cause of death worldwide by 2030.

"In the future, we hope to be able to use advanced imaging techniques to predict in individual patients which therapeutic strategy is most effective: diet, medication, exercise, surgery or certain combinations," Dr. Lamb said.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/9a11kQoMo3I/130625074139.htm

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Indiana explosion: What caused the fatal explosion?

Indiana explosion: A man was killed in an explosion at an Indiana grain elevator today. OSHA says explosions in grain-handling facilities across the nation have killed 180 people and injured more than 675 over the last 35 years.?

By Associated Press / June 24, 2013

Emergency personnel respond to a grain elevator explosion that killed an employee on Monday, June 24, at the Union Mills Co-Op in Union Mills, Ind.

Robert Franklin / South Bend / AP

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Indiana explosion: An explosion Monday inside a grain elevator killed a worker at a sprawling northwestern Indiana farm co-op, authorities said.

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The cause of the blast at the Union Mills Co-op remained unknown Monday evening several hours after the blast. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firms and Explosives and the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration were among the agencies sending investigators to the scene.

It wasn't clear where the victim, James Swank, 67, of Union Mills, was at time of the blast, but he might have been loading grain into train cars with two other workers, Maj. John Boyd of the LaPorte County Sheriff's Department said.

"At this point we're just not sure," Boyd said.

All other employees were accounted for and no other injuries were reported.

Swank died from multiple blunt force trauma, Coroner John Sullivan said. It may have been a grain dust explosion, he said.

"Neighbors reported a large, concussion-like explosion that shook their homes, followed by a large amount of white smoke," Sullivan said.

Purdue University farm safety expert Steve Wettschurack said grain dust is highly volatile, and a small spark, even from someone using a hammer, can set off a blast, Wettschurack said.

"It'll shake the countryside. There's a lot of power to it. But there's not really a lot of fire to it," he said.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration website says more than 500 explosions in grain-handling facilities across the nation over the last 35 years have killed 180 people and injured more than 675. Grain dust is the main source of fuel for explosions in grain handling, the website said.

Shawn Lambert, safety manager for Avon, Indiana-based co-op owner Co-Alliance, says the explosion occurred inside a grain elevator with several connected silos.

Boyd said the co-op property covers several acres and includes storage for hazardous material, including fertilizers and anhydrous ammonia, elsewhere on the site. The property is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Chicago.

The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration has no record of any inspections at the co-op, spokesman Bob Dittmer said.

Co-Alliance is a farmer-owned supply and marketing cooperative serving rural communities in Indiana, Ohio and southern Michigan.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/UtYuzO_rUUE/Indiana-explosion-What-caused-the-fatal-explosion

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Baby Laughs at Power Tools, is Adorable

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/baby-laughs-at-power-tools-is-adorable/

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GOP Sen. Thompson to announce run for governor Wednesday (Star Tribune)

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€3.9 M project hailed success by the EC

Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Megan Beech
m.beech@hud.ac.uk
01-484-473-053
University of Huddersfield

Huddersfield plays major role in multi-million euro HARCO Project to revolutionize machine tools

Named HARCO (Hierarchical and Adaptive Smart Components for precision production systems application), the three-year project officially concludes this summer and was backed to the tune of 3.9 million Euros by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

The University of Huddersfield, home to a globally-respected EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Advanced Metrology, was one of ten Europe-wide collaborators in the project, which was co-ordinated by the Italian company Ce.S.I. (Centro Studi Industriali), a long-established designer of high-performance machine tools.

"HARCO has been a great success and achieved its goals," said the University of Huddersfield's Professor Alan Myers. He explained that the University's team of researchers, based in the EPSRC Centre, had developed equipment that will be used to reduce vibration levels on machine tools and therefore make significant improvements in the accuracy of the products they manufacture. ?

Earlier in 2013, Gian Maura Maneia of Ce.S.I., who is project co-ordinator for HARCO, led a fact-finding visit to the University of Huddersfield by all the member organisations. He explained that the HARCO research was triggered by the need to increase machine tool accuracy and reduce the number of faulty parts that were produced, while keeping costs low.

?This will be done by adding modules to existing machinery or incorporating them into new ones. As a result, European machine tool manufacturers will be able to achieve the same levels of accuracy as the highest quality products on the global market, but do so at up to half the cost.

The HARCO research will result in the production of adaptronic modules incorporating electromechanical, electronic and measuring systems that can perform a wide range of tasks. These include active vibration control and interactive structural measurement. The result will be the extremely high dynamic characteristics and thermal stability required for fast precision machining.

HARCO is being hailed as a success story, said Mr Maneia, who was invited to present the project's findings at a special European Commission event in Brussels. It was expected that equipment resulting from the project would soon be commercially available.

The University's role in HARCO had been to develop a structural monitoring module that will detect inaccuracies caused by thermal effects on a machine and apply a correction through numerical control. The result is a very sophisticated monitoring unit, said Mr Maneia, who has worked with the University of Huddersfield experts on previous projects revolving around machine tool accuracy.

###

---

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?

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: 24-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Megan Beech
m.beech@hud.ac.uk
01-484-473-053
University of Huddersfield

Huddersfield plays major role in multi-million euro HARCO Project to revolutionize machine tools

Named HARCO (Hierarchical and Adaptive Smart Components for precision production systems application), the three-year project officially concludes this summer and was backed to the tune of 3.9 million Euros by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

The University of Huddersfield, home to a globally-respected EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Advanced Metrology, was one of ten Europe-wide collaborators in the project, which was co-ordinated by the Italian company Ce.S.I. (Centro Studi Industriali), a long-established designer of high-performance machine tools.

"HARCO has been a great success and achieved its goals," said the University of Huddersfield's Professor Alan Myers. He explained that the University's team of researchers, based in the EPSRC Centre, had developed equipment that will be used to reduce vibration levels on machine tools and therefore make significant improvements in the accuracy of the products they manufacture. ?

Earlier in 2013, Gian Maura Maneia of Ce.S.I., who is project co-ordinator for HARCO, led a fact-finding visit to the University of Huddersfield by all the member organisations. He explained that the HARCO research was triggered by the need to increase machine tool accuracy and reduce the number of faulty parts that were produced, while keeping costs low.

?This will be done by adding modules to existing machinery or incorporating them into new ones. As a result, European machine tool manufacturers will be able to achieve the same levels of accuracy as the highest quality products on the global market, but do so at up to half the cost.

The HARCO research will result in the production of adaptronic modules incorporating electromechanical, electronic and measuring systems that can perform a wide range of tasks. These include active vibration control and interactive structural measurement. The result will be the extremely high dynamic characteristics and thermal stability required for fast precision machining.

HARCO is being hailed as a success story, said Mr Maneia, who was invited to present the project's findings at a special European Commission event in Brussels. It was expected that equipment resulting from the project would soon be commercially available.

The University's role in HARCO had been to develop a structural monitoring module that will detect inaccuracies caused by thermal effects on a machine and apply a correction through numerical control. The result is a very sophisticated monitoring unit, said Mr Maneia, who has worked with the University of Huddersfield experts on previous projects revolving around machine tool accuracy.

###

---

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?

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/2013-06/uoh-ph062413.php

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WikiLeaks: Snowden going to Ecuador

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Admitted leaker Edward Snowden took flight Sunday in evasion of U.S. authorities, seeking asylum in Ecuador and leaving the Obama administration scrambling to determine its next step in what became a game of diplomatic cat-and-mouse.

The former National Security Agency contractor and CIA technician fled Hong Kong and arrived at the Moscow airport, where he planned to spend the night before boarding an Aeroflot flight to Cuba. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said his government received an asylum request from Snowden, and the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said it would help him.

"He goes to the very countries that have, at best, very tense relationships with the United States," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., adding that she feared Snowden would trade more U.S. secrets for asylum. "This is not going to play out well for the national security interests of the United States."

The move left the U.S. with limited options as Snowden's itinerary took him on a tour of what many see as anti-American capitals. Ecuador in particular has rejected the United States' previous efforts at cooperation, and has been helping WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, avoid prosecution by allowing him to stay at its embassy in London.

Snowden gave The Guardian and The Washington Post documents disclosing U.S. surveillance programs that collect vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence, but often sweep up information on American citizens. Officials have the ability to collect phone and Internet information broadly but need a warrant to examine specific cases where they believe terrorism is involved.

Snowden had been in hiding for several weeks in Hong Kong, a former British colony with a high degree of autonomy from mainland China. The United States formally sought Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong but was rebuffed; Hong Kong officials said the U.S. request did not fully comply with their laws.

The Justice Department rejected that claim, saying its request met all of the requirements of the extradition treaty between the U.S. and Hong Kong.

During conversations last week, including a phone call Wednesday between Attorney General Eric Holder and Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen, Hong Kong officials never raised any issues regarding sufficiency of the U.S. request, a Justice spokesperson said.

A State Department official said the United States was in touch through diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries that Snowden could travel through or to, reminding them that Snowden is wanted on criminal charges and reiterating Washington's position that Snowden should only be permitted to travel back to the U.S.

Those officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.

The Justice Department said it would "pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel."

Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency and Interfax cited an unnamed Aeroflot airline official as saying Snowden was on the plane that landed Sunday afternoon in Moscow.

Upon his arrival, Snowden did not leave Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. One explanation could be that he wasn't allowed; a U.S. official said Snowden's passport had been revoked, and special permission from Russian authorities would have been needed.

Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the White House's National Security Council, said, "Given our intensified cooperation after the Boston marathon bombings and our history of working with Russia on law enforcement matters ? including returning numerous high-level criminals back to Russia at the request of the Russian government ? we expect the Russian government to look at all options available to expel Mr. Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged."

The Russian media report said Snowden intended to fly to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.

U.S. lawmakers scoffed. "The freedom trail is not exactly China-Russia-Cuba-Venezuela, so I hope we'll chase him to the ends of the earth, bring him to justice and let the Russians know there'll be consequences if they harbor this guy," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

With each suspected flight, efforts to secure Snowden's return to the United States appeared more complicated if not impossible. The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, but does with Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. Even with an extradition agreement though, any country could give Snowden a political exemption.

The likelihood that any of these countries would stop Snowden from traveling on to Ecuador seemed remote. While diplomatic tensions have thawed in recent years, Cuba and the United States are hardly allies after a half century of distrust.

Venezuela, too, could prove difficult. Former President Hugo Chavez was a sworn enemy of the United States and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, earlier this year called Obama "grand chief of devils." The two countries do not exchange ambassadors.

U.S. pressure on Caracas also might be problematic given its energy exports. The U.S. Energy Information Agency reports Venezuela sent the United States 900,000 barrels of crude oil each day in 2012, making it the fourth-largest foreign source of U.S. oil.

"I think 10 percent of Snowden's issues are now legal, and 90 percent political," said Douglas McNabb, an expert in international extradition and a senior principal at international criminal defense firm McNabb Associates.

Assange's lawyer, Michael Ratner, said Snowden's options aren't numerous.

"You have to have a country that's going to stand up to the United States," Ratner said. "You're not talking about a huge range of countries here."

That is perhaps why Snowden first stopped in Russia, a nation with complicated relations with Washington.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is "aiding and abetting Snowden's escape," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

"Allies are supposed to treat each other in decent ways, and Putin always seems almost eager to put a finger in the eye of the United States," Schumer said. "That's not how allies should treat one another, and I think it will have serious consequences for the United States-Russia relationship."

It also wasn't clear Snowden was finished with disclosing highly classified information.

"I am very worried about what else he has," said Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a California Democrat who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she had been told Snowden had perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents.

Ros-Lehtinen spoke with CNN. Graham spoke to "Fox News Sunday." Schumer was on CNN's "State of the Union." Sanchez appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press." Feinstein was on CBS' "Face the Nation."

___

Associated Press White House Correspondent Julie Pace and Associated Press writers Matthew V. Lee and Frederic J. Frommer in Washington, Lynn Berry in Moscow, Kevin Chan in Hong Kong and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

___

Follow Philip Elliott on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/philip_elliott

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wikileaks-snowden-going-ecuador-seek-asylum-170935684.html

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Ailanthus tree's status as invasive species offers lesson in human interaction

Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
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Contact: Matthew Swayne
mls29@psu.edu
814-865-9481
Penn State

An exotic tree species that changed from prized possession to forest management nightmare serves as a lesson in the unpredictability of non-native species mixing with human interactions, according to researchers.

"There are other invasive tree species in Pennsylvania, but the Ailanthus, by far, has been here longer and does more damage than any other invasive tree," said Matthew Kasson, who received his doctorate in plant pathology and environmental microbiology from Penn State. "It's the number one cause of native regeneration failure in clearcuts in Pennsylvania."

Kasson, who is a post-doctoral researcher in plant pathology, physiology and weed science at Virginia Tech, said that William Hamilton, a pioneer botanist who corresponded with William Bartram and Thomas Jefferson, imported the first Ailanthus altissima -- Tree-of-Heaven -- a tree native to China, from England sometime between 1784 and 1785 and cultivated the tree on his estate, the Woodlands, in Philadelphia. The deciduous tree, which grows rapidly, often to a height of 50 feet, has become one of the biggest forest management problems, especially since the 1980s, according to the researchers.

Kasson and colleagues report in a recent issue of the Northeastern Naturalist that Ailanthus can invade quickly in areas where large, continuous stands of trees are cut down -- clearcuts -- and displace slower-growing native plants. The spread of Ailanthus in Pennsylvania occurred in spurts that seem to be connected with stages of human development, particularly during cross-state transportation projects, Kasson said.

While the tree was initially isolated to the properties of a few botanists and wealthy plant collectors, commercialization of Ailanthus after 1820 coupled with railroad construction projects that connected the eastern and western parts of the state in the mid-1800s intensified its spread, according to Kasson, who worked with Matthew Davis, lab assistant and Donald Davis, professor of plant pathology, both of Penn State.

In the 1980s, widespread gypsy moth infestation in Pennsylvania led to the death or near death of large stands of oak trees in the state forests, especially in south-central Pennsylvania. Crews that cut down the trees built roads to reach the sites, which became avenues for the spread of Ailanthus. From 1989 to 2004 the number of Ailanthus trees on inventory plots increased from 76 million to 135 million.

"In parts of the state forests there were no roads in areas associated with the gypsy moth devastation," said Kasson. "During these timber salvage operations, crews are building roads and moving a lot of soil and seed."

The researchers found one or two older female Ailanthus trees near areas where foresters removed trees following the gypsy moth infestation, but also discovered that most of the Ailanthus trees started to grow shortly after the clearing operation. The older seed-producing trees were often found upwind from the sites of the recent Ailanthus growth. Kasson said this indicates that following the clearcut Ailanthus grew faster than competing species and quickly dominated these forests.

Kasson said recent mining and drilling operations in Pennsylvania forests may also cause the species to expand.

"New roads are being constructed into these active drilling sites," said Kasson. "These drilling operations could lead to future spread."

Previous research may have also underestimated how long Ailanthus can live, according to Kasson. While prior studies estimated that Ailanthus's lifespan was between 50 to 75 years, the tree routinely lives longer than 100 years.

The researchers conducted tree-ring studies of Ailanthus in all the counties where the tree grows in Pennsylvania, as well as several surrounding states. The researchers used these studies, along with historic surveys and reports on plant species in the state, to determine age and growth patterns.

Ailanthus, which is also called Chinese sumac or stinking sumac, grows in 60 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, according to the researchers -- nine more counties than reported in previous studies. The research also suggests that the incidence of Ailanthus in Pennsylvania's northern-tier counties, where the tree has been historically absent, will likely increase like previous Ailanthus expansions in southern parts of the state.

###

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources supported this work.

---

[ | 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: 24-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Matthew Swayne
mls29@psu.edu
814-865-9481
Penn State

An exotic tree species that changed from prized possession to forest management nightmare serves as a lesson in the unpredictability of non-native species mixing with human interactions, according to researchers.

"There are other invasive tree species in Pennsylvania, but the Ailanthus, by far, has been here longer and does more damage than any other invasive tree," said Matthew Kasson, who received his doctorate in plant pathology and environmental microbiology from Penn State. "It's the number one cause of native regeneration failure in clearcuts in Pennsylvania."

Kasson, who is a post-doctoral researcher in plant pathology, physiology and weed science at Virginia Tech, said that William Hamilton, a pioneer botanist who corresponded with William Bartram and Thomas Jefferson, imported the first Ailanthus altissima -- Tree-of-Heaven -- a tree native to China, from England sometime between 1784 and 1785 and cultivated the tree on his estate, the Woodlands, in Philadelphia. The deciduous tree, which grows rapidly, often to a height of 50 feet, has become one of the biggest forest management problems, especially since the 1980s, according to the researchers.

Kasson and colleagues report in a recent issue of the Northeastern Naturalist that Ailanthus can invade quickly in areas where large, continuous stands of trees are cut down -- clearcuts -- and displace slower-growing native plants. The spread of Ailanthus in Pennsylvania occurred in spurts that seem to be connected with stages of human development, particularly during cross-state transportation projects, Kasson said.

While the tree was initially isolated to the properties of a few botanists and wealthy plant collectors, commercialization of Ailanthus after 1820 coupled with railroad construction projects that connected the eastern and western parts of the state in the mid-1800s intensified its spread, according to Kasson, who worked with Matthew Davis, lab assistant and Donald Davis, professor of plant pathology, both of Penn State.

In the 1980s, widespread gypsy moth infestation in Pennsylvania led to the death or near death of large stands of oak trees in the state forests, especially in south-central Pennsylvania. Crews that cut down the trees built roads to reach the sites, which became avenues for the spread of Ailanthus. From 1989 to 2004 the number of Ailanthus trees on inventory plots increased from 76 million to 135 million.

"In parts of the state forests there were no roads in areas associated with the gypsy moth devastation," said Kasson. "During these timber salvage operations, crews are building roads and moving a lot of soil and seed."

The researchers found one or two older female Ailanthus trees near areas where foresters removed trees following the gypsy moth infestation, but also discovered that most of the Ailanthus trees started to grow shortly after the clearing operation. The older seed-producing trees were often found upwind from the sites of the recent Ailanthus growth. Kasson said this indicates that following the clearcut Ailanthus grew faster than competing species and quickly dominated these forests.

Kasson said recent mining and drilling operations in Pennsylvania forests may also cause the species to expand.

"New roads are being constructed into these active drilling sites," said Kasson. "These drilling operations could lead to future spread."

Previous research may have also underestimated how long Ailanthus can live, according to Kasson. While prior studies estimated that Ailanthus's lifespan was between 50 to 75 years, the tree routinely lives longer than 100 years.

The researchers conducted tree-ring studies of Ailanthus in all the counties where the tree grows in Pennsylvania, as well as several surrounding states. The researchers used these studies, along with historic surveys and reports on plant species in the state, to determine age and growth patterns.

Ailanthus, which is also called Chinese sumac or stinking sumac, grows in 60 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, according to the researchers -- nine more counties than reported in previous studies. The research also suggests that the incidence of Ailanthus in Pennsylvania's northern-tier counties, where the tree has been historically absent, will likely increase like previous Ailanthus expansions in southern parts of the state.

###

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources supported this work.

---

[ | 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/2013-06/ps-ats062413.php

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