NJ lawmakers sworn in as GOP leader mourned (AP)

TRENTON, N.J. ? New Jersey lawmakers have taken their oath of office for a new term in somber ceremonies as they mourn the death of a Republican leader who collapsed at the Statehouse.

The name of the 75-year-old Assembly Leader Alex DeCroce (deh-KROHS'), who died late Monday, was read along with the names of other assemblymen and women during the swearing-in inside the Assembly chamber.

Bagpipe music opened the ceremony in the Assembly chamber, where a bouquet of flowers rested on DeCroce's desk.

Gov. Chris Christie is to deliver a eulogy instead of his annual State of the State address, which has been postponed, likely until next week.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Grieving New Jersey lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Tuesday to begin a new legislative session with a low-key swearing-in ceremony as they mourned the death of a Republican leader who collapsed at the Statehouse the night before. Gov. Chris Christie planned to deliver a remembrance instead of his annual State of the State address, which was postponed.

Assembly Majority Leader Alex DeCroce, 75, died late Monday after a busy night of voting that closed out the 214th legislative session.

Assemblyman Herb Conaway, the Legislature's only physician, said DeCroce had come up to him to complain he was feeling ill. He said he and state troopers tried unsuccessfully to revive the northern New Jersey lawmaker, administering CPR.

"He served admirably for many years and he will certainly be missed," Conaway said.

Wearing a sport coat over a T-shirt, a shaken Christie returned to the Capitol around midnight, consoling and hugging lawmakers over the death of a man who had served as a political mentor. He broke down as he embraced Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver and other legislative leaders.

"This is an enormous loss for our state and for me personally," the governor said in a statement. "He helped to give me my start in elective politics in Morris County in 1993. He was one of the most kind, considerate and trustworthy people I have ever had the pleasure to know."

Christie planned to give a eulogy at 1 p.m. before a joint session of the new Legislature. No new date was immediately set for his State of the State address, but lawmakers said they thought it would be pushed off until next week.

Members of the Assembly and Senate were to be sworn in at noon in ceremonies that were to be more informal than usual, with prayers and brief remarks. Family members and relatives were asked not to attend in an effort to keep the event low-key.

DeCroce, who owned a real estate company and lived in Parsippany-Troy Hills, served in the Assembly since 1989 and became the GOP's leader in 2003. His district includes parts of Morris and Passaic counties.

His widow, Betty Lou DeCroce, is a deputy commissioner with the Department of Community Affairs. She was expected to attend the ceremonies at the Statehouse on Tuesday, said Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick.

Bramnick, like other lawmakers, said he noticed DeCroce didn't seem to feel well on Monday during the marathon lame-duck sesssion.

"But there was no indication that it was the result of anything other than it being a long day," Bramnick said. "It was 11 at night and no one was feeling too well."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120110/ap_on_re_us/us_nj_legislature_death

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For alumni, few answers from Penn State president

BC-US--Penn State Abuse-Alumni, 2nd Ld-Writethru,687For alumni, few answers from Penn State presidentAP Photo PAGP101, PAGP102, PAGP103, PAGP104, PAGP105, PAGP106, PAGP107, PAGP108, PAGP110Eds: Minor editing. With AP Photos.By KEVIN BEGOSAssociated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) ? Penn State University President Rodney Erickson had comforting words but few answers to tough questions at a town hall meeting with alumni in Pittsburgh in the wake of the school's child sex abuse scandal.

Erickson is attempting to repair the school's image more than two months after former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky's arrest on abuse charges brought controversy, criticism and contemplation to Penn State.

Erickson was greeted by polite applause at the 90-minute meeting, the first of three sessions with alumni this week. The second one is being held Thursday evening near Philadelphia.

He said critics have accused the university of having problems with openness and communication but that the school "will do better in the future."

But Jean Spadacene was shocked to learn that Erickson hasn't even spoken to Joe Paterno since the longtime coach was fired in early November.

"I would think one of the first things on his to-do list would be to send a note to Joe. And he didn't do that," she said.

Dave Hrinak, a 1980 graduate who lives near Pittsburgh, said before the meeting that he has one main message for Erickson.

"Never again let anybody get as much power as Joe Paterno had," Hrinak said, adding that he feels that way even though he respects Paterno and is a season ticket holder at football games.

The most sustained and passionate applause of the evening came from a questioner who suggested that the entire board of trustees step down, but Erickson failed to build on the emotion.

"I think the board will have to make those decisions," said Erickson, who is also scheduled to speak to alumni in New York City on Friday.

Asked for how many defendants Penn State is paying legal fees, Erickson replied that was "a difficult question to answer." He said the school will start posting details of what the crisis has cost in legal and other fees next week.

After one questioner called the treatment of Paterno "unconscionable" on Wednesday, Erickson responded by saying that "We will certainly want to honor Joe as the future unfolds."

Pressed for details later in the evening on what that meant, he replied that there were "no plans in place yet, but there will be."

Erickson also said that the board of trustees "will certainly have to speak to how that decision" to fire Paterno was made, but he didn't criticize the board.

"No, I supported their decision," Erickson said after the event.

Paterno, a legendary figure in sports, was replaced last week by New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. He has described the scandal as one of the great sorrows of his life and has said that in hindsight he wishes he had done more after allegations against Sandusky were raised.

The alumni meeting came as investigators re-interview current and former employees of Penn State's athletic department as part of the case against the 67-year-old Sandusky, who's charged with sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period. Sandusky remains out on $250,000 bail while awaiting trial.

Two Penn State administrators are facing charges they lied to a grand jury investigating Sandusky and failed to properly report suspected child abuse. Gary Schultz, a former vice president, and Tim Curley, the athletic director, have denied the allegations and await trial.

Although Sandusky has maintained his innocence, at one point Erickson seemed to imply that abuse did occur.

"There are victims out there, and we need to do the right thing by those victims," Erickson said.

Alumni want transparency, said Virginia A. Feinman, a television news assignment editor who plans to attend the New York forum.

Feinman is a member of Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship, a group that believes Paterno's firing and the ousting of Erickson's predecessor, Graham Spanier, were mishandled. The organization said it hopes to back candidates to run for elected alumni seats on the board of trustees.

Erickson said Tuesday he will step down when his contract ends in 2014.

___

Associated Press reporter Mark Scolforo contributed to this report from Harrisburg. Associated Press writer Genaro C. Armas in State College contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-12-Penn%20State%20Abuse-Alumni/id-feb75c47c5d443d784311e4431c2372b

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Nueva Zelanda: Barco que derram? 300 toneladas de crudo en octubre se parte en dos

Un barco carguero llamado ?Rena? ?qued? encallado? en octubre pasado, en el Arrecife Astrolabe, a 22 kil?metros (14 millas) de la Bah?a Tauranga en North Island. Este accidente?dej??como saldo un derrame de 300 toneladas de petr?leo, uno de los mas grandes derrames que hayan ocurrido en la zona.

Este fin de semana, a tres meses del encallamiento, ?Rena? se ha partido en dos, derramando casi tres kil?metros de crudo en las costas, ya que el buque se rompi? producto del fuerte oleaje y una gran tormenta.

Las autoridades neozelandesas han se?alado que ?la parte de la popa del barco de 47.000 toneladas se separ? unos 30 metros de la proa. Seg?n las mismas autoridades el impacto ambiental no seria ni la cuarta parte de lo que ocurr?o en octubre, aunque no se descartan las sorpresas desagradables.

Adem?s de crudo derramado, se suman 150 ?contenedores y escombros cayeron al mar y fueron arrastrados hasta la orilla, donde cientos de neozelandeses han ido a recolectar especies, como por ejemplo leche. De todos, modos los expertos ya le han advertido a la poblaci?n que nadie asegura que estos productos no sean nocivos para la salud.

?Ha habido una descarga significativa de contenedores y escombros de contenedores de la nave?, expres? el portavoz de Maritime New Zealand Ross Henderson.

En tanto, Alex van Wijngaarden, jefe del equipo de respuesta nacional se?al? que ?Aunque los informes en este momento indican que no ha habido una liberaci?n significativa de crudo, dado que el Rena est? actualmente en una posici?n fr?gil, resulta probable una mayor liberaci?n?.

Cabe se?alar, que en el derrame pasado murieron casi 20.000 aves marinas y se alejaron delfines y otras especies de mar que habitaban el lugar.

Entre los escombros tambi?n podr?a haber mas petr?leo. Por ahora los equipos de rescate intentan arrastrar los contenedores mar adentro para que estos no sean saqueados en la orilla, pero la llegada del crudo a la orilla es inevitable. Dehecho, los expertos esperan que esto ocurra este domingo.

Fuente: Nueva Zelanda: ligero derrame de crudo por naufragio de carguero (Univisi?n Noticias)

Art?culos Relacionados

Source: http://www.veoverde.com/2012/01/nueva-zelanda-barco-que-derramo-300-toneladas-de-crudo-en-octubre-se-parte-en-dos/

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Hands-on with LG Viper, an LTE smartphone coming to Sprint

Here we are in the caverns of the Venetian Hotel, where LG was kind enough to give us a quick look at the Viper -- a pre-production LTE handset that's destined for Sprint. While the device shares a similar heritage to the Connect 4G on MetroPCS, no release date is yet determined. Still, LG seems intent to join Samsung in the Now Network's futuristic 4G spotlight. The device features a 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, along with a 4-inch Nova Display and Android 2.3.7. The WVGA screen is bright, crisp and quite pleasing. While the display's coating was rather glossy, Nova Displays typically perform well in direct sunlight -- no way to test that claim today, however. A 5 megapixel camera with LED flash occupies the rear of the device, and for those moments of self-indulgence, there's also a VGA cam up front. Rounding out the media specs, LG tells us the phone will carry DLNA certification. We were also curious to learn that the Viper will be one of the more eco-friendly devices in Sprint's lineup. For example, the case is made entirely from recycled plastic and the charger is said to be quite energy efficient.

With a glossy plastic front and a brushed metal rear, the Viper is a collision of design philosophies and appears a bit dated. This felt particularly true with respect to the sides of the device, which struck us as eerily reminiscent of a fourth-generation iPod. In fact, the Viper seems a bit chunky, but that's not to suggest it's unwelcome. To the contrary, the handset felt like absolute money in the palm of our hand. Because this little guy is a work in progress, we kept our interactions with the software to a minimum. Sprint ID was apparent from the outset, and while it's unclear whether Google Wallet will come standard, LG tells us that the Viper will fully support both it and NFC. We're told that Life's Good for 2012, and we have no doubt that the folks in Overland Park would agree.

Brian Heater contributed to this report

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Hands-on with LG Viper, an LTE smartphone coming to Sprint originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/hands-on-with-lg-viper-sprint-lte-smartphone/

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Schools chief defends keeping accused Ala. teacher

(AP) ? Two longtime Alabama school board leaders are defending the panel's decision in 1993 to reinstate an elementary school teacher who was accused of molesting a student, even though the teacher is now charged with more abuse.

School board President Lee Doebler and Vice President Steve Martin said students, parents and community leaders encouraged the Shelby County Board of Education to return 4th grade teacher Danny Acker to his Alabaster classroom, and the board agreed 5-0. Doebler and Martin are the only board members who remain from those days, and both said they did the best they could with the information they had.

"Looking back, given the evidence we had I would have made the same vote," Doebler said. "I wish we had some evidence, but unfortunately, we didn't."

Acker, 49, is now in the county jail on four counts of first-degree sexual abuse involving two female students under 12. Police said the former teacher admitted to molesting 21 girls throughout his career when he was arrested on Wednesday. The arrest shocked residents of the well-to-do Birmingham suburb, where Acker taught for 25 years and was a familiar figure in his green VW convertible.

Doebler, chairman of the department of counseling and instructional leadership at the University of Montevallo, said he was as surprised as anyone because two of his children had Acker as a teacher. "They always liked him and never indicated any problem," he said.

Shelby County's superintendent placed Acker on leave in October 1992 when a student accused him of touching her improperly at her home. A county grand jury reviewed the case and did not return an indictment.

Martin said the superintendent recommended Acker's dismissal. The school board held a hearing in February 1993 that lasted more than eight hours and then voted unanimously to keep him.

Martin said there were no witnesses and no physical evidence. He said the abuse was alleged to have occurred during babysitting rather than at the school.

Doebler, who was also the board president in 1993, said many students, past and present, and their parents turned out as character witnesses to support Acker, and the board was heavily influenced by the grand jury's decision to take no action.

"There was no evidence presented to us to indicate the grand jury was incorrect," he said.

Martin said Acker's father, longtime County Commissioner Dan Acker, made no effort to influence the decision. "The dad did not call anyone or discuss it with anyone," he said.

The charges against Danny Acker involve allegations of abuse before and after the 1992 case. One says she was abused in 1990-1991 and other in 2009. Court documents say both were younger than 12 at the time.

Acker's arrest has caused Shelby County residents to question the decision by the school board in 1993.

Both board members said there were no more complaints against the popular teacher between 1993 and his retirement in 2009.

While board members say Acker's father was not a factor in their decision, he has been a factor in Shelby County District Attorney Robby Owens asking to step aside from the case.

Owens, who was not working in the district attorney's office in 1993, said he asked the state attorney general to appoint a new prosecutor because he knows the commissioner and the County Commission helps determine the funding for the district attorney's office. Owens said he wants to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

A spokeswoman for Attorney General Luther Strange said Monday he is working on finding a new prosecutor.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-09-Alabama%20Teacher%20Molestation%20Charges/id-3d06bd09e6e741529a64de5ee1bc2d29

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First iPhone glucose meter gains FDA approval

The iBGStar blood glucometer uses the Apple iPhone and iPod as a visualization tool to keep track of glucose readings, carbohydrate and insulin intake, and exercise. The device also can be used independently to take readings, and data are transformed to the iPhone once the two are connected again. Test results are color-coded so that high- and low-blood glucose results can be more easily identified. The ?share? function enables users to email specific data to their healthcare professional. This application can be downloaded for free from the Apple Store. The iBGStar uses patented Dynamic Electrochemistry technology that provides accurate results by detecting and correcting errors caused by differences in hematocrit levels, manufacturing variations, and certain environmental conditions. The device is available in some EU countries (Germany, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Italy) and is expected to launch soon in the United States.

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Video: Elop pulls success kid face. Tells of Lumia 710 for Rogers and Lumia 800 for Telus Canada

Stephen Elop is pulling the success kid face at Nokia Conversations where he is interviewed about CES. Why not? It is as he said, a significant day in Nokia?s expansion in North America. Nokia, on one of the US? largest network, AT&t, has managed to get a high end Nokia with 4G LTE ?for North American consumers. (Not to mention 710 for T-Mobile).

He also talks about the newly launched Nokia Lumia 900 and says that Canada is getting some Lumia Love of the 710 for Rogers and 800 for Telus. The 900 or some variant of it is rumoured to be coming to Canada too, though Elop is only discussing the AT&T exclusive Lumia 900 for now. Not only that, the Lumia 800 will also be sold at Microsoft stores.

The 900 looks so much nicer in video than in some photos, no? You can see the curves better.

Guess what, your favourite catch phrase is there. ?War of Ecosystems?. 900 ? uniquely designed for the North American consumer. I guess what, rest of the world is getting 910 or something?

Via Nokia Conversations

Cheers mrprince for the tip!

Category: Lumia, Nokia, Video, Windows Phone

About Jay Montano: Hey, thanks for reading my post. My name is Jay and I'm a medical student at the University of Manchester. When I can, I blog here at mynokiablog.com and tweet now and again @jaymontano. We also have a twitter and facebook accounts @mynokiablog and facebook.com/MyNokiaBlog. Contact us at tips(@)mynokiablog.com or email me directly on jay[at]mynokiablog.com View author profile.

Source: http://mynokiablog.com/2012/01/10/video-elop-pulls-success-kid-face-tells-of-lumia-710-for-rogers-and-lumia-800-for-telus-canada/

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UK legislators to investigate racism in sports

updated 9:49 a.m. ET Jan. 10, 2012

LONDON - A British parliamentary committee will investigate racism in sports following a number of high-profile cases in soccer.

England captain John Terry will appear in court next month to face a criminal charge after allegedly directing racial abuse at a black opponent while playing for Chelsea.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is serving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during another Premier League match in October. Liverpool also had to apologize to an Oldham player who was reduced to tears by insults from their fans during an FA Cup match on Friday.

The culture, media and sport committee has decided to hold a hearing on March 6.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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