Friday, March 29, 2013

Banks made?$32 billion on overdraft fees last year?

Bank customers may complain about hefty overdraft fees, but they?re using the service more and paying the price.

A new report from Moebs Services, a respected economic research firm, shows overdraft revenue at banks, credit unions and thrift institutions totaled $32 billion last year. That?s an increase of $400 million or 1.3 percent from 2011.

?Consumers use of overdrafts shows no indication of going away, and is actually increasing,? said Michael Moebs, who wrote the study.

At the current rate of growth, Moebs predicts revenue from overdraft fees will hit a new record by the end of 2016, topping the old record of $37 billion set in 2009.

The Moebs study found that about a quarter of the people with a consumer checking account ? that?s 38 million people ? frequently overdraft. The median overdraft is about $40.

More than half of the customers who frequently overdraft ? 57 percent or 20 million people ? go to payday lenders when they are short on funds.

Why? Because a payday loan is significantly cheaper.

?Payday lenders are the low-price source for short-term cash needs,? Moebs said. ?You can get a cash advance for $16 as opposed to $25 at a community bank, $27 a credit union and $30 at bank or thrift. Those are median prices.?

While the cost of an overdrawn account has been going up at many financial institutions, the price of borrowing from a payday lender has dropped. The median charge for a $100 cash advance dropped $1.50 from 2011 to 2012, from $17.50 to $16.

Moebs firmly believes many of the people who use a payday lender would rather not, if the cost of the overdraft penalty was more in line with what the payday stores charge. He puts that price point at $20.

What it really costs to cover an overdraft
Consumer groups have long asserted that overdraft fees are revenue generators, deliberately higher than the banks' cost of providing the service.

?It?s very clear that banks are gouging customers with incredibly high and outrageous overdraft fees that are not related to their cost,? said Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director at U.S. PIRG.

A bill introduced in Congress last week (The Overdraft Protection Act of 2013) would require these fees to be ?reasonable and proportional.?

Moebs told me his costs studies, some of which were done for the Federal Reserve Bank, show the prices charged by the big financial institutions ?are legitimate? because their cost structures are so high.

He estimates that a megabank makes about $3 on each overdraft charge, the same profit the payday lender earns with a $100 loan. But because the overhead at the bank is so much higher, it has to charge $30 or $35 to make the same amount.

Smaller banks and credit unions have a smaller nut to crack, so they might be able to reduce the price on an overdraft. Moeb?s advice to these institutions: lower that price and you?ll get more customers.

Cheaper alternatives
Of course, the goal is to avoid overdraft charges. Check your account statement ? online, by phone or at an ATM ? to make sure you don?t try to spend money that?s not in your checking account.

?If you are likely to overdraft, the main street institutions are your best choice ? most credit unions and community banks and some of the thrifts ? because they have a lower overdraft fee,? Moebs said.

Debit-card transactions often cause an account to be overdrawn. Remember: Your bank or credit union will deny a point-of-purchase debit-card payment or cash withdrawal from an ATM if there is not enough money in the account to cover it, unless you ?opt in? to their overdraft protection plan. In that case, the transaction will go through and you?ll get hit with a fee.

A recent study by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that 54 percent of the customers who had overdrawn their accounts said they did not realize they had signed up for an overdraft service that cost money. Susan Weinstock, director of Pew?s Safe Checking in the Electronic Age Project, said this shows there is ?a very high level of confusion? about how this overdraft protection works.

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.


Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2a218c87/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Cbanks0Emade0E320Ebillion0Eoverdraft0Efees0Elast0Eyear0E1C9133635/story01.htm

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Japanese Study Warns of China's Rising Military Assertiveness (Voice Of America)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

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Amazon to buy book review site Goodreads?

Amazon.com Inc., the world's biggest online retailer that got its start in bookselling, has agreed to buy book recommendations site Goodreads.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Amazon said Thursday that it "shares a passion for reinventing reading," with Goodreads.

"Goodreads has helped change how we discover and discuss books and, with Kindle, Amazon has helped expand reading around the world," said Russ Grandinetti, vice president of Kindle content for Amazon. "In addition, both Amazon and Goodreads have helped thousands of authors reach a wider audience and make a better living at their craft. Together we intend to build many new ways to delight readers and authors alike."

In addition to recommending books based on other books members have reported liking, Goodreads also serves as a social network for bookworms. It was founded in 2007 and now has 16 million members.

The deal is expected to close in the second quarter. Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. says Goodreads' headquarters will remain in San Francisco.

Shares of Seattle-based Amazon closed up $1.19 at $266.49.

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2a1bf9dc/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Camazon0Ebuy0Ebook0Ereview0Esite0Egoodreads0E1C9133474/story01.htm

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Relevant Blog Commenting | Article Rewriting | Articles | Blog ...

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Source: http://www.freelancer.com/projects/Copywriting-Blog/Relevant-Blog-Commenting.html

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Razer Edge Review: So Heavy, So Expensive, So Awesome

A gaming laptop in a tablet. It's a thought experiment that raises a whole host of questions: Is that even possible? Can it possibly be good? Would anyone even want it if it were? And finally: How much does it cost? The Razer Edge's answers translate roughly to "Yes!", "Sort of.", "Maybe?", and "Erm, you better sit down." More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/tW4r7vfWB3Y/razer-edge-review

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David Miliband, Former UK Foreign Secretary, Appointed President of International Rescue Committee

NEW YORK, March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Rescue Committee (IRC) today announced the appointment of David Miliband, 47, former Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, as its president and CEO, effective September this year. He will succeed George Rupp, who has led the global humanitarian relief and development organization since stepping down as president of Columbia University in 2002.?

(Logo:?http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130327/DC83911LOGO)

Over the last 15 years, Miliband has had a distinguished political career in the United Kingdom. From 2007 to 2010, he served as the youngest U.K. Foreign Secretary in three decades, driving advancements in human rights and representing the United Kingdom throughout the world. In 2006, as U.K. Secretary of State for the Environment, he spearheaded the groundbreaking Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill, establishing the world's first legally binding framework for reducing carbon emissions.

"I am deeply honored to have been appointed president of the IRC," Miliband said. "Thanks to the leadership of George Rupp, the dedication of its staff and the confidence of its donors, the IRC today is strong, effective and widely respected, and I am committed to helping the IRC team build on their great work. The IRC's mission is personal for me because my own parents were refugees who arrived in Britain in the 1940s. I look forward to honoring the memory of those who helped my parents by leading the IRC as it continues to offer help today to uprooted people around the world. I will bring to the IRC a passionate commitment to social justice and international cooperation. I am eager to listen to the stories of its diverse staff, beneficiaries, partners and funders, and adding ideas of my own, as we chart a confident future for an organization that has an inspirational past."

"David is an experienced world leader and a man of both action and character," Rupp said, "as his record as Foreign Secretary?including his work for conflict resolution in the former Yugoslavia, his leadership in calling for a political settlement in Afghanistan, and his drive for education reform in Pakistan and human rights in Sri Lanka?attests. His insights, ability and commitment will be tremendous assets. I look forward to witnessing this next exciting chapter of the IRC's incredible journey of helping the most desperate people move from harm to home."

"The IRC was looking for a proven leader with the ability to project our message, deepen our partnerships and build on our record of innovation on behalf of displaced people around the world," said Sarah O'Hagan and Thomas Schick, co-chairs of the IRC's Board of Directors. "In David Miliband we have found such a leader."

During the last decade, the IRC has responded to a wide range of humanitarian crises, including those associated with the civil war in Syria, the war in Iraq, the conflict in Darfur, the drought and famine in the Horn and East Africa and more recently the Sahel, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2008 cyclone in Myanmar and earthquakes in Pakistan, Haiti and Japan. The IRC has also carried out major development and assistance programs in Afghanistan, Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Thailand and elsewhere. In addition, the agency has helped more than 75,000 refugees begin new lives in the United States over the last decade. Founded in 1933 at the suggestion of Albert Einstein to help victims of the Nazis, the IRC today has operations in more than 40 countries. Its staff includes more than 12,000 men and women around the world, and nearly 1,300 volunteers in its 22 U.S. refugee resettlement offices. The IRC's budget is expected to exceed $440 million during the current fiscal year.?

David Miliband is currently Member of Parliament representing South Shields. He is Co-Chair of the Global Ocean Commission. Before serving as Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for the Environment, he was Minister for Communities and Local Government (2005?2006); Minister for Schools (2002?2004); and Head of Downing Street's Number 10 Policy Unit (1997?2001).

Miliband graduated from Oxford University in 1987 with a first class degree in philosophy, politics and economics, and received his master's degree in political science in 1989 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which he attended as a Kennedy Scholar. He is married to the violinist Louise Shackelton and they have two sons. His office will be located at the IRC's global headquarters in New York.

About the International Rescue Committee

A global leader in humanitarian assistance for 80 years, the International Rescue Committee works in more than 40 countries offering help and hope to refugees and others impacted by violent conflict and disaster. During crises, IRC teams provide health care, shelter, clean water, sanitation, learning programs for children and special aid for women. As emergencies subside, the IRC stays to revive livelihoods and help shattered communities recover and rebuild. Every year, the IRC also helps resettle thousands of refugees admitted into the United States, in 22 cities across the country. A tireless advocate for the most vulnerable, the IRC is committed to restoring hope, dignity and opportunity. For more information, visit http://www.rescue.org.

Forbes named the IRC as one of five "all-star" charities in its November 2012 list of the 100 largest charities. The watchdog groups Charity Navigator and CharityWatch, formerly the American Institute of Philanthropy, give the IRC their highest ratings, and it meets all standards of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.?

SOURCE International Rescue Committee

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/david-miliband-former-uk-foreign-secretary-appointed-president-070000591.html

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Watch These Classic Movie Trailers Re-Purposed for Vine

Trailer-editing professionals TOKYO experimented with Vine recently by re-editing a handful of trailers into six-second, near seizure-inducing cinematic bursts inspired by The Wolverine Vine trailer. You've never seen Aliens like this. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/N9jJYLdicb0/watch-these-classic-trailers-re+purposed-for-vine

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Study: Mo. medical claim costs could rise sharply

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/study-mo-medical-claim-costs-140302818.html

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Monday, March 25, 2013

Israel to resume money transfers to Palestinians

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) ? Israel said Monday it would resume regular monthly transfers of about $100 million in taxes and customs it collects for the Palestinian Authority, a step bound to ease but not end the protracted cash crisis of the self-rule government in the West Bank.

Israel has repeatedly halted the money transfers over political disputes, most recently after the Palestinians' successful bid in November to win U.N. recognition of a state of Palestine in lands Israel captured in 1967.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad accused Israel of withholding the funds illegally, saying the money belonged to the Palestinians. Israel has released some money since the U.N. recognition, but not on schedule.

Israel's decision came just days after President Barack Obama met separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a visit to the region. Obama said stabilizing the Palestinian Authority, which is buckling under mounting debt, is key to U.S. peace efforts.

The transfers are an important part of the budget of the Palestinian Authority, which administers 38 percent of the West Bank. In recent months, the Palestinian Authority has struggled to pay the salaries of tens of thousands of civil servants ? the backbone of the local economy ? and repay its debt to the private sector.

The financial crisis began in 2010, with donors ? mainly Arab countries ? not meeting aid pledges, Fayyad has said. In 2013, the Palestinian Authority will have an anticipated budget deficit of $1.5 billion, out of an overall spending plan of $3.5 million, Fayyad told reporters.

The Palestinian Authority has operating costs of about $300 million a month, with more than half spent on the government payroll. The Israeli transfers are critical to keeping the Palestinian Authority afloat.

Meanwhile, wide gaps remain on the terms of renewing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that broke down more than four years ago. Obama heard from both sides during his visit and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is making a new push to restart the talks.

The Palestinians say Israel must freeze settlement building in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, the lands it captured in 1967, before any negotiations can resume. Israel says the issue of settlements can be addressed during negotiations.

Obama has sided with the Israeli view, and it is not clear how the U.S. can bring the Palestinians back to the table without a settlement freeze.

Arab countries are now being asked to help, said Yasser Abed-Rabbo, a top official in the Palestine Liberation Organization.

"U.S. efforts will increase in coming weeks and will include other Arab parties, such as Jordan and Egypt," Abed-Rabbo told Voice of Palestine radio Monday, adding that an Arab League delegation is to visit Washington as part of these efforts.

However, he said there would be no flexibility on Palestinian demands for a settlement freeze.

"For us, the important thing is the substance, such as the full settlement freeze and the recognition of the 1967 borders," he said.

The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, but are ready to negotiate border changes, provided the 1967 frontier is the baseline.

Palestinian officials say they cannot return to talks without such a clear framework, arguing that open-ended negotiations will simply provide diplomatic cover to Israel to keep expanding settlements.

"We fear they (the Israelis) would waste time by getting us into a bargaining process over details and steps here and there, and in this way would waste two to three years and then get us to wait for a new U.S. administration," Abed-Rabbo said.

Netanyahu has said he is willing to resume talks immediately. However, he has said he will not relinquish control over east Jerusalem and has refused to recognize the 1967 lines as a starting point for talks.

For 10 months during his previous term, Netanyahu curbed settlement building as part of a U.S. push to bring the Palestinians back to the table, but negotiations never got off the ground.

Successive Israeli governments have built dozens of settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, now home to more than half a million Israelis. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, dismantling almost two dozen settlements there, but sharply restricts access to the territory.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-resume-money-transfers-palestinians-182208690.html

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GOP's 'no' on Medicaid becomes "Let's make a deal'

In this March 19, 2013 photo, Evelyn Craig, left, executive director of reStart Inc., and LaTonya Jenkins, a reStart client who lives at the facility, pose at the homeless shelter in Kansas City, Mo. The women are concerned that Missouri's refusal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act will harm residents of the shelter like Jenkins. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

In this March 19, 2013 photo, Evelyn Craig, left, executive director of reStart Inc., and LaTonya Jenkins, a reStart client who lives at the facility, pose at the homeless shelter in Kansas City, Mo. The women are concerned that Missouri's refusal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act will harm residents of the shelter like Jenkins. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

In this March 19, 2013 photo, LaTonya Jenkins stands outside the homeless shelter where she lives in Kansas City, Mo. Missouri's refusal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act has Jenkins and others concerned that they will lose healthcare benefits. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

(AP) ? Given the choice of whether to expand Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health care law, many Republican governors and lawmakers initially responded with an emphatic "no."

Now they are increasingly hedging their objections.

A new "no, but ..." approach is spreading among GOP states in which officials are still publicly condemning the Democratic president's Medicaid expansion yet floating alternatives that could provide health coverage to millions of low-income adults while potentially tapping into billions of federal dollars that are to start flowing in 2014.

The Medicaid health care program for poor, which is jointly funded by the federal and state governments, already covers about one in five people in the U.S. Expanding it was the way Obama envisioned covering many more low-income workers who don't have insurance. The new Republican alternatives being proposed in states generally would go part of the way, but cover fewer people than Obama's plan, guarantee less financial help or rely more on private insurers.

But so far, many of the Republican ideas are still more wistful than substantive. It's uncertain whether they will actually pass. And even if they do, there's no guarantee Obama's administration will allow states to deviate too greatly from the parameters of the Affordable Care Act while still reaping its lucrative funding. Yet a recent signal from federal officials that Arkansas might be able to use Medicaid money to buy private insurance policies has encouraged Republicans to try alternatives.

The GOP proposals could lead to another health care showdown between the White House and states, leaving millions of Americans who lack insurance waiting longer for resolution. Officials in about 30 states that are home to more than 25 million uninsured residents remain either defiant or undecided about implementing Obama's Medicaid expansion, according to an Associated Press survey.

Supporters of the Medicaid expansion have built coalitions of hospitals, businesses groups, religious leaders and advocates for the poor to try to persuade reluctant Republicans of the economic and moral merits of Obama's health care plan. But some Republicans believe the pressure ultimately will fall on Obama to accept their alternatives if he wants to avoid a patchwork system for his signature accomplishment.

"If the Obama administration is serious about innovative ways to bring down the cost of health care, it's going to cooperate with conservative ideas rather than continue down its one-size-fits-all, far-left-wing ideological path," said Missouri Rep. Jay Barnes, a Republican from Jefferson City.

A House committee led by Barnes already has defeated Obama's version of Medicaid expansion. It is to hear public testimony Monday on his "market-based Medicaid" alternative that would award health care contracts to competing private insurers and provide cash incentives to patients who hold down their health-care costs. His proposal would contain costs by covering fewer children than Medicaid now does and adding fewer adults than Obama's plan envisions.

Committees in Florida's Republican-led Legislature also have rejected a Medicaid expansion for roughly 1 million of the state's poorest residents, even though it is backed by GOP Gov. Rick Scott. Now Republican Sen. Joe Negron is pursuing an alternative that would use federal funds to provide vouchers for low-income residents to buy private policies. Negron said he still doesn't believe expanding Medicaid is the right decision, but he wants to help Florida residents get health coverage.

"We don't want to do it the Washington way. We want to do it the Florida way," Negron said.

Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich also has been in discussions with the Obama administration about providing subsidized insurance instead of full Medicaid coverage for more adults. Republican governors in Texas, Nebraska and Indiana want the federal government to award Medicaid money as block grants to states.

"It's a two-step for many of these Republican governors. When they look at the numbers they want to do it, but they want to distance themselves from Obamacare at the same time," said Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit that analyzes health care policies.

That might be fine with the Obama administration.

"There actually is quite a bit of flexibility on how they can approach this, and the federal government has indicated they want to get to 'yes' " said Joan Alker, co-executive director of Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families in Washington, D.C.

As originally enacted, the Affordable Care Act required states to expand Medicaid to adults earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, about $32,500 annually for a family of four. A Supreme Court decision last summer made the expansion optional for states but kept in place a powerful financial incentive. The federal government will fully fund the expansion for the first three years, with the states' share gradually increasing to 10 percent by 2020.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in December that getting full funding will still require a full expansion. Yet some Republicans in Missouri, South Dakota and elsewhere claim to see room for compromise.

LaTonya Jenkins, a 51-year-old laid off teacher's aide who lives in temporary housing for the homeless in Kansas City, recently enrolled in Medicaid but could lose coverage if her part-time job pushes her income over Missouri's strict eligibility limits. She recently traveled to Missouri Capitol to urge lawmakers to expand Medicaid.

"If they don't, and they cut it out, then what are we to do? We'll be lost," said a tearful Jenkins, who has diabetes and cares for her grandson. "I'll be sicker than ever and back in the hospital."

___

Associated Press writer Kelli Kennedy contributed to this report from Miami.

___

Follow David A. Lieb at: http://www.twitter.com/DavidALieb

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-03-24-Health%20Overhaul-Medicaid/id-018f6ae34d8246b2aebdb61933a8912f

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Zimbabwe court frees rights lawyer

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) ? Zimbabwe's top rights lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, released by a court after eight days in jail for allegedly obstructing justice, said Monday her arrest was a ploy to intimidate human rights activists and pro-democracy groups ahead of upcoming elections expected in July.

A visibly tired Beatrice Mtetwa walked from the High Court in Harare in the company of two colleagues and her lawyer after her release papers took several hours to complete.?

She told reporters she believed she had been targeted by police.

"It is a personal attack on all human rights lawyers but I was just made the first example. There will be many more arrests to follow as we near elections," Mtetwa said. "The police were all out to get me. They wanted me to feel their might and power because I call myself a human rights lawyer and I felt it."

Mtetwa was arrested on March 17 along with four officials from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party. The officials are accused of illegally compiling information on high level corruption and are schedule to appeal for bail on Tuesday. Mtetwa was accused of shouting at police officers who were conducting a search at Tsvangirai's staff offices when she demanded to see a search warrant.

Mtetwa and the four officials deny any wrongdoing. ?She said she merely told the police that "what they were doing is illegal, unlawful and undemocratic."

High Court Judge Joseph Musakwa ruled early Monday that Mtetwa was following professional legal procedures when she demanded to see a search warrant from police at the offices of the four officials.

"She was entitled to be appraised of the legality of the search," Musakwa said.

After her release, Mtetwa said she was not well-treated while in police custody. She wasn't allowed to take a bath and was denied access to her lawyers and family.

But she said she will not give up the fight for human rights.

"I will not be cowed," Mtetwa said. "There has to be mutual respect between police and lawyers because we will all be doing our job."

Critics have cited Mtetwa's prolonged jailing as the start of a fresh wave of political intimidation against opponents of President Robert Mugabe by loyalist police and judicial officials ahead of elections.

The European Union said in a statement Monday that European governments were "deeply concerned" by Mtetwa's arrest and the onslaught against civic groups as Zimbabwe prepares for elections to end the shaky and dispute-ridden coalition government.

The European bloc conceded that a referendum vote on March 16 on a new constitution was "credible" and reflected the free will of about 3 million voters who cast their ballots and overwhelmingly accepted the reformed constitution, EU spokesman Carl Skau said Monday.

As a result the EU suspended with immediate effect travel and banking bans on 81 leaders of Mugabe's party. But Mugabe, his wife, military, police and security chiefs and several others key loyalists remain on the ban list.

The restrictions were imposed in 2002 to protest the human rights record, violence, corruption and allegations of vote-rigging by Mugabe's party in past elections.

Regional mediators forged the coalition government between Mugabe and Tsvangirai after the disputed and violent elections in 2008.

So far this year, four rights and advocacy groups have been raided by police searching for alleged subversive materials relating to their activities campaigning for free elections and an end to political intimidation and human rights abuses that have dominated past elections.

Mtetwa had been scheduled to act as lead defense attorney in the trial, resuming Monday, of 29 supporters of Tsvangirai's party charged in the murder of a police inspector in an impoverished township suburb in western Harare.

Most of those suspects were denied bail for more than a year. Defending them, Mtetwa noted that six police officers charged in the assault and murder of a theft suspect received bail within a month of their detention. The officers are still to go to trial in that case nine months ago.

Swaziland-born Mtetwa moved to Zimbabwe in 1983. She has represented key leaders in Tsvangirai's party including its treasurer Roy Bennett, now in self-imposed exile after repeated threats. She has also defended journalists and prominent rights workers, some of whom were tortured, according to evidence in court, and held incommunicado without charge for several weeks late in 2008.

Last week police ignored an earlier High Court order to free Mtetwa and on Wednesday the lower Harare magistrate's court ordered her held in custody to reappear in that court on April 3.

Charges of obstructing justice carry a maximum of two years imprisonment.

The judge said Mtetwa should not have been denied bail because of her "professional standing." He said the police officers conducting the search could have "easily subdued her because she is a woman" if they felt she was hindering them from doing their job.

"She is a lawyer of many years, with a forceful, combative and at times aggressive personality but she remains professional and dignified" when doing her job, the judge said.

Mtetwa is a recipient of an array of awards from international jurists' groups including the American Bar Association over a distinguished career of three decades.

Mtetwa is known for her feisty and outspoken style and for quickly responding to calls for representation around the clock by activists and journalists held by police.

Media freedom groups said her detention, the first time she has been jailed, left independent reporters and rights campaigners fearful of being left without her voice.

The state's Sunday Mail newspaper criticized Mtetwa for thinking she was "untouchable" and said her "stage-managed antics in and outside the courts" earned her "dubious awards" from African and international lawyers groups.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/zimbabwe-court-frees-rights-lawyer-173536426.html

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Saturday, March 23, 2013

HTC One SV (Boost Mobile)


Some Boost Mobile users got a taste of 4G last year, when the carrier gained access to Sprint's abandoned '4G' WiMAX network. But now Boost has access to Sprint's speedy, shiny new 4G LTE network, which blows WiMAX away. It's still not available in most markets, but you should go for LTE if you're interested in a faster online experience in the future. Right now, the $299.99 HTC One SV is your best bet. It's a little pricey, but 4G LTE support, along with plenty of power and a high-quality, stylish design, make it our new Editors' Choice for smartphones?on Boost.

Design, Network, Plans, and Call Quality
The HTC One SV is the nicest looking phone on Boost, hands down. Sure, the flaming orangey-red color probably isn't to everyone's taste, but it's certainly eye-catching. The phone has a black, glass front panel, with red buttons and red detail on the earpiece speaker grille. There's a metallic-looking band around the slanted edge of the phone, separating the front from the polycarbonate back. At 5.04 by 2.63 by 0.63 inches (HWD) and 4.3 ounces, the phone will fit into most hand sizes like a glove.

The 4.3-inch, 800-by-480 Super LCD2 isn't the highest-resolution display available on Boost (that would be the 4 inch, 960-by-540-pixel panel on HTC's EVO Design 4G). But it gets super bright, and has excellent viewing angles, which make it great for multimedia. The three haptic feedback-enabled touch buttons below the display are responsive, and typing felt fine on the on-screen, Swype-enabled keyboard.

Boost uses Sprint's network, and the One SV is just one of two phones to feature 4G LTE support?if you can get it, that is. It's only available in a limited number of cities right now, so chances are you'll be stuck with significantly slower speeds until it comes to your town. In last year's?Fastest Mobile Networks?tests we found Sprint's 3G network to be the slowest of the nationwide networks. We got a chance to?test Sprint's 4G LTE network?and found it to be a vast improvement.

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That said, if you fall into the limited LTE coverage zone, Boost offers some incredible deals. Monthly plans cost $55 per month, and get you unlimited talk, texts, and data. There is a slight catch on that unlimited data: After 2.5GB of full-speed data usage per month, your speeds will be throttled significantly until the end of your billing cycle. But your monthly payment reduces by $5 after every six months you pay your bill on time, until you reach $40 per month. $40 per month for unlimited everything is about as cheap as you can get.

Sprint LTE is limited in New York City, where we tested the One SV, so all of our tests were conducted over 3G. Call quality is average. Calls made with the phone sound clear and natural, with good noise cancellation. But earpiece volume is rather low, which made it difficult to hear calls I took outside. The speakerphone sounds loud enough to hear in the car, but not if you're driving with the radio on and the windows open. I had no trouble connecting to a Jawbone Era Bluetooth headset? and standard Android voice dialing worked fine. Battery life was good at 9 hours and 1 minute of talk time over 3G.

Android and Apps
The One SV is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm S4 processor. That's not as fast as the 1.5GHz dual-core chip in the Boost Force, though both phones turned in similar benchmark scores, and both perform admirably in day-to-day use. That makes the One SV one of the fastest phones on Boost. Combine that with 4G LTE or Wi-Fi and you should be very satisfied with the phone's performance.

(Next page: Multimedia, Camera, and Conclusions)

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/2uG2sUIOlOk/0,2817,2416828,00.asp

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Road traffic pollution as serious as passive smoke in the development of childhood asthma

Mar. 21, 2013 ? New research conducted in 10 European cities has estimated that 14% of chronic childhood asthma is due to exposure to traffic pollution near busy roads.

The results are comparable to the burden associated with passive smoking: the World Health Organization estimates that between 4% and 18% of asthma cases in children are linked to passive smoking.

The findings, published online today (22 March 2013) ahead of print in the European Respiratory Journal, come as the European Commission has declared 2013 the 'Year of Air', which highlights the importance of clean air for all and focuses on actions to improve air quality across the EU.

Until now, traffic pollution was assumed to only trigger asthma symptoms and burden estimations did not account for chronic asthma caused by the specific range of toxicants that are found near heavily used roads along which many Europeans live.

The researchers used a method known as population-attributable fractions to assess the impact of near-road traffic pollution. This calculates the proportional reduction in disease or death that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to a lower level.

The new research used data from existing epidemiological studies which found that children exposed to higher levels of near-road traffic-related pollution also had higher rates of asthma, even when taking into account a range of other relevant factors such as passive smoking or socioeconomic factors.

The researchers aimed to take these findings further and estimate how many asthma cases could be avoided if exposure was removed.

The results found that 14% of asthma cases across the 10 cities could be attributed to near-road traffic pollution. The findings also take into account differences in the health of the overall population in different cities.

Lead author, Dr Laura Perez at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, said: "Air pollution has previously been seen to trigger symptoms but this is the first time we have estimated the percentage of cases that might not have occurred if Europeans had not been exposed to road traffic pollution. In light of all the existing epidemiological studies showing that road-traffic contributes to the onset of the disease in children, we must consider these results to improve policy making and urban planning."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by European Lung Foundation, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Authors: Laura Perez, Christophe Declercq, Carmen I?iguez, Inmaculada Aguilera, Chiara Badaloni, Ferran Ballester, Catherine Bouland, Olivier Chanel, FB Cirarda, Francesco Forastiere, Bertil Forsberg, Daniela Haluza, Britta Hedlund, Koldo Cambra, Marina Lacasa?a, Hanns Moshammer, Peter Otorepec, Miguel Rodr?guez-Barranco, Sylvia Medina, Nino K?nzli. Chronic burden of near-roadway traffic pollution in 10 European cities (APHEKOM network). European Respiratory Journal, 22 March 2013 DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00031112

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/Bq0MsIQBNvY/130321205530.htm

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Friday, March 22, 2013

Withings Smart Body Analyzer Now Available For $149.95, Here's How It Performs

WS-50-front-lb-appWithings has built quite a name for itself since launching its first Wi-Fi Body Scale in 2009, and the new?Withings?Smart Body Scale is perhaps the biggest update yet released for its original connected scale tech. The new hardware monitors and tracks not only weight, but also body fat percentage, blood pressure and environmental air quality. I tested the Smart Body Analyzer over the course of the past week, so if you’re looking to invest in one of the newly available scales, here’s how it performs. The Withings Smart Body Analyser (or WS-50, as it’s known more technically) is a very attractive piece of hardware as far as scales go, which is good because Withings wants you to keep it in the bedroom for maximum effectiveness. That’s because of the new air quality monitor, which works best when it’s placed somewhere where you actually spend a lot of time. The air quality meter, combined with the body fat and heart rate measurement are the big selling points here, since they provide the reasons to spend $50 more vs. the standard WS-30 Withings wireless scale. As mentioned, it’s a good looking scale. It’s glass-topped, which is also necessary for the sensors to connect with your bare feet to deliver accurate readings. But it also feels very solidly constructed, and the readout is legible and bright, opting for low-res output that’s probably easier on battery life (the scale should get a full year on just four AAA alkalines) and on the eyes from the distance you’ll be viewing it at when standing. The bottom line is that the Withings Smart Body Analyzer inspires confidence with its construction, and looks like the type of scale Apple might make were it to produce such a gadget. The Smart Analyzer is pretty simple to set up. There’s a button on the back (actually more like a pressure sensitive groove) and you hold that down to pair it with your smart phone. A second button controls what units your weight is displayed in on the scale itself (settings within an app control readouts there). The pairing process went smoothly for me on an iPhone 5, and I was then able to transfer Wi-Fi network settings for my home network from the phone, meaning I didn’t have to reenter (or even remember) my complicated password. The pairing process will also prompt you to install the Withings Health Mate

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/alGa2y0sGfc/

Google Continues To Expand Its Google+ Platform Team

google_developers_logoIt looks like Google is ready to expand the Google+ platform and is looking for engineers to help it do so. According to a new posting on the Google+ developer account, the Google+ Platform Team is looking for a few good engineers to help “make Google more collaborative and relevant to users.” A while back, we heard rumors about a hiring freeze at Google+ (and that the company wasn’t making any Google+-specific acquisitions, either), but we were never able to really confirm this. Maybe this hiring freeze is now over, maybe it never happened (or maybe some people left the Google+ team and now need to be replaced), but it sure looks like Google is starting to put more resources into the Google+ platform. The job descriptions are sadly very generic, so it’s not clear if there are any specific areas the team wants to focus on. Most recently, Google introduced the new Google+ sign-in buttons that combine the usual Google sign-in experience on third-party sites with some Google+ features, including a new sharing experience on Google+, as well as over-the-air-installs for Android apps. For the most part, however, the Google+ platform has focused more on Hangout apps than anything else, especially given that the Google+ API is still relatively limited. Here is the full announcement: The Google+ platform team is hiring! Come help us connect Google users to the rest of their world. The challenges are substantial, but the opportunity to make Google more collaborative and relevant to users wherever they are is enormous. The work is challenging, fast paced and always changing. Strong analytical skills, unwavering commitment to quality, collaborative work ethic, and cutting edge coding skills are all required. If you’re interested, you can learn more about the positions we’re looking to fill here: Software Engineer – Mountain View: http://goo.gl/HOvCo Front End Software Engineer – Mountain View: http://goo.gl/nuw9O Software Engineer, Mobile Applications (Android / iOS) – Mountain View:http://goo.gl/lYu6O

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ZXB_Rt3fKIs/

Thursday, March 21, 2013

What Caesars' debt buys - Online Gambling News

March 19, 2013

caesars-loveman-debt-fiddle-burnCasino operator Caesars Entertainment has been fined $225k by New Jersey gaming regulators for allowing a high-roller to sexually accost staff and take illegal drugs while gambling at Caesars? casinos in Nevada. Though the incidents occurred well beyond New Jersey?s borders, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) has previously put its foot down over MGM Resorts? doings in Macau, so this is no great jurisdictional leap. On Monday, the DGE announced that Caesars? ?failure to exercise discretion and sound judgment? could tarnish the reputation of the entire casino industry.

The gambler in question was Terrance Watanabe, a Nebraska businessman who ran up a $127m tab during an epic spree at Caesars Palace and the Rio Casino in Las Vegas in 2007. After paying up all but the last $14.7m, Watanabe sued Caesars/Harrah?s, claiming the casino had plied him with prescription painkillers and alcohol. Caesars denied it had supplied pills to anyone and the two parties eventually settled out of court in July 2010.

The DGE ruled that Caesars had failed to protect staff from Watanabe?s ?inappropriate sexual conduct,? thereby falling afoul of its own sexual harassment policy. An internal report prepared for Caesars by an outside investigating agency said Caesars? senior management had also failed to respond appropriately after more than a dozen people reported that Watanabe was doing illegal drugs ? including marijuana and cocaine ? on the property.

The $225k settlement, which was reached March 7, says Caesars agreed to pay ?in recognition of the seriousness? of its slipshod approach. The timing is highly ironic, given Caesars is currently leading a sock-puppet campaign to bar PokerStars from New Jersey?s fledgling online gambling market. The Caesars-backed American Gaming Association told the DGE that if a ?criminal enterprise? like Stars were given a New Jersey license, ?the integrity of the gaming industry would be gravely compromised.? Pot, have you met kettle?

Adding further irony, Caesars? stock had briefly hit an all-time high of $18.36 on Monday before closing the day up 3.7% at $17.50. Regardless, it?s significantly above the $9 price at its early investor bailout, er, initial public offering a year ago. The stock was just $7.40 at the start of the year but recent legislative progress has attracted speculators who have swallowed Caesars? overconfident projections about its performance in a US online gambling market. (At last count, the stock was down nearly 2% on Tuesday.)

There?s little argument over Caesars debt. Caesars is the gaming industry?s unchallenged debt holder and ? like CEO Gary Loveman?s waistline ? it?s growing every quarter. Most of us have a hard time conceiving numbers in the billions, so we hope the infographic below paints a more vivid picture.

Caesars-entertainment-debt-things-you-could-buy-2

Source: http://calvinayre.com/2013/03/19/casino/caesars-fined-225k-over-watanabe-case/

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

More career options may explain why fewer women pursue jobs in science and math

More career options may explain why fewer women pursue jobs in science and math [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 19-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Anna Mikulak
amikulak@psychologicalscience.org
202-293-9300
Association for Psychological Science

Women may be less likely to pursue careers in science and math because they have more career choices, not because they have less ability, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Although the gender gap in mathematics has narrowed in recent decades, with more females enrolling and performing well in math classes, females are still less likely to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) than their male peers.

Researchers tend to agree that differences in math ability can't account for the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields. So what does?

Developmental psychologist Ming-Te Wang and his colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Michigan wondered whether differences in overall patterns of math and verbal ability might play a role.

The researchers examined data from 1490 college-bound US students drawn from a national longitudinal study. The students were surveyed in 12th grade and again when they were 33 years old. The survey included data on several factors, including participants' SAT scores, various aspects of their motivational beliefs and values, and their occupations at age 33.

Looking at students who showed high math abilities, Wang and colleagues found that those students who also had high verbal abilities a group that contained more women than men were less likely to have chosen a STEM occupation than those who had moderate verbal abilities.

Further analyses suggest that gender differences in career choice could be explained, at least in part, by differences in students' combinations of abilities.

According to Wang, this study identifies a critical link in the debate about the dearth of women in STEM fields.

"Our study shows that it's not lack of ability or differences in ability that orients females to pursue non-STEM careers, it's the greater likelihood that females with high math ability also have high verbal ability," notes Wang. "Because they're good at both, they can consider a wide range of occupations."

Notably, those participants who reported feeling more able and successful at math were more likely to end up in a STEM-related job, and this was particularly true for students who had high math and moderate verbal abilities. Thus, math may play a more integral role in these individuals' sense of identity, drawing them toward STEM occupations.

Considerable funds have been put into designing and testing a wide variety of intervention programs to increase female participation in math-intensive careers.

According to Wang, these new findings suggest that "educators and policy makers may consider shifting the focus from trying to strengthen girls' STEM-related abilities to trying to tap the potential of these girls who are equally skilled in both math and verbal domains."

In addition to Wang, co-authors include Jacquelynne Eccles and Sarah Kenny of the University of Michigan.

###

For more information about this study, please contact: Ming-Te Wang at mtwang@pitt.edu.

The APS journal Psychological Science is the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology. For a copy of the article "Not Lack of Ability but More Choice: Individual and Gender Differences in Choice of Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics" and access to other Psychological Science research findings, please contact Anna Mikulak at 202-293-9300 or amikulak@psychologicalscience.org.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


More career options may explain why fewer women pursue jobs in science and math [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 19-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Anna Mikulak
amikulak@psychologicalscience.org
202-293-9300
Association for Psychological Science

Women may be less likely to pursue careers in science and math because they have more career choices, not because they have less ability, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Although the gender gap in mathematics has narrowed in recent decades, with more females enrolling and performing well in math classes, females are still less likely to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) than their male peers.

Researchers tend to agree that differences in math ability can't account for the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields. So what does?

Developmental psychologist Ming-Te Wang and his colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Michigan wondered whether differences in overall patterns of math and verbal ability might play a role.

The researchers examined data from 1490 college-bound US students drawn from a national longitudinal study. The students were surveyed in 12th grade and again when they were 33 years old. The survey included data on several factors, including participants' SAT scores, various aspects of their motivational beliefs and values, and their occupations at age 33.

Looking at students who showed high math abilities, Wang and colleagues found that those students who also had high verbal abilities a group that contained more women than men were less likely to have chosen a STEM occupation than those who had moderate verbal abilities.

Further analyses suggest that gender differences in career choice could be explained, at least in part, by differences in students' combinations of abilities.

According to Wang, this study identifies a critical link in the debate about the dearth of women in STEM fields.

"Our study shows that it's not lack of ability or differences in ability that orients females to pursue non-STEM careers, it's the greater likelihood that females with high math ability also have high verbal ability," notes Wang. "Because they're good at both, they can consider a wide range of occupations."

Notably, those participants who reported feeling more able and successful at math were more likely to end up in a STEM-related job, and this was particularly true for students who had high math and moderate verbal abilities. Thus, math may play a more integral role in these individuals' sense of identity, drawing them toward STEM occupations.

Considerable funds have been put into designing and testing a wide variety of intervention programs to increase female participation in math-intensive careers.

According to Wang, these new findings suggest that "educators and policy makers may consider shifting the focus from trying to strengthen girls' STEM-related abilities to trying to tap the potential of these girls who are equally skilled in both math and verbal domains."

In addition to Wang, co-authors include Jacquelynne Eccles and Sarah Kenny of the University of Michigan.

###

For more information about this study, please contact: Ming-Te Wang at mtwang@pitt.edu.

The APS journal Psychological Science is the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology. For a copy of the article "Not Lack of Ability but More Choice: Individual and Gender Differences in Choice of Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics" and access to other Psychological Science research findings, please contact Anna Mikulak at 202-293-9300 or amikulak@psychologicalscience.org.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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/2013-03/afps-mco031913.php

Buyer wants Twinkies back on shelves by summer

NEW YORK -- A bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of Twinkies to a pair of investment firms, one of which has said it hopes to have the cakes back on shelves by summer.

Hostess Brands Inc. is selling Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos and other brands to Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co. for $410 million. Evan Metropoulos, a principal of the latter firm, said in an interview that he wants to have the snack cakes back on shelves by June and that the brands could benefit from new flavors and other product extensions.

"There's no mistake, we've got to move smartly, we've got to move quickly," Metropoulos said.

He also said that comedians Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis are at the top of his "wish list" for potential pitchmen. But he doesn't plan on formally approaching anyone about marketing deals until after the sale closes in coming weeks.

Metropoulos, which owns Pabst beer, has already used Ferrell in its ads. Apollo's investments include the fast-food chains Hardee's and Carl's Jr., which is known for indulgent burgers and splashy ads starring scantily clad women.

Judge Robert Drain of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York also approved the sale of Wonder bread to Flowers Foods, which makes Tastykakes and other breads. Flowers, based in Thomasville, Ga., would also get Nature's Pride, Butternut, Home Pride and Merita as part of the $360 deal.

Hostess has said the Justice Department is reviewing that sale.

The sale of Beefsteak to Grupo Bimbo was also approved. Grupo Bimbo makes Entenmann's cakes and Thomas' English muffins and is paying $31.9 million for the regional bread brand.

A separate hearing is scheduled for April 9 to approve the sale of Drake's cakes, which include Devil Dogs and Yodels. Hostess picked McKee Foods, the maker of Little Debbie snack cakes, as the buyer for those brands at $27.5 million.

Taken together, a Hostess spokesman said 29 of the bankrupt company's 36 bakeries were sold as part of the transactions. It will be up to the new owners whether to hire back the thousands of workers who lost their jobs when the company went out of business.

Mark Semer, a spokesman for Metropoulos, said the firms would hire "the most qualified employees for each of our facilities, and this certainly includes many excellent, former Hostess workers."

The bakers union for Hostess, which had previously objected to the sales, said in a statement that it shared the enthusiasm exhibited by the new owners to bring Hostess brands back to shelves quickly.

The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union said it believed "our highly-motivated and skilled workforce will serve as indispensable partners in the seamless re-opening of factories."

Hostess closed its factories in late November following a strike by the union. The company had been struggling financially for years.

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/buyer-hopes-have-twinkies-back-shelves-summer-1C8954050

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