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Saturday, March 30, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
Galaxy S4 preorders start at US Cellular on April 16
Looks like April 16 is starting to be the day for Samsung Galaxy S4 presales. AT&T's opening up that day, and now US Cellular is throwing its hat into the ring, too.
No word yet on what the phone will cost -- we're told it'll be announced on April 16 -- nor do we know what storage options USCC will offer.
More: US Cellular
Also: Samsung Galaxy S4 Forums | Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/-90aI0rtLoU/story01.htm
Google posts Android 4.2.x factory images for Sprint and Verizon Galaxy Nexus models
Many would call the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus the only true Nexus of its era. Still, Google is willing to treat the CDMA versions as equals, and it just posted factory images with the latest available Jelly Bean builds for those devices. Anyone with a Verizon model can now flash with Android 4.2.2 if their existing OS install ever goes awry; Sprint users aren't quite on an equal plane, but do get a 4.2.1 image to work from. Relevant driver binaries are also available. Whether you're a custom ROM creator looking for a starting point or just want a fallback for any risky experiments, the relevant source links should have what you need.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Google, Verizon, Sprint
Via: Droid-Life
Source: Google Developers (1), (2)
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/28/google-posts-android-4-2-x-images-for-sprint-and-verizon-gnex/
Watch These Classic Movie Trailers Re-Purposed for Vine
Scooter ads face scrutiny from gov't., doctors
This undated screenshot shows a frame grab from a Hoveround commercial. Members of Congress say the ads by The Scooter Store and Hoveround have lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary spending by Medicare, which is only supposed to pay for scooters when seniors are unable to use a cane, walker or regular wheelchair. Government inspectors say up to 80 percent of the scooters and power wheelchairs Medicare buys go to people who don't meet the requirements. And doctors say more than money is at stake: Seniors who use scooters unnecessarily can become sedentary, which can exacerbate obesity and other disorders.(AP Photo/Hoveround)
This undated screenshot shows a frame grab from a Hoveround commercial. Members of Congress say the ads by The Scooter Store and Hoveround have lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary spending by Medicare, which is only supposed to pay for scooters when seniors are unable to use a cane, walker or regular wheelchair. Government inspectors say up to 80 percent of the scooters and power wheelchairs Medicare buys go to people who don't meet the requirements. And doctors say more than money is at stake: Seniors who use scooters unnecessarily can become sedentary, which can exacerbate obesity and other disorders.(AP Photo/Hoveround)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? TV ads show smiling seniors enjoying an "active" lifestyle on a motorized scooter, taking in the sights at the Grand Canyon, fishing on a pier and high-fiving their grandchildren at a baseball game.
The commercials, which promise freedom and independence to people with limited mobility, have driven the nearly $1 billion U.S. market for power wheelchairs and scooters. But the spots by the industry's two leading companies, The Scooter Store and Hoveround, also have drawn scrutiny from critics who say they convince some seniors that they need a scooter to get around when many don't.
Members of Congress say the ads lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary spending by Medicare, which is only supposed to pay for scooters as a medical necessity when seniors are unable to use a cane, walker or regular wheelchair. Government inspectors say up to 80 percent of the scooters and power wheelchairs Medicare buys go to people who don't meet the requirements. And doctors say more than money is at stake: Seniors who use scooters unnecessarily can become sedentary, which can exacerbate obesity and other disorders.
"Patients have been brainwashed by The Scooter Store," says Dr. Barbara Messinger-Rapport, director of geriatric medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. "What they're implying is that you can use these scooters to leave the house, to socialize, to get to bingo."
The scooter controversy, which has escalated with a raid by federal authorities on The Scooter's Store's New Braunfels, Texas, headquarters last month, underscores the influence TV ads can have on medical decisions. Like their peers in the drug industry, scooter companies say direct-to-consumer advertising educates patients about their medical options. But critics argue that the scooter spots are little more than sales pitches that cause patients to pressure doctors to prescribe unnecessary equipment.
The Scooter Store and Hoveround, both privately held companies that together make up about 70 percent of the U.S. market for scooters, spent more than $180 million on TV, radio and print advertising in 2011, up 20 percent from 2008, according to advertising tracker Kantar Media. Their ads often include language that the scooters can be paid for by Medicare or other insurance: "Nine out of ten people got them for little or no cost," states one Hoveround ad.
Hoveround did not respond to a half-dozen requests for comment. The Scooter Store, the nation's biggest seller of scooters, said that most people who contact the company after seeing the ads do not ultimately receive a scooter.
"The fact that 87 percent of the persons who seek power mobility products from The Scooter Store under their Medicare benefits are disqualified by the company's screening process is powerful evidence of the company's commitment to ensuring that only legitimate claims are submitted to Medicare," the company said in a statement. The Scooter Store has been operating with a streamlined staff in recent days, following massive layoffs in the wake of the raid by federal agents.
Insurance executives say doctors who don't understand when Medicare is supposed to pay for scooters are partly to blame for unnecessary purchases.
Scooters ? which are larger than power wheelchairs and often include a handlebar for steering ? are covered by Medicare if they are prescribed by a doctor who has completed an evaluation showing that a patient is unable to function at home without a device.
The doctor fills out a lengthy prescription form and sends it to a scooter supplier that delivers the device to the patient and then submits the paperwork to Medicare for payment. Medicare pays about 80 percent of that cost, which can range from $1,500 to $3,500. The remainder is often picked up by supplemental insurance or the government-funded Medicaid program for low-income and disabled Americans.
The process can help immobile seniors get equipment that improves their lives. Ernest Tornabell of Boynton Beach, Fla., received a scooter from Pride, a smaller manufacturer, through Medicare about six years ago. Tornabell, 73, suffers from obesity, diabetes and lung disease and says he used to never leave his house. Now, using the scooter he can walk his dog, go to the grocery store and run other errands.
"I couldn't really get out and do anything before. Now I have a lot more mobility," said Tornabell, whose doctor recommended that he get the device.
But Dr. Stephen Peake, medical director for the insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield in Tennessee, says doctors can often be as uninformed about the appropriate role of scooters as patients.
"I talk to a lot of physicians about this subject ... and after our discussions, they don't understand that you can't get a power mobility device so mom can go to the park with the family," Peake said in testimony before the Senate Committee on Aging last year.
One reason for the confusion? Doctors say scooter companies are just as aggressive with health professionals as they are in marketing to their patients.
Dr. Jerome Epplin of Litchfield, Ill., who also testified before the Senate, estimates that only about one of every 10 patients who ask him for a scooter actually needs one. But he said that sales representatives from some scooter companies put pressure on him by accompanying patients to his office. The effect is coercive, he says.
"It can be intimidating," Epplin says. "I see it as an inappropriate attempt to influence my clinical judgment when I'm evaluating a patient."
Allegations of Medicare fraud within the industry go back nearly a decade.
In 2005, the U.S. Justice Department sued The Scooter Store, alleging that its advertising enticed seniors to obtain power scooters paid for by Medicare, and the company then sold patients more expensive scooters that they did not want or need. The Scooter Store settled that case in 2007 for $4 million.
As part of the settlement, The Scooter Store was operating under an agreement that made the company subject to periodic government reviews between 2007 and last year. In 2011, the latest review available, government auditors estimated that The Scooter Store received between $47 million and $88 million in improper payments for scooters.
The Scooter Store took no action to repay the money until February 2012, when the Health and Human Services' inspector general threatened to bar the company from doing business with Medicare, which accounts for about 75 percent of its revenue, according to its congressional testimony.
The company said the government's estimate was flawed and that it was willing to repay $19.5 million in overpayments. The company has paid about $5.7 million. The rest is scheduled for repayment by 2017.
Medicare said in a January letter that it accepted the fee based on The Scooter Store's own assessment of what it owed, but that the agreement "does not absolve The Scooter Store from any further liability."
In recent months, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and other members of the Senate Aging Committee have pushed Medicare to recover the millions of dollars spent on unnecessary scooters each year. Those purchases totaled about $500 million in 2011, the latest year available, according to a report by the Department of Health and Human Services' inspector general.
Medicare, which says that it does not have control over how companies market the scooters, launched a pilot program designed to reduce wasteful spending on scooters.
Under the program, government contractors in seven states review patients' medical documentation to make sure they need a wheelchair or scooter before approving payments for a device. The program is being tested in a small number of states ? including Florida, California and New York ? because the government must pay contractors extra to review additional paperwork.
The program has been criticized by The Scooter Store's executives, who say that contractors are too strict in their reviews, rejecting payments for power chairs that are genuinely needed.
The reduced payments are hurting the company, which was founded in 1991. The Scooter Store has spent nearly $1 million lobbying Congress over the last two years, almost exclusively focused on the Medicare review program. And the company laid off about 370 employees in the past year, blaming the reduced payments it's been getting from Medicare.
Then, last week, The Scooter Store notified most of its remaining 1,800 employees that their jobs were being eliminated. The company said in a statement to the Associated Press that it is operating with a workforce of 300 employees ? down from the 2,500 workforce it had at its peak ? while trying to restructure its operations.
The mass layoffs followed a raid in February by about 150 agents from the FBI, the Department of Justice and the Texas attorney general's Medicaid fraud unit. Authorities searched the company's headquarters.
Federal authorities have declined to speak about the raid, but scooter industry critics in Congress praised the action.
"This raid is a welcome step toward cracking down on waste and fraud in Medicare," said Blumenthal, the Connecticut senator. "I have urged action to stop abusive overpayments for such devices ? costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and preying on seniors with deceptive sales pitches."
____
AP writer Juan Lozano contributed to this report from Houston.
Associated PressCommunication with Mars to go silent for a month
From the Earth's perspective, Mars will be disappearing behind the sun for a month, meaning that NASA's robotic Mars explorers will be on their own. ?
This diagram illustrates the positions of Mars, Earth, and the sun during a period that occurs approximately every 26 months, when Mars passes almost directly behind the sun from Earth's perspective. This arrangement, and the period during which it occurs, is called Mars solar conjunction.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
EnlargeAn unfavorable planetary alignment will force NASA's fleet of robotic Mars explorers to be a lot more self-sufficient next month.
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Mission controllers won't send any commands to the agency's various?Mars?spacecraft?for much of April, because the sun will lie between Earth and the Red Planet during that time. Our star can disrupt and degrade interplanetary communications in such an alignment, which is known as a Mars solar conjunction, so spacecraft handlers won't take any chances.
"Receiving a partial command could confuse the spacecraft, putting them in grave danger," NASA officials explain in a video posted Tuesday (March 19) by the agency's?Jet Propulsion Laboratory?(JPL) in Pasadena, Calif.
Transmissions from Earth to the?Mars rover Curiosity?are slated to be suspended from April 4 to May 1, officials said. No commands will be sent to Curiosity's older rover cousin Opportunity or NASA's Mars-orbiting craft ? Mars Odyssey and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) ? from April 9 to April 26.
Both rovers will continue to do stationary science work throughout the conjunction period, relying on commands sent up to them beforehand. [How NASA Deals with a Mars Solar Conjunction (Video)]
"We are doing extra science planning work this month to develop almost three weeks of activity sequences for Opportunity to execute throughout conjunction," Opportunity mission manager Alfonso Herrera of JPL said in a statement.
MRO and Mars Odyssey will continue science observations as well, though on a more limited basis. The orbiters will also continue their role as rover communication links, receiving data from Opportunity and Curiosity.
Odyssey will send information ? its own observations and the rovers' data ? Earthward throughout the conjunction period, though the mission team anticipates some dropouts, so Odyssey will send the data again later as needed.
MRO will take a different tack, storing everything from April 4 until after conjunction. The spacecraft's operators estimate it will have about 52 gigabits of data onboard when it's cleared to transmit to Earth again on May 1.
Mars solar conjunctions occur every 26 months, so all of the spacecraft have dealt with them except Curiosity, which landed on the Red Planet last August. Opportunity has been through five conjunctions since arriving on Mars in January 2004, but Odyssey is even more experienced.
"This is our sixth conjunction for Odyssey," Chris Potts of JPL said in a statement. Potts is mission manager for Odyssey, which has been orbiting Mars since 2001. "We have plenty of useful experience dealing with them, though each conjunction is a little different."
Follow Mike Wall on Twitter?@michaeldwall.?Follow us?@Spacedotcom,?Facebook?or?Google+. Originally published on?SPACE.com.
Copyright 2013?SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
US-Russian crew blasts off for space station
The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz TMA-08M space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Friday, March 29, 2013. The Russian rocket carries Russian cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin, Pavel Vinogradov and U.S. astronaut Christopher Cassidy. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz TMA-08M space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Friday, March 29, 2013. The Russian rocket carries Russian cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin, Pavel Vinogradov and U.S. astronaut Christopher Cassidy. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
Russian Cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin, right, Pavel Vinogradov, center, and U.S. astronaut Christopher Cassidy, crew members of the mission to the International Space Station, ISS, walk prior the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, Pool)
The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz TMA-08M space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station (ISS), blasts off at the Russian leased Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Friday, March 29, 2013. The Russian rocket carries Russian cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin, Pavel Vinogradov and U.S. astronaut Christopher Cassidy (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
Russian Cosmonauts Alexander Misurkin, right, and U.S. astronaut Christopher Cassidy, crew members of the mission to the International Space Station, ISS, wave prior the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, Pool)
In this picture taken through a safety glass, Russian cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov, crew member of the mission to the International Space Station (ISS), is seen during inspection of his space suit prior the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Thursday, March 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Ramil Sitdikov, Pool)
BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (AP) ? A Russian spacecraft carrying a three-man crew blasted off Friday from a launch pad in the steppes of Kazakhstan, for the first time taking a shorter path to the International Space Station.
Instead of the two-day approach maneuver used by Soyuz spacecraft in the past, this journey to the station would take NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russians Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin just under six hours.
The Soyuz TMA-08M lifted off on time from the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome at 2:43 a.m. Friday (2043 GMT; 4:43 p.m. EDT Thursday). It's set to dock at the space outpost at 10:32 p.m. EDT Thursday (0232 GMT Friday).
The trio are "on a fast track to the International Space Station," NASA spokesman Josh Byerly said, adding minutes after the launch that all was going well and the spacecraft went into orbit without any problems.
The new maneuver has been tested successfully by three Russian Progress cargo ships, an unmanned version of the Soyuz used to ferry supplies to the space station.
Vinogradov joked at a pre-launch news conference at Baikonur that the journey to the station would be so quick that it could allow the crew to even carry ice cream as a present to the three men currently manning the orbiting outpost.
"It wouldn't melt in such a short time," he said.
On a more serious note, Vinogradov added that the shorter flight path would reduce the crew's fatigue and allow astronauts to be in top shape for the docking. He said that it takes about five hours for the human body to start feeling the impact of zero gravity, so the quicker flight would allow the crew to more easily adapt to weightlessness in much roomier space station interiors.
The downside of the accelerated rendezvous is that the crew will have to stay in their spacesuits, which they don hours before the launch, through the entire approach maneuver.
Other Russian cosmonauts in the past have described the two-day approach maneuver in the cramped Soyuz as one of the most grueling parts of missions to the orbiting station. The spheroid orbiting capsule allows the crew to take off their bulky spacesuits, change into more comfortable clothes and use a toilet, but its interior is extremely confined.
The ship's spartan layout lacks adequate heating and fails to provide an opportunity for the crew to get hot food. It contrasts sharply with the spacious U.S. space shuttle, whose retirement has left Soyuz as the only means to deliver crews to the space outpost.
Russian space officials said the longer approach was necessary at a time when the station was in a lower orbit required for the shuttle flights. After they ended, it was raised from 350 kilometers (217 miles) to 400 kilometers (249 miles), making a quicker rendezvous possible.
NASA is working on the development of its new generation Orion spacecraft. Orion's first trip is an unmanned mission in 2017, and the first manned mission is set for 2021.
___
Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
Associated PressScience Explains the Best Way to Get Songs Out of Your Head
Some songs just get stuck in your head, whether you like them or not. However, a recent study claims to have found the key to kicking that Taylor Swift tune out of your head: puzzles.
The sticky songs we call earworms engage what psychologists call the Zeigarnik Effect: our tendency to experience intrusive thoughts about things we start and don't finish. A song's catchy hook or chorus is particularly prone to intrude your thoughts if you don't know the next verse, leaving them unfinished in your mind. So, to excise that tune, finish something simple:
"The key is to find something that will give the right level of challenge," said Dr Ira Hyman, a music psychologist at Western Washington University who conducted the research. "If you are cognitively engaged, it limits the ability of intrusive songs to enter your head.
"Something we can do automatically like driving or walking means you are not using all of your cognitive resource, so there is plenty of space left for that internal jukebox to start playing.
Likewise, if you are trying something too hard, then your brain will not be engaged successfully, so that music can come back. You need to find that bit in the middle where there is not much space left in the brain. That will be different for each individual."
Don't have a quick crossword or anagram readily available? Check out our other tips for ditching that earworm, and read the full study over at Wiley Online. Or just give in and put that jam on repeat.
Get that tune out of your head - scientists find how to get rid of earworms | The Telegraph via The Atlantic
Photo by Joe Loong.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Stumbles of S. Korean leader distract month into job
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? South Korean President Park Geun-hye's honeymoon was over before it even began.
Only a month on the job, Park has stumbled repeatedly in the face of bitter opposition to policy proposals and her choices for top government posts.
Half a dozen Cabinet appointees have quit under clouds. The latest is Han Man-soo, who withdrew his nomination for antitrust chief Monday amid allegations he stashed millions of dollars overseas to avoid taxes. Other claims that have brought down Park appointees include real estate speculation, a sex-for-influence scandal, bribery and links to an arms broker.
"A couple of flops would've been acceptable, but having a total of six failures in the first few months means that the problem lies with her style," said Lee Cheol-hee, head of the Dumon Political Strategy Institute think tank. "She seems to think she can just hand down a list of people she prefers, without thinking hard about whether those people's credentials and ethical records fit the jobs they will be handling."
Critics also complain that she's still short on specifics about how to deal with pressing issues including an increasingly belligerent North Korea and serious domestic anxiety about fewer stable jobs, heavy household debt and a wide income gap. Compounding her trouble was a long deadlock that ended just last week over her ambitious proposal to overhaul government structure.
"Because the launch of the new government has been delayed by one month, we should work harder to fulfill our vision," Park said Monday.
Presidential spokeswoman Lee Mi-yeon defended Park's candidates as fresh and different choices, highlighting nominee Jeong H. Kim, a Korean American who was the former head of Bell Labs in the United States, for head of a new science and technology ministry.
Kim resigned earlier this month, citing political wrangling over the responsibilities of the science and technology ministry. Opponents questioned Kim's links to the Central Intelligence Agency as an external advisory board member for four years until 2011.
"The president has chosen people based on their expertise and competence, and she has acquainted herself with them through various activities," Park's spokeswoman said. Lee said the failed appointments have to do with each nominee's credentials rather than with Park's style. Lee also said many key appointments have now been made and the government believes it has turned a corner.
The troubles of the country's first female president have a lot to do with the fiercely divided political and social landscape in this still relatively young and rambunctious democracy. She also carries the heavy historical baggage of being the daughter of a dictator whose legacy still divides South Koreans.
The 61-year-old president, who was elected in December and inaugurated Feb. 25, has long faced claims of being aloof and an "imperial" decision-maker. The genesis of this criticism comes from her upbringing.
She is the eldest child of late President Park Chung-hee, who led South Korea for 18 years in the 1960s and '70s and is both denounced for human rights abuses and praised as a strong leader. She grew up in the Blue House and served as her father's first lady for the last five years of his rule, after her mother was killed in 1974 by an assassin who said he was sent by North Korea.
"When her father ruled, no one questioned the president's picks," Lee, the analyst, said. "But things have changed since. ... It's like Park is driving a car with a navigator system that has only decades-old maps."
Even Park's own ruling Saenuri Party has been critical. A spokesman called for a better system of screening appointees, and said whoever vetted the failed candidates should be held responsible.
Park spent much of her first month in office negotiating with opposition lawmakers over an ambitious government reorganization plan that aims to focus on science and economic growth. An agreement was reached only last week, more than 50 days after Park's party floated the proposal.
Her economic team met for the first time since her inauguration only on Monday, and critics said there was little other than promises of major policy goals and specific plans in coming days and weeks. Her economic policies include buzzwords like "economic democratization" and "creative economy."
"These are slogans more rhetorical than real, and few seem to know exactly what they mean, let alone how to realize them," the Korea Times said in an editorial Wednesday.
Park has made some progress, including an announcement this week of the start of a $1.35 billion fund to provide debt relief for more than half a million people unable to repay loans. The fund, however, is less than one-tenth the size of the one she promised during her campaign.
Despite North Korean threats that have followed new U.N. sanctions over Pyongyang's recent nuclear test, Park has pressed forward with a vow to create trust and renew dialogue after five years of tension and animosity under her hard-line predecessor. She approved a shipment of anti-tuberculosis medicine to North Korea last week.
Things, however, may get worse if political gridlock and bickering continues.
Park faces an opposition with a strengthened veto power, and the possibility of organized resistance to her foreign policy initiatives by prominent liberal groups, Park Ihn-hwi, a professor at Ewha Womans University in South Korea, wrote on the Council on Foreign Relations' website.
Some also see growing cynicism with Park among young South Koreans, many of whom voted for her liberal opponent.
"If a political issue emerges to turn apathy into opposition, there is a real possibility that street demonstrations similar to those that occurred in the early days of the Lee Myung-bak administration could further hamper Park's ability to get things done," Scott Snyder, an analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, said in a blog posting Wednesday.
Lee, Park's conservative predecessor, saw tens of thousands take to the streets in 2008 to protest what opponents called a hasty government decision to allow U.S. beef imports to resume.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stumbles-skorean-leader-distract-month-job-015503480.html
However court rules, gay marriage debate won't end
Kevin Coyne of Washington holds flags in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The U.S. Supreme Court, in the second day of gay marriage cases, turned Wednesday to a constitutional challenge to the federal law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Kevin Coyne of Washington holds flags in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The U.S. Supreme Court, in the second day of gay marriage cases, turned Wednesday to a constitutional challenge to the federal law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Gabriela Fore, 6, of Upper Darby Pa., holds a sign with her moms in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, as the court heard arguments on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). In the second of back-to-back gay marriage case, the Supreme Court is turning to a constitutional challenge to the law that prevents legally married gay Americans from collecting federal benefits generally available to straight married couples. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Map shows distribution of same-sex households. Table defines key terms and shows which states have laws that provide for same-sex couples
NEW YORK (AP) ? However the Supreme Court rules after its landmark hearings on same-sex marriage, the issue seems certain to divide Americans and states for many years to come.
In oral arguments Tuesday and Wednesday on two cases involving gay couples' rights, the justices left open multiple options for rulings that are expected in June. But they signaled there was no prospect of imposing a 50-state solution at this stage. With nine states now allowing same-sex marriages and other states banning them via statutes or constitutional amendments, that means a longer spell with a patchwork marriage-rights map ? and no early end to bruising state-by-state battles in the courts, in the legislatures and at the ballot box.
A decade ago, opponents of same-sex marriage were lobbying for a nationwide ban on gay nuptials. They now seem resigned to the reality of a divided nation in which the debate will continue to splinter families, church congregations and communities.
"It's a lot more healthy than shutting off an intense debate at the very moment of its greatest intensity," said John Eastman, chairman of the National Organization for Marriage and a law professor at Chapman University in Orange, Calif.
By contrast, supporters of same-sex marriage believe a nationwide victory is inevitable, though perhaps not imminent. Many of them see merit in continuing an incremental hearts-and-minds campaign, given that many opinion polls now show a majority of Americans supporting their cause.
"No matter what the Supreme Court decides, we are going to be in a stronger place in July than where we before," said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry.
"We have the momentum and we have the winning strategy," Wolfson said. "We are going to win the freedom to marry, whether in June or in the next round, when we go back to the court with more states, more public support and perhaps new justices."
Even if the Supreme Court shies away for now from any broad ruling in favor of marriage rights for gay couples, its decisions in June could produce major gains for gay-rights activists.
In one case, the justices could strike down a section of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that denies legally married same-sex couples a host of federal benefits available to straight married couples. In the other, concerning California's Proposition 8 ballot measure banning same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court could leave in place a lower court ruling striking down the ban. That would add the most populous state to the ranks of those already recognizing gay marriages: Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Washington, plus the District of Columbia.
With California included, that group would account for about 28 percent of the U.S. population.
Meanwhile, legislative efforts to legalize same-sex marriage are under way in Illinois, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Delaware, and lawsuits by gay couples seeking marriage rights have been filed in several other states. In Oregon, gay-rights activists hope to place a measure on next year's ballot that would overturn a ban on gay marriage approved by voters in 2004. Legislators in Nevada are debating a bill that could lead to repeal of a similar ban there.
In advance of the Supreme Court hearings, gay-marriage backers mustered support from a broad array of interest groups, including labor and religious leaders, major corporations, even dozens of prominent Republicans who co-signed a brief filed with the high court. In the past few weeks, a parade of politicians have publicly endorsed same-sex marriage for the first time, including Republican Sen. Rob. Portman of Ohio and Democratic Sens. Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana and Mark Warner of Virginia.
Former President Bill Clinton chimed in, too, writing that he now regretted his decision to sign the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and urging that it be struck down. President Barack Obama's administration also asked that DOMA be declared unconstitutional and that Proposition 8 be struck down.
For gay-marriage opponents, it's been an occasionally daunting period as they watch a steady stream of prominent politicians and institutions join the rival side.
The conservative American Family Association's website, for example, listed some of the many well-known corporations that are now supporting same-sex marriage ? including Google, Microsoft, Citigroup, Apple, Nike, Facebook and Starbucks. The website suggests that Americans opposed to gay marriage should boycott these companies, but the president of the Mississippi-based association, Tim Wildmon, acknowledges that would be impractical.
"There's too many of them to effectively boycott," he said in a telephone interview.
Wildmon expects the U.S. to remain divided over gay marriage for a long time and hopes neither Congress nor the courts try to interfere with the right of states to set their own policies.
"That's just the way it's going to be," he said. "If you want to be a homosexual married couple, move to a state that accepts it."
Such interstate moves could indeed occur, but with a potential cost for the states being forsaken, said gay rights lawyer Jon Davidson of Lambda Legal. "Maybe that's what some states want, but the outpouring of business support for us indicates a lot of businesses don't want that to happen," he said. "It creates all sorts of problems."
Among some conservatives, there's been frustration at the frequent exhortation from gay-rights activists that the Supreme Court should be "on the right side of history" by endorsing same-sex marriage.
"It requires no courage, at this point in history, to side with gay marriage advocates," Maggie Gallagher, a co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage, wrote in a commentary. "Respecting the rights of the millions of Americans who disagree, and respecting the boundaries of our Constitution, is staying on the right side of history."
Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, on his show Wednesday, suggested the spread of same-sex marriage was indeed inevitable. He cited signs of increasing divisions among Republicans on the issue.
"Whether it happens now at the Supreme Court or somehow later, it is going to happen," Limbaugh said. "It's just the direction the culture is heading. ... The opposition that you would suspect exists is in the process of crumbling on it."
In any case, it's unlikely that some of the most conservative states ? those that adopted gay-marriage bans by overwhelming margins ? will recognize same-sex marriages unless forced to by the courts.
A likely result is a steady stream of state-level lawsuits by gay couples, according to Boston-based lawyer Mary Bonauto, whose work with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders helped legalize same-sex marriage in several New England states.
"There are committed gay couples in every state who want to stand up and make that legal commitment to marriage," Bonauto said. "They're not going to go away. ... They believe our national promise of equal protection under the law applies to them, too, not just to the East and West coasts and Iowa."
Depending on how such lawsuits fare, Bonauto said, "I think this issue could be back at the Supreme Court in a number of years."
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Follow David Crary on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CraryAP
Associated PressNEW YORK: Gay marriage equality box spreads on social media ...
NEW YORK ? Bud Light said it with beer cans and Martha Stewart with red velvet cake as companies and celebrities from Beyonce to George Takei joined millions of social media users in posting and tweaking a simple red logo in support of gay marriage.
A square box with thick pink horizontal lines (the mathematical equal symbol) was offered for sharing this week by the Human Rights Campaign as the U.S. Supreme Court took up arguments in key marriage rights cases.
The image, replacing profile pictures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest and elsewhere, is a makeover of the advocacy group's logo, usually a blue background with bright yellow lines. The HRC made it available in red - for the color of love - on Monday and estimated tens of millions of shares by Wednesday.
"It shows the enthusiasm and the passion," said Fred Sainz, a spokesman for the nonprofit in Washington, D.C.
Like viral campaigns of yore, supporting breast cancer awareness (pink), President Barack Obama (change your middle name to Hussein) and even Arab Spring (green), a bit of fatigue set in on some social media streams by those questioning whether such efforts serve to change any minds or, put simply, are plain annoying.
"My Facebook feed is a cascading aesthetic nightmare. Thanks, equality," Washington Post writer Dan Zak wryly grumbled on Twitter.
A photo of Justice Anthony Kennedy made the rounds with the quip: "Before we make a ruling, did enough people change their Facebook profile picture?!"
None of that mattered to the masses of same-sex marriage supporters. Some swapped matzoh for the pink lines as Passover got under way, or added frowny Internet star Grumpy Cat, who explained marriage equality would make her happy.
Bert and Ernie showed up against the red background. (They're best friends with no plans to marry, according to Sesame Street.) Another version featured Paula Deen atop the red square and lines turned a shade of yellow akin to her favorite fatty ingredient and the tagline: "It's like two sticks of butter y'all."
Takei, a noted punster with nearly 4 million followers in Facebook, turned the equal sign into the division sign for those opposed to marriage equality.
Beyonce, with more than 44 million followers there, played it straight, leaving the logo alone and adding a personal message: "It's about TIME!!! (hash)EQUALITY (hash)MarryWhoYouLove.
Fergie let the image speak for itself on Twitter, adding: "No words necessary." Montana Sen. John Tester, a Democrat who endorsed same-sex marriage on Tuesday, put the logo up as his profile on Facebook while the clothing site Bonobos swapped its usual Facebook pic for the red square using fancy white pants for the equal sign.
Martha Stewart's Facebook page used a slice of red cake with white icing to make the image and the HBO page for "True Blood" added fangs.
All in good fun?
"There's a lot of serious conversation going on and there's an awful lot of important concepts that the Supreme Court justices are discussing," Sainz said. "What this logo going viral means is individuals have reduced it to a very straightforward concept."
Steve Jones, a professor of online culture and communications at the University of Illinois at Chicago, wondered whether all the mash-ups muddle the message.
"Once you throw it together with something like Grumpy Cat it's fun," he said. "But was this message intended to be fun?"
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Associated Press writer Barbara Ortutay contributed to this report.
Follow Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie
Source: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/03/27/3405460/gay-marriage-equality-box-spreads.html
Lady Gaga's Born Brave Bus Rolls On: Peek Inside!
Despite Gaga's canceled tour, the bus rolls on, offering info on counseling services and youth organizations.
By Jocelyn Vena
Lady Gaga's "Born Brave" Bus
Photo: Desiree Navarro
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704365/lady-gaga-born-brave-bus-sneak-peek.jhtml
McLellan Jacobs Kayak 1: A Luxury Yacht For One
Top 10 Traffic Accident Legal Questions and Their ... - hertz-law.com
If you?ve been injured in a traffic accident and you want to seek compensation, you probably have a number of questions at the moment. As a result, attorney Eric J. Hertz, of the Hertz Law Firm, has compiled the following list of the top 10 questions and answers for people in your situation:
1.) Can I Sue If I Was Found At-Fault?
Even if you have been found to be at-fault for the traffic accident in a criminal court, this does not necessarily mean that you are barred from seeking compensation. Civil and criminal cases are handled differently, so you may still be able to seek compensation in a civil court after being found guilty in a criminal court.
2.) What Damages Can I Sue For?
You can seek compensation for a number of injuries, and not just physical ones. Mental and emotional trauma causes very real effects, and missing time from work should also be considered. Your attorney can give you more information after listening to your story.
3.) What If I Can?t Make It to Court?
If you aren?t able to make it to court, your attorney will be able to represent your interests for you. If you are going to be required to show up in court, your attorney will let you know ahead of time and help you make arrangements.
4.) Do I Pay Any Upfront Fees?
The vast majority of personal injury attorneys, including Eric J. Hertz, do not charge upfront fees for representation.
5.) Do I Need Documentation?
While it?s always a good idea to have as much documentation as possible regarding your accident, your attorney will be able to seek out the necessary documentation relating to your case.
6.) How Long Will My Case Take?
Depending upon the case, you may be able to get compensation within a week or longer. Some cases, can take up to a year or more to be successfully concluded. Your attorney can give you a better estimate upon hearing your situation.
7.) How Do I Handle Problems With an Insurance Company?
Once you have partnered with an attorney, all contact with any insurance companies involved in your case should be directed to your attorney directly.
8.) When Will My Case Be Heard?
When your attorney files your lawsuit, you will be given a court date. This date may change depending upon a number of factors. Your attorney will be able to give you more information.
9.) Who Should I Sue?
You should sue anyone or any entity responsible for your injuries. This may include another driver, a vehicle manufacturer, any agencies responsible for maintaining roads and more.
10.) How Much Compensation Do I Deserve?
The amount of compensation you deserve is based upon how much you have suffered. Together, you and your attorney can discuss the specifics of your case to arrive at a definitive figure.
If you have further questions regarding an injury accident that you have been involved in, please contact the Hertz Law Firm today by dialing 404-577-8111.
Actress Ashley Judd won't run for US Senate
FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2008 file photo, actress Ashley Judd, a Kentucky native, speaks at a Democratic get-out-the-vote rally in Louisville, Ky. Judd announced Wednesday she won't run for U.S. Senate in Kentucky against Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, saying she had given serious thought to a campaign but decided her responsibilities and energy need to be focused on her family. (AP Photo/Brian Bohannon, File)
FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2008 file photo, actress Ashley Judd, a Kentucky native, speaks at a Democratic get-out-the-vote rally in Louisville, Ky. Judd announced Wednesday she won't run for U.S. Senate in Kentucky against Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, saying she had given serious thought to a campaign but decided her responsibilities and energy need to be focused on her family. (AP Photo/Brian Bohannon, File)
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) ? Actress Ashley Judd announced Wednesday she won't run for U.S. Senate in Kentucky against Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, saying she had given serious thought to a campaign but decided her responsibilities and energy need to be focused on her family.
The former Kentucky resident tweeted her decision.
"Regretfully, I am currently unable to consider a campaign for the Senate. I have spoken to so many Kentuckians over these last few months who expressed their desire for a fighter for the people & new leader," Judd wrote.
"While that won't be me at this time, I will continue to work as hard as I can to ensure the needs of Kentucky families are met by returning this Senate seat to whom it rightfully belongs: the people & their needs, dreams, and great potential. Thanks for even considering me as that person & know how much I love our Commonwealth. Thank you!"
Her publicist Cara Tripicchio confirmed Judd's decision.
The 44-year-old Judd had hinted last week that she was nearing a decision about the race.
Now living in suburban Nashville, Tenn., Judd has said little publicly about her intentions. However, she has been meeting with several Democratic leaders, including Gov. Steve Beshear, to discuss a possible run.
Defeating McConnell would be the Democrats' biggest prize of the 2014 election. His seat is one of 14 that Republicans are defending while Democrats try to hold onto 21, hoping to retain or add to their 55-45 edge.
The star of such films as "Double Jeopardy" and "Kiss the Girls" is known for her liberal political views and she would have been running in a largely conservative state where Republicans hold both Senate seats and five of the six seats in the U.S. House.
Former State Treasurer Jonathan Miller, a Judd supporter, said she would have been a strong candidate.
"As a Kentuckian and someone who was really enthusiastic about her as a candidate, this wasn't the news I was hoping for," Miller said. "But as her friend, from the first time we talked about the race last summer, I was very candid about the grueling nature of politics. It's become a very unpleasant business and running against Mitch McConnell would be an extraordinarily difficult and grueling experience."
McConnell, who spent some $20 million on his last election and who has already raised $10 million for the next one, had already been taunting would-be Democratic challengers in a comical online video intended to raise second thoughts about taking on a politician known as brawler. The video plays on the fact that Judd lives in Tennessee.
Republican-leaning group American Crossroads in its own online video also plays on the Tennessee angle and ties her closely to President Barack Obama, who is unpopular in Kentucky.
University of Louisville political scientist Laurie Rhodebeck said Judd certainly wasn't frightened out of the race.
"She doesn't strike me as a shrinking violet," Rhodebeck said. "I think the real issue would be how much disruption she wanted in her life. This was the kind of thing that she would have to throw herself into 100 percent in order to make it worthwhile."
Judd and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti separated early this year after marrying in his native Scotland in 2001.
Judd's decision not to enter the race leaves the Democratic Party in search of a candidate. Many of Kentucky's top Democrats, including Beshear, have said they won't run. However, a rising star within the party, Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, hasn't ruled the race out. Grimes declined comment Wednesday evening through her spokeswoman, Lynn Sowards Zellen.
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Associated Press writer Janet Cappiello contributed to this report.
Associated PressMonday, March 25, 2013
See Adam Levine's Sexiest (and Shirtless) Moments!
Adam Levine loves to take his shirt off. Like, we're talking L-O-V-E type of love here. The man is seen shirtless about as much as he's not (only a slight exaggeration) and frequently flaunts his toned physique in his music videos, his magazine appearances, and even on TV.
Early number sense plays role in later math skills
This image provided by the University of Missouri shows an illustration part of a University of Missouri study that examined first-graders? "number system knowledge." That?s how well they understand such things as that numbers represent quantities. Youngsters who didn?t have a good grasp of these concepts went on have lower scores on a key math skills test years later when they were in seventh grade. We know a lot about how babies learn to talk, and youngsters learn to read. Now scientists are unraveling the earliest building blocks of math _ and what children know about numbers as they begin first grade seems to play a big role in how well they do everyday calculations later on. (AP Photo/University of Missouri)
This image provided by the University of Missouri shows an illustration part of a University of Missouri study that examined first-graders? "number system knowledge." That?s how well they understand such things as that numbers represent quantities. Youngsters who didn?t have a good grasp of these concepts went on have lower scores on a key math skills test years later when they were in seventh grade. We know a lot about how babies learn to talk, and youngsters learn to read. Now scientists are unraveling the earliest building blocks of math _ and what children know about numbers as they begin first grade seems to play a big role in how well they do everyday calculations later on. (AP Photo/University of Missouri)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? We know a lot about how babies learn to talk, and youngsters learn to read. Now scientists are unraveling the earliest building blocks of math ? and what children know about numbers as they begin first grade seems to play a big role in how well they do everyday calculations later on.
The findings have specialists considering steps that parents might take to spur math abilities, just like they do to try to raise a good reader.
This isn't only about trying to improve the nation's math scores and attract kids to become engineers. It's far more basic.
Consider: How rapidly can you calculate a tip? Do the fractions to double a recipe? Know how many quarters and dimes the cashier should hand back as your change?
About 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. lacks the math competence expected of a middle-schooler, meaning they have trouble with those ordinary tasks and aren't qualified for many of today's jobs.
"It's not just, can you do well in school? It's how well can you do in your life," says Dr. Kathy Mann Koepke of the National Institutes of Health, which is funding much of this research into math cognition. "We are in the midst of math all the time."
A new study shows trouble can start early.
University of Missouri researchers tested 180 seventh-graders. Those who lagged behind their peers in a test of core math skills needed to function as adults were the same kids who'd had the least number sense or fluency way back when they started first grade.
"The gap they started with, they don't close it," says Dr. David Geary, a cognitive psychologist who leads the study that is tracking children from kindergarten to high school in the Columbia, Mo., school system. "They're not catching up" to the kids who started ahead.
If first grade sounds pretty young to be predicting math ability, well, no one expects tots to be scribbling sums. But this number sense, or what Geary more precisely terms "number system knowledge," turns out to be a fundamental skill that students continually build on, much more than the simple ability to count.
What's involved? Understanding that numbers represent different quantities ? that three dots is the same as the numeral "3'' or the word "three." Grasping magnitude ? that 23 is bigger than 17. Getting the concept that numbers can be broken into parts ? that 5 is the same as 2 and 3, or 4 and 1. Showing on a number line that the difference between 10 and 12 is the same as the difference between 20 and 22.
Factors such as IQ and attention span didn't explain why some first-graders did better than others. Now Geary is studying if something that youngsters learn in preschool offers an advantage.
There's other evidence that math matters early in life. Numerous studies with young babies and a variety of animals show that a related ability ? to estimate numbers without counting ? is intuitive, sort of hard-wired in the brain, says Mann Koepke, of NIH's National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. That's the ability that lets you choose the shortest grocery check-out line at a glance, or that guides a bird to the bush with the most berries.
Number system knowledge is more sophisticated, and the Missouri study shows children who start elementary school without those concepts "seem to struggle enormously," says Mann Koepke, who wasn't part of that research.
While schools tend to focus on math problems around third grade, and math learning disabilities often are diagnosed by fifth grade, the new findings suggest "the need to intervene is much earlier than we ever used to think," she adds.
Exactly how to intervene still is being studied, sure to be a topic when NIH brings experts together this spring to assess what's known about math cognition.
But Geary sees a strong parallel with reading. Scientists have long known that preschoolers who know the names of letters and can better distinguish what sounds those letters make go on to read more easily. So parents today are advised to read to their children from birth, and many youngsters' books use rhyming to focus on sounds.
Likewise for math, "kids need to know number words" early on, he says.
NIH's Mann Koepke agrees, and offers some tips:
?Don't teach your toddler to count solely by reciting numbers. Attach numbers to a noun ? "Here are five crayons: One crayon, two crayons..." or say "I need to buy two yogurts" as you pick them from the store shelf ? so they'll absorb the quantity concept.
?Talk about distance: How many steps to your ball? The swing is farther away; it takes more steps.
?Describe shapes: The ellipse is round like a circle but flatter.
?As they grow, show children how math is part of daily life, as you make change, or measure ingredients, or decide how soon to leave for a destination 10 miles away,
"We should be talking to our children about magnitude, numbers, distance, shapes as soon as they're born," she contends. "More than likely, this is a positive influence on their brain function."
___
EDITOR'S NOTE ? Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.
Associated PressHurting at home, China's Li Ning courts U.S. glitz
By Donny Kwok and Adam Jourdan
HONG KONG/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's biggest sportswear brand, Li Ning Co Ltd , launched its newest brand at a gala event in Texas last month with U.S. basketball star Dwayne Wade, resplendent in gold bow tie and plaid suit, showing off sports shoes he helped design.
But his fans can't buy them yet.
Li Ning, founded by the Chinese Olympic gymnast of the same name, has no stores in the United States and recently shut the e-commerce section of its U.S. website.
While luring Wade from rival Nike Inc
Sports industry analysts said the Wade signing was more about marketing to Chinese consumers than trying to build brand recognition in the United States, where Nike and its Jordan brand control 90 percent of the basketball shoe market.
"The primary idea here is to say to the Chinese consumer, 'One of the best players in the NBA is wearing our shoes and you should too,'" said Matt Powell, an analyst with Boulder, Colorado-based sporting goods research group SportsOneSource.
The Chinese firm is paying top dollar for an elite athlete just as Nike and other established sportswear brands are scaling back on big-name endorsements because of disappointing returns.
A decade ago, Nike reportedly paid Wade's superstar teammate Lebron James more than $90 million for a 7-year contract, but high-potential rookie players now command shoe contracts worth just $1-$2 million a year, Powell said. James is the world's fourth highest-paid athlete with endorsements bringing in $40 million a year, according to a Forbes ranking as of June 2012. Wade ranked 35th, with $12 million a year in endorsements.
"It (the Wade deal) has a positive effect in boosting Li Ning's image ... but it doesn't necessarily generate more sales," said Elyse Wang, an analyst at Haitong International Research in Shenzhen. "The deal is not justified as for sure it's offering a very high price."
Li Ning declined to comment on details of the Wade deal. Nike declined to comment on Li Ning's strategy.
OLD STOCK
Li Ning, valued at around $600 million, is expected to report a net loss of close to 1.1 billion yuan ($177 million) on Monday, according to Thomson Reuters SmartEstimate, after spending as much as $288 million to buy back unwanted inventory from its distributors. Turnover is forecast to have dropped 16 percent last year to around 7.5 billion yuan.
A recent visit to one of Shenzhen's busy shopping areas, where Li Ning and local rivals had stores last year, showed the company had shut up shop and moved to an upper floor of a nearby department store. Rivals ANTA Sports Products Ltd and 361 Degrees International Ltd were still at street level, though their stores were full of old stock.
Like industry peers, Li Ning raced to open hundreds of stores in the afterglow of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but has been forced to retreat as sales have slumped. Li Ning shares have tumbled 86 percent from an April 2010 peak - the Hang Seng Index <.hsi> is up 2.3 percent over the same period - and 15 of 22 analysts who track the stock rate it a "sell" or "strong sell", Thomson Reuters data show.
A burst of excitement over new Wade gear would give a much-needed boost, but none was sighted in Shenzhen stores last week.
"They're out to prove that they, and by extension Chinese brands, can compete head-to-head with the global giants. The issue is that they're having trouble being successful at it," said James Roy, senior analyst at China Market Research Group.
Li Ning has also kept its U.S. plans tightly under wraps. Its shop.li-ning.com website, which offered online shopping as recently as February, is now just a single page linking to another bare-bones site promoting Wade. Calls to a U.S. customer service number during business hours were answered by a recorded message directing customers to send an email. A Reuters reporter seeking comment from the firm's U.S. headquarters in Chicago was advised that all queries must go through the China office.
Will DeGirolamo, an executive at PR firm DiGennaro Communications that represents Li Ning's brand initiative director Brian Cupps, said there would be more news soon on the Wade deal, including the U.S. launch of a new line of sneakers. "The sneakers will be available for the first time in the U.S. in early April," DeGirolamo said.
In an emailed response to Reuters questions for this article, the company's founder said: "The recent successful launch of the Wade brand is a great example of the high performance, high quality product lines that we are developing for our customers. The response so far has been very positive and we look forward to sharing 'The Way of Wade' with fans across the U.S. and China."
FADING STARS
Not having shoes on the market now means Li Ning may be missing out on a golden opportunity as Wade's team, the Miami Heat, is on a run of 25 straight wins, the second-longest streak in NBA history after the Los Angeles Lakers' 33-game run in 1971-72. Li Ning sponsors the Miami Heat and has previously signed one of Wade's former teammates, Shaquille O'Neal, who retired in 2011.
SportsOneSource's Powell said sales of Lebron James' shoes were at an all-time high thanks to the Heat's success. Nike reported higher-than-expected quarterly earnings on Thursday, and future orders for delivery in March-July rose 11 percent in its North American market.
Other Chinese sportswear brands have struggled to turn NBA endorsements into sales success. ANTA, which signed Boston Celtics player Kevin Garnett to an endorsement deal in 2010 and featured him on the cover of its annual report, saw its 2012 profits fall by more than a fifth.
"NBA stars have a very big influence in (the sportswear market in) China," ANTA's chief operating officer Lai Shixian told Reuters in February, adding the company would consider more endorsements for suitable athletes.
Powell said even Nike was finding it tough to turn big-name endorsements into profits, noting it was only now making money off Lebron James gear, a decade after signing him. "Athletes just don't sell product like they used to," he said.
(Additional reporting by Emily Kaiser in SINGAPORE and Nivedita Bhattacharjee in CHICAGO; Writing by Emily Kaiser; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hurting-home-chinas-li-ning-courts-u-glitz-010836232--nba.html
El Paso's Jonathon Montanez earns Texas Tech scholarship offer because of selfless act
The NCAA has invited Coronado High School student Mitchell Marcus and Franklin High School student Jonathon Montanez, along with their teams and coaches, to the NCAA Men's Basketball Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games next weekend in Dallas, where they will be be recognized.
After seeing their story on the "CBS Evening News," the chancellor of Texas Tech University called Jonathon to offer him a scholarship to the university.
Read more about Montanez and Marcus.
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