7 hostages, 11 militants killed after Algerian forces storm gas complex

AIN AMENAS, Algeria (AP) ? Algeria's special forces stormed a natural gas complex in the middle of the Sahara desert in a final assault Saturday, killing 11 militants, but not before they in turn killed seven hostages, the state news agency reported.

The report, quoting a security source, didn't specify if any hostages or militants remained alive or give the nationalities of the dead.

Algerian authorities estimated that around 30 militants occupied the Ain Amenas site Wednesday and with 18 already reported dead, it appears the hostage crisis involving hundreds of plant workers is finally over.

There was no official count of how many hostages were still being held by the final group of militants holed up in the gas refinery on Saturday, but the militants themselves had reported they were still holding three Belgian, two Americans, a Japanese and a Briton.

The plant is jointly run by BP, Norway's Statoil and Algeria's state-owned oil company.

An international outcry mounted over the Algerians' handling of the crisis. Experts noted that this is how they have always dealt with terrorists, refusing to negotiate.

The standoff has put the spotlight on militancy plaguing the region and al-Qaida-linked groups roaming remote areas from Mali to Libya, threatening vital infrastructure and energy interests.

The militants attacked the plant Wednesday morning, creeping across the border from Libya, 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the natural gas plant, and fell on a pair of buses taking foreign workers to the airport. The buses' military escort drove off the attackers in a blaze of gunfire that sent bullets zinging over the heads of the crouching workers. A Briton and an Algerian, probably a security guard, were killed.

Frustrated, the militants turned to the vast gas complex, divided between the workers' living quarters and the refinery itself, and seized hostages, the Algerian government said. The gas flowing to the site was cut off, though the circumstances of the cutoff remain unclear.

___

Paul Schemm reported from Rabat, Morocco.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/algeria-7-hostages-11-militants-dead-raid-134755508--finance.html

aspergers

FDA: New rules will make food safer

FILE - This Sept. 28, 2011 file photo shows the sign leading to the Jensen Farms near Holly, Colo. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday proposed the most sweeping food safety rules in decades, requiring farmers and food companies to be more vigilant in the wake of deadly outbreaks in peanuts, cantaloupe and leafy greens. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File)

FILE - This Sept. 28, 2011 file photo shows the sign leading to the Jensen Farms near Holly, Colo. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday proposed the most sweeping food safety rules in decades, requiring farmers and food companies to be more vigilant in the wake of deadly outbreaks in peanuts, cantaloupe and leafy greens. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File)

FILE - This Sept. 28, 2011 file photo shows cantaloupes rotting in the afternoon heat on a field on the Jensen Farms near Holly, Colo. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday proposed the most sweeping food safety rules in decades, requiring farmers and food companies to be more vigilant in the wake of deadly outbreaks in peanuts, cantaloupe and leafy greens. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Food and Drug Administration says its new guidelines would make the food Americans eat safer and help prevent the kinds of foodborne disease outbreaks that sicken or kill thousands of consumers each year.

The rules, the most sweeping food safety guidelines in decades, would require farmers to take new precautions against contamination, to include making sure workers' hands are washed, irrigation water is clean, and that animals stay out of fields. Food manufacturers will have to submit food safety plans to the government to show they are keeping their operations clean.

The long-overdue regulations could cost businesses close to half a billion dollars a year to implement, but are expected to reduce the estimated 3,000 deaths a year from foodborne illness. The new guidelines were announced Friday.

Just since last summer, outbreaks of listeria in cheese and salmonella in peanut butter, mangoes and cantaloupe have been linked to more than 400 illnesses and as many as seven deaths, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The actual number of those sickened is likely much higher.

Many responsible food companies and farmers are already following the steps that the FDA would now require them to take. But officials say the requirements could have saved lives and prevented illnesses in several of the large-scale outbreaks that have hit the country in recent years.

In a 2011 outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe that claimed 33 lives, for example, FDA inspectors found pools of dirty water on the floor and old, dirty processing equipment at Jensen Farms in Colorado where the cantaloupes were grown. In a peanut butter outbreak this year linked to 42 salmonella illnesses, inspectors found samples of salmonella throughout Sunland Inc.'s peanut processing plant in New Mexico and multiple obvious safety problems, such as birds flying over uncovered trailers of peanuts and employees not washing their hands.

Under the new rules, companies would have to lay out plans for preventing those sorts of problems, monitor their own progress and explain to the FDA how they would correct them.

"The rules go very directly to preventing the types of outbreaks we have seen," said Michael Taylor, FDA's deputy commissioner for foods.

The FDA estimates the new rules could prevent almost 2 million illnesses annually, but it could be several years before the rules are actually preventing outbreaks. Taylor said it could take the agency another year to craft the rules after a four-month comment period, and farms would have at least two years to comply ? meaning the farm rules are at least three years away from taking effect. Smaller farms would have even longer to comply.

The new rules, which come exactly two years to the day President Barack Obama's signed food safety legislation passed by Congress, were already delayed. The 2011 law required the agency to propose a first installment of the rules a year ago, but the Obama administration held them until after the election. Food safety advocates sued the administration to win their release.

The produce rule would mark the first time the FDA has had real authority to regulate food on farms. In an effort to stave off protests from farmers, the farm rules are tailored to apply only to certain fruits and vegetables that pose the greatest risk, like berries, melons, leafy greens and other foods that are usually eaten raw. A farm that produces green beans that will be canned and cooked, for example, would not be regulated.

Such flexibility, along with the growing realization that outbreaks are bad for business, has brought the produce industry and much of the rest of the food industry on board as Congress and FDA has worked to make food safer.

In a statement Friday, Pamela Bailey, president of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents the country's biggest food companies, said the food safety law "can serve as a role model for what can be achieved when the private and public sectors work together to achieve a common goal."

The new rules could cost large farms $30,000 a year, according to the FDA. The agency did not break down the costs for individual processing plants, but said the rules could cost manufacturers up to $475 million annually.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said the success of the rules will also depend on how much money Congress gives the chronically underfunded agency to put them in place. "Resources remain an ongoing concern," she said.

The farm and manufacturing rules are only one part of the food safety law. The bill also authorized more surprise inspections by the FDA and gave the agency additional powers to shut down food facilities. In addition, the law required stricter standards on imported foods. The agency said it will soon propose other overdue rules to ensure that importers verify overseas food is safe and to improve food safety audits overseas.

Food safety advocates frustrated over the last year as the rules stalled praised the proposed action.

"The new law should transform the FDA from an agency that tracks down outbreaks after the fact, to an agency focused on preventing food contamination in the first place," said Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-05-Food%20Safety/id-9a42f696287b44b0b67dc548beb54650

facebook buys instagram kevin systrom fibonacci sequence maryland lottery grand jury ozzie guillen fidel castro darvish

#Tumblr Quote #Tumblr Boys #NERD #Money #Tumblr Jobs #Apple 5...

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

Source: http://mrchristianbale.tumblr.com/post/39264736802

huntington disease

Bethenny Frankel and husband of 2 years separating

FIle - In this March 17, 2011 file photo, reality TV personality Bethenny Frankel poses for a portrait in New York. Frankel released a statement Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, announcing the split of with husband Jason Hoppy. She and Hoppy married in 2010 and have a daughter, Bryn, who was born that same year. (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen, file)

FIle - In this March 17, 2011 file photo, reality TV personality Bethenny Frankel poses for a portrait in New York. Frankel released a statement Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, announcing the split of with husband Jason Hoppy. She and Hoppy married in 2010 and have a daughter, Bryn, who was born that same year. (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen, file)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Bethenny Frankel and husband Jason Hoppy are separating.

The 42-year-old TV personality, chef, author and entrepreneur told The Associated Press Sunday that the split brings her "great sadness."

"This was an extremely difficult decision that as a woman and a mother, I have to accept as the best choice for our family," Frankel said. "We have love and respect for one another and will continue to amicably co-parent our daughter who is and will always remain our first priority. This is an immensely painful and heartbreaking time for us."

Frankel and Hoppy were married in 2010 and have a daughter, Bryn, who was born that same year. The couple's courtship and marriage were documented in two reality series, "Bethenny Getting Married?" and "Bethenny Ever After..." Frankel gained fame as a star of "The Real Housewives of New York City." Since her stint on the Bravo show, she has written four books, released a fitness video and founded her Skinnygirl line of cocktails, shapewear and nutritional supplements.

She launched a talk show, "Bethenny," over the summer that is set to air nationally on Fox stations in 2013.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter: www.twitter.com/APSandy .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-12-23-People-Bethenny%20Frankel/id-f3f6e38f63414e49b85717e4182e9a25

London 2012 field hockey Missy Franklin Hunter Pence NBCOlympics Danell Leyva Ye Shiwen OJ Murdock

Psychiatrist reacts to school shooting in Connecticut | freedom43tv ...

Posted on: 1:29 pm, December 17, 2012, by Sara Celi, updated on: 02:10pm, December 17, 2012

NORMAN, Okla. ? While no mass shooting or tragedy can be compared to another, Dr. Farhan Jawed said shooters who carry out these crimes are often antisocial and in need of help from others.

?We should emphasize more in illnesses like depression, mania, psychosis, so that we can help these people at very young ages,? Jawed said.

Jawed has worked on a number of cases throughout his career and he?s even looked at the medical conditions that cause people to carry out crimes.

He said a person capable of an unspeakable act, like a school shooting, is often isolated and angry with society.

He said the crimes are often the only way the shooter feels he or she can make a statement.

?We have to put more and more emphasis on our children,? Jawed said. ?Not only on their education but on their social and behavioral development. Many of these children that are already in an environment where they see violence and as the rate of violence is increasing these days, that becomes a natural thing for them.??

He also said we as a society need to focus more on creating strong families and instilling morality.

Source: http://freedom43tv.com/2012/12/17/psychiatrist-reacts-to-school-shooting-in-connecticut/

the monkees strikeforce davy jones love actually miesha tate vs ronda rousey idiocracy deep impact

Dodgers on track to pass Yanks in 2013 payroll

New Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke adjusts his cap during a baseball news conference announcing his $147 million, six-year contract, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

New Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke adjusts his cap during a baseball news conference announcing his $147 million, six-year contract, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

New Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, of South Korea, takes questions from reporters following a baseball news conference announcing his $36 million, six-year contract, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, in Los Angeles. Ryu becomes the first player to go directly from the Korea Baseball Organization to the United States big leagues. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Los Angeles Dodgers are on track to become only the second major league team with a $200 million payroll and could end the New York Yankees' streak of 14 years as baseball's biggest spender.

The Dodgers are at $214.8 million for 21 signed players next season, according to a study of their contracts by The Associated Press. That follows last weekend's additions of free agent pitcher Zack Greinke for a $147 million, six-year contract and South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin for a $36 million, six-year deal.

"Creating a lot of buzz, that's for sure," Greinke said. "And you do wonder when things are going to stop."

Crediting the $3.9 million Boston is paying Los Angeles next year as part of last August's trade and not counting the portions of signing bonuses for players obtained from the Red Sox, the Dodgers' 2013 payroll currently is at $207.9 million.

The Yankees have led each year since the Baltimore Orioles edged them by $200,000 in 1998, and New York has been at $200 million-plus every season since 2005. The record opening-day payroll of $209.1 million was set by the Yankees in 2008.

"I don't that there's anybody that can keep up with what the Dodgers are doing," Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers said.

Los Angeles, almost certain to pay the luxury tax next year, has joined the high rollers since the Dodgers were bought in May by Mark Walter's group, which also includes Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten.

"When we took over the team we said we were going to spend money and I guess you guys are seeing that we're trying to do that," Johnson said. "We're not messing around. We're not talking about it, we're doing it."

Under outgoing owner Frank McCourt, they started the season with the 12th-highest payroll at $94.7 million. They boosted spending with the midseason acquisitions of Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Brandon League.

The Dodgers finished 86-76 last season, eight games behind the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants in the NL West. The Dodgers haven't reached the World Series since winning the title in 1988.

In addition to their players with agreements, the Dodgers have two players eligible for salary arbitration: catcher A.J. Ellis and right-hander Ronald Belisario.

"We're here to win. I can't tell you if we're stopping or not," Johnson said.

New York's 2013 payroll is at $176 million for 13 players, including a $12 million deal for third baseman Kevin Youkilis that hasn't been finalized. Four Yankees are eligible for arbitration: pitchers Phil Hughes, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain and Boone Logan.

The deals for Greinke and Ryu contain numerous complicated provisions and perks.

Greinke gets a $12 million signing bonus, of which $7 million is payable by Dec. 31 and $5 million on Feb. 1, 2014. He gets a $17 million salary next year, $24 million in 2014, $23 million in 2015, $24 million in 2016, $23 million in 2017 and $24 million in 2018.

He can opt out of the final three years of the contract within three days of the final game of the 2015 World Series.

While Greinke doesn't have a no-trade provision, if he's dealt during the season he can decide within three days of the end of the World Series whether to terminate the contract. And if he's traded during the offseason, he gets an extra $3 million and has the right to end the deal immediately.

In addition, for the 2018 season only, he gets $1 million for winning the Cy Young Award and $500,000 for finishing second through fifth. Greinke also has the right to purchase four premium tickets for all home games.

Ryu gets a $5 million signing bonus, half due on April 1 and the rest on April 1, 2014. His salaries are $2.5 million next year, $3.5 million in 2014, $4 million in 2015 and $7 million in each of the following three seasons. He can earn an additional $1 million annually in performance bonuses, $250,000 each for 170, 180, 190 and 200 innings.

If he has 750 innings pitched from 2013-17, he can opt out of the final season. If he wins the Cy Young Award, his salaries for remaining seasons would increase by $1 million. They would go up by $750,000 if he finishes second, $500,000 if he finishes third and $250,000 if he finishes fourth or fifth.

He has the same opt-out rights as Greinke, but without the $3 million payment, and he can't be sent to the minor leagues without his consent.

Ryu gets a $30,000 moving allowance, eight annual first-class round-trip tickets from Los Angeles to South Korea, an employee assigned to Korean media needs, and interpreter, a personal trainer/massage therapist, English lessons and payment for immigration fees.

The contract gives him the right to wear No. 99 and allows him access to purchase premium tickets. He gets a suite on the road but pays the difference between the cost of a suite and a regular room.

___

AP Baseball Writer Ben Walker and AP Sports Writer Beth Harris contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-12-High-Rolling%20Dodgers/id-f0949e24a515488084e75149e9b40821

diverticulitis

What is California's law concerning leave for school-related activities ...

Q. With the start of the school year, several of our employees have asked to leave work early to attend parent orientation events at their child?s school. Are we obligated to grant employees time off for these events?

A. Section 230.8 of the California Labor Code prohibits employers from discriminating against or discharging an employee for taking leave to participate in school activities as long as the employee gives the employer reasonable notice of the planned absence. The state law allows covered employees to take up to 40 hours of such leave each year, not to exceed eight hours in any calendar month.

Employers with 25 or more employees working at the same location are covered under the statute. These employers must extend this protection to employees who are parents, guardians or grandparents having custody of one or more children in kindergarten or grades one through 12. The protections also apply to the activities of children in licensed day care facilities.

The Labor Code states that employees requesting leave for school activities shall utilize existing vacation, personal leave or compensatory time off for purposes of the planned absence (unless otherwise provided by certain labor agreements). Employees also may take time off without pay for these absences.

In the event that both parents of a child work for the same employer and at the same work site, the entitlement to leave applies to the parent who first gives the employer notice of the need for an absence. The other parent would then be able to request the employer?s approval for taking the same time off that the other parent is taking.

Like what you've read? ...Republish it and share great business tips!

Attention: Readers, Publishers, Editors, Bloggers, Media, Webmasters and more...

We believe great content should be read and passed around. After all, knowledge IS power. And good business can become great with the right information at their fingertips. If you'd like to share any of the insightful articles on BusinessManagementDaily.com, you may republish or syndicate it without charge.

The only thing we ask is that you keep the article exactly as it was written and formatted. You also need to include an attribution statement and link to the article.

" This information is proudly provided by Business Management Daily.com: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/33304/what-is-californias-law-concerning-leave-for-school-related-activities "

Source: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/33304/what-is-californias-law-concerning-leave-for-school-related-activities

planetary resources