Court throws out conviction of bin Laden driver

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A federal appeals court on Tuesday threw out the conviction of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a former driver for Osama bin Laden who served a prison term for material support for terrorism.

In a 3-0 ruling, the appeals court said that material support for terrorism was not an international-law war crime at the time Hamdan engaged in the activity for which he was convicted.

Hamdan was sentenced to 5 1/2 years, given credit for time served and is back home in Yemen, reportedly working as a taxi driver.

"If the government wanted to charge Hamdan with aiding and abetting terrorism or some other war crime that was sufficiently rooted in the international law of war at the time of Hamdan's conduct, it should have done so," wrote Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. He was joined by two other judges, all appointed by Republican presidents.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/court-throws-conviction-bin-laden-driver-145704868.html

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Climate Politics: It's Laugh Lines Vs. 'Not A Joke'

This Sept. 16, 2012, image released by NASA shows the amount of summer sea ice in the Arctic, at center in white, and the 1979 to 2000 average extent for the day shown, with the yellow line. Scientists say sea ice in the Arctic shrank to an all-time low of 1.32 million square miles on Sept. 16, smashing old records for the critical climate indicator. NASA/AP

This Sept. 16, 2012, image released by NASA shows the amount of summer sea ice in the Arctic, at center in white, and the 1979 to 2000 average extent for the day shown, with the yellow line. Scientists say sea ice in the Arctic shrank to an all-time low of 1.32 million square miles on Sept. 16, smashing old records for the critical climate indicator.

Scientists view climate change as one of the world's most pressing long-term problems. But the issue has barely surfaced in the U.S. presidential race. President Obama has taken steps to address climate change during his time in office. Republican challenger Mitt Romney would not make it a priority in his administration.

In fact, as Mitt Romney stood on the stage to accept his nomination at the Republican National Convention, he used global warming as a laugh line.

"President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans," he said, pausing for the applause and laughter to rise, "and to heal the planet."

Romney promised an administration that would instead focus on taking care of American families. President Obama rebutted that comment at the Democratic National Convention a week later.

"Change is not a hoax," he said. "More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke. They are a threat to our children's future. And in this election, you can do something about it."

In fact, Mr. Obama came into office with climate change as one of his major issues. At international talks in Copenhagen, he pledged to reduce U.S. emissions 17 percent over 2005 levels by the year 2020. At that meeting and since, he pressed to get more aggressive action out of China, India and the world's other biggest carbon dioxide emitters.

But the President's plans didn't make it past strong Republican opposition in congress. So instead, he has settled for actions the president can take without congressional action.

"First there was the stimulus, which is the largest ever investment in clean energy technology, really hoping to jump-start that sector," says Carol Browner, who is an advisor to the Obama campaign on energy and climate issues and former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. She runs down a quick list of accomplishments: "The first ever greenhouse gas standards for cars, the power plant requirements, proposed new power plant requirements, as well as more efficient appliances."

These don't add up to the 17 percent reduction the president aspired to at the Copenhagen climate talks. Browner says he will keep trying to make incremental changes.

So this is an issue where the candidates sharply disagree.

The president sees action on climate change as creating new jobs in the clean-energy sector.

Romney sees cheap energy is the best energy. He doesn't even mention climate change in his energy plan, which is overwhelmingly about increasing production of fossil fuels.

The Romney campaign would not provide a spokesman for this report. But the campaign's domestic policy advisor Oren Cass did address these issues at a debate at MIT, which was webcast by E&ETV.

"Governor Romney's position on climate change is very straightforward, which is that the United States taking action unilaterally is not able to address what is a global problem," Cass said.

And since China is still building more coal-fired power plants every week, Cass argues having the U.S. cut emissions is a waste of effort.

He also opposes what was once a Republican-backed idea ? put a price on carbon pollution, to encourage the free market to develop technologies that are better for human health and the global environment. He says pricing carbon won't work.

"What it is going to do is hurt our economy very seriously, and is going to drive a lot of industrial activity from the United States to countries that are frankly less efficient in their use of energy."

And less efficient countries produce more carbon dioxide, potentially making the problem worse.

So, in essence, the Romney position is that climate change won't be a priority because it's too hard to solve. The one action the campaign has advocated is spending more federal dollars for research on climate science and renewable energy.

That's a contrast with President Obama, who argues that developing clean energy is good for the U.S. economy ? and important on the world stage, where climate change is regarded as a very serious issue.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2012/10/16/162951173/climate-politics-its-laugh-lines-vs-not-a-joke?ft=1&f=1007

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'The Voice' Pairs Mariachi With Soul During Battle Rounds

Julio Cesar Castillo and Terisa Griffin of Team Cee Lo prove that opposites attract with their duet of Gloria Estefan's 'Conga' on Monday night.
By Natasha Chandel


Benji and Sam James on "The Voice"
Photo: NBC

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1695626/the-voice-battle-recap-julio-cesar-castillo-terisa-griffin.jhtml

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Xbox Music vs. Spotify, iTunes and Pandora | SiliconANGLE

Microsoft will be launching?Xbox Music on the Xbox 360 tomorrow and the software giant claims their new music service is iTunes, Spotify and Pandora rolled into one. ?The service looks promising, as it can be enjoyed in three ways: the free option is riddled with ads, Xbox Music Pass costs $9.99 per month for unlimited music enjoyment, and the pay-per-song option allows users to purchase and download songs individually.

Since Xbox Music claims to be so much more than what we know, I think it?s time for another comparison piece. ?We?ll be pitting Xbox Music against the services it claims to be similar to, including Spotify, iTunes and Pandora.

Xbox Music versus?

Xbox Music: A music service that gives you the option of downloading music for offline listening like iTunes, lets you stream music via cloud like Spotify, and has an artist-based radio like Pandora.

iTunes: An application for Mac or PC that holds all your media files, a place where you can purchase all types of media content from audio, video, ebooks and more. ?It allows you to download all your media content to all your iDevices.

Spotify: A cloud music streaming service that allows you to share your music to other subscribers.

Pandora: Is an internet radio service that automatically recommends music to subscribers based on their genre or artist preference.

Subscription

Xbox Music: As mentioned earlier, you can enjoy the service for free but you?d have to put up with the ads, subscribe to Xbox Music Pass for a monthly fee of $9.99, or purchase and download songs or your liking.

iTunes: It is free to download and you can enjoy a lot of free and paid content on the app and you can even share media files to other computers in your home network. ?You can also rent movies on iTunes and enjoy them on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.

Spotify: ?You can enjoy listening to music for free but it?s laced with ads, an Unlimited Subscription costs $4.99 per month, and the Premium subscription costs $9.99 per month and has mobile and offline features.

Pandora: It?s a free service but like the others, it?s laced with ads. ?For an ad-free experience, you can pay $36 for a one-year subscription or pay $3.99 for a one-month subscription.

Availability

Xbox Music: Initial release will be for the Xbox 360 but will come pre-installed in Windows 8, Windows 8 devices, and Windows Phone 8 and will be available in other platforms by 2013. ?Will be available in 22 markets worldwide.

iTunes: Available for download on Mac and PC and is available in numerous countries though not all the features are available in all markets.

Spotify: Available for Mac and Windows PC as well as iOS, Android, Symbian, Windows Phone and BlackBerry. ?It is available in Sweden, UK, France, Spain, Norway, The Netherlands, US, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Australia and Belgium.

Pandora: Can be enjoyed on the web, home-listening devices, and on iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone devices. ?But it?s only available in the US, New Zealand and Australia because of DMCA?s requirements and protection. ?They use IP filtering to keep listeners, outside of the three mentioned areas, out.

Features

Xbox Music: Xbox Music Pass, Xbox Music Store, Smart DJ, Cloud music streaming, upcoming cloud storage and social integration features.

iTunes: Hosts all your media files, a place where you can download media content, allows you to share media files to home networks, create playlists, and because of the iCloud integration, all your media content is available on all your connected iDevices, when you want it, whenever you need it. ?You can also burn purchased content into a disk, though it has a limit, and it also allows you to listen to internet radio for free.

Spotify: Allows users to create playlists, share content on social platforms, listen to music on mobile devices, listen to music while offline, listen to it while on Facebook, artist radio, artist biographies, allows you to purchase songs and more.

Pandora: The new Pandora features a new look which makes it easy to use and is now faster than before. ?The social integration is still present so discovering content via your Pandora connections is easy. ?The new Pandora features better search, new control, music feed which is a centralized place to find what your friends and other people with similar music tastes are listening to and liking on Pandora, and you can now create your own profile so you can easily keep track which tracks you thumbs down or up.

Who wins?

Based on the features, Spotify seems to have the best overall service, with the option of listening online or offline on your mobile device so your music experience never stops, unless you ran out of battery. ?But unfortunately, it?s not available in many countries and iTunes has got that covered, though not all the features are available worldwide.

Pandora seems to be fading a bit into the background since other services also offer internet radio. ?But Xbox Music is setting out to offer the best quality of all three services, so if it becomes available to more markets and more platforms, I think it has the ability to truly compete in the booming music cloud business.

Source: http://siliconangle.com/blog/2012/10/15/xbox-music-vs-spotify-itunes-and-pandora/

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Reliance Power secures techno economic approval for large hydro project in India

CTBR Staff Writer Published 15 October 2012

India-based Reliance Power has secured the techno economic clearance from the country's Central Electricity Authority for its 700MW Tato II hydro power project in the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The company can now proceed with the implementation of the project with immediate effect, reported The Hindu BusinessLine.

Estimated to cost INR60bn ($1.1bn) the Tato II project is proposed to be developed in the West Siang district on River Siyom.

The hydro project will comprise four units, each with a 175MW power capacity and total projected output of 3,000MWh per annum.

Tato II hydro power project will function as a peak power station and will supply power to the national capital region of Delhi as per a power purchase agreement with BSES Rajdhani Power and BSES Yamuna Power.

Reliance Power subsidiary, Tato Hydro Power is responsible for the implementation of hydroelectric power projects in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The project is expected to be completed and commission in six years from the commencement of construction.

Source: http://hydro.cleantechnology-business-review.com/news/reliance-power-secures-techno-economic-approval-for-large-hydro-project-in-india-151012

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Family wants missing NH college student 'home' | WSLS 10

BOSTON (AP) The parents of a missing 19-year-old University of New Hampshire student who is believed to be dead have described their situation as "the worst parents nightmare."

In a statement Saturday, the family of Elizabeth "Lizzi" Marriott says, "This is the worst parents nightmare, a missing child and with an unfavorable outcome." The family asked for prayers for rescue personnel who are looking for their daughter, saying they need to "bring her home."

Twenty-nine-year-old Seth Mazzaglia, a martial arts instructor active in community theater was charged Saturday in the death of Marriott.

Assistant Attorney General James Vara says Marriott is believed to be dead and law enforcement officials continued to search for her body.

The girl's father, Bob Marriott, told hundreds at a vigil Saturday night in Westborough, Mass., that, "Together we created an angel, and tonight she is home in heaven."

Source: http://www2.wsls.com/news/2012/oct/13/family-wants-missing-nh-college-student-home-ar-2281460/

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'It's Just Hair: 20 Essential Life Lessons': Breast Cancer Survivor ...

Judith Pearson (courtesy Judith Pearson/Courage Concepts)

Judith Pearson (courtesy Judith Pearson/Courage Concepts)

LOS ANGELES (KNX 1070) ? For Judy Pearson, everything happens for a reason ? even if that means losing your hair.

Pearson, the award-winning author of ?It?s Just Hair: 20 Essential Life Lessons?, started writing the book after her breast cancer diagnosis forced her to confront the disease head-on.

She told KNX 1070?s Diane Thompson that reality is a ?hard pill to swallow sometimes.?

?Breast cancer was the last thing I needed to have happen. But, I just made up my mind that I was going to beat it and then find out what the reason was that it happened to me,? said Pearson. ?And as a writer and a public speaker, pretty obvious, go write and speak!?

Pearson told The Daily Beast that just hours before her mastectomy in 2011, she was encouraged to donate her tumor for cancer research. She agreed after they assured her they would ?respectfully? dispose of it.

?I said, ?Well, it?s not respecting me. It?s trying to kill me,?? said Pearson. ?Sure, have at it.?

In September, the Cancer Genome Project was published and reportedly used 850 tumors from the previous year ? one of which likely may have been Pearson?s.

A graduate of Michigan State University, Pearson has written two decades worth of newspaper and magazine articles, and has published three books, but says despite her success, she makes it a point never to downplay the struggles ? and victories ? she has experienced in her battle with breast cancer.

?When you have something like this face you, you can go two ways: you can pull the covers over your head and eat barbeque potato chips until you explode and do nothing,? Pearson said. ?Or you can try to look for the good in it, look for the purpose in it.?

?And your gonna have this bad thing happen to you anyway, so my recommendation is always look for the good,? she added. ?I really believe that.?

Source: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/10/14/its-just-hair-20-essential-life-lessons-breast-cancer-survivor-finds-her-purpose/

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John John Florence shines in the opening round of Rip Curl Pro ...

John John Florence shines in the opening round of Rip Curl Pro Portugal

Hawaii?s John John Florence managed to secure his place in the third round of Rip Curl Pro Portugal, the eighth of ten stops on the 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Tour, after clinching top honours in the third heat of Round 1 that went down at Supertubos in Peniche, Portugal, on Saturday, October 13, 2012.

Florence secured the win by getting the better of America?s Patrick Gudauskas and Australia?s Kai Otton, consequently relegating both his rivals to Round 2, where they had to surf again to earn their place in the third round.

A huge crowd had gathered at the primary event site during the morning session of the latest elite tour event, expecting to get plenty of entertainment as the top surfers from around the globe squared-off to get into the third round of the competition without having to go through the second round.

The clean two-to-three foot waves breaking at Supertubos looked very promising, but the surfers were finding it a bit hard to adjust their surfing to the conditions and therefore big scores were really tough to come by.

Florence, who is currently placed on the No.4 spot on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour rankings, was apparently looking to continue his excellent run of form in the Portugal event and wasted very little time to make his intentions clear to his rivals during the third heat of Round 1.

Pitted against Gudauskas and Otton in a three-man battle for the Round 3 spot, the Hawaiian powerhouse locked his first business-wave early in the heat to register a 7.50 on the score-board.

After a long and determined hunt, he was eventually able to add an additional 7.23 points to his account, thus moving to a heat-total of 14.73 points.

Gudauskas appeared to be struggling to find his rhythm during the course of the heat. Despite a desperate effort, he was only able to score a 4.67 and 2.67 off his best-two waves, finishing with a heat-total of 7.34 points as a result.

Otton was unable to do any better than his American rival. Getting a 2.00 off his first business-wave and adding another 2.13 points to his account, the Australian surfer finished with a heat-total of 4.13 points.

The action continued at Supertubos as the remaining heats of Round 1 unfolded.

Source: http://blogs.bettor.com/John-John-Florence-shines-in-the-opening-round-of-Rip-Curl-Pro-Portugal-a194481

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Reaction to death of ex-Sen. Arlen Specter of Pa.

Reaction to the death of former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who died Sunday:

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"He was a mentor, colleague and a political institution, and on a personal level, he was my first boss. Sen. Specter did more for the people of Pennsylvania over his more than 30 year career with the possible exception of Benjamin Franklin. He was a champion for veterans across our state and beyond, and will be deeply missed." ? Former Gov. Ed Rendell, who served as an assistant prosecutor when Specter was Philadelphia's district attorney.

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"Arlen Specter was always a fighter. From his days stamping out corruption as a prosecutor in Philadelphia to his three decades of service in the Senate, Arlen was fiercely independent ? never putting party or ideology ahead of the people he was chosen to serve. He brought that same toughness and determination to his personal struggles, using his own story to inspire others." ? President Barack Obama.

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"Arlen Specter loved our country and served it with integrity for three decades in the United States Senate. Laura and I appreciate his contributions to America and are grateful for his many years of public service." ? Former President George W. Bush.

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"He generated a lot of support and a lot of dissent, but he was unafraid to be held accountable. ... At the end of the day, he was one relentless, unapologetic fighter. Republicans and Democrats may not like how he voted, but they certainly had to respect his mindset." ? Former Gov. Tom Ridge.

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"Sen. Arlen Specter was a true Pennsylvania institution whose record of fighting for our Commonwealth is unmatched. Senator Specter's contributions to Pennsylvania and the United States will leave a lasting legacy." ? Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman Jim Burn.

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"A man of sharp intelligence and dogged determination, Sen. Specter dedicated his life to public service and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. His impact on our state and public policy will not be forgotten." ? U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who succeeded Specter.

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"Arlen was a statesman and a problem solver who was able to work with Democrats and Republicans in the best interest of our Commonwealth and our Country. Arlen fought cancer courageously and his enduring legacy of support for the National Institutes of Health will help countless Americans as they battle cancer and other ailments." ? U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.

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"Today, Saundy and I join Pennsylvanians in mourning the loss of a dedicated public servant. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sen. Specter's family and friends at this difficult time." ? Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Tom Smith, who is challenging Casey.

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"He made tremendous and long-lived contributions to Pennsylvania and to our nation. He distinguished himself by leading on criminal justice issues, foreign affairs, and most especially, fighting for advances in health care research. Sen. Specter attacked problems and sought to find consensus for solutions. He cared deeply about his constituents and understood their concerns. He had a brilliant mind and required that those he entrusted be equally engaged in the issues he took on." ? U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa.

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"Sen. Specter was a man of moderation; he was always passionate, but always easy to work with. I followed him through his previous illnesses, during the course of which he displayed great physical strength and great strength of character. Throughout his life, Sen. Specter fought and won many battles, but this was one he could not win. America is better today because of Arlen Specter." ? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

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"A legendary figure in his beloved Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter brought his fierce intellect and a prosecutor's drive to countless battles in the Senate. He was a fighter to the end." ? Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

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"For thirty years, he served the people of Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate well, often working across the aisle to get things done. He was a moderate who put the needs of his constituents and country before politics ? something seen all too rarely now." ? U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/reaction-death-ex-sen-arlen-specter-pa-191825835.html

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DIY Stevia Syrup [DIY]

DIY Stevia SyrupDo you enjoy powdered Stevia as a sweetener? Well not only can you grow the no-calorie sweetener yourself you can easily process those leaves into a syrup that's easily used in yogurt, pancakes, and other situations where you don't want to sprinkle powder on a food to sweeten it.

Natural household weblog Slightly Steady shares their recipe for making a sweetening syrup using Stevia leaves. You'll simply want to add one cup of water to three cups of chopped Stevia leaves and stems, cover tightly, and allow to sit for 24 hours. Taste for sweetness and if needed cover again for 12-24 hours. Strain the water into a pan and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes and then remove it from the heat and allow it to cool. You'll have a calorie-free sweetener syrup that will last for a few weeks in your refrigerator.

Many of us are trying to lessen our sugar intake these days and it can be difficult to know if artificial sweeteners are safe to ingest with many conflicting scientific studies. In this environment several people have turned to the humble Stevia plant to provide a no-calorie natural sweetener.

Homemade Stevia Syrup | Slightly Steady

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/iQnSy5pXnaI/diy-stevia-syrup

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