In Coens' Cannes hit, Oscar Isaac gets his break

CANNES, France (AP) ? Joel and Ethan Coen had almost given up on casting the lead for their film "Inside Llewyn Davis." The part, a folk musician in early 1960s Greenwich Village, demanded the elusive combination of someone who could both carry a movie and perform the songs central to the film.

Then they met Oscar Isaac.

"It just didn't happen until he walked in the room," says Joel Coen. "There was a point at which we wondered if we'd written something that was essentially impossible to cast."

The Coens have long been known for their casting acumen, but they may have outdone even themselves with Isaac, a 33-year-old, Juilliard-trained actor with a few notable credits to his name but nothing on par with a major Coen brothers release. The film was greeted ecstatically at the Cannes Film Festival at its Sunday premiere, with Isaac hailed as the festival's breakout star and a possible Oscar nominee.

"I finally got the shot," Isaac said in an interview. "And I got it in this context, which is more than I honestly could have ever imagined for myself."

In the film, Isaac plays Llewyn Davis, a character very loosely modeled on folk musician Dave Van Ronk. Despite his evident talent for personal songs with traditional folk influences, he's an artist just barely out of step with history. Bitter and increasingly frustrated, he's a raging failure, missing his moment, one instead grabbed by Bob Dylan.

For many, Isaac's story is kind of an inverse of Llewyn. He is a young actor who gets his chance ? "his minute," says music supervisor T Bone Burnett ? and takes advantage of it.

"The whole story is about a guy who never gets there," says Burnett, the frequent Coen collaborator. "And yet the actual person who's playing that guy, does it. He seizes that minute like a motherf-----."

Isaac isn't as sarcastic or as antagonistic as Llewyn: "My energy toward people is very much like 'I mean you no harm,'" he says. And he's trying not to get too far ahead himself with his rousing success at Cannes. His instinct, he says, "is always to diminish any good thing, so as not to be devastated later."

While Isaac says that he identifies with the role fortune and opportunity plays in catching a break, he more associates with the workmanlike attitude of both Llewyn and the Coens. For him, it was as much about gradually working toward "Llewyn Davis" as it was landing a single break.

"I remember when I was getting out of school, I was like, 'If they just gave me one shot. If they gave me the one shot, oh man, I know I can do it,'" he says. "Then I got my first movie and it came and it went, and I was like, 'If they just gave me one more shot, just another shot.' Then I started getting work, and I realized it's not about that. It's not about the shot. It's about work."

Born in Guatemala and raised in Florida, Isaac grew up playing in a variety of bands as a guitarist and singer, everything from ska to a hardcore band in which he sported blue hair. But since coming out of Juilliard, the New York actor has found his musical talents valuable in Hollywood. He also played a musician in the direct-to-DVD high school reunion comedy "10 Years."

His most notable previous credits include Madonna's British period film "W.E." and Nicolas Winding Refn's neo-noir "Drive," in which he played the formerly incarcerated husband of Carey Mulligan's character. (Mulligan co-stars in "Inside Llewyn Davis," along with Justin Timberlake.)

But when he heard about the Coens' film, he knew that his combination of skills was perfectly suited to the part.

"I said: I have to get a shot at this movie because I feel like my 33 years of life have been preparing me to do something like this," says Isaac.

He first submitted a recording of himself performing the traditional blues ballad, "Hang Me, Oh Hang Me," which Llewyn plays in the film. He auditioned for a casting director and then later for the Coens. Usually, as a guard against later disappointment, Isaac immediately tosses a script after an audition. But he didn't this time, and kept working on the part for the next month before Joel Coen called to tell him he got the part.

His preparation included performing the film's songs, like Llewyn, in downtown New York clubs. Buster Keaton was an influence in forming a "mask of melancholy."

"I would go to parties with that and try to interact with people with that," says Isaac. "It's tough because it's not about being cool. In a way, it's just about being very open and very up front with who you are. That was a scary place to live in."

But the music was central to character, a kind of window into Llewyn's soul. A bit of advice from Burnett (who also did the music for the Coens' "O Brother, Where Art Thou?") was crucial: "Sing like you're singing to yourself."

Along with Burnett, Isaac collaborated with Timberlake and Marcus Mumford. Using the parlance of musicians, Timberlake said Isaac "threw it down" in his performance.

"It felt like a little bit of serendipity," Timberlake says of the Cannes reception to Isaac. "Just seeing the looks on people's faces looking at him like, 'Where did you come from?' It felt like: 'Llewyn finally made it.'"

Moviegoers will surely become more familiar with Isaac when CBS Films releases "Inside Llewyn Davis" this December in the heart of awards season. (He also co-stars alongside Kirsten Dunst and Viggo Mortensen in the upcoming thriller "Two Faces of January.")

"Why this movie is so personal ? I think to all of us ? is because of the recognition that it just as easily can go the other way," Isaac says.

"There's very few geniuses that are shooting across the sky like Shakespeare or Dylan. The rest of us, it's like you have to work and be talented, but you got to be lucky for a lot of this stuff to happen."

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/coens-cannes-hit-oscar-isaac-gets-break-134149838.html

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CARE Demark Promotes Natural Resources and Environmental ...

An internal review and consultative workshop on the environment and climate change has taken place in Accra.


The two-day workshop provided the platform to share lessons and information on policy, programmes and process issues, and to review the environment and climate change sub-sector on thematic issues including climate change, biodiversity, desertification and land use planning, and environmental policy framework and assessments, among others.

It was organised by KASA under the CARE Ghana's Natural Resources and Environmental Governance (NREG) project, which seeks to reduce poverty through improved natural resource and environmental governance, with support from CARE Denmark.

The workshop was held with reference to the Post-Doha 2012 information sharing meeting which was organised by KASA, a key member of the Environment and Climate Change Working Group on March 28, this year.??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

The objective of the workshop was to support civil society and media organisations in advocating for equitable access, accountability, and transparency in natural resource and environmental governance in a concerted effort.

In the long-term, the project will benefit the majority of natural resource-dependent Ghanaians, estimated at 60-80% of the total population of Ghana.

CARE and its partners?International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) and SNV, a Netherlands Development Organisation will be working with 100 stakeholder entities, primary civil society organisations as well as the government, research and? media organisations.

Through NREG, CARE is providing core grants and small grants to civil society organisations that represent different geographical regions and varying natural resource and environmental issues affecting poor and marginalised people, so they can better advocate for equitable natural resource and environmental governance.

Some of the recommendations at the workshop included a call for an independent body to regulate NRE governance and the need to set up performance-based indicators to monitor the performance of civil society organisations in NRE governance.

It was also recommended that a National Housing Policy and a National Land-use Planning Policy should be formulated.

During discussions, it came out that a National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy had been formulated without first putting in place a National Climate Change Policy and that there was limited participation in the drawing up of the strategy, as there was no country-level participation, neither was there any political party consultations.

It also came to light that a National Climate Change Policy had received cabinet approval and a National Climate Change Committee established,

Another observation was that, while climate change had been mainstreamed into the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda, Ghana?s Economic Planning Policy and Budget Statement did not make any provision for climate change.

It was recommended that rather than mitigation, efforts should be directed at climate change adaptation.

The workshop agreed that there was nothing wrong tdepend on development partners for support and also came to the conclusion that climate change consultations should go beyond experts, duty bearers and civil society actors to include people at the community level, using participatory tools.

Source: ISD (G.D. Zaney)

?

Source: http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/news/general-news/22075-care-demark-promotes-natural-resources-and-environmental-governance

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Quirky App Of The Day: Granny's Cats Are Not Lovable Pets ...

I thought all old ladies loved cats. Maybe it?s the abundance of sitcoms that show old women surrounded by dozens of cats, or perhaps it?s my personal experience with the elderly and pet hoarding. Either way, I was shocked to play a game where an elderly lady is not only completely disgusted by felines, but she?s actively trying to kill as many as she can. Granny?s Cats is not about a lonely woman who spends her days in the company of a few beloved cats. This is a game about mowing them down with some heavy artillery.

Granny isn?t completely heartless. She does have a favorite pet. It just happens to be a goldfish. I?m sure you can now see how a group of cats circling the table where the fish bowl sits would cause you some anxiety. In the name of protecting the creature you love most in this world, you?re willing to knock down a few cats.

To move Granny, tap on the screen. To make her shoot, you hold your finger on your target. In order to add a little bit of a challenge to this game, you don?t have unlimited ammo. As you run low, there will be a pile that appears on the screen that has things like bullet boxes and arrows. Just tap on the pile to go over and pick up your ammo.

The cats go straight for your fish. Once they get under the table, you lose life points. Some cats will cause your health to decrease faster than others. The app provides a clear guide for the different abilities that each cat has.

As you play through the game, you earn money. This money can be used to buy more weapons. These weapon upgrades are as cheap as $200 or as expensive as $22,000. They range in attack, speed, and ammo capacity.

If you want to buy the weapons without having to earn the money by playing the game, there are some in-app purchases available. The least expensive money package costs $0.99 and gives you $1,500. The most expensive package is $4.99 and gives you $24,000.

I?ve played a few games that feature a tough old lady that won?t give up. I?d like to think that I?ll be one of those when I get old. I don?t think I?ll be blasting cats with a shotgun in order to protect my goldfish, but I?d like to believe I?d be active in my old age.

Source: http://appadvice.com/review/quirky-app-of-the-day-grannys-cats-are-not-lovable-pets

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What's so hard about corporate change? - Fortune Management

By Peter Cheese

(TheMIX) -- I don't think any of us in the business world need to be persuaded of the importance of becoming more agile and adaptive. Fast-pace change, uncertainty, and volatility are the lexicon of our work lives.

What most will acknowledge, though, is that change is hard. "We're good at the smaller change, but we're not good at the big strategic change," or "we start change programs, but we never seem to finish them properly," or even "we've got too many change initiatives but are still missing the point."

The evidence backs these perceptions. A 2008 study by IBM of more than 1,500 executives across 15 countries found that almost 60% failed on at least one major objective or failed entirely. More recent research by the University of Oxford reported that IT projects typically take longer than planned and cost more, with only 16% of projects hitting their targets.

As a driver of business change, M&A has also struggled to deliver value for shareholders. Most research since the 1980s suggests that as much as 70% of deals have destroyed rather than created value. A Cass Business School study, reported in CFO Magazine in June 2012, examined more than 3,000 UK acquisitions by UK companies between 1997 and 2010, and found that successful deals create more value than unsuccessful deals destroy, but still acknowledged that the failure rate was around 60%.

If managing successful change is at the heart of being adaptive, why are the failure rates apparently so high? And what are some of the barriers to creating truly flexible organizations -- organizations where change is not only welcomed but seen as energizing and engaging?

The typical culprits tend to fall in one of four categories: A lack of vision, middle management permafrost, a lack of understanding about change, and a lack of good methods to measure and implement change.

To encourage innovation, companies have to be able to collaborate, work across boundaries within and between organizations, to bring together disparate experiences and perspectives, and to properly empower people to come up with ideas and make change happen. In other words, we have to build different corporate cultures and ways of working.

These elements are the "softer" side of adaptability. But they are also the most critical enablers of change, and they are harder to understand and to put into effect, which is why they are so often underestimated.

Change Track Research in Australia has the biggest base of data I have seen on how change really works. They have tracked hundreds of change programs of all types over a wide range of companies for 10 years. This has provided great insights into what really are the major influencers of change.

Change Track's findings reinforce the point that things like a lack of management commitment, passion, and involvement are the greatest barriers to change.

So, how do we create the kind of environments and organizations that build trust through consistent commitment and passion?

First, we have to identify the real cultural norms of an enterprise. Are people really empowered or are they constrained by limited authority, freedom, or just plain untrusted? Has the organization built processes that can manage complexity but are actually disempowering?

Companies must build management commitment from the top, and that means building trust from top down. Managers need to communicate the following message: "I trust you to do the right thing, to react to the situation, or develop the new idea, but I will also support you if mistakes happen." All within reason, of course.

Managers must also reinforce these commitments and behaviors through the right processes and systems. These are, for the most part, done with the help of HR -- performance management, learning, leadership development, and so on.

Another approach to encourage change is to start with experiments and projects outside the mainstream of the business, where rules are set aside in the interest of encouraging more radical thinking and innovation.

If, as some like to suggest, HR is the custodian of corporate culture, then HR should be helping to articulate and understand these "softer" enablers of change and bring them to life.

What do you think sets adaptable organizations apart from the rest? Please share your thoughts and help us hack HR by joining the "Building an Adaptability Advantage" hackathon, a joint production of the?Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)?in the UK and the?MIX.

Peter Cheese joined the CIPD as CEO in July 2012. He spent 30 years working at Accenture, culminating in a 7 year spell as global managing director, leading the firm's talent and organization performance consulting practice.

Source: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/05/20/corporations-change-failure/

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AGA Student Research Fellowships enable 30 young investigators to further their research careers

Public release date: 20-May-2013
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Contact: Rachel Steigerwald
newsroom@gastro.org
301-272-1603
American Gastroenterological Association

Bethesda, MD (May 20, 2013) The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Research Foundation has announced the 2013 Student Research Fellowship Award recipients. The awards are intended to stimulate interest in research careers in digestive diseases among high school, undergraduate, graduate and medical school students. The high school recipients are funded by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation.

"The AGA Institute remains committed to providing young researchers with unprecedented research opportunities," said Nicholas F. LaRusso, MD, AGAF, chair of the AGA Research Foundation. "We are extremely impressed by the caliber of nominations we received for the 2013 Student Research Fellowship Awards, and we look forward to watching these gifted students as they work to advance the understanding of digestive diseases through their novel research objectives."

A total of eight awards of $2,500 each were given to support high school students interested in performing digestive disease or nutrition research for a minimum of 10 weeks. Virtually all have indicated an intention to continue their studies in medically related fields. This year's Broad Scholars are:

• Alexander R. Cohen, Newton South High School, MA
• Ayesha Godil, Granite Bay High School, CA
• Chimdi V. Obinero, Commack High School, NY
• Jordan M. Poles, Horace Greeley High School, Chappaqua, NY
• Naryan L. Rustgi, Haverford School for Boys, PA
• Prateeti P. Sarker, Dulaney High School, Timonium, MD
• Henry N. Senkfor, Hawken School, Gates Mills, OH
• Jordan L. Widom, Ransom Everglades, Miami, FL

The AGA Research Foundation also awarded 22 AGA Student Research Fellowship Awards to undergrad, graduate and medical students looking to further their research careers. These promising students will receive up to $3,000 each to perform research in digestive diseases over a 10-week period.

The Student Research Fellowship Awards program was created by the AGA more than a decade ago to stimulate interest in gastroenterological research careers in high school, college and medical school students. To date, the program has identified nearly 253 high school, undergraduate, graduate and medical students to participate in the program. Selected through a rigorous national application process, the students have participated in research at such distinguished institutions as Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; and others.

###

About the AGA Research Foundation

The AGA Research Foundation, formerly known as the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition, is the cornerstone of AGA's effort to expand digestive disease research funding. Since 1984, the AGA, through its foundations, has provided more than $40 million in research grants to more than 700 scientists. The AGA Research Foundation serves as a bridge to the future of research in gastroenterology and hepatology by providing critical funding to advance the careers of young researchers between the end of training and the establishment of credentials that earn National Institutes of Health grants. Learn more about the AGA Research Foundation or make a contribution at http://www.gastro.org/aga-foundation.

About the AGA Institute

The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to include 17,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. http://www.gastro.org.

Follow us on Twitter @AmerGastroAssn. Become an AGA fan on Facebook.

About The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation is a national venture philanthropy established by entrepreneur Eli Broad to advance entrepreneurship for the public good in education, science and the arts. The Broad Foundation invests in scientific and medical research in the areas of human genomics, stem cell research and inflammatory bowel disease. http://www.broadfoundation.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 20-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Rachel Steigerwald
newsroom@gastro.org
301-272-1603
American Gastroenterological Association

Bethesda, MD (May 20, 2013) The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Research Foundation has announced the 2013 Student Research Fellowship Award recipients. The awards are intended to stimulate interest in research careers in digestive diseases among high school, undergraduate, graduate and medical school students. The high school recipients are funded by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation.

"The AGA Institute remains committed to providing young researchers with unprecedented research opportunities," said Nicholas F. LaRusso, MD, AGAF, chair of the AGA Research Foundation. "We are extremely impressed by the caliber of nominations we received for the 2013 Student Research Fellowship Awards, and we look forward to watching these gifted students as they work to advance the understanding of digestive diseases through their novel research objectives."

A total of eight awards of $2,500 each were given to support high school students interested in performing digestive disease or nutrition research for a minimum of 10 weeks. Virtually all have indicated an intention to continue their studies in medically related fields. This year's Broad Scholars are:

• Alexander R. Cohen, Newton South High School, MA
• Ayesha Godil, Granite Bay High School, CA
• Chimdi V. Obinero, Commack High School, NY
• Jordan M. Poles, Horace Greeley High School, Chappaqua, NY
• Naryan L. Rustgi, Haverford School for Boys, PA
• Prateeti P. Sarker, Dulaney High School, Timonium, MD
• Henry N. Senkfor, Hawken School, Gates Mills, OH
• Jordan L. Widom, Ransom Everglades, Miami, FL

The AGA Research Foundation also awarded 22 AGA Student Research Fellowship Awards to undergrad, graduate and medical students looking to further their research careers. These promising students will receive up to $3,000 each to perform research in digestive diseases over a 10-week period.

The Student Research Fellowship Awards program was created by the AGA more than a decade ago to stimulate interest in gastroenterological research careers in high school, college and medical school students. To date, the program has identified nearly 253 high school, undergraduate, graduate and medical students to participate in the program. Selected through a rigorous national application process, the students have participated in research at such distinguished institutions as Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; and others.

###

About the AGA Research Foundation

The AGA Research Foundation, formerly known as the Foundation for Digestive Health and Nutrition, is the cornerstone of AGA's effort to expand digestive disease research funding. Since 1984, the AGA, through its foundations, has provided more than $40 million in research grants to more than 700 scientists. The AGA Research Foundation serves as a bridge to the future of research in gastroenterology and hepatology by providing critical funding to advance the careers of young researchers between the end of training and the establishment of credentials that earn National Institutes of Health grants. Learn more about the AGA Research Foundation or make a contribution at http://www.gastro.org/aga-foundation.

About the AGA Institute

The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to include 17,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. http://www.gastro.org.

Follow us on Twitter @AmerGastroAssn. Become an AGA fan on Facebook.

About The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation is a national venture philanthropy established by entrepreneur Eli Broad to advance entrepreneurship for the public good in education, science and the arts. The Broad Foundation invests in scientific and medical research in the areas of human genomics, stem cell research and inflammatory bowel disease. http://www.broadfoundation.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/aga-asr051613.php

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Feds rooting out 'unwelcome speech' on campus: But what is that?

The failure of the University of Montana to respond adequately to sexual assault allegations has led to a broadening of how the federal government defines verbal harassment. Free speech advocates worry that the new policy will chill the right to speak freely on campus.

By Patrik Jonsson,?Staff Writer / May 18, 2013

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Roy Austin, left, and U.S. Attorney for Montana Michael Cotter listen to University of Montana President Royce Engstrom discuss an agreement on the handling of campus sexual assault cases.

Matt Gouras/AP

Enlarge

The failure of the University of Montana to respond adequately to rape and sexual assault allegations against popular football players has led to a broadening of how the federal government defines sexual harassment, causing free speech advocates to worry that the new policy will be used to punish ?unwelcome? flirting and chill the right to speak freely on campus.

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A detailed ?resolution agreement? with the University of Montana, dated May 9, outlines what the US Department of Education and Justice Department describe as a new ?blueprint? for how colleges should view sex discrimination, assault, and harassment on campuses. The new policy is seen as binding, because colleges can lose federal funding, including Stafford and Pell grants, if they don?t abide.

Key among the federal findings at the University of Montana, where the university acknowledged it failed to properly address allegations of sexual assault against several football players, is the necessity to broaden the definition of sexual harassment to ?unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature,? including ?verbal conduct,? or speech.

The new policy also suggests that harassment does not have to be ?objectively offensive? to warrant complaints, and demands colleges take action against alleged aggressors even before judicial hearings are held.

A ?culture of rape and sexual violence ? is not exclusive to our campus,? Brittany Salley-Rains, co-director of the Women?s Resource Center at the University of Montana, told reporters at a press conference. ?There needs to be more prevention going forward and the university administration needs to do more to bring attention to the detrimental culture that threatens women."

The new policy outlined in the University of Montana agreement comes in response to campus expos?s about lax enforcement of sexual harassment rules, the signing by President Obama in March of the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act to make it easier to report sex crimes on campus, and a series of probes by the Department of Education into major universities that have allegedly failed to properly address sexual harassment and assault allegations.

To be sure, the new rules still require that sex crime allegations suggest either pervasive or severe acts or language, and still require an objective standard before allegations are upheld, according to the Department of Education?s letter to the University of Montana.

But campus free speech advocates have balked at those explanations, saying the policy could have a chilling impact on social, professional, even political dynamics on US college campuses. Critics say any sexual topic, including flirtation, sex ed classes, or a discussion of Vladimir Nabokov?s ?Lolita,? could be deemed ?unwelcome? and the basis for censure.

Such fears aren?t theoretical, campus free speech advocates say, citing a professor at the University of Denver who was found to have sexually harassed students by talking about sexual taboos in American culture.

?Unwelcome? speech has also been used in allegations of teachers creating a ?hostile environment,? which apparently happened to a professor at Purdue University at Calumet who last year faced investigation for criticizing on Facebook the failure by moderate Muslims to condemn violence by Islamic extremists.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/9IHtPkm1Rrw/Feds-rooting-out-unwelcome-speech-on-campus-But-what-is-that

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House Republicans Say They Can Legislate and Investigate at the Same Time

House Republicans are pushing back against a prominent conservative group?s suggestion that congressional leaders should avoid scheduling potentially divisive votes which could shift the media spotlight away from the White House?s recent woes.

Heritage Action, an influential group that works closely with the Republican Study Committee and its conservative members, wrote a letter Thursday to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., urging them not to bring two bills to the floor.

Both pieces of legislation?the Marketplace Fairness Act and the farm bill?are opposed by the group. In the letter, Heritage Action CEO Michael Needham warns Boehner and Cantor that voting on these bills ?would give the press a reason to shift their attention away from the failures of the Obama administration to write another ?circular firing squad? article.?

But the notion that House Republicans should steer clear of any potentially discordant votes did not sit well with some lawmakers.

?This is the House of Representatives,? said Rep. David Schweikert of Arizona, a conservative RSC member who said he normally supports Heritage Action?s efforts. ?We need to step up and do our work.?

At the opposite end of the GOP?s ideological spectrum, Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., a moderate who sometimes refers to himself as an independent, scoffed at the suggestion. Coffman said there?s no reason the House, which is playing a part in the investigations of the IRS and Justice Department, can?t simultaneously tend to its legislative duties.

?We?ve got two things occurring at the same time: committees doing oversight work, and committees doing legislative work,? he said. ?I don?t see the legislative agenda being changed at all?and that?s how it should be.?

According to a senior House leadership aide, Heritage Action isn?t concerned with the harmony of the House Republican Conference. Rather, the group wrote to leadership with the sole purpose of preventing legislation they?ve fought against from coming to the floor. ?Are they opposed to the farm bill because of timing, or are they just opposed to the farm bill?? the aide said. ?It?s not a serious argument.?

House Republicans realize the damage being done to the Obama administration and aren?t eager to distract the media with another internecine battle on the House floor. Still, members say, they have a job to do.

?Speaker Boehner is well-known for saying, ?When your opponent is committing suicide, don?t shoot him,? ? said Rep. John Kline, R-Minn. ?The White House is dealing with these scandals, but our job includes more than just watching to see whether this provides a political edge. Our job is to take part in governance, and enact policies that are good for the country.?

The leadership aide was quick to point out that neither of the bills mentioned in the Heritage Action letter is scheduled to come up next week. The Marketplace Fairness Act, which is being considered in the Ways and Means Committee, is not scheduled for a vote in the near future. And the farm bill, which just cleared the Agriculture Committee, isn?t likely to reach the House floor until June, after members return from Memorial Day recess.

Even if both bills were to come to the House floor next week, it?s not clear that House conservatives share Heritage Action?s concerns. Consideration of these bills may not splinter the conference at all. Either way, as Schweikert pointed out, this past week showed that House conservatives have no intention of easing up on the Obama administration anytime soon.

?They don?t have to worry,? Schweikert said of Heritage Action, smiling. ?My brothers and sisters here are focusing plenty on the IRS and the Department of Justice.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/house-republicans-legislate-investigate-same-time-073930038.html

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First long-term study reveals link between childhood ADHD and obesity

Public release date: 20-May-2013
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Contact: Allison Clair
allison.clair@nyumc.org
212-404-3753
NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine

A new study conducted by researchers at the Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center found men diagnosed as children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were twice as likely to be obese in a 33-year follow-up study compared to men who were not diagnosed with the condition. The study appears in the May 20 online edition of Pediatrics.

"Few studies have focused on long-term outcomes for patients diagnosed with ADHD in childhood. In this study, we wanted to assess the health outcomes of children diagnosed with ADHD, focusing on obesity rates and Body Mass Index," said lead author Francisco Xavier Castellanos, MD, Brooke and Daniel Neidich Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone. "Our results found that even when you control for other factors often associated with increased obesity rates such as socioeconomic status, men diagnosed with ADHD were at a significantly higher risk to suffer from high BMI and obesity as adults."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders, often diagnosed in childhood and lasting into adulthood. People with ADHD typically have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors and tend to be overly active. ADHD has an estimated worldwide prevalence of five percent, with men more likely to be diagnosed than women.

The prospective study included 207 white men diagnosed with ADHD at an average age of 8 and a comparison group of 178 men not diagnosed with childhood ADHD, who were matched for race, age, residence and social class. The average age at follow up was 41 years old. The study was designed to compare Body Mass Index (BMI) and obesity rates in grown men with and without childhood ADHD.

Results showed that, on average, men with childhood ADHD had significantly higher BMI (30.1 vs. 27.6) and obesity rates (41.1 percent vs. 21.6 percent) than men without childhood ADHD.

"The results of the study are concerning but not surprising to those who treat patients with ADHD. Lack of impulse control and poor planning skills are symptoms often associated with the condition and can lead to poor food choices and irregular eating habits," noted Dr. Castellanos. "This study emphasizes that children diagnosed with ADHD need to be monitored for long-term risk of obesity and taught healthy eating habits as they become teenagers and adults."

###

The research was supported by grants MH-18579 and T32 MH-067763 from the National Institute of Mental Health, grant DA-16979 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and grant PIOF-253103 from the European Commission.

Co-authors of the study include Salvatore Mannuzza, PhD (retired); Samuele Cortese, MD, PhD, of the Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience and Verona University, Italy; Erika Proal, PhD, of the Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience and Neuroingenia, Mexico; Rachel G. Klein, PhD, and Maria A. Ramos Olazagasti, PhD, of the Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center.

The Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center is a recognized leader in the treatment of child psychiatric disorders through scientific practice, research and education. The CSC offers a wide range of mental health services for children, adolescents, young adults and families and our experts specialize in the fields of child, adolescent and adult psychiatry, clinical psychology, neuropsychology, social work, pediatric neurology and education and academic achievement. The center recently moved to its new location at One Park Ave. in Manhattan, and has facilities in New Jersey and on Long Island. For more information, please visit the Child Study Center website or call (212) 263-6622.

About NYU Langone Medical Center

NYU Langone Medical Center, a world-class, patient-centered, integrated, academic medical center, is one of the nation's premier centers for excellence in clinical care, biomedical research and medical education. Located in the heart of Manhattan, NYU Langone is composed of four hospitals Tisch Hospital, its flagship acute care facility; the Hospital for Joint Diseases, one of only five hospitals in the nation dedicated to orthopaedics and rheumatology; Hassenfeld Pediatric Center, a comprehensive pediatric hospital supporting a full array of children's health services; and the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the world's first university-affiliated facility devoted entirely to rehabilitation medicine plus NYU School of Medicine, which since 1841 has trained thousands of physicians and scientists who have helped to shape the course of medical history. The medical center's tri-fold mission to serve, teach and discover is achieved 365 days a year through the seamless integration of a culture devoted to excellence in patient care, education and research. For more information, go to http://www.NYULMC.org.

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Public release date: 20-May-2013
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Contact: Allison Clair
allison.clair@nyumc.org
212-404-3753
NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine

A new study conducted by researchers at the Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center found men diagnosed as children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were twice as likely to be obese in a 33-year follow-up study compared to men who were not diagnosed with the condition. The study appears in the May 20 online edition of Pediatrics.

"Few studies have focused on long-term outcomes for patients diagnosed with ADHD in childhood. In this study, we wanted to assess the health outcomes of children diagnosed with ADHD, focusing on obesity rates and Body Mass Index," said lead author Francisco Xavier Castellanos, MD, Brooke and Daniel Neidich Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center at NYU Langone. "Our results found that even when you control for other factors often associated with increased obesity rates such as socioeconomic status, men diagnosed with ADHD were at a significantly higher risk to suffer from high BMI and obesity as adults."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders, often diagnosed in childhood and lasting into adulthood. People with ADHD typically have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors and tend to be overly active. ADHD has an estimated worldwide prevalence of five percent, with men more likely to be diagnosed than women.

The prospective study included 207 white men diagnosed with ADHD at an average age of 8 and a comparison group of 178 men not diagnosed with childhood ADHD, who were matched for race, age, residence and social class. The average age at follow up was 41 years old. The study was designed to compare Body Mass Index (BMI) and obesity rates in grown men with and without childhood ADHD.

Results showed that, on average, men with childhood ADHD had significantly higher BMI (30.1 vs. 27.6) and obesity rates (41.1 percent vs. 21.6 percent) than men without childhood ADHD.

"The results of the study are concerning but not surprising to those who treat patients with ADHD. Lack of impulse control and poor planning skills are symptoms often associated with the condition and can lead to poor food choices and irregular eating habits," noted Dr. Castellanos. "This study emphasizes that children diagnosed with ADHD need to be monitored for long-term risk of obesity and taught healthy eating habits as they become teenagers and adults."

###

The research was supported by grants MH-18579 and T32 MH-067763 from the National Institute of Mental Health, grant DA-16979 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and grant PIOF-253103 from the European Commission.

Co-authors of the study include Salvatore Mannuzza, PhD (retired); Samuele Cortese, MD, PhD, of the Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience and Verona University, Italy; Erika Proal, PhD, of the Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience and Neuroingenia, Mexico; Rachel G. Klein, PhD, and Maria A. Ramos Olazagasti, PhD, of the Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center.

The Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center is a recognized leader in the treatment of child psychiatric disorders through scientific practice, research and education. The CSC offers a wide range of mental health services for children, adolescents, young adults and families and our experts specialize in the fields of child, adolescent and adult psychiatry, clinical psychology, neuropsychology, social work, pediatric neurology and education and academic achievement. The center recently moved to its new location at One Park Ave. in Manhattan, and has facilities in New Jersey and on Long Island. For more information, please visit the Child Study Center website or call (212) 263-6622.

About NYU Langone Medical Center

NYU Langone Medical Center, a world-class, patient-centered, integrated, academic medical center, is one of the nation's premier centers for excellence in clinical care, biomedical research and medical education. Located in the heart of Manhattan, NYU Langone is composed of four hospitals Tisch Hospital, its flagship acute care facility; the Hospital for Joint Diseases, one of only five hospitals in the nation dedicated to orthopaedics and rheumatology; Hassenfeld Pediatric Center, a comprehensive pediatric hospital supporting a full array of children's health services; and the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the world's first university-affiliated facility devoted entirely to rehabilitation medicine plus NYU School of Medicine, which since 1841 has trained thousands of physicians and scientists who have helped to shape the course of medical history. The medical center's tri-fold mission to serve, teach and discover is achieved 365 days a year through the seamless integration of a culture devoted to excellence in patient care, education and research. For more information, go to http://www.NYULMC.org.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/nlmc-fls052013.php

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Kerry to Mideast to advance struggling Syria plan

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Secretary of State John Kerry is heading back to the Middle East this week to press his case for peace talks between Syrian rebels and President Bashar Assad's regime amid increasing signs the new U.S. strategy to halt the war is being undermined by Russia.

Kerry departs Monday for discussions with the sultan of Oman. He then goes to Jordan to gather with 10 of America's closest European and Arab partners to discuss how to advance a political transition and end more than two years of bloodshed in Syria, before traveling on to Israel.

For the Syria negotiations to succeed, the Obama administration is banking on Russia's help.

The U.S. and Russia have wrangled repeatedly while more than 70,000 Syrians have died, but they now say they're working together to start direct talks between Syria's government and the opposition in Geneva next month. Washington demands Assad's ouster, while Russia continues to provide the Syrian leader with military aid and diplomatic cover, but President Barack Obama this week said the meeting "may yield results."

The optimism echoes the message of Kerry, who during his Moscow visit earlier this month declared that the old Cold War foes, by rejuvenating Syrian peace hopes, were demonstrating how they "can accomplish great things together when the world needs it."

For all the heady talk of cooperation, however, Russia has continued to rebuff American demands that it cut off military support for Assad.

Moscow is preparing to give Syria state-of-the-art ground-to-air missile systems, Israeli officials say. It is beefing up its naval presence near its base in northwestern Syria, reports suggest. And, in the latest revelation, U.S. officials say Russia has provided the Assad regime with anti-ship cruise missiles.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the transfer of the advanced anti-ship missiles is "an unfortunate decision that will embolden the regime and prolong the suffering."

On the diplomatic front, the situation isn't much better. There, Russia has repeatedly blocked a proposal for an expanded Security Council trip to Turkey and Lebanon to study Syria's refugee crisis, according to U.N. diplomats.

The continued friction between Moscow on the one hand and Washington and its partners on the other comes as the Obama administration is evaluating a range of options, including military ones, to break the stalemate in Syria's civil war and respond to evidence that Assad's forces used small amounts of chemical weapons in two attacks in March. Obama previously declared chemical weapons use his "red line" for a more forceful American intervention, though Kerry and other U.S. officials have since suggested that no such step would be taken while the new peace push still has hope.

Russia's missiles support significantly boosts Syria's capability to target manned planes, drones and incoming missiles after its systems were easily circumvented in 2007 when Israeli jets bombed a suspected nuclear reactor site along the Euphrates River in northeastern Syria. Apparently successful Israeli strikes in recent weeks on weapons convoys to Hezbollah show the Syrian defenses are still far from impregnable, but the new weaponry adds further considerations as the United States tries to change Assad's calculation that he can prevail in Syria's civil war.

While more and better anti-missile systems wouldn't immediately change the fight between Syria's government and armed opposition, they would make it more dangerous for the U.S. and other governments to try to enforce a no-fly zone in the country or otherwise intervening militarily. And with Washington mulling over the options, the war continues. The refugee toll has topped 1.5 million people and much of the country has slipped into lawlessness.

Kerry's weeklong trip will also see him try to advance his two-month effort to restart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The secretary has convinced the Arab world to help by sweetening its deal of universal recognition for the Jewish state if it pulls out of most of the territory in east Jerusalem and the West Bank that it conquered in the 1967 Mideast war. But he has struggled to gain any public concession from Israel, which was accused of taking steps last week to legalize four unauthorized settlement outposts in the West Bank. The Palestinians see that land as part of its future state.

Kerry also will travel to Ethiopia to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity, the precursor to today's African Union.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-mideast-advance-struggling-syria-plan-080859747.html

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Tea party looks to take advantage of moment

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? Is the tea party getting its groove back? Shouts of vindication from around the country suggest the movement's leaders certainly think so.

They say the IRS acknowledgement that it had targeted their groups for extra scrutiny ? a claim that tea party activists had made for years ? is helping pump new energy into the coalition. And they are trying to use that development, along with the ongoing controversy over the Benghazi, Libya, terrorist attacks and the Justice Department's secret seizure of journalists' phone records, to recruit new activists incensed about government overreach.

"This is the defining moment to say 'I told you so,' " said Katrina Pierson, a Dallas-based tea party leader, who traveled to Washington last week as the three political headaches for President Barack Obama unfolded.

Luke Rogonjich, a tea party leader in Phoenix, called the trio of controversies a powerful confluence that bolsters the GOP's case against big government. "Suddenly, there are a lot of things pressing on the dam," said Rogonjich.

It's unclear whether a movement made up of disparate grassroots groups with no central body can take advantage of the moment and leverage it to grow stronger after a sub-par showing in last fall's election had called into question the movement's lasting impact. Republicans and Democrats alike say the tea party runs the risk of going too far in its criticism, which could once again open the door to Democratic efforts to paint it as an extreme arm of the GOP.

"Never underestimate the tea party's ability to overplay its hand," said Democratic strategist Mo Elleithee. "Just because there is universal agreement that the IRS went too far, that should not be misread as acceptance of the tea party's ideology of anger."

At the very least, furor over the IRS in particular is giving the tea party more visibility than it has had in months, and it's providing a new rallying cry for tea party organizers starting to plot how to influence the 2014 congressional elections.

The tax-agency scandal ? it has led to the acting IRS commissioner's ouster, a criminal investigation and Capitol Hill hearings ? seems to validate the tea party's long-held belief among supporters that government was trampling on them specifically, a claim dismissed by ousted commissioner Steven T. Miller. He has called the targeting "a mistake and not an act of partisanship."

Nevertheless, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., elected in 2010 with tea party backing, said the IRS scandal "confirms many of the feelings that led to the tea party movement in the first place."

"What's happened here is a reminder of, this is what happens when you expand government," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "That and the disaster that is Obamacare is going to be a real catalyst in 2014 and beyond."

Tea party activists hope they also can drive support ahead of the elections by stoking widespread suspicions that the Obama administration and State Department are hiding key details about the September 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. The seizure of Associated Press phone records also plays into their argument that government is too intrusive.

Tea party activists have tried to take advantage of the issues that have put some of their central tenets ? limited government and civil liberties ? in the spotlight.

From around the country last week, they headed Washington to hold a news conference on the Capitol steps and meet with members of Congress. Those who stayed home jammed House and Senate phone lines with calls urging congressional action as the IRS saga unfolded. An email from Teaparty.org that was sent to activists proclaimed: "We've worked so hard these past few years and it's paying off! We're witnessing the unraveling of a presidency at an unprecedented rate."

Freedomworks, a national tea party group, spent the week circulating petitions for congressional hearings and encouraging leaders of local groups who believe they have been targeted by the IRS to include their story on a national database to build the case against the agency.

"Perhaps all this attention will break something loose," said Jim Chiodo, an activist from Holland, Mich.

It wasn't long ago that the tea party was the hot new political kid on the block, bursting onto the national scene during the contentious summer debate over health care in 2009. Over the next few years, the loosely affiliated conservatives and civil libertarians would leave their mark on the 2010 elections by helping Republican candidates win Senate races in Florida, Kentucky, Utah and Wisconsin and scores of House races.

Those victories resulted in House and Senate Republican caucuses getting pushed to the right in legislative battles, making life difficult for Obama and his Democrats in an era of divided government.

But the movement's success was muted in 2012 when Republicans nominated the establishment-backed Mitt Romney for president, though he did little to inspire the tea party. He lost, and so did many tea party-backed House and Senate candidates.

Now, tea party activists say they are emboldened and won't be afraid to recruit candidates to run in Republican primaries against incumbents who appear to go easy on the Obama administration, particularly in light of the IRS scandal.

"It's one of those issues we should just raise hell about," said Nashville Tea Party leader Ben Cunningham.

Some say they're now even more suspicious of government than before.

"I personally feel so vindicated," said Mark Falzon, a New Jersey tea party leader. But he added: "What's scaring me now is what's going on below the water line that we're not seeing."

Republicans say that the tea party will have an opportunity come 2014 to make its mark again, particularly with Obama not at the top of the ticket. Also, they say that with Obama's health care law going into effect and with the slew of latest controversies, they now have concrete issues to point to when arguing against government overreach.

"Suddenly, this is a very real demonstration of too much power ceded to government bureaucrats," said Matt Kibbe, president of Freedomworks. "This is no longer theoretical."

___

Associated Press writers Steve Peoples in Boston and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Follow Thomas Beaumont on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Tom_Beaumont

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tea-party-looks-advantage-moment-131128674.html

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Mars rover Opportunity examines clay clues in rock

May 18, 2013 ? NASA's senior Mars rover, Opportunity, is driving to a new study area after a dramatic finish to 20 months on "Cape York" with examination of a rock intensely altered by water.

The fractured rock, called "Esperance," provides evidence about a wet ancient environment possibly favorable for life. The mission's principal investigator, Steve Squyres of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., said, "Esperance was so important, we committed several weeks to getting this one measurement of it, even though we knew the clock was ticking."

The mission's engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., had set this week as a deadline for starting a drive toward "Solander Point," where the team plans to keep Opportunity working during its next Martian winter.

"What's so special about Esperance is that there was enough water not only for reactions that produced clay minerals, but also enough to flush out ions set loose by those reactions, so that Opportunity can clearly see the alteration," said Scott McLennan of the State University of New York, Stony Brook, a long-term planner for Opportunity's science team.

This rock's composition is unlike any other Opportunity has investigated during nine years on Mars -- higher in aluminum and silica, lower in calcium and iron.

The next destination, Solander Point, and the area Opportunity is leaving, Cape York, both are segments of the rim of Endeavour Crater, which spans 14 miles (22 kilometers) across. The planned driving route to Solander Point is about 1.4 miles (2.2 kilometers). Cape York has been Opportunity's home since the rover arrived at the western edge of Endeavour in mid-2011 after a two-year trek from a smaller crater.

"Based on our current solar-array dust models, we intend to reach an area of 15 degrees northerly tilt before Opportunity's sixth Martian winter," said JPL's Scott Lever, mission manager. "Solander Point gives us that tilt and may allow us to move around quite a bit for winter science observations."

Northerly tilt increases output from the rover's solar panels during southern-hemisphere winter. Daily sunshine for Opportunity will reach winter minimum in February 2014. The rover needs to be on a favorable slope well before then.

The first drive away from Esperance covered 81.7 feet (24.9 meters) on May 14. Three days earlier, Opportunity finished exposing a patch of the rock's interior with the rock abrasion tool. The team used a camera and spectrometer on the robotic arm to examine Esperance.

The team identified Esperance while exploring a portion of Cape York where the Compact Reconnaissance Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter had detected a clay mineral. Clays typically form in wet environments that are not harshly acidic. For years, Opportunity had been finding evidence for ancient wet environments that were very acidic. The CRISM findings prompted the rover team to investigate the area where clay had been detected from orbit. There, they found an outcrop called "Whitewater Lake," containing a small amount of clay from alteration by exposure to water.

"There appears to have been extensive, but weak, alteration of Whitewater Lake, but intense alteration of Esperance along fractures that provided conduits for fluid flow," Squyres said. "Water that moved through fractures during this rock's history would have provided more favorable conditions for biology than any other wet environment recorded in rocks Opportunity has seen."

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Project launched Opportunity to Mars on July 7, 2003, about a month after its twin rover, Spirit. Both were sent for three-month prime missions to study the history of wet environments on ancient Mars and continued working in extended missions. Spirit ceased operations in 2010.

JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. For more about Opportunity, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/rovers and http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov . You can follow the project on Twitter and on Facebook at: http://twitter.com/MarsRovers and http://www.facebook.com/mars.rovers .

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/LelUYtxz7xM/130518100641.htm

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What's Your Favorite Cheap Home-Cooked Meal?

Cooking at home can save you a lot of money, but you can also rack up a huge grocery bill learning to make certain dishes that don't always turn out better than their cheaper counterparts. What are your favorite inexpensive, home-cooked meals?

Personal finance blog Wise Bread shares a number of recipes that cost as little as $2 each to make. That seems a little on the excessively cheap side, however one of my favorite cheap meals?which comes out to about $2?is just rice, beans, and veggies. What's yours? Share a recipe if you've got it!

Best Money Tips: Dinner Recipes for $2 or Less | Wisebread

Photo by wavebreakmedia (Shutterstock).

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/SpbLAK2arI8/whats-your-favorite-cheap-home-cooked-meal-506253953

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Brussels, Berlin lukewarm on Hollande's euro zone vision

By Luke Baker

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European officials gave a lukewarm response to French President Francois Hollande's sweeping proposals for deeper euro zone integration on Friday, noting that many of his ideas were already in circulation.

In a 2-1/2-hour news conference at the Elysee Palace on Thursday, Hollande set out plans for an "economic government" for the 17 euro zone countries, including its own budget and a full-time president.

The sweeping vision also encompassed a harmonized tax system and the ability for the euro zone to borrow money by issuing its own bonds, a proposal that has been raised repeatedly over the past three years and been roundly rejected by Germany.

"It is my responsibility as the leader of a founder member of the European Union ... to pull Europe out of this torpor that has gripped it, and to reduce people's disenchantment with it," Hollande said, casting himself as something of a savior.

"If Europe stays in the state it is now, it could be the end of the project."

The European Commission, the EU executive which presented detailed plans for closer integration in a "blueprint" published last November, said it was pleased Hollande was engaged on the same issues, calling it "food for thought".

"We see that the Commission and France share the common ambition for Europe, a more integrated Europe from a political and economic point of view," Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly told reporters.

"We welcome their desire to get involved in this discussion regarding the economic deepening and political union, and their ideas are welcome, and we have our ideas, of course."

Other officials cast Hollande's comments as an attempt to regain the initiative in the European debate, after criticism in recent months that France has lost its voice in Europe and no longer has the same influence and stature as Germany.

Political analysts argue the EU can only function successfully when France and Germany, who fought two world wars before overcoming their differences to forge the foundations of the EU 60 years ago, stand together and work in consort.

But the economic malaise that has gripped France over the past two years, including slipping into recession at the start of this year, has undermined Hollande's clout and left the nation lagging Germany, the euro zone's largest economy.

"Everything we're hearing from Hollande we've already heard from (Nicolas) Sarkozy," said an EU official, referring to the former French president, who also talked about the need for an economic government and jointly issued euro zone debt.

"This really sounds like 'back to the future'. It's more about Hollande trying to have a voice, trying to regain the initiative on the European agenda, but there's nothing new."

FRENCH 'WINDOW-DRESSING'

More importantly, it does not appear that Hollande has much backing from Berlin for his vision, which includes the ambition of forging a full "political union" within two years.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman told a news conference that Hollande's proposal was "interesting and worth considering" but was essentially something the chancellor had been discussing with Sarkozy since 2011.

"It has been part of German thinking for a while anyway, and we have been working closely with France on it," Steffen Seibert told reporters.

On the specific idea of creating a separate budget for the euro zone, the German economy ministry urged caution, pointing out that it could limit the rights of the German parliament, something guaranteed to make it unacceptable to Berlin.

"I think we should exercise caution on this," said a spokesman.

Officials in Brussels, speaking on condition of anonymity because they did not want to be seen to be meddling in Franco-German relations, said they had no indications Merkel was suddenly more open to France's ideas than before.

"It's not as if Hollande has suddenly identified some new appetite in Berlin for euro zone debt issuance and a single euro zone president," said a diplomat from a leading member state.

"Hollande's proposals are not based on any new entente between Paris and Berlin, it's just pie in the sky ideas."

Economic commentator Wolfgang Munchau, in his daily commentary on EU news and affairs, described Hollande's plans as a desperate attempt to revive his flagging domestic popularity.

"Essentially, this is not about Europe at all but about French politics, an attempt to calm down French critics who want France's voice to be heard," he wrote.

"Hollande repeated ideas that are known to be no-go zones for Germany. So it looks like a window-dressing exercise with no real consequences."

(Additional reporting by Stephen Brown and Andreas Rinke in Berlin and Paul Taylor in Paris; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/brussels-berlin-lukewarm-hollandes-euro-zone-vision-132649714.html

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NM mom: I followed instincts in chasing abductor

Melissa Torrez, 27, holds her 4-year-old daughter in her apartment in Albuquerque, N.M., Friday, May 17, 2013. Torrez chased down a man for miles and ran into his car Wednesday, May 15, after he abducted her daughter. She told The Associated Press her ?mother's instincts? kicked in when she launched her chase. Police later arrested 31-year-old David Hernandez and charged him with kidnapping and child abuse. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras)

Melissa Torrez, 27, holds her 4-year-old daughter in her apartment in Albuquerque, N.M., Friday, May 17, 2013. Torrez chased down a man for miles and ran into his car Wednesday, May 15, after he abducted her daughter. She told The Associated Press her ?mother's instincts? kicked in when she launched her chase. Police later arrested 31-year-old David Hernandez and charged him with kidnapping and child abuse. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras)

This undated photo provided by the Albuquerque police department shows David Hernandez, 31, who was arrested Thursday, May 16, 2013 on kidnapping charges. Police say a mother whose 4-year-old daughter was being abducted from an Albuquerque, N.M. apartment complex chased Hernandez on Wednesday and crashed her vehicle into his car, triggering a manhunt. The 4-year-old was found later, uninjured, police said. (AP Photo/Courtesy Albuquerque Police Department)

Melissa Torrez, 27, holds her 4-year-old daughter in her apartment in Albuquerque, N.M., Friday, May 17, 2013. Torrez chased down a man for miles and ran into his car Wednesday, May 15, after he abducted her daughter. She told The Associated Press her ?mother's instincts? kicked in when she launched her chase. Police later arrested 31-year-old David Hernandez and charged him with kidnapping and child abuse. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras)

This undated photo provided by the Albuquerque police department shows David Hernandez, 31, who was arrested Thursday, May 16, 2013 on kidnapping charges. Police say a mother whose 4-year-old daughter was being abducted from an Albuquerque, N.M. apartment complex chased Hernandez on Wednesday and crashed her vehicle into his car, triggering a manhunt. The 4-year-old was found later, uninjured, police said. (AP Photo/Courtesy Albuquerque Police Department)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ? Melissa Torrez didn't even think when teenagers in her apartment complex said a man had just grabbed her 4-year-old girl and drove away.

She jumped in her car and began chasing the brown Buick through traffic, zigzagging on Interstate 40 at high speeds and staying with the car even as it bluffed trying to exit in an attempt to lose her.

Many called Torrez a hero after her story came out Wednesday. But Torrez said Friday that she was just a mother following her instincts.

"My mind went black. I grabbed my keys," said the 27-year-old mother of three. "I just got in my car and I ... went looking for her."

Torrez said she remained only focused on getting her daughter back and quickly drove around the complex as teenagers chased the suspected abductor, later identified by police as 31-year-old David Hernandez. The teenagers pointed out his whereabouts, she said.

Torrez said she eventually found a man in a brown Buick who led her on a high-speed chase throughout Albuquerque.

"I felt like I was flying ... as if I didn't have my soul or something," she said.

The frantic mom was able to corner the man in the Buick at an apartment complex with no exit. She said as she drove toward his vehicle, she lost control of her car and struck his car.

"I wasn't trying to hit it because I thought my daughter was inside," Torrez said.

Torrez said the man got out of the car and raised his hands but took off running when police arrived. She then ran toward the car to search for her daughter but the vehicle was empty. An empty infant car seat was the only thing left.

According to a police report, Hernandez pushed the 4-year-old out of the car at the Saint Anthony's Plaza Apartment complex shortly after the abduction "presumably once he noticed Torrez had been notified and was following him."

Authorities said the child was uninjured.

Torrez said she found out that her daughter was safe when neighbors called her.

Police arrested Hernandez the next day following a massive manhunt that involved Homeland Security Investigations and the newly created multiagency called Sexual Predator and Exploitation Enforcement Detail, or SPEED, a task force aimed at finding missing and abducted children.

Hernandez was charged with kidnapping and child abuse. He told reporters Thursday he was innocent.

It was unclear if he had an attorney.

Police were also investigating a possible connection to the abduction and sexual assault of a 6-year-old from the same apartment complex last week. The suspect in that case was described as a male in a silver or gray vehicle.

Torrez said the ordeal has left her on edge. "I'm overprotective, but I'm even more overprotective now," she said. "That's my baby."

___

Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontreras.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-17-US-Mom-Chases-Abductor/id-3848892511724db28cfaa77afd2258b0

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