(Image Source: SANA)

BY ADNAN S. KHAN

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

The videos are unconfirmed, but reports of military strikes on civilians continue to come out of Syria.


“Here amateur footage seems to show a field hospital under attack. People scream in pain as medical staff do all they can do to help.” (SOURCE: ITN)

“Take a look around, we lack medicines, equipment, medical staff. We don’t have any doctors. The Red Crescent ambulances cannot enter … because of the shelling by Assad army.” (SOURCE: The Telegraph)

And reports indicate Assad’s forces are suffering casualties as well.


“Violence has also spread to Syria’s second largest city Aleppo with two massive explosions on Friday. State television called it a terrorist attack. Both civilian and military officials were reported to have been killed.” (SOURCE: Al Jazeera)
 

“Gunmen assailing an army general in Damascus today. This marks the first killing of a high ranking military officer ... The attack indicate the violence is reaching the tightly controlled capital though.” (SOURCE: MSNBC)

The assassination of a military general has particularly shocked the Assad regime.
Calling the general a “martyr,” state-run Syrian Arab News Agency, or SANA, says he is one of many top officials that have been targeted.


“Over the past period, a number of efficient, skilled and specialized national cadres were assassinated by armed terrorist groups.”
 

In a separate article, the news agency claims foreign powers are behind the killing of innocents in Syria.

“The Ministry [of Interior] also held the regional and international forces and countries which support terrorist groups and provide them with funds and weapons responsible for the Syrian blood which is being shed every day in several Syrian cities.”


Meanwhile, the BBC reports Saudi Arabia is circulating a resolution similar to the one vetoed in the Security Council.


“The draft resolution circulated by Saudi Arabia ‘fully supports’ the Arab League peace plan published last month, which called on Mr Assad to hand over power to his vice-president, and make way for the rapid formation of a national unity government including the opposition.”


But will disposing of Assad work? A contributor for Fox News says not necessarily.

“…anyone who believes that just forcing President Assad out is going to magically bring a nice bright shiny new perfect democracy with leaders who carefully read the New York Times every day belongs in Cloud Cuckoo Land alongside Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.”


For many Syrians, inaction is worst the possible path.


“Why isn’t anyone helping us? Where is the humanity in the world? Where the **** is UN? Why isn’t anyone doing anything about this? Now this animals harming civilian houses. Aren’t these human beings living in these…(explosion)”



 

(Image source: Youtube/alornmage)

BY EMILY SPAIN

A North Carolina father wasn’t pleased when his 15-year-old daughter wrote a long, angry Facebook post about her home life.
So to punish her for it, Tommy Jordan shot multiple bullets through the teen’s laptop.
And -- he recorded the whole thing.

In his daughter’s post she complains about having to do chores around the house. Jordan uploaded his response video on Youtube and posted it on his Facebook page. Here’s a clip of that video -- he titled it “Facebook Parenting: for the troubled teen”.

“I’m going to put a stop to it, and I’m going to put a stop to it right now... This right here in my .45” 

The 8-minute video went viral, getting more than 13 million views and climbing in just three days.
So, were Jordan’s actions justified or just plain crazy? People spouted off on his Facebook page:

One person commented:
“You are one very twisted dude. I hope you get some help with your anger problem before you use that gun on someone, like your daughter.”

And another:
“Anyone who thinks you’re an awful parent is either a teen (no explanation needed there), or a parent who lets their kids walk all over them. I think your vid was effective and reasonable.”

A writer for Yahoo! also strikes down Jordan’s parenting skills, and even suggests therapy.

“I certainly hope this dad is not going to shoot up everything when his child does something wrong. You didn't sweep the floor; let me empty an entire clip into the broom. You didn't feed the dog; I'll just shoot him to prove a point. Using violence is not a form of safe, effective, consistent parenting.”

Others applaud Jordan’s tough love, saying sometimes it takes drastic measures to get kids to pay attention. Mashable reports, social media and the family is a constant conversation.

“The role of social media in family life has been debated since social networks began to catch on, but Jordan appears to be taking a proactive approach.”

Jordan wrote on his Facebook page that he had no idea his video would go viral and doesn’t plan on seeking more stardom.  He even apologized for some of the things he said in the video and gives this piece of advice ...

"Once you put it out there, you can't take it back, so think carefully before you use the Internet to broadcast your thoughts and feelings.”

To read Jordan’s full response click here or to watch the complete video click here.

Transcript by Newsy.

(Image Source: Al Jazeera)

BY NATHAN BYRNE

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad chose a rally celebrating the 33rd anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution to announce...an announcement. euronews reports...

"... President Ahmadinejad told the huge crowd in Azadi Square that, in the coming days, they and the world would hear some very important and very major announcements of nuclear achievements."

This, on the heels of a U.N. investigation into Iran’s nuclear program. But, Fars News Agency claims there’s nothing to hide, saying...

"Washington and its Western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations. Iran denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only."

A report from The Guardian details Iran’s explanation.

"[Iran] has said it is forced to manufacture nuclear fuel rods, which provide fuel for reactors, on its own since international sanctions ban it from buying them on foreign markets."

Also in his speech, Ahmadinejad fired verbal warnings to the West. According to BBC News...

"He also promised that Iran would never yield to the West if it continued to use ‘the language of force and insult’. Last week, President Barack Obama said the United States would work in ‘lockstep’ with Israel to prevent Iran developing nuclear weapons."

Ahmadinejad didn’t elaborate on the nature of the nuclear announcement, but the scientific reporter for the Islamic Republic News Agency backs up the other peaceful claims, saying...

"... the achievements deal with scientific application of nuclear know-how to the betterment of life standard and augmenting level of food and agriculture products."

The Iranian president didn’t specify a date for the announcement.

Image source: The New York Times

BY ZACH TOOMBS 

It’s a virtual who’s who of conservative activists — from Mike Huckabee to Ann Coulter to Chuck Norris. And, on Friday, GOP presidential hopefuls made their best attempt to woo those potential supporters at CPAC — the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

Speaking on his record as Massachusetts’ governor, Mitt Romney grabbed early unwanted headlines with this ad-libbed comment.

“I was a severely conservative Republican governor.”

Rachel Maddow’s mocking reaction mirrored that of many others:

“Mitt Romney: Not just conservative, but severely conservative.”

And from the other end of the spectrum, Rush Limbaugh was left puzzled as well...

“I have never heard anybody say ‘I’m severely conservative.’ ”

Nitpicky? POLITICO says “maybe,” but:

“...by going off-script to use an awkward modifier that no movement conservative would ever affix to themselves, he made clear why, despite vast advantages in money and organization, he’s still struggling to win the trust of a party base needed to secure the GOP presidential nomination. He’s just not a natural fit.”

And while Romney touted his conservative highlight reel, Rick Santorum made the case for hardline right-wing politics — an ideology he says is better fit to beat President Obama in November than John McCain’s relatively middle-of-the-road approach in 2008.

“Well, I think we have learned our lesson. And the lesson we’ve learned is that we will no longer abandon and apologize for the policies and principles that have made this country great for a hollow victory in November.”

Friday was a good day for Santorum: for the first time, a national poll from Public Policy Polling ranked him ahead of Romney. And his speech at CPAC drew nearly unanimous praise in conservative circles.

The Washington Times writes:

“Santorum's address was not a red vs. blue cheerleader pep rally meant to make Republicans feel good about their brand. Instead it was an adult conversation with conservatives about the future of their movement.”

Predictably, it was Gingrich who provided the longest — and, for many, the most volatile — speech among the candidates. The former House Speaker not only took aim at Democrats but he also called out GOP insiders.

“We need to teach the Republican establishment a lesson. We are determined to rebuild America, not to manage its decay."

Gingrich also used the occasion to roll out his new Conservative Dream Team of supporters. A page dedicated to the team appeared on his website Friday, along with this:

A photo of Gingrich and company that The Hill said looked like “an ad for a law firm” — with Rick Perry, Herman Cain and even the Texas Ranger himself filling in as partners.

Another GOP presidential hopeful, Ron Paul, skipped CPAC this year. Instead, the candidate focused on some last-minute campaigning in Maine.

(Image source: helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com)

BY BRICE SANDER

Music’s mega couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z are just like any proud parents. Changing diapers, taking care of late night feedings … oh, and posting pictures of baby Blue Ivy online. The duo took to Tumblr to debut baby Blue -- NBC has the pics.

“They’re posting a series of intimate portraits of themselves with their new bundle of joy on their website. Blue Ivy was born just over a month ago. Beyoncé and Jay-Z say they welcome their fans to share in their joy.”

Hollywood Life finds the choice to post the pics online refreshing.

“In a world where most celebrities sell their baby pics to major magazines and tabloids, this was a shocking move … Instead of having Annie Leibovitz take portraits of Blue Ivy and then pasting them on the cover of Vanity Fair (yes, I’m looking at YOU, Suri Cruise) they put them up for free ...”

MTV says the celebrity world is already crazy in love with baby Blue.

“Aunt Solange Knowles shared on Twitter ‘THE PROUDEST AUNT IN THE WORLD….OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD #HELLOBLUE …’ and TV personality and mommy herself La La Vasquez ReTweeted Solange and added, ‘Beautiful beyond words!’”

The Washington Post reports the big reveal isn’t the only Blue Ivy news this week.

“… new parents Beyoncé and Jay-Z filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to protect the baby’s name — and reserve it for a future line of baby carriages, baby cosmetics, diaper bags and other undoubtedly fabulous accoutrements for the fashion-forward infant.”

But is that extreme? Bey and Jay have skipped a lot of opportunities to profit off their private life – remember they didn’t sell their wedding pics, either. Hollyscoop says they’re just trying to keep their daughter from being exploited.

“The move may seem overzealous, but it already proven a smart thing to do, because two other people already tried to trademark the name for perfume for perfume and a fashion line. They were both denied.”

(Image Source: CNN)

BY ORLA O'MUIRI

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS


Police in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro have begun a ten day strike over low salaries --- just less than two weeks before the city is due to host its legendary Carnival. 
The BBC reports.
 

“Rio have voted to strike over pay and conditions just a week before the city’s annual carnival begins. The government have approved a thirty nine per cent pay rise over the next two years for police, personal guards and firefighters but officers claim they want double that."

Thousands gathered in Rio Friday morning for a six-hour demonstration. The strike is expected to spread to several more of Brazil’s cities and states in the coming days. The Guardian explains the reason behind the disruption.
 

“Police in Rio face one of the toughest jobs in the country – tackling heavily armed gangs in the city's many sprawling slums – they are among the worst-paid, with salaries starting at $964 (£612) a month.”
 

The impact of the strikes are yet to be felt, but with Carnival celebrations typically attracting more than 800,000 tourists and bringing millions of dollars to the Brazilian economy, it’s not a risk many Brazilians are willing to take.

Although officaials are adamant the show will go on, many vistors have already cancelled their trips.
 

Brazil will also play host to the championship matches of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. They must wait and see if this disruption will have any consequences on a global scale.
 

(Image Source: Emirates 24/7)

BY LUKE LEONARD

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

A Saudi blogger who angered Saudi religious authorities has been arrested on his way to New Zealand to seek asylum. A blogger for the Christian Science Monitor reports.


“A 23-year-old Saudi Twitter user, Hamza Kashgari, fled the country Sunday to avoid being arrested for his religious tweets, only to find himself in the hands of the Malaysian police today. … It has been reported that Malaysia, an officially Islamic state, will forcibly repatriate Kashgar to Saudi Arabia.”


Last Saturday was the celebration of the Prophet Mohammad’s birthday. Kashgari tweeted several messages
 

“I love many things about you and hate others, and there are many things about you I don't understand.”
“I won't bow in front of you, I won't kiss your hand. Instead, I will shake it as an equal...”
And
“No Saudi women will go to hell, because it's impossible to go there twice.”
 

After those tweets, Kashgari became the target of harassment and death threats. His name and address were posted, and he fled the country.


As of Friday, over 14,000 people have joined a Facebook group called “The Saudi People Demand the Execution of Hamza Kashgari.”


A video posted to YouTube shows the Saudi Sheikh Nassar al Omar weeping over the tweets, calling them the worst things he’d ever read.

And it wasn’t just religious authorities. A panel for The Daily Beast discussed political leaders getting involved as well.
 

“The king has issued a warrant for his arrest. So it wasn’t just the general sort of online fatwa and the explosion … but the government getting involved as well.”


The arrest in Malaysia struck up international debate over free expression. Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa said the organization is calling for Kashgari’s release.


“Amnesty International considers Hamza Kashgari a prisoner of conscience since he is being detained in Malaysia for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression...”



Kashgari claims his statements were not in vain and were a step towards freedom of speech — a basic human right. The Twitter account has since been deleted.
 

(Images source: ABC)

BY TATIANA DARIE

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

Old drug, new hope. According to a new study, a skin cancer drug has succeeded in reversing early stage Alzheimer's disease in mice. The results showed the drug dramatically improved brain function and restored the sense of smell in mice with Alzheimers. The UK’s Channel 4 reports...

”The research by scientists in the United States is in its early stages but could offer the prospect of an effective therapy for an illness which causes so much distress to millions of sufferers and their families across the world”

Alzheimers is a form of dementia that is likely to become more common as people live longer. Current drugs on the market only slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The Wall Street Journal reports, the neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine hope the drug known as bexarotene, will someday work in humans as well.

“Since this drug is already approved for human use in another condition we have a pretty good idea of what the safety and side effects are in humans, but still more research needs to be done, specifically in Alzheimer patients before you can determine the proper safe dosage.”

But, Maria Carrillo of the Alzheimer’s Association told the Columbus Dispatch, the promising findings in mice may not translate to humans.

“We’re not sure that this is going to actually show the desired clinical benefits...We owe it to ourselves and our constituents to follow every lead that we have...”

And researchers want to act fast, fearing people might start using the drug before it’s fully evaluated. Fellow researcher Gary Landreth warns, Alzheimer’s patients shouldn’t be asking for a prescription of the drug just yet. The Huffington Post say s...

“Don't try this at home, because we don't know we what dose to give, we don't know how frequently to give it, and there are a few nuances to its administration. So one shouldn't be prescribing it off-label."

Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia affect more than 35 million people worldwide, and Alzheimer’s Disease International says cases are expected to double in the next 10 years.

(Image Source: Automobile Magazine)

BY ELIZABETH RINEHART

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

It’s 100% electric and has wings – meet Tesla’s “Model X.”

“it's more for functionality than a minivan and more stylish than an SUV, with more performance than a sports car. So it's just better. Ahhh, there it is, the falcon wing doors as they're called, make things easy, gets the kids in and out..."(Source: ABC 2)

So what else sets it apart from any other luxury SUV? Well, for one, it’s completely electric - the car runs on either a 60 or 80 kilowatt battery. What exactly does that mean? According to MSNBC, its range would be...

“...something on the order of 215 miles for the small pack, 270 for the larger.”

However, what might turn off those potential customers, according to Fox News, is its price.

“Tesla says it will be close to that of the Model S, which costs between $67,400-$105,400 with the same size battery packs. A $57,400 version of the sedan with a 160-mile range is also planned.”

And the California-based company plans on having the Model X on the market in early 2014.  It has all of the features of any other car, including, according to Tech Buffalo...

“Three rows of seating, front-trunk, back trunk. They say it's quicker than a Porche 911 and has more room than an Audi Q-7”

Its falcon wings are as much substance as they are style. Tesla’s CEO shows that...

“You can step into the car... So, I'm 6'1.5"..." (Source: Forbes)

According to Hybrid Cars, that’s not the only enticing aspect.

“The Model X features an all-wheel drive system with electric motors spinning the front and rear wheels independently. According to (Tesla CEO), the AWD system 'is incredibly precise and accurate in its application of power and traction.'” 

Tesla’s been making electric cars at their Fremont, California plant since 2010.

(Image source: UCLA/LA Times)

BY JIM FLINK

If you tend to be on the forgetful side, all you might need is a little jolt. A new study out of UCLA says -- an electrical shock might be the thing to jar a foggy memory. Here’s Slate with more.

“In a small sampling, patients with epilepsy, including some with memory impairment, had wires inserted into their brains, delivering electrical currents to clusters of neurons that no longer functioned properly and caused seizures.”

The researchers asked the patients to play a taxi driving video game, which tested their spatial memory. The electric wires stimulated different parts of the brain as they were learning their virtual environment. The Guardian explains how the patients performed.

“Six of them took shorter and faster paths to the locations they had learned during stimulation to the entorhinal cortex, recognizing the landmarks more readily, and even finding shortcuts, to navigate the required routes more quickly.”

The researchers called the cortex “the gateway to hippocampus” — meaning shocking that part of the brain helps experience get turned into memory. A writer for MyHealthNewsDaily explains how the findings could help those who have trouble remembering new information.

“Because the brain stimulation was delivered only while participants were learning, the findings suggest that such stimulation would not need to be continuous in order to improve memory .. This could mean that a device implanted in the brain could be designed to switch on only at certain times during daily activities, in order to boost memory…”

The study only looked at seven patients, so the sample size was pretty limited. Still it’s giving hope to patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The Wall Street Journal explains why.

“With Parkinson’s patients, a lot of those folks are also quite elderly, and some of them do have dementia symptoms as well, so the thinking is if this can be used in Parkinson’s patients, then theoretically, at least, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be used in Alzheimer’s patients as well.”

The researchers say more study is needed, to better understand the impact of shock therapy and memory loss.

BY NATHAN BYRNE

This is Newsy Now and here are your headlines.

After a week of government attacks on the uprising in Homs, Syria, activists fear for their lives. CNN reports...

“...we have heard from anti-government activists in Syria, who say that if they don’t receive help, the violent government crackdown will end up killing millions.”

In an address to crowds celebrating the anniversary of Iran’s 1979 revolution, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promised to make a major nuclear announcement in the next few days.

Al Jazeera reports the Iranian president spoke in front of a full-scale model of the U.S. drone officials claim to have downed in December. He said, quote...

“In the coming days the world will witness Iran's announcement of its very important and very major nuclear achievements.”

After being painted as a moderate by his fellow Republican opponents and losing recent primaries, Mitt Romney gave what MSNBC calls a “fiery speech” to conservative voters...

“I know that this president will never get it, but we conservatives aren’t just proud to cling to our guns and our religion, we are also proud to cling to our Constitution.”

In sports, the NBA’s surprise phenom continued his miracle-working by helping hold off the mighty Los Angeles Lakers last night. The New York Knicks’ Jeremy Lin scored a career-high 38 points in the win. He downplayed the hype in an interview with ESPN...

“This has been a wild week for me and the team. I mean, obviously, you hope for the best and prepare for the worst and I’m just thankful that it’s turning out the way it is.”

Stay with Newsy for more news analyses throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m Nathan Byrne, highlighting the top headlines, making you smarter, faster.

(Image source: The Pirate Bay)

After the FBI seized Megaupload and torrent giant BtJunkie voluntarily closed down, the “galaxy’s most resilient bittorrent site” — The Pirate Bay —has found a way to become immortal. Gizmodo explains, the entire website has been packed into a 90MB file.

“Pirate Bay user ‘allisfine’ ripped the text contents from the site ... and luckily, that's all you really need to keep it alive forever.”

The site will soon stop hosting torrents directly — using magnet links, instead. The file copy contains the Pirate Bay’s links to more than 1 million torrents, so if even one user has the file, the whole site can be rebuilt in case of a takedown.

TorrentFreak blog writes the copy is an effective defense for the site.

“Recent history has shown that when a site is threatened with shutdown, or censored, the Internet is very quick to come up with a workaround. And with thousands of backups of The Pirate Bay floating around, it will be very hard at this point to get rid of the famous torrent site.”

The crackdown on Megaupload and the legal action against owner, Kim Dotcom and company is a possible reason for the website’s sudden caution.

A legal expert told Technewsworld:

“Megaupload sent a message. The Pirate's Bay was the bad boy out there, so it was easy to ignore or brush off what was happening with that site. However, a lot of people were surprised by the Justice Department's shutdown of Megaupload, and it definitely grabbed their attention.”

The Pirate Bay’s founders were recently denied appeal by Sweden’s Supreme Court on their copyright violation case from 2 years ago. The three men received sentences of 4, 8 and 10 months. They’ll also pay a fine of around 7 million dollars.

But a writer for TechCrunch says the Bay isn’t going anywhere soon.

“The Pirate Bay changed piracy by becoming the Google of content. … [Y]ou have to admit the Pirate Bay asks for nothing and expects nothing in return. We feed the beast that is the pirate underground and, no matter how hard we try or how many times we seize a bunch of Swedish servers, we will never tame it.”

(Image source: Flickr/Woodlouse)

BY MALLORY PERRYMAN

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

How do zebras get their stripes? There’s been plenty of theories thrown out there — but now some researchers say — they think it has to do with shooing away horseflies. Here’s WRC.

“Apparently the flies find the stripes unattractive because of the way they reflect light. The flies instead prefer dark coats. The study was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.”

The researchers didn’t use real zebras for the study — instead — they painted objects either dark, light, or striped — put those objects in a horse-fly infested field — then used glue to trap any flies that landed. The Economist reports the results.

“Their first discovery was that stripes attracted fewer flies than solid, uniform colours. As intriguingly, though, they also found that the least attractive pattern of stripes was precisely those of the sort of width found on zebra hides.”

Animal experts have speculated about the secret to the stripes for more than a century. The original theory was that the stripes served as camouflage in tall grass. But in the 1870’s — Charles Darwin pointed out — zebras graze in short grass.

Since then — Animal Planet explains this story-of-the-stripes has been widely accepted.

“The black and white works because zebras always hang out in herds. Moving together in a group, their striped bodies create an optical illusion.”

So does the horsefly explanation debunk that theory? The researchers say more tests are needed — but they do have an answer to one nagging question — if black-and-white bars repel flies, why aren’t horses sporting stripes?

“...[The researchers think] the answer may be in the fact that there are more horseflies, and more horsefly species, in Africa compared to more temperate regions. Zebras would have been under more pressure to evolve a deterrent.”

Researchers say they need to do the experiment with real-life zebras — since a zebra’s breath or body heat could be responsible for fending off horseflies.

(Image source: NASA)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

The buzz around NASA this week is that the planetary science program is going to take a 20% budget cut next year. That means less money to explore other planets — especially Mars. A writer for TIME explains.

“With limited money for science and an over-budget new space telescope, the space agency essentially had to make a choice in where it wanted to explore: the neighboring planet or the far-off cosmos. Mars lost.”

Last September, NASA’s former-Associate Administrator for Science Edward Weiler resigned because of the coming budget cuts. He said he was tired of fighting NASA’s budget office to try to save the Mars programs. Fox News has his comments.

“He says ‘To me, it’s totally irrational and unjustified. We are the only country on this planet that has the demonstrated ability to land on another planet, namely Mars. It is a national prestige issue.”

So which missions are getting the axe? NASA is currently scheduled to work with the European Space Agency to send two probes to Mars in 2016 and 2018. And Space.com explains, those missions — known as ExoMars — look like they’re first on the chopping block.

“NASA is slated to provide the rockets for both ExoMars launches, as well as a variety of instrumentation for the orbiter and the rover. The U.S. space agency also is supposed to contribute the landing system for the rover's descent to the Martian surface. But NASA probably will have to pull out of the ExoMars effort now.”

In part, the budget cuts are due to NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope is billions of dollars over budget, taking resources away from other missions. Because it’s become such a huge project, NASA has tweaked the design to try to make James Webb all things to all researchers.

But a writer for Wired says that’s a bad precedent for the agency.

“Packing multiple instruments into a single project leads to increased costs without necessarily delivering more science. … Rather than working on enormous and expensive projects, perhaps the community could be better served with a suite of smaller, cheaper, more focused missions...”

The possible cuts won’t affect the current Mars rover mission, already on its way to the Red Planet. The rover is on course for an August landing.
 

(Image Source: KOMO News)

BY ALLIE SPILLYARDS

He was a person of interest in the 2009 disappearance of his wife — he’s accused of murdering his two young son s— and now — he’s making headlines again.

Authorities have revealed incestuous images found on Josh Powell’s computer led to a doctor-ordered psychosexual evaluation... one the media is suggesting was a motivating factor in last week’s murder suicide. (VIDEO SOURCE: MSNBC)

LESTER HOLT: “Those computer images we’re talking about apparently led to this order for Josh to undergo a psychosexual evaluation, and that would’ve included a lie detector test.”
POWELL BOYS’ GRANDFATHER: “I believe he understood there was no way he was going to be able to bluff his way through this.” (VIDEO SOURCE: NBC)

According to ABC’s Colleen Curry and Chris Cuomo, this wasn’t a recent discovery.

“The computer was taken by police following the 2009 disappearance of... Susan Cox, but the images were brought up for the first time publicly in a court custody hearing last week."

Now many in the media are speculating — would this story have ended differently if the images had been revealed sooner? CBS reports...

“Attorney Steve Downing said if he [had] seen them, he might have asked the court to change the terms of Powell's supervised visitation with the boys.”

Powell was allowed bi-weekly supervised visits with his sons even though a judge had denied him custody during a February first hearing. New details have emerged about the final visit. In an exclusive interview, ABC learned...

The social worker responsible for dropping the boys off for Powell’s scheduled visitation says Powell told the boy’s he had a “surprise” for them just minutes before the explosion.

And while the investigation continues, the Examiner reports...

“Washington State Senator Pam Roach (R) said it was ‘outrageous’ that the court granted Josh Powell visitation with his sons and is asking to see what West Valley City Police shared with the Washington agency in charge of child welfare.”

Police are still investigating the disappearance of Susan Powell.

(Image source: Wired)

BY EVAN THOMAS

Remember when the G drive was on your local hard disk? No longer — Google’s working on a G Drive of its own.

The Wall Street Journal reports Google is rolling out a cloud storage system for all kinds of digital files.
Called — Drive — it will be a simple online storage locker like Dropbox, rather than the targeted data services Google already offers for documents and music.

If it seems a little redundant, TheNextWeb points out, Google will be able to add functionality to Drive that Dropbox can’t match.

“What Docs does that Dropbox doesn't is allow users to create and edit certain kinds of files. If you use Google Docs as your cloud document service, you're probably using it to make and work on documents, too. That's more than Dropbox can offer, standing on its own.”

But PCWorld says an entirely new product doesn’t jive with Google’s current direction.

“So if Google is already offering online storage for virtually anything you have stored on your PC, what could this rumored "Drive" offer that is new? Will Google simply duplicate offerings it's already built? Possibly, but given CEO Larry Page's recent focus on integrating Google's services, that seems unlikely.”

But Wall Street Journal editor Drew Dowell says it does make sense — Google is aiming for more relevance.

“They’re unquestionably the king of search, that’s why you go to the site. But if all your friends are on Facebook, and all your media content is on Dropbox, at a certain point they’re going to have trouble commanding as much of your attention, and they’re trying to head that off now.”

Whatever Google’s plan is for Drive, you can bet it’ll be cloud based. And IntoMobile says — if anyone can handle cloud business, it’s Google.

“This is something Google can excel in because the company is well-seasoned when it has to do with running cloud services. Just think, products like GMail and GDocs work almost flawlessly in the cloud. In fact, you can argue that no one does cloud better than Google at this point.”

Ars Technica laments — If only Google had flexed its cloud muscle four years ago, when it could have locked down the market.

“Drive could have been pretty revolutionary, especially if it had launched back in 2007 when the Journal also said it was ready to be unveiled within a few months. Now, Google will have to compete against Dropbox and other well-established storage services.”

GigaOM agrees — Google should have known better than to wait.

“How is it that Google, with its vast army of smart people and billions of dollars, couldn’t build a cloud storage drive over past five years? ...how can a company that is intimate with the concept of cloud and owns Android, the mobile computing platform, not be able to understand the strategic importance of an ‘online storage drive’?”

The Wall Street Journal says Drive could launch in a matter of weeks — but so far, Google hasn’t said anything on the matter.

(Image Source: CNN)

BY ALLIE SPILLYARDS

“Stop Colbert!” —That’s the cry that rang out from House minority leader Nancy Pelosi’s office Thursday as she tried her hat at comedy in support of proposed legislation targeting campaign contributions.

“Since the day he started his Super PAC, taking secret money from special interests, he’s been out of control.” (Video Source: YouTube)

CNN’s Dana Bash has the details, calling the stunt against Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert just the latest charade in the “Alice in Wonderland” state of politics.

“The must-watch-it-to-believe it video features the House Democratic leader narrating under black and white pictures of Colbert, saying he ‘used to be my friend. I even signed the poor baby's cast....’ The kicker: with the now infamous picture of Pelosi on the couch with Newt Gingrich, Pelosi says Colbert ‘even used his super PAC to attack my friend Newt Gingrich.’”

Pelosi’s YouTube appearance was a call for Congress to pass the DISCLOSE Act — legislation born out of the Citizen’s United decision that allowed unlimited amounts of money to be given to independent groups supporting political candidates. Although it’s a parody, a writer for the Huffington Post claims Pelosi’s bottom line is the real deal.

“While Pelosi's pitch is satirical — Colbert's super PAC shenanigans are a tongue-in-cheek critique of the negative effects of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling and Pelosi hasn't done much to reinforce her claim that Gingrich is, in fact, her ‘friend’ -- she is serious about the legislation.”

All jokes aside, the Washington Post thinks the legislation is a little off track. The writers say super PACs like Colbert’s are already legally required to disclose donors.

“...Pelosi’s charge that super PACs take ‘secret money from special interests’ is somewhat off the mark... The main target of the proposed disclosure requirements included in the original DISCLOSE Act were nonprofits, trade groups and other organizations that are not required to disclose donors ... because politics is not their ‘primary purpose.’”

And although many are waiting for Colbert’s rebuttal, Comedy Central’s Indecision Forever blog already has a response to Pelosi.

“I'm not so sure former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi wants to be playing with this kind of fire. Or this kind of magic lightning or whatever. Publicly coming out against super PACs has got to be kind of dangerous. But to come out against Stephen Colbert's super PAC? That's got to be like an anti-Colbert Bump times a zillion, right?”

The House passed the original legislation in June 2010, but it failed one month later in the Senate.

(Image Source: Tecca)

BY LAURA JANVIER

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

Want to flex some political muscle? There’s an app for that. With the tap of a finger you can donate to the presidential political campaign of your choice.

Bits Blog reports both the Obama and Romney campaigns adopted Square, a new mobile technology for funding.

“In 2012, mobile payments could be the transformational technology, as millions of political supporters are given the ability to collect money on smartphones for candidates.”

Both campaigns released screenshots of their versions of the apps.

PC Magazine says political campaigns expect it will cut down on the time needed to process donations.

“Square simplifies the task of payment in a manner similar to PayPal, but for real life, face-to-face situations. Once a payment is complete, a receipt is emailed to the buyer and on the next day, funds are sent to the merchant's bank account via direct deposit.”

App review site Rev2 says 2012 will be a testing ground for mobile apps like Square.

“Although in terms of dollar percentages, this tool is not likely to be significant in the monies raised this year, it is a potential game-changer for now and in the future as politics surges ahead with tech.”

But Smarterbits points out, if anything will push mobile fundraising to the mainstream, it’s a presidential campaign.

“Hard to imagine a better way to gain visibility than by becoming the de-facto fundraising tool for both major parties during election season. It's also hard to understate how success here could propel Square from tech startup darling to mainstream payment system in little less than a year.”

So far, only the Romney and Obama campaigns have jumped on board the Square fundraising bandwagon.

(Image source: Paducah Sun)

(Image source: Phandroid)

BY EVAN THOMAS

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

Good news for Google Music users -- A report by the Wall Street Journal suggests you might be able to use a Google dongle to stream your Google Music to Google speakers soon.

The Journal reports Google’s still-unnamed streaming system has been in development for several years now. According to their sources it will pipe music wirelessly to various enabled speakers and screens.

There’s speculation the system will handle video, as well, and you’ll probably be able to control it with your Android smartphone.

Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair tells Bloomberg -- Google’s taking some cues from Apple’s successful model: to control both the software, and the hardware it runs on.

“We’re going to see them move more in the direction of Apple, where they’re taking software, and they’re going to take Motorola’s hardware expertise, and I think we’re likely to see families of hardware products from them.”

And Blair says – more devices for the home.  But will it work? This would be Google’s first foray producing and marketing hardware itself. Business Insider says – that’s not likely to end well. Google’s expertise is in the cloud.

“Google has never successfully sold anything to consumers. Not a single thing. Google is really good at building fast, useful, responsive software that runs at Internet scale, and at hooking up the users of that software with advertisers to make gobs of money.”

GigaOM agrees. Software and service know-how does not translate to hardware know-how. Google has no experience with the logistics of retail.

“...Google thinks that it will actually be able to crack the consumer electronics marketplace. Amazing, to think that this company will build a supply chain and manage relationships with retailers and get people to buy it.”

But Gizmodo is the contrarian to that point of view – saying – there’s an opportunity for direct competition.

“The rumor makes sense: with Android, Google has tablet and phone offerings, just like Apple, along with its own music store, just like Apple. What they lack is a way of beaming all of that music to speakers and boxes around your house—which Apple very much has...”

Google is believed to be aiming for a price point that undercuts most of the current streaming-device market. And TechCrunch says -- that might make it work.

“If it is real though, and Google can churn out reliable — and preferably cheap — units, they stand a chance at yanking the rug out from under ... Apple and its $99 Apple TV.”

But never mind the technicalities of hardware and marketing, says CNET. Is there room in consumer consciousness for this kind of music system?

“Once, people used to listen to albums with friends and family, but since the iPod debuted in 2001, we've stuck ear buds into our ears and listening has largely been a solitary experience. The question for this market segment is whether people still want to share music in this way.”

The Wall Street Journal reports Google’s streamer -- whatever it ends up being called -- will be available later this year.
 

(Image source: Today’s iPhone)

BY EVAN THOMAS

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

Apple stock hit another all-time high this week. Stock was up 3% on Thursday morning, and that was enough to put Apple’s market cap at $456 billion -- worth more than Google and Microsoft, combined.

Apple Insider reports -- Apple passed Exxon for most valuable company by market cap back in August of last year. It has since grown that lead to about $50bn, and it’s still going.

Bespoke Investment Group reports on Seeking Alpha, Apple’s so big, when it bumps just a couple of points it leaves entire swaths of the stock market in the dust.

“...just today AAPL has seen its market cap rise by more than $12 billion. That is greater than the market cap of every company in the S&P 400 Mid Cap Index, and more than the market cap of half the members of the S&P 500!”

An analyst on CNBC suggests investors weren’t expecting Apple’s value to simply keep climbing.

“You’re having a chase, post-earnings, where the stock got up to $455. Folks kind of sat back, waited, said ‘okay, let’s see what happens. Let’s see if we get a pullback.’ You never get the pullback, and this is the chase now. Everyone’s chasing it higher.”

So what exactly is chasing the numbers skyward right now?
Fortune attributes the jump to speculation making the rounds Thursday that Apple was prepping the iPad 3 for a March release. It put together a list of some other milestones, to give Apple’s numbers some context.

Apple is worth more than the GDP of Sweden, worth more than all the gold in the Federal Reserve, and worth about two and a half Apollo space programs.

And thanks to the Internet, there’s now a blog dedicated to tracking other big businesses Apple has passed by. You guessed it – Things Apple is Worth More Than – on Tumblr.

For instance, Apple’s worth more than the entire U.S. clothing industry, and more than the world’s illegal drug industry. If it wanted to, Apple could buy up all the residential property in Atlanta, Georgia and still have cash in the bank.

Electronista says there’s a reason Apple is growing this way.

“Most of Apple's continuous rise in share can be owed to both its nature as a hardware company, which gives it higher revenues and more perceived worth, as well as a continual growth that has usually been well-managed as it enters new categories.”

The iPad 3 isn’t a new category, but Apple Insider says analysts on Wall Street are continuing to bump their estimates anyway.
 

(Image source: NFL.com)

BY JOSH LANDER
ANCHOR EMILY SPAIN

Heading in to Super Bowl 46 the news surrounding Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski focused on whether he would be able to play on an injured ankle.  Now that the game’s over, the headlines are all about his... dancing.

Gronkowski was recorded dancing with friends at a night club in Indianapolis hours after the Patriots lost to the New York Giants.  This didn’t go over too well with former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison.

"I guarantee you this, if [former Patriots players] Willie McGinest, Teddy Bruschi, Larry Izzo, Richard Seymour, and myself would’ve been in that locker room or at that party, you know, he probably would’ve gotten his head rung."

Blogger Larry Brown says it was Gronk’s injury leading up to the Super Bowl that has people up in arms over his dancing.

“Think about the mixed message here: The guy barely contributed during the game because of his ankle, but he’s grinding on the dance floor like he’s auditioning for a spot on Soul Train.”

But Tracee Hamilton of the Washington Post says regardless of his ability to dance, Gronkowski shouldn’t be tar-and-feathered for how he coped with losing the Super Bowl.

“There is no evidence to suggest that Gronkowski didn’t take the Super Bowl seriously.  He had the ankle wrapped and tried to play on it.  There is certainly a difference between running routes and doing. . . whatever that was Gronkowski was doing...”

And finally, a writer for Deadspin says give the guy a break...
 
“Gronkowski's season was OVER when that video was taken. There was no game the next week. There was no tape that needed to be urgently studied. The man came within a few inches of catching the winning Hail Mary.”

 

(Image Source: RT)

BY TATIANA DARIE

ANCHOR EMILY SPAIN

With less than a month left until the Russian presidential election, some coffee drinkers are asking for a cup of democracy.  The Russian coffee chain Koffein is offering its customers something special when they buy a latte or cappuccino.  No, they don’t get a paper ballot but they get something special when they cast their vote. 

The initiative called "Vote and you won't lose!" is simple: order your drink while naming one of the five hopefuls for Russian presidency and their face will be expertly crafted on your milky froth. The Moscow Times gives a quick review of the two top vote getters.

“There is a smiley Prokhorov, looking like a man confident of winning far more votes than his current statistical error percentage would suggest.  The most instantly recognizable is Putin who is depicted with a deadpan expression, as if only he realizes that winning the election is not just a matter of milky caricatures.”

The winner of the coffee poll will be announced two days before the presidential election.  Currently, billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is leading with 48% of the votes, followed by current Prime Minister Vladimir who comes in second with 22%.  RT says...

“The café network doubts its initiative will seriously affect the alignment of political forces. The point of the idea is to let people practice making their selection, since Russians have no real tradition of democratic choice...”

But more scientific polls are showing that Putin is likely to win the election.  So, besides the coffee poll, Russians are finding other creative ways of showing support for open and clean elections, something they don’t think Putin will allow.  Al Jazeera reports...

“Artists have taken to the forefront to these efforts expressing their dissatisfaction through street performances, music videos and powerful images as this one on my screen which is depicting Putin as  Muammar Gaddafi.”

Other activists express their anger through unconventional demonstrations including rallies staged by toys. France 24 talks with Andrey Teslenko, one of the organisers.

“It also allowed us show the absurdity of the authorities’ attempts to forbid peaceful demonstrations, since even toys have more rights than we do!”

The Russian presidential election is set for March 4th. 

(Image Source: YouTube/RWWBlog)

BY GINA COOK

ANCHOR EMILY SPAIN


Quoting scripture isn’t something you’d expect your phone to do when you ask it a question.

But that’s what Android phones with the Iris app were doing when asked about abortion and other sensitive topics.

Check out this video done by Right Wing Watch showing one of the voice-activated app’s controversial answers.



Tom McClusky: “Is abortion wrong?”
Android app: “You asked is abortion wrong. Yes abortion is wrong.  The Lord hath said you shall not murder.  Exodus 20:13.”

Android app: “Thanks”

Gizmodo asked the app “Are whites superior to blacks” and quotes Iris as saying,

“Whites are NOT superior to blacks. Just different... Like Dr Verwoerd and the original, genuine policy of apartheid always said.”

But Iris isn’t to blame.  The app with over 1 million installs is powered by the search engine ChaCha. That has a writer for Minyanville furious. Outraged at the answers, he goes on to add that ChaCha is paying for what he calls “a wealth of racist, rape-condoning madness.”

“[Cha Cha] is a user-driven service powered by paid writers who -- as of late 2011 -- supply answers to generated questions. Not only are these answers edited, crosschecked, and approved, ChaCha pays them $0.10 to $0.20 for each answer accepted. The majority of these crazy responses are already loaded and ready to go on ChaCha's website.”

Shawn Schwegman is the chief marketing officer of ChaCha.  He told The Huffington Post the service is like a Magic 8 Ball and says,


"ChaCha is not presented as 100 percent [true] ... to have all the correct answers," ... "We're really an entertainment service ... don't take everything we say as gospel."

But a writer for Cult of Android says the company, and the service it fuels, may have already damaged itself beyond repair.

“Apparently ChaCha has been frantically changing the answers in direct response to Gizmodo’s article, but unfortunately for them, they can’t undo the numerous screenshots and video Gizmodo has produced, so it will be interesting to see what they have to say when pressured to finally respond.”

In a press release, ChaCha says it’s revising the answers that don’t comply with its policies.

(Image Source: BBC)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.
 

In Athens — clashes between riot police and protesters have erupted, amid increasing public anger over Greek leaders’ agreement on new austerity measures. The country’s workers could now be facing even further salary and pension cuts. The BBC has more on the clashes.  
 

“Petrol bombs and stones were thrown at security forces. The union began a two-day general strike. The clashes come hours after Europe's finance ministers demanded even deeper cuts for conditions of a second, crucial bailout.”

 

GOP presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are set to speak today at the Conservative Political Action Conference, in D.C. Fox News says — all eyes are on the front-runner and former Massachusetts Governor.
 

“A lot of pressure, a lot of attention on Mitt Romney’s speech. He’s going to follow a surging Rick Santorum today with his speech...”
 

The public is now hearing new dirt on the late Steve Jobs — thanks to the now-public FBI files — but it looks like the stock market’s faith on his legacy is still going strong. Apple stocks reached new highs on Thursday — making the company’s market cap bigger than ever. Here’s WFLD with some Apple tidbits.

“Shares are $7 shy of $500 each. If you combine the market cap of google and microsoft together, apple is bigger than that. And it is bigger than ExxonMobil.”
 

It’s been three years since Chris Brown assaulted then-girlfriend Rihanna — and today, a judge denied Brown’s petition for early dismissal of his five-year probation. The singer is set to perform at the Grammy’s on Sunday. Here’s WAGA.
 

“The judge commented on Brown’s positive attitude throughout his sentence, but would still like to continue supervising the singer. Brown will be making his first Grammy appearance since the 2009 incident...”
 

Stay with Newsy for more news analyses throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m Jim Flink, highlighting the top headlines making you smarter, faster.

(Image Source - Forbes)

BY XIAONAN WANG

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

Eastman Kodak announced Thursday it will pull out of the digital camera business altogether. Analysts say this move marks the end of an era.

Ditching the digital camera market will allow Kodak to refocus on its traditional film business that still makes money, according to its statement. Here’s the BBC with part of that statement.

"Today's announcement is the logical extension of that process, given our analysis of the industry trends"

The decline of the iconic manufacturer is seen as one of the biggest casualties of the digital age. An article from Ubergizmo says this is the price Kodak deserves to pay.

“It is a shame, really, but the economy rarely has any feelings of sympathy for those who fail to innovate.”

As frustrating it is to make such a decision, a former Kodak executive told the Financial Times that stepping back may be Kodak’s only option.

“Because the profit margins from traditional film were far higher than it could hope to make in consumer products such as cameras, it made sense for Kodak to delay the digital switch as long as possible and milk the profits from its original business”

A Technologizer article disagrees with the widespread pessimism that Kodak is lagging behind in the industry. It says, it’s actually taking the lead.

“I’m not so sure that it isn’t, in its own way, a forward-looking move–a sign that Kodak is agile rather than a sign that it’s a failure…….and it’s quite possible that other companies that make point-and-shoots may follow its lead over the next few years.

But Kodak’s decision might not necessarily save the company. A writer for Mashable says Kodak’s hesitation allowed its competition grabbed a sizable share of the film market.

“As it held off on pursuing the market for digital cameras to protect its lucrative film business, others rushed in to corner the market. At the same time, competitors like Fujifilm undercut Kodak’s film prices.”

Kodak filed for bankruptcy protection on Jan 19. Thursday’s decision could save Kodak a projected $100 million in annual operation, according to the Kodak’s statement. A Kodak spokesman also confirmed that a substantial number of employees will lose their jobs.

(Image Source: Detroit Free Press)

BY ANDREW CARTER

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

The NHL’s big game is headed to the big house. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced Thursday morning the 2013 Winter Classic will showcase the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. WXYZ reports.

“The biggest game in hockey’s regular season is coming to hockey town west. The NHL’s 2013 Winter Classic is so big it is going to be played at the big house in Ann Arbor. Yeah this is going to be huge you know that.”

The attendance record for a hockey game is 113,411 set at Michigan Stadium in 2010. Yahoo! Sports reports this battle between two original six franchises could surpass that number.

“...Bettman ... predicted the 2013 Winter Classic would be on pace to shatter that record … For anyone wondering if the bloom's off the Winter Classic rose as far as hype and attention from casual viewers, "SEE A WORLD ATTENDANCE RECORD SHATTERED" is a pretty easy sell.

The Winter Classic is an annual event started in 2008. It’s clear fans love it, and ESPN’s Doug Gottleib gives the NHL credit for the idea.

“NFL kind of the end of the season, what do we do? Somebody goes, why don’t we play outside? Yeah where we gonna put them? Put them in a football stadium. You know, Jimmy’s on to something.”

The news of the game is big for the sports world, but Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp explains its impact on the city of Detroit.

“Hosting the next NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2013, is another opportunity for this city to pop a little optimistic light through the darkness of its economic malaise.”

Aside from the game there is more news for fans. The New York Times reports for one day, alcohol will be served at Michigan Stadium.

“Two temporary changes will be coming to Michigan Stadium for the Winter Classic: alcohol and advertising. Michigan’s campus is dry, meaning a special temporary liquor license will be obtained for the game.”

Hype will be building around this historic match-up as the Red Wings and Maple Leafs rivalry dates back to 1926, and the two teams have combined for 24 Stanley Cups.

(Image source: Symantec)

BY EMILY ALLEN

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

Computer software company Symantec’s hostage has been released from the hands of the Lords of Dharamaja – a group affiliated with Anonymous.  Unfortunately, the hostage is the source code for it’s PCAnywhere program and it was released to the company and the public.  Here’s KABC.  

“PCAnywhere allows users to log in remotely to access home or work computers.  A hacker has posted the source could for that version online.  That code would allow other hackers to take control of those PCs.”

Engadget reports the code was posted after negotiations broke down between the hacker, under the alias YamaTough, and law enforcement pretending to be a Symantec worker.

“Neither side negotiated in good faith - YamaTough always intended to release the code, and law enforcement was doing the talking for Symantec to catch him and his hacking cohorts.”

CNBC was surprised Yamatough wanted only $50,000 from Symantec before giving the source code back to the software company.  But then again...

“$50,000 will go a long way when you sit in a bathrobe behind a computer for days and days.  You just need some new clothes, new underwear.”

Symantec released patches for the program earlier this month to protect it’s customers and told Forbes it’s customers are safe.

Symantec’s spokesperson would not tell Forbes if law enforcement had any success tracking down the hackers or what the company’s future looks like.

But CBS said the company has a vague idea of what lies ahead.  The hackers also snatched the codes for some of Symantec’s other programs.  CBS quotes a statement released by the company on Tuesday.

“We also anticipate that at some point, they [YamaTough] will post the code for the 2006 versions of Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition and Norton Internet Security. As we have already stated publicly, this is old code, and Symantec and Norton customers will not be at an increased risk.”

The Christian Science Monitor says one thing is certain - quote “the hack certainly leaves Symantec with a public relations mess on its hands.”

(Image Source: Top 10 List 101)

BY MEREDITH BALDWIN

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

People are going bananas over Apple’s rumored iPad 3 possibly coming out this spring. Rumors started flying before Santa’s reindeer and holiday cheer, but soon died down. Then Thursday, AllThingsD reported the iPad3 could be out  -- next month.

 “Apple’s not holding an event in February — strange, unusual or otherwise. But it is holding one in March — to launch its next iPad.”

That has the techie world all worked up. People are already wondering what improvements Apple has up its sleeve. Cult of Mac supposedly got its hands on photos of the new design, and says no major changes will be made to the exterior of the iPad. Instead, it says Apple’s only tinkering with the inside.

 “These images strengthen reports that claim the iPad 3 will boast the same design as its predecessor, but with improved internals. The third-generation device is expected to be an ‘incremental’ upgrade, much like the iPhone 4S is to the iPhone 4, with Apple’s A6 quad-core processor, a Retina display, and a better rear-facing camera.”

Gizmodo agreed, saying Apple shouldn’t change the basic design of the tablet. But it’s also skeptical that anyone knows what changes Apple’s making to the design, other than the company execs themselves.

 “Take all of these with the usual large piles of salt grains. Oh, and remember: The iPad may only be two years old, but it's already such an institution that any radical shifts in design or philosophy are almost definitely out of the question (sorry, 7-inch believers).”

And now we’re left to guess when Apple will show us the newest model. Wired takes a final stab at when that could be.

 “If Apple wanted to get cute, the company could hold its announcement the last day of February, the 29th. Apple iPad announcements are normally on Wednesdays, and as The Verge‘s Joshua Topolsky pointed out on Twitter … that’s the same day Microsoft is planning to release its consumer preview of Windows 8. If the Cupertino company wanted to really stick it to Microsoft, that’d be the day to pick.

And so, we wait.

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY BRIAN LEWIS

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

The Obama Administration is facing criticism from Democrats as it attempts to craft a compromise between religious freedom and birth control access.

The controversy arose last month after the Department of Health and Human Services issued exemptions allowing churches to opt out of mandated birth control and sterilization coverage in their health plans.

But the exceptions don’t apply to charities, hospitals or universities. That has angered some prominent Catholic Democrats, including former Virginia Governor and current Senate candidate Tim Kaine. The Washington Post quotes Kaine:

“I have definitely expressed my grave concerns to the White House about that. I support the contraception mandate, but there should be a religious-employer exemption that is broader than the one they proposed.”

Former Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Lieberman panned the policy via a tweet.

“I am opposed to the Administration’s new requirement that religious org.’s must offer employees contraception benefits.”

U.S News and World Report reports that some Dems have gone even further than those measured responses.

“The language coming from these Democrats— ‘Un-American,’ ‘a violation of conscience rights,’ and as Representative Connolly noted, a ‘fight’ that was ‘picked’ by this administration—is startling in that Democrats rarely offer the slightest critique of anything that falls under the umbrella of what Democrats call ‘reproductive rights.’”

Not all Democrats have abandoned the President. Senator Kristin Gillibrand applauded the administration’s position on MSNBC.

“I think the president made the right decision. I am dumbfounded in the year 2012 we are still debating whether women have a right to basic health care, basic contraception in this country.”

Roll Call’s Ambreen Ali cast the controversy as an opportunity for the administration to prove its commitment to reproductive rights voters.

“By taking a firm stance on birth control, Obama could galvanize liberal voters who have criticized him for being too moderate.”

That may not be easy for the president to do, as the mix of religion and reproductive rights is causing some organizations to take counter-intuitive positions. Catholics typically support the health care mandate — but on Democracy Now! — Jon O’Brien of Catholics for Choice points out — government funding is a double-edged sword.

“It’s clear to me that what’s going on here really is that the bishops are looking to have their cake and eat it. They actually want to run hospitals and schools, very often taking taxpayer dollars to do that, but they want to be exempted from the same rules as everybody else.”

For his part the president is trying to keep religion out of the debate. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney framed it as a health issue in a response quoted by USAToday.

"We're not trying to win an argument here … We're trying to implement a policy that will affect millions of women."

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY ORLA O'MUIRI

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

The England national team was left without a head coach Wednesday — just four months before the start of the 2012 European Championships. ESPN tells us what happened.

“The head of England’s Football Association said he will not rush to replace head coach Fabio Capello, who resigned yesterday over how the FA decided to strip veteran player John Terry of his captaincy.”

The investigation of John Terry for alleged racial abuse of another player has been a continuing debate in England. Even the prime minister weighed in. Politics.co.uk has his comments.

“The prime minister insisted Mr Capello was ‘a good coach and good man’ but he was critical of his approach to the captaincy. ‘I don't think he was right on the John Terry issue … You can’t be captain with that question mark that needs to be answered.’”

The media also took the opportunity to criticize England’s football culture. A writer for the Huffington Post criticized the press and the fanbase for being unable to accept Capello — because he’s Italian.

“If the national team is a reflection of their society, then it is fitting that England have rejected a thoughtful, successful and hardworking man and are looking to replace him with someone whose main attribute is that they speak English.”

But what about the team’s future? Spurs coach Harry Redknapp has long been the favorite to succeed Capello. But he told ITN his primary focus for the moment is Tottenham.

“Obviously this England job, it’s a long time ambition. You wouldn’t be able to turn it down, would you?”
“I’ve not even thought about it. I’ve got a job to do. I’ve got a big game Saturday with Tottenham, so Tottenham is my focus.”

Capello’s former assistant Stuart Pearce will lead England in its upcoming game against Netherlands in February and will remain in the post until the F.A reach a decision.

(Image Source:  MTV)

BY ALYSSA CARTEE

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Paaaarty’s here! Watch out Jersey City. MTV’s “blast in a glass” is headed your way. The city gave the okay to shoot a Jersey Shore spin-off starring Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Jenni “JWoww” Farley.

A television blogger for NBC wonders if Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy realizes what he’s done.

“[D]oes Healy know what he's let himself in for? He put emphasis on how the ladies will have to obey the laws, which Snooki, who arrested for public drunkenness during ‘Shore's’ third season, hasn't always done”

The city stepped in after a major rejection. The Washington Post explains.

“Last week, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer refused to allow the show, featuring the ‘Jersey Shore’ stars, to film in Hoboken, citing ‘public safety and quality of life concerns’ for the city.”

A political blogger for The New York Daily News says Healy may be more familiar with “goin’ hard” than some might think.

“JERSEY CITY'S apparent mayor-elect, Jerramiah Healy, hid nothing from the electorate. The city councilman outpolled 10 other candidates in a special election Tuesday - despite a widely circulated photo of him drunk and naked on his front stoop.”

Healy did stipulate that the cast and have to follow the law while in Jersey City. Extra security will be provided to ensure that but a writer for StyleCaster wishes that weren’t the case.

“Seems a little contradictory since the fights that we see the girls get into on the show are what keep us tuned in every week.”

WNYW reports current residents don’t know how to feel about the guidettes coming to town.

“Jersey City residents we talked to weren’t exactly fist pumping over the news but said they’d be willing to give Snooki and Jwoww a chance.”

Anchors for WNBC said who needs Hobokin haters? Jersey City is the perfect fit.

“That’s a no brainer. As soon as we heard about Hobokin we said ‘What about Jersey City?’ Enter Jersey CIty.”
“Be careful what you wish for.”

Snooki and Jwoww aren’t the only Shore stars with a spinoff. Paul “Pauly D” DelVecchio’s spinoff premiers on March 29.

(Image source: Danis Foundation)

BY BLAKE HANSON

After ending his presidential campaign -- Jon Huntsman is back to business -- a pretty big business. Ford announced Thursday the former Utah governor will be elected to the company’s board of directors. Bloomberg has a statement from the auto company...

“Here’s what Ford had to say in their statement about it, they said: Jon brings to Ford’s board of directors extensive global knowledge and experience - particularly in Asia with trade issues...”

Huntsman resigned from his ambassadorship to China in 2011 to pursue the GOP nomination. The Huffington Post says Ford is playing catch-up with some of its competitors in China and CNBC seems to agree...

“If you want to do some business in China? It might not hurt to have Huntsman on your board.”

Fox Business reports having a former presidential candidate on the Ford board is not all that uncommon, writing...

“...Huntsman joins former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., who also mounted unsuccessful bids for president.”

So, what else is in store for Huntsman? The Salt Lake Tribune writes...

“...he may take on a few more boards and is also looking at a potential job with a news media company, though he said details on that would be announced later.”

The move comes amid several other big management changes for Ford. Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth and Global Products Chief Derrick Kuzak are both retiring. MSNBC has details on the impact the two had...

“... [Kuzak] oversaw Ford’s shift from a regional to a global product development strategy; and Lewis Booth, the maker’s chief financial officer, who helped guide its financial turnaround during a dramatic industry downturn that saw its two domestic competitors declare bankruptcy.”
 

(Image source: KTXL)

BY CHRISTINE KARSTEN

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA filled a lawsuit against SeaWorld back in October saying SeaWorld enslaves whales, therefore violating the 13th amendment.

After months of waiting, a federal judge reached a decision PETA did not want to hear.

The Orlando Sentinel reports...

“A federal judge in San Diego dismissed an unprecedented lawsuit seeking to grant constitutional protection against slavery to a group of orcas that perform at SeaWorld parks, saying the 13th amendment applies only to humans.”

While the suit brought the ethics of keeping animals in captivity to the foreground, some found the basis of the case offensive. A blogger tells KNBC he thinks the lawsuit demeans the historic reality of slavery.

“To equate Shamu and friends to the millions of human beings who were degraded brutalised stripped of their culture and murdered, under a racists system of forced servitude that to me is just it is beyond insulting.”

Others think PETA has a point. A writer for Scholars and Rogues says for decades there has been discussion of whether or not it’s appropriate to keep intelligent animals like whales and dolphins in captivity.

“[W]hether they’re as smart as people are isn’t really the appropriate question. But they do seem to be smart enough to cause a great deal of head-scratching … Let’s face it—we’re talking about Killer Whales … we’re not talking about anteaters, or bats, or lizards.

But is this just another PR stunt for PETA? KTVK interviewed radio host Jim Sharpe, who says caging wild animals and giving them constitutional rights are two separate things.

“They're PETA...They are over reaching. Ya they are PETA. This is ridiculous are we going to give constitutional rights to ants? I mean where does it stop? I love animals I do animal rescue but I think you have to draw a line.

In a statement, SeaWorld denied any mistreatment of the animals and PETA says it does not intend to give up its fight to protect the whales.

(Image source: Techi)

BY EVAN THOMAS

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

Can you assign a dollar value to online privacy? Maybe. Google is paying Chome users to opt-in to a pair of new programs called Screenwise which will track browsing statistics.

In the first program, a Chrome plugin will collect data on the sites Screenwise members visit, such as the time, frequency and duration of their sessions. A second, smaller group can sign up to install a physical router which will track browsing even more closely.

Ars Technica says -- this could mean big business for Big G.

“We can only speculate about the possible lucrative uses for this data. It could tell every online retailer about every shopping cart the users ever abandon. It could tell Spotify exactly how users use competing services like Rdio or Grooveshark, and vice versa. The business prospects of all that raw information are huge.”

Slashgear notes -- this is nothing short of spying -- but hey, at least you’re paid. Screenwise members will get a whole -- five bucks a month -- for their trouble.  Snarkily adding...

“That is, $5 for signing up and then $5 in monthly installments if you continue to feel like you don’t deserve any privacy on the Internet. Oh, and that’s not in cash either. It’s paid in a series of Amazon.com gift cards.”

Five bucks?  Really? Gawker thinks Google could have picked a better number.

“Inherent in a $5 offer is an acknowledgement that you're required to do something embarrassing. As in, ‘Hey, I'll give you $5 to lick that guy's head.’ It's a classic monetary standard for mild humiliation.”

But back to privacy for a moment. Search Engine Land says, when it comes to the G-men, nobody snoops on privacy better.

“The timing of this program seems odd, especially considering the backlash that Google has faced over the upcoming changes to its privacy policy. Even though this Screenwise program is completely opt-in, some critics are bound to question why Google needs more data about web searchers and the websites they visit.”

Google says, this is all in the name of understanding on-line consumers better -- and emphasizes none of the data can be traced back to you.

And TechCrunch suggests tpeople who sign up for Google tracking probably know what they’re getting into.

“While many would consider this level of recording a monumental invasion of privacy, just as many (likely far more) don’t see much of a difference between this and how much they’re tracked already.”

Signups for Screenwise started Tuesday. Google has already stopped accepting them for now, saying it’s “overwhelmed” by interest so far.

(Image source: Geeky Gadgets)

BY EVAN THOMAS

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

Mark your calendars -- Microsoft has issued invitations for a conference for Leap Day, February 29th.

That’s when we’ll get the first look at the test version of Windows 8.

Officially --- Microsoft’s calling it a “consumer preview.”

It used to be this kind of release was called a  beta. But ZDnet says Microsoft doesn’t want to scare away the people it gets its feedback from.

“...the formal label communicates two messages. First, it’s for consumers, not for IT pros and definitely not (just) for enthusiasts. Second, and more important, it’s a preview, not a test version. Microsoft is encouraging real people to download and use this release.”

Microsoft has tweaked its latest OS to make it sync across computers, tablets and phones equally well. But TechCrunch says that’s a subtlety consumers might not notice.
 

“...a renewed focus on getting the OS onto devices with different form factors means that Windows 8 isn’t just a rehash of the same old Microsoft philosophy. Not that the general public would even notice that. They’ll be much to busy poking around with the build’s preloaded apps and games to bother checking under the hood.”

Well, that new Metro interface is pretty shiny. Microsoft’s Jensen Harris talks about the new look.

“We introduced a new platform based on standard web technologies, HTML 5 and Javascript. And it allows millions of developers who know how to use those technologies to create a new kind of app for Windows 8.”

It’s a big visual change, but eWeek reports the familiar desktop hasn’t vanished completely.

“Those who want a more ‘traditional’ Windows experience can flip from that start screen to a desktop interface with a single tap or click.”

But Computerworld says there’s no getting around Microsoft’s focus on the new.

“All the major changes to Windows were done via the new Metro interface that is modeled after Windows Phone 7, and clearly targeted at tablets. The traditional Windows desktop was essentially left on its own and seems an afterthought.”

You’ll may not have to wait long to test the changes yourself. Rumor has it Microsoft will be making the consumer preview available for download immediately after the conference.

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Five of the country’s largest banks and an assortment of state attorneys general have agreed to a $26 billion settlement surrounding the mortgage meltdown. According to Bloomberg, the deal would provide relief for about two million current and former homeowners hurt when the housing bubble burst.

“Here’s what it would have. $17 billion in mortgage debt forgiveness and loan modifications. $3 billion for refinancing. $1.5 billion to be distributed between 750,000 borrowers who’ve lost their homes to foreclosures.”

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the settlement Thursday morning and cited big banks’ mortgage malpractice as the reason behind the deal.

“Our investigations revealed disturbing practices. For instance, we saw that, all too often, services pushed borrowers into foreclosure, even though federal regulations require servicers to try other alternatives first.”

CNN reports the settlement hinged on an agreement from a handful of large holdout states that finally came around Wednesday night.

“California, New York, Florida — they are now on board. Almost all the states on board, so that’s important. The attorneys general of these states didn’t want to give up their investigations into the banking industry, and they won’t have to.”

But The New York Times says the plan leaves many victims of banks’ bad practices without aid.

“Despite the billions earmarked in the accord, the aid will help a relatively small portion of the millions of borrowers who are delinquent and facing foreclosure. The success could depend in part on how effectively the program is carried out because earlier efforts by Washington aimed at troubled borrowers helped far fewer than had been expected.”

In all, the plan helps roughly one million of the nation’s 11 million underwater homeowners. But a Fox News wonders why any should be receiving aid at all.  

“I have a real problem with bailing out anybody, even homeowners. If you bought a home and you couldn’t afford it, OK. And now we’re basically creating this moral hazard that the government’s backing you up, even if you can’t afford it.”

And while some criticize the deal, the Los Angeles Times says, it was the right deal -- for now.

“... this settlement comes at the middle of the story, not the end. Settling this piece enables the states to move on to other problems in the housing market, most notably the way mortgages were bundled, sliced, diced and sold to investors.”

The agreement would mark the nation’s largest industry-government settlement since the big tobacco settlement in 1998. The five banks targeted include Wells Fargo, Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, Ally Financial and Citigroup.

But The Washington Post reports:

“The settlement could grow in size and scope if officials can sign on an additional nine mortgage servicing companies with which they have been negotiating in recent weeks. That would bring the total number of banks participating to 14, and could raise the face value of the settlement to about $30 billion.”

Bloomberg believes President Obama could also see political gain out of this plan. The latest state to sign on to the Obama administration’s deal: Florida -- sure to be a political battleground state come November.

(Image source:  Wikimedia Commons)

BY ALYSSA CARTEE

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

“No Child Left Behind” gets left behind.  President Obama announced he’s granting 10 states waivers to escape the education reform requirements.  The plan was one of President Bush’s largest reforms and was widely criticized for being unrealistic and too rigid.

When The Today show reported the announcement, the show suggested the states involved had been trying to make this happen for a very long time.

“By dropping the Bush era policy, the ten states including Colorado, Florida and New Jersey will get the leeway on student preparation they have been requesting for years.”

But as CNN reports, the states had to give a little to get a little.

“In return, those states have agreed to raise standards for providing student achievement, provide more accountability, and provide essential reforms to teacher effectiveness.”

A blogger for Fox News writes although Congress couldn’t find a better resolution to the problems in the bill, some lawmakers are still not happy.

“The executive action will circumvent Congress, which has been stuck on how to rewrite the law. … Republicans have charged that by granting waivers, Obama was overreaching his authority.”

While some are criticizing the waivers saying it’s a loss of focus on education, Mom-blog ‘The Stir’ says the flexibility is a good thing.

“NCLB was too rigid. I think it’s important that we have high standards and continue reaching higher to prepare our students for their future — but we have to do that in a way that really will bring out the best in our educators and students.”

Chicago Now points out the waivers may make strange political allies.

“Interestingly the waiver process unites progressives who want NCLB dismantled much more than waivers would allow and conservatives who want responsibility for education sent back to the states and fear that promised flexibility won't be meaningful.”

28 other states have expressed interest in a more flexible education plan outside of “No Child Left Behind.”   Among the states getting waivers — Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey and Tennessee. 

(Image Source: Newsy Staff)

BY JIM FLINK

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

Deceptive.  Driven. Willing to distort the truth.

Those are just some of the descriptions in a FBI file gathered when the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs was up for consideration for a presidential advisor’s position for the elder President Bush.

That file — which consisted of interviews with Jobs’ former colleagues — paints a sometimes unflattering picture.
Here’s the Wall Street Journal — which broke the story.

“A Palo Alto, Calif.-based man who identifies himself as a former ‘good friend’ of Mr. Jobs said that while he was ‘basically an honest and trustworthy person, he is a very complex individual and his moral character is suspect.’ Mr. Jobs ‘alienated a large number of people at Apple, as a result of his ambition.’”

Oh, it gets richer.  Wired says...

“One interviewee remarked on Jobs’s well-known drug use – which included, by his own admission, the use of LSD during his schooldays. Others mentioned that Jobs couldn’t be trusted... Some noted that while his ambition produced great success, it also caused him to lose sight of integrity...”

The interviews were conducted between the time Jobs left Apple — and the time he returned.
Not everyone offered such a dismal view. Gawker says, even Jobs’ detractors saw his enormous upside.

“In Jobs’ defense, many of the people interviewed attested to his upstanding moral character. And even those who savaged him still recommended him for the appointment, which he didn't get. As one put it: ‘[H]e believed ... honesty and integrity are not prerequisites to assume such a position.’”

Find it a little weird the government wanted to know all that about a man for a low-level government export post?  Well, CNET says, it got all those answers and more.

“Reading through the early pages, we know that Jobs wasn’t a communist or wasn't connected to any group that wanted to overthrow the government. They really asked him that. According to the Council's Web site, the group is the ‘principal national advisory committee on international trade.’”

Want to see the entire — now open — FBI file — replete with plenty of redactions?
You can view it — in our transcript section.
 

(Image source: Ynetnews)

BY BLAKE HANSON

U.S. officials say Israel financed, trained and equipped a terror group that killed an Iranian nuclear scientist. NBC News broke the story, writing...

“Two senior U.S. officials confirmed for NBC News  the [People’s Mujahedin of Iran’s] role in the assassinations, with one senior official saying, ‘All your inclinations are correct.’ A third official would not confirm or deny the relationship, saying only, ‘It hasn’t been clearly confirmed yet.’  All the officials denied any U.S. involvement in the assassinations.”

The report from NBC was following up on initial claims made by a senior Iranian official. So what’s Israel saying about all this? The Jerusalem Post writes:

“The Foreign Ministry declined to comment, saying it would not ‘react to every gossip and report being published worldwide...’”

The group is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. Ynetnews.com has more on the terror group’s long history, writing...

“The organization fought the Iranian monarchy in the 1960s and the Islamist regime in the 1980s. It moved its HQ to Iraq following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It was claimed it provided the US with intelligence on Iran.”

Before the news broke, NPR spoke with an expert from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who said we’ll likely see many more shots at Iran.

“...it's very likely that Iran's nuclear sites have been penetrated by foreign intelligence agencies. So there are likely to be more computer viruses and explosions and things like we've seen in the past.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta recently suggested Israel could attack Iran as soon as this Spring.
 

(Image source: WLUK)

BY KEVIN DUBOUIS

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

Just a day after California struck down the state’s ban on gay marriage, Washington state lawmakers voted Wednesday to approve same-sex nuptials. WLUK reports the 55-43 vote in the House.

“Mr. Speaker there are 55 yeas, 43 nays, 0 excuse for not voting. Having received a constitutional majority in gross substitute Senate Bill 6239 is declared passed.”

Washington would become the seventh state in the nation to allow gay people to wed. Gov. Christine Gregoire is expected to sign the bill by next week. The Christian Post has her comments.

“With today’s vote, we tell the nation that Washington state will no longer deny our citizens the opportunity to marry the person they love … [W]e take a major step toward completing a long and important journey to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.”

Though two Republicans supported the bill on Wednesday, the opposition argued it goes against the institution of marriage. According to The Associated Press, Republican state Rep. Jay Rodne said that “it contravenes human nature and it will hurt families and children.”

CNN reports opponents want to take their fight against gay marriage to the ballot box.

“The National Organization for Marriage, which opposes the law, has said it will seek to gather the 120,577 signatures needed to put the issue to voters as a referendum in November.”

Otherwise, same sex couples could get married starting in June.

USA Today published an interactive map entitled “Where states stand on same-sex marriage.”

It shows that same-sex marriage is legal in New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia. And in this election year — the Washington legislature preceded several other votes expected across the country.

But The New York Times says “the issue may be more contentious elsewhere.”

“In North Carolina, voters will decide in May on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Minnesota will vote on a similar measure in November. Austin R. Nimocks, a lawyer who argues against same-sex marriage for the Alliance Defense Fund, noted that while some polls showed increasing support for gay marriage, voters had never approved it at the polls.”

And yet, 55% of people said they would vote to uphold the law if a challenge to the gay marriage bill were on the ballot in Washington.

(Image source: Obama for America)

BY KERRY LEARY

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

President Barack Obama is planning on running his re-election campaign in style... and we’re not just talking about his personal style.

The President’s campaign launched a fashion line called “Runway to Win,” complete with designer totes, t-shirts and pins.

Scarlett Johanssen, Anna Wintour and Tory Burch were just a few of the 23 designers that showed up to the event which coincided with a GOP caucus primary night. CNN reports, the event was more than just a gathering of supporters.

“(This) wasn't your typical get-together of moneyed Democrats looking to raise funds. More than 500 paying guests showed up to shop for the Obama gear, paying anywhere from $44 for a discounted ticket to $2,500 for a chance to have dinner with the event's organizers.”

Republicans have been quick to respond --- with a tailor-made attack ad on the fashion line.

“...Tory Burch Tote: $75. Thakoon Panichgul Scarf: $95. Watching the Obama Campaign host a ritzy NYC fashion show while 12 million Americans remain out of work? Priceless. There are some campaign moments money can’t buy. Obama’s celebrity-filled fashion show is one of them.”

The Republican National Committee is also advertising its own fake fashion item -- to mock the president’s recent change of opinion regarding Super PACs. US News reports.

“...in honor of the president's recent "flip flop" on his position on Super PACs ... a pair of thong sandals reading "Super PACs, a threat to democracy (just kidding!)"

But the Guardian says - this fashion show idea fits perfectly with the Republican’s concept of wealthier democrats.

“There is nothing Republicans like more than wallowing in the concept of the "liberal elite". In this cosy fantasy world, Democrats are Hollywood-loving latte-sippers with a fondness for sushi. They live in either Los Angeles or New York (San Francisco, if they are environmentalists or gay) and have oodles of money to splash around on their favourite charity causes.”

Other critics aren’t concerned with the fashion -- as they are with a perceived campaign finance law violation. The Wall Street Journal says--

“...the general concern is, how much is one’s time worth and are people allowed to volunteer their time for a campaign in order to do something like they’re doing tonight-to design shirts and scarves and bags for a re-election account.”

While that battle rages, some are wondering if the Republicans can keep up with Obama’s high-profile brands. Business Insider believes this might just give Obama an advantage.

“...for Obama fans willing to shell out the dough, the campaign has definitely added a cool factor that Republicans are going to have a hard time replicating. After all, how many high-fashion hip-hop moguls support Mitt Romney?"

(Image source: The Telegraph)

BY EVAN THOMAS AND CHRISTINA HARTMAN

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

Groupon had its first earnings call earlier this week. Did the biggest tech IPO of last year hold up?

Not really. The daily deal deliverer reported a $42 million loss for the 4th quarter of 2011.

Bloomberg says the company’s massive marketing budget didn’t help.

“They got a lot of criticism about having super-high marketing costs. …  When a company would spend $224m in a 13-week period for marketing, you say ‘wow, that’s a really expensive business to run.’”

The loss amounts to about 8 cents per share. The Wall Street Journal suggests — it might be that Groupon is just a new company.

“They’re hiring a lot of people and making acquisitions, to build new services... And the fact that this is the first report since the IPO; the company not given any guidance, really...”

And some analysts say — maybe it’s just too much, too fast. A CNBC analyst says flat out — Groupon is not a good investment.

“I shouldn’t say this, but run. Run, don’t walk from that stock. When you see 1600% tax, when you see nearly $700m in marketing, how could you possibly own a stock like that?”

Still — Groupon DID beat analysts’ expectations in terms of revenue — it tripled from the period a year earlier. SeekingAlpha says Groupon’s problem is it doesn’t make the same kind of money other big names do.

“Groupon will soon turn profitable, but its earnings release shows the daily deals sector does not scale well, and even when profitable it will never be the kind of pure high-margin Internet business that other companies, such as Facebook and Google, epitomize.”

But Groupon isn’t sitting on its hands. In response, the Chicago Tribune notes, the company...

“…is considering launching more promotions around special occasion gift-giving following the success of its holiday campaign last year. The company is also planning to add more personalization options to its platform in the first half of 2012...”
 

(Image Source: Ellen)

BY LAUREN ZIMA

Ellen DeGeneres took to her talk show to fire back at the group One Million Moms — a group that is protesting J.C. Penney making DeGeneres its new spokesperson. E! Online has the group’s statement.

“‘By jumping on the pro-gay bandwagon, JCPenney is attempting to gain a new target market and in the process will lose customers with traditional values that have been faithful to them over all these years,’ among other things.”

And here’s the response from DeGeneres.

“Being gay or pro gay is not a bandwagon. ... Here are the values I stand for. I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values.”

DeGeneres also examined the One Million Moms Facebook page, where the statement was posted — noting the group only has about 40,000 members -- not 1 million. The Washington Post reports,

“As the comedienne pointed out, she had received an outpouring of support in the comments section on the One Million Moms’s Facebook page. DeGeneres was also defended by JC Penney, which said in a statement they ‘stand behind [the] partnership…’”

And in what Entertainment Weekly calls a “surprising move,” Fox News’ Bill O’ Reilly came to DeGeneres’ defense on his show, “The O’Reilly Factor.”

On the show, Fox News contributor Sandy Rios argued that spokespeople “stand for something” — so DeGeneres’ lifestyle is important. But O’Reilly called the One Million Moms campaign a “witch hunt,” comparing it to the McCarthy era.

“You don’t wanna shop there because you don’t believe the message they’re sending by hiring Ellen is a good message, more power to you. That’s your decision and your right as an American. But to come out and demand the woman be fired, that’s wrong.”
 

(Image Source:  The Toronto Sun)

BY DAVID EARL

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

A 29-year-old mother in China has given birth to a big baby. Chun Chun is so big … he’s broken a record. At 15-and-a-half pounds, he’s believed to be the heaviest Chinese baby ever. NTD Television interviews the mother fresh off delivery, where she compares this pregnancy to her previous one.

“ … my body was more clumsy than when I was pregnant with my daughter. My belly was bigger than it was then.”

But, the mom says she never expected her baby to be THIS big. The parents are both of average size, and mother and son are both in good health. The Global Post has the translated quote from a proud baby daddy -- who’s happy his son was born in the lucky Dragon Year.

“‘My wife was not different from other pregnant women. She ate and drank normally as she should. But she's given birth to such a big, fat son. Today is the first day of spring in the Chinese calendar and he’s a ‘dragon baby’. I feel very happy.’”

NTD Television reports the previous record for heaviest baby in China was 15 pounds. And to put Chun Chun’s weight in perspective, 9News has info from a doctor at the hospital.

“[The] head of the obstetrics department at the hospital where Chun Chun was born, said the baby was ‘twice as heavy’ as a normal newborn.”

But could this only be the beginning of lots of baby news in the nation? The BBC reports China is ready for a baby boom because of the Dragon Year.

“We believe the dragon baby is more lucky, clever, and smart ... Doctors say there could be 10 percent more births this year.”

No word on whether any more will be 15-pounds.

(Image source: The Manufacturer)

BY ZAKIYYAH WAHAB

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

You're watching multisource global video news analysis from Newsy.

Nokia has announced it will cut 4,000 manufacturing jobs, and the assembly of the company’s mobile phones will relocate to Asia. Slate News Channel has more.

“ … they’re moving all assembling of cellphones from Europe to Asia by year’s end in order to be closer to their suppliers.”

....

“The hope is that the move will enable Nokia to introduce innovations into the marketplace more quickly and ‘ultimately be more competitive.’”

The job cuts affect employees of three factories in Hungary, Finland and Mexico. But the factories won’t completely close, according to BBC …

“The company said the plants would remain open and refocus on customising phones whilst the actual assembly would move to South Korea and China.”

The affected Finnish factory is the oldest factory owned by Nokia. Although the layoff does not affect Finnish research and design laboratories, the Financial Times reports …

“... the move will be particularly [unwelcomed] in Finland, where Nokia has its headquarters, given its significance as an employer in the country … ”

The cuts come about after the Finnish company reported a devastating loss in the fourth quarter of 2011. As ABC News reports,

“... smartphone sales plummeted 23 percent globally in the fourth quarter as net revenue fell 20 percent to … 10 billion euro compared to a year earlier … ”

So, is Nokia leaving 4,000 employees out to dry? Nokia’s executive vice president for smartphones, Niklas Savander, says the company will provide training for those affected so they can look for new jobs. As quoted in Information Week, Savander says,

“We recognize the planned changes are difficult for our employees and we are committed to supporting our personnel and their local communities during this transition.”

Telecoms reports that the company will provide …

“ ... a comprehensive locally-tailored support program, including financial support and assistance with local re-employment.”

The job cuts are expected to be completed by the end of 2012.

 

(Image source: WSB TV)

BY LAUREN ZIMA

The victim of an alleged anti-gay attack in Atlanta has come forward. 20-year-old Brandon White says he was beaten on February 4th by three men. Another man filmed the attack, and the video was widely circulated online. We want to warn you -- the following content may be disturbing to some.

White is seen leaving a grocery store. The man filming the incident uses a gay slur, as do the men he is filming. They then attack White, and while three men beat him, the men watching laugh. The gay slur is used several more times. Police believe the men to be members of a gang called Jack City.

On Wednesday, White came forward and revealed himself as the victim in the video. White calls the men monsters, says he feels violated and embarrassed, and that he wasn’t bothering anyone in the store. CNN has the footage. 

WHITE: “I shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not I should have to look over my shoulder, or is this person going to attack me, is that person going to attack me, for just being a gay male.”

No one has yet been arrested for the attack. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports locals are outraged. A leader in the area of Atlanta, which is called Pittsburgh, points out another disturbing aspect of the attack.

“‘The biggest problem we have about this is that no one thought to stop and call the police,’ said LaShawn Hoffman, Pittsburgh Community Improvement Association president and CEO. ‘As if this is a norm. This is not the norm.’”

The FBI is now investigating to see if the case meets the criteria for prosecution under the federal hate crimes statute. But WSB TV spoke with Devon Barrington-Ward of Change Atlanta, who points out this brings up a state level issue.

“Georgia one of the only places without hate crime legislation, and that needs to stop. It’s sad that something like this has to take place in order for us to get some traction, but this, unfortunately, has to be a teachable moment.”

(Image Source: CNN)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.
 

A monetary relief for up to one million American homeowners could be just around the corner. New York, California and Florida have reportedly gone in on a mortgage settlement deal worth 25 billion dollars with America’s largest banks. CNN says the deal could be officially announced as early as Thursday.
 

“This will be the largest and broadest housing rescue plan yet. The largest settlement between the industry, and industry and the states, since that big tobacco settlement in 1998.”

Greek leaders have now agreed on austerity and reform measures — all required steps to secure a 130 billion euro bailout cash. A Greek default could push the eurozone deeper into its crisis. MSNBC says the agreement is not without its contentions. 

“Some political leaders, however, have pushed back against amends to make $400 million pension cuts in order to receive a massie bailout from the other 17 Euro countries.”

 

Violent government crackdown continues in Syria. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is condemning the, quote “appalling brutality.” The BBC says up to 40 civilians were killed in Homs on Thursday.
 

“Some say it was the worst day of shelling. The Syrian armor roamed menacingly at the edges of those areas still holding out.”

 

A picture of the purported iPad 3 back casing has turned up — and CNET says it matches up with many of the improvements Apple is said to be working on.
 

For one — the internal logic board of the iPad 3 looks smaller than the iPad 2’s. This smaller size could open up room for an extended battery. But despite rumors of being thicker to accommodate a better screen, this iPad 3 is no thicker than the iPad 2.



 

Stay with Newsy for more news analyses throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m Jim Flink, highlighting the top headlines making you smarter, faster.

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY NIELS SCHACK NORGAARRD

ANCHORED BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

It’s been thirty years since the war between Great Britain and Argentina -- but now tensions rise once again over the Falkland Islands.

The BBC has video of the British Royal Navy’s most advanced battleship. In a few weeks it will head towards the Falklands to replace a smaller and ageing ship.

“HMS Dauntless is one of the newest and most powerful warships in the fleet, equipped to repel attack from the air. Argentina says this has militarized the dispute. Britain says it’s a routine deployment – not an escalation.”

Britain has held the Falklands since 1833 — though tension has always surrounded the islands, leading to a war between the two nations in 1982 which caused the deaths of 904 Argentinian and British troops.   

Now, as the HMS Dauntless heads toward the islands, Argentina’s president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner says she will launch a complaint to the UN’s Security Council.

She spoke at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires in front of a map of the Falkland Islands symbolically painted in the colours of the Argentinian flag. CNN reports.

“I simply want to ask the Prime Minister of England to give peace a chance, to give peace a chance. And not war.”

Recently, Argentina has indicated it wishes to discuss sovereignty of the islands, home to some 3,000 people. But according to the Buenos Aires Herald, a British Foreign Official says:

“The people of the Islands are British out of choice. They are free to determine their own future and there will be no negotiations with Argentina on sovereignty unless the islanders wish it.”

As for Dauntless, there’s debate about whether deployment of the battleship is truly an act of provocation. The Telegraph reports a Navy spokesperson as saying the move is routine and had long been planned. Then again, the paper also talked with an anonymous Navy source, whose language was more confrontational.

“Dauntless ... could ‘take out all of South America's fighter aircraft let alone Argentina’s,’ according to one Navy source.”

Another Navy source said:

“It can shoot down Argentine fighters as soon as they take off from their bases. This will give Buenos Aires serious pause for thought.”

Meanwhile, former financial advisor to the Blair government Peter Slowe, has said England should be ready to hand over the Falklands to Argentina. He writes on politics.co.uk:

“...it is surely time for a compromise. Britain should cede sovereignty to Argentina while ensuring by treaty with the now-democratic government of Argentina that the tiny local population can continue to enjoy local democracy and a ‘British’ way of life. … Then 904 young servicemen, who should by now be old or middle-aged, will not have died in vain.”
 

(Image source: Jack in the Box)

BY DAVID EARL

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

Bacon-wrapped shrimp. Bacon on a baked potato. Bacon with eggs. We live in the age of bacon. But now, with your bacon cheeseburger … you can get a side of fries … and to drink?

ABC News writes, “It’s the bacon milkshake, and it’s the brainchild of the Jack in the Box fast-food chain.”

It’s just the latest culinary concoction Jack in the Box cooked up as part of its “Marry Bacon” campaign. Check out this TV spot...

“Mom...I’m getting married. Who’s the girl? It’s not a girl … it’s bacon.”

Okay. Marrying bacon to a burger is pretty standard, but bacon in your ice cream? How’s that taste? CNBC took to the streets to see if people are actually beggin’ for bacon shakes.

“It’s not my favorite and I love bacon. Bacon’s good with everything, and I’m a diabetic. I actually like it. I love bacon, but I never thought I’d like it cold.”

Some like it, some don’t. The foodies at Chow.com note — the shake doesn’t contain actual bacon.

“As far as the … cultural identifier masquerading as a 773-calorie beverage goes ... ‘bacon’ ought to be set off with quotation marks, since it contains no pork, only ‘bacon-flavored syrup,’ which is technically bacon-less.”
http://www.chow.com/food-news/105207/jack-in-the-box-bacon-shake-is-bogus/

So, good news for vegetarians, but if you want it, you’ll have to ask for the bacon shake by name. Jack in the Box says it’s not sending out any special menu signs for the specialty item. And is the bacon shake special? The Huffington Post did a little research...

“We couldn't find any other examples of major chains serving bacon milkshakes in the past. But Denny's has been serving a bacon sundae since April, so Jack in the Box isn't the first chain to hop on the bacon dessert bandwagon.”

In more shake-related news: The bacon shake announcement comes at the same time rival McDonald’s announced that its seasonal Shamrock Shake would go national for the first time ever in Spring 2012.
 

(Image Source: Red Bull)

BY GILLIAN STEDMAN

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner wants to beat the speed of sound this summer.  And his plan is to do it while skydiving from space at more than 1,000 feet per second. 

Al Jazeera reports…

“The plan is simple he goes up 36 kilometers in this capsule underneath a balloon, then he jumps.”

Following years of training Baumgartner announced Monday he will be making the big jump over Roswell, New Mexico sometime this summer. 

KRQE has more…

“This is what more than 20 miles up looks like over southern New Mexico – video from a recent space port America rocket flight.”

Red Bull was sponsoring Baumgartner when he was scheduled to make the same jump about two years ago.  But the plan was put on hold due to a lawsuit filed by the event’s promoter Daniel Hogan.

MSNBC reports…

Hogan said he owned “certain rights to the project.” But an out-of-court settlement was made putting the mission back on track.

Team medical director, Dr. Jonathan Clark says “Red Bull Stratos is testing new equipment and developing the procedures for inhabiting such high altitudes as well as enduring such extreme acceleration… The aim is to improve the safety for space professionals as well as potential space tourists.” (SlashGear)

But it’s not all fun and games.  There’s a reason why such a jump hasn’t been attempted in more than 50 years.

The BBC relives this incredible moment in history…

“Captain Joseph Kittinger jumps from a balloon to test a new parachute system for the U.S. Air Force. There was a leak in his right glove and he temporarily lost the use of his hand.”

The blog New Launches expresses its concerns over this upcoming mission. 

“Numerous lives have been lost in this attempt to jump off a height as such, and this incredible feat that Baumgartner will soon perform requires all the goodwill and prayers one can fling at him.”

(Image Source: Los Angeles Times)

(Image source: Digital Trends)

BY EVAN THOMAS

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

Social networking apps are all about sharing, but Path users could be giving up more information than they intended. This week, a developer discovered anyone who signs up for Path signs over their phone’s address book, like it or not.

Path is a location-based social network that lets you share where you are and what you’re doing with your friends. You can post pictures and video, and even track when you wake up and fall asleep.

Developer Arun Thampi watched how the Path app talked to its servers, and discovered the app pulled his entire address book without his permission. He wrote about it on his blog and got a response from Path CEO Dave Morin.

“We upload the address book to our servers in order to help the user find and connect to their friends and family on Path quickly and [efficiently] as well as to notify them when friends and family join Path. Nothing more.”

The blogosphere exploded with angry users wanting answers from Morin. Technologizer wonders if Path gets how hot-button privacy is nowadays.

“Little by little, Morin is addressing the company’s actions... But he hasn’t explained himself to the satisfaction of all of Thampi’s commenters, and the Path Blog doesn’t yet cover the kerfuffle. It’s not clear that Path thinks this a particularly big deal.”

TechCrunch says Morin misstepped, questioning Path’s prioritization of privacy.

“Much as I like Path, there’s something a little odd about Morin’s response. He ... goes on to call it an ‘important conversation’ to have, but if that’s true, then why are we having it under these circumstances?”

Privacy follows a fine line, says Gizmodo.

“Social networks and privacy issues are nothing new, and now we’re again revisiting the issue of how much information we really want to share on a social network. Yes, we want to be social, but not too social.”

ReadWriteWeb suggests this sort of scandal is the price we pay for social connectivity.

“Whenever Facebook or Google messes with our privacy, this is the cost of doing business for free. Path is no different. It’s already using our personal data in ways we didn’t expect.”

Path won’t necessarily get that data in the future, though. The Android client has a new opt-in feature that will keep Path from accessing your address book at all. An update for the iOS app is pending approval in the App Store.

(Image source: TechnoBuffalo)

BY EVAN THOMAS

How much do you love your sweetheart? Enough to get him or her a new phone? Microsoft has announced Nokia’s flagship Windows phone, the Lumia 800, will be available stateside at Microsoft stores just in time for Valentine’s Day ... for $900.

The Verge cites sources close to Microsoft, who say the 800 will be available as part of a bundle which includes a wireless speaker system and bluetooth headsets. Oh, and the phone will be unlocked, which means it’s not tied to a specific carrier.

Awesome...... But 900 bucks? This is not what Nokia said it was going to do, says GottaBeMobile.

“The only way to describe this is bizarre and that’s because of how much different this is from the rhetoric that Nokia trotted out at CES. There, the Finnish manufacturer stated that it would be attacking the U.S. market with affordable prices. $899? Really?”

The Lumia 800 sports a 3.7-inch display, a 1.4ghz processor running Windows Phone Mango, and an 8-megapixel camera that shoots 720p HD video, all packed into sleek polycarbonate shell. Engadget called it one of the best Windows Phones yet.

But Microsoft doesn’t currently have plans to sell the 800 on its own. The Next Web says you’ll just have to put up with the excess hardware.

“Here’s the worst part: you can’t buy a Lumia 800 without the bundle. In other words, if you were hoping at snagging an 800, unlocked, for your own personal use, you had better hope that you really wanted a new speaker and two headsets.”

And even though it’s unlocked, says Business Insider, only some networks will support it.

“This means you’ll have to pop in a SIM card if you’re on AT&T or T-Mobile. Verizon and Sprint users are out of luck.”

Gizmodo says it looks like you might be paying more -- a lot more -- for less phone.

“Nokia’s plan has been to blitz the US with value. The Lumia 710 on T-Mobile is just $50. The Lumia 900 might be $100. Who in their right mind would pay $900 just for a smaller version of the 900, but with no LTE?”

Hey -- still cheaper than diamonds, though, right?
 

(Image source: Sky News)

BY CHRISTINE KARSTEN

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

They say it’s not over until the fat lady sings, but what if that fat lady is Adele?

Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld dissed the British singer for being big-boned. CelebTV reports…

“The thing at the moment is Adele, ‘She is a little too fat but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice’ … we are sure she will thank you for that divine compliment.”

A blogger for SFWeekly asks if Lagerfeld is qualified to punish others for extra pounds, writing …

“Do you know how sick and tired rounder women are of hearing that whole ‘but she has a beautiful face’ add-on after the ‘fatty’ accusation? That weird, oh so common, backhanded compliment is one of the most patronizing things a woman could ever hear, and altogether too many women have to hear it on a regular basis.”

An ABC News blogger turns Lagerfeld’s low blow around saying the designer found himself in the “little to fat” category not too long ago.

“Ironically, Lagerfeld himself was once overweight — he lost close to 100 pounds in 13 months back in 2001 by following a special diet. Wonder how he would have felt if some world-famous designer had called him ‘too fat.’”

And Billboard notes, Lagerfeld’s motor mouth is old news, saying this isn’t the first time the king of all things Chanel has spoken his mind.

“The 78-year-old Lagerfeld, infamous for his explosive and vivid public outbursts, let his points of view on the music industry rip as the guest editor of global newspaper Metro.”

Even with all the name-calling buzz, MSNBC doesn’t think this insult will affect Adele.

“It’s really disturbing he would go that far in a public newspaper. She is gorgeous and has publicly said that she doesn’t care what people think -- they can say whatever they want -- it’s not going to hurt her. So good for her.”

And has Lagerfeld’s comment changed the way Adele’s die hard fans view her? Entertainment Wise says no, but the way they view Lagerfeld has changed. For the worse. Entertainment Wise reports.

“Curves and Chaos, an LA-based blog for bigger women, wrote: ‘Are you freaking kidding me? We’re done with him and Chanel as long as he’s involved with them.’”

BBC reports Adele has not yet responded to Lagerfeld’s interview.

(Image Source: TIME Magazine)

BY CELIA MURRAY

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

Former Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have kicked his Presidential campaign up a notch by investing in the media — a little too much it seems. Hackers have uncovered emails detailing a plan to buy a little media love. Russian newspaper Gazeta filed this report:

“The letters that were made public discussed financing of pro-Kremlin internet bloggers, anti-opposition protests, as well as creation of a positive image of those in power.”

According to reports, Nashi (a pro-Putin youth movement) had plans to spend as much as $10 million rubles to buy a series of articles in two popular Russian tabloids. There were also plans to demonize Alexei Navalny — an avid blogger and critic of Putin.

The Guardian explains why he was on the target list.

“The fervour of Navalny's work is cut with wit. When he described United Russia as ‘the party of crooks and thieves’ last year, it quickly became a meme and is now recognised by two-thirds of Russians. He writes sharp updates on his blog and tweets throughout the day, bantering with 180,000 followers.”

It’s been 12 years since Putin first won the presidency in Russia and many analysts say this will be the hardest election he’s fought yet. The Financial Times released this video about counter protests organised by Putin’s supporters:

“Yet while organisers had promised a turnout of 15 thousand, the actual number of attendees appeared to be a third of that. Moreover, some of those who did attend admitted that they’d done so for reasons other than their political affiliations.”

Whether or not the information released by the hacking group will have any affect on the presidential race remains to be seen. A writer for Web Pro News says — not likely.

“The attitude being displayed by … those in power in Nashi seem to indicate that it’s business as usual for them.”

But many believe that the wave of protest again Putin is a sign of the end of his career. A columnist for Foreign Policy says:

“As the Russian protest movement expands and radicalizes in the lead-up to the March 4 presidential election, the key question is not whether Vladimir Putin -- and Putinism -- will survive. They will not.”

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

In one of the most inhospitable places on the Earth, Russian scientists have broken through to what’s essentially another world. It took decades of drilling, but Britain’s Channel 4 News explains, to scientists it was worth the wait.

“To Antarctic scientists, Lake Vostok, deep beneath this Russian outpost, is almost mythical. … For at least 14 million years it’s been covered by more than three and a half kilometers of ice.”

That’s 14 million years -- without contact with the rest of the world. Scientists are split over whether life could survive such an extreme environment. But NPR explains, if there is life to be found there it will be unlike anything else on the planet.

“If life exists there, it will have to find alternative energy sources, as nutrients are lacking. However, the remarkable resiliency of life on Earth, showing up deep under dark cold oceans near volcanic vents, and even in radioactive cooling ponds, may be ready to surprise us once again.”

For a little context, scientists believe humans split from apes around five million years ago, so Lake Vostok has been isolated since long before there were humans. But critics say in the Russians’ haste, they could be poisoning the lake they want to study.

The Christian Science Monitor explains.

“Their ice-coring drill ... uses what is essentially jet fuel to keep the long borehole from freezing over season after season, and there are fears that the fuel will contaminate the lake, or at least the lake water samples retained for research.”

The Russians counter their fuel is less dense then water, so it was pushed back up the borehole as the high-pressure lake water surged up. Ice has already plugged up the hole, hopefully keeping the lake uncontaminated until scientists can take samples later this year.

Science and sci-fi fans are already having fun guessing what they’ll find. Writers from Slate weigh in:

“That’s great and everything, but didn’t we learn anything about disturbing the secrets of the Antarctic continent from movies like ‘The Thing’ and ‘Alien vs Predator?’”

And a writer for Time takes the joke even further.

“If life were a Michael Bay movie, the moment … would immediately be followed by the sudden and frightening appearance of unfrozen aliens, or the Predator, or the Decepticons, or giant prehistoric piranhas...”

The sci-fi link might not be too far off the mark. The scientists believe life in Lake Vostok would give them clues to how life may develop in space — including Jupiter’s frozen moons right here in our solar system.

(Image source: Sky News)

BY XIAONAN WANG

On Tuesday, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad promised to end violence in Syria after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. However, the government’s crackdown on Homs continues into its fifth day, and the death toll is still rising. A BBC reporter close to the city of Homs said the relentless bombardment there has been the heaviest ever.

“We hear some very high casualty figures, more than 50, which cannot be verified at the moment. But in the one small neighborhood that we are in, they claim to have counted 27 bodies so far.”

Last week Russia and China vetoed a UN resolution for an Arab plan that would have urged Assad to give up power. Lavrov said Tuesday that his Syria visit was productive. And on Wednesday, he said the situation will take time to resolve, and warned against demonizing President Bashar al-Assad.

“A day after his diplomatic mission to Syria, Russia’s Foreign Minister is sticking to his support for President Bashar al-Assad ... Lavrov also blamed both sides in the conflict for the violence, and warned of outside interference.” (Video source: euronews)

But activists report the pro-Assad forces are moving deeper into the city, firing rockets and mortar rounds. A video from Al Jazeera shows civilians apparently fleeing the violence.

“The government says it’s fighting armed gangs that have taken the city and its people hostage. But activists posted this video on the Internet. They say it shows women and children running for their lives.”

And The New York Times reports, Russian influence in the country may be dwindling.

“It remained unclear whether Russia possessed the diplomatic power to significantly influence events on the ground. … Neither was it clear whether Russian diplomatic efforts could push Mr. Assad to a compromise, considering his repeated assertions that he is battling terrorism, not a popular uprising.”

The EU is threatening harsher sanctions against Syria. The government of Turkey also said it’s ready to host an international conference to support the Syrian people. And a UN official said on Wednesday it’s time to cut through the politics and take effective action.

(Image Source: Flickr/DougLeMoine) 

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

You're watching multi-source video news analysis from Newsy. 

Just a matter of time? The Dow Jones Industrial Average is poised to hit its highest level -- and possibly an all time high -- since the 2008 economic collapse. MSNBC explains why that new level has investors rallying.

“We’re only a few — maybe 100 points — away from 12,000, or 13,000 now on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. My how time flies. We’re heading back to a millennium number there.”

The Dow opened Wednesday morning at its highest level in four years...inching it ever so close to that 13,000 mark, before retreating slightly. ABC’s “Good Morning America” explains one of the motivators behind the indices's climb.

“The number of job openings across the country has just hit a nearly three year high. As for the competition, well, an average of four people are now applying for each available job, down from a high of 7 just a few years ago. Wall Street likes those numbers.”

Fox Business’ Lauren Simonetti adds to that — saying investors are growing used to dealing with various economic factors like the European debt crisis happening on the other side of the Atlantic.

“But the other reason is, it’s just a new normal on Wall Street where we have small moves in both directions and we end the day almost where we started — climbing up a little every day and volume is very low.”

So what’s it going to take to actually push the Dow into the new level? One investment strategist has an idea.

“I think traders very much want to see 13,000 if we get no new foul news out of Europe. We could easily watch that go high. What Wall Street wants is to ignite a rally that leaves everybody feeling like they’re getting left behind so the money comes flooding in.”

But is there magic in the 13K figure?
With all the talk about the Dow’s climb, the New York Times Magazine asks why “average” Americans still care about the Dow.

“Rather than being a useful indicator, it’s an anxiety-amplification device. It reflects investors’ own reactions, and often hysterical overreactions, as they progress through the turmoil...The Dow doesn’t adjust for inflation either. Passing 12,000 points, as it did in early 2011, is incorrectly considered the equivalent to that supposedly magical moment in 2006, especially because we were in a bubble then and are coming out of a recession now."

In 2007, the Dow sat at 13,000 points before it dropped 2,000 points in just three weeks -- that was just four months before the US financial crisis drove the Dow .  It bottomed out in March 2009 at around 6500 -- half of where it sits now.

(Image Source: Inquisitr)
 

BY CODY LAGROW

A Santorum Sweep of Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado left Republican front-runner Mitt Romney defeated last night. At least for now.  PBS has the GOP presidential candidate’s reaction.

“This was a good night for Rick Santorum. I want to congratulate Senator Santorum. Wish him the very best. We’ll keep on campaigning down the road, but I expect to become our nominee with your help.”

Now analysts are asking the question -- are Romney’s expectations too high after losing a state he won in 2008? CNN reports.

“Despite the best efforts of Romney-world to downplay the importance of Minnesota, the campaign played to win there.”

Romney tried to improve his conservative image on social issues. He recently spoke out against an Obama rule that forces religious employers to include birth control in health plans. MSNBC said if it’s not his stance on social issues, it could be independent voters’ view of the former Massachusetts governor.

“What’s his problem right now? Independents viewing him more negatively. And even Republicans viewing him more wounded over Bain and other of these wealth issues. That’s what he has to consolidate and he’s got time to that."

Santorum showed strength in middle America last night. But the New York Times says Romney’s triple defeat exposed a disconnect to the Midwest.

“As the campaign moves to the Midwest and the Rust Belt, Mr. Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, might find more strength and where polls suggest that Mr. Romney might have trouble connecting with voters.”

The Washington Post weighs in and compares Romney’s Minnesota defeat to other historic elections in the ‘Land of ten-thousand lakes’.

“The rebuke of Romney on Tuesday night was right up there with being the only state to vote democratic in the 1984 presidential election, electing former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura as its governor and electing former Saturday Night Live star Al Franken to the senate. Minnesota is the new low point for Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign.”

But while Colorado’s vote bound delegates to Santorum, Missouri and Minnesota’s did not. Because of that, the Romney campaign tells Yahoo! News that it won’t sweat the small stuff.

“Of course, there is no way to win first place in every single contest. But unlike the other candidates, our campaign has the resources and organization to keep winning over the long run.”

Mitt Romney will now turn his focus to Arizona and Michigan, where 59 delegates are up for grabs on February 28.  Super Tuesday follows a week later.

(Image Source: Howbirthcontrolworks.com) 

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

You're watching mutli-source video news analysis from Newsy. 

A mandate in the new health care law concerning contraception appears to have President Obama playing defense -- and thinking twice. New York’s WPIX explains the controversy.

“The decision requires all employee health plans to cover contraceptives. But some Catholic leaders are upset because their faith does not condone birth control. The White House has hinted that they are working on a compromise.”

Working on a compromise -- yes. Backing down?  Well, that’s still up for debate. A columnist for the Washington Post tells CBS’ This Morning, while the Obama administration wants to quell the naysayers, it won’t back down on its central point. They believe churches have religious liberty rights, but...

“They think religious institutions like hospitals and charities and universities should be treated under federal law like a 7/11 or Apple store.”

Still, Politico says the fact the president and his administration are working on a compromise is surprising. And, it believes, shows the administration’s election-year fears.

“The problem illustrates the complexities of Obama’s election-year calculus: Walk back the decision, and enrage women voters, a group he must woo to win reelection. Stick to it, and risk inflaming Catholics, a critical swing bloc that he can’t afford to lose too badly.”

All the hoopla surrounding the issue might just work in Republicans’ favor. The Washington Post explains.

“Republicans see vulnerabilities for the president, not just on the issue of religious liberty but also on the role of government. They believe that Obama, in approving the new regulation, played into their long-running critiques that he is anti-religion and eager to expand the reach of government.”

But on CNN’s “Starting Point,” Soledad O’Brien points out, despite the controversy, more Catholic women actually support the president’s mandate than oppose it.

“Fifty-five percent of Americans agree, in this poll, employers should be required to provide health care plans that cover contraception. Contraception’s pretty expensive, it’s like 600 bucks a year. Fifty-eight percent, so higher than overall Americans, 58 percent of Catholics agree.”

In a press conference Tuesday, presidential press secretary Jay Carney made clear the federal mandate isn’t much different from mandates in 28 states which also require preventative policies for women. He stressed the administration is trying to find a balance between religious concerns and providing health care to everyone.

(Image Source: mattbuchanan )

BY LEAH BECERRA

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

Apple’s next big project could be an iLawsuit. Proview Technology, a Chinese monitor manufacturer, slapped a trademark suit on Apple in a Chinese court that could end in a hefty fine. It’s all over Apple using the name iPad. PC Magazine reports that ...

“Apple previously purchased the iPad trademark for around $55,000 from Proview, which had registered it in China as early as 2000. But Proview claims the deal did not give Apple permission to use the name in mainland China.”

Apple has dealt with Proview lawsuits since then. TIME says based on Apple’s record, the company won’t pay this time either.

“... with a cash hoard of nearly $100 billion, Apple could easily afford to pay, but chances are that’s not going to happen.”

Apple could ultimately face damages of up to $1.6 billion. Proview chairman, Yang Rongshan, explained his company’s view on the matter to Fox Business.

Yang: “‘It is arrogant of Apple to just ignore our rights and go ahead selling the iPad in this market, and we will oppose that ... Besides that, we are in big financial trouble and the trademarks are a valuable asset that could help us sort out part of that trouble.’”

The Wall Street Journal sat down with Yang on Tuesday, and despite the ongoing dispute the Proviews Chairman spoke highly of Apple’s iPad.

###

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

(Image Source: BBC/ TVM)

BY SCOTT MACDONALD

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

After nearly a month of protests culminated in a police and civilian mutiny on the streets Tuesday, the president of the Maldives has resigned his position. Here’s Euronews.

“President Mohamed Nasheed announced his resignation after rebel police took control of the state broadcaster... Vice President Waheed Hassan stepped up to the top job.”

Nasheed faced no shortage of problems during his more than three years in office, from rising sea levels threatening to wipe out the islands to growing heroin addiction among youth. But open outrage came after a controversial arrest, according to Al Jazeera.

“It all began three weeks ago, after the country’s top criminal judge was taken into custody after he ordered the release of an imprisoned opposition leader and former minister. The government accused the judge of being an agent of the former president....”

Nasheed went against court rulings to arrest the judge. Even Vice President Hassan took to his blog to denounce Nasheed’s actions. But it’s unclear whether the support for the judge was influenced by the country’s former president, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Mark Lynas, a climate-change adviser to the Maldives, criticized Gayoom’s “thugs” in the Guardian.

“The former dictator Gayoom and his forces never accepted the outcome of the 2008 elections, and their networks of power and influence were increasingly threatened by Nasheed's campaign against corruption in the judiciary.”

In 2008, Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the island nation, which is located in the Indian Ocean. He replaced Gayoom, who in the past had imprisoned Nasheed for a total of six years over two decades. Minivan News reported that protests began in the capital Tuesday morning and quickly grew violent. Police dispatched to quell the violence actually joined with the demonstrators, who soon set their sights on the state TV station.

“Opposition protesters and police supporters subsequently took over the Maldives National Broadcasting Commission (MNBC) and began streaming VTV over the station. The channel was later rebadged ‘TVM’, its name under Gayoom’s government.”

The Hindu explains that the nature of the protests evolved throughout the day.

“If the morning started with the ‘coup’ word being bandied about by observers, by evening the entire transition appeared orderly with Parliament endorsing the changeover and the streets of the capital city, Male, appearing calm even if vigorously policed.”

In a televised address Tuesday, Nasheed said:

"I resign because I am not a person who wishes to rule with the use of power. I believe that if the government were to remain in power it would require the use force which would harm many citizens.”

Hassan, the new president, has urged citizens to “avoid chaos” in order to keep the Maldives’ crucial tourism industry in good shape. The British government advised its citizens to avoid all but essential travel in the capital of Male until the crisis has passed.

(Image Source: abulhussain)

BY LEAH BECERRA

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

Ice cream sandwich eaters -- or, you know, people using Android devices running version 4.0 -- can now download Google’s Beta Chrome web browser on their mobile devices.

“Yep, the browser on your phone can be just like the one on your computer, tabs and all. Imagine that.”

When Google says “tabs and all,” they actually mean it. Wired explains.

“If you’re already a desktop Chrome user, your bookmarks will be synced across all your browser versions … Even cooler, if you’ve left pages open on your laptop at home, you can access those same open tabs from your mobile Chrome browser.”

Chrome for Android also attempts to solve an age-old problem for touchscreen users. The New York Times explains…

“ The mobile version attempts to solve the fat-fingers-small-screen problem with a “link preview” feature that automatically zooms in on links to help users avoid accidentally selecting the wrong one..”

With so many improvements on a browser that overtook Firefox as the second most used on desktop computers, the Guardian points out Google’s game-plan is beginning to look familiar.

“The development is yet another sign that Google is deploying a strategy very similar to Apple's – tying customers into the brand on whatever screen they happen to be using. Unlike Apple, Google does not manufacture hardware, and wants its software to be available on any device its users choose to buy.”

(Image Source: WikiCommons)

BY ELIZABETH RINEHART

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

She’s 53 and fresh off of the most watched Super Bowl halftime show of all time.  Now the real work begins.    

“The Material Girl is back on the dance floor... Madonna- the world tour...” (Source: Youtube.com/Livenation)

But first, she’ll release her MDNA album in March. Then, Ace Showbiz says...

“The tour will kick off on May 29 in Tel Aviv, Israel and hit other 25 European markets, including London, Paris, Milan and Berlin, before hitting North American shores beginning August 28 in Philadelphia. She will perform in North America until before Thanksgiving, and then she will continue the trek to Latin America until the holidays.”

The tour will conclude in Australia in early next year. According to Contact Music, the tour could prove to be a lucrative deal for the Queen of Pop.

“It's likely that Madonna's Mdna Tour will once again break records - her 'Sticky and Sweet' jaunt in August 2008 made 170 stops worldwide and reportedly grossed over $200 million.”

Some, like EW’s Music Mix blogger, aren’t sold on it.

“After Sunday’s Gladiator-cum-varsity-pep-squad-cum-choir-loft monstrosity (...) , we’re left to do wonder: What will Madonna pull out this time?”

LiveNation is putting on the tour and seems to have more faith in the Material Girl. The company’s CEO told Billboard...

“It's as great a set-up as you could have. If this doesn't work, I'm going into plumbing.”

(Image Source: Global Post)

BY EMILY ALLEN

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

The Catholic Church isn’t closing its doors this week on the topic of sexual abuse. Instead, it’s opened them for a four-day summit on the subject in Rome. euronews talked with the only sexual abuse victim attending the event -- Marie Collins.

“As a survivor I don’t want to see any child go through the same as I have myself and I think that’s they way most survivors feel so I feel this is an extremely important event for everybody.”

Collins told the crowd of bishops and religious-order leaders that she won’t settle for just an apology. News24 quotes her.

"There must be acknowledgement and accountability for the harm and destruction that has been done to the life of victims and their families by the often deliberate cover up and mishandling of cases by their superiors."

But News Video Network reports not everyone thinks this summit is a good idea.

“There are many advocates of abuse activists of abuse victims, for abuse victims, that have derided this four day symposium saying it’s nothing but window dressing for the church.”

A CNN analyst agrees to some extent this could be a public relations stunt but argues the church is trying to address the problem of sexual abuse first and its tarnished image second.

“I do think the church does realize that it’s taken a massive blow to moral authority and to its public image and I do think they want to try and turn that around.”

News.com.au reports national bishops' conferences  worldwide must submit comprehensive guidelines to deal with sex abuse in the Church by May. However, some in the Church are already questioning this step’s effectiveness..

“Vatican officials say some countries are having trouble formulating these rules because of ‘cultural differences’ over what exactly constitutes child abuse and victim-support groups say the measures lack enforcement powers."

The BBC says attendees of the summit are already brainstorming ideas -- including creating e-learning centers to educate leaders on abuse.

(Image Source: The New York Times)

BY NATHAN BYRNE AND HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

This is Newsy Now and here are your headlines.
 

All three of Tuesday’s primaries belong to GOP presidential Rick Santorum, who’s sitting a little prettier this morning. Commentators on Fox and Friends say he ought to savor the moment.
 

“Attention, Rick Santorum, start your TiVo. This is the morning you’ve been waiting for. ...Who would’ve predicted this? A couple of days ago, it looked like Mitt Romney would take two of three, and Santorum routs him in two of three while taking all three.”

 

Reports of violence continue to come from Syria. Activists say they’re being fired upon as tanks enter neighborhoods. euronews reports...
 

“Neither reports nor images from Homs can be verified, but it appears ordinary families are bearing the brunt of the Syrian army’s offensive.”


European air safety officials are expanding a check for wing cracks on Airbus A380s. They initially ordered inspections only for the heaviest-used A380s in January. Inspectors traced cracks to Airbus’ use of a less-flexible aluminum alloy. CNN explains what’s ahead.

“It has to happen within the next three to four weeks. The planes will not have to be grounded, I’m sure this is the question many of the airlines were concerned about.”  

A recent CDC report says nine out of 10 Americans are getting too much sodium in their diet. The number one salt source? It’s not chips, not pretzels... but bread. Yup. HLN has the rest of the list.

“Number two with sodium-packing power: deli lunch meats. Then it’s pizza, chicken, and soups! You know, not all of these foods are high in sodium by themselves, but we eat too much of them, piling on.”

Stay with Newsy for more news analyses throughout the day.

(Image Source: The Hollywood Reporter)

BY DAVID EARL

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

If the deal gets done, you’ll have yet another option for 24-hour news as you flip through the channels. ABC News is reportedly in talks with Univision to create a new cable news network. Bloomberg has the headline.

“Discussions about the joint venture have been going on for at least six months, at least according to those sources, and operations could start up even before the presidential elections in November later on this year.”

But with so many sources for TV news, will this new network be a hit? A Wall Street Journal reporter thinks this network’s target demo is what makes it special. The outlet will be aimed at English-speaking Hispanics in the US.

“The Hispanic market is growing, it’s one of the few areas in an already saturated media world where in the United States media companies think they can see growth.”

And the deal might be good for more than the news division of ABC … a media blogger for the New York Times says Spanish-speaking Univision needs an English counterpart.

“The Spanish-language broadcasting giant wants to expand its footprint with English-language programming. First-generation Hispanics in the United States tend to watch shows in Spanish, but many second- and third-generation Hispanics gravitate toward shows in English.”

On the heels of ABC parent company Disney’s positive 1st Quarter earnings report, CNBC got an exclusive interview with CEO Bob Iger -- who was mum about the deal.

“Are you in talks with Univision to start a new cable channel?”
“I read the same story, and I have nothing to say about it.”

It seems the only hurdle left for the deal is getting the new network a spot on your cable channel list. And the New York Daily News points out that for the parent company of ESPN -- that doesn’t really seem like a problem.

“Getting a network off the ground will take some work … the partners will have to get clearance on cable operators and satellite distributors. It helps, of course, having the Walt Disney operation involved, because the network can leverage access to multiple channels to get the new one carried.”

This is just the latest flirt with cable to come from the big-three broadcaster. Most recently, ABC was in talks with Bloomberg to start a 24-hour cable channel to rival the likes of Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC.
 

(Image Source: TLC)

BY LAUREN ZIMA

The Sister Wives will have another day in court. A new ruling from a Utah judge says TLC’s reality family can continue with its lawsuit challenging Utah’s anti-bigamy law.

The famous family includes Kody Brown and his four wives. They sued the Utah County Attorney, the governor, and the state Attorney General last July, saying the state’s bigamy statute violates their rights to freedom of religion, speech and association. The county attorney had threatened to prosecute the Browns after their show debuted in September 2010.

The family then moved out of Utah to a Las Vegas suburb to avoid charges. The New York Post explains the judge’s new ruling.

“... [the Attorney General] has a policy of not prosecuting consenting adult polygamists as long as they’re not committing other crimes. But the judge wrote that [the county attorney] conducted interviews with the news media that made it clear he intended to investigate and prosecute the Browns. The fact that no charges have been filed does not matter, [the judge] says.”

The Salt Lake Tribune says the judge was upset over the attorneys’ chatter with the media.

“[He] lambasted Utah County prosecutors, who discussed a bigamy investigation to the Salt Lake Tribune, People magazine and other media shortly after the show premiered … ‘The entirety of actions by the Utah County prosecutors tend to show either an ill-conceived public-relations campaign to showboat their own authority and/or harass the Browns …’ [he] wrote.”

The Browns say they’re thankful to the court, but a writer for Gather isn’t so supportive.

“So Kody Brown and his four wives will now feel even more justified in their illegal lifestyle … And not only are they promoting something that most people deem immoral and illegal, they are making money via their reality show Sister Wives while doing so.”

But Gawker says …

“On the other hand, the lawsuit brings awareness to other polygamous families out there suffering …”

The lawsuit will continue against the Utah county attorney, but the judge has dropped the governor and attorney general from the case.
 

(Image Source: Sky News)

BY DAVID EARL

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

The largest M&A deal of the year — announced Tuesday — would forge one of the world’s biggest commodities companies. Glencore and Xstrata announced plans for the largest-ever merger in the mining sector. Euronews has the details.

“The deal would create a powerhouse, spanning mining, agriculture and trading — with mining assets from New Caledonia to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

But some Xstrata shareholders think they’re getting shafted. A Wall Street Journal columnist explains what is branded as a merger of equals … really isn’t.

“In the end, Glencore shareholders, at this current exchange, will end up controlling the group, and the vast majority of Glencore shareholders are actually employees.”

An angry Xstrata shareholder tells Bloomberg...

“‘The proposed exchange ratio clearly undervalues Xstrata’s assets and future earnings contribution... It is our intention to vote against the deal unless the merger terms for Xstrata are materially improved.’”

Traders are calling the would-be combined company Glen-X. Glencore already owns a big chunk of Xstrata, and at least one fund manager — who actually owns Xstrata shares — tells CNBC the deal is about as good as the company can get at the moment.

“With a 34 percent stake owned by Glencore, we’re not really in a position to get a huge premium for control.”

But will the regulators brand the $90 billion deal a blow to competitiveness? An analyst tells BBC News the merger will most likely be smooth sailing.

“The EU, for instance, already regard Glencore and Xstrata as being one single entity...This is vertical integration.”

If the deal gets done, the newly merged company — based in Switzerland — would trade on the London Stock Exchange.

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

(Image Source: Daily Mail)

BY JING LIU

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

You're watching multsource global video news analysis from Newsy.

Sorry treasure seekers -- the lost city will remain lost, thanks to Google Earth map updates.

This week, an update to Google Ocean, the underwater extension of Google Earth, has removed the gridlike pattern that raised rumors that the lost underwater city of Atlantis had been found.(video:Cosmos TV)

Atlantis was first mentioned by Plato around 360 B.C. as a city that “in a single day and night of misfortune … disappeared into the depths of the sea.”(image:Wikipedia)

Back in 2009, Google Ocean spotted a large grid on the seafloor that looked like the streets of a well-organized small town. Slate reports, that kicked off speculation that Atlantis had been found.

“Enthusiasts hoped the vague underwater grid, nearly the size of Wales and about 620 miles west of the Canary Islands, could represent streets of the lost city.”


But Live Science explains -- it can’t be Atlantis.


“In fact, the grid was merely caused by overlapping datasets, according to NOAA. Besides that, the grid that looked like a little town actually covered an area of ocean more than 100 miles wide -- not exactly small-town proportions.”


Researchers spent the past three years identifying and correcting the mistakes related to the original archived data -- and have now released the updated images. The new, more accurate map has disappointed those who dreamed of exploring Atlantis. A Wired blogger says,


“I’m all in favor of accuracy and truth. But what about the dream? A tiny part of me died with this news because part of me wants to believe that Atlantis could exist. In the same way that Middle-earth could exist. Or Narnia.”


But a TG Daily writer doesn’t believe the advanced technology will end the story of Atlantis.


“Of course, only time will tell if Google's removal of the ‘Atlantis grid’ will put a stop to the rumors once and for all. Personally, I very much doubt it will.”

(Image source: WFFF)

BY BLAKE HANSON

A7, B6, G9...might be all you need to press to get yourself the Plan B contraceptive. Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania recebntly decided to add the “morning-after pill” to vending machines. Here’s KYW...

“The Plan B contraception can be obtained through a machine in the health center. Each dose costs $25 and the university will not make money from the sales.”

No student health fees go toward the pill. The university pays a pharmaceutical company $25 bucks for the drug. A reporter for NPR says prices are normally a lot higher for the popular pill.

“It costs, on average, $50. But it can cost as much as $90. Despite the expense, this type of contraception is slowly becoming more popular among women.”

The university says it made the decision to carry the pill after 85 percent of the student population said they’d support the idea. A reporter on WZVN talks with a school official who think this boils down to privacy...

“It’s really there, the machine is really used as much for privacy as anything else, if a person wants to come in.”

Meanwhile, WHAG spoke with a Shippensburg student who wasn’t pleased with the plan...

“‘I don't think it should be sold on campus … I do know it's sold in Rite-Aid, and Walmart and CVS, but I don't think it should be on campus, because it's just promoting unsafe sex.’”
 

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY ALYSSA CARTEE AND ZACH TOOMBS

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

Iran’s Foreign Ministry is calling tightened U.S. sanctions “antagonistic” and “psychological warfare.” The sanctions target Iran’s Central Bank and give U.S. banks powers to freeze Iranian government assets. The Media Line reports the sanctions are already impacting the country — but not in the way the United States intended.

“For ordinary Iranians, the pain they have wrought by sanctions is already palpable in the form of spiraling inflation and shortages. But Iran’s leaders, and not a few outside observers, say that if Western leaders are counting on consumer distress to pressure the government to abandon its nuclear ambitions they will be disappointed.”

The sanctions are intended to deter the nation’s nuclear program, but analysts on cable news programs were pessimistic about the potential impact.

“The reality is at this point is that the Iranian regime has made the decision that there’s only downside for suspending their nuclear program and there’s only upside in getting it.”

“The problem comes in the end when there’s nothing left to sanction and the Iranians are still moving forward with this nuclear program. Then it becomes an enormous question for the Obama administration.”

“We’ve long known sanctions have a limited chance of convincing Iran to stop its nuclear program. The Israelis are increasingly worried that Iran is getting to a point of no return.”

A columnist for the New York Daily News points out while an attack on Israel seems to be the main worry, there is a bigger concern.

“A nuclear Iran would probably mean a nuclear Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia as well. An increasingly unstable Middle East would become even more so. There’s no sleep here for anyone.”

On Monday, members of Iran’s parliament readied plans to fight back against many western nations with sanctions of their own. The Tehran Times has the text of the proposal:

“The government will be allowed to stop selling oil to the countries that initiated sanctions on Iran and the countries that are insisting on the implementation of oil sanctions on Iran.”  

The Iranian government refused to cooperate with inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency last month. Although the agency will send more inspectors into the nation this month, The New York Times reports Iran is again unlikely to provide full access for the agency.

Image source: The New York Times

BY ZACH TOOMBS AND CHRISTINA HARTMAN

It truly was a super Tuesday for Rick Santorum’s campaign.

The former Pennsylvania senator scored wins in all three states with contests Tuesday night. And in his victory speech he took aim at President Obama. Here’s the video courtesy Fox News.

“I don’t stand here and claim to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Barack Obama.”

The Tuesday night sweep gives Santorum major momentum. But, as POLITICO notes, the actual effects of the three contests on the GOP nominating process are somewhat suspect.

“All three primaries and caucuses are largely symbolic... In Missouri’s case, there is no direct connection between the primary results and the fate of the state’s delegates, while Minnesota and Colorado Republicans will apportion their delegates in subsequent party meetings.”

But Santorum does stand to gain a boost in fundraising and positive press after the impressive showing. As Roll Call points out, the wins give...

“...Santorum’s campaign a big public push as an alternative to Romney, who has taken pains in recent days to present himself as an unstoppable frontrunner in the presidential primary.”

For Santorum, the wins come after weeks of campaigning in the trio of states while Newt Gingrich and Romney focused on Florida and then Nevada. As for Gingrich, CNN’s Ari Fleischer says Santorum’s latest surge complicates the former Speaker’s presidential ambitions.

“The main line you need to use to beat Mitt Romney is, ‘I’m the alternative. I can beat him.’ And if you can’t beat him anywhere except South Carolina, you start to lose that argument.”

Ron Paul’s campaign had hoped to gain a victory at least in Minnesota, but the GOP presidential hopeful finished a strong second there. Still it was the Colorado race between Santorum and Romney that came down to the wire and served as the biggest upset of the night. In 2008, Romney won that state with some 60 percent of the vote. The Hill writes:

“The expectations had been high for Romney to win handily in Colorado, where he has been aggressively campaigning in the three days since he won Nevada’s caucuses, and where his campaign has worked for months to establish a solid ground game.”

The Republican primary race now moves to two other states seen as friendly territory for Romney. Michigan — where his father served as governor, and Arizona — where a relatively large Mormon presence could help the candidate’s chances.

(Image source: Opposing Views)

BY ALLYSON BROWN

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

After 8 months, a Texas man who paid $16 for a $300,000 house has been forced to move out. Kenneth Robinson used a loophole called adverse possession to move in to the abandoned home. Gizmodo explains how he got the house for 16 dollars.

“… the house foreclosed, the original owner abandoned his mortgage and the mortgage company closed shop. All Robinson had to do was file paperwork at the courthouse saying he claimed ownership of the property. That cost all of 16 bucks.”

ABC News interviewed Robinson at the time.

“This is not a normal process, but it is not a process that is not known, its just not known to everybody”

Bank of America acquired the property and foreclosed on it in January of this year -- then asked Robinson to leave -- but he didn’t. But a court date was set for Monday, and GoUpstate reports …

“Rather than wait to be evicted, Robinson slipped out before sunrise Monday, skipped a morning court hearing and refused to say where he was moving next.”

And because he didn’t show, Bank of America won.

“ ‘The court has ruled in the bank's favor. Mr. Robinson has six days to appeal, but he must pay an $8,900 — approximately $8,900 bond — to appeal,’ said David Orvand, attorney for Bank of America.”

The AP reports Robinson had become a bit of a local celebrity -- he wrote an eBook and created a website -- 16dollarhouse.net -- explaining how he got his living situation.
http://16dollarhouse.com/

And The Inquisitr says he was a hero to some, a pain to others -- neighbors had complained about him living in the house.

“...the fact that Robinson seemed to be gaming the very banks that caused the meltdown and the resultant pain experienced by so many Americans made him a bit of a folk hero to some- but others didn’t admire his actions as much.”


 

(Image Source: Metrolic)

BY LAUREN ZIMA
 

Feel bad about that extra weight you’ve been carrying around? Well, it might not be your fault. A new study from researchers at Yale shows obesity might be contagious. WDIV reports.

“When they put healthy mice in the same cage with mice with a fatty liver disease, the healthy mice came down with disease symptoms and also ended up fatter.”

KNSD explains …

“The reason? Microbes in the stomachs of the mice spread. That caused the healthy mice to also experience changes in their gut microbes and made them fat.”

So basically, when healthy mice were around mice who had altered gut microbes -- those healthy mice were more likely to become obese or get liver disease.

Seems potentially pretty scary -- just by being near someone who’s overweight, you could be too. But HealthyJockey.com reports the researchers used antibiotics to bring the mice’s microbial compositions back to normal, easing the liver disease. They hope this might lead to a treatment for humans, too.

The mice were fed a high-fat diet. The International Business Times quotes the lead author of the study -- who says bacteria could now be as important as diet.

“‘[Diet] is an essential part of the weight gain of the healthy as well as the immune compromised mice,’ he said. ‘However, the bacteria make both kinds of mice fatter. In others words, diet as well as the microbes contribute to the obesity.’”

Still, Blisstree is suspicious of the study and sensationalism from the media, writing …

“ … they’re not focusing on the major footnote: That it’s unlikely this could happen in humans, because we don’t eat each other’s poop. … the likely reason for such efficient transfer of gut bacteria between mice is the fact that they chow on each other’s feces. But mice … eating each others’ poop doesn’t make for such sensational headlines, so most media outlets are just hyping up the possibility that fat could be contagious.”

 

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)


BY KEVIN DUBOUIS

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

Romania’s prime minister Emil Boc resigned Monday after weeks of protests. He is the sixth European prime minister to lose his office since the debt crisis hit Europe in 2009. Euronews explains Boc’s decision.

“Announcing his resignation, he said he hoped the decision would ease political and social tension and ensure the country's economic stability.”

Boc admitted he made mistakes but says he sees a bright future for Romania. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has his statement.

“I believe that this government did its duty … I believe it's time to make room for a new government that should consolidate the results of our work and be more popular, since there are no more austerity measures to be taken.”

Boc said he was happy with the measures the government took to reduce the budget deficit, but thousands of people have been protesting against them since January. In 2009, the government accepted a $26 billion loan from the EU and the IMF to help pay salaries and pensions, then raised sales taxes and cut public sector salaries by 25 percent.

Financial Times explains the country’s situation.

“The country pushed through some of Europe’s toughest austerity measures and endured one of the continent’s longest recessions. After joining the EU in 2007, it remains the union’s second-poorest member...”

And CNN reports -- the government’s popularity took another hit due to the recent extreme weather.

“ … criticism has also mounted over the government's handling of a recent, and continuing, cold snap -- including snow-clogged streets, widespread power outages and other problems that contributed to the deaths of at least 34 people.”

According to the opposition parties, the prime minister’s resignation isn’t enough to make up for the government’s failings.

“Opposition leaders are calling on President Traian Basescu (Trayan Basescu) to step down as well. Crin Antonescu (Krin Antonesku), who heads the opposition Liberal Party, called it ‘the most corrupt, incompetent and lying government’ since the 1989 revolt against communism ...”

The new prime minister has 60 days to get a government approved by parliament. But opposition leaders say they aren’t willing to support the new government. Al Jazeera explains what else could happen.

“For now, Basescu has named Romania’s justice minister as caretaker premier, but Basescu may well try to appoint a technocrat to the job and bring forward parliamentary elections that are due by November.”

The current government is polling around 20 percent approval, and is expected to take a big hit in the elections.

(Image Source: Hollywire.com)

BY TOM MARTIN

It’s a short jump from six to five, unless you’re LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Monday, he finally passed teammate-turned-rival Shaquille O’Neal on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

“Kobe on fire, needing only the first half to pass Shaq. And here comes a record bucket, moving into fifth on the all-time list.”

Since their very public split as teammates on the L.A. Lakers, Kobe and Shaq say they’ve mended fences. But a writer for Pro Basketball Talk says, for Bryant, this milestone matters plenty.

“Make no mistake, Kobe is savoring this — there is still no love lost between him and Shaquille. The feud was real … Remember when Kobe won ring number five [and] he couldn’t wait to remind everyone that [he has] one more than Shaq? He will privately savor this.”

Kobe and Shaq spent eight seasons as teammates -- and some wonder if it could’ve lasted longer. Kobe dispelled the idea Tuesday to ESPN’s Colin Cowherd.

"There's no way we would have lasted (15 years). Absolutely not … There was an interview that I heard Shaq do which he kind of threw down the challenge of me not being able to win without him … I said 'You know what? I can't finish my career with people saying that. There's no way.' "

Never the shy one, Shaq spoke up on Twitter — and offered Kobe his congratulations.

“Congrats to Kobe for being the greatest laker ever thanks for making us the greatest laker one two punch ever and congrats on passin me up 2.”

Shaq — the class act? A blogger for Lakers Nation believes it.

“In the past there has been far too much attention on the difficulties Bryant and O’Neal have had … but it seems that at this moment O’Neal is legitimately proud of Bryant. While I have to feel that no player really enjoys seeing their records broken, it’s nice to see O’Neal take the high road...”

But back to O’Neal’s Tweet — he calls Bryant ‘the best Laker ever.’ Eye On Basketball’s Royce Young says, Shaq could be right.

“Greatest Laker ever? We haven't forgotten Earvin Magic Johnson so quickly, have we? But then again, with Kobe now sitting firmly fifth all-time in scoring with a good chance to climb as high as third along with his five rings, maybe there's a case...”

(Image source: Chrysler)

BY JESSICA SIBERT

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

As the Giants and Patriots headed in to their respective locker rooms for Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime, it was Clint Eastwood’s halftime pep talk that caught the country’s attention.

“This country can’t be knocked out with one punch… we get right back up again and when we do the world is going to hear the roar of our engines. Yeah, it's halftime America. And, our second half is about to begin." (Video source: Chrysler)

Now, some conservative critics say the Chrysler commercial hailing the rebirth of Detroit’s auto industry amounted to a high-profile endorsement for President Obama. Here’s Fox News Contributor Karl Rove.

“I was frankly offended by it... I thought it was an extremely well-done ad. But it is a sign of what happens when you have Chicago-style politics and the President of the United States and his political minions are in essence using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising.”

Critics say the message seems to allude to Obama’s $12.5 billion taxpayer-funded auto industry bailout— which Chrysler benefited from. A writer for the Huffington Post says there were other indications of a “Pro-Obama” endorsement as well.

“Eastwood’s use of the phrase ‘halftime in America’ implied Obama is nearing the halfway point of a two-term, eight-presidency. It also evoked the phrase ‘Morning in America’ that President Ronald Reagan used in his re-election campaign of 1984.”

But both Chrysler and Eastwood insist the ad had no political intent, and a blogger for The New Yorker says people are misunderstanding its significance.

“Its iconography runs deeper, along a less obvious political course. It’s not about Obama or even, mostly, about Detroit, but about time—in the life of a man, as much as a nation.”

And a writer for CBS News says the message of any advertisement is, ultimately, decided by viewers.

“Of course, Chrysler was quick to say the ad was not political. It would be dumb if they'd planned it to be--you need Democrats and Republicans to buy your cars. But Chrysler doesn't get to decide what's political. By playing on the themes of American greatness during a presidential election year, they're necessarily embracing political themes.”

(Image Source: New York Daily News)

BY BRIAN BONDUS

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

You're watching multisource global video news analysis from Newsy

You can only makes a first impression once and New York’s point guard Jeremy Lin made the most of his.  He made his first NBA start Monday night against the Utah Jazz and did not waste time making ESPN Sportscenter’s Top 10.

"Knicks Jazz. Jeremy Lin ahead to Iman Shumpert. Here comes Lin, and one. Career high 28 points in his first career start. Trending on Twitter, they love the kid from Harvard."

Those are the best numbers for a point guard in his first start since Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. Lin was not highly recruited by colleges and went undrafted. Two teams had previously cut Lin this season.  CBS News is drawing slight comparisons to an NFL underdog story.

 “Lin's out-of-nowhere performance, as well as his devout faith, already have some outlets calling him basketball's Tim Tebow. It may be a little early for that comparison, but Lin's unusual path to NBA stardom is its own underdog story.”

Lin came off the bench Saturday night and stopped New York’s two-game losing streak with 25 points against the New Jersey Nets. Being the first Taiwanese-American player ever in the NBA, Lin is getting some international attention. A Taiwanese animation company, Next Media Animation, made a video of Lin with this question.

“With Yao Ming’s departure from the league, can Jeremy Lin rise to be the prominent Asian — better yet, Taiwanese American — force in the NBA?”

To make Lin’s performance even more impressive, he did it without New York’s two superstars.

“New York played without Amare Stoudemire — who left the team to join his family in Florida after his older brother was killed in a car crash earlier Monday. And just six minutes into the game, All-Star pick Carmelo Anthony left the game with a strained groin.” (Washinton Post)

New York’s next game is against Washington where Lin will most likely be matched up with former number one overall pick John Wall.

(Image Source: Microsoft)

BY LAURA JANVIER

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

The windows start button could be disappearing for good with the new design of Windows 8. Computerworld reports -- in the button’s place, a redesigned, "Metro-style" interface to work well with touchscreens as well as mice and keyboards.

“Replacing the Start button, according to the reports, will be a ‘hot corner’ at the lower left. When that invisible hotspot is touched or clicked, the interface switches from desktop to Metro, or vice versa. That location is where the Start button currently resides in the Windows 8 Developer Preview.”

One tech blogger says there is no harm in change.

“It’s going to be fun to try out this one I suppose, but yeah and if you hate it you can always go back, people still now use Windows XP.”

But, The Register says removing the start button is a big gamble for Microsoft.

“Any change to the way people interact with a popular piece of software poses risks for the manufacturer. You risk alienating customers comfortable with the familiar way of working. Microsoft's last great interface change was Office 2007, which introduced the much-hated Ribbon interface.”

And a tech blogger for ZDNet predicts because there is not a significant improvement in Windows 8 it will be dead on arrival.

“The ability to refresh the operating system? Faster booting? A Windows Store? Live boot from a USB drive? Come on! All these features have been around in other operating systems for years ... put them all together and at most they’re worth a Windows 7 Service Patch -- not a whole new operating system.”

And the designers seem a bit stressed about the changes too. The lead developer for Windows 8 told Gizmodo being a part of the redesign has been scary, but exhilarating.

“It's no problem getting up every morning and going to work because you can think, ‘Oh, I can change the Start menu today.’ Then I drive home with an ulcer because I can change the Start menu today.”

Microsoft has not yet announced a Windows 8 release date yet.

(Image Source: Roll Call)  

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

Susan G. Komen’s vice president has resigned after a week under fire. Fox News explains the reason behind Karen Handel’s decision.

“There was a big dispute that happened over funding for Planned Parenthood. The Komen Foundation which is the nation’s largest breast cancer fundraising arm, basically said they were going to pull money from Planned Parenthood and it was met with a ton of controversy.”

Last week, the foundation explained its decision to exclude Planned Parenthood from future grants for breast cancer screenings because it’s the subject of a U.S. House probe. However, after major public outcry, the foundation reversed its decision. The National Journal says Handel’s involvement in the funding dispute is tied to her political beliefs.

“Handel was appointed to Komen last April, and she was quick to point out her strong Republican credentials. She had the backing of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in a failed 2010 bid to become the first female governor of Georgia, one that was spiced up by debates and negative advertising over Handel’s position on abortion rights.”

In her letter, Handel admitted she did play a role in pulling funding from Planned Parenthood. As the Atlantic reports, her resignation is likely to draw more media scrutiny in the coming days.

“Handel’s admission is a new revelation in this ongoing story, and will likely re-ignite debates over whether or not this was a political decision. Last week, Susan G. Komen CEO Nancy Brinker denied that was the case, and Handel ... has kept quiet until now.”

Now, the Komen Foundation is doing damage control. One Huffington Post politics reporter tells CNN, Handel’s resignation is Komen’s first step toward winning back former supporters.

“Then they need to apologize again and come clean about exactly what happened. And going forward they need to have more transparency in the decisions that they’re making about who gets funded and who doesn’t.”

But while the Komen Foundation plays defense, all the controversy might have actually worked in Planned Parenthood’s favor. MSNBC explains why.

“Planned Parenthood on the other hand, raised more than three million dollars last week for breast cancer screenings as a direct result of the shutdown...”

In her resignation letter, Handel stood by the foundation’s original decision to withhold funding and said she was “deeply disappointed by the gross mis-characterizations of the strategy, it’s rationale, and [her] involvement” — saying the decision was not based on political beliefs or ideology.

(Image source: TIME)

BY EVAN THOMAS

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Korean tech publication Electronic Times News reports Samsung is prepping the Galaxy S III for launch later this year. Boy Genius Report translated.

Rumor has it the S III will cram 4G LTE, four cores, two gigs of RAM and Android 4.0 into a 7mm thick case. That’s a whole tenth of a millimeter thinner than the Droid RAZR.

But IntoMobile is worried about the potential phone-cuts.

“We get that every company wants to be the thinnest, lightest, fastest, and all of that jazz but at some point they need to step back. Does anyone care if their phone is 7mm thick? Not this guy.”

TIME doesn’t mind the hefty spec sheet, but does hope it’s put to good use.

“Let’s see those extra processor cores translate to superior power management and better battery life, and let’s hope there’s more to the camera than extra megapixels — such as a faster shutter and better image stabilization.”

The Next Web says Samsung may be taking its time releasing this phone, because the Galaxy S II is doing just fine.

“With the Samsung Galaxy S II continuing to create significant amounts of buzz, sources indicated to us that the company does not want to cannibalise sales of a device that is performing well against its competition.”

Which leads CNET to say - U.S. customers may want to sit back and hang tight.

“Whenever the Galaxy S III does first make its way into restlessly waiting hands, don’t expect it to be here. U.S. fans are likely to be left waiting, as they were for months after the Galaxy S II first revved Samsung’s global business into high gear.”
 

Samsung says the S III won’t be coming to February’s Mobile World Conference in Barcelona. Instead, the company will hold its own event sometime in the next few months.

(Image source: The New York Times)

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

President Obama might be looking for a bigger slice of the pie. The money pie, that is. HLN explains the president’s sudden reversal on the issue of campaign finance.

“They’re giving the go-ahead for administration and campaign aids to fund raise for Priorities USA Action, that is the Super PAC backing the president.”

Super PACs are partisan organizations that can raise unlimited funds from groups like unions or corporations -- not just wealthy individuals. The president has been highly critical of “Citizens United,” a Supreme Court decision that overturned campaign finance rules, and allowed the formation of super PACs to raise unlimited funds without coordination with candidates.

Here’s the president during his 2010 State of the Union address.

“I don’t think American elections should be bank rolled by America’s most powerful interests. Or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people.”

So why the sudden about-face? While the president has raised more money than Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney -- $128 million compared to $57 million -- one Bloomberg reporter says the president and other Democrats are getting crushed when it comes to super PAC fundraising.

“Two groups formed by Karl Rove to defeat the president and Democrats raised $51 million last year and the super PAC supporting Mitt Romney raised another $30 million. This super PAC backing the president -- Priorities USA Action -- raised only $4.4 million.”

Obama will not personally address super PAC donors at events, though there’s nothing legally prohibiting him from doing so. Rather, his top campaign staff and cabinet members will. But just because the president is calling for donations to his super PAC doesn’t mean he’ll get them. The New York Times explains why.

“His past criticism of outside groups … made it hard to persuade donors to back Priorities USA Action... One longtime, high-dollar Democratic fund-raiser said it was also partly a result of Wall Street’s anger at Mr. Obama’s statements and policies concerning bank regulation...”

Making waters murkier, even though the commander-in-chief is opening the doors to super PAC funds, he still stands firm on his view that big money donors should not be as involved in the electoral process. The Atlantic explains the implications of that seeming contradiction.

“Obama still opposes the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision... But the decision gives the president's GOP opponents fodder to criticize him for endorsing a system that he castigated less than two years ago, especially in light of Obama's 2008 decision to forgo public funding after vowing to accept it.”

But anchors for MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” defend the president -- saying the he’s simply facing a harsh reality.

“Some say the president’s being hypocritical, others are saying, and I think most of us agree around here, he doesn’t really have much of a choice if he wants to be competitive in this race.”

David Axelrod reiterated that point on MSNBC saying while the administration will throw its hat in the super PAC ring, it does not believe this is the best way for elections to function.

(Image source: John Fleming/Facebook)

BY ALYSSA CARTEE

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

An Abortionplex complete with a lazy river, three-story club and Imax theatre.  

Sounds too weird to be true, right?  It is.  But one congressman’s office didn’t think so.

The article — from the satirical site The Onion — appeared on Representative John Fleming of Louisiana’s Facebook page late last week.  

A caption accompanying the post suggested the congressman’s office believed the article from the satire site was true.

The post was quickly deleted but not before bloggers got a hold of the mistake.  Liberal bloggers ran with the social media snafu.  Even celebrity blogger Perez Hilton got a word in.

“It's one thing when some rando falls for satire, but he's a tax-paid politician. This is just gross!”

And Current TV’s Keith Olberman featured Fleming in his infamous “Worst Person in the World” segment — and says Fleming should have known better for another reason, too.

“Punchline. Not only did a sitting second term U.S. Congressman fall for this but one more detail about Congressman John Fleming, he’s a medical doctor.”

But The Huffington Post points out Fleming is not the first to be fooled by the fake news site.

“When the abortion piece was first published last year, hordes of angry Facebook users took the article at face value. In 2002, a Chinese newspaper infamously republished an Onion story about Congress demanding a new Capitol building with a retractable dome.”

A blogger for The Hill points out we don’t really know who posted the article.

“But Fleming — or whoever on his congressional staff is responsible for updating his Facebook page — took the article at face value.”

The Onion released a statement saying they are delighted Fleming is a regular reader. 

(Image source: Android Community)

BY EVAN THOMAS

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

Iron Man-vision is a step closer to reality, if you listen to the rumors. A tipster somewhere inside Google’s labs has told 9to5 Google the company is working on a glasses-based heads-up display that will tie right into your smartphone.

According to the tipster, the glasses look a bit like Oakley Thumps. 9to5 Google reports they sport a one-sided display, a front-mounted camera and gesture-controlled navigation. Oh, and they’re a phone, too.

“I/O on the glasses will also include voice input and output, and we are told the CPU/RAM/storage hardware is near the equivalent of a generation-old Android smartphone.”

If true, that kind of muscle would make these the perfect phone companion, says Phandroid.

“I imagine reading email, text messages, social network updates and receiving phone calls will be some of the main functions featured on this so-called device. Imagine being able to see who’s trying to contact you without ever having to reach for your phone.”

Now, these things likely won’t be as sleek as Oakley’s music glasses, or so says TechCrunch. But we do have to start somewhere.

“Whether you think it’s a good idea or not, this kind of thing is going to come eventually, so it’s natural that Google would want to start girding itself for the approaching augmented glasses wars of 20XX. (Twenty-something)”

The rumors suggest Google is looking to test the tech in the field sometime soon. Gizmodo is excited.

“The glasses are still a long way from completion, but Google is reportedly looking into a pilot program like it did with Chromebooks. Anything that gets these things on my face faster is all right with me.”

The name Google Goggles is unfortunately already taken, by Google’s augmented reality application. But Google Glasses is still up for grabs, and has a certain aliterative attraction.

 

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY NATHAN BYRNE AND HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR NATHAN BYRNE

This is Newsy Now and here’s a look at your headlines.
 

In U.S. news, President Barack Obama urged his wealthy supporters to donate Democratic ‘super’ political action committees, or super PACs. In 2009, Obama criticized the Supreme Court decision that allows super PACs to spend unlimited amount of money on political campaigns. KPIX explains what’s changed.
 

“A recent report shows Republican super PACs are bringing in nearly five times more money than Democratic ones. President Obama’s campaign is defending its decision -- saying the stakes are just too high to play by two different sets of rules.”
 

A blockbuster merger will create what reports call “a commodities powerhouse,” spanning agriculture, mining and trading. Trader Glencore is set to buy mining company Xstrata in a $90 billion deal.

But CNBC reports some of Xstrata’s biggest shareholders are skeptical, saying...
 

“...they don’t like the deal. If they’re going to be bought out, they think they could get a much better premium than what they’re getting off Glencore. So, expect that to occupy some minds in investors over the next few days.”

 

The California Court of Appeals is expected to rule on the state’s same-sex marriage ban today. In 2008, Proposition 8 technically made same-sex marriage illegal in California.

CNN’s senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin says the tide should turn today...
 

“Based on the way the judges reacted last year when the case was argued, I think a lot of people -- including me -- expect that they will overturn Proposition 8 and reinstate same-sex marriage in California.”

 

McDonald’s has pulled a radio ad and apologized after pit-bull owners barked about it...
 

The spot said claimed eating the fast-food chain’s new “Chicken McBite” was less risky than petting a stray pit bull. (Video: MSNBC)
 

Stay with Newsy for more news analyses throughout the day.
For Newsy Now, I’m Nathan Byrne, highlighting the top headlines, making you smarter, faster.
 

(Image Source: WSJV)

BY SAMANTHA KUBOTA

ANCHOR TOM MARTIN

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Michigan, Pete Hoekstra, aired his political ad on Michigan TV stations during the Super Bowl -- and it’s raising some eyebrows. Here’s a clip.

“You borrow more and more from us. Your economy get very weak, ours get very good [sic]. We take your jobs. Thank you Debbie Spenditnow.”

The ad attacks Debbie Stabenow and the incumbent Democratic senator’s spending record, but the accent used by the actress, as well as the background music -- are not going over well with some people.

The Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Michigan Chapter issued a statement saying, “It is very disturbing that Mr. Hoekstra’s campaign chose to use harmful and negative stereotypes that intrinsically encourage anti-Asian sentiment.”

WXYZ reports local religious and community leaders are outraged and call the ad “racist.”  The station says ministers gathered for a news conference Monday to ask for an apology from Hoekstra.

The Detroit News quotes Reverend Charles Williams ..."The Asian woman speaking in this video would be no different than him having a black person speaking in slave dialect.”

But The Detroit Free Press caught up with Hoekstra at a fundraiser Monday morning -- he says the ad isn’t racist.

“There’s nothing racist in this ad. This is all about holding Debbie accountable for her reckless spending,” said Hoekstra.
 

And Real Clear Politics quotes Hoekstra’s campaign spokesman as saying, "Democrats talk about race when they can't defend their records.”

And CBS Detroit reports “Hoekstra said the ad was meant to be ‘satirical’ and was only offensive to someone like Debbie Stabenow.”

Image Source: (Cycling News)

BY TOM MARTIN

Spanish cycling star Alberto Contador won the 2010 Tour De France... that is, for eighteen months. Monday, Contador was stripped of his title and banned from cycling two years. The reason? Doping. Here’s ESPN:

“Contador claims his positive test was a result of eating contaminated meat. Only one other rider has been disqualified and stripped of the Tour title, American Floyd Landis for testing positive for testosterone.”

Contador had appealed the test results, and was rejected. Now, he joins the list of cyclists connected to doping -- but as the positive tests pile up, former cyclist Eddy Merckx argues it’s actually a system issue:

"It's a terrible thing. Alberto Contador has won a lot of competitions, not just the Tour de France... He doesn't deserve this … I'm the first to say that we need good anti-doping tests. But I think that in cycling they go too far."

So how far is too far? Tests found a mere 50 pictograms per milliliter of the banned substance clenbuterol in Contador’s system, an amount Spanish rider Oscar Pereiro says could be incidental:

“Two years of sanctions to Alberto Contador and the judgment says that the doping [intent] is not proven … Do you know what I think? He is innocent.”

But not everyone has Contador’s back. Says The Guardian: if the substance is there, it’s on the rider to explain the reason:

“The finding is a vital one for anti-doping, because it reasserts the fundamental principle of strict liability … The verdict will not kill cycling, as its critics claim. Rather the opposite … It has proved that … the [Union Cycliste Internationale] will contest the most high-profile of cases, as far as is necessary.”

And ESPN’s Jim Caple writes, in these cases, nobody wins:

“I'll continue to love cycling despite the scandals, as will most cycling fans. But I also know this: Until there is a long stretch where the winners are determined the instant they cross the finish line … no one else is going to take the sport seriously.”

Contador’s two-year ban is better than it looks. Because he sat out the past year, he’ll resume cycling in August.

(Image source: 20th Century Fox)

BY BRICE SANDER

The Simpsons are no longer welcome in Iran. The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults banned any merchandise featuring the cartoon characters Monday. Here’s Houston’s KRTK.  

ART RASCON: “‘The Simpsons’ now join Barbie on that list of banned dolls.”
MELANIE LAWSON: “Yeah. Two of the world’s greatest criminals there. But kind of interesting. I’m surprised Bart Simpson was playing in Iran to begin with.”

That’s where Fox News says the ban gets tricky.

“However, while ‘The Simpsons’ is the longest continuously running series in U.S. television history, it is not even shown in Iran … So how the toys would promote a show that is unavailable is puzzling.”

USA Today gives a little insight to the ban, quoting the Iranian institute’s spokesperson.

“He did point out that any doll that has distinguishable adult genitals, or any dolls of adults at all, are banned ‘because these dolls are promoters of western culture’ … That, certainly, explains why Barbie got the heave-ho. But why did the same agency give Spiderman and Superman a thumbs up?”

The agency says superheroes help oppressed people and have a “positive stance,” so they’re good to go. But The Daily Mail suggests if you’re going to let some things slip through, you might as well stop banning things all together.

“…despite bans on many books, movies, satellite TV channels, music, haircuts and fashion from the West, many young people follow Western culture avidly and can often obtain illegal products on the black market. In 2011 Iran imported $57 million worth of toys.”

But a writer for South Africa’s News 24 hints the toy ban might just be a PR move.

“The Islamic Republic’s morality police [are] fighting ‘Western intoxication’ as the dispute over nuclear technology has raised fears of war…”

(Image Source: Fox News)

It’s the Obama administration versus the Catholic Church. The issue at hand? A mandate finalized two weeks ago that requires religious organizations provide contraception in health insurance plans. The feud was reignited after Heath and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius penned an opinion piece in USA Today.

“The public health case for making sure insurance covers contraception is clear. But we also recognize that many religious organizations have deeply held beliefs opposing the use of birth control ... in the rule we put forward, we specifically carved out from the policy religious organizations that primarily employ people of their own faith.”

Churches are exempt from the rule, but Fox News points out other institutions are in a gray area ...

“Devout Catholics and other religious leaders say the exemption is too narrow as many large, Catholic-affiliated schools and colleges and hospitals employ people of numerous faiths and therefore won’t qualify for it.”

And the Catholic Church says, “not good enough” and that the Obama Administration has waged a war on religious freedom. A writer for the Washington Post tells MSNBC now is not a good time for the President to engage in a battle of morals.

“It’s a somewhat odd fight for the President, or at least his administration to pick. Catholics, go back to 2000, you can go back further than that, but Catholics are regularly a swing group.”

And Republicans are taking note. GOP presidential front runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are using the opportunity to send a message about the sitting President.

Romney took to Twitter, Tweeting -- “If you’ve had enough of the Obama Administration’s attacks on religious liberty, stand with me … ”

Gingrich took a more direct approach on Sunday’s Meet the Press--

“He basically declared war on the Catholic Church. That’s the language of the Archbishop Dolan of New York, and I think you’re gonna see a very severe reaction to the idea of a radical Obama administration … ”

But the LA Times says this fight won’t do too much damage to the Obama campaign.

“Democratic strategists point to statistics showing widespread approval of birth control among Catholic voters, suggesting a gulf between clergy and parishioners. Catholic doctrine opposes birth control, but surveys show many Catholics use contraceptives.”

The mandate would take effect in August 2013.

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY NIELS SCHACK NORGAARD

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

Developments continue in Syria as the United States closes its embassy in Damascus and pulls out all staff -- including ambassador Robert Ford. On Monday, the State Department held a briefing regarding the escalation of violence. Fox reports ..

”The situation in and around Damascus is becoming increasingly violent, reflecting the fact that the regime is increasingly losing control of the situation.”

CNN’s Jill Dougherty explains the reasoning behind the shut-down.

”One of those concerns, we are told, is the possibility of some kind of Al Qaeda action. (...) This does not mean they’re breaking diplomatic relations but it is a serious step by the United States Government.”

The development comes after reports that the Syrian military is intensifying its assault on the city of Homs.  On Saturday, China and Russia blocked a U.N. Security Council resolution to stop the bloodshed in Syria and remove President Bashar Al-Assad. Al Jazeera writes:

”The death toll in Syria rose to at least 88 people over the weekend - one of the bloodiest since the uprising against Bashar al-Assad's government erupted almost 11 months ago. Opposition groups say at least 6,000 people have now been killed in Syria.”

For more reactions to the veto of the UN resolution, click on the link in our transcript section.

(Image source: The Wall Street Journal)

(Image Source: USA Today)

BY ZAKIYYAH WAHAB

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

U.S. Senator John McCain warns the Arab Spring will spread to China. New Tang Dynasty Television reports on what happened during the 48th Munich Security Conference.

“I have said on many occasions and I will say it again. The Arab Spring is coming to China as well, and there’s not a way that you will be able to stifle it completely because of these devices (shows a mobile phone).”

McCain’s warning came in response to the recent self-immolations of three Tibetan monks. The New York Times reports there have been 19 self-immolations in protest of Chinese rule this year. According to Voice of America ...

“Many Tibetans accuse the Chinese government of working to erode their culture and faith, and resent the large-scale migration of China’s ethnic Han majority into Tibetan areas.”

The Times of India reports China’s foreign vice minister was visibly upset by McCain’s comments and refuted the possibility of a Chinise Arab Spring, saying ...

“‘Tibet is an integral part of China ... We are very resentful to any kind of lecturing on how we should manage our own affairs ...’”

The face-to-face confrontation highlights the divergent views on issues in Asia. The South China Morning Post notes ...

“It is rare for senior diplomats or political heavyweights from China and the United States to face off at major international forums ... perhaps even more unusual for a Communist Party-run newspaper to make [such] debates ... public.”

An international studies expert tells the state-run People’s Daily – McCain’s words reveal a lack of basic knowledge about both the Middle East and China.

"The current conflicts in some Arab countries have their root in geopolitics, practical interests and the Sunni-Shiite split. So it's just ridiculous to say the pattern could be copied in China.”

But The Telegraph points out growing unrest in the region.

“Following recent sporadic, deadly riots and a series of self-immolations … Beijing fears the potentially volatile holiday period – which begins on the 22nd – could muster coordinated and widespread anti-Chinese rule riots.”

McCain shook hands with Zhang at the end of the panel, saying that his comments reflect what the U.S. advocates for throughout the world, not just in China.
 

(Image Source: Mashable)

BY EVAN THOMAS

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

Want to know who took the title in Sunday’s Super Bowl? It wasn’t the G-men nor the Pats. It was -- Twitter.
At least -- that’s the sentiment among the Twitterati.

The official word, from Twitter’s TweetDeck? 10k tweets per second in the final three minutes of the game set a US sports-tweeting record.

So much for all those couch potato quarterbacks. Arm-chair Twitterbacks were exercising their thumbs and fingers like never before. Well almost. TechCrunch sizes up the competition.

“Last year, there were several moments during the Super Bowl that set records for the most tweets per second during a sporting event, with a high of 4,064 TPS. Of course, the highs during the Super Bowl were no match for New Years Eve 2011 in Japan, which saw 6,939 tweets per second.”

As social media grows, so do its advertising implications. While many people tweeted about the ads -- or Madonna’s act -- or MIA’s fickle finger of fate -- there was nothing fickle about engagement in the Twitterscape. The Next Web calls it -- a trend.

“The news should not come as any surprise as Twitter continues to grow, both in terms of users and activity, which makes every Super Bowl more interactive and social than the previous year’s.”

Of course, some can get a bit excessive salivating over social media. ReadWriteWeb says Toyota may have overdone it a bit.

“The game did prove that some brands still have something to learn about using social media as a marketing tool. Toyota undercut an otherwise brilliant, dog-centric advertising campaign by effectively spamming any user that used a game-related hash tag...”

Eventually -- even Toyota recognized every Tweet isn’t necessarily a touchdown in the making.
Even with a fumble here or there, Marketing Land says next Super Sunday will be even more twitter-ific.

“If this year’s Super Bowl is any guide, with its 300 percent spike over last year’s game, future sports events should also set new records as we go through the year.”
 

(Image Source: Jalopnik)

BY LUKE LEONARD

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

At $7 million a minute, ad makers battled it out for audience appraisal during Sunday night’s Super Bowl. So which ads captivated audiences and which ones fell through?

From H&M’s “sex sells” approach featuring David Beckham to Doritos’ comedic crunches, social media sites saw record-breaking comments, likes, and tweets about the ads. (Youtube)

ABC News reports Bluefin Labs tracked more than 109,000 social media comments about H&M’s sexy ad. Among others, Doritos’ “Man’s Best Friend” spot was the most positively commented ad on Twitter.

Doritos held its annual contest for filmmakers to submit their own Doritos commercials. Jonathan Friedman, the winner, spent a mere $20 on production for this submission, but netted a cool $1 million in the end. (YouTube)

Analysts saw a trend amongst advertising agencies involved in production for the Super Bowl. Fox News spoke to the chief innovation officer for Boston based advertising agency Mullen, who said ...

“... just about every brand built interactive elements into their commercials, knowing that the true measurement of success these days is immediate consumer reaction and long-term consumer engagement ...”

After Volkswagen’s 2011 commercial featuring a pint-sized Darth Vader won over viewers last year, they chose to bring back the motif in their newest ad starring an exercising dog. A writer for Forbes critiques the use of canines -- which were featured in several of this year’s spots ...

“You would think that the utilization of pets – and dogs specifically – would eventually be overplayed. And yet there is something about the emotional connection that so many of us have with pets that help advertisers tug at our funny bone and heart every year.”

The Guardian analyzes -- saying agencies tend to be more family-friendly and less forceful with Superbowl ads than during the majority of the year.

And looking at which ads didn’t fly -- like the demographic-defined approach taken by Kia and GoDaddy. (Youtube)

“Want to live your fantasies of nubile women, badass rock and giant sandwiches? Kia and GoDaddy have got your back. Their ads felt like some kind of grumpy heterosexual antidote to the camp spectacular of the half-time show.”

And a poll from The Huffington Post leaves GoDaddy’s commercial rated the worst ad of the night by readers. The accompanying article explains...

“ ... the gravest sin of some of the least popular ads in 2012 was not that they were particularly offensive but that they were particularly unoriginal.”


Prior to the game airing, Google reported pre-released Super Bowl preview ads were viewed more than 30 million times on YouTube.