Texas Repubs pass abortion bill, Dems vow fight

Opponents and supporters of abortion rights rally in the State Capitol rotunda in Austin, Texas on Friday, July 12, 2013. The Texas Senate convened Friday afternoon to debate and ultimately vote on some of the nation's toughest abortion restrictions, its actions being watched by fervent demonstrators on either side of the issue. (AP Photo/Tamir Kalifa)

Opponents and supporters of abortion rights rally in the State Capitol rotunda in Austin, Texas on Friday, July 12, 2013. The Texas Senate convened Friday afternoon to debate and ultimately vote on some of the nation's toughest abortion restrictions, its actions being watched by fervent demonstrators on either side of the issue. (AP Photo/Tamir Kalifa)

Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, left, throws up her hands as she leaves the Senate Chamber with Sen. Wendy Davis, D-FortWorth, right, after the Texas Senate passed an abortion bill, Friday, July 12, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill will require doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, only allow abortions in surgical centers, dictate when abortion pills are taken and ban abortions after 20 weeks. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Sen. Wendy Davis, D-FortWorth, sits at her desk after the Texas Senate passes an abortion bill, Friday, July 12, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill will require doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, only allow abortions in surgical centers, dictate when abortion pills are taken and ban abortions after 20 weeks. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

A bloodied anti-abortion rights protester is surrounded by Texas state troopers outside the Senate Chamber after the Texas Senate passes an abortion bill, Saturday, July 13, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill will require doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, only allow abortions in surgical centers, dictate when abortion pills are taken and ban abortions after 20 weeks. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Abortion rights advocates fill the rotunda of the State Capitol as the Senate nears the vote on Friday night, July 12, 2013. Texas senators were wrapping up debate on sweeping abortion restrictions Friday night and were poised to vote on a measure after weeks of protests. (AP Photo/Tamir Kalifa)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? Republicans in the Texas Legislature passed an omnibus abortion bill that is one of the most restrictive in the nation, but Democrats vowed Saturday to fight both in the courts and the ballot box as they used the measure to rally their supporters.

More than 2,000 demonstrators filled the Capitol building in Austin to oppose the bill, and state troopers drug six out of the Senate chamber for trying to disrupt the debate. The Republican majority ultimately passed the bill unchanged just before midnight, with all but one Democrat voting against it.

"Today the Texas Legislature took its final step in our historic effort to protect life," said Gov. Rick Perry who will sign the bill into law in the next few days. "This legislation builds on the strong and unwavering commitment we have made to defend life and protect women's health."

Democrats, though, promised a fight in the courts.

"There will be a lawsuit. I promise you," Dallas Sen. Royce West said on the Senate floor, raising his right hand as if taking an oath.

Democrats offered 20 amendments to the bill, which will ban abortions after 20 weeks, require abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital and require all abortions take place in surgical centers. They ranged from exceptions for rape and incest to allowing doctors more leeway in prescribing abortion-inducing drugs. But Republicans would have none of it.

The bill is just one of many across the nation championed by anti-abortion groups set on a constitutional challenge to Roe vs Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision guaranteeing a woman's right to decide on an abortion before the fetus is viable outside the womb.

Texas falls under the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has shown a willingness to accept more stringent limits on abortions. Passing the law also pleases Christian conservatives who make up the majority of Republican primary voters.

But the measure has also sparked protests in Texas not seen in least 20 years, with thousands of abortion rights supporters flooding the Capitol to draw out normally boring committee hearings and disrupting key votes. Protesters finished a filibuster started by Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth by jeering for the last 15 minutes of the first special session, effectively killing the bill.

That's when Perry called lawmakers back for round two. But opponents said the fight is far from over and used the popular anger to register and organize Democratic voters.

"Let's make sure that tonight is not an ending point, it's a beginning point for our future, our collective futures, as we work to take this state back." Davis told 2,000 adoring supporters after the bill passed.

The Texas Republican Party, meanwhile, celebrated what they considered a major victory that makes Texas "a nationwide leader in pro-life legislation."

"As Democrats continue to talk about their dreams of turning Texas blue, passage of HB2 is proof that Texans are conservative and organized and we look forward to working with our amazing Republican leadership in the Texas Legislature as they finish the special session strong," a party statement said.

Friday's debate took place between a packed gallery of demonstrators, with anti-abortion activists wearing blue and abortion-rights supporters wearing orange. Security was tight, and state troopers reported confiscating bottles of urine and feces as they worked to prevent another attempt to stop the Republican majority from passing the proposal.

Those arrested or removed from the chamber included four women who tried to chain themselves to a railing in the gallery while singing, "All we are saying is give choice a chance." One of the women was successful in chaining herself, prompting a 10-minute recess.

Sen. Glen Hegar of Katy, the bill's Republican author, argued that all abortions, including those induced with medications, should take place in an ambulatory surgical center in case of complications.

Democrats pointed out that childbirth is more dangerous than an abortion and there have been no serious problems with women taking abortion drugs at home.

Cecile Richards, the daughter of former Gov. Anne Richards and president of Planned Parenthood, said Texas Republicans and abortion opponents won this political round ? but it could cost them down the road.

"All they have done is built a committed group of people across this state who are outraged about the treatment of women and the lengths to which this Legislature will go to take women's health care away," she said.

The dedication of those activists will be tested during the 2014 elections. Democrats have not won a statewide seat in Texas since 1994, the longest such losing streak in the nation.

___

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/cltomlinson

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-07-13-Abortion%20Restrictions-Texas/id-bfa220e9d59d43bc9350cbe9fe037a2b

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Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Wants To Be More Like Apple Inc. (AAPL)?

Does Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) really want to be more like Steve Jobs-era Apple Inc. (AAPL)? One columnist thinks so and pulls out several comparisons backing up his theory. Microsoft?s reorganization this week does sound eerily similar to Apple?s refresh under Jobs starting in 1997.

Since Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced its reorganization on Wednesday, there have been plenty of views shared about what the company is doing. Now of course the comparison has been drawn between Microsoft and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).

Does Microsoft want to be like Apple? CNN Money Sr. Editor at Large Adam Lashinsky thinks so. He draws some comparisons between the changes being made by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and the ones made by Steve Jobs at Apple between 1997 and 2011.

One Microsoft, One Apple

Let?s start with the new vision: One Microsoft. According to Lashinsky, who has spent a great deal of time covering Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Steve Jobs really hated divisions within a company. He wanted just a single Apple with just one strategy, brand and message. This is essentially what Ballmer has done by shifting executives around and changing from organization by product to organization by function.

He said at Apple, there?s one person called the ?directly responsible individual? for each task or initiative. Ballmer said specifically that there would be a ?champion? for ?every major initiative.? He says this change is all about accountability.

The Transformation Into One Apple

Lashinsky points to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)?s?status when Steve Jobs returned in 1997. It was disorganized and divisive, and there were different agendas competing with each other. Jobs refocused the company into a single effort and ditched a number of failing products. He unified the advertising budgets in order to deliver a single message around Apple products. At Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Ballmer also talks about centralizing their advertising and media initiatives.

Will Apple?s Approach Work For Microsoft

The editor also considers whether what worked for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)?will work for Microsoft. He said that with Jobs gone now, the world is different. Stanford professor Charles O?Reilly predicted that the process would only work for Jobs because of his management style. Jobs is described as ?dictatorial, feared, charismatic, respected? and ?multi-talented.?

So will the same tactic Ballmer has taken work at Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)? It?s worth mentioning that when planning the company?s reorganization, he did get some advice from Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) CEO Alan Mulally, who has a history of turning giants like Microsoft around.

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This entry was posted on July 13, 2013 at 11:35 am and is filed under Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Source: http://www.valuewalk.com/2013/07/microsoft-corporation-msft-like-apple-inc-aapl/

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Morgan Co. 4-H sends 2 to Citizenship Washington Focus

Keleigh Hoffman

Morgan County 4-H members, Greyson Kehm and Keleigh Hoffman, represented Morgan County and Colorado at Citizenship Washington Focus during the last week in June. Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) is an intensive 4-H civic engagement program for high-school youth held at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Md.

The CWF program helps participants concentrate on what it means to be a good citizen and how to be a strong civic leader for your community, country and world. Washington, DC becomes a living classroom, where 4-H members learn about the history of the nation, the leaders who have shaped it and their role in civic affairs both nationally and locally. Youth learn essential civic leadership skills and

Greyson Kehm

leave with the tools that will allow them to bring about real change in their communities.

Educational workshops included exploring the Citizenship Toolbox, focusing on congressional issues, learning about bill writing and strategy and then putting all of these into action. For more than 50 years, National 4-H Youth Conference Center has invited 4-H members from across the country to travel to Washington, DC and participate in civic workshops, committees, and field trips before returning home to make positive changes in their own communities. CWF, not only strengthens young people's understanding of the government's civic process, but it also boosts their leadership skills, communication skills, and overall confidence.

During CWF, youth get a behind-the-scenes look at the nation's capital while meeting with members of Congress to learn more about how their government works. At the end of the program, youth draft step-by-step action plans to address important issues in their communities, implementing 4-H's national them of Joining the Revolution of Responsibility.

"CWF is a great opportunity for young people to come together, talk about the problems they see in their communities, and identify solutions to make their communities stronger," said Donald T. Floyd, Jr., National 4-H Council President and CEO. "The experiences these young people gain during CWF gives them the proper tools and confidence to become successful, articulate leaders in the future."

An 11-year member, Keleigh Hoffman belongs to Lads n Lassies 4-H Club. She has completed projects in baking, breads, cake decorating, child development, decorate your duds, entomology, foods, home environment, horse, catch-it swine, outdoor adventures, photography and leadership. Hoffman has served as a club and county officer and is currently District I 4-H President and a member of the Colorado 4-H State Senate Team. Hoffman has had projects selected to be exhibited at the Colorado State Fair as well as winning several record book awards. Last summer, Hoffman's home environment project was the best project in the senior division at State Fair and she represented Morgan County and Colorado at National 4-H Congress in Atlanta last fall because of that achievement. Hoffman's parents are Mark and Vickie Hoffman of Fort Morgan.

Greyson Kehm is an eight-year 4-H member and belongs to Morgan Sandburs 4-H Club. He has taken projects in model rocketry and a variety of shooting sports including .22, air rifle, air pistol and archery. Kehm has represented Morgan County at the Colorado State Fair in .22, air rifle, and archery. In 2011, Kehm represented Colorado 4-H at the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational in air rifle. Last summer, Kehm represented Colorado 4-H again at the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational in .22. Kehm's parents are Steve and Glenda Kehm of Fort Morgan.

The CWF trips were funded by the Colorado 4-H Foundation, Morgan County 4-H Council, Morgan County 4-H Leader's Advisory Committee and the Morgan County 4-H Foundation.

Source: http://www.journal-advocate.com/sterling-community-news/ci_23641056/morgan-co-4-h-sends-2-citizenship-washington?source=rss_viewed

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Greeks split on reforms, public sector job cuts - poll

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greeks are split down the middle on whether public sector job cuts demanded by the country's international lenders for continued bailout funding are necessary and most remain downbeat on the economy's prospects, an opinion poll showed on Saturday.

Greek municipal workers have taken to the streets against government plans to cut thousands of public-sector jobs, measures included in a multi-pronged bill to be voted on in parliament next week as a condition for more payments of aid.

Athens pledged to place 12,500 public sector workers including school guards, teachers and municipal police into a "mobility pool" by September, where they will have eight months to find work in other departments or lose their jobs.

According to the survey by pollster Metron Analysis for newspaper Ependytis, 47 percent of Greeks favor cuts to shrink the public sector but 50 percent think there should be no layoffs.

A 62 percent majority objects to the proposed closure of municipal police services.

Greece is suffering record unemployment after six years of recession. Its unemployment rate is nearly 27 percent, more than double the euro zone's average of 12.2 percent.

"The country's sacred cow is on the butcher's table but some claim (cuts) are being done without a plan under the weight of the country's pledges to its international creditors," Stratos Fanaras, head of Metron, told the paper.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras defended the cuts in Sunday's Proto Thema newspaper, saying they were needed to get the economy working again and keep funds flowing from Greece's euro zone and International Monetary Fund backers.

"What do you prefer, having school guards doing nothing substantive or nursing staff at public hospitals to care for you?" Samaras told the paper in an interview.

"The measures may be unpleasant for some people but my priority is the 1.5 million unemployed, for whom nobody shed tears," he said.

HURT

Less than a week after Greece resolved its latest funding crunch but left some economists warning another debt restructuring in the future was still on the cards, Samaras reiterated his opposition to any further cutbacks.

"I rule it out (austerity), we will continue to prove those who foresee new measures wrong," he told the paper.

The poll showed 40 percent of Greeks believe ongoing reforms are needed to improve the economy but 57 percent sees them chiefly as policies that hurt lower income classes.

Some 70 percent of those surveyed said the economic crisis was worsening and 66 percent expected 2014 to be a worse year but 70 percent were in favor of staying in the euro.

Politically, the ruling conservatives in the two-party coalition government would get 29.1 percent of the vote if elections were held now, versus 28.7 percent for the main leftist opposition anti-bailout Syriza party.

The survey showed no substantial change from a previous Metron poll in June. The coalition's junior partners, socialists PASOK, would take 7.8 percent and the Democratic Left party which quit the coalition last month, 3.2 percent.

(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; editing by Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greeks-split-reforms-public-sector-job-cuts-poll-194032348.html

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Tornado Tourism: Thrill-Seeking Trend On Rise

By Amanda Walker, US Correspondent

A summer of deadly twisters has not discouraged British tourists from signing up for storm-chasing holidays in America's Tornado Alley.

Roger and Caryn Hill, who run Silver Lining Tours out of Denver, Colorado, say around 30% of their thrill-seeking clients are from the UK.

Roger, one of the most renowned and respected chasers in the business, says: "I've seen 660 tornadoes in my life and every one I've seen is like the first one I ever saw."

The husband and wife team run six-day weather stalking tours, often covering thousands of miles across several states in a convoy of vans, each marked with impressive hailstone dents.

Roger Hill uses a weather tracking system to chase the storms

This could be a rough ride. Roger sits up front, plugged into his advanced weather tracking system as we and 17 eager storm tourists head out onto the Montana plains.

As we motor through Big Sky Country, Roger says the charts look hopeful, not for the blue sky and sunshine you would normally wish for on holiday - but for powerful dramatic tempests.

There's a feeling of anticipation and confidence among the tourists: if a storm is brewing, Roger will find it.

In 25 years of weather hunting, Roger has seen and captured hundreds of tornadoes on camera. A twister has yet to surface on this latest mission, but Roger's appetite for any form of dramatic weather is insatiable and infectious.

A powerful twister tore through Oklahoma City last month

Brit Gayle Dawes says: "When Roger comes on the radio and says we're at code red which means there are storms and they are looking really, really good.

"I think it's the moment when you get out of the van, just before a storm you can feel that tension in the air."

UK tourists spend around ?2,000 to join Silver Lining Tours for some high impact, adrenaline pumping storm chasing.

It sounds and looks fun, but these situations can quickly turn deadly - even for the most experienced chasers.

Roger's close friend and established meteorologist Tim Samaras was among the dozens killed by the series of lethal tornadoes that crashed through the Midwest this summer.

Roger's friend Tim Samaras died while chasing the Oklahoma storm

Roger says: "It hit real close to home. He always said 'If I get killed by one of these damned things, it had better be an EF5'. And, lo and behold, he was killed by an EF5 and it was the most violent kind of tornado there is."

The group gather under heavy, rumbling clouds to capture images of a looming "wall cloud" before Roger calls everyone back into the vehicles for a moment the thrill-seeking group have been craving: "core punching" - the industry term for racing through the heart of the storm.

The rain lashing the windscreen is punctuated by huge thumps from what Roger says is golfball-sized hail. The atmosphere fizzes as Roger warns his group to hold on - experiencing a storm from the relative safety of the van is a tour highlight.

Londoner Selvin Reid says his family and friends had reservations about his unusual holiday choice.

Tornado tourists say it's an experience of a lifetime

"The obvious reaction is 'be careful what you're doing, it's going to be dangerous'. Because quite obviously, they've been influenced by the headlines where people have been killed," he said.

Steve Famiglietti, who is partially sighted, has been on eight storm-chasing tours. For him it's about feeling and sensing the magnitude of the weather around him.

"It's so exciting. Roger gets so excited. He's so good at showing us what we're looking at ... to be able to come out here and see that is just something that you don't get everywhere on Earth," he explained.

These people's backgrounds are as varied as the weather they hunt. What binds them is a fascination with the elements - as long as there's a storm, their desire to chase will be irrepressible.

Source: http://news.sky.com/story/1115453

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Pac-12 games in China could come in 2014-15

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott's expansion dreams aren't finished. No, the conference isn't trying to add another team. Scott is looking across the Pacific Ocean to China to help expand the conference's brand.

This is the second year of Scott's long-term effort to increase the Pac-12's presence in Asia. This summer, four groups from the conference will?or have?made trips to China. A conference All-Star volleyball team was the first to take the journey, spending 13 days there.

Scott said in a telephone interview Tuesday that he expected the Pac-12 to play regular season games in China within the next few years, and that he hoped the league's cable network would someday be available there.

"That's the next step," the Pac-12 commissioner said. "That's something we will be evaluating this summer. Taking the next step would be a regular season men's basketball game in China. Whether that's a nonconference game early in the season or during holiday time. There's a robust fan base for basketball in China, 300 million basketball fans."

Scott said the earliest such a game would happen would be the 2014-15 regular season.

Arizona State's men's basketball team and Cal's women's basketball program will head across the Pacific next month to play a series of exhibition games against Chinese teams. UCLA went over to China last summer in the first step of the conference's initiative.

Finally, a delegation of coaches?led by Oregon State men's basketball coach Craig Robinson?will conduct clinics for Chinese coaches in August.

"The ultimate goal is to build the brand of the schools in China and to develop other opportunities more broadly," the Pac-12 commissioner said. "That's tied to our philosophy of universities. Schools are looking at that when they think about globalization."

USC coach Mick Haley led the All-Star volleyball team on its trip earlier this month. The former U.S. national team coach loved the experience, returning to China for the first time in 15 years.

"I was worried that we wouldn't be competitive," Haley said. "They have 100,000 club teams and the whole country understands the game of volleyball. I was tremendously encouraged and surprised how well all the kids performed under pressure."

While the All-Star team didn't win any matches against the No. 1, 4 and 7 teams in the Chinese professional league, they were competitive.

"We were competitive with some of their best teams," Haley said. "It's a good sign if we got to the point in the future where we bring the best players and have the training time to put it together. It could be a made-for-TV kind of event?China vs. the U.S."

Haley said he would be "extremely interested and excited" to play a regular season match in Asia if the opportunity presented itself.

"I like the idea. China is trying to copy our university system below the pro league. They are testing it out and see if they can move in that direction also. It would be great to have some sort of tournament with some of our teams and their teams playing each other."

Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb seconded the idea. Her squad will be heading to China from Aug. 17-26.

"I'm up for anything that's going to help our game, be cutting edge. Larry Scott has visions greater than the visions what we see right now. We want to be the premiere women's basketball program and if we could play a game in Asia, I'd be the first to raise my hand."

Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2013-07-12/pac-12-games-in-china-commissioner-larry-scott-mens-basketball

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Mirror to The Mind

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What if you died in your sleep? You never wake up. Instead you are stuck in the world of dreams, but there is a way out. ((MORE INSIDE))

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