Commercial Loan Loans ? Prescribed Funding Vs Personal Funding ...

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It is trickier to get a commercial loan loan today than it was 2 years ago. The liquidity crisis has pushed many commercial investors in property to look into alternative sources of capital.

Non-public banks, regularly called hard money banks, have become popular latterly as banks and Wall Street brokers have refused to make loans. It's right that secretly sponsored commercial mortgage banks can be more flexible and can close loans in just days, but that doesn't mean they're simple to get.

Before a property owner is applicable to a hard funds provider they should understand the diversities between fixed funding and personal funding.

Regulation

Standard lenders like banks, insurance companies and Wall Street financial companies are all highly regulated. Banks carry FDIC or other govt insurance, insurance firms are observed over by each State Insurance Commission and Wall St is ruled by the Stocks & Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Finance Industry Regulatory Authority (FIRA). There's a incredible amount of bureaucracy, red-tape and rules concerned in originating typical, fixed loans. All this regulation implies bank loans are slow, banks aren't flexible and there are tons of bureaucracy and paperwork involved.

Personal banks are, by definition, personal entities. They might be arranged as LLCs or Limited Partnerships (LPs) or they might be a single, well off individual who makes money by making loans, but they don't fall under the prevue of banking regulation. They must, of course, stick to all anti-fraud laws as-well-as all laws against un-fair and fraudulent business practices, but they do not need to report their precise lending activity to Government Agencies and are not subject to Government licensing or chartering. Hard cash lenders can be highly flexible in their underwriting factors; they can change their own lending policies as they wish for their own reasons. They do not need to require big amounts of documents if they do not want to and they can move very swiftly if they like a deal.

Speed

Bank and other institutional loans typically take 90-180 days to shut.

Personal loans can close up a matter of just days if they have got to (a virtual impossibility when coping with a bank) but typically take in the region of 21 days.

Rates

Conventional loans are usually based on a longtime baseline rate such-as the 10 year US Treasury Bond. The bank takes the base rate adds an index and comes up with a loan rate. Treasury and other rate indexes are traditionally low right now (Fall ?09) and business mortgage loans (for those who qualify) rates are being priced at between 5.5%-7.5%

license money lender generally hold the loans they issue in their own portfolios as-opposed to institutions who generally sell their loans to Government Ventures or the secondary market. Hard Money lenders make their profit on rate and points so they charge significantly more. Most personal loans today are being quoted at between 10%-16%

Points

It is uncommon to see a bank charge more than 2 origination points on any loan.

Non-public lenders will sometimes charge at least 3 points and as many as 5.

Terms

Standard lenders usually offer 3, 5, 7 or 10 year fixed terms on loans amortized over 10-25 years. A balloon payment or a refinance is generally required at the end of the term, although more banks are supplying adjustable rate products that don't require refinance.

Private loans are nearly always short term, bridge type loans. Most charge interest only payments instead of amortize. The average non-public loan term is about 18 months and hard money banks seldom write a loan for at least 36 months. The loan must be paid off in full at the end of the term.

Underwriting

Regulated establishments are now commonly full paperwork, full underwriting lenders. Every ?I? must be dotted and each ?T? must be crossed. They may totally guarantee the property first then the borrower. Both must pass gather or the loan will be denied.

Non-public banks are equity banks. They lend based mainly on the amount of equity in the target property. Backers will find hard money loans require far less forms and documentation. Personal banks will be cautious. And won't lend to just anyone, but the underwriting is way more straight forward.

Loan-to-Value (LTV)

Banks used to loan up to 80% of a buildings worth and permit a 10% 2nd position loan, allowing sponsors to borrow as-much-as 90% of a deals value. Those days are gone. Now even the biggest, strongest banks won't lend more than 75% LTV and they deter 2nd loans. 65% is typical unless a borrower has an especially powerful balance sheet and a large liquidity position.

Personal lender will not surpass 65% LTV even for properties that have fantastic cash flow. Underperforming or vacant buildings will receive offers of about 50%-60% and land loans will come in at well under 50% LTV.

In an ideal credit environment bank loans or loans from other big cash centers are the most coveted. They offer the best terms, lowest rate and fewest points. Any one who can qualify should seek funding from these potent establishments. Nevertheless we aren't in a perfect credit environment. We are in a mess.

Banks have tightened their standards, property values are dropping and the secondary mortgage bond market has completely slumped. These circumstances have made it tough or impossible for folk to secure a conventional loan. Personal banks are more expensive and offer only short term finance, but they're filling an imperative need and will be considered by borrowers if the bank has turned them away.

Robert Newton is a business writer focusing on finance and payday loans and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his gurus in Business Administration and is at present helping as a fast loan specialist.

Source: http://topicoteria.com/loans/commercial-loan-loans-prescribed-funding-vs-personal-funding/

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Burn Foundation Administrator: Be Careful About What You Keep In Your Car During Hot Weather

By Michelle Durham

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. (CBS) ? The wilting heat has given everyone in the Delaware Valley a reason to pause.

We are all more conscious of fluid intake and limiting our exposure to the sun, but have you thought about the items in your car?

The normal things you might leave behind after you park can become a real danger to you and your family in high temperatures.

Assistant Fire Chief at the Middletown Fire Company Brian Decker unfortunately found out the hard way.

?Well, I had a can of soda that I brought to work. And I forgot it in my car, and I left it in there all day on one of these hot days. And I picked it up to take it out of my car and it exploded in my hand.?

Decker says he hurt his finger, and though it was nothing serious, Burn Foundation Administrator John McCann has heard these types of things before.

?The contents of the can are probably super heated, so there is an opportunity for the occupants of the car to be burned by that,? McCann warns. ?And if the can gives off shrapnel while it?s disintegrating, that?s another opportunity for injuries.?

McCann advises you go through your car and make sure to remove all hairspray, soda and sunscreen from the vehicle. Also, don?t immediately apply sunscreen left in the car, as it could burn your skin.

And McCann also says that children are most susceptible to burns. He says you should open up all of the windows and the sunroof of the car to let the heat out, then turn on the air conditioning before you put your kids inside.

You should also make sure to double check the seatbelt buckles and car seats for heat before you secure your children, as these items take longer to cool down.

Source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/07/19/burn-foundation-administrator-be-careful-about-what-you-keep-in-your-car-during-hot-weather/

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Insufficient brake force blamed in Canada crash

LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec (AP) ? Insufficient brake force was applied before an oil train came barreling out of nowhere in the middle of the night and slammed into a small town in Quebec, killing 47 people, officials said Friday.

Donald Ross, chief investigator for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, said the insufficient brake force could have been due to mechanical problems with the handbrakes, or a problem with the way someone applied them.

"The train got out of control because it wasn't fully immobilized," said Transportation Safety Board investigator Ed Belkaloul. "The number of brakes (applied) is important, but the quality of the braking is also important."

An unattended Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway train was parked overnight on a rail line before it came loose, hurtling down a seven-mile (11-kilometer) incline on Jan. 6. The train derailed and ignited in Lac-Megantic, near the Maine border. All but one of its 73 cars was carrying crude oil, and at least five exploded, setting off massive explosions that devastated the small lakeside town of 6,000 people.

A spokesman for the agency said it has had a closer look at 25 tanker cars since gaining access to the blast site two days ago ? and has taken pictures and samples.

The investigators said they are also analyzing the contents of the tanker cars that did not explode in the crash, looking for clues on why the crude oil in the other cars exploded so violently.

"We want a more in-depth chemical analysis of the goods. We want to make sure dangerous goods do not explode," said Belkaloul.

The agency says the investigation has already resulted in two safety advisories urging a revision of the Canadian Rail Operating rule governing the securing of parked trains.

It says the rule is not specific enough because it does not spell out how many handbrakes to apply for various weights and types of cargo. It also said that the standard, so-called "push-pull test" does not always accurately show whether the brakes have been adequately applied.

"Rule 112 says you need a sufficient number of brakes. What does that mean, sufficient? Because if you have a locomotive of 120 rail cars, that is the problem, a train engineer has to decide how many of those elements to take into account and that is the problem," said Belkaloul.

The board has also advised Transport Canada that dangerous goods should not be left unattended on a main track and, also, that rail equipment be properly secured.

Ross said there are similarities between the Lac-Megantic accident and previous ones, including an incident near Sept-Iles, Quebec, in December 2011 that had to do with securing trains. In that case, air brakes on the train were released and it started to move because an insufficient number of hand brakes were applied.

Ross said they are also looking at official documents, like shipping documents and rail journals.

"We are interested in the one-man train operation that existed here as well as the railways' safety management system plan," Ross said.

The transportation watchdog's advisory comes a week after Edward Burkhardt, president and CEO of the railway's U.S.-based parent company, Rail World Inc., blamed the train's engineer for the accident. Burkhardt questioned whether he had properly set enough hand brakes and said the engineer had been suspended without pay.

The board said that while the investigation is expected to take quite some time, it won't wait to send safety warnings.

Transport Minister Lisa Raitt's office said Friday that the department has been directed to review the board's recommendations on an expedited basis.

Canada's two largest railways announced earlier this week that they are strengthening their own safety procedures in the wake of the Lac-Megantic disaster. Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway said the tragedy prompted them to review their policies, including brake-setting procedures.

Montreal, Maine & Atlantic railway has also said it is reviewing its safety procedures.

Meanwhile, emergency officials continue to comb through the wreckage, searching for bodies amid intense heat and hazardous conditions. Authorities have recovered the remains of 42 bodies, five bodies remain missing. Initially officials estimated 50 people died in the disaster but revised that figure to 47 on Friday.

___

Associated Press writer Charmaine Noronha in Toronto contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/insufficient-brake-force-blamed-canada-crash-153854486.html

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Risk of Human-to-Human Spread of Deadly New Bird Flu Virus Higher Than Previously Thought

Mounting evidence suggests lethal H7N9 bird flu poses ?worrisome? threat

By Dina Fine Maron

Image: USDA

• 

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Before this year the H7N9 bird flu virus linked to 133 human infections and 43 deaths was never seen in people. All the available evidence suggests that an effective biological barrier apparently kept a pandemic at bay?humans only contracted the novel virus via direct contact with poultry or environments such as live bird markets rather than by human-to-human transmission. New analysis from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), however, suggests that the virus is closer to becoming a disease transmitted among humans than previously thought.

A large study comparing the genomes of the five reported human H7N9 strains with 37 H7N9 viruses isolated from more than 10,000 poultry market, farm and slaughterhouse samples from across China suggests that the virus would only need small mutations in its protein structure in order to become easily transmissible among humans. Moreover, testing in ferrets?widely considered to the best proxy for humans in flu testing?finds that one lethal strain of the virus that killed the first H7N9 victim in China is transmissible via respiratory droplet, meaning that it could conceivably be spread by coughing and sneezing. The new results are published in Science today. ?Our findings indicate nothing to reduce the concern that these viruses can transmit between humans,? says study author Hualan Chen of the CAAS.

The new findings are ?worrisome,? says Charles Chiu, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco. ?For this particular virus, for H7N9, whether or not there is human-to-human transmission is a critical question.?

Since April the number of H7N9 cases has abruptly dropped, but public health officials are concerned that, like other avian influenza viruses that have seasonal infection patterns, H7N9 could mount a resurgence in the fall. With more cases of H7N9 there would be more opportunities for the virus to mutate among humans and, consequently, make the necessary amino acid changes to create human-to-human transmissible H7N9. The H7N9 viruses isolated from birds and humans are already closely genetically related. In the Science analysis researchers found the viruses can bind to human airway receptors, but they maintain the ability to bind to avian airway receptors, too. In order for the virus to be transmissible among humans, it must further mutate to lose its ability to bind to avian airway receptors?a genetic re-sorting the authors say might be possible with only a few amino acid changes.

The Science paper?s results diverge somewhat from earlier research. A study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control published in Nature last week also considered H7N9 transmission in ferrets and found that although ferrets housed together transmit the flu, when the animals were physically separated but shared the same air via a net between their cages, the healthy ferrets only rarely contracted the virus. In that work CDC researchers looked at respiratory droplet transmission in two different strains of H7N9 and found that in a strain originating in Anhui Province, China, only two out of six ferrets contracted the virus whereas in a strain from Shanghai, only one out of three ferrets contracted the virus. (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.)

In the new study researchers also looked at multiple H7N9 strains and found the virus was similarly transmitted via direct contact. But in contrast to the authors of the Nature reports, they found that all three ferrets exposed to the Anhui H7N9 strain contracted the virus when exposed via respiratory droplets. The Science study authors ran the experiment twice and received the same results.

The significance of the conflicting airborne infection figures from the two studies is unclear because both studies looked at very small numbers of ferrets. Some of the discrepancy could have stemmed from differences in the lab environments. Alternatively, the virus may have changed slightly as the samples grew in the labs. What these studies, along with other existing research, make clear is that H7N9 can indeed spread via airborne transmission, but that this mode of transmission is not very effective compared with direct contact, says Richard Webby, an influenza expert at Saint Jude Children?s Research Hospital in Memphis. The new Science report ?adds a whole lot of data to the growing list of evidence that this virus is something we need to be worried about,? he says.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/~r/ScientificAmerican-News/~3/OCycOgb6TMY/article.cfm

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Is Immigration Reform Dead? Not If Evangelicals Can Do Anything About It (Atlantic Politics Channel)

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Gulf of Mexico projected to be fastest-growing offshore market in the world

Eddie Seal/ Bloomberg

Shell's massive offshore platform set sail for the Gulf of Mexico on July 13.

Oil and gas drilling activity is only expected to increase in the Gulf of Mexico in the coming years, which has led some experts to say it is the fastest-growing offshore market in the world, Bloomberg reports.

Researchers told Bloomberg that deepwater rigs in the Gulf Coast are expected to increase from 36 to 60 by the end of 2015. These additional rigs are estimated to cost a total of $16 billion.

The most recent drilling successes have come from exploration in the lower tertiary of the Gulf of Mexico, where there are crude deposits, Bloomberg reports. However, new technology advances are needed to increase production from this deepwater area.

In the future, more drilling companies will look to explore deeper waters in the Gulf of Mexico, experts said. The Gulf is also cited as a good location for drilling because it has existing infrastructure, Bloomberg reports.

Companies such as Royal Dutch Shell Plc are expected to profit from this boom of activity in the Gulf. In May, Shell said it is building what is expected to be the world?s deepest production facility and the world?s largest offshore floating facility, which is designed for use in the Gulf.

Molly Ryan covers manufacturing, technology, the Port and logistics for the Houston Business Journal. For her breaking stories and industry insights, follow her on Twitter.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bizj_houston/~3/anBoDAVrX00/gulf-of-mexico-projected-to-be.html

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Phoenix Suns' Summer League invitee Arinze Onuaku fights for a shot in the NBA

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Source: http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/20130717onuaku-fights-shot-nba.html

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DOJ seeks $10M in damages from Texas debt-relief company

by KGW reporter Chris Willis

kgw.com

Posted on July 18, 2013 at 5:24 PM

Updated yesterday at 7:26 PM

SALEM -- More than 400 Oregonians have fallen victim to a Texas debt-relief company. Now the Oregon Attorney General is seeking damages against World Law Debt, and hoping to ban the company from ever doing business in Oregon again.

?These were just fraudulent business practices,? said Jeff Manning of the Oregon Department of Justice. ?We can?t stand for this.?

World Law Debt is an Austin, Texas based company that uses many different business names including: Swift Rock Financial, Inc., Orion Processing, LLC, and World Law Debt Settlement. It promises cash-strapped consumers, including many seniors, help pay their credit card debt, mortgage debt and other debt by negotiating directly with creditors.

But first, consumers must set up an escrow account with their own money. It?s money that some consumers said goes to World Law Debt, instead of their creditors as promised.

?They never talked to any of my creditors? said Hope Jentis, a hazelnut farmer who fell behind on a couple of her credit cards. ?Normally, I pay off my credit cards every month, but I was late on two payments. I panicked. I?ve got to do something, you know??

Jentis fell on hard financial times because a plant disease wiped out nearly half of her hazelnut trees and subsequently, half of her income. So Jentis called World Law Debt, which promised to be with her ?every step of the way? during her debt relief.

?They said they would negotiate with creditors, and I would end up paying a third of what I actually, of what they said I owed them,? she said.?

The Department of Justice is seeking $10 million in damages and restitution for every Oregon victim. In addition, they also want to keep World Law Debt from ever doing business in the state again.

?They entered into these agreements to settle consumer debt,? said the DOJ?s Jeff Manning. ?And basically pocketed a lot of their customers money.?

Manning said the money is staggering. Four-hundred-twenty-five people gave money to World Law Debt, totaling more than $1.5 million. Only about $275,000 went to settlements, and more than $960,000 was company profit.

KGW?s Unit 8 tracked down a former World Law Debt employee in Austin Texas.

The employee, who asked to not be named, said dishonesty was a part of his job.

?(It) definitely felt unethical. Obviously I was kind of part of it,? the employee said. ?I?m lying. I'm basically lying to the person on the phone, telling them we can still make a plan. We can figure something out knowing in my head that ultimately they're probably going to get sued by one of their creditors.?

Late Thursday, Unit 8 was contacted by a representative or World Law Debt in Austin. He threatened an injunction filed in Federal Court to prevent KGW from airing this story.

So, KGW checked the background of the man who called, and as It turns out, he is not an attorney.

If you need debt relief, there are many non-profit groups who can help you negotiate with creditors, often times free of charge.

You can get started at consumercredit.com or debtconsolidationcare.com.?

And if you have a story you?d like us to investigate, you can contact us at Unit8@kgw.com or call us at (503) 226-5041.

Source: http://www.kgw.com/news/DOJ-seeks-10-M-in-damages-from-Texas-debt-relief-company-216089871.html

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Jefferson City mayor's budget would eliminate JCTV funding

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Source: www.connectmidmissouri.com --- Thursday, July 18, 2013
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Source: http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=923353

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Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines

http://news.yahoo.com/ The latest news and headlines from Yahoo! News. Get breaking news stories and in-depth coverage with videos and photos.en-USCopyright (c) 2013 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reservedThu, 18 Jul 2013 08:01:41 -04005http://news.yahoo.com/ http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142c.gif<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/steadily-improving-mandela-celebrates-95th-birthday-065251492.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/S9e_vbwmFp_xZm1GAB.OzA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_ZA/News/Reuters/2013-07-18T120141Z_1_AJOE96H0XEU00_RTROPTP_2_OZATP-MANDELA-20130718.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="(Blank Headline Received)" align="left" title="(Blank Headline Received)" border="0" /></a>Thousands of South Africans sing &quot;Happy Birthday&quot; to the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/steadily-improving-mandela-celebrates-95th-birthday-065251492.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 08:01:41 -0400Reuterssteadily-improving-mandela-celebrates-95th-birthday-065251492<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/steadily-improving-mandela-celebrates-95th-birthday-065251492.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/S9e_vbwmFp_xZm1GAB.OzA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_ZA/News/Reuters/2013-07-18T120141Z_1_AJOE96H0XEU00_RTROPTP_2_OZATP-MANDELA-20130718.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="(Blank Headline Received)" align="left" title="(Blank Headline Received)" border="0" /></a>Thousands of South Africans sing &quot;Happy Birthday&quot; to the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/sandusky-name-change-155725805.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/MJZao_bS1GSpoSsO7BF6zA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/499b382607c9ed18370f6a7067008253.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this June 20, 2012 file photo, Matt Sandusky, the adopted son of former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa. Sandusky filed papers Tuesday July 16, 2013 in Centre County Court seeking to have the names of him and his family changed. Though the documents are sealed, they show he filed for a name change, along with his wife and four children. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)" align="left" title="FILE - In this June 20, 2012 file photo, Matt Sandusky, the adopted son of former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa. Sandusky filed papers Tuesday July 16, 2013 in Centre County Court seeking to have the names of him and his family changed. Though the documents are sealed, they show he filed for a name change, along with his wife and four children. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)" border="0" /></a>An adopted son of disgraced former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has filed papers to have his name and the names of his family changed. Matt Sandusky, one of Jerry Sandusky&#039;s six adopted children, filed a formal name change request in Centre County Court in Bellefonte, Pa., on Tuesday, a little over a [...]</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/sandusky-name-change-155725805.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 11:57:25 -0400blogs/news/sandusky-name-change-155725805<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/sandusky-name-change-155725805.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/MJZao_bS1GSpoSsO7BF6zA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/499b382607c9ed18370f6a7067008253.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this June 20, 2012 file photo, Matt Sandusky, the adopted son of former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa. Sandusky filed papers Tuesday July 16, 2013 in Centre County Court seeking to have the names of him and his family changed. Though the documents are sealed, they show he filed for a name change, along with his wife and four children. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)" align="left" title="FILE - In this June 20, 2012 file photo, Matt Sandusky, the adopted son of former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa. Sandusky filed papers Tuesday July 16, 2013 in Centre County Court seeking to have the names of him and his family changed. Though the documents are sealed, they show he filed for a name change, along with his wife and four children. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file)" border="0" /></a>An adopted son of disgraced former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has filed papers to have his name and the names of his family changed. Matt Sandusky, one of Jerry Sandusky&#039;s six adopted children, filed a formal name change request in Centre County Court in Bellefonte, Pa., on Tuesday, a little over a [...]</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/mandela-day-celebrations-around-world-162239634.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/6NBEHB8xM1AUZiTw9QRqiw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/58636f51084cef18370f6a706700eaa9.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="An electronic billboard announces Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday in New York&#039;s Times Square, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Mandela&#039;s birthday on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)" align="left" title="An electronic billboard announces Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday in New York&#039;s Times Square, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Mandela&#039;s birthday on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)" border="0" /></a>JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? The world is celebrating Nelson Mandela Day with acts of community service and messages of goodwill to the former South African president who remains hospitalized on his 95th birthday. Here are some of the international events:</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/mandela-day-celebrations-around-world-162239634.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 13:33:02 -0400Associated Pressmandela-day-celebrations-around-world-162239634<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/mandela-day-celebrations-around-world-162239634.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/6NBEHB8xM1AUZiTw9QRqiw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/58636f51084cef18370f6a706700eaa9.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="An electronic billboard announces Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday in New York&#039;s Times Square, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Mandela&#039;s birthday on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)" align="left" title="An electronic billboard announces Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday in New York&#039;s Times Square, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Mandela&#039;s birthday on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)" border="0" /></a>JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? The world is celebrating Nelson Mandela Day with acts of community service and messages of goodwill to the former South African president who remains hospitalized on his 95th birthday. Here are some of the international events:</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/10-things-see-week-top-ap-photos-170136692.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/e833TW9bbEH162tzs4fepA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/f890455e083def18370f6a7067004421.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Sunlight shines through a window as a man reads the Quran waiting for the time to break his fast at a mosque in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, Friday, July 12, 2013. During Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn till dusk. (AP Photo/Gembong Nusantara) AP10ThingsToSee" align="left" title="Sunlight shines through a window as a man reads the Quran waiting for the time to break his fast at a mosque in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, Friday, July 12, 2013. During Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn till dusk. (AP Photo/Gembong Nusantara) AP10ThingsToSee" border="0" /></a>Here&#039;s your look at highlights from the weekly AP photo report, a gallery featuring a mix of front-page photography, the odd image you might have missed and lasting moments our editors think you should see.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/10-things-see-week-top-ap-photos-170136692.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 12:01:59 -0400Associated Press10-things-see-week-top-ap-photos-170136692<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/10-things-see-week-top-ap-photos-170136692.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/e833TW9bbEH162tzs4fepA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/f890455e083def18370f6a7067004421.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Sunlight shines through a window as a man reads the Quran waiting for the time to break his fast at a mosque in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, Friday, July 12, 2013. During Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn till dusk. (AP Photo/Gembong Nusantara) AP10ThingsToSee" align="left" title="Sunlight shines through a window as a man reads the Quran waiting for the time to break his fast at a mosque in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, Friday, July 12, 2013. During Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex from dawn till dusk. (AP Photo/Gembong Nusantara) AP10ThingsToSee" border="0" /></a>Here&#039;s your look at highlights from the weekly AP photo report, a gallery featuring a mix of front-page photography, the odd image you might have missed and lasting moments our editors think you should see.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/perry-signs-sweeping-texas-abortion-restrictions-170013000.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/AZk4vJxpcj8HBZSmsJk7.w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/5668543d088ef018370f6a706700fc78.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Lenell Ripley, second from left, cries as she demonstrates with other abortion rights supporters outside the Capitol auditorium in Austin, Texas, Thursday July 18, 2013. Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed sweeping new abortion restrictions on Thursday that could shutter most of the clinics in the nation&#039;s second most populous state. (AP Photo/Austin American-Statesman, Jay Janner) AUSTIN CHRONICLE OUT, COMMUNITY IMPACT OUT, MAGS OUT; NO SALES; INTERNET AND TV MUST CREDIT PHOTOGRAPHER AND STATESMAN.COM" align="left" title="Lenell Ripley, second from left, cries as she demonstrates with other abortion rights supporters outside the Capitol auditorium in Austin, Texas, Thursday July 18, 2013. Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed sweeping new abortion restrictions on Thursday that could shutter most of the clinics in the nation&#039;s second most populous state. (AP Photo/Austin American-Statesman, Jay Janner) AUSTIN CHRONICLE OUT, COMMUNITY IMPACT OUT, MAGS OUT; NO SALES; INTERNET AND TV MUST CREDIT PHOTOGRAPHER AND STATESMAN.COM" border="0" /></a>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed sweeping new abortion restrictions on Thursday that could shutter most of the state&#039;s clinics that provide the procedure, a final step for the Republican-backed measure after weeks of sometimes raucous protests at the state Capitol.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/perry-signs-sweeping-texas-abortion-restrictions-170013000.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 13:41:17 -0400Associated Pressperry-signs-sweeping-texas-abortion-restrictions-170013000<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/perry-signs-sweeping-texas-abortion-restrictions-170013000.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/AZk4vJxpcj8HBZSmsJk7.w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/5668543d088ef018370f6a706700fc78.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Lenell Ripley, second from left, cries as she demonstrates with other abortion rights supporters outside the Capitol auditorium in Austin, Texas, Thursday July 18, 2013. Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed sweeping new abortion restrictions on Thursday that could shutter most of the clinics in the nation&#039;s second most populous state. (AP Photo/Austin American-Statesman, Jay Janner) AUSTIN CHRONICLE OUT, COMMUNITY IMPACT OUT, MAGS OUT; NO SALES; INTERNET AND TV MUST CREDIT PHOTOGRAPHER AND STATESMAN.COM" align="left" title="Lenell Ripley, second from left, cries as she demonstrates with other abortion rights supporters outside the Capitol auditorium in Austin, Texas, Thursday July 18, 2013. Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed sweeping new abortion restrictions on Thursday that could shutter most of the clinics in the nation&#039;s second most populous state. (AP Photo/Austin American-Statesman, Jay Janner) AUSTIN CHRONICLE OUT, COMMUNITY IMPACT OUT, MAGS OUT; NO SALES; INTERNET AND TV MUST CREDIT PHOTOGRAPHER AND STATESMAN.COM" border="0" /></a>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed sweeping new abortion restrictions on Thursday that could shutter most of the state&#039;s clinics that provide the procedure, a final step for the Republican-backed measure after weeks of sometimes raucous protests at the state Capitol.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/upbeat-health-report-mandela-95th-birthday-184329811.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/tYnIg5n0bTIh1kvRUnu6dA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/fce1db7c0847ef18370f6a7067006006.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Children stand next to a birthday cake to mark former South African President Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday outside his home in Johannesburg, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday with acts of charity on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)" align="left" title="Children stand next to a birthday cake to mark former South African President Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday outside his home in Johannesburg, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday with acts of charity on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)" border="0" /></a>JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Hospital visitors say Nelson Mandela smiled and nodded Thursday ? his 95th birthday ? and South Africans celebrated upbeat reports about the former president&#039;s health after weeks of worrying that he was on the verge of death.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/upbeat-health-report-mandela-95th-birthday-184329811.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 14:43:29 -0400Associated Pressupbeat-health-report-mandela-95th-birthday-184329811<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/upbeat-health-report-mandela-95th-birthday-184329811.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/tYnIg5n0bTIh1kvRUnu6dA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/fce1db7c0847ef18370f6a7067006006.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Children stand next to a birthday cake to mark former South African President Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday outside his home in Johannesburg, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday with acts of charity on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)" align="left" title="Children stand next to a birthday cake to mark former South African President Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday outside his home in Johannesburg, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday with acts of charity on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)" border="0" /></a>JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Hospital visitors say Nelson Mandela smiled and nodded Thursday ? his 95th birthday ? and South Africans celebrated upbeat reports about the former president&#039;s health after weeks of worrying that he was on the verge of death.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russian-opposition-leader-sentenced-5-years-084213369.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/wwQEgbjGJgBTTmPS7luzDg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/7badfa450722ea18370f6a70670062ed.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, embraces his wife Yulia at a court in Kirov, Russia Thursday, July 18, 2013. Alexei Navalny, one of the Russian opposition&#039;s leading figures, was convicted of embezzlement Thursday and sentenced to five years in prison. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)" align="left" title="Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, embraces his wife Yulia at a court in Kirov, Russia Thursday, July 18, 2013. Alexei Navalny, one of the Russian opposition&#039;s leading figures, was convicted of embezzlement Thursday and sentenced to five years in prison. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)" border="0" /></a>KIROV, Russia (AP) ? Alexei Navalny, the most charismatic and creative of Russian opposition leaders who challenged the Kremlin with exposures of high-level corruption and biting satire, was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday in a verdict that fueled street protests near Red Square and drew condemnation from the West.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/russian-opposition-leader-sentenced-5-years-084213369.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 15:20:32 -0400Associated Pressrussian-opposition-leader-sentenced-5-years-084213369<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/russian-opposition-leader-sentenced-5-years-084213369.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/wwQEgbjGJgBTTmPS7luzDg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/7badfa450722ea18370f6a70670062ed.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, embraces his wife Yulia at a court in Kirov, Russia Thursday, July 18, 2013. Alexei Navalny, one of the Russian opposition&#039;s leading figures, was convicted of embezzlement Thursday and sentenced to five years in prison. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)" align="left" title="Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, embraces his wife Yulia at a court in Kirov, Russia Thursday, July 18, 2013. Alexei Navalny, one of the Russian opposition&#039;s leading figures, was convicted of embezzlement Thursday and sentenced to five years in prison. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)" border="0" /></a>KIROV, Russia (AP) ? Alexei Navalny, the most charismatic and creative of Russian opposition leaders who challenged the Kremlin with exposures of high-level corruption and biting satire, was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday in a verdict that fueled street protests near Red Square and drew condemnation from the West.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-try-mend-fences-afghanistan-173905354.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/rY5icAt9b9nzBUlS8px4Jg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/abdc4eed08c3f118370f6a70670093bc.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - This Thursday, June 20, 2013 file photo shows the new office of the Afghan Taliban in Doha, Qatar after the opening of the office. Pakistan is sending a top official to the Afghan capital this weekend to try to mend fences with its uneasy neighbor, and hanging in the balance are U.S. efforts to arrange peace talks with the Taliban. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)" align="left" title="FILE - This Thursday, June 20, 2013 file photo shows the new office of the Afghan Taliban in Doha, Qatar after the opening of the office. Pakistan is sending a top official to the Afghan capital this weekend to try to mend fences with its uneasy neighbor, and hanging in the balance are U.S. efforts to arrange peace talks with the Taliban. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)" border="0" /></a>ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) ? Pakistan is sending a top official to the Afghan capital this weekend to try to mend fences with its uneasy neighbor, and hanging in the balance are U.S. efforts to arrange peace talks with the Taliban.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-try-mend-fences-afghanistan-173905354.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 14:47:03 -0400Associated Presspakistan-try-mend-fences-afghanistan-173905354<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-try-mend-fences-afghanistan-173905354.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/rY5icAt9b9nzBUlS8px4Jg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/abdc4eed08c3f118370f6a70670093bc.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - This Thursday, June 20, 2013 file photo shows the new office of the Afghan Taliban in Doha, Qatar after the opening of the office. Pakistan is sending a top official to the Afghan capital this weekend to try to mend fences with its uneasy neighbor, and hanging in the balance are U.S. efforts to arrange peace talks with the Taliban. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)" align="left" title="FILE - This Thursday, June 20, 2013 file photo shows the new office of the Afghan Taliban in Doha, Qatar after the opening of the office. Pakistan is sending a top official to the Afghan capital this weekend to try to mend fences with its uneasy neighbor, and hanging in the balance are U.S. efforts to arrange peace talks with the Taliban. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)" border="0" /></a>ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) ? Pakistan is sending a top official to the Afghan capital this weekend to try to mend fences with its uneasy neighbor, and hanging in the balance are U.S. efforts to arrange peace talks with the Taliban.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/dell-delays-vote-buyout-sign-lacks-support-131703626.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/5SOdZV51LHyv25VDNTCoOg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/a90ceafae9e8da17370f6a706700887f.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007 file photo, Dell CEO Michael Dell smiles at Oracle Open World conference in San Francisco. Dell Inc. is making a late push to win shareholder support for founder Michael Dell?s plan to take the slumping computer maker private, an indication that the scheduled vote, Thursday, July 18, 2013, could be close. Supporters of the $24.4 billion buyout believe Dell Inc. stands a better chance of turning around if it can make long-term strategic decisions without worrying about meeting Wall Street?s quarter-to-quarter expectations. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007 file photo, Dell CEO Michael Dell smiles at Oracle Open World conference in San Francisco. Dell Inc. is making a late push to win shareholder support for founder Michael Dell?s plan to take the slumping computer maker private, an indication that the scheduled vote, Thursday, July 18, 2013, could be close. Supporters of the $24.4 billion buyout believe Dell Inc. stands a better chance of turning around if it can make long-term strategic decisions without worrying about meeting Wall Street?s quarter-to-quarter expectations. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)" border="0" /></a>ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) ? Dell has delayed Thursday&#039;s vote on founder Michael Dell&#039;s plan to take the slumping computer maker private in a sign the board needs more time to rally support.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/dell-delays-vote-buyout-sign-lacks-support-131703626.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 13:40:38 -0400Associated Pressdell-delays-vote-buyout-sign-lacks-support-131703626<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/dell-delays-vote-buyout-sign-lacks-support-131703626.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/5SOdZV51LHyv25VDNTCoOg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/a90ceafae9e8da17370f6a706700887f.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007 file photo, Dell CEO Michael Dell smiles at Oracle Open World conference in San Francisco. Dell Inc. is making a late push to win shareholder support for founder Michael Dell?s plan to take the slumping computer maker private, an indication that the scheduled vote, Thursday, July 18, 2013, could be close. Supporters of the $24.4 billion buyout believe Dell Inc. stands a better chance of turning around if it can make long-term strategic decisions without worrying about meeting Wall Street?s quarter-to-quarter expectations. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007 file photo, Dell CEO Michael Dell smiles at Oracle Open World conference in San Francisco. Dell Inc. is making a late push to win shareholder support for founder Michael Dell?s plan to take the slumping computer maker private, an indication that the scheduled vote, Thursday, July 18, 2013, could be close. Supporters of the $24.4 billion buyout believe Dell Inc. stands a better chance of turning around if it can make long-term strategic decisions without worrying about meeting Wall Street?s quarter-to-quarter expectations. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)" border="0" /></a>ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) ? Dell has delayed Thursday&#039;s vote on founder Michael Dell&#039;s plan to take the slumping computer maker private in a sign the board needs more time to rally support.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/barbie-fights-her-life-191137087.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/5MKX8TFzg.zbDjOv9INnSw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/3e25056608d8f218370f6a7067008c7c.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2007, file photo, Barbie dolls are seen at the Barbie Store in Buenos Aires. As Mattel reported on July 17, 2013, Barbie is suddenly facing a popularity contest as the most popular doll on the Market. Instead, Mattel?s Monster High dolls, have exploded in popularity since being introduced in 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, file)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2007, file photo, Barbie dolls are seen at the Barbie Store in Buenos Aires. As Mattel reported on July 17, 2013, Barbie is suddenly facing a popularity contest as the most popular doll on the Market. Instead, Mattel?s Monster High dolls, have exploded in popularity since being introduced in 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, file)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? As far as catfights go, this is a doozy.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/barbie-fights-her-life-191137087.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 15:18:14 -0400Associated Pressbarbie-fights-her-life-191137087<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/barbie-fights-her-life-191137087.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/5MKX8TFzg.zbDjOv9INnSw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/3e25056608d8f218370f6a7067008c7c.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2007, file photo, Barbie dolls are seen at the Barbie Store in Buenos Aires. As Mattel reported on July 17, 2013, Barbie is suddenly facing a popularity contest as the most popular doll on the Market. Instead, Mattel?s Monster High dolls, have exploded in popularity since being introduced in 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, file)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Oct. 31, 2007, file photo, Barbie dolls are seen at the Barbie Store in Buenos Aires. As Mattel reported on July 17, 2013, Barbie is suddenly facing a popularity contest as the most popular doll on the Market. Instead, Mattel?s Monster High dolls, have exploded in popularity since being introduced in 2010. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, file)" border="0" /></a>NEW YORK (AP) ? As far as catfights go, this is a doozy.</p><br clear="all"/>ROME (AP) ? A former CIA base chief in Italy who was convicted in the 2003 abduction of an Egyptian terror suspect from a street in Milan has been detained in Panama, the Italian justice ministry said Thursday.http://news.yahoo.com/italy-ex-cia-milan-chief-detained-panama-175753431.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 15:28:53 -0400Associated Pressitaly-ex-cia-milan-chief-detained-panama-175753431<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/internet-shows-muscle-making-emmy-history-191014180.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/nJ65tzUxMXjyeH9QKBcDdw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/a0e3f26b07d5ed18370f6a7067003d77.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="This image released by Netflix shows Kevin Spacey in a scene from the Netflix original series, &quot;House of Cards,&quot; an adaptation of a British classic. The program was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding drama series on, Thursday July 18, 2013. The Academy of Television Arts &amp; Sciences&#039; Emmy ceremony will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. It will air Sept. 22 on CBS. (AP Photo/Netflix, Melinda Sue Gordon)" align="left" title="This image released by Netflix shows Kevin Spacey in a scene from the Netflix original series, &quot;House of Cards,&quot; an adaptation of a British classic. The program was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding drama series on, Thursday July 18, 2013. The Academy of Television Arts &amp; Sciences&#039; Emmy ceremony will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. It will air Sept. 22 on CBS. (AP Photo/Netflix, Melinda Sue Gordon)" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The Emmy Awards are television&#039;s biggest celebration of itself, but this year&#039;s ceremony will face an intruder: &quot;House of Cards,&quot; the first online series to nab a top nomination with its best drama series bid Thursday.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/internet-shows-muscle-making-emmy-history-191014180.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 15:09:22 -0400Associated Pressinternet-shows-muscle-making-emmy-history-191014180<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/internet-shows-muscle-making-emmy-history-191014180.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/nJ65tzUxMXjyeH9QKBcDdw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/a0e3f26b07d5ed18370f6a7067003d77.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="This image released by Netflix shows Kevin Spacey in a scene from the Netflix original series, &quot;House of Cards,&quot; an adaptation of a British classic. The program was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding drama series on, Thursday July 18, 2013. The Academy of Television Arts &amp; Sciences&#039; Emmy ceremony will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. It will air Sept. 22 on CBS. (AP Photo/Netflix, Melinda Sue Gordon)" align="left" title="This image released by Netflix shows Kevin Spacey in a scene from the Netflix original series, &quot;House of Cards,&quot; an adaptation of a British classic. The program was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding drama series on, Thursday July 18, 2013. The Academy of Television Arts &amp; Sciences&#039; Emmy ceremony will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. It will air Sept. 22 on CBS. (AP Photo/Netflix, Melinda Sue Gordon)" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The Emmy Awards are television&#039;s biggest celebration of itself, but this year&#039;s ceremony will face an intruder: &quot;House of Cards,&quot; the first online series to nab a top nomination with its best drama series bid Thursday.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/artists-celebrate-mandela-paintings-093546862.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/sIg8uqTO7Ta9QhZf2nPqUg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/e24e551a06e3e918370f6a706700a29a.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Monday, July 15, 2013 file photo, South African artist John Adams works on a giant acrylic-on-canvas painting of Nelson Mandela in the driveway of his house in a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Many South African artists and graphic designers are celebrating Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday who remains hospitalized as hit condition improves Thursday July 18, 2013.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Monday, July 15, 2013 file photo, South African artist John Adams works on a giant acrylic-on-canvas painting of Nelson Mandela in the driveway of his house in a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Many South African artists and graphic designers are celebrating Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday who remains hospitalized as hit condition improves Thursday July 18, 2013.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)" border="0" /></a>JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? With giant portraits of Nelson Mandela and colorful posters, South African artists are celebrating the 95th birthday Thursday of the anti-apartheid leader, who remains hospitalized although his condition has improved.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/artists-celebrate-mandela-paintings-093546862.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 12:35:21 -0400Associated Pressartists-celebrate-mandela-paintings-093546862<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/artists-celebrate-mandela-paintings-093546862.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/sIg8uqTO7Ta9QhZf2nPqUg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/e24e551a06e3e918370f6a706700a29a.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="FILE - In this Monday, July 15, 2013 file photo, South African artist John Adams works on a giant acrylic-on-canvas painting of Nelson Mandela in the driveway of his house in a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Many South African artists and graphic designers are celebrating Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday who remains hospitalized as hit condition improves Thursday July 18, 2013.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)" align="left" title="FILE - In this Monday, July 15, 2013 file photo, South African artist John Adams works on a giant acrylic-on-canvas painting of Nelson Mandela in the driveway of his house in a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Many South African artists and graphic designers are celebrating Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday who remains hospitalized as hit condition improves Thursday July 18, 2013.(AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)" border="0" /></a>JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? With giant portraits of Nelson Mandela and colorful posters, South African artists are celebrating the 95th birthday Thursday of the anti-apartheid leader, who remains hospitalized although his condition has improved.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/online-series-house-cards-makes-emmy-history-124950469.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/OKEDTewkA05bIULM.Tuw6A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/6a1af1840808ee18370f6a706700f685.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Actors Aaron Paul, left, and Neil Patrick Harris announce nominations at the 65th Primetime Emmy Nominations Announcements at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre at the Academy of Television Arts &amp; Sciences, Thursday, July 18, 2013, in North Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)" align="left" title="Actors Aaron Paul, left, and Neil Patrick Harris announce nominations at the 65th Primetime Emmy Nominations Announcements at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre at the Academy of Television Arts &amp; Sciences, Thursday, July 18, 2013, in North Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Netflix&#039;s &quot;House of Cards&quot; made Emmy history Thursday with a top drama series nomination, the first time that television&#039;s leading awards have recognized a program delivered online as equal in quality to the best that TV has to offer.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/online-series-house-cards-makes-emmy-history-124950469.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 12:49:08 -0400Associated Pressonline-series-house-cards-makes-emmy-history-124950469<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/online-series-house-cards-makes-emmy-history-124950469.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/OKEDTewkA05bIULM.Tuw6A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/6a1af1840808ee18370f6a706700f685.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="Actors Aaron Paul, left, and Neil Patrick Harris announce nominations at the 65th Primetime Emmy Nominations Announcements at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre at the Academy of Television Arts &amp; Sciences, Thursday, July 18, 2013, in North Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)" align="left" title="Actors Aaron Paul, left, and Neil Patrick Harris announce nominations at the 65th Primetime Emmy Nominations Announcements at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre at the Academy of Television Arts &amp; Sciences, Thursday, July 18, 2013, in North Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Netflix&#039;s &quot;House of Cards&quot; made Emmy history Thursday with a top drama series nomination, the first time that television&#039;s leading awards have recognized a program delivered online as equal in quality to the best that TV has to offer.</p><br clear="all"/><p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/mandela-steadily-improving-95th-birthday-050940812.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/mRlenXAQgowW2K8SuLPjZg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/043a6f29066be718370f6a706700b6da.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="A portrait representing former South African President Nelson Mandela is displayed on the windows of a building as lights inside the building reflect in downtown Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)" align="left" title="A portrait representing former South African President Nelson Mandela is displayed on the windows of a building as lights inside the building reflect in downtown Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)" border="0" /></a>JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday with acts of charity on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment.</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/mandela-steadily-improving-95th-birthday-050940812.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 08:11:35 -0400Associated Pressmandela-steadily-improving-95th-birthday-050940812<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/mandela-steadily-improving-95th-birthday-050940812.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/mRlenXAQgowW2K8SuLPjZg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/043a6f29066be718370f6a706700b6da.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="A portrait representing former South African President Nelson Mandela is displayed on the windows of a building as lights inside the building reflect in downtown Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)" align="left" title="A portrait representing former South African President Nelson Mandela is displayed on the windows of a building as lights inside the building reflect in downtown Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, July 18, 2013. South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)" border="0" /></a>JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? South Africa celebrated Nelson Mandela&#039;s 95th birthday with acts of charity on Thursday, a milestone capped by news that the former president&#039;s health was improving after fears that he was close to death during ongoing hospital treatment.</p><br clear="all"/>ROME (AP) ? The Italian justice ministry says a former CIA station chief who was convicted in the 2003 abduction of an Egyptian terror suspect from a street of Milan has been detained in Panama.http://news.yahoo.com/italy-convicted-ex-cia-chief-detained-panama-172532662.htmlThu, 18 Jul 2013 13:25:32 -0400Associated Pressitaly-convicted-ex-cia-chief-detained-panama-172532662

Source: http://rss.news.yahoo.com/rss/videogames

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Fla. governor tells protesters he won't push for changes in self-defense law

Zimmerman verdict protesters meet with Florida Gov. Rick Scott and ask for a special session of the Legislature to repeal the state's Stand Your Ground Law.

By Andrew Rafferty and Justin Kirschner, NBC News

Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday told a group of protesters that he will not call for changes in the state?s self-defense laws following George Zimmerman?s acquittal in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager.

The Republican governor returned to Tallahassee late Thursday and for nearly an hour met with seven members of the protest group that has been camped in part of his office for three days.

"The protesters again asked that I call a special session of the Legislature to repeal Florida's Stand Your Ground law. I told them that I agree with the Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection, which concurred with the law,? Scott said in a statement following the meeting. ??I also reminded them of their right to share their views with their state legislators and let them know their opinions on the law."

On Saturday, a Seminole County jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman said he shot the teen in self-defense after Martin attacked him in February 2012.?

The verdict prompted demonstrations across the country, with many protesters calling for the repeal of the Stand Your Ground law, which opponents believe too easily allows citizens to shoot before retreating when threatened by what they believe to be deadly force.?

The laws were thrust into the national spotlight following Martin?s death, though Zimmerman?s legal team did not specifically rely on the law in his defense during the trial.

"It is a time for leadership. The world is watching, most definitely the nation is watching, and you have an opportunity to stand tall above the rest," one of the protesters told Scott.

Scott commissioned a task force to examine the statute, which ultimately recommended the law stay in place as it is currently written.?

NBC News

Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday met with protesters calling for changes to the state's controversial Stand Your Ground law. Scott said he would not call on state lawmakers to amend the statute.

Florida was the first state to pass such a law, in 2005; other states have passed similar laws since.?

In his statement Thursday, Scott also said he spoke to Sybrina Fulton, Martin?s mother, earlier in the evening and again expressed his condolences for her family's loss.

He called for a statewide day of unity on Sunday.

?We have a great state with wonderful, resilient people that rise to meet any challenge. While emotions run high, it is even more important that we join together to strengthen and support one another," Scott said.

Related

Florida lawmakers want overhaul of 'Stand Your Ground' law

Florida had first Stand Your Ground law; other states followed in 'rapid succession'

DOJ 'hold' means Zimmerman will not get his gun back immediately

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663306/s/2edd9deb/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A70C180C195488520Efla0Egovernor0Etells0Eprotesters0Ehe0Ewont0Epush0Efor0Echanges0Ein0Eself0Edefense0Elaw0Dlite/story01.htm

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Bernanke drives Asian shares to a near five-week high, dollar steady

By Dominic Lau

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares inched up to a near five-week high on Thursday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke pledged to keep monetary policy easy for the foreseeable future, while the dollar held on to modest overnight gains.

Although Bernanke stuck to a timeline that he first outlined in June to wind down the Fed's $85 billion a month bond-buying program, he went out of his way to stress that nothing was set in stone.

"There is something in these comments for everybody," said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange in Washington. "Bernanke has done a good job of leaving himself plenty of maneuver room in terms of policy."

Bernanke's remarks came as the Fed's Beige Book report of anecdotal information on business activity showed the U.S. economy continued to grow at a modest to moderate pace in June and early July, but U.S. housing data was disappointing.

The dollar dipped 0.1 percent against a basket of major currencies <.dxy>, but it was steady at 99.555 yen after gaining 0.5 percent overnight versus the Japanese currency.

The euro was also steady at $1.3117.

Asian shares, as measured by the MSCI Asia-Pacific ex-Japan index <.miapj0000pus>, added 0.2 percent, near a five-week intraday high in the previous session, while both Tokyo's Nikkei <.n225> and Australian shares <.axjo> gained 0.5 percent.

Toshiyuki Kanayama, senior market analyst at Monex Inc in Tokyo, said he expected gains in the Nikkei to be capped by Intel Corp's weak outlook.

Intel cut its full-year revenue forecast and said it was scaling back capital spending as it adjusted to a painful contraction in personal computer sales and economic weakness in China, one of its biggest markets.

Underscoring worries over China's economic slowdown, Japanese manufacturers' mood also worsened in July for the first time in eight months, a Reuters poll showed.

In the commodity markets, gold stabilized after falling 1.3 percent on Wednesday, while copper prices added 0.2 percent but remained below $7,000 a metric ton (1.1023 tons) after falling 1.5 percent in the previous session.

Brent crude prices dipped 0.1 percent to around $108.50 a barrel after gaining 0.6 percent on Wednesday after data from U.S. Energy Information Administration showed a fall in American crude stocks.

(Additional reporting by Ian Chua in Sydney and Tomo Uetake in Tokyo; Editing by Eric Meijer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bernanke-drives-asian-shares-near-five-week-high-004737658.html

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