Ready? Here we go! More predictions are flying around the Web regarding the rumored next moves by Apple, specifically surrounding the "iPhone 5s" smartphone that numerous pundits and Apple fans are expecting to see come down Apple's pipeline sooner than later.
The International Business Times' Dave Smith is joining the fray with a prediction that the iPhone 5s ? Apple's sixth-generation device ? will hit retail channels this year, accompanied by Apple's rumored low-cost, color-cased iPhone that's designed to appeal to emerging markets and/or those who can't otherwise break the bank for an Apple smartphone.
So, without further ado, the predictions: According to Smith, Apple's going to launch the iPhone 5s on September 20. It'll likely announce said speedier device at an event right around September 10. The low-cost iPhone ? be it the iPhone 6, the iPhone Light, or the iPhone Lil' (our suggestion) ? would have to wait a week or two before its official launch, likely on September 27 or October 4.
Got it? Now, the reasoning: Smith's not just pulling out a crystal ball and picking days at random. Rather, he opines that Apple is likely to use the same timeframe for the official release of iOS 7 as it did for iOS 6 ? 100 days after the operating system was officially unveiled. Since CEO Tim Cook showed off iOS 7 at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10, flashing forward 100 days puts the (alleged) consumer release date of the operating system on September 18.
"That said, Apple would never release its newest iOS without some new hardware to go with it. This is why we fully expect Apple to release the iPhone 5S just two days after the release date for iOS 7, on Sept. 20," Smith writes.
As for the launch of the to-be-named low-cost iPhone, Smith speculates that Apple would want to delay the release a bit as to not make its retail stores too crowded with simultaneous launches of two big devices.
How well do Smith's predictions track against the rest of the Apple punditry as of late? Pretty well, in fact: AppleInsider recently reported that Avago Technologies, which makes wireless chips found in Apple's iPhones, has teased that one of its larger customers is gearing up for a new product launch. Some analysts see that "larger customer" as Apple, and that "new product launch" as a sign that Apple's gearing up for an iPhone 5s September launch.
However, Citigroup's Glen Yeung has recently taken to the airwaves to comment that iPhone 5s production has likely been delayed anywhere from two to four weeks, based on comments he's heard from manufacturers and suppliers within Apple's supply chain.
"And while this does not preclude a September iPhone 5S launch date, we suspect volumes in September may consequently be challenged," Yeung said.
As for the low-cost iPhone Apple allegedly has in the works, a recent report from the China Times suggests that supplies have already started shipping parts for the device. That bodes well for a fall release date? but when, specifically, is anybody's guess. And expect to see a lot more guessing as we head through the summer months.
In rounding up the possible go-to RSS services after Google Reader closes its doors, it seems one slipped our attention; Newsblur. On the face of it, Newsblur looks to offer a similarly solid product to some other RSS services, and comes with the option of a paid, premium account to access the full range of features. The recommendation for Newsblur actually came from iMore community member Ben Pike, who particularly likes the "training" aspect of Newsblur:
I REALLY dig their "Intelligence Trainer" which allows you to favorite specific authors on blogs, specific tags, or keywords in headlines and then only look at THOSE sites - essentially it's filters.
For example - I like to know when my fav Apple blogs mention "Google" or "Gmail" or "update" and on the other side when my fav Android sites mention "update" or "Cyanogenmod" or "Gmail" etc... I also use it on a music blog I follow to filter down on artists I like that way I can get a quick glance at stories I'm more likely to care about.
So, I went and took a look at Newsblur and came away pleasantly surprised. As with many other RSS providers, Newsblur will import all your feeds from Google Reader on your behalf, preserving all the folders you've set up along the way. A free account will let you sign up to a limited number of feeds, so if you're a heavy user the $24 a year subscription for a premium account is something you'll need to look at.
The training aspect of Newsblur is an interesting tool to help you sort the wheat from the chaff. By identifying key tags as thumbs up and thumbs down, Newsblur will aim to hide things you're less interested in, while highlighting the thumbs up content; the stuff you've told it you want to read, basically.
The web app is decent enough, with plenty of options for customizing your experience, and of course all the premium, power tools are there at your disposal. Reading wise, Newsblur gives you real-time RSS updates, and the ability to read the content as it was meant to be, in its original form. Beyond getting everything set up, I doubt i'll use it again on my Mac, because there's a much better option; ReadKit.
ReadKit is available in the Mac App Store for $4.99, and besides Newsblur will also pull in your content from Pocket, Readability, Instapaper, Feedbin, Feed Wrangler and more besides. It's very clean, has an essence of Reeder about the Interface, and is a very pleasurable way to read on your Mac.
Over on the iPhone and iPad, Newsblur has an official app, which mimics to a large extent the overall design of the web app. Instantly recognizable, it looks great on both the iPhone and the iPad, but the larger screen of the iPad is definitely a winner.
So, better late than never, Newsblur is another great way to carry on your RSS needs after July 1. If, like Ben Pike you're a Newsblur fan, drop into the comments and tell us why!
June 27, 2013 ? Scientist at Charit? -- Universit?tsmedizin Berlin have used a computer simulation for predicting the effectiveness of various combination therapies for colon tumors. The study has been published in the current issue of the professional journal Molecular Systems Biology.
In most tumors, the communication between the individual cells is disturbed and the cells permanently receive growth and survival signals. For this reason, drugs are increasingly used in modern tumor therapy that targets those molecules to shut down these faulty signals. Hitherto, however, it has been difficult to predict the success of such a therapy, since the signal molecules are integrated into an extremely complex cellular network, which, moreover, reacts differently for each patient, depending on the mutations the tumor bears.
The research group headed by Nils Bl?thgen, Charit? Institute of Pathology, has now examined how the interconnection of such a cellular network affects the effectiveness of a therapy. For this purpose, the scientists created computer models to simulate the networks of various colon cancer cells. The models were adapted to quantitative data from cell culture experiments. When analyzing their computer simulations, the researchers discovered that the cellular tumor networks exhibited strong feedback characteristics. This means that the cutting off of a particular signal molecule activates a receptor, which, in turn, then switches on signal paths that favor the survival of the tumor cell. In a further step, the computer model predicted a combination therapy using two drugs, which prevents the activation of survival signals, so making for a more effective therapy. The scientists have tested these predictions on various cell models. "The remarkable thing is that the combination of two therapies is effective with a large number of different mutations, including the mutant oncogene KRAS. This is a gene, which is of key importance for the regulation of growth and differentiation processes, and for which no targeted therapy has been possible up to now," stated Nils Bl?thgen. "However, it is still too early to say whether this behavior detected in the cell culture model can be applied to patients. Here, further investigations are necessary."
This approach undertaken by the researchers to combine computer models with quantitative data to simulate the behavior of networks is called system biology. It is considered a promising method of examining therapies and diagnostics for complex diseases. "Particularly when investigating the effect of inhibitors in complex networks, it is hardly possible to predict the network's response without the use of computer models," according to Bl?thgen.
President Obama is heading to South Africa from Senegal as part of his African tour, where Nelson Mandela's daughter says he might visit Mandela if doctors approve. NBC's Keir Simmons reports.
By Stacey Klein and Ian Johnston, NBC News
Barack Obama said Friday that he did not need a ?photo op? with Nelson Mandela, saying the ?last thing? he wanted to do was be intrusive at a time when the anti-apartheid icon?s family are concerned about his health.
However, the president did not rule out a meeting.
On Tuesday, Mandela's daughter Zindzi said that her father ?opened his eyes and gave me a smile? when she told him Obama was coming.
Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters
Protesters protest the visit of President Barack Obama in Pretoria Friday. One said he viewed Obama as a "disappointment" and thought Nelson Mandela would too.
Speaking on Air Force One as he flew to South Africa from Senegal, Obama said that ?we?ll see what the situation is when we land.?
?I don't need photo op," he said. "The last thing I want to do is be intrusive at a time when the family is concerned? with Mandela?s condition.
He said the main message he wanted to deliver was ?profound gratitude? for Mandela?s leadership and to say that ?the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with him, his family and his country.?
This message could be delivered to his family and not directly to Mandela, the president said.
On Thursday, Obama said he had already had the "privilege of meeting Madiba [Mandela's clan name] and speaking to him."
"And he's a personal hero, but I don't think I'm unique in that regard," Obama added. "If and when he passes from this place, one thing I think we'll all know is that his legacy is one that will linger on throughout the ages."
When asked by NBC News Special Correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault?whether the family would welcome a visit by Obama, Zindzi Mandela said Thursday she wasn't aware of any formal request. However, she added that decision would be left with doctors treating the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Ahead of his arrival in Johannesburg on Friday, an anti-Obama protest broke out not far from the hospital where Mandela is being treated with one demonstrator claiming the U.S. president had been a ?disappointment.?
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View images of civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, who went from anti-apartheid activist to prisoner to South Africa's first black president.
About 200 trade unionists, student activists and South African Communist Party members gathered to protest Obama?s visit over what they called the his ?arrogant, selfish and oppressive? foreign policy.
"We had expectations of America's first black president. Knowing Africa's history, we expected more,? Khomotso Makola, a 19-year-old law student, told Reuters. He said Obama was a ?disappointment, I think Mandela too would be disappointed and feel let down.?
South African critics of Obama have focused in particular on his support for U.S. drone strikes overseas, which they say have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, and his failure to deliver on a pledge to close the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba housing terrorism suspects.
However, Nigerian painter Sanusi Olatunji, 31, had brought portraits of both Mandela and Obama to add to a growing number of flowers, tribute notes and gifts outside the hospital.
?These are the two great men of my lifetime,? he told Reuters. ?To me, Mandela is a prophet who brought peace and opportunity. He made it possible for a black man like me to live in a country that was only for whites.?
Alexander Joe / AFP - Getty Images
A group of well-wishers hold candles and a photo of Nelson Mandela on Thursday as they pray for his recovery outside a Pretoria hospital.
In the latest statement on Mandela?s condition, South African President Jacob Zuma said the 94-year-old was ?much better? on Thursday than he had been the previous night. "The medical team continues to do a sterling job," he added.
A statement issued by Zuma?s office said he and Obama would hold ?crucial bilateral talks that will take forward relations between the two countries? on Saturday.
?South Africa values its warm and mutually beneficial relationship with the United States immensely. This is a significant visit which will take political, economic and people to people relations between the two countries to a higher level, while also enhancing cooperation between U.S. and the African continent at large,? it said.
The statement noted Obama?s visit was being made as South Africa prepares to celebrate ?20 years of freedom? ? 1994 saw the first elections in the country in which all its citizens were eligible to vote. Mandela voted for the first time in his life in that year and was elected the country?s first black president, serving until 1999.
?South Africa greatly appreciates the solidarity provided by the Anti-Apartheid Movement in the United States during the struggle for liberation,? the statement said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related:
This story was originally published on Fri Jun 28, 2013 5:05 AM EDT
Editor?s note:?Vivek Wadhwa is a fellow at Stanford Law School, Director of Research at Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, and VP of Innovation and Research at Singularity University. The passage of immigration reform by the Senate was a big step forward. The bill is far from perfect, but goes a long way towards solving Silicon Valley?s talent shortage -- and America?s immigrant exodus. But big hurdles lie ahead as anti-immigrant groups regroup. Extreme elements of the right will be fighting to close the borders while their counterparts on the left -- Big Labor in particular -- work to undermine high-skilled immigration.
Eric Williams, left, and his wife Kim Williams are shown in booking photos released by the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office.
By Charles Hadlock and Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News
A grand jury has indicted a former justice of the peace and his wife on capital murder charges in the deaths of two Texas officials who were shot to death earlier this year, one at home with his wife and the other outside a courthouse.
Kim and Eric Williams were indicted by a grand jury in Kaufman County, Texas, in the deaths of District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia, and Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse on Thursday.?
Authorities allege that Eric Williams, 46, gunned down Hasse as he walked to the courthouse on Jan. 31, and killed the McClellands in their home over Easter weekend. Kim Williams, also 46, was allegedly in the getaway car during the killings.?
Investigators matched spent shell casings found at the McLelland crime scene with a live round found at the McLelland crime scene with a live round found at a storage shed where Eric Williams stored large amounts of ammunition of various types and dozens of weapons. Both had been ejected from the same gun.
The cache of weapons was found after authorities said they received emails from someone who confessed to all three murders and threatened to harm more county officials, according to The Associated Press.
Investigators were able to trace the emails to a computer in the Williams' house, The AP reported; Eric Williams had allegedly rented a storage unit in a friend's name for his weapons.
Both suspects are expected to be tried for capital murder and could face the death penalty.
Eric Williams, who practiced family law in Kaufman County for more than 10 years according to the AP, is being held in lieu of $23 million bail; Kim Williams is being held on lieu of $10 million bail.
The Kaufman County DA's office and a judge previously assigned to the case have recused themselves because of their connections to the victims. Special prosecutors will be assigned.
Kaufman County is about 35 miles southeast of Dallas.?
ATLANTA ? The video game Jacob Asofsky is creating is simple: "Someone who is trying to take over the world and you try to stop them."
The 12-year-old from Florida is spending two weeks at a summer camp in a program that teaches programming skills to young people.
"It's about having fun, but it also gives them the tools to be able to do this at home because they don't have this in school," said Taylor Jones, director of the iD Tech Camp at Atlanta's Emory University.
So-called coding camps for children are becoming more popular amid a growing effort to expand access to computer programming and inspire more youths to seek computer science degrees and careers in technology. Their rise underscores a seeming mismatch in the U.S. economy: people like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tumblr founder David Karp illustrate the opportunities programming skills can create, yet universities are not graduating enough code-savvy students to meet employers' demands.
The iD Tech Camps, which have grown from 200 students in 1999 to 28,000 enrolled this year in courses at dozens of locations nationwide, use interest in gaming to build bridges to computer programming and hopefully careers in Web developing, film animation and app creation for smart phones. Courses start at $829 for a one-week course during the day with overnight students paying $1,348.
On a recent weekday, Asofsky was attending an iD Tech Camp on the campus with some 95 other youths under the age of 17. He was using the gaming software RPG Maker to create a video game in which the main character travels around the world, buys animals and armor and interacts with others along the way.
"I have to say the interface of actually making a game is just as fun as playing a game," Asofsky said. "It's a lot like playing a game inside a game."
Early courses for children starting at age 7 use the photo and illustration software Adobe Photoshop and the gaming software Multimedia Fusion to create a simple arcade-style game.
"We sit down and talk about what makes games fun," said instructor Melissa Andrews, who was working with the youngest group of campers. "We get it down to the basics so they can make their own game."
Courses for older children include designing apps, creating sophisticated, 3-D, first-person shooter games using the Unreal Developer's Kit ? also known as UDK ? and learning programming languages like Java and C++. The idea is to build self-confidence and spark interest in learning how computers work, all to perhaps plant the seed of a future career in programming.
There will be 1.4 million computing jobs by 2020 but only 400,000 computer science students by that time, according to Code.org, a nonprofit with a list of who's who in the tech world on its advisory board including Twitter creator Jack Dorsey and Dropbox CEO Drew Houston.
And the jobs pay well. The median annual wage for a computer programmer, for instance, was $71,380 in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, jobs for network and computer systems administrators are growing at double the national average, with a median annual salary of $69,160.
Yet high schools and universities seem to be out of step with the job market. Nine out of 10 high schools don't offer computer programming classes and the number of students graduating from college with a computer science degree is down from a decade ago, according to Code.org.
Earlier this year, President Barack Obama said programming should be a required course in high school, similar to foreign languages.
"Given how pervasive computers and the Internet is now and how integral it is into our economy and how fascinated kids are with it, I want to make sure they know how to actually produce stuff using computers and not just simply consume stuff," Obama said during a Google+ Hangout.
Yale Oseroff's high school back in Virginia doesn't offer programming classes. The 17-year-old is spending his fourth year at an iD Tech Camp working through C++, a popular programming language used for systems and application software, for drivers to communicate between an operating system and devices like printers and to create some video games.
"I'm learning (computer) networking, which is what I want to do in college," he said, as he worked on developing a program to capture usernames and passwords and store them in a database.
On the Georgia Tech campus, the Institute for Computing Education offers a variety of camps clustered into elementary, middle and high school groups. Courses include making apps with App Inventor, creating moving sculptures with the WeDo Robotics systems that uses rotational motion and creating animations using Alice software.
Barbara Ericson, director of computer outreach at the Institute for Computing Education at Georgia Tech, said people sometimes ask: why not wait until children are older to start teaching them how to program?
"Anything over the age of 7 is capable, they are capable of learning reasoning," she said.
During a presentation earlier this month at a technology conference in Washington, D.C., Code.org founder Hadi Partovi said less than 5 percent of U.S. high school students spend class time learning computer science while it's a graduation requirement in China. He noted that many "software" jobs are outside the tech industry such as banking, retail, government and entertainment, which makes programming skills particularly versatile.
"It could mean starting your own company," he said. "But it could mean you're a doctor and you're tired of entering the same data into a chart using paper and you want to write an app that does it for you."
There are 43 hours, 10 minutes remaining to comment on this story.
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? A prosecutor told jurors in opening statements Monday that George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin "because he wanted to," not because he had to, while the neighborhood watch volunteer's attorney said the shooting of the teen was carried out in self-defense.
The opposing attorneys squared off on the first day of testimony in a trial that has attracted international attention and prompted nationwide debates about racial profiling, vigilantism and the laws governing the use of deadly force.
Defense attorney Don West used a joke in his opening statements to illustrate the difficulty of picking a jury amid such widespread publicity.
"Knock. Knock," West said.
"Who is there?"
"George Zimmerman."
"George Zimmerman who?"
"Ah, good. You're on the jury."
Included among the millions likely to be following the case are civil rights leaders the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who joined national protests in the weeks before prosecutors filed second-degree murder charges against Zimmerman. The charges came 44 days after the shooting.
Zimmerman, 29, who identifies himself as Hispanic, has denied that his confrontation with Martin before the shooting had anything to do with race. His mother was born in Peru. His father is a white American. Martin was black.
But just before opening statements began, Martin's parents sent out an urgent plea to their supporters to pray with them for justice, while their family attorney, Benjamin Crump, described the case as clear cut.
"There are two important facts in this case: No. 1: George Zimmerman was a grown man with a gun, and No. 2: Trayvon Martin was a minor who had no blood on his hands. Literally no blood on his hands. ... We believe that the evidence is overwhelming to hold George Zimmerman accountable for killing Trayvon Martin."
Prosecutor John Guy's first words to jurors recounted what Zimmerman told a police dispatcher in a call shortly before the fatal confrontation with Martin: "F------ punks. These a-------. They always get away."
Zimmerman was profiling Martin as he followed him through the gated community where Zimmerman lived and Martin was visiting, Guy said. He said Zimmerman viewed the teen "as someone about to a commit a crime in his neighborhood."
"And he acted on it. That's why we're here," the prosecutor said.
Zimmerman didn't have to shoot Martin, Guy said.
"He shot him for the worst of all reasons: because he wanted to," he said.
West told jurors a different story: Zimmerman was being viciously attacked when he shot Martin, he said. He was sucker-punched by Martin, who then pounded Zimmerman's head into the concrete sidewalk.
"He had just taken tremendous blows to his face, tremendous blows to his head," said West, after showing jurors photos taken by Zimmerman's neighbors of a bloodied and bruised neighborhood watch volunteer.
West also played for jurors the call to a police dispatcher in which Zimmerman used the obscenities.
Martin had opportunities to go home after Zimmerman followed him and then lost track of him, but instead the teen confronted the neighborhood watch volunteer, West said.
Guy argued, however, that there is no evidence to back up other claims by Zimmerman, including that Martin had his hands over Zimmerman's mouth. Guy said none of Zimmerman's DNA was found on Martin's body. The prosecutor also said Zimmerman's claim that he had to fire because Martin was reaching for his firearm is false since none of Martin's DNA was on the gun or holster.
Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming self-defense. If he is convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
On Feb. 26, 2012, Zimmerman spotted Martin, whom he did not recognize, walking in the gated townhome community where Zimmerman and the fiancee of Martin's father lived. There had been a rash of recent break-ins and Zimmerman was wary of strangers walking through the complex.
The two eventually got into a struggle and Zimmerman shot Martin in the chest with his 9mm handgun. He was charged 44 days after the shooting, only after a special prosecutor was appointed to review the case and after protests. The delay in the arrest prompted protests nationwide.
Two police dispatch phone calls will be important evidence for both sides' cases.
The first is a call Zimmerman made to a nonemergency police dispatcher, who told him he didn't need to be following Martin.
The second 911 call captures screams from the confrontation between Zimmerman and Martin. Martin's parents said the screams are from their son while Zimmerman's father contends they belong to his son.
Nelson ruled last weekend that audio experts for the prosecution won't be able to testify that the screams belong to Martin, saying the methods the experts used were unreliable.
Both calls were played for jurors by the defense in opening statements. Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, left the courtroom before the second call was played.
Opening statements were made two weeks after jury selection began. Attorneys picked six jurors and four alternates after quizzing the jury pool questions about how much they knew about the case and their views on guns and self-defense.
___
Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KHightower
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP
FILE - This undated image released by Smithfield Foods shows celebrity chef Paula Deen wearing a Smithfield apron as she stands in front of various Smithfield meat products. On Monday, June 24, 2013, Smithfield Foods said it was dropping Deen as a spokeswoman. The announcement came days after the Food Network said it would not renew the celebrity cook's contract in the wake of revelations that she used racial slurs in the past. (AP Photo/Smithfield Foods via PRNewsFoto)
FILE - This undated image released by Smithfield Foods shows celebrity chef Paula Deen wearing a Smithfield apron as she stands in front of various Smithfield meat products. On Monday, June 24, 2013, Smithfield Foods said it was dropping Deen as a spokeswoman. The announcement came days after the Food Network said it would not renew the celebrity cook's contract in the wake of revelations that she used racial slurs in the past. (AP Photo/Smithfield Foods via PRNewsFoto)
FILE - This 2006 file photo originally released by the Food Network shows celebrity chef Paula Dean. It was revealed that Deen admitted during questioning in a lawsuit that she had slurred blacks in the past. It's the second time the queen of comfort food's mouth has gotten her into big trouble. She revealed in 2012 that for three years she hid her Type 2 diabetes while continuing to cook the calorie-laden food that's bad for people like her. The Food Network, which began airing "Paula's Home Cooking" in 2002, has said it does not tolerate discrimination and is looking at the situation. Deen's other show, "Paula's Best Dishes," started at the network in 2008. She's one of the longest-running and most recognizable of the network stars, although her show airs in daytime _ not prime-time. (AP Photo/ Food Network, file)
FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2012 file image originally released by NBC, celebrity chef and TV personality Paula Deen appears on the "Today" show to discuss her diabetes in New York. Deen was a no-show Friday, June 21, 2013, at the "Today" show, where she was scheduled to appear to answer questions about past use of racial slurs. (AP Photo/NBC, Peter Kramer, file)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Paula Deen lost another part of her empire on Monday: Smithfield Foods said it is dropping her as a spokeswoman.
The announcement came days after the Food Network said it would not renew the celebrity cook's contract in the wake of revelations that she used racial slurs in the past.
Smithfield sold Paula Deen-branded hams in addition to using her as a spokeswoman. In a statement, the company said it "condemns the use of offensive and discriminatory language and behavior of any kind. Therefore, we are terminating our partnership with Paula Deen."
QVC also said it was reviewing its deal with Paula Deen Enterprises to sell the star's cookbooks and cookware.
"QVC shares the concerns being raised around the unfortunate Paula Deen situation," QVC said in a statement. "We are closely monitoring these events and the ongoing litigation. We are reviewing our business relationship with Ms. Deen, and in the meantime, we have no immediate plans to have her appear on QVC."
Several retailers, which sell Paula Deen cookware, were taking a wait-and-see approach.
Sears Holdings Corp. said it "is currently exploring next steps as they pertain to Ms. Deen's products." Target Corp. said it is "evaluating the situation." Meyer Corp., which produces the cookware under the Paula Deen brand, declined to comment.
Marty Brochstein, senior vice president of The Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association, a trade group, said stores may have a tougher time determining whether to cut ties with Deen than Smithfield and the Food Network, where she has a public role.
"Once you take the wrapper off, her name isn't necessarily on every piece of merchandise," Brochstein said. "As a retailer or as a licensee, you have to evaluate. But you're probably not going to gain anything by overreacting."
Brochstein said that stores are likely closely watching sales of the merchandise and monitoring social media as they gauge how consumers are responding.
"We're in the midst of this. It hasn't played out," he added.
Deen's rapid fall from favor came after the 66-year-old Food Network star admitted in a deposition in a discrimination lawsuit that she used racial slurs in the past. Deen was asked under oath if she had ever used the N-word. "Yes, of course," Deen said, though she added, "It's been a very long time."
Deen insisted she and her family do not tolerate prejudice, and in a videotaped apology, she asked fans and critics for forgiveness. It had been posted online for about an hour when the Food Network released a terse statement that it "will not renew Paula Deen's contract when it expires at the end of this month." The network declined to comment further.
Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment Corp., which has Deen's restaurants in some of its casinos, said Friday that it "will continue to monitor the situation." Publisher Ballantine, which has a new Deen book scheduled to roll out this fall, used similar words.
Earlier Monday, NBC's Matt Lauer said Deen would appear Wednesday on "Today." Last week she abruptly canceled on the morning show before posting her videotaped apologies.
Sabin Vaccine Institute launches International Association of Immunization ManagersPublic release date: 24-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Deborah Elson deborah.elson@sabin.org 202-621-1691 Sabin Vaccine Institute
New association seeks to support immunization managers to achieve vaccination goals
WASHINGTON, D.C.June 24, 2013The Sabin Vaccine Institute today announced the launch of the newly-formed International Association of Immunization Managers (IAIM). With the support of a five-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IAIM's objective is to help drive the achievement of national, regional and international immunization goals, including those in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), by fostering forward-thinking and superior management of immunization programs. The association's governing body, the IAIM ad hoc Governing Council, is holding its inaugural meeting today in Washington, D.C.
Tremendous gains have been made in immunizations over the last 40 years. However, challenges remain and will increase in complexity as new vaccines are added to immunization programs. Immunization managers play a critical role in addressing these challenges, as they are the ones who must skillfully manage and integrate each of the elements of a successful immunization program: cost-effective and dependable procurement processes, reliable funding, an effective cold chain, consistent monitoring of vaccine safety and efficacy, effective surveillance systems, productive and proactive communication with the public, and well-trained health workers.
"How well an immunization manager performs his or her job can make the difference in whether the immunization program succeeds; yet these professionals often are not provided with the opportunities for training, peer-to-peer discussion and exchange and skill-building that they need to advance immunization programs," said Dr. David Salisbury, President of the newly-formed Association's ad hoc Governing Council and Director of Immunisation in the United Kingdom's Department of Health. "Therefore, it is both welcome and timely that we now have an international association for immunization program managers that can equip them with the right tools and professional network for the job."
IAIM is the first-ever international association for immunization managers. Its objectives are to establish a forum from which immunization managers can discuss and exchange best practices; build and support international and regional networks of immunization managers; and provide immunization managers with opportunities to develop their technical and leadership capacity. The main benefits IAIM will provide for its members include: convening international and regional meetings to provide a forum for discussion, access to training and cutting-edge information and networking opportunities; organizing peer-to-peer exchanges as a means of sharing success factors and problem-solving strategies among immunization managers; and creating an interactive website where members can access and share best practices, research, training and tools.
The Sabin Vaccine Institute serves as the Secretariat for IAIM and is responsible for executing its day-to-day operations.
"Sabin is proud to serve as secretariat for this new and important association," said Dr. Ciro de Quadros, Executive Vice President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute. "Immunization has been and remains one of the best public health solutions to save and improve lives, but there are many unmet needs. IAIM provides a unique forum to facilitate the vital communication and innovation needed to close these gaps."
"IAIM has a vision to strengthen current and future generations of national immunization program managers who can effectively shape their programs, introduce changes and innovations, and solve problems for improving program performance," said Mr. Peter Carrasco, Director of the IAIM Secretariat at the Sabin Vaccine Institute. "This will help immunization programs overcome the challenges of the present and rise to meet the challenges of the future."
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For more information on IAIM, please visit http://www.sabin.org/IAIM or email Peter Carrasco at peter.carrasco@sabin.org.
About Sabin Vaccine Institute
Sabin Vaccine Institute is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization of scientists, researchers, and advocates dedicated to reducing needless human suffering caused by vaccine preventable and neglected tropical diseases. Sabin works with governments, leading public and private organizations, and academic institutions to provide solutions for some of the world's most pervasive health challenges. Since its founding in 1993 in honor of the oral polio vaccine developer, Dr. Albert B. Sabin, the Institute has been at the forefront of efforts to control, treat, and eliminate these diseases by developing new vaccines, advocating use of existing vaccines, and promoting increased access to affordable medical treatments. For more information please visit http://www.sabin.org.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Sabin Vaccine Institute launches International Association of Immunization ManagersPublic release date: 24-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Deborah Elson deborah.elson@sabin.org 202-621-1691 Sabin Vaccine Institute
New association seeks to support immunization managers to achieve vaccination goals
WASHINGTON, D.C.June 24, 2013The Sabin Vaccine Institute today announced the launch of the newly-formed International Association of Immunization Managers (IAIM). With the support of a five-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IAIM's objective is to help drive the achievement of national, regional and international immunization goals, including those in the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP), by fostering forward-thinking and superior management of immunization programs. The association's governing body, the IAIM ad hoc Governing Council, is holding its inaugural meeting today in Washington, D.C.
Tremendous gains have been made in immunizations over the last 40 years. However, challenges remain and will increase in complexity as new vaccines are added to immunization programs. Immunization managers play a critical role in addressing these challenges, as they are the ones who must skillfully manage and integrate each of the elements of a successful immunization program: cost-effective and dependable procurement processes, reliable funding, an effective cold chain, consistent monitoring of vaccine safety and efficacy, effective surveillance systems, productive and proactive communication with the public, and well-trained health workers.
"How well an immunization manager performs his or her job can make the difference in whether the immunization program succeeds; yet these professionals often are not provided with the opportunities for training, peer-to-peer discussion and exchange and skill-building that they need to advance immunization programs," said Dr. David Salisbury, President of the newly-formed Association's ad hoc Governing Council and Director of Immunisation in the United Kingdom's Department of Health. "Therefore, it is both welcome and timely that we now have an international association for immunization program managers that can equip them with the right tools and professional network for the job."
IAIM is the first-ever international association for immunization managers. Its objectives are to establish a forum from which immunization managers can discuss and exchange best practices; build and support international and regional networks of immunization managers; and provide immunization managers with opportunities to develop their technical and leadership capacity. The main benefits IAIM will provide for its members include: convening international and regional meetings to provide a forum for discussion, access to training and cutting-edge information and networking opportunities; organizing peer-to-peer exchanges as a means of sharing success factors and problem-solving strategies among immunization managers; and creating an interactive website where members can access and share best practices, research, training and tools.
The Sabin Vaccine Institute serves as the Secretariat for IAIM and is responsible for executing its day-to-day operations.
"Sabin is proud to serve as secretariat for this new and important association," said Dr. Ciro de Quadros, Executive Vice President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute. "Immunization has been and remains one of the best public health solutions to save and improve lives, but there are many unmet needs. IAIM provides a unique forum to facilitate the vital communication and innovation needed to close these gaps."
"IAIM has a vision to strengthen current and future generations of national immunization program managers who can effectively shape their programs, introduce changes and innovations, and solve problems for improving program performance," said Mr. Peter Carrasco, Director of the IAIM Secretariat at the Sabin Vaccine Institute. "This will help immunization programs overcome the challenges of the present and rise to meet the challenges of the future."
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For more information on IAIM, please visit http://www.sabin.org/IAIM or email Peter Carrasco at peter.carrasco@sabin.org.
About Sabin Vaccine Institute
Sabin Vaccine Institute is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization of scientists, researchers, and advocates dedicated to reducing needless human suffering caused by vaccine preventable and neglected tropical diseases. Sabin works with governments, leading public and private organizations, and academic institutions to provide solutions for some of the world's most pervasive health challenges. Since its founding in 1993 in honor of the oral polio vaccine developer, Dr. Albert B. Sabin, the Institute has been at the forefront of efforts to control, treat, and eliminate these diseases by developing new vaccines, advocating use of existing vaccines, and promoting increased access to affordable medical treatments. For more information please visit http://www.sabin.org.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
DALLAS (AP) -- Former U.S. Senator and GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum has been named CEO of a company that makes movies meant for a Christian audience.
EchoLight Studios said Monday that Santorum will serve as head of the company. The company's first film is slated for release in the fall, and it has another movie in post-production.
The company says Santorum has spent the past year working with Dallas-based EchoLight.
Santorum says in a statement that Dallas can become the Hollywood of the faith-and-family movie market.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider the lawfulness of an Obama administration effort to regulate air pollution that crosses state lines.
At the request of the administration, the American Lung Association and environmental groups, the justices will review an appeals court ruling that invalidated the Cross-State Air Pollution rule, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency implemented to enforce a provision of the Clean Air Act.
The rule sets limits on nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide in 28 upwind states in the eastern part of the country. Various power companies and 16 states successfully challenged the law in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The appeals court ruled in August 2012 that the EPA had exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act by requiring states to curb air pollution to a greater extent than the statute requires. The rule was due to go into effect at the beginning of 2012 but the court issued a stay during the litigation.
The appeals court also said the EPA acted prematurely by failing to tell states what emissions reductions they had to achieve to meet their obligations under the statute before going ahead with its own federal plan.
The appeals court ordered that a rule issued by President George W. Bush's administration, which the appeals court ruled in 2008 was insufficient, should remain in effect until the EPA comes up with a revised regulation.
Oral arguments and a decision are due in the court's next term, which starts in October and ends in June 2014.
The two consolidated cases the court agreed to hear are American Lung Association v. EME Homer City Generation, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 12-1183 and EPA v. EME Homer City Generation, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 1182.
(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Howard Goller and Will Dunham)
FILE - In this June 11, 2013, file photo Britain's The Guardian newspaper reporter Glenn Greenwald talks to The Associated Press in Hong Kong. Greenwald first reported former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's disclosure of NSA's government surveillance programs. On the Sunday talk show "Meet the Press", June 23, 2013, host David Gregory asked Greenwald why he shouldn't be charged with a crime for having "aided and abetted" Snowden. Greenwald replied that it was "pretty extraordinary that anybody who would call themselves a journalist would publicly muse about whether or not other journalists should be charged with felonies." (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)
FILE - In this June 11, 2013, file photo Britain's The Guardian newspaper reporter Glenn Greenwald talks to The Associated Press in Hong Kong. Greenwald first reported former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's disclosure of NSA's government surveillance programs. On the Sunday talk show "Meet the Press", June 23, 2013, host David Gregory asked Greenwald why he shouldn't be charged with a crime for having "aided and abetted" Snowden. Greenwald replied that it was "pretty extraordinary that anybody who would call themselves a journalist would publicly muse about whether or not other journalists should be charged with felonies." (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)
Glenn Greenwald, a reporter of The Guardian newspaper, speaks during an interview in Hong Kong Monday, June 10, 2013. Greenwald reported a 29-year-old contractor who claims to have worked at the National Security Agency and the CIA allowed himself to be revealed Sunday as the source of disclosures about the U.S. government's secret surveillance programs, risking prosecution by the U.S. government. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
FILE - In this June 10, 2013, file photo The Guardian reporter Glenn Greenwald speaks to reporters at his hotel in Hong Kong. Greenwald first reported former NSA contractor Edward Snowden's disclosure of NSA's government surveillance programs. On Sunday's "Meet the Press", June 23, 2013, host David Gregory asked Greenwald why he shouldn't be charged with a crime for having "aided and abetted" Snowden. Greenwald replied that it was "pretty extraordinary that anybody who would call themselves a journalist would publicly muse about whether or not other journalists should be charged with felonies." (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? NBC "Meet the Press" host David Gregory got a rise out of Glenn Greenwald on Sunday by asking the Guardian reporter why he shouldn't be charged with a crime for having "aided and abetted" former National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden.
Greenwald replied on the show Sunday that it was "pretty extraordinary that anybody who would call themselves a journalist would publicly muse about whether or not other journalists should be charged with felonies."
Greenwald first reported Snowden's disclosure of U.S. government surveillance programs. On Sunday, Ecuador's foreign minister and the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said that Snowden was headed to Ecuador to seek asylum.
During his interview with NBC's Gregory, Greenwald declined to discuss where Snowden was headed. That refusal seemed to prompt Gregory to ask: "To the extent that you have aided and abetted Snowden, even in his current movements, why shouldn't you, Mr. Greenwald, be charged with a crime?"
Greenwald said Gregory was embracing the Obama administration's attempt to "criminalize investigative journalism," citing an FBI agent's characterization of Fox News journalist James Rosen as a probable co-conspirator of a State Department contractor who was suspected of leaking classified information to Rosen. Rosen was not charged.
"If you want to embrace that theory, it means that every investigative journalist in the United States who works with their sources, who receives classified information is a criminal, and it's precisely those theories and precisely that climate that has become so menacing in the United States," said Greenwald, a former constitutional and civil rights lawyer who has written three books contending that the government has violated personal rights in the name of protecting national security.
Gregory responded that "the question of who is a journalist may be up to a debate with regard to what you are doing." Gregory also said he was merely asking a question.
"That question has been raised by lawmakers as well," Gregory said. "I'm not embracing anything, but, obviously, I take your point."
Later, Greenwald tweeted, "Who needs the government to try to criminalize journalism when you have David Gregory to do it?" and, "Has David Gregory ever publicly wondered if powerful DC officials should be prosecuted for things like illegal spying & lying to Congress?"
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Follow Fred Frommer on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ffrommer
21 June 2013Last updated at 20:11 ETBy Theo LeggettBusiness reporter, BBC News
On 21 July 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first set foot on the surface of the Moon, it appeared as though mankind was on the verge of a new age of space exploration. After all, if the moon could be conquered, what could prevent us travelling to other planets, even to other solar systems?
Continue reading the main story
It's in human nature to explore, to find a location to begin a settlement. And it is in reach?
End QuoteBuzz AldrinAstronaut
Nearly half a century later, the dreams that once seemed so tangible now look more remote than ever. The last man to walk on the Moon was Eugene Cernan, who made the long trip home in December 1972. Since then, humans have been content to orbit the earth, in the realms occupied by satellites and the International Space Station. But we have never again broken free.
Now, one of the original lunar pioneers believes the time has come to make another great leap for mankind. Buzz Aldrin thinks that manned missions to Mars should take place sooner rather than later - within the next quarter of a century. And we shouldn't stop there. He thinks we should begin planning a permanent colony on the Red Planet.
I caught up with him on a visit to the Paris Air Show, where he has been publicising his new book, "Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration". A relatively sprightly 83-year-old, he has a reputation for tetchiness - and he certainly dealt rather brusquely with onlookers' requests for autographs. But when I asked him about Mars, he became engaging and animated, showing a boyish enthusiasm for the subject.
So why does he think we should be sending astronauts to the red planet?
"Why did the the pilgrims on the Mayflower set out to open up the New World?" he asks.
"Because it's in human nature to explore, to find a location to begin a settlement. And it is in reach."
The simple answer then, appears to be "because it's there". But there is also a more pragmatic reason. He believes that efforts to explore the surface of Mars to date have taken far too long, because the current generation of Mars rovers have to be controlled remotely from Earth - and it takes about 20 minutes for radio signals to be passed each way.
"One programme manager, who was in charge of doing that with two robots for five years has said we could have accomplished just as much in a single week, if we had had human intelligence controlling them from nearby - from an orbit around Mars itself", he says.
But a mission to Mars would have to overcome huge technological challenges, and would certainly be phenomenally expensive. So who would pay for it all?
"The nation that decides that it is worth doing," he says, "and I believe that is the United States. The United States will commit to doing that."
Yet, at the moment governments around the world are attempting to cut back their spending, and Washington is no exception. In the current climate, it seems almost inconceivable that a government could commit untold billions to fund interplanetary exploration.
On the other hand, private firms are showing an interest - companies such as Mars One, a not-for-profit Dutch foundation, which says it plans to establish a colony on Mars by 2023. It wants to use technology developed by the American firm Space X, a business fronted by the maverick entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Mr Aldrin points to these firms as evidence that there is enthusiasm for exploring Mars - yet he still believes that governments will have to lead the way.
"Private enterprise usually enters into activities seeking a return on investment," he says.
"That's why we didn't go to the moon in the '60s and '70s just relying on private investment. It was a national investment is science, in development and to assist in the commercialisation of space."
In other words, the commercial benefits may be there - but the rewards are too uncertain to attract enough private backing.
Mr Aldrin's vision involves astronauts being trained on the Moon for a life on Mars, and ultimately for new colonists to be brought to the new settlement on a routine basis. He thinks this could be done using "interplanetary cyclers", spacecraft that are permanently moving between Mars and Earth.
But such a plan needs willing volunteers, who must be prepared to travel across space with little prospect of ever returning home. A return journey may in fact become physically impossible after much time spent in the weaker gravity of Mars.
Yet he thinks there will be no shortage of volunteers, and the response to the Mars One initiative suggests he is right. Since announcing its plans in April, it has received tens of thousands of applications from would-be Martian explorers.
"I think that the people who go there will be remembered in history as pioneers," he says, "and the world leader who makes a commitment to establishing a permanent presence on another planet will also be remembered in history as a pioneer."
In fact, as befits one of the very few men ever to have set foot on another world, "pioneer" seems to be Buzz Aldrin's favourite word. It's a term that has rather fallen out of fashion on our well-mapped planet.
But he believes the time has come time to broaden our horizons - and rediscover once again the spirit of exploration.
June 20 (Reuters) - Reuters U.S. sports schedule at 2 PM ET on Thursday:
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The duty editor is Steve Ginsburg, 202-898-8427
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National Football League
Hernandez home searched again
A home security system with video surveillance and a cell phone were allegedly destroyed by Aaron Hernandez, drawing investigators back to the home of the New England Patriots tight end for the third consecutive day to dig for details of a homicide one mile from the property. (FBN-PATRIOTS-NEWS/, moved; updates as needed, The Sports Xchange, 625 words)
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Broncos re-sign C Koppen
With starter J.D. Walton out of action until October, the Denver Broncos re-sign free agent Dan Koppen, who filled in most of last season following Walton's first ankle injury. (FBN-BRONCOS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 300 words)
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National Basketball Association
NBA Finals: Game 7
MIAMI - After a competitive series, the Larry O'Brien Trophy will be awarded tonight when the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat meet in Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals. (BKN-HEAT-SPURS-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), The Sports Xchange, by Walter Villa, expect by 0400 GMT/12 AM ET, 700 words)
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Finals sidebar
MIAMI - Will LeBron James or Tim Duncan add a ring to their collection? (BKN-HEAT-SPURS-NEWS/ (PIX), expect by 0500 GMT/1 AM ET, The Sports Xchange, by Walter Villa, 500 words)
Note: Additional sidebars will also move
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NBA to kibosh Rivers-Clippers swap
Commissioner David Stern pulls the negotiating rug out from under the feet of the Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics after four days of bargaining to trade DeAndre Jordan to Boston for coach Doc Rivers and forward Kevin Garnett because the CBA forbids it. (BKN-CELTICS-CLIPPERS-NEWS/, expect by 1945 GMT/3:45 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words)
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Golf
PGA Tour: Travelers Championship (to June 23)
Rose looks to carry momentum into Travelers
Justin Rose, fresh off his U.S. Open triumph, world No. 10 Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa and defending champion Marc Leishman headline the field for the June 20-23 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. (GOLF-PGA/, expect by 2330 GMT/7:30 PM ET, 350 words)
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Major League Baseball
Are Brett's 30 days as hitting coach up in KC?
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - George Brett's self-imposed 30 days as the Kansas City Royals interim hitting coach are almost up. (BBO-ROYALS-NEWS/, moved, The Sports Xchange, 375 words)
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Red Sox at Tigers
DETROIT - Jose Alvarez dominated the Cleveland Indians in his MLB debut and the Boston Red Sox have been sputtering offensively. Alvarez and the Tigers try to keep Boston's offense in check in the opener of a four-game series. (BBO-TIGERS-REDSOX-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect by 0215 GMT/10:15 PM, The Sports Xchange, 700 words)
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Mets at Braves
ATLANTA - The Atlanta Braves have won eight straight games in which Mike Minor (8-2, 2.68) started. Will New York Mets left-hander Jonathan Niese be able to reverse the trend? (BBO-BRAVES-METS-WRITETHRU/ (PIX), expect by 0210 GMT/10:10 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 700 words)
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National Hockey League
Stanley Cup Final shifts back to the Windy City
CHICAGO - After two games in Boston the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final shifts back to Chicago where the Bruins and Blackhawks prepare for Saturday's pivotal Game Five. The series is tied at 2-2. (NHL-STANLEY/ (PIX), expect by 0100 GMT/9:00 PM ET, by Steve Keating, 500 words)
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Blackhawks return to Chicago with series even
The Chicago Blackhawks have two full rest days to recover from the third overtime game in the four completed in the Stanley Cup Final before Saturday's Game 5. (HKN-BLACKHAWKS-BRUINS-WRITETHRU/, expect by midnight GMT/8 PM ET, The Sports Xchange, 400 words)
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Soccer
Beckham looks to the future to improve Chinese game
SHANGHAI - Former L.A. Galaxy star David Beckham draws a line under the country's shady soccer history, saying he hopes to inspire the local children back to the sport. (SOCCER-CHINA/BECKHAM, moved, 350 words)
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Tennis
Serena has mental edge over rest at Wimbledon
LONDON - Serena Williams heads to Wimbledon to defend her title with seeds of doubt and defeatism already sown in the minds of her opponents. The psychological scars of playing the younger Williams sister run deep in the women's game and, now that the American has dusted off the red clay from her shoes, predictions of an upset on southwest London's luscious lawns are few and far between. (TENNIS-WIMBLEDON/WOMEN (PREVIEW), moved, by Toby Davis, 750 words)
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Murray out to crash Big Three's Wimbledon party
LONDON - There will be an unfamiliar whiff of British success in the air at Wimbledon this year when Andy Murray, and thousands of patriotic fans, will try to stop the party-pooping antics of champions Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal. (TENNIS-WIMBLEDON/MEN (PREVIEW), moved, by Pritha Sarkar, 850 words)
Wassily Kandinsky's "Study for Improvisation 8" - $23 million
ARTIST: Russian abstract painter, Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) ARTWORK: Oil painting of religious pilgrims in Kiev painted in 1909. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/wassily-kandinsky-studie-fur-improvisation-8-5615597-details.aspx">Christie's Impressionist and Modern Art Sale</a> (November 2012) PRICE: $23,042,500 For more on the Kandinsky painting, check out our <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/oil-painting-by-russian-a_n_1840215.html">original article here</a>.
Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Untitled" - $26.4 million
ARTIST: New York-bred graffiti-turned-gallery painter, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988). ARTWORK: A large, colorful acrylic and oil stick on canvas work depicting a skeletal fisherman yielding his loot, created in 1981. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5621952">Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Sale</a> (November 2012) PRICE: $26,402,500 for more on Basquiat's painting, check out our <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/jean-michel-basquiat-pois_n_1896428.html">original article here</a>.
Francis Bacon's "Untitled (Pope)" - $29.8 million
ARTIST: British figurative painter, Francis Bacon (1909-1992). ARTWORK: One of Bacon's "Pope" paintings, which depict the Bishop of Rome sitting atop his papal throne with his mouth agape, seemingly writhing in a fit of terror. Created circa 1954. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/contemporary-art-evening-auction-n08900/lot.26.html">Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Sale</a> (November 2012) PRICE: $29,762,500 For more on Bacon's "Pope" check out our <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/28/francis-bacons-acclaimed-_n_1923279.html">original article here</a>.
Henry Moore's "Reclining Figure: Festival" - $30.1 million
ARTIST: British sculptor, Henry Moore (1898-1986). ARTWORK: A 6-foot-long bronze sculpture depicting a laid-back female figure resting on one elbow, created in 1951. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.christies.com/in-the-saleroom-henry-moore-reclining-figure-festi-2114-3.aspx">Christie's Impressionist / Modern Art Evening Sale</a> (February 2012) PRICE: ?19,081,250 (approximately $30.1 million) IMAGE: A gallery assistant at Christie's auction house admires a sculpture by Henry Moore entitled 'Reclining Figure: Festival' on February 2, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Jeff Koons' "Tulips" - $33.7 million
ARTIST: American neo-pop artist and "Balloon Dog" extraordinaire, Jeff Koons (1955-present). ARTWORK: A large-scale, mirror-polished stainless steel sculpture with transparent color coating created between 1995 and 2004. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/sculptures-statues-figures/jeff-koons-tulips-5621948-details.aspx?intObjectID=5621948">Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Sale</a> (November 2012) PRICE: $33,682,500
Gerhard Richter's "Abstraktes Bild" - $34.2 million
ARTIST: Abstract and photorealist painter Gerhard Richter (1932-present). ARTWORK: A squeegee painting created in 1994 and owned by famous British musician, Eric Clapton. It was bought by Clapton for ?2million ($3.2 million) in 2001 and sold for 10 times the price tag 11 years later. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/contemporary-art-evening-auction-l12024/lot.15.lotnum.html">Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Sale</a> (October 2012) PRICE: ?21,321,250 (approximately $34.2 million) For more on Eric Clapton's big sale, check out our <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/15/eric-clapton-sells-gerhar_n_1966518.html">original article here</a>. IMAGE: A Sotheby's employee stands in front of Gerhard Richter's 'Abstraktes Bild (809-)' painting on October 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
John Constable's "The Lock" - $35.2 million
ARTIST: British Romantic artist, John Constable (1776-1837). ARTWORK: The fifth in a celebrated series of six large-scale paintings of the Stour Valley in Suffolk. AUCTION: Old Master and British Paintings Evening Sale PRICE: $35,210,321 IMAGE: Employees pose with a painting by British Romantic artist John Constable entitled "The Lock" at Christie's auction house in central London on June 12, 2012. (CARL COURT/AFP/GettyImages)
Jackson Pollock's "Number 4, 1951" - $36 million
ARTIST: Abstract expressionist painter, Jackson Pollock (1912-1956). ARTWORK: A rare drip painting on canvas created in 1951. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2012/contemporary-art-evening-auction-n08900/overview.html">Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Sale </a>(November 2012) PRICE: $40,402,500 Image: Sotheby's employees hold Jackson Pollock's 'Number 4, 1951' on October 8, 2012 in London, England. Estimated at $25-35 million the work forms part of Sotheby's Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary Art sale on November 5, 2012 in New York. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
Yves Klein's "The Pink of Blue" - $36.8 million
ARTIST: French post-war artist, Yves Klein, who is well-known for his devotion to the color blue (1928-1962). ARTWORK: Natural sponges and pebbles soaked in pigment and scattered on a board. Named "The Pink of Blue", the sponge-relief is similar to Klein's other works created in International Klein Blue. It was finished in 1960. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/yves-klein-le-rose-du-bleu-5584448-details.aspx">Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale </a>(June 2012) PRICE: $36,779,111
Joan Miro's "Peinture (Etolie Bleue), 1927" - $36.9 million
ARTIST: Spanish Cattelan artist, Joan Miro (1893-1993). ARTWORK: Oil on cavas work depicting Miro's typical Surrealist imagery created in 1927. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/ecatalogue.html/2012/impressionist-modern-art-evening-sale-l12006#/r=/en/ecat.fhtml.L12006.html+r.m=/en/ecat.lot.L12006.html/10/">Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale</a> (June 2012) PRICE: $36,946,396 IMAGE: Gallery assistants pose with Spanish Catalan artist Joan Miro's 'Peinture (Etolie Bleue), 1927' at Sotheby's acution house in central London on June 14, 2012. (LEON NEAL/AFP/GettyImages)
Andy Warhol's "Double Elvis" - $37 million
ARTIST: Pop art king, Andy Warhol (1928-1987) ARTWORK: A silver silkscreen image of Elvis Presley depicted as a cowboy. The work, created in 1963, is named for the duplicate screening of Elvis that appears to the left of the central figure. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/ecatalogue.html/2012/contemporary-art-evening-n08853#/r=/en/ecat.fhtml.N08853.html+r.m=/en/ecat.lot.N08853.html/27/">Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Sale</a> (May 2012) PRICE: $37,042,500 For more on Warhol's "Double Elvis," check out the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/warhol-elvis-fetches-37m-_n_1506141.html">original AP story here</a>. IMAGE: This undated file image provided by Sotheby's Auction House shows Andy Warhol's portrait of Elvis Presley depicted as a cowboy. The painting, with a silver background, ?Double Elvis [Ferus Type]? sold at auction by Sotheby?s in New York for $37 million on May 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Sotheby's Auction House, File)
Franz Kline's "Untitled" - $40.4 million
ARTIST: Abstract expressionist and contemporary of Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline (1910-1962). ARTWORK: The untitled piece belongs to the series of black and white abstractions for which Kline is known, combining aggressive brushstrokes with simple forms reminiscent of Japanese calligraphy. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/franz-kline-untitled-5621927-details.aspx">Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale</a> (November 2012) PRICE: $40,402,500 For more on Kline's calligraphic work, check out our <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/26/franz-klines-untitled-abs_n_2023830.html">original article here</a>.
Andy Warhol's "Statue of Liberty" - $43.7 million
ARTIST: Andy Warhol, again. ARTWORK: This time it's a screen print of the State of Liberty, created in 1962. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/andy-warhol-statue-of-liberty-5621945-details.aspx?intObjectID=5621945">Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Sale</a> (November 2012) PRICE: $43,762,500
Claude Monet's "Water Lillies" - $43.8 million
ARTIST: French Impressionist painter, Claude Monet (1840-1926). ARTWORK: A work from Monet's "Water Lilies" series, depicting a pond in Giverny, France. Created in 1905. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/claude-monet-nympheas-5615591-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5615591&sid=4fab7ff1-5ea5-4100-830c-27f4c613b81a">Christie's Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale</a> (November 2012) PRICE: $43,762,500 To read more about Monet's "Water Lilies", check out the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/09/work-from-monets-water-li_n_2101182.html#slide=1741505">original AP article here</a>.
Francis Bacon's "Figure Reflected in a Mirror" - $44.9 million
ARTIST: Francis Bacon, again. ARTWORK: Oil on canvas work created in 1976. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/ecatalogue.html/2012/contemporary-art-evening-n08853#/r=/en/ecat.fhtml.N08853.html+r.m=/en/ecat.lot.N08853.html/19/">Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Sale</a> (May 2012) PRICE: $44,882,500
Roy Lichtenstein "Sleeping Girl" - $44.9 million
ARTIST: Famous American pop artist and major Ben-Day dot fan, (1923-1997) ARTWORK: Part of a series of sexy comic book-inspired images Lichtenstein created in 1964. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/contemporary-art-evening-n08853/lot.16.lotnum.html">Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Sale</a> (May 2012) PRICE: $44,882,500 IMAGE: This undated file photo provided by Sotheby's Auction House in New York shows "Sleeping Girl" by artist Roy Lichtenstein. The painting sold for $44.8 million by Sotheby's on Wednesday May 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Sotheby's, File)
Raphael's "Head of a Young Apostle" - $47.8 million
ARTIST: Renaissance painter, Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (1483-1520). ARTWORK: A drawing titled "Head of a Young Apostle" that depicts one of the primary figures from Raphael's "Transfigurations." Created circa 1519-1520. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/old-master-british-paintings-evening-l12036/lot.52.lotnum.html">Sotheby's Old Master & British Paintings Evening Sale</a> (December 2012) PRICE: Approximately $47,690,717
Mark Rothko's "No. 1 (Royal Red and Blue)" - $75.1 million
ARTIST: Russian-American abstract painter, and lover of all things color-blocked, Mark Rothko. ARTWORK: A multi-form oil painting reminiscent of most of Rothko's later work. Created in 1954. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/contemporary-art-evening-auction-n08900/lot.19.lotnum.html">Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Sale</a> (November 2012) PRICE: $75,122,500
Mark Rothko's "Orange, Red, Yellow" - $87 million
ARTIST: Marky Mark, again. ARTWORK: Another multi-form, of course. This one was created in 1961. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/mark-rothko-orange-red-yellow-5559196-details.aspx">Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale</a> (May 2012) PRICE: $86,882,500 IMAGE: In this undated file photo provided by Christie's Auction House, "Orange, Red, Yellow," a 1956 painting by Mark Rothko is shown. The painting was sold by Christie's in New York for $388.5 million on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Sotheby's Auction Housse, File)
The Scream - $119.9 million
ARTIST: Edvard Munch, the Norwegian painter and printmaker known for his treatment of dark, psychological motifs (1863-1944). ARTWORK: This version of the iconic piece, "The Scream," is not a painting but is pastel on board. It was created in 1895. AUCTION: <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/sales-series/2012/impressionist-modern-art-evening-sale/overview.html">Sotheby's Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale</a> (May 2012) PRICE: $119,922,500, making this version of "The Scream" <em>the</em> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/12/the-scream-mystery-buyer_n_1668170.html"><em>most expensive</em> piece of art ever sold at auction</a>. IMAGE: In this undated photo provided by Sotheby?s Auction House in New York, ?The Scream,? by Norwegian painter Edvard Munch is shown. The 1895 pastel on board, arguably one of the art world's most recognizable images, will go on view at the Museum of Modern Art in New York beginning Oct. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Sotheby?s Auction House)
Editor?s note:?Vivek Wadhwa is a fellow at Stanford Law School, Director of Research at Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, and VP of Innovation and Research at Singularity University. The passage of immigration reform by the Senate was a big step forward. The bill is far from perfect, but goes a long way towards solving Silicon Valley?s talent shortage -- and America?s immigrant exodus. But big hurdles lie ahead as anti-immigrant groups regroup. Extreme elements of the right will be fighting to close the borders while their counterparts on the left -- Big Labor in particular -- work to undermine high-skilled immigration.
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Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
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