CNN) — James Gandolfini, best known for his role as an anxiety-ridden mob boss on HBO’s “The Sopranos,” died in Italy, possibly of a heart attack, an HBO spokeswoman and the actor’s managers said Wednesday. He was 51.
Gandolfini was on holiday in Rome, said Mara Mikialian, HBO’s vice president for program publicity.
The actor was scheduled to make an appearance at the Taormina Film Fest in Sicily this week, according to the festival.
Gandolfini won three Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Tony Soprano, the angst-ridden mob boss who visited a therapist and took Prozac while knocking off people. “The Sopranos” aired from 1999 to 2007.
HBO: Actor James Gandolfini has died Larry King: ‘Sopranos’ made him a star Gupta: 51 is young for a heart attack 2007: ‘The Sopranos’ TV legacy
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“Jimmy was the spiritual core of our Sopranos family, and I am stunned at this devastating loss,” said Chris Albrecht, the former president of HBO who gave the green light to “The Sopranos.” “He was a great talent, but an even better man. My thoughts are with his family.”
Gandolfini was born September 18, 1961, in Westwood, New Jersey, according to Biography.com.
He graduated from Rutgers University and, as the story goes, he worked as a bartender and a bouncer in New York City until he went with a friend to an acting class.
He got his start on Broadway, with a role in the 1992 revival of “A Streetcar Named Desire” with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin.
Gandolfini’s big screen debut came in the role of a heavy in the bloody “True Romance” in 1993. His breakthrough came on the small screen in 1999 with the role of Tony Soprano.
Is entrepreneurship the answer to black unemployment?
With the unemployment rate for young people stuck in double digits, a growing chorus is calling for more training in skilled labor and entrepreneurship.
Two such proponents are here in Charlotte.
Henry Rock, who moved from New York in 2012, is working with the Urban League of Central Carolinas to launch what he calls an “entrepreneurs academy” – a 15-week, hands-on program that would train “at-risk men of color” ages 18 to 29 to start and run their own businesses. At the same time, Hans Plotseneder, a former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teacher who twice ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the school board, has applied for a charter to launch Entrepreneurs High School, which, he says, would render students work-ready upon completion in four to five years. Plotseneder would serve as principal.
Both ideas are intriguing enough. But as difficult as entrepreneurship is, can potential business owners be identified, trained and churned out like mass-produced widgets?
16 Best and Worst Foods For Sleep.
BEST AND WORST FOODS FOR SLEEP
Cherries: Best
Cherries are one of the few natural foods to contain melatonin, the chemical that helps control our body’s internal clock, says Keri Gans, a registered dietician in New York City and author of The Small Change Diet.
One study—albeit a small one—found that drinking tart cherry juice resulted in small improvements in sleep duration and quality in adults who suffered from chronic insomnia. (And travelers often take melatonin capsules to combat jet lag). Why not a few cherries, tart or otherwise, to promote sleep?
Bacon Cheeseburger: Worst
The stratospheric fat content of this particular fast food is guaranteed to be a sleep killer. Fat stimulates the production of acid in the stomach, which can spill up into your esophagus, causing heartburn. Fatty foods can also loosen the lower esophageal sphincter, the barrier between the stomach and the esophagus, making it even easier for acid to get in all the wrong places.
In fact, there’s almost nothing to recommend this kind of high-fat, salt-laden indulgence if you want to preserve your health, including the quality of your sleep.
Milk: Best
You may have fond memories of your mother or grandmother making you a glass of warm milk to help you fall asleep. This may not be just an old wives’ tale. Milk contains the amino acid tryptophan, a precursor to the brain chemical serotonin.
Although the topic is a controversial one, some people believe that tryptophan and serotonin might make it easier to sleep. Or maybe a simple glass of milk brings back soothing childhood memories, which help you drift off.
Wine: Worst
Alcohol of any kind is terrible for sleep, says Rosenberg. Why? It metabolizes quickly in your system and causes you to wake up multiple times during the night.
One study found that a glass of bourbon or vodka mixed with caffeine-free soda at bedtime increased the amount of time women spent awake during the night by 15 minutes. It also reduced nightly sleep time by 19 minutes and diminished quality of sleep.
If you don’t refrain from alcohol for our own benefit, do it for your mate. “Alcohol makes snoring worse so it will impact you and your potential bed partner,” said Rosenberg.
Jasmine Rice: Best
Jasmine rice ranks high on the glycemic index, meaning the body digests it slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream.
A 2007 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming jasmine rice four hours before bedtime cut the amount of time it took to fall asleep in half when compared with eating a high-glycemic-index meal at the same time interval. The authors speculate that high-glycemic-index meals may up the production of tryptophan.
Coffee: Worst
Coffee contains caffeine, which is a central nervous stimulant. Translation: Drinking Java too close to bedtime will keep you up at night.
Of course, people differ in their sensitivity to caffeine and that’s usually based on how much caffeine you’re accustomed to consuming, says Timothy Roehrs, Ph.D., a senior scientist with Henry Ford Sleep Disorder and Research Center in Detroit. If you don’t know your tolerance, skip the java, especially late in the day.
Fortified Cereal: Best
Carbs in general are good for sleep but it’s not a great idea to binge on a box of cookies before bedtime (or anytime).
Instead, try a bowl of Kashi or shredded wheat, which contain “good” or complex carbs. Even better, cereal goes well with milk, which has its own sleep-promoting qualities. “That’s two for the price of one,” Rosenberg says. Other complex carbs are quinoa, barley, and buckwheat.
Dark Chocolate: Worst
Chocolate contains not only calories, but caffeine, especially dark chocolate. A 1.55-ounce Hershey’s milk chocolate bar, for instance, contains about 12 milligrams of caffeine, or the same amount as three cups of decaffeinated coffee.
A Hershey’s special-dark bar has 20 milligrams of caffeine, about the same as half an ounce of espresso. Chocolate also contains theobromine, another stimulant that can increase heart rate and sleeplessness.
Bananas: Best
Bananas help promote sleep because they contain the natural muscle-relaxants magnesium and potassium, says Gans. They’re also carbs which will help make you sleepy as well.
In fact, bananas are a win-win situation in general. “They’re overall health promoters,” says Rosenberg. “We need potassium for cardiovascular health and cognitive functioning.”
Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/16-best-worst-foods-sleep/story?id=19404975#9
Rubio Says Obama’s Decision on Syria “Led to the Worst Possible Scenario”
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Sunday that President Barack Obama’s inaction on intervening in the human-rights crisis in Syria has left the United States “with the worst possible scenario.”
The Republican senator said the administration should have formed coalitions early on with “reasonable people” battling President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
“Timing matters,” Rubio said on ABC’s “This Week.” “These were options that were there for us a year and a half ago. This president failed to do that.”
Read more and the Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/rubio-obama-syria/2013/06/16/id/510163#ixzz2WOyVsVZC
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!
Paul Ryan Says He Can Debate Anyone on Immigration.
Rep. Paul Ryan says the proposal set out in the Senate’s immigration reform bill offering a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants is not “amnesty” as opponents have put it, but “earned legalization.”
The Republican from Wisconsin pledged he would “debate anybody” who believed otherwise, Yahoo News reported.
“Earned legalization is not amnesty,” Ryan said during a forum on immigration sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers. He pointed to conditions in the Senate immigration bill that would require illegal immigrants to pay a fine, back taxes, undergo extensive background checks, and sit out a probationary period before starting the path to citizenship, which could take up to 15 years.
Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/paul-ryan-immigration-debate/2013/06/13/id/509763#ixzz2W7rPAuZK
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!
South Africans Say Mandela Illness To Public
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Will native son and national hero Nelson Mandela survive his latest bout with illness?
That is the single question dominating headlines, speeches, Twitter and conversation throughout South Africa.
It’s an unusual situation in a country where death is an off-limits topic due to local culture. But as locals brace themselves, anxious and hopeful, they remain stoic and protective, insisting on Mandela’s privacy as he battles a lung infection.
And they say he has a right to be left alone.
read more http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/13/mandela-health/2418845/
N.C. Senate Rolls Out Tax Reform Bill
After unveiling competing Senate tax reform proposals two weeks ago, Republican leaders rolled out a compromise plan Monday that promises to roll back income and business taxes while reining in a massive expansion of sales taxes proposed earlier.
Read more: http://www.wral.com/senate-rolls-out-compromise-tax-plan/12542696/
New North Carolina Gun Bill Would Ease Background Checks
New North Carolina Gun Bill Would Ease Background Checks
“Republicans in the General Assembly have no concept of consequences. They have shown that time and time again,” state Democratic Party spokesman Micah Beasley told The Huffington Post. “Guns and alcohol don’t mix. Guns at town parades or at playgrounds with our children is unacceptable. Guns on campus make our college students less safe. To add insult to injury this legislation undermines our local sheriffs ability to make their towns and cities safe.”
Read More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/11/north-carolina-gun-bill_n_3422570.html?1370976293
Did Governor Pat McCrory duck critics by playing catch?
Did Governor Pat McCrory duck critics by playing catch?
The ABC11 I-Team asked the governor if a game of catch was more important than meeting with kids over education cuts. The kids, and a former congressman, were dropping off thousands of petitions against McCrory’s policies on Monday. So it was a good guess he wouldn’t meet with them. However, it’s what he was doing instead, caught on an iPhone camera, which has people talking.
Read more: http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/abc11_investigates&id=9135326
Rubio Pushes for Tighter English Requirements.
Sen. Marco Rubio planned to offer an amendment to the Senate immigration bill Tuesday, tightening the requirement for immigrants to speak English before they can live here legally.
His amendment strengthens the definition of “English proficiency.” Immigrants would have to speak the language to qualify for permanent residency status, The Hill reports.
“On the day we announced the principles that would shape the immigration bill, we made it clear that English proficiency would now be required for permanent residency for the first time in American history,” Rubio said in a statement.
Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/rubio-amendment-english-immigrants/2013/06/11/id/509321#ixzz2VyCG4QrD
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!
Bill Daley Not A Shoe In for Gov.
Former White House chief of staff Bill Daley’s decision to jump into the Illinois governor’s race gave Democrats their first top-tier candidate against hobbled Gov. Pat Quinn. But the ex-Commerce Secretary and banker is hardly assured of being the Prairie State’s next governor.
Daley poses an immediate threat to Quinn, the unpopular Democratic incumbent who has yet to announce he’s running again. But the biggest unknown is still Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who’s seen as a likely candidate but hasn’t decided.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/illinois-governor-race-bill-daley-92596.html#ixzz2VyAlFfrA
Kobe Bryant Settles Auction Dispute.
An auction of Kobe Bryant memorabilia will move forward after the Los Angeles Lakers’ player reached a settlement with the auction house that was given the items by Bryant’s mother.
Ken Goldin, owner of Goldin Auctions in New Jersey, announced on Monday that his auction house reached a settlement with Bryant for the sale of six items from his career to take place online from June 17 to July 19, as first reported by ESPN.
The auction was originally scheduled to take place three weeks earlier, but it was postponed after Bryant’s attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Goldin Auctions, saying his mother, Pamela Bryant, was not authorized to consign about 100 items to the auctioneer.
In turn, Goldin sued Kobe Bryant, asking a judge for clarification over the items’ ownership because the auction house paid $450,000 as an advance to his mother in January, which she used for a new home in Nevada.
New Poll Shows A Majority of Americans Say Phone Tracking Is Acceptable
(CNN) – As the government faces some backlash over its surveillance programs–details of which were leaked last week–a new poll shows Americans have changed little in their views of federal monitoring and more than half indicate they’re fine with one of the programs.
Fifty-six percent consider the government’s tracking of phone records an “acceptable way” to investigate terrorism, according to the new national survey released Monday by the Pew Research Center and The Washington Post.
Chad Johnson Sentenced To 30 Days In Jail
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (AP)
Former NFL star Chad Johnson was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail for a probation violation in a domestic violence case by a judge who angrily rejected a no-jail plea deal after Johnson playfully slapped his attorney on the backside in court.
Johnson, known as Chad Ochocinco for his jersey number in Spanish during his playing days, had reached a deal with prosecutors calling for community service and counseling instead of jail. Broward County Circuit Judge Kathleen McHugh said she would tack on an additional three months’ probation because Johnson had failed to meet with his probation officer during three previous months.
U.S. Contribution To Global Warming Decreased In 2012
The world is on pace to more than double the expected global temperature rise due to climate change according to a new report by the International Energy Agency.
The United Nations has set a goal of limiting global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius by 2020, according to the IEA report. But with carbon emissions rising worldwide, the Earth is on track for as much as a 5 degree increase.
[READ: Earth Warmed More at End of 20th Century Than in Past 1400 Years]
“This report shows that the path we are currently on is more likely to result in a temperature increase of between 3.6 degrees Celsius and 5.3 degrees Celsius,” IEA head Maria van der Hoeven said in a statement.
The IEA was founded during the aftermath of the 1970s oil crisis in order to manage the release of emergency stocks of oil. The group has 28 members, including the United States, Canada, much of the European Union, Japan and Australia. China, India and Russia, three of the countries with the highest carbon dioxide emissions, are not members.
Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/06/10/report-global-carbon-emissions-hit-record-high
Global carbon emissions Reached Record Levels in 2012
STOCKHOLM (AP) – The world’s energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose 1.4 percent in 2012 to a record high of 31.6 billion tons, even though the U.S. posted its lowest emissions since the mid-1990s, the International Energy Agency said Monday.
In its annual World Energy Outlook report, the Paris-based IEA said top carbon polluter China had the largest emissions growth last year, up 300 million tons, or 3.8 percent, from 2011. Still, the increase was among the lowest seen in a decade as China continues to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Read More: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/10/global-carbon-emissions-record-high/2408487/
Congressman Butterfield To Join Moral Mondays
(Elizabeth City Daily Advance) — Congressman G. K. Butterfield, D-N.C., said he will join local chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), clergy members, and thousands of supporters today during the “Moral Monday” protest at the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh.
http://www.dailyadvance.com/news/butterfield-join-protests-2072927
New N.C. House Budget Released
(WRAL-TV) — The full House budget is released Sunday night and. The N.C. House of Representatives released its $20.57 billion budget plan late Sunday night. It continues to show contrasts with the Senate spending plan. House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, said it “protects core services of government while setting priorities by focusing on job creation and economic activity.”
http://www.wral.com/first-blush-review-of-the-house-budget/12533989/
Top Ten Stories for Today
Source: http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2021156030_ap10thingstoknowtoday.html
1. WHY NSA CONTRACTOR OUTED HIMSELF AS SOURCE
Edward Snowden, 29, says he revealed classified documents on surveillance programs because “I was part of something that was doing far more harm than good.”
2. WHAT HE RISKED
Experts say Snowden could face decades in prison for the disclosures, if the U.S. can extradite him. He said he had fled to Hong Kong.
3. TALIBAN ATTACKERS KILLED NEAR KABUL AIRPORT
All seven insurgents died in a battle with security forces after trying to attack NATO’s airport headquarters with grenades, assault rifles and at least one large bomb.
4. MANDELA’S FAMILY VISITS HIM AT HIS HOSPITAL BEDSIDE
The South African government says the 94-year-old leader’s condition is “unchanged” as he spent a third day in the hospital with a lung infection.
5. ZIMMERMAN TRIAL TO BEGIN
Jury selection begins in Florida today in the case of the neighborhood watch volunteer, who says he shot and killed high school student Trayvon Martin because he feared for his life.
6. RIVAL KOREAS TO COME TO TABLE
North and South Korea agreed to senior-level talks this week on stalled cooperation projects, hoping to ease tensions after Pyongyang’s recent nuclear threats.
7. GUNMAN IDENTIFIED IN CALIF. SHOOTINGS
Police say 23-year-old John Zawahiri killed his father and older brother, set their house on fire and then shot three others to death in the streets of Santa Monica.
8. HEAT REBOUNDS IN NBA FINALS
LeBron James overcame a terrible start to finish with 17 points as Miami beat San Antonio 103-84 to tie the series at 1-1.
9. `KINKY BOOTS’ TRIUMPHS AT TONYS
The feel-good pop musical won six awards, including best score by Cyndi Lauper, beating its closest rival, British import “Matilda.”
10. WHO’S SEEING DOUBLE AT CHICAGO-AREA SCHOOL
There are 24 sets of twins in the fifth grade at Highcrest Middle School, which wants recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The GOP’s Woes With Young Voters Is Part of A Series of Problems.
The modernity gap that haunted the Republican Party on Election Day 2012 has since worsened. Demographics, attitudes and technology continue to make the Republicans look like out-of-touch relics of a bygone era. A record-high 30 percent of Americans now identify as socially liberal, Democratic-leaning single mothers are a growing portion of the electorate, and more Americans than not have an unfavorable view of the GOP, notwithstanding the recent spate of negative news surrounding the administration.
To top it off, a report issued this week by the College Republican National Committee, Grand Old Party for a Brand New Generation, indicted the Republicans for being “closed-minded, racist, rigid, old-fashioned;” for singularly attacking government; for hostility toward gay marriage, and for acting like the “stupid party.” But too many in the GOP seem to embrace that label.
Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/09/the-gop-s-gaping-growing-modernity-gap.html
Apple To Release New IOS Software In the Coming Months.
The company’s annual developer conference, which begins Monday, looms as the latest crossroads as the technology icon struggles to maintain its trendsetter status since the death of Steve Jobs.
Apple’s streak of game-changing devices has stalled and the iPhone and iPad seem stale, compared with new offerings from Samsung Electronics Co. 005930.SE -6.17% and others. Software blunders, like Apple’s widely panned mapping app, have raised doubts about the company’s ability to build cutting-edge mobile services. Rivals like Google Inc. GOOG +1.75% are colonizing the iPhone with their own software, bolstering use of their own rival offerings.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324798904578531661685819892.html
Rep Issa Dismisses Claim That IRS Case Is Solved.
A top GOP lawmaker pushed back Sunday against a Democratic colleague’s claim that all questions stemming from the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of Tea Party groups have been sufficiently answered.
Rep. Darrell Issa, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman and frequent White House detractor, slammed comments made by Rep. Elijah Cummings Sunday that the case of allegedly unwarranted investigations of conservative activist groups has been “solved.”
“I strongly disagree with Ranking Member Cummings’ assertion that we know everything we need to know about inappropriate targeting of Tea Party groups by the IRS,” Issa (R-Calif.) said in a statement released Sunday after Cummings (D-Maryland) appeared on CNN.
Edward Snowden identified as source of NSA leaks
Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old system administrator and former undercover CIA employee, unmasked himself Sunday as the principal source of recent Washington Post and Guardian disclosures about top-secret NSA programs, denouncing what he described as systematic surveillance of innocent citizens and saying in an interview, “it’s important to send a message to government that people will not be intimidated.”
Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. said Saturday that the NSA had initiated a Justice Department investigation into who leaked the information.
Charlotte Homeowners Could See A Tax Increase.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Taxes could go up on Monday for people living in Charlotte. City leaders will vote on the budget pitched by the city manager on Monday. It calls for a 7 percent tax hike that will pay for projects across the city.
The budget would cost taxpayers an extra $63 a year on a $200,000 home.
Source: http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/taxes-could-increase-charlotte-homeowners-starting/nYGYS/
Mapmaker Says Politics led to US House lines In N.C.
The national redistricting expert who worked on North Carolina’s new legislative and congressional maps testified Wednesday he never used race-based statistics to draw certain boundaries now being challenged in court.
Tom Hofeller, described in court as the chief architect of redistricting plans pushed through the General Assembly by Republicans in 2011, spoke as a witness for GOP legislative leaders and the state of North Carolina, which are now defending the plans against lawsuits. A three-judge panel planned to wrap up a trial on race-related issues Wednesday before ruling later on motions to throw out the boundaries on constitutional grounds.
What Happened To North Carolina?
Over the past six months, pundits, columnists and interested observers have been asking, “What happened to North Carolina?” They are referring, of course, to the draconian, and often laughable, legislation moving through the state’s legislature. It’s a stark contrast to the progressive state that competed with Silicon Valley and Boston’s Route 128 for high-tech, high-paying jobs.
But there are other questions, too. Was Obama’s victory in 2008 an anomaly? Is North Carolina becoming more conservative? Will it be a battleground state in 2016?
Read More: http://www.politicsnc.com/what-happened-to-north-carolina/
Chocolate Companies Accused of Price Fixing.
Nestle, Mars and Hershey companies in Canada have been charged with conspiring with others to fix the price of chocolate, authorities said.
Nestle Canada and Mars Canada both said they would “vigorously defend” themselves against the claims.
Canada’s Competition Bureau said in a statement that Hershey Canada was expected to plead guilty later this month “for its role in the conspiracy to fix the price of chocolate confectionery products in Canada.”
However, the bureau said that Hershey had “cooperated” with the investigation and it had recommended to prosecutors that it should receive “lenient treatment.”
Read More: http://www.bing.com/news/search?q=Chocolate+Price+Fixing&FORM=CTRNDT
Want More Time Off From Work?
Want more time off work to hang out at the beach? Need a little cash and have vacation days to spare?
Some companies allow their workers to buy and sell vacation time, a perk that gives workers more flexibility in managing their time off.
The novel approach might help employees buy some extra days off to take the trip of a lifetime or spend more time with a newborn. Co-workers could sell off unused days to get some extra money.
Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/want-more-time-some-employers-let-you-buy-it-6C10252835
NASA’s New Rocket Will Be Ready For Testing in 2017
NASA’s largest rocket yet, a vehicle under development called the Space Launch System, is on track for its first test flight in 2017, according to experts who spoke at the Space Tech Expo in Long Beach last month.
The rocket is designed to carry astronauts farther into the solar system than ever before. Meanwhile, NASA plans to leave travel to low-Earth orbit to commercial space companies, which are developing private space taxis to take over the job vacated by the retired space shuttle.
“We started working on Space Launch System concepts 10 years ago,” said former astronaut David Leestma, a veteran of three space shuttle missions, who now heads the Technology Transfer and Commercialization Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “We want to take NASA well beyond the space station. The SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever built, and it will be safe, affordable and sustainable.”
Read More: http://mashable.com/2013/06/09/nasa-biggest-rocket-2017-test-flight/
Apple Talks About Future of IOS and Other New Products
Samsung Hits A Snag.
The world’s largest smartphone maker today saw its stock fall by 6.2 percent after banks downgraded the stock on concerns that Samsung Electronics (005930) may make only several billion dollars this year, as opposed to a kajillion.
Sales of the company’s flagship Galaxy S4 have slowed, say analysts. In the meantime, Samsung is readying smaller and more stripped-down versions of its popular smartphones. These less-expensive models will probably perform well in developing markets, but the profits earned on them will be smaller.
To understand what’s going on here, it’s important to remember two things. First, the global smartphone market does not resemble the one in the U.S., where phones are subsidized by the carriers. The actual price of a GS4 or iPhone is north of $600, but carriers will sell you one for $199 because they more than make up the difference in monthly charges over the two years on your contract. Everywhere else, you pay full freight, but you don’t have multi-year contracts.
Read more at:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-06-07/samsung-hits-a-speed-bump
Discussion on Budget Begins In NC House
RALEIGH — Seven North Carolina House subcommittees signaled wide differences with Republican counterparts in the Senate as they voted Friday for portions of their state government budget for the next two years.
They gave details and debated publicly most portions of the House Republicans’ fiscal blueprint through mid-2015. Some details of the full plan, which would spend about $20.6 billion in the year starting July 1, won’t be released until early next week, when the chamber will vote on the entire proposal.
Republicans in the House and Senate want to work out a spending compromise by the end of the month and send it to GOP Gov. Pat McCrory.
The House budget-writers incorporated proposals already approved by the House in stand-alone legislation such as a public school safety initiative and publicly funded scholarships to children from low-income families to attend private or religious schools. The Senate budget approved contained neither.
Read more:
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9130533
The Affordable Care Act Spurs Hiring
href=”http://dwilson10.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/health_insurance_gif2.jpg”>
The nation’s complicated healthcare overhaul is proving to be a surprising source of work: People are needed to explain the law’s provisions to consumers.
In addition to the expected demand for more nurses and doctors to treat millions of newly insured patients, the federal Affordable Care Act is feeding a cottage industry in call centers.
Read More
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/06/business/la-fi-call-center-jobs-20130606
N.J. Sen. Lautenberg dies at 89
New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D, passed away on Monday after struggling with health issues in recent months.
NBC News confirmed that the 89-year-old senator – the oldest member of the chamber – passed away from viral pneumonia that had sidelined him from the Senate for much of this year.
Lautenberg was first elected to the Senate in 1982, and served into that capacity through 2001, when he initially retired. State Democrats beckoned him back into public life, though, in 2002 following the withdrawal of their candidate during a competitive race.
Read More: http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/03/18722588-nj-sen-lautenberg-dies-at-89
Tillis To Annouce Bid For 2014 U.S. Senate Race
RALEIGH — House Speaker Thom Tillis plans to formally enter the U.S. Senate race next week, becoming the first major candidate to challenge Democrat incumbent Kay Hagan in 2014.
A Tillis ally said the Cornelius Republican will officially file paperwork next week with the Federal Election Commission
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/05/30/2928160/thom-tillis-expected-to-announce.html#storylink=cpy
Data Shows An Improving Economy
New numbers released Wednesday show that the unemployment rate fell for the third consecutive month in Mecklenburg County. Charlotte, Gastonia, and Rock Hill are all adding jobs, and the leisure and hospitality industry alone added almost 7,000 positions in April.
That lift is encouraging a boom in building.
At Ballantyne Village, a hotel developer called Pharros Hospitality just bought three parcels of land, and the same company is also building a big hotel at the Langtree project in Mooresville. That major development will include homes, shops, parks and offices.
read more: http://westcharlotte.wbtv.com/news/business/96242-new-numbers-show-economy-improving
Mecklenburg County Commissioners Must Work Together.
It has been a rough week for the County Commission of Mecklenburg County. Emotions have flared and personalities have collided. The firing of Harry Jones has caused internal fighting amongst the Democrats on the commission. As a Democrat, it disheartens me to see fighting amongst ourselves. Whenever the voters of this county, state and country, entrust us to represent them; our focus must be on their issues. Democrats must not forget that the policies that we have developed over the past 75 years created the American Middle Class. Our job now is to retool and tailor those policies to assist the 21st Century Middle Class.
We cannot meet this task, if we fight each other. We must create jobs, build better schools, and encourage the growth and development of small businesses. In any government entity disagreements will be present. However, disagreements should not cloud nor derail the task of governing.
Four People Stabbed during Catholic Mass
Lawrence Capener, 24, allegedly jumped over pews and stabbed four parishioners at a New Mexico church on Sunday morning.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Just as the St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church choir began its final hymn, a man vaulted over pews and lashed out at the singers, sending four churchgoers to the hospital with stab wounds, authorities said.
Worshippers screamed as the shocking and chaotic scene unfolded Sunday with the attacker continuing the onslaught until he was tackled and held by church members for officers, who raced to the scene, police said.
Four parishioners were injured, including church choir director Adam Alvarez and flutist Gerald Madrid, police spokesman Robert Gibbs said. All four were being treated at hospitals and listed in stable condition.
Read more:
http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/man-stabbed-4-people-during-catholic-mass-police?ocid=ansnews11
Former President George W. Bush To Open Library on May 1st.
Already, more than $500 million has been raised for the George W. Bush Presidential Library, the George W. Bush Center has reportedly has confirmed.
“It was our goal to raise $500 million by the time the George W. Bush Presidential Center was dedicated, and we reached that goal,” center president Mark Langdale told Time.
“The milestone makes Bush, who left office four years ago, the most successful fundraiser among former presidents at this stage in his post-White House life,” the report further noted.
Bush and former first lady Laura Bush will dedicate the library at Southern Methodist University on April 25. The library opens to the public May 1.
When asked where the money will go, Langdale told Time that half will cover construction costs, another portion will be donated to SMU for a program endowment and the remainder will function as ”a strong financial foundation” over time.
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What Are You Afraid Of?
Today we learned that 14 Republican Senators have decided to filibuster the gun control bill which includes universal background checks. Ninety-two precent of the American Public is in favor of universal background checks. Despite this, Republicans have decided to side with the gun lobby instead of victims of gun violence. The question is what are they afraid of? Has our political system become so tainted that we can’t agree on something that 92% of the country agrees on? Have they no shame? What are they afraid of?
Jindal’s Popularity Dips.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, one of the nation’s most prominent Republicans and a possible 2016 presidential candidate, has fallen out of favor with local voters, and his bold plan to scrap the state income tax is running into trouble.
Jindal was re-elected to a second term with two-thirds of the vote in 2011. But his Louisiana approval rating was down to 38 percent in a recent poll, worse than Democratic President Barack Obama in one of the most conservative U.S. states.
The poll suggested voters think he is spending more time traveling outside the state and burnishing his credentials for a possible White House run than tending to local matters.
As the Louisiana Legislature prepares to kick off its two-month session on Monday, Jindal’s signature proposal to eliminate the state income tax is facing resistance.
His detailed plan would do away with all state personal and corporate income taxes. It also calls for a 56-percent increase in the state sales tax, a much higher cigarette tax, and the elimination of some tax loopholes to make up the $3 billion shortfall from scrapping the income taxes.
Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/article/2013/04/07/id/498210#ixzz2PpeCIW4t
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!
The Tar-Heel State Could Lose Its Prestige.
The Tar-Heel State Could Lose Its Prestige
Out of all the states in the South East, North Carolina has always stood out. We have the best schools, the best research, the best BBQ, you name it. Businesses relocate here because of our educational and fair tax system. Many business magazines name North Carolina the best state for business every year. All of this is in jeopardy forever.
Since the Republicans took over the general assembly and the governor’s mansion, they have passed legislation that has been very ideological. The Republican-Led Legislature has been focused on passing voter ID. They claim that voter fraud is very common in the state. Since 2008, 21 million votes have been cast in North Carolina and only 1 case of voter fraud has been reported. In reality, this bill is nothing more than a ploy by Republicans to intimidate and disenfranchise voters. In perhaps their ultimate power grab to date, Republicans are seeking to target these groups because they are more likely to vote Democratic.
The Republicans also attempted to pass a bill that would allow Rowan County to choose their own religion. This was deemed as unconstitutional and was DOA (dead on arrival). The Governor in his first budget proposed drastic cuts to the UNC System, the hallmark of higher education in North Carolina. Unemployment Benefits have been cut, Medicaid Expansion blocked, and the worst of all; early voting may end. Just this week the Republicans have proposed a bill that would end early voting, end Sunday Voting, and straight party voting. They also proposed a bill that would impose a tax penalty to the parents of college students whom register to vote using their college address.
Is this the state we want to live in? Is this the North Carolina we love? Things must change before it is too late.
N.C. High School Senior Makes AP All-State Basketball Team
The Big South 3A Conference’s player of the year can add all-state to her list of accomplishments.
Forestview senior Bre Armstrong on Wednesday was announced as one of 12 girls voted to the Associated Press all-state basketball team.
The 5-foot-8 guard/forward led the Jaguars in scoring (18.4 ppg), rebounds (15.9 rpg), steals (5.2 spg) and assists (4.2 apg), helping Forestview place second in the Big South during the regular season before winning the league’s tournament title.
Armstrong committed to Lander University of the NCAA Division II Peach Belt Conference late in the season.
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NY State Senator Arrested In Plot To Rig NYC Mayor’s Race
NEW YORK
New York State Senator Malcolm Smith and New York City Councilman Dan Halloran have been arrested as part of a plot to rig the New York City mayor’s race. The FBI said the two were arrested early Tuesday at their homes. Smith, 56, “tried to bribe his way to a shot at Gracie Mansion”, said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. Bharara said Smith “drew up the game plan and Councilman Halloran essentially quarterbacked that drive by finding party chairmen who were wide open to receiving bribes.”
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More Groups Are Coming Out Against Bills To Reduce Early Voting In NC
More liberal-learning groups are urging North Carolina’s Republican legislature to back off
legislation that would reduce early voting and end same-day registration during
the early voting period.
Progress North Carolina led a news conference Monday at the Legislative
Building to oppose bills last week to reduce 21/2 weeks of in-person early
voting by one week. One of the bills would bar Sunday voting.
Buddy Collins Nominated To Plum North Carolina Education Post, Despite Anti-Gay Record
One of North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory’s (R) nominees for the State Board of Education has a long history of opposing anti-bullying measures aimed at protecting LGBT students, and gay rights advocates are worried about the implications if he is confirmed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/29/buddy-collins-north-carolina_n_2980757.html
CMS Superintendent Is Against Gun Bill
CHARLOTTE, N.C.Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Heath Morrision said he opposes a bill that would put guns on school campuses ”This idea of arming our teachers and principals and our support staff in our schools concerns me greatly,” he said. A bill in the state senate would give a teacher or volunteer on each campus access to a lockbox with a gun inside.
The Affordable Care Act Is Helping PA.
By Kathleen Sebelius
This week marks the third anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. For Pennsylvanians, that means a health-care system that is stronger than it was three years ago, and a future that looks even brighter.
Pennsylvanians who have health insurance have benefited from market reforms and consumer protections under the law. Preventive services like mammograms and flu shots are newly accessible to 3.2 million people with private plans. More than 220,000 of the state’s Medicare beneficiaries have saved an average of $753 on their medications. And Pennsylvanians are now protected from some of the worst insurance industry abuses, like lifetime coverage caps that could cut off benefits when people need them most.
The law has also begun to curb rising costs across the system by cracking down on waste and fraud, and creating powerful incentives for hospitals to spend resources wisely. These reforms have already led to significant improvements in care outcomes. That includes the first drop on record in hospital readmissions of Medicare beneficiaries.
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Getting To The Point: Federal Workers Are Not The Reason For The Debt.
Tough budget cuts have been in effect now for a couple of weeks. Many federal workers are being asked to work less. Some are even being asked not to work for 14 days or longer. Conservatives believe that less government is better. This often means cutting government jobs on the federal and state level. Although cutting government sounds like a good idea, it affects real people. Government workers are mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, etc. They have lives and they have families. Federal Workers are not the reason for the debt and deficit and they should not be punished.
The next time you hear that cutting government is a great solution, think about your neighbors and your family members. One of them will be losing their job. Government like anything else needs to be reformed not destroyed.
Cyber Attacks Is The Biggest Threat To The U.S.
WASHINGTON — The nation’s top intelligence official warned Congress on Tuesday that a cyberattack could cripple America’s infrastructure and economy and suggested that such attacks pose the most dangerous immediate threat to the United States, more pressing than an attack by global terrorist networks.
James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, said in prepared testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee that American spy agencies saw only a “remote chance” in the next two years of a major cyberattack — what he defined as an operation that “would result in long-term, wide-scale disruption of services, such as a regional power outage.”
