Mirren, Rylance up for London's Olivier awards

LONDON (AP) ? Helen Mirren is a favorite to reign at London's Olivier theater awards Sunday for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in "The Audience."

Mirren is a best-actress nominee for the awards, the British equivalent of Broadway's Tonys.

She stars in Peter Morgan's play about the private weekly meetings between the monarch and Britain's prime ministers over the six decades of her reign. Mirren is no stranger to royalty ? she won an Academy award in 2007 for the same role in "The Queen."

She's up against Hattie Morahan for "A Doll's House," Billie Piper for "The Effect" and Kristin Scott Thomas for "Old Times."

Male acting nominees are Rupert Everett for Oscar Wilde drama "The Judas Kiss"; James McAvoy for "Macbeth"; Mark Rylance for a cross-dressing turn in "Twelfth Night"; Rafe Spall for the relationship drama "Constellations"; and Luke Treadaway for "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time."

The National Theatre's acclaimed production of "Curious Incident" ? based on Mark Haddon's novel about a mystery-solving boy with Asperger's syndrome ? leads the race with eight nominations, while the jaunty musical "Top Hat" has seven.

Nominees for musicals include Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton for "Sweeney Todd," Alex Bourne and Hannah Waddingham for "Kiss Me, Kate" and Heather Headley for "The Bodyguard."

Two political dramas ?"The Audience" and rough-and-tumble Parliamentary saga "This House" ? are up for best new play, alongside the love story "Constellations" and "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time."

The best new musical nominees are the geeks-made-good story "Loserville"; the Tina Turner tribute "Soul Sister"; the movie-inspired "The Bodyguard"; and the high-stepping "Top Hat."

Winners in most categories are chosen by a panel of theater professionals and members of the public. Nominees for the Audience Award, decided by public vote, are "Billy Elliot"; "Matilda: The Musical"; "The Phantom of the Opera"; and "Wicked."

The winners will be announced during a ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London hosted by stage star Sheridan Smith and "Downton Abbey" actor Hugh Bonneville.

___

Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

Online: http://www.olivierawards.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mirren-rylance-londons-olivier-awards-093929658.html

sassafras mardi gras 2012 the secret world of arrietty cee lo allen iverson jr smith chris anderson

Owner arrested as Bangladesh building toll reaches 372

By Ruma Paul and Serajul Quadir

DHAKA (Reuters) - The owner of a factory building that collapsed in Bangladesh killing hundreds of garment workers was arrested on Sunday trying to flee to India, police said, as fears grew that the death toll could rise sharply with as many as 900 still missing.

Mohammed Sohel Rana, a leader of the ruling Awami League's youth front, was arrested by the elite Rapid Action Battalion in the Bangladesh border town of Benapole, Dhaka District Police Chief Habibur Rahman told Reuters.

Speaking near the site of the wreckage of Rana Plaza, which housed several factories making low-cost garments for Western retailers, junior minister for local government Jahangir Kabir Nanak told reporters that Rana would be brought to Dhaka by helicopter.

Authorities put the latest death toll at 372, four days after the country's worst-ever industrial accident.

Four people were pulled out alive on Sunday and rescuers were working frantically to save several others trapped under the mound of broken concrete and metal, fire services deputy director Mizanur Rahman said.

"The chances of finding people alive are dimming, so we have to step up our rescue operation to save any valuable life we can," said Major General Chowdhury Hassan Sohrawardi, coordinator of the operation at the site.

About 2,500 people have been rescued from the wrecked building in the commercial suburb of Savar, about 30 km (20 miles) from the capital, Dhaka.

Officials said the eight-storey complex had been built on spongy ground without the correct permits, and more than 3,000 workers - mainly young women - entered the building on Wednesday morning despite warnings that it was structurally unsafe.

Police said one factory owner gave himself up following the detention of two plant bosses and two engineers the day before.

Local news reports said the mother of building owner Rana, who was not being held, died of a heart attack on Saturday evening.

Anger over the disaster has sparked days of protests and clashes, with police using tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to quell demonstrators who set cars ablaze. On Sunday, however, the roads were quiet.

The main opposition, joining forces with an alliance of leftist parties which is part of the ruling coalition, called for a national strike on May 2 in protest over the incident.

BUILT ON A FILLED-IN POND

Wednesday's collapse was the third major industrial incident in five months in Bangladesh, the second-largest exporter of garments in the world behind China. In November, a fire at the Tazreen Fashion factory in a suburb of Dhaka killed 112 people.

Such incidents have raised serious questions about worker safety and low wages, and could taint the reputation of the poor South Asian country, which relies on garments for 80 percent of its exports. The industry employs about 3.6 million people, most of them women, some of whom earn as little as $38 a month.

Emdadul Islam, chief engineer of the state-run Capital Development Authority (CDA), said on Friday that the owner of the building had not received the proper construction consent, obtaining a permit for a five-storey building from the local municipality, which did not have the authority to grant it.

Furthermore, another three storeys had been added illegally, he said. "Savar is not an industrial zone, and for that reason no factory can be housed in Rana Plaza," Islam told Reuters.

Islam said the building had been erected on the site of a pond filled in with sand and earth, weakening the foundations.

Since the disaster, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has asked factory owners to produce building designs by July in a bid to improve safety.

(Writing by John Chalmers and Alex Richardson; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hope-survivors-fades-bangladesh-building-toll-reaches-363-082504472.html

ryan leaf ryan leaf luke kuechly brad miller chandler jones peyton hillis fletcher cox

Tulowitzki strains shoulder in Rockies' loss

By JONATHAN DALTON

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 7:11 p.m. ET April 28, 2013

PHOENIX (AP) - Patrick Corbin's success has come from a simple formula - be aggressive and throw strike one.

The Diamondbacks' left-hander allowed two runs over 6 2-3 innings and Arizona beat the Colorado Rockies 4-2 on Sunday. It was the Diamondbacks' fifth win in six games.

"I thought today I was as sharp as I've been," said the 23-year-old. "I got a couple of fastballs up and that hurt me a little bit but I was able to keep us in it."

Corbin (3-0) scattered nine hits - four coming in his final 1 2-3 innings - and struck out five. Corbin didn't walk a batter for the second straight outing and hasn't allowed a base on balls in his last 15 innings.

"When you're getting ahead with that first pitch, the second pitch you can throw whatever you want," Corbin said. "It makes it 100 times easier."

Corbin became the second Diamondbacks pitcher to throw at least six innings and allow two runs or fewer in his first five starts of the season.

"He just keeps the ball in play," said Arizona manager Kirk Gibson. "He just competes. He works on things and understands the tools that he's acquired."

Gerardo Parra tripled and scored twice, and Josh Wilson had a run-scoring double for the Diamondbacks, who at 15-10 are off to their second-best start since 2006.

Rockies All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was lifted in the bottom of the third inning because of a strained left shoulder.

J.J. Putz pitched the ninth for his fifth save for the Diamondbacks.

Colorado has two wins in its last eight games after opening the season 13-4, falling into a first-place tie with Arizona in the NL West.

"As long as you continue to go out on a day in and day out basis and play good hard baseball and continue to do the right things, it will definitely workout" said Rockies starter Jon Garland. "We have already seen what we are able to do when we get some guys hot offensively and we are throwing the ball good."

Tulowitzki reached on a fielder's choice in the first inning and was attempting to score two batters later on a single by Michael Cuddyer when he slid awkwardly into home plate. Tulowitzki was easily tagged out by Miguel Montero from a throw by left fielder Jason Kubel.

"I didn't know he got hurt on the play," said Rockies manager Walt Weiss. "It sounds like he jammed his shoulder sliding into the plate."

Top Colorado prospect Nolan Arenado was called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs and went 0 for 3 with a walk while starting at third base.

The 22-year-old Arenado hit .364 with 11 doubles, three homers and 21 RBIs in 18 games for the Sky Sox. He was taken in the second round of the 2009 draft.

To make room, the Rockies designated INF Chris Nelson for assignment.

Arizona broke through against Colorado starter Jon Garland (2-2) in the third, scoring twice.

Cliff Pennington singled to right, went to second on a sacrifice and moved to third on a single to left by Gerardo Parra. After Cody Ross grounded out to advance Parra to second, Pennington scored on a passed ball charged to Wilin Rosario.

Three pitches later, Garland threw a wild pitch to score Parra for a 2-0 lead.

"You try and be aggressive without running into outs on the bases," Gibson said. "We're aware of what guys throw in certain counts and when to be aware to dirt-ball reads. `G' made a good read on that because they were playing way off at third place which allowed him to come further down the way."

Paul Goldschmidt extended the lead 3-0 in the fourth when he singled and scored on Josh Wilson's double off the left-center field wall and Parra tripled to lead off the fifth and scored on a Ross single to make it 4-0.

The Rockies cut the lead in half in the sixth. Eric Young Jr. doubled for the third time in three at-bats and scored on a single to left by Dexter Fowler. Fowler later scored on a one-out wild pitch to pull Colorado to 4-2.

Colorado chased Corbin after putting runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh. But Matt Reynolds retired Young on a short popup in front of the dirt cut around home plate on the third base side to end the threat.

Garland allowed four runs - three earned - on eight hits with two walks, one intentional. The right-hander, who entered the game 3-3 with a 4.60 ERA against his former team, struck out two.

"He could have went out there for another inning if we don't get to his (lineup) spot," said Rockies manager Walt Weiss. "It's another one of our starters that gave us a chance to win the game."

NOTES: Colorado is 1-9 in its last 10 series at Chase Field. . Putz threw six straight balls and bounced a throw to first base. ... Parra extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games. ... Arizona INF Martin Prado, mired in the midst of a 1-for-22 slump, was given the day off. ... Garland has pitched past the sixth inning only once in five starts. . Before the game, the Diamondbacks activated OF Jason Kubel off the 15-day disabled list and placed SS Didi Gregorius on the 7-day concussion DL. Gregorius was hit in the head with a pitch by Josh Outman on Friday. ... Kubel, who started in left field, was 10 for 30 with two doubles, two homers and six RBIs before he was placed on the disabled list with a strained left quad on April 13.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

More news

Howard delivers in Chooch's return

CSN: Carlos Ruiz returned from a 25-game suspension and Ryan Howard hit a two-run, pinch hit double that gave the Phillies a 5-1 win over the Mets and complete a three-game sweep of New York.

Tulowitzki strains shoulder in Rockies' loss

PHOENIX (AP) - Gerardo Parra tripled and scored twice, and Josh Wilson had a run-scoring double to help lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51695937/ns/sports-baseball/

ncaa scores Splash Ncaa Basketball Tournament NCAA Bracket 2013 Robert Morris spring lululemon

Residents concerned about health effects of hydrofracking

Apr. 28, 2013 ? s living in areas near natural gas operations, also known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, are concerned their illnesses may be a result of nearby drilling operations. Twenty-two percent of the participants in a small pilot study surmise that hydrofracking may be the cause of such health concerns as sinus problems, sleeping difficulties, and gastrointestinal problems.

The findings will be presented at the American Occupational Health Conference on April 28 in Orlando, Florida.

Scientists collected responses from 72 adults visiting a primary care physician's office in the hydrofracking-heavy area of Bradford County, Pa., who volunteered to complete an investigator-faciliated survey.

"Almost a quarter of participants consider natural gas operations to be a contributor to their health issues, indicating that there is clearly a concern among residents that should be addressed," says Poun? Saberi, MD, MPH, the study's principal investigator with the department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. She is also an investigator with the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) at Penn.

Within these 22 percent of responders, 13 percent viewed drilling to be the cause of their current health complaints and 9 percent were concerned that future health problems can be caused by natural gas operations. The previous health complaints by participants were thought to be anecdotal in nature as they were individual cases reported publicly only by popular media.

"What is significant about this study is that the prevalence of impressions about medical symptoms attributed to natural gas operations had not been previously solicited in Pennsylvania. This survey indicates that there is a larger group of people with health concerns than originally assumed," explains Saberi.

The survey included questions about 29 health symptoms, including those previously anecdotally reported by other residents and workers in other areas where drilling occurs. Some patient medical records were also reviewed to compare reported symptoms with those that had been previously documented. "Sinus problems, sleeping difficulties, and gastrointestinal problems were the most common symptoms reported on the Bradford survey," notes Saberi. "Of the few studied charts, there were no one-to-one correlations between the participants' reported symptoms on the survey and the presenting symptom to the medical provider in the records. This raises the possibility of communication gaps between residents with concerns and the medical community and needs further exploration. An opportunity exists to educate shale region communities and workers to report, as well as health care providers to document, the attributed symptoms as precisely as possible."

The CEET team also mapped the addresses of patients who agreed to provide them in relation to drilling to determine if proximity to drilling operations may relate to health problems.

"We hope this pilot study will guide the development of future epidemiological studies to determine whether health effects in communities in which natural gas operations are occurring is associated with air, water, and food-shed exposures and will provide a basis for health care provider education," says CEET director Trevor Penning, PhD. "The goal of science should be to protect the public and the environment before harm occurs; not simply to treat it after the damage has been done."

The Bradford County health concerns pilot study is one of three hydrofracking studies currently underway at CEET, one of 20 Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers (EHSCC) in the US, funded by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

CEET is also partnering with Columbia University's EHSCC to measure water quality and billable health outcomes in areas with and without hydrofracking on the Pennsylvania-New York border. Using a new mapping tool developed by Harvard University, CEET and Harvard researchers are creating maps of drilling sites, air quality, water quality, and health effects to locate possible associations. Initial studies will focus on Pennsylvania. Results of both studies are expected in early 2014. These collaborative studies are funded by pilot project funds from the respective EHSCCs, which in turn obtain their financial support from NIEHS.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/IVvBTUbZKJQ/130428230423.htm

nyc marathon nyc marathon willie nelson khloe kardashian Wreck It Ralph Movember USC shooting

Colorado lawmakers seek repeal of legal pot if taxes fail | The Daily ...

• 

When Colorado voters approved Amendment 64 legalizing recreational marijuana use in November, Gov. John Hickenlooper told its supporters that it was too soon to break out munchies like ?Cheetos or Goldfish? because there was much work to be done regulating this new industry.

It may still be too soon to celebrate.

Lawmakers grappling with how to tax marijuana have been working behind the scenes on a plan to repeal the historic law if voters don?t pass their preferred taxing scheme, according to both supporters and opponents of the pot law.

Colorado has complicated tax laws, including a requirement that voters must approve any new taxes at the ballot box. Amendment 64 also requires lawmakers present voters with a taxing option.

But some legislators are worried that those who voted in favor of legalizing marijuana ? by a margin of 55-45 ? wouldn?t be so enthusiastic to approve a proposed taxation package.

The taxation scheme includes a one-time 15 percent excise tax from cultivator to retailer, a special 15 percent marijuana-product tax and the regular 2.9 percent state sales tax.

Even though those rates might not be enough to cover the costs of regulation and enforcement of the marijuana industry, if the taxes are rejected outright, the state will be on the hook for the entire cost of regulation and oversight, with no assistance from taxes at all (outside the regular sales tax, which doesn?t require a vote).

In the event of this worse case scenario, lawmakers have been drafting a bill that would ask voters a two-part question ? one about taxes and another about repealing Amendment 64 if the tax plan isn?t passed. 9News reports that some lawmakers are trying to tie the two together, making repeal automatic if voters reject the taxes.

?Placing such a?measure on the ballot would amount to extortion of the voters,? said Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project in a statement. ?Voters will be told that they must vote for whatever taxes the?legislators choose?in order to prevent the repeal of the constitutional?amendment they approved last November.?

?We are surprised?that legislators are even taking this proposal seriously.?

An anti-marijuana group called Smart Colorado supports the proposal, but didn?t come up with the idea, says a spokesman quoted in the Denver Post.

?We talked to many legislators about the concept throughout the day,? spokesman Eric Anderson said in a statement to the paper. ?Although it?s not our proposal, we appreciate the leadership demonstrated by its authors and believe it?s worthy of consideration.?

?If voters don?t now approve new taxes on marijuana,? he added, ?Colorado?s budget will take a major hit and Amendment 64 will have exactly the opposite effect from what was promised to voters.?

Ballot measures that change the state constitution require passage by two-thirds of the legislature, and with less than two weeks to go before the end of the session, it?s not clear that supporters of the idea can muster enough votes.

Tvert also argues that only fiscal matters can appear on the Colorado ballot in odd-numbered years.

?A?repeal of Amendment 64 would be on the subject of marijuana regulations,? he wrote in a press release,??as?well as the right of individuals under the Colorado State Constitution to?possess and consume marijuana.?

Amendment 64 supporters have already hired a lawyer to fight a repeal attempt.

Follow Greg on Twitter

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact?licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Source: http://dailycaller.com/2013/04/27/colorado-lawmakers-seek-repeal-of-legal-pot-if-tax-scheme-fails-with-voters/

slither slither naacp glen campbell jerusalem artichoke bud shootout aretha franklin

Google policy change stops apps like Facebook from bypassing Play Store updates

Google just released a new Play Store version (4.0.27) that, at first glance, contained only very minor tweaks -- except for one little thing. A new policy change will no longer permit any apps to update without going through the Play Store's internal system. That won't affect most software, but there's a notable exception in Facebook, which recently added auto-downloading to the latest version of its Android app, allowing it to bypass Play. The new policy seems designed to put a stop to that kind of thing, but you never know -- it could be just be a coincidence.

[Thanks, Thomas]

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Software, Google, Facebook

Comments

Source: Google Play

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/26/google-policy-change-play-store/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

bohemian rhapsody spike lee carson daly heejun han donovan mcnabb donovan mcnabb lottery ticket

Schumer Thinks Senate Needs More than 60 Votes for Immigration to Push House to Act

Just breaking up an expected GOP filibuster of immigration legislation may not be enough. Sen. Chuck Schumer, one of the architects of the bipartisan immigration overhaul, said on Thursday that backers of the legislation?can?t afford passage barely above the filibuster-proof margin of 60 senators if they want to force the hand of the GOP-led House.

?If we were to pass this bill with say over 50 Democratic votes, which I do think is possible ? it has widespread support on the Democratic side ? and only 8 or 9 Republican votes. It would pass. We?d get to 60,? said Schumer, a New York Democrat. ?But it would bode poorly for the House.?

Schumer, appearing alongside immigration co-sponsor?Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor, said, ?It would be wonderful if we could get a majority on both sides [of the aisle].?

?Very doable,? chimed in McCain.

Speaker Boehner and House Republicans have largely played the waiting game in the 113^th?Congress on both immigration and guns, hoping the Senate bogs down in partisan disputes and fails to pass any meaningful new laws. It?s worked so far on guns. To goad the House into action on an immigration measure, Schumer suggested decisive margins would be necessary.

McCain and Schumer, two Senate old-timers, were jovial with one another on Thursday, as McCain waved off a scrambled egg breakfast while Schumer eagerly sought out refills on his coffee. They interjected and finished off one another?s sentences like an old couple.

When Schumer proclaimed that ?a majority of Republicans support? a path to citizenship, McCain interrupted. ?As long as,? McCain said. Schumer completed the thought. ?There?s a path. You earn it.?

Asked about President Obama?s performance in the immigration talks, Schumer said, ?He was terrific. Just about perfect.? McCain jumped in: ?I wouldn?t go that far.?

They both agreed that the cooperative path they ? and the rest of the immigration Gang of Eight ? were plowing could help set an example for their colleagues on other issues.

?There?s a different mood in the Senate,? Schumer said, predicting ?this session is going to be a lot more productive than the last few.?

?Which is not a high bar,? added McCain.

?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/schumer-thinks-senate-needs-more-60-votes-immigration-113457446--politics.html

chick fil a chick fil a rose parade bowl games rose bowl jenny mccarthy auld lang syne