Co. looks for worker after oil rig fire in Gulf

By JANET McCONNAUGHEY
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - As crews searched Sunday for a worker still missing after an oil platform explosion and fire, doctors said one of four men burned in the blaze is improving and is now in fair condition.

Two remained in critical condition and one in serious condition, doctors say.

The company that owned the platform that caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico pledged Sunday to keep searching for a second worker still missing after a body was found in about 30 feet of water near one leg of the platform.

At Baton Rouge General Medical Center's burn unit, Wilberto Ilagan, 50, of the Philippines, told Dr. Jeffrey Littleton that he wanted to send a message, according to a news release issued Sunday.

"To my relatives, to my family, and to my country, I am alive and in good health," Ilagan said. "I am burned, but my heart and lungs are healthy."

According to The Advocate (http://bit.ly/ZT9WLy ), Littleton said Sunday that the other men's names are being withheld because they have not given their consent to release them.

The Philippine Embassy in Washington has said all the workers are from the Philippines.

The remains of the unidentified person were found Saturday night by divers hired by Houston-based Black Elk Energy, Coast Guard spokesman Carlos Vega said. He said the Coast Guard, which has suspended its own search, would turn over the body to local authorities.

John Hoffman, the president and CEO of Black Elk Energy, has said the body is apparently one of two crew members missing since an explosion and fire on the oil platform Friday morning. Hoffman said the body was found by a contract dive vessel.

He wrote in an email Sunday morning that a second dive vessel was brought in to speed up the search for the second missing worker.

"The workers impacted by this accident continue to be our primary focus," Hoffman wrote.

Hoffman said the body was found near where the explosion occurred. The missing and wounded workers were employees of oilfield contractor Grand Isle Shipyard, he said.

GIS CEO Mark Pregeant released a statement that the company has notified the families of those involved but was declining to release their names, WWL-TV in New Orleans reported.

The Coast Guard suspended its own search earlier Saturday after 32 hours spent covering 1,400 square miles near the oil platform, located about 20 miles southeast of Grand Isle, La.

Authorities have said the blaze erupted Friday morning while workers were using a torch to cut an oil line on the platform.

Pregeant's statement, however, said the cause of the fire and explosion is unknown and that "initial reports that a welding torch was being used at the time of the incident or that an incorrect line was cut are completely inaccurate."

A man who answered the phone at the company's Galliano, La., office on Sunday said the company had no comment.

Separate from the explosion, Grand Isle Shipyard is facing a lawsuit by a group of former workers from the Philippines who claim they were confined to cramped living quarters and forced to work long hours for substandard pay. The lawsuit was filed in late 2011 in a Louisiana federal court and is pending. Lawyers for the company have said the workers' claims are false and should be dismissed.

The workers recently obtained conditional class certification for allegations that Grand Isle Shipyard didn't pay them properly for overtime and may have violated other fair-labor standards, said attorney Joseph C. Peiffer. He said a notice will go out soon to let other workers know they might be able to join the lawsuit.

He said he was not representing the injured workers, but didn't rule out the possibility that he might do so.

Meanwhile, Black Elk said no oil was leaking from the charred platform, which hadn't been operating since August.

Black Elk Energy is an independent oil and gas company. The company's website says it holds interests in properties in Texas and Louisiana waters, including 854 wells on 155 platforms.

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

Source: http://www.wistv.com/story/20128870/company-vows-continued-search-near-burned-gulf-rig

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Football. Navy Powers Past Texas State, 21-10

Noah Copeland ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

Nov. 17, 2012

Final Stats

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Noah Copeland ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns, leading Navy to a 21-10 victory over Texas State on Saturday.

Copeland scored on runs of 15 and 16 yards as the Midshipmen (7-4) won for the sixth time in seven games.

Shaun Rutherford threw a touchdown pass to Isaiah Battle for the Bobcats (3-7), who dropped their fourth consecutive game.

A week after yielding 487 offensive yards in a 41-31 loss at Troy, the Mids' defense surrendered 405 yards but did not allow a touchdown until the fourth quarter.

It was Navy's final game before its Dec. 8 battle against Army in Philadelphia, where the winner will claim the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for football supremacy among U.S. service academies.

Gee Gee Greene also ran for a TD for Navy, which amassed 407 yards on the ground.

Rutherford completed 25 of 40 passes for 290 yards, but was victimized by a handful of drops.

The game's opening drive ended when Navy's Bo Snelson mishandled quarterback Keenan Reynolds' pitch left, ending an all-ground assault that saw six different Midshipmen rush the ball. After a three-and-out by Texas State, Navy stayed with the run, Copeland's 15-yard touchdown jaunt ending a six-play, 73-yard march for a 7-0 lead.

Midway through the second quarter, Navy turned the ball over on downs at the Bobcats' 45-yard line. Texas State advanced to the Mids' 3, and lined up for a 21-yard field goal on fourth-and-1. But Rutherford, the holder, was sacked for a 10-yard loss by Kwazel Bertrand on the fake field goal.

Texas State's Jafus Gaines fumbled the second-half kickoff after an 18-yard return when he was hit by John O'Boyle. The Mids' James Britton recovered and on the next play, Copeland rumbled in from 16 yards out for his second TD of the day.

? ?

With 2:35 remaining in the third quarter, Will Johnson's 36-yard field goal finally got the Bobcats on the scoreboard.

Navy responded with a 75-yard drive capped by Greene's 10-yard left-side dash early in the fourth quarter. On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Rutherford threw a 62-yard TD pass to Battle, cutting the lead to 21-10.

Johnson recovered his own onside kick, but Texas State's attempt to get within four points was marred by penalties for a false start, face masking and encroachment and stalled on a fourth-down pass completion that came up short.

Navy missed an opportunity to add to its lead with 3:22 left when Nick Sloan was wide left on a 36-yard field goal attempt, his second miss of the game.

Source: http://onlyfans.cstv.com/schools/navy/sports/m-footbl/recaps/111712aaa.html

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Book Addicts' Pam Brewer: Dangerous escape in Mexico leads to thrilling action

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The Carbon Tax Sideshow (Powerlineblog)

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EfficientGrip ?the hush..sh..sh..sh puppy of SUV tyres | For repair ...

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Goodyear has launched what it says is its quietest ever SUV tyre. Based on instrumented interior noise tests conducted by Goodyear Innovation Centre in Luxembourg, under coast down conditions on smooth roads, Goodyear EfficientGrip SUV outperformed its predecessor in both noise and driving comfort.

Basically, the tyre is engineered using what the company calls QuietTred technology, which is a combination of a noise-dampening tread design and a shock absorbing carcass. The EfficientGrip SUV also features a high steel belt angle construction that allows for more structural flexibility that reduces vibrations from the road.

Obviously there is a lot more to it than this. In an interview with Goodyear Dunlop Tyres? corporate communications manager, James Peate, tyreMENonline?s Neil Thomas put the following questions.

So James, what elements make up QuietTred technology and what benefits will this bring to the customer?

As you?ve already mentioned, the combination of a noise dampening tread design and shock absorbing carcass provides for improved noise performances as the tire wears, resulting in a quiet ride and luxurious comfort. The noise dampening tread design consists of three elements:

Closed shoulder design that prevents radiating radial noise sound waves to reduce exterior and interior perceived noise level; increased number of pitches in which a higher number of block pitches (from 68 to 72) optimises block characteristics and sequence reducing noise harmonics and rib type design that provides smooth tread geometry into the footprint to lower the impact noise and reduce the radiated noise

The tyre?s shock absorbing carcass features an absorbing breaker arrangement that provides a more flexible structure that absorbs the tyre vibrations and reduces propagation of road irregularities.

Sounds highly technical! So what goes into providing the tyre with what you say is its outstanding grip?

There are two elements that provide outstanding grip performance that helps reducing wet braking distances and improves handling and control on both wet and dry road surfaces. First there are a high number of biting edges-what is known as high blade density-that provides more grip to the road and an optimised contact patch that enables a matched pressure distribution in key areas of the footprint allowing the tread pattern to work more effectively and generate more grip.

The EfficientGrip SUV also features superb handling particularly for heavy SUV vehicles with its unique combination of matching bubble blade sipes in the tread and carcass stiffness provides for a very responsive structure that will allow better reaction to driver steering inputs with high output cornering forces.

OK, so the EfficientGrip SUV looks and rides like a sedan tyre but what makes this product more suitable for SUVs than say the Eagle EfficientGrip sedan tyre?

Simply that the EfficientGrip SUV is designed to match the technical requirements of the SUVs. It has specific tread design geometry to match all road conditions that SUV can encounter, making it robust for even light off road driving and a robust construction that can resist to the higher loads that SUV would be able to carry, providing a durable structure.

The Eagle F1 Directional 5 also includes some SUV sizes, so what?s the difference in performance and application between the two products?

The EfficientGrip SUV is design to match the core consumer requirements of luxury SUV drivers that require low noise, high level of comfort and a responsive and save tyre whilst the Eagle F1 Directional 5 SUV sizes are targeted to SUV drivers that are looking for on road sporty performance and are sensitive to the looks and style of their vehicles where kit ups would provide an appealing solution to their driving requirements.

So how many kilometers can the purchaser expect to get out of an EfficientGrip SUV?

Internal testing, using size 235/65R17 on a Toyota over 32,500km, showed about 40% wear which indicates that we have a very robust performer in treadwear that out performs key competitors and predecessor products. The EfficientGrip SUV treadwear performance is a key performance contributor in selling to the market.

And who are the competitors?

Competitors will vary by markets but the two main ones in the luxury passenger segment are the Bridgestone Dueler D683 and the Michelin Latitude Tour HP.

What about fuel efficiency and dynamic balance?

As you know these are highly specialised areas, but basically when it comes to fuel efficiency it?s about using a high-loaded silica blend compound that reduces intra-molecular friction for a measurable reduction in consumption. With dynamic balance, the tyre manufacturing process has been specifically designed to ensure the best uniformity levels from our world-class latest plants and equipment such as specific component extruders and dedicated building machines, which ensures that the EfficientGrip SUV reaches uniformity and dynamic balance levels to match the segment?s competitor levels.

OK, ok?Sorry I asked! How about something a little less complex: Any OE fitments?

In Europe, EfficientGrip SUV is now an original fitment for Range Rover Evoque (235/55R19 105V XL) and Audi Q3 (215/65R16 98V XL) with plans to expand into more SUV OE platforms in the near future.

Thanks James. Looks like you could be onto a winner here.

We think so and thank you for your interest.

Source: http://www.ausauto.com/?p=3572

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News Summary: Smaller companies key to growth

THE REPORT: Small and medium-sized companies in Latin America could play a key role in strengthening and consolidating the region's economic growth, according to a report by The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

SLOWDOWN: Regional economic growth will slow down for the first time in nearly a decade this year.

THE NUMBERS: According to the report, small and medium enterprises, account for 99 percent of businesses in the region and employ 67 percent of workers, but their contributions to GDP and productivity remain low. Large firms' productivity is six times higher. That's a wider gap than in more developed countries.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/news-summary-smaller-companies-key-growth-215609739--finance.html

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Gen. Allen probed over 'inappropriate' emails

Military officials announced that up to 30,000 pages of "potentially inappropriate" e-mails connect Gen. ?John Allen, who replaced former CIA Director David Petraeus as commander in Afghanistan last year, to Jill Kelley, the woman whose initial complaint launched the FBI probe into the connection between Petraeus and his biographer Paula Broadwell. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

By NBC News staff

U.S. General John Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, is under investigation over allegations of ?inappropriate? emails between him and the woman who sparked the probe into CIA Director David Petraeus, officials said early Tuesday.

In a statement, the Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said that the FBI had referred ?a matter involving" Allen to the Department of Defense.

?Today, the secretary directed that the matter be referred to the Inspector General of the Department of Defense for investigation, and it is now in the hands of the Inspector General,? Panetta said.

The statement said that Allen would remain commander of ISAF during the investigation and that he was ?entitled to due process in this matter.?

Emails on 'coming and goings' of Petraeus, other military officials escalated FBI concerns

A senior defense official told reporters Tuesday that it was alleged there had been ?inappropriate communications? between Allen and Jill Kelley.

He also said the general ?disputes that he has engaged in any wrongdoing in this matter.??The official said the investigation involved some 20,000 to 30,000 pages of material, mostly emails, which were sent from 2010 to 2012.

The Petraeus scandal emerged after Kelley complained to the FBI about receiving anonymous threatening emails.?FBI agents traced the allegedly threatening emails received by Kelley to Paula Broadwell,?Petraeus' biographer.

Those who know the two women at the center of General David Petraeus' affair scandal are speaking out. Jill Kelley's brother says she is "dedicated" to her husband, while Paula Broadwell's friend calls her "a pretty great person." NBC's Kristen Welker reports.

?

During the investigation, agents discovered emails between Petraeus and Broadwell that were indicative of an extramarital affair between them, according to government and law enforcement officials.?

Petraeus, who was appointed 14 months ago to head the Central Intelligence Agency, announced his resignation on Friday, citing an extramarital affair.

Confirmation hearing on hold
Allen was in line to take over as head of U.S. forces in Europe and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

On Monday, he was in Washington, D.C., preparing for his Senate confirmation hearings which were originally scheduled for Thursday, NBC News reported. That nomination has now been put on hold ?until the relevant facts are determined,? Panetta?s statement said.

?The secretary has asked both Senators Levin and McCain that the confirmation hearing on General Allen's pending nomination to be Commander of the United State European Command and Supreme Allied Commander, Europe be delayed,? the statement said.

Allen had no advance warning about the investigation, a close aide of Allen?s told NBC News. He was alerted to the probe by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey Monday night ET. Allen had a number of meetings scheduled for Tuesday on Capitol Hill, although the aide was unsure if they would take place.

The FBI eventually discovered that the emails received by Jill Kelley, a close friend of the Petraeus family, were sent by Paula Broadwell. And as they dug deeper, the affair between Broadwell and Petraeus came to light. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

Allen?s connection to the Petraeus investigation also seems to have caught the Defense Department off guard.

?This came as very surprising news, to say the least. No one in the Pentagon is leaping to conclusions just yet,? a senior defense official traveling with Panetta told NBC News.? ?It's important to review the materials to determine the facts, and it's too early speculate about where this will lead.? In the meantime, Gen. Allen needs to focus on the war effort, which he's successfully led since last year.?

The ISAF was also unaware of the investigation until late Monday or early Tuesday, and it declined to comment, in a written statement, referring all questions to the Defense Department.

Allen, a highly decorated officer, took over as ISAF commander in July 2011, and was nominated?on Oct. 10 to take over as NATO commander, the same time that his successor at the ISAF was named as General Joseph Dunford.

The confirmation of Dunford, currently assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, is now expected to be fast tracked.

?The secretary has respectfully requested that the Senate act promptly on that nomination," Panetta?s statement said.

NBC News' Courtney Kube, Ian Johnston and Rachel Elbaum contributed to this report.

Some members of Congress are saying that they or, at the least President Obama, should have been told about the investigation into the director of the CIA while it was going on. NBC's Pete Williams reports.

Related content from NBCNews.com:

Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/13/15130151-isaf-commander-gen-john-allen-under-investigation-over-inappropriate-emails?lite

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Proactive enterprise risk management.. | Yemen Parliament

Risk management is an integral part of any organization. Whether be it public sector or private sector entity, large or small business, non-profit seeking or profit-seeking organization; risks still exist & need to be dealt with. Every decision or choice we make, either presents a risk or an opportunity for us. For example, as a small business wanting to improve customer service by answering queries as promptly as you can, you might select to install a 24 hours Telephone System that answers customer queries after office hours as your solution.

Some of the opportunities presented by this new system include: (a) faster response to customer queries as your customers dont have to wait until the following day to have their urgent problems resolved & (b) having a pool of satisfied customers which will ultimately transform into revenues as more referrals start to come in. It is the norm that if one of your customers is pleased with your service offering, he/ she is more likely to pertain friends, work colleagues, family members & other relatives to your organization. The reverse is moreover true, if your customer is not happy, he is most likely to walk away & deter other people from doing business with you.

As I said before, for every opportunity, there is a risk. The downside of the new system is that: an unexpected power cut or electric fault may result in the system going down for hours or maybe days. If that happens, shame. We all know, as customers also, how we react if we fail to obtain hold of our service provider or are kept on hold for a long time.

Using the simple example above, which can moreover be applied to various situations facing your organization, the key is to weighing the risks & opportunities at stake. Risk management is not approximately making gut feeling decisions. It is approximately taking a proactive approach, analysing different scenarios, calculating & weighing the expected returns (losses) & making evidence-based decisions. Taking a proactive approach to ERM involves:

Identifying & assessing organizational & environmental risks:

# A top-down & bottom-up approach should be implemented. This means the identification of all risks should start from the top of the organisation, leaving no stone unturned. A bottom up approach allows employees to participate in the risk identification process via workshops, one to one or group meetings. Brainstorming sessions & available internal company records can moreover be used here..

After identifying internal risks, the focus should then shift to the external environment. Who/ what are the most significant external threats to your organization? Is it your suppliers, customers, competitors, new regulations, political, environmental or economic instability in yours or another jurisdiction?

Having identified both internal & external risks, consider all the scenarios plausible, their probability & frequency. For example, ?If Supplier A & Customer B both go under at the same time, what are the implications to your business in terms of viability, cash flow, profitability & service delivery. Use of up to date publicly available information to generate more information on external stakeholders is moreover of tremendous importance here.

Managing risks enterprise-wide:

Technological developments have recently been allowing organisations to integrate their risk management functions with other business functions. Long seen as a compliance function, businesses are now beginning to see the role risk management can play in creating value. Instead of managing risks by function or department an ERM approach allows you to:

# Group risks into ?risk families? based on their probability of occurring, their frequency & their severity (expected damage or loss). This approach allows you to moreover set up some risk mitigation strategies in advance. It moreover reduces duplication of efforts & hence wastage of resources. For example, IT risks are prevalent in every department of the organization as each department uses telephone, computer, fax or printing systems. You cannot therefore separate IT risk on the basis of sales & marketing, finance, operations or human resources department. Thus ERM allows risks identified at divisional level to be aggregated at corporate level.

# Quantify risks & their impact on your business performance. Instead of just grouping risks into their respective families, actual losses are estimated allowing you to set confidence limits (acceptable level of risk that you can bear). This moreover enables you to obtain a clearer understanding of your business objectives & associated risks, & the trade-offs between risk & reward.

This article was written by Peter Chisambara both a blogger & business accountant.

Learn more approximately risk management services or credit risk analysis

Source: http://yemenparliament.org/proactive-enterprise-risk-management.html

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Congress: Fiscal cliff cuts would mean recession (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/261561002?client_source=feed&format=rss

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#GivingTuesday Network to America: ?Let?s Get out the Give!?; Partners Ramp-Up for a First-Ever National Day of Giving

More Organizations Sign Up while Current Partners' Plans Take Shape for November 27

New York, NY (PRWEB) November 08, 2012

As people from all over the U.S. come together following the recent election, another landmark result has become clear: Americans of all political persuasions prepare to rally around the season of giving and its new opening day, #GivingTuesday. With just a few weeks until the inaugural #GivingTuesday on November 27, more than 500 partners are creating and sharing their plans for giving this season. #GivingTuesday is made up of a diverse group of organizations, universities, businesses and philanthropies. The varieties of giving campaigns, events and ideas that will be launched on and around November 27 reflect the coalition?s unique backgrounds and perspectives. As more and more partners and individuals pledge their support and offer plans for action on November 27, it is evident America is eager for this new day on the holiday calendar.

The #GivingTuesday movement has grown dramatically, due largely to the energetic social media community that has helped to build support and raise awareness. Inspiring messages are pouring in from enthusiastic partners who are beginning to execute their plans. By collaborating around a national day dedicated to giving -- similar to how Black Friday and Cyber Monday are synonymous with holiday shopping -- these partners have come up with creative solutions to encourage their own employees, supporters and the general public to give back. #GivingTuesday partners are inviting and motivating people to take action to improve their local communities, give more, give better, and give in smarter ways to the charities and causes they care about.

Social media and the newly launched #GivingTuesday Community Page have provided platforms for partners and Social Media Ambassadors to connect with each other, share information and swap ideas on giving around the holidays. Here?s how just a small cross section of #GivingTuesday partners are working with supporters, retailers and donors to make this day of giving into a reality:

World Food Program USA will launch an online and mobile campaign called #ABetterGift on #GivingTuesday, encouraging Americans to give a gift that lasts this holiday season. Supporters can send humorous WFP USA e-cards that herald #ABetterGift instead of the very worst holiday presents -- ugly Christmas sweaters, terrible Hanukkah socks or noisy electronic kids? toys. Supporters can let friends and family members know that they've given #ABetterGift -- a donation in the loved one's name -- that will help WFP USA feed over 90 million people in 75 countries globally. Whether providing school meals or emergency relief, e-cards and text donations will help save and change the lives of children in greatest need this holiday season.

On November 27, Simon Property Group, the world's leading retail real estate company, will be collecting donations at its properties nationwide (including at regional malls, Premium Outlets, and Mills properties) to support two important charitable organizations - the Simon Youth Foundation (SYF) and American Red Cross. The Simon Youth Foundation?s mission is to educate at-risk youth. At 23 locations nationwide (21 of them are the company's shopping malls), they house high schools instructing students who have been unsuccessful in the 'traditional' high school environment. SYF works with local school districts so graduates receive their school's diploma. Money towards these programs is being collected on #GivingTuesday at Simon Guest Services at each mall. In addition to raising funds, Simon is encouraging the various mall properties to host their own #GivingTuesday events. There are already events planned at SouthPark in Charlotte, NC and Southern Hills Mall in Sioux City, IA.

#GivingTuesday has another special meaning for the global poverty-fighting organization CARE ? it's the organization?s birthday! On November 27, 1945, CARE was founded as a way for people in the United States to send food and supplies to families in war-torn Europe. CARE coined the now generally used term "CARE Package," which grew into a symbol of American generosity, and CARE itself evolved to focus on long-term solutions to poverty, including the empowerment of women and girls. In honor of it?s birthday on November 27, CARE will host various parties and initiatives at their regional offices around the country. Celebrations include a giving-themed Birthday Party at the Atlanta headquarters and employee activation at their Washington, D.C. office where staff will donate CARE Packages of toiletries and bedding to SAFE, a local nonprofit that supports women who have experienced domestic violence.

Leading up to the big day, CARE has launched a contest encouraging others to help celebrate the great tradition of generosity by making a donation to CARE on or before #GivingTuesday. This donation will empower poor women, families and communities around the world. The lucky person who raises the most for CARE during the contest that ends on #GivingTuesday, November 27, will be flown to visit CARE?s poverty-fighting projects abroad and experience a firsthand look at CARE?s work in action.

As part of its partnership and support of #GivingTuesday, the United Nations Foundation?s Shot@Life Campaign will launch a new online store on November 27. This new store will offer unique gifts that give back including Shot@Life cell phone cases, holiday cards, water bottles, tshirts and more! Proceeds from these gifts will go to help vaccinate children in developing countries protecting them from four of the most deadly childhood diseases. Shot@Life is a movement to protect children by providing life-saving vaccines where they are needed most.

This #givingtuesday, Discover is finding ways for cardmembers, fans and employees to give more, give better and give smarter. The company is encouraging the Discover community to give by offering a 2% match to donations to the national chapters of its charitable partners. Cardmembers are also eligible to donate their Cashback Bonus to Discover?s charitable partners and the charity will receive a 2% match. Discover will also waive transaction fees to charitable partners for donations made on #givingtuesday. Finally, employees can give and their charities will receive more in return with the launch of Discover's You Care, We Share Employee Giving Program.

To see a complete list of #GivingTuesday partners and find out how each organization is activating its own community, visit: http://givingtuesday.org/partners/

Join the #GivingTuesday movement or read about other partner initiatives happening on or around Nov. 27, 2012, by visiting the #GivingTuesday website and Facebook page. Spread the word about the movement by using and following the #GivingTuesday hashtag, which serves as a centralized hub to share why the movement matters, highlight successes and celebrate giving. Visit and connect with #GivingTuesday planners, partners and Social Media Ambassadors at the newly launched community page.

#GivingTuesday is endorsed by Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, Dorothy A. Johnson Center on Philanthropy, Giving Institute, Giving USA Foundation and InterAction. Charity Navigator and GuideStar are serving as the movement?s charity advisors. VolunteerMatch is a volunteer advisor to #GivingTuesday.

###

About #GivingTuesday

#GivingTuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. It will begin with a national day of giving on November 27, 2012. This first-of-its-kind effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners- charities, families, businesses and individuals-to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season.

#GivingTuesday will inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they celebrate and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a national moment around the holidays that is dedicated to giving, similar to the way Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become days that are synonymous with holiday shopping.

A team of recognized experts and influencers, initially convened by leaders of 92nd Street Y and supported by a core group of founding partners, are spearheading this effort. Founding partners include United Nations Foundation, Case Foundation, DonorsChoose.org, Mashable, Blackbaud, charity: water, GlobalGiving, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Kiva, Darden Restaurant Group, Groupon, Unilever and VentureThree Capital. Leaders in philanthropy, social media, innovative giving, grassroots organizing, marketing and communications are providing counsel and resources to help build this movement.

FOUNDING PARTNERS

92nd Street Y

(RED)

American Red Cross

Benevolent

Blackbaud

Bob Woodruff Foundation

Bridgespan

Care2

Causes

Charity Miles

charity: water

City of Hope

Clear Channel Outdoor

Conservation International

Crowdrise

Darden Restaurants

Discover

DoGoodBuyUs

DonorsChoose

DoSomething.org

Financial Times

Games for Change

GlobalGiving

Groupon

Huffington Post

IAVA

JPMorgan Chase

JCPenney

Kiva

Mashable

Microsoft

Pencils of Promise

Plant a Fish

Posterscope

PSI

Samasource

Simon Malls

Skype

Sony

The Case Foundation

The Salvation Army

United Nations Foundation

United Way

Unilever

VENTURE3Philanthropy

ENDORSERS

Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy

Dorothy A. Johnson Center on Philanthropy

Giving Institute

Giving USA Foundation

InterAction

CHARITY ADVISORS

Charity Navigator

GuideStar

VOLUNTEER ADVISORS

VolunteerMatch

To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit:

Website: http://www.givingtuesday.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GivingTues

Amy Freeland
Fenton
303-882-6464
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/givingtuesday-network-america-let-partners-ramp-first-ever-194632772.html

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'Arrested Development': First Look At Season Four!

Conan O'Brien makes a cameo in the first official photo from the upcoming season of 'Arrested Development.'
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Jason Bateman and Conan O'Brien on the set of "Arrested Development"
Photo: Conan O'Brien/Twitter

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1696454/arrested-development-season-four.jhtml

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In hurricane, Twitter proves a lifeline despite pranksters

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - As Hurricane Sandy pounded the U.S. Atlantic coast on Monday night, knocking out electricity and Internet connections, millions of residents turned to Twitter as a part-newswire, part-911 hotline that hummed through the night even as some websites failed and swathes of Manhattan fell dark.

But the social network also became a fertile ground for pranksters who seized the moment to disseminate rumors and Photoshopped images, including a false tweet Monday night that the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange was submerged under several feet of water.

The exchange issued a denial, but not before the tweet was circulated by countless users and reported on-air by CNN, illustrating how Twitter had become the essential - but deeply fallible - spine of information coursing through real-time, major media events.

But a year after Twitter gained attention for its role in the rescue efforts in tsunami-stricken Japan, the network seemed to solidify its mainstream foothold as government agencies, news outlets and residents in need turned to it at the most critical hour.

Beginning late Sunday, government agencies and officials, from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo(@NYGovCuomo) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (@FEMA) to @NotifyNYC, an account handled by New York City's emergency management officials, issued evacuation orders and updates.

As the storm battered New York Monday night, residents encountering clogged 9-1-1 dispatch lines flooded the Fire Department's @fdny Twitter account with appeals for information and help for trapped relatives and friends.

One elderly resident needed rescue in a building in Manhattan Beach. Another user sent @fdny an Instagram photo of four insulin shots that she needed refrigerated immediately. Yet another sought a portable generator for a friend on a ventilator living downtown.

Emily Rahimi, who manages the @fdny account by herself, according to a department spokesman, coolly fielded dozens of requests, while answering questions about whether to call 311, New York's non-emergency help line, or Consolidated Edison.

At the Red Cross of America's Washington D.C. headquarters, in a small room called the Digital Operations Center, six wall-mounted monitors display a stream of updates from Twitter and Facebook and a visual "heat map" of where posts seeking help are coming from.

The heat map informed how the Red Cross's aid workers deployed their resources, said Wendy Harman, the Red Cross director of social strategy.

The Red Cross was also using Radian6, a social media monitoring tool sold by Salesforce.com, to spot people seeking help and answer their questions.

"We found out we can carry out the mission of the Red Cross from the social Web," said Harman, who hosted a brief visit from President Barack Obama on Tuesday.

SPREADING INFORMATION

Twitter, which in the past year has heavily ramped up its advertising offerings and features to suit large brand marketers like Pepsico Inc and Procter & Gamble, suddenly found itself offering its tools to new kind of client on Monday: public agencies that wanted help spreading information.

For the first time, the company created a "#Sandy" event page - a format once reserved for large ad-friendly media events like the Olympics or Nascar races - that served as a hub where visitors could see aggregated information. The page displayed manually- and algorithmically-selected tweets plucked from official accounts like those of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, who was particularly active on the network.

Agencies like the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and the New York Mayor's Office also used Twitter's promoted tweets - an ad product used by advertisers to reach a broader consumer base - to get out the word.

The company said offering such services for free to government agencies was one of several initiatives, including a service that broadcasts location-specific alerts and public announcements based on a Twitter user's postal code.

"We learned from the storm and tsunami in Japan that Twitter can often be a lifeline," said Rachael Horwitz, a Twitter spokeswoman.

Jeannette Sutton, a sociologist at the University of Colorado who has received funding from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Homeland Security to study social media uses in disaster management, said government agencies have been skeptical until recently about using social media during natural disasters.

"There's a big problem with whether it's valid, accurate information out there," Sutton said. "But if you're not part of the conversation, you're going to be missing out."

As the hurricane hit one of the most wired regions in the country, news outlets also took advantage of the smartphone users who chronicled rising tides on every flooded block. On Instagram, the photo-sharing website, witnesses shared color-filtered snapshots of floating cars, submerged gas stations and a building shorn of its facade at a rate of more than 10 pictures per second, Instagram founder Kevin Systrom told Poynter.org on Tuesday.

Many of the images were republished in the live coverage by news websites and aired on television broadcasts.

LIES SLAPPED DOWN

But by late Monday, fake images began to circulate widely, including a picture of a storm cloud gathering dramatically over the Statue of Liberty and a photoshopped job of a shark lurking in a submerged residential neighborhood. The latter image even surfaced on social networks in China.

Then there was the slew of fabricated message from @comfortablysmug, the Twitter account that claimed the NYSE was underwater. The account is owned by Shashank Tripathi, the hedge fund investor and campaign manager for Christopher Wight, the Republican candidate to represent New York's 12th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Tripathi, who did not return emails by Reuters seeking comment, apologized Tuesday night for making a "series of irresponsible and inaccurate tweets" and resigned from Wight's campaign.

His identity was first reported by Jack Stuef of BuzzFeed.

Around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Tripathi began deleting many of his Hurricane Sandy tweets. Tripathi's friend, @theAshok, defended Tripathi, telling Reuters on Twitter: "People shouldn't be taking "news" from an anonymous twitter account seriously."

Tripathi's @comfortablysmug's Twitter stream, which is followed by business journalists, bloggers and various New York personalities, had been a well-known voice in digital circles, but mostly for his 140-character-or-less criticisms of the Obama administration, often accompanied by the hashtag, #ObamaIsn'tWorking.

On Tuesday, New York City Councilman Peter F. Vallone Jr. appeared to threaten Tripathi with prosecution when he tweeted that he hoped Tripathi was "less smug and comfortable cuz I'm talking to Cy," presumably referring to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.

For its part, Twitter said that it would not have considered suspending the account unless it received a request from a law enforcement agency.

"We don't moderate content, and we certainly don't want to be in a position of deciding what speech is OK and what speech is not," said Horwitz, Twitter's spokeswoman.

But Ben Smith, the editor at Buzzfeed, which outed Tripathi, said Twitter's credibility would not be affected by rumormongers because netizens often self-correct and identify falsehoods.

"They used to say a lie will travel halfway around the world before the truth puts its shoes on, but in the Twitter world, that's not true anymore," Smith said. "The lies get slapped down really fast."

For Smith, the ability to disseminate information via Twitter and Facebook on Monday night became perhaps even more important than his Web publication, which enjoyed one of its better nights in readership but went dark when the blackout crippled the site's servers in downtown Manhattan.

Buzzfeed's staff quickly began publishing on Tumblr instead, and Smith personally took over Buzzfeed's Twitter account to stay in the thick of the conversation.

"Our view of the world is that social distribution is the key thing," Smith said. "We're in the business of creating content that people want to share, more than the business of maintaining a website."

(Reporting By Gerry Shih in San Francisco and Jennifer Ablan and Felix Salmon in New York; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hurricane-twitter-proves-lifeline-despite-pranksters-050008581--sector.html

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