Divorce at a younger age hurts people's health more than divorce later in life, according to a new study by a Michigan State University sociologist.
Hui Liu said the findings, which appear in the research journal Social Science & Medicine, suggest older people have more coping skills to deal with the stress of divorce.
"It's clear to me that we need more social and family support for the younger divorced groups," said Liu, assistant professor of sociology. "This could include divorce counseling to help people handle the stress, or offering marital therapy or prevention programs to maintain marital satisfaction."
Liu analyzed the self-reported health of 1,282 participants in Americans' Changing Lives, a long-term national survey. She measured the gap in health status between those who remained married during the 15-year study period and those who transitioned from marriage to divorce, at certain ages and among different birth cohorts, or generations.
Liu found the gap was wider at younger ages. For example, among people born in the 1950s, those who got divorced between the ages of 35 and 41 reported more health problems in relation to their continuously married counterparts than those who got divorced in the 44 to 50 age range.
From a generational perspective, the negative health impact was stronger for baby boomers than it was for older generations ? a finding that surprised Liu.
"I would have expected divorce to carry less stress for the younger generation, since divorce is more prevalent for them," she said.
Liu said this may be because the pressure to marry and stay married was stronger for older generations, and so those who did divorce may have been among the most unhappily married ? and thus felt a certain degree of relief when they did divorce.
Overall, the study found that those who transition from marriage to divorce experience a more rapid health decline than those who remain married. However, those who remained divorced during the entire study period showed no difference than those who remained married.
"This suggests it is not the status of being married or divorced, per se, that affects health, but instead is the process of transitioning from marriage to divorce that is stressful and hurts health," Liu said.
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Michigan State University: http://www.newsroom.msu.edu
Thanks to Michigan State University for this article.
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Survival story "The Grey" starring Liam Neeson in a battle against weather and wolves led the box office pack with a better-than-expected $20 million in ticket sales over the weekend.
"The Grey" knocked last weekend's winner, "Underworld: Awakening," to second place. The vampire and werewolf sequel starring Kate Beckinsale brought in $12.5 million from Friday through Sunday at domestic theaters, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters on Sunday.
In "The Grey," Neeson returns to an action role as a man who leads a team of plane crash survivors who must fight harsh weather and a fierce pack of wolves in the Alaskan wilderness.
The movie played at 3,185 North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters and earned a per-theater average of $6,279, according to the box office division of Hollywood.com.
Distributor Open Road Films acquired the film for about $5 million and had projected up to $12 million in debut weekend sales. The film beat that forecast because "it doesn't look like every other movie out there. In a crowded marketplace, I think it's important to be distinctive," said Open Road Films CEO Tom Ortenburg.
Katherine Heigl's new comedy, "One for the Money," finished in third place with $11.8 million, topping industry forecasts of less than $10 million for the film based on a best-selling book by Janet Evanovich. Distributor Lions Gate Entertainment said readers who loved the book helped the movie beat expectations.
"We think the audience that showed up are not frequent moviegoers. They're just huge fans of Janet Evanovich," said David Spitz, head of domestic distribution for Lions Gate.
In the film, Heigl plays a cash-strapped woman who joins a bail-bond business and must track down a wanted man who happens to be an ex-boyfriend. Audiences surveyed by exit polling firm CinemaScore game the movie a B-minus on average.
OSCAR BOOST
The weekend's other new movie, crime drama "Man on a Ledge," landed in fifth place. The film was distributed by Lions Gate's newly acquired Summit Entertainment unit as release dates and marketing plans were set well before the studios combined earlier this month.
"Man on a Ledge" took in $8.3 million, within studio forecasts. The movie features "Avatar" star Sam Worthington as a fugitive who threatens to jump from a hotel ledge.
"Red Tails," a drama about black fighter pilots in World War Two, brought in $10.4 million to land in fourth place in its second weekend in theaters.
Also this weekend, a crop of films capitalized off last week's Oscar nominations.
"The Descendants," starring George Clooney as a father dealing with a family crisis, expanded to 2,001 theaters from 560 and gained 176 percent from last weekend. The movie took in $6.6 million, lifting its domestic tally to $58.5 million since its release last November. The movie has added $27 million in international markets for a worldwide total of $85.5 million.
Black-and-white silent film "The Artist" increased its weekend sales by 40 percent from a week earlier, bringing in $3.3 million after adding 235 more screens. To date, the film has grossed $16.7 million domestically.
Family film "Hugo," which led the Oscar nominations with 11, also jumped 143 percent to $2.3 million. Its total sales to date stand at $58.7 million domestically.
Open Road Films, a joint venture between theater owners Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment Inc, released "The Grey." The film unit of Sony Corp distributed "Underworld: Awakening." "Red Tails" and "The Descendants" were released by divisions of News Corp's Fox Filmed Entertainment. Privately-held The Weinstein Co released "The Artist," and Viacom Inc unit Paramount Pictures distributed "Hugo."
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine; Editing by Xavier Briand and Paul Simao)
Last week, the developers at NimbleBit (makers of iOS Game of the Year, Tiny Tower) accused Zynga of copying them with its new game, Dream Heights. Now, it's happening again. This time, the accusation comes from Buffalo Studios, which says that the gaming giant copied its flagship title Bingo Blitz with its launch of Zynga Bingo.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Walk to the back of any Newt Gingrich campaign event in Florida and you're likely to run into a few members of the U.S. House who are decidedly not backing the former speaker. In fact, they're all surrogates for Mitt Romney.
Reps. Charlie Bass (R-N.H.), Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) and Connie Mack (R-Fla.) have all been taking turns going around the state to Gingrich's events, available to talk to the media -- and any Gingrich backers who may recognize them.
But on at least three occasions, they have also gotten into skirmishes with Gingrich campaign spokesman R.C. Hammond.
It started on Thursday morning in Mount Dora, Fla., when Hammond confronted Chaffetz.
Chaffetz told The Huffington Post that Hammond came up to him with an audio recorder and started bombarding him with questions about whether he supported Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.
"I am a citizen with questions. He is a congressman without answers," Hammond told The Huffington Post later in the day.
Hammond went at it again on Friday, asking Chaffetz if he wanted a seat on Gingrich's charter plane. When a reporter asked whether Hammond's tone to the congressman was appropriate, Hammond replied, "Sure. He's a citizen like everyone else. I think we're pointing out the fact that the Romney campaign is running scared. They're looking for any opportunity to distort."
It happened again on Saturday morning, this time with Connie Mack in Port St. Lucie. But this time, Mack was ready, according to the Washington Post, and "quickly began browbeating him about Gingrich's work for Freddie Mac, the federally backed mortgage giant that paid him $1.6 million for consulting work."
"Apparently, he's very sensitive about people asking questions about Newt Gingrich and his relationship with Freddie Mac. So he tries to intimidate us and bully us out of the way," Mack told The Huffington Post at Gingrich's Hispanic Town Hall in Orlando Saturday afternoon. "We're not doing anything different than what other campaigns are. Bracketing events is a normal thing. You know, you're in the business. But apparently he gets very sensitive about people asking questions about Newt Gingrich's relationship with Freddie Mac."
He added that it was a sign that the Gingrich campaign was getting "desperate."
"You can just tell this is a campaign in decline," he said.
Gingrich's Hispanic Town Hall was nearly empty. Roughly 60 seats out of the 480 seats at Centro de la Familia Cristiana were filled by attendees, according to an estimate by the Miami Herald.
Gingrich arrived 55 minutes late and then spoke for less than 10 minutes. Though the event was billed as a town hall, audience members were not allowed to stand up and ask questions. He did stick around to take photos and chat with attendees one-on-one, although he typically does that at every event.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Hammond said he thought turnout for the event was "very good," and he declined to say why Gingrich was late.
When asked whether Gingrich gave the green light to Hammond's confrontations with the Romney surrogates, Hammond replied, "He certainly hasn't discouraged it."
The following Gingrich event, the Orange County Liberty Counsel Forum at the Aloma Baptist Church in Winter Park, Fla., was much more filled out. The conservative audience gave Gingrich several standing ovations for his answers on defunding Planned Parenthood, moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and opposing embryonic stem cell research.
Watch the confrontation between Hammond and Mack (via The Washington Times:
What's that? You want an eight or ten inch WiFi tab, but failed to place your pre-order for one of Moto's latest earlier this month? Worry not, slate-seeking friend, for both the WiFi Xyboard 8.2 and 10.1 are officially on sale at Motorola's website, with free two-day shipping thrown in for good measure. As a quick refresher, the 8.2 comes in 16 and 32GB flavors for $400 and $500, respectively, while the same amount of memory in the 10-inch form factor will set you back $100 more. Sound good? Head on down to the source links below, credit card at the ready, and Moto will gladly send one your way.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Kenny Chesney's steamy duet, "You and Tequila" with Grace Potter, continues to radiate heat.
The song helped Chesney to nine Academy of Country Music Awards nominations Thursday morning, including the top honor of entertainer of the year. Jason Aldean, next with six nominations, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton and 2011 winner Taylor Swift round out the fan-voted category.
Lady Antebellum had five nominations, Paisley had four and several were deadlocked at three, including Swift.
Nominees were announced via social media with the help of stars like Reba McEntire and Lionel Richie. Fans were chosen to announce the entertainer of the year candidates. They'll have a chance to pick the winner in that category and new artist of the year for the 47th annual ACM Awards, which will air live April 1 from Las Vegas on CBS with McEntire and Shelton hosting.
Chesney is a four-time entertainer of the year winner and was the first victor under the academy's current fan-voted format. He's nominated for a 10th time in the male vocalist category and received double nominations as artist and producer for album of the year for "Hemingway's Whiskey" and single record of the year and vocal event of the year for "You and Tequila." He also receives a song of the year nomination as performer on "You and Tequila," written by Matraca Berg and Deana Carter.
Potter, best known as an indie rock performer with her band The Nocturnals, received three nominations for the collaboration.
Aldean also is up for male vocalist, album of the year for "My Kinda Party," single record and vocal event of the year for the duet "Don't You Wanna Stay" with Kelly Clarkson, and video of the year for "Tattoos on This Town."
Lady Antebellum will compete for its third straight vocal group of the year win. The trio of Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley also is up for album of the year for "Own the Night" as artist and producer, and both song and video of the year for "Just a Kiss."
Along with his fifth straight entertainer nomination, Paisley will be going for another win in the male vocalist category. He's won it five times in a row. He also scored a double nomination in the vocal event category for "Old Alabama" with Alabama and "Remind Me" with Carrie Underwood.
Eric Church's "CHIEF" and Miranda Lambert's "Four the Record" round out the album of the year category. Lady A won last year for its breakthrough "Need You Now."
Nominees for the new artist of the year will be announced after the close of online voting Jan. 30. Fans are currently picking the nominees in that category from a list of eight semifinalists.
Fans can begin voting at the ACM website for entertainer and new artist nominees on March 19. The other award winners are picked by the academy's membership.
It's Shelton's first nomination for the academy's top award. The news comes the week after Shelton's father, Dick, passed away.
"The support I have felt this week is overwhelming," Shelton said in a statement. "Thank you everyone for this honor."
COMMENTARY | In his State of the Union Address, President Obama made it clear that the blueprint for American economic success begins with manufacturing. He stated: "So we have a huge opportunity, at this moment, to bring manufacturing back. But we have to seize it. Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed."
The fact of the matter is, nothing could be further from the truth. This is not to say that American manufacturing workers are not the smartest and hardest working manufacturing workers in the world. But they are incredibly overmatched.
In a recent New York Times article titled "How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work," the case for why the American manufacturing sector is doomed begins and ends with one word -- wages. The article states that Foxconn, the company that employees hundreds of thousands of Chinese workers to build and assemble Apple products, pays many of their workers less than $17 per day to work 12 hour shifts, 6 days per week.
If you figure that the average worker there works approximately 50 weeks a year; the average worker is making a gross income of roughly $5,100 per year. Most amazing of all, Foxconn says that they could hire 3,000 people overnight without any problems.
It doesn't take an economics whiz to figure out that American manufacturing cannot compete in a global environment where people literally line up in hopes of landing a job that pays $17 a day.
But in the end, this isn't necessarily a bad thing.
To prove my point, ask any parent that is working as an assemblyman in manufacturing one simple question: Do you want your children to do the same line of work as you? Now that might seem to be a cold or arrogant statement, but I would guess that 90 percent of respondents would say no. And believe me, that is not to say that they are not good, honest, hard-working people. But most work these types of jobs in order to support their family so that their children can go on to live better lives than they had, not to repeat the life they lived.
As Americans, it's time to start dreaming bigger and not dream of reliving the American life of the past 50 years. Our grandparents and great-grandparents did not live through a depression and win two World Wars in order for us to work at the same factory as they did. They did it so that freedom and the American spirit would live on; building an America that was far greater than the one they left us.
Veteran TV actor James Farentino died Tuesday at age 73. NBC?s Brian Williams reports.
>>learned today the veteran hollywood actor
james farentino
has died. almost 100 roles in all. known for a dramatic
private life
among other things, the brooklyn-born farentino was 73 years old.
Cell Press reinforces its commitment to provide a broad range of publishing options for the life sciences community with the inaugural issue of a new open-access journal: Cell Reports. Since the announcement in August, after 6 months of hard work on the part of our authors, reviewers, and editorial board members as well as our own editorial and production teams, the first issue is available online today, January 26, 2011, with eight exciting papers on topics ranging from evolutionary biology to immunology.
"We are thrilled to add Cell Reports to the Cell Press family of journals, giving choice to our authors and readers and providing a new avenue for communicating cutting-edge science." said Dr. Emilie Marcus, CEO of Cell Press. "Cell Reports brings all the features scientists have come to expect from Cell Pressexciting science, highest quality content, editorial responsiveness, and rapid publicationtogether with a broad biological scope, a short report format, and an open-access business model."
Leading the Cell Reports editorial team is Dr. Boyana Konforti, who brings a wealth of experience from a successful research career and over 13 years as a professional editor. Support from Cell Press editors as well as an actively engaged editorial board ensures broad expertise across an extensive range of topics. With a focus on concise, provocative stories and a professional approach to the entire publication process, Cell Reports will make a distinctive contribution to open-access publishing.
The launch of Cell Reports is the next step in Cell Press's ongoing dedication to serving the scientific community. Cell Press has always placed a high priority on enabling authors to disseminate published research widely and easily and offers a variety of options to make content universally accessible. The Cell Press open-archive policy, enacted in 2005, allows readers to access all online research journal content free of charge from 12 months after publication. This policy now provides a resource of over 24,000 articles that are freely available online. Newly-published featured articles are also available online at no charge on a monthly basis. On behalf of authors, Cell Press has voluntarily deposited over 7,200 of the total 84,863 Elsevier contribution of research papers into PubMed Central databases over the past 5 years. Cell Press continues to partner proactively with institutions, government agencies, and funding bodies to facilitate access to research. Cell Press and Elsevier also participate in a wide range of worldwide initiatives to provide low-cost or free access to scientific information to teachers, healthcare patients and providers, as well as researchers with limited resources. In addition, subscribing libraries are able to offer free access to walk-in users.
Through Cell Reports, Cell Press is happy to provide authors with the option to publish in a prestigious journal with immediate open access. Authors can choose to publish their work under one of two Creative Commons licenses, one of which is the most liberal available. Cell Press and Elsevier share an ongoing commitment to promote access to the scientific literature and to support a broad range of sustainable publishing models.
###
For more information on Cell Reports, please visit http://cellreports.cell.com/
About Cell Press:
Cell Press is committed to improving scientific communication through the publication of exciting research and reviews. As we introduce publications and expand our online content to serve our growing audience, our mission remains to publish and develop journals that deliver the highest possible intellectual rigor, promote community trust, and are widely disseminated. Cell Press primary research journals include the flagship journal Cell. For more information, please visit www.cell.com
About Elsevier:
Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical, and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier publishes eight open-access journals and offers authors the option to sponsor open access to articles published in over 1,100 titles. Elsevier's online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect, SciVerse Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult, and Nursing Consult, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK, and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Cell Press launches a new open-access journal, Cell ReportsPublic release date: 26-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Elisabeth (Lisa) Lyons elyons@cell.com 617-386-2121 Cell Press
Cell Press reinforces its commitment to provide a broad range of publishing options for the life sciences community with the inaugural issue of a new open-access journal: Cell Reports. Since the announcement in August, after 6 months of hard work on the part of our authors, reviewers, and editorial board members as well as our own editorial and production teams, the first issue is available online today, January 26, 2011, with eight exciting papers on topics ranging from evolutionary biology to immunology.
"We are thrilled to add Cell Reports to the Cell Press family of journals, giving choice to our authors and readers and providing a new avenue for communicating cutting-edge science." said Dr. Emilie Marcus, CEO of Cell Press. "Cell Reports brings all the features scientists have come to expect from Cell Pressexciting science, highest quality content, editorial responsiveness, and rapid publicationtogether with a broad biological scope, a short report format, and an open-access business model."
Leading the Cell Reports editorial team is Dr. Boyana Konforti, who brings a wealth of experience from a successful research career and over 13 years as a professional editor. Support from Cell Press editors as well as an actively engaged editorial board ensures broad expertise across an extensive range of topics. With a focus on concise, provocative stories and a professional approach to the entire publication process, Cell Reports will make a distinctive contribution to open-access publishing.
The launch of Cell Reports is the next step in Cell Press's ongoing dedication to serving the scientific community. Cell Press has always placed a high priority on enabling authors to disseminate published research widely and easily and offers a variety of options to make content universally accessible. The Cell Press open-archive policy, enacted in 2005, allows readers to access all online research journal content free of charge from 12 months after publication. This policy now provides a resource of over 24,000 articles that are freely available online. Newly-published featured articles are also available online at no charge on a monthly basis. On behalf of authors, Cell Press has voluntarily deposited over 7,200 of the total 84,863 Elsevier contribution of research papers into PubMed Central databases over the past 5 years. Cell Press continues to partner proactively with institutions, government agencies, and funding bodies to facilitate access to research. Cell Press and Elsevier also participate in a wide range of worldwide initiatives to provide low-cost or free access to scientific information to teachers, healthcare patients and providers, as well as researchers with limited resources. In addition, subscribing libraries are able to offer free access to walk-in users.
Through Cell Reports, Cell Press is happy to provide authors with the option to publish in a prestigious journal with immediate open access. Authors can choose to publish their work under one of two Creative Commons licenses, one of which is the most liberal available. Cell Press and Elsevier share an ongoing commitment to promote access to the scientific literature and to support a broad range of sustainable publishing models.
###
For more information on Cell Reports, please visit http://cellreports.cell.com/
About Cell Press:
Cell Press is committed to improving scientific communication through the publication of exciting research and reviews. As we introduce publications and expand our online content to serve our growing audience, our mission remains to publish and develop journals that deliver the highest possible intellectual rigor, promote community trust, and are widely disseminated. Cell Press primary research journals include the flagship journal Cell. For more information, please visit www.cell.com
About Elsevier:
Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical, and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier publishes eight open-access journals and offers authors the option to sponsor open access to articles published in over 1,100 titles. Elsevier's online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect, SciVerse Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult, and Nursing Consult, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.
A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK, and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Will Microsoft's next machine blow its current console out of the water?
The current?video game console generation is entering its twilight years, and with that inevitability comes the unceasing rumors of what each company's next hardware will be capable of. Nintendo has already shown its hand by?unveiling the Wii U, and now some tasty tidbits are beginning to surface regarding the next Xbox from?Microsoft. Popularly nicknamed the Xbox 720, some new, well-sourced rumors suggest that it will be six times as powerful as the current console.
The?Xbox 360 is no slouch, and it can still play host to the?hottest new releases, but the hardware is approaching its 6th birthday and some serious advancements have been made in the world of graphics processing in the last half decade. The new Xbox will reportedly run on a derivative of AMD's 6670 graphics chip, which supports 1080p HD, 3D, and linking to multiple external displays.
Compared to the Wii U, the Xbox 720 should be roughly 20% more powerful, though the stats of the two systems appear to be close enough that players may not notice a difference. Like Microsoft, Sony has yet to officially reveal anything about its followup to the?PlayStation 3, but based on their console release history, a new machine is undoubtedly in the works. Where the PlayStation 4 will stack up in comparison to the new systems by Nintendo and Microsoft is anyone's guess.
BANGKOK (AP) ? Oil inched toward $100 a barrel after Iran again threatened to block shipments of crude from the Persian Gulf in the wake of the European Union's widely expected decision to embargo imports of Iranian oil.
Benchmark oil for March delivery was up 9 cents at $99.67 a barrel at mid morning Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.25 to settle at $99.58 a barrel in New York on Monday.
Brent crude was unchanged at $110.58 on the ICE futures exchange in London. It gained 72 cents on Monday.
Tanker traffic out of the Persian Gulf has concerned oil traders for weeks, with Iran saying it could close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's crude is transported, in response to sanctions by the West.
On Monday, the EU said its refineries will stop buying Iranian crude after July. It also froze assets of Iran's central bank. The sanctions are meant to force Iran to talk with the West about its nuclear program. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, but Western nations suspect it is trying to build nuclear weapons.
The embargo itself isn't expected to affect world supplies, although markets would get reshuffled. Analysts say China, which is one of the biggest buyers of Iranian crude, probably will buy more Iranian oil at below-market prices when the embargo begins. China would reduce imports from other oil-producing countries, which would then sell more to Europe.
"Iran needs to sell its oil to someone," independent analyst and trader Stephen Schork said. "Outside the West, Iran really has only one buyer: China. That means China's probably going to get some sweetheart deals."
Experts say Iran doesn't have the firepower to close off the strait, which is the only way to get from the Persian Gulf to the open sea. But a conflict there could clog the waterway with military vessels and force the world's refineries to wait for crucial oil shipments.
In other energy trading, heating oil rose 0.8 cent to $3.01 a gallon and gasoline futures added 0.1 cent to $2.79 a gallon. Natural gas futures were up 5.7 cents at $2.58 per 1,000 cubic feet.
WASHINGTON ? The House on Tuesday passed two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials. One writes into law the propriety of displaying religious markers at war memorials while the other orders that the Interior Department add to the World War II Memorial in Washington a plaque with Franklin Roosevelt's prayer to the nation on D-Day.
The first bill would codify the existing practice of allowing religious symbols at military monuments established or acquired by the federal government. It was introduced by San Diego Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter in response to a 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling a year ago that a cross placed on Mount Soledad in nearby La Jolla, Calif., in 1913 was unconstitutional.
The bill, Hunter said, "ensures that Mount Soledad and any other war memorial will withstand these attacks by allowing the inclusion of all symbols of religion and personal faith on war memorials established and under the control of the federal government." The 43-foot cross, which became a memorial to Korean War veterans and now honors all veterans, has been the center of legal challenges for more than two decades. In 2006, Congress passed a law transferring the property to the Defense Department.
The second bill would install at the World War II Memorial on the Mall a plaque or inscription with Roosevelt's prayer on June 6, 1944, when Allied forces invaded Normandy. It passed 386-26.
The prayer begins: "With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances."
Bureau of Land Management Director Robert Abbey, in congressional testimony last November, said that while the administration did not judge the merit of the new commemoration, it could not support it. He said it was contrary to law that bars adding new commemorative work that encroaches on an existing one.
The addition, he said, "will necessarily dilute this elegant memorial's central message and its ability to clearly convey that message to move, educate and inspire its many visitors."
Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, the bill's sponsor, said he didn't see "how a nondenominational prayer that gave solace and comfort and strength to our nation during one of the most pivotal days of World War II and one of the most memorable days in our nation's history, would dilute the central message of the memorial."
The bills now go to the Senate.
Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, urged the Senate to ignore the bills, saying those who give their lives for the country should be honored "by respecting America's great tradition of religious diversity, not by allowing Congress to hijack the language and symbols of one faith and impose them on all."
Cast member Kate Beckinsale arrives at the premiere of "Underworld Awakening" in Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. "Underworld Awakening" will be released in theaters Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Cast member Kate Beckinsale arrives at the premiere of "Underworld Awakening" in Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. "Underworld Awakening" will be released in theaters Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Kate Beckinsale is back with a vengeance, with her latest "Underworld" movie opening at No. 1 this weekend.
"Underworld Awakening" made an estimated $25.4, distributor Sony Screen Gems reported Sunday.
This is the fourth film in the vampire action saga. Beckinsale starred in the first two movies as the warrior Selene, then bowed out of part three but returned for this latest installment. "Underworld Awakening" was shown for the first time in 3-D as well as on IMAX screens, where it made $3.8 million. That's 15 percent of the film's weekend gross, which is a record for an IMAX digital-only run.
Sony had hoped the film would end up in the low-$20 million range. But Rory Bruer, the studio's president of worldwide distribution, says the fact that it did even better ? despite a snow storm that hit much of the Midwest and East Coast ? primarily has to do with Beckinsale's return.
"She is such a force. Her character ? you just can't take your eyes off of her. I know the character is very dear to her, as well, and she just kills it," Bruer said. "The 3-D aspect of the film also brings something, makes it a fun, visceral ride."
Opening in second place was "Red Tails" from executive producer George Lucas, about the Tuskegee Airmen who were the first black fighter pilots to serve in World War II. It made an estimated $19.1 million, according to 20th Century Fox, which was well above expectations; the studio had hoped to reach double digits, said Chris Aronson, executive vice president of domestic distribution.
"I believe what George Lucas has stated all along: This is an important story and a story that must be told. It is a true story of American heroism and valor and audiences have really responded to this message," Aronson said. "People want to feel good about themselves, they want to be uplifted. We have enough hard crud going on in this country right now. Times are tough, and if we look back and are told a story of some really fantastic deeds, that's really compelling moviegoing."
Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian said a grassroots effort to get groups of people into the theaters to see "Red Tails," along with positive word-of-mouth, helped its strong showing. The film saw an uptick from about $6 million on Friday to $8.65 million on Saturday.
Overall box office is up 31 percent from the same weekend a year ago, Dergarabedian said, thanks to new releases as well as movies like "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," which had limited runs for awards consideration at the end of 2011 and are now expanding nationwide. The Sept. 11 drama from Warner Bros., starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, came in fourth place with $10.5 million.
Last week's No. 1 film, the Universal smuggling thriller "Contraband" starring Mark Wahlberg, dropped to the No. 3 spot with $12.2 million. It's now made $46.1 million in two weeks. Meanwhile, Steven Soderbergh's international action picture "Haywire" from Relativity Media, starring mixed martial arts superstar Gina Carano in her first film role, opened in fifth place with $9 million, which was above expectations.
"This is a great, perfect January weekend. You've got these holdover films and newcomers creating an overall marketplace that people are really responding to," Dergarabedian said. "It sounds cliche but this marketplace really has something for everyone."
As for worldwide box office, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 1" has now crossed the $700 million mark. The first half of the finale of the girl-vampire-werewolf love triangle franchise has grossed an estimated $701.3 million in global box office receipts since its release last November, according to Lionsgate, which recently acquired Summit Entertainment, which distributes the series.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Underworld Awakening," $25.4 million ($13.4 million international).
9. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," $4.8 million. ($18.1 million international).
10. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," $3.75 million ($15.7 international).
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Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," $18.1 million.
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," $15.7 million.
"Underworld Awakening," $13.4 million.
"Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol," $9.4 million international.
"Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," $9.3 million.
"Puss in Boots," $8.7 million.
"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," $8.2 million.
"War Horse," $7.3 million.
"The Descendants," $6.2 million.
"The Darkest Hour," $5.1 million.
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Online:
http://www.hollywood.com
http://www.rentrak.com
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AP Movie Writer Christy Lemire can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/christylemire/
Recent experiments conducted at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) produced striking results, showing for the first time that corals hosting a single type of "zooxanthellae" can have different levels of thermal tolerance ? a feature that was only known previously for corals with a mix of zooxanthellae.
Zooxanthellae are algal cells that live within the tissue of living coral and provide the coral host with energy; the relationship is crucial for the coral's survival. Rising ocean temperatures can lead to the loss of zooxanthellae from the coral host, as a consequence the coral loses its tissue colour and its primary source of energy, a process known as 'coral bleaching'. Globally, coral bleaching has led to significant loss of coral, and with rising ocean temperatures, poses a major threat to coral reefs.
It was previously known that corals hosting more than one type of zooxanthellae could better cope with temperature changes by favouring types of zooxanthellae that have greater thermal tolerance. However, until now it was not known if corals hosting a single type of zooxanthellae could have different levels of thermal tolerance.
Results recently published in the prestigious scientific journal, Nature Climate Change, showed corals that only host a single type of zooxanthellae may in fact differ in their thermal tolerance. This finding is important because many species of coral are dominated by a single type of zooxanthellae.
PhD student, Ms Emily Howells from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) at James Cook University, Townsville, together with scientists from AIMS and CoECRS, collected two populations of a single type of zooxanthellae (known as C1) from two locations on the Great Barrier Reef. The population collected from Magnetic Island near Townsville experiences average ocean temperatures 2?C higher than the population collected from the Whitsunday Islands. In experiments at AIMS, young corals were treated with one or other of the two different populations of zooxanthellae, and exposed to elevated water temperatures, as might occur during bleaching events.
The results were striking. Corals with zooxanthellae from the warmer region coped well with higher temperatures, staying healthy and growing rapidly, whilst corals with zooxanthellae from the cooler region suffered severe bleaching (loss of the zooxanthellae) and actually reduced in size as they partly died off.
Madeleine van Oppen, ARC Future Fellow at AIMS, says the research results will likely have a major impact on the field, as until now corals associating with the same type of zooxanthellae have been viewed as physiologically similar, irrespective of their geographical location.
"Our research suggests that populations of a single type of zooxanthellae have adapted to local conditions as can be seen from the remarkably different results of the two populations used in this study. If zooxanthellae populations are able to further adapt to increases in temperature at the pace at which oceans warm, they may assist corals to increase their thermal tolerance and survive into the future." says Emily Howells.
"However, we do not yet know how fast zooxanthellae can adapt, highlighting an important area of future research", says Bette Willis, Professor from the CoECRS at James Cook University.
Research at AIMS is therefore currently assessing whether zooxanthellae can continue to adapt to increasing temperatures and at what rate. This work in progress will provide insights into the capacity of zooxanthellae to adapt to future climate change.
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ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies: http://www.coralcoe.org.au/
Thanks to ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies for this article.
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Etta James, the influential 1950s rhythm-and-blues singer best known for her show-stopping hit "At Last," died on Friday from complications of leukemia in a California hospital surrounded by her family. She was 73.
Her death prompted tributes from numerous musicians and artists who were influenced by her singing, from pop star Mariah Carey to Aretha Franklin and legendary rock band The Doors.
James died in her home town of Riverside, California, east of Los Angeles, said her manager and friend of some 30 years, Lupe De Leon. She would have turned 74 on Wednesday.
"She passed away this morning. She was with her husband and her sons," said De Leon.
James was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago and had been in failing health for a number of years. Her live-in doctor said in December she was terminally ill with leukemia. James also suffered from diabetes, kidney problems and dementia and was hospitalized late in 2011 because she was struggling to breathe.
The three time Grammy-award winning R&B singer saw numerous ups-and-downs in her career and personal life. She struggled with obesity and heroin addiction, ran a hot-check scheme and had troubled relationships with men, including some gangsters. Her weight ballooned, and in 2003 she underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost more than 200 pounds.
Yet in the music industry, among fellow R&B artists and rock icons, James' career was legendary. With songs like "The Wallflower" and "Good Rockin' Daddy," the three-time Grammy winner was a key figure in the early days of rock 'n' roll, and her signature song, the 1961 ballad "At Last," proved her mastery of the blues.
Carey, one of dozens of musicians paying tribute on Twitter on Friday, said, "Rest in peace to one of the world's most influential singers Etta James, you will be missed."
Beyonce, who was slammed by James in 2009 for singing "At Last" at the inaugural ball for U.S. President Barack Obama, said on Friday she was fortunate to have met "such a queen."
"Singing her music inspired me to be a stronger artist. When she effortlessly opened her mouth, you could hear her pain and triumph," Beyonce said on her official website.
Aretha Franklin called James "an American original." "When Etta SUNG, you heard it!" Franklin said in a statement.
The Recording Academy, which gives out the Grammys, said James left behind a dynamic legacy. "She will forever be remembered for her timeless ballad 'At Last,' and a powerful voice that will echo around the world for generations to come," academy president Neil Portnow said in a statement.
Other tributes came from LeAnn Rimes, Pink, Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill, Chaka Khan, Simon LeBon of Duran Duran, hip-hop producer Russell Simmons and British blues-rock singer Steve Winwood. The Doors called James "one of the world's legendary R&B icons."
POWER AND PAIN
James sang with a mixture of power and pain that led veteran musical producer Jerry Wexler to call her "the greatest of all modern blues singers ... the undisputed Earth Mother."
But throughout her long career she diversified into mainstream blues, soul and R&B. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
"Etta James is simply one of the best singers I've ever heard," singer-guitarist Bonnie Raitt wrote in Rolling Stone magazine. "... Etta is earthy and gritty, ribald and out-there in a way that few performers have the guts to be."
James' last album, "The Dreamer," was released in 2011. She spent the latter part of her life at home in California.
She was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles on January 25, 1938, to an unmarried teenager who told her that her father was legendary pool shark Rudolph Wanderone, better known as Minnesota Fats. James told CNN she introduced herself to Wanderone in 1987 but was unable to confirm he was her father.
James sang gospel in the church choir and stood out even as a 5-year-old. By 1954, she recorded "Roll With Me Henry" with two other girls in a trio called The Peaches.
The group was discovered by bandleader Johnny Otis, and their song, renamed "The Wallflower," topped R&B charts in 1955. The Peaches eventually split up, but James continued recording and later that year "Good Rockin' Daddy" hit the charts.
Otis died on Tuesday in the Los Angeles area, age 90.
In the 1960s, James signed with Chicago's legendary Chess Records label and sang songs like "At Last" and "Trust in Me" that were backed by orchestras. But she never strayed too far from her gospel roots, as evidenced by 1962's "Something's Got a Hold of Me."
Over the decades, James' hit the R&B charts with 30 singles, and placed nine of those songs in pop music's top 40. She has often been cited as influencing singers including Raitt, Janis Joplin and Tina Turner.
James won her first Grammy in 1995 for her album, "Mystery Lady: The Songs of Billie Holiday." She also won Grammys in 2003 and 2005, as well as a lifetime achievement award in 2003 from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which gives out the Grammys.
She is survived by her husband, Artis Mills, two sons Donto and Sametto who played in James' backing band, and four grandchildren.
(Reporting By Bill Trott and Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bob Tourtellotte)
Syrian army defectors gather at the mountain resort town of Zabadani, Syria, near the Lebanese border, on Friday Jan. 20, 2012. President Bashar Assad's forces attacked Zabadani, some 17 miles (27 kilometers) west of the capital, for six days, sparking fierce fighting that involved heavy bombardments and clashes with army defectors. On Wednesday, government tanks and armored vehicles pulled back, leaving the opposition in control of the town. Buoyed by the opposition's control of a town near the Syrian capital, thousands of people held anti-government protests Friday, chanting for the downfall of the regime. At least eight people were killed by security forces across the country, activists said. (AP Photo)
Syrian army defectors gather at the mountain resort town of Zabadani, Syria, near the Lebanese border, on Friday Jan. 20, 2012. President Bashar Assad's forces attacked Zabadani, some 17 miles (27 kilometers) west of the capital, for six days, sparking fierce fighting that involved heavy bombardments and clashes with army defectors. On Wednesday, government tanks and armored vehicles pulled back, leaving the opposition in control of the town. Buoyed by the opposition's control of a town near the Syrian capital, thousands of people held anti-government protests Friday, chanting for the downfall of the regime. At least eight people were killed by security forces across the country, activists said. (AP Photo)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The State Department said Friday it "may have no choice" but to close the U.S. embassy in Damascus and remove all US personnel from the country wracked by a 10-month revolt against the regime of President Bashar Assad unless Assad's government takes extra steps to protect the mission.
The department issued a statement late Friday noting that the Obama administration has "serious concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Damascus, including the recent spate of car bombs and about the safety and security of embassy personnel."
The uprising against Assad has killed an estimated 5,400 people since March. Although the revolt began with mostly peaceful protests, an increasingly strong armed element has developed, and many people are now fighting the regime.
The department said the administration has asked Syria to take additional security measures to protect the U.S embassy and that the Syrian government "is considering that request."
But it also said it warned Assad's government that "unless concrete steps are taken in the coming days we may have no choice but to close the mission."
The U.S. removed its ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, from Damascus in October over security concerns. He returned to Syria in December.
The administration argued at the time that Ford's presence in Syria was important for advancing U.S. policy goals by meeting with opposition figures and serving as a witness to the ongoing violence.
The Obama administration has long called for Assad to step down, and officials say his regime's demise is inevitable.
U.S. officials say Syria has become increasingly isolated, with Iran as one of its last remaining allies, and point to recent defections by some military and government leaders as a sign that Assad's grip on power is unraveling. The 10-month uprising against Assad has turned increasingly militarized and chaotic as more frustrated regime opponents and army defectors arm themselves and fight back against government forces.
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Associated Press writer Julie Pace contributed to this report.
Actress Bryce Dallas Howard and her husband, Seth Gabel, welcomed their second child on Thursday, with the baby girl’s grandfather, filmmaker Ron Howard, announcing the happy news on Twitter. “Beatrice Jean Howard-Gabel Born Jan 19 2012 8lbs 6oz Bryce & Baby B are spectacular Daddy Seth & brother Theo are beaming ear to ear ,” [...]
Garth Brooks rubs his brow while talking to reporters after a day of testimony in a breach-of-promise trial at the Rogers County Courthouse in Claremore, Okla., on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Brooks is suing the Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital, saying it wouldn't name a women's center for Colleen Brooks after receiving $500,000 from him. (AP Photo/Tulsa World, Matt Barnad) TV OUT; TULSA OUT
Garth Brooks rubs his brow while talking to reporters after a day of testimony in a breach-of-promise trial at the Rogers County Courthouse in Claremore, Okla., on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Brooks is suing the Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital, saying it wouldn't name a women's center for Colleen Brooks after receiving $500,000 from him. (AP Photo/Tulsa World, Matt Barnad) TV OUT; TULSA OUT
Garth Brooks talks to reporters while his wife Trisha Yearwood, right, looks on after a day of testimony in a breach-of-promise trial at the Rogers County Courthouse in Claremore, Okla., on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Brooks is suing the Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital, saying it wouldn't name a women's center for Colleen Brooks after receiving $500,000 from him. (AP Photo/Tulsa World, Matt Barnad) TV OUT; TULSA OUT
Garth Brooks and attorney John Hickey, right, leave the Rogers County Courthouse after a day of testimony in a breach-of-promise trial in Claremore, Okla., on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Brooks is suing the Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital, saying it wouldn't name a women's center for Colleen Brooks after receiving $500,000 from him. (AP Photo/Tulsa World, Matt Barnad) TV OUT; TULSA OUT
CLAREMORE, Okla. (AP) ? An Oklahoma hospital executive discussed country singer Garth Brooks asking for a $500,000 donation back in an email to staff members.
The Tulsa World ( HYPERLINK "http://bit.ly/Avdi1z" ) reports the email was discussed during testimony Thursday. Brooks is suing the Integris (in-TEHG-rihs) Canadian Valley Regional Hospital, saying it wouldn't name a women's center for Colleen Brooks after receiving $500,000 from him.
An email from hospital President James Moore in 2009 said the hospital "may not deny Garth access to the money," but could "make him work to get it."
The hospital says it considered Brooks' donation unconditional.
Earlier, Moore testified that Brooks considered donating up to $15 million if the facility would rename itself after his mother.
Colleen Brooks died of cancer in 1999. A women's center never was built.
ScienceDaily (Jan. 18, 2012) ? Twin NASA spacecraft that achieved orbit around the moon New Year's Eve and New Year's Day have new names, thanks to elementary students in Bozeman, Mont. Their winning entry, "Ebb and Flow," was selected as part of a nationwide school contest that began in October 2011.
The names were submitted by fourth graders from the Emily Dickinson Elementary School. Nearly 900 classrooms with more than 11,000 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia participated in the contest. Previously named Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL-A and -B, the washing machine-sized spacecraft begin science operations in March, after a launch in September 2011.
"The 28 students of Nina DiMauro's class at the Emily Dickinson Elementary School have really hit the nail on the head," said Maria Zuber, GRAIL principal investigator from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. "We were really impressed that the students drew their inspiration by researching GRAIL and its goal of measuring gravity. Ebb and Flow truly capture the spirit and excitement of our mission."
Zuber and Sally Ride, America's first woman in space and CEO of Sally Ride Science in San Diego, selected the names following the contest, which attracted 890 proposals via the Internet. The contest invited ideas from students ages 5 to 18 enrolled in U.S. schools. Although everything from spelling and grammar to creativity was considered, Zuber and Ride primarily took into account the quality of submitted essays.
"With submissions from all over the United States and even some from abroad, there were a lot of great entries to review," Ride said. "This contest generated a great deal of excitement in classrooms across America, and along with it an opportunity to use that excitement to teach science."
GRAIL is NASA's first planetary mission carrying instruments fully dedicated to education and public outreach. Each spacecraft carries a small camera called GRAIL MoonKAM (Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students). Thousands of students in grades five through eight will select target areas on the lunar surface and send requests for study to the GRAIL MoonKAM Mission Operations Center in San Diego.
The winning prize for the Dickinson students is to choose the first camera images. Dickinson is one of nearly 2,000 schools registered for the MoonKAM program, which is led by Ride and her team at Sally Ride Science in collaboration with undergraduate students at the University of California in San Diego.
"These spacecraft represent not only great science, but great inspiration for our future," said Jim Green, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division in Washington. "As they study our lunar neighbor, Ebb and Flow will undergo nearly the same motion as the tides we feel here on Earth."
Launched in September 2011, Ebb and Flow will be placed in a near-polar, near-circular orbit with an altitude of about 34 miles (55 kilometers). During their science mission, the duo will answer longstanding questions about the moon and give scientists a better understanding of how Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system formed.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., manages the GRAIL mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The GRAIL mission is part of the Discovery Program managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver built the spacecraft. The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA.
To read the winning submission visit: https://moonkam.ucsd.edu/about/spacecraft_names . Information about MoonKAM is available online at: https://moonkam.ucsd.edu . For more information about GRAIL visit: http://www.nasa.gov/grail or http://grail.nasa.gov .
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Last week, the developers at NimbleBit (makers of iOS Game of the Year, Tiny Tower) 
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Public release date: 26-Jan-2012
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