Opposed to same-sex marriage, company ends wedding business

An Annapolis, Md., company whose old-fashioned trolleys are iconic in the city's wedding scene has abandoned the nuptial industry rather than serve same-sex couples.

The owner of Discover Annapolis Tours said he decided to walk away from $50,000 in annual revenue instead of compromising his Christian convictions when same-sex marriages become legal in Maryland in less than a week. And he has urged prospective clients to lobby state lawmakers for a religious exemption for wedding vendors.

While many wedding businesses across the country have embraced the chance to serve same-sex couples, others have struggled to balance religious beliefs against business interests.

Wedding vendors elsewhere who refused to accommodate same-sex couples have faced discrimination lawsuits ? and lost. Legal experts said Discover Annapolis Tours sidesteps legal trouble by avoiding all weddings.

?If they're providing services to the public, they can't discriminate who they provide their services to,? said Glendora Hughes, general counsel for the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. The commission enforces public accommodation laws that prohibit businesses from discriminating on the basis of race, sexual orientation and other characteristics.

The trolley company's decision offers a snapshot of a local business navigating a new landscape in the wedding industry, and leaving it behind for a competitor to swoop in.

The head of the Maryland Wedding Professionals Association said the trolley company is the second vendor to refuse business over the state's same-sex marriage law, which voters upheld in November. The Maryland clergyman who led opposition to same-sex marriage called the trolley company's choice to abandon profits on principle ?gutsy? and predicted that more businesses would follow suit.

?That's a bold and noble statement,? said Derek McCoy, executive director of the Maryland Marriage Alliance. ?The other option would have been just to become a legal case.?

Frank Schubert, a political strategist who ran campaigns against same-sex marriage in Maryland and three other states this year, said opponents predicted collateral damage.

?This is exactly what happens,? Schubert said, adding that religious liberty is ?right in the cross hairs of this debate. The law doesn't protect people of faith. It simply doesn't.?

Schubert pointed to a handful of other examples publicized in news reports across the country of wedding vendors sued for refusing to accommodate a same-sex ceremony: a pair of Vermont innkeepers, a New Jersey church group and a New Mexico wedding photographer.

In Maryland, the gay-rights group Equality Maryland said the trolley company's decision appears to be an isolated case of a business owner exercising his rights.

?As long as he doesn't discriminate against other people, he's free to do whatever he wants to do, including withdrawing his business from the industry,? executive director Carrie Evans said.

Discover Annapolis Tours owner Matt Grubbs declined repeated requests to discuss the move, beyond acknowledging its economic impact to his business, which also operates historic tours.

Source: http://www.omaha.com/article/20121230/MONEY/712309924

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Invitation for AJ Lee and Dolph Ziggler's Toast on RAW, The Hogans and The Flairs Together In Florida

- Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan were back together again on Saturday night. It looks like they got together wth friends and family at Hogan's new restaurant in Florida. Here they are plus a shot of Nick Hogan with Flair's daughter, WWE NXT Diva Charlotte:

flair hogan 1

flair hogan 2

- WWE announced the following last night for Monday's RAW:

raw nye invitation

"This Monday?s Raw will air on New Year?s Eve and what?s New Year?s Eve without a toast? In recognition of the beginning of 2013, Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee have announced plans for a special toast on Raw and they?ve invited the whole WWE Universe to join them. There?s also a guest of honor on the controversial couple?s list ? John Cena. What will Dolph and AJ have to say during their toast? And will the Cenation leader accept their invitation? Join the dubious pair and the former WWE Champion on Monday at 8/7 CT on USA and help ring in the new year."

DIRECT LINK: WWE Divas Looking Sexy for NYE ? Layla, Kaitlyn, Aksana, Tamina, Rosa Mendes, Alicia Fox, Cameron & Naomi!

Source: http://www.ringsidenews.com/article/6370/invitation-for-aj-lee-and-dolph-ziggler-039-s-toast-on-raw-the-hogans-and-t/

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Ben And Henry Cleary FOUND: Missing Georgia Boys Located In Texas, Father George Arrested

  • Skylar Neese

    Skylar Neese was last seen July 7th, 2012. The 16-year-old from Star City, West Virginia, was caught on surveillance footage from apartments near her home climbing out of her window around midnight. The tape shows her getting into a car, later determined to belong to one of her friends. The friend admitted to picking up Skylar, and says she dropped her off approximately an hour later, down the street to avoid waking the family, after a trip to a local Wendy's. There is no footage of Skylar returning. Skylar is 5'4" tall, 135 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Please call the Star City Police Dept. at 304-599-3550 with any information about her whereabouts. (Missing Persons Of America)

  • Natasha Rymarczuk

    Natash Rymarczuk has been missing since 10/12/12. She is 17, with blonde hair, brown eyes, and is 5' 7" tall. Natasha was last seen wearing a red Arby's polo shirt and black pants in the Largo, FL area. (Facebook: Natasha Come Home)

  • Ricky Dean Hamilton

    Ricky Dean Hamilton, 15, has been missing from Flemingsburg in Fleming County, Kentucky since 4:30pm on Saturday, Nov. 17th. According to Fleming County Emergency Management Director Dwayne Price, Ricky and his father entered a wooded area to hunt at around 4:30pm, and separated with plans to meet up at a designated area at a later time, but Ricky never showed up. Ricky's uncle Bobby Hamilton said, "He's hunt this ground for quite a few years now. For him not to got back something must have happened to him. I don't see how, because he couldn't have gotten lost." Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Ricky Dean Hamilton or possible sightings should contact the Fleming County 911 Emergency Dispatch at 606-845-2121. (Missing Persons Of America)

  • Austin Deaton

    Austin Deaton was reported missing on 11/19/12, from Hazard, Kentucky. His aunt says he was last seen on Sunday, November 12th in Hazard's backwoods area. He was visiting his mother near Hazard's Memorial Gym, when he told a relative he was going to visit his father's house in Walkertown. Austin was last seen wearing a Maroon Leslie County cut-off t-shirt and cargo pants. Please call the Hazard Police Department with any information at 606-436-2222 (Missing Persons Of America)

  • Shawna Hansen

    Shawna Hansen, 17, left her north Marysville, Washington home on October 2. Authorities said Hansen has the developmental age of a 10 or 11-year-old. Hansen is about 4-foot-6, 90 pounds, with short, brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing jeans, black jacket, and a pink and white T-shirt. She is possibly carrying a black, white and blue backpack and may be riding a pink and black "Next" BMX-style bike. Anyone with information on Shawna Hansen's whereabouts is asked to call Marysville police at 360-363-8350.

  • Austan Tyler Stone

    Austan Tyler Stone, 16, was last seen in Post Falls, Idaho on Sept. 10, when he left for school. According to a Facebook page maintained by his family, his cellphone was briefly activated in Modesto, Calif. The Post Falls Police Department has Stone listed as a runaway juvenile. Stone is 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds with green eyes and brownish-blonde hair. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Post Falls Police Department at 208-773-3517 or the Kottenai County Sheriff's Department at 208-446-1300 and refer to Case Number: 12-23395.

  • Jamal Omar Briggs

    Jamal Omar Briggs, 14, was last seen in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, on Sept. 26. Detectives with the Roanoke Rapids Police Department said they have no evidence of abduction or foul play. Briggs is described as a black male, 5-feet, 3-inches tall, weighing 135 pounds. He was last seen wearing a red heavy shirt, black jeans and black Jordan tennis shoes. Anyone with information regarding Briggs' whereabouts is asked to call the Roanoke Rapids Police Department at 252-326-3938.

  • Michael Suarez Jr.

    Michael Suarez Jr., 19, was last seen on August 31, at his 61st St. home in Mapleton, New York. According to his aunt, Linda Suarez, her nephew is schizophrenic and he has not had his medication. Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577.

  • Ailene Lander

    Lander (top center) went missing September 17, 2012. Police believe the 15-year-old was abducted by her mother and stepfather.

  • Christopher Milton Dansby

    Christopher, who has been missing since May 18, 1989, was last seen in a park located on 114th Street and Lenox Avenue in Manhattan, New York. He has a birthmark shaped like a figure "8" on his neck. He was 2 years old when he went missing.

  • Kathryn Pratts

    Kathryn, 16 of Staten Island, New York, has been missing since Nov. 24, 2010. Her tongue is pierced and she has a scar over her left eyebrow. Kathryn may go by the nickname Kat or Kathy.

  • Caelan Cyrus-Howard

    Caelan, of Brooklyn, New York, was last seen with his non-custodial mother on 02/21/2002. He has a scar on his forehead and his hair is braided. Caelan was last seen wearing blue jeans, a blue polo shirt and black "ACG" boots. He may be in need of medical attention. Mother and child may have traveled to Trinidad and Tobago.

  • Jassmyn Carr

    Jassmyn, 17, is a runaway. She has been missing since Jan. 13, 2012 and was last seen wearing a white blouse, black pants, gray and purple high top sneakers and a red Old Navy pea coat with large black buttons. Jassmyn, from Queens, New York originally, may be traveling to Virginia

  • Jeremiah George Huger

    Jeremiah George Huger, who has been missing since June of 1985, was playing in his yard in the Bronx, New York, with other children when an unknown black male called to the child and then grabbed him. Jeremiah, who was 4 when he disappeared, has a 1 1/2" scar on his left forearm. He was last seen wearing a light blue shirt, dark blue shorts, and white sneakers.

  • Shauntae Hope Marks

    Shauntae Hope Marks, 15, was last seen on the evening of May 4, 2012, at the Mary Manor apartment complex in Ft. Thompson, South Dakota. According to Fort Thompson police, Marks was distraught over a recent relationship and had made comments threatening to harm herself. Marks is described as a Native American female who is 5-foot-7 and weighs about 170 pounds. She has black shoulder-length hair and brown eyes and wears glasses. Marks was last seen wearing blue jeans, a white shirt with stripes, a black and gray hoodie, and blue Etnies brand tennis shoes. Anyone with information on Shauntae Marks' whereabouts is asked to call Fort Thompson police at 605-245-2351 or 888-337-2388.

  • Timothy Pitzen

    This image from Facebook shows missing 7-year-old Timothy Pitzen. Timothy is missing from Aurora, Ill., but was last seen at a water park in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. He was last known to be in the company of his mother, who has since been found deceased in Rockford, Ill.

  • Amir Jennings

    Amir Jennings, 1, has been missing from Columbia, S.C., since Nov. 24, 2011. Family members originally filed a missing persons report for Amir and his mother, Zinah Jennings, when they could not locate them. On Christmas Eve, Zinah Jennings was involved in a car accident. The responding officer noticed that Jennings was considered a missing person. Police say that when Jennings was questioned about her son, she gave "false and inconsistent information." Police also believe Jennings has ties to the Atlanta, Ga. and Charlotte, N.C. areas. There is a $10,000 reward for the safe return of Amir. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Black and Missing Foundation, at blackandmissinginc.com.

  • Madeleine McCann

    A combination of two pictures released by Madeleine McCann's spokesperson on May 1, 2009, shows Maddie McCann at the age of 3 (L), and an 'age progression' image of what she would look like at the age of 6. Madeleine McCann disappeared on May 3, 2007, just days before her fourth birthday, from the family's holiday apartment at the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz. Her parents were dining with friends at a nearby restaurant when she went missing. The police force continues seraching the vanished little girl.

  • Joshua Davis

    Joshua Davis, 2, was last seen at his New Braunfels, Texas, home on Feb. 4, 2011. He was watching the movie "Toy Story" with his mother when he left the room and vanished. The toddler's mother believes her son was abducted. Anyone with information on Joshua's whereabouts is asked to contact the Black and Missing Foundation, at blackandmissinginc.com.

  • Sarah Kinslow

    Sarah Elizabeth Kinslow, 14, was last seen by her parents on May 1, 2001, when her dad dropped her off at Greenville Middle School in her hometown of Greenville, Texas, at approximately 7:20 a.m. It was not until after the school day ended that the Kinslows were notified their daughter had not attended any of her classes. According to Louise Kinslow, her daughter had never run away in the past and was unprepared to be gone for an extended period of time when she went to school that day. Sarah Kinslow would be 25 years old today. At the time of her disappearance, she was 5-foot-4-inches tall, weighed 105 lbs., and had blonde hair and blue eyes. Her teeth were crooked and she had several ear piercings, a tattoo of the letter "I" on the inside of her ankle, a chicken pox scar on her left temple, and two chicken pox scars on her left cheek. Anyone with information is asked to call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) or the Greenville Police Department at 903-457-2900.

  • Khaniya Margarett Roberts

    Khaniya Margarett Roberts, A.K.A. "Kiki," age 10, was last seen in Miami, Fla., on Dec. 3, 2011. She may be in the company of her mother. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Black and Missing Foundation, at blackandmissinginc.com.

  • Brittanee Drexel

    Brittanee Drexel, of Rochester, N.Y., was 17 years old in April 2009, when she went to Myrtle Beach, S.C., on spring break. The teen was last seen by friends on April 25 of that year, when she left the Bar Harbor Hotel in Myrtle Beach to meet friends at the nearby BlueWater Resort. Surveillance footage shows Drexel arriving at the resort, then leaving roughly 10 minutes later. What happened to her after that remains a mystery. Her cell phone gave off its last signal the day after she went missing. Investigators narrowed the phone location to an area near the South Santee River in Georgetown County. To date, no sign of Drexel has been found. At the time of her disappearance, Drexel was 5 feet tall and 103 pounds. She had blue eyes and blond highlights in her hair. Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact Myrtle Beach Police at 843-918-1382.

  • Trenton Duckett

    In this photo released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is a portrait of Trenton Duckett, a 2-year-old boy who was reported missing on Aug. 27, 2006, from his home in Leesburg, Fla. The boy's mother Melinda Duckett, 21, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Friday, Sept. 8, 2006, at her grandparents' central Florida home, police said. Trenton's disappearance remains a mystery.

  • Sky Metalwala

    An undated photo provided by the police in Bellvue, Wash. shows Sky Metalwala, 2, who has been missing since Sunday, Nov. 6. He disappeared after his mother says she left him alone in an unlocked car after it ran out of gas. She says she took her 4-year-old daughter with her and when she came back about an hour later, the boy was gone. (Bellevue Police / Seattle Times / AP)

  • Dwight Stallings

    Dwight Stallings, 1, has been missing from Elk Grove, Calif., since April 2011. Authorities say the child has not been seen by family members and his mother, Tanisha Edwards, 35, has been unable or unwilling to reveal what happened to him. A $3,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the whereabouts of Dwight Stallings. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Black and Missing Foundation, at blackandmissinginc.com.

  • Etan Patz

    Etan Patz, 6, who went missing on May 25, 1979, near his home in New York's SoHo neighborhood, appears in this undated file photo. In June 2001, a New York State judge declared Etan legally dead, clearing the way for his parents, Stanley and Julie Patz, to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Jose Antonio Ramos, a Pennsylvania inmate whom the family believes sexually molested and then killed Etan. His parents were eventually awarded a "symbolic" sum of $2 million. Ramos is presently serving a 20-year sentence for child molestation and is scheduled to be released in November 7, 2012.

  • Malikah Beeks

    Malikah Beeks, 17, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, was last seen on April 11, 2012. Beeks is a possible runaway and may be with her 14-month-old son, Logan Beeks. Anyone with information on Beeks' whereabouts is asked to contact the Black and Missing Foundation, at blackandmissinginc.com.

  • Ayla Reynolds

    This undated photo obtained from a Facebook page shows missing toddler Ayla Reynolds. Police in Maine are appealing to the public for help in locating the 20-month-old girl who was last seen Friday night. Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey held a news conference this afternoon to ask anyone with information about Ayla Reynolds to call police. Ayla's father called police yesterday morning to report that his daughter was not in her bed and couldn't be found. She was last seen sleeping at about 10 p.m. Friday by a family member.

  • Nadaysia McWhite

    Nadaysia McWhite, 16, was last seen leaving her home in Queens Village, N.Y., on Feb. 19, 2012. McWhite never returned home and her whereabouts remain unknown. She was last seen wearing black pants, a black hooded coat and black boots. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Black and Missing Foundation, at blackandmissinginc.com.

  • Kyron Horman

    Kyron Horman was 7 years old when he disappeared on June 4, 2010. His stepmother, Terri Moulton Horman, told police she last saw the little boy walking to his classroom at Skyline Elementary School in Portland, Ore. The search for Kyron has become one of the most intense in recent Oregon history and has attracted national attention. His parents have held countless vigils, passed out thousands of fliers and issued numerous public pleas, all to no avail.

  • Reyna Guadarrama

    Reyna Guadarrama, 9, was last seen in Grayslake, Ill., on Nov. 02, 2007. She may be in the company of her non-custodial mother and an adult male. They may travel to Mexico. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Black and Missing Foundation, at blackandmissinginc.com.

  • Hailey Dunn

    Hailey Dunn, a cheerleader, was last seen in Colorado City, Texas, just after Christmas Day in 2010. Dunn's mother, Billie Dunn, 34, reported her 13-year-old daughter missing on the morning of Dec. 28, 2010. The Colorado City Middle School student had been last seen the previous afternoon. Billie Dunn's then-boyfriend, Shawn Adkins, 25, told police that the teen was going to spend the night with a friend. That friend later told police that she had not made any plans for Hailey Dunn to spend the night and was unaware that the girl was coming over. Billie Dunn later told police she had fought with her daughter before she went missing. Colorado City Police, along with the Texas Rangers, the Mitchell County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement departments in the region, conducted several searches for Dunn but found no sign of her.

  • Maayimuna Nyeeleni Njayi N'Diaye

    Maayimuna Nyeeleni Njayi N'Diaye, 4, was last seen in Morehead, Ky., on Jan. 1, 2012. Maayimuna was allegedly abducted by her father, Ibrahim N'Diaye. A felony warrant was issued for him on Jan. 13, 2012. They are believed to be in Mali.

  • Haleigh Cummings

    This photo released by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office shows Haleigh Cummings, 5, of Satsuma, Fla. Haleigh was last seen at home in the early-morning hours of Feb. 10, 2009. She was reported missing about 3:45 a.m. by Misty Croslin, the then-girlfriend of Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings. Croslin told police she discovered Haleigh was missing when she woke up to use the bathroom. Law enforcement as well as private search-and-recovery groups have conducted multiple searches for Haleigh, but no sign of her has been found. Authorities have not named any suspects in the case; however, they say they have not ruled anyone out.

  • Kaylee Melara

    Kaylee Melara, 17, was last seen in Braintree, Mass., on Jan. 14, 2011. Melara is biracial and has a tattoo on her upper right arm. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Black and Missing Foundation, at blackandmissinginc.com.

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/30/ben-and-henry-cleary-found-dad-arrested_n_2384090.html

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    Karrueche Tran Warns Chris Brown & Rihanna On Twitter

    Karrueche Tran Warns Chris Brown Rihanna

    Chris? on-again/off-again girlfriend Karrueche Tran is NOT happy about his reunion with RiRi, and she?s threatening to call both of them out on Twitter!

    Rihanna and Chris Brown shocked everyone by going to the Lakers game together on Christmas Day?and?sleeping?together that night! As expected, Chris? other woman,?Karrueche Tran,?doesn?t appear to be too happy with their very public reunion! In fact, Karrueche appears to be trying to out the twosome as a couple of liars!

    Karrueche Reacts To Rihanna & Chris Brown Reunion On Twitter

    In Hollywood?s most famous love triangle, it is hard to determine which lady is Chris? girlfriend, although at the moment, it clearly appears to be Rihanna, and Karrueche is the ?sidepiece.?

    After seeing RiRi and Chris head to the basketball game in L.A. on Dec. 25, Karrueche was unimpressed, and on Dec. 27 she tweeted, ?wishing death upon someone is some weak s**t.? Apparently, Rihanna?s fans were sending death threats Karrueche?s way on Twitter when her own fans mocked Chris and RiRi?s reunion.

    Now, on Dec. 29, Karrueche may be outing Chris and Rihanna as liars. She tweeted, ?Your lies are going to catch up to you.?

    Chris & Rihanna?s Christmas Together

    Chris and Rihanna went to the basketball game on Dec. 25, and then back to Chris? home for some sexy alone time, and HollywoodLife.com exclusively reported that they slept together that night. However, Chris spent the entire day texting Karrueche! Perhaps that?s why Karrueche is calling Chris a liar. He?s sleeping with Rihanna and then texting Karrueche behind her back.

    Either way, Chris should really make a decision about which woman he wants to be with, once and for all ? or he may lose them both!

    What do YOU think,?HollywoodLifers? Who should Chris choose?

    WATCH: Christina Milian Confirms Chris Brown, Rihanna, Karrueche Tran LOVE TRIANGLE: ENTV

    Subscribe to me on YouTube

    ? Chris Rogers


    More Karrueche/Rihanna/Chris News:

    1. Chris Brown Texted Karrueche Tran On Christmas While With Rihanna
    2. Chris Brown & Rihanna Slept Together After Lakers Game
    3. Chris Brown?s Secret Gift To Rihanna That Proves His Love
    Take Our Poll

    Source: http://hollywoodlife.com/2012/12/29/karrueche-tran-warns-rihanna-chris-brown-love-triangle-twitter/

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    Small-Business Owner to Politicians: Protect US Jobs

    For example, many entrepreneurs file taxes as individuals and would be impacted if the tax rate on incomes exceeding $250,000 was raised.

    (Read more: 2012 on Main Street: The Year of Living With Uncertainty)

    "Then we can't put the money back into capital," said Alfano of the restaurant chain based in Van Nuys, Calif. Founded in 1985, the chain employees about 400 workers. She made the comments on CNBC's "Street Signs" on Friday.

    Many small-business owners are monitoring the "cliff" talks. "The uncertainty right now will probably affect 2014" business, said David Martin of HJ Martin & Son, which provides flooring, carpeting and other interior construction services. Based in Green Bay, Wis., the business was founded in 1931 and employees more than 500 people.

    (Read more: Five Key Issues Facing Small Business in 2013)

    Payroll Tax Effect

    In contrast to the construction business that can operate on a months-ahead time frame, restaurants such as Maria's Italian Kitchen would be immediately impacted by a payroll-tax hike if a debt deal isn't reached.

    A small paycheck means consumers scrutinize their spending habits including restaurant meals. "That's going to be significant for a lot of people and they're going to think about it," Alfano said.

    With so much uncertainty hanging over small companies, Main Street?a traditional driver of new jobs and economic growth after a downturn?largely has been at a standstill in 2012. (Read more: Amid 'Fiscal Cliff' Stalemate, Main Street Deteriorates)

    Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100343896

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    Windows users hit again as Microsoft confirms zero-day bug in Internet Explorer

    Microsoft on Saturday confirmed that Internet Explorer (IE) 6, 7 and 8 contain an unpatched bug -- or "zero-day" vulnerability -- that is being used by attackers to hijack victims' Windows computers.

    The company is "working around the clock" on a patch, its engineers said. They have also released a preliminary workaround that will protect affected IE customers until the update is ready.

    In a security advisory issued Dec. 29, Microsoft acknowledged that attacks are taking place. "Microsoft is aware of targeted attacks that attempt to exploit this vulnerability through Internet Explorer 8," the alert stated.

    Newer versions of IE, including 2011's IE9 and this year's IE10, are not affected, Microsoft said. It urged those able to upgrade to do so.

    According to multiple security firms, the vulnerability was used by hackers to exploit Windows PCs whose owners visited the website of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a non-partisan foreign policy think tank with offices in New York and Washington, D.C.

    On Friday, FireEye corroborated earlier reports that the CFR website had been compromised by attackers and was hosting exploit code as early as Dec. 21. As of mid-day Wednesday, Dec. 26, the site was still conducting "drive-by" attacks against people running IE8, said Darien Kindlund, senior staff scientist at FireEye, in a Friday blog.

    Kindlund added that the malware hidden on the CFR website used Adobe Flash Player "to generate a heap spray attack" against IE8. It wasn't clear whether Flash also contained a zero-day bug, or whether the attackers leveraged an already-known and previously patched vulnerability that had not been fixed on the victims' PCs.

    Internet Explorer on tablet

    On Saturday, Jaime Blasco, the labs manager at AlienVault, weighed in on the IE zero-day as well, noting that the exploit was able to circumvent Microsoft's anti-exploit technologies, DEP (data execution prevention) and ASLR (address space layout randomisation), and successfully compromise Windows XP and Windows 7 PCs running IE8. He identified the IE bug as a likely "use-after-free" vulnerability, a type of memory management flaw.

    AlienVault, said Blasco, had begun looking into the "watering hole" attacks stemming from the CFR website at the beginning of the week, and had alerted the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) that it suspected IE harboured a zero-day vulnerability.

    In a watering hole campaign, hackers identify their intended targets, even to the individual level, then scout out which websites they frequently visit. Attackers next compromise one or more of those sites, plant malware on them, and like a lion waits at a watering hole for unwary wildebeests, wait for unsuspecting users to surf there.

    The CFR did not immediately reply to a request for comment on its site's current status.

    Other researchers claimed that attacks using the IE vulnerability started as early as Dec. 7, and alleged that Chinese hackers were responsible for the CFR website hack.

    In an email to Computerworld and in a follow-up blog Saturday, Microsoft said it is working on a patch for IE6, IE7 and IE8. The company did not set a timetable for an update's release, however.

    Jonathan Ness and Cristian Craioveanu, engineers on Microsoft's security team, provided some details on the IE flaw in a separate post to the Security Research & Defense blog. "We're working around the clock on the full security update," Ness and Craioveanu wrote.

    They also announced the availability of a "shim" that can protect IE6, IE7 and IE8 users if they're running the most up-to-date versions of those browsers.

    Shim is a term used to describe an application compatibility workaround. Microsoft has applied shims in the past to help customers ward off active attacks against IE.

    The shim will be used as the foundation for a soon-to-be-shipped "Fixit," Microsoft's name for the one-click workarounds it often publishes to automate processes, including security mitigations, that most users would feel uncomfortable doing on their own.

    To apply the available shim, for instance, users must download the small files from the SRD blog, then enter one or more strings in Windows' Command Prompt.

    This was the second year in a row that Microsoft has had to deal with an emergency update in the waning days of December.

    In 2011, the company issued a Dec. 28 security advisory about a flaw in its ASP .Net programming language that hackers could use to cripple website servers. On Dec. 29, 2011, Microsoft released an "out-of-band," or emergency, update.

    Microsoft reminded customers that IE9 and IE10 do not contain the vulnerable code, and are safe to use. Windows XP users, however, cannot use either of those browsers, as Microsoft has limited IE9 to Vista and Windows 7, and IE10 to Windows 7 and Windows 8.

    Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed. His email address is gkeizer@computerworld.com.

    See more by Gregg Keizer on Computerworld.com.

    Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/idg/uk/MacworldUk/~3/lWx1Pr9VVbU/story01.htm

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    In fighting gangs, US should look to El Salvador

    In combating the MS-13 gang, the Obama administration should look to El Salvador, which has adopted a far less confrontational approach, and is seeing a drop in gang violence as a result. A negotiated 'truce' with gangs is possible in the US and Mexico.

    By Mike Honda and Ami Carpenter / December 28, 2012

    Victor Garcia, from Calle-18 gang, sits with his wife and daughter during a religious service at a prison in Quezaltepeque, on the outskirts of San Salvador June 16, 2012. Mr. Garcia, along with members of the rival MS-13 gang, entered an unprecedented, negotiated truce that authorities say has greatly reduced the homicide rate.

    Ulises Rodriguez/Reuters/file

    Enlarge

    In October, the US Treasury named the notorious MS-13 gang a transnational criminal organization. This unprecedented action aims to sanction the violent American-born street gang and seize its estimated millions in assets ? profits gained through drug and human trafficking.

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    But the Obama administration should take a cue from El Salvador, which has adopted a far less confrontational approach to gangs, and is seeing a drop in gang violence as a result. Both of us have worked and traveled extensively in Central America ? El Salvador in particular, which has its own MS-13.

    In the United States, the MS-13 is made up of about 10,000 members, largely Salvadoran-Americans or Salvadoran nationals who fled El Salvador?s civil war. The US gang is part of a transnational criminal network of drugs, weapons, and violent gang culture.

    In Central America, gang warfare has given way to a complex network of organized, violent crime and in many places has taken on characteristics of a ?traditional? war. Measuring the intensity of violence in terms of homicides, the so-called "northern triangle" of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador is now considered the most violent region in the world (aside from battlefields), averaging tens of thousands of gang-related deaths annually. The need for suitable civilian protection is obvious.

    The legal framework for civilian protection is international humanitarian law, which binds state and nonstate actors to rules meant to protect civilians in armed conflict. The International Committee of the Red Cross has argued that international humanitarian law is applicable when any ?war? amounts to armed conflict, defined by a certain intensity of violence: 25 to 1,000 war-related deaths per year and a sophisticated enough command structure that armed groups are actually able to implement such law. Clearly, the homicide figures in Central America far exceed the benchmarks for war-related deaths per year.

    Earlier this year, in an effort to curb the violence, the government in El Salvador negotiated a groundbreaking deal with the Salvadoran MS-13 and a rival gang, Calle-18. In a bold move, mediators in El Salvador essentially extended the framework of humanitarian engagement to gang warfare, brokering a peace treaty between the two gangs and the Salvadoran government. After the deal, homicides decreased by 32 percent and kidnappings by 50 percent, as reported by The New York Times. In May, the gangs extended their truce to school zones and agreed to end forced recruitment of child soldiers.?

    Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Okd9HLVpMfA/In-fighting-gangs-US-should-look-to-El-Salvador

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    Psychopathy's Bright Side: Kevin Dutton on the Benefits of Being a Bit Psychopathic, Part 2

    Science Talk

    Kevin Dutton is a psychologist at the University of Oxford. He talks about his latest book, The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us about Success.

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    Kevin Dutton is a psychologist at the University of Oxford. He talks about his latest book, The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us about Success.


    Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=c9cdec592c88fb74028077689f07c1e6

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    25 Years of Prozac, 100 Years of Crosswords

    Paris Hilton attends a party at Art Basel Miami Beach on December 7, 2012 in Miami Beach, Florida. Paris Hilton

    Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.

    It?s been a banner year for anniversary lovers. American Idol celebrated its 10th. YMAK that the text message turned 20. And snack aficionados are surely sad to bid farewell to the year that brought the 100th birthday of the Oreo. But the 2013 anniversaries are almost here, and the new ones are even better than a fresh pack of Double Stufs.

    Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of ?Anniversary,? the R&B hit from Tony! Toni! Ton?! and the 50th of that ?late December back in ?63? from the wedding reception favorite ?Oh, What a Night.? Dan Brown?s The Da Vinci Code will be 10, and 100 years ago in Pittsburgh, the first modern drive-in gas station opened for business. Copy-starved editors will surely regale their readers with a host of stories marking these momentous events. Herewith, a handy, highly speculative guide to 2013?s anniversary coverage.

    (A note on the selection process: 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination and MLK?s ?I Have a Dream? speech, but articles on those events will be everywhere. We?ve chosen to focus on 10 slightly less momentous occasions that are likely to be commemorated in publications during the coming year.)

    The 10th anniversary of Apple?s iTunes Store launch (2003)

    Predicted publication: Wired

    • Most likely: ?A Decade of Downloads
    • Possible: ?Apple?s Core?
    • Least likely: ?Ten Years of Forgetting Your Apple ID?

    Sample opening sentence: ?Prior to 2003, record stores were everywhere?real record stores, the kind with front doors, and bins, and posters on the wall.

    Predicted sources for quotes:

    Stock-art image prediction:

    • Most likely: iPad held in palm of hand, screen shows iTunes store
    • Possible: Giant, overflowing stack of iTunes gift cards
    • Least likely: Bill Gates + earbuds

    The 10th anniversary of Steve Bartman?s bad night at Wrigley Field (2003)

    Predicted publication: ESPN The Magazine

    • Most likely: ?Please, Remain Seated!?
    • Possible: ?Curses!?
    • Least likely: ?No Big Deal: It Turns Out Everyone in Chicago Forgot All About the Whole Steve Bartman Thing and Decided To Forgive the Guy?

    Sample opening sentence: ?To this day, Mark Prior refers to Steve Bartman as, ?That horse?s ass with the goofy Walkman headphones.? ?

    Predicted sources for quotes:

    • Most likely: Then-Cubs manager Dusty Baker
    • Possible: Ernie Banks
    • Least likely: Steve Bartman

    Stock-art image prediction:

    The 10th anniversary of the (first) Paris Hilton sex tape being leaked to the Internet (2003)

    Predicted publication: BuzzFeed

    • Most likely: ?10 Ways Kim Kardashian Benefited From the Paris Hilton Sex Tape?
    • Possible: ?26 Absolutely Awesome and Amazing GIFs of Grandmas Looking Totally Appalled ? in Commemoration of the 10-Year Anniversary of the Paris Hilton Sex Tape?
    • Least likely: ?10 Reasons Why We Should Stop Fixating on Celebrity Sex Scandals?

    Sample opening sentence: ?If it wasn?t for the Paris Hilton sex-tape leak 10 years ago, Kim Kardashian wouldn?t be famous ... here?s why.? [Note: This is the only sentence of the story.]

    Predicted sources for quotes:

    Stock-art image prediction:

    The 25th anniversary of Prozac hitting the U.S. market (1988)

    Predicted publication: New York Times Magazine

    • Most likely: ?The Feel-Good Anniversary?
    • Possible: ?All Smiles?
    • Least likely: ?Jagged Little Pills?

    Sample opening sentence: ?It?s 3:45 on a Thursday afternoon at a nondescript office park just outside of Newark, and a slight, balding man wearing pleated khakis and a three-button polo shirt has just finished leading a high-energy sales presentation on the latest in rubber membrane roofing technology.?

    Predicted sources for quotes:

    Stock-art image prediction:

    The 25th anniversary of the first Wal-Mart Supercenter (1988)

    Predicted publication: Time

    Sample opening sentence: ?It?s easy to forget that years before the Internet made such a thing old hat, Wal-Mart invented the notion of a magical place where shoppers could purchase anything they wanted, 24 hours a day?be it vegetables or vacuum cleaners.?

    Predicted sources for quotes:

    Stock-art image prediction:

    Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=8ae385a28c7fb90f5977e734bfd84984

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    Retired General Norman Schwarzkopf dies

    WASHINGTON (AP) ? Retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, who topped an illustrious military career by commanding the U.S.-led international coalition that drove Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait in 1991 but kept a low public profile in controversies over the second Gulf War against Iraq, died Thursday. He was 78.

    Schwarzkopf died in Tampa, Fla., where he had lived in retirement, according to a U.S. official, who was not authorized to release the information publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

    A much-decorated combat soldier in Vietnam, Schwarzkopf was known popularly as "Stormin' Norman" for a notoriously explosive temper.

    He served in his last military assignment in Tampa as commander-in-chief of U.S. Central Command, the headquarters responsible for U.S. military and security concerns in nearly 20 countries from the eastern Mediterranean and Africa to Pakistan.

    Schwarzkopf became "CINC-Centcom" in 1988 and when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait three years later to punish it for allegedly stealing Iraqi oil reserves, he commanded Operation Desert Storm, the coalition of some 30 countries organized by President George H.W. Bush that succeeded in driving the Iraqis out.

    "Gen. Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises," Bush said in a statement. "More than that, he was a good and decent man ? and a dear friend."

    At the peak of his postwar national celebrity, Schwarzkopf ? a self-proclaimed political independent ? rejected suggestions that he run for office, and remained far more private than other generals, although he did serve briefly as a military commentator for NBC.

    While focused primarily in his later years on charitable enterprises, he campaigned for President George W. Bush in 2000 but was ambivalent about the 2003 invasion of Iraq, saying he doubted victory would be as easy as the White House and Pentagon predicted. In early 2003 he told the Washington Post the outcome was an unknown:

    "What is postwar Iraq going to look like, with the Kurds and the Sunnis and the Shiites? That's a huge question, to my mind. It really should be part of the overall campaign plan," he said.

    Initially Schwarzkopf had endorsed the invasion, saying he was convinced that former Secretary of State Colin Powell had given the United Nations powerful evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. After that proved false, he said decisions to go to war should depend on what U.N. weapons inspectors found.

    He seldom spoke up during the conflict, but in late 2004, he sharply criticized then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Pentagon for mistakes that included inadequate training for Army reservists sent to Iraq and for erroneous judgments about Iraq.

    "In the final analysis I think we are behind schedule. ... I don't think we counted on it turning into jihad (holy war)," he said in an NBC interview.

    Schwarzkopf was born Aug. 24, 1934, in Trenton, N.J., where his father, Col. H. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., founder and commander of the New Jersey State Police, was then leading the investigation of the Lindbergh kidnap case, which ended with the arrest and 1936 execution of German-born carpenter Richard Hauptmann for stealing and murdering the famed aviator's infant son.

    The elder Schwarzkopf was named Herbert, but when the son was asked what his "H'' stood for, he would reply, "H." Although reputed to be short-tempered with aides and subordinates, he was a friendly, talkative and even jovial figure who didn't like "Stormin' Norman" and preferred to be known as "the Bear," a sobriquet given him by troops.

    He also was outspoken at times, including when he described Gen. William Westmoreland, the U.S. commander in Vietnam, as "a horse's ass" in an Associated Press interview.

    As a teenager Norman accompanied his father to Iran, where the elder Schwarzkopf trained the country's national police force and was an adviser to Reza Pahlavi, the young Shah of Iran.

    Young Norman studied there and in Switzerland, Germany and Italy, then followed in his father's footsteps to West Point, graduating in 1956 with an engineering degree. After stints in the U.S. and abroad, he earned a master's degree in engineering at the University of Southern California and later taught missile engineering at West Point.

    In 1966 he volunteered for Vietnam and served two tours, first as a U.S. adviser to South Vietnamese paratroops and later as a battalion commander in the U.S. Army's Americal Division. He earned three Silver Stars for valor ? including one for saving troops from a minefield ? plus a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and three Distinguished Service Medals.

    While many career officers left military service embittered by Vietnam, Schwarzkopf was among those who opted to stay and help rebuild the tattered Army into a potent, modernized all-volunteer force.

    After Saddam invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Schwarzkopf played a key diplomatic role by helping to persuade Saudi Arabia's King Fahd to allow U.S. and other foreign troops to deploy on Saudi territory as a staging area for the war to come.

    On Jan. 17, 1991, a five-month buildup called Desert Shield became Operation Desert Storm as allied aircraft attacked Iraqi bases and Baghdad government facilities. The six-week aerial campaign climaxed with a massive ground offensive on Feb. 24-28, routing the Iraqis from Kuwait in 100 hours before U.S. officials called a halt.

    Schwarzkopf said afterward he agreed with Bush's decision to stop the war rather than drive to Baghdad to capture Saddam, as his mission had been only to oust the Iraqis from Kuwait.

    But in a desert tent meeting with vanquished Iraqi generals, he allowed a key concession on Iraq's use of helicopters, which later backfired by enabling Saddam to crack down more easily on rebellious Shiites and Kurds.

    While he later avoided the public second-guessing by academics and think tank experts over the ambiguous outcome of Gulf War I and its impact on Gulf War II, he told the Washington Post in 2003, "You can't help but... with 20/20 hindsight, go back and say, 'Look, had we done something different, we probably wouldn't be facing what we are facing today.'"

    After retiring from the Army in 1992, Schwarzkopf wrote a best-selling autobiography, "It Doesn't Take A Hero." Of his Gulf war role, he said, "I like to say I'm not a hero. I was lucky enough to lead a very successful war." He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and honored with decorations from France, Britain, Belgium, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

    Schwarzkopf was a national spokesman for prostate cancer awareness and for Recovery of the Grizzly Bear, served on the Nature Conservancy board of governors and was active in various charities for chronically ill children.

    "I may have made my reputation as a general in the Army and I'm very proud of that," he once told the AP. "But I've always felt that I was more than one-dimensional. I'd like to think I'm a caring human being. ... It's nice to feel that you have a purpose."

    Schwarzkopf and his wife, Brenda, had three children: Cynthia, Jessica and Christian.

    ___

    Pyle contributed from New York.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-source-retired-gen-norman-schwarzkopf-dies-002111413--politics.html

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