Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/316101164?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Egypt group: 22 million signatures against Morsi
CAIRO (AP) ? More than 22 million Egyptians have signed a petition calling for the country's Islamist president to step down, the youth group leading the signature campaign said Saturday on the eve of planned mass protests aimed at forcing Mohammed Morsi from office.
The planned demonstrations, which could plunge Egypt once again into a dangerous round of civil unrest, reflect the growing polarization of the nation since Morsi took power, with the president and his Islamist allies in one camp and seculars, liberals, moderate Muslims and Christians on the other.
Already, clashes across a string of cities north of Cairo over the past week have left at least seven people dead, including an American, and hundreds injured, and there are deep-rooted fears in the country that Sunday's protests will turn violent and quickly spiral out of control.
The Tamarod, or Rebel, movement says its petition is evidence of the widespread dissatisfaction with Morsi's administration, and has used the signature drive as the focal point of its call for millions of people to take to the streets Sunday to demand the president's ouster.
Mahmoud Badr, a Tamarod leader, told reporters Saturday a total of 22,134,460 Egyptians have signed the petition. He did not say whether there had been an independent audit of the signatures.
Morsi's supporters, who have long doubted the validity and authenticity of the collected signatures, expressed skepticism about the final count.
"How do we trust the petitions?" asked Brotherhood member Ahmed Seif Islam Hassan al-Banna. "Who guarantees that those who signed were not paid to sign?"
If authenticated, the collection of so many signatures would deal a symbolic blow to Morsi's mandate and put in stark terms the popular frustrations with an administration perceived to have failed to effectively deal with the country's pressing problems, from tenuous security and inflation and power cuts to traffic congestion and high unemployment.
Tamarod, which began its campaign with the goal of collecting more signatures than the 13 million votes Morsi garnered in his 2012 election victory, announced its final tally the day before protests that organizers vow will bring millions into the streets to push the president from power.
Morsi, meanwhile, sought to project a business-as-usual image Saturday, meeting with the defense and interior ministers to review preparations to protect the protesters and vital state facilities during Sunday's demonstrations.
Egypt has been roiled by political unrest in the two years since the uprising that ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak, but the round of protests set to kick off Sunday promises to be the largest and holds the potential to be the bloodiest yet.
In the past week alone, at least seven people have been killed in clashes between the president's supporters and opponents in cities in the Nile Delta, while on Friday protesters ransacked and torched as least five Brotherhood offices across the country.
Adding to the tension, eight lawmakers from the country's interim legislature announced their resignation Saturday to protest Morsi's policies. The 270-seat chamber was elected early last year by less than 10 percent of Egypt's eligible voters, and is dominated by Islamists who support Morsi.
With a sense of doom hanging over the country, Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi last Sunday gave the president and his opponents a week to reach a compromise and warned that the military would intervene to prevent the nation from entering a "dark tunnel." It was the strongest expression of the military's discontent with conditions in the nation since Morsi took office a year ago.
In South Africa, President Barack Obama said the U.S. supports freedom of speech in Egypt and the right of protesters to peacefully assemble, and called on called on both sides in Egypt to avoid violence.
"We would urge all parties to make sure they're not engaging in violence (and) police and military are showing appropriate restraint," he said.
The opposition, feeling that Morsi may be on the ropes and frustrated by past offers of dialogue that proved to be mostly symbolic, has shown no inclination to compromise, and Morsi offered no concessions to his opponents when he addressed the nation for 2 ? hours on Wednesday.
The focus of Sunday's protests is Morsi's Ittihadiya palace in Cairo. As a precaution, the president and his family are reported to have moved into the Cairo headquarters of the Republican Guard, the branch of the army tasked with protecting the president and presidential palaces.
As the country waits to see what transpires Sunday, thousands of supporters and opponents of the embattled president held rival sit-ins Saturday in separate parts of the capital.
With expectations of violence running high, the military has dispatched troops backed by armored personnel carriers to reinforce military bases on the outskirts of cities expected to be flashpoints.
In Cairo, the additional forces were deployed to military facilities in the suburbs and outlying districts. Army troops are also moving to reinforce police guarding the city's prisons to prevent a repeat of the nearly half dozen jail breaks during the chaos of the 2011 uprising.
The opposition is demanding Morsi's ouster, saying he has lost his legitimacy through a series of missteps and authoritarian policies. They say early presidential elections should be held within six months of his ouster.
Hard-line Islamists loyal to Morsi have repeatedly vowed to "smash" the protesters, arguing that they were a front for loyalists of Hosni Mubarak, the autocrat ousted in Egypt's 2011 revolt, determined to undermine Morsi's rule. They also say that Morsi is a freely elected president who must serve out his four-year term before he can be replaced in an election.
Many Egyptians fear the new round of unrest could trigger a collapse in law and order similar to the one that occurred during the 2011 revolt. Already, residents in some of the residential compounds and neighborhoods to the west of the city are reporting gunmen showing up to demand protection money or risk being robbed.
The police, who have yet to fully take back the streets after they disappeared in unclear circumstances in 2011, have stepped up patrols on the outskirts of the city, ostensibly to prevent weapons and ammunition from coming into the city to be used in the case of an outbreak of violence. The army is advertising hotlines for civilians to call if they run into trouble.
In the latest reminder of the near lawlessness that has plagued the Sinai Peninsula bordering Gaza and Israel since the 2011 revolt, a senior security official officer was assassinated Saturday in the coastal city of el-Arish as he arrived home from work. Police Brig. Mohammed Tolbah was instantly killed and his driver seriously injured.
___
Associated Press writer Maggie Michael contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-group-22-million-signatures-against-morsi-125919145.html
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ICC news : August deadline for deciding on World T20 venues ...
The ICC has given Bangladesh an August deadline to achieve satisfactory standards for its stadiums for next year's World Twenty20 tournament.
Having reviewed the reports by its venue consultant who visited the stadiums in June, the ICC's International Development (IDI) board has pencilled in another inspection for August following which a final decision will be taken on the venues for the tournament that will be played between March 16 and April 6 next year.
The BCB's president Nazmul Hassan admitted his concern ahead of the ICC annual conference in London that the ICC might lose patience over development at two of the four proposed venues, in Sylhet and Cox's Bazar.
Those concerns have now been expressed by the ICC. "The IDI board reviewed an inspection report by the ICC venue consultant ? and expressed its concern regarding the progress of construction and improvements to playing facilities in Cox's Bazar and Sylhet," an ICC statement said. "The board noted that a further inspection and report is scheduled for August after which a final decision will be taken."
According to the ICC rules, the venues need to be ready six months ahead of the tournament, including adequately meeting the accommodation requirements for the teams.
After two visits this year, the ICC venue inspection team found construction work at both Sylhet and Cox's Bazar, which is scheduled to host the women's leg of the World T20, was well behind schedule for different reasons. Also, it was worried by a lack of lodging options in Dhaka.
After the first inspection, which took place in May, the ICC team found construction work at Cox's Bazaar had not begun at all, while work on the pavilion in Sylhet - at the ground which was developed last year - had not started either.
In the report the inspectors noted that the stadiums would not be ready before December; the six-month cut off as specified in the rules would be September. The team then returned to do a follow-up inspection on June 10, and the doubts over whether the work would reach its completion at both venues before end of September remained.
However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has stated that it remains confident that all the ICC deadlines will be met.
"There is absolutely no doubt the work would be completed in due time," Hassan said. "The government had started work late in Sylhet stadium but now it is in full swing. I have seen the work plan and I am convinced that it would be finished," he said. "As for Cox's Bazar, the major issue was the land. Now that we have land we are confident we will meet all the requirements."
Should alternative venues be required, Hassan assured the board members that Bangladesh has enough and there was no need to look outside the country. He listed Fatullah and BKSP (Bangladesh Sports Institute) in Savar, a northwest suburb of Dhaka, as alternatives in case Sylhet and Cox's Bazar failed to meet the requirements once again in August.
"We already have two other venues. For Sylhet we have Fatullah, a full-fledged and world-class stadium which has hosted international matches already. As for Cox's Bazar, we can host the women's matches in BKSP where we have prepared two grounds according to ICC guidelines."
ESPNricinfo learned last weekthat Sri Lanka and South Africa were open to hosting the tournament if required.
However Mustafa Kamal, the ICC vice-president and former BCB president, said the ICC board had not discussed any such plans as yet. He echoed Hassan's confidence in relation to Bangladesh meeting the hosting requirements:
"We have just delivered 2011 World Cup successfully. This is not a bigger event compared to that. We had prepared five grounds for the World Cup. We also had the 2014 World Twenty20. In 2016 we have the Under-19 World Cup followed by the World Cup Qualifiers in 2018. We are going to host so many events because we have the infrastructure."
The doubts over lack of accommodation for all teams in Dhaka came after the Bangladesh government voiced a plan to break down the Sheraton hotel in the capital and rebuild it. But Hassan said the government had now assured the BCB that it would put off the reconstruction till the World T20 was over.
"We have the Sheraton, which was supposed to be renovated. The prime minister has assured us that the hotel would be available during the tournament, so we have an additional 200 rooms," Hassan said. "That solves the lodging problem."
Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-world-twenty20-2014/content/story/646199.html
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Israel greets Kerry with settlement declaration. Could that signal progress?
Israel's settlement announcement would seem to be a slap at Kerry's efforts to reopen peace talks. But as one Mideast veteran puts it, Netanyahu 'takes a step backward before he takes a step forward.'
US Secretary of State John Kerry meets Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (r.) in Jerusalem June 27. Kerry arrived in Jerusalem on Thursday in an effort to restart Middle East peace talks.
Jacquelyn Martin/Reuters
EnlargeInstead of a red carpet, Secretary of State John Kerry got what might have looked like a knee-capping ? in the form of an announcement of new settlement construction ? for his arrival in Jerusalem Thursday.
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But what under other conditions might have looked like a deliberate sabotaging of Secretary Kerry?s laser-like ? and some say, quixotic ? efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks is being viewed by some regional experts as a sure sign that Kerry may be on the verge of succeeding.
?Kerry has a good chance of announcing the resumption of talks, if not on this trip then on the next, and the tell-tale sign for me is this announcement? of a new 69-unit settlement in a sensitive neighborhood of East Jerusalem, says Aaron David Miller, a former US diplomat for both Republican and Democratic administrations who is now vice president for new initiatives at the Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington.
How?
?Bibi [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] always takes a step backward before he takes a step forward,? says Dr. Miller, who, with his long experience in peace-process diplomacy, is not given to overly optimistic assessments. ?So an announcement of a project like this practically on the day the secretary of state is arriving, that tells me something is coming.?
Secretary Kerry was scheduled to have a private dinner Thursday evening with Mr. Netanyahu, the opening of two days of discussions with Israeli and Palestinian officials. It is Kerry?s fifth trip in as many months to try to jump start the moribund peace talks ? a quest Kerry has counted as one of his top priorities since he left the Senate to lead the State Department in early February.
If Kerry succeeds in getting the two sides back to the table it would be a feat in itself, regional analysts say, although it would only be the first and perhaps easiest step on a path toward reaching what many consider to be the fleeting goal, a two-state solution to the conflict.
But a resumption of talks would be a victory for Kerry?s approach to the peace-process conundrum, which Miller says has been to focus on building trust with Netanyahu.
?Kerry has invested a lot in this relationship, he?s acutely aware that without this relationship he has nothing ? full stop,? he says.
The secretary of state also has to ?invest? in his relationship with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, Miller says. But he adds that the ?asymmetry? of Kerry?s attention to developing a relationship with each leader suggests he understands what it will take to break through with talks.
?Kerry gets it,? Miller says, ?and in a way that Obama doesn?t get it.?
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An AARP for Portugal? Seniors rally as pensions under pressure.
Portuguese seniors may not be leading today's strike, but they're organizing against austerity.
People shout slogans during a protest by APRe!, a Portuguese pensioner and retired people association, against cuts in pension and others austerity measures outside the Portuguese Solidarity and Social Security Ministry in Lisbon earlier this month.
Francisco Seco/AP
EnlargeAs Portuguese take to the streets today in the fourth general strike in Portugal with multiparty support, the increasingly powerful retiree population will be on the front lines.
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Seniors, who make up about a third of Portugal's population, have been specially targeted by relentless public cuts. They have not only seen their pensions reduced, but are suffering from severe increases in the cost of living from tax hikes and a shrinking welfare state. Combined, these developments have eroded their purchasing power and forced hundreds of thousands below the poverty line.
While they cannot be the most active in street protests, an area where the younger populations understandably dominate, they could certainly determine Portugal's future.
They will be a key voting bloc in the next general election in 2015 (if protests and upheaval like today's strike don't force a new vote before then). They have a history of being a combative political force and are showing early signs of renewed empowerment and mobilization, which some experts say could be a game changer in this crisis.
Retirees feel a sense a betrayal from a democracy they built and defended that is now turning against them, not only when they were meant to enjoy what they?ve worked and paid for, but when they are least able to fight back.
"This is social terrorism," says 64-year-old Maria do Rosario Gama, leader of a nascent yet rapidly growing national association of retirees based in Coimbra called APRe!, an acronym which also translates as "No more!" Their slogan is "We are not disposable."
"We've been fighting all our lives and now, because we are old and they think we can't defend ourselves, they are targeting us. It's just cut after cut after cut," says Mrs. Gama, a former school director.
?Workers? struggle is our struggle,? APRe! said this week in a statement supporting today?s strike.
Back to the front
Gama has been on the front lines her entire life, like many of her generation who lived through decades of dictatorship that ended in 1974, followed by violent turmoil and saber-rattling and a grueling road to consolidate democracy.
In the past she led protests against economic and political stagnation aided by an infamous political class too divided between the right, the socialists, and the communists to be effective. Now, just when she thought she could relax and enjoy her life with her children, grandchildren, and husband, she's back in the street, this time leading a battle against the relentless spending cuts of the conservative government of Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho.
"This a tremendous injustice that the government is doing. It's barbaric," says Lu?s Valente de Oliveira, a 76-year-old former government minister and veteran Portuguese politician who now presides over the Oporto city council.
"But retirees will defend themselves, you can be sure, even if they can't do much to change their situation. It's a very incorrect policy implemented by very insensitive people and just a great disappointment vis-?-vis politics and democracy."
Seniors make up more than a third of the voting population and here, like in other countries, tend to vote more than younger cohorts. With the Portuguese population aging, their power will only grow for years to come ? giving them the potential for influence in Portugal akin to that the AARP senior lobby holds in the US.
But so far they have had no need to act as a voting bloc. Even if they did, their options are limited because so many of the cuts have been imposed by the European Union, especially Germany, which has significant economic interests here. Although the decision on how to distribute the cuts is up to the government, the amount that needs to be cut is not negotiable.
"I don't know if we are going to win, but we are going to fight," says Gama, visibly indignant. They've knocked on all powerful doors, "but the political parties aren't listening to us."
For now, they are concentrating on organizing the huge and long-disfranchised population and on defending their rights in courts, challenging the constitutionality of austerity policies. APRe! is an apolitical organization, and they know their voting power won't necessarily force any government to backtrack.
"But we are only getting started," Gama says defiantly.
The cuts
Portugal is in its third straight year of recession and its economy is expected to contract 2.4 percent in 2013. The pain intensified in 2011, when Portugal was forced to request a 78 billion euro ($101 billion) bailout from the European Union, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund to avoid going bankrupt.
Mr. Passos Coelho swept elections and Portugal had no choice but to implement unprecedented cuts to meet the terms of the bailout, which came with strict deficit targets. It's up to the government, though, to divvy up austerity.
Although there have been multiple tax hikes and government spending cuts that have visibly eroded the welfare state, especially in sectors such as education and health care, Passos Coelho's policies have directed much of the pain on civil servants and retirees.
In April, the country's highest court ruled some of the measures unconstitutional because they discriminantly targeted only public pensions and employees and because pension cuts are illegal. But a month later, the government announced measures that levied new taxes on pensions, generating a similar amount of revenue for the government without violating the law against pension cuts, and harmonizing the rules for public and private pensions.
The measures only increased the burden on retirees, with 1.5 billion euros of a total savings of 4.8 billion euros by 2015 coming on their backs.
On top of that, the retirement age was raised a year, to 66, and a new tax was levied on pensions. The government also further cut the budget for social security.
Around 87 percent of retirees earn less than 611 euros ($794) a month, and around 77 percent don?t earn enough to cover basic costs, according to a study released this week by the Economic and Social Council, of Coimbra University. The study didn?t take into account recent cuts, which will only swell the elderly population at risk, it warned. The elderly population of Portugal has the highest poverty risk in the EU as a result of shrinking benefits, studies show.
APRe! is once again challenging the measures in court, but it could take months, if not years, to eventually reach the high court or European courts.
"I don't travel, I can't go to the beach and I no longer can treat myself to something special as I used to. I only have money for rent and food, and that's if I can keep paying rent," says Estela Castilho, a 66-year-old retired teacher who has lost 25 percent of her income. "I was middle class and now I'm low-middle class. I worked to have a good pension. I paid for it and they are taking it away."
Few options but to fight
"Undoubtedly retirees will vote out the current government as soon as they have possibility to do so," says Antonio Costa Pinto, a political analyst at the University of Lisbon. "But austerity is not going to change. The solution is not in the national government but in Europe. The change won't be very significant even with a new government and the luck of retirees won't change very much."
And retirees, like the unemployed, have no way of threatening productivity by striking, thus denying them the power that their generation used so effectively in the past. But that is precisely where their salvation could lie, says Raquel Cardeira Varela, a researcher in the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and an expert in labor and conflict issues.
If retirees join forces with others in similar situation, like the unemployed and impoverished, and for example shut down ports or other vital infrastructure by occupying it, like they did in Argentina last decade, they could force the government to backtrack, Dr. Varela suggests.
"This is very new and we are only now researching this, but retirees have a history that plays to their advantage. They know how to organize, which younger generations have been unable to do. They are educated and militant. They traditionally are not active, but the cuts are mobilizing them quickly and we are seeing signs of a potentially strong organizational capacity," Dr. Varela says.
"They need to unite to other non-productive segments of the population, and even though it's to early, this could be a game changer."
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Friday, June 28, 2013
PFT: Olympian Okoye facing tough adjustment
Getty ImagesIn their zeal to defend the name Redskins against disorganized and scattered opposition that gradually is becoming more organized and less scattered, the NFL team bearing that name has had a tendency to seize in knee-jerk fashion upon anything that supports the position that the name isn?t offensive.
The two primary tactics having entailed citing the various high schools that still use the name (there are fewer all the time) and trumpeting the opinions of Native Americans who have no problem with the name, and who ostensibly would regard as a compliment the greeting, ?What?s up, redskin??
As explained by Dave McKenna in an item published earlier today by Deadspin (yeah, I know that one of the morons who works there recently called me a moron . . . again), a supposed Native American Chief whom the Redskins recently trotted out in support of the name isn?t a Chief, and may not even be a Native American.? But the Redskins, who apparently have chosen to dispense with steps like vetting a guest, put the guy on their in-house web show, described him as a Chief, and had him explain why he supports the name.
And, yes, the guy actually said that Native Americans on the ?reservation? actually great each other with, ?Hey, what?s up, redskin??
Complicating matters for the league is that Commissioner Roger Goodell recently pointed to the same non-Chief-possibly-non-Native-American in a letter to member of Congress defending the ongoing use of the name Redskins.
The full item is worth a read, even though it?s a little lengthy.? Also, it probably should include a disclaimer that the author once triggered a defamation lawsuit from owner Daniel Snyder, which gives McKenna a natural bias.
But the point has been made.? Yet again, the Redskins end up looking bad while trying to make their name look good.
If nothing else, we now know why they?ve hired Frank Luntz.? Then again, maybe they think he?s a Chief, too.
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Iraq official says Baghdad open to US military aid
BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraq is open to greater American military cooperation as U.S. commanders explore ways to boost security assistance to the country, a top Iraqi official said Thursday.
The Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, has recommended that military American commanders look for ways to help improve the military capabilities of Iraq and Lebanon, which both face the risk of spillover from the civil war in neighboring Syria.
Dempsey said Wednesday that the assistance would not involve sending U.S. combat troops, but could involve the U.S. sending in training teams and accelerating sales of weapons and equipment.
The last American combat troops left Iraq in December 2011, ending a nearly nine-year war that cost nearly 4,500 American and more than 100,000 Iraqi lives.
About 100 military and civilian Department of Defense personnel remain in Iraq as an arm of the American Embassy to act as liaisons with the Iraqi government and facilitate arms sales. The U.S. has similar offices in other countries.
Ali al-Moussawi, the media adviser for Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, told The Associated Press that Baghdad would welcome increased arms sales and faster weapons deliveries along with U.S. training teams to help it confront rising regional instability and terrorist threats.
Iraq is struggling to contain a resurgent al-Qaida that is one of the main drivers behind the country's worst uptick in violence in half a decade. More than 2,000 people have been killed in car bombings and other violent attacks in Iraq since the start of April.
"We welcome this kind of cooperation and we consider it a part of the existing agreement between us," al-Moussawi said when asked about Dempsey's comments.
"Because of the high risks the region faces, I think there should be bigger cooperation and coordination between all countries threatened by terrorism."
Iraqi fighters have traveled to fight on both sides of Syria's civil war. The Iraqi branch of al-Qaida is pushing to make itself a player in the conflict, and now calls itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant to highlight its cross-border ambitions.
Iraq has acquired billions of dollars' worth of American-made military equipment, including howitzers, armored personnel carriers and Abrams tanks in recent years.
It has yet to receive the first of as many as 36 F-16 fighter jets it has ordered, and Baghdad has been pressing U.S. officials to speed delivery of the warplanes.
Also on Thursday, a spokesman for Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission said a voting list backed by influential Sunni politicians has won the biggest single bloc of seats in provincial elections in the Sunni-dominated province of Anbar.
Safaa al-Moussawi, a spokesman for the Independent High Electoral commission, said the United list led by Iraqi Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi won 8 of 30 seats in Anbar's provincial council. A bloc backed by al-Maliki came in second with five seats.
The western province of Anbar, a former al-Qaida stronghold, has been the center of anti-government rallies protesting what Sunnis say is their second-class treatment by the Shiite-led government.
Residents in Anbar and neighboring Ninevah province voted last week in local elections that had been delayed due to security concerns.
___
Associated Press writers Sameer N. Yacoub and Adam Schreck contributed.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-official-says-baghdad-open-us-military-aid-142850054.html
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Thursday, June 27, 2013
New brain imaging study provides support for the notion of food addiction
June 26, 2013 ? Consuming highly processed carbohydrates can cause excess hunger and stimulate brain regions involved in reward and cravings, according to a Boston Children's Hospital research team led by David Ludwig, MD, PhD director, New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center. These findings suggest that limiting these "high-glycemic index" foods could help obese individuals avoid overeating.
The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on June 26, 2013, investigates how food intake is regulated by dopamine-containing pleasure centers of the brain.
"Beyond reward and craving, this part of the brain is also linked to substance abuse and dependence, which raises the question as to whether certain foods might be addictive," says Ludwig.
To examine the link, researchers measured blood glucose levels and hunger, while also using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to observe brain activity during the crucial four-hour period after a meal, which influences eating behavior at the next meal. Evaluating patients in this time frame is one novel aspect of this study, whereas previous studies have evaluated patients with an MRI soon after eating.
Twelve overweight or obese men consumed test meals designed as milkshakes with the same calories, taste and sweetness. The two milkshakes were essentially the same; the only difference was that one contained rapidly digesting (high-glycemic index) carbohydrates and the other slowly digesting (low-glycemic index) carbohydrates.
After participants consumed the high-glycemic index milkshake, they experienced an initial surge in blood sugar levels, followed by sharp crash four hours later.
This decrease in blood glucose was associated with excessive hunger and intense activation of the nucleus accumbens, a critical brain region involved in addictive behaviors.
Prior studies of food addiction have compared patient reactions to drastically different types of foods, such as high-calorie cheesecake versus boiled vegetables.
Another novel aspect of this study is how a specific dietary factor that is distinct from calories or sweetness, could alter brain function and promote overeating.
"These findings suggest that limiting high-glycemic index carbohydrates like white bread and potatoes could help obese individuals reduce cravings and control the urge to overeat," says Ludwig.
Though the concept of food addiction remains provocative, the findings suggest that more interventional and observational studies be done. Additional research will hopefully inform clinicians about the subjective experience of food addiction, and how we can potentially treat these patients and regulate their weight.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/abl9M9AB9ZE/130626153922.htm
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Ouya and Shield: Android consoles are about potential, not gaming ...
The Ouya has hit store shelves, and after a small delay, Nvidia?s Shield will release as well. As the two pioneers of the Android gaming console market, the Ouya and Shield have taught us all one thing: Android gaming consoles are about the potential of the Android platform, not the quality of Android gaming as it exists today.
Along with the Kickstarted GameStick, the Ouya and the Shield compose the initial triumvirate of Android gaming consoles. Each are going about it their own way. Nvidia?s Shield is a portable gaming device ? in the sense that it?s like a 3DS or PS Vita ? that is focused on top-of-the-line hardware using Tegra 4, a very pretty screen, and other high-end specs all at the high-end price of $299. The Ouya, on the other hand, is going for cheap and easy. For only $99, you get a tiny Tegra 3 console complete with wireless gaming controller, 1GB of RAM, and 1080p HDMI output. The GameStick lands somewhere between the Ouya and Shield. It is a standard MHL stick which can plug into a displa, but also be carried everywhere more easily than something with a bunch of wires sticking out of it.
The devices all have their pros: the Shield has fancy hardware, the Ouya is cheap and has exclusives, and the GameStick is even cheaper ($79) and more portable. They also all have their cons: the Shield is only $100 less than a brand-new PS4, the Ouya is buggy and has a limited games library, the GameStick doesn?t yet exist in any tangibly marketable way. They all share one unique con: they?re Android gaming consoles. However, what makes that disadvantage interesting is that it could morph into a major advantage.
Giving the Shield?s PC streaming capabilities a go.
Now, this isn?t to say that Android games aren?t good, or that Android game developers haven?t put their heart and soul into creating the best game they could. The real issue is that Android in its current state just isn?t the platform for top-tier video game experiences. For better or worse, iOS is the mobile platform where prominent mobile games reside and the 3DS and PS Vita are where even richer portable gaming experiences lie.
The PC is as open ? if not more open ? a gaming platform as Android, yet provides more in-depth experiences. Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and PC consoles are where the big budget, triple-A titles live. Android, in its current state, is just not where people go to play ? or to publish ? today?s best games.
When listening to the Shield, Ouya, and GameStick PR spiels, the one running theme is that Android gaming could be set to explode thanks to the open platform. That?s completely correct. However, ?could be? doesn?t mean ?will.? In the Ouya?s case, $99 seems like a fair price for a speculative purchase. However, if Android gaming doesn?t fulfill its potential, that $99 could have bought you Naughty Dog?s?The Last of Us?or an entire year of an MMO subscription. Both of those purchases would do more for you than a Android console that might sit around and occupy an HDMI port ever would.
So, if there aren?t enough (or any, perhaps) top-tier video game experiences on the Android platform, surely filling the market with consoles would attract developers, which in turn would lead to the development of some top-tier games, right? While that is potentially true ? as it is with Steam for Linux?? that still means Android gaming consoles are focused on what may happen down the line, not what is happening now.
As the Wii U is currently proving, if there aren?t any games people want they simply won?t buy the console. As the Wii?s massive hardware success but third-place software sales taught us, potential only gets you so far, especially if it?s never fulfilled. The record-breaking success of the PlayStation 2 showed us that, despite subpar hardware specs, the hardware doesn?t make the console, the games do. At the moment, the Android gaming platform simply doesn?t have the titles to compete with every other gaming platform that?s out there. You?re buying into the hope that it one day will.
Now read:?This is why Nvidia?s Shield will fail.?Alternatively read:?Why Nvidia?s Shield will succeed
Source: http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/159739-ouya-and-shield-android-consoles
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Texas Senate GOP passes restrictive abortion bill
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? Texas Republicans have passed new abortion restrictions expected to close almost every abortion clinic in the nation's second most populous state.
The Republican-controlled Senate voted for the bill while hundreds of protesters screamed from the gallery. Reporters and Democrats saw the voting begin after midnight, but Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said it began just before.
Texas' special legislative session ended at midnight, and Democrats spent most of the day filibustering the bill. Republicans cited rules to eventually force a vote to end the filibuster.
The bill bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and requires that all procedures take place in a surgical center.
Doctors who perform abortions would also need admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles. The surgical center requirement would shut down 37 of Texas' 42 abortion clinics.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-senate-gop-passes-restrictive-abortion-bill-052720537.html
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Various New Airlines have emerged In the Indian Aviation Industry
The industry of travel and tourism in India is experiencing a vast boom. The profit margins of travel and tourism companies have ascended to heights one has never envisioned before. India has diverse culture, habitats and religions. One can witness everything from green forests to mountains, from historical monuments to modern constructions and from snowfalls to hilly regions in India. India attracts tourists from across the globe with cheap domestic Air tickets. Connectivity from any part of the world to India has become viable as many airlines have been established here. To avail ticket booking from any of the esteemed airlines, all you have to do is log on to their web portal and pick the suitable options.
During the past few years, very few options were obtainable for travelling by air. But now, the aviation industry has revolutionized entirely and there are a vast number of airlines that provide amenities for international as well as domestic trips. Many companies have embarked into the air travel business and various new routes are being constructed to travel, within and outside India. No frill airlines are also immense in number and cheap airfare tickets are available for everyone. Travelling by air is gradually becoming more popular among people from all categories. India has such an affluent cultural and historical heritage, that various tourists come and visit all famous destinations of this country every year.
Every tourist attraction in India has its own uniqueness. Almost all the airlines in incredible India provide direct cheap domestic flights, cheap airfare flights to almost all these locations, at very reasonable rates. The hospitality industry is also benefiting enormously, due to the ever increasing number of tourists. The aviation business has extended so widely, that you have many choices and airlines to choose from.
You will find that there are routes connecting every major city of India to another by cheap airfare flights. All the major cities of the world are linked to India by Cheapest Airlines with Cheap Airfare. Proficient operators in this business as Indian Airlines, Go Air, Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and Indigo Airlines etc provide flights to all prima destinations with many facilities for convenient travelling.
There are many international and domestic airports in India and new ones are being constructed as the demand for air travel is persistently increasing. The Government of India and many corporate and MNC?s have invested in the Indian air travel industry.
Kailash kumar is an Associate Editor with Thecheapairefare.com that offers: Cheap Airfare and Cheap Domestic Air tickets or Cheap tickets booking.
Source: http://naughtmuch.com/various-new-airlines-have-emerged-in-the-indian-aviation-industry/
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Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Unexpected Cutlery Makes Food Taste Bad
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Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Neiman Marcus plans to raise up to $100M in IPO
FILE - In this Wednesday, March 11, 2009 file photo, the Chicago skyline is reflected in the exterior of Neiman Marcus on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus plans to raise up to $100 million from an initial public offering of its common stock, according to reports, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)
FILE - In this Wednesday, March 11, 2009 file photo, the Chicago skyline is reflected in the exterior of Neiman Marcus on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus plans to raise up to $100 million from an initial public offering of its common stock, according to reports, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus plans to raise up to $100 million by returning to the stock market with an initial public offering.
That amount is likely to change, though, as bankers gauge investor interest. The plan to go public, announced in a regulatory filing Monday, comes about eight years after private equity firms TPG Capital and Warburg Pincus bought Neiman Marcus for $5.1 billion.
Neiman Marcus has benefited from affluent shoppers who are willing to drop $1,000 for a pair of stilettos. During the recession, Neiman Marcus was not as hurt by the consumer spending pullback as other retailers, because the wealthy suffered less in the poor economy.
Still, the initial public offering comes at a time when the stock market, which influences luxury spending, has become volatile.
Neiman Marcus won't receive any proceeds from the offering. The Dallas company operates 41 Neiman Marcus stores, two Bergdorf Goodman locations, and 35 discount shops under the Last Call brand. It also operates six Cusp stores, which cater to younger customers.
The Wall Street Journal article reported in late May that Neiman Marcus recently rebuffed a proposal that would involve buyout firm KKR & Co. investing in competitor Saks Inc., the operator of Saks Fifth Avenue, and then engineering a combination of Saks and Neiman.
According to the Journal, Neiman Marcus turned down the proposal for several reasons, including the terms and the complexity of the deal. At the time, Neiman's private equity owners were looking to sell the company outright or take it public.
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday on its website that Canadian department store operator and Lord & Taylor parent Hudson's Bay has now emerged as a potential suitor for Saks Inc. It cited an anonymous source familiar with the issue. Hudson Bay could not be immediately reached for comment. A Saks spokeswoman declined to comment.
Dan Hess, CEO of Merchant Forecast, an independent research firm that monitors the retail sector, believes that an initial public offering would do well and that there's an investor appetite for luxury companies.
Neiman Marcus, founded in 1907 by Herbert Marcus Sr., his sister Carrie Marcus, and her husband A.L Neiman, has had a series of owners during its rich history.
The company was sold to department store operator Broadway-Hale in 1969 and began planning national expansion outside of Texas. Through a series of deals, the retailer came under the ownership of the conglomerate Harcourt General, which also published textbooks and owned movie theaters.
In 1999, Harcourt General spun off Neiman Marcus stores and Bergdorf Goodman as its separate, publicly traded entity, the Neiman Marcus Group. In 2005, the current owners took the company private.
Neiman Marcus has a long-held reputation for coddling its wealthy shoppers with customer service that goes above and beyond the standard. In 1984, it established InCircle, the industry's first customer loyalty program. The program now has 144,000 members and generated 40 percent of the company's total revenue in the latest fiscal year. Neiman Marcus expanded its business online in 2000, becoming the first major luxury store to do so.
Now, like other upscale retailers, Neiman Marcus is trying to reinvent its shopping experience for its customers who are increasingly using their tablets and smartphones to research and buy their designer goods.
In the filing, Neiman Marcus says it plans to further meld the online experience with shopping at its stores. It also plans to expand its Last Call and Cusp chains.
In the SEC filing, Neiman Marcus Inc. did not disclose how many shares would be offered, or what the projected price range would be. A regulatory filing by the company also did not disclose what exchange it expects to list the stock on or what ticker symbol it plans to use.
For fiscal 2012, Neiman Marcus had net income of $140.1 million on revenue of $4.35 billion. The retailer had net income of $31.6 million and revenue of $4 billion in fiscal 2011.
Earlier this month the company reported that its fiscal third-quarter net income increased 13 percent on stronger sales, particularly online. Revenue from its online business jumped 15 percent in the period. Revenue from stores open at least a year, considered a key indicator of financial performance because it strips away the effects from recently opened or closed stores, increased 3.6 percent.
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Follow Anne D'Innocenzio on Twitter: ?http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio
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Dezeen Jobs latest update
Scroll on for all the latest from our recruitment site Dezeen Jobs, including positions with designer Faye Toogood?(pictured), Priestmangoode and Neri&Hu, plus this is the last chance to apply for roles with Adjaye Associates, MAD, Studio Fuksas and more...
Online design and architecture magazine Dezeen is looking for an advertising sales assistant. More ?
Studio Toogood is looking for a studio manager/PA to the director to join its team in London. More ?
Priestmangoode is looking for transport/product designers to join its team in London to work on a number of aviation and rail design projects. More ?
Pringle Brandon Perkins+Will requires architects to work at its architecture practice in London. More ?
Design studio MDLab is looking for a layout graphic designer to work in Munich, Germany. More ?
Furniture design and manufacture brand Morgan is looking for a designer to work in Southbourne, UK. More ?
AURA is seeking a showroom sales executive to join its furniture and design showroom in London. More ?
PLP Architecture seeks architectural assistants to work in London. More ?
Design consultancy Checkland Kindleysides seeks a senior interior designer to work at either its Leicester or London studio. More ?
Philippe Hurel is seeking a showroom manager to work at its furniture showroom in London. More ?
Andrew Mulroy Architects requires an architect to work at its London office. More ?
ACME is seeking a personal assistant to join its design and architecture studio in London. More ?
Shaun Clarkson ID seeks a project manager to join its London interior design practice. More ?
Ab Rogers Design is looking for an assistant studio manager to join its team in London. More ?
Light fitting design and manufacture company Aktiva seeks a product designer to join its team in London. More ?
Caballero Interior Design is looking for a senior interior designer to join its London studio. More ?
London architecture studio Maccreanor Lavington is looking for architects/architectural assistants. More ?
Maccreanor Lavington seeks a Revit/CAD manager to work at its London architecture practice. More ?
Architecture and property development company JC Starr is looking for a Part II architectural assistant to work in London. More ?
Exhibition and interior design studio Real Studios is looking for a middleweight exhibition designer to join its team in London. More ?
Emrys Architects seeks a project architect to join its London practice. More ?
Emrys Architects is looking for a Part II architectural assistant to work in London. More ?
Emmanuel Babled Studio is looking for a 3D designer to work in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. More ?
Studio Fox is looking for junior, middleweight and senior interior designers to join its team in Charmouth, Dorset, UK. More ?
Eva Jiricna Architects seeks an architect with four to five post Part III experience to join its London practice. More ?
Interior design studio B3 Designers is looking for a senior interior designer to join its team in London. More ?
HAKA Designs is looking for a freelance FF&E/interior design assistant to work for five months on a large residential development project in London. More ?
Digital production company The Project Factory is looking for a designer to join its team in London. More ?
Design studio Asylum seeks a senior interior designer to work in Singapore. More ?
Design brand Muuto is looking for a regional contract manager to work in London. More ?
London architecture firm Foster + Partners requires a specifications advisor. More ?
HTA Design LLP is looking for a senior graphic designer to work at its design practice in London. More ?
London architecture firm Foster + Partners requires a sketch modelshop technician. More ?
Foster + Partners is seeking modelshop CAD support to join its architecture office in London. More ?
Architecture firm Foster + Partners is looking for a model maker to join its London practice. More ?
Creative agency UXUS is seeking a 3D visualiser to work in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. More ?
Architecture and design studio ACME is seeking architects to join its office in London. More ?
Design agency UXUS is seeking an account manager/business development support to work in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. More ?
Amsterdam design studio UXUS requires a retail designer. More ?
Design agency UXUS is looking for a retail project manager to join its Amsterdam office. More ?
Furniture making company Andrew Morton Furniture is looking for a CAD/project technician to work in Surrey, UK. More ?
Design and research office Neri&Hu seeks designers to join its offices in London, New York, and Shanghai. More ?
Adjaye Associates is looking for a number of architects to join its team in London. More ?
MAD Architects is looking for a press coordinator/in-house publication strategist to work in Beijing. More ?
Architecture firm Studio Fuksas requires a personal assistant to work in Rome, Italy. More ?
Art/architecture practice Atmos is seeking volunteers to help build its Mobile Orchard in London. More ?
UK interior design studio Wilkinson Beven Design requires a middleweight interior designer to join its team in Birmingham. More ?
The Poltrona Frau Group is offering paid internships at its furniture and design manufacturing brand in London. More ?
Experiential design company e2 is looking for an interior design director to work in Sydney, Australia. More ?
The Architectural Association is looking for applicants for its Marking the Forest summer workshop in Oregon, USA. More ?
Bernd Gruber is looking for an interior architect to join its team in Kitzb?hel, Austria. More ?
Wolff Architects is looking for a PA/office administrator to join its London practice. More ?
Creative agency UXUS is looking for a graphic designer to join its team in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. More ?
Nottingham interior design studio Macaulay Sinclair is looking for a senior interior designer. More ?
Creed Design Associates seeks a middleweight graphic designer/art worker to work in Leicestershire, UK More ?
Creed Design Associates is looking for a middleweight interior designer to join its design studio in Leicestershire, UK. More ?
Patel Taylor requires a Part II architectural assistant to join its architecture studio in London. More ?
London architecture office Fluid Design seeks a junior admin assistant. More ?
Clippings.com is looking for a marketing director to join its team in London. More ?
West Kowloon Cultural District Authority is seeking a museum project coordinator to work in Hong Kong. More ?
Senso is looking for a showroom sales manager to join its team based at their showroom in London. More ?
BS Studio requires a sales coordinator to work in London. More ?
American furniture brand Boiler requires a sales manager work in Paris, France. More ?
DyerGrimes Architects is looking for a Part III or experienced Part II architect to work in London. More ?
Ben Adams Architects seeks a Part II/Part III architect to work in London. More ?
Helen Green Design is looking for middleweight and senior interior designers to join its London practice. More ?
Suying Metropolitan Studio is looking for an architectural and interior design detailer to work in Singapore. More ?
Sigma Architecture and Interiors is looking for interior designers to join its team in London. More ?
Lighting design and manufacture company Charles Edwards is looking for an account manager to work in its London showroom. More ?
Dutch furniture design company Ahrend seeks a studio traffic coordinator to join its team in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. More ?
Adam Richards Architects seeks an experienced Part II or Part III qualified architect to join its London studio. More ?
The New Craftsmen is looking for a scholar seller: commissions to work in London. More ?
Dawson Design Associates, Inc. seeks an interior designer to join its studio in Twickenham, UK. More ?
Victoria Jane Interiors seeks a middleweight interior architect/designer to join its design practice in London. More ?
Couture Furniture is looking for a studio assistant to join its furniture and interiors studio in Enfield. More ?
London interior design studio SAGRADA requires a FF&E interior designer. More ?
Wanda Creative is looking for a middleweight retail interior designer to join its design studio in London. More ?
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Source: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/06/24/dezeen-jobs-latest-jobs-update-7/
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Friday, June 21, 2013
Color Zen for iPhone and iPad review: Gorgeous mosaic puzzles that are as tricky as they are beautiful
Color Zen is a gorgeous puzzle game that's designed for both iPhone and iPad. The premise of the game is to twist, turn, and flick mosaic tiles that are all colored and shaped differently in order to fill the screen with the same color. When two like colors meet, they'll recolor the screen that shade. Seem easy enough? Don't be so sure!
The levels of Color Zen start off easy enough and allow you to get a feel for how the game is played. You'll notice that each level has a border color. The goal is to make the entire screen the color of the border. If you flick a red piece into another red, they will absorb and disappear, leaving the screen colored red. Move on to the next mosaics you can match in order to completely clear the board leaving only the tiles that match the border.
Color Zen gets difficult rather quickly and you'll have to think several steps ahead in order to plan for the border color to be the last mosaic tiles you have left to match on the board. I got stuck on one level that took me about a week to finally pass. A large part of me prefers puzzle games that offer up a challenge so I don't fly through them as quick leaving me waiting for more levels. You do, however, have the option to unlock all the levels via an in-app purchase if you would like to skip around or get stuck on a particularly hard level.
If you'd like to add more levels to Color Zen, there is currently a nature pack available as well for another $0.99 in-app purchase. The standard levels will probably keep you busy for quite a while though.
The good
- Easy game play that functions as a good time killer
- Levels get hard fast, meaning you won't clear the game in just a few hours and be left looking for another puzzler as quick
The bad
- The ability to buy even more packs would be a welcome addition
The bottom line
Color Zen is a great way to kill some time either quickly or when you want to lay around and play for long periods of time. I've found myself picking it up when I have just a few minutes to kill or when I have an hour. It's easy to put down and pick back up at any time which makes it a likely candidate for me to choose when I want to weed through games to play.
If you're a fan of puzzlers, Color Zen is definitely one you should add to your list to try out.
- $0.99 - Download Now
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/aFtVXLmzdNI/story01.htm
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Monday, June 17, 2013
Starboard says Smithfield sale undervalues company
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) ? One of Smithfield Foods Inc.'s largest shareholders says a $4.72 billion takeover bid from China's largest meat producer falls short of what the company would be worth if sold off piece by piece.
In a letter to the Smithfield, Va.-based pork producer's board of directors on Monday, the New York-based investment firm Starboard Value LP estimated the company's value at $9 billion to $10.8 billion, or about $44 to $55 per share. Starboard owns about 5.7 percent of Smithfield's common stock.
Smithfield did not immediately comment on Starboard's letter. Its shares rose 45 cents, or about 1.4 percent, to $33.25 in premarket trading about 45 minutes before the market opens Monday.
Under the deal struck last month with Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd., Smithfield will sell itself for $34 per share. The deal, which remains subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals, would be the largest takeover of a U.S. company by a Chinese firm, valued at about $7.1 billion, including debt. Smithfield's stock will no longer be publicly traded once the deal closes, which is expected in the second half of the year.
Starboard said that while the deal with Shuanghui does offer some value, shareholders would be better served if the company focused on selling off its various divisions, which include fresh pork and hog production businesses, as well as an international division.
Smithfield, whose brands include Armour, Farmland and its namesake, also has been focusing on its packaged meats business, which sells deli meats, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs.
Starboard managing member Jeffrey C. Smith wrote that its letter was not necessarily aimed at coming out in opposition to the proposed sale, but added that it "would be remiss, however, to let an opportunity slip by to determine whether the company could realize even greater value for shareholders."
Because Smithfield is contractually prohibited from superior offers or contacting others who may be interested in acquiring parts of the company, the investment firm said it will seek to "identify and connect any strategic or financial buyers."
Prior to last month's announcement, Continental Grain Co., one of the company's largest shareholders, had been pushing Smithfield to consider splitting itself up to reward shareholders. The privately held grain company has since come out in support of the proposed takeover and has sold the bulk of its stake in Smithfield.
Last week, Smithfield said its net income sank nearly 63 percent in the fourth quarter as feed costs rose even as consumers resisted price hikes, hog prices fell and its exports to China and Russia declined.
Like most pork producers, Smithfield has been caught in a tug of war with consumers. The company needs to raise prices to offset rising commodity costs, namely the corn it uses for feed. But consumers are still extremely sensitive to price changes in the current economy. By raising prices, Smithfield risks cutting into its sales should consumers cut back or buy cheaper meats, such as chicken.
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Michael Felberbaum can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/MLFelberbaum .
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