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After several days of intense international discussion about its new policy against working remotely, Yahoo is trying to distance itself from the controversy.

The company issued a statement to the New York Times in which it drew a line between the situation at Yahoo and flexible work policies in the rest of the economy:

?This isn?t a broad industry view on working from home," the statement said. "This is about what is right for Yahoo right now.?

Yahoo issued its new ban on remote work last week. The company's goal, which many insiders support, was to foster more camaraderie, intensity, and creativity from physical interaction while also eliminating some workers who had effectively retired on the job.

The ban understandably caused some grumbling from Yahoos who had joined the company precisely because they were allowed to work remotely. And then it spawned a world-wide debate in which everyone from Richard Branson to mommy bloggers weighed in.

Outside Yahoo, most observers felt that CEO Marissa Mayer's decision had set back the cause of flexible work policies and work-life balance, especially for women. Inside Yahoo, meanwhile, many applauded the move. If Yahoo is to get its mojo back, these folks argued, it needs a renewed sense of commitment from everyone on the team.

In any event, now, several days later, Yahoo has weighed in on the remote-work ban again, presumably seeking to dampen the criticism it has received. But, to her credit, Yahoo's new CEO, Marissa Mayer, is not backing down.

If nothing else, the controversy once again demonstrates Mayer's leadership abilities. For the past decade, Yahoo has been in desperate need of a CEO who is willing to set a high bar and make the tough, unpopular decisions necessary to whip the company back into shape.

In her short tenure at Yahoo, Mayer has demonstrated that she is more than capable of doing that.

SEE ALSO: Yahoos Actually Support Marissa Mayer's Ban On Remote Work

Disclosure: I work for Yahoo, as a part-time host of a Yahoo Finance show called Daily Ticker. I like working for Yahoo, and I would prefer to keep working for Yahoo, so if I felt like grumbling about a decision Yahoo made, I probably wouldn't do it here. I am also a Yahoo shareholder (a relic of my Internet exuberance in the late 1990s).

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoo-tries-to-quell-furor-about-work-at-home-ban-2013-2

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FILE - In this Friday July 14, 2006 file photo, teachers' union head Elba Esther Gordillo gestures as she arrives to attend a meeting with education workers a day after being expelled from Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party in Mexico City. Gordillo, the head of Mexico's powerful teachers' union, was arrested at an airport outside Mexico City on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, for alleged embezzlement, with federal officials accusing her using union funds to pay for plastic surgery, buy a private plane and even pay her bill at Neiman Marcus. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, file)

FILE - This May 12, 2003 file photo shows Elba Esther Gordillo, then secretary general of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) speaks at a news conference with foreign correspondents in Mexico City. Gordillo, the head of Mexico's powerful teachers' union, was arrested at an airport outside Mexico City on Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, for alleged embezzlement, with federal officials accusing her using union funds to pay for plastic surgery, buy a private plane and even pay her bill at Neiman Marcus. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? The head of Mexico's powerful teachers' union was arrested at an airport near Mexico City Tuesday for alleged embezzlement, with federal officials accusing her of using union funds to pay for plastic surgery, to buy a house in San Diego and even to pay her bill at Neiman Marcus.

Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said that Elba Esther Gordillo, who has led the 1.5 million-member National Union of Education Workers for 23 years, was detained in Toluca on charges that she embezzled 2 billion pesos (about $160 million) from union funds.

Gordillo, a colorful woman long seen as a kingmaker and power-behind-the-scenes in Mexican politics, was flown to the Attorney General's hangar in the Mexico City airport, where she asked to be checked by a doctor, Murillo told Milenio television.

Murillo said that Gordillo, 68, was in good health and awaiting transfer to appear before a judge. Two other people were also arrested but they were not named.

He told Milenio that the investigation started in December after Santander Bank alerted authorities to bank transfers in billions of pesos.

"We are looking at a case in which the funds of education workers have been illegally misused, for the benefit of several people, among them Elba Esther Gordillo," Murillo said earlier at the news conference announcing her arrest.

It marks the downfall of a woman who rose from school teacher to become one of Mexico's most powerful political operators, displaying her opulence openly with designer clothes and bags, bodyguards, expensive cars and properties including a penthouse apartment in Mexico City's exclusive Polanco neighborhood. She has been widely lampooned for her many plastic surgeries and depicted in political cartoons as ghoulish.

Meanwhile, Mexico's teachers are poorly paid and public education has long been considered sub-par.

Prosecutors said they had detected nearly $3 million in purchases at Neiman Marcus using union funds, as well as $17,000 in U.S. plastic surgery bills and the purchase of a million-dollar home in San Diego.

Assistant Attorney General Alfredo Castillo displayed a series of charts at the press conference with arrows detailing the allegations of illicit transfers from teachers' union accounts to personal accounts in the names of three union workers, Nora Guadalupe Ugarte Ramirez, Isaias Gallardo Chavez and Jose Manuel Diaz Flores, as well as a real estate company.

None were authorized to deal with finances. It wasn't clear if they were among those arrested.

"Between 2008 and 2012, there was systematic embezzlement of union accounts," Murillo Karam said.

Some funds eventually ended up in bank accounts in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Castillo said that in one case they transferred $1 million to a Swiss account for a company owned by Gordillo's mother. Those funds were then used to buy a million-dollar house in the island of Coronado in San Diego.

Her detention came a day after President Enrique Pena Nieto signed Mexico's most sweeping education reform in seven decades into law, seeking to change a system dominated by Gordillo in which teaching positions could be sold or inherited.

The overhaul was Pena Nieto's first major proposal since taking office Dec. 1 and was considered a political blow to Gordillo.

Gordillo had organized a string of protests by teachers against the reform, which moves much of the control of the education system to the federal government from the teachers' union. Gordillo was elected to another six-year term as union leader in October.

The reform creates a system of uniform standards for teacher hiring and promotion based on merit instead of union connections. It also allows for the first census of Mexico's education system, which Gordillo's union has largely controlled for decades, allegedly padding the payroll with thousands of phantom teachers.

So great is the union's control that no one knows exactly how many schools, teachers or students exist in Mexico.

For years, she has beaten back attacks from union dissidents, political foes and journalists who have seen her as a symbol of Mexico's corrupt, old-style politics. Rivals have accused her of corruption, misuse of union funds and even a murder, but prosecutors who investigated never brought a charge against her.

She was expelled from Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party in 2006 for supporting other parties' candidates and the formation of her own New Alliance party.

Gordillo's arrest recalled the 1989 arrest of another once-feared union boss, Joaquin Hernandez Galicia, known as "La Quina." The longtime head of Mexico's powerful oil workers union, Hernandez Galicia was arrested during the first months of the new administration of then-President Carlos Salinas.

In 1988, he criticized Salinas' presidential candidacy and threatened an oil workers' strike if Salinas privatized any part of the government oil monopoly, Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex. On Jan. 10, 1989, ? about a month after Salinas took office ? soldiers used a bazooka to blow down the door of Hernandez' home in the Gulf Coast city of Ciudad Madero.

Like Gordillo, Hernandez Galicia's power was believed to represent a challenge to the president, and his arrest was interpreted as an assertion of the president's authority. He was freed from prison after Salinas de Gortari left office.

Murillo denied that Gordillo's arrest was politically motivated and said it could not be compared to Hernandez's case.

"This was a very clear investigation and we will have more of them," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-26-Mexico-Union%20Leader/id-ed3b8782a9734cefa7c8b66b1498b991

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Georgia and Rene are joined by WPCentral's Daniel Rubino, a former sleep technician, to discuss the importance of rest, relaxation, meditation, and... sleep! We talk about common sleeping problems, and offer tips and advice on getting better, healthier sleep. Join us!

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BEIJING -- State media say a Chinese man has set off explosives outside the home of his former in-laws in a southern Chinese city, killing seven and injuring 18.

The official Xinhua News Agency quoted police as saying the man was seeking revenge following a dispute with his divorced wife over custody of their children.

It said the man, who was critically injured, told police he set off the homemade explosives in a car outside the house in the coastal city of Zhanjiang.

Xinhua said most of the victims were relatives of the man's former in-laws who were visiting the family during the Lunar New Year holiday. It said five of the injured were in intensive care. The blast also damaged several nearby homes.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/14/3234114/report-7-die-in-child-custody.html

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With ongoing global concern about the deepening divide between China?s rich and poor, the government?s recently announced pledge to curb inequality is eliciting mixed reactions among economists.

Concerns over the country?s polarized income distribution center around its rapidly expanding cities, where the welfare gap between the poorest and wealthiest tiers is most apparent. While China?s cities support the country?s booming luxury goods industry ? which grew 56% in 2012 --? they also play host to millions of low-wage migrant workers with restricted access to urban housing, education, and health care.?

Among policy observers, changing China?s ?two-tier society of rich and poor? will require ?fundamental? reforms. Economist Hu Xingdou argues that the country needs to address outdated tax structures by introducing inheritance tax and restructuring the current system of property rights. Currently, as the article explains, local governments generate a large portion of their revenues via land sales. This, in turn, leads local authorities to push many farmers and rural dwellers off their properties with compensation well below market rate.? Creating a property tax and giving rural dwellers greater rights to their property would dis-incentivize the sale of land and limit the number of landless farmers, the article explains.

For Mao Yushi, a proponent of economic liberalization, the country needs to increase access to bank loans. At present, he argues, access to loans is vastly unequal, favoring large firms with close ties to the state but excluding small businesses. Providing access to finance will, he suggests, allow for the growth and development of small businesses and employment opportunities among the rural and urban poor.

While the government?s plan addresses some of these proposals, the article describes it as an ?aspirational document? that uses non-committal language and lacks ?concrete steps?. ?With regards to tax reform, the government?s proposals mention that property tax will be ?extended? and that inheritance tax will be ?introduced ?at the appropriate time??. ?In additional, tax cuts will be ?promoted? for low-income tiers.

Citing that the country?s recently released Gini coefficient is among the world?s highest, the article quotes Xiaolu, who writes that current proposals fall short of resolving the urban poverty gap. ?Solving the income distribution issue,? he explains, will require ?full-scale reform.?

Source: http://www.planetizen.com/node/60691

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davedtitos · Feb. 12, 2013

Feb. 12, 2013 ? A study in this week's PLOS Medicine finds that the painkiller diclofenac (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in the same class as aspirin) is the most commonly used NSAID in the 15 countries studied and is included in the essential medicines lists of 74 low-, middle- and high-income countries, despite its known tendency to cause heart attacks and strokes in vulnerable patients. This risk is almost identical to that of Vioxx (rofecoxib), which was withdrawn from worldwide sales in 2004 because of cardiovascular risk. Researchers writing in this week's PLOS Medicine call for diclofenac to be removed from national essential medicines lists and to have its global marketing authorisations revoked.

It has been known for over a decade that some NSAIDs such as diclofenac are associated with more cardiovascular complications than other NSAIDs such as naproxen, but in an analysis of the essential medicines lists of 100 countries, Patricia McGettigan from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry and David Henry from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and the University of Toronto, Canada, found that diclofenac was listed in the essential medicines lists of 74 countries and naproxen, a much safer alternative, in just 27.

Furthermore, in an in-depth analysis of the sales and prescriptions of NSAIDs in a selection of 15 low-, middle-, and high-income countries using information from 2011, they found that diclofenac sales (or prescribing, in the case of England and Canada) were three times higher than that of naproxen. The findings demonstrate that evidence about the risks associated with diclofenac has translated poorly to clinical practice.

McGettigan states: "Diclofenac has no advantage in terms of gastrointestinal safety and it has a clear cardiovascular disadvantage." Henry added: "Given the availability of safer alternatives, diclofenac should be de-listed from national essential medicines lists. McGettigan concludes: "There are strong arguments to revoke its marketing authorisations globally."

In an accompanying Perspective, K. Srinath Reddy from the Public Health Foundation of India and Ambuj Roy from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (uninvolved in the study) say that the results of this study suggest that immediate action is warranted to remove diclofenac from national drug lists and that the World Health Organization should provide information on the safety of NSAIDs.

However, according to Reddy and Roy, it is not just the case of diclofenac versus naproxen that is at stake but the broader challenge of ensuring that everyone responsible for the safety of patients makes informed decisions in an appropriate and timely manner.

Reddy and Roy conclude: "If we do not collectively rise to that challenge, no NSAID can relieve the pain of that failure."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.

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

Journal Reference:

Patricia McGettigan, David Henry. Use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs That Elevate Cardiovascular Risk: An Examination of Sales and Essential Medicines Lists in Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries. PLoS Medicine, 2013; 10 (2): e1001388 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001388

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/dXkPIdCaOGQ/130212172120.htm

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Beyonce and Jay-Z bring on the glamour at her movie premiere! Check out more pics of Hollywood's tightest twosomes

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/star-snapshots-celebrity-couples-photos-2012/1-b-469173?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Astar-snapshots-celebrity-couples-photos-2012-469173

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FILE - In this Thursday, July 19, 2012 file photo, a UPS truck stops in front of a Sprint store at the Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham, Mass. Sprint Netxel Corp. is reporting their fourth quarter 2012 earnings on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Sprint Nextel Corp., the country's third largest wireless carrier, on Thursday said it lost $1.3 billion in its fourth quarter, about the same as a year ago, as it revamped its network for a comeback versus bigger competitors.

The company's focus, and that of its investors, is on its long-term turnaround efforts rather than on short-term results. Sprint is selling 70 percent of itself to Japanese carrier Softbank Corp. for $20 billion. That deal is expected to close this summer, and provide long-ailing Sprint with a much-needed infusion of capital.

With Softbank's backing, Sprint has struck a deal to buy out the other shareholders of Clearwire Corp., which operates a wireless data network. That should give Sprint more space on the airwaves and allow it to offer high broadband speeds.

The Overland Park, Kan., company lost 44 cents per share in the October to December period versus 43 cents per share in the previous year.

The loss was slightly smaller than analysts had predicted. The average Wall Street forecast as polled by FactSet was 46 cents per share.

Revenue was $9 billion, up 3.2 percent from $8.7 billion a year ago as customers converted from regular phones to higher-paying smartphones. It was slightly above analyst expectations at $8.9 billion.

Sprint activated 2.2 million iPhones in the quarter, a record for the company, reached with the help of the new iPhone 5. The figure is far below those posted by bigger competitors AT&T and Verizon Wireless, but helps Sprint keep subscribers. It still lost a net 243,000 customers on contract-based plans in the quarter, as subscribers kept streaming off the Nextel network, which Sprint is shutting down.

Network chief Steve Elfman said the upgrade of the company's cell towers is on schedule despite the ravages of Superstorm Sandy. The company has lit up "LTE" antennas, which provide higher data speeds, in 58 cities and plans to light up another 170 in coming months. Verizon Wireless and AT&T got started on LTE earlier and have bigger networks up and running.

Sprint shares slipped 7 cents to $5.70 in afternoon trading. The previously volatile shares have been trading in a relatively narrow band between $5.40 and $6 since the Softbank deal was announced in October. The price reflects what Softbank is set to pay.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-02-07-Earns-Sprint%20Nextel/id-9b34e191e5bf40178301e87d3fc9315a

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A picture is certainly worth a thousand words. What better way to celebrate Black History Month than by taking a moment to acknowledge the snapshots of time that represent the struggle and triumph of African-Americans through the years?

As part of our Black History Month coverage, we will be featuring one photo a day that honors years of groundbreaking achievements within the black community. These photos bring tears to our eyes, instill pride in our hearts and motivate us to carry on the legacy of strength and perseverance.

Today's photo was taken on February 26, 1965, showing Betty Shabazz, wife of legendary activist Malcolm X, leaving his funeral in Hartsdale, New York. It is reported that an estimated 1,500 people attended the Civil Rights advocate's funeral in Harlem, where he was described as a "shining black prince."

At the time of her husband's assassination, Shabazz was pregnant with twins and covered her daughters on the floor in an effort to shield them from the bullets. She went on to raise her six daughters alone, and died on June 23, 1997, after suffering severe burns when her grandson set her Yonkers home on fire.

Take a look at the photo and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

betty shabazz

February 1
In this May 3, 1963 file photo,a 17-year-old civil rights demonstrator, defying an anti-parade ordinance of Birmingham, Ala., is attacked by a police dog. Bill Hudson, an Associated Press photographer whose searing images of the civil rights era documented police brutality and galvanized the public, died Thursday, June 24, 2010 in Jacksonville, Fla. He was 77.
February 2
1968 Olympic Games, Mexico City, Mexico, Men's 200 Metres Final, USA gold medalist Tommie Smith (C) and bronze medalist John Carlos give the black power salute as an anti-racial protest as they stand on the podium with Australian silver medallist Peter Norman
February 3
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X waiting for an unspecified press conference on March 26, 1964.
February 4
Teenager Elizabeth Eckford (L) w. snarling white parents following as she is turned away fr. entering Central High School by Arkansas National Guardsmen under orders fr. Gov. Orval Faubus.
February 5
Left to right: George E.C. Hayes, Thurgood Marshall, and James M. Nabrit following Supreme Court decision declaring segregation unconstitutional
February 6
Rosa Parks, right, is kissed by Coretta Scott King, as she received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Non-violent Peace Prize in Atlanta, Jan. 14, 1980. Parks, who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus nearly 25 years ago, is the first woman to win the award. (AP Photo)
February 7
18th November 1968: Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1900 - 2002) goes backstage to meet the Supremes, Engelbert Humperdinck, Frankie Howerd and Petula Clark after a Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium. The show is in aid of the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund. (Photo by Douglas Miller/Keystone/Getty Images)
February 8
US pop star and entertainer Michael Jackson performs with Sammy Davis Junior August 14, 1988 in Monaco. (Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images)
February 9
Betty Shabazz at her husband, Malcolm X's funeral in Hartsdale, New York in 1965.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/09/betty-shabazz-at-malcolm-x-funeral-black-history-photo_n_2652181.html

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Cooking with a Serial Killer, written by Dorothea Puente, convicted in 1993 of poisoning three residents at her Sacramento boarding house, burying them in her backyard, and cashing their social security checks. Her cookbook includes recipes for chipotle ketchup, Mexican chicken-gizzard soup, veggie burgers, and tamales prison-style. And guess what, the recipes aren?t hers either.

What do you think? Real Cookbook or Crock Cookbook?

It?s REAL!

Dorothea Helen Puente (January 9, 1929 ? March 27, 2011) was a convicted American murderer. In the 1980s, Puente ran a boarding house in Sacramento, California, and cashed the Social Security checks of her elderly and mentally disabled boarders. Those who complained were killed and buried in her yard

In 1998, she began corresponding with Shane Bugbee, who conducted an extensive interview with her over the course of several years. She began sending him various recipes, and, in 2004, Cooking with a Serial Killer was released. It included a lengthy interview, almost 50 recipes, and various pieces of prison art sent to Bugbee by the convicted murderess.

More on Murderess/Cook Book Author Dorothea Puente here.

Buy Cooking with a Serial Killer here!

Tags: cookbooks by killers, cookbooks by serial killers, Dorothea Puente Sacramento boarding house, Dorothea Puente serial killer, Dorothea Puente serial killer cookbook, killers who cook, Real Cookbooks, Real or Fake cookbooks, Shane Bugbee Dorothea Puente, Shane Bugbee writer

Posted in Kitchen and Laughs 1 day, 5 hours ago at 3:16 pm. Add a comment

Source: http://tvfoodanddrink.com/2013/02/cooking-serial-killer-dorothea-puente/

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'Er Ist Wieder Da,' or 'He's Back,' a novel by Timur Vermes that features Hitler as a contemporary protagonist, has galvanized Germans on the 80th anniversary of der F?hrer's rise to power.

By Husna Haq / February 7, 2013

'He's Back' by Timur Vermes imagines Adolf Hitler coming to life in the 21st century and learning about jeans, email, and female leader Angela Merkel.

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Imagine this: After a 66-year slumber, Adolf Hitler finds himself in 21^st century Berlin where he enters politics, discovers jeans and email, and becomes a modern-day celebrity complete with a role on a popular Turkish-German TV show.

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That?s the premise behind one of Germany?s most popular ? and controversial ? new books, ?Er Ist Wieder Da,? or ?He?s Back.? The 400-page debut novel by Timur Vermes capitalizes on Germany?s renewed fascination with the Nazi leader with stunning success as the country marks the 80^th anniversary of his rise to power. The book has so far sold more than 400,000 copies and tens of thousands of audiobooks and has beat out novels by Paulo Coelho and Ken Follett to nab the top slot on Germany?s bestseller lists.

?We too often harbor the negative attitude of those who see Hitler only as a monster to make themselves feel better,? author Vermes told AFP. ?I thought it was important to show how he would operate and how he would act in today's world.?

In the novel, Hitler rouses and is bewildered to find himself in a modern Germany ruled by a woman and populated by millions of Turks. He enters politics ? no surprise ? where he crusades against speeding and dog doo. He becomes a talk show star and, in one scene, stumbles across a group of boys in soccer jerseys and mistakes them for members of the military, addressing them as ?Ronaldo Hitler youth.??

?I want to show that Hitler would have a chance to succeed nowadays just as he did back then, just in another way,? Vermes told the UK?s Guardian.

The satirical wit extends to the book?s cover and even its price. The striking black-and-white cover depicts Hitler?s iconic black parted hair, with its title printed as his mustache. Even its price ? ?19.33 ? refers to the year Hitler became German chancellor.

?He?s Back? joins a bevy of Hitler-inspired art and media in Europe bordering on Hitler-obsession, including comic acts, a burlesque musical comedy, magazine covers, and even a comic film directed by a Jew.?

Not surprisingly, the novel?s popularity has some in Germany uncomfortable.

It is the ?latest outgrowth of a Hitler commercialization machine that breaks all taboos to make money,? wrote weekly news magazine Stern.

In an almost melancholy air, German newspaper Die Suddeutsche Zeitung wrote, ?We laugh, but it?s a laugh that sticks in the throat.?

Husna Haq is a Monitor correspondent.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/aQK_Qggs0jY/A-controversial-new-German-novel-imagines-Hitler-in-the-21st-century

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FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2010 file photo, Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan briefs reporters at the White House in Washington. Brennan, now President Barack Obama's nominee to be CIA director, withdrew from consideration for the job in 2008 amid criticism over the agency's use of harsh interrogation techniques, like waterboarding, against terrorist suspects. This time, in 2013, he's making it clear he strongly opposes such practices. Former and current U.S. intelligence officials say Brennan wasn't so vocal a decade ago. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Lawmakers pored over a top-secret memo explaining the White House's rationale for drone strikes targeting al-Qaida operatives overseas, just hours before President Barack Obama's choice to head the CIA faced a Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing.

John Brennan, the White House counterterrorism chief and Obama's nominee to run the nation's spy agency, helped manage the drone program. His confirmation hearing Thursday afternoon set the stage for a public airing of some of the most controversial programs in the covert war on al-Qaida, from deadly drone strikes to the CIA's use of interrogation techniques like waterboarding during President George W. Bush's administration.

Delivery of the secret document to the Senate and House intelligence committees, directed by Obama late Wednesday, suggested the White House was trying to clear obstacles to Obama's second run at placing Brennan in the top spot at the CIA. His first attempt, in 2009, was stymied by critics who charged that Brennan backed harsh interrogation techniques used while he was at the CIA.

Obama directed the Justice Department to provide the memo to members of the Senate and House intelligence committees. Lawmakers were examining the opinion Thursday.

Spokesman Jay Carney said the White House was making an "extraordinary accommodation" in allowing lawmakers to view classified Justice Department legal advice on drone strikes against Americans. Carney said the White House does not plan to send the Justice memos to lawmakers beyond those on the House and Senate intelligence committees.

"This is not an open-ended process," he said. "This is a specific and unique accommodation in this circumstance."

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a committee member who had pressed the administration to provide the opinion, left open the possibility he might still try to block Brennan's nomination. He said turning over the opinion was a good first step.

"I'm committed to making sure that we get all the facts," Wyden said on NBC's "Today" show. "Early this morning, I'm going to be going in to read the opinion. We'll go from there."

Wyden said "there are still substantial questions" about how the administration justifies and plans drone strikes. "The Founding Fathers thought the president should have significant power in the national security arena. But there have to be checks and balances," Wyden said. "You can't just skirt those checks and balances if you think it's inconvenient."

An unclassified memo leaked this week says it is legal for the government to kill U.S. citizens abroad if it believes they are senior al-Qaida leaders continually engaged in operations aimed at killing Americans, even if there is no evidence of a specific imminent attack.

Brennan laid out the administration's policy for targeting al-Qaida with lethal drone strikes ahead of the hearing, defending the use of such strikes but disavowing the harsh interrogation techniques used when he was at the CIA.

In answers to pre-hearing questions released Wednesday by the Senate Intelligence Committee, Brennan said no further legislation was necessary to conduct operations against al-Qaida wherever it's operating.

He also answered some of his critics who charged him with backing the detention and interrogation policy while he served at the CIA. Brennan said in his written answers that he was "aware of the program but did not play a role in its creation, execution, or oversight." He added that he "had significant concerns and personal objections" to the interrogation techniques and voiced those objections privately to colleagues at the agency.

Brennan went on to describe how individuals are targeted for drone strikes, saying whether a suspect is deemed an imminent threat ? and therefore appropriate for targeting ? is made "on a case-by-case basis through a coordinated interagency process" involving intelligence, military, diplomatic and other agencies.

Human rights and civil liberties groups have decried the methods for targeting terror suspects, especially U.S. citizens.

Brennan defended the missile strikes by unmanned Predator or Reaper drones as a more humane form of war, but he acknowledged "instances when, regrettably and despite our best efforts, civilians have been killed."

"It is exceedingly rare, and much rarer than many allege," he added.

Aides have portrayed Brennan as cautious in the use of drones, restraining others at the CIA or military who would use them more often, even though as the White House's counterterror adviser, he has presided over an explosion of drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. Fewer than 50 strikes took place during the Bush administration, while more than 360 strikes have been launched under Obama, according to the website The Long War Journal, which tracks the operations.

Administration officials say Brennan would further limit the use of drones by the CIA and leave the majority of strikes to the military. Brennan signaled in his written answers that he would not seek to expand the CIA's paramilitary operations.

"While the CIA needs to maintain a paramilitary capability ... the CIA should not be used, in my view, to carry out traditional military activities," Brennan wrote, referring to activities like the special operations raid that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

The CIA's drone strikes primarily focus on al-Qaida and Taliban targets in the tribal regions of Pakistan, while the military has launched strikes against al-Qaida targets in Yemen and Somalia. The agency also carries out strikes in Yemen, where three American citizens with al-Qaida connections have been killed: Anwar al-Awlaki, his 16-year-old-son and Samir Khan.

Brennan said he would work to improve the CIA's intelligence collection and performance across the Arab world after a spate of unanticipated unrest, from the revolts of the Arab Spring to the terror attack that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya.

Brennan will also face questions about charges that White House officials leaked details of the administration's national security policies, including its cyberattacks against Iran's nuclear infrastructure, to burnish Obama's standing as commander in chief ahead of last year's presidential election.

Brennan told the Senate committee that he was questioned as a voluntary witness in a leaks investigation the White House launched in response to congressional anger.

He also said that in his current role, he is "vigilant about not disclosing classified intelligence matters with unauthorized persons" but added that "in exceptional circumstances ... it may be necessary to acknowledge classified information to a member of the media or to declassify information for the very purpose of limiting damage to national security."

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Associated Press writers Julie Pace, Lara Jakes and Donna Cassata contributed to this report.

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Follow Dozier on Twitter: http://twitter.com/KimberlyDozier

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-07-Brennan-CIA/id-ab3d67ec924441d29a6ebe4fac5d8225

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Countless people addicted to drugs, alcohol or both have managed to get clean and stay clean with the help of organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous or the thousands of residential and outpatient clinics devoted to treating addiction.

But if you have failed one or more times to achieve lasting sobriety after rehab, perhaps after spending tens of thousands of dollars, you?re not alone. And chances are, it?s not your fault.

Of the 23.5 million teenagers and adults addicted to alcohol or drugs, only about 1 in 10 gets treatment, which too often fails to keep them drug-free. Many of these programs fail to use proven methods to deal with the factors that underlie addiction and set off relapse.

According to recent examinations of treatment programs, most are rooted in outdated methods rather than newer approaches shown in scientific studies to be more effective in helping people achieve and maintain addiction-free lives. People typically do more research when shopping for a new car than when seeking treatment for addiction.

A groundbreaking report published last year by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University concluded that ?the vast majority of people in need of addiction treatment do not receive anything that approximates evidence-based care.? The report added, ?Only a small fraction of individuals receive interventions or treatment consistent with scientific knowledge about what works.?

The Columbia report found that most addiction treatment providers are not medical professionals and are not equipped with the knowledge, skills or credentials needed to provide the full range of evidence-based services, including medication and psychosocial therapy. The authors suggested that such insufficient care could be considered ?a form of medical malpractice.?

The failings of many treatment programs ? and the comprehensive therapies that have been scientifically validated but remain vastly underused ? are described in an eye-opening new book, ?Inside Rehab,? by Anne M. Fletcher, a science writer whose previous books include the highly acclaimed ?Sober for Good.?

?There are exceptions, but of the many thousands of treatment programs out there, most use exactly the same kind of treatment you would have received in 1950, not modern scientific approaches,? A. Thomas McLellan, co-founder of the Treatment Research Institute in Philadelphia, told Ms. Fletcher.

Ms. Fletcher?s book, replete with the experiences of treated addicts, offers myriad suggestions to help patients find addiction treatments with the highest probability of success.

Often, Ms. Fletcher found, low-cost, publicly funded clinics have better-qualified therapists and better outcomes than the high-end residential centers typically used by celebrities like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. Indeed, their revolving-door experiences with treatment helped prompt Ms. Fletcher?s exhaustive exploration in the first place.

In an interview, Ms. Fletcher said she wanted to inform consumers ?about science-based practices that should form the basis of addiction treatment? and explode some of the myths surrounding it.

One such myth is the belief that most addicts need to go to a rehab center.

?The truth is that most people recover (1) completely on their own, (2) by attending self-help groups, and/or (3) by seeing a counselor or therapist individually,? she wrote.

Contrary to the 30-day stint typical of inpatient rehab, ?people with serious substance abuse disorders commonly require care for months or even years,? she wrote. ?The short-term fix mentality partially explains why so many people go back to their old habits.?

Dr. Mark Willenbring, a former director of treatment and recovery research at the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, said in an interview, ?You don?t treat a chronic illness for four weeks and then send the patient to a support group. People with a chronic form of addiction need multimodal treatment that is individualized and offered continuously or intermittently for as long as they need it.?

Dr. Willenbring now practices in St. Paul, where he is creating a clinic called Alltyr ?to serve as a model to demonstrate what comprehensive 21st century treatment should look like.?

?While some people are helped by one intensive round of treatment, the majority of addicts continue to need services,? Dr. Willenbring said. He cited the case of a 43-year-old woman ?who has been in and out of rehab 42 times? because she never got the full range of medical and support services she needed.

Dr. Willenbring is especially distressed about patients who are treated for opioid addiction, then relapse in part because they are not given maintenance therapy with the drug Suboxone.

?We have some pretty good drugs to help people with addiction problems, but doctors don?t know how to use them,? he said. ?The 12-step community doesn?t want to use relapse-prevention medication because they view it as a crutch.?

Before committing to a treatment program, Ms. Fletcher urges prospective clients or their families to do their homework. The first step, she said, is to get an independent assessment of the need for treatment, as well as the kind of treatment needed, by an expert who is not affiliated with the program you are considering.

Check on the credentials of the program?s personnel, who should have ?at least a master?s degree,? Ms. Fletcher said. If the therapist is a physician, he or she should be certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine.

Does the facility?s approach to treatment fit with your beliefs and values? If a 12-step program like A.A. is not right for you, don?t choose it just because it?s the best known approach.

Meet with the therapist who will treat you and ask what your treatment plan will be. ?It should be more than movies, lectures or three-hour classes three times a week,? Ms. Fletcher said. ?You should be treated by a licensed addiction counselor who will see you one-on-one. Treatment should be individualized. One size does not fit all.?

Find out if you will receive therapy for any underlying condition, like depression, or a social problem that could sabotage recovery. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states in its Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment, ?To be effective, treatment must address the individual?s drug abuse and any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems.?

Look for programs using research-validated techniques, like cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps addicts recognize what prompts them to use drugs or alcohol, and learn to redirect their thoughts and reactions away from the abused substance.

Other validated treatment methods include Community Reinforcement and Family Training, or Craft, an approach developed by Robert J. Meyers and described in his book, ?Get Your Loved One Sober,? with co-author Brenda L. Wolfe. It helps addicts adopt a lifestyle more rewarding than one filled with drugs and alcohol.

This is the first of two articles on addiction treatment.

Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/effective-addiction-treatment/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis (52) holds a newspaper and the Vince Lombardi Trophy as he celebrates after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis (52) holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

El linebacker de los Ravens de Baltimore Ray Lewis (52) sostiene el Trofeo Vince Lombardi luego de vencer a los 49ers de San Francisco por 34-31 en el Super Bowl XLVII, el domingo 3 de febrero de 2013, en Nueva Orle?ns. (Foto AP/Dave Martin)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, right, and head coach John Harbaugh celebrate after their 34-31 win against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis holds up a newspaper after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, in New Orleans. The Ravens won 34-31. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? So, Ray Lewis, now that you've won a Super Bowl, what's next?

No, he's not going to that amusement park. The Baltimore Ravens linebacker is heading into retirement ? and he can't wait.

"Now I get to see a different side of life," Lewis said Sunday night after helping the Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31. "My family, and my sons, my kids, they've sacrificed for me. Now I have the opportunity to sacrifice for them."

Lewis ended his 17-year NFL career in perfect fashion, directing a successful goal-line stand that provided him a world championship to take into retirement. After the 49ers failed to score on three straight plays from the Baltimore 5-yard line in the closing minutes, the Ravens could begin celebrating their first Super Bowl title in 12 years.

"How else can you finish that off but with a goal-line stand?" Lewis said. "That is championship football."

The 13-time Pro Bowl star began his final night on the football field with a motivational speech to his teammates. He ended it looking upward into a waterfall of silver streamers and purple confetti. And minutes later, he put his hands on the Lombardi Trophy.

"What we did as a team today was the ultimate," Lewis said.

As an individual, Lewis made seven tackles. Nothing special, really. He had 44 in Baltimore's previous three playoff games. But the Ravens played like champions behind Lewis, and as usual, they drew inspiration from him.

"There will never be another leader like him and we sent him out like his brothers," Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs. "His legacy will go untainted."

The last time Lewis played in a Super Bowl, he was voted MVP of Baltimore's 34-7 rout of the New York Giants. This time, Joe Flacco was the MVP because the Ravens' offense outplayed the team's usually reliable defense.

Ever since Lewis announced on Jan. 2 that this would be his "last ride," the Ravens have talked about providing him a title to take into retirement. And so they did.

"It's pretty cool," Flacco said. "Ray's a great person and everyone knows he's an unbelievable player, but he's the best teammate. It's unbelievable to send him out like this."

What a journey it was.

After defeating Indianapolis at home to open the playoffs, the Ravens beat top-seeded Denver on the road and knocked off second-seeded New England. Then, underdogs again in the Super Bowl, Baltimore blew most of a 22-point lead in the second half before mounting one final defensive stop.

"To me, that was one of the most amazing goal-line stands I've ever been a part of in my career," Lewis said. "What better way to do it than on the Super Bowl stage?"

Lewis' old buddy, 34-year-old Ed Reed, contributed a first-half interception. Jacoby Jones scored two touchdowns, and after the second ? a 108-yard kickoff return to open the third quarter ? he saluted his retiring teammate with a rendition of the "squirrel" dance Lewis made famous.

Days earlier, Lewis was confronted about his use of deer antler spray in his effort to return from the triceps injury. He vehemently denied trying the banned substance, and that sideshow fizzled out quickly enough so that it was not a distraction Sunday.

The Ravens will have another middle linebacker next season, but they will never have another Ray Lewis. Coach John Harbaugh was asked why the team responded so passionately to him and his effort to go out on top.

"If you're going to talk about the Ray thing, you want to ask about it, then the answer's got to be faith," Harbaugh said. "I mean Ray is driven by spirituality and faith and that's what he draws on and that's where his strength comes from. So if you really want to know, I mean that's what he's tapping into and that's what makes it so beautiful and so perfect."

Lewis was the second draft pick in Ravens' history, following Jonathan Ogden in 1996. Ogden, who was elected into the NFL Hall of Fame on Saturday, waved to his former teammate during the pregame coin flip Sunday.

Perhaps one day, Ogden will extend the same greeting to Lewis in Canton, Ohio.

For now, however, Lewis is looking to joining his family for some quiet time.

"No other way to go out and end a career. This is how you do it," Lewis said. "Everything around me is my kids. Daddy gets to come home now. They aren't going to like me being at home all the time."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-04-Ravens-Lewis%20Retires/id-b14b84cccc8145a2a29788346ca241f4

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In this photo taken with a fisheye lens, workers put up signage outside the Superdome where tomorrow's NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens will be played, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Members of the Baltimore Ravens warm up during an NFL Super Bowl XLVII walkthrough on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

People walk along Bourbon Street in downtown New Orleans, as revelers gathered in the city's French Quarter, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. The city kicked off NFL football Super Bowl weekend as it awaits for Sunday's game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens at the Superdome. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) warms up during practice in the Superdome on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, in New Orleans. The 49ers are scheduled to play the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game on Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Around the Super Bowl and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of everything surrounding the game:

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REAL FUN TO COME

The NFL's best have been mingling with celebrities, signing autographs for adoring fans and enjoying all the festivities New Orleans has to offer during Super Bowl weekend. But make no mistake, they'd gladly give that all up.

They'd rather be on the field at the Superdome on Sunday.

Case in point, what New York Giants Eli Manning told Nekesa Mumbi Moody, AP's global lifestyles and entertainment editor, on Saturday:

"I'm not enjoying it as much," he said.

Manning spent Saturday with his dad Archie and brother Peyton, first watching a celebrity flag football game featuring A-listers including Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Katharine McPhee, Deion Sanders, Neil Patrick Harris and more. The family then went to the "2nd Annual NFL Honors" awards Saturday night, where Peyton Manning won AP's NFL Comeback Player of the Year award during a show televised on CBS. The younger Manning said he likes being back in New Orleans, back where he grew up.

But this time last year, he was one night away from winning a Super Bowl and being crowned the game's MVP.

Where would you rather be?

"I'd rather be right now in the hotel room, looking at my playbook, trying to figure out how to win another championship," Eli Manning said.

? Oskar Garcia and Nekesa Mumbi Moody ? http://twitter.com/oskargarcia and http://twitter.com/nekesamumbi

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1 HARBAUGH FAMILY WIN

The Harbaugh family got an early win on Saturday night well before the Super Bowl.

Tom Crean, coach of the No. 3 Indiana men's basketball team, knocked off No. 1 Michigan 81-73 at home. Crean is married to Joani Harbaugh, sister of San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh and Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh.

It's the third time in school history the Hoosiers have beaten the No. 1 team at home. When the new AP Top 25 poll comes out Monday, Indiana will likely take back the No. 1 ranking it held for the first seven weeks this season.

The Harbaugh family will finish the weekend with a 2-1 record.

? Michael Marot ? http://twitter.com/apmarot

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5 KEY PLAYERS: SAN FRANCISCO

We asked AP pro football writer Barry Wilner to pick five key players for each team in this Super Bowl. You'll want to pay attention to these guys on Sunday.

For the Baltimore Ravens, it's Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Ray Lewis, Paul Kruger and Cary Williams. Now, for the San Francisco 49ers:

Kaepernick, Crabtree, Gore, Aldon Smith, Patrick Willis

?COLIN KAEPERNICK (QB, JERSEY NO. 7): Dynamic player who replaced injured Alex Smith in November and kept the job. Fast with long strides, strong arm, unafraid to throw into tight spots.

?MICHAEL CRABTREE (WR, JERSEY NO. 15): Matured this season and became a true No. 1 receiver. Led team with 85 catches, 1,105 yards and nine TDs. Good after catch, but needs to consider better ball security.

?FRANK GORE (RB, JERSEY NO. 21): Career rushing leader for franchise, as dependable as they come. Strong, can pound through line, but also has quick feet to cut to open space. Had 1,214 rushing yards and eight TDs during season.

?ALDON SMITH (OLB, JERSEY NO. 99): All-Pro sacks machine. Not as good as he needs to be in coverage, but is raw. Then again, why not rush him every play? Great burst off the line, big wingspan and maneuverability.

?PATRICK WILLIS (ILB, JERSEY NO. 52): With apologies to Ray Lewis, Willis is best linebacker in this Super Bowl ? and probably best in entire league. Has been All-Pro in five of six seasons.

? Barry Wilner

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BROTHERLY ADVICE: THE MANNINGS

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh and San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh are hardly the only high-profile siblings who've squared off in their arena of expertise. The AP is asking some others who can relate how to handle going against a family member in the Super Bowl.

When NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning squared off during a regular season game, at least one parent didn't have too hard a time deciding who to root for.

"I knew my mom was going to root for me ? I'm the baby of the family, so that was an easy one," Eli Manning said.

But sibling battles can be tough on parents, the New York Giants quarterback said.

"It's hard to be excited for one child winning a game and also disappointed for the other one that didn't," he said.

As for the Harbaugh brothers: "I think they're just both trying to figure out how to get a win."

Eli's brother Peyton Manning says the Harbaughs have handled the week well, knowing one brother will be happy Sunday night while the other will be disappointed.

"Neither would be in this game if they weren't excellent coaches and no matter what happens tomorrow night, they're still excellent coaches. That's just a matter of fact," Peyton Manning said.

? Nekesa Mumbi Moody and Nancy Armour ? http://twitter.com/nekesamumbi and http://twitter.com/nrarmour

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AWARDS OVER, TIME TO PARTY

Now that the NFL awards have ben doled out, it's time to bring on the celebrity-studded parties on Super Bowl eve.

Here are the headliners for Saturday night in New Orleans:

? Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder headlines outdoor concert near Wyndham Riverfront Hotel that will also feature Texas guitarist Gary Clark Jr. Wonder's opening act: Grammy-nominated R&B and soul artist Janelle Monae. The closer: French electronic DJ Martin Solveig.

? Justin Timberlake takes stage for his first concert in more than four years during "DIRECTV Super Saturday Night." It's invitation only.

? Chevel Johnson

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FANTASY CONSIDERATIONS

Many of the millions of Americans who play fantasy football will be watching Sunday's Super Bowl with an eye toward next season's drafts.

But as one fantasy expert warns, don't put too much stock into what you see in the game ? good or bad.

Matthew Berry, an ESPN fantasy analyst nicknamed "The Talented Mr. Roto," said there will be some interesting players on the field from a fantasy perspective, including 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Baltimore wide receiver Torrey Smith and San Francisco wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

But barring major injury, fantasy owners shouldn't get caught up in how they perform in New Orleans, Berry said.

"I think fantasy owners are smart enough and savvy enough to know that the postseason is something different and it's a very small sample size," Berry says.

Simply put, it takes more games than a Super Bowl to judge whether someone's fantasy worthy.

But if you thought you could be sneaky and nab Kaepernick or Crabtree with a late draft pick next season, think again. The duo's performance throughout the last half of the regular season and the postseason mean they'll go in higher rounds, Berry says.

? Oskar Garcia ? http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

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QUICKQUOTE: AP'S MVP SPEECH

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson thanked God, his parents, teammates and coaches for propelling him to the Associated Press 2012 NFL Most Valuable Player award.

And he wants to win the hardware again.

"God willing, next year I'll be accepting this award again. Trying to get two or three like Peyton (Manning). Trying to get to your level ... But I won't be there to accept it because I'll be winning with my coach, the most important award, the team award, the Super Bowl."

? Nancy Armour ? http://twitter.com/nrarmour

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STAT OF THE DAY: HALF DON'T CARE WHO WINS

This Super Bowl stat of the day comes by way of Jennifer Agiesta, AP's director of polling: A Seton Hall poll shows 53 percent of Americans don't care who wins on Sunday.

The Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted Jan. 28-30, shows 26 percent of people rooting for the San Francisco 49ers and 21 percent rooting for the Baltimore Ravens.

One-third of Americans plan to skip Sunday's game.

The poll of 894 randomly selected adults has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.

? Jennifer Agiesta ? http://twitter.com/jennagiesta

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AP TOPS PEYTON FOR MVP

Minnesota's Adrian Peterson is the NFL's Most Valuable Player as selected by an Associated Press vote.

The running back coming back from major knee surgery beat out Denver quarterback Peyton Manning on Saturday night.

It's Peterson's second award of the night after winning Offensive Player of the Year.

Peterson led the Vikings from a 3-13 mark to 10-6 and a wild-card playoff berth. He is the first running back to win MVP since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006.

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PEYTON'S COMEBACK

NFL fans everywhere wondered if Peyton Manning could come back from four neck surgeries after 13 years in Indianapolis without missing a game.

Now he's AP's 2012 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Manning sat out 2011, then made Denver one of the league's top teams, guiding the Broncos to the AFC's best record at 13-3.

Manning received 31? votes Saturday from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. He easily beat Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who got 17? votes.

? Barry Wilner

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QUICKQUOTE: RG3

One year in the NFL and Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is already an award winner.

He took home AP's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors on Saturday night and promptly warned the league he plans to improve.

"It's truly a blessing to be up there ? to be able to stand, first and foremost," said Griffin, who underwent knee surgery last month.

Next season, "you'll see a better Robert Griffin," he said.

? Barry Wilner

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PETERSON OFFENSIVE POY

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson went from major knee surgery to dominating voting in The Associated Press 2012 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.

It helps that he rushed for 2,109 yards, 9 short of Eric Dickerson's record.

Peterson had 36 of 50 votes; Denver quarterback Peyton Manning had eight.

Peterson scored 12 touchdowns rushing and averaged 6.0 yards per carry.

? Barry Wilner

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WATT ALMOST SWEEPS

Houston end J.J. Watt just missed being a unanimous pick for AP's 2012 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

The final vote tally with 50 voters:

Watt, 49. Denver linebacker Von Miller, 1.

Watt is the first Texans player to win the award.

? Barry Wilner

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INTERIM TO TOP

Bruce Arians is the first interim coach to win the top NFL award from The Associated Press.

He won 2012 Coach of the Year honors Saturday night for his work with the Indianapolis Colts. Arians now is head coach in Arizona.

Arians took charge of the Colts in late September after head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia. The Colts, 2-14 the previous season, went 9-3 under Arians and made the playoffs.

Pagano coached the final game of the regular season and a wild-card playoff match.

Arians earned 36? votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Pagano finished second with 5?.

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KUECHLY WINS DEFENSIVE ROY

Linebacker Luke Kuechly of Carolina has won the Associated Press 2012 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Kuechly, a first-round pick from Boston College, led the league with 164 tackles.

He earned 28 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. That easily outdistanced Seattle LB Bobby Wagner with 11.

? Barry Wilner

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RG3 OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF YEAR

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III has been voted the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Griffin beat out Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck and Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. He was selected by The Associated Press in balloting by a nationwide panel of the media.

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FIRED UP

Here's one way to spend your 37th birthday: Flag burning.

That's how Mike Libber of Baltimore showed his loyalty to the Ravens during Friday night festivities on Bourbon Street in New Orleans' French Quarter.

Libber and his friends filled the long but thin balcony at the Voodoo Vibe bar, and asked bar employees to remove a San Francisco 49ers flag dangling next to a Ravens flag.

"Yeah, take that away," Libber said. "Otherwise, I'll burn it. In fact, let me burn it."

Libber eventually scrounged up $60 from his friends and bought the San Francisco flag from a bar manager.

He took it out onto Bourbon Street and began to set it on fire. It didn't quickly light up.

A crowd gathered, some 49ers fans booed. Moments later, with a small part of the flag burning, New Orleans police officers arrived and stopped the shenanigans.

? Julio Cortez ? http://twitter.com/JulioCortez_AP

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WHERE'S BRANGELINA?

New Orleans is crawling with celebrities for the Super Bowl, but Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie don't appear to be among them.

The windows at the star couple's house in the French Quarter are all closed tight, and there's no sign of their omnipresent security. In fact, the only activity at the house is tourists stopping to take photos.

? Nancy Armour ? http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

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7 TO HALL, INCLUDING PARCELLS

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will have seven new members.

Coach Bill Parcells, Warren Sapp, Cris Carter, Jonathan Ogden and Larry Allen have all made it to the 2013 class. So have two senior selections, Curley Culp and Dave Robinson.

Five players were eliminated in the final vote: Jerome Bettis, Charles Haley, Andre Reed, Michael Strahan and Aeneas Williams.

Earlier Saturday, the selection committee eliminated Tim Brown, Kevin Greene, Will Shields and former owners Edward DeBartolo Jr. and Art Modell.

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49ERS WALKTHROUGH

The next time the 49ers step onto the field at the Superdome, it'll be time for the Super Bowl.

San Francisco finished up on-field preparations on Saturday with a 15-minute walkthrough. The team has meetings Saturday night.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said the stadium lights are brighter than they were when the 49ers beat the New Orleans Saints here on Nov. 25, so getting his players adjusted to that was important.

Harbaugh invited family members and friends ? 11 busloads of people ? to attend the short session and come down to the field to pose for photographs.

One person hollered Harbaugh's signature chant from the stands: "Who's got it better than us?"

The rest of the group replied: "No-body!"

The coach smiled.

? Janie McCauley ? http://twitter.com/JanieMcCAP

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RAVENS DONE PRACTICING

Baltimore is done practicing on the field for the Super Bowl.

Team officials, friends and family watched as the Ravens went through a short walkthrough at the Superdome on Saturday afternoon.

The 15-minute session was more of a pep rally than a workout.

Running back Ray Rice playfully tackled his mother on the sideline and guard Marshal Yanda had a video camera attached to the top of his Ravens cap.

John Harbaugh describes his team's work this week as "effective."

"We've gotten everything we've needed to get done, that's the No. 1 thing," Harbaugh said.

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GLORY, PLUS CASH

The Super Bowl isn't just about the glory ? players for San Francisco and Baltimore both have decent paydays riding on the outcome.

The difference between winning and losing is $44,000, nearly $9,000 less than the median annual household income in the United States from 2007-2011, according to U.S. Census data.

Winning players get $88,000 each, losers get $44,000. That's just cash ? it doesn't count the marketing clout gained by going from NFL player to Super Bowl champion.

Super Bowl paydays have gradually increased the last 30 years after doubling in 1983 to $36,000 for winners.

In the game's first 11 years, winners got $15,000 and losers got $7,500.

? Oskar Garcia ? http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

___

MACKIE COLD ON NY GAME

Add Anthony Mackie to the list of people cold on next year's Super Bowl at the home stadium of New York's teams.

Though the "Gangster Squad" actor now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., he's from New Orleans and thinks a city like his hometown should get the Super Bowl every year.

Mackie said Friday night at an ESPN Magazine party that he doesn't want to sit outside in 30 degree weather and watch the Super Bowl.

"I want to see the girls in their pretty dresses; I want to hang out with the players. I don't want to be outside in the cold in New Jersey," he continued, stressing that Met Life Stadium, where both the New York Giants and Jets play, is actually in East Rutherford, N.J. "You're not in New York. I have to take a bus from Manhattan all the way to Jersey?"

Though Mackie's Saints didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year, Mackie is still passionate about who he wants to win ? the Baltimore Ravens.

"I will do everything to not see San Francisco win another Super Bowl," he said, hoping for a bit of karma.

? Nekesa Mumbi Moody ? http://twitter.com/nekesamumbi

___

LEAVING HIS MARK

If there are some dents in the Superdome roof, blame San Francisco 49ers punter Andy Lee.

Lee bonked several punts off the roof this week as the 49ers practiced for Sunday's Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens. Lee finally lowered the trajectory of his kicks to make sure he got the ball downfield.

"I'm glad he didn't hit those lights," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said.

? Nancy Armour ? http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

PLAYING FOOTBALL, NOT FUTBOL, IN MEXICO

The NFL wants to return to Mexico, though Commissioner Roger Goodell won't say when.

Back in 2005, Azteca Stadium in Mexico City was the site of the league's first regular-season game outside the United States. But the league hasn't been back, despite playing in Toronto and ? now regularly ? in London.

Goodell says the league is perfecting things in England.

"We have to make sure that whenever we do come back to Mexico, and I expect we will, that we do it successfully, with the right kind of television support, fan support and sponsor involvement," Goodell said.

"I would expect if we are successful in the UK, where we thankfully are continuing to grow, that we'll have the opportunity to get back there," Goodell said. "And the sooner, the better for me."

? Nancy Armour ? http://www.twitter.com/nrarmour

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? "Super Bowl Watch" shows you the Super Bowl and the events surrounding the game through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across New Orleans and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-03-Super%20Bowl%20Watch-Package/id-7a6f987c6f2b4195859dabac874baf11

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