Syria opposition weighing negotiations with Assad

US Secretary of State John Kerry, fourth from right, attends a meeting Tuesday Oct. 22, 2013, hosted by British Foreign Secretary William Hague, fourth from left, of the 'London 11', from the Friends of Syria Core Group, in Lancaster House, central London, aimed at ending the brutal civil war in Syria.(AP Photo/Oli Scarff, pool)

US Secretary of State John Kerry, fourth from right, attends a meeting Tuesday Oct. 22, 2013, hosted by British Foreign Secretary William Hague, fourth from left, of the 'London 11', from the Friends of Syria Core Group, in Lancaster House, central London, aimed at ending the brutal civil war in Syria.(AP Photo/Oli Scarff, pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets Syrian National Coalition President Ahmed al-Jarba at the U.S. Ambassador's residence in London Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013. How to persuade Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down will be part of the focus Tuesday at a London meeting of 11 nations from the West and Mideast seeking a negotiated settlement to the war. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool)

In this photo, which AP obtained from Syrian official news agency SANA and which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, President Bashar Assad gestures as he speaks during an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen TV, at the presidential palace in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Oct. 21, 2013. Syria’s president said Monday that the factors that would allow a landmark conference aimed at ending the country’s civil war do not yet exist, throwing further doubt on international efforts to hold peace talks that have already been repeatedly delayed. (AP Photo/SANA)

LONDON (AP) — Moderate opposition leaders seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad from power have not yet committed to negotiations to create a new government, America's top diplomat said Tuesday, casting new doubt on flagging hopes to end the civil war as quickly as possible.

A refusal by the Syrian National Coalition to participate in the diplomatic talks would further delay attempts by most of Syria's regional neighbors and the West to stop the bloodshed that has so far killed 100,000 people over the last 2½ years. It also could boost the legitimacy of Assad, who after stonewalling has told allies he is prepared to negotiate — despite a near-certainty that he would be removed from power as a result of the talks.

At the close of diplomatic meetings on the issue in London, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he remains optimistic that the coalition would agree, potentially as soon as next week, to participate in talks tentatively set for late November in Geneva with members of Assad's government.

But he said the Western-backed Syrian opposition members have "to make up their own mind."

"None of us are going to pre-judge or pre-condition what they will choose to do in that process," Kerry said after the meetings of the diplomats from 11 Western and Mideast nations who are trying to broker a Syrian settlement.

Kerry's comments came after his meeting with the coalition's president, Ahmad al-Jarba, who attended the discussions.

Al-Jarba told reporters that the coalition does not want to negotiate with Assad directly or agree to negotiations without a set timetable. He also said he wanted only the SNC at the table to represent opposition — not extremist groups who have joined against Assad. And he objected to Iran's participation.

The diplomats also released a communique outlining goals for the negotiations' outcome. They include a mandatory requirement that Assad and his close aides will have no role in a new Syrian government.

Assad has shown no sign he is ready to give up power, and declined in an interview this week to rule out running for re-election next year. He also questioned the legitimacy of the opposition and said the factors needed for a proposed peace conference to succeed do not yet exist.

"Who are the groups that will participate? What is their relation with the Syrian people? Do they represent the Syrian people or they represent the country that made them?" Assad said during an interview with Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen TV. "There are many questions about the conference."

The process of removing Assad from office has been frustrated partly by a rise of violent extremists who have joined rebel groups and opposition leaders who are working to oust him.

U.S. officials say the extremists, including groups linked to al-Qaida, may instead have hurt negotiations and jeopardized foreign support. They argue it is difficult to identify moderate rebel groups and ensure that the weapons they are supplied with will not fall into al-Qaida hands.

Extremist groups, including the al-Qaida-linked cross-border Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, have damaged the credibility of the fractured opposition to Assad and drawn battle lines among once-allied rebel forces. As a result, that likely has boosted Assad's confidence to resist yielding at the negotiating table.

In comments to reporters after the talks, British Foreign Secretary William Hague has emphasized Western leaders' support for Syria's moderate opposition and stressed that efforts are being made to bring all sides to a negotiating table in Geneva.

Hague said the focus is on securing a transitional government for Syria, and said the opposition has the full support of Britain, the U.S. and the other leaders gathered in London. He urged the opposition to commit itself fully to talks.

Moderate groups affiliated with the Free Syrian Army, a loose coalition of rebel brigades, are in disarray. Last week, 65 rebel groups, including many linked to the FSA, announced they would not recognize the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition in what was widely seen as a rebuke to the West for failing to send more support.

It's also feared that Assad's recent willingness to let United Nations inspectors examine his government's chemical weapons stockpile — a cache that earlier this year he denied even existed — has helped his own credibility and worldwide image.

___

Associated Press writer Diaa Hadid in Beirut contributed to this report.

___

Follow Lara Jakes on Twitter at https://twitter.com/larajakesAP

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-10-22-United%20States-Syria/id-576d0ff6e6da4f3ca5852dc9a5a6ef03
Tags: Case Keenum   cory booker   Rashad Johnson   Colin Kaepernick   Hyon Song-wol  

Haunting Aerial Photographs of Drowned Villages in Canada

Louis Helbig is cataloging aerial photographs of Canadian villages drowned by the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway on his website Sunken Villages. The photos are haunting and gorgeous, almost emerald-like, but often difficult to read. Outlines of houses and roads barely emerge from the silt like scenes from a dream by J.G. Ballard, resembling flooded stage sets in the water that, in some photos, are lazily criss-crossed by boats.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/tOh__rhFVU0/haunting-aerial-photographs-of-drowned-villages-in-cana-1450257643
Tags: Janet Yellen   gravity   betrayal   jim parsons   amber heard  

Judge declines to halt 'Obamacare' insurance subsidies

By David Ingram and Kevin Drawbaugh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Foes of President Barack Obama's healthcare law lost a bid on Tuesday to put an immediate stop to a key part of the law - the insurance subsidies in the 34 U.S. states that declined to establish their own online marketplaces.

At a court hearing, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman in Washington, D.C., declined to grant a preliminary injunction sought by a group of individuals and small businesses that in a lawsuit call the subsidies unlawful.

Friedman ruled their lawsuit could move forward and said he would rule on its overall merits by mid-February, rejecting an argument from the Obama administration that the suit was too speculative to be considered.

The latest round of legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare," focuses on whether the 2010 law allows for subsidies in all states or only in states that have set up exchanges.

Only 16 states and the District of Columbia chose to set up the online marketplaces where people without private health insurance can shop for it, forcing the federal government to create them in the remaining states.

Subsidies, in the form of tax credits, are available to people with annual incomes of up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or $94,200 for a family of four. The Obama administration views the subsidies as essential if the law is going to work, because otherwise many people could not afford private insurance.

The suit was brought by a mix of individuals and businesses from Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia. The plaintiffs argue the subsidies are unlawful and impose a burden by forcing them to purchase the insurance or else pay a penalty.

SEEKING AN EXEMPTION

David Klemencic, who does flooring work in West Virginia, is one of the plaintiffs. In court papers, he said he cannot afford insurance and wishes to forgo coverage entirely in 2014, using an exemption in the healthcare law for people with low income.

But the availability of the tax credits means he is not eligible for the exemption, his lawyers said, so he must either buy subsidized insurance at about $18 a month or pay a penalty equal to about $12 a month.

In rejecting a preliminary injunction, Friedman said there was no need for such an emergency measure because Klemencic has until the end of March to apply for an exemption from Obamacare, by which time the lawsuit may be over.

"As long as we get a decision in a timely manner, that's what we've been looking for," Michael Carvin, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told reporters after the hearing. Carvin was among the lawyers who appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 to argue that the healthcare law should be struck down entirely.

Two similar lawsuits are pending in federal courts in Oklahoma and Indiana. Neither has reached a final ruling.

Complicating the situation for the Obama administration is the wording of the law, parts of which were drafted in haste in 2010 as the legislation wound through Congress.

The law says subsidies may be given "through an exchange established by the state," not through one set up by the federal government, a point that the suit emphasizes.

The administration says the subsidies should be available to people in every state because Congress intended the online exchanges to be uniform.

At the core of this claim is what Congress intended when it wrote the law, not expecting that some states would fail to set up an exchange or would, as in the case of Texas and other Republican-controlled states, refuse to do so out of political opposition to Obamacare.

The case is Halbig v. Sebelius, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 1:13-cv-623.

(Additional reporting by Patrick Temple-West and Terry Baynes; Editing by Howard Goller and Mohammad Zargham)

• Politics & Government
• Health
• Barack Obama
• Obama administration

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-declines-halt-obamacare-insurance-subsidies-183920540--sector.html
Related Topics: Obama impeachment   Battlefield 4 beta   thursday night football   paulina gretzky   The Wolverine  

Apple gears up for holidays with new Macs, iPads

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple Inc. is refreshing its iPad lineup in hopes of reclaiming lost ground in the tablet market and slashing the prices of its Mac computers to intensify the pressure on the beleaguered makers of PCs running Microsoft's Windows.

Tuesday's unveiling of Apple's latest products primes the company for a holiday shopping season onslaught aimed at a list of rivals that includes Google Inc., Samsung Electronics, Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp.

A thinner, lighter and faster-running tablet computer called the iPad Air highlighted the event in San Francisco. Apple Inc. also showed off a souped-up iPad Mini that boasts a faster microprocessor, a high-definition display screen and a higher price than its predecessor.

The iPad upgrades, coming a year after the release of the tablet's previous generation, fell largely in line with analyst expectations.

In a surprise, Apple is introducing slightly revamped MacBook Pros at prices 9 percent to 13 percent below the previous versions. What's more, Apple is giving away its latest Mac operating system — Mavericks — for free, as well as several pieces of software, including programs called iWorks and iLife that provide many of the same tools as Microsoft's Office.

"We are turning the industry on its ear," Apple CEO Tim Cook said of the company's strategy.

Technology analyst Patrick Moorhead predicted the discounted MacBook Pros will force personal computer makers to cut the prices of their machines by at least $100 for the holidays.

And Ovum analyst Jan Dawson thinks Apple's giveaway of the operating system and software programs "is now teaching people to expect both of those things to be free. While this won't disrupt Microsoft's business overnight, it will create further pressure on Microsoft to bring down prices."

If that happens, it would be another blow for Microsoft, which has seen its Windows revenue suffer in recent years as personal computer sales sink amid a shift to smartphones and tablets.

Apple triggered the upheaval with the 2007 release of the first iPhone followed up with the 2010 introduction of the iPad.

While both products have a fierce following, Apple has been losing market share to rivals who primarily make mobile devices running on Google's Android software. As Apple is now doing with its Mavericks software for Macs, Google gives away Android to device makers who can afford to undercut the prices for iPhones and iPads.

Despite the competitive pressure, Apple has steadfastly refused to cut prices on its top-of-the-line products. Instead, it has sold older versions of its Phones and iPads at slight discounts to consumers who are willing to settle for something less than state-of-the-art technology.

The Cupertino, Calif. company is hewing to that philosophy with its latest tablets. The iPad Air will start at $499, just like its predecessors, while the new iPad Mini will sell for $399 — a 21 percent increase from the price of the first Mini. The price of the original Mini, which runs at slower speeds and lacks a high-definition display screen, is falling from $329 to $299.

As it has done for more than year, Apple will continue selling the iPad 2 — a tablet that came out two-and-half years ago — for $399.

"Apple doesn't want to play in the mud with declining prices" on iPads, Moorhead said.

The strategy hasn't been a hit with investors who are unhappy with the Cupertino, Calif. company's slowing growth as it loses sales to lower-priced alternatives. Wall Street also is disillusioned with Apple's lack of another breakthrough product since the death of co-founder and chief visionary Steve Jobs two years ago.

Apple's stock dipped $1.49 to close at $519.87 Tuesday. The shares remain about 25 percent below their peak reached 13 months ago.

The iPad Air's main appeal is a more svelte design and a faster microprocessor, the same kind of chip in the iPhone 5S that Apple released a month ago. The new tablet weighs just 1 pound, compared with 1.4 pounds for the previous version. Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller hailed it as a "screaming fast iPad," noting that it is eight times faster than the original model that came out in 2010.

The iPad Air will go on sale Nov. 1. The new iPad Mini will be available at a still-to-be-determined date later in November.

They are coming out at a time when Apple needs to reassert itself in a tablet market. Google, Amazon.com and Samsung have been winning over consumers with flashy tablets that sell for $200 to $400. None of the rivals boast the 475,000 apps that Apple says are made for the iPad, but that vast selection hasn't mattered to many cost-conscious consumers.

The research firm Gartner Inc. estimates that Android tablets will end 2013 with a 50 percent share of the worldwide market versus 49 percent for the iPad. Just two years ago, the iPad commanded a 65 percent market share compared to 30 percent for Android tablets.

Apple sold 14.6 million iPads during the three months ending in June, down 14 percent from the same time last year. It marked the first time Apple has posted a year-over-year decline in iPad sales.

It might have happened again in the latest quarter ending in September. Although Apple isn't scheduled to report its results for the latest quarter until next Monday, a statistic released at Tuesday's event gave a hint of how the iPad fared in the period.

Cook said Apple's total iPad sales since the device's inception surpassed 170 million units earlier this month. Given that Apple sold 155 million iPads through June, that means fewer than 15 million were sold in the quarter ending in September. Apple sold 14 million iPads in last year's quarter ending in September.

__

Ortutay reported from New York.

• Technology & Electronics
• Handheld & Connected Devices
• Microsoft

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-gears-holidays-macs-ipads-233732301--finance.html
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As Smoke Blankets Sydney, Australians Brace For Worse Days

A general view of play as the Sydney skyline is shrouded in smoke during the Ryobi Cup match between the South Australian Redbacks and the Western Australia Warriors at Drummoyne Oval in Australia.

Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

A general view of play as the Sydney skyline is shrouded in smoke during the Ryobi Cup match between the South Australian Redbacks and the Western Australia Warriors at Drummoyne Oval in Australia.

Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Wildfires are burning to the north, south and west of Sydney, Australia, and smoke "has been rolling in for days," correspondent Stuart Cohen said Tuesday on Morning Edition.

While the fires are mostly in sparsely populated areas, Sydney is blanketed — "you can smell smoke inside buildings" and health authorities are expecting a surge in cases of people with respiratory problems, Cohen added.

Things may get worse.

The top headline today on the website of The Sydney Morning Herald quotes Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons saying that Wednesday (already underway in Australia) "will be as bad as it gets."

The weather in New South Wales state, which surrounds Sydney, is going to be "hotter, drier and windier than the dire predictions previously forecast," the Morning Herald writes.

"On days like [this]," Fitzsimmons says, "there's a very real potential for more loss of homes and life." So far, only one death has been linked to the fires — that of a man who died of a suspected heart attack while battling a blaze that threatened his home.

Looking ahead, correspondent Cohen notes that Australia "usually has its peak fire season in the middle of summer — December and January. ... The big worry now is that it's only October [and] there are still months and months ahead of the typical fire season."

The causes of the several dozen fires have varied. There have been lightning strikes and other natural starters. There have also been some cases of suspected arson.

Australian Broadcasting writes that "an 11-year-old boy appeared in court on Tuesday accused of setting fire to an abandoned mattress and lighting a grass fire in Newcastle, north of Sydney, last week. A 15-year-old boy will face court next month over the same fire. Police say the fire caused about 5,000 hectares of damage." According to the Metric Views blog, a typical Major League Baseball field is about one hectare. A typical cricket ground (see the photo we've attached to this post) is about 1.25 hectares.

Australian Broadcasting is live blogging here.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/10/22/239680205/as-smoke-blankets-sydney-australians-brace-for-worse-days?ft=1&f=1001
Category: 9/11 Memorial   alexis bledel   diana nyad   Rosh Hashanah 2013   new york times  

Greek birth certificate probe in 'Maria' case

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A top Greek prosecutor on Tuesday ordered an emergency nationwide investigation into birth certificates issued in the past six years after a girl was discovered living with alleged abductors at a gypsy camp.

Supreme Court prosecutor Efterpi Koutzamani ordered the inquiry for birth certificates issued after Jan. 1, 2008, amid news media reports of benefit fraud by families declaring births in multiple regions. Experts have used the case to point out the severe weaknesses in the country's birth registration system.

A couple has been jailed on charges of abduction and document fraud in the case of the girl known only as "Maria." The girl, believed to be 5 or 6, was taken into protective care last week after DNA tests established the couple was not her biological parents.

The case has triggered international interest in missing children, with the girl's DNA entered into a database held by the international law enforcement agency Interpol to check for matches.

On Monday, the mayor of Athens ordered the suspension of three officials in charge of record-keeping. New parents have three months to declare their newborns. Investigators in Athens found a large number of babies had been recently declared at or near the end of that deadline, sending up a red flag because they suspected some were multiple declarations to claim benefits.

The two suspects, aged 39 and 40, deny the abduction allegations, claiming they received the child from a destitute woman to bring up as their own.

Authorities allege the female suspect claimed to have given birth to six children in less than 10 months, while 10 of the 14 children the couple had registered as their own are unaccounted for.

Police say the two suspects received about 2,500 euros ($3,420) a month in subsidies from three different cities.

• Crime & Justice
• Society & Culture
• birth certificates

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greek-birth-certificate-probe-maria-case-125212767.html
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VMware security advisories warn of multiple ESX, vCenter, and vSphere vulnerabilities

In response to a VMware user group security survey conducted earlier this year, VMware said it would consider certain initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of security updates to its customers and provide them with additional details by way of the company's VMware Security Advisories (VMSAs).  Last week, the company made good on those promises.

VMware released a host of new security patches that address multiple security vulnerabilities impacting a range of the company's virtualization products, including vCenter Server, vCenter Server Appliance, vSphere Update Manager, ESX, and ESXi.  Some of the identified flaws can be used to bypass security restrictions to elevate privileges, execute malicious code, or overwrite important files.  Other vulnerabilities could lead to denial-of-service (DoS) on affected products.

[ Also on InfoWorld: Pivotal adds mobile platform development with Xtreme Labs acquisition | Cloud storage provider Nirvanix is closing its doors | Track the latest trends in virtualization in InfoWorld's Virtualization Report newsletter ]

One of those vulnerabilities is a bug in vCenter Server 5.0 and 5.1 that could enable an attacker to bypass the need for valid credentials under some circumstances.  In order for the vulnerability to be exploited, the affected product must be deployed in an environment that uses Active Directory with anonymous LDAP binding enabled.

This type of setup doesn't properly handle log-in credentials.  The VMware advisory warns, "In this environment, authenticating to vCenter Server with a valid user name and a blank password may be successful even if a non-blank password is required for the account."

The workaround is to discontinue the use of AD anonymous LDAP binding if it is enabled in your environment.

Organizations running version 5.1 of VMware's vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) on Linux should be aware of two other sets of vulnerabilities.  The first is a remote code execution flaw that enables an attacker with stolen credentials to run existing files as root.  The second vulnerability is found within the Virtual Appliance Management Interface (VAMI), where an authenticated remote attacker is allowed to upload files to an arbitrary location thereby creating new files or overwriting existing files.  According to the VMware advisory, replacing certain files could result in a denial-of-service condition.

Certain versions of VMware's ESX and ESXi hypervisors (4.0, 4.1 and 5.0) are also affected.  According to VMware, there is a flaw in the hostd-vmdb that could allow an attacker to cause a denial-of-service condition.  In order to exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to intercept and modify the management traffic.

The advisory also identified a session fixation vulnerability in the vSphere Web Client Server through which an attacker could gain elevated privileges within the environment.  However, exploiting this flaw may not prove easy as it requires some knowledge of the target user's session.  According to VMware, an attacker would have to know a valid session ID of an already authenticated user.

In either instance, VMware said users can reduce the likelihood of these vulnerabilities from causing a problem by running vSphere components in an isolated management network to ensure that traffic does not get intercepted.

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/d/virtualization/vmware-security-advisories-warn-of-multiple-esx-vcenter-and-vsphere-vulnerabilities-229127?source=rss_infoworld_blogs
Category: julio jones   Scandal   Michelle Rodriguez  

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientific director elected to Institute of Medicine

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

21-Oct-2013

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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

James R. Downing, M.D., becomes hospital's 6th IOM member

(MEMPHIS, TENN. October 21, 2013) James R. Downing, M.D., scientific director, deputy director and executive vice president at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), a prestigious branch of the National Academy of Sciences. Downing's election brings the number of IOM members from St. Jude to six. St. Jude has one of the highest numbers of IOM members among U.S. children's hospitals.

"Dr. Downing's election to the Institute of Medicine is a great testament to his many scientific accomplishments and a great honor for St. Jude," said Dr. William E. Evans, St. Jude director and CEO. "As we continue to focus on finding cures for life-threatening diseases, Dr. Downing is among those leading the way in revealing the genetic causes of childhood cancers."

Downing is internationally recognized for his seminal contributions to the understanding of the molecular pathology of acute leukemia and the application of this information to increase the number of children cured. In 2010, he was instrumental in launching the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, the world's largest project devoted to understanding childhood cancer.

The Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has sequenced the complete normal and cancer genomes of about 700 children and adolescents with some of the least understood and most aggressive pediatric cancers. This has already produced key discoveries related to childhood leukemias, brain tumors, central nervous system tumors and eye tumors. This project is now in a second phase to dig deeper into the genomic landscape of childhood cancers. In addition, St. Jude has undertaken a major effort to translate genomics into clinical decision-making.

Joining St. Jude in 1986 as an assistant member in pathology, Downing rose through the ranks to serve as chair of the department from 1997 to 2009. In 2004, he was appointed as the institution's executive vice president and scientific director and in 2011 as its deputy director.

Downing has traveled the globe presenting his research and has received numerous honors including the Association for Molecular Pathology Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics, the American Association for Cancer Research Team Science Award and the American Association for the Advancement of Science fellowship. In 2013, he was nominated by TIME magazine for its list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Downing has been published in prestigious journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, Science and Cell and holds membership in numerous academic and professional societies. He earned both his undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Michigan.

Established in 1970, the IOM is an honorific organization with more than 1,900 members and foreign associates. Each year, the full membership elects up to 70 new members and 10 foreign associates for their excellence and professional achievement in a field relevant to the IOM's mission.

Other IOM members from St. Jude are Nobel Laureate Peter Doherty, Ph.D.; director and CEO Dr. William E. Evans; Arthur Nienhuis, M.D., former St. Jude CEO; Charles Sherr, M.D., Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Tumor Cell Biology chair; and Mary Relling, Pharm.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences chair.

###

St. Jude Media Relations Contacts

Summer Freeman

(desk) 901-595-3061

(cell) 901-297-9861

summer.freeman@stjude.org

Carrie Strehlau

(desk) 901-595-2295

(cell) 901-297-9875

carrie.strehlau@stjude.org

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

21-Oct-2013

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]


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Contact: Carrie Strehlau
carrie.strehlau@stjude.org
901-595-2295
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

James R. Downing, M.D., becomes hospital's 6th IOM member

(MEMPHIS, TENN. October 21, 2013) James R. Downing, M.D., scientific director, deputy director and executive vice president at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), a prestigious branch of the National Academy of Sciences. Downing's election brings the number of IOM members from St. Jude to six. St. Jude has one of the highest numbers of IOM members among U.S. children's hospitals.

"Dr. Downing's election to the Institute of Medicine is a great testament to his many scientific accomplishments and a great honor for St. Jude," said Dr. William E. Evans, St. Jude director and CEO. "As we continue to focus on finding cures for life-threatening diseases, Dr. Downing is among those leading the way in revealing the genetic causes of childhood cancers."

Downing is internationally recognized for his seminal contributions to the understanding of the molecular pathology of acute leukemia and the application of this information to increase the number of children cured. In 2010, he was instrumental in launching the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, the world's largest project devoted to understanding childhood cancer.

The Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has sequenced the complete normal and cancer genomes of about 700 children and adolescents with some of the least understood and most aggressive pediatric cancers. This has already produced key discoveries related to childhood leukemias, brain tumors, central nervous system tumors and eye tumors. This project is now in a second phase to dig deeper into the genomic landscape of childhood cancers. In addition, St. Jude has undertaken a major effort to translate genomics into clinical decision-making.

Joining St. Jude in 1986 as an assistant member in pathology, Downing rose through the ranks to serve as chair of the department from 1997 to 2009. In 2004, he was appointed as the institution's executive vice president and scientific director and in 2011 as its deputy director.

Downing has traveled the globe presenting his research and has received numerous honors including the Association for Molecular Pathology Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics, the American Association for Cancer Research Team Science Award and the American Association for the Advancement of Science fellowship. In 2013, he was nominated by TIME magazine for its list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Downing has been published in prestigious journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, Science and Cell and holds membership in numerous academic and professional societies. He earned both his undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Michigan.

Established in 1970, the IOM is an honorific organization with more than 1,900 members and foreign associates. Each year, the full membership elects up to 70 new members and 10 foreign associates for their excellence and professional achievement in a field relevant to the IOM's mission.

Other IOM members from St. Jude are Nobel Laureate Peter Doherty, Ph.D.; director and CEO Dr. William E. Evans; Arthur Nienhuis, M.D., former St. Jude CEO; Charles Sherr, M.D., Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Tumor Cell Biology chair; and Mary Relling, Pharm.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences chair.

###

St. Jude Media Relations Contacts

Summer Freeman

(desk) 901-595-3061

(cell) 901-297-9861

summer.freeman@stjude.org

Carrie Strehlau

(desk) 901-595-2295

(cell) 901-297-9875

carrie.strehlau@stjude.org

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/sjcr-sjc102113.php
Category: tom brady   Captain Phillips   Dancing With the Stars 2013   affordable care act   brandon jacobs  

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (for iPad)

• 
  Pros
  

  Excellent tutorial. Engaging turn-based action. Ability to customize soldiers and weaponry. Game is slightly different with each playthrough.

  
  



• 
  Cons
  Some graphical issues. Touch controls may prove problematic for some.
  



• 
  Bottom Line
  

  XCOM: Enemy Unknown makes its iOS debut, and it's an excellent turn-based, alien-blasting, sci-fi strategy game.

  
  

By Jeffrey L. Wilson

2K Game deftly ports its hit PC and console turn-based strategy game to the Apple iPad, losing very little in transition. In XCOM: Enemy Unknown, gamers take control of the Extra-terrestrial Combat Unit (XCOM, for short) that's tasked with defending the Earth from an alien threat. XCOM: Enemy Unknown has some relatively minor graphics and control issues, but the game's an excellent paramilitary sci-fi title for those in the gaming populace with strategy leanings.

Gamers who aren't familiar with XCOM's gameplay (or the turn-based strategy genre as whole) will appreciate the useful tutorial that walks players through the movement, attack, and cover mechanics. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is best played with a mouse and keyboard combo—my fat fingers often had trouble pinpointing the exact square in a grid where I wanted a troop to move—but the touch controls are decent enough for mobile gaming. Levels aren't randomly generated, but the alien positioning changes with each playthrough. As a result, each alien skirmish—a mix of sneaking, positioning, and firepower—feels slightly different.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown's graphics are close to console-quality, but when some soldiers speak without moving their mouths, the characters look like marionettes holding big guns. Despite that visual stumble, XCOM: Enemy Unknown gives players the freedom to edit their troops' names, appearances, and weapon load outs, which leads to character attachment. Note: When a favorite soldier bites it s/he is gone for good. That said, you can recruit new fighters and upgrade their guns, grenades, and other weaponry. A XCOM: Enemy Unknown recent update added asynchronous multiplayer play, but it's caused some stability issues on the iPad mini.

iPad owners with a thirst for a thinking person's game will find a lot to like in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. There are numerous ways to engage enemy combatants, and lots of customization options for crafting your dream squad. XCOM: Enemy Unknown's story isn't particularly intriguing, but the squad-vs.-squad action is enough to keep strategy fans coming back for just one more game.

By Jeffrey L. Wilson

Jeffrey L. Wilson's love of all things shiny/digital has lead to jobs penning gadget- and video game-related nerd-copy for 2D-X, E-Gear, Laptop, LifeStyler, Parenting, Sync, Wise Bread, and WWE. He now brings that passion to...

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Why Britney's Terrible Vegas Singing Is Not a Deal-Breaker for Us

Does Britney Spears work, work on her singing? As the pop star prepares to kick off her upcoming Las Vegas residency, a YouTube video from a 2001 Vegas engagement has been unearthed -- and it's not pretty. In the video, we see Spears at the height of her fame accompanied by the live feed from her microphone. Raw, live, and unedited, her singing is painful. Watch the video below:
Source: http://www.ivillage.com/britney-spears-bad-las-vegas-singing-youtube-video/1-a-550214?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Abritney-spears-bad-las-vegas-singing-youtube-video-550214
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Website Is Only the Tip of the Iceberg of Disaster

We’ve had plenty of evidence that the Healthcare.gov website issues go well beyond coding problems on the front end, where Americans create accounts before gaining access to the actual insurance-plan marketplace.  The New York Times reports today that the marketplaces themselves are just as buggy — and that it might take weeks or months to get all the issues fixed:

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2013/10/21/website_is_only_the_tip_of_the_iceberg_of_disaster_318306.html
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Linksys to resume building network hardware for small- to medium-size businesses

If Cisco thought it was unloading a consumer brand that no longer fit with its enterprise focus by selling its Linksys business unit to Belkin, Cisco's in for a surprise: Belkin is embarking on an ambitious campaign to once again make Linksys a major player in the SMB networking market.

"Linksys had been successfully selling SMB infrastructure products into the marketplace for more than 20 years," said Ben Thacker, global vice president of Belkin enterprise business. "Linksys was one of the largest suppliers of switches and routers into the 5- to 99-seat environment. Now under the Belkin International organization we know the Linksys brand can be successful again catering to this environment."

[ For quick, smart takes on the news you'll be talking about, check out InfoWorld TechBrief -- subscribe today. | Find out what topics and issues affect tech's biggest names and news makers in the IDGE Insider CEO interview series. | Read Bill Snyder's Tech's Bottom Line blog for what the key business trends mean to you. ]

Indeed, Linksys had significant shares of both the consumer and SMB markets when Cisco acquired it in 2003. But Cisco rebadged Linksys's business-oriented hardware as Cisco products and used the Linksys brand solely for consumer devices. A source inside Linksys, however, tells me that many of the Linksys business-unit engineers remained and came over to Belkin as part of the acquisition.

Belkin, meanwhile, is best known as a consumer-electronics manufacturer, selling cables, smartphone and tablet cases, outlet strips, webcams, and simple home-automation devices. But dig a little deeper and you'll find that Belkin has a robust line of business-oriented products, too, ranging from KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) hardware for controlling rack-mounted servers to the hulking racks those servers are mounted into.

Belkin's first Linksys-branded products after the acquisition were aimed at consumers, but starting in November and continuing into 2014, the privately held company will launch a host of new Linksys products into the SMB market.

The first wave, which Belkin will announce in November, will include a line of unmanaged gigabit switches with between 5 and 24 ports. Dual- and single-WAN VPN routers are the next item on the roadmap, and these will be followed by single- and dual-band 802.11n wireless access points, and dual-band 802.11ac wireless access points.

The Network Magic software that Linksys acquired from Pure Networks a number of years ago will also apparently be returning to the limelight.

In January, Belkin intends to ship Linksys-branded indoor and outdoor IP surveillance cameras, along with a two-bay network video recorder. In the March/April timeframe, Belkin plans to announce a line of managed gigabit switches in configurations ranging from 8 to 52 ports, as well as some PoE (power-over-ethernet) switches.

Later in 2014, Belkin will introduce cloud-management solutions (although the company revealed few details as to what that will entail). This will be followed by an office-automation initiative that will include Belkin's existing WeMo product line for power management and lighting controls with some new products the Linksys team is working on.

The Linksys divestiture ended Cisco's involvement in the consumer market, so one has to wonder if the company's management imagined they'd end up competing with their former business unit in the business market. This should be fun to watch.

Source: http://www.infoworld.com/d/networking/linksys-resume-building-network-hardware-small-medium-size-businesses-229193
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NJ governor ends gay marriage fight as couples wed

Beth Asaro, left, and Joanne Schailey celebrate after exchangeing vows to become the first same-sex couple married in Lambertville, N.J. history at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Oct. 21, 2013 in Lambertville, N.J. Asaro and Schailey hold the distinction of being the first couple to enter into a civil union in the state, when that law took effect in 2007. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Beth Asaro, left, and Joanne Schailey celebrate after exchangeing vows to become the first same-sex couple married in Lambertville, N.J. history at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Oct. 21, 2013 in Lambertville, N.J. Asaro and Schailey hold the distinction of being the first couple to enter into a civil union in the state, when that law took effect in 2007. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

Lydia Torres, left, 44, and Jenelle Torres, 42, right, kiss after Newark Mayor and Senator-elect Cory Booker, officiated their wedding ceremony at Newark City Hall just after midnight Monday, Oct. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Newark Mayor and Senator-elect Cory Booker, right, officiates the ceremony for the same-sex marriage of Liz Salerno, left, 38, and Gabriela Celeiro, 34, center, at Newark City Hall just after midnight Monday, Oct. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Beth Asaro and Joanne Schailey exchange vows as Mayor David DelVecchio officiates in the first same-sex marriage in Lambertville, N.J. history at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Oct. 21, 2013 in Lambertville, N.J. Asaro and Schailey hold the distinction of being the first couple to enter into a civil union in the state, when that law took effect in 2007. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

David Gibson, right, and Richard Kiamco of Jersey City make history as they become the first official same-sex couple to be married in Jersey City in a ceremony officiated by Mayor Steve Fulop at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, at City Hall. Seven other gay couples also participated in the ceremony. (AP Photo/The Jersey Journal, Reena Rose Sibayan)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Gov. Chris Christie dropped his legal challenge to same-sex marriages on Monday, removing the possibility that the vows of couples who began getting married hours earlier could be undone by a court.

New Jersey became the 14th state to allow gay marriages Monday, three days after the state Supreme Court unanimously rejected Christie's request to delay the start of the nuptials. He has said residents, not a court or legislators, should decide on the issue.

"Although the governor strongly disagrees with the court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey Constitution and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law," Christie's spokesman Michael Drewniak said in a statement. "The governor will do his constitutional duty and ensure his administration enforces the law as dictated by the New Jersey Supreme Court."

The announcement came from a Republican governor who is a possible 2016 presidential candidate and has for years opposed gay marriage while supporting the state's previous civil union law.

It was met with jubilation from gay rights advocates including Steven Goldstein, the founder and former leader of Garden State Equality, who asked "How much happiness can I stand?" Conversely, conservatives like National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown scorned the legalization of gay weddings.

"This is just another example of the courts making law out of thin air," he said. "Obviously, Christie should have continued the lawsuit."

Brown said his group could look into whether it could continue the legal fight that Christie dropped but said he doubts the courts would allow anyone to intervene.

The decision caught some by surprise, but not Larry Lustberg, one of the lawyers on the case on behalf of gay couples and Garden State Equality. "The handwriting was on the wall as clearly as it could possibly be. The governor had always said he would fight this all the way up to the Supreme Court, but he didn't say he was going to fight it in the Supreme Court twice," he said in a conference call. "This was inevitable."

The letter detailing Christie's decision, from the Acting New Jersey Attorney General John Hoffman to the Supreme Court, was just two sentences and didn't get into detail.

Goldstein said advocates for same-sex marriage still have work to do. He said lawmakers must adopt a law codifying same-sex marriage to clarify three points that are left unaddressed in court decisions. The court rulings do not say whether civil unions should be converted to marriages, does not say whether religious organizations such as the Knights of Columbus can reject hosting weddings on their property and does not spell out whether legal out-of-state marriages of gay couples are automatically recognized in New Jersey.

Last year, the state Legislature passed a law to allow gay marriage and deal with those issues, but Christie vetoed it.

Advocates have been making a major push to override the veto before a Jan. 14 deadline. Before Christie's announcement Monday, they were expecting a vote by lawmakers sometime after the Nov. 5 election.

But Hayley Gorenberg, a Lambda Legal lawyer who was co-counsel in the court case, said on a conference call Monday that the veto override is not needed. "I think we're done here," she said. She addressed one of the points left unanswered in the court rulings, saying that the First Amendment provides the necessary religious protection for clergy who do not want to preside over ceremonies of same-sex couples.

New Jersey's courts and politicians have been deliberating over whether to allow gay marriage for more than a decade. The answer has changed quickly in the past month.

In September, a state judge ruled that New Jersey must allow the nuptials in light of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that made the federal government recognize same-sex marriage.

The state's top court ruled Friday afternoon that it would not delay Monday's implementation date.

And at 12:01 a.m., couples in a handful of communities wed.

In Newark, Mayor Cory Booker, in one of his last acts before joining the U.S. Senate in coming weeks, led a ceremony for seven gay couples and two heterosexual couples.

"Tonight we have crossed a barrier, and now, while you all have fallen into love, I want to say that the truth is, that the state of New Jersey has risen to love," he said. "This state now is resonant now with the core values of our county, with the idea that there is no second class citizenship in America, that we're all equal under the law."

In Lambertville, Joanne Shcailey and Beth Asaro were wed in a municipal courtroom packed with friends, family and journalists.

"We're floating on air," Asaro, in a salmon pink suit, said afterward. "It's like winning the Super Bowl," said Schailey, who wore a black suit.

___

Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield. Associated Press writers Samantha Henry in Newark and Katie Zezima in Jersey City contributed to this report.

___

Follow Mulvihill at https://twitter.com/geoffmulvihill

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-10-21-Gay%20Marriage-NJ/id-0b05c0d541784a3ca58d8c7e007418a4
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Netflix could have more paid subscribers than HBO by the end of the year

Netflix is about to pass a milestone by having more paid US customers than HBO, according to a poll of analysts by Bloomberg. The streaming outfit, which was originally a DVD rental service, probably has around 31 million subscribers now stateside compared to 28.7 million for HBO (including free ...

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/LIFlcWtESV0/
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Hillary Clinton Accepts First Founder's Award at Elton John AIDS Benefit

Carlo Allegri/Invision/AP

Hillary Clinton at Tuesday night's event

Hillary Clinton accepted the Elton John AIDS Foundation's first-ever Founder's Award at the organization's annual benefit in New York on Tuesday night.

Although she was honored by the accolade, Clinton echoed a theme expressed by many of the stars in attendance: that there's much more work to be done to combat the disease.

PHOTOS: Hillary Clinton, Ron Perelman Honored at 2013 Elton John AIDS Foundation Benefit

"We still have so far to go," the former secretary of state said in her acceptance speech. "There are so many challenges that confront us. If we are to continue to build on the progress, and yes, there has been progress, then we have to continue to advocate and demand for governments, international organizations, foundations, all of us, to be persistent…and ensure that we don't falter."

"If we're going to beat AIDS, we have to reach out to everyone," she added.

Elton John also received an award at Tuesday's gala, from the Harvard AIDS Initiative.

"I really hope that all of you will join me in being equally stubborn when it comes to ending AIDS because that is what will be required to end this epidemic," he told the well-heeled crowd at Cipriani Wall Street in lower Manhattan. "We're going to have to stubbornly insist on full funding for all proven methods of preventing HIV infection…Treatment for everyone. Treatment for all…We're going to have to keep yelling and screaming about the way our country treats racial and sexual minorities and, of course, the poor. We're going to have to be downright stubborn, not just this year, not next year, not the next, but for many years to come."

Indeed, John vowed to be stubborn about AIDS for the next 20 years if necessary, but he said he doesn't think it will take that long to achieve an AIDS-free generation and world.

Nevertheless, John added, "We have so much more work to do and we'll be there until the bitter end."

STORY: Hillary Clinton to Get Elton John Foundation Honor

Other honorees at the event, which raised $3.45 million, included Food Network star Sandra Lee, John's longtime agent Howard Rose and mogul Ron Perelman, who prompted cheers from the crowd when he referred to Clinton as "the next president of the United States." Clinton looked nonchalant when the camera cut to her, but after Perelman continued to sing her praises and said the highly rumored candidate has his vote, Clinton could be seen mouthing "Oh my God," as if she couldn't believe all of the attention.

Matt Lauer was a last-minute substitute host at the event after Anderson Cooper had to go to Washington to cover the debt-ceiling crisis, which Lauer joked "sounded like a lame-ass excuse."

Earlier, The Hollywood Reporter asked Lauer what the entertainment industry could do to continue to raise awareness of AIDS and combat the disease.

"Talk, talk, talk, spread the word, get out there, come to events like this and raise money," Lauer said. "I mean, when you stop and think about what Elton has done in 20 years…a lot of it is something you can't put a price tag on, it's just a discussion and getting out there and putting his reputation on line and spreading the word that way."

STORY: Elton John to Pen Book on AIDS Epidemic

Tony-winning actress Judith Light echoed Lauer's call for a continued dialogue on the issue.

"We did and we do so much in terms of the awareness, and I don't think it's just the entertainment industry that has to do something, I think it's about those of us who are committed to this issue and have been committed to this issue for a long time, talking to other people and finding ways, just like Elton has, to make it a prominent issue again, to say to people, 'This is not over,' " she said.

The former Who's the Boss star, who's performed on Broadway for the past few years, told us that she recently starred in a pilot for Amazon, making her just the latest actor to join the Internet revolution.

Meanwhile, fellow Broadway alum Jeremy Jordan, who left his starring role in Newsies after he joined the second-season cast of NBC's now-canceled Smash, said he misses the stage and hopes to "come back as soon as possible." In fact, he's doing a weeklong Stephen Sondheim show in November called A Bed and a Chair.

"It's only a week, and it's not Broadway, but it will be nice to come back to New York for a hot sec," he said.

Other celebs in attendance included Billy Joel, Alec Baldwin, Allison Williams, Courtney Love, Lisa Marie Presley and rock band Heart, who performed at the end of the night.

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Diahann Carroll: Quick-witted honoree

Diahann Carol, left, and Angela Bassett pose together at the "House of Flowers" dinner honoring Carol and AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs at the home of Tracey Edmonds on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Diahann Carol, left, and Angela Bassett pose together at the "House of Flowers" dinner honoring Carol and AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs at the home of Tracey Edmonds on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Diahann Carol speaks at the "House of Flowers" dinner honoring her and AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs at the home of Tracey Edmonds on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Diahann Carol, left, and Anika Noni Rose pose together at the "House of Flowers" dinner honoring Carol and AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs at the home of Tracey Edmonds on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Diahann Carol attends the "House of Flowers" dinner honoring her and AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs at the home of Tracey Edmonds on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Diahann Carol attends the "House of Flowers" dinner honoring her and AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs at the home of Tracey Edmonds on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — At 78-years-old Diahann Carroll keeps a sense of humor.

"I don't think I realize what the passage of time really means until people talk about things that I did in the '50s and I wonder 'Who the hell are they talking about?,'" the actress, singer and Golden Globe-winner said while being honored at a House of Flowers dinner Saturday evening.

Beverly Johnson, Angela Bassett, Regina King and Anika Noni Rose were in attendance to applaud Carroll and fellow honoree Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the first African American president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The dinner, hosted by television producer Tracey Edmonds and film and television producer Debra Martin Chase, was held at Edmonds' home.

Fellow honoree Isaacs said the evening made her feel "on top of the world" and described her new post as AMPAS president as "going from zero to 60 in four seconds."

Conceptualized by Chase and deemed House of Flowers after Truman Capote's Broadway play, in which Carroll starred in 1954, the affair was meant to "celebrate female empowerment and to help open doors for future accomplishments," said Edmonds.

"Diahann is a legend who's broken so many barriers and has always represented glamour," said Chase.

Occasionally brushing the soft curls from her face with her heavily jeweled hands, Carroll cracked grins as ladies like Johnson, Bassett and dancer and producer Debbie Allen lined up to collect hugs and kisses.

"I certainly don't feel like an icon," said Carroll in an interview before dinner. "I've had long stretches of unemployment. This is not an easy game." Later in her acceptance speech she said, "I really appreciate knowing that you've heard my name and remember it. I don't even know if I would have been allowed to drive down this street back in the '50s. Being here has given me new passion."

After a 30-year hiatus, Carroll will return to Broadway in April to play Denzel Washington's mother in "A Raisin in the Sun." Rose will also star.

A Tony Award-winner, four-time Emmy nominee, Oscar nominee and the first black actress to star in her own prime-time series, "Julia," Carroll says there is still one role she has yet to conquer: "I would love to be a part of a studio that tells our stories and has a means of growing."

"Julia" debuted in 1968. Carroll is still making TV appearances as a recurring character on USA's "White Collar."

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jessica Herndon on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/SomeKind

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-10-20-Diahann%20Carroll%20Honored/id-a07abcbf878c4f5c83b5109077446266
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UCF rallies to upset No. 8 Louisville, 38-35

Louisville running back Senorise Perry (32) gets pulled down from behind by Central Florida's Clayton Geathers (26) on a first-quarter run during an NCAA college football game in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

Louisville running back Senorise Perry (32) gets pulled down from behind by Central Florida's Clayton Geathers (26) on a first-quarter run during an NCAA college football game in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

Louisville tight end Ryan Hubbell (83) gets caught from behind by Central Florida's Brandon Alexander (37) after a 34-yard reception in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) passes against Central Florida in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Eighth-ranked Louisville couldn't believe how it let Central Florida slip from its grasp.

Twice.

Credit UCF quarterback Blake Bortles and the Knights for not giving up after falling behind, resolve that toppled Teddy Bridgewater and the Cardinals.

Bortles threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Godfrey with 23 seconds remaining and the Knights stunned the Cardinals with a 38-35 victory on Friday night, ending Louisville's perfect start.

Much of the season remains for the Cardinals (6-1, 2-1) to fulfill their goal of winning the inaugural American Athletic Conference title before heading to the Atlantic Coast Conference next year. It will just involve chasing the Knights (5-1, 2-0) after coming unraveled in the second half.

"Our goals are still there and we still have a chance to win the conference," Louisville coach Charlie Strong said. "Now, we're one win behind them (UCF). We've got to continue to play well and get better. We can improve."

The Knights meanwhile are eager to see if things can get better after mounting two huge comebacks to beat the highest-ranked team they have ever faced.

"I said, 'Let's get some 2-minute calls ready," Bortles said. "We knew we were going to have to go 2-minute. ... Our offensive line did a great job and our receivers did a great job of getting yards after the catch."

Down 28-7 midway through the third quarter, the Knights responded with three touchdowns in a 7:22 span. Storm Johnson had a 1-yard TD run and a 20-yard reception for another score, and William Stanback ran 12 yards for the tying TD.

UCF then went in front on Shawn Moffitt's 34-yard field goal with 7:36 remaining.

Louisville reclaimed the lead on Dominique Brown's 15-yard run with three minutes to go, but the Knights drove 75 yards in 11 plays to take the lead for good on Bortles' TD and then held off the Cardinals' comeback attempt.

Bridgewater made one last desperate heave into the end zone as time expired, but the Heisman Trophy contender was unable to find anyone. The Knights then rushed the field in jubilation as a small gathering of fans in one section chanted "UCF, UCF!"

"What can you say? It was a heck of a game," Knights coach George O'Leary said. "Both teams played their hearts out. That was a great drive and it was a great win in a tough environment.

"Obviously, it's a big win. It's a big win because of the conference. We had great effort and great execution. ... We could have hung our heads, but we got after it."

Bortles finished 21 of 32 passing for 250 yards and two touchdowns while Johnson rushed for 109 yards and a TD on 18 carries, leading a spirited comeback during which the Knights outgained the Cardinals 269-210 in the second half to finish with a 446-445 edge.

It was Central Florida's second win over a ranked team in 27 attempts. It came in the lone conference meeting between the schools.

"It felt good seeing that clock hit zero," Godfrey said in an elated Knights locker room. "It was a great feeling inside, a great win for the program and UCF Nation."

Struggling against a defense that entered the night allowing a nation-best 7.3 points per game and No. 2 against the run, UCF eventually found room to run when Johnson started to cut and bounce his way to extra yardage.

Bortles chipped in with crisp passing, especially on the 20-yard pass to Johnson following a fumble recovery on the Cardinals 15.

The combination of Johnson and Bortles ruined Louisville's homecoming and its 100th game at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium before a crowd of 55,215.

"You can't live in misery or live in a loss," Bridgewater said after the Cardinals' first loss since last November against Connecticut. "We are the type of team that has mature guys and I am pretty sure our guys are switching their focus to South Florida. One loss doesn't determine the whole season."

Bridgewater finished 29 of 38 passing for 341 yards and two touchdowns. He welcomed back top receiver DeVante Parker from a shoulder injury, connecting for a 29-yard pass on Louisville's opening drive.

Bridgewater also went to former high school teammate Eli Rogers, who finished with 10 receptions for 95 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown that gave Louisville a 7-0 lead.

Ryan Hubbell's fumble that hit the pylon for a touchback and a punt on the next drive prevented the Cardinals from expanding the lead, and UCF scored on its fifth possession.

Johnson's 23-yard reception helped prolong the 71-yard drive, but Stanback's recovery of Rannell Hall's fumble at the 4 turned out to be the key play. Stanback scored on the next play.

Louisville responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive ending with Bridgewater's 10-yard TD pass to Parker in double coverage just before halftime. The Cardinals then emerged from the locker room to drive 75 yards for a 21-7 lead on Dominique Brown's 20-yard touchdown run up the middle.

Louisville seemed to be in control after James Quick's 30-yard return of punter Caleb Houston's fumbled snap made it 28-7, but UCF wasn't fazed.

"We tell our kids to never, never give up," O'Leary said. "Our kids were jumping to the music. I knew we were going to be OK.

"We had a couple of good things happen and it lit a fire."

Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-10-19-FBC-T25-UCF-Louisville-Folo/id-0697a69ccf9e4a529bf1cf71a9315ff6
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