Japan population to shrink by one-third by 2060

FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2011 file photo, a kimono-clad elderly woman walks across a street in Tokyo. Japan's rapid aging means the national population of 128 million will shrink by one-third by 2060 and seniors will account for 40 percent of people, placing a greater burden on the shrinking work force population to support the social security and tax systems. The population estimate released Monday, Jan. 30 by the Health and Welfare Ministry paints a grim future. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2011 file photo, a kimono-clad elderly woman walks across a street in Tokyo. Japan's rapid aging means the national population of 128 million will shrink by one-third by 2060 and seniors will account for 40 percent of people, placing a greater burden on the shrinking work force population to support the social security and tax systems. The population estimate released Monday, Jan. 30 by the Health and Welfare Ministry paints a grim future. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2012 file photo, worshippers pack the compound of Sensoji temple to pray in the hope of receiving a New Year's blessing in the Asakusa district in Tokyo. Japan's rapid aging means the national population of 128 million will shrink by one-third by 2060 and seniors will account for 40 percent of people, placing a greater burden on the shrinking work force population to support the social security and tax systems. The population estimate released Monday, Jan. 30 by the Health and Welfare Ministry paints a grim future. The sign reads, "Please advance in good order." (AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)

TOKYO (AP) ? Japan's rapid aging means the national population of 128 million will shrink by one-third by 2060 and seniors will account for 40 percent of people, placing a greater burden on the shrinking work force population to support the social security and tax systems.

The population estimate released Monday by the Health and Welfare Ministry paints a grim future.

In year 2060, Japan will have 87 million people. The number of people 65 or older will nearly double to 40 percent, while the national work force of people between ages 15 and 65 will shrink to about half of the total population, according to the estimate, made by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

The total fertility rate, or the expected number of children born per woman during lifetime, in 2060 is estimated at 1.35, down from 1.39 in 2010 ? well below more than 2 needed to keep the country's population from declining. But the average Japanese will continue to live longer. The average life expectancy for 2060 is projected at 90.93 for women, up from 86.39 in 2010, and 84.19 years for men, up from 79.64 years.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has pledged to push for social security and tax reforms this year. A bill he promised to submit by the end of March would raise the 5 percent sales tax in two stages to 8 percent in 2014 and 10 percent by 2015, although opposition lawmakers and the public pose challenges to its approval.

The institute says Japan has been the world's fastest aging country, and with its birthrate among the lowest, its population decline would be among the deepest globally in coming decades.

Experts say that Japan's population will keep losing 1 million every year in coming decades and the country urgently needs to overhaul its social security and tax system to reflect the demographic shift.

"Pension programs, employment and labor policy and social security system in this country is not designed to reflect such rapidly progressing population decline or aging," Noriko Tsuya, a demography expert at Keio University, said on public broadcaster NHK. "The government needs to urgently revise the system and implement new measures based on the estimate."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-30-AS-Japan-Population/id-c12c7cd6909e4d819e9b3475281cfb31

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Mitt Riffs Hard on Newt (TIME)

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Russia invites Syria's gov't, opposition for talks

MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia's Foreign Ministry says it has invited Syrian authorities and opposition for talks in Moscow.

The ministry said in a statement Monday that Syrian authorities have already agreed to come. The ministry is hoping that opposition leaders will send their reply in the coming days. The opposition has balked at holding talks with the regime, saying the violence must end first.

The U.N. estimates about 5,400 people have been killed in 10 months of violence.

The ministry said the Syria talks need to be conducted "as soon as possible" to stop violence in the country.

Russia, Syria's longtime ally has been backing the regime of President Bashar Assad although Moscow has also talked to Syrian opposition leaders in the past months.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-30-ML-Syria/id-ecf8907e671140169cb1ce2cb7e5c05c

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Democrats spend big in Ore. special election (The Arizona Republic)

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S&P 500 Week in Review: Netflix Draws Investing Demand, E-Trade ...

By Scott Gillette

January 29 2012 Email This

Scottrade: $7 Online Trades. Real-Time Stock Quotes

Monday

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) was hit hard pre-market by Wedbush?s lack of confidence. Wedbush believes that Q1 earnings will be poor, and 2012 consensus estimates ill drop a buck a share. Piper Jaffray, for what it?s worth, is optimistic about Netflix, as they think the customer base will stabilize and ultimately grow again.

Don?t Miss: Netflix?s Streaming Service Comes Up Short for Movie Buffs.

Halliburton?s?(NYSE:HAL) results came in this morning, and although EPS and revenues beat estimates, the higher expectations of the market were not met. Interesting tidbit: unconventional oil drilling has twice as much activity as unconventional gas drilling.

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN): The entire pharmaceutical sector is being downgraded, and Amgen is no exception. Its stock has been downgraded to underweight by JP Morgan.

Earnings Report: PetMed Express Inc. Earnings: Shrinking Margins for Fifth Consecutive Quarter, Net Income Falls.

Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD): The performance of this stock has been remarkable: up 69% year to date, the stock jumped by 8% before coming down close to where it started at the beginning of trading. Some believe Sears is now in a classic short squeeze.

Southwestern Energy Co. (NYSE:SWN) popped along with other natural gas producers because the spike of prices and Chesapeake?s planned cuts in production.

Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK): After sinking overnight to $2.20, natural gas futures jumped 6.4% in a matter of minutes. Apparently there were too many short-sellers in the natural gas market, and the market has taken care of them for the time being.

Tuesday

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Completely open thread Friday January 27 2012 (slacktivist)

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Liberalism spreading among college freshmen, survey finds

Already inclined toward liberalism, college freshmen are leaning even farther left on key political issues, a nationwide survey of first-year students has found.

An all-time high of 71.3 percent of the new students support same-sex marriage, 6.4 percentage points higher than in 2009, according to the annual survey of more than 200,000 freshmen conducted by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute.

Nearly 43 percent of conservative freshmen said gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry.

Opinions on abortion, marijuana legalization, immigration and affirmative action also grew more liberal in 2011, according to data released Wednesday. The 270-school survey -- the country's largest sampling of college students -- was first used in 1966.

"It's not so much that liberal students are becoming more liberal," said Linda DeAngelo, one of the report's authors. "It's that students who describe themselves as conservative are becoming more progressive."

A little more than 22 percent of respondents described themselves as conservative or "far right." About 30 percent said they were liberal or "far left," while 47.4 percent called themselves "middle of the road."

Despite the apparent liberalization, political advocates hoping to recruit students to their causes need to realize the survey is more reflective of young people's tolerance on social issues, not enthusiasm, said Ange-Marie Hancock, a political-science professor at the

University of Southern California.

"They're not like ATMs, where you can just withdraw their support," she said. "You have to cultivate them as voters."

Conservative students in the Bay Area said they weren't surprised by the shift to the left. In a region that gave birth to California's gay-marriage push, political views are not always black and white, students said.

"My time is spent more on fiscal issues," said Mark Luluan, a 24-year-old Cal State East Bay graduate student and chairman of the campus College Republicans chapter. "Over the past four years, we haven't really dealt with traditional socially conservative issues. Students are more concerned about getting a job after graduation."

The same is true among San Jose State University conservatives, said 19-year-old sophomore Mark Williams, chairman of that school's College Republicans.

"I think the conservatives in our club are not as focused on social issues," he said. "We're not really for or against" same-sex marriage.

At UC Berkeley, where liberal politics have long been the cultural norm, several students said Wednesday they rarely discuss politics with their peers and they rarely come across students who are outwardly conservative.

But being conservative would not earn a Cal student a scarlet letter, said 18-year-old freshman Alex Mangels.

"I don't think being conservative would be a huge problem," said Mangels, a Lafayette native who said he did not yet know how to describe his political beliefs. "They're not going to hate you for it."

The survey also revealed that alcohol consumption dropped to an all-time low in 2011, with 35.4 percent saying they drank beer as high-school seniors.

Just less than 58 percent of respondents said they were attending their first-choice college -- the lowest number since 1974 -- and more high-school students took advanced-placement courses and studied longer than in the past.

"I think high-school students are stressed about getting into college," said DeAngelo, of UCLA. "There's an increased pressure to perform."

Matt Krupnick covers higher education. Contact him at 510-208-6488. Follow him at Twitter.com/MattKrupnick.

Source: http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_19822850?source=rss

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Candidate roots don't much matter in diverse Fla.

Republican presidential candidates, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney talk during a commercial break at the Republican presidential candidates debate in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidates, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney talk during a commercial break at the Republican presidential candidates debate in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidates, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney participate in the Republican presidential candidates debate in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidates, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney participate in the Republican presidential candidates debate in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) ? Mitt Romney's ties to the Northeast gave him a boost on the way to winning the New Hampshire primary. Newt Gingrich's roots in the South probably had at least a little to do with his South Carolina triumph.

Neither presidential candidate is expected to benefit from such geographic ties in next week's Republican primary in Florida, a diverse state suffering through a world of economic hurt.

"Geography will not play any role in my decision," said Rich Cole, sounding like many voters across the state.

Cole, 68, lives in Florida's largest retirement community, The Villages, and hails from Pennsylvania, which candidate Rick Santorum represented in the Senate. Cole said he likes Santorum but plans to back Romney, for whom he voted four years ago. He thinks Romney gives Republicans the best chance of beating President Barack Obama in November.

A self-described "God-fearing conservative," Larry Dos Santos, of Venice, was leaning toward backing Gingrich. Dos Santos, a 65-year-old retiree from New York who lived nearly all his life on Long Island, noted that the former House speaker has some qualities that remind him of home.

"Telling it like it is is definitely like a New Yorker," he said of the former Georgia congressman. "Nobody pulls punches in New York."

While a candidate's roots may earn them kinship in Florida, hometown ties are unlikely to earn them a vote in a year when many Republicans here tell pollsters that electability and the economy are the two factors that rank above all else as they decide who to support in Tuesday's primary.

Geography seemed to make a difference in previous contests this year.

Romney, the former governor of neighboring Massachusetts, led comfortably in polls ahead of the New Hampshire primary and played up his New England ties often. He won by roughly 17 percentage points. In South Carolina, Gingrich spent more than a week emphasizing his Southern ties even though he had spent the better part of a decade living near Washington. Gingrich ended up winning the state by about 12 percentage points.

But Florida is different, and in no way homogeneous.

Although it is home to the southern-most tip of the U.S., Florida's overall culture is hardly Southern. It's filled with transplants from the Northeast and Midwest who settled along the Gold and Gulf coasts, as well as so-called snowbirds who spend part of the year here only to keep their voter registrations in other states.

Florida's southern region has huge Hispanic and Caribbean influences. The northwestern Panhandle has some communities that strongly identify with parts of the Deep South. Add in the huge, transient military presence around Jacksonville and elsewhere, and just about everybody can call themselves a Floridian.

All things being equal, Romney might be able to count on benefiting from the support of New Yorkers, who constitute one of the largest populations of non-native Floridians now living in the state, and other New Englanders. And Gingrich could seemingly count on the support of those in the conservative Panhandle, which borders Georgia.

"In a different kind of year, geographical roots could have an impact in Florida, but not this year," said Jennifer Donahue, a public policy fellow at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. "Florida has been hit so hard by the housing crisis that perhaps the only thing that will help a candidate reach voters is by articulating a vision that will help Florida's economy."

There's no guarantee that candidates can count on geographic ties. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani hoped the love of transplanted New Yorkers would carry him to victory here four years ago. He ended up falling flat.

This year, Sean Foreman, a political science professor at Barry University in Miami Shores, said ideology trumps regional appeal.

"The moderate versus conservative battle is more important than where someone cut their political teeth," he said.

John Bowker, an 81-year-old retiree in Sun City Center, was born in Vermont and lived most of his life in New Jersey. He said he wanted to watch Thursday's debate and read the Sunday papers before making up his mind, but had ruled out at least one criterion: "Geography? That has not played a role in my thinking."

"I'm listening to what they are saying and how they are saying it," Bowker said.

Still, having a state in common with a candidate doesn't hurt.

Ellen Hoffman, a 73-year-old retired teacher living in The Villages, hails from Michigan, where Romney grew up.

"The Michigan connection first drew me to him," Hoffman said. But that wasn't enough, she said. His positions and electability are what made up her mind.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-27-Florida-Geography%20Politics/id-b4fe2306558d4a82b3242696016f74e3

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Eastman Chemical buying Solutia for about $3.38B

NEW YORK (AP) ? Specialty chemical company Eastman Chemical Co. is buying Solutia Inc. in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $3.38 billion to broaden its presence in the Asia Pacific region and other emerging markets while expanding its product offerings.

Eastman Chemical is paying a 42 percent premium over Solutia's latest closing price and said Friday that it expects the deal to immediately add to its earnings.

Solutia, based in St. Louis, makes materials and specialty chemicals used in the automotive and architectural industries. Eastman Chemical has approximately 10,000 employees worldwide, while Solutia has about 3,400 workers globally.

Eastman Chemical, based in Kingsport, Tenn., was spun off from photography pioneer Eastman Kodak Co. in 1994, according to the company's web site.

In the deal announced Friday, Solutia shareholders will receive $22 in cash and 0.12 shares of Eastman Chemical stock for each share of Solutia that they own. Based on Thursday's closing prices, Solutia shareholders will receive cash and stock valued at $27.65 per Solutia share. Solutia currently has about 122.1 million shares outstanding.

Solutia's stock jumped $7.94, or 40.7 percent, to $27.45 in premarket trading, while shares of Eastman Chemical gained $3.13, or 6.6 percent, to $50.25.

The companies value the deal, including debt, at about $4.7 billion. Eastman Chemical said it plans to fund the cash portion of the buyout with available cash and debt. Citi and Barclays Capital, which are serving as financial advisors, have committed debt financing.

Both Eastman Chemical and Solutia's boards have approved the transaction, which still needs the approval of Solutia shareholders. The acquisition is expected to close in mid-2012.

Eastman Chemical Chairman and CEO Jim Rogers said in a statement that the transaction is important in part because it will extend the company's reach into the Asia Pacific region. Eastman Chemical anticipates that it will have a compound annual growth rate in Asia Pacific approaching 10 percent for the next several years.

Last month Eastman Chemical said that China will play a key role in its growth as it broke ground on a facility in Heifei, China. The plant, a joint venture with China National Tobacco Corp., will make acetate tow, a raw material used for cigarette filters and other purposes. The plant is projected to be operational in mid-2013.

Eastman Chemical expects about $100 million in annual cost savings by the end of 2013, as the acquisition is expected to help lower corporate costs and improve manufacturing and supply chain processes.

"The acquisition of Solutia is a significant step in our growth strategy and one that I am confident will strengthen Eastman as a top-tier specialty chemical company with strong, stable margins," Rogers said.

Eastman Chemical expects 2012 earnings of about $5 per share, excluding acquisition-related costs and charges. In addition, the company boosted its 2013 forecast to more than $6 per share. Analysts polled by FactSet forecast 2012 earnings of $4.64 per share and 2013 earnings of $4.97 per share.

Solutia provided its fourth-quarter and full-year financial results on Friday. Fourth-quarter net income rose 15 percent to $54 million, or 45 cents per share, from $47 million, or 39 cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue increased 8 percent to $526 million from $489 million.

Analysts expected earnings of 47 cents per share on revenue of $506.5 million.

For the full-year, Solutia earned $262 million, or $2.16 per share. That compares with earnings of $78 million, or 65 cents per share, in the previous year. Annual revenue climbed 8 percent to $2.1 billion from $1.95 billion.

The company maintained its 2012 forecast for adjusted earnings of $2 to $2.30 per share on revenue between $2.13 billion and $2.28 billion.

Analysts predict earnings of $2.20 per share on revenue of $2.23 billion.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-27-Eastman%20Chemical-Acquisition/id-b23af43219f24c2f9187fc8b06f1c02d

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Shoring up the Pipeline for Female Filmmakers at Sundance (Huffington Post)

Read Pat Mitchell's other articles on HuffingtonPost.com

If you only pay attention to the press coverage and/or tweets from Sundance this year, you might think it is all about celebrity sightings, but in fact, there is some powerful paradigm shifting going on as well. I was honored to be cohost of a gathering about women in film, along with Jacki Zehner, a dear friend and superwoman in every sense, along with two great organizations?Women In Film Los Angeles and the Sundance Institute. Our collective goal was to look at the current state of women in film and launch an initiative to shore up the pipeline that channels women's ideas, sensibilities, and good work onto the big screen.

It wasn't the first time, of course, that we'd explored these ideas. This "conversation" actually started last year with an informal gathering where Jacki, Geena Davis, Gloria Steinem, and 50 or so women directors, writers, producers, and funders got together to discuss how women are represented in film?both in the stories and behind the scenes. Further, we discussed why there is a disappointing underrepresentation of women across all sectors of media, particularly in clout positions.

This year, more than 150 women got together to continue the conversation with some new data: 17% of the 3,879 feature-length films submitted to the 2012 Sundance Film Festival were directed by women, and that number is affected significantly by the documentary films, among which we find almost double the number of women directors submitting as for narrative films. Among films selected for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, the numbers are a bit more (10% more) encouraging, with 27% of festival films directed by women.

There?s a bit of a brighter picture when we look at Sundance feature film and documentary film labs?where Sundance incubates filmmakers and their projects. Over the last two years, an average of 47% of feature film lab fellows and 45% of documentary film lab fellows were female.

As Keri Putnam, executive director, Sundance Institute, pointed out, the large jumps in these statistics reveal a pattern wherein women are originating high-quality projects, but are having a hard time getting them made. This, of course, isn't the only field where we see major pipeline issues for women?just look at law, medicine, and the sciences and engineering. But that doesn't mean we will throw up our hands in resignation. We're going to do something about it.

Cathy Schulman, president of Women In Film Los Angeles, explained that her organization would be collaborating with the Sundance Institute, first to thoroughly study the statistics on women filmmakers in the independent world, inviting other organizations to work with them to compile the best information, and second, to follow the 2012 Sundance ?class? of female Festival, Fund and Lab filmmakers to analyze challenges they may face moving projects forward.

The goal is to formulate a vision for support within the scope of both institutions? programs. The efforts will focus on supporting opportunities or paths toward sustained careers, inclusivity and parity, and the diversity in the content and backgrounds of women filmmakers. In addition, Women In Film has agreed to coprogram a symposium in Los Angeles with Sundance Institute spotlighting the challenges facing independent women filmmakers, and to open up their mentorship and career counseling programs to Sundance Institute supported filmmakers where they will receive guidance, mentoring, and business and creative support services.

It's thrilling to be present at these kinds of gatherings, when convicted women with access to resources and deep, wide networks, leverage their power to make sure that the next generation of Catherine Hardwickes and Jane Campions don't go unnoticed. I'll keep you posted on our progress.

?

Read More: Sundance Film Festival, Cathy Schulman, Geena Davis, Gloria Steinem, Jacki Zehner, Sundance, Sundance 2012, Sundance 2012 Womens Films, Sundance Women

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20120126/en_huffpost/1234680

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Take Better Notes, Draw Your Thoughts, and Rock Out With Your Finger [App Deals Of The Day]

Someone told me about a study that determined that doodling enhanced your comprehension of what's going on around you. I think it's bunk, but what do I know? If you're the type of person who sketches rather than writes, we have a free app for you. We also tracked down a written-note taking app and a way to relive your rock-arena dreams in today's app deals. More »

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Conn. mayor blasted for 'taco' quip about Latinos

FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010 file photo, East Haven police vehicles are seen outside the police department in East Haven, Conn. The FBI on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, arrested four East Haven police officers on conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges following an investigation into possible civil rights violations. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010 file photo, East Haven police vehicles are seen outside the police department in East Haven, Conn. The FBI on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, arrested four East Haven police officers on conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges following an investigation into possible civil rights violations. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

U.S. Attorney David B. Fein, left, speaks about an indictment charging four East Haven police officers with federal civil rights offenses during a press conference in Bridgeport, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Sgt. John Miller and Officers David Cari, Dennis Spaulding and Jason Zullo are accused of harassing and intimidating Latino residents in East Haven, including their advocates, witnesses and other officers who tried to investigate or report misconduct. (AP Photo/The Connecticut Post, Ned Gerard) MANDATORY CREDIT

U.S. Attorney David B. Fein, left, and Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, speak about an indictment charging four East Haven police officers with federal civil rights offenses during a press conference in Bridgeport, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Sgt. John Miller and Officers David Cari, Dennis Spaulding and Jason Zullo are accused of harassing and intimidating Latino residents in East Haven, including their advocates, witnesses and other officers who tried to investigate or report misconduct. (AP Photo/The Connecticut Post, Ned Gerard) MANDATORY CREDIT

U.S. Attorney David B. Fein, left, listens as Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division speaks about an indictment charging four East Haven police officers with federal civil rights offences during a press conference in Bridgeport, Conn. on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. Sgt. John Miller and Officers David Cari, Dennis Spaulding and Jason Zullo are accused of harassing and intimidating Latino residents in East Haven, including their advocates, witnesses and other officers who tried to investigate or report misconduct. (AP Photo/The Connecticut Post, Ned Gerard) MANDATORY CREDIT

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) ? The mayor of a working-class city roiled by allegations of police discrimination against Hispanics faced scathing criticism Wednesday from officials including the governor for saying he "might have tacos" as a way to do something for the community.

The comments by East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo brought unwanted attention to the leadership of the New Haven suburb, where four police officers were arrested Tuesday by the FBI on charges including deprivation of rights and obstruction of justice. The mayor was also criticized for his recent reappointment of police Chief Leonard Gallo, who was apparently referred to in the indictment as a co-conspirator.

The four officers are accused of waging a campaign of harassment against Latino residents and businesses, including assaulting people while they were handcuffed and intimidating people who tried to investigate or report misconduct allegations. All four have pleaded not guilty.

The taco comment came as Maturo, a Republican, was being interviewed late Tuesday by a reporter from New York's WPIX-TV, Mario Diaz, who asked, "What are you doing for the Latino community today?"

Maturo's response: "I might have tacos when I go home; I'm not quite sure yet."

He initially defended his response and said it was being unfairly twisted. But he later apologized, saying he'd had a long day of interviews.

Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the comments are "repugnant."

"They represent either a horrible lack of judgment or worse, an underlying insensitivity to our Latino community that is unacceptable. Being tired is no excuse. He owes an apology to the community, and more importantly, he needs to show what he's going to do to repair the damage he's done. And he needs to do it today," Malloy said.

Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra, a native of Puerto Rico, said he was "disgusted" by Maturo's comment. East Haven Democratic Town Committee Chairman Gene Ruocco called for Maturo's resignation.

The comment "goes to the root of the racial profiling allegations here in East Haven," Ruocco said in a statement. "Everyone knows the seriousness of this matter and for him, as the leader of our community, to say something so utterly insensitive is a complete disgrace."

East Haven resident Marcia Chacon said she and other Latinos in her community were offended by Maturo's comment.

"This is an insult against us," she said. "I thought 'Wow, here we are in East Haven, and this is the person who is supposed to help us.'"

Racial profiling complaints surged in recent years in East Haven, a predominantly white suburb on Long Island Sound where the Hispanic population more than doubled in size over a decade to 10.3 percent of its 28,000 people. Last month, a lengthy civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice concluded there was a pattern of biased policing in East Haven, where only one of the roughly 50 police officers speaks Spanish.

Neighboring New Haven, in contrast, has drawn national attention for its sympathetic approach to immigrants, including becoming the first city in the nation to issue municipal identification cards for all residents ? including illegal immigrants ? to provide services such as banking and using the library.

The indictment of the East Haven police officers says a leader in the police department, described only as co-conspirator 1, blocked efforts by the police commission to investigate misconduct allegations. That refers to Chief Leonard Gallo, according to his attorney, Jon Einhorn, who denied that Gallo blocked the investigation and said it was unfair for him to be mentioned when he is not charged.

The allegations show federal authorities are concerned not just with the actions of the four police officers but also with the wider culture, said Jeffrey Meyer, a law professor at Quinnipiac University and a former federal prosecutor.

"The significance of the allegations against co-conspirator 1 go to the overall tolerance and permissiveness of this police department with respect to the abuses committed by the indicted officers," Meyer said.

The investigation was continuing, but experts said federal authorities sometimes don't charge a person named as a co-conspirator.

"He's probably losing some sleep," Stan Twardy, a defense attorney and former U.S. attorney for Connecticut, said of Gallo. "The uncertainty of it is going to be uncomfortable for him."

Maturo is a lifelong East Haven resident and Republican who was mayor from 1997 to 2007 and re-elected again in the fall.

After taking office Nov. 19, he reinstated Gallo as police chief. Gallo had been on paid administrative leave since federal authorities began investigating in 2010.

"I stand behind the police department," Maturo said Tuesday. "We have a great police department."

The Rev. James Manship, a priest at St. Rose of Lima Church in New Haven who has advocated for East Haven's Latinos, said he was incredulous that Gallo was welcomed back.

"I remain absolutely dumbfounded on how the mayor would reinstate Chief Gallo, who was at the helm of the police department when the culture and these things were happening," said Manship, who was arrested in 2009 while videotaping East Haven police officers to document harassment complaints as officers removed license plates from the wall of a Hispanic couple's store.

Maturo released a statement Wednesday to express his "sincerest apologies" to East Haven and its Latino residents and business owners for the taco comment, asking residents to "have faith in me and our community as we address the challenges arising out of the past days' events."

"Unfortunately, I let the stress of the situation get the best of me and inflamed what is already a serious and unfortunate situation," he said. "I regret my insensitive comment and realize that it is my job to lead by example."

____

Associated Press writer Michael Melia contributed to this report from Hartford.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-25-Police%20Discrimination-Conn/id-dd0b0f1e61b6446f896ffb472d66f74b

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Supreme Court Rules Search Warrants Needed For GPS Tracking

The U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously decided today to uphold citizens' Fourth Amendement rights in the GPS tracking case which would have allowed the U.S. government to track a suspects' cars without a warrant. The court states that the Fourth Amendement's protection of "persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures," extends to vehicles.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/RgaTX4cdM54/

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Jimmy Fallon Sued For Female Bias at Work

Jimmy Fallon is being accused of gender-based favoritism at work. Bu a guy.

A fired staff member's suing Jimmy and NBC Universal for discrimination. In a lawsuit, Paul Tarascio claims he was dropped from his position as first stage manager at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and replaced by a "totally incompetent woman."

Tarascio thus accuses Fallon of "gender bias."

Tarascio also alleges his replacement was "a less qualified woman" who constantly asked him how to do the job, and screwed up her stage manager duties.

He claims other male staffers on the night owl program, such as audio technicians and a Prop-Master, were also replaced by women at Jimmy's request.

Tarascio says the director said "Jimmy just prefers to take direction from a woman and "knowingly fabricated alleged performance issues" about Tarascio.

Tarascio is suing for punitive damages and lost wages. Calls to Jimmy's rep and NBC Universal were not returned. It's unclear if anyone still works there.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/jimmy-fallon-sued-for-female-bias-at-work/

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Job bias claims in US at record level

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Job discrimination complaints in the United States rose to an all-time high last year, led by an increase in bias charges based on religion and national origin.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received nearly 100,000 charges of discrimination during the 2011 fiscal year, the most in its 46-year history. That's a slight increase over the previous year, which had 25 fewer complaints.

Charges of religious discrimination jumped by 9.5 percent, the largest increase of any category. Claims of bias based on ancestry or country of origin rose 5 percent.

Experts say the increase reflects the growing diversity of the nation's work force.

"We're seeing a greater diversity among minority groups in America," said Ron Cooper, a former general counsel of the EEOC who now works in private practice. "We're seeing more workers from India, Pakistan and other countries that bring additional religious complexity to the work force."

The commission does not specify which religious or ethnic groups filed the most charges.

As in past years, claims based on race, sex and retaliation were the charges filed most often, according to commission data.

Charges of racial bias fell by 1 percent, while sexual discrimination claims fell 2 percent and sexual harassment claims dropped 3 percent.

At the same time, claims of disability bias climbed 2 percent and charges of discrimination based on age rose 1 percent.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-24-Job%20Discrimination/id-9f9d0034dc424df586f3e0c6053363ac

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Gaming Everything ? Blog Archive ? Square Enix registers ...

January 21st, 2012 Posted in News Posted By: Valay

It seems that Square Enix may have a new Final Fantasy game in the works. NeoGAF member ?miladesn? has found a U.S. and European trademark for a mystery title called ?Final Fantasy Dimensions?. The name was filed on January 16.

Interestingly, Square Enix has also acquired a website for ?Final Fantasy Dimensions?. A quick lookup of the domain reveals that Square Enix owns?FinalFantasyDimensions.com.

Unless this is some sort of name for an upcoming Final Fantasy localization, it appears that Square Enix has something new in store for the series.

Source

Source: http://gamingeverything.com/14216/square-enix-registers-trademark-website-for-final-fantasy-dimensions/

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Generation 88 activists back Myanmar's reform path

Min Ko Naing, a leader of the 88 Generation Students Group, speaks during a press conference at a shopping mall on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. The nearly legendary student leader from Myanmar's failed 1988 pro-democracy uprising was freed on Jan. 13 as part of a presidential pardon for 651 detainees. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)

Min Ko Naing, a leader of the 88 Generation Students Group, speaks during a press conference at a shopping mall on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. The nearly legendary student leader from Myanmar's failed 1988 pro-democracy uprising was freed on Jan. 13 as part of a presidential pardon for 651 detainees. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)

Activists of the 88 Generation Students Group, including Min Ko Naing, seated third left, Ko Ko Gyi, seated third right, and Htay Kywe, seated second left, attend a press conference at a shopping mall on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)

Ko Ko Gyi, center, an activist of the 88 Generation Students Group, talks during a press conference at a shopping mall on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)

Htay Kywe, center, an activist of the 88 Generation Students Group, talks during a press conference at a shopping mall on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? Prominent student activists recently released from prison in Myanmar said Saturday they will work with political reformers and support pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in upcoming by-elections.

Min Ko Naing, a top member of the 88 Generation Students Group, said it would always side with those who strive for "fairness, freedom and equality" and join hands with supporters of President Thein Sein's reforms.

The group's name refers to a failed democracy uprising in 1988 that resulted in long prison terms for the activists. They were at the cutting edge of that rebellion and are widely admired for their perseverance and dedication despite the threat of re-arrest always hanging over them.

At least four 88 Generation members spoke at the news conference, attended by about 500 people, including many of their supporters. It was their first joint public appearance since being released from prison on Jan. 13.

Thein Sein took office last year as chief executive of a military-backed but elected government after two decades of military repression made Myanmar a pariah state. Reforms he has initiated include starting a dialogue with Suu Kyi, legalizing labor unions and signing a cease-fire agreement in a long-running campaign against Karen insurgents.

An 88 Generation statement said the group "will participate to the fullest extent with the government led by the President, the parliament, military, political parties and ethnic minority groups for the emergence of democracy, peace and development."

"There are those who want to carry out reforms and those who are averse to reforms. We promise that the 88 Generation Students will side with the reformists," said Min Ko Naing.

Suu Kyi has expressed cautious optimism in the reform movement and lent her support by having her National League for Democracy reregister as a legal political party, and contest all 48 seats at stake in an April 1 by-election. The NLD had boycotted the November 2010 general election, saying it was conducted in an unfair and undemocratic manner.

Another Generation 88 member, Ko Ko Gyi, said the group would not run in the upcoming polls but "will support ... Aung San Suu Kyi who has made a risky and practical choice in order to achieve national reconciliation."

Some critics fear the military is using Suu Kyi as window-dressing to promote Myanmar as democratic while the countries constitution ensures army dominance over politics. For more than two decades, the military had kept the upper hand despite Suu Kyi's nonviolent resistance, armed conflict with ethnic minority groups, and political and economic sanctions by Western nations.

Another Generation 88 member, Mya Aye said that many political prisoners remain in prison.

"The fact is that the government's denial to acknowledge the existence of political prisoners amounts to ignoring the reality," he said.

After the initial euphoria over this month's release of about 500 political prisoners, it became evident that many convicts who are political detainees by most definitions remain behind bars because they were convicted of crimes not regarded by the government as political offenses.

The number of those still held is nearly impossible to determine because of the various crimes under which they are held and the limited information available about the detainees.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), based in neighboring Thailand, welcomed the releases, but pointed out that they are conditional and can be withdrawn, putting practical limits on those freed.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-21-AS-Myanmar-Politics/id-a8041cd6397a4d55a4809d226ef3b19c

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Kenny G & Wife Lyndie Benson-Gorelick Split After 20 Years

Kenny G & Wife Lyndie Benson-Gorelick Split After 20 Years

Saxophonist Kenny G’s wife of 20 years, Balynda “Lyndie” Benson-Gorelick, has filed for a legal separation in court papers dated January 9, 2012. Kenny G [...]

Kenny G & Wife Lyndie Benson-Gorelick Split After 20 Years Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/stupidcelebrities/~3/Bbss-H-Hg1k/

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Astro And L.A. Reid 'Gonna Make History'

Former 'X-Factor' contestant talks about Epic Records deal on 'RapFix Live': 'I'm real comfortable working with L.A.'
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Astro on "RapFix Live"
Photo: MTV News

Astro is living his dream. After the news broke that the "X Factor" standout signed with L.A. Reid at Epic Records, the 15-year-old Brooklyn, New York, whiz kid appeared on MTV's "RapFix Live" to talk with Sway about the deal.

"A lot of people probably predicted it, but yeah, I'm signed," Astro said, throwing his hands up in a celebratory moment.

Signing with his "X Factor" mentor seemed like the obvious next step after Astro was booted from the singing competition in December, but there were some rumors that the budding MC would sign with Jay-Z's Roc Nation. Though he readily admits he's a fan of Hov, Astro shot down those rumors soon after they first surfaced.

"I'm real comfortable working with L.A., and the first time he met me, he told me I could do TV shows, and he believed in me," Astro shared. "That's what I respect the most about him. He's responsible for a lot of the stars in the game today, so the fact that I have a man like him helping me with my career, it means a lot."

As a contestant on "X Factor," Astro never lacked confidence. Now, with his deal in place, he has the highest hopes. "We're gonna make history," he proclaimed. "Now I'm just working on the album. I'm excited. I can say that now. That's pretty weird, but I can finally say, 'Yeah, I'm working on an album.' "

Will Astro's debut album be a success? Sound off below!

Related Videos

• Celebrating 20 Years Of 'Juice' With Treach

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677511/astro-la-reid-record-deal-rapfix-live.jhtml

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Major powers open to serious talks with Iran (Reuters)

WASHINGTON/TEHRAN (Reuters) ? Major powers signaled on Friday their willingness to reopen talks about curbing Iran's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons but said Tehran must show it is serious about any negotiations.

The focus on diplomacy follows weeks of rising tensions between the West, which is seeking to cut Iran's oil sales, and Tehran, which has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz through which almost one-fifth of oil traded worldwide flows.

Alarmed Arab neighbors made a plea to avoid escalating the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, while an ally of Iran's supreme leader called for Israel to be "punished" for allegedly killing an Iranian nuclear scientist.

The West suspects Iran is using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to develop atomic weapons and has pursued a two-track approach of sanctions and diplomacy to try to rein it in. Iran says its nuclear program is solely to produce electricity.

While major powers stressed their openness to renewed talks,

diplomats said they remained divided on their approach, notably on whether to let Iran keep enriching uranium at some level.

The group, known as the P5+1 and as the EU3+3, includes Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the group, issued a statement making clear that a diplomatic path remained open to Iran despite tougher sanctions and fresh speculation of a military strike on its nuclear facilities.

"The EU3+3 has always been clear about the validity of the dual track approach," Ashton's spokesperson said in a statement that included her October 21 letter to the Iranians laying out the possibility of talks. "We are waiting for the Iranian reaction."

The release of the statement and letter appeared to reflect frustration at Iran's statements hinting at a willingness to resume talks but Tehran's failure to formally respond to the letter and commit to discussing the nuclear program in earnest.

In Beijing, China leaned on a visiting Iranian delegation, led by Supreme National Security Council Deputy Secretary Ali Baqeri, to return to nuclear talks, saying it was a "top priority," the Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.

"China believes the Iran nuclear issue should be resolved peacefully through dialogues and negotiations, and that sanctions and military means will not fundamentally address the problem," Xinhua said, citing Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hailong at the Friday meeting.

Xinhua said the Iranian side "expressed its willingness to resume talks" and to "strengthen cooperation" with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s energy watchdog.

CONCILIATORY TONE FROM CLINTON

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton struck a decidedly conciliatory tone at a news conference with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in Washington.

"We do not seek conflict. We strongly believe the people of Iran deserve a better future," she said. "They can have that future, the country can be reintegrated into the global community ... when their government definitively turns away from pursuing nuclear weapons.

"We have to see a seriousness and sincerity of purpose coming from them."

Westerwelle said, "One thing is clear: the door for serious dialogue remains open but the option of nuclear weapons in Iran is not acceptable."

Diplomats said major powers were divided over what incentives to offer Iran if talks were to resume.

A central issue is whether the group might ask Iran to cease enriching uranium to the higher level of 20 percent but allow it, at least for a time, to continue enriching at lower levels -

a stance partly at odds with the group's past positions.

Uranium enrichment is a process that at low levels can yield fuel for nuclear power plants or, if carried out to much higher levels of purity, can generate fissile material for bombs.

To let Iran enrich at lower levels would be something of a concession by the P5+1, although it has previously offered a temporary "freeze-for-freeze" in which Iran would not expand its nuclear program and the powers would not pursue more sanctions.

IRANIAN CALLS FOR PUNISHING ISRAEL

After Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei paid his respects to the families of two scientists assassinated on what Tehran believes were Israel's orders, one of them just last week, a close ally demanded retribution.

"Terrorism has a long history in some countries like the Zionist regime," Ali Larijani, speaker of Iran's parliament and a former nuclear negotiator, said of Israel, which views an atomic bomb in Iran's hands as a threat to its survival.

"The Zionist regime should be punished in a way that it can not play such games with our country again."

Such threats have been made before in Tehran and it is unclear how or when they might be carried out. Israel, widely assumed to have the only nuclear arsenal in the Middle East, is on guard against attacks on its borders and within, notably by Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, which is supported by Iran.

Obama's top military official, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey, briefly visited Israel and was quoted by its Defense Ministry as telling officials there that Washington was keen to coordinate on strategy.

"We have many interests in common in the region in this very dynamic time and the more we can continue to engage each other, the better off we'll all be," Dempsey was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Israeli Defense Ministry.

The comments may reflect U.S. concerns about the possibility that Israel, which has previously bombed nuclear facilities in Iraq and in Syria, might launch an attack on Iran.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Friday that time was running out to avoid a military intervention and appealed to China and Russia, veto-wielding U.N. powers that have been reluctant to tighten sanctions, to support new sanctions.

"Time is running out. France will do everything to avoid a military intervention," Sarkozy told ambassadors gathered in Paris. "A military intervention will not solve the problem, but it will unleash war and chaos in the Middle East."

"We need stronger, more decisive sanctions that stop the purchase of Iranian oil and freezes the assets of the central bank, and those who don't want that will be responsible for the risks of a military conflict," Sarkozy warned.

"We really need you," he said in an appeal to Moscow and Beijing.

(Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Additional reporting by Lucy Hornby in Beijing, Editing by Bill Trott and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120121/wl_nm/us_iran

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Popular file-sharing website Megaupload shut down

This undated image obtained by The Associated Press shows the homepage of the website Megaupload.com. Federal prosecutors in Virginia have shut down one of the world's largest file-sharing sites, Megaupload.com, and charged its founder and others with violating piracy laws. (AP Photo)

This undated image obtained by The Associated Press shows the homepage of the website Megaupload.com. Federal prosecutors in Virginia have shut down one of the world's largest file-sharing sites, Megaupload.com, and charged its founder and others with violating piracy laws. (AP Photo)

McLEAN, Virginia (AP) ? One of the world's most popular file-sharing sites was shuttered Thursday, and its founder and several company officials were accused of facilitating millions of illegal downloads of films, music and other content.

An indictment accused Megaupload.com of costing copyright holders at least $500 million in lost revenue. The indictment was unsealed one day after websites including Wikipedia and Craigslist shut down in protest of two congressional proposals intended to make it easier for authorities to go after websites with pirated material, especially those with overseas headquarters and servers.

Megaupload is based in Hong Kong, but some of the alleged pirated content was hosted on leased servers in Virginia, which gave federal authorities jurisdiction, the indictment said.

The Justice Department said in a statement said that Kim Dotcom, 37, and three other employees were arrested Thursday in New Zealand at the request of U.S. officials. Three other defendants are at large.

Before Megaupload was taken down, it posted a statement saying allegations that it facilitated massive breaches of copyright laws were "grotesquely overblown."

"The fact is that the vast majority of Mega's Internet traffic is legitimate, and we are here to stay. If the content industry would like to take advantage of our popularity, we are happy to enter into a dialogue. We have some good ideas. Please get in touch," the statement said.

The indictment may have prompted a response from the loose affiliation of hackers known as "Anonymous," which claimed credit for attacking the Justice Department's website. The site was inaccessible Thursday evening.

A spokesman for the Motion Picture Association of America said in an emailed statement Thursday that the group's site had been hacked, although it appeared to be working later Thursday evening.

"The motion picture and television industry has always been a strong supporter of free speech," the spokesman said. "We strongly condemn any attempts to silence any groups or individuals."

Megaupload was unique not only because of its massive size and the volume of downloaded content, but also because it had high-profile support from celebrities, musicians and other content producers who are most often the victims of copyright infringement and piracy. Before the website was taken down, it contained endorsements from Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys and Kanye West, among others.

The company listed Swizz Beatz, a musician who married Keys in 2010, as its CEO. He was not named in the indictment and declined to comment through a representative.

According to the indictment, Megaupload was estimated at one point to be the 13th most frequently visited website on the Internet. Current estimates by companies that monitor Web traffic place it in the top 100.

The five-count indictment, which alleges copyright infringement as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering and racketeering, described a site designed specifically to reward users who uploaded pirated content for sharing, and turned a blind eye to requests from copyright holders to remove copyright-protected files.

For instance, users received cash bonuses if they uploaded content popular enough to generate massive numbers of downloads, according to the indictment. Such content was almost always copyright protected.

The site boasted 150 million registered users and about 50 million hits daily. The Justice Department said it was illegal for anyone to download pirated content, but their investigation focused on the leaders of the company, not end users who may have downloaded a few movies for personal viewing.

A lawyer who represented the company in a lawsuit last year declined comment Thursday. Efforts to reach an attorney representing Dotcom were unsuccessful.

Megaupload is considered a "cyberlocker," in which users can upload and transfer files that are too large to send by email. Such sites can have perfectly legitimate uses. But the Motion Picture Association of America, which has campaigned for a crackdown on piracy, estimated that the vast majority of content being shared on Megaupload was in violation of copyright laws.

The website allowed users to download some content for free, but made money by charging subscriptions to people who wanted access to faster download speeds or extra content. The website also sold advertising.

The indictment was returned in the Eastern District of Virginia, which claimed jurisdiction in part because some of the alleged pirated materials were hosted on leased servers in Virginia. Prosecutors there have pursued multiple piracy investigations.

Steven T. Shelton, a copyright lawyer at the Cozen O'Connor firm in New York, said opponents of the legislation are worried the proposals lessen the burden for the government to target a wide variety of websites. Shelton said he expects to see the government engage in more enforcement in the future, as technology makes it easier to catch and target suspected pirates.

"I think we'll be seeing more of this," he said. "This is just the beginning."

Dotcom, a resident of both Hong Kong and New Zealand, and a dual citizen of Finland and Germany, made more than $42 million from the site in 2010 alone, according to the indictment.

Dotcom had his name legally changed. He was previously known as Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor. He is founder, former CEO and current chief innovation officer of Megaupload.

Officials estimated it could be a year or more before Dotcom and the others arrested in New Zealand are formally extradited.

The others arrested were Finn Batato, 38, a citizen and resident of Germany, the company's chief marketing officer; Mathias Ortmann, 40, a citizen of Germany and resident of both Germany and Hong Kong, who is the chief technical officer, co-founder and director; and Bram van der Kolk, aka Bramos, 29, a Dutch citizen and resident of both the Netherlands and New Zealand, who oversees programming.

Still at large are Julius Bencko, 35, a citizen and resident of Slovakia, the site's graphic designer; Sven Echternach, 39, a citizen and resident of Germany, head of business development; and Andrus Nomm, 32, a citizen of Estonia and resident of both Turkey and Estonia, head of the development software division.

Several sister sites were also shut down, including one dedicated to sharing pornography files.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-19-Internet%20Piracy-Indictment/id-3371e70b329e4039b057bbfb198ff347

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