DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? Iowa Congressman Tom Latham, who had been considered the establishment Republican choice for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated next year by retiring Democrat Tom Harkin, announced Wednesday that he won't seek the job.
Latham, a 10-term Republican from Clive, said in a statement that he could not "in good conscience launch a two-year statewide campaign that will detract from the commitment" to the new district he was elected to in November.
He faced considerable pressure to run from throughout the Iowa Republican establishment, including Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad. Latham, a soft-spoken former businessman, had represented more than half of Iowa's counties during nearly 20 years in Congress and was considered a good fundraising match for Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley.
Attention now turns to U.S. Rep. Steve King, an outspoken conservative who has said he is weighing a Senate bid but was not expected to challenge Latham in a primary. King said Wednesday in a statement: "It is too big a decision to be rushed."
King gave no timeline for a decision. "A potential Senate race remains an analytic decision first and then one that requires deep conviction," he said.
Democrats would have been expected to hold the seat before Harkin, 73, opted last month not to seek a sixth term. Republicans, who need to gain six seats in 2014 to win the Senate majority, immediately claimed to have a real shot at the seat.
But in the month since Harkin made his announcement, Democrats have coalesced around Braley, a four-term congressman from Waterloo. He is the only Democrat to announce his candidacy for the seat.
Trying to foster an organized process for Republicans, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad had urged Latham this month during a private meeting at the governor's mansion in Des Moines to seek the nomination. Branstad, who also met with King privately, said he urged King to develop more of a statewide network and consider running in 2016, should Republican Sen. Charles Grassley decide against running for a sixth term.
A national group started by former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove had identified King as a potential target of attack ads in its mission to field candidates more acceptable to general election audiences after GOP Senate candidates lost in races seen as within their reach in 2010 and 2012.
Branstad, who is expected to seek re-election next year, hopes to field a strong GOP ticket and avoid a potentially nasty Senate primary that could dishearten portions of the GOP coalition.
He also is urging Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, a loyal Branstad protege, to consider seeking the GOP Senate nomination.
"I know the respect and support she has throughout Iowa," Branstad said in a statement provided to The Associated Press. "I have been greatly impressed with the work she has done here in the lieutenant governor's office and would urge her to explore a run."
I'm writing this blog after facilitating a retreat for YPO where most of the participants were 20-somethings. I was inspired by their strong intentions to be successful in all aspects of their lives. I was also touched by the incredible amount of pressure, expectations, confusion, and anxiety that they were experiencing. Embarking on the decade where they feel like they have to "figure it all out" felt incredibly overwhelming to them.
I totally get it -- because that is how I felt in my 20s. I believed that I was supposed to have a plan for my entire life, and put an extraordinary amount of pressure on myself. I was able to create a lot of external results, but it cost me a lot of joy, peace, play, and presence during my twenties.
As I taught and guided them this weekend, I also reflected upon my own 20-something experience, which was a very challenging decade for me. As I look back with gratitude and compassion, there are many things I want to tell my 20-something self. Here are some of the things I would say to her:
Please don't be so hard on yourself.
Be gentle.
Speak to yourself in more loving and encouraging ways. Your inner dialogue is the most powerful voice you hear. Turn down the volume of the critic so the voice of your inner knowing gets louder.
Smile. A lot.
You are doing the best you can. Always looking for ways to be more, better or different is NOT the formula for success.
You think it is motivating you to create results, but it is completely exhausting.
Look for what inspires you rather than what drives you. Allow your curiosity to lead you.
You know that guy you are obsessed about getting to like you? In five years you won't even remember his name.
You know that job you are devastated about not getting? There is a way better opportunity coming around soon.
Don't wait for fear to go away before you go after something you want. Being scared is natural. You'll become more courageous each time you feel fear and do it anyway.
Stop comparing yourself to others, it is preventing you from seeing and discovering your own unique gifts and what you are here to express to the world. Know that the qualities you admire in others are the qualities you need to recognize and nurture inside yourself.
Your parents are people too, with issues and triggers. They are getting used to having an adult child, just as you are getting used to being an adult.
You are going to get over your heartbreak. I know it feels so painful right now. Cry all your tears, get it out, and then let it go. Take the lessons you learned and move forward. You will love and be loved again. And you will be so grateful for your heartache because it taught you so much about love.
Take leaps of faith -- even when you don't know where you are going to land. You are going to develop so much courage and trust in yourself as you take risks. It's okay not to be 100 percent sure -- 51 percent sure is enough to take the leap.
Be of service. Have a generous heart. That is how you make a difference in the world.
Enjoy your body. Stop obsessing about it. Stop trying to make it into some perfect image of what you think it should be. You look fantastic, take lots of pictures and wear bikinis more often.
"No" is a complete sentence. You don't need to follow it with justifications and apologies.
The decisions you are making are not all forever decisions. I know you feel so much pressure to figure it all out right now and everything feels like a major decision. It's not. Choose what feels the best for right now and trust you will learn from each choice you make.
You will find your passion and purpose. Everything that you are going through now is a piece of the puzzle. Just because you don't know how the puzzle comes together yet doesn't mean it's not being assembled.
Sometimes figuring out what you want is a process of elimination. Let yourself experiment and try different things. It's okay to change your mind, and the only way you'll know if something is a fit is if you try it.
Cultivate your friendships. They will become the family you get to choose. Find friends who will grow with you, and let go of the friendships that have reached their expiration date.
List the things you are grateful for every day.
Nurture your relationship with a higher power. Spend time in the silence and get to know the divine. You are not separate.
What other people think of you is none of your business. People are always going to judge you. So what!? It's impossible to please everyone or be liked by everyone. Be you, the real you, not the version you think you need to be for others.
You are enough. You are perfect just the way you are.
Ask for help and support. You do not have to figure everything out on you own, and you are not supposed to have everything figured out right now. It's okay not to know how, what, when, where and why.
Take compliments.
You are doing the best you can. And so is everyone else.
Enjoy the moment. Your mind is always in the future. Stop living in when/then's. Be here now and have fun. This is a time in your life where you can be a bit selfish and focus on what makes you happy.
Forgive -- yourself and anyone else you are holding judgments against.
You are not alone. So many other people feel the same way you do. Be willing to be vulnerable.
Rejection is God's protection. You can't always get what you want, but you do always get what you need -- just not in the form or on the timeline you may have expected.
Each step is moving you forward, even if you feel like you are moving backward.
Breathe. Slow down. Take your time. It all works out. Your dreams come true and there are magical surprises is store. Life is amazing now, and it gets even better!!
You are loved. I love you.
From your 30-something self, Christine
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Feb 27 (Reuters) - Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki suffered one of her worst career defeats when she bowed out of the Malaysia Open to 186th-ranked Chinese qualifier Qiang Wang on Wednesday. The Dane, top seed at the event in Kuala Lumpur, cruised through the opening set of her first round clash and had a match point in the second before going down 2-6 7-6 6-1. Qualifier Wang, 21, allowed Wozniacki only one point in the second set tiebreak as she levelled the match and rolled through the decider to claim her biggest careeer win. ...
If knowing you're going to wake up on time for work helps you sleep better, then slap two rounds of AAA batteries in this pistol-shaped alarm clock and stash it under your pillow. When it's time to wake from your slumber it gently vibrates you back to reality, and a built-in projector lets you pull off amazing quickdraw time checks all night long. More »
Geneva - I thank the International Commission against the Death Penalty for organizing this discussion, and I commend the critical role of civil society in mobilizing global support on this important issue. The right to life is the most fundamental of all human rights. It lies at the heart of international human rights law. The taking of life is too absolute, too irreversible, for one human being to inflict on another, even when backed by legal process. That is why the United Nations system has long advocated the abolition of the death penalty. International and hybrid tribunals supported by the UN do not provide for capital punishment, nor does the International Criminal Court.
Since the General Assembly first voted on a moratorium in 2007, the trend against capital punishment has gained momentum. In December 2012, the Assembly?s support for a moratorium was 111 in favour to 41 against, with 34 abstentions. The resolution calls on States to progressively restrict the use of capital punishment and not to impose it for offences committed by persons below 18 years of age and pregnant women. States were also asked to reduce the number of offences subject to the death penalty.
The sentiment towards abolition finds echoes in every region and across legal systems, traditions, customs and religious backgrounds. Currently some 150 States have either abolished the death penalty or do not practice it. I am therefore concerned that some countries with a longstanding de facto moratorium have recently resumed imposing the death penalty, and have even carried out executions. Even well-functioning legal systems sentence and execute persons who have been ultimately proven innocent. Wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice have condemned innocent people to years of anguish on death row before being executed or exonerated.
In those States that continue to impose the death penalty, thousands of individuals are executed each year ? often in violation of international standards, such as the right to fair trial and due process. The death penalty is still used for a wide range of crimes, such as drug crimes, which do not meet the threshold of ?most serious crimes?, and information concerning the application of the death penalty is often cloaked in secrecy.
Capital punishment is inconsistent with the mission of the United Nations to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights and the dignity and worth of the human person. A global moratorium is a crucial stepping stone towards full worldwide abolition. I urge you to use this meeting to consider how to further this end.
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The Green Beauty Guide: Your Essential Resource to Organic and Natural Skin Care, Hair Care, Makeup, and Fragrances
Go green and get gorgeous
The promise of beauty is as close as the drugstore aisle?shampoo that gives your hair more body, lotions that smooth away wrinkles, makeup that makes your skin look flawless, and potions that take it all off again. But while conventional products say they'll make you more beautiful, they contain toxins and preservatives that are both bad for the environment and bad for your body?including synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, and even formaldehyde. In the end, they damage your natural vitality and good looks.
Fortunately, fashion writer, nutritionist, and beauty maven Julie Gabriel helps you find the true path to natural, healthy, green beauty. She helps you decipher labels on every cosmetic product you pick up and avoid toxic and damaging chemicals with her detailed Toxic Ingredients List. You'll learn valuable tips on what your skin really needs to be healthy, glowing, and youthful.
Julie goes one-step further?and shows you how to make your own beauty products that feed your skin, save your bank account, and are healthy for your body and the environment, such as:
? Cleansing creams and oils ? toners?? facials ? under eye circle remedies?? anti-aging serums ? lip balms ? scrubs ? exfoliators ? clay and cleansing masks ? moisturizers ? acne treatments ? makeup remover ? teeth whiteners ? shampoos, conditioners ? fragrances ? sun protection ? bug repellants ? baby products ? and much more!
With her friendly, thorough, and helpful advice; fabulous beauty recipes; product recommendations and ratings; Toxic Ingredients List; and a complete appendix of online resources, Julie Gabriel gives you all the information you need to go green without going broke and become a more natural, healthy, and beautiful you.DIY Herbal Spa: Learn how to make organic aromatherapy bath products at homeAttention, DIYers! Want to learn how to make organic botanical bath products?
Instead of giving readers bath product recipes, DYI Herbal Spa starts with that crucial step that most teachers miss: training your sense of smell so that you can create the perfect scent every time. And every chapter contains easy-to-follow training exercises designed for you to become comfortable with making each type of botanical product?as well as a few recipes to get you started.
What are you waiting for?
Your Beauty Mark: All You Need to Get the Hair, Makeup, Glow, and GlamFrom burlesque show to fashion runway, magazine cover to web video, Dita Von Teese has undergone more strokes of red lipstick, bursts of hair spray, boxes of blue-black hair dye and pats of powder in a month than even the most auspicious drag queen would dream of in a lifetime. But whether she's swirling inside a towering martini glass in Swarovski-covered pasties and stilettos or turning heads on the red carpet, one thing is certain-for this self-styled fashion icon, beauty is an art. Now, for the first time in her career, Dita divulges the beauty secrets that have earned her a frequent spot on international best dressed lists and high-profile fashion show rosters. In "Your Beauty Mark", Dita takes readers through every step of her many signature looks - from her perfectly coiffed hair to her flawless skin and makeup - and turns to experts and friends in the field for authoritative advice. With diet and exercise tips, information on skincare, and tricks for brow shaping, lipstick application, eye shadow and more, Dita empowers readers with the skills, confidence, and inspiration they need to discover their individual beauty expressions. Lavish color photographs and gorgeous step-by-step images make "Your Beauty Mark" the perfect holiday gift for anyone interested in classic style.
Didn't receive an emailed invitation to the Galaxy S IV event in Manhattan? You're not alone. It looks like Samsung is shaking things up a bit this time around, handing out paper invitations to the NYC shindig at its decked-out booth at Mobile World Congress. The note confirms the earlier news: March 14th is the big day, and unlike last year's kickoff, which was held in London to coincide with Olympics coverage, 2013's flagship will make its debut at 7PM ET at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. And we've got the golden ticket. We'll be liveblogging the event, of course, so mark the date!
Just ahead of Huawei's press event, Huawei's treated us to an early viewing of its new 8.4-millimeter smartphone, the Ascend P2. With Android 4.1, a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, 13-megapixel camera and a 720p 4.7-inch Gorilla Glass 2 Infinity Edge Display, it joins the likes of the Ascend Mate and D2 in forming the Chinese manufacturer's smartphone family in 2013. And boy, it's a slender, feather-light phone with a glossy backing that come sin both black and white. Design-wise, like those leaks, it looks an awful lot like those P1 phones we first saw at CES 2012.
Its notable feature is the highest-speed LTE connection seen so far in a smartphone, up to 150Mbps with support for LTE Cat4. We also got to play with Huawei's Emotion UI again, which can draw on the 1GB of RAM housed inside. There's plenty of storage, with 16GB ready to accept your photos and music. The right side houses a volume switch and a physical camera button -- these were a bit plasticky, but has a nice matte finish. The other side is where the power button belongs, with both the headphone and micro-USB charging port found there. Huawei's focusing on battery life here as well, with a 2,420mAH cell powering the Android phone and the promise of consuming 20-percent less power, thanks to the handset's display technology.
With the aforementioned Emotion UI, there's the same clipboard animation across homescreen transitions, matching those other Ascend models. Getting into screen performance, it reflected a fair bit of ambient light. It's perhaps not the best display we've seen from Huawei -- there seems to be a space between the surface of the glass and the display itself. The hardware feels light, but feels like we were often unable to keep hold of it. The buttons have the right amount of bite, although it would have been nice to see some premium materials used for these minor details. The design also reminds us a fair bit of Panasonic's Eluga smartphone. Perhaps due to the lack of exotic color options, the phone wasn't quite as appealing as when we first got our hands on its predecessors. We'll have a hands-on video up soon.If you're in Europe you can pick this up in Q2 for €399 ($526).
So much quality in this custom designed home by Norwood Architects.
High end appliances, detailed cabinetry and stone work throughout. Elevator access to all levels. Perfect for families with a sitting room off the bedrooms for family use. Great open public entertaining spaces suitable for large crowds. Three-car garage and guest suite on lower level and fabulous media room. Six bedrooms, five full baths, one half bath. ?Over 6,000 square feet.
Offered at $975,000 by Tina Hunsicker of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby?s International Realty. ? Click here for more photos and information about this home for sale.?
Vinings at its best ? convenient and high quality in this home for sale at 2095 Cooper Lake Drive, Smyrna 30080. Offered at $975,000 by Tina Hunsicker of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby?s International Realty.
The living room?s elegance is defined in the ceiling. The open floorplan, perfect for entertaining, is epitomized in this flexible space.
Entertain with ease and style with this butler?s pantry that features an ice maker. Click on the image for additional information and more photos.
There are a lot of incredible rooms in this house with beautiful design ? and the easiest way to access them is through the elevator which serves all three levels.
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Novatel's touchable MiFi 2 -- also known as the MiFi Liberate -- receives a fresh coat of paint in the form of a UI overhaul on its way to Bell Canada's network this March. No word on pricing or an exact date, but this 11-hour-lasting king of all portable access points is $50 on a two-year agreement on AT&T, so we'd hazard that sets a decent watermark on the potential price. No word on what the new UI tweaks entail but we're angling to get our hands on one some time this week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Pedestrians on the MIT Campus in Cambridge, Mass., duck underneath police tape, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, after police responded to reports of a gunman on campus that Cambridge police later said were unfounded. Police said that officers searched for a man reported to be carrying a long rifle and wearing body armor and found nothing. A spokeswoman for the university says the school also called off a campus-wide lockdown. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)
Pedestrians on the MIT Campus in Cambridge, Mass., duck underneath police tape, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, after police responded to reports of a gunman on campus that Cambridge police later said were unfounded. Police said that officers searched for a man reported to be carrying a long rifle and wearing body armor and found nothing. A spokeswoman for the university says the school also called off a campus-wide lockdown. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)
Pedestrians on the MIT Campus in Cambridge, Mass., duck underneath police tape, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, after police responded to reports of a gunman on campus that Cambridge police later said were unfounded. Police said that officers searched for a man reported to be carrying a long rifle and wearing body armor and found nothing. A spokeswoman for the university says the school also called off a campus-wide lockdown. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)
Pedestrians walk by police tape on the MIT Campus in Cambridge, Mass.,after police responded to reports of a gunman on campus that Cambridge police later said were unfounded, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. Police said that officers searched for a man reported to be carrying a long rifle and wearing body armor and found nothing. A spokeswoman for the university says the school also called off a campus-wide lockdown. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) ? A false report of a gunman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that briefly caused a campus-wide lockdown Saturday stemmed from an electronic message sent to police, authorities said.
Officers searched for a man reported to be carrying a long rifle and wearing body armor but found nothing unusual, Cambridge police said. The report ? that alleged the gunman was barricaded inside a building on campus ? turned out to be a hoax, and there was no threat to public safety, state police spokesman David Procopio said.
Cambridge police received the tip in an electronic message around 7:30 a.m., but witnesses on the scene eventually contradicted it, spokesman Dan Riviello said. Neither police nor MIT specified how the tip was received, though the police department's website says anonymous tips may be made via text message or email, in addition to a telephone hotline.
"The MIT community was sent a precautionary text message at 8:52 a.m. asking them to remain indoors and shelter in place," the university said in a statement issued following online criticism over the delay in alerting the public that a gunman was possibly on campus. It did not explain why it took more than an hour to issue the alert.
A room-to-room search by MIT and Cambridge police, along with state police troopers, led officers to declare that the scene was clear at about 10:30 a.m., MIT said.
"No armed suspects were found in the building or on campus and police believe that the event, as reported, did not occur," according to a statement by Cambridge police.
Investigators are trying to identify the prankster and will pursue criminal charges if they do, Riviello said.
He declined to provide additional details or confirm reports that the IP address used by the prankster has been traced to New York, saying the investigation continued.
John DiFava, chief of MIT's campus police, acknowledged the delay in telling students about a possible gunman on campus. "I have to look into it and find out the reason for the lag," he told the Boston Globe.
Junior Zach Wener-Fligner told the newspaper that the delay was "a little worrisome."
"But I assume the relevant area was locked down," he said.
About 11,000 people attend the prestigious school outside Boston where students are famous for their smarts as well as their stunts, including once putting a police car on top of a domed campus building.
Come celebrate with us Saturday, February 23 and Sunday, February 24, 2013 as St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church begins it's 70th Year of Service to the community and City of Henderson. As a historical landmark, St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church has been at the heart of Henderson's development since the beginning. From it's humble roots as Basic Townsite to currently being home to 275,000 residents and the second largest city in Nevada. Our 70th Anniversary Festival will not only feature the traditional fun filled attractions, food, and amusements, but also emphasize focus on community and social causes that remind us that we serve each other in our daily journey. We will be hosting and making available area social services to communicate their various missions and work. We hope you will take part in this community event and find it informational as well as entertaining.
When: Saturday, Feb. 23, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: St Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church
Cost: Free
Age limit: All ages
Categories: Activities-religious
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Event posted Jan. 31, 2013 Last updated Jan. 31, 2013
CHICAGO -- Alex Campbell was an expert in his field, according to authorities.
His "field" was the underground world of human trafficking, known familiarly as pimping and prostitution, and Campbell, according to investigators with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was a master pimp.
"On a scale of one to 10, he?d be a 12," said DHS investigator Gary Hartwig. "I?ve been in law enforcement for 24 years, and he is actually the worst case of human trafficking we?ve identified in Chicago. Probably nationally."
Prosecutors call Campbell a "predator" and say he targeted foreign-born women with questionable legal status. They say he?d use their precarious status, coupled with heavy doses of violence and intimidation, to control the women and force them into "a form of modern-day slavery."
Last November a federal judge sentenced Campbell to life in prison. It?s believed to be the first time a "pimp" has been sentenced to life in prison for human trafficking in federal court in Chicago.
The federal case against Campbell was bolstered by four women who came forward to testify against him in court. In an effort to protect her identity, NBC Chicago will identify one woman only as "Sarah."
'It still hurts so bad' In a sit-down interview late last month, Sarah said was completely controlled by Campbell to the point where she felt she might lose her life if she dared to disobey him.
"He told me many times that he would kill me," she recalled.
Prosecutors believe Campbell was grooming Sarah to become a prostitute. It started, they say, with Campbell giving her a legitimate job at one of his Chicago-area massage parlors. They say he then became her friend and eventually her boyfriend. Attorneys say he then began to isolate her and beat her. Then he literally branded her.
"I still have those tattoos, and I can?t get rid of them," Sarah said. "I?m trying to remove them for a long time -- like two years -- and they are still not coming off. It still hurts so bad."
Investigators say Campbell branded most all of his victims. On one woman, they say he tattooed an manifesto so long it covered almost her entire back.
"For him, it let the world know that these women belonged to him," said assistant United States Attorney Diane MacArthur, part of the team that prosecuted Campbell.
Steve Grimes, another assistant U.S. Attorney, said the women would have to explain the markings on their bodies for the rest of their lives anytime they met someone new.
"That was part of his plan," said Grimes.
More news from NBCChicago.com
In court, prosecutors also alleged that Campbell would exact fines from the women he controlled. In the case of one victim, he levied a fine of $14,000 for her to get a green card. She got another $5,000 "fine" simply because she didn?t call him.
A recording of a phone call between Campbell and that woman was played in open court:
Woman: "You telling me that I didn?t call you, that?s why I have to give you $5,000?"
Campbell: "I said you got to give me $5,000 ... and you gonna pay it ---."
Woman: "Yes. You told me --"
Campbell: " ... because you are -- listen! This is my last word to you, and you?d better be glad I?m giving you up to f---ing Sunday to f---ing bring a f---ing-a-s payment in. If you don?t f---ing bring in at least $500 mother-f---ing dollars, we will go to f---ing war. Now get my mother-f---ing money."
Sarah said that in Campbell?s world, beatings were common and intimidation was constant. He even used blackmail, she said, taking a page right from one of two books investigators found in his possession: "The Pimp?s Bible."
"[Sarah] tried to get away," said Grimes. "He forced her to drink alcohol and made her have sex with another woman while he videotaped this. He then threatened to send that video to her family, to expose her, if she did not come back into his grasp."
In court documents, attorneys for Campbell said he maintained his innocence and challenged the allegation that Sarah and others were being held against their will.
"Each expected something from him," Campbell?s attorneys state in the court documents. "Each was more than happy to accept what he gave; all this before the relationships turned ugly."
Prosecutors and investigators said they're pleased with the fact that Campbell received a life sentence in court.
"In the truest form of the word, he is a predator," said Grimes.
Sarah eventually escaped from Campbell and reported him to police. She is now married and doing well.
And if someone thinks it can?t happen to them, Sarah says to think again.
"It happens," she said. "It can happen easily to anyone."
Indicators of Human Trafficking:
Is the victim in possession of identification and travel documents? If not, who has control of the documents?
Was the victim coached on what to say to law enforcement and immigration officials?
Was the victim recruited for one purpose and forced to engage in some other job?
Is the victim's salary being garnished to pay off a smuggling fee? (Paying off a smuggling fee alone is not considered trafficking.)
Was the victim forced to perform sexual acts?
Does the victim have freedom of movement?
Has the victim or family been threatened with harm if the victim attempts to escape?
Has the victim been threatened with deportation or law enforcement action?
Has the victim been harmed or deprived of food, water, sleep, medical care or other life necessities?
Can the victim freely contact friends or family?
Is the victim a juvenile engaged in commercial sex?
Is the victim allowed to socialize or attend religious services?
If you have any evidence of human trafficking, or if you are aware of anyone who is being exploited for prostitution, you should call investigators at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at 1-866-347-2423.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic leaders are hoping for a U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee vote next week on the confirmation of John Brennan to become Central Intelligence Agency director, although the White House and committee are still feuding over the disclosure of politically sensitive documents.
Under pressure from Senate Republicans, the White House in recent days has reluctantly agreed to allow Congress access to documents and emails related to the attacks by militants last September 11 on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, congressional officials said.
Among the materials senators and some aides will be allowed to examine are dozens of emails that chronicle the evolution of "talking points" used by Obama administration representatives in media appearances, which officials later acknowledged mischaracterized the origin of the attacks.
This latest attempt to appease lawmakers, who last week stalled a committee vote on Brennan's nomination, comes after the White House earlier this month agreed to give senators tightly restricted access to four classified legal opinions on drone strikes.
However, senators want more documents.
Congressional officials said the White House was still refusing to allow senators access to what Congress believes are at least seven highly classified documents, produced by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, that lay out legal justifications and operational guidelines for "targeted killings," a euphemism mainly used for drone strikes, including attacks on U.S. citizens.
A White House spokesman had no immediate comment.
The congressional officials said it appears the White House may be dragging its feet on the drone documents on the theory that most or all Democrats on the intelligence committee and in the full Senate will vote to confirm Brennan despite unresolved disclosure disputes.
The officials said that a Senate Intelligence Committee vote could be scheduled as early as next Tuesday, though it could be further delayed. A floor vote on Brennan's confirmation would not be likely until the following week at the earliest.
The conflict over Brennan's nomination has been compounded by Republican senators' opposition to the nomination of former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as defense secretary.
The Senate's Democratic leadership had hoped to hold a floor vote to confirm Hagel last week, before Congress took a week-long recess. But the vote was postponed after Democrats failed to muster enough Republican votes to shut down a filibuster by Hagel's critics.
It now looks like a full Senate vote on Hagel could come Tuesday or Wednesday.
'DELIBERATIVE PROCESS'
Few, if any, senators of either party have publicly indicated an intention to vote against or filibuster Brennan's nomination, although both Republicans and Democrats asked pointed questions at Brennan's hearing earlier this month, particularly about why as a CIA official he did not try to stop waterboarding, an interrogation technique that some consider torture.
The nomination became a vehicle for a fight over documents between Congress and the White House.
Democrats, including intelligence committee Chairwoman Senator Dianne Feinstein, have pressed the administration to give them access to 11 Justice Department memos on targeted killings. But as of Friday they had only been granted access to four.
The administration has asserted that the seven documents it is refusing to disclose are the product of a "deliberative process" and exempt from disclosure to Congress. It is unclear whether any intelligence committee members, most notably Democrats, would be sufficiently angered by the administration's recalcitrance to vote against Brennan.
The administration does appear to have backed down from its refusal to give lawmakers access to Benghazi-related documents.
This week the administration agreed to allow senators and a limited number of aides to read and take notes on the Benghazi material, though the administration refused to allow Congress to make copies of it, congressional officials said.
The access comes after the administration had asserted for months that the email record charting the evolution of the Benghazi talking points was exempt from disclosure to Congress on "deliberative process" grounds, as it has recently been asserting for the undisclosed drone documents.
Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, was lambasted by Republicans for claiming in TV talk show appearances that the Benghazi attacks grew out of a protest against an anti-Islamic film. Administration officials now admit the protest never happened.
Sources familiar with the email traffic said it shows that the talking points, as originally drafted by a CIA analyst, said the September 11 attacks were carried out by extremists "with links to al-Qaeda." But the al-Qaeda reference was deleted before a final version was delivered to administration spokespeople, including Rice.
FILE - In this Dec. 16, 2012 file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in his Jerusalem office. Netanyahu?s decision to bring a dovish rival into his Cabinet appears to be backfiring, drawing heavy criticism both in Israel and from the Palestinians and suddenly complicating the task of forming a viable coalition government. It is now uncertain whether Netanyahu will meet an initial deadline next week for forming a new coalition, and rivals are openly talking about the possibility of forcing new elections, just a month after a parliamentary election ended in virtual deadlock. (AP Photo/Gali Tibbon, Pool, File)
FILE - In this Dec. 16, 2012 file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in his Jerusalem office. Netanyahu?s decision to bring a dovish rival into his Cabinet appears to be backfiring, drawing heavy criticism both in Israel and from the Palestinians and suddenly complicating the task of forming a viable coalition government. It is now uncertain whether Netanyahu will meet an initial deadline next week for forming a new coalition, and rivals are openly talking about the possibility of forcing new elections, just a month after a parliamentary election ended in virtual deadlock. (AP Photo/Gali Tibbon, Pool, File)
JERUSALEM (AP) ? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to bring a dovish rival into his Cabinet appears to be backfiring, drawing heavy criticism both in Israel and from the Palestinians and suddenly complicating the task of forming a viable coalition government, to the point where rivals are openly threatening to force new elections.
It is now uncertain whether Netanyahu will meet an initial deadline next week for forming a new coalition, and it is possible that he will fail altogether and the task will be assigned to a rival, most likely former TV anchorman Yair Lapid, a new political star who heads the centrist Yesh Atid party.
Rivals are also openly talking about the possibility of forcing new elections, just a month after a parliamentary election ended in virtual deadlock.
Polls Friday suggested that if repeat elections were held, Lapid, an amateur boxer, novelist and former actor who has never held public office, might be elected prime minister.
Netanyahu has been scrambling to build a majority coalition in parliament since the Jan. 22 election. As leader of the largest faction in parliament, Likud-Yisrael Beitenu, he has been charged with the responsibility for forming a new government. But with just 31 seats under his control, he is far short of the 61-seat majority, out of a total of 120 seats in parliament, needed for a coalition.
The array of rightist and religious parties considered Netanyahu's natural allies did eke out 61 seats in the Jan. 22 election ? but that informal alliance has long been strained over a host of internal disagreements and it is showing signs of collapse. That has forced Netanyahu to look elsewhere, outside of his political comfort zone.
This week, the hawkish leader seemed to find an unlikely new ally, announcing his first coalition deal with former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, appointing her justice minister and chief negotiator with the Palestinians.
The appointment was meant to signal that Netanyahu, who has come under heavy criticism internationally for the past four years of deadlock in Mideast peace efforts, is preparing to take a softer line toward the Palestinians in his new term. Livni is a former peace negotiator who has a good relationship with the Palestinian leadership and who is well respected internationally. The alliance also was meant to pressure other potential coalition partners to join him.
So far, Netanyahu's gambit appears to be missing out on both counts. The appointment is generating little excitement, and Livni, who campaigned on a platform almost exclusively pushing for peace with the Palestinians, has been accused of selling out to the hardline Netanyahu.
Livni's new political party, "The Movement," won just six parliamentary seats in last month's election. Critics said that after spending the past four years lambasting Netanyahu's policies, Livni appears desperate.
"Tzipi Livni is no less trustworthy or cynical than other politicians who broke their word, bent over backwards, put away their slogans and election speeches and galloped into the arms of the one they had described as the mother of all sin," wrote commentator Yossi Verter in Haaretz newspaper.
Livni has said she thinks being inside the government gives her the best chance to influence policy.
The Palestinians, meanwhile, have accused Livni of becoming a "fig leaf" for Netanyahu. Officials said that unless he changes his policies, particularly continued settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, there is no hope for progress.
Nabil Shaath, a senior Palestinian official, said Netanyahu brought on Livni to "give the impression that he is serious about peace" ahead of a visit next month by President Barack Obama.
"We know very well that Livni has a good image in the international community, and now Netanyahu is using her in order to improve the image of Israel," he said. "I know very well that Livni as a person wants peace, but at the end the decision is not hers. The decision is up to Netanyahu and his inner Cabinet."
During his previous term, the Palestinians refused to negotiate with Netanyahu while Israel continues to build Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The Palestinians claim both areas, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, for a future state. The Palestinians also want Israel to accept the 1967 prewar lines as the basis for a future border.
Netanyahu has rejected these demands, saying talks should begin without any preconditions. But the international community has shown growing impatience with him.
In November, the U.N. General Assembly recognized a Palestinian state in the lands captured by Israel in 1967. The decision, while symbolic, marked an overwhelming international endorsement of the Palestinian position on borders. When Israel responded by announcing plans for new settlements, it came under fierce international condemnations.
Livni, who served as Israel's chief negotiator under former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert from 2006-2009, takes a far softer line toward the Palestinians. But there are already indications that Netanyahu will keep her on a short leash.
According to the text of the coalition agreement obtained by The Associated Press, Netanyahu will be responsible for outlining the terms of the negotiations. While Livni will manage the negotiations, a representative of the prime minister will be present in every meeting she runs.
Gilad Erdan of Netanyahu's Likud party played down Livni's role in peace talks with the Palestinians to Channel 2 TV on Friday. "She is not in charge of negotiations but rather part of a team of ministers that will of course be led by the prime minister. I think it is obvious to everybody that the prime minister is the one who will lead in these issues and will be the one to determine policy," he said.
Netanyahu billed the alliance with Livni as a step toward building a broad and stable coalition. Yet her appointment may end up having just the opposite effect.
With Livni on board, Netanyahu now controls 37 seats, still far short of a majority. He is now expected to court a pair of ultra-Orthodox religious parties. In the best case scenario, Netanyahu would still be several seats short of a majority.
It will be virtually impossible for him to form a government without support of either Lapid's "Yesh Atid" Party, or the "Jewish Home," a nationalist party close to the Jewish settler movement.
Both parties campaigned on a key issue popular with the public ? ending a controversial system of draft exemptions given to ultra-Orthodox seminary students. They have both been cool to sitting in a government that includes the ultra-Orthodox, who oppose any changes in the draft.
For now, they are maintaining a common front, signaling they want to serve together in the next government. Netanyahu is expected press Jewish Home hard to join him.
But so far, Jewish Home's leader, Naftali Bennett, shows no signs of bending. If anything, the Livni appointment appears to have pushed him further away. Bennett, who opposes making any concessions to the Palestinians, reacted angrily to Livni's appointment.
"I don't care about Abu Mazen," he told a party conference this week, referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "I'm not interested in making him stronger. I care about the people of Israel."
Ayelet Shaked, a member of Jewish Home, said Thursday the party still hopes to join the coalition, but that she could not rule out the possibility of forcing new elections.
"Maybe we'll be in the opposition. Elections are also an option," she said. "We are prepared for every option."
Netanyahu has been given until March 2 to form a coalition. After that he can ask President Shimon Peres for a final two-week extension. A failure to reach a government by then could give Lapid a chance to form a coalition, or could trigger new elections.
Polls published Friday show that Likud would take a beating if a new election were held.
The daily Maariv published a Maagar Mohot poll that showed Likud-Yisrael Beitenu losing three seats from 31 to 28 compared to Yesh Atid winning five more seats from 19 to 24 and Jewish Home getting an additional seat at 13 from 12.
Yediot Ahronot published a prognosis by pollsters Panels Politics that suggested even more worrying results for Netanyahu should a new election be held. It showed Yesh Atid getting 30 seats compared to just 22 for Likud-Yisrael Beitenu.
Results of that poll show the biggest bloc could be the center-left together with Arab parties with 65 seats, Yediot reported.
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has bolstered its defenses against a "hostile" United States with its third nuclear test, it said on Thursday, noting that countries that had bowed to U.S. pressure to abandon their nuclear plans had suffered "tragic consequences".
The North carried out its largest nuclear test to date last week, in defiance of U.N. resolutions, prompting warnings of tougher sanctions for the isolated and impoverished state and its young ruler, Kim Jong-un.
Libya abandoned its nuclear program in 2003 in a bid to mend relations with the United States and later saw leader Muammar Gaddafi overthrown in an uprising that was eventually supported militarily by Washington.
In apparent reference to Libya, North Korea said it never backed down.
"The tragic consequences in those countries which abandoned halfway their nuclear programs... clearly prove that the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) was very far-sighted and just when it made the (nuclear) option," North Korea's KCNA news agency said.
North Korea has told China, its sole major ally, that it plans to stage more nuclear tests, according to a source with close connections to the top leadership in both countries.
It staged the latest test in response to tighter U.N. sanctions imposed in January after the country launched a long-range rocket last year in a move that critics said was designed to prove technology for an intercontinental ballistic missile.
North Korea has recently stepped up its rhetoric against South Korea, threatening to destroy its rich, democratic neighbor.
Most military assessments suggest that North Korea would lose any war against the U.S.-backed South and that its leaders would not risk a major conflict.
In 2010, North Korea was blamed for sinking a South Korean naval vessel and in the same year it shelled a South Korean island, killing four people, including two civilians.
(Reporting by David Chance; Editing by Nick Macfie)
In the marketers calendar, 2012 was named the Year of Content Marketing.
My guess, is 2013 will be known as the Year of Rich Media Content Marketing.
I?m not smart enough to understand where the tipping point happened, but all of the sudden every marketer realized that the content we produce online needs to deliver value and serve a business purpose.
So we began to create content with reckless abandon.
For some Big Box companies like LEGO, Nike, BMW and GEICO content marketing came naturally. ?These companies leveraged their size and brand to create enormous amounts of content spread out over multiple blogs and every social media tool imaginable. ?Through aggressive keyword research and strategy every market was flooded with target specific content.
{For more great examples of content marketing read this Content Marketing Institute eBook}
Why wouldn?t these mega-brands hire armies of marketers and copywriters to get their message online?
This is the age of Content Warfare? and we?re all trying to win the battle for attention online.
The interesting thing about content warfare, unlike any real battle, is the little guy has always had a chance to compete. ?Especially at the local level. ?At a local level the unfunded, under-resourced small business even has the opportunity to win the battle for attention online.
At least that was the case in 2012, when we all took to the blogosphere and social media to tell our story through content marketing.
The gap was narrowing.
The Google Penguin and Panda updates were a full frontal attack on low quality link building and content marketing strategies?
?and 2012 was the year that a huge budget couldn?t simply buy you the attention you wanted.
Attention had to be earned through quality content.
Small, local businesses who took their message of value and service and community to the Internet could actually show up higher in search results then their Big Box competitors who for so long monopolized page one Google Search results.
Rich media content marketing is again swinging the balance of inbound marketing power in favor of large brands.
While 2012 saw small business adoption of text based content marketing as a vital component of doing business, in 2013 large brand professional marketers are moving beyond text to rich media content marketing strategies such as podcasts, video, slideshows, eBooks and infographics to deliver their message.
My friend Srini Rao from BlogcastFM and The Skool of Life refers to these as ?Larger bodies of work.? ?The idea being that the content marketing rush of 2012 flooded the Internet with blog posts and in order to stand out from the crowd we have to produce larger bodies of work to tell our story.
The consuming public as begun to view regular text-based blog posts as the norm, the standard for doing business online. ?You must have a consistent stream of regular text based blog posts to educate and entertain the consumers of your product.
But if you want to make a impact, if you want to stand out, if you want consumers to be invested in your brand and business you must produce larger bodies of work in the form of rich media content marketing. ?Rich media takes consumers farther down the rabbit hole of who you are both as a person and a business.
Text based content draws consumers in but rich media establishes a much deeper relationship.
Professional marketers realize this and are moving forward.
Small business marketers do not and are about to fall behind once again.
So where I saw the 2012 content marketing revolution as a huge boon for small business, I see the move to rich media content marketing as a potential death stroke.
Why?
Because creating rich media takes time, effort, planning, creativity, vulnerability, humor, discipline, energy, passion and a little bit of art.
We past the point that small business marketers can ?dip their toe? into content marketing. ?This content warfare. If small business marketers don?t put in the word now there could come a day when attention is lost forever.
Wait?
Small businesses have all those things.
Hell yes they do? and so comes the rub.
In the rich media content marketing game there is one huge advantage that professional marketers have and there is one huge advantage that small businesses have:
Professional marketers have resources.
Small businesses have maneuverability.
Because of the resources at the disposal of most professional marketers creating rich media is not going to be the hurdle, formatting their established brand message in way the Connected Generation responds is the hurdle.
Small businesses will certainly face the barrier of rich media creation, but formulating a message that addresses the need of local consumers in the way these consumers want to view it should not be an issue.
What I?m telling you is hope is not lost for the small business marketer!
Let?s Examine How Small Business Can Use Rich Media Content Marketing
Podcasting
To me the most intimate form of online content is podcasting. ?Removing the visual aspect of the content focuses the mind on exactly what and how a message is delivered. ?Is the individual passionate, silly, focused, or disconnected? ?The Content Warfare Podcast?is growing by 100s listeners every week. ?Podcasts from A-listers like Michael Stelzner and Chris Brogan get tens of thousands of listeners every single episode.
Why is podcasting important to your business?
Simple. ?Someone reads a blog post it might take 45 seconds. ?If someone listens to your podcast you have their attention for 30 minutes. ?That is a huge investment of time by the listener. ?How much deeper and stronger a relationship are you building with someone who spends 30 minutes with your content than someone you spends 45 seconds?
Video
There is absolutely no doubt that using video as part of your rich media content marketing strategy drives engagement, just take a look at my SEO experiment. ?Video gives your consumers a look at who you really are. ?It?s much harder to fake expertise in front of a camera than it is writing a blog post. ?Don?t discount the importance of that fact.
Why is video important to your business?
First when I say video I really mean YouTube. I know there are other online video networks like Vimeo, but to me there is YouTube and everything else. ?YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine after Google which means having a video presence on YouTube gives you access to an entire community of consumers you weren?t otherwise marketing to. ?Additionally,?Google loves YouTube (remember Google plays favorites) and ranks quality YouTube video in Google Search quite high.
Second, video allows us to tell our story or explain the value in our product in a much different way. ?Humans, by nature are visual creatures. ?So telling our story in a visual manner through video is going to have a distinct and lasting affect on the consumers who view it.
Slideshows
There has been quite a bit written about Slideshare?(a social network for slideshows) being the sleeping giant of content marketing. ?I?m not quite sure I?m ready to buy that yet?. Sleeping giant implies Slideshare could one day completely take over the rich media content marketing game. ?I don?t believe that to be true. ?However, I do think it could be just as important a tool as podcasting and video.
Why are slideshows important to our business??
A good Slideshare presentation tells a story or makes an argument one thought at a time. ?Bullet points are for losers. ?A slideshow done right provides the viewer with one powerful concept after another each building a foundation for the message the creator is attempting to deliver.
I really like how easy Slideshare presentations are to consume and share. ?Unlike a video or podcast where the consumer needs to block off time to take in the content, with Slideshare the content can be viewed at whatever pace or timing the viewer prefers.
eBooks
After years of eBooks being created as low quality lead magnets for sleazy Internet marketers to build their email lists, it?s not surprising that eBooks are viewed by many professional marketers as a 2nd tier form of rich media. ?Don?t believe the hype. ?eBooks done right, written with the purpose of expanding upon a topic or idea that delivers value to the consumers of your product still have immense value as a form of rich media content marketing.
Why are eBooks important to my business??
eBooks allow you dive deep into your products and service as well as the issues surrounding them. My straight job is marketing an independent insurance agency. ?We?re currently creating a entire series of eBooks around maintenance and safety with the premise being, ?Do these little things today, so don?t have to deal with big problems tomorrow.? Our eBooks will help insurance consumers reduce the opportunity of ever having to use their insurance.
I feel there is value in this information and I firmly believe the insurance consumers who download and read these eBooks will affix that value in return to our brand. ?The same goes for The No Bullshit Guide to a Successful Blog. ?Everyone who reads this eBook knows exactly how I go about content marketing and the steps they can take to implement those beliefs into their own blog.
?Infographics
Infographics allow us to tell a story or make an argument through a single image. ?As mentioned above, humans are incredibly visual creatures. ?There are many concepts that are simply easier to digest and understand when laid out in a visual format than written in a text blog post. ?Infographics help us do that.
Why are infographics important to my business?
Infographics have a very powerful way of delivering information. ?They also allow for a lot of creativity which helps distinguish our brand from that of our competitors. ?Additionally infographics are heavily shared, meaning people love to share infographics in social media as well post other people?s infographics on their own blog or website. ?This means your message, which may have died on your blog in text form, as an infographic has the opportunity to spread.
I?ve collected over 75 fantastic infographics on Pinterest if you?re looking for some more examples. ?Click here to view my infographic pin board.
Source: copyblogger.com via Ryan on Pinterest
Embrace the Rich Media Content Marketing Revolution
As consumers demand more rich media, we as content marketers must be willing to go outside text based content to build the deeper relationships necessary to win the battle for attention online.
This content warfare? the fight of our online lives.
Thank you and Good luck,
I am?Ryan Hanley?and if you enjoyed this article you?ll love the Content Warfare Newsletter, get it?here.
SPEAK YOUR MIND: How do you plan to use rich media in your content marketing? Do you think that small business marketers can compete without embracing rich media?
In the marketers calendar, 2012 was named the Year of Content Marketing.
?Infographics