Breaking News Thread Version 2.0

[Krandall]

A look inside Tesla's factory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_lfxPI5ObM&feature=share

[Krandall]

DAMN

SWEET
!!!!



http://news.yahoo.com/odyssey-exploration-recovers-silver-shipwreck-132757283.html

[Krandall]

Interesting article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/22/millercoors-federal-reserve-aluminum_n_3636764.html

MillerCoors Urges Federal Reserve Crackdown On Wall Street's Aluminum Dealings

The Federal Reserve should toughen oversight of big banks such as Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase due to their negative influence over commodities, including the aluminum in beer cans, brewer MillerCoors will urge on Tuesday.

The maker of popular beers Coors Light and Miller High Life will tell the Senate Banking Committee that financial groups, through their ownership of warehouses, are distorting the aluminum market by controlling how much aluminum flows out of their storage facilities, leading to extra rent and other costs for industrial companies.

Tim Weiner, MillerCoors global risk manager of commodities and metals, said in prepared remarks that rules exploited by banks and other warehouse owners have cost his company tens of millions of dollars in recent years as a result of an "economic anomaly in the aluminum and other base metal markets."

The alleged gaming has cost aluminum purchasers overall an extra $3 billion, an expense that likely has been passed on to beer and soda drinkers.

The beverage company's statement comes as regulators at the Fed and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission weigh possible action against the banks for their commodities activities. The Fed is revisiting a landmark 2003 decision that for the first time allowed banks to enter the physical commodities business, the central bank said Friday. The CFTC is probing the metals warehousing business, the source of MillerCoors's complaints, people familiar with the matter said.

The inquiries could lead to full-blown investigations by the CFTC or a Fed ban on certain activities by banks in markets for commodities such as aluminum and oil, curtailing a key source of profit.

Ten major global banks have generated nearly $50 billion in revenue off their commodities business over the last five years, according to Coalition, a financial data provider. JPMorgan, Goldman and Morgan Stanley last year were the top three global banks in commodities revenue, with the 10 leading institutions generating about $6 billion in revenue off commodities activities.

The odds of additional regulatory and Congressional scrutiny likely have increased as MillerCoors and other so-called "end users" begin to publicly criticize financial companies and their regulators for inaction, experts said. Industrial companies such as manufacturers have long held a special status in Washington when it comes to financial regulation, successfully winning exemptions from certain rules by lobbying regulatory agencies and empathetic members of Congress.

"The potential impact on the debate by actual major end-users could be extremely significant and helpful," said Dennis Kelleher, president and chief executive of Better Markets, a Washington nonprofit group advocating for stricter oversight of large financial institutions. "The financial industry is supposed to be in service to the real economy. When that's not true, people pay attention."

In an example of the power end-users wield in Washington, Gary Gensler, CFTC chairman, said in February that his agency had implemented key reforms governing types of derivatives known as swaps "with an eye toward ensuring that the swaps market works for end-users, America's primary job-providers."

"It's the end-users in the non-financial side of our economy that provide 94 percent of private sector jobs," Gensler added.

MillerCoors is part of a loose coalition of end-users that include beer brewers, automakers, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and Reynolds Consumer Products that has accused big banks, including Goldman and JPMorgan, of anti-competitive behavior in the aluminum market. The complaints have prompted investigations in the U.S. and in Europe as regulators and policymakers debate the extent to which financial companies should be allowed involvement in physical commodities.

In addition to Fed and CFTC reviews, the allegations have prompted a Senate probe into Wall Street's expansion into the commodities business as an increasing number of companies claim that the broader economy is being hurt by banks using important raw materials to boost their own profits.

In the past, big banks have been accused of distorting oil and food prices after the price of related commodities hit record highs. But the most recent accusations center on an obscure part of the aluminum business involving an exchange based in London and its effect on the movement of aluminum stocks.

The London Metal Exchange, or LME, sets the rules for the minimum amount of aluminum that warehouses in its network can deliver to customers, such as MillerCoors. The metal could be immediately used for items such as beer cans. Customers also may want to move the metal out of a certain warehouse simply to fulfill a contract struck through the LME.

Goldman controls most of the aluminum stock in North America that is traded on the LME through the bank's ownership of Metro International Trade Services, according to LME data and MillerCoors. JPMorgan is another big owner of LME-authorized aluminum warehouses. Banks including JPMorgan also help set LME rules.

Critics argue that the LME minimum acts as a maximum, as warehouses limit the amount of metal they move out of their storage facilities to maximize the rent they collect from investors and other groups that own the aluminum. That has led to increasing costs for companies such as MillerCoors, and a record premium for physical aluminum beyond the prices agreed between parties on the LME.

Companies such as MillerCoors claim that banks and other owners of warehouses are hurting industrial companies and other users of aluminum by effectively hoarding the metal at their facilities.

Weiner said in prepared remarks:

The Federal Reserve has the authority to decide whether commercial and physical commodity activities like the LME warehouses are appropriate lines of businesses. Under this Federal Reserve exemption, U.S. bank holding companies have effective control of the LME, and they have created a bottleneck which limits the supply of aluminum. Aluminum prices in general and for can sheet in particular have remained inflated relative to the massive oversupply and record production. What's supposed to happen under these economic conditions? When supplies rise while demand is flat to down, prices should fall.
Instead, what's happening is that the aluminum we are purchasing is being held up in warehouses controlled and owned by U.S. bank holding companies, who are members of the LME, and set the rules for their own warehouses. These bank holding companies are slowing the load-out of physical aluminum from these warehouses to ensure that they receive increased rent for an extended period time. Aluminum users like MillerCoors are being forced to wait in some cases over 18 months to take physical delivery due to the LME warehouse practices or pay the high physical premium to get aluminum today. This does not happen with any of the other commodities we purchase. When we buy barley we receive prompt delivery, the same with corn, natural gas and other commodities. It is only with aluminum purchased through the LME that our property is held for an extraordinary period of time, with the penalty of paying additional rent and premiums to the warehouse owners, until we get access to the metal we have purchased.

[Krandall]

Silky brain implants may help stop spread of epilepsy
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jul2013/ninds-25.htm

Silk has walked straight off the runway and into the lab. According to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, silk implants placed in the brain of laboratory animals and designed to release a specific chemical, adenosine, may help stop the progression of epilepsy. The research was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), which are part of the National Institutes of Health.

The epilepsies are a group of neurological disorders associated with recurring seizures that tend to become more frequent and severe over time. Adenosine decreases neuronal excitability and helps stop seizures. Earlier studies have suggested abnormally low levels of adenosine may be linked to epilepsy.

ebecca L. Williams-Karnesky, Ph.D. and her colleagues from Legacy Research Institute, Portland, Ore., Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), Portland, and Tufts University, Boston, looked at long-term effects of an adenosine-releasing silk-implant therapy in rats and examined the role of adenosine in causing epigenetic changes that may be associated with the development of epilepsy.

The investigators argue that adenosine's beneficial effects are due to epigenetic modifications (chemical reactions that change the way genes are turned on or off without altering the DNA code, the letters that make up our genetic background). Specifically, these changes happen when a molecule known as a methyl group blocks a portion of DNA, affecting which genes are accessible and can be turned on. If methyl groups have been taken away (demethylated), genes are more likely to turn on.

The results reported in the paper provided evidence that changing adenosine levels affects DNA methylation in the brain. Specifically, greater amounts of adenosine were associated with lower levels of DNA methylation. The investigators also demonstrate that rats induced to develop epilepsy have higher levels of methylated DNA. Of particular note, epileptic rat brains that had received the adenosine-releasing silk implants exhibited DNA methylation levels close to brains of normal rats and this significantly lessened the worsening of the epilepsy over time.

"We know that there are mutations that are associated with epilepsy. However, there are few people such as Dr. Detlev Boison who are doing this type of work, focusing not just on genetic mutations but how the genes are regulated," said Vicky Whittemore, Ph.D., program director at NINDS.

One mechanism involved in a specific type of epilepsy is an increase in mossy fiber sprouting — the formation of new excitatory circuits in the part of the brain where seizures commonly originate. At the end of the experiment, animals that had been treated with the adenosine-releasing silk implant showed less sprouting than animals that were not given the drug. "Based on our findings that 10 days of adenosine delivery prevented the sprouting of mossy fibers for at least three months in rats, we predict that the benefits of our adenosine therapy may extend even longer. However, this assumption needs to be validated in long-term experiments that go beyond three months," said Dr. Boison, senior author of the paper from Legacy Research Institute and OHSU.

The rats did not receive the implants until they had experienced a number of seizures. The researchers noted that many studies investigating anti-epileptic drugs often test the treatments too early. "If the therapy interferes with the trigger for epilepsy development then the trigger is weakened and subsequent epilepsy is less severe. However, this is not necessarily indicative of a stop in the progression of the disease," said Dr. Boison. They found that the adenosine-releasing silk did not completely abolish seizures in their animal model but reduced them four-fold.

"To avoid interference with the epilepsy-triggering mechanisms, we waited until all animals developed an early stage of epilepsy. In this model, the disease is life-long: seizures become more frequent and worsen with time. Therefore, we challenged ourselves to attempt treatment at a stage where epilepsy had already been established," Dr. Boison continued.

The findings show that the implants are safe to use in rats and suggest that they may one day be used in the clinic. "Adenosine-releasing silk is a biodegradable implant. The release of adenosine occurs for 10 days and then the silk will completely dissolve. This is an ideal set-up for a transient preventative treatment," said Dr. Boison. "Clinical applications could be the prevention of epilepsy following head trauma or the prevention of seizures that often — in about 50 percent of patients — follow conventional epilepsy surgery. In this case, adenosine-releasing silk might be placed into the resection cavity in order to prevent future seizures."

However, before the silk implants are ready for their close-up, future studies will need to determine their optimal use and safety in humans. According to Dr. Boison, "We need to look into the efficacy of different doses of adenosine, the duration of adenosine release, and various time points of intervention."

Future studies also need to demonstrate how long the effects of the adenosine-releasing silk implant will last.

"This work is important because 25-30 percent of people with epilepsy do not have effective therapies. This research may help us to prevent epilepsy in people who suffer some event that places them at risk for the disorder, such as individuals who have experienced head trauma," said Dr. Whittemore.

[Magz]

http://news.yahoo.com/cool-ride-german-police-seize-car-pool-115724784.html

[Krandall]

da......fuq



Google 'Pressure Cookers' and 'Backpacks,' Get a Visit from the Cops

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/08/government-knocking-doors-because-google-searches/67864/

[Peelz]

crap, I was going to go hiking, and then make me some sweet fried chicken...guess thats out. 

dafuk is right

[Krandall]

Glad to hear they found her. Especially ALIVE.

http://news.yahoo.com/rescued-teen-awaits-reunion-father-idaho-171022281.html
Rescued teen awaits reunion with father in Idaho


CASCADE, Idaho (AP) — A California teen missing for more than a week after she was abducted by a man suspected of killing her mother and brother has been rescued, her captor killed, and a reunion with her father was expected Sunday at an Idaho hospital.

But for law enforcement investigating the ordeal, there is still plenty of work to be done.

FBI agents are processing evidence at the campsite in central Idaho's Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness where they first discovered 16-year-old Hannah Anderson and the man suspected of abducting her, 40-year-old James Lee DiMaggio. Details about the operation that ended in Hannah's rescue are being released slowly.

Law enforcement agents first spotted two people who looked like Anderson and DiMaggio on Saturday afternoon, as they flew over the wilderness area in a plane, according to a statement from Ada County Sheriff's spokeswoman Andrea Dearden.

The air was filled with smoke blown in from distant wildfires, and that made both flying and seeing the ground tough, Dearden said. The law enforcement commanders decided to send in an FBI Hostage Rescue Team immediately to get Hannah while they could.

The mountainous area is extremely steep, and the closest point where the helicopters could drop the team was more than a two-hour hike away. The agents crept close to the camp, waited until DiMaggio and Hannah separated, and then moved in.

The FBI moved the teen to an area where she could be picked up by a helicopter. The FBI won't release details about what happened between DiMaggio and law enforcement at the campsite until an investigation is complete, other than to say DiMaggio was shot and killed.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Mary Rook from Salt Lake City said the FBI will continue to work with law enforcement in both Idaho and California as the case transitions back to the San Diego Sheriff's Department.

Anderson appeared to be uninjured and was taken to an Idaho hospital where crisis counselors and health care providers were assisting her. Her father was expected to arrive in Idaho on Sunday to reunite with her.

"We will make sure she gets as much care as possible, physically and emotionally," said Dearden.

The FBI said it was sending a team to investigate what unfolded before, during and after the shooting.

The location wasn't far from what had been the last known sighting of the pair. A horseback rider called authorities Thursday night to report that he had seen two people who resembled Anderson and DiMaggio with camping gear on a trail near the lake. The rider, whose name wasn't released, didn't realize they were subjects of a massive search until he got home and saw news reports. He was expected to speak to media Sunday.

The case began when the charred bodies of Hannah Anderson's mother, Christina Anderson, 44, and the teen's 8-year-old brother, Ethan Anderson, were found in DiMaggio's burning house outside San Diego, near the Mexico border.

DiMaggio was close to the family. Christina Anderson's husband, Brett Anderson, has described him as a best friend and said the children thought of him as an uncle.

Authorities have said DiMaggio had an "unusual infatuation" with Hannah, although the father said he never saw any strange behavior.

An Amber Alert was issued, and tips led investigators to Oregon after DiMaggio and the teen were reportedly spotted there.

But it wasn't until the Idaho horseback rider called in his tip that investigators found a major lead — DiMaggio's car, hidden under brush at a trailhead on the border of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho.

San Diego County Sheriff William D. Gore announced Hannah's rescue and DiMaggio's death from a news conference in California. He said members of his office notified Hannah's father, Brett Anderson, of her rescue.

"He was very relieved and very excited and looking forward to being reunited with his daughter," Gore said.

The father described a range of emotion in a text message to CNN.

"I am nervous excited saddened 4 my wife and son and worried what my daughter has been through," he wrote to the network. "It's now healing time. Keep us in your prayers."

[Peelz]

wow!

feel good for the dad. as good as I can anyways... 

[Krandall]

Before I die, I will see printed organ transplants be a real thing! This is unreal

http://gizmodo.com/scientists-can-now-3d-print-transplantable-living-kidn-1120783047

Scientists Can Now 3D Print Transplantable, Living Kidneys

For the first time ever, scientists are successfully 3D printing actual, living human kidneys. Like the human livers printed in the past, the kidney are currently miniature in size, but with about 90% of the printed cells being alive, the potential for human use looks immensely positive.

To produce mass amounts of the living cells, samples of human kidney cells are cultured in large volumes and blended with hydrogel, a water- and nutrition-rich material that makes up the 3D printed kidneys' base. Afterwards, the printed cells can survive for up to four months in a lab thanks to this gel's rich nutrient source.

Because the product contains living, growing cells, the actual process is considerably different from plastic-based 3D printing. According to Xu Mingen, the lead researcher and professor at a Huazhong University of Science and Technology in eastern Zhejiang Province:

It's different from traditional 3D printing—to print a cup, we have to fill up the object with our material. But this method doesn't work in cells because a cell contains blood vessels and has tissue space. We have to make sure to spare enough space for them to grow.
Most incredibly, though, these adorable mini kidneys are able to function in exactly the same ways as their real, human-bred counterpart—they can break down toxins, metabolize, and secrete fluid. All of this is fantastic news for the millions of patients in need of organ transplants every yea—a small fraction of which actually receive the life-giving surgery. And though it may still be a few years before we start seeing this method being used in actual hospitals, judging by the the success of the fun-sized version, we're well on our way to printing off brand new organs at moment's notice.

[Krandall]

Wasn't quite sure where to put this.. Alex Rodriguez... Obviously busted for using some sort of Performance Enhancing Drugs...

Pitcher takes it out on him and hits him w/ the ball on purpose... doesn't get thrown out. Pretty freakin intense!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TxQSYWu61I

[Colorado700R]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9580199/ncaa-needs-make-right-call-middle-tennessee-blue-raiders-steven-rhodes-college-football

[Peelz]

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9580199/ncaa-needs-make-right-call-middle-tennessee-blue-raiders-steven-rhodes-college-football

thats wrong.

i have a feeling the NCAA will fix it though.

[Colorado700R]

Yep,

About time 'Murica gets one right...sheesh..

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9582824/ncaa-rules-marine-steven-rhodes-play-immediately-middle-tennessee-blue-raiders

[Peelz]

Yep,

About time 'Murica gets one right...sheesh..

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9582824/ncaa-rules-marine-steven-rhodes-play-immediately-middle-tennessee-blue-raiders

right on

Im clairvoyant, I tell ya