President Obama Addresses America's Real Concern: Jobs

Major policy addresses are as rare in non-presidential campaign years as payphones in Manhattan. But Wednesday, President Obama braved the media obsession with the new royal baby and a childish mayoral candidate to deliver a major speech on economic policy.

Yesterday's speech at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., was the first in a series of speeches that the president hopes will focus Congress on the economy. You would never know it by listening to what passes for debate in D.C., but Americans are more concerned about the economy and jobs than they are about the budget and the national debt.

Last month, CBS News and the New York Times conducted a national survey and asked Americans what they thought was the most important problem facing the nation. It really wasn't much of a contest, as the survey indicated that concern about the economy and jobs overwhelmed everything else.

[See a collection of political cartoons on the budget and deficit.]

One in three (34 percent) Americans indicated that the economy was the biggest problem facing the United States. Concern about everything else, ?including the national debt (6 percent), religious values (3 percent) and big government (3 percent), was in single digits. But Washington is obsessed with the budget. This is just one of many examples of Washington's indifference to the public's concerns. Unless the president gets his way, we'll hear a lot of talk about the deficit but little discussion of jobs for the next several months.

Hopefully, Americans and members of Congress will hear what the president says and tune out wall-to-wall Weiner media and the coverage of the naming rights to the royal baby.

Wednesday, the president honed in on economic inequality. He pointed out that the economic gains in the last 10 years have mostly benefitted rich people at the expense of the middle class."This growing inequality is not just morally wrong: it's bad economics," he said. "Because when middle-class families have less to spend, guess what? Businesses have fewer consumers."

[Read the U.S. News debate: Is Obama Turning the Economy Around?]

It's unlikely that the president can get the House Republican caucus to pass or even consider his proposals. The GOP majority in the U.S. House of Representatives never took a vote or even debated the merits of the American Jobs Act when President Obama submitted it to Congress in 2012. That legislation would have given tax breaks to companies that hire new employees, put unemployed Americans to work rebuilding our failing bridges and water systems and put thousands of public school teachers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics back to work.????

With his economic speech, the president took his second opportunity in a week to speak from the bully pulpit. His remarks about Trayvon Martin and yesterday's speech on the economy suggest that the president has decided to speak directly to Americans. The president sees the radical Republican majority as a lost cause, but he still has faith in the American people.

Source: http://www.usnews.com/blogs/brad-bannon/2013/7/25/president-obama-addresses-americas-real-concern-jobs?s_cid=rss:brad-bannon:president-obama-addresses-americas-real-concern-jobs

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BlackBerry A10 specs reportedly leak, hint at big battery and Verizon model

So far, we've only had furtive glances of the rumored BlackBerry A10 through basic specs and a short video. However, CrackBerry forum member nereuszeer may have given us much more insight by posting what appears to be a presentation slide with most of the A10's details. If accurate, they suggest that the 5-inch, 720p OLED screen wouldn't be the only standout feature -- there's also a much larger 2,800mAh battery and a slightly faster 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro. The phone wouldn't otherwise represent a big break from the Z10, although the leak hints at both a preloaded instance of BlackBerry 10.2 and a thicker Verizon variant. When the slide reportedly dates back to May, there's a chance the hardware could change before release. Still, don't be surprised if this ultimately represents BlackBerry's fall flagship.

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Neptune moon: Tiny, dark, whizzing space ball captured on film (barely)

Neptune moon: Astronomer Mark Showalter used over 150 pictures of Neptune to find an almost-invisible moon of Neptune, bringing the total number of Neptune moons to 14.

By Liz Fuller-Wright,?Correspondent / July 16, 2013

All of Neptune's moons were discovered in 1989 by NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft, with the exception of S/2004 N 1, which was discovered July 1. The outer moon Triton was discovered in 1846, the same year Neptune itself was discovered. Triton's orbit is retrograde, suggesting it is a captured Kuiper Belt Object and therefore a distant cousin of Pluto.

Courtesy of NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI)

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Finding moons should be easy, right? Look how bright ours is, glowing away up there.

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Except that our moon is (1) ridiculously close by, which makes it look bright, (2) ridiculously big, and (3) slow. Other moons like this ? big, slow, bright ? are relatively easy to find. Galileo spotted the four biggest moons of Jupiter back in the 17th century, using a telescope that worked about as well as a $50 pair of binoculars.

It's harder to find moons that don't follow this pattern. If they're small, or dark, it's much, much harder. Throw in fast ? ridiculously fast ? and it's no wonder that the most recently discovered moon of Neptune took years to find. This little planet, like a fidgety toddler, "never sits still long enough to have its picture taken," wrote Mark Showalter, the SETI researcher who discovered the tiny moon?on July 1.

In fact, it travels over 350,000 miles in less than one Earth day, giving it a speed of about 15,000 miles per hour. It's not the fastest moon in the solar system ? Metis, zipping around Jupiter three times a day, goes more than twice as fast ? but it's still too fast to photograph easily.

The peppy little moon, currently identified only as S/2004 N 1, appeared in pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope between 2004 and 2009. ?But that's using "appeared" pretty generously. As Dr. Showalter wrote today, "We estimate that it is no more than 20 km across and as dark as if it were paved with dirty asphalt. Naturally, taking its picture requires long exposures. But there?s the rub. If you expose it for too long, the moon vanishes in a blur..." The size and color are both calculations, not measurements, so it's possible that the moon is brighter than asphalt, but that would mean that it's also smaller. So how do you find something small, dark, and fast?

Well, you don't depend on the human eye's ability to spot things. Our eyes are good at seeing color and motion, but they're terrible at seeing tiny, dark smudges against a black sky. So Showalter, a research scientist working on several NASA missions to the outer planets, wrote a computer program to help him comb through Hubble's 150 or so pictures of Neptune. "The procedure I devised predicts where any given moon ought to move from one image to the next," he writes, "and then combines the images with a 'twist' that compensates for the expected motion." He wasn't looking for a moon ? after all, he didn't know there was a moon to look for ? but developed the technique to examine some arcs in Neptune's rings, which are also nearly invisible.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/rdEOkAeemKA/Neptune-moon-Tiny-dark-whizzing-space-ball-captured-on-film-barely

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High-fivers eye world record in New London attempt

Brothers Drew and Barry Hertzfeld, of Brooklyn, didn?t need much practice heading into Sunday?s attempt to shatter a world record for most consecutive high-fives.

?That would be pretty embarrassing if we couldn?t do this,? Drew, 17, said.

While the attempt still needs to be verified, there?s a very good chance that 350 people did indeed break the record during the third and final day of Sailfest in New London.

According to recordsetter.com, ?a website that lets you create your own world records,? the record is 290 high fives, set July 10 at Camp Alvernia in Centerport, N.Y.

eople reportedly performed the feat March 5, and sent the results to Guinness World Records, although Guinness doesn?t have a category for high-five chains on its web site. An attempt of 4,699 simultaneous high-fives is recorded.

New London?s attempt came together quickly. Event organizers walked up and down Bank Street, which was closed to traffic, to enlist volunteers in the afternoon.

?The Sailfest committee always looks to do something different on Sunday,? Sailfest 2013 Executive Director Barbara Neff said. ?It?s a nice positive thing that brings out the community.?

Participants stood along the white center line in the road and waited for their turn to take part. First, a participant would receive a high-five from the person in front of him or her. Then, he or she would turn around and high-five the person behind them.

And the whole thing was documented on video for verification purposes.

Dan Kiser, 28, was number 252. The New London man received a high-five from Kara Berglund, of Norwich, who had received hers from her mom, Paula.

?What a great thing to be part of,? Paula Berglund said. Berglund was there to support ser son, who was selling his own line of T-shirts.

?When we saw they were doing this, we had to join in,? she said.

Twins Ted and Kaleigh Allen, 7, of Groton, said they knew about the records and were ready to go.

?It?s going to be fun to break the record,? Ted said.

While the high-five attempt lasted about 15 minutes, it was part of a day of events along the New London waterfront, including live music, food, amusement rides, art and craft vendors, boat rides and a 5K run.

Source: http://www.norwichbulletin.com/carousel/x624130014/High-fivers-eye-world-record-in-New-London-attempt?rssfeed=true

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Video: Economic Outlook: Retail, gas & GDP

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Braves 1B Freeman's All-Star status in question

By CHARLES ODUM

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:30 a.m. ET July 14, 2013

ATLANTA (AP) - Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman has a thumb injury that is preventing him from playing Sunday and leaves his status for the All-Star game in question.

Freeman said Sunday he jammed his left thumb on the first play of Saturday night's 5-2 win over the Reds. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons fielded Chris Heisey's grounder and threw slightly wide of first base, forcing Freeman to catch the ball in Heisey's path. Heisey hit Freeman's glove and was out.

"I guess my thumb was in the wrong place," Freeman said. "It's just one of those freak injuries I seem to run into every year."

Freeman remained in the game and is wearing a soft splint on his hand on Sunday. He said there is "a little bit of tiny swelling" in the thumb.

"I can still bend it and do everything," Freeman said. "It's not too bad, so I'm just going to take a day off and see how it goes."

Freeman made the All-Star roster on the fan vote. He said he didn't know if he would be able to play in the game.

"Obviously, I hope to play but we'll see how it goes," Freeman said. "I've got to look out for the best interests of this team, so I've got to be available to play in the second half. If I can't play in the All-Star game, we're better off if I'm able to play in the second half."

Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Freeman could receive treatment for the injury while in New York for the All-Star game.

"I think he needs to go," Gonzalez said. "If he can participate, participate. Hell, yeah! You never know when that chance will come again."

Evan Gattis, who had been out since June 18 with a right oblique strain, was activated from the 15-day disabled list and is starting at first base.

Gattis came off the DL after playing only two games in his injury rehabilitation stint with Triple-A Gwinnett. The original plan had been for Gattis to remain with Gwinnett through Sunday.

"It was good," Gattis said of his rehab stint. "I felt good to square up the ball last night. That tells me I'm ready."

Gattis, whose primary position is catcher, has started 11 games in left field and only three games at first base.

B.J. Upton, who left Friday night's game with a right adductor muscle strain, was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday.

"We've got a break coming up and I just need a little more time to get healthy," Upton said, adding his recovery "is not a thing that's going to happen immediately."

Justin Upton also left Friday night's game with what was announced as a left calf strain. On Sunday, Gonzalez said team doctors have concluded the injury was just a severe cramp.

Gonzalez said Justin Upton would be available in an emergency situation on Sunday.

The Braves expect a third injured starting outfielder, Jason Heyward, to recover from his strained right hamstring without being placed on the disabled list.

The Braves' patchwork outfield of Jose Constanza, Reed Johnson and rookie Joey Terdoslavich combined for seven hits Saturday night and is starting again Sunday.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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CSN: Chris Davis now has a major league-leading 37 home runs, joining Reggie Jackson in a tie for the AL record for homers before the All-Star break. Jackson had that many in 1969.

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Jury instructions at center of Zimmerman verdict

A demonstrator wears a hoodie during a protest the day after George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the 2012 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin, Sunday, July 14, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

A demonstrator wears a hoodie during a protest the day after George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the 2012 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin, Sunday, July 14, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Demonstrators cross Marietta Street as they march in protest the day after George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the 2012 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin, Sunday, July 14, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

In this image from video, George Zimmerman smiles after a not guilty verdict was handed down in his trial at the Seminole County Courthouse, Sunday, July 14, 2013, in Sanford, Fla. Neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman was cleared of all charges Saturday in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager whose killing unleashed furious debate across the U.S. over racial profiling, self-defense and equal justice. (AP Photo/TV Pool)

Jebiah Jones, 3, holds a sign as her mother Keiota Jones, stands behind her during a protest the day after George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the 2012 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin, Sunday, July 14, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Lisa Archer, 24, of Atlanta, chants during a protest the day after George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the 2012 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin, Sunday, July 14, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? Jurors who acquitted George Zimmerman of all charges were guided in their deliberations by 27 pages of jury instructions that included two sections giving them an option to find him not guilty: justifiable use of deadly force and reasonable doubt.

The acquittal of the former neighborhood watch leader left many Americans wondering Sunday how the justice system could allow him to walk away from the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager whose death provoked a long national debate over racial profiling and self-defense.

But the essential criteria for deciding the case came from the court itself, which told jurors that Zimmerman was allowed to use deadly force when he shot the teen not only if he actually faced death or bodily harm, but also if he merely thought he did.

And jurors heard plenty of conflicting evidence and testimony that could have created reasonable doubt.

Some Martin family supporters may never understand the gap between the legal basis for the acquittal and what they perceived as the proper outcome: Zimmerman's conviction for either second-degree murder or manslaughter.

"There is a difference between the law and what people think is fundamentally justice," said Barbara Arnwine, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a Washington-based civil rights group.

One of those Martin supporters who had a hard time accepting the decision was Tara Banks, a 46-year-old black woman from Gainesville, Fla., who said the verdict was causing her to lose faith in the courts.

"He killed a human being and he walked away from that courthouse scot free. It's just terrible," Banks said at a small rally near the courthouse where Zimmerman was tried.

Under Florida law, jurors were told to decide whether Zimmerman was justified in using deadly force by the circumstances he was under when he fired his gun. The instructions they were given said they should take into account the physical capabilities of both Zimmerman, 29, and Martin, 17. And if they had any reasonable doubt on whether Zimmerman was justified in using deadly force, they should find him not guilty.

"Beyond a reasonable doubt" is the highest standard of proof prosecutors face in American criminal courts. It means the jurors believe there is no other logical explanation for what happened than the defendant is guilty. If faced with two plausible explanations for what happened, jurors are supposed to acquit.

"The danger facing George Zimmerman need not have been actual; however, to justify the use of deadly force, the appearance must have been so real that a reasonably cautious and prudent person ... would have believed the danger could be avoided only through the use of that force," the instruction read.

Jurors refused to talk to reporters after the verdict about how they reached their decision Saturday night. Their names are being kept secret until Judge Debra Nelson lifts an order protecting their identities.

After the verdict, Jacksonville State Attorney Angela Corey said the use of deadly force is often one of the toughest areas of the law for prosecutors. Gov. Rick Scott appointed her office to the case a few weeks after the shooting when local prosecutors didn't press charges.

She said that when a victim shoots a robber or rapist, the use of deadly force is clearly justifiable. In cases such as Zimmerman's, the lines get blurry.

"That's why this case was unique, in a sense, and that's why this case was difficult," she said.

Even defense attorneys, who use the law to their advantage, say the instruction for the justifiable use of deadly force can be confusing to jurors since there are so many elements to it. It's one of the longest instructions given jurors.

"The more complex the instruction, the more it benefits the defense," said Blaine McChesney, an Orlando defense attorney and former prosecutor with no connection to the Zimmerman case. "It's a very convoluted instruction, but it's the best they have."

Jurors were also told that reasonable doubt about Zimmerman's guilt could come from conflicting evidence or the lack of evidence.

Over three weeks of testimony, they received mounds of conflicting evidence and testimony of what happened on that rainy February 2012 night after Zimmerman spotted Martin walking in his townhouse complex after the teen bought Skittles candy and iced tea from a nearby 7-Eleven. He didn't recognize Martin, who lived in the Miami area and was visiting the home of his father's fiancee. The neighborhood had experienced burglaries and some people had reported the suspects seen fleeing were young black males, like Martin.

After calling police dispatchers, Zimmerman got out of his vehicle and followed Martin. He says Martin attacked him. Prosecutors disputed that. The evidence was unclear.

None of Zimmerman's neighbors saw or heard the entire fight, and eyewitnesses gave differing accounts of whether Zimmerman or Martin was on top. Martin's parents testified it was their son screaming for help on 911 calls made by Zimmerman's neighbors. Zimmerman's parents testified that no, it was their son. The fight ended seconds after the screams when Zimmerman fired one shot from his handgun into Martin's heart.

Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic. His mother was born in Peru and is a naturalized U.S. citizen. His father is a white American.

After the verdict, civil rights leader Al Sharpton asked the U.S. Justice Department to bring charges against Zimmerman for civil rights violations as it did against the Los Angeles police officers in the Rodney King police beating case two decades ago.

NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous concurred and started a petition calling for federal charges.

"The most fundamental of civil rights ? the right to life ? was violated the night George Zimmerman stalked and then took the life of Trayvon Martin," Jealous wrote in the petition, posted on the website MoveOn.org and addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder.

Holder may address the matter when he talks to NAACP members Tuesday at their national convention in Orlando.

But federal law probably doesn't apply, said David Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor in Miami. Unlike the police officers in the King case, Zimmerman wasn't acting "under color of law."

There also is little basis to charge Zimmerman with a federal hate crime, Weinstein said, since prosecutors would have to show that he shot and killed Martin primarily because of the teen's race. Nothing in the state trial suggested it was a racially motivated crime, he said.

"Under the law, there is no basis for them to file any charges," Weinstein said about the Department of Justice.

Under public pressure, he added, the Justice Department may send lawyers to Florida to investigate the case so they can write a report that says "there was nothing there."

"That may satisfy people," Weinstein said.

___

Associated Press writer Kyle Hightower contributed to this story.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-07-14-Neighborhood%20Watch-Legal/id-6973fc6d53334a3f90b30a32af36e714

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