Saturday, June 29, 2013

Student loan rates will rise on Monday | The Daily Caller

WASHINGTON ? Student loan interest rates will go up on Monday, after the Senate recessed Thursday evening without reaching a compromise to avert the hikes.

After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rejected a bipartisan compromise agreement that he termed the ?Republican? plan, in spite of support from Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin and Independent Sen. Angus King, Democrats released their own plan: a one-year extension of the current rates to give them time to craft a solution to the larger problem of student loan debt.

The Keep Student Loans Affordable Act of 2013 is sponsored by Sens. Jack Reed and Kay Hagan, and as of a press conference this afternoon had 34 Democratic co-sponsors. It keeps the rates of student loans, which are government subsidized, at 3.4 percent for the next year, ostensibly giving lawmakers time to craft a more longterm solution.

?It will give us the time and the incentive and, I hope, the inspiration to look at this whole issue of financial debt and student debt,? Reed said.

Rates will still go up on Monday, but when a bill is passed, lower rates can be applied retroactively.

The House has also passed a bill to reduce student loans rates, which Senate Democrats rejected.

Senators will hold a vote on a motion to proceed on the bill on July 10, the Wednesday after they return from a week long recess, Sen. Debbie Stabenow said at the press conference. But that vote will not be an easy lift, and Democrats know it.

?We know the Republicans will filibuster it; we need sixty votes,? she said, saying that they would try to get every Republican vote possible.

Republicans have little incentive to come on board: President Barack Obama put forward a similar plan to the bipartisan bill.

?I don?t want to talk too much about the president being for it because we might lose these guys,? King said at a press conference Thursday morning, gesturing at the Republican sponsors of the bill.

One Republican aide familiar with the negotiations said Democrats were trying to politicize the issue, rather than get anything done.

?Senate Democrats don?t want a deal,? the aide told The Daily Caller. ?They think they?ll be able to blame Republicans for opposing their political fix, but with Senate and House Republicans and the president all in basic agreement on the fundamentals here, somehow Senate Democrats think they won?t be held responsible for their obstruction. If I were starting college in the fall and needed to get a loan, I?d be furious that Senators Reid and Harkin are getting in the way of this kind of rare Washington agreement.?

The sticking point for Democrats is caps on interest rates. The bipartisan bill would set the caps at 8.25 percent, and the House bill would set it at 8.5 percent, which Reid and other Democrats feel is too high.

Asked why, with the deadline approaching, the Senate still had not reached an agreement, members of the bipartisan group said that kind of a pace was simply the way Senate did things.

King likened it to a ?dog that could walk on its hind legs.?

?The remarkable thing is not that it?s done well,? he said, ?it?s that it?s done at all.?

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Source: http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/27/student-loan-rates-will-spike-on-monday-after-senate-fails-to-reach-agreement/

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Saturday, June 8, 2013

May another solid month for women in US job market

Steady job growth in May once again benefited American women over men.

Unemployment for adult women, those 20 and older, fell for the third time in four months to 6.5 percent. That's the lowest since January 2009, when it was the same rate. While unemployment rose for adult white women, at 5.8 percent it was still among the lowest for any group.

Adult men haven't fared quite as well. The rate for men 20 and older rose for the second straight month, to 7.2 percent. In March, it was 6.9 percent.

And May was even worse for adult black men: their unemployment rate spiked to 13.5 percent, up from 12.6 in April.

Teenagers continued to have a difficult time in the job market last month. Unemployment for that group increased to 24.5 percent.

The latest figures reinforced the old adage that it pays to have a college degree. Unemployment for college graduates ticked down to 3.8 percent.

Here are some details from the government's report:

Unemployment rates for:
(Numbers in percentages) May 2013 April 2013 May 2012
White: 6.7 6.7 7.4
Black: 13.5 13.2 13.6
Hispanic: 9.1 9.0 11.0
Asian*: 4.3 5.1 5.2
Adult men: 7.2 7.1 7.7
Adult women: 6.5 6.7 7.3
Teenagers: 24.5 24.1 24.4
20-24 years old: 13.2 13.1 13.0
25-54 years old: 6.4 6.4 7.1
55 and over: 5.3 5.5 6.5
Veterans of Iraq/Afghanistan*: 12.7 7.5 7.3
No high school diploma: 11.1 11.6 13.0
High school graduate: 7.4 7.4 8.2
Some college: 6.5 6.4 7.8
College graduates: 3.8 3.9 3.9
Duration of Unemployment
Average length (weeks): 36.9 36.5 39.6
Jobless 6 months or more (pct.): 37.3 37.4 42.4
* not seasonally adjusted
Source: Labor Department

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/may-another-solid-month-women-191814420.html

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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Milky Way's 'Local Arm' has a big reach

Robert Hurt, IPAC; Bill Saxton, NRAO / AUI/NSF

Old picture (left): Local Arm a small "spur" of Milky Way. New picture (right): Local Arm probable major branch of Perseus Arm.

By Miriam Kramer
Space.com

INDIANAPOLIS ??Our home in the Milky Way could be much larger than ever thought before, according to a new study.

Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) found that the area of the galaxy that holds Earth and the rest of the solar system is a prominent feature of the spiral galaxy.

The solar system exists in a part of the galaxy known as the Local Arm. Until now, scientists thought that this particular part of the Milky Way was just a tiny spur between two large branches known as the Sagittarius and Perseus arms.

"Our new evidence suggests that the Local Arm should appear as a prominent feature of the Milky Way," Alberto Sanna, of the Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy said in a statement. Sanna presented these findings at a news conference during the 222nd meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

In fact, the Local Arm looks to be as long as 16,000 light-years wide, Sanna said.

Scientists can't be sure what the Milky Way galaxy truly looks like from the outside, because we are stuck within it. Researchers have to measure distances between objects in the Milky Way to understand exactly where something might fit within the context of the rest of the cosmic neighborhood.

"Based on both the distances and the space motions we measured, our Local Arm is not a spur," Sanna said."It is a major structure, maybe a branch of the Perseus Arm, or possibly an independent arm segment."

Bill Saxton, NRAO / AUI / NSF

Trigonometric Parallax method determines distance to star or other object by measuring its slight shift in apparent position as seen from opposite ends of Earth's orbit.

The new research, which uses data collected between 2008 and 2012, used simple trigonometry to understand the placement of the solar system in relation to the rest of the galaxy.

"By observing objects when Earth is on opposite sides of its orbit around the sun, astronomers can measure the subtle shift in the object's apparent position in the sky, compared to the background of more-distant objects," National Radio Astronomy Observatory officials wrote in a statement. "This effect is called parallax, and can be demonstrated by holding your finger close to your nose and alternately closing each eye."

Scientists used parallax to measure the distances to star-forming regions of the Milky Way, because methanol and water molecules there boost radio waves (like those used by the VLBA), making it easier for researchers to collect accurate data.

Follow Miriam Kramer?@mirikramer?and?Google+. Follow us?@Spacedotcom,?Facebook?and?Google+. Original article on?Space.com.

Copyright 2013 Space.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2ccbab46/l/0Lscience0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A60C0A30C18730A4140Emilky0Eways0Elocal0Earm0Ehas0Ea0Ebig0Ereach0Dlite/story01.htm

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Sunday, June 2, 2013

Kuchar hangs tough and takes lead at Memorial

Matt Kuchar acknowledges the gallery after finishing his third round of the Memorial golf tournament Saturday, June 1, 2013, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Matt Kuchar acknowledges the gallery after finishing his third round of the Memorial golf tournament Saturday, June 1, 2013, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Matt Kuchar reacts after making a birdie on the 10th hole during the third round of the Memorial golf tournament Saturday, June 1, 2013, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Tiger Woods reacts after hitting a shot into the bunker on the 12th hole during the third round of the Memorial golf tournament Saturday, June 1, 2013, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Tiger Woods looks over a putt on the eighth green during the third round of the Memorial golf tournament Saturday, June 1, 2013, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Tiger Woods hits from the bunker on the 12th hole during the third round of the Memorial golf tournament Saturday, June 1, 2013, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) ? Matt Kuchar couldn't think of conditions more difficult than Saturday in the Memorial, and he had plenty of evidence.

The swirling wind that made it difficult to pull the right club. Fast greens that led to 65 three-putts in the third round alone. And a 44 on the back nine for Tiger Woods, the highest nine-hole score of his professional career.

"I think most of us would tend to be surprised any time Tiger shoots a number like that, but a lot more understandable in these conditions," Kuchar said after hanging on for a 2-under 70 that gave him a two-shot lead.

"If you're not on good form, these conditions are really going to beat you up."

Woods rallied on the front nine to salvage a 79, matching his second-worst score on the PGA Tour. And that wasn't even the highest score on a tough day at Muirfield Village. Jordan Spieth shot 45 on the front nine for an 82, while Zach Johnson and Justin Hicks each had an 81.

Kevin Chappell matched the best round of the day with a 4-under 68, leaving him two shots out of the lead, along with Kyle Stanley, who had a 70. Chappell loves having a chance to win his first PGA Tour event, which isn't to suggest it was fun getting to that position.

"I guess it's like a prize fighter," Chappell said. "He enjoys winning, but I don't know if he enjoys getting hit that much."

Kuchar was at 8-under 208, among 10 players separated by four shots.

"It was a bit of survival," Kuchar said. "I was fortunate to make a handful of birdies. I think anytime you make a birdie in these conditions, you feel like you're really up on the field here. Most of these holes, you're looking at just getting out with a par."

Woods didn't get away with anything.

Going for his sixth win at the Memorial, and his fourth victory in his last five tournaments, Woods had two double bogeys and a triple bogey on the back nine for a 44, and he did that without a penalty shot.

"The conditions were tough and when I missed it cost me," Woods said through a PGA Tour media official. "I caught the wrong gusts at the wrong time, made a couple bad swings and all in all, it just went the wrong way."

He wound up 16 shots out of the lead. Woods will tee off late Sunday, but on the opposite side of the course in the two-tee start because of weather.

The tournament was happy just to complete 54 holes with mid-afternoon storms that avoided Muirfield Village.

Bill Haas, the 36-hole leader, ran off three straight bogeys late in his round for a 76, and he wasn't all that upset about it. Haas was still only three shots back, and it wasn't hard to determine that par was a good score.

Like so many other players, Chappell wasn't sure which way the wind was blowing. On the 14th hole, with a wedge in hand from 105 yards, he felt the wind coming into him from the right, yet the flag was blowing in the opposite direction.

"I kept saying, 'Wow, this is tough here.' You hit a good shot and end up in a bad spot," Chappell said. "What can I do? You've just got to keep doing it, put one foot in front of the other and finish each hole."

Past winner Justin Rose had a 71 and joined Haas and Matt Jones (70) at 5-under 211. Masters champion Adam Scott had a 69 and was in the group at 4 under that included Charl Schwartzel, who was within one shot of the lead after completing the second round Saturday morning. The South African bogeyed both par 5s on the back nine and took double bogey on the 14th. He had a 41 on the back for a 76.

That was still better than Woods, whose round was somewhat of a mystery ? not only because the world's No. 1 player was in great form coming into a course where he has won five times, but because he was in good position off the tee. Woods, who started the round on No. 10, missed only one fairway on the back nine.

He took double bogey on the par-3 12th when he was in such a bad spot in the front bunker that he had to play out sideways to the wrong side of a long green, and then he three-putted. On the par-5 15th, he pulled his second shot well to the left, and then took two chips to get onto the putting surface only for the ball to run through the green. He really was fooled on the 18th, with a chip that spun back down the hill and a three-putt from short range.

He had three birdies on the front nine to avoid his worst score as a pro. That was an 81 at another Muirfield ? the real one ? in the third round of the British Open that cost him his best shot at the calendar Grand Slam in 2002.

Kuchar surged into the lead with two birdies on the front nine and didn't drop a shot until the ninth hole, when he missed the green to the left. The wind got him on the 15th when his high fairway metal drifted beyond the bunker and into a hazard that Kuchar didn't know existed, leading to bogey.

He saved par with a 10-foot putt on the par-3 16th, and made regulation pars coming in to give himself the 54-hole lead for the second straight week. He also was atop the leaderboard at Colonial, only to finish second to Boo Weekley.

"If you're not hitting the ball solid, you don't have a chance," Kuchar said.

Rory McIlroy had a 75, and part of him was happy to do that. He was safely inside the cut line when he returned Saturday morning to finish his round, and he birdied the 15th hole. He followed with back-to-back bogeys, and then came up short of the green and had to get up-and-down to avoid missing the cut. He made a 4-foot par save.

Pat Perez and former Masters champion Bubba Watson were among those at 3-under 213, still with a chance but needing some help. Tee times were pushed back for Sunday in case of early storms that might require time to clean up the course.

Perez was asked whether he wanted more wind.

"I'd like it to be dead calm," he said. "But I haven't hit a shot when it's not blowing 40 mph."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-01-GLF-Memorial/id-3af1ab815ed64dd6b8b174cd921bc7d3

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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Microsoft announces Halo live-action TV series created by 343 Industries and Steven Spielberg

Microsoft announces Halo liveaction TV series created by 343 industries and Steven Spielberg

The Xbox One is a big deal for consoles, but Microsoft just made a massive content announcement at today's reveal event -- a live-action Halo TV series. As if the existence of such a television show weren't enough, it turns out that 343 Industries is teaming up with renowned moviemaker Steven Spielberg to bring the world of Master Chief to life in serial form. Spielberg will be the executive producer and the show will provide "exclusive interactive Xbox One content," whatever that means. Unfortunately, neither Microsoft nor Mr. Spielberg are telling when the show will actually be available for your eyeballs to view, but it is, most assuredly an actual thing. And just knowing that the follow up to Halo: Forward Unto Dawn is coming is enough, right?

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/V-T6HUfLiv8/

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