WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. wholesale inventories rose more than expected in August, suggesting that restocking was less of a drag on economic growth on the eve of a fiscal battle in Washington than analysts had thought.
The Commerce Department said on Friday wholesale inventories rose 0.5 percent in August, the biggest increase since January. The government also said inventories rose more than initially estimated in July.
Gross domestic product expanded at a 2.5 percent annual pace in the April-June period, and most analysts expect a significant slowdown in the third quarter. A government shutdown that left hundreds of thousands of people out of work for weeks this month is expected to make the fourth quarter even weaker.
Economists expect the pace of inventory accumulation to slow a bit in the July-September quarter after consumer spending moderated in the previous quarter.
Wholesale inventories in August were boosted by increases in stocks of professional equipment and autos.
Sales at wholesalers increased 0.6 percent, beating economists' expectations.
At August's sales pace it would take 1.17 months to clear shelves. The inventories/sales ratio was unchanged from July.
(This story is refiled to correct reference to timing of government shutdown)
(Reporting by Timothy Ahmann; Editing by James Dalgleish)
FILE - In this May 24, 2000 file photo, Patsy Ramsey and her husband, John, parents of JonBenet Ramsey, look on during a nws conference in Atlanta regarding their lie-detector examinations for the murder of their daughter. A Colorado judge on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013 ordered the release of the 1999 grand jury indictment in the killing of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, possibly shedding light on why prosecutors decided against charging her parents in her death. Patsy Ramsey died in 2006. (AP Photo/Ric Feld, File)
FILE - In this May 24, 2000 file photo, Patsy Ramsey and her husband, John, parents of JonBenet Ramsey, look on during a nws conference in Atlanta regarding their lie-detector examinations for the murder of their daughter. A Colorado judge on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013 ordered the release of the 1999 grand jury indictment in the killing of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, possibly shedding light on why prosecutors decided against charging her parents in her death. Patsy Ramsey died in 2006. (AP Photo/Ric Feld, File)
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A grand jury that reviewed evidence in the death of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey believed her parents were involved in the crime but that another unknown person killed the young beauty queen, according to documents released Friday, 14 years after the grand jury made its recommendation.
At the time, the panel recommended that both her parents be charged with child abuse resulting in death and being an accessory to a crime, including murder.
However, the documents allege that both parents intended to delay or prevent the arrest of the person who killed their daughter.
The proposed charges were disclosed for the first time in the documents. However, no new light was shed on who committed the killing.
Prosecutors at the time declined to actually file charges against John and Patsy Ramsey, who have since been treated as victims in the case.
The district attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, who presented the evidence to the grand jury, said in 1999: "I and my prosecutorial team believe we do not have sufficient evidence to warrant the filing of charges against anyone who has been investigated at this time."
John Ramsey's attorney, Hal Haddon, issued a letter earlier this week opposing release of the indictments, pointing out that Hunter's successor, former district attorney Mary Lacy, cleared the Ramseys based on new DNA testing in 2008.
He also cited Lacy's apology in a letter to John Ramsey at the time, in which she said "no innocent person should have to endure such an extensive trial in the court of public opinion, especially when public officials have not had sufficient evidence to initiate a trial in a court of law."
Haddon said Friday he would have no further comment on the release of the indictments.
Patsy Ramsey died in 2006.
Lurid details of the crime and striking videos of the child in adult makeup and costumes performing in pageants propelled the case into one of the highest profile mysteries in the U.S. in the mid-1990s.
The grand jury met three years after JonBenet's body was found bludgeoned and strangled in the family home in Boulder on Dec. 26, 1996.
The Ramseys maintained their innocence, offering a $100,000 reward for information about the killer and mounting a newspaper campaign seeking evidence.
Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said the case remains open but is not an active investigation. He predicted the indictment's release wouldn't change anything.
"Given the publicity that's been out there, many people have formed their opinions one way or another," he said.
Former prosecutor and law professor Karen Steinhauser said grand juries sometimes hear evidence that won't be admitted during trial that can form the basis of indictments.
But she added that prosecutors must have a good faith belief that they could prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt before pursuing charges.
"I'm not sure that the release of this indictment is going to change the fact that there has not been able to be a prosecution and probably won't be able to be a prosecution," she said.
David Lane, a defense attorney who was not involved in the case, said the indictments could have been an attempt to force the parents to turn against each other, which he said was unlikely because both were protected by laws that limit testimony of one spouse against another.
"Somebody killed JonBenet Ramsey," Lane said. "It sounds like they were accused of aiding and abetting each other, with the hope someone would crack and break. That didn't happen, and prosecutors may have decided not to go forward."
The Daily Camera reported earlier this year that the grand jury had issued the indictment. The actual documents were released Friday in response to a lawsuit by the Daily Camera and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett determined the release would not violate grand jury secrecy rules, and transferred the documents to Robert Lowenbach, a retired Weld County judge, for review.
Lowenbach said Wednesday that only pages signed by the grand jury foreman would be releasable as official actions of the jury. His order mentioned 18 pages in all — nine relating to each of JonBenet's parents. Four pages — two each relating to the parents — were released Friday.
John Ramsey didn't immediately return a call seeking comment.
Patsy Ramsey died of cancer in 2006, the same year a globe-hopping school teacher was arrested in Thailand after falsely claiming to have killed JonBenet. Former District Attorney Mary Lacy cleared the Ramseys in 2008 based on new DNA testing that suggested the killer was a stranger, not a family member.
Lacy did not return a phone call on Friday.
Over the years, some experts have suggested that investigators botched the case so thoroughly that it might never be solved.
Earlier this week, John Ramsey asked officials to release the entire grand jury record if the unprosecuted indictment was made public.
However, Lowenbach said transcripts of grand jury proceedings and evidence presented to it are not considered official action under the law governing criminal court records. He also said releasing such information could hurt other grand juries, whose work is secret.
An attorney representing John Ramsey, L. Lin Wood, has said he's confident that no evidence in the grand jury case implicated the Ramsey family and the public should be able to see that for themselves.
_____
Associated Press writers Steven K. Paulson and Dan Elliott contributed to this report.
After brief test runs in Australia and New Zealand, EA and PopCap have released Plants vs. Zombies 2 for Android users worldwide. The new version is virtually identical to the iOS game released this summer, letting players fend off the undead hordes on both phones and tablets. The biggest change ...
In this photo provided by WNCN, emergency crews respond to the scene where a ride malfunctioned at the North Carolina State Fair, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013 in Raleigh, N.C. Several people were sent to the hospital with unknown injuries. (AP Photo/WNCN) MANDATORY CREDIT: WNCN
In this photo provided by WNCN, emergency crews respond to the scene where a ride malfunctioned at the North Carolina State Fair, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013 in Raleigh, N.C. Several people were sent to the hospital with unknown injuries. (AP Photo/WNCN) MANDATORY CREDIT: WNCN
In this photo provided by WNCN, emergency crews respond to the scene where a ride malfunctioned at the North Carolina State Fair, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013 in Raleigh, N.C. Several people were sent to the hospital with unknown injuries. (AP Photo/WNCN) MANDATORY CREDIT: WNCN
In this photo provided by WNCN, emergency crews respond to the scene where a ride malfunctioned at the North Carolina State Fair, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013 in Raleigh, N.C. Several people were sent to the hospital with unknown injuries. (AP Photo/WNCN) MANDATORY CREDIT: WNCN
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — An accident occurred on a ride at the North Carolina State Fair on Thursday night, sending five people to the hospital with unknown injuries.
The accident on the "Vortex" ride, which spins, twirls and flips passengers upside down, happened about 9:17 p.m., said State Fair spokesman Brian Long. He said an ambulance was on the scene immediately, and that two of the injuries "appear to be serious; the other three not as serious."
A preliminary investigation indicated that the passengers were injured when the ride started up again as they were getting off, Long said.
The injured riders ranged in age from 14 to 39, Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison told a news conference. Linda Fowler, clinical administrator for WakeMed in Raleigh, confirmed that five people were admitted to the hospital from the fair, but did not give out further information.
Long said the ride would undergo inspection by the N.C. Department of Labor, and that the sheriff's office would also conduct its own investigation and look for witnesses.
Television station WRAL in Raleigh quoted witnesses as saying that several people were thrown off the ride and that some were unconscious.
A witness identified as Caleb Norris told WNCN television that he heard a crashing sound just after getting off the Vortex. He turned around and saw two people lying face down. Norris also said he saw the ride operator fall to his knees and start crying.
The accident occurred shortly before the fair was shutting down for the night. Long said the fair would reopen on Friday as scheduled. It closes Sunday.
In 2002, a ride operator at the fair was killed when he was struck by the ride while it was still in operation.
___
Associated Press Writer Skip Foreman in Charlotte, N.C., contributed to this report.
Children with brain injuries nearly twice as likely to suffer from depression
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
25-Oct-2013
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Contact: Debbie Jacobson djacobson@aap.org 847-434-7084 American Academy of Pediatrics
Findings may help to identify, treat children at risk of depression
ORLANDO, Fla. Adults with head injuries are known to be at high risk for depression, and yet little research had been done on the topic related to children. In the abstract, "Depression in Children Diagnosed with Brain Injury or Concussion," presented Oct. 25 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, researchers sought to identify the prevalence of depression in children with brain injuries, including concussions, in the U.S.
Using data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, researchers identified more than 2,000 children with brain injuries, reflecting the national child brain injury rate of 1.9 percent in 2007; and 3,112 children with diagnosed depression, mirroring the 3.7 percent national child depression rate that year. Compared to other children, 15 percent of those with brain injuries or concussions were diagnosed as depresseda 4.9 fold increase in the odds of diagnosed depression.
"After adjustment for known predictors of depression in children like family structure, developmental delay and poor physical health, depression remained two times more likely in children with brain injury or concussion," said study author Matthew C. Wylie, MD, author of the abstract, "Depression in Children Diagnosed with Brain Injury or Concussion."
The study, the largest to look at an association between brain injury and depression in children and adolescents, "may enable better prognostication for brain-injured children and facilitate identification of those at high risk of depression," said Dr. Wylie.
###
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit http://www.aap.org.
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Children with brain injuries nearly twice as likely to suffer from depression
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
25-Oct-2013
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Contact: Debbie Jacobson djacobson@aap.org 847-434-7084 American Academy of Pediatrics
Findings may help to identify, treat children at risk of depression
ORLANDO, Fla. Adults with head injuries are known to be at high risk for depression, and yet little research had been done on the topic related to children. In the abstract, "Depression in Children Diagnosed with Brain Injury or Concussion," presented Oct. 25 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, researchers sought to identify the prevalence of depression in children with brain injuries, including concussions, in the U.S.
Using data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, researchers identified more than 2,000 children with brain injuries, reflecting the national child brain injury rate of 1.9 percent in 2007; and 3,112 children with diagnosed depression, mirroring the 3.7 percent national child depression rate that year. Compared to other children, 15 percent of those with brain injuries or concussions were diagnosed as depresseda 4.9 fold increase in the odds of diagnosed depression.
"After adjustment for known predictors of depression in children like family structure, developmental delay and poor physical health, depression remained two times more likely in children with brain injury or concussion," said study author Matthew C. Wylie, MD, author of the abstract, "Depression in Children Diagnosed with Brain Injury or Concussion."
The study, the largest to look at an association between brain injury and depression in children and adolescents, "may enable better prognostication for brain-injured children and facilitate identification of those at high risk of depression," said Dr. Wylie.
###
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit http://www.aap.org.
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TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2010, AT 6:19 PM Tornado Kills at Least Five in Oklahoma
FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2011, AT 3:07 PM Obama Gets Firsthand Look at a Tornado Damage
TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2010, AT 6:19 PM Tornado Kills at Least Five in Oklahoma. Very long title. Long long long. Tornado Kills at Least Five in Oklahoma. Very long title. Long long long.
TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2010, AT 6:19 PM Tornado Kills at Least Five in Oklahoma. Very long title. Long long long. Tornado Kills at Least Five in Oklahoma. Very long title. Long long long.
MTV, AP-NORC Center survey finds that online bullying has declined
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
24-Oct-2013
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Contact: Eric Young young-eric@norc.org 301-634-9536 NORC at the University of Chicago
Report shows downward trend across 26 of 27 forms of digital abuse, incidence of sexting drops nearly 20 percent, less than half of young people report experiencing digital abuse
New York, NY October 24, 2013 MTV and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research today released the results of a new survey exploring the pervasiveness of digital abuse among teens and young adults, how it is affecting America's youth and how they're responding to it. According to the survey, trends show that the share of young people affected by digital abuse has declined since 2011, with less than half (49 percent) of those surveyed stating that they have experienced digital abuse, compared to 56 percent in 2011. Additionally, virtually every form of digital abuse tracked in this study 26 out of 27 listed has declined*. When experiencing digital abuse, 44 percent of young people state that they seek help from their parents or family, up over 25 percent from 2011, and the majority (66 percent) say that telling their parents made the situation better.
Sexting is down nearly 20 percent from 2011, with only about a quarter of young people reporting that they have sent or received "sext" messages, compared with one in three in 2011. Meanwhile, just over 10 percent of 14-24 year olds say they have shared naked pictures of videos of themselves. While this number remains relatively consistent over the past few years, the percentage of teens and young adults who say they sent naked pictures to someone they only know online has decreased by more than half since 2009. Additionally, young people report less pressure to send naked pictures or videos of themselves, down over 40 percent compared to 2011 (12 percent vs. 7 percent). Unfortunately there has been less progress on digital dating abuse. On par with 2011, nearly 40 percent of young people in a relationship report experiencing some type of digital dating abuse, with one in five stating that their partner has checked up with them multiple times per day online or via mobile, and that their significant other has read their text messages without their permission.
The MTV and Associated Press-NORC Center study was released today as part of MTV's "A THIN LINE" campaign, which has already empowered more than 1.5 million young people to take action to stop the spread of digital abuse.
Detailed findings from the October 2013 study include:
I. POSITIVE MOMENTUM AND RESPONSE
Less than half of young people (49 percent) report experiencing digital abuse, representing a nearly 15 percent decline from 56 percent in 2011. Some of the positive gains include:
Drops in 26 of 27 forms of digital abuse (2013 vs. 2011)*. Some of these include:
A nearly 30 percent drop in reports of people using email, IM or cell phone text messages to spread rumors that weren't true (15 percent vs. 21 percent)
An almost 30 percent decline in reports of people impersonating the respondent by logging into his or her email or social media accounts without permission (15 percent vs. 21 percent)
A nearly 25 percent decrease in reports of spying by logging into personal email and/or social media accounts without permission (16 percent vs. 21 percent)
When responding to digital abuse:
More young people are seeking help from parents or family, up over 25 percent from 2011. Among the 1 in 3 who asked their parents for help in 2013, a majority (66 percent) say it made the situation better, up 35 percent compared to 2011 (49 percent). Additionally, nearly 20 percent asked a sibling for help, and among that group- over half (57 percent) report that it made the situation better.
The most effective responses to digital abuse include:
Changing email, IM, or social networking passwords (nearly three-quarters, or 73 percent, report that this made the situation better)
Changing an email address, screen name or cell phone number (72 percent report this made the situation better)
Deleting a social networking profile (72 percent report this made the situation better)
Telling parents (66 percent report this made the situation better).
Retaliation is now cited as the least effective response, with 20 percent saying that it made the situation worse. Nearly 50 percent viewed retaliation as an effective response in 2011, compared to less than 30 percent in 2013, representing a nearly 40 percent decline.
II. SEXTING AND RELATIONSHIPS
The number of young people who have sent or received "sext" messages has declined. Of the young people who have shared naked pictures or videos of themselves, over half (66 percent) say they sent naked pictures of themselves to their boyfriend or girlfriend, and less than 15 percent have shared naked pictures with someone they only know online, marking a more than 50 percent decline since 2009.
While fewer young people report sending or receiving "sext" messages, digital dating abuse has unfortunately remained relatively consistent, with nearly 40 percent of young people who are currently in a relationship experiencing some form of digital abuse:
Around one in five report that their partner has checked up with them multiple times per day online or via mobile (22 percent), and that their significant other has read their text messages without their permission (21 percent).
Nearly 10 percent say their significant other has called them names, put them down, or said mean things to them on the Internet or on their cell phone (9 percent) or demanded to know the passwords to their email and Internet accounts (8 percent).
Nearly 20 percent of young people say they feel pressured by their partner to respond to their phone calls, emails, texts, or instant messages.
###
To access the full MTV/AP-NORC research findings from 2013, 2011 and 2009, please go to http://www.research.ATHINLINE.org. Additional information, including the Associated Press stories based on the survey results and the survey's complete topline findings can be found on The AP-NORC Center's website at http://www.apnorc.org.
Launched in 2009, MTV's "A THIN LINE" campaign empowers America's youth to identify, respond to, and stop the spread of digital abuse, which includes all forms of digital bullying, dating abuse and discrimination. MTV is addressing these issues through thought-provoking PSAs, integration into MTV's top-rated shows, innovative online and mobile tools, and curricula. For more information on MTV's "A THIN LINE" please head to http://www.ATHINLINE.org.
Methodology
This survey was conducted by the GfK Group using the Web-enabled KnowledgePanel, a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. population. Initially, participants are chosen scientifically by a random selection of telephone numbers and residential addresses. Persons in selected households are then invited by telephone or by mail to participate in the Web-enabled KnowledgePanel. For those who agree to participate, but do not already have Internet access, GfK provides at no cost a laptop and ISP connection. People who already have computers and Internet service are permitted to participate using their own equipment. Panelists then receive unique log-in information for accessing surveys online, and then are sent emails throughout each month inviting them to participate in research.
Interviews were conducted in English between September 27 and October 7, 2013 with 1,297 young people ages 14-24 (489 ages 14-17; 808 ages 18-24). A total of 4,321 panel members were randomly drawn from GfK's KnowledgePanel. 1,297 (excluding breakoffs) responded to the invitation, yielding a final stage completion rate of 30.0 percent. The recruitment rate for this study, reported by GfK, was 13.2 percent and the profile rate was 66.7 percent, for a cumulative response rate of 2.6 percent. The overall margin of error is +/- 3.7 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Once the sample has been selected and fielded, and all the study data are collected and made final, a post-stratification process is used to adjust for any survey non-response as well as any non-coverage or under- and oversampling resulting from the study-specific sample design. Post stratification variables included, age, sex, education, race, and metropolitan status using the August 2013 Current Population Survey (CPS). The weighted data, which thus reflect the U.S. population of 14-24 year olds, were used for all analyses.
Once GfK collected the data, the AP-NORC Center conducted the analysis along with MTV's Insights and Innovation department. All analyses were conducted using STATA (version 13), which allows for adjustment of standard errors for complex sample designs. All differences reported between subgroups of the U.S. population are at the 95 percent level of statistical significance, meaning that there is only a 5 percent (or less) probability that the observed differences could be attributed to chance variation in sampling. A comprehensive listing of all study questions, complete with tabulations of top-level results for each question, is available on the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research website: http://www.apnorc.org.
The study design was a collaborative effort between MTV and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Funding for the study was provided by MTV.
*Data reveals a downward trend, however not all of the changes are statistically significant.
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago is an independent research organization headquartered in downtown Chicago with additional offices in the University of Chicago campus, the D.C. Metro area, Atlanta, Boston, and San Francisco. NORC also supports a nationwide field staff as well as international research operations. With clients throughout the world, NORC collaborates with government agencies, foundations, education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to provide data and analysis that support informed decision making in key areas including health, education, crime, justice, energy, security and the environment. NORC's more than 70 years of leadership and experience in data collection, analysis, and disseminationcoupled with deep subject matter expertiseprovides the foundation for effective solutions to issues confronting society.
About The Associated Press
AP is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from AP.
About MTV
MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy, Grammy and Peabody award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is the leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information, go to http://www.mtvpress.com.
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
MTV, AP-NORC Center survey finds that online bullying has declined
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
24-Oct-2013
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Contact: Eric Young young-eric@norc.org 301-634-9536 NORC at the University of Chicago
Report shows downward trend across 26 of 27 forms of digital abuse, incidence of sexting drops nearly 20 percent, less than half of young people report experiencing digital abuse
New York, NY October 24, 2013 MTV and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research today released the results of a new survey exploring the pervasiveness of digital abuse among teens and young adults, how it is affecting America's youth and how they're responding to it. According to the survey, trends show that the share of young people affected by digital abuse has declined since 2011, with less than half (49 percent) of those surveyed stating that they have experienced digital abuse, compared to 56 percent in 2011. Additionally, virtually every form of digital abuse tracked in this study 26 out of 27 listed has declined*. When experiencing digital abuse, 44 percent of young people state that they seek help from their parents or family, up over 25 percent from 2011, and the majority (66 percent) say that telling their parents made the situation better.
Sexting is down nearly 20 percent from 2011, with only about a quarter of young people reporting that they have sent or received "sext" messages, compared with one in three in 2011. Meanwhile, just over 10 percent of 14-24 year olds say they have shared naked pictures of videos of themselves. While this number remains relatively consistent over the past few years, the percentage of teens and young adults who say they sent naked pictures to someone they only know online has decreased by more than half since 2009. Additionally, young people report less pressure to send naked pictures or videos of themselves, down over 40 percent compared to 2011 (12 percent vs. 7 percent). Unfortunately there has been less progress on digital dating abuse. On par with 2011, nearly 40 percent of young people in a relationship report experiencing some type of digital dating abuse, with one in five stating that their partner has checked up with them multiple times per day online or via mobile, and that their significant other has read their text messages without their permission.
The MTV and Associated Press-NORC Center study was released today as part of MTV's "A THIN LINE" campaign, which has already empowered more than 1.5 million young people to take action to stop the spread of digital abuse.
Detailed findings from the October 2013 study include:
I. POSITIVE MOMENTUM AND RESPONSE
Less than half of young people (49 percent) report experiencing digital abuse, representing a nearly 15 percent decline from 56 percent in 2011. Some of the positive gains include:
Drops in 26 of 27 forms of digital abuse (2013 vs. 2011)*. Some of these include:
A nearly 30 percent drop in reports of people using email, IM or cell phone text messages to spread rumors that weren't true (15 percent vs. 21 percent)
An almost 30 percent decline in reports of people impersonating the respondent by logging into his or her email or social media accounts without permission (15 percent vs. 21 percent)
A nearly 25 percent decrease in reports of spying by logging into personal email and/or social media accounts without permission (16 percent vs. 21 percent)
When responding to digital abuse:
More young people are seeking help from parents or family, up over 25 percent from 2011. Among the 1 in 3 who asked their parents for help in 2013, a majority (66 percent) say it made the situation better, up 35 percent compared to 2011 (49 percent). Additionally, nearly 20 percent asked a sibling for help, and among that group- over half (57 percent) report that it made the situation better.
The most effective responses to digital abuse include:
Changing email, IM, or social networking passwords (nearly three-quarters, or 73 percent, report that this made the situation better)
Changing an email address, screen name or cell phone number (72 percent report this made the situation better)
Deleting a social networking profile (72 percent report this made the situation better)
Telling parents (66 percent report this made the situation better).
Retaliation is now cited as the least effective response, with 20 percent saying that it made the situation worse. Nearly 50 percent viewed retaliation as an effective response in 2011, compared to less than 30 percent in 2013, representing a nearly 40 percent decline.
II. SEXTING AND RELATIONSHIPS
The number of young people who have sent or received "sext" messages has declined. Of the young people who have shared naked pictures or videos of themselves, over half (66 percent) say they sent naked pictures of themselves to their boyfriend or girlfriend, and less than 15 percent have shared naked pictures with someone they only know online, marking a more than 50 percent decline since 2009.
While fewer young people report sending or receiving "sext" messages, digital dating abuse has unfortunately remained relatively consistent, with nearly 40 percent of young people who are currently in a relationship experiencing some form of digital abuse:
Around one in five report that their partner has checked up with them multiple times per day online or via mobile (22 percent), and that their significant other has read their text messages without their permission (21 percent).
Nearly 10 percent say their significant other has called them names, put them down, or said mean things to them on the Internet or on their cell phone (9 percent) or demanded to know the passwords to their email and Internet accounts (8 percent).
Nearly 20 percent of young people say they feel pressured by their partner to respond to their phone calls, emails, texts, or instant messages.
###
To access the full MTV/AP-NORC research findings from 2013, 2011 and 2009, please go to http://www.research.ATHINLINE.org. Additional information, including the Associated Press stories based on the survey results and the survey's complete topline findings can be found on The AP-NORC Center's website at http://www.apnorc.org.
Launched in 2009, MTV's "A THIN LINE" campaign empowers America's youth to identify, respond to, and stop the spread of digital abuse, which includes all forms of digital bullying, dating abuse and discrimination. MTV is addressing these issues through thought-provoking PSAs, integration into MTV's top-rated shows, innovative online and mobile tools, and curricula. For more information on MTV's "A THIN LINE" please head to http://www.ATHINLINE.org.
Methodology
This survey was conducted by the GfK Group using the Web-enabled KnowledgePanel, a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. population. Initially, participants are chosen scientifically by a random selection of telephone numbers and residential addresses. Persons in selected households are then invited by telephone or by mail to participate in the Web-enabled KnowledgePanel. For those who agree to participate, but do not already have Internet access, GfK provides at no cost a laptop and ISP connection. People who already have computers and Internet service are permitted to participate using their own equipment. Panelists then receive unique log-in information for accessing surveys online, and then are sent emails throughout each month inviting them to participate in research.
Interviews were conducted in English between September 27 and October 7, 2013 with 1,297 young people ages 14-24 (489 ages 14-17; 808 ages 18-24). A total of 4,321 panel members were randomly drawn from GfK's KnowledgePanel. 1,297 (excluding breakoffs) responded to the invitation, yielding a final stage completion rate of 30.0 percent. The recruitment rate for this study, reported by GfK, was 13.2 percent and the profile rate was 66.7 percent, for a cumulative response rate of 2.6 percent. The overall margin of error is +/- 3.7 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Once the sample has been selected and fielded, and all the study data are collected and made final, a post-stratification process is used to adjust for any survey non-response as well as any non-coverage or under- and oversampling resulting from the study-specific sample design. Post stratification variables included, age, sex, education, race, and metropolitan status using the August 2013 Current Population Survey (CPS). The weighted data, which thus reflect the U.S. population of 14-24 year olds, were used for all analyses.
Once GfK collected the data, the AP-NORC Center conducted the analysis along with MTV's Insights and Innovation department. All analyses were conducted using STATA (version 13), which allows for adjustment of standard errors for complex sample designs. All differences reported between subgroups of the U.S. population are at the 95 percent level of statistical significance, meaning that there is only a 5 percent (or less) probability that the observed differences could be attributed to chance variation in sampling. A comprehensive listing of all study questions, complete with tabulations of top-level results for each question, is available on the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research website: http://www.apnorc.org.
The study design was a collaborative effort between MTV and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Funding for the study was provided by MTV.
*Data reveals a downward trend, however not all of the changes are statistically significant.
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago is an independent research organization headquartered in downtown Chicago with additional offices in the University of Chicago campus, the D.C. Metro area, Atlanta, Boston, and San Francisco. NORC also supports a nationwide field staff as well as international research operations. With clients throughout the world, NORC collaborates with government agencies, foundations, education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to provide data and analysis that support informed decision making in key areas including health, education, crime, justice, energy, security and the environment. NORC's more than 70 years of leadership and experience in data collection, analysis, and disseminationcoupled with deep subject matter expertiseprovides the foundation for effective solutions to issues confronting society.
About The Associated Press
AP is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from AP.
About MTV
MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy, Grammy and Peabody award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is the leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information, go to http://www.mtvpress.com.
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
You'd think he'd be more careful: The man who was once responsible for the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency was giving a background interview during a train ride, but he didn't notice that a fellow passenger was live tweeting the highlights.
In truth, we didn't learn any secrets from Ret. Gen. Michael Hayden, but Tom Matzzie, who used to work for the liberal group MoveOn.org, provided a riveting — and funny — account of the ordeal on his Twitter feed.
Matzzie said Hayden told the journalists that he could only be identified as a former senior administration official and then went on to give "disparaging quotes about" the Obama administration. At one point Hayden, said Matzzie, was "bragging about rendition and black sites."
Hayden, you might remember, served as the NSA director under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He served as CIA director for Bush and President Obama. Currently, he works for the Chertoff Group.
As you might imagine, eventually Hayden got a call from his office telling him what was going on. Matzzie wondered if he should hide. But Hayden graciously offered an interview and even took a picture with Matzzie.
Eventually, Matzzie tweeted, Hayden got off the train in Newark.
"He touched my back ... again," Matzzie tweeted, before adding that he was about to get off the train himself and someone should "email my wife and explain all this."
FILE - In this Dec. 10, 2010 file photo, B.O.B. and Bruno Mars perform at the 2010 Z100 Jingle Ball concert at Madison Square Garden in New York. B.o.B is happy that Mars is the halftime performer at Super Bowl XLVIII, especially if he gets an invite to join him onstage. Super Bowl XLVIII will take place Feb. 2 in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, File)
ATLANTA (AP) — B.o.B is happy Bruno Mars is the halftime performer at Super Bowl XLVIII, especially if he gets an invitation to join him onstage.
B.o.B says with a laugh: "I ain't got my phone call yet, but I hope I'll be on there."
Mars and the rapper collaborated on the 2010 No. 1 hit, "Nothin' on You." The song was nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and helped Mars launch his successful solo career, which includes two platinum albums and 10 Top 5 hits.
B.o.B said in an interview Wednesday that he and Mars came up the music ranks together, performing in the studio before the singer became a pop star.
Super Bowl XLVIII will take place Feb. 2 in East Rutherford, N.J.
B.o.B will release his third album, "Underground Luxury," on Dec. 17.
____
Follow Jonathan Landrum Jr. at http://twitter.com/MrLandrum31
In this police handout photo taken on Thursday , Oct. 17, 2013, Christos Salis, 39, right, and his companion Eleftheria Dimopoulou, 40, or Selini Sali — as the woman has two separate sets of identity papers. pose with the little girl only known as "Maria" in the Larisa regional police headquarters, Greece. Police in Greece have released the photographs of a couple alleged adductors of a girl known “Maria” after they were formally taken onto pre-trial custody and an international search for the girl’s parents intensified. (AP Photo/Greek Police)
In this police handout photo taken on Thursday , Oct. 17, 2013, Christos Salis, 39, right, and his companion Eleftheria Dimopoulou, 40, or Selini Sali — as the woman has two separate sets of identity papers. pose with the little girl only known as "Maria" in the Larisa regional police headquarters, Greece. Police in Greece have released the photographs of a couple alleged adductors of a girl known “Maria” after they were formally taken onto pre-trial custody and an international search for the girl’s parents intensified. (AP Photo/Greek Police)
In this undated photo released by charity ''The Smile of the Child'' shows a four-year-old girl at an unknown location. Greek authorities on Friday, Oct. 18, 2013 have requested international assistance to identify the four-year-old girl found living in a Gypsy camp with a couple arrested and charged with abducting her from her birth parents. A police statement says the child was located Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2013 near the town of Farsala, central Greece, during a nationwide crackdown on illegal activities in Gypsy camps. (AP Photo/The Smile of the Child)
In this undated photo released by Greek Police shows a four-year-old girl at an unknown location. Greek authorities on Friday, Oct. 18, 2013 have requested international assistance to identify the four-year-old girl found living in a Gypsy camp with a couple arrested and charged with abducting her from her birth parents. A police statement says the child was located Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2013 near the town of Farsala, central Greece, during a nationwide crackdown on illegal activities in Gypsy camps. (AP Photo/Greek Police)
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — A Roma woman in remote town in central Bulgaria has undergone DNA testing as authorities investigate if she is the mother of a suspected abduction victim in neighboring Greece known as "Maria" whose case has triggered a global search for her real parents.
Sasha Ruseva, 35, had been tested for a match and served with preliminary charges of child selling, but was not detained, Bulgarian authorities said Thursday.
Ruseva appeared on Bulgarian television after being questioned at a police station in the town of Nikolaevo, 280 kilometers (175 miles) east of the capital, Sofia, and admitted she once left a baby behind in Greece while working there, but was not sure if Maria was her daughter.
"I don't know if it's her. How would I know that? I didn't take any money. I just didn't have enough money to feed her," Ruseva said speaking on TV, which showed pictures of her and her family outside her mud-floored village home outside the town.
Several of the children seen at the village were barefoot or looked poorly cared for.
"I intended to go back and take my child home, but meanwhile I gave birth to two more kids, so I was not able to go back," Ruseva said.
Bulgarian Interior Ministry chief secretary Svetlozar Lazarov said Ruseva had told police she had seen televised pictures of a Greek Roma couple who had looked after Maria and recognized them as the same people with whom she left her child.
A blond-haired and fair-skinned girl aged 5 or 6, Maria, was discovered last week near Farsala in central Greece during a police raid on a Gypsy settlement. DNA tests on the Roma couple revealed they weren't her parents and the two were charged with abduction and document fraud.
They insist they were looking after Maria with their own five children after an informally-arranged adoption.
The girl was placed into the care of a children's charity and her DNA details were provided to Interpol which has so far failed to match her to any missing children declared in its records, from Poland to the U.S.
But the global interest has also raised concerns that news coverage of Maria and actions taken by authorities in the high-profile case are fueling racist sentiment against the Gypsy minority, who number around 6 million in the European Union.
"The long-standing problem of negative media reporting on minorities has vehemently re-emerged with the cases of the children found in Roma families ... propagating age-old myths portraying Roma as child-abductors," the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks said in a statement.
In the central Romanian town of Sibiu, Dorin Cioaba, an influential Gypsy community leader widely known as the king of the Roma, said the Greek couple's story sounded plausible.
"Roma families love their children very much. They would give their lives for their children," Cioaba told Associated Press Television News.
"What I think (happened) is that young woman who abandoned the child gave her to this family knowing that if she leaves her on the street, she will end up in a state orphanage or even taken by someone, sold and trafficked ... Maybe this girl did not grow up in a the best environment. But I don't believe what I have heard that this little girl was traumatized."
___
Olimpiu Gheorhgiu reported from Sibiu, Romania. Alison Mutler in Bucharest, Romania, and Elena Becatoros, Nicholas Paphitis and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report.
Google keeps tabs on you. We all know that. Despite its unofficial motto, "Don't be evil," the company tracks what we search for, who we send mail to, and anything else it can find on us. And it's all done without malice. But with some recent policy changes, it appears the pervasive search giant could be leaning towards the dark side.
The company spies on you to enhance its bottom line. The more Google knows about you, the better it can target ads to your tastes. And if that was the only thing they did with your information, personal tastes, and odd character quirks, that wouldn't be so bad. There's little harm in seeing only ads for things you might actually want to buy.
But now, Google wants you to be part of those ads. And no, you won't get paid for it.
On October 11, Google updated its terms of service. Only instead of "updated," something like, “changed it in a way to better exploit you” might be more accurate. The company can now use your name and photo in certain types of ads.
To be fair, this isn't as bad as it sounds. Google will not plaster your face on ads for products you never heard of, or ones that you actively hate. They'll stick to products that you've endorsed on some Google service, and even then only display the ads to people you know. For instance, if you use Google+, the company may show your circle of friends that you liked a particular product.
Of course, it could get worse. After all, this is the company that owns YouTube and reads your mail. Who knows how they will "enhance" this policy in the future.
For the present, however, they're providing a way to opt out. Go to Shared Endorsements setting, and scroll to the bottom of the page. If the option labeled "Based upon my activity, Google may show my name and profile photo in shared endorsements that appear in ads" is checked, uncheck it and click Save.
Banner ads and economic realities
Putting your face in advertising isn't Google's only recent turn for the worst. According to a report in The Guardian, the search giant is experimenting with putting banner ads in search result pages--a form of advertising they swore off of in 2005.
Judging from rare sightings of these tests, the banners are quite large, dominating the page. Google already uses well under half of the page for actual, legitimate search results. Expect that real estate to shrink even more.
Like all corporations, Google is in business to make a profit--the larger the better. And its primary customers are not the millions of people for whom they provide free services, but the advertisers who actually send them money.
To a large extent, you have to expect them to behave that way. Like any other for-profit company that gives products or services away for free, they have to get money from someone, and that someone may not have your best interests at heart. You need to keep an eye open and make sure they don't overstep their bounds.
[ This sponsored article was written by IDG Creative Lab, a partner of PCWorld. ]
Data reaffirms test's ability to identify benign thyroid nodules
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
23-Oct-2013
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Contact: Jackie Brinkman jackie.brinkman@ucdenver.edu 303-724-1525 University of Colorado Denver
Study co-led by a CU School of Medicine researcher has confirmed that a Gene Expression Classifier test can drastically reduce the problem of unnecessary surgeries in thyroid nodule assessment
Aurora, CO (Oct. 23, 2013) The latest study co-led by a CU School of Medicine researcher has confirmed that a Gene Expression Classifier (GEC) test can drastically reduce the problem of unnecessary surgeries in thyroid nodule assessment. These indeterminate nodules are being evaluated with a new molecular diagnostic test that measures the expression levels of 142 genes. This test is able to identify which initially indeterminate nodules are highly likely to be benign, and thus allows patients to avoid unnecessary diagnostic surgery.
This multi-site study co-led by Bryan R. Haugen, MD, professor of medicine and pathology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine provides the first long-term look at how these patients fared, and its findings reaffirm the performance of the Afirma Gene Expression Classifier (GEC). Haugen said "Each year, tens of thousands of patients with thyroid nodules have surgery to remove all or part of their thyroids. This is due to fine needle aspiration (FNA) cell test results that are indeterminate or inconclusive yet raise suspicions for thyroid cancer. Often times, most of these nodules prove to be benign. Our findings suggest that when the GEC identifies an otherwise indeterminate thyroid nodule as benign which it does about 50% of the time it is comparable in accuracy to a benign diagnosis by cytopathology, This fact and the degree to which physicians and patients in the study opted against surgery when the molecular test result was benign underscore the test's potential to drastically reduce the problem of unnecessary surgeries in thyroid nodule assessment."
Researchers analyzed all patients who had received Afirma GEC testing following indeterminate FNA biopsy results at five academic medical centers between 2010 and 2013. The GEC identified 174 of 339 (51%) indeterminate nodules as benign and, among these, 71 had documented clinical follow-up for an average of 9 months. Of these, only one nodule proved cancerous, demonstrating a very high negative predictive value (NPV) for the GEC. This finding is consistent with results from an earlier prospective, multicenter clinical study. Additionally, in the new study only 6% of patients with nodules identified as benign by the GEC test underwent surgery. This is a substantial reduction compared to traditional surgical rates for patients with cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules.
Thyroid nodules are common, but only approximately 5-15% prove malignant. Most nodules are evaluated using FNA, with approximately 525,000 thyroid nodule FNAs performed in the U.S. in 2011 to rule out cancer. In most cases, the results are benign, yet in approximately 15-30% of cases the results are indeterminate not clearly benign or malignant. Because of the risk of thyroid cancer, most of these patients have historically been recommended for surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid to obtain a final diagnosis. However, such indeterminate nodules prove ultimately benign in 70-80% of cases. For these patients, the surgery was not needed and they were unnecessarily exposed to the cost, risk and morbidity of this intervention. Additionally, most patients subsequently require lifelong thyroid hormone therapy.
The study is published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and its findings were presented recently at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association, held in Puerto Rico.
The long-term findings built on the previous study which demonstrates the Afirma Gene Expression Classifier's accuracy was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
###
Faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine work to advance science and improve care. These faculty members include physicians, educators and scientists at University of Colorado Hospital, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, National Jewish Health, and the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Degrees offered by the CU Denver School of Medicine include doctor of medicine, doctor of physical therapy, and masters of physician assistant studies. The School is located on the University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus, one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system. For additional news and information, please visit our online newsroom.
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Data reaffirms test's ability to identify benign thyroid nodules
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
23-Oct-2013
[
| E-mail
]
Share
Contact: Jackie Brinkman jackie.brinkman@ucdenver.edu 303-724-1525 University of Colorado Denver
Study co-led by a CU School of Medicine researcher has confirmed that a Gene Expression Classifier test can drastically reduce the problem of unnecessary surgeries in thyroid nodule assessment
Aurora, CO (Oct. 23, 2013) The latest study co-led by a CU School of Medicine researcher has confirmed that a Gene Expression Classifier (GEC) test can drastically reduce the problem of unnecessary surgeries in thyroid nodule assessment. These indeterminate nodules are being evaluated with a new molecular diagnostic test that measures the expression levels of 142 genes. This test is able to identify which initially indeterminate nodules are highly likely to be benign, and thus allows patients to avoid unnecessary diagnostic surgery.
This multi-site study co-led by Bryan R. Haugen, MD, professor of medicine and pathology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine provides the first long-term look at how these patients fared, and its findings reaffirm the performance of the Afirma Gene Expression Classifier (GEC). Haugen said "Each year, tens of thousands of patients with thyroid nodules have surgery to remove all or part of their thyroids. This is due to fine needle aspiration (FNA) cell test results that are indeterminate or inconclusive yet raise suspicions for thyroid cancer. Often times, most of these nodules prove to be benign. Our findings suggest that when the GEC identifies an otherwise indeterminate thyroid nodule as benign which it does about 50% of the time it is comparable in accuracy to a benign diagnosis by cytopathology, This fact and the degree to which physicians and patients in the study opted against surgery when the molecular test result was benign underscore the test's potential to drastically reduce the problem of unnecessary surgeries in thyroid nodule assessment."
Researchers analyzed all patients who had received Afirma GEC testing following indeterminate FNA biopsy results at five academic medical centers between 2010 and 2013. The GEC identified 174 of 339 (51%) indeterminate nodules as benign and, among these, 71 had documented clinical follow-up for an average of 9 months. Of these, only one nodule proved cancerous, demonstrating a very high negative predictive value (NPV) for the GEC. This finding is consistent with results from an earlier prospective, multicenter clinical study. Additionally, in the new study only 6% of patients with nodules identified as benign by the GEC test underwent surgery. This is a substantial reduction compared to traditional surgical rates for patients with cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules.
Thyroid nodules are common, but only approximately 5-15% prove malignant. Most nodules are evaluated using FNA, with approximately 525,000 thyroid nodule FNAs performed in the U.S. in 2011 to rule out cancer. In most cases, the results are benign, yet in approximately 15-30% of cases the results are indeterminate not clearly benign or malignant. Because of the risk of thyroid cancer, most of these patients have historically been recommended for surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid to obtain a final diagnosis. However, such indeterminate nodules prove ultimately benign in 70-80% of cases. For these patients, the surgery was not needed and they were unnecessarily exposed to the cost, risk and morbidity of this intervention. Additionally, most patients subsequently require lifelong thyroid hormone therapy.
The study is published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and its findings were presented recently at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association, held in Puerto Rico.
The long-term findings built on the previous study which demonstrates the Afirma Gene Expression Classifier's accuracy was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
###
Faculty at the University of Colorado School of Medicine work to advance science and improve care. These faculty members include physicians, educators and scientists at University of Colorado Hospital, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, National Jewish Health, and the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Degrees offered by the CU Denver School of Medicine include doctor of medicine, doctor of physical therapy, and masters of physician assistant studies. The School is located on the University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus, one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system. For additional news and information, please visit our online newsroom.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
After brief test runs in Australia and New Zealand, EA and PopCap have released Plants vs. Zombies 2 for Android users worldwide. The new version is virtually identical to the iOS game released this summer, letting players fend off the undead hordes on both phones and tablets. The biggest change ...![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
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