Getting The Best Limo Service In Nyc: Questions To Ask

Planning to move around in NYC in a luxurious Limo? If yes, there are many service providers offering top-quality Limo services in the city. But it is advisable to ask some important questions before hiring a service provider. Read on to know more about it.

Although renting a car helps one to travel form one point to another, nothing comes closer to renting a limo. One will not only be able to travel from one point to another, he or she will also enjoy the luxury that comes with these vehicles and enjoy the condiment that are offered both inside the vehicle and outside the vehicle.

The chauffeurs are also friendly and well mannered and will always try to give you the best services possible. These has made these vehicles very good for occasions such as weddings, dates and even important business meetings. Since one pay lots of money for limo hire as compared just normal cars, there are questions you should always ask to help you get the best limo service in NYC.

1. How long has the company operating the limousine rental service been in business?

Its very important to check the credibility of the company you hiring a limo from first. the best way to do this is by inquiring how long they have been in business. The company should have be operating for a long time. You should then check the condition of the limos that they are renting out. A good company will have a well maintained fleet. It will be also be having a large fleet of limos for rentals. Lastly, the company should be able to let you see the insurance of the car that you are renting.

2. Are the chauffeurs good?

Before hiring any limo, you should ensure that it comes with not only qualified chauffeurs bu also well trained chauffeurs. The chauffeurs should have licenses. By ensuring you are shown the licenses of the chauffeurs, you will be sure that you are getting someone who will drive you safely and comfortable as you enjoy your trip. You should also ask questions on how you and the chauffeur will meet and how he will cater for you. He should also be able to cater for you in case of long waits and change in drop-off points.

3. What does the policy are include?

The contract for limo rental should include many things. You should make sure that it include the type of limo your are renting, details on payment for the driver, price for the rental, duration period of the service, meeting point with the driver,fuel, and things such as food and drinks. It should also indicate special features such as insurance, red carpet and accidental breakdowns. You should also be given the contacts so that you can confirm anything you need before the rental day.

4. How do clients pay?

Before signing any contract, you should ask how you are expected to pay. The available options should include the provision of you paying a partial down payment and them paying the remaining portion later. The best Limo service in NYC should also be willing to offer you refund in case there is inconsistency with the contract you signed. A prior contingency plan should also be discussed prior in case any damage occurs to you as you use the services of the company. This protects you from loses due to such damages.

About the Author:
The author of this article is associated with NY Travel Limo DBA, a reputed provider of top-class Limo services in NYC. For more details, visit website.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Getting-The-Best-Limo-Service-In-Nyc--Questions-To-Ask/4536014

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Senate ready to launch gun control debate

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Senate is ready to launch an emotion-charged debate on new gun restrictions, four months after the carnage at a Connecticut elementary school spurred President Barack Obama and Congress to address firearms violence.

In an opening showdown Thursday, senators were scheduled to vote on an attempt by conservatives to scuttle the Democratic bill before debate even started. There were no real doubts the conservatives would be defeated and lawmakers would turn to the legislation, which would expand background checks to more gun buyers, toughen penalties against illicit firearms sales and offer slightly more money for school security.

The roll call was coming a day after two leading conservatives, Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., unveiled a compromise to extend required federal background checks to gun shows and online transactions. Only noncommercial, personal transactions would be exempted.

That deal was expected to give gun control forces an initial burst of momentum as debate begins. But the National Rifle Association, along with many Republicans and some moderate Democrats, opposes fresh gun curbs as going too far, and the road to congressional approval of major restrictions remains rocky.

"Those two leaders stepping up is a very good way to start," said Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., who is seeking re-election next year and has stressed her support for both the right to bear arms and reducing gun bloodshed. "How it ends, I don't know."

In December, a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six staffers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Relatives of some victims were at the Capitol pressing lawmakers to back gun restrictions, and were holding a vigil outside the building where they were reading the names of recent victims of gun violence.

Expanded background checks are the core of the Democratic gun control drive. Other top proposals ? including bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines ? will be offered as amendments during Senate debate but seem destined for defeat.

The compromise between Toomey and Manchin, both owners of guns and "A'' ratings from the NRA, was likely to improve the prospects that the Senate might expand background checks by attracting broader support. But debate could last weeks and it was not known what amendments to the overall bill, either constricting or expanding gun rights, senators might approve.

Neither Toomey nor Manchin predicted the Senate would approve gun legislation and both said their vote on final passage would depend on what the measure looked like when debate ends. Manchin said he would vote against the overall legislation if his compromise with Toomey was defeated.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said the first amendment will be to add the Manchin-Toomey compromise to the legislation. It would replace stricter language extending background checks to virtually all gun sales.

The senators' agreement also has language increasing firearms rights. That includes easing some restrictions on transporting guns across state lines, protecting sellers from lawsuits if buyers passed a check but later used a firearm in a crime and letting gun dealers conduct business in states where they don't live.

Underscoring the difficult path gun curbs face in the GOP-run House, Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, repeated his plan to wait for the Senate to produce something and pointedly noted that the background check agreement had yet to pass Senate muster.

"It's one thing for two members to come to some agreement. It doesn't substitute the will for the other 98 members," he told reporters.

Emotion, always prominent in the gun issue, cropped up late Wednesday when Manchin met with relatives of the Newtown victims in his Senate office, telling them "this will not be in vain." He became choked up when a reporter asked about the impact of the family members' visit, saying, "I'm a parent, a grandparent ... and I had to do something."

Said Toomey: "Criminals and the dangerously mentally ill shouldn't have guns. I don't know anyone who disagrees with that premise." He said expanding the checks wasn't gun control, "just common sense."

Background checks currently apply only to transactions handled by the country's 55,000 licensed gun dealers. Advocates of expanding the system say too many sales ? the exact proportion is unknown ? escape the checks, which are supposed to keep weapons from going to criminals, the seriously mentally ill, and others.

In a written statement, Obama said, "This is not my bill," adding that he wished the agreement was stronger. Still, he praised it as significant progress, saying, "We don't have to agree on everything to know that we've got to do something to stem the tide of gun violence."

Gun control groups gave the deal warm but not effusive praise, noting that unknown details and some pro-gun provisions gave them pause.

The NRA said it opposed the agreement.

"Expanding background checks at gun shows will not prevent the next shooting, will not solve violent crime and will not keep our kids safe in schools," it said in a statement.

In a letter to senators late Wednesday, NRA lobbyist Chris W. Cox warned that the organization would include lawmakers' votes on the Manchin-Toomey deal and other amendments it opposes in the candidate ratings it sends to its members and supporters.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-ready-launch-gun-control-debate-064231103--politics.html

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'Hangover Part III' Trailer Hints At How Trilogy Will End

The Wolfpack gets into the same inebriated trouble in a brand-new trailer for the final movie.
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Bradley Cooper in "Hangover III"
Photo: Warner Bros

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1705447/hangover-3-trailer.jhtml

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Senate to hold initial gun control vote Thursday

BRUSSELS, April 8 (Reuters) - A French teenager who had hidden inside a garbage container was crushed to death inside a trash truck in Luxembourg on Saturday, police said. Garbage men only discovered the 17-year-old when he shouted out as they emptied the container into the back of the truck early on Saturday morning, but by then he was already in the grasp of the crushing mechanism. "He cried out, but it was already too late," a spokeswoman for Luxembourg police said on Monday. The young man, whose name was not released, died on the scene, in the city of Luxembourg. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-hold-initial-gun-control-vote-thursday-185647664.html

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New Owners for Wally's Wine & Spirits, Brand Expansion ... - Eater LA

Tuesday, April 9, 2013, by Kat Odell

Wally's Wine & Spirits, a longtime hub for wine collectors and spirit hounds, is losing its founding member, Steve Wallace. An ABC transfer went live a few days ago naming new owners, Armand Marciano of GUESS? Jeans and William Payne.

What does this mean for Wally's? According to a piece in The Daily Meal last month, Christian Navarro, Wallace's longtime biz partner, will stay on as co-owner with the aforementioned new parties. And for those who have hoped Wally's would expand over the years, shop growth is planned for the future. [EaterWire]

Wally's Wine & Spirits

2107 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

USA

34.0449 -118.433

Source: http://la.eater.com/archives/2013/04/09/new_owners_for_wallys_wine_spirits_brand_expansion.php

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Sheikh Khalifa Medical City tackles health and wellbeing of ...

Adolescent medicine focuses on the care of patients as they enter puberty, which for girls is typically from ages 9 to 11, and boys, 11 to 14. The care encompasses their physical, emotional and social needs and extends until they reach the age of 20.

According to a 2011 census from the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), there are 99,121 young people aged between 10-19 years resident in Abu Dhabi, a figure that represents five per cent of the emirate's total population.

"I am very excited about taking on this new role as I believe that there is a need for this particular branch of medicine in the UAE that is dedicated to meeting the specific needs of teenagers and young adults in the country," said Dr. Rizk, speaking yesterday.

"Youngsters are particularly vulnerable at this stage in their lives as they are too grown up to access paediatric services and yet not mature enough to be suitable candidates for adult medicine, which is often geared towards those who are middle-aged and over. It can be a frightening time for them if they need to go to hospital," she added.

Dr Rizk's responsibilities at SKMC and across the Abu Dhabi community include ensuring high quality health care for those who fall between the two disciplines of paediatric and adult medicine, with her appointment adding a new dimension to the scope of healthcare in Abu Dhabi. In addition to providing general pediatric care, including school and sports physicals to children and young adults, she is highly experienced in the diagnosis and management of a wide variety of adolescent-specific disorders. These range from physical ailments that can affect adolescent girls, such as dysmenorrhea and polycystic ovary syndrome, to conditions that can have a psychological as well as a physical component, such as acne, eating disorders and risky behaviours.

Dr. Rizk studied for a three-year post-doctoral fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at The Children's Hospital of Montefiore in New York, an institution ranked in the top three per cent of U.S. hospitals, completing her training in June 2011. Since then, she has authored a number of scholarly articles and research pieces and has been invited to lecture widely on topics in her field. She has been heavily involved in adolescent clinical care, patient & family education and community outreach programs. Honours given to her to date include an Excellence in Teaching Award, which she attained in 2008 from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

"Dr. Rizk's appointment forms part of SKMC's commitment to serving all sectors of UAE society. We identified that there was a need for a medical professional to provide dedicated healthcare for adolescents in the country, as this is often a group that is too often overlooked," said Fred DeGrandis, CEO of SKMC.

"Our philosophy at SKMC is 'Patients First' and this is the underlying drive for all our activities. Providing a physician who has special training to meet the unique health needs of our young adults is one way to help us achieve this goal," he added.

Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/sheikh-khalifa-medical-city-tackles-health-337084

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Accounting firm KPMG fires partner in LA unit

NEW YORK (AP) ? Accounting firm KPMG says it fired a partner at its Los Angeles unit for allegedly giving private client information to a third party, who then used it for stock trades involving several West Coast companies.

KPMG said in a statement that it was informed of the alleged actions last week and that it immediately dismissed the partner. The firm did not disclose the partner's name.

The privately held company said that the partner violated its policies and betrayed the trust of clients and colleagues.

The company also said it had to resign from working with two clients, saying the partner's behavior impacted the firm's independence. KPMG said it told the clients it must withdraw its auditor reports. It says there's no reason to believe the companies' financial statements were materially misstated.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/accounting-firm-kpmg-fires-partner-la-unit-121411351--finance.html

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FeedsAPI Turns Truncated RSS Feeds into Full-Text, Delivers them to You Instantly

Truncated feeds can be a bummer, especially if you really enjoy reading your favorite blogs via RSS. FeedsAPI is a service that will take any truncated RSS feed, expand it to a full-text feed, and then deliver the resulting stories directly to your inbox, or to your preferred news reader. Best of all, it does this in real-time, so you don't have to wait hours for stories to process.

The video above shows you how the service works. Once you're signed up, you'll get an access key that you can use to add and expand any feed you want to your profile. Just give the service the feed URL you want expanded or added to your collection, your access key, and some details about how you'd like FeedsAPI to handle links in the text. From there, the service will do the rest of the work.

By default, every time a story is published, FeedsAPI will expand it and email the full text to you. That's fine for a few feeds, but once you get into dozens or more, it can overwhelm an inbox, so we'd suggest either setting up a different email address for feed reading or using a Gmail filter to pipe the articles over to a label or set of labels just for the news (and to keep your inbox organized). Alternatively, FeedsAPI can export your subscriptions as XML or RSS to be imported into whatever feedreading tool you prefer to use, whether you're rolling your own or a hosted alternative.

I've been playing with FeedsAPI for a while now, and while it works like a charm, it's definitely aimed at organizations that want to aggregate content for their own apps, or developers looking to build their own platform around it. That said, it still works for individuals who just want a better way to read and organize their feeds. You can try the service for free to see if it fits your needs. To continue using it you'll have to pony up either $54/yr ($4.50/mo) or $9/month if you don't want to pay for a year up front, which is a bit of a sour note. You can check out FeedAPI's pricing plans here.

FeedsAPI

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/EDZWB3Yu5qI/feedsapi-turns-truncated-rss-feeds-into-full+text-delivers-them-to-you-instantly

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Mick Fleetwood files for separation from wife of 17 years (+video)

Mick Fleetwood, drummer of Fleetwood Mac, is filing for legal separation from his wife. Mick Fleetwood and the rest of the band are on tour now. The band has been together for four decades.

By Staff,?Associated Press / April 10, 2013

Court records show Mick Fleetwood has filed for legal separation from his wife of more than 17 years in Los Angeles.

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Fleetwood and Lynn Frankel Fleetwood have been married since July 1995 and have twin 11-year-old daughters together. He is seeking joint legal custody but wants his estranged wife to have physical custody of their children.

The Fleetwood Mac drummer filed for separation on March 22, but the documents were not publicly available until Tuesday. He does not list a date for the couple's separation but wants a judge to award him sole control of music royalties and other earnings from before their marriage.

The 65-year-old Grammy Award winner cites irreconcilable differences for the separation, but no other details are included in the filing.

Fleetwood Mac is currently on tour and is expected to release a new album shortly. Rolling Stone reported that "Fleetwood Mac will release an EP of brand new material "in a few days," Lindsey Buckingham said onstage during a show this past Saturday in Philadelphia. "It's the best stuff we've done in a long time," Buckingham said as he introduced one such new cut,?"Sad Angel."

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/0RC2XcI6wv8/Mick-Fleetwood-files-for-separation-from-wife-of-17-years-video

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NIH scientists, grantees map possible path to an HIV vaccine

Public release date: 3-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Laura S. Leifman
laura.sivitz@nih.gov
301-402-1663
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Co-evolution of HIV and strong antibody response charted for first time

In an advance for HIV vaccine research, scientists have for the first time determined how both the virus and a resulting strong antibody response co-evolved in one HIV-infected individual. The findings could help researchers identify which proteins to use in investigational vaccines to induce antibodies capable of preventing infection from an array of HIV strains. Previously, a study of antibody genetics enabled scientists to deduce the step-by-step evolution of certain broadly neutralizing antibodiesthose that can prevent infection by the majority of HIV strains found around the globe. Yet the specific viruses that gave rise to those antibodies and the virus mutations that drove them to reach their final form remained unknown, hampering HIV vaccine discovery.

In the current study, scientists identified one of the roughly 20 percent of HIV-infected individuals who naturally develop broadly neutralizing antibodies to the virus after several years of infection. This person in Africa was a volunteer in a study in which participants gave weekly blood samples beginning early in the course of infection. This individual had joined the study just 4 weeks after infection and was followed for more than 3 years. Having blood samples from such an early stage enabled researchers to pinpoint the particular "founder" virus that triggered the immune system to make an immature broadly neutralizing antibody against HIV, as well as the cell from which that antibody emerged. Analyses of the weekly samples also enabled the scientists to see the series of changes that the virus and antibody underwent over 2.5 years until the antibody matured to a form capable of potently neutralizing the virus. Scientists are now attempting to create a vaccine that harmlessly mimics the virus at key points in the observed process to generate broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies, first in uninfected animals and then in uninfected people.

###

The study was led by Duke University's Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine ImmunologyImmunogen Discovery (CHAVI-ID), which is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Scientists at NIAID's Vaccine Research Center (VRC) also played a central role, collaborating with researchers at the NIH Intramural Sequencing Center, administered by the NIH National Human Genome Research Institute, along with seven other institutions.

ARTICLE:
H. Liao et al. Co-evolution of a broadly neutralizing HIV-1 antibody and founder virus. Nature DOI: 10.1038/nature12053 (2013).

WHO:
NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and VRC Section Chief Peter D. Kwong, Ph.D., are available for comment.

CONTACT:
To schedule interviews, please contact Laura S. Leifman, (301) 402-1663, laura.sivitz@nih.gov.
NIAID conducts and supports researchat NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwideto study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov/.

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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.

Public release date: 3-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Laura S. Leifman
laura.sivitz@nih.gov
301-402-1663
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Co-evolution of HIV and strong antibody response charted for first time

In an advance for HIV vaccine research, scientists have for the first time determined how both the virus and a resulting strong antibody response co-evolved in one HIV-infected individual. The findings could help researchers identify which proteins to use in investigational vaccines to induce antibodies capable of preventing infection from an array of HIV strains. Previously, a study of antibody genetics enabled scientists to deduce the step-by-step evolution of certain broadly neutralizing antibodiesthose that can prevent infection by the majority of HIV strains found around the globe. Yet the specific viruses that gave rise to those antibodies and the virus mutations that drove them to reach their final form remained unknown, hampering HIV vaccine discovery.

In the current study, scientists identified one of the roughly 20 percent of HIV-infected individuals who naturally develop broadly neutralizing antibodies to the virus after several years of infection. This person in Africa was a volunteer in a study in which participants gave weekly blood samples beginning early in the course of infection. This individual had joined the study just 4 weeks after infection and was followed for more than 3 years. Having blood samples from such an early stage enabled researchers to pinpoint the particular "founder" virus that triggered the immune system to make an immature broadly neutralizing antibody against HIV, as well as the cell from which that antibody emerged. Analyses of the weekly samples also enabled the scientists to see the series of changes that the virus and antibody underwent over 2.5 years until the antibody matured to a form capable of potently neutralizing the virus. Scientists are now attempting to create a vaccine that harmlessly mimics the virus at key points in the observed process to generate broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies, first in uninfected animals and then in uninfected people.

###

The study was led by Duke University's Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine ImmunologyImmunogen Discovery (CHAVI-ID), which is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Scientists at NIAID's Vaccine Research Center (VRC) also played a central role, collaborating with researchers at the NIH Intramural Sequencing Center, administered by the NIH National Human Genome Research Institute, along with seven other institutions.

ARTICLE:
H. Liao et al. Co-evolution of a broadly neutralizing HIV-1 antibody and founder virus. Nature DOI: 10.1038/nature12053 (2013).

WHO:
NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and VRC Section Chief Peter D. Kwong, Ph.D., are available for comment.

CONTACT:
To schedule interviews, please contact Laura S. Leifman, (301) 402-1663, laura.sivitz@nih.gov.
NIAID conducts and supports researchat NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwideto study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov/.

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/nioa-nsg040213.php

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Australia puts $22.6M into '20,000 Leagues' remake

In this photo taken Jan. 5, 2012, U.S. director David Fincher smiles during a photo call for the movie "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"in Berlin, Germany. The Walt Disney Studios will film a new version of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" in Australia after the country agreed to pay it 21.6 million Australia dollars ($22.6 million) to film the movie there. The inducement announced Tuesday, April 2, 2013, is the biggest ever paid by an Australian government to bring in a Hollywood production. Fincher will direct the Jules Verne science fiction classic, said Disney Asia-Pacific spokeswoman Alannah Hall-Smith. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

In this photo taken Jan. 5, 2012, U.S. director David Fincher smiles during a photo call for the movie "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"in Berlin, Germany. The Walt Disney Studios will film a new version of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" in Australia after the country agreed to pay it 21.6 million Australia dollars ($22.6 million) to film the movie there. The inducement announced Tuesday, April 2, 2013, is the biggest ever paid by an Australian government to bring in a Hollywood production. Fincher will direct the Jules Verne science fiction classic, said Disney Asia-Pacific spokeswoman Alannah Hall-Smith. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) ? Australia is paying its biggest Hollywood inducement ever to bring "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" Down Under.

The Walt Disney Studios will film a new version of the science fiction classic in Australia, which will pay the studio 21.6 million Australia dollars ($22.6 million) to film there, the government said Tuesday.

David Fincher of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" and "The Social Network" will direct, said Disney Asia-Pacific spokeswoman Alannah Hall-Smith.

"No casting decisions have been made," she said, so the filming schedule and locations haven't been set.

Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported Tuesday that producers were believed to have been in discussions with Brad Pitt, who starred in Fincher's "Fight Club."

The newpaper reported that Fincher wanted Pitt for the film's hero Ned Land.

The story centers on Capt. Nemo and his submarine the Nautilus. Jules Verne's book was made into an Academy Award-winning movie in 1954 with Kirk Douglas starring as Land and James Mason as Nemo.

The announcement comes after "The Wolverine," starring Australian actor Hugh Jackman, recently wrapped filming in Sydney. The government paid Fox Studios AU$12.8 million to film in Australia.

Gillard said the "The Wolverine" created more than 1,750 jobs, contracted more than 1,027 Australian companies and generated AU$80 million in investment.

She expects "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" will create more than 2,000 jobs.

A strong Australian dollar buoyed by a mining boom has made Australia less attractive to Hollywood as a filmmaking location in recent years.

It wasn't known how much the payment would offset the film's budget.

"The securing of this film is a huge coup for the Australian film industry and for the near 1,000 local businesses that will be providing goods and services for the film," Gillard said in a statement.

"The Wolverine" in 3D opens in July in the United States, Australia and other countries.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-02-Australia-20000%20Leagues%20Under%20the%20Sea/id-dfdb6fc698974dde8b8caf013d259340

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Video: Facebook Seen As a Utility: Pro

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/51407580/

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Lindsay Lohan Tweets That She?s Pregnant! UPDATE!

Lindsay Lohan Tweets That She’s Pregnant! UPDATE!

Lindsay Lohan shocked the twitterverse last night when she tweeted, “It’s official. Pregnant.” We actually posted that to prank our readers in our April Fool’s day post yesterday, but could it be true? Lindsay updated her Twitter this morning. The troubled actress, who is dating City Of The Sun guitarist Avi Snow, posted the message ...

Lindsay Lohan Tweets That She’s Pregnant! UPDATE! Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/04/lindsay-lohan-tweets-that-shes-pregnant-wtf/

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Newtown parents make an emotional plea on gun

Roadside angels in Newtown, Conn., Dec. 15, 2012 (Dylan Stableford/Yahoo News)

Parents of the victims in the Newtown school shootings made an emotional plea to Connecticut lawmakers on Monday, urging a "complete limit" on high-capacity gun magazines like the ones Adam Lanza used to carry out the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

"The horrible, brutal truth is that 154 bullets were fired in four minutes, killing our children, our daughters, our wives," Nicole Hockley, whose 6-year-old son Dylan was killed in the Dec. 14 shootings, said. She spoke at a press conference in Hartford, where state lawmakers were expected to be presented with gun control proposals Monday afternoon.

"As supporters of the Second Amendment, we want to understand how we can use technology, innovation and new thinking to solve an old intractable problem," Hockley continued. "We specifically want an up or down vote on the banning of these large-capacity magazines with no grandfathering clause because we learned the way that no other parent should learn the most dangerous part of the assault weapon is the magazine."

Last week, search warrants related to the massacre were unsealed by a court, showing Lanza was found dead inside the school with 10 magazines capable of firing 30-rounds at a time. Twenty children and six adults were killed at the school before the 20-year-old gunman shot himself with a handgun.

"We have learned that in the time it took him to reload in one of the classrooms, 11 children were able to escape," Hockley said. "We ask ourselves every day, every minute that if those magazines had held 10 rounds, forcing the shooter to reload six more times, would our children be alive today?"

[Related: Parents of Sandy Hook victims speak, urging 'real change']

Hockley, surrounded by the parents of other victims, read a letter signed by 24 family members asking lawmakers to "have the courage to stand up for what you know is right."

?The more times you have to reload, the more opportunities there are to escape and to stop the shooting,? Mark Barden, whose 7-year-old son Daniel Barden was killed in the shootings, said at the press conference.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy released a separate statement to lawmakers on Monday afternoon:

I have been clear for weeks that a ban on the possession and sale of high capacity magazines is an important part of our effort to prevent gun violence?simply banning their sale moving forward would not be an effective solution. This morning, we heard from victims' families on that very point. They?ve asked for an up or down vote on that provision and, whether it's in the larger bill or as an amendment, the families, and every resident of our state, deserve a vote. We know this is an issue that has bipartisan support, including from Senate Minority Leader John McKinney. We cannot lose sight of our ultimate goal?improving public safety for all of our residents, including our children.

Connecticut's General Assembly had been considering gun-control legislation in the wake of the Newtown shootings, including a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. State lawmakers said they would delay a vote on gun control until after search warrants related to the school shootings were unsealed.

According to the Hartford Courant, a vote could come as early as this week.

The final police report on the massacre is not expected to be finished until June.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/newtown-parents-high-capacity-magazines-guns-191541761.html

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Federal government slashes New York's Medicaid payments

By Edward Krudy

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal authorities have dramatically lowered the amount that New York state can claim from the federal government for certain medical services, costing the state an estimated $1.2 billion.

The Center for Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that administers the nation's medical insurance system for people on low incomes, cut the per-patient reimbursement rate for patients in developmental centers to $1,200 from $5,100 from April 1, according to CMS documents seen by Reuters.

The move by CMS had been expected ever since a bipartisan congressional report said overbilling for the centers reached $15 billion over the last 20 years. The centers serve people with developmental illnesses.

In February, in anticipation that the federal government would reduce its funding for the centers, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo cut $1.1 billion from the state's $135 billion budget plan.

The budget for fiscal year 2013-2014 was passed by New York lawmakers last week, in time for the start of the state's fiscal year on April 1. There was, however, a failed amendment in the Assembly that tried to torpedo the $90 million in cuts for the developmentally disabled that resulted from the loss of funding.

Although the budget anticipated the federal cut, there is still uncertainty about whether the federal government will seek reimbursements for past years.

The present move does not cover past years and CMS is still continuing its audit, according to a person familiar with the matter. Earlier, CMS said it expects to conclude its audit later this year.

A report in March by Standards & Poor's Rating Services said repaying five years of overbilling could cost the state $7 billion.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the Congressional panel that issued the report into overbilling, is pushing for New York to reimburse the federal government for past years and wants a root and branch audit into the state's $54 billion Medicaid system, where it says overbilling is rife.

"This is a step in the right direction, but HHS needs to pursue recovery of the decades of overpayments and guarantee an end to all similar overpayments," said Committee Chairman Darrell Issa in a statement emailed to Reuters.

"Fraudulent and wasteful spending remain a serious problem throughout New York's bloated Medicaid system, and vigorous federal oversight is still necessary," he said.

The committee said the move would save federal tax payers $1.2 billion over the next 18 months.

(Reporting by Edward Krudy; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/federal-government-slashes-yorks-medicaid-payments-180833125.html

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Riding in style: The evolution of the popemobile

Alessandro Di Meo / EPA

Images of the automobiles that have transported popes over the years.

By Elizabeth Chuck, Staff Writer, NBC News

Comes outfitted in protective bullet-proof glass. Draws a crowd wherever it goes. A driver is included; gold trim is optional.

Popemobiles also include such amenities as a handrail to let the pope easily stand and wave while in motion, a built-in stereo and arctic-cool air conditioning.

Eight popes have had their own set of holy wheels since Pope Pius XI got a stretch 460 Nurburg edition Mercedes-Benz in 1930, but the eighth, Pope Francis -- known for?taking the bus to work?before he was named pope -- may not want all the frills and custom built-ins that popemobiles offer.?

By retiring, Benedict XVI has passed along a white armored Mercedes SUV, which has a white leather interior with gold trim and a white leather turret that can be raised by hydraulic lift high enough for crowds to see the pope, if he wants to sit. (For longer trips around Italy, Benedict enjoyed his own helicopter.) Bullet-proof?Plexiglas?that's strong enough to withstand explosions surrounds the turret on three sides. There's an emergency oxygen supply built in, according to?The Telegraph.?

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"The pope must feel comfortable. People must be able to see him. People have traveled very far; they want to be able to get a good look at him," said Christoph Horn, Director of Global Communications of Mercedes-Benz, from Stuttgart, Germany. "This is about creating a comfortable and safe environment for the pope to travel in and be seen in.?

The pre-mobile
Popes didn't have to wait for the invention of automobiles to be mobile. For centuries, popes traveled by throne when going out on local outings. The popes were carried by 12 bearers (representing the 12 disciples of the church) as they moved through crowds, Ronald Rychlak, a University of Mississippi law school professor who has written numerous books on religion,?said.

Daimler

The first car used by a pope.

All that changed when Pope Pius XI got his Benz. The limousine was a gift from the car company, which would provide vehicles for many popes after that.

"Usually more than one vehicle was provided, especially for the popes in the 1930s," Horn said. "They were traveling a lot, so many popemobiles were built for them."

Back then, popes traveled in limousines with open tops, he said. Over the years, more than 12 different models of cars and trucks would be provided for popes. Pope John XXIII ushered in a new era of pope cars in 1960 with a Mercedes 300D Landaulet, which had a throne that rose high in the back, The New York Times reported. His successor switched to a 1964 Lincoln model before he went back to the preferred Mercedes brand a year later.

But don't call it 'popemobile'
When popes travel abroad for state visits, it's not always possible for the vehicles they use at home to make the journey with them. Instead, customized cars are prepared ahead of the visit, submitted for Vatican approval from the country he will visit.

"The primary level of security is assigned to the host nation,"?Rychlak said. "If they want to have something like a popemobile for a major parade, let's say they're doing Mass at Yankee stadium or something like that, they would have to make arrangements to ship something over, or that's the kind of situation where there may be a gift made to the pope" by a major car company.

That was how the car that officially became known for the first time as the "popemobile" came into existence: Pope John Paul II had visited Ireland in 1979, and a boxy yellow Ford Transit van awaited him as his chariot. Last November, The Telegraph reported an Irish businessman had acquired the van from the Dublin Wax Museum, where it had been since the papal visit, and was transforming it into a party bus.

Many other popemobiles have stayed in the countries they were used in. In 2008, Newsweek got a peek at the popemobile Benedict used for his U.S. tour, describing it as "by far the fanciest and sleekest papal car ever built ... The papal handlers can shift their passenger from zero to 60 in less than eight seconds, but the drivers probably won't exceed 10 mph along the parade routes."

In 2002, John Paul II asked the media to stop using the term "popemobile," insisting it sounded "undignified."

A clear need for better security
John Paul II survived an assassination attempt in 1981 while in St. Peter's Square. A Turkish man was later convicted of firing the shots, which punctured the pope's car and struck him four times. John Paul II survived, but it was clear his wide-open truck wouldn't suffice to protect him. From then on, bulletproof glass has encased popemobiles, although popes have occasionally ridden around without covering for brief periods.

Arturo Mari / AP

A 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square.

Since adding bulletproof glass, popemobiles have added other necessary features, including ultra-powerful air conditioning to cool down the glass dome that popes sit in, reports The Telegraph.

Other protection measures include heavy-metal reinforcement on the bottom of the vehicle as well as the other sides, and the driver is always a trusted longtime Vatican employee. There's no partition between the pope and his driver; a microphone enables him to broadcast messages to crowds through speakers outside the popemobile.

The current weighs five tons and was just presented to Benedict last December by Mercedes-Benz.

"We work with the members of the Vatican and with the people in charge of the garages of the Vatican," Horn said. "These are all individual vehicles that are built to specifications."

The new pope's desire to get up close and personal with his faithful has presented challenges for his security detail.

"The pope's going to want to be up close hugging and touching and meeting people and that's going to be a tremendous concern for his security people,"?Rychlak said. "His security forces have taken him aside, or probably already have, and are going to say, 'Holy Father, you're putting us in a horrible situation if you don't go along with these things.'"

They're used to having to say that, though: Benedict didn't always like the feeling of a "shield between him and the people,"?Rychlak said. Most popemobiles are designed so the glass can be lowered, though.

This story was originally published on Sun Mar 31, 2013 4:36 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653387/s/2a2d2254/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C310C175184590Eriding0Ein0Estyle0Ethe0Eevolution0Eof0Ethe0Epopemobile0Dlite/story01.htm

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