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Copy machines can be found in every office, and most of us take them for granted. But 75 years ago, the technology that underpins the modern photocopier was used for the first time in a small apartment in Queens.
Inventor Chester Carlson used static electricity created with a handkerchief, light and dry powder to make the first copy on Oct. 22, 1938.
The copier didn't get on to the market until 1959, more than 20 years later. When it did, the Xerox machine prompted a dramatic change in the workplace.
The first commercial model, the Xerox 914, was bulky and cumbersome. It weighed nearly 650 pounds. It was the size of about two washing machines and was prone to spontaneous combustion.
But even literally going up in flames wasn't enough to kill the product. In fact, it was in high demand.
"There was a distinct need for simple copying like this, and it just took off," says Ray Brewer, historical archivist for Xerox Corp. "We sold thousands of these machines, and the demand was such that we were manufacturing them in large quantities."
Brewer says the popularity of Xerox technology abroad inspired more clandestine uses for the copier. Some machines actually had miniature cameras built into them during the Cold War for the purpose of spying on other countries.
Back at home, the copier was proving to be a godsend for secretaries. One Xerox commercial features a female secretary saying:
"I make perfect copies of whatever my boss needs by just turning a knob and pushing a button. Anything he can see I can copy in black and white on ordinary paper. I can make seven copies a minute. ... Sometimes my boss asks me which is the original, and sometimes, I don't know."
Author and historian Lynn Peril says the machines had to have been "fabulously liberating."
"Oh my god, you didn't have to work with all the lousy carbon paper," she says. "You could just take it and put it on this glass surface, and press a button and you've got as many copies as you wanted."
The beauty of the technology, Peril says, was that it saved time for office workers without making their workplace role obsolete.
Angele Boyd is a business analyst at the International Data Corp. She says copier technology created a more democratic information system.
"Until then, you needed to go to a press or you needed to go to a third party external print shop to produce that kind of quality output," she says.
The core technology in the copier, later transferred to printers and scanners, has remained the same since the 1930s.
NEW DELHI (AP) — Famed playback singer Manna Dey, who recorded nearly 4,000 songs and can be heard in scores of Bollywood films, died in a Bangalore hospital early Thursday. He was 94.
Dey was hospitalized in May and was being treated for a kidney infection when his organs failed, said K. Vasuki, an official of the Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences.
Dey's deep voice and mastery in singing classical music-based songs enthralled millions of music lovers. He started his singing career in 1942.
He sang mainly in Hindi and Bengali languages and his peak period was 1953-1980. He also lent his voice to songs in several Indian regional languages — Bengali, Assamese, Gujrati and Malayalam.
He can be heard on scores of Bollywood films and their soundtracks, and his stage shows were very popular across India.
His death was being mourned by millions of fans. Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan tweeted his condolences, saying "Strange how we connect events of our life with his songs."
India's President Pranab Mukherjee said the country "has lost a veteran playback singer, a versatile artist of extraordinary ability and a creative genius who mesmerized listeners with his enchanting voice."
The Indian government honored Dey with the top civilian Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2007.
Dey is survived by two daughters. His wife, Sulochana Kumaran, died last year.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, arrives for an EU summit on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. A two-day summit meeting of EU leaders is likely to be diverted from its official agenda, economic recovery and migration, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel complained to U.S. President Barack Obama that U.S. intelligence may have monitored her mobile phone. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
BRUSSELS (AP) — Germany's chancellor says the 17-nation eurozone must achieve a stronger coordination of its economic policies to remain competitive and spur growth.
Angela Merkel's comments on Thursday come as her government seeks to convince European partners to hand the EU Commission, the bloc's executive arm, more powers to oversee the member states' economic policies.
Merkel said ahead of a summit of the European Union's 28 national leaders she's convinced the eurozone must "collaborate yet more, yet closer ... than we do at present."
EU leaders were also set to discuss the timeline for the next steps of the bloc's planned banking union that aims at stabilizing its financial system. They still disagree over how to set up and fund a European authority capable of bailing out or winding down bust banks.
Students at Coachella Valley Unified School District use iPads during a lesson. The district's superintendent is promoting the tablet initiative as a way to individualize learning.
Coachella Valley Unified School District
Students at Coachella Valley Unified School District use iPads during a lesson. The district's superintendent is promoting the tablet initiative as a way to individualize learning.
Coachella Valley Unified School District
A growing number of school districts across America are trying to weave tablet computers, like the iPad, into the classroom fabric, especially as a tool to help implement the new Common Core state standards for math and reading.
One of California's poorest school districts, the Coachella Valley Unified southeast of Los Angeles, is currently rolling out iPads to every student, pre-kindergarten through high school. It's an ambitious effort that administrators and parents hope will transform how kids learn, boost achievement and narrow the digital divide with wealthier districts.
But, as with tablet efforts across the country, this one faces skeptics and obstacles. Some wonder if its projected benefits are being grossly oversold.
Personalizing Education
Before becoming Coachella Valley's superintendent of schools, Darryl Adams was a keyboardist and singer with the '80s pop rock band Xavion. It was a one-hit wonder, complete with '80s hairdos and a slot on a Hall & Oates tour. He says it was the first all-black rock band on MTV.
Today, Adams still has a touch of the showman as he talks about his school district's latest project.
"Everyone will have an iPad!" he says with a broad smile. "It's gonna be exciting!"
Music was Adams' passion when he was young; it was what inspired him in school. And he sees the iPad plan as central to exciting kids in school today. He argues that since the federal No Child Left Behind initiative 10-plus years ago, school districts have often failed to inspire kids. Instead, he says, they've been teaching them how to take tests.
"And that's not what education is about. So for the first time in our history as a nation, I think in the world, we're going to be able to individualize and personalize education," Adams says.
The district has leased the tablets from Apple at a cost of nearly $9 million. Voters here approved a bond issue, backed by property taxes, to pay for most of it. Funds from Title I — a federal program designed to help low-income schools — and from California's Common Core initiative are also being used for training and implementation.
Some 80 percent of kids in his district live in poverty, Adams says. He sees the tablet plan as a civil rights issue, noting that the bond measure passed with nearly 70 percent support. "Some of our families live in trailer home parks. Some are migrant farmers," he says. "But they're putting money on the line for each other, and that's a true indication the community cares about each other."
'No One Is The Expert Anymore'
The district has set up headquarters in a trailer to coordinate the massive distribution of nearly 20,000 iPads and accompanying training, security, curriculum changes, parental consent forms, and more. Inspirational quotes dot the walls — not from famous educators, but from Apple's late founder, Steve Jobs.
Matt Hamilton, the district's educational technology coordinator, says educators and students are learning from each other. "No one is the expert anymore," he says. "The whole paradigm has really shifted. Teachers are no longer the possessors of knowledge. They're more the facilitators of learning."
Students in seventh grade and up can take their tablets home on evenings, weekends and every school break except summer. Sixth grade and below will have to leave the devices in a locked classroom cart.
“ The whole paradigm has really shifted. Teachers are no longer the possessors of knowledge. They're more the facilitators of learning.
- Matt Hamilton, educational technology coordinator
The district set up a training program to highlight the best teaching practices and to brainstorm classroom curricula. Music teacher Michael Richardson, one of 120 pilot teachers, says he has involved students in figuring out the devices. One student, for example, found a promising music app and "he taught the class and taught me. It was kind of great," Richardson says.
Middle school English teacher Patricia Inghram was also in the pilot program, which tested the tablets in every grade and every subject matter throughout the district. She says she's been using them extensively and successfully in her classes for more than a year. Even though she's a longtime teacher who started out teaching on chalkboards, she says, "I feel comfortable enough to use it at this point, and I think they're fantastic tools."
High school geometry teacher Patrick Beal says the challenge is to make the tablet more than a glorified notebook. "The goal is to transform what I do in the classroom into something completely different: to take them outside of class, spark curiosity and inspire the learning process," he says.
Security Concerns
It's not clear how many schools or districts across the country are using tablets in the classroom. The U.S. Department of Education doesn't track the number, and an Apple spokesman declined to comment or provide numbers on how many schools have worked with iPad classroom initiatives.
Some districts have publicly stumbled with their initiatives. Los Angeles Unified students easily got around restrictions on their district-issued iPads last month: They simply deleted their personal profile info and then could surf the Web without restriction. LA quickly put on the brakes on its billion-dollar iPad rollout to boost security and make other changes. Several other districts across the country have also delayed their tablet plans because of security concerns.
Coachella Valley is trying to learn from LA's problems. It's working with Apple to strengthen profile security and will block harmful and inappropriate online content, as required under the rules for districts that receive federal tech dollars. For now, social media sites and YouTube will not be blocked.
Inghram says some security measures should be a classroom management issue. She has kids take a "tech oath" on digital citizenship and proper use of the iPad: no cyberbullying, harmful or inappropriate pictures or content, or social media during class time.
Some of the projects she's done in class include using the tablets to produce podcasts and link via Skype with experts at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum. Her favorite: virtually visiting the historic Globe Theatre in the U.K. during a lesson on Shakespeare.
Many of the kids never leave the area, Inghram says. "But being able to talk to someone who is sitting in the Globe Theatre and show them around the building and answer their questions about Shakespeare while you're reading his sonnets is an experience that, you know, it opens their eyes."
Lack Of Connection
But some teachers, parents and kids worry that there's a kind of iPad boosterism here that borders on naive. While school district officials are promoting the tablets as central to improving academic achievement, research on that so far is mixed at best.
At Coachella Valley High School, one of two high schools in the district, junior Cheyenne Hernandez says she's open to new media in the classroom but wonders if the iPad money might be better spent on other things. She says people will most likely steal them, break them or wear them out.
"And in a student's opinion, most of the kids are going to go on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram," she says.
“ That's where I see the difficulty. The disconnect is between giving students an iPad to use and making it relevant to the classroom.
- Rebecca Flanagan, high school librarian
And it's not clear how the district will integrate the curriculum with its ambitious tablet plan. Coachella Valley wants to make the iPads a central part of efforts to meet new Common Core state standards for math and English, and there are new Common Core apps coming out regularly.
But the head librarian of Desert Mirage High School, Rebecca Flanagan, wonders which ones the district will use, how well it will work and how it will all be integrated into a coherent plan.
"That's where I see the difficulty. The disconnect is between giving students an iPad to use and then making it relevant for the classroom," she says. "I mean, it's a toy for them."
Perhaps the biggest bug is connectivity: Large parts of the Coachella Valley are not covered by high-speed Internet. And even where it is available, many families here simply can't afford the service.
Tenth-grader Eli Servin is in a special education class at Coachella Valley High School. His teacher says he "really blossomed" using the iPad at school to help coordinate a recycling project. But at home, he has no Internet connection unless he's connecting to a hot spot on his sister's cellphone or using the Wi-Fi connection at a local McDonald's.
The district is using funding from the bond measure to boost Internet capacity and accessibility for its far-flung schools. But Adams, Coachella's superintendent, acknowledges that expanding connectivity to homes, especially in the district's many rural and impoverished pockets, will be much harder.
"I've told my staff: If we have to park a bus in the neighborhood with a Wi-Fi tower on it or whatever, we will do that to make sure that our students are connected," he says.
It's one of many issues that schools across the country will be intensely observing as the former pop rocker tries to pull off his biggest show yet.
Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, a designated hitter in American League ballparks, played first base in St. Louis during the 2004 World Series. He'll do the same for Game 3 of the series Saturday.
Al Bello/Getty Images
Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, a designated hitter in American League ballparks, played first base in St. Louis during the 2004 World Series. He'll do the same for Game 3 of the series Saturday.
Al Bello/Getty Images
The all-tied World Series resumes tonight, with Game 3 between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox. Ahead of the game Saturday, the main storyline centers on the change of venue to St. Louis, where the Red Sox, and their pitchers, will have to adapt to National League rules.
The shift gives the Cardinals something of an edge, at least for now, as NPR's Tom Goldman reports for our Newscast unit:
"For the Cards, there's the obvious comfort of home: familiar surroundings, loving, red-clad fans certain to pack Busch Stadium. Then there's the advantage of no designated hitter, now that the series is in St. Louis, which potentially hurts Boston more.
"The DH, who bats in place of the pitcher, is only used in the American League and, in the World Series, in the American League park. David 'Big Papi' Ortiz filled that role admirably for the Sox in Games 1 and 2 in Boston - he hit a home run in each game.
"With Boston needing his hot bat, and no designated hitter in St. Louis, presumably it means putting him at first base and benching usual first baseman Mike Napoli, who's also an important part of the Red Sox offense."
Tonight's game is scheduled to start at 8:07 p.m. ET. The starting pitcher for the Cardinals will be Joe Kelly; for the Red Sox, it'll be Jake Peavey, who hasn't been a regular visitor to the batter's box since he left the San Diego Padres in 2009. A look at his stats shows that Peavey hit two home runs and delivered 45 sacrifice bunts in his eight seasons in the National League.
We'll remind you that home-field advantage in the World Series is determined by which league wins the otherwise-meaningless mid-season All-Star Game. That allows a team to play two games at home before heading on the road for three games, and then finishing the best-of-seven series with two more games at home (if necessary).
In recent years, the edge seems to have helped. After the National League won the All-Star Game in the three seasons from 2010 to 2012, N.L. teams went on to win the World Series all three times.
But the American League won the All-Star Game this season — just as it did before the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and 2007.
In this year's series, Boston won the first game, 8-1, before falling to St. Louis, 4-2, in the second. With three games on tap in St. Louis, Cardinals fans are hoping for a sweep at home to win their third title of the century.
As St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz says, the Cardinals are 59-28 at Busch Stadium this season, and 26-6 at home since Aug. 11. And, he says, Busch is a pitcher's park that could help the Cards' pitchers hold the Red Sox' formidable lineup in check.
But as MLB.com reminds us, Ortiz isn't a total newbie when it comes to playing first base:
"Ortiz did it for two games during Boston's sweep of St. Louis in the 2004 Fall Classic and for two more in his team's sweep of Colorado in '07. He didn't commit an error in either Series. Ortiz hit over .300 in both Series. He even turned a nifty double play in Game 3 of the '04 Series, nailing Cardinals pitcher Jeff Suppan at third."
Another uncertainty surrounding tonight's game is whether it will gain a large TV audience. Viewership of the 2013 World Series has "continued to trend toward record lows," reports Sports Media Watch.
Thursday night's Game 2 drew a rating of 9.5, "the third-lowest overnight ever for Game 2 of the World Series," according to the site, which adds, " If the World Series is to average a double-digit final rating this year, a long series will likely be necessary."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, arrives for an EU summit on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. A two-day summit meeting of EU leaders is likely to be diverted from its official agenda, economic recovery and migration, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel complained to U.S. President Barack Obama that U.S. intelligence may have monitored her mobile phone. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, arrives for an EU summit on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. A two-day summit meeting of EU leaders is likely to be diverted from its official agenda, economic recovery and migration, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel complained to U.S. President Barack Obama that U.S. intelligence may have monitored her mobile phone. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, is welcomed by an unidentified party member as she arrives at the European People's Party summit, ahead of the EU summit, in Meise near Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. A two-day summit meeting of EU leaders is likely to be diverted from its official agenda, economic recovery and migration, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel complained to U.S. President Barack Obama that U.S. intelligence may have monitored her mobile phone. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)
FILE - The Jan. 20, 2011 file photo shows German Chancellor Angela Merkel using her mobile phone at the German Federal Parliament Bundestag in Berlin. The German Foreign Ministry said Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013 it has summoned the U.S. ambassador in the wake of allegations that American intelligence may have targeted Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
FILE - The Oct. 25, 2011 file photo shows German Chancellor Angela Merkel using the short message service of her cell phone at the chancellery in Berlin. The German Foreign Ministry said Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013 it has summoned the U.S. ambassador in the wake of allegations that American intelligence may have targeted Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
FILE - The May 30, 2012 file photo shows German Chancellor Angela Merkel checking her mobile phone prior to the opening of the Council of the Baltic Sea States in Stralsund, Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel complained to President Barack Obama on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013 after learning that U.S. intelligence may have targeted her mobile phone, and said that would be “a serious breach of trust” if confirmed, her government said. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)
BRUSSELS (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that trust between the U.S. and its partners has to be restored following allegations that American intelligence targeted her cellphone, and insisted that there must be no "spying among friends."
Merkel complained to President Barack Obama in a phone call Wednesday after receiving information her cellphone may have been monitored. The White House said the U.S. isn't monitoring and won't monitor Merkel's communications — but didn't address what might have happened in the past.
In her first public comments since news of the allegations emerged, Merkel said she told Obama that "spying among friends cannot be."
"We need trust among allies and partners," Merkel said as she arrived at a long-planned summit of the European Union's 28 leaders. "Such trust now has to be built anew. This is what we have to think about."
She stressed that the U.S. and Europe "face common challenges; we are allies." But, she added. "such an alliance can only be built on trust."
In Berlin, the Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador to complain, while Germany's defense minister said that Europe can't simply return to business as usual in trans-Atlantic ties following a string of reports that the U.S. was spying on its allies.
Merkel's chief of staff, Ronald Pofalla, said officials would make "unmistakably clear" to U.S. Ambassador John B. Emerson "that we expect all open questions to be answered."
The U.S. Embassy said it had no comment.
Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere told ARD television the alleged surveillance would be "really bad" if confirmed. "The Americans are and remain our best friends, but this is absolutely not right," he said.
"I have reckoned for years with my cellphone being monitored, but I wasn't reckoning with the Americans," said de Maiziere, who was previously Merkel's chief of staff and Germany's interior minister.
"We can't simply return to business as usual," de Maiziere said when asked about possible effects on U.S.-German and U.S.-European relations.
This week, France demanded an explanation of a report the U.S. swept up millions of French phone records, and also summoned the American ambassador.
Germany, which has Europe's biggest economy, has been one of Washington's closest allies in Europe. The United States was West Germany's protector during the Cold War and the country is still home to thousands of U.S. troops.
A German parliamentary committee that oversees the country's intelligence service held a meeting Thursday to discuss the matter, which Pofalla attended.
Pofalla said that the government received information from news magazine Der Spiegel on the matter and then launched "extensive examinations" of the material. Der Spiegel has published material from National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, but didn't detail its sources on the cellphone story.
Recalling previous reports to the panel that U.S. authorities have said they didn't violate German interests, committee head Thomas Oppermann said that "we were apparently deceived by the American side." Pofalla said he had ordered a review of previous statements received from the NSA.
Women frequently change their names for marriage or divorce, leaving their identification out of date.
Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images
Last June the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act, resulting in several states, among them Texas and North Carolina, racing to enact draconian new voter ID laws. While the first wave of attention focused on the ways such laws disproportionately impact minority voters, young voters, and the elderly, a slew of articles this past weekend point out that voter ID laws may also significantly suppress women’s votes. Indeed some have even suggested that this is the next front in the war on women, and suppressing female votes is part of the GOP’s concerted effort to ensure victories in states like Texas, where women like Wendy Davis threaten to topple the GOP with the support of female voters. It’s beyond disputing that women have ensured that Democrats, up to and including President Obama, have achieved major wins in recent elections. Female voters decided 22 of 23 Senate races in the 2012 election.
Dahlia Lithwick writes about the courts and the law for Slate. Follow her on Twitter.
But a closer look at whether voter ID laws will invariably harm liberal women and Democratic candidates at the polls suggests that something more interesting, and more complicated, may be going on here. We don’t actually have very good data to support the claim that voter ID laws will disproportionately disenfranchise progressive women. In fact some election law experts tell me the opposite may be true: These laws may hurt conservative women instead.
The problem around women and voter ID is neither new nor complicated: Women often change their names when they marry and divorce. Men don’t. Because some of the new voter ID bills frequently demand that a voter’s name correspond to her most up-to-date, legally recognized name at the polls, they erect a barrier for women who haven’t kept their ID current to reflect changing marital status. And since, at least according to one source, American women change their names about 90 percent of the time when they marry or divorce, they are at significantly higher risk of being unable to provide an ID that matches their current legal name.
If the slew of new voter ID laws may hit divorced women hardest, consider that women in red states in fact have much higher divorce and remarriage rates.
As the many articles considering the problem suggest, in some states that is about to get even worse. As Think Progress reported last week, the new Texas voter ID law demands that “constituents show original documents verifying legal proof of a name change, whether it is a marriage license, divorce decree, or court ordered change.” Photocopies will not be accepted. If you don’t have those original documents, you must pay a minimum of $20 for new copies. So in some states, female voters face two hurdles—showing they are who they claim to be and producing original documents indicating that they really are married and divorced.
Interestingly, almost everyone arguing that progressive women will be disproportionately harmed by these laws cite a single study done in 2006 by the Brennan Center for Justice. According to that study, only “48% of voting-age women with ready access to their U.S. birth certificates have a birth certificate with current legal name—and only 66% of voting-age women with ready access to any proof of citizenship have a document with current legal name.” The survey concluded that “using 2000 census citizen voting-age population data, this means that as many as 32 million voting-age women may have available only proof of citizenship documents that do not reflect their current name.” (Emphasis theirs.)
But the Brennan study looked only at proof of citizenship documents, not photo IDs, so it may not in fact prove the argument being advanced here. The Brennan study made no findings with respect to a gender differential on current photo IDs. I asked around, but I was unable to find many good studies that showed whether women would be disproportionately disenfranchised by Texas-style voter ID laws. That doesn’t mean that photo ID laws won’t disproportionately affect women. But it does mean the Brennan study doesn’t quite prove it.
Moreover, when I spoke to several election law experts about the problem, more than one of them confirmed my suspicion that women who change their names may tend to skew more conservative than women who don’t. Or as Sam Issacharoff, a professor at NYU law school, explained it to me, “During the 2012 presidential election, I thought the Pennsylvania [voter ID] law was unlikely to have any partisan effect because the way the ID law was drafted there was likely to have an impact on more Republican than Democratic voters, in part for the reasons you identify. Women in particular who are married and change their name I thought were likely not Democratic voters.”
Something else to consider: If the slew of new voter ID laws may hit divorced women hardest, consider that women in red states in fact have much higher divorce and remarriage rates. And women in the South have especially high remarriage rates. So it’s not at all clear that liberal women will be disenfranchised in greater numbers than their conservative counterparts. I’m told that women generally get hassled more at the polls because they rarely resemble the image on their photo ID in the first place.
The truth is that if Republicans want to scuttle Wendy Davis’ electoral chances, there are demonstrably easier ways of getting the job done. After all, the same Texas Legislature that passed the restrictive voter ID law was found by a federal court to have intentionally tried to pass a redistricting plan that would have redistricted Wendy Davis out of business. And, overall, there is good data to suggest that voter ID laws will clearly disenfranchise Hispanic and African American voters, poor voters, students, and other groups that skew Democratic. But the issue of women and voter ID is less clear-cut.
Ultimately, the data is still fairly bad on both sides of the voter ID debate, although it’s pretty much delusional on the vote fraud side. NYU’s Issacharoff sums it up this way: “Republicans think as a matter of deep faith that there is a lot of in-person, election day voter fraud. Many Democrats believe that the id laws and the like have resulted in a lot of voter suppression. But there is precious little empirical evidence of either. The in-person vote fraud stuff is nonsense. But the ID laws seem to target populations that are isolated from mainstream society and do not participate. Mean, offensive, hopefully unconstitutional, and all that. Just not all that effective, best I can tell.”
All this ambiguity in the data is why Judge Richard Posner stirred up such a hornet’s nest last week when he admitted to HuffPost Live’s Mike Sacks that he made a mistake when he wrote the decision in 2007 upholding Indiana’s voter ID law. He now believes the dissenters in the voter ID case had it right. But beyond questions about whether judges should recant their own decisions in the media, Posner’s mea culpa forces all of us to contend with our assumptions about the motivations behind voter ID laws and the proof we have to support them. And when it comes to female voters, it may be that what looks like everyday Republican voter ID deviousness, will prove to be the sound of them shooting themselves in the foot.
Pediatricians tackle controversial issues in new point-counterpoint sessions at AAP conference
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
26-Oct-2013
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Contact: Debbie Jacobson djacobson@aap.org 847-434-7084 American Academy of Pediatrics
Discussions on mandatory ECG screenings, medicating for ADHD, infant formula for breastfeeding, and testing for Strep infections
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Pediatric experts will debate the pros and cons of the most contentious issues pediatricians face in their daily practice during the new point-counterpoint sessions at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Orlando Oct. 26-29.
For the "Controversies in Pediatrics" series, a new topic will be debated each day by some of the most influential pediatricians in the fields of sports medicine, infectious disease, children with disabilities, and breastfeeding. Reporters interested in covering any of these sessions should check in at the press room, W203B.
The schedule includes:
ECG Screening Prior to Competitive Sports: Should it be Mandatory in the US?
4-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26
Pro: Victoria Vetter, MD
Con: Reginald Washington, MD, FAAP
When a seemingly young, healthy athlete dies suddenly while competing in a sporting event, people want to know how, why, and more importantly, what could have be done to prevent it?
Research has found that mandatory electrocardiograms (ECGs) for student athletes can save more lives, but nationally, it would cost more than $2 billion a year to cover everyone. Estimates from the American Heart Association have shown that the false-positive rate can range from 10 percent to 40 percent because athletes can undergo changes while training that can alter test results. In Italy, all student athletes are required to have a physical exam and ECG, at no cost to the child or parent. In the U.S., not everyone can afford the test, and it is not always covered by insurance. The controversy remains: if even one life can be saved, should cost be an issue?
Kung Fu PANDAS: Stealth Attacks of Streptococci?
4-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27
Pro: Susan Swedo, MD, FAAP
Con: Donald Gilbert, MD, FAAP
For the past 15 years, there has been conflicting research results regarding PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) being etiologically associated with some cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tics. Highlights of this session will involve discussion of the controversies about appropriate testing and treatment.
Dr. Swedo will present the pro-PANDAS case, that Strep is a trigger for acute-onset OCD and other neuropsychiatric symptoms. She will argue that pediatricians should obtain a throat culture from any child who suddenly develops obsessions, compulsions, separation anxiety or other signs of PANDAS. If the strep infection isn't recognized and appropriately treated, symptoms can worsen. Repeated episodes may result in chronic, treatment-resistant OCD or other debilitating mental illness.
Dr. Gilbert will debate that if a child presents with new onset OCD or other neuropsychiatric symptoms, the child should be managed with standard-of-care behavioral or pharmacological treatments, and pediatricians should rarely be testing for Strep with throat cultures or blood tests. These approaches are validated in longstanding practice and published evidence.
Preschoolers with ADHD: To Medicate or Not?
4-5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28
Pro: Mark Wolraich, MD, FAAP
Con: William Barbaresi, MD, FAAP
Is it appropriate or necessary to treat children 4 to 5 years of age with stimulant medications? In 2011, the AAP published a clinical practice guideline recommending behavioral therapy as the first line of treatment for preschool-age children.
Dr. Wolraich will present evidence why stimulant medication should be considered if behavior therapy is not successful for preschoolers diagnosed with ADHD. Dr. Barbaresi will make his case against using medication as treatment in the primary care setting.
What's Wrong with Just One Bottle? Pros and Cons of Choosing to Supplement Breastfed Babies
8:30-9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29
Pro: Mandy Brown Belfort, MD, FAAP
Con: Susan Landers, MD, FAAP
It has been longstanding AAP recommendation for babies to be exclusively breastfed for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced. However, a recent study has shown that small amounts of formula can be used to supplement breastfeeding with positive results. Experts will present both sides of this debate, as well as review the factors that lead breastfeeding mothers to use formula and stop breastfeeding.
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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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Pediatricians tackle controversial issues in new point-counterpoint sessions at AAP conference
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
26-Oct-2013
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Contact: Debbie Jacobson djacobson@aap.org 847-434-7084 American Academy of Pediatrics
Discussions on mandatory ECG screenings, medicating for ADHD, infant formula for breastfeeding, and testing for Strep infections
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Pediatric experts will debate the pros and cons of the most contentious issues pediatricians face in their daily practice during the new point-counterpoint sessions at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Orlando Oct. 26-29.
For the "Controversies in Pediatrics" series, a new topic will be debated each day by some of the most influential pediatricians in the fields of sports medicine, infectious disease, children with disabilities, and breastfeeding. Reporters interested in covering any of these sessions should check in at the press room, W203B.
The schedule includes:
ECG Screening Prior to Competitive Sports: Should it be Mandatory in the US?
4-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26
Pro: Victoria Vetter, MD
Con: Reginald Washington, MD, FAAP
When a seemingly young, healthy athlete dies suddenly while competing in a sporting event, people want to know how, why, and more importantly, what could have be done to prevent it?
Research has found that mandatory electrocardiograms (ECGs) for student athletes can save more lives, but nationally, it would cost more than $2 billion a year to cover everyone. Estimates from the American Heart Association have shown that the false-positive rate can range from 10 percent to 40 percent because athletes can undergo changes while training that can alter test results. In Italy, all student athletes are required to have a physical exam and ECG, at no cost to the child or parent. In the U.S., not everyone can afford the test, and it is not always covered by insurance. The controversy remains: if even one life can be saved, should cost be an issue?
Kung Fu PANDAS: Stealth Attacks of Streptococci?
4-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27
Pro: Susan Swedo, MD, FAAP
Con: Donald Gilbert, MD, FAAP
For the past 15 years, there has been conflicting research results regarding PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) being etiologically associated with some cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tics. Highlights of this session will involve discussion of the controversies about appropriate testing and treatment.
Dr. Swedo will present the pro-PANDAS case, that Strep is a trigger for acute-onset OCD and other neuropsychiatric symptoms. She will argue that pediatricians should obtain a throat culture from any child who suddenly develops obsessions, compulsions, separation anxiety or other signs of PANDAS. If the strep infection isn't recognized and appropriately treated, symptoms can worsen. Repeated episodes may result in chronic, treatment-resistant OCD or other debilitating mental illness.
Dr. Gilbert will debate that if a child presents with new onset OCD or other neuropsychiatric symptoms, the child should be managed with standard-of-care behavioral or pharmacological treatments, and pediatricians should rarely be testing for Strep with throat cultures or blood tests. These approaches are validated in longstanding practice and published evidence.
Preschoolers with ADHD: To Medicate or Not?
4-5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28
Pro: Mark Wolraich, MD, FAAP
Con: William Barbaresi, MD, FAAP
Is it appropriate or necessary to treat children 4 to 5 years of age with stimulant medications? In 2011, the AAP published a clinical practice guideline recommending behavioral therapy as the first line of treatment for preschool-age children.
Dr. Wolraich will present evidence why stimulant medication should be considered if behavior therapy is not successful for preschoolers diagnosed with ADHD. Dr. Barbaresi will make his case against using medication as treatment in the primary care setting.
What's Wrong with Just One Bottle? Pros and Cons of Choosing to Supplement Breastfed Babies
8:30-9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29
Pro: Mandy Brown Belfort, MD, FAAP
Con: Susan Landers, MD, FAAP
It has been longstanding AAP recommendation for babies to be exclusively breastfed for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced. However, a recent study has shown that small amounts of formula can be used to supplement breastfeeding with positive results. Experts will present both sides of this debate, as well as review the factors that lead breastfeeding mothers to use formula and stop breastfeeding.
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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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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.
FILE - In this Sunday, March 31, 2013 file photo, a bodyguard secures popular Egyptian television satirist Bassem Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, as he enters Egypt's state prosecutors office to face accusations of insulting Islam and the country's Islamist leader in Cairo, Egypt. After more than four months away, the man known as “Egypt’s Jon Stewart†returns the airwaves Friday in a country radically different from the one he previously mocked. Satirist Bassem Youssef’s weekly “El-Bernameg,†or “The Program†in Arabic, mocked the country’s first elected Islamist president and his supporters for mixing religion and politics, took them to task for failing to be inclusive or deliver on people’s demands for change_ to the extent that some said he was one of the main reasons people turned against Mohammed Morsi. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
FILE - In this Sunday, March 31, 2013 file photo, a bodyguard secures popular Egyptian television satirist Bassem Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, as he enters Egypt's state prosecutors office to face accusations of insulting Islam and the country's Islamist leader in Cairo, Egypt. After more than four months away, the man known as “Egypt’s Jon Stewart†returns the airwaves Friday in a country radically different from the one he previously mocked. Satirist Bassem Youssef’s weekly “El-Bernameg,†or “The Program†in Arabic, mocked the country’s first elected Islamist president and his supporters for mixing religion and politics, took them to task for failing to be inclusive or deliver on people’s demands for change_ to the extent that some said he was one of the main reasons people turned against Mohammed Morsi. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
FILE - In this Sunday, March 31, 2013 file photo, Egyptian popular television satirist Bassem Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, waves to is supporters as he enters Egypt's state prosecutors office to face accusations of insulting Islam and the country's Islamist leader in Cairo, Egypt. After more than four months away, the man known as “Egypt’s Jon Stewart” returns the airwaves Friday in a country radically different from the one he previously mocked. Satirist Bassem Youssef’s weekly “El-Bernameg,” or “The Program” in Arabic, mocked the country’s first elected Islamist president and his supporters for mixing religion and politics, took them to task for failing to be inclusive or deliver on people’s demands for change_ to the extent that some said he was one of the main reasons people turned against Mohammed Morsi. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
FILE - In this Saturday Dec. 8, 2012 file photo, Egyptian TV host Bassem Youssef addresses attendants at a gala dinner party in Cairo, Egypt. After more than four months away, the man known as “Egypt’s Jon Stewart” returns the airwaves Friday in a country radically different from the one he previously mocked. Satirist Bassem Youssef’s weekly “El-Bernameg,” or “The Program” in Arabic, mocked the country’s first elected Islamist president and his supporters for mixing religion and politics, took them to task for failing to be inclusive or deliver on people’s demands for change_ to the extent that some said he was one of the main reasons people turned against Mohammed Morsi. (AP Photo/Ahmed Omar, File)
Egyptians watch the weekly program of Bassem Youssef, the man known as “Egypt’s Jon Stewart,” at a coffee shop in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Oct. 25, 2013. Egypt’s most popular TV satirist, famed for mercilessly skewering the former Islamist president on his weekly program, dove headfirst back into stormy politics Friday after four months off the air amid the turmoil surrounding the country’s coup. His new target for mockery: the over-the-top pro-military fervor sweeping Egyptians. Youssef returned to the air in a radically different nation, where satirizing the leadership is a far trickier task. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra)
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's top prosecutor received complaints Saturday against a popular television satirist less than 24 hours after he returned to the air, as the private TV station that airs his program sought to distance itself from its contents.
The legal complaints and the reaction of the private station CBC highlight the low tolerance this deeply divided country has for criticism of the military and its leaders.
Bassem Youssef, often compared to U.S. comedian Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's satirical "The Daily Show, mocked the new pro-military fervor gripping Egypt in his program that aired Friday night.
Youssef also took jabs at the country's powerful military chief, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, lionized in the Egyptian media as a hero after leading a July 3 coup that ousted the country's elected Islamist president following massive protests.
By Saturday, at least four complaints had been filed with the country's top prosecutor, accusing Youssef of defaming the military in his show, a judicial official said. One of the complaints accused Youssef of using phrases that "undermine the honor and dignity of Egypt and its people" in a manner sowing sedition and spreading lies.
The official said no investigation into the complaints had started yet. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to journalists. Such complaints, common under Egyptian law, are often shelved until prosecutors decide to start an investigation.
In a statement read during prime time Saturday night, a broadcaster read a statement issued by CBC's board of directors in which the station sought to distance itself from the views expressed by Youssef on his show called "El-Bernameg," or "The Program." The statement appeared to be a reaction to negative feedback from viewers and possibly officials.
The statement noted that the public's reaction to Youssef's Friday night show was "largely disapproving."
"CBC will continue to be supportive of the basics of national sentiment and popular will, and is keen on not using phrases and innuendos that may lead to mocking national sentiment or symbols of the Egyptian state," the station said.
The station added that it is also committed to freedom of the media.
During Friday's show, Youssef imitated el-Sissi's soft-spoken, affectionate way of addressing the public, turning it into a lover's romantic groove. In one skit, a woman named "the Public" calls into a love advice show raving about the love of her life who saved her from an abusive husband.
"He's an officer as big as the world," she coos adoringly, making a pun on a slogan el-Sissi uses in nearly every speech: "Egypt will be big enough to face down the world." Then she adds, "He does have a sovereign streak."
One complainant, well-known politician Ahmed el-Fadaly, referred to the skit of the adoring woman, accusing Youssef of portraying Egypt as a "dallying woman who betrays her husband with military men."
El-Fadaly, who heads an association of young Muslims, also accused the satirist of belittling the armed forces' efforts to deal with terrorism, and of misrepresenting the popular protests against President Mohammed Morsi as a coup, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The Associated Press.
Another complainant, a group called The Campaign for el-Sissi for President, alleged that Youssef had defamed the military and its leadership through sexual innuendos, according to the Youm7 news website.
Youssef used satire to criticize Morsi during his one year in office. Morsi supporters also sued Youssef for insulting the presidency and Islam, leading to his brief detention.
Before returning to the air after four months of absence, Youssef predicted in an article he wrote that he will continue to be pursued legally by his new critics "who allegedly love freedom dearly — when it works in their favor."
His late-night Friday show caused a stir in a sharply divided country. Since Morsi's ouster, hundreds have been killed in crackdowns on protesters demanding Morsi's reinstatement. Attacks by Islamic extremists against security forces and Christians have increased. A nationalist fervor gripping the country has elevated the military to an untouchable status, leaving little tolerance among the public or officials for criticism.
For now, Youssef appears undeterred. After Friday's show aired, Youssef took to Twitter to remind the public that the show just began: "It is only an episode in a program, people."
She's gearing up for the premiere of her new flick "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and during promotions, Willow Shields graced the cover of Seventeen magazine's November 2013 issue.
During her interview, the 13-year-old actress opened up about Jennifer Lawrence being her role model and shared details about her friendship with fellow co-stars Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.
Check out a few highlights from Miss Shield's Q&A session below. For more, be sure to visit Seventeen!
On looking up to Jennifer:
"Jennifer Lawrence is an incredible actress - I aspire to be like that."
On Josh and Liam:
"They're like my brothers, except they don't fight with me. Liam is quiet but sweet and Josh is chatty."
WSOF bantamweight Carson Beebe will be fighting in one of the toughest bouts of his career this Saturday as he takes on fellow rising prospect Marlon Moraes in the WSOF 6 co-main event. The trip to the WSOF cage has not been a lonely one for Beebe, as his family – including former WEC champion Chase Beebe – has played a major influence in getting him to where he is today. MMAFrenzy caught up with the bantamweight prospect to discuss his family’s influence, Saturday’s fight and more.
Your opponent, Marlon Moraes, has been one of the breakout prospects for WSOF. How excited are you to be looking to end his run and furthering your own career?
I am pretty excited to test myself against a top tier guy and I look forward to facing off with him. Most have him ranked among the top ten in the world and I am excited to face him.
Do you relish the role of underdog?
Yeah, it’s just a big opportunity and it makes me excited. It gives me an opportunity to show the world what I can really do and that is exciting for me. I really like the position I am in.
Do you feel that your bout with Moraes is almost an unofficial title fight?
I want to start doing a title fight at some point. I mean WSOF is doing their first title fight on this card and 135 is one of the most stacked divisions in the WSOF. I think a title fight is coming and I want to be a part of it.
How did you get started in MMA?
My brother (former WEC champion Chase Beebe) started fighting when I was in HS, so I followed in his footsteps. We were always fans of MMA and we started out scrapping in the basement and trying to tap each other out. Then Chase started fighting professionally and I started training with him. I was at his fights and cornered him a lot and I just fell in love with the sport. It all started from there.
Safe to say MMA has been a family affair for your family?
Yeah, we are all into it. Chase is one of my main workout partners and my other brother Conor is my wrestling coach. It is definitely a family affair.
Before MMA did all of you wrestle as well?
I have been wrestling since I was four years old. All four of my brothers wrestled as well, we’re a long-time wrestling family.
How do you feel about wrestling’s place in MMA and has it almost become a necessity to learn?
I think every fighter out there needs to know at least a little bit of wrestling. I know guys who have been wrestling their whole life will still have an advantage and that’s just because you cannot just become a great wrestler in two years. It takes a lifetime of knowledge and training to get the feel of it. You can become pretty good in other martial arts in a relatively short amount of time but I don’t think that is the same for wrestling.
Has Chase’s success in MMA ever put any pressure on you as a fighter?
I haven’t felt pressure but I have used it as an advantage. Before I got into the sport I already knew a lot about the sport and the business. I also learned what it takes to get to and be at the top of a weight class. Before I was fighting I cornered a WEC championship fight and trained with top level guys. It was a big opportunity.
Did having your family’s wrestling background help prepare you for what dealing with that kind of success/pressure?
Yeah, it has been that way my whole life. Two of my brothers [Conor and Chase] were four-time state champions, so I had big shoes to fill in wrestling before MMA. It is fine for me and it wasn’t a problem.
How have you worked on rounding out your game in MMA?
It is tough to pick up the standup aspect as a wrestler because you don’t like getting hit. So when you are first starting you get hit a lot before you start figuring it all out. First two months of your career you’re getting hit in the head a lot but after that you start to pick it up.
As a fighter, what are your thoughts on the dismissal of Rousimar Palhares?
It comes down to sportsmanship, when someone taps you have to let it go. It should be the same in the gym as it is in the cage. At the end of the day, this is a sport and we’re trying to win the fight, not kill each other. It comes down to character and discipline to stay committed to your sportsmanship.
What is it like to be a part of a growing promotion like WSOF?
Oh WSOF is awesome. It is my favorite, and I am bias, but I think it’s great. The fact that our leader is one of the most adored kickboxers of all time and has pro fights is cool because he knows exactly what it’s like to be in my shoes. He is a fighter’s promoter and he is all about taking care of the fighters and putting on great fights. I love being here.
The lighter weight classes seem to be gaining more respect from promoters but fans haven’t bought in quite as much. Has this made it harder for you as a fighter to find sponsorships and what not?
Yeah, finding sponsors is always tough. You just have to perform in order to put you name out there. I think MMA has universal appeal. There are always people that have a negative opinion of what we do but for the most part I think MMA is more respected now.
Do you feel the success of someone like UFC interim bantamweight champion Renan Barão, whom UFC president Dana White has stated is a pound for pound great, helps legitimize the lower weight classes?
Yeah, definitely! I think 125 helps promotions too. The smaller guys are fun to watch. There’s often a lot more technique than when it’s just two big guys slugging it out. There’s more intricacies to the lighter weight fights most of the time, especially for the hardcore fans of the sport. Bigger guys have a lot more options, like football or basketball, so a lot of the smaller guys have been involved with the sport for a longer period of time.
Anything you want to say to the fans or anyone you want to thank before the fight?
I want to thank my team, Gilbert Grappling, and my management, Sucker Punch Entertainment. As always, I want to give all glory to god. I try to use my platform to show how God can help overcome an obstacle. I want to put all of that on display when I fight October 26.
WSOF 6 will take place on the campus of the University of Miami on October 26. The October 26 lineup will be headlined by a WSOF welterweight championship pairing between Josh Burkman and Steve Carl. The card will be co-headlined by the fast-rising Moraes taking on his fellow prospect in Beebe.
Be sure to look with more interviews with WSOF 6 fight card members throughout the week and tune in this Saturday on WSOF 6. You can follow Carson Beebe on twitter @CarsonBeebeMMA and be sure to tune in when he takes on Marlon Moraes in the WSOF 6 co-main event.
For nearly five years, Republicans have struggled to make a scandal stick to President Barack Obama's White House. One by one, the controversies — with shorthand names such as Solyndra, Benghazi, and Fast and Furious — hit a fever pitch, then faded away.
But some Republicans see the disastrous rollout of Obama's health law as a problem with the kind of staying power they have sought.
The health care failures are tangible for millions of Americans and can be experienced by anyone with Internet access. The law itself is more closely associated with Obama personally and long has been unpopular with the majority of the American people.
The longer the technical problems persist, the more likely they are to affect the delicate balance of enrollees needed in the insurance marketplace in order to keep costs down.
"There's no question the issue has legs, in part because it affects so many Americans very directly and in part because the glitches with the website are simply one of many fundamental problems with this law," GOP pollster Whit Ayres said.
The cascade of computer problems began Oct. 1, when sign-ups opened for the marketplaces at the center of the law. Administration officials blamed the problems on high volume, but have since acknowledged more systemic issues with HealthCare.gov.
White House officials contend the website is just one piece of the broader law offering an array of benefits. They say that when the online issues are fixed — the latest estimate is the site will be working normally for most users by the end of November — few people will remember the problems that have marred the opening weeks of the six-month enrollment window.
"It says a lot about Republicans that their focus here is not on helping Americans get insured, but on making political hay of this mess," said Dan Pfeiffer, Obama's senior adviser.
There's another mess the White House is dealing with that could have long-lasting implications, too: U.S. government spying on foreign leaders. The scope of the surveillance programs was first made public in June and the revelations keep coming. The latest concern the alleged monitoring of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone communications.
But unlike with the health law, many Republicans support the government surveillance policies, making it more difficult for the party to create a political furor over the revelations.
For GOP lawmakers, the White House's stumbles on the Affordable Care Act have come at an optimal time, just one week after their strategy to shut down the government in exchange for concessions on health care imploded.
The health care debacle has overshadowed some of the Republican missteps and the GOP appears more than happy to keep the spotlight where it is.
Republicans have scheduled a series of congressional hearings on the program's shortcomings, and have called for officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, to be fired. She is set to testify this coming week before a House committee.
Kevin Madden, a GOP strategist, said Republicans should be wary of overreach, and he urged the party to "focus on the basics" in the hearings. If they do, he said, "they can really align themselves with a lot of public anxiety about what's wrong with Washington."
Anxiety about the website's problems also appears to be on the rise among members of the president's own party, a worrisome sign for the White House.
Paul Haddad and Mark Jardine - Tapbots - have posted a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page dedicated to Tweetbots 3, and more specifically, any common confusion or feature requests people might have. From Tapbots:
Why did you get rid of double/triple tap?
In order to detect a double/triple tap every tap on a Tweet adds a delay while the OS decides if you are doing a single or multiple tap. This lag really impacts the feel of the app in a subtle way. There’s some ways around this but it ends up causing other issues. We understand some of you really miss this feature and are discussing how to best handle it.
Lots of other good stuff there, including the Night Theme, additional swipe gestures, custom text size, new List behavior, and more. Check it out, and let me know if it answers your questions?
>> BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK: Apple unveils slew of new iPads, MacBooks, Mac Pro, and apps, by Dan Miller: "...a brand new iPad model (the iPad Air), and added a Retina screen and an A7 processor to the iPad mini. It announced an updated line of Retina MacBook Pros while also naming December as the shipping month for its new Mac Pro (the black cylinder that looks like it belongs on Darth Vader's desktop). It showed off updated iLife and iWork suites for the Mac, iOS, and iCloud.com. And it announced that the latest version of OS X--Mavericks--would be available immediately after the event, and for free." [We count more than 200 articles in the tech press about the announcements. Here are the best.] Macworld >>>> iPad Air hands-onSlashGear >>>> How the iPad Air stacks up against its competitorsTechHive >>>> iPad mini with Retina Display: Hands OnAnandTech >>>> Apple quietly release iOS 7.0.3, with new fixes and featuresNetworkWorld >>>> Apple unveils cheaper MacBook Pro Retina with Intel Haswell processors, slimmer designsTechCrunch >>>> You'll be able to buy Apple's redesigned Mac Pro for $2,999 before the end of the yearTNW >>>> Updated iWork apps now available in the Mac App Store9to5Mac >>>> What you need to know about Apple's free apps policyMacworld >>>> Apple exploits Microsoft hesitation on OfficeNY Times Bits >>>> Apple's biggest new announcement was the free OS X upgradeInfoWorld >>>> Installing Mavericks: What you need to knowMacworld >>>> Why Mavericks is a move against the open webThe Guardian >>>> Hey Apple, where's your 4K Thunderbolt display?Wired >>>> How a Free OS Will Pay Off for AppleAllThingsD
>> MEANWHILE, ON MARS: Nokia World reveals phablets and tablets in Abu Dhabi, by Leo Kelion: "Nokia has unveiled its first phablets -- extra-large phones -- as well as its first tablet computer. The Windows Phone handsets introduce the ability to change which objects in a photo are in focus after it is taken.... Nokia World in Abu Dhabi is likely to be remembered as the Finnish firm's last major event before it completes the sale of its hardware unit.... Microsoft's Stephen Elop: 'Our challenge is to get more and more people to try those devices and spread the word amongst their friends.'" BBC
>> BUGGY WHIP: While world drools over Apple, Microsoft fixes Windows RT 8.1 update, by Neil McAllister: "Won't put your Surface RT into a boot loop this time, honest... and, of course, Microsoft apologizes for any inconvenience this little mess may have caused -- even if it doesn't think it was really that big of a deal." The Register
>> CIRCLING THE DRAIN: HTC scales back production lines as cash flow worsens, by Clare Jim: "Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp has halted at least one of its four main manufacturing lines, accounting for at least a fifth of total capacity, and is outsourcing production as a sales slump puts pressure on its cash flow." Reuters
>> CLOUD COVER: SkySQL raises $20M to support open-source relational database MariaDB, by Alex Williams: "Until late this year, MariaDB had primarily been an engineering project but this year it emerged as a foundation SQL technology for Wikipedia and major Linux distributions such as Fedora and OpenSuse, said SkySQL CEO Patrik Sallner. The round validates SkySQL's approach to make MariaDB, the fastest-growing open-source database and considered the premiere alternative to MySQL." TechCrunch
>> WAITING FOR GODOT'S TV: Apple preparing 65-inch TV for release in 2014, analyst says, by Mariko Yasu: Apple "is deciding on specifications, and the models likely will have a frameless design, Masahiko Ishino, an analyst at Advanced Research who tracks developments in the consumer-electronics industry." Bloomberg
>> INTERNET OF THINGS: Starbucks links coffee makers to Web, fueling $27B market, by Olga Kharif: "Starbucks said it plans to double the number of its Clover coffee-brewing machines, which connect to the cloud and track customer preferences, allow recipes to be digitally updated and help staffers remotely monitor a coffee maker's performance. Also in the works: connected fridges that indicate when a carton of milk has spoiled." Bloomberg
>> LEXTINCTION: Microsoft drops 'RT' moniker from original Surface, hides desktop mode on new RT tablets, by Tom Warren: "Microsoft is altering its Surface RT name to just Surface today.... Microsoft is also removing the default desktop tile in Windows RT 8.1. New Windows RT devices will default to a Start Screen that does not contain the desktop tile, making it less easy to switch into the traditional desktop mode in Windows RT 8.1. Surface 2 includes this change, as does Nokia's new Lumia 2520 tablet." The Verge
>> UNPLANNED OBSOLESENCE: The decline of Wikipedia, by Tom Simonite: "The main source of those problems is not mysterious. The loose collective running the site today, estimated to be 90 percent male, operates a crushing bureaucracy with an often abrasive atmosphere that deters newcomers who might increase participation in Wikipedia and broaden its coverage." MIT Technology Review
>> The candidate from Facebook: Silicon Valley's march on WashingtonSalon
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>> Outbrain gets $35M investment -- no IPO after allGigaOM
>> Why longtime Netflix CFO Barry McCarthy just agreed to work for Clinkle's 22-year-old CEOAllThingsD
>> Network Solutions reports more DNS problemsInfoWorld
>> Nokia Refocus turns your Lumia into a Lytro-like cameraThe Verge
>> BT moves HR into the cloud with Oracle for 88,000 staffComputerworld UK
>> MicroStrategy revamps software for bigger data sets, faster visualsPCWorld
>> Firefox community roiled by Java crackdownNetworkWorld
>> Windows Server Essentials Media Pack [By downloading and installing this pack, you will be able to restore the media streaming functionality in Windows Server 2012 R2] Microsoft Download Center
>> Microsoft keeps building its hybrid cloud with Windows Azure updatesGigaOM
>> Call yourself a hacker, lose your 4th Amendment rightsDigital Bond
>> Impress me -- tips for developers looking for jobsBare Bones Coder
>> TWEET O' THE DAY: "I don't like the class division on planes, it's a microcosm of… Free upgrade? Why yes please! S'long peasants! *prances to business class*" @jaffathecake
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