Voters to choose Jackson Jr.'s House successor

CHICAGO (AP) ? While Democrat Robin Kelly is widely expected to capture Tuesday's special election for former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s seat over Republican Paul McKinley, any winner will face big challenges.

Illinois' newest member of Congress will have big shoes to fill: Jackson was a 17-year incumbent who served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee and brought home nearly $1 billion to the district. He also had strong relationships with mayors, activists and voters across the district that includes city neighborhoods, suburbs and some rural areas.

Jackson resigned in November. He pleaded guilty in February in federal court to lavishly misspending $750,000 in campaign funds.

Political experts, voters and mayors agree that Kelly, 56, has the edge. She's a former state representative, has received big name endorsements including from President Barack Obama and received a huge boost from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's super PAC, which supported her gun control stance. Also, the district is solidly Democratic and has been for about six decades. McKinley is an ex-con-turned-community activist who barely won his primary.

Early estimates showed low voter turnout in parts of the district, especially the city. Tuesday's special election coincided with municipal contests in other parts of the state; Chicago held its municipal contests in 2011.

Only 8 percent of city voters showed up at the polls, according to early estimates, with an expected turnout of roughly 12 percent by day's end. In the suburbs, the number was higher.

At New Life Celebration Church of God in suburban Dolton, voters trickled in throughout the day and campaign workers handed out glossy candidate cards.

Carl Rochelle, 51, voted for Kelly. He liked her attention to anti-violence efforts and guns. He was also happy to see a new candidate after ethical and legal troubles surrounded the district's previous three congressmen.

"I like to see a fresh face," he said. "Hopefully something is different. I hope it doesn't happen to her."

Kelly, from Matteson, said the next U.S. representative will face challenges, like being the last to get committee assignments and having to play catch up. But she believes she can be a voice on the national stage for gun control. Her primary victory speech, in which she issued a direct challenge to the National Rifle Association, earned praise from Bloomberg and Vice President Joe Biden. And Obama nodded to her anti-gun advocacy in his endorsement.

"I will have a voice in Congress as the debate is going on and as issues come to the floor," Kelly said. "I will attend everything I can attend."

But McKinley isn't so sure it's in the bag for Kelly. The Chicago man ? who doesn't advocate for gun control ? has focused his campaign on how his integration back into society after serving nearly 20 years in prison for robbery and other charges has made him ready to help others.

"I have a 50-50 chance like my opponent has," he said. "There is nothing written in stone that she's supposed to win."

Independent candidates Curtiss Llong Bey, Marcus Lewis and Elizabeth Pahlke are also running, as is Green Party candidate LeAllen M. Jones.

Whoever wins will face extra scrutiny on ethics.

The three previous congressmen in the Chicago-area district left office under an ethical cloud.

Until his resignation, Jackson remained under a House Ethics Committee investigation over ties to ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. His predecessor, Mel Reynolds, left office in 1995 and was convicted of fraud and having sex with a minor. Before that, Gus Savage faced allegations of sexual misconduct with a Peace Corps worker while on a congressional visit overseas.

"There's a lot of hope (among voters) because she's had a pretty clean record so far," said Don Rose, a longtime political consultant in Chicago. "It'll be a while before she can become a leader but it's a matter of what she does."

Others are just skeptical of any new congressman's ability in Washington.

Many parts of the district, including suburban Dolton which reports a nearly 13 percent unemployed rate, much higher than the state and national averages.

Voter Robert Pierson, 56, has lived in suburban Dolton for nearly three decades. He also voted for Kelly and said he hopes she focuses on unemployment. He manages a steel service center and said the area needs a loud voice in Congress.

"It would be nice to be able to lean on Robin," he said.

The district's last special election was 1995 when Jackson won office.

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Contact Sophia Tareen at https://www.twitter.com/sophiatareen .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/voters-choose-jackson-jr-house-successor-070501206--election.html

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NKorea says 'striking means' on standby

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? A North Korean agency that deals with relations with South Korea claims Pyongyang has "powerful striking means" on standby for a launch amid speculation in Seoul and Washington that the country is preparing to test a mid-range missile.

The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland also said Thursday it has entered coordinates for targets. But it didn't elaborate on what it meant. The statement follows a recent torrent of warlike rhetoric seen as an effort to raise fears and pressure outside governments into policy changes.

The comments would carry more weight if they came from a military-related agency.

Analysts believe North Korea is extremely unlikely to stage an attack. But outside officials have said Pyongyang appears to be preparing to test-fly a missile that could reach Guam.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nkorea-says-striking-means-standby-100212836.html

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Background checks back in Senate deal

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) outside the weekly Democratic policy luncheon April 9, 2013 in Washington, D.C. (Win M??

Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) unveiled a deal in a press conference Wednesday morning to expand background checks to nearly every commercial gun purchase.

Manchin called the agreement a "first step" to passing broader legislation to cut down on gun violence.

"The events of Newtown changed us all," Manchin said, referencing the Dec. 14 mass shooting that left 20 children and six adults in a Connecticut elementary school dead. "Nobody here ? with a good conscience could sit by and not try to prevent a day like that from happening again."

Currently, only people who buy guns through federally licensed dealers have to undergo a criminal background check, leaving a loophole for some online and gun show shoppers. The new bill would expand checks to nearly every gun transaction except for private, person-to-person sales. (That's a scaled back version of what Senate Democrats initially proposed, which would have also covered private sales.) The background checks bar people who have committed felonies or have been declared mentally ill by a judge from purchasing firearms.

Toomey said he did not think expanding background checks to cover current loopholes amounts to "gun control." Instead, he said, "It's just common sense."

Both Toomey and Manchin are gun owners, and both have an A rating from the National Rifle Association, the largest pro-gun lobby group. Toomey said he added some provisions to strengthen gun rights in the bill, including allowing a legal gun owner to take his or her concealed weapon over state lines, even if that state does not allow concealed carry.

The full bill also provides more money for school safety and strengthens laws against illegal firearm sales. Proposals to ban certain semi-automatic weapons and limit magazine sizes?pushed by President Barack Obama and other Democrats?have been dropped from the main bill, but could be added later in an amendment process.

Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah have threatened to fillibuster the legislation, which could face a test vote as early as Thursday.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/senators-announce-deal-gun-background-check-bill-145147692--election.html

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T-Mobile gives 'best and final offer' for MetroPCS takeover

Better terms to hopefully lessen MetroPCS shareholder disapproval of the deal

T-Mobile USA's parent company Deutsche Telekom has submitted its "best and final offer" to shareholders, sweetening the deal for the MetroPCS reverse takeover. Amidst the growing sentiment among MetroPCS shareholders that they're getting the bad end of the deal, T-Mobile is reducing the amount of debt transferred to the new company as part of the deal. The current terms are good enough for most, and see MetroPCS shareholders receiving $4 per share and a 26-percent stake in the newly combined company. The new deal will also now see a reduced amount of debt transferred to the new company, now at $3.8 billion -- along with a slightly lower interest rate.

Although there is a vocal minority of shareholders disapproving of the current terms, they're still the minority. With T-Mobile previously stating that it felt its initial terms are fair, it's interesting to see it come back with a better offer to help guarantee the deal is accepted. MetroPCS shareholders are currently sending in their votes to approve or disapprove of the deal ahead of a shareholder meeting, which has been pushed back to April 24th because of the new terms. Pending that shareholder approval, all indications point to the deal going through at some time in 2013.

Source: WSJ

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/-L_PlG7uuHA/story01.htm

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How to Stick with It When You're Learning Something New On Your Own

Most of us have a passion to learn something new?whether it's advancing our skillset, picking up a new hobby, or just taking on an entire new learning experience?but unless you're incredibly dedicated to it, learning something new is surprisingly hard to stick with. Here are a few ways to make your new habit stick.

We've talked about plenty of different resources for learning on your own. The problem isn't that the data and classes aren't out there and freely available, it's coming up with the dedication and structure when you don't have a bill from a college hanging over your head. A recent Open Culture survey shows a number of the most common reasons people don't complete online courses, ranging from the time required to complete a class to simple old learning fatigue. Most of these problems are easy to deal with.

While you might show an interest in something that doesn't mean you'll always stick to it. So, I spoke with Kio Stark, author of the recently released book, Don't Go Back to School (the book should be available on Amazon this week as well) about how to come up with a self-education plan you'll actually stick to.

Find What You Actually Want to Learn About

First things first, you need to figure out what you're actually interested in. That seems easy on the surface, but with so much information out there it's hard to pinpoint exactly what you want to learn or what skills you want to develop. For that, writer Annie Murphy Paul recommends you dig into a few different things to pique your curiosity:

In his 1994 paper, George Loewenstein noted that curiosity requires some initial knowledge. We're not curious about something we know absolutely nothing about. But as soon as we know even a little bit, our curiosity is piqued and we want to learn more. In fact, research shows that curiosity increases with knowledge: the more we know, the more we want to know. To get this process started, Loewenstein suggests, "prime the pump" with some intriguing but incomplete information.

Obviously this is a step that many people can skip?if you're already interested in something, go for it. Otherwise, resources like Khan Academy, MIT's Creative Learning Lab, Lynda, or our own Lifehacker U are great places to start priming the pump to find what you'll learn next.

Figure Out How You Learn Best

We all learn a little differently, and while we're fans of learning by doing, you can't always do that with everything. If you're struggling to keep up your learning routine, Stark recommends pinpointing how you learn:

It's incredibly important as an independent learner that you understand how you learn best. This is something I heard from the majority of my interviewees. It took a bit of trial and error to figure that out, but it was worth it. They felt that their self-awareness was essential to their success at learning, and also made it more satisfying.

Not everyone is the same here, but once you have an idea of how you learn best, you can formulate a plan that gets you there. Stark explains:

Some people prefer to learn on a defined path (syllabus) and others prefer to wing it. Winging it, for the people I spoke with, means starting with the thing you're curious about, and letting yourself follow the tangents you need in order to understand what you're interested in, or master the skills you want. So again, some self-reflection really matters.

We've heard this before, and while trial and error is never fun, trying out alternate methods of learning is the best way to focus in on how you want to learn. If one class, manual, or project isn't doing it for you, try another one. Sites like Khan Academy are great for some people, but if you're not into it within the first couple of weeks, try another service, or just start winging it once you have the basics down.

If you're the type to prefer the more rigid structure of a syllabus, make sure you create a plan for studying and stick it on your calendar just like you would if you were actually paying for college classes. You can usually fit learning into just about any schedule, even when you're at work. Photo by intenteffect.

Learn By Doing Whenever Possible

In most cases you're going to learn best by doing. That means practicing programming by actually making a program or learning a new language by speaking it. If you're having trouble getting over the learning hump and sticking with it, you might simply need to provide better context for the process. Stark shares the example of a filmmaker:

One way that happens is when you're learning something in a real context. I interviewed Jim Munroe, a novelist who started making films. He says he learns best when he's actually making something, and there are consequences to his decisions, including failure. He said if had learned the principles of filmmaking by being told them, he wouldn't have understood them in as deep a way, or learned the the reasons for the "rules" and when it can be effective to break them.

It's essentially practicing in a way where you're still learning, and that might include simply expanding the process so you're learning multiple skills at once. Just remember, you're bound to hit a barrier at some point where you feel like you're not learning anything, or you're just a little burnt out. It's not that big of a deal. It's possible to break through that barrier with a break or a change in how you're learning.

Find a Community to Learn With

It's no secret that many of us tend to learn a little better when we're surrounded by other people who are just as interested in the subject at hand. If you're struggling to stick with a learning program because of the inherent isolation of learning on your own, Stark recommends finding a community of like-minded people:

The other piece of infrastructure you need is a learning community. You'll learn together, and a community gives you feedback on what you've learned and how well you've learned it, plus motivation to keep it up. You're also responsible to your community. For example, I talked with Molly Danielsson, who started a business making composting toilets, and learned everything she needed outside of school, including science, product design, and legal issues. She and her partner got involved in the eco sanitation community right away, and decided that "in order to stick with our crazy plan, we had to start telling people about it so they'd hold us to it." It worked.

It's surprisingly easy to find a group of people to learn with in just about any field. Hackerspaces are great for DIYers messing around with electronics or building materials. For everything else, a service like Eventbrite can point you to events with like minded people and communities. Photo by Mitch Altman.

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When all is said and done, it's also important to know when to quit. If you're trying to take on a new skill, learn a new hobby, or you're just expanding your knowledge, sometimes it doesn't end up being as interesting as you thought it would be. That's okay, but if you're still interested and you're just not able to make a routine stick, the above tips should help. Remember, learning on your own is almost like a habit that requires a schedule and your attention. Even just 15 minutes a day can ensure you're sticking with it, and if you can get yourself started you're more likely to stick to it.

Title image remixed from ollyy (Shutterstock).

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/PvU8eWVVxBw/how-to-stick-with-it-when-youre-learning-something-new-on-your-own

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Defense Experts Warn Of Cheap Enemy Drones On The Battlefield

While many current drone programs are extremely complex - and costly - cheap drones used for spying, mapping, and even attacks could turn the tables on world militaries by giving terrorists and less well-funded groups access to UAV technology.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/UY1rxrm5x1w/

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Public Opinion on Global Warming Is Easier to Change Than Science

If you're curious what a motivated political campaign to undermine established science looks like, allow Gallup and its new poll of climate change attitudes to demonstrate. There is no serious objection among scientists that the climate is changing. There are disputes about the manifestations of that change, about how rapidly it will happen, and about how to curtail it ??but there's no doubt it's a problem.

RELATED: Quote of the Day: 'Mild-Mannered' Methodist McKibben Loses It

Last December, James Lawrence Powell, a member of the National Science Board which advises Washington on scientific matters, compiled all of the peer-reviewed studies on climate change between 1991 and 2012. This is how the articles supporting the existence of climate change compare to those rejecting it.

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And here is what Gallup found when it asked Americans whether or not they believed there was scientific consensus on the issue.

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RELATED: What Holiday Shopping Does to Mother Nature; Mass-Produced Nuclear Reactors

Or, to put it more starkly, here's the difference between what the research indicates and Americans' perception of that research.

This is not an accident. Opponents of action on climate change ? largely companies reliant on fossil fuel consumption to keep costs low or for their profit bases ??have deliberately worked to introduce the idea that there is a scientific controversy about climate change. (See, for example, the Union of Concerned Scientists' report on ExxonMobil's efforts to that end.) That idea has taken hold.

Gallup writes about the poll released today:

U.S. worry about global warming is heading back up after several years of expanded public skepticism. Views on the subject are now near the midpoint in Gallup trends, exemplified by the 58 percent of Americans who say they worry a great deal or fair amount about global warming. This is up from 51?percent in 2011 but still below the 62?percent to 72?percent?levels seen in earlier years.

This messy chart shows how those attitudes have changed over the years.

This cleaner chart offers slightly different packaging of that info: Those with "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of concern constitute the blue line, those with "a little" or no concern, the red.

Those "several years of expanded skepticism" can be seen from early 2008 to 2010 ??a period in which politics shifted hard to the right. Opposition to climate change was an integral-if-not-prominent part of that shift, of course, as the Washington Post documented in 2011. That article makes an additional point: strong belief, even when held by a small minority, can dominate political focus in a way that dispassionate belief among a large minority can't.

The majority that worries a great deal about climate change is not strongly passionate. Gallup asked about a series of environmental concerns ??water quality, air pollution ??and climate change emerged near the bottom in order of level of concern.

For a long time, advocates of climate action have hoped that at least once the effects of climate change become obvious, people would have no choice but to demand action. That hasn't been borne out. Last year saw the worst drought since the Dust Bowl era, the hottest year in continental U.S. History, record ice melt in the Arctic, and a massive hurricane that flooded New York in large part thanks to a climate-changed-raised ocean ??none of which was enough to convince many Americans. Stripping out the middle responses, here is the number of Americans who think the effects of climate change have already begun, versus those who think they never will.

After the events of 2012, the percent of Americans who think we're already seeing the effects of climate change went up two percent.

Scientists can't convince Americans. Unprecedented weather phenomena can't either. Doubt is a tricky political opponent ? particularly when it's well-funded.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/public-opinion-global-warming-easier-change-science-214750805.html

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