Political campaign committees, non-profit entities: What's the ...

What is a nonprofit entity and what is a campaign committee?

That question is now being put to the Federal Election Commission by Democrats who are taking aim at Karl Rove?s Crossroads GPS, a nonprofit entity which aims to raise $300 million or so to attack President Barack Obama and other Democrats.

Karl Rove

Karl Rove. Photo by Flickr user JD_WMWM

Crossroads may act and sound exactly like a political campaign committee to Democratic ears. But, it has been organized as a tax-exempt social welfare group ? a 501(c)4. Under Internal Revenue Service requirements, this means it must not be organized for the ?primary purpose? of engaging in political activities but as a charitable organization for the public?s benefit. The increasing use of nonprofits is one of the many ways that large sums of money are entering the Presidential race in the wake of the Citizens United decision, that opened the doors to large contributions from deep-pocketed donors.

As a 501(c)4 organization, Crossroads GPS is not required to disclose its donors, unlike campaign committees, whose donors must be disclosed to the F.E.C, and kept in a publicly-available data base. Even the so-called Super Pacs, which are getting all the attention this campaign season, have some limited disclosure requirements.

Now Mr. Rove?s efforts are being attacked on two fronts: There are signs that the I.R.S. is taking a harder look at groups like Crossroads GPS. And, President Obama?s lawyers have sent a letter to the F.E.C. saying that Crossroads GPS is not a ?social welfare? group but a ?political committee? and subject to federal reporting requirements.

Already, Republicans have begun to close ranks and are trying to head off the I.R.S. Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch and Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have begun to push back in speeches. In a letter to the I.R.S., Mr. McConnell has called the agency the ?speech police? for questions it has raised after a number of Tea-Party related groups have applied for 501(c)4 status.

CrossroadsGPS 502(c)4

The website of the pro-Republican group Crossroads GPS is full of ads and links to social media.

Just last week, the lawyer for the Obama campaign took the Democrat?s complaint to the F.E.C. In filing the complaint, Obama campaign attorney, Robert Bauer, also wrote to a courtesy letter to Mr. Rove saying it was ?obvious to all? that Crossroads is really a political committee.

In his complaint to the F.E.C., Mr. Bauer said that ?Under the pretense of charitable activities, Crossroads has tried to shield its donors ? wealthy individuals, and corporations who may be pursuing special interest agendas.?

SuperPacs may have gotten all the attention in this election cycle. But a joint investigation http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/06/18/9147/nonprofits-outspent-super-pacs-2010... by the Center for Responsive Politics and the Center for Public Integrity shows that when it comes to money, 501(c)4s are not to be ignored.

In the 2010 midterm races, 501(c)4s outspent SuperPacs by a 3 to 2 margin, and that trend may well continue in the current presidential race. The investigation found that the nonprofits spent roughly $95 million in 2010, compared to $65 million for SuperPacs.

Conservative groups 501 ( c) 4s vastly outspent liberal ones ? rack up $78 million for the conservatives and $16 million for the ones on the left.

For reporters covering campaign finance, the issues are clear: Not all the action is with SuperPacs. Given the secrecy surrounding 501( c)4s ? they do not have to report donors nor their spending ? both sides will be fighting hard. Hard, by Mr. Rove and Republicans, to keep Crossroads GPS as it is. Hard by the Democrats to pry open its books.

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PressNewsRoom ? Blog Archive ? Professional Home Staging ...

Megan Morris, Founder and CEO of residential home staging company, MHM Professional Staging, a sought-after Central Florida firm, discusses the importance of addressing problem areas while selling a home.

Orlando, Fla. ? June 27, 2012 ? Megan Morris, Founder and CEO of residential home staging company, MHM Professional Staging, recently published an article on her website www.professionalstaging.com, discussing the strategy of home staging. The article, titled ?Home Staging 101: Address the Problem Areas? explains that ?problem areas? can often be turned into positive attributes.

Morris writes, ?One of the most important aspects of staging a home for sale is addressing the problem areas. Virtually every home has them?rooms that are difficult to define or rooms that are not finished or are slightly awkward.? The key is to spin these perceived problems into positive attributes.?

MHM Professional Staging, a home staging company in Orlando,? offers a host of home interior staging services to their broad array of clients. Whether you need to position your personal home for sale, create a set design for a TV show or re-designing your hotel lobby space, MHM has the expertise and talent to meet the challenge. CEO Megan Morris leverages the firm?s years of experience to provide clients with superior service, timely design and beautifully finished spaces that attract attention.

The entire article can be found at http://www.professionalstaging.com/articles/home-staging-101-address-the-prob...

To learn more about Megan Morris and MHM Professional Staging, please visit http://www.professionalstaging.com/

About MHM Professional Staging:

Founded in early 2010, MHM Professional Staging, Inc. has quickly grown into one of the most sought-after professional home staging companies in the Central Florida area.

This highly talented team works with clients with varying budgets to position their home for a successful sale. In today?s competitive real estate market, MHM Professional Staging can drive a buying decision from prospective buyers with a range of interior adjustments.

MHM provides a diversity of services to their valued customers. The talented team can handle any type of design and re-design project, with experience spanning from homes to lobbies, set designs for TV, sales centers and boutique hotels. The company?s leaders take pride in their highly trained and experienced professionals who can handle any complex task to get the job done in an efficient manner. MHM Professional Staging cherishes the continued loyalty of their past customers, and continues to strive forward in meeting the needs of their future customers.

With over a decade of experience, this staging firm?s leadership has built a prestigious reputation for exceeding expectations, getting results, and making a lasting impression.

About Megan Morris:

MHM Professional Staging, Inc. is lead by Megan Morris, CEO and founder. At the lead of the MHM team, Megan has translated strong values into the company?s core mission. Under Megan?s wisdom, MHM is equipped with the expertise and necessary skills to stage your home in the most visually appealing light.

Megan has worked in home staging and design for the past 10 years. In this capacity, she has been responsible for promoting business, managing a team of employees, monitoring projects and customizing client needs on an ongoing basis. Her expertise in visual displays and space planning has been recognized and honored in several design competitions and she has been hired as the lead set decorator for several commercials, including Nike, Werthers, VH1, New York Life and ESPN. She has also been featured on FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, HGTV, Bravo and CNBC as an expert in her field. ?Megan has been nominated for a Golden Quill Award and is a co-author of the best-selling business book, Trendsetters: The World?s Leading Experts Reveal Top Trends To Help You Achieve Greater Health, Wealth and Success! She also co-authored SOLD with the world?s leading real estate experts, and authored Stageology: How to Stage to Sell? a complete guide to using proven staging techniques to increase the chances of selling your house faster and for top dollar. As an expert in her field, Megan Morris shows you step-by-step how to make your property stand out from the competition and make a valuable first impression.?

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Coconut Oil ? Hair | Gnet Health and Fitness

Coconut oil is excellent for your hair.

Ever wondered people living in coastal tropical regions have excellent shiny black thick hair?

Its because the only hair oil they know of is coconut oil. it is one of the most effective conditioner ever and helps in regrowth of damaged hair. That?s why it is used in shampoos and soaps.

Microbes are major cause of weak hair, hair fall and hair loss. They infect our scalp & hair roots and cause scaling & dandruff. The anti microbial activity of coconut oil protects you from microbes

Vitamin E present in it nourishes the scalp and hair. Regular use of coconut hair oil can cure and relieve you from scaling and dandruff.

Coconut oil is an excellent moisture absorbant. When you apply coconut oil on your hair it abosorbs moisture which keeps your hair moistened and soft.

Coconut oil keeps your hair strong vitalized and nourished.

Coconut oil is semi solid at room temperature. So you can use it as styling gel because it condenses at room temperature and will keep your hair in style!

ABOUT COCONUT OIL

Coconut oil has been used in hair treatments for thousands of years. From South and Central America, to Africa, to India and most of Asia, the benefits of coconut oil in hair have been discovered and utilized by indigenous people. Plush spas often use coconut oil in expensive scalp and hair treatments. Coconut oil treatments add shine and strength to all hair types. Preparing and using coconut oil hair treatments at home is easy, effective and affordable.

Coconut oil is a tropical plant oil that is derived from the mature fruit of the coconut tree, Cocos nucifera, which is native to the Polynesian Islands and other tropical regions of the world. According to Mark Rieger, Ph.D., a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia, its use dates back to prehistoric times; he notes that it is probably one of the very first plant oils ever used by humankind. Today, coconut oil is still widely used for both internal and external applications.

Coconut oil is rich in nutrients and good fats, so it?s a popular health food. But its benefits aren?t just internal. According to a 2003 study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science, the types of fatty acids in coconut oil penetrate the hair shaft better than other oils, like mineral and sunflower. It?s this deep penetration that makes coconut oil effective at moisturizing dry hair and preventing future damage. Be sure to use pure coconut oil without additives for the most benefit.

While you can purchase hair products and conditioners made with coconut oil, pure unrefined, virgin coconut oil is ideal for your hair and is also less expensive. You can find unrefined coconut oil in health food stores. At room temperature, coconut oil is a thick, white, solid fat that liquefies at 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Unrefined coconut oil may be used for hair care and can also be used for cooking or skin care.

Coconut oil is rich in vitamin E and other antioxidants and has emollient properties, making it beneficial for the health and beauty of your hair and skin, including your scalp. Antioxidants function to cancel the effects of free radicals, those substances that wreak havoc on your hair and skin on a daily basis. As to emollient properties, Organic Facts says that coconut oil consists of more than 90 percent saturated fats. Beauty product manufacturers are aware of the usefulness of coconut oil for healthy hair, and include it in many hair care products.

How Coconut Oil Helps

adds shine, lustre and body.  slows hair loss

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Coconut Oil Absorption

In 2001, Princeton researchers began a study to investigate the penetration properties of both coconut oil and mineral oil into hair fibers. Cross-sections of the treated hair showed that coconut oil fully penetrated the hair shaft while the mineral oil did not. The researchers believed that the penetration properties of the coconut oil are due to its polarity.

Swelling and Shrinking

Damaged hair is caused in part by the continuous swelling and shrinking of hair fibers as a result of water retention and absorption. In the same study, performed by Princeton researchers and published in the ?Journal of Cosmetic Science,? the hair fibers that had been penetrated by coconut oil were unable to swell significantly. Therefore, coconut oil, by filling the hair shafts, is able to protect hair from possible damage.

Protein Loss

The Research and Development Department of the Nature Care Division in Mumbai, India, conducted a study in 2003 to determine other possible properties of coconut oil that aid in hair damage prevention. They discovered that the application of coconut oil to both damaged and undamaged hair results in a reduction of protein loss. They concluded that the structure of the principal fatty acid in coconut oil, which is a straight chain with a low molecular weight, enables the oil to easily penetrate the hair shaft. The study was published in the ?Journal of Cosmetic Science.?

Preventing Hair Damage

In a research study conducted to compare the effects of coconut, sunflower and mineral oils in preventing hair damage, A.S. Rele and R.B. Mohile report that their findings indicate that coconut oil as a topical remedy has a strong, positive impact on damaged hair compared to the other two oils. When applied as a pre-wash and post-wash treatment, it was found to significantly reduce protein loss from hair. This beneficial effect was attributed to the biologic action of lauric acid, the principal fatty acid in coconut oil, which is able to penetrate into the hair shaft with a favorable impact on protein loss.

Seals in Moisture

Coconut oil is an effective sealant to keep hair moisturized and strong. Due to its ability to penetrate the hair shaft, coconut oil conditions from within, supplying the hair follicles with the moisture they need to be protected from heat and environmental damage.

Contains Antibacterial Properties and Nutrients

Rich with antifungal and antibacterial properties, coconut oil protects the scalp against lice, dandruff and dry scalp conditions that could prevent or prolong hair growth. Coconut oil also contains vitamins E and K as well as iron. Vitamin E, often used in skin and hair care products, gives hair a healthy shine.

Nourishes the Scalp

Regularly massaging the scalp with coconut oil stimulates blood circulation to the area. Coconut oil also moisturizes the scalp, leaving it free of dry skin conditions that prove damaging to the hair follicles. Applying coconut oil to the scalp makes it easier for the hair follicles to absorb its nutrients. To maximize your hair growth results, perform regular scalp massages with coconut oil.

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Cradle Cap

Babies often develop a fungal condition known as cradle cap. Coconut oil can prevent and eliminate the scaly fungus. Simply rub a small amount all over the head and brush it with a soft baby brush for about five minutes.

Misconceptions

An urban myth that can be explained is that coconut oil makes your hair grow. Because coconut oil?s beneficial properties aid the health of your hair, your hair may become more resistant to breakage. With less breakage occurring, it may seem as if your hair is growing faster, but because your hair is healthier it is just remaining intact instead of breaking and splitting.

Helps Control Dandruff

Dandruff is often caused by buildup of dry skin, or infections as a result of yeast on the scalp. Coconut oil can be used to control mild forms of dandruff, because of its ability to moisturize the scalp. Massaging your scalp with coconut oil using circular motions will help scrub away dead skin, and also moisturize underlying skin to prevent future dandruff. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties, so it may also help to prevent dandruff as a result of microbial infection.

Home Application

Coconut oil is in a solid state below 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat up the coconut oil either on your stovetop in a double boiler or in the microwave to liquefy it. Rinse your hair in the sink or the shower before applying the coconut oil. Then towel dry to remove excess water but keep it damp. Place the towel around your shoulders to catch any dripping oil. Pour a small amount in your hands and massage it into your scalp and down to the tips of your hair. Once you have saturated all of your hair, wrap the towel around your head and let it sit for one to two hours. Then fully rinse you hair and wash with shampoo.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/247122-coconut-oil-for-the-hair/#ixzz1yzvg1wvk

Proven Hair Damage Prevention

The benefits of coconut oil hair treatments are more than an old wives? tale. The effects of coconut oil on prevention of hair damage were studied in 1999 at the Research and Development Department, Nature Care Division, Marico Industries Ltd., Mumbai, India. The study found that even on chemically damaged hair, coconut oil provided a lubricating film and penetrated water into the hair, preventing the lifting of the surface cuticle and its breaking by the force of a comb. The same institution published a 2003 study entitled ?Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage.? This study found that of all three oils, coconut oil was the only oil found to ?reduce the protein loss remarkably for both undamaged and damaged hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product.? The results were believed to be caused by the presence of lauric acid, a fatty acid found in human breast milk, which ?has a high affinity for hair proteins and, because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, is able to penetrate inside the hair shaft.?

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Research Studies Prove The Extremely Beneficial Effects of Coconut Oil in Hair Care

  • The process of swelling and deswelling of hair is one of the causes of hair damage by hygral fatigue. Princeton researchers  investigated the penetration properties of coconut oil into hair fibers. Cross-sections of the treated hair showed that coconut oil fully penetrated the hair shaft.  The study indicated that the swelling of hair is limited by the presence of coconut oil which provides better hair protection from damage by hygral fatigue. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11413497)
  • Protein loss is a major reason for weak and damaged hair. A study determined properties of coconut oil that aid in hair damage prevention. The researchers discovered that the application of coconut oil resulted in a reduction of protein loss. It was concluded that the special straight chain  - low molecular weight structure of lauric acid, present in coconut oil enables the oil to easily penetrate the hair shaft and protect the hair from damage by protein loss. ?coconut oil was the only oil found to reduce the protein loss remarkably from both undamaged and damaged hair.? (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12715094)
  • ?Preparations of Coconut Oil promote luxurious hair growth and protects the skin and scalp from bacterial, protozoan and viral infections. For some head diseases, such as lice, an application of coconut oil medicated with the roots of palm is known to be an effective treatment.? (http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/article10341.pdf)
  • ?It has been observed that women who use coconut oil keep their beautiful dark hair dark even into old age while hair of those in urban areas, where coconut oil is less frequently used, tend to gray up much sooner.? (Page 23 - Coconut Cures: Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Coconut. - Bruce Fife) (http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=JW8RtCJqZ8MC&printsec=frontcover&...&q=bruce%20fife&f=false)

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People Throughout The World Acknowledge The Beneficial Effects of Coconut Oil

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The Home Education Curriculum Instructing Your Youngster At Home

[unable to retrieve full-text content]26.06.2012 | Author: ModestoHelmy792 | Posted in Reference and Education. Home education is ... Some mother and father want to guantee that their baby is getting all of the education needed regardless that he is staying and studying at home as a substitute of studying contained in the classroom. ... You may be there to information your youngster in some matters and issues that could be simply misinterpreted when explained at school by academics or other classmates. By way of ...

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Relationship and Marriage Advice | The Gottman Relationship Blog ...

Integrating Gottman Method into?

Premarital Counseling

Laura Heck, MA, LMFTA

Considering that half of all divorces will occur within the first 7 years of marriage, premarital counseling seems like a no-brainer in today's world. My practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist is focused on proactively transforming nearly newlyweds into competent love birds by teaching The Gottman Method:?Dr. John Gottman?s key, research-based principles for making marriage long-lasting and harmonious. Here are a few of the skills I focus on with premarital couples in my own practice: Building Love Maps:?It does not seem to matter whether couples have been cohabiting for a decade or are fresh faced 20-somethings - they still manage to update their love maps by going through the Love Map Card Deck. I host a weekly small group of premarital couples and use the Love Map Card Deck to play the ?Newlywed? game. Questions that stumped couples this week were: What is your partner?s social security number??and?What is your partner?s secret ambition? Do you know the answers to these questions?

Practice Good Communication Skills:?From the very beginning, I start building on the necessary skills for good communication, leading up to mastery of the stress reducing conversation. Key components to good communication are:

  • Listen without offering advice or trying to solve your partner?s problems.
  • Communicate empathy for the speaker. Ex:??That is stressful for you. I?m sorry you had a rough week at work.?
  • Listen to your partner as well as you listen to your boss. Often times we communicate more clearly with our c0-workers than our significant others. Remember to give your partner the same undivided attention you would give your boss. Turn off those cell phones, televisions, and lap tops and be sure to maintain eye contact. Let your partner know you are listening by nodding your head or giving verbal cues that indicate you are following.
  • Communicate your feelings. I?m always surprised how often couples express their thoughts, desires, and wishes without expressing their emotions and feelings. Specifically, I observe many men that start statements with ?I feel?? but skip right over the feeling into a thought. It can take quite a bit of coaching to bring men out of their head and into their heart, but once they are able to express the feelings behind their wants and desires, a deeper level of understanding will ensue. I have literally watched women melt as their male partners properly use ?I feel? statements.

Start fresh with rituals for connection:
One of the most exciting parts about starting a life together is starting new traditions. How will you celebrate your anniversary? Thanksgiving? What will dinner time be like in your household? What traditions did you enjoy in your family of origin and how would you like to implement them in your new family? I love the open ended questions in the Rituals of Connection Card Deck.?

Discussing problems or issues: Processing disagreements is stressful enough. When couples have a specific plan for processing disagreements and feel competent in the skills of communicating through conflict, the stress goes right out the window. When the stress is removed, couples are able to think logically through problem solving.?


As with any new skill, the more it is practiced, the easier it becomes. If the goal of premarital counseling is to thoughtfully prepare couples for a lifetime of partnership, Dr. John Gottman?s research and his?7 Principles for Making Marriage Work?provide a wonderful model for helping to create a firm foundation for a long lasting and happy marriage.?

I hope that you will join the Gottman Institute and I this week as we continue to discuss the Gottman Method and its application to premarital relationships. Thank you!?

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IT Support System: Providing Safe Computer Data Recovery ...

Most modern businesses, big and small, use computers and rely on Information Technology system to manage their daily operations. Indeed, IT has made life easier not only for people in business, but in all fields of human endeavors as well. It has become the life and blood of commerce and industry.

However, a number of small business owners still fail to recognize the value of IT support and maintenance to the survival of their companies. A computer problem or emergency can strike anytime and cause irreparable damage to business operations. Fortunately, most people in the US, including those in Portland, Oregon, have discovered the importance of an IT support system to protect their business.

The first IT support to consider is a back up to your computer network. It is necessary to have a copy or copies of your files in case of system error. It can prove disastrous to your business and you may have difficulty trying to recover those precious data once they?re lost.

If you have a backup system, though, make sure to check that it works. There are many things which may corrupt the system and make it useless. You must regularly check it to make sure you can recover your data in case of an emergency.

A backup system, however, may be vulnerable and susceptible to damage if it remains in the office. A fire, flood, or hurricane can render your whole operations useless. You must maintain an offsite backup as an added IT support system to ensure recovery of your data. Businesses can avail of this service from companies providing IT support Portland clients prefer.

Everybody knows that a virus can spell doom to your computer. Hence, it is essential to remember that keeping your data safe and secure is one of the most important elements of an IT support maintenance. You must provide your computer with an effective virus protection feature which companies offering IT support Portland OR clients prefer can supply.

Some business owners may also think that nobody is interested to hack their computer system and their complacency may prove costly. Hackers do not choose only big institutions; they go for the most vulnerable. Hence, setting up a firewall is a must to protect your system from these hackers. Companies offering IT support Portland Oregon business owners hire can provide this service. To keep your computer data secure from any possible harm or danger, you must have proper IT support and maintenance. For more information on the topic, log on to ehow.com/how_8466772_setup-offsite-backup-servers.html.

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Report: Syrian general, dozens of other soldiers defect

By msnbc.com news services

ANKARA, Turkey -- Dozens of members of Syria's military defected to Turkey overnight with their families, a Turkish official said Monday, at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries over Syria's downing of a Turkish military plane.

The state-run Anadolu news agency said 33 soldiers crossed into Turkey overnight and the group ? 224 people in all ? included a general and two colonels.

A government official, however, said the group included three colonels and there was no general among them. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules, did not know the overall number of defectors and the two accounts could not immediately be reconciled.


The defections come three days after Syria shot down a Turkish aircraft it said had violated its airspace, further fraying relations between the two countries that were once allies.

Turkey has summoned a NATO meeting for Tuesday to agree a response to the downing of its military reconnaissance jet in what it says was an attack without warning. NATO's founding treaty allows an ally to request consultations whenever it feels its security is threatened.

Turkey said the plane had unintentionally strayed into Syria's airspace, but was inside international airspace when it was brought down. It has insisted the jet was on a training flight to test Turkey's radar capabilities and was not spying on Syria.

Turkey seeks NATO action over Syria military jet downing

Turkey's cabinet was due to meet on Monday to discuss Friday's attack, which lent a more menacing international dimension to the 16-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad. Britain said it could press for more serious action at the United Nations Security Council.

Reports are surfacing that Syria may have shot down a Turkish fighter jet over Syrian waters in the Mediterranean Sea. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

Anadolu said the group of defectors was placed in a refugee camp in Hatay, a province bordering Syria but there was no further information. Turkey is hosting some 33,000 Syrians who have crossed into Turkey to find refuge from the 15-months old violence.

Thousands of soldiers have abandoned the Syrian regime, but most are low-level conscripts. The Free Syria Army ? the loosely linked group of rebel forces ? is made up largely of defectors.

Report: Saudis will pay salaries of Syria rebel army

Defectors affiliated with the Free Syrian Army and based in Turkey are known to collect food and other supplies to deliver to comrades on smuggling routes.

The government official said another group of some 60 army defectors had also crossed into Turkey recently. ?

P.J. Crowley, former State Department spokesman, joins Andrea Mitchell Reports to talk about how US and Russia might work together to prevent a civil war in Syria.

The United Nations has said more than 10,000 people have been killed by government forces, while Syria has said at least 2,600 members of the military and security forces have been killed by what it calls foreign-backed "Islamist terrorists."

Fierce fighting continued inside Syria, which has a 550-mile border with Turkey, with rebel fighters killing dozens of soldiers in the last few days as they fought against army attacks on towns and villages in central, north and eastern Syria in the last several days, according to opposition sources.

Reports: West may offer Syria's Assad immunity

Syrian tanks and artillery shelled the eastern city of Deir al-Zor, killing at least 20 people on Sunday in the second day of heavy bombardment in the country's main oil-producing region, opposition activists said.

"Regime forces have dismantled their roadblocks from inside of Deir al-Zor after incurring heavy losses from rebels. They have withdrawn from residential areas and are now shelling the city from the outskirts. The victims are mostly civilians," a source at a hospital in Deir al-Zor told Reuters.

The official state news agency said "terrorists" abducted a state-appointed head of clerics in Deir al-Zor and blew up an oil pipeline passing through the province.

Syria air force colonel flies to Jordan, gets political asylum

The Syrian Network for Human Rights, an opposition activists' organization that monitors the crackdown on the 16-month revolt against Assad's rule, said loyalist forces on Sunday killed another 70 people, mostly civilians and soldiers who had tried to defect, elsewhere in the country in shelling, military raids and summary executions in the provinces of Homs, Hama, Idlib, Deraa and suburbs of Damascus.

The intensification of the fighting has raised fears in Turkey of a flood of refugees and a slide into ethnic and religious warfare that could envelop the region. Ankara, like the West, is torn between a wish to remove Assad and the fear that any armed intervention could unleash uncontrollable forces.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

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FDA delays decision on Pfizer, Bristol-Myers drug

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) ? Shares of Pfizer Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. fell Monday after federal regulators unexpectedly delayed for a second time a decision on whether to approve the companies' highly touted experimental anticlotting drug Eliquis.

Some analysts see Eliquis as better than two new clot-preventing pills that beat it to market, but the latest delay means a U.S. launch of Eliquis likely won't happen until next year.

The Food and Drug Administration said it wants more information on "data management and verification" from a huge international study called ARISTOTLE that examined how well Eliquis prevented strokes in patients with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, the drugmakers said Monday.

The companies said the FDA did not ask for new studies, and they plan to work quickly to address outstanding questions. Even so, a spokeswoman for New York-based Bristol-Myers said the agency could take up to six months to review their response.

"We are already working with the agency, and we are hopeful that the review of our submission can be completed within a shorter timeframe," said spokeswoman Laura Hortas.

Analyst Erik Gordon, a professor at University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, said the FDA requiring more information on data management and verification indicates "someone either flubbed the application by not making the data management process clear or flubbed the actual data process."

"It's a giant botch-up to, at best, lose a year on one of your much-needed blockbusters," Gordon added.

In afternoon trading, Bristol-Myers shares dropped $1.17, or 3.3 percent, at $34.19, and Pfizer shares fell 23 cents to $22.49 per share.

The news has a bigger impact on Bristol-Myers, because it is much smaller than Pfizer, the world's biggest drugmaker. Also, the FDA in January delayed a decision on another crucial experimental drug from Bristol, diabetes treatment Forxiga, known chemically as dapagliflozin. The agency said it needed more data, including data from an ongoing study and possibly new studies, to assess Forxiga's benefits and risks.

Eliquis, known chemically as apixaban, is one of a handful of new drugs meant to prevent heart attacks and strokes better than warfarin ? long the standard treatment despite how tricky it is to use. Eliquis, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH's Pradaxa and Xarelto from Johnson & Johnson and Bayer HealthCare all are expected to grow into much-needed blockbusters for their makers, with annual sales topping $1 billion.

"All of this is surprising given the widespread perception that Eliquis is a best-in-class product relative to already-approved" Pradaxa and Xarelto, BernsteinResearch analyst Dr. Tim Anderson wrote of the new delay.

It could benefit Xarelto and Pradaxa, and possibly a fourth stroke-preventing pill in late-stage testing by Daiichi Sankyo, called edoxaban, Barclays analyst C. Anthony Butler wrote to investors.

"The longer time window is significant in a market that appears to be less open to switches (from warfarin) than previously assumed," Butler wrote.

He added that if Bristol-Myers and Pfizer give the FDA the new information by September, the agency could make a decision next March. That would be a year after the FDA's original target date for a decision on Eliquis. At the end of March, the FDA pushed back its original deadline until June 28, saying it needed more time to review additional information the companies submitted after applying for approval late last year.

Both men noted analysts may revise their sales forecasts for Eliquis, which Anderson had pegged at $2.3 billion in 2015 and $3.5 billion in 2020.

Doctors and millions of patients have long wanted a better alternative to warfarin, an inexpensive generic drug also sold under brand names such as Coumadin. Getting the dose of warfarin correct is so tricky that patients must have frequent blood tests to ensure they're getting enough to prevent clots but not enough to cause internal bleeding. Some foods interact with warfarin, compounding the difficulty.

Bristol-Myers discovered Eliquis and since 2007 has been testing it in partnership with New York-based Pfizer. The European Union approved it in May for preventing blood clots in patients getting hip or knee replacement surgery, and the companies are considering whether to seek approval for that use in the U.S., Hortas said. The drug also is in late-stage testing for treating patients with clots in major blood vessels.

Pradaxa, also known as dabigatran, was first to market, getting approved in October 2010 for patients with atrial fibrillation. Xarelto has since been approved for patients with atrial fibrillation and for preventing blood clots after hip or knee replacement surgery. But J&J said last week the FDA denied its request to expand approval of Xarelto to prevent life-threatening blood clots in patients with acute coronary artery disease, and it expects to work with them to address the questions as quickly as possible.

___

AP Business Writer Tom Murphy in Indianapolis contributed to this story.

___

Linda A. Johnson can be followed at http://twitter.com/LindaJ_onPharma

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Beginning of Week Update ? SBV Analysis Investment Strategy

Even though I am one of the biggest chickens when it comes to investing my money when things do not totally look right, that does not mean that I have stopped looking for the best combination of indicators to help me see when trouble is coming. My new optimal settings paint a better picture I think. I have added an SMI (28,3,9) for longer term view and modified the SBV Histo and McCellan Volume Oscillator so that are more in line with the other indicators. This might be counter-intuitive, but my goal is to enter if at all possible like I did last year. 100% of my portfolio (IRA/401K) was invested from the green vertical line (October 2011) until the deep red vertical line in April 2012. I would love to see all 6 indicators turn positive at the same time like in October 2011. I will however invest 50% (6.25%) of the total allotted for each asset if a second signal is given. Here is a list of the classes again

1. US stocks (large cap)

2. US small caps

3. International

4. Real Estate

5. Gold/Silver

6. Miners

7. Bonds

8. Random (any class that is a buy): This might be sugar (SGG)

?

I am going to update Gold, Silver, and Miners tonight.

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Most Americans Oppose Health Care Law But Like Provisions: Reuters Poll


(Corrects description of individual mandate in 5th paragraph)
* Big majorities favor healthcare provisions
* Supreme Court ruling is imminent
* Many opponents feel law does not go far enough
By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - Most Americans oppose President Barack Obama's healthcare reform even though they strongly support most of its provisions, Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Sunday, with the Supreme Court set to rule within days on whether the law should stand.
Fifty-six percent of people are against the healthcare overhaul and 44 percent favor it, according to the online poll conducted from Tuesday through Saturday.
The survey results suggest that Republicans are convincing voters to reject Obama's reform even when they like much of what is in it, such as allowing children to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26.
Strong majorities favor most of what is in the law.
A glaring exception to the popular provisions is the "individual mandate," which requires most U.S. residents to o wn health insurance.
Sixty-one percent of Americans are against the mandate, the issue at the center of the Republicans' contention that the law is unconstitutional, while 39 percent favor it.
"That's really the thing that has come to define the (reform) and is the thing that could potentially allow the Supreme Court to dismantle it if they decide it's not constitutional," Ipsos pollster Chris Jackson said.
In good news for Republicans at November's congressional elections, 45 percent said they were more likely to vote for a member of Congress who campaigned on a platform of repealing the law, versus 26 percent who said it would make them less likely, the survey showed.
The political stakes are sky-high on an issue that has galvanized conservative opposition to the Democratic president, and how the court's decision is framed politically could influence the outcome of the Nov. 6 general election.
Support for the provisions of the healthcare law was strong, with a full 82 percent of survey respondents, for example, favoring banning insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.
Sixty-one percent are in favor of allowing children to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26 and 72 percent back requiring companies with more than 50 employees to provide insurance for their employees.

PARTISAN DIVISION
Americans are strongly divided along partisan lines. Among Republicans, 86 percent oppose and 14 percent favor the law and Democrats back it by a 3-to-1 margin, 75 percent to 25 percent, the Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.
But in what could be a key indicator for the presidential contest, people who describe themselves as political independents oppose the law by 73 percent to 27 percent.
Opposition among independents has been growing. In a survey conducted in April, two weeks after the Supreme Court heard the case, 63 percent of them opposed the measure, and 37 percent favored it.
"Republicans have won the argument with independents and that's really been the reason that we see the majority of the public opposing it," Jackson said.
Republicans have dominated the political message on healthcare with calls to "repeal and replace" the law, condemned by conservatives as a government intrusion into private industry and the lives of private citizens. It passed in March 2010 with no Republican support in Congress.
Mitt Romney, the likely Republican presidential nominee, has promised to repeal the law if he defeats Obama, although he has not offered a plan of his own. Obama, who says he modeled the measure on a healthcare plan Romney passed as governor of Massachusetts, has defended it.
Obama critics - some from within his own party - have also questioned the president for focusing on healthcare reform early in his term instead of doing everything he could to fix the struggling U.S. economy.
Democrats back the measure as an effort to improve the lives of Americans and essential to control spiraling costs that are undermining the country's overall economic health. Healthcare expenditures in the United States neared $2.6 trillion in 2010, over 10 times the $256 billion spent in 1980, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
A good portion of the opposition to the healthcare law is because Americans want more reform, not less of it.
The poll found that a large number of Americans - including about one-third of Republicans and independents who disagree with the law - oppose it because it does not go far enough to fix healthcare.
Seventy-one percent of Republican opponents reject it overall, while 29 percent feel it does not go far enough, while independent opponents are divided 67 percent to 33 percent. Among Democratic opponents, 49 percent reject it overall, and 51 percent wish the measure went further.
"If you add the people that oppose it because they think it doesn't go far enough, you get a majority of Americans, so it doesn't mean that healthcare reform is dead," Jackson said.
There was party division in Americans' view of the individual mandate. Overall, 61 percent of Americans oppose requiring all U.S. residents to own health insurance. Among Republicans, the percentage rose to 81 percent, and it was 73 percent among independents. But a majority of Democrats - 59 percent - favor the individual mandate.
The survey of 1,043 Americans was conducted from June 19-23. The precision of the Reuters/Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. (Editing by Alistair Bell and Doina Chiacu)

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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