Wednesday 10 July 2013

Death toll in Turkish protests raised to 5

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? A human rights group says a protester who was in a coma has died, increasing to five the death toll in nationwide anti-government protests that hit Turkey in June.

The Turkish Human Rights Foundation says university student Ali Ismail Korkmaz died in the hospital on Wednesday, some seven weeks after he was severely beaten as he escaped tear gas fired by police during anti-government protest in the city of Eskisehir.

His assailants have not been caught.

Four demonstrators, including Korkmaz, and one police officer were killed in the protests, which were sparked by a brutal police crackdown on environmental activists and soon turned into widespread denunciation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-turkish-protests-raised-5-102819317.html

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US diplomats cry foul as Obama donors take over top embassy jobs

Barack Obama has rewarded some of his most active campaign donors with plum jobs in foreign embassies, with the average amount raised by recent or imminent appointees soaring to $1.8m per post, according to a Guardian analysis.

The practice is hardly a new feature of US politics, but career diplomats in Washington are increasingly alarmed at how it has grown. One former ambassador described it as the selling of public office.

On Tuesday, Obama's chief money-raiser Matthew Barzun became the latest major donor to be nominated as an ambassador, when the White House put him forward as the next representative to the Court of St James's, a sought-after posting whose plush residence comes with a garden second only in size to that of Buckingham Palace.

As campaign finance chairman, Barzun helped raise $700m to fund President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. More than $2.3m of this was raised personally by Barzun, pictured, according to party records leaked to the New York Times, even though he had only just finished a posting as ambassador to Sweden after contributing to Obama's first campaign.

Matthew Barzun, new US ambassador to London

State Department veterans are increasingly concerned about the size of donations raised by political supporters who go on to take up top foreign postings. Thomas Pickering, who recently led the investigation into lethal attacks on the US embassy in Libya and represented the US at the United Nations, claimed the practice had become nothing more than "simony" ? the selling of public office.

"All these people want to go to places where the lifestyle issues [are pleasant], and to some extent that produces this notion that life in these western European embassies is like Perle Mesta," he told the Guardian, referring to the "hostess with the mostest" who was ambassador to Luxembourg between 1949 and 1953 and who was known for her lavish parties.

"It has the effect of diminishing perhaps the sense that the US is treating these countries with the respect they deserve," Pickering said.

Susan Johnson, president of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), which represents career US diplomats, added: "The giving of ambassadorships to people who have raised a lot of money for the campaign has increased and that's a concern to us in particular.

"There was some thought that with Obama being such a 'change agent' that he might really do things differently ? but it has just been a bigger let down."

Clutch of foreign appointments

Obama has made a clutch of foreign appointments recently. The 16th century Villa Taverna in Rome has just gone to John Phillips, a Washington lawyer who raised at least $500,000. John Emerson, a Los Angeles fund manger, will get to meet future contacts as ambassador to Germany after he raised $1.5m. Jane Stetson, heiress to the IBM fortune, is tipped as frontrunner for Paris after she raised $2.4m for Obama.

In total, nine sought-after postings in Europe, the Caribbean or Asia have been given to major donors in recent weeks, with a further three in France, Switzerland and Hungary earmarked to come soon. Of these 12, the precise bundling data is available for 10. According to a Guardian analysis, using the figures leaked to the New York Times, the average amount raised by each donor is $1.79m.

Official campaign finance records give only minimum figures for how much each donor raised among friends and family (a process known as bundling). Even using the published 'minimum' donations declared for these bundlers, the amount raised by donors rewarded with foreign postings has soared. The appointees to those same 10 embassies raised at least $5m in 2013, compared to a minimum of $3.3m in 2009, at least $1.3m under George W Bush in 2005 and at least $800,000 for Bush donors in 2001.

Many of the capitals have grown resigned to the process. "All that really matters is that the ambassador is close to the White House ? and his top fundraiser usually is," said one British diplomat, speaking anonymously about Barzun's appointment.

But to State Department veterans, the notion that only fundraisers can get messages through the West Wing is even more alarming. "To some extent, this question of having the ear of the president, and who has it, shows the seriousness of the issue," said Ambassador Pickering.

Johnson, the AFSA president, said many donors have less political influence than their host countries like to imagine. "Some foreign countries like the idea that they are getting a friend of the president, but our experience has been that genuine friends are pretty small; most of these people are friends of friends; and they don't get to call the president right away," she said.

"In a few exceptional cases they are not detracting from credibility of diplomatic service, but at the scale it's being done it is undermining the concept of a career diplomatic service and weakening the strength and capacity of the diplomatic service."

Johnson estimates the percentage of ambassador posts given to political appointees rather than career diplomats has remained roughly steady under Obama at around 30%, but most of these are in parts of the world unattractive to wealthy donors. The share taken by political appointees in western Europe and wealthier Asian capitals has reached between 70% and 85%, the AFSA estimates.

One factor cited by defenders of the practice is that private means are needed to fund the lifestyle led by ambassadors, but the importance of this is disputed by State Department veterans.

"In the embassies I've been in, normally you have a representation budget," said Johnson. "Whether we skimp on it in places like London and Paris and these people add to it so they can serve the best champagne and canapes I don't know, but I don't think it's necessary to be wildly wealthy any more."

She also said many are disappointed by the reality of embassy life. "If the dog ruins the furniture, you have to pay for it. It's like being a guest in someone's house."

Dysfunctional leadership

This can cause problems of its own. A report by the State Department inspector general into a crisis at the embassy in the Bahamas found that Obama campaign finance chair Nicole Avant presided over "an extended period of dysfunctional leadership and mismanagement, which has caused problems throughout the embassy". Prior to her appointment as ambassador, Avant was vice president of Interior Music Publishing and was absent from the embassy 276 days between September 2009 and November 2011, according to the report. In response to the report Avant said she "had inherited a dysfunctional embassy".

Another official report into the Obama campaign donor appointed to Luxembourg, Cynthia Stroum, found she had been "aggressive, bullying, hostile and intimidating" and left her embassy in a "state of dysfunction". Stroum resigned after the report.

State Department veterans say motivations vary among political donors. "Some go to pleasant islands where the climate and residence are delightful, others just want the title, like British people lust after peerages," said AFSA's Johnson. "People think: gee, I really want to call myself ambassador, so I can go buy myself one. Others are perceived to want to just meet people, broaden their contacts of future business contacts people who can help them in their day job."

The White House insists all its ambassadors are well qualified, regardless of their campaign history. "I am proud that such experienced and committed individuals have agreed to serve the American people in these important roles," said Obama in a statement issued with Barzun's appointment.

The Foreign Service Act of 1980, states that "contributions to political campaigns should not be a factor in the appointment of an individual as a chief of mission."

At at time when the US is reaching the limits of its "hard power", career foreign service staff argue it is time for professional diplomacy to mount a comeback.

"We tried a lot of military stuff and have we come to the realisation that not every problem out there can be solved by troops, no-fly zones and drones," concludes Johnson.

"Diplomacy and managing the inter-relationships between countries is actually important, and we ought to be taking it more seriously, preparing people for it and seeing it as a long-term career ? not as just something you do for a few years while you are preparing to do something else."

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/10/obama-donors-top-embassy-jobs-rewards

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Sarasota breast cancer survivor starts website to help others | Health ...

After recovering from surgery and chemotherapy for breast cancer, Angela Long knew she wanted to make a difference for women who were facing the same disease. She participated in fundraisers such as Strides for Breast Cancer and met with women who were newly diagnosed to let them know they weren't alone and share how she got through it.

Long, who lives in Sarasota, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. She was 35 years old and had two small children, ages 5 and 2.

She is now the CEO of Breast Investigators, a website (www.BreastInvestigators.com) she founded that combines social networking, education, breast cancer resources and events specific to Sarasota and Bradenton.

The format is one she hopes will be adopted in other cities in Florida and elsewhere. Visitors to the site can apply to be breast health advocates in their own regions. Long is planning to train them on how to work within their communities.

Breast Investigators has a Twitter feed, Facebook page and YouTube channel. Its advisory council includes Sarasota physicians Thomas Bakondy, a breast radiologist; and general surgeon Russell Novack, plus breast care physicians in Texas and California, and Sarasota genetics counselor Cristi Radford.

Long named the site Breast Investigators because breast cancer patients must be investigators to learn about the disease and understand their options, she said. The site's tagline is "a community taking the mystery out of breast cancer."

"What happens is you really don't know what is out there unless you're fortunate to have someone to help you," she said.

"We all have to investigate to stay on top of all that's available to make the best decisions."

In her case, she didn't know anyone who was a young mother and breast cancer patient or how to find one when she was diagnosed. The majority of breast cancer occurs in post-menopausal women.

Long went to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society that offered free wigs to women losing their hair to chemotherapy. She was disheartened to see that the wigs looked like something only an older woman would want to wear.

"They have a great wig shop now that is large with a good variety," said Long. "But at the time, they didn't and I understood the reality of what I was facing."

"It was a challenge -- I think it is for anyone at any age -- but there was nobody like me to talk with and no one to reach out to who could guide me through the process," she said.

She found that she had to navigate confusing decisions that required medical knowledge. Breast cancer comes in many forms with multiple treatment options that depend on factors such as size, stage and hormone patterns.

Then there is the emotional shock of having cancer.

"Honestly, when I was diagnosed, I was really fortunate. My husband was my advocate," she said. "I was really fortunate to have a great medical team.

"But there is so much to know and women need to know they are their own best advocates and they are their own decision makers," said Long.

Breast Investigators is designed to be a clearinghouse site. There are other advocacy groups for breast cancer but no one-stop place for information about all of them.

"I think really the gap is that each organization does what they do and do it well, but there was nothing out there that really pulls everything together," said Long.

Breast Investigators also includes breast-cancer bloggers who can post on the site once they are approved. There are survivor stories and articles by physicians, a local providers directory and event listings.

With so much information on the Internet, a credible site fills an important need, said Marie Borsellino, a breast health facilitator at Sarasota Memorial Hospital who is an advisory board member for Breast Investigators.

Borsellino's job at Sarasota Memorial is to help breas cancer patients find resources. She includes Breast Investigators as a source they can turn to.

"I think her voice resonates with so many women," said Borsellino in describing how Long's work touches breas cancer patients.

Long said she is constantly discovering new resources in the area for breast cancer patients.

She recently learned about We Care, the organization in Bradenton that helps uninsured patients who can't afford medical care.

Long works closely with the Center for Building Hope, the organization in Lakewood Ranch that offers programs for cancer patients and their families. In April, she was chosen as one of the center's annual Keystone Award honorees for her work in helping people with cancer.

"She's very much aligned with who we are and what we do," said Andrea Feldmar, program director at the center.

Managing the Breast Investigators site and related social media takes up most of her time, said Long. She also is active in breast cancer advocacy through groups such as the Young Survivors Coalition, a national organization for young women with breast cancer, and frequently travels to conventions.

"It is definitely a full-time job. I'm one of those who sleeps and breathes it," said Long. "I'm developing the model that I hope to teach others."

Susan Hemmingway, Herald health correspondent, can be reached at shemmingway@hotmail.com.

Source: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/07/09/4600431/sarasota-breast-cancer-survivor.html

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Tuesday 9 July 2013

Robbie Deans quits as Wallabies coach

Robbie Deans quit Tuesday as coach of the Wallabies following their series loss to the British and Irish Lions with Ewen McKenzie widely expected to be announced as his replacement.

New Zealand-born Deans, who broke new ground by becoming the first non-Australian to take charge of the national side when appointed five years ago, lasted for a record 74 Tests.

The Australian Rugby Union said his successor, seen as Queensland Reds director of coaching McKenzie, an Australian, would be announced later in the day.

"I wish to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in Australian rugby for their support through the duration of my tenure," said Deans, who was contracted until the end of the year.

"It has been a rewarding five years and I am proud of all that we have achieved.

"Most especially I would like to thank the players for their efforts and wish them all the best going forward."

Deans, a former All Black and the most successful Super Rugby coach in history, has had a chequered time with the Wallabies with a 58 percent success rate -- winning 43 Tests, losing 29 and drawing two.

The team's 41-16 thrashing by the Lions in Sydney on Saturday in what was deemed their most important match since the 2003 World Cup final means he leaves without a defining moment in charge.

His high point remains the 2011 Tri Nations triumph in the weeks before the World Cup in New Zealand.

But he is better remembered for overseeing shattering defeats to Scotland (twice), Samoa at home, a 53-8 rout by South Africa in Johannesburg and an ill-fated World Cup campaign in New Zealand two years ago, when the Wallabies never recovered from a 15-6 mugging by Ireland in the group stage.

Australian Rugby Union chief Bill Pulver said Deans advised him of his decision late Monday, although it has been reported that he was given an ultimatum to quit or be sacked as the team seek to rebuild ahead of the Rugby Championship in August.

Pulver said Deans had made a significant contribution to Australian rugby over a long period of time.

"Robbie came into the job in 2008, improved our away record almost immediately, delivered a Tri Nations title in 2011, and has been a significant part of a Lions Tour that overshadows any other rugby event in Australia since the 2003 Rugby World Cup," he said.

"We wish him all the best in his future endeavours and to build further on what is one of world rugby's most impressive coaching resumes.

"As a consequence of a coaching review process that has been ongoing through 2013, we are also in a position to make a further announcement on the coaching position -- and name Robbie's replacement -- later today."

Australia's next Test is against the world champion All Blacks in Sydney on August 17 -- their opening match of the Rugby Championship, which includes South Africa and Argentina.

McKenzie is expected to be in charge, having reportedly beaten off competition from the ACT Brumbies' South African coach Jake White to take over the top job and lead the team to the 2015 World Cup.

McKenzie, a prop and Wallaby during his playing days, announced in March that he would quit the Reds at the end of the Super Rugby season, saying he was ready to move to "the next level".

After joining in 2009, he guided the franchise to a first Super 15 championship in 2011 in addition to back-to-back Australian conference titles.

Prior to the Reds, he guided the NSW Waratahs to two Super Rugby finals in 2005 and 2008 before moving to France where he coached Stade Francais.

Source: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/world/~3/81iGoET0PzI/

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Tiny Love Magical Night Baby Mobile - Review and Giveaway

Tiny Love Magical Night Baby Mobile - Review and Giveaway 0 Flares 0 Facebook 0 Google+ 0 StumbleUpon 0 LinkedIn 0 Email -- Pin It Share 0 Filament.io -- 0 Flares ?

Source: http://ohsosavvymom.com/2013/07/tiny-love-magical-night-baby-mobile-review-and-giveaway/

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NYC's Simulated Toxic Gas Attack Begins Today

NYC's Simulated Toxic Gas Attack Begins Today

This morning, the NYPD flooded the New York subway system with an odorless, invisible gas. The simulated terror attack is part of a three-day test that will generate a map of how air flows through the subways, helping emergency responders if a real airborne toxic event ever occurs.

Read more...

    


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/PYnfrirknNg/nycs-simulated-toxic-gas-attack-begins-today-718976516

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Slate?s Definitive Guide to Potty Training

Potty training. How do you know when your kid is ready to potty train?

Photo by Thinkstock

I can?t think of two words that elicit more anxiety and confusion among parents of toddlers than potty training. As the mother of a (still diaper-donning) 26-month-old boy, I am approaching the peak of toilet trepidation, and it isn?t helped by the fact that every piece of information I come across contradicts a recommendation I already filed away. Training pants? No, go diaperless. Praise him for peeing in the potty? Well, if you get too excited you?ll never, ever get him on a toilet again. Prompt him to go? Yes, but be careful not to over-prompt, and whatever you do, don?t ?hover within the prompt.?

My usual solution for information overload is to drown myself in even more information, until I come out the other side bearing a nugget of understanding. So that?s what I?ve done with toilet training. I?ve read studies with titles like ?Dry Pants: A Rapid Method of Toilet Training Children,? published in journals with names like Neurourology and Urodynamics. I?ve talked to several developmental pediatricians who have spent their careers studying toilet training. And what I?ve discovered is that, although there?s some good information suggesting when parents should potty train, and studies detailing which kids have an easier or harder time doing it, the how best to potty train part has still been largely unanswered. Why? One report put it this way: ?Toilet training for healthy children is not a subject that invokes passion among researchers.?

I get it?cure cancer, or watch kids poop all day? I know what I?d choose. But the net result is that parents are bombarded with ?best? techniques that have never been backed by much (if any) science. Worse, much of the research that does exist is hard to decipher. (I still don?t know what it means to ?hover within the prompt.?)

First, let?s tackle the (relatively) easy stuff. How do you know when your kid is ready to potty train? One review surveyed 23 studies on potty training and identified 21 ?signs of readiness? that parents should look for. Some are obvious: Your kid has to be able to sit up, take her pants/diaper off, follow simple commands, and understand potty words. It also helps if she sometimes keeps a diaper dry for at least 90 minutes, a sign that her bladder muscles are under the control of her brain (rather than contracting reflexively?often hourly?as happens in babies), and if she doesn?t poop in the middle of the night anymore. Bonus if your child is showing an interest in the potty. These skills and behaviors come together at the different ages depending on the child, but it?s rarely before the age of 18 months, and?yes, it?s true?boys often train later than girls. Earlier is not necessarily better, either: One study found that when parents started to intensively toilet train their children before the age of 27 months, the training took quite a bit longer than it did for parents who waited until their kids hit the 27 month mark. (Yes, some parents start training much, much earlier?I?ll get to that below.)

As for methods, let me start by saying that the ones parents use today are a lot better?and by that I mean less emotionally scarring?than the ones parents used several generations ago. In 1932, the U.S. Government published a book called Infant Care that recommended that kids be done with toilet training by the age of 8 months. To facilitate the process, parents were told to insert ?soap stick? rectal conditioners into their babies? butts to get them to poop on command in the toilet. This ?coercive bowel training,? as it was called, eventually elicited frowns from child psychologists, who linked it to constipation, refusal to poop on toilets (wouldn?t you?), anxiety and rage. In response, Harvard pediatrician Berry Brazelton developed a much more gradual ?child-oriented? toilet training approach in the 1950s, which attempted to potty train in a way that ?utilized the child?s developmental capacities and interest.? Fewer soap sticks; more praise.

The Brazelton approach still forms the basis for the American Academy of Pediatrics? toilet training recommendations (in fact, Brazelton co-authored them; the main difference between the two is that the AAP doesn?t recommend rewarding children with food as Brazelton does). The technique has four stages, which go something like this:

1) Kid meets potty and sits on it, fully-clothed.

2) Kid sits on potty with pants and diapers off and is praised?though not TOO heartily, some experts warn, as that can build pressure?if she goes.

3) Kid is put on potty after she soils her diaper and the dirty diaper is emptied into the potty; parent explains that poop and pee go into the potty.

4) Kid goes diaperless for short periods of time and is encouraged to use the potty independently.

(If, during this process, the child ever resists the potty, the parent is supposed to immediately stop training for one to two months and then start it over again.)

The Brazelton approach is easy for doctors to support because it?s simple, safe and it makes sense. ?It is consistent with views of positive approaches to parenting and with our increasing understanding of brain development,? says Nathan Blum, a behavioral pediatrician at the Children?s Hospital of Philadelphia, who has studied toilet training. But little research has been done to evaluate how well the Brazelton method actually works. Brazelton himself reviewed the charts of 1,170 of his patients in a 1962 paper and reported that most of the kids were potty trained by 28 months (remember this was back when parents started toilet training much earlier), but the kids weren?t necessarily trained using his method?he sometimes helped parents with other techniques, so it?s impossible to conclude much from these findings. A second study published in 1997 evaluated 482 children who had been toilet trained using the Brazelton approach and found that 88 percent of the kids were toilet trained at 3 ? and that 98 percent were trained by age 4. But the Brazelton approach doesn?t work overnight?research suggests that it can take five to 10 months from start to finish. And some critics point out that it?s funny that Brazelton advocates gradual training considering that he has also been a paid spokesperson for Pampers diapers?obviously, the longer toilet training takes, the more diapers children wear.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/07/potty_training_tips_how_to_get_your_child_out_of_diapers_by_high_school.html

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New mouse model reveals a mystery of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy often die as young adults from heart and breathing complications. Now, researchers have developed a mouse model that accurately mimics the course of the disease in humans.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/-JdBLdOkwwc/130707162954.htm

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Monday 8 July 2013

In baseball, bigger still better: Elite pitchers continue to be taller and thus throw faster

[unable to retrieve full-text content]What unites golf, baseball and hockey is the "falling forward" motion involved, whether it is a pitcher's arm or golfer's swing. Basically, the larger and taller the athlete, the more force he or she can bring to bear as his or her mass falls forward. A new theory predicts that elite pitchers will continue to be taller and thus throw faster and seems also to apply to athletes who compete in golf, hockey and boxing.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/2CNnjZ-gGzg/130708161943.htm

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Sunday 7 July 2013

Sports on TV: Major League Baseball All-Stars will be announced

Giants Dodgers Baseball.JPG

Will Los Angeles Dodgers rookie sensation Yasiel Puig be named to the All-Star team. The squads will be announced Saturday during Fox's pregame baseball show at 6:30 p.m. (Mark J. Terrill | The Associated Press)

Baseball
1 p.m. MLB: Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees (YES)
4 p.m. MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs (WGN)
6:30 p.m. MLB All-Star announcements (FOX)
7 p.m. MLB: New York Mets vs. Milwaukee Brewers (FOX)
7 p.m. IL: Syracuse Chiefs at Buffalo Bisons (TWCS 323)

Cycling
8 a.m. Tour de France: Stage 8 Castres - Ax 3 Domaines (NBC)

Extreme
4 p.m. Action Sports World Tour: Red Bull Wake Open (NBC)

Golf
8 a.m. European PGA Tour: Open de France Round 3 (GOLF)
1 p.m. PGA Tour: The Greenbrier Classic Round 3 (GOLF)
3 p.m. PGA: The Greenbrier Classic Round 3 (CBS)

Motorcycle Racing
3 p.m. AMA: Motocross (NBC)

Soccer
6:55 p.m. International Friendly: Teams TBA (ESPN)
7 p.m. USL: Charlotte Lady Eagles vs. Rochester Raging Rhinos (TWCS 324)

Tennis
9 a.m. Wimbledon: Women's Championship (ESPN)

&raquo See more of the Central New York Sports TV schedule

Source: http://blog.syracuse.com/sports/2013/07/sports_on_tv_major_league_base.html

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China, US to discuss cybersecurity at forum

BEIJING (AP) ? China is ready to discuss strengthening cybersecurity with U.S. officials at a high-level forum next week and wants Washington to help settle territorial disputes in East Asia, officials said Friday.

Next week's two-day Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington will also include talks on finance and climate change and the inaugural gathering of a U.S.-Chinese cybersecurity group, the officials said at a government briefing.

Beijing is under U.S. pressure to crack down on cyberspying after security consultants tracked a wave of hacking attacks to China.

"We are ready to work with the United States and engage in dialogue and communication and, on the basis of mutual respect and mutual trust, enhance understanding and consensus and work with the international community to build a peaceful, secure, open and cooperative cyberspace," said Zheng Zeguang, an assistant foreign minister.

The U.S. delegation to the dialogue is to be led by Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Secretary of the Treasury Jacob J. Lew. The chief Chinese envoys will be State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Vice Premier Wang Yang. They are to be joined by finance, military, energy, environmental and other officials.

The annual talks are aimed at heading off trade and other disputes between the world's two largest economies and to promote cooperation on managing the global economy, climate change and other issues.

Security experts say China is a base for a large share of the world's cyberspying, some of which might be carried out by its military. Beijing has rejected that, saying China is a victim of computer hacking.

Asked about disclosures by former NSA employee Edward Snowden about U.S. government spying and whether those would influence the talks, Zheng said, "The information released by the media shows once again that China is among the victims of cyberattacks."

On regional issues, Zheng said Beijing wants Washington to "do more to contribute" to settling tensions over territorial disputes.

Referring to China's conflicting claims with the Philippines, Vietnam and other governments over the South China Sea, Zheng said, "the United States should do more to contribute to a proper settlement of the issue."

As for Beijing's dispute with Japan over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, Zheng said Washington "should send correct instead of wrong signals and do more to contribute to the cooling of the situation."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-07-05-China-US/id-c0076b07557b432e98ee301756268e4e

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Tiny Chinese enclave remakes gambling world, Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Most people still think of the U.S. gambling industry as anchored in Las Vegas. They might think of vestiges of the mob, or the town's ill-advised flirtation with family-friendly branding in the 1990s.

But they would be wrong.

The center of the gambling world has shifted 16 time zones away to a tiny spit of land on the southern tip of East Asia.

An hour's ferry ride from Hong Kong and an afternoon flight from half the world's population, Macau is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal.

Each month, 2.5 million tourists flood the glitzy boomtown to try their luck in neon-drenched casinos that collect more winnings than the entire U.S. gambling industry. The exploding ranks of the Chinese nouveau riche sip tea and speak in hushed tones as they play at baccarat, a fast-moving game where gamblers are dealt two cards and predict whether they will beat the banker.

The textile factories that stood shoulder to shoulder with small-time gambling halls as recently as the early 2000s have given way to hulking American-run enterprises larger than anything found in the states. The gangs, prostitutes and money-launderers that once operated openly in this town half the size of Manhattan have at least receded from public eye.

"It was a swamp," said Sheldon Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands, as he looked back on his early, risky venture in the forgotten colonial outpost.

"They wanted to change the face of Macau from the gambling dens to that of conventions and resorts," he added during recent testimony, flashing a jack-o-lantern grin and boasting that it would have taken a genius to imagine the profits that he could reap there.

Macau now powers three of the four largest American casino companies. Sands, Wynn Resorts Ltd and MGM Resorts International rode out the recession thanks to the gambling appetite of a region where notions of luck and fate are baked into the culture, and there is no religious taboo on games of chance.

But as U.S. corporations have remade Macau, Macau has remade them.

The town's criminal undercurrent has resurrected the specter of corruption the industry worked for so long to escape. MGM has lost its license to operate in Atlantic City, while Sands and Wynn are under federal investigation for violations of a touchstone anti-corporate bribery law.

The quest for Asian riches is changing Las Vegas as well. Casino bosses are tweaking their flagship casinos to look and operate more like Macau-style properties. As they succeed, hints of organized crime are returning to Sin City, this time in the form of Chinese gangs.

But the moguls are undeterred, increasing their investment at every opportunity.

"This industry is supply driven, like the movie Field of Dreams: 'Built it and they will come.' I believe that,'" said Adelson, racing ahead of his attorney on the witness stand in Las Vegas, where his company is being investigated for bribing Macau lawmakers and collaborating with the Chinese mafia. "Nobody wanted it. Everybody thought that I was crazy."

At 79 and greatly enriched now by his growing field of five Macau casinos, the diminutive GOP super donor adopted a professorial tone and explained that in 2003, Macau officials gave him a plot of land far from what passed at the time for a main drag. They encouraged him to fill in the surrounding bay.

"I thought, 'Do they want us to fail?'" Adelson asked, patting the ring of brown hair arranged across his round head.

When China reassumed sovereignty of Macau from Portugal in 1999 and abolished a longstanding gambling monopoly, U.S. companies rushed in to try their luck. Since then, annual revenue in the former backwater has grown tenfold, stacking up to $38 billion; four times that of Las Vegas and Atlantic City combined.

Wynn Las Vegas now makes nearly three quarters of its profits in Macau. CEO Steve Wynn, dubbed the "King of Las Vegas" for his role in shaping the contours of the Strip, stirred a minor scandal in 2010 when he said he might ditch Sin City and move his corporate headquarters to China.

Sands, which owns the Venetian and Palazzo on the Las Vegas Strip, earns two thirds of its revenue in Macau. Adelson's first casino opening there caused a stampede that ripped doors off their hinges. He now describes Sands as "an Asian company with a presence in Las Vegas and the U.S."

When regulatory troubles forced MGM Resorts to pick between Macau and New Jersey, the choice was obvious.

"The Macau market is now larger than the entire U.S. gaming market. Unfortunately for Atlantic City, it's gone the other way. It's smaller now than when we entered it. The fortunes of the two couldn't be more different," MGM CEO Jim Murren said.

Macau is in the midst of one of the greatest gambling booms the world has ever known. To rival it, Las Vegas would have to attract six times as many visitors; essentially every man, woman and child in America.

But like early Las Vegas, Macau has a long history of ties to crime syndicates, in this case sinister brotherhoods that first came into being on the mainland more than a century ago called triads. The magnate who controlled gambling in Macau for four decades, Stanly Ho, did little to discourage gang warfare on the peninsula.

Sleepy town squares became incongruous backdrops for machine-gun shoot-outs, bombings and even assassinations of top-level government officials. In the late 1990s, a senior police official tried to reassure tourists by saying that Macau had "professional killers who don't miss their targets."

The history and regulations governing the enclave continue to make it tricky for modern casinos to avoid gangs, illegal money transfers, and at least the appearance of bribery.

"There are some countries where you either have to pay to play and break the law, or you have to not do business there. I think the jury's still out on Macau," said Steve Norton, an Atlantic City veteran who now runs a casino consulting firm in Indiana.

Adelson himself seemed to confirm this point on the stand this spring, when he casually mentioned that Sands had forgone a partnership with a successful Hong Kong-based casino operator because of a disagreement about organized crime.

"They had expressed their judgment that they were going to do business with either reputed, or-- triad people, and we couldn't do that," Adelson said, sipping from an oversized coffee cup.

Local policies are partly to blame. China bans its citizens from transferring more than $50,000 off the mainland each year; a pittance at many high roller tables, and nowhere near enough to account for the towers of chips that change hands in Macau. It also bans casinos from pursuing gambling debts.

Partly as a result, a thriving junket system has sprung up, with supercharged travel agents whisking VIPs to the gambling tables, lending them money, and then settling up on the mainland.

Junket operators sometimes work on commission, but more often assume management of a private VIP room. Casinos provide the gleaming marble facilities, dealers, and chips in return for a cut of the profits. Two-thirds of Macau gambling revenue is won from baccarat played in VIP rooms.

The informal banking and debt collection system provides a veil and an impetus for criminal activity, according to experts and diplomatic cables.

Junkets "allegedly work closely with organized crime groups in mainland China to identify customers and collect debts" and "work directly with Macau casinos to buy gaming chips at discounted rates, allowing players to avoid identification," according to a memo posted by Wikileaks.

The memo, which was apparently sent from the American Consulate in Hong Kong in 2009, continues, "Government efforts to regulate junket operators in Macau have been aimed at limiting competition, rather than combating illicit activities."

Operating off the books, junkets pay out winnings in Hong Kong dollars, which players can then funnel to another location. As a result, Macau is seen as a conduit for money flowing out of China, with wealthy individuals and corrupt officials suspected of moving funds abroad. At least 15 government officials have been executed for pillaging public funds and taking the money to Macau.

The enclave has also seen a spate of killings and kidnappings associated with debt collection, including one grisly case last year in which two men were stabbed to death in their four-star hotel room, discovered by a friend who had come to give lend them the money they needed.

And while many of the approximately 200 junkets active in Macau are law-abiding, some have documented ties to organized crime.

The case of Cheung Chi-tai, a major investor in the publically traded junket operator Neptune Group, is a prime example.

In 2011, a Hong Kong appeals court judgment said Cheung was a "triad leader" who ordered the death of a casino dealer at Sands Macau. He had previously been identified as high-ranking gang figure in a 1992 U.S. Senate report on Asian organized crime.

A witness testified that Cheung was "the person in charge" of one of the VIP rooms at the Sands Macau, the oldest of the Adelson's Macau casinos.

He wasn't charged in the case, but a subordinate was sentenced for conspiracy to commit murder.

"There's no way you can do business over there without having allegations made against you, most of them are untrue," said Bill Weidner, who was president of Sands until 2008.

Casino bosses are now working to lure their Macau customers to Las Vegas, in part because Nevada imposes one fifth of China's 39 percent tax on winnings. The biggest casinos on the Strip have imported baccarat, now Nevada's biggest moneymaker, Asian pop sensations and Chinese delicacies. They've outfitting their hallways in red, and set up Macau-style VIP rooms that employ junkets and cater to high rollers.

"The Las Vegas casinos are adopting that new Macau look, trying to appeal to the high-end Asian gambler. They can make a lot more money from a big gambler here," said David Schwarz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Asian visitors now account for 9 percent of tourists to the desert metropolis, up from 2 percent in 2008. And the Strip is preparing to welcome its first Asian-owned casino; a $5 billion Chinese-themed extravaganza called Resorts World, complete with pandas and pagodas.

But some of the crime associated with Chinese gambling halls may be migrating to the Strip as well.

Last year, the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network warned casinos to monitor junkets operators and report "all available information" on any suspicious activity.

Sands reportedly allowed a junket operator named as a triad member in the 1992 Congressional report to move a $100,000 gambling credit from Las Vegas to one of its Macau casinos.

Las Vegas is also beginning to see occasional outbursts of triad violence.

In March, 26 year-old Xiao Ye Bai began serving a life term for stabbing a man to death in a crowded karaoke bar near the Strip. Prosecutors said Bai was a martial-arts trained enforcer for the Taiwan-based triad United Bamboo, sent to collect a $10,000 gambling debt.

Unlike some other states, Las Vegas allows junket operators to work in casinos without the full background checks required for virtually every other employee, from blackjack dealers to CEOs.

Some of Hong Kong operators licensed in Nevada have been found unsuitable by other jurisdictions, including Singapore.

Steve Vickers, who spent 18 years in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and commanded the its criminal intelligence bureau, believes that nearly all junkets that cater to Chinese tourists must tangle with organized crime.

"You won't find the triad names listed as the junket operators, but they are behind it, because who is it that can reach into China and enforce the debts, move the money? Only one kind of person can do that," he said.

Authorities in Nevada, New Jersey and Washington DC are investigating all three of the U.S. companies with properties in Macau.

? New Jersey regulators objected when MGM teamed up with Stanley Ho's daughter, Pansy, because of the senior Ho's triad links. The state found the partnership "unsuitable" in a blistering 2010 report, and forced MGM to sell its stake in the Borgata casino in Atlantic City. MGM and the family of Pansy Ho deny the allegations.

Nevada, where casino revenue provides about half of the state's general fund, examined the MGM partnership and found it acceptable. Mississippi and Michigan also approved. This year, New Jersey allowed MGM to re-apply for a license.

? Wynn is under investigation for donating $135 million to the University of Macau in 2011. A former board member says the payment was a bribe and a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act. In a footnote in a March legal filing, U.S. prosecutors revealed they were looking into the donation, but did not elaborate.

Established in 1977 as part of a series of reforms intended to restore the nation's standing after the Watergate scandal, the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act bars U.S. companies from paying off officials to win business, though it makes an exception for small administrative payments that do not confer unfair advantage.

The Department of Justice has recently stepped up its enforcement of the act. As the business world becomes more globalized and other countries adopt similar laws, U.S. companies can no longer argue that enforcing the ban gives an edge to rivals.

In recent years, the act has been used to take on the pharmaceutical company Pfizer (for payments to foreign doctors), Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. (for paying British police officers for information) and Wal-Mart (for an ongoing Mexican bribery scandal).

The law was most famously deployed in the "bananagate" scandal, in which a U.S. fruit company was charged with bribing the Honduran president for favorable tax rates. The uproar ultimately precipitated a government overthrow.

But Macau regulators draw fewer bright lines around corporate gift-giving than their American counterparts, according to I. Nelson Rose, a professor at Whittier Law School in California who writes a blog called Gambling and the Law. What might look like a bribe on American soil is a routine part of the culture in Macau, he said.

Wynn says it acted properly. Nevada regulators looked into the donation before the federal investigation was made public and found no wrongdoing.

?A long list of agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the FBI, are investigating Sands. Those inquiries stem from a 2010 lawsuit brought by former Sands executive Steve Jacobs. In an ongoing wrongful termination suit, Jacobs says Sands' China subsidiary allowed triad boss to run one of the company's VIP rooms, tacitly condoned prostitution, and made inappropriate payments to a Macau lawmaker, among other "outrageous" misdeeds.

Sands has denied all claims, but recently said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that an internal audit had found possible breaches of the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act.

The law contains two parts: it prohibits bribing a foreign official to win patronage and it requires that public companies file proper financial statements and maintain a system of internal controls. Sands admitted to likely violations of the second, more bureaucratic, provision.

"There were likely violations of the books and records and internal controls provisions of the FCPA," the company said in an annual report filed in March.

In April, the auditor for Sands' China subsidiary resigned.

Both Sands and Wynn are facing related lawsuits from individual shareholders who claim mismanagement has damaged the company.

It sounds bad. But is it?

Probably not, according to Fitch ratings analyst Michael Paladino. At worst, the companies could get fined.

"They can handle that," he said.

He noted that the largest fine paid in modern corporate history? imposed on German engineering giant Siemans A.G. for bribery? amounted to about $1 billion. That's equivalent to one month's profits for Sands.

Justice Department spokesman Michael Passman declined to comment.

Wall Street seems to share Paladino's confidence. Not one analyst or investor raised the issue of corruption charges during recent conference calls held by the three companies to discuss earnings.

"For the average person going to a casino, they're not going to stop going because the company that owns the facility is implicated in some kind of corruption scandal," said Peggy Holloway, vice president and senior credit officer at Moody's.

States also have the power to impose fines, and can revoke licenses.

Nevada regulations prohibit casino companies from doing anything anywhere in the world that could "reflect discredit upon the State of Nevada or the gaming industry."

Similar statutes exist in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Michigan, Illinois and Connecticut, where the companies with properties in Macau operate.

In the 1980s, these rules helped push out the mob bosses that had taken refuge in the casino industry and usher in its modern corporate era, though the FBI and other federal agencies did the heavy lifting.

A Congressional report issued in 1999 found that American gambling was finally free from the taint of organized crime.

That was the same year China opened Macau to U.S. investment.

State regulators have so far refrained from public action, preferring to stay out of federal investigations until a conclusion is reached, Nevada Gaming Board Chairman AG Burnett said. But that does not mean they are sitting idle.

"I think there's an impression out there that the control board doesn't hammer companies, but the truth is that a lot of what goes on is dialogue between the board and the companies that the public doesn't necessarily see," he said.

While the regulators occasionally file complaints for egregious violations? for instance, the Palms hotel-casino paid a $1 million fine this winter for abetting prostitution and drug dealing ? they prefer to handle things quietly, partly of concern for the industry they police.

"When you're dealing with a publicly traded company, the sheer fact of an investigation being made public may be damaging. And if at the end of the day if we find that there's no violation, then unfortunately, we may have harmed the company," Burnett said. "It increases our ability to work with the companies more fluidly and have more of a dialogue. While we work against the industry sometimes, it's helpful if we can work with them."

Conventional wisdom is that no casinos will lose their licenses over the Macau allegations, even if they prove true.

And in any case, Sands, Wynn and MGM have already put their China operations into subsidiaries which could eventually be spun off entirely.

"If I were one of these operators, I might start tallying up how much my U.S. operations are worth and how much my Macau operations are worth and thinking about moving," said Vickers, the former intelligence officer, who now consults about risk management in Hong Kong.

The balance of power between casinos and regulators has shifted as gambling companies have achieved their own version of outsourcing, according to Rose, the professor.

"Macau forced the casinos to see that they could become like other large U.S. corporations; set up their plants and operations in other nations and make far more than they can being stuck just in Las Vegas," he said, speaking from his hotel room near Macau University, where he teaches a summer course.

It helps that public officials aren't exactly clamoring for justice.

Among the ranks of the unconcerned is former Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman, who famously demanded an apology from Barack Obama after the president cautioned against blowing "a bunch of cash in Vegas when you're trying to save for college."

Sitting in the living room of his five-bedroom home among dozens of bobble head dolls cast in his image, Goodman, whose wife is now mayor, said he doesn't worry about Macau because Americans are not paying attention to the murky allegations there.

"If it brought discredit to us, of course I would become concerned, defensive, and try to rectify the station. But the average person could care less about this," he said, straightening his pinstripe suit, an affectation left over from his days as a nationally-famous mob lawyer.

"You ask people who Sheldon Adelson is, if 10 out of 50 recognize the name, I'd be surprised. If they associated him with the Venetian and the Palazzo, I'd be even more surprised. People are busy."

Of course, within the industry, Adelson is an object of fascination. As the casino titan sat in a courtroom among a phalanx of employees, security and family members this spring, a former rival was following along from his home 500 miles to the north in Reno, Nevada's second, shabbier gambling town.

While Wynn, MGM and Sands have taken off, the industry's' fourth major player, Caesars Entertainment International, has been left behind.

China issued a finite number gambling licenses in the early 2000s, and Caesars did not apply for fear of upsetting domestic regulators. The company's former head now calls that an overcautious mistake.

Phil Satre, who was CEO in 2003, when Caesars was called Harrah's Entertainment, said that at the time, the gambling industry had at last gained a legitimacy and mundane familiarity that was unthinkable in the 1980s. Many executives thought American regulators wouldn't countenance any dalliances with criminal elements in Asia.

"There are some things that still have to play out, but when I look back and think about the opportunity to go back in Macau, I'd probably take a different posture," he said.

___

Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong contributed to this story.

Hannah Dreier can be reached at http://twitter.com/hannahdreier.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tiny-chinese-enclave-remakes-gambling-135832208.html

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Paul Szep: The Daily Szep --The Press and NSA

2013-07-06-pressandNSA.jpg

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Follow Paul Szep on Twitter: www.twitter.com/szeptoons

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In China, relatives of Asiana passengers anxiously await news

In China, relatives of Asiana passengers anxiously await news

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Passengers of China Airlines who were diverted from San Francisco wait for buses to take them to hotels outside Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday.(Photo: Jay L. Clendenin, AP)

Story Highlights

  • Family members of passengers look for updates
  • Social media give quick clue that most passengers survived
  • Chinese students flying abroad for international studies a growing global presence

The crash-landing of Asiana flight 214 at San Francisco-Oakland International Airport Saturday sparked a desperate wait for news for relatives of passengers in China, where the flight originated in Shanghai.

Chinese diplomats said the 141 Chinese citizens on board included a teacher and 34 high school students, state news agency Xinhua reported.

FULL COVERAGE: The crash of Asiana 214

Chinese students flying abroad have become an increasingly common global phenomenon in recent years as the nation's dramatic economic growth and opening up creates more families that have the means to send children overseas to study -- and at ever younger ages.

One of the first indications those high school students had survived the crash came from Chinese social media as a fellow survivor posted updates from the scene. Xu Da, an executive with the online giant Taobao, based in its home city of Hangzhou, wrote a series of posts, sent from his iPhone, on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo micro-blogging service.

"It took half an hour from landing to evacuation," he wrote. "The passengers and rescuers were both very calm. No one was shouting, everything was orderly, and I felt we had already been evacuated for a while when the fire grew larger, so I was extremely surprised to hear that two were dead," he wrote.

Many Weibo users posted online messages expressing hopes for the safety of passengers.

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Saturday 6 July 2013

Keane converts two late PKs as Galaxy top Crew

Keane converts 2 penalty kicks as Galaxy beat Crew

(AP Photo/Bret Hartman)

CARSON, Calif. (AP) Robbie Keane converted two penalty kicks in the closing minutes, rallying the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew on Thursday night.

Keane beat Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum to the lower right corner in the 85th minute and again in the second minute of stoppage to give the Galaxy (8-7-3) just their third win in their last eight matches.

The Galaxy outshot Columbus 23-8, but were struggling to take advantage of chances.

"We fought hard to try to win the game and were fortunate to capitalize on two penalty kicks," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "On the night, we played OK, but we can certainly be accused of not finishing our chances and putting ourselves in poor position, which certainly happened. We just had to battle and try to create some chances at the end, and we were fortunate to get a couple calls out of it that made a difference."

Bernardo Anor put the Crew (5-8-5) on the scoreboard in the 78th-minute, heading Federico Higuain's free kick from near midfield and looping the ball from the top of the box into the upper-right corner.

Referee Sorin Stoica called Gruenebaum for tripping Jose Villarreal in the box for the first penalty, and Anor was whistled for knocking down Keane as he awaited a cross for the second. The Crew disagreed with both calls.

"Unfortunately for us, the referee called it," Columbus coach Robert Warzycha said. "From my point of view, it's difficult to judge. What I can tell you is (Gruenebaum) said he didn't initiate contact, then on the second penalty (Anor) said he was just going for the ball. The referee called both of them, and that's the game, unfortunately."

Dominic Oduro nearly scored for Columbus in the 88th minute, but Todd Dunivant cleared it off the goal line, and Keane struck the crossbar for the Galaxy moments later.

Updated July 5, 2013

w3 ? 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press.
Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

Source: http://scores.nbcsports.msnbc.com/mls/recap.asp?g=2013070407

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HOT TOPICS: Bride Doesn't Think Wedding Gift Is Enough

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    Friday 5 July 2013

    View Details - Schrader Real Estate and Auction

    Major Tulsa Land Auction - 310 Acres in 20 Tracts - Building sites, Development, Commercial
    Tue, Aug 20, 6:30 PM
    Minutes from Downtown Tulsa - Osage County, Oklahoma

    Owner: Evelyn Marie Manion Trust

    ? Just Minutes from downtown Tulsa ? Potential Commercial & Residential Development Opportunities ? Potential Building Sites ? Downtown Tulsa Views ? Tracts ranging from 3 acres to 50 acres


    OPEN HOUSE/INSPECTION DATES
    North Tract: July 24th & August 6th - 4-6PM

    South Tract: July 24th & August 6th - 1-3PM

    Meet a Schrader Representative at the Property for More Information

    PROPERTY LOCATION
    South Property Tracts 1-12: From downtown Tulsa take Hwy 412 west for approximately 1.3 miles, exit on N 25th W Ave (Gilcrease Museum) and go north for approximately 0.3 mile. Turn left on W Edison Street and follow for approximately 0.5 mile and property is located on right.

    North Property (Tracts 13 - 20): From downtown Tulsa take LL Tisdale Parkway North for approximately 3 miles to the intersection of W 36th Street North. Turn left at intersection and follow for approximately 0.5 mile and turn right on N Osage Drive, follow for approximately 1.0 mile to sweeping left turn and property is on your right.

    AUCTION LOCATION
    Post Oak Lodge
    5323 W 31st St N, Tulsa, OK 74127

    TRACT DESCRIPTIONS
    Tract 1: 22? ac Pasture and woodland featuring approximately 620ft of frontage on 33rd W Ave. Tract 1 includes a large pond, original homestead and a mixture of mature hardwood trees, open land and a creek bottom meandering through the west portion of the parcel.
    Tract 2: 20.8? ac Swing Tract. Excellent land situated in the center of the property. Bidders can submit bids on this tract in any combination with an adjoining tract to create your own property.
    Tract 3: 5.2? ac Open land with level topography, featuring approximately 310ft of frontage on 33rd W Ave - Investigate this tract as a potential building site.
    Tract 4: 6? ac Open land with level topography, featuring approximately 375ft of frontage on 33rd W Ave - Investigate this tract as a potential building site or combine with tracts 3 & 5 to increase frontage and acreage.
    Tract 5: 4? ac Consist of a 50:50 mixture of mature trees along the front and open pasture on the west portion of the property - this tract has approximately 230ft of frontage on 33rd W Ave.
    Tract 6: 21.2? ac Great corner lot with diversity for different uses, which features a mixture of mature hardwoods and open pasture, Central High School is located directly across the street from tract 6.
    Tract 7: 13.2? ac Mixture of mature hardwoods and open land on the north portion of the property, combine with Swing Tract 2 for a significant holding in the center of the property.
    Tract 8: 10? ac Excellent level topography with a mixture of heavily wooded areas and open space, tract 8 features approximately 675ft of frontage on W Edison and 645ft of frontage on 38th W Ave.
    Tract 9: 3.4? ac Featuring access from both east and west boundary lines. Tract 9 has approximately 220ft of frontage on both N 38th W Ave and N 41st W Ave - Investigate this site for building and future development and combine with tracts 10 & 11.
    Tract 10: 3.5? ac Featuring access from both east and west boundary lines. Tract 10 has approximately 230ft of frontage on N 38th W Ave and N 41st W Ave. - Combine with surrounding tracts to easily increase acreage.
    Tract 11: 3.2? ac Access from both east and west boundary lines. Tract 11 has approximately 215ft of frontage on N 41st W Ave. - Easily combine with tracts 9 & 10.
    Tract 12: 37.1? ac Tract 11 has approximately 215ft of frontage on N 41st W Ave., easily combine with tracts 9 & 10. Consists of a mixture of open, pasture land and heavily wooded areas that are dissected by a meandering creek. This parcel features excellent wildlife recreational potential and has plenty of suitable building sites. Combine with surrounding tracts to increase open/pasture land and create your ideal property.
    Tract 13: 47.9? ac This parcel has access from N 25th W Ave, with 45ft of road frontage and access width to the main portion of tract 13. Skyline views of downtown Tulsa is visible from this parcel, featuring a mixture of native grass and improved pastures, mature trees and a meandering creek establishing the West and South boundary lines.
    Tract 14: 38.1? ac Located on the Northwest portion of the property. The center of this parcel is elevated, providing views over the remainder of the property and downtown Tulsa. Tract 14 is primarily open ground that has been used for hay production; the south boundary of the property encompasses a creek bottom with dense foliage and mature trees.
    Tract 15: 12.3? ac Rolling terrain, which includes hills with a quality view of the surrounding landscape. This parcel has approx. 685ft of frontage on N 25th W Ave - Investigate as a potential building site.
    Tract 16: 11.2? ac Corner lot with outstanding access, highlighted by nearly 1,500ft of road frontage on N 25th W Ave and 43rd Street N combined. New construction has recently widened 43rd Street N, creating outstanding access to utilities and infrastructure. This parcel holds potential for future commercial and residential development, combine with surround tracts to increase acreage and create the right property for you.
    Tract 17: 11.1? ac Located in the Southwest portion of the property. Tract 17 has approx. 475ft of frontage on the newly improved 43rd Street N; easily combine with surrounding tracts.
    Tract 18: 13.9? ac Potential development land featuring approx. 500ft of frontage on 43rd Street N. This tract can easily be bid on in combination with various surrounding tracts to create a piece of property that fits your needs - Investigate this tracts potential.
    Tract 19: 10.8? ac Featuring approx. 385ft of frontage on 43rd Street N. Easily bid on this tract individually or in combination with others of your choice.
    Tract 20: 13.7? ac Located in the Southeast portion of the property. This tract holds adequate frontage, approx. 355ft, on 43rd Street N/Osage Dr and is well suited for a variety of uses.

    INTERACTIVE MAP

    AUCTION TERMS & CONDITIONS PROCEDURE: Tracts 1 through 20 will be offered in individual tracts, in any combination of these 20 tracts, or as a total unit. There will be open bidding on all tracts and combinations during the auction as determined by the Auctioneer. Bids on tracts, tract combinations and the total property may compete. The property will be sold in the manner resulting in the highest total sale price.

    DOWN PAYMENT: 10% of the accepted bid price as down payment on the day of auction with the balance in cash at closing. If the bidder pre-registers with the Auction Company on or before Thursday, August 15, then cash or a personal check will be accepted for the down payment (contact Auction Company for a pre-registration form or visit www.schraderauction.com). If the bidder does not pre-register, a bank letter of credit or guarantee will be required with a personal check. YOUR BIDDING IS NOT CONDITIONAL UPON FINANCING, SO BE SURE YOU HAVE ARRANGED FINANCING, IF NEEDED, AND ARE CAPABLE OF PAYING CASH AT CLOSING.

    APPROVAL OF BID PRICES: All successful bidders will be required to enter into purchase agreements at the auction site immediately following the close of the auction. The auction bids are subject to the acceptance or rejection by the Seller.

    DEED: Seller shall provide Special Warranty Deed or Trustees Deed.

    EVIDENCE OF TITLE: Seller agrees to make available to bidder a preliminary title insurance commitment to review prior to auction. The cost of title insurance, if the buyer(s) elects to purchase the title insurance policy, will be the responsibility of the buyer(s). Seller agrees to provide merchantable title to the property subject to matters of record, general conditions of title, and similar related matters. All tracts sold AS IS.

    CLOSING: The closing shall take place 45 days after the auction or as soon thereafter as applicable closing documents are completed by Seller.

    PLANNING APPROVAL: All tract divisions are subject to approval by the Osage County Planning Commission. POSSESSION: Possession of the land shall be at closing. REAL ESTATE TAXES: Real Estate taxes shall be prorated to the date of closing.

    MINERALS: Less and except all minerals including without limitation, oil, gas, coal, coalbed methane, and all other hydrocarbons, lignite, and all metallic minerals, etc., if any associated with the reference real estate, and the term "Property" will not include any mineral rights.

    BUYER'S PREMIUM: A 4% Buyers Premium will be charged to the Buyer. The Buyers Premium shall be added to the high bids to determine the Total Contract Purchase Price.

    SURVEY: The Seller shall provide a new survey where there is no existing legal description or where new boundaries are created by the tract divisions in this auction. Any need for a new survey shall be determined solely by the Seller. Seller and successful bidder shall each pay half (50:50) of the cost of the survey. The type of survey performed shall be at the Sellers option and sufficient for providing title insurance. Closing prices shall be adjusted to reflect any difference between advertised and surveyed acres, if a new survey is determined to be necessary by the Seller.

    ACREAGE AND TRACTS: All acreages are approximate and have been estimated based on current legal descriptions and/or aerial photos. Any corrections, additions, or deletions will be made known prior to the auction.

    AGENCY: Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company, Inc. and their representatives are exclusive agents of the Seller.

    DISCLAIMER AND ABSENCE OF WARRANTIES: All information contained in this brochure and all related materials are subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the Purchase Agreement. The property is being sold on an AS IS, WHERE IS basis, and no warranty or representation, either expressed or implied, concerning the property is made by the Seller or the Auction Company. All sketches and dimensions in the brochure are approximate. Each potential bidder is responsible for conducting his or her own independent inspections, investigations, inquiries, and due diligence concerning the property. The information contained in this brochure is subject to verification by all parties relying on it. No liability for its accuracy, errors, or omissions is assumed by the Seller or the Auction Company. Conduct of the auction and increments of bidding are at the direction and discretion of the Auctioneer. The Seller and Selling Agents reserve the right to preclude any person from bidding if there is any question as to the persons credentials, fitness, etc. All decisions of the Auctioneer are final. ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE THE DAY OF THE SALE TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER PRINTED MATERIAL OR ANY OTHER ORAL STATEMENTS MADE.

    NEW DATE, CORRECTIONS AND CHANGES: Please arrive prior to scheduled auction time to inspect any changes or additions to the property information.

    Source: http://www.schraderauction.com/auctions/6266

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