Leaving NKorea, Rodman calls Kims 'great leaders'

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, left, speaks to the media at the airport in Pyongyang, before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013. Rodman hung out with North Korea's Kim Jong Un during his improbable journey to Pyongyang, watching the Harlem Globetrotters with the leader and later drinking and dining on sushi with him.(AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, left, speaks to the media at the airport in Pyongyang, before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013. Rodman hung out with North Korea's Kim Jong Un during his improbable journey to Pyongyang, watching the Harlem Globetrotters with the leader and later drinking and dining on sushi with him.(AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and former NBA star Dennis Rodman watch North Korean and U.S. players in an exhibition basketball game at an arena in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013. Rodman arrived in Pyongyang on Monday with three members of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team to shoot an episode on North Korea for a new weekly HBO series. (AP Photo/VICE Media, Jason Mojica)

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, left, talks with a woman at the Pyongyang Airport before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013. Rodman hung out with North Korea's Kim Jong Un during his improbable journey to Pyongyang, watching the Harlem Globetrotters with the leader and later drinking and dining on sushi with him.(AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman, left, is surrounded by the media at the Pyongyang Airport before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013. Rodman hung out with North Korea's Kim Jong Un during his improbable journey to Pyongyang, watching the Harlem Globetrotters with the leader and later drinking and dining on sushi with him.(AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman speaks to the media at the Pyongyang Airport before he leaves North Korea Friday, March 1, 2013. Rodman hung out with North Korea's Kim Jong Un during his improbable journey to Pyongyang, watching the Harlem Globetrotters with the leader and later drinking and dining on sushi with him.(AP Photo/Kim Kwang Hyon)

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? Ending his unexpected round of basketball diplomacy in North Korea on Friday, ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman called leader Kim Jong Un an "awesome guy" and said his father and grandfather were "great leaders."

Rodman, the highest-profile American to meet Kim since he inherited power from father Kim Jong Il in 2011, watched a basketball game with the authoritarian leader Thursday and later drank and dined on sushi with him.

At Pyongyang's Sunan airport on his way to Beijing, Rodman said it was "amazing" that the North Koreans were "so honest." He added that Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder, "were great leaders."

"He's proud, his country likes him ? not like him, love him, love him," Rodman said of Kim Jong Un. "Guess what, I love him. The guy's really awesome."

At Beijing's airport, Rodman pushed past waiting journalists without saying anything.

Rodman's visit to North Korea began Monday and took place amid tension between Washington and Pyongyang. North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test just two weeks ago, making clear the provocative act was a warning to the United States to drop what it considers a "hostile" policy toward the North.

Rodman traveled to Pyongyang with three members of the professional Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, VICE correspondent Ryan Duffy and a production crew to shoot an episode on North Korea for a new weekly HBO series.

Kim, a diehard basketball fan, told the former Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls star that he hoped the visit would break the ice between the United States and North Korea, said Shane Smith, founder of the New York-based VICE media company.

Dressed in a blue Mao suit, Kim laughed and slapped his hands on a table during the game at Jong Ju Yong Gymnasium as he sat nearly knee to knee with Rodman. Rodman, the man who once turned up in a wedding dress to promote his autobiography, wore a dark suit and dark sunglasses, but still had on his nose rings and other piercings. A can of Coca-Cola sat on the table before him in photos shared with AP by VICE.

Smith, after speaking to the VICE crew in Pyongyang, said Kim and Rodman "bonded" and chatted in English, though Kim primarily spoke in Korean through a translator.

Thursday's game ended in a 110-110 tie, with two Americans playing on each team alongside North Koreans. After the game, Rodman addressed Kim in a speech before a crowd of tens of thousands of North Koreans and told him, "You have a friend for life," VICE spokesman Alex Detrick told AP.

At an "epic feast" later, the leader plied the group with food and drinks and round after round of toasts were made, Duffy said in an email to AP.

Duffy said he invited Kim to visit the United States, a proposal met with hearty laughter from the North Korean leader.

Kim said he hoped sports exchanges would promote "mutual understanding between the people of the two countries," the official Korean Central News Agency said.

North Korea and the U.S. fought on opposite sides of the three-year Korean War, which ended in a truce in 1953. The foes never signed a peace treaty, and do not have diplomatic relations.

Rodman's trip is the second attention-grabbing American visit this year to North Korea. Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, made a four-day trip in January to Pyongyang, but did not meet the North Korean leader.

The Obama administration had frowned on the trip by Schmidt, who was accompanied by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, but has avoided criticizing Rodman's outing, saying it's about sports.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-01-NKorea-Rodman/id-4f8ba80fb6144102a04c0dce34d0a6d8

Bath And Body Works Dicks Sporting Good office max office max jcp Sports Authority Hollister

Kerry: Turkish comments complicate Mideast process

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Ankara, Turkey, on Friday, March 1, 2013. Ankara is the fifth leg of Kerry's first official overseas trip, a nine-day dash through Europe and the Middle East. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Ankara, Turkey, on Friday, March 1, 2013. Ankara is the fifth leg of Kerry's first official overseas trip, a nine-day dash through Europe and the Middle East. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during a news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, not pictured, at Ankara Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Friday, March 1, 2013. Ankara is the fifth leg of Kerry's first official overseas trip, a nine-day dash through Europe and the Middle East. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, listens as Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu speaks during a news conference at Ankara Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Friday, March 1, 2013. Ankara is the fifth leg of Kerry's first official overseas trip, a nine-day dash through Europe and the Middle East. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pauses while speaking about the death of Mustafa Akarsu, a U.S. Embassy guard who was killed on Kerry's first day as secretary by a suicide bomber attack at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, during a memorial at the embassy on Friday, March 1, 2013. Ankara is the fifth leg of Kerry's first official overseas trip, a nine-day dash through Europe and the Middle East. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, enters a news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at Ankara Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on Friday, March 1, 2013. Ankara is the fifth leg of Kerry's first official overseas trip, a nine-day dash through Europe and the Middle East. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday that comments by the Turkish prime minister equating Zionism to a crime against humanity complicate the efforts to find peace in the Middle East.

Speaking at a news conference in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Kerry stressed the "urgent need to promote a spirit of tolerance, and that includes all of the public statements made by all leaders."

Kerry said he had raised the comments "very directly" with Davutoglu and would do the same when he saw Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan later on Friday.

Addressing the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations conference in Vienna this week, Erdogan complained of prejudices against Muslims. He said Islamophobia should be considered a crime against humanity "just like Zionism, like anti-Semitism and like fascism."

Kerry said the on the U.S. side, "we not only disagree with it, we found it objectionable."

He added: "I believe there is a way forward, but it obviously gets more complicated in the aftermath of a speech such as the one we heard in Vienna."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also sharply condemned the remark late Thursday, calling it a "dark and mendacious statement, the likes of which we thought had passed from the world." The United Nations joined the criticism.

Davutoglu at the news conference with Kerry denied that Turkish officials were uttering hostile or offensive language. He repeatedly referred to the deaths of nine civilians at the hands of Israeli commandos aboard a Gaza-bound Turkish aid ship in 2010.

He added: "If Israel wants to hear positive statements from Turkey, it needs to review its attitude. It needs to review its attitude toward us, and it needs to review its attitude toward the people in the region and especially the West Bank settlements issue."

Kerry said that despite the comments, he was hopeful Turkey and Israel could eventually find a way to restore their previously close relations.

The uproar has overshadowed Kerry's previously planned visit to the Turkish capital, where he had hoped to spend much of his time discussing the crisis in neighboring Syria and coordinating plans with the Turks to assist the Syrian opposition, which is fighting to oust President Bashar Assad.

The deterioration of Turkish-Israel relations has been a matter of deep worry for the U.S., which has unsuccessfully sought to push the two countries to get back on friendly terms.

Turkey and Israel were once important allies, but relations deteriorated sharply after the 2010 raid.

Turkey is a co-sponsor, along with Spain, of the U.N. initiative to promote tolerance and understanding between various religions.

A U.N. statement said: "If the comment about Zionism was interpreted correctly, then it was not only wrong but contradicts the very principles on which the Alliance of Civilizations is based."

The statement said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "believes it is unfortunate that such hurtful and divisive comments were uttered at a meeting being held under the theme of responsible leadership."

Turkey's state-run news agency, Anadolu, reported Erdogan's remarks on Wednesday but removed the reference to "Zionism" in a correction sent out an hour later. It said the correction was "made by the source" but gave no other explanation.

Erdogan, whose ruling party has roots in Turkey's Islamic movement, frequently criticizes Israeli actions against Palestinians but rarely speaks out against Zionism. In November, he accused Israel of state terrorism and of an "attempt at ethnic cleansing," a euphemism that describes using violence to force a population to flee an area.

?Kerry is in NATO ally Turkey on the fourth leg of a nine-nation dash through Europe and the Middle East that is his first official overseas trip as secretary of state. Kerry has spent much of his time at his first three stops ? Britain, Germany and Italy ? focusing on the conflict in Syria.

Kerry's first stop in Ankara on Friday was the U.S. Embassy where he spoke at a memorial service for a local Turkish security guard who was killed in a Feb. 1 suicide attack at the embassy gates. Kerry presented the man's family with an award for heroism.

?From Turkey, Kerry will travel to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar before returning to Washington in the middle of next week.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-01-Turkey-Erdogan/id-2caf94a923fb41cb8d4e1eaaa0be28d2

larry bird maria menounos proposition 8 ricky martin chauncey billups caucus results exton

Megaupload founder suffers setback in U.S. extradition bid

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A New Zealand court ruled on Friday that the United States does not have to hand over all its evidence against Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, a setback for the German national in a U.S. bid to extradite him for alleged online piracy, fraud and money laundering.

The Court of Appeal overturned a lower court ruling that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) should disclose all its evidence so Dotcom, released on bail last February, could fairly contest the case against him.

The FBI accuses Dotcom, who founded the Megaupload file-sharing site which housed everything from family photos to blockbuster films, of leading a group that netted $175 million since 2005 by copying and distributing copyrighted content without authorization.

Lower courts had ruled twice that Dotcom should have access to all material the FBI was basing its extradition case on.

The Court of Appeal said the U.S. government had a duty of "candor and good faith" in making an extradition bid, but a summary of the evidence held would suffice.

"It is for the requesting state to decide what information it wishes to put before the requested state in support of its request," the court said.

It said there were safeguards for any accused, such as the New Zealand courts and government seeking more information if they are not satisfied there is a prima facie case to be answered.

Dotcom maintains that Megaupload, one of the world's most popular websites before it was shut down in January last year, simply provided online storage services and should not be held responsible for stored content.

William Akel, one of Dotcom's lawyers, said an appeal to New Zealand's Supreme Court was being considered.

"How can you determine whether or not there has been compliance with candor and good faith if you don't know what documents are being relied on to support the case?" he said on Radio New Zealand.

Since the initial raid, the courts have ruled that search warrants used in the raid were illegal, unfrozen some of Dotcom's assets for living and legal expenses, relaxed restrictions of travel, and ordered extensive evidence disclosure.

A New Zealand government spy agency was also found to have illegally spied on him, bringing an apology from the prime minister, and opening the way for a damages claim.

Dotcom, who also goes by the name of Kim Schmidt, is a German national but with residency in New Zealand, which made it illegal to spy on him.

The extradition hearing for Dotcom and the other three defendants is scheduled to be held in August.

(Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/megaupload-founder-suffers-procedural-setback-u-extradition-bid-053715859.html

Pope Benedict sequestration Melissa King Van Cliburn Sequester Miami Heat Harlem Shake Bonnie Franklin

Feeding limbs and nervous system of one of Earth's earliest animals discovered

Thursday, February 28, 2013

An extraordinary find allowing scientists to see through the head of the 'fuxianhuiid' arthropod has revealed one of the earliest evolutionary examples of limbs used for feeding, along with the oldest nervous system to stretch beyond the head in fossil record.

Until now, all fossils found of this extremely early soft-bodied animal featured heads covered by a wide shell or 'carapace', obscuring underlying contents from detailed study.

But a new fossil-rich site in South China has been found to contain arthropod examples where the carapace has literally been 'flipped' over before fossilisation ? allowing scientists to examine the fuxianhuiid head to an unprecedented extent.

The study, published today in Nature, highlights the discovery of previously controversial limbs under the head, used to shovel sediment into the mouth as the fuxianhuiid crawled across the seabed, millions of years before creatures emerged from the oceans.

Scientists say that this could be the earliest and simplest example of manipulative limbs used for feeding purposes, hinting at the adaptive ability that made arthropods so successful and abundant ? evolving into the insects, spiders and crustaceans we know today.

Using a feeding technique scientist's call 'detritus sweep-feeding', fuxianhuiids developed the limbs to push seafloor sediment into the mouth in order to filter it for organic matter ? such as traces of decomposed seaweed ? which constituted the creatures' food.

Fossils also revealed the oldest nervous system on record that is 'post-cephalic' ? or beyond the head ? consisting of only a single stark string in what was a very basic form of early life compared to today.

"Since biologists rely heavily on organisation of head appendages to classify arthropod groups, such as insects and spiders, our study provides a crucial reference point for reconstructing the evolutionary history and relationships of the most diverse and abundant animals on Earth," said Javier Ortega-Hern?ndez, from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences, who produced the research with Dr Nicholas Butterfield and colleagues from Yunnan University in Kunming, South China. "This is as early as we can currently see into arthropod limb development."

Fuxianhuiids existed around 520 million years ago, roughly 50 million years before primordial land animals crawled from the sea, and would have been one of the first examples of complex animal life ? likely to have evolved from creatures resembling worms with legs. Arthropods were the first jointed animals, enabling them to crawl.

Fuxianhuiid arthropods would have spent most of their time grazing on the sea floor, using these newly discovered limbs to plow sediment into their mouths. They could probably also use their bodies to swim for short distances, like tadpole shrimps.

The fossils date from the early part of the event known as the 'Cambrian explosion', when life on Earth went from multi-cellular organisms we know very little about to a relatively sudden and wide spread explosion of diverse marine animals - the first recognisable evolutionary step for the animal kingdom we know today.

"These fossils are our best window to see the most primitive state of animals as we know them ? including us," said Ortega-Hern?ndez. "Before that there is no clear indication in the fossil record of whether something was an animal or a plant ? but we are still filling in the details, of which this is an important one."

While still a mystery, theories about the cause of the 'Cambrian Explosion' include possible correlations with oxygen rises, spikes in oceanic nutrient concentration, and genetic complexity reaching critical mass.

But the new site in South China where these fossils were found could prove to be key in uncovering ever more information about this pivotal period in the history of life on Earth. The Xiaoshiba 'biota' - that is the collection of all organisms preserved in the new locality - in China's Yunnan Province is similar to the world-famous Chengjiang biota, which provided many of the best arthropod fossil records to date.

"The Xiaoshiba biota is amazingly rich in such extraordinary fossils of early organisms," said Ortega-Hern?ndez. "Over 50 specimens of fuxianhuiids have been found in just over a year, whereas previous areas considered fossil rich such as Chengjiang it took years - even decades - to build up such a collection."

"So much material is so well preserved. There's massive potential for Xiaoshiba to become a huge deal for new discoveries in early animal evolution".

###

University of Cambridge: http://www.cam.ac.uk

Thanks to University of Cambridge for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 30 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127053/Feeding_limbs_and_nervous_system_of_one_of_Earth_s_earliest_animals_discovered

strikeforce tate vs rousey strawberry festival knicks the monkees ciaa love actually strikeforce

ASTORINO ANNOUNCES WESTCHESTER COUNTY AS HOME OF ...

1 Mar, 2013

Posted by Stacy

ASTORINO ANNOUNCES WESTCHESTER COUNTY AS HOME OF

43^rd ANNUAL AMERICAN GOLD CUP EQUESTRIAN COMPETITION

10,000 visitors expected to directly add at least $6 million to local economy

Signature event for ?Meet Me in Westchester? tourism campaign

?

Featured left to right, Michael Morrissey, President, Stadium Jumping; Frank Madden, Old Salem Farm head trainer/American Gold Cup organizer; Robert P. Astorino, Westchester County Executive; McLain Ward, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist from Brewster, N.Y.; Valerie Angeli, ASPCA senior director, equine and special projects.

Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino in partnership with the American Gold Cup today announced that one of the most iconic equestrian events in the world of International Show Jumping will be held at Old Salem Farm in North Salem Sept. 11-15, 2013. The event is expected to attract 10,000 people to Westchester County, directly adding at least $6 million to the local economy.

The ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and JustWorld International have been selected as this year?s charitable partners.

?

?

?

?The American Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious equestrian competitions in the U.S., and I can think of no better place for this event than the stunning Old Salem Farm,? Astorino said. ?Westchester County is eager to welcome all the riders and fans. The county already has a long and proud history of equestrian sports, so it?s a perfect fit. Plus, beyond the event, we have top hotels, restaurants, arts and other attractions to keep visitors engaged all week long. It?s a perfect reason to say, ?Meet Me in Westchester.??

The American Gold Cup will be a signature event of the ?Meet Me in Westchester? tourism campaign, launched as part of the county?s Office of Tourism & Film. Westchester?s tourism industry is a major economic driver for the county, adding $1.7 billion to the economy and supporting 24,000 jobs.

The American Gold Cup is working with NBC Sports Network to produce a broadcast of the event on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 4:30 p.m. EST. The broadcast will be available to more than 80 million homes, highlighting Westchester and Old Salem Farm as premier equestrian sports destinations.

Astorino was joined for the announcement at Old Salem Farm by members of the American Gold Cup Team, including two-time Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward of nearby Brewster, N.Y. Also on hand were invited guests from the tourism, hospitality, equestrian, media and other local industries, who were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the newly renovated farm.

?Over the course of five days, the American Gold Cup will feature 600 horses and 300 riders from ?Europe, South America, Canada and across the United States,? said Frank Madden, Old Salem Farm head trainer and American Gold Cup organizer. ?This is truly a signature event for the equestrian community, and Old Salem Farm is proud to host all the great athletes, spectacular horses and supportive fans.?

The highlight of the event will be the $200,000 American Gold Cup Grand Prix. The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), which is the international governing body of equestrian sports, has designated the competition as a CSI 4*-W World Cup Qualifier, making the event of utmost importance for riders aspiring to compete at the 2014 World Cup Finals in Lyon, France.

?Last year it was an all-star cast,? said Michael Morrissey, president of Stadium Jumping and American Gold Cup organizer. ?We wanted everybody to come here and have a good experience and go away thinking this was the climax of the season. We feel we really accomplished that. This year, we are particularly excited to share the American Gold Cup in this incredible venue with television viewers across the country.?

In 2012, the North American Riders Group voted both Old Salem Farm and the American Gold Cup as among the ?Top 25? equestrian shows in North America. The farm?s recently completed $30 million renovation further helped to establish the property as a first-class show facility, highlighted by its pristine Grand Prix field.

Old Salem Farm is located only 45 minutes north of Manhattan, with three train stations only 10 minutes to the show with direct lines from Grand Central.

?

?

?It?s one of the great competitions of our country,? said Ward, winner of the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Gold Medals for the U.S. Equestrian Team for Show Jumping.? ?A lot of people have been behind getting the Gold Cup to this venue because we believe what?s been done at Old Salem Farm in terms of the renovations and improvements is pretty special.?

Founded in 1970 and originally held in Cleveland, the American Gold Cup moved to Old Salem Farm in 2012, where it experienced record-breaking show entries and spectators in its inaugural year. Over the years the competition has enjoyed success in Tampa, Philadelphia and its former home for more than two decades, the Devon Horse Show grounds in Devon, Penn.

Whether on a national or local scale, the horse industry is known to have a diverse economic impact, involving agriculture, business, sport, gaming, entertainment and recreation.

In New York, the industry?s economic impact is roughly $2.4 billion, according to the American Horse Council Foundation. That doesn?t account for the off-site spending of spectators, though, which would result in an even higher figure. There are 202,000 horses statewide, over 70 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation. The industry directly supports 12,700 full-time jobs in New York, according to the 2005 report.

The American Gold Cup has selected the ASPCA and JustWorld International, which helps to provide basic education, nutrition, health, hygiene and vocational programs for children all over the globe, as this year?s charitable partners.

?The ASPCA is delighted to be selected as a charitable partner of the American Gold Cup and to be collaborating with a group of individuals that has been so incredibly proactive in supporting the ASPCA?s message of humane and responsible horsemanship,? said Valerie Angeli, senior director of equine and special projects for the ASPCA. ?We look forward to working with the ASPCA?s accomplished show jumping Equine Welfare Ambassadors at the event to educate, advocate and be a voice for horses.?

?ts. ?

Related Posts

Source: http://stacyknows.com/2013/astorino-announces-westchester-county-home-43rd-annual-american-gold-cup-equestrian-competition/

Black Ops 2 Secede ben roethlisberger Diwali elmo Kevin Clash Walmart Black Friday 2012

Obama urges high court to allow gay marriage in California

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In President Barack Obama's latest act in support of gay rights, his administration on Thursday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to allow same-sex marriages to resume in California.

The administration filed a friend-of-the-court brief in a case set to be argued on March 26 on whether California's 2008 measure, known as Proposition 8, is unlawful under the U.S. Constitution.

In the brief, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli argued that states cannot give all the benefits of marriage to gays and lesbians without calling it marriage.

That position, if adopted by the court, would affect not just California but also seven other states that offer benefits to same-sex couples while barring marriage.

The states allow civil unions or domestic partnerships providing all or virtually all state-level spousal rights but not the "marriage" designation.

They are Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Nevada and Oregon.

Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement that the filing "seeks to vindicate the defining constitutional ideal of equal treatment under the law."

Verrilli wrote that the California law "provides to same-sex couples registered as domestic partners all the legal incidents of marriage, but it nonetheless denies them the designation of marriage allowed to their opposite-sex counterparts."

As a result, "the exclusion of gay and lesbian couples from marriage does not substantially further any important governmental interest," he said.

The federal government is not a party in the case and it had been unclear whether the administration would file a brief. Gay rights activists were eager to have it intervene.

The court's nine justices are under no obligation to pay close attention to the administration brief, or any of the dozens of other briefs filed by groups not a party to the litigation, including businesses, religious institutions and states.

The Obama administration already has taken a stand on gay rights in another case before the court, to be argued a day later on March 27. That case challenges the constitutionality of a central part of the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage under federal law as being between a man and a woman.

EQUAL PROTECTION

The administration's filing is likely to disappoint those who want to see gay marriage made legal in all 50 states in short order.

Some legal experts have said the so-called "eight state solution" would deter other states from offering some benefits to same-sex couples without going so far as to endorse marriage.

The administration stood by its position in the DOMA case that courts should tread carefully when weighing laws that single out gays and lesbians. Some legal scholars think that if courts follow that logic, no ban on gay marriage could be deemed constitutional.

Holder announced in 2011 that the administration would no longer defend DOMA, the federal law, because it considers the measure a violation of the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law.

Nine states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage: Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Washington.

The gay marriage movement has gained momentum since Proposition 8 was passed in 2008. In 2012, voters in Maryland, Maine and Washington approved same-sex marriage.

(Reporting by David Ingram and Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Howard Goller and Xavier Briand)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-urges-high-court-allow-gay-marriage-california-001519682.html

Incumbent politico Tammy Baldwin house of representatives paul ryan michele bachmann donald trump

"How to Survive a Plague" miniseries being developed by ABC Studios

MADRID, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi has rarely been accused of failing to deliver in big games, having scored in two European Cup finals, but after subdued performances against AC Milan and Real Madrid, questions are being asked. The four-times World Player of the Year and leading scorer in one of the greatest club teams of all time, was a shadow of his usual self at the San Siro in a Champions League last-16 first leg last week, when Barcelona slumped to a 2-0 defeat. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/survive-plague-miniseries-being-developed-abc-studios-224451367.html

Amy Weber Happy Halloween! Star Wars Episode 7 luke bryan NBA jfk airport faith hill