Month: May 2017

Fact Check: This News Is Not Real

By Uponent | | No Comments | Entertainment

A roundup of some of the most popular, but completely untrue, headlines of the week. None of these stories are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. AP checked these out; here are the real facts:

 

NOT REAL: U.S. Department of State suspends New York Times license 

THE FACTS: The account claiming the State Department suspended the newspaper’s operational permit after it criticized Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is “completely false,” Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha says. There is no permit required for U.S. news organizations and there is no issue with the newspaper’s foreign press credentials, she said. A website made up to look like a CNN outlet says in a story published last month that the State Department accused The Times of “breaking communication code of ethics” in a matter that could cause diplomatic challenges between the two countries.

 

NOT REAL: Sarah Palin out of her coma, able to identify her attackers

 

THE FACTS: More than half a dozen sites have run the same verbatim account of a hit-and-run accident on California’s Pacific Coast Highway involving the former Alaska governor, followed up by stories alleging Palin emerged from her coma to identify her assailants. A spokesman for Palin tells the AP the reports are “as fake as fake can be.” The sites report that the accident happened April 28, when Palin’s Twitter and Facebook accounts were active. The 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate has been a target of hoax articles in the past.

 

NOT REAL: Hobby Lobby just announced plan to close ALL stores

 

THE FACTS: The arts and crafts retail chain has 700-plus stores and says it’s adding 60 more in 2017. A story published by Daily Info News, The Washington Feed and other outlets said the chain’s CEO said it could go out of business if it pays fines for violating a mandate under the Affordable Care Act to provide employees access to emergency contraception. Hobby Lobby won an exemption from the law based on religious preferences in a 2014 Supreme Court decision.

 

NOT REAL: 2 moms, 5 kids killed in car crash in (insert place here)

 

THE FACTS: Multiple websites have appropriated many details from a true account of a June 2016 minivan accident in Southern California that killed two mothers and four children while two fathers survived. The stories circulating with dozens of different headlines change the U.S. county where it occurred, and in some cases add the fathers’ names and varying ages of the children.

 

NOT REAL: Robertson: David Bowie is not dead, he was kidnapped by demons summoned by rock music

 

THE FACTS: This account first published by politicops.com last year and recently recycled by admitted hoax site uspoln.com began with an accurate answer by “700 Club” host Pat Robertson to a teenager’s written question on whether it was OK to listen to rock music. Robertson replied that some rock wasn’t “all that bad,” but some “is just evil.” A spokesman for Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network tells the AP that the evangelist made no mention of Bowie, who died Jan. 10, 2016. 
…

more

Global Cyberattack in Brief: Ransomware Attack, How Does It Work, How to Prevent It

By Uponsil | | No Comments | Silicon Valley

In what is believed to be the largest attack of its kind ever recorded, a cyberextortion attack struck in dozens of countries Friday, locking up computers and holding users’ files for ransom at dozens of hospitals, companies and government agencies.

Massive Cyberattack Hits Organizations Around Globe — An aggressive wave of cyberattacks has hit companies and public institutions around the globe, causing international havoc and bringing many services to a standstill. The cyberextortion attempt appeared to use stolen software developed by a U.S. spy agency.

What You Need to Know About Ransomware — What is ransomware? How does it infect your computer? How is the U.S. government’s National Security Agency involved? How to keep your computer safe.

Global Cyberattack Fuels Concern About US Vulnerability Disclosures — A global cyberattack on Friday renewed concerns about whether the U.S. National Security Agency and other countries’ intelligence services too often horde software vulnerabilities for offensive purposes, rather than quickly alerting technology companies to such flaws.

Companies Affected by Global Cyber Attack — A global cyber attack on Friday affected British hospitals, government agencies and companies, such as FedEx Corp., Telefonica SA, Portugal Telecom and Telefonica Argentina, in 99 countries, with Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan the top targets.

Don’t Click: What Is the ‘Ransomware’ WannaCry Worm? — What is so special about WannaCry?
…

more

Don’t Click: What Is the ‘Ransomware’ WannaCry Worm?

By Uponsil | | No Comments | Silicon Valley

Malicious software called “ransomware” has forced British hospitals to turn away patients and affected Spanish companies such as Telefonica as part of a global outbreak that has affected tens of thousands of computers.

How does it work?

WannaCry — also known as WanaCrypt0r 2.0, WannaCry and WCry — is a form of “ransomware” that locks up the files on your computer and encrypts them in a way that you cannot access them anymore.

How does it spread?

Ransomware is a program that gets into your computer, either by clicking on the wrong thing or downloading the wrong thing, and then it holds something you need to ransom.

In the case of WannaCry, the program encrypts your files and demands payment in bitcoin in order to regain access.

Security experts warn there is no guarantee that access will be granted after payment. Some ransomware that encrypts files ups the stakes after a few days, demanding more money and threatening to delete files altogether.

There are different variants of what happens: Other forms of ransomware execute programs that can lock your computer entirely, only showing a message to make payment in order to log in again. There are some that create pop-ups that are difficult or impossible to close, rendering the machine difficult or impossible to use.

Where has it spread?

British-based cyber researcher Chris Doman of AlienVault said the ransomware “looks to be targeting a wide range of countries,” with initial evidence of infections in at least two dozen nations, according to experts from three security firms.

The broad-based ransomware attack has appeared in at least eight Asian nations, a dozen countries in Europe, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates and Argentina, and appears to be sweeping around the globe, researchers said.

What is so special about WannaCry?

WannaCry is not just a ransomware program, it is also a worm.

This means that it gets into your computer and looks for other computers to try and spread itself as far and wide as possible.

Ransomware has a habit of mutating, so it changes over time in order to find different ways to access computers or to get around patches (operating system updates that often include security updates). Many security firms are already aware of WannaCry in past forms and most are looking at this one right now to see how it might be stopped.

Several cybersecurity firms said WannaCry exploits a vulnerability in Microsoft and that Microsoft patched this in March. People don’t always install updates and patches on their computers, and so this means vulnerabilities can remain open a lot longer and make things easier for hackers to get in.

It exploited a vulnerability in the Windows operating system believed to have been developed by the National Security Agency, which became public last month. It was among a large number of hacking tools and other files that a group known as the Shadow Brokers released on the internet. Shadow Brokers said that they obtained it from a secret NSA server.

The identity of Shadow Brokers is unknown, though many security experts believe the group that surfaced in 2016 is linked to the Russian government.

The NSA and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
…

more

Store Allows Customers to Play Guitars Even if They Don’t Buy Them

By Uponent | | No Comments | Entertainment

Across the U.S., there are stores where people can play a musical instrument even if they have no intention of buying it. VOA’s Yahya Albarzinji spoke with music enthusiasts at one such store in the Washington suburb of Fairfax, Virginia.
…

more

Cheap Drug Could Cut Maternal Deaths in Childbirth by a Third

By Uponsci | | No Comments | Science

Postpartum hemorrhaging is the leading cause of maternal deaths. An estimated 127,000 women bleed to death after giving birth. But there are hopeful signs that a widely available drug could save a third of those who hemorrhage after birth. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports.
…

more

Is Human Behavior Impeding Self-Driving Cars?

By Uponsil | | No Comments | Silicon Valley

Most technology experts agree that self-driving cars will soon finish the testing phase and enter the commercial market, probably as taxis and delivery vehicles. But some of them wonder if the cars’ artificial brains will be able to cope with the human propensity to bend the traffic rules. VOA’s George Putic reports.
…

more

What You Need to Know About Ransomware

By Uponsil | | No Comments | Silicon Valley

An aggressive wave of cyberattacks hit companies and public institutions around the globe Friday, causing international havoc and bringing many services to a standstill. Computers were locked up and users’ files held for ransom when dozens of countries were hit in a cyberextortion attack that targeted hospitals, companies and government agencies.

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware that attempts to extort a computer user for money. In some cases, the ransomware encrypts certain files and holds them hostage. In other cases, as happened Friday, it locks a user out of their entire computer system until a ransom is paid. Some ransomware that encrypts files increases the stakes after a few days, demanding more money and threatening to delete files altogether.

Steps of ransomware infection

A ransomware infection usually takes these five steps.

1. The user downloads malware from an infected website or email.

2. The initial malware hijacks the user’s browser and redirects it to a malicious site.

3. Part of the malware, called an exploit kit, looks for vulnerabilities in the user’s system.

4. Once a vulnerability is found, a malicious payload is downloaded onto the victim’s computer.

5. Then the malware calls home with sensitive data from the user’s computer. In the case of ransomware, the malware attempts to extort the user for money.

The ransomware program that spread Friday is not just malware, it is also a worm. This means that the malware gets into a computer and looks for other computers to try and spread itself as far as possible.

Do ransomware attacks generate money for the hackers?

Yes, they can. A hospital system in Los Angeles paid about $17,000 earlier this year following an attack that blocked hospital employees from using email and other forms of electronic communication by using encryption to lock them out of the system. The hackers even set up a help line to answer questions about paying the ransom.

Security industry experts say such attacks are becoming more prevalent, but are rarely made public.

How is the NSA involved?

The hackers appear to have used a technique that was discovered by the National Security Agency and was leaked online in April by a group calling itself the Shadow Brokers.

The malware is exploiting a flaw in Microsoft software. Microsoft created a patch to fix the flaw earlier this year, but not all businesses have updated their operating systems.

Who carried out the attack?

Investigators are pursuing information, but have not said if they have any strong leads. Officials say they believe the attack is the work of criminals and not a foreign government. The original hacking tool was apparently stolen from the NSA and leaked online by the Shadow Brokers, but officials do not know who that group is or whether they carried out this attack.

How to keep your computer safe

Microsoft released a patch in March that fixes the specific vulnerability exploited in this attack. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is urging people to take three steps.

1. Update your systems to include the latest patches.

2. Do not click on or download unfamiliar links or files in emails.

3. Back up your data to prevent possible loss.
…

more

Companies Affected by Global Cyber Attack

By Uponsil | | No Comments | Silicon Valley

A global cyber attack on Friday affected British hospitals, government agencies and companies in 99 countries, with Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan the top targets, security software maker Avast said.

Hacking tools widely believed by researchers to have been developed by the U.S. National Security Agency that were leaked online last month appear to have been leveraged to launch the attacks.

Around 1,000 computers at the Russian Interior Ministry were affected by the cyber attack, a spokeswoman for the ministry told Interfax.

Some of the companies affected:

FedEx Corp

Telefonica SA

Portugal Telecom

Telefonica Argentina
…

more

Ideological Divide Over Abortion Again Affects US Foreign Aid

By Uponsci | | No Comments | Science

Among the first executive actions at the White House this year, President Donald Trump reinstated a law that bans any U.S. aid to international organizations that support the practice of abortion.

Trump’s memorandum on the “Mexico City policy” reversed one aspect of U.S. foreign aid policy that had been in effect under former President Barack Obama. It changed the way U.S. financial assistance is distributed internationally, and most likely will affect the lives of many women in developing countries.

The “Mexico City policy” dates to 1984, when then-President Ronald Reagan declared it at a population conference in the Mexican capital. Opponents call the U.S. prohibition on aid to groups that perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning a “global gag rule.”

U.S. foreign aid practices have switched back and forth several times since 1984; aid was barred to pro-abortion-rights groups whenever a Republican president was in power, then was reinstated when a Democrat controlled the White House.

WATCH: Reaction to Trump’s ‘Global Gag Rule’

Abortion stance affects aid

The political divide between the two major U.S. political parties is based on a fundamental issue: Republicans consider abortion an assault on human life, and most pledge to resist it in every way possible; Democrats say a woman should have the right to choose whether to terminate a pregnancy, for financial or personal reasons, and that the decision should not be directed by government.

The deep ideological divide over abortion affects many aspects of American politics, and certainly permeates considerations about U.S. foreign aid.

“The guiding principle for our policy,” said Melissa Israel of the conservative Heritage Foundation, “really needs to be rooted in the respect for the most important fundamental human right of all, and that’s the right to life.”

Restoring the “Mexico City policy” was expected when a Republican administration took over this year, following eight years of Democratic control of the White House. What was not expected was how vigorously Trump would expand the scope of the anti-abortion rule.

Trump policy affects $9.5 billion

He broadened the policy to affect about $9.5 billion in U.S. global health aid, said Amanda Klasing of Human Rights Watch — funds that would have been destined for programs to combat HIV/AIDS, to promote maternal and child health and to prevent childhood diseases.

Organizations working on AIDS, malaria, or maternal and child health will have to make sure that none of their programs involves so much as an abortion referral.

The Heritage Foundation’s Israel disagrees with the notion that Trump’s action has greatly expanded the effect of Republicans’ anti-abortion principles.

“We are not cutting funding for family planning services or for women’s health,” she said. “We are saying that if you want to partner with the United States, then there are some fundamental things you have to agree to as a condition to receiving these funds.”

Ban on abortion information, too  

Not-for-profit groups hoping to get U.S. funds to support their work around the world must not perform abortions or provide any information about them, even if they use their own funds, from nongovernment sources, for abortion services.

Opponents say this will have a chilling effect on women’s health.

“It means,” said Klasing of Human Rights Watch, “that when a doctor sits down with a woman, if she has a health complication and she’s entitled under her local law to access a safe abortion, that doctor cannot give her a referral, or provide her information she needs to take care of herself.”

In rural areas of developing countries, a physician often takes care of a variety of medical needs, including providing information about reproductive health. Such medical practices would be proscribed from receiving any U.S. assistance. Advocates cite research that has shown family planning services result in fewer unplanned pregnancies, fewer maternal deaths and fewer abortions.

56 million abortions worldwide each year

The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 56 million abortions take place every year worldwide. More than half of those are in developing countries.

“Trump’s global gag rule will have a direct and devastating effect in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa in several ways,” said Liza Muringo Kimbo, the director in Kenya for Ipas Africa Alliance, a nonprofit group whose principal goal is advocating for safe abortion and reforming laws that harm women.

The current U.S. policy “will lead to more unwanted pregnancies,” Muringo Kimbo said. “It will lead to more unsafe abortions, increased deaths of women and young women, and even increased numbers of newborn deaths.”

Muringo Kimbo noted that her predictions have been borne out in the past, whenever a Republican administration in Washington reinstated the “Mexico City policy.”

Other countries have begun their own initiatives to counter the impact of U.S. anti-abortion policies. The Dutch have created the “She Decides Initiative,” and in Britain, an upcoming conference, “Family Planning 2020,” will try to bring together donor and recipient countries.
…

more

Michelle Obama Criticizes Trump School Lunch Directives

By Uponsci | | No Comments | Science

Former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama has criticized the new Trump administration’s directives on school lunches during her first high-profile public appearance since leaving the White House.

Obama, who led a nationwide effort to reduce childhood obesity while first lady, told an annual health conference Friday in Washington that more nutritious school lunches are important because millions of children receive federally subsidized meals at school.

The Trump administration recently said it would delay federal rules promoted by Obama aimed at trying to make school lunches healthier.

Without mentioning the Trump administration by name, Obama urged parents to think about the new government directives and the motives behind them.

“I don’t care what state you live in, take me out of the equation — like me, don’t like me — but think about why someone is OK with your kids eating crap. Why would you celebrate that?” she said during the keynote speech.

She said healthier school lunches should not be a political issue.

“You have to stop and think, ‘Why don’t you want our kids to have good food at school?’ What is wrong with you? And why is that a partisan issue? Why would that be political? What is going on?’ ” she asked.

In one of his first major actions, Sonny Perdue, Trump’s new agriculture secretary, said the department will delay some school lunch rules, including reducing sodium in the meals and increasing whole wheat.

“If kids aren’t eating the food and it’s ending up in the trash, they aren’t getting any nutrition … undermining the intent of the program,” Perdue said earlier this month. The secretary said he appreciates what Obama wanted to do, but he said his department wants to adjust the program to make the healthier food more appetizing.

Under the 2012 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, schools that wanted federal meal subsidies would have to put limits on salt and fat in lunches, and add more fruit, vegetables and whole grains to the menus.

Health experts say U.S. children do not exercise enough and that one child in six is overweight.
…

more

5 Immigrant Women Vie for Miss USA Pageant Title

By Uponent | | No Comments | Entertainment

Five of the contestants vying for the Miss USA title have a message to immigrant girls and women watching the pageant this weekend: Set goals, work hard and don’t stay in the shadows.

The contestants know what they are talking about, as they were all born in other countries and immigrated to the U.S. at young ages as their families pursued their versions of the American Dream. The women are now all U.S. citizens.

“I want them to see that anything is possible if you work hard,” said Linette De Los Santos, who immigrated with her family from the Dominican Republic when she was 5 years old. “As Miss USA, I would love to be able to be that inspiration for our immigrant community. If I would have stopped following my dreams and working hard toward what I wanted, I wouldn’t be sitting here as Miss Florida USA or in law school ready to become an immigration attorney.”

The competition airs Sunday from Las Vegas.

De Los Santos, Miss North Dakota Raquel Wellentin, Miss Hawaii Julie Kuo, Miss Connecticut Olga Litvinenko and Miss New Jersey Chhavi Verg spoke to The Associated Press about the opportunities and challenges they’ve faced as immigrants. 

Their remarks stand in stark contrast to the scandal that enveloped the pageant in 2015, when part owner and now President Donald Trump offended Hispanics when he made anti-immigrant remarks in announcing his bid for the White House. Trump co-owned The Miss Universe Organization with NBCUniversal, but the network and the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision quickly cut ties with him, refusing to air the show. Trump sued both networks, eventually settling and selling off the entire pageant to talent management company WME/IMG.

Miss North Dakota Raquel Wellentin

Wellentin and her family left the Philippines over safety fears when she was 2 years old. Their first taste of American life was in the small community of Enderlin, North Dakota, where she and her siblings felt isolated.

“Nobody wanted to talk to me at all. I came home one day and I asked my dad ‘Why am I so different? Why isn’t anyone talking to me?”‘ Wellentin said. “My dad told me, ‘You know, you are not different. You are very unique yourself. You have to be strong and really accept this negativity from other people and have it motivate you.’ I still keep that in my mind.”

Their situation improved when they moved to the larger and more diverse Fargo, North Dakota.

Wellentin, 24, who wants to be a middle school teacher after she completes a student-teaching requirement, said her experiences have taught her to not take no for an answer.

“I want to tell people that they need to make sure that they should not allow anyone to tell them that they can’t do something because only you can determine your future,” she said.

Miss Connecticut Olga Litvinenko

Like thousands of immigrants, Litvinenko moved to the U.S. with her family after her mother won the lottery for a green card. She was 3 years old when they relocated from Ukraine a few years after the Soviet Union collapsed.

The 27-year-old business owner ventured into pageants when she could no longer play basketball after injuring a foot in high school. She won Miss Connecticut Teen on her first try, but had to compete five times to reach the Miss USA competition. Her persistence, Litvinenko said, shows that every effort counts.

“I want to showcase that no matter who you are, no matter what your background is, your size or what you have done in the past, through hard work and discipline, through perseverance and determination, you really can achieve what you put your heart toward.”
…

more

Melissa McCarthy Mocks Sean Spicer with Motorized Podium

By Uponent | | No Comments | Entertainment

Melissa McCarthy has gone into the streets of Manhattan to lampoon White House press secretary Sean Spicer.

The comedian was captured on video Friday morning riding a motorized podium in midtown while dressed as Spicer, presumably a sequence that will air when McCarthy hosts the next “Saturday Night Live.”

In the video, McCarthy is seen gliding in the middle of traffic in front of the Time Warner Center, not far from Rockefeller Center, the longtime home of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”

Spicer has been a frequent target of McCarthy, who has mocked him in the past in skits where she fires a water gun at the press corps and uses a lectern to ram a journalist.

 
…

more

Insecurity Creates Challenges for HIV Treatment in Southeast CAR

By Uponsci | | No Comments | Science

The killing of five U.N. peacekeepers in the Central African Republic this month points to the continued insecurity in the southeastern part of the country. That violence has had an impact on public health with the southeast reporting a rate of HIV infection that is three times the national average and HIV-positive residents struggle to get treatment. For VOA, Zack Baddorf has the story from the town of Zemio.
…

more

Six Months After India Currency Ban, Poor Still Feel Effects

By Uponbiz | | No Comments | Business

Like thousands of other small-business entrepreneurs in India, Charanjit Yadav saw his sales of generator sets and batteries plummet in the weeks after the government’s surprising move to scrap 86 percent of the country’s currency last November.

Six months on, as business booms, Yadav only recalls the currency ban when he looks at the crisp new notes that have replaced the old ones. “Everything is back to normal. It is absolutely OK for my work,” he said, glancing at the orders placed on another busy day.

But less than a kilometer from the bustling market where his shop is located in the business hub of Gurugram, near New Delhi, the massive cash crunch that India faced for more than two months has left its mark.

Braving sizzling summer temperatures of 44 degrees C (111 degrees F), a group of construction laborers had waited since dawn at a junction where contractors normally come to hire daily wage workers.

Fewer opportunities

Dhani Ram left for his village in January after work dwindled as cash shortages stopped many real estate projects. He returned a month ago, hoping that finding work would be easier. That has not happened.

“I hardly get work for 15 days in a month,” he said. “Earlier, I used to get work for about 25 days a month.”

Unable to eke out a living from his tiny farm in Uttar Pradesh state, Gajinder Singh and 11 others in his village came to the city with a contractor who promised them work. But after four days, he had not been placed anywhere.

“I sleep at night under the rail station, I don’t know what to do,” he said in despair.

Six months after India’s fast-growing economy was disrupted by the radical currency ban, growth is back on track in most sectors and stock markets are surging. But many poor people still scramble to find work as the country’s vast informal sector continues to struggle.  

Growth last year is estimated to have been around 7 percent — less than the 7.9 percent recorded in the previous year, but not as severely dented as many economists had feared. Indian officials say these numbers give the lie to grim warnings that the drastic move, meant to flush out untaxed money, would put a grinding brake on the economy.   

“It was clearly not doomsday. Looks like it was a blip, a banknote blip,” said chief economist D.K. Joshi at Crisil research and consultancy in Mumbai.

Auto sales jump

Many indicators support that. Automobile sales have jumped in recent months as serpentine lines outside banks to exchange old notes vanished. Automakers have lined up new launches as shoppers again open their purses.

Projections that the economy is poised for stronger growth has led stock markets to hit a record high in the past week. The rally has drawn tens of thousands of new middle-class investors into the market amid optimism that growth is rebounding.

Economists say most sectors of the economy are back to normal except those that depend heavily on cash transactions, such as real estate.

N.R. Bhanumurthy at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy in New Delhi said it would take more time to assess the full impact of the currency ban on the economy. But he said he was optimistic it did not erode confidence as was widely feared.

He pointed to India’s strengthening currency — the rupee is at a nearly two-year high and has gained about 5 percent against the dollar in recent months.

“While other currencies in the world are depreciating because of the strengthening of the U.S. dollar, ours is the only major currency that is appreciating. So that shows that the foreign investor seems to be betting heavily on the Indian growth story,” he said.

‘Devastating’ for many

However, while it is largely business as usual for the middle class and formal sectors, economists say the impact on tens of millions of people who depend on the informal sector — hawkers, vegetable sellers and laborers in cities and small farmers in remote villages — has been much harder. India’s informal sector accounts for 40 percent of gross domestic product but employs as much as 75 percent of the country’s workforce.

Calling the move “devastating” for the informal sector, economist Kaushik Basu wrote this week in the Indian Express newspaper that “the brunt of the pain of demonetization has been shouldered by the poor and the lower middle class.”

While the full impact on them may not yet have been reflected in statistics, the mood of despondency among those waiting for work in Gurugram gave support to such assessments.
…

more

Apple to Give $200 Million to Corning for Kentucky Plant

By Uponbiz | | No Comments | Business

Apple says it will give $200 million to Corning Inc. so it can invest in a Kentucky plant that makes glass screens for iPhones and iPads.

The California-based company says the money will come from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund. It has pledged to spend $1 billion on US-based companies to create “innovative production and highly skilled jobs.”

Corning has had a facility in Harrodsburg for 65 years. The company has collaborated with Apple for the past 10 years by making scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass for Apple’s products. The companies say their partnership has sustained 1,000 jobs, including 400 in Harrodsburg.

Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, Corning CEO Wendell Weeks, and U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell are scheduled to formally announce the spending during a 2 p.m. news conference in Harrodsburg.
…

more

Top 5 Songs for Week Ending May 13

By Uponent | | No Comments | Entertainment

We’re launching the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, for the week ending May 13, 2017.

The chart again rises to the occasion, giving us another big new hit.

Number 5: Future “Mask Off”

Future spends a second straight week in fifth place with “Mask Off.” Last week, Future’s self-titled fifth album was certified gold, signaling sales of half a million — that’s in addition to the single “Draco” also going gold.

That was the eighth plaque Future earned in the month of April from the Recording Industry Association of America. To top it all off, he’s currently on a headlining tour of North America.

Number 4: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber “Despacito”

For the past three weeks, fourth place has been where the action is. That’s the case today, as Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee jump five slots with “Despacito” – featuring Justin Bieber singing in Spanish for the first time.

How did this collaboration come about? Luis says Justin approached him about doing this track: it was already a global hit when Justin heard it in a Colombian club. Luis also says it was Justin’s idea to sing in Spanish. The same day this song appeared, Justin Bieber sang it in concert in Puerto Rico.

Number 3: Kendrick Lamar “Humble” 

Kendrick Lamar is no longer your Hot 100 champ, as “Humble” drops to third place.

A scam artist claiming to be Adele’s manager tried to cheat Kendrick’s label out of $250 concert tickets. Police say a man named Justin Jackson e-mailed Interscope Records claiming to be Adele’s manager. He requested three free tickets to the Rolling Loud Festival in Miami, where Kendrick was performing. Kendrick’s people promptly called Adele’s real rep and the deception was revealed.

Police arrested Jackson and his wife. It turns out Jackson has a lengthy arrest record and once impersonated Madonna’s manager.

Number 2: Ed Sheeran ” Shape Of You”

Ed Sheeran is an honest runner-up for the second straight week with “Shape Of You.” How does Ed keep sane on the road? He says he relies on 12 long-time friends to keep him grounded when fame and the rigors of touring get to be too much. In fact, he employs four of them.

Number 1: Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”

We greet a familiar face at number one: Bruno Mars notches his seventh career Hot 100 title, as “That’s What I Like” jumps two slots.

This is the 1,063rd number one song in the chart’s 58-year history. It’s Bruno’s seventh number one single, and his first since “Uptown Funk” ruled for 14 weeks in 2015.

Can Bruno keep it going? We’ll find out in seven days!
…

more

Strange Exoplanet Bucks Planet Formation Trends

By Uponsci | | No Comments | Science

An exoplanet located 437 light years away could shed light on the different ways planets form around their stars.

HAT-P-26b, which astronomers call a “warm Neptune,” has a “primitive” atmosphere made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium. Its atmosphere is not cloudy and has a “strong water signature,” astronomers say.

They say the planet, which was first spotted in 2011, is like Neptune and Uranus on mass, but that HAT-P-26b probably formed closer to the star it orbits, or at some point later in the development of the system – or both.

“Astronomers have just begun to investigate the atmospheres of these distant Neptune-mass planets, and almost right away, we found an example that goes against the trend in our solar system,” said Hannah Wakeford, a post-doctoral researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and lead author of the study published in the May 12, 2017, issue of Science. “This kind of unexpected result is why I really love exploring the atmospheres of alien planets.”

The analysis of HAT-P-26b’s atmosphere was done using both the Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes as the planet transits its star. That allows astronomers to peek into the planet’s atmosphere and analyze the light wavelengths that pass through the planet’s atmosphere.

“To have so much information about a warm Neptune is still rare, so analyzing these data sets simultaneously is an achievement in and of itself,” said co-author Tiffany Kataria of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Astronomers were also able to use that data to determine the planet’s metallicity, as a measure of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium in the atmosphere. Metallicity can be used to determine how the planet formed.

For example, Jupiter has a metallicity about two to five times that of our sun. Saturn has about 10 times as much. Astronomers say those planets, referred to as gas giants, are almost entirely composed of hydrogen and helium.

The next two planets out, Neptune and Uranus, which are called ice giants, have metallicities about 100 times that of the sun.

Astronomers say that’s because Neptune and Uranus formed on the colder part of the disk of debris that circled our sun as the planets developed. They were likely bombarded by icy debris rich in heavier elements.

Jupiter and Saturn formed in a warmer part of the disc, meaning they weren’t hit by as many of those objects.

This pattern has been observed on two other exoplanets, HAT-P-11b and WASP-43b.

HAT-P-26b does not follow that pattern because despite being relatively close to its star, it has low metallicity, similar to Jupiter.

“This analysis shows that there is a lot more diversity in the atmospheres of these exoplanets than we were expecting, which is providing insight into how planets can form and evolve differently than in our solar system,” said David Sing of the University of Exeter and the second author of the paper. “I would say that has been a theme in the studies of exoplanets: Researchers keep finding surprising diversity.”
…

more

Reports Show Rise in US Inflation, Retail Sales

By Uponbiz | | No Comments | Business

U.S. consumers bought more cars and hardware, and stepped up online purchases in April, after two months of sluggish sales.

Friday’s report from the Commerce Department says retail sales rose four-tenths of a percentage point in April, and sales were a bit better than first reported the previous month.

The data show even stronger growth for online retailers, while sales at traditional “bricks and mortar” stores sagged half a percentage point.

Investors and economists watch retail sales closely because consumer demand drives more than two-thirds of economic activity in the United States, which is the world’s largest economy.

A separate study by the Labor Department shows U.S. inflation rose 2.2 percent in the year ending in April, with a gain of two-tenths of a percent for the month. Some analysts say that makes it likely that the U.S. central bank will raise interest rates slightly at their next scheduled meeting in June.

The Federal Reserve is supposed to promote stable prices and full employment. When inflation threatens to rise a modest level, they may raise interest rates to cool economic activity and keep prices from rising so fast they disrupt economic growth.
…

more