Japan, SKorea sign military pact

TOKYO (AP) ? Japan and South Korea have agreed to share intelligence in their first joint military pact since World War II.

Japan's Cabinet approved the pact Friday. It will allow sharing intelligence in such areas as missile defense, North Korea's nuclear weapons program and other regional security matters. It has already been approved by South Korea and is to be signed in Tokyo later in the day.

The pact reflects mutual concerns that more cooperation is needed to enhance security readiness, and is seen as a breakthrough in ties between the two neighbors.

Japan ruled Korea as a colony for several decades until the end of World War II in 1945, and Seoul has often been wary of Japan's postwar military development.

?2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://www.kmtr.com:80/news/world/story/Japan-SKorea-sign-military-pact/WngDtaaNNEyzaaULNBtTiA.cspx?rss=194

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Defender Whittaker signs for Norwich

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Q&A: What does the health care law mean for you?

Chart shows voting record on the health care act

Chart shows voting record on the health care act

A small crowd applauds after listening to Tarrant County Democrats at the Tarrant County Public Health Department to show their support for President Barack Obama's health care overhaul on Thursday, June 28, 2012 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld virtually all of President Barack Obama's historic health care overhaul, including the hotly debated core requirement that nearly every American have health insurance. The 5-4 decision meant the huge overhaul, still taking effect, could proceed and pick up momentum over the next several years, affecting the way that countless Americans receive and pay for their personal medical care.

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Free vaccines for kids, cheaper drugs for the elderly and many other benefits of President Barack Obama's health care law are already out there. More are coming, like a guaranteed right to buy health insurance even for patients with serious medical troubles. Many businesses and wealthy taxpayers, however, will see their costs go up.

And most Americans balk at the idea of the government making people carry insurance or pay a penalty on their federal tax returns.

The effects of the nation's health care law, upheld Thursday by the Supreme Court, are gigantic and growing. Some questions and answers about it:

Q: What does the ruling mean for me?

A: The ruling affects virtually every American. Obama's health care law tells almost everyone they must be insured and makes sure that coverage will be available to them even if they are already ill or need hugely expensive care. It helps the poor and many middle-class people afford the cost. And it requires insurers to provide certain basic benefits, like preventive care without co-pays from the patient.

Q: What did the Supreme Court say?

A: The court upheld almost all of the law, including the most disputed part: the requirement that virtually all Americans have health insurance or pay a penalty. The court said the penalty is essentially a tax, and that's why the government has the power to impose it.

The ruling somewhat limits the plan to expand the Medicaid insurance program for the poor, a joint effort of the federal government and states. It says the government may not withhold a state's entire Medicaid allotment if it doesn't participate in the expansion.

Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the court's four liberal justices ? Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor ? to form the 5-4 majority.

Q: What does the decision mean for the November election?

A: It's a big win for Obama, dousing accusations that his signature legislation was an unconstitutional power grab. But Republicans hope the court's ruling will fire up their supporters and inflame popular opposition to the law.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and GOP congressional candidates promise to repeal the law if voters put them in power.

Q: What's the law done so far?

A: Some parts, like the elimination of co-payments for preventive care, are already in effect. Young adults can stay on their parents' insurance up to age 26. Insurers can't deny coverage to children with health problems. Limits on how much policies will pay out to each person over a lifetime are eliminated. And hundreds of older people already are saving money through improved Medicare prescription benefits.

Q: What else is coming?

A: Unless Congress changes the law, starting in 2014 almost everyone will be required to be insured or pay a penalty. Subsidies will help people who can't afford coverage. Most employers will face fines if they don't offer coverage for their workers. Newly created insurance markets will make it easier for individuals and small businesses to buy affordable coverage. And Medicaid will be expanded to cover more low-income people.

Insurers will be prohibited from denying coverage to people with medical problems or charging those people more. They won't be able to charge women more than men, either. During the transition to 2014, a special program for people with pre-existing health problems helps these people get coverage.

The law is expected to bring coverage to about 30 million of the estimated 50 million uninsured people in the U.S.

Overall, more than 9 in 10 of the eligible population ? citizens and legal residents ? will be covered.

Q: Why will some people still go without insurance?

A: It's estimated that more than 20 million people will still be without coverage, including illegal immigrants, people who don't sign up and choose to face the penalties instead and those who can't afford coverage even with the subsidies. That number could be higher, depending on whether any states decline the Medicaid expansion.

Q: Do people like the law?

Not much. Some parts of the law have proven popular. But the individual insurance mandate is widely disliked.

Each time The Associated Press has asked in polls, more than 8 in 10 Americans have said the government should not have the right to require everyone to buy health insurance.

And the public has tilted against the law as a whole over the two years since it was passed. About half opposed it and a third were in favor in an AP-GfK poll shortly before the Supreme Court ruled.

Many elderly Americans are worried about the cuts in reimbursements paid to hospitals and insurers by Medicare, which have already started and will grow deeper.

Q: Does the insurance mandate affect many people?

A: Relatively few, because more than 8 in 10 Americans already have insurance coverage.

Employers face their own mandate. Those with 50 or more workers will be fined if they don't provide insurance for their employees, and opponents argue that will cost jobs at a time of high unemployment.

Q: Why impose a mandate that's unpopular and won't require any action by most people?

A: The mandate is designed to produce extra income from more healthy, paying customers so insurers can to hold down costs for everyone. Without the mandate, insurance companies probably would find it too expensive to comply with requirements to accept customers with pre-existing health problems and not charge them extra. Companies sought to control their costs by cherry-picking the healthy as their customers.

Q: Is the penalty for the uninsured a tax?

A: It will be collected along with income tax each year by the Internal Revenue Service.

But Obama and Democrats have avoided using the dreaded "t-word." Instead, they referred to it as a penalty for failing to act responsibly and focused publicly on other legal justifications. Before the Supreme Court, however, the Obama administration also argued that the law was constitutional under the federal government's power to levy taxes.

The court rejected the Obama administration's other two legal arguments for the law but accepted the tax one.

Still, most of the 20 million or more without insurance will not be docked. By 2016, about 4 million people will pay the penalty, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated. They would pay $695 for each uninsured adult or 2.5 percent of family income, up to $12,500 a year.

The IRS can't prosecute violators or place liens against them, however. Its only enforcement option may be withholding money from refunds.

Q: What other new taxes are in the law?

A: An assortment, including: Individuals making more than $200,000 a year and couples earning above $250,000 will get new payroll taxes. These people are also hit with a 3.8 percent tax on investment income. Medical-device makers will pay a 2.3 percent excise tax, which probably will get passed along to patients. Taxpayers will have to spend more on unreimbursed medical care before they can claim itemized deductions.

Q: What are Republicans saying?

"Obamacare was bad law yesterday. It's bad law today," Romney said.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Obama deceived Americans by denying that the penalty on the uninsured amounts to a tax. The ruling marks "a fresh start on the road to repeal," he declared.

The Republican-led House already has voted for repeal ? and its leaders plan to repeat that vote next month ? but repeal is stuck there so long as Obama's in the White House and Democrats lead the Senate.

Q: What does Obama say?

A: He says the decision upholds the fundamental principle that in the wealthiest nation on earth, no one should be ruined financially by an illness or accident. Obama called it "a victory for people all over this country whose lives will be more secure because of this law."

Q: If the law survives in Congress, will the health care issue finally be put to rest?

A: No, there's more to do. Although the law is supposed to help curb costs, the nation's spending on health care already is enormous and sure to climb as the baby boom generation ages.

Skyrocketing budget deficits will force lawmakers to look for ways to save on the Medicare program for seniors and Medicaid for the low-income and disabled, and that means painful choices ahead.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-06-29-Supreme%20Court-Health%20Care-QandA/id-915f3865d8224b378b1303540c390193

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Some Dems still skittish on health care; GOP riled

FILE - In this March 17, 2012 file photo, Heidi Heitkamp, the North Dakota Democratic Party's endorsed candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks to delegates at the North Dakota Democratic state convention in Grand Forks, N.D. The constitutional win for President Barack Obama and Democrats on health care overhaul is reopening political cuts within the party over the unpopular law. Vulnerable Democratic incumbents and candidates, including Heitkamp, cautiously welcomed the court?s judgment but argued that the law could be improved. (AP Photo/Shawna Noel Widdel, File)

FILE - In this March 17, 2012 file photo, Heidi Heitkamp, the North Dakota Democratic Party's endorsed candidate for the U.S. Senate, speaks to delegates at the North Dakota Democratic state convention in Grand Forks, N.D. The constitutional win for President Barack Obama and Democrats on health care overhaul is reopening political cuts within the party over the unpopular law. Vulnerable Democratic incumbents and candidates, including Heitkamp, cautiously welcomed the court?s judgment but argued that the law could be improved. (AP Photo/Shawna Noel Widdel, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The constitutional win for President Barack Obama and Democrats on health care overhaul is reopening political cuts within the party over the unpopular law.

Four months to an election with control of Congress in the balance, the Supreme Court's affirmation of the law left several Democrats insisting that the issue was settled and it's time to focus on jump-starting a sluggish economy.

Other Democrats saw the newfound attention as a chance to reset the debate and make a fresh case for the law's more popular elements, especially as 12.8 million Americans start getting health insurance rebate checks in the coming months.

The most vulnerable Democratic incumbents and challengers ? Montana Sen. Jon Tester and North Dakota's Heidi Heitkamp among them ? cautiously welcomed the court's judgment but argued that the law could be improved.

Even before Obama signed the landmark measure in March 2010, Republicans were unified in opposition and clear in their message: repeal and replace. The White House and divided Democrats have been frustrated in trying to explain and sell the law to a skeptical public in a sharp contrast to the GOP. The court's decision was a reminder of political reality.

Two years ago, grass-roots outrage over health care contributed to the Democrats losing the House majority and seven Senate seats. Republicans and outside groups promise more of the same in the campaign slog to November.

The court has "done a favor" for Republicans, freshman Rep. Allen West of Florida, who owes his seat in part to that anger, said in an interview. "Why would the Obama administration and Democrats want the pre-eminent issue of 2010 to be the pre-eminent issue of 2012?"

Conservative leader Richard Viguerie said the court's decision has raised that anger to "a revolutionary fervor that will sweep President Obama and many other Democrats from office." The Tea Party Express appealed to its supporters for money and backing to defeat Obama and "a liberal U.S. Senate that have foisted Obamacare down our throats." Outside groups, both parties and candidates have been furiously fundraising off the ruling.

In North Dakota, Crossroads GPS launched an ad Friday that calls out Heitkamp, the Democratic Senate candidate, for her support of the law and contends that it raises taxes and expands regulations. Crossroads GPS is the conservative-leaning group tied to former President George W. Bush's longtime political director, Karl Rove.

Looking to finesse a difficult issue, Heitkamp has been airing an ad that argues for the law in personal terms.

"I'm Heidi Heitkamp and 12 years ago, I beat breast cancer," she says. "When you live through that, political attack ads seem silly."

The former state attorney general, who is locked in a close race with Republican Rep. Rick Berg, said the bill has its good and bad points and needs to be fixed but that she would never deny coverage to seniors.

In suburban Chicago, Democratic candidate Tammy Duckworth said that as a survivor of a health crisis, she understands the importance of affordable health care. Duckworth, who piloted a Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq, lost both legs when her aircraft was hit in 2004.

She highlighted the popular elements of the law ? banning denial of coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions, allowing children to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26, and reducing seniors' Medicare prescription drug costs by closing the "donut hole." But Duckworth complained about the law's "unfair burden on employers, especially our small businesses," and promised to address the issue if she ousts first-term Republican Rep. Joe Walsh.

Public opposition to the health care law remains high: 47 percent of respondents in a recent Associated Press-GfK poll said they oppose the law while 33 percent said they support it. Thirteen percent said they are neutral. Those who strongly oppose the legislation also outnumber those who strongly support it, 32 percent to 17 percent, about a 2-to-1 margin.

Critical to both parties, just 21 percent of independents support it, the lowest level of support the AP-GfK poll has recorded on the issue.

Much of the polling does find strong support for individual elements, like allowing young adults to remain on their parents' plan to age 26. Some Democrats see that as an opening to reframe the debate.

"I see this as a huge moment for us," Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said in an interview. "Now that the benefits are kicking in, it's a lot easier to explain it."

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said the court's ruling lifts a cloud of uncertainty.

"Now the American people are going to say, 'Now what's in that for me?'" Harkin said. "As long as Democrats are willing to go out there and positively say, 'Look, now you are guaranteed that you will get affordable health insurance if you had breast cancer in the past ... preventive care, free mammograms. ... And they (Republicans) want to take it away from you. You have it now and they want to take it away from you. If you want it taken away from you, you just go ahead and vote for them.'"

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., the presidential nominee in 2004, said Democrats need to seize the chance.

"I think it's very important to do what wasn't done sufficiently before," Kerry said.

The Republican response? Bring it on.

The court ruling gave clarity to the GOP call for repeal ? electing Republican candidates in November is the only way now to ensure the law's demise. In a fundraising appeal within hours of the court announcement, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, "Now we know ? four seats to repeal Obamacare," a reference to the net number that the GOP needs to seize the Senate majority.

Republicans also used the ruling to craft a new attack line. Chief Justice John Roberts' majority opinion said the law's requirement that Americans purchase health care is a tax, which Republicans argued contradicted Obama and Democrats who insist they aren't raising taxes on the poor and middle class.

"The court blew the president's cover," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said.

The tax debate will be at the forefront when the House votes the week of July 9 to overturn the law, a largely symbolic step with a Democratic-controlled Senate but one that will put Democrats and Republicans on record and provide fodder for the campaign.

____

Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-06-30-Health%20Care-Congressional%20Politics/id-36ea1a582df14ca38c5bbae8a8261200

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Pottery 20,000 years old found in a Chinese cave

This undated image made available by Science/AAAS shows one of the pottery fragments recovered from a layer dating approximately 20,000 years old in the Xianrendong cave in south China?s Jiangxi province. The discovery makes them the oldest known pottery in the world, archaeologists say. The findings, which will appear in the journal Science on Friday, June 29, 2012 add to recent efforts that have dated pottery piles in east Asia to more than 15,000 years ago, refuting conventional theories that the invention of pottery correlates to the period about 10,000 years ago when humans moved from being hunter/gathers to farming. (AP Photo/Science/AAAS)

This undated image made available by Science/AAAS shows one of the pottery fragments recovered from a layer dating approximately 20,000 years old in the Xianrendong cave in south China?s Jiangxi province. The discovery makes them the oldest known pottery in the world, archaeologists say. The findings, which will appear in the journal Science on Friday, June 29, 2012 add to recent efforts that have dated pottery piles in east Asia to more than 15,000 years ago, refuting conventional theories that the invention of pottery correlates to the period about 10,000 years ago when humans moved from being hunter/gathers to farming. (AP Photo/Science/AAAS)

BEIJING (AP) ? Pottery fragments found in a south China cave have been confirmed to be 20,000 years old, making them the oldest known pottery in the world, archaeologists say.

The findings, which will appear in the journal Science on Friday, add to recent efforts that have dated pottery piles in east Asia to more than 15,000 years ago, refuting conventional theories that the invention of pottery correlates to the period about 10,000 years ago when humans moved from being hunter-gathers to farmers.

The research by a team of Chinese and American scientists also pushes the emergence of pottery back to the last ice age, which might provide new explanations for the creation of pottery, said Gideon Shelach, chair of the Louis Frieberg Center for East Asian Studies at The Hebrew University in Israel.

"The focus of research has to change," Shelach, who is not involved in the research project in China, said by telephone.

In an accompanying Science article, Shelach wrote that such research efforts "are fundamental for a better understanding of socio-economic change (25,000 to 19,000 years ago) and the development that led to the emergency of sedentary agricultural societies."

He said the disconnection between pottery and agriculture as shown in east Asia might shed light on specifics of human development in the region.

Wu Xiaohong, professor of archaeology and museology at Peking University and the lead author of the Science article that details the radiocarbon dating efforts, told The Associated Press that her team was eager to build on the research.

"We are very excited about the findings. The paper is the result of efforts done by generations of scholars," Wu said. "Now we can explore why there was pottery in that particular time, what were the uses of the vessels, and what role they played in the survival of human beings."

The ancient fragments were discovered in the Xianrendong cave in south China's Jiangxi province, which was excavated in the 1960s and again in the 1990s, according to the journal article.

Wu, a chemist by training, said some researchers had estimated that the pieces could be 20,000 years old, but that there were doubts.

"We thought it would be impossible because the conventional theory was that pottery was invented after the transition to agriculture that allowed for human settlement."

But by 2009, the team ? which includes experts from Harvard and Boston universities ? was able to calculate the age of the pottery fragments with such precision that the scientists were comfortable with their findings, Wu said.

"The key was to ensure the samples we used to date were indeed from the same period of the pottery fragments," she said.

That became possible when the team was able to determine the sediments in the cave were accumulated gradually without disruption that might have altered the time sequence, she said.

Scientists took samples, such as bones and charcoal, from above and below the ancient fragments in the dating process, Wu said.

"This way, we can determine with precision the age of the fragments, and our results can be recognized by peers," Wu said.

Shelach said he found the process done by Wu's team to be meticulous and that the cave had been well protected throughout the research.

The same team in 2009 published an article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, in which they determined the pottery fragments found in south China's Hunan province to be 18,000 years old, Wu said.

"The difference of 2,000 years might not be significant in itself, but we always like to trace everything to its earliest possible time," Wu said. "The age and location of pottery fragments help us set up a framework to understand the dissemination of the artifacts and the development of human civilization."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-06-28-AS-China-Oldest-Pottery/id-a70405055f29473f8005cdd554e08eb5

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Details on how News Corp. split will work

FILE- This combination of Associated Press file photos show a Fox Sports logo, left, and a person holding a copy of a Wall Street Journal, right. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. said Thursday, June 28, 2012, that it plans to split into two separate companies, one holding its newspaper business and the other its entertainment operations. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, Matt Dunham, File)

FILE- This combination of Associated Press file photos show a Fox Sports logo, left, and a person holding a copy of a Wall Street Journal, right. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. said Thursday, June 28, 2012, that it plans to split into two separate companies, one holding its newspaper business and the other its entertainment operations. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, Matt Dunham, File)

FILE- This Monday, Feb. 1, 2010, file photo, shows News Corp.'s headquarters in New York. Under pressure to limit contagion from the British phone hacking scandal, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. confirmed Tuesday, June 26, 2012, that it is considering splitting into two publicly traded companies. The Wall Street Journal, News Corp.'s flagship newspaper, reported late Monday that the company is considering the separation of the newspaper and book publishing businesses from the entertainment arm, which includes Fox News Channel, broadcast TV network and 20th Century Fox movie studio. The media conglomerate did not specify Tuesday which businesses each company would contain. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

News Corp. said Thursday that its board has approved plans to split into two companies. One company will operate as a newspaper and book publisher, while the other will be an entertainment company.

Here's how the split will work:

? Newspapers, book publishing and information services such as Dow Jones Newswires will be part of the publishing company. The 20th Century Fox movie studio, the Fox broadcast TV network and the Fox News channel will be part of the media and entertainment company.

? Shareholders will get a share in each company for every share of News Corp. they now own. That ratio may change by the time the plan is finalized. Both companies will trade publicly, under different stock tickers.

? Rupert Murdoch will be chairman of both companies and CEO of the media and entertainment company. The company did not name a CEO for the publishing business.

? News Corp.'s board unanimously approved the split, but it will need to approve a more formal proposal. The deal is also subject to shareholder and numerous regulatory approvals.

? News Corp. plans to hold a special meeting of its shareholders in the first half of 2013 and expects the deal to be completed in about a year.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-06-28-News%20Corp-Split-Mechanics/id-85a1b7b102234889afa8957756cadfbc

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Live Blog: Google I/O Keynote Day Two

We're in the second day of the Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco, and I'll be liveblogging today's keynote. Yesterday we saw an amazing (if mostly for non-technical reasons) demo of Google Glass, the unveiling of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the new Nexus 7 tablet, and more.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/p8IuAuEnwls/

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What you eat can prevent arsenic overload

ScienceDaily (June 29, 2012) ? Millions of people worldwide are exposed to arsenic from contaminated water, and we are all exposed to arsenic via the food we eat. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Nutrition Journal has demonstrated that people who ate more dietary vitamin B12 and animal protein had lower levels of arsenic (measured by deposition in toenails). Total dietary fat, animal fat, vegetable fat and saturated fat were also all associated with lower levels of arsenic, while omega 3 fatty acids, such as those found in fish oil, were associated with increased arsenic.

Long term exposure to high levels of arsenic is known to cause skin lesions, cancer and cardiovascular disease, and also affects fetal development. Even low concentrations of arsenic are potentially dangerous. Arsenic is found in some water supplies, but more people are exposed via their diet. Staples such as rice contain arsenic, especially the toxic inorganic forms, while fish, although high in total arsenic, contains organic forms which are thought to be less toxic.

Inside the body arsenic is methylated to aid excretion in urine but arsenic also has an affinity for keratin and can be deposited in hair and nails as they grow. Consequently levels of arsenic preserved in nails or hair can be used as a biomarker for arsenic exposure over periods of months to years.

Researchers from Dartmouth College and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth looked at the levels of arsenic in toenails of residents of New Hampshire who all use private groundwater wells as their household water source.

Results of the study showed that arsenic in nails was positively associated with both alcohol and omega 3 fatty acids, however, lower levels of arsenic were found for people who ate greater amounts of vegetable and animal fat. Prof Kathy Cottingham, who directed the study, explained, "While there may be a direct interaction between fats and arsenic preventing absorption or binding to keratin in nails, the results may simply reflect dietary preference, with people who eat a diet rich in fats not eating foods high in arsenic, such as rice."

Joann Gruber, who led the study, noted that, "Humans can be very efficient at removing arsenic from the body. Improved methylation reduces the amount of inorganic arsenic circulating in the body. Surprisingly, we didn't see a reduction in toenail arsenic with other dietary factors known to be necessary for arsenic methylation such as folic acid. This may be because the population we sampled had adequate amounts of these factors in their diet."

The authors are currently working on similar studies in children, through the Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center at Dartmouth.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BioMed Central.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Joann F Gruber, Margaret R Karagas, Diane Gilbert-Diamond, Pamela J Bagley, M Scot Zens, Vicki Sayarath, Tracy Punshon, J Steven Morris and Kathryn L Cottingham. Associations between toenail arsenic concentration and dietary factors in a New Hampshire population. Nutrition Journal, 2012; (in press) [link]

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120629005456.htm

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Iran's dentist to the stars offers views on US

TEHRAN, Iran ? Prior to the Islamic revolution, Iran and America shared very good relations. The former Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, had an army with modern hardware supplied by the U.S. There were direct flights between New York City and Tehran and the city was full of hotels run by major American chains.

But the once-friendly relations between the two nations came to a screeching halt in 1979 when cleric-led radicals ousted the U.S.-backed shah and the subsequent Iran hostage crisis when 52 Americans were held in the U.S. embassy for 444 days.?

These days, Iranians? relations with America are somewhat schizophrenic ? the government is stridently anti-American, but many Iranians are not.?That is the opposite of other countries in the region where governments receive large amounts of money and military hardware from the U.S., but whose people generally dislike America.

Tehran?s dentist to the stars
A popular dentist in an affluent part of Tehran represents the love-hate relationship many Iranians feel toward the U.S.

---

In his Park Avenue-style dental practice, the latest Newsweek, Time and Architectural Digest magazines are on offer in the waiting room. A large flat-screen TV sits on the wall, along with an expansive fish tank and a framed dentistry degree from New York University.?

Iranians are consumers who love brand names ? even when it comes to their dental care. When a friend of mine introduced me to the dentist, he told me he is the guy to go to if I wanted to brag about where I get my teeth cleaned. He is, in essence, Tehran?s equivalent of a Beverly Hills ?dentist to the stars.?

A large part of his reputation comes not just from the fact that he has all the latest, modern dentistry equipment, but that he was trained in the U.S. and offers Western-style service. He was educated in dentistry at NYU and lived, worked and studied from the East Coast to West Coast.

Sporting fashionable glasses, a crisp blue button-down shirt and tie, the dentist, who is in his mid-40s, agreed to speak with me on the condition of anonymity. ?

?I am who I am because of my education in the States,? said the dentist. ?I am very American, but my view on U.S. politics is very different.?

I asked him what he thought about the tough economic sanctions being imposed on Iran ? which block access to the international banking system and hurt?sales of Iranian crude oil ? as a way to persuade Tehran to abandon its nuclear program.

Iranians feel the pain of sanctions: 'Everything has doubled in price'

?Why are there sanctions against Iran?? he said. ?Wasn?t it America that helped Iran fire up its nuclear program 35 years ago? The sanctions just hurt ordinary people.??

At the same time, he praised Iranians? resilience.

?After 30 years of sanctions, embargoes, war and threats of war, Iran has kept its head above water,? he said. ?Most other countries would have collapsed, but Iranians have found ways to circumvent these problems; they help each other.?

NBC News speaks with citizens from around the globe, asking the question, 'What Does America Mean to You?'

The dentist believes that one reason for? misunderstanding between America and Iran is that Americans have little real information on Iran ? that they know only what they see on TV, which is often a very small part of the bigger picture.

For years, he says, he tried to convince American colleagues to give lectures on dentistry in Iran, but that they were reluctant to do so because of their perceptions. When one of them finally agreed to come, and experienced the famous Iranian hospitality and warmth, his perception of Iran changed very quickly.

Asked why he came back to Iran about eight years ago after spending most of his life in the States, he said he just felt like something was missing, adding that he loves Tehran because it?s like New York City ? a noisy, fast-paced 24/7 place.

Steve Jobs photos on the wall
The desire for brand names in Iran that signify Western quality goes beyond dentistry.?

Mohsen, who agreed to speak with me on condition that only his first name be used, owns an electrical goods store in Tehran selling mostly black market Apple products. (Typically, Apple, as well as other imported goods that would be subject to U.S. embargoes, come into Iran via Dubai and the Persian Gulf. They are sold openly in stores in Tehran).?

He said that most Iranians love American products and culture and that personally he longs for the day that the two countries have normal relations.

Then a frown appeared on his face. ?But,? he said, ?they do things that even rub a moderate person, like me, the wrong way.?

?I read an article yesterday about an Iranian-American who went into an Apple store in the States and wanted to buy an iPad to send to her uncle in Tehran. When the sales person found out she was Iranian and wanted to send the iPad to Iran, the store refused to sell it to her,? he said.

?This is crazy! I sell 50 iPads and iPhones here a week. I have a picture of Steve Jobs on the wall! These sorts of things don?t do any good for relations between Iranian and American people.??

The story Mohsen related was widely reported in the U.S. An Apple employee in Atlanta declined to sell an iPad to an Iranian-American customer, citing company policy that aims to comply with U.S. trade sanctions with Iran that can lead to individual fines of up to $250,000. ?

Iran trade sanctions get personal in Apple stores??

In the meantime, Mohsen?s Apple products will have to remain on the black market.?

Still, not all Iranians have such a moderate view towards the U.S. Hussein, a hard-line student at Tehran University, has a very negative view of the States. (He also spoke on condition that only his first name be used.)

?All America has done is try to bully Iran, chip away at its nuclear rights and steal our oil,? Hussein said.

?I don?t think we should be talking to the Americans because ultimately they want our demise,? he said. ?Throughout history, they have interfered in our country, only harming us. We have nothing in common.?

This story is part of a series by msnbc.com and NBC News?"What the World Thinks of US". The series aims to check the pulse on current perceptions of America's global stature during the election year and ahead of our annual Independence Day.

Share your thoughts about this story and our series on Twitter using?#AmericaMeans?

For many Pakistanis, 'USA' means 'drones'?

One man's mission: Promote Chinese patriotism in the face of Western onslaught

In South Africa: 'My head says China is number one, my heart says America'

Not all Thais are Gaga about America

Family moves from the Bronx to Jerusalem, but US remains land of 'liberty and freedom'

Palestinian: US supports 'an apartheid system that is suffocating us'?

?

Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/29/12480387-irans-dentist-to-the-stars-offers-views-on-us?lite

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Irrevocable life insurance trusts can be effective estate planning tools

The purchase of life insurance requires consideration of a number of factors, including costs and terms; type of insurance plan; and how much to purchase. In terms of estate planning, another consideration is whether a life insurance policy can be a good vehicle for passing on one's wealth. And, if so, how?

One vehicle people sometimes use in estate plannin is the irrevocable life insurance trust. These are trusts which are non-amendable which are made the owner and beneficiary of one or more life insurance policies. When the insured individual dies, the appointed trustee invests the proceeds and manages the trust for its beneficiaries.

Putting a life insurance policy in a trust removes it from one's estate, meaning the proceeds of the policy or policies will not be subject to estate tax. When placed in trust, one can set the terms on which funds are distributed to beneficiaries without incurring tax penalties. This can prevent beneficiaries, often children, from spending the proceeds unwisely.

Another benefit of irrevocable life insurance trusts is that they can prevent beneficiaries from having to sell real estate or businesses in order to satisfy debtors of the estate.

One important thing in setting up an irrevocable life insurance trust is to do so well in advance. The reason is that, under tax law, there is a three-year look-back period, so that if one places assets in the trust within three years of death, they are considered part of one's estate.

Planning ahead is a good idea anyway, since it helps one to get going on one's overall estate plan well in advance.

Source: MSN Money, "8 ways to save on life insurance," Stacy Johnson, June 25, 2012

Source: http://www.alpharettaprobateattorney.com/2012/06/irrevocable-life-insurance-trusts-can-be-effective-estate-planning-tools.shtml

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Matt Klein ? The Online Sage - is an online media strategist with ReachLocal in Dallas. ?Want to make sure your business is making the most of the social, local, and mobile web?? Matt?provides small / medium sized business owner?s expert advice to market their business online. Let me share my ideas with you on Internet Search Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Web Presence, Online Reputation, Brand Awareness & Website Conversion.?

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Feds: NJ ship search turns up no stowaways

This image made from video provided by Eyewitness News WABC-TV shows an aerial view near a container ship in Newark with suspected stowaways. Dock workers rushed to unload containers stacked on top of one another inside a cargo ship that arrived in New Jersey from the Middle East on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 after Coast Guard officials heard knocking from one during a routine inspection, suggesting that stowaways might be on board. (AP Photo/Eyewitness News WABC-TV) MANDATORY CREDIT

This image made from video provided by Eyewitness News WABC-TV shows an aerial view near a container ship in Newark with suspected stowaways. Dock workers rushed to unload containers stacked on top of one another inside a cargo ship that arrived in New Jersey from the Middle East on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 after Coast Guard officials heard knocking from one during a routine inspection, suggesting that stowaways might be on board. (AP Photo/Eyewitness News WABC-TV) MANDATORY CREDIT

This image made from video provided by Eyewitness News WABC-TV shows an aerial view of a container ship in Newark with suspected stowaways. Dock workers rushed to unload containers stacked on top of one another inside a cargo ship that arrived in New Jersey from the Middle East on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 after Coast Guard officials heard knocking from one during a routine inspection, suggesting that stowaways might be on board. (AP Photo/Eyewitness News WABC-TV) MANDATORY CREDIT

This image made from video provided by Eyewitness News WABC-TV shows an aerial view of a container ship in Newark with suspected stowaways. Dock workers rushed to unload containers stacked on top of one another inside a cargo ship that arrived in New Jersey from the Middle East on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 after Coast Guard officials heard knocking from one during a routine inspection, suggesting that stowaways might be on board. (AP Photo/Eyewitness News WABC-TV) MANDATORY CREDIT

Officials arrive at Port Newark to investigate reports of stowaways in a container inside a ship, Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Newark, N.J. The Coast Guard suspects there are stowaways in a container that was loaded on a ship. Coast Guard spokesman Charles Rowe says a boarding party heard sounds consistent with people coming from the container. The container was loaded aboard The Villa D'Aquarius in India. The manifest says the container was carrying machine parts to be unloaded in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A police official stands near the entrance to a terminal at Port Newark, Wednesday, June 27, 2012, in Newark, N.J. The Coast Guard suspects there are stowaways in a container that was loaded on a ship. Coast Guard spokesman Charles Rowe says a boarding party heard sounds consistent with people coming from the container. The container was loaded aboard The Villa D'Aquarius in India. The manifest says the container was carrying machine parts to be unloaded in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) ? An extensive cargo ship search that was triggered by a knocking sound ended Thursday without authorities finding any stowaways.

Federal authorities used X-ray machines, K-9 units and officers to search more than 160 of the 2,000 containers aboard the 850-foot Ville D'Aquarius at Port Newark, one of the nation's busiest ports.

When the vessel arrived from the Mideast early Wednesday, it was met by law enforcement officials and more than a dozen ambulances. Large mechanical cranes began unloading containers from the ship.

The source of the noise remained a mystery.

"After a lengthy and exhaustive inspection by Department of Homeland Security officials, the search for stowaways aboard the Ville D'Aquarius has concluded with no stowaways found," the department said in a statement Thursday morning following a search that lasted through the night.

A Coast Guard team had boarded the ship outside New York Harbor early Wednesday as the ship prepared to dock, spokesman Charles Rowe said. The officers were knocking on a bulkhead, or partition, of the ship as a routine security check and heard knocks back, he said, but they couldn't pinpoint the source of the sound. The return knocks ended after about two hours, Rowe said.

The team followed protocol and didn't open containers at sea in order to control the situation, he said.

The steel shipping containers are usually 8 feet wide and 8- to 10-feet high and either 20- or 40-feet long, designed to withstand the rigors of the high seas and are strong enough to be stacked several high.

They normally can be opened only from the outside. There's hardly any ventilation.

Rowe said it took about eight minutes to check each container ? unloading it off the ship, opening it up and X-raying it if necessary.

The manifest of the suspected container said it was carrying machine parts to Norfolk, Va., and was loaded in India, Rowe said.

The ship began its voyage May 30 in the United Arab Emirates, then made one stop in Pakistan and two stops in India. Its last port before Newark was in Egypt on June 15.

Speaking at an unrelated news conference, Andrew McLees, special agent in charge of Homeland Security investigations for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the ship's origin and itinerary prompted the initial search.

"The routing of the ship and the ports of call was what led to the actions," McLees said.

Michael Ward, the FBI's top official in New Jersey, said the response was appropriate given the port's vulnerability. The area is considered a prime potential target for terrorists.

"You're going to get a response like this any time you have these types of facts," Ward said. "It was an appropriate response which we did out of an abundance of caution."

Shipping companies are legally responsible for keeping stowaways off their vessels, said Frank Atcheson, a maritime lawyer based in North Bergen, N.J. When stowaways are found, the companies are liable not only for fines but also must pay to house the stowaways where they are found and for secure transportation back to where they originated.

Between January 1998 and Dec. 16, 2011, more than 13,000 stowaways were found in more than 4,000 incidents around the world, according to the International Maritime Organization.

___

Associated Press writers Shawn marsh in Trenton, N.J., Geoff Mulvihill in Haddonfield, N.J., and David Porter in Newark, N.J., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Become A Pro Comedian | Learn Stand-up ... - Arts & Entertainment

Become A Pro Comedian | Learn Stand-up Comedy

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Coverage for most Americans, a scramble for states

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is on the way to its ultimate jury: the families, doctors, business people and state officials who'll have to grapple with the confusing details while striving to fulfill its promise.

With the Supreme Court hurdle cleared, open enrollment for millions now uninsured is scheduled to begin in just 16 months, in October 2013. Much of the health care industry is ready. People who do have insurance won't have to worry about the loss of popular new benefits, such as coverage for young adult children or improvements to Medicare's prescription plan.

And, starting in 2014, insurance companies will no longer be able to turn away people with a history of medical problems, or charge them more.

But carrying out the law will be a mad scramble for states, especially Republican-led ones where officials had hoped this day wouldn't come. And the court added a new complication by giving individual states more leeway to turn down the law's expansion of Medicaid, expected to provide coverage to about 16 million uninsured people.

After the ruling, chances of repealing the entire law appear much slimmer for Republicans, although they will again make it an election rallying cry. However, a targeted repeal strategy aimed at individual components of the law including cost controls, taxes and spending cuts, may still work.

Vicki McCuistion of Driftwood, Texas, who shuttles between two part-time jobs and is uninsured, said the Supreme Court ruling has given her new hope. Her husband Dan has back problems so bad he can't go to work some days, and with a family history of skin cancer she is worried about a mole that she hasn't been able to get checked by doctors.

"Having access to health insurance that we can actually afford would allow us to improve our lives," McCuistion said Thursday.

At the White House, Obama repeated his promise that the Affordable Care Act will both deliver health insurance and help get a handle on growing costs. But the glow of victory may be brief. Even some supporters of the law candidly admit it's only a first installment ? a way to get most of the population covered before tackling costs forcefully. Wrenching choices about Medicare and Medicaid cuts could come as early as next year.

Thursday's decision moves the United States closer to other economically advanced countries that for years have guaranteed health insurance to their citizens.

The law's controversial mandate that individuals have health insurance or pay a fee ? upheld by the court on Thursday ? will affect relatively few people, because more than eight in 10 Americans already have coverage. But employers with 50 or more workers will face fines if they don't provide insurance for employees.

The law is expected to extend coverage to about 30 million of the estimated 50 million uninsured. Illegal immigrants will represent a large share of those still without coverage, but 90 percent of citizens and legal residents will have insurance.

The focus now quickly shifts from Washington to the states.

While health insurers, big hospitals and major employers have spent the last two years planning and carrying out the law, states are all over the lot.

Although they are expected to play a crucial role in delivering insurance to their residents, only 14 states, plus Washington D.C., have actually adopted a plan for doing so. Hoping the law would be overturned, Republican governors and legislatures have resisted setting up new insurance markets that are a linchpin of the legislation, and that could turn into a problem for the whole country.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners expects only about half the states to be ready to set up new health insurance markets, slated to open for business on Jan. 1, 2014.

If states aren't ready, the law calls for Washington to step in and run things. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says the feds are ready to do that.

State plans for the markets ? called exchanges ? are due to the federal government this fall. Washington will run the exchanges in states that lag behind. The new Internet-based markets are supposed to provide one-stop shopping for health insurance, steering middle-class households to private plans and low-income people to an expanded version of Medicaid, the federal-state program for the poor and disabled.

But the court added a new wrinkle, ruling that states cannot be threatened with the loss of their entire Medicaid allotments if they refuse to carry out the expansion, which is geared largely to helping uninsured low-income adults. Under the law, the federal government will pick up all of the cost for the first three years, eventually dropping to a 90 percent share.

Matt Salo, head of the National Association of State Medicaid Directors, said it's too early to tell what states will do.

"This opens up what was a mandate into a state option, and states are going to have to think very, very carefully as they weigh all the political, policy and fiscal ramifications of the decision," Salo said.

States that turn down the money will still be stuck with the cost of treating uninsured patients in hospital emergency rooms. States that accept the money may be on the hook if Washington later decides to reduce the generous federal matching funds for the expansion.

"What this really means is the decisions are going to be made after the elections this year," said Wisconsin's health secretary, Dennis G. Smith, whose state has not moved to put the law in place. "This is going to go back to Congress. We had always thought (the law) was unworkable, and today's ruling proves the point even more."

Administration officials predict states will participate, even if some take time to decide. They point out it took three or four years for all states to join the original Medicaid program.

Aside from help for low-income and uninsured people, the Supreme Court decision also means an expanded safety net for all Americans. Starting in 2014, insurance companies will not be able to deny coverage for medical reasons, nor can they charge more to people with health problems. Those protections, now standard in most big-employer plans, will be available to all, including people who get laid off, or leave a corporate job to launch their own small business.

Seniors stand to receive better Medicare coverage for those with high prescription costs, and no copayments for preventive care. But hospitals, nursing homes, and many other service providers may struggle once the Medicare cuts used to finance the law really start to bite.

The health insurance industry's top lobbyist said the ruling relieved one big concern for insurers ? that the mandate would be struck down, allowing people to buy coverage literally on the way to the hospital. But the companies are still worried about costs.

"Without universal participation you have no incentive to purchase coverage until you are sick, and that is not an insurance system," said Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans. "Now it's time to turn all the attention toward affordability." The industry continues to fight taxes and other requirements in the law.

In contrast to the states, the nation's vast health care industry is better prepared. When the law passed in 2010, insurers, hospitals and major employers immediately went to work to carry it out. Some of the changes in the law were already being demanded by employers trying to get better health insurance value.

"The factors driving health care reform are not new, and they are not going to go away," said Dr. Toby Cosgrove, CEO of the Cleveland Clinic. "We know we have to take costs out of the system and improve quality."

___

Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.

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Lochte, Phelps set for memorable 200 free final

Brendan?Hansen swims in the men's 100-meter breaststroke final at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Tuesday, June 26, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Brendan?Hansen swims in the men's 100-meter breaststroke final at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Tuesday, June 26, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Brendan?Hansen, left, is congratulated by Eric Shanteau after winning the men's 100-meter breaststroke final at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Tuesday, June 26, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Brendan?Hansen, left, is congratulated by Eric Shanteau after winning the men's 100-meter breaststroke final at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Tuesday, June 26, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Eric Shanteau kisses his wife Jeri Moss Shanteau after placing in the second in the men's 100-meter breaststroke final at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Tuesday, June 26, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. Brendan?Hansen won the final. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Ryan Lochte gives a thumbs up after swimming in the men's 200-meter freestyle preliminaries at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Tuesday, June 26, 2012, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) ? Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps went stroke for stroke into the wall in the 200-meter freestyle. Lochte's hand got there first, with Phelps touching second.

Imagine what Wednesday night's final will be like.

The world's top two swimmers met up in the same semifinal Tuesday night, with Lochte winning in 1 minute, 46.25 seconds. Phelps was just behind at 1:47.27, setting up another memorable confrontation in the final.

"It's going to be a tough race tomorrow," Phelps said. "It's probably going to be another close one like that."

Phelps will be looking to win for the first time at the U.S. Olympic trials. He got beat by Lochte in the 400 individual medley on Monday, then got edged out again in the semis.

Phelps is the ultimate competitor, hating to lose even the smallest contest. But he knows what's really at stake in Omaha.

"It's about getting spots on the team, that's the only thing," he said. "The most important thing for me is to try and secure a spot, and from here I have 3 to 4 weeks to prepare myself and get some extra training in there. I think it's going to be a lot better than what it is here."

Lochte agreed nothing truly matters until the final.

"We're great racers, we just want to win," he said. "We definitely kicked it in gear the last 50, me and him. We know tomorrow night is going to be a lot faster."

There promises to be plenty of speed in the women's 100 backstroke final.

Seventeen-year-old Missy Franklin was the top qualifier in the semifinals. Her time of 59.06 seconds was less than a second off Gemma Spofforth's world record. Teenagers claimed the next three fastest times, as well: 18-year-old Rachel Bootsma, 17-year-old Olivia Smoliga, and 18-year-old Elizabeth Pelton.

"I love where I'm at right now," said Franklin, the breakout star at last year's world championships and one of the top American hopes for London. "I feel strong, I feel powerful. It's so awesome to feel this way and I'm having a blast. This is what I came here to do."

Natalie Coughlin finds herself in the unexpected role of underdog in her signature event. The two-time defending Olympic champion barely qualified for the final with the seventh-fastest time of 1:00.63. That race came after Coughlin finished seventh in the 100 fly final.

"I was hoping to have a better 100 fly than I did, but you pay for it when you go out too hard like I did," Coughlin said. "After that, I just refocused on the 100 backstroke, knowing all that matters is I get a lane for tomorrow night. We'll see what happens. That's all I can do right now."

Coughlin won't have another event before the 100 back final, like she did Tuesday. She scratched the 200 individual medley, so if she doesn't qualify for London in the backstroke, her only realistic chance left to make the team will be the 100 freestyle.

"Having the morning off to rest and recover and go into that 100 back as fresh as possible will be really important for me," she said.

Olympic champion Rebecca Soni used her patented finishing kick to qualify fastest for the 100 breaststroke final in 1:05.88, more than a second ahead of world-record holder Jessica Hardy, who was second in 1:06.88.

"I always hold on to that last few yards as my strength," Soni said. "I'm always waiting to kick it into gear. I don't want to do it too early, but it felt good coming home, and I'm looking forward to having that same speed closing tomorrow."

Hardy won the 100 breast at trials four years ago only to lose her spot on the Olympic team because of a failed doping test. She served a one-year ban after an arbitration panel agreed with her contention that a tainted nutritional supplement was to blame for her positive test.

She battled anger and depression during the fight to clear her name.

"This is the first time I felt like I can actually have a happy ending," she said. "I can relax and finally have fun and feel grateful."

Matt Grevers is the favorite in the men's 100 backstroke final on Wednesday, going in with the top semifinal time of 53.10. Lochte had the second-quickest time in prelims, but he dropped out of the semis to focus on his next final against Phelps.

Brendan Hansen capped his comeback with a victory in the 100 breast, earning a spot in his third straight Olympics.

He won in 59.68.

Hansen is relishing having another shot at Japanese star Kosuke Kitajima, who swept both breast events at the last two Olympics and is in Omaha for the trials so he could keep up his training under American coach Dave Salo.

"It's cool that he got to see me swim," Hansen said. "Somewhere deep down, he's got to know I'm the only guy to beat him the last 10 years. That might carry some weight."

Hansen retired from the sport after the Beijing Games, having been disappointed in two straight Olympics. He took silver and bronze in the two breast events at Athens and was shut out of an individual medal in China.

"I don't know if my body language has shown it or not, but this is exactly where I want to be," he said.

"In 2008, I didn't really want to be here anymore, I was kind of worn down by the whole idea. Now I'm just having so much fun with it and I feel like I'm running on borrowed time. I'm just really proud of myself for saying that I was going to come back and then actually come back and be back."

Hansen will be joined on the team by Eric Shanteau, who specializes in the 200 breast but claimed the second spot in the 100 in 1:00.15.

Four years ago, Shanteau beat out Hansen for an individual spot on the team shortly after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. He put off treatment until after the games and has been healthy ever since.

"I've been back and forth with that event for so long," Shanteau said. "It's nice having it all come together when it counts the most."

Dana Vollmer, a gold medalist as a teenager in 2004, missed out on the team four years ago while battling injuries and health problems, but will go to London after her win in the 100 butterfly.

Vollmer was more than a half-second under world-record pace at the turn, but she faded on the return lap. But she had built such a commanding lead that she was a full body length ahead when she touched in 56.50.

Claire Donahue claimed the second spot for London in 57.57.

Also claiming a spot on the Olympic team was Allison Schmitt, who got off to a huge lead in the 400 free and held on to win in 4:02.84. Chloe Sutton earned the second spot in 4:04.18.

Associated Press

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