U.S., Russia must contain Syria war, peace talks delayed: Brahimi

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden arrived in Moscow from Hong Kong on Sunday afternoon and was due to depart for Havana the following day, but did not use the ticket, a Moscow airport source said on Tuesday. The source said he was travelling with Sarah Harrison. Harrison is a British legal researcher working for the anti-secrecy group, WikiLeaks. "She (Harrison) came together with Edward Snowden from Hong-Kong on June 23 around 5 p.m.," the source said. "He had a ticket to go to Havana on the 24th, but he did not use it. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-russia-must-contain-syria-war-peace-talks-111700373.html

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Court strikes part of Voting Rights Act

Holding signs with images of murdered civil rights workers, demonstrators rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court??

President Barack Obama and his attorney general said they were "deeply disappointed" with the Supreme Court's decision to?strike down a key part of the Voting Rights Act, a cornerstone of the civil rights movement that helped dismantle decades of discriminatory voting restrictions in the South when it passed 60 years ago. The vote was split 5-4, with the court's liberal justices dissenting.

The decision drastically scales back the federal government's power to reject state laws it believes discriminate against minority voters, which include some efforts to tighten identification requirements and limit early voting hours at the ballot box. A wave of such laws swept 30 states over the past few years, and the Obama administration has aggressively fought them in court.

The president said he was "deeply disappointed" with the decision in a statement Tuesday. "While today?s decision is a setback, it doesn?t represent the end of our efforts to end voting discrimination," Obama said. "I am calling on Congress to pass legislation to ensure every American has equal access to the polls."

Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, reauthorized by Congress for an additional 25 years in 2006, gives the federal government the ability to pre-emptively reject changes to election law in states and counties that have a history of discriminating against minority voters. The law covers nine states and portions of seven more, most of them in the South. The formula used to decide which states are subject to this special scrutiny (set out in Section 4 of the law) is based on decades-old voter turnout and registration data, the justices ruled, which is unfair to the states covered under it. States that had a discriminatory poll test in the 1960s and low turnout among minority voters must seek special permission from the federal government to change their election laws, even though many of these states now have near-equal voter turnout rates between minorities and whites.

"The coverage formula that Congress reauthorized in 2006 ignores these developments, keeping the focus on decades-old data relevant to decades-old problems," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the opinion. "Our country has changed, and while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions."

The Justice Department used Section 5 of the law to block voter ID laws in Texas and South Carolina last year, and it also struck down early voting restrictions in five counties in Florida. (Minority voters are more likely than white voters to vote early in person, and they are less likely than whites to have a government-issued photo ID.) Some Democrats argued that these laws were intentionally trying to suppress minority turnout in order to benefit Republicans.

The court has effectively now put the ball back in Congress' court, writing in its decision that it is up to Congress to write a new formula that is based on current data. Though it seems unlikely that Congress, which is now more partisanly divided than in 2006, would tackle the challenge of creating a new rubric to find and eradicate racial discrimination at the polls. The president called on Congress to pass legislation addressing the ruling in a statement Tuesday.

In her dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg writes the "sad irony" of Roberts' decision is that it strikes down the key part of the Voting Rights Act because it has been so successful at preventing racial discrimination. "Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet," she writes. Ginsburg also slams the court's majority for relying on turnout and registration rates "as if that were the whole story" and ignoring so-called second-generation laws and regulations designed to make it harder for minorities to vote. (One such Mississippi regulation sought to cancel a local election in 2001 because a large number of black candidates announced their intention to run.)

Civil rights groups warned that the decision will negatively affect minority voters who live in the covered jurisdictions. "This is a sad day for democracy," said Myrna Perez, deputy director of the Brennan Center for Justice advocacy center. "The Voting Rights Act is a needed and instrumental tool in our fight to eradicate racial discrimination, and the Supreme Court's decision today has made it much harder to utilize this tool effectively." Wade Henderson, the President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said in a statement that Congress should act to draft another coverage formula. "We urge Congress to act with urgency and on a bipartisan basis to protect voting rights for minorities," Henderson said. Brennan Center President Michael Waldman said Congress had a "duty" to update the formula.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, said in a statement that "as long as Republicans have a majority in the House and Democrats don't have 60 votes in the Senate, there will be no preclearance."

Court watchers predicted the decision, given the conservative justices' comments on the law during oral arguments and in other cases. Justices in the conservative wing of the Supreme Court, including Roberts, expressed reservations that the nine Southern states covered by the law still required the same degree of federal oversight that they did 60 years ago. "Voter turnout and registration rates [between blacks and whites] now approach parity," Roberts wrote in a decision in 2009. "Blatantly discriminatory evasions of federal decrees are rare. And minority candidates hold office at unprecedented levels."

Another argument against Section 4's constitutionality was that it's unclear whether minority voters in Southern states are more likely to face discrimination at the polls than they are in other states. Voter ID laws, for example, have passed in states such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Because those states do not have a history of voter discrimination?and are not covered by the act?their voter ID laws did not have to first pass federal inspection. That said, Southern states covered under the act were much more likely to pass a voter ID law than other states. Seven of the nine states covered in full under the act adopted such a law, compared with 12 noncovered states.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/supreme-court-strikes-down-key-part-voting-rights-141205218.html

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OCD & Your Cat, Dog or Family Pet | Psych Central

My son Dan suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder so severe he could not even eat, and his anxiety levels were often so high, he could barely function. It would have been ludicrous for me to suggest he try yoga, or meditation, or any other stress reduction technique to help him feel better when, in fact, he could hardly get off the couch.

But he could pet our cats.

Our beautiful cats, Smokey and Ricky, both so lovable with distinct personalities, helped Dan immensely during those dark days. Whether they sat on his lap, curled up near him on the couch, or let him hold them, they allowed him to relax and brought him momentary peace. Sometimes they purred so loudly they sounded like engines revving, and this soothed Dan. Other times they would engage in various cat-like antics, inciting a rare, but oh-so-cherished laugh from our son.

They didn?t bombard him with questions, asking if he was okay, or if he was hungry, or what was wrong. They were just there with Dan, and for a short time, his focus was diverted from his obsessions and compulsions. Our pets were able to care for Dan in a way the rest of our family could not.

An article in the April 15, 2013 issue of Time magazine explored how animals grieve. I found it fascinating, and no matter how you might interpret the various studies discussed in the article, I think it is hard to argue with the belief that animals do indeed form relationships, and are empathetic. What more does it take to comfort someone?

For those obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) sufferers who struggle with germs and contamination issues, caring for a pet can elicit many triggers. Cleaning a litter box, letting a dog lick your face, or having to tend to a sick pet are just a few examples of what OCD sufferers might have to deal with. Surprisingly, I have heard from many with OCD who are amazed themselves that these situations do not cause their OCD to spring into action. Could it be that their love for their pets transcends the fear and anxiety of OCD?

When my son moved into his own apartment last year, one of the first things he did was foster a cat from a shelter. He has always been an animal lover, and was looking for a furry friend to keep him company. As he knows, life is full of surprises, and come to find out, his new companion has a host of medical problems and needs to take medication to control her seizures.

Instead of returning the cat to the animal shelter (something I very well might have done), he has embraced his role as her caretaker. Whether we have OCD or not, I believe this experience of putting another?s needs ahead of our own is worthwhile. Focusing outward instead of inward gives us a different perspective on our own lives and challenges.

So it works both ways. We take care of our beloved pets, and they take care of us. Whether our furry friend is a specially trained service dog who can sense an imminent anxiety attack (yes, it?s possible!) or an adored rabbit, pets can benefit us all in countless ways. They require us to slow down our lives, they make us laugh, and they give us unconditional love. And for those who are suffering, they provide the much-needed comfort and serenity that often can?t be found elsewhere.

?

Janet Singer?s son Dan suffered from OCD so severe that he could not even eat. After navigating through a disorienting maze of treatments and programs, Dan made a triumphant recovery. Janet has become an advocate for OCD awareness and wants everyone to know that OCD, no matter how severe, is treatable. There is so much hope for those with this disorder. Janet has been published on various mental health sites, and also has her own blog ocdtalk.wordpress.comwhere she shares Dan?s story and talks about anything related to OCD. She is married with three children and lives in Massachusetts.

APA Reference
Singer, J. (2013). OCD & Your Cat, Dog or Family Pet. Psych Central. Retrieved on June 21, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/2013/ocd-your-cat-dog-or-family-pet/

????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 8 Jun 2013
????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

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Source: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2013/ocd-your-cat-dog-or-family-pet/

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Laser-Cut Logos: The Future of Packaging Is No Packaging At All

The EU is notoriously sensitive about how its crops are grown?but this weekend, it will begin allowing companies to apply labels and barcodes directly onto produce using lasers. The new legislation?which has taken three years to pass?was spearheaded by a Spanish company called Laser Food (natch), which has developed proprietary tech to print the marks en masse.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/MdvjEq5s69o/laser-cut-logos-the-future-of-packaging-is-no-packagin-514297623

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Video: DreamWorks CEO's 'Really Good Arrangement' With Netflix

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Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/52254570/

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Reds beat Bucs to move 15 games over .500

By JOE KAY

AP Baseball Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:08 p.m. ET June 17, 2013

CINCINNATI (AP) - Todd Frazier wasn't going to let left-hander Francisco Liriano get another fastball by him. He guessed right and hit one a long way.

Frazier and Zack Cozart hit upper-deck homers off Liriano, and the Cincinnati Reds moved a season-high 15 games over .500 by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1 on Monday night.

The Reds (43-28) hit four solo homers in all, extending their best start since 1995, the last time they won a playoff series. The win also kept Cincinnati in second place in the NL Central, a game and a half ahead of the Pirates.

Cozart connected on a hanging slider in the fourth and Frazier hit a down-the-middle fastball in the sixth off Liriano (5-3), who hadn't allowed a homer in his seven previous starts. He opened the season on the disabled list, recovering from a broken right arm last December.

During a game in Pittsburgh this season, Liriano tied up Frazier with a fastball. He had that in mind when he came to bat and got one on the first pitch.

"That one felt pretty good," Frazier said. "He tried to get one past in Pittsburgh and I got enough of it to get a single. I was looking for it, and got my (front) foot down sooner and got some good wood on it."

Joey Votto and Jay Bruce connected in the eighth inning off Bryan Morris. Bruce has three homers during a five-game hitting streak.

Mike Leake (7-3) extended the best stretch of his four-year career, giving up six hits - including Russell Martin's RBI double - in seven innings. Leake got 13 outs off ground balls and fanned three.

"He's pitching with confidence and pitching a little harder," manager Dusty Baker said. "He just goes about his business with no fanfare. There's no difference in his personality."

The right-hander is 5-1 in his last seven starts with a 1.15 earned run average, showing why the Reds made him their first-round pick in the June 2009 draft.

"He's been doing this for three months now and building up to this," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "That's a guy that can pitch. That's what he's evolved into. He pitched as well as I've ever seen him."

With seven wins, Leake is only five shy of his career high from the 2011 season. He went right to the majors after the Reds drafted him out of Arizona State, going 8-4 as a rookie.

"I'm a little bit more motivated," Leake said. "I think my head's back in college, pitching-wise, and I'm thinking a little better."

Tony Cingrani made his first relief appearance this season and pitched out of a two-on threat in the eighth, fanning Pedro Alvarez to keep the score 2-1. Cingrani joined the rotation when Johnny Cueto went on the disabled list, and the Reds kept him around with Cueto back so they'd have another left-hander in their depleted bullpen.

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 18th save in 20 chances, walking one and fanning two.

The Ohio River rivals have occupied the second and third spots in the NL Central most of the season, staying right behind the torrid Cardinals. The Pirates have gone 4-2 against the Reds at PNC Park, where they've won 25 games overall, tied with Cincinnati for most home wins in the majors.

It's their first visit of the season to Cincinnati. The Pirates went only 3-6 at Great American Ball Park last season, unable to take advantage of its hitter-friendly dimensions.

Liriano gave up Cozart's seventh homer in the fourth inning, extending the shortstop's hitting streak to seven games. Frazier hit his ninth homer in the sixth inning for a 2-1 lead, a drive that also landed in the upper deck in left field and was estimated at 443 feet.

Several nice defensive plays also helped to keep it close.

Starling Marte made a diving, backhand catch of Brandon Phillips' slicing line drive to left field in the third inning, forcing the Reds to strand a runner at second base. Cozart turned a couple of tough-hop grounders into outs, preventing the Pirates from threatening in the early innings.

NOTES: Marte was back in the lineup batting leadoff. He was out of the lineup the last four games with a strained left oblique. ... RH A.J. Burnett, who went on the 15-day DL last Thursday with a strained right calf, won't do much for the next three days. ... LH Wandy Rodriguez, on the DL with a sore left forearm, threw in the bullpen on Monday. He's eligible to be activated on Friday. ... Reds OF Chris Heisey started a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville. He's been on the DL since April 29 with an injured right hamstring. ... NASCAR drivers Bobby Labonte and Kevin Harvick threw ceremonial pitches. Hits king Pete Rose watched the game from behind home plate. He attends several games a season in his hometown.

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Follow Joe Kay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/apjoekay

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

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Baseball invading other sports

??HBT Daily: If you watched the U.S. Open, you saw Shawn Stefani sporting an MLB logo on his bag. Craig Calcaterra expects to see MLB promotion popping up in more sports.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/52236001/ns/sports-baseball/

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