Italy awaits market reaction to Monti exit soon

In this photo taken at Chigi Palace government's office in Rome, on Dec. 6, 2012, Italian Premier Mario Monti gestures during a press conference at the end of a cabinet meeting. Premier Mario Monti told the Italian president Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, he plans to resign following the sudden loss of support from Silvio Berlusconi's party, paving the way for early elections a year after the economist helped pull the country back from the brink of financial disaster. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

In this photo taken at Chigi Palace government's office in Rome, on Dec. 6, 2012, Italian Premier Mario Monti gestures during a press conference at the end of a cabinet meeting. Premier Mario Monti told the Italian president Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, he plans to resign following the sudden loss of support from Silvio Berlusconi's party, paving the way for early elections a year after the economist helped pull the country back from the brink of financial disaster. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

FILE -- In this file photo taken at Chigi Palace government's office in Rome, on Dec. 6, 2012, Italian Premier Mario Monti gestures during a press conference at the end of a cabinet meeting. Premier Mario Monti told the Italian president Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, he plans to resign following the sudden loss of support from Silvio Berlusconi's party, paving the way for early elections a year after the economist helped pull the country back from the brink of financial disaster. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 18, 2011 file photo, Italy's former premier Silvio Berlusconi, left, talks to Italian Premier Mario Monti at the lower chamber in Rome. Although Italy's Silvio Berlusconi resigned in disgrace a year ago, has been convicted of tax fraud and now faces plunging poll numbers, the media baron is showing he still has the power to put pressure on his successor, Premier Mario Monti. With Europe still deep in its debt crisis, it doesn't take much to make the markets nervous. That's what happened Thursday when the 76-year-old Berlusconi withdrew his party's support for Monti's government, threatening a premature end to its ambitious reform program. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

ROME (AP) ? Italy and the rest of Europe on Sunday anxiously awaited the reaction of financial markets to Premier Mario Monti's surprise decision to resign and set the stage for an early vote, as speculation abounded over whether he might dive into politics and challenge Silvio Berlusconi in the election.

Monti has been widely credited with restoring faith in the country's capacity to survive the eurozone debt crisis since he took over the helm of a non-elected "technocrat" government. But he told the Italian president Saturday it was impossible to continue to lead after Berlusconi's party, Parliament's largest, dropped its support and blamed his austerity measure for Italy's staying mired in recession.

"We'll see what the markets will do," President Giorgio Napolitano told reporters asking if he was worried about the repercussions of the political crisis, including how it would affect its credibility and financial ratings.

It was Napolitano who appointed Monti, an internationally respected economist, last year to replace Berlusconi, the three-time premier whose resistance to potentially unpopular austerity measures panicked financial markets and helped set Italy tottering toward a Greece-style debt crisis.

Monti told Napolitano he would step down as soon as Parliament passes a budget bill, likely within two weeks, setting the stage for elections as soon as February.

Monti's accomplishments at the helm of the nonpartisan government included steering through Parliament tough pension reform, higher sales taxes and a revived property tax. He nonetheless enjoys high popularity ratings.

Supporters have encouraged Monti to run for the premiership. Speculation about whether he would face off with Berlusconi and others has been rife in the media, and Italians were lamenting his early departure.

A video and song quickly put together by popular Italian comedian and TV host, Rosario Fiorello, made the rounds of the Internet. The video shows Sunday's newspaper headlines about Monti's decision to quit and Berlusconi's bid to return to power.

"Let's do ourselves some harm, as only we know how to do" Fiorello sings in Italian as the camera pans the headlines. "We're Italians. We like to suffer."

Once he resigns, Monti will have a freer hand to jump into politics, since he no longer needs to guarantee the nonpartisanship that had until this week assured him broad backing in Parliament.

But, he he smiled and said nothing when reporters came up to him after he left a Milan church with his wife where the couple attended Mass.

"It's clear that he (Monti) feels free to decide. He's thinking about it, and many are pushing him to take a step" into politics, Corriere della Sera's editor, Ferruccio de Bortoli wrote.

He has been widely praised by economic analysts, central bankers and many European leaders.

"Mario Monti's government has achieved great things in a short period of time ? won back the confidence of investors, moved forward budget consolidation," Joerg Asmussen, a German member of the European Central Bank's executive board, was quoted as telling Germany's Bild daily.

A London-based analyst at UniCredit, Erik F. Nielsen, said in his weekly comments Sunday that he wasn't worried that Berlusconi was running again, but warned that "you should expect some short-term market reactions."

Nielsen, the Italian bank's global chief economist, said there would probably be a sell-off in Italian assets Monday morning, followed by some pressure into Thursday's bond auction. But "I am not seriously worried about the direction of policies in Italy ? and if Monti were to take a clear stand in the election, I suspect that the rally could be back on before long."

Defying opinion polls that indicate Berlusconi's party's popularity has taken a dive, to under 15 percent, the media baron announced on Saturday that he was running to regain the premiership, shortly before Monti's own decision to step down was revealed by Napolitano.

Possibly banking on appealing to his populist base, Berlusconi has vowed to again abolish the property tax on primary residences that Monti quickly reinstated as part of revenue-building measures for state and local coffers. The tax had been abolished by Berlusconi as part of a campaign promise during his successful 2008 run for office.

Central banker Asmussen added a warning: "Whoever governs Italy, a founding nation of the EU, after the elections will have to continue this course with the same earnestness" that Monti employed.

______

AP reporter Geir Moulson contributed from Berlin.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-09-Italy-Politics/id-76d61ecca51a47039bf2f1677c668389

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World's big trees are dying: Alarming increase in death rates among trees 100-300 years old

ScienceDaily (Dec. 6, 2012) ? The largest living organisms on the planet, the big, old trees that harbour and sustain countless birds and other wildlife, are dying.

A report by three of the world's leading ecologists in today's issue of the journal Science warns of an alarming increase in deathrates among trees 100-300 years old in many of the world's forests, woodlands, savannahs, farming areas and even in cities.

"It's a worldwide problem and appears to be happening in most types of forest," says lead author Professor David Lindenmayer of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED) and Australian National University.

"Large old trees are critical in many natural and human-dominated environments. Studies of ecosystems around the world suggest populations of these trees are declining rapidly," he and colleagues Professor Bill Laurance of James Cook University, Australia, and Professor Jerry Franklin of Washington University, USA, say in their Science report.

"Research is urgently needed to identify the causes of rapid losses of large old trees and strategies for improved management. Without? policy changes, large old trees will diminish or disappear in many ecosystems, leading to losses of their associated biota and ecosystem functions."

Prof. Lindenmayer says they were first tipped off to the loss of big old trees while examining Swedish forestry records going back to the 1860s. Then a 30-year study of Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forest in Australia confirmed not only that big old trees were dying en masse in forest fires, but also perishing at ten times the normal rate in non-fire years -- apparently due to drought, high temperatures, logging and other causes.

Looking round the world, the scientists found similar trends at all latitudes, in California's Yosemite National Park, on the African savannahs, in the rainforests of Brazil, the temperate forests of Europe and the boreal forests of the far north. Losses of large trees were also pronounced in agricultural landscapes and even cities, where people make efforts to preserve them.

"It is a very, very disturbing trend. We are talking about the loss of the biggest living organisms on the planet, of the largest flowering plants on the planet, of organisms that play a key role in regulating and enriching our world," says Professor Bill Laurance of James Cook University.

"Large old trees play critical ecological roles. They provide nesting or sheltering cavities for up to 30% of all birds and animals in some ecosystems. They store huge amounts of carbon. They recycle soil nutrients, create rich patches for other life to thrive in, and influence the flow of water within landscapes and the local climate.

"Big trees supply abundant food for numerous animals in the form of fruits, flowers, foliage and nectar. Their hollows offer nests and shelter for birds and animals like Australia's endangered Leadbeater's Possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) -- and their loss could mean extinction for such creatures.

"In agricultural landscapes, large old trees can be focal points for vegetation restoration; they help connect the landscape by acting as stepping stones for many animals that disperse seeds and pollen," he says.

The alarming decline in old trees in so many types of forest appears to be driven by a combination of forces, including land clearing, agricultural practices, man-made changes in fire regimes, logging and timber gathering, insect attack and rapid climatic changes, says Prof. Jerry Franklin.

"For example, populations of large old pines in the dry forests of western North America declined dramatically over the last century because of selective logging, uncharacteristically severe wildfires, and other causes," he adds.

The researchers liken the global loss of big trees to the tragedy that has already befallen the world's largest mammals, such as elephants, rhinos, tigers and whales, cautioning that almost nowhere do conservation programs have the time-frames lasting centuries, which are needed to assure the survival of old trees.

"Just as large-bodied animals such as elephants, tigers and cetaceans have declined drastically in many parts of the world, a growing body of evidence suggests that large old trees could be equally imperilled," they warn.

They call for an urgent world-wide investigation to assess the extent of big tree loss, and to identify areas where big trees have a better chance of survival.

Their paper "Rapid Worldwide Declines of Large Old Trees, by David B. Lindenmayer, William F. Laurance and Jerry F. Franklin appears in today's issue of the journal Science.

CEED is the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions. CEED's research tackles key gaps in environmental decision making, monitoring and adaptive management.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decision (ARC CEED).

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. David B. Lindenmayer, William F. Laurance, and Jerry F. Franklin. Global Decline in Large Old Trees. Science, 2012; 338 (6112): 1305-1306 DOI: 10.1126/science.1231070

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/a3rQgrOGF38/121206162519.htm

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Brain Disease Found In NFL Players

SternisheFan sends this excerpt from ABC:
"On the heels of the latest NFL suicide, researchers announced today that 34 NFL players whose brains were studied suffered from CTE, a degenerative brain disease brought on by repeated hits to the head that results in confusion, depression and, eventually, dementia. The study was released just days after the murder-suicide of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher. It's not yet known what triggered Belcher's action, but they mirror other NFL players who have committed suicide. Researchers at Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy published the largest case series study of CTE to date (abstract), according to the center. Of the 85 brains donated by the families of deceased veterans and athletes with histories of repeated head trauma, they found CTE in 68 of them. Of those, 34 were professional football players, nine others played college football and six played only high school football. Of the 35 professional football players' brains donated, only one had no evidence of the disease, according to the study." It's a good thing we protect our youth from conditions like this.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/zIT-IwZO6V8/story01.htm

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Cosmic radio waves mimic chirping of 'alien birds'

This undated image made available by NASA and the Goddard Space Flight Center shows an artist's rendition of the Van Allen Probes in orbit around Earth. The twin spacecraft have captured the clearest sounds yet from Earth's radiation belts - and they mimic the chirping of birds. NASA's Van Allen Probes have been exploring the hostile radiation belts surrounding Earth for just three months. But already, they've collected measurements of high-energy particles and radio waves in unprecedented detail. Scientists said Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 these waves can provide an energy boost to radiation belt particles, somewhat like ocean waves can propel a surfer on Earth. (AP Photo/NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)

This undated image made available by NASA and the Goddard Space Flight Center shows an artist's rendition of the Van Allen Probes in orbit around Earth. The twin spacecraft have captured the clearest sounds yet from Earth's radiation belts - and they mimic the chirping of birds. NASA's Van Allen Probes have been exploring the hostile radiation belts surrounding Earth for just three months. But already, they've collected measurements of high-energy particles and radio waves in unprecedented detail. Scientists said Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 these waves can provide an energy boost to radiation belt particles, somewhat like ocean waves can propel a surfer on Earth. (AP Photo/NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) ? Twin spacecraft have captured the clearest sounds yet from Earth's radiation belts ? and they mimic the chirping of birds.

NASA's Van Allen Probes have been exploring the hostile radiation belts surrounding Earth for just three months. But already, they've collected measurements of high-energy particles and radio waves in unprecedented detail.

Scientists said Tuesday these waves can provide an energy boost to radiation belt particles, somewhat like ocean waves can propel a surfer on Earth. What's more, these so-called chorus waves operate in the same frequency as human hearing so they can be heard.

University of Iowa physicist Craig Kletzing played a recording of these high-pitched radio waves at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.

"Not only do you hear the chirps ? the alien birds as my wife calls them ? but you hear that sort of cricket-like thing in the background," Kletzing told reporters.

Before, those background sounds were inaudible.

"So this is really a fantastic new measurement," he said.

While the chorus has been audible even before the Space Age ? ham radio operators could sometimes hear it in decades past ? the clarity of these measurements is "really quite striking," Kletzing said.

Initial findings show the outer radiation belt to be much more dynamic and rapidly changing than anticipated, said the University of Colorado's Daniel Baker, principal investigator for the electron proton telescope on each probe.

The Van Allen probes ? formerly known as the Radiation Belt Storm Probes ? were launched from Cape Canaveral on Aug. 30. They were named after the late University of Iowa astrophysicist James Van Allen, who discovered the radiation belts that bear his name a half-century ago.

___

Online:

Recording of waves: http://tinyurl.com/b2az6ex

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-04-Space%20Chirps/id-319b19fbc497436ba3567b01563b3ec5

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More On The Fight Against Childhood Obesity | Your Health Journal

From The Rebel Yell?..

A first-year experience class within the UNLV College of Hotel Administration partnered with local non-profit Jump for Joy to host Dunk on Obesity, an event aimed at fighting childhood obesity.

Part of the course?s service learning project, students in Tourism ? Hospitality, Academic and Personal Development, or TCA 103 ? have been working for the past three weeks organizing the event, along with Jump for Joy co-founder and UNLV senior business major Anthony Alegrete.

?I was actually very surprised with how well everything went, given the short amount of time that we had,? said Landon Shores, a graduate assistant for the hotel college that taught the class.

Students were divided into three groups ? marketing, logistics and operations. Each student was assigned a role and Alegrete led them in planning the event.

?I taught them how to completely do an event ? from locking it down, to promotions, to everything else,? he said.
Right against Obesity

Students in the marketing group contacted administrators at elementary and middle schools in Las Vegas and asked them to give fliers to Physical Education teachers.

Operations students, such as freshman hospitality major Cara Kornegay, organized activities and registered children and parents.

?I love working with little kids and I do think there?s a really bad problem with [childhood] obesity,? she said.

Kornegay set up stations and participated in games and activities with children at the event.

?I love doing stuff like this, and after working this event I know I want to do it more,? she said.

As head of the logistics team, Harley Edwards, a transfer student majoring in hotel management and professional golf management, oversaw much of the project.

?It was a lot of work on my part as well as the rest of the students,? he said, ?but it is something that I really enjoyed.?

Edwards said that he put in about ten hours of work on the project each week, between working in-class, making calls and running paperwork. Alegrete said that Edwards ?dang near took over the whole project.?

?I?m proud to say that these students sometimes work harder than some of my volunteers and people that work with me normally,? Alegrete said. ?These kids are super ambitious. They?re on point with everything they do.?

Shores chose Jump for Joy as the organization that his class worked with because he wanted his students to have the experience working with children. The organization is dedicated to fighting childhood obesity by using fun activities to promote a healthy lifestyle among children.

To read the full story?..Click here

Source: http://www.lensaunders.com/wp/?p=7718

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Video: Monday Morning Market Strategy

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