Post-Sandy, Macy's Thanksgiving parade is balm for the N.Y. soul









When Sandy slammed the East Coast, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, floats and costumes were spared from the devastation. And Thursday morning, New Yorkers' mood elevated along with the traditional helium-filled balloons as the parade kicked off, just as it had for more than eight decades.


The sun was shining and the atmosphere reportedly was festive as the 86th annual event got started at 9 a.m. Eastern. The temperature was 47 degrees -- nothing a New Yorker couldn't handle -- and, according to the Associated Press, attendees were in a parade mood, marveling at the giant balloons, performers and marching bands.


Some had camped out for a good spot, cozy in sleeping bags.





PHOTOS: Macy's Day parade balloons and more


Among celebrities set for the parade: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Big Apple Circus, Flo Rida, Whoopi Goldberg, the Muppets and the cast of "Sesame Street." (If you're wondering whether Elmo will make an appearance amid the sex scandal surrounding puppeteer Kevin Clash, the character will reportedly be part of a "Sesame Street" float.)


New balloons set for this year were Hello Kitty, Elf on the Shelf and Papa Smurf -- as well as an unusual character known as KAWS' Companion. The black and gray figure that covers its face with its hands is by artist and former tagger Brian Donnelly, whose artistic alias is KAWS. The figure spurred a lot of stares in 2011 when it was installed at New York's Standard Hotel (pictures).


New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg stopped at the parade, according to the AP, where he praised those involved in the Sandy storm response, including police, firefighters, the armed services, volunteers and sanitation workers. He was then set to head to a firehouse in the Rockaways area of Queens, which was hit hard by the storm. 


The mayor's office, along with other organizations, were preparing Thursday to distribute 26,500 holiday meals in neighborhoods affected by Sandy.


ALSO:


'John Doe Duffel Bag' arrested


Friends' wish for teen shooting victim: 'Rest in paradise'


Safety breaches alleged at Washington radioactive waste plant







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Lawsuit against Madonna dismissed in Russia

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — A Russian court has dismissed a lawsuit that sought millions of dollars in damages from Madonna for allegedly traumatizing minors by speaking up for gay rights during a concert in St. Petersburg.

In February, the city made it illegal to promote homosexuality to minors. Six months later, the singer criticized the law on Facebook, then stood up for gay rights at a concert in St. Petersburg that drew fans as young as 12.

On Thursday, a St. Petersburg court threw out the Trade Union of Russian Citizens' lawsuit and the 333 million rubles ($10.7 million) in damages it sought from the performer for allegedly exposing minors to "homosexual propaganda."

Madonna did not attend the trial, and her publicist Liz Rosenberg said Thursday the star wouldn't comment about it.

Read More..

Recipes for Health: Apple Pear Strudel — Recipes for Health


Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times







This strudel is made with phyllo dough. When I tested it the first time, I found that I had enough filling for two strudels. Rather than cut the amount of filling, I increased the number of strudels to 2, as this is a dessert you can assemble and keep, unbaked, in the freezer.




Filling for 2 strudels:


1/2 pound mixed dried fruit, like raisins, currants, chopped dried figs, chopped dried apricots, dried cranberries


1 1/2 pounds apples (3 large) (I recommend Braeburns), peeled, cored and cut in 1/2-inch dice


1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


2 tablespoons unsalted butter for cooking the apples


1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar


1 teaspoon vanilla


1 teaspoon cinnamon


1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg


1/4 cup (30 grams) chopped or slivered almonds


3/4 pound (1 large or 2 small) ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored and cut in 1/2-inch dice


For each strudel:


8 sheets phyllo dough


7/8 cup (100 grams) almond powder, divided


1 1/2 ounces butter, melted, for brushing the phyllo


1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment.


2. Place the dried fruit in a bowl and pour on hot or boiling water to cover. Let sit 5 minutes, and drain. Toss the apples with the lemon juice.


3. Heat a large, heavy frying pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. Wait until it becomes light brown and carefully add the apples and the sugar. Do not add the apples until the pan and the butter are hot enough, or they won’t sear properly and retain their juice. But be careful when you add them so that the hot butter doesn’t splatter. When the apples are brown on one side, add the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and almonds, flip the apples and continue to sauté until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the pears and dried fruit, then scrape out onto one of the lined sheet pans and allow to cool completely. Divide into two equal portions (easiest to do this if you weigh it).


4. Place 8 sheets of phyllo dough on your work surface. Cover with a dish towel and place another, damp dish towel on top of the first towel. Place a sheet of parchment on your work surface horizontally, with the long edge close to you. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on the parchment. Brush lightly with butter and top with the next sheet. Continue to layer all eight sheets, brushing each one with butter before topping with the next one.


5. Brush the top sheet of phyllo dough with butter. Sprinkle on half of the almond powder (50 grams). With the other half, create a line 3 inches from the base of the dough, leaving a 2 1/2-inch margin on the sides. Top this line with one portion of the fruit mixture. Fold the bottom edge of the phyllo up over the filling, then fold the ends over and roll up like a burrito. Using the parchment paper to help you, lift the strudel and place it on the other parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with butter and make 3 or 4 slits on the diagonal along the length of the strudel. Repeat with the other sheets of phyllo to make a second strudel. If you are freezing one of them, double-wrap tightly in plastic.


6. Place the strudel in the oven and bake 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush again with butter, rotate the pan and return to the oven. Continue to bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.


Yield: 2 strudels, each serving 8


Advance preparation: The fruit filling will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. The strudel can be baked a few hours before serving it. Recrisp in a medium oven for 10 minutes. It can also be frozen before baking, double-wrapped in plastic. Transfer directly from the freezer to the oven and add 10 minutes to the baking time.


Nutritional information per serving: 259 calories; 13 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 15 milligrams cholesterol; 34 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 91 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein


Martha Rose Shulman is the author of “The Very Best of Recipes for Health.”


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Lake Tahoe ski resorts splurging on upgrades and expansions









The nation's ski industry suffered an epic wipeout last season, with the least snowfall in decades and one of the steepest drops in skier visits on record.


But instead of retrenching, resort owners are opening their wallets wide on upgrades and expansions.


One of the biggest jumps in spending is taking place at the snow-covered peaks around Lake Tahoe, where resorts are in the midst of a spending splurge of more than $100 million over the next five years.





The flurry of spending began two years ago and includes a newly built on-mountain lodge at Northstar California and a mile-long terrain park at Alpine Meadows, plus new lifts and upgrades to snow-making equipment at several resorts. The Olympic House lodge at Squaw Valley resembled a tired, aging casino before it recently underwent a $2-million face-lift.


"We are putting our shoulder into this," said Andy Wirth, president and chief executive at Squaw Valley. "We know that last year was an anomaly."


Video chat: Tahoe ski resorts get a makeover


Although the nation's ski mountains enjoyed bountiful snowfall in the 2010-11 season, last year they suffered the lowest snowfall in 20 years, forcing half of resorts to either open late or close early. They drew only 51 million skier and snowboarder visits, a 15.8% decline from the previous season, the second-biggest year-over-year decline on record, according to the National Ski Areas Assn., a trade group for resort operators.


"We know the snow is going to come back, and we want to be ready and not have to play catch up," said Nadia Guerriero, general manager of the Village at Northstar, who has managed a $3-million face-lift that includes new outdoor furniture, fire pits and a concert stage next to the village skating rink.


Most of the expenditures come from the deep pockets of two Colorado companies, Vail Resorts, which also owns and operates popular resorts in Colorado and Wyoming, and KSL Capital Partners, a private equity group in Denver. Combined, the two companies own or operate five of the biggest resorts around Lake Tahoe.


Despite erratic snow seasons, Vail Resorts and KSL say they are confident in the future of snow sports and see Lake Tahoe as an underdeveloped gem, in proximity to millions of potential resort visitors from the Bay Area, Sacramento and Southern California.


"Lake Tahoe is a place of unparalleled natural beauty with large, dynamic and successful markets in San Francisco, Sacramento and Reno," said Eric Resnick, a managing director at KSL. "We feel we have the ability to invest and upgrade the resorts and take full advantage of these assets."


Vail Resorts first moved into the Lake Tahoe area with the purchase of Heavenly ski resort in 2002. The company took over Northstar in 2010 and Kirkwood in February.


KSL acquired Squaw Valley ski resort in 2010 and took over Alpine Meadows in 2011, combining the operations to offer skiers 44 lifts and 270 trails on more than 6,000 acres of land.


For the last few years, Lake Tahoe resort owners have been discussing making a bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics while making capital improvements crucial to winning over the International Olympic Committee, which chooses the host city for the Games.


But the U.S. Olympic Committee decided this summer that it would not bid on the 2022 games, opting instead to wait for the Summer Games of 2024 or Winter Olympics of 2026.


Even if Lake Tahoe doesn't host a Winter Olympics, Vail and KSL officials say they see the resort upgrades as smart investments sure to pay off in the long run.


Only a year after Vail Resorts spent $63 million to take over operations at Northstar in 2010, the company began to spend upward of $30 million for a new lodge with 700 seats for drinking and dining, a new high-speed chairlift and two intermediate trails on the backside of the mountain. Snowboarding legend Shaun White was even tapped to design a 22-foot halfpipe.


At the new Zephyr Lodge, which opened last December, Bill Rock, vice president and chief operating officer at Northstar California, pointed to the self-serve salad bar, the food counter that serves Asian fusion dishes and the wall of windows that look out on the snow-capped Sawtooth Ridge.


"Before we built this lodge there was no place to get food up here," he said. "Our guest survey scores have been going up ever since Vail Resorts came in."


Across the lake, Heavenly ski resort completed building a similar on-mountain lodge, Tamarack, in 2010.





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Egypt announces cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas











































































































































Egypt announced a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas effective Wednesday evening local time, the Associated Press reported.


In details of the agreement obtained by news agency, Israel will  cease all military activity against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip at 9 p.m. local time (11 a.m. PST) and Palestinian militants will cease rocket attacks into Israel. After 24 hours of quiet, Gaza's border crossings with Israel will be opened further to allow freer movement of goods and people.


The announcement by Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton followed talks in Cairo between Clinton and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.








TIMELINE: Israel-Gaza conflict


The agreement comes after eight days of devastating fighting that had raised fears on both sides that an Israeli ground invasion might be next. The death toll had reached 144 Palestinians and five Israelis, according to news reports.


Some observers questioned whether the negotiations in Egypt had spurred an uptick in violence in recent days, with each side trying to intimidate the other ahead of the anticipated truce.


Morsi had said Tuesday that a cease-fire was imminent, only to have talks fail to reach an agreement. Arab League leaders and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also helped negotiate the deal.


ALSO:


Tel Aviv bus bombing wounds at least 21


More Afghan land cultivated for opium poppies, U.N. finds


Israeli-Hamas clash sends unsettling ripples throughout Mideast


Edmund Sanders in Gaza City contributed to this report.























































































































































































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Justin Bieber won't face charge for May scuffle

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors say they won't file any charges against Justin Bieber over a May confrontation with a photographer because of a lack of corroborating evidence.

A document obtained Wednesday states that three Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators found no visible injuries, video or photographs to confirm the photographer's story that Bieber kicked and punched him.

Prosecutors had been asked by police to consider filing a misdemeanor battery charge against the pop star.

Bieber was leaving a movie theater in Calabasas with girlfriend Selena Gomez when he got into an altercation with a photographer in the parking lot.

The photographer claimed Bieber kicked him in the abdomen and punched him.

The case was rejected in October and was first reported Wednesday by celebrity website TMZ.

Read More..

Ask an Expert: Ask and Expert About Alzheimer’s, Part 3



(Some questions published here have been edited, and not all questions can be answered.)


The doctor’s answers are meant for educational purposes and are not meant to be a substitute for advice from your own doctor. Readers should contact their physician before making health care decisions.


Q. What practical steps can a baby boomer take to stave off dementia of any type? — Canoe9, Hawaii


Q. My dad’s family has a history of Alzheimer’s disease: my grandfather and many of his brothers have either passed away from the disease, or are currently suffering from it. The disease can be traced back for many generations. My father has not yet started to show symptoms. Are there any medications he can take as a preventative measure? What are the best diet and lifestyle choices a person can make who has an increased risk of developing the disease? — VB, Canada


Q. Both of my inlaws have Alzheimer’s. What steps can my husband and his brothers take now to delay/prevent the disease? And should he be monitored at an Alzheimer’s center? — lbs, New Jersey


Q. My mother, two older brothers and two older sisters all had progressive mental dementia (I believe Alzheimer’s ) before age of 65. I am 64 and had extensive mental exam that found no symptoms. For prevention I am doing it as follows. 1. Have become a Vegan with very little use of vegetable oils after reading China Study by Campbell and Starch Solution by McDougall. 2. I use lots of turmeric, ginger, cinnamon in my food. 3. I have run 20 to 30 miles a week for the last 10 years. 4. I retired to reduce work related stress. Is there any other preventive measures you recommend? — Jaque, Champaign, Ill.


Q. My mother had a form or dementia, not sure if it was Alzheimer’s, and she lived to 96. And what can I do to improve my chances? I work out and am not overweight and am in good health otherwise. — Mitchellmcg, New York


A. There are dozens of causes of dementia and steps for prevention are different for each one. We have no proven preventive strategies for Alzheimer’s. The decision to monitor people at risk is made on a case by case basis, but I don’t usually recommend any monitoring until someone is about five years within the age their relative developed it; or they note changes in their memory. My top strategies to keep your brain healthy are listed below.


1. Vascular risks: Minimize your risk for strokes, heart disease and diabetes (keep your body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar in normal range). Studies find strong links between vascular risks and Alzheimer’s.


2. Exercise regularly: Regular aerobic activities, such as walking, may reduce risk for dementia by keeping the brain’s blood vessels healthy, boosting nerve growth chemicals and slowing age-related brain shrinkage.


3. Stimulate your mind: Socialize actively, make new friends, try new activities, travel to new places and be passionate about learning new things. Adult brains can grow new brain cell connections and developing a greater cognitive reserve might help the buffer against dementia pathology.


4. Heart healthy diet: follow a heart healthy diet such as a Mediterranean diet but heed the old Okinawan saying Hari Hachi Bu – eat only till you are 80 percent full; drink in moderation (but not till you cannot remember what happened the prior night!)


5. Minimize your risk for head injury by wearing helmets. (The Hovding is a new invisible helmet that promises to keeps your hair looking pretty and your head safe!)


6. Take part in clinical trials – pros are that trials may offer regular check-ups and you are helping science; cons are that there are safety risks. Our book, The Alzheimer’s Action Plan gives a step-by-step guide to evaluate which clinical trials are best for you. You might enjoy reading the new book, “Super Brain.” It’s coauthored by the dementia scientist Rudolf Tanzi and the mind-body guru, Deepak Chopra.


Q. I can´t find a Spanish version of “The Alzheimer’s Action Plan.” Will we have it soon? — Marisabel Neuman, Orlando, Fla.


A. Not yet, but we are open to it if you know an interested publisher! But your question does highlight the fact that many Spanish only speakers in the United States and elsewhere are often left out of the mainstream of information on Alzheimer’s. Hispanics in the United States may be at a slightly greater risk for Alzheimer’s due to higher rates of heart disease. Gracias por su interes!


Q. Since my mother developed Alzheimer’s in her mid-80’s, presumably I am at greater risk than the general population, should I live to a similar age. What is your best guess about the likelihood of preventative medications or treatments being developed in the next 25 years? — Beth, Singapore


A. The track record of scientists at predicting a “cure” is not very good (about the same as that of stock analysts predicting the market). The last dozen or so experimental medicines for Alzheimer’s (all touted as the next big thing) have not only failed but results have often been the opposite of what was predicted.


That said, in the next 5-10 years, we will have the results from over 25 trials testing a broad range of strategies such as drugs targeting plaques, drugs targeting tangles, drugs boosting brain memory chemicals, aerobic exercise, different types of diets and medical foods, gene therapy, as well as novel devices to stimulate the brain’s memory centers. (You can check clinicaltrials.org or adcs.org for more information). So the odds are quite good that we will have one or more new treatments by 2025. But even if a cure were in a test tube today, it would take ten years to get to the market. That’s why it’s critical that individuals, such as yourself, sign up for clinical trials.


You may be surprised to learn that one type of “cure” is already available. About 10 years ago, a woman with familial early onset Alzheimer’s successfully conceived a healthy baby free of the harmful APP gene mutation through a technique called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) at a fertility clinic run by the doctor, Yuri Verlinski. That baby, who would now be 10 years old, has hopefully been cured of familial Alzheimer’s and will in turn be able to have risk free children.


Q. My father, his mother, his mother’s sister, my maternal grandmother and her sister and my maternal aunt all had or have Alzheimer’s - symptomatic onset at 70 and in the early 80’s. I have just turned 60 and think I’d be a great research subject in terms of lifestyle. Can you suggest any research projects that might use me? I understand that some very important studies are being run through Duke. — Kristin Pop’s daughter, Ithaca.


Q. Kristin’s background, age, concerns, and interest in research studies mirror mine - which I have posted. Please inform us of potential studies. I am willing to travel, even to Duke, which she mentioned in her post. —Mary Christian Madden, East Greenwich, RI


A. Thanks for the offer! Most research studies require people to come for multiple visits over several months/years which would be difficult for people living far away. A university affiliated medical center closer to your home might be more ideal. Clinicaltrials.gov has a listing of all ongoing prevention studies. Many such studies are also advertised in pages of local newspapers. The Alzheimer’s Association chapter in your home town may be able to guide you to find a suitable research study in your town. Don’t sign up for a trial just because you have a spare half day. Make sure you thoroughly research the pros and cons. Fewer than 1 percent of drug trials are positive, but 100 percent of all drug trials carry risks. So the odds of you personally benefiting are the same as in a lottery.


Q. Her whole life my mother drank four cups of tea every day, read two to three books a week, ate mostly vegetables, didn’t smoke, drank wine moderately, and stayed slim. She started showing signs of Alzheimers in her mid 50’s and has been steadly declining for 15 years now. Although a bad lifestyle can cause dementia in many people, it is more complicated than that. — Joseph, Fla.


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Consumer confidence holds at five-year high, but barely























































































Consumer confidence has perked up in recent months. Above, customers Russell and Maggie Love make purchase with sales associate Kevin Kanifati  at a Sears store in Torrance, Calif.


Consumer confidence has perked up in recent months. Above, customers Russell and Maggie Love listen to sales associate Kevin Kanifati at a Sears store in Torrance.
(Patrick Fallon / Bloomberg)































































WASHINGTON -- Consumer confidence held at a five-year high in November, but there were signs that concerns about the "fiscal cliff" are starting to weigh on sentiments.


The final November index of consumer sentiment stood at 82.7 based on the widely followed survey by Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan. That's a notch above the 82.6 reading for October, but down from the 84.9 preliminary index earlier in November.


Details of the report released Wednesday showed consumers' mood about current conditions brightened in November, most likely reflecting the improving housing market and gains in job growth in October.





But consumers were less upbeat about expectations for the future, signaling greater awareness and caution about a fiscal cliff of higher taxes and federal spending cuts at the start of next year, unless lawmakers take action to avert what most analysts believe will lead the nation into recession.


The latest report comes just two days before the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. Surveys suggest that the Christmas retail season will likely match last year's performance, but sales could disappoint if consumers become increasingly nervous that the nation could go over the fiscal cliff.


ALSO:


Superstorm Sandy a factor in retail sales drop last month

Corporate chiefs fear 'fiscal cliff,' but consumers are unfazed


Fed chairman urges Obama, Congress to try to avoid 'fiscal cliff'

























































































































































































Comments are filtered for language and registration is required. The Times makes no guarantee of comments' factual accuracy. Readers may report inappropriate comments by clicking the Report Abuse link next to a comment. Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form.




















































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Feds charge former hedge fund manager in big insider-trading case









WASHINGTON -- Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a former hedge fund portfolio manager with securities fraud in connection with what they said was the most lucrative insider-trading case ever prosecuted.


In complaints filed in New York, authorities said investment advisors and hedge funds made more than $276 million in illegal profits or avoided losses by trading before the announcement in 2008 of negative results from clinical trials for an Alzheimer's disease drug being developed by Elan Corp. and Wyeth.


Prosecutors charged Mathew Martoma, a former portfolio manager at CR Intrinsic, an unregistered investment adviser, with securities fraud for allegedly illegally using information about the clinical trial results that he obtained from a neurologist at a hospital involved in the testing.





The criminal complaint did not name the neurologist, which it said was a cooperating witness in the case.


The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a a related civil suit Tuesday against Martoma, CR Intrinsic and Dr. Sidney Gilman, a neurology professor at the University of Michigan Medical School. The SEC suit said Gilman was chairman of the safety monitoring committee overseeing the clinical trials of the Alzheimer's drug.


Martoma met Gilman some time between 2006 and 2008 through paid consultations, the SEC complaint says. "During these consultations, Gilman provided Martoma with material, nonpublic information about the ongoing trial," the SEC complaint said.


In mid-July 2008, "Gilman provided Martoma with the actual, detailed results of the clinical trial" before an official announcement on July 29, 2008, the SEC said.


The FBI, SEC and U.S. attorney's office in New York scheduled a 12:30 p.m. EST news conference to discuss the case.


"The charges unsealed today describe cheating coming and going – specifically, insider trading first on the long side, and then on the short side, on a scale that has no historical precedent," said Preet Bharara, U.S. attorney for Manhattan.  "As alleged, by cultivating and corrupting a doctor with access to secret drug data, Mathew Martoma and his hedge fund benefited from what might be the most lucrative inside tip of all time."


Follow Jim Puzzanghera on Twitter and Google+.


Also:


Senate moves insider trading bill to Obama's desk.


Baseball star Eddie Murray settles insider-trading investigation.


Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta guilty of insider trading.





http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/17/business/la-fi-sec-murray-20120818






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Interpublic exits Facebook
















(Reuters) – Interpublic Group of Cos said it sold its remaining investment in Facebook Inc for $ 95 million in cash.


Interpublic said it expects to record a pre-tax gain of $ 94 million. It had recorded a pre-tax gain of $ 132.2 million for the third quarter of last year from the sale of half of its 0.4 percent stake in Facebook.













Interpublic paid less than $ 5 million for the stake in 2006.


Shares of Facebook, which debuted with a market value of more than $ 100 billion in May, have lost nearly half their value since then on concerns about money-making prospects.


“We decided to sell our remaining shares in Facebook as our investment was no longer strategic in nature,” Chief Executive Michael Roth said in a statement.


Interpublic also authorized an increase in its existing share repurchase program to $ 400 million from $ 300 million. The company repurchased shares worth $ 151 million, as of September 30.


Shares of the company were up 1 percent at $ 10 on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday.


Facebook shares were marginally up at $ 23.00 on the Nasdaq.


(Reporting by Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bangalore; Editing by Joyjeet Das)


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