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Source: http://networks.org/?src=ap:A:AS_CHINA_EARTHQUAKE
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SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? A bond hearing took more a tone of a trial Friday when both sides in the Trayvon Martin murder case presented what sounded like opening statements with the defense quizzing witnesses and trying to poke holes in the prosecution?s evidence.
Former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, 28, has pleaded not guilty to a second-degree murder charge in the shooting death of the unarmed 17-year-old in February. He is in jail after a judge revoked his $150,000 bond because he ruled Zimmerman and his wife lied about their finances.
He?s asking the same judge to again let him out on bail, and during a second lengthy hearing, Zimmerman?s lawyer sparred with prosecutors over those finances and questioned why his client is in jail at all, arguing that Martin?s actions led to his death. It concluded with the judge saying he would need more time to decide whether to grant Zimmerman bail again.
It was the latest in what will certainly be a string of mini-trials going forward as Zimmerman?s attorneys try to rehabilitate his credibility. In a case where he?s claiming protection under Florida?s ?stand your ground? self-defense law, his believability will be at the heart of the case. Defense attorney Mark O?Mara ultimately decided against calling his client to the stand Friday, unlike the first bond hearing in which Zimmerman apologized to Martin?s family.
He did call Zimmerman?s father to testify, and played a chilling 911 call from the Feb. 26 night when Martin was killed. A call that includes a disputed cry for help and the fatal gunshot. Robert Zimmerman said he was sure that was his son?s cry. ?This prosecutor has made a very specific showing that this case is strong,? O?Mara said. ?It was important for us to counter that.?
Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester trudged through it all, and now has to go over eight to 10 hours of evidence submitted by the defense.
Randy McClean, a defense attorney based in the Orlando area, said though he thinks there was definite gamesmanship going on, there was purpose in using Friday as ?a litmus test for the court of public opinion.?
?I think it?s less testing the judge. The judge is going to rule on issues of law,? McClean said. ?I think this is a case where Mark doesn?t have a lot to lose by putting forth this testimony. He is promoting his defense in the public. ... The jury pool is going to come from the public. I think it could be effective.?
Whatever the defense?s strategy, Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump said they hope the judge will see past it as the case progresses. ?I do think O?Mara was trying to try the case, and the judge was like ?This is a bond hearing,?? Crump said. ?I think that he understands that Zimmerman?s credibility has taken a severe hit and that at the end of the day, America isn?t going to forget that he lied to the court.?
Much of the second hearing focused on the donations raised through a PayPal account and how it was repeatedly transferred between bank accounts Zimmerman and his wife controlled. ?It was done to hide the money so they could deceive the court, lie to the court. Mrs. Zimmerman lied to the court and this defendant just sat there and let it happen,? prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda said.
O?Mara countered that ?it is not the grand conspiracy the state seems to suggest.?
There was also a great deal of evidence and testimony about the head injuries Zimmerman suffered the night of the fight with Martin, including a broken nose and cuts on his skull. Zimmerman was also described by a probation officer as a ?model client? who had not violated any of his previous bond conditions.
Shellie Zimmerman has since been charged with perjury. She is out of jail on $1,000 bond and her arraignment is set for July 31.
Source: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/06/florida_judge_weighs_whether_t.html
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*ViaComIT PUMA teamed up with the iconic automotive brand MINI to create a "British" collection for Fall/Winter 2012.
#9726Source: http://notcouture.notcot.org/post/9726/
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June 29, 2012 12:23 am
Recently I attended several hours of meetings with the governor's office about the Shell cracker plant which might -- and I need to stress might -- come to Beaver County.
The controversial issue is a series of tax credits for the plant. Some opponents have left the impression the state would simply be writing Shell a check. This is not true. They would allow Shell to keep more of its own money to pass along as credits for companies that sell it natural gas from Pennsylvania, or make products from that gas in Pennsylvania.
The union understands that this incentive means that Shell would begin a $4 billion construction project for this plant, meaning as many as 10,000 good-paying construction jobs. Another 10,000 to 20,000 spinoff jobs could then follow in the coming decades.
Debbie Srogi's recent commentary ("Governor Giveaway: Corbett Keeps Shoveling Our Money to Oil and Gas Companies," June 15 Perspectives) criticized this deal as a giveaway. This union doesn't see this as a tax credit. We see it as a job creation credit. Let's not let this chance get away because of political partisanship.
MARK THOMAS
Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer
Iron Workers Local Union No. 3
Strip District
First Published June 29, 2012 12:00 am
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Face Unlock launched with a bit of controversy and skepticism because it was easy to game the system. A person could hold up a picture of the device owner and unlock the phone because the unlock screen required only that a facial match be detected. In Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, Face Unlock ups the ante with a ?Liveness check? feature.
Jelly Bean has an optional security feature that adds an extra layer of security for face unlock. When someone sets the phone to enable ?Liveness check,? the phone will only unlock when the front-facing camera detects that someone blinks when prompted. If someone fails to blink fast enough or tries to use a static image, the phone will not unlock unless the correct backup gesture/pin lock is entered.
Requiring blinking makes Face Unlock smarter, but it?s not foolproof. I managed to trick the phone into letting me in by holding up a video of me blinking. However, considering the extreme unlikeliness that someone has video of you blinking enough times and can quickly line up both screens, I seriously doubt that should be too much of a concern.
Like I said when Face Unlock was first available, this is more about novelty than it is security. That?s still the case because a pin or gesture lock will still be more secure than Face Unlock, but an improvement is always welcome. This is great for people who worried about Face Unlock being duped by someone holding up a Facebook photo of the owner, and the facial recognition seems to be much faster than it was on Ice Cream Sandwich.
Jelly Bean owners can enable blink detection by taking the following steps:
Hat tip to Droid-Life
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<strong>"The Bachelor," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> You really think we've seen the last rose handed out? Not in a million years. ABC has already tapped their next "Bachelorette," and we know they'll have their eyes peeled for a hot rejected man from that spinoff to be the next "Bachelor."
<strong>"The Bachelorette," ABC</strong> <br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Likely to be renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "Bachelor" Brad's also-ran Emily Maynard is getting her turn as the rose giver for the seventh season of "The Bachelorette" this summer. As long as there are people willing to look for love on reality TV, this show will keep on trucking.
<strong>"Body of Proof," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "Body of Proof" has been falling below its timeslot competitor, CBS's "Unforgettable," but it still draws a decent audience and its fans are very vocal. ABC has decided it deserves a third season.
<strong>"Castle," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> This show's ratings have definitely suffered without "Dancing With the Stars" airing beforehand, but it is a consistent performer. And now that Castle and Beckett's relationship is evolving, a fifth season of "oh yes they will" is a no-brainer.
<strong>"Charlie's Angels," ABC</strong> <br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Not really a shock for anybody, but "Charlie's Angels" is cooked. Flimsy story, bad remake, questionable casting.
<strong>"Cougar Town," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed -- for TBS!<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The Season 3 ratings weren't boosted much by holding this show until midseason, but ABC's wonky air schedule also didn't help ... which is why the news that TBS has picked up the show for a fourth season is huge. Cheers with your Big Carl!
<strong>"Dancing With the Stars," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "DWTS" may have lost its luster in the ratings, but if the viewers are still coming.
<strong>"Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> ABC's new bleep-worthy comedy starring Krysten Ritter, Dreama Walker and James Van Der Beek is a funny one, and definitely embraces the quirk (Beek Jeans!), so we're excited to see what they do with a second season.
<strong>"Desperate Housewives," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> After countless deaths, murders, betrayals and natural disasters on Wisteria Lane over the show's eight seasons, the ladies of "Desperate Housewives" will say goodbye forever this May.
<strong>"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> After a whopping nine seasons, the do-gooding show came to an end in January. But worry not, it will continue to have a few specials to make viewers cry tears of joy.
<strong>"GCB," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> This "Desperate Housewives"-esque dramedy premiered to less than 8 million viewers, and the phenomenal cast (Kristin Chenoweth, Annie Potts, Leslie Bibb) couldn't bring in a Texas-sized audience, so ABC canceled it.
<strong>"Grey's Anatomy," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Shonda Rhimes' medical drama is a ratings juggernaut, even in its eighth season, and with most of her <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/greys-anatomy-ellen-pompeo_n_1506113.html?ref=tv" target="_hplink">big stars signed on for more</a>, ABC gave the go-ahead for a ninth season.
<strong>"Happy Endings," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> This show is way too "ca-yute" to bubble it, and obviously someone high up at ABC agrees. After its first season was moved around and aired all out of order, the network still gave it another chance to find its audience in Season 2 ... and it has, and hopefully will continue to in Season 3.
<strong>"Last Man Standing," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status: </strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Ratings for Tim Allen's return to sitcoms have been very strong, making it Tuesday's most-watched comedy. If you can beat "Glee" and "The Biggest Loser," a second season is a given.
<strong>"Man Up!," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> ABC pulled the show after eight episodes.
<strong>"The Middle," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Now in its third season, "The Middle" is still holding onto its middle position in the ratings on Wednesday nights, and that seems just about right. It doesn't do "American Idol" or "Survivor" numbers, of course, but with over 7 million viewers, it's a strong comedy for the network that easily beats anything NBC is offering.
<strong>"Missing," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Ashley Judd lead this drama about a former CIA agent whose son goes missing, kicking her back into action to find him. The series was only set to air 10 episodes, miniseries-style, with the potential for more, but a cancellation means that's all they're getting.
<strong>"Modern Family," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "Modern Family" remains ABC's biggest sitcom success story of the last decade, both in ratings and awards love. This critical darling is getting a fourth season of hijinks with the hilarious Pritchett-Dunphy clan.
<strong>"Once Upon A Time," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "Once Upon a Time" has gotten praise for being one of the more family-friendly dramas on TV, and it's been pulling in close to 10 million viewers each week because of it. We're excited by the almost endless possibilities for new fairy tale-inspired stories to tackle in Season 2.
<strong>"Pan Am," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Poor "Pan Am" just never quite took off. The series' vintage look actually worked against it, much like NBC's swiftly canceled "Playboy Club" -- guess when you're being compared to award-winning shows like "Mad Men," it makes it more than a little tough to live up to the hype.
<strong>"Private Practice," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "Private Practice" has never gotten "Grey's Anatomy"-level ratings, and things got shakier when ABC bumped it to Tuesday nights to make room for creator Shonda Rhimes' <em>other</em> new show, "Scandal," but they've given the show a sixth season order.
<strong>"Revenge," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> With a clever mix of drama, mystery and serious revenge-ing, this is hands down one of the most addictive new shows on TV, and we can't wait to see where they take things in Season 2.
<strong>"The River," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The promise of "Paranormal Activity"-like scares each week quickly fizzled after this show premiered, along with the ratings. The first season's eight episodes came and went, and ABC has nixed any plans for more.
<strong>"Scandal," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Shonda Rhimes' latest show isn't about doctors at all -- and that's why we're glad it's sticking around. Kerry Washington is amazing as Olivia Pope, a Washington, D.C. fixer with a crack team of specialists helping make bad headlines vanish before they're ever written. Here's hoping for more than seven episodes in its second season.
<strong>"Shark Tank," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Now in its third season, this reality competition show is unlike any other on network TV and ABC is keeping it around for more for that very reason.
<strong>"Suburgatory," ABC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> It's smart, quick and not too cute -- "Suburgatory" is consistently named the sitcom you should be watching, but probably aren't. The great cast makes this one a no-brainer, and the ratings have stayed pretty consistent, too. We're thrilled it's getting a second season to shine!
<strong>"Work It," ABC</strong> <br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Let us count the ways ...
<strong>"2 Broke Girls," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why: </strong>At first, people balked at the racist supporting characters, but now it seems that audiences are all over "2 Broke Girls" -- it's ratings have seen a steady increase, and it won the People's Choice Award for Favorite New Comedy.
<strong>"A Gifted Man," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why: </strong>"A Gifted Man's" total viewer numbers were OK for a Friday night, but a 1.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic is especially bad for CBS. Another bad sign: star Patrick Wilson tweeted about the end: "I had a great time. Thanks to my fans. So happy it's done." And done it is.
<strong>"The Amazing Race," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status: </strong>Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Voted the best reality show on TV several times (albeit years ago), "The Amazing Race" isn't going anywhere. Ratings have dropped a bit, but are still solid.
<strong>"The Big Bang Theory," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Nothing seems to be able to make a dent in this show. With fantastic ratings (it beat "Idol"!) and a rabid following, we'll be seeing plenty more "Big Bang" before its run is over.
<strong>"Blue Bloods," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The anchor of Friday nights on CBS, "Blue Bloods" has performed well, pulling in around 11 million viewers an episode. The show might not have the youngest audience, but it's still enough for CBS to keep it on the schedule.
<strong>"Criminal Minds," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Paget Brewster might be checking out, but "Criminal Minds" is here to stay. In Season 7, the procedural is still a consistently strong ratings performer for CBS.
<strong>"CSI," CBS</strong> <br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Whenever the time comes, the "CSI" mothership will end with a lot of fanfare, but not this year. With new faces Ted Danson and Elisabeth Shue around, there is going to be at least one more season.<br />
<strong>"CSI: Miami," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Out of the three (!) "CSI" programs on the air, "CSI: Miami" is the one to say goodbye first. The one-time ratings giant has been affected by football overruns (just as "The Good Wife" has) and "CSI: NY" has the edge in terms of total viewers, meaning a "Miami" sunset was inevitable. <br />
<strong>"CSI: NY," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Of the two "CSI" spinoffs, "CSI: NY" is the stronger -- pulling in more than 10 million viewers on a Friday night is no easy task -- and with "CSI: Miami" canceled, "CSI: NY's" renewal was a no-brainer.
<strong>"The Good Wife," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> This critical darling suffered after its move from Tuesdays to Sundays thanks to sports overruns. The viewers are frustrated, but given its strong cast and Emmy love, the show is still coming back for more.
<strong>"Hawaii Five-0," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Despite the scheduling setback as Alex O'Loughlin seeks treatment, Season 2 is still doing well for CBS in a very competitive timeslot.<br />
<strong>"How To Be A Gentleman," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Not even having "The Big Bang Theory" as a lead-in could save this David Hornsby project, which only lasted three episodes.
<strong>"How I Met Your Mother," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> CBS renewed "How I Met Your Mother" for two more seasons in March 2011, so fans can look forward to being strung along about the titular mother's identity for a bit longer.<br />
<strong>"The Mentalist," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Although the show hit a season ratings low in the middle of February, its fanbase and overall ratings were enough to have it return for another season.
<strong>"Mike & Molly," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Thanks to an Emmy win and Oscar nomination, Melissa McCarthy is a Hollywood power player and CBS is keen to keep her around. Just look at the multiple pilots she has in the works as a behind the scenes player! "Mike & Molly" will be back for a third season.
<strong>"NCIS," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The long-running procedural has become a ratings juggernaut at a time when most shows start shedding viewers. Season 10 is now happening.
<strong>"NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong>Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> This show has gone up in the ratings over the last couple of years, and people can't get enough of L.L. Cool J and Chris O'Donnell.
<strong>"NYC 22," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> This "Rookie Blue" clone from executive producer Robert DeNiro didn't really move the needle when it premiered midseason; CBS officially axed it with three episodes left to air.
<strong>"Person of Interest," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> With ratings matching juggernauts like "Grey's Anatomy" and fans popping up everywhere, we'll be seeing another season of "Person of Interest."
<strong>"Rob," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "Rob's" spot after ratings juggernaut "The Big Bang Theory" probably went a long way in helping it survive to see the end of its first season, but that's as far as it'll get.
<strong>"Rules of Engagement," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> This show has moved around so much it's hard to remember when it's on, and with six seasons under its belt it's had quite a nice run. Despite slipping ratings and the aforementioned constant switcheroos, there's still a future for "Rules of Engagement."
<strong>"Survivor," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status: </strong>Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Of <em>course</em> we have "Survivor" coming back for another season. Where else are we going to see petty squabbles and insane behavior on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world?
<strong>"Two and a Half Men," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Despite a less-than-favorable critical response, the revamped "Two and a Half Men" keeps pulling in respectable numbers every week. Ashton Kutcher, Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones will all return for a Season 10.
<strong>"Undercover Boss," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The inherent addictiveness of this show has gone a long way in securing loyal viewers -- it has been on top of the ratings several times this season alone.
<strong>"Unforgettable," CBS</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Likely to be renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> In its timeslot, "Unforgettable" keeps emerging on top, beating out "Parenthood" and "Body of Proof." Leading lady Poppy Montgomery has been called "the female version of 'The Mentalist,'" another top-rated show, so things are looking positive.
<strong>"90210," The CW</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> While its ratings have plummeted since last season, the Beverly Hills crew is still doing better than "Supernatural," "Hart of Dixie," "Nikita," and "Gossip Girl" on average.
<strong>"America's Next Top Model," The CW<br /> Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Tyra Banks' reality show is in the early stages of its 18th cycle with a Brit vs. U.S. installment. Cycle 19 will be the show's inaugural "college edition."
<strong>"Gossip Girl," The CW</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Fans will get to say goodbye to the Upper East-Siders in a sixth and reportedly shortened final season.
<strong>"H8R," The CW</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Apparently, the opposite of MTV's former series "Fanatic" proved people don't love to hate Kim Kardashian and Snooki as much as we thought. It lasted four episodes.
<strong>"Hart of Dixie," The CW</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Josh Schwartz and Rachel Bilson return for a sophomore season of "Hart of Dixie," hopefully so they can make more viral videos.
<strong>"Nikita," The CW</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why: </strong>We're shocked the show is coming back for another season, but its hard-core fans will certainly be happy.
<strong>"One Tree Hill," The CW</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> After nine seasons, it's time to say goodbye to "One Tree Hill." After subpar ratings, the network decided to pull the plug on its long-standing teen soap. Thankfully, the CW gave "One Tree Hill" a final 13 episodes to wrap up all of the drama.
<strong>"Remodeled," The CW</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> As good as dead<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Not only has "Remodeled" already been replaced on the CW schedule, but it debuted with one of the CW's lowest-rated premiere ever, scoring a terrible 0.3 in the coveted 18-49 demo.
<strong>"Ringer," The CW</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Sarah Michelle Gellar's double-life proved too complicated and poorly-produced for viewers to care much about.
<strong>"The Secret Circle," The CW</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Somewhat of a surprising development given its decent ratings, but it never quite lived up to its lead-in, "The Vampire Diaries."
<strong>"Supernatural," The CW<br /> Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> This fan favorite will return, but time will tell if the cast wants a Season 8.
<strong>"The Vampire Diaries," The CW <br /> Status:</strong> Renewed <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "Vampire Diaries" is The CW's golden child ... the vampires and witches and werewolves of Mystic Falls aren't going anywhere.
<strong>"Alcatraz," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "Alcatraz" -- and almost every other recent J.J. Abrams TV project -- proves that slapping "from J.J. Abrams" on a show does not equal ratings success. The series debuted strong, but fizzled in the ratings, leading Fox to pull the plug.
<strong>"Allen Gregory," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Jonah Hill's animated series only lasted seven episodes. The Oscar nominee should probably just stick to movies for a while ...
<strong>"American Dad," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Fox gave out early renewals to "American Dad" and "The Cleveland Show," keeping its Sunday night animation block intact. <br />
<strong>"American Idol," Fox</strong> <br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Likely to be renewed <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The show's declining ratings have been widely reported this season, but it's hard to imagine TV life without "Idol."
<strong>"Bob's Burgers," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Too soon to tell<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The sophomore season of this quirky animated comedy kicks off this month (Sun., Mar. 11), so don't expect to hear about a Season 3 just yet.<br />
<strong>"Bones," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed <br /> <strong>Why: </strong>The show got a ratings boost thanks to its lead-in "The X Factor." With the floundering state of Fox's dramas (see ya, "House"), Fox is holding on to this one.
<strong>"Breaking In," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why: </strong>After a last minute revival, "Breaking In" returned for a second season with Megan Mullally in tow, but it wasn't enough to revive this D.O.A. comedy.
<strong>"The Cleveland Show," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Fox gave "The Cleveland Show" and "American Dad" early renewals and this spinoff will be back for a Season 4, but no word on a fifth season.<br />
<strong>"Family Guy," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why: </strong>Fox handed out early renewals to the Seth MacFarlane animated comedies.
<strong>"The Finder," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "The Finder" hit the benches for a bit before moving to Fridays, and the numbers never improved. Averaging less than 6 million viewers an episode (not so hot for a Fox drama), it was only a matter of time ...
<strong>"Fringe," Fox <br /> Status:</strong> Renewed <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> This fan favorite has struggled in the ratings, but Fox has agreed to give it a 13-episode order for a fifth and final season to wrap up all the mysteries of both universes.
<strong>"Glee," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status: </strong>Renewed<br /> <strong>Why: </strong>The hit teen series is breaking records in music sales, but its overall viewership has slipped. After a bit of a PR debacle about graduating characters that ended with spinoff plans being squashed, "Glee" will get another season.
<strong>"Hell's Kitchen," Fox <br /> Status:</strong> Renewed <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Last year at this time, Fox renewed the Gordon Ramsay series for two more seasons, so it's all set.
<strong>"House," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> After eight seasons and countless unsolvable medical cases solved, this Fox medical drama is coming to an end.
<strong>"I Hate My Teenage Daughter," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why: </strong> As if getting panned by critics wasn't enough, "I Hate My Teenage Daughter's" shrinking ratings had the show marked for death, then Fox benched the sitcom for three months after only four episodes and then ... yep, buh-bye forever. No shock there.
<strong>"Kitchen Nightmares," Fox <br /> Status:</strong> Renewed?<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> In early February, Fox signed on for a?16-episode fifth season of this other Gordon Ramsay series. They're in the Gordon Ramsay business, and they're not going anywhere.
<strong>"MasterChef," Fox <br /> Status:</strong> Likely to be renewed <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> No official announcement has been made regarding a third season, but there was a casting call issued during episodes throughout Season 2. And if Gordon Ramsay's track record with Fox is any indication, it's as good as renewed.
<strong>"Mobbed," Fox <br /> Status:</strong> On the bubble <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> It started with a ratings bang, but things have only gone down from there for Fox's flash mob reality show with Howie Mandel at the helm. It's not on the schedule in any regular timeslot though, so it's possible they'll continue producing a few episodes a year.
<strong>"Napoleon Dynamite," Fox <br /> Status:</strong> On the bubble<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> After a decent debut, "Napoleon Dynamite" dropped about half of its audience to about 4 million viewers per episode. It could go either way.<br />
<strong>"New Girl," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "New Girl" was the first new Fox show to get a full Season 1 order and the show has continued to perform well in the ratings and in the 18-49 demographic. America loves that adorkable charm.
<strong>"Q'Viva: The Chosen," Fox</strong> <br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Too soon to tell/Not their call<br /> <strong>Why: </strong>Shortly after the Latin American-based show -- starring J. Lo and her ex-husband Marc Anthony -- debuted on Univision, Fox picked up an English-language version that debuted in early March. Though the reality series underperformed in its Saturday night timeslot, it's not Fox's decision whether or not we'll see more "Q'Viva."
<strong>"Raising Hope," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Thanks (or no thanks) in part to the success of "New Girl," the sophomore season of "Raising Hope" has moved around timeslots, but it has retained about a 2.1 score in the adults 18-49 demo.
<strong>"The Simpsons," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> After a very tense contract standoff, the voice actors of "The Simpsons" and the studio agreed to new terms and the show was renewed through Season 25.
<strong>"So You Think You Can Dance," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status: </strong>Too soon to tell<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Season 9 of "So You Think You Can Dance" won't debut until this summer and when it does, there will be changes: Fox has nixed the results show entirely. If the fanbase is still there, the cheaper production could save the show for another few seasons.
<strong>"Terra Nova," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Fox pulled the plug on this very expensive dinosaur drama, but reports indicate producers are looking to keep the show alive on a different network.<br />
<strong>"Touch," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The Kiefer Sutherland drama had a sizable audience (about 12 million viewers) for its preview and has remained somewhat steady since its premiere. Fox showed faith in the series, giving it the post-"American Idol" slot, and it paid off.
<strong>"The X Factor," Fox</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why: </strong>Fox has already renewed the singing competition for a second season and boy will there be changes: two new hosts and two new judges will join Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid at the table.
<strong>"30 Rock," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong>"30 Rock" is showing its age, but the star power of Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin can't be denied -- NBC has renewed the show for a seventh and final season of 13 episodes.
<strong>"America's Got Talent," NBC <br /> Status:</strong> Likely to be renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> NBC's top-rated summer show is moving to New York for this upcoming season, but it's most likely not going anywhere. Unless, of course, the new judge -- shock jock Howard Stern -- really messes things up somehow.
<strong>"Are You There, Chelsea?," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> With just over 3 million viewers an episode, it wasn't not exactly a strong performer, even by NBC's standards. Even Chelsea Handler and NBC's fondness for funny ladies couldn't save this show.
<strong>"Awake," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> "Awake" had gotten some great promotion, but its numbers were pretty middle of the road and only went down further -- genre shows with heavy serialized elements are always tricky.
<strong>"Bent," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled <br /> <strong>Why: </strong>The Amanda Peet comedy premiered in late March and had six episodes to prove itself, but NBC didn't give it much of a chance, airing them back-to-back.
<strong>"Best Friends Forever," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong>Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The female buddy sitcom starring and co-created by Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham was yanked from the schedule and then axed for good.
<strong>"Betty White's Off Their Rockers," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Too soon to tell<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Even though Betty White isn't doing the pranking, "Off Their Rockers" could still make a comeback.
<strong>"The Biggest Loser," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Likely to be renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> NBC's weight loss competition show has been around for years, and despite sagging overall ratings, its 18-49 rating (a recent episode got a 2.0) is still one of NBC's highest.
<strong>"Celebrity Apprentice," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Likely to be renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Series low ratings probably won't kill this franchise. But are there any D-listers left who haven't competed for Donald Trump's approval?
<strong>"Chuck," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The Josh Schwartz spy dramedy ended its five-season run in January.
<strong>"Community," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status: </strong>Renewed<br /> <strong>Why: </strong>Beloved by (a very vocal) few, ignored by many -- that's "Community" in a nutshell. After getting benched in January, "Community" returned to NBC's schedule with a vengeance, getting it a fourth season pick-up for 13 episodes to air on Fridays. Cool, cool, cool -- you can pop, pop! that champagne now.
<strong>"Fashion Star," NBC</strong> <br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why: </strong>The high-style reality series with Nicole Richie, Jessica Simpson, Elle Macpherson and John Varvatos has certainly been confusing, but it's still a smart business model: The winning designs each week are for sale in stores the next day, and those stores just happen to be covering a large portion of production and advertising costs.
<strong>"Fear Factor," NBC <br /> Status:</strong> Likely to be renewed <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Despite the donkey semen scandal that cut this season of "Fear Factor" a bit short, <a href="http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/fear-factor-returns-and-makes-a-ratings-splash/" target="_hplink">"Fear Factor" boosts NBC's ratings</a> ... and can a scandal really compete with that?
<strong>"The Firm," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> As good as dead<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The show hasn't officially gotten the axe yet, but "The Firm" was moved to Saturdays after turning in an incredibly poor performance (less than a 1 rating in the 18-49 demo) on Thursday nights.
<strong>"Free Agents," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> This show just didn't have much life in it. It was canceled after just four episodes, despite its awesome lead actors Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn.
<strong>"Grimm," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The supernatural fairy tale drama has been doing well for NBC on Friday nights -- it hovers around the 5 million viewers mark, which is pretty solid by NBC standards and why the network gave the drama an early renewal.
<strong>"Harry's Law," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong>Cancelled<br /> <strong>Why: </strong> While earlier this year "Harry's Law" was one of NBC's top players, after a three-month break between January and March, the Kathy Bates drama saw mediocre ratings and failed to hold on to viewers.
<strong>"Law & Order: SVU," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The only "Law & Order" left, "SVU" has been an NBC power player for 13 years and will return for a 14th.
<strong>"The Office," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> It's hard to imagine a long-running, fan-favorite show like "The Office" going away without a big promotional push. The numbers are still good (by NBC standards) and "The Office" will return for a Season 9.
<strong>"Parenthood," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The perpetual bubble show has done pretty consistent numbers for NBC this season, but three seasons in and no signs of growth is both a good and bad sign ... luckily for fans, NBC gave it a Season 4 all the same.
<strong>"Parks and Recreation," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Just like the rest of NBC's Thursday comedy block, "Parks and Recreation" has serious ratings blues. Can critical acclaim keep "Parks" around for a Season 5? The answer is yes! "Parks" will return for Season 5.
<strong>"The Playboy Club," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Canceled<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Apparently fictional slutty bunnies and real-life homewrecker Eddie Cibrian do not a successful show make. It only lasted three episodes. "The Girls Next Door" did it better.
<strong>"Prime Suspect," NBC <br /> Status:</strong> Canceled <br /> <strong>Why:</strong> Maria Bello's gruff detective failed to capture the audience NBC hoped. At least we had all those hat jokes. <br />
<strong>"Smash," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed <br /> <strong>Why: </strong> After a huge promo blitz, "Smash" debuted nicely, but started losing viewers quickly. A handful of episodes in, it stabilized, becoming NBC's #1 drama in the 18-49 demo, and NBC announced it was getting a second season.
<strong>"Up All Night," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The critical favorite of NBC's new comedy offerings, "Up All Night" debuted strongly to more than 10 million viewers, but has since dropped to less than 4 million viewers an episode. It will return for a Season 2.
<strong>"Whitney," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The show is one of the better performing freshman offerings on the Peacock network -- and NBC chief Bob Greenblatt told members of the press at TCA that he is "hopeful Whitney will be a long-term player for us." Looks like Season 2 is a good start, with the show moving to Friday nights.
<strong>"The Voice," NBC</strong><br /> <strong>Status:</strong> Renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> We may not even be at Season 2's live shows yet, but NBC is already up for more of "The Voice." Hopefully, Cee Lo's cat "Purrfect" will return for Season 3 as well.
<strong>"Who Do You Think You Are?," NBC<br /> Status:</strong> Likely to be renewed<br /> <strong>Why:</strong> The celebrity-centric family tree series has helped NBC on Friday nights and hit its ratings high in March.
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I have an OSAP loan. The interest payments are variable and I want to switch to a fixed rate. Does anyone know how to switch the loan to a fixed rate I would switch creditors if I could maintain the tax benefits of the OSAP loan or if the total cost of the OSAP loan is higher then the terms offered by the new creditor.
Home equity loan
? purchase a home using a home equity loan, you can only use a home equity loan to refinance. In the United States, in most cases it is possible to deduct home equity loan.Interest-only loan
? market conditions at the time he is either ready to sell the house or refinance.. mortgages becoming unpopular. Canada rarely allows interest-only loans. It is possible.Student loans in Canada
Student loans in Canada help post-secondary students pay for their. whereby the institution would assume responsibility for the possible risk of defaulted loans in.Super jumbo mortgage
? or purchase a home utilizing a Super Jumbo mortgage, however refinance guidelines for these loans. the cash locked in the home?s equity than would otherwise be possible.Short sale (real estate)
It is possible for any one lien holder to prevent a short sale by refusing to agree to. If a creditor has mortgage insurance on their loan, the insurer will likely also.
First before you set off looking for a loan make absolutely certain that your credit report and credit score are in order. Experts have advised that a significant majority of credit reports actually contain inaccurate negative information. Therefore by makingsure that you credit report is in order and completely accurate you will be in the best position to get the loan that you need at a most favorable following these pointers you will be able to make the quest for financing for whatever your particular needs far easier.
In the 21st century there can be some significant differences in the interest rates and other fees that are charged from one lender to the next. By spending some time shopping around you will be in the best position to find a loan at the mostreasonable rate need to make sure that you understand all aspects of the loan including charges and if you are seeking financing do not overkill. You need to be prudent and responsible when you are in the market for a loan.
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When a family that once had it all is cursed to be horrible disfigured beast, can they change to find love before time runs out?
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Stanford University scientists have breathed new life into the nickel-iron battery, a rechargeable technology developed by Thomas Edison more than a century ago.
Designed in the early 1900s to power electric vehicles, the Edison battery largely went out of favor in the mid-1970s. Today only a handful of companies manufacture nickel-iron batteries, primarily to store surplus electricity from solar panels and wind turbines.
"The Edison battery is very durable, but it has a number of drawbacks," said Hongjie Dai, a professor of chemistry at Stanford. "A typical battery can take hours to charge, and the rate of discharge is also very slow."
Now, Dai and his Stanford colleagues have dramatically improved the performance of this century-old technology. The Stanford team has created an ultrafast nickel-iron battery that can be fully charged in about 2 minutes and discharged in less than 30 seconds. The results are published in the June 26 issue of the journal Nature Communications.
"We have increased the charging and discharging rate by nearly 1,000 times," said Stanford graduate student Hailiang Wang, lead author of the study. "We've made it really fast."
The high-performance, low-cost battery could some day be used to help power electric vehicles, much as Edison originally intended, Dai said. "Hopefully we can give the nickel-iron battery a new life," he added.
Electric vehicles
Edison, an early advocate of all-electric vehicles, began marketing the nickel-iron battery around 1900. It was used in electric cars until about 1920. The battery's long life and reliability made it a popular backup power source for railroads, mines and other industries until the mid-20th century.
Edison created the nickel-iron battery as an inexpensive alternative to corrosive lead-acid batteries. Its basic design consists of two electrodes ? a cathode made of nickel and an anode made of iron ? bathed in an alkaline solution. "Importantly, both nickel and iron are abundant elements on Earth and relatively nontoxic," Dai noted.
Carbon has long been used to enhance electrical conductivity in electrodes. To improve the Edison battery's performance, the Stanford team used graphene ? nanosized sheets of carbon that are only one-atom thick ? and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, each consisting of about 10 concentric graphene sheets rolled together.
"In conventional electrodes, people randomly mix iron and nickel materials with conductive carbon," Wang explained. "Instead, we grew nanocrystals of iron oxide onto graphene, and nanocrystals of nickel hydroxide onto carbon nanotubes."
This technique produced strong chemical bonding between the metal particles and the carbon nanomaterials, which had a dramatic effect on performance. "Coupling the nickel and iron particles to the carbon substrate allows electrical charges to move quickly between the electrodes and the outside circuit," Dai said. "The result is an ultrafast version of the nickel-iron battery that's capable of charging and discharging in seconds."
Future applications
The 1-volt prototype battery developed in Dai's lab has just enough power to operate a flashlight. The researchers' goal is to make a bigger battery that could be used for the electrical grid or transportation.
Most electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt, run on lithium-ion batteries, which can store a lot of energy but typically take hours to charge. "Our battery probably won't be able to power an electric car by itself, because the energy density is not ideal," Wang said. "But it could assist lithium-ion batteries by giving them a real power boost for faster acceleration and regenerative braking."
The enhanced Edison battery might be especially useful in emergency situations, Dai added. "There may be applications for the military, for example, where you have to charge something very quickly," he said.
"It's definitely scalable," Wang said. "Nickel, iron and carbon are relatively inexpensive. And the electrolyte is just water with potassium hydroxide, which is also very cheap and safe. It won't blow up in a car."
The prototype battery has one key drawback ? the ability to hold a charge over time. "It doesn't have the charge-discharge cycling stability that we would like," Dai said. "Right now it decays by about 20 percent over 800 cycles. That's about the same as a lithium-ion battery. But our battery is really fast, so we'd be using it more often. Ideally, we don't want it to decay at all.
"The use of strongly coupled nanomaterials represents a very exciting approach to making electrodes," he said. "It's different from traditional methods, where you simply mix materials together. I think Thomas Edison would be happy to see this progress."
###
Stanford University: http://news.stanford.edu
Thanks to Stanford University for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
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(Image: courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center)
You don't have to be a druid to have a mystical experience around the summer solstice. An astronaut aboard the International Space Station has captured the immaterial appeal of polar mesospheric clouds as seen from orbit.
These are a type of noctilucent clouds, which are visible at dawn and dusk when the angle of the sun means they are illuminated but the Earth's surface is in darkness. Noctilucent clouds are formed of layers of ice crystals 76 to 85 kilometres above the surface in the mesophere. Polar mesospheric clouds only occur at the two polar regions in the weeks surrounding their respective summer solstices.
Noctilucent clouds seem to be becoming more common and spreading further south but there is no consensus about the underlying cause. Suggestions include meteor dust, climate change and rocket exhaust.
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FILE - This Nov. 3, 2010 file photo shows author, screenwriter and director Nora Ephron at her home in New York. Oscar-nominated filmmaker and author Nora Ephron is very ill, according to a representative for her publisher. Nicholas Latimer of Alfred A. Knopf confirmed her condition on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, hours after celebrity columnist and friend Liz Smith published what appeared to be a memorial for the writer. Smith told The Associated Press that she had spoken to Ephron's son Tuesday morning and was told that Ephron was dying. She said when she heard that funeral plans had already been arranged, she published the column on the website Women on the Web. Latimer did not provide any additional information on Ephron's condition. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)
FILE - This Nov. 3, 2010 file photo shows author, screenwriter and director Nora Ephron at her home in New York. Oscar-nominated filmmaker and author Nora Ephron is very ill, according to a representative for her publisher. Nicholas Latimer of Alfred A. Knopf confirmed her condition on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, hours after celebrity columnist and friend Liz Smith published what appeared to be a memorial for the writer. Smith told The Associated Press that she had spoken to Ephron's son Tuesday morning and was told that Ephron was dying. She said when she heard that funeral plans had already been arranged, she published the column on the website Women on the Web. Latimer did not provide any additional information on Ephron's condition. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)
FILE - This Feb. 22, 1978 file photo shows screenwriter Nora Ephron, right, with her husband journalist and author Carl Bernstein in New York. Oscar-nominated filmmaker and author Nora Ephron is very ill, according to a representative for her publisher. Nicholas Latimer of Alfred A. Knopf confirmed her condition on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, hours after celebrity columnist and friend Liz Smith published what appeared to be a memorial for the writer. Smith told The Associated Press that she had spoken to Ephron's son Tuesday morning and was told that Ephron was dying. She said when she heard that funeral plans had already been arranged, she published the column on the website Women on the Web. Latimer did not provide any additional information on Ephron's condition. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)
NEW YORK (AP) ? A representative for Nora Ephron's publisher says the Oscar-nominated filmmaker and author is very ill.
Nicholas Latimer of Alfred A. Knopf confirmed her condition on Tuesday hours after celebrity columnist and friend Liz Smith published what appeared to be a memorial for the writer.
Smith told The Associated Press that she had spoken to Ephron's son Tuesday morning and was told that Ephron was dying. She said when she heard that funeral plans had already been arranged, she published the column on the website Women on the Web.
Latimer did not provide any additional information on Ephron's condition.
The 71-year-old Ephron is best known for writing books like "Heartburn" and "Crazy Salad" and for the movies "When Harry Met Sally," ''Sleepless in Seattle" and most recently "Julie & Julia."
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