According to a new study produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Switzerland is the best place to be born in the world in 2013, and the U.S. is just 16th.
The study says American babies will have a dimmer future than those born in Hong Kong, Ireland and even Canada.
The EIU, a sister company of The Economist, attempted to measure how well countries will provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life in years to come.
People born in Switzerland will tend to be the happiest and have the best quality of life judged in terms of wealth, health and trust in public institutions, according to the analysis.
The Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark also all make the top five in a “quality-of-life” index highlighting where it is best to be born next year.
In 1988, the U.S. came top of a rank of 50 countries, though has not achieved the top spot since.
The index links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys – how happy people say they are – to objective determinants of quality of life across countries.
One of the most important factors is being rich, but other factors come into play – including crime, trust in public institutions and the health of family life.
In total, the index takes into account 11 indicators.
According to EIU study, Switzerland is the best place to be born in the world in 2013, and the US is just 16th
These include fixed factors such as geography, others that change slowly over time such as demography, social and cultural characteristics, and the state of the world economy.
The index also looks at income per head in 2030, which is roughly when children born in 2013 will reach adulthood.
Small economies dominate the top 10 countries, with Australia coming second and New Zealand and the Netherlands not too far behind.
Half of the top 10 countries are European, but only one, the Netherlands, is from the euro-zone.
The crisis-ridden south of Europe, including Greece, Portugal and Spain, lags behind despite the advantage of a favorable climate.
Interestingly, the largest European economies – Germany, France and Britain – do not do particularly well.
Nigeria has the unenviable title of being the worst country for a baby to enter the world in 2013.
Despite their economic dynamism, none of the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – score impressively.
Brazil ranked 37, China came in 49th and India was 66th and Russia came in 72nd out of 80 countries listed in the index.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is living at the Ecuadorean embassy in London, has a chronic lung infection “which could get worse at any moment”, Ana Alban, Ecuador’s ambassador to the UK, has warned.
Ana Alban said Julian Assange, who is fighting UK efforts to send him to Sweden, was suffering from living “in a confined space”.
Ecuador previously sought assurances he would not be arrested if hospitalized.
The UK said then it would not prevent “any medical care that he requires”.
Australian Julian Assange, 41, who has taken refuge at the embassy since June, was granted asylum by Ecuador in August.
Julian Assange, who has breached bail conditions by staying there, faces arrest if he leaves.
He is wanted for questioning in Sweden over rape and sexual assault allegations, which he denies, and was arrested in the UK on an extradition warrant.
“Mr. Assange, as everyone knows, is in a confined space,” Ana Alban said.
“Not only does the embassy have few windows but the city is also dark at this time – we have very little daylight in London.
“He is exposed to any health consequences from this lack of sunlight and lack of fresh air.”
Julian Assange, who is living at the Ecuadorean embassy in London, has a chronic lung infection which could get worse at any moment
Ana Alban said Julian Assange received visitors after embassy staff finished work.
“We work until at least 05:30 in the afternoon and, afterwards, he meets with certain people who want to visit him for different reasons whether they be activists, supporters, lawyers or friends.”
The ambassador said Ecuador was “waiting for a meeting” with either UK Foreign Secretary William Hague or UK Home Secretary Theresa May to discuss Julian Assange’s future.
Last month, Ecuadorean ministers said Julian Assange had “visibly lost weight” and that his health was “beginning to be jeopardized”.
Julian Assange’s Wikileaks website has published leaked sensitive diplomatic cables involving various countries, including the US.
In 2010, two women accused him of committing sexual offences against them while he was in Stockholm to give a lecture.
Julian Assange says the sex was consensual and that he believes the case to be politically motivated.
He says he fears being passed on to authorities in the US if extradited to Sweden.
But Swedish prosecutors have dismissed Julian Assange’s claims their case is part of a wider political move to see him stand trial in the US over his work with Wikileaks.
A shocking video shows a grotesque bulge in a woman’s buttock apparently caused when her botched silicone implant “flipped inside out”.
Instead giving her a smooth, plump appearance, the implant has popped out and is left protruding in an ugly disc shape at the back of her cheek.
In the 20-second clip, the unidentified woman slowly manipulates it back into place while explaining: “This is my implant flipping backwards.”
She adds: “I don’t think an implant’s supposed to do that. It shouldn’t be able to flip.”
The video has been “liked” by 278 people on Facebook and shared nearly 20,000 times.
It is difficult to establish whether the video is genuine and no details are known about which clinic the woman went to or exactly what type of procedure she had.
But BAAPS Member Adrian Richards, a consultant plastic surgeon at Aurora Clinics in the UK, believes the clip is authentic.
He said the problem occurs when the implant is not secured firmly enough in a “pocket” the surgeon creates either between the buttock and the pelvic bone or on top of the gluteus maximus.
“It is a complication which is relatively common following buttock implants. It shouldn’t really happen because the pocket should be snug so the implant stays where it is.
“This lady’s implant is flat on the bottom and coned on the top, but this one has flipped over.”
He said it wouldn’t be painful, but would likely need to be removed or the pocket closed up to stop it shifting around.
A shocking video shows a grotesque bulge in a woman’s buttock apparently caused when her botched silicone implant flipped inside out
Buttock implants are popular in South America, where plump bottoms are regarded as sexually desirable.
In recent years, plastic surgery experts have been warning women not to have operations in unapproved clinics after a string of deaths and dodgy practices.
In April last year, a 42-year-old mother-of-three died after buttock implant surgery at a backstreet Las Vegas clinic.
Elena Caro’s family begged her not to have the operation, saying she was beautiful as she was, but she went ahead with the surgery.
She was found crying in agony and begging for help after an unlicensed Colombian doctor allegedly dumped her by the side of the road when the procedure went wrong and she died in hospital a short time later.
In December 2009, a former Miss Argentina who was obsessed with maintaining her youthful looks died following surgery to make her buttocks firmer.
Solange Magnano, 38, was rushed to hospital with severe breathing problems after the cosmetic operation.
She died from a blocked lung artery after spending three days in a critical condition in intensive care.
Atlanta woman Kimberly Smedley was jailed for three years in July after injecting customers’ buttocks with commercial silicone in hotel rooms and using glue and cotton balls to prevent the substance from leaking out.
Federal prosecutors believe Smedley made at least $1.3 million while operating her illegal practice out of hotel rooms in Baltimore, Washington, Detroit, Philadelphia and New York.
In cases where silicone jabs are used, the procedure can cause a blood clot to the lungs known as a pulmonary embolism.
Butt implants: how it’s done
To insert the implant, an incision is usually made where the cheek meets the back of the thigh or in the buttock crease where the scars are less noticeable.
The surgeon then creates a pocket large enough to insert the silicone either under the gluteus maximus muscle or on top of it.
Sometimes fat is taken by liposuction from another area of the body to enhance the shape of the buttocks.
The surgeon will then make sure both buttocks are symmetrical before stitching up the wounds.
But if the pocket is made too big, the implant can slip out.
The procedure is normally performed under general anaesthetic.
An alternative method involves injecting fat into the buttocks.
Jared Leto has revealed his shockingly skinny frame after starving himself for a month to play the role of a HIV-positive transsexual woman in the Dallas Buyers Club.
Jared Leto has shed a drastic amount of weight for the role – much like his co-star Matthew McConaughey.
However, while Matthew McConaughey has been on a slim-down mission for six months, Jaredo Leto has transformed his physique in little over a month after only recently getting involved in the project.
Jared Leto, 40, who has waxed his body hair and eyebrows for the movie.
This week, Jared Leto told Vultureabout how he has been suffering for his art, revealing he has essentially starved himself for the past month.
He said of the weight loss: “Your body goes through weird stages.
“Sometimes it’s hard to hold on to water. But for me, it’s not about the most weight I can lose, it’s more to represent the character.”
He went on: “Historically, people have done it for pursuit of self, to achieve a meditative state, so I’m hoping for that. It’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
Jared Leto has revealed his shockingly skinny frame after starving himself for a month to play the role of a HIV-positive transsexual woman in the Dallas Buyers Club
Explaining his involvement in the Jean-Marc Vallée-directed movie – which marks his return to the big screen after 2009’s Mr. Nobody – Jared Leto said: “I’m playing a transsexual woman. I didn’t get involved in the project until a few weeks ago, three and a half weeks ago.”
Jared Leto has gained and lost weight before for film roles, notably piling on the pounds for Chapter 27 back in 2006.
The actor did not give details of how much he has lost for the Dallas Buyers Club, but his co-star Matthew McConaughey recently told how he has dropped almost 40lbs to play Ron Woodroof, a real-life electrician who smuggled illegal medication after contracting the disease.
For the first time in living memory, New York City has spent a day entirely without violent crime.
NYPD’s chief spokesman said that Monday was the most bloodshed-free 24-hour period in recent history.
Not a single murder, shooting, stabbing or other incident of violent crime was reported for a whole day.
Despite a July spike in homicides, the city’s murder rate is on target to hit its lowest point since 1960.
Just a few months ago, residents were living through what one tabloid newspaper called the “summer of blood”.
Despite the fall in homicides, statistics point to a 3% overall rise in crime.
For the first time in living memory, New York City has spent a day entirely without violent crime
There has also been a 9% increase in larceny, which police blame on a surge in smartphone thefts.
But killings are now down 23% compared with last year, which represents a 50-year low.
There have been 366 murders so far this year in New York City, compared with 472 at this time last year.
Experts say such a low number of homicides is highly unusual for a US city of eight million people.
Gang-plagued Chicago, Illinois, has chalked up 462 murders this year, despite having a population of about 2.7 million people.
There have been 301 murders in 2012 in the city of Philadelphia, which has 1.5 million people.
Some experts are praising the New York police department’s aggressive crime-prevention tactics, notably the so-called Stop And Frisk policy, which has rooted out dozens of illegal guns.
But critics argue that it has led to hundreds of thousands of young blacks and Latinos being stopped without cause.
A 300 lbs gingerbread replica of the White House was the centrepiece of the White House Christmas decorations, unveiled Wednesday by First Lady Michelle Obama.
The impressive structure, which features a marzipan version of the kitchen garden and an oversized model of First Dog Bo, was pride of place in the State Dining Room.
Michelle Obama presented this year’s decorations before an appreciative crowd of military families Wednesday, then spent some time doing holiday crafts with military kids.
The theme for this year’s decorations is Joy to All, but First Dog Bo seems to steals the show.
There are 40 Bo-flake ornaments throughout the White House that feature cutout images of the dog.
There’s a life-size replica of the dog, with a string of lights in his mouth, in the East Garden Room.
And there’s an outsized statue of the Portuguese water dog next to the 300-pound gingerbread house in the State Dining Room.
Michelle Obama said that reflects Bo’s high standing at the White House.
“He’s almost as big as the house,” she declared.
“He is such a huge personality.”
A 300 lbs gingerbread replica of the White House was the centrepiece of the White House Christmas decorations, unveiled Wednesday by First Lady Michelle Obama
Visitors also will get a Bo bookmark that sends them on a scavenger hunt for Bo-ornaments stashed in eight rooms.
Bo himself made an appearance during Wednesday’s festivities, sporting a jingle bell collar, and was quickly swarmed by young guests.
This year’s decorations include lots of handmade items that could easily be done at home, including patriotic wreaths and ornaments wrapped in red, white and blue yarn to fit with Michelle Obama’s emphasis on supporting military families.
The gargantuan gingerbread house, however, is not a feat for amateurs to attempt: It contains more than 175 pounds of gingerbread and modified gingerbread and more than 50 pounds of chocolate.
Pastry chef Bill Yosses mixed up a combination of wheat, rye and white-flour gingerbread that mimics the color of the sandstone house prior to 1798, when the house was first painted white.
More than 90,000 visitors are expected to pass through the White House this holiday season.
Executive chef Cristeta Comerford said she’s drawing on the recipes in Michelle Obama’s gardening book, American Grown, as she prepares food for all the guests.
The treats will include sweet potato quick bread, green beans with almonds and a winter salad featuring fennel.
The massive decorating job – there are 54 live Christmas trees in the White House – comes together in just five days, with the help of 85 volunteers from around the country.
This year’s volunteers included Nellie Funk, a military wife from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, who was working beside retired homicide detective Tracy Jacobson from Southern California.
Asked which job was more fun – detective or decorator – Tracy Jacobson deadpanned: “This has been much more fun.”
Massachusetts bodybuilder Moustafa Ismail eats 7 pounds of protein, 9 pounds of carbohydrates and 3 gallons of water each day to help maintain upper arms that measure 31 inches around (as big as a small man’s waist).
Skeptics say there must also be steroids or some other artificial means behind Moustafa Ismail’s beyond-bulging biceps and triceps, and Guinness World Records is wavering on whether to recognize him.
But Moustafa Ismail insists they are all-natural, the result of a punishing workout regimen he started after a guest at his uncle’s wedding in his native Egypt mocked his overweight frame.
“They call me Popeye, the Egyptian Popeye,” Moustafa Ismail, 24, said while working out in the Boston suburb of Milford.
But unlike the cartoon character: “I like chicken, beef, anything but spinach.”
It’s not easy having the world’s biggest arms.
Generous amounts of poultry, seafood and shakes provide the protein he needs to fuel daily two-hour workouts in which he lifts as much as 600 pounds. He also takes mineral and vitamin supplements and drinks plenty of water to flush out his system.
Then there’s clothes shopping. The rest of Moustafa Ismail’s body is average, so it’s a challenge finding shirts that fit his arms without making him look like a little kid playing dress-up.
Not to mention the controversy that ensued when Guinness decided to recognize him as having the largest upper arm muscles on earth and critics accused him of using steroids or other artificial methods.
He lost a night of sleep but then decided the criticism “is motivation for me – it’s not something that’s gonna put me down”.
Moustafa Ismail started building his muscles in his Egyptian hometown of Alexandria before moving to the United States in 2007 and settling in Franklin, southwest of Boston.
To pay for his gym membership and dietary requirements, he worked two jobs as a gas station attendant, but gave up one after his wife complained that he was pushing himself too hard.
Then Guinness called last Fall, offering him an all-expenses-paid trip to London for a signature appearance with the world’s shortest woman and others.
He went, but then the controversy started. Strangers claimed online that he used steroids or had implants in his arms.
Moustafa Ismail defends his natural 31 inches biceps and insists they are result of protein and water
Others speculated that he might have injected his muscles with a synthetic oil substance, synthol, used by bodybuilders to fluff muscle tissues.
“It is hurtful,” Moustafa Ismail said, noting that he has no scars that would have resulted from surgery and that supporting a wife in the U.S. and family members in Egypt doesn’t leave him with spare cash to buy pricey synthetic oils.
Moustafa Ismail even went to Tokyo to appear in a Fuji TV documentary program in which independent doctors collected blood samples and X-rayed his muscles. They found nothing abnormal, he said.
Still, Guinness hastily removed references to Moustafa Ismail from its website. Spokeswoman Sara Wilcox said in October that Guinness was conducting research with medical specialists and reviewing Moustafa Ismail’s category.
She did not respond to emailed questions later seeking details about when Guinness would conclude the review and what it entails.
Some fellow amateur bodybuilders at his gym, however, support Moustafa Ismail and say they believe his arms are natural.
“When I first saw him I thought <<Oh my God, he’s a freak>> – the big Popeye arms, he’s incredible, but he works out hard, so good luck to him,” said Janice Vincuilla.
Moustafa Ismail has lifted as much as 600 pounds but said he doesn’t typically focus on how much weight he is hoisting.
“It’s not about me lifting heavy weights,” he said.
“It’s about me making the right techniques, even with the light weights, but getting good results out of that.”
He has a daily exercise regime of 5 a.m. until 8 a.m. during which he concentrates on cardio, strength-training and body sculpting, using heavy and light isolated weights.
“Working out makes my mood better. You’re just focusing.
“And I like that in this type of sport you can see your improvement in your shape,” he says.
“I know they are growing, my chest, my shoulders, my arms. I love weights.”
The daily diet of Moustafa Ismail
A minimum of three hours of training, at least twice a day
strength training
body sculpting
Weightlifting using heavy and light isolated weights
Daily diet includes:
4 lbs of chicken
2 lbs of steak or fish
4 cups of almonds
various sources of carbohydrates (up to nine pounds)
The funeral of former boxing champion Hector “Macho” Camacho erupted into chaos after a fight broke out between Cynthia Castillo, a woman claiming to be his girlfriend, a former lover and his sisters.
Family, fans and fellow boxers had gathered in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Tuesday to say goodbye to the slain former world champion fighter, known for his flamboyance in and out of the ring.
The brawl broke out after 28-year-old Cynthia Castillo, dressed in a pink T-shirt emblazoned with Hector Camacho’s face, leaned down to kiss his body in the open casket.
Cynthia Castillo then walked into an area reserved for family – causing tensions to spill over with the boxer’s sisters and former lover, 50-year-old Gloria Fernandez.
The scuffle migrated outside the memorial service, followed by a pack of journalists brandishing camera phones and police who separated the women.
Cynthia Castillo said she was the boxer’s girlfriend before he died, calling him “my partner, my friend, my brother”, according to El Nuevo Dia.
Police urged the young woman to leave the scene while the sisters returned to the service.
There were emotional scenes throughout the day as members of Hector Camacho’s immediate family approached the coffin.
The boxer’s mother Maria Matias wept and caressed her son’s face in the coffin, which was draped in a Puerto Rican flag.
“They killed him,” she wailed at one point.
The funeral of Hector Camacho erupted into chaos after a fight broke out between Cynthia Castillo, a former lover and his sisters
Hundreds of people filed past Hector Camacho’s open casket, displayed inside a gymnasium decked out for the occasion with black carpet and curtains.
The boxer wore white, along with a large gold crucifix and a necklace spelling out his nickname, “Macho”, in capital letters.
Hector Camacho was shot on November 20 while sitting in a parked car with a friend outside a bar in his hometown of Bayamon. The friend died at the scene and the boxer three days later after doctors removed him from life support.
Police have said they have suspects but have not yet arrested anyone for the shooting.
After the family, came a cross-section of Puerto Rican society that included parents with young children, the elderly, road crew workers in neon safety vests, U.S. soldiers in uniform and a who’s who of Puerto Rican boxers.
“Everybody loved him here in Puerto Rico,” said Henry Neumann, the secretary of the U.S. island territory’s sports and recreation department.
“He is one of those athletes who transcended the barriers of his country not only for his skill inside the ring but for his personality.”
Hector Camacho, who was 50 when he died, left Puerto Rico as a child and moved to New York.
He went on to win super lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight world titles in the 1980s and fought high-profile bouts against Felix Trinidad, Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard. He had a career record of 79-6-3 and was a showman in the ring, chanting “It’s Macho time” before fights and wearing garish jewelry.
He battled drug and alcohol problems throughout his life and had frequent run-ins with police.
Hector Camacho was sentenced in 2007 to seven years in prison for the burglary of a computer store in Mississippi. While arresting him on the burglary charge in January 2005, police also found the drug ecstasy.
David Petraeus has admitted to close friend James Shelton that he “screwed up royally” over the affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell – and confirmed for the first time that his wife is standing by him.
In his most frank comments on the scandal, David Petraeus said that he had created “enormous difficulty” for Holly Petraeus but revealed that she has not kicked him out.
In a letter David Petraeus said that Team Petraeus will survive and that he is “incredibly fortunate” to be married to such a forgiving woman.
He also addressed his resignation for the first time and wrote: “I paid the price (appropriately) and I sought to do the right thing, at the end of the day.”
The letter was sent on November 20 to his close friend of three decades, retired Brigadier General James Shelton, who considers himself a father figure to him.
Brig. Gen. James Shelton blamed biographer Paula Broadwell for the affair as Petraeus was the “innocent one when it came to relationships”.
He also claimed that she is a “savvy woman” who knows a lot more about matters of the heart than David Petraeus, who has spent the bulk of his life in the military and has been married for 37 years.
David Petraeus’ letter appears to confirm reports that his wife is “furious” at him over his behavior, which came to light earlier this month when in a statement admitted he had had an extra-marital affair and quit as head of the CIA.
The New York Times has reported that he has resigned himself to being “in the doghouse” for at least a year and now passes the time sitting around his home emailing friends.
David Petraeus, 60, and his wife Holly spent Thanksgiving together trying to rebuild their shattered marriage and regain the trust of their two grown up children at their home in Arlington, Virginia.
Paula Broadwell, 40, did that same with her husband Scott and their two young sons at their mansion in Charlotte, North Carolina.
David Petraeus has admitted to close friend James Shelton that he screwed up royally over the affair with Paula Broadwell
The letter David Petraeus sent to Brig. Gen. James Shelton, a Vietnam Veteran who fought with the famous Black Lion Battalion, was on Four Star General letterhead and had the post mark from the PO Box in Arlington, that he uses for correspondence.
It began by thanking Brig. Gen. James Shelton for the sending him some pictures of his own family and a note which said he still had faith in him.
It read: “I screwed up royally. I paid the price (appropriately) and I sought to do the right thing, at the end of the day.
“Team Petraeus will survive though have obviously created enormous difficulty for us. Holly is however once again demonstrating how incredibly fortunate I was to marry her.”
Brig. Gen. James Shelton, who has been awarded three Bronze Stars for bravery, said that he still thinks that David Petraeus is the best officer has ever seen – even if he is a love rat.
In his opinion the resignation was an “overreaction” for “human things he got involved with”.
James Shelton said: “I never knew David as being a woman chaser – he never gave a damn about anybody other than Holly.
“It never entered my mind that he would get involved with anybody else.
“Paula was more savvy than Dave about the nature of the things that they got involved with.”
General James Shelton explained that Paula Broadwell interviewed him whilst doing research for her biography of David Petraeus, titled All In.
He said that Paula Broadwell was “very persuasive” and managed to get him to talk about his friend on the phone without having to meet in person.
Brig. Gen. James Shelton, 76, said: “She was a beautiful woman, very intelligent and if David would say something she would know what he was talking about.
“They were both West Point Academy graduates, that’s what put them together. She had a lot of the qualities that he had.
“She’s also a savvy woman. She’s not a kid. In a lot of ways I think she knows more about the world than Dave – I’m talking about sex.
“I don’t think Dave ever thought about that too much, he only thought about the Army and gave it everything he had.
“When he got close to her it became something new and different than what he had with his wife
“I don’t believe he had any relationships with anybody else (apart from Broadwell).
“He was the innocent one when it came to relationships. It wasn’t his bag. He was a soldier. He just wasn’t involved with it.”
James Shelton however said that alarm bells rang in his mind when Paula Broadwell told him that she was going to Afghanistan to “learn how Dave operated”.
He said: “I thought that because he was over there (Afghanistan) she might have been the only outlet he had for any kind of recreation, if you get what I mean.
“He’s a human dynamo, he works all the time and she was always following him around.
“I think Paula Broadwell was in love with him. I could see it happening.
“I could see that he has so many qualities that any woman with any sense would say: <<Boy! This guy – there doesn’t seem to be a better man than this around>>.”
Brig. Gen. James Shelton, who lives in Cape Haze, Florida, first met David Petraeus in the 1970s when they were serving together in Erzurum, Turkey when Petraeus was a lowly second lieutenant in the 173rd Airborne Divison.
James Shelton said: “I walked into a tent with a bottle of Ballantine whiskey that I’d stashed in my spare boots.
“I opened it and asked if anybody wanted some, and I’m pretty sure Dave was among those who said yes, so I served it in canteen cups.
“Even then he was so interested in what I had to say. He was asking me questions about everything – I liked the cut of his jib straight away.”
They met again when they served together in the 24th Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, and stayed in touch ever since.
In one assessment of David Petraeus when he was just a captain, Brig. Gen. James Shelton described him as the “finest officer I have ever known”.
He said: “I regard David Petraeus as one of my sons – and I have three others. I feel like a father figure to him. I served in the army for 27 years and he was the best officer bar none.
“He is a giant of a man.”
David Petraeus’ letter in full
“Dear Jim (if I may)
I can’t thank you enough for your note, kind words and support. I can’t tell you how much it all meant.
I screwed up royally. I paid the price (appropriately) and I sought to do the right thing, at the end of the day.
Team Petraeus will survive though have obviously created enormous difficulty for us. Holly is however once again demonstrating how incredibly fortunate I was to marry her.
Beyond that thanks for sending me the photos and various items you did. It was good indeed to recall some of the good guys and the good days. Great stuff.
Retiring owner Joe Lueken, who owns three separate Lueken’s Village Foods in Minnesota, is transferring ownership of his stores to his 400-some employees, at no cost to his workers.
Citing his employees for any success he’s had in his business, the 70-year-old business owner has brought holiday cheer to his staff.
Joe Lueken, who has run the two Village Foods for more than 45 years, is a beacon in the community of Bemidji, Minnesota, offering aid to anyone he can, and is famous for his generosity.
He’s financially backed small business owners so they can get up and running, and has funded students’ college educations through scholarship programs. And starting on January 1, he’s leaving his stores to his employees.
Joe Lueken told the Minnesota Star-Tribune that he was approached multiple times by large supermarket chains offering to buy his stores from him.
Though he could have turned a larger profit by selling to a chain, the store-owner said it wouldn’t be right not to share his wealth with those who had helped him the most.
“My employees are largely responsible for any success I’ve had, and they deserve to get some of the benefits of that,” he told the paper.
“You can’t always take. You also have to give back.”
He said that his parents, who grew up in the Great Depression, taught him a motto that has shaped his life philosophy: “Do the right thing.”
Retiring owner Joe Lueken, who owns three separate Lueken’s Village Foods in Minnesota, is transferring ownership of his stores to his 400-some employees, at no cost to his workers
Joe Lueken owns two supermarkets in Bemidji and another in Wahpeton, North Dakota. He will begin transferring ownership of his three stores beginning January 1.
His workers will receive possession of the stores through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), based on their salary and length of service.
The ESOP allows the store’s employees to form a trust and contribute to it, letting profits go back into the community. Publix Supermarkets is another U.S. grocery store that operates under this model.
The idea was planted when Joe Lueken realized his four sons had no interest in taking over the family business.
His adult children live and work on the East and West Coasts, and agreed that giving back to the community was the best option.
Joe Lueken also suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and was diagnosed in the 1990s. When he was about to undergo surgery, he realized his physician had been the recipient of one of his scholarships.
That, Joe Lueken toldABC News, put him more at ease for his operation.
The real-life story of Joe Lueken’s generosity echoes a Hollywood holiday classic, It’s A Wonderful Life, by famed director Frank Capra.
The movie depicts James Stewart as Good Samaritan George Bailey, who sacrifices his dreams of traveling the world to ensure the dreams of others are realized.
In one poignant scene, George and his new wife Mary give the money they had saved for their honeymoon to a local bank after there was a run on the money.
While it ensured the bank’s future, it meant that the Baileys would not be taking a honeymoon.
But Joe Lueken’s act of kindness will allow for peregrination.
With only a month left at the helm of his stores, Joe Lueken is planning to travel the world with his wife, Janice, and visit his grandchildren.
The son of a baker, Joe Lueken spent his childhood greasing pans for his father. According to the Bemidji Pioneer, he was paid 26 cents a week.
He worked at his first Lueken’s store in 1966. At the time, the grocery store was owned by his brother, but Joe Lueken later bought it from him
Kim Kardashian topped the 2012 list of the most-searched person on Bing while Canadian teen pop star Justin Bieber coming in second.
Kim Kardashian, 32, grabbed the No. 1 spot back from Justin Bieber after she topped Bing’s annual list in 2010 and Bieber came in first last year.
The reality star first found fame in 2007 due to an Internet sex tape and this year she has led a top-ten most searched for, that Justin Bieber aside, is entirely made up of women.
Justin Bieber, 18, came in second after a successful year capped off by sweeping the American Music Awards with his third studio album, Believe, which was released in June.
Others who made it in top 10 for the first time included singers Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift, while Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Megan Fox and Lady Gaga dropped out of the top 10.
Pop culture figures easily trumped politics, even in an election year, with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney coming in 43rd and President Barack Obama landing at 46th on the list.
Among the most popular news stories, the release of Apple’s iPhone 5 came in at No. 1, followed by the U.S. election, the Olympics and Superstorm Sandy.
The Here Comes Honey Boo Boo reality TV show landed at No. 5, followed by the Gangnam Style Dance popularized by South Korean rap star Psy’s music video.
The birth of singer Beyonce and Jay Z’s baby topped the most searched celebrity events, followed by Jessica Simpson’s baby and then Whitney Houston’s death.
Looking at the top ten most searched people it seems that girls rule the search engine roost, or at least the top ten, as Justin Bieber is the only male in the run down, with his on-off girlfriend Selena Gomez taking fourth spot.
In the world of reality television, Honey Boo Boo and her special juice caused seven-year-old Alana Thompson to capture the hearts of the globe and race to the sixth most-searched person in that genre and the seventh most-searched television show overall.
And in the world of sports, Peyton Manning and his comeback season at the Denver Bronco’s made him the number one most-searched for athlete of 2012 with perennial favorite Tiger Woods coming in at number two.
The release of the iPhone 5 and the fevered speculation surrounding it ensured that Apple’s flagship device hit the top spot for the most-searched for new story of 2012, beating out the American presidential election and the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
Indeed technology saw a high water mark this year with the launch of the Kindle Fire HD and the mammoth but ultimately disastrous Facebook IPO coming in at numbers nine and ten respectively on the news story list.
And in this an election year, the likes of Big Bird, binders full of women and Mitt Romney’s first debate showing all caused the choice between President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger to rank the second most-searched news story of 2012.
Kim Kardashian topped the 2012 list of the most-searched person on Bing
This year also saw the 2012 summer Olympics in London and the likes of swimming sensation Ryan Lochte, gymnast McKayla Maroney and gold medal veterans Michael Phelps all push the quadrennial sporting event to the third most searched event of 2012.
Other notable number ones saw American Idol retain its title as the most searched reality TV show search while Dancing with the Stars pushed its way into the number two spot.
Facebook was the top searched social media on Bing while Twitter and its 140 character’s snapped right on its heels in second place.
Robert Downey Jr. and his super hero buddies in The Avengers made sure that the summer’s big blockbuster was the most searched movie of 2012 while Psy and his ubiquitous and record breaking Gangnam Style K-Pop song accounted for the most-searched song of the year. Bing Top Ten People Searches for 2012
It looks like Demi Moore may have finally moved on after splitting from estranged husband Ashton Kutcher last November amid reports of his infidelity… with another toyboy, Vito Schnabel.
Demi Moore, 50, is said to be quietly dating American art dealer Vito Schnabel, 26, after meeting him earlier this month.
Vito Schnabel and Demi Moore apparently got acquainted at the 50th birthday party of Naomi Campbell’s boyfriend Vladimir Doronin on November 9 in Jodhpur, India, according to the New York Post’s Page Six column.
Demi Moore was one of a host of A-list guests, including Kate Moss, Bob Geldof and Diana Ross, who flew into India for the over-the-top party at an Indian fort.
A partygoer told Page Six: “They were dancing and grinding all over each other, openly, in front of other guests.”
Since the party, Demi Moore and Vito Schnabel have been “quietly spending time together”.
However, the pair are said to be taking things slowly and spent Thanksgiving apart.
Demi Moore was in Lake Tahoe with her three daughters, while Vito Schnabel enjoyed a sunshine break in Jamaica.
Vito Schnabel and Demi Moore apparently got acquainted at the 50th birthday party of Naomi Campbell’s boyfriend Vladimir Doronin on November 9 in Jodhpur
While Demi Moore was famously married to Ashton Kutcher, who was 16 years her junior, Vito Schnabel also likes older women.
He was romantically linked to Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson, who she was 44 and he was 21.
In 2010, Vito Schnabel also dated actress Liv Tyler, who is 9 years older.
Vito Schnabel, whose father is painter Julian Schnabel, is a big name on the New York art scene.
Julian Schnabel, 60, himself is also in an age-gap relationship, having recently
announced his engagement to former model May Andersen, 30.
Since announcing her marriage was over in November 2011, Demi Moore has kept a low-profile.
As well as dealing with her heartbreak, she has also been struggling with health issues and checked into rehab in January.
Meanwhile, Ashton Kutcher has moved on with his former That ’70s Show co-star Mila Kunis, who he has been dating since at least April.
Details of Destiny, Bungie’s first game since quitting the best-selling Halo franchise, have been leaked online.
The gaming website IGN has obtained marketing materials revealing it is called Destiny, and aims to create a universe “as deep” as the Star Wars franchise,
The project had been one of publisher Activision’s most closely guarded secrets.
It has a 10-year exclusive arrangement with the development studio.
Activision has previously told investors that the game would be “genre-defining” and prove to be one of its two “largest growth opportunities” over coming years, alongside the Call of Duty series.
Following IGN’s exclusive, Bungie reproduced one of the images on its own site and confirmed the leak’s authenticity.
According to IGN the game will be set 700 years in the future, and feature battles with aliens to protect the “last city on Earth” after the collapse of mankind’s efforts to colonize the Solar System.
A screenshot suggests the first title in the expected series will run on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Bungie’s most recent releases had only run on Xbox systems.
Details of Destiny, Bungie’s first game since quitting the best-selling Halo franchise, have been leaked online
A decision to build another sci-fi franchise will see Destiny compete with the developer’s original series.
Microsoft has said it has plans for at least another two Halo games. Its most recent sequel, Halo 4, was created by its own subsidiary 343 Industries. The series as a whole has generated more than $3.4 billion in revenues to date.
“You can never have sure bets and the risks involved with creating new IP [intellectual property] are always relatively high, but to have a studio like Bungie involved reduces the risk considerably for Activision due to its incredible track record,” said Pier Harding-Rolls, head of games research at IHS Screen Digest.
But he added that the publisher was unlikely to be happy about the way news of its game had become available.
“I don’t think any company that wants to manage and control the promotion of their material would want to see it leaked through the back door,” he said.
“But a lot of leaks do go on in the industry.
“I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of it at E3 [games conference] in June where games like this can be shown in a satisfying way.”
President Barack Obama is to have lunch at the White House with defeated Republican election rival Mitt Romney, officials have confirmed.
Thursday’s face-to-face will be their first meeting since Barack Obama overcame Mitt Romney in the November 6th election.
On election night Barack Obama pledged to meet Mitt Romney for talks on how to “move this country forward”.
The pair sparred in a bitter campaign and are said to have little rapport.
Over the course of three presidential debates, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney interrupted each other frequently and sniped aggressively over policy and principle.
However, they are now to meet in the private dining room at the White House, and the press will not be permitted to cover the lunch, the White House said on Wednesday.
President Barack Obama is to have lunch at the White House with defeated Republican election rival Mitt Romney
The meeting comes as Barack Obama and the Democrats negotiate with congressional Republicans over the impending “fiscal cliff” – a combination of tax rises and spending cuts set to occur on 1 January.
The measures were partly put in place within a 2011 deal to curb the yawning US budget deficit, but also include the expiration of Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans.
During the campaign, Mitt Romney called for sharp spending and tax cuts to fix the deficit. Barack Obama insists the wealthy should pay more in taxes.
Mitt Romney has dropped out of sight since the election, and analysts say he has little influence on congressional Republicans.
Scarlett Johansson read the weather on the Today show on Tuesday after filling in for Al Roker, who was suffering from laryngitis.
The outlook was sunny for Scarlett Johansson, who happily gestured to the satellite map behind her as she read the day’s report.
Scarlett Johansson, who turned 28 on Thanksgiving, had offered herself up for the role when the show’s team were looking for a replacement.
When asked if she had any experience, quick-witted Scarlett Johansson quipped: “I have long experience with weather.”
Scarlett Johansson was congratulated for her efforts after breezing through the segment, which was apparently a “lifelong dream” of hers.
She even finished by rattling off Al Roker’s famous catchphrase: “Here’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods.”
Scarlett Johansson read the weather on the Today show on Tuesday after filling in for Al Roker, who was suffering from laryngitis
Scarlett Johansson was wrapped up warm to deliver her report, dressed in a black and white tank top under a black coat and wide-leg blue trousers.
Al Roker stood by her side while holding an umbrella over her head to protect her from the New York rain.
The blonde bombshell was appearing on the show to promote her new movie Hitchcock, which was released on Friday.
After filming her stint on the Today show, Scarlett Johansson headed to a photo call for Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, which she is starring in on Broadway from January 17 – with previews kicking off from December 18.
Larry Hagman’s long-term manager and close friend Gene Yusem confirmed there were plans to commemorate the actor, who died aged 81 on Friday, by scattering his ashes at the Dallas mansion, Southfork Ranch.
As fans continued to flock to the site, Gene Yusem said: “It sounds like it will happen and I wouldn’t be surprised if it does.
“Larry had such a great sense of humor, he would have loved it.”
The Dallas star, known for playing as slick oilman J.R. Ewing and Maj. Tony Nelson on I Dream of Jeannie, died of complications from cancer at Medical City Dallas Hospital.
Larry Hagman had been filming the new edition of Dallas for the TNT network while battling throat cancer.
Close to the end, his family and friends, including co-stars Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy, were by his side.
Yesterday, Linda Gray, 72, who plays J.R’s notorious ex-wife Sue Ellen, tweeted: “We had a beautiful gathering this morning on the Dallas set where cast and crew shared stories about Larry Hagman.”
There were plans to commemorate Larry Hagman by scattering his ashes at the Dallas mansion, Southfork Ranch
Larry Hagman’s personal manager John Castonia said there will be a private memorial for the actor, which is believed to be this weekend.
The star’s marriage to his wife Maj was a great Hollywood love story. Had he lived another month, the couple would have celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary.
Yesterday, Gene Yusem said Maj Hagman, who lives in California, was “doing well”.
Larry Hagman had planned to headline the Greater Dallas Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association’s A.W.A.R.E. Luncheon on April 5. His topic was to be how he and Maj were living with the disease.
Kay Hammond, local president of AWARE (Alzheimer’s Women’s Association for Resources and Education) they still planned to honor the couple, tellingDallas News:“We will now do a retrospective of their life together, honoring her and remembering him.”
Two weeks ago, Kay Hammond and her daughter Kim Gatlin, author of the novel Good Christian Bitches, were in Tyler to see Larry Hagman’s one-man show, The Confessions of a Texas S.O.B.
“It was delightful, and he was going to edit it to run just 20 minutes for the luncheon,” Kay Hammond said.
The history of Southfork Ranch began in 1978 when Lorimar Productions chose the North Texas mansion as the site for a new CBS series, only originally envisaged as a five-part drama.
However, the series became a hit and counted millions of fans across the U.S. and in the 95 foreign countries where it was aired.
The original Dallas ran from 1979-1991, dominating ratings, inspiring a prime-time soap craze, and giving rise to “Who Shot J.R.?” mania.
Larry Hagman was at the centre of it – and in 1980, 83 million people tuned in to find out just who had shot the evil millionaire.
Even though the episodes were filmed at a studio, Southfork always remained the Dallas backdrop and quickly became a tourist Mecca, even offering weddings.
The original owner of the ranch and his family were actually in residence at Southfork as the filming began.
When requests for private parties began to pour in, tents were erected and a small party pavilion was built to accommodate these types of events. However, tourism finally took its toll on the family, as it became increasingly hard to live privately in what had become Dallas’ leading visitor attraction.
In 1985, Southfork became strictly a tourist attraction and event location. The mansion was opened to the public for the first time. A 63,000 square foot conference and event center was built to accommodate several thousand people for special events and functions.
A rodeo arena, which was originally constructed for the filming of “Dallas” rodeos, began to host open competition rodeos as well as private “showdeos”.
In June 1992, Arizona businessman Rex Maughan bought the property and it continues to be a tourist trap and conference centre.
Five years ago, Sophia Loren became the oldest model to ever poise for the legendary Pirelli calendar at the grand old age of 72 and now she still managed to put the younger models in the shade at the launch of the 2013 iconic calendar.
Sophia Loren, now 78-years-old, looked stunning in a glittering pearly-white gown in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday evening.
With her brown hair worn over her shoulders and tinted glasses, the star added diamond earrings and a necklace to her dazzling outfit.
Sophia Loren looked thrilled to be in the Brazilian city among a slew of much-younger models, smiling and waving to photographers.
The Oscar-winning star was one of five actresses to appear on the calendar’s 33rd edition back in 2007.
Sophia Loren joined Penelope Cruz, Hilary Swank, Naomi Watts and French star Lou Doillon on the iconic calendar which has been published since 1964.
She was pictured on a bed wearing black lingerie underneath white sheets.
“I had a lot of fun, like a young girl” Sophia Loren said of posing for the calendar.
Sophia Loren said she was thrilled by the experience, adding she had “absolutely no problem” posing semi-nude for Dutch photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.
Sophia Loren still managed to put the younger models in the shade at the launch of 2013 Pirelli calendar
“I didn’t think they would ask me such a thing,” she said of the shoot, which took place in California.
“I started to laugh a lot, I found it ridiculous, I was a little bit afraid,” she added.
“I asked a lot of questions, then thought, <<What the hell, I am going to do it anyway>>.
“When you start to feel good, you give it everything you’ve got.”
Sophia Loren even once told her fans her unusual beauty secret: “Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.”
She later took to the stage on Tuesday alongside the Pirelli President Marco Tronchetti Provera and Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro to launch the new calendar.
The Pirelli calendar is never sold but is distributed each year by the tire firm to some 40,000 VIPs, top customers, politicians and other personalities.
Meanwhile models from the world over were also in attendance including Petra Nemcova who plumped for a subtle gold long sleeved gown, and American model Kyleigh Kuhn, who took the plunge in a daring black number.
They were joined by beauties Liya Kebede, Hanaa Ben Abdesslem and Summer Rayne Oakes.
UEFA is considering ditching the Europa League in favour of extending the Champions League from 32 to 64 teams.
“We’re discussing it. We will make a decision in 2014. Nothing is decided yet,” European football’s governing body president Michel Platini told French newspaper Ouest-France.
UEFA is looking at changing the format of European competitions from 2015.
“There is an ongoing debate to determine what form the European competitions will have between 2015 and 2018,” added Michel Platini.
The Europa League has been criticised by some since it replaced the UEFA Cup in 2009 and exists in the shadow of the more lucrative Champions League.
The Champions League is far more financially beneficial, for UEFA and the clubs concerned, than Europe’s second-tier tournament.
UEFA is considering ditching the Europa League in favour of extending the Champions League from 32 to 64 teams
It has been reported that Europe’s richest clubs will form a breakaway European league if the Champions League is not expanded.
Barcelona president Sandro Rosell said earlier this month that he would like to cut the number of teams competing in the top tier of domestic leagues and increase the number of clubs in the Champions League.
But Michel Platini, a former France international, said he was not worried by talk of a tournament to rival the Champions League being set up.
“It’s a question that is regularly brought up,” he said.
“I can’t see how it could work outside the UEFA framework. Who will referee them? In what stadiums will they play?”
Supermodels, television stars and beauty insiders alike have come out to say they are now drinking their beauty products, but rather drinks that contain collagen, a protein in skin that gives it a youthful look.
The brands behind these drinks – including beauty’in Beauty Drink and Pure Gold Collagen – claim they boost collagen levels in the skin.
Brazilians can’t get enough of the stuff and in Asia, big beauty brands such as Shiseido have developed their own collagen shots.
According to analysts Datamonitor, the global market in such drinks is expected to rise to around $63.6 billion by 2014. But are they an anti-ageing miracle?
Or, given that Pure Gold Collagen sells for $55 for ten days’ supply and a bottle of Beauty Drink is $5.4, is it a triumph of marketing designed to relieve us of our cash rather than our wrinkles?
“I just haven’t seen any evidence that explains why taking collagen orally should improve the quantity of collagen in your skin,” says dermatologist Dr. Sam Bunting.
“The collagen in a drink is broken down in your stomach. There’s no direct channel to the skin.”
The brands behind collagen drinks claim they boost collagen levels in the skin
Despite the expert disapproval, there are plenty of testimonials on the Boots website from women singing the praises of the drinks. This might be because they also include vitamin C and vitamin E.
“These vitamins have been proven to be beneficial for the skin,” says Dr. Stefanie Williams, of London’s European Dermatology Clinic.
“They are also known for their ability to hydrate and moisturize.”
But you don’t need to spend a fortune on a collagen drink to get these vitamins.
Holland & Barrett sells 100 vitamin E capsules for $7 and 250 vitamin C caplets for $15, all of which will last a lot longer – and be more likely to work than a sugary “beauty drink”.
Jessica Simpson is pregnant again just seven months after having daughter Maxwell, it has been claimed.
Jessica Simpson, 32, who has dropped 60 lbs since giving birth in April, is not thought to have planned the pregnancy.
“It definitely wasn’t planned. But yes, Jessica is pregnant again,” a source revealed to Us Weekly.
It will be the second baby for the Fashion Star mentor and fiancé Eric Johnson.
“She really is overjoyed!” said the source.
According to TMZ, Jessica Simpson a staggering 60 pounds on a healthy eating plan filled with low-fat smoothies, protein and plenty of vegetables as part of a $4 million sponsorship with Weight Watchers.
Jessica Simpson is pregnant again just seven months after having daughter Maxwell
Stella McCartney was the big winner of the British Fashion Awards 2012, taking home two major awards.
Stella McCartney, daughter of Sir Paul McCartney and a mother-of-four, was awarded Designer of the Year and Designer Brand of the Year at a star-studded event at London’s Savoy hotel.
The double win follows a momentous year for Stella McCartney, most notably her Team GB kit designs for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Among the winners of the 14 other awards recognizing talent across the fashion industry were Erdem, Nicholas Kirkwood, Roksanda Ilincic and JW Anderson.
Cara Delevingne was named Model of the Year, and Alexa Chung was once again given the British Style Award, which is voted by the public.
Manolo Blahnik was honored for his outstanding achievement in fashion by architect Zaha Hadid, and Harold Tillman CBE was given the Special Recognition Award by HRH Princess Beatrice of York.
Stella McCartney was awarded Designer of the Year and Designer Brand of the Year at British Fashion Awards 2012 at London’s Savoy hotel
The Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator was given to Professor Louise Wilson OBE, course director of the Fashion MA at Central Saint Martins.
The event, hosted by Gemma Arterton and Nick Grimshaw, was attended by some of the fashion industry’s most important figures, among them Sarah Burton, Valentino, BFC Ambassador Samantha Cameron.
Harold Tillman said in a press release: “The British Fashion Awards are a significant event which represent the culmination of extraordinary talent, creativity and innovation across the whole industry.
“The ceremony provides the perfect conclusion to what has been an exceptional year for British fashion and we’re very proud to celebrate the achievements of all the nominees here this evening.”
Cara Delevingne’s achievements were entered into the fashion world Hall of Fame as she was named model of the year at the British Fashion Awards.
She is the big-browed model whose career has gone from strength to strength since she first appeared as the face of Burberry in 2010.
Since then, Cara Delevingne has been shot by Mario Testino, walked the runway for Oscar de la Renta, Fendi and Stella McCartney, and posed as the face of Chanel.
Last month Cara Delevingne walked in the Victoria’s Secret show as one of the lingerie brand’s Angels, and she has ticked the High Street boxes too, with ad campaigns for H&M and Zara under her belt.
Cara Delevingne’s achievements were entered into the fashion world Hall of Fame as she was named model of the year at the British Fashion Awards
The BFA said that Cara Delevingne picked up the Model award in recognition of her contribution to the international fashion scene over the past year.
“Cara’s unique sense of style and flair in front of the camera has made her one of the most prominent names in fashion, walking in an impressive 31 shows in September after being described as the star face of autumn/winter 13 by British Vogue,” they said.
The 20-year-old model, who also bagged a small role in this year’s remake of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, has not stopped working in 2012 – most recently covering this month’s i-D magazine, where she posed with a tarantula perching on her face.
Jill Kelley, the Tampa socialite embroiled in the scandal that cost CIA Director David Petraeus his job, fought back Tuesday after more than two weeks of silence as her attorneys released emails, telephone recordings and other material that they say show she never tried to exploit her friendship with Petraeus.
Jill Kelley, through her attorneys, went on the attack against a New York businessman who accused her of incompetence in her work trying to set up a deal he was negotiating with South Korean companies; an attorney who accused her of name-dropping and of being a social climber; and the FBI agent who first leaked her name in connection with the Petraeus scandal.
Jill Kelley, 37, became the focus of national media attention earlier this month after it was revealed that she was the recipient of anonymous emails from Paula Broadwell, David Petraeus’ biographer and mistress.
Paula Broadwell allegedly told Jill Kelley she should stay away from the former general and General John Allen, who had replaced David Petraeus as leader of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
David Petraeus and John Allen had become friends with Jill Kelley and her husband, Scott Kelley, a noted cancer surgeon, when the generals served at U.S. Central Command, which is headquartered at Tampa’s MacDill Air Force Base. Jill Kelley became an unofficial social ambassador for the base, hosting numerous parties for the officers.
The scandal this week cost Jill Kelley her appointment as an honorary consul for the South Korean government, which she had gotten because of her friendship with David Petraeus. The Koreans said she had misused the title in her personal business dealings.
Jill Kelley’s attorneys sent a cease-and-desist letter to New York businessman Adam Victor; a complaint to the Florida bar against Tampa attorney Barry Cohen, and a letter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office demanding that it investigate to find out who in the FBI leaked her name to the news media. Representatives of attorney Abbe Lowell emailed copies of the letters to The Associated Press.
In one of the letters, Abbe Lowell asks W. Stephen Muldrow, the assistant U.S. Attorney in Tampa, why Jill and Scott Kelley’s names were released in the course of the FBI’s investigation of David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell. Abbe Lowell said federal privacy laws could be applicable to the couple’s information.
“As you know, there are several rules and laws that seek to protect United States citizens against such leaks,” Abbe Lowell wrote.
He also wanted to know whether the U.S. Attorney’s Office was investigating the source of the leaks.
“You no doubt have seen the tremendous attention that the Kelleys have received in the media,” wrote Abbe Lowell.
“All they did to receive this attention was to let law enforcement know that they had been the subjects of inappropriate and potentially threatening behavior by someone else.”
Jill Kelley fought back Tuesday after more than two weeks of silence saying she never tried to exploit her friendship with David Petraeus
Another letter spoke of a business deal that Jill Kelley tried to broker with South Korea.
Jill Kelley met Adam Victor in late August at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, where they discussed having Kelley represent Victor’s company on a coal-gasification deal being negotiated with South Korean companies.
On August 30, according to the documents provided by Abbe Lowell’s office, Adam Victor sent Jill Kelley an email saying his company was seeking bids from four major Korean firms – Samsung, Hyundai, GS and GK – and that he expected the bidding to potentially reach $3 billion.
Jill Kelley reportedly requested $80 million for helping with the deal.
There are several back-and-forth emails through mid-September as Adam Victor and Jill Kelley tried to negotiate a fee for her work, with Kelley saying she was seeking 2% of the deal and Victor trying to clarify what she meant.
There were no other emails until Adam Victor sent one November 9, when Jill Kelley’s name surfaced in the Petraeus scandal. He wrote two more times after that before she responded.
When she finally did, he sent back another email in which he remarked: “When I heard about Petraeus, I thought of you.”
In a follow-up email, he asked if she was still in a position to help with Korea. She didn’t respond.
In a November 14 interview with the AP, Adam Victor said it had become clear that Jill Kelley was not a skilled negotiator and that he had wasted his time dealing with her.
In a letter released Tuesday and dated November 21, Abbe Lowell accused Adam Victor of seeking his “15 minutes of fame” by talking to the news media about his client.
Abbe Lowell said Adam Victor had defamed Jill Kelley with his clients and misstated her desire for 2% of the profits by saying she wanted 2% of the entire deal. Abbe Lowell also accused Adam Victor of unspecified inappropriate behavior toward Jill Kelley.
“If you want to continue seeking publicity for yourself, that is one thing,” Abbe Lowell wrote to Adam Victor.
“However, if you do that by maligning a person, that is something else.”
He then accused Adam Victor of casting Jill Kelley in a false light and suggested his attorney contact Abbe Lowell to discuss the matter.
Adam Victor told the AP late Tuesday that he never accused Jill Kelley of wrongdoing, only that she was naive and not an experienced negotiator. He also said his female assistant was present every time he met with Jill Kelley.
Safeguards built into the bitcoin software are about to be triggered as the number of bitcoins in circulation hits a key milestone.
This means bitcoin “miners” will have to work twice as hard to be rewarded with the same number of coins.
The change comes as competition to create the coins gets more intense with the release of custom mining chips.
Since the creation of the bitcoin network in early 2009, bitcoins have grown to become a very widely used digital currency. An increasing number of online shops and businesses accept bitcoins as payments and currently each bitcoin is worth about $12.
As a digital currency, bitcoins are not issued by a central bank or national mint. Instead they are created by the system’s network when a specific amount of computer work, known as a “block” has been completed. Fifty bitcoins are released when that block is done and the work, which involves solving a hard mathematical problem, is completed.
The protocol that defines this block-to-coin ratio reduces the reward given for finding each block every time 210,000 blocks have been found. According to statistics gathered about the bitcoin network, the 210,000 figure looks set to be passed on 28 November. Then, instead of getting 50 bitcoins per block, miners will get only 25.
Safeguards built into the bitcoin software are about to be triggered as the number of bitcoins in circulation hits a key milestone
“The main reason to do this is to control inflation,” said Vitalik Buterin, a journalist at Bitcoin Magazine. Controlling the rate at which coins were created, he said, meant there would never be a surge or shortfall in the number of bitcoins in circulation, either one of which could rapidly change the value of each coin.
It addition, he said, it was a hedge against technological innovation. In the early days of bitcoins, many people used desktop computers to do the hard sums. Then they started to use banks of graphics cards that could do the maths very quickly to speed up the rate at which blocks of work were completed.
Vitalik Buterin said some miners were now using even more specialized hardware to do the mathematical work and firms were starting to produce custom-made chips that stepped up the pace of work even more.
However, he said, the creators of bitcoins had foreseen these changes and built in controls to keep the numbers of blocks completed relatively constant.
“The protocol always calibrates difficulty to make up for increased mining power,so the speed at which people are finding blocks isn’t going to go up by much no matter what.”
