Walker leads Bobcats past Pistons in OT

Charlotte Bobcats guard Kemba Walker (15) goes to the basket against Detroit Pistons forward Kyle Singler in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Charlotte Bobcats guard Kemba Walker (15) goes to the basket against Detroit Pistons forward Kyle Singler in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Charlotte Bobcats guard Ben Gordon, left, gets a shot off against Detroit Pistons forward Andre Drummond in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Charlotte Bobcats forward Tyrus Thomas (12) takes a shot against Detroit Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva (31) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Charlotte Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) goes to the basket between Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe (10) and forward Kyle Singler (25) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Charlotte Bobcats guard Kemba Walker, front, steals the ball from Detroit Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince (22) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) ? It's not quite a winning streak, but after losing 18 straight, coming out on top in two out of three games is close enough.

Kemba Walker had 20 points and seven assists, Ben Gordon scored 18 points and the Charlotte Bobcats beat the Detroit Pistons 108-101 in overtime Sunday night for just their second win in 21 games.

After snapping the long losing skid with a 91-81 victory at Chicago on Monday, Charlotte lost 106-104 to Cleveland at home on Friday night.

Ramon Sessions added 15 points, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 11, and Bismack Biyombo had 10 points and 17 rebounds for the Bobcats.

"It definitely helped push us away from that losing streak and get on with life," Charlotte coach Mike Dunlop said about the team's latest win.

Tayshaun Prince scored 21 points to lead Detroit, which snapped a four-game winning streak. Greg Monroe had 18 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and Rodney Stuckey also scored 18 points.

"They're a team that when you score on them, they push it right back down your throat. They come at you 100 times faster than you went at them," Pistons' rookie center Andre Drummond said. "That's one of the teams that when you score, you miss a shot, you gotta get back quick or else they're going to score on you."

Walker's driving layup with 7.8 seconds left in regulation tied the score at 96-all, sending the game to overtime.

"I'm just trying to make the best play possible. Whether it's a pass or making a basket," Walker said. "Tonight it was the basket that put us into overtime."

Then, he and Tyrus Thomas had four points each for Charlotte in the extra period.

"He's got a big heart and he knows how to close a game," Dunlop said about Walker. "He's a special player."

Thomas, who had 13 points, was playing in only his second game after missing six weeks with a right calf strain.

Prince's jump hook with 2:02 left had given the Pistons a 96-94 lead.

Drummond scored six straight points for the Pistons and blocked shot in less than a four-minute span in the fourth quarter, as Detroit led 90-87 with 5:39 left.

However, Drummond then fouled Walker, who hit two free throws with 5:15 remaining to bring the Bobcats within one.

"A loss is a loss, no matter who it's to. Whether it's to Derrick Rose, Kemba Walker," Pistons point guard Brandon Knight said. "Those are just guys on certain teams. It's a team game. It's the Pistons lost to the Bobcats."

The Pistons led 82-79 going into the fourth quarter.

Detroit held a 60-59 lead at the half after Charlotte rallied from a 13-point deficit with less than five minutes left in the second quarter.

Four consecutive 3-point shots, the first three by Charlie Villanueva and the fourth by Stuckey, helped give the Pistons a 58-45 lead with 4:48 remaining in the first half.

"I think they tried to come out and hit us in the mouth in the first half," Gordon said.

But the Bobcats scored the next 10 points ? two free throws by Biyombo (4:32), an alley-oop dunk by Jeff Taylor (4:14), two more free throws by Biyombo (3:45), Thomas' two free throws (3:09) and Biyombo's lay-in (2:36) cut Detroit's lead to 58-55.

The Pistons' Knight was credited with a bucket on a goaltending call to make it 60-55 with 1:40 left.

But Walker ended the half with two driving lay-ups with 52.4 and 25.7 seconds left.

NOTES: Bobcats forward Hakim Warrick didn't play because of flu-like symptoms and Charlotte forward/center Byron Mullens was out with a left ankle sprain. ... Gordon is in his first season with Charlotte after spending the previous three with the Pistons. He averaged 12.5 points and 26.9 minutes in 52 games with Detroit last season.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-06-BKN-Bobcats-Pistons/id-a17d7a9a4baa4de2bf6479c277401401

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Molecular '2-way radio' directs nerve cell branching and connectivity

Public release date: 7-Jan-2013
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Contact: Catherine Kolf
ckolf@jhmi.edu
443-287-2251
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Insect research yields insights for muscle control and nerve disorders in mammals, including humans

Working with fruit flies, Johns Hopkins scientists have decoded the activity of protein signals that let certain nerve cells know when and where to branch so that they reach and connect to their correct muscle targets. The proteins' mammalian counterparts are known to have signaling roles in immunity, nervous system and heart development, and tumor progression, suggesting broad implications for human disease research. A report of the research was published online Nov. 21 in the journal Neuron.

To control muscle movements, fruit flies, like other animals, have a set of nerve cells called motor neurons that connect muscle fibers to the nerve cord, a structure similar to the spinal cord, which in turn connects to the brain. During embryonic development, the nerve cells send wire-like projections, or axons, from the nerve cord structure out to their targets. Initially, multiple axons travel together in a convoy, but as they move forward, some axons must exit the "highway" at specific points to reach particular targets.

In their experiments, the researchers learned that axons travelling together have proteins on their surfaces that act like two-way radios, allowing the axons to communicate with each other and coordinate their travel patterns, thus ensuring that every muscle fiber gets connected to a nerve cell. "When axons fail to branch, or when they branch too early and too often, fruits flies, and presumably other animals, can be left without crucial muscle-nerve connections," says Alex Kolodkin, Ph.D., a Howard Hughes investigator and professor of neuroscience at the Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

At the center of the communications system, Kolodkin says, is a protein called Sema-1a, already known to reside on the surface of motor neuron axons. If a neighboring axon has a different protein, called PlexA, on its surface, it will be repulsed by Sema-1a and will turn away from the axon bundle. So Sema-1a acts as an instructional signal and PlexA as its receptor. In the fruit fly study, the scientists discovered that Sema-1a can also act as a receptor for PlexA. "We used to think that this pair of surface proteins acted as a one-way radio, with information flowing in a single direction," says Kolodkin. "What we found is that instructional information flows both ways."

The Johns Hopkins team identified the "two-way" system by knocking out and otherwise manipulating fruit fly genes and then watching what happened to motor neuron branching. In these experiments, the researchers uncovered still other proteins located within the motor axons that Sema-1a interacts with after receiving a PlexA signal. When the gene for a protein called Pebble was deleted, for example, motor axons bunched together and didn't branch. When the gene for RhoGAPp190 was deleted, motor axons branched too soon and failed to recognize their target muscles.

Through a series of biochemical tests, Kolodkin's team found that Pebble and RhoGAPp190 both act on a third protein, Rho1. When Rho1 is activated, it collapses the supporting structures within an axon, making it "limp" and unable to continue toward a target. Sema-1a can bind to Pebble or to RhoGAPp190, and subsequently, these proteins can bind to Rho1. Binding to Pebble activates Rho1, causing axons to branch away from each other. However, binding to RhoGAPp190 shuts down Rho1, causing axons to remain bunched together. Thus, says Kolodkin, balance in the amounts of available Pebble and RhoGAPp190 can determine axon behavior, although what determines this balance is still unknown.

"This signaling is complex and we still don't understand how it's all controlled, but we're one step closer now," says Kolodkin. He notes that "a relative" of the Sema-1a protein in humans has already been implicated in schizophrenia, although details of this protein's role in disease remain unclear. "Our experiments affirm how important this protein is to study and understand," adds Kolodkin.

###

Other authors on the paper include Sangyun Jeong and Katarina Juhaszova of The Johns Hopkins University.

This work was supported by funds from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01 NS35165) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

On the Web:

Link to article in Neuron: http://www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273%2812%2900853-7

Kolodkin Lab: http://neuroscience.jhu.edu/AlexKolodkin.php

Kolodkin HHMI Profile: http://www.hhmi.org/research/investigators/kolodkin_bio.html

---

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?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 7-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Catherine Kolf
ckolf@jhmi.edu
443-287-2251
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Insect research yields insights for muscle control and nerve disorders in mammals, including humans

Working with fruit flies, Johns Hopkins scientists have decoded the activity of protein signals that let certain nerve cells know when and where to branch so that they reach and connect to their correct muscle targets. The proteins' mammalian counterparts are known to have signaling roles in immunity, nervous system and heart development, and tumor progression, suggesting broad implications for human disease research. A report of the research was published online Nov. 21 in the journal Neuron.

To control muscle movements, fruit flies, like other animals, have a set of nerve cells called motor neurons that connect muscle fibers to the nerve cord, a structure similar to the spinal cord, which in turn connects to the brain. During embryonic development, the nerve cells send wire-like projections, or axons, from the nerve cord structure out to their targets. Initially, multiple axons travel together in a convoy, but as they move forward, some axons must exit the "highway" at specific points to reach particular targets.

In their experiments, the researchers learned that axons travelling together have proteins on their surfaces that act like two-way radios, allowing the axons to communicate with each other and coordinate their travel patterns, thus ensuring that every muscle fiber gets connected to a nerve cell. "When axons fail to branch, or when they branch too early and too often, fruits flies, and presumably other animals, can be left without crucial muscle-nerve connections," says Alex Kolodkin, Ph.D., a Howard Hughes investigator and professor of neuroscience at the Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

At the center of the communications system, Kolodkin says, is a protein called Sema-1a, already known to reside on the surface of motor neuron axons. If a neighboring axon has a different protein, called PlexA, on its surface, it will be repulsed by Sema-1a and will turn away from the axon bundle. So Sema-1a acts as an instructional signal and PlexA as its receptor. In the fruit fly study, the scientists discovered that Sema-1a can also act as a receptor for PlexA. "We used to think that this pair of surface proteins acted as a one-way radio, with information flowing in a single direction," says Kolodkin. "What we found is that instructional information flows both ways."

The Johns Hopkins team identified the "two-way" system by knocking out and otherwise manipulating fruit fly genes and then watching what happened to motor neuron branching. In these experiments, the researchers uncovered still other proteins located within the motor axons that Sema-1a interacts with after receiving a PlexA signal. When the gene for a protein called Pebble was deleted, for example, motor axons bunched together and didn't branch. When the gene for RhoGAPp190 was deleted, motor axons branched too soon and failed to recognize their target muscles.

Through a series of biochemical tests, Kolodkin's team found that Pebble and RhoGAPp190 both act on a third protein, Rho1. When Rho1 is activated, it collapses the supporting structures within an axon, making it "limp" and unable to continue toward a target. Sema-1a can bind to Pebble or to RhoGAPp190, and subsequently, these proteins can bind to Rho1. Binding to Pebble activates Rho1, causing axons to branch away from each other. However, binding to RhoGAPp190 shuts down Rho1, causing axons to remain bunched together. Thus, says Kolodkin, balance in the amounts of available Pebble and RhoGAPp190 can determine axon behavior, although what determines this balance is still unknown.

"This signaling is complex and we still don't understand how it's all controlled, but we're one step closer now," says Kolodkin. He notes that "a relative" of the Sema-1a protein in humans has already been implicated in schizophrenia, although details of this protein's role in disease remain unclear. "Our experiments affirm how important this protein is to study and understand," adds Kolodkin.

###

Other authors on the paper include Sangyun Jeong and Katarina Juhaszova of The Johns Hopkins University.

This work was supported by funds from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01 NS35165) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

On the Web:

Link to article in Neuron: http://www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273%2812%2900853-7

Kolodkin Lab: http://neuroscience.jhu.edu/AlexKolodkin.php

Kolodkin HHMI Profile: http://www.hhmi.org/research/investigators/kolodkin_bio.html

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/jhm-mr010713.php

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Samsung 2013 LCDs and plasmas

As a leading manufacturer of HDTVs, Samsung has predictably returned to CES with a heaping armful of new displays of both the plasma and LCD variety. There are many common factors across the higher end models, including new A15 quad-core 1.35GHz CPUs that claim a 3.6x speed boost over last year's dual cores. That extra horsepower isn't being wasted either, as this year's sets are the first to decode HEVC video, and also feature improved voice control with natural voice commands, better recognition of gestures with support for two-handed gestures, pinch to zoom and more.

All are due during the first half of 2013 and include Samsung's AllShare DLNA client, as well as the S-Recommendation lists to help you find things to watch. The F8500 series plasma features brighter whites and blacker blacks as well as other picture quality enhancements compared to years past and is available in three sizes; 51, 60 and 64 inches. The flagship F7500 LED 3D TV is available in 46, 55 and 60-inches, while its bigger brother, the F8000 series, does what it can do and adds a built-in camera and mic; and is available in five sizes ranging up to 75-inches.

Like the higher end 2012 Samsung HDTVs, the new models also feature a Smart Evolution slot for future expansion. Owners of last year's sets will be able to pick up a Smart Evolution Kit and add the new features of this years models without replacing their TV.

Gallery: Samsung 2013 LCDs, Plasmas, apps, upgrade box

Continue reading Samsung 2013 LCDs and plasmas

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Pk2zTl-4YaE/

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Congress approves $9.7 billion in Sandy flood aid

Crews work work to replace the Superstorm Sandy destroyed boardwalk in Seaside Heights, N.J., Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Under intense pressure from angry Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner has agreed to a vote this week on aid for Superstorm Sandy recovery. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Crews work work to replace the Superstorm Sandy destroyed boardwalk in Seaside Heights, N.J., Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Under intense pressure from angry Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner has agreed to a vote this week on aid for Superstorm Sandy recovery. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Henny Mauro walks in Seaside Heights, N.J., Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, past a beach-side home that was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. Under intense pressure from angry Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner has agreed to a vote this week on aid for Superstorm Sandy recovery. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

A man photographs a beach front home in Bay Head, N.J., Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, that was severely damaged two months ago by Superstorm Sandy. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who has praised President Barack Obama's handling of the devastating storm, has blasted Republican U.S. House Speaker John Boehner for delaying a vote for federal storm relief. Now, under intense pressure from angry Republicans, Boehner has agreed to a vote this week on aid for Superstorm Sandy recovery. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Homes and docks damaged by Superstorm Sandy remain uninhabitable in the Broad Channel section of Queens, New York, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. Many home and business owners flooded out by Hurricane Sandy could get insurance payouts soon through congressional action expected Friday, Jan. 4 on a $9.7 billion bill to replenish the National Flood Insurance Program. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which runs the program, warned that it will run out of money next week if Congress doesn?t give it additional borrowing authority to pay out claims. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo talks to NYS Responds and NYS Ready Commissions members following a meeting in the Red Room at the Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, in Albany, N.Y. A still angry Cuomo isn't ready to believe the Republican House leadership will finally vote on Sandy relief aid. Instead, he's telling them: "Show me the money." (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The new Congress on Friday rushed out $9.7 billion to help pay flood insurance claims to 115,000 people and businesses afflicted by Superstorm Sandy, two days after New Jersey's governor and other Northeast Republicans upbraided Speaker John Boehner for killing a broader package for state and local governments in the storm's path.

The bill replenishes the National Flood Insurance Program that was due to run out of money next week with the pending Sandy-related claims as well as 5,000 unresolved claims from other floods.

"It's a small down payment on the larger aid we need," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The legislation cleared the Senate by a voice vote following passage by the House, 354-67.

The government already has spent about $2 billion on the emergency response to the late October storm, one of the worst ever in the Northeast. It slammed the Atlantic coastline from North Carolina to Maine, with the worst damage occurring in New York City and its suburbs, New Jersey and Connecticut. The storm is blamed for 140 deaths.

Boehner has promised a vote Jan. 15 on a broader, $51 billion package of aid, which would bring the total to the more than $60 billion requested by President Barack Obama. Senate leaders have promised a vote the following week.

The Senate passed a $60.4 billion bill a week ago but House Republicans, complaining that it was laden with pork projects unrelated to the storm, cut it by more than half. Boehner canceled a New Year's Day vote on it after nearly two-thirds of House Republicans voted against the "fiscal cliff" package of tax and spending increases.

The White House praised Friday's vote helping homeowners, renters and businesses, and urged Congress to act quickly on the remainder of Obama's request.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a joint statement also imploring Congress to move hastily on the rest of the money. "We are trusting Congress to act accordingly on January 15th," they said.

It was a more temperate response than was heard earlier in the week, when a livid Christie blistered House Republicans and Boehner himself for holding up the aid and other GOP figures from the region, as well as Democrats, cried "betrayal."

All of the "no" votes in the House were cast by Republicans, who said other government programs should have been cut to pay for the measure. As with past natural disasters, the Sandy aid proposals do not provide for offsetting spending cuts, meaning the aid comes at the cost of higher deficits.

The bill gives more authority to the National Flood Insurance Program to borrow money from the U.S. Treasury to pay claims. Premiums average about $625 per year and residential claims under the program average nearly $30,000.

Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., a fiscal conservative who voted against the flood bill, said he was among those with concerns it would add to huge budget deficits. "We have to talk seriously about offsets," Huelskamp said. "We can't take $60 billion off budget, that's my problem with it."

The Club For Growth, a conservative group, urged lawmakers to oppose the flood insurance bill. "Congress should not allow the federal government to be involved in the flood insurance industry in the first place, let alone expand the national flood insurance program's authority," the group said in a statement.

Among those with a pending flood insurance claim is Philip Rock in New Jersey. Rock has gotten $8,000 in flood insurance payments so far on a house he rents out in Toms River that was destroyed. He expects to receive much more from his $220,000 insurance policy but can't level the house until he knows the final payout.

"We don't want to demolish the house and have them say, 'We have to go around and take more pictures,'" Rock said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency had warned that the flood insurance program would run out of money next week if Congress didn't provide additional borrowing authority. Congress created the FEMA-run program in 1968 because few private insurers cover flood damage.

The $2 billion FEMA already has spent went to providing shelter, restoring power and meeting other immediate needs. Eleven states ? New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts ? plus the District of Columbia have shared that money.

FEMA's disaster relief fund still has about $4.3 billion, enough to pay for emergency response efforts into early spring, according to officials.

Sandy is the most costly natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Northeast lawmakers have complained that while it took Congress just 10 days to approve about $50 billion in Katrina aid, additional money for Sandy victims hasn't been forthcoming in more than two months.

The storm damaged or destroyed more than 72,000 homes and businesses in New Jersey. In New York, 305,000 housing units were damaged or destroyed and more than 265,000 businesses were disrupted, officials have said.

___

Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor and Jim Abrams in Washington and Katie Zezima in Newark, N.J., contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-04-Superstorm%20Aid/id-d256b9fb286b4cf1b571f08e8dea54a5

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Gay marriage remains a tough sell in Illinois

In this Jan. 3, 2013 photo, Theresa Volpe, second from left, testifies alongside her daughter Ava as her partner Mercedes Santos, right, sits with their son Jaidon during a Senate Executive committee hearing considering same sex marriage at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. Despite a nudge from the home-state president, soaring support in the polls and national momentum from the November elections, the stalling of the gay marriage push in Illinois shows how tricky it is to get a legislature to approve same-sex unions. Illinois Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, a supporter for same sex marriage, left, looks on. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

In this Jan. 3, 2013 photo, Theresa Volpe, second from left, testifies alongside her daughter Ava as her partner Mercedes Santos, right, sits with their son Jaidon during a Senate Executive committee hearing considering same sex marriage at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. Despite a nudge from the home-state president, soaring support in the polls and national momentum from the November elections, the stalling of the gay marriage push in Illinois shows how tricky it is to get a legislature to approve same-sex unions. Illinois Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, a supporter for same sex marriage, left, looks on. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

In this Jan. 2, 2013 photo, Illinois Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, a supporter for same sex marriage, listens to lawmakers' questions during a public health committee hearing at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. Despite a nudge from the home-state president, soaring support in the polls and national momentum from the November elections, the stalling of the gay marriage push in Illinois shows how tricky it is to get a legislature to approve same-sex unions. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

In this Jan. 2, 2013 photo, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, speaks to lawmakers during a committee hearing at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. Despite a nudge from the home-state president, soaring support in the polls and national momentum from the November elections, the stalling of the gay marriage push in Illinois shows how tricky it is to get a legislature to approve same-sex unions. Cullerton has mentioned that same-sex marriage, along with gun control, are measures that are ?always going to be very, very tough? to pass. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) ? The stalling of Illinois' gay-marriage push ? at least for now ? shows the difficulty of approving legislation to legalize it, even with a nudge from the home-state president, steadily rising support in the polls and national momentum from the November elections.

Democrats control both chambers of the General Assembly and the governor's office in the solidly blue state. Yet the margin of support Senate Democrats were able to pull together for a bill last week was so thin that a death in one lawmaker's family and another senator's extended trip to Israel were enough to push the issue into the next legislative session.

Supporters downplayed the delay, saying a Senate committee's vote to advance the measure was history itself and insisting same-sex marriage here is inevitable. But there's no denying that even as the nation's feelings about the issue appear to be shifting, lawmakers have been more reluctant to do so ? particularly in the nation's heartland.

No legislature in the middle of the country has approved gay marriage. Of the nine states that allow it, Iowa is the only one not located on the nation's coasts, and it adopted same-sex unions through the courts, not the Legislature.

As it became clear last week that Illinois didn't have a deal and would have to push back a vote until possibly February, Senate President John Cullerton, a Chicago Democrat, mentioned same-sex marriage along with gun control as measures that are "always going to be very, very tough" to pass.

That makes a potential victory in Illinois even sweeter, advocates say. The Iowa Supreme Court's decision to void the state's gay marriage ban in 2009 shocked people on both coasts and sent ripples across the nation, said Jim Bennett, director of the Midwest office of Lambda Legal.

"I think Illinois is the same way," Bennett said. "There's a sense that if it happens in the middle of the country, it's not a trend. It's a new understanding of the gay community and where we are."

While President Barack Obama's home state is known for its liberal policies, its Democratic leadership hails mostly from Chicago while the rest of the state ? including fellow Democrats ? are far more conservative. One Republican from downstate Illinois said what happened last week was a reflection of that.

"I think the Legislature is a microcosm of the state's society, and it proves once again that the state of Illinois is not ready for gay marriage," Sen. Sam McCann said.

But Edwin Yohnka, director of public policy for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which is part of a coalition pushing the bill, characterized the committee vote as "a great accomplishment."

"That was something a year ago or two years ago people would not have conceived," Yohnka said. "We are a day closer today to having the freedom to marry for all couples in Illinois than we were yesterday, and we will be a day closer tomorrow. Marriage is coming to Illinois."

Supporters have a parallel effort underway in the Illinois courts, where 25 gay and lesbian couples are challenging the state law that prohibits marriage between people of the same sex, but the legal process could take years. And unlike some other states, Illinois doesn't have a process for citizens to change state statutes at the ballot box. So the Legislature is seen as the quickest, less expensive route for marriage-equality advocates.

A gay marriage bill was introduced in the Legislature early last year but was going nowhere until last fall. In November, voters in four states either approved gay marriage or voted down bans on it. Wisconsin elected an openly gay U.S. senator, and an Iowa Supreme Court justice who participated in the court's unanimous ruling in favor of gay marriage kept his seat. Two years earlier, voters ousted three of his colleagues.

Coming just months after Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage, Illinois advocates decided to grab the momentum and press the issue before the Legislature as soon as they believed they could get it through. That meant the January lame-duck session, which had the added benefit of letting dozens of lawmakers who wouldn't have to stand for re-election vote their conscience.

"You really had a sense that it's our time." Bennett said. "We moved when the iron was hot."

Some observers questioned whether advocates rushed too much, not taking time to iron out details that might have helped pick up some votes. But the bill's sponsor and other supporters said they had done their due diligence and the only glitch was the absence of three lawmakers whose backing was critical.

One suburban Chicago Republican, Sen. Suzi Schmidt, was absent because her mother died, while Democratic Sen. Jeffrey Schoenberg was overseas for his daughter's bat mitzvah and Democratic Sen. James Clayborne had a family emergency.

Lawmakers note it's not unusual for an issue ? especially one as controversial as same-sex marriage ? to take several hearings before getting a floor vote. Cullerton and the bill's sponsor, Sen. Heather Steans, said they will spend the next few weeks of the new session, which begins Wednesday, trying to tweak the bill to allay Republican concerns about violations of religious freedom.

One supporter said votes could occur as early as February. Until then, they will continue to meet with legislators and tell their stories ? an approach that has seemed to work well so far. And they say this week's events ignited their coalition in a way they haven't seen in nearly a decade.

"At the end of the day, I feel momentum is still behind us, and it's strong," Bennett said.

___

Associated Press writers Regina Garcia-Cano and John O'Connor contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-05-Illinois-Gay%20Marriage/id-f3601d94d485474dbd35262750677c95

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Belkin introduces Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater for iPad, we go hands-on

While Belkin has long been at the forefront of Apple accessories, offering everything from keyboard cases to baby monitors, it somehow left the audio arena unexplored. That ends today with the introduction of the Belkin Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater. Behind that mouthful of a product name is essentially a portable speaker dock for the iPad housed inside a protective case, which seems a lot more reasonable than Bang & Olufsen's pricey speaker "wedge." The Thunderstorm's front-facing speaker system boasts full-range drivers and integrated air channels for "immersive sound" and "deeper bass." All the internals are powered by Audifi, a mobile audio engineering outfit that Belkin specifically hired for the project. As for the cover, Belkin took a cue from Apple's own magnetic offering, but went a step further with the addition of multifold creases for different viewing angles.

We spent a few days with the Thunderstorm and so far we're impressed with the volume and depth from such slim speakers. Though we didn't have a chance to test it, Belkin is also offering a free iOS app to accompany the product -- it essentially lets you fine-tune the audio with presets for music, movies and games. However the Thunderstorm is not without a few annoyances: the case adds an unsettling amount of bulk to the iPad and it's currently only available with the now-ancient 30-pin connector (we're told a Lightning-equipped version is due in Q2 2013). If you're happy with the ole universal dock though, you can pick this up in the coming weeks from Belkin's online store, Amazon.com or the Apple Store for $200 a pop.

Continue reading Belkin introduces Thunderstorm Handheld Home Theater for iPad, we go hands-on

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Source: Belkin

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/06/belkin-thunderstorm-handheld-home-theater/

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