U.S. ruling on Keystone pipeline could slip again - report

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - A top risk-management analyst warned on Friday that a decision by Washington on TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL pipeline could get delayed again into next summer, adding more pressure to already deeply discounted Canadian oil prices.

The U.S. State Department has said it will rule on the $5.3 billion Canada-to-Nebraska pipeline by the end of March, assuming Nebraska approves a new route that skirts an environmentally sensitive region in the state.

However, Robert Johnston, director of global energy and natural resources for the Washington-based Eurasia Group, said environmental groups will press for public hearings on the department's new environmental impact statement on the project, expected shortly, and push for an Environmental Protection Agency review of the study.

"This suggests a timetable of presidential approval as early as April but quite possibly one that extends until summer," Johnston wrote in a report on how oil sands producers have few short-term options for new market access and price relief.

If it gets the green light start-up would likely be pushed to the end of 2015 from the current estimate of late 2014 or early 2015, he said.

The stakes are rising. Canadian oil is being heavily discounted as production rises and pipeline capacity additions to new and current markets are slow to be added, partly due to regulatory delays. The price of Western Canada Select heavy blend, a widely quoted crude type, sold at times for $40 under the price of benchmark U.S. crude in the past few weeks, triple the spread of just a few months ago.

This week, the Alberta government, which garners about a third of its revenue from the oil industry, warned it may not meet its deficit-elimination target because of the situation.

Now all eyes are on Keystone XL again, four years after TransCanada first applied to build the project, which became a flashpoint in the U.S. debate over the environment and economy.

President Barack Obama rejected the application last year, saying more work was needed to determine a better route around a massive aquifer in Nebraska. Since then, TransCanada split the proposal in two and is now building the $2.3 billion southern section between Oklahoma and Texas.

It re-applied to build the northern part last spring, and still faces staunch opposition from environmental groups that warn of increasing carbon emissions from the tar sands and the risks of pipeline ruptures.

ALTERNATIVES

The 830,000 barrel a day pipeline requires State Department approval because it would cross the Canada-United States border. Obama nominated John Kerry, who has supported tougher carbon policies, as successor to Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State on Friday [ID:nL1E8NG0EV].

TransCanada Chief Executive Russ Girling told Reuters this week that the choice of secretary should not affect the chances of approval for Keystone XL, due to the project's importance to U.S. energy security.

Johnston also weighed alternatives for moving crude out of Alberta, including two refineries in Quebec and Atlantic Canada through proposals by TransCanada and Enbridge Inc .

TransCanada's plan to convert one of its cross-Canada natural gas lines to oil use has more potential than Enbridge's to help cut the price differential, as the latter is aimed at shipping light oil, but both are hampered by a relatively small eastern Canadian refining market. The prospect of international exports, possibly to India, from the region is a "wild card," however, Johnston said.

Exports from Canada's Pacific Coast are still years away, and Enbridge's Northern Gateway proposal also faces heavy opposition from environmental and native groups.

An top industry consultant who assessed the market and trade implications of Keystone XL for the State Department in its first regulatory go-round said he believes it will be approved, but not before Washington pores over every detail as the pressure from environmentalists will only increase.

From a market perspective, the project -- or some alternative offering similar capacity -- is still required, even with booming U.S. output of light oil, Martin Tallett, president of EnSys Energy, said in a recent interview.

The one big change in the market over the past year has been how aggressive railroads have been in stepping in to move oil as pipelines get delayed, he said.

"When we look at the projections and we come up with a balance about where we are four years ahead, our conclusion at the moment is we still do need Keystone XL or equivalent," he said. "And there I come back to the possibly of a TransCanada line through Ontario or a lot of rail capacity."

(Reporting by Jeffrey Jones;editing by Sofina Mirza-Reid)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-ruling-keystone-pipeline-could-slip-again-report-203052908--finance.html

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Google reportedly poaches key Samsung marketing VP for Motorola

Google reportedly snags key Samsung marketing VP for Motorola

Google may be doing more to boost Motorola's presence than whipping up a new device strategy, if rumors are true. AllThingsD claims that Google has poached Samsung's American VP for strategic marketing, Brian Wallace, for a roughly equivalent role at Motorola. The move would not only give Motorola a high-profile executive who's had stints at companies like RIM, but one who's not afraid of taking the competition head-on: Samsung's TV ads poking fun at iPhone launch queues appeared under Wallace's tenure. We've asked Google, Motorola and Samsung whether or not the shift is real; Motorola won't comment in either direction, and we haven't heard from the remaining two. If there's any truth to the story, Motorola might have a stronger carrier-independent sales pitch than the occasional dystopic TV spot.

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Comments

Source: AllThingsD

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/21/google-reportedly-poaches-key-samsung-marketing-vp-from-motorola/

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YouTube Launches Android API, Letting Developers Natively Embed Videos With Captions, Ads, And Fullscreen Playback

youtube logoYouTube today has announced the release of its Android API, providing more native functionality for developers who wish to build video into their apps for Android phones and tablets. The API, which was announced at Google I/O in June, could pave the way for more interesting video-related apps that leverage YouTube videos.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/UqAZUnazECQ/

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HTC 8S review: a budget Windows Phone that doesn't compromise on style

HTC 8S review: a budget Windows Phone that doesn't compromise on style

We're not sure if HTC's One S suffered from middle child syndrome. It certainly shouldn't have. But if it did, it's a hindrance the company spared its Windows Phone 8 line. HTC decided two was enough, and who are we to argue? It was back in October that we handled the flagship, but now its smaller, cheaper companion has arrived. At around £230 (about $370) SIM-free, this potentially represents one of the best value Windows Phone options around at the moment (at least in Europe and Asia). Sure, Nokia's Lumia 620 will soon be gunning for some of its market share, but for now it's got relatively little competition. So far, Windows Phone 8 has seen plenty of entries running dual-core, 1.5GHz Snapdragon chips. This time we're looking at a slower clock speed (1GHz) and some more muted specs across the board (more on this later). Given that, did HTC get the budget-to-features balance right here? Read on to find out.

Gallery: HTC 8S review

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Continue reading HTC 8S review: a budget Windows Phone that doesn't compromise on style

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/20/htc-8s-review/

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Sony?s Xperia Tablet S goes on sale in Singapore tomorrow

Sony will start selling its 9.4-inch tablet Xperia Tablet S in Singapore tomorrow. Running on Android 4.0, the tablet comes with NVIDIA?s Tegra 3 quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM.

Priced at S$749 for the 16GB 3G version, the tablet comes with a curved wedge shaped design for better grip.? According to Sony, the tablet will be sold in company?s retail outlets and other authorized retailers beginning December 21.sony Xperia Tablet S Sony?s Xperia Tablet S goes on sale in Singapore tomorrow

The Sony Xperia Tablet S was originally announced back in August, later a manufacturing defect was discovered in the tablet forcing the company to stop sales, however the sales were later resumed.

Sony Xperia Tablet S key specs

  • 9.4-inch 1280x800p display with low-friction coating
  • NVIDIA Tegra 3 1.4 GHz processor with ULP GeForce GPU
  • 8MP rear camera
  • 1MP front camera
  • 6000 mAh battery
  • Guest mode, and Small Apps (extended widgets)

via

Source: http://androidos.in/2012/12/sonys-xperia-tablet-s-goes-on-sale-in-singapore-tomorrow/

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NBA Final Score: Utah Jazz 84 at Indiana Pacers 104 -- Quick Recap

Game #27 ? Bankers Life Fieldhouse ? Indianapolis, IN ? December 19, 2012 ? 5:00 p.m. (MT) ? TV: ROOT Sports ? RADIO: 1280 AM/97.5 FM and 1600 AM ESPN Deportes

NBA Regular Season 2012-2013, Game 27:

Utah Jazz 84 at Indiana Pacers 104

#UTAatIND Game Stream -- Indy Cornrows -- Jazz vs Pacers coverage

Gordon Hayward Homecoming Dance will be happening directly after the game.

.

The Basics:

Well. The good news is that the team will make zero changes to the roster, lineup, rotation, or playbook as a result of this game. Don't stop what's working!

[NB. Some of the words and images in the above video may not be suitable for children, or people who hate failure]

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Source: http://www.slcdunk.com/2012/12/19/3786696/nba-final-score-utah-jazz-84-at-indiana-pacers-104-quick-recap

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When the ice melts, the Earth spews fire

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 19-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Jan Steffen
jsteffen@geomar.de
Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)

GEOMAR researchers discover a link between climate and volcanic eruptions

In 1991, it was a disaster for the villages nearby the erupting Philippine volcano Pinatubo. But the effects were felt even as far away as Europe. The volcano threw up many tons of ash and other particles into the atmosphere causing less sunlight than usual to reach the Earth's surface. For the first few years after the eruption, global temperatures dropped by half a degree. In general, volcanic eruptions can have a strong short-term impact on climate. Conversely, the idea that climate may also affect volcanic eruptions on a global scale and over long periods of time is completely new. Researchers at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (Germany) and Harvard University in Massachusetts (USA) have now found strong evidence for this relationship from major volcanic eruptions around the Pacific Ocean over the past 1 million years. They have presented their results in the latest issue of the international journal "Geology".

The basic evidence for the discovery came from the work of the Collaborative Research Centre "Fluids and Volatiles in Subduction Zones (SFB 574). For more than ten years the project has been extensively exploring volcanoes of Central America. "Among others pieces of evidence, we have observations of ash layers in the seabed and have reconstructed the history of volcanic eruptions for the past 460,000 years," says GEOMAR volcanologist Dr Steffen Kutterolf, who has been with SFB 574 since its founding. Particular patterns started to appear. "There were periods when we found significantly more large eruptions than in others" says Kutterolf, the lead author of the Geology article.

After comparing these patterns with the climate history, there was an amazing match. The periods of high volcanic activity followed fast, global temperature increases and associated rapid ice melting. To expand the scope of the discoveries, Dr Kutterolf and his colleagues studied other cores from the entire Pacific region. These cores had been collected as part of the International Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) and its predecessor programmes. They record more than a million years of the Earth's history. "In fact, we found the same pattern from these cores as in Central America" says geophysicist Dr Marion Jegen from GEOMAR, who also participated in the recent study.

Together with colleagues at Harvard University, the geologists and geophysicists searched for a possible explanation. They found it with the help of geological computer models. "In times of global warming, the glaciers are melting on the continents relatively quickly. At the same time the sea level rises. The weight on the continents decreases, while the weight on the oceanic tectonic plates increases. Thus, the stress changes within in the earth to open more routes for ascending magma" says Dr Jegen.

The rate of global cooling at the end of the warm phases is much slower, so there are less dramatic stress changes during these times. "If you follow the natural climate cycles, we are currently at the end of a really warm phase. Therefore, things are volcanically quieter now. The impact from man-made warming is still unclear based on our current understanding" says Dr Kutterolf. The next step is to investigate shorter-term historical variations to better understand implications for the present day.

###


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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.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 19-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Jan Steffen
jsteffen@geomar.de
Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR)

GEOMAR researchers discover a link between climate and volcanic eruptions

In 1991, it was a disaster for the villages nearby the erupting Philippine volcano Pinatubo. But the effects were felt even as far away as Europe. The volcano threw up many tons of ash and other particles into the atmosphere causing less sunlight than usual to reach the Earth's surface. For the first few years after the eruption, global temperatures dropped by half a degree. In general, volcanic eruptions can have a strong short-term impact on climate. Conversely, the idea that climate may also affect volcanic eruptions on a global scale and over long periods of time is completely new. Researchers at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (Germany) and Harvard University in Massachusetts (USA) have now found strong evidence for this relationship from major volcanic eruptions around the Pacific Ocean over the past 1 million years. They have presented their results in the latest issue of the international journal "Geology".

The basic evidence for the discovery came from the work of the Collaborative Research Centre "Fluids and Volatiles in Subduction Zones (SFB 574). For more than ten years the project has been extensively exploring volcanoes of Central America. "Among others pieces of evidence, we have observations of ash layers in the seabed and have reconstructed the history of volcanic eruptions for the past 460,000 years," says GEOMAR volcanologist Dr Steffen Kutterolf, who has been with SFB 574 since its founding. Particular patterns started to appear. "There were periods when we found significantly more large eruptions than in others" says Kutterolf, the lead author of the Geology article.

After comparing these patterns with the climate history, there was an amazing match. The periods of high volcanic activity followed fast, global temperature increases and associated rapid ice melting. To expand the scope of the discoveries, Dr Kutterolf and his colleagues studied other cores from the entire Pacific region. These cores had been collected as part of the International Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) and its predecessor programmes. They record more than a million years of the Earth's history. "In fact, we found the same pattern from these cores as in Central America" says geophysicist Dr Marion Jegen from GEOMAR, who also participated in the recent study.

Together with colleagues at Harvard University, the geologists and geophysicists searched for a possible explanation. They found it with the help of geological computer models. "In times of global warming, the glaciers are melting on the continents relatively quickly. At the same time the sea level rises. The weight on the continents decreases, while the weight on the oceanic tectonic plates increases. Thus, the stress changes within in the earth to open more routes for ascending magma" says Dr Jegen.

The rate of global cooling at the end of the warm phases is much slower, so there are less dramatic stress changes during these times. "If you follow the natural climate cycles, we are currently at the end of a really warm phase. Therefore, things are volcanically quieter now. The impact from man-made warming is still unclear based on our current understanding" says Dr Kutterolf. The next step is to investigate shorter-term historical variations to better understand implications for the present day.

###


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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/2012-12/hcfo-wt121912.php

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Silky Terrier - Leah - Small - Adult - Female - Dog - Minneapolis-St ...

Silky Terrier - Leah - Small - Adult - Female - Dog

In December 2012, Leah will be at the following adoption events from 12:30-2:30pm at: Sunday 12/16 at Its A Pets Life-1115 Vicksburg Lane N, Plymouth All of our foster dogs can be seen by appointment with an approved application. Email Us [email removed] Leah was rescued from a puppy mill last spring, was adopted, and brought back due to a divorce. She is friendly, 5-6 years old, good with older kids and is looking for a family to call her own. She is houstetrained, loves to be around people and has a very easy-going personality. To fill out an online adoption application please visit our Website. <http://www.underdogrescuemn.com> PLEASE NOTE: Underdog Rescue will only return phone calls from the following area codes: 952 - 612 - 763 - 651. If you are calling from another area code and live within 60 miles of Minneapolis, please leave a local telephone number or we will be unable to return your call. We only adopt within 60 miles of Minneapolis, MN. Underdog Rescue animals are fostered in individual homes. While they are in our care, they are part of our families. We work on training, crate-training and socialization prior to adoption. Each animal's behavior is evaluated and we have a sense of its temperament and personality. All of our foster animals are fed a premium diet such as Solid Gold, Canidae, or Orijen pet food. Each is given lots of love. We look for adopters who will give each animal the wonderful life and permanent home that he or she deserves. Not able to foster or adopt right now? Please consider sponsoring an Underdog. Your donation will help us buy dog food and pay for medical costs. Click on the link to donate. (Please note: A Paypal account is not necessary to use Paypal. When you get to the Paypal page, just use the link to the left of their login to make your donation via Paypal without an account.)

CHARACTERISTICS:
Breed: Silky Terrier
Size: Small
Petfinder ID: 24713788

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Pet has been spayed/neutered

CONTACT:
Underdog Rescue, MN | Saint Louis Park, MN | 952-929-0777

For additional information, reply to this ad or see: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=24713788

Brought to you by Petfinder.com

Source: http://minneapolisstpaul.ebayclassifieds.com/dogs-puppies/minneapolis/silky-terrier-leah-small-adult-female-dog/?ad=25160820

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Video: Why the Benghazi inquiry report could be big trouble for Hillary Clinton

Extreme traveler flies 1 million miles in a year

As one of the world?s most frequent fliers, Tom Stuker will receive an annual mileage statement many travelers won?t see after a lifetime of globetrotting ? he is the first passenger to fly 1 million miles on United Airlines in a calendar year, reaching the milestone earlier this month.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/hardball/50252285/

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After Newtown, California pushes for tighter gun controls

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California lawmakers, seizing on new calls for gun controls following the massacre of 26 people at a Connecticut elementary school, rolled out proposals on Tuesday to close loopholes in the state's assault weapons ban and restrict ammunition sales.

The moves quickly put California at the forefront of what was expected to be a new wave of proposed firearm restrictions at the state and federal levels in the wake of the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

State Senator Leland Yee introduced a bill that would prohibit gun owners from fitting semi-automatic weapons with devices, known as "bullet buttons" or "mag magnets," that allow them to be easily reloaded with multiple rounds of ammunition.

The San Francisco Democrat's measure would also prohibit add-on kits that allow high-capacity magazines. He said he was drafting legislation that would require yearly background checks for gun ownership and toughen safety requirements.

His action came as state Senator Kevin De Leon, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said he would introduce a bill this week requiring ammunition buyers in the nation's most populous state to obtain a permit issued by the U.S. Department of Justice.

"For too long, too much ground has been ceded in the debate about reasonable gun and ammunition control," De Leon said in a statement. "In honor of the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims and thousands who have preceded them, we must not capitulate any longer."

A gunman carrying a semi-automatic rifle and two handguns opened fire on Friday at the Connecticut school, killing 20 young students and six adults in a crime that stunned Americans and renewed calls for stricter gun controls.

De Leon said the one-year, $50 permit, which would require a background check by the Justice Department, aimed to combat the easy accessibility of ammunition.

California gun laws are already among the toughest in the nation, topping a list compiled by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The state has banned most assault weapons, requires sales be made by a licensed dealer, including at gun shows, and imposes a 10-day waiting period, among other regulations.

DEMOCRATS SEE AN OPENING

But Yee told Reuters in an interview that he and other Democrats believe more can be done.

"We're looking at yearly registration, background checks of individuals who own guns. We're looking at saying to gun owners, ?You've got to keep these guns locked up when you are not using them or not cleaning them, and that you need to put trigger locks on all of these weapons,'" he said.

Democrats won a two-thirds majority in both houses of California's legislature in November, giving them even greater clout in a body that they have long dominated. Governor Jerry Brown is also a Democrat.

Yee acknowledged that some Democrats in the state legislature were "sensitive" to the National Rifle Association but said that with a Democratic supermajority, chances for more gun control legislation have improved.

The NRA said on Tuesday it wanted to contribute meaningfully to prevent another massacre like the Connecticut shootings, suggesting a sharp change in tone for the largest U.S. gun-rights group.

Meanwhile, California Treasurer Bill Lockyer on Monday asked CalPERS and CalSTRS, the state's public pension funds, to account for their investments in gun manufacturers. Lockyer, a Democrat, proposed they divest interests in companies that make guns that are illegal under a state assault weapons ban.

Lockyer also left open the possibility of extending the move to gun sellers, as well as gun makers.

"We are not precluding the possibility of extending a divestment move to the retail sector, but right now we are focused on the source, which is the manufacturers," Lockyer spokesman Tom Dresslar said.

CalSTRS, the California State Teachers' Retirement System, said it was reviewing its investment with Cerberus Capital Management LP, following the massacre in Newtown. Cerberus owns Bushmaster Firearms International, maker of the AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle used in the Newtown shooting.

And in Washington, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, said she would introduce federal legislation this week to outlaw the high-capacity magazines and military-style assault rifles that have been used in many shooting rampages, including the one in Newtown.

Police say 20-year-old Adam Lanza killed his mother, Nancy, at her home on Friday before shooting his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School and opening fire on students and adults. He shot himself to death following the rampage, authorities say.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles and Peter Henderson in San Francisco; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/newtown-california-pushes-tighter-gun-controls-013321028.html

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