Channing Tatum cradles baby girl in first photo

Celebs

Kurt Schlosser NBC News

19 hours ago

Channing Tatum and wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum shared the first picture of their new baby girl, Everly, on Sunday.

Channing Tatum / Facebook

"First Father's Day with my girls!" the 33-year-old "Magic Mike" star wrote on Facebook. The image -- with more than 1.2 million "likes" -- shows the actor cradling his daughter as his wife looks on. Everly, who was born on May 31, is wearing a tiny white dress and attempting a grip on dad's index finger.

Dewan-Tatum, 32, also posted the image and said, "First Father's Day with our lil angel!"

Two days before posting the baby photo, Channing Tatum dropped a quote on his Facebook followers, attributed to the German inventor Frederick Koenig: "Happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."

Looks like Father's Day was certainly the realization of the second part of that quote.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/channing-tatum-cradles-his-new-baby-girl-first-photo-6C10339656

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Medicare: Cost-saving changes coming for diabetics

FILE - In this March 14, 2009 file photo, a woman gets ready to check her blood sugar in Sacramento, Calif. Medicare begins a major change next month that could save older diabetics money and time when they buy crucial supplies to test their blood sugar _ but it also may cause some patient confusion. On July 1, Medicare opens a national mail-order program for diabetes testing supplies that will drop substantially the prices the government pays for those products _ and will restrict who's allowed to sell them. The goal is to save taxpayer dollars, and seniors in the program should see their copays drop, too, from more than $15 an order to less than $5. For a chronic disease, that can add up fast. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater, File)

FILE - In this March 14, 2009 file photo, a woman gets ready to check her blood sugar in Sacramento, Calif. Medicare begins a major change next month that could save older diabetics money and time when they buy crucial supplies to test their blood sugar _ but it also may cause some patient confusion. On July 1, Medicare opens a national mail-order program for diabetes testing supplies that will drop substantially the prices the government pays for those products _ and will restrict who's allowed to sell them. The goal is to save taxpayer dollars, and seniors in the program should see their copays drop, too, from more than $15 an order to less than $5. For a chronic disease, that can add up fast. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater, File)

FILE - This Jan. 3, 2009 file photo shows a diabetic testing his level of blood sugar in Kamen, Germany. Medicare begins a major change next month that could save older diabetics money and time when they buy crucial supplies to test their blood sugar _ but it also may cause some patient confusion. On July 1, Medicare opens a national mail-order program for diabetes testing supplies that will drop substantially the prices the government pays for those products _ and will restrict who's allowed to sell them. The goal is to save taxpayer dollars, and seniors in the program should see their copays drop, too, from more than $15 an order to less than $5. For a chronic disease, that can add up fast. (AP Photo/Joerg Sarbach, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Medicare begins a major change next month that could save older diabetics money and time when they buy crucial supplies to test their blood sugar ? but it also may cause some confusion as patients figure out the new system.

On July 1, Medicare opens a national mail-order program that will dramatically drop the prices the government pays for those products but patients will have to use designated suppliers. The goal is to save taxpayers money but seniors should see their copays drop, too.

Don't care about the convenience of mail delivery? Just over half of the 4.2 million diabetics with traditional Medicare coverage used mail-order last year, but starting July 1 beneficiaries also can get the new lower price at drugstores enrolled in the Medicare program.

"Those who like the face-to-face interaction with the pharmacist have that choice," stressed Jonathan Blum, Medicare deputy administrator. "We want to preserve both options."

It's the biggest expansion yet of a larger, and somewhat controversial, initiative that's predicted to save taxpayers nearly $26 billion over the next decade by cracking down on waste and fraud in the medical equipment industry. Diabetics aren't the only Medicare patients affected. Depending on where they live, patients who rent home oxygen gear and hospital beds, or who need power wheelchairs, walkers and certain other equipment also could see changes in their suppliers and lower prices as a pilot test of this so-called competitive bidding program expands from nine metro areas to a total of 100 on July 1. Medicare is supposed to apply the lower pricing nationally by 2016.

The diabetes initiative is the first to go nationwide ? and Blum said it should put an end to unscrupulous practices such as shipping cartons of supplies to diabetics who haven't run out yet and billing Medicare for the cost.

The concern: Potentially hundreds of thousands of older patients may have to switch mail-order suppliers. The American Diabetes Association worries they won't get the word before their supplies run short ? or might be pressured to switch to a cheaper brand of blood-sugar monitor and the matching supplies even though that's against the rules.

"We're sort of torn, truthfully," said Krista Maier, the association's associate director of public policy. "It will save the Medicare program money, which is good for its sustainability. The challenge is ensuring that beneficiaries' testing of their blood glucose isn't disrupted."

Here are some questions and answers about the program:

Q: What's the big change?

A: Until now, hundreds of mail-order companies could bill Medicare for the test strips, lancets and other supplies that diabetics use to measure and track their blood sugar. Under the new national program, Medicare patients can order from only 18 mail-order companies that won government contracts and will be subject to more oversight. (The change doesn't apply to Medicare Advantage patients.)

Check the list at www.medicare.gov/supplier or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. Some companies operate under multiple names.

Q: What if the new companies don't sell my brand?

A: Medicare's list shows different suppliers sell a mix of top-selling brands as well as generics ? and you're not required to change your existing monitor. But you may need to shop around or get a doctor's note that specifies you need a specific type, so plan ahead.

Q: What's the price difference?

A: Medicare has paid about $78 for 100 test strips and lancets, just over a month's supply for someone who tests his or her blood sugar three times a day. Remarkably, that rate was higher than other insurers typically pay. Starting July 1, that reimbursement will drop to about $22. The patient copay is 20 percent, so it will drop from about $15 to less than $5.

Q: What if I want to buy at my local drugstore instead?

A: Ask if it accepts "Medicare assignment," meaning it has to honor the July 1 prices. Some large chains are reassuring customers that they're participating. But pharmacies that aren't enrolled in Medicare are allowed to charge patients more.

Q: How did the program work in the nine test cities?

A: Medicare says patients had plenty of supplies. But surprisingly, mail-order claims dropped the first year. The Department of Health and Human Services' inspector general discovered that some suppliers were billing Medicare for drugstore-sold supplies ? which at the time were reimbursed at a higher rate ? even though they actually shipped cheaper mail-order supplies. Congress later closed that loophole, mandating the same reimbursement for drugstores and mail-order starting July 1.

Q: What's happening with other medical equipment?

A: That part of the initiative has hit some bumps. Medicare had awarded contracts to nearly 800 suppliers of those items but it turned out that some didn't have certain licenses required by state authorities. Medicare says it has voided 30 of 96 supplier contracts in Tennessee, but that enough remain to do the job. It is investigating the situation in Maryland.

The home supply industry's American Association for Homecare, which opposes Medicare's competitive bidding program, says the licensing issue is a symptom of broader problems. Members of Congress last week asked Medicare to delay the program's expansion, but that's not expected to happen.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-06-18-HealthBeat-Medicare-Diabetes/id-5c31f98f4caa4437ae6532a61cb1e8fa

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Five-Year-Old Sticks it to Westboro Baptist Church With "Lemonade For Peace" Stand Outside

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/five-year-old-sticks-it-to-westboro-baptist-church-with-lemonade/

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Superman nabs $125M for best ever June open

Movies

Pamela McClintock The Hollywood Reporter

8 hours ago

After three decades, Warner Bros. has successfully resurrected its Superman franchise with Zack Snyder's darker, more violent take on the marquee superhero.

"Man of Steel," directed by Snyder and produced by Christopher Nolan, debuted to $125.1 million at the Father's Day box office to score the top opening of all time for June. That figure includes $12 million grossed Thursday night from special Walmart screenings, putting the actual three-day figure at $113.1 million.

Either way, "Man of Steel" eclipsed previous June record-holder "Toy Story 3," which debuted to $110.3 million in June 2010. All told, grosses for Father's Day weekend were up a staggering 51 percent over last year, with "Man of Steel" capturing 60 percent of the market.

More from THR: 'Man of Steel' nabs $170 million in promotional dollars

"The movie is a perfect blend of a superhero who reaches not only the fanboy audience but the family audience as well, with great results from both," said WB president of domestic distribution Dan Fellman.

"Man of Steel" is a notable win for WB and Legendary Pictures, which co-financed the $225 million tentpole. In 2006, WB and Legendary's "Superman Returns" did OK business at the box office, but not enough to mark a new chapter for the franchise.

"Man of Steel" opens exactly 30 years after "Superman III," the third entry in the wildly popular Christopher Reeve franchise. There was one more title in that series, "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace," although it fell flat at the box office in summer 1987.

This time out, British star Henry Cavill stars as Clark Kent, aka Superman, which sees his character trying to hide his superpowers and live a normal life on Earth. Amy Adams stars as Lois Lane and Michael Shannon takes on the role of the menacing General Zod. Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane also star.

David S. Goyer penned the script based on a story he crafted with Nolan. Warners and Legendary turned to Nolan as a producer on the project after he successfully revived the Batman franchise with his "Dark Knight" trilogy. In the summer of 2005, Nolan's "Batman Begins" opened to $48.7 million and had incredible staying power.

"Man of Steel," while drawing mixed reviews, earned an A- CinemaScore, portending strong word of mouth. The pic skewed male (56 percent) and was fueled by older moviegoers, with 62 percent of the audience over the age of 25. IMAX theaters did big business, taking in $13.3 million (12 percent of the total gross) to likewise score the biggest June opening of all time. Overall, 41 percent of the revenues came from 3D screens.

Photos from THR: 'Man of Steel's' New York premiere

Overseas, "Man of Steel" is opening day-and-date in 24 markets, and did huge business in the U.K. and Southeast Asia. The film's take through Friday was nearly $30 million, but full weekend numbers weren't immediately available.

Coming in No. 2 Friday at the North American box office was Sony's innovative end-of-the-world comedy "This Is the End" with a stellar five-day debut $32.8 million. The R-rated pic, opening Wednesday and marking the directorial debut of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, has already made its $32 million budget back.

"This Is the End" stars Rogen opposite Jonah Hill, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera and Emma Watson.

In the comedy, the actors -- all playing fictional versions of themselves -- meet at a star-studded party at Franco's house when the apocalypse begins and they're forced to work together to survive. The film is based on a short film created by Rogen and Baruchel in 2007 titled "Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse." Rogen and Goldberg also co-wrote the scripts for "Superbad," "The Green Hornet" and "The Watch."

Several other studios also had reason to celebrate. Summit's magician heist pic "Now You See Me" placed No. 3 in its third weekend with $10.3 million for a domestic total of $80 million.

Universal's "Fast & Furious 6" hit $636.9 million in global grosses to become the No. 1 title in the action franchise, besting the $628 million earned by "Fast Five." Domestically, the action tentpole placed No. 4 in its fourth weekend with an estimated $9.4 million, pushing its North American total to $219.6 million.

Paramount and Skydance Productions' "Star Trek Into Darkness" continued to enjoy strong legs, jumping the $200 million mark at the international box office to put its worldwide at $412.2 million. The pic earned $17 million over the weekend at the foreign box office from 57 markets for a total $201.7 million -- 60 percent ahead of the 2009 "Star Trek" and a result of Paramount's massive international marketing campaign.

Universal took the No. 5 slot domestically with the Jason Blum-produced thriller "The Purge," starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. The pic grossed $8.2 million in its second outing for a cume of $51.4 million -- 17 times the film's $3 million production budget.

More from THR: Ethan Hawke's low salary for 'The Purge' turns into millions

The news wasn't so good for Hawke's second film in the marketplace, Richard Linklater's "Before Midnight," which expanded nationwide, grossing a tepid $1.5 million from 897 theaters to place No. 13.

Nor did the scenery didn't get much better for Shawn Levy's Google comedy "The Internship," which tumbled 60 percent in its second weekend to $7 million for a domestic total of $31 million. The 20th Century Fox film, starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, placed No. 6.

Sofia Coppola's "The Bling Ring" rung up strong business at the specialty box office as it debuted to sold out crowds in five theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The movie, from A24 Films, took in $210,000 for a location average of $42,000. It marks the director's best opening since Lost in Translation.

Documentary "20 Feet From Stardom" got off to a solid start, grossing $52,000 from three theaters for a location average of $17,404. Radius is distributing the film.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/entertainment/man-steel-earns-125-1-million-biggest-june-opening-ever-6C10339683

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By The Way, The NSA Doesn't Need A Warrant To Listen To Your Calls (Updated)

Update: CNET has since updated its story to reflect that the government does, in fact, need a warrant to listen to your phone calls.

In a "secret briefing" to Congress the NSA confirmed that their analysts can listen to phone calls without a warrant and totally at their individual discretion. So . . . not just metadata. You know things have gotten weird because at this point it's not even that surprising.

The ability to review domestic calls at will stems from an interpretation of federal surveillance law that probably also extends to accessing and reading texts, IMs and e-mails. There have been other indications that the NSA has access to all of our domestic and international calls, and there have been reports on how they organize all that gabbing in case they ever want to go back and check something out. In 2009 the New York Times ran a story indicating that the NSA was engaging in "overcollection," but this is the first time the NSA is detailing what's going on.

The news validates some of Edward Snowden's claims about operations within the NSA. There was also a House Intelligence meeting in 2007 where the then-Director of National Intelligence, Michael McConnell, discussed the fact that the NSA was compiling a database of phone calls and communications accessible by NSA employees. Today McConnell is the vice chairman of Booz Allen Hamilton. Because of course.

Congressman Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat from New York who serves on the House Judiciary committee, spoke about the unfettered access described in the recent clandestine meeting. "I was rather startled," he said. Definitely one way of putting it. [CNET]

Image by Karlowac/Shutterstock

Source: http://gizmodo.com/by-the-way-the-nsa-doesnt-need-a-warrant-to-listen-to-513662183

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Canadian Astronomers Battle Funding Cuts and Perceptions

MONTREAL, Quebec ? Flashing a picture of the star HR 8799 and its four alien planets on a big screen, astronomer Andrew Cumming smiled. "This is the most amazing picture in exoplanet science!" he exclaimed.

Cumming described how astronomers tracked minute variations in the system to study these alien worlds: "Over four years, we started to see one planet moving in its orbit," he told delegates of the Canadian Science Writers' Association during a talk at McGill University here June 7.

Cumming is a theoretical astrophysicist at the university who focuses on compact objects, particularly super-dense neutron stars, as well as exoplanets. These days, though, his attention is somewhat distracted. There are changes afoot in Canadian astronomy funding.

Last year, at least one of the Canadian Space Agency's astronomy programs came close to the chopping block amid government cost-cutting, he said. Even today, many researchers are nervous. [Photo Tour: Canadian Space Agency Headquarters]

"One always wants more invested in the field you're working in," Cumming told SPACE.com, echoing concerns of several astronomers at the conference.

Research vs. business

Canadian astronomy receives funding principally from three government departments: the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the National Research Council (not to be confused with the U.S. entity of the same name.)

Money is tight these days in the Canadian government, however. Officials with the ruling Conservative party have said they are conscious of the federal budget deficit and must make cuts. Critics, however, argue that fundamental research is coming under attack.

In May, Tory officials said they would change the NRC's mandate to "invest in large-scale research projects that are directed by and for Canadian business."

In response, the Canadian Association of University Teachers called the change "short-sighted, misguided and unbalanced" because it would jeopardize the resources of universities that rely on NRC labs to perform research. Other researchers cried foul in the media.

Meanwhile, the CSA's budget for space exploration, which includes astronomy, will fall in coming years, according to the latest figures released by the agency in mid-2012.

From $148.2 million ($151 million in Canadian dollars) in 2011-12, funds will decrease 40 percent to $91.2 million ($93 million CDN) in 2014-15.

One initiative called the "space science enhancement program" (SSEP) was nearly canceled last year, Cumming said. The CSA website now has a notice saying it is suspended. (Agency officials did not respond to requests for comment.)

The top goal of SSEP was, according to the CSA website, "to maximize the scientific return to Canada by providing funding to space science projects and activities in the areas of initial instrument studies, data analysis and other space science-related academic studies."

Cumming added that with the James Webb Space Telescope taking $143.6 million ($146 million CDN) from Canadian space funds over 10 years, he worried the slices of research left would starve to death. The over-budget successor telescope to Hubble is expected to launch in 2018, costing more than $8 billion, most of which is coming from NASA.

Funding fundamental science

Ren? Doyon, a University of Montreal researcher who is principal investigator of a near-infrared spectrograph instrument on James Webb, said he sees the telescope as a worthy investment for Canada.

Among the many scientific discoveries it should enable, astronomers are hoping it reveals the atmospheres of alien planets. By contributing 5 percent of the total cost of the observatory, Canada gains an according amount of telescope time for its participating astronomers. "It will open up new capabilities," Doyon said.

"We don't have examples of commercialized technology that come out of [astronomy]," Doyon added, "but to answer these big questions ? where are we coming from, is there life outside of the solar system ? involves pushing technology to its limit."

Although astronomy may not lead to direct technological spinoffs, McGill astronomer Vicky Kaspi (who co-authored a paper concerning an "anti-glitch" magnetar star published last month in the journal Nature) said she has seen applications in her lifetime from fundamental astronomy research.

"A lot of X-ray astronomy does beautiful images of supernova remnants and pulsar nebula," Kaspi said. "One of my Ph.D. students is in medical imaging, and [is] bringing the tools that she learned in manipulating X-ray images ... to bear on imaging tumors or different parts of the body."

"When you take a challenge, as a technological challenge, there are very interesting ways that it can be used that you wouldn't expect," Kaspi added. "A hundred years ago, if you wanted to improve the lighting in your house, would you spend money developing better candles, or would you want to put money into crazy electricity research? At the time it seemed pretty wacky, but in hindsight, it would have been the better bet."

Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace, or SPACE.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and Google+. Original article on SPACE.com.

Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/canadian-astronomers-battle-funding-cuts-perceptions-140739462.html

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Relationship between Czech PM and aide at heart of graft scandal

By Jan Lopatka

PRAGUE (Reuters) - A corruption scandal rocking the Czech government involves power and money but also, at its heart, questions about the nature of the relationship between the prime minister and a trusted female aide.

Jana Nagyova, who runs Prime Minister Petr Necas's office, is in custody, accused, among other things, of illegally ordering military intelligence agents to conduct surveillance on three unnamed individuals.

Nagyova's lawyer Eduard Bruna said his client was denying some parts of the prosecution charges, and on others was arguing that she had acted in good faith. He said Necas had been unaware of her actions.

Tomas Sokol, the lawyer representing the former head of military intelligence Ondrej Palenik, who is another defendant in the case, told Reuters one of the targets of the alleged surveillance was the prime minister's wife, Radka.

Necas this week announced that he and his wife, who was his college sweetheart and with whom he has four children, were jointly filing for divorce.

The details of what Nagyova is alleged to have done, and why, have not been officially released.

But asked at a news conference on Friday why she carried out the alleged illegal acts, state attorney Ivo Istvan, who is leading the investigation, said: "You would be surprised with (her) motive, as we were surprised. It was purely private."

Nagyova is among eight people charged this week with corruption and abuse of power. A court in the eastern city of Ostrava ruled on Saturday that she should remain in custody.

Speaking outside the court, her lawyer, Bruna, told reporters: "The (surveillance) was not done for the reason of damaging someone or harming someone but rather, due to being cautious, she reached the conclusion that it is necessary to find out some things."

The prosecutors' allegation that Nagyova instructed military intelligence to carry out surveillance, which would represent an abuse of her position, is at the center of their case.

POLICE RAIDS

She was among people detained in a series of raids in the past week by hundreds of police officers from the organized crime unit, some of them in balaclavas, on government offices, banks and private homes.

The operation amounted to the biggest anti-graft sweep in 20 years in the Czech republic, a country where residents believe official corruption is pervasive, but high-profile politicians are rarely convicted.

The scandal has left the prime minister's political survival hanging in the balance.

Necas denies that he did anything dishonest and has said he will not resign. But a junior partner in the governing coalition has said it will consider over the weekend whether to withdraw its support, a step that would bring down his government.

If prosecutors can demonstrate that Nagyova acted because of her relationship with Necas, it could make it much harder for him to argue to voters and coalition partners that any alleged illegal activity had nothing to do with him.

Nagyova, born in 1965, has worked with Necas since 2006. Two government insiders said Nagyova was fiercely protective of the prime minister and had become a powerful gatekeeper for anyone who needed access to him.

"She was irrational, had jealous control of access to Necas," a senior government source, who knows Nagyova and requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters.

Prosecutors have not suggested that Necas and Nagyova, who is not married, were romantically involved. Necas has never said he had anything but a purely professional relationship with Nagyova.

Asked at a late-night news conference on Friday about media reports suggesting that Nagyova put pressure on Necas to divorce his wife, the prime minister said: "I consider these things to be so bizarre that they do not deserve my comment."

Nagyova's lawyer was also asked about the reports, and said: "I asked her about that and she told me that it is absolute nonsense."

(Additional reporting by Robert Muller and Jan Korselt; Editing by Christian Lowe and Sonya Hepinstall)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/relationship-between-czech-pm-aide-heart-graft-scandal-211555311.html

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