Millions of acres of farmland flooded; Louisiana braces for onslaught
nike dunk shoesAcross the South and lower Midwest, floodwaters have covered about 3 million acres of farmland, eroding for many farmers what could have been a profitable year for corn, wheat, rice and cotton, officials said Thursday. In Arkansas, the Farm Bureau estimated that damage to the state's agriculture could top more than $500 million as more than 1 million acres of cropland are under water. "It's in about 10 feet of water," Dyersburg, Tennessee, farmer Jimmy Moody said of his 440 acres of winter wheat, which was to be harvested in the coming month. coach factory outletOther farmers in Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas rushed to salvage what wheat they could ahead of the rising water. As for corn, farmers who were able to get into the fields during a soggy planting season in late March and April are seeing their crops in some cases under several feet of water. Farms near and on the Mississippi River are no strangers to flooding, but the 2011 flood is definitely one for the record books. "This is new water that has reached areas for the first time in 75 years," said Lee Maddox of the Tennessee Farm Bureau. Of course, the flooding is covering more than farmland. replica coach handbagsIn Louisiana alone, Gov. Bobby Jindal said, as many as 3 million acres -- of farms, forests and towns -- could be affected. In Mississippi, 600,000 acres of farmland are only part of 1.4 million acres likely to be flooded, said Andy Prosser of the state's Department of Agriculture and Commerce. With the overflowing Mississippi River bearing down on New Orleans, where the water level was already at flood stage, the Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday that it was opening more bays at the Bonnet Carre Spillway. Another 113 bays were being opened, bringing the total to 223 open bays, authorities said. The 350-bay spillway, just north of New Orleans, diverts water into Lake Pontchartrain. The National Weather Service said that as of Thursday afternoon, the river was at 17.13 feet in New Orleans, about an inch and a half above flood stage. It is expected to crest on May 23 at more than 19 feet. hermes birkin"Nobody can wrap their heads around what's going to happen," said Caroline George of Baton Rouge. In a CNN iReport from her hometown, where the 19-year-old is on summer break from college, she said, "I've never seen the river anywhere near where it is now." The floodwaters that have inundated tens of thousands of acres of Missouri farmland and lapped at downtown Memphis, Tennessee, are on a steady, soggy march through Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana, bringing damage and devastation to some areas. In Memphis, which endured a record river crest this week, flooding affected between 800 and 1,000 properties, said Steve Schuler of the local emergency management agency. Many small businesses and farms were affected in Shelby County, and the river level was still high Thursday, he said. Rain moved into the area Thursday night, according to county officials, and Shelby residents were being reminded about five shelters. Coach Scarves"Many people who chose to stay in their homes during the flood are now surrounded by floodwater and are in need of food and other supplies," the Shelby County Emergency Operations Center said.
Coach SunglassesThe echoes were unmistakable. On April 24, 1980, President Jimmy Carter sent eight helicopters to rescue the 52 Americans held captive at the U.S. Embassy in Iran. One crashed en route; one turned back; one malfunctioned. Spooked, Carter decided to cut his losses and abort the missionbut not before one of the remaining choppers sliced into a transport plane, igniting a blaze that killed eight servicemen. Carters presidency never recovered. For a brief, anxious moment, President Obamas national-security team, gathered in the West Wing on May 1, suffered a sickening sense of déjà vu. As the helicopter carrying a team of Navy SEALs dipped behind the high concrete walls of Osama bin Ladens headquarters in Abbottabad, Pakistan, it sputtered, then stalled. The moment was indescribably tense, a White House official tells NEWSWEEKnot only for the soldiers, who were about to enter enemy territory without a clear exit strategy, but for President Obama himself, who had ordered up the risky mission, forgoing safer options. replica coach handbagsThe entire Situation Room was thinking the same thing: is this Iran all over again? By now, the whole world knows it wasnt; the commandos landed and got their man. It was a stunning success that will likely end the comparisons to the Georgia Democrat that conservatives have been leveling at Obama since 2008, when they first started calling him a Carteresque rerun (The Washington Times) who is tough on Americas allies and soft on its enemies (National Review). nike sb shoesThe question now, however, is whether one of the gutsiest calls of any president in recent memory, as U.S. counterterrorism chief John Brennan characterized the mission, will help Obama avoid Carters larger fate as well: a one-term presidency that petered out when a tough-talking Republican insurgent convinced voters that their commander in chief was too weak to lead. The early evidence suggests that bin Ladens death is improving public opinion of Obama. A NEWSWEEK/DAILY BEAST survey found no immediate bump, but other polls have him on the upswing. And the presidents numbers were likely to rise further after his scheduled May 5 appearance at Ground Zeroa reprise of the bullhorn address that united the country behind George W. Bush in the days after the towers fell. But ultimately, Abbottabad alone cannot create a renewed sense of purpose among Americans or ensure Obamas reelection. In a week or two, voters will go back to fretting about unemployment and the national debt. For that reason, bin Ladens demise is best understood as an opportunity for Obamaan opportunity to regain control of the national conversation, strengthen his hand in preparation for 2012, and bring the country together. If he seizes it, and if a new terrorist attack doesnt change the game yet again, the Abbottabad raid could become the defining moment of his presidency. Throughout history there have been pivot points for presidents, from Truman s Berlin Airlift in 1948 to Bush after 9/11, says historian Douglas Brinkley. Coach Shoulder BagsAmericans have always liked Obama, but they never knew whether he was a real commander in chief. Now they do.
Study Ranks 10 Football Helmets for Concussion Safety
cheap nike shoes storeNo magic football helmet can prevent players from sustaining concussions. But thanks to new research out of Virginia Tech, football players, and their parents, now know which equipment could reduce the risks. Over the past decade, the Virginia Tech researchers have compiled data from more than a million head impacts at Virginia Tech football practices and games. From these statistics, scientists were able to specify the speeds and tackling angles that would most likely to lead to concussions. (More on TIME.com: Fan Rage: How Home Team Losses Contribute to Domestic Violence) The scientists tested the safety features of 10 different helmet models, measuring the accelerations, at impact, when the helmets were sped from these multiple distances and angles. Coach JewelryThe data yielded an overall STAR value Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risk for each helmet. Taking these values, the Virginia Tech researchers created a ranking system: the safest helmet, the Riddell Revolution Speed, was assigned five stars the top grade and the least safe helmet, the Adams A2000 Pro Elite, was slapped with the label NR: Not Recommended. A paper describing Virginia Tech's methodology will be published in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering. This important work could shake up the helmet market. Luxury Coach Outlet"For the first time, consumers can go to a website and see which helmets have the best chance to reduce the risk of a concussion," says Stefan Duma, a professor of biomedical engineering at Virginia Tech and head of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences. The problem of concussion exists at every level of football, threatening players who sustain multiple hits with long-term brain injury. Recent studies of retired pro football players have shown that a history of concussion can lead to dementia-like brain damage associated with depression, suicidal tendencies and memory loss. Studies of former NFL players also show that they are at significantly higher risk of Alzheimer's than the rest of the population. (More on TIME.com: Football Searches for the Cause of Another Tragedy) Better helmets could mean less risk of concussion and brain damage. hermes birkin handbagsThe 10 helmets rated by the Virginia Tech researchers were as follows: Five Stars: Best Available Riddell Revolution Speed Four Stars: Very Good Schutt ION 4D Schutt DNA Pro + Xenith X1 Riddell Revolution Riddell Revolution IQ Three Stars: Good Schutt Air XP Two Stars: Adequate Schutt Air Advantage One Star: Marginal Riddell VSR4 NR: Not Recommended Adams A2000 Pro Elite Coach New ArrivalsPrice was by no means the strongest predictor of safety. The Adams A2000 Pro Elite, with an NR rating, costs $199.95, while the four-star Riddell Revolution and Schutt DNA Pro + cost $182.99 and $169.95, respectively.
Source: U.S. needs permission to interview bin Laden wives
nike dunk shoesPakistan will allow the United States to question or take into custody the apparent wives of Osama bin Laden only if their "country of origin has been asked for permission," a senior Pakistani intelligence source told CNN on Monday. Pakistani officials have said bin Laden's family members will be repatriated to their home countries after initial interrogations. One of bin Laden's wives is from Yemen, the official said, while a well-placed U.S. official who would not speak on the record said the other two are from Saudi Arabia. All three were taken into Pakistani custody after the May 2 raid by U.S. commandos that killed bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda terrorist movement. The raid succeeded in scratching the man behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington off the U.S. most-wanted list, but it has strained ties with a key American ally in the battle against al Qaeda and the Taliban. The 29-year-old Yemeni wife, Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, was wounded during the raid. coach factory outlet The U.S. official identified the other two women as Khairiah Sabar, also known as "Umm Hamza," and Siham Sabar, or "Umm Khalid." The official identified the other men killed in the raid as bin Laden's son Khalid; two couriers, known around the town of Abbottabad by the aliases Arshad Khan and Tariq Khan. The official would not provide their real names. The wife of one of the couriers also died, the official said. In Pakistan's parliament Monday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani rejected allegations that his government had failed to adequately pursue the world's most -wanted terrorist.hermes birkin While calling bin Laden's death "justice done," Gilani repeatedly assailed U.S. violation of Pakistani "sovereignty" in conducting the operation without Pakistan's knowledge or involvement. "Allegations of complicity or incompetence are absurd," Gilani said. "We emphatically reject such accusations. Speculative narratives in the public domain are meant to create despondency. We will not allow our detractors to succeed in offloading their own shortcomings and errors of omission and commission in a blame game that stigmatizes Pakistan." Bin Laden was found in a compound in Abbottabad, a city with a heavy military presence about 50 km (31 miles) from Islamabad. That has led several U.S. officials to question whether some within the Pakistani government or military helped shield bin Laden or failed to look for him. Gilani said Pakistan "attaches high importance" to its relations with the United States. But in a fiery speech frequently interrupted by applause from some lawmakers, he added, "Unilateralism runs the inherent risk of serious consequences." The prime minister insisted that Pakistan's response to the sudden arrival of U.S. forces deep within its territory in the nighttime operation deserves praise. "The air force was ordered to scramble," he said. "Ground units arrived at the scene quickly. Our response demonstrates that our armed forces reacted, as was expected of them."coach outlet Still, he added, "there is no denying the U.S. technological ability to evade our radars." And in an apparent reference to longtime rival India, Gilani said, "No one should underestimate the resolve and capability of our nation and armed forces to defend our sacred homeland." Gilani spoke as Pakistani news reports raised the possibility that a top CIA officer's identity had been disclosed. Pakistani news outlets Monday named a man they identified as the CIA station chief there, but a senior Pakistani intelligence official said the name was inaccurate and he did not know where it came from. "If we were going to release the name, we would release the right one," the official said. A senior U.S. official with knowledge of the matter said that if the report were true, identifying a CIA officer "crosses a red line in intelligence protocol." The CIA would not comment on the issue. But a U.S. official said there is "no current plan to bring home the current chief of station" in Pakistan. "The current CIA station chief is a true pro, someone who knows how to work well with foreign partners and is looking to strengthen cooperation with Pakistani intelligence," the official said. Pakistani armed forces chiefs issued a statement last week admitting "shortcomings in developing intelligence" on the terrorist leader's presence in the country.Coach Scarves Dozens of people in Abbottabad have been arrested because of their suspected connections to the compound where bin Laden was shot and killed, a Pakistani intelligence official said last week, and investigators want to know whether any of the people are al Qaeda members or sympathizers.
Strolling through âNigeriaâs Best Buyâ (A Photo Essay)
cheap nike shoes storeLAGOS, NIGERIA Im in Lagos to speak at an event and decided to come a week early to check out the countrys tech and entrepreneurship scene. Apparently Arrington thought I was kidding when I told him this. But he should know by now, I dont need a lot of arm twisting to visit a country of 150 million people chaotically surging into modernity. Where theres that much opportunity, theres always entrepreneurship. Nigeria has fascinated me for the last few years: It has the largest population of any country in Africa. It has abundant natural resources, most notably oil. And it has a ton of potential outside of oil. According to the World Bank the non-oil economy has grown at 8% per year for most of the last decade. The problem is employment hasnt budged and the country has fifty million unemployed young people. Those are the official figures, but people in the country tell me its actually much higher than that.Coach Handbags That helps explain why Nigeria is more known in the West for 419 email scams than its vast economic potential. Simply put: Nigeria is a nation desperate for more entrepreneurship, but there are some significant challenges for local entrepreneurs and foreign investors. More on the good and the bad in a future post. A lot more. One story includes guys with machetes. But lets talk about Nigerias tech appetite first. Like anyone else they lust for that new, new thing, and many of them go to a place called Computer Village to find it. Its the Nigerian answer to Shenzhens SEG Electronics Market, a crammed, multistory building that holds booths and booths of nearly any component and hardware knock-off you can imagine. SEG is simultaneously thrilling and horrifying for techies, summing up why China is so central to the Valleys modern gadget boom and why its low-cost, copy-cat goods are such a threat at the same time. hermes birkin handbagsYou know you are getting close to SEG, because the street hawkers stop pitching you massages and start offering up illicit copies of Windows. In Lagos, we could tell we were getting close to Computer Village because of the rows of parked trucks of busted out boom-boxes, televisions and other has- been electronics being fixed and rehabed for parts. Hawkers try to get your attention with a sound thats a combination of a kissing-noise and a hissing noise. It surrounds you as you walk through Computer Village, making you feel like youre either walking past a rowdy construction site or a den of snake charmers. Thats a good way to describe the sales tactics too. Nigerian tech entrepreneurs Ive spoken with this week have complained that many of the developers who apply for jobs are too book-trained; that they lack that raw creative problem solving or jugaad as the Indians call it. Coach Kristin CollectionsJugaad is core to what makes startups able to thrive within constraints and outperform giants. And as youll see from the photos below, its on full-display in Computer Village.
