New York cancels marathon amid outcry

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg abruptly reversed course and canceled Sunday's marathon, a beloved annual race that had become a lightning rod for people frustrated by the disastrous aftermath of megastorm Sandy.

The decision on Friday came after a growing number of storm victims, some runners, and other politicians criticized Bloomberg's decision earlier in the week to go forward with the marathon, one of the world's most popular sporting events. They said the race, expected to draw more than 40,000 runners, could have diverted police and other resources from recovery efforts.

Bloomberg, hours after he repeated plans for the race to take place, issued a statement saying the event had become a "source of controversy and division" and would be scrubbed. The race will not be run again until next year, organizers said.

The decision removes what could have a been a dark spot on the mayor's legacy. Public opinion in the past few days had turned against the mayor, with growing numbers saying it was inappropriate to run the race when so many New Yorkers were suffering.

People angered by the marathon plans had set up online petitions calling for runners to boycott the 26.2-mile race, or to run backward from the starting line in protest.

The uproar grew after the New York Road Runners Club, the race organizer, set up generators in Central Park for communications and other operations. It said it had paid for those privately, not with public funds, but some complained that the equipment should have been donated to those without power, electricity or heat.

Some runners, hearing of the cancellation, expressed frustration.

"I have mixed emotions," said Christopher Miller, 34, of New Rochelle, New York, who would have been running his fourth New York City marathon. "Our hearts go out to people for their suffering, and also to the thousands who came from out of town and will leave without accomplishing what they set out to do months ago."

BAD RECEPTION FOR RUNNERS?

Another runner said the mayor should have stuck to the original decision, saying the race gives local businesses a boost and was set to raise large amounts for relief efforts.

"This was going to turn into a big recovery and healing event," said Usama Malik, 37, who works for a hedge fund. "I thought it was great that he (Bloomberg) made the decision to go on with it, to raise funds, to promote healing, and get people's minds off of everything else that's going on."

Sandy, which brought a record storm surge to coastal areas, killed at least 102 people after slamming into the U.S. Northeast on Monday. Forty-one died in New York City, about half of them in Staten Island, which was overrun by a wall of water.

The marathon starts in Staten Island and weaves through all five of the city's boroughs. Hundreds of thousands of people line the streets to watch the race.

Run every year since 1970, the marathon attracts professional and amateur runners, and is so popular that organizers run a lottery system to determine who can compete. The field features elite runners from around the globe, and is one of the six World Marathon Majors.

Among those who had been set to compete was Wilson Kipsang, the winner of this year's London Marathon, who had traveled 45 hours from his home in Kenya.

In announcing that the race had been called off, Bloomberg insisted it would not have diverted resources from the recovery effort. Hours earlier he had previously drawn parallels with the decision a decade ago not to cancel or postpone the marathon after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

However, he said, "we cannot allow a controversy over an athletic event - even one as meaningful as this - to distract attention away from all the critically important work that is being done to recover from the storm and get our city back on track."

Mary Wittenberg, the head of the New York Road Runners Club, said that as the controversy grew, she also was concerned about the reception runners may have received along the route.

At a news conference, Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson said it had become clear that "something that every year brings joy and unity to this city had become divisive and painful, and this is a city that's had enough pain in the last week and I don't think we need to add more."

(Reporting by Martha Graybow, Edith Honan, Emily Flitter, Julian Linden, Michelle Nichols, Anna Louie Sussman and Phil Wahba; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/york-cancels-sunday-marathon-wake-deadly-storm-003700277--spt.html

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iPad Mini available today, so here's how to get one fast

7 hrs.

Rosa Golijan , NBC News

The iPad Mini is now available?? at least the Wi-Fi-only version is. If you haven't gone online to?pre-order the tiny tablet already, you'll have to wait two weeks to get one?shipped to your home. But if you want to leave the house, you could have one today.

Estimated shipping dates on Apple's website are currently hovering at the "two weeks" mark and your luck won't be much better on the websites of authorized Apple?retailers such as Walmart, Target, Best Buy and RadioShack either. If you want an iPad Mini and you want it right now, you'll need to lace up your boots and take a stroll over to a good ol' brick-and-mortar store.

Despite plenty of reports that iPad Mini lines pale in comparison to those of other Apple product launches, it is difficult to establish just how high or low demand is. NBC News made calls to several Apple Store locations as well as to some authorized retailers in several states. In some instances, we got endlessly ringing phone lines, suggesting that things are busy. At one Best Buy in Florida, a clerk explained that the store didn't get the shipment it expected, and only had a few units.?

When we visited an Apple Store in Seattle, we didn't see any crowds or lines.?Business was brisk, and there was high interest in the iPad Mini, of course, but crowd control wasn't necessary to keep the buyers from getting too rowdy.

Things could be more complicated this week, in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.?Product shipments all over the country may have been delayed due to the storm.?Then again, many people on the East Coast and in the Midwest have greater concerns than buying the latest shiny product from Apple, so it may have lessened demand as well.

Since things can be very different depending where you live, our best advice is to?plan, call ...?and run.

Plan to head to a store early in the morning, when inventory may have been replenished?? and plan to get there early. Call ahead of time to see if you can get any details regarding how things are looking. And run as soon as you hear that an iPad Mini is available. If demand happens to be high, those things won't sit on a shelf too long.

Additionally, don't forget that your luck may be better at a store that's slightly out of the way. While it might get a smaller shipment of devices in the first place, folks might not bother going to it out of sheer laziness.

As a reminder: The iPad Mini starts at $329 for a 16GB Wi-Fi-only model. 32GB and 64GB Wi-Fi-only models are available for $429 and $529, respectively, while their LTE-capable cellular?counterparts ? launching later ??are priced at $459, $559, and $659, for the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions, respectively.

The LTE-capable models are expected to ship (and hit shelves)?mid-November.

Want more tech news?or interesting?links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/ipad-mini-available-today-so-heres-how-get-one-fast-1C6833474

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Look at some scenarios for Election Day headaches

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Mitt Romney would love an election like 1980, when Republicans carried 44 of the 50 states. President Barack Obama would be delighted with a repeat of 2008, when he trounced Sen. John McCain with almost 100 electoral votes to spare.

What both dread is a recap of 2000, when it took more than a month and a Supreme Court ruling before Americans learned who would be their next president.

Even without a massive recount, plenty could go wrong on Tuesday.

A look at a few scenarios that could give Obama and Romney an Election Day headache.

___

?Popular vote vs. Electoral vote

It's happened a few times before, most recently in 2000. The candidate who wins the most votes overall comes in second in Electoral College votes ? the ones that matter ? and loses the election.

The Founding Fathers came up with the much-derided system as a compromise between a popular vote and letting Congress pick the president. Attempts to abolish the Electoral College go back more than a half-century and seem to resurface every four years. But for now, it's here to stay. Proponents say doing away with the system would give areas with the densest population too much influence over the election.

So what are the chances this year of an electoral-popular split?

"It's not likely, but it's certainly possible. It's more likely than in most years, and more so than even a month ago," says Quinnipiac University pollster Peter Brown.

That's because Romney, in some national polls, is ever-so-slightly ahead, making it plausible he'll win the popular vote nationwide. But many of the most competitive states, where the election will be decided, seem to be leaning in Obama's direction. That means it's possible Obama could lose the popular vote but still win the electoral vote, granting him a second term in the White House.

___

?Trouble at the polls

Long lines, problems with voting machines and challenges to voters' eligibility could all make for trouble at the polls. Hurricane Sandy, which knocked out power to millions across the East Coast, could increase the likelihood that things won't go as smoothly as planned.

A recent push by Republican officials in many states for tougher voting restrictions, such as requiring voters to show photo ID, could lead to a high number of provisional ballots, which voters are required to use if there's a question about their eligibility. Those ballots are counted only if election officials determine the voters in question were eligible to vote. Different states have different rules on eligibility. It all makes it more likely there won't have a clear winner the night of the election.

Obama and Romney have scores of election lawyers on hand, ready to jump into action should the need arise. Experts say it's most likely that litigation over the presidency would come down to Florida or Ohio, the states where Romney and Obama have campaigned the hardest.

___

A tie

?A 269-269 Electoral College tie

It takes 270 electoral votes to win. But what if both candidates win 269?

It's never happened. If it did, the newly elected House of Representatives would pick the president. Republicans control the House now, and are likely to hold on to their majority after Election Day. What's more, instead of all 435 members getting a vote, each state delegation would get one vote. Since Republicans control many of the smaller states with fewer representatives, the GOP would have the advantage in this scenario.

But the Senate would get to pick the vice president. The Senate is in Democratic control and probably will stay that way. So would Senate Democrats send Joe Biden to be Romney's vice president? Would Biden accept?

It's safe to assume both candidates are hoping we'll never have to find out.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/look-scenarios-election-day-headaches-121105956--election.html

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Fitness Boot Camps Can Change Your Life - AORB Health Foundation

If you live in or around the Tustin area and are looking to lose weight, gain self-esteem, and work your way toward a healthy, positive life, a fitness Boot Camp in Tustin may exactly what you?re looking for.

Fitness boot camps are classes that promote body fat reduction, aide in body sculpting, increasing self-confidence, and encouraging team effort, all while allowing an individual to learn more about his or her inner self. for those tired of attending local Tustin gyms, a fitness Boot Camp in Tustin is a better option for those tired of their stale gym routine. Boredom is one of the top reasons that people give up on their weight-loss plans.

When you think of a fitness boot camp, you may imagine a military based camp. While these types of boot camps do exist, many boot camp founders are distancing themselves from the military image. Training is still vigorous and efficient; the only difference is that the focus is more on social and mental support. Individuals are allowed to have fun while engaging in fitness activities in order to reach their goals.

Most boot camps are created and run by gyms, personal trainers, or military personnel, although the individual trainers depend on the company behind the boot camp?s creation. Some are very strict, while others are more lenient on members. The commonality among all fitness boot camps is that they strive to build strength, endurance, and stamina through various activities over a certain period of time.

Some activities involved in fitness boot camps include basic stretching, weight lifting, running, push ups, sit ups, and various other intense workouts. Fitness boot camp workouts are sometimes compared to Cross Fit routines. Workout routines often end with light stretching or yoga. The ultimate goal of workouts are not only to lose weight and sculpt the body, but to promote a healthy heart and teach an individual to become accustomed to a regular workout routine.

Workout routines are often results-based and customized to fit an individual?s specific needs. Not only do boot camps help others lose weight, many facilities are also designed to promote mental health, including de-stressing, reducing anxiety, teaching interpersonal relationship skills, and increase general productivity throughout an individual?s life. In other words, anything keeping you from reaching your fitness goals will be addressed and hopefully overcome.

If you?re in need of a life-changing experience, consider looking into fitness boot camps.

Source: http://www.aorb.org/medical-health-news/fitness-boot-camps-can-change-your-life/

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New mental health center, key to Portland police reforms, no done ...

When Portland's mayor last week announced the city's plan to address federal concerns about police treatment of people in mental health crisis, he highlighted a key feature: a drop-off or walk-in center where police could take patients in need. He said a center would open in mid-2013.

But the issue is far from settled. Leaders of the health care organizations that Mayor Sam Adams said would open the centers say they haven't ironed out what one would look like, where it would be, how it would be funded or even whether such a facility is the best solution. Multnomah County officials say they were not involved in any talks. And other mental health providers called the deadline unrealistic.

"How this effort will be funded is a good question, and we don't have an answer to that right now," said Janet L. Meyer, interim chief executive office of Health Share of Oregon.

Health Share is one of the state's two new coordinated care organizations for Multnomah County -- a network of health care providers to serve people under the Oregon Health Plan.

"To have something as complex as a drop-off center organized, established and operational by mid-2013 seems, quite frankly, beyond what would be considered possible," said Derald Walker, chief executive officer of Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare.

Written into Portland's negotiated agreement with federal justice officials is the expectation by the U.S. Department of Justice that the state's new local coordinated care organizations will create one or more of the centers for people in need of immediate mental health care by mid-2013.

Meyer said her management team worked closely with the mayor to assist in Portland's response to the Justice Department inquiry. The team's role, she said, was providing background information.

"We agreed that if the outcome of our work indicates a need for a drop off center, then it would be incumbent on everyone -- Health Share, FamilyCare and the county mental health authority -- to facilitate the creation of such a facility."

She called next year's deadline "a challenge."

Jesse Gamez, chief operating officer for FamilyCare Inc., said Thursday he had talked with the mayor by phone before the Justice Department agreement was released, but doesn't know where the mid-2013 deadline came from.

Gamez described the opening of a crisis drop-off center as "one of the options" where police might take people in need of immediate mental health care. "To me, it's unclear how the funding stream is going to occur."

"We are there to partner with the city. We are going to be involved in the process moving forward," Gamez said.

Multnomah County spokesman David Austin said county mental health providers have been involved with the city in "broad-based" discussions on how to improve the mental health-care system.

"We were not involved in any plans or discussions with the city or CCOs around building new drop-off centers," Austin said. "We were not a party to this."

For years, Portland police have lamented the 2003 closing of the Crisis Triage Center at Providence Medical Center, where officers could drop off someone they encountered during a call who needed immediate mental health care.

But the triage center quickly became overrun with patients. And, despite the center's ability to keep patients on mental health holds up to 72 hours, patients often were let out after that period. Budget cuts closed the center.

After the 2006 death in Portland police custody of James P. Chasse Jr., a 42-year-old man with paranoid schizophrenia, the city and county moved to open a new, 16-bed Crisis Assessment Treatment Center. The Portland Development Commission provided $2 million for development, and the state contributed $1 million to renovate the second floor of the David P. Hooper Sobering Center for the new center.

The center opened in June 2011 off Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Its staff provides patients up to 10 days of assessment and treatment, and develops a treatment plan for after they leave the center. Police, hospital ER staff or mental health care providers can refer patients by calling the county's Mental Health Call Center. But the Crisis Assessment and Treatment Center is not a "drop-off" center for anyone who wants services.

Oregon's U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall said that before the federal-city agreement was reached, she had attended a brief meeting with the mayor, Central City Concern, hospital officials and other community-based health care groups. "We discussed the need to have the private sector come together to work with the city and state," on mental health care reforms, Marshall said. But any details about deadlines or drop-off centers were negotiated by the mayor, Marshall said.

Adams and Commissioner Amanda Fritz said the mid-2013 deadline came from their talks with coordinated care organization representatives over the past several months.

"Everything in that agreement regarding the drop-off centers, they agreed to," Adams said Thursday.

But the mayor and Fritz said no details on location or funding have been ironed out. Adams said those questions would be answered by a coordinated care organization-subcommittee that includes city and county representatives. "Having us at the table redesigning mental health community services is key," he said.

Fritz added, "We think it'll end up being cheaper to take care of people in crisis."

The mayor said his early conversations with community-based health care organizations suggested it would take 18 to 24 months before the CCO "could get to local mental health service reform."

"At my request, I am very grateful they moved it up to mid-2013," Adams said.

Walker isn't convinced the mayor's timeline is achievable for a drop-off center. "As much as we would like to have something like that set up" he said, "that strikes me as overly ambitious."

Maxine Bernstein;

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/11/new_mental_health_center_key_t.html

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Obama cancels third campaigning day to oversee storm response (reuters)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/259354281?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Australia's Sermanni hired as new US women's coach

CHICAGO (AP) ? When Tom Sermanni shook hands with Pia Sundhage after her last game as coach of the U.S. women's soccer team, he should have asked her for a few tips.

Sermanni was hired Tuesday to replace Sundhage, who led the Americans to back-to-back Olympic gold medals and their first World Cup final in 12 years. Sermanni has spent the last eight years as Australia's coach, taking the Matildas to the quarterfinals of the last two Women's World Cups.

"He has the knowledge, experience and vision to take on the challenge of keeping our team at the top of the world," U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati said in a statement. "He has a tremendous passion for the game, knows the American players, understands our system and knows the process of preparing a team for a World Cup tournament."

Sermanni, a 58-year-old originally from Glasgow, Scotland, has spent much of the last 20 years in Australia, where he is credited with transforming the Matildas into one of the world's top programs. In addition to their quarterfinal appearances at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, the young Australians won the 2010 Asian Women's Cup. Their runner-up finish at the same tournament in 2006 earned Sermanni Asian Football Confederation coach of the year honors.

The Australians are ninth in the world, matching their highest ranking.

Sermanni also coached Australia from 1994-97, leading the Matildas to their first appearance in a World Cup, the 1995 tournament in Sweden. He was among 10 candidates for FIFA's 2011 Women's Coach of the Year.

"Tom's legacy for Women's Football in Australia will be felt for many years to come as he has helped transform our women's national team to a very professional and competitive group of players," Ben Buckley, CEO of Football Federation Australia, said in a statement. "Tom will always be considered a close friend of Australian football no matter where he is in the world."

Sermanni was selected after a five-person search committee, which included Mia Hamm, considered more than 30 candidates. The current U.S. players said they didn't care whether the new coach was male or female, American or foreign-born, so long as the right coach was selected.

The coaches of both U.S. national teams are foreign-born, with German-born Jurgen Klinsmann, a longtime California resident, coaching the men.

"Someone who's good enough, that's all I care about," Abby Wambach said earlier this month. "Be the person who brings the World Cup back."

Sundhage was 91-6-10 in her five years with the Americans, including a 23-1-1 record this year, and the U.S. was ranked No. 1 in the world for most of her tenure. She resigned Sept. 1 to return to her native Sweden, where she is now the women's national team coach.

"We need a strong person to come in and add to the history that this team, specifically, has created in the last two years," Wambach said. "... This team is scary good, and we need to have someone who can put all the Xs and Os together."

After Sermanni's hiring was announced, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Wambach welcomed him via Twitter.

"really pumped about (at)TomSermanni being the new uswnt head coach!!! Welcome. (hashtag)movingforward," Wambach said.

Sermanni has experience coaching young players, which will be key as the U.S. begins integrating its next generation. Though veterans like Wambach, captain Christie Rampone and Shannon Boxx have all talked of playing through the 2015 World Cup in Canada, the next major tournament, there is plenty of depth and talent at the lower levels, too. The U-20 team just won the World Cup, and the U-23 team won both tournaments it played this year.

Sundhage had also begun changing the Americans' style of play. As the game evolves and improves around the world, relying on the advantages it has in size, speed and power is no longer enough for the U.S. Sundhage introduced a Barcelona-style attack that relied on creativity and ball possession, and Sermanni will have to decide whether to continue that or not.

"U.S. Soccer has always been at the forefront of supporting the women's game, and it's exciting to coach the team in this next chapter of its history," Sermanni said. "After coaching against many of these players for years, I am looking forward to working with an accomplished group of veterans while integrating the numerous talented young players who are itching for a chance to prove themselves.

"I'm honored to have this opportunity to work with tremendous players and in a program that has had such a tradition of success," he added.

Sermanni does not take over officially until Jan. 1, and will coach Australia in the East Asian Cup Qualification tournament from Nov. 20-24 in Shenzen, China. Interim coach Jill Ellis will lead the Americans in exhibitions against Ireland on Nov. 28 in Portland, Ore., and on Dec. 1 in Glendale, Ariz., as well as three games that have yet to be announced.

A midfielder, Sermanni played professionally from 1971-89 at clubs in Scotland, England, Australia and New Zealand, including Blackpool and Torquay, and scored more than 50 goals. He got into coaching soon after, and has had stints as both a men's and women's coach in Japan, the U.S. and Malaysia, in addition to Australia.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/australias-sermanni-hired-us-womens-coach-180116049--sow.html

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