Thursday, August 30, 2012

Japanese court backs Samsung in latest Apple skirmish







Samsung's Galaxy S2 was one of the devices Apple targeted in its latest lawsuit in Japan.

Samsung's Galaxy S2 was one of the devices Apple targeted in its latest lawsuit in Japan.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS



  • Tokyo court rules that Samsung did not infringe Apple's patents for its iPhone and iPad

  • Case focused on technology used in some Galaxy devices to transfer data to a computer

  • Samsung was last week ordered to pay $1B for copying look and feel of iPhone, iPad design

  • The two tech giants are locked in numerous patent disputes across the world





Hong Kong (CNN) -- A week after Samsung was ordered to pay $1 billion to Apple for patent infringements, a Japanese court has backed the South Korean company in another dispute with its U.S. rival.

The Tokyo District Court on Friday ruled that Samsung did not infringe Apple's patents for its iPhone and iPad for some of its Galaxy smartphones and the Galaxy tablet.

The case focused on technology used in Samsung's Galaxy S, Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Tab 7 devices to synchronize music and video with a computer -- technology Apple says its rival copied.

However Judge Tamotsu Shoji disagreed and threw out Apple's 100 million yen ($1.27 million) claim and ordered the California-based tech giant to pay the costs of the lawsuit.

Samsung to fight U.S. court ruling

In a statement released by Samsung after the decision, it said: "We have been strongly appealing that our products do not infringe the patents of Apple U.S. and its completely different technology.

"The verdict recognizes the lawfulness of our company. We think it is very appropriate."

A ruling against Samsung would have been a severe setback in one of its most lucrative markets.

The South Korean company is already facing the prospect of a U.S. ban on Samsung smartphones and computer tablets found to have violated Apple's patents -- described by one Samsung executive as "absolutely the worst scenario for us."

This followed last Friday's decision by a U.S. federal jury to order Samsung to pay Apple $1.05 billion for copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad design.

A nine-person jury spent just two and a half days puzzling out its final verdict, with weeks of notes and memories of testimony, 109 pages of jury instructions, and boxes of evidence including a collection of contested smartphones and tablets as their guide.

The lawsuit was the largest yet in the ongoing worldwide patent brawl between the two companies, which itself is just one battle in Apple's war against Google's Android mobile operating system.

In another case just days before, a South Korean court found that both parties had infringed on each other's patents -- Samsung was ordered to pay $33,300 for infringing two of the intellectual property rights for Apple's iPhone and iPad, while Apple was found to have infringed Samsung's Wi-Fi technology and ordered to pay $22,000 in damages.


Source & Image : CNN Business

Food prices jump will hit poor, World Bank warns

Damaged corn in a field in Oakland City, Indiana

The bank said that a US heatwave and drought in parts of Eastern Europe were partly to blame for the rising costs.

The price of key grains such as corn, wheat and soybean saw the most dramatic increases, described by the World Bank president as "historic".

The bank warned countries importing grains will be particularly vulnerable.

From June to July this year, corn and wheat prices each rose by 25% while soybean prices increased by 17%, the World Bank said. Only rice prices decreased - by 4%.

In the United States, the most severe, widespread drought in half a century has wreaked havoc on the corn and soybean crops while in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, wheat crops have been badly damaged.

The World Bank said that the use of corn to produce ethanol biofuel - which represents 40% of US corn production - was also a key factor in the sharp rise in the US maize price.

Overall, the World Bank's Food Price Index - which tracks the price of internationally traded food commodities - was six percent higher than in July of last year, and one percent over its previous peak, in February 2011.

The organisation is urging governments to bolster programmes to protect their most vulnerable communities from the increase in the cost of food.

"We cannot allow these historic price hikes to turn into a lifetime of perils as families take their children out of school and eat less nutritious food to compensate for the high prices," World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said.

He said countries in North and Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East were among those most exposed to such price increases because much of their food was imported and food bills make up a large proportion of average household spending.

Already, the bank said, maize prices had increased by 113% over the past quarter in Mozambique, while sorghum had risen 220% in South Sudan.

Although the bank said that it did not foresee the kind of price increases which led to riots in many countries in 2008 there were, it said, other potential risks which could push grain prices higher.

These included exporters pursuing panic policies, a severe El Nino, disappointing Southern hemisphere crops and strong increases in energy prices.

The G20 group of leading economies has said it will not take any decision on joint action until after the US agriculture department's September estimate of this year's harvest.

But aid charity Oxfam said it was not acceptable for governments to delay acting on food prices until the situation had deteriorated further.

"This 'wait and see' attitude is unacceptable," Colin Roche said.

"Oxfam is already seeing the devastating impact of food price volatility in developing countries that rely on food imports."



Source & Image : BBC

Romney makes appeal to voters disappointed in Obama: ‘The time has come to turn the page’




(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)


TAMPA—Mitt Romney accepted the Republican presidential nomination by making an appeal to Americans disappointed in President Barack Obama's tenure in the White House, arguing he can usher in the change Obama promised in 2008 but has failed to deliver.


"Tonight I'd ask a simple question: If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's President Obama?" Romney said. "You know there's something wrong with the kind of job he's done as president when the best feeling you had, was the day you voted for him."


He said Americans "deserved" the "hope and change" that Obama had promised, but because he has failed to keep his promises, he doesn't deserve a second term.


"This president can ask us to be patient. This president can tell us it was someone else's fault. This president can tell us that the next four years he'll get it right," Romney said. "But this president cannot tell us that you are better off today than when he took office. America has been patient. Americans have supported this president in good faith. But today, the time has come to turn the page."


Romney told voters it's time to "put the disappointments of the last four years behind us" and "forget about what might have been and look ahead to what can be."



"Many Americans have given up on this president but they haven't ever thought about giving up. Not on themselves. Not on each other. And not on America," Romney said. "What is needed in our country today is not complicated or profound. It doesn't take a special government commission to tell us what America needs. What America needs is jobs. Lots of jobs."


Romney's speech was a bookend to speeches he's given in the 18 months since he launched his second bid for the presidency. But unlike other remarks, Romney spoke at length about his life and his family—telling voters about the "unconditional love" he received from his parents and has tried to pass on to his own kids and grand kids.


"All the laws and legislation in the world will never heal this world like the loving hearts and arms of mothers and fathers," Romney said. "If every child could drift to sleep feeling wrapped in the love of their family--and God's love--this world would be a far more gentle and better place."


Romney's remarks were aimed at humanizing him with voters, who have been openly skeptical of his candidacy. Before he took the stage, aides sought to tell a different story about Romney by having those who know him speak. Friends of the candidate spoke about his Mormon faith and others, including the founder of Staples--the office supply chain that was started with seed money from Bain Capital, a firm Romney founded--attested to his time as a venture capitalist.



But Romney's speech was somewhat overshadowed by a rambling appearance by the actor and director Clint Eastwood, who ad-libbed a skit featuring him speaking to an invisible Obama on the stage. Romney aides had expected Eastwood, who endorsed the candidate last month, to make a short 5-minute speech; they looked anxious as the Hollywood actor's remarks extended past the 10-minute mark.


But Romney won the audience's attention a few minutes later, as he made an entrance from the back of the convention floor, walking through the delegates who excitedly shook his hand. On stage, a singer sang an acoustic version of "Born Free," the Kid Rock song that has become Romney's anthem.


In his speech, Romney repeated the argument he has made against an Obama second term—insisting the president has simply not turned things around. He repeatedly emphasized that his focus would be on creating jobs—reiterating that adding employment hasn't been Obama's focus.


"President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet," Romney said, a line that prompted laughter on the RNC floor. "My promise is to help you and your family."


If elected, Romney vowed to "unleash an economy that will put Americans back to work" and restore "the America we want for our children."


"That future is our destiny. That future is out there. It is waiting for us. Our children deserve it, our nation depends upon it, the peace and freedom of the world require it. And with your help we will deliver it," Romney said. "Let us begin that future together tonight."




Source & Image : Yahoo

India's economic growth stronger than forecast

A worker in an Indian factory

Growth was 5.5% in the April to June period from a year earlier. Most analysts had forecast a rate of 5.2%.

That compares with a 5.3% annual growth rate in the previous quarter.

However, there are concerns that a lack of reforms, slowing factory output and investment may hurt long-term growth.



Source & Image : BBC

Tokyo court deals win for Samsung after US loss

Apple iPhone 4s and Samsung Galaxy S

The ruling dealt with transferring media content between devices.

It comes after Samsung lost a key patent case in the US last week and was forced to pay more than $1bn (£664m) in damages.

This was one of many cases brought to courts around the world by the two smart phone market leaders.

"We welcome the court's decision, which confirmed our long-held position that our products do not infringe Apple's intellectual property," said Samsung in a statement to the BBC.

The company has vowed to continue to fight against Apple saying it will appeal the US ruling.

On 24 August, a US court said Samsung had infringed Apple patents for mobile devices, including the iPhone and iPad.

Apple is now seeking a ban on sales of eight Samsung phones in the US market.



Source & Image : BBC

Clint Eastwood’s strange address to invisible Obama at RNC





It seems doubtful that Clint Eastwood made Mitt Romney's day with his speech during the Republican National Convention on Thursday.


The acclaimed actor and director, who is 82, turned out to be the much-touted "mystery guest" the Romney campaign teased this week. But rather than delivering a clear endorsement of Romney, the actor used an empty chair to stand in for President Barack Obama onstage at the RNC, and then questioned the invisible POTUS about his policies and positions. At one point Eastwood asked: "Mr. President, how do you handle the promises that you made when running for president?"


That was the coherent part.


During most of the speech, for which Eastwood did not use a Tele-Promp-Ter, Eastwood riffed and improvised both for himself and for the president, talking about Guantanamo Bay and unemployment, among other topics. At one point, he pretended the president asked him to stop talking. "I'm not going to shut up," said Eastwood to the chair. "It's my turn."


One clearer moment came when Eastwood went after Obama directly, but it, too, missed. "I never thought it was a good idea for attorneys to be president anyway." (Romney went to Harvard Law School about 20 years before Obama.)


Eastwood tried to make the Romney campaign's case when he said: "When somebody does not do the job, we've got to let them go." The applause hadn't stopped when Eastwood made a throat-slitting gesture and added: "I'm speaking out for everybody out there. We don't have to be mental masochists and vote for somebody we don't really want in office."


The AP reported that "backstage, stern-faced Romney aides winced at times as Eastwood's remarks stretched on."


Reporters took to Twitter to fact-check the more substantial of Eastwood's remarks, including his statistics about unemployment. "Clint Eastwood was inaccurate.There are 12.8 million unemployed, not 23 million. BLS [Bureau of Labor Statistics] says there are 23 mllion UNDERremployed [sic]," New York Times reporter Steven Greenhouse tweeted.


Many in the blogosphere suggested it was the most unscripted and bizarre convention appearance in history. Erick Erickson, editor of RedState.com, tried to change the subject with references to Vice President Joe Biden. But Twitter accounts @InvisibleObama and @ClintsChair were buzzing around the Internet as soon as the speech was over.


Eastwood closed his ramble with an audience call and response: "Go ahead," he said. "Make my day," the crowd roared back. (Had Eastwood seen the National Journal list of movie quotes he could use in his speech?)




Source & Image : Yahoo

Ohio man puts up ‘Please Hire My Wife’ billboard




Holly Stuard's husband has purchased a billboard to help his wife's job search (ToledoNewsNow.com)Holly Stuard's husband just put her resume in front of thousands of fresh faces. The Ohio man rented billboard space reading "Please Hire My Wife" to help the former Toledo University employee get back to work.


"Over the last five or six months, she's had a few opportunities come along that we thought looked really positive and unfortunately they just didn't work out," Brandon Stuard told local Fox affiliate Toledo News Now. "I felt a sense of, she was getting a little frustrated, but not losing hope. But I wanted to do something maybe help lift her spirits if nothing else."


Stuard says the billboard space has cost him $700 but that he and his wife will consider it a bargain if he helps her restart her career.


The sign highlights some of Stuard's qualifications, including an MBA and experience in both business and academic sectors. She said she would like to work in development with a company, focusing on maximizing productivity and growth in human capital. The billboard also offers a contact email for potential employers to contact Stuard directly: hiremywife@yahoo.com.


Stuard admits he purchased the billboard without first telling his wife, but so far she has appreciated the gesture.


"I think I definitely would have said no," Holly Stuard told the station. "I would have thought it would have been too embarrassing to have my face up on a billboard but, now I'm having fun with it and hopefully a good opportunity will come out of it."


She says she lost her job with the university last year after budget cuts, and has since had a number of promising interviews.


"I know she's trying extremely hard, no one prepares like she does. So, it's difficult to watch so, this is, I feel like this is probably the best I could come up with to help her out," Brandon Stuard said.





Source & Image : Yahoo

Japan's industrial output falls on weak global demand

A worker in a Japanese factory

Trade ministry figures showed output was down 1.2% in July, a steep reversal from the 0.4% rise recorded in June and way out of line with analysts expectations of a 1.7% increase.

Earlier this week the Japanese government downgraded its economic assessment for the country.

Analysts said the figures were a cause for concern.

Arjuna Mahendran from HSBC Private bank said the most alarming part was the decline in exports from Japan to Europe as a slowdown in the latter hurt demand.

Those shipments have fallen about 25% from their level of last year, he said.

"That is really of concern because it means this manufacturing slowdown [in Japan], negative growth in the industrial sector, will continue for some time."

Overall Japanese exports fell the most in six months in July, data from the finance ministry showed last week.

As government subsidies for the purchase of fuel-efficient cars come to an end, analysts are predicting further declines and an overall impact on the economy.

"Japan has probably already started falling into an economic lull in the second half of the year," said Yoshimasa Maruyama from Itochu Economic Research institute in Tokyo.

He added that the government may take steps to boost the economy by introducing stimulus measures in the coming months.



Source & Image : BBC

Merkel faces EU clash over China







German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing on August 30, 2012.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing on August 30, 2012.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS



  • Merkel: An EU trade case on Chinese solar panels should be resolved through negotiation

  • Comment reflects Beijing's growing clout with its European trading partners

  • Merkel is reluctant to support a trade action instigated by a German company

  • Puts her on a collision course the EU trade commissioner who has taken a harder line





(Financial Times) -- A contentious EU trade case targeting Chinese solar panel companies should be resolved through negotiations, Germany's chancellor said on Tuesday, reflecting Beijing's growing clout with its European trading partners.

Angela Merkel's reluctance to support a trade action instigated by a German company was communicated at a meeting in Beijing with Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, and appeared to put her on a collision course with Karel De Gucht, the EU trade commissioner who has taken a harder line against Beijing for what he contends are unfair trading practices.

Mr De Gucht is expected to open a formal investigation next week to determine whether Chinese manufacturers have dumped their products on the EU market. That review could lead to punitive tariffs -- an outcome the chancellor told her Chinese hosts she was keen to avoid.

"We should try to solve the problems in the solar sector to avoid an anti-dumping case," Ms Merkel said. "We have time for that, and it would be better if we could find a solution through talks."

Mr Wen welcomed Ms Merkel's call for talks, saying it could serve as a model for the solution of trade conflicts worldwide. A spokesman for Mr De Gucht said: "We've seen Chancellor Merkel's comments and we take note of them."

Privately, EU officials and diplomats said it was unlikely that talks to resolve the dispute could be concluded before a 45-day review period ends next Friday. They also noted that Mr De Gucht was required to handle cases in accordance with EU trade law -- not diplomacy.

The solar panel case, filed by Bonn-based Solar World, is particularly sensitive, given governments' strategic interest in the renewable energy industry as a source of jobs and competitiveness.

The EU has struggled to forge a common trade policy among its 27 member states, particularly when each is jockeying for its own lucrative commercial ties with Beijing.

Ms Merkel led a 150-strong delegation to Beijing including dozens of executives and nine members of her cabinet, highlighting what German diplomats described as the "special relationship" between Beijing and Berlin.The two countries signed 18 agreements on Thursday, including a $3.5bn deal under which ICBC Leasing will acquire 50 Airbus aircraft.

Managing trade relations has been further complicated by EU attempts to persuade Beijing to deploy some of its massive foreign exchange reserves to ease the eurozone debt crisis.

Ms Merkel assured the Chinese premier of eurozone countries' "absolute political will" to stabilise their currency. Mr Wen urged the EU to balance fiscal reform with economic stimulus.


Source & Image : CNN Business

Goldman rethinks Dylan royalties bond







Bob Dylan shown recording his first album in New York City in 1961.

Bob Dylan shown recording his first album in New York City in 1961.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS



  • Unusual bond offering backed by royalties from songs penned by Bob Dylan and others

  • The $300m bond, known in the market as a non-traditional or "esoteric" asset-backed security

  • The bond was originally expected to price earlier this month but has now been delayed

  • Specialists say the bond setback illustrates some of the difficulty in esoteric ABS deals





(Financial Times) -- Investors have thought twice and decided it's not alright to take up an unusual bond offering backed by royalties from songs penned by Bob Dylan and other musicians.

The $300m bond, known in the market as a non-traditional or "esoteric" asset-backed security (ABS), is being put together by Goldman Sachs on behalf of Sesac, a privately held performing rights organisation based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sesac holds the rights to music from Mr Dylan, as well as Neil Diamond, the American pop artist, Shirley Caesar, the gospel music singer, and many others.

The deal pools the cash generated from such royalties, securitises it and passes it to investors as a way for Sesac to raise money outside of a bank loan or going to the traditional bond market.

The bond was originally expected to price earlier this month but has now been delayed until September, after Goldman's team pulled their original offering from the market, people familiar with the matter said.

Market participants had heralded the unusual bond as an example of the lure of esoteric ABS to investors who are eager for the extra yield they can earn on more exotic assets such as music rights, movie portfolios or fast food franchises.

But competing bankers and securitisation specialists say the Sesac bond setback illustrates some of the difficulty still involved in structuring such esoteric ABS deals and pitching them to investors.

Goldman had originally intended to sell the esoteric ABS as a single chunk to investors. The single class or "tranche" would have carried a rating of BBB- or one notch above junk status from Standard & Poor's, the credit rating agency.

After meetings with investors earlier this month, Goldman went back to the drawing board and is now said to be restructuring the deal into two separate tranches.

Investors in the senior tranche, which will carry a higher credit rating, will get paid first, meaning they will be more protected from potential losses or risks than the subordinate or "junior" tranche.

Investors in the subordinate tranche will earn a higher return but will be more exposed to the idiosyncratic risks associated with such a deal.

At the moment, Goldman bankers are still hoping to get the retooled deal away.

If the prospects darken they have plenty of options for Dylan songs to use as soundtrack for any roadshow -- Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine from 1966, for example, or the more recent When The Deal Goes Down.

If it falls apart entirely and bankers are denied the hunks of plastic they use to celebrate deals, they may suffer from the Tombstone Blues.

A spokesman for Goldman declined to comment on the bond offering.


Source & Image : CNN Business

Before Romney’s Big Speech, a Focus on Bain

Mitt Romney’s campaign Web site features videos focused on his time at the investment firm Bain Capital.

As Mitt Romney prepares to take the stage at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night to make his case for the presidency, his record at Bain Capital continues to be a focus — some might say the focus — of both his supporters and detractors.

Just hours before Mr. Romney’s speech, his campaign started a Web site on Thursday — business.mittromney.com — devoted almost entirely on his years at the investment firm Bain Capital. “Governor Romney’s work at Bain Capital was about fixing companies that were broken and giving new companies a shot at success,” reads the Web site’s home page.

The site features nine one- to two-minute videos, each highlighting a successful Bain deal. Two videos focus on the office-supplies retailer Staples, one of Mr. Romney’s most successful investments during his tenure at Bain. Both show Mr. Romney roaming the aisles at a Staples store wearing that a blue dress shirt with a contrasting white collar, a de rigueur uniform of 1980s Wall Street.

The Staples videos are featured under the “building businesses” category. Two other categories — “fixing businesses” and “growing business” — highlight other money-making Bain deals, including a revival of the gadget chain Brookstone and a venture investment in the mountain bike maker GT Bicycles. There is also a clip chronicling Mr. Romney’s rescue of Bain & Company, the management consulting firm where he started his career. Mr. Romney came back to the firm and led a turnaround. (Bain & Company spun off the private equity arm, Bain Capital, in 1984.)

But outside of Bain’s New York headquarters on Thursday, no one was focused on the private equity firm’s successes. Instead, all of the attention was on Bane, an imposing 10-foot-tall monster who lurched around the sun-kissed Manhattan sidewalks lambasting Bain’s business practices. Bane is the villain who faced off against Batman in this summer’s blockbuster movie “The Dark Knight Rises.” It will be “a long dark night you’ll be facing if Romney gets elected,” said Bane, according to a Bloomberg News report.

The protest was organized by United NY, a coalition of labor unions and community organizations that has staged a number of demonstrations against Bain. Accompanying Bane was a woman from the Bronx who was recently laid off from her job at Burlington Coat Factory, a Bain-owned company.

United NY protested outside of Bain Capital,  using the character of Bane, the villain who faced off against Batman in "The Dark Knight Rises."United NYUnited NY protested outside of Bain Capital,  using the character of Bane, the villain who faced off against Batman in “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Cara Noel, a United NY spokeswoman, said that it staged the protest because “we wanted to send a clear message that a Romney economy would not work for the middle class and for low-wage earners.”

Media outlets also continue to center on Mr. Romney’s Bain years. Matt Taibbi, a writer who has made headlines for his screeds against Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street players, has now taken aim at Bain. In a new Rolling Stone article, Mr. Taibbi calls Mr. Romney “the hard-charging, chameleonic champion of a disgraced-yet-defiant Wall Street.”



Source & Image : New York Times

Mississippi Dam Failure Feared After Tropical Storm Isaac








Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Isaac is threatening a dam in southern Mississippi, leading local officials to order an evacuation.


Mississippi emergency management officials notified the Tangipahoa Parish, La., government and Louisiana's Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOSHEP) of an "imminent failure" of the dam at Lake Tangipahoa in Mississippi's Percy Quin State Park. Such a failure could cause additional flooding along the already swollen Tangipahoa River. The park and dam are near the Louisiana border.


The Department of Environmental Quality, looking to relieve the pressure of the dam, may instead continue sandbagging the area or pump water over the dam into the agriculture surrounding areas.


About 19 to 20 families one mile on either side of the river have been ordered to evacuate, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said, adding that Mississippi authorities may execute a controlled breach of the dam.


Gordon Burgess, president of Tangipahoa Parish in Louisiana, ordered residents who live near the dam to evacuate by 1:30 p.m. ET.


McComb, Miss., Mayor Whitney Rawlings said that the dam was still holding, but there was a 50 percent chance the dam would fail. Mississippi officials said they didn't think the volume of water in the 700-acre lake would add enough flow to the river to cause major flooding, according to The Associated Press.


The town of Kentwood, Miss., was expected to be hit with flooding first. EMA Operations Manager Richard Cogland at Percy Quin Lake says they are lowering the lake level but that the dam is currently still holding.


The evacuation advisory from the Louisiana Emergency Management Agency ordered that "all low lying areas and along the Tangipahoa river" be evacuated due to the potential failure of the Percy Quin dam. A precautionary evacuation of the area south of Lake Tangipahoa in Pike County has been issued by the Pike County Emergency Management Agency.


Engineers from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and officials from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks are assessing the damage at the structure in Percy Quin State Park, according to Mississippi Emergency Operations Center.


As Isaac moves away from New Orleans, the storm is surrounding areas of Louisiana and spinning off tornadoes across Mississippi and Alabama.


The storm caused its first death in Pearl River County, Mississippi today when a male tow truck driver was killed on the job by a tree that fell around midnight, Pearl River Emergency Management Deputy Director Amanda Harris told ABC News. The man's name and age has not yet been released.


"[The county] is completely flooded. And it's only going to get worse." Harris said, adding that rivers and creeks along the county along the Louisiana border will not crest until midnight tonight through 4 a.m.


"The worst is yet to come," Harris said.


Pearl River County conducted four search and rescue operations and it is believe there are no more residents holding out in their homes, Harris said. The county is receiving assistance from FEMA, state agencies and neighboring counties.


A tropical storm warning is in effect for intra-coastal city Louisiana to the Mississippi-Alabama border, including Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas.


Lt. Vernon Smith of the Pascagoula, Mississippi police tells ABC News that a tornado touched down at approximately 8:20 a.m. just south of town that sits 28 miles from Biloxi.


"It landed right on top of a house, just sat on it," Smith said, adding that people were believed to be inside. "There are people injured."
Smith says the tornado is now off the ground and moving through the main part of town, having traveled about a mile since touchdown. Officials are mobilizing emergency crews, but the torrential rain has made roads impassable, with the 2 to 3 feet of water flooding the area too much for even their emergency vehicles to handle.


"We can't get through and we are scrambling," said Smith.


Surrounding areas of Louisiana are expected to see almost two feet of rain and more dangerous floods by the end of the week, while seven tornadoes have spun off from Isaac in Mississippi and Alabama so far.


A tornado that touched down in Gulfport, Miss., has caused the most damage, where significant destruction to homes has been reported. Carlos Redmond, a spokesman for Harrison County Emergency Management, said it's assessing the damage.


"We're looking for daylight. That's what we're looking for. We'll be able to tell a lot more at that time," Redmond told ABC News Thursday.


The U.S. National Hurricane Center said tornadoes are possible along the central Gulf Coast region and parts of the lower Mississippi Valley through Thursday.


The rising waters from rain and flooding have already left locals scrambling up to attics and onto roofs. The main parishes that pose the greatest concern sit around Lake Pontchartrain. With another 4 to 7 inches of rain expected, many officials have expressed worry about the rising waters.


Officials in LaPlace, La., about 25 miles northwest of New Orleans, in St. John the Baptist Parish, called the situation dire.


"I'm afraid the tide is really going to catch some of us off guard tonight," Parish President Layton Ricks told ABC News late Wednesday night.


3100 people have been evacuated in the town since 3 p.m. Wednesday, a National Guard officer told ABC News, while more than 1,000 are waiting for rescue in LaPlace as the city sees its worst flooding in 40 years.


Housing developments, such as the River Forest subdivision where dozens of families were rescued Wednesday, are under 5 feet of water. The Louisiana National Guard said it would be out in force Thursday across the St. John the Baptist Parish, assisting in rescue efforts.


"It's our own little Katrina," said Tania Trege, wife of St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Trege, describing the situation in Laplace.


Towns southwest of New Orleans have already received about 20 inches of rain, with another 4 to 7 inches possible. New Orleans International Airport has officially received 10 inches of rain so far.


Isaac is expected make a turn toward the north-northwest later today, followed by a turn toward the north on Friday.


A tropical storm warning was still in effect from Cameron, La., to the Mississippi-Alabama state border, according to the Hurricane Center.


An unofficial rainfall total of 22.5 inches was reported in Arabi, La., near the city's 9th Ward on Wednesday. An official report from Audubon Park in New Orleans listed 17 inches of rainfall.


Livingston Parish officials told ABC News that they felt the worst of Isaac at 10 p.m. Wednesday, and expect flooding in the low-lying parts of the parish. Rescue efforts were under way and officials said this will be the first overnight of many water rescues in the area.


Rescue operations are still under way in Plaquemines Parish, where more than 100 people in the parish have been rescued so far. A levee in Plaquemines Parish will be intentionally breached at some point Thursday to relieve pressure on it. That area has been under mandatory evacuation.




More than 725,000 homes and businesses throughout Louisiana were without power as of 2 a.m. Police reported few problems with looting.


In Mississippi, Highway 90 remains shut down, with much of area now submerged in water. 30,000 customers are without power in Gulfport, Miss., alone, where an apparent tornado spawned by the storm ripped a house from ground.


In Biloxi, powerful winds are ravaging the city as residents begin to worry about raw sewage and mold.


President Obama declared federal emergencies in Louisiana and Mississippi late Wednesday, according to a statement from the White House. The disaster declarations free up federal aid for affected areas.


Forecasters expected Isaac to move inland over the next several days, dumping rain on drought-stricken states across the nation's midsection before finally breaking up over the weekend. The storm was expected to weaken to a tropical depression Thursday, according to the Hurricane Center.


ABC News' Max Golembo and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Also Read


Source & Image : Yahoo

Sennheiser: Audio still booming despite Europe's age of austerity










STORY HIGHLIGHTS



  • Sennheiser is famed for designing bespoke audio equipment for the music industry

  • It is focused on quality -- and sells products including Swarovski crystal-encrusted headphones

  • Sennheiser's chief executive doesn't expect Greece to exit the euro -- but the company has a "war chest" to buffer the risk





(CNN) -- Europe might be in an age of austerity but demand remains for luxury products -- including Swarovski crystal-encrusted headphones.

Jorg Sennheiser, chief executive of family-run audio giant Sennheiser, told CNN consumers remain willing to pay a premium for such hi-tech finery, despite Europe's financial crisis.

"If our customers wants Swarovski crystals on it they can have it, they can have it on the microphones or headphones," he said.

The drive for "individualization of the product" is unbroken, Sennheiser added. "People are willing to pay extra to have a very special, unique product of their own."

Sennheiser, based in the district of Wedemark, Germany, is famed for designing bespoke audio equipment for the music industry, and caters for high-profile stars including British DJ Fatboy Slim and indie-rock band Florence + The Machine.

The buoyancy of luxury goods comes even as companies such as Sennheiser are forced to prepare for a worst-case outcome of the euro crisis.

Sennheiser said he doesn't expect Greece to exit the euro -- but despite that, the company has established a "war chest" to buffer against a possible break-up of the 17-country currency bloc.

While many luxury brands are eyeing emerging markets such as China, India, Brazil and Russia, Sennheiser says developed markets still offer opportunities for growth. "If money is scarce, people have a tendency to concentrate on high quality products... so we enjoy rather good business," he said.

Sennheiser will remain focused on quality over quantity, snubbing the temptation to churn out "cheap plastic junk" in attempt to drive mass markets, the chief executive said.

"If [consumers] want to buy a cheap product, after a certain period, a month or so, you have to throw it away, so you have to throw your money away," Sennheiser added.


Source & Image : CNN Business

How seeing the big picture could bring success, fulfillment







Going beyond day-to-day goals to see the big picture could make you a better leader, say experts.

Going beyond day-to-day goals to see the big picture could make you a better leader, say experts.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS



  • We should consider who we are and what we love, as well as our next career goal, experts say

  • Thinking about the big picture can lead to a greater sense of vocation and career fulfillment

  • Business schools offer 'dreaming' sessions to help executives discover their true path





(CNN) -- Performance targets are built into an annual review that tells you how well you are achieving at work. Salary is another way of keeping score. But some experts believe in order to find real career fulfillment, you need to look beyond short- and medium-term goals.

At INSEAD, an elite business school in France, ethics professor and decision scientist Marc Le Menestrel conducts four-hour 'Dreaming and Visioning' sessions with senior executives, as part of a four-week program intended to hone decision-making.

A rock climber, Le Menestrel draws on techniques from sports psychology and meditation to lead participants in conversations and guided visualizations that ultimately get to the core of the executive's vocation.

"I focus on identity," Le Menestrel explains. "Who are you? What is your work? Who is with you? What do you want to accomplish? Is the dream for your work really yours -- maybe it's your father's or society's?"


If I have a leader who knows who he is...I have some sort of anchor.
Dr Marc Le Menestrel, decision scientist


Next, Le Menestrel leads a discussion aimed at identifying decisions participants can take from their beliefs about how best to conduct their lives.

This seemingly simple exercise has far-reaching benefits for participants, according to Le Menestrel, who believes these benefits flow back to organizations, too.

Having a solid sense of identity and vocation helps leaders be more adaptive to change, more creative, and more trustworthy, Le Menestrel argues. In our rapidly changing business environment, rulebooks swiftly become redundant, and businesses must rely on their senior executives to be confident in their decisions.

Le Menestrel believes the more self-aware and empowered a leader is, the better equipped they are to match the complexity of the environment in which they operate.

"When the complexity of a situation is so great that compliance is not enough, the person, as an identity, as an individual, as a source of power and leadership, is really key," Le Menestrel says.

"If I have a leader who knows who he is, who knows what he wants, and where is the frontier between his private and professional life, I have some sort of anchor."

A sense of purpose also helps in adverse conditions, Le Menestrel says. "You have more distance, you have the big picture, and that helps you to relativize things, to realise what is important."

See also: Focus on your results, not your hours

Corinne Mills, a career coach at Personal Career Management agrees that it's important to avoid getting too absorbed by your next project or promotion.


People get overinvested in their job, and not their career.
Corinne Mills, career coach


"People get overinvested in their job, and not their career," she says. "People tend to be very conscious about doing a good job where they are now and don't put their head up and think 'where do I want this to lead to?' You absolutely need to be thinking 'what's life after this job?'

"It might be that you refocus the job you're currently doing, get work experience elsewhere, do an evening course, or start networking and see what else is out there."

Rather than waiting for a "tipping point" such as redundancy, a horrible boss or a health problem to force your hand, Mills suggests addressing some of Le Menestrel's questions by making an "I want" list.

"For some people, it might be that they want to be chief executive, or partner in a firm or be a professional earning a certain salary. For other people, it will be to make a difference in the world, or make society better in some way."

Secondly, Mills advises clients not to be shy about staking out their dreams during annual performance reviews. "That's your time to say "this is where I see my future heading."

But you also need to be stoic about the outcome. "You might ask for a promotion and your manager says it's never going to happen," Mills warns. "If you really want that, you're going to have to leave the organisation and that can be a really helpful conversation."

See also: Got a big decision to make? Sleep on it


We can tackle most goals without bringing ourselves into the picture in any deep sense.
Dr Tim Rayner, philosopher


Tim Rayner, a philosopher at the Centre for Sustainability Leadership, in Australia, and author of "Life Changing," agrees that we spend much of our lives consumed with short and medium-term goals that might not even bring us real fulfillment.

We can be thoroughly engaged in paying off a mortgage or gaining a promotion, Rayner says, but "achieving these goals doesn't require us to reflect much on our deep values and desires, or the sense of personal possibility that we develop in the course of engaging with challenges and exploring our own capacities."

"Quite simply, we can tackle most goals without bringing ourselves into the picture in any deep sense."

Rayner warns this might even be true of seeking out your life's purpose, if we treat that like another meaningless task.

"If we approach the visioning task in the same pragmatic frame of mind that we apply to everyday tasks, we can dream a life goal that doesn't do justice to our deep values and desires," he warns.

To get into a frame of mind where we can discover our vocational selves, Rayner says we must arrive at an "existential ground zero", where our current routines and contexts are obliterated -- rather than imagining yourself in 5 or 15 years' time, imagine yourself on your death bed, for example.

"If we don't break out of our comfort zones before imagining our destiny, we're always in danger of selling ourselves short, dreaming up something bland and banal that fails to kindle our passions," Rayner says.

For Le Menestrel, when attempting to engage your "inner voice" in conversation, what's important is "the quality of the intention," and an intellectual fearlessness.

"The most important decisions are based on questions that are very difficult," he says. "Of course! Just take the time to give yourself some space where you can ask these questions to yourself. We can all do that."


Source & Image : CNN Business

Apple versus Samsung: Jury foreman justifies $1bn verdict

Samsung Galaxy S and iPhone 4

The jury ruled that Apple be awarded $1.05m (£665m) after its South Korean rival infringed several of its software technologies and designs

Samsung's own claims of patent breaches were rejected.

The decisions have been picked over at length by both the media and public. Questions have been asked: Did the jury spend enough time considering the facts? Was a Californian jury inherently biased? And, based on the evidence, was the verdict wrong?

Velvin Hogan was the foreman in the jury. He is chief technology officer at Multicast Labs, which develops video technology for the web, and was familiar with the US patent system before the trial.

He spoke to the BBC to address concerns he had about some of the reports, and asked that it be known that he had not been paid for this or any other interview.

What follows is an edited version of the conversation. A full transcript is also available:

One of the most decisive pieces of evidence was reading the minutes for myself of a meeting that was held at a very high level between Google executives and Samsung executives.

It was for a tablet and Google was concerned that for the sake of their operating system that the look and feel and the methodology that they [Samsung] were using to create their tablet was getting too close to what Apple was doing.

And in the memo themselves - remember this was minutes - they stated that Google demanded that they back away from that design.

And later there was a follow-up memo among themselves, these executives, and in black and white it says: we elect to not pass this information down to the divisions that were actually involved in the design.

So, from the sake of the engineers they went merrily along continuing their design not given any orders to back away.

They knew nothing of that meeting. To me that kind of raised a light bulb in my head that when I got in the jury room I wanted to read the minutes of that meeting myself.

When we went into deliberation in the jury room we not only had all the physical evidence of everything that was presented, but we also had sealed source code in its entirety from both sides, we actually had the memos that were talked about in the trial... and there was a piece of evidence after a piece of evidence that just clearly stacked up.

I have tried to make it clear that it wasn't an attempt [to take] a punitive standpoint. And it wasn't necessarily focused at Samsung - that is where it had been taken out of context.

The jurors wanted to send a message to the industry at large that no matter who you are - whether you are Apple, whether you are Samsung, or anybody - if you wilfully take the risk to cross the line and start infringing and you get caught, and again I emphasise wilfully, you need to be prepared to pay the cost for that.

Prior art was considered.

But the stipulation under the law is for the prior art to be sufficient to negate or invalidate Apple's patents in this case, it had to be sufficiently similar or, more importantly, it had to be interchangeable.

And in example after example, when we put it to the test... the hardware was different, the software was an entirely different methodology, and the more modern software could not be loaded onto the older example and be run without error. And vice versa of that was also true.

So the point being, at [a bird's eye-view from] the 40,000 foot-level, even though the outcome of the two seemed similar, the internal methodology of how you got there was entirely different. One could not be exchanged for the other.

And that is the thing that most people at large do not understand about the legal system. And as a result of that you have heard a lot of hype in the media about did we turn our back on prior art.

What was key to us... is that [the technologies] had to be interchangeable.

And so consequently, when we looked at the source code - I was able to read source code - I showed the jurors that the two methods in software were not the same, nor could they be interchangeable because the hardware that was involved between the old processor and the new processor - you couldn't load the new software methodology in the old system and expect that it was going to work. And the converse of that was true.

I think so. But let's not say me specifically.

Let's say if there had not been an individual who had the technical background, and there had not been an individual who had gone through the process, the verdict might have been different - or it might have been the same.

I believe that the jury system in this country stands. The individuals would have ultimately come to a verdict. It might have been a lot longer.

But what definitely would have been required is passing more questions to the judge and having them come back. In our case we didn't have to.

Yes. I have no doubt that, number one, this case for this country is historical. It's a landmark case and, as people have said, we set the bar rather high. But as jurors we took the job seriously.

What needs to be understood by those outside that are watching this and listening to it, no matter whether we or anyone else feel personally that the patent procedure in this country or the patent system is broken or sick, we as jurors were sworn to abide by the rules and the stipulations in law as they exist today, at the time we made the decision.

I believe we definitely need to continue the discussion. What I applaud is the fact that there is a discussion going on. Not everybody agrees with me or agrees with the decision that we made.

But that's OK. Whether I believe it is sick or broken or needs to be fixed or not, the rules are today what they are.

But if the community of engineers at large believes that it needs to be changed or re-reviewed, this court, this trial, and this set of jurors - myself included - was not the genre for that. It was not the right place.

That wasn't our authority and it wasn't what we were supposed to do.

No.... Those two operating systems can stand side-by-side, even though there is some similarity. The way those two operating systems function are sufficiently different enough that there is no infringement.

Just to make it clear, the phone that I have is a Motorola Droid X2 and the reason I'm mentioning that is because it is in the record, it was told to the judge and told to the court when asked that question.

And it is of a slider variety so it has a normal keyboard, and for that reason it's not among the 26 accused phones. It uses icons, and they are more than sufficiently different than what the iPhone, what Apple uses.

At the 40,000 foot-level there are some what you would perceive to be similarities. When you look at how the code is running and what the outcome is you will find that when you compare even that phone against the current patents that Apple is using, there is no infringement.

My point is that the consumer at large does not have to lose functionality. But the methodology that is used by the company building that can get as close as they want to to that line of infringement, but just don't cross it.

Don't cross the infringement line, make some changes so that you're not going to cross it and then innovate like crazy.

And that's really the most important part. And I think Samsung has the capability, perhaps like no other on the globe, to be able to do it sufficiently fast enough that they are not going to lose any revenue.

Yes, this trial took place in San Jose in the heart of Silicon Valley and Apple is located just down the road west of where the trial was, and two of Samsung's divisions are here down the road north-east of where this decision was made.

Everybody knows Samsung, everybody in this valley knows Apple. There is absolutely no ground to say that Apple had a hometown advantage.

Certainly it did not influence any of us on the jury panel.



Source & Image : BBC

Clint Eastwood to speak at the Republican National Convention: reports




Clint Eastwood (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)


TAMPA—Academy Award-winning actor and director Clint Eastwood will speak at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, multiple news outlets are reporting.


Rumors about a "mystery speaker" swirled after convention organizers released a revised schedule earlier this week with a "To Be Announced" slot before a speech by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who will introduce Mitt Romney. Some speculated Sarah Palin or Rush Limbaugh would be the surprise guest, while others tabbed Tim Tebow, the devoutly Christian New York Jets quarterback. Former Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush were also floated as possibilities.


But according to CNN, Eastwood, who endorsed Romney at a fundraiser in Sun Valley, Idaho, earlier this month, "is expected to walk through the convention floor in the afternoon for a brief rundown of the night's events." The 82-year-old actor secretly flew to Tampa, Reuters said.


Eastwood, best known for his on-screen roles as "Dirty Harry," was once a Republican mayor of Carmel, Calif., his hometown.


In February, Eastwood appeared in a controversial Super Bowl ad for Chrysler touting Detroit's resurgence. "It's halftime in America," Eastwood declared. "And our second half's about to begin."


"They almost lost everything," the "Gran Torino" star continued. "But we all pulled together. Now Motor City is fighting again."


The ad drew the ire of some Republicans—including Karl Rove—who said the spot was a thinly veiled commercial for the Obama administration and the success of the auto bailout.


"I was, frankly, offended by it," Rove said on Fox News. "I'm a huge fan of Clint Eastwood, I thought it was an extremely well-done ad, but it is a sign of what happens when you have Chicago-style politics, and the president of the United States and his political minions are, in essence, using our tax dollars to buy corporate advertising."


But Eastwood dismissed the criticism, telling Fox News' Bill O'Reilly he was "certainly not politically affiliated with Mr. Obama."


"I think the country needs a boost," Eastwood said in Sun Valley. "Now more than ever do we need Gov. Romney. I'm going to be voting for him."




Source & Image : Yahoo

Roberts Leaves ‘Good Morning America’ for Medical Treatment

Robin Roberts, second from left, on ABC's "Good Morning America." Ms. Roberts signed off from the show on Thursday.Fred Lee/ABCRobin Roberts, second from left, on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Ms. Roberts signed off from the show on Thursday.

Starting Friday, ABC’s “Good Morning America” — which has surged ahead of the “Today” show in recent weeks to become the No. 1 morning television show in America — will be without its biggest star, Robin Roberts.

Ms. Roberts, who received a diagnosis of a rare bone marrow disorder in April, is about to undergo a bone marrow transplant that will leave her hospitalized or homebound for four months or more. The break presents clear challenges, not just for Ms. Roberts, who must regain her health, but also for ABC, which earns huge profits from the morning show. It will have to find a way to maintain its nascent winning streak without her.

Ms. Roberts signed off from the show on Thursday, a day earlier than expected, because she needed to visit her 88-year-old mother, who is ill, in Pass Christian, Miss. “I love you and I’ll see you soon,” she told viewers, many of whom have gravitated to “Good Morning America” because of her.

There are few if any precedents in the television industry for an extended leave of absence by a host, even on an ensemble show like “Good Morning America.” ABC thus finds itself in an extraordinarily difficult position: it has to keep viewers informed about Ms. Roberts’s condition and encourage them to keep watching the program while she is away, but not appear to be exploitative or insensitive.

News coverage and public sympathy for Ms. Roberts could help “Good Morning America,” or her absence could lead viewers to try other morning shows. Ms. Roberts has been on the program for a decade, longer than any of her co-hosts; research by both ABC and NBC has indicated that she is widely admired by viewers.

“We are determined to maintain the momentum of the program, but we’re also very realistic about the challenge we face,” Ben Sherwood, the president of ABC News, said in an interview on Thursday. Since Ms. Roberts’s announcement in June, he has emphasized internally at ABC News that the co-host chair will remain hers. “Robin is irreplaceable,” he said.

In February, back when “Good Morning America” was No. 2, Ms. Roberts felt abnormally tired while covering the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. She followed up with doctors and, after some blood tests, underwent her first bone marrow test before a vacation at the end of March. (Katie Couric filled in for her, causing a media whirlwind.) When Ms. Roberts came home, the week of April 9, the doctors told her they suspected she had M.D.S., short for myelodysplastic syndromes, a rare blood and bone marrow disorder. She could barely pronounce it.

Further tests were done. On April 19, the same day the Nielsen ratings company confirmed that “Good Morning America” had defeated the NBC “Today” show for the first week in 17 years, Ms. Roberts’s doctors confirmed the diagnosis.

A photo taken of Ms. Roberts and her co-hosts celebrating the ratings victory on April 19 now sits, framed, in her dressing room.

“I look at that picture so differently than everybody else,” she said in an interview last month. “Because that is the day that it was like, ‘Yeah, it’s M.D.S. Yes, you’re going to have a bone marrow transplant. Yes, you’re going to be out for a chunk of time. We don’t know when.’ It was all this — it was such a gray area. It was just maddening.”

Ms. Roberts kept the disorder a secret for weeks. Almost no one at ABC knew that she had been at the doctor’s office when she was invited to interview President Obama in May — an interview that made international headlines for his changed view of gay marriage. On June 11, she told viewers of the diagnosis and said her older sister Sally-Ann, a television anchor in New Orleans, would be her bone marrow donor.

Morning television hosts have let viewers in on their personal struggles before. After her husband died in 1998, Ms. Couric, then at “Today,” drew attention to colorectal cancer and was credited by researchers with a nationwide increase in colonoscopies. (Ms. Roberts has similarly campaigned on behalf of Be The Match, a national marrow donation program.)

But the circumstances now are unique. Ms. Roberts’s leave of absence is taking place in the age of social media, when she can post updates to Twitter and Facebook. And it’s taking place at a time when “Good Morning America” has, for the first time in a generation, tasted victory over “Today.”

Since NBC removed Ann Curry from the co-host chair on “Today” at the end of June, that show has lost to “Good Morning America” every week with two big exceptions during the highly rated Summer Olympics, which were broadcast by NBC. Last week, “Good Morning America” had half a million viewers more than “Today,” one of its best performances to date. The two shows were effectively tied in the crucial demographic of viewers ages 25 to 54, with “Today” winning by just 5,000 last week. Two weeks ago, with Ms. Roberts on vacation, “Good Morning America” beat “Today” by about 200,000 viewers.

Neither Mr. Sherwood nor Tom Cibrowski, the senior executive producer of “Good Morning America,” would predict how the ratings race might change in the months to come. But Mr. Cibrowski said, “We feel that the show has a great amount of confidence and a great amount of buzz around it and that the viewers are going to keep coming.”

They have a detailed plan for fall and winter. Other female ABC News anchors will fill in for Ms. Roberts, one week at a time, beginning with Amy Robach on Friday and Elizabeth Vargas next week. Mr. Cibrowski said Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters and Ms. Couric would also fill in.

Many days, they will be joined by celebrity co-hosts in the 8 a.m. hour, including Oprah Winfrey and the cast of the ABC sitcom “Modern Family.” When Ms. Roberts is ready — though they know there is a risk of death from M.D.S., people at ABC never say “if” — she will call into the show via Skype, Mr. Cibrowski said, in a nod to new technology.

Ms. Roberts is scheduled to enter the hospital on Tuesday; the transplant is likely to take place the week after.

Inside the “Good Morning America” studio on Thursday, some members of the staff teared up as the singer Martina McBride played “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” for Ms. Roberts, who remained remarkably composed. After the show ended, Ms. Roberts stood up and said to the staff, “God bless, God speed, and I’ll get back to you just as soon as I can,” emphasizing the word “soon.” Then she sought out Mr. Sherwood, who hugged her and wiped away a tear.



Source & Image : New York Times