Cuba to turn over Florida couple and children

HAVANA (AP) ? Cuba said Tuesday that it will turn over to the United States a Florida couple who allegedly kidnapped their own children from the mother's parents and fled by boat to Havana, ending days of drama that recalled the Elian Gonzalez custody battle of more than a decade ago.

Foreign Ministry official Johana Tablada told The Associated Press in a written statement Tuesday that Cuba had informed U.S. authorities of the country's decision to turn over Joshua Michael Hakken, his wife Sharyn, and their two young boys.

She did not say when the handover would occur, but reporters saw Sharyn Hakken leaving the dock of Havana's Hemingway Marina in the back seat of a Cuban government vehicle and workers later said that all four Hakkens had been taken away.

An AP reporter spotted the family earlier Tuesday beside their boat at the marina. A man who resembled photographs of Joshua Michael Hakken yelled out "Stop! Stay back!" as the reporter approached, but there was no outward sign of tension or distress between the family members.

Tablada said the Foreign Ministry had informed U.S. diplomats on the island "of the Cuban government's willingness to turn over ... U.S. citizens Joshua Michael Hakken, his wife Sharyn Patricia and their two minor sons."

She said Cuba tipped the State Department off to the Hakkens' presence on Sunday and that from that moment "diplomatic contact has been exchanged and a professional and constant communication has been maintained."

U.S. authorities say Hakken kidnapped his sons, 4-year-old Cole and 2-year-old Chase, from his mother-in-law's house north of Tampa. The boys' maternal grandparents had been granted permanent custody of the boys last week.

The U.S. and Cuba share no extradition agreement and the island nation is also not a signatory of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, an international treaty for governmental cooperation on such cases.

Cuba has harbored U.S. fugitives in the past, though most of those cases date back to the 1960s and 70s, when the island became a refuge for members of the Black Panthers and other militant groups. More recently, dozens of Cuban Medicare fraud fugitives in the U.S. have tried to escape prosecution by returning to the island.

But Cuba has also cooperated with U.S. authorities in returning several criminal fugitives in recent years.

Hakken lost custody of his sons last year after a drug possession arrest in Louisiana and later tried to take the children from a foster home at gunpoint, authorities said. A warrant has been issued for his arrest on two counts of kidnapping; interference with child custody; child neglect; false imprisonment and other charges.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Hakken entered his mother-in-law's Florida house last Wednesday, tied her up and fled with his sons. Federal, state and local authorities searched by air and sea for a boat Hakken had recently bought. The truck Hakken, his wife and the boys had been traveling in was found Thursday, abandoned in Madeira Beach, Florida.

"He'll have to face in Hillsborough county the charges he has with the sheriff's office," spokeswoman Cristal Bermudez Nunez Nunez said. She said she did not know how the family would be returned or what will happen when they arrive on U.S. soil.

Terri Durdaller, a spokeswoman at the Florida Department of Children and Families, said it was not clear where the children will ultimately be placed.

"Louisiana is the ultimate decision maker on where these children will reside. It's likely they will be placed back in Florida with the grandmother," she said.

The Hakkens' flight to Cuba recalls the child custody case that set Cold War foes Washington and Havana feuding in 1999. That year, 5-year-old Elian Gonzalez was found clinging to an inner tube off Florida after his mother and others drowned while fleeing Cuba toward American soil. The boy was taken to Miami to live with relatives, but his father in Cuba demanded the boy be sent back.

U.S. courts ultimately ruled Gonzalez should be sent back, though his Miami relatives refused to return him. In April 2000, U.S. federal agents raided the family's home and he was returned to Cuba soon after. He has since grown into a young man and joined a military academy.

At the Havana marina on Tuesday, the family showed no sign they knew a decision about their fate had been made. The four strolled by an outdoor restaurant as security officials kept reporters at a distance.

The youngest child was seated in a stroller and the elder boy sat down on a curb. A woman who resembled Sharyn Hakken was seen on the boat.

Cuban officials told reporters not to take pictures of the family or the boat, which bore the name Salty and had a paw print on its side.

Andrew Zych, a Canadian docked in a sailboat steps away from the Hakkens, said the family had arrived recently and seemed normal.

"I liked the way they played with the kids," he said, adding he was surprised to learn of events in the U.S.

_____

Associated Press writers Christine Armario, Curt Anderson and Kelli Kennedy in Miami; Kevin McGill in New Orleans; and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

_____

Paul Haven on Twitter: www.twitter.com/paulhaven

Follow Peter Orsi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cuba-turn-over-florida-couple-children-205730128.html

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NBC renews Carson Daly's show for 13th season

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? NBC is keeping Carson Daly's show in its late-night lineup.

The network announced Wednesday that it's renewing "Last Call with Carson Daly" for the show's 13th season.

NBC lauded Daly for creating what the network called "a unique late-night format." His program airs at 1:35 a.m. Eastern time.

Daly says he's proud of "Last Call" and grateful to continue with it. He also hosts the NBC singing contest "The Voice."

NBC previously announced plans to shake up the "Tonight Show," replacing Jay Leno with Jimmy Fallon next year. The network hasn't said who will take Fallon's place as host of "Late Night."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nbc-renews-carson-dalys-show-13th-season-224618390.html

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The Afters - Every Good Thing (Lyric Video) - Christian Music ...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/music/the-afters-every-good-thing-lyric-video.html

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Report: Virgin America best US airline in 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Virgin America did the best job for its customers among leading U.S. airlines last year, a report said Monday, as carriers overall had their second best performance in the more than the two decades since researchers began measuring quality of service.

The report ranked the 14 largest U.S. airlines based on on-time arrivals, mishandled bags, consumer complaints and passengers who bought tickets but were turned away because flights were over booked.

Airline performance in 2012 was the second highest in the 23 years that Wichita State University in Kansas and Purdue University in Indiana have tracked the performance of airlines. The airline's best year was 2011.

Besides being the overall leader, Virgin America, headquartered in Burlingame, Calif., also did the best job on baggage handling and had the second-lowest rate of passengers denied seats due to overbookings. United Airlines, whose consumer complaint rate nearly doubled last year, had the worst performance. United has merged with Continental Airlines, but has had rough spots in integrating the operations of the two carriers.

This is the first year Virgin America, created in 2007, has been large enough to be included in the rankings. United carries roughly 18 times more passengers than Virgin America, and has 702 planes, compared to 52 for the smaller carrier.

The number of complaints consumers filed with the Department of Transportation overall surged by one-fifth last year to 11,445 complaints, up from 9,414 in 2011.

"Over the 20-some year history we've looked at it, this is still the best time of airline performance we've ever seen," said Dean Headley, a business professor at Wichita State University in Kansas, who has co-written the annual report. The best year was 2011, which was only slightly better than last year, he said.

Despite those improvements, it's not surprising that passengers are getting grumpier, Headley said. Carriers keep shrinking the size of seats in order to stuff more people into planes. Empty middle seats that might provide a little more room have vanished. And more people who have bought tickets are being turned away because flights are overbooked.

"The way airlines have taken 130-seat airplanes and expanded them to 150 seats to squeeze out more revenue, I think, is finally catching up with them," he said. "People are saying, 'Look, I don't fit here. Do something about this.' At some point airlines can't keep shrinking seats to put more people into the same tube," he said.

The industry is even looking at ways to make today's smaller-than-a-broom closet toilets more compact in the hope of squeezing a few more seats onto planes.

"I can't imagine the uproar that making toilets smaller might generate," Headley said, especially given that passengers increasingly weigh more than they use to. Nevertheless, "will it keep them from flying? I doubt it would."

The rate of complaints per 100,000 passengers also rose to 1.43 last year from 1.19 in 2011.

United's 2012 ranking doesn't reflect its experience over the past six months, in which the airline has made significant improvements in performance, company spokesman Rahsaan Johnson said

"Customer satisfaction is up, complaints are down dramatically and we are improving our customers' experience," he said in an email.

In recent years, some airlines have shifted to larger planes that can carry more people, but that hasn't been enough to make up for an overall reduction in flights.

The rate at which passengers with tickets were denied seats because planes were full rose to 0.97 denials per 10,000 passengers last year, compared with 0.78 in 2011.

It used to be in cases of overbookings that airlines usually could find a passenger who would volunteer to give up a seat in exchange for cash, a free ticket or some other compensation with the expectation of catching another flight later that day or the next morning. Not anymore.

"Since flights are so full, there are no seats on those next flights. So people say, 'No, not for $500, not for $1,000,' " said airline industry analyst Robert W. Mann Jr.

Regional carrier SkyWest had the highest involuntary denied-boardings rate last year, 2.32 per 10,000 passengers.

But not every airline overbooks flights in an effort to keep seats full. JetBlue and Virgin America were the industry leaders in avoiding denied boardings, with rates of 0.01 and 0.07, respectively.

United Airlines' consumer complaint rate was 4.24 complaints per 100,000 passengers. Southwest had the lowest rate, at 0.25. Southwest was among five airlines that lowered complaint rates last year compared to 2011. The others were American Eagle, Delta, JetBlue and US Airways.

Consumer complaints were significantly higher in the peak summer travel months of June, July and August when planes are especially crowded.

"As airplanes get fuller, complaints get higher because people just don't like to be sardines," Mann said.

The complaints are regarded as indicators of a larger problem because many passengers may not realize they can file complaints with the Transportation Department, which regulates airlines.

At the same time that complaints were increasing, airlines were doing a better job of getting passengers to their destinations on time.

The industry average for on-time arrival rates was 81.8 percent of flights, compared with 80 percent in 2011. Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time performance record, 93.4 percent in 2012. ExpressJet and American Airlines had the worst records with only 76.9 percent of their planes arriving on time last year.

The industry's on-time performance has improved in recent years, partly due to airlines' decision to cut back on the number of flights.

"We've shown over the 20 years of doing this that whenever the system isn't taxed as much ? fewer flights, fewer people, less bags ? it performs better. It's when it reaches a critical mass that it starts to fracture," Headley said.

Passengers appear to be checking fewer bags since the industry's shift in 2008 to charging for fees for extra bags, and carrying more bags onto planes when permitted, industry analysts said.

The industry's mishandled bag rate peaked in 2007 at 7.01 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers, and has since been declining. It was 3.07 in 2012, down from 3.35 bags the previous year.

The report's ratings are based on statistics kept by the department for airlines that carry at least 1 percent of the passengers who flew domestically last year.

___

AP Airlines Writer Joshua Freed contributed to this report from Minneapolis.

___

Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-08-Airline%20Quality/id-cca165f05d2a4dbc9a38f41225ee7502

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Giant John Paul II statute readied for unveiling

CZESTOCHOWA, Poland (AP) ? Workers were putting the finishing touches Tuesday on what its backer says is the world's tallest statue of the late Pope John Paul II.

The 13.8-meter (45.3-foot) white fiberglass figure will tower over the southern Polish city of Czestochowa, home to the predominantly Catholic country's most important pilgrimage site, the Jasna Gora monastery.

Funded by a private investor and put up on private grounds, the Polish-born pontiff appears smiling and stretching his arms to the world. On Tuesday, workers were joining the pieces together and painting them before the official unveiling of the statue Saturday.

Leszek Lyson, who is funding the project, called the pope "a great and good man who has done a lot for the world: ended communism and opened borders in Europe, reached to people in his pilgrimages around the world. His statue "should make everyone stop and think about life."

Its construction comes as the traditionally respected church comes under criticism for its conservative views and as church attendance shrinks.

Born Karol Wojtyla in Wadowice, southern Poland, John Paul was elected in 1978, a surprise choice from communist eastern Europe. In Poland he is credited with inspiring the Solidarity movement that helped end communism in 1989. His death in 2005 was a time of national mourning.

Lyson said that the unveiling ceremony will mark three years since he saved his son from drowning and is a sign of thanks.

He is also trying to get the statue into Guinness Book of Records as the world's tallest of John Paul.

Poland already boasts that it has the world's tallest statue of Jesus, unveiled in 2010 in the western town of Swiebodzin.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/giant-john-paul-ii-statute-readied-unveiling-124018723.html

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Christopher Guest's New HBO Series FAMILY TREE Gets A Trailer ...

That's right, a Christopher Guest series on HBO!

Christopher Guest has a new series on HBO starring Chris O'Dowd as a man exploring his family heritage. Family Tree also stars Guest regulars Ed Begley Jr., Michael McKean, Fred Willard, Don Lake and Bob Balaban, and it's co-written by Jim Piddock, who also stars.

I'm just very excited about enjoying some weekly Christopher Guest whimsy on my TV. Guest hasn't directed a television series since Morton & Hayes in 1991, and I think 22 years is quite long enough. Chris O'Dowd is a newbie to the Guest universe, but something seems perfect about that pairing, like it's meant to be.

Family Tree hits HBO May 12.

Source: http://badassdigest.com/2013/04/08/christopher-guests-new-hbo-series-family-tree-gets-a-trailer

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Google Play redesign confirmed in leaked image

By Larry Fine AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 8 (Reuters) - Guan Tianlang answered questions about his readiness to play the Masters at the record-setting age of 14 when he gave two-times champion Ben Crenshaw a putting lesson at the 18th hole at Augusta National on Monday. The 61-year-old Crenshaw, whose career was built on his ability as a putter, mentored the precocious Chinese during their practice round, advising the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion about the notoriously fast, sloping greens of Augusta. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/google-play-redesign-confirmed-leaked-image-211758103.html

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Thatcher biography due out after funeral

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher stands in a British tank during a visit to British forces in Fallingbostel, some 120km (70 miles) south of Hamburg, Germany. on Sept. 17, 1986. Thatchers former spokesman, Tim Bell, said that the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had died Monday morning, April 8, 2013, of a stroke. She was 87.(AP Photo/Jockel Fink)

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher stands in a British tank during a visit to British forces in Fallingbostel, some 120km (70 miles) south of Hamburg, Germany. on Sept. 17, 1986. Thatchers former spokesman, Tim Bell, said that the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had died Monday morning, April 8, 2013, of a stroke. She was 87.(AP Photo/Jockel Fink)

LONDON (AP) ? The first volume of Margaret Thatcher's authorized biography will be published immediately after her funeral.

Allen Lane, which is part of Penguin Books, said Monday that "Not for Turning" by Charles Moore was commissioned in 1997 on the understanding that it would not be published during the former British prime minister's lifetime.

Thatcher died from a stroke Monday morning at age 87. Her funeral is expected to be held at some point next week.

Moore was given full access to Thatcher's private papers and interviewed her extensively. The publisher said that Thatcher also supported requests for interviews with others, including those who worked most closely with her and her family.

Permission was also granted to former and existing civil servants to speak freely about the Thatcher years.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-08-Britain-Thatcher%20Biography/id-7f833bfd419d492ab26d9003d08d9698

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Al-Qaeda Leader Releases New Message Urging Muslims in ?Arab Spring? Nations to Form a Caliphate

Ayman al Zawahiri

This photo provided by IntelCenter, an American private terrorist threat analysis company, purports to show Al-Qaida's new leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a still image from a web posting by al-Qaida's media arm, as-Sahab, Wednesday July 27, 2011. (Photo: AP)

CAIRO (TheBlaze/AP) -- Al-Qaeda's leader has urged Muslims in "Arab Spring" nations to unite and institute an Islamic state, or caliphate, while warning France that its intervention in Mali will be bogged down.

"I warn France that it will meet in Mali, with God's permission, the same fate America met in Iraq and Afghanistan," Ayman Al-Zawahri said in the 103-minute audio message.

In the recording, al-Zawahri urged Muslims to liberate their lands from oppressive regimes and foreign troops, apply Islamic law, halt the plundering of Muslim wealth, support rebellious Muslims and oppressed people worldwide, and establish the Islamic Caliphate, or religious state.

The audio was produced by al-Qaeda's media arm, As-Sahab, and was posted on militant websites late Saturday.

"The enemy has begun to reel and collapse," he said, encouraging his followers.

Egyptian Islamists

An Egyptian protester shouts slogans during a demonstration organized by Egyptian Islamists against the French intervention in Mali on January 18, 2013 in Cairo. The brother of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri joined the protests. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

The al-Qaeda leader also praised the rebels, or "holy warriors," in Syria, urging them to step up their fight against the regime of President Bashar Assad. But he also warned them against letting the country fall under the influence of the United States, the Arab League, the United Nations and Israel should they gain control of it.

"(They) want to steal your sacrifices and your jihad to give them to their supporters in Washington, Moscow and Tel Aviv."

Al-Zawahri also lashed out against Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Iran for their support of Assad, saying that "the true faces of Iran and Hezbollah have been exposed, and their ugly reality has appeared in the field of holy war in Syria." He called The Syrian government a "criminal secular" regime.

Bin Laden and Zawahiri

In this television image from Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera, Osama bin Laden, right, listens to his top deputy Ayman al-Zawahri speaking at an undisclosed location. (Photo: AP)

Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian and former top deputy of Osama bin Laden, further criticized the ruling Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt for its weak response to the country's poverty, saying "the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Have the Islamic movements provided better education, health or transportation?"

He also attacked the country's new constitution, drawn up by the Brotherhood and other Islamic movements, for not being religious enough.

But recent reports indicate Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and al-Zawahiri may be working together on a plan to bring the terrorist back to his native country.? Al-Zawahiri traces his roots back to the Brotherhood, and his return would undoubtedly alter the goals and tactics of some of its members.

The al-Qaeda leader has not released a similar message since November.

-

Related:

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaeda-leader-releases-message-urging-muslims-arab-202214348.html

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Apple issues apology following attacks in China

BEIJING (AP) ? Apple has issued an apology to Chinese consumers after government media attacked its repair policies for two weeks in a campaign that reeked of economic nationalism.

A statement posted in Chinese to Apple's website on Monday said the complaints had prompted "deep reflection" and persuaded the company of the need to revamp its repair policies, boost communication with Chinese consumers and strengthen oversight of authorized resellers.

State broadcaster CCTV and the ruling party's flagship newspaper People's Daily had led the charge and portrayed Apple as just the latest Western firm to exploit the Chinese consumer.

The attacks started backfiring almost as soon as they began and were mocked by the increasingly sophisticated Chinese consumers who revere Apple and its products. Nonetheless, Apple responded with an apology from CEO Tim Cook.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-01-China-Attacking%20Apple/id-caa5b769469c41bb83e3c62a7309d2e4

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Italy president denies to resign, will stay to deal with crisis

By Giselda Vagnoni

ROME (Reuters) - Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Saturday ruled out standing down to make way for new parliamentary elections after the failure of attempts to form a government this week, saying he would stay in place until the very end of his mandate in May.

Earlier, all of Italy's main newspapers said Napolitano, whose term ends on May 15, was considering stepping down to get around constitutional provisions which prevent a president dissolving parliament and calling elections in the final months of his mandate.

But the 87-year-old head of state told reporters he would continue his efforts to break the deadlock since elections last month that left no single group with enough power to govern.

"I will continue until the last day of my mandate to do as my sense of national responsibility suggests, without hiding from the country the difficulties that I am still facing," he told reporters at his Quirinale palace.

He said he would ask two small groups of experts to formulate proposals for institutional and economic reforms that could be supported by all political parties.

Napolitano met leaders of the main parties on Friday to try to find a way out of the stalemate, which has raised fears of prolonged uncertainty in the euro zone's third-largest economy.

However with all of the three main groups in parliament clinging to entrenched positions that have prevented a majority being formed in parliament, hopes of a solution that would avoid a new snap election have faded.

Center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani, whose party controls the lower house but does not have a majority in the Senate, failed to win enough support to form a government from any of the other parties during a week of talks.

He rejected demands by center-right leader Silvio Berlusconi for a cross-party coalition deal that would give the scandal-plagued former prime minister a share in power and the right to decide Napolitano's successor.

Both Berlusconi's group and the populist 5-Star Movement led by ex-comic Beppe Grillo have also ruled out supporting a new technocrat government like the one led by outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti, blocking what appears to be the only other option.

(Writing by James Mackenzie; editing by Barry Moody)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italy-president-could-resign-allow-election-source-083108238--business.html

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District attorney, wife found dead in Texas county where assistant DA was shot, police say

Mike McLelland, the Kaufman County District Attorney, and his wife Cynthia were found shot to death inside their home Saturday. The brutal double-murder comes nearly two months after his assistant was killed on his way to work. NBC's Mark Schnyder reports.

By Frank Heinz, NBCDFW.com

Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia were found shot to death inside their Forney home Saturday, nearly two months to the day after his top assistant was gunned down on his way to work earlier this year.

Kaufman County Sheriff's Department investigators confirmed the deaths to NBC 5 Saturday evening, but had little else to say in the early stages of the investigation.

See original report at NBCDFW.com

One source close to the probe said the top prosecutor and his wife were found by a concerned relative or close friend who had gone to the house about 4 p.m. after being unable to reach them.

---

Other sources told NBC 5 that the McLelland's front door may have been kicked in and that gunshots had been fired, though police have not independently confirmed that information.

There was no immediate confirmed link between Saturday's murders and the Jan. 31 slaying of Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse, but it would be hard to not speculate on possible connections.? With that in mind, officials contacted all Kaufman County officials to ensure their safety Saturday. One former Kaufman County prosecutor was "in hiding" Saturday evening and said others were as well.

While police officers are frequently the target of violence while trying to apprehend criminals, attacks on prosecutors are extremely rare though not unheard of.? McLelland said as much in January when speaking about his slain friend when he said Hasse was aware of the dangers associated with being a prosecutor.

Kaufman County

Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland

At the time, he described Hasse as a really, really good man that was an excellent friend and a spectacular prosecutor who wouldn't be easily replaced. He also vowed to catch Hasse's killers saying, "I hope that the people that did this are watching. Because we're very confident that we're going to?find you, pull you out of whatever hole you're in, bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

FBI agents and Texas Rangers, who were still investigating the unsolved slaying of Hasse, are now leading the investigation into Saturday's murders, according to a federal law enforcement source.

McLelland and his wife, Cynthia Woodward McLelland, have five children including two daughters and three sons.? One of the sons is a Dallas police officer.

Investigators are expected to hold a news conference Sunday morning. ?More information is expected to be released at that time.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda and Scott Gordon contributed to this report.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2a2bff9a/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C30A0C175342190Edistrict0Eattorney0Ewife0Efound0Edead0Ein0Etexas0Ecounty0Ewhere0Eassistant0Eda0Ewas0Eshot0Epolice0Esay0Dlite/story01.htm

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World Backup Day: Now?s the Time to Fortify Your Digital Existence

If you haven't backed up your digital data yet, now is as a good a time as any to start. World Backup Day is on March 31 and it's only right to observe the pseudo-holiday by backing up your computer. ...

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/03/how-to-backup-your-data/

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AP PHOTOS: Images of Good Friday around the world

Pope Francis holds up a copy of the book of the gospel during a Chrism Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, March 28, 2013. The Chrism Mass marks the start of the Easter celebrations. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis holds up a copy of the book of the gospel during a Chrism Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, March 28, 2013. The Chrism Mass marks the start of the Easter celebrations. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Penitents of the Jesus Yacente brotherhood take part in a Holy Week procession in Zamora, northern Spain, Thursday, March 28, 2013. Hundreds of processions take place throughout Spain during the Easter Holy Week. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

Worshippers step in Santa Maria da Caridade convent while taking part in "Fogareus," or Flames, procession during the Holy Week in Sardoal, center Portugal, Thursday, March 28, 2013. According to the local residents, the procession have been happening for more than 200 years. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Parishoners of St Clara church carry a cross through central Stockholm, Sweden, during a procession for Good Friday March 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Scanpix Sweden,Anders Wiklund)

A penitent of "Santisimo Cristo de las Injurias" brotherhood takes part in a Holy Week procession in Zamora, northern Spain, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Hundreds of processions take place throughout Spain during the Easter Holy Week. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

Indonesian Christians carry a bamboo cross during a Good Friday procession to reenact Jesus' path to crucifixion. At the Vatican, Pope Francis lies down in prayer during the Passion of Christ Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica. Hundreds of Christians stream through the cobblestone alleyways of Jerusalem's Old City toward the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, traditionally believed by many to be the site of the crucifixion.

Here are some images of Good Friday around the world.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-29-BC-Good-Friday-Photo-gallery/id-4cef17b051934d9c985912206a92390c

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Sand From Fracking Could Pose Lung Disease Risk To Workers

A worker stands on top of a storage bin on July 27, 2011, at a drilling operation in Claysville, Pa. The dust is from powder mixed with water for hydraulic fracturing.

Keith Srakocic/AP

A worker stands on top of a storage bin on July 27, 2011, at a drilling operation in Claysville, Pa. The dust is from powder mixed with water for hydraulic fracturing.

Keith Srakocic/AP

When workplace safety expert Eric Esswein got a chance to see fracking in action not too long ago, what he noticed was all the dust.

It was coming off big machines used to haul around huge loads of sand. The sand is a critical part of the hydraulic fracturing method of oil and gas extraction. After workers drill down into rock, they create fractures in that rock by pumping in a mixture of water, chemicals and sand. The sand keeps the cracks propped open so that oil and gas are released.

But sand is basically silica ? and breathing in silica is one of the oldest known workplace dangers. Inside the lungs, exposure to the tiny particles has been shown to sometimes lead to serious diseases like silicosis and cancer.

Traditionally, silica exposure has been associated with jobs like mining, manufacturing and construction. But, as Esswein, a researcher with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and other safety experts have started to realize, some workers in the newly burgeoning fracking industry may be at risk, too, because of their exposure to silica dust.

"When sand was handled ? that is, when it was transported by machines on site, or whenever these machines that move sand were refilled ? dust, visible dust was created," Esswein says.

Dust blows off a pile of fracking sand at a mine near Chippewa Falls, Wis., on Dec. 15, 2011. Some of the air samples the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health experts collected at fracking sites had such high levels of silica that the respirators typically worn by workers wouldn't offer enough protection, according to NIOSH standards.

Steve Karnowski/AP

Dust blows off a pile of fracking sand at a mine near Chippewa Falls, Wis., on Dec. 15, 2011. Some of the air samples the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health experts collected at fracking sites had such high levels of silica that the respirators typically worn by workers wouldn't offer enough protection, according to NIOSH standards.

Steve Karnowski/AP

He was visiting fracking sites because he wanted to study the potential chemical hazards for oil and gas workers, and he initially figured he and his colleagues would probably assess workers' exposures to chemicals like drilling fluids. But when he saw the plumes of dust coming off the sand-handling machines and surrounding workers, he realized it could be a real hazard. The government has long set limits on how much workers can inhale.

"Knowing what I know about silica and respirable dust, that was the particular chemical that we chose to look at," Esswein says.

He and his colleagues visited 11 fracking sites in five states: Arkansas, Colorado, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Texas. At every site, the researchers found high levels of silica in the air. It turned out that 79 percent of the collected samples exceeded the recommended exposure limit set by Esswein's agency.

There were some controls in place, says Esswein, who notes that "at every site that we went to, workers wore respirators."

But about one-third of the air samples they collected had such high levels of silica, the type of respirators typically worn wouldn't offer enough protection.

These unexpected findings have come just as federal safety officials are trying to set stricter controls on silica for all industries. Some proposed new rules have been under review at the White House Office of Management and Budget for more than two years.

Peg Seminario, director of safety and health with the AFL-CIO, a group of unions that has been pushing for stronger silica regulation, says the situation with fracking is a wake-up call.

"Hopefully it will give some impetus for the need for the silica regulation ? that there is a whole other population at risk and those numbers are potentially growing," says Seminario.

A local contractor closes the valve on his tanker truck on July 27, 2011, after watering the roads to help keep down dust at a hydraulic fracturing operation in Claysville, Pa.

Keith Srakocic/AP

A local contractor closes the valve on his tanker truck on July 27, 2011, after watering the roads to help keep down dust at a hydraulic fracturing operation in Claysville, Pa.

Keith Srakocic/AP

Workplace inspectors with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration wouldn't have been aware of this potential risk for fracking workers before this recent study because, unless they receive a complaint or there's an accident, they generally don't see the process of hydraulic fracturing. That part of setting up a well happens quickly ? and once a well is up and running, contractors move on to the next one.

Government officials and the fracking industry say they're now working together to reduce workers' exposures. They started with quick fixes, like putting up warning signs and simply closing hatches on sand-moving machines.

Some oil and gas companies are also testing new technologies. Tim Hicks, a safety expert with Encana Corp., says they've been trying vacuum systems that attach to sand-moving machines and suck up the dust.

The results so far are encouraging, Hicks says, but his company is still testing to see how much of a reduction in airborne silica is reasonably achievable.

"We'd like to envision a site that, you know, we could handle sand and sequester it all, and perhaps someday not need to use respirators," says Hicks.

He says he's not sure whether that goal is possible, or how long it would take to get to that point. "But I can say that at the rate we're going," Hicks says, "we're much more likely to hit that [target] than we were prior to this issue being recognized."

Hicks says he has only been working in this part of the oil and gas business for a few years and couldn't speculate as to why the industry didn't recognize this potential health risk earlier. People, he says, seemed to think the dust was basically just dirt.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/03/29/175042708/Sand-From-Fracking-Operations-Poses-Silicosis-Risk?ft=1&f=1007

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Sample itinerary for a family yurt camp holiday in the Dordogne | the ...

If you?re planning a family holiday at the ?covall?e yurt camp in the Dordogne, this sample itinerary should give you a few ideas. (Pause for SEO applause.) It?s what we would do if we were here for one week in peak season, with two children aged over five, and a car.

Obviously one itinerary doesn?t fit every family (it would be hard pushed to fit even one), but you have to start somewhere ? and I?d start with?

The Welcome Picnic enjoyed by everyone booking one week or more

Saturday

Arrive late afternoon, get shown to your beautiful yurt, leave the kids to run around exploring, rifling through the Play Yurt, bouncing on the trampoline and meeting other children as they arrive. Unpack the car and enjoy the Welcome Picnic, relieved you won?t need to find the nearest supermarket straight away. Watch the bats diving around in front of the outdoor kitchen after dusk, then gaze at the stars, spotting satellites ? or was that the space station?

Sunday

Have a cup of that organic coffee, then pop into Lalinde to pick up croissants, pain au chocolat, baguettes or whatever else takes your fancy (?covall?e tip: at the boulangerie on the square they do a ?poche? with a selection of the previous day?s croissants etc. ? it?s cheaper and still pretty fresh ? on top of the short counter in clear plastic bags).

Issigeac is heaving on market day and eerily deserted the rest of the week

Drive to Issigeac, about 25 mins away, for the Sunday market. Walk slowly around this medieval town that feels like you?re walking through a Shakespearean film set. Buy supplies for a couple of days, then head back to ?covall?e. Make lunch and spend a few hours relaxing in a hammock. Then go to Lanquais for a swim in the lake. Resolve to return at least once during the week. Pick up some croissants for breakfast on the way home, grab a cold drink from the fridge-freezer behind Reception, then barbecue while trying to be the first to see a bat, then a shooting star.

Monday

A typical demonstration (actually taken at Cadouin)

Drive West, following the Dordogne river, aiming for the spectacular gardens at Marqueyssac, about 40 minutes away. Buy a twin ticket that lets you into Castelnaud later, then be blown away by the awesome brain-like hedges. Amble round the large plateau, stopping in the play areas and being grateful that the whole two-hour (buggy friendly) walk is shaded by trees. Stand on the viewing platform hundreds of feet above the river and stare at La Roque-Gageac, a beautiful village built into the cliffs. After lunch with a view, drive to nearby Castelnaud and the museum of medieval warfare. There?s armour, weaponry, actors in period costume fighting, actual-size siege-engine demonstrations and a whole lot more, though steep circular staircases make it hostile to buggies. After an ice cream in the village, grab some supplies on the way back to ?covall?e, arriving before the bats come out.

Tuesday

From the swimming lake you can see the roofs of chateau at Lanquais ? designed by the same architect as the Louvre

A lazy day, today, starting with a morning at Lanquais swimming lake. It?s only ten minutes in the car, and a sandy beach overlooked by a beautiful chateau, with a snack bar, life guard and blue sky is not to be missed (many a guest has spent half their holiday here ? and it?s easy to see why). After lunch in the square at Lalinde, head back to ?covall?e for an afternoon of nature trails, hammock dozing, chicken watching, trampoline bouncing, reading ? reading! a book! ? solar shower taking and whatever else springs to mind. Order takeaway pizza, because you?re on holiday and it?s beginning to feel like it.

Wednesday

Another adventurous day starts with a trip to the cave at Proumeyssac. It?s only 30 mins away, above-averagely spectacular, with a good-sized woodland play next to the car park. It?s also very close to the aqua park near Le Bugue. Here, there?s a swimming pool, slide, play area and bouncy thing for everyone, and plenty of space to lie around on the grass. The lake, with its huge inflatables (which aren?t that easy to haul yourself up on) is a must-do. There is a real danger of face ache though, and you realise that you need to spend more of your life grinning from ear to ear.

Thursday

We cut paths through the meadows to leave wild flowers and insects waiting to be discovered

With the end of the week looming, it?s another day trip, heading for Sarlat but unable to resist stopping at Beynac on the way. This jaw-dropping castle overlooking the river was home to Richard I for 10 years. Its massive walls are built on top of sheer cliffs by people who must have redefined bravery. After lunch in Sarlat and a wander round old town, it?s an afternoon in one of the nearby tree parks. First timers will want to go round the easiest run to get used to the equipment, before getting as scared as they dare on the higher runs. Afterwards, looking at the tree park across the road, it?s tempting to wonder if those runs would have been even more fun ? but could that be possible? Will you ever know? Although a planned return trip to Marqueyssac for the candlelit, music-filled Thursday evening sounds great, it?s been a long day and?the barbecue?s waiting back in ?covall?e.

Friday

The bridges at Limeuil ? yet another beautiful place to unwind

Wake up hoping the stiffness from the tree park will be cured by a morning canoeing down the river. Head to Le Buisson, about 15 mins away, hire a canoe and be driven upriver in a minibus to Siorac, then paddle back to the starting point and spend some time relaxing on the river (pebble) beach, occasionally getting dragged into its roped off swimming area. Then drive to nearby Limeuil and have a drink overlooking the river where the Dordogne and Vezere meet. Walk up through the village to the panoramic gardens at the top, then take a different route back down and discover a shop where a glassblower fashions amazing objects. It?s hot work, which reminds you to start planning what and where you?re going to eat.

Saturday

It?s time to move on, pack the car, and plan a return to ?covall?e so you can do all the things there weren?t time to do this week. Like: have lunch in Bergerac old town, spend an afternoon in Domme, visit the Maison Forte at Reignac, and Roc St Christophe, and the village of Monpazier and Cadouin, then there?s the caves, chateaux, markets, more canoeing, restaurants?

The Maison Forte at Reignac has a torture chamber that will chill you to the bone

We?ve lived here six years in August and we?ve seen and experienced only a tiny fraction of what this area has to offer. We?ve done everything on this itinerary at least once and will do it all again (at least once). On our list for this year are a canoe trip down the Vezere from Les Eyzies, that other tree park near Sarlat, and some caves with drawings instead of rock formations. But that?s us. What about you?

PS Previous guests, if you?re reading this, please use the comment section to say what?s on your must-see-must-do list for in and around ?covall?e.

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Source: http://thedevolutionary.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/sample-itinerary-for-a-family-yurt-camp-holiday-in-the-dordogne/

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African Mango Plus Review - Any Side Effects?

Obesity has surfaced as one of the very serious health problem the world has ever suffered from, with the contemporary lifestyle. It is one of the biggest threats, which has spread all over the world irrespective of city, country or continent thanks to globalization and modernization. Technological advancements and automation has played its vital role in reducing our physical activities routinely and has led us to a sedentary lifestyle. But?well?well?! Where there are problems, solutions exist too!! From qualified medical doctors to ancient Ayurveda to homeopath to naturopath to clinical researchers to pharmaceutical companies to dietitians to nutritionists to fitness experts?all of them are in a quest for finding a perfect remedy for this aggravating health issue.

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The Answer is here ? African Mango Plus

African Mango, also known as Irvingia gabonensis, grows in the tropical rain forests in West Africa. The fruit is also known as ?bush mango? or ?wild mango.? The seeds of this wonder fruit are harvested for medicinal functions. For centuries, this extract has been used by the regional population for curing diarrhea to yellow fever. The seed has been studied in clinical trials. A study done at the College of Yaounde in Cameroon, Africa identified that some overweight participants who took Pure African Mango Extract Diet Pills twice daily for just 4 weeks (28 days) consistently, had considerable weight loss of about 12.3 lbs and almost 2 inches of waistline fat reduction straight away! Wow!!

This super herb is considered to be one natural source of weight management and cholesterol management. Because of higher levels of C-reactive proteins (CRP) in their bodies, obese people often have built up a resistance to the production of a hormone called leptin, which helps to control our appetite. Experts believe that the nutrients available in African Mango Extract suppresses appetite and delays the emptying of stomach, which allows for the absorption of dietary sugars, that way regulates blood sugar levels after eating. Adiponectin is a hormone the body utilizes to increase a cell?s sensitivity to insulin. The African mango is believed to increase the body?s ability to produce adiponectin and that way helps to improve fat and glucose metabolism so that the body can use the fat for energy, resulting in weight loss. It is also proved that this all-natural, stimulant-free substance flushes toxins from the body and cleanses the system thoroughly without any side effects.

What more! This hottest herbal supplement is in the news around the world, which has attracted most popular news channels like CNN, USA TODAY, NBC, FOX NEWS, People, abc NEWS and Dr. OZ?s show. So, no doubt, it?s a breakthrough supplement and a miracle medicine that burns fat, boosts metabolism, reshapes and refreshes the body.

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Certainly, if you can incorporate a healthier diet, cut out on junk food and additionally follow some simple exercise regimen such as regular brisk walk or jogging for half-an-hour at least 3 times a week, you can achieve the best results.

Needless to say, it is always important to purchase the high-quality product from authentic and genuine sources only. So, surf some sites, be an informed buyer, give it a try and get the astounding results. Thumps Up to a SLIM YOU!!

Source: http://www.90four.com/african-mango-review/

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Consult A Doctor If You Have These | Healthcare, Fitness, Nutrition ...

Mar 28, 2013

Over 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired. According to statistics, about 80% of cases could be prevented or treated. Therefore, regular eye exams are so important ? they can be very useful in detecting possible progressive eye diseases such as glaucoma (a condition frequently found having very few symptoms in its early stages). In other cases, people may experience symptoms such as vision changes or eye pain which require immediate medical attention.

Here are some events that may indicate the presence of an ocular disease and the need of going the doctor as soon as possible.

- Flashing lights, floaters or gray shadows in the visual field. The sudden onset of these symptoms could be a sign of retinal detachment ? the nervous layer behind the eye that sends images to the brain. Myopia, glaucoma and ocular lesions are the most common causes of detachment of the retina. If not treated quickly (usually through surgery), retinal detachment can cause blindness.

- Sudden vision quality alteration ? It is partial or complete (especially when involving only one eye). Sudden loss of vision can indicate a number of eye diseases and conditions. One of these is macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of vision loss in people over age 65. In case of macular degeneration, the vision loss occurs gradually, but sometimes can occur suddenly ? if fluid from the blood vessels in the eye reaches the retina. Another cause of sudden loss of vision is glaucoma, which affects the optic nerve.

- Eye pain ? Most eye diseases are painless. However, some conditions or injuries can cause eye pain. Pain may be caused by glaucoma, dry eye or corneal scratching.

- Eye Injury ? Any ocular lesion, regardless of its nature or degree must be evaluated by a doctor, especially if there is redness and pain that persists for 15-20 minutes.

- Persistent ocular discomfort ? Any eye discomfort should not be overlooked, either after a certain activity during which a small particle of material entered the eye, or discomfort that occurs for no apparent reason. Go to the eye doctor to make sure you do not have any foreign objects in the eye, which may cause eye infection.

- Red Eye ? You should be concerned when only one of the two eyes becomes red. Redness of both eyes can mean the presence of diseases such as conjunctivitis, which is a minor eye infection, easily treated. Instead, redness of one eye may signal deep inflammation such as scleritis or uveitis. Scleritis is inflammation of the protective outer layer of the eye and uveitis is inflammation and swelling of the middle layer of the eyeball.

- Blurred vision ? blurred vision may be a sign of several eye problems, including glaucoma, uveitis, retinal tear or macular degeneration. Loss of vision in one eye may be an early symptom of a stroke.

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Source: http://healthdefine.com/medical-advice/symptoms-requiring-an-ophthalmological-consult

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Heat's winning streak ends at 27 in Chicago

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, left, and forward LeBron James, watch Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer shoot a free throw after James fouled him during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The Bulls won 101-97, ending the Heat's 27-game winning streak. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, left, and forward LeBron James, watch Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer shoot a free throw after James fouled him during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The Bulls won 101-97, ending the Heat's 27-game winning streak. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James, center, and guard Mario Chalmers, right, listen to guard Ray Allen during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The Bulls won 101-97, ending the Heat's 27-game winning streak. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James wipes his face during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler, left, celebrates with forward Carlos Boozer after scoring a basket, as Nate Robinson, center, watches during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The Bulls won 101-97, ending the Heat's 27-game winning streak. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James pauses during the second half of the Heat's 101-97 loss to the Chicago Bulls in an NBA basketball game in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The loss ended the Heat's 27-game winning streak. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

CHICAGO (AP) ? The streak is over. The big prize is still out there.

That's what mattered most to LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

The Heat's bid for NBA history ended Wednesday night when their 27-game winning streak was snapped by the Chicago Bulls 101-97, setting off a raucous celebration inside United Center. Miami finished six shy of the 33-game record held by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.

With 11 games remaining, there's no time for Miami to take another shot at the record. A big run in the postseason would seem to be a sure bet.

After all, that's what it's about for the Heat. It's been that way ever since James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami in the summer of 2010.

They delivered last season, capturing a championship, and are eyeing a repeat.

The record? It would have been a bonus.

What stood out about the streak?

"I just think the way we compete," James said. "How we are on and off the floor. ... Ultimately, we want to win the NBA championship."

The streak that began on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3, came to an end despite his best efforts.

James tried to spur yet another comeback in the final minutes, getting mad after a rough foul. But the reigning MVP could never get the defending champions even, much less ahead, down the stretch.

Luol Deng scored 28 points, Carlos Boozer added 21 points and 17 rebounds, and the Bulls brought the Heat's run to a screeching halt.

Miami's superstar did all he could to keep it going, scoring 32 points and even collecting a flagrant foul during a physical final few minutes.

"We haven't had a chance to really have a moment to know what we just did," James said. "We had a moment, just very fortunate, very humbling and blessed to be part of this team and be part of a streak like that."

The Heat hadn't lost since the Pacers beat them in Indianapolis on Feb. 1. But after grinding out some close wins lately, including a rally from 27 down in Cleveland, no one counted them out until the final buzzer.

For the better part of two months, they were the NBA's comeback kings. They erased seven double-digit deficits during the streak. They found themselves trailing in the fourth quarter 11 times, and won them all.

Not Wednesday.

"We understand, probably more so later on in our careers, the significance of that. And then that was it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We took that moment to acknowledge it, to acknowledge each other, that experience, but it was never about the streak. We have a bigger goal, but also right now, it's about 'Are we getting better?'"

They walked off the floor stoically, not exchanging handshakes or pleasantries with the Bulls. James slapped high-fives with a couple teammates and coaches, then glared at a fan who touched his head as he walked toward the tunnel leading to the visitors' locker room.

James was frustrated on the court at times, and showed more of the same in the locker room afterward with regard to how he's officiated.

He cited two instances from Wednesday ? a play in which Kirk Hinrich took him down with two hands in the first quarter, and Taj Gibson appearing to hit him around his neck with about 4 minutes remaining ? where he thought the contact was excessive. Referees reviewed the Gibson hit, but did not award a flagrant foul. So, seconds later, James tried to barrel through Carlos Boozer on a screen, and got called for a Flagrant 1 himself.

"Those are not basketball plays and it's been happening all year," James said. "I've been able to keep my cool and try to tell Spo, 'Let's not worry about it too much,' but it is getting to me a little bit."

The Bulls, meanwhile, whooped and slapped hands with anyone they could reach after clinching a playoff berth.

"It's a five-second moment of reflection before we move on to the rest of the season," Wade said. "In here, it didn't feel like we were on this amazing streak."

What a run it was, though.

It will go down as the second-longest winning streak in the history of American major pro sports. And some of those Lakers believed their time would pass as Miami's streak rolled along, with Jerry West among those saying that he believed the reigning champions had a real shot at pulling it off.

The streak began in Toronto, a day when Heat players were mildly annoyed about having to miss the NFL title game. When San Francisco and Baltimore were to be playing, the Heat were to be flying home for a game the following night.

So team officials team changed course, as a surprise.

Miami beat the Raptors that afternoon, then stayed in the city several more hours to watch the Super Bowl together, an event highlighted by Shane Battier giving an unplanned speech about appreciating little moments as a team.

For whatever reason, the Heat were unbeatable for nearly the next two months.

And they won games in a number of different ways.

They blew out good teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Bulls, then inexplicably struggled with lottery-bound Cleveland, Detroit, Sacramento, Charlotte and Orlando. They rallied from 13 points down in the final 8 minutes to beat Boston, from a 27-point, third-quarter hole at Cleveland, and from 11-point deficits against Detroit and Charlotte ? all those coming in a seven-day span, no less.

"There are several teams that can do it," Pistons guard Jose Calderon said, when asked what it would take for someone to beat Miami. "It's difficult to maintain this concentration every day. It will likely take everyone to have a bad day."

Even when those bad days happened, the Heat found ways to win.

A layup by James with 3.2 seconds left against Orlando. Double-overtime against Sacramento. Huge comebacks. Whatever it took.

There were times when even the Heat themselves didn't know how long the streak was. Because it was interrupted by the All-Star break, Spoelstra was surprised when a staff member said something about Miami having won nine in a row. When it was at 24 games, Wade made a reference to "23, 24, whatever it is."

They insisted they did not care about it, whatever the number was.

Heat President Pat Riley played for the Lakers team that won 33 in a row, and remained silent throughout Miami's streak, mainly because he rarely gives interviews these days but more so because the official team stance was that it simply did not matter. This season is championship-or-bust for Miami, where nothing else other than raising yet another Larry O'Brien Trophy will satisfy.

Still, the streak will go down as the story of the regular season.

"It was more important to everybody else than it was to us," Chris Bosh said. "We never cared too much about talking about it. It wasn't a subject of conversation until (others mentioned it)."

When it started, Miami was 5? games behind San Antonio for the overall NBA lead, only a half-game ahead of New York in the Eastern Conference race, held just a four-game edge over Atlanta in the Southeast Division and were the league's ninth-best road team in terms of winning percentage.

Funny what two months or so without losing can do.

The Heat now sit atop the overall NBA standings, having gained 12 games over New York in the East entering Wednesday, put away the Hawks for good several weeks ago and become, by far, the league's best road team. And with the streak over, all that's left is getting ready for the postseason.

"When you look at what they've done, to be the defending world champions and to have a winning streak like that knowing that everyone's chasing you, credit them," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I think you can learn from them."

The Heat trailed by as many as 13 in the first half, took the lead while outscoring Chicago 22-14 in the third quarter and were within two early in the fourth after a basket by Wade.

That's when Deng answered with a 3-pointer from the wing and Kirk Hinrich brought the crowd to its feet with a floater. Then, after a layup by James, Deng nailed a 3 to make it 83-75 with just over six minutes left.

It got testy after that. James did all he could to keep the streak going, taking enough hard hits that even his headband was dislodged, and finished with seven rebounds.

Bosh scored 21. Wade added 18 points after a sore right knee sidelined him for victories over Charlotte and Orlando, but the Heat fell to a team that continues to give them fits even though Derrick Rose has been sidelined all year.

Deng came up big, burying four 3-pointers. He also had seven rebounds and five assists.

Boozer was a force inside. Jimmy Butler provided a spark with 17 points and the Bulls stopped Miami even though they were missing Joakim Noah (right foot), Marco Belinelli (abdominal strain) and Richard Hamilton (lower back).

"It says we have a good team," Gibson said. "It's all about what we think in the locker room. A lot of people kind of write us off every other day, but we just stick to our principles and do what we have to do."

For the Heat, luck simply ran out after recent wins in which they rallied after trailing Boston by 17, Cleveland by 27, and Detroit and Charlotte by 11 each. They were also tied with Orlando late in the third quarter before pulling away, and when Battier nailed a 3 with 4:30 left in the third, it looked like they just might pull this one out, too.

They were leading 59-58 after that shot, and they were up by two before Boozer converted a three-point play off a neat bounce pass from Gibson in the closing seconds to send Chicago into the fourth quarter with a 69-68 lead.

But they came up short down the stretch, fans chanting "End of streak! End of streak!" in the closing minute.

"We were much more competitive in the second half. It became make or miss in the fourth quarter, and we couldn't get the necessary stops we needed to," Spoelstra said. "In the last handful of games, those shots were going down and maybe that masked a few things going down the stretch."

There was a rumor that Rose would make his long-awaited return from a knee injury after rapper Waka Flocka Flame posted on Twitter, "Word is D.Rose back." The two are fans of each other, but the superstar point guard squashed it at the morning shootaround, with two words ? "Not tonight."

Rose actually sounded more like someone who will sit out the entire season, saying his recovery is "in God's hands." He hasn't played since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in last year's playoff opener against Philadelphia, sending the top-seeded Bulls to a first-round exit, and his comeback has become an ongoing soap opera.

The Bulls were the biggest threat to Miami in the Eastern Conference the past two years, but without their superstar, they're just part of the pack.

Even so, no one has given the Heat more trouble since James and Bosh united with Wade in 2010. They had split 14 games leading up to this one, with Chicago winning at Miami in early January and the Heat returning the favor at the United Center last month.

"All in all, it's been a great one," Bosh said. "We still have a lot of work to do. The streak wasn't important to us. What's important to us is winning the title. That's what we work on. That's what we're here for."

NOTES: Miami had won 13 straight on the road and fell one shy of the club record. ... Thibodeau said Noah was improving but wasn't ready to return. ... Tom Boerwinkle, the former Bulls center who had a franchise-record 37 rebounds in a 1970 game against the Phoenix Suns, died Tuesday. He was 67. Boerwinkle played 10 seasons with the Bulls from 1968-69 to 1977-78 and also worked as an analyst on the team's radio broadcasts from 1991-94.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-28-Heat-Streak%20Ends/id-cd2a5f556a4448b39d50340b47e184f3

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