Inherited risk factors for childhood leukemia are more common in Hispanic patients, study finds

ScienceDaily (Jan. 30, 2012) ? Hispanic children are more likely than those from other racial and ethnic backgrounds to be diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and are more likely to die of their disease. Work led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists has pinpointed genetic factors behind the grim statistics.

Researchers studying a gene called ARID5B linked eight common variants of the gene to an increased risk of not only developing pediatric ALL but of having the cancer return after treatment. Two more ARID5B variants were tied to higher odds of developing the disease. Investigators found that Hispanic children were up to twice as likely as their white counterparts to inherit a high risk-version of ARID5B.

"For years we have known about ethnic and racial disparities in ALL risk and outcome, but the biology behind it has been elusive. Therefore, it is truly exciting to be able to not only pin down the biological basis but to find that the same gene might be responsible for both differences. Children who inherit high-risk versions of ARID5B are more likely to develop ALL in the first place and then more likely to fail therapy," said Jun Yang, Ph.D., an assistant member of the St. Jude Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the paper's corresponding author.

The work was done in collaboration with the Children's Oncology Group (COG), a U.S. based research cooperative study group focused on childhood cancer research and clinical trials. The study appears in the January 30 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Multiple factors contribute to cancer development, and inheriting a high-risk version of ARID5B is not enough to cause the disease, Yang said. These findings set the stage for exciting research in understanding how genetic, environmental and other factors combine in ALL, especially in the context of racial and ethnic disparity, he said.

"These and other genomic studies suggest we are poised to finally make significant progress in eliminating racial disparities in this catastrophic disease," Yang said. Additional work is needed to translate these findings into new clinical tools, he added.

Each year ALL is found in about 3,000 U.S. children, making it the most common childhood cancer. The incidence varies by self-declared race and ethnicity with rates for Hispanic individuals 50 percent higher than for non-Hispanic white individuals. For this study, researchers used genetic variations rather than individual self-report to define ancestry. White children were defined as having greater than 95 percent European ancestry and Hispanics children as having greater than 10 percent Native American ancestry.

Although the work of St. Jude researchers and others is helping to close the survival gap, Hispanic children are still less likely than children from other racial or ethnic backgrounds to be alive five years after diagnosis.

This study builds on the earlier St. Jude research that linked different versions of the ARID5B gene to ALL risk.

St. Jude and COG investigators partnered to see if variations in the ARID5B gene help to explain differences in either the incidence or the outcome of ALL in white and Hispanic patients. ARID5B belongs to a family of genes called transcription factors. They play a role in the normal development of white blood cells, which are targeted in ALL. Evidence suggests the gene also influences how methotrexate, a key anti-leukemia drug, is metabolized.

To find ARID5B variants related to ALL, the study compared the gene in 330 Hispanic children with ALL and 541 Hispanic individuals without ALL. Researchers also checked ARID5B in 978 white ALL patients and 1,046 white individuals without the cancer.

Although the high-risk versions of ARID5B were found in both white and Hispanic patients, those variants were 1.5 to two times more common in Hispanic children than in white children.

Individuals inherit two copies of every gene, one from each parent. Children with one high-risk version of ARID5B were up to 80 percent more likely to develop ALL than others. Inheriting two copies of a high-risk version of the gene translated into a 3.6-fold increased ALL risk.

Researchers also found evidence linking ARID5B variants to relapse risk in 1,605 pediatric ALL patients enrolled in COG studies. Yang and his colleagues previously linked that level of Native American ancestry to a higher relapse risk in Hispanic ALL patients. Patients in this study who inherited a high-risk version of ARID5B were 50 percent more likely to relapse than other patients. They were also more likely to die of their cancer.

The study's first author is Heng Xu of St. Jude. Other authors are Cheng Cheng, Deqing Pei, Yiping Fan, Wenjian Yang, Geoff Neale, William E. Evans, Ching-Hon Pui, and Mary Relling, all of St. Jude; Meenakshi Devidas, University of Florida, Gainesville; Paul Scheet, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Esteban Gonzalez Burchard, Dara Torgerson, Celeste Eng and Mignon Loh, all of University of California, San Francisco; Michael Dean, National Cancer Institute; Federico Antillon, Unidad Nacional de Oncologia Pediatrica, Guatemala; Naomi Winick, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Paul Martin, Duke University; Cheryl Willman, University of New Mexico; Bruce Camitta, Medical College of Wisconsin; Gregory Reaman, George Washington University, Children's National Medical Center; William Carroll, New York University; and Stephen Hunger, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado.

Yang was supported by the American Society of Hematology Scholar Award and the Alex Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer Young Investigator Award. The work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, the Jeffrey Pride Foundation, CureSearch and ALSAC.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Heng Xu, Cheng Cheng, Meenakshi Devidas, Deqing Pei, Yiping Fan, Wenjian Yang, Geoff Neale, Paul Scheet, Esteban G. Burchard, Dara G. Torgerson, Celeste Eng, Michael Dean, Frederico Antillon, Naomi J. Winick, Paul L. Martin, Cheryl L. Willman, Bruce M. Camitta, Gregory H. Reaman, William L. Carroll, Mignon Loh, William E. Evans, Ching-Hon Pui, Stephen P. Hunger, Mary V. Relling, and Jun J. Yang. RID5B Genetic Polymorphisms Contribute to Racial Disparities in the Incidence and Treatment Outcome of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2012; DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2011.38.0345

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130172619.htm

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Japan Cabinet OKs bill to cap nuke reactor life (AP)

TOKYO ? Japan's Cabinet approved bills Tuesday aimed at bolstering nuclear safety regulations following last year's Fukushima disaster, including one that would put a 40-year cap on the operational life of nuclear reactors.

The approval came as a team of International Atomic Energy Agency experts generally endorsed "stress test" results at two idled reactors at a plant in western Japan, bolstering the Tokyo government's efforts to restart the facility, though the IAEA team said some safety measures there needed clarification.

Japan currently has no legal limit on the operational lifespan of its 54 reactors, many of which will reach the 40-year mark in coming years. One of three reactors at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Dai-ichi plant has been operating for 41 years.

The legislation, which still needs parliamentary approval to take effect, does allow for an extension of up to 20 years in some cases ? an exception that critics have blasted as a loophole. Officials have said extensions will be rare and require strict safety standards.

The Cabinet also approved a bill to create a new nuclear regulatory agency under the Environment Ministry that would unify the various nuclear safety and regulatory bodies.

Critics say the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency's current placement under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ? which also promotes nuclear energy ? has contributed to lax supervision of the industry.

After the March 11 earthquake and tsunami triggered the Fukushima accident, Japan reversed its nuclear energy policy and now aims to reduce its dependency on atomic power. Officials say capping the lives of reactors at 40 years is consistent with that policy.

Still, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has said Japan must rely on nuclear energy during a transitional phase, and idled reactors deemed safe after inspections need to be restarted.

Since the meltdowns at Fukushima, Japan has ordered reactors across the country to undergo "stress tests" before they can be restarted. But passing the new tests may not lead to a quick startup because of deep safety concerns in local communities hosting the reactors.

With only three of the country's 54 reactors now online, officials are desperately trying to avoid a power crunch. One of the three operating reactors will go offline for regular checks next month, and Japan will have no operating reactors by the end of April.

Last week, a 10-member IAEA delegation inspected the Ohi No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at a nuclear plant in Fukui prefecture ? a rural area where 13 reactors are clustered around a bay. The reactors have undergone stress tests, which are supposed to assess whether they can withstand earthquakes, tsunamis, loss of power or other emergencies, and to suggest changes to improve safety.

The IAEA team was invited by Tokyo to visit the plant in a step seen as an attempt to drum up support for the government's safety campaign.

In a preliminary assessment Tuesday, the team said that Japanese nuclear safety officials' instructions to their operator, Kansai Electric Power Co., and the review process for the tests were "generally consistent" with IAEA safety standards.

However, the team said authorities should clarify the stress tests' goals and better define what consitutes the safety margins within which plants would be able to tolerate disasters. It also said the nuclear safety agency, or NISA, still needs to confirm certain improvements to safety before allowing the facility to resume operation.

Mission leader James Lyons said that the team was "satisfied with the work they had done as part of their primary assessment" but that there was room for improvement.

NISA chief Hiroyuki Fukano welcomed the IAEA review, saying authorities were "encouraged" that stress tests were deemed valid.

Critics, however, say the tests are meaningless because they have no clear criteria, and view the IAEA as biased toward the nuclear industry.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_nuclear

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The man who would defeat Hugo Ch?vez

A young state governor,?Henrique Capriles Radonski is the leading candidate to go up against Venezuela's President Hugo?Ch?vez in elections.

After 12 years orchestrating his Bolivarian Revolution, Venezuelan President Hugo Ch?vez is preparing to run for a fourth, six-year term in power. But a traditionally disjointed opposition has finally begun to work together to battle for his defeat in this year?s Presidential election.

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To say Mr. Ch?vez?s tenure has been eventful would be an understatement. He survived a coup attempt which deposed him for 48 hours, an oil strike that virtually stopped all production for more than two months, and ? he fancifully claimed ? Washington?s attempts to kill him last year by poisoning him with cancer. He also won a victory in overturning term limits, which means he is able to maintain power until defeated at the polls.?

Ch?vez is a formidable foe for the country?s political opposition. His approach to the Venezuelan economy is steeped in oil. He uses profits from the $110 per barrel resource to fund popular social programs, winning deserved favor with the poor. He also owes much of his success to his indelible public relations skills, which resonate with his core support among the poor, and in the early years of his presidency, appealed to the nation?s middle class.?

Are you up on Latin American news? Take our quiz.

Living with 30 percent inflation, regular power outages, and one of the highest murder rates in the world, however, the middle class has since tired of Ch?vez.?A tough fight lies ahead. The candidate who will take on Ch?vez in Venezeula?s October Presidential election will be chosen in primaries held on Feb. 12.

Young state governor Henrique Capriles Radonski is likely to take that mantle. He's less known outside the country than his former rival,?Leopoldo L?pez, who has spoken out against Ch?vez on the world stage. Mr. L?pez?was set to be the opposition?s frontrunner until the government disqualified him from holding office under a law that many critics say was simply created to stifle those with a chance at challenging the president. Despite that, L?pez was still high in the polls until a couple of weeks ago (Jan. 24) when he stepped out of the race, redirecting his considerable momentum to Mr. Capriles? campaign. With the?support of L?pez, Capriles is expected to win the February primary.

Unlike L?pez and other opposition candidates who are seen as wealthy outsiders by the country?s poor, Capriles has been courting the barrios of Venezuela rather than the boardrooms of the United States, appealing to Ch?vez?s core support.

?He?s the only one who can penetrate the poor,? says Carlos Romero, a political analyst at the Central University of Venezuela.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/FlvX1KEfaJc/The-man-who-would-defeat-Hugo-Chavez

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Wendy's reports lower adjusted profit, revenue up

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) ? Wendy's Co. says its adjusted earnings fell 29.5 percent in the fourth quarter, while its revenue rose 5.6 percent.

The hamburger chain said Monday its income from continuing operations was $4.3 million in the period ended Jan. 1. That was down from $6.1 million a year ago.

The adjusted number stripped out one-time charges like costs related to selling sandwich chain Arby's. The company didn't report what net income would be if those charges were factored in.

Earnings were 4 cents per share, in line with the predictions of analysts polled by FactSet. After adjusting for the one-time charges, earnings were 1 cent per share.

Wendy's says revenue rose to $615 million, beating the $613 million predicted by analysts polled by FactSet.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-30-Earns-Wendy's/id-96ac332c09444f1ca703c303ad97a0aa

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OSF Finance Request4Funds Forms Nov-Dec2011 (LINKS ...

Below you will find the LINKS to ALL the Request4Funds(R4Fs) Forms OSF Finance has in their possession.

I digitized the actual paper forms that have been submitted and created PDFs (4 of them)to comply with the upload file size limit WordPress stipulates. From these forms & through dialogue during our Finance meetings, a list of CommonlyApprovedRequests (CARs) is being compiled. That list should be ready for publication sometime next week.

Thanks for your patience.
OSF Finance

R4Fs #6-28
R4Fs #29-62
R4Fs #63-103
R4fs #103a-112

Source: http://occupysf.org/2012/01/28/osf-finance-request4funds-forms-nov-dec2011-links/

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Open Thread (Balloon Juice)

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Fitch downgrades 5 eurozone nations

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) ? Fitch Ratings downgraded the debt of Italy, Spain and three other countries that use the euro on Friday, a setback as European leaders work on several fronts to contain the continent's government-debt crisis.

The lower government-debt ratings for Italy, Spain, Belgium, Cyprus and Slovenia could make it more expensive for these countries to borrow.

Fitch said its decision was based on the deteriorating economic outlook in Europe, a concern that Europe's bailout fund is not large enough and a belief that European leaders are not acting quickly or boldly enough to prevent the debt crisis from worsening.

The downgrade came after European financial markets had closed. The major stock indexes of Germany, France and Britain fell slightly on Friday, while the euro rose 0.83 percent to $1.3189.

Government debt ratings matter because they play a significant role in determining countries' borrowing costs. The higher the costs the greater the likelihood of default for a heavily indebted country.

Ireland, Greece and Portugal have been cut off from bond market borrowing because of investors' fears that they might default. They have had to take bailout loans from other eurozone governments and the International Monetary Fund.

Lower debt ratings do not guarantee higher borrowing costs, however.

Borrowing costs for many European countries have fallen in recent weeks despite Standard and Poor's decision on Jan. 13 to lower its ratings for nine countries that use the euro. This reflects growing investor confidence in those countries' economic policies and the impact of the European Central Bank's decision to loan hundreds of billions of euros to banks at very low rates. Some of that money has been used to buy government bonds, which are paying higher interest rates and enabling banks to earn a tidy profit.

Fitch lowered its ratings for the five countries by one notch and placed a negative outlook on all of them ? meaning there is more than a 50 percent chance of a further downgrade over the next two years.

Italy was lowered to a rating of A-, while Spain was downgraded to A. The rating of a sixth country, Ireland, was affirmed at BBB+, but it also received a negative outlook.

Fitch also issued a warning to Italy, a recent focus of the crisis because of its ?1.9 trillion ($2.5 trillion) in debt and sluggish, bureaucracy-choked economy. The agency said the third-largest eurozone economy would face permanently higher borrowing costs that would make it harder to keep its debt under control. It resisted stronger ratings action because of the "strong commitment" of the new Italian government under Prime Minister Mario Monti to balance the country's budget and make Italy a better place to do business.

European leaders have been criticized for moving too slowly in tackling the crisis, which started in October 2009 when Greece admitted it was in deep financial trouble.

Led by Germany, the eurozone's largest member, governments have resisted sweeping solutions such as pooling their borrowing power in so-called eurobonds and have balked at increasing the financing of their bailout funds from ?500 billion. Efforts have focused instead on making bailed-out countries try to cut spending and reduce their budget deficits. The 17 members have also agreed to come up with a treaty requiring national laws to limit deficits.

At the World Economic Forum gathering in Davos this week, leading European finance chiefs have sought to reassure anxious global business leaders that Europe is on track to solve its debt crisis.

But Fitch said that European leaders' "gradualist" approach to tackling the crisis meant that Europe will continue to face episodes of severe financial volatility that would erode government's ability to repay debt.

Fitch said the eurozone's difficulties would be compounded by a shrinking economy.

"The eurozone crisis will only be resolved as and when there is broad economic recovery," Fitch said. "It is evident that further substantial reforms of the governance of the eurozone will be required to secure economic and financial stability, including greater fiscal integration."

Greece is locked in talks to secure a crucial debt relief deal with private investors while also tackling demands from its European partners and the IMF for deeper economic reforms.

Failure on either front would force the recession-bound country to default on its debt in less than two months, pouring new fuel on the fires of Europe's debt crisis.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-01-27-Europe-Credit%20Ratings/id-53488f2ff8f14a1791516155cfab98ea

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Obama's State of the Union: An Optimistic President Talks to a Pessimistic Nation (Time.com)

Bristling with optimism and a can-do pep, President Obama asked for his pessimistic nation's attention on Tuesday night to announce he would not stand the naysayers any longer. "Anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn't know what they're talking about," he said from the biggest lectern in the land on Tuesday night, during his annual State of the Union Address.

It was a startlingly blunt statement, even for a speech invariably laced with optimistic bromides. Polls throughout 2011 showed that huge majorities of the American people had come to the opposite conclusion; more than 2 out of every 3 voters in one October survey saw the country in decline. Yet the President was not willing to let this stand. He came out swinging, with positive data, happy anecdotes and an energy that he rarely displays these days when he's off the campaign trail. (See photos of the State of the Union.)

"The state of our union is getting stronger," he said, sounding like a football coach after a tough home loss. "We've come too far to turn back now." In the face of national dissatisfaction, he focused on the silver lining: The killing of Osama bin Laden, the withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq, the resurrection of the American auto industry. He even promised things he could never deliver, like a return to uninterrupted American labor dominance in a globalized world. "If the playing field is level, I promise you: America will always win," he said.

As a piece of performance, it was uplifting. But the performance only went so far, given his audience. The President offered more than a dozen new proposals, from more money for infrastructure repairs, to increased investments in alternative energy, to corporate tax reforms and new limits on tuition increases. He spoke of the American spirit after World War II, and told the stories of two unemployed workers who had found new careers. But few of his legislative proposals had any hope of serious consideration in Congress, let alone passage in this election year.

A year ago, during the same address before the same body of lawmakers, Obama announced plans to spend the year "winning the future." The months that followed were mostly characterized by loss, with economic troubles at home and abroad, new depths of legislative dysfunction, and a political climate that surprised even the most hardened cynics. (See photos of special guests at State of the Union Addresses throughout the years.)

The residue of this funk set the scene Tuesday, as Republicans and Democrats scattered through the room failed more often than not to rise in applause with unity. As Obama spoke, House Speaker John Boehner looked on respectfully behind him, while his staff bombarded reporters with e-mail press releases that effectively accused the President of misleading the American people while embracing "a political gimmick."

Almost as soon as Obama had finished speaking, the Republican National Committee released a video called "Familiar Rhetoric, Failed Record" that highlighted nearly identical language in the 2011 and 2012 speeches. Afterwards, Utah Senator Mike Lee, one of the Republican freshmen, said he felt the President was trying to divide the nation and belittle its residents. "He's insulting the American people," Lee said. "He's saying, 'I'm going to do everything for you because you obviously can't do anything for yourselves.'"

If the speech has any lasting impact, it will likely be political. Between the exhortations of American greatness, the President laid out the central argument of his re-election campaign, a twist on Harry Truman's 1949 appeal for fairness. "We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number of Americans barely get by, or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules," Obama said.

Some of those different rules, he later explained, had to do with taxation. He called for eliminating certain deductions for those making more than $1 million, and for a new minimum tax on the same group, a change in the law that would directly impact his biggest primary rival, Mitt Romney, who pays a low percentage of his income in taxes because it comes from investment gains. Under Obama's new proposal, anyone making more than $1 million a year would have to pay at least 30% of the gross income in federal taxes. This proposal, as well, is essentially dead on arrival in Congress.

At one point, Obama seemed to directly address Romney's charge that the White House encourages class envy. "When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it's not because they envy the rich," Obama said. "It's because they understand that when I get tax breaks I don't need and the country can't afford, it either adds to the deficit, or somebody else has to make up the difference -- like a senior on a fixed income; or a student trying to get through school; or a family trying to make ends meet. That's not right."

In other ways, Obama seemed to claim the rhetoric of Republicans as his own. Just as "winning the future" had been the title of a Newt Gingrich book, Obama proposed an "all of the above" energy strategy, stealing a campaign line from Texas governor Rick Perry. He spoke of "nation building right here at home," a line that had become a standard feature of Jon Huntsman's stump speech. Both Huntsman and Perry have since bowed out of the Republican race.

Obama, by contrast, is just beginning to publicly engage in his re-election campaign. He has settled on his optimistic message. Now he must hope that circumstances improve enough that the American people are ready to hear it.

Additional reporting by Katy Steinmetz

See TIME's 2011 Person of the Year: The Protester.

See TIME's Top 10 Everything of 2011.

View this article on Time.com

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20120127/us_time/httpswamplandtimecom20120125obamasstateoftheunionanoptimisticpresidenttalkstoapessimisticnationiidslmainledexidrssfullnationyah

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[OOC] Saving Quakos

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LH_

Member for 0 years

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This looks interesting...I wish to join this rp...may I reserve a place? I'm writing my char as 'descriptive' as possible...I'll submit my char soon

EDIT: err...I have a question...well, several questions:

Can our chars have special abilities? Like controlling the elements? Flying or stuffs like that?

and when you say races? What kinds of races?

blackwolf

Member for 1 years

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Google Created Gmail's Perfect Logo the Night Before It Was Due [Gmail]

Every one of us knows the stomach terror of starting a project right before it's due. But what if your assignment is Gmail's logo, your teacher is Google, and it's due tomorrow? Suddenly school doesn't seem that bad. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/vfrx0yq5CqA/google-created-gmails-perfect-logo-the-night-before-it-was-due

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Captain America 2 Filming in 2012?

With The Avengers?owning?2012 all to itself ? along with Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 having already staked out the separate halves of 2013 as their own ? it?s been assumed that Captain America 2 is the most likely candidate to snag one of the two 2014 release dates that Marvel Studios has already claimed.

According to Captain America costar Neal McDonough, who plays the bowler-capped Dum Dum Dugan, filming on the (currently) director-less sequel is slated to begin before 2012 comes to a close. Such a move would both pave the way for Cap?s next solo venture to reach theaters by 2014 ? and, set the stage for production to begin on one of the many other?single Marvel character-centric vehicles being developed right now.

IMDB Television was chatting recently with McDonough about his new role as a sophisticated crime boss on FX?s Justified, when the actor casually revealed the following tidbit about the next Captain America flick:

?They?re planning [to go into production] for the end of this year, because Marvel does one film at a time. So they?re going to do ?Thor 2??and as soon as ?Thor??has wrapped, they?ll do ?Cap 2?. Hopefully right after that, we?ll jump into ?Nick Fury??because that?s the one I?m looking forward to more than anything.?

While both a Nick Fury solo movie and S.H.I.E.L.D. flick are definite possible future Marvel endeavors, it seems more likely that only one or the other will eventually be made. More so, with other big titles like The Avengers 2?on the horizon, there?s always the chance that studio heads will ultimately hold off all the longer on producing a solo vehicle for Samuel L. Jackson?s one-eyed alter ego.

Moving on ? it sounds as though the Captain America sequel is (unofficially) set to arrive in 2014 now, even if production doesn?t begin quite as early as McDonough expects. That means the second Cap-centered movie should also be the ?big? Marvel release of that year ? with the other Marvel-marked release date being reserved for the live-action debut of a character like Ant-Man or Doctor Strange, whose respective solo vehicles are both reported to be making solid progress down the production pipeline.

Thor and Captain America team up in 'The Avengers'

Now that Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon has confirmed that the film unfolds from Cap?s perspective, it sounds as though the first Captain America?movie, The Avengers, and Captain America 2 will essentially form a direct trilogy, in terms of Steve Rogers? (Chris Evans) personal character arc.

Screenwriting duo Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely?s previous comments about how Cap?s second solo film will largely take place in a contemporary setting make all the more sense, in that regard ? seeing how CA 2 looks to now be even more of a direct continuation of the Avengers? narrative than either the second Thor or third Iron Man?installment.

All of the aforementioned upcoming Marvel titles are going to (at the least, partially) be affected by the success of The Avengers ? which is poised to test the comic book studio?s plans, when it comes to the feasibility of creating a shared movie universe akin to that featured in Marvel?s graphic novel literature. Best to hold off and see just how everything goes down in Whedon?s superhero ensemble flick, before speculating too?much about the films that take place thereafter.

-

The Avengers hits theaters in the U.S. on May 4th, 2012.

Don?t be surprised if Marvel officially confirms Captain America 2 for a May 16th, 2014 theatrical release date ? in the near future, that is.

Source: IMDB Television (via JoBlo and Collider)

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924385/news/1924385/

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HIV-infected man fights to become Atlanta officer (AP)

ATLANTA ? A former investigator with the city of Los Angeles claims Atlanta police rejected his job application solely because he has HIV, a decision he said breaks the law and perpetuates stereotypes about people with the virus.

Atlanta police argue hiring the man poses a threat to the health and safety of the public, setting up a legal fight that is being followed closely by gay rights groups and police agencies.

A federal appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments in the case Wednesday, and judges will have the chance to pepper both sides with questions.

"It's shocking and frustrating and very saddening that in 2012 this is still going on," said the 40-year-old man who sued the city of Atlanta in 2010 under the pseudonym Richard Roe. "People are living with HIV and, for the most part, they are living normal lives and productive lives."

Roe spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because he believes his medical condition could prevent him from other job opportunities.

Roe's anonymous lawsuit mirrors a battle that has largely been waged quietly, without high-profile protests or marches. Several similar lawsuits have been dismissed by judges who sided with the police departments, or the cases were settled out of court, the agreements kept confidential.

A lower judge sided with the city of Atlanta in November 2010 and threw out the lawsuit, ruling that Roe failed to prove he didn't pose a "direct threat" to the health and safety of others. Roe appealed the decision.

Atlanta attorneys said in court documents Roe didn't disclose his condition and warned he couldn't perform "essential functions" of an officer. The police department and city officials have refused to comment beyond court filings.

Roe said he was a criminal investigator with the city of Los Angeles, though he did not work with the police department. He discovered he had HIV in 1997 but said it didn't hinder his ability to perform his duties. He said his infection never came up with the city.

He moved to Atlanta to find a better job, and in January 2006 began the lengthy process to join the city's police force. He passed a written test, a psychological exam, computerized voice stress analysis and a background check. The roadblock came after a blood test during a physical revealed he had the virus that causes AIDS, his lawsuit said. The doctor did not do any further tests.

Roe said the physician, Dr. Alton Greene, told him Atlanta police had a policy of refusing to hire officers with the virus. Roe said the doctor's statement violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which he said prevents employers from dismissing anyone because they have HIV.

The city said they do not systematically reject job applicants because of HIV, but instead they look at each individual on a case-by-case basis.

In Roe's case, the city said, the doctor recommended that he have "no physical contact or involvement with individuals."

Catherine Hanssens, executive director of the Center for HIV Law and Policy, said the Roe case centers on the "belief that, 30 years into the epidemic, HIV is easily transmitted and results in a death sentence when it is transmitted."

"And neither of those are remotely close to the truth," she said.

Nurses, paramedics and other first responders with HIV have faced similar challenges over the years by employers, said Hanssens, but she said legal fights in those professions don't often surface much anymore because decades of litigation and medical research shows those with HIV can work in higher-risk fields.

Scott Schoettes of Lambda Legal, the gay rights group that represents Roe, said the city will not be able to show that someone with HIV presents a public threat.

"And maybe other departments will realize that they should create a policy that explicitly says HIV should not disqualify you from getting a job," he said.

Police departments often don't have a policy about whether to hire an officer with HIV, and those that do are loath to advertise the decision to protect the privacy of their officers.

Darrel Stephens, the executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, said his group has no guidelines for members on how to treat applicants with HIV. The Fraternal Order of Police also doesn't have a policy, but president Chuck Canterbury said his group argues that officers with the virus should be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Roe, who is in school studying criminal justice, said he's waging the legal battle because he wants to serve the city.

"Because of my desire to serve my community, I wouldn't want to be anywhere but out in the public," he said. "Making the streets safer for the underdog is one of the most rewarding things I can do."

___

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_us/us_police_hiv_lawsuit

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2nd Freddie Mac contract with Gingrich is released

Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during an event at the Cambier Park Bandstand, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in Naples, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidate former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during an event at the Cambier Park Bandstand, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in Naples, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) ? GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich began receiving payments from Freddie Mac in 1999 under a contract that paid his consulting business $25,000 a month to work with the mortgage giant's chief lobbyist, according to a second agreement released Tuesday night.

The contract specifically excluded lobbying services, stating "nothing herein is or shall be construed as an agreement to provide lobbying services of any kind or engage in lobbying activities."

The Center for Health Transformation, founded by Gingrich, provided the second contract a day after releasing a 2006 agreement for Gingrich's services. The two contracts paid Gingrich's consulting business $1.65 million and required Gingrich to report to Freddie Mac's lobbying office.

The 1999 contract was signed in July and renewed through 2002, and the 2006 contract was renewed for one year in 2007, said Susan Meyers, a spokeswoman for the Center for Health Transformation.

Gingrich's work with Freddie Mac has received renewed scrutiny as GOP rival Mitt Romney has criticized the arrangements as influence peddling by the former House speaker. Gingrich has blasted Romney, saying he has mischaracterized his work in a desperate attempt to regain momentum in the Republican presidential race.

Gingrich in the past described his work for the government back mortgage company as that of a historian, and later he said he served as a strategic adviser. For months he has said he could not provide the Freddie Mac contracts related to his work because they were confidential, the property of a consulting business that he no longer ran. But after Romney's repeated criticism on the issue, Gingrich persuaded his former business partners to release the contracts.

Gingrich's ties to Freddie Mac could be a liability for him in Florida, where the next GOP primary is scheduled Jan. 31. The housing crisis hit the state particularly hard, and Freddie Mac has been blamed for contributing to the crisis.

Romney has pressed Gingrich further to release details of his work for Freddie Mac, including any work product or reports completed for the company that would show exactly what type of services he provided. Gingrich urged the consulting company he left last year to release the contracts, but no other materials have been released.

The second contract released Tuesday night provides more detail on the work Gingrich was hired to perform, including "serve as advisor to Freddie Mac in the areas of strategic planning and public policy." It also called on Gingrich, who is mentioned by name in the second contract, to "engage in discussions" with Freddie Mac's chief lobbyist and senior officers "to strategize on approaches to Freddie Mac business opportunities and challenges."

Gingrich, who was hired to help the company reach out to Republicans, also was expected to "contribute to Freddie Mac corporate planning and business goals" and to "meet with major stakeholders of Freddie Mac."

The contract also states that "neither The Gingrich Group nor Newt Gingrich will provide lobbying services of any kind nor participate in lobbying activities on Freddie Mac's behalf."

The second contract also provided up to $1,000 a month for Gingrich's expenses.

Freddie Mac reserved the right to cancel the 1999 contract if Gingrich, who resigned his House leadership after a poor showing by Republicans in the 1998 election, decided to get back into government.

Other terms of the contract are similar to the first provided by the Center for Health Transformation, which was created by Gingrich in 2003 to focus on health-care issues. Gingrich left the center, formed as a part of his Gingrich Group consulting business, last year before announcing his candidacy for president.

___

Blackledge reported from Washington.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-24-Gingrich-Freddie%20Mac/id-ed150d0e96724732ac3e891b4f01c6f5

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GOPers on Obama speech: Fail (Politico)

Republican presidential candidates trotted out their favorite lines of attack against President Barack Obama in response to his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Though the GOP rivals don?t agree on much of anything these days, the chorus from the campaign trail could be heard loud and clear following Obama?s address: the president?s agenda won?t work.

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Though he wasn?t specifically named in the speech, Mitt Romney provided the perfect real-life example for the president as he proposed raising taxes on millionaires. Whether or not the timing was accidental, Romney released his tax record on Tuesday morning showing an annual income of $20 million and a tax rate of 15 percent.

But instead of hitting back, Romney outlined his own economic plan in post-speech interview with NBC.

Romney evoked Florida, the next state to vote in the primary season, and citied its 9.9 percent unemployment figure, which is higher than the national average.

?The idea that we?re on the right track is something which is very foreign to the people here,? he said.

Romney suggested that Obama had co-opted some of his own ideas. Earlier in the day, Romney delivered a more extensive ?prebuttal? of the Obama speech.

?A whole series of ideas that I?ve been speaking about, if you want the economy going. Lower corporate tax rates, of course he?s raised them,? Romney said. ?Lower the level of regulation, of course he?s added regulation at three times of his predecessor. Take advantage of all of our energy resources. He?s really held off on coal, on oil, on gas, on nuclear. Crackdown on China, those are things I?ve been saying.

?What he?s been doing is the exact opposite of that and that?s why it?s been so hard on this economy to recover,? Romney said.

Newt Gingrich dinged the president for proposing a tax increase on the wealthy. Gingrich, who frequently refers to Obama as the ?food stamp president,? continued that line of attack.

?Bigger government and higher taxes will instead lead to more people on food stamps, a situation which the President and his party defend as a fair outcome,? Gingrich said in a statement. ?Here we have to confront the truth about President Obama. Economic growth and prosperity is not really at the top of his agenda.?

Gingrich pointed to the Keystone Pipeline as an example of a failed Obama policy.

?Only recently, the president canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline that would have created countless new jobs and helped America on the way to energy independence because he wanted to appease the far left of his party,? he said. ?And yet not a single word on the Keystone XL pipeline tonight.?

Rick Santorum pushed the argument that Obama is engaging in class warfare, calling him the ?Divider-in-Chief? in a statement.

?Tonight Barack Obama transformed the President?s annual State of the Union address into the kick-off of his re-election campaign,? he said in a statement. ?From beginning to end, the American people heard more of the same ? empty promises and grand platitudes that will do nothing to help the millions of Americans who are unemployed or under-employed find a good paying job.?

And Ron Paul decried the fact that Obama didn?t mention the Federal Reserve and its role in denying Americans a ?fair shot,? as well as Paul?s efforts to bring transparency to the financial entity.

And Paul chastised Obama for failing to support his son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul?s, recent run-in with the Transportation Security Administration.

?In the area of foreign policy and civil liberties, President Obama?s rhetoric may be different, but the substance of his polices - as shown by his administration?s defense of the TSA?s treatment of my son, Senator Rand Paul, is hardly ?change we can believe in,?? Paul said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_71932_html/44295990/SIG=11mdsoe7m/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71932.html

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Tax returns, business dealings fuel Fla. campaign (AP)

TAMPA, Fla. ? Mitt Romney's tax returns and Newt Gingrich's business dealings are likely to remain at center stage of the increasingly contentious Republican presidential primary campaign in Florida.

Romney predicted during a sometimes heated debate that his 2010 tax returns and an early report on his taxes for last year will generate chatter but not any surprises.

"You'll see my income, how much taxes I've paid, how much I've paid to charity," he said on the debate stage Monday night. "Will it be an article? Yeah. But is it entirely legal and fair? Absolutely. I'm proud of the fact that I pay a lot of taxes."

Romney earned $21.7 million income in 2010, most of it from his investments, according to records his campaign released within hours of the debate's conclusion. He donated a combined $3 million to charitable causes and the Mormon Church and paid about $3 million in federal income taxes for an effective tax rate of about 14 percent, the records showed.

For 2011, he'll pay about $3.2 million with an effective tax rate of about 15.4 percent, the campaign said.

The tax records may silence Gingrich and others who argued that Republican voters should know the details of Romney's wealth before they select their presidential nominee and not after, as Romney had wanted. But a new line of criticism rising from the records was expected to be leveled at the former front-runner, who keeps some of his personal fortune in investments in the Cayman Islands, where many international investors shelter their income from American taxes.

In Monday's debate, Gingrich faced harsh questions about his own financial dealings. While comfortable as the aggressor in previous encounters with Romney and their rivals, he found himself battered by Romney's criticism as the pair clashed repeatedly in sometimes personal terms.

"You've been walking around the state saying things that are untrue," Gingrich told Romney.

After Gingrich's overwhelming victory in South Carolina last Saturday, Romney can ill afford to lose Florida's Jan. 31 primary, and he showcased a new aggression from the opening moments in the debate. He said Gingrich had "resigned in disgrace" from Congress after four years as speaker and then had spent the next 15 years "working as an influence peddler."

In particular, he referred to the contract Gingrich's consulting firm had with Freddie Mac, a government-backed mortgage giant that Romney said "did a lot of bad for a lot of people and you were working there."

Romney also said Gingrich had lobbied lawmakers to approve legislation creating a new prescription drug benefit under Medicare.

"I have never, ever gone and done any lobbying," Gingrich retorted emphatically, adding that his firm had hired an expert to explain to employees "the bright line between what you can do as a citizen and what you do as a lobbyist."

Romney counterpunched, referring to the $300,000 that Gingrich's consulting firm received in 2006 from Freddie Mac, the government-backed mortgage giant.

And when Gingrich sought to turn the tables by inquiring about the private equity firm that Romney founded, the former Massachusetts governor replied: "We didn't do any work with the government. ... I wasn't a lobbyist."

Romney will briefly turn his attention Tuesday morning to President Barack Obama, offering a "pre-buttal" to the president's State of the Union address before shifting to Gingrich's work for the federal mortgage giant at a campaign event focused on Florida's housing problems.

Gingrich has a busy day on the campaign trail planned as well, with rallies set for St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Naples.

Rep. Ron Paul, who's bypassing Florida in favor of smaller, less expensive states, returned to Texas after Monday's debate. But Rick Santorum will appeal to the tea party to help revive his candidacy, appearing at two tea party events.

Santorum and Paul were reduced to supporting roles Monday night. Santorum jumped at the chance to criticize both Romney and Gingrich for having supported the big federal bailouts of Wall Street in 2008. He also said both men had abandoned conservative principles by supporting elements of "cap and trade" legislation to curb pollution emissions from industrial sites.

"When push came to shove, they were pushed," he said.

Paul sidestepped when moderator Brian Williams of NBC asked if he would run as a third-party candidate in the fall if he doesn't win the nomination. "I have no intention," he said, but he didn't rule it out.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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Canaletto, Memling expected to lead Old Masters sales (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? An early 14th century panel of the Virgin Mary, a view of Venice by Canaletto and a very rare oil on copper still life will be among the highlights of Sotheby's sale of Old Master Paintings this week.

Works by Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck and Francesco Guardi will also be included in the New York auction on January 26, which is expected to exceed $60 million.

"It is a very full, rounded sale," said Christopher Apostle, the head of Old Master Paintings at Sotheby's New York, referring to works ranging from early Italian to French Rococo and 17th century Dutch masterpieces.

Among the top lots and the oldest to go under the hammer in the sale is the very rare work, "The Virgin Annunciate," a panel by the artist Simone Martini done around the early 1300s that was part of a diptych representing the Annunciation.

Apostle described the work which has a pre-sale estimate of up to $4 million as "the most elegant picture in the sale."

Canaletto's "Venice, a View of the Churches of the Redentore and San Giacomo, with a Moored Man-of-War, Gondolas and Barges," is expected to be another top attraction and has not been seen on the market since 1986.

It is one of three works in the auction from the collection of Britain's Lady Forte, whose husband founded the hotel and restaurant chain Trusthouse Forte. Expected to fetch $5 million to $7 million, the work was painted in the mid-1700s and is characteristic of Canaletto's attention to detail.

Another painting from the Forte estate, which was done in the 18th century by Jan van Huysum called "Still Life of Roses, Tulips, Peonies in a Sculpted Stone Vase," has a pre-sale estimate of up to $6 million.

Despite the sluggish global economy the art market has rebounded recently and Apostle expects the New York sale to generate interest from around the globe.

"There are people who are absolutely passionate about paintings," he explained. "If you buy good Old Masters there will always be a desire for them."

The sale will also include an early still life by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, "A Still Life of Flowers in a Glass Beaker Set in a Marble Niche," which was probably painted in 1618 and was rediscovered after being lost for nearly 80 years.

Once part of the Russian Imperial Collections housed in The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Apostle described it as "spectacular" and a work that could easily exceed its $1.5 million pre-sale estimate.

Works by Rubens, Frans Hals, Thomas de Keyser and Gerrit Dou will be also featured in Christie's Old Masters sales on January 25-26 but the top lot is expected to be Hans Memling's "The Virgin Nursing the Christ Child," which could sell for as much as $8 million.

"Demand for top-quality Old Master works continues to rise among both new and experienced collectors and art dealers," said Nicholas Hall, the joint international head of Old Master and Early British Paintings.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/arts/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/stage_nm/us_art_auction_oldmasters

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Fired Penn State coach Joe Paterno dead at 85

FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2011 file photo, Penn State coach Joe Paterno stands on the field before his team's NCAA college football game against Northwestern, in Evanston, Ill. Paterno's doctors say that the former Penn State coach's condition has become "serious," following complications from lung cancer in recent days. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2011 file photo, Penn State coach Joe Paterno stands on the field before his team's NCAA college football game against Northwestern, in Evanston, Ill. Paterno's doctors say that the former Penn State coach's condition has become "serious," following complications from lung cancer in recent days. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 1, 1983 file photo, Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno takes a victory ride from his players after defeating Georgia 27-23 in the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game at the Supderdome in New Orleans, to win the national championship. On Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, family says Paterno, winningest coach in major college football, has died. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - In this Jan. 2, 1987 file photo, Penn State coach Joe Paterno is carried off after defeating Miami, 14-10, in the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game to win the national championship, in Tempe, Ariz. On Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, family says Paterno, winningest coach in major college football, has died. (AP Photo/Jim Gerberich, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011 file photo, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno arrives home in State College, Pa. On Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, family says Paterno, winningest coach in major college football, has died. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

In this photo taken with a fisheye lens, people gather around a statue of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno on the Penn State campus in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Paterno's doctors say the former coach's condition has become "serious" after he experienced complications from lung cancer in recent days. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

STATE COLLEGE, Pennsylvania (AP) ? Joe Paterno, the longtime Penn State coach who won more games than anyone in major college football but was fired amid a child sex abuse scandal that scarred his reputation for winning with integrity, died Sunday. He was 85.

His family released a statement Sunday morning to announce his death: "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled."

"He died as he lived," the statement said. "He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

Paterno built his program on the credo "Success with Honor," and he found both. The man known as "JoePa" won 409 games and took the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl games and two national championships. More than 250 of the players he coached went on to the National Football League.

"He will go down as the greatest football coach in the history of the game," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said after his former team, the Florida Gators, beat Penn State 37-24 in the 2011 Outback Bowl.

Paterno's son Scott said on Nov. 18 that his father was being treated for lung cancer. The cancer was diagnosed during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness. A few weeks after that revelation, Paterno also broke his pelvis after a fall but did not need surgery.

Paterno had been in the hospital since Jan. 13 for observation for what his family had called minor complications from his cancer treatments. Not long before that, he conducted his only interview since losing his job, with The Washington Post. Paterno was described as frail then, speaking mostly in a whisper and wearing a wig. The second half of the two-day interview was conducted at his bedside.

"As the last 61 years have shown, Joe made an incredible impact," said the statement from the family. "That impact has been felt and appreciated by our family in the form of thousands of letters and well wishes along with countless acts of kindness from people whose lives he touched. It is evident also in the thousands of successful student athletes who have gone on to multiply that impact as they spread out across the country."

The final days of Paterno's Penn State career were easily the toughest in his 61 years with the university and 46 seasons as head football coach.

It was because Paterno was a such a sainted figure ? more memorable than any of his players and one of the best-known coaches in all of sports ? that his downfall was so startling. During one breathtaking week in early November, Paterno was engulfed by a scandal and forced from his job, because he failed to go to the police in 2002 when told that a young boy was molested inside the university football complex.

"I didn't know which way to go ... and rather than get in there and make a mistake," he said in the Post interview.

Jerry Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator expected to succeed Paterno before retiring in 1999, was charged with sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years. Two university officials stepped down after they were charged with perjury following a grand jury investigation of Sandusky. But attention quickly focused on an alleged rape that took place in a shower in the football building, witnessed by Mike McQueary, a graduate assistant at the time.

McQueary testified that he had seen Sandusky attacking the child and that he had told Paterno, who waited a day before alerting school authorities. Police were never called and the state's top cop later said Paterno failed to execute his moral responsibility by not contacting police.

"You know, (McQueary) didn't want to get specific," Paterno said in the Post interview. "And to be frank with you I don't know that it would have done any good, because I never heard of, of, rape and a man. So I just did what I thought was best. I talked to people that I thought would be, if there was a problem, that would be following up on it."

On the morning of Nov. 9, Paterno said he would retire following the 2011 season. He also said he was "absolutely devastated" by the abuse case.

"This is a tragedy," the coach said. "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

But the university trustees faced a crisis, and in an emergency meeting that night, they fired Paterno, effective immediately. Graham Spanier, one of the longest-serving university presidents in the U.S., also was dismissed.

According to Lanny Davis, an attorney retained by the trustees as an adviser, board vice chairman John Surma regretted having to tell Paterno the decision over the phone.

The university handed the football team to one of Paterno's assistants, Tom Bradley, who said Paterno "will go down in history as one of the greatest men, who maybe most of you know as a great football coach."

Thick, smoky-lens glasses, rolled up khakis, jet-black sneakers, blue windbreaker ? Paterno was easy to spot on the sidelines. His teams were just as easy to spot on the field; their white helmets and classic blue and white uniforms had the same old-school look as the coach.

Paterno believed success was not measured entirely on the field. From his idealistic early days, he had implemented what he called a "grand experiment" ? to graduate more players while maintaining success on the field.

He was a frequent speaker on ethics in sports, a conscience for a world often infiltrated by scandal and shady characters.

His teams consistently ranked among the best in the Big Ten conference for graduating players. As of 2011, it had 49 academic All-Americans, the third-highest among schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision. All but two played under Paterno.

"He teaches us about really just growing up and being a man," former linebacker Paul Posluszny, now with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, once said. "Besides the football, he's preparing us to be good men in life."

Paterno certainly had detractors, as well. One former Penn State professor called his high-minded words on academics a farce. He was criticized for making broad critiques about the wrongs in college football without providing specifics. A former administrator said his players often got special treatment compared to non-athletes. His coaching style often was considered too conservative. Some thought he held on to his job too long. There was a push to move him out in 2004 but it failed.

But the critics were in the minority, and his program was never cited for major violations by the college football's governing body. However, the child sexual abuse scandal prompted separate investigations by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Collegiate Athletic Association into the school's handling.

Paterno played quarterback and cornerback for Brown University and set a defensive record with 14 career interceptions, a distinction he boasted about to his teams all the way into his 80s. He graduated in 1950 with plans to go to law school. He said his father hoped he would someday be president.

When he was 23, a former coach at Brown was moving to Penn State to become the head coach and persuaded Paterno to come with him as an assistant.

"I had no intention to coach when I got out of Brown," Paterno said in 2007 at Beaver Stadium in an interview before being inducted into the Hall of Fame. "Come to this hick town? From Brooklyn?"

In 1963, he was offered a job by the late Al Davis ? $18,000, triple his salary at Penn State, plus a car to become general manager and coach of the American Football League's Oakland Raiders. He said no. Rip Engle retired as Penn State head coach three years later, and Paterno took over.

At the time, the Lions were considered "Eastern football" ? inferior ? and Paterno courted newspaper coverage to raise the team's profile. In 1967, PSU began a 30-0-1 streak.

But Penn State couldn't get to the top of the polls. The Lions finished second in 1968 and 1969 despite perfect records. They went 12-0 in 1973 and finished fifth. Texas edged them in 1969 after President Richard Nixon, impressed with the Longhorns' bowl performance, declared them No. 1.

"I'd like to know," Paterno said later, "how could the president know so little about Watergate in 1973, and so much about college football in 1969?"

A national title finally came in 1982, in a 27-23 win over Georgia at the Sugar Bowl. Penn State won another title in 1986 after the Lions picked off Vinny Testaverde five times and beat Miami 14-10 in the Fiesta Bowl.

They have made several title runs since then, including a 2005 run to the Orange Bowl and an 11-1 campaign in 2008 that earned them a berth in the Rose Bowl, where they lost 37-23 to Southern California.

In his later years, physical ailments wore the old coach down. Paterno was run over on the sideline during a game at Wisconsin in November 2006 and underwent knee surgery. He hurt his hip in 2008 demonstrating an onside kick.

An intestinal illness and a bad reaction to antibiotics prescribed for dental work slowed him for most of the 2010 season. Paterno began scaling back his speaking engagements that year, ending his summer caravan of speeches to alumni across the state.

Then a receiver bowled over Paterno at practice in August, sending him to the hospital with shoulder and pelvis injuries and consigning him to coach much of the season from the press box.

"The fact that we've won a lot of games is that the good Lord kept me healthy, not because I'm better than anybody else," Paterno said two days before he won his 409th game and passed Eddie Robinson of Grambling State for the most in Division I. "It's because I've been around a lot longer than anybody else."

Paterno could be conservative on the field, especially in big games, relying on the tried-and-true formula of defense, the running game and field position.

"They've been playing great defense for 45 years," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said in November.

Paterno and his wife, Sue, raised five children in State College. Anybody could telephone him at his modest ranch home ? the same one he appeared in front of on the night he was fired ? by looking up "Paterno, Joseph V." in the phone book.

He walked to home games and was greeted and wished good luck by fans on the street. Former players paraded through his living room for the chance to say hello. But for the most part, he stayed out of the spotlight.

He could be abrasive and stubborn, and had his share of run-ins with his bosses or administrators. And as his legend grew, so did the attention to his on-field decisions, and the questions about when he would retire.

Calls for his retirement reached a crescendo in 2004. The next year, Penn State went 11-1 and won the Big Ten. In the Orange Bowl, PSU beat Florida State, whose coach, Bobby Bowden, left the Seminoles after the 2009 season after 34 years and 389 wins.

Like many others, he was outlasted by "JoePa."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-22-Obit-Joe%20Paterno/id-9301860fabfa45c9b537321af741946e

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