President Obama tries to change the subject

It almost certainly won’t work, however, because Obama offered little new in terms of policy and adopted a largely presidential — rather than a political — approach to the questions reporters posed to him.

Obama’s main message on Friday was the same one that he has advocated for months and months. In short: There are jobs proposals that he has offered to Congress that they have refused to act on. They should do so. Immediately — if not sooner. (Obama uttered the words “right now” in relation to when Congress should act no less than four times in his prepared statement.)

The problem with that argument is that anyone who follows politics at all closely knows that there is a zero percent chance of any movement on other portions of the jobs bill prior to the election.

What Obama is trying to do then is what he has been trying to do for months, which is lay the blame for the lack of job growth at the feet of Republicans in Congress.

While it’s not a bad strategy to run against Congress — particularly given the rampant unpopularity of that institution — there are two potential problems with Obama’s strategy.

The first is that Democrats control the Senate, a fact that allows Republicans to muddy the political waters when it comes to what role Congress has played in blocking progress on jobs.

Second, and more importantly, history has shown that the American public broadly believes the stewardship of the economy is the responsibility of the president. What that means is that when economic times are good, the president — whether Democrat or Republican — gets more credit than he probably should, and when economic times are bad he gets more blame.

(Also keep an eye on President Obama’s statement that “the private sector is doing fine” — a line Republicans are sure to seize on.)

Aside from introducing nothing new — rhetorically or policy-wise — in today’s press conference, the other reason Obama won’t likely see the subject changed heading into the weekend is that he seemed reluctant to look even a tiny bit like a candidate while standing at the presidential podium.

He spent lots — and lots — of time on a explanation of the European economy and dodged directly castigating Republicans at almost every turn. Even when he did, Obama was markedly more measured than he has been on the campaign trail.

“If Republicans want to be helpful...what they should be thinking about is how do we help state and local governments,” said Obama at one point. At another he said that Republican economic policies would “add weakness to the economy”.

It was more rounded-edges rhetoric than sharp contrasts — a clear sign that Obama (and his political team) were worried about sending an image of him as campaigner-in-chief to the voters and the political class.

To be clear, Obama’s press conference won’t hurt him. (Remember: the kind of people who watch mid-day presidential press conferences are the professional political class who are not exactly representative of the average, undecided voter.)

But if Obama and his team were hoping to change the subject off of last week’s bad jobs report, it seems unlikely they’ll succeed.

What Rand Paul’s Romney endorsement means

“My first choice had always been my father. I campaigned for him when I was 11-years-old. He’s still my first pick, but now that the nominating process is over, tonight I’m happy to announce that I’m going to be supporting Gov. Mitt Romney.”

It might not be exactly the endorsement Romney might have wanted — two thirds of it was spent pumping up Ron Paul with the Romney endorsement as an afterthought — but it is genuinely important to have Rand Paul on the record in support of Romney.

As we have seen over the last few months, the Paul forces have the very real ability to not only disrupt the choosing of delegates to the Republican National Convention but also influence (and change) the leadership at various state parties around the country.

Does Rand Paul endorsing Romney mean that the Paul acolytes will immediately cease and desist in their efforts to have their views heard? No. But more so than most people who support a politician, the Paul folks listen to Ron/Rand and follow their wishes.

Rand’s endorsement then — when coupled with Ron’s email to supporters earlier this week urging politeness at the national convention — are a net win for Romney because they virtually ensure that there won’t be a genuine insurrection led by supporters of Paul at the convention. (Expect Romney to give Rand/Ron speaking slots at the convention too in hopes of throwing a sop to the Paul acolytes and push the theme of inclusion and big-tented-ness.)

The second way Rand Paul’s endorsement matters is as it relates to the Kentucky Senator’s own future national prospects.

It’s an open secret in Washington that Rand Paul wants to — and will — run for president either in 2016 or 2020. In the spring of 2011, in fact, Rand Paul speculated that he might run in 2012 if his father decided against a bid.

To do that and have a genuine chance at winning, Rand Paul can’t have the Republican establishment in open revolt against him. He knows that. His dad knows that. (It’s why we still believe Ron Paul won’t pursue a third party bid this fall.)

In making clear that he is publicly behind Romney, Rand Paul is sending a very clear signal: I’m a good soldier for the GOP.

Make no mistake: The Republican party establishment will never embrace Rand Paul as one of their own — nor would he want them to. But, it is possible that Paul playing the role of loyal Republican in the 2012 election could well neutralize some of the fears the party regulars have about the prospects of him carrying their standard at some point down the line.

The lesson? Sometimes — actually almost always — in politics there’s more than meets the eye.

Obama Makes Memorial Day Address At ANC

At Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Day 2012 was a day of comfort, solace and messages filled with the reminder of sacrifice by Family members left behind due to the scourge of war. At the annual memorial amphitheater observance, President Barack Obama addressed the loved ones of deceased servicemembers, the bereaved and those present to honor American military patriots.

Following the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns by Obama and Joint Base Headquarters-National Capital Region and Military District of Washington Commander Maj. Gen. Michael S. Linnington, the assembled speakers addressed the audience on specific subjects. The president, along with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, spoke of Family, those who died and those who survived the conflicts in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Today, we come together, as Americans, to pray, to reflect, and to remember these heroes. But tomorrow, this hallowed place will once again belong to a smaller group of visitors who make their way through the gates and across these fields in the heat and in the cold, in the rain and the snow, following a well-worn path to a certain spot and kneeling in front of a familiar headstone,” the president said of those who daily visit deceased Family members at ANC.Obama received his largest ovation when he vowed not to abandon surviving veterans and their entitlements.

“To all our men and women in uniform who are here today, know this: The patriots who rest beneath these hills were fighting for many things for their Families, for their flag but above all, they were fighting for you,” Obama said. “As long as I'm president, we will make sure you and your loved ones receive the benefits you've earned and the respect you deserve. America will be there for you.”

Before Obama's address, Pannetta saluted servicemembers who lost their lives during the past decade in Iraq and Afghanistan and made special mention of the Vietnam veteran on the half-century anniversary of the beginning of American involvement in the Southeast Asia conflict.

“As we have for the past 10 Memorial Days, today we still gather at a time of war,” Panetta said. “Today the American people remember the more than 6,400 heroes who have died in defense of our nation since September 11th. Today we will also pay tribute to the 58,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who died in Vietnam on this 50th anniversary of that war. They and their Families have paid a price beyond measure. But because of their sacrifice, we are free and we are secure. We are safer because they were willing to put their lives on the line.”

First to speak at the 144th ANC Memorial Day observance was Dempsey. He reached out to veterans, Family members of fallen servicemembers and the youth that will soon carry the torch of remembrance, and he offered an idea to help the healing. Dempsey championed that fellow Americans should continue to position themselves shoulder-to-shoulder with grieving Americans who have been tragically touched by recent military fatalities and older countrymen who still are inflicted by flashbacks of the fallen who gave their last measure of devotion in either Europe, North Africa, Asia or the South Pacific.

“The memory is ours,” Dempsey said. “On Memorial Day, we honor that memory with heart-felt ceremonies across this land. The pageantry is a manifestation of the sacred bond of trust between the military Family and our larger American Family. But what really counts is that we nurture that bond with those who are still here and how we can turn that memory into action. Today, we stand behind Families that will never be whole again.”

Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall provided significant support at the event. The 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) provided troops and escorts during the 90-degree holiday heat. The Presidential Salute Battery of TOG rendered the 21-gun salute upon the arrival of the president.

A pre-event concert was performed by The U.S. Army Band, “Pershing's Own,” and the group supplied the music during the observance. Master Sgt. Allyn Van Patten of TUSAB was the program's bugler while Sgt. Maj. Myles Overton handled the special percussion duties.

During the ceremony, The U.S. Army Band musical trio of Master Sgt. Michael Ford, Sgt. 1st Class Leigh Ann Hinton and Staff Sgt. Andre McRae combined their voices to perform the song ”Last Full Measure of Devotion”.

The ceremony's wreath bearer was Sgt. 1st Class Chad Stackpole, sergeant of the guard, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard).

'Prometheus' movie might not top 'Madagascar 3' in box office

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paramount brings Dreamworks' PG-rated "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" to more than 4,000 domestic theaters this weekend, likely drawing huge family business worth more than $55 million in the first animated opening of the summer.

The 3-D film has the "Madagascar" menagerie joining a European traveling circus and is the latest installment of the wildly successful franchise, which has passed the $1 billion mark in worldwide revenues.

Expected to land a solid second-place finish is Fox's R-rated sci-fi horror entry "Prometheus" from acclaimed director Ridley Scott. Starring Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron, this is the highly anticipated return to the world of Scott's 1979 sci-fi classic "Alien." Studio estimates are putting the take at around $35 million, but strong interest by sci-fi fans could push it closer to "Madagascar" territory.

Universal's "Snow White and the Huntsman" had a better-than-expected $56 million debut last weekend and should follow with a strong sophomore performance of around $30 million. Holding its No. 1 spot in the midweek derby, robust word-of-mouth will push this dark re-telling of the classic fairy tale past the $100 million mark by Sunday night.

Sony's comedy/sci-fi hybrid "Men in Black 3" should finish its third weekend in fourth-place, with a domestic gross in the low-teens and an overall total of more than $130 million.

Disney/Marvel's mighty "The Avengers" should squeeze out another low-teen gross in its sixth weekend out, pushing its domestic total to more than $570 million by Sunday night.

“PROMETHEUS”

The early scenes of Ridley Scott’s PROMETHEUS serve as an eye-filling reminder of how rarely we get big, serious movies about space travel these days. After a string of films in which aliens have brought the fight to us (with decidedly mixed results), here’s one that honors the grandeur and potential terror of exploring “the final frontier.”

It’s also a reminder that while any director can throw a lot of epic images on screen when given the right budget, Scott is one of those few who can truly immerse you in an environment—even without 3D, though the dimensional work in PROMETHEUS stands alongside AVATAR and HUGO as the form’s best. Before we get to outer space, an Earthbound prologue whisks us through awe-inspiring, foreboding locations to a setpiece establishing that the storyline will be concerned with nothing less than the creation of the human species itself. If PROMETHEUS proves not quite up to answering all the questions and fulfilling the challenges it poses for itself, it makes the trip an absorbing and occasionally terrifying one.

When the story (scripted by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof) first leaves Earth, we first glimpse the titular vessel as a tiny blip of light against a vast starfield—an inversion of the opening shots of STAR WARS and Scott’s own ALIEN, which aimed to impress with the awesomeness of their spacecraft rather than that of the celestial environments in which they traveled. The ALIEN echoes continue once we’re taken inside the Prometheus, as the camera drifts through hi-tech hallways while the crew dozes in hypersleep. The difference this time is, one of them is “awake”: an android named David, played by Michael Fassbender in the film’s most interesting performance. Tasked with taking care of the ship’s operations during its two-year-plus journey, David spends his copious free time brushing up on his basketball and linguistic skills—the latter of which will come in handy should the crew discover the evidence of alien civilization they’re seeking.

For that is the purpose of the mission headed by scientists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), for whom identical hieroglyphics discovered across the world have pointed to the stars as the source of our creation. Romantically involved, Shaw and Holloway are at odds in terms of their belief systems: She’s fully convinced that humans were spawned from a higher power, while he maintains a position of scientific skepticism, occasioning debate between themselves and the other crew that sometimes tends toward the heavy-handed. Also on board the Prometheus are by-the-book Captain Janek (Idris Elba); Vickers (Charlize Theron), a representative of the Weyland Corporation that’s sponsoring the trip, who’s severe enough in her dress, coif and attitude that she might as well be an android herself; and assorted sci-techies, of whom the most prominent by virtue of being a loudmouth is Fifield (Sean Harris in the Bill Paxton role).

A good deal of the excitement surrounding PROMETHEUS, of course, has concerned its status as an ALIEN prequel, or, as its creators have put it, a film with “ALIEN DNA.” That’s an apt term to use given the subject matter, and there’s quite a bit of the same eerie atmosphere here as in Scott’s 1979 classic—though the Prometheus is conspicuously higher-tech than ALIEN’s Nostromo that will supposedly follow years later. (There is justification in the fact that the Nostromo is supposed to be a working-class vessel, while the Prometheus’ trek has been bankrolled to the tune of a trillion dollars by Peter Weyland, played by a briefly seen Guy Pearce under heavy old-age makeup.) Once Shaw et al. arrive at the distant moon LV-223 and venture into its bowels, production designer Arthur Max takes ample cues from H.R. Giger’s landmark designs while bringing a fresh perspective, suggesting a higher intelligence behind the structures the team discovers.

Thus, it’s a tad disappointing that as its narrative progresses, PROMETHEUS becomes less concerned with following through on its concerns of humanity and creation and goes more for straightforward sci-fi thrills. On that level, however, it’s a mightily accomplished piece of work, and even though some of LV-223’s denizens are inevitably digital creations as opposed to ALIEN’s slimily practical mockups, Scott wrings a visceral charge our of their interactions with the humans. One scene in particular, a melding of body horror, mechanical horror and personal horror, is easily the most powerfully frightening setpiece to appear in a major film (or any film) in quite some time.

Scott and Fassbender also build a running tension through David, playing off our memories of ALIEN’s duplicitous robot Ash. David appears to be devoted, smart, untouched by the foibles and personal concerns that might cause trouble among his flesh-and-blood crewmates—but does he have his own agenda, or has he been programmed with one by others? Fassbender plays this all beautifully, his serene hyper-humanity contrasting nicely with Rapace’s earthy turn as Shaw. Even as the story turns draw the character toward becoming the new Ripley, Rapace invests her with an intellectual curiosity, fierce determinism and drive to survive that’s all her own. Theron brings an effective cool to Vickers (counterpointing her voracious presence in SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN), while Elba doesn’t have quite enough to do and Marshall-Green seems simply outmatched in his scenes with Rapace and Fassbender.

On a craft level, PROMETHEUS is peerless, with major props to cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, Max, visual FX supervisor Richard Stammers and the sound team for doing what all good science fiction should: making you fully believe in the world they’ve imagined, and like you’re right alongside the characters exploring it. If the eventual destination falls back on sci-fi/action conventions rather than fully engaging the ideas posed in the film’s first half, PROMETHEUS remains a voyage well worth taking.

A Cup Qualifying Victory Lacks Quality

TAMPA, Fla. — Strange things often happen on the road to World Cup qualification, and for a few tense minutes on Friday night, it looked as if the tiny twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda was going to seriously challenge the United States.

Despite seemingly endless waves of attacks from the Americans, a plucky but overmatched Antigua and Barbuda squad fought hard before eventually losing to the United States, 3-1, at rain-soaked Raymond James Stadium.

“Antigua did a very good job defending,” United States Coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “They made it very tight. They made it difficult for us.”

If not for some brilliant saves by Antigua and Barbuda’s goalkeeper, Molvin James, the final score would have been much more lopsided. Klinsmann sent out his team in an aggressive 4-3-3 formation, and the Americans played with zeal and abandon. Forwards tracked back on defense. Defenders pushed into the attack. And anytime the United States surrendered possession, it scrambled quickly to get the ball back. The constant pressure clearly overwhelmed Antigua and Barbuda.

“There were enough chances to score more goals, but you have to be clinical enough to put them in,” Klinsmann said. “I mentioned it at halftime. I said, ‘Guys, you’ve got to shoot more often.’ ”

The Americans’ aggressive play paid dividends in the eighth minute when Hérculez Gomez headed a Landon Donovan corner kick toward the goal. James parried the ball away, but the rebound fell to the American captain Carlos Bocanegra, who trundled the rebound into the net. It was Bocanegra’s 13th goal for the national team, tying him with Marcelo Balboa for the most by a defender.

Antigua and Barbuda were on their heels, but a half-hour into the game they were still only one goal behind — a dream situation for the tiny Caribbean nation.

The United States scored the goal it was looking for in the 44th minute. After a nifty give-and-go exchange between Donovan and Clint Dempsey, a defender tripped Donovan as he caught up to the ball in the penalty area. On the resulting penalty kick, Dempsey fired a shot straight down the middle and put the United States ahead, 2-0.

The pace of the game slowed somewhat after halftime, but the Americans shifted into higher gear seemingly at will, flummoxing the Antigua and Barbuda defense. Working the left flank repeatedly, the Americans continued to generate chances that were either deflected, saved or, in the case of Gomez’s 59th-minute strike, clanged off the crossbar.

Just when the United States seemed ready to cruise to victory, however, a defensive gaffe by the substitute defender Oguchi Onyewu freed striker Peter Byers, who went in alone on goal. Goalkeeper Tim Howard could not stop Byers’s close-range shot, and Antigua and Barbuda found itself trailing by a single goal deep into the second half.

A hush fell over the crowd as it considered the possibility that the 105th-ranked team in the world might be rallying. Shaky defending from the United States only added to the drama.

But the silence turned to cheers when Gomez pounced on a deflected shot and sent a right-footed blast into the net. That goal gave the Americans a 3-1 lead, and deflated their opponents.

The final score was not a true indication of how much the Americans dominated the action, though it was an indictment of the team’s inability to finish its chances and its vulnerability on the back line.

The Americans’ next qualifier is Tuesday night in Guatemala.

“Three points is the starting point we wanted to have, and we have that,” Klinsmann said of the win. “We know we have to step it up a lot when we go to Guatemala, which we will do. We have to give Guatemala a real fight.”

Stony Brook University Researchers Develop Groundbreaking New Graphene-Based MRI Contrast Agent

Stony Brook, NY | Posted on June 7th, 2012

The MRI, the technology for which was invented at Stony Brook University by Professor Paul Lauterbur, is one of the most powerful and central techniques in diagnostic medicine and biomedical research used primarily to render anatomical details for improved diagnosis of many pathologies and diseases. Currently, most MRI procedures use gadolinium-based contrast agents to improve the visibility and definition of disease detection. However, recent studies have shown harmful side effects, such as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, stemming from the use of this contrast agent in some patients, forcing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to place restrictions on the clinical use of gadolinium. Further, most MRI contrast agents are not suitable for extended-residence-intravascular (blood pool), or tissue (organ)-specific imaging, and do not allow molecular imaging.

To address the need for an MRI contrast agent that demonstrates greater effectiveness and lower toxicity, Dr. Sitharaman developed a novel high-performance graphene-based contrast agent that may replace the gadolinium-based agent which is widely used by physicians today. "A graphene-based contrast agent can allow the same clinical MRI performance at substantially lower dosages," said Dr. Sitharaman. The project is a Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Translational Research Award winner and the recipient of a two-year translational grant to study preclinical safety and efficacy.

"The technology will lower health care costs by reducing the cost per dose as well as the number of doses required," noted Dr. Sitharaman. "Further, since this new MRI contrast agent will substantially improve disease detection by increasing sensitivity and diagnostic confidence, it will enable earlier treatment for many diseases, which is less expensive, and of course more effective for diseases such as cancer."

The new graphene-based imaging contrast agent is also the focus of Dr. Sitharaman's start-up company, Theragnostic Technologies, Inc., which was incorporated in early 2012. The ongoing development of this technology is supported by industry expert and business advisor, Shahram Hejazi, and clinical experts Kenneth Shroyer, MD, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Pathology, Stony Brook University, and William Moore, MD, Chief of Thoracic Imaging, and Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Stony Brook University. Co-authors of the article include Department of Biomedical Engineering research assistants Bhavna Paratala, Barry Jacobson and Shruti Kanakia; and Leonard Deepak Francis from the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory in Portugal.

Dr. Sitharaman's research team focuses their interests at the interface of bionanotechnology, regenerative and molecular medicine. They seek to "synergize" the advancements in each of these fields to develop a dynamic research program that tackles problems related to the diagnosis and treatment of disease and tissue regeneration. Dr. Sitharaman received his BS with Honors from the Indian Institute of Technology and his PhD from Rice University, where he also completed his postdoctoral work as a J. Evans Attwell-Welch Postdoctoral Fellowship recipient.

Red Sox trade possibilities

The Red Sox are in last place in the AL East, but they are two games above .500 and just three games behind the first-place Rays. Globe national baseball reporter Nick Cafardo suggested Sunday that the Red Sox could be both buyers and sellers at this year's trade deadline. Even two months away from the deadline, there has been heavy speculation about trading Sox stalwart Kevin Youkilis.

Click through this gallery to see the latest on Youkilis, and a look at some players who could be available on the trade market and fit the Red Sox' needs.

Megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar arrested

ATLANTA—Megachurch pastor and televangelist Creflo Dollar -- who has drawn scrutiny for his flashy lifestyle and preaching that prosperity is good -- was arrested early Friday after authorities say he slightly hurt his 15-year-old daughter in a fight at his metro Atlanta home.

Fayette County Sheriff's deputies responded to a call of domestic violence at the home in unincorporated Fayette County around 1 a.m., said investigator Brent Rowan. The pastor and his daughter were arguing over whether she could go to a party when Dollar "got physical" with her, leaving her with "superficial injuries," Rowan said.

The 15-year-old was the one who called authorities, and her 19-year-old sister corroborated the story, Rowan said.

Dollar faces misdemeanor charges of simple battery and cruelty to children. He bonded out of Fayette County jail Friday morning.

"As a father I love my children and I always have their best interest at heart at all times, and I would never use my hand to ever cause bodily harm to my children," Dollar said in a statement released by his lawyer Nikki Bonner. "The facts in this case will be handled privately to further protect my children. My family thanks you for your prayers and continued support."

Dollar will make no further comments since he's involved in the ongoing criminal matter, but he is expected to preach Sunday, Bonner said.

The 50-year-old leads the Creflo Dollar Ministries and is the pastor for World Changers Church International in the Atlanta suburb of College Park, which serves nearly 30,000 members, according to the church's website. World Changers Church-New York hosts over 6,000 worshippers each week, the website says. Four satellite churches are located in Georgia along with others in Los Angeles, Indianapolis, Washington, Cleveland, Dallas and Houston.

He and his wife Taffi, a co-pastor at the church, have five children, according to the website.

Dollar is a native of College Park and says he received a vision for World Changers Ministries Christian Center in 1986. He held the first service, in front of only eight people, in the cafeteria of Kathleen Mitchell Elementary School in College Park, the website says.

His ministry grew quickly, moved into a modest-sized chapel and was renamed World Changers Church International. The church moved into its present location, an 8,500-seat sanctuary called the World Dome, on Dec. 24, 1995.

Dollar said in a 2007 interview with The Associated Press that he renounced his salary from the church, and his income only comes from personal investments, including a real estate residential property business and horse breeding company called Dollar Ranch. He's published more than 30 books, focusing mostly on family and life issues, including debt management.

"I stopped taking a salary," he said. "But no one ask the question, `Where are you getting your money from?' Well, I have boxes of invitations to speak. At first, I was glad to preach for anyone. What I didn't know was I received a love offering for preaching. Back then, it was for $25 bucks. But over the years, people began to appreciate what I was bringing to them."