Monday, June 30, 2014

Question: How to get a smaller upper body and bigger lower body?

Okay so I'm asking this question off my cousins account since she is already logged into yahoo. So I am 5'7 and I weigh 164lbs during this year I've lost more than 30lbs (yea Ik I'm pretty fat still) but it's not like flabby fat. I do volleyball so most of it is muscle. I have a smaller upper and bigger lower but I want it to be more noticeable. So can u guys give me some exercises and amount of reps to do, foods to eat, foods not to eat and how many times a week to workout. I want a noticeable difference by August 9 because that's when I go to a resort and I want to have a nice body. Is that a reasonable amount of time?



If you don't have answers to all of the questions may you at least answer 1.







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Question: I need gain weight.! But I have a fast metabolism! How do I gain weight.?

Im 14 and i have a really fast metabolism!!! So I can't really gain weight or fat.! I'm 75 pounds and 4'9-5'0. People always tell me to eat more and eating more doesn't work for me.! What they don't know is i eat A LOT its not like i eat only junk and stuff. Also if I gain like 5 pounds in a week the next day I lose it all.!! I workout sometimes, like running or exercise. I do that cause I'm trying to grow/get taller. And I'm also in cheerleading, I'm the flyer.! So what can I do.? Extra info is that I haven't even grown my breast yet. All it want is just to gain Like 30 pounds and don't lose it.! And sometimes I hate my life cuz I can't fit in teen clothes yet.







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Question: Can I get big at 130lbs?

I don't see the point of getting to 150-160lbs before lifting, it would only make you gain fat that you would have to get rid off (if you want be somewhat ''ripped'') Anyway start to lift now, and start to eat more... now. You need a caloric surplus to gain weight, aim to gain 0.5 to 1lbs a week.







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Question: Whats the easiest way to lose weight?

If you are looking for an easy way to lose weight and quickly this article has 5 really good tips http://ift.tt/1iNT8ma...

One of the tips are..

Step 1: Eat Right Stop eating crap. You know what I’m talking about – the soda, the desserts, the chips, the beer. Look, I love those things as much as the next person, but the fact is you don’t very many people with great abs guzzling soda and chomping chips.



Clean up your diet. Avoid alcohol. Don’t eat empty calories. Focus on protein and fat consumption. Don’t eat deep-fried anything. Have a vegetable and fruit at every meal. Give your body the nutrition it needs to build a body you can be proud of.



Cut your calories down to 1000 – 1200 per day. You will lose weight at this caloric intake, especially when we add activity to the routine

The article is called Melt Fat Fast so it might be something you want to take a look at







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Question: How long should I start out at the gym working out when i'm obese?

Yes! An hour is perfect! Run for about 15 on the treadmill and the rest, do cardio! The more you push yourself, the more calories you burn so naturally, you will feel like you are running out of breath. With time, you will learn how to control your breath while running. Pace yourself when doing cardio. Whenever you are doing push ups, sit ups etc, remember to breath! You should try FitnessBlender on Youtube. Their videos are great.







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Question: I'm 5 feet 7 and weigh 125, should I focus on cardio or using weights?

So I know according to the BMI I am at a normal weight for my height, but this is the most I've ever weighed and all of extra fat has just gone to my mid-section and thighs. I ...show more



Update : And yes, I'm eating better. I got crazy over winter eating lots of ...show more







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Question: How can i loose dramtic weight quickly!?

I have under 1 month to loose weight and get toned

I'm about 5foot 6 and weigh 200 lbs.....I'm rolly and have thunder thighs, I usually wear an 18....I need to loose weight in under a month! I want a flat stomach and small thighs but how!

Please could you leave me an exercise plan for everyday of the week I can easily follow to achieve dramatic results

Thanks!







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Question: How can I lose my belly fat before the end of july?

So I have a little belly fat so I was wondering how could I lose it I also have a six pack under all of it because u can still see it . I used to run track 1st grade through 5th. 6 grade I was slacking wasnt going to practice or anything I was in great shape also. Then I just stopped by 7th grade I had a little belly fat coming but you could still see my abs but now 8th grade its horrible I have belly fat and my boobs have gotten bigger I hate it and I'm going on a trip at the end of july to disney world with my bestfriends I dont want to be ashamed to go to the pool any tip on how to lose it by the end of july?







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Question: Can someone please help me-I can't stop gaining weight?!!?!?

Hey guys! I'm so discouraged I just don't know what to do. I'm 17 years old, 5'1'' and currently weigh 130 pounds. I'm so depressed because I've been trying to loose weight and all I do is gain weight. I work out everyday, and at first I only cut junk food out of my diet and that didn't work, so then I only ate whole grains and fruit and vegetables and was careful to not go over 1000 calories a day, and I still gained weight off of that, so now recently I only ate fresh fruit and vegetables and water and I STILL gain weight!! I don't understand it, all my friends can eat french fries and burgers and be fine but I eat literally almost nothing and I just keep packing on the pounds. What is going on!?!?!? It didn't used to be like this by the way, just a year ago I could eat a whole box of chocolate and not gain a pound. The only thing I could think of that has changed is that I had jaw surgery last summer and so I tried to gain weight right before since I knew I'd be on an all liquid diet for a long time and it took a lot of effort just to get myself to 128 pounds, and then after my surgery obviously I lost a lot of weight, I got down to 116 pounds but as soon as I could eat again I just went back to my regular diet (which is usually pretty healthy by the way) and I just started gaining weight like crazy and it's been the same ever since. I don't know what to do and I'm so depressed.



Please, anyone with ANY insight whatsoever help me out?







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Patients recruited for vital studies on Saudi MERS virus - Fox News

A man wearing a mask walks outside Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz hospital, in Riyadh.REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser







Saudi Arabia says it has recruited patients for a crucial study on the source of the deadly MERS virus, acknowledging it is late but pledging more work on the epidemic after international criticism of its slow response.



Scientists and global public health experts have faulted Saudi Arabia's response for allowing the spread of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, which has now killed nearly 300 people inside the kingdom.



Among Riyadh's failings has been the lack of a type of research known as a "case-control" study, which compares the histories of people with a disease to a "control group" of people who do not have it, to try to determine what causes it.



The kingdom's chief scientist, Tariq Madani, said the study was now under way, having so far enrolled the first 10 "cases" - people who had the disease and either died or recovered - alongside 40 "controls" to compare them with. Ideally, the study would look at 20 cases and 80 controls, he said.



He hoped it would at last answer questions about how the virus passes from animals to humans, where it can cause respiratory disease and fever, and kills more than a third of people known to contract it.



Critics



The World Health Organization (WHO) and other critics say the Saudi failure to properly investigate the causes of the disease, including the absence of a case-control study, contributed to the virus taking hold there and spreading via travelers to some 20 countries around the world.



Madani, named two months ago to head a scientific advisory board at a new health ministry Command and Control Center (CCC) to handle MERS, said the case-control study was a central part of a "180 degree" reversal in policy, to step up the fight against the disease and make the response more transparent.



"(This) should have been done long ago, but unfortunately it wasn't. So it was the top priority research project we started with," he said in a telephone interview from Jeddah.



"It will answer many questions regarding the risk factors for acquiring MERS - particularly in the primary cases where there is no clear source of infection such as contact with somebody else with MERS."



Saudi Arabia sacked its previous health minister in April and his deputy in May as negative domestic opinion and global concern grew about the response to MERS.



Madani said the new control center at the health ministry was coordinating the response across government departments and laboratories, and with international partners.



"Until two months ago, I was one of the scientists who had a lot of concerns about what was going on in the kingdom - a lack of transparency, the lack of a case-control study, etc," he said.



"I was appointed two months ago to address all of these concerns, and now we have changed 180 degrees. We are fully committed to transparency, our research agenda is open to everybody to comment on and to help with."



"Primary cases"



To help determine how MERS spreads from animals to humans, the case-control study is designed to exclude "secondary cases" of people who were likely to have caught it from other human patients, Madani said.



"Our target was to identify the primary cases by excluding those who had contact with people with MERS or who visited healthcare facilities, and even those who had contact with somebody who visited a healthcare facility, or those who had contact with somebody who had an unexplained respiratory illness that might have been MERS," he said.



The team conducting the study includes several international scientists - including experts who helped develop the WHO's guidance for a case-control study on MERS, which was issued to affected countries in March.



The WHO's guidance calls for including only adults in the study, and says data should be stored in a secure database in the country in which it is collected and that individuals' identities should be protected.



The 22-page guidance also includes almost four pages of questions that study subjects or their relatives should be asked about contact with animals: For example, whether during a visit to a farm with livestock they fed animals, cleaned animal housing or farm equipment, slaughtered animals, assisted with animal births, milked camels, or kissed or hugged camels.



Madani said the case-control study was the centrepiece of a 25-study research agenda, including analyses of interactions between humans and animals, detailed studies of outbreaks in hospitals, and investigation into what treatment strategies are likely to be the most effective.



"We have developed a research agenda of 25 research projects, and 16 of them are currently underway," he said, adding that some 120 scientists in are working on the MERS projects in the kingdom.



"We are trying to mobilize our resources to address and answer questions that have not been answered until now, and also to give support and the best care to patients with MERS."










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3 things food safety experts never eat - USA TODAY





A man grills hamburgers and sausages in Decatur, Ga.(Photo: Michael A. Schwarz, USA TODAY)





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Doug Powell doesn't bring wine when he's invited to dinner.



He brings a food thermometer.



As a food safety scientist and creator of barfblog.com, Powell knows way too much about the dangers of undercooked meat to take chances on the barbecue.



So he brings a food thermometer to every summer cookout. "I don't get invited to dinner much," he says.



With the Fourth of July approaching, Powell and other food safety experts talked to USA TODAY about ways to make sure people leave their summer barbecues as healthy as they arrived.



Pork loin with raspberry chipotle glaze is smoked on a grill in this May 27, 2007, photo.(Photo: Larry Crowe, AP)





• Always use a meat thermometer, Powell says. With practice, people can learn to stick them in burgers without slicing the patties in half. "Pick the meat up with tongs and insert the thermometer sideways, or through the top," Powell suggests. Beef hamburgers should reach 160 degrees to kill germs, says Benjamin Chapman, assistant professor of food safety at North Carolina State University and a food safety specialist at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Temperature matters far more than color when it comes to meat, Chapman says; even thoroughly browned burgers can harbor bugs. "I was not a popular person at a family cookout a few years back when I insisted we 'temp' the chicken as we grilled in the rain," says Donald Schaffner, a professor and extension specialist at Rutgers University in New Jersey. "But nobody got sick."



A produce manager holds a cut cantaloupe at a Denver supermarket on Friday, July 13, 2012.(Photo: Ed Andrieski, AP)





• Slice your own cantaloupes. Although cantaloupes are loaded with vitamins, they've also caused some of the biggest outbreaks of food-borne illness in recent years. More than 260 people were sickened in a salmonella outbreak in 2012; nearly 100 were hospitalized and three died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cantaloupes spread disease more easily than watermelon or honeydew because their soft, bumpy skins soak up bacteria like a sponge, Powell says. Washing doesn't help, and cutting through the outer rind allows bacteria to infect the edible portion of the melon. While people don't have to stop eating cantaloupes, they should keep sliced portions refrigerated, because cold temperatures slow bacterial growth. But stores are asking for trouble when they slice melons in half, wrap them in plastic and leave them at room temperature in the produce aisle, Powell says: "This is microbiological disaster waiting to happen."



• Use a cooler — for cantaloupe, potato salad or other picnic foods. "Bacteria will grow if left out at warm temperatures long enough," Powell says.



• But don't be afraid of mayonnaise. The egg-based spread has gotten a bad rap, and some people have been afraid to take it on summer picnics. But "commercial mayo uses pasteurized eggs and has high levels of vinegar," whose acid content helps control bacteria, Powell says. Homemade mayo, on the other hand, could be riskier.



Commercially prepared mayonnaise used in potato salad carries little health risk.(Photo: Renee Comet)





• Don't wash poultry and other meat. "It just spreads bugs," Powell says.



So are there any foods these three food experts won't touch?



• Sprouts. Seeds and beans need warm, humid conditions to sprout and grow. So do bacteria, such as salmonella, listeria and E. coli. Raw or lightly cooked sprouts have caused at least 30 reported outbreaks of food-borne illness since 1996, according to FoodSafety.gov. Home-grown sprouts are no safer, because the bacteria can be found in the seeds themselves. So no matter how clean your house, bacteria can grow to dangerous levels. "Some providers test seed and provide sufficient controls, but consumers have no way of knowing which sprouts are good or not," Powell says.



In this June 5, 2011 file picture bean sprouts are photographed in Berlin, Germany.(Photo: Gero Breloer, AP)





• Raw shellfish. Even a fancy dish such as raw oysters, served in high-end restaurants, can pose a huge risk, Powell says, because they can be exposed to raw waste while under water. "The bacteria Vibrio found on raw oysters produces a toxin that attacks vulnerable livers," Powell says. "Raw shellfish is risky."



In this Monday, Sept. 12, 2013 file photo, an oyster cultivator holds oyster seed before spreading it into the waters of Duxbury Bay in Duxbury, Mass.(Photo: Stephan Savoia, AP)





• Raw milk. Some advocates of unpasteurized milk say it's healthier because it contains natural microorganisms that strengthen the immune system. Unfortunately, raw milk also can also contain dangerous bacteria, including salmonella, listeria, campylobacter and brucella, according to the CDC. Younger children, old people and those with weak immune systems are most at risk. "Getting sick from raw milk can mean many days of diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting," the CDC says. "Less commonly, it can mean kidney failure, paralysis, chronic disorders and even death."



By selling shares in his Jerseys, Brian Harville produces raw milk for his customers at his Wilson County dairy farm in Tennessee.(Photo: Larry McCormack, Gannett)





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Down 120 pounds, she's running but not hiding - WJXT Jacksonville

(CNN) -It was supposed to be her birthday getaway, but it ended up being a miserable trip.



Sarah Evans took two weeks off for her 30th birthday in September 2012 to visit Las Vegas with her best friends. Yet she couldn't enjoy herself because of constant thigh chafing -- "I went through an entire bottle of Gold Bond powder" -- and she hated how she looked in every photo.



"All these girls were enjoying themselves in bikinis poolside, and there I was, trying to cover up and hide," she remembers.



Evans decided then and there that she was going to enjoy her future birthdays.



The 5-foot-4 Shreveport, Louisiana, resident weighed 248 pounds at the time, which she attributes to a lifetime of bad eating habits.



"Growing up in the South, eating large portions at every meal was a must," she said. "Breakfast included bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes and biscuits. Lunch was some sort of fast food, and dinner included a three-course meal of fritters for appetizers, fried chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and corn bread."



Then, of course, there was creamy banana pudding or homemade apple pie for dessert.



Evans downloaded the "Couch to 5K" app and set two goals: run a 5K without stopping and lose 30 to 40 pounds.



"When I started the program, I couldn't run more than 30 seconds," she wrote in her iReport. "Now I'm running two or three 5Ks a week. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with running."



She soon added CrossFit classes and other forms of cardio into the mix, meeting her original goal and steadily setting new ones, like getting below 200 pounds and improving her 5K time.



Slowly but surely, she was taking back her life.



"Trying to stick to this routine has taught me the importance of encouraging myself, because I didn't have a support system in the beginning," Evans said.



She also switched to a low-carb diet. Now, she typically eats yogurt, hard boiled eggs and turkey bacon for breakfast; chicken salad or tuna for lunch; steak, fish with kale or baked chicken with green vegetables for dinner; and cheese slices, nuts or Jell-O for a snack.



She will take the occasional weekend off from her diet, though.



"It's what you do consistently that matters," she said.



By May of this year, Evans was down to 128 pounds, a 120-pound transformation.



Despite being at it for almost two years and surpassing her goals, Evans said she still has good days and bad days.



"I still have my demons internally that I'm still working through, and even though I have lost weight, I look in the mirror and see flaws," she said.



Running, she believes, has been key to her weight loss success. Her routine often has her in bed at 9 p.m. and waking up at 3:30 a.m. to start on cardio and weight training at the gym. She then runs or takes fitness classes five nights a week.



"We all have things we secretly want to try, but we either don't have the courage, don't have anybody to do it with, or we can't physically do it," she said. "I always wanted to run a 5K but couldn't walk a mile without dying. Now I love running! I don't have to worry about breathing heavy after 30 seconds."










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Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO), MannKind Corporation (MNKD), American Apparel Inc ... - Tech Insider

Today’s most notable movers are Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO), MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) and American Apparel Inc (NYSEMKT:APP), according to Bloomberg.



As a result of a Piper Jaffray Cos. Buy recommendation on Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO), the company’s stock gained 1.9%. Piper Jaffray upgraded the stock from neutral to overweight because it views the company’s stake in Alibaba, which will soon have its initial public offering, to be undervalued. According to the firm, Yahoo! Inc.’s (NASDAQ:YHOO) stake in the Chinese firm will likely reflect a more realistic valuation as the IPO date comes nearer. Analysts Gene Munster and Douglas Clinton said in a note that though their firm view’s the once-formidable internet company’s core business to be challenged, it’s stake in Alibaba will likely make up for this deficiency. Piper Jaffray also indicated a price target of $43 on Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) stock, up $6 from $37.



Meanwhile, MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) rose 11%. The company has had its inhaled insulin approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday. The approval of the drug named Afrezza comes with the caveat that the drug be labeled with a box warning to tell asthma and other serious lung disease sufferers to not use the drug. MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) stock was suffering its worst week in two months before the FDA approval.



As for American Apparel Inc (NYSEMKT:APP), the stock fell 19% after the company thwarted a plan by overthrown CEO Dov Charney to hold an investors meeting. According to American Apparel Inc (NYSEMKT:APP), Charney does not have the power to hold such a meeting. The controversial CEO was ousted from the company by its Board of Directors earlier this month.







Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) shareholders includes Paul Tudor Jones’ Tudor Investment Corp which reported 438,281 shares in the technology company by the end of March. Another shareholder is Millennium Management Subsidiary’s Blue Arrow Capital Management which had 417,121 also in that period.



MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) investors includes Kevin C. Tang’s Tang Capital Management which reported, by the end of the first quarter, 1.8 million shares. Another investor is Glenn Russell Dubin’s Highbridge Capital Management which reported about 1.52 million shares in MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD).



Hedge funds which have stakes in American Apparel Inc (NYSEMKT:APP) includes Michael Kao’s Akanthos Capital which reported about 1.87 million shares in the company by the end of the first quarter of the year. Another shareholder is Mark N. Diker’s Diker Management which had 1.5 million shares in the company by the end of March.



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Kids with ADHD more likely to abuse drugs - CBS News

Children suffering from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more than twice as likely to try and abuse drugs, a new analysis finds.



However, that does not mean that the medications that are prescribed to treat the most common childhood disorder in the United States play a part in that increased risk.



In fact, "one of the main points [of the finding] is that treating ADHD both with behavioral techniques and medications seems to lower the risk of substance abuse," said analysis co-author Dr. Sharon Levy, director of the adolescent substance abuse program at Boston Children's Hospital.



Although stimulants used to treat ADHD can be addictive, there is no evidence that using them increases the risk of substance abuse, Levy said.



These medications include amphetamines, such as Adderall or Dexedrine, and methylphenidates, like Concerta, Metadate CD or Ritalin.



Levy did caution that these stimulant medications can sometimes be misused. Up to 23 percent of school-aged children are approached to sell, buy or trade their ADHD medications, the researchers noted.



"Pediatricians need to make a careful diagnosis before prescribing and use safe prescribing practices and counseling to minimize diversion and misuse of these drugs," Levy said.



The analysis of existing medical literature was published online June 30 and in the July print issue of the journal Pediatrics.



Dr. Michael Duchowny, a pediatric neurologist at Miami Children's Hospital, said, "Children with ADHD need to be counseled about the risk of substance abuse."



Although the association between ADHD and the risk of substance abuse is known, the reasons for the increased risk aren't, he said. And while the new study found an association, it did not prove cause-and-effect.



"Obviously, the medications that are used to treat ADHD have the potential for abuse, but the vast majority of children with ADHD do not develop a substance abuse problem," Duchowny said. "More research has to be done to find out why some children are more susceptible than others."



It is possible that the same biology that causes ADHD also puts some children at a higher risk for substance abuse, he added.



Other social factors may also contribute to increased risk, the researchers noted.



Among these are that children with ADHD are more likely to struggle in school and turn to drugs to escape anxiety about their difficulties.



Having problems in school may also put these kids with others who have problems and are also at risk for alcohol and drug use, the researchers noted.



"Parents need to be aware that the medications prescribed for ADHD have the potential for abuse. They also have to be aware of the symptoms of substance abuse, and distinguish those from ADHD," Duchowny said.



"Counseling is important, and awareness is the key to preventing the problems," he added.



Dr. Robert Dicker is associate director of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital, in Glen Oaks, N.Y. He said that "special care is needed in treating children who have both ADHD and a substance use disorder. Attention should also be paid to utilizing the stimulant medications with the lowest relative abuse potential or the use of nonstimulant medications."



In the United States, 8 percent of all children have been diagnosed with ADHD.





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Evangelical Soccer Star Keylor Navas Helps Costa Rica Advance to World Cup Quarterfinals; Gives God the Glory

By Jessica Martinez , CP Reporter

June 30, 2014|12:26 pm



While the goalkeeper for Costa Rica's national soccer team is being revered for leading his team's victory against Greece on Sunday, Keylor Navas is giving glory to God and credits his efforts to his strong Christian faith.



Navas helped Costa Rica secure a spot in the World Cup's quarterfinals for the first time in the team's history after knocking away a penalty kick from Greece in a move that he says was made for God, his family, teammates and country.



"I talk to God and ask Him to help me. I tell Him that everything I say and do in the game is for His glory and I ask Him to put me an angel on each side, in each post, and behind me so that everything can turn out fine," said Navas, according to Spanish news outlet Protestante Digital.



Known to be an unabashed evangelical Christian, Navas kneels on the soccer field's sidelines with arms lifted up before each game without regard for what others may say or think about him.



He also noted that his faith-based outlook derives from his favorite biblical passage found in Galatians 1:10 ("Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."), which he says has helped him become one of the most respected goalkeepers in the world.



"People can oftentimes mock me because of my belief in God and many times they insult me when I kneel to pray in many stadiums," said Navas. "If I cared what people thought of me, I would forget to embrace that passage … What God says about me is the most important thing and that passage has changed my life …"



At just 26 years old, Navas is being sought after by international soccer teams Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal for his unparalleled skills on the field. However, despite his success, Navas says he never forgets to thank God for being at the current height of his career and says he sees his job as an opportunity that he never wants to take for granted.



"God has given me health and a great job that I shouldn't take advantage of. I'm not going to sit on the couch in my house and expect everything to come, I know that I must continue to work hard …," said Navas.



In addition to playing soccer, Navas who is married with a daughter, spends time volunteering for Christian organizations and notes that it is important for him to create a personal balance among his family, church and career.



Costa Rica will play against The Netherlands in the quarterfinals Saturday, July 5 at 4 p.m. ET.





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Ken Ham Says Secular Schools Have Become 'Churches of Atheism' After Energy Group Rejects Homeschooled Graduates



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Patients recruited for vital studies on Saudi MERS virus

By Kate Kelland



LONDON Mon Jun 30, 2014 11:53am EDT





A man wearing a mask walks outside Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz hospital, in Riyadh June 6, 2014.



Credit: Reuters/Faisal Al Nasser







<span id="articleText"><span id="midArticle_start"/> LONDON(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia says it has recruited patients for a crucial study on the source of the deadly MERS virus, acknowledging it is late but pledging more work on the epidemic after international criticism of its slow response.



<span id="midArticle_1"/>Scientists and global public health experts have faulted Saudi Arabia's response for allowing the spread of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, which has now killed nearly 300 people inside the kingdom.



<span id="midArticle_2"/>Among Riyadh's failings has been the lack of a type of research known as a "case-control" study, which compares the histories of people with a disease to a "control group" of people who do not have it, to try to determine what causes it.



<span id="midArticle_3"/>The kingdom's chief scientist, Tariq Madani, said the study was now under way, having so far enrolled the first 10 "cases" - people who had the disease and either died or recovered - alongside 40 "controls" to compare them with. Ideally, the study would look at 20 cases and 80 controls, he said.



<span id="midArticle_4"/>He hoped it would at last answer questions about how the virus passes from animals to humans, where it can cause respiratory disease and fever, and kills more than a third of people known to contract it.



<span id="midArticle_5"/><span id="midArticle_6"/>CRITICS



<span id="midArticle_7"/>The World Health Organization (WHO) and other critics say the Saudi failure to properly investigate the causes of the disease, including the absence of a case-control study, contributed to the virus taking hold there and spreading via travelers to some 20 countries around the world.



<span id="midArticle_8"/>Madani, named two months ago to head a scientific advisory board at a new health ministry Command and Control Center (CCC) to handle MERS, said the case-control study was a central part of a "180 degree" reversal in policy, to step up the fight against the disease and make the response more transparent.



<span id="midArticle_9"/>"(This) should have been done long ago, but unfortunately it wasn't. So it was the top priority research project we started with," he said in a telephone interview from Jeddah.



<span id="midArticle_10"/>"It will answer many questions regarding the risk factors for acquiring MERS - particularly in the primary cases where there is no clear source of infection such as contact with somebody else with MERS."



<span id="midArticle_11"/>Saudi Arabia sacked its previous health minister in April and his deputy in May as negative domestic opinion and global concern grew about the response to MERS.



<span id="midArticle_12"/>Madani said the new control center at the health ministry was coordinating the response across government departments and laboratories, and with international partners.



<span id="midArticle_13"/>"Until two months ago, I was one of the scientists who had a lot of concerns about what was going on in the kingdom - a lack of transparency, the lack of a case-control study, etc," he said.



<span id="midArticle_14"/>"I was appointed two months ago to address all of these concerns, and now we have changed 180 degrees. We are fully committed to transparency, our research agenda is open to everybody to comment on and to help with."



<span id="midArticle_15"/><span id="midArticle_0"/>"PRIMARY CASES"



<span id="midArticle_1"/>To help determine how MERS spreads from animals to humans, the case-control study is designed to exclude "secondary cases" of people who were likely to have caught it from other human patients, Madani said.



<span id="midArticle_2"/>"Our target was to identify the primary cases by excluding those who had contact with people with MERS or who visited healthcare facilities, and even those who had contact with somebody who visited a healthcare facility, or those who had contact with somebody who had an unexplained respiratory illness that might have been MERS," he said.



<span id="midArticle_3"/>The team conducting the study includes several international scientists - including experts who helped develop the WHO's guidance for a case-control study on MERS, which was issued to affected countries in March.



<span id="midArticle_4"/>The WHO's guidance calls for including only adults in the study, and says data should be stored in a secure database in the country in which it is collected and that individuals' identities should be protected.



<span id="midArticle_5"/>The 22-page guidance also includes almost four pages of questions that study subjects or their relatives should be asked about contact with animals: For example, whether during a visit to a farm with livestock they fed animals, cleaned animal housing or farm equipment, slaughtered animals, assisted with animal births, milked camels, or kissed or hugged camels.



<span id="midArticle_6"/>Madani said the case-control study was the centrepiece of a 25-study research agenda, including analyses of interactions between humans and animals, detailed studies of outbreaks in hospitals, and investigation into what treatment strategies are likely to be the most effective.



<span id="midArticle_7"/>"We have developed a research agenda of 25 research projects, and 16 of them are currently underway," he said, adding that some 120 scientists in are working on the MERS projects in the kingdom.



<span id="midArticle_8"/>"We are trying to mobilize our resources to address and answer questions that have not been answered until now, and also to give support and the best care to patients with MERS."



<span id="midArticle_9"/><span id="midArticle_10"/>(Reporting by Kate Kelland, Editing by Peter Graff)



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Dutch eye last four after great Mexican escape

By Gideon Long



FORTALEZA Brazil Mon Jun 30, 2014 12:07pm EDT





Netherlands' national soccer player Wesley Sneijder kicks the ball during a training session in Rio de Janeiro June 30, 2014, after their 2014 World Cup round of 16 match win against Mexico.



Credit: Reuters/Ricardo Moraes







<span id="articleText"><span id="midArticle_start"/> FORTALEZA Brazil (Reuters) - They were minutes away from elimination against Mexico but having pulled off one of the great escapes of the World Cup, the Dutch are in a strong position to reach the semifinals.



<span id="midArticle_1"/>With two minutes to play against the Mexicans in Sunday's second-round clash, Louis van Gaal's side were 1-0 down and heading for the exit.



<span id="midArticle_2"/>But midfielder Wesley Sneijder pulled them level before Klaas-Jan Huntelaar crashed home their winner from the penalty spot in the 94th minute.



<span id="midArticle_3"/>"Orange Miracle" ran the headline in the online edition of leading Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. "The Dutch team stood on the brink of the abyss."



<span id="midArticle_4"/>Several papers analyzed the controversial Dutch penalty that gave them their winner after Arjen Robben went down in the box under a challenge from Mexican captain Rafael Marquez.



<span id="midArticle_5"/>Marquez clearly stepped on Robben's toe as the Dutchman tried to wriggle past him but, not for the first time in the match or his career, Robben made the most of the incident by going down in dramatic style.



<span id="midArticle_6"/>Robben later insisted it was a penalty although admitted to diving earlier in the match, describing his own behavior on that occasion as "stupid".



<span id="midArticle_7"/>The Dutch now face Costa Rica on Saturday in Salvador, scene of their 5-1 demolition of defending champions Spain in their opening match of the tournament.



<span id="midArticle_8"/>And although they will be wary of the Central Americans, they will be overwhelming favorites to beat them.



<span id="midArticle_9"/>Costa Rica, one of the biggest surprises of the tournament so far, had defender Oscar Duarte sent off and he will be suspended for the quarter-final. They will also probably be without fellow defender Roy Miller, who has a hamstring injury.



<span id="midArticle_10"/>Their gruelling defeat of Greece in a penalty shootout on Sunday may also take its toll. They played for nearly an hour with 10 men and over the full match covered a remarkable 131 kilometers (80 miles) of ground between them.



<span id="midArticle_11"/>Van Gaal's main injury worry is to key midfielder Nigel de Jong, who had to be substituted after just nine minutes against the Mexicans.



<span id="midArticle_12"/>"It's a groin injury," Van Gaal said. "He is one of the most important elements in the team, so that was a big drawback, a big setback for us."



<span id="midArticle_13"/>On the plus side, defender Bruno Martins Indi made a successful return for the Dutch having missed their previous match with concussion.



<span id="midArticle_14"/>Robin van Persie had an unusually quiet match against the Mexicans and was substituted late on, but Van Gaal confirmed the striker was not injured.



<span id="midArticle_15"/>"I took him off for tactical reasons," he said.



<span id="midArticle_0"/><span id="midArticle_1"/>(Reporting By Gideon; editing by William Schomberg)



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Pistorius had no mental disorder at time of shooting: report

By Siyabonga Sishi



PRETORIA Mon Jun 30, 2014 12:01pm EDT





South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius reacts in the dock during his murder trial in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria June 30, 2014.



Credit: Reuters/Phill Magakoe/Pool







<span id="articleText"><span id="midArticle_start"/> PRETORIA (Reuters) - Oscar Pistorius, the South African sprinter on trial for murder for shooting his girlfriend, was not suffering from a mental condition at the time she was killed, a psychiatric report said on Monday.



<span id="midArticle_1"/>Pistorius, who competed in the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics, has admitted to shooting dead his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, but maintains he mistook her for an intruder hiding in his toilet in an upmarket Pretoria suburb.



<span id="midArticle_2"/>The trial, which began in March, took a month-long break to allow the 27-year-old to undergo tests at Pretoria's Weskoppies hospital after a forensic psychologist brought by the defense testified he had an anxiety disorder.



<span id="midArticle_3"/>The defense has only a few more witnesses to call before the trial reaches the verdict stage.



<span id="midArticle_4"/>Judge Thokozile Masipa said it was important to find out whether the condition affected his criminal responsibility.



<span id="midArticle_5"/>"At the time of the alleged offences, the accused did not suffer from a mental disorder or mental defect that affected his ability to distinguish between the rightful or wrongful nature of his deeds," Prosecutor Gerrie Nel read from a report submitted to the court.



<span id="midArticle_6"/>Both Nel and defense lawyer Barry Roux accepted the findings of a panel of psychiatrists and psychologists after 30 days of evaluation.



<span id="midArticle_7"/><span id="midArticle_8"/>SOUND EXPERT



<span id="midArticle_9"/>During the trial, prosecutors have tried to paint a picture of a self-obsessed Pistorius who knowingly killed his law graduate girlfriend as she cowered behind a locked bathroom door. Pistorius could face a life sentence if found guilty of the shooting on Valentine's Day last year.



<span id="midArticle_10"/>Following the assessment report, Pistorius' defense called sound expert Ivan Lin, who questioned whether neighbors 177 meters (193 yards) away could have heard screams coming from the toilet, or identified them as a man or woman.



<span id="midArticle_11"/>"At 177 meters away, if the scream was from the toilet, it is highly unlikely that the listener can hear the screams, let alone interpret the sound source reliably," he said



<span id="midArticle_12"/>Lin's testimony, which is yet to be cross-examined, comes after state witness and Pistorius neighbor Michelle Burger testified that she was woken in the middle of the night by "bloodcurdling screams" from a woman, followed by shots.



<span id="midArticle_13"/>Pistorius competed against able-bodied sprinters on carbon-fibre prosthetics, becoming one of the most recognized names in athletics. Besides a clutch of Paralympic medals, he reached the semi-finals of the 400m at the London 2012 Olympics.



<span id="midArticle_14"/><span id="midArticle_15"/>(Writing by Helen Nyambura-Mwaura and Tiisetso Motsoeneng; Editing by Ed Cropley and Tom Heneghan)



<span id="midArticle_16"/>

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Feinberg Details Plan To Compensate Victims In GM Recall

i i

hide captionGM has released details about its compensation fund for victims of a fatal safety flaw in its ignition switches. The Chevrolet Cobalt is one of several GM models that were recalled over the flaw.





David Zalubowski/AP<img data-original="http://ift.tt/1k6XSOn; title="GM has released details about its compensation fund for victims of a fatal safety flaw in its ignition switches. The Chevrolet Cobalt is one of several GM models that were recalled over the flaw." alt="GM has released details about its compensation fund for victims of a fatal safety flaw in its ignition switches. The Chevrolet Cobalt is one of several GM models that were recalled over the flaw."/>



GM has released details about its compensation fund for victims of a fatal safety flaw in its ignition switches. The Chevrolet Cobalt is one of several GM models that were recalled over the flaw.



David Zalubowski/AP



A fund established by GM to pay claims related to defective ignition switches won't limit claim amounts and will include people who have already settled a case with the carmaker. Those and other details about the long-awaited compensation plan were announced by plan administrator Kenneth Feinberg today.



"GM basically has said, whatever it costs to pay all eligible claims under the protocol, they will pay it," Feinberg said.



The ignition switch safety flaw that made GM cars and SUVs lose power – and consequently, the use of their airbags and power steering – has been blamed for at least 13 deaths and many more injuries. It also caused the recall of millions of cars with model years between 2003 and 2011.



While some claims would likely yield payments of thousands of dollars, Feinberg said that others, for death or catastrophic injury, could bring payments in the millions.



The plan was unveiled in Washington, D.C., today; a website explaining the program has been created to let people submit claims either online or by downloading forms and mailing them in.



GM says claims can be submitted between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31 of this year. There is no fee to file a claim.



Here are some details from today's announcement:


  • The program would require people who are satisfied with their claim's outcome to waive their right to sue GM.

  • Those who already settled a related case against GM can file a claim; the administrator "will take into account and offset any prior payments made by GM."

  • Feinberg – not GM – will determine who's eligible for compensation and how much money they should get. The car company won't be able to appeal, and the fund is not capped with a monetary limit.

  • Driver negligence – "e.g. intoxication, speeding, etc." — is "irrelevant" under the program.

  • Claims for property damage won't be eligible.

  • Claims for emotional or psychological harm aren't eligible.

  • Eligible claims will be processed and paid within 3-6 months after they're completed.







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BRAZIL BEAT: Argentina Coach Won't Reveal Lineup

SAO PAULO (AP) — Each time Alejandro Sabella was asked Monday about his lineup — and there were many attempts in different manners — he politely declined.



No hints whatsoever about Tuesday's second-round World Cup match with Switzerland, and no predictions about what style each team might play.



Sabella is preparing Lionel Messi and Argentina to attack a swarming Switzerland defense. The coach must decide whether to go with Ezequiel Lavezzi in a three-man front missing striker Sergio Aguero. An injured left thigh muscle forced him to leave in the first half of Argentina's 3-2 win over Nigeria last Wednesday.



The coach insists he might still be pondering his 11 players until midnight, and someone suggested he could announce the lineup then.



"I'm not going to say until the last minute. I think until this evening until around midnight I will think about the lineup," Sabella said before his team practiced at Itaquerao Stadium. "You can call me if you have my phone number, but I don't know if I will answer my phone at midnight."



— By Janie McCauley — http://ift.tt/SEdBNr



___



Associated Press reporters will be filing dispatches about happenings in and around Brazil during the 2014 World Cup. Follow AP journalists covering the World Cup on Twitter: http://ift.tt/TKO1Yq










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Obama Seeks Power To Return Immigrant Children

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is asking Congress for increased powers to send unaccompanied children from Central American back from the U.S. border to the countries they're trying to flee illegally.



In a letter to congressional leaders Monday, Obama also is asking for increased penalties for persons who smuggle immigrants who are vulnerable, such as children.



The letter is the administration's latest response to what the White House has called a, quote, "humanitarian crisis" on the border.



The Border Patrol has apprehended more than 52,000 child immigrants traveling on their own since the start of the 2014 budget year in October.



Obama is also asking for emergency money that would, among other things, help conduct, quote, "an aggressive deterrence strategy focused on the removal and repatriation of recent border crossers."










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Facebook Manipulates Our Moods For Science And Commerce: A Roundup

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hide captionFacebook researchers manipulated newsfeeds of nearly 700,000 users to study "emotional contagion."





iStockPhoto<img data-original="http://ift.tt/1k6XTSE; title="Facebook researchers manipulated newsfeeds of nearly 700,000 users to study "emotional contagion."" alt="Facebook researchers manipulated newsfeeds of nearly 700,000 users to study "emotional contagion.""/>



Facebook researchers manipulated newsfeeds of nearly 700,000 users to study "emotional contagion."



iStockPhoto



So, that happened.



Scientists published a paper revealing that in 2012, Facebook researchers conducted a study into "emotional contagion." The social media company altered the newsfeeds (the main page users land on for a stream of updates from friends) of nearly 700,000 users. Feeds were changed to reflect more "positive" or "negative" content, to determine if seeing more sad messages makes a person sadder.



Monkey See



Lab Rats, One And All: That Unsettling Facebook Experiment







All Tech Considered



Watch This To Put Your Facebook Feed In Perspective







The Two-Way



Facebook Scientists Alter News Feeds, Find Emotions Are Affected By It









The bottom line is newsfeeds were tweaked without warning because Facebook users agreed to the social giant's general terms of data use, and researchers tracked emotional responses of test subjects by judging any subsequent changes in their use of language. It's unclear if you, or I, were tested. As users, the checkbox agreement gave permission for this kind of psychological experimentation.



If that isn't bleak enough, we've reported previously that in a separate study, University of Michigan researchers found the very existence of feeds was making some users sadder.



The Internet is overwhelmingly outraged. "Even the Editor of Facebook's Mood Study Thought It Was Creepy," Adrienne LaFrance wrote, at The Atlantic. If you're just catching up, here are a few reads to consider:



New Statesman: Facebook can manipulate your mood. It can affect whether you vote. When do we start to worry?



Laurie Penny explains that the study's findings are not the point. That Facebook did this is the point, and argues the potential for more is why the research feels so wrong.

"... I am not convinced that the Facebook team knows what it's doing. It does, however, know what it can do — what a platform with access to the personal information and intimate interactions of 1.25 billion users can do.



...



"What the company does now will influence how the corporate powers of the future understand and monetise human emotion. Dr Adam Kramer, the man behind the study and a longtime member of the company's research team, commented in an excited Q & A that 'Facebook data constitutes the largest field study in the history of the world.' The ethics of this situation have yet to be unpacked."





Forbes: Facebook Doesn't Understand The Fuss About Its Emotion Study



Reporter Kashmir Hill has been aggressively reporting this story for Forbes and got a response from Facebook which stipulated that the research was conducted for a single week and none of the data used was associated with any specific user. The Facebook response continues:

"We do research to improve our services and to make the content people see on Facebook as relevant and engaging as possible. A big part of this is understanding how people respond to different types of content, whether it's positive or negative in tone, news from friends, or information from pages they follow. We carefully consider what research we do and have a strong internal review process. There is no unnecessary collection of people's data in connection with these research initiatives and all data is stored securely."





Meanwhile, over on Hacker News, there's a lively debate on whether the response is overblown. You can check out the debate, but its premise is a thought from the venture capitalist and early Internet pioneer Marc Andreessen:



And finally, our pop culture writer Linda Holmes weighed in this morning, in her piece, Lab Rats One and All: That Unsettling Facebook Experiment. She closes with a practical suggestion for Facebook:

"If this kind of experimentation is really OK, if it's really something they believe is within their everyday operations and their existing consent, all they have to do is clarify it. Give people a chance to say yes or no to research that is psychological or sociological in nature that involves not the anonymized use of their data after the fact but the placing of users in control and experimental groups. Just get 'em to say yes or no. If it's really not a big deal, they'll say yes, right? It really seems like a pretty reasonable request."










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Stocks Drift In Holiday-Shortened Week

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock futures are barely moving ahead of the opening bell, as the stock market appears set to close out June with a modest gain.



KEEPING SCORE: A half hour before the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures are down nine points at 16,748.



Standard & Poor's 500 index futures are down less than a point at 1,952, while Nasdaq 100 futures are up two points at 3,833.



The stock market ended last week with a slight loss. But that was a minor setback. The S&P 500 has managed a gain of 1.9 percent in June, despite rising oil prices and signs of tepid economic growth.



A DEAL: Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries announced plans to buy Mexico's Comex Consorcio Comex SA de CV for $2.3 billion. The maker of paints wants to bolster its business in Mexico and Central America. Shares PPG Industries rose $5.95, or 3 percent, to $210 in premarket trading.



DATA: Two snapshots on housing and manufacturing come out Monday. Just after the opening bell, the Institute for Supply Management will release its reading of business activity in the Chicago area. At 10 a.m. EDT, the National Association of Realtors releases its pending home sales index for May.



EUROPE: Major European markets barely budged Monday. France's CAC 40 slipped 0.2 percent, while Germany's DAX added 0.2 percent. The FTSE 100 index of leading British companies was down 0.1 percent.



BONDS AND COMMODITIES: In the market for government bonds, the yield on the 10-year note dipped to 2.52 percent from 2.54 percent late Friday. Bond yields fall when prices rise. The price of crude oil slipped 52 cents to $105.22 a barrel.










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Supreme Court rules against Obama in contraception case - CNN



  • NEW: Justices rule 5-4 in favor of Hobby Lobby

  • Ruling could serve as template for future challenges to Obamacare

  • Issue was whether businesses can opt out of mandate on religious grounds

  • The law required employers to offer insurance benefits for contraception




Washington (CNN) -- Some corporations have religious rights, a deeply divided Supreme Court decided Monday in ruling that certain for-profit companies cannot be required to pay for specific types of contraceptives for their employees.



The 5-4 decision based on ideological lines ended the high court's term with a legal and political setback for a controversial part of President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law.



It also set off a frenzied partisan debate that will continue through the November congressional elections and beyond over religious and reproductive rights.



<a name="em1"/>

Supreme Court rules against Obama

<a name="em2"/>

Pro-choice group: This is discriminatory

<a name="em3"/>

Court rules in favor of Hobby Lobby

<a name="em4"/>

The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court sit for their official photograph on October 8, 2010, at the Supreme Court. Front row, from left: Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Anthony M. Kennedy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Back row, from left: Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Samuel Alito Jr. and Elena Kagan.



In 2005, Chief Justice John G. Roberts was nominated by President George W. Bush to succeed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as an associate justice. After Chief Justice William Rehnquist died, however, Bush named Roberts to the chief justice post. The court has moved to the right during his tenure, although Roberts supplied the key vote to uphold President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.



Justice Antonin Scalia was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 to fill the seat vacated by Justice William Rehnquist when he was elevated to chief justice. A constitutional originalist -- and a colorful orator -- Scalia is a member of the court's conservative wing. He is currently the court's longest-serving justice.



Justice Anthony M. Kennedy was appointed to the court by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. He is a conservative justice but has provided crucial swing votes in many cases, writing the majority opinion, for example, in Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down that state's sodomy law.



Justice Clarence Thomas is the second African-American to serve on the court, succeeding Justice Thurgood Marshall when he was appointed by President George H. W. Bush in 1991. He is a conservative, a strict constructionist who supports states' rights.



Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, she is a strong voice in the court's liberal minority.



Justice Stephen G. Breyer was appointed to the court in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. He is considered a member of the court's liberal minority.



Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2006 and is known as one of the most conservative justices to serve on the court in modern times.



Justice Sonia Sotomayor is the court's first Hispanic and third female justice. She was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009 and is regarded as a resolutely liberal member of the court.



Justice Elena Kagan is the fourth female justice and a member of the court's liberal wing. She was appointed in 2010, at the age of 50, by President Barack Obama and is the court's youngest member.







Photos: Today's Supreme Court





All five conservative justices appointed by Republican presidents ruled in favor of closely held for-profit businesses -- those with at least 50% of stock held by five or fewer people, such as family-owned businesses -- in which the owners have clear religious beliefs.



Contraceptives or abortion?



Both corporations -- Conestoga Wood Specialties of Pennsylvania and Hobby Lobby, an Oklahoma-based arts-and-crafts retail giant -- emphasize their conscientious desire to operate in harmony with biblical principles while competing in a secular marketplace.



They argued the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, violates the First Amendment and other federal laws protecting religious freedom because it requires them to provide coverage for contraceptives like the "morning-after pill," which the companies consider tantamount to abortion.



"The companies in the cases before us are closely held corporations, each owned and controlled by members of a single family, and no one has disputed the sincerity of their religious beliefs," Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion.



The four liberal justices appointed by Democratic presidents, including the high court's three women, opposed the ruling as a possible gateway to further religious-based challenges that limit individual choice and rights.



"Into a minefield"



In dissent Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the court had "ventured into a minefield," adding it would disadvantage those employees "who do not share their employer's religious beliefs."



Monday's decision comes two years after the justices narrowly preserved the health care reforms known as Obamacare and its key funding provision in another politically charged ruling.



This time, the issue revolved around a 1994 federal law known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which Alito's opinion said prevents the government from "taking any action that substantially burdens the exercise of religion unless that action constitutes the least restrictive means of serving a compelling government interest."



Alito wrote that the court's conservative majority rejected the argument by the Department of Health and Human Services that "the owners of the companies forfeited all RFRA protection when they decided to organize their businesses as corporations rather than sole proprietorships or general partnerships."



"The plain terms of RFRA make it perfectly clear that Congress did not discriminate in this way against men and women who wish to run their businesses as for-profit corporations in the manner required by their religious beliefs," he wrote.



Complex mix



Monday's case presented a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and constitutional concerns-- over such hot-button issues as faith, abortion, corporate power, executive agency discretion, and congressional intent.



The political stakes were large, especially for the future effectiveness of the health law itself, which marked its fourth anniversary this spring.



The botched rollout of HealthCare.gov, the federal Obamacare website, was another political flashpoint along with other issues that many Republicans say proves the law is unworkable.



They have made Obamacare a key campaign issue in their fight to take control of the Senate while retaining their House majority.



"Today's decision is a victory for religious freedom and another defeat for an administration that has repeatedly crossed constitutional lines in pursuit of" big government, said House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican. "The President's health care law remains an unworkable mess and a drag on our economy."



Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, who heads the Democratic National Committee, framed the ruling as a campaign issue for November.



"It is no surprise that Republicans have sided against women on this issue as they have consistently opposed a woman's right to make her own health care decisions," she said, calling the ruling a "dangerous precedent."



Barbara Green, a founder of Hobby Lobby, called the ruling "a victory, not just for our family business, but for all who seek to live out their faith."



However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said the decision "jeopardizes women's access to essential health care," adding that "your boss should never be able to make your health care decisions for you."



<a href="http://ift.tt/1iNSx3O; target="_blank">Read the ruling (.PDF)



Contraception mandate



The section of law in dispute requires some for-profit employers to offer insurance benefits for birth control and other reproductive health services without a co-pay.



A number of companies equate some of the covered drugs, such as the so-called morning-after pill, as causing abortion.



The specific question presented was whether these companies can refuse, on the sincere claim it would violate their owners' long-established moral beliefs.



Supporters of the law fear the high court setback on the contraception mandate now will lead to other healthcare challenges on religion grounds, such as do-not-resuscitate orders and vaccine coverage.



More broadly, many worry giving corporations religious freedom rights could affect laws on employment, safety, and civil rights.



The abortion link



The Hahn family, owners of Conestoga, and the Green family, owners of Hobby Lobby, said some of the mandated contraception prevent human embryos from being implanted in a woman's womb, which the plaintiffs equate with abortion.



That includes Plan B contraception, which some have called the "morning after" pill, and intrauterine devices or IUDs used by an estimated 2 million American women.



Monday's decision comes two years after the justices allowed the law's "individual mandate" to go into effect.



That provision requires most Americans to get health insurance or pay a financial penalty. It is seen as the key funding mechanism to ensure near-universal health coverage.



Under the Affordable Care Act, financial penalties of up to $100 per day, per employee can be levied on firms that refuse to provide comprehensive health coverage. Hobby Lobby, which has about 13,000 workers, estimates the penalty could cost it $475 million a year.



The church-state issue now in the spotlight involves rules negotiated between the Obama administration and various outside groups. Under the changes, churches and houses of worship are completely exempt from the contraception mandate.



Other nonprofit, religiously affiliated groups, such as church-run hospitals, parochial schools and charities must either offer coverage or have a third-party insurer provide separate benefits without the employer's direct involvement. Lawsuits in those cases are pending in several federal appeals courts.



The cases are Burwell (Sebelius) v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (13-354); and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Burwell (Sebelius) (13-356).



A Mennonite family's fight over Obamacare reaches Supreme Court



5 questions: Supreme Court and Obamacare on contraception



Opinion: How Obamacare can reduce abortions



Hobby Lobby: The beliefs behind the battle










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