AMSTERDAM ? A Dutch dolphin park hoisted a young killer whale onto a truck early Tuesday, preparing to transfer her to a Spanish amusement park after conservationists lost a legal battle to have her released into the open sea.
Early in the morning, the 1,400 kilogram (3,085 pound) female orca named Morgan was lifted by crane, where she was resting in a hammock that restrains her movement and protects her fins. Trainers kept her wet during the transfer into a tank on the truck.
Her container was to be put in a plane and flown to the Spanish island of Tenerife, where she will be transferred again to her new home in Loro Parque, said spokesman Bert van Plateringen.
The city of Harderwijk issued an emergency ban blocking "Free Morgan" demonstrations during the transfer, though a coalition of conservationists who sought to have her released said they have no plans to interfere in the operation.
"We would never do anything that could endanger Morgan," said coalition spokeswoman Nancy Slot.
Morgan, who is estimated to be about 3 years old, weighed only 400 kilograms (880 pounds) when she was rescued in shallow waters off the Dutch North Sea coast in June 2010.
The Dutch government permit that originally approved her capture said the dolphinarium could hold her and restore her health so she could be released. But after the park assembled a team of experts for advice on what to do next, it found she had little chance of survival in the wild unless her natal pod, or family, could be identified.
Analysis of her vocal patterns showed only that she was from Norwegian waters.
Opposing experts for the "Free Morgan" group said the dolphinarium was guided by financial interests, rather than concern for the animal's well-being.
International treaties prohibit the trade of killer whales ? which are actually classified as oceangoing dolphins ? without difficult-to-obtain exemption permits. Fewer than 50 orcas are held in captivity worldwide and the bulk of them are owned by SeaWorld, a subsidiary of U.S. private equity giant The Blackstone Group L.P.
A female capable of breeding and introducing new genes into the pool of captive orcas is worth millions of euros (dollars).
The Dutch Dolphinarium is owned by France's Compagnie des Alpes. Loro Parque, owned by a German businessman, received its four orcas on loan from SeaWorld. Though Morgan cannot be transferred to the United States, any offspring she may have can be.
The Harderwijk Dolphinarium, which put Morgan on display after her rescue, has not disclosed financial details of her shipment to Loro Parque, though Van Plateringen said it is not profiting from the deal.
Orcas are thought to be among the most intelligent and social of mammals, and the idea of reintroducing captive whales into the wild garnered widespread public sympathy after the 1993 film "Free Willy."
Real life releases have a mixed record at best, however. Keiko, the animal that starred in "Free Willy" was released in Icelandic waters after 20 years in captivity. He died, apparently of pneumonia, after surviving two months on his own and swimming about 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) to Norway.
Though the "Free Morgan Coalition" says it will continue to seek Morgan's release, they concede her transfer to Spain is a major blow to their hopes.
Experts agree that the less time the animals are exposed to humans the better their chances of survival in the wild.
(This version CORRECTS name of SeaWorld's owner is Blackstone instead of BlackRock in paragraph 10)
Well T.I. does, and he thinks it was hilarious! The rapper brought the scandal back to life when he told Vibe that Morgan's anti-gay jokes were the funniest he'd ever heard.
The comments have Morgan toeing a fine line between staying under the radar and distancing himself from T.I., who's reveled in "the funniest jokes I ever heard Tracy say."
T.I. then ignited even more controversy. Not only does he found the anti-gay humor funny, he suggested that the backlash against Morgan's stand-up was un-American.
"They're like, 'If you have an opinion against us, we're gonna shut you down,'" T.I. said. "That's not American. If you're gay you should have the right to be gay in peace, and if you're against it you should have the right to be against it in peace."
The rapper, who was recently freed from jail, later walked that last part back somewhat, saying that gays are not anti-American, but the actions of a select few are.
“I believe you have the right to do whatever you want to do as long as you're not hurting anyone. I was quoted correctly, but I was taken out of context,” he said.
He says the U.S.A. is an "institution built around allowing us to speak peacefully and respectfully in opposition of any point or any topic that comes up,” T.I. added.
He went on to add that he's not even against same-sex marriage, and that members of the African-American community acts in the same, oversensitive way as well.
Fair enough, but is what Tracy said, which was borderline hateful, really peaceful or respectful? And would T.I. react the same way to N-word-laden rants? Just curious.
Eating fish reduces risk of Alzheimer's diseasePublic release date: 30-Nov-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Linda Brooks lbrooks@rsna.org 630-590-7762 Radiological Society of North America
CHICAGO People who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
"This is the first study to establish a direct relationship between fish consumption, brain structure and Alzheimer's risk," said Cyrus Raji, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "The results showed that people who consumed baked or broiled fish at least one time per week had better preservation of gray matter volume on MRI in brain areas at risk for Alzheimer's disease."
Alzheimer's disease is an incurable, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and cognitive skills. According to the National Institute on Aging, as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer's disease. In MCI, memory loss is present but to a lesser extent than in Alzheimer's disease. People with MCI often go on to develop Alzheimer's disease.
For the study, 260 cognitively normal individuals were selected from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Information on fish consumption was gathered using the National Cancer Institute Food Frequency Questionnaire. There were 163 patients who consumed fish on a weekly basis, and the majority ate fish one to four times per week. Each patient underwent 3-D volumetric MRI of the brain. Voxel-based morphometry, a brain mapping technique that measures gray matter volume, was used to model the relationship between weekly fish consumption at baseline and brain structure 10 years later. The data were then analyzed to determine if gray matter volume preservation associated with fish consumption reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease. The study controlled for age, gender, education, race, obesity, physical activity, and the presence or absence of apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4), a gene that increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's.
Gray matter volume is crucial to brain health. When it remains higher, brain health is being maintained. Decreases in gray matter volume indicate that brain cells are shrinking.
The findings showed that consumption of baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis was positively associated with gray matter volumes in several areas of the brain. Greater hippocampal, posterior cingulate and orbital frontal cortex volumes in relation to fish consumption reduced the risk for five-year decline to MCI or Alzheimer's by almost five-fold.
"Consuming baked or broiled fish promotes stronger neurons in the brain's gray matter by making them larger and healthier," Dr. Raji said. "This simple lifestyle choice increases the brain's resistance to Alzheimer's disease and lowers risk for the disorder."
The results also demonstrated increased levels of cognition in people who ate baked or broiled fish.
"Working memory, which allows people to focus on tasks and commit information to short-term memory, is one of the most important cognitive domains," Dr. Raji said. "Working memory is destroyed by Alzheimer's disease. We found higher levels of working memory in people who ate baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis, even when accounting for other factors, such as education, age, gender and physical activity."
Eating fried fish, on the other hand, was not shown to increase brain volume or protect against cognitive decline.
###
Coauthors are Kirk Erickson, Ph.D., Oscar Lopez, M.D., Lewis Kuller, M.D., H. Michael Gach, Ph.D., Paul Thompson, Ph.D., Mario Riverol, M.D., Ph.D., and James Becker, Ph.D.
Note: Copies of RSNA 2011 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press11 beginning Monday, Nov. 28.
RSNA is an association of more than 48,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.
For patient-friendly information on MRI, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Eating fish reduces risk of Alzheimer's diseasePublic release date: 30-Nov-2011 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Linda Brooks lbrooks@rsna.org 630-590-7762 Radiological Society of North America
CHICAGO People who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
"This is the first study to establish a direct relationship between fish consumption, brain structure and Alzheimer's risk," said Cyrus Raji, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "The results showed that people who consumed baked or broiled fish at least one time per week had better preservation of gray matter volume on MRI in brain areas at risk for Alzheimer's disease."
Alzheimer's disease is an incurable, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and cognitive skills. According to the National Institute on Aging, as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer's disease. In MCI, memory loss is present but to a lesser extent than in Alzheimer's disease. People with MCI often go on to develop Alzheimer's disease.
For the study, 260 cognitively normal individuals were selected from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Information on fish consumption was gathered using the National Cancer Institute Food Frequency Questionnaire. There were 163 patients who consumed fish on a weekly basis, and the majority ate fish one to four times per week. Each patient underwent 3-D volumetric MRI of the brain. Voxel-based morphometry, a brain mapping technique that measures gray matter volume, was used to model the relationship between weekly fish consumption at baseline and brain structure 10 years later. The data were then analyzed to determine if gray matter volume preservation associated with fish consumption reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease. The study controlled for age, gender, education, race, obesity, physical activity, and the presence or absence of apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4), a gene that increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's.
Gray matter volume is crucial to brain health. When it remains higher, brain health is being maintained. Decreases in gray matter volume indicate that brain cells are shrinking.
The findings showed that consumption of baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis was positively associated with gray matter volumes in several areas of the brain. Greater hippocampal, posterior cingulate and orbital frontal cortex volumes in relation to fish consumption reduced the risk for five-year decline to MCI or Alzheimer's by almost five-fold.
"Consuming baked or broiled fish promotes stronger neurons in the brain's gray matter by making them larger and healthier," Dr. Raji said. "This simple lifestyle choice increases the brain's resistance to Alzheimer's disease and lowers risk for the disorder."
The results also demonstrated increased levels of cognition in people who ate baked or broiled fish.
"Working memory, which allows people to focus on tasks and commit information to short-term memory, is one of the most important cognitive domains," Dr. Raji said. "Working memory is destroyed by Alzheimer's disease. We found higher levels of working memory in people who ate baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis, even when accounting for other factors, such as education, age, gender and physical activity."
Eating fried fish, on the other hand, was not shown to increase brain volume or protect against cognitive decline.
###
Coauthors are Kirk Erickson, Ph.D., Oscar Lopez, M.D., Lewis Kuller, M.D., H. Michael Gach, Ph.D., Paul Thompson, Ph.D., Mario Riverol, M.D., Ph.D., and James Becker, Ph.D.
Note: Copies of RSNA 2011 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press11 beginning Monday, Nov. 28.
RSNA is an association of more than 48,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)
Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.
For patient-friendly information on MRI, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Utah health officials are set to release its first statewide cancer data report along with a comprehensive plan to reduce cancer morbidity and increase prevention efforts. Utah Department of Health Executive Director W. David Patton is scheduled to release the data during a news conference Tuesday. The health department says more than 8,000 Utah residents are diagnosed with some form of cancer each year. The disease is the second-leading cause of death statewide. Health Program Coordinator Lynne Nilson says data in the report is broken down to reflect specific areas of the state, some as small as neighborhoods. She says the recommendations for increasing cancer screening and other prevention efforts are targeted to meet each area's specific concerns.
New York ? Crowds who came looking for holiday deals came face-to-face with riots, shootings, and pepper-spray attacks
Black Friday violence at Walmart is rapidly becoming a new holiday tradition. From coast to coast, shoppers rioted and pepper-sprayed to get their hands on cheap waffle makers and Xboxes while, outside the stores, customers were shot over their loot. The goings on are being called a "grim reminder" of a Black Friday stampede in 2008 at a Walmart in Long Island, N.Y. that left one dead and sent a pregnant woman to the hospital. Here, a rundown of some of this year's bargain brawls:
1. The waffle maker riot At a Walmart near Little Rock, Ark., a screaming mob of shoppers tussled over $2 waffle makers. The riot was caught on video (watch it here) and went viral. This "embodies everything awesome about America, including a horrible economy, aggressive consumerism, mindless violence and a complete lack of concern for one's fellow human beings," says Max Read at Gawker. "And let's not forget internet rubbernecking and smug class hatred."
2. Pepper spray and Xboxes At 10 p.m. on Thursday at a Los Angeles Walmart, a 30-something woman determined to buy a discounted Xbox 360 allegedly pepper-sprayed some 20 people also vying for a new gaming console. According to a police report, the pepper-sprayer managed to get her Xbox, pay for it, and left the store. The next day she turned herself in. Police have not yet decided if she'll be charged.?
3. Video games and police brutality Things got bloody at a Walmart in Arizona when police arrested Jared Newman, 54, late Thursday night. According to Newman's grandson, he had grabbed a video game and tucked it under his arm to guard it from the swarming masses when police pulled him out of the crowd. A CNN citizen iReporter, David Chadd, says Newman appeared to be cooperating when an officer suddenly slammed Newman face first into the floor, knocking the man out. "It was like a bowling ball hitting the ground, that's how bad it was," says Chadd, who reports that Newman was left lying unconscious in a pool of his own blood for about 10 minutes. Police have charged Newman with shoplifting and resisting arrest. Newman is still recovering from incident. "He is emotionally and mentally a wreck," his daughter says.
4. Parking lot shootings Black Friday shoppers were held up at gunpoint in Walmart parking lots from coast to coast. In San Leandro, Calif., a man and his family were crossing a store parking lot between 1 and 2 a.m. when a group approached and demanded they fork over their purchases. A fight ensued when the family refused and, according to police, one of the suspects pulled out a gun and shot the man, critically injuring him. In Myrtle Beach, S.C., a woman was shot outside a Walmart in an apparent robbery attempt.
5. The smart phone smack down At a Walmart in Rome, N.Y., two women were taken to the hospital for injuries they sustained while trying to get a $35 smart-phone deal. "I was shoved down and... kicked in the face," says one of the woman, who sustained bruises and cuts on her face, arms, and hand. "It was just like a stampede. All you heard was just like a herd of animals coming through there."
By Kimberly McMillian The Chattanooga Times Free Press
EVENSVILLE, Tenn. ? About a dozen employees are without jobs this week after a Sunday afternoon fire destroyed Mountain Wood Products.
Brad Harrison, chief of the Evensville Fire District, said he was the first to arrive soon after 1 p.m. as heavy, black smoke rose above the firewood supplier's building. Everyone inside escaped without injury, he said.
Mountain Wood Products produced packages of firewood sold to local convenience stores, campers and individuals. Efforts to locate the owner and employees were unsuccessful.
Harrison said the fire began in the kiln used to dry the firewood in the largest area of the nearly 30,000-square-foot building on Evensville Mountain.
He said "several explosions" took place after the kiln burst into flames.
One blast came when a propane tank ignited, he said.
Harrison said firefighters had tried to move three fuel tanks outside the building to prevent further harm. Two were anchored and only one could be moved, he said.
Firefighters fought flames more than 20 feet high, he said.
Rhea County Executive George Thacker said the flames were so high and intense that mutual aid responders from other counties came to help, but everyone "had to get away."
Harrison said the heat began "melting the steel away" and the business was "a total loss."
Pakistan announced it was closing its borders permanently to the transport of NATO supplies into Afghanistan. The move was one more retaliatory measure in a long-troubled relationship.
As Pakistanis burned American flags over NATO airstrikes on Saturday that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, the government in Islamabad announced a full review of US-Pakistan relations ? signaling a new low in a relationship that already appeared to be at the breaking point earlier this year.
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At the same time, the crisis showed signs of taking on regional dimensions, with China weighing in on the side of Pakistan in an apparent tweak of the United States.
Pakistan said on Monday it was closing its borders permanently to the transport of NATO supplies into Afghanistan after the weekend?s deadly airstrikes on a Pakistani border outpost. The measure promised hardship for US and allied military operations, but it also had a familiar ring, as one more retaliatory measure in a long-troubled relationship.
Twice already this year ? in May, when US special forces launched a raid into Pakistan that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden, and a few months before that, when Pakistan arrested a CIA officer in the killings of two Pakistanis ? relations between the two wary partners were described by some policymakers in both capitals as nearing a divorce.
Each time, the relationship was revived to some degree by high-level visits and an unvarnished taking-stock of mutual interests. But now, the weekend strike was the deadliest on Pakistani forces in the decade-long Afghan war. And a range of Western and Pakistani military and civilian officials are questioning how long repair will take, or whether it will be possible at all.
Pakistan?s relations with the US and NATO will not be ?business as usual? after Saturday?s deadly strikes by helicopter gunship, Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said in interviews Monday.
NATO officials promised to conduct a full investigation of the weekend incident, but on Monday the attack and its diplomatic aftershocks showed signs of reaching new regional dimensions, with China uncharacteristically wading into the fray.
?China is deeply shocked by these events,? a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, said in a televised statement Monday. ?China believes that Pakistan?s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity should be respected and the incident should be thoroughly investigated and be handled properly.?
The Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministers also held a lengthy telephone conversation on the incident, according to their offices.
Some Pakistani media announced that the government would refuse to take part in reconciliation efforts with the Afghan Taliban, but Mr. Gilani insisted that decision had not yet been made. The US is especially keen to see Pakistan involved in those efforts, since it does not believe reconciliation in Afghanistan can advance without Pakistan?s support.
Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik did announce that the closing of border crossings to NATO supply convoys would be permanent. The closure posed an immediate logistical problem, with NATO convoys and their supplies already starting to stack up inside Pakistan.?
On the other hand, less than half of the supplies used by US and NATO forces in Afghanistan enter from Pakistan. That?s because the history of tit-for-tat relations between the US and Pakistan had led the US to diversify its supply routes into Afghanistan away from a heavy dependence on Pakistan.
The result is that, while still troublesome, the border closure today constitutes less of a chokehold, as a growing slice of supplies enter Afghanistan through the so-called northern route from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Some analysts of US-Pakistan relations say they assume the two countries will paper over their differences once again. But they also say this incident is likely to reinforce Pakistan?s determination to stick to its own interests to the detriment of a US it believes is set on pulling up stakes in the region anyway.?
?Even if ? as seems most likely ? Pakistan does reopen its supply routes to the US and [international forces in Afghanistan], relations will remain so tense that new incidents and crises in US and Pakistani relations are inevitable,? says Anthony Cordesman, in comments Monday on the Center for Strategic and International Studies website. ?This will undermine the already uncertain chances the US can actually achieve any stable benefits from the war after 2014 ? either in Afghanistan or Pakistan.?
More broadly, the NATO airstrikes may have opened the way to new rivalries in the region. Opening a northern supply route into Afghanistan required Russian approval, a process that took some time as Moscow weighed the pros and cons of aiding NATO?s, and in particular America?s, presence in Afghanistan.
Russia ultimately decided it had no interest in seeing Afghanistan sink back into instability or even renewed Taliban rule. But China?s motivations in taking a public stance on Saturday?s attack appear to be more focused on Pakistan ? and on US involvement there and in Asia more broadly.
China?s comments followed on the heels of President Obama?s extended trip to Asia, which was widely interpreted in Beijing as part of a US effort to reassert its interests in the region and to contain China.
For its part, Pakistan has repeatedly brandished its relations with China as a potential alternative to its ties with Washington. When the US signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Pakistan?s archrival India, for example, some Pakistanis warned that their country could turn to Beijing if Washington did not offer Pakistan a similar deal.
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) ? Two of Hollywood's leading independent studios, Lionsgate and Summit, have started merger discussions, according to an individual with knowledge of the talks.
Summit is fresh off the success of its second-to-last "Twilight" installment, which has already taken in $488 million worldwide in two weeks. And Lionsgate is ramping up for a new blockbuster series, "The Hunger Games," after coming off a weak quarter with three movie flops in a row.
An individual close to Summit said other suitors may be in the mix to merge with the independent studio.
Many in Hollywood say that a merger is long overdue.
Lionsgate has only just recovered from a wearing boardroom battle with corporate raider Carl Icahn. That the company emerged intact from that bullfight was a testament to CEO Jon Feltheimer's skill maneuvering on Wall Street, but it also exposed the company's very real vulnerabilities.
And as Summit faces the twilight of its blockbuster "Twilight" series, the studio will face the vagaries of movie slates without the benefit of a library to support its operating costs.
The studios have been in talks before. In the past negotiations that have broken down over price and control issues, which some have interpreted as the lack of desire by Summit chief Rob Friedman to report to Feltheimer.
Bloomberg first reported the renewed discussions.
A representative for Summit declined comment. Lionsgate similarly declined to comment.
Lionsgate, with a $1 billion market cap, could do an equity swap with Summit, whose finances are private. Summit raised $750 million earlier this year to finance movies and pay back its investors including Rizvi Traverse Management. The financing included $550 million in secured notes and a $200 million revolving credit facility.
One knowledgeable insider suggested several weeks ago that Summit may be worth about $250 million. But Summit believes it is worth at least $1 billion, according to another knowledgeable insider.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? Tyler Palko wasn't even sure how many interceptions he threw Sunday night. At first he guessed it was four, and it might well have felt like it. In reality it was only three.
Perhaps he was counting his fumbled snap, too.
Whatever the case, the journeyman quarterback was responsible for four turnovers that the Steelers managed to capitalize on just enough to eke out a 13-9 victory, which doomed Kansas City to its fourth consecutive loss and kept Pittsburgh in a tie for the AFC North lead.
"When you turn the ball over four times and you're responsible for it, it stings a lot," said Palko, who tossed three picks in his first NFL start last week at New England.
Pressed into duty in place of Matt Cassel, who is out for the year after hurting his throwing hand, Palko may have tossed away his chance to be the starter the rest of the season ? tossed it right to the guys wearing white jerseys on a frigid, blustery night at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs marched across midfield to the Pittsburgh 37 in the closing minutes when Palko dropped back to pass. He was looking for Dwayne Bowe but threw it high and behind him, and Keenan Lewis hauled in the interception with 29 seconds left to seal the outcome.
"I just read the quarterback. I knew I had help underneath, so I could stay back and protect deep," Lewis said. "When the ball came out of the quarterback's hand, I saw that Bowe had already made his move. That's when I knew I could make a play."
The Chiefs claimed former Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton off waivers Wednesday with the intention of having him compete with Palko for the starting job. Orton didn't arrive in town until Friday, though, and he was inactive Sunday night after participating in only one practice.
"He'll have a much better chance this week to compete," Chiefs coach Todd Haley said, "and like I said, Tyler is the starter, but whatever position we say, if someone gives us a better chance to win, that's the guideline we generally follow."
Ben Roethlisberger was 21 of 31 for 193 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Steelers (8-3), whose defense lost All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu to a head injury in the first quarter yet still kept the bumbling Chiefs (4-7) from scoring a touchdown.
Kansas City hasn't reached the end zone since the third quarter against Denver on Nov. 13.
Kansas City led 3-0 in the second quarter when Palko's first interception, which Taylor returned to the Chiefs 8, resulted in a 21-yard field goal by the Steelers' Shaun Suisham.
The second pick was returned by Mundy, who had taken over at safety for Polamalu, to the Kansas City 24. The defense appeared to hold Pittsburgh when Tamba Hali sacked Roethlisberger on third-and-7, but safety Jon McGraw was called for defensive holding to give the Steelers a first down.
Three plays later, Roethlisberger found Saunders in the back of the end zone.
"When you turn the ball over four times, you generally don't have a chance to win," Haley said.
Ryan Succop added a 49-yard field goal later in the second quarter for Kansas City, his second of the game, but Suisham answered with his own 49-yarder on the final play of the first half.
Succop made a 40-yard field goal with 6:11 left in the fourth quarter.
"We're moving the ball and when we get in the red zone we've got to score touchdowns and not just field goals," wide receiver Steve Breaston said, "especially against a team like this."
Polamalu left the game in the first quarter when he tackled 290-pound Chiefs offensive tackle Steve Maneri, who had caught a pass in the flat after lining up in the backfield.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year's head hit Maneri's knee and he crumpled to the turf, where he lay while trainers came out to check on him. Polamalu was a bit wobbly when he stood up and the team said he was questionable to return with a "blow to the head."
Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey also left in the first half with an illness.
Roethlisberger showed little evidence of the broken thumb that caused him to be somewhat limited in practice, hitting 10 different receivers. He got some help from Rashard Mendenhall, who ran for 57 yards, and a defense that kept giving the Pittsburgh offense prime field position.
"It was a hard-fought game," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "We're excited about winning ? and winning on the road ? and making the necessary plays, particularly defensively down the stretch."
The Steelers squandered a promising opportunity in the first quarter, driving inside the Chiefs 10-yard line. But backup running back Mewelde Moore had the ball poked out by Hali and it was recovered by Javier Arenas in the end zone for a touchback.
Kansas City gave the ball right back when Palko fumbled the snap moments later.
Pittsburgh also had a decent drive end midway through the scoreless third when Roethlisberger underthrew Antonio Brown down the sideline. Kansas City safety Travis Daniels swooped in to make the interception, but the Chiefs' bumbling offense couldn't capitalize.
That wound up being the story of the game.
"No time to sit here and feel sorry for ourselves," Palko said. "All the interceptions are on me, the fumbled snap was on me as well. Any time you have the ball in your hand, you're responsible for it, and I take full responsibility for all four turnovers."
Notes: Kansas native Martina McBride sang the national anthem. Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet, who attended Kansas State, threw the ceremonial first pass. ... Polamalu was experiencing "concussion-like symptoms" and will continue to be evaluated, Tomlin said. ... The Chiefs finished with 252 yards of total offense. ... Thomas Jones had 13 carries for 37 yards for Kansas City.
On the eve of "Cyber Monday," online retailers reported an even stronger start to the holiday shopping season than brick-and-mortar stores.
Research firm comScore reported on Sunday that e-commerce spending jumped 26 percent on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, compared with the same day a year ago. ComScore reported $816 million in online sales for the day, up from $648 million.
The 26 percent growth rate for online sales compares with a 7 percent retail sales increase reported for Black Friday by ShopperTrak, which gathers data from individual stores and shopping malls. At $11.4 billion, the brick-and-mortar sales total still dwarfs the online total.
Gian Fulgoni, comScore chairman, said in a statement that e-commerce enjoyed a banner day, despite some analysts' predictions that early store openings on Black Friday could hurt online sales.
"With brick-and-mortar retail also reporting strong gains on Black Friday, it's clear that the heavy promotional activity had a positive impact on both channels," Fulgoni said.
Thanksgiving is also a big day for online sales, and comScore reported an 18 percent increase this year compared with a year ago, with $479 million in sales.
Online sales also have been strong throughout November. Online sales through Saturday rose 15 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to comScore, which is based on Reston, Va. Through the first 25 days of the month, online sales have totaled $12.74 billion.
ComScore said 50 million Americans visited online retail sites on Black Friday, up 35 percent from a year ago. Each of the top five retail sites reported double-digit gains in visitors, in percentage terms, led by top retail site Amazon. Walmart ranked second, followed by Best Buy, Target and Apple.
Next up is Cyber Monday, when many online retailers run promotions for the first business day of the week following Thanksgiving. Cyber Monday sales topped $1 billion last year, making it the heaviest day of online spending ever. ComScore's Fulgoni expects another record will be set this year.
Toys R Us got a jump on things by offering Cyber Monday deals beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The retailer's website also offered free shipping on purchases of $49 or more, through the holiday weekend until Dec. 3.
Amazon and Walmart launched weeklong online sales promotions on Sunday. Amazon's offers included a discounted price of $259 on a Kindle DX e-reader that normally sells at $379. That offer was scheduled to end Monday. Walmart expanded its Cyber Week offerings with more than 250 online-only specials, with savings of up to 40 percent. Walmart also offered free shipping on orders of $45 or more.
ComScore reported online sales for Black Friday two days after another researcher, IBM Corp.'s Coremetrics unit, reported a smaller online spending gain for Black Friday. Coremetrics reported a 20 percent increase, compared with comScore's 26 percent.
LONDON (Reuters) ? Two top 10 shareholders in BSkyB will vote against James Murdoch remaining as chairman of the company at its AGM on Tuesday, according to newspaper reports.
The Sunday Telegraph said Legal and General (L&G) will vote against Murdoch, while the Sunday Times said Kames Capital has urged Murdoch to quit. A third big investor, the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) is also set to vote against Murdoch's re-election.
Kames Capital and L&G were not immediately available for comment.
The Sunday Telegraph said while L&G raised no ethical issues about the way Murdoch operated, its concerns related to his ability to retain independence following News Corp's failed bid for the British broadcaster.
The Sunday Times also said Kames Capital will vote against his re-election as it wants an independent chairman.
L&G has a 2.9 percent stake in BSkyB, while Kames Capital has 1.6 percent, according to Reuters data.
LAPFF, which owns around 1 percent in BSkyB, said in a statement on its web site it had conducted extensive research into the phone hacking scandal at News Corp and had also engaged with BSkyB, leading it to believe that the company would now benefit from an independent chair.
Earlier this month, the company's independent directors unanimously backed James Murdoch as chairman in a letter addressing shareholders' concerns about his suitability following the phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World.
(Reporting by Adveith Nair and Michelle Martin; Editing by David Holmes)
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Public release date: 30-Nov-2011
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11-26-2011, 12:15 AM
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