Jurassic Park III may not be your favorite movie in the series. But that doesn't mean its effects weren't fantastic. In fact, the somewhat random third entry in the series boasted the biggest animatronic 'saur yet: the Spinosaur. Stan Winston Studios recalls the details of that behemoth's construction, and it's wild to watch.
Jurassic Park III's Spinosaur wasn't only more formidable than the T-Rex that had come before it; it was the biggest, heaviest animatronic dinosaur Stan Winston Studios ever managed to build, and though it might not have the same pop culture clout as it's predecessor, it's still an incredible accomplishment. Who needs CG, right?
A TV screen shows a news report of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at a shopping mall in Hong Kong Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
A TV screen shows a news report of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at a shopping mall in Hong Kong Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
Graphic shows key locations in the life and career of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden; 3c x 5 inches; 146 mm x 127 mm;
Journalists show passengers arriving from Hong Kong a tablet with a photo of Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, at Sheremetyevo airport, just outside Moscow, Russia, Sunday, June 23, 2013. The former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
FILE - In this June 21, 2013 file photo, a banner supporting Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked top-secret documents about sweeping U.S. surveillance programs, is displayed at Central, Hong Kong's business district. The Hong Kong government says Snowden wanted by the U.S. for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has left for a "third country." The South China Morning Post reported Sunday, June 23, 2013 that Snowden was on a plane for Moscow, but that Russia was not his final destination. Snowden has talked of seeking asylum in Iceland. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Ecuador's Foreign Mister Ricardo Patino speaks to reporters at a hotel during his visit to Vietnam Monday, June 24, 2013. Patino said that his government is analyzing an asylum request from Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor wanted for revealing classified secrets. (AP Photo/Tran Van Minh)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The bizarre journey of Edward Snowden is far from over. After spending a night in Moscow's airport, the former National Security Agency contractor ? and admitted leaker of state secrets ? was expected to fly to Cuba and Venezuela en route to possible asylum in Ecuador.
Snowden, also a former CIA technician, fled Hong Kong on Sunday to dodge U.S. efforts to extradite him on espionage charges. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said his government had received an asylum request, adding Monday that the decision "has to do with freedom of expression and with the security of citizens around the world." The anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks also said it would help Snowden.
Ecuador has rejected the United States' previous efforts at cooperation, and has been helping WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, avoid prosecution by allowing him to stay at its embassy in London.
Snowden gave documents to The Guardian and The Washington Post newspapers disclosing U.S. surveillance programs that collect vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence, often sweeping up information on American citizens. Officials have the ability to collect phone and Internet information broadly but need a warrant to examine specific cases where they believe terrorism is involved.
Snowden had been in hiding for several weeks in Hong Kong, a former British colony with a high degree of autonomy from mainland China. The United States formally sought Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong to face espionage charges but was rebuffed; Hong Kong officials said the U.S. request did not fully comply with their laws.
The Justice Department rejected that claim, saying its request met all of the requirements of the extradition treaty between the U.S. and Hong Kong. During conversations last week, including a phone call Wednesday between Attorney General Eric Holder and Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen, Hong Kong officials never raised any issues regarding sufficiency of the U.S. request, a Justice representative said.
The United States was in touch through diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries that Snowden could travel through or to, reminding them that Snowden is wanted on criminal charges and reiterating Washington's position that Snowden should only be permitted to travel back to the U.S., a State Department official said. Snowden's U.S. passport has been revoked.
U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the case.
An unidentified Aeroflot airline official was cited by Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency and Interfax as saying Snowden was on the plane that landed Sunday afternoon in Moscow. The Russian report said Snowden intended to fly to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.
The White House was hoping to stop Snowden before he left Moscow.
Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said, "Given our intensified cooperation after the Boston marathon bombings and our history of working with Russia on law enforcement matters ? including returning numerous high-level criminals back to Russia at the request of the Russian government ? we expect the Russian government to look at all options available to expel Mr. Snowden back to the U.S. to face justice for the crimes with which he is charged."
Still, the United States is likely to have problems interrupting Snowden's passage. The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, but does with Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. Even with an extradition agreement though, any country could give Snowden a political exemption.
The likelihood that any of these countries would stop Snowden from traveling on to Ecuador seemed remote. While diplomatic tensions have thawed in recent years, Cuba and the United States are hardly allies after a half-century of distrust. Another country that could see Snowden pass through, Venezuela, could prove difficult, as well. Former President Hugo Chavez was a sworn enemy of the United States and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, earlier this year called President Barack Obama "grand chief of devils." The two countries do not exchange ambassadors.
Snowden's options aren't numerous, said Assange's lawyer, Michael Ratner.
"You have to have a country that's going to stand up to the United States," Ratner said. "You're not talking about a huge range of countries here."
It also wasn't clear Snowden was finished disclosing highly classified information.
Snowden has perhaps more than 200 sensitive documents, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CBS' "Face the Nation."
___
Associated Press White House Correspondent Julie Pace and Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Frederic J. Frommer in Washington, Lynn Berry in Moscow, Kevin Chan in Hong Kong and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.
___
Follow Philip Elliott on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/philip_elliott
Gogo Inc., which provides Internet service on airline flights, failed to connect with the stock market Friday.
The company is growing rapidly, but it is also unprofitable. And the initial public offering of stock came at the end of a tumultuous week on Wall Street, which may have unnerved investors. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 560 points on Wednesday and Thursday.
On Friday, Gogo's stock fell 5.8 percent in its first day on the Nasdaq.
The company, which is based in Itasca, Ill., uses a network of cell towers to provide Internet access for passengers on more than 1,900 planes. Customers include four of the five biggest U.S. airlines ? United, Delta, American and US Airways ? which charge passengers for Internet access. Southwest Airlines uses a rival Wi-Fi provider, Row 44.
Gogo is going public as it seeks to expand its service to international flights. CEO Michael Small said Friday that the company decided to sell the shares now because its planned international expansion "is becoming real."
The IPO will help pay for that expansion, Small said in an interview, and "the credibility of being a public company will help us with airlines around the world." The IPO raised $187 million.
In March, Gogo signed an agreement with Delta to outfit the airline's entire international fleet of 170 planes with satellite-based service. It also wants to put its service on planes operated by foreign carriers.
While Gogo says its service is available on 81 percent of all Wi-Fi-enabled planes in North America, only about 6 percent of passengers pay for Internet.
The company is optimistic that it can increase the use of its service. Small said that usage will rise as airlines connect their entire fleets and let passengers order the service when they buy tickets. The company, whose typical customer is a business traveler seeking to stay connected with the office, also is trying to reach more leisure travelers.
A fairly new service called Gogo Vision on three airlines includes a selection of movies that are loaded on the plane, not streamed from the ground. If Vision grows, that could help Gogo overcome a criticism of its regular service ? that it's too slow for streaming video and doesn't support Netflix.
And investors are concerned about the company's ability to become profitable, said analyst Paul Bard of IPO research firm Renaissance Capital.
"It seems like a no-brainer that every airline is going to want to offer this (in-flight Internet) service, so the opportunity is very big," Bard said. "But the performance is slow, you can't get video (without Gogo Vision), and they're going to have to invest heavily" to improve the service. "They're growing fast, but they're not profitable."
The company lost $95.6 million last year, and its first-quarter 2013 loss widened to $32.5 million from a loss of $17.6 million a year earlier, even though revenue increased 30 percent.
Bard said recent market jitters contributed to the company's first-day decline, and that investors looking for a hot stock may have bailed out when the shares didn't soar right away. Two other companies, a Brazilian cement company and a Kansas City maker of veterinary drugs, postponed their IPOs this week, citing market conditions.
Investors also may worry about potential competition if federal rules on in-flight electronic devices are changed, potentially giving passengers more options for connecting to the Internet, Bard said.
Gogo's IPO priced 11 million shares at $17 each. The company had filed for an IPO in December 2011 but held off selling shares during a sluggish market for IPOs. In the meantime, the company obtained a $135 million credit facility last year in a deal arranged by Morgan Stanley, and it increased the borrowing limit by $113 million in April.
The shares are trading under the "GOGO" ticker symbol. The stock fell $1 to close at $16.
One of the world's most flamboyant leaders lost his two-year battle with cancer on Tuesday, ending 14 years of a tumultuous and often bitterly divisive socialist reign. NBC's Mark Potter reports.
By Becky Bratu and F. Brinley Bruton, NBC News
A wave of public grief washed over Latin America following the death of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, reflecting the powerful emotions the charismatic leftist leader evoked in the region and around the world.?
The Cuban government, Venezuela's closest ally, declared official mourning for Wednesday and Thursday, and nationwide mourning for Friday.
"I tell you, this is sad and painful news not just for me, because ... Cuba and the entire world has lost a great man," said Armando Fuentes, a store clerk in Havana, after Venezuela?s Vice President Nicolas Maduro broke the news of Chavez?s death Tuesday.
Dayana Calzado, a 27-year-old Cuban lawyer, said the world had lost a great leader. "A very long time will pass before there is another leader like him," she said.
Chavez's passing was acutely felt in Latin America where his anti-colonialist and anti-American policies and rhetoric provoked both loyalty and anger.
Reports featuring crying mourners from around the continent dominated Venezuelan television in the hours after his death was announced.
Claudio Santana / AFP - Getty Images
Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in the United States and elsewhere mourn his death.
Brazil's President, Dilma Rousseff, said she was mourning the loss of a great "friend" of her country, the BBC reported.
"This death should fill all Latin and Central Americans with sadness," she added, according to the BBC. "Hugo Chavez was without doubt a leader committed to his country and to the development of the people of Latin America."
Chavez has often criticized the United States on its history of intervention in the Americas and Washington's stance on countries such as Iran.
Argentina?s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner suspended activities after receiving the news and traveled to Venezuela. She and her late husband, Nestor Kirchner, were close friends of Chavez.
Chile and Ecuador released official notes of condolence, while in Peru a minute of silence was held in Chavez?s honor. Meanwhile, Bolivia's President Evo Morales announced he would travel immediately to Caracas to pay his respects. Uruguayan President Jos? Mujica also set off for Caracas.
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos tweeted: "I profoundly lament the death of the president of Venezuela Hugo Ch?vez Fr?as. Our sincere condolences."
Chavez's friends further afield also reacted to news of his death immediately.
"It's a tragedy. He was a great politician," Russia's U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin said of the death.
'Understood the needs of the poor' In the United States, Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., who represents a largely Hispanic district, tweeted his condolences: "Hugo Chavez was a leader that understood the needs of the poor. He was committed to empowering the powerless. R.I.P. Mr. President."
Serrano's statement provoked an angry reaction form?pro-troops charity Move America Forward.
"Chavez openly hated the United States and opposed any effort to spread freedom, democracy and free markets to Latin America," it said in a statement.
Nevertheless, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter also paid tribute to Chavez, and said in a statement that he "will be remembered for his bold assertion of autonomy and independence for Latin American governments."?
Joseph P. Kennedy II, chairman of non-profit Citizens Energy, which was criticized for receiving heating oil donations from the Venezuelan state-owned oil company, released a statement thanking Chavez for his generosity.
/
The life of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez from his rise as a lieutenant colonel after his failed coup attempt in 1992.
"There are close to two million people in the United States who received free heating assistance, thanks to President Chavez's leadership," Kennedy's statement read. "Our prayers go out to President Chavez's family, the people of Venezuela, and all who were warmed by his generosity."
The friction between the U.S. and the Chavez regime lasted until the end of his life.
Only minutes before the Venezuelan leader's death was announced, the State Department issued a statement rejecting Maduro?s earlier accusations that Chavez?s enemies gave him cancer and that U.S. diplomats in Venezuela plotted to destabilize the government.
Following the news of his death, the White House released a statement reinforcing its goal of improving its relationship with the Venezuelan government.
"At this challenging time of President Hugo Chavez's passing, the United States reaffirms its support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government," President Barack Obama?s statement read. "As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights."
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Mike Rogers, R-Mich., also said he hoped for the two countries to turn a new leaf in their relationship.
"Hugo Chavez was a destabilizing force in Latin America, and an obstacle to progress in the region. I hope his death provides an opportunity for a new chapter in U.S.-Venezuelan relations," he said.
Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., issued a statement saying, "Sic semper tyrannis,? which translates to, "Thus always to tyrants."
Those words were used by John Wilkes Boothe before he fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln at Ford?s Theatre.
"After the welcome news of Hugo Chavez's death, I hope that the oppressed people of Venezuela will be able to live in freedom, not under miserable tyranny. I look forward to working in the House to promote a free, democratic, and pro-American government in Venezuela," Cotton added.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., also used the opportunity to take a parting shot at Chavez, releasing a statement that read in part: "The Venezuelan people now have an opportunity to turn the page on one of the darkest periods in its history and embark on a new, albeit difficult, path to restore the rule of law, democratic principles, security and free enterprise system in a nation that deserves so much better than the socialist disaster of the past 14 years."
NBC News' Andrea Mitchell, Mary Murray, Edgar Zuniga, Sofia Perpetua, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related:
Venezuela's 'Comandante' Hugo Chavez dies
Analysis: Chavistas begin search for Latin America's next 'Comandante'
Full Venezuela coverage from NBC News
This story was originally published on Tue Mar 5, 2013 7:45 PM EST
Affordable care alone may not be enough to help Latinos overcome cancer care barriersPublic release date: 5-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Laura Perry lperry@sonnet.ucla.edu 310-794-4022 University of California - Los Angeles
A combination of financial, cultural and communication barriers plays a role in preventing underserved Latino men with prostate cancer from accessing the care and treatment they need, according to a new study by researchers at the UCLA School of Nursing.
The study, "Barriers to Prostate Cancer Care: Affordable Care Is Not Enough," is published in the March issue of the peer-reviewed journal Qualitative Health Research.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Latino men. Additionally, Latino men are more likely to be diagnosed with later-stage disease than non-Hispanic white men.
"We found that an array of obstacles compromise access and frequently result in negative outcomes," said Sally L. Maliski, associate dean of academic affairs at the UCLA School of Nursing and senior author of the study. "Sadly, these obstacles disproportionately affect underserved individuals and require a new focus on not only adequate health care coverage but also on the array of hurdles that limit patient access."
The UCLA study looked at Latino men who were enrolled in Improving Access, Counseling and Treatment for Californians With Prostate Cancer (IMPACT), a state-funded public assistance program. The analysis revealed barriers throughout the entire prostate cancercare process, including screening, treatment and follow-up care.
Among the key findings:
Financial hardship
Low socioeconomic status was commonly cited by the Latino men in the study as the primary impediment to care. The inability to afford medical insurance not only made it difficult to access care but also intensified the gravity of the prostate cancer diagnosis, leaving many participants feeling hopeless.
Participants often had difficulty understanding state- or county-based insurance policies, and this resulted in denied claims, loss of coverage or difficulty in accessing prescriptions. It ultimately led to increased out-of-pocket expenses and a fragmented system of care, leaving patients frustrated.
Lack of doctor continuity and care coordination
Participants frequently experienced poor care coordination, increased distrust for their doctors and decreased levels of comfort when care was administered disjointedly, by a frequently changing group of medical personnel.
Their frustration was exacerbated when they perceived faulty equipment and multiple doctor referrals as a cause for delayed diagnosis. Surgical procedures for prostate cancer and treatments for side effects were also frequently complicated by poor care coordination.
Inadequate access to primary care left many participants ill-equipped to navigate a complex medical system that often requires self-advocacy to demand the right care.
Communication and education
A lack of health literacy among the men, compounded by insufficient provider awareness of this issue, frequently resulted in the men misunderstanding doctors' treatment recommendations and procedures.
Patients' limited proficiency in English also often hampered their ability to describe their symptoms and express their needs to providers.
"Our study highlighted that we have an intricate web of barriers societal, system and individual that when combined leave many individuals without the care they should be receiving," Maliski said. "These overlapping obstacles make it clear we need a system where not only is care affordable but where we use a multi-faceted approach to improve access, increase health literacy and greatly improve care coordination."
###
Maliski's co-investigators on the study were Charlotte Oduro (Albert Schweitzer Fellow at UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health) and Sarah E. Connor (UCLA Department of Urology). The study was funded through a grant from the Albert Schweitzer Foundation.
The UCLA School of Nursing is redefining nursing through the pursuit of uncompromised excellence in research, education, practice, policy and patient advocacy. For more information, visit nursing.ucla.edu.
For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.
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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.
Affordable care alone may not be enough to help Latinos overcome cancer care barriersPublic release date: 5-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Laura Perry lperry@sonnet.ucla.edu 310-794-4022 University of California - Los Angeles
A combination of financial, cultural and communication barriers plays a role in preventing underserved Latino men with prostate cancer from accessing the care and treatment they need, according to a new study by researchers at the UCLA School of Nursing.
The study, "Barriers to Prostate Cancer Care: Affordable Care Is Not Enough," is published in the March issue of the peer-reviewed journal Qualitative Health Research.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Latino men. Additionally, Latino men are more likely to be diagnosed with later-stage disease than non-Hispanic white men.
"We found that an array of obstacles compromise access and frequently result in negative outcomes," said Sally L. Maliski, associate dean of academic affairs at the UCLA School of Nursing and senior author of the study. "Sadly, these obstacles disproportionately affect underserved individuals and require a new focus on not only adequate health care coverage but also on the array of hurdles that limit patient access."
The UCLA study looked at Latino men who were enrolled in Improving Access, Counseling and Treatment for Californians With Prostate Cancer (IMPACT), a state-funded public assistance program. The analysis revealed barriers throughout the entire prostate cancercare process, including screening, treatment and follow-up care.
Among the key findings:
Financial hardship
Low socioeconomic status was commonly cited by the Latino men in the study as the primary impediment to care. The inability to afford medical insurance not only made it difficult to access care but also intensified the gravity of the prostate cancer diagnosis, leaving many participants feeling hopeless.
Participants often had difficulty understanding state- or county-based insurance policies, and this resulted in denied claims, loss of coverage or difficulty in accessing prescriptions. It ultimately led to increased out-of-pocket expenses and a fragmented system of care, leaving patients frustrated.
Lack of doctor continuity and care coordination
Participants frequently experienced poor care coordination, increased distrust for their doctors and decreased levels of comfort when care was administered disjointedly, by a frequently changing group of medical personnel.
Their frustration was exacerbated when they perceived faulty equipment and multiple doctor referrals as a cause for delayed diagnosis. Surgical procedures for prostate cancer and treatments for side effects were also frequently complicated by poor care coordination.
Inadequate access to primary care left many participants ill-equipped to navigate a complex medical system that often requires self-advocacy to demand the right care.
Communication and education
A lack of health literacy among the men, compounded by insufficient provider awareness of this issue, frequently resulted in the men misunderstanding doctors' treatment recommendations and procedures.
Patients' limited proficiency in English also often hampered their ability to describe their symptoms and express their needs to providers.
"Our study highlighted that we have an intricate web of barriers societal, system and individual that when combined leave many individuals without the care they should be receiving," Maliski said. "These overlapping obstacles make it clear we need a system where not only is care affordable but where we use a multi-faceted approach to improve access, increase health literacy and greatly improve care coordination."
###
Maliski's co-investigators on the study were Charlotte Oduro (Albert Schweitzer Fellow at UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health) and Sarah E. Connor (UCLA Department of Urology). The study was funded through a grant from the Albert Schweitzer Foundation.
The UCLA School of Nursing is redefining nursing through the pursuit of uncompromised excellence in research, education, practice, policy and patient advocacy. For more information, visit nursing.ucla.edu.
For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.
[ | 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.
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Public release date: 5-Mar-2013
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