AP Newsbreak: 9 states to win early learning grant

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Nine states will share $500 million in grant money won in a high-profile competition intended to jump-start improvements in often-overlooked early childhood programs, The Associated Press has learned.

The winners to be announced Friday at the White House are California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington, according to an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the winners had not been officially announced.

The money to aid the nation's youngest learners is part of the Obama administration's cornerstone education initiative ? the "Race to the Top" grant competition ? which has states competing for federal dollars to create programs that make schools more effective. Last year, it handed out $4 billion in similar grants focused on K-12 education.

The goal of this competition is to get more children from birth to age 5 ready for kindergarten. Thirty-five states along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico applied for the chance to win between about $50 million to $100 million apiece in prize money. The winnings are to help build statewide systems that affect all early learning programs, including child care, Head Start centers and public or private preschools.

Billions are spent annually in America on early education programs, but the quality and availability of those programs varies greatly. Roughly half of all 3-year-olds and about a quarter of 4-year-olds do not attend preschool, said Steve Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University.

Kids who attend quality early education programs have been shown to do better in school, be less likely to spend time in prison later and to make more money as adults. But children from low-income families who start kindergarten without any schooling are estimated to start school 18 months behind their peers, a gap that is extremely difficult to overcome.

To win, states were asked to demonstrate a commitment to making such programs more accessible, coordinated and more effective. Providing professional development for teachers and creating ways to assess the education level of kids entering kindergarten were among the areas states were asked to focus on in their application.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius were to announce the winners at the White House. The two agencies jointly administered the competition. HHS oversees the federal Head Start program, which provides early education to nearly 1 million low-income children.

Last month, Obama announced new rules that require lower-performing Head Start programs to compete for funding. The Education Department also has proposed creating a new office to oversee the grants and better coordinate early learning programs.

_____

Online: Education Department: http://www.ed.gov/

Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.hhs.gov/

_____

Kimberly Hefling can be followed at http://twitter.com/khefling

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-16-Race%20to%20Top-Early%20Learning/id-549b776201034a8daa035ddc97588cfb

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Sofia Vergara Wardrobe Malfunction (Photo)

This is your one stop shopping place for the amazingly see-through, Sofia Vergara wardrobe malfunction during the Christmas shopping season. Oh my did she ever come out of her pantyhose — see the photo of the actress and tell us what you think in the comments. (use mouse to enlarge) So click the Sofia Vergara wardrobe malfunction above and you will see why we appropriately file this image in our celebrity fashion and style section. Yes it is clearly a see-through with a capital ST. The picture is safe for work but you probably do not want your wives and girlfriends catching you checking this out. I would call that a fetish and ridicule my naughty husband for weeks. The problem began when Ms. Vergara dressed herself in the morning. Going for some European Spandex look is very, oh shall we say, grunge. Grunge is cool in sort of a who cares kind of old world way. But after she put on that pantyhose look she forgot to check the mirror. I mean she forget to look over her shoulder in the mirror so that she could see her backside. What was plainly revealed to an army of photographers was [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/quVJ-hDDatY/

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Hunger stalks U.S. cities as poverty rises: study (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? A growing number of families in the United States are struggling to put food on the table as poverty rises in major cities, a new survey showed on Thursday.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors' 2011 hunger and homelessness survey found all but four of the 29 cities surveyed reported an increase in requests for emergency food assistance during the period between September 2010 and August 2011.

Half of those asking for emergency food assistance were people in families, while 26 percent were employed. The elderly accounted for 19 percent, with the homeless making up the remaining 11 percent.

This is the latest survey to underscore the magnitude of the damage inflicted by the 2007-09 recession.

Though the downturn ended 2-1/2 years ago, the recovery has been very slow by historical standards as households struggle to repair their balance sheets and unemployment is at an uncomfortably high 8.6 percent.

About 24.4 million Americans are either out of work or underemployed and employment remains 6.3 million jobs below its level in December 2007 when the recession started.

According to government data, a record 49.1 million Americans were living in poverty in 2010.

During that period, the number of households depending on food stamps - subsidies that help people cover the costs of groceries - soared 16 percent to 13.6 million.

The mayors' survey attributed unemployment, poverty, low wages and high housing costs as the main reasons behind the surge in demand for food assistance.

It found there was a 10 percent average increase in the amount of food being distributed by the cities and just over two-thirds of the cities reported a rise in the quantities they were handing out.

About 71 percent of cities said their total budget for emergency food purchases had gone up. Across the 29 cities, 27 percent of the people requiring emergency food assistance did not receive it, the survey found.

In 86 percent of the cities, food pantries and emergency kitchens had to reduce the quantities of food people could receive per visit or the amount of food offered per meal.

None of the cities expected demand for food assistance to decline over the next year. Many anticipated a drop in the resources to provide food assistance, citing cuts in government funding and declining food donations by the public.

The survey also found that homelessness increased by an average of six percent across the 29 cities.

(Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111215/us_nm/us_usa_economy_hunger

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Base names 4 soldiers killed in helicopter crash (AP)

RAINIER, Wash. ? The four Army aviators killed when two helicopters crashed during training at a Washington state base were identified Wednesday as investigators look into the cause of the collision,

Joint Base Lewis-McChord released the names of those killed: They are Capt. Anne M. Montgomery, a native of North Dakota; Chief Warrant Officer Frank A. Buoniconti, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Chief Warrant Officer Joseph S. Satterfield, a native of Alaska; and Chief Warrant Officer Lucas Daniel Sigfrid, a native of Alabama.

An investigation into the cause of the accident by a team from Fort Rucker, Ala., began Wednesday. Lt. Col. Gary Dangerfield says the investigation could take as long as a year.

The two-seat reconnaissance choppers crashed after 8 p.m. Monday in the southwest training area of the sprawling base, killing all four on board. The aircraft involved were OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters, often called scout helicopters. The single-engine, four-bladed aircraft are used for armed reconnaissance.

Montgomery, 25, has served on active duty since August 2008 and arrived at the Washington base a year ago. She is a 2008 graduate of the United States Military Academy and had not been deployed overseas.

Buoniconti, 36, has served on active duty since July 1994, and arrived at the base in early November. He previously served at Fort Bragg, N.C., and the National Training Center, in Fort Irwin, Calif. He was deployed twice to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. His awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Satterfield, 32, has been on active duty since September 1997 and has been at the Washington base since December 2009. He has had assignments in Korea and at Fort Campbell, Ky., and deployed once to Iraq and once to Afghanistan.

Sigfrid, 32, has been on active duty since May 2008 and at the Washington base since January of this year. He has not deployed overseas.

Army officials said the airmen were on a routine night training flight and said the weather was clear after the helicopters went down a couple miles from the community of Rainier, which is south of Tacoma.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord is one of the largest bases in the country, with about 100,000 military and civilian personnel. In December 2006, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from Fort Lewis crashed southeast of Seattle during a night training mission, killing all three aboard.

Although Sigfrid's personnel records list Alabama as his home state, he went to high school and college in Minnesota, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Wednesday. He graduated from Champlin Park High School, in a suburb of Minneapolis, and attended St. Cloud State University for pilot training for joining the Army, said his cousin Mark Duclos.

Sigfrid's wife and Duclos' wife are both pregnant, Duclos told the newspaper.

"We were just talking last week ... about if we're going to have boys and they would grow up like us. We were just hellions," Duclos said.

Sigfrid's former high school wrestling coach, Bill Maresh, who did not have firsthand knowledge that Sigfrid was killed, said he wrestled all four years of high school and wasn't a champion but was a good guy who was dedicated to the sport and his team.

While other wrestlers might quit after two years if they're not successful, Maresh said Sigfrid stuck with the program.

"He was just one of those guys who kept coming, and he fought as hard as he could all the time," Maresh told The Associated Press.

Silvia Buoniconti of Colorado Springs, Colo., told The Colorado Springs Gazette that her son, Buoniconti, was among those killed in the accident.

"He was a great guy," she told the newspaper Tuesday. "I'm so in shock and so is my husband."

Her son followed his father into the military, serving three overseas tours. He joined up because "he felt it was the right thing to do," she said.

That service included preparing dinner for fellow soldiers, his mother said.

"He loved to cook, he loved to bake," she said.

____

Associated Press writers Donna Blankinship in Seattle and Jeff Baenen in Minneapolis contributed to this story.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/usmilitary/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111214/ap_on_re_us/us_mcchord_helicopter_crash

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Use the Valsalva Maneuver to Prevent Ear Pain When Flying [Flying]

Ear-popping pain is one of the hazards of flying. For some, especially kids or those with colds, Pain In The Ear or Airplane Ear can be quite severe. Mun Fitness Blog suggests several tips for preventing this condition, including the "Valsalva maneuver."

In the Valsalva manuever, you close your mouth and pinch your nose shut and exhale forcibly through your nostrils. You'll hear a "popping" sound and the pressure should be equalized in your ears. (Unequal pressure in your ears when the plane takes off or lands is the cause of Airplane Ear.)

Besides several other suggestions for preventing ear pain when flying, Mun Fitness Blog also offers a great tip for preventing ear pain that happens when driving:

Ear pain also happens while sitting in a car which come down from a steep mountain quickly with the window rolled up. Leave a crack in the window when descending or climbing a steep mountain will help.

I've always just chewed gum when flying. What's your strategy?

How to prevent pain in the ear when you are in the plane? | Mun Fitness Blog

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/-8aSieJoc_I/use-the-valsalva-maneuver-to-prevent-ear-pain-when-flying

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Sprint?s 4G LTE Network Arriving Later than Expected

According to statements made by Sprint's CFO at a recent analyst conference, Sprint's anticipated 4G LTE network may arrive later than expected.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/w3Ie3OppoXU/

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US service firms expanded in Nov. at slower pace

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2011 file photo, Bruce Worswick wipes his hands while working under a Jeep on the lift at Tri Town Transmission in Pembroke, Mass. U.S. service companies, which employ 90 percent of the work force, expanded at slower pace in November and a measure of employment fell sharply. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2011 file photo, Bruce Worswick wipes his hands while working under a Jeep on the lift at Tri Town Transmission in Pembroke, Mass. U.S. service companies, which employ 90 percent of the work force, expanded at slower pace in November and a measure of employment fell sharply. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)

Shoppers look at televisions displayed at a Best Buy store after a midnight opening on Friday, Nov. 25, 2011, in Brentwood, Tenn. Black Friday began in earnest as stores opened their doors at midnight. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Service companies, which employ 90 percent of the U.S. work force, expanded at a slower pace in November and a measure of employment at those firms fell.

Separately, the government said orders to U.S. factories dropped for the second straight month.

Monday's data show that the economy remains vulnerable despite recent signs of improvement. Still, economists said the broader message from other reports is that economic growth and hiring continue at a modest and steady pace.

"As it comes at a time when all the other economic news has been quite good, it is not too much to worry about," said Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.

The Institute for Supply Management said Monday that its index of service sector activity dropped to 52 from 52.9 in October. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion. The service sector has grown for two straight years. But the reading was the lowest since January 2010.

There were some positive signs in the report: New orders and business activity rose.

The trade group of purchasing managers surveys a range of industries, including hotels and restaurants, financial services, construction and agriculture.

The Commerce Department said companies cut their orders to U.S. factories in October for the second straight month. A key measure of business investment also declined.

The report also wasn't all bad. Manufacturers boosted their stockpiles 0.9 percent in October after more modest increases in previous months. That suggests they are optimistic about future sales.

Manufacturing has been showing signs of rebounding after slowing earlier this year. Auto sales and production are up now that supply chain disruptions caused by the earthquake in Japan have eased. And the ISM, which reports separately on manufacturing, said last week that factory output expanded in November for 28th straight month.

Some economists were surprised that the ISM service-sector survey showed its employment index fell below 50 for the second time in three months. That's a sign that companies are cutting workers, which conflicts with other data on hiring.

On Friday, the government said the unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent last month, the lowest level in 2 1/2 years. Employers added 120,000 net new jobs and more jobs were generated in September and October than the government previously estimated. Half of those jobs added in November were at retailers, bars and restaurants ? all service firms.

"We hope this is a rogue number," said Ian Shepherdson, an economist High Frequency Economics, referring to the ISM employment index for service firms. "It is certainly not consistent with the decline in jobless claims and the rebound in the flow of new online help wanted ads, but we cannot yet be sure."

About half the drop in the unemployment rate occurred because many of those out of work gave up searching for jobs. When the unemployed stop looking for work, they are no longer counted in the unemployment rate.

Still, the overall jobs report was positive and the latest sign that the economy is improving, despite a still-high unemployment rate, a debt crisis in Europe and slowing growth in China.

More jobs means consumers should have more income to spend while shopping, at restaurants, or on cable TV subscriptions and other services.

Holiday shopping is already off to a good start. Americans dropped a record $52.4 billion over the Thanksgiving weekend, according to the National Retail Federation, a trade group. A separate report from MasterCard found spending was up almost 9 percent from last year.

Car sales also rose sharply in November, normally a lackluster month for the auto industry. Chrysler, Ford, Nissan and Hyundai all reported double-digit gains on Thursday, compared to a year ago.

Those reports have led many economists to raise their forecasts for the final three months of the year, to about a 3 percent annual rate. That would be an improvement from growth of 2 percent in the July-September period.

___

AP Economics Writer Derek Kravitz contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-05-Economy-Services/id-22a6281a61bf4ad180e4fc98de9101de

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