Conservative conference highlights murky tax laws

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Organizers insist the Faith and Freedom Coalition's recent conference was not focused on politics.

But last week's gathering of religious conservatives offers an example of the murky rules and lax enforcement surrounding the expanding network of nonprofit groups working to influence politics even as Congress probes the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups.

The political overtones of the conference were striking.

It was called the "Road to Majority" conference, a reference to winning control of Congress. Some of the biggest names in the Republican Party offered plans to strengthen the GOP. Breakout sessions included tips on harnessing technology to win elections.

Organizers say they're not violating laws barring groups like theirs, classified as "social welfare" organizations under the tax code, from direct or indirect political campaign activities.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/conservative-conference-highlights-murky-tax-laws-071400508.html

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California law makers vote to give themselves & Moonbeam Jerry Brown $5,000 pay hike

I guess California is out of their recession and all the budget deficits are fixed. Lawmakers in the land of fruits and nuts voted to give themselves and Governor Moonbeam Jerry Brown a $5,000 per year pay hike. I don?t want to hear any more from California about closing school, parks, or needing government bailouts. If they can afford to give their useless lawmakers pay hikes of $5,000 per year, they should be able to survive without extra tax payer money.

California lawmakers will get a pay raise of nearly $5,000 this year while the governor will see an increase of nearly $9,000 after a citizens? panel voted Wednesday to restore some of the cuts it made during the recession.

Last year?s 5 percent pay cut by the California Citizens Compensation Commission ?was very heavily driven by the financial condition of the state,? commissioner Scott Somers noted. He said he struggled over whether now is the right time to raise salaries in light of the recent discussions over the state budget.

?How do we now say, ?But by the way, we?ve got enough money to restore the 5 percent cut for you guys,??? Somers said. ?That feels a little funny to me. ? That?s a little bit of a dilemma for me.?

Brown has urged lawmakers not to restore all the spending cuts for state programs made during the recession.

The commission voted 5-1 in favor of restoring the wages to 2011 levels, amounting to a raise of slightly more than 5 percent of current pay. The panel also voted 4-2 to have the state contribute more to the cost of the elected officials? health care but stopped short of restoring all the cuts it previously made to health benefits.

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Source: http://www.fireandreamitchell.com/2013/06/19/california-law-makers-vote-to-give-themselves-moonbeam-jerry-brown-5000-pay-hike/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=california-law-makers-vote-to-give-themselves-moonbeam-jerry-brown-5000-pay-hike

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Los Angeles schools do $30 million iPad deal with Apple

The Los Angeles Unified School District has agreed to a $30 million deal with Apple to put iPads into the hands of every student at 47 schools over the next two years. It's the first phase of a larger rollout for the school district, according to Apple.

The iPad deal is a pilot program: the LA Unified School District is the second-largest in the nation, with a total population of over 660,000 students and more than 1,100 schools. This will put iPads in the hands of 35,000 of those students. The iPads will come pre-loaded with iLife, third party educational software and the Pearson Common Core System of Courses, delivered through a new app. The iPads come with three-year warranties, including district-wide allowances for repair and replacement of damaged units.

A unanimous vote from the Board of Education favored Apple despite protestations from Microsoft, which encouraged the school district to avoid a "one-size-fits-all" solution. That idea was dismissed by district staff, contending that Apple offers the better product.

A teachers union representative asked for a delay in the vote and said the money should instead be used to rehire staff, but those pleas fell on deaf ears. The district wants to move ahead with the iPad plan to accommodate future state and federal computer-based testing of students.

The $30 million is being raised through the issuance of school bonds - an unusual move, though not unprecedented. Bond issuances are most often used for major capital projects like new construction.

Apple says that almost 10 million iPads are already in use in schools.

Source: LA Times via The Loop

Update [added details about educational software and link to Apple press release.]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/ln12WqXJ4Zg/story01.htm

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Yahoo has responded to claims that recycled email accounts could pose a security problem, claiming i

Yahoo has responded to claims that recycled email accounts could pose a security problem, claiming it's "going to extraordinary lengths" to protect users. Obviously.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/yahoo-has-responded-to-claims-that-recycled-email-accou-515271164

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Tesla's 90 second battery swaps will power EVs faster than gas pumps fill tanks (video)

Tesla founder Elon Musk has mentioned battery swap service stations as an even faster alternative to charging for EV drivers, and tonight the company showed just how efficiently it can be done. In a demonstration at its design studio, it beat what it claims is the fastest gas pump in LA by exchanging a drained car battery pack for a fresh fully charged one in just 90 seconds. When the $500,000 stations start rolling out, owners will stay in the car the whole time then either swap the battery back for their original on a return trip, or get a bill for the difference based on how new their battery is. According to Reuters, the exchange is expected to cost owners between $60 - $80 each time or about the cost of 15 gallons of gas

Of course, failed outfit Better Place proposed a similar service before it shut down, but Tesla is betting that it can make it work this time. The first service stations are coming to busy corridors, with some planned for I5 in California. Still need more proof? Elon Musk tweeted that video of the event will be available in "about an hour," so check back then.

Update: We're still waiting on the official video, but reader Weapon sent in a link to video shot by an event attendee, which can be viewed after the break. Take a peek and see a pair of Tesla's Model S sedans get quick battery service, one after the other in less time than a fuel pump can deliver one tank of gas.

Update 2: The official event video is up, check it out embedded after the break.

Filed under: Transportation

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Source: Tesla Motors (Twitter), Tesla

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/21/tesla-motors-battery-swaps-faster-than-gas/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Real Estate Weekly ? Blog Archive ? Who's news

Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services has elected J.D. Parker to the position of first vice president.
Parker is regional manager of Marcus & Millichap?s Manhattan, White Plains and New Haven offices and the northeast regional director of the firm?s Special Assets Services division, positions he will continue to hold.
He joined the firm as an agent in April 2004 and was promoted to associate in October that same year.
Parker became sales manager of the Manhattan office in May 2006 and was promoted to regional manager of Marcus & Millichap?s Brooklyn office in April 2007.
He has been the regional manager of the Manhattan and New Haven offices since March 2010 and in early 2012, he opened the White Plains office as its regional manager.
Prior to joining the firm, Parker worked as a dive master off the coast of Thailand. He is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in operations and information systems management.
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Jones Lang LaSalle has hired David Dusek as a managing director in its New York office. He will provide strategic real estate services to tenants throughout the New York metropolitan area.
Dusek has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of commercial real estate.
He has completed more than five million square feet of leasing transactions in the New York metropolitan region and nationally.
Prior to joining JLL, Dusek served as a senior managing director with Studley, where he distinguished himself as a top producing broker.
Earlier, he was a senior director and a vice president at other major brokerage firms, including Cushman & Wakefield.
Dusek supports the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation and is an avid tri-athlete.
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Carlton chairman, Howard L. Michaels, announced that Liron Ben Yaacov has joined the firm as a managing director to run Carlton?s office in Tel Aviv.
Ben Yaacov has a distinguished real estate and capital markets career having previously been head of Credit Agricole in Israel where he financed over $3 billion of global real estate transactions for BSG, Elad, Alony-Hetz and Electra.
In addition to executing real estate transactions, Ben Yaacov executed substantial corporate and project finance transactions with the leading Israeli multinationals groups such as Teva, ICL, Straus, Delek Group and Ofer Brothers.
Prior to joining Carlton, Ben Yaacov worked in a major Israeli private equity firm where he closed strategic global partnerships with leading U.S. private real estate companies which invested alongside with Israeli capital.
Ben Yaacov received his MBA from Manchester Business School and his BA from the College of Business Administration in Israel.
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Thor High Street Advisors?has added Dan Harroch to its lineup of retail services and commercial real estate experts.
Harroch joins the firm as senior vice president.
Prior to joining Thor High Street Advisors, Harroch served as managing director with PBS Real Estate, where he focused on?strategic retail solutions with a focus on enhancing brand values and bottom-line, and represented the highest level of national and international retailers, and institutional landlords.
Standouts in Harroch?s resume includes extensive work with top-tier brands such as?Levi?s, ZARA, All Saints, Gant, The Carlyle Group, Highgate Holdings, Acadia Realty Trust, Phillips De Pury and Citigroup.
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ERG Property Advisors?announced the addition of associate Joko Brownell to its Investment Sales Division.
Brownell transitions from the ERG Finance Division to the ERG Investment Sales Division as an associate.
Pairing an extensive financial background with a vast understanding of property valuation, Brownell makes an invaluable asset to the Investment Sales team.
After graduating from Oral Robert University with a degree in business administration and computer science, he spent four years immersing himself in the commercial real estate community, becoming an expert in local submarkets.
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Mitchell E. Hersh, president and chief executive officer of Mack-Cali Realty Corporation announced that the company has promoted several longtime employees. The promoted employees include:
Francis X. Shea, vice president of development, is responsible for Mack-Cali?s commercial development activities, including the Company?s commercial land development and interior renovations.
Shea joined the Robert Martin Company, a predecessor company of Mack-Cali, in 1991 and has held positions with Mack-Cali as project manager, senior project manager, director, and senior director of construction.
Previously he served as a structural engineer for the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation.
Ricardo Cardoso, vice president of investments, is primarily responsible for sourcing new real estate acquisitions and identifying opportunities within the portfolio for asset repositioning or disposition.
Cardoso joined the Robert Martin Company in 1994 and has held various positions during his tenure, most recently as director of acquisitions.
Brian McClean, vice president of property management, is responsible for the management of the Company?s properties in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Employed with Mack-Cali since 1996, McClean has held positions as property manager, director of property management, and senior director of property management. Previously he served as property analyst/assistant asset manager for Jones Lang Wootton Realty Advisors.
Thomas J. Golden, PP, AICP, assistant vice president of development, is responsible for coordinating approvals and entitlements for the Company?s commercial development and redevelopment activities.
Employed with Mack-Cali since 1997, Golden has held positions as director and senior director of planning and development.
Previously he served as vice president for Bellemead Development Corporation.
Damian Finley, assistant vice president of development, is responsible for the Company?s commercial development and construction activities in Westchester and Fairfield counties.
Employed by Mack-Cali since 2000, Finley has held positions as project manager, senior project manager, and director of tenant construction. Previously he served as project manager for Inspection & Valuation International.
David Carlick, senior director of acquisitions, is responsible for both acquisitions and dispositions for the Company.
Employed by Mack-Cali since 2002, Carlick was previously director of acquisitions. Previously he served as vice president for the former Summit Bank.
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Winick Realty Group announced the addition of two new brokers to its New Jersey branch.
Adam Kruvant and Gary Krauss will assist senior vice presidents and founding partners Daniel Spector and Tyler Bennett as they market more than one million square feet of prime retail exclusives.
Gary Krauss comes to Winick Realty Group NJ with a strong background in both commercial and residential real estate.
He has an intimate knowledge of retail supermarket operations, which he gained from working with Pathmark Supermarkets, as well as his tenure at a New York advertising agency where he specialized in retail accounts like Genovese Drug Stores.
Adam Kruvant is a graduate of Winick Realty Group?s Agent Training Program, having worked in the Manhattan and Brooklyn markets before focusing on New Jersey retail full time.
Kruvant previously worked for Vanguard Realty, where he participating in a number of retail leases in New Jersey including Chipotle, Petvalu, and several gyms.
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CBRE Group, Inc. announced that Shawn Rosenthal has joined the firm?s Midtown Manhattan office as an executive vice president in the Debt & Equity Finance Group.
Prior to joining CBRE, Rosenthal was a senior executive at the Ackman-Ziff Real Estate Group, where he closed more than 90 transactions in excess of $3.9 billion.
Rosenthal was the winner of the Real Estate Board of New York?s 2008 Edward S. Gordon Memorial Award for arranging $700 million of debt and equity financing for the acquisition of 650 Madison Avenue.
Rosenthal arranged seven transactions in 2012, among them a $400 million refinancing of 452 Fifth Avenue, in New York City
Before joining Ackman-Ziff, Rosenthal practiced real estate law at Thacher Proffitt and Wood for two years. He was an auditor and tax associate at KPMG prior to law school.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting and Economics from Queens College and a Juris Doctorate from New York University School of Law.
He is a licensed attorney and C.P.A. in New York.
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CBRE Group, Inc. announced that Imran Ahmed, an accomplished investment banker with more than two decades of experience providing strategic counsel to clients, has been appointed executive managing director for CBRE Capital Advisors, the Company?s real estate investment banking business.
Ahmed joins CBRE Capital Advisors from American Realty Capital and its affiliate RCS Securities where he was most recently an executive vice president and managing director ? Advisory and Capital Markets.
He brings significant advisory experience to CBRE Capital Advisors having previously served as Co-Head of the Real Estate, Lodging and Gaming practice at KPMG Corporate Finance, and founding partner and COO of Ranieri Real Estate Partners LP.
Ahmed has been involved with over $100 billion of transaction activity with extensive experience in principal investments, M&A, equity and debt capital markets, structured finance and corporate advisory.
Also joining Ahmed at CBRE Capital Advisors is Steve Guberer, who was appointed a director. Guberer was previously at Deutsche Bank Securities.

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Other posts by REW Staff

Source: http://www.rew-online.com/2013/06/19/whos-news-14/

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Sleep deprivation in teens linked to poor dietary choices

June 20, 2013 ? Well-rested teenagers tend to make more healthful food choices than their sleep-deprived peers, according to a study led by Lauren Hale, PhD, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University School of Medicine. The finding, presented at SLEEP 2013, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, may be key to understanding the link between sleep and obesity.

"Not only do sleepy teens on average eat more food that's bad for them, they also eat less food that is good for them," said Dr. Hale, speaking about the study results. "While we already know that sleep duration is associated with a range of health consequences, this study speaks to some of the mechanisms, i.e., nutrition and decision making, through which health outcomes are affected."

The study, which was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, examined the association between sleep duration and food choices in a national representative sample of 13,284 teenagers in the second wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The data were collected in 1996 when the interview subjects had a mean age of 16 years.

The authors found that those teens who reported sleeping fewer than seven hours per night -- 18 percent of respondents -- were more likely to consume fast food two or more times per week and less likely to eat healthful food such as fruits and vegetables. The results took into account factors such as age, gender, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, physical activity and family structure, and found that short sleep duration had an independent effect on both healthy and unhealthy food choices.

The respondents fell into one of three categories: short sleepers, who received fewer than seven hours per night; mid-range sleepers, who had seven to eight hours per night; and recommended sleepers, who received more than eight hours per night. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that adolescents get between nine and 10 hours of sleep per night.

"We are interested in the association between sleep duration and food choices in teenagers because adolescence is a critical developmental period between childhood and adulthood," said the first author of the study, Allison Kruger, MPH, a community health worker at Stony Brook University Hospital. "Teenagers have a fair amount of control over their food and sleep, and the habits they form in adolescence can strongly impact their habits as adults."

The research team -- which included co-authors Eric N. Reither, PhD, Utah State University; Patrick Krueger, PhD, University of Colorado at Denver; and Paul E. Peppard, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison -- concluded that addressing sleep deficiency may be a novel and effective way to improve obesity prevention and health promotion interventions.

Dr. Hale said that one of the next steps in the research will be to explore whether the association between sleep duration and food choices is causal.

"If we determine that there is a causal link between chronic sleep and poor dietary choices, then we need to start thinking about how to more actively incorporate sleep hygiene education into obesity prevention and health promotion interventions," she said.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/M7Fj0YVNSm4/130620162746.htm

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