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Saturday, June 30, 2012
This iPhone Bottle-Opener Case Is Your Never-Leave-Home-Without-One Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]
Cybercrime disclosures rare despite new SEC rule
FILE -- In a July 13, 2011 file photo Senate Commerce Chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., presides over a hearing of the committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Rockefeller is adding a provision to cybersecurity legislation that would strengthen the requirement to report cybercrimes. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, file)
FILE -- In a July 13, 2011 file photo Senate Commerce Chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., presides over a hearing of the committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Rockefeller is adding a provision to cybersecurity legislation that would strengthen the requirement to report cybercrimes. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, file)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Hackers broke into computers at hotel giant Wyndham Worldwide Corp. three times in two years and stole credit card information belonging to hundreds of thousands of customers. Wyndham didn't report the break-in in corporate filings even though the Securities and Exchange Commission wants companies to inform investors of cybercrimes.
Amid whispers of sensational online break-ins resulting in millions of dollars in losses, it remains remarkably difficult to identify corporate victims of cybercrimes. Companies are afraid that going public would damage their reputations, sink stock prices or spark lawsuits.
The chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., is adding a provision to cybersecurity legislation that would strengthen the reporting requirement. The SEC's cybersecurity guidance issued in October is not mandatory. It was intended to update for the digital age a requirement that companies report "material risks" that investors want to know.
Rockefeller's measure would direct the SEC's five commissioners to make clear when companies must disclose cyber breaches and spell out steps they are taking to protect their computer networks from electronic intrusions.
"It's crucial that companies are disclosing to investors how cybersecurity risks affect their bottom lines, and what they are doing to address those risks," Rockefeller said Friday.
The SEC recently challenged Internet retailer Amazon's decision to omit from its 2011 annual report references to the online theft of customer data held by Zappos, an online shoe company owned by Amazon. Amazon eventually agreed to modify the statement slightly, according to correspondence between the company and the SEC. But the company still argued that the Zappos attack was not covered by the commission's cybersecurity guidance because it had no material impact on Amazon's business.
Cybercrime is rampant and not confined to the United States. The head of Britain's domestic spy agency said this week that cybersecurity ranks alongside terrorism as one of the United Kingdom's most pressing security challenges. In one recent case, an unspecified, London-listed company hit by a cyberattack incurred revenue losses of $1.2 billion, MI5 Director General Jonathan Evans said in rare public remarks in London. He did not identify the company or say which country was behind the attack. The U.S. has said China and Russia are the governments most frequently engaged in such hacking.
"What is at stake is not just our government secrets but also the safety and security of our infrastructure, the intellectual property that underpins our future prosperity, and the commercially sensitive information that is the lifeblood of our companies and corporations," Evans said.
Research by a cybersecurity expert shows dozens of Fortune 500 companies have lost a wide range of valuable information to cybercrimes, including intellectual property, bank account credentials, restricted data about patients of pharmaceutical companies and internal legal records.
Rodney Joffe of Neustar, an Internet infrastructure management company in Virginia, monitors networks used by online criminal groups and traces the origin of stolen information. He found evidence that 162 out 168 companies in the manufacturing, chemical and transportation sectors had been compromised. The names of the companies are being kept confidential for proprietary reasons, he said.
"No one is safe. Everyone is compromised," said Joffe, Neustar's senior technologist. "When people tell you, 'We are protected as a company,' they are really fooling themselves."
The SEC isn't tracking how many companies comply with its cybersecurity guidance. But publicly traded companies historically have resisted supplying information about cyber incidents because it highlights their weak spots, said Peter Toren, a former federal prosecutor with the Justice Department's computer crime division.
"It just doesn't look good," Toren said.
The breach of Wyndham's computers was described in a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit filed this week against the company and three subsidiaries for alleged security failures that led to the three data breaches between April 2008 and January 2010. The failures caused "the export of hundreds of thousands of consumers' payment card account information to an Internet domain address registered in Russia" and millions of dollars in fraudulent charges on consumers' accounts, the FTC said.
Wyndham didn't mention the break-ins in its 2011 annual report or prior securities filings, according to an Associated Press review of the records.
Wyndham's 2011 annual report said the "hospitality industry is under increasing attack by cyber-criminals in the U.S. and other jurisdictions in which we operate" and noted that it was involved in "claims relating to information security and data privacy." Wyndham spent $13 million more on security improvements and expects to spend as much as $100 million in 2012 to guard against "the increasingly aggressive global threat from cyber-criminals," according to the report.
Wyndham said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press that it "fully complied with SEC regulations in regards to the disclosure of material events." In the statement, Wyndham said the incidents were "previously reported," an apparent reference to notices to consumers that were published on the company's website. The company also said the FTC's claims were without merit.
Network infrastructure company Verisign reported in late October, just a few weeks after the SEC issued the guidance, that there had been several successful cyberattacks against its corporate networks in 2010. In the filing, Verisign said the company's management had not been informed of the attacks until September 2011.
LinkedIn, the online networking service, publicly announced on June 12 the online theft of 6.5 million user passwords. It said the announcement complies with its obligations to the SEC, but it has yet to file a report about the incident with the commission.
The new SEC guidance puts pressure on companies to decide whether to disclose a breach or keep it secret, said Jody Westby of Global Cyber Risk, a consulting firm. But she said the demand for information amounts to locking the door after the house has been robbed.
"The SEC would have done better to require all public companies to say whether they've taken actions to implement a security program," Westby said.
__
Associated Press researcher Julie Reed contributed to this report.
__
Online:
SEC disclosure guidance: http://www.sec.gov/divisions/corpfin/guidance/cfguidance-topic2.htm
Associated PressBalotelli muscles Italy into Euro 2012 final
By ANDREW DAMPF
AP Sports Writer
Associated Press Sports
updated 9:48 p.m. ET June 28, 2012
WARSAW, Poland (AP) -Mario Balotelli flexed his muscles in more ways than one.
The 21-year-old Italy striker quieted his multitude of critics by delivering Italy to an unexpected spot in the European Championship final. Having been severely criticized for failing to take advantage of his opportunities earlier in the tournament, Balotelli scored twice in the first half Thursday to give Italy a 2-1 win over Germany.
After his second goal, Balotelli stripped off his jersey and flexed his muscles in a defiant pose - even if that meant an automatic yellow card. For someone whose behavior often treads on the verge of craziness, it was an emblematic moment.
"This is the greatest night of my life, but I hope Sunday is going to be even better," Balotelli said, looking ahead to the final against defending champion Spain. "In the opening matches I had a lot of chances, and I wasn't able to finish them. But In football you also need luck."
In the 20th minute, Balotelli had no trouble getting past Holger Badstuber to head in a pinpoint cross from Antonio Cassano. Then in the 36th, he received the ball behind the defense and blasted a long shot into the top right corner.
With three goals, Balotelli moved level with four other players for the tournament scoring lead. After the match, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli was asked if this was the best match of Balotelli's career.
"Balotelli's career has just started," Prandelli said.
Meanwhile, Germany extended its winless streak against Italy in major tournaments to eight matches. The Germans failed to trouble Italy for much of the match, although Mesut Oezil scored a consolation penalty in injury time after Federico Balzaretti was whistled for a handball.
Germany had entered the game on a world record 15-match winning streak in competitive matches.
"It's a very bitter defeat," Germany captain Philipp Lahm said. "We tried everything in the second half but our goal came too late. We have so much potential in our team but if we cannot give the right performance at the right time or are not clever enough, then we lose such a game."
The final in Kiev, Ukraine, will be a rematch of Italy and Spain's 1-1 draw that opened Group C.
"We showed we're on Spain's level and that's where we started this run," Italy midfielder Claudio Marchisio said. "It's no longer a question of fear. Now we've got to pull out everything we still have inside ourselves."
While Italy has won four World Cups, it's only European Championship title came in 1968. Like when they won the 1982 and 2006 World Cups, the Azzurri have managed to maintain their focus despite a match-fixing and betting scandal at home.
"All I can say is that when you talk about Italy, everyone needs to be careful," Prandelli said. "We played an extraordinary match. We displayed a model of fair play and attachment to this shirt."
On a pleasant evening at the National Stadium Warsaw, Cassano set up the opening goal by befuddling Germany defenders Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng to lift the ball in Balotelli's direction.
The second goal began with a long vertical pass from Riccardo Montolivo, whose mother is German. Balotelli collected the pass with his back to the goal, controlled the ball with his chest and then sprinted forward and unleashed a blazing shot from the edge of the area as Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer again stood immobile.
"We did what we had thought would put them in trouble," Prandelli said. "We played centrally and looked for one-on-one opportunities with Cassano."
Even before scoring, Italy controlled the pace of the match, although Germany did have several chances from Hummels, Toni Kroos and Oezil.
In the 35th, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon preserved the Azzurri lead by swatting away a long shot from Sami Khedira - and Balotelli doubled the lead a minute later.
To start the second half, Germany coach Joachim Loew brought on Miroslav Klose for Mario Gomez at center forward and replaced Lukas Podolski with Marco Reus on the wing.
With Germany appearing slightly more organized, Lahm had a great look at the goal in the 49th but shot way over the bar.
"If we had scored earlier, there could have been more for us," Loew said. "The disappointment is great. Nobody is speaking in the dressing room. The players are crying. ... But I am not going to question everything we've done. This team has great quality. It will continue to develop and learn."
Buffon made another impressive save in the 62nd, leaping to push a free kick from Reus off the bar.
While Italy largely sat back and protected its lead in the second half, the Azzurri did produce some dangerous counterattacks. Marchisio shot just wide in the 67th and 75th and substitute Antonio Di Natale missed another chance in the 82nd.
Di Natale came on in the 70th after Balotelli went down with a cramp to his left leg.
White-clad German fans greatly outnumbered Italian supporters, unveiling a huge banner before kickoff that featured a giant "G" for Germany. However, most of the stadium was filled with Polish fans who supported Italy.
They had plenty to cheer about.
"We're living a dream along with millions of Italians," Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini said. "We're going to enjoy this victory a little longer, then we'll think about Sunday, because we want to continue dreaming."
---
Lineups:
Germany: Manuel Neuer, Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng (Thomas Mueller, 71), Mats Hummels, Philipp Lahm, Sami Khedira, Toni Kroos, Mesut Oezil, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mario Gomez (Miroslav Klose, 46), Lukas Podolski (Marco Reus, 46).
Italy: Gianluigi Buffon, Federico Balzaretti, Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Daniele De Rossi, Claudio Marchisio, Riccardo Montolivo (Thiago Motta, 63), Andrea Pirlo, Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano (Alessandro Diamanti, 57).
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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More newsReutersBalotelli, Italy stun Germany
PST: Star scores two goals in the first half to send the Italians into the Euro 12 championship match against Spain on Sunday.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/47970731/ns/sports-soccer/
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Mongolia vote snags as ruling party seeks recount
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Affordable Care Act upheld ? Washington now ahead of most states | Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler
Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler expressed great relief with the U.S. Supreme Court?s decision upholding the Affordable Care Act and said Washington state is now well ahead of most states in reforming its health care system.
Many reforms are currently in place, but key benefits and programs take effect in 2014, including Washington?s new Health Exchange, federal subsidies to help 477,000 people afford health insurance, an expansion of Medicaid for 328,000 poor childless adults and the ban on insurance companies from denying people coverage if they?re sick.
?I?m very pleased the Supreme Court chose to uphold the Affordable Care Act,? said Kreidler. ?We?ve been busy for two years now implementing the reforms and have made great progress, but there?s a lot left to do before 2014. With the court decision out of the way, we can continue our focus on where it should be ? bringing relief to families struggling to find quality, affordable health insurance.?
The millions of Washington state consumers benefitting from the Affordable Care Act?s early reforms include:
?
- More than 2.4 million people who no longer face lifetime caps on their health benefits.
- More than 52,000 young adults up to age 26 who have stayed on their parents? health plans.
- More than 1.2 million people who now have coverage for preventive care with no co-pays or deductibles.
- More than 60,000 people in Medicare who have saved hundreds on their prescription drugs.
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Washington state also leveraged millions in federal funds available under the Affordable Care Act to create:
?The Affordable Care Act is not perfect, but it moves us in the right direction and is the only meaningful reform that?s passed in decades,? said Kreidler. ?The debate was clearly contentious, and I?m grateful to have it behind us. But, now it?s time to focus on the work ahead ? more than a million uninsured people in our state are counting on us.?
Source: http://feeds.soundpublishing.com/~r/cmvnews/~3/_AKq-H5XoF4/160704475.html
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Home Improvement Tips For Making The Most Of Your Investment ...
You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Home Improvement Tips For Making The Most Of Your Investment
Don?t hire a contractor until you find out if they?re insured! This is a sure sign of a trustworthy contractor who is prepared to complete the home improvements you required, and that they?re not a scam artist who will take your money and run.
Use school glue on your wall paper repairs. This cheap glue dries clear and works whether you are repairing a turned up corner, a tear, or a bubble that wasn?t properly addressed when the wall paper was hung. The squeeze tip bottle even allows you to easily insert the glue into small places.
A great way to let outdoor light inside your kitchen is by using minimal window coverings. Using dark drapery and valances can block out natural lighting and make your kitchen appear dark. Using a light colored curtain or sheer, can be a great help in lighting up your kitchen, the natural way.
A small home improvement project that can be handled in a couple of hours, is to clean your dryer vents. Dryer vents accumulate lint deposits over time and if not cleaned can be the cause of a fire in the home. It also reduces the efficiency of your dryer, and makes your clothes take longer to dry.
Remove the clutter from your home and it will give you the feel of a new room without the expense of remodeling it. If you have broken or unused items around the home, get rid of it. There is no need to hold onto things that you do not use or need.
To make money flipping real estate you should start with improving the outside. This is the part that will make a first impression on potential buyers and can be done rather cheaply. Take a picture of the outside and study it when you are not at the home. It will help you focus on what should be fixed or improved.
Insulate your home in order to save energy and lower your heating and cooling bills. Check the attic, as well as windows and doors. Any leaky spots should be fixed. Weather stripping can be added to doors and windows and new insulation can be added to the attic. You want to keep air that you paid to heat or cool, inside the home.
If you are working with a contractor, stick to your plan. Making changes when contractors are working can be not only expensive, but also frustrating for the contractors. Wasting their time costs you money, so stay with your original idea. You can always tweak things later if you feel you want something different.
In northern climates where heavy snow covers the ground all winter, you may lose track of where the borders of pathways are. To avoid this it is a good idea to put a 4? X 4? lumber bordering the paths. Then, when you are shoveling snow, you will know exactly where the edge of the path should be.
If you are renovating a small space, and you have the ability, install larger windows. Even if you cannot expand the window size, use a style of window that has more glass than wooden frame. More glass in the window will mean it lets in more natural light, which makes a small room seem much brighter and larger.
A great home improvement tip is to ask your partners in a home renovation project where their expertise lie and let them do that particular thing in the project. This is more efficient than simply delegating the duties to the partners because all the partners will be doing something they are good at doing.
When you are installing new cabinets yourself. Start with the top set first. This way you will have plenty of room underneath to stand and navigate as you hang the top ones. The bottom set are much easier to install as there is no holding up a heavy cabinet while it gets screwed in.
If you are looking to increase the value of your home with some home improvements and do not know where to start, consider investing some time with a contractor to give you some ideas. They know the most profitable areas of the home to improve and can offer suggestions on what to do with your own home.
A large and bulky cabinet and sink can easily take up the biggest part of a tiny bathroom and make the area seem downright claustrophobic. Free up some additional space by having the cabinet and sink removed and replacing them with a sleek and attractive pedestal sink. The look is timeless, and the narrow silhouette will free up a great deal of space.
When it comes to home improvement, be sure that none of the workers that will be working on your home have a criminal record. This is important to the safety of you and your family, and also for the security of your belongings. It is not uncommon for you to ask for the names of all the workers that will be on the property. Background checks are available online.
In conclusion, fixing up your home will make you feel good about yourself. No one wants to be living in a home that is in desperate need of repairs. Hopefully, the above information can get your home back into a condition that will make you love to be living in it.
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Source: http://millions-served.com/home-improvement-tips-for-making-the-most-of-your-investment/
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Excellent Advice For Fixing Your individual Personal Finance.
Finances can certainly receive really messed up in case they are really not correctly maintained. In the event that you get a hold of yourself inside this particular situation, it is very time in order to get the entire knowledge about loan you ought to untangle the entire mess. This particular article contains regulations for taking back control of the financial situation and also staying more organized.
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Once you come with a strong thirty days which at long last puts you ahead on your finances, buyers should not spend this particular additional cash. Instead, you need to save it. Establish a stern budget you can easily follow as well as maintain understanding regarding cash advances finances.
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Stop charging a credit card that you really have issues paying off. Cut the extras spending off, not to mention see in case indeed there is actually some other option to create payments on the card to ensure that it does not get maxed out. The actual best thing to be able to do is to pay off a card before you employ it once again.
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Certain debt pay day loans typically is actually suitable for your credit score. Debts which can work inside your prefer usually are items like actual estate. Nearly all of the time, residential and additionally commercial home will certainly go up within exactly how a great deal it?s value and also the interest from that loan typically is deductible from your own taxes. If perhaps you have university loans, it is actually wise debt. Educational loans are low interest, and also payments is deferred until eventually soon after graduation.
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Reflect upon financial mistakes us have created within the previous, as well as learn from them. Spending many years recovering from credit card debt is a learning experience to be able to discourage further credit card incorporate. In the event that your own salary was crappy as a person did not negotiate enough, then negotiate like a pit bull next time your needs attain a raw job. When chatting regarding a own finances, it?s very best that would treat each lesson as a valuable you. Grasp that precisely what your needs grasp currently is much more consequently us knew yesterday, as well as every bit of knowledge puts your needs within a better financial situation inside the future.
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Younger individuals seeking to remain out inside front of their finances would certainly do perfectly that would discover the particular wonders of compounding interest. Save the income inside a account where you can create money off associated with the interest that a person earn and also your individual initial investment.
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By purchasing healthy protein within increased quantities, buyers can conserve money plus time. With regard to most cases, buying products within bulk is among the most budget-friendly choice. Conserve time by cooking meals within a single week utilizing this particular meat that last a week.
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A emergency savings will need to contain 3 months value of money. Think about putting 10 per cent of your pay into a savings account that may offer significant interest.
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Avoiding debt is a terrific option to be financially stable. A A home loan or alternatively automobile typically is fine because those happen to be important elements a person need. Regarding the actual smaller, everyday expenditures, though, credit typically is a bad option to meet your necessities.
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Try to be able to negotiate a bit of options whenever a debt collector contacts you for a payment. Debt collection agencies buy the debt for a small fraction of just what was actually primarily owed. The two can make a profit actually if buyers do not pay an especially large amount. Making a reduced payoff typically is a good option to place older debts to rest.
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Currently have your credit cards paid directly by a checking account monthly. This might be a marvelous option to make sure that anyone never forget in order to pay a bill.
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Do a person employ air travel a great deal? If perhaps thus, it could very well pay to sign upwards alongside a particular airline?s frequent flier system. Frequent flier kilometers are a favored shape of specificamong the lots of rewards that credit card firms supply. Miles may add up rapidly and also then be redeemed at hotels for discounted rates, or simply additionally free areas.
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It?s usual for people that would create errors, as well as it happens to be able to all the people, particularly with regards to finances. In the event you normally do well alongside the checking account and in addition come with a single overdraft due to be able to several mistake and / or condition, you are able to more than likely receive your bank in order to waive the particular fee. This particular trick is actually usually only for somebody whom has a consistent record of keeping balances and also avoiding overdrafts, plus is actually probably in order to be efficient only once.
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Because far because placing a finances with regard to order typically is worried, generally there is not any these thing because beginning too late. By carrying this out, you can be a great deal more equipped at 60 than when you did not begin at just about all. It?s usually a superior time to be able to commence performing toward greater finances.
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In the event you are utilized in order to spending a great deal of income on Christmas presents, make your own presents instead. You can conserve hundreds of dollars about the actual holidays by reducing spending at department stores. Imagine of creative techniques to cut bills, plus demonstrate your own pals and family your creative side.
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It may be probable which your credit score is going to go down while you may be striving to repair a credit. Which doesn?t signify you have screwed upwards somewhere. Because we continue adding positive products in order to your individual credit history, your individual score might heighten.
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Source: http://headfuel.com/2012/06/excellent-advice-for-fixing-your-individual-personal-finance/
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Friday, June 29, 2012
Basic Basement Flooring
Basement flooring can be challenging yet demanding. We have to plan carefully what flooring fits our basement area. Commonly, concrete slab is what are home basement flooring made of. It is an absorptive component that consider to be prone of moisture and mold. Any flooring tied up with concrete slab is said to be damage due to water over flow and dampness.?
Common flooring options that can be used for flooring:
Epoxy Covering
Using epoxy floor covering might be expensive but it will assure you of penetrating moisture and can act as a vapor barrier. ??? Epoxy covering can be the basic for a good and mold resistant home flooring.?
Stained Concrete
Comes with different styles and flexible that add sense when applied to your basement. Since stained concrete flooring cannot act as a seal towards moisture, make sure to apply a varnish to avoid pealing.
Cork
?Circumstantial yet inexpensive. Cork is easy to replace and able to tolerate bacteria. Cork flooring can help close off room space.
Carpet
Carperts are commonly use and applied in a dry, sub floors. Carpets are good in deep clean. Afflictive and dirty are the usual outcome of a wrong carpet set up.
Laminate Flooring
Also made up of an inorganic object that resist the formulation of molds. Somewhat expensive but if you are in a trendy side, variety of colors and finishes are also available.
Vinyl Tiles
Vinyl will give you the most effective flooring if fudge together with a strong adhesive. The purpose of adhesive is to give way for the tiles to remain strong and tight. Vinyl tiles are replaceable, comes with different patterns and easy to apply.
Linoleum
Made up of an inorganic plastic materials, a linoleum is cheap, light to set up. You can choose from different patterns and common selection for basement flooring options.
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An ideal basement must be:
Clear of mold formulation. Make sure that your flooring is tight from the spread of bacteria and any other causing illnesses that can cause harm to you and your family.
Have amiable and relaxing space. Can be a temporary room in case of probability.
Has low absorption rate that might generate cold and wet surroundings.
Easy to replace. Even the most expensive flooring can be damage due to an extreme weather, pressure or flooding. Manageable discharge can be done in subtracting new flooring in your basement area.
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Source: http://www.artsadvise.net/basic-basement-flooring/
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Full body massage NYC ? Beauty, Health and Fitness
Touch is very vital for living a healthy life. Humans need touch. A touch can soothe and relieve you of stress and depression. A full body massage NYC can do more than just soothe one?s senses. Massage by a professional massage therapist will help in keeping the muscles active and well-nourished so that they are nimble and responsive at times of stress. It also improves blood-circulation which can in turn, aid in healing and thus improve your general health. A full body massage also benefits the lymphatic system which handles one?s immunity. Regular sessions will make you supple and energetic and also guarantee a glowing skin.
Full body massage NYC is the answer to many health problems of the modern lifestyle. A trained masseuse can guarantee you a solution for health issues like sleep problems, tired eyes, sinus problems, headaches, and concentration problems. They also have solutions for workplace fatigue, tension and posture problems. Do you have tight shoulders? Are strained eyes troubling you? Are your tired feet slowing you down? Full body massage NYC has the answers for all your troubles.
A full body massage in New York may cost you anywhere from $20 to $150 or more depending on the duration of the therapy. The experience of the full body massage in NYC, by a trained masseuse is indeed worth every penny. As you reach the therapist?s office, you will be guided to your own private space. The masseuse may use a variety of aromatic oils to ease your muscles and senses. These oils will not only aid in the massage but also seep into your skin and nourish it to give a glowing and youthful appearance. The therapist may start at the feet soothing the tired muscles through a series of strokes and pressure applied at the right spots. They will work each of your toes individually and stretch them back and forth and make them nimble and relaxed. They will work their way up your legs, hips and your lower back relaxing and rejuvenating the muscles as they go. As they reach your lower back, they will apply gentle pressure with their thumbs into the muscles at either side of the spine so as to release the stiff muscles. They will relax the tight shoulder muscles as they work their way up to your neck. They take unique maneuvers along your arms and hands and relax the fatigued muscles. A skilled masseuse or masseur can ease headaches and tension by using techniques like applying gentle pressure on your cheekbones, temples and around your hairline. They have special techniques to relieve tired eyes. With gentle pressure, they will rub their way from under the eyebrow near the eye socket towards the bridge of the nose in tiny circular motions. The masseuses and masseurs skilled in the full body massage in NYC will usually start at the feet, and work their way through your back, shoulders, arms, hands and neck, finishing at your head.
There are different methods or techniques applied in the full body massage NYC. You may experience different degrees of pressure, stroking and movements depending on the method of massage you choose. It is very important to choose a masseur or masseuse for an effective full body massage NYC.? A massage therapist has to undergo rigorous training and has to be well-informed about the systems of the body and how they function together. They are experts in application of pressure and stroking techniques to different parts of the body in order to boost circulation and to loosen muscles without causing any injury to the client.
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Source: http://www.akcesoria-kosmetyczne.pl/skin-care/full-body-massage-nyc-3/
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Business Advertising Directories ? SMB Advice & Tips
Online business advertising directories are an essential part of building and maintaining your small business? online presence. Not only do these directories help increase exposure, business directories can add relevancy to your site which is vital for search engine ranking.
There is a wide range of online advertising directories. Some offer free submissions, others charge fees. Some are designed as general directories; others are industry or location specific. A concentrated effort to list your business in multiple directories is a low cost way to gain online exposure.
The advantages of listing your business in as many directories as possible go beyond increased exposure to potential customers. Incoming links to your web site are of critical importance when it comes to search engine rankings. Search engines, like Google, place significant emphasis on link popularity, or the number of outside links pointing to your web site. Business directory listings play an important role in increasing incoming links.
Many directory listings allow customers to rate and review their experiences with your business. While this can be a two-edged sword, positive reviews and comments can greatly increase your customer base. If someone posts a negative experience, most directory sites allow a rebuttal, giving you the perfect opportunity to regain goodwill, address the submitters issue, and show other potential customers that you are committed to quality and customer satisfaction.
Of course, increased exposure is one of the main advantages of using a variety of business directories. It stands to reason that the more directories in which your business listing appears, the more people will be drawn to your web site.
There are three main types of business directories. They are:
GeneralRegionalIndustry Specific
General business advertising directories list businesses in all industries, specializations, and regions. Most general business directories offer free listings and differing levels of more prominent sponsored listing options. Examples of general business advertising directories include:
Business.com ? Business.com is a general business site dedicated to providing business information, how-to articles, directories, and additional resources. Directories match customers with needed services and products. Free listings, pay-per-click, and banner advertising levels are available.
RichDir.com ? Rich?s business directories provide a wealth of business information as well as business listings. Listings are submitted by business owners and reviewed for acceptance. Premium listings are available.
Best of the Web ? Best of the Web is one of the oldest directory sites. Not a business specific direction, they feature general, blog, and local directories, business owners may create their own listing, upload photos, and take advantage of a free get started option.
DMOZ ? DMOZ, or the Open Directory Project, is a large, comprehensive, human-edited web directory. A global community of volunteers maintains and constructs the directories. All listings, including those for business, are free.
Regional directories list businesses in specific geographical locations. Most regional directories break local businesses into industry categories and encourage customer reviews. Many regional directories offer business owners the opportunity to announce events, create coupons, monitor visitor traffic, and contact customers privately. Some of the currently popular regional business advertising directories include:
Yelp ? Yelp offers free listings for business owners and managers. ?Yelpers? rate and review various types of businesses, from restaurants to pet sitters. Yelp encourages users to socialize using online chatting and community tools.
Google Places ? Google Places offers free business listings with some advanced features. Photos, coupons, directions, and more can be included in a Google Places listing. Listing with Google Places improves your visibility in Google search listings and on Google Maps.
Yellow Pages ? A popular destination for consumers, Yellow Pages offers a free basic business listing and various paid options.
Yellow Book ? Yellow Book is another popular local search directory for consumers. Yellow Book offers a wide variety of free and premium tools for business owners.
CitySlick.net ? CitySlick.net offers a free service and various levels of premium features, including video promotions and classified ads.
Industry-related business advertising directories focus on a specific business type. Consumers looking for a competent attorney, for example, enter their zip code in a web site search field and receive a listing of nearby professionals. Some industry directories provide contact forms for each listing so that potential clients may contact the business professional directly.
Other useful types of business directories include listings with your local Chamber of Commerce, professional organizations, and local media web sites.
View the original article here
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Relative Terms: business | Advertising | Directories | advertising-directoriesRelated tips
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Thursday, June 28, 2012
Editorial: Engadget on Jelly Bean, Nexus Q, Nexus 7 and Project Glass
Phew! On the heels of big events from Apple and Microsoft, Sergey and co. got their time to shine at the Google I/O event this week in San Francisco. The show kicked off with a a keynote that featured insight into Android Jelly Bean, the unveiling of the Nexus 7 tablet and Nexus Q media streaming device, plus some seriously amazing demos of Project Glass, among others. Was the two-hour-and-change press conference enough to push Google out in front of the competition? Check out our thoughts after the break.
Continue reading Editorial: Engadget on Jelly Bean, Nexus Q, Nexus 7 and Project Glass
Editorial: Engadget on Jelly Bean, Nexus Q, Nexus 7 and Project Glass originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 21:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Extreme heat spreads across U.S., could break records
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Suu Kyi tells AFP willing to lead Myanmar if her party wins
Myanmar democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi said Thursday that she is prepared to lead her country one day, speaking with AFP in Paris at the end of a triumphant Europe tour.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, in Europe for the first time in a quarter-century after enduring many years of house arrest, also spoke of her joy at the warm reception she received on her five-nation tour.
Asked whether she would be ready to lead the country also known as Burma one day, she said: "I think all party leaders have to prepare themselves for the possibility, if they truly believe in the democratic process.
"But it's not something that I think of all the time. In fact, I think one has to concentrate on present work, of course preparing for the future. The present has to be linked to one's hopes for the future."
Suu Kyi, 67, flies back on Friday to Myanmar, ending the tour during which she was cheered by large crowds of admirers and toasted by leaders in Switzerland, Norway, Ireland, Britain and France.
"So many people from different parts of the world seem to be aware of what we have been struggling for in Burma," she said. "I felt such a tremendous sense of solidarity with us. That has been a surprise."
Suu Kyi on Thursday had breakfast with French former president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, visited parliament and then held a debate with students at the Sorbonne university in Paris.
She admitted her two-week journey was strenuous and quipped: "It's very exhausting, and when people ask me about all the sacrifices that I've made, I'm always tempted to say the greatest sacrifice I have made is sleep."
Myanmar, once under iron-fisted military rule but now run by a quasi-civilian government, faces legislative elections in 2015, which Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy is set to contest.
But Suu Kyi stressed that the hard work needs to be done now.
"I think we can't wait until 2015 to see how things will emerge," she told AFP."It is now that is most important... the next three years will decide what shape 2015 will take."
As Western nations have eased or suspended sanctions, a business bonanza is under way in the resource-rich but impoverished nation.
Suu Kyi, the Oxford-educated daughter of the country's independence hero, stressed that "whether it's investment from China or the West, there should be codes of best practices to ensure that the investments are as beneficial for our people as profitable for the investors.
"We are very keen on businesses signing up to codes of good practices, especially with regards to financial transparency in the extractive industries, which tend to be the most controversial of all."
Suu Kyi's trip has been marred by communal strife in Myanmar's western Rakhine state, bordering Bangladesh. More than 80 people have died in clashes between Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya this month, the government said.
Suu Kyi said the key would be to strengthen the rule of law and citizenship laws, to ascertain which Rohingya are legal citizens and which are not.
"Some of them, I'm sure, are in accordance with the citizenship laws, entitled to the rights of citizens, but who these are we have to be able to find out," she said.
"Communal strife, lack of communal harmony, is usually rooted in cultural and religious differences which take time to sort out. But with rule of law, immediate problems could be minimised.
"The problem in the west is... that the border is very porous. And the immigration authorities are not always the least corrupt," she said.
"And so Bangladesh always says that people come over from Burma who belong to Burma, and Burma says that people are coming over from Bangladesh who do not belong here. So that's one problem.
"Another problem is the matter of citizenship. We need fair and strong citizenship laws which will stand up to international scrutiny."
On a lighter note, Suu Kyi -- wearing her trademark flowers in her hair -- had a complaint about the continent she has just toured.
"I have been given many, many flowers. Everywhere I go people give me flowers," she said.
"But there is one problem which I must let our friends in Europe know: the stems of European roses are very thick, and that makes it difficult for me to keep them in my hair. And I would appreciate if they would go in for smaller, daintier varieties."
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Auto Repair: What Maintenance Means For Your Car
If you want to avoid expensive auto repair bills, the best thing you can do is simply take care of your vehicle. That means more than washing it every week and wiping it down with a soft cloth, although caring for the exterior is important. It means doing the kinds of things that will keep your car on the road for a long time. People like to slack off when it comes to preventative maintenance and then complain when a trip to the mechanic costs them hundreds of dollars. But cars need that maintenance. When they don?t get it, things go wrong. Here are some tips to keeping your car running smoothly.
The Oil Change
There aren?t many maintenance tips that will serve you as well as getting a regular oil change. Your owner?s manual should provide you with the manufacturer?s recommendations for your vehicle. Depending on the auto repair expert you ask, opinions differ on this frequency. Some believe you can afford to wait longer than the recommended 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Others believe you would be better off having the typical manufacturer?s recommendation to extend the life of your car. You?ll find few studies that demonstrate getting your oil changed too often to be a problem, so you might want to err on the side of caution.
General Tips
While it may seem as though keeping up with preventive maintenance is costing you a fortune, you are almost certainly paying less than you would if you ignored it altogether. You can find plenty of stories of cars that have lasted well past the 100,000 mile mark, but you won?t find too many that reached that point without regular and careful maintenance. Getting your air filters changed regularly is important, as is the aforementioned oil change. Get with your favorite mechanic and set up a regular auto repair maintenance schedule.
Independent or Dealership
This is a question many struggle with and for good reason. Costs are almost always going to be considerably cheaper when going to an independent shop, but you have somewhat lessened quality control. That?s not to say every dealership will offer great service either, of course. The best thing you can do is make specific comparisons. If your dealership always gets great reviews from both customers and professional sources, you might want to stick with them for auto repair. If not, you will be better off finding an independent mechanic. Do some searching and you?ll find out who has a reputation for good work and honest service.
A New Castle auto repair?shop can help keep your car running smoothly. Look no further than:?http://www.cottmanofnewcastle.com.
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US-UK security experts unite for London Olympics
FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 file photo security forces take part during in a combined British police and British Royal Marines security exercise for the London 2012 Olympic Games on the River Thames in London. Fighter jets thunder above the English countryside. Missiles stand ready. And Big Brother is watching like never before. The London Olympics are no ordinary games _and Britain is no ordinary host. Not since World War II have Britain and the United States teamed up for such a massive security operation on British soil, and not without reason. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
FILE - In this Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 file photo security forces take part during in a combined British police and British Royal Marines security exercise for the London 2012 Olympic Games on the River Thames in London. Fighter jets thunder above the English countryside. Missiles stand ready. And Big Brother is watching like never before. The London Olympics are no ordinary games _and Britain is no ordinary host. Not since World War II have Britain and the United States teamed up for such a massive security operation on British soil, and not without reason. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
FILE - This is a Aug. 18, 2011 file photo released by Britain's Ministry of Defence shows Royal Air Force Puma helicopter is pictured flying over the 2012 Olympic Stadium during a training flight over London . Fighter jets thunder above the English countryside. Missiles stand ready. And Big Brother is watching like never before. The London Olympics are no ordinary games _ and Britain is no ordinary host. Not since World War II have Britain and the United States teamed up for such a massive security operation on British soil, and not without reason. (AP Photo/SAC Phil Major RAF, MOD)
Director of Traffilog Howard Young talks to Associated Press as he shows the Traffilog remote vehicle logging system at the Transport Research Laboratory in Wokingham, England, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Traffilog is installed on thousands of vehicles (buses and VIP buses) that allows them to look at whether a driver is acting erratically and also allows them to stop the vehicle remotely in a security situation. Fighter jets thunder above the English countryside. Missiles stand ready. And Big Brother is watching like never before. The London Olympics are no ordinary games _and Britain is no ordinary host. Not since World War II have Britain and the United States teamed up for such a massive security operation on British soil, and not without reason. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
Traffilog Technical Manager Bob Reid talks to Associated Press about the Traffilog remote vehicle logging system at the Transport Research Laboratory in Wokingham, England, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Traffilog is installed on thousands of vehicles (buses and vip buses) that allows them to look at whether a driver is acting erratically and also allows them to stop the vehicle remotely in a security situation. Fighter jets thunder above the English countryside. Missiles stand ready. And Big Brother is watching like never before. The London Olympics are no ordinary games _and Britain is no ordinary host. Not since World War II have Britain and the United States teamed up for such a massive security operation on British soil, and not without reason. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
The entrance gate of the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, central France, Friday, June 22, 2012. International police agency Interpol is involved in the security of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Fighter jets thunder above the English countryside. Missiles stand ready. And Big Brother is watching like never before. The London Olympics are no ordinary games and Britain is no ordinary host. Not since World War II have Britain and the United States teamed up for such a massive security operation on British soil, and not without reason.(AP Photo/Francois Mori)
LONDON (AP) ? Fighter jets thunder above the English countryside. Missiles stand ready. And Big Brother is watching like never before.
The London Olympics are no ordinary games. Not since World War II have Britain and the United States teamed up for such a massive security operation on British soil.
Hundreds of American intelligence, security and law enforcement officials are flying across the Atlantic for the games that begin July 27. Some will even be embedded with their British counterparts, sharing critical intelligence and troubleshooting potential risks. Dozens of Interpol officers will also be deployed.
The unique collaboration is rooted in common threats the partners have faced since the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the U.S. and Britain's own deadly suicide bombings in 2005.
Britain was America's closest ally in Afghanistan and Iraq, making it a prime target of Islamic terror groups. And dozens of recent terror plots, including the 2006 plot to blow up nearly a dozen trans-Atlantic airliners, have been hatched within Britain's sizeable Muslim population, more than 1 million of whom have ties to Pakistan.
Although other Olympics have taken place since 9/11 ? Salt Lake City, Athens, Turin, Beijing and Vancouver ? London poses a different breed of security challenge.
"I'm confident that there is more than adequate security here for these games," Louis Susman, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K., told The Associated Press. "That said, we live in a tumultuous world, whether that be in New York or London."
Intelligence officials say there has been an expected increase in chatter among extremist groups but there are still no specific or credible threats to the London games. The terror level is labeled substantial, a notch below severe and what it has been for much of the past decade. A substantial threat level indicates that an attack is a strong possibility.
"There is a perception in some quarters that the terrorist threat to this country has evaporated," said Jonathan Evans, head of Britain's domestic spy agency of MI5. "Bin Laden is dead, al-Qaida's senior leadership in Pakistan is under serious pressure and there hasn't been a major terror attack here for seven years. (But) in back rooms and in cars and on the streets of this country, there is no shortage of individuals talking about wanting to mount terrorist attacks here."
The potential threats to the London games are broad and diverse ? a lone wolf attacker such as Norway's Anders Behring Breivik who confessed to killing 77 people; a possible non-Asian Muslim convert who could slip by security with a European passport; a coordinated strike like the Sept. 11 terror attacks or a debilitating cyber-attack.
Although al-Qaida has been weakened by targeted U.S. strikes, its affiliates in places like Somalia and Yemen have stepped up their activity and increased their capabilities. They've even been working on bombs that can go undetected in airport scans.
British security officials fear that dozens of nationals who went to train in Somalia and elsewhere could eventually return.
"Terrorist problems have a long tail," said Evans. "They very rarely just stop."
Up to 1 million visitors are expected for the games, putting added strain on border security agents at airports like London's Heathrow, which has been criticized for its long lines and lack of staff to screen those arriving from other countries.
On site, some 300,000 people are expected to flow into Olympic Park in east London each day during peak times.
One of the key functions for Interpol, the international police organization, will be to speed intelligence data sharing between countries so threats can be deterred. U.K. officials scan Interpol data 130 million times per year, Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble told the AP during an exclusive interview at the agency's Lyon headquarters.
"The truth is, and we know this from Norway, that you can't identify one ethnic group and say that's the ethnic group that should only concern us," Noble said. "But this Olympics ? from all that I know and based on all the information that Interpol has ? should be a safe Olympics."
Shared intelligence, better technology and boosted resources have allowed security officials to crack organized plots before they happen but the possibility of a self-starter extremist who operates below the radar remains one of the biggest fears.
In the case of Breivik, there were few warning signals that the self-styled anti-Muslim fanatic was about to kill 77 people last summer. The same essentially was true for Mohamed Merah, a Frenchman of Algerian descent who in March killed three paratroopers, a rabbi and three Jewish school children in southwest France.
Security officials say unless people are already known to authorities, they can go virtually undetected as they plan atrocities.
The overall security numbers are staggering. The games will be protected by some 12,000 police officers during peak times and 23,700 security staff ? a number that includes some 13,500 troops on standby, which is more than the 9,500 British troops currently in Afghanistan. A no-fly zone will also be established over Olympic venues from July 14 to August 15.
More than 100,000 people have applied for jobs at Olympics venues, being vetted for employment history and possible criminal backgrounds. The more rigorous checks are done by the government for accreditation to get into the games, according to Ian Horseman Sewell with G4S, a global company providing most of the training and security staff for the Olympics.
Still, Sewell admits London is different than past games.
"London is a proven terrorist target and it is the first time the summer Olympics have been operated in a post 7/7 environment in a place that isn't a totalitarian state," Sewell said, referring to the 2005 suicide bombings in London and the 2008 Beijing games. "From a security perspective, London is breaking new ground."
G4S will also help secure venues outside of the park and protect athletes.
Some specific teams from places like Belarus, Belgium, New Zealand and Vietnam will be training in northern France to keep costs down ? a move that prompted a joint Franco-British security exercise earlier this year.
Protecting athletes has been a concern since a terror attack at the 1972 Olympics in Munich killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches.
"Israeli athletes will be staying away from the others in a more secluded area and with more security," a senior Israeli intelligence official told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of his job. "But a repetition of what happened in Munich is considered unlikely because Israel is ready and also because it isn't the kind of attack Palestinians would want now."
Technology has also advanced from past games.
Special Israeli surveillance technology has been rolled out for the Olympics across Britain, a country already known for its 4 million closed-circuit television cameras. Even more cameras have been installed at the Olympic Park.
Advanced facial and image recognition software will be used to identify suspects and connect multiple crime scenes. Cameras will be used to capture suspicious behavior. And special drones will be used for crowd surveillance, according to a salesman at an Israeli company who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
And remember the movie "Speed" where a bomb would allegedly go off if a bus went slower than 50 mph (80 kph)? Hundreds of public transport vehicles and VIP buses being used in the London games have already been equipped so authorities can tell if a driver is acting erratically ? something that might happen in a hijacking.
Authorities will also be able to stop a vehicle remotely or keep it going at a certain speed ? technology that could be useful if a terrorist were carrying explosives and threatening to crash a bus full of athletes into a crowded venue.
The British military has already made headlines with the weapons it will have available ? surface-to-air missiles, RAF Typhoon combat aircraft and an aircraft carrier docked on the Thames, the river that cuts across London close to several Olympic sites.
Security officials had worried that Irish dissidents could target the games, but those fears have dissipated.
Despite the U.S.-U.K. collaboration, there will still be differences in how the London Olympics is policed. Most of the security personnel will be unarmed ? a striking difference to operations in the United States.
Adding to security issues, leaders from around the world will want to visit during the Olympics. The American delegation will be led by first lady Michelle Obama while President Barack Obama focuses on his re-election campaign.
"I've not heard any American who has said they were concerned about security here," said Susman, the ambassador. "London has made an effort to showcase London for the world and I think it's going to be terrific."
___
Ian Deitch contributed to this story from Jerusalem and Nicholas McAnally from Paris.
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Obama offers storm assistance to Florida governor
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) ? President Barack Obama has assured Florida Gov. Rick Scott that his state will have "no unmet needs" as it responds to extreme weather and flooding from Tropical Storm Debby.
White House spokesman Jay Carney says Obama expressed his condolences for the loss of life, as well as the extensive storm damage. Carney says Obama told Scott the federal government would be in close contact with the state and stood ready to provide additional assistance if necessary.
Debby has socked Florida with high winds and heavy rain that has already led to flooding, with officials warning of more to come.
Obama called Scott from Air Force One as he flew to Atlanta for a campaign event. The president will be in Miami later Tuesday to attend two campaign fundraisers.
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