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| Still defiant, members of Russia's Pussy Riot band go free - Los Angeles Times Posted: 23 Dec 2013 07:48 AM PST MOSCOW — Two members of the feminist punk-rock band Pussy Riot were freed from prison Monday as part of an amnesty law that one of them immediately denounced as "a profanity." The two musicians were released after serving most of their two-year sentences for hooliganism, a charge that stemmed from the "punk prayer" they performed denouncing President Vladimir Putin in Moscow's main Russian Orthodox cathedral in February 2012. Both women emerged with their defiance intact, vowing to work to promote human rights in Russia. Many observers viewed their release under the amnesty law as a damage-control measure by the Russian government before the start of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Their discharge followed that of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the oil tycoon who was regarded as Russia's most prominent political prisoner. He was freed Friday after being granted clemency by Putin, and immediately was taken to Germany. Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina, 25, left a corrective labor colony in the Nizhny Novgorod region of central Russia on Monday morning; her bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 24, left a prison hospital in the Kransoyarsk region in central Siberia later in the day. "My attitude towards the president hasn't changed," Alyokina said in an interview with TV Rain, a private, liberal-leaning television network, upon her release. "If I had the slightest possibility to reject this mercy, by all means I wouldn't have accepted it.... Nothing depended on me in this case." She called the amnesty "a profanity, because it sets free less than 10% of prisoners."Until the amnesty bill passed, both Alyokina and Tolokonnikova were due for release in March. Both women said they intend to focus on human-rights activities. "Primarily I will be protecting the interests of those people in confinement, people with whom I served my term in colonies," Tolokonnikova told the Itar-Tass news agency. During their confinement, Alyokhina once complained of being beaten by guards, and Tolokonnikova twice went on hunger strikes to protest harsh working conditions and mistreatment of prisoners in the labor camp. Earlier this year, she complained that her camp administrator threatened to kill her. Neither woman expressed gratitude to Putin or the government for freeing them. Their lawyer said the amnesty was not the final step in their case. "We are still appealing their verdict in higher courts and in this sense the act of amnesty doesn't change much, except that my clients are free, which is a great thing in itself," Irina Khrunova said in an interview. "We continue to consider the prosecution and the verdict unjustified and we will be struggling to the end to prove them completely innocent of the crime they were convicted of."In February 2012, the women were part of a group that performed the "punk prayer" at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Dressed in gowns and hoods and holding electric guitars, they asked Mother Mary to drive Putin away. The controversial act took place at the height of Putin's election campaign. The subsequent prosecution and conviction of the women was widely seen as an act of vengeance on his part. A third member of the group, Yekaterina Samutsevich, also faced two years of imprisonment, but after her appeal, that sentence was suspended because she didn't take a direct part in the performance. The Moscow Patriarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church expressed satisfaction with the amnesty and offered a gesture of conciliation."We are happy they were released and although we denounced their blasphemous act, we never insisted that they should have been put in prison to begin with, but it is the way the law is," Vladimir Vigilyansky, spokesman for the Moscow Patriarchy, said in an interview. "The doors of our church are always open for them, and should they make a step toward the church, we are ready to make 100 steps toward them." ALSO: Egyptian activists get 3-year prison terms Poll: Two thirds of Americans say Afghan war not worth fighting Obama warns against using military force to gain power in South Sudan |
| Obamacare: Yes, there's plenty in it for you - Philly.com Posted: 23 Dec 2013 08:29 AM PST
The White House did not receive much holiday cheer about Obamacare last week from public opinion pollsters, even though millions of Americans already are benefiting from the law. The numbers show just how big the disconnect is between the reality of what's occurred in health care since Congress passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and the perception that people have of the law resulting from the relentless campaign of misinformation from the president's opponents. According to an Associated Press online survey, more people had unfavorable opinions of the law than favorable ones, with many people who have insurance through their employers blaming the law for the hike in premiums and deductibles they've been told to expect for next year. The one thing that was clear from the survey is that most Americans have not yet heard about how the law already is helping them. Many of the respondents also appear to have short-term memory problems. They seem to have forgotten that premiums and deductibles have been going up, often by double digits, every year for at least a couple of decades. The reality is that the rate of premium increases since Obama signed the Affordable Care Act has been lower than in many previous years. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported a couple of years ago, for example, that between 2001 and 2011, average premiums for family coverage increased 113 percent. Not only did premiums increase steadily in the years before the law was passed, but employers also shifted more of the cost of the premiums to their workers and increased deductibles every year. The average annual increase for employer-sponsored family coverage last year was just four percent, the foundation said, much lower than the average increase in the decade before ACA became law. "We are in a prolonged period of moderation in premiums, which should create some breathing room for the private sector to try to reduce costs without cutting back benefits for workers," Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman said in August when his organization released the most recent health insurance numbers. Chances are you missed that news. Here are some other numbers you might also have missed:
By the end of November, an estimated 1.2 million people had enrolled in new health plans. The numbers increased dramatically this month as the Dec. 23 deadline for signing up for coverage approached. In California, for example, 53,510 enrolled in coverage during the first three days of last week, including 20,000 in one day. And President Obama said Friday that another 1 million had signed up for coverage nationwide during the first three weeks of December. Many of the newly insured have not been able to purchase insurance at any price in the past because insurers refused to sell coverage to millions of Americans with preexisting conditions. Insurers can no longer do that, nor can they charge people more than others simply because of a current or previous illness. To learn more about how the reform law is affecting us, check out my new eBook, Obamacare: What's in It for Me? What Everyone Needs to Know About the Affordable Care Act. It's available now — just in time for the holidays — on Amazon.com. It will be available on iBooks and other places soon. Former CIGNA executive-turned-whistleblower Wendell Potter writes about the health care industry and the ongoing battle for health reform. |
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| Freed Khodorkovsky: 'power struggle is not for me' - euronews Posted: 22 Dec 2013 07:52 AM PST Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky – once Russia's richest man – has said he will not return to business or get directly involved in politics "The struggle for power is not for me," he told a news conference in Berlin, two days after his release from a Russian jail. Khodorkovsky was one of the richest men in the world when he was arrested in 2003 on his private jet at a Siberian airport. He was charged with fraud and tax evasion for dealings related to his Yukos oil company. He denied the charges and maintained that they were politically motivated. At the Berlin news conference, the former business leader and Kremlin critic stressed that many political prisoners remained behind bars: "One should not see me as a symbol that there are no political prisoners left in Russia. I would like you to take me as symbol that the efforts of civil society may lead to the release of people whose release was not expected by anyone," he said. Khodorkovsky thanked all those who had stood by him and fought for his release, adding that "the attention of mass media ensures that many people who are unjustly imprisoned today in Russian jails keep alive, stay healthy and keep up hopes of being released." |
| 'Who am I to judge?': The pope's most powerful phrase in 2013 - NBCNews.com Posted: 22 Dec 2013 08:12 AM PST  Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images file Newly elected Pope Francis appears on the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013, in Vatican City. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.  Gregorio Borgia / AP file A child takes off Pope Francis' white zucchetto, or skullcap, during a meeting with children and volunteers of the Santa Marta Vatican Institute, at the Vatican, on Dec. 14, 2013. Could five little words uttered in 2013 change the course of the Catholic Church? Pope Francis — also known as Time's Person of the Year and Twitter's #bestpopeever — has done a lot of talking since he was installed on the throne of St. Peter in March, tackling everything from luxury cars to income inequality in a series of interviews, sermons and written exhortations. But for veteran Vatican watcher John Thavis, the pontiff's most significant pontificating came July 29 when he gave a press conference on a flight back from Brazil. "Who am I to judge?" he asked. Francis was addressing the issue of gays in the church, but it was the tone as much as the topic that caught the public's attention. "The fact is that previous popes in talking about homosexuality had always mentioned the word 'disordered' and when you use that term, it immediately alienates," said Thavis, author of "The Vatican Diairies." "Not only did Francis not use that word. He avoided the whole concept." The fact that the pope — the infallible leader of the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics — refused to sit in judgement of gay priests (who were banned by his predecessor) was hailed as remarkable, even revolutionary.  Luca Zennaro / Pool via AP file Pope Francis blesses a child during his visit to the Varginha slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 25, 2013. Francis visited one of Rio de Janeiro's shantytowns, or favelas, a place that saw such rough violence in the past that it's known by locals as the Gaza Strip. It's an approach he has taken on any number of subjects — atheists, unwed mothers, divorcees. Scolding is out in Rome; hand-holding is in. "This comes after Pope John Paul II spent 15 years rewriting the catechism of the Catholic Church and eight years of Benedict reinforcing that: 'How do you measure up to our teachings? Are you qualified to call yourself Catholic?'" Thavis said. "Francis is saying the church is a big tent and he has to be welcoming. It's an incredible change." For Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest like Francis, the most important words from Francis this year were written, not spoken. "Look at the title of his latest apostolic exhortation. It's 'the joy of the Gospel,' not the 'the truth of the Gospel,'" he said. "He has rebranded the church as welcoming, compassionate, a church for the poor as opposed to a church that nags people and is worried about rules and regulations," said Reese, author of "Inside the Vatican." "The analogy I love to use is when you go home for Christmas, what you want is a hug from your mom. You don't want to be asked about your nose ring, or why you dyed your hair, or who are you sleeping with now? He is trying to turn the church into a loving parent, not a nagging parent." More often than not, when asked which of Francis' comments this year resonated most with them, Catholics immediately mentioned his gestures, not his quotes.  Osservato Romano / Reuters file Pope Francis holds a dove before his Wednesday general audience at Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, on May 15, 2013. Riding the bus back to the guest house after being named pope. Washing the feet of prisoners on Holy Thursday. Turning an '84 Renault into the Popemobile. Celebrating his birthday with the homeless. Embracing a disfigured fan. Cold-calling people who write to him. Some have suggested it's style over substance. Despite what he says and no matter how many selfies he takes with visitors, Francis has not changed church doctrine. Priests still can't get married, abortion remains a grave sin, and two men can't walk up the aisle in a Catholic Church. Francis even excommunicated an Australian priest who advocated the ordination of women and gay marriage. And yet his words have given hope to those pushing for change. Deborah Rose Milovec, the head of FutureChurch, which supports the ordination of women, seized on this line from his November apostolic exhortion: "Demands that the legitimate rights of women be respected, based on the firm conviction that men and women are equal in dignity, present the Church with profound and challenging questions which cannot be lightly evaded." "Giving people permission to dialogue — that's a breath of fresh air," she said. "There are many ways he has held his hand up and said, 'No, not yet,' but that sort of statement begins to open a crack in the door. "That kind of statement is important because it says to me we have something to work with here. I have real hope he will sit down with feminist theologians and listen to what they have to say." If there is one theme that has dominated Francis' public pronouncements this year it has been his love and sympathy for the poor and downtrodden. "How I would like a church that is poor and for the poor," he said days after the black smoke wafted out of the Sistine Chapel chimney. His November exhortation slammed unchecked capitalism and income inequality. Rush Limbaugh frothed that the new pope is a Marxist. But in Melbourne, Fla., Kathy Gilliland, 56, liked what she was hearing. Visiting the majestic St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City this week, Gilliland said it both surprised and delighted her that her spiritual leader — who has forsaken the opulent trappings of the Vatican for a spartan guest house — understood the struggles of the middle class at a time when the wealthy are richer than ever. "I think it shows he's in touch with the modern world," she said. "It shows he's more humane." The magazine's managing editor, Nancy Gibbs, tells Matt Lauer that Pope Francis was selected for changing the tone of the Vatican. |
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| 4 Injured After Rebel Gunfire Strikes US Aircraft in S. Sudan - TIME Posted: 21 Dec 2013 09:21 AM PST U.S. military officials attempting to evacuate Americans in a conflict-riddled region of South Sudan were shot at by rebel gunfire, injuring four and forcing an aborted mission. The South Sudanese government said it lost control of Bor, the capital of the state of Jonglei, earlier this week, to renegade troops, and was attempting to retake the state capital. Fighting reportedly began Saturday, after rebel soldiers randomly opened fire on civilians, the Associated Press reports. A United Nations helicopter helping to evacuate peacekeepers and civilians was also struck in Jonglei Saturday. Tensions are mounting over a potential civil war in the newly formed country, after South Sudan President Salva Kiir ousted vice president Riek Machar and accused him of a failed coup. Ethnic tensions are being blamed. The region has been the backdrop to some of the worst violence the country has seen since it became independent from Sudan in 2011. [AP] |
| Short Hills mall shooting suspects face life: cops - New York Daily News Posted: 21 Dec 2013 09:17 AM PST CARLO ALLEGRI/REUTERSEssex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray tells the press at a conference on the arrest of four suspects in the carjacking and murder of lawyer Dustin Friedland in Newark, December 21, 2013, "It was a combination of witnesses, statements, technology and putting the pieces together." Four cold-blooded thugs were busted in an overnight sweep for the vicious carjack killing of a Christmas shopper at a tony New Jersey mall, authorities said Saturday. Three of the suspects were arrested mere miles from The Mall At Short Hills parking lot where Dustin Friedland was gunned down as his helpless wife looked on, authorities said. The fourth was arrested just across the Jersey state line at a hotel in Easton, Pa., following a massive five-day manhunt in the horrific slaying over a $70,000 SUV. The suspects were identified as Hanif Thompson, 29, of Irvington, N.J., along with Karif Ford, 31, and Kevin Roberts, 33, both of Newark. Those three were arrested in their hometowns. RELATED: SHORT HILLS MALL CARJACKING VICTIM MOURNED AT FUNERAL The fourth was Basim Henry, 32, collared in Easton by an FBI task force, authorities said. The first arrest was made around 9 p.m. Friday, and the last at 3 a.m. Saturday. The quartet of accused criminals, after killing the defenseless lawyer, surrendered without a fight when confronted by law enforcement, said Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray. The suspects were tracked down through "old fashioned police work combined with technology," she said. "It was a combination of witnesses, statements, technology and putting the pieces together." There was a $41,000 reward offered for information in the slaying of the 30-year-old Hoboken lawyer. RELATED: SHORT HILLS MALL SHOOTING VICTIM'S FUNERAL SET FOR WEDNESDAY All four face life in prison if convicted on charges that include felony murder, carjacking, conspiracy and weapons possession. The defendants went to the mall in one vehicle specifically seeking a Range Rover to hijack, authorities said. "The crime itself appears to be motivated by the desire for that particular type of vehicle," said Murray. "It was the car, not the persons, that appears to be the target of this crime, Friedland had just finished loading holiday gifts into his silver 2012 Range Rover when two men ambushed him in a carjacking. RELATED: SHORT HILLS CARJACKING VICTIM DIED DEFENDING WIFE: SOURCE The victim never had a chance — he was shot him four times before he had a chance to resist or question the two men responsible for the robbery and shooting, authorities said. The robbers then screamed for Friedland's wife, Jamie Schare Friedland, to get out of the Range Rover's passenger seat. They took off — but not before she saw one of the assailants' faces, a source said after the incident. The other two suspects drove to the mall with the killers and sped off after the shooting, Murray said. Authorities said they notified the Friedland family about the arrests, but there was no immediate comment from the still-devastated relatives. RELATED: FOUR TAKEN INTO CUSTODY IN SHORT HILLS MALL KILLING IN NJ "I'd like to have my privacy now," said a man answering the phone at the Toms River, N.J., home of the slain attorney. Friedland died in a hospital with his 27-year-old wife by his side, authorities said. His stolen vehicle was found behind an abandoned house in Newark on Monday. Friedland was laid to rest Wednesday after a heart-rending funeral in Temple Beth Am synagogue in Lakewood, N.J. At the funeral, Jamie Schare Friedland described her late husband as "the the most chivalrous person" who "always did the right thing, always." |
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| ennis Rodman's North Korea trip trivialises the horrors in the country - Telegraph.co.uk Posted: 20 Dec 2013 07:37 AM PST "But I'm just telling them, you know, don't be afraid man, it's all love, it's all love here." Paddy Power, which is advertising the contest with the catchline "Hoops, not nukes", is spinning a line that sport can "rise above the news agenda and current affairs". Just look, said Rory Scott, the company's spokesman, at how ping pong helped break the detente between China and the United States, how Nelson Mandela united South Africa for the 1995 Rugby World cup and how British and German troops laid down their weapons for a game of football on Christmas Day during the First World War. He did not mention the Nazi Olympics in 1936. More appropriately, he also compared the "Bang in Pyongyang", as he hopes the game will be known, with the Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire in 1975, paid for by President Mobutu, "The Helmsman, the Redeemer, the Father of the Revolution and the Perpetual Defender of Property and People". Mobutu, according to Norman Mailer's account, rounded up 300 of the worst criminals he could find ahead of the fight, imprisoned them in cells underneath the stadium and executed 50 of them in order to scare everyone into good behaviour for the bout. Dictators love to use sport for propaganda, and in this instance, it has proven an excellent publicity vehicle for Paddy Power, Koryo Tours (which has sold out its near £5,500 tour package to see the match, at quadruple the price of a regular tour), and for Mr Rodman himself. It has also helped newspapers generate a wave of clicks on the internet, as they scramble to hype up the trip and win money from advertising. Kim Jong-un may win some popular support at home, though I do not think he has much to gain, in terms of improving his international image, by associating with Mr Rodman. All of which seems to me to be reasonable, if distasteful in a country where a bloodthirsty regime executes people at whim and keeps 80 per cent of its population underfed. As Paddy Power points out, there are certainly precedents. But what is frustrating is how the spectacle has again trivialised the ongoing horrors in North Korea, bending the narrative towards comedy once more. It is not right for Mr Rodman to declare that a country whose labour camps are expanding and where the majority of children are desperately undernourished is "all love". We belittle and laugh at the Kim family, and see the regime as eccentric and ridiculous rather than as a six-decade-long nightmare, to absolve ourselves of having to think seriously about a solution. Shin Donghyuk, who was born into a North Korean labour camp and who saw his mother, brother and indeed his six-year-old classmate killed in front of him, has made the most sense this week. Writing an open letter to Mr Rodman, he said: "It is your right to drink fancy wines and enjoy yourself in luxurious parties, as you reportedly did in your previous trips to Pyongyang. But as you have a fun time with the dictator, please try to think about what he and his family have done and continue to do. "I want Kim Jong Un to hear the cries of his people. Maybe you could use your friendship and your time together to help him understand that he has the power to close the camps and rebuild the country's economy so everyone can afford to eat." |
| Freed Abruptly by Putin, Tycoon Arrives in Germany - New York Times Posted: 20 Dec 2013 08:18 AM PST By STEVEN LEE MYERS and DAVID M. HERSZENHORNPublished: December 20, 2013MOSCOW — After 10 years in jail, Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, the former chairman of Yukos Oil and once Russia's richest man, walked free from a prison colony in northern Russia on Friday and flew to Berlin on a private jet, the German Foreign Ministry confirmed. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia signed a decree pardoning the former oil tycoon early Friday, citing "humanitarian principles" and bringing Mr. Khodorkovsky's criminal odyssey to an abrupt and unexpected end. It came less than 24 hours after Mr. Putin, following his marathon annual news conference on Thursday, made the surprise announcement that clemency was imminent for Mr. Khodorkovsky, a one-time rival. In a statement posted on his website, Mr. Khodorkovsky said that he had requested a pardon over a month ago, on Nov. 12, and that he was "happy for a favorable decision." It was not immediately clear why he had not informed his lawyers and family of the pardon request, leaving them as surprised as anyone else on Thursday after Mr. Putin announced that clemency was imminent. "The question of my admitting guilt was not raised," Mr. Khodorkovsky said in his statement, although the presidential pardon suggests that his conviction, as a matter of law, stands for now. Adding a hint of defiance, Mr. Khodorkovsky said, "I would like to thank everyone who followed the Yukos case for all these years and for the support, which you gave to me, my family and all those who were unfairly convicted and continue to be persecuted." He added: "I greatly await the minute when I can hug those close to me and personally shake the hands of my friends and colleagues. I constantly think about those who are still in prison." The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, issued a statement on Friday evening welcoming Mr. Khodorkovsky's release, for which she said she had "repeatedly petitioned the Russian president," according to her spokesman. A former German foreign minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, helped arrange Mr. Khodorkovsky's travel to Berlin, where he arrived on Friday as a private citizen, officials said. He had been held most recently in a prison colony in the Karelia region of northwestern Russia. Nataliya V. Bystritskaya, a spokeswoman for Russia's prison system, said in a telephone interview that Mr. Khodorkovsky had flown to Germany to see his mother, who has undergone medical treatment there, after being issued documents allowing him to leave the country. "We emphasize that the flight took place at his request, and the documents for going abroad were issued at his personal request," Ms. Bystritskaya's office said in a statement. Mr. Khodorkovsky's mother, Marina, however, said in a telephone interview that while she had sought treatment at a clinic in Berlin, she was currently in Moscow. Mr. Khodorkovsky had left the prison in the Karelia region by midafternoon, according to Maksim Dbar, a spokesman for his press service. Mr. Khodorkovsky's lawyer, Vadim Klyuvgant, said he was unaware of the procedures for releasing his client. Marina Khodorkovsky also said she and her husband had not yet been able to speak with their son, who while in prison was allowed a 15-minute phone call with them on Saturdays. "It's such an unusual situation that there is no procedure worked out for it, I think," she said in a telephone interview on the television network Dozhd. "Everything has been done so spontaneously that I can't say anything at all." Mr. Khodorkovsky's pardon is all the more remarkable because only two weeks ago, Russia's deputy prosecutor general, Alexander G. Zvyagintsev, told the Interfax news agency that a third criminal case was being prepared against him and others that would "have very good prospects in court." Vladimir I. Markin, a spokesman for the Investigative Committee, declined on Friday to discuss the investigation or Mr. Putin's pardon decree.  This article has been revised to reflect the following correction: Correction: December 20, 2013 An earlier version of this article misstated the location of the Karelia region of Russia. It is near Finland, not Sweden. |
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| Targeted! Account breach could affect 40 million cards - Boston.com Posted: 19 Dec 2013 08:45 AM PST Target says that about 40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been affected by a data breach that occurred just as the holiday shopping season shifted into high gear. The chain said that accounts of customers who made purchases by swiping their cards at terminals in its U.S. stores between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15 may have been exposed. The stolen data includes customer names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates and the three-digit security codes located on the backs of cards. The data breach did not affect online purchases. The breach affected all cards, including Target store brand cards and major card brands such as Visa and MasterCard. The Minneapolis company said it immediately told authorities and financial institutions once it became aware of the breach and that it is teaming with a third-party forensics firm to investigate and prevent future breaches. It said it is putting all ''appropriate resources'' toward the issue. Target Corp. advised customers to check their statements carefully. Those who see suspicious charges on the cards should report it to their credit card companies and call Target at 866-852-8680. Cases of identity theft can also be reported to law enforcement or the Federal Trade Commission. Target didn't say exactly how the data breach occurred, but said it had since fixed the problem and that credit card holders can continue shopping at its stores. When asked whether there's a certain time when shoppers know their accounts will no longer be vulnerable, a Target spokeswoman said, ''We encourage everyone to be vigilant.'' But news of the breach comes at the height of the critical holiday shopping season and threatens to scare away shoppers worried about the safety of their personal data. The November and December period accounts for 20 percent, on average, of total retail industry sales. The issue is particularly troublesome for Target because it has has used its red branded credit and debit cards as a marketing tool to lure shoppers with a 5 percent discount. The company said during its earnings call in November that as of October the percentage of customers who have the Target branded cards topped 20 percent. This holiday season, Target added other incentives to use its cards. Two days before Thanksgiving, Target.com ran a special review sale with 25 exclusive offers, from electronics to housewares for those who used the branded card. As a result of these incentives, Target says its continues to see that households who activate a Target-branded card have increased their spending at the store by about 50 percent on average. ''This is how Target is getting more customers in the stores,'' said Brian Sozzi, CEO and Chief Equities Strategist. ''It's telling people to use the card. It's been a big win. If they lose that trust, that person goes to Wal-Mart.'' Target is just the latest retailer to be hit with a data breach. TJX Cos., which runs stores such as T.J. Maxx and Marshall's, had a breach that began in July 2005 that exposed at least 45.7 million credit and debit cards to possible fraud. The breach wasn't detected until December 2006. In June 2009 TJX agreed to pay $9.75 million in a settlement with multiple states related to the massive data theft but stressed at the time that it firmly believed it did not violate any consumer protection or data security laws. An even larger hack hit Sony in 2011. It had to rebuild trust among PlayStation Network gamers after hackers compromised personal information including credit card data on more than 100 million user accounts. Sony was criticized for slowness in alerting users to the breach. ''Target's first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause,'' Chairman, President and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a statement Thursday. Target has 1,797 U.S. stores and 124 in Canada. © Copyright 2013 Globe Newspaper Company. |
| Mega Millions: One winner collects prize, the other remains unknown - NBCNews.com Posted: 19 Dec 2013 08:53 AM PST  Dusk falls on the home listed for Ira Curry, one of two Mega Millions lottery ticket winners that were identified by lottery officials in the $636 million drawing on Wednesday, in Stone Mountain, Ga. By Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News One mega-millionaire down, one to go. While a 56-year-old Georgia woman celebrates her sudden fortune, the person with whom she will share a $648 million Mega Millions jackpot remains a mystery. That person bought a ticket bearing the numbers 8, 14, 17, 20, 39 and Mega Ball 7 at Jenny's Gift and Kids Wear in San Jose. Thuy Nguyen, the store owner, said he will probably know the person when they come forward. "Mostly my customer here is my friend," said Nguyen, who won a bonus of $1 million himself. Wednesday, lottery officials identified the Georgia winner as Ira Curry, of Stone Mountain, an Atlanta suburb. According to a statement released by lottery officials, Curry said of winning: "It's unreal. It's like I'm still dreaming." Curry bought a single ticket, playing a combinations of family birthdays and her lucky number 7. She chose a single-payment option, rather than an annuity, and will take home about $120 million after federal and state taxes, officials said. The jackpot soared to $648 million on Tuesday night, after 22 drawings passed without a winner, sending dreamers out in droves to try their luck. At one point, 31,000 tickets were sold each minute in California, said Russ Lopez, the California lottery deputy director of corporate communications.  NBC News Thuy Nguyen gets roughly $1 million for selling a winning ticket. Regardless of the odds of about 259 million to 1, Mega Millions sold more than double the amount of tickets on Tuesday compared with the week before when the jackpot was a relatively skimpy $344 million, Paula Otto, the Mega Millions' lead director told NBC News. Curry chose not to appear at Wednesday's lottery news conference in order to "take some time to think about it with her husband," lottery officials said. A person who answered the phone at her home told NBC News: "We're not interested in any publicity at all." The California winner might also be taking some time to think about how extremely his or her life has changed. Al and Carmen Castellano, a San Jose couple who hit a $141 million jackpot in 2001, told NBC Bay Area that they decided to wait four days before coming forward in order to seek financial advice, and their decision literally paid off. The couple is still rich 12 years later, and they credit part of that to their choice of going into hiding for a few days after their big win. Whether or not the winner stays secluded for a bit of time, Lopez urged the lucky lotto player to sign the back of the winning ticket immediately and keep it in a safe place. On Wednesday, Lopez said officials had received many tips about who may have won the jackpot. "We actually try to find our winners," Lopez said. In addition to the two jackpot-winning tickets, there were 20 $1 million winners who matched five numbers. NBC News' Becky Bratu contributed to this report. Related: Georgia winner comes forward for share of $648 million jackpot |
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| Posted: 18 Dec 2013 09:01 AM PST Click photo to enlarge Jenny's Gift & Kids Wear in San Jose, Calif., owned by Thuy Nguyen, sold the winning Mega Millions ticket that had a jackpot of more than $630 million, it was announced Tuesday night, Dec. 17, 2013. This is a video frame grab. (Eric Kurhi/Bay Area News Group) SAN JOSE -- Call it the 318 million dollar question of the day. Who is San Jose's newest multi-millionaire and what will that person do with all that money? One of two winning tickets in Tuesday's Mega Millions lottery drawing was purchased in San Jose, lottery officials confirmed Tuesday night. The winning ticket in the $636 million drawing -- with numbers 8, 14, 17, 20, 39 and a mega number of 7 -- was sold at Jenny's Gift Shop at 1818 Tully Road, according to California Lottery spokesman Russ Lopez. Two California Lottery officials arrived at Jenny's Gift & Kids Wear just before 8 a.m. today to congratulate the shop owner and deliver a sign which reads "millionaire made here. Are you next?"  California Lottery officials put this sign up in front of the winning store in San Jose. (Gary Reyes, Mercury News) John Reading, a supervisor with the California Lottery, said the owner of the winning ticket has not yet stepped forward. "Some people wait a while and get their ducks in a row," Reading said. "Others come right away ready for that money." A second winning Mega Millions ticket was sold in Atlanta, Georgia, according to lottery officials, though it was not immediately known if there were more winning tickets. The winners can choose to be paid over time or in a cash lump sum, Mega Millions Executive Director Paula Otto said. Based on the $636 million figure, if there are only two winners, they could receive $318 million each over time or $170 million each in cash. Social media was buzzing late Tuesday night as people wondered who bought the lucky ticket in San Jose. Jenny's Gift Shop owner Thuy Nguyen, who said he had just taken over the store four months ago, said lottery sales had "been keeping me real busy" Tuesday. He planned to reopen the store at 9 a.m. today. "The lottery called me and let me know (that the winning ticket was sold here), so then when I came and take a look, everybody (was) here, and whoa!" Nguyen said with a huge grin, jumping deliriously around the parking lot before heading out to celebrate. Nguyen added with a laugh: "I am so happy, I feel good." Mel Cruz, a security guard at the strip mall that includes Jenny's Gift Shop, said he had bought 15 tickets from the store where the winning ticket was sold but had only a few numbers. But he remained optimistic. "I bought two tickets for my girlfriend that she hasn't looked at," he said. "I told her to hold on to them -- don't lose your numbers! I said, 'If you win, you gotta give me something.' She said, 'I'd buy you a coffee, but just one.'" Lottery officials said Nguyen would receive a prize of about $1 million for selling the winning ticket. "This is a long time coming," Lopez said. "We have some of the best, most loyal players. We have some great people who spend a dollar or two and their lives are going to change overnight." Peter Lai, 28, who owns a pho restaurant in the same strip mall, said people often congregate I'm the courtyard to "chill" and play the lottery. "They'll hang out, go in and buy a scratcher, come out and scratch it," he said. He added that he is excited for his shopkeeper neighbor. "He was like 'Man, I wish I had some money, I would remodel this place.'" Hai Nguyen, not related to the shopkeeper, said be played last week but not this time. He said that some of the shopkeepers who play pool their money, and maybe there will be a group winner. "They take their money and put it together in one big pot for tickets." The jackpot was believed to be the second-highest in U.S. history. A March 2012 jackpot hit $656 million. Two other states have yet to report if any winning tickets were sold, but in the San Diego County area, two tickets that matched five of the six numbers were also sold. "This is a big deal," Lopez said. "We are excited when anybody wins money, but this is just huge." Mega Millions changed its rules in October to help increase the jackpots by lowering the odds of winning the top prize. That means the chances of winning the jackpot are now about 1 in 259 million. It used to be about 1 in 176 million, nearly the same odds of winning a Powerball jackpot. The Mega Millions revamp comes about two years after Powerball changed some of its game rules and increased the price of a ticket to $2 and added $1 million and $2 million secondary prizes. Mega Millions remains $1, and an extra $1 option has been expanded to allow up to $5 million as a secondary prize. The Mega Millions lottery is available in 43 states and the District of Columbia. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow Katie Nelson at Twitter.com/katienelson210. | ||
| Obama's day: Health care moms - USA TODAY Posted: 18 Dec 2013 08:52 AM PST [unable to retrieve full-text content]
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