Apollo Group seeks to attract new students as enrollments fall

By Prateek Chatterjee and A. Ananthalakshmi

(Reuters) - University of Phoenix owner Apollo Group Inc plans to offer more non-degree courses in a bid to attract students after enrollments to the biggest for-profit college in the United States fell the most in four quarters.

Apollo's shares rose 9 percent after the company reported a better-than-expected profit for the second quarter, but analysts said the rally was likely to be short-lived as new student numbers lagged.

Shares of Apollo have fallen about 70 percent since the beginning of 2012, making the stock cheaper than most of its peers. The stock is valued at 6.62 times its expected earnings for the next four quarters, compared to an average of 8.06 for its peers, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Enrollments at Apollo and the rest of the U.S. for-profit education industry have been hit after government scrutiny revealed fraud related to financial aid, worryingly high student debt loads and low rates of graduation and job placement.

Apollo said student sign-ups fell 20 percent in the second quarter ended February 28. The decline was bigger than the 13 percent fall that Wall Street had expected, Robert W. Baird analyst Jeffrey Mueler said in a note.

Third-quarter enrollment rates have been similar so far this quarter, Chief Executive Greg Cappelli said on a post-earnings conference call. He said he could not predict when the enrollment numbers would begin to climb again.

Apollo, which had earlier expected new student enrollments to start growing again in the second half of the fiscal year ending August 2013, has already frozen tuition fees and boosted marketing efforts to attract students.

Cappelli said the University of Phoenix was launching new career-oriented programs, such as certificate courses, and expanding partnerships with corporate customers.

"Students require more than just one option to acquire the knowledge to compete more effectively in today's labor force," he said. "They're interested in acquiring tangible skills, which support a full degree program if desired."

He also said Apollo would also venture into new countries in the near future.

NO CATALYST FOR GROWTH

Excluding one-time items, Apollo posted net earnings of 34 cents per share for the second quarter, beating Wall Street estimates of 18 cents.

Second-quarter revenue fell 13 percent to $834.4 million, but were ahead of the $822.8 million analysts had expected, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

"Given how low expectations were heading into the quarter, there could be some near-term relief," Stifel Nicolaus analyst Jerry Herman said.

Apollo has cut about 1,000 jobs so far in fiscal 2013, and carried out 25 percent of its planned campus closures, it said on Monday.

The company had said in October it would cut about 800 jobs and shut down 115 locations, including 25 campuses, to save costs amid declining profit and lower student enrollments.

"Efforts to regain enrollment momentum in a continued challenging overall operating environment will take time, thus the shares still lack a sustainable catalyst," Herman said.

The company expects its previously announced restructuring actions to reduce operating expenses by at least $350 million by fiscal year 2014, raising the estimate by $50 million from its earlier target.

Apollo reaffirmed its full-year earnings and revenue forecast. The stock was up 9 percent at $18.63 on the Nasdaq on Monday, having risen as much as 15 percent during the day.

(Editing by Sreejiraj Eluvangal)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apollo-group-seeks-attract-students-enrollments-fall-170359663--sector.html

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Science of Relationships - | - What's Wrong With My Internet Dating ...

I just read about DateSim.net^TM, a service that is co-founded by Dr. Jennifer Harman that uses dating? simulations to give objective feedback on dating skills. I think it sounds like a great idea, but the $500 fee is outside of my budget.

How about reviewing existing profiles on a dating website and giving suggestions? I've been on the same dating site for 4 years and have only been contacted 3 times - twice by obvious scammers and once by someone whose picture alone scared me to death, not to mention his inability to write a complete sentence. I remain on that website because it's free. (I know, I know.)

Maybe I should mention I'm 55 yrs old, divorced 12 years after a 24 yr marriage, and have yet to have a first date. I'm not a ravishing beauty but I don't scare dogs or small children. I'm 5' 6" 140 lbs, so I'm not bigger than most women my age. I'm self-sufficient and own my own home. It seems that the men in my age group, 50-65, are looking for young sexy starlets. Does a woman my age have any chance at all of having a date?

Great question. The way we present ourselves on the dating market, particularly on-line dating services like Match.com and Plenty of Fish, is tricky business. These on-line sites are not technically matchmaking services...they are essentially tools that you can use to market yourself to show how desirable you are. ?

Your profile needs to be attractive enough to capture and hold someone?s attention, because competition can be fierce due to the sheer number of people using on-line dating sites. Research has demonstrated time and again that the greater quality of alternatives, the less invested and committed people become.¹ When there are so many alternative mates on the website, then your prospective date?s commitment to initiating and maintaining contact with you is lower. Add to that the fact that you are using a free dating site?members are even less invested than they would be if they paid a monthly fee. Therefore, success in these venues will not just come knocking on your door; you will need to work at it. To some degree, you get what you pay for.

Without seeing your profile, I cannot give you specific feedback about what you could improve to maximize your chances of breaking your first-date dry spell. However, here are a few things that I look for when I provide constructive feedback about internet profiles on my DateSim.net^TM service.

• People often use search terms to narrow down the overwhelming number of profiles that appear on internet dating sites. Unfortunately, the more search options (age, hobbies, gender, income, etc.) that on-line dating sites offer, the more people search and make poor choices. In other words, when people have the option to search for a large number of specific traits, they look around more, spend less time reading profiles, and make profile selections that are further from their desired traits than when they do not have so many choices.² Therefore, when someone specifies a narrow list of preferences or hobbies, you may not show up in a ?hunter?s? search results. But, if you do, they may not spend much time reading your profile unless it really stands out (more on that later). My advice here would be to indicate not only your favorite hobbies, but also list those that you are interested in trying and doing with others. Put simply, you want to optimize the identification of your profile in the dating site search engine.

• Pictures are crucial. Indeed, heterosexual men rate the actual content of women?s profiles as half as important as the pictures women provide. Women rate photographs of men as equally important as what men have to say about themselves.³ You don?t have to be a model or exceptionally dashing to attract mates on-line. However, posting photographs that accentuate your positive features and minimize your more undesirable ones will help tremendously. For example, faces that are perceived as ?average? are most attractive because they feel familiar to the perceiver, and symmetrical faces add to attractiveness ratings above and beyond averageness.⁴ Have someone take a bunch of photographs of you at different angles, part your hair different ways, etc. Then, select photographs that best present an average and symmetrical face. I also suggest polling your friends about your selections, as their judgment may be more objective than yours. The goal is to look your best, but be sure to select photographs that represent an honest, true portrayal of you. The last thing you want is to get to that first date and have your date think you look nothing like your picture. I wrote about profile photographs a few months ago in my Adventures in Dating column, and you can revisit that here.

• Make the content of your profile informative, concise, and entertaining. Remember that prospective dates sort through hundreds of profiles. Writing thousands of words in 1 rambling paragraph will make someone lose interest fast. Writing only 2 or 3 sentences will not give the reader a sense of who you are. Take the time to carefully craft a witty profile about who you are and what you are looking for. The personality traits you emphasize here can really help make you appear more attractive and appealing as well. Emphasize traits such as warmth and honesty, as these are traits that most people look for in prospective mates.⁵ You are self-sufficient and own your own home?great?I would write about that in a way that emphasizes your independence but also highlight ways that you are a generous person. (Unless you?ve adopted a lot of stray cats. Leave that out for now).

Finally, you raised an interesting question about age and partner preferences. Research has consistently shown that men prefer partners who are slightly younger than themselves, and rate physical attractiveness as one of the most important qualities men look for in a partner. What is important to consider here is that the desirability of a partner is associated not only with physical attractiveness but also with the likelihood of that person going out with you.⁶ So while a 55 year old man may want a sexy young 20-something starlet, his likelihood of landing her is not likely to be great. He may find women his own age much more desirable for a number of reasons, such as maturity, similarities in life experience, etc. Older women are also more selective than men and have a smaller dating pool; however, older men and women are likely to travel more than younger people to meet potential dates.⁷ So while the dating experience for older men and women is a little different than for younger folks, it is not impossible to manage. Different strategies just need to be utilized in order to increase your success rate, but that is a topic for another post entirely!

If you still have some specific questions about your personal profile or other dating issues, DateSim.net^TM Club is a discussion forum where you can get almost real-time feedback from me, coaches, and other members. Membership is free!

Interested in learning more about relationships? Click?here for?other topics?on?Science of Relationships.?Like us on?Facebook?or follow us on?Twitter?to get our articles delivered directly to your NewsFeed.

¹Rusbult, C. E. (1980).Commitment and satisfaction in romantic associations: A test of the investment model. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 16, 172-186.

²Wu, P., & Chiou,W. (2009). More options lead to more searching and worse choices in finding partners for romantic relationships online: An experimental study. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12, 315-318.

³de Vries, J. M. A. (2010). Impact of self-descriptions and photographs on mediated dating interest. Marriage & Family Review, 46, 538-562.

⁴Jones, B. C., DeBruine, L. M., & Little, A. C. (2007). The role of symmetry in attraction to average faces. Perception and Psychophysics, 69, 1273-1277.

⁵Fletcher, G. J. O., & Simpson, J. A. (2000). Ideal standards in close relationships: Their structure and functions. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9, 102-105.

⁶Bredow, C. A., Cate, R. M., & Huston, T. L. (2008). Have we met before? A conceptual model of first romantic encounters. ?In S. Sprecher, A. Wezel, & J. Harvey (Eds.), Handbook of Relationship Initiation, (pp. 3-28). New York: Taylor & Francis Group.

⁷McIntosh, W. D., Locker, L. Jr., Briley, K., Ryan, R., & Scott A. J. (2011). What do older adults seek in their potential romantic partners? Evidence from online personal ads. The International Journal of Aging & Human Development, 72, 67-82.

Dr. Jennifer Harman -?Adventures in Dating...?|?Science of Relationships?articles?|?Website/CV
Dr. ?Harman's research examines relationship behaviors that put people at-risk for physical and psychological health problems, such as how feelings and beliefs about risk (e.g., sexual risk taking) can be biased when in a relationship. She also studies the role of power on relationship commitment.

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Source: http://www.scienceofrelationships.com/home/2013/3/25/whats-wrong-with-my-internet-dating-profile.html

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Pension Funds Wary as Bankrupt City Goes to Trial

Wall Street is taking America's biggest pension fund to court this week, for a long-awaited battle over who takes the losses when a city goes bust?workers and retirees, municipal bondholders, or both.

Stockton, Calif., declared Chapter 9 bankruptcy last year after suffering one of the country's sharpest riches-to-rags swings when the mortgage bubble burst. Struggling to stay afloat, Stockton has slashed tens of millions of dollars' worth of city services?firefighters, senior centers, library programs for at-risk children?and said it would cut its municipal bond repayments to a degree never seen before in a municipal bankruptcy.

But it has drawn the line at slowing down its current workers' pension accrual, or cutting the benefits its retirees now receive.

Mutual funds that hold the threatened bonds, and the insurers that guarantee them, have cried foul, citing the principle that in bankruptcy, similar classes of creditors must be treated the same way. Their objections have prompted the federal bankruptcy judge handling Stockton's case, Christopher M. Klein, to schedule a four-day trial this week, starting Monday.

The immediate question before the judge is whether Stockton qualifies for Chapter 9 at all; unlike companies, cities must meet certain criteria before they can get federal court protection from creditors.

But there is a looming, larger question that has pension funds around the country nervous: Will a victory by bondholders in Stockton pave the way for cuts in its workers' pensions and its payments to Calpers, which, in turn, could lead to the demise of other public pension plans?

One small city in Rhode Island, Central Falls, has already cut its pensions severely, but legal experts say Rhode Island's laws made it easier there than it would be in most other places?particularly California, where the huge state pension system has deep pockets to fight legal battles. Central Falls was not part of any state system, and its pension fund for police officers and firefighters nearly ran out of money.

''People will be watching very closely,'' said Michael A. Sweet, a bankruptcy lawyer at Fox Rothschild in San Francisco, whose practice includes advising local governments on Chapter 9 issues.

Cities, school districts and local governments all over the country have promised their workers pensions that looked reasonable in better times, but have turned into budget-busters since the financial crisis. Local taxpayers are increasingly unwilling to shoulder the rising costs, yet conventional wisdom has it that public pensions cannot be reduced. Some officials are quietly wondering if that means not even in bankruptcy.

''Every member of every city council that's struggling with these issues, who takes their job seriously, is looking for solutions,'' Mr. Sweet said. ''No one wants to talk about it, and no one really wants to go there. But if Calpers can be forced to take a haircut in Stockton, then what's to stop another city from saying, 'Gee, we'll file for bankruptcy and cut in half our $10 million pension contribution?' ''

He and other public finance lawyers said that what happens in Stockton could help guide Detroit, which is not in Chapter 9 but was recently put under emergency management by the state of Michigan.

Calpers is a $252 billion giant that administers pensions for California state employees and many municipal workers. It calculates how much its member cities must set aside each year, bills them, collects the money, invests it and sends retirees their benefits. When Calpers's investments lose money, as they did in the stock market crash, the bills increase.

In 2011, Stockton paid a little more than $20 million to Calpers?about double what it paid to run its public libraries. Its payments are expected to nearly double in the next 10 years, making Calpers the city's biggest creditor. Stockton says it has no choice but to keep paying, even as it pares other costs, including its payments to bondholders. It says that if it cuts the rate at which its workers build up their pensions, workers will leave?especially the police, who have been recruited with the promise of large, early pensions. Last year, Stockton asked Calpers for a ''hardship exemption,'' allowing it to slow down its contributions. Calpers said no, fearing that if Stockton fell behind, it might never catch up.

''They're scared to death,'' Mr. Sweet said. ''Calpers says, 'You can't give us a haircut, because if you do, the world is going to collapse. If it happens in Stockton, it's going to happen in San Bernardino, and if it happens in San Bernardino it's going to happen in Modesto, and if it happens in Modesto it's going to happen in Bakersfield, and if it happens in Bakersfield it's going to happen in Fresno.' ''

In fact, San Bernardino filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy not long after Stockton did, then simply stopped making its contributions to Calpers. Calpers geared up to sue, but the judge handling San Bernardino's case, Meredith M. Jury, stopped it, saying she would address the issue of pension contributions later in the bankruptcy.

A spokeswoman for Calpers, Amy Norris, praised Stockton for keeping up its pension contributions in bankruptcy, saying it had made ''the right business decision.''

But the Wall Street creditors say Stockton is getting the money for Calpers by shortchanging its bondholders.

''The agenda is clear,'' wrote Jeffrey E. Bjork, a partner at Sidley Austin in Los Angeles, in a court filing on behalf of Assured Guaranty, a bond insurer. ''The city hopes to use the Chapter 9 plan process to impose permanent impairment, and to cram down a nonconsensual plan, on capital-market creditors.'' Mr. Bjork said this was an improper use of Chapter 9 and asked Judge Klein to throw out Stockton's case.

Other creditors making similar arguments include two high-yield mutual funds managed by Franklin Advisers; Wells Fargo Bank, the bond trustee; and the National Public Finance Guarantee Corporation, another bond insurer.

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100586409

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Family connections a big part of NCAA tournament

Michigan guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) drives against South Dakota State guard Brayden Carlson (12) in the second half of a second-round game of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in Auburn Hills, Mich., Thursday, March 21, 2013. Michigan won 71-56. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Michigan guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) drives against South Dakota State guard Brayden Carlson (12) in the second half of a second-round game of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in Auburn Hills, Mich., Thursday, March 21, 2013. Michigan won 71-56. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Gonzaga's David Stockton brings the ball upcourt against Southern University in the second half during a second-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Salt Lake City Thursday, March 21, 2013. Gonzaga won 64-58. (AP Photo/George Frey)

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) ? Tim Hardaway Jr. can take the questions in stride at this point.

Any time Michigan is in the national spotlight, his familiar name stands out ? and the queries about his father seem inevitable.

"It was hard just to try to follow his footsteps, and you try not to worry about it," Hardaway said. "You try to leave a legacy of your own. It takes a long time to do that."

Hardaway is one of three Michigan players with fathers who were in the NBA, and the Wolverines aren't the only team with some famous names in this NCAA tournament. John Stockton's son plays for Gonzaga, and Danny Manning's is with Kansas. Several of college basketball's top performers are from athletic families, and some of these players have already conjured memories of generations past.

Hardaway scored 21 points to lead Michigan over South Dakota State on Thursday night, and he had plenty of help from Glenn Robinson III, who added 21 of his own for the Wolverines. Hardaway's father, of course, was a standout in the NBA, and Robinson's was a star at Purdue who scored 44 points in a win over Kansas during the 1994 NCAA tournament.

The Wolverines also have a backup forward named Jon Horford. His brother Al plays for the Atlanta Hawks, and his father Tito made it to the pros too. It's a coincidence that Hardaway, Robinson and Horford all ended up at Michigan, but coach John Beilein isn't shying away from the story line.

"We really feel good about it because their dads do know basketball," Beilein said. "We think that's always been a feather in our cap to have families. It's not just the dad involved with all these. There's a strong mother involved with every single one of these young men, and they've had a big part to do with their success as well."

David Stockton has played in all 34 games this season for Gonzaga, the same school his father attended. Kansas actually has three familiar names: Tyler Self, Evan Manning and Niko Roberts.

Self is the freshman son of Kansas coach Bill Self, and Manning is the freshman son of Danny Manning, who led the Jayhawks to the 1988 national title. Roberts, a junior guard, is the son of Norm Roberts, the former St. John's coach who is in his second year on Self's staff with the Jayhawks. All three play sparingly off the bench.

Don't think for a moment that they receive any sort of favoritism just because of the name on the back of their jerseys.

"Coaches want everybody to play, but obviously it's not equal opportunity," Bill Self said. "My wife even understands it, so it's not a big deal."

Then there's Montana coach Wayne Tinkle, whose Grizzlies lost to Syracuse on Thursday night in San Jose, Calif. At least the location was convenient. Tinkle's daughter Joslyn plays at Stanford and took a break from preparing for her own NCAA tournament to watch her dad coach.

Joslyn Tinkle watched the game with her brother, mother and two teammates. Her younger sister, Elle, was back at Gonzaga preparing for her NCAA tournament opener on Saturday against Iowa State.

"I was actually in the midst of finishing my take-home final and watching the selection show. I was hoping Montana would pop up in the San Jose bracket," Joslyn Tinkle said. "As soon as it happened the whole family got excited. It's really fun to be able to hang out with the family, except my sister. Maybe we'll get to see her next week. It's really awesome."

The Tinkle family was juggling two different NCAA tournaments, but the Larkin family extends across two sports. Miami guard Shane Larkin is the son of former Cincinnati Reds star Barry Larkin.

The Hall of Fame shortstop conceded he was "crushed" when his son gave up baseball, but Shane is making quite an impact on the basketball court, leaving a mark of his own.

That's what all these young athletes are trying to do. They may not be going about it the exact same way their parents did, but they're trying to enjoy their own competitive experiences ? with the support of family members who have already done it, like Hardaway's father.

"He just tells me to go out there, have fun, just play my hardest," Hardaway said. "And he's behind me 100 percent."

___

AP Sports Writers Josh Dubow and Dave Skretta contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-23-NCAA-Family%20Affairs/id-afaa56ec34bc4d0db7e4aacbc6818179

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Family connections a big part of NCAA tournament

In this photo combo, Utah Jazz guard John Stockton, left, drives towards the basket during an NBA basketball game, Thursday, May 30, 1996, in Salt Lake City; while at right, Gonzaga's David Stockton, John's son, brings the ball up the court during an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, March 21, 2013, in Salt Lake City. Family connections are a big part of the 2013 NCAA college basketball tournament. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac, George Frey)

In this photo combo, Utah Jazz guard John Stockton, left, drives towards the basket during an NBA basketball game, Thursday, May 30, 1996, in Salt Lake City; while at right, Gonzaga's David Stockton, John's son, brings the ball up the court during an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, March 21, 2013, in Salt Lake City. Family connections are a big part of the 2013 NCAA college basketball tournament. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac, George Frey)

Michigan guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) drives against South Dakota State guard Brayden Carlson (12) in the second half of a second-round game of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in Auburn Hills, Mich., Thursday, March 21, 2013. Michigan won 71-56. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Gonzaga's David Stockton brings the ball upcourt against Southern University in the second half during a second-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament in Salt Lake City Thursday, March 21, 2013. Gonzaga won 64-58. (AP Photo/George Frey)

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) ? Tim Hardaway Jr. can take the questions in stride at this point.

Any time Michigan is in the national spotlight, his familiar name stands out ? and the queries about his father seem inevitable.

"It was hard just to try to follow his footsteps, and you try not to worry about it," Hardaway said. "You try to leave a legacy of your own. It takes a long time to do that."

Hardaway is one of three Michigan players with fathers who were in the NBA, and the Wolverines aren't the only team with some famous names in this NCAA tournament. John Stockton's son plays for Gonzaga, and Danny Manning's is with Kansas. Several of college basketball's top performers are from athletic families, and some of these players have already conjured memories of generations past.

Hardaway scored 21 points to lead Michigan over South Dakota State on Thursday night, and he had plenty of help from Glenn Robinson III, who added 21 of his own for the Wolverines. Hardaway's father, of course, was a standout in the NBA, and Robinson's was a star at Purdue who scored 44 points in a win over Kansas during the 1994 NCAA tournament.

The Wolverines also have a backup forward named Jon Horford. His brother Al plays for the Atlanta Hawks, and his father Tito made it to the pros too. It's a coincidence that Hardaway, Robinson and Horford all ended up at Michigan, but coach John Beilein isn't shying away from the story line.

"We really feel good about it because their dads do know basketball," Beilein said. "We think that's always been a feather in our cap to have families. It's not just the dad involved with all these. There's a strong mother involved with every single one of these young men, and they've had a big part to do with their success as well."

David Stockton has played in all 34 games this season for Gonzaga, the same school his father attended. Kansas actually has three familiar names: Tyler Self, Evan Manning and Niko Roberts.

Self is the freshman son of Kansas coach Bill Self, and Manning is the freshman son of Danny Manning, who led the Jayhawks to the 1988 national title. Roberts, a junior guard, is the son of Norm Roberts, the former St. John's coach who is in his second year on Self's staff with the Jayhawks. All three play sparingly off the bench.

Don't think for a moment that they receive any sort of favoritism just because of the name on the back of their jerseys.

"Coaches want everybody to play, but obviously it's not equal opportunity," Bill Self said. "My wife even understands it, so it's not a big deal."

Then there's Montana coach Wayne Tinkle, whose Grizzlies lost to Syracuse on Thursday night in San Jose, Calif. At least the location was convenient. Tinkle's daughter Joslyn plays at Stanford and took a break from preparing for her own NCAA tournament to watch her dad coach.

Joslyn Tinkle watched the game with her brother, mother and two teammates. Her younger sister, Elle, was back at Gonzaga preparing for her NCAA tournament opener on Saturday against Iowa State.

"I was actually in the midst of finishing my take-home final and watching the selection show. I was hoping Montana would pop up in the San Jose bracket," Joslyn Tinkle said. "As soon as it happened the whole family got excited. It's really fun to be able to hang out with the family, except my sister. Maybe we'll get to see her next week. It's really awesome."

The Tinkle family was juggling two different NCAA tournaments, but the Larkin family extends across two sports. Miami guard Shane Larkin is the son of former Cincinnati Reds star Barry Larkin.

The Hall of Fame shortstop conceded he was "crushed" when his son gave up baseball, but Shane is making quite an impact on the basketball court, leaving a mark of his own.

That's what all these young athletes are trying to do. They may not be going about it the exact same way their parents did, but they're trying to enjoy their own competitive experiences ? with the support of family members who have already done it, like Hardaway's father.

"He just tells me to go out there, have fun, just play my hardest," Hardaway said. "And he's behind me 100 percent."

___

AP Sports Writers Josh Dubow and Dave Skretta contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-23-NCAA-Family%20Affairs/id-11a5abac348249e99701c45ae8e47c29

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Obama Urges Action On Gun Control Bills In Weekly Address

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama put the spotlight back on gun violence on Saturday, praising senators for taking "big steps" to advance gun bills but pressing lawmakers to finish the job and deliver legislation to his desk in the coming weeks.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama said the nation has changed in the three months since the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., that took the lives of 20 children and six adults. There is "still genuine disagreement" about how to reduce gun violence, he said, but everyone now agrees that it is time to do something.

"Senators here in Washington have listened and taken some big steps forward," Obama said, pointing to the mix of gun control legislation headed to the Senate floor next month. Provisions on the table include tighter background checks, a new gun trafficking statute, an assault weapons ban and a ban on high-capacity gun magazines.

"These ideas shouldn't be controversial -- they're common sense," Obama said. "I urge the Senate and the House to give each of them a vote."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is expected to hold votes in early April on a mix of gun proposals, all of which make up the core of Obama's gun violence package. The bills with broader support will be lumped together into one package, while the more controversial pieces -- including the assault weapons ban -- will be taken up as individual amendments to the package.

Here's the text of Obama's full address:

It has now been three months since the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut. Three months since we lost 20 innocent children and six dedicated adults who had so much left to give. Three months since we, as Americans, began asking ourselves if we?re really doing enough to protect our communities and keep our children safe.

For the families who lost a loved one on that terrible day, three months doesn't even begin to ease the pain they're feeling right now. It doesn't come close to mending the wounds that may never fully heal.

But as a nation, the last three months have changed us. They've forced us to answer some difficult questions about what we can do -- what we must do -- to prevent the kinds of massacres we?ve seen in Newtown and Aurora and Oak Creek, as well as the everyday tragedies that happen far too often in big cities and small towns all across America.

Today there is still genuine disagreement among well-meaning people about what steps we should take to reduce the epidemic of gun violence in this country. But you, the American people, have spoken. You've made it clear that it?s time to do something. And over the last few weeks, Senators here in Washington have listened and taken some big steps forward.

Two weeks ago, the Senate advanced a bill that would make it harder for criminals and people with a severe mental illness from getting their hands on a gun -- an idea supported by nine out of ten Americans, including a majority of gun owners.

The Senate also made progress on a bill that would crack down on anyone who buys a gun as part of a scheme to funnel it to criminals -- reducing violent crime and protecting our law enforcement officers.

Finally, the Senate took steps to reinstate and strengthen a ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons, set a 10-round limit for magazines, and make our schools safer places for kids to learn and grow.

These ideas shouldn't be controversial -- they're common sense. They're supported by a majority of the American people. And I urge the Senate and the House to give each of them a vote.

As I've said before, we may not be able to prevent every act of violence in this country. But together, we have an obligation to try. We have an obligation to do what we can.

Right now, we have a real chance to reduce gun violence in America, and prevent the very worst violence. We have a unique opportunity to reaffirm our tradition of responsible gun ownership, and also do more to keep guns out of the hands of criminals or people with a severe mental illness.

We've made progress over the last three months, but we're not there yet. And in the weeks ahead, I hope Members of Congress will join me in finishing the job -- for our communities and, most importantly, for our kids. Thanks.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/23/obama-gun-control_n_2935525.html

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Feds raid 17 Calif. auto stores for nitrous oxide

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Hundreds of law enforcement officers on Friday raided Southern California auto parts shops and other businesses suspected of illegally selling nitrous oxide for use as a recreational drug, in one of the nation's largest such raids to date.

Four federal arrest warrants were also served during the 17 simultaneous raids in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, and at least two people were arrested on misdemeanor charges of misbranding a drug in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Authorities said they expected more arrests to come.

The operation was the result of a year-and-a-half-long joint investigation dubbed "No Laughing Matter" by the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Criminal Investigations and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The FDA has recently focused on the illegal use of nitrous oxide, and this was its largest case to date, said special agent Lisa Hartsell. Though nitrous oxide has long been a rave phenomenon, it has recently grown into more mainstream use, propelled by the ease of social media to reach young people and spread the word.

"This is a very cheap drug, can be had very easily, it is not a controlled substance, so your big members of the law enforcement community don't have the ability to control it," Hartsell said.

The gas is legally used by dentists for anesthesia, to pressurize whipped cream canisters and to speed up race cars. But authorities say its illegal use has spurred fatal car accidents, rapes and teen deaths ? all in the name of a temporary high.

Los Angeles County sheriff's officials have zeroed in on the recreational use of the drug since September, cracking down on more than 350 illegal parties, nearly all of which were selling nitrous oxide, or "noz," spokesman Mike Parker said Thursday.

The operations are part of a new social media team set up by the Sheriff's Department over the last six months to monitor and identify such illegal activities around the clock. The team has found many public posts that advertise alcohol and illegal drugs such as nitrous oxide and that target teens.

"They're doing the social media equivalent of standing outside the front doors of a high school at 3 o'clock as school lets out with a megaphone announcing that there'll be drugs, noz and alcohol for children, and then handing out fliers to all the kids that are interested," Parker said.

These parties can be lucrative for those provisioning them. Sheriff's deputies have been tracking one distributor who is making more than $60,000 a month in the bulk sale of nitrous oxide, said Sgt. Glenn Walsh, who works in the Sheriff's Department's narcotics bureau.

Hartsell said the drugs have also spurred armed robberies as gangs steal tanks from each other in an effort to make easy money with light legal ramifications.

Sheriff's officials believe they have prevented a least 30 violent and sexual assaults in the last six months because of their efforts to shut down illegal nitrous oxide-related parties before they happen.

One party was forced to change locations three times in one night, before finally moving outside of the sheriff's jurisdiction, Parker said. But the department also notifies neighboring departments of the illegal parties when it spots them, Parker said.

Some of the hotspots are unincorporated Los Angeles County and the San Gabriel Valley, where parties are held primarily in homes and warehouses, Parker said.

Part of the problem for law enforcement officers going after the illegal use of nitrous oxide is that its distribution or use as a recreational drug is only a misdemeanor, officials said.

Sheriff's Lt. Rod Armalin said the department is working on legislation to increase the penalties.

Armalin supervises the team that responds to many of these illegal parties and tries to prevent them from happening.

"Over the past year we've seen an increase in incidents," Armalin said. "It seems like it's really taken off with young people. ... They're openly advertising, 'Hey we're going to sell nitrous oxide, and there are going to be children there,' and that's a concern."

Nitrous oxide isn't the only dangerous substance teens are turning to for a quick and cheap high. On Monday, a 14-year-old Los Angeles honors student died after inhaling computer keyboard dust cleaner, apparently to get high. Aria Doherty's sister found her in bed with a can of compressed air cleaning product attached to her mouth.

Earlier this month a 12-year-old San Bernardino County girl, Kristal Salcido, died after inhaling Freon from an air conditioner.

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Tami Abdollah can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/latams .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/feds-raid-17-calif-auto-stores-nitrous-oxide-225510584.html

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