Roger Federer, always at Grand Slam tournaments

Roger Federer of Switzerland gestures during a press conference for the 2013 French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Friday May, 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Roger Federer of Switzerland gestures during a press conference for the 2013 French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Friday May, 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Spain's Rafael Nadal listens to a reporter during a press conference for the 2013 French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Friday May, 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Spain's Rafael Nadal attends the draw for the 2013 French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Friday May, 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia smiles during a press conference for the 2013 French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Friday May, 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Roger Federer of Switzerland gestures during a press conference for the 2013 French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Friday May, 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PARIS (AP) ? Perhaps not surprisingly, the first three questions posed to Roger Federer at his pre-French Open news conference Friday concerned rival and nemesis Rafael Nadal.

The third was about the difficulties of making a successful return from injury, the way Nadal has, reaching the final at all eight tournaments he's played in 2013 after going more than half a year between matches.

Federer shrugged and replied simply: "I don't know. I have never been out for seven months."

No he hasn't. Federer is always around, particularly at Grand Slam time. When the French Open starts Sunday, he will be participating in his 54th consecutive major tournament, a run that began with the Australian Open in January 2000. That's the longest such streak among active players; no one else comes within two years of Federer.

"For me, it's just something I just kept on doing. Now here we are," said Federer, who is seeded No. 2 in Paris and was drawn Friday to face qualifiers in each of the first two rounds.

"It's incredible. I never thought I was going to play that many, have that many opportunities to do well at the Slams. And clearly I'm happy about it, but they don't buy me victories, you know," added Federer, whose record 17 major titles include the 2009 French Open. "But it shows maybe great stamina and (an) injury-free career, in a way."

Nadal, who's dealt with recurring knee problems, will be back in Grand Slam action after nearly a year's absence from the four most important tournaments in tennis. At least he's in the field at Roland Garros, something Andy Murray and Juan Martin del Potro can't say: Both of those past U.S. Open champions and current top-10 players withdrew because of health issues.

Seven-time French Open champion Nadal dismissed the notion that he might be excited about getting back on the Slam stage for the first time since a second-round loss at Wimbledon last June.

Each tournament is as important as any other, the 11-time major title winner insisted Friday, going so far as to say: "If you can ask me if I win one Grand Slam during the whole year or win six tournaments, like I already did, I will choose (winning) six tournaments."

He explained: "When you win (a) Grand Slam, you are happy one week or two weeks. When you are winning (other) tournaments, you are having the chance to be happy and you feel that you are doing the right things during the rest of the time."

By that standard, Federer has not had an especially happy 2013.

His record is only 18-6, and he enters the French Open without a title for the season for the first time since 2000, his second full year on tour. Federer's played in only one final, a straight-set loss to Nadal in Rome last weekend.

Despite that, Federer declared: "I'm at the level I want to have for this tournament."

Now 31, and a father of twin girls, Federer tweaked his schedule this year to give himself a bit of a break. He skipped the hard-court event at Key Biscayne, Fla., and went nearly two months ? from March 14 to May 7 ? between matches.

"For me, it's important to stay injury-free, to give myself time," Federer said, "so when I come back, I'm fresh and motivated."

He's not merely about longevity or consistency, of course, but also excellence.

Federer doesn't just show up at Grand Slam tournaments: He has reached at least the quarterfinals at the last 35 of them, and earlier put together runs of 23 consecutive semifinals, and 10 consecutive finals.

If he plays at Wimbledon, where he is the defending champion, and then the U.S. Open this season, Federer will tie the record of 56 Grand Slam tournaments in a row, set by South Africa's Wayne Ferreira from 1991-2004. Not necessarily the stuff of great acclaim: Federer didn't know what the existing mark is.

The second-longest current set of Grand Slam entries belongs to Spain's Feliciano Lopez, with 45. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic has never missed a major tournament since entering his first in 2005, making the French Open his 34th in a row, but he has stopped playing in the middle of Grand Slam matches.

Federer is fond of pointing out, as he did again Friday, that he never has retired during a match in progress, and only twice has pulled out of tournaments after having competed in the draw.

He also noted that he's never really come close to missing a Grand Slam tournament during his streak.

"In a Slam, where you know you're going to enter best-of-five-set matches over two, three weeks, you have to be at your best and you need to feel like you can compete with the best at the highest of levels for a long period of time," Federer said. "There's no shortcuts in best-of-five-set matches, and that's where I think I was always up for the challenge. I'm very happy that I was able to do that for so long so far."

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-05-24-TEN-French-Open/id-893060de3a9e410a978f7895676634b4

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Code Pink activist Medea Benjamin heckles Obama

Security surrounds Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin on May 23. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

President Barack Obama's planned counterterrorism speech was temporarily derailed several times on Thursday when activist Medea Benjamin shouted criticisms of the administration's use of drones and operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

Benjamin, co-founder of peace activist group Code Pink, was seated in the audience at National Defense University in Washington, D.C., where Obama gave his speech. She first interrupted him as he announced plans designed to move the U.S. closer to closing the facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"You gotta let me speak. I'm about to address it," the president said in response to the heckling. He asked her to sit down so he could continue and repeatedly thanked her for her comments.

"This is part of free speech, is you being able to speak but also you listening and me being able to speak," Obama said, drawing wide applause from the audience.

After multiple outbursts and back-and-forths with the president, Benjamin was escorted out of the event.

"The voice of that woman is worth paying attention to. Obviously, I do not agree with much of what she said. And obviously she wasn?t listening to me and much of what I said. But these are tough issues and the suggestion that we can gloss over them is wrong," Obama said.

Benjamin and members of her San Francisco-based, women-initiated organization have a reputation in Washington for making scenes at high-profile events, including those with tight security.

Over the past several months, Code Pink members, including Benjamin, have interrupted the National Rifle Association's press conference on the Newtown, Conn., shooting response?where Benjamin unfurled a sign reading "NRA blood on your hands? and shouted, "reckless behavior coming from the NRA" before being forced from the room?and John Brennan's confirmation hearing to be director of the CIA, which was temporarily suspended as aides cleared the room.

Benjamin, a 2000 U.S. Senate candidate in California, co-founded Code Pink (the name a hat tip to color-coded terrorism warnings) in 2002 to protest against the Iraq War. President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld are counted among the group's previous high-profile targets.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/code-pink-activist-medea-benjamin-heckles-obama-195521792.html

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Breakthrough on Huntington's disease

May 23, 2013 ? Researchers at Lund University have succeeded in preventing very early symptoms of Huntington's disease, depression and anxiety, by deactivating the mutated huntingtin protein in the brains of mice.

"We are the first to show that it is possible to prevent the depression symptoms of Huntington's disease by deactivating the diseased protein in nerve cell populations in the hypothalamus in the brain. This is hugely exciting and bears out our previous hypotheses," explains ?sa Peters?n, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Lund University.

Huntington's is a debilitating disease for which there is still neither cure nor sufficient treatment. The dance-like movements that characterise the disease have long been the focus for researchers, but the emotional problems affect the patient earlier than the motor symptoms. These are now believed to stem from a different part of the brain -- the small emotional centre called the hypothalamus.

"Now that we have been able to show in animal experiments that depression and anxiety occur very early in Huntington's disease, we want to identify more specifically which nerve cells in the hypothalamus are critical in the development of these symptoms. In the long run, this gives us better opportunities to develop more accurate treatments that can attack the mutated huntingtin where it does the most damage," says ?sa Peters?n.

As the role of the hypothalamus in Huntington's disease is gradually mapped, knowledge might be gained from drug research for other psychiatric diseases. It is likely that similar mechanisms control different types of depression, according to ?sa Peters?n.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Lund University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. S. Hult Lundh, N. Nilsson, R. Soylu, D. Kirik, A. Petersen. Hypothalamic expression of mutant huntingtin contributes to the development of depressive-like behavior in the BAC transgenic mouse model of Huntington's disease. Human Molecular Genetics, 2013; DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt203

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/QU3HtivhR7M/130523082927.htm

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Funding Boost For Darwin Greyhound Racing Northern Territory ...

Written By Kevin Pitstock, Editor Australian Racing Greyhound 16 hours ago ?

Minister for Sport and Recreation Matt Conlan said an additional $230,000 for the Darwin Greyhounds Association in the 2013 Budget would provide a much-needed boost for the sport.

Mr Conlan said the industry had recently gone through difficult financial times and the extra funding would help it get back on its feet.

?The additional $230,000 in 2013 will allow the Darwin Greyhounds Association to maintain their prize money which will entice more interstate visitors and lead to more runners in races,? Mr Conlan said.

?The Greyhounds have been based at Winnellie in Darwin for many years and is a growing area of racing interest for Territorians.

?The Country Liberals Government is supporting this important industry and ensuring the Club can continue to provide an exciting and entertaining outing for Territory families.?

The Darwin Greyhounds has recently endured financial difficulties and in 2011-12 the Racing Commission was forced to appoint an administrator to review its operations.

To ensure the ongoing viability of the industry the Northern Territory Government has committed to a new three year funding arrangement with the Darwin Greyhounds Association which includes an additional $230 000 to bring total funding for 2013-14 to $800 000.

?This funding will assist the Darwin Greyhounds Association with industry development, help to conduct race meetings and maintain its facility at Winnellie,? Mr Conlan said.

?Tonight, I am delighted to officially open the club?s new race kennels, which finally replace an old shed which had existed since pre-cyclone Tracy. These new kennels, combined with our funding increase, should secure the future of this sport.?

Darwin Greyhound Association President, Robbie Brennan, welcomed today?s announcement.

?This new funding agreement will allow us to focus on getting Darwin Greyhound Racing out to a television audience, nationally and internationally on Sky Channel, which will increase our revenue,? Mr Brennan said.

?Sky Channel?s infrastructure is in place at Fannie Bay so getting a link between Winnellie Park and Fannie Bay is well within reach. The new Government Funding agreement allows the Darwin Greyhound Association to pursue this goal along with maintaining current prize money levels and developing the facility at Winnellie Park.?

Source: http://www.australianracinggreyhound.com/australian-greyhound-racing/northern-territory-greyhound-racing/funding-boost-for-darwin-greyhound-racing/41135

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Obama speech to focus on drones (CNN)

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Am. Samoa to keep flier miles for govt travelers

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (AP) ? American Samoa plans to take away frequent flier miles from government workers who travel on behalf of the U.S. territory.

Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga says the territory will use the miles to help medical patients travel off-island when needed, or help students travel for educational programs.

Moliga says Hawaiian Airlines agreed to the plan that takes effect June 1. Hawaiian is the only carrier connecting the U.S. territory to the rest of the country.

Moliga announced the policy this week in a memo to the government's various agencies. He acknowledges some may see the policy as unfair but says it is morally wrong for employees to get extra benefits from traveling for the territory.

American Samoa budgeted nearly $6 million for government travel in fiscal 2013.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/am-samoa-keep-flier-miles-govt-travelers-195557586.html

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Okla. tornado damage: Thousands of homes, $1.5-$2B

Susan Kates salvages items from a friend's tornado-ravaged home Wednesday, May 22, 2013, in Moore, Okla. Cleanup continues two days after a huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb, flattening a wide swath of homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Susan Kates salvages items from a friend's tornado-ravaged home Wednesday, May 22, 2013, in Moore, Okla. Cleanup continues two days after a huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb, flattening a wide swath of homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Addison Paul, 7, stands by her mother Leslie as they take a short break from recovery efforts at Paul's tornado damaged home Wednesday, May 22, 2013, in Moore, Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

An American flag sits in a destroyed car's window in a neighborhood devastated by Monday's tornado Wednesday, May 22, 2013, in Moore, Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Vehicles destroyed by Monday's tornado sit on the front lawns of homes as area residents begin clean up efforts Wednesday, May 22, 2013, in Moore, Oklahoma. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Claudia Clark clears tornado debris from a cemetery Wednesday, May 22, 2013, in Moore, Okla. Cleanup continues two days after a huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb, flattening a wide swath of homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

MOORE, Okla. (AP) ? The tornado that struck an Oklahoma City suburb this week may have created $2 billion or more in damage as it tore through as many as 13,000 homes, multiple schools and a hospital, officials said Wednesday as they gave the first detailed account of the devastation.

Also Wednesday, authorities released the identities of the 24 people, including 10 children, who perished. While anguish over the deaths was palpable as residents began picking up their shattered neighborhoods, many remained stunned that the twister didn't take a higher human toll during its 17 miles and 40 minutes on the ground.

The physical destruction was staggering.

"The tornado that we're talking about is the 1 or 2 percent tornado," Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management Director Albert Ashwood said of the twister, which measured a top-of-the-scale EF5 with winds of at least 200 mph. "This is the anomaly that flattens everything to the ground."

As response teams transitioned into cleanup and recovery, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, who sent police and fire crews from his city to assist the effort, said an early assessment estimated damage costs at between $1.5 billion and $2 billion.

The Oklahoma Insurance Department, meanwhile, said visual assessments of the extensive damage zone suggest the cost could be greater than the $2 billion from the 2011 tornado that struck Joplin, Mo., and killed nearly seven times as many people.

There was little more than 10 minutes warning that a tornado was on the ground Monday and headed for Moore, but many in the area are accustomed to severe storms. The community of 56,000 people has been hit by four tornados since 1998, and residents already were on alert after weekend storms and days of warnings. Because the tornado hit in the afternoon, many others were away from the neighborhoods and out of harm's way at work.

Looking over the broken brick, smashed wood and scattered appliances that is all that remains of the home where Dawn Duffy-Relf's aunt lived with her two daughters, Duffy-Relf and her husband marveled at the devastation ? and the survival rate.

Duffy-Relf credited central Oklahoma residents' instincts and habits: They watch the weather reports, they look at the sky, they know what they can and can't outrun.

"We know where we live," she said as she tried to salvage as much from the home as possible before her aunt returned from a vacation to Mexico.

Her husband, Paul Duffy-Relf, also noted the rise of social media and cellphone use since the last massive storm smashed the town more than a decade ago. He said people posted on Facebook and Twitter ahead of Monday's storm, telling others where the tornado was and when to flee. And some never left their cellphones, staying on the line with loved ones as long as they could, and working to quickly reconnect with those who needed help afterward.

"People are still looking for their wallets, but they have their cellphones," he said.

Harold Brooks, research meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla., said long-range forecasting models also have dramatically improved and are able to provide insight even a week before a storm strikes.

Brooks said people in the storm's direct path had time to pick out their safe place ? even if it was their home's bathtub ? when there was first word of a massive tornado bearing down on them.

"If you take appropriate action, you go to your safe place, you can dramatically increase the probability you'll survive," he said.

To Brooks, the Joplin tornado was the oddity in terms of lives lost. That tornado struck on a Sunday evening two years ago this week.

"It's a number that I really don't understand what led to that," he said. "It could be the timing, 5:30 on a Sunday night, or bad luck. That was the outlier."

While estimating that between 12,000 and 13,000 homes were affected by Monday's tornado, emergency officials said they were unable to estimate the number of people left homeless, in part because many had been taken in by relatives and only a couple dozen stayed overnight at Red Cross shelters.

President Barack Obama plans to view the destruction firsthand Sunday. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, meanwhile, visited Wednesday and again pledged the federal government's ongoing support. She urged people to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to learn about aid for which they may qualify.

"We know that people are really hurting," she said. "There's a lot of recovery yet to do. ... We will be here to stay until this recovery is complete. You have our commitment on that."

___

Associated Press writers Tim Talley in Moore, Ken A. Miller in Oklahoma City and Justin Juozapavicius in Tulsa contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-22-Oklahoma%20Tornado/id-63f797be42a64932ac62cb34a155780f

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