Does a Pool Make a Home a Better Investment? | AOL Real Estate

By Tracy Royce

I know I'm not the only one with the looming feeling investors might face this time of year: "Should I buy a house that has a pool?" In places like Arizona, we might look at things a little differently (any relief from the scorching desert is a plus!). If you're in the Midwest, having a pool might mean different costs and value. But, let's look at the pros and cons of purchasing a rental or flip that has a pool.

How Bad Is It?

I've seen my share of distressed properties, and I guess after awhile, I feel like a Ghostbuster walking through freshly-minted foreclosures. ("I ain't afraid of no ghosts!") This comes with the exception of pools, though. A dark green pool may be hiding years of neglect, bad siding, algae, and who knows what else.

It can be difficult to estimate what pool repairs may be needed, and if you have, say, 20 minutes to do a full inspection of the house, the "ifs" of a range of $50 to $5,000 can swing your margins in the red quickly. If the home is a short sale, the pool may be sitting for months longer and cost more than you initially estimated, as well. If you have longer to get an inspection, and a pool person is able to give you an estimate on getting the pool back in working condition, then the initial costs may be worth the investment. However, there are further things to consider.

1. Who will be responsible for maintaining the pool?
2. Do your state laws require fencing, depending on who's purchasing/renting the house from you? If so, who's responsible for paying for that?
3. If you allow the renters (if you rent the property out) to take care of the pool, how are you assured they are actually checking and keeping the PH levels balanced and maintaining the cleaning?
4. Are you willing to accept the maintenance down the road for redoing decking/siding? Lost or stolen equipment?
5. What extra liability might you face if, heaven forbid, a serious or fatal accident should happen?

Liquid Gold?

Much of this might be negated if you're flipping the property. Similar to a fireplace in a warm-weather state building in more value (go figure!), a pool may add extra attraction to your property as well. It's advisable not to ever add the pool yourself, since dollar-for-dollar you will never recoup even your costs.

However, if there are matching houses and one has a pool, the one with the extra amenity may help you procure a buyer that much faster, therefore decreasing your holding time and/or increasing your sales price. I know many investors out there wouldn't touch a pool with a 6-foot pole (or a skimmer, I suppose!), but others find it to be a draw as a rental or a flip.

This story was originally published on BiggerPockets.com.

See more on BiggerPockets.com:
9 Steps to Flipping Houses
How to Screen Tenants
How to Rent Your House

More on AOL Real Estate:
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.
Find homes for rent in your area.

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Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/04/29/invest-home-pool/

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Christie: Obama kept every Sandy promise

HIGHLANDS, N.J. (AP) ? New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Monday that President Barack Obama "has kept every promise he's made" about helping the state recover from Superstorm Sandy.

Hours later, Obama's housing secretary approved New Jersey's plans to spend $1.83 billion in federal money to help the state rebuild and recover from the storm.

Speaking on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program six months after the deadly storm, the Republican governor said presidential politics were the last thing on his mind as he toured storm-devastated areas with Obama last fall.

When it comes to helping New Jersey rebuild from the storm, "the president has kept every promise he's made," said Christie, widely considered a potential candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. "I think he's done a good job. He kept his word."

Christie's warm embrace of Obama after the storm angered some Republicans, who said it helped tip a close presidential election to the Democrat and away from Mitt Romney, who Christie endorsed and for whom he campaigned last fall.

Christie says he and Obama have fundamentally different views on governing. But he said the two men did what needed to be done for a devastated region.

"I've got a job to do," he said. "You wake up and 7 million of your 8.8 million citizens are out of power, you're not thinking about presidential politics."

Christie challenged his critics to put themselves in his shoes while dealing with the massive storm, predicting none of them would have done anything differently.

"I have a 95 percent level of disagreement with Barack Obama," Christie said. But that did not come into play while dealing with the storm.

"We saw suffering together," Christie said. "Everything the president promised me they'd do, they've done. I don't have any complaint this morning on the issue of disaster relief."

Sandy destroyed about 360,000 homes or apartment units in New Jersey, and some areas along the shore are still devastated.

Later Monday, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan appeared with Christie at a press conference and announced federal approval of New Jersey's plans to spend more than $1.8 billion in federal grants on storm rebuilding and recovery.

"Today is the beginning of us getting to phase two of return to normalcy," Christie said. "For the overwhelming majority of New Jerseyans, their life is back to normal. For those who have not been able to leave it behind, I can still see the emotion on their faces, the sense of loss they still carry close to the surface. We are not here today to take a victory lap."

Congress approved more than $60 billion in Sandy relief funds, most of it for New Jersey and New York, despite opposition from many Congressional Republicans who voiced concerns over how some of it would be spent.

At a press conference at a popular seafood restaurant, where reporters and cameramen were pressed up against diners, Christie said it has been easy to work with Donovan on Sandy recovery.

"There's an old joke, right? Someone from the government comes into town and they say, 'I'm from Washington and I'm here to help' and everybody starts to laugh," Christie said. "Shaun Donovan is ruining that joke for me."

Donovan returned the compliment, praising the Republican governor "for his remarkable and relentless leadership in helping this town, this shore and this state recover from one of the toughest blows it has ever endured."

This is the first round of disaster relief money to be allocated. Two more rounds of block grants are expected later.

The grants will be focused in the nine counties with the worst damage from the storm. The first round of grants will help an estimated 26,000 homeowners with their primary residences, 5,000 renters and 10,000 small businesses, in addition to local governments.

The programs the Republican governor wants to implement ? offering grants to rebuild damaged homes, no-interest loans for small businesses and giving landlords cash incentives to repair homes and rent them ? are standard for states receiving federal assistance after natural disasters. Some areas where the state says there are problems, such as repairing infrastructure and restoring the fishing industry, are not included in the plan. An expanded home buyback program for people living in flood-prone neighborhoods will be included in a later funding application.

The plan submitted to HUD includes $825 million for elevation and reconstruction of damaged primary residences; $255 million for displaced renters whose primary residences were damaged by the storm; and $300 million in small business grants. A $25 million allocation to promote storm-impacted shore communities is also included, as is $50 million to help municipalities continue to provide essential services without increasing taxes. Developers of public housing could see $104.5 million in zero- and low-interest loans of up to $120,000 per unit to create new permanent housing

___

Wayne Parry can be reached at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/christie-obama-kept-every-promise-storm-aid-115719276.html

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Powerful blast injures at least 35 in Prague

Injured people leave a scene of an explosion in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, April 29, 2013. Police said a powerful explosion has damaged a building in the center of the Czech capital and they believe some people are buried in the rubble. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Injured people leave a scene of an explosion in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, April 29, 2013. Police said a powerful explosion has damaged a building in the center of the Czech capital and they believe some people are buried in the rubble. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Paramedics help an injured woman after an explosion in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, April 29, 2013. Police said a powerful explosion has damaged a building in the center of the Czech capital and they believe some people are buried in the rubble. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Policemen and firefighters inspect the scene of an explosion in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, April 29, 2013. Police said a powerful explosion has damaged a building in the center of the Czech capital and they believe some people are buried in the rubble. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Paramedics help injured people after an explosion in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, April 29, 2013. Police said a powerful explosion has damaged a building in the center of the Czech capital and they believe some people are buried in the rubble. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Paramedics help injured people after an explosion downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, April 29, 2013. Police said a powerful explosion has damaged a building in the center of the Czech capital and they believe some people are buried in the rubble. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

PRAGUE (AP) ? A powerful blast believed to be a gas explosion ripped open an office building in the center of Prague on Monday, injuring at least 35 people and sending shockwaves through the Old Town tourist district.

The blast shattered windows in the scenic area of charming streets and postcard-pretty buildings, sending glass flying. Authorities closed a wide area around the site and some tourists were stranded on street corners with baggage-loaded trolleys, unable to get into their hotels.

Authorities said two or three people were still believed to be missing, but sniffer dogs searching the rubble had not indicated that anyone was buried and the prime minister said it appeared no one had died.

An AP cameraman filming at the time of the blast said the physical impact could be felt on the famed 15th-century Charles Bridge over the Vltava River, which was packed with tourists.

The explosion occurred on Divadelni Street at about 10 a.m., in one of a row of several-story tall brick buildings dating back about a century. The street was covered with rubble and police evacuated people from nearby buildings.

"It's really immense and huge, almost like after an air assault or a bomb explosion," Prime Minister Petr Necas said after visiting the scene. "So, if we really prove what we think right now, which is that nobody died, it was very lucky."

Prague mayor Bohuslav Svoboda ruled out a terrorist attack, saying the blast was a gas explosion.

Prague is a major tourist capital, visited every year by legions of students, backpackers and others from around the world. In 2012, a total of 5.4 million people visited, with a large majority from outside the country ? many from Germany, Russia and the United States.

Officials had estimated that up to 40 were injured, but Zdenek Schwarz, head of rescue service in Prague later narrowed that down to 35. He told reporters that 30 of the injured were taken to hospitals for treatment, two of them with serious injuries.

He said five people were treated at the scene, some bandaged and with faces still bloody.

Among the injured were two Portuguese women, another two women from Kazakhstan, a man from Slovakia and a German woman, although none of their injuries was serious, the rescue service said.

City Hall spokeswoman Tereza Kralova said the cause of the incident will be thoroughly investigated and "we believe it won't negatively affect tourism."

Windows in buildings located hundreds of meters from the blast were shattered, including some in the nearby National Theater, an ornate 19th-century structure that is one of the most important cultural institutions in the Czech Republic.

"There was glass everywhere and people shouting and crying," Vaclav Rokyta, a Czech student, told the AP near the scene.

The Faculty of Social Sciences of Prague's Charles University and the Film and TV School of the Academy of Sciences of Performing Arts are located next to the damaged building. Students had to be evacuated.

"I was in the bathroom, no windows, the door was closed. Honestly, if I had been in my bed I would have been covered in glass," said Z.B. Haislip, a student from Raleigh, North Carolina, who was in a nearby building.

The road closures caused major traffic disruption and confused thousands of tourists.

Rescuers were still searching the rubble, using sniffer dogs. Two or three people were still believed to be missing, firefighter spokeswoman Pavlina Adamcova said.

The building likely belongs to the Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic, said Richard Klima, spokesman for the state-run company that provides air traffic information for civil aviation in the country.

Klima said about six other firms rented office space in the building.

The Prague blast comes the day after a possible gas explosion ripped off the side of a five-story residential building in France's Champagne country, killing at least two people and injuring 14 others

In 2006, another gas blast in Prague killed two men.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-29-Czech-Explosion/id-86da3b9c9f66475bb6255237fd3d8eb9

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JPMorgan co-COO Bisignano leaves to run First Data

NEW YORK (AP) ? JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Sunday that one of its co-chief operating officers is leaving the company, marking the latest high-profile departure since the bank's massive trading loss last year.

Frank Bisignano will become CEO of payment processor First Data Corp. on Monday. Matt Zames, who was co-chief operating officer with Bisignano, will become the sole COO of JPMorgan Chase effective immediately.

First Data said Bisignano, 53, succeeds Ed Labry, who has been interim CEO and president of Retail and Alliance Services since Jan. 28. Labry will continue as president of Retail and Alliance Services.

Bisignano and Zames were named co-chief operating officers in a management reshuffle in July after JPMorgan Chase revealed a trading loss of about $6 billion. The massive loss became a focus of the risky bets taken at large banks and oversight of traders who make those bets. It also prompted congressional hearings, as well as investigations by international regulators.

Others called for the resignation of CEO Jamie Dimon, who initially called the trade a "tempest in a teapot." Dimon later backtracked and apologized several times for the mischaracterization after the scope of the loss was revealed.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Bisignano would be the ninth executive in the past year and a half to leave Dimon's operating committee of key decision makers.

Dimon and Bisignano have known each other since the 1980s, according to the Journal, and worked together at Citibank.

Before he was named co-chief operating officer this summer, Zames had taken over as chief investment officer for Ina Drew, who resigned in the days after the big trading loss was revealed.

JPMorgan also said Sunday that Paul Compton will become chief administrative officer. He is currently co-chief administrative officer of the Corporate & Investment Bank and deputy head of operations for JPMorgan Chase.

Louis Rauchenberger, who shares Compton's current role, will become sole chief administrative officer of the Corporate and Investment Bank.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jpmorgan-co-coo-bisignano-leaves-run-first-data-201958581.html

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Police say 4 people stabbed at Albuquerque church

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ? Police say a 24-year-old man stabbed four people at a Catholic church in Albuquerque as a Sunday mass was nearing its end.

Police spokesman Robert Gibbs says Lawrence Capener jumped over several pews at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church around noon Sunday and walked up to the choir area where he began his attack.

The injuries to the four church-goers weren't life-threatening. All four were being treated at hospitals.

An off-duty police officer and others at the church subdued Capener and held him down until police arrived.

Some of those who were stabbed were members of the choir.

The choir's pianist, Brenda Baca King, told KRQE-TV that the attacker was looking at the lead soloist. "I just remember seeing him hurdle over the pews, hurdle over people and run towards us and I thought, 'Oh my God, this is not good,'" Baca King said.

Police described the stabbing scene as chaotic as parishioners screamed as the attack unfolded.

Gibbs says Capener was interviewed by police and was expected to face felony charges. It's not yet known whether Capener has an attorney.

Gibbs says investigators don't yet know the motive for the stabbings, whether Capener had ties to the victims or whether he regularly attended the church.

The stabbings occurred as the choir had just begun its closing hymns.

Archbishop of Santa Fe Michael Sheehan released a statement saying he was saddened by the attack.

"I pray for all who have been harmed, their families, the parishioners and that nothing like this will ever happen again," Sheehan said.

The church didn't immediately return calls seeking comment on Sunday afternoon.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-4-people-stabbed-albuquerque-church-224409447.html

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Sudan's Kenana plans to raise $200 mln in Johannesburg IPO

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Kenana, Sudan's biggest sugar producer, plans to raise around $200 million in an initial public offering in Johannesburg next year, its managing director said.

Last week, the Khartoum-based firm said it planned to make next year a stock market offer in Johannesburg with a secondary listing in Dubai, without giving details.

Mohamed El Mardi El Tegani told Reuters by mail on Saturday Kenana wanted to raise "around $200 million".

The firm, which is mainly owned by the governments of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, has appointed Russia-focused Renaissance Capital and Dubai investment bank Shuaa Capital to manage the offering.

Kenana wants to use the money from the share offer to help fund an expansion to more than double its annual sugar output to 1 million tonnes and triple its biofuel production by 2015.

Kenana expects also to get $500 million in a capital injection this year from its main shareholders, to help fund expansion.

Last year the firm had eyed a stock market listing in Hong Kong but gave up the plan due to U.S. sanctions which deterred firms from dealing with Sudan.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sudans-kenana-plans-raise-200-mln-johannesburg-ipo-145929972.html

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Piece of 9/11 plane was from wing

NEW YORK (AP) ? Authorities now say a 5-foot part that's believed to be from a hijacked 9/11 World Trade Center jetliner came from a wing.

Police said Monday the rusted metal part from a Boeing 767 is a trailing edge flap support structure. It helps secure wing flaps that aid in regulating plane speed.

Investigators initially thought it was part of the landing gear, because both pieces have similar hydraulics.

Authorities believe the aircraft part is from one of the two hijacked planes that brought down the trade center and killed nearly 3,000 people on Sept. 11, 2001. But Boeing officials can't determine which flight.

The chief medical examiner's office says its workers will sift soil at the site for human remains starting Tuesday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jet-part-found-last-week-nyc-wing-163129144.html

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Hagel: US assessing reported Syrian chemical use

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The U.S. and its allies are still trying to figure out details of Syria's suspected use of chemical weapons against its own people, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Monday, as international officials pressed for broader access to suspected attack sites.

Speaking to Pentagon reporters, Hagel refused to discuss any military options including whether or not the U.S. would be willing to take unilateral action against the Syrian regime or if the administration would act only in concert with allies.

The Obama administration said last week that U.S. intelligence had concluded that Syrian government forces likely used chemical agents against rebels in two attacks, but said there were "varying degrees of confidence" about how large an attack it may have been.

Since then the administration has come under withering criticism from members of Congress demanding that the U.S. take steps to protect the Syrian people by setting up either a safe zone or a no-fly zone over at least parts of the country.

"We are continuing to assess what happened -- when, where," said Hagel. "I think we should wait to get the facts before we make any judgments on what action, if any should be taken, and what kind of action."

U.S. officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry, have said that chemical weapons ? likely the nerve agent sarin ? were used on two occasions.

Syria wants any investigation limited to an incident in the Khan al-Assal village in the Aleppo province in March that reportedly killed 31 people, but U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wants a broader investigation, that would include a December incident in Homs.

Britain, France, Israel and Qatar also believe chemical weapons have been used in Syria's two-year-old civil war. President Barack Obama has said that use of chemical weapons by President Bashar Assad's regime, or the transfer of those stockpiles to terrorists would cross a "red line" and have "enormous consequences."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hagel-us-assessing-reported-syrian-chemical-185728573.html

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Kremlin says Putin, Obama agree security contacts after Boston

By Steve Gutterman

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Presidents Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama agreed on Monday to maintain close contacts between U.S. and Russian intelligence agencies and cooperate to ensure security for the 2014 Olympics that Russia is hosting in Sochi, the Kremlin said.

Putin and Obama spoke for at least the second time since the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings, which U.S. authorities believe were carried out by two brothers with roots in Russia's volatile and mostly Muslim North Caucasus.

In a call initiated by the United States, they discussed "the issue of stepping up interaction between the special services in the context of the recent terrorist act in Boston," a Kremlin statement said.

"The presidents reached a practical agreement about active contacts between the special services and their leaders," it said, adding that both also "underscored the importance of joint work providing security for the security of the Sochi Olympics".

Special services is a term Russians use for security and intelligence agencies.

The reputation of Putin, a former KGB spy, is riding on ensuring the Games pass off peacefully in Sochi, which is near the volatile North Caucasus.

Putin has in the past accused Washington of double standards in its approach to militants, depending on its geopolitical goals, and of underestimating the threat posed by Islamist extremists in the North Caucasus.

He told national television last week that the Boston bombings justified his tough line on the North Caucasus and showed that Russia and the United States must step up cooperation on security.

After a previous call around the time suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured after his brother Tamerlan was shot dead by police, the Kremlin said Obama and Putin agreed the nations should step up counter-terrorism cooperation.

The White House said at the time that Obama had thanked Putin for Russia's close cooperation on counter-terrorism.

U.S. officials have said Russia separately tipped off the FBI and the CIA in 2011 with concerns that Tamerlan Tsarnaev may have been a radical Islamist, raising questions about U.S. authorities' handling of the case.

Russian-U.S. relations have been badly strained by what Putin's critics call a clampdown on dissent since he returned to the Kremlin last May, but both sides have signaled they want to improve ties and cooperate on security despite disagreements.

(Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kremlin-says-putin-obama-agree-security-contacts-boston-190449460.html

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Will Chael Sonnen hang it up for good after UFC 159 loss to Jon Jones?

Minutes after losing by TKO to UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones, Chael Sonnen indicated his fighting days may be over.

"I'm not going to be one of the guys to hang around. If there's not a road to the title, then this sport isn't for me. I believe that was probably my last opportunity," Sonnen said to UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

He didn't specifically say "I'm retiring," but he did talk about the end of the road. This seems like more than the emotional ramblings of a fighter after a bad loss. B.J. Penn threatened retirement several times before it stuck. Nick Diaz has retired and unretired plenty of times.

Retirement wouldn't be out of the question. He's 36 years old and has fought in 40 fights after a long career as an amateur and collegiate wrestler.

If he does decide to retire, don't expect him to play shuffleboard and take up gardening. He already works as a commentator for Fox's broadcasts. During the last season of "The Ultimate Fighter," he proved to be a capable coach. Retirement would not mean Sonnen was done with MMA.

Sonnen talked his way into a title shot with Jones just months after he dropped a title shot to Anderson Silva at middleweight. Deserved or not, Sonnen has had several chances to win the UFC belt, and he hasn't won any of them. Not many fighters get more chances than he has. If the belt is the only thing that's important, why not retire?

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? New Cardinals DB Tyrann Mathieu continues to raise red flags
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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/chael-sonnen-hang-good-ufc-159-loss-jon-051117400.html

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Lady Liberty?s Watching You

The Statue of Liberty is upgrading its surveillance technology. Just don?t mention face recognition.

Photo by Lucas Jackson/Reuters

The Statue of Liberty is getting a facelift, though the changes aren?t only cosmetic. An upgraded "state of the art" security system will help keep Lady Liberty safe when it reopens soon. But what does the system entail, and could it involve a controversial new face-recognition technology that can detect visitors? ethnicity from a distance? I tried to find out?and a New York surveillance company tried to stop me.

Face recognition was first implemented at the Statue of Liberty in 2002 as part of an attempt to spot suspected terrorists whose mug shots were stored on a federal database. At the time, the initiative was lambasted by the American Civil Liberties Union, which said it was so ineffective that ?Osama Bin Laden himself? could easily dodge it.

But the technology has advanced since then: Late last year, trade magazine Police Product Insight reported that a trial of the latest face-recognition software was being planned at the Statue of Liberty for the end of 2012 to ?help law enforcement and intelligence agencies spot suspicious activity.? New York surveillance camera contractor Total Recall Corp. was quoted as having told the magazine that it was set for trial at the famed tourist attraction software called FaceVACS, made by German firm Cognitec. FaceVACS, Cognitec boasts in marketing materials, can guess ethnicity based on a person?s skin color, flag suspects on watch lists, estimate the age of a person, detect gender, ?track? faces in real time, and help identify suspects if they have tried to evade detection by putting on glasses, growing a beard, or changing their hairstyle. Some versions of face-recognition software used today remain ineffective, as investigators found in the aftermath of the Boston bombings. But Cognitec claims its latest technology has a far higher accuracy rating?and is certainly more advanced than the earlier versions of face-recognition software?like the kind used at the Statue of Liberty back in 2002. (It is not clear whether the face-recognition technology remained in use at the statue after 2002.)

Liberty Island took such a severe battering during Sandy that it has stayed closed to the public ever since?thwarting the prospect of a pilot of the new software. But the statue, which attracts more than 3 million visitors annually according to estimates, is finally due to open again on July 4. In March, Statue of Liberty superintendent Dave Luchsinger told me that plans were underway to install an upgraded surveillance system in time for the reopening. ?We are moving forward with the proposal that Total Recall has come up with,? he said, adding that ?[new] systems are going in, and I know they are state of the art.? When it came to my questions about face recognition, though, things started to get murky. Was that particular project back on track? ?We do work with Cognitec, but right now because of what happened with Sandy it put a lot of different pilots that we are doing on hold,? Peter Millius, Total Recall?s director of business development, said in a phone call. ?It?s still months away, and the facial recognition right now is not going to be part of this phase.? Then, he put me hold and came back a few minutes later with a different position?insisting that the face-recognition project had in fact been ?vetoed? by the Park Police and adding that I was ?not authorized? to write about it.

That was weird, but it soon got weirder. About an hour after I spoke with Total Recall, an email from Cognitec landed in my inbox. It was from the company?s marketing manager, Elke Oberg, who had just one day earlier told me in a phone interview that ?yes, they are going to try out our technology there? in response to questions about a face-recognition pilot at the statue. Now, Oberg had sent a letter ordering me to ?refrain from publishing any information about the use of face recognition at the Statue of Liberty.? It said that I had ?false information,? that the project had been ?cancelled,? and that if I wrote about it, there would be ?legal action.? Total Recall then separately sent me an almost identical letter?warning me not to write ?any information about Total Recall and the Statue of Liberty or the use of face recognition at the Statue of Liberty.? Both companies declined further requests for comment, and Millius at Total Recall even threatened to take legal action against me personally if I continued to ?harass? him with additional questions.

Linda Friar, a National Park Service spokeswoman, confirmed that the procurement process for security screening equipment is ongoing, but she refused to comment on whether the camera surveillance system inside the statue was being upgraded on the grounds that it was ?sensitive information.? So will there be a trial of new face-recognition software?or did the Park Police ?cancel? or ?veto? this? It would probably be easier to squeeze blood from a stone than to obtain answers to those questions. ?I?m not going to show my hand as far as what security technologies we have,? Greg Norman, Park Police captain at Liberty Island, said in a brief phone interview.

The great irony here, of course, is that this is a story about a statue that stands to represent freedom and democracy in the modern world. Yet at the heart of it are corporations issuing crude threats in an attempt to stifle legitimate journalism?and by extension dictate what citizens can and cannot know about the potential use of contentious surveillance tools used to monitor them as they visit that very statue. Whether Cognitec's ethnicity-detecting face recognition software will eventually implemented at Lady Liberty remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that the attempt to silence reporting on the mere prospect of it is part of an alarming wider trend to curtail discussion about new security technologies that are (re)shaping society.?

This article arises from Future Tense, a collaboration among Arizona State University, the New America Foundation, and?Slate. Future Tense explores the ways emerging technologies affect society, policy, and culture. To read more, visit the?Future Tense blog?and the?Future Tense home page. You can also?follow us on Twitter.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=acda62d271b90de2dbcb2d12d115473e

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Sumitomo pulls out of Aquila coal JV in Australia

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Aquila Resources on Monday suffered a set back to its plans to raise capital via asset sales to help fund a A$7.4 billion ($7.6 billion) Australian iron ore project after Sumitomo Corp pulled out of a coal exploration partnership.

A memorandum of understanding reached between the two companies a year ago was designed to pave the way for an acquisition by Sumitomo of a 20-50 percent interest in coal mining tenements held by Aquila in Queensland state.

"Following two independent valuations, averaging A$108.8 million on a 100 percent basis, Sumitomo has elected not to acquire an interest in the tenements," Aquila said.

Aquila shares tumbled almost 10 percent to A$1.83 in early trading.

The proceeds from the sale and the joint venture agreement, on top of Aquila's existing cash reserves, were aimed provide funds needed to finance Aquila's share in the undeveloped West Pilbara Iron Ore Project.

Aquila in February put the iron ore project on ice at least through June due to funding difficulties, as soaring costs and volatile commodity prices take a toll on new mine developments.

The West Pilbara Iron Ore project in Western Australia is one of a number that have stalled since the mining boom cooled last year in the world's top iron ore exporter after Chinese demand slowed.

Aquila's project requires billions to be spent on rail and port access, stretching funding prospects.

Aquila and its partners American Metals and Coal International (AMCI), a mining investment firm, and South Korean steel giant POSCO effectively froze the project last September after failing to agree on a budget for the year to June 2013. ($1 = 0.9721 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Ed Davies)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sumitomo-pulls-aquila-coal-jv-australia-003350237.html

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Apps of the Week: Scam School, Sixaxis Controller, House of the Dead Overkill and more!

Your weekly look at the apps we're using from day to day

You probably know it by this point, but every week we take just a little time for each of the Android Central writers to show off one of the apps they've been using on their own device in the previous week. They may not be the most popular or well-known, but they work for us, and we think that merits letting the readers know about them as well.

Another great random assortment of apps awaits you after the break, so stick around and see how we did with our picks this week.

read more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/ZQJe5ZwJTzg/story01.htm

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Alexander Gustafsson, Daniel Cormier, Anderson Silva: Who should Jon Jones fight next?

To the surprise of few, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones held onto his championship belt with a first-round TKO of Chael Sonnen on Saturday night. Part of the reason it was no surprise is that finishing fights is what Jones does. He won four of his last five fights by stoppage. He improves with every fight. Against Sonnen, he used Sonnen's strength of wrestling to control him on the way to the TKO.

Can anyone beat this guy? Here are a few contenders.

Alexander Gustafsson: He's one of the few elite, light heavyweight fighters who hasn't faced Jones. Like Jones, he uses his height and length to keep opponents at bay. He's ready for a fight now because he was pulled from a bout with Gegard Mousasi earlier this month because of a cut. Gustafsson is also who Jones wants to face.

[Related: Jon Jones makes quick work of Chael Sonnen]

"A lot of people think I've been successful because I appear to be larger than my opponents, and with Alexander, that would be no more," Jones said at the post-UFC 159 news conference. "That's who I would like to fight next."

Gustafsson is in:

Congratz @jonnybones Champ! Heal up good now so we

? Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) April 28, 2013

Can do this ;)

? Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) April 28, 2013

Daniel Cormier: The Strikeforce grand prix heavyweight champ had a successful UFC debut against Frank Mir. As a two-time Olympic wrestler with knockout power, he has the skills to stop Jones. UFC president Dana White said Cormier would get an immediate title shot if he were to drop down. The weight drop is the biggest question. Cormier wrestled at 211 lbs., and suffered from kidney failure the last time he tried to get to that weight. It won't be an easy cut for him.

Anderson Silva: White said he received a call from the middleweight champ right after the Jones bout, asking for a superfight with either Jones or Georges St-Pierre. White wouldn't confirm who Silva was asking for, but why would he ask for a bout with GSP right after watching Jones fight? It's the superfight MMA fans want, but Silva has Chris Weidman in July first.

[Photos: Jon Jones pummels Chael Sonnen, suffers gruesome injury]

Time off: This is likely Jones' next contender. During Saturday night's fight, he broke his toe in an ugly fashion. Even with Gustafsson, Silva and Cormier waiting for a fight, Jones needs to heal.

Related UFC video on Yahoo! Sports

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
? Secrecy helped the Buffalo Bills land QB E.J. Manuel
? Giancarlo Stanton breaks HR drought with tape-measure shot
? Tony Stewart steamed at another driver ... again
? Don Cherry: 'I don't believe women should be in the male dressing room'

What do you want Jones to do next? Speak up on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/alexander-gustafsson-daniel-cormier-anderson-silva-jon-jones-150515611.html

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Sponsor Me

I'm quite interested in joining, but I'd like to wait and see what other people join as so I can fill in whatever you're lacking in later on. Plus it's late where I am, and I need some sleep.

I'll keep watch for awhile and decide my race later. =P

Cool idea about the vampires feeding off of different things, by the way.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/cJB8yfjkUkY/viewtopic.php

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New Artificial Electric Skin Will Let Robots Feel for Real

There are plenty of robot arms out there, but what about robot skin to cover them in? A new kind of piezotronic transistor mesh could make for robotic skin that's as soft supple sensitive as your own is, covered in thousands of tiny mechanical hairs. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/uwmnozykukY/new-artificial-electric-skin-will-let-robots-feel-for-real

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Social Anxiety: Understanding Social Anxiety Disorder

This is? a really good video, I have crippling social anxiety.

I?m watching this vid cus ur awsome and I love all ur videos!!?

i clicked on this video because it?s a jaylove video and i watch all/nearly all jaylove videos.?

Or sory u? said you do my bad

Jay love do have it dude??

I?m certainly qualified and all that he is saying is basic information. Why the hate? He?s helping people across the world and he?s not forcing them to take his advice so you ignorant people need to zip it. Jay? you sounded like u were selling something at first Lol but ur awesome so thank youuu

I just randomly? clicked on da video lol

Thanks for this video,Jay. I wish I could give you a hug for making this video. All social phobics should? watch these videos. God bless you,Jay. Good video?.thumbs up.

LOL, I have social anxiety and I laughed? when you said that clicking on this video was the best decision I made? still watching the video.

he?s trying to help someone, and there?s no harm in that. He probably learned this from a therapist or? a licensed professional , and just decided to use it on his YouTube to try and help someone?)

Mcgturle3, and who? are you?

Source: http://mental-health.fitnessthroughfasting.com/sexual-gender-disorders/social-anxiety-understanding-social-anxiety-disorder.php

nba trades

PFT: Joeckel angry Chiefs passed on him in draft

Reuters

For months, it was assumed the Chiefs would take tackle Luke Joeckel with the first pick in the draft.? Last night, the reality become otherwise.

The Chiefs bypassed Joeckel for Eric Fisher, and Joeckel won?t forget it.

?I wanted that first pick but, you know, it didn?t happen. And that definitely puts a chip on my shoulder,? Joeckel told PFT on Thursday night, after he was picked.? ?I?m ready to go work, I?m ready to go prove myself.? It kind of hurts even more that another offensive tackle was taken before me, so I?m ready to go. . . .

?I?ll probably wake up every single day thinking that and when I?m in the weight room . . . when I?m lifting, when I?m out in the field working, you know, that?s my entire goal.? I grew up in a very competitive family, always wanted to be the best.? And you know, going behind another guy in my same position is definitely going to push me.?

It also puts pressure on Fisher.

?Obviously the first pick gets a lot of expectations, a lot of pressure, but I think I perform very well under pressure,? Fisher told PFT on Thursday night.? ?I am somebody to take advantage of pressure situations and make the most of them.? A lot of people will break under their pressure, I?m not that kind of person.? I think any time in my life I?ve had that kind of expectation that I needed to meet, I think I?ve performed very well.?

There?s a chance both will perform well.? There?s also a chance, in theory, of a Peyton Manning/Ryan Leaf dichotomy.

After spending time last night with each guy, our money?s on the former.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/26/joeckel-will-think-of-being-passed-over-every-single-day/related/

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Bombs kill at least 20 across Iraqi capital

By Kareem Raheem

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Bomb blasts in Baghdad killed at least 20 more people on Friday at the end of a week of bloodshed that prompted a United Nations envoy to warn Iraq was "at a crossroads".

More than 160 people have been killed since Tuesday, when troops stormed a Sunni protest camp near Kirkuk, triggering clashes that quickly spread to other Sunni areas in western and northern provinces.

Although well below the heights of 2006-7, this week's violence was the most widespread since U.S. troops pulled out of Iraq in December 2011. Militant attacks have increased this year as Iraq's fragile ethnic and sectarian balance comes under growing strain from the civil war in neighboring Syria.

In and around Baghdad, eight people including a soldier were killed in a series of bomb blasts outside mostly Sunni mosques.

Later on Friday, a car bomb killed seven in a busy shopping area in the south of the city. In the capital's Shi'ite stronghold of Sadr City, a motorcycle bomb exploded near a kiosk selling falafel, killing five.

No group claimed responsibility for any of the attacks, but Iraq is home to a number of insurgent groups including a local wing of al Qaeda.

"I call on the conscience of all religious and political leaders not to let anger win over peace, and to use their wisdom, because the country is at a crossroads," U.N. envoy Martin Kobler said in a statement.

SUNNI PROTESTS

Tens of thousands of Sunni Muslims poured onto the streets of Ramadi and Falluja in the western province of Anbar following Friday prayers, in their biggest show of strength since the outbreak of protests last year.

In Ramadi the preacher, who wore military fatigues with his cleric's turban, gave security forces 24 hours to quit the city, warning he would not be responsible for whatever happened after that.

Sunnis have been protesting since December against what they see as the marginalization of their sect since the U.S.-led invasion overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 and empowered majority Shi'ites through the ballot box.

The demonstrations had recently eased, but this week's army raid on a protest camp in Hawija, near Kirkuk, 170 km (100 miles) north of Baghdad, reignited Sunni discontent and appears to have given fresh momentum to insurgents.

The army entered the town of Suleiman Pek after militants who seized control on Wednesday pulled back in agreement with the security forces and the provincial governor.

"We withdrew from these places in order to avoid bloodletting of our people because we know that the army wants to commit a new massacre similar to what happened in Hawija," tribal leader Jamil Al-Saqr told Reuters.

A tribal leader in the nearby town of Tuz Khurmato later said five bodies had been brought to the hospital, accusing government troops of executing them. An army source denied that.

(Additional reporting by Raheem Salman; Writing by Isabel Coles; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bombs-kill-least-20-across-iraqi-capital-181303636.html

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Allen, Heat up 3-0 after 104-91 win over Bucks

Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) shoots during the first half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. The Heat won 104-91 to take a 3-0 lead in the series. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) shoots during the first half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. The Heat won 104-91 to take a 3-0 lead in the series. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat's LeBron James, top, shoots over Milwaukee Bucks' Monta Ellis (11) during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. The Heat won 104-91 to take a 3-0 lead in the series. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Miami Heat's LeBron James, right, shoots over Milwaukee Bucks' Larry Sanders during the first half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade, left, knocks the ball away from Milwaukee Bucks' Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series on Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

MILWAUKEE (AP) ? For all Miami has accomplished with its Big Three ? and it's been plenty ? there's still one thing the Heat haven't done.

Yet.

The Heat have a chance to sweep a playoff series for the first time since LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami when they play the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.

And don't think they're not aware of it.

"This is the next step in our development," James said after the Heat went up 3-0 with a 104-91 victory over the Bucks on Thursday night.

The Heat have been in this position before, taking a 3-0 lead in their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers two years ago and again against the New York Knicks last year. But they were forced to a Game 5 both times, a pattern they're determined to break against the Bucks.

"It's important for us to close them out because it's the next game," James said. "It's going to be different. It won't be the same as Game 1 or Game 2 or Game 3, today. But if we come in with the same mindset, or even more desperation as we did today, we give ourselves a good chance to win."

The defending champions still haven't played their best game. But it hardly matters with their ability to pull off one of their patented runs, as they did Thursday night.

After leading for much of the game, Milwaukee was trying to pull away early in the third. Brandon Jennings was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws, then followed with a one-hand slam after Ersan Ilyasova's steal. Luc Mbah a Moute made two sets of free throws, and the Bucks were back up 61-55 with 7:14 left in the third.

But the Heat have made a habit of putting the Bucks away with runs, and this game was no different.

Udonis Haslem made a layup and a pair of free throws, Mario Chalmers followed with a layup and the Heat were off on what would be a 23-7 run to close out the quarter. The Bucks got to 67-66 on a layup by Mbah a Moute, but James answered with a monster 3. After a pair of free throws by Mbah a Moute, Chalmers stripped Monta Ellis and fed James, who sprinted to the other end for the layup as the Bucks watched helplessly. Chris Andersen scored on a reverse, James made a layup and then fed Andersen for another layup that gave Miami a 78-68 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Bucks never got within single digits again.

"A three-, four-minute stretch just like in the first two games, where they kind of blitzed us," Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. "We dug ourselves a big hole that we could not come back from."

Allen made sure of that, knocking down a huge 3 from the right corner with 8:38 to play to give Miami a 90-73 lead. That was the 321st trey of his career in the playoffs, breaking Reggie Miller's previous record of 320, and he added one more two minutes later.

"I think about when I first stepped on this floor for the very first time, I thought about what I was going to be able to contribute to this game," said Allen, who spent his first six-plus seasons in Milwaukee. "It's ironic that I'm on this floor right now, because this is where it all started."

Allen finished with five 3s and a team-high 23 points. Chris Bosh added 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat, who have won 11 straight dating to the regular season and 40 of their last 42. Andersen had another big game, scoring 11 on 5-of-5 shooting and grabbing six rebounds in less than 14 minutes.

Wade had just four points, and his 1-of-12 shooting was his worst in a postseason game. But he contributed 11 assists, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks.

"I shot the ball terrible," Wade, who is still nursing a bruised right knee, said with a laugh. "But we played a good game. Game 3 is a tough game. I thought, as a team, we showed a lot of guts, a lot of grit. When those guys came out hot, we stayed with it, we stayed with our game plan and were able to get a great win. There's nothing as satisfying as winning a Game 3 on the road. But it's over now. Now we have to focus on closing the series out."

Jennings and Larry Sanders had 16 each to lead six Bucks in double figures, and Sanders added 11 rebounds while Jennings contributed eight assists.

But the Bucks couldn't maintain the 10-point lead they took in the first quarter, when they shot 57 percent (12 of 21) and were 5 of 10 from 3-point range. Milwaukee was just 12 of 21 over the final three quarters (41 percent), and made only two more 3s.

"We had to fight for this one," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They came out with a great deal of intensity as we expected. Got us on our heels."

That the Heat will win the series is almost inevitable. No team has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series in the NBA playoffs.

But it's when the series ends that matters now, for both the Heat and the Bucks.

"I hope we're still confident," Jennings said. "As a team, we need to stay together."

NOTES: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was at the game. ... Bucks fans were tough on all of the Heat players, even Allen, who spent his first six-plus years in Milwaukee, and Wade, whose No. 3 at Marquette hangs from the rafters at the Bradley Center. "I expect that," Allen said. "Even though I played quite a while here and won some big games, I'm still the opposing team. I didn't expect any special favors." ... Wade is the first player since Rajon Rondo on March 23, 2011, to have at least 11 assists, nine rebounds and five steals in a game.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-04-26-BKN-Heat-Bucks-Folo/id-236dbde5c15a4a888810755553c1ba70

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US man detained in Venezuelan post-vote crackdown

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? A 35-year-old filmmaker from California has been arrested by Venezuelan authorities who are accusing him of fomenting postelection violence on behalf of the U.S. government.

President Nicolas Maduro said Thursday that he personally ordered Timothy Tracy's arrest on suspicion of "creating violence in the cities of this country." Venezuela's interior minister said Tracy was working for U.S. intelligence, paying right-wing youth groups to hold violent demonstrations in order to destabilize the country after Maduro's narrow election win last week.

Friends and family of Tracy told The Associated Press that he had been in Venezuela since last year making a documentary about the country, which is bitterly divided politically as the socialist heirs of the late President Hugo Chavez struggle to maintain control of a country beset by economic and political turmoil

The Georgetown University English graduate was a story consultant on the 2009 documentary "American Harmony," about competitive barbershop quartet singing, and produced the recent Discovery Channel program "Under Siege," about terrorism and smuggling across the U.S./Canada border.

"They don't have CIA in custody. They don't have a journalist in custody. They have a kid with a camera," said Aengus James, a friend and associate of Tracy's in Hollywood, California, and director of "American Harmony." ''He does not really know what he's doing."

James described Tracy as "fearless" but also somewhat quixotic.

"This whole thing came about with him at a party in South Florida," he said. "He met this cute girl who says, 'If you really are a documentary filmmaker you'll come tell the story of what is happening in Venezuela,' and if you say something like that to Tim he goes, whether or not he knows a single person there or knows anything about the political situation or the consequences."

Tracy had been detained at least twice before by Venezuela's SEBIN intelligence police. The last time was five days before the April 14 presidential election when he was taking video of a pro-government rally in the port city of Puerto Cabello, said an associate who spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not want to endanger people inside Venezuela.

The U.S. Embassy in Caracas declined immediate comment, citing citizen privacy.

Prosecutors said Tracy was arrested Wednesday evening as he tried to fly out of Simon Bolivar International Airport outside the capital, Caracas.

Tracy's father Emmet, of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, said that in his last email his son had asked for some airline miles so he could fly to the United States so they could be together for the father's 80th birthday.

The prosecution said he would be brought to a court hearing Thursday to be formally charged under Venezuela's anti-terrorism laws.

The police had been friendly to Tracy during the previous incidents, with some even agreeing to appear in his documentary, the filmmaker's father said. Emmet Tracy said, however, that the family had begun urging his son to leave the country in light of the volatile political situation.

"Frankly it's the kind of scenario that we were concerned about and kept telling him," Emmet Tracy said.

Tensions in the country have been rising since Maduro beat opposition candidate Henrique Capriles in the April 14 election by less than 2 percentage points. The government insists the opposition fomented violence directed at ruling party supporters and official buildings in the days after the election. The opposition is demanding an audit of the vote, which it says was stolen.

Venezuela's government has long accused the United States of trying to undermine it, moving closer to Cuba, Iran and Russia after a failed 2002 coup attempt against Chavez that the George W. Bush administration initially recognized.

Tracy is the first American in recent memory to be detained in Venezuela on politically related charges, however.

"I gave the order that they detain him immediately, hand him to prosecutors with the proof that there is because nobody can be destabilizing this country, whatever they believe, because they're on the side of the bourgeoisie, no," Maduro said.

James said Tracy's Spanish is passable but not great.

He said Tracy "literally has no political agenda. He is very sympathetic to all sides. He's telling stories about people and what their life is like there."

"He has been involved in telling stories that told that international component. But he certainly never worked for the government," said James.

"He's trying to tell a human story," said James. "My fear is that he's gone in deeper than he should have."

__

Bajak contributed from Lima, Peru.

__

Frank Bajak on Twitter: http://twitter.com/fbajak

Michael Weissenstein on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mweissenstein

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-man-detained-venezuelan-post-vote-crackdown-202455776.html

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