Press Releases

NEW YORK, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- COVER: The Biggest Experiment Ever. (Atlantic and Latin America editions) Senior Editor Fred Guterl, London Reporter William Underhill and Special Correspondent Sarah Garland report on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a huge collider in Geneva that scientists are expected to throw the switch on this week. The $8 billion project pushes the limits of technology -- superconducting magnets that operate at close to absolute zero, the temperature at which atoms cease all movement, and can accelerate particles to energies not seen for 14 billion years, and instruments that can detect faint whispers of particles far smaller than atoms. Those advances came, in large measure, from the United States. The coming decades may be different. The LHC is a symptom of America's decline in particle physics and Europe's rise. Many scientists and educators fear that it also signals a broader decline in scientific leadership on the part of the United States. The LHC has transformed Geneva into something of a scientific mecca. According to the European Organization for Nuclear Research, more than 9,000 scientists have been working on the project, not only from nearby Europe but from countries as diverse as India, Russia, Japan, Israel and Turkey.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157514?tid=relatedcl

What We'll Find Inside the Atom. The telescope that Galileo built in the late 1500s had the magnifying power of a pair of inexpensive binoculars available in any Wal-Mart, but it was enough to open up a new world. Like Galileo's telescope, the LHC will give scientists new insight into a new world of the very small and, indirectly, of the very large, reports Leon Lederman, who won the Nobel Prize for his work in particle physics in 1988. The machine's reach and sensitivity may well reveal a new world, a gift to the 21st century. To appreciate what impact the LHC is likely to have in the coming decades, it's necessary to take a look at the fundamental questions it was built to answer. Only by venturing into the labyrinth of particle physics can we get a sense of how deeply this tool will look into the nature of the physical world.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157516

Forecasting the Fate of Mysteries. Six physicists weigh in on the impact of the LHC and where science goes from here.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157518?tid=relatedcl

COVER: Green Car Nation (Pacific edition only). Tokyo Bureau Chief Christian Caryl and Special Correspondent Akiko Kashiwagi report that Honda's FCX Clarity, one if the most advanced hydrogen-fuel-cell cars in the world, is just one of a number of next-generation green automobiles that are beginning to come off assembly lines in Japan. These vehicles have been around for years, but now Japanese automakers are going to the next level, entering the green-car mass market, in many cases years before their competitors. Their edge may help re-ignite their nation's economy, report Caryl and Kashiwagi.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157508

The 10 Big Myths of Russia, Its Leader, And Its New Power. Denis MacShane, Labour M.P. for Rotherham, writes that today's Russia now stands revealed as a bully, wrapped in nationalism and cloaked with its leader's arrogance. But Russia has always been a great mythmaker-from setting up Potemkin villages in the 18th century to fomenting great fear that Sovietism would conquer the world after 1945. MacShane lists 10 of the biggest myths about today's Russia, including: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is the big winner of the incursion into Georgia. Yes, Putin has shown who runs Russia. But he has united Europe after the years of division created by George W. Bush.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157497

'We Want to Believe.' French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who helped negotiate Nicolas Sarkozy's controversial accord between Russia and Georgia, says in an interview that the word realpolitik "is a little pejorative. I don't believe our policy deserves that qualifier. We completely changed transatlantic relations, which have become a lot more trusting, easier. I was very proud to be with the U.S. Congress when Sarkozy described our relations with America. Is that realpolitik? No. It's what we really thought. Was stopping the war in Georgia realpolitik? You could say that. But above all it was urgent."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157510

Georgian Army, American Made. National Security Correspondent John Barry reports that Lt. Col. Robert Hamilton, who ran the U.S. military training program in Georgia until six weeks ago, finds the charge ironic from Russia Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that the U.S. secretly provoked the conflict with Georgia and perhaps even prepared Georgia's forces for it. Not only did the U.S. not attempt to train or equip the Georgian forces for a conflict with Russia, but the U.S. deliberately avoided training capabilities that were seen as too provocative to Russia, Hamilton says. Now the U.S.-with or without its European allies-is being pushed to build a Georgian army that could face the Russians, next time. U.S. military involvement in Georgia grew step by step. In a further irony, it began with a mission designed to placate Russia.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157500

The Rude Awakening. Chief European Economics Correspondent Stefan Theil reports on the European Union's weakly worded resolution on the Russian-George conflict and the reaction to it. The one measure the 27 leaders could agree on at their emergency summit in Brussels was to suspend talks on a planned EU- Russia agreement regulating such things as trade and visas-a largely symbolic act considering the talks have been stalled for more than a year. But the more interesting news was how closely aligned EU members were compared to the last emergency summit in 2003, when the continent's split over the Iraq War led to the worst foreign-policy crisis in the EU's history.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157498

All Politics Isn't Local. Special Correspondent Jaimie Seaton and Hong Kong Bureau Chief George Wehrfritz report on Thailand's recent demonstrations to oust Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. The campaign to remove Samak-whose imposition of emergency rule last week edged the country of 65 million toward a potentially bloody confrontation-is in the broadest sense a struggle over globalization. The dynamic is akin to that seen earlier this year in South Korea, where leftist groups nearly toppled newly elected President Lee Myung- bak for opening the local market to American beef. And there's a bit of Hugo Chavez in the antigovernment People's Alliance for Democracy, which disagrees with Samak's regime on free trade, the role of foreign investors and the suitability of Western-style democracy in the kingdom.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157506

WORLD VIEW: Playing Russian Roulette in Kiev. Dmitri Trenin, a senior associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of "Getting Russia Right," writes that the most recent round of chaos in Russia and Georgia reflects the vast schism that has long existed in Ukraine. "On the parliamentary floor this month, while one faction proudly sat against the backdrop of the Georgian flag, another faction's leader moved to recognize Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's independence. Though such fault lines are nothing new in a diverse and fractious nation that counts no fewer than three Orthodox churches, plus a Greek Orthodox community that recognized the pope's authority, the trouble in the Caucasus may this time create a political earthquake with enormous consequences."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157509

THE LAST WORD: Randy Scheunemann, GOP Presidential nominee John McCain's top foreign policy adviser. An early supporter of the Iraq War, Scheunemann also lobbied Washington (for a time even while working for McCain) on behalf of the Republic of Georgia. He discussed what happens when American interests conflict with American ideals. "I question the premise. I don't think there's a tension between ideals and interests. When you conduct military action as a last resort, you have to look at what interests are at stake, what values are at risk, how likely you are to achieve your goals, and at what cost. McCain doesn't have an ideological approach; he evaluates each situation differently."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157519

SOURCE Newsweek

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 7, 2008) - Earlier today, one Canadian soldier was killed and seven were injured after their armoured vehicle struck an improvised explosive device during a security patrol in Panjwayii District at approximately 12:30 p.m., Kandahar time.

The fallen soldier is Sgt Prescott Shipway, an infantryman with the Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Manitoba.

Afghan National Army soldiers secured the area while the Canadian soldiers were being cared for before being evacuated by helicopter to Kandahar Air Field's Role 3 Multi-National Medical Facility.

The injured soldiers are reported to be in good condition. All were treated and are expected to self-notify their next of kin. The wounded soldiers' names will not be released.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Sgt Shipway during this difficult time. In the upcoming days, we will be focusing our efforts on providing the best possible support to the family and colleagues of our brother-in-arms as we continue in our mission to bring security and stability to the people of Kandahar province.

Note to Editors:

A photograph of Sgt Prescott Shipway is available on the Combat Camera Website (search under last name) at: www.combatcamera.ca

As per normal procedure the name of the injured soldiers will not be released.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
        Information: 1-866-377-0811 / 613-995-2353
        After hours: 613-792-2973
        www.forces.gc.ca

Source: Department of National Defence

OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 09/07/08 -- Earlier today, one Canadian soldier was killed and seven were injured after their armoured vehicle struck an improvised explosive device during a security patrol in Panjwayii District at approximately 12:30 p.m., Kandahar time.

The fallen soldier is Sgt Prescott Shipway, an infantryman with the Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Manitoba.

Afghan National Army soldiers secured the area while the Canadian soldiers were being cared for before being evacuated by helicopter to Kandahar Air Field's Role 3 Multi-National Medical Facility.

The injured soldiers are reported to be in good condition. All were treated and are expected to self-notify their next of kin. The wounded soldiers' names will not be released.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Sgt Shipway during this difficult time. In the upcoming days, we will be focusing our efforts on providing the best possible support to the family and colleagues of our brother-in-arms as we continue in our mission to bring security and stability to the people of Kandahar province.

Note to Editors:

A photograph of Sgt Prescott Shipway is available on the Combat Camera Website (search under last name) at: www.combatcamera.ca

As per normal procedure the name of the injured soldiers will not be released.

Contacts:
Information: 1-866-377-0811 / 613-995-2353
After hours: 613-792-2973
www.forces.gc.ca

COVER: "Palin*tol*ogy" (p. 24). Washington Bureau Chief Jeffrey Bartholet and San Francisco Bureau Chief Karen Breslau delve into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's record for a better understanding of how she sees the world and where she stands on issues. Palin is a self-described hockey Mom who hunts moose, juggles BlackBerrys and kids. But she is also riven with contradictions. Palin built her reputation largely on standing up to corruption. But she's also regarded by political opponents as vindictive and petty, and she's been known to mix personal interests in her own political life. She is a relentlessly driven politician running against a Washington establishment that, if elected, she will inevitably join, and even rule over. The cover package also looks at whether her experience will help her with the questions she's sure to face in the days and weeks to come.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157696

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080907/NYSU002 )

"Beware the Barracuda" (p. 36). Chief Political Correspondent Howard Fineman writes that although Palin is a tough opponent, the Democrats will need to tread carefully when coming after her. Democrats are determined to attack her credibility, and "the first -- and for Democrats, the most obvious -- way to do so is on abortion. Palin doesn't believe in abortion even in cases of rape or incest," he writes. Still, the real task of hunting Palin belongs to Biden, who "is as deeply informed on the issues as any member of the Senate, but he has a tendency to want to prove it at length." A friend of Biden's told Newsweek, "He has to be careful not to come off as heavy-handed."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157697

"What Happened to Family Values?" (p. 41). Special Correspondent Jacob Weisberg writes that "pragmatic Republicans have been trying to figure out how the party can become a 'big tent,' making room for a pro-choice as well as a pro-life faction. Until recently, the modernizers included John McCain," he writes. "But renewed evangelical dominance of the Republican Party in the George W. Bush years has pushed McCain in just the opposite direction ... It explains how McCain ended up with a wildly underqualified running mate in Sarah Palin, instead of his preferred pro-choice veep picks, Joe Lieberman and Tom Ridge."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157554

HEALTH: "We Fought Cancer ... And Cancer Won" (p. 42). Senior Editor Sharon Begley writes that it's time to rethink the approach to the war on cancer. "Both presidential candidates have vowed to support cancer research, which makes this a propitious time to consider the missed opportunities of the first 37 years of the war on cancer. Surely the greatest is prevention. [President Richard] Nixon never used the word; he exhorted scientists only to find a cure. Partly as a result, the huge majority of funding for cancer has gone into the search for ways to eradicate malignant cells rather than to keep normal cells from becoming malignant in the first place," Begley writes. Still, there is hope in the battle against cancer. "Breakthroughs continue to pour out of labs" and "cutting-edge techniques are allowing scientists to identify promising experimental drugs more quickly than ever before," she writes.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157548

JONATHAN ALTER: "What the Next President Can Do" (p. 68). Senior Editor Jonathan Alter, a four-year cancer survivor, writes that "politicians have been slow on the cancer front partly because it's a downer, and partly because most don't seem to understand just how perilous the research situation has become." "It's not just that fewer than two in 10 applications for NIH grants are funded -- down sharply under President Bush. It's that the wrong researchers often get the money," he writes. "Older researchers with old-boy-network contacts receive a disproportionate amount of the research funding ... Younger, less-connected but more creative researchers, the ones most likely to find cures, are leaving medical research in droves because they can't get funded."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157575

INTERNATIONAL: "For the Taliban, A Crime That Pays" (p. 70). South Asia Bureau Chief Ron Moreau reports that the Taliban have spawned yet another problem for Afghanistan: an epidemic of ransom kidnappings. Such crimes used to be rare, and the perpetrators were usually common thugs who stuck close to Kabul. That's changed in the last couple of years, as the Taliban learned to abduct foreigners and Afghan business people instead of killing them. Since then, kidnapping has become one of the guerrillas' main revenue sources, second only to facilitating and protecting the country's $4 billion-a-year narcotics trade. The reported ransoms in some of the highest-profile kidnappings of the past two years, come to more than $10 million a year -- and that's a deceptively conservative estimate.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157549

ROBERT J. SAMUELSON: "Getting Real About Health Care" (p. 73). Contributing Editor Robert J. Samuelson writes that whoever wins the White House "should put health care at the top of his agenda. But the central problem is not improving coverage. It's controlling costs." The new president needs to take on the "massive health-care challenge already sitting in the government's lap: Medicare ... Medicare is so large and influential that by altering how it operates, government can reshape the entire health-care system. This would require changes in rules and reimbursements to encourage more electronic record-keeping, better case management, fewer dubious tests and procedures, and a fairer sharing of costs between the young and the old," he writes.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157573

PROJECT GREEN: "The Bad News About Green Architecture" (p. 77). Senior Editor Cathleen McGuigan writes that what bugs her the most about the fad for green architecture "is the notion that virtue makes up for ugly." "When I come upon a beautiful sustainable building that doesn't scream green, it cheers me up. The California Academy of Sciences, opening later this month in San Francisco, is a perfect example ... Its design is sensitive to its place and history: the new building doesn't gobble up more space on its spectacular site in Golden Gate Park, and its architect, Renzo Piano, was careful to go no higher -- 36 feet -- than the original structure."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157576

"A No-Paper Newspaper" (p. 84). National Correspondent Daniel McGinn reports that after years of hype, e-newspapers are getting closer to reality thanks to companies such as E Ink, that are working on perfecting electronic reading devices such as Amazon's Kindle. For consumers, e-newspapers would offer portability and an uncluttered reading environment. Among publishers, there's real hope readers will pay subscription fees for those benefits, and that advertisers will pay considerably more for ads on e-readers than they do on the Web.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157580

TELEVISION: "They Would Kill For an Emmy" (p. 86). During this year's Emmy roundtable, Rachel Griffiths ("Brothers and Sisters"), Michael C. Hall ("Dexter"), Rainn Wilson ("The Office"), Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds") and John Slattery ("Mad Men") spoke candidly with Senior Editor Marc Peyser and Assistant Editor Joshua Alston about their shows, characters, drinking, drugs and nudity -- and preparing for the awards they could win later this month.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157583

TIP SHEET: "Pump Yourself Up in The Privacy of Home" (p. 97). Chicago Correspondent Karen Springen reports on the things to consider before choosing to work out at home or join a gym -- or both. Some of the factors to consider include cost, your goals as well as your personality. "The biggest obstacle that we all face is motivation," says Walter Thompson, a Georgia State University regent's professor and a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.

http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/tipsheet/default.aspx

SOURCE Newsweek

ATLANTA, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Four nominees for the AT&T All-America Player of the Week award have been announced after the second week of college football action, and now it's up to fans to determine the winner. Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant, East Carolina quarterback Patrick Pinkney and Michigan State running back Javon Ringer have been selected by ESPN as this week's top candidates, based on the players' outstanding performances over the weekend. Fans can text message VOTE to 51234 on their wireless phone to opt in for the chance to vote.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford threw for a career high 395 yards and 5 TD's in the Sooners 52-26 win over Cincinnati. Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant had 9 catches for 236 yards receiving and scored four touchdowns -- the best receiving game by a Cowboy since 2006. Bryant capped his night with a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown. East Carolina quarterback Patrick Pinkney was near perfect, passing for 22-28 for 236 yards and 1 touchdown to upset No. 8 West Virginia 24-3 and lead his Pirates to their second win against a ranked team. Michigan State running back Javon Ringer rushed for 135 yards and a career-high five touchdowns -- with 25 carries for 105 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone -- to lead Michigan State to a 42-10 victory over Eastern Michigan.

"Some really exciting football is being played early this college football season and these four guys were a part of some big wins," said Tim McGhee, director of corporate sponsorships for AT&T. "Fans will clearly have some tough decisions to consider as they determine the recipient of the AT&T Player of the Week Award, and we are excited to provide them with the opportunity and the voice."

Fans have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday to submit their votes. The winner will be announced during Thursday's ESPN College Football Primetime Presented by Applebee's. Standard text messaging rates apply.

There is no limit on fan voting, and each vote counts as one entry into a sweepstakes to win a trip to the 2009 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship game in Miami. Full sweepstakes rules can be found at www.espnallamerica.com/rules.aspx.

In December, four finalists for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year Award will be announced during a one-hour special on ESPN in conjunction with the announcement of the AT&T ESPN All-America Team as selected by the Football Writers Association of America. Fans will then get a chance to say who the best player in the nation is by voting for the AT&T All-America Player of the Year through the BCS. Voting ends at noon ET on Jan. 6, and the winner will be announced during the BCS National Championship game on FOX on Jan. 9.

Additionally, AT&T customers can view video highlights and photos of each week's candidates and track their favorite teams through AT&T's wireless NCAA Football Portal, which is accessible on AT&T handsets by launching AT&T MEdia(TM) Net and clicking through to the sports category. AT&T wireless customers with 3G handsets can also watch "Confessions of a College Football Junkie" video clips featuring Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit by accessing ESPN on AT&T CV.*

Through the AT&T MEdia Mall, fans can also download fight song ringtones from more than 150 college and universities. Animated screensavers and 3-D mobile wallpaper are available for more than 100 college and universities.

*AT&T CV requires a MEdia Max Unlimited or MEdia Net Unlimited bundle. Details on AT&T's MEdia Net bundles and other offers are available at http://www.att.com/wireless.

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SOURCE AT&T Inc.