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Indictment: Prison gang leader fathered 5 children with 4 guards

April 27, 2013, 7:02 am
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A Baltimore prisoner is said to have fathered five children with four different corrections officers while incarcerated, according to a recently unsealed federal racketeering indictment.
In addition, the Washington Post reports that 13 female corrections officers assisted imprisoned gang members in criminal enterprises including the trafficking of drugs, witness intimidation and money laundering. Guards also tipped off prisoners about upcoming cell searches.
Tavon White, allegedly of the Black Guerrilla Family gang, reportedly bragged about his position of power within the jail. In an intercepted phone call detailed in the indictment, White is alleged to have said, "I hold the highest seat you can get. So regardless of what anybody say, whatever I say is law. Like I am the law... My word is law..., so if I told any mother-******* body they had to do this, hit a police, do this, kill a mother-******, do anything, it got to get done. Period."
The indictment is as disturbing as it is astounding. In it, prosecutors detail the various sexual relationships White had with different prison guards. Two of the women had the name "Tavon" tattooed on their bodies (one woman got the tattoo on her neck, the other on her wrist). These sexual relations "cemented the business ties and the association of the corrections officers with the enterprise," prosecutors wrote in the indictment. The guards are said to have smuggled in cellphones and drugs to the prisoners.
One prison guard was given a diamond ring by a gang leader. Others were provided with cars to drive (including two Mercedes Benzes, a BMW and an Acura). Two of those cars were purchased by a prisoner using proceeds from the illegal enterprise, according to the indictment.
All told, 25 people were charged with racketeering and drug offenses. They include inmates, guards, and outside suppliers. The Washington Post reports that 20 of them were also charged in a money-laundering conspiracy. Defendants will face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years on the racketeering and drug charges.
"We are committed to ensuring that this activity does not happen again," said Baltimore State’s Attorney Gregg Bernstein in a press conference.
Gary D. Maynard, Maryland secretary of Public Safety & Correctional Services, said, "It becomes embarrassing for me when we expose ourselves and we participate in an investigation that’s going to show what’s going on in our jails that I am not proud of."
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Facebook posting leads police to driver in US girl's hit-and-run death 45 years ago

April 27, 2013, 7:03 am
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Carolee Sadie Ashby's family has spent the past 45 years wondering who was driving the car that fatally struck the 4-year-old girl as she crossed a street in her upstate New York town on Halloween night.
Thanks to a retired detective's Facebook post, authorities provided an answer Wednesday: A man who police say misled them when questioned about the girl's death in 1968 and then sat on the secret for more than four decades.
Douglas Parkhurst, 62, has been identified as the driver of a car that failed to stop after hitting Carolee, according to the police department in Fulton, a town of 12,000 people where the accident occurred.
Parkhurst won't be charged because the statute of limitations has expired, police said. A phone number for him has been disconnected.
The girl, her sister and a cousin were returning from a neighbourhood store after buying candles for the sibling's 15th birthday when Carolee was hit. The other two weren't hurt, but Carolee later died from her injuries.
Parkhurst was questioned at the time when police learned he had been in an accident that same night. He confirmed a crash, but said it occurred in a neighbouring town, police said. Although his claims that he had hit a guard post didn't match up with the damage to his vehicle, Parkhurst wasn't questioned again, police said.
The mystery endured for nearly a half-century.
Police checked out hundreds of leads over the years and reopened of the case in 2000, but the break came early last year after retired Fulton police Lt. Russ Johnson posted details of the case on a local history Facebook page. According to Fulton police, a former resident now living in Florida saw the posting and came forward with new information.
The woman, who police did not identify, told police that she was approached by a member of the Parkhurst family soon after the accident and asked to say she was with Parkhurst and his brother on October 31, 1968. The woman refused to do so and was never told why they wanted her alibi, but she assumed it was related to the accident, police said.
Her information prompted investigators to go to Parkhurst's home and question him again, said Fulton police Sgt. Stephen Lunn Jr.
Over the course of several interviews, Parkhurst admitted he was drinking beer the night of the accident and was driving through Fulton with his brother passed out in the back seat when he hit something, Lunn said. Parkhurst told the investigators he believed at the time he had hit an animal, but now knows it was Carolee. He admitted that he initially lied when questioned about the accident in 1968, Lunn said.
Carolee's mother, Marlene, and the sister she was walking with, Darlene McCann, still live in the Fulton area. Attempts to reach them Wednesday by phone and Facebook were unsuccessful.
The car Parkhurst admitted driving that night, a tan 1962 Buick Special, was later junked in his sister's backyard in the nearby town of Mexico, Lunn said. The rusted-out vehicle has been resting on its roof in a field for about 40 years and investigators were unable to glean any evidence from it that would tie it to the hit-and-run, he said.
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Scientists on brink of HIV cure: "Researchers believe that there will be a breakthrough in finding a cure for HIV “within months”."

April 27, 2013, 5:56 pm
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Danish scientists are expecting results that will show that “finding a mass-distributable and affordable cure to HIV is possible”.
They are conducting clinical trials to test a “novel strategy” in which the HIV virus is stripped from human DNA and destroyed permanently by the immune system.
The move would represent a dramatic step forward in the attempt to find a cure for the virus, which causes Aids.
The scientists are currently conducting human trials on their treatment, in the hope of proving that it is effective. It has already been found to work in laboratory tests.
The technique involves releasing the HIV virus from “reservoirs” it forms in DNA cells, bringing it to the surface of the cells. Once it comes to the surface, the body’s natural immune system can kill the virus through being boosted by a “vaccine”.
In vitro studies — those that use human cells in a laboratory — of the new technique proved so successful that in January, the Danish Research Council awarded the team 12 million Danish kroner (£1.5 million) to pursue their findings in clinical trials with human subjects.
These are now under way, and according to Dr Søgaard, the early signs are “promising”.
Dr Ole Søgaard, a senior researcher at the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark who is part of the research team, said: “I am almost certain that we will be successful in releasing the reservoirs of HIV.
“The challenge will be getting the patients’ immune system to recognise the virus and destroy it. This depends on the strength and sensitivity of individual immune systems.”
Fifteen patients are currently taking part in the trials, and if they are found to have successfully been cured of HIV, the “cure” will be tested on a wider scale.
Dr Søgaard stressed that a cure is not the same as a preventative vaccine, and that raising awareness of unsafe behaviour, including unprotected sex and sharing needles, remains of paramount importance in combating HIV.
With modern HIV treatment, a patient can live an almost normal life, even into old age, with limited side effects.
However, if medication is stopped, HIV reservoirs become active and start to produce more of the virus, meaning that symptoms can reappear within two weeks.
Finding a cure would free a patient from the need to take continuous HIV medication, and save health services billions of pounds.
The technique is being researched in Britain, but studies have not yet moved on to the clinical trial stage. Five universities — Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College, London, University College, London and King’s College, London — have jointly formed the Collaborative HIV Eradication of Reservoirs UK Biomedical Research Centre group (CHERUB), which is dedicated to finding an HIV cure.
They have applied to the Medical Research Council for funding to conduct clinical trials, which will seek to combine techniques to release the reservoirs of HIV with immunotherapy to destroy the virus.
In addition, they are focusing on patients that have only recently been infected, as they believe this will improve chances of a cure. The group hopes to receive a funding decision in May.
“When the first patient is cured in this way it will be a spectacular moment,” says Dr John Frater, a clinical research fellow at the Nuffield School of Medicine, Oxford University, and a member of the CHERUB group.
“It will prove that we are heading in the right direction and demonstrate that a cure is possible. But I think it will be five years before we see a cure that can be offered on a large scale.”
The Danish team’s research is among the most advanced and fast moving in the world, as that they have streamlined the process of putting the latest basic science discoveries into clinical testing.
This means that researchers can progress more quickly to clinical trials, accelerating the process and reaching reliable results sooner than many others.
The technique uses drugs called HDAC Inhibitors, which are more commonly used in treating cancer, to drive out the HIV from a patient’s DNA. The Danish researchers are using a particularly powerful type of HDAC inhibitor called Panobinostat.
Five years ago, the general consensus was that HIV could not be cured. But then Timothy Ray Brown, an HIV sufferer — who has become known in the field as the Berlin Patient — developed leukaemia.
He had a bone marrow transplant from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that made his cells resistant to HIV. As a result, in 2007 Mr Brown became the first man to ever be fully cured of the disease.
Replicating this procedure on a mass scale is impossible. Nevertheless, the Brown case caused a sea change in research, with scientists focusing on finding a cure as well as suppressing the symptoms.
Two principal approaches are currently being pursued. The first, gene therapy, aims to make a patient’s immune system resistant to HIV. This is complex and expensive, and not easily transferrable to diverse gene pools around the world.
The second approach is the one being pursued by Dr Søgaard and his colleagues in Denmark, the CHERUB group in Britain, and by other laboratories in the United States and Europe.
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Baby taken from parents who wanted 2nd doctor's opinion

April 27, 2013, 5:58 pm
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A Sacramento family was torn apart after a 5-month-old baby boy was taken from his parents following a visit to the doctor.

The young couple thought their problems were behind them after their son had a scare at the hospital, but once they got home their problems got even worse.

It all began nearly two weeks ago, when Anna Nikolayev and her husband Alex took their 5-month-old boy Sammy to Sutter Memorial Hospital to be treated for flu symptoms, but they didn't like the care Sammy was getting.

For example, one day Anna asked why a nurse was giving her son antibiotics.

"I asked her, for what is that? And she's like, 'I don't know.' I'm like, 'you're working as a nurse, and you don't even know what to give to my baby for what,'" Anna explained.

According to Anna, a doctor later said Sammy shouldn't have been on the antibiotics.

Anna said Sammy suffers from a heart murmur and had been seeing a doctor at Sutter for regular treatment since he was born. After Sammy was treated for flu symptoms last week, doctors at Sutter admitted him to the pediatric ICU to monitor his condition. After a few days, Anna said doctors began talking about heart surgery.



"If we got the one mistake after another, I don't want to have my baby have surgery in the hospital where I don't feel safe," Anna said.

Anna argued with doctors about getting a second opinion. Without a proper discharge, she finally took Sammy out of the hospital to get a second opinion at Kaiser Permanente.

"The police showed up there. They saw that the baby was fine," Anna said. "They told us that Sutter was telling them so much bad stuff that they thought that this baby is dying on our arms."

Medical records from the doctor treating Sammy at Kaiser Permanente said the baby as clinically safe to go home with his parents. The doctor added, "I do not have concern for the safety of the child at home with his parents."

"So police saw the report from the doctors, said, 'okay guys, you have a good day,' and they walked away," Anna said.

Anna said the next day police and child protective services showed up on her doorstep. Alex Nikolayev said he met them outside a short time after they arrived.

"I was pushed against the building, smacked down. I said, 'am I being placed under arrest?' He smacked me down onto the ground, yelled out, 'I think I got the keys to the house,'" Alex said.

Then police let themselves inside.

On home video shot with a camera Anna set up herself, police can be seen entering her front door on Wednesday.

"I'm going to grab your baby, and don't resist, and don't fight me ok?" a Sacramento police officer said in the video.

"He's like, 'okay let your son go,' so I had to let him go, and he grabbed my arm, so I couldn't take Sammy. And they took Sammy, and they just walked away," Anna said.

When News10 spoke with police, they said talk to CPS; CPS did not say much about the case. Just before 6 p.m. Thursday, Anna said that a CPS social worker told her, the reason they took Sammy is because of severe neglect; however, the social worker didn't elaborate on that neglect.

Sutter Memorial was asked to comment on the story, but the hospital said the case was with CPS and law enforcement and they would have to comment on the case. CPS said they can't specifically comment on this case because of privacy law, but CPS spokesperson Laura McCasland said, "We conduct a risk assessment of the child's safety and rely heavily on the direction of health care providers."

"It seems like parents have no right whatsoever," Alex said.

On Thursday, Anna and Alex were allowed a one hour visitation with Sammy; he's currently in protective custody at Sutter Memorial Hospital.

"His smile, it's everything for me," Anna said. "I was so happy to see him."

Anna and Alex have a court hearing scheduled for Monday.

"We did everything," Anna said. "We went from one hospital to another. We just wanted to be safe, that he is in good hands."
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Tart cherries may help reduce stroke risk

April 28, 2013, 2:44 am
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A diet that includes tart cherries can provide cardiovascular benefits similar to the prescribed medications and can also reduce the risk of stroke, a new research has revealed.

A class of drugs called PPAR agonists that help regulate fat and glucose was considered promising by doctors who prescribed them for patients with metabolic syndrome - a collection of risk factors linked to heart disease and type 2.

However, studies have shown the long-term use of these drugs can also increase stroke risk, which has prevented many from securing FDA approval.

The new research from the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory suggests that tart cherries can reduce the risk of stroke even when taken with these pharmaceutical options.

The group`s previous research has shown that intake of US produced, Montmorency tartcherries activates PPAR isoforms (peroxisome proliferator activating receptors) in many of the body`s tissues.

Researchers believe that anthocyanins - the pigments that give the fruit its red color - may be responsible for PPAR activation.

PPARs regulate genes involved in fat and glucose metabolism, and when modified can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

PPAR agonists, among them medications such as Actos (pioglitazone), act in a similar way but cardiovascular side effects have limited their use.

The researchers compared the effect of tart cherries and the drug Actos in stroke-prone rats by measuring the animals` systolic blood pressure as well as locomotion, balance, coordination, all of which can show the aftereffects of a stroke.

By putting the rats through various physical tests, such as walking on a tapered beam and climbing a ladder, the researchers found that compared to Actos, tart cherry intake significantly improved balance and coordination, and at the same time lowered blood pressure.

While the research results indicate that rats who consumed only tart cherries had the best results, those who had the combination of tart cherries and Actos also did better than those who only took the drug.
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7 Super Snacks That Heal

April 28, 2013, 3:32 am
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If some doctors had their way today, Americans would be more medicated than industrial feedlot cattle. But what most people don’t realize is that the first line of defense against stress, fatigue, depression, and so many other maladies is found in supermarket aisles, not in the drug store.
Research shows that the vitamins, minerals, and active compounds specific to certain fruits, vegetables, and even chocolate and red wine have an immediate and lasting impact on your mood, your health, your fitness — even your sex life.

Whether you have a big presentation at work, or the need to burn a few hundred extra calories a day (and who doesn’t want to do that?), why not put food to work for you? Here are seven research-backed quick cures just waiting for you in the fresh produce bins and supermarket shelves.
1. When You're Stressed...

Eat This:
1 Cup of Low-Fat Yogurt or 2 Tbsp of Mixed Nuts
Scientists in Slovakia gave people 3 grams each of two amino acids — lysine and arginine — or a placebo and asked them to deliver a speech. Blood measurements of stress hormones revealed that the amino acid–fortified public speakers were half as anxious during and after the speech as those who took the placebo. Yogurt is one of the best food sources of lysine; nuts pack tons of arginine.
Not That!
A Can of Soda
A study from the American Journal of Public Health found that people who drink 20 ounces of soda daily are three times more likely to be depressed and anxious, compared with those who drink less.

2. When You Want to Increase Your Metabolism...

Drink This:
Green Tea
Catechins, the powerful antioxidants found in green tea, are known to stoke your metabolism, making it burn hotter and torch more calories. A study by Japanese researchers found that participants who consumed 690 milligrams of catechins from green tea daily had significantly lower body-mass indexes and smaller waist measurements than tea-totalers (i.e., they avoid the stuff).
Not That!
Nothing
Skipping meals lets your body's calorie-burning furnace go cold. Spread out snacks throughout the day. Try a cup of yogurt with fresh fruit or almonds between breakfast and lunch, and a hard-boiled egg or hummus with vegetables in the afternoon.

3. When You're Low on Energy...

Eat This:
A Handful of Trail Mix
Raisins provide potassium, which your body uses to convert sugar into energy. Nuts stock your body with magnesium, which boosts metabolism and improves nerve and muscle function. (When magnesium levels are low, your body produces more lactic acid — the same fatigue-byproduct that makes your muscles ache at the end of a workout.)
Not That!
Espresso-Based Drinks
Sure, the caffeine will perk you up, but the spike in blood sugar that follows — with anywhere from 16 grams (latte) to 59 grams (white chocolate mocha) of sugar coursing through your veins — will ultimately launch your own personal energy crisis. Stick to brewed coffee with one packet of sugar, max.

4. When You Need a Brain Boost...

Eat This:
Blueberries
Antioxidants in blueberries help protect the brain from free-radical damage, which could decrease your risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and improve cognitive processing. Wild blueberries, if you can find them (or grow them!), have even more brain-boosting antioxidants than the cultivated variety.

Not That!
Ice Cream
Sugary foods incite sudden surges of blood glucose that, in the long term, cause sugar highs and lows, and make you as distractable as a toddler in the Disney store. And foods high in saturated fat can clog blood vessels and slow the flow of nutrients and blood to the brain.

5. When You're Under the Weather...

Drink This:
Ginseng Tea, Hot or Iced
In a Canadian study, people who took 400 milligrams of ginseng a day had 25 percent fewer colds than people who popped a placebo. Ginseng helps kill invading viruses by increasing the body's production of key immune cells.

Not That!
Caffeinated Beverages and Energy Drinks
Excessive caffeine messes with your sleep schedule and sabotages key immune agents. And insufficient sleep opens the door to colds, upper respiratory infections, and other ills. What's more, caffeine can dehydrate you, and hydration is vital during illness: Fluids not only transport nutrients to the problem zones, but also carry away toxins.

6. When You Need to Wake Up and Go...

Eat This:
Eggs and Whole-Wheat Toast
Eggs are a great source of protein, and having them for breakfast sets you up for a perfect day of eating. Saint Louis University researchers found that people who eat eggs for breakfast consume 264 fewer calories the rest of the day than those who eat bagels and cream cheese.

Not That!
Bagel and Cream Cheese
At 500 calories and 20 grams of fat, this deli disaster is one of the worst ways to start your day. Sixty grams of fast-burning carbohydrates will cause a dip in energy and a spike in hunger, long before lunchtime. The same goes for croissants, danish, donuts, and pancakes.

7. When You Want to Get ''In the Mood''...

Eat This:
Dark Chocolate
The cocoa in chocolate contains stimulants that increase your body's sensitivity. Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, a chemical that can give you a slight natural high. And Italian researchers found that women who often eat chocolate have a higher sex drive than those who don't. Make sure your chocolate has at least 60 percent cacao.

Not That!
The Third Glass of Wine
The alcohol in wine affects your prefrontal cortex, which can decrease inhibition and up your sexual appetite. But only for the first glass or two. Beyond that, the toxic affects of alcohol in your system take over and are as likely to make you sleepy as they are to make you sexy. The more pouring, the more snoring. 
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Top 10 most unhealthy, cancer-causing foods

April 28, 2013, 3:33 am
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The statement "everything causes cancer" has become a popular hyperbole, and one that some people use as rhetorical fodder to excuse their own dietary and lifestyle failures, particularly as they pertain to cancer risk. But the truth of the matter is that many common food items have, indeed, been scientifically shown to increase cancer risk, and some of them substantially. Here are 10 of the most unhealthy, cancer-causing foods that you should never eat again:

1) Genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). It goes without saying that GMOs have no legitimate place in any cancer-free diet, especially now that both GMOs and the chemicals used to grow them have been shown to cause rapid tumor growth. But GMOs are everywhere, including in most food derivatives made from conventional corn, soybeans, and canola. However, you can avoid them by sticking with certified organic, certified non-GMO verified, and locally-grown foods that are produced naturally without biotechnology

2) Processed meats. Most processed meat products, including lunch meats, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs, contain chemical preservatives that make them appear fresh and appealing, but that can also cause cancer. Both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate have been linked to significantly increasing the risk of colon and other forms of cancer, so be sure to choose only uncured meat products made without nitrates, and preferably from grass-fed sources

3) Microwave popcorn. They might be convenient, but those bags of microwave popcorn are lined with chemicals that are linked to causing not only infertility but also liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in microwave popcorn bag linings as "likely" carcinogenic, and several independent studies have linked the chemical to causing tumors. Similarly, the diacetyl chemical used in the popcorn itself is linked to causing both lung damage and cancer

4) Soda pop. Like processed meats, soda pop has been shown to cause cancer as well. Loaded with sugar, food chemicals, and colorings, soda pop acidifies the body and literally feeds cancer cells. Common soda pop chemicals like caramel color and its derivative 4-methylimidazole (4-MI) have also specifically been linked to causing cancer
5) 'Diet' foods, beverages. Even worse than conventional sugar-sweetened soda pop, though, is "diet" soda pop and various other diet beverages and foods. A recent scientific review issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) of more than 20 separate research studies found that aspartame, one of the most common artificial sweeteners, causes a range of illnesses including birth defects and cancer. Sucralose (Splenda), saccharin and various other artificial sweeteners have also been linked to causing cancer

6) Refined 'white' flours. Refined flour is a common ingredient in processed foods, but its excess carbohydrate content is a serious cause for concern. A study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Mile Markers, and Prevention found that regular consumption of refined carbohydrates was linked to a 220 percent increase in breast cancer among women. High-glycemic foods in general have also been shown to rapidly raise blood sugar levels in the body, which directly feeds cancer cell growth and spread 

7) Refined sugars. The same goes for refined sugars, which tend to rapidly spike insulin levels and feed the growth of cancer cells. Fructose-rich sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are particularly offensive, as cancer cells have been shown to quickly and easily metabolize them in order to proliferate. And since cookies, cakes, pies, sodas, juices, sauces, cereals, and many other popular, mostly processed, food items are loaded with HFCS and other refined sugars, this helps explain why cancer rates are on the rise these days

8) Conventional apples, grapes, and other 'dirty' fruits. Many people think they are eating healthy when they buy apples, grapes, or strawberries from the store. But unless these fruits are organic or verified to be pesticide-free, they could be a major cancer risk. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that up to 98 percent of all conventional produce, and particularly the type found on its "dirty" fruits list, is contaminated with cancer-causing pesticides 

9) Farmed salmon. Farmed salmon is another high-risk cancer food, according to Dr. David Carpenter, Director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University of Albany. According to his assessment, farmed salmon not only lacks vitamin D, but it is often contaminated with carcinogenic chemicals, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), flame retardants, pesticides, and antibiotics 

10) Hydrogenated oils. They are commonly used to preserve processed foods and keep them shelf-stable. But hydrogenated oils alter the structure and flexibility of cell membranes throughout the body, which can lead to a host of debilitating diseases such as cancer. Some manufacturers are phasing out the use of hydrogenated oils and replacing them with palm oil and other safer alternatives, but trans fats are still widely used in processed foods
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7 Super-Powered Food Pairings

April 28, 2013, 3:34 am
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It’s not exactly a news flash that milk can give you strong bones and carrots help sharpen your eyesight. But what you may not know is that you can get more disease-fighting bang by eating certain foods together. Think Simon and Garfunkel, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers—one’s good, but together they’re even better. Here, seven power couples.

1. Calcium + Inulin = Healthy Tummy, Strong Bones

If you’ve ever had a bout of tummy trouble, you should know about inulin (a type of fiber), which helps balance the levels of “good” bacteria in your digestive system. Inulin also benefits your bones by enhancing calcium absorption. You’re most likely to run across it as a fiber supplement (Fibersure) or added to foods like yogurt (Yo-Plus, Activia Fiber), but there are a few good natural food options. Photo: Getty Images; Shutterstock
Good Sources of Calcium: Milk, yogurt, cheese (all kinds), broccoli, kale, canned-with-bones salmon and sardines, tofu made with calcium chloride or calcium sulfate, almonds, fortified orange juice; fortified soy, rice or almond milk
Good Sources of Inulin: Artichokes, dandelion greens, onions, garlic, leeks, chicory, bananas, whole-wheat flour, asparagus
Combo Ideas
• Bananas in cereal with skim milk
• Grilled asparagus with shaved Parmesan

2. Calcium + Vitamin D = Strong Bones

Ever wonder why milk is D-fortified? Your body needs high enough levels of D to absorb bone-building calcium. Photo: Shutterstock
Good Sources of Calcium: Kale, broccoli, milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified orange juice; fortified soy, rice or almond milk
Good Sources of Vitamin D: Salmon, sardines, canned light tuna, herring, egg yolks; fortified soy, rice, almond or cow’s milk
Combo Ideas
• Grilled salmon with sautéed kale
• Broccoli-cheese omelet
• Tuna melt with lowfat cheese on whole-grain bread

3. Vitamin E + Vitamin C = Sharp Vision

Want to keep your eyesight sharp? Pump up the E, which may help prevent macular degeneration (a major cause of blindness), and combine it with C, which turns vitamin E into the “ready to fight” form that your body can use best. Photo: Shutterstock
Good Sources of Vitamin E: Almonds (and almond butter), peanuts (and peanut butter), wheat germ, sunflower seeds, soybeans
Good Sources of Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, kiwi, guava, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes
Combo Ideas
• Peanut butter and sliced strawberries (on a sandwich or toast)
• Salad with mandarin oranges and toasted slivered almonds

4. Iron + Vitamin C = More Energy

Banish that “I’m so tired” feeling by making sure you’re getting enough iron, which helps carry oxygen to your muscles, brain and throughout your body. A potent disease fighter in its own right, vitamin C helps keep your gums, heart and skin healthy, and helps your cells absorb more iron. You can find iron in plant-based foods (fruits, veggies, beans) and animal-based foods (red meat, chicken, eggs). But it’s harder for your body to absorb iron from the plant-based ones, which is why pairing them with C is a smart move. Photo: Shutterstock
Plant-based Iron Sources: Spinach, oatmeal, tofu, wheat germ, quinoa, starchy beans (including black, pinto, soy, fava, chickpeas)
Good Sources of Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, kiwi, guava, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, potatoes
Combo Ideas
• Spinach salad with orange slices
• Bean burrito with salsa
• Oatmeal with strawberries

5. Vitamin K + Fat =Healthy Heart and Bones

Fat is good—or at least it can be, if you eat the right type. The “good” fats (mono- and polyunsaturated, including omega-3s) have major health benefits like lowering cholesterol, and your body can’t absorb certain vitamins—including vitamin K, which is crucial for building bone and blood clotting—without fat. Photo: Shutterstock
Good Sources of Vitamin K: Kale, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts
Good Sources of Fat: Nuts—any kind, including walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews; oils including olive, almond, canola, flaxseed, hazelnut, toasted sesame, avocado
Combo Ideas
• Swiss chard, spinach or broccoli sautéed in olive oil
• Roasted Brussels sprouts with slivered almonds

6. Beta-Carotene/Vitamin A + Fat = Glowing Skin

Move over, antiaging creams: Beta-carotene—which needs fat for absorption and is turned into vitamin A in your body—helps give your skin a youthful glow. Vitamin A also plays a vital role in a healthy immune and reproductive system. But it needs the good fat to help your body absorb it. Photo: Shutterstock; Getty Images
Good Sources of Beta-Carotene: Carrots, apricots, cantaloupe, sweet potato, papaya, kale, spinach
Good Sources of Fat: Nuts—any kind, including walnuts, almonds, peanuts; oils including olive, almond, canola, flaxseed, toasted sesame, avocado
Combo Ideas
• Oven-roasted sweet potato fries made with olive or canola oil
• Carrots dipped in guacamole or hummus (made with sesame-based tahini and/or olive oil)
• Trail mix made with dried apricots, dried papaya, almonds and walnuts

7. Zinc + Sulphur Compounds = Strong Immune System

Attention onion and garlic lovers! These two pungent plants do more than add flavor to foods. Turns out their sulfur compounds help boost absorption of the zinc that’s found in whole-grain foods (important for immunity and wound healing). Photo: Antonis Achilleos/Woman's Day; Shutterstock
Good Sources of Zinc: All whole grains, including brown rice and whole-grain breads; legumes
Good Sources of Sulfur Compounds: Onions, garlic
Combo Ideas
• Brown (or wild) rice with caramelized onions
• Whole-wheat bagel topped with light cream cheese and sliced onion
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Barack Obama's Gifts (11pics)

April 28, 2013, 5:02 am
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 U.S. President Barack Obama shows off a champion ring which he receives as a gift with Seattle Stormís forward guard Sue Bird during a Rose Garden event June 29, 2011 at the White House in Washington, DC.
 U.S. President Barack Obama, left, is presented with a soccer shirt by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, signed by the Brazilian national soccer team, during the G8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy Thursday July 9, 2009.
 Barack Obama holds a gift of an electric toothbrush given to him by dental hygienist students after he met with them at Wayne Community College District's Downriver Campus in Taylor, Michigan, USA on 17 June 2008.
 Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., holds a stick given to him by Charles Edwards, 95, of Roanoke, Va., as he speaks at a town hall-style meeting at Virginia High School in Bristol, Thursday, June 5, 2008.
 President Barack Obama, standing with New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, right of Obama, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, left, watch as Obama puts on a New York City Police jacket that he was given during a visit to the Real Time Crime Center at the New York City Police headquarters in New York City, Thursday, May 13, 2010.
 US President Barack Obama holds a jersey presented to him during an event in honour of Major League Soccer champions, the LA Galaxy, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC.
 US President Barack Obama holds a helmet during an event in the East Room of the White House April 12, 2013 in Washington
 U.S. President-elect Barack Obama holds up an inscribed bolt, a gift from the Cardinal Fasteners & Specialty Company during a tour and speech at the company January 16, 2009 in Bedford Heights, Ohio.
 President Barack Obama practices passing a football with Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia in the Oval Office, Washington DC, America
 Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny shows US President Barack Obama the use of a hurling stick as their wives Fionnuala Kenny (R) and Michelle Obama look on following a meeting at Farmleigh in Dublin, Ireland, on May 23, 2011.
The elaborate $1,400 rug given to Barack Obama by David Cameron in 2011.
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Woman accused of using Ambulance as a Taxi Service; claims her Medicare pays for it as part of her benefits

April 28, 2013, 5:22 am
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A Live 5 News investigation has uncovered alleged ambulance abuse in Dorchester County.
The Dorchester County Sheriff's Office says 51-year-old Audrey Ferguson of the Dorchester community has called EMS at least 100 times in the last seven years.
Investigators say Ferguson was faking illness, just to get a free ride to downtown Charleston.
Officials say just about every time she asked to be taken to a hospital.
"She'll have a vague medical complaint, for instance abdominal pain," said Dorchester County EMS Director Doug Warren. "She has medical complaints that are legitimate, and so until she's been evaluated and determined not to be sick we have to assume she is."
Soon medics saw a disturbing pattern and got suspicious.
Ferguson apparently never even went into the hospital to get treated.
Instead she told hospital officials she was okay and left.
"We transport her to one of the area hospitals and then oftentimes before we can get our paperwork completed she's signed out from the hospital and gone on to do other things," said Warren.
Warren called the sheriff's office and asked for an investigation.
The detective assigned to the case said he wanted to be contacted the next time Ferguson called for an ambulance.
On Apr. 2, investigators said Ferguson's free rides came to an end. A Dorchester County deputy was waiting at Trident Medical Center for an ambulance carrying Ferguson.
According to an incident report, he heard her call her son, saying she needed a ride. He also heard her tell a nurse that she wasn't ill, that she was actually feeling fine and that she was leaving.
Ferguson did leave...in handcuffs.  She was taken to the Dorchester County jail.
On the way to jail, Ferguson told a deputy why she called for an ambulance so many times.
According to the incident report, Ferguson said she didn't have a car and this was the only way she had to get around and Medicaid paid for it anyway. It was part of her benefits.
And all of those ambulance trips taken by Ferguson?
Each one costs $425, plus mileage.
Officials say what Medicaid doesn't pay, taxpayers will have foot the rest of the bill, more than $400,000.
Warren says taxpayers should be angry. "Absolutely, and that's part of the investigation that's ongoing with the sheriff's office," he said.
Warren has one other big worry.
"That truck from Harleyville is tied up responding to this situation where we appear to have abuse of the system, that may delay our response to someone that has a more significant or more pressing need and it concerns me."
Ferguson is charged with unlawful use of 911 and filing a false police report. The investigation is continuing.

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A Shocking but open secret: "19,000 service men and women are sexually assaulted while serving in the United States military every year"

April 28, 2013, 5:23 am
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It is a shocking culture of silence and code of conduct that has been going on for decades, but the staggering numbers have only begun to surface in recent months.
Trina McDonald joined the US Navy as a young recruit in 1989. She was assigned to a remote duty station in Adak, Alaska. She was first raped two months later and the incidents continued. McDonald couldn’t report the rapes, because they were conducted by military and security police and higher ranking officers.
Shockingly, McDonald’s story is not unusual. The Department of Defense estimates that “19,000 service men and women are sexually assaulted while serving in the United States military every year.” But due to the military hierarchy and fear for personal safety, retaliation, job security and advancement, approximately 86 percent are unreported.
In March, members of the House Armed Services heard testimony from victims to address the growing problem. Three military personnel testified about their ordeals, including the first-ever male victim to come forward, Brian Lewis, a former Navy petty officer, raped in 2000 by a “senior non-commissioned officer.”
“The epidemic has not been successfully addressed in decades of review and reform by the Department of Defense or by Congress,” said Lewis, as quoted in US News. “(There is) inherent bias and conflict of interest present in a broken military justice system. The reporting, investigation, prosecution and adjudication of sexual assault must be taken out of the chain of command and (placed) into an independent office with professional, military and civilian oversight. (The current system) … is another way that the Department of Defense fails us.”
The primary problem, according to testimony, is that commanders who ignore reports of sexual assault are never held accountable for doing nothing, which accounts for the low percentage of actual prosecutions that result in “one out of 100 alleged perpetrators” actually getting charged or facing any accountability.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) was appalled at what she heard at the hearing.
“We need to take a close look at the military justice system and we need to be asking the hard questions with all options on the table, including moving this issue outside of the chain of command so that we can get closer to a zero tolerance policy,” said Gillibrand.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) was concerned about the potential harm that it would cause for armed forces to recruit and retain personnel, especially women, when their chances of becoming a victim of sexual assault with little recourse is so prevalent.
Men and women voluntarily sign up to serve their country and shouldn’t have to face such blatant personal insecurity and injustice. Blumenthal and others have a right to be concerned about the military having potentially more sexual predators than the Catholic Church if they want voluntary enlistments to continue.
To that end, Trina McDonald recently started a petition to help move along the glacial actions in Congress.
The petition reads:
Only the U.S. Congress can amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The U.S. Senate must act swiftly to move the decision to prosecute sexual assault in the military out of the chain of command. Survivors should not suffer retribution for speaking up, and rape should never be an "occupational hazard." Only Congress can change the UCMJ to create a real, working system for prosecuting sexual predators in the military—and ultimately putting an end to military sexual assault.
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American tourist faces death penalty in North Korea for reportedly attempting to overthrow the government by "taking pictures of homeless children"

April 28, 2013, 5:24 am
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North Korea has announced that an American tourist is to be tried on charges of plotting to overthrow the government, a crime that carries a possible death penalty.
The case against Korean-American Kenneth Bae, who has been imprisoned in North Korea since early November, could further stoke tensions between Pyongyang and Washington.
Responding to the development, the US State Department said the welfare of US citizens overseas remained a "critical priority" and that it was working with the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang - which looks after American interests in North Korea - in regards to the case.
Bae, 44, was arrested in Rason, a special economic zone in North Korea's far north-eastern region bordering China and Russia, according to official state media.
The exact nature of his alleged crimes has not been disclosed, but North Korea accuses Bae, described as a tour operator, of seeking to overthrow North Korea's leadership.
"In the process of investigation he admitted that he committed crimes aimed to topple the DPRK with hostility toward it," the state-run Korean Central News Agency said on Saturday. "His crimes were proved by evidence. He will soon be taken to the supreme court of the DPRK to face judgment."
South Korean rights workers said the authorities may have taken issue with some of Bae's photographs, including those of homeless North Korean children, Reuters reported.
There have been weeks of spiralling tension on the Korean peninsula following the tightening of UN sanctions after the North's third nuclear weapon test in February. The move led to the North threatening nuclear strikes against South Korea and the US and demands by Pyongyang to be recognised as a nuclear state.
The North is thought to have produced enough weapons-grade plutonium for at least six nuclear bombs and has an established uranium-enrichment capability that would give it another route to building weapons of mass destruction. But analysts and intelligence officials say the regime is not yet able to mount a miniaturised nuclear warhead on a missile, despite its recent threats to conduct nuclear strikes.
Noting the latest devlopment in the Bae case, the US State Department said it was "aware of reports that a US citizen will face trial in North Korea".
Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki added: "Welfare of US citizens overseas is a critical priority of the Department of State. The Embassy of Sweden in Pyongyang acts as our protecting power for issues involving US citizens in North Korea. We are working in close coordination with representatives of the Embassy of Sweden."
She added that a Swedish official visited Bae on Friday. "We have no additional information to share at this time," Psaki added.
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Girl, 14, forced to become pregnant with donor sperm bought by mother

April 28, 2013, 6:01 pm
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A mother forced her 14-year-old adopted daughter to inseminate herself with donor sperm to provide a baby for her after she was prevented from adopting any more children, it can be revealed.
The daughter, a virgin, is believed to have miscarried at 14, but went on to have a baby at 16 after regularly inseminating herself with sperm bought over the internet by her "domineering" mother because she was too scared to refuse.
Details of the shocking case have emerged in a previously secret court judgment, which can be reported today for the first time and which raises serious questions over loopholes in international adoptions and the regulation of the global traffic in gametes.
The adoptive mother, who cannot be identified for fear of identifying her daughter and grandchild, is now serving a five-year prison sentence after admitting child cruelty.
In a high court judgment deciding welfare provisions, family division judge Mr Justice Jackson described "an abiding sense of disbelief that a parent could behave in such a wicked and selfish way towards a vulnerable child".
The mother had already adopted three children as babies from abroad, twice when she was married and once as a single parent after her divorce. She had chosen not to give birth herself because of a health condition and had undergone an elective sterilisation.
But she was distraught when an attempt to adopt a fourth baby was thwarted when she was denied approval.
The judgment, released after representations from media organisations including the Guardian, states the mother immediately turned to her adopted daughter.
The daughter "became pregnant at her mother's request, using donor sperm bought by the mother, with the purposes of providing a fourth child for the mother to bring up as her own", the judgment states.
"The AI [artificial insemination] programme was planned when A [the daughter] was 13, began when she was 14 and ended when she became pregnant with D [her child]" aged 16, the judge said.
The truth was only discovered at the birth. Midwives were alarmed at the "pushy and insensitive" mother, who tried to prevent her daughter breastfeeding the newborn, saying "we don't want any of that attachment thing". Noticing the daughter's reluctance to hand the baby to her mother, they called in child protection workers when the mother attempted to remove the baby from the ward.
In a week-long hearing, held in private, the judge heard there were four occasions when the local authority, which cannot be named, was alerted to the mother's inappropriate behaviour towards her children but did not find cause for concern. A serious case review into the case is due to be published next month.
The mother, described as "highly articulate", and who "loves the children and they undoubtedly love her", had isolated the family. The children were schooled at home, and the adoptive father of the eldest two was deliberately excluded, did not know where they lived and had not seen them for 10 years. Neighbours and social services were kept at bay.
"The mother resorted to the AI programme because she was determined to have a fourth child, and because there was no other way of achieving this," said the judge. The daughter "allowed her body to be used by her mother because she loves her", and though she did not want to take part, she has said in interviews she was not "brave enough" to tell her mother.
The mother subjected her to a "degrading, humiliating and, on occasions, painful" ordeal. Over two years the daughter had to inseminate herself seven times, "alone in her bedroom, using syringes of semen and douches prepared by the mother".
Her mother had purchased ovulation-testing equipment to work out when her daughter was most likely to conceive. Because the mother wanted a girl, she forced her daughter to use painful acidic douches containing vinegar or lemon and lime juice, and eat a special diet, in the belief it could affect gender.
On the first occasion, semen was provided by a donor who came to the house. The others involved sperm purchased from Cryos International, an international sperm-bank network based in Denmark.
The daughter, who had no friends of her own age, later told investigators she was "shocked, pretty shocked" when her mother first asked her but also thought, "if I do this … maybe she will love me more". In agreeing, she said "feelings of gratitude for my adoption influenced how I behaved".
The court was shown a Mother's Day list drawn up by the daughter of things she could give her mother, which included a picture of a positive pregnancy test kit.
The judge said it was "likely that A had briefly become pregnant at 14" but had miscarried. When she became pregnant at 16, health workers were told the false story that she had spent the night with a boy who abandoned her and was now abroad. The girl also told health professionals it was her wish for her mother to bring up the child. The girl had, with her mother, attended private clinics on occasion for pregnancy testing, and the mother had changed her GP.
On four occasions social services were alerted over concerns about the children's welfare but on each found no immediate child protection concerns. On two of those occasions, a neighbour, worried about the children's isolation and the mother's shouting and swearing, had called. On another, the mother's GP raised concerns about who was looking after the children when the mother was admitted to hospital for a month.
The local authority was also alerted by an anonymous acquaintance who wrote to agencies and officials in the country from which the mother was seeking to adopt a fourth child, apparently raising concerns over her suitability. This ultimately resulted in her being denied approval. The court heard there were also questions over whether the third adoption had been legal, or if it had flouted international loopholes.
The mother had succeeded in keeping social services at arms' length so that their intervention was "essentially superficial", the judge said.
DNA tests showed the child was conceived using donor sperm supplied through Cryos. The judge said there were "no effective checks on a person's ability to obtain sperm from Cryos" and that no "meaningful medical involvement is demanded", except for a document, purporting to record the authority of a physician and which in any case the mother had forged.
The judge also noted that no checks were made on the children regarding home schooling after the mother refused to allow an education welfare officer to visit. The only contact was by email, so "the approval [for] home education was given without anyone ever setting eyes on the children".
In a statement, the local Safeguarding Children Board said: "Nothing can change what has happened to the children in this truly terrible case. It is clear that public bodies must highlight the major public policy issues which arise from this case. The relevant local Safeguarding Children Board has undertaken a serious case review and they aim to have this published in the coming weeks.
"The lessons from this case are already being put into practice as the relevant agencies are starting to implement its draft findings."
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John McCain: If We Don’t Invade Syria, They’ll Hate Us For Not Invading Them

April 28, 2013, 6:05 pm
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On Sunday morning’s Meet The Press, permanent cast member, Sen. John McCain, weighed in on the increasing tensions between Syria’s strongman, Bashar al-Assad, and the international community over his alleged use of chemical weapons. McCain’s recommendation? Invasion, of course.
McCain’s reasoning for starting yet another war in the Middle East is as specious as all of his other
excuses justifications for prolonging our involvement in that region:
“David, we should not be…our actions should not be dictated by whether Bashar al-Assad used these chemical weapons or not, first of all. Sooner or later he mostly likely would, in order to maintain his hold on power but what has happened here is the President drew a red line about chemical weapons, thereby giving a green light to Bashar al-Assad to do anything short of that…”
Because the public is supposed to believe that McCain is very worried about the
oil people of Syria.

He did try to bury the idea of boots on the ground by advocating smaller steps such as establishing a “no-fly” zone, using cruise missiles and drones to wipe out any grounded air power Assad has, and arming the rebels. Yet McCain lambasted Obama for his “incrementalism,” suggesting that were the United States to engage in any of McCain’s proscribed solutions, he would immediately move the goal post from “No boots on the ground” to “We’re not doing enough.”
Of course, no beating of the war drums could be complete without a little fearmongering and McCain delivered:
“As you know, a flood of weapons is coming in from Russia and Iran. Iranians are on the ground in Syria.”
Just in case that wasn’t enough, McCain made sure to throw in the J-word:
“…there is every risk of a stalemate that could go on for months and months, while the jihadists flood in…”
David Gregory tried to bring the Senator back down to earth but suggesting that, perhaps, we might want to be a little bit more certain about the use of chemical weapons before we declare war on Syria. McCain’s reply to that:
“Well, one of the lessons, obviously, and we hear this a lot from the administration, is that we had false information about weapons of mass destruction with Iraq…”
“Hear a lot from this administration…” I hope he means the BUSH administration because they’re the ones that stated unequivocally that we knew that Iraqi WMDs existed and where they were. They’re also the ones that said, “Oops, we were wrong.” Ten years later and John McCain, still eager to whitewash the disaster of the Iraq War, will not admit that it was all based on a lie.
McCain went on to scoff at Obama’s insistence that a neutral party, the United Nations, confirm that chemical weapons have been used:
“And by the way, the administration has said, well, they want the UN to investigate. The only problem with that is Bashar won’t let the UN in so it’s a bit ludicrous.”
McCain’s denouncement of Obama’s position as ludicrous is, itself, ludicrous. Who, precisely, is going to be “allowed” in by Assad to test for chemical weapons use? The Iranians?
This is clearly a case of “I will say the opposite of whatever Obama says.” Even an erratic and ill-tempered leader such as McCain can see the necessity of having the U.N. make that determination. Not only will it remove the U.S. from any accusations of falsifying information in order to warmonger, it will allow us to build the international coalition that McCain himself is advocating. There’s a reason that Libya is not seen as “America’s War.” We were not calling the shots. We didn’t send our troops in. We provided support and guess what? It worked and Americans were pleased at how President Obama handled the situation.
This, by the way, is one of the reasons the GOP has been hyping the “Benghazi Conspiracy” for so long: they need to tarnish that accomplishment. It’s hard to justify unilaterally invading countries when a clear and superior alternative has been proven to work.
But getting back to his fearmongering, McCain also raises the specter of biological weapons and the jihadists getting their hands on them. He insists that we should go in and get them showing, again, how easy it is to call for troops to invade a country when you don’t care about what happens afterwards. Do we just go in, guns blazing, blow up a bunch of stuff and leave? Well, we could always leave that for the next administration to deal with. It worked pretty well for Bush.
Lastly, McCain gave what had to be the most circular excuse for invading a country by quoting a woman he’d allegedly spoke to:
“The Syrian people are angry and bitter at the United States. I was in a refugee camp in Jordan and there’s thousands of people and kids, and this woman who’s a school teacher said, ‘Senator McCain, you see these children here? They’re going to take revenge on those people who refused to help them.’ They’re angry and bitter and that legacy can last for a long time, too. Unless we assist them.”
So when we invade a country and try to force freedom at the end of a barrel, we teach the population to despise us and breed a whole new generation of radicals bent on attacking us. We already know this from our failed, yet still ongoing, drone campaign in Afghanistan and Pakistan. BUT! If we don’tcharge into a country, we teach the population to despise us and breed a whole new generation of radicals bent on attacking us? That doesn’t seem to be a realistic way to approach foreign policy and we can only be thankful that we’re not currently wondering how many countries President McCain plans to invade this year.


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9 Tips for a Longer Life that You Shouldn’t Be Following

April 29, 2013, 1:25 am
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Extend Your Life
"Stop drinking coffee and alcohol." "Take an aspirin daily." How many times have you heard that advice for adding years to your life? Turns out, lots of long-held wisdom just isn't true. Read on to see which suggestions you should ignore and what actually ups longevity.

1. Lay off the java.
You've probably read that multiple cups of coffee a day can be bad for you (jitter city), but research published in the New England Journal of Medicine may prove the opposite. Male and female participants who had two or three cups a day and didn't smoke were 10% and 13% less likely, respectively, to have died during the 14-year-long study than those who never or rarely drank coffee. Men and women who drank a single daily cup were 6% and 5% less likely, respectively, to pass away. According to the researchers, more cups mean a lower risk of stroke, diabetes and heart and respiratory disease. But watch the cream and sugar-extra fat and calories could negate any longevity benefits.


2. Get eight hours of sleep every night.
While research suggests snoozing fewer than six or more than nine hours a night raises your mortality risk, "everyone has different sleep needs," says Shelby Harris, PsyD, director of the behavioral sleep medicine program at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. So if you wake naturally after only, say, six-and-a-half hours a night, forcing yourself to reach eight hours won't lengthen your life. To learn how much sleep you need, try awakening without an alarm for a week, if you can swing it. If you feel good and have enough energy most of the day, you've found your ideal amount of rest.

3. Lower your body mass index (BMI).
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, weighing a little more can lengthen your life span. Adults with a BMI that qualified them as overweight but not obese (that's between 25 and 29.9) were 6% less likely than all others in their age groups to die. While BMI isn't always an accurate measurement of a person's health risks, registered dietitian Jen Brewer, author of Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight, says if the extra weight comes from muscle mass, you're more likely to have lower cholesterol levels and a better ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol). It may also lower your risk for life-threatening heart disease, stroke and diabetes. And that's good for staying alive.

4. Don't worry, be happy.
Actually, being a glass-half-empty kind of person may keep you kicking longer. In a study published in Psychology and Aging, 65- to 96-year-olds who thought life would get worse outlived those who anticipated better days ahead. "Our findings revealed that being overly optimistic was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," says lead author Frieder R. Lang, PhD, of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. "Pessimism about the future may encourage people to take health and safety precautions."

5. Take a daily aspirin.
Popping that pill can help you live longer by preventing heart attacks, strokes and even cancer-right? "If you're a healthy, 45-year-old female, it may not make a difference," says Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at New York University's Langone Medical Center in New York City. In fact, taking a daily aspirin can lead to bleeding, allergies and upset stomach. Ask your doctor if you can skip the pill, suggests Dr. Goldberg.

 

6. Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Once believed to be the amount everyone needs for proper hydration, a longevity essential, a 2002 study from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH, debunked the 8X8 rule. As Dr. Goldberg explains, "there's no magic number of glasses," emphasizing it's more about getting fluids, not necessarily from straight-up H20. Herbal tea and juices are hydration helpers (though soda isn't), but fruits and vegetables (like celery and leafy greens) are an even healthier way to get your liquids.

7. Milk does the body good.
You're taught that drinking it by the glassful keeps bones healthy and prevents fatal injuries. Yet a 12-year-long Harvard study found that women who drink milk three times a day break more bones than women who drink less than one glass of milk per week. While lowfat dairy may agree with you, calcium is what's key for strong bones. You can get it from leafy greens, beans, vitamin D (sunshine!) and even lifting weights.

8. Cut out booze.
A daily glass of wine not only can help your heart but also add years to your life. University of Texas at Austin researchers found that moderate drinking, such as a small glass of wine (about four ounces) a day, reduces mortality among older and middle-aged adults. Dr. Goldberg says it's because heart disease is the leading killer of women, and wine is chockfull of antioxidants, which prevent serious sickness. So fill 'er up-without overflowing that glass.


9. Take a multivitamin.
Even though half of all adults pop one, the 2011 Iowa Women's Health Study found that women taking multivitamins don't live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone. Only calcium supplements are linked to a lower death risk, with 37% of users dying compared to 43% of nonusers in the study. Researchers' conclusion: Get the vitamins and minerals from fruit and vegetables, not capsules.
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Heartbreaking video shows wolf-dog sobbing at grave of owner's grandma

April 29, 2013, 1:31 am
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It's well known that dog is man's best friend.
But Wiley the wolf-dog was pretty fond of it's owner's late grandmother Gladys - so much so that he appears to cry at her graveside.
In this heart-breaking video, posted to YouTube on April 14 by user SarahVarley13, the adorable wolf-dog lays on the tombstone, shaking, and makes what appear to be sobbing noises as the family gathers around him.

The handler can be heard in the 10 second clip saying 'We miss her too,' as she comforts the dog. 
The video has garnered some 362,000 views since it was posted to YouTube.
It was also posted to the website of the Lockwood Animal Rescue Center, a Ventura County, California, shelter that specializes in the care of wolf-dogs and horses.
The LARC website describes Gladys as 'a family member, and a supporter' of the animal rescue center. 

'She will be forever missed, especially by Wiley,' the site reads. Sarahvarley13 writes under the video that Wiley is one of a number of 'service wolves' that help veterans returning from war deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, providing therapy and care through LARC and a program called Warriors and Wolves. Responding to queries from YouTube users, she explains: 'I am not a vet so I can't say if he's reverse sneezing as some of you are stating. 'I can tell you that he has never done that before and hasn't done it since. I may be anthropomorphizing his actions but its how I'm choosing to deal with loss...' 'Also, for those stating he is dying, I promise he's not. We have a veterinarian on staff at the sanctuary and Wiley is just fine.'

'She will be forever missed, especially by Wiley,' the site reads.
Sarahvarley13 writes under the video that Wiley is one of a number of 'service wolves' that help veterans returning from war deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, providing therapy and care through LARC and a program called Warriors and Wolves. 
Responding to queries from YouTube users, she explains: 'I am not a vet so I can't say if he's reverse sneezing as some of you are stating. 
 
'I can tell you that he has never done that before and hasn't done it since. I may be anthropomorphizing his actions but its how I'm choosing to deal with loss...' 
'Also, for those stating he is dying, I promise he's not. We have a veterinarian on staff at the sanctuary and Wiley is just fine.'
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Students flock to Georgia high school's first EVER racially integrated prom

April 29, 2013, 1:55 am
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For any teenager, prom is a monumental night, but for students at a Georgia high school, it has been more than 40 years in the making.
For the first time ever, students at Wilcox County High School, in Rochelle, Ga. danced together at a prom that wasn’t segregated.
For decades, the school board has avoided officially endorsing prom festivities, instead relying on parents to host and control invitations leading to year after year of two dances — one for white students, and one for the black students.

Students have lobbied over the years to end the practice. This year, a group of Wilcox County seniors decided to take matters into their own hands.
The four girls, two black and two white, created a Facebook page asking for support and donations to fund an independent bash open to all.
“We were doing that so we could get the word out, so that some people would be able to donate and help us out with what we were doing,” said senior Mareshia Rucker.
On Saturday night, nearly half of the school’s student body came out to the event.
“Hopefully when everything is said and done, people in our county will really realize, that there is no sense in the way things are right now,” Rucker told ABC News affiliate WGXA.
Despite this year’s groundbreaking integrated dance, once again this year there was a segregated prom attended only by white students.
It wasn’t an officially sanctioned event, but a private one organized by white parents.







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6 Ridiculously Fattening Appetizers

April 29, 2013, 1:59 am
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Diet bombs in small packages

When you order an app, you don’t expect it to equal or exceed the main meal, right? Unfortunately, many popular appetizers contain astronomically more calories, fat, and sodium than you should consume in a whole day, let alone in your entrée. What’s worse is that apps tend to be a shared experience, with a three-or-more split between everyone at the table, so it’s easy to lose track of how much you actually eat. Our advice? Skip the apps in favor of a small green salad. Or, if you're faced with apps at a party, recreate these pre-meal favorites for a fraction of the calories and fat.


1. Stuffed jalapeno poppers

These spicy stuffed poppers not only come at a high heat, they also come at a steep caloric cost. One plateful of these peppers tallies over 1,900 calories, 135 g of fat, and over 6,000 mg of sodium! (Yes, that’s right 6,000 mg of sodium.) You could have ordered 9 chicken enchiladas and still saved 36 g of fat and 2,000 mg of sodium.


2. Boneless buffalo wings with blue cheese

Stop trying to kid yourself that the celery stalk that comes with the basket of wings makes this starter a healthy choice: One order of these saucy snackers amounts to almost 1,500 calories and 4,590 mg of sodium. That’s the salt equivalent of gorging on over 2 large bags of potato chips before your main entrée.

3. Stuffed potato skins

While potato skins are not regarded as a typical healthy choice, these "loaded" appetizers may be far worse than you anticipated. The boat-like munchies are usually brimming with high-calorie and high-fat ingredients like sour cream, bacon, and a medley of melty cheeses, but all that indulgence comes at a price: One plate of these is 2,070 calories. It’s also got 135 g of fat, the equivalent of over a dozen chocolate donuts.

4. Guacamole and chips

We absolutely love avocado: It’s got a rich, buttery taste, and it’s packed with belly-flattening MUFAs. Unfortunately, not all guacs are created equal. Some restaurant versions really pack on the calories and salt—one platter of chips and dip could amount to close to 1,400 calories and 84 g of fat, not to mention over 2,000 mg of sodium.

5. Beef nachos

It’s hard to resist the tempting call of layers of tortilla chips, melted nacho cheese, onions, peppers, and juicy beef. But you would be all the wiser to stray from this fattening app tower: One plate has 1,700 calories and over 3,500 mg of sodium.

6. Chicken strips

Ordering an individually sized chicken appetizer may make you believe that you are playing it safe when it comes to keeping your eye on your waistline. Think again. A single serving of sesame chicken strips amounts to more than half of your day’s calories and over 2,600 mg of salt.
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9 Superfoods For Your Heart

April 29, 2013, 2:02 am
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Eat to your heart's content

With heart disease the number one killer of both men and women in this country, you would think a cure that could dramatically reduce these deaths would be big news. And yet the most effective remedy is so simple that most people can't seem to believe it works. "In traditional societies, where people don't eat processed foods, heart disease is rare," says cardiologist Arthur Agatston, MD, author of The South Beach Wake-Up Call. "If you start with a healthy diet in childhood, heart attacks are almost completely preventable." 
In fact, according to new research published in Circulation, people who eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fish lower their risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke by 35%. Researchers tracked the eating habits of 31,546 people with a history of heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes over five years, and found that those who ate the heart-healthy diet had the lowest chances of having a repeat stroke or heart attack. What’s more, the healthy eaters were 28% less likely to develop congestive heart failure.
But even if you've downed a small army's worth of french fries, cleaning up your diet as an adult can still have a profound effect. Studies have shown that up to 70% of heart disease can be averted with the right regimen, according to Walter Willett, MD, chair of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. But is diet alone as powerful as drugs? "Oh, no, it's much more powerful," says Dr. Willett. "Statins, the most effective single medications for reducing heart disease, only cut risk by 25 to 30%.
You would need a cabinet full of prescription drugs to bestow all the benefits of a serious heart-healthy meal plan. There's nothing a drug can do that foods can't do too—lower our blood pressure (like ACE inhibitors), slash "bad" LDL cholesterol (like statins), reduce harmful triglycerides (like fibrates), raise "good" HDL (like niacin tablets), and prevent the unwanted clotting that causes heart attacks and strokes (like aspirin).
Diet can be so effective that the British Medical Journal published a paper suggesting that doctors shelve the idea of developing a combination drug with multiple heart meds in it—the Polypill, as it's come to be known. Instead they recommended a Polymeal—a "tastier and safer alternative" that would include wine, fish, dark chocolate, garlic, almonds, and heaping servings of fruits and vegetables. "But the longer you wait, the more likely you'll need drugs," warns Dr. Agatston.
In that spirit, here are nine top foods for the heart. But this list is only a beginning. A truly healthy diet features a broad range of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes—not a select few. So while you're shopping for kale, don't neglect Swiss chard, arugula, spinach, and romaine. An orange is great, but so are strawberries, apples, bananas, and kiwifruit. Hippocrates understood the concept more than 2,000 years ago: "Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food."

Oranges

Rx Effect: Reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart failure
The Evidence: Oranges contain a pharmacy's worth of salves for the heart. The soluble fiber pectin acts like a giant sponge, sopping up cholesterol in food and blocking its absorption—just like a class of drugs known as bile acid sequestrants. And the potassium in oranges helps counterbalance salt, keeping blood pressure under control. But new research shows something even more startling: Citrus pectin helps neutralize a protein called galectin-3 that causes scarring of heart tissue, leading to congestive heart failure—a condition that is often difficult to treat with drugs. "Twenty percent of Americans over 50 have high galectin-3," says Pieter Muntendam, MD, CEO of BG Medicine in Waltham, MA. "A 2009 study showed that a diet high in fruits and vegetables decreased the risk of heart failure by 37%."
Try: Pectin is contained in the pulp and pith. You'll get more of it in juice with pulp. Or better yet, eat your oranges.

Kale

Rx Effect: Prevents atherosclerosis
The Evidence: Your mom was right: You need to consume your dark leafy greens. "Kale has everything you would want in a superfood," says Joel Fuhrman, MD, the author of the bestseller Eat to Live, who uses diet and exercise to help patients reverse their cardiovascular disease. For starters, kale boasts a bumper crop of heart-healthy antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamin E. It's also rich in lutein, which correlated in the Los Angeles Atherosclerosis Study with protection against early atherosclerosis. Kale even contains an unusual compound, glucoraphanin, that activates a special protective protein called Nrf2. "It creates a sort of Teflon coating in your arteries to keep plaque from adhering," says Dr. Fuhrman.
Try: For a snack, try Brad's Raw Leafy Kale—actual kale that is dehydrated, then coated with ground cashews, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, and garlic.

Garlic

Rx Effect: Reduces blood pressure and plaque
The Evidence: Research suggests that, much like the ACE inhibitor drugs that fight high blood pressure, garlic ratchets down an enzyme called angiotensin, which constricts blood vessels. Though the effect is modest compared with medications, garlic seems to have a significant impact on the buildup of plaque. In three randomized trials, Matthew Budoff, MD, professor of medicine at UCLA, found that plaque progression slowed by more than 50% in people taking garlic extract, compared with the non–vampire slayers—"and the nongarlic group was on standard drugs," he says.
Try: The trials used 250 mg tablets of Kyolic aged garlic extract to standardize the dose. "But it's always better to eat the real food," says Gayl Canfield, PhD, RD, director of nutrition at Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami.

Red Wine

Rx Effect: Boosts HDL, reduces unwanted clotting
The Evidence: Any alcohol nudges up HDL, the "good" cholesterol that helps prevent plaque. But red wine may offer additional benefits, says John Folts, PhD, professor emeritus of cardiovascular medicine and nutrition at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. "The key is not resveratrol—you would need 16 bottles a day," he says. Instead, compounds called polyphenols help keep blood vessels flexible and reduce the risk of unwanted clotting. "They're nearly as effective as aspirin," he claims. But note: More than one glass of vino a day ups the risk of breast cancer for women, and chronic heavy drinking damages the heart, so this is a case where more is not better.
Try: Dark beer such as Guinness stout delivers many of the same beneficial polyphenols.

Dark Chocolate

Rx Effect: Reduces blood pressure
The Evidence: The Kuna Indians off the coast of Panama have enviably low blood pressure—and unlike the rest of us, they don't develop hypertension as they age. When Harvard cardiologist Norman Hollenberg, MD, set out to unravel their secret, he assumed they carried some rare genetic trait. Instead he found they drink enormous quantities of minimally processed cocoa. It's rich in compounds called flavanols, which improve blood vessel flexibility. We can all get them from chocolate—a few squares a day. Dark chocolate is likely to have more, because it starts with a higher cocoa content—but that's no guarantee, since different processing methods can destroy them.
Try: Dove Dark has been shown to have high levels of flavanols.

Sardines

Rx Effect: Lower triglycerides, raise HDL
The Evidence: The omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish are crucial for heart health, and sardines have among the highest levels. These "good fats" lower harmful triglycerides, raise protective HDL, reduce potentially fatal heart arrhythmias, and tamp down inflammation. It's inflammation that ultimately destabilizes plaque, causing it to rupture and produce a heart-attack-inducing clot. Though you can get omega-3s from plant sources such as flaxseed, the "long chain" omega-3s in fish are far more powerful. A large Danish study last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a 38% reduction in ischemic heart disease among women who consumed the most.
Try: Wild Planet sells wild sardines in extra virgin olive oil with lemon.


Lentils

Rx Effect: Reduce blood pressure
The Evidence: One international study followed 12,763 people in the United States, Japan, and six European countries for 25 years. When the results were tallied, legumes—such as lentils—were associated with an 82% reduction in the risk of death from heart disease. The reasons include not only lean vegetable protein and fiber but also folate, magnesium, and potassium. George Mateljan, the author of The World's Healthiest Foods, calls magnesium "nature's own calcium channel blocker"—a type of drug that fights hypertension. And by counterbalancing salt, potassium is crucial for keeping blood pressure under control.
Try: TruRoots's new Sprouted Lentil Trio cooks in just 5 to 7 minutes.

Almonds

Rx Effect: Reduce LDL and fatal arrhythmias
The Evidence: "You don't have to be miserable to bring your cholesterol down," says David Jenkins, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto. The plant sterols in almonds reduce the absorption of cholesterol from the diet, while the unsaturated oils encourage the liver to make less LDL and more "good" HDL. When Dr. Jenkins gave patients a vegetarian diet including almonds (along with other cholesterol-lowering foods, such as lentils, eggplant, and soy) for a month, he found LDL reductions of 28.6%—comparable to those on 20 mg of lovastatin (Mevacor). Just 22 almonds a day will do. Another study found major declines in fatal arrhythmias with 2 servings of nuts a week.
Try: Don't limit yourself to almonds. Walnuts, pistachios, and peanuts are also great.


Pomegranates

Rx Effect: Reduce atherosclerosis
The Evidence: Bringing down LDL is important, but so is preventing the oxidation of that cholesterol. When LDL is oxidized, it tends to get stuck in arterial walls, initiating the formation of plaque. But Michael Aviram, DSc, professor of biochemistry at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, found that pomegranate juice, with its unique antioxidants, not only blocked the progression of plaque, but actually reversed some of the buildup when patients drank 8 ounces a day for a year. How does it do this? In later studies, Dr. Aviram learned that pomegranates activate an enzyme that breaks down oxidized cholesterol.
Try: For those who love pomegranates but not the messy job of cracking them open, Pom Wonderful now does the work for you. Look for the fruit-covered seeds (or "arils") in clear plastic cups under the brand name Pom Poms.

No Half-Hearted Measures

Unfortunately, you won't disease-proof your heart by simply adding chocolate, wine, and nuts to a diet full of doughnuts and bacon. Groundbreaking new studies explain why. For years, government panels told us that the main villain in heart disease was the saturated fat in meat and dairy. We did the logical thing and cut down on total fat while upping refined carbs. Bad move. Research now shows that the sugar and refined flour in our bagels, pizzas, cookies, and sodas are even more problematic. Stripped of fiber (and other nutrients), these unhealthy carbs zip-line through the digestive tract and into the bloodstream, where they deliver a triple dose of heart damage—raising harmful triglycerides, lowering protective HDL, and raising blood pressure. But saturated fat isn't off the hook. Some studies have appeared to exonerate it—but only because people in these studies replaced the bad fat in their diets with harmful carbs. "When you eat good fats instead of bad ones, cardiac risk goes down," says Harvard's Walter Willett, MD. So treat cheese as dessert, not the main course, and favor lean meat such as grass-fed bison.

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“The biggest source of corruption in Afghanistan,” one American official said, “was the United States.”

April 29, 2013, 4:54 am
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For more than a decade, wads of American dollars packed into suitcases, backpacks and, on occasion, plastic shopping bags have been dropped off every month or so at the offices of Afghanistan’s president — courtesy of the Central Intelligence Agency.
All told, tens of millions of dollars have flowed from the C.I.A. to the office of President Hamid Karzai, according to current and former advisers to the Afghan leader.
“We called it ‘ghost money,’ ” said Khalil Roman, who served as Mr. Karzai’s deputy chief of staff from 2002 until 2005. “It came in secret, and it left in secret.”
The C.I.A., which declined to comment for this article, has long been known to support some relatives and close aides of Mr. Karzai. But the new accounts of off-the-books cash delivered directly to his office show payments on a vaster scale, and with a far greater impact on everyday governing.
Moreover, there is little evidence that the payments bought the influence the C.I.A. sought. Instead, some American officials said, the cash has fueled corruption and empowered warlords, undermining Washington’s exit strategy from Afghanistan.
“The biggest source of corruption in Afghanistan,” one American official said, “was the United States.”
The United States was not alone in delivering cash to the president. Mr. Karzai acknowledged a few years ago that Iran regularly gave bags of cash to one of his top aides.
At the time, in 2010, American officials jumped on the payments as evidence of an aggressive Iranian campaign to buy influence and poison Afghanistan’s relations with the United States. What they did not say was that the C.I.A. was also plying the presidential palace with cash — and unlike the Iranians, it still is.
American and Afghan officials familiar with the payments said the agency’s main goal in providing the cash has been to maintain access to Mr. Karzai and his inner circle and to guarantee the agency’s influence at the presidential palace, which wields tremendous power in Afghanistan’s highly centralized government. The officials spoke about the money only on the condition of anonymity.
It is not clear that the United States is getting what it pays for. Mr. Karzai’s willingness to defy the United States — and the Iranians, for that matter — on an array of issues seems to have only grown as the cash has piled up. Instead of securing his good graces, the payments may well illustrate the opposite: Mr. Karzai is seemingly unable to be bought.
Over Iran’s objections, he signed a strategic partnership deal with the United States last year, directly leading the Iranians to halt their payments, two senior Afghan officials said. Now, Mr. Karzai is seeking control over the Afghan militias raised by the C.I.A. to target operatives of Al Qaeda and insurgent commanders, potentially upending a critical part of the Obama administration’s plans for fighting militants as conventional military forces pull back this year.
But the C.I.A. has continued to pay, believing it needs Mr. Karzai’s ear to run its clandestine war against Al Qaeda and its allies, according to American and Afghan officials.
Like the Iranian cash, much of the C.I.A.’s money goes to paying off warlords and politicians, many of whom have ties to the drug trade and, in some cases, the Taliban. The result, American and Afghan officials said, is that the agency has greased the wheels of the same patronage networks that American diplomats and law enforcement agents have struggled unsuccessfully to dismantle, leaving the government in the grips of what are basically organized crime syndicates.
The cash does not appear to be subject to the oversight and restrictions placed on official American aid to the country or even the C.I.A.’s formal assistance programs, like financing Afghan intelligence agencies. And while there is no evidence that Mr. Karzai has personally taken any of the money — Afghan officials say the cash is handled by his National Security Council — the payments do in some cases work directly at odds with the aims of other parts of the American government in Afghanistan, even if they do not appear to violate American law.
Handing out cash has been standard procedure for the C.I.A. in Afghanistan since the start of the war. During the 2001 invasion, agency cash bought the services of numerous warlords, including Muhammad Qasim Fahim, the current first vice president.
“We paid them to overthrow the Taliban,” the American official said.
The C.I.A. then kept paying the Afghans to keep fighting. For instance, Mr. Karzai’s half brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, was paid by the C.I.A. to run the Kandahar Strike Force, a militia used by the agency to combat militants, until his assassination in 2011.
A number of senior officials on the Afghan National Security Council are also individually on the agency’s payroll, Afghan officials said.
While intelligence agencies often pay foreign officials to provide information, dropping off bags of cash at a foreign leader’s office to curry favor is a more unusual arrangement.
Afghan officials said the practice grew out of the unique circumstances in Afghanistan, where the United States built the government that Mr. Karzai runs. To accomplish that task, it had to bring to heel many of the warlords the C.I.A. had paid during and after the 2001 invasion.

By late 2002, Mr. Karzai and his aides were pressing for the payments to be routed through the president’s office, allowing him to buy the warlords’ loyalty, a former adviser to Mr. Karzai said.
Then, in December 2002, Iranians showed up at the palace in a sport utility vehicle packed with cash, the former adviser said.
The C.I.A. began dropping off cash at the palace the following month, and the sums grew from there, Afghan officials said.
Payments ordinarily range from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, the officials said, though none could provide exact figures. The money is used to cover a slew of off-the-books expenses, like paying off lawmakers or underwriting delicate diplomatic trips or informal negotiations.
Much of it also still goes to keeping old warlords in line. One is Abdul Rashid Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek whose militia served as a C.I.A. proxy force in 2001. He receives nearly $100,000 a month from the palace, two Afghan officials said. Other officials said the amount was significantly lower.
Mr. Dostum, who declined requests for comment, had previously said he was given $80,000 a month to serve as Mr. Karzai’s emissary in northern Afghanistan. “I asked for a year up front in cash so that I could build my dream house,” he was quoted as saying in a 2009 interview with Time magazine.
Some of the cash also probably ends up in the pockets of the Karzai aides who handle it, Afghan and Western officials said, though they would not identify any by name.
That is not a significant concern for the C.I.A., said American officials familiar with the agency’s operations. “They’ll work with criminals if they think they have to,” one American former official said.
Interestingly, the cash from Tehran appears to have been handled with greater transparency than the dollars from the C.I.A., Afghan officials said. The Iranian payments were routed through Mr. Karzai’s chief of staff. Some of the money was deposited in an account in the president’s name at a state-run bank, and some was kept at the palace. The sum delivered would then be announced at the next cabinet meeting. The Iranians gave $3 million to well over $10 million a year, Afghan officials said.
When word of the Iranian cash leaked out in October 2010, Mr. Karzai told reporters thathe was grateful for it. He then added: “The United States is doing the same thing. They are providing cash to some of our offices.”
At the time, Mr. Karzai’s aides said he was referring to the billions in formal aid the United States gives. But the former adviser said in a recent interview that the president was in fact referring to the C.I.A.’s bags of cash.
No one mentions the agency’s money at cabinet meetings. It is handled by a small clique at the National Security Council, including its administrative chief, Mohammed Zia Salehi, Afghan officials said.
Mr. Salehi, though, is better known for being arrested in 2010 in connection with a sprawling, American-led investigation that tied together Afghan cash smuggling, Taliban finances and the opium trade. Mr. Karzai had him released within hours, and the C.I.A. then helped persuade the Obama administration to back off its anticorruption push, American officials said.
After his release, Mr. Salehi jokingly came up with a motto that succinctly summed up America’s conflicting priorities. He was, he began telling colleagues, “an enemy of the F.B.I., and a hero to the C.I.A.”
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