To Test The Bitcoin Waters, Adam Draper's Boost.vc Accelerator Adds Backing From Lightspeed, Beluga Founder & More

As a fourth generation venture investor, Adam Draper was pretty much predestined to work with startups. The son of Tim Draper, the founder of global VC firm Draper Fisher Jurveston, Adam has made it his mission to do everything in his power to help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life -- without relying on his family name to do so. After taking the plunge as an entrepreneur himself, co-founding a capital raising and trading platform and an equity crowdfunding portal, the 26-year-old again finds himself back in the Draper wheelhouse: Early-stage finance.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/GVPTbYI2ryc/

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Family Fun for the Week of 5/13 ? 5/19 | Fenway News Online

Family Fun for the Week of 5/13 ? 5/19

WPI Touch Tomorrow Science Event
A fun festival of science, technology and robots at Worcester PolyTchnical Institute (WPI). The campus will be transformed into a family-friendly festival of hands-on technology and exhibits.
SAVE?THE?DATE! Saturday, June 8, 2013

Boston Metro

Hidden Gardens of Beacon Hill Tour ? Boston
This annual tour offers visitors a rare opportunity to see hidden landscapes and secret pathways behind the brick facades and shutters of historic townhouses.
Thursday, May 16, 2013

Boston Kite & Flight Festival ? Dorchester
A family tradition with thousands of Bostonians of all ages, the Annual Boston Kite Festival, will take place at Franklin Park Playstead. Bring your kite or make one in the park, ?rent? a bike for fr-ee, play games and have a spring picnic. An event for all ages
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Charles River Creative Arts Summer Program ? Dover
The Charles River Creative Arts Program lets kids 8-15 engage their unique talents and creativity. Give your child the chance to discover new possibilities and develop lasting friendships through collaboration and creative problem solving. ?Enrolling Now for Summer

Hot Dog Safari on Lansdowne Street ? Boston
This indoor and outdoor event offers parties inside all the bars/restaurants plus food and fun all over Landsdowne Street. Proceeds to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Joey Fund.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Kids Planet Family Music & Activities: WBOS Earthfest 2013 ? Boston
This year?s WBOS Earthfest will feature an impressive family area including a stage with live music & entertainment all day, face painting, crafts, the famous Super Mercado, and more
Saturday, May 18, 2013

National Astronomy Day: Clay Center ? Brookline
The Clay Center hold astronomy day events in collaboration with the Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston (ATMoB). Many activities have been planned for families and children of all ages. Registration encouraged.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Radio 92.9 EarthFest at the Hatch Shell 2013 ? Back Bay
The Annual Radio 92.9 EarthFest will return to DCR?s Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston on May 18th, 2013 with a stellar line-up that includes Vertical Horizon, Cracker, Fastball, Gentlemen Hall, and Camper van Beethoven.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl ? Boston
Join the fun at the Scooper Bowl, the nation?s largest all-you-can-eat ice cream festival and the unofficial kick-off of summer in Boston at City Hall Plaza. More than 30 flavors will be served for three consecutive days to support cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
SAVE?THE?DATE: Tue. June 6 ? Thu June 8, 2013

Japan Spring Festival ? Back Bay
Enjoy a traditional Japanese-style festival showcasing Japanese culture with lots of crafts, food, performance and more.
Sunday, May 19, 2013

Crimson Sailing Academy Open House ? Cambridge
Want to learn how to sail? Come for a short sail with us, meet the instructors and see the facilities. Crimson Sailing will be hosting Open House on Saturday.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Everwood Day Camp Open House ? Sharon
Come learn more about Everwood, and enjoy a day at Camp. Tour the property with the Camp?s Directors, and enjoy games and activities both inside and out. Even make a S?more. Arts and Crafts, Basketball, Street Hockey, Gaga, and more! All weather event and no need to RSVP.
Sunday, May 19, 2013 from 11am-3pm

Heath School Mayfair ? Brookline
Heath School?s Mayfair is a fun day full of games and activities for kids and adults. Come enjoy the day with your friends and family
Saturday, May 18, 2013

May Family Design Day @ BSA Space ? Boston
Learning By Design in Massachusetts presents May Family Design Day ? Designing Play Celebrating Boston Fit City ? A Hands-on program where you learn about play spaces then design your own.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Saturdays at Fay ? Animal Adventures? Story Hour ? Southborough
During Story Hour, our presenters from Animal Adventures will read Whoo Goes There? by Jennifer A. Ericsson, the story of an owl?s nightly journey and his encounters with other animals in the wilderness. Meet a real owl afterwards. Fr-ee event.Please register online.
Saturday, May 18 from 10am ? 11am (complimentary snack to follow)

Puppet Showplace Theatre is presenting ?Sleeping Beauty? ? Brookline
The princess Aurora has been asleep for almost one hundred years when our hero, Prince Steffon learns of her story. He resolves to find the sleeping princess and rescue her from the evil fairy Belladonna.
Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun from May 16, 2013?-?May 19, 2013

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ? Boston
With talented dancers featured in electrifying performances, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is sure to put on an entertaining show for audience members of all ages.
Thursday, May 16, 2013?-?Sunday, May 19, 2013

The AMAZING JP Moms Yard Sale ? Jamaica Plain
An amazing indoor/outdoor yard sale, more than 40 families selling everything under the sun for babies, kids, and families, at great prices.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

West Suburbs

LexFUN Annual Children?s Consignment Sale ? Lexington
LexFU?s Consignment Sale is a fantastic one-day sale of high quality, gently used children?s clothing (newborn to size 8 ? all seasons), toys, games, books, strollers, car seats, baby furniture and gear, bikes and wagons. Shop our Bargain Bag sale from 1-2 p.m. for only $20.
Saturday, May 18, 2013, 8am ? 2pm

Westford Kiwanis Apple Blossom Festival & Carnival ? Westford
The Westford Kiwanis Club is sponsoring the Annual Apple Blossom Festival & Carnival Fundraiser. Enjoy rides, games, food and a parade with marching bands and hand crafted floats along the parade route.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013?-?Sunday, May 19, 2013

Relay For Life of Lincoln/Sudbury ? Sudbury
Relay for Life is an organized community fundraising event. Each year, more than 4 million people in over 20 countries take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer.
Saturday, May 18, 2013?-?Sunday, May 19, 2013

Touch-a-Truck Party ? Dover
Kids can climb on and play in all sorts of cars & trucks: firetruck, construction equip., antique sports car, ambulance, cherry-picker, street- sweeper, police car, and more
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Bazaar Russe ? Slavic Food and Crafts ? Maynard
Slavic food for eat in and take out featuring pierogi, potato pancakes, borscht, stuffed cabbage, kielbasa and more. Russian nesting dolls, crafts, and jewelry along with homemade crafts and baked goods also for sale.
Friday, May 17, 2013?-?Saturday, May 18, 2013

Lexington Battle-Green Barbecue Festival ? Lexington
Let the Battle Begin Discuss grilling and barbecue with the competitors, browse local vendors for barbecue and grilling gear and accessories, and purchase a barbecue meal.
Saturday, May 18, 2013?-?Sunday, May 19, 2013

The Velveteen Rabbit by Concord Youth Theatre ? Concord
Margery Williams? timeless tale of a toy rabbit made real through a child?s love. The magic begins in the nursery when the toys come to life when the lights in the nursery go out.
Fri, Sat, Sun from May 10, 2013?-?May 19, 2013

Bishop Bear Fair ? Arlington
Tons of fun for preschool and elementary school kids. Giant Maze, Games, Moon Bounce, Obstacle Course, Face Painting, Silent Auction, Super Raffle, Used Goods Sale, Food, Snacks and Drinks and so much more
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Sideways Stories from Wayside School ? Watertown
A teacher who zaps children into apples, an eccentric dance teacher, two talking pigtails, a mysterious and spooky substitute teacher and 14 students who ride the wave of this zaniness.
Fri, Sat, Sun from May 17, 2013?-?May 19, 2013

Spring Fling at The Thoreau Club ? Concord
Fr-ee Family Fun Bring your family and friends to enjoy a swim in our heated pool, then a family friendly hike on Camp Thoreau?s beautiful trails. We?ll end by our campfire to make tasty s?mores
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Family Tour of Gore Place Farm: What?s Fresh at the Farm? ? Waltham
You?ll enjoy a self-guided tour of the farm at Gore Place. You?ll explore areas not usually open to the public and visit the animals.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Westford East Boston Camps Fr-ee Spring BBQ ? Westford
Fifth Annual SPRING BBQ in beautiful conservation area in Westford, MA is a fr-ee family fun event that includes food, live music, games, hayrides and much more
Sunday, May 19, 2013

Metrowest Mitzvah Day ? Framingham
Work as a community at this intergenerational program to help support Birthday Wishes, a local nonprofit organization that brings birthday parties to homeless children living in shelters in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Sunday, May 19, 2013

Stow SpringFest 2013 ? Stow
A day of family fun, games & food.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Tanglewood Marionettes ? An Arabian Adventure ? Framingham
featuring over a dozen beautifully hand-crafted marionettes and exquisite ?story-book? style scenery, ?An Arabian Adventure? tells the tale so exciting you wont want to miss
Saturday, May 18, 2013

North Suburbs

Clown Town in the Park ? Andover
Andover?s perennial spring event features carnival rides, games, face painting, candy, balloons, a variety of food. All proceeds used to help Andover youth learn, grow and achieve.
Friday, May 17, 2013?-?Saturday, May 18, 2013

Touch-a-Truck Woburn ? Woburn
Revving up for a wonderful fr-ee Community Event: The 8th Touch-a-Truck In previous years, an estimated 3,000 children and adults came to West Cummings Park, Woburn to marvel at the enormous trucks, fascinating demonstration and displays.
Sunday, May 19, 2013

The Secret Garden, a Musical ? Newburyport
The Secret Garden, produced and directed by Anna Smulowitz, is a Tony Award winning musical based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Thursday, May 9, 2013?-?Sunday, May 19, 2013

Doors Open Lowell ? Lowell
Doors Open Lowell offers insider?s look into the preservation of many of Lowell?s magnificent historic buildings. This annual event is held during National Preservation Month to celebrate Lowell?s architectural heritage.
May 16, 2013?-?May 18, 2013

US Rowing Northeast Division Championship ? Lowell
USRowing and Lowell High School Rowing are proud to present the 4th Annual USRowing Northeast Junior District Championships. This event offers most opportunities for crews within the region to qualify for USRowing Youth National Championships.
Saturday, May 18, 2013?-?Sunday, May 19, 2013

WorldFest 2013 ? Woburn
WorldFest is a multicultural festival representing many of the cultures in the Boston area. Come enjoy food, music, dance, art, children?s activities, and much more
Sunday, May 19, 2013

Annual Memorial Day Remembrance ? Lowell
Parade to begin at 12.30 p.m. at the Belvidere Gate on Knapp Avenue and will proceed to the G.A.R lot. Parade will be followed by a flag raising ceremony.
Sunday, May 19, 2013

South Suburbs

Kite & Bike Festival ? Milton
Join thousands of people in Franklin park to celebrate the arrival of Spring Bring your kite or you can buy one in the park. Tour the park with fr-ee bike ?rentals? or bring your own. Food trucks for picnics. This event is family friendly and fun for all ages.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Mass Audubon?s 28th Annual Walk for Wildlife ? Marshfield
Enjoy a beautiful walk, educational activities for all ages, snacks and a hayride. All proceeds support Mass Audubon?s education programs and habitat management efforts on the South Shore.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

MARE?s 4th Annual Walk for Adoption ? Taunton
MARE?s 4th Annual Walk for Adoption will be held on May 19, 2013 at Jordan?s Furniture in Taunton, MA. Join us for the fun and help more local children find their ?forever families?
Sunday, May 19, 2013

Celebrate National Get Kids to a Park Day ? Milton
Grab the kids and head to Houghton?s Pond in the DCR Blue Hills Reservation in Milton for a fun-filled day of nature exploration and outdoor adventure.
Saturday, May 18, 2013

Awesome Robb?s Adventures ? Easton
Stop by The Children?s Museum in Easton for a special performance by the Museum favorite, Awesome Robb Awesome Robb brings his comedic touches to this special performance of Pirates.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Nantucket Wine Festival ? Nantucket
More than 100 wineries and restaurants will be featured at this annual event. Enjoy a variety of wine tastings in Nantucket homes, dinners and seminars.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013?-?Sunday, May 19, 2013

Source: http://www.fenwaynews.org/arts/family-fun-for-the-week-of-513-519/

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Justice investigating IRS targeting of tea party

Attorney General Eric Holder pauses during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Tuesday, May 14, 2013. Holder said he's ordered a Justice Department investigation into the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups for extra tax scrutiny. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Attorney General Eric Holder pauses during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Tuesday, May 14, 2013. Holder said he's ordered a Justice Department investigation into the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups for extra tax scrutiny. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Gov. Scott Walker says the IRS's targeting of conservative groups for extra scrutiny is a real threat to our freedoms, on Tuesday, May 14, 2013, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)

The John Weld Peck Federal Building, shown Tuesday, May 14, 2013, in Cincinnati, houses the main offices for the Internal Revenue Service in the city. The IRS apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was "inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see whether they were violating their tax-exempt status. In some cases, the IRS acknowledged, agents inappropriately asked for lists of donors. The agency blamed low-level employees in a Cincinnati office, saying no high-level officials were aware.(AP Photo/Al Behrman)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Justice Department is investigating the Internal Revenue Service for targeting tea party groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax exempt status, Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday, widening a probe that includes investigations by three committees in Congress.

Ineffective management at the IRS allowed agents to improperly target tea party groups for more than 18 months, concluded one investigation, by the Treasury inspector general for tax administration. The inspector general's report, released Tuesday, lays much of the blame on IRS supervisors in Washington who oversaw a group of specialists in Cincinnati who screened applications for tax exempt status.

The report does not indicate that Washington initiated the targeting of conservative groups. But it does say a top supervisor in Washington did not adequately supervise agents in the field even after she learned the agents were acting improperly.

"The report's findings are intolerable and inexcusable," President Barack Obama said in a statement. "The federal government must conduct itself in a way that's worthy of the public's trust, and that's especially true for the IRS. The IRS must apply the law in a fair and impartial way, and its employees must act with utmost integrity. This report shows that some of its employees failed that test."

Holder said he ordered the FBI to investigate Friday ? the day the IRS publicly acknowledged that it had singled out conservative groups.

"Those (actions) were, I think, as everyone can agree, if not criminal, they were certainly outrageous and unacceptable," Holder said. "But we are examining the facts to see if there were criminal violations."

Three congressional committees already are investigating the IRS for singling out tea party and other conservative groups during the 2010 congressional elections and the 2012 presidential election. But Holder's announcement takes the matter to another level, if investigators are able to prove that laws were broken.

Holder said he wasn't sure which laws may have been broken.

The agency started targeting groups with "Tea Party," ''Patriots" or "9/12 Project" in their applications for tax exempt status in March 2010, the inspector general's report said. By August 2010, it was part of the written criteria used to flag groups for additional scrutiny.

Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax exempt organizations, had been briefed on the matter in June 2011. She ordered the initial tea party criteria to be scrapped but it later evolved to include groups that promoted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

IRS agents were trying to determine whether the political activities of such groups disqualified them for tax-exempt status. These groups were claiming tax-exempt status as organizations promoting social welfare. Unlike other charitable groups, they can engage in political activity. But politics cannot be their primary mission.

It is up to the IRS to make the determination.

But by using improper criteria, the IRS targeted some groups, even though there were no indications that they engaged in significant political activities, the report said. Other non-tea party groups that had significant political activities were not screened, the report said.

"The criteria developed by the Determinations Unit gives the appearance that the IRS is not impartial in conducting its mission," the report said.

In all, IRS agents identified 296 applications for additional, sometimes burdensome scrutiny. Ninety-one of them should not have been targeted because they did not indicate they were engaged in significant political activities, investigators concluded.

Of the groups that were not engaged in significant political activities, 17 were tea party, patriot or 9/12 groups, the report said.

The additional screening resulted in long delays as IRS agents asked intrusive, sometimes inappropriate questions, or merely let applications languish, the report said. Inappropriate questions included requests for lists of donors and the political affiliation of officers.

As of December, the delays averaged 574 days, which probably made donors reluctant to contribute, the report said. No group has had their application denied, though about half are still waiting, the IRS said.

"Unfortunately, the report raises more questions than it answers," said House Oversight Committee chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif. "What we do know for sure is that the IRS personnel responsible for granting tax exemptions systematically targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny, and that officials in Washington, D.C., were aware of this practice, even while publicly claiming that it never happened."

Obama said he is ordering Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew to implement all of the inspector general's recommendations to improve oversight at the IRS.

"But regardless of how this conduct was allowed to take place, the bottom line is, it was wrong," Obama said.

The practice of targeting conservative groups ended in May 2012, the report said.

"After seeing issues with particular cases, inappropriate shortcuts were used to determine which cases may be engaging in political activities," the IRS said in a statement Tuesday evening. "It is important to note that the vast majority of these cases would still have been centralized based on the general criteria used for other cases."

"It is also important to understand that the group of centralized cases included organizations of all political views," the statement said.

The IRS has said the improper reviews were limited to a Cincinnati office where a special team was assembled to screen them. The inspector general's report does not contradict the agency on this assertion.

However, documents obtained by The Associated Press suggest the targeting of conservative groups could be more widespread. Documents sent from the IRS to tea party groups show that IRS offices in California and Washington, D.C., also sought extensive information from tea party groups who requested tax-exempt status.

In letters provided by the American Center for Law and Justice, which represents 27 tea party groups that have sought tax exempt status, IRS officials from two cities in California ? El Monte and Laguna Nigel ? as well as officials in Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati contacted groups seeking extensive information.

The law center's chief counsel, Jay Sekulow, said he was astonished the IRS said activity was limited to Cincinnati.

"To me, that was what was mind-boggling, they tried to create a narrative," he said.

On Monday, the IRS said acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller was first informed on May, 3, 2012, that applications for tax-exempt status by tea party groups were inappropriately singled out for extra scrutiny.

At least twice after the briefing, Miller wrote letters to members of Congress to explain the process of reviewing applications for tax-exempt status without disclosing that tea party groups had been targeted. On July 25, 2012, Miller testified before the House Ways and Means oversight subcommittee but again did not mention the additional scrutiny ? despite being asked about it.

On Tuesday, the IRS said, "While flaws in our process were corrected last year based on our own review, we only recently discussed this publicly as there had been a concurrent ongoing (inspector general) audit of the situation. There was no intent to hide this issue, but rather we waited until (the inspector general) completed their fact finding, made recommendations, and we reviewed their findings.

Miller was a deputy commissioner at the time. He became acting commissioner in November, after Commissioner Douglas Shulman completed his five-year term. Shulman had been appointed by President George W. Bush.

Miller is scheduled to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee at a hearing Friday.

___

Associated Press writer Pete Yost contributed to this report.

___

Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stephenatap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-14-IRS-Political%20Groups/id-082dc3ceb44a400f826777d9ccd7c3f7

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Video: Private Emails Between Banks Inadvertently Published

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Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/51885020/

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Jolie admired for bravery in mastectomy revelation

FILE - This Feb. 26, 2012 file photo shows actress Angelina Jolie, right, and actor Brad Pitt at the 84th Academy Awards in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Jolie says that she has had a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a gene that made it extremely likely she would get breast cancer. The Oscar-winning actress and partner to Brad Pitt made the announcement in an op-ed she authored for Tuesday's New York Times under the headline, "My Medical Choice." She writes that between early February and late April she completed three months of surgical procedures to remove both breasts. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, file)

FILE - This Feb. 26, 2012 file photo shows actress Angelina Jolie, right, and actor Brad Pitt at the 84th Academy Awards in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Jolie says that she has had a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a gene that made it extremely likely she would get breast cancer. The Oscar-winning actress and partner to Brad Pitt made the announcement in an op-ed she authored for Tuesday's New York Times under the headline, "My Medical Choice." She writes that between early February and late April she completed three months of surgical procedures to remove both breasts. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, file)

FILE- In this Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011 file photo, actress Angelina Jolie poses for a portrait to promote her directorial debut of the film "In the Land of Blood and Honey" in New York. Jolie authored an op-ed for Tuesday?s May 14, 2013 New York Times where she writes that in April she finished three months of surgical procedures to remove both breasts as a preventive measure. She says she?s kept the process private but is writing about it now with hopes she can help other women. (AP Photo/Carlo Allegri, File) ITALY OUT

FILE - Actress Angelina Jolie arrives for the British Gala premiere for the film 'Salt', at a central London cinema, in this Aug. 16, 2010 file photo. Jolie authored an op-ed for Tuesday?s May 14, 2013 New York Times where she writes that in April she finished three months of surgical procedures to remove both breasts as a preventive measure. She says she?s kept the process private but is writing about it now with hopes she can help other women. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File)

FILE - Actress Angelina Jolie arrives for the British Gala premiere for the film 'Salt', at a central London cinema, in this Aug. 16, 2010 file photo. Jolie authored an op-ed for Tuesday?s May 14, 2013 New York Times where she writes that in April she finished three months of surgical procedures to remove both breasts as a preventive measure. She says she?s kept the process private but is writing about it now with hopes she can help other women. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File)

FILE - This Feb. 14, 2012 file photo shows US actress and director Angelina Jolie addressing the audience after premiere of her movie, "In the Land of Blood and Honey," in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Jolie says that she has had a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a gene that made it extremely likely she would get breast cancer. The Oscar-winning actress and partner to Brad Pitt made the announcement in an op-ed she authored for Tuesday's New York Times under the headline, "My Medical Choice." She writes that between early February and late April she completed three months of surgical procedures to remove both breasts. (AP Photo/Amel Emric, file)

NEW YORK (AP) ? "I hope that other women can benefit from my experience," Angelina Jolie wrote in a powerful op-ed article Tuesday, explaining her decision to go public with having her breasts removed to avoid cancer.

But amid the accolades for the film star's courageous revelation, doctors and genetic counselors were careful to note that her medical situation ? an inherited genetic mutation putting her at high risk of breast and ovarian cancer ? was very specific, and that her course of action made sense for only a small category of women.

Still, they hailed her bravery and said that she would surely help increase awareness ? and thus, perhaps, help save some lives.

"Having this conversation empowers us all," said Rebecca Nagy, a genetic counselor who works frequently with women who test positive for a defective version of the BRCA1 gene, as Jolie did. "It's wonderful what she's done."

In a stunning op-ed piece in the New York Times, Jolie, 37, began by speaking of her late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, who died of cancer at 56, before she was able to meet most of her grandchildren.

The actress revealed that beginning in February, she underwent three surgeries ? which she succeeded in keeping secret from the public ? in which her breasts were removed, and later replaced by implants.

"I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made," Jolie wrote. "My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer."

The actress also hinted that she might, at some point, have her ovaries removed, saying that she had "started with the breasts" because her risk of breast cancer was higher than that for ovarian cancer. She did not say how long ago she was diagnosed with the faulty gene.

While admiring Jolie's straightforwardness, cancer surgeons and others in the medical community were quick to point out that hereditary cases of breast cancer account for only about 5 percent to 7 percent of all cases diagnosed each year. And those connected to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are an even smaller group.

And so, women shouldn't just run off and get tested for those genes, said Dr. Robert Shenk, medical director of the Breast Center at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland.

"My worry is that people will be inappropriately tested," said Shenk. "Awareness is great, but people shouldn't just run in off the street and get a test."

Instead, he said, genetic counseling, including a close review of a patient's family history, is crucial.

Nagy, the genetic counselor, who is also president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, agreed.

"The clues are in the family history. Has there been cancer in multiple generations?" she said. "Are there clusters of cancers, like breast and ovarian, on the same side of the family? Has the cancer been diagnosed at an early age ? under 50?"

If those factors exist, Nagy said, she conducts a thorough risk assessment with the patient. And if testing is warranted, there still needs to be some thought beforehand as to what one might do with the information.

"It might not necessarily be surgery," Nagy said. "It might be much more frequent screenings. Surgery isn't right for everyone."

That's the decision that Gabrielle Brett made ? at least initially. Brett was only 23 when she tested positive for the BRCA1 gene. She had just met her future husband, James, a month earlier. She wanted to have a family, so she waited.

But at age 29, her husband said she shouldn't wait any longer. She should have her breasts removed before they had kids, even though she wouldn't be able to nurse them. She ultimately agreed. She had the surgery and then had two children. Now 35, she is two weeks from her due date with her third.

Brett woke up in the middle of the night Tuesday, read about Jolie's article on Facebook, and excitedly woke her husband. "It's amazing to hear that someone so famous went through the same thing," she said in a telephone interview. "It makes me realize we are all on the same journey."

Brett, who lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio, also figures that Jolie went through some tough moments, however serene she sounded in her article.

"I'm sure it wasn't quite so simple," she said. "There's sadness, anger, fear. I did a lot of crying alone in the car. But once I had the surgery, I felt a huge weight come off of me. I was no longer worrying whether there was cancer growing inside me somewhere. I felt nothing but relief."

And, she said, it was crucial that she was accompanied throughout her journey by "my own Brad Pitt" ? her husband, who was there through every moment, as Jolie says partner Pitt was for her at the Pink Lotus Breast Center in southern California.

There is one part of the journey Brett has not tackled yet: removal of her ovaries. That, she said, will come a bit later, when she is 40.

Doctors stress that no one solution is right for everyone who tests positive. And even for those with a risky family history, it's not necessarily always right to test right away, they say.

"You don't necessarily want to test an 18-year-old, sending her into a panic at such a young age," said Shenk. "You might consider that she's unlikely to get cancer in her 20s. You would maybe test her later."

Another potential downside to the testing: the cost, which can reach $3,000, though it's usually covered by insurance and there are programs for women who can't afford it.

And some women might simply not be prepared for the results, said Dr. Eric Winer, head of the breast program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. "Once you get the information, you have to be able to deal with it," he said.

If one does test positive, Winer stressed, it could be a reasonable solution to undergo intensive surveillance with MRI tests and mammograms. Or, some women choose to remove only their ovaries, which in pre-menopausal women seems to reduce the risk of breast cancer, too.

But in Jolie's case, Winer said, it's hard to argue with her choice of preventive surgery. "I tend to be a less-is-more doctor," said Winer. "But I do think the choice she made is a rational, reasonable one."

There is a risk, he noted, that with the actress's celebrity power, people will see her choice and think it's the only one. If they do get cancer, "most women are well-served by conservative surgery, as in a lumpectomy," with chemotherapy and/or radiation, he said.

But any risk is outweighed by Jolie's ability to promote awareness, Winer added. "The more people who ask their doctors about this, the better."

Dr. Kristi Funk, founder of the Pink Lotus Center where Jolie was treated, agreed. "We hope that the awareness she is raising around the world will save countless lives," Funk said.

Jolie's most positive influence, some say, may be in the fact that such a glamorous woman has come forward ? in great detail ? to talk about how one can lose one's breasts and still remain, well, a woman.

"I do not feel any less of a woman," Jolie wrote in her article. "I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity."

That impressed Nagy, the genetic counselor. "For women, so much is tied to sexuality, to sensuality," she said. "Many women feel defined by that. So for her to be such an icon and come out and say, 'Look what I did' ? I'm hoping that prompts other women to have conversations, about their own options."

___

Associated Press writer Raquel Dillon contributed from Los Angeles.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-05-14-Angelina%20Jolie-Mastectomy/id-453deabac09946fd916945c7839b9b2c

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Farm bill: Still a little something for everyone (The Arizona Republic)

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Poultry drug increases levels of toxic arsenic in chicken meat

May 13, 2013 ? Chickens likely raised with arsenic-based drugs result in chicken meat that has higher levels of inorganic arsenic, a known carcinogen, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

This is the first study to show concentrations of specific forms of arsenic (e.g., inorganic arsenic versus other forms) in retail chicken meat, and the first to compare those concentrations according to whether or not the poultry was raised with arsenical drugs. The findings provide evidence that arsenical use in chickens poses public health risks and indicate that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency responsible for regulating animal drugs, should ban arsenicals, experts say.

The study was published online today in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Conventional, antibiotic-free, and USDA Organic chicken samples were purchased from 10 U.S. metropolitan areas between December 2010 and June 2011, when an arsenic-based drug then manufactured by Pfizer and known as roxarsone was readily available to poultry companies that wished to add it to their feed. In addition to inorganic arsenic, the researchers were able to identify residual roxarsone in the meat they studied; in the meat where roxarsone was detected, levels of inorganic arsenic were four times higher than the levels in USDA Organic chicken (in which roxarsone and other arsenicals are prohibited from use).

Arsenic-based drugs have been used in poultry production for decades. Arsenical drugs are approved to make poultry grow faster and improve the pigmentation of the meat. The drugs are also approved to treat and prevent parasites in poultry. In 2010, industry representatives estimated that 88 percent of the roughly nine billion chickens raised for human consumption in the U.S. received roxarsone. In July 2011, Pfizer voluntarily removed roxarsone from the U.S. market, but the company may sell the drug overseas and could resume marketing it in the U.S. at any time. Pfizer still domestically markets the arsenical drug nitarsone, which is chemically similar to roxarsone. Currently in the U.S., there is no federal law prohibiting the sale or use of arsenic-based drugs in poultry feed. (In January, Maryland became the first U.S. state to ban the use of most arsenicals in chicken feed.)

Lead author Keeve Nachman, PhD, said, "The suspension of roxarsone sales is a good thing in the short term, but it isn't a real solution. Hopefully this study will persuade FDA to ban the drug and permanently keep it off the market."

Chronic inorganic arsenic exposure has been shown to cause lung, bladder and skin cancers and has been associated with other conditions, as well, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cognitive deficits, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. According to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, at least 75 percent of Americans regularly eat chicken.

The FDA has not established safety standards for inorganic arsenic in foods, although the agency did, for a brief time in 2011, suggest that concentrations should be well below 1 microgram per kilogram of meat. The levels of inorganic arsenic discovered in the meat where roxarsone was found were two and three times greater than that level.

Another significant finding of the study is that when roxarsone was present in raw meat, cooking decreased the levels of roxarsone and increased the levels of inorganic arsenic.

The authors of the study are Keeve E. Nachman, PhD, Patrick A. Baron, MHS, Georg Raber, PhD, Kevin A. Francesconi, PhD, Ana Navas-Acien, MD, PhD, and David C. Love, PhD.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/eZYlpjqTswA/130513095030.htm

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