OJ hoping for new trial in return to Vegas court

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 3, 2008 file photo, O.J. Simpson is handcuffed after a verdict of guilty on all counts was read following his trial at the Clark County Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas. The verdict comes 13 years to the day after Simpson was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The return of O.J. Simpson to a Las Vegas courtroom next Monday, May, 13, will remind Americans of a tragedy that became a national obsession and in the process changed the country's attitude toward the justice system, the media and celebrity. The return of O.J. Simpson to a Las Vegas courtroom next Monday, May, 13, will remind Americans of a tragedy that became a national obsession and in the process changed the country's attitude toward the justice system, the media and celebrity. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus, Pool)

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 3, 2008 file photo, O.J. Simpson is handcuffed after a verdict of guilty on all counts was read following his trial at the Clark County Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas. The verdict comes 13 years to the day after Simpson was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The return of O.J. Simpson to a Las Vegas courtroom next Monday, May, 13, will remind Americans of a tragedy that became a national obsession and in the process changed the country's attitude toward the justice system, the media and celebrity. The return of O.J. Simpson to a Las Vegas courtroom next Monday, May, 13, will remind Americans of a tragedy that became a national obsession and in the process changed the country's attitude toward the justice system, the media and celebrity. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus, Pool)

FILE- In this Dec. 5, 2008 file photo, O.J. Simpson speaks during his sentencing at the Clark County Regional Justice Center courtroom in Las Vegas. Simpson is heading back to the Las Vegas courthouse where he was convicted of leading five men in an armed sports memorabilia heist to ask a judge for a new trial because, he says, the Florida lawyer he paid nearly $700,000 botched his defense. The return of O.J. Simpson to a Las Vegas courtroom next Monday, May, 13, will remind Americans of a tragedy that became a national obsession and in the process changed the country's attitude toward the justice system, the media and celebrity. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken, Pool, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2008, file photo, O.J. Simpson, center, arrives at the Clark County Regional Justice Center on the second day of jury selection for his trial in Las Vegas. Simpson is appearing in court on charges which include burglary, robbery and assault following an attempted robbery at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on September, 2007. The return of O.J. Simpson to a Las Vegas courtroom next Monday, May, 13, will remind Americans of a tragedy that became a national obsession and in the process changed the country's attitude toward the justice system, the media and celebrity. The return of O.J. Simpson to a Las Vegas courtroom next Monday, May, 13, will remind Americans of a tragedy that became a national obsession and in the process changed the country's attitude toward the justice system, the media and celebrity. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Review-Journal, John Locher, Pool, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2005 file photo, O.J. Simpson signs autographs during an event hosted by the "NecroComicon'' horror convention in Northridge, Calif. The return of O.J. Simpson to a Las Vegas courtroom next Monday, May, 13, will remind Americans of a tragedy that became a national obsession and in the process changed the country's attitude toward the justice system, the media and celebrity. The return of O.J. Simpson to a Las Vegas courtroom next Monday, May, 13, will remind Americans of a tragedy that became a national obsession and in the process changed the country's attitude toward the justice system, the media and celebrity. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? The last time O.J. Simpson was in a Las Vegas courtroom, he stood next to defense attorney Yale Galanter before being handcuffed and hauled off to prison for up to 33 years.

On Monday, the former football hero returns to Clark County District Court with a different set of lawyers hoping to convince a judge that Galanter shouldn't have been handling his armed robbery-kidnapping case ? that the lawyer who was paid nearly $700,000 for Simpson's defense had a personal interest in preventing himself from being identified as a witness to the crimes and so misled Simpson that the former football star deserves a new trial.

"To me, the claims are solid. I don't know how the court can't grant relief," said Patricia Palm, the Simpson appeals lawyer who produced a 94-page petition dissecting Galanter's promises, payments and performance as Simpson's lawyer in the trial that ended with a jury finding Simpson and a co-defendant guilty of 12 felonies.

Galanter declined to comment ahead of his is scheduled testimony.

Of the 22 allegations of conflict-of-interest and ineffective counsel that Palm raised, Clark County District Court Judge Linda Marie Bell has agreed to hear 19.

The proceedings, technically neither a trial nor appeal, are expected to take all week before Bell decides whether Simpson deserves a new trial. It's not clear whether she'll rule immediately.

Some who've watched the Simpson saga say he might have a chance.

"I think there's a lot to this," said John Momot, a lawyer nearing 40 years of criminal defense in Las Vegas who played himself in the 1995 movie "Casino" and provided expert cable TV commentary during Simpson's monthlong trial in September 2008.

"I don't think O.J. Simpson could ever get a fair trial, period, based on his reputation from California," Momot said. "But based on these allegations, if you took Joe Jones from the street and put him in the same situation, I think it would be possible he'd get a new trial."

Ozzie Fumo, a veteran Las Vegas trial lawyer now representing Simpson, said it took two years of convincing by jailhouse lawyers at Nevada's Lovelock Correctional Center before Simpson broke with Galanter.

Simpson now says that Galanter not only knew ahead of time about his plan to retrieve what he thought were personal mementoes but met with Simpson in Las Vegas to discuss the plan the night before Simpson and five other men confronted two sports memorabilia dealers and a middleman in a cramped casino hotel room in September 2007.

Simpson maintains the plan was to take back what he expected would be family photos and personal belongings stolen from him after his 1995 "trial of the century" acquittal in the slayings of his wife and her friend in Los Angeles.

Galanter blessed the plan as within the law, as long as no one trespassed and no force was used, Simpson said.

During trial, Simpson contends Galanter "vigorously discouraged" him not to testify, and never told him that prosecutors were willing to let him plead guilty to charges that would have gotten him a minimum of two years in prison.

"He consistently told me the state could not prove its case because I acted within my rights in retaking my own property," Simpson said in a sworn statement outlining what he plans to say when he testifies this week.

Simpson's lawyers also say that while continuing to represent Simpson through oral arguments in a failed 2010 appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court, Galanter kept a lid on his own behind-the-scenes involvement. That nearly extinguished any chance Simpson had to claim ineffective representation in state or federal courts.

Simpson still says he had no idea two of the men with him brought guns to the hotel room. Palm and Fumo noted that the possibility of diminished perception wasn't raised at trial.

On Monday, Dr. Norman Roitman, a Las Vegas psychiatrist, is expected to testify that Simpson's perception of what took place in the Palace Station hotel room might have been hampered by football brain injuries and the effects of several vodka and cranberry juice cocktails he consumed before the confrontation.

H. Leon Simon, the chief deputy district attorney representing the state, is scheduled to call another psychiatrist later in the week for another opinion.

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Find Ken Ritter on Twitter: http://twitter.com/krttr

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-05-13-OJ%20Simpson/id-13e0a5a28cef40b287a1d93d645566d5

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Supreme Court rules for Monsanto in patent case

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Supreme Court has sustained Monsanto Co.'s claim that an Indiana farmer violated the company's patents on soybean seeds that are resistant to its weed-killer.

The justices, in a unanimous vote Monday, rejected the farmer's argument that cheap soybeans he bought from a grain elevator are not covered by the Monsanto patents, even though most of them also were genetically modified to resist the company's Roundup herbicide.

Justice Elena Kagan says a farmer who buys patented seeds must have the patent holder's permission. More than 90 percent of American soybean farms use Monsanto's "Roundup Ready" seeds, which first came on the market in 1996.

Monsanto has a policy to protect its investment in seed development that prohibits farmers from saving or reusing the seeds once the crop is grown. Farmers must buy new seeds every year.

The case had been closely watched by researchers and businesses holding patents on DNA molecules, nanotechnologies and other self-replicating technologies. But Kagan said the court's holding only "addresses the situation before us."

Farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman bought the expensive, patented seeds for his main crop of soybeans, but decided to look for something cheaper for a risky, late-season soybean planting.

He went to a grain elevator that held soybeans it typically sells for feed, milling and other uses, but not as seed.

Bowman reasoned that most of those soybeans also would be resistant to weed killers, as they initially came from herbicide-resistant seeds too. He was right, and he repeated the practice over eight years. In 2007, Monsanto sued and won an $84,456 judgment.

Bowman said he should not be liable, in part, because soybeans naturally sprout when planted.

Kagan said the court did not buy that argument. "We think the blame-the-bean defense tough to credit," she said.

In other decisions:

? Justices said unanimously that use of the bankruptcy term "defalcation" requires an intentional wrong. This came in a case where an Illinois man took improper loans from his father's trust, the first at his father's direction.

? They also unanimously said that federal law does not pre-empt a state law claim against a New Hampshire towing company that towed, stored and then disposed of a car owned by a man who was seriously ill in a hospital.

The soybean case is Bowman v. Monsanto Co., 11-796.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/high-court-rules-monsanto-patent-case-141231110.html

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Health Notes is a weekly feature that highlights health and wellness news in the area. Hospitals and other health related agencies may e-mail items to scappetta@hersamacorn.com.

Caregiver support

Group for family members and others responsible for the day-to-day care of elderly relatives meets first Friday of month, 10-11, Operations Conference Room, Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St., May 3; and 5:30-6:30, second Tuesday of the month, Center?s offices, 95 Armory Road, Stratford, May 14, 1-888-357-2396.

Also, hosted by Maefair Health Care second Tuesday of the month 2:30-3:30, 21 Maefair Court, Trumbull. Meetings are open to all caregivers in the community. Light refreshments, 203-459-5152.

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Mammography screenings

SWIM Women?s Imaging Center will offer free and low-cost digital mammography screenings for women age 35 and older from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Sunday, May 5, Calvary Seventh Day Adventist , 827 Trumbull Ave., Bridgeport; Thursday, May 9, Sterling House, 2283 Main St., Stratford; Saturday, May 11, St. Charles Church, 1255 East Main St., Bridgeport; Tuesday, May 28, Carriage Green at Milford, 77 Plains Road, Milford; Thursday, May 30, Baldwin Plaza, 77 Canon Street, Bridgeport, 203-576-5505.

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Surviving adolescence class

Eight-week class for parents and adolescents uses the STEP ?Parenting Teenagers? manual and involves sharing experiences and consultation with an adolescent counselor beginning May 6, The Sterling Center for Counseling & Family Relations, 731C Bridgeport Avenue, Shelton, 203-929-2400.

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Bereavement support

Free seven-week ?Journey from Loss to Healing & Hope? Bereavement Support Series runs every Tuesday, 2:30-4, May 7-June 18, in the Medical Oncology Conference Room on Level 3 of the Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care adjacent St. Vincent?s Medical Center.

Call the Pastoral Care Department at 203-576-5110 to register.

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Breast cancer survivor support

Meets first and third Tuesdays of the month, 5:30-7, Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Next: May 7 and 21, 203-576-6158, tmclaugh@st.vincentss.org.

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Family support group

For adult patients, family members and friends who are coping with a diagnose of leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and Hodgkin?s Disease, first Tuesday of every month, 4-5:30, St. V?s Elizabeth M. Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, Level 3 Medical Oncology Conference Room, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Next: May 7, 203-576-6158; tmclaugh@stvincent.org.

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Stroke support

Bridgeport Hospital?s Ahlbin Rehabilitation Centers will host a free Stroke Support Group meeting for recovering stroke patients and their caregivers Tuesday, May 7, 6-7, Shelton outreach site, 4 Corporate Drive, 203-925-4201.

Also offered third Wednesday of the month, 5:30-7, Seton Room, Level C, St. Vincent?s Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport, 203-576-5361.

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Genetic counseling

Bridgeport Hospital?s Norma F. Pfriem Cancer Institute and Yale Cancer Center provide genetic counseling services by appointment Wednesday, May 8, 5520 Park Ave., Trumbull, 203-764-8400.

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Nutrition for cancer survivors

Class provides information and resources for healthy eating during and after treatment in addition with dietary tips and modifications to help improve overall wellness and health, the second Wednesday of every month. 5-6 p.m. St. Vincent?s Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care adjacent to the hospital.? Upcoming? May 8. To register, call 203-576-6158.

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Parkinson?s support

Diane Vaccaro, an independent broker will discuss the Medicare Advantage Plan and eligibility requirements for the Medicare Savings Plan during the next Parkinson?s Support Group meeting Thursday, May 9, 10 a.m., The Watermark at 3030 Park, 3030 Park Avenue, Bridgeport. RSVP: 203-373-6288.

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Blood pressure screenings

Screenings offered by Bridgeport Hospital at Fairfield Senior Center, 100 Mona Terrace, Mondays, May 6 and 20, 9:30-11:30; Stratford Baldwin Center, 1000 West Broad St., Monday, May 13, 9:30-11:30; Shelton Senior Center, 81 Wheeler St., Tuesday, May 28, noon-2. Call 1-888-357-2396.

Also offered by the South End Community Center in collaboration with the Stratford Health Department, first and third Wednesdays of the month, 10-noon, South End Community Center; 203-385-4058; 203-377-0689.

The Mario and Irma D?Addario Hypertension Program at St. Vincent?s Medical Center provides free blood pressure screenings and information to the public every Tuesday, 11:30-3:30, main lobby of St. V?s Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport; 1-877-255-7847.

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First aid/safety class

Bridgeport Hospital?s Emergency Care Institute offers the following self-care classes in the duPont Board Room at Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St. To register, call 203-384-4497.

Pediatric first aid & safety and adult, child and infant CPR/defibrillator training two-year certification, Saturdays, May 11 and 25, 8:30-5:30, $100 full class or $70 first aid portion only; Administration of Medicine Class, Tuesday, May 14, 6:30-9:30, $50 full program (three-year certification) or $25 for injectable medications only; Basic life support for healthcare providers, Wednesday, May 15, 6-10, $90 ($65 with unexpired American Heart Association certification card).

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Senior driving course

AARP?s Senior Driver Safety Program Saturday, May 11, 9-1, first-floor Administration Conference Room at Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St., $12 AARP members, $14 non-members, covers handouts and instructional materials. To register, call 1-888-357-2396.

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Breastfeeding support

Free breastfeeding support group for new and expectant mothers, first and third Wednesday of the month, 10-noon, 5520 Park Ave., Trumbull, 1-888-357-2396. Next: May 15.

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Cancer survivor support

Moving Forward support and educational series for cancer survivors meets Thursday, May 16, 1-3:30, Bridgeport Hospital Administrative Conference Room, first floor, 267 Grant Street. May 16 topic is ?Sexuality and Intimacy.?

To register, call 203-384-3904.

A free patient and caregiver support program also offered the last Tuesday of the month, 6-7:30, St. Vincent?s Medical Oncology Conference Room, Level 3 of the Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care. Open to all cancer patients and survivors along with their caregivers, family, friends, 203-576-6158.

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Nutrition during survivorship

?Intimacy and Sexuality? talk Friday, May 17, 6-7 p.m., Griffin Hospital.

Reservations: 203-732-1260 or tpittman@griffinhealth.org. If interested in the Survivorship Program, contact Donna Hayes, 203-732-1408 or dhayes@griffinhealth.org to schedule a private consultation.

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Look Good ?. Feel Better

Free American Cancer Society program helps women with cancer improve their appearance and self-image through hands-on beauty techniques Friday, May 17, 1-3 p.m., Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant Street. To register, call 1-888-357-2396.

Also offered June 6, Aug. 8, Oct. 10 and Dec. 5, 1-3 p.m., Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care adjacent St. Vincent?s Medical Center, 2800 Main Street, Bridgeport. Reservations required: 203-576-6158. Lunch provided.

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Ostomy support

Sunday, May 19, 2 p.m., Visiting Nurse Services of Connecticut, 40 Lindeman Drive, Trumbull. Open to anyone who has had or will have an ostomy operation, such as colostomy, urostomy or ileostomy. Spouses welcome. Meetings held third Sunday of month except July and August, Sharon Tilley, 203-384-3209.

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Bridgeport Hospital Home Run 5k

The 10th annual Bridgeport Hospital Home Run will take place, rain or shine, on Sunday, May 26, 9 a.m., beginning and ending at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, 500 Main Street, Bridgeport.

The event includes a 5K run, walk and wheelchair race, an alternate one-mile course and a Children?s Fun Run inside the ballpark.

Advance registration for adults is $20 until May 22 and $25 after May 22; $10 for students 18 and under through race day; and $5 for the Children?s Fun Run.

Proceeds benefit the Joel E. Smilow Heart Institute at Bridgeport Hospital. For information, call 203-384-3600 or email bhhomerun@bpthosp.org.

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Clinical pastoral education course

Bridgeport Hospital?s Department of Spiritual Care & Education is offering a new clinical pastoral education course for community clergy, laypersons and others interested in developing their pastoral care skills.

The 11-week, part-time program runs from Tuesday, May 28 through Friday, Aug. 9. It includes six hours of educational seminars, four hours of direct patient care and one on-call experience per month. Classroom sessions will take place weekly. Schedules for clinical training will be arranged with participants.

For more information, call Clinical Pastoral Education Coordinator Sister Sara Ann Buckley at 203-384-3948.

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Cancer nutrition and cooking

Free cooking course designed to help attendees prevent and survive cancer through proper diet and nutrition 6-7:45, May 29, June 26, July 23, Aug. 28, Sept. 25, Oct. 22, Nov. 20, SWIM Center for Cancer Care, St. Vincent?s Medical Center, 2800 Main Street, Bridgeport, 203-576-6158, stvincents.org.

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Better Breathing Club

Meets Friday, May 31, 1:30, Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant Street. Open to anyone with chronic respiratory disease. Call 203-336-7375.

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Lunch & learn cancer support

A free Lunch & Learn Cancer Support Group offered by St. Vincent?s third Thursday of the month noon-1, Oncology Conference Room, Elizabeth M. Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, adjacent to the St. Vincent?s Medical Center, 2800 Main Street, Bridgeport, 203-576-6158, tmclaugh@stvincents.org.

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Al-Anon meetings

Al-Anon is a resource for family members and friends affected by alcoholism.

Al-Anon meets Sundays, 6:30 and Wednesdays, 7:30, St. Ann?s, old convent behind church, Brewster Street, Black Rock; Sundays, 7, St. Charles Church, (Spanish meeting), 391 Ogden Street, Bridgeport; Fridays, 8, Bridgeport Mental Health Center, 1635 Central Avenue, first floor (park & enter from parking deck off Mead Street).

For information about groups in Connecticut, call 1-888-825-2666. For more information about Al-Anon, visit ct-al-anon.org. A free publication is available at Al-AnonFamilyGroups.org.

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Addiction support

Are you dealing with an addiction in your life or the life of a family member? Higher Ground Ministry is non-denominational offering help that is permanent through biblical truths. Weekly meetings are held where one receives support, encouragement and spiritual guidance. Meetings are Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m., Trinity Baptist Church, 300 North Benson Road, Fairfield.

Also, Sundays, 6-7:30 p.m., Stepney Baptist Church, 423 Main St., Monroe; Mondays, 7:30-9 p.m., Huntington Chapel, 177 Ripton Road, Huntington; Thursdays, 6:30-8 p.m., Christ the King Church at American Legion Hall, 21 Cedar St., Naugatuck; Tuesdays, 6:30-8 p.m. and Fridays, 7-8:30 p.m., First Baptist Church of Shelton, 178 Leavenworth Road, Shelton; Fridays, 7-8:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, 235 Prindle Ave., Ansonia; and Tuesdays, 7:30-9 p.m., Grace Baptist Church, 400 Burnt Plains Road, Milford. Information: 203-888-9974; highergroundministry.org.

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Diabetes education

Fourth Thursday of the month, 6-7:30, St. Vincent?s Level 4 Seton Conference Room, 203-576-6168.

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Bereavement support

An eight-week support group facilitated by Ximena? Varas, certified lay minister and chaplain meets Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m at First United Methodist Church, 188 Rocky Rest Road.

Registration required: ximenavaras@umcshelton.org or 203-278-1568.

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Yoga classes

?New ?Mindful Flow? yoga class series offered Fridays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. at 2505 Main St., Suite 224, Stationhouse Square, Stratford, naturesourcecare.com/yoga; 203-895-5534, info@naturesourcecare.com.

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Free yoga for cancer patients

Restorative yoga, chair yoga with breathing and meditation for patients in active treatment or post-surgery, Tuesdays, 10 a.m., The Watermark, 303 Park Ave., Bridgeport; Thursdays, 10 a.m., Yoga Room, Level 3 of St. Vincent?s Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, adjacent to the Medical Center. Gentle Yoga, for patients in treatment or recently finished, Saturdays, 8:30 a.m., Yoga for Everybody, 27 Unquowa Road, Fairfield. Formal Yoga, for cancer survivors of five years or less, Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m., The Watermark, 3030 Park Ave., Bridgeport, 203-576-6158.

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Healthcare and Medicare information

St. Vincent?s Medical Center is offering a free program of health insurance and Medicare information and counseling to the public every week. Individuals can meet with the health insurance specialist by appointment in the privacy of the Banks Library located on the third level of St. Vincent?s.

To schedule an appointment or for more information call St. Vincent?s Volunteer Office at 203-576-5111.

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Free HIV/HCV tests

The Greater Bridgeport Area Prevention Program and the Stratford Health Department will offer rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing with results in 20 minutes every first and third Tuesday of the month from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Stratford Health Dept., 468 Birdseye St., Stratford.

To schedule an appointment call 203-385-4058.

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Cancer support group

Ongoing monthly group is focused on giving support to patients and families who have been diagnosed with lung, colon, head and neck, esophageal, GI cancers and other solid tumors. Meetings are the third Wednesday of the month, 9-10 a.m., Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, third floor conference room, St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Call 203-576-6158.

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Healthy traveler service

Bridgeport Hospital?s Healthy Traveler Service provides pre-travel consultations, travel vaccines, medications and comprehensive travel information to help prepare for a healthy and safe international trip. For information or to make an appointment, call 203-384-3613.

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Ring for Your Rhythm

Bridgeport Hospital?s ?Ring for Your Rhythm? line provides recorded, step-by-step instructions for taking a pulse reading, to help detect atrial fibrillation (a-fib) and possibly prevent a stroke. Call toll free, 24/7, at 1-855-247-8573.

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Community acupuncture

Led by licensed acupuncturist Gregor Wei, Mondays, 10-2, Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. Call 203-255-5300 to register. Advance registration requested. Private appointments available.

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Massage therapy

Massage is offered for oncology patients undergoing definitive active treatment and for survivors who have completed treatment. Call 203-576-6158 for an appointments. Program takes place on third floor of Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport.

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Fitness classes

Bridgeport Hospital?s Ahlbin Rehabilitation Centers offers weekly fitness classes in Bridgeport and Stratford:

Boot Camp, Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:45-6:45 a.m., 226 Mill Hill Ave., Bridgeport; Saturdays, 10-11 a.m., 3585 Main St., Stratford.

Women?s Strength Training, Tuesdays, 11-noon; Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 226 Mill Hill, Bridgeport; Saturdays, 8-9 a.m., 3585 Main St., Stratford.

Zumba, Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 226 Mill Hill, Bridgeport; Saturdays, 8-9 a.m., 3585 Main St., Stratford.

$8 per class or $75 for 10 classes. Tickets are available at all Ahlbin Centers locations, or before or after classes. For information or to register, call 203-336-7301 (Bridgeport) or 203-380-4672 (Stratford).

In addition to Bridgeport and Stratford, Ahlbin Centers has outpatient facilities at 4 Corporate Drive, Shelton; 2600 Post Road, Southport; and 2750 Reservoir Ave., Trumbull.

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Health and wellness classes

St. Vincent?s Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport offers a variety of health and wellness classes. Most sessions run for 10 weeks with the exception of pilates, which is six weeks; and Y Diabetes Prevention Program and Weight Watchers program, 16 and 17-week sessions respectively. 10-week sessions: $90. Information/registration: 203-576-6267; scollins@stvincents.org.

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Free exercise video program

A new online video program called A-B-E (Activity Bursts Everywhere) for Fitness, designed specifically to help adults meet those recommendations for daily physical activity, is available at abeforfitness.com.

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Kripalu yoga

Beginner and intermediate level, runs weekly, Fridays, 9:15 a.m., Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. Class size limited to six students. Advance registration requested; 203-255-5300; bridgeporthospital.org. Yoga, restorative yoga and teen yoga classes also available. Call for full class schedule.

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Pilates

Weekly, Mondays, 5:30 p.m., Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. Class size limited to six students. Advance registration requested; 203-255-5300.

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Wellness booth

St. Vincent?s Wellness Booth has relocated to the main lobby of the Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Health screenings and services offered to the public every Tuesday and Wednesday, 11:30-3:30. No appointment required for any of the screenings.

Free blood pressure screenings are performed every Tuesday. On Wednesdays, Cholesterol/HDL ratio/glucose screening, $18; a lipid panel requiring a four-hour fast, $25; blood sugar screening alone requiring a two-hour fast, $1.

For more information call St. Vincent?s toll-free Care Line at 1-877-255-SVHS (7847).

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Heart-disease risk quiz

Bridgeport Hospital offers ?Take 10 for Your Ticker,? a free online heart-disease risk quiz. Quiz is available at bridgeporthospital.org, by clicking on the link in the ?Take 10 for Your Ticker? box.

For those without access to the Internet, a free printed copy of the quiz, with an explanation of results, is available by calling 1-888-357-2396.

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Help for new movers

Bridgeport Hospital?s free Newcomer Concierge Service helps new residents of Bridgeport and surrounding towns locate physicians to meet personal and family health needs. Service also provides information on health-related events and activities. To reach the Newcomer Concierge Service, call 203-330-7462, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays, 9-3.

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Caregiver support

Atria Stratford Assisted Living, 6911 Main St., offers a support group for family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer?s disease, or related dementia, living at home or in an extended care facility. Group meets first Wednesday of the month, 6-7; 203-380-0006.

Grasmere By The Sea: One Post Road, Fairfield, offers open discussion about Alzheimer?s disease and related dementias, first Thursday of month, 4 p.m.; 203-365-6470.

Jewish Family Service, 2370 Park Ave., Bridgeport, offers support group for family members or friends helping with the care of adults over 60, meets first Wednesday of month, 6-7:30 p.m. RSVP: 366-5438, Ext. 219.

Sunset Shores Adult Day Health Center, 720 Barnum Avenue Cut Off, Stratford, offers a support group for people caring for a loved one with Alzheimer?s disease or a related dementia. Meetings are the second Wednesday of the month, 4-5; 380-1228.

St. Vincent?s SWIM family support group meets first Tuesday of each month, 4-5:30 p.m., Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. No reservations required; 203-576-6158; tmclaugh@st.vincents.org.

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Prostate cancer survivors

St. Vincent?s SWIM Prostate Cancer Survivors Educational Lecture Series and Support Group meets at Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, at St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Call 203-576-6158 or e-mail tmlaugh@stvincents.org for dates and times of lectures. No reservations required.

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Breast cancer wellness

St. Vincent?s Breast Cancer Survivor Wellness program, intended for women who have recently undergone breast cancer surgery and those further along in their recovery, 4:30-5:30, Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. No reservations required. For dates, call 203-576-6158.

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Breast cancer stories

Bizymoms.com has helped many women with whatever information it is they may be seeking about breast cancer. A panel of cancer experts, women, wives, and mothers are waiting to share their expertise and stories while learning about yours. Visit bizymoms.com/cares/breastcancer.

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Cancer boutique

St. Vincent?s partners with Saxon-Kent Lingerie of Orange to provide special products for women battling cancer. Boutique hours: Monday-Friday, 10-4. Fitting hours for wigs, prosthesis, mastectomy bras, lymphedema sleeves etc: Tuesdays, 2-4; Wednesdays, 10-noon; or by appointment; 203-576-6158; tmclaugh@stvincents.org. Boutique hours: 10-4.

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Breast cancer support

Woman-to-Woman, an American Cancer Society sponsored support group for women who have had breast cancer or who have been newly diagnosed, meets monthly, 2-4 p.m., Cambridge Manor, 2428 Easton Tpke., Fairfield; 1-800-889-3340.

?

Cancer resource library

St. Vincent?s SWIM Cancer Resource Library is open Monday-Friday, 9-5, Maureen Ringel Cancer Resource Library, Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, St. V?s. Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. A representative is available to assist visitors with navigation of web-based searches, cancer clinical trial searches and direct patient referrals to a variety of free resources Monday-Friday, 9-1.

?

MS support

Trumbull MS support group meets third Tuesday of each month, 6:30-8, Trumbull Library, 33 Quality St. Ed, 445-0118; 1-800- FIGHT MS; ctfightsMS.org.

?

Scleroderma support

The American Society For Scleroderma Research has formed a support group for all afflicted by this disease. The group meets every second Thursday, 6:30-7:30, St. Vincent Medical Center, Main Street, Bridgeport; Aimee Turiano or Joy LoSchiavo, 203-273-2034.

Source: http://www.eastoncourier.com/3302/3302/

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ForeverMap2: Your Offline OpenStreetMaps App Now for iOS

Originally a Nook exclusive before coming to Android last fall, the open source, Google Maps alternative is finally coming to iOS, which is arguably the most alternative-map-app-needing platform of them all.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/PCM2JYou3DA/forevermap2-your-offline-openstreetmaps-app-now-for-io-487082577

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Understanding student weaknesses

Public release date: 2-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Peter Reuell
preuell@fas.harvard.edu
617-496-8070
Harvard University

Best science teachers can predict their pupils' misconceptions, study says

If you had to explain what causes the change in seasons, could you? Surprisingly, studies have shown that as many as 95 percent of people including most college graduates hold the incorrect belief that the seasons are the result of the Earth moving closer to or further from the sun.

The real answer, scientists say, is that as Earth's axis is tilted with respect to its orbit, when on its journey it is angled inward, the sun rises higher in the sky, and that results in more direct sunlight, longer days, and warmer temperatures. Distance plays no role; we are actually closest to the sun in the dead of winter, during the first week of January.

Why do so many people continue to hold the wrong idea? The answer, said Philip Sadler, the Frances W. Wright Senior Lecturer in the Department of Astronomy and director of the science education department at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), may be found in what science teachers know.

As part of an unusual study, Sadler and colleagues tested 181 middle school physical science teachers and nearly 10,000 of their students, and showed that while most of the teachers were well-versed in their subject, those better able to predict their students' wrong answers on standardized tests helped students learn the most. The findings are described in a paper published last month in the American Educational Research Journal titled "The Influence of Teachers' Knowledge on Student Learning in Middle-School Physical Science Classrooms."

"What our research group found was that for the science that people considered factual, teacher knowledge was very important. If the teachers didn't know the facts, they couldn't convey them to the students," Sadler said. "But for the kinds of questions that measure conceptual understanding, even if the teacher knew the scientific explanation, that wasn't enough to guarantee that their students would actually learn the science."

Sadler pointed to the question of what happens to a lamp when the power cord is squeezed.

"Middle school students say if you squeeze hard you will see the light gets dimmer, even though they've stepped on that cord before, or they've put the corner of their chair on that cord before, and nothing has happened," he said. "Their theoretical understanding of the way the world works includes the idea that electricity is like water flowing through a garden hose. If you put some pressure on the cord, you will get less electricity out the other end. It turns out that for most major scientific concepts, kids come into the classroom even in middle school with a whole set of beliefs that are commonly at odds with what scientists, and their science teachers, know to be true."

If teachers are to help students change their incorrect beliefs, they first need to know what those are. That's where the standardized tests developed by Sadler and his colleagues come in. Multiple-choice answers were gleaned from hundreds of research studies examining students' ideas, particularly those that are common such as electricity behaving like water.

For the study described in their paper, Sadler and his colleagues asked teachers to answer each question twice, once to give the scientifically correct answer, and the second time to predict which wrong answer their students were likeliest to choose. Students were then given the tests three times throughout the year to determine whether their knowledge improved.

The results showed that students' scores showed the most improvement when teachers were able to predict their students' wrong answers.

"Nobody has quite used test questions before in this way," Sadler said. "What I had noticed, even before we did this study, was that the most amazing science teachers actually know what their students' wrong ideas are. It occurred to us that there might be a way to measure this kind of teacher knowledge easily without needing to spend long periods of time observing teachers in their classrooms."

To help teachers hone this knowledge, Sadler and his colleagues have made the kind of tests used in their study publicly available. More than a dozen tests covering kindergarten through grade 12 are downloadable here, after completing a tutorial on their development and interpretation.

Going forward, Sadler said he hopes to conduct similar studies in the life sciences, particularly around concepts such as evolution and heredity. He also plans to study what types of professional development and new teacher preparation programs help improve instructors' facility in knowing what their students know.

Ultimately, Sadler said, he hopes teachers will be able to use the tests to help design lessons that change students' incorrect ideas and help them learn science more quickly and easily. This is particularly important as states adopt the recently released Next Generation Science Standards.

"State certification for teaching science might well include making sure that new teachers are aware of the common student misconceptions that they will encounter, as well as being proficient in the underlying science," said Sadler. "Prior to this, there has never been an easy way to measure teachers' knowledge of student thinking, while we have probably been placing too much emphasis on testing for advanced scientific knowledge.

"Everyone has had a teacher or professor who is incredibly knowledgeable about their field, yet some of them are less-than-stellar teachers," he continued. "One of the reasons for this is that teachers can be unaware of what is going on in their students' heads, even though they may have had exactly the same ideas when they were students themselves. Knowledge of student misconceptions is a critical tool for science teachers. It can help teachers to decide which demonstration to do in class, and to start the lesson by asking students to predict what's going to happen. If a teacher doesn't have this special kind of knowledge, though, it's nearly impossible to change students' ideas.

"The best teachers base their lessons on what the American humorist-philosopher Will Rogers observed: It ain't what they don't know that gives them trouble, it's what they know that ain't so."

###

Funding for this research was provided by the National Science Foundation.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 2-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Peter Reuell
preuell@fas.harvard.edu
617-496-8070
Harvard University

Best science teachers can predict their pupils' misconceptions, study says

If you had to explain what causes the change in seasons, could you? Surprisingly, studies have shown that as many as 95 percent of people including most college graduates hold the incorrect belief that the seasons are the result of the Earth moving closer to or further from the sun.

The real answer, scientists say, is that as Earth's axis is tilted with respect to its orbit, when on its journey it is angled inward, the sun rises higher in the sky, and that results in more direct sunlight, longer days, and warmer temperatures. Distance plays no role; we are actually closest to the sun in the dead of winter, during the first week of January.

Why do so many people continue to hold the wrong idea? The answer, said Philip Sadler, the Frances W. Wright Senior Lecturer in the Department of Astronomy and director of the science education department at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), may be found in what science teachers know.

As part of an unusual study, Sadler and colleagues tested 181 middle school physical science teachers and nearly 10,000 of their students, and showed that while most of the teachers were well-versed in their subject, those better able to predict their students' wrong answers on standardized tests helped students learn the most. The findings are described in a paper published last month in the American Educational Research Journal titled "The Influence of Teachers' Knowledge on Student Learning in Middle-School Physical Science Classrooms."

"What our research group found was that for the science that people considered factual, teacher knowledge was very important. If the teachers didn't know the facts, they couldn't convey them to the students," Sadler said. "But for the kinds of questions that measure conceptual understanding, even if the teacher knew the scientific explanation, that wasn't enough to guarantee that their students would actually learn the science."

Sadler pointed to the question of what happens to a lamp when the power cord is squeezed.

"Middle school students say if you squeeze hard you will see the light gets dimmer, even though they've stepped on that cord before, or they've put the corner of their chair on that cord before, and nothing has happened," he said. "Their theoretical understanding of the way the world works includes the idea that electricity is like water flowing through a garden hose. If you put some pressure on the cord, you will get less electricity out the other end. It turns out that for most major scientific concepts, kids come into the classroom even in middle school with a whole set of beliefs that are commonly at odds with what scientists, and their science teachers, know to be true."

If teachers are to help students change their incorrect beliefs, they first need to know what those are. That's where the standardized tests developed by Sadler and his colleagues come in. Multiple-choice answers were gleaned from hundreds of research studies examining students' ideas, particularly those that are common such as electricity behaving like water.

For the study described in their paper, Sadler and his colleagues asked teachers to answer each question twice, once to give the scientifically correct answer, and the second time to predict which wrong answer their students were likeliest to choose. Students were then given the tests three times throughout the year to determine whether their knowledge improved.

The results showed that students' scores showed the most improvement when teachers were able to predict their students' wrong answers.

"Nobody has quite used test questions before in this way," Sadler said. "What I had noticed, even before we did this study, was that the most amazing science teachers actually know what their students' wrong ideas are. It occurred to us that there might be a way to measure this kind of teacher knowledge easily without needing to spend long periods of time observing teachers in their classrooms."

To help teachers hone this knowledge, Sadler and his colleagues have made the kind of tests used in their study publicly available. More than a dozen tests covering kindergarten through grade 12 are downloadable here, after completing a tutorial on their development and interpretation.

Going forward, Sadler said he hopes to conduct similar studies in the life sciences, particularly around concepts such as evolution and heredity. He also plans to study what types of professional development and new teacher preparation programs help improve instructors' facility in knowing what their students know.

Ultimately, Sadler said, he hopes teachers will be able to use the tests to help design lessons that change students' incorrect ideas and help them learn science more quickly and easily. This is particularly important as states adopt the recently released Next Generation Science Standards.

"State certification for teaching science might well include making sure that new teachers are aware of the common student misconceptions that they will encounter, as well as being proficient in the underlying science," said Sadler. "Prior to this, there has never been an easy way to measure teachers' knowledge of student thinking, while we have probably been placing too much emphasis on testing for advanced scientific knowledge.

"Everyone has had a teacher or professor who is incredibly knowledgeable about their field, yet some of them are less-than-stellar teachers," he continued. "One of the reasons for this is that teachers can be unaware of what is going on in their students' heads, even though they may have had exactly the same ideas when they were students themselves. Knowledge of student misconceptions is a critical tool for science teachers. It can help teachers to decide which demonstration to do in class, and to start the lesson by asking students to predict what's going to happen. If a teacher doesn't have this special kind of knowledge, though, it's nearly impossible to change students' ideas.

"The best teachers base their lessons on what the American humorist-philosopher Will Rogers observed: It ain't what they don't know that gives them trouble, it's what they know that ain't so."

###

Funding for this research was provided by the National Science Foundation.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/hu-usw050213.php

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Parents see more food, skin allergies in children

In this Sunday, May 29, 2011 file photo, Jeff Glazer guides his allergy-sniffing dog, Riley, through a dugout of a ball field before his team's baseball game in Middlebury, Conn. Riley accompanies Jeff to ensure there are no peanut products or residue that could trigger his life-threatening allergic reactions. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

In this Sunday, May 29, 2011 file photo, Jeff Glazer guides his allergy-sniffing dog, Riley, through a dugout of a ball field before his team's baseball game in Middlebury, Conn. Riley accompanies Jeff to ensure there are no peanut products or residue that could trigger his life-threatening allergic reactions. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Parents are reporting more skin and food allergies in their children, a big government survey found.

Experts aren't sure what's behind the increase. Could it be that children are growing up in households so clean that it leaves them more sensitive to things that can trigger allergies? Or are mom and dad paying closer attention to rashes and reactions, and more likely to call it an allergy?

"We don't really have the answer," said Dr. Lara Akinbami of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the senior author of the new report released Thursday.

The CDC survey suggests that about 1 in 20 U.S. children have food allergies. That's a 50 percent increase from the late 1990s. For eczema and other skin allergies, it's 1 in 8 children, an increase of 69 percent. It found no increase, however, in hay fever or other respiratory allergies.

Already familiar with the trend in food allergies are school nurses, who have grown busier with allergy-related duties, like banishing peanuts at school parties or stocking emergency allergy medicine.

Sally Schoessler started as school nurse in 1992 in New York state, and didn't encounter a child with a food allergy for a few years. But by the time she left school nursing in 2005, "there were children in the majority of classrooms" with the disorder, said Schoessler, who now works at the National Association of School Nurses in Silver Spring, Md.

Food allergies tend to be most feared; severe cases may cause anaphylactic shock or even death from eating, say, a peanut. But many food allergies are milder and something children grow out of. Skin conditions like eczema, too, can be mild and temporary.

It's been difficult getting exact numbers for children's allergies, and the new report isn't precise. It uses annual surveys of thousands of adults interviewed in person. The report compares answers from 1997-1999 to those from 2009-2011.

Parents were asked if ? in the previous year ? their child had any kind of food or digestive allergy, any eczema or skin allergy, or any kind of respiratory allergy like hay fever.

The researchers did not ask if a doctor had made the diagnosis or check medical records. So some parents may have been stating a personal opinion, and not necessarily a correct one.

"We see a lot of kids in clinic that really aren't" allergic to the foods their parents worry about, said Dr. Morton Galina, a pediatric allergist at Atlanta's Emory School of Medicine.

For example, hives are sometimes blamed on a certain food when a virus was the actual cause, he added.

But experts also said they believe there is a real ? and unexplained ? increase going on, too.

One of the more popular theories is "the hygiene hypothesis," which says that exposure to germs and parasites in early childhood somehow prevents the body from developing certain allergies.

The hypothesis argues that there is a downside to America's culture of disinfection and overuse of antibiotics. The argument has been bolstered by a range of laboratory and observational studies, including some that have found lower rates of eczema and food allergies in foreign-born children in the U.S.

There could be other explanations, though. Big cities have higher childhood allergy rates, so maybe some air pollutant is the unrecognized trigger, said Dr. Peter Lio, a Northwestern University pediatric dermatologist who specializes in eczema.

Some suspect the change has something to do with the evolution in how foods are grown and produced, like the crossbreeding of wheat or the use of antibiotics in cattle. But Lio said tests haven't supported that.

Emory's Galina said the new CDC statistics may reflect a recent "sea change" in the recommendations for when young children should first eat certain foods.

In families with a history of eczema or food allergies, parents were advised to wait for years before introducing their young children to foods tied to severe allergies, like peanuts, milks and eggs. But professional associations changed that advice a few years ago after research suggested that allergies were more likely in those kids when the foods were delayed.

The old advice "was exactly the wrong thing to do," and could have contributed to some of the increased cases, Galina said.

The CDC report also found:

? Food and respiratory allergies are more common in higher-income families than the poor,

? Eczema and skin allergies are most common among the poor.

? More black children have the skin problems, 17 percent, compared to 12 percent of white children and about 10 percent of Hispanic children.

The mother of a 13-year-old girl, who is black, runs an eczema support group in suburban Washington, D.C. Renee Dantzler says roughly half the families in her group are African-American. Eczema is an itchy skin condition, which often occurs on the arms or behind the knees. The cause isn't always clear.

Her daughter, Jasmine, started getting rashes at 6 months and got much worse when she was 4.

"Her whole body would flare. If she ate something, you would kind of hold your breath," Dantzler said. "And she's allergic to every grass and tree God made."

Her daughter took to wearing long sleeves and pants, even in hot weather, so people wouldn't see her skin scarred ? and whitened in spots ? from scratching. She began to improve about four years ago with steroid creams and other treatments and has gradually become less self-conscious about her skin, Dantzler said.

She's now on a school track team, which means wearing shorts.

"She's the only one on the team with long socks," her mom said.

___

Online:

CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-05-02-Children's%20Allergies/id-c6d019ad134f45d4bfbd5a9bd19d3350

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AirPrint for everyone goes corporate with Printopia Pro

Ecamm Software's Printopia is an excellent utility for Mac users who want to be able to print from iOS devices but don't want to invest in an AirPrint-compatible printer. The utility installs on the Mac and enables any printer connected to that Mac (either physically or over the network) to appear as an AirPrint-compatible device on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Now Ecamm has announced Printopia Pro, a version of the software designed for corporate use.

Printopia is great for small networks like those in your home, but it runs out of gas on corporate networks. Printopia is dependent on Bonjour, Apple's name for zero-configuration networking. Bonjour is typically confined to a single subnet, however, which can limit Printopia's use if the iOS device and the wired printer are on different parts of a corporate network.

Printopia Pro employs "unicast" Bonjour, according to the developers. Unicasting is a networking technique that sends data to a single network address. As a result, Ecamm says that IT staff don't need to reconfigure network architecture to get Printopia Pro to work.

Printopia Pro is server-based, aimed at helping large groups of iOS device users - up to hundreds at a time - to print. The software provides management tools for IT staff to configure printer settings, manage print jobs and more.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/pVRU4w1ZMZ0/story01.htm

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Democrats in decent shape for '14 elections, new poll finds (Washington Bureau)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/302788468?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Around the world, angry workers unite on May Day

A Cambodian garment factory worker, left, is her face painted with the U.S. currency sign as she joins a rally on May Day in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, May 1, 2013. They demand the government an increase in wages and better working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

A Cambodian garment factory worker, left, is her face painted with the U.S. currency sign as she joins a rally on May Day in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, May 1, 2013. They demand the government an increase in wages and better working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

A Cambodian Buddhist monk, center, together with local workers march on May Day in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, May 1, 2013. They demand the government an increase in wages and better working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Cambodian garment factory workers stage a rally to mark the May Day in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, May 1, 2013. The rally participants called the government for a raise in their minimum wages and better working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Cambodian garment factory workers hold papers written with their demands during a rally to mark the May Day in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Wednesday, May 1, 2013. The rally participants called the government for a raise in their minimum wages and better working condition. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Indonesian workers with their faces and bodies painted in white and an Indonesian word "Buruh" that means "Workers" in red take part in a rally commemorating May Day in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, May 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

ISTANBUL (AP) ? Workers around the world united in anger during May Day rallies Wednesday ? from fury in Europe over austerity measures that have cut wages, reduced benefits and eliminated many jobs altogether, to rage in Asia over relentlessly low pay, the rising cost of living and hideous working conditions that have left hundreds dead in recent months.

In protests, strikes and other demonstrations held in cities across the planet, activists lashed out at political and business leaders they allege have ignored workers' voices or enriched themselves at the expense of laborers. In some places, the demonstrations turned violent, with activists clashing with police.

Many nations have been struggling with economic downturns for several years now, and workplace disasters in developing countries are nothing new, but the intensity of some of Wednesday's gatherings suggested workers' frustrations have grown especially acute, with many demanding immediate action to address their concerns.

The anger was painfully evident in Bangladesh, where the collapse last week of an illegally built eight-story facility housing multiple garment factories killed more than 400 in a Dhaka suburb. The building collapse followed a garment factory fire in November that killed 112 people in the country, and it has increased the pressure on the global garment industry to improve working conditions.

A loud procession of thousands of workers wound through central Dhaka on Wednesday. Many waved the national flag and demanded the death penalty for the now-detained owner of the doomed building. From a loudspeaker on the back of a truck, a participant spoke for the throngs gathered: "My brother has died. My sister has died. Their blood will not be valueless."

The Bangladesh tragedy drew a denunciation from Pope Francis during a private Mass at the Vatican. He blasted what he called the "slave" wages of those who died, many of whom were being buried Wednesday as other bodies were still being pulled from the rubble. Francis criticized the focus on "balance books" and personal profit that he said are tied to the failure to pay workers fair wages.

In Greece and Spain, increasing numbers of people are losing their jobs as governments grappling with a debt crisis have been cutting spending, raising taxes and pursuing other stinging austerity measures. Both countries have unemployment rates hovering just above 27 percent.

Unions in Greece held a May Day strike that brought ferry and train services to a halt, and organized peaceful protest marches through central Athens. The country, which nearly went bankrupt in 2010, is now in its sixth year of a deep recession and is dependent on international bailout loans.

While the austerity drive has succeeded in reducing high budget deficits, it has been at a huge cost: under the terms of its latest loan disbursement, Athens has agreed to sack about 15,000 civil servants through 2014.

"We are here to send a message to ... those in power in Europe, that we will continue our struggle against unfair, open-ended policies that are destroying millions of jobs on a national and European level," said Kostas Tsikrikas, leader of Greek public sector labor union ADEDY.

More than 100,000 Spaniards infuriated by austerity measures and economic recession took to the streets of some 80 cities in trade union-organized rallies Wednesday, with the largest protests in Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao.

Under banners reading "Fight for your rights," union leaders Ignacio Fernandez Toxo of Workers Commissions and Candido Mendez of the General Workers Union called on the government to reverse its austerity drive and urged politicians to agree an all-party economic plan aimed at creating jobs.

Francisco Moreno, an unemployed bookkeeper, scoffed at Spanish leaders' calls on the public to be patient. "You can only be patient if you have savings, money in the bank," the 47-year-old said. "You can't be patient if you have no income and kids to feed."

May Day events in Turkey turned violent when some demonstrators, angered at a government ban on a symbolic rally point, hurled stones, gasoline bombs and fireworks at riot police. Security forces used water cannon and tear gas to prevent crowds from accessing Taksim Square, and Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu said 22 police officers and at least three passersby were injured. More than 72 demonstrators were arrested.

The square is the city's main hub and is undergoing a major facelift. Authorities banned celebrations at Taksim this year, citing construction safety risks, and partially suspended public transport services to prevent large gatherings there. But trade unions had vowed to mark May Day in Taksim, which has symbolic importance because dozens of protesters were killed there in 1977 when unidentified gunmen opened fire on May Day celebrators.

"Taksim is our sacred venue. Open it up to the workers!" demanded Kani Beko, leader of a major labor union confederation.

Boos and whistles from protesters forced Danish Prime Minister Thorning-Schmidt to halt her May Day speech to thousands at the gathering in Aarhus, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of Copenhagen. Some believe that she has been leaning too far to the right to uphold the goals of her leftist Social Democratic Party. As she was walking to her car, a man squirted her with a water pistol. Police spokesman Carsten Dahl said police had detained the 23-year-old man, but the premier was not injured.

Swedish police said seven people were arrested and five were injured as counter-demonstrators tried to interrupt a May Day parade by right-wing extremists in the southern city of Jonkoping. Police spokesman Goran Gunnarsson said 60 others were briefly detained as officers tried to keep the two sides apart.

In Indonesia, the world's fourth-most populous country, tens of thousands of workers rallied for higher pay and other demands. Some also carried banners reading: "Sentence corruptors to death and seize their properties" to protest a proposal for the government to slash fuel subsidies that have kept the country's pump prices among the cheapest in the region.

In the Philippines, an estimated 8,000 workers marched in Manila to also demand better pay and regular jobs instead of contractual work. Some rallied outside the U.S. Embassy, torching a wooden painting stamped with the words "low wages" and "union busting" that depicted Philippine President Benigno Aquino III as a lackey of President Barack Obama.

More than 10,000 Taiwanese protested a government plan to cut pension payouts to solve worsening fiscal problems, saying it reflects a government policy to bolster economic growth at the expense of workers' benefits. Analysts say poor income levels have forced many young Taiwanese to share housing with their parents and delay marriages.

And in Cambodia, more than 5,000 garment workers marched in Phnom Penh, demanding better working conditions and a salary increase from $80 to $150 a month. About a half million people work in the country's $4.6 billion garment industry, which makes brand name clothes for many U.S. and European retailers.

In Mexico, public school teachers who have blocked highways and battled police in recent months marched peacefully Wednesday in Mexico City and the southern city of Chilpancingo, hoping to block an education reform law that introduces teacher evaluations and diminishes the power of unions in hiring decisions.

"Not here, not there, the reform shall not pass anywhere!" the marchers chanted.

In his May 1 speech, President Enrique Pena Nieto promised new effort to produce more salaried jobs, noting that two-thirds of Mexicans have no benefits and low wages.

In Havana, tens of thousands of Cubans joined the communist nation's traditional May Day march in the Plaza of the Revolution. This year's edition was dedicated to Cuba's ally, the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Cuban President Raul Castro attended the event, but did not speak.

____

Associated Press writers Margie Mason and Ali Kotarumalos in Jakarta, Indonesia; Teresa Cerojano in Manila, Philippines; Annie Huang in Taipei, Taiwan; Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Heather Tan in Singapore; Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong; and Chris Blake and Farid Hossain in Savar, Bangladesh, Nicholas Paphitis in Athens, Karl Ritter in Stockholm, Harold Heckle in Madrid, Jan Olsen in Copenhagen, Andrea Rodriguez in Havana and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-01-May%20Day%20Rallies/id-49c2f06472c24ffc986e5e2ebd0c9fef

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