XYDO.COM: top articles for Music http://www.xydo.com WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney are clashing in a reinvigorated election-year debate over tax fairness, with both sides claiming their position is best for a struggling middle class. Romney challenged Obama's call for a one-year extension of tax cuts limited to households earning less than $250,000, saying the U.S. needed to restore economic freedom for everyone. "To restore economic freedom we have to have taxes that are competitive with other nations," Romney told radio host Michael Medved on Monday. Romney has pushed for an extension of all the cuts signed into law by President George W. Bush. The across-the-board cuts will expire at the end of the year unless Congress acts. A day after the president sought to elevate the tax debate as a key election-year issue, Obama was to make his tax pitch in Iowa, the state that launched his presidential bid in 2008. He faces a tough contest there against Romney this fall. The White House and Obama's campaign want to use the tax debate to portray congressional Republicans as obstructionists and Romney as a defender of the wealthy who is willing to push an across-the-board extension of the tax breaks at the expense of those earning more modest incomes. "Let's not hold the vast majority of Americans and our entire economy hostage while we debate the merits of another tax cut for the wealthy," Obama said Monday at the White House. Obama threatened to veto a full extension of the Bush tax cuts, saying in an interview with WWL-TV in New Orleans on Monday that a tax cut for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans would cost $1 trillion over the next decade at a time when the nation needs to reduce the federal deficit. On Tuesday, the Obama campaign reiterated calls for Romney to release more of his tax returns. In a video posted on YouTube, the campaign asks: "How long can Romney keep information on his investments in overseas tax havens secret? And why did he do it in the first place?" Emphasizing the consequences to families, Obama was meeting Tuesday with an Iowa couple that the White House said would benefit from his tax plan. He was then holding a campaign event at a Cedar Rapids community college where he planned to make the case for the extension for those earning $250,000 or less. Obama was making another visit to a battleground state with a more positive economic outlook than other parts of the nation. Iowa's strong farm economy has pushed the state's unemployment rate down to 5.1 percent, well below the national average of 8.2 percent. Obama took a bus tour through parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania last week — both states have more positive jobless rates than the rest of the nation — and was campaigning in Virginia on Friday and Saturday. Virginia's unemployment rate is 5.5 percent. Yet polls in Iowa have shown Obama locked in a tight race with Romney for the state's six electoral votes, a potential warning sign after Obama triumphed in Iowa's leadoff caucuses in 2008 and then captured the state in the general election. Senior campaign adviser David Plouffe said Tuesday the Obama campaign wants to focus its appeal on battleground states "to educate voters about what the choice is" in 2012. Plouffe said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the Obama camp is concerned about the role of super PACs in bankrolling Romney's challenge, charging that they want to "buy the White House" for the former Massachusetts governor. "Money matters in politics," he said. Many voters have expressed wariness about Obama's handling of the economy, his plans to reduce the federal debt and his ability to cure Washington gridlock. An NBC News/Marist poll in Iowa released in late May gave Romney a slight edge (46 percent to 41 percent) on who would best handle the economy — but when asked who would do a better job of reducing the national debt, voters gave Romney a solid advantage over Obama (52 percent to 34 percent). "The president's got his work cut out for him here. It's not one to be marked over into his column by any stretch of the imagination," said Rob Tully, a former Iowa state party chairman. "But this state could easily go back into the president's column if there's commonsense decisions made between now and November." Republicans were countering Obama on multiple fronts. Ahead of Obama's visit, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, called the president's tax plan another attempt to "divide people one against another based on class warfare. The very people we need to invest and create jobs are afraid to because they're afraid their taxes are going up." Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, was shadowing Obama in Cedar Rapids with a news conference where he planned to accuse the president of wasting taxpayer money on stimulus programs that he said created jobs overseas. It aimed to rebut criticism from Democrats that Romney's former private equity firm did business with companies that shifted jobs to lower-wage countries to cut costs. Romney was holding fundraisers in Colorado and planned to discuss energy policies on Tuesday in Grand Junction, Colo., an oil town in the western part of the state. The former Massachusetts governor held a closed-door fundraiser Monday night in Aspen, where between 300 and 400 guests gave about $2.4 million, according to the campaign. Guests in Ferraris, Bentleys and Porsches drove down a private gravel road past a horse ranch to valet park outside the sprawling stone private home. Romney's staff set up speakers blaring music outside of the tent set up in the backyard, noise that prevented reporters on the public sidewalk outside from hearing any of Romney's remarks. Romney's event in Grand Junction carried some symbolic meaning. It was the site of an August 2009 Obama rally where he focused on selling his national health care plan to the American people. Hunt reported from Aspen, Colo. Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont contributed from Des Moines, Iowa. http://news.yahoo.com/iowa-obama-pitch-tax-cuts-064957388.html http://news.yahoo.com/iowa-obama-pitch-tax-cuts-064957388.html While you await for the next installment in the Batman film series, "The Dark Knight Rises," you can entertain yourself with several trailers for the movie, a 13-minute featurette about its making, and now, the movie's soundtrack in its entirety. Empire has made available the soundtrack, signed by Hans Zimmer, who has composed music for over 100 films, including 'Gladiator,' 'The Last Samurai' and 'Inception.' It will officially be available from Amazon and iTunes come July 16. Zimmer has also collaborated with James Newton Howard on the scores for two previous Batman movies: 'Batman Begins' and 'The Dark Knight.' Listen to the soundtrack below and tell us what you think! b… Continue reading... More About: batman, dark knight rises, soundtrack http://mashable.com/2012/07/10/dark-knight-rises-soundtrack/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 http://mashable.com/2012/07/10/dark-knight-rises-soundtrack/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's parliamentary speaker said the chamber would reconvene on Tuesday after the new, Islamist president defied the generals by quashing their decision to dissolve the assembly last month. Responding a day after Mohamed Mursi's decree, the army on Monday defended its action to dissolve parliament and, in an apparent swipe at the president, said it was confident "all state institutions" would respect the constitution and the law. The row, barely a week since Mursi took office, threatens new uncertainty for a nation whose economy is on the ropes and where many are anxious for an end to the political turmoil after 17 turbulent months since the fall of Hosni Mubarak. Parliament speaker Saad al-Katatni, in remarks carried by the state news agency, said the lower house would sit from noon (1000 GMT) on Tuesday, in defiance of the army's order to dismiss parliament a month ago, a move based on a court ruling. Katatni, like Mursi, hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, the long-time adversary of Mubarak and the other military men who ruled Egypt for six decades until June 30, when power was formally handed over to Mursi by the army council. "Early confrontation," wrote Al-Akhbar newspaper, summing up Mursi's decision which could end a brief honeymoon with the military council, led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Yet earlier in the day, Mursi and Tantawi showed no hint of discord when the president attended a military parade. Seated side-by-side, Mursi and Tantawi turned to each other in a brief jovial exchange, television images showed. The military council which had run Egypt since Mubarak was toppled in February 2011 sought to trim the president's authority before the handover on June 30. It had dissolved parliament and taken legislative power for itself. Mursi's decision hands those powers back to a parliament packed with his Islamist allies. He also ordered new elections for parliament - once a constitution is passed by referendum. The dispute is part of a broader power struggle which could take years to play out, pitting long sidelined Islamists against the generals seeking to keep their privileges and status and a wider establishment still filled with Mubarak-era officials. Responding to Mursi's challenge, the military council said in a statement read out on state television it had dissolved parliament based on ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court, and had always acting to support "the will of the people." It also said it "was confident all institutions of state will respect constitutional decrees", an apparent jibe at the Brotherhood president, and affirmed "the importance of the sovereignty of law and the constitution" to protect the state. After a meeting over Mursi's decree, the supreme court said its decisions were final and binding, and said it would review cases challenging the decree's constitutionality on Tuesday. As well as riling the army and judiciary, the move raises tensions between the Brotherhood, the biggest winners so far in Egypt's political transformation, and liberal and other groups concerned by what they see as an Islamist power grab. The Egyptian Social Democratic Party, which has a handful of seats in parliament, condemned the president's recall of the assembly, saying it was a "violation of the judicial power" and resembled the high-handed approach long seen from the army. About 1,000 people gathered in Cairo's prosperous Nasser City suburb to protest against Mursi's decision and call for parliament not to convene. The Brotherhood called on its website for a show of support for Mursi on the streets on Tuesday. But the Brotherhood played down any dispute. "We affirm that there is no confrontation with the judiciary and the decision respects the verdict of the constitutional court," said presidential aide Yasser Ali. Katatni said parliament would discuss on Tuesday "how to implement the court ruling" that declared the assembly void and a legal committee would be asked to draw up proposals. Some analysts said Mursi's decision to order early elections could offer a compromise by acknowledging the court's assertion that the election to the chamber breached some legal rules. One European diplomatic source said recalling parliament gave Mursi leverage over the military, but could also placate Islamists who dominate the assembly so that Mursi would have a freer hand to pick a broader cabinet with non-Islamist members. "The test will come when we see how the soldiers guarding the parliament building behave when MPs try to convene," the source said. In a sign the generals may not challenge Mursi head on, the state news agency reported that guards at parliament had allowed some members into the building on Monday. It had been declared off limits when the army ordered the chamber dissolved. The military council has less formal room for maneuver now that it has transferred presidential powers to Mursi, even if it has removed some powers from that office. He, however, is in a position that would have seemed unimaginably strong to the Brotherhood a year and half ago, when it was still banned and its members were being hounded by Mubarak. In one of his most high-profile meetings since taking office, Mursi met U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns at the presidential palace on Sunday, signaling the new ties Washington is forging with resurgent Islamists in the region. Burns pledged that the United States, which grants the Egyptian armed forces $1.3 billion a year in military aid, would support Egypt's economy, which has been hemorrhaging cash and is heading for a balance of payments and budget crisis. Once a darling of emerging market fund managers, Egypt has watched foreign investors flee and its vital tourist trade has taken a big knock from the turmoil of the last year and a half. Foreign reserves have plunged to about $15.5 billion, less than half their level before anti-Mubarak protests erupted, and the government has been forced to pay double-digit interest rates, seen as unsustainable, to fund its spending. "Already domestic financing has reached a critical stage where you can't rely totally on the market anymore," said one Western diplomat. The government was running up payment arrears with energy suppliers and raising funds from the central bank, the diplomat noted - tactics sustainable only for a short time. Adding to the murky outlook that is unsettling investors, legal wrangling looks set to continue. Following the judges' dissolution of parliament and scrapping of a constitutional drafting panel appointed by parliament, further challenges in the courts could yet derail a second drafting panel. In addition to cases with the Supreme Constitutional Court, officials said about 20 suits against Mursi's decree had been presented to other courts. One of those was submitted by lawyer and leftist member of parliament Abul Ezz el-Hariry, who said it would be reviewed by an administrative court on Tuesday. (Additional reporting by Marwa Awad and Patrick Werr in Cairo and Paul Taylor in Paris; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Alastair Macdonald) http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-parliament-set-meet-defying-army-044341899.html http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-parliament-set-meet-defying-army-044341899.html The Egyptian parliament convened for less than an hour today in a gesture of defiance against the country's military rulers, who dissolved the legislature. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/10/world/meast/egypt-politics/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29 http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/10/world/meast/egypt-politics/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29 The BBC's Meredith Baker explores efforts by African nations to explore space, and learns about the impact of these technologies on wider issues. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18739694 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18739694 OSLO, July 10 (Reuters) - Norway's government ordered on Monday a last-minute settlement in a dispute between striking oil workers and employers in a move to alleviate market fears over a full closure of its oil industry and a steep cut in Europe's supplies. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/09/norway-strike-idUSL6E8I96DE20120709?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/09/norway-strike-idUSL6E8I96DE20120709?type=companyNews&feedType=RSS&feedName=companyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FcompanyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Company+News%29 Twitter users are countering negative remarks against artist Frank Ocean with kindness after his recent love letter received much attention online. The letter, which Ocean posted on Tumblr, was about his first love at age 19. The person happened to be a man. "By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless. There was no escaping, no negotiating with the feeling. No choice. It was my first love, it changed my life," Ocean reveals in the letter. Many Twitter users have responded negatively to Ocean. Jacob Åström and his friends have created hatetweetstofrankocean.com, intending to fight back with a positive message. Visitors to the site can scroll th… Continue reading... More About: Entertainment, Music, Social Good, spam, Twitter, watercooler http://mashable.com/2012/07/09/frank-ocean-homophobic-tweets/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 http://mashable.com/2012/07/09/frank-ocean-homophobic-tweets/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 Last week we introduced Watercooler. Our newest channel, and your destination for web culture and what’s trending. We are happy to report that you love viral content just as much as we do. The channel has grown, and it is picking up steam. Needless to say, we've spent the last week engrossed in all kinds of trending content. From adorable cat videos to the newest GIFs — you'll find it on Watercooler. Like its namesake, Watercooler is where you can hear what people are buzzing about around the web. We are bringing you the Internet's finest memes, viral videos and outrageous pictures. In honor of Watercooler's success, we put together a list of songs just as addictive. On th… Continue reading... More About: Music, music monday, spotify http://mashable.com/2012/07/09/music-monday-catchy-songs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 http://mashable.com/2012/07/09/music-monday-catchy-songs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 Last week we introduced Watercooler. Our newest channel, and your destination for web culture and what’s trending. We are happy to report that you love viral content just as much as we do. The channel has grown, and it is picking up steam. Needless to say, we've spent the last week engrossed in all kinds of trending content. From adorable cat videos to the newest GIFs — you'll find it on Watercooler. Like its namesake, Watercooler is where you can hear what people are buzzing about around the web. We are bringing you the Internet's finest memes, viral videos and outrageous pictures. In honor of Watercooler's success, we put together a list of songs just as addictive. On th… Continue reading... More About: Music, music monday, spotify http://mashable.com/2012/07/09/music-monday-catchy-songs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 http://mashable.com/2012/07/09/music-monday-catchy-songs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 From now until eternity, Chumbawamba will always be best known for “Tubthumping,” their gigantic, infernally catchy 1997 fluke hit. But the band actually had a career that spanned more than three decades and went through a lot of bizarre changes. They started out, implausibly enough, as an anarcho-punk collective, paragons of the same scene that Crass helped to birth. They’d been around for years, experimenting with different sounds and ideas before signing a deal with EMI and stumbling into fleeting international fame with “Tubthumping.” They kept soldiering on after that song became a kitsch relic, too, and they’re only now announcing that they’re disbanding.Read More... http://stereogum.com/1086542/chumbawamba-break-up/news/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+stereogum%2FcBYa+%28stereogum%29 http://stereogum.com/1086542/chumbawamba-break-up/news/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+stereogum%2FcBYa+%28stereogum%29 Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes reach an agreement to settle their divorce, representatives of both film stars have confirmed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18776462 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18776462 For something that predicts the future, the software is deceptively simple looking. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/09/tech/innovation/police-tech/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/09/tech/innovation/police-tech/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 Egypt's elected parliament will convene Tuesday, a spokesman for the nation's Freedom and Justice Party said Monday. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/09/world/meast/egypt-politics/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/09/world/meast/egypt-politics/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 Egypt's new president on Sunday ordered a parliament dominated by his Islamist party to reconvene, challenging the authority of the generals who had dissolved the assembly in line with a court order. http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/09/12636920-game-of-chicken-egypts-new-president-defies-the-military-orders-parliament-to-reconvene?lite http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/09/12636920-game-of-chicken-egypts-new-president-defies-the-military-orders-parliament-to-reconvene?lite Preliminary results are expected Monday in Libya's first parliamentary elections after more than 40 years under the autocratic rule of the late Moammar Gadhafi. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/09/world/africa/libya-election/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/09/world/africa/libya-election/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Dogs are no longer just man's best friend: The furry family members may also protect infants against breathing problems and infections, a new study suggests. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/09/us-babies-dog-idUSBRE86804320120709?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FhealthNews+%28Reuters+Health+News%29 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/09/us-babies-dog-idUSBRE86804320120709?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FhealthNews+%28Reuters+Health+News%29 The 11-year-old son of Tameka Foster has not experienced any brain activity since admitted to hospital following an accident at Lake Lanie. http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00052054.html http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00052054.html Kyle Glover, son of singer's ex wife, Tameka Foster, was with family on Georgia's Lake Lanier.By Rob Markman Usher and Tameka Foster Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage Things went from bad to worse for Kyle Glover, Usher's 11-year old stepson. After a tragic jet ski accident left the youngster in critical condition on Friday (July 6), doctors have now declared him brain dead. TMZ is reporting that Glover, who is the son of Usher's ex-wife Tameka Foster, has not experienced any brain activity since he was admitted into the hospital two days ago. According to reports the pre-teen and a friend were floating in inner tubes on Lake Lanier in Atlanta Georgia when they were struck by a man on a jet ski. Glover was unresponsive when he was taken out of the water and airlifted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, his friend, an unidentified 15-year old girl was treated for a cut on the head and a broken arm. According to the Atlanta Constitution Journal the Georgia Department of Natural Resources says that alcohol doesn't appear to be a factor in the accident and they are also reporting that man on the jet ski and Glover were a part of the same group on an outing at the lake. Foster and Usher Raymond were married in 2007, but divorced in 2009. They two are reportedly both present at the hospital. Many of Usher and Foster's celebrity friends have begun expressing their deepest sympathies and support on Twitter. "My deepest prayers go out to Tameka, Usher and both of their families right now," wrote Diggy Simmons. "wishing @TamekaRaymond's son godspeed recovery. horrible news to hear," Roots drummer Questlove added, while television personality Lala Anthony wrote: "Praying for @TamekaRaymond and her family. Asking to give her and her family strength during this difficult time. Praying for u Kyle." This tragedy comes a month after Usher released his latest album #1 album Looking 4 Myself. MTV News would like to send our thoughts and prayers out to the Foster, Raymond and Glover family. Please share your well wishes in the comments section. Related Artists Usher http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1689206/ushers-stepson-declared-brain-dead-after-jet-ski-accident.jhtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MTVNewsLatest+%28MTV+News+Latest+Headlines%29 http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1689206/ushers-stepson-declared-brain-dead-after-jet-ski-accident.jhtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MTVNewsLatest+%28MTV+News+Latest+Headlines%29 Egypt's Islamist president fired the first volley Sunday in his battle with the nation's powerful generals, calling on the Islamist-dominated parliament to reconvene despite a military-backed court ruling that dissolved it. http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/08/12627559-egypts-president-reconvenes-dissolved-parliament http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/08/12627559-egypts-president-reconvenes-dissolved-parliament Alliance has not identified nationalities of forces killed by IED; Total 29 people dead from roadside bombs and insurgent attacks http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57468269/nato-6-service-members-killed-in-afghanistan/ http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57468269/nato-6-service-members-killed-in-afghanistan/ Oscar-winning film star Ernest Borgnine dies in LA at age 95 http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=741560&affid=100055 http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=741560&affid=100055 A popular Internet maxim is that no one watches longform video. So what do you do if you want people to watch 24 hours of it? If you're MTV, you bring in an established band with a loyal following and you blend the old (music television) with the new (reality television). This is precisely what MTV tried to do with the latest installment of its O Music Awards. For the show, the company enlisted the Flaming Lips to go on a 24-hour mini-tour of the American south on a quest to set a Guinness World Record for the most live performances in that single period. As if that stunt wasn't big enough, Viacom (which owns MTV) planned to live stream the entire production. This would b… Continue reading... More About: features, mtv, Music, o music awards, The-Flaming-Lips http://mashable.com/2012/07/08/flaming-lips-omas/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 http://mashable.com/2012/07/08/flaming-lips-omas/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 A popular Internet maxim is that no one watches longform video. So what do you do if you want people to watch 24 hours of it? If you're MTV, you bring in an established band with a loyal following and you blend the old (music television) with the new (reality television). This is precisely what MTV tried to do with the latest installment of its O Music Awards. For the show, the company enlisted the Flaming Lips to go on a 24-hour mini-tour of the American south on a quest to set a Guinness World Record for the most live performances in that single period. As if that stunt wasn't big enough, Viacom (which owns MTV) planned to live stream the entire production. This would b… Continue reading... More About: features, mtv, Music, o music awards, The-Flaming-Lips http://mashable.com/2012/07/08/flaming-lips-omas/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 http://mashable.com/2012/07/08/flaming-lips-omas/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29 Egypt's newly elected president announced Sunday that he's overriding a military edict that dissolved the country's elected parliament and calling lawmakers back into session. The move is likely to please President Mohamed Morsy's backers in the Muslim Brotherhood, which won the largest share of seats in parliament in elections earlier this year. But it may put him at odds with constitutional experts and Egypt's military, which said it was following a court ruling that declared the vote invalid. "The decision will be met with objections from constitutional legal experts, and it may be the first test on the relations between Morsy and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces since Morsy took office," said Aly Hassan, a judicial consultant affiliated with the Justice Ministry. http://www.ksat.com/news/Egypt-s-president-calls-back-parliament/-/478452/15441584/-/19jswn/-/index.html http://www.ksat.com/news/Egypt-s-president-calls-back-parliament/-/478452/15441584/-/19jswn/-/index.html Angelina Jolie is made an honorary citizen of Sarajevo at the the city's film festival in recognition of her film about the Bosnian War. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18760368 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18760368 At least 150 people have died in flooding in southern Russia's Krasnodar region, state-run media reported Sunday, citing Russia's interior ministry. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/08/world/europe/russia-floods/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/08/world/europe/russia-floods/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 Health officials say they have made an important discovery in the mystery surrounding the deaths of more than 60 children in Cambodia. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/08/world/asia/cambodia-children-disease/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29 http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/08/world/asia/cambodia-children-disease/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29 TOKYO (Reuters) - Major donors pledged on Sunday to give Afghanistan $16 billion in development aid over the next four years as they seek to prevent it from sliding back into chaos when foreign troops leave, but demanded reforms to fight corruption. Donor fatigue and war weariness have taken their toll on how long the global community is willing to support Afghanistan and there are concerns that without financial backing about security following the withdrawal of most NATO combat troops in 2014. "Afghanistan's security cannot only be measured by the absence of war," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an international donors conference in Tokyo. "It has to be measured by whether people have jobs and economic opportunity, whether they believe their government is serving their needs, whether political reconciliation proceeds and succeeds." The Afghan central bank has estimated that at least $6 billion a year in new investment from foreign donors will be needed to foster economic growth over the next decade. Clinton also stressed the importance of Afghanistan - among the poorest and most corrupt nations in the world - of taking aggressive action to fight graft and promote reforms. "That must include fighting corruption, improving governance, strengthening the rule of law, increasing access to economic opportunity for all Afghans, especially for women," she said. U.S. officials provided no monetary figure for their expected aid, but said the administration would ask Congress to keep assistance levels stable through 2017 compared with the assistance Washington has offered over the past decade. Continued... http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCABRE86601120120708 http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCABRE86601120120708 There is a quiet hum in the air. Moments later, it's clear why. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/07/showbiz/ringo-starr-birthday/index.html?eref=rss_topstories http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/07/showbiz/ringo-starr-birthday/index.html?eref=rss_topstories * Investigators ordered to check emergency warning efforts http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/08/russia-floods-idUSL6E8I737020120708?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FUSenergyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Energy%29 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/08/russia-floods-idUSL6E8I737020120708?feedType=RSS&feedName=rbssEnergyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FUSenergyNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Energy%29 Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) married his partner Saturday in his hometown of Newton, Massachusetts, making him the first sitting congressman to be in a same-sex marriage. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick officiated the ceremony between the 72 year-old Frank and his partner, James Ready, according to a statement from the congressman’s office. Frank met Ready in 2005, and the two have been seeing each other since 2007. Many of Frank’s congressional colleagues turned out for the wedding, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, according to local media reports. In planning the event, Frank said he wanted to invite President Obama—who in May came out in support of same-sex marriage—but was worried the security detail would infringe on the ceremony. “I would be flattered to have the president do that, but it would ruin the party to have the Secret Service,” Frank said when asked in May if the Obamas were invited. “I’m not critical of them, but they can go take their layered protection of the president somewhere else. Not to my party.” In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to recognize same-sex marriages following a state Supreme Judicial Court ruling that it was unconstitutional to limit marriages to only heterosexual couples. Frank has represented Massachusetts’ Fourth Congressional District since 1981, and has been openly gay since 1987. He is retiring at the end of this term. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/07/rep-barney-frank-weds-longtime-partner-in-same-sex-marriage/ http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/07/rep-barney-frank-weds-longtime-partner-in-same-sex-marriage/ Jubilant Libyans chose a new parliament Saturday in their first nationwide vote in decades, but violence and protests in the restive east underscored the challenges ahead as the oil-rich North African nation struggles to restore stability after the ouster of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120707/news/707079841/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120707/news/707079841/ For cities and states buried under mountains of debt, it has become a tantalizing proposition: invite private financial institutions to put up the money to fix aging schools, dilapidated rail lines and beat-up roads. Offer investors steady returns on the projects. And give the public the modern services its governments can no longer afford. http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/07/12616525-more-mega-projects-turning-to-private-investors http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/07/12616525-more-mega-projects-turning-to-private-investors Authorities in Tempe, Arizona, dismantle a drug trafficking cell associated with Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, arresting 20 people and seizing three tons of pot. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/07/justice/arizona-cartel-bust/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/07/justice/arizona-cartel-bust/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 An impossibly high-pitched "aaahh" ascended from a churchy organ vamp, proclaiming D'Angelo's arrival on the biggest stage he has played since his legendary Voodoo tour. Clad in rugged boots, leather vest and trademark tanktop (all black), he appeared with a perfect confidence and poise that belied his recently broken 12-year hiatus from the stage. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/07/showbiz/music/dangelo-essence-fest-rs/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/07/showbiz/music/dangelo-essence-fest-rs/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 The heat gripping much of the country is set to peak Saturday in many places, including some Northeast cities, where temperatures close to or surpassing 100 degrees are expected in Philadelphia and New York. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/07/07/temperatures_over_100_degrees_spread_to_northeast/?rss_id=Top+Stories http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/07/07/temperatures_over_100_degrees_spread_to_northeast/?rss_id=Top+Stories Dean Obeidallah: Is Romney a man "without a core"? The simple answer is: No. But he has a distinct core -- that of a CEO. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/07/opinion/obeidallah-romney-ceo/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/07/opinion/obeidallah-romney-ceo/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 A 73-year-old Spanish man was gored in the right leg on the first day of the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/07/world/europe/spain-running-bulls/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/07/world/europe/spain-running-bulls/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 Clinton announced that the Obama administration designated Afghanistan a “major non-NATO ally” shortly after arriving in the country for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/us-declares-afghanistan-major-non-nato-ally/article4397341/?cmpid=rss1 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/us-declares-afghanistan-major-non-nato-ally/article4397341/?cmpid=rss1 The U.S. named Afghanistan a major non-NATO ally, a designation that allows the two countries to maintain a defense relationship even as U.S. troops withdraw. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/07/world/asia/us-afghanistan-ally-status/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/07/world/asia/us-afghanistan-ally-status/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a previously unannounced visit to Kabul on Saturday to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on the eve of a donors' conference in Tokyo to pledge aid for Afghanistan. http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/06/12606430-clinton-makes-unannounced-visit-to-kabul?lite http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/06/12606430-clinton-makes-unannounced-visit-to-kabul?lite McMahon (Stephan Savoia/AP)Republicans have excoriated down-ballot Democratic candidates who are planning to skip this summer's nominating convention. But the decision to steer clear of the party convention is not limited to Democrats. Former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman announced Friday that he plans to stay home in protest. "I will not be attending this year's convention, nor any Republican convention in the future, until the party focuses on a bigger, bolder, more confident future for the United States—a future based on problem solving, inclusiveness, and a willingness to address the trust deficit, which is every bit as corrosive as our fiscal and economic deficits," Huntsman said, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Huntsman had released his delegates to Mitt Romney and is no longer actively seeking office. But active candidates are making the same decision. The campaign for Connecticut Senate candidate Linda McMahon confirmed Thursday that if the former World Wrestling Entertainment executive wins the Republican Senate nomination Aug. 14, she won't be helping to formally nominate Mitt Romney. "Our focus is going to be on campaigning in Connecticut," McMahon campaign spokeswoman Kate Duffy first told The Connecticut Mirror. McMahon, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2010, is likely to face criticism similar to that being lobbed at Democrats—that she is skipping the convention to distance herself from her party. McMahon's campaign didn't immediately respond to Yahoo News' request for comment Friday. McMahon is one of several Republican candidates who have recently announced plans to skip the convention. Former Virginia Sen. George Allen confirmed this week that he plans to campaign instead of travel to Tampa, Fla.; Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg—who is running for Senate—will also not be in attendance; and Nevada Sen. Dean Heller said this week he is considering begging off if he doesn't get a major speaking role. "If they want us to speak, we'll probably be there," Heller, who skipped the 2008 convention, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "If they don't choose for us to get a good speaking position, we'll probably stay here and campaign." http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/linda-mcmahon-other-republicans-plan-skip-gop-convention-150147281.html http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/linda-mcmahon-other-republicans-plan-skip-gop-convention-150147281.html Scott Forshay is a luxury and premium brand marketing consultant and mobile strategist who’s been featured in PSFK, Luxury Daily, Fashion’s Collective, Business of Fashion and The Wall Street Journal. He is the creator and editor of mobi.luxe. Follow him @mobiluxe. The essence of any coveted brand is the story it conveys. The elements of heritage, craftsmanship, and creative innovation combine with a vision of an aspirational lifestyle that inspires the desire to associate with that brand. SEE ALSO: How Luxury Brands Can Prepare for Affluent Millennials Historically, this vision was realized on a print canvas, but the rise of digital has created new opportunities. Through video and other forms of brand content, luxury brands have become media companies and content marketers selling a vision of an exclusive lifestyle attainable only by a select few. This new media has not, however, been effectively translated for the mobile audience. The mobile device requires brand marketers to rethink engagement strategies and devise innovative campaigns that leverage the medium for effective mobile-content marketing. The challenge lies in enticing mobile users. Here are four ways to do that. Resist the temptation to unveil the entire story in a single instance. By breaking down the narrative into episodes, the audience has a reason to keep coming back. This approach essentially creates a desire to continue following the story as it unfolds. Regardless of the communication mechanism employed, be it a mobile ad, SMS, or in-app push notifications, messaging should be intriguing and subtle. Be cryptic about what awaits the audience if they choose to participate. Creating mystery through veiled communication fuels desire to see what is on the other side. Take the consumer on a journey with the narrative. Provide sophisticated clues to challenge the audience by using the outside world as your canvas. Clues could exist on billboards, on buildings, or in taxis. By adding a sophisticated element of game mechanics you allow the audience to become players in the campaign. The luxury consumer seeks priority access to, and deeper levels of intimacy with, the brands they most covet. The lure of exclusivity is the most effective mechanism for pulling on the heartstrings of this highly-sought consumer and forming greater connections. Rewarding a select group of participants creates desire for brand association through exclusivity. http://mashable.com/2012/07/06/luxury-brand-mobile-content-marketing/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mashable%2Fbusiness+%28Mashable+%C2%BB+Business+and+Marketing%29 http://mashable.com/2012/07/06/luxury-brand-mobile-content-marketing/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mashable%2Fbusiness+%28Mashable+%C2%BB+Business+and+Marketing%29 The crowd really got into the performance by GZA the Genius at Social Media Day at the Canal Room on June 30. Photo by Nina Frazier. http://mashable.com/2012/07/06/social-media-day-new-york-city/ http://mashable.com/2012/07/06/social-media-day-new-york-city/ Saturday is the deadline imposed by the UK's highest court on extradition for Julian Assange, who remains holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, sought for questioning by Swedish authorities on sexual assault accusations. This deadline is unlikely to be affected by WikiLeaks' ongoing release of e-mails it says show the link between the Syrian regime and Western governments and businesses, a noted international human rights attorney said. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/06/world/wikileaks-assange-syria/index.html?eref=rss_topstories http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/06/world/wikileaks-assange-syria/index.html?eref=rss_topstories A judge had set bail at $1 million with new restrictions, saying he believed the suspect in the killing of Trayvon Martin may have been planning to flee the country. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/06/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html?eref=rss_topstories http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/06/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html?eref=rss_topstories WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. employers added only 80,000 jobs in June, a third straight month of weak hiring that shows the economy is still struggling three years after the recession ended. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.2 percent, the Labor Department said Friday. The economy added an average of just 75,000 jobs a month in the April-June quarter — one-third of the pace in the first quarter. For the first six months of 2012, employers added an average of 150,000 jobs a month. That's fewer than the 161,000 average for the first half of 2011. Weaker job creation has caused consumers to pull back on spending. Europe's debt crisis is also weighing on U.S. exports. And the scheduled expiration of tax cuts at year's end has increased uncertainty for U.S. companies, making many hesitant to hire. Job creation is the fuel for the nation's economic growth. When more people have jobs, more consumers have money to spend — and consumer spending drives about 70 of the economy. Here's what The Associated Press' reporters are finding: The market opened sharply lower after the jobs report was issued. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 146 points — about 1 percent — in the first hour of trading. Other stock indexes also sank. Money flowed instead into U.S. Treasurys, which investors perceive as safer than stocks when the economy is weakening. Never mind that you get almost nothing in return for lending money to the federal government these days. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell to 1.55 percent, from 1.59 percent on Thursday. As an employer, the government isn't helping. The number of jobs at all levels of government fell 4,000 in June. Only local governments added jobs — and it was a scant 4,000. State governments cut 1,000 jobs. They shed 13,000 in the April-June quarter. "In the first quarter it looked like state and local government job losses were coming to an end," says Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services. "That turned out to be a temporary halt... Apparently, there's no end in sight." The federal government cut 7,000 jobs in June. It hasn't added jobs since March 2011. When Deborah Masse, 49, lost a job in 2007, she had three interviews and a job offer within six weeks. This time has been different. After being laid off in October 2011, she's sent out thousands of resumes and had several phone interviews. But Masse, who lives in Stanton, Mich., with her husband and mother, has been encouraged by the auto industry's rebound. She's seeing auto companies advertise jobs in human resources, her field. She plans to move next week to be closer to Detroit. While unemployed, Masse says she's exercised more, learned some French and Spanish, and brushed up on her technological skills. "If nothing else, I will end up on Social Security more fit, more intelligent and worldly and broke," she says. That's how many the economy has still failed to recover since the Great Recession officially ended three years ago. The nation lost nearly 8.8 million jobs between January 2008 and February 2010. Since then, it's regained more than 3.8 million — less than 44 percent. The economy has added just 137,000 jobs a month since employment hit bottom. At that pace, it would take three more years for employment to return to where it was in January 2008. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-employers-add-80-000-123118391.html http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-employers-add-80-000-123118391.html Brian Farias knows that there are people who have seen Pearl Jam more than the 108 times he has However on June 27th the 46-year-old Rhode Island native did something that diehard fans of the band can only dream of he created the setlist for an entire Pearl Jam show "I... http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/pearl-jam-superfan-creates-bands-setlist-20120706 http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/pearl-jam-superfan-creates-bands-setlist-20120706 Responding to simmering controversy among Catholic bloggers about her new birth control program, Melinda Gates -- a practicing Catholic -- said she will not shrink from her role as an advocate for poor women. http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/06/health/melinda-gates-contraception/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/06/health/melinda-gates-contraception/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29 Violent thunderstorms have slammed into parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and nearby communities in East Tennessee. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/story/2012-07-06/severe-storms-tennessee/56054628/1?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29 http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/story/2012-07-06/severe-storms-tennessee/56054628/1?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29