Activists demand WGBH dump David Koch

Nearly 100 environmental activists protested outside WGBH's Brighton studios yesterday calling for conservative billionaire David Koch's ouster from the public broadcaster's board of trustees.

"I am here today because David Koch is a climate denier and 'GBH has scientific programs and he should have absolutely no influence on PBS and public broadcasting," said Nate Goldshlag of Arlington.

Some protesters dressed as Sesame Street characters Elmo, Big Bird and the Count joined the crowd. Dozens then packed the board of trustees meeting.

A Herald videographer was not allowed to record the meeting, but Emily Southard of Forecast the Facts said that though they weren't allowed to address the board, some protesters interrupted the meeting to complain about Koch's involvement.

Koch has contrib­uted millions of dollars to WGBH — and specifically to its science-based "NOVA" program — over the past 30 years.

WGBH officials have insisted that trustees don't influence the content of programming and that Koch will remain on the board.

18.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ebola, manufacturing woes shake Wall St.

The first case of Ebola to be diagnosed in the U.S. sent ripples through Wall Street yesterday, as airline stocks slid while shares of drugmakers with potential treatments soared.

The Dow Jones industrial average ended the day down more than 200 points as it was hit with disappointing economic news in addition to Ebola worries.

At first stocks were driven lower by word that German manufacturing had slowed last month. The selling accelerated after a separate survey indicated U.S. manufacturing slowed as well.

News that a Liberian man visiting family in Dallas had been diagnosed with Ebola caused investors to dump airline stocks out of fear that people would be reluctant to travel.­ JetBlue, Delta, American and Southwest Airlines all fell by more than 3 percent.

"The worse the news headlines get about this, the more risk there is to airlines," Joe Denardi, a Stifel financial Corp. analyst, told Bloomberg.

But shares of drug­makers with potential vaccines or treatments for Ebola rose. Shares of Tekmira Pharmaceuticals, whose TKM-Ebola drug was given to Holden physician Richard Sacra after he contracted the disease in West Africa, soared more than 18 percent. Meanwhile, shares of Cambridge-based Sarepta Therapeutics, whose experimental drug AVI-7537 showed promise before federal funding dried up, rose 3.70 percent.

Other companies that fared well due to the Ebola news included Lakeland Industries, which makes hazmat suits, and Alpha Pro Tech, which makes face masks and eye shields. Lakeland shares soared 29.64 percent, while Alpha Pro Tech rose 10.46 percent.

18.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Insurer taps techies for fresh ideas, apps

The largest insurance company in the state is tapping more than 100 techies and entrepreneurs to create apps that will help solve some of the biggest health care issues.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts will hold a one-and-a-half month program with as many as 120 "innovators" to tackle health care for millennials, the rising­ number of elderly who will need health care and how to improve community engagement, said Jason Robart, senior vice president and head of human resources for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

"We want fresh perspective coming at these issues," Robart said. "We want to tap into the expertise and experience in a way we don't (normally) have an opportunity to."

The U.S Census estimates there are more than 80 million Americans between 13 and 32, many of whom soon will be in charge of their own health care.

Robart said getting ideas from people who are not entrenched in an insurance company will hopefully pay dividends.

"These are people who are thinking about new and innovative ideas in their leisure time," he said.

One of the main goals of the program, which will pair up techies to work on one of the issues until mid-November, will be to produce an app — or something like an app.

Chris Edell, CEO of Elevar, which is helping Blue Cross with the program, said health care doesn't have the same one-stop app as banks.

"It's not as simple as building an app and saying use it," Edell said. "(We want) health insurance and your visits to the hospital to have the whole end-to-end experience."

18.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Asian stocks down on recovery, Ebola worries

SEOUL, South Korea — Asian stocks fell Thursday amid worries about the strength of U.S. and European recoveries and the first American case of Ebola.

KEEPING SCORE: Japan's Nikkei 225 index lost 1.7 percent to 15,815.45 points and South Korea's Kospi fell 0.9 percent to 1,973.31. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.7 percent to 5,295.7. Stocks in Southeast Asia also lost ground. Markets in Hong Kong and China were closed for a public holiday.

SLOW GERMAN DATA: A survey showed German manufacturing unexpectedly contracted in September for the first time in 15 months, the latest sign Europe is being hurt by sanctions imposed on Russia over its role in Ukraine.

US MANUFACTURING: A closely watched monthly survey by the Institute for Supply Management came in below expectations, helping to drive a selloff on Wall Street.

EBOLA: U.S. airlines were among the hardest hit as investors fretted people would be discouraged from traveling after reports of the country's first case of Ebola.

ANALYST TAKE: "Confirmation of a case of Ebola in the U.S. has joined a growing list of bad news stories with geo-political tensions in Ukraine and Hong Kong, and growth concerns around China and Europe sapping risk appetite," said Niall King of CMC Markets in a commentary.

WALL STREET: The Dow Jones industrial average index lost 1.4 percent to 16,804.71. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 declined 1.3 percent to 1,946.16 and the Nasdaq composite fell 1.6 percent to 4,422.09.

EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK FOCUS: Caution prevailed among investors ahead of a meeting of European Central Bank policymakers. Though no change in interest rates is anticipated, there will be great interest in what ECB President Mario Draghi says about possible monetary stimulus following recent weak economic news in Europe.

US DATA: The U.S. Labor Department is due to report the number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week. Economists forecast that weekly applications rose a slight 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 298,000. The Commerce Department will report August factory orders. Orders in July rose 10.5 percent in their biggest one-month gain since 1992.

ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. oil added 17 cents to $90.90 per barrel in electronic trading in New York. The contract fell 43 cents to settle at $90.73 on Wednesday. The price of oil was pushed down by plentiful supplies and a rise in the U.S. dollar — in which oil sales are priced — against other currencies.

CURRENCIES: The dollar fell to 108.65 yen from 109.07 yen. The euro rose to $1.266 from $1.262.

18.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jeep’s brake rotors seem to be failing at warp speed

I have a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 160,000 miles on it. The problem is with the brake rotors warping. Every time I've had the brakes worked on, they start to pulsate again after a few thousand miles. Last time the dealer installed new pads and rotors, but the same thing happened. Are there certain types of rotors or pads I can use to prevent this?

First, let's review the primary causes of brake rotor warping — excessive heat or manufacturing defect. Seems unlikely you and the many other Jeep owners who've complained about the same problem would continually get faulty replacement rotors.

Thus, focus on excess heat. If a driver consistently brakes late and hard for stops or drags the brakes while driving, the heat buildup in the rotors can eventually cause distortion, uneven wear and warpage. Always brake early and brake lightly whenever possible. And here's a little tip. Once stopped for a light, let the car roll a foot or so forward to move the pads off the "hot spot" on the rotor. During a long stop, do this a couple of times — safely, of course. This reduces "heat soak" in the rotors, where one section is significantly hotter than the rest of the rotor.

Design, manufacturing and mechanical issues can certainly contribute to warped rotors. Undersized calipers and rotors may not be able to dissipate heat fast enough during aggressive braking to prevent eventual warpage. Better quality replacement rotors and pads may help this type of issue. If a mechanical or hydraulic issue is preventing the brake proportioning valve or rear brakes from doing their share, the front brakes can be overworked and overheated in "normal" driving.

Sticky caliper pistons and/or binding caliper slider pins are a primary cause of rotor warpage and uneven rotor wear. An often overlooked cause for warped rotors is improper or uneven torque on the wheel lug nuts. Always — every single time — make sure the wheels are tightened in a symmetrical order in stages to the proper torque specification. Similarly, rust or corrosion between the hub face and rotor can lead to uneven brake wear.

Remember, you will feel a vibration in the pedal or steering wheel when rotors have much more than two-thousandths of an inch of lateral run-out — that's .002"!

A final thought. Proper rotor and pad "bedding" or break-in when new can significantly affect brake performance and life expectancy. Here's how I do it: Find a lightly traveled 45- to 50-mph road. With no vehicles behind you, accelerate up to 45 mph, then brake very firmly down to rolling speed. Repeat this a few times until you smell the tinge of brake heat or feel the beginning of brake fade. Then just cruise along at the speed limit, allowing the brakes to cool back to normal temperature. This process "beds" the brakes, making the pad and rotor surfaces "happy" with each other. Once properly bedded, the brakes should perform well for their full service life.

Need some advice for my daughter and her husband. They bought a 2006 Nissan 350Z — smart folks, 'cause they won't let me drive it. No problems with it, but a headlight quit working. The Nissan dealer wants $1,300 to replace it. Any comment or suggestions? This seems sort of excessive.

I'd suggest that you offer a much less expensive fix in exchange for driving privileges! According to my Alldata automotive database, this Nissan is fitted with xenon HID headlamps. Nissan service bulletin NTB10-061A dated June 2010 suggests that a failed headlamp bulb, about $180, or HID control unit, $400-$500, is the most likely cause of an inoperative headlight. Even with an hour or so of labor, that's a far cry from $1,300 to replace the entire headlight assembly. There's a very good chance you can solve the problem, save them money and, most important, end up with driving privileges! Remember, I'm an instructor for the Skip Barber Racing School — you'd have lots of fun learning how to properly drive that performance car!

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrand@
startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cuba hands Canadian businessman 15-year sentence

HAVANA — A Canadian automobile executive has been sentenced to 15 years in Cuban prison on corruption-related charges that officials here call part of a broad campaign against graft, his company said Saturday.

Ontario-based Tokmakjian Group said the charges against its president, Cy Tokmakjian, 74, were concocted as an excuse to seize the automotive firm's $100 million in assets in Cuba. The company described the case Saturday as "absurd" and a "travesty of justice."

The company's Cuban offices were raided in 2011 as Cuba launched an anti-graft drive that has swept up foreign business executives from at least five nations as well as government officials and dozens of Cuban employees at key state-run companies.

Foreign business people have long considered payoffs ranging from a free meal to cash deposits in overseas accounts to be an unavoidable cost of doing business in Cuba. President Raul Castro has said that rooting out rampant corruption is one of the country's most important challenges.

More than 150 foreign business people and dozens of small South American and European companies have been kicked out of the country under the anti-graft drive. Several dozen defendants have ended up in jail, including a few foreigners and high government officials accused of influence-peddling and taking bribes.

Such cases, and questions about their fairness, have chilled many current and potential investors in Cuba, which is trying to attract foreign capital to jumpstart the stagnant economy.

Cuba's judicial system is known for speedy proceedings behind closed doors with little or no media access. Cuban officials have said little about the Tokmakjian case beyond announcing last year that the Tokmakjian Group's operating license had been rescinded due to unspecified actions "that are contrary to the principles and ethics that should characterize commercial activity, and contravene Cuban judicial order."

Tokmakjian managers Claudio Vetere and Marco Puche got 12- and 8-year sentences, respectively, company vice president Lee Hacker told The Associated Press. He said the company's lawyers were notified of the sentences on Friday.

The Canadian company said its president had been allowed to call only four of the 18 expert witnesses he wanted to testify.

"The deception taking place in Cuba is beyond imagination," the company said. "Lack of due process doesn't begin to describe the travesty of justice."

___

Michael Weissenstein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mweissenstein

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

APP helps EMTs alert hospitals

For emergency medical technicians, every bit of information can be the difference between life and death.

A MassChallenge finalist called Twiage has developed a mobile app that can help. With just the touch of a button or voice-activated Google Glass, EMTs can use the app to send hospitals videos of patients and any injuries, voice memos with their symptoms and vital signs, and electrocardiograms, or EKGs, a test that checks for problems with the electrical activity of the heart.

All of the information is then pre-transcribed on a dashboard for doctors and nurses to see before patients arrive at the hospital.

"With a two-way radio, 20 percent of the time the hospital couldn't hear what I was saying, so they couldn't prepare for the patient until we arrived," said Crystal Law, an MIT-trained engineer and former EMT. "I thought, what if we could use the technology people use today for fun, for something as important as an emergency?"

Law teamed up with Dr. YiDing Yu, a Harvard physician, and John Rodley, an Android and Google Glass developer, to found Twiage, one of 128 finalists now competing for a share of more than $1 million in prize money through the MassChallenge start-up accelerator.

For the past two months, the app has been tested by South Shore Hospital and three paramedics, with plans to expand it to more, said Eugene Duffy, emergency medical services manager.

"It's been fantastic," Duffy said. "The quality of information coming from ambulances now is second to none."

Dr. William Tollefsen, the hospital's medical director of emergency medical services, said Twiage has proven especially useful in cases such as acute stroke, where doctors have only a 4 1⁄2-hour window from the time a patient was last seen normal to administer a "clot-busting" drug to prevent damage such as loss of speech or the ability to walk.

"The faster I can get information like the severity of the symptoms and the last time the patient appeared normal, the faster I can activate a neurologist, nurses and a pharmacist," Tollefsen said. "It can make all the difference between a good outcome and results that can be catastrophic."

Twiage also can save hospitals thousands of dollars in false alarms and save patients and their insurers thousands more in unnecessarily long hospitalizations, Law said.

Advance notification of a stroke, for example, can allow hospitals to prepare and reduce the cost of hospitalization by half, or by $10,000, said Dr. Yu, Twiage's chief medical officer.

Twiage will be offering the app to five other hospitals through the end of this year, Law said, and it will be available to all hospitals for a subscription fee by next summer.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Groceries from local producers

There's a new player in the grocery delivery game, and it's mixing the tech-savvy of Instacart, local sourcing of Whole Foods and low prices to attract Hub consumers.

It's called Watershed Exchange and was launched this month.

"The way we differentiate ourselves from everyone else, is that we want to be a platform for local producers to sell direct to consumers. It's taking a farmer's market to another level. Why shouldn't you be able to access farmed products seven days a week 24 hours a day?" said Ryan Schoen, 32. He and Jeremy Stanfield, 34, came up with the idea while living in New York and working in operations for upscale grocer Dean & DeLuca. They greenlighted the idea in April, raised about $200,000 from angel investors in August and officially launched Watershed Exchange.

Here's how it works: Consumers order food from such vendors as Red's Best Seafood in Boston, or Maple Heights Farm in Westminster from Watershed's mobile-enabled website and then set a delivery window, typically between noon and 5 p.m.

Anything Watershed can't source directly is fulfilled by Pemberton Farms in Cambridge — mainly items such as beer, wine and spirits as the startup doesn't have a liquor license.

When they do source items that are not local, such as oranges, avocados or coffee, their aim is to use Fair Trade products.

"This (service) appeals to anyone who wants to connect more with their food," said Stanfield.

Schoen and Stanfield fill the orders and deliver the goods themselves in a custom bright blue and wood paneled refurbished school bus. So far, they've delivered more than 100 orders in their first three weeks.

Convenient, tech-savvy, local — but how are the prices?

Right now they have fresh Cape Cod scallops on their site for $13-per-lb. vs. Costco's $18-per-lb. frozen. They also have local apples for $1 per lb. "You shouldn't have to pay a premium for convenience," said Schoen.

Local farmers and artisans get 75 cents on the dollar versus the industry standard of 20 cents.

Chalk it up to seriously low overhead. Technology handles most of the transaction, there's no expensive real estate, store front, food waste, register clerks, shelf stockers, etc. And they reduce the distribution cost by dealing directly with the artisan.

"We are trying to create an alternative system to other food delivery services where it's better for the producer of the food to communicate their products directly to the consumer," said Schoen.

Delivery areas include Boston, Metro West, Somerville and Cambridge, with a plan to expand to more communities. The delivery is free for September but will be $5-$10 after the introductory promotion is over.

18.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

For-profit schools sue state over new regulations

BOSTON — An association representing for-profit schools is suing Attorney General Martha Coakley over new regulations they say are unconstitutional.

Coakley says the regulations require for-profit and occupational schools to provide accurate information to the public while prohibiting misleading advertising and addressing unfair lending practices.

The Massachusetts Association of Private Career School filed a complaint in federal court, arguing the rules impose "a new and unworkable regulatory regime on for-profit educational institutions that is unnecessary, overly burdensome, and in many aspects, impossible to satisfy."

The group also argues the regulations are a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech by compelling certain speech while restraining other speech.

Coakley says the regulations will help protect students by requiring schools disclose in advertisements and recruitment materials information about tuition and fees, placement statistics and graduation rates.

18.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sox fans buy into Jeter goodbye

Another legend is ending his career at Fenway Park and Red Sox Nation is embracing the moment at a record pace.

Tickets for this weekend's Red Sox-Yankees games are skyrocketing as Derek Jeter ends his career in Boston. In a rare move, the Sox are also selling the Captain's merchandise.

Tickets for the game tomorrow, Jeter's last, are going for an average of $386 per seat, the second most expensive Sox home game this year. Opening Day was tops when World Series rings were presented, according to Jesse Lawrence, CEO of TiqIQ.

That is close to four times more than the average ticket this year, at $101.

"This game will end up being the third most expensive regular season game over the last four years," Lawrence said of the final game tomorrow. He said fans are clearly willing to pay to say farewell to the Big Apple icon.

Still, prices could have been even higher. When Jeter said he would only be a designated hitter for the series in Boston, prices began to drop, Lawrence said.

"If people are going to pay up, they want to see him," he said.

Jeter has been making a goodbye tour this season after announcing he would retire, ending a 20-year career that began when he won the Rookie of the Year award. He was selected to 14 All-Star teams and won five World Series championships.

Tickets to Jeter's farewell to Yankee Stadium on Thursday went for an average of $768, more expensive than any of the five World Series games in the past four years. He also hit the game-winning single in a made-for-the-Hall moment.

"There's a pretty good argument that it was the most expensive regular season game ever," Lawrence said.

All three games this weekend in Boston are sold out.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox team shop is selling Jeter souvenirs — offering merchandise for an opposing player in a rare move for a "special occasion," Red Sox spokeswoman Zineb Curran said.

The Sox sold merchandise for Ichiro Suzuki when he joined the Mariners from Japan and became an international phenomenon, and sold Cal Ripken Jr. souvenirs at one point.

But the Fenway Faithful showed their class last night — even though Jeter wasn't in the lineup — donning Yankees hats and shirts and waving signs praising the shortstop for all the great memories. "Simply the Best," one sign read. "Farewell Captain & Legend. RE2PECT," stated another placard.

18.39 | 0 komentar | Read More