Zimmerman wants to toss trial judge

Pool / Getty Images file

Judge Kenneth Lester presides over George Zimmerman's bond hearing June 29 in a Seminole County courtroom in Sanford, Fla.

By NBC News' Jamie Novogrod

George Zimmerman, the Florida neighborhood watch volunteer charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Trayvon Martin, on Friday asked for a new judge ? again.

The motion was revealed?as one of two?Zimmerman case documents?released Friday. The?second sought?to keep certain evidence evidence from being made public.

Zimmerman?s attorney Mark O'Mara said in the judge-recusal filing that remarks by Seminole County?Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Lester ?created a reasonable fear in Mr. Zimmerman that this court is biased against him? and Zimmerman ?cannot get a fair trial."

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O?Mara took issue with Lester saying in a July 5 order setting Zimmerman?s bail at $1 million that the defendant had ?flouted the system? by failing to disclose at his first bond hearing in April that he had raised money?from donations for his legal defense.

Handout / Reuters

In April, Zimmerman was released on $150,000 bond. The judge revoked the bond June 1 after prosecutors showed?Zimmerman had allowed?his wife, Shellie Zimmerman, to mislead the court about the couple's financial picture during an April hearing, failing to disclose at least $130,000?raised in a PayPal account.

More msnbc.com coverage of the Trayvon Martin shooting death?

In granting the $1 million bail earlier this month, Lester said that evidence indicated Zimmerman, 28,?was preparing to flee to avoid prosecution based on the money?raised online, and his possession of second passport that he had failed to disclose to the court.

O?Mara?s motion argued the comment showed bias.

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"The court makes sweeping generalizations about Mr. Zimmerman based on limited information and disregards the evidence that contradicts those conclusions," O?Mara said in the motion.

A spokeswoman for the judge said Lester wouldn't comment Friday but would address the matter later.

After Judge Kenneth Lester set a bond of $1 million, Zimmerman made bail with strict conditions governing his release. NBC's Kate Snow reports.

A spokesperson for State Attorney Angela Corey's office said in an email to media that it would file its own response to the recusal motion next week, and added that "the State objects to the Defendant trying to disqualify Judge Lester."

In April, Zimmerman and his legal team?asked the judge presiding at the time, Jessica Recksiedler,?to step aside because of a possible conflict of interest after revelations that her husband,?Jason Recksiedler, had been contacted by Zimmerman's family as part of their search for a defense attorney.

The request was granted and Lester was appointed at that time to serve as judge in the case.

Zimmerman, who has pleaded not guilty,?told police he acted in?self-defense in the Feb. 26 shooting death of Martin, 17,?in a Sanford, Fla., gated community.

In the second document released Friday, Lester denied O?Mara?s effort to keep two pieces of evidence under seal:

• A statement by so-called ?witness #9.? In a statement released earlier, witness #9 told Sanford police that Zimmerman harbors prejudiced views. While NBC News has not seen the second statement, sources said it could be explosive and could damage Zimmerman in the court of public opinion.
• Details of almost 150 jail calls between Zimmerman and friends and family members.

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According to an FBI report investigating whether race was a factor in the shooting of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin, none of the dozens of people the FBI interviewed said shooter George Zimmerman is a racist. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.

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Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/13/12728817-zimmerman-wants-to-toss-trial-judge-in-trayvon-martin-case?lite

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Joseph B. Platt dies at 96; founding president of Harvey Mudd College

Launching a new college would "clearly be a great adventure but so is jumping off a bridge," physicist Joseph B. Platt wrote decades after accepting the challenge in 1956 to become the founding president of Harvey Mudd College in Claremont.

Humor was a continual resource for Platt, known for singing silly scientific ditties to teach his students, but so was consensus building. His ability to lead by suggestion helped him place the school "on a road to success," according to George I. McKelvey, director of development when the school opened in 1957.

Of the private college's beginnings, Platt told The Times in 1987: "It was by no means clear ? that things would fall into place. We were able to get people of great stature on our faculty, and it took real courage and commitment on their part to come to a place nobody heard of."

When Platt stepped down in 1976, Harvey Mudd was considered one of the nation's top science and engineering colleges, a distinction that remains true today.

Platt, who was 96, died Tuesday at his Claremont home after a period of declining health, announced a daughter, Ann Platt Walker.

"He had a profound impact on all our lives here ? thanks in large part to his vision and incredible energy," Maria Klawe, the college's current president, said in a statement. "Joe developed the mission ? that we embrace today ? to prepare socially responsible engineers and scientists in an educational culture of collaboration and fun."

From 1976 to 1981, Platt served as president of what is now Claremont Graduate University, one of the seven schools in the consortium of Claremont colleges. Harvey Mudd, named for a benefactor and former board member, was the fifth of those schools. Platt continued to teach there well into his 90s.

When Platt was recruited to lead the nascent college, he was a highly respected teacher and physicist at the University of Rochester, where he helped design a synchrocyclotron, a powerful particle accelerator that he used to research atoms.

Harvey Mudd was one of the few privately supported science and engineering colleges to be founded in the 20th century, according to Platt, who told The Times in 1987 that one of its goals was to develop "the technical leadership of the next generation."

He was one of three administrators when the school opened in September 1957 with seven faculty members, 48 students and one dormitory. Within a decade, there were nearly 300 students and 43 faculty members.

"The college of today, recognized nationally as a 'producer' of future engineering and science PhD graduates, owes its intellectual wealth and its prominence, more than any other, to this remarkable leader," Eugene Hotchkiss, a Harvey Mudd colleague who became president of Lake Forest College in Illinois, wrote in the foreword to Platt's 1994 book, "Harvey Mudd College: The First 20 Years."

Those who signed on early found Platt's "courage contagious," Hotchkiss wrote. "With his leadership, they dared to build a new and different curriculum."

Joseph Beaven Platt was born Aug. 12, 1915, in Portland, Ore., and grew up in Rochester, N.Y.

Between his freshman and sophomore years at the University of Rochester, Platt served in the merchant marine in the South Atlantic. While standing watch at night, he decided to pursue a career teaching physics, he later said.

After graduating with a degree in the subject in 1937, he earned a doctorate in physics in 1942 from Cornell University and joined the University of Rochester faculty.

He spent much of World War II at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developing radar devices to help the military. After the war he returned to the University of Rochester, but he took a two-year leave in 1949 to oversee physics research for the Atomic Energy Commission.

Platt met Jean Ferguson Rusk, a mathematician who worked at Polaroid, in 1945 and married her the next year. His survivors include his wife; daughters Ann Platt Walker of La Jolla and Elizabeth Platt Garrow of Willowbrook, Ill.; and four grandchildren.

Services are private. The college is planning a public celebration for fall.

"It took me a while to realize my father was different from most fathers I knew," Walker told the Harvey Mudd magazine in 2005. "I took his eclectic repertoire for granted. It never occurred to me that few kids were sung to sleep" with songs about physics "with soothing choruses like 'round and round and round go the deuterons.' ''

In the classroom, Platt similarly held court, picking up his guitar and warbling such tunes as "The Fitzgerald-Lorentz Contraction," an ode to a physical phenomenon that begins:

There once was a sprinter in action

Who lost his last race by a fraction.

When he came to the tape

He had altered his shape

By the Fitzgerald-Lorentz Contraction.

valerie.nelson@latimes.com

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/obituaries/~3/1OsxEYxBQ-g/la-me-joseph-platt-20120713,0,3577001.story

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New Broncos QB Peyton Manning Buys Big in Colorado - Celebrity ...

Thursday, July 12, 2012, by Rob Bear

If quarterback Peyton Manning's move to the Denver Broncos came as a surprise when it was announced back in March, the elder Manning has wasted no time in committing to his new hometown. Rather than renting, Peyton plunked down nearly $4.6M for a seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom gated Georgian mansion with a seven-car garage, an elevator, and a panic room. The 16,000-square-foot spread sits on more than three acres in Denver's tony Cherry Hills Village neighborhood and includes extravagances like "a dog room with a heated indoor/outdoor kennel for the four-legged family members."
? Scores Sprawling Mansion In Denver ... For Millions [TMZ via Zillow]

Source: http://curbed.com/archives/2012/07/12/new-broncos-qb-peyton-manning-buys-big-in-colorado.php

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Apple Should Make an Ad Campaign with This Old, Broken Photo Booth—Here's Why [Apps]

The other night, a friend and I happened upon a rather old, beat up photo booth. I love a photo booth. I will never not shell out a few bucks for a strip of pictures, when there's a photo booth near by. So you can imagine my frustration upon seeing the above pictured text on the old, graffitied-over screen. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/E37jJTLNELY/apple-should-make-an-ad-campaign-with-this-old-broken-photo-boothheres-why

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The best cities for Millennials

Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images file

Dallas, Texas, was rated by Areavibes as one of the 10 best cities to live in the U.S., citing the city's more than 7,000 restaurants, and its sizeable art district and low rental costs.

By Lisa A. Nelson and Michael B. Sauter, 24/7 Wall St.

A weak job market, along with the high cost of higher education, have made it difficult for the average college graduate in America. Approximately 53 percent of college graduates under the age of 25 are either jobless or primarily working jobs that don't require a college degree, according to an April study by Drexel University.

Given the?challenges?Millennials face, Moving.com identified the best metropolitan areas for 18 to 29 year olds, taking into account affordable housing, low unemployment and access to nearby attractions and education. According to the report, these cities are far better for young people struggling with the economy than others.

While the cities on this list do not have the lowest rents, home prices or unemployment, they have the best combination of all three. According to the data provided by Moving.com, housing costs in these areas are certainly affordable. And considering they are in generally large cities -- where average costs can often be high -- they are a bargain.

Unemployment rates in these regions are also among the lowest in the country. The U.S. unemployment rate in May was 8.2 percent. In each of these regions, the unemployment rate is 7.6 percent or less, and the majority have an unemployment rate below 7 percent. Oklahoma City?s jobless rate is just 4.5 percent.

These cities have the best practical options and also provide ample entertainment and cultural opportunities. Steve Berkowitz, CEO of Move.com, explained, ?The cities on this list encompass the best of both worlds -- they have more affordable housing options and lower unemployment rates when compared to many big cities in America, as well as great nightlife, universities, and many things to do.?

24/7 Wall St.: The 10 most educated countries in the world

24/7 Wall St.?s examination of education attainment data from the Census Bureau indicates that these cities have higher-than-average proportion of residents with bachelor?s and graduate degrees. Most of the cities on this list have at least one major college or university, and some have several.

Moving.com, a leading?online resource for local, long-distance international moving needs,?identified the best cities for millennials by identifying states with the highest inflow of new residents between 2008 and 2009, based on the U.S. Census Bureau?s Geographical Mobility report. Moving.com then identified the cities and metropolitan statistical areas in those regions that had low unemployment as well as relatively low rent and home prices. All values were from May of this year. Some of the regions identified by Moving.com are cities, and some are MSAs, which include major cities and their surrounding area. In addition to the data compiled by Moving.com, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed rates of commuters who walk or use public transportation, median income and educational attainment, all from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2010, the most recent available year. In those instances where Moving.com considered a city instead of an MSA, 24/7 Wall St. used MSA data from the Census Bureau as a proxy.

1. Athens, Georgia

• ?Unemployment: 6.5 percent
• ?Average rent price: $798
• ?Median home list price: $174,900

Athens is a college town, home to the University of Georgia, providing higher education opportunities for millennials, along with culture and sports. Nature centers, parks and zoos offer a number of outdoor opportunities. The city has a median list price that is $20,000 less than the national median and an unemployment rate that is 2.4 percentage points lower than the rest of the state -- Georgia has the seventh-highest unemployment rate in the country.

2. Chapel Hill, North Carolina

• Unemployment: 7.4 percent
• Average rent price: $1,260
• Median home list price: $219,900

Some 4 percent of Chapel Hill, N.C., residents use public transportation in their commute and 3.7 percent walk -- both rates among the highest in the country and likely contributing to the attractiveness of the city. In addition, the city is home to UNC Chapel Hill, the oldest public university in the U.S., which along with Raleigh (NCSU) and Durham (Duke) form North Carolina?s ?research triangle.? Consequently, nearly 20 percent of the metro region?s residents have a graduate degree, nearly double the national average. The city?s appeal does not end there. According to Moving.com, the city is full of attractions, including museums, arboretums and a variety of restaurants.

24/7 Wall St.: The 10 companies that pay the most in politics

3. Corvallis, Oregon

• ?Unemployment: 5.7 percent
• ?Average rent price: $1,043
• ?Median home list price: $283,700

For millennials looking for a job out west, Corvallis, Ore., has an unemployment rate that is 2.5 percent lower than the national average. More than 10 percent of people are able to walk to work, the second highest rate of all U.S. metropolitan areas as of 2010, and the city had the highest proportion of commuters traveling by bike in 2009 at 9.3 percent. The mean travel time to work is just over 17 minutes for commuters, while the U.S. mean commuting time is more than 25 minutes. Oregon State University is located in Corvallis, providing millennials with higher education opportunities. As a result, 26 percent of residents hold a bachelor?s degree, while 22 percent have a graduate degree, the fifth highest in the nation?s metropolitan areas.

4. Dallas, Texas

• ?Unemployment: 6.8 percent
• ?Average rent price: $1,168
• ?Median home list price: $204,900

As of 2010, 35 percent of households in the Dallas metro region had a child under 18, one of the largest proportions in the country.The city was rated by Areavibes as one of the 10 best cities to live in the U.S., citing Dallas?s more than 7,000 restaurants, and its sizeable art district and low rental costs. The area is also home to several major universities, including the University of Texas and the Art Institute of Dallas.

24/7 Wall St.: Countries that spend the most on health care

5. Ithaca, New York

• ?Unemployment: 6.4 percent
• ?Average rent price: $1,034
• ?Median home list price: $276,000

Located in the Finger Lakes region of New York, 16.5 percent of Ithaca?s commuting residents walk to work -- the highest proportion in the U.S. as of 2010. Almost three-quarters of households in Ithaca earned more than $50,000 annually, the eighth-highest income of all 366 cities in the study. More than 93 percent of residents are covered by health insurance, which is the eighth-highest rate among all cities in the study. The city, which is home to both Ithaca College and Cornell University, has the highest percentage among MSAs of residents over 25 with a graduate or professional degree at 31.2 percent. With its ample educational opportunities, outdoor activities and an environmentally conscious metro area, the city is attractive to Millennials.

Read the rest of best cities for Milliineals at the 24/7 Wall St. web site.

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Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/12/12647007-the-best-cities-for-millennials?lite

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Stephen Hawking trials device that reads his mind

TECHNOLOGY has helped Stephen Hawking in many ways, and now it might allow him to communicate using thought alone. The cosmologist is trialling a device that monitors brain activity with the ultimate aim of transforming it into speech.

Hawking has motor neurone disease - nerve decay that has left him almost completely paralysed. He currently communicates using a series of cheek twitches to select words from a screen. "It is a very, very slow process," says Philip Low at Stanford University in California, who is founder of healthcare company NeuroVigil.

As Hawking loses control of his cheek, Low hopes he might instead communicate using his company's portable device. The iBrain records brain activity from a single point on the scalp. An algorithm then extracts useful information from this activity.

In a preliminary trial, Low's team asked Hawking to imagine moving his hands and feet while wearing the device. They were able to identify what movement he was imagining through changes in his brain activity.

They now hope to develop the technology to enable Hawking and others to use the imagined movements to instruct a computer to write or speak words. Low presented the work at the Francis Crick Memorial Conference in Cambridge, UK, on 8 July.

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Video: Smerconish: Obama cut taxes in a big way, but needs to vocalize actions more

Unbearable blushing leads son to suicide

Steven and Dawn Thomas of Renton, Wash., are speaking out about their son Brandon, 20, who committed suicide in May after struggling for years with crippling, chronic blushing. An estimated 5 percent to 7 percent of the population may suffer from the condition.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/48154465#48154465

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