Hasan gets death penalty
as he seems to have wanted


A U.S. military jury has sentenced an Army psychiatrist to death for intentionally killing 13 fellow soldiers in the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.
 
The jury of 13 officers deliberated a short time Wednesday before handing Major Nidal Hasan, an American-born Muslim, the death sentence he appeared to crave during a two-week trial.
 
Hasan, who says he switched sides in the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was convicted of the premeditated murder of soldiers being readied for deployment to the two warfronts. He says he carried out the attack to prevent them from attacking Muslim insurgents overseas.
 
The Army prosecutor in the case, Col. Mike Mulligan, urged the jury to give Hasan the death sentence for the assault, in which he wounded more than 30 others.
 
Mulligan told the jury Hasan "is not now and never will be a martyr. He is a criminal. He is a cold-blooded murderer."
 
Hasan, representing himself, presented no defense and declined to testify himself. He acknowledged he was the shooter, and as the case neared completion, he told the jury, "I have no closing statement."
 
His legal advisers at one point in the trial said the 42-year-old Hasan was doing so little to contest the charges because they believed he wanted to be convicted of premeditated murder so he could be sentenced to death. The same jury that sentenced him convicted him of all 45 charges he faced after hearing witnesses describe how he methodically fired at soldiers in a medical center at Fort Hood.
 
Hasan's death sentence, which would be by lethal injection, triggers an automatic review that could take years and ultimately would have to be approved by the U.S. president before it could be carried out. As an alternative, the jury could have sent Hasan to prison for life.
 
Death sentences are rare in the U.S. military, with just five other prisoners on death row. The last American soldier executed was in 1961.


Gigantic eruption spotted
on one of Jupiter's moons


Jupiter’s moon Io is the most volcanic body in the solar system, and astronomers recently witnessed an eruption bigger than any ever recorded on Earth.

Imke de Pater, professor of astronomy and planetary science at the University of California in Berkeley spotted the eruption Aug. 15, using the Keck II telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

The eruption took place in the Rarog Patera area of Io, which is 628,300,000 kilometers away from Earth. The area is not known to be particularly active with volcanoes, but is believed to have fountains of lava streaming from fissures on Io’s surface. The region is named after the Czech fire god.

The eruption was “way bigger than anything in recorded history on Earth,” Ms. de Pater said, adding that the Rarog Patera eruption was likely 100 to 500 times larger than any of the bigger eruptions here on Earth in recent decades.

According to Ashley Davies of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, the Io eruption emitted about 17,000 times more energy than typically produced by Hawaii’s Kilauea, Earth’s most active volcano.

Ms. de Pater said the eruption offers a chance to better understand Io’s volcanic activity.

“There are many things we hope to learn from eruptions like these,” she said. “At this point, we don’t know how long they last -- hours, days, weeks, months.”

Scientists believe the amount of volcanic activity on Io is the result of a gravitational tug of war between Jupiter and some of the massive planet’s other moons.

Data and imagery of the eruption will be released in a forthcoming paper, Ms. de Pater said.


Tangled genes get blame
for autism mental disorder


Tangled genes may be the common cause behind many of the spectrum of mental disorders known as autism.
 
That finding, reported in the journal Nature may advance the search for environmental causes of the disorder.
 
Autism spectrum disorders range from inhibited communication and social skills to repetitive behaviors and mental impairment. They affect roughly one person in 160 worldwide.
 
Enzymes called topoisomerases are responsible for removing the kinks that form in DNA during the normal processes of copying and generating instructions for proteins.
 
Researchers report that inhibiting topoisomerases in nerve cells reduces expression of exceptionally long genes, dozens of which are linked to the disorder.
 
They say that many forms of autism could be caused by mutations in the topoisomerase genes or exposure to chemicals that block their action at critical stages of brain development. Identifying those chemicals, the next step for researchers, would allow pregnant women to avoid exposure to those compounds.


Virus similar to measles
blamed for dolphin deaths


Experts say the unusually high number of dolphin deaths along the U.S. east coast this summer is due to a measles-like virus.

More than 330 bottlenose dolphins have been found dead on Atlantic Ocean beaches from New York to North Carolina since the beginning of July. That is the highest number in a quarter century, and 10 times the average of deaths over that same period.

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration attribute the deaths to cetacean morbillivirus, which is related to the virus that causes measles in people. It weakens the animals' immune system, leaving them vulnerable to other diseases, including pneumonia.

The experts say there is nothing they can do to stop the spread of the virus, and say the outbreak could last until May of next year, as dolphins develop resistance to the virus. There is no indication that the virus can spread to humans.


Path to citizenship by illegals
is stumbling block in U.S,


The fate of U.S. immigration reform could hinge on whether the Republican-controlled House of Representatives embraces a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. Opposition to a comprehensive bill persists, and there could be political fallout if the reform effort fails.

Backers of immigration reform have held large-scale rallies to pressure lawmakers. Opponents have held fewer and smaller events like this one in Richmond, Virginia, attended by an arch-foe of a path to citizenship for the undocumented.

“If we reward people for breaking the law, we get more law-breakers. They got here on their own, and if the opportunities are not here - if we shut down the jobs magnet, if we secure the border - then a lot of people will find a way back to their home country,” said Republican Congressman Steve King.

The event was held near the district of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. He and Speaker John Boehner will decide if the chamber ultimately votes on a reform package.

“If immigration reform fails to pass, Republicans will get the blame," said Republican strategist John Feehery. He said his party risks the wrath of America’s fastest-growing segment: Hispanics.

“If they alienate this voting bloc, they are going to have a coalition that will continually vote against them, and they will be in big trouble,” he said.

In 2012, Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney got less than 30 percent of the Hispanic vote.

The party's stance on immigration reform is a big reason why, according to activist Angelica Salas. “They [Republicans] keep reminding us of why we should not vote for them or stand with them.”

The voting trend is confirmed by Hispanic researcher Mark Lopez at the Pew Research Center. “We have seen a surge in the number of Hispanics who identify with or lean towards the Democratic Party in recent years.”

Lopez adds that immigration reform, however, is only one issue Hispanics care deeply about. Others include economic opportunity and education. Lopez said the Hispanic electorate stands at 23 million today, and could reach 40 million by 2030.

“In the last decade, Hispanics alone accounted for more than half of U.S. population growth.  Moving forward, they will continue to account for a significant share, perhaps even a majority of U.S. population growth,” he said.

Republican Strategist Feehery sees little chance of passing immigration reform this year, but hopes his party eventually will embrace a path to citizenship for the undocumented.

“What people vote for, ultimately, is their pocketbooks. And I think that as Hispanic voters become more prosperous and are introduced more to the mainstream of American society, they will start voting their pocketbooks [in their economic interests] and they will look at Republicans. The reason I think we should pass comprehensive immigration reform is to speed that process along,” he said.

House Speaker Boehner said he knows immigration reform is needed. “The current system is broken. It needs to be fixed.”

Boehner has ruled out, though, a vote on a bill not backed by a majority of his caucus. That would appear to rule out a path to citizenship, for now.


Some Republicans face protests
in their home voting districts


The fate of U.S. immigration reform could be decided in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives after Congress returns next month from a five-week recess. 
 
While Congress was in summer recess, hundreds of activists converged on the California district of U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, hoping to change his position on immigration reform.
 
Their demand: a House vote on a comprehensive immigration reform package that would allow 11 million undocumented immigrants to eventually become U.S. citizens. Organizer Dolores Huerta believes is should be everyone’s right.
 
“Every immigrant group that has come to the United States has been able to get citizenship, from the Founding Fathers, who were the first immigrants who came here, to the most recent ones who are here now,” said Ms. Huerta.
 
McCarthy was not present when demonstrators entered his district office. But a statement on the congressman’s Web site rules out a path to citizenship: “We should not provide any amnesty that would benefit those who defy our laws and enter the United States illegally.”
 
McCarthy’s position mirrors that of most House Republicans who have not been swayed by pro-immigration reform demonstrations in congressional districts across the country.  Activists need to re-think their tactics, according to Republican strategist John Feehery.
 
“The single most counter-productive thing that immigration activists can do is go into a Republican office and protest.  The single most effective thing they can do is register in a Republican primary and promise to vote against any Republican that does not support immigration reform.
 
The Washington-based coordinator of the pro-reform lobbying effort, Frank Sharry, disagrees.
 
“Politics is about pressure. It is about organizing, it is about mobilizing. It is about getting your voice heard,” he said.
 
Sharry adds that lawmakers are feeling pressure from a broad coalition, not just street activists.
 
“They are hearing from the immigrants in their community, the business people, the tech entrepreneurs, the evangelical pastors, the Catholic bishops, and union leaders. That is a pretty unusual thing in American politics. So we are hopeful,” adds Sharry.
 
But House Speaker John Boehner has ruled out a vote on the comprehensive immigration bill passed by the Senate, preferring to start with law enforcement.
 
“It is clear that securing our borders and having the ability to enforce our immigration laws is the first big step in this process,” says Boehner.
 
Strategist Feehery says the Republican approach enjoys broad support.
 
“Poll after poll show the Republican base does not want a so-called amnesty bill to pass. And anything of a comprehensive nature is called amnesty. So that makes it difficult for Republican leaders to get that necessary legislative fix done,” says Feehery.
 
Democrats, meanwhile, will not support any bill that excludes a path to citizenship. And so the political stand-off on immigration reform drags on despite activists' efforts.


New words are recognized
as legitimate English usage


The Internet continues to have a major impact on the English language.

In its quarterly update, the Oxford Dictionaries Online has added many words from Internet culture.

Here’s a partial list:

* derp, exclam.  n. (informal): (used as a substitute for) speech regarded as meaningless or stupid, or to comment on a foolish or stupid action

* digital detox, n.: a period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers, regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world.

* bitcoin, n.: a digital currency in which transactions can be performed without the need for a central bank.

* emoji, n: a small digital image or icon used to express an idea or emotion in electronic communication.

* selfie, n. (informal): a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.

Another addition is the verb twerk, which was made infamous during Monday’s MTV Video Music Awards when pop star Miley Cyrus made the suggestive moves during her performance.

The entire definition of twerk is to “dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.’’

Last year, the dictionary added lolz, photobomb and tweeps to the lexicon.

Oxford Dictionaries Online focuses on modern usage, while the Oxford English Dictionary is more traditional and unlikely to include words like twerk in the near future.