May 19, 2013 — The deal for the blogging site is designed to attract younger users to the ailing Web portal. The newspaper is basing the report on unnamed sources close to the situation.
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May 19, 2013 — Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a 16th-century artist who liked to play with his food, transforming it into the building blocks of many of his fantastical portraits. Artist Philip Haas has taken those portraits out of museums, reinterpreting them as colossal statues that interact with the natural environment.
May 19, 2013 — The Model S from electric car manufacturer Tesla has been named Motor Trend Car of the Year. But the company's business model is under attack by a formidable foe: the National Automobile Dealers Association, one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington.
May 19, 2013 — Their country isn't an easy place for anyone to make a living, but it's a downright hostile environment for those with disabilities. Support has mostly come from nonprofits, but activists are pressing the government to take action.
May 19, 2013 — The IRS has admitted it flagged tax-exemption requests from groups with "Tea Party" or "Patriot" in their names starting in 2010. But some liberal groups and journalism organizations say their applications also faced long delays during the same period.
May 19, 2013 — The deal for the blogging site is designed to attract younger users to the ailing Web portal. The newspaper is basing the report on unnamed sources close to the situation.
Yahoo President and CEO Marissa Mayer. (Getty Images)
WSJ: Yahoo Board Approves $1.1 Billion Purchase Of Tumblr
by Eyder Peralta
May 19, 2013 — The deal for the blogging site is designed to attract younger users to the ailing Web portal. The newspaper is basing the report on unnamed sources close to the situation.The Wall Street Journal has this breaking news from the tech world:
"The Yahoo board has approved a deal to pay $1.1 billion in cash for the blogging site Tumblr."
The Journal, the only outlet reporting the approval, is sourcing its story to "people familiar with the matter." Lauren Armstrong, a Yahoo spokeswoman, told us in an email that they "don't comment on rumors or speculation."
The Journal's sister site, All Things D, had reported the deal to buy the blogging site was imminent. All Things D explained:
"Sources said that the Silicon Valley Internet giant's CEO Marissa Mayer has decided that buying Tumblr was going to be 'the stake in the ground of what her strategy is going forward for Yahoo.'
"And that is to attract younger audiences with just the kind of user-generated content Tumblr has pioneered to huge growth.
"As with all big-time acquisition deals, this one could certainly fall apart at the last minute, but source said the agreement was still in place as of today. If approved by Yahoo's board, it will be announced Monday. Yahoo has already said it has news to announce then."
It's always worth noting that these kinds of deals can fall apart.
Giga Om, by the way, ran a good story that looks at the many aspects of the deal. One of them: A $1 billion valuation for Tumblr may be a stretch. Last year, the company had revenues of less than $15 million.
Giga Om adds:
"... The painful fact is that Yahoo doesn't just look desperate — in many ways it is desperate. Mayer has made some changes since she took over the ailing former web portal, including the acquisition of Summly and a number of other mobile-focused startups and services, but the company still needs to make some aggressive moves if it is going to jump-start any growth at all. And since Yahoo has about $4 billion in cash on hand, it can arguably afford to make a big bet."
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President Obama walks across the tarmac to greet well-wishers on Sunday upon his arrival in Atlanta, Ga., where he will attend the commencement at Morehouse College. (AFP/Getty Images)
On Sunday News Shows, Obama Official Plays Defense
by Eyder Peralta
May 19, 2013 — White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Republicans are trying to make political hay with the scandals.Talk during the Sunday news shows today focused expectedly on the trifecta of scandals — IRS targeting of conservative groups, the seizure of AP phone records and the attack of the Benghazi consulate — rocking the Obama administration.
We thought we'd save you some time and give you some of the highlights:
'A Culture Of Intimidation':
On Meet The Press, Sen. Mitch McConnell said the IRS controversy highlighted the administration's "culture of intimidation."
But he and Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., admitted they lacked evidence that the targeting of conservatives was ordered by the White House.
"'We don't have anything to say that the president knew about it,' said Camp, who chairs the House committee looking into the IRS controversy, on NBC's 'Meet the Press.'
"McConnell also could not point to evidence of presidential involvement in the IRS's scrutinizing of conservatives, though the Kentucky senator argued that a need for more information justified emerging investigations into the controversy."
Obama Learned Of IRS Scandal Through News:
White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer told Fox News Sunday that President Obama learned of the IRS scandal when he heard it on the news.
"No president would get involved in an independent IRS investigation," Pfeiffer said. "It would be wholly inappropriate."
Pfeiffer also pledged that everyone "who did anything wrong will be held accountable..."
Politico reports that on Meet The Press, Pfeiffer also said that Republicans were trying to "make political hay" with the scandal.
"We've seen this playbook from the Republicans before," Pfeiffer said. "What they want to do when they're lacking a positive agenda is try to drag Washington into a swamp of partisan fishing expeditions, trumped-up hearings and false allegations. We're not going to let that happen. The president's got business to do for the American people."
'People Deserve The Truth':
On Face The Nation, Rep. Jason Chaffetz said Obama needs to release more documents on Benghazi.
"People deserve the truth and the families deserve the truth," Chaffetz said, according to Politico. "I can't imagine that this administration would say those same things about what happened in Boston where we had four people killed by a terrorist."
Polls Hold Steady:
CNN trains its political eye on the horse race: Despite the scandals President Obama's approval rating is holding steady:
"According to the survey, which was conducted Friday and Saturday, 53% of Americans say they approve of the job the president is doing, with 45% saying they disapprove. The president's approval rating was at 51% in CNN's last poll, which was conducted in early April."
When Did Obama Know?
CBS News' lead political story reports, "General Russell George said he informed a deputy at the Treasury Department in June of 2012 about the probe into the IRS."
CBS adds:
"The Treasury Department confirmed the timeline but said they did not know the details of the investigation until last week.
"It's the first evidence that someone within the Obama administration knew about the practice during the presidential campaign."
AP Probe Unconstitutional:
The President and CEO of The Associated Press said on Face the Nation that the Obama administration's probe of their phone records was "unconstitutional" and has hurt their newsgathering.
"Gary Pruitt says the Justice Department's secret subpoena of reporters' phone records has made sources less willing to talk to AP journalists."
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President Obama walks across the tarmac to greet well-wishers on Sunday upon his arrival in Atlanta, Ga., where he will attend the commencement at Morehouse College. (AFP/Getty Images)
Police Accidentally Killed Hofstra University Student
by Eyder Peralta
May 19, 2013 — Police shot Andrea Rebello, 21, while they were trying to free her from a man holding her hostage.After analyzing forensic evidence, Nassau County Police in New York said on Saturday that it was a shot fired by an officer that killed 21-year-old Andrea Rebello.
Rebello, a junior at Hofstra University, was being held hostage by a masked gunman who broke into a house she shared with her sister. Police came looking for the man, when he turned a gun on them. The man allegedly had Rebello in a headlock.
CBC News reports that's when an police officer shot eight rounds. Seven hit Dalton Smith, the gunman, and one of them hit Rebello.
"Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Dale said he had traveled to Rebello's Tarrytown, N.Y., home to explain to Rebello's parents what happened.
"'I felt obligated as a police commissioner and as a parent to inform them as soon as all the forensic results were completed,' Dale said.
"The veteran police officer, who was not identified, has about 12 years of experience on the Nassau County police force and previously spent several years as a New York City police officer, Dale said."
CNN has a bit more on Rebello:
"Rebello's high school principal, Carol Conklin-Spillane, said the twins' home community in Westchester, New York, was heartbroken.
"She described Rebello as a fun-loving, personable and self-aware young woman.
"Her parents, Fernando and Nella Rebello, are closely tied to the Portuguese community, and always worked to create opportunities for their children, Conklin-Spillane said.
"Rebello, a junior, was majoring in public relations."
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Paris Saint-Germain's English midfielder David Beckham walks away following the trophy giving ceremony after the French L1 football match between Paris St Germain and Brest on Sunday. (AFP/Getty Images)
WATCH: David Beckham Tears Up At Final Home Game
by Eyder Peralta
May 19, 2013 — The storied midfielder walked off the pitch as fans -- and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy -- chanted his name.See this
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David Beckham, the storied midfielder who rose to international fame because of his style on and off the pitch, played his last home game for Paris Saint-Germain last night.
As the AP reports, despite being used to the lights and the big stage, Beckham, who announced his retirement from soccer last week, was finally overwhelmed.
As he walked off the field at the 81st minute, fans — including former French President Nicolas Sarkozy — chanted his name and Beckham showed emotion.
"I want to say thank you to everybody in Paris, to my team-mates, to the staff, to the fans," Beckham said at the end of the game, according to Australia's ABC. "To finish my career here could not be any more special... I want to enjoy my family now; I have all the souvenirs I want now so I'm very, very happy. Merci Paris. I'm very sad to be leaving but thank you."
Canal+ has a bit of video of the moment:
NBC Sports reports that this match may very well be Beckham's last.
"It's up to the coach, but I think that will be David's last match," PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told NBC News.
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Paris Saint-Germain's English midfielder David Beckham walks away following the trophy giving ceremony after the French L1 football match between Paris St Germain and Brest on Sunday. (AFP/Getty Images)
How Possessive: The Apostrophe's Place In Space
May 19, 2013 (Weekend Edition Sunday) — Martha Brockenbrough, the founder of National Grammar Day and the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, tells host Rachel Martin about what she has referred to as an "apostrophe catastrophe." The U.S. Board on Geographic Names has a policy against possessive apostrophes in the names of places. The reason, The Wall Street Journal reports, is that the apostrophe quote implies private ownership of a public space.Missing some content? Check the source: NPR
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