3 reasons not to panic about the market _ yet

NEW YORK (AP) ? Stocks dropping across the globe. Six weeks of gains wiped out in the U.S. The biggest drop in the Dow Jones industrial average in 1 ? years.

It's easy to give into panic and sell along with everyone else. But there is a good case for staying calm.

Three reasons you may want to hold on to your stocks:

? STRONGER ECONOMY: Nothing kills a stock rally like a recession. Four of the five previous bull markets ended as investors sold during a recession, or anticipated one.

Are we anywhere near a recession now? Quite the opposite. The economic recovery seems to be gaining traction.

Americans spent more at stores in May, despite higher payroll taxes. Sales of previously occupied homes last month topped five million at an annual rate for the first time in 3? years.

Better yet, the jobs picture is brightening. Since October, employers have added an average of 196,500 jobs a month, up from 157,000 a month in the previous eight months. And unemployment, still relatively high at 7.6 percent, looks likely to head down. The Fed said Wednesday that it could fall as low as 7.2 percent this year, then down to 6.5 percent next year.

One warning: Recessions are difficult to predict, so anything is possible.

? STOCKS SEEM REASONABLY VALUED: Major U.S. stock indexes have dropped more than 2 percent this month even though corporate profits are at a record high.

All else being equal, investors who buy now could be getting stocks at a good price.

One way to value stocks is to look at their price-earnings ratio. To calculate a P/E, you divide the price of a stock by its annual earnings per share. A company that earns $4 a share and has a $60 stock has a P/E of 15, for instance. The lower the P/E, the cheaper the stock.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index is trading at 16.1 times earnings per share over the past 12 months, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices, which oversees the index. The average since World War II is 17.5. Translation: Stocks are slightly cheaper than the long-term average now.

To be sure, there are other ways to value stocks, and not all are as encouraging.

Still, it's clear that stocks are not wildly overpriced. And if you believe the economic recovery will continue, earnings are likely to grow, too.

? CASH APLENTY: Don't be surprised if companies launch yet another round of stock buybacks, which could lift stock prices. Fewer shares outstanding means higher earnings per share.

The impact of stock buybacks on the market the past four years has been big.

Nearly every other large player in the stock market ? insurers, brokerages, state and local governments, pension funds ? has been selling. And yet stocks have more doubled from their recession lows. A big reason is that U.S. companies, not counting financial firms, have bought more than $1 trillion of their own stock in the five years through 2012, according to the Federal Reserve.

Depending on your point of view, the outsize role of buybacks is either good or bad.

Skeptics say buybacks show companies don't have anything better to do with their money, a bad sign for future profits. Stock bulls say it shows that the people who know their companies better than anyone else ? corporate executives ? think their stocks are a bargain, and so should you.

Whoever is right, buybacks are likely to continue because companies have plenty of firepower. Companies in the S&P 500 have $1 trillion of cash, according to S&P Dow Jones. The cash hoard has never been higher.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/3-reasons-not-panic-market-yet-004317521.html

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Taliban offers to swap American POW for five Gitmo detainees

IntelCenter / AFP - Getty Images

US soldier Bowe Bergdahl has been held hostage by the Taliban since his disappearance from his unit on June 30, 2009.

By Matthew DeLuca, Staff Writer, NBC News

The Afghan Taliban has offered to hand over the only known American prisoner of war from the conflict in Afghanistan in exchange for five senior operatives held at Guantanamo Bay, Taliban sources told NBC News.

U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, 27, from Hailey, Idaho, has been held captive since 2009 after going missing from his base in Afghanistan. His whereabouts are not known, but it is believed he is being held in Pakistan by the Haqqani network.

?Bowe Berghadl is very well and is treated like a special guest,? a top Afghan Taliban commander told NBC News. ?For us he is an important bird as it is him whose capture has paved the way for the release of our former five top commanders from Guantanamo Bay.?

Berghdal?s father said last year that he felt like his son?s captivity at the hands of the Taliban ?is not being addressed,? according to Reuters.

The five Taliban fighters the group has demanded in exchange for Bergdahl include Mulla Fazal Akhund, Noorullah Noori, Abdul Haq Waseeq, Khairullah Khairkhwa and Mohammad Nabi, Taliban sources said.

?I feel that I have to do my job as his father,? Bob Bergdahl said at the time. ?I?m working toward a diplomatic and humanitarian solution.?

The Bergdahl family is ?encouraged by the recent news,? Col. Tim Marsano of the Idaho National Guard, a spokesman for the family, said in an email on Thursday.

The family released a statement on June 6 saying they had received a letter through the Red Cross that they were ?confident? had been written to them by their son.

?Our family is greatly relieved and encouraged by this letter, which gives us hope that Bowe is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances,? the family said in the statement. ?We hope Bowe?s captors will again consider his parents? plea to release him, but in the meantime, we ask that you please continue to keep him in good health and allow him to keep corresponding with us.?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced that he would suspend his government?s involvement in talks between the US and the Taliban on Wednesday, barely 24 hours after Obama administration officials announced that they would hold talks in the Qatari capital of Doha.

The Taliban announced that it would open an office in Doha for what an administration official called ?milestone? talks, but a senior official for the insurgent group said ?formal? discussions would not begin without the release of Taliban commanders held at Guantanamo.

Secretary of State John Kerry called Karzai twice in 24 hours after the Afghan president accused the US of a ?contradiction? in agreeing to talks with the Taliban, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday.

The Taliban office in Doha ?must not be treated as or represent itself as an embassy or other office representing the Afghan Taliban, as an emirate government or sovereign,? Psaki said.

Kerry is expected to travel to Doha this weekend to meet with Qatari officials in advance of talks on the deteriorating situation in Syria.

The Taliban commander told NBC News that they would either turn Bergdahl over to the US or a third party if the five Guantanamo prisoners were released and transported to Qatar.

Related:

This story was originally published on Thu Jun 20, 2013 3:21 PM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2d91b156/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A60C20A0C190A556340Etaliban0Eoffers0Eto0Eswap0Eamerican0Epow0Efor0Efive0Egitmo0Edetainees0Dlite/story01.htm

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Daycare may benefit kids of depressed mothers

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children of depressed mothers are less likely to have emotional problems if they attend daycare, a new Canadian study suggests.

Researchers have known that depressed women are more likely to have kids who also develop depression and anxiety disorders, and that those problems can extend through the teenage years.

"It's interesting to think of this as a possible type of intervention and a way of supporting mothers in general, but especially mothers who are at risk," said Catherine Herba, from the University of Quebec at Montreal.

The researchers followed close to 1,800 children born in Quebec in 1997-1998 and their mothers through the child's fifth birthday.

Women were regularly surveyed about their depression symptoms and reported on their child's emotional problems and separation anxiety, as well as the type of childcare they used.

About 19 percent of mothers had depression symptoms during the study period. And as previous research has suggested, their children were almost twice as likely to develop emotional problems and separation anxiety before age five, Herba's team wrote in JAMA Psychiatry.

However, being in childcare seemed to mitigate that effect. The association was particularly strong for group-based childcare, as opposed to care provided by a relative or babysitter.

Among children with depressed mothers, attending daycare was tied to a 79 percent reduced risk of developing emotional problems, compared to kids who stayed home with their moms.

Across the study, between nine and 31 percent of preschoolers had emotional problems depending on whether their mothers were depressed and where they received care.

How many hours a week kids spent in childcare did not seem as important as the type of care itself, the researchers found. They said the structured setting of group-based care, having care provided by a trained professional and spending time with children of a similar age may all be benefits to that type of childcare.

"Center-based care can really serve as a buffer for children of depressed mothers," said Catherine Ayoub, who has studied Early Head Start programs at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

"As those mothers are paying some attention to their own depressive symptoms, as they're struggling with depression, the children can be buffered from the effects of depression on their development," Ayoub, who wasn't involved in the new study, told Reuters Health.

Her research has suggested programs that reach out to both children and mothers themselves can be especially beneficial for families over the long run.

Ayoub, also from the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, said women should know that they can still be good mothers if they are depressed, and also that there are many ways to treat depression - so they can get better.

"Yes, you may be depressed, but you also can really move toward resilience," she said. "It's okay to find the best possible care for your child that's also a way to take care of yourself."

Herba said that doctors should be looking for new mothers who are depressed and speak to them about the potential benefits of using childcare and getting help for themselves.

"It's quite important that we give good support to these mothers and try to facilitate this as much as possible," she said.

SOURCE: JAMA Psychiatry, online June 19, 2013.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/daycare-may-benefit-kids-depressed-mothers-201023984.html

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Obama, Putin to sign new deal on reducing nuclear threat

By Roberta Rampton

INNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin said they would sign an agreement on securing and destroying nuclear material to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, replacing a 1992 deal that expired on Monday.

Obama and Putin met privately at the G8 summit to talk about pressing security issues and agreed to work together to protect, control and account for nuclear weapons.

"I think it is an example of the kind of constructive, cooperative relationship that moves us out of a Cold War mindset," Obama said after meeting with Putin.

Ben Rhodes, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said Russia had been reluctant to extend the agreement, which was signed after the collapse of the Soviet Union and was known as the Nunn-Lugar agreement after former Democratic Senator Sam Nunn and former Republican Senator Richard Lugar.

Rhodes said the Russians' concerns were "well founded in some respects," noting the Nunn-Lugar agreement had taken a "very aggressive and intrusive" approach to securing nuclear material in Russia.

On Monday, Nunn applauded the new deal, although he noted that some parts of the old one focused on chemical and biological weapons would not continue.

"We must find ways beyond this agreement to work together on these critical issues," he said. "I believe that we will."

(Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-putin-sign-deal-reducing-nuclear-threat-001209609.html

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Dog Jaunt : Backpack and pet lounge: Casual Canine Ultimate ...

As is so often the case, I owe this one to a reader. Heike wrote and asked if I?d seen a carrier on overstock.com that she was considering,?and I told her no, and I likely wouldn?t pursue it because Chloe?s roughly twice as large as the Chihuahua pictured in the carrier?s photo. However, I liked how the side of her carrier expanded, in the same way the Smart Space carrier does, and I was still gazing at it when I noticed an ad in the sidebar for another expanding carrier?? and it was holding a Westie (like Chloe, a larger small dog).

Now that I?m looking at a REALLY BIG version of the picture, I?m no longer convinced that?s a Westie. Never mind ? I think a Westie could fit, and Chloe certainly does, so no harm, no foul. [Photo by Tops Pet Products]

Since it?s a backpack, the Casual Canine Ultimate Backpack Carrier has a whole different purpose in life than the carrier Heike originally pointed me to, but I?ve had only mixed success with the dog backpacks I?ve purchased, so I was thrilled to see it. (The Creature Leisure Carry Den XT is a quality item, but has a structural beam that will clobber your lower back on a long walk; and the Timbuk2 Muttmover, also a quality item, is just a hair too small for Chloe.)

Long story short, I bought the Casual Canine backpack, loved it, and now Heike?s got her finger hovering over the order button too. I liked it so much that I bought a second one to give away. Remember how I said I?d be offering special giveaways to Dog Jaunt newsletter subscribers? This will be the first one, to celebrate the newsletter launch. Hurry and subscribe, using the button at the top of the sidebar or this link, and then keep an eye on your in-box over the next couple of weeks.

The backpack, under the microscope

With both of its gussets zipped closed, the backpack measures 16.5? long (about 1.5? of which is a side pocket), 11? wide (at the base, tapering to about 8? wide at dog shoulder-height and 4.5? wide at the very top of the backpack), and 17? tall. It weighs 2.36 lbs. It?s made of a sturdy nylon twill, in navy and robin?s egg blue. Completely zipped closed, the ventilation comes from the mesh entry door on one side, and a set of 8 huge grommets (located in the robin?s-egg-blue vertical panels).

A stiff board with soft fleece on one side gives the backpack a fairly solid and stable floor, and provides a little (a very little) softness. There is a tether sewn in, but it can be tucked under the board ?floor,? if you prefer it to be out of chewing range.

Unzipping the first gusset adds another 2? to the carrier?s width, from base to top of bag, and about half of that is mesh, so the ventilation is increased too. We will be keeping this gusset permanently unzipped, because a dog Chloe?s size requires it. I?d say that a dog 10 lbs. or under wouldn?t need it, but Chloe, at 13 lbs., does. The label says that the backpack will hold a pet up to 22 lbs., but I?d guess that 15-18 lbs. would be a more likely upper limit.

Here?s Chloe, getting a (gentle) push:

Our cat Otto looks on as I encourage Chloe to enter the bag, not just stand in the door and eat the treat I tossed in

And here she is, fully inside:

She looks a little put-upon, but that?s because she has to bend her head down a bit to see out the door ? I promise you, she fit comfortably in the backpack

Here?s the carrier on my back with Chloe inside:

Still looking put-upon, and yet I am unconcerned

As Heike points out, ?What I like about the backpack (beside the big expand-a-space) is the fact that the ventilation screens are on the sides, so nobody can ?mess? with your dog behind your back so to speak. But the munchkins can still look out and see what?s going on.?

And then here?s what happens when the second gusset is unzipped ? the front of the backpack folds down to create a substantial mesh tent your pup can lounge in:

Chloe is passionately devoted to her Pet Ego Pet Dome (now discontinued in the large size I prefer), and, fully extended, the Casual Canine backpack offers her a similar experience. The enclosure is 23? long (including the basic backpack), about 8.5? wide (extension only ? as you can see in the picture, Chloe keeps most of her body in the main backpack area, then sprawls her chest and head into the extension area), and a variety of heights (from about 6? at the lowest up to the full 17? of the basic backpack area).

Chloe was perfectly comfortable in the backpack-as-tent, and even when I finally unzipped the entry door, she chose to remain inside:

Chloe, zonked out ? you can see her nose tucked into the front left corner of the mesh tent

Another view from the side ? she only woke up and left the bag when I headed downstairs and she recalled that her treats are also downstairs, and mightn?t those things be related?

The backpack is very comfortable, and I look forward to using it for visits to farmer?s markets. I also plan to bring it on short hikes, so that I can carry Chloe if and when she decides her dogs are barking. It?ll do a fine job of carrying my own light hiking gear (jacket, snack, water, emergency supplies), and I?ll also pack a light day pack like this Flash 18 pack from REI, so that when Chloe goes into it, my gear can go out, and onto my husband?s back.?It would also carry Chloe on my back while I was biking, though I wish (as I did with the Muttmover) that it came in a light, sun-reflecting color. It does have plenty of ventilation, but on a sunny day, keep part of your mind on your dog and check to make sure she?s hydrated and not heating up too much.

The lounge feature would work at work, or at a caf?, if you wanted your pup to be secure without fussing with a leash. Like I say, Chloe finds this kind of soft crate comforting, so it?s easy for me to come up with scenarios where it?d be useful.

Please note that this carrier would?not?work as an in-cabin carrier except for a very small dog: The back, which would become the floor when you tipped the carrier to go under your seat, does have a certain amount of waterproofing but no padding, so you?d have to bring along a separate pad for the back ? and only a small dog would work, because the bag tends to collapse towards its back (there?s no way to keep the middle ventilation gusset propped up).

One last picture to show you the side of the backpack opposite the entry door:

The side pocket is a substantial 6? x 9? x 1.5?, and has a mesh outer pocket that could hold a small water bottle

I bought my backpacks at overstock.com for $76.99, but the carrier is currently available at a slightly lower price on Amazon (and at a significantly higher price through Brookstone).

Amazon link: Casual Canine Ultimate Backpack Carrier

This entry was posted on Monday, June 17th, 2013 at 5:00 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.dogjaunt.com/posts/backpack-and-pet-lounge-casual-canine-ultimate-backpack-carrier/

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Facebook Mom Blocked Over Breastfeeding Pics; Company Apologizes Amid Backlash

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/facebook-mom-blocked-over-breastfeeding-photos-company-apologize/

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Jenelle Evans to Kieffer Delp: I Hate You! You Got Me Strung Out on Heroin #BYE

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