WHO's China head: Beijing H7N9 case not surprising

BEIJING (AP) ? A World Health Organization official said Sunday that it wasn't surprising that a new strain of bird flu had spread to China's capital after sickening dozens of people in the eastern part of the country.

Up until Saturday, when Beijing officials reported the capital's first case of H7N9, all cases had been in Shanghai and other areas of eastern China. On Sunday, the first two cases were reported in central Henan province, which is next to Beijing.

It's not the case that everyone confirmed to be infected with H7N9 was "clustered in one small area with the same source of exposure," said Michael O'Leary, head of WHO's office in China. "So we've been expecting new cases to occur. ... Furthermore, we still expect that there will be other cases."

A 7-year-old girl was Beijing's first confirmed case of H7N9. Four more cases were reported in eastern Zhejiang province on Sunday, bringing to 55 the number of people sickened from the virus. Eleven of the victims have died.

Health officials believe the virus, which was first spotted in humans last month, is spreading through direct contact with infected fowl.

O'Leary said "the good news" was that there was still no evidence that humans had passed on the virus to other humans.

"As far as we know, all the cases are individually infected in a sporadic and not connected way," he said, adding that the source of infection was still being investigated.

The girl, whose parents are in the live poultry trade, was admitted to a hospital Thursday with symptoms of fever, sore throat, coughing and headache, the Beijing Health Bureau said.

O'Leary said early treatment can be effective, as demonstrated by the girl, who was in stable condition.

In the only other reported cases outside of eastern China, health officials in Henan province said tests on two men Thursday revealed they had the virus.

They said a 34-year-old restaurant chef who had displayed flu symptoms for about a week was in critical condition in a hospital, while a 65-year-old farmer who was in frequent contact with poultry was in stable condition after receiving treatment.

They said 19 people who had been in close contact with the two men had not shown any flu symptoms.

China has been more open in its response to the new virus than it was a decade ago with an outbreak of SARS, when authorities were highly criticized for not releasing information.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/whos-china-head-beijing-h7n9-case-not-surprising-091552287.html

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Analysis: Beijing to US on North Korea _ talk

BEIJING (AP) ? Embedded within Chinese leaders' convoluted, yet vague statements to Washington about North Korea is a simple message: Talk with Pyongyang.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's weekend discussions with officials in Beijing offered up the usual encouraging but familiarly noncommittal language on North Korea, emphasizing Beijing's desire to strike a balance between easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula while not appearing to side against its prickly communist ally Pyongyang.

But while neither side offered details of their exchanges, Beijing is communicating its strong desire for some form of direct contact between the U.S. and North Korea as a means of defusing the ongoing crisis over North Korea's nuclear threats that have prompted a massive show of force by the U.S. and South Korea.

"North Korea wants to talk, so why not talk?" said Shen Dingli, a regional security expert and director of the Center for American Studies at Shanghai's Fudan University. The question for China, Shen said, is how to make such discussions come about, adding that China is unlikely to make such calls too explicit for fear of putting either side in an embarrassing quandary.

Highlighting the difficulties of getting North Korea to talk with the U.S., the North rebuffed last week's proposal by Seoul to resolve the tensions through dialogue. North Korea dismissed the proposal as a "crafty trick" to disguise what Pyongyang calls the South's hostility, and said it won't talk unless Seoul abandons its confrontational posture.

Chinese media reports on Kerry's Saturday talks largely downplayed North Korea, and the Foreign Ministry's official statements were predictably blurry. In its account of his meeting with Kerry, the ministry quoted Premier Li Keqiang as referring only to "those who stir up trouble on the peninsula only harm their own interests, like moving a stone only to drop it on one's own foot."

That was a near echo of President Xi Jinping's own comment in a speech earlier this month that "no one should be allowed to throw the region, or even the whole world, into chaos for selfish gains" ? seen as much as a rebuke to the U.S. and its allies as to North Korea's young leader, Kim Jong Un. The ministry's account of Kerry's meeting with Xi didn't mention the Korean Peninsula even obliquely.

While China has grown more critical of North Korea since the latter's third nuclear test in February, Beijing remains highly wary of pushing the hardline communist regime too far. China says it wants a Korean Peninsula free from nuclear weapons, but that all sides must play a role in that.

The stakes are high for China, with a potential conflict threatening its economic development and stability in the northeast along its long, meandering border with North Korea. Beijing abhors the prospect of a pro-U.S. unified Korean state on its border as well as internal North Korean conflict that could spark an outflow of refugees.

China was already displeased by Kim's lack of outreach and lack of concern for Beijing's interests, and signed on to tighter U.N. sanctions following the North's latest nuclear test in February. It's also stepped up customs checks along their border, slowed some deliveries of equipment to the North and cracked down on suspect financial transactions by North Korean banks.

That's had little apparent effect on Kim's behavior, and he seems emboldened by China's lack of a forceful response to past crises and Pyongyang's perceptions of China's fear of a collapse of the regime. While North Korea's population is starving and impoverished, the leadership gets by on Chinese food and fuel, along with growing investment, and imports of North Korean iron ore and other raw materials.

Despite that, it's not clear what, if any, further pressure China is willing to exert, and if Xi, Li or others offered any further commitments, neither side was saying.

"Theoretically, there is more that China can do, but we're very worried that doing so could stimulate Kim to do even more dangerous things," said Shi Yinhong, an international relations expert at Renmin University in Beijing.

"Be prudent, don't go too far" is China's message to Washington and South Korea, Shi said.

While direct Washington-Pyongyang communication may offer a start, the ultimate key to easing tensions long-term lies in involving the other regional players, said Zhang Liangui, a researcher with the ruling Communist Party's main research and training institute in Beijing.

That would mark a return to Beijing's preferred format of six-nation talks involving the two Koreas, China, the U.S., Japan and Russia, a process stalemated since 2009 over how to ensure North Korean compliance with denuclearization measures. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi again communicated Beijing's preference for the Chinese-hosted talks in his Saturday meeting with Kerry.

"This is not an issue for the two sides only," said Zhang, who is close to the Chinese leadership but said he had no direct knowledge of Kerry's meetings. "It concerns the entire region, so all the countries involved should take part."

China is not the only one suggesting a phone conversation between the sides. Flamboyant former NBA player Dennis Rodman made the same point following a bizarre trip to Pyongyang and meetings with Kim in March.

Both Kim and President Barack Obama love basketball "and there is even more they could talk about if Obama would just pick up the phone and call him," Rodman said following the trip.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-beijing-us-north-korea-talk-090502853.html

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Netherlands' Rijksmuseum opens to the public

Fireworks are seen during the official opening of the renovated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. The first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open until midnight. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Fireworks are seen during the official opening of the renovated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. The first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open until midnight. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Netherlands' Queen Beatrix admires the renovated Rijksmuseum as she arrives for the official opening in Amsterdam, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home to Rembrandt's Night Watch and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. On the first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open till midnight. Queen Beatrix has announced she will relinquish the crown on April 30, 2013, after 33 years of reign, leaving the monarchy to her son Crown Prince Willem Alexander. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Fireworks are seen during the official opening of the renovated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. The first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open until midnight. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Dutch Queen Beatrix, center left, and museum director Wim Pijbes, center right, prepare to officially open the renovated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. The first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open until midnight. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Fireworks are seen during the official opening of the renovated Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Saturday April 13, 2013. The Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's "The Night Watch" and other national treasures reopens its doors to the public after a decade-long renovation. The first day, Saturday April 13, admissions are free and the museum stays open until midnight. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

AMSTERDAM (AP) ? Amid brass bands and a daytime fireworks display, the Netherlands' Queen Beatrix on Saturday officially reopened the Rijksmuseum, the country's national museum, after a 10-year, 375 million euro ($480 million) renovation.

The museum houses the largest collection of treasures from the Netherlands' cultural history, including works painted by Dutch masters Jan Steen, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt van Rijn in the country's 17th-century Golden Age. Then the Netherlands was a major naval power and Amsterdam was one of the world's most influential and wealthy cities.

The renovation by Spanish architectural firm Cruz y Ortiz sought to bring light into the courtyards at the center of the 1885 brick structure, which resembles a fairytale castle. Meanwhile the museum's displays were completely redone to modern standards, with cultural items displayed alongside artwork from the same period ? and sometimes even directly related to the art or artist.

For instance, one room houses paintings portraying the June 1667 Raid on the Medway, a naval battle in which the Dutch defeated the English. The room centers on an intricate model of a ship from the period more than two meters (yards) long. It displays an actual sword and goblet once owned by the victorious Dutch Adm. Michiel de Ruyter.

And above one doorway hangs the actual metal stern-piece from the English flagship HMS Royal Charles, which features a lion and a unicorn. De Ruyter's forces towed the ship away during the battle, and then took it back to the Netherlands.

Only one of the 8,000 works in the Rijksmuseum's collection returns to its original display position: Rembrandt's "The Night Watch," widely considered his greatest masterpiece. It sits at the end of the museum's main gothic-style Gallery of Honor, acting as the symbolic altarpiece of a secular church.

That enormous canvas ? 4.35 meters wide and 3.79 meters high (14.86 x 12.43 feet) ? portrays a company of Amsterdam volunteer militiamen, rather than a religious work.

In honor of the opening by Queen Beatrix, who is the head of the Netherlands' ruling House of Orange, the museum has been outfitted with a large orange carpet leading to its new entrance. At an opening ceremony broadcast live on national television, museum Director Wim Pijbes handed the queen a ceremonial key to the museum.

Then the museum was opened to the public. It will remain open until midnight, free of charge. Tickets will normally cost 15 euros ($19).

The museum expects to welcome thousands of visitors Saturday, and up to 2 million visitors per year now that it is open again.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-13-Netherlands-Rijksmusuem/id-a2c151af754847acaac39233abd0ffd7

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PSY says he hopes NKoreans enjoy his new single

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? South Korean rapper PSY says he hopes North Koreans will enjoy his new single even as tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula.

PSY released his latest single, "Gentleman," in 119 countries on Friday, hoping to replicate the success of "Gangnam Style," the smash YouTube hit that made him an international star almost overnight last year. The choreography for "Gentleman" ? including the "arrogant dance," as PSY called it ? was unveiled at a concert in Seoul on Saturday before more than 50,000 fans. The music video has been uploaded onto YouTube.

PSY, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, said Saturday that he regretted the current tensions between the two Koreas. The situation has been grabbing global headlines, with North Korea becoming increasingly belligerent with war rumblings, leaving its neighbors wary of a possible missile test by Pyongyang.

"It's a tragedy. We are the only countries divided right now," PSY said at a news conference ahead of the concert.

North and South Korea, which are divided by heavily fortified borders, are technically still at war, with the 1950-53 Korean War ending with a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.

PSY said he hoped North Koreans would enjoy his new music. He said his job was to make all people, including North Koreans, laugh.

"Hopefully my 'Gangnam Style,' my 'Gentleman,' my music videos and my choreography ... they might enjoy them too," he said.

When the "Gangnam Style" video went viral last year, it spun legions of parodies. Even North Korea's government created a parody video of the hit, showing that the secretive country is well-versed in South Korean popular culture. North Korea used its "Gangnam Style" parody to criticize Park Geun-hye, then the presidential candidate for South Korea's ruling party. Park was inaugurated as South Korea's new president in February.

PSY's "Gangnam Style" video, featuring his much-mimicked horse-riding dance, made him one of the best-known Koreans in the world. It's the most watched video of all time on YouTube, gathering more than 1.5 billion views since its release in July.

PSY acknowledged that the massive success of "Gangnam Style" added to the pressure as he worked on his latest single, but he said he tried to remain true to himself and his Korean roots.

"I tried to find Korean words that people from any country can easily sing along," he said of "Gentleman," which contains lyrics both in English and Korean. PSY co-composed the music and wrote the lyrics, which poke fun at a self-claimed gentleman who enjoys his time at a dance club.

Audiences have questioned whether PSY will be a one-hit wonder known only for "Gangnam Style." But the South Korean musician, whose humble personality has endeared him to his fans at home since he made his debut more than a decade ago, shrugs off the skepticism.

"Whether or not a couple of my songs become a global hit, I've been doing this job for 12 years," PSY said. "I will bring more Korean dance moves and Korean songs overseas."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/psy-says-hopes-nkoreans-enjoy-single-091043882.html

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Analysis: Beijing to US on North Korea _ talk

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, gestures while shaking hands with China's Premier Li Keqiang during a meeting at the Zhongnanhai compound in Beijing Saturday, April 13, 2013. The question of how Washington can persuade Beijing to exert real pressure on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's unpredictable regime is front and center as Kerry meets Saturday with Chinese leaders in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jason Lee, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, gestures while shaking hands with China's Premier Li Keqiang during a meeting at the Zhongnanhai compound in Beijing Saturday, April 13, 2013. The question of how Washington can persuade Beijing to exert real pressure on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's unpredictable regime is front and center as Kerry meets Saturday with Chinese leaders in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jason Lee, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, gestures to Chinese Premier Keqiang Li before their meeting at the Zhongnanhai Leadership Compound Saturday, April 13, 2013 in Beijing. The question of how Washington can persuade Beijing to exert real pressure on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's unpredictable regime is front and center as Kerry meets Saturday with Chinese leaders in Beijing. (AP Photo/Paul J. Richards, Pool)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, listens to Chinese Premier Liu Keqiang during their meeting at the Zhongnanhai Leadership Compound Saturday, April 13, 2013 in Beijing. The question of how Washington can persuade Beijing to exert real pressure on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's unpredictable regime is front and center as Kerry meets Saturday with Chinese leaders in Beijing. (AP Photo/Paul J. Richards, Pool)

US Secretary of State John Kerry conducts a press conference answering questions from US and Chinese media, Saturday April 13, 2013, in Beijing, China. Kerry arrived in Beijing Saturday to seek Chinese help in persuading North Korea to halt its nuclear and missile testing program. (AP Photo/Paul J. Richards)

BEIJING (AP) ? Embedded within Chinese leaders' convoluted, yet vague statements to Washington about North Korea is a simple message: Talk with Pyongyang.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's weekend discussions with officials in Beijing offered up the usual encouraging but familiarly noncommittal language on North Korea, emphasizing Beijing's desire to strike a balance between easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula while not appearing to side against its prickly communist ally Pyongyang.

But while neither side offered details of their exchanges, Beijing is communicating its strong desire for some form of direct contact between the U.S. and North Korea as a means of defusing the ongoing crisis over North Korea's nuclear threats that have prompted a massive show of force by the U.S. and South Korea.

"North Korea wants to talk, so why not talk?" said Shen Dingli, a regional security expert and director of the Center for American Studies at Shanghai's Fudan University. The question for China, Shen said, is how to make such discussions come about, adding that China is unlikely to make such calls too explicit for fear of putting either side in an embarrassing quandary.

Highlighting the difficulties of getting North Korea to talk with the U.S., the North rebuffed last week's proposal by Seoul to resolve the tensions through dialogue. North Korea dismissed the proposal as a "crafty trick" to disguise what Pyongyang calls the South's hostility, and said it won't talk unless Seoul abandons its confrontational posture.

Chinese media reports on Kerry's Saturday talks largely downplayed North Korea, and the Foreign Ministry's official statements were predictably blurry. In its account of his meeting with Kerry, the ministry quoted Premier Li Keqiang as referring only to "those who stir up trouble on the peninsula only harm their own interests, like moving a stone only to drop it on one's own foot."

That was a near echo of President Xi Jinping's own comment in a speech earlier this month that "no one should be allowed to throw the region, or even the whole world, into chaos for selfish gains" ? seen as much as a rebuke to the U.S. and its allies as to North Korea's young leader, Kim Jong Un. The ministry's account of Kerry's meeting with Xi didn't mention the Korean Peninsula even obliquely.

While China has grown more critical of North Korea since the latter's third nuclear test in February, Beijing remains highly wary of pushing the hardline communist regime too far. China says it wants a Korean Peninsula free from nuclear weapons, but that all sides must play a role in that.

The stakes are high for China, with a potential conflict threatening its economic development and stability in the northeast along its long, meandering border with North Korea. Beijing abhors the prospect of a pro-U.S. unified Korean state on its border as well as internal North Korean conflict that could spark an outflow of refugees.

China was already displeased by Kim's lack of outreach and lack of concern for Beijing's interests, and signed on to tighter U.N. sanctions following the North's latest nuclear test in February. It's also stepped up customs checks along their border, slowed some deliveries of equipment to the North and cracked down on suspect financial transactions by North Korean banks.

That's had little apparent effect on Kim's behavior, and he seems emboldened by China's lack of a forceful response to past crises and Pyongyang's perceptions of China's fear of a collapse of the regime. While North Korea's population is starving and impoverished, the leadership gets by on Chinese food and fuel, along with growing investment, and imports of North Korean iron ore and other raw materials.

Despite that, it's not clear what, if any, further pressure China is willing to exert, and if Xi, Li or others offered any further commitments, neither side was saying.

"Theoretically, there is more that China can do, but we're very worried that doing so could stimulate Kim to do even more dangerous things," said Shi Yinhong, an international relations expert at Renmin University in Beijing.

"Be prudent, don't go too far" is China's message to Washington and South Korea, Shi said.

While direct Washington-Pyongyang communication may offer a start, the ultimate key to easing tensions long-term lies in involving the other regional players, said Zhang Liangui, a researcher with the ruling Communist Party's main research and training institute in Beijing.

That would mark a return to Beijing's preferred format of six-nation talks involving the two Koreas, China, the U.S., Japan and Russia, a process stalemated since 2009 over how to ensure North Korean compliance with denuclearization measures. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi again communicated Beijing's preference for the Chinese-hosted talks in his Saturday meeting with Kerry.

"This is not an issue for the two sides only," said Zhang, who is close to the Chinese leadership but said he had no direct knowledge of Kerry's meetings. "It concerns the entire region, so all the countries involved should take part."

China is not the only one suggesting a phone conversation between the sides. Flamboyant former NBA player Dennis Rodman made the same point following a bizarre trip to Pyongyang and meetings with Kim in March.

Both Kim and President Barack Obama love basketball "and there is even more they could talk about if Obama would just pick up the phone and call him," Rodman said following the trip.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-14-China-US-NKorea-Analysis/id-093c310de7fd483f99ab4a3b2e3f3c55

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Texas rethinking its testing, curriculum standards

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? The federal No Child Left Behind law was born in Texas, and billionaire Ross Perot first rallied big business to support tougher standardized testing and high school graduation standards here nearly three decades ago.

But the state now appears ready to step back from the strenuous accountability policies it has long been a national leader in championing, amid fears that youngsters are being forced to take too many high-stakes tests and that too many might drop out because of higher expectations. A number of other states are also considering pulling back.

The Texas House has approved 145-2 an education overhaul that cuts the number of high school standardized tests in core subjects from 15 to five. It also creates a base high school diploma that doesn't require Algebra II or high-level math and science courses. A similar bill is pending in the Senate.

"Parents, students, business groups, professional education administrators, school boards, everybody's onboard with this," said the House measure's sponsor, Republican Jimmie Don Aycock, chairman of the chamber's Public Education Committee.

In particular, algebra II should no longer be treated as the "holy grail" of education, said Republican Sen. Dan Patrick, chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

How to measure schools' effectiveness and hold students accountable has become an almost unresolvable question in some states, coming up again and again for reconsideration. After rounds of raising standards and requiring tests, some legislatures are now swinging back in the other direction.

"Texas may be rolling backward too fast," said Chester Finn, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative education think tank in Washington. He fears many school districts will only offer enough courses to meet the new minimum degree standards, thus dropping high-level science and math.

"I am not worried about the kids in the fancy suburbs," Finn said. "It's kids in little, rural districts and the lesser schools in tough neighborhoods in big cities who are going to find that the school doesn't offer the courses because they don't really count."

The qualms are being felt in both conservative states and progressive ones. But exacerbating matters are the Common Core standards, national benchmarks in reading and math promoted by the Obama administration and designed to enhance critical thinking. They have been adopted by 45 states.

Washington state's superintendent of schools, Randy Dorn, has publicly worried that the testing has gone too far, with the class of 2015 now required to pass five high school exit exams. In North Carolina, legislators have scaled back the number of tests and the number of days students spend taking them.

Oklahoma's Legislature was roiled when it was discovered that hundreds of students wouldn't graduate because of their scores on the state's new high school exit exam. Efforts to overturn the requirements failed after an emotional debate. Alabama is also fighting over its Common Core standards, with Gov. Robert Bentley and other top Republicans pushing for repeal while a key business lobby fights to keep them.

Michael Cohen, president of the Washington-based nonprofit Achieve, said that in Texas, though, "it appears to me that there is a more substantial retreat."

"It's not just a battle over the math and science," said Cohen, whose group is dedicated to strengthening academic standards nationwide. "It's between taking (standardized tests) at all now or not taking them."

Texas first introduced a school accountability system in 1993, but the movement dates to 1984 when future presidential hopeful Perot headed a state Select Committee on Education that campaigned for tougher graduation standards. George W. Bush, as governor, made student performance on statewide tests a centerpiece of No Child Left Behind, which was passed into federal law in 2002 during his presidency.

But when the Obama administration began championing the Common Core standards, Texas lawmakers complained that their state requirements were already strenuous enough, especially after the high school testing regimen was increased to 15 tests in 2009.

In the past school year, 47 percent of ninth graders failed at least one test, prompting a backlash.

Fernando Godinez, a sophomore from Waelder near Texas' Gulf Coast, said he wants to be the first in his family to graduate from high school, but that the battery of tests is intimidating.

As he tried to get ready for each, "It was just a matter of time before I stared down at my desk, frustrated and confused." Godinez said. Even though his grades are good, he said he's worried the tests could keep him from going to college.

Susan Kellner, a mom and former school board president from Houston, said it's time to "properly align testing with reality."

Still, moves to pull back barely four years after the latest testing plan was introduced has raised concerns about overcorrecting ? especially since Texas has improved its graduation rate in recent years. Last year, on-time graduation rate reached 86 percent, tied with five other states for the nation's third-highest.

"I can't believe this has gone so quickly and it's a now a foregone conclusion," said Socar Chatmon-Thomas, an Austin real estate broker and a member of a parents group advocating strong curriculum standards. "We'll be perpetuating mediocrity." Texas' Commissioner of Education, Michael Williams, also opposes some of the proposed curriculum changes.

The new graduation requirements scrap requirements that students take four years of math, science, social studies and English. They would be given more time for technical training leading to high-paying industrial jobs.

Instead of preparing everyone for college, Aycock said, "what we're wanting to do is create a ready workforce, many of whom do not need four years of college and all the debt that goes with it."

__

Associated Press writers Phillip Rawls in Montgomery, Ala., Gary Robertson in Raleigh, N.C., and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-rethinking-testing-curriculum-standards-184001096.html

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What a Podiatrist Can do for you | Medical Health and Fitness

A Podiatrist Charlotte NC / podiatry is a foot specialist whose main objective is to ensure that your foot is in optimum condition. Despite the gamut of functions the foot does on a day-to-day basis, many do not realize just how important they depend on their feet for their daily livelihood until the day they hurt. A podiatrist then comes in and helps in relieving the discomfort and pain allowing you to go back to your normal duties as usual.

Foot Problems and the Podiatrist

The podiatrist is probably the best professional when you are experiencing soreness and pain in the feet as he or she is a trained health expert equipped with detection, prevention, healing and rehabilitation skills of the lower limbs and feet. The expert is able to take care of any discomfort, using surgical and medical treatments.

Procedures Carried out by a Podiatrist

A charlotte nc podiatrist seeks to offer you a lifestyle devoid of pain through the application of various procedures. This he does after the diagnosing of your foot issue with accuracy, applying treatment from the tip of the foot to the arch as well as from the sole to the ankle. For basic info, a podiatrist in Charlotte will treat:

Conditions arising from bone/joint disorders such as muscular pathologies, soft tissue disorders, arthritis and circulatory/neurological disorders.
Nail and skin disorders caused by foot infections.
Injuries to the foot due to sports and other activities.
Common and rare skin and nail pathologies on the foot
Child foot problems that are related to deformity, nail/skin disorders and growth.

Issues Handled by the Podiatrist

Ankle/Heel pain: This pain could arise out of various issues including injuries.
Sports injuries/medicines: For athletes to lead their extraordinary lifestyles and break even more records.
Orthotics: Heel pain can be resolved by visiting a podiatrist for tailor made shoe inserts able to accommodate any feet and at the same time enhance comfort.
Diabetes: Poor blood circulation in the foot is caused by diabetes and a podiatrist will ensure that the discomfort is taken care of as soon as possible.

The podiatrist in Charlotte will help you get rid of that pain in your foot. Therefore, the next time you feel a discomfort in the lower limbs it is best to schedule an appointment with the podiatrist closest to you.

Source: http://canadadelororanch.net/what-a-podiatrist-can-do-for-you

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