LONDON (AP) — Hackers have compromised the main Twitter account of The Associated Press, sending out an erroneous tweet about an attack at the White House.
The tweet, which said that there had been two explosions at the White House and President Barack Obama was injured, came after hackers made repeated attempts to steal the passwords of AP journalists.
The AP said Tuesday that its Twitter account had been suspended following a hack and said it was working to correct the issue.
The cyberattack is the latest in a string targeting international media organizations.
The tweet put out by hackers briefly sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average sharply lower.
The stock market dropped after the AP’s Twitter account inaccurately said an attack had taken place at the White House. The AP said its account got hacked.
Chrysler’s inspirational video for its new Dodge Ram truck took many of its cues from a little-known YouTube video produced by Farms.com in 2011, according to a Slate story.
In both videos, ABC broadcaster Paul Harvey, who died in 2009, delivers his “So God made a farmer” speech from the 1978 Future Farmers of America convention. The iconic speech is played over images of farmers tending to cattle herds and fields of crops.
There are differences between the two videos, mainly that Chrysler used higher production quality video and added its Dodge Ram branding to the end.
The commercial falls in line with Chrysler’s tone over the past two years, in which the company has used powerful, inspirational videos during the Super Bowl to catch consumers’ attention. In the past, Clint Eastwood and Eminem gave viewers a powerful message about the company as it recovers from bankruptcy.
Pets. Friends, companions, … real estate accessories? Thanks to a tip from Estately, we’re now fascinated by the decision to include cats, dogs and (as you’ll see) much more exotic creatures in photos of homes for sale.
Here are a few choice images captured in Estately’s blog. And because we’re pretty much suckers for anything pet related, we’ve got more later. (Note: Captions in grey tell more of the story.)
Pets in listing photos, via Estately
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Is this intentional or just coincidence? Certainly, if we’re talking about staging, the clever placement of a bounding Golden Retriever in the yard could add to the “family friendly” feeling of a home. A Siamese cat languid upon a chaise could add to an impression of opulence. So are these pets actually beloved members of the seller family or are they rented, as you might rent paintings and modern furntuture to transform the look of your home?
According to AOL Real Estate, pets can indeed be strategically placed in photo shoots.
Tristan H. Harper, senior vice president of New York’s Prudential Douglas Elliman agency, loves and employs the idea of using designer dogs to sell property. He sold an East 63rd Street penthouse for $3.75 million in 2008 — an all-time record for the building — after the photo (above) of Rocko the Shih Tzu appeared in several magazines. We presume Rocko ate well that evening.
Dog with view, and champagne. Photo via AOL and Douglas Elliman, Prudential
Indeed, Coldwell Banker seems to think pets sell homes, as evidenced by their recent ad campaign.
On the other hand, pets in photos can be a gigantic turn off to the allergic or to the just plain non-pet-fan. We know sex sells; but does pet sell? Take a look at these pictures, readers, and decide for yourself.
More pets in listing photos
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Anna Marie Erwert writes from both the renter and new buyer perspective, having (finally) achieved both statuses. She focuses on national real estate trends, specializing in the San Francisco Bay Area and Pacific Northwest. Follow Anna on Twitter: @AnnaMarieErwert
Warning: Strong language is edited out of this video
Actor Samuel L. Jackson has a simple message to American voters – wake the [insert your favorite expletive] up!
Jackson stars in a new video supporting President Barack Obama that also outlines the reasons why he thinks Republican Mitt Romney would be bad for the country.
“We’re all on our own if Romney has his way,” Jackson says in the video. “He’s against safety nets. If you fall, tough luck. So I strongly suggest you WAKE THE **** Up!”
The video, which became a viral sensation on Thursday, was paid for by the Jewish Council for Research and Education, a liberal super PAC funded that is largely funded by billionaire George Soros’ 25-year-old son.
Adam Mansbach, who wrote the children’s book “Go the F**k to sleep,” wrote the script for the political ad, according to the New York Post. Jackson did an audio reading of that book on YouTube that became a YouTube sensation.
The video talks about Romney’s stance on Planned Parenthood, Medicare and college education. It also mentions some of the accomplishments of Obama’s tenure as president, including green lightING a Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama Bin Laden.
While not explicitly said, the video seems aimed at former Obama supporters or Democrats who lack the same kind of motivation or energy that helped get Obama elected four years ago.
It also targets specific groups of people – the elderly, married couples, college grads and new voters.
Jackson’s support for Obama isn’t a mystery. He’s talked at length about why he voted for Obama and why he believes he should be reelected.
A mutated adult pale grass blue (Zizeeria maha) butterfly from Fukushima. (Photo: Handout)
Researchers found dozens of mutated butterflies near the site of the nuclear accident in Fukushima, prompting officials to say it’s the first sign of damage to the ecosystem.
According to NBC News, researcher Joji Otaki of the University of Ryukyus found mutation in roughly 12 percent of 144 commonly-found pale grass blue butterflies collected two months after the March 2011 disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Even more alarming, researcher said the mutation increased to 28 percent six months later and more than 50 percent of the offspring showed some signs of mutation.
Researchers said the butterflies have disfigured antennas, smaller-sized wings, indented eyes and different color patterns, NBC News reported.
“Since we’ve seen these effects on butterflies, it’s easy to imagine that it would also have affected other species as well,” Otaki said. “It’s pretty clear that something has gone wrong with the ecosystem.”
A group of five nuclear plants suffered damage after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake knocked out power and a tsunami flooded back up generators at the plants. The lack of power allowed for three reactors to overheat, releasing radiation into the surrounding area.
Environmentalists who oppose Shell’s planned exploratory oil drilling in Arctic waters have taken their campaign to Texas.
Greenpeace mounted a satirical billboard on the highway near Shell’s Houston headquarters this morning. The billboard shows polar bears and proclaims: “You can’t run your SUV on cute. Let’s Go.”
The spoof is one of a handful of fake “Let’s Go! Arctic” advertisements on the ArcticReady.com protest website that drilling foes launched earlier this year. The website, which is modeled to look like an authentic Shell site and created by Greenpeace and the Yes Lab, includes an iceberg-zapping game and more spoof ads.
Greenpeace said it chose the ad on the Houston billboard from over 10,000 user-generated online submissions at the site. The do-it-yourself ads have an assortment of captions including “Turn the power on. It’s time to melt some ice” and “Birds are like sponges…for oil.”
The Houston billboard is just the latest move in a busy week for Arctic drilling foes, who have been staging protests around the globe to draw attention to Shell’s planned oil exploration in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. Activists in England, Holland, Germany and other countries unfurled “#SaveTheArctic” banners and blocked access to Shell filling stations earlier this week. The Guardian described some of the protesters’ tactics in England, which involved using an emergency-shut-off switch to halt flowing gasoline and then removing a fuse to keep it from coming back to life.
About 70 Greenpeace activists also blocked access to Shell’s headquarters in The Hague and hung a banner on the building proclaiming “Stop Shell, Save The Arctic” last week.
Greenpeace, the Yes Lab and members of the Occupy Wall Street movement staged an elaborate — but entirely fake — Arctic drilling celebration in May at Seattle’s Space Needle, complete with a derrick-shaped drink dispenser that spewed dark oil-like liquid all over a guest. A video of the hoax went viral on YouTube, steering millions of viewers to the fake Shell “Arctic Ready” website.
Dan Howells, deputy campaigns director for Greenpeace U.S. said the actions shine a spotlight on public concerns about Arctic drilling.
“People see through Shell’s PR to the truth, that Arctic drilling is a profit grab by one of the world’s richest corporations at the expense of everyone else on the planet,” Howells said. “This campaign has given people a chance to tell Shell exactly what they think.”
Activists say they are finding new, creative ways to shine a spotlight on Shell’s Arctic drilling plans, following the company’s successful pursuit of a federal injunction that bars protesters from encroaching on Shell’s drilling rigs or support ships in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas north of Alaska. Violations would mean hefty fines and potential jail time.
In March, Shell successfully convinced a federal district judge to issue a temporary restraining order barring Greenpeace from interfering with the operation of the Discoverer and Kulluk drilling rigs Shell will be using. In May, the injunction was broadened to cover Shell’s Arctic drilling operations within 200 miles of the shoreline.
The spoof ads and videos circulating online show the protesters’ prowess at using social media to get their message across — and seem to give them an advantage over slower moving corporate foes.
Still, Shell has fought back against some anticipated protests. After Greenpeace activists, including actress Lucy Lawless, were arrested in February after they boarded the Discoverer drillship as it sailed from New Zealand to Seattle, Shell went to court to block similar action in U.S. waters.
In March, Shell successfully convinced a federal district judge to issue a temporary restraining order barring Greenpeace from interfering with the operation of the Discoverer and Kulluk drilling rigs Shell will be using. In May, the injunction was broadened to cover Shell’s Arctic drilling operations within 200 miles of the shoreline.
The Interior Department has approved Shell’s broad plan to drill 10 exploratory wells in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas over the next two summers. But the company still must get permits for each well before launching that work. It also has to obtain a Coast Guard certificate of inspection for a barge that will hold key emergency equipment.
New Jersey traffic cameras captured a dramatic crash after a car police say was speeding through an intersection, was struck by an oncoming vehicle and then went airborne.
