Bipartisan group sees change in politics on immigration reform

A bipartisan coalition of senators said Monday they have created a set of principles based upon which they hope lawmakers will pass immigration reform by summer.

WASHINGTON — Declaring that the politics of immigration  “have been turned upside down,” a bipartisan group of senators Monday outlined common principles for comprehensive immigration reform and expressed optimism that legislation granting legal status to most of the country's 11 million illegal immigrants could be realized by this summer.

One day before President Obama launches a campaign-style push for his vision of immigration reform, representatives of the so-called Group of Eight senators acknowledged previous false starts on the issue, and obstacles that probably lie ahead — particularly in determining how to increase the flow of legal immigration.

But, after an election in which the share of the nonwhite vote continued to grow and swung overwhelmingly toward Obama, the lawmakers said that the path forward was as clear as ever.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the GOP’s 2008 presidential nominee and a past proponent of comprehensive reform, said the change in favor of taking action came down to one word: “Elections.”

PHOTOS: President Obama’s second inauguration

“The Republican Party is losing the support of our Hispanic citizens. And we realize that there are many issues in which we think we are in agreement with our Hispanic citizens, but this is a preeminent issue with those citizens,” he said at a Capitol Hill news conference. 

“For the first time ever, there's more political risk in opposing immigration reform than in supporting it,” added Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.).

The Senate blueprint, drafted during weeks of closed-door meetings by leading senators from each party, is more conservative than Obama's proposal, which the president plans to unveil Tuesday in a speech in Las Vegas. But its provisions for legalizing millions of undocumented immigrants go further than measures that failed to advance in Congress in previous years — a reminder of how swiftly the politics of immigration have shifted since the November election.

The Senate proposal would allow most of those in the country illegally to obtain probationary legal status immediately by paying a fine and back taxes and passing a background check. That would make them eligible to work and live in the U.S. They could earn a green card — permanent residency — after the government certifies that the U.S.-Mexican border has become secure, but might face a lengthy process before becoming citizens.

Obama is expected to push for a faster citizenship process that would not be conditional on border security standards being met first. The structure of the citizenship process will probably be among the most hotly debated parts of any immigration plan.

PHOTOS: A look ahead at 2013’s political battles

Less controversial provisions would tighten requirements on employers to check the immigration status of new workers; increase the number of visas for high-skill jobs; provide green cards automatically to people who earn master's degrees or PhDs in science, technology or math at U.S. universities; and create an agricultural guest-worker program.

Schumer said lawmakers are aiming for full legislative language to be put forward by March, which will then work its way through the committee process. A vote in the Senate could come by late spring or summer, he said.

“We still have a long way to go, but this bipartisan blueprint is a major breakthrough,” he said.

Though their effort was running parallel to the president’s, Democratic Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois said he and Schumer spoke with Obama on Sunday and that the president “cheered us on.” McCain said Obama’s public campaign for it would be helpful to their cause.

Still, many conservatives on Capitol Hill remain skeptical about sweeping immigration legislation and could prove a major obstacle to any compromise.

“The last time we talked about this in 2007, it sounded very seductive. When we saw the details, it was clear it wouldn’t work,” Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said in an interview Monday. Sessions said he was particularly concerned that the Obama administration is not committed to securing the borders against future illegal immigration.

Similar criticism from Republican lawmakers doomed a 2007 immigration bill pushed by President George W. Bush and seniors Senate Democrats.

PHOTOS: President Obama’s past

Today, 22 GOP senators who opposed the 2007 plan remain in the Senate, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). By contrast, just two of the 12 Republicans who backed the compromise six years ago are still in Congress — McCain and South Carolina's Lindsey Graham.

Republican resistance to an immigration overhaul promises to be even more intense in the House, where many conservative lawmakers are leery of any proposal that would provide a mechanism for immigrants here illegally to gain citizenship, a key demand on the left.

“When you legalize those who are in the country illegally, it costs taxpayers millions of dollars, costs American workers thousands of jobs and encourages more illegal immigration,” said Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “By granting amnesty, the Senate proposal actually compounds the problem by encouraging more illegal immigration.”

Staff writers Brian Bennett and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

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Supernova Remnants: Dazzling Entrails of Violent Stellar Death

Even in death, there can be great beauty. Consider supernova remnants, the results of massive stars dying in great explosions, creating some of the most spectacular cosmic objects around.

Every 50 years or so, a star in our galaxy with more than 10 times the mass of our sun will expire. When such stars die, they go supernova, one of the most violent events in our universe. These explosions shoot off tons of material from the central star at up to 10 percent the speed of light.

Though the area surrounding stars seems empty, it is usually home to vast amounts of interstellar gas and dust. The supernova’s outburst runs into this surrounding material, creating a shockwave and heating it to temperatures greater than 10,000 Celsius. Over thousands of years, the local structure of the gas and dust shapes the stellar outpouring into shells, filaments, and other diffuse forms. Astronomers call these objects supernova remnants.

Supernova explosions and the remnants they leave behind have wide-ranging effects. They heat up the interstellar medium, creating complex chemistry out in space, and are responsible for accelerating protons and other atomic nuclei, which go zipping around the universe as cosmic rays. Perhaps most importantly, supernova explosions generate and liberate heavy elements, such as oxygen, carbon, and all metals, distributing them out into the wider cosmos. These elements eventually find their way into planetary systems, making life possible on at least one world that we know of.

Here, we take a look at some of the most famous and beautiful supernova remnants, giving you a chance to contemplate life, death, and cycles of renewal in the universe.

Above:

The supernova remnant N186 D appears as a bright pink spot at the top of this new image released by NASA on Jan. 28, spewing off tremendous amounts of X-rays. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud about 160,000 light-years away, the remnant is blowing a huge bubble (the giant structure below the bright spot) as hot wind carves out a shock wave in the surrounding material.

Image: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ of Michigan/A.E.Jaskot, Optical: NOAO/CTIO/MCELS

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Rock singer Morrissey postpones six more shows due to bleeding ulcer

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – British rock singer Morrissey is postponing six performances on his U.S. tour due to a bleeding ulcer, his spokeswoman said on Sunday.

“Morrissey is expected to make a full recovery and thanks everyone concerned for their support during this time,” his representative Lauren Papapietro said in a statement.

Morrissey, the former lead singer for 1980s alternative rock band The Smiths, checked into Beaumont Hospital on Friday in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, Papapietro said.

She declined to say if he remains hospitalized.

Due to his bleeding ulcer, Morrissey is postponing his upcoming shows in Asheville, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; Lawrence, Kansas; Clear Lake, Iowa; and Lincoln, Nebraska, Papapietro said.

He plans to resume his tour on February 9 in Las Vegas.

Due to an illness in his band, Morrissey, 53, canceled his show Thursday in Flint, Michigan, and postponed a Friday night performance in Minneapolis and another engagement set for Saturday night in Chicago, Papapietro said.

Morrissey, whose hits include “First of the Gang to Die” and “Irish Blood, English Heart,” toured North America last fall, played some shows in Australia and New Zealand in December and returned to the United States this month.

He kicked off his latest tour with a performance of his unreleased song “Action is My Middle Name” on “The Late Show with David Letterman” in New York.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Kevin Gray and Stacey Joyce)

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Personal Health: Keeping Blood Pressure in Check

Since the start of the 21st century, Americans have made great progress in controlling high blood pressure, though it remains a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure and kidney disease.

Now 48 percent of the more than 76 million adults with hypertension have it under control, up from 29 percent in 2000.

But that means more than half, including many receiving treatment, have blood pressure that remains too high to be healthy. (A normal blood pressure is lower than 120 over 80.) With a plethora of drugs available to normalize blood pressure, why are so many people still at increased risk of disease, disability and premature death? Hypertension experts offer a few common, and correctable, reasons:

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Jane Brody speaks about hypertension.

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¶ About 20 percent of affected adults don’t know they have high blood pressure, perhaps because they never or rarely see a doctor who checks their pressure.

¶ Of the 80 percent who are aware of their condition, some don’t appreciate how serious it can be and fail to get treated, even when their doctors say they should.

¶ Some who have been treated develop bothersome side effects, causing them to abandon therapy or to use it haphazardly.

¶ Many others do little to change lifestyle factors, like obesity, lack of exercise and a high-salt diet, that can make hypertension harder to control.

Dr. Samuel J. Mann, a hypertension specialist and professor of clinical medicine at Weill-Cornell Medical College, adds another factor that may be the most important. Of the 71 percent of people with hypertension who are currently being treated, too many are taking the wrong drugs or the wrong dosages of the right ones.

Dr. Mann, author of “Hypertension and You: Old Drugs, New Drugs, and the Right Drugs for Your High Blood Pressure,” says that doctors should take into account the underlying causes of each patient’s blood pressure problem and the side effects that may prompt patients to abandon therapy. He has found that when treatment is tailored to the individual, nearly all cases of high blood pressure can be brought and kept under control with available drugs.

Plus, he said in an interview, it can be done with minimal, if any, side effects and at a reasonable cost.

“For most people, no new drugs need to be developed,” Dr. Mann said. “What we need, in terms of medication, is already out there. We just need to use it better.”

But many doctors who are generalists do not understand the “intricacies and nuances” of the dozens of available medications to determine which is appropriate to a certain patient.

“Prescribing the same medication to patient after patient just does not cut it,” Dr. Mann wrote in his book.

The trick to prescribing the best treatment for each patient is to first determine which of three mechanisms, or combination of mechanisms, is responsible for a patient’s hypertension, he said.

¶ Salt-sensitive hypertension, more common in older people and African-Americans, responds well to diuretics and calcium channel blockers.

¶ Hypertension driven by the kidney hormone renin responds best to ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, as well as direct renin inhibitors and beta-blockers.

¶ Neurogenic hypertension is a product of the sympathetic nervous system and is best treated with beta-blockers, alpha-blockers and drugs like clonidine.

According to Dr. Mann, neurogenic hypertension results from repressed emotions. He has found that many patients with it suffered trauma early in life or abuse. They seem calm and content on the surface but continually suppress their distress, he said.

One of Dr. Mann’s patients had had high blood pressure since her late 20s that remained well-controlled by the three drugs her family doctor prescribed. Then in her 40s, periodic checks showed it was often too high. When taking more of the prescribed medication did not result in lasting control, she sought Dr. Mann’s help.

After a thorough work-up, he said she had a textbook case of neurogenic hypertension, was taking too much medication and needed different drugs. Her condition soon became far better managed, with side effects she could easily tolerate, and she no longer feared she would die young of a heart attack or stroke.

But most patients should not have to consult a specialist. They can be well-treated by an internist or family physician who approaches the condition systematically, Dr. Mann said. Patients should be started on low doses of one or more drugs, including a diuretic; the dosage or number of drugs can be slowly increased as needed to achieve a normal pressure.

Specialists, he said, are most useful for treating the 10 percent to 15 percent of patients with so-called resistant hypertension that remains uncontrolled despite treatment with three drugs, including a diuretic, and for those whose treatment is effective but causing distressing side effects.

Hypertension sometimes fails to respond to routine care, he noted, because it results from an underlying medical problem that needs to be addressed.

“Some patients are on a lot of blood pressure drugs — four or five — who probably don’t need so many, and if they do, the question is why,” Dr. Mann said.

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How to Measure Your Blood Pressure

Mistaken readings, which can occur in doctors’ offices as well as at home, can result in misdiagnosis of hypertension and improper treatment. Dr. Samuel J. Mann, of Weill Cornell Medical College, suggests these guidelines to reduce the risk of errors:

¶ Use an automatic monitor rather than a manual one, and check the accuracy of your home monitor at the doctor’s office.

¶ Use a monitor with an arm cuff, not a wrist or finger cuff, and use a large cuff if you have a large arm.

¶ Sit quietly for a few minutes, without talking, after putting on the cuff and before checking your pressure.

¶ Check your pressure in one arm only, and take three readings (not more) one or two minutes apart.

¶ Measure your blood pressure no more than twice a week unless you have severe hypertension or are changing medications.

¶ Check your pressure at random, ordinary times of the day, not just when you think it is high.

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Japan to Ease Restrictions on U.S. Beef

Reflecting diminishing fears over mad cow disease, Japan eased its decade-old restriction on imports of American beef on Monday. But industry experts say beef producers have many more challenges to overcome if they are going to reverse a prolonged slump that has pared the nation’s herd to its lowest level in 60 years and sent prices soaring.

A Japanese government council that oversees food and drug safety cleared a change in import regulations on Monday that would permit imports of meat from American cattle aged 30 months or younger, rather than the current 20 months, according to materials distributed at the council’s meeting in Tokyo.

The change is set to take effect on Feb. 1 for American beef processed after that date, and shipments could start arriving in Japan in mid-February, according to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture. Bans remain on parts of cattle considered to carry a higher risk of transmitting the disease.

Japan, the world’s largest net importer of food, slapped a ban on American beef in 2003 after bovine spongiform encephalopathy, an illness more commonly known as mad cow disease, was found in a single cow in Washington State. Humans are thought to catch the disease’s fatal human variant, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, by eating meat, including the brain and spinal cord, from contaminated carcasses.

Japan eased the ban in 2006 but only for meat from cattle 20 months or younger, an age limit American exporters said had no scientific basis. Japanese officials argued that the incidence of the disease was higher in older animals.

Aside from the reduction in exports, ranchers have also been grappling over the last half-dozen years or so with rising feed prices —as ethanol producers drove up the price of corn — and with drought that has parched grazing land and deprived their animals of water. The recession and changing consumer tastes contributed to the woes. While the industry has had boom and bust cycles lasting on average four to five years, the current decline is firmly entrenched.

“Previous cycles of production and prices going back 100 years related to the particular workings of the beef industry and were usually self-correcting,” said Derrell Peel, professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State. “But the current cycle is largely due to external factors and that is really why we are at this historic low.”

Cameron Bruett, the spokesman for one of the largest beef processors, JBS, welcomed Japan’s decision, saying it would help increase business certainty and reduce complexity for the company’s beef production, which operates in Brazil, Argentina, Canada and the United States. “While the declining herd remains a challenge for the industry, any time you increase access to additional consumers that benefits the whole supply chain,” Mr. Bruett said.

JBS has eight processing facilities in the United States and Canada. While another major producer, Cargill, announced plans two weeks ago to close a plant in Texas — one of 10 it has in the United States — Mr. Bruett said JBS has no closure plans.

Japan’s decision will mark a bright spot at the annual gathering next week in Tampa of what Chandler Keys, a beef industry consultant, calls “the hat and boots crowd,” or the members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. 

“It should be a shot in the arm to the market, which will be helpful,” said Bob McCan, a rancher who will be named the association’s president-elect at that meeting. Mr. McCann and his family operate a ranch in Victoria, Tex., with more than 3,600 head of Braford cattle, down from 5,000 six years ago. “Everyone looks at the high price of beef and says we must be making money, “ he said. “But profitability is more difficult due to the drought that started in Texas, the biggest cattle producing state, almost five years ago and has since widened into the Midwest.”

That has raised the cost of production, as corn used in feed has become more scarce and animals have to rely on pumped water rather than water holes.

“The bottom line is that the beef production system we have used for the last 40 or 50 years depends heavily on the incentive of very cheap grain,” Professor Peel said. “Now we don’t have cheap grain, and we are seeing fundamentally higher production costs that I don’t think are going to go away.”

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Casey Anthony files for bankruptcy, nearly $800,000 in debt

Casey Anthony is broke.

The Orlando, Fla., woman -- acquitted  of killing her 2-year-old daughter in a trial that riveted the nation -- has $1,084 in assets and at least $792,119 in debt, according to bankruptcy documents filed in a Florida federal court and obtained by local media.

The bankruptcy documents were filed Friday, the same day an appellate court threw out two of Anthony's four misdemeanor convictions.

The remains of Anthony's daughter, Caylee, were found inside a trash bag near the family home in December 2008. Anthony, now 26, was acquitted of the killing but convicted of multiple counts of lying to investigators.

Anthony's petition for bankruptcy laid out a financial situation drained by her trial, which became a media fixation. At one point, ABC News paid Anthony $200,000 for photographs, with the money then reportedly going toward Anthony's pricey legal defense.

That money is gone now, replaced by debts to scores of people and businesses, many for unspecified legal fees and "consulting fees" from medical and forensic services, according to the disclosure.

Most of the amounts owed were listed as "unknown," with the largest specified debt -- $500,000 -- belonging to Jose Baez, one of her defense attorneys.

In September 2011, the filing notes cryptically, Anthony "may have relinquished rights" to photographs of herself to Baez, adding that their value was "unknown." Further details were not immediately available, and Baez's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Anthony, whose petition used her parents' Orlando address, also owes $145,660 to the Orange County Sheriff's Office for investigative fees, $61,505 in court costs to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and more than $68,000 in taxes and penalties to the Internal Revenue Service, according to the filing.

Anthony's assets include $474 in cash and a "watch, pearl necklace, sapphire and opal rings, and miscellaneous sterling silver and costume jewelry" worth $200, the documents said. Anthony stated she had been unemployed for four years and listed no income.

Her bankruptcy attorney was listed as David L. Schrader.

Anthony is also the target of multiple lawsuits, according to the filing: Two defamation suits from Roy Kronk and Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez; two lawsuits for "unjust enrichment," including for a Texas horseback search group that accused Anthony of lying to them about her daughter still being alive; and the state of Florida, seeking to recoup investigative costs.

Kronk, who found Caylee's remains, is suing because Anthony's attorneys raised the possibility that he had killed the girl.

Fernandez-Gonzalez claimed distress after Anthony made up a fake babysitter with her name and accused that babysitter of kidnapping Caylee.

During Anthony's trial, however, Anthony's defense said Caylee had accidentally drowned in the family pool. 

Fernandez-Gonzalez's attorney, Matt Morgan, called the bankruptcy filing a "calculated delay tactic."

"We are not deterred and will stay the course," Morgan told the Orlando Sentinel.

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Lace 'Em Up: 4 Running Shoes Reviewed

Hitting the streets to get fit by spring? We review four new specialty sneakers for runners.

Adidas' Adizero Feather 2.0 runners are so light (barely 7 ounces) and so responsive, running in them feels more like bouncing on fluffy clouds than pounding on pavement. OK, I'm exaggerating, but I was really blown away by the light weight when I took them out on long-distance runs. So effective was the feather-weight design on a 5-mile outing, I could actually notice the reduced effort in my legs.

The shoe is topped with a barely-there breathable mesh that runs from the toes all the way back to the heel. Ventilation is therefore excellent, with a constant flow of cool air delivered directly to your piggies. And, unlike most shoes that make use of fancy, lightweight materials, they're actually quite sturdy.

These sneaks are compatible with Adidas' miCoach data reporting system and its companion apps. So if you already have a miCoach Speed_Cell sensor, just lift up the shoe's insert and pop it in (You can also attach the sensor to your laces). The sensor can be synced with your iPhone to track your speed, acceleration, distance, and pace during runs.

The only problem is that the miCoach system needs some work, including the inconsistent syncing and the iPhone app's interface. If you're used to the Nike+ app, you'll be struggling to work your way through using Adidas' lesser creation. That said, it's an add-on to the shoe and not a primary feature, so miCoach's shortcomings don't detract from the sneaker's quality.

WIRED Obscenely light at only 7 ounces. Flexible mesh upper keeps your tootsies cool and dry. Durable, despite the lightweight design. miCoach-compatible for tracking your runs. Great styling. Affordable at $115. Men's and women's versions.

TIRED If you're not into light shoes, these aren't for you. The miCoach system needs a lot of work -- it's adequate, but could be so much better.

Photos by Ariel Zambelich/Wired

Rating: 8 out of 10

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‘Hansel & Gretel’ nabs $19M, No. 1 at box office

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” cooked up $ 19 million in its opening weekend.

Paramount’s R-rated action film update on the classic fairytale topped the box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. “Hansel & Gretel” features Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as grown-up renditions of the title characters battling witches with crossbows.

Don Harris, Paramount‘s president of distribution, blamed icy weather on the East Coast for the film’s not-so-bewitching debut.

“We got dinged a little bit with the weather on Friday, but overall we’re pleased,” said Harris, who added that “Hansel & Gretel” performed solidly internationally, earning $ 25 million overseas.

Other films opening over the weekend in the U.S. and Canada didn’t fare as well. The crime thriller “Parker,” starring Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez, debuted in fifth place with $ 7 million, while Relativity Media‘s raunchy ensemble comedy “Movie 43″ opened in the seventh spot with $ 5 million.

Hollywood.com box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian noted that it was the first time box-office grosses were down over last year after four up weekends.

Universal’s supernatural horror film “Mama” starring Jessica Chastain dropped to second place with $ 12.8 million in its second weekend.

Several best-picture Academy Awards contenders continued to benefit from Oscar buzz, as well as the motion picture academy’s decision to move up this year’s nomination announcement, giving nominees more time in theaters between the Jan. 10 nominations unveiling and the Feb. 24 ceremony.

“Having an Oscar nomination is like holding a lottery ticket,” said Dergarabedian. “It could pay off on Oscar night, but it’s already paying big dividends now. All this time between the Oscar nominations and the telecast is prime time for these movies to capitalize on their higher profile.”

“Silver Linings Playbook,” which is up for eight Academy Awards, came in third place over the weekend with $ 10 million. The film starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence is in its 11th weekend of release and earned $ 3 million overseas.

“Zero Dark Thirty,” the Osama bin Laden manhunt drama also starring Chastain, dropped to fourth place with $ 9.8 million. It’s competing in five categories at the Academy Awards and nabbed $ 3.6 million internationally.

“Django Unchained,” which is nominated for five Oscars, took in $ 5 million in sixth place, and the musical “Les Miserables,” which is up for eight Academy Awards, earned $ 3.9 million in the 10th position. It was the fifth weekend for both films. “Django” topped the international chart with $ 47.9 million in 65 total territories.

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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters,” $ 19 million ($ 25 million international).

2. “Mama,” $ 12.8 million.

3. “Silver Linings Playbook,” $ 10 million ($ 3 million international).

4. “Zero Dark Thirty,” $ 9.8 million ($ 3.6 million international).

5. “Parker,” $ 7 million.

6. “Django Unchained,” $ 5 million ($ 42.9 million international).

7. “Movie 43,” $ 5 million ($ 2.8 million international).

8. “Gangster Squad,”$ 4.2 million ($ 6.8 million international).

9. “Broken City,” $ 4 million ($ 500,000 international).

10. “Les Miserables,” $ 3.9 million ($ 14 million international).

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Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. “Django Unchained,” $ 42.9 million.

2. “Skyfall,” $ 35.4 million.

3. “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters,” $ 25 million.

4. “Life of Pi,” $ 17.5 million.

5. “Les Miserables,” $ 14 million.

6. “Lincoln,” $ 10.7 million.

7. “Miracle in Cell No. 7,” $ 9.7 million.

8. “The Impossible,” $ 7.2 million.

9. “Gangster Squad,” $ 6.8 million.

10. “Wreck-It Ralph,” $ 5.9 million.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

___

Follow Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang

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Ariel Sharon Brain Scan Shows Response to Stimuli

JERUSALEM — A brain scan performed on Ariel Sharon, the former Israeli prime minister who had a devastating stroke seven years ago and is presumed to be in a vegetative state, revealed significant brain activity in response to external stimuli, raising the chances that he is able to hear and understand, a scientist involved in the test said Sunday.

Scientists showed Mr. Sharon, 84, pictures of his family, had him listen to a recording of the voice of one of his sons and used tactile stimulation to assess the extent of his brain’s response.

“We were surprised that there was activity in the proper parts of the brain,” said Prof. Alon Friedman, a neuroscientist at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and a member of the team that carried out the test. “It raises the chances that he hears and understands, but we cannot be sure. The test did not prove that.”

The activity in specific regions of the brain indicated appropriate processing of the stimulations, according to a statement from Ben-Gurion University, but additional tests to assess Mr. Sharon’s level of consciousness were less conclusive.

“While there were some encouraging signs, these were subtle and not as strong,” the statement added.

The test was carried out last week at the Soroka University Medical Center in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba using a state-of-the-art M.R.I. machine and methods recently developed by Prof. Martin M. Monti of the University of California, Los Angeles. Professor Monti took part in the test, which lasted approximately two hours.

Mr. Sharon’s son Gilad said in October 2011 that he believed that his father responded to some requests. “When he is awake, he looks at me and moves fingers when I ask him to,” he said at the time, adding, “I am sure he hears me.”

Professor Friedman said in a telephone interview that the test results “say nothing about the future” but may be of some help to the family and the regular medical staff caring for Mr. Sharon at a hospital outside Tel Aviv.

“There is a small chance that he is conscious but has no way of expressing it,” Professor Friedman said, but he added, “We do not know to what extent he is conscious.”

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LOOKING AHEAD: Economic Reports for the Week of Jan. 28

ECONOMIC REPORTS Data to be released this week includes durable goods for December; pending home sales for December (Monday); the Standard &Poor’s/Case-Shiller housing price index for November; consumer confidence for January; A.D.P. employment for January and fourth-quarter weekly jobless claims; personal income and spending for December (Thursday); and unemployment for January (Friday).

CORPORATE EARNINGS Companies scheduled to report results this week include Biogen Idec, Caterpillar and Yahoo (Monday); AK Steel, Boston Scientific, the CIT Group, Corning, Eli Lilly, Ford Motor, D.R. Horton, JetBlue Airways, Pfizer, U.S. SteelAmazon.com (Tuesday); Boeing, Fiat, Northrop Grumman, ConocoPhillips, Electronic Arts and Facebook (Wednesday); Aetna, Altria, Blackstone, Colgate-Palmolive, Deutsche Bank, Dow Chemical, MasterCard, Nasdaq OMX, Pulte Group, Royal Dutch Shell, United Parcel Service, Viacom, WhirlpoolEastman Chemical (Thursday); and Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Mattel, Merck, Newell Rubbermaid and Tyson Foods (Friday).

IN THE UNITED STATES .

On Tuesday, a District Court judge in New Orleans will decide whether to approve BP’s plea agreement with the government concerning damage caused by the 2010 gulf oil spill.

On Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee will issue a statement at the conclusion of a two-day meeting.

On Friday, automakers will report their sales for January.

OVERSEAS On Monday, Toyota Motor will disclose its global production data for 2012.

On Wednesday, Research in Motion will introduce the BlackBerry 10 at events worldwide.

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