Pa. man charged with bomb threat at White House

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A Pennsylvania man has been arrested after police say he made a bomb threat outside the White House.

D.C. police spokesman Araz Alali says the man approached an officer at the White House gates Wednesday morning and warned that a bomb would detonate in a truck parked nearby.

Surrounding streets and the entrance to a nearby Metro rail station were shut down as the Secret Service inspected the vehicle for explosives.

Streets were reopened after nothing dangerous was found inside the truck.

The man has been identified as 44-year-old Krzysztof Wasik of Hazle Township, Pa. He has been charged with making felony threats and is being held pending a court appearance.

It wasn't immediately clear if he had a lawyer.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pa-man-charged-bomb-threat-white-house-125350885.html

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LG adds PayPal to its smart TV platform for faster app purchases

Looking to jumpstart interest in its in-house ecosystem, LG is adding PayPal as a software purchasing option for its latest line of smart TVs, making it the first manufacturer to natively use the service. Available now in the US, Canada and UK, this new addition will let you use either a traditional or Magic remote to navigate an onscreen keyboard when buying apps, games or $50 worth of 3D Disney movie rentals. The real potential time saver here is the addition of an optional "remember me" feature which lets users store their PayPal account information for faster purchases. Look for the service to expand to Australia, France, Germany and Italy sometime this month, with other markets set to follow later.

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'Sustainable fishing' certification too lenient and discretionary

Apr. 10, 2013 ? The certification of seafood as "sustainable" by the nonprofit Marine Stewardship Council is too lenient and discretionary, a study by a consortium of researchers has found.

"When consumers want sustainable fish there are two options to meet the demand: fisheries can become more sustainable or the definition of sustainable can be watered down to be practically meaningless -- with MSC seafood, the definition has been repeatedly watered down," said Jennifer Jacquet, a clinical assistant professor in New York University's Environmental Studies Program and one of 11 authors of the study, which appears in the journal Biological Conservation.

The expansion of fishing in the oceans -- further offshore, deeper, and for different species -- has led to the depletion of many marine fish populations. In response, market-based efforts aimed at consumers, which include "eco-labeling," have emerged to change demand. Among these was the establishment of the London-based Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in 1997. A joint project between World Wildlife Fund and Unilever, MSC was created as a conservation tool -- intended to provide ''the best environmental choice in seafood'' to consumers and to create positive incentives that would improve the status and management of fisheries.

However, conservation groups have raised concerns about MSC's certification process, calling into question the organization's claim that its eco-labeling program is "the best environmental choice in seafood." Its certification process is paid for by the fisheries, with rates dependent on the size and complexity of the fishery. MSC estimates that most certifications cost between $15,000 and $120,000. Since its founding, MSC has attached its certified label to more than 170 fisheries, with fishery clients spending between $2.3 and $18.7 million on certification.

To gauge the viability of MSC's labeling program, the researchers examined 19 formal objections -- raised primarily by environmental groups and amounting to one-third, by weight, of all MSC-certified seafood -- to certifications MSC has granted to fisheries for Chilean sea bass, Antarctic krill, and others. Objections are heard by an independent adjudicator appointed by MSC. In all but one of these 19 cases, the certification was upheld.

In the Biological Conservation analysis, the researchers sought to determine whether these fisheries, in fact, met the MSC's principles for certification.

The MSC uses three major principles that third-party certifiers interpret in determining whether a fishery is "sustainable" and may use the MSC label: sustainability of the target fish stock; low impacts on the ecosystem; and effective management. However, the researchers found many of these fisheries -- representing 35 percent of eco-labeled seafood -- did not meet MSC standards.

For instance, the longline fishery for swordfish in Canada appears to violate the "low impacts on the ecosystem" principle. This fishery has high levels of bycatch -- sea life accidentally caught in pursuit of other fish. The targeted catch of 20,000 swordfish per year results in bycatch of approximately 100,000 sharks as well as 1,200 endangered loggerhead and 170 critically endangered leatherback turtles.

"The MSC's narrow definition of sustainability is out of step with the general public perception of what that term means," said Claire Christian, one of the study's co-authors and a policy analyst at the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition. "When the MSC labels a swordfish fishery that catches more sharks than swordfish 'sustainable,' it's time to re-evaluate its standards."

The Alaska pollock fishery, one of the largest fisheries in the US, also received MSC certification even though, the researchers noted, several court rulings had determined that the fishery was not in compliance with national law -- an indication that it didn't meet MSC's "effective management" principle.

The authors believe the MSC needs to enforce the principles it created for certified fisheries. Otherwise, consumers believe they are buying "the best environmental choice" in seafood, when in fact there is a very good chance they are not.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by New York University, via Newswise.

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Journal Reference:

1. Claire Christian, David Ainley, Megan Bailey, Paul Dayton, John Hocevar, Michael LeVine, Jordan Nikoloyuk, Claire Nouvian, Enriqueta Velarde, Rodolfo Werner, Jennifer Jacquet. A review of formal objections to Marine Stewardship Council fisheries certifications. Biological Conservation, 2013; 161: 10 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2013.01.002

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Frc1KAWQrqA/130410154902.htm

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Is the U.S. becoming a sham democracy? (Powerlineblog)

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Common Women Health Issues (Causes For Enlarged Kidney ...

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Grandma told grandson to kill grandfather, officials say

By Alexandria Fisher, NBCChicago.com

Bond for a 64-year-old woman who allegedly paid her grandson to kill her husband was set at $500,000 Saturday.

Janet Strickland of Chicago was charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of armed robbery with a firearm after her husband was fatally shot in the gangway near his home on the Far South Side while on his way to dialysis, police said.

William Strickland, 72,?was shot six times in the back on March 2?while on his way to dialysis treatment in what police suspected to be a robbery.

Janet Strickland was reportedly not in court for her hearing Saturday because she was receiving treatment for a lung disease, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Janet Strickland allegedly commissioned her grandson to kill her husband, and watched as he did so before stealing a casino bag with money in it as her husband lied shot on the street, according to the Sun-Times.

Janet Strickland reportedly used the stolen money to take her grandson on a shopping spree.?

---

The 19-year-old grandson, also named William Strickland, was held without bond March 30 in connection with the murder and admitted in court to stealing his grandfather?s gun and committing the crime. He also said he used money from his grandfather's wallet to purchase tattoos, new shoes, a cell phone and other items.

A life sentence may be imposed, though the younger Strickland has no criminal background.

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East beats West 87-81 in college all-star game

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA (AP) - Rodney McGruder stepped to the line in the cavernous Georgia Dome, took a couple of quick breaths, and knocked down four straight foul shots to finish off his career a winner.

Kansas State's guard finished with 11 points, James Ennis of Long Beach State scored 13 and the East team beat the West 87-81 on Friday night in a college all-star game at the Final Four.

The East team, coached by Tennessee's Cuonzo Martin, built a 15-point lead in the second half before squandering nearly all of it. But the West, coached by Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg, couldn't finish the comeback, even though they started fouling down the stretch to extend the game.

Jake Cohen of Davidson made a couple free throws, and McGruder made the final four with less than 20 seconds left in the game to wrap up the victory.

"It was fun, you know? Playing with guys you aren't used to," said McGruder, who led the Wildcats to a share of the Big 12 title this season, before breaking into a smile. "I won my last college game, and it was at the Georgia Dome."

E.J. Singler of Oregon and Brandon Davies of BYU finished with 12 each for the East team.

Iowa State's Will Clyburn, playing one last time with his college coach, led the West with 17 points and eight rebounds. Mike Muscala of Bucknell scored 15 points and Notre Dame's Jack Cooley had 13 points and 10 rebounds as both teams struggled to shoot in the converted football stadium.

"It was a great feeling," Clyburn said. "Fun being here in an all-star game."

The game featured 11 seniors on each team, including Baylor guard Pierre Jackson, who led his team to the NIT championship the previous night at Madison Square Garden. He hopped on a plane and made it to Atlanta, but watched the game in warm-ups without ever stepping onto the floor.

The game basically amounted to a scrimmage with both teams hardly having a chance to meet each other, much less practice or even shoot against the blank backdrop of the Georgia Dome.

As you'd expect, there were just about as many air balls as made shots early on - but there were a few dunks, including one by Davies off a feed from Ohio's D.J. Cooper that brought several thousand fans who turned out to watch to their feet, and some nifty ball movement on both sides.

Creighton's Gregory Echenique probably would beg to differ with the notion that it was little more than an exhibition game, though. He got popped under the basket during one rebound flurry and had to leave the court with a towel held up to his lip to stop the blood.

The East team built a 43-33 lead at halftime, but the West managed to close the gap behind a 17-4 run fed primarily by 3-pointers. The East pulled back out to a 77-66 advantage in the closing minutes, but Hoiberg started pressing and then had his team foul in the final seconds.

"I kind of felt obligated to try to win," he said with a shrug.

It nearly worked, too, until Cohen and McGruder made enough free throws to wrap it up.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/21895062/east-beats-west-87-81-in-college-all-star-game

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A quieter second-act for U.S.-South Korea military drills?

By Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration, which has made military moves intended to signal to North Korea and U.S. allies that it takes Pyongyang's threats seriously, plans to switch gears and tone down public pronouncements about joint military exercises with Seoul, U.S. officials said Thursday.

The U.S. messaging, which has included flying two B-2 stealth bombers over the Korean peninsula and the announcement of new or expanded missile defense systems in Alaska and Guam, was intended to reassure South Korea and Japan it would back them in a crisis, the officials said.

But it also appears to have prompted even greater threats and bellicose rhetoric from North Korea.

"Our actions thus far have had their intended effect: they've shown our deterrence capability and our willingness to defend South Korea. We always make adjustment and if going quiet for a short period of time gives the North Koreans space to dial back their rhetoric, fine," said one U.S. official.

U.S. officials say they do not see a conflict with North Korea as imminent. And they have told U.S. allies Pyongyang's threats of war appear to be just rhetoric, according to U.N. diplomats.

Washington still plans to forge ahead with joint military exercises with South Korea, which Pyongyang has branded a "rehearsal for invasion," said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

This includes an amphibious assault drill by the United States and South Korea at the end of April. The exercises, named "Foal Eagle," began on March 1 and will end on April 30.

"It's not so much that we're dialing back the exercises. We may not be as public about it," the official said.

Last week, in a pointed message to Pyongyang, the U.S. military command in South Korea announced a first-of-its-kind practice bombing drill by B-2 stealth bombers over South Korea.

Two of the nuclear-capable, bat-winged planes flew 37 1/2-hours from their U.S. base to drop dummy munitions on a South Korean range, and then returned home.

A second U.S. official acknowledged there had been some debate at lower levels within the administration about the B-2 flight, given its potential to agitate Pyongyang. But the idea did not run into opposition in higher-level discussions, the official said.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR TENSION

U.S. hopes of easing the crisis could face a bumpy road.

Western officials on Thursday confirmed that North Korea has moved a rocket, apparently a medium-range missile known as a Musudan or Nodong B, to its east coast.

Experts said it was unclear if the missile was moved as a menacing gesture or in preparation for a test firing.

Analysts are anxiously looking ahead to April 15, the birthday of Kim Il-sung, North Korea's founder and the grandfather of its current leader, Kim Jong-un. The anniversary is a time of mass celebrations, nationalist fervor and sometimes demonstrations of military prowess.

And U.S. concerns about North Korea are certain to be aired publicly in testimony before Congress next week by top Pentagon officials, including the commanders of U.S. forces in Korea and the broader Pacific region.

Officials hope the coming weeks will see a more measured tone that could at least open room for diplomacy over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, something that seems impossible now.

"As these exercises wind down, we're probably going to be pivoting more to the diplomatic phase," a U.S. official said. "You get to a point where you get diminishing returns from unilateral sanctions, or B-2s."

While U.S. officials can't rule out a North Korean provocation, like a rocket launch, they said there are no signs Pyongyang is gearing up for war.

"We're not seeing any kind of troop movements, still" that would signal preparations for a conflict, the first U.S. official added.

Britain's ambassador to the United States, Sir Peter Westmacott, told reporters on Thursday there was a sense that "this is the usual game that is played every decade or so."

"The experts seem to be still of the view that this is a degree of theater, of game-playing, which is familiar, but some of the stuff has been more extreme than what's happened in the past," Westmacott said.

Some U.S. officials believe Pyongyang's bellicosity is aimed primarily at a domestic audience.

They see Kim trying to keep his vast, poorly paid army motivated with anti-U.S. propaganda and improve his status among North Korea's largely poor population by standing up to foreign enemies, even as he seeks to cement his grip on power.

(Additional reporting by Warren Strobel, Louis Charbonneau, Arshad Mohammed and Mark Hosenball; Editing by Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/quieter-second-act-u-south-korea-military-drills-001540079.html

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Virginia Tech learns how to get hydrogen from any plant, might lower fuel cell costs

Hydrogen fuel cell cars have any number of hurdles to overcome, whether it's widespread adoption or the basic matter of locating a place to fill up. If a Virginia Tech discovery pans out, getting the fuel itself won't be one of those challenges. The new combination of a polyphosphate with a special blend of enzymes lets researchers extract meaningful quantities of hydrogen from any biological element that includes xylose -- in other words, the sugar that's present in every plant to at least some degree. The process is potentially more eco-friendly than most, as well. While you'd expect it to be renewable given the main ingredients, it also reduces the need for metals and cuts back sharply on the volume of necessary greenhouse gases. Most importantly, the findings could reach the commercial world as soon as three years from now. If they do, they could lower the price of hydrogen fuel by making it more accessible, all the while avoiding much of the guilt trip that comes with using polluting technology to generate clean energy.

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Epix hits PlayStation 3 today, arriving on Vita in coming weeks

Took a couple of months, but EPIX is finally ready to fulfill its promise of PlayStation 3 movie streaming today. The network's launching its app for the console, giving users access to some 3,000-plus titles including the likes of The Avengers, Skyfall and The Hunger Games, plus a slew of documentaries, concerts and such. The app itself is free, but requires a premium subscription to really do its job. In fact, if you're already a paid-up member of PlayStation Plus, you'll get a free movie or special every week. A more handheld version of the service is set to hit the Vita in "the coming weeks," according to the company.

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North Korea to restart Yongbyon nuclear reactor

Reuters file

A DigitalGlobe Satellite image shows construction at the North Korea's Yongbyon Nuclear complex on Nov. 2010.

By Ju-min Park, Jack Kim and David Chance, Reuters

SEOUL -?North Korea will restart all nuclear facilities including its shuttered Yongbyon nuclear reactor, its official KCNA news service said on Tuesday.

It will rebuild and restart nuclear facilities including its mothballed uranium enrichment facility and the 5 MW Yongbyon reactor which it closed in 2007, KCNA quoted a spokesman at North Korea's atomic energy agency as saying.

It said the nuclear facilities would be used for both electricity and military uses.

---

Earlier, North Korea's leader appeared to tamp down hostile rhetoric that had threatened impending war with the United States and South Korea in a key speech published Tuesday that implied the isolated country was shifting its focus to development.

Pyongyang has launched relentless verbal attacks and threats against the United States and South Korea since new U.N. sanctions punishing it for its February nuclear test were adopted and during military drills by the South and U.S. forces.

But the speech delivered on Sunday by Kim Jong-Un focused on how nuclear capability supported economic development although it accused the United States of seeking to drag North Korea into an arms race in a bid to hinder its economic improvement.

"It is on the basis of a strong nuclear strength that peace and prosperity can exist and so can the happiness of people's lives," Kim said in the speech delivered to the central committee meeting of the ruling Workers Party of Korea and published in full on Tuesday.

Threats from North Korea have prompted the United States to beef up its forces on the peninsula and station a warship off the Korean peninsula overnight.

US Navy shifts destroyer in wake of North Korea missile threats

North Korea had cut off hotlines between it, the United States, South Korea and the United Nations and threatened to close a joint economic zone it runs with the South. It put its missile forces on full alert and threatened U.S. bases in the Pacific and on the mainland.

Most people in Seoul, South Korea think North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is bluffing, but the question is "why?" Experts say Jong-un is in the process of consolidating power and planning to eliminate his rivals. NBC's Richard Engel reports from Seoul, South Korea.

The North has promised its citizens that it would become a strong and prosperous nation and is moving towards celebrations of the April 15 birthday of its founder Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of the current leader.

"The fact that this was made at the Party central committee meeting, which is the highest policy setting organ, indicates an attempt to highlight economic problems and shift the focus from security to the economy," said Yang Moo-jin of University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

The fortress island fixed in North Korea's sights

The 30-year old Kim, who took office in December 2011, said that no nuclear state had been invaded in modern history and that "the greater the nuclear attack capability, the greater the strength of the deterrent against an invasion."

"Our nuclear strength is a reliable war deterrent and a guarantee to protect our sovereignty," he said.?

This story was originally published on Tue Apr 2, 2013 1:38 AM EDT

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

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Leno to leave NBC's 'Tonight Show' next spring

This undated promotional image released by NBC shows Jay Leno, host of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," left, and Jimmy Fallon, host of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," in Los Angeles. NBC on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 announced its long-rumored switch in late night, replacing incumbent Jay Leno at "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon and moving the iconic franchise back to New York. Leno will wrap up what will be 22 years of headlining the iconic late-night show in Spring 2014. "Saturday Night Live" producer Lorne Michaels will take over as producer of the new "Tonight Show." (AP Photo/NBC, Andrew Eccles)

This undated promotional image released by NBC shows Jay Leno, host of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," left, and Jimmy Fallon, host of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," in Los Angeles. NBC on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 announced its long-rumored switch in late night, replacing incumbent Jay Leno at "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon and moving the iconic franchise back to New York. Leno will wrap up what will be 22 years of headlining the iconic late-night show in Spring 2014. "Saturday Night Live" producer Lorne Michaels will take over as producer of the new "Tonight Show." (AP Photo/NBC, Andrew Eccles)

FILE - This Jan. 13, 2013 file photo shows Jay Leno, host of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," left, and Jimmy Fallon, host of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" backstage at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. As Jay Leno lobs potshots at ratings-challenged NBC in his "Tonight Show" monologues, speculation is swirling the network is taking steps to replace the host with Jimmy Fallon next year and move the show from Burbank to New York. NBC confirmed Wednesday, March 20, it's creating a new studio for Fallon in New York, where he hosts "Late Night." But the network did not comment on a report that the digs at its Rockefeller Plaza headquarters may become home to a transplanted, Fallon-hosted "Tonight Show." (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, file)

This Nov. 5, 2012 photo released by NBC shows Jay Leno, host of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," on the set in Burbank, Calif. As Jay Leno lobs potshots at ratings-challenged NBC in his "Tonight Show" monologues, speculation is swirling the network is taking steps to replace the host with Jimmy Fallon next year and move the show from Burbank to New York. NBC confirmed Wednesday, March 20, it's creating a new studio for Fallon in New York, where he hosts "Late Night." But the network did not comment on a report that the digs at its Rockefeller Plaza headquarters may become home to a transplanted, Fallon-hosted "Tonight Show." (AP Photo/NBC, Paul Drinkwater)

This Oct. 24, 2012 photo released by NBC shows Jay Leno, host of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," on the set in Burbank, Calif. NBC announced Wednesday, April 3, 2013 that Jimmy Fallon is replacing Jay Leno as the host of "The Tonight Show" in spring 2014. (AP Photo/NBC, Paul Drinkwater)

This Feb. 18, 2013 photo released by NBC shows Jimmy Fallon, host of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," on the set in New York. As Jay Leno lobs potshots at ratings-challenged NBC in his "Tonight Show" monologues, speculation is swirling the network is taking steps to replace the host with Jimmy Fallon next year and move the show from Burbank to New York. NBC confirmed Wednesday, March 20, it's creating a new studio for Fallon in New York, where he hosts "Late Night." But the network did not comment on a report that the digs at its Rockefeller Plaza headquarters may become home to a transplanted, Fallon-hosted "Tonight Show." (AP Photo/NBC, Lloyd Bishop)

NEW YORK (AP) ? NBC on Wednesday announced its long-rumored switch in late night, replacing Jay Leno at the "Tonight" show with Jimmy Fallon and moving the iconic franchise back to New York.

Fallon will take over in about a year, the switch coinciding with NBC's Winter Olympics coverage. Veteran "Saturday Night Live" producer Lorne Michaels also will take over as executive producer of "Tonight."

NBC made no announcement on who would replace Fallon at the 12:35 a.m. "Late Night" slot, although Seth Meyers of "Saturday Night Live" is considered a strong candidate.

The change at "Tonight," the longest-running and most popular late-night talk show, had been widely reported but not confirmed by the network until Wednesday. NBC reportedly just wrapped up negotiations with Fallon on a contract extension.

Steve Burke, chief executive officer of NBC Universal, said the network is purposefully making the move when Leno is still at the top of the ratings, just as when Leno replaced Johnny Carson at "Tonight" in 1992.

"Jimmy Fallon is a unique talent and this is his time," Burke said.

Leno, in a statement, offered his congratulations to Fallon.

"I hope you're as lucky as me and hold on to the job until you're the old guy," he said. "If you need me, I'll be at the garage."

Fallon said, "I'm really excited to host a show that starts today instead of tomorrow."

Emotions were mixed among people waiting outside Leno's Burbank, Calif., studio to attend the taping of Wednesday's "Tonight" show.

"We love you, Jimmy!" said Natalie Renfro, 45, of Salt Lake City. But she gave a shout out to Leno, too: "I'll miss that big chin!"

Ryan Kelly, 39, of Los Angeles, said he's a Leno fan but added that the comedian has "had a good run. ... It's probably time for a fresh face. He's done a good job and I'm sure he'll pop up on TV somewhere else."

As for switching to Fallon, "I'll give it a shot," Kelly said.

On his "Late Show" Wednesday on CBS, David Letterman feasted on NBC's announcement.

"Jay Leno now is being replaced, and this is the second time this has happened," he said in his monologue. "I mean, it's crazy. He's being replaced by a younger late night talk show host ? what could possibly go wrong? Honestly. They had pretty good luck with this in the past."

Later, Letterman offered a backhanded salute to Leno that wished him well with his stand-up appearances.

"But good luck to Jay. I know he'll be out on the road, getting it done and taking care of business. And congratulations on a nice long run there at the 'Tonight Show,' if, in fact, you're not coming back," Letterman said, according to a CBS transcript.

He devoted his Top 10 list to "things we'll miss about Jay Leno," including this at No. 4: "Can't remember the name of the bit, but it's the one where Jay is walking."

NBC has been quietly building a new studio for Fallon at its Rockefeller Center headquarters. "Tonight" began in New York in the 1950s, but Carson moved it to California in 1972. Starting next year, Fallon, Letterman, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will tape late-night shows in New York. ABC's Jimmy Kimmel and TNT's Conan O'Brien will be the top California-based shows.

"The 'Tonight' show will bring even more jobs and economic activity to our city, and we couldn't be happier that one of New York's own is bringing the show back to where it started, and where it belongs," said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

New York state recently added a tax credit in its budget that seemed designed specifically to benefit NBC's move east with "Tonight."

While a storied part of television tradition, the network late-night shows find themselves with much more competition now with cable programs like "Adult Swim," smaller talk shows hosted by Chelsea Handler and the Comedy Central duo of Stewart and Colbert, and a device ? a large number of people take that time to watch programs they had taped earlier on their DVRs.

NBC is worried that Kimmel will establish himself as a go-to late night performer for a younger generation if the network doesn't move swiftly to install Fallon. ABC moved Kimmel's time slot to directly compete with Leno earlier this year.

But the move also has the potential to backfire with Leno's fans, who did not embrace O'Brien when Leno was temporarily moved to prime time a few years ago.

"The guys at NBC are not totally stupid and are not going to shoot themselves in the foot," said Gary Carr, senior vice president and executive director of national broadcast for the ad buying firm TargetCast. "I think it's a good move for them long-term. But it may have short-term ramifications."

NBC has long prided itself on smooth transitions, but that reputation took a hit with the short-lived and ill-fated move of O'Brien to "Tonight" and Leno to prime time. In morning television, the "Today" show has taken a ratings nose dive in large measure because of anger at how Ann Curry was treated when she was ousted last year as Matt Lauer's co-host.

The Leno-Fallon changeover didn't begin smoothly. Leno had been cracking jokes about NBC's prime-time futility, angering NBC entertainment chief Robert Greenblatt, who sent a note to Leno telling him to cool it. That only made Leno go after NBC management much harder.

The first public effort toward making the transition smooth came Monday night, when Leno and Fallon appeared in a comic video making fun of the late-night rumors. It aired in between each man's show.

John Dawson, general manager for five NBC affiliates that have extensive reach throughout Kansas, said it will be difficult to give up a program that wins its time period by 33 percent.

"Jay has always been a great friend to the affiliates," he said. "For that alone it will be hard to give up."

But he said he believes in Fallon and in NBC's corporate owner, Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable company.

"Comcast certainly knows how to launch entertainment programming," Dawson said.

___

Associated Press television writers Lynn Elber in Los Angeles and Frazier Moore in New York, and AP writer Nicole Evatt in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-04-03-NBC-Leno/id-413a13b9462b414e9274c0f26319b9c0

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