Conan O'Brien to appear as himself in 'Family Guy' episode

By Melinda Dickinson BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co, several hedge funds and bond insurers holding 78 percent of sewer debt from Alabama's bankrupt Jefferson County have signed off on a deal aimed at ending the largest U.S. municipal bankruptcy, a lawyer for the county said on Tuesday. JPMorgan, one of the biggest holders of the county's $3.14 billion of sewer debt, agreed to give up about $842 million of the $1.218 billion of sewer debt it holds, according to a county document. A spokesperson for JPMorgan declined to comment. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/conan-obrien-appear-himself-family-guy-episode-140335572.html

Angel Cabrera

CSN: Red Sox top Yanks in rainy 6-inning game

NEW YORK -- It rained. It poured. But the Red Sox left Yankee Stadium Sunday night as winners, 3-0, in a rain-shortened, six-inning baseball game.

Three separate rain delays prematurely ended the rubber match of the Sox-Yanks series, as thunder and lightning took over, and the Yankee Stadium field began to flood.

Clay Buchholz pitched five innings of "complete game" baseball, giving up just two hits and one walk with four strikeouts. He made 71 pitches.

The Red Sox offense came just in time in the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings. Mike Napoli hit into a fielder's choice that scored Dustin Pedroia. Jose Iglesias and David Ortiz hit solo shots in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.

Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda pitched 5.1 innings before the game's second rain delay, allowing three earned runs on eight hits. He struck out five.

The Red Sox have Monday off before they host the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.

*****

STAR OF THE GAME: Clay Buchholz
If there was any concern about how Buchholz would respond following a 10-day shutdown, it was answered quickly. Buchholz blanked the Yankees over five innings, allowing just two hits -- one that never left the infield -- and lowered his ERA to 1.62 for the season.

HONORABLE MENTION: David Ortiz
There's no truth to the rumor that Ortiz's mammoth homer to open the sixth inning -- a sky-high shot that seemed like it would never come down until it did, deep in the right field bleachers -- led to the torrential downpour. Then again....
??? ?
GOAT OF THE GAME: Hiroki Kuroda
Kuroda didn't pitch terribly, but with no support from his lineup, any run at all would have been enough to sink his team -- and Kuroda gave up three of them.

TURNING POINT: With the way Buchholz was dominating the Yankees, a 1-0 lead seemed big. But when Ortiz rocketed his homer into the seats in right, the 3-0 lead in the sixth seemed insurmountable. When the rain started soon after, it was.

BY THE NUMBERS: Buchholz's 1.64 ERA is the lowest for any Red Sox starting pitcher after 11 starts since Pedro Martinez (1.44) in the 2001 season.

QUOTE OF NOTE: "Three rain delays -- a fake one and two real ones. What else can you do?'' David Ortiz on the Red Sox' weather-shortened night.

Game story by CSN staff.

Source: http://www.csnne.com/blog/red-sox-talk/sox-top-yanks-3-0-rainy-6-inning-game

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IRS woes grow with report of conference spending

FILE ? In this Nov. 9, 2011, file photo then-Controller Danny Werfel of OMB Office of Federal Financial Management watches as President Barack Obama (not shown) signs an Executive Order to cut waste and promote efficient spending across the federal government in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. Friday May 31st, 2013, Werfel, the new acting Commissioner of the IRS, issued a statement commenting on a report by Treasury Department's Inspector General in which he criticized a $4 million IRS conference in August 2010 in Anaheim, Calif. The report will be released Tuesday. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

FILE ? In this Nov. 9, 2011, file photo then-Controller Danny Werfel of OMB Office of Federal Financial Management watches as President Barack Obama (not shown) signs an Executive Order to cut waste and promote efficient spending across the federal government in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. Friday May 31st, 2013, Werfel, the new acting Commissioner of the IRS, issued a statement commenting on a report by Treasury Department's Inspector General in which he criticized a $4 million IRS conference in August 2010 in Anaheim, Calif. The report will be released Tuesday. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Internal Revenue Service, already under fire after officials disclosed that the agency targeted conservative groups, faces increased scrutiny because of an inspector general's report that it spent about $50 million to hold at least 220 conferences for employees between 2010 and 2012.

The report by the Treasury Department's inspector general about conference spending is set to be released Tuesday. The department issued a statement Sunday saying the administration "has already taken aggressive and dramatic action to reduce conference spending."

The White House and the agency were on the defensive before the report on conference spending. Agency officials and the Obama administration have said the targeting of conservative groups was inappropriate, but the political tempest is showing no signs of ebbing.

Three congressional committees are investigating, a Justice Department criminal investigation is under way, President Barack Obama has replaced the IRS' acting commissioner and two other top officials have stepped aside.

The chairman of one of those committees, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., also released excerpts of congressional investigators' interviews with employees of the IRS office in Cincinnati. Issa said the interviews indicated the employees were directed by Washington to subject tea party and other conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status to tough scrutiny.

The closest the excerpts came to direct evidence that Washington had ordered the screening was one employee saying that "all my direction" came from an official who the excerpt said was in Washington. The top Democrat on that panel, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, said none of the employees interviewed have so far identified any IRS officials in Washington as ordering that targeting.

The conference spending included $4 million for an August 2010 gathering in Anaheim, Calif., for which the agency did not negotiate lower room rates, even though that is standard government practice, according to a statement by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Instead, some of the 2,600 attendees received benefits, including baseball tickets and stays in presidential suites that normally cost $1,500 to $3,500 per night. In addition, 15 outside speakers were paid a total of $135,000 in fees, with one paid $17,000 to talk about "leadership through art," the House committee said.

IRS spokeswoman Michelle Eldridge said Sunday that spending on large agency conferences with 50 or more participants fell from $37.6 million in the 2010 budget year to $4.9 million in 2012. The government's fiscal year begins Oct. 1 the previous calendar year.

On Friday, the new acting commissioner, Danny Werfel, released a statement on the forthcoming report criticizing the Anaheim meeting.

"This conference is an unfortunate vestige from a prior era," Werfel said. "While there were legitimate reasons for holding the meeting, many of the expenses associated with it were inappropriate and should not have occurred."

On the topic of targeting conservative groups, Issa's committee also released excerpts from interviews congressional investigators conducted last week with two IRS employees from the agency's Cincinnati office. The excerpts omitted the names of those interviewed and provided no specifics about individuals in Washington who may have been involved.

One of the IRS employees said in an excerpt that they were told by a supervisor that the need to collect the reports came from Washington, and said that in early 2010 the Cincinnati office had sent copies of seven of the cases to Washington.

One of the workers also expressed skepticism that the Cincinnati office originated the screening without direction from Washington, according to the excerpts.

Appearing Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," Issa said this conflicted with White House comments that have referred to misconduct by IRS workers in Cincinnati.

Issa said, "This is a problem that was coordinated in all likelihood right out of Washington headquarters and we're getting to proving it."

Cummings said Issa's comments conflicted with a Treasury inspector general's report that provided no evidence that the Cincinnati office received orders on targeting from anyone else.

The interviews with IRS employees were conducted by Republican and Democratic aides on Issa's committee and also involved aides from both parties with the House Ways and Means Committee. One of the employees was a lower-level worker while the other was higher-ranked, said one congressional aide, but the committee did not release their names or titles.

The IRS Cincinnati office handles applications from around the country for tax-exempt status. A Treasury inspector general's report in May said employees there began searching for applications from tea party and conservative groups in their hunt for organizations that primarily do work related to election campaigns.

That May report blamed "ineffective management" for letting that screening occur for more than 18 months between 2010 and 2012. But that report ? and three hearings by congressional committees ? have produced no specific evidence that the Cincinnati workers were ordered by anyone in Washington to target conservatives.

The latest report on IRS conferences will be the subject of a hearing Thursday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Karen Kraushaar, spokeswoman for the inspector general's office, said public discussion of a report before it is released "serves no purpose and should generally be avoided."

Werfel is scheduled to make his first congressional appearance as acting commissioner Monday when he appears before a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.

___

AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-06-03-IRS%20Investigation/id-017b2397753841c6ae3e4526cb69604b

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Christie sets October election to fill Lautenberg seat

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) ? Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday set an October special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat made vacant by Frank Lautenberg's death, a decision that gets voters the quickest possible say on who will represent them in Washington but preserves Christie as the top attraction on November's ballot.

The move means the state will have two statewide elections three weeks apart, a rare occurrence that Democrats immediately criticized as a wasteful move designed to help the governor's political position.

At a news conference, Christie didn't answer the big question of whom he'll appoint to fill the seat in the meantime, but he said he has a list of possibilities in his head and will announce a decision quickly.

The Republican governor said he's not obligated to nominate someone in line philosophically with the liberal Lautenberg. Christie plans to have the temporary representative in place when the Senate begins debating immigration reform next week.

Democrats said Christie's decision to hold the special election separately from the regularly scheduled election is wasteful, noting that the special primary and election will cost an estimated $12 million each.

"It's as if he gave the residents of this state the finger" by adding election expenses Codey said. "Instead of holding an expensive special election that tries to protect the governor's political vulnerabilities, the voters should have the opportunity to have their say in the regular election in November."

"The people need to have a voice and choice," Christie said. In opting for a primary rather than letting each party's political committees select nominees, he said he didn't want "insiders and a few party elites to determine who the nominee of the Republican party and the Democratic party will be."

The Senate primaries will be held Aug. 13 and general balloting on Oct. 16. The winner of the special election will serve until Lautenberg's term expires in January 2015.

The statewide general election is Nov. 5. That ballot will include the race between Christie and his expected Democratic challenger, state Sen. Barbara Buono.

Behind the scenes, Republicans had pushed for Christie to appoint a Republican and put off the Senate election until November 2014 to give the GOP appointee time to build a following among voters. The state's Republicans have not elected a member of their party to the Senate since 1972 and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, the favorite to win the Democratic nomination, expects to mount a formidable campaign in the Democratic-leaning state.

Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, a Democrat, said Christie chose the October date so that Democratic voter turnout for the Senate election doesn't threaten his re-election bid.

"The November general election date is what's best for taxpayers and voter turnout," Oliver said. "It's unquestionably the best option, but Gov. Christie has chosen to put partisan politics and his self-interest first."

There's nothing in the law that would have stopped Christie from holding the Senate election on Nov. 5, the same day as the general election, said Frank Askin, director of the Constitutional Rights Clinic at the Rutgers-Newark School of Law.

Askin said Christie also could have scheduled the Senate election for the November election date in either 2013 or 2014. If he'd chosen the latter date, Askin believes Democrats would have challenged the decision and the state Supreme Court may have ordered the election held this November.

"It seems to me the option he chose was the only one that guarantees he will not be in an election with Cory Booker running on the Democratic line," Askin said.

Booker, a popular Democrat, could drive black voters to the polls who might not otherwise be inclined to turn out for Buono. He announced months ago that he was planning to seek the Senate seat in 2014. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone has also expressed interest.

Ben Dworkin, a political scientist at Rider University, said the Democratic primary could be divisive ? which he said may also help Christie.

"The Democrats have to go through what may be what may be a bitter and intense primary," Dworkin said. "They may not all be friendly by the time October happens."

Christie holds a clear advantage against Buono in terms of polling and funding, and a landslide victory in blue state New Jersey would help him make a compelling argument to GOP voters should he seek the presidency in 2016.

Republican operatives in key presidential states acknowledged the unusual timing of Christie's decision, but said the move reinforces Christie's image as a brash leader who often plays by his own rules.

"It's Chris Christie. He's going to do what he wants how he wants to do it," said South Carolina-based Republican operative Hogan Gidley. "Some people love him for it and some people don't."

New Hampshire-based GOP operative and tea party supporter Andrew Hemmingway said Christie's special election decision likely wouldn't hurt his standing among conservatives as much as his sometimes-moderate policies and praise of President Barack Obama's response to Superstorm Sandy last fall. He said he marvels at Christie's ability to grab attention.

"This is definitely a strategic move by him to do what Chris Christie is very good at doing: maintain and grabbing any little glimmer of spotlight there is," Hemmingway said.

Lautenberg, who turned 89 in January and was the oldest member of the Senate, at first bristled at Booker's candidacy. But the Democratic lawmaker, who was first elected to the Senate in 1982, announced in February that he would not seek re-election next year and would retire when his term expired at the beginning of 2015.

Lautenberg died after suffering complications from pneumonia. A funeral is scheduled for Wednesday.

Christie could announce an interim successor as early as Thursday. He is expected to name a Republican, and could look to a member of Congress, a state legislator, a member of his staff or an elder statesman in the party, like former Gov. Tom Kean Sr. All Christie would say Tuesday was that his list contained between one and 100 names, and that he would choose someone regardless of whether they were interested in running for the seat in 2014.

Christie said he'd choose someone who would not seek his guidance for every decision, but Rider's Dworkin said the appointee would be viewed as an extension of Christie.

"People will look at the Christie appointee as 'Here's how Christie would have voted had he been in Washington,'" Dworkin said.

___

Associated Press writers Geoff Mulvihill in Trenton, Ken Thomas in New York City and Steve Peoples in Boston contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/christie-oct-election-fill-lautenberg-seat-174950198.html

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Indian Study: Vinegar Test Cuts Cervical Cancer Death Rate (Voice Of America)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

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Counterparts, looking for members

So I have made another rp, it's called Counterparts and it is based on a dream I had. Here is a link to the rp ~
roleplay/the-counterparts

Basically, we need any kind of members, human, paranormal, though original with your paranormal characters if you must have them. I'd prefer humans as it is in a world replicating our modern day society. If you have questions you can ask away, on here or via pm. I'd like this to have much interest as it's kind of my brain baby right about now.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/X-L9I0k_UY0/viewtopic.php

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Charice Pempengco Admits: I'm a Lesbian

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/charice-pempengco-admits-im-a-lesbian/

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Is Justin Bieber?s driver?s license at risk? Neighbors allege recklessness in Ferrari

Sporty cars and celebrities are a part of California culture, but the Golden State also has things called rules of the road.

Pop star Justin Bieber, with his right foot sometimes on the pedal of a white Ferrari, may be stepping over the line of safe driving, neighbors have alleged.

Let?s just say it doesn?t sound as if the 19-year-old singer has developed very promising habits behind the wheel. And for California drivers, a few infractions noted by police can result in a suspended driver?s license.

The incident that?s put Bieber in the news this week occurred Monday, when he allegedly drove his white Ferrari at freeway speeds in what is a 25 mile-per-hour zone.

Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson was one of the neighbors who complained. Worried about the safety of his young children within the gated community where he and Bieber own homes, Mr. Johnson got into his Prius and followed Bieber?s Ferrari in an effort to talk about his driving habits. But Bieber scurried into his house.

RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about pop culture? Take our quiz to find out!

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department received two calls and responded to the location in Calabasas. But they were also turned away.

"His security detail said he declined to talk to us based on the advice of counsel," Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

"Their eyewitness testimony to our deputies was definitive ? not only the speed, not only the vehicle, but Mr. Bieber was sitting and driving in the driver's side seat," Whitmore said.

The matter will soon head to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office to consider filing misdemeanor charges.

In California, drivers may have licenses suspended or revoked if they acquire a certain number of negative ?points.? Four points within a 12-month period, for example, could result in suspension.

Many rule violations result in one point. ?Reckless driving? is a two-point violation, as is a speed contest or ?exhibition of speed.?

The Memorial Day incident comes after another publicized case of alleged speeding in his community. Another neighbor said that when he complained, Bieber spit on him and threatened him, according to news reports. That incident could also result in a prosecution.

Bieber hasn?t commented this week on his driving behavior. But amid a string of bad publicity, from concert cancellations to alleged drug use, he has offered a blend of apology and self-justification.

"I want to be a good role model, but some people want me to fail,? he told US Weekly magazine this spring. He said he?s ?not perfect.?

Bieber also said "I'm young and I want to have fun. I don't think there is anything wrong with that.? He also said ?mistakes? are ?part of growing up.?

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about pop culture? Take our quiz to find out!

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/justin-bieber-driver-license-risk-neighbors-allege-recklessness-195042445.html

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Plouffe: IRS targeting 'was not a political pursuit'

Former White House senior adviser and Democratic strategist David Plouffe fought back against assertions from GOP strategist and former Deputy Chief of Staff to George W. Bush Karl Rove that the IRS's targeting of conservative groups was a political pursuit driven by Democrats.

"There's been no suggestion- the Inspector General said there was no politics involved in this," Plouffe said this morning on "This Week." "This was not an effort driven by the White House. It would be the dumbest political effort of all time."

Rove, who co-founded the GOP affiliated outside spending group "American Crossroads," argued that IRS workers in offices across the country may have taken direction, inadvertently, from top Democrats.

" I think people sitting in Cincinnati, Laguna Niguel, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. listen to people like Senator Max Baucus, Senator Chuck Schumer, President Obama," Rove said. "When President Obama goes out in 2010 and calls these groups 'a threat to democracy' he's blowing a dog whistle."

Rove said that he believes further investigations into the situation will reveal a focus on conservative political groups, as well as a targeting of individuals.

"We're going to find that the IRS targeted conservative political groups, not liberal groups, and that they targeted specific individuals," he said. "This is just ridiculous."

The two top strategists agreed however that the various controversies facing the administration right now should not eclipse Washington's work on fixing the economy.

"All these things deserve thorough investigation," Plouffe said. "The question is, is that all Congress is going to do? Are we just going to be obsessed with scandal and trying to score political points, or the American people could not be screaming any more loudly, 'worry about us.' 'Work on the economy.'"

"This has to be a concern for the administration too," Rove responded. "People don't think the economy is good, and they don't approve of the president's handling of the economy, so I think it is important."

Plouffe and Rove were joined on the "This Week" by editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post media group Arianna Huffington, Wall Street Journal Editorial Page Director Paul Gigot and PBS' "Washington Week" Moderator and managing editor Gwen Ifill. The powerhouse round table debated all of the week's politics, in addition to the IRS controversy, including the path ahead for immigration reform, and Tea Party star Michele Bachmann's surprise announcement earlier this week that she would not be seeking re-election in 2014.

Like "This Week" on Facebook here . You can also follow the show on Twitter here .

Go here to find out when "This Week" is on in your area.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/david-plouffe-irs-targeting-not-political-pursuit-173039138--abc-news-topstories.html

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Scottish Home Improvement Decks Denver

At Scottish Home Improvements, we create custom decks for homeowners throughout Colorado, and while we can certainly build your deck in wood, we recommend the Trex Transcend series to all our clients.? This composite material surpasses wood in quality by far, and it is the perfect choice for our harsh seasons throughout the year.

Why Choose Trex

As one of the top contractors in the state, we pride ourselves in working with the best products available, and still providing affordable choices. Trex decking is no exception, and we want to tell you why this is the best material available for your deck.? Here are a couple of reasons that we love Trex for Colorado homeowners:

• The green choice: This decking product is made of only 5 percent completely new material, and 95 percent is made from recycled wood and plastic.? Trex has proven that durable products need not be environmentally unfriendly; going green doesn?t have to mean compromising on quality for your home.
• Variety of styles: You can get this strong product installed on your home perfectly to fit your style needs.? With beautiful color options for railings and for the body of the deck, you?ll be able to find something that complements the exterior of your home.? Our experts can help you find the best colors and styles, as well as help you actual design the layout of your custom deck.? Whether you want a simple patio or a multi-level outdoor living space, Trex is flexible for each homeowner.
• Low Maintenance: This composite material is extremely durable, which equals virtually no maintenance for you over the life of your new deck.? You won?t incur any rotting or cracking, and your deck will never need refinishing, common issues with wood decks.? When you invest in your outdoor space, you don?t want to be taking on more outdoor work instead. All you need with Trex is to occasionally hose off your deck to keep it looking fantastic year-round.

Our experts at Scottish Home Improvements can walk you through the process of getting your new Trex deck today.? Our team holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, as well as a gold star for excellent customer service, so you can count on us to make sure that your deck project is completed perfectly!

Trex Decks with Scottish Home Improvements

If you would like to learn more about Trex, or set up a consultation to learn more about creating a new outdoor living space for your home, give us a call or send an email today. We can?t wait to get started on designing and building the deck you?ve always wanted for your home, and giving your family a new way to play and relax.

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6,500 Silk Worms Spin One Heck Of A Cloud

Honestly, it seems like silk pajamas are on a downswing in popularity. Which is a damn shame. But the Mediated Matter Research Group (part of the MIT Media Lab) recently put thousands of silkworms to work on an architectural project that combines the worms' natural talent with computer modeling.

Silk Pavilion consists of 26 silk polygons which act as the structure of the piece. Made of silk thread laid by a Computer-Numerically Controlled (CNC) machine, the polygons were a template on which to place 6,500 silkworms which produced natural, unprocessed silk patches. The silkworms worked until the whole structure had been covered.

The CNC used an algorithm that had analyzed the patterns in worm-generated patches of silk, and then produced the first level of structure. The silkworms themselves created the second level, working as a sort of natural 3D printer. This gets to the heart of the piece as an interplay between natural and digital construction. The next trend in interior design should definitely be loosing thousands of silk worms on your house and letting them redecorate. [Creative Applications]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/6-500-silk-worms-spin-one-heck-of-a-cloud-510908939

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Police and protesters clash as Turkish prime minister calls for end to protests

Police used tear gas and water against protesters in a second day of anti-government demonstrations in Istanbul Saturday. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the protesters are in the minority and are raising tensions.

By Bulut Emiroglu and Suzan Fraser,?Associated Press / June 1, 2013

Riot police use tear gas to disperse the crowd during an anti-government protest at Taksim Square in central Istanbul Friday. Turkish police fired tear gas and water cannon on Saturday at demonstrators in central Istanbul, wounding scores of people and prompting rallies in other cities in the fiercest anti-government protests for years.

Osman Orsal/Reuters

Enlarge

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called on demonstrators to end anti-government protests now into a second day, but he remained defiant, insisting police would break down protests at a main Istanbul square and indicating that the government would press ahead with the redevelopment plans that sparked the demonstrations.

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In a televised speech, Erdogan said police may have used tear gas excessively while confronting protesters and said this would be investigated. But he said the protesters did not represent the majority and accused them of raising tensions.

Police let off more tear gas and pressurized water against waves of protesters trying to reach a main square in Istanbul or the Parliament building in the capital, Ankara, early on Saturday, but appeared to be allowing crowds to approach the heavily guarded square in the afternoon.

The protests grew out of anger at heavy-handed police tactics on Friday to break up a peaceful sit-in by people trying to protect a park in Istanbul's main Taksim square from government plans to revamp the area. Officials have said include building a shopping mall and the reconstruction of a former Ottoman army barracks.

The park demonstration turned into a wider protest against Erdogan, who is seen as becoming increasingly authoritarian, and spread to other Turkish cities despite the court decision to temporarily halt the demolition of the park. A human rights group said hundreds of people were injured in scuffles with police that lasted through the night.

"Police were present in Taksim yesterday," Erdogan said. "They will be present today and they will be present tomorrow too. Taksim cannot be a place where extremist groups run wild."

He said the government was determined to revamp Taksim and rebuild the old army barracks but said no firm decision was made on building a shopping mall. He also spoke of government plans to tear down a cultural center to build an opera hall, in statements that could cause further controversy.

Erdogan, who is serving a third term in office after winning landslide elections, denounced the protests as illegimate and suggested he could easily summon 1 million people for a pro-government rally.

"All attempts apart from the ballot box are not democratic," Erdogan said.

On Saturday, police clashed with several groups of youths trying to reach Taksim, the city's main hub and shopping center. Some threw stones at police.

A few thousand people marched along the Bosporus Bridge from the Asian shore of the city, toward Taksim, on the European side, but were met with pressurized water and tear gas that filled the air in a thick cloud.

Police detained a group of protesters who ran into a hotel to shelter from the gas, the private Dogan news agency reported.

They also prevented a rally in downtown Ankara, close to a building housing Erdogan's office, firing tear gas as people started to gather.

The leader of?Turkey's?pro-secular, main opposition party called on Erdogan to immediately withdraw police from Taksim.

"Show us that you are the prime minister, pull back your police," Kemal Kilicdaroglu said.

Ozturk Turkdogan, the head of the Turkish Human Rights Association, said hundreds of people in several cities were injured in the police crackdown and a few hundred people were arrested. The Dogan news agency said 138 demonstrators were detained in Istanbul.

The protest was seen as a demonstration of the anger had already been building toward Turkish police who have been accused of using inordinate force to quash demonstrations and of firing tear gas too abundantly, including at this year's May Day rally.

There is also resentment from mainly pro-secular circles toward the prime minister's Islamic-rooted government and toward Erdogan himself, who is known for his abrasive style. He is accused of adopting increasingly uncompromising stance and showing little tolerance of criticism.

In a surprise move last week, the government quickly passed legislation curbing the sale and advertising of alcoholic drinks, alarming secularists. Many felt insulted when he defended the legislation by calling people who drink "alcoholics."

"The use of (tear) gas at such proportions is unacceptable," Turkdogan told The Associated Press. "It is a danger to public health and as such is a crime. Unfortunately, there isn't a prosecutor brave enough to stand up to police."

"The people are standing up against Erdogan who is trying to monopolize power and is meddling in all aspects of life," he said.

An influential Turkish business group on Saturday criticized the force used on the protesters and urged more government tolerance.

"The disproportionate force used against ... the protests have not only harmed the public conscience, they have had demoralizing effect on any efforts over reconciliation," said a statement from TUSIAD, representing?Turkey's?leading industrialists.

The protests broke out just days after Istanbul pitched its bid to host the 2020 Olympic games to sports and Olympic officials at a conference in St. Petersburg.

The protests received limited coverage on Turkish televisions, reflecting the environment of self-censorship in?Turkey?since Erdogan's government came to power a decade ago. And many turned to social media or foreign news outlets for updates on the protests.

Thousands marched through streets in several cities in solidarity with the Taksim protesters on Friday, calling on Erdogan to resign. Cars honked and residents banged on pots and pans in a show of solidarity with protesters. In the capital Ankara, thousands gathered at a small park and swelled into a popular shopping street. Many were seen drinking in the street protest of government restrictions on the sale and advertising of alcohol. Police broke up groups that tried to march toward the Parliament building, a few hundred meters (yards) away.

The United States, Britain and Sweden were among countries that asked citizens to stay away from areas where protests were held.

Fraser reported from Ankara. Associated Press writers Ezgi Akin in Ankara and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark contributed.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/3XDQI7gvyaU/Police-and-protesters-clash-as-Turkish-prime-minister-calls-for-end-to-protests

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