Market Awaiting Guidance from the Fed | Breakout - Yahoo! Finance

The market is hovering around flatline ahead of the most highly anticipated Federal Reserve meeting of the year. Shortly after 2:00pm EDT investors will feverishly parse through the FOMC's latest policy statement, followed by updated Economic Projections, and finally a Ben Bernanke news conference.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) has seen six consecutive days of 100-point moves, driven largely by small bits of information coming from Fed-related reporting. Today's slew of guidance from the Fed is sure to impact today's trade and potentially the market momentum moving forward.

Related: Stop Trading Off Taper Talk, Says Macke

Of key concern is how the Fed views its current $85 billion monthly asset purchasing program, and whether economic conditions warrant an upcoming change in the near-zero interest rate policy. Breakout's Jeff Macke and Matt Nesto give a full rundown of expectations in the attached video.

Will we hear the word "tapering"? Will the Fed upgrade or downgrade the economy?

The answers are coming this afternoon and will be covered live right here on Breakout. Bernanke's press conference will be streaming live at the top of our page at 2:30pm, while our Yahoo! Finance pros --Jeff Macke, Matt Nesto, Aaron Task, Michael Santoli, Lauren Lyster, Rick Newman, and special guests-- will be blogging throughout the presser. Immediately following that event, Breakout will air a live show assessing all the market moving details that matter for your money today and beyond. Be sure to keep it here on Breakout!

Please join the conversation! Send us your thoughts and questions in the comment section below and Tweet Us using #YFinFed.

More on the Fed:

Obama Starts Tapering Bernanke?s Term

Key Market Technical Levels to Watch as Fed Decisions Looms

Stay Short Gold, Go Long Crude Oil: Krinsky

These Consumer Stocks Can Withstand Fed Volatility

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/market-awaiting-guidance-fed-143411907.html

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Mindfulness can increase wellbeing and reduce stress in school children

June 19, 2013 ? Mindfulness -- a mental training that develops sustained attention that can change the ways people think, act and feel -- could reduce symptoms of stress and depression and promote wellbeing among school children, according to a new study published online by the British Journal of Psychiatry.

With the summer exam season in full swing, school children are currently experiencing higher levels of stress than at any other time of year. The research showed that interventions to reduce stress in children have the biggest impact at this time of year. There is growing evidence that mindfulness-based approaches for adults are effective at enhancing mental health and wellbeing. However, very few controlled trials have evaluated their effectiveness among young people.

A team of researchers led by Professor Willem Kuyken from the University of Exeter, in association with the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and the Mindfulness in Schools Project, recruited 522 pupils, aged between 12 and 16 years, from 12 secondary schools to take part in the study. 256 pupils at six of the schools were taught the Mindfulness in Schools Project's curriculum, a nine week introduction to mindfulness designed for the classroom.

Richard Burnett who co-created the curriculum said: "Our mindfulness curriculum aims to engage even the most cynical of adolescent audience with the basics of mindfulness. We use striking visuals, film clips and activities to bring it to life without losing the expertise and integrity of classic mindfulness teaching."

The other 266 pupils at the other six schools did not receive the mindfulness lessons, and acted as a control group.

All the pupils were followed up after a three month period. The follow-up was timed to coincide with the summer exam period -- which is a potential time of high stress for young people. The researchers found that those children who participated in the mindfulness programme reported fewer depressive symptoms, lower stress and greater wellbeing than the young people in the control group. Encouragingly, around 80% of the young people said they continued using practices taught in MiSP's mindfulness curriculum after completing the nine week programme. Teachers and schools also rated the curriculum as worthwhile and very enjoyable to learn and teach.

Lead researcher Professor Kuyken said: "Our findings provide promising evidence of the effectiveness of MiSP's curriculum. We found that those young people who took part in the programme had fewer low-grade depressive symptoms, both immediately after completing the programme and at three-month follow-up. This is potentially a very important finding, given that low-grade depressive symptoms can impair a child's performance at school, and are also a risk factor for developing adolescent and adult depression."

Professor Katherine Weare, who has been instrumental in promoting the teaching of resilience in schools, said: "These findings are likely to be of great interest to our overstretched schools who are trying to find simple, cost effective and engaging ways to promote the resilience of their students -- and of their staff too -- at times when adolescence is becoming increasingly challenging, staff under considerable stress, and schools under a good deal of pressure to deliver on all fronts. This study demonstrates that mindfulness shows great promise in promoting wellbeing and reducing problems -- which is in line with our knowledge of how helpful well designed and implemented social and emotional learning can be. The next step is to carry out a randomised controlled trial into the MiSP curriculum, involving more schools, pupils and longer follow-ups."

Professor Felicia Huppert of the University of Cambridge said: "The findings also support the argument that mindfulness training can enhance the psychological well-being of all pupils, not just those who have symptoms associated with common mental health problems. Psychological well-being has been linked to better learning, social relationships and academic performance, so the enhancement of well-being is likely to improve a range of outcomes in the school context."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/mental_health/~3/lwUzNvwnw7I/130619195139.htm

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This is the Modem World: The console war is over... sorta

Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology.

It seems, at least according to the editorial and social rhetoric I've read over the past few days, that the console war has ended before a single unit has sold, and the Sony PlayStation 4 has won. Meanwhile, after a series of questionable announcements and policies, Microsoft's Xbox One is a battered warrior before it's had a chance to make an appearance.

It is, of course, silly to predict or even recognize this, but I'm going to do so anyway. Why? It's worth mentioning why gamers have -- at least for now -- turned their backs to Microsoft. The issues are numerous, and they all point to features and functionalities that hardcore gamers don't want, don't get or simply don't like. Average consumers haven't chimed in yet -- they will do so at the register this fall once they've asked the likes of you and me what to get -- but here's a very quick look at what troubles the Xbox One and how the PlayStation 4 appears to be doing things right.

Filed under: Gaming, Sony, Microsoft

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/XmPy7coePBU/

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DirecTV Is Supposedly Buying Hulu

If it seems like Hulu's been up for sale for a few years now that's because it totally has been. Seriously, back in August 2011 we tried to figure out which Hulu bidder we should be rooting for. And then in September 2011, Dish Network was rumored to buy it. Well? Nothing happened. Now nearly two years later, DirecTV is supposedly in pole position to snag Hulu.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/EOJLkrDwtGY/directv-is-supposedly-buying-hulu-513303427

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GOP Sen. Corker presses Obama on Karzai CIA cash claims

Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a ceremony at Kabul University in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Anja Niedringhaus/??Sen. Bob Corker, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is still trying to get answers from President Barack Obama regarding Afghan President Hamid Karzai's claims that he has been getting deliveries of CIA cash for years.

"I write again to request an explanation of the incoherent United States policy in Afghanistan made evident by the claims of cash payments to President Karzai," Corker wrote in a letter to Obama on Thursday. The Tennessee lawmaker?who has made two previous written requests for information, to no avail?noted that a key U.S. goal in the war-torn country has been to battle corruption.

"I am deeply concerned that these alleged cash payments undermine these efforts and enhance corruption in Afghanistan," the senator wrote. "Even if these alleged payments may have short-term value for the United States from a national security or intelligence perspective, they may be severely counterproductive in the long run."

The senator urged Obama to keep key lawmakers?notably, himself and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, D-N.J.?informed "of all U.S. government activities that relate to our foreign relations, regardless of the classification of such information."

And so, Corker concluded, "I want to request?for the third time?information regarding the alleged payments to the Karzai government and its officials, including a classified briefing, as appropriate."

Corker sent his first letter to Obama on this issue on May 2. It went unanswered, his office says. He wrote a second time on May 14. That message, too, according to his office, went unanswered. Corker tried to get an answer from Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, the State Department's No. 3 official, during a hearing. It didn't go well.

Corker: Let me just ask this question. If?do you think that delivering cash to a government that's been around for many, many years and is democratically elected aids us in fighting corruption?

Sherman: Well, I would say, Senator, that I appreciate your concern. What we seek in Afghanistan is a stable government going forward. The United States has made a substantial investment in helping that country get to a place where they are?

Corker: But delivering cash to a leader, an elected leader, does that help us rout out corruption in that country?

Sherman: I think, Senator, we, of course, want to rout out corruption every way we can. And my sense is the particular instance that you're discussing is better discussed in a classified session.

Corker: Well, you know, had it been discussed in a classified setting, I couldn't talk about it. And yet the president of Afghanistan is talking about it, and so it is in a public setting. And I expect a public response.

So I thank you. I guess I'll have to ask the president of Afghanistan what is happening with this cash. But thank you so much.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/gop-sen-corker-presses-obama-karzai-cia-cash-184617141.html

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Unusually massive line of storms aim at Midwest

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A gigantic line of powerful thunderstorms could affect one in five Americans on Wednesday as it rumbles from Iowa to Maryland packing hail, lightning and tree-toppling winds.

Meteorologists are warning that the continuous line of storms may even spawn an unusual weather event called a derecho (duh-RAY'-choh), which is a massive storm of strong straight-line winds spanning at least 240 miles. Wednesday's storms are also likely to generate tornadoes and cause power outages that will be followed by oppressive heat, said Bill Bunting, operations chief at the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla.

The risk of severe weather in Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, is roughly 45 times higher than on a normal June day, Bunting said. Detroit, Baltimore, Washington, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Louisville, Ky., have a risk level 15 times more than normal. All told, the area the weather service considers to be under heightened risk of dangerous weather includes 64 million people in 10 states.

"It's a pretty high threat," Bunting said, who also warned that the storms will produce large hail and dangerous lightning. "We don't want to scare people, but we want them to be aware."

Wednesday "might be the worst severe weather outbreak for this part of the country for the year," said Jeff Masters, meteorology director at Weather Underground.

Tornadoes and a derecho can happen at the same time, but at any given place Wednesday the straight-line winds are probably more likely.

Last year, a derecho caused at least $1 billion in damage from Chicago to Washington, killing 13 people and leaving more than 4 million people without power, according to the weather service. Winds reached nearly 100 mph in some places and in addition to the 13 people who died from downed trees, another 34 people died from the heat wave that followed in areas without power.

Derechoes, with winds of at least 58 mph, occur about once a year in the Midwest. Rarer than tornadoes but with weaker winds, derechoes produce damage over a much wider area.

Wednesday's storm probably won't be as powerful as 2012's historic one, but it is expected to cause widespread problems, Bunting said.

The storms will move so fast that "by the time you see the dark sky and distant thunder you may have only minutes to get to safe shelter," Bunting said.

The storms will start late morning or early afternoon in eastern Iowa, hit Chicago by early afternoon and move east at about 40 mph, Bunting said. If the storm remains intact after crossing the Appalachian Mountains, which would be rare for a derecho, it should hit the Washington area by late afternoon or early evening, he said.

For Washington, Philadelphia and parts of the Mid-Atlantic the big storm risk continues and even increases a bit Thursday, according to the weather service.

___

Online:

The Storm Prediction Center: www.spc.noaa.gov

Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/unusually-massive-line-storms-aim-midwest-070531169.html

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Former Iran president opposes election boycott

Supporters of the Iranian presidential candidate Hasan Rowhani, former Iranian nuclear negotiator, chant slogans, as they hold a banner containing pictures of Rowhani, center, former Presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, right, and Mohammad Khatami, during a street campaign, in Tehran, Iran,Wednesday, June 12, 2013. The presidential election will be held on June 14. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Supporters of the Iranian presidential candidate Hasan Rowhani, former Iranian nuclear negotiator, chant slogans, as they hold a banner containing pictures of Rowhani, center, former Presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, right, and Mohammad Khatami, during a street campaign, in Tehran, Iran,Wednesday, June 12, 2013. The presidential election will be held on June 14. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? On the eve of Iran's presidential elections, a former Iranian president blocked from a comeback bid urged voters Thursday not to boycott the vote in protest over crackdowns on dissent or in anger over his exclusion from the race.

The appeal by former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani came in response to persistent calls by many among reform-minded voters to stay away from Friday's election, despite the apparent rising profile of moderate candidate Hasan Rowhani, a former nuclear negotiator.

The boycott drive seeks to mount a symbolic rebuke to Iran's ruling system after years of arrests and pressures against opposition forces since the disputed re-election in 2009 of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who cannot run again because of term limits.

But a significant snub of the voting would most likely hurt Rowhani, who has been backed by his close ally Rafsanjani and other reformist leaders. His other rivals include hardliners or conservatives seen as favored by the ruling theocracy.

Rafsanjani's stature rose sharply with liberals after he criticized hard-line tactics used in the unprecedented postelection clashes and demonstrations four years ago. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who challenged Ahmadinejad in the 2009 election, and another reform-leaning candidate, Mahdi Karroubi, have been under house arrest for more than two years.

Reports Thursday by several pro-reform newspapers, including the Etemad daily, quoted Rafsanjani as saying that people "should not boycott" the vote.

"I urge them to vote," he was quoted as saying.

On Wednesday, thousands of supporters welcomed Rowhani in the northeastern city of Mashhad chanting: "Long live reforms."

They also urged for a strong turnout under the phrase of "one for 100" ? meaning every reformist should try to encourage 100 people to the polls.

Iranians traditionally have shown high interest in voting. The average reported turnout in the past 10 presidential election is more than 67 percent.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly called for a high turnout as a reply to Western governments that have strongly questioned the openness of Iran's elections ? including the process of vetting candidates, which dropped Rafsanjani and other perceived moderates.

But Khamenei went further in his appeal on Wednesday, when he equated voting to a patriotic act for voters, even if they don't want to support the Islamic establishment.

"It is possible that some do not want to support the Islamic Republic while seeking to support their own country. They should vote, too," said Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters. He added that a high turnout would "frustrate the enemy."

"When the enemy faces frustration, it will lose its efficiency," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-13-ML-Iran-Election/id-037509fdfe134089849c5515c039aac1

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