Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/289717182?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Friday, March 8, 2013
See Douglas, Damon in best Liberace photo yet
By Kurt Schlosser, TODAY
We've been fascinated for months by occasional photos showing the transformation of Michael Douglas and Matt Damon for the upcoming Liberace biopic "Behind the Candelabra." Now Entertainment Weekly shows off the two stars with a glitzy cover and story about the Steven Soderbergh-directed HBO film.
Entertainment Weekly
Douglas (as the famed entertainer) and Damon (as his young lover Scott Thorson) take hair, makeup and wardrobe?to their late-'70s extremes. EW calls the movie?"one of the weirdest, glitziest gay love stories ever put on film, one that required both actors to do things they?d never done before onscreen."
Damon tells the magazine about the ritual for achieving his spray-tanned backside and about filming sex scenes with Douglas.
Douglas says he was advised by Debbie Reynolds, a close friend of Liberace's, who also plays his mother in the film. "She just told me, '[Your voice] can never be too nasal.'"
HBO
Michael Douglas, left, and Matt Damon in "Behind the Candelabra."
"Behind the Candelabra" premieres on HBO May 26.
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North Korea hit by new UN sanctions after test
UNITED NATIONS (AP) ? The U.N. Security Council responded swiftly to North Korea's latest nuclear test by punishing the reclusive regime Thursday with tough, new sanctions targeting its economy and leadership, despite Pyongyang's threat of a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the United States.
The penalties came in a unanimous resolution drafted by the U.S. along with China, which is North Korea's main benefactor. Beijing said the focus now should be to "defuse the tensions" by restarting negotiations.
The resolution sent a powerful message to North Korea's new young leader, Kim Jong Un, that the international community condemns his defiance of Security Council bans on nuclear and ballistic tests and is prepared to take even tougher action if he continues flouting international obligations.
"Taken together, these sanctions will bite, and bite hard," U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said. "They increase North Korea's isolation and raise the cost to North Korea's leaders of defying the international community."
The new sanctions came in response to North Korea's underground nuclear test on Feb. 12 and were the fourth set imposed by the U.N. since the country's first test in 2006. They are aimed at reining in Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development by requiring all countries to freeze financial transactions or services that could contribute to the programs.
North Korea kept up its warlike rhetoric Friday after the U.N. vote, issuing a statement saying it was canceling a hotline and a nonaggression pact with rival South Korea.
North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, the country's arm for dealing with cross-border affairs with Seoul, said it will retaliate with "crushing strikes" if enemies intrude into its territory "even an inch and fire even a single shell." It also said it was voiding past nuclear disarmament agreements between North and South Korea.
South and North Korea agreed in a 1992 joint declaration not to produce, test or use nuclear weapons. North Korea has since conducted three nuclear tests.
The resolution also targets North Korea's ruling elite by banning all nations from exporting expensive jewelry, yachts, luxury automobiles and race cars to the North. It also imposes new travel sanctions that would require countries to expel agents working for sanctioned North Korean companies.
The success of the sanctions could depend on how well they are enforced by China, where most of the companies and banks that North Korea is believed to work with are based.
Tensions with North Korea have escalated since Pyongyang launched a rocket in December and conducted last month's nuclear test ? the first since Kim took charge. Many countries, especially in the region, had hoped he would steer the country toward engagement and resolution of the dispute over its nuclear and missile programs. Instead, the North has escalated its threats.
The U.N. has long threatened North Korea with sanctions should it continue testing nuclear devices and missiles. Several U.N. resolutions bar North Korea from conducting nuclear or missile tests because the Security Council considers Pyongyang a would-be proliferator of weapons of mass destruction, and its nuclear testing a threat to international peace and stability. North Korea dismisses that as a double standard, and claims the right to build nuclear weapons as a defense against the United States, which it has seen as Enemy No. 1 since the 1950-53 Korean War.
Immediately before the Security Council vote, a spokesman for Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry said the North will exercise its right for "a pre-emptive nuclear attack to destroy the strongholds of the aggressors" because Washington is "set to light a fuse for a nuclear war."
The statement was carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency.
In the capital of Pyongyang, Army Gen. Kang Pyo Yong told a crowd of tens of thousands that North Korea is ready to fire long-range nuclear-armed missiles at Washington, which "will be engulfed in a sea of fire."
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. is "fully capable" of defending itself against a North Korea ballistic missile attack.
Experts doubt that the North has mastered how to mount a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.
The North Korean statement appeared to be the most specific open threat of a nuclear strike by any country against another. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the threat "absurd" and suicidal.
North Korea also has threatened to scrap the cease-fire that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. It has a formidable array of artillery near enough to the Demilitarized Zone to strike South Korean and American forces with little warning.
The top U.S. envoy on North Korea, Glyn Davies, cautioned Pyongyang not to miscalculate, saying the U.S. will take necessary steps to defend itself and its allies, including South Korea, where it bases more than 28,000 U.S. forces.
"We take all North Korean threats seriously enough to ensure that we have the correct defense posture to deal with any contingencies that might arise," Davies told reporters.
Rice said "the entire world stands united in our commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and in our demand that North Korea comply with its international obligations."
China's U.N. Ambassador Li Baodong said the resolution reflects the determination of the international community to prevent nuclear proliferation, but he stressed that its adoption "is not enough."
"The top priority now is to defuse the tensions, bring down heat ... bring the situation back on the track of diplomacy, on negotiations," Li said.
The resolution stresses the Security Council's commitment "to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution" to North Korea's nuclear program and urges a resumption of the long-stalled six-party talks involving both Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan.
South Korea's U.N. Ambassador Kim Sook said North Korea's threats and inflammatory statements will be dealt with "resolutely."
"North Korea must wake up from its delusion of becoming a ... nuclear weapons state and make the right choice," he said. "It can either take the right path toward a bright future and prosperity, or it can take a bad road toward further and deeper isolation and eventual self-destruction."
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin also warned that "new threats or trying to build up the military muscle in the region ... might be taking us away from the need to resume six-party talks," which he added must be an international priority of all countries.
In addition to the sanctions, the resolution bans further ballistic missile launches, nuclear tests "or any other provocation," and demands that North Korea return to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. It condemns all of North Korea's ongoing nuclear activities, including its uranium enrichment.
It strengthens inspections of suspicious cargo heading to and from the country, calls on states to step up "vigilance" of possible illegal activity by North Korean diplomats.
To get around financial sanctions, North Koreans have been carrying around large suitcases filled with cash to move illicit funds. The resolution expresses concern that these bulk cash transfers may be used to evade sanctions. It clarifies that the freeze on financial transactions and services that could violate sanctions applies to all cash transfers as well as the cash couriers.
The resolution identifies three individuals, one corporation and one organization that will be added to the U.N. sanctions list. The targets include top officials at a company that is the country's primary arms dealer and main exporter of ballistic missile-related equipment, and a national organization responsible for research and development of missiles and probably nuclear weapons.
___
Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea. Peter J. Spielmann at the United Nations, Robert Burns in Washington and Foster Klug and Sam Kim in Seoul contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-hit-un-sanctions-test-221736178.html
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Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H (rev. 3.1) Microsoft UAA Driver 5.10.0.5010
Specifications
CPU
- AM3+ Socket:
- Support for AMD AM3+ processor
- Support for AMD AM3 Phenom II processor / AMD Athlon II processor
Hyper Transport Bus
- 5200 MT/s
Chipset
- North Bridge: AMD 890GX
- South Bridge: AMD SB850
Memory
- 4 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 16 GB of system memory
- Dual channel memory architecture
- Support for DDR3 2000(OC)/1333/1066 MHz memory modules
Integrated Memory
- 128MB DDR3 SidePort memory
Onboard Graphics
Integrated in the North Bridge:
- 1 x D-Sub port
- 1 x DVI-D port
- 1 x HDMI port
Audio
- Realtek ALC889 codec
- High Definition Audio
- 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
- Support for Dolby Home Theater
- Support for S/PDIF In/Out
- Support for CD In
LAN
- 1 x Realtek 8111D chip (10/100/1000 Mbit)
Expansion Slots
- 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16 (PCIEX16)
- 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x8 (PCIEX8)
- 3 x PCI Express x1 slot (All PCI Express slots conform to PCI Express 2.0 standard.)
- 2 x PCI slots
Multi-Graphics Technology
- Support for ATI CrossFireX and Hybrid CrossFireX technologies
Storage Interface
South Bridge:
- 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors 6 supporting up to 6 SATA 6Gb/s devices
- Support for SATA RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, and JBOD
GIGABYTE SATA2 chip:
- 1 x IDE connector supporting ATA-133/100/66/33 and up to 2 IDE devices
- 2 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors supporting up to 2 SATA 3Gb/s devices
- Support for SATA RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD
iTE IT8720 chip:
- 1 x floppy disk drive connector supporting up to 1 floppy disk drive
USB
South Bridge:
- Up to 12USB 2.0/1.1 ports (4 on the back panel, 8 via the USB brackets connected to the internal USB headers)
NEC D720200F1 chip:
- Up to 2 USB 3.0 ports on the back panel
IEEE 1394
T.I. TSB43AB23 chip:
- Up to 3 IEEE 1394a ports (1 on the back panel, 2 via the IEEE 1394a bracket connected to the internal IEEE 1394a header)
Internal I/O Connectors
- 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
- 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
- 1 x floppy disk drive connector
- 1 x IDE connector
- 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
- 2 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors
- 1 x CPU fan header
- 2 x system fan header
- 1 x power fan header
- 1 x front panel header
- 1 x front panel audio header
- 1 x CD In connector
- 1 x S/PDIF In header
- 1 x S/PDIF Out header
- 2 x IEEE 1394a header
- 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
- 1 x serial port header
- 1 x clearing CMOS jumper
Back Panel Connectors
- 1 x PS/2 keyboard port or PS/2 mouse port
- 1 x D-Sub port
- 1 x DVI-D port (Note 2)
- 1 x HDMI port (Note 2)
- 1 x optical S/PDIF Out connector
- 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
- 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports
- 1 x IEEE 1394a port
- 1 x RJ-45 port
- 6 x audio jacks (Center/Subwoofer Speaker Out/Rear Speaker Out/Side Speaker Out/Line In/Line Out/Microphone)
I/O Controller
- ITE IT8720 chip
H/W Monitoring
- System voltage detection
- CPU/System temperature detection
- CPU/System/Power fan speed detection
- CPU overheating warning
- CPU/System/Power fan fail warning
- CPU/System fan speed control
BIOS
- 2 x 16 Mbit flash
- Use of licensed AWARD BIOS
- Support for DualBIOS
- PnP 1.0a, DMI 2.0, SM BIOS 2.4, ACPI 1.0b
Form Factor
- ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 24.4cm
It is highly recommended to always use the most recent driver version available.
Do not forget to check with our site as often as possible in order to stay updated on the latest drivers, software and games.
Try to set a system restore point before installing a device driver. This will help if you installed a wrong driver. Problems can arise when your hardware device is too old or not supported any longer.
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Monday, March 4, 2013
McConnell readying for tough re-election fight
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) ? U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is gearing up for a tough re-election fight next year in Kentucky.
He wants to prevent one, too.
McConnell is trying to head off a GOP primary challenge by cozying up to the tea party. He's also trying to scare off potential Democratic contenders ? actress Ashley Judd is one ? by providing a glimpse of his no-holds-barred political tactics.
The strategy seems to be working, so far. No serious Republican opponent has emerged. Democrats haven't fielded a candidate yet, though Judd, a Kentucky native who lives in Tennessee, is considering a run. She would have to re-establish a residence in Kentucky before she could challenge McConnell.
The lack of an opponent hasn't kept McConnell from sounding an alarm over his potential vulnerability. It's a tactic rooted in reality and intended to help raise money.
"We know that President Obama's allies in Washington are doing everything they can to find a candidate to run against me in a primary or a general election," McConnell said in a statement to The Associated Press. "They've made no secrets about their willingness to back anybody right, left, or center to get me out of their way."
Defeating McConnell would be the Democrats' biggest prize of the 2014 election.
His seat is one of 14 that Republicans are defending while Democrats try to hold onto 21, hoping to retain or add to their 55-45 edge.
The 71-year-old McConnell, first elected to the Senate in 1984, is a resilient politician with an unbroken string of victories and a reputation of pummeling opponents. He's taking no chances even with an election more than a year away.
He has amassed a hefty bank account, with $7.4 million on hand of the $10 million he's already raised, mostly from out-of-state donors. That's a huge amount in Kentucky, where TV advertising rates are less expensive than elsewhere.
Given his leadership post and fundraising prowess, McConnell could double that as the election nears.
He spent more than $20 million in 2008 and won by just 6 percentage points over Louisville businessman Bruce Lunsford. This time, he'll probably need as much as he can collect. Polls show that McConnell is widely unpopular in the state, and Democratic-leaning groups have started running ads against him.
To endear himself to voters, McConnell has promoted his efforts to protect jobs in Kentucky. In doing so, he has sent them a not-so-subtle message that his clout as Republican leader is reason enough to give him a sixth term.
Factory representatives have credited him with helping preserve some 3,000 Kentucky jobs last year alone. Many were in small sewing factories that were at risk of losing federal military contracts. A deal he brokered with Energy Secretary Steven Chu saved 1,200 jobs at the Paducah gaseous diffusion uranium enrichment plant.
The longest-serving senator in Kentucky history has presided over a GOP revival in the state over the past three decades. Republicans hold both Senate seats and five of the state's six seats in the U.S. House. All were won with help from McConnell, who may not look the part of a political powerhouse but whose keen instincts have kept him at the top.
The chairman of Kentucky's Democratic Party, Dan Logsdon, says McConnell's longevity will be a critical issue. "He's become a part of Washington, and Kentuckians all across our commonwealth have said it's time to make a change," Logsdon says.
McConnell counters: "I have no sense of entitlement about representing Kentucky. Kentuckians always choose the person who earns their support."
As the face of the Republican establishment, McConnell saw his standing in the state threatened during the 2010 elections when his chosen candidate for a vacant Senate seat, then-Secretary of State Trey Grayson, lost to tea party-backed Rand Paul in a primary campaign that pitted the old guard in the GOP against a new band of insurgents.
McConnell's answer to bridging those divisions and, perhaps, insulate himself from a primary challenge was to form strong tea party ties himself.
He quickly mended fences after Paul won the GOP nomination, and helped Paul raise money and develop strategy for the general election. The two have had a relationship of tolerance on Capitol Hill.
The tea party leader praised McConnell as a friend before hundreds of tea party activists last year on the Statehouse steps, and McConnell drew cheers. McConnell has recruited Paul's former campaign manager, Jesse Benton, to lead his own re-election effort.
The moves signaled that potential tea party opponents should stand down even if they still disagree with McConnell.
He agitated tea party activists anew when he joined with Vice President Joe Biden late last year to work out a compromise on the "fiscal cliff," which threatened automatic tax increases and spending cuts. One of those activists, David Adams of Nicholasville, said that deal "is just more smoke and mirrors from someone who has a decades-long track record of mostly smoke and mirrors."
Despite grousing, Kentucky tea party groups have had little luck trying to recruit a strong primary challenger. At least two businessmen with tea party ties, John Kemper of Lexington and Matt Bevin of Louisville, are considering runs.
Beyond any primary, McConnell also is taunting would-be Democratic challengers in a comical online video intended to raise second thoughts about taking on a politicians known as brawler. Never hugely popular with his constituents, McConnell has managed to win elections by making his opponents even more unpopular.
The video shows Judd, who has a home in the Nashville, Tenn., suburbs, saying "Tennessee is home" and that San Francisco is "my American city home." It also shows some of Kentucky's leading Democrats, including Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, Attorney General Jack Conway and Auditor Adam Edelen, saying they won't run against McConnell.
Republican-leaning group American Crossroads is assailing Judd in its own online video that plays up the fact that she lives in Tennessee, and that she campaigned for President Barack Obama, who is unpopular in Kentucky.
Judd has been discussing the prospects of challenging McConnell with Democratic leaders, including Gov. Steve Beshear. Her interest has other Democrats sitting on the sidelines until she makes a decision. She has kept silent in the face of the early attack, as has the state Democratic Party.
McConnell said in a national broadcast interview Sunday that he expected "a spirited race. And of course there are a lot of left-wingers around the country who believe that the 2014 Senate race in Kentucky is the only race of national significance. And they would love to take out the Republican leader of the Senate. We'll be ready for them."
Asked specifically about Judd, McConnell said on CNN's "State of the Union" that "we'll see who they nominate and we'll be happy to run against whomever is chosen."
Republican strategist Larry Forgy, a Lexington lawyer and former gubernatorial candidate, said it appears McConnell and his allies are giving Judd a taste of what she'd face as a candidate ? a barrage of attack ads playing nonstop for months.
"They figure she's not thick-skinned, that she won't put up with this, that she'll see they'll say everything in the world," Forgy said. "Mitch McConnell is not afraid of her, because she's just not politically positioned in this state philosophically to beat him. But he'd rather run against nobody."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mcconnell-readying-tough-election-fight-124322783--election.html
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Sunday, March 3, 2013
Leading Toronto Internet Marketing Company Numero Uno Web ...
Numero Uno Web Solutions (NumeroUnoWeb.com), a fast-growing global Internet marketing firm that caters to small- and mid-sized business-to-consumer companies, is pleased to announce its top tips for optimizing web site for mobile use.
Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) March 03, 2013
Numero Uno Web Solutions (NumeroUnoWeb.com), a fast-growing global Internet marketing firm that caters to small- and mid-sized business-to-consumer companies, is pleased to announce its top tips for optimizing web site for mobile use.
?If small- and medium-sized businesses want their SEO [search engine optimization] to capitalize on the increased proliferation of mobile devices, they need to design an online marketing campaign that attracts, engages, and converts audiences across multiple platforms. That includes tablets, smartphones, and PCs [personal computers],? says Nadia Iaboni, Digital Solutions Manager at Numero Uno Web Solutions.
As the experts report, consumer spending on mobile app stores and digital content is expected to rise from $18.0 billion in 2012 to $61.0 billion by 2016. While 78% of smartphone users turn to their phones while they shop, 60% of consumers search for brand information from mobile devices before making a purchase. (Sources: ?Young users increasingly amenable to mobile marketing,? Mobile Entertainment July 18, 2012; ?2012 Mobile Future in Focus,? Mobile Clearing House web site, February 2012; ?The Complex Path of Europe?s iConsumers,? McKinsey.com web site June 2012.)
Furthermore, 21% of 18?24-year-olds would rather purchase products or services online as opposed to visiting actual stores or shopping on their PCs, say the experts. Web sites optimized for mobile devices have a 75% higher rate of engagement per visit. (Source: ?Do Mobile-optimized Experiences Improve Engagement on ?Super? Phones and Tablets like the iPad?,? Adobe blog, last accessed February 28, 2013.)
With mobile devices emerging as the vehicle of choice for shopping, online retailers face greater competition vying for the attention of tech-savvy consumers, say the Numero Uno Web Solutions experts. As a result, small- and mid-sized businesses with an online presence need to design sites that work well and look great on mobile devices.
According to the experts, that includes using adaptive layouts, easy navigation, strong images and graphics, and fast load times. Small- and medium-sized businesses should also consider using effective keywords associated with the brand and utilizing Google Maps for local SEO. If visitors can?t find a site easily or navigate the content on a small mobile screen, they?ll find a site where they can.
?As online consumers continue to navigate away from desktop and lap top computers and migrate to mobile devices, businesses need to consider not just how to attract clients but also the entire customer experience,? Iaboni adds.
As online SEO marketing experts, the experts at Numero Uno Web Solutions know how to analyze a website and optimize its strengths to create a SEO campaign that not just helps drive qualified traffic to a site but also make it mobile friendly. Regardless of budget, the experts at Numero Uno Web Solutions can help small- and mid-sized businesses design a web site that connects seamlessly with mobile customers.
To learn more about Numero Uno Web Solutions, visit the company?s web site at http://numerounoweb.com/sitescore/.
Numero Uno Web Solutions is one of the top Internet marketing firms due to constant innovation and overall customer satisfaction. For more information on Numero Uno Web Solutions, and to discover how the company can help maximize your company?s search engine optimization and online presence, visit http://numerounoweb.com/sitescore/. Or call Numero Uno Web Solutions toll-free at 1-855-SEO-XPRT (1-855-736-9778).
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/3/prweb10487561.htm
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State Dept: No major objections to Canada pipeline
FILE - In this Jan. 23, 2013, file photo, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D, points at a illustration of existing pipeline, while speaking at a news conference about the Keystone XL oil pipeline on Capitol Hill in Washington. The State Department on Friday, March 1, 2013, raised no major objections to the Keystone XL oil pipeline and said other options to get the oil from Canada to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries are worse for climate change. But the latest environmental review stops short of recommending whether the project should be approved. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 23, 2013, file photo, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D, points at a illustration of existing pipeline, while speaking at a news conference about the Keystone XL oil pipeline on Capitol Hill in Washington. The State Department on Friday, March 1, 2013, raised no major objections to the Keystone XL oil pipeline and said other options to get the oil from Canada to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries are worse for climate change. But the latest environmental review stops short of recommending whether the project should be approved. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2013, file photo, Secretary of State John Kerry, right, speaks with reporters during a news conference with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird at the State Department in Washington. The State Department on Friday, March 1, 2013, raised no major objections to the Keystone XL oil pipeline and said other options to get the oil from Canada to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries are worse for climate change. But the latest environmental review stops short of recommending whether the project should be approved. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Map shows existing and proposed extension of Keystone XL pipeline
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The State Department on Friday raised no major objections to the Keystone XL oil pipeline and said other options to get the oil from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries are worse for climate change.
The latest environmental review stops short of recommending approval of the project, but the review gives the Obama administration political cover if it chooses to endorse the pipeline in spite of opposition from many Democrats and environmental groups. State Department approval of the 1,700-mile pipeline is needed because it crosses a U.S. border.
The lengthy report says Canadian tar sands are likely to be developed, regardless of whether the U.S. approves Keystone XL, which would carry oil from western Canada to refineries in Texas. The pipeline would also travel through Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
The report acknowledges that development of tar sands in Alberta would create greenhouse gases but makes clear that other methods of transporting the oil ? including rail, trucks and barges ? also pose a risk to the environment.
The State Department analysis for the first time evaluated two options using rail: shipping the oil on trains to existing pipelines or to oil tankers. The report shows that those other methods would release more greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming than the pipeline. The Keystone XL pipeline, according to the report, would release annually the same amount of global warming pollution as 626,000 passenger cars.
A scenario that would move the oil on trains to mostly existing pipelines would release 8 percent more greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide than Keystone XL. That scenario would not require State Department approval because any new pipelines would not cross the U.S border.
Another alternative that relies mostly on rail to move the oil to the Canadian west coast, where it would be loaded onto oil tankers to the U.S. Gulf Coast, would result in 17 percent more greenhouse gas emissions, the report said.
In both alternatives, the oil would be shipped in rail cars as bitumen, a thick, tar-like substance, rather than as a liquid.
The State Department was required to conduct a new environmental analysis after the pipeline's operator, Calgary-based TransCanada, changed the project's route though Nebraska. The Obama administration blocked the project last year because of concerns that the original route would have jeopardized environmentally sensitive land in the Sand Hills region.
The administration later approved a southern section of the pipeline, from Cushing, Okla., to the Texas coast, as part of what President Barack Obama has called an "all of the above" energy policy that embraces a wide range of sources, from oil and gas to renewables such as wind and solar.
The pipeline plan has become a flashpoint in the U.S. debate over climate change. Republicans and business and labor groups have urged the Obama administration to approve the pipeline as a source of much-needed jobs and a step toward North American energy independence.
Environmental groups have been pressuring the president to reject the pipeline, saying it would carry "dirty oil" that contributes to global warming. They also worry about a spill.
Industry groups and Republicans hailed the report, saying the Obama administration was moving closer to approving Keystone XL, which has been under consideration since 2008.
"No matter how many times KXL is reviewed, the result is the same: no significant environmental impact," said Marty Durbin, executive vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, the largest lobbying group for the oil and gas industry.
The report "puts this important, job-creating project one step closer to reality," Durbin said.
Environmentalists blasted the report.
"This analysis fails in its review of climate impacts, threats to endangered wildlife like whooping cranes and woodland caribou, and the concerns of tribal communities," said Jim Lyon, vice president of the National Wildlife Federation.
If Keystone XL would not speed tar sands development, "why are oil companies pouring millions into lobbying and political contributions to build it?" Lyon asked. "By rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, President Obama can keep billions of tons of climate-disrupting carbon pollution locked safely in the ground."
The draft report begins a 45-day comment period, after which the State Department will issue a final environmental report before Secretary of State John Kerry makes a recommendation about whether the pipeline is in the national interest.
Kerry has promised a "fair and transparent" review of the plan and said he hopes to decide on the project in the "near term." Most observers do not expect a decision until summer at the earliest.
Canadian Natural Resource Minister Joe Oliver said Friday that Canada will respect the U.S. review process and noted the importance of the pipeline to the Canadian economy. "Canada's continued prosperity will be determined by our ability to diversify markets for our energy products," Oliver said.
Obama's initial rejection of the pipeline last year went over badly in Canada, which relies on the United States for 97 percent of its energy exports.
___
Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
___
Follow Matthew Daly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC
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