Texas actress sentenced to 18 years for ricin-laced letter to Obama

A Texas actress was sentenced to 18 years in a federal prison on Wednesday on a biological weapons charge for mailing letters containing the toxic agent ricin to President Barack Obama, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a gun control advocate.

Shannon Guess Richardson, 36, whose career included minor television roles in shows such as "The Walking Dead," also will be subject to five years of supervised release and restitution of $367,000.

Richardson, shackled and dressed in the brown uniform of an inmate, apologized in a federal court in Texarkana, Texas, to Obama, Bloomberg and Mark Glaze, the director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group founded by Bloomberg that lobbies for stricter gun laws.

"I never intended to hurt anyone," she said.

Apple-IBM deal dents BlackBerry's prospects, slams stock

A Blackberry logo is seen through a cracked box in this photo illustration taken in the central Bosnian town of Zenica, January 24, 2014
 

BlackBerry Ltd's (BBRY.O) shares took a beating on Wednesday after IBM Corp (IBM.N) outlined plans to partner with Apple Inc APPL.O to sell iPhones and iPads loaded with applications for business users.

The Apple-IBM tie up, beginning this fall, is set to target the customer base that BlackBerry needs to woo as part of a turnaround under new Chief Executive Officer John Chen.

"It is not a crushing blow at this early stage, but ‎it is a negative for BlackBerry," said IDC analyst John Jackson. "There can be little question that it is unwelcome, if not entirely unexpected news."

U.S. lawmakers press CDC chief over 'dangerous pattern' of lapses

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Tom Frieden (C) testifies at a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing called the 'Review of CDC Anthrax Lab Incident' on Capitol Hill in Washington July 16, 2014. 

U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday faulted a "dangerous pattern" of safety lapses at government laboratories handling deadly pathogens such as anthrax and avian flu, calling for an overhaul of controls at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Members of a House Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittee cited new information on breaches previously unreported by CDC, which is under scrutiny for the potential exposure of more than 80 lab workers to live anthrax bacteria in June. No one has fallen sick due to the lapses.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

7 Exercises That Will Transform Your Body

Looking for some effective ways to transform your body? There are a few great exercises that will help you to reach your fitness goal. These exercises are easy but effective in strengthening your body along with burning unwanted calories. However, sticking to these exercises is not enough to transform your body, you should also eat healthy and get enough sleep regularly. Don’t waste your precious time doing other workouts, here are seven exercises that will help you transform your body in no time.

 1. JUMPING ROPE

When was the last time you jumped rope? Perhaps in your childhood. Jumping rope is a cheap and easily portable exercise that you can do almost anywhere. This workout burns more calories per minute than any other workout. Get jumping for a perfect exercise and plenty of fun. One of the best things about jumping rope is that you can do it with your kids. Moreover, jumping rope is a fantastic way to fit in a highly effective cardio session when you are on the go. Simply toss your jumping rope in your carry-on and you don’t need to look for the nearest gym. So, who said jumping rope is only for kids?