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Malone's Push for Sirius Control Sets Up Karmazin Clash

Billionaire John Malone's push to take over Sirius (SIRI) XM Radio Inc. is setting up a potential clash with Sirius Chief Executive Officer Mel Karmazin, who stands to lose power under the deal.

Malone's Liberty Media Corp. (LMCA) plans to assert control of the largest U.S. satellite radio provider after receiving approval from the Federal Communications Commission, the Englewood, Colorado-based company said yesterday in a filing. The move would put Karmazin, who helped turn around Sirius after years of losses, under the command of Malone and Liberty CEO Greg Maffei.

"I could see a situation where there could be conflicting personalities," Brett Harriss, an analyst at Gabelli & Co. in Rye, New York, said in an interview. "These are two high- powered guys in Mel and John."

Patrick Reilly, a Sirius spokesman, declined to comment. Courtnee Ulrich, a Liberty spokeswoman, didn't respond to a telephone call and e-mail.

Liberty, the holder of interests in businesses ranging from cable programmer Starz LLC to the Atlanta Braves baseball team, has asked the FCC to reconsider the agency's May 4 dismissal of its application for permission to take control of Sirius, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Spinoff Plan?

Liberty's move has fueled speculation that Malone wants to spin off his stake in New York-based Sirius. Liberty will probably execute a so-called Reverse Morris Trust, which involves splitting off its Sirius stake as a separate entity and giving its stockholders the option to hold or sell their Sirius shares, according to James Ratcliffe, an analyst at Barclays Capital Inc. in New York.

To execute the spinoff, Liberty must have Sirius's board approval. Sirius is in talks with Liberty about the company's ownership interest, according to a separate filing by Sirius. It said Sirius doesn't expect to disclose developments in the discussions.

The New York Post reported today that Maffei may want to run the satellite broadcaster directly, leading Karmazin to leave after the Sirius CEO's contract expires on Dec. 31. Maffei is tired of being a portfolio manager for a broad swath companies, the Post reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Sirius shares declined 1.3 percent to $1.87 at 10:28 a.m. in New York. The stock has slid 17 percent since Liberty filed its application with the FCC on March 20. Liberty shares, up 7.2 percent this year, fell 1.3 percent to $83.69.

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Malone's Push for Sirius Control Sets Up Karmazin Clash

PeoplesVC equity Crowdfunding site integrates with Facebook® Social Network API

PETERBOROUGH, N.H., June 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PeoplesVC today announced it has integrated its stock crowdfunding site with Facebook, the nation's largest social networking site, so entrepreneurs, startups, and existing businesses can harness the power of social networking to raise capital for their company.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120509/NE03136LOGO )

PeoplesVC.com has established itself as the leading stock-based Crowdfunding Portal, and is exclusively focusing on Crowdfunding securities rather than 'donation' or 'project-based' crowdfunding in which funders give or donate money for projects. PeoplesVC has responded to recently passed legislation known as the "Crowdfunding Act" which has legalized, for the first time, stock offerings of up to $1 Million from startups and existing businesses directly to the public.

"Most small businesses have never heard of Crowdfunding, but already have a deep on-line social network established," commented PeoplesVC spokesperson Mr. Noah Tier. "The entire fundraising process is more about relationships than anything else, and considering a user could easily have 125,000 tier II friends-of-friends, by integrating the PeoplesVC venture capital platform with the Facebook application interface, we have created possibly the most powerful fundraising tool imaginable," added Mr. Tier.

PeoplesVC was the first stock Crowdfunding site to open its doors to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

The Company recently announced it had created the first on-line calculator tool that calculates how much Investors can invest in Crowdfunded businesses, as this number can be different for each investor because it depends upon personal financial information such as income and net worth.

Recent reports have predicted that the average American will invest 1% of their income in crowdfunded companies, which will create a sizable capital market opportunity for entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses.

Facebook is a Registered Trademark owned by Facebook, Inc.

About PeoplesVC.com

PeoplesVC's "Crowdfunding Portal"was founded to enable individual investors to participate in Venture Capital investments and the growth and success of small companies, while helping entrepreneurs succeed through grassroots funding. Harnessing the power of the Internet, Social Networking, and recently passed U.S. laws, PeoplesVC.com "Crowdfunding Platform" is a catalyst for rapid change, jobs growth, and innovation. The company can be found online at http://www.PeoplesVC.com/

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PeoplesVC equity Crowdfunding site integrates with Facebook® Social Network API

Flame malware grills Mideast computers

week in review Massive virus targets systems in Iran, Windows 8 inches closer to launch. Also: A peek at iPhone 5?

week in review A massive and complex virus has been discovered to be lurking in the Middle East, stealing data from targeted systems.

The malware -- dubbed Flame -- is designed to steal information about targeted systems and stored files as well as computer display contents and audio conversations. The malware appears to be state-sponsored, but experts are not sure what country is behind it.

Iran was the central target for the virus, but it also impacted machines in the West Bank, Syria, and other Middle East countries, as well as Sudan. And although some media reports have linked Israel to the attack, the country has denied all involvement. Flame virus could attack other nations Behind the 'Flame' malware spying on Mideast computers (FAQ) Meet the little box that could stop Flame and Stuxnet

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Also of note Twitter usage doubled since late 2010, Pew study finds Facebook's traffic from Google and Bing takes a nosedive

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Flame malware grills Mideast computers

More federal funds to research killer Hendra virus

The federal government has announced more funding for Hendra virus research after two horses died in Queensland.

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said in a statement $3 million would be dedicated to eight projects tackling different aspects of the bat-borne virus.

She said the money was going into the development of vaccines, diagnostic tools, drugs and research that examines how animals react to the virus.

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The investment follows calls for more research by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

The council has identified areas for research and subjected grant applicants to rigorous review, resulting in eight proposals being selected.

Two horses have died recently in separate cases in Queensland - one at Ingham, north of Townsville, and another near Rockhampton.

Eleven people are believed to have had a low level of exposure.

The virus is believed to pass from bats to horses and from horses to humans.

It has killed four people, the latest being Rockhampton vet Alister Rodgers in 2009.

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More federal funds to research killer Hendra virus

Kristen Stewart's Favorite British Slang Is 'C' Word With 'Ing'

June 02, 2012 01:50:21 GMT The 'Snow White and the Huntsman' leading lady reveals her favorite British word and how she likes to say it.

got quite candid during a press junket for her new movie "" recently. When asked what her favorite British slang word was, the Snow White depicter gave a "way too honest" answer that might be shocking for some.

The actress, who practiced her British accent for the Rupert Sanders-directed flick, said her favorite slang was "c***." Although it might be a rude word for many, she defended it, "You go over there [to England], and it's a very different effect. It's fun. It's good."

She, however, didn't just say a plain "c***" word. The girlfriend of British heartthrob dished on, "Add an '-ing' to it. .. I heard some really down English crazy guy, on our crew actually, really angry, adding the '-ing'." She additionally insisted, "It's a really good word."

Her co-star , who plays Prince William in the movie, chimed in, "['C***']'s become the new 'mate'." As for his own favorite American word, the British actor had a long list. "Aluminum. Garage. Trash," he laughed before adding, "The list is endless."

AceShowbiz.com

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Kristen Stewart's Favorite British Slang Is 'C' Word With 'Ing'