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The social networking spent $960,000 on lobbying in the second quarter of 2012, the first time it has come close to spending seven figures in a single quarter.

Facebook has once again significantly increased its budget for wooing politicians. The social network giant spent $960,000 on lobbying in the second quarter of 2012, the transition quarter during which the company went public. This is up exactly 200 percent from the $320,000 the company spent in the first quarter of 2011, and up 47.69 percent from the $650,000 it spent in the fourth quarter of 2012.

As you can see in the chart below, Facebook has been lobbying since 2009 but only cranked up the gears last year. In fact, 2011 was the first year Facebook spent more than $1 million for lobbying. To put the latest numbers into perspective, Facebook spent almost $1 million this past quarter alone, and in the first half of 2012 ($1.61 million) it has already blown past its total 2011 expenses ($1.35 million):

Facebook's 16-page lobbying report for the second quarter of 2012 (PDF) lists the following specific lobbying issues:

In summary, Facebook lobbied lawmakers on advertising, cybersecurity, employment, patents, privacy, taxes, and IPO issues. There are many reasons why Facebook's lobbying is increasing: the improving U.S. economy, the upcoming 2012 presidential election, as well as the various Internet-related bills making their way through Congress.

As all technology companies of Facebook's size, the social network will continue to friend Washington, D.C. as long as it has a list of items it wants help with. Working with the government is one of many ways Facebook is working to protect its interests, and in some cases, the interests of its users.

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Facebook breaks its lobbying record in Q2 2012

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Blue Calypso, Inc. (BCYP), a leader in digital word-of-mouth marketing, announced today that the company has appointed John Bucher, former chief strategy officer and senior vice president for Motorola Mobility, Inc., to its Board of Advisors.

I am thrilled to have the caliber of a leader like John Bucher joining the Blue Calypso Board of Advisors, said Bill Ogle, CEO, Blue Calypso. His extensive experience as a financial analyst, technology strategist and M&A leader will help drive Blue Calypsos growth and development. As we begin the newest chapter in our companys success, the timing is perfect to add John to our team, and we cannot wait to start working with him.

Buchers career spans three decades, including 14 years as a research analyst focused exclusively on the communication technology and services sectors, as well as several years working with wireless carriers that are now part of Verizon Wireless.

Most recently, Bucher was chief strategy officer for Motorola Mobility where he helped develop and execute global corporate strategy for the mobile device and home businesses. Additionally, he led the companys M&A teams, which planned and executed numerous acquisitions to augment Motorola Mobilitys technology and R&D capabilities.

Prior to Motorola Mobility, John served as a buy-side financial analyst for a leading equity-only investment management company, where his coverage responsibilities included the wireless, cable, wireline, optical and satellite equipment and services sectors. Additionally, he served as a sell-side analyst and Managing Director for BMO Capital Markets, the US equity research arm of the Bank of Montreal. Prior to his Wall Street experience, Bucher worked several years as an analyst for a private equity firm and held several director-level management positions with Bell Atlantic/NYNEX Mobile and PrimeCo Personal Communications. Bucher started his professional career with the United States Marine Corps where he served as an officer for 10 years.

About Blue Calypso, Inc.

Blue Calypso is the leader in digital word-of-mouth marketing and advertising. With Blue Calypsos patented engine, brands can harness the power of friend-to-friend referrals by empowering their advocates to share brand content with their unique social graph and rewarding sharing andengagement. Through robust, real-time analytics, brands can achieve a measurable ROI against their social media investment, acquire high-value customers and increase sales.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms believes, belief, expects, intends, anticipates, will, or plans to be uncertain and forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the Companys reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Blue Calypso, Inc. Appoints Former Motorola Executive John Bucher to Board of Advisors

Andrew Selby insists the pressure of heading into the London Games as one of Great Britains brightest boxing medal prospects is nothing compared to the torture being endured by his mother Frances on the sidelines.

Selby, from Barry, was crowned European champion last year and followed it up by winning a silver medal at the World Championships in Baku where he was beaten by a single point by Russias world number one Misha Aloian.

But Selby revealed his mother could not bear to watch any of it because she is terrified of seeing her two boys Selbys brother Lee is a professional and the reigning Commonwealth featherweight champion in action.

Selby told Press Association Sport: My mum watched me once years ago, but apart from that shes only ever seen me on TV. Ive persuaded her to come to London for the Olympics, and theres no doubt shell be under more pressure than me.

She did go and watch my brothers last fight and she survived, but she was really nervous.

Its really difficult for her to watch us box so Ive just got to make sure I win in a way that will keep her as calm as possible.

Selby battled weight-making issues for years and threatened to slide away from the British elite scene entirely after a hugely disappointing defeat to Amir Khans brother Haroon who was representing Pakistan in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Selbys amazing turnaround has not come without its issues and the Welshman admits he is no stranger to nerves of his own particularly when his new-found profile means he become the inevitable subject of media scrutiny.

Selby added: Ive started to get used to the interviews now. Usually I would collapse if I saw a camera.

I still think getting in the ring is the easy part. Ive got experience of the big occasion and the fact its in London is not going to get to me at all.

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Boxing: Mum's the word for Olympic hopeful Andrew Selby

This morning, however, there came a T-shirt U-turn. First, Jacques Rogge, the chairman of the International Olympic Committee, and then Hugh Robertson, the Olympics minister, said Pepsi T-shirts were fine. Mr Rogge was speaking on the Today programme; Mr Robertson was speaking at a press conference in the Olympic Park itself. Pepsi, Pepsi, Pepsi. All this free publicity was making me thirsty.

But in any case, both the minister and Lord Coe can surely afford to relax. As regular viewers of televised sport will know, cameramen are interested in only two types of spectator: i) obese Newcastle United fans in tears, and ii) fruity young women. Anyone outside those two categories can turn up with the Pepsi logo tattooed on their forehead, for all your average cameraman cares they wont make it on screen.

Mr Robertson, incidentally, is the last person youd expect to see in a Pepsi T-shirt. Formerly an officer in the Life Guards, he is smart but ruddy-cheeked, and looks the sort of man who is never entirely happy in anything other than an Army uniform or a Barbour jacket.

Pepsi aside, his message was that the Olympics will inspire people to take up sport something theyll certainly need to do after the Games, what with all the McDonalds, Coca-Cola etc that theyll have guzzled at the behest of the sponsors.

Bradley Wigginss triumph in the Tour de France, the minister said, should prove similarly inspirational. I absolutely think it can lead to an increase in participation. You know, more middle-aged men in Lycra. And, hopefully, some younger females as well

Mr Robertson was speaking on behalf of his boss, Jeremy Hunt, who was otherwise engaged at a meeting about Games security. Mr Hunt did find time, however, to appear on The World at One, where he informed listeners that, for Bradley Wiggins, no honour is too little. He must have meant it, because he said it twice.

I wonder what Britains littlest honour is. After all that Mr Hunt has done, it may well be the job of Culture Secretary.

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Olympics sketch: 'And now, a very rude word from our sponsors...'

Annie Dalton confirms that her great-niece, Veronica Moser, 6, was among those killed Friday's Colorado movie theater shootings.

By M. Alex Johnson, NBC News

Updated at 3:39 p.m. ET: As victims and relatives began to return Saturday to the theater where a gunman killed 12 people in Aurora, Colo., a 6-year-old girl was confirmed to have been among the victims.

Veronica Moser, 6, died in the shooting rampage Friday morning, her great-aunt, Annie Dalton, told NBC News.

Fifty-eight other people were injured in the shootings. Twenty-eight remained in area hospitals Saturday afternoon, seven of them in critical condition. James Eagan Holmes, 24, a graduate student at the University of Colorado-Denver, was arrested outside the theater, clad in black body armor and armed with three weapons.

Veronica's mother, Ashley Moser, 25, was shot in the throat and the abdomen. She remains paralyzed in critical condition and hasn't been told of her daughter's death, Dalton said.

"This is just a nightmare right now," Dalton said. "It's a nightmare.

"Eveything's surreal. It's just surreal."

People who attended the midnight screening of "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises" were allowed to return to the theater Saturday to retrieve their automobiles, which were left behind during the evacuation and subsequent investigation. Some of them left flowers and flags as tributes.

Victims of Colo. shooting include sailor, aspiring sportscaster

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Anxious for word of missing moviegoers, some families get the worst news