Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Teens' self-consciousness linked with specific brain, physiological responses

July 2, 2013 ? Teenagers are famously self-conscious, acutely aware and concerned about what their peers think of them. A new study reveals that this self-consciousness is linked with specific physiological and brain responses that seem to emerge and peak in adolescence.

"Our study identifies adolescence as a unique period of the lifespan in which self-conscious emotion, physiological reactivity, and activity in specific brain areas converge and peak in response to being evaluated by others," says psychological scientist and lead researcher Leah Somerville of Harvard University.

The findings, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggest that teens' sensitivity to social evaluation might be explained by shifts in physiological and brain function during adolescence, in addition to the numerous sociocultural changes that take place during the teen years.

Somerville and colleagues wanted to investigate whether just being looked at -- a minimal social-evaluation situation -- might register with greater importance, arousal, and intensity for adolescents than for either children or adults. The researchers hypothesized that late-developing regions of the brain, such as the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), could play a unique role in the way teens monitor these types of social evaluative contexts.

The researchers had 69 participants, ranging in age from 8 to almost 23 years old, come to the lab and complete measures that gauged emotional, physiological, and neural responses to social evaluation.

They told the participants that they would be testing a new video camera embedded in the head coil of a functional MRI scanner. The participants watched a screen indicating whether the camera was "off," "warming up," or "on," and were told that a same-sex peer of about the same age would be watching the video feed and would be able to see them when the camera was on. In reality, there was no camera in the MRI machine.

The consistency and strength of the resulting data took the researchers by surprise: "We were concerned about whether simply being looked at was a strong enough 'social evaluation' to evoke emotional, physiological and neural responses," says Somerville. "Our findings suggest that being watched, and to some extent anticipating being watched, were sufficient to elicit self-conscious emotional responses at each level of measurement."

Specifically, participants' self-reported embarrassment, physiological arousal, and MPFC activation showed reactivity to social evaluation that seemed to converge and peak during adolescence.

Adolescent participants also showed increased functional connectivity between the MPFC and striatum, an area of the brain that mediates motivated behaviors and actions. Somerville and colleagues speculate that the MPFC-striatum pathway may be a route by which social evaluative contexts influence behavior. The link may provide an initial clue as to why teens often engage in riskier behaviors when they're with their peers.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/Gktsz7CfouA/130702100956.htm

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Arizona firefighters young, dedicated, beloved

By Andrew Rafferty and Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News

The 19 firefighters killed Sunday were young, brave family men.

Many followed in family footsteps when they decided to dedicate their lives to battling deadly blazes. And a number of those lost were in the beginning stages of starting their own families before attempting to calm a fast moving fire in central Arizona on Sunday.

They were a group known for being tough as nails?but with a lighter side that was needed to cope with the demands of the job.

But now, many leave behind wives and children who now understand all too well the sacrifices their loved ones made when they became firefighters. Here are their stories.

Anthony Rose, 23
In just a few months, Anthony Rose would have been a father.

His?fianc?e,?Tiffany Hettrick, was due in October, family members told NBC News. The couple lived in Arizona, and Hettrick had been accustomed to her husband-to-be's being gone doing what he loved.

?He always wanted to be a firefighter, and he was living what he wanted to do. He?s with God now, so he?s OK,? Hettrick's stepfather, Michael Mooney, told NBC News.??I don?t warm up to too many people too much, but he was a very good guy, and I knew that right away.??

Sean Misner, 26
Like many firefighters, Sean Misner had the job in his blood.?

The California native's uncle and grandfather were firefighters around Santa Barbara, Calif., according to the Santa Barbara Independent.?

Misner had been married less than one year, and the couple were expecting their first child soon, the paper reports.

?The devastating loss of nineteen lives in the Arizona wildfire on June 30, 2013, has not only affected the fire service overall, but one of our own Montecito Fire families,? the Montecito Fire Protection District announced Monday. ?We send our heartfelt condolences to all the families who lost loved ones in this tragedy."

Courtesy MacKenzie family

Christopher MacKenzie, 30, had always wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a firefighter.

Christopher MacKenzie, 30
The son of a firefighter, Christopher MacKenzie lived life to the fullest, friends say. He was an avid snowboarder who always wanted to follow in his father's footsteps.

He grew up in California's San Jacinto Valley and became a member of the town's fire department. He hurt his leg during the first week on the job and ended up in the hospital, only emerging more determined than ever to spend his life battling intense blazes, his mother said.

"I was very proud of him. Yeah, he was a good kid, and he's gonna be so missed," said Laurie Goralski, MacKenzie's mother.?

Image: Kevin Woyjeck

Kevin Woyjeck, 21, hoped to one day join the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Kevin Woyjeck, 21
Kevin Woyjeck's goal was to one day join the Los Angeles County Fire Department, just like his dad, Joe Woyjeck.

"We're a giant family. Any firefighter lost throughout the country is one of us. We're all a big family," Keith Mora, L.A. County fire inspector, told reporters.

The Southern California man began his short career as a member of the Fire Explorers, a mentorship program for young men and women who wanted to become firefighters, according to NBC Los Angeles.

"He was doing everything he could to become a professional firefighter -- he had an extreme work ethic," Mora told NBC Los Angeles. "He was a great, great kid. I say kid, but he was a young man at 21 years old."

Andrew Ashcraft, 29
Andrew Ashcraft leaves behind a wife and four children, none of whom is older than 6.

Friend Jeannie Brown remembered him as a "good husband, good, devoted family man." She knew Ashcraft through her husband and said the firefighter was always quick to help.

His wife, Juliann Ashcraft, told TODAY on Tuesday that her husband had a ?contagious smile, a heart of gold.?

?He wanted to protect the community that he lived in and loved,? she said. ?In our time of mourning we want people to know that they were heroes, that they are heroes.?

Dustin Deford, 24
Dustin Deford is remembered as a work horse who would do anything to help a neighbor.

?This whole community knows him, not a lazy bone in his body,? Sheriff?Neil Kittleman, who was Deford's boss at a hazardous fuel reduction program in Montana from 2007 to 2012, told NBC News.

?He?d help you do anything,? said?Kittleman.

Deford, who was not married, comes from a large family, according to Kittleman. He father is?pastor at a church in Ekalaka, Mont.

Eric Marsh, 43
Eric Marsh had been involved with firefighting since graduating from high school in Ashe County, N.C., according to the Jefferson Post.

Marsh went on to graduate from Appalachian State University, where he studied biology.

"He was a great son. He was compassionate and caring about his crew," John Marsh, Eric's father, told the newspaper.

Eric Marsh was married but had no children.

William Warneke, 25
Like some of his Hotshot colleagues, Marine Corps veteran William Warneke was preparing to become a father, his grandmother Nancy Warneke told The Press-Enterprise newspaper in Riverside, Calif.

Warneke and his wife, Roxanne, were expecting their first child in December. The?Hemet, Calif., native joined the Hotshot crew in April after four years in the military that included a tour in Iraq.

The couple had just purchased a property in Prescott near family.

Nancy Warneke told the newspaper that she called William's sister after seeing reports of the fire on the news.

?She said, ?He?s gone. They?re all gone,?? she said. ?Even though it?s a tragedy for the whole family, he was doing what he loved to do. He loved nature and was helping preserve nature.?

Scott Norris, 28
Scott Norris seemed to always have a smile on his face, according to friends.

"He talked to random people and had a conversation with them," said 19-year-old Ryan O'Hara. "That's the type of guy he was, and honestly, it inspired me, in a way, to be like that."

Throughout Prescott, he was best known for his part-time job at Bucky O'Neill Guns.

"Here in Arizona the gun shops are a lot like barber shops. Sometimes you don't go in there to buy anything at all, you just go to talk," resident William O'Hara told the Associated Press. "I never heard a dirty word out of the guy. He was the kind of guy who if he dated your daughter, you'd be OK with it."

Travis Carter, 31
Travis Carter was a fitness buff whose strength was legendary at a local gym.

At Captain Crossfit gym, Carter gained a reputation for being the strongest of the Hotshots and also the nicest, friends told the Associated Press.

?No one could beat him. But the thing about him, was he would never brag about it. He would just kill everyone and then go and start helping someone else finish,??trainer Janine Pereira told the AP.

He made up demanding workouts, motivated fellow Hotshots to push themselves and gained?notoriety?for holding a plank (an exercise in which a person gets in a push-up position and holds himself up on toes and forearms) for 45 minutes, the AP reported.?

John Percin, 24
John Percin was a high school athlete known for his laugh and penchant for fun, friends told The Oregonian newspaper.

The 24-year-old was a 2007 graduate of West Linn High School, about 20 miles south of Portland, Ore., the paper reports. He grew up playing baseball.

"It's a tough day for us today," Percin's father, John Percin Sr., told The Oregonian. "We don't know a lot of things yet."

Robert Caldwell, 23
When it came to fighting flames, Robert Caldwell was a natural, friends say. He not only possessed the physical?stamina?for the grueling work but also had the smarts.

"He was one of the smart guys in the crew who could get the weather, figure out the mathematics. It was just natural for him," Chase Madrid, who worked as a Hotshot in the two prior years, told the Associated Press.

Caldwell's understanding of the science behind raging fires helped him get appointed as a squad boss.

Travis Turbyfill, 27
Known as "Turby" to his squad, Travis Turbyfill got his job with the Hotshots when another member's girlfriend asked him to quit.

Like many of the 18 other firefighters who perished Sunday, Turbyfill frequented the Captain Crossfit gym near the Hotshot headquarters. ?Trainer Tony Burris said the firefighter would often come in with his two daughters.

"Because he's this big, huge Marine, Hotshot guy, and he has two little girls, reddish, blonde curly hair, and they just loved their dad," he told the Associated Press.

Wade Parker, 22
Wade Parker had always wanted to be a second-generation firefighter, according to family friends.?Parker's father works for the nearby Chino Valley Fire Department, family friend Jeff Knotek told the Associated Press.

Knotek called Parker, a "big, athletic kid who loved it, aggressive, assertive and in great shape."

"It's just a shame to see this happen," he said.

Grant McKee, 21
A giving young man who whose mother told the AP he was in training to be an emergency medical technician, McKee would regularly request extra emergency room shifts.

?I had four grandchildren, but Grant was the sweetest most giving nature of any of my grandkids,? his grandmother Mary Hoffman told the AP. ?We used to think he was a little angel.??

McKee?s cousin, Robert Caldwell, was also among those killed on Sunday.

Jesse Steed, 36
Among the older members of the Hotshots crew, Steed was remembered for his ability to always make his coworkers laugh ? but he couldn?t have been more serious about doing his job right.

Steed?s brother Cassidy Steed spoke of his brother?s commitment to helping other in a statement released on Monday, according to Seattle?s KOMO News.

?Jesse has always put his life on the line for people who he knew he would never meet. He sacrificed time with his family and his own personal interests. Jesse loved his job very much as his family supported him with every sacrifice he made for it,? Cassidy Steed said in the statement.

?All of Jesse?s crew also gave the ultimate sacrifice. Now there are 19 families who are as grief-stricken and numb from their recent loss as I am,? he said.

Clayton Whitted, 28
A high school football player whose coach recalled him as a ?wonderful kid,? Whitted never shirked a challenge.

?He was a smart young man with a great personality, just a wonderful personality,? remembered Lou Beneitone, who coached Whitted at Prescott High School. ?When he walked into a room, he could really light it up.?

Garret Zuppiger, 27
Zuppiger was ?always, always willing to lend a helping hand,? former neighbor Frank Morrison told The Arizona Republic. ?He would give you the shirt of his back.?

The man who wrote ?Everyday is like a gift!? on a blog he maintained also had a passion for a good beer and the ginger-hued facial hair he cultivated, according to the AP.

?We both had a red beard and so we would always admire each other?s beards,? friend Tony Burris told the AP.

NBC News? Matthew DeLuca and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Documents show Milwaukee archdiocese shielded pedophile priests

By Brendan O'Brien and Geoffrey Davidian, Reuters

Roman Catholic Church officials in Milwaukee vigorously shielded pedophile priests and protected church funds from lawsuits during a decades-long sex abuse scandal, according to hundreds of newly released documents.?

The documents include letters and deposition testimony from Cardinal and Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan who, during his time as archbishop of Milwaukee from 2002 to 2009, appealed to Vatican on numerous occasions to help address the ongoing fallout from the scandal.?

The 6,000 pages of documents related to eight decades of abuse cases showed in great detail the Milwaukee archdiocese regularly reassigned priests who were accused of sexual molestation to new parishes and Dolan himself asking the Vatican permission to transfer $57 million to a trust fund to protect it against court action.?

In 2011, the Milwaukee archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing the financial drain of settling sexual-abuse claims and acknowledging missteps by the church in dealing with pedophile priests.?

The judge overseeing the archdiocese's bankruptcy ordered the documents to be released.

The Roman Catholic Church has been hit with a series of abuse accusations and scandals during the past two decades, in the United States and elsewhere. The scandals have cost the U.S. church about $3 billion in settlements and driven prominent dioceses such as the one in Milwaukee, into bankruptcy.?

One document is a letter that Dolan sent to the Vatican in June 2007 requesting permission to move $57 million into a cemetery trust fund in order to protect the funds from "any legal claim and liability." The Vatican approved the transfer a month later, according to the documents.?

During a news conference on Monday, Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing more than 500 abuse victims, said the money was to be used to "pay off some of the offenders to quietly go away."?

Dolan disagreed with the characterization of the fund in a statement released on Monday. He said it was a "perpetual care fund" from for cemeteries, not an attempt to shield money from bankruptcy.?

Milwaukee is the eighth American diocese to declare bankruptcy, with the first three filed in 2004 in Portland, Oregon; Tucson, Arizona; and Spokane, Washington.?

The documents also showed that when Dolan, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the nation's most prominent Roman Catholic official, asked the Vatican to remove priests, it was slow to respond.?

In September 2003, Dolan informed the Vatican of abuse by Reverend John O'Brien, who sent a resignation letter to Pope John Paul II a month before, according to the documents.?

In November 2003, when he had received no response, records show that Dolan followed up with more two accounts of abuse on the part of O'Brien, according to a document.?

It was not until April 2009, that O'Brien was removed from the priesthood.?

Documents also show the Milwaukee archdiocese transferring pedophile priests instead of removing them from the church.?

In one such case, Reverend Raymond Adamsky received counseling and was transferred to 11 parishes in 34 years before being sent to serve as nursing home chaplain with restrictions on contact with minors, after he was accused of molestation in 1961 and then again in 1983, the documents show.?

The documents also detail the Milwaukee archdiocese, on a regular basis, requested priests accused of abuse be laicized, a process in which they are stripped of their powers and duties.?

As part of their laicization, priests such as O'Brien were paid $10,000 to start the process and $10,000 during the process and, in some cases, $1,250 per month for health and dental insurance, according to the documents. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien and Geoffrey Davidian; Editing by Mary Wisniewski, Greg McCune and Lisa Shumaker)?

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

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Texas abortion fight to reignite in second special session

By Corrie MacLaggan

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - When the Texas Legislature convenes on Monday for a second special session, the Republican majority will seek to do what it couldn't pull off in the first, when Democrat Wendy Davis stalled the measure for hours: Pass sweeping abortion restrictions.

Opponents who crowded the State Capitol last week are vowing to continue their fight, but supporters of the proposal that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy have more time to pass it than they did in the first special session, when lawmakers focused initially on a redistricting issue.

This time, anti-abortion lawmakers won't put themselves in a position in which time is about to run out, said Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values, which advocates for anti-abortion policies and other conservative causes.

"It seems as close to a sure thing as you can get," Saenz said of the bill's passage. But he added: "As we saw during the first special session, until it's completely done and the process is finished, there are no guarantees. That's going to motivate both sides to do everything they can to ensure victory."

Davis, who gained national attention after she filibustered for more than 10 hours to block the measure, said Sunday that she and other opponents are prepared to fight the bill again.

"I just refuse to say I believe it will happen," she said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "I'm an eternal optimist. I believe in people; I believe in the power of democracy. And I'm going to fight with every fiber I have to keep it from passing."

Republicans managed to stop Davis' filibuster last Tuesday night and voted 19 to 10 to pass the bill. But hundreds of bill opponents screamed from the gallery as senators were voting, a disruption that helped keep Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst from being able to sign the bill and send it to the governor in time.

Bill opponents are planning a rally at the Capitol on Monday.

"A fuse has been lit in Austin, and there is growing opposition across the state to these attacks that endanger women's health and safety," said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

The proposal would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and require stricter standards for abortion clinics that opponents say would shut down most of the state's clinics. Supporters say the measure is necessary to protect women's health and to keep fetuses from feeling pain.

"If the abortion industry decides that the expense of running clean, safe facilities outweighs the money that they can make, that's entirely their call," Republican Governor Rick Perry told the National Right to Life convention in Dallas last week.

Perry vowed that the state will pass the measure this time. He also said Davis had not learned from her own experience as a teenage mother and the daughter of a single mother.

The governor sets the agenda for special sessions, which can last up to 30 days. The Texas Legislature typically meets every other year for 140 days, and lawmakers wrapped up their regular session on May 27.

Perry called lawmakers back for the first special session that same day, but he didn't add abortion legislation to the agenda until June 11. The House passed the abortion measure, and the Senate passed a version without the 20-week ban. The Senate was considering a version with the ban when the clock ran out.

For the special session that begins Monday, abortion is already on the agenda. If it passes, Texas could become the 13th U.S. state to pass a 20-week ban.

(Reporting By Corrie MacLaggan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-abortion-fight-reignite-second-special-session-110323151.html

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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Paul staying in LA, Howard hears pitches to leave

Chris Paul's answer was brief, just like his time on the free agent market.

"I'M IN!!!" he wrote Monday on Twitter.

He will be staying with the Clippers, the longtime losers he helped turned into a division champion in just two seasons.

Dwight Howard will need more time to think.

Free agency opened Monday in the NBA with the focus on the pair of Los Angeles All-Stars, though Paul took himself off the market only hours after shopping season started.

Agent Leon Rose confirmed Paul's return, which had been expected after the Clippers signed Doc Rivers as their new coach. The Clippers can pay the two-time Olympic gold medalist around $108 million for five years.

Howard can make even more by staying with the Lakers, but that won't stop him from looking elsewhere.

He met with the Houston Rockets early Monday, the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks also are interested, and the Lakers have said repeatedly they want to keep him.

The Rockets got the first crack at persuading him to leave. With Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler joining its contingent, Houston pitched Howard on joining All-Star James Harden.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey wrote on Twitter that it was a great meeting with Howard and that having Olajuwon and Drexler there "made it obvious how (Howard and Harden) could be the next (great) big/wing combo."

Hawks general manager Danny Ferry and new coach Mike Budenholzer were visiting Howard later Monday, trying to convince him to join his hometown team.

And he'll meet Tuesday with the Lakers' delegation. His first ? perhaps only ? season in Los Angeles was a disappointment and he acknowledged being unhappy at times. But the Lakers want to keep the former Defensive Player of the Year, believing the extra year and about $30 million more they can give him will provide a huge advantage.

Steve Nash, who like Howard had a difficult first season in Los Angeles, tweeted Monday that he was flying from New York to Los Angeles to help the Lakers make their pitch.

"(Dwight Howard) we're coming for you," he wrote. "You're going to love the statue we build for you outside Staples in 20yrs!"

Contracts can't be signed until July 10, after the next season's salary cap has been set.

The Hawks also were expected to meet with their unrestricted free agents, Josh Smith and Kyle Korver, on their trip to Los Angeles, a person with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Monday's meetings have not been officially announced.

There is plenty of interest in Smith, a versatile forward, and Deron Williams announced the Nets' interest in Korver by posting a picture of the sharp shooter in a Brooklyn uniform on social media.

Andray Blatche will return as a backup in the Nets' soon-to-be upgraded frontcourt. The 6-foot-11 forward-center agreed to a multiyear deal, his agent said. Blatche will provide minutes behind All-Star center Brook Lopez and Kevin Garnett, who will come from Boston along with Paul Pierce in a deal that was agreed to on draft night, but can't be completed until after next season's salary cap is set.

The Knicks are hoping Andrea Bargnani relocates his outside shot after agreeing to a deal with Toronto to acquire the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft. The Raptors will receive Knicks reserves Steve Novak, Marcus Camby and Quentin Richardson, who will be signed-and-traded. The Knicks are also sending the Raptors a 2016 first-round pick and two second-round picks, according to a person with knowledge of the details.

Bargnani averaged a career-best 21.4 points just three seasons ago, but finished with his worst scoring and shooting numbers last season since he posted career worsts of 10.2 points and 38.6 percent shooting in 2007-08.

Other top players that are available include Denver's Andre Iguodala and Philadelphia's Andrew Bynum ? both part of the four-way trade that sent Howard from Orlando to Los Angeles last summer ? and Indiana's David West. Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith of the Knicks is a free agent, as is former winner Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs, who also could lose forward Tiago Splitter.

Miami is trying to hold onto Chris Andersen, which would essentially keep together the entire core of the team that beat San Antonio in seven games to win the NBA championship.

A person with knowledge of the deal told the AP that Eric Maynor agreed to a contract with the Washington Wizards.

Maynor will serve as the backup point guard behind John Wall. Maynor confirmed the news on his Twitter account, saying he appreciated all the love and support and was "excited to be signing" with the Wizards. He averaged 4.5 points with Oklahoma City and Portland last season.

The New Orleans Pelicans made an offer to Sacramento Kings restricted free agent guard Tyreke Evans, two people familiar with the situation said Monday.

Several media outlets reported the deal was for four years and ranging between $40 million and $48 million. Because he's a restricted free agent, the Kings will have the opportunity to match any offers Evans signs. Contracts can't be inked until July 10, after next season's salary cap is set.

___

AP Sports Writers Antonio Gonzalez in Sacramento, Calif., Brett Martel in New Orleans, Charles Odum in Atlanta and Joseph White in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/paul-staying-la-howard-hears-pitches-leave-222146604.html

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Monday, July 1, 2013

Obama: 'We are heartbroken' over AZ firefighters

U.S. President Barack Obama walks with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, right, to a joint press conference after meeting together at State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Monday, July 1, 2013. Teeming crowds and blaring horns welcomed President Barack Obama to Tanzania's largest city, where the U.S. president's likeness is everywhere as he arrived on the last leg of his three-country tour of the African continent. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

U.S. President Barack Obama walks with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, right, to a joint press conference after meeting together at State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Monday, July 1, 2013. Teeming crowds and blaring horns welcomed President Barack Obama to Tanzania's largest city, where the U.S. president's likeness is everywhere as he arrived on the last leg of his three-country tour of the African continent. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

A wildfire burns homes in Yarnell, Ariz. on Sunday, June 30, 2013. An Arizona fire chief says the wildfire that killed 19 members of his crew near the town was moving fast and fueled by hot, dry conditions. The fire started with a lightning strike on Friday and spread to 2,000 acres on Sunday amid triple-digit temperatures. (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, David Kadlubowski)

(AP) ? President Barack Obama says the deaths of 19 firefighters who died battling an Arizona wildfire are a heartbreaking reminder that emergency personnel put their lives on the line every day while rushing toward danger.

Obama, who spoke from Africa on Monday, added that America's thoughts and prayers go out to their families.

He said, quote, "We are heartbroken about what happened."

Obama says his administration is prepared to help Arizona investigate how the deaths happened. He predicted the incident will force government leaders to answer broader questions about how they handle increasingly destructive and deadly wildfires.

The firefighters, members of an elite crew fighting a forest fire northwest of Phoenix, were overtaken Sunday by a fast-moving blazed fueled by hot winds. Some 200 homes also were destroyed.

Associated Press

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I your average weird geeky British Nigerian. Lover of video games, fantasy stuff, deserts, cute things, fine boy no pimples, fashion, steampunk and many other ish to name a few. Now that you know me, you should follow me, or you could get to know me, Questions. Looking for something?

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