Video: Obama's Failed Public Equity?

An Op-ed in today's Washington Post suggests President Obama has his own "not too pretty" record in public equity. Jared Bernstein, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, and Carly Fiorina, former Hewlett-Packard CEO, discuss.

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Ezine Gaming Articles And Reviews: Video Game Review

Top Spin 4 Review

Posted: 24 May 2012 12:18 PM PDT

Tennis games are a fickle thing because they are really hard to get right. Sure, you have some stellar arcade ones like Mario Tennis and Virtua Tennis but for the most part there hasn't really been a truly AMAZING tennis game. I think the closest we'll get to that is 2K Sport's Top Spin 4. It's by no means a perfect game but it's the closest thing out there to a realistic tennis match.

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Bloody Treason

Bloody Mess

(Remake of The Taste of Blood) In the small town of Blacksburg, South Carolina no one expected anything to happen..The local Werewolf Pack never had any problems with keeping the town safe..Until they moved there.. [OPEN! Many Character Slots Open!]

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YoshiFTW
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yay!! I'll take a female Gamma :)

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Calvazara
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Could I reserve a regular female coven member please? Thank youuu. :)

? The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.?

Winter is coming.

~ crybloodredtears..

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States looking to new tolls to pay for highways

In this photo taken Wednesday, May 16, 2012, newly constructed roadways are being built in Fairfax County, Va. Driving onto an Interstate highway? Crossing a bridge on the way into work? Taking a tunnel under a river or bay? Get ready to pay. With Congress unwilling to contemplate an increase in the federal gas tax, motorists are likely to be paying ever more tolls as the government searches for ways to repair and expand the nation's congested highways. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

In this photo taken Wednesday, May 16, 2012, newly constructed roadways are being built in Fairfax County, Va. Driving onto an Interstate highway? Crossing a bridge on the way into work? Taking a tunnel under a river or bay? Get ready to pay. With Congress unwilling to contemplate an increase in the federal gas tax, motorists are likely to be paying ever more tolls as the government searches for ways to repair and expand the nation's congested highways. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

In this photo taken Wednesday, May 16, 2012, newly constructed roadways are seen in Fairfax County, Va. Driving onto an Interstate highway? Crossing a bridge on the way into work? Taking a tunnel under a river or bay? Get ready to pay. With Congress unwilling to contemplate an increase in the federal gas tax, motorists are likely to be paying ever more tolls as the government searches for ways to repair and expand the nation's congested highways. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Graphic shows motor fuels tax and toll revenues

In this photo taken Wednesday, May 16, 2011, newly constructed roadways is seen in Fairfax County, Va. Driving onto an Interstate highway? Crossing a bridge on the way into work? Taking a tunnel under a river or bay? Get ready to pay. With Congress unwilling to contemplate an increase in the federal gas tax, motorists are likely to be paying ever more tolls as the government searches for ways to repair and expand the nation's congested highways. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

In this photo taken Wednesday, May 16, 2011, newly constructed roadways is seen in Fairfax County, Va. Driving onto an Interstate highway? Crossing a bridge on the way into work? Taking a tunnel under a river or bay? Get ready to pay. With Congress unwilling to contemplate an increase in the federal gas tax, motorists are likely to be paying ever more tolls as the government searches for ways to repair and expand the nation's congested highways. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Driving onto an Interstate highway? Crossing a bridge on the way into work? Taking a tunnel under a river or bay? Get ready to pay.

With Congress unwilling to contemplate an increase in the federal gas tax, motorists are likely to be paying ever more tolls as the government searches for ways to repair and expand the nation's congested highways.

Tolling is less efficient and sometimes can seem less fair than the main alternative, gasoline taxes. It can increase traffic on side roads as motorists seek to evade paying. Some tolling authorities ? often quasi-governmental agencies operating outside the public eye ? have been plagued by mismanagement. And some public-private partnerships to build toll roads have drowned in debt because of too-rosy revenue predictions.

Tolls are hardly a perfect solution. But to many states and communities, they're the best option available.

"It's very hard in this environment for states to add capacity without charging a toll because they can't afford to do it," said Joshua Schank, president of the Eno Center for Transportation, a Washington think tank. "They're barely able to maintain what they've got, and there is an urgent need for capacity."

Some changes already are under way

In addition to the tolls allowed on Interstates in 15 states, mostly in the Northeast and Midwest, the U.S. has agreed to pilot toll projects on Interstate 95 in Virginia and North Carolina and on Interstate 70 in Missouri.

A commission created by Congress to recommend ways to pay for upkeep of the nation's transportation system predicted in 2009 that the U.S. will face nightmarish congestion unless it spends more. The commission estimated all levels of government were spending a cumulative $137 billion less each year than is necessary to maintain and expand the current system. Without action, there will be a $2 trillion-plus backlog by 2035, it said.

It's been nearly two decades since Congress last increased the federal gas and diesel taxes that have historically paid for highways. Meanwhile, the cost of road and bridge construction has gone up and the purchasing power of fuel taxes has declined by more than a third. Revenue is also down because people have been driving less due to the uncertain economy and because cars are becoming more fuel-efficient.

Federal and state fuel tax revenues peaked in 2007 at $72.4 billion, then dropped to $68.6 billion in 2010, the most recent year for which data are available. Meanwhile, state toll collections rose from $4.9 billion in 2000 to $8.9 billion in 2010, and locally administered tolls rose from $1.6 billion in 2000 to $2.5 billion in 2009.

The trust fund that pays for federal highway programs is forecast to go broke sometime next year, though the House and Senate are trying to negotiate a bill to shore up the funding and overhaul transportation programs. It's unclear whether they'll reach a deal, but if they do, it's likely to contain only a short-term financial fix. That means lawmakers will be back again, scratching for more.

Tolling is the easiest near-term way to pay the bills, says Robert Atkinson, who chaired the financing commission. "If you could allow modest tolling on Interstates, you could raise a lot of money," he said.

Fifteen states, mostly in the Northeast and Midwest, that had turnpikes before the 1956 advent of the Interstate system have grandfathered permission to collect tolls on 2,900 miles of the 47,000-mile system. But federal restrictions prevent other states from placing tolls on federal-aid highways except in limited circumstances.

States want Congress to increase their ability to charge tolls and to allow them to use the money for a variety of transportation needs ? not just upkeep of the roads where tolls are collected, said Eugene Conti, North Carolina's transportation secretary, at a Senate hearing last month.

But states also have a history of slapping tolls on roads traveled by a large share of out-of-state motorists. When Pennsylvania applied to put tolls on Interstate 80, a route favored by truckers, the federal government rejected the plan partly because some of the money raised would have gone to support public transit in Philadelphia, even though the highway doesn't touch the city's metro area. In 2004, Chicago leased its Skyway, an eight-mile road and bridge, to a private toll operator for 99 years in exchange for $1.8 billion that was used to pay off city debt. The resulting toll increases fell heavily on Indiana commuters who use the road to get to jobs in Chicago.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., has introduced a bill to give the secretary of transportation oversight of tolling practices. The financing commission made a similar recommendation.

What to do about tolling isn't addressed in the highway bill now before Congress because of a standoff earlier this year between senators who favor and oppose easing tolling on Interstate highways. The issue is expected to be revived next year after the retirement of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, who has led the opposition to greater tolling.

One concern is that the Interstate system is aging, which means money must be found to repair and replace the roads.

"The roads are out there and we've paid off the mortgage, but that doesn't mean the system is paid for. ... Now the roads are crumbling and we have to upgrade them," said Patrick Jones, executive director of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, which represents toll facilities.

Some relaxation of the ban is in the works. The Transportation Department has selected the three states ? Virginia, North Carolina and Missouri ? for pilot toll projects.

Under another program, a $2 billion project now under way would add High Occupancy Toll lanes on Interstate 495 in the Virginia suburbs of Washington. The state can't afford to build the lanes on its own, but money raised by a private investment partnership and a $586 million federal loan made the project possible.

Motorists who buy an E-ZPass that can be read electronically will be able use the lanes. Toll prices will fluctuate depending on traffic density. If toll lanes are crowded, prices will keep rising until enough motorists decide to remain in the slower lanes. The aim is to give motorists a way to travel quickly, but only if they are willing to pay for it ? an idea that has stirred controversy. Cars with three or more passengers will be able to use the lanes without paying.

The administrative costs of tolling are far greater than the gas tax, even when using electronic tolling, said Phineas Baxandall, a senior analyst with the private, consumer-oriented U.S. PIRG.

Some tolling agencies could also use "a dose of sunshine," Baxandall said. Because many are quasi-governmental, public disclosure, open meeting and other transparency rules don't always apply, he said. As a result, they frequently operate out of public sight, creating opportunities for corruption or manipulation by industry, he said.

A report by the New Jersey comptroller in March said cronyism and mismanagement at the Delaware River Port Authority had wasted millions of dollars. The authority operates four bridges, a ferry and a rail line across the Delaware River between New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recently raised cash fares on six Interstate bridges and tunnels to $12 for cars. By 2015, it will cost a five-axle truck paying cash $105 to cross between New York and New Jersey, three times as much as for any other bridge or tunnel in the country, according to the American Trucking Association. Bill Baroni, the authority's deputy executive director, told a Senate hearing the fare hikes are necessary to make up for years of neglect and mismanagement.

Despite concerns about more and higher tolls, it's difficult for lawmakers to tell state and local governments not to pursue greater tolling when Congress isn't providing a comparable alternative source of funds.

Jones, of the tolling industry association, predicted that as traffic congestion worsens, people "are going to demand, 'We need better roads, we need more efficiency,' and they are going to ask for tolling and direct user fees to build the transportation that they need."

___

Follow Joan Lowy at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

Associated Press

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GSU to lead $10 million research project to improve reading in deaf and hard of hearing children

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Andrea Jones
andreajones@gsu.edu
404-413-1351
Georgia State University

ATLANTA Researchers at Georgia State University's College of Education have been awarded a significant $10 million grant to create the first national research center aimed at dramatically improving reading for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH).

The competitive grant from the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, will have a major impact on curriculum development for and assessment of deaf children, funding a team of researchers whose work will ultimately lead to a better understanding of the way DHH students learn, and the creation of intervention models that can be replicated in schools nationwide.

"Georgia State University's researchers are uniquely qualified to lead this kind of important national endeavor," said Provost Risa Palm. "The grant will support research that will be of immense importance to large numbers of children. Further, it represents another milestone in the trajectory of GSU as a national leader in special education research."

The grant will provide funding to create the National Research and Development Center for Literacy and Deafness (CLAD), the first of its kind to focus on deaf children. The CLAD will join four other prestigious centers currently funded by the NCSER that currently focus on issues important to special education.

The center's focus is particularly important given that poor literacy outcomes have long characterized the deaf population despite the fact that most deaf students have normal intellectual potential, said professor Amy Lederberg, a principal investigator of the study. Historically, many deaf children graduated from high school reading with reading skills insufficient to access many postsecondary opportunities.

The researchers will conduct a five-year interdisciplinary study to determine how deaf and hard of hearing children learn to read and to develop interventions focused on improving reading outcomes from kindergarten to second grade. In addition to engaging in research and curriculum development, the center will provide national leadership activities for professionals interested in improving the lives of deaf and hard of hearing children.

"This research will help create evidence-based and effective intervention methods that will have far reaching effects," Lederberg said. "We hope these methods will have a large portion of the deaf and hard of hearing population reading well by the second grade."

Susan Easterbrooks, a COE special education professor and a fellow principal investigator on the study, said the team plans to conduct a series of assessments and develop instructional strategies that will help students better acquire the basic skills to make progress in reading.

Center experts will focus on addressing the different ways deaf and hard of hearing children learn to read. Most DHH children who receive early intervention that includes cochlear implants or digital hearing aids have enough functional hearing to acquire some spoken language, which gives them a road map for the written word. In contrast, young children whose only language is sign language face a more difficult task because they learn to read a language they do not speak.

"The center's goals are two-fold, "Easterbrooks said. "We want to identify both child and instructional factors that affect reading growth and develop individualized interventions that are specifically designed for DHH struggling readers."

###

Other researchers involved in the project are Lee Branum-Martin and Paul Alberto, from GSU; Shirin Antia, from the University of Arizona; Brenda Schick, from the University of Colorado at Boulder; Carol Connor from Arizona State University; and Poorna Kushalnagar from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

For more information on NCSER and the IES National Special Education Research and Development Centers, visit http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/RandD/



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?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Andrea Jones
andreajones@gsu.edu
404-413-1351
Georgia State University

ATLANTA Researchers at Georgia State University's College of Education have been awarded a significant $10 million grant to create the first national research center aimed at dramatically improving reading for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH).

The competitive grant from the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, will have a major impact on curriculum development for and assessment of deaf children, funding a team of researchers whose work will ultimately lead to a better understanding of the way DHH students learn, and the creation of intervention models that can be replicated in schools nationwide.

"Georgia State University's researchers are uniquely qualified to lead this kind of important national endeavor," said Provost Risa Palm. "The grant will support research that will be of immense importance to large numbers of children. Further, it represents another milestone in the trajectory of GSU as a national leader in special education research."

The grant will provide funding to create the National Research and Development Center for Literacy and Deafness (CLAD), the first of its kind to focus on deaf children. The CLAD will join four other prestigious centers currently funded by the NCSER that currently focus on issues important to special education.

The center's focus is particularly important given that poor literacy outcomes have long characterized the deaf population despite the fact that most deaf students have normal intellectual potential, said professor Amy Lederberg, a principal investigator of the study. Historically, many deaf children graduated from high school reading with reading skills insufficient to access many postsecondary opportunities.

The researchers will conduct a five-year interdisciplinary study to determine how deaf and hard of hearing children learn to read and to develop interventions focused on improving reading outcomes from kindergarten to second grade. In addition to engaging in research and curriculum development, the center will provide national leadership activities for professionals interested in improving the lives of deaf and hard of hearing children.

"This research will help create evidence-based and effective intervention methods that will have far reaching effects," Lederberg said. "We hope these methods will have a large portion of the deaf and hard of hearing population reading well by the second grade."

Susan Easterbrooks, a COE special education professor and a fellow principal investigator on the study, said the team plans to conduct a series of assessments and develop instructional strategies that will help students better acquire the basic skills to make progress in reading.

Center experts will focus on addressing the different ways deaf and hard of hearing children learn to read. Most DHH children who receive early intervention that includes cochlear implants or digital hearing aids have enough functional hearing to acquire some spoken language, which gives them a road map for the written word. In contrast, young children whose only language is sign language face a more difficult task because they learn to read a language they do not speak.

"The center's goals are two-fold, "Easterbrooks said. "We want to identify both child and instructional factors that affect reading growth and develop individualized interventions that are specifically designed for DHH struggling readers."

###

Other researchers involved in the project are Lee Branum-Martin and Paul Alberto, from GSU; Shirin Antia, from the University of Arizona; Brenda Schick, from the University of Colorado at Boulder; Carol Connor from Arizona State University; and Poorna Kushalnagar from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

For more information on NCSER and the IES National Special Education Research and Development Centers, visit http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/RandD/



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


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Superstars in the making

They're not even 21 yet, but the Angel and National are both making rapid progress

Image: Los Angeles Angels' center fielder Mike Trout, left, and Washington Nationals' left fielder Bryce Harper, right.Photos by AP

Los Angeles Angels' outfielder Mike Trout, left, and Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, right.

ASK THE BASEBALL EXPERT

updated 3:54 p.m. ET May 22, 2012

Tony DeMarco

Baseball Expert Tony DeMarco has been covering the big leagues since 1987, and been casting Hall of Fame ballots for the last 14 years. He answers questions weekly here:

Q: Who is going to be a better major league player, Bryce Harper or Mike Trout? Are there any young players more exciting than these two?
? Danny Bender, New York

A. You can't go wrong here. At this point, there is every reason to believe both will be superstars soon enough.

Trout, born Aug. 7, 1991, is a bit more experienced and ready not only to be an everyday player, but to carry the load for his team. His time in the majors last season helped, as many players say that once you go back to the minors and return to the majors, everything is more familiar and easier.

Look at Trout's improvement from 2011 to 2012:

2011
40 games, 135 plate appearances: .220 BA/.281 OBP/.390 SP, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 4 SB.

2012 (through Monday)
21 games, 92 plate appearances: .350/.413/.600, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 6 SB.

The prevailing opinion on Trout projects him as a .300 hitter/20-25 homer/40-50 steal player who could be a Gold Glove-caliber defender.

Trout's blazing speed could keep him leadoff for a long time, ala Rickey Henderson. But as he gets older, Trout also could drop to third in the order. But either way, he should be among the league leaders in runs scored.

As long as defensive whiz Peter Bourjos stays with the Angels, Trout will be a corner outfielder. And when the Trout LF-Bourjos CF-Mark Trumbo RF combination debuted Monday, the "outfield of the future" label quickly was attached. But Trout certainly has the speed and ability to be an outstanding center fielder.

Harper, born Oct. 16, 1992, has one less year of professional experience than Trout, so he's more of a work in progress ? especially defensively, as he hasn't played much outfield. Remember, he was a catcher for much of his amateur career.

Harper's power potential projects as a No. 3-4 hitter, and in fact, he recently joined this illustrious group of teenagers who hit big-league homers on back-to-back days: Mickey Mantle, Harmon Killebrew, Tony Conigliaro, Gary Sheffield and Ken Griffey Jr.

But what has been equally impressive about Harper's early big-league experience is how well-rounded his game is ? speed, powerful throwing arm, aggressive base-running, etc. Harper projects as more of a .300 hitter/40-45 homer/25-30 steal type.

Nobody really knows what these two are capable of doing in the future. But it's sure going to be fun to watch and see how they develop.

Q: Since the Orioles still are in first place in the AL East, should they look to push stud pitcher Dylan Bundy to the majors sooner rather than later?
? Mike, Baltimore

A: We're talking about separate issues here. No prospect ever should be rushed just because of the big-league team's place in the standings. And that's certainly not going to be the case here, as Bundy is in low-A ball, far from the majors at this point.

For the uninitiated, Bundy ? born Nov. 15, 1992 ? was the fourth-overall pick in the June 2011 draft, behind fellow pitchers Gerrit Cole, Danny Hultzen and Trevor Bauer.

Bundy's numbers for the Dalmarva Shorebirds of the South Atlantic League are among the most eye-popping I can remember: 30 innings, 5 hits, 2 walks, 2 HBP, 40 strikeouts. Ridiculous, right?

But again, he was pitching in high school a year ago at this time, and a likely promotion or two still will top him out at the Double-A level this season. Maybe we'll see Bundy in an Orioles uniform in 2013 at the earliest, but only if his success continues as he rises through their system.

As for the Orioles' early success this season, most signs are pointing to an upcoming regression, especially considering their AL East competition. A run differential of +12 through Monday points to a 23-20 record, rather than the Orioles' 27-16 mark.

The staff's ERA of 3.58 also is on the rise. We're already seeing hot April starters Jason Hammel and Wei-Yin Chen take a few lumps of late, and five relievers currently have ERAs of well under 2.00 ? unlikely to continue.

The good news is the offense should continue to be productive, led by AL MVP contender Adam Jones, Matt Wieters and Nick Markakis, so a winning season certainly is a possibility. And given pre-season expectations, that should be considered a great step forward for the organization if it happens.

Q. Derek Lowe is pitching out of his mind and the Cleveland Indians are in first place. Can either keep it up?
? John Lawson, Cleveland

A. Probably not in either case. But that doesn't mean Lowe won't have a solid season, or the Tribe won't stay in the AL Central race ? at least as long as the Tigers keep stumbling around .500.

Remember, the Tribe finished 80-82 last season, so a jump to the 90-win mark isn't a huge stretch, especially with one of the game's underrated managers in Manny Acta in charge.

However, through Monday, the Indians had a run differential of -4 despite being five games over .500. Occasionally, a team can win a division with a negative run differential ? the 2007 Diamondbacks (90-72, -20 run differential) are a recent example ? but it's very difficult. The 2005 Padres also did it, but won the NL West with an 82-80 mark and a hard-to-believe -42 run differential.

At this point, the Indians are middle-of-the-AL-pack in terms of team offense and pitching, and besides Lowe, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jason Kipnis and closer Chris Perez, the individual numbers are nothing special.

But they are fourth in the majors in on-base percentage, and they're staying healthy ? with only one use of the disabled list (Rafael Perez) since Grady Sizemore's spring loss.

A series this week against the Tigers ? the teams' first meeting in 2012 ? isn't crucial, but could indicate how that very important season series will go.

As for Lowe, give him credit for rebounding from a terrible (9-17-5.05) 2011 season in Atlanta and doing what he's done ? first in the AL wins, second in ERA ? as his 39th birthday approaches on June 1.

However, Lowe's strikeout rate is alarmingly low even for an extreme sinkerball pitcher ? only 15 Ks in his first 58.2 innings (as opposed to 18 walks), and that doesn't bode well. But you can be sure Acta will be satisfied if Lowe amasses close to 200 innings with anything lower than a 4.00 ERA.


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Superstars in the making

DeMarco's Mailbag: They're not even 21 years old yet, but Mike Trout and Bryce Harper are both making rapid progress in the bigs.

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Blind Chinese activist completes US odyssey

Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng began a new life in the United States on Saturday, drawing a line under a month-long diplomatic saga that embarrassed Beijing and tested ties between the world superpowers.

Chen, accompanied by his wife Yuan Weijing and their two children, aged eight and six, arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport, outside New York, on a United Airlines flight from Beijing shortly before 2330 GMT.

The family was expected to make a statement in New York before spending their first night on US soil in a Manhattan apartment.

His arrival capped an astonishing odyssey. Chen made a dramatic escape from his village in April after more than seven years either in prison or house arrest, eventually securing sanctuary at the US embassy in Beijing.

In a gripping account of his escape, Chen told AFP that after weeks of preparation to put his guards off the scent, his wife pushed him over a wall built around his small home.

He broke his foot when he landed on the other side, but undeterred, he scrambled in pain to a neighbor's pig sty, where he hid until nightfall.

After a long and painful journey through fields and over walls, he eventually made his way to the home of a friend.

His shock arrival at the US embassy sparked an international row that threatened to damage China-US relations and officials hastily struck a deal to let Chen go free -- an agreement that appeared to suit both sides.

That accord hit a snag before protracted negotiations secured a new agreement to allow him to participate in a fellowship at New York University.

After being holed up for more than two weeks at a Beijing hospital with his fate uncertain, Chen was suddenly given notice earlier Saturday to pack up his belongings and prepare for departure.

"I'm at the airport. I do not have a passport. I don't know when I will be leaving. I think I'm going to New York," he told AFP earlier by telephone.

But once at the airport, Chen told a friend that he had finally received the passports for himself and his family.

Jiang Tianyong, a lawyer and close friend, said Chen had mixed feelings about leaving China.

"He seemed to be reluctant to leave and didn't consider it the optimal solution, even though he agreed that it was the best he could do to ensure his personal safety," Jiang said.

One of China's best-known activists, Chen won plaudits for investigating forced sterilizations and late-term abortions under China's "one-child" family planning policy.

US politicians welcomed Chen's arrival but expressed concern also about his family and other dissidents who remain in China fearing repression.

"I remain gravely concerned about Chen's relatives and fellow human rights advocates who remain in China and face retribution by a Beijing regime that denies the most fundamental freedoms to the Chinese people," said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican who chairs the House of Representatives' foreign affairs committee.

Chen, who had been held under house arrest after being released from a four-year jail term in September 2010, fled his home in the eastern province of Shandong on April 22 under the noses of plain-clothes security officers.

In a video address to China's Premier Wen Jiabao posted online, Chen said he had suffered repeated beatings and expressed serious concerns for his wife and family.

He pitched up at the US embassy in Beijing less than a week before US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was due to visit China for high-level talks.

Chinese and American diplomats scrambled to find a solution, and reached an initial agreement under which Chen would stay in China under more agreeable conditions.

Chen left the embassy but regretted it almost immediately, telling journalists that he wanted to go to the United States. China later relented, saying he could apply to go abroad like any other Chinese citizen.

As a research fellow at NYU, Chen is expected to work with other law school experts.

"I look forward to welcoming him and his family tonight, and to working with him on his course of study," said Jerome Cohen, co-director of the US-Asia Law Institute at the NYU School of Law.

Li Jinsong, a friend and lawyer, said Chen's impact may lessen after the self-taught "barefoot lawyer" famed for his grassroots work reaches the US.

"But he and his family have been through much hardship over the past seven and eight years, and I'm happy that they can go abroad and enjoy a bit of safety and freedom," he said.

The United States is "looking forward" to Chen's arrival, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said earlier, expressing "appreciation for the manner in which we were able to resolve this matter and to support Mr Chen's desire to study in the US and pursue his goals."

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