syllabicate aquifer: April 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

2 policemen shot in Rome as Italy gets new govt

ROME (AP) ? An unemployed bricklayer shot two Italian policemen in a crowded square outside the premier's office Sunday just as the nation's new government was being sworn in, investigators said.

The gunman's intended target was politicians, a top Italian official said after interviewing him.

Mired in recession and suffering from soaring unemployment, Italy has been in political paralysis since an inconclusive February election. Social and political tensions have been running high among voters divided between center-left, conservative and anti-government political parties.

Sunday was supposed to be a hopeful day when debt-ridden Italy finally got new government to solve its many problems. But shots rang out in Colonna Square near a busy shopping and strolling area shortly after 11:30 a.m. just as Premier Enrico Letta and his new ministers were taking their oaths at the Quirinal presidential office about a kilometer (half mile) away.

The suspected gunman, dressed in a dark business suit, was immediately grabbed by other police outside Chigi Palace, which houses the premier's office and other government offices. The politicians were supposed to have met at the palace later Sunday for their first Cabinet meeting.

Rome Prosecutor Pierfilippo Laviani told reporters he had questioned the alleged assailant, who was taken to a hospital with bruises after being wrestled to the ground. He identified the man as Luigi Preiti, 49, from Calabria, a southern agricultural area plagued by organized crime and chronic unemployment.

Laviani said Preiti had "confessed everything" and didn't appear mentally unbalanced.

"He is a man full of problems, who lost his job, who lost everything," the prosecutor said. "He was desperate. In general, he wanted to shoot at politicians, but given that he couldn't reach any, he shot at the Carabinieri" paramilitary police.

One of the policemen, shot in the neck, was in critical condition. The other, shot in the leg, suffered a fracture, doctors said.

The shooting "was the tragic gesture of a 49-year-old unemployed man," Interior Minister Angelino Alfano told reporters after briefing Letta and his new Cabinet.

A woman passing by during the shooting was slightly injured, Rome's mayor said. It was unclear if she was grazed by a bullet or hurt in the panic sparked by the gunfire.

The 46-year-old Letta had nailed down a coalition deal only a day ago between two bitter political enemies ? his center-left forces and the conservative bloc of ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi. Letta will speak to Parliament on Monday, laying out his strategy to reduce joblessness while still sticking to the austerity measures needed to keep the eurozone's No. 3 economy from descending into a sovereign debt crisis. He will then face confidence votes.

A video surveillance camera on the Parliament building caught the attacker on film just before and during the shooting, Italian news reports said.

The attacker was walking at a steady pace along a narrow street that leads from the square outside Parliament's lower house to the square outside the premier's office, when police officers appear to have stopped him to ask where he was going.

About 90 minutes later, Letta and his ministers were due to enter Chigi Palace. It was not immediately known if the attacker knew about their arrival.

Shortly after police approached him, he began firing, according to the surveillance camera.

An AP television producer saw the two wounded Carabinieri officers in the square outside the palace. One of them lay on the pavement with blood pouring out of his neck.

Alfano said the alleged gunman wanted to kill himself after the shooting but ran out of bullets. He said six shots were fired in all. The gunman used a semi-automatic pistol whose serial number had been scraped off, Sky TG24 TV said.

The interior minister said security was immediately stepped up near key venues in the Italian capital, but added authorities were not worried about possible related attacks.

"Our initial investigation indicates the incident is due to an isolated gesture, although further investigations are being carried out," he said.

Doctors at Rome's Umberto I Polyclinic said a 50-year-old brigadier had been hit in the neck by a bullet that damaged his spinal column and was lodged near his shoulder. The doctors said it wasn't yet known if the spinal column injury had caused any paralysis.

The head of St. John's Hospital, Gianluigi Bracciale, told Sky TG24 TV the second officer suffered a broken leg from a gunshot. He said Prieti didn't appear to have any injuries other than bruises.

Preiti's uncle, interviewed by Sky, said the alleged gunman had moved back to his parents' home in Calabria because he could no longer find work as a bricklayer. "He was a great worker. He could build a house from top to bottom," said the uncle, Domenco Preiti.

The shooting sparked ugly memories of the 1970s and 1980s in Italy, when domestic terrorism plagued the country during a time of high political tensions between right-wing and left-wing blocs.

The new Cabinet ministers were seen smiling in a group photo as news of the shooting broke.

"The news arrived after the swearing-in," said Dario Franceschini, one of the new ministers.

The ministers were kept briefly inside for security reasons until it was clear there was no immediate danger.

Rome was jammed Sunday with tourists and residents enjoying a warm sunny morning on the last day of a four-day weekend.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2-policemen-shot-rome-italy-gets-govt-161126469.html

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Key shift in brain that creates drive to overeat identified

Apr. 29, 2013 ? A team of American and Italian neuroscientists has identified a cellular change in the brain that accompanies obesity. The findings could explain the body's tendency to maintain undesirable weight levels, rather than an ideal weight, and identify possible targets for pharmacological efforts to address obesity.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition this week, identify a switch that occurs in neurons within the hypothalamus. The switch involves receptors that trigger or inhibit the release of the orexin A peptide, which stimulates the appetite, among other behaviors. In normal-weight mice, activation of this receptor decreases orexin A release. In obese mice, activation of this receptor stimulates orexin A release.

"The striking finding is that you have a massive shift of receptors from one set of nerve endings impinging on these neurons to another set," said Ken Mackie, professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington. "Before, activating this receptor inhibited the secretion of orexin; now it promotes it. This identifies potential targets where an intervention could influence obesity."

The work is part of a longstanding collaboration between Mackie's team at the Gill Center for Biomolecular Science at IU Bloomington and Vincenzo Di Marzo's team at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry in Pozzuoli, Italy. Both teams study the endocannabinoid system, which is composed of receptors and signaling chemicals that occur naturally in the brain and have similarities to the active ingredients in cannabis, or marijuana. This neurochemical system is involved in a variety of physiological processes, including appetite, pain, mood, stress responses and memory.

Food consumption is controlled in part by the hypothalamus, a portion of the brain that regulates many essential behaviors. Like other important body systems, food consumption is regulated by multiple neurochemical systems, including the endocannabinoid system, representing what Mackie describes as a "balance of a very fine web of regulatory networks."

An emerging idea, Mackie said, is that this network is reset during obesity so that food consumption matches maintenance of current weight, not a person's ideal weight. Thus, an obese individual who loses weight finds it difficult to keep the weight off, as the brain signals the body to eat more in an attempt to return to the heavier weight.

Using mice, this study found that in obesity, CB1 cannabinoid receptors become enriched on the nerve terminals that normally inhibit orexin neuron activity, and the orexin neurons produce more of the endocannabinoids to activate these receptors. Activating these CB1 receptors decreases inhibition of the orexin neurons, increasing orexin A release and food consumption.

"This study identifies a mechanism for the body's ongoing tendency to return to the heavier weight," Mackie said.

The researchers conducted several experiments with mice to understand how this change takes place. They uncovered a role of leptin, a key hormone made by fat cells that influences metabolism, hunger and food consumption. Obesity causes leptin levels to be chronically high, making brain cells less sensitive to its actions, which contributes to the molecular switch that leads to the overproduction of orexin.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Indiana University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Luigia Cristino, Giuseppe Busetto, Roberta Imperatore, Ida Ferrandino, Letizia Palomba, Cristoforo Silvestri, Stefania Petrosino, Pierangelo Orlando, Marina Bentivoglio, Kenneth Mackie, and Vincenzo Di Marzo. Obesity-driven synaptic remodeling affects endocannabinoid control of orexinergic neurons. PNAS, April 29, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1219485110

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/xM2F7rud-Lw/130429154214.htm

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Monday, April 29, 2013

Israel leader: Iran has not yet crossed 'red line'

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israel's prime minister says Iran is edging closer to nuclear-weapons capability but has not yet reached the "red line" he laid out in a speech to the United Nations last fall.

Benjamin Netanyahu told his Likud Party on Monday that Iran is "systematically" getting closer to developing a weapon. He says Israel cannot let Iran cross this point.

Israel says a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a threat to the existence of the Jewish state, citing Iran's repeated calls for the destruction of Israel. Netanyahu has repeatedly hinted that Israel would be prepared to attack Iran unilaterally if international pressure fails to curb the Iranian nuclear program.

In his U.N. speech last September, Netanyahu said the international community has until the summer of 2013 to stop Iran from getting a bomb.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-leader-iran-not-yet-crossed-red-line-160224093.html

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Iceland returns center-right parties to power

REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) ? In a dramatic about-face, Icelandic voters have returned to power the center-right parties that led the national economy to collapse five years ago.

With all votes counted Sunday, the conservative Independence Party and rural-based Progressive Party ? who governed Iceland for decades before the 2008 crash ? each had 19 seats in Iceland's 63-seat parliament, the Althingi.

The parties, who are promising to ease Icelanders' economic pain with tax cuts and debt relief, took 51 percent of the vote between them, and are likely to form a coalition government.

Voters shunned the Social Democrat-led coalition that has spent four years trying to turn the country around with painful austerity measures. The Social Democrats took nine seats and their former coalition partners the Left-Greens seven.

The pro-Europe Bright Future party took six seats and online freedom advocates the Pirate Party three.

"We are very happy, we are very grateful for the support that we see in the numbers," said Independence Party leader Bjarni Benediktsson.

Either 43-year-old Beneditksson or Progressive Party chief Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, 38, is likely to be Iceland's next prime minister.

The shift to the right following Saturday's parliamentary election will almost certainly shelve Iceland's plans to join the European Union, with which it has begun accession talks. Both the Progressives and Independents oppose joining the 27-nation bloc.

The two parties governed Iceland for several decades, often in coalition, overseeing economic liberalization that spurred a banking and business boom ? until Iceland's economy crashed spectacularly during the 2008 credit crisis.

A volcano-dotted North Atlantic nation with a population of just 320,000, Iceland went from economic wunderkind to financial basket case almost overnight when its main commercial banks collapsed within a week of one another.

The value of the country's currency plummeted, while inflation and unemployment soared. Iceland was forced to seek bailouts from Europe and the International Monetary Fund.

Since then, Iceland has in many ways made a strong recovery. Unemployment has fallen and the economy is growing.

But inflation remains naggingly high, and many Icelanders still struggle to repay home and car loans they took out ? often in foreign currencies whose value soared after the crash ? in the years of easy credit.

Some blamed the outgoing government of Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir for agreeing to internationally approved austerity measures and accused it of caving in to pressure to compensate Britain and the Netherlands for their citizens' lost deposits in the failed online bank Icesave. Icelanders have twice rejected Icesave repayment deals agreed to by Sigurdardottir's government.

Despite being widely blamed for the financial meltdown, the Independents and Progressives say they are now best placed to lead the economic recovery.

The Progressives have promised to write off some mortgage debt, taking money from foreign creditors. Benediktsson's Independence Party is offering lower taxes and the lifting of capital controls that he says are hindering foreign investment.

"I think people knew that hard times were ahead in 2009," Benediktsson said. "But they were hopeful, and they were introduced to a plan that would bring us quicker out of the crisis than has been the reality.

"So people are now looking forward and asking themselves ... what kind of a plan is the most likely one to bring more growth, more job creation, to close the budget deficit, and have Iceland grow into the future? These are the issues that I think these elections are all about."

______

Lawless reported from London. Associated Press writer David Mac Dougall in Reykjavik contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iceland-returns-center-parties-power-091136830.html

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Sunday, April 28, 2013

Obama Mixes Serious Tone with Humor at WH Correspondents' Dinner (ABC News)

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Down the Up Escalator

Barbara Garson tells the stories of Americans who have lost jobs ? and hope ? during the Great Recession.

By David Hugh Smith / April 26, 2013

Down the Up Escalator By Barbara Garson Knopf Doubleday 288 pp.

Enlarge

The generation that went to Woodstock, fought with police against the Vietnam War, and later, enjoyed a "me" decade ? the "Baby Boomer" generation ? has taken part in transforming our economy into a system that many regard as genuinely hostile to "the people."

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Now a participant in 1960s social activism has written a book showing in sharp relief the impact of decades of downsizing and outsourcing on families and on some of the good-paying jobs that once sustained the American middle class.?

Down the Up Escalator: How the 99% Live in the Great Recession is a three-part opus in which Barbara Garson befriends and tells the stories of people who can't find work, people who are losing their homes, and people whose savings have evaporated.

Amid this contemporary Brothers Grimm collection are Garson's savvy views on how chunks of America ended up on a down escalator. She comments, "[U]nlike the Great Depression, the Great Recession didn't narrow the wealth gap.... For all our bruises we merely went into a deep pothole and emerged on the same rough and dangerous road."

Many of Garson's stories are heartbreaking. She tells of Alice Epps from California. When the interest on her adjustable-rate mortgage rose to 17 percent and then her son was murdered, she got behind on payments. Her herculean efforts to arrange a loan modification, and the thousands she paid in fees, did virtually nothing to reduce her debt or enable her to keep her home.

Some may disagree with Garson's view that too much capital has been invested in buying out competing companies, in real estate speculation, and in other schemes that do nothing to create new businesses and jobs to replace the well-paid ones lost in manufacturing and other business sectors. Others might take issue with her statistics, which often come from sources with a strong liberal bias. But there is no arguing with what's happened to millions of people who, during an earlier era, would be thriving, not struggling to survive.

And Garson is the perfect person to write a book about economic injustice. Since the '60s, she has been reporting on and advocating for populist issues. She played a key role in the Berkeley Free Speech Movement and she's written three other books on work and our financial system.

"Down the Up Escalator" starts with the stories of four funky New Yorkers she calls the "Pink Slip Club."? Garson describes the frustrations and indignities these professionals suffer looking for work after losing their jobs early in the recession. Garson keeps track of them for several years as they all fail to win back mid-level white-color positions.

Elaine, who'd worked in accounts payable for a broadcasting conglomerate, eventually starts to fantasize about scoring some hours helping in a hole-in-the-wall shop that converts records to CDs. Gerri, who had been an insurance adjuster, experiences similar disappointments, and becomes increasingly anxious as expenses bite chunks out of her shrinking savings. (Garson named these members of the Pink Slip Club after two of the main characters from the Seinfeld TV series.)

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/6BUeFJc2SNo/Down-the-Up-Escalator

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Siblings swim 14 hours after their boat sinks

>>> an incredible survival story this morning, an american brother and cyst her to swim for 14 hours after their chartered fishing boat sank during a caribbean vacation. dan and kate were battling a 200-pound marlin in rough seas when large waves swamped their boat. they put on life jackets and abandoned ship eight miles off of st. lucia, spent an entire night in the water worried about sharks before safely reaching shore.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2b34f1fd/l/0Lvideo0Btoday0Bmsnbc0Bmsn0N0Cid0C51674276/story01.htm

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Saturday, April 27, 2013

GNC Holdings, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2013 ... - Franchising.com

Announces Chainwide Launch of Member Pricing Program

Revenue Increases 6.5% in the First Quarter

Same Store Sales Increase 1.9% in the First Quarter, 17.7% on a Two-Year Basis

EPS Increases 21.7% to $0.73 as compared to First Quarter 2012 Adjusted EPS of $0.60

PITTSBURGH - April 26, 2013 // PRNewswire // - GNC Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: GNC) (the "Company"), a leading global specialty retailer of health and wellness products, today reported its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.

In addition to presenting the Company's financial results in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), the Company is also presenting results on an "adjusted" basis to exclude the impact of certain expenses related to the Company's secondary offering (the "Offering") in the first quarter of 2012.

First Quarter Performance

For the first quarter of 2013, the Company reported consolidated revenue of $664.7 million, an increase of 6.5% over consolidated revenue of $624.3 million for the first quarter of 2012. The Company estimates the combined effect of Leap Year and the Easter holiday shift negatively impacted revenue by approximately 200 basis points. Revenue increased in each of the Company's segments: retail by 5.0%, franchise by 6.3% and manufacturing/wholesale by 19.6%.

Same store sales increased 1.9% in domestic company-owned stores (including GNC.com sales) in the first quarter 2013, representing the Company's 31st consecutive quarter of positive same store sales growth. The Company estimates the Easter holiday shift negatively impacted same store sales by approximately 100 basis points. In domestic franchise locations, same store sales ? also negatively affected by the Easter holiday shift - increased 3.2%.

For the first quarter of 2013, the Company reported GAAP net income of $72.6 million, compared to $63.9 million for the first quarter of 2012. Net income for the first quarter of 2012 included $0.7 million of non-recurring expenses associated with the Offering. Excluding these expenses and the related tax impact, net income for the first quarter of 2013 increased $8.1 million or 12.5% over adjusted net income of $64.5 million for the first quarter of 2012. Diluted earnings per share were $0.73 for the first quarter of 2013, a 21.7% increase over adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.60 for the first quarter of 2012.

Joe Fortunato, Chairman, President & CEO, said "2013 is positioned to be an exciting and transformational year as we make key investments in the business. In the first quarter, we demonstrated our ability to deliver results even while facing the most challenging compare of the year. Our 2013 product development cycle is on track, as is our pipeline for 2014. Further, we invested an incremental $3 million in brand marketing to reach a broader consumer base with the 'Respect Yourself' message as we approach launch of our Member Pricing program. These initiatives continue to fuel our retail business, which carried top line momentum from 2012 through January of this year. And while February was not as strong as expected - similar to others in specialty retail - March trends rebounded, especially later in the month, with the improvement continuing into April. Lastly, we are excited about the rollout of our Member Pricing program to further enhance the business."

Member Pricing Update

The Company is pleased to announce that in May 2013 it is planning to expand its Member Pricing program to all stores nationwide and to GNC.com, providing members access to GNC's premium products and leading brands at a great value, increased convenience and simplified pricing every day of the year. The launch will be supported by a comprehensive marketing campaign including national radio, Gold Card giveaways, direct marketing and social media, complemented with extensive in-store training, signage and customer engagement. The anticipated financial impact of this rollout is included in the Company's Current 2013 Outlook as presented in this release.

First Quarter Segment Operating Performance

For the first quarter of 2013, retail segment revenue grew 5.0% to $493.5 million, compared to $469.8 million for the first quarter of 2012, driven primarily by a 1.9% same store sales increase in domestic company-owned stores (or approximately 2.9% adjusting for the Easter holiday shift) including GNC.com revenue, and 141 net new stores from the end of the first quarter of 2012. Operating income increased by 5.8%, from $93.2 million to $98.6 million, and was 20.0% of segment revenue for the first quarter 2013, compared to 19.8% for the first quarter of 2012. The increase in operating income percentage was driven by higher gross profit margin and expense leverage on the same store sales increase in payroll, partially offset by a planned increase in marketing spend this quarter in support of the "Respect Yourself" marketing campaign launch.

For the first quarter of 2013, franchise segment revenue grew 6.3% to $107.9 million, compared to $101.5 million for the first quarter of 2012, driven primarily by increased wholesale product sales and royalty income in both domestic and international franchise operations. Operating income increased 11.6%, from $34.4 million to $38.4 million, and was 35.6% of segment revenue for the first quarter of 2013, compared to 33.9% for the first quarter of 2012. The increase in operating income percentage was driven by higher gross profit margin.

For the first quarter of 2013, manufacturing/wholesale segment revenue, excluding intersegment revenue, increased 19.6% to $63.3 million, compared to $53.0 million for the first quarter of 2012.

Operating income increased 0.4% from $22.8 million to $22.9 million and was 36.2% of segment revenue for the first quarter of 2013 compared to 43.1% for the first quarter of 2012. The decrease in operating income percentage was driven primarily by a lower mix of proprietary product sales.

Total operating income for the first quarter of 2013 was $124.5 million, a $12.5 million, or 11.1%, increase over operating income of $112.1 million for the first quarter of 2012. First quarter operating income in 2012 included $0.7 million of non-recurring costs related to the Offering.

In the first quarter of 2013, the Company opened 32 net new domestic company-owned stores, 31 net new international franchise locations, 9 net new domestic franchise locations, and 9 net new Rite Aid franchise store-within-a-store locations.

In the first quarter of 2013, the Company generated net cash from operating activities of $95.5 million, incurred capital expenditures of $9.9 million, repurchased $61.3 million in common stock under share repurchase programs, and paid $14.7 million in common stock dividends. The Company generated $84.9 million in free cash flow (which it defines as cash provided by operating activities less cash used in investing activities) and at March 31, 2013, the Company's cash balance was $176.2 million.

Capital Structure

The Company's Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.15 per share of its common stock for the second quarter of 2013. The dividend will be payable on or about June 28, 2013 to stockholders of record at the close of business on June 14, 2013. The Company currently intends to pay regular quarterly dividends; however, the declaration of such future dividends is subject to the final determination of the Company's Board of Directors.

In the first quarter of 2013, the Company repurchased $61.3 million in shares of its common stock under the previously authorized $250 million share repurchase program. Additional details of the program can be found in the section entitled Forward-Looking Statements.

At the end of the first quarter of 2013, diluted shares outstanding were approximately 99.0 million.

Current 2013 Outlook

The Company's current outlook for 2013 is based on current expectations and includes "forward looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Below is the Company's current outlook for 2013, which is being updated from the initial outlook provided on February 14, 2013:
Consolidated earnings per diluted share ("EPS") of approximately $2.75 - $2.80 for the full year 2013, an 18% - 20% increase over 2012 Adjusted EPS of $2.33. This is unchanged from the Company's initial outlook for 2013.

The Company expects the Member Pricing rollout to be neutral to EPS for the full year, as a 5? - 6? negative impact in Q2 2013 primarily from product margin rate investment, incremental marketing spend, and franchise store support is fully offset by incremental revenue, gross profit dollars, and earnings in Q3 and Q4 2013.

The EPS outlook is based on achieving a mid-single digit increase in domestic company-owned same store sales for Q2 2013, and a high-single digit increase for Q3 and Q4 2013. This includes the impact of the Member Pricing rollout.

About?GNC Holdings, Inc

GNC Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, is a leading global specialty retailer of health and wellness products, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplement products, sports nutrition products and diet products, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "GNC."
As of March 31, 2013, GNC has more than 8,200 locations, of which more than 6,200 retail locations are in the United States (including 958 franchise and 2,190 Rite Aid franchise store-within-a-store locations) and franchise operations in 55 countries (including distribution centers where retail sales are made). The Company ? which is dedicated to helping consumers Live Well ? has a diversified, multi-channel business model and derives revenue from product sales through company-owned retail stores, domestic and international franchise activities, third party contract manufacturing, e-commerce and corporate partnerships. GNC's broad and deep product mix, which is focused on high-margin, premium, value-added nutritional products, is sold under GNC proprietary brands, including Mega Men?, Ultra Mega?, Total LeanTM, Pro Performance?, Pro Performance? AMP, Beyond Raw?, and under nationally recognized third party brands.

Conference Call

GNC has scheduled a conference call and webcast to report its first quarter 2013 financial results on Friday, April 26, 2013 at 10:00 am Eastern time. To listen to this call, dial 1-877-232-1784 inside the U.S. and 706-679-4448 outside the U.S. The conference identification number for all participants is 41904705. A webcast of the call will also be available on www.gnc.com - via the Investor Relations section under "About GNC" - through May 24, 2013.

Forward-Looking Statements Involving Known and Unknown Risks and Uncertainties

This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the Company's financial condition, results of operations and business that is not historical information. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "subject to," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will," "should," "can," the negatives thereof, variations thereon and similar expressions, or by discussions of strategy and outlook. While GNC believes there is a reasonable basis for its expectations and beliefs, they are inherently uncertain, and the Company may not realize its expectations and its beliefs may not prove correct. Many factors could affect future performance and cause actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by forward looking statement, including unfavorable publicity or consumer perception of our products; costs of compliance and our failure to comply with new and existing governmental regulations governing our products, including, but not limited to, proposed dietary supplement legislation and regulations; disruptions in our manufacturing system or losses of manufacturing certifications; disruptions in our distribution network; or failure to successfully execute our growth strategy, including any inability to expand our franchise operations or attract new franchisees, any inability to expand our company owned retail operations, any inability to grow our international footprint, or any inability to expand our e-commerce businesses. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Actual results could differ materially from those described or implied by such forward- looking statements. For a listing of factors that may materially affect such forward -looking statements, please refer to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Company is authorized to repurchase from time to time shares of its outstanding common stock on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The Company may finance any repurchases with cash, potential financing transactions, or a combination of the foregoing. The timing and amount of stock repurchases will depend on a variety of factors, including the market conditions as well as corporate and regulatory considerations. The share repurchase program may be suspended, modified or discontinued at any time and the Company has no obligation to repurchase any amount of its common stock under the program. The company intends to make all repurchases in compliance with applicable regulatory guidelines and to administer the plan in accordance with applicable laws, including Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Management has included non-GAAP financial measures in this press release because it believes they represent an effective supplemental means by which to measure the Company's operating performance. Management believes that adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share are useful to investors as they enable the Company and its investors to evaluate and compare the Company's results from operations in a more meaningful and consistent manner by excluding specific items which are not reflective of ongoing operating results. Adjusted net income and adjusted diluted earnings per share are not measurements of the Company's financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to net income, operating income, or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP, or as an alternative to GAAP cash flow from operating activities, as a measure of the Company's profitability or liquidity.

GNC HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income
(in thousands)
?	?	?	?	?	?
?	?	?	?Three months ended?
?	?	?	?March 31,?
?	?	?	2013	?	2012
?	?	?	(unaudited)
?	?	?	?	?	?
Revenue			$ ? ? ? ? ?664,691	?	$ ? ? ? ? ?624,272
Cost of sales, including cost of warehousing,?		?	?	?	?
???? distribution and occupancy			408,554	?	383,563
?	?	?	?	?	?
Gross profit			256,137	?	240,709
?	?	?	?	?	?
Compensation and related benefits			79,545	?	80,044
Advertising and promotion			20,440	?	16,219
Other selling, general and administrative			31,665	?	31,784
Foreign currency gain			(33)	?	(93)
Transaction related costs (a)			-	?	686
Operating income			124,520	?	112,069
?	?	?	?	?	?
?	?	?	?	?	?
Interest expense, net			11,015	?	10,383
?	?	?	?	?	?
Income before income taxes			113,505	?	101,686
?	?	?	?	?	?
Income tax expense			40,862	?	37,829
?	?	?	?	?	?
Net income			$ ? ? ? ? ? ? 72,643	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? 63,857
?	?	?	?	?	?
Income per share - Basic and Diluted:		?	?	?	?
?	?	?	?	?	?
Earnings per share:		?	?	?	?
? ?? Basic			$ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 0.73	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 0.60
? ? ?Diluted?			$ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 0.73	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 0.59
?	?	?	?	?	?
Weighted average common shares outstanding:		?	?	?	?
? ????Basic			98,997	?	105,805
? ??? Diluted?			99,861	?	107,746
?	?	?	?	?	?
(a) Expenses related to the Offering
?	?	?	?	?	?

The following table provides a reconciliation of net income and EPS to adjusted net income and adjusted EPS for each period:

?	?Three months ended?
?	?March 31,?
?	2013	?	2012
?	(in thousands)
?	(unaudited)
Net Income	$ ? ? ? ? ? 72,643	? ?	$ ? ? ? ? ? 63,857
Transaction related costs (a)	-	?	686
Adjusted net income	$ ? ? ? ? ? 72,643	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? 64,543
?	?	?	?
Adjusted earnings per share:	?	?	?
?Basic	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?0.73	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?0.61
?Diluted?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?0.73	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?0.60
?	?	?	?
Weighted average common shares outstanding:	?	?	?
?Basic	98,997	?	105,805
?Diluted?	99,861	?	107,746
?	?	?	?
(a) Expenses related to the Offering
?	?	?	?
?	?	?	?

GNC HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands)
?	?	?	?
?	March 31,	?	December 31,
?	2013	?	2012
?	(unaudited)
Current assets:	?	?	?
Cash and cash equivalents	$ ? ? ? ? ? ?176,164	? ?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ?158,541
Receivables, net	137,659	?	129,641
Inventories	510,719	?	491,599
Prepaids and other current assets	41,769	?	39,016
Total current assets	866,311	?	818,797
?	?	?	?
Long-term assets:	?	?	?
Goodwill, brands and other intangibles, net	1,500,807	?	1,501,632
Property, plant and equipment, net	198,928	?	199,487
Other long-term assets	33,142	?	32,124
Total long-term assets	1,732,877	?	1,733,243
?	?	?	?
Total assets	$ ? ? ? ? 2,599,188	?	$ ? ? ? ? 2,552,040
?	?	?	?
Current liabilities:	?	?	?
Accounts payable	$ ? ? ? ? ? ?138,621	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ?125,165
Current portion, long-term debt	3,816	?	3,817
Deferred revenue and other current liabilities	142,011	?	116,337
Total current liabilities	284,448	?	245,319
?	?	?	?
Long-term liabilities:	?	?	?
Long-term debt	1,093,930	?	1,094,745
Other long-term liabilities	331,925	?	329,937
Total long-term liabilities	1,425,855	?	1,424,682
?	?	?	?
Total liabilities	1,710,303	?	1,670,001
?	?	?	?
Total stockholders' equity	888,885	?	882,039
?	?	?	?
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ ? ? ? ? 2,599,188	?	$ ? ? ? ? 2,552,040
?	?	?	?

?
?
GNC HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
?	Three months ended
?	March 31,
?	2013	?	2012
?	(unaudited)
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:	?	? ?	?
Net income	$ ? ? 72,643	?	$ ? ? ? ? 63,857
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided	?	?	?
by operating activities:	?	?	?
Depreciation and amortization expense	12,549	?	12,335
Amortization of debt costs	629	?	582
Increase in receivables	(9,418)	?	(10,530)
Increase in inventory	(23,058)	?	(55,884)
Increase in accounts payable	13,256	?	37,473
Other operating activities	28,926	?	22,883
?????? Net cash provided by operating activities	95,527	?	70,716
?	?	?	?
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:	?	?	?
Capital expenditures	(9,917)	?	(9,220)
Other investing activities	(682)	?	(1,388)
????? Net cash used in investing activities	(10,599)	?	(10,608)
?	?	?	?
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:	?	?	?
Dividends paid to shareholders	(14,728)	?	(11,497)
Payments on long-term debt	(943)	?	(415)
Repurchase of treasury stock	(61,310)	?	(5,885)
Proceeds and tax benefit from exercise of stock options	9,428	?	33,561
Other financing activities	-	?	(2,500)
????? Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(67,553)	?	13,264
?	?	?	?
Effect of exchange rate on cash and cash equivalents	248	?	(236)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents	17,623	?	73,136
Beginning balance, cash and cash equivalents	158,541	?	128,438
Ending balance, cash and cash equivalents	$ ?176,164	?	$ ? ? ? 201,574
?	?	?	?
?	?	?	?

Segment Financial Data and Store Counts (unaudited)
Retail Segment ? Company-owned stores in the U.S. and Canada as well as e-commerce

?	Three months ended
?	March 31,
$ in thousands	2013	?	2012
?	(unaudited)
?? Revenue	$ ? ? ? ? ? 493,467	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? 469,821
?? Comp store sales - domestic, including GNC.com?	1.9%	? ?	15.8%
?? Operating Income	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? 98,583	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? 93,176
?? % Revenue	20.0%	?	19.8%

Franchise Segment???Franchise-operated domestic and international locations

?	?	?	?
?	Three months ended
?	March 31,
$ in thousands	2013	?	2012
?	(unaudited)
?? Domestic	$ ? ? ? ? ? ?66,225	? ?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ?63,568
?? International	41,662	?	37,916
?	?	?	?
?? Total revenue	$ ? ? ? ? ? 107,887	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? 101,484
?? Operating income	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? 38,425	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? 34,428
?? % Revenue	35.6%	?	33.9%

Manufacturing/Wholesale Segment - Third-party contract manufacturing; wholesale and consignment sales with Rite Aid, PetSmart, Sam's Club and?www.drugstore.com

?	?	?	?
?	Three months ended
?	March 31,
$ in thousands	2013	?	2012
?	(unaudited)
?? Revenue	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? 63,337	? ?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? 52,967
?? Operating income	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? 22,926	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? 22,837
?? % Revenue	36.2%	?	43.1%

Consolidated unallocated costs (a)

?	?	?	?
?	Three months ended
?	March 31,
$ in thousands	2013	?	2012
?	(unaudited)
????? Warehousing and distribution costs	$ ? ? ? ? ? (16,355)	? ?	$ ? ? ? ? ? (15,795)
????? Corporate costs	$ ? ? ? ? ? (19,059)	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? (21,891)
????? Transaction related costs	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? -	?	$ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?(686)

(a)??? Part of consolidated operating income.

Consolidated Store Count Activity

Three months ended March 31, 2013

Company-

Franchised stores

owned (b)

Domestic

International

Rite Aid

Total

Beginning of period balance

3,188

949

1,830

2,181

8,148

Store openings (a)

106

Store closings

(9)

(7)

(9)

(25)

End of period balance

3,220

958

1,861

2,190

8,229

Three months ended March 31, 2012

Company-

Franchised stores

owned (b)

Domestic

International<

Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20130426_gnc_holdings_inc_reports_first_quarter_2013_result.html

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Hitler's food taster tells of poisoning fears

BERLIN (AP) ? They were feasts of sublime asparagus ? laced with fear. And for more than half a century, Margot Woelk kept her secret hidden from the world, even from her husband. Then, a few months after her 95th birthday, she revealed the truth about her wartime role: Adolf Hitler's food taster.

Woelk, then in her mid-twenties, spent two and a half years as one of 15 young women who sampled Hitler's food to make sure it wasn't poisoned before it was served to the Nazi leader in his "Wolf's Lair," the heavily guarded command center in what is now Poland, where he spent much of his time in the final years of World War II.

"He was a vegetarian. He never ate any meat during the entire time I was there," Woelk said of the Nazi leader. "And Hitler was so paranoid that the British would poison him ? that's why he had 15 girls taste the food before he ate it himself."

With many Germans contending with food shortages and a bland diet as the war dragged on, sampling Hitler's food had its advantages.

"The food was delicious, only the best vegetables, asparagus, bell peppers, everything you can imagine. And always with a side of rice or pasta," she recalled. "But this constant fear ? we knew of all those poisoning rumors and could never enjoy the food. Every day we feared it was going to be our last meal."

The petite widow's story is a tale of the horror, pain and dislocation endured by people of all sides who survived World War II.

Only now in the sunset of her life has she been willing to relate her experiences, which she had buried because of shame and the fear of prosecution for having worked with the Nazis, although she insists she was never a party member. She told her story as she flipped through a photo album with pictures of her as a young woman, in the same Berlin apartment where she was born in 1917.

Woelk first revealed her secret to a local Berlin reporter a few months ago. Since then interest in her life story has been overwhelming. School teachers wrote and asked her for photos and autographs to bring history alive for their students. Several researchers from a museum visited to ask for details about her life as Hitler's taster.

Woelk says her association with Hitler began after she fled Berlin to escape Allied air attacks. With her husband gone and serving in the German army, she moved in with relatives about 435 miles (700 kilometers) to the east in Rastenburg, then part of Germany; now it is Ketrzyn, in what became Poland after the war.

There she was drafted into civilian service and assigned for the next two and a half years as a food taster and kitchen bookkeeper at the Wolf's Lair complex, located a few miles (kilometers) outside the town. Hitler was secretive, even in the relative safety of his headquarters, that she never saw him in person ? only his German shepherd Blondie and his SS guards, who chatted with the women.

Hitler's security fears were not unfounded. On July 20, 1944, a trusted colonel detonated a bomb in the Wolf's Lair in an attempt to kill Hitler. He survived, but nearly 5,000 people were executed following the assassination attempt, including the bomber.

"We were sitting on wooden benches when we heard and felt an incredible big bang," she said of the 1944 bombing. "We fell off the benches, and I heard someone shouting 'Hitler is dead!' But he wasn't. "

Following the blast, tension rose around the headquarters. Woelk said the Nazis ordered her to leave her relatives' home and move into an abandoned school closer to the compound.

With the Soviet army on the offensive and the war going badly for Germany, one of her SS friends advised her to leave the Wolf's Lair.

She said she returned by train to Berlin and went into hiding.

Woelk said the other women on the food tasting team decided to remain in Rastenburg since their families were all there and it was their home.

"Later, I found out that the Russians shot all of the 14 other girls," she said. It was after Soviet troops overran the headquarters in January 1945.

When she returned to Berlin, she found a city facing complete destruction. Round-the-clock bombing by U.S. and British planes was grinding the city center to rubble. ??

On April 20, 1945, Soviet artillery began shelling the outskirts of Berlin and ground forces pushed through toward the heart of the capital against strong resistance by die-hard SS and Hitler Youth fighters.

After about two weeks of heavy fighting, the city surrendered on May 2 ? after Hitler, who had abandoned the Wolf's Lair about five months before, had committed suicide. His successor surrendered a week later, ending the war in Europe.

For many Berlin civilians ? their homes destroyed, family members missing or dead and food almost gone ? the horror did not end with capitulation.

"The Russians then came to Berlin and got me, too," Woelk said. "They took me to a doctor's apartment and raped me for 14 consecutive days. That's why I could never have children. They destroyed everything."

Like millions of Germans and other Europeans, Woelk began rebuilding her life and trying to forget as best she could her bitter memories and the shame of her association with a criminal regime that had destroyed much of Europe.

She worked in a variety of jobs, mostly as a secretary or administrative assistant. Her husband returned from the war but died 23 years ago, she said.

With the frailty of advanced age and the lack of an elevator in her building, she has not left her apartment for the past eight years. Nurses visit several times a day, and a niece stops by frequently, she said.

Now at the end of her life, she feels the need to purge the memories by talking about her story.

"For decades, I tried to shake off those memories," she said. "But they always came back to haunt me at night." ??

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hitlers-food-taster-tells-poisoning-fears-150032362.html

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