Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer confronts Obama

_Longstanding tension between Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and Democratic President Barack Obama flared into the public spotlight Wednesday just after Air Force One touched down in Phoenix.

Brewer, who was on the tarmac to greet Obama, hand-delivered a letter before engaging the president “intensely” for several minutes, including pointing her finger directly at him, according to Politico’s Carrie Budoff Brown, acting as a pool reporter for other media outlets.

Accounts from both camps later …

APD recruiting for new officers

In these challenging economic times, where several employers are making cutbacks and consolidating, the Austin Police Department is currently recruiting and encourages all qualified applicants to apply.

Applications are available for download for cadet classes starting in December 2012, April 2013 and August 2013. APD will continue to accept applications until all testing dates are full. Testing dates are now posted on the web site(http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/police/recruiting/) for testing in 2012.

The Austin Times recently spoke with Sergeant Francisco …

Avicii Interview

Swedish Dj, Remixer, and producer, Avicii performed this Monday at the Austin Music Hall as part of a one million dollar House for Hunger January 2012 Tour. The tour which boasts 26 high-performance shows packed into 27 days, began on January 5th, just on the heels of a Best Dance Recording Grammy nomination for the co-produced David Guetta track “Sunshine.” Austinites were able to hear for the first time live Avicii’s newly released single “Levels” …

Mary J. Blige to pen song for Sundance documentary

PARK CITY, Utah  — Mary J. Blige is lending her support — and her voice — to a documentary showing at the Sundance Film Festival about sexual assault in the U.S. military.

Blige attended the Friday world premiere of “The Invisible War.” Producer Amy Ziering says the multiple Grammy winner would write an original song for the film after the Sundance festival.

Blige’s song,

…

Facebook could be a source of depression

According to a new study conducted by sociologists Hui-Tzu Grace Chou and Nicholas Edge at Utah Valley University, research showed a correlation between a Facebook user’s disposition about their life and the amount of time spent on the social network. Approximately 425 students were asked to identify how much they agreed or disagreed with statements like “Life is fair” and “Many of my friends have a better life than me.” In addition, the students …

Large study links depression and low levels of vitamin D

A study published by a joint venture of the University of Texas Southwest’s Medical Center and the Cooper Institute in Dallas has linked low levels of vitamin D to depression, according to the Mother Nature Network. The study appears in the latest edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

What are the specifics of this study?

Researchers compared the vitamin D test results of about 12,600 adults over four years, beginning in late 2006. According to ProHealth, participants …

Texas approves Mack Brown contract extension

University of Texas regents agreed Thursday to extend football coach Mack Brown’s contract by four years to 2020, a move school officials hope will be a message of long-term stability for a program eager to get back in the chase for national championships.

Brown is paid $5.2 million per year. He won’t get any more money out of the new deal, but he will keep getting annual raises of $100,000 that are in …

NCAA asks for new proposal on $2,000 stipend

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors still believes scholarship limits should be expanded.

It just wants time to work out the details. In a surprise move Saturday, the board delayed implementation of a $2,000 expense allowance, opting instead to ask the working group to make a modified proposal in April.

“What I heard was the board’s resolve with the concept (of the miscellaneous expense allowance) and moving forward with it, but giving us a chance …