PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - NASCAR driver Jason Leffler died from injuries suffered when his car slammed into the wall of a dirt raceway in New Jersey, state police said.

The crash occurred during a race at the Bridgeport Speedway in Logan township in southern New Jersey, near Philadelphia, state police spokesman Sergeant Adam Grossman said.

Leffler, 37, of Huntersville, North Carolina, was rushed to the Crozier Hospital in Chester, Pennsylvania, where he was pronounced dead at 9:02 p.m., police said.

The raceway calls itself the "Fastest Dirt Track in the East." It consists of a spacious 5/8-mile high-banked dirt oval, where average speeds reach well over 100 miles per hour, according to the track's website.

Leffler was a two-time winner of the Nationwide Series. He had been racing for over a decade, with experience in so-called midget race cars as well as the Indianapolis 500, where he placed 17th in 2000, his website noted.

New Jersey State Police said in a Twitter posting that the accident was under investigation.

"NASCAR extends its thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to the family of Jason Leffler who passed away earlier this evening," the organization said in a Twitter posting. "For more than a decade, Jason was a fierce competitor in our sport and he will be missed."

(Additional reporting by David Bailey; Editing by Tim Gaynor and Peter Cooney)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court decision on Thursday to uphold patent protections for genetic material that has been changed in the laboratory but invalidate patents for purely natural DNA may seem like a partial setback for the biotech industry, but experts said it isn't: the industry has already moved on.

"There are literally tens of thousands of patents claiming DNA that we would not consider to be a product of nature," and which therefore are fine according to Thursday's decision, said Gregory Graff, a professor at Colorado State University who led an analysis of gene patents published last month in Nature Biotechnology.

One common form of DNA that has been manipulated in the lab and so is eligible for patenting, is called cDNA (the "c" stands for "complementary"). It is essentially an edited form of a gene: extraneous stretches of DNA have been excised.

It was cDNA that launched the biotechnology revolution in the 1980s and that has since fuelled the rise of multibillion-dollar businesses in gene-based medicine and agriculture, from Pfizer Inc to Monsanto.

Pharmaceutical companies use cDNA to produce proteins such as insulin and human growth hormone.

Although those original patents are now so old they have expired or are about to, the Court's decision leaves the door open to patenting other synthetic genes to make new medicines, said Robert Field, a professor of law at Drexel University.

NO SIMPLE GENE PATENTS

The legal protections that support today's DNA-based industries have also moved well beyond the simplest gene patents that referred only to the chemical sequence of a gene (a combination of the letters A, T, C and G). The shift has come largely since the Human Genome Project unveiled the entire 3-billion-letters-long human DNA sequence in 2003 and put it in the public domain.

"For human medical applications, that prototypical gene patent is a thing of the past," said Hans Sauer, general counsel at the Biotechnology Industry Organization, which sided with defendant Myriad Genetics in the case.

Instead, companies "are moving into making proteins and antibodies that closely mimic what is naturally found in the body," said Bill Gaede, an attorney with McDermott Will & Emery LLP in Menlo Park, California. If those disease-fighting compounds are tweaked even slightly, they can be patented.

Both DuPont's Pioneer Hi-Bred division and Monsanto hold patents on synthetic DNA molecules that make insect-killing proteins designed to increase a crop's ability to withstand pests, said Colorado's Graff. And Roche Holding AG's Genentech, as well as Novo Nordisk, hold patents on the DNA they have constructed to make bacteria churn out human hormones or vaccine antigens.

GENE-BASED TESTS

Another lucrative new DNA-based product that remains untouched by the Court decision is called "companion diagnostic." Recent advances in cancer treatment have come from drugs that target a genetic mutation that fuels the malignancy. Because the drugs work only on tumors that have that mutation, it is crucial to test a patient for it before using the drug.

Abbott Laboratories, for instance, makes the companion diagnostic for Pfizer Inc's lung cancer drug, Xalkori. The medication targets a gene mutation called ALK; Abbott's test determines if a patient has the mutation and is therefore likely to be helped by the drug.

But Abbott did not patent the ALK sequence. "Another company could develop an ALK test using different technology," said spokeswoman Darcy Ross. Abbott's DNA-related patents, which are unaffected by the Court's decision, "are primarily directed to detecting sequences and not the sequences themselves," she said.

The companies most likely to suffer from the decision are small biotechs that have yet to develop a product and so raise money from investors based on their gene patents.

"This was the only way some of the early genetics-based companies could survive," said Michele Wales, an attorney who specializes in patent law. Keeping a company afloat based on basic gene patents will now be more difficult, if not impossible, said Wales, a former employee of Human Genome Sciences, one of the largest gene-patent holders, which was acquired by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline last year.

(Additional reporting by Diane Bartz and Bill Berkrot; Editing by Michele Gershberg)

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, the son and brother of former mayors of Chicago, announced on Tuesday he is exploring a challenge to Illinois Governor Pat Quinn in the 2014 Democratic primary.

The news could get even worse for Quinn as Democratic Attorney General Lisa Madigan, daughter of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, has said she also is considering challenging Quinn.

The political maneuvering in President Barack Obama's home state follows the failure of the state legislature to approve reforms to rein in ballooning public pension costs and to vote on a measure to legalize gay marriage.

About 62 percent of Illinois voters disapprove of the job Quinn is doing, according to a survey of Democrats, Republicans and independents by the We Ask America polling group last month, making him one of the most unpopular governors in the country.

Recent opinion polls suggest Quinn would lose a Democratic primary to Madigan in 2014. Polls also show Madigan beating both Quinn and Daley in a three-way race.

"It may be Daley trying to call Lisa Madigan's bluff, trying to get her to make a decision," Christopher Mooney, political science professor at the University of Illinois-Springfield, said of Daley's announcement. Mooney said Daley may ultimately decide not to run if Madigan challenges Quinn.

Daley is the son of long-time former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, known for his defiance of Vietnam War protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention, and brother of more recent long-time Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Daley's father and brother served as mayor of Chicago for 43 of the last 58 years.

Bill Daley, 64, served as White House chief of staff for President Barack Obama from January 2011 to January 2012. Daley was U.S. Commerce secretary under former President Bill Clinton and has an extensive business background, including serving as former Midwest chairman of JP Morgan Chase and Co.

He also chaired Al Gore's unsuccessful 2000 presidential campaign.

Kent Redfield, emeritus political science professor with the University of Illinois-Springfield, said that despite Daley's family name, Madigan has an advantage in recognition in the state because of her 10-year tenure as attorney general.

"She's done a very good job in putting a record out there," said Redfield. "If it's a three-way race with the attorney general in there, it's a more difficult task."

Daley did not mention Quinn directly in a video announcing his potential bid for governor. He took aim at legislators for failing to pass pension reform and gay marriage.

"We can't wait for the legislature to get well on its own," Daley said. "We need a governor who takes the field, takes command and gets things done."

Quinn took office in 2009 after Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested for political corruption. Quinn narrowly won a full term over a conservative Republican opponent in the 2010 election.

In response to the Daley announcement, the Quinn campaign cited the governor's accomplishments in various areas. "With the primary in March ...there will be plenty of time for politics in the future," it said in a statement.

(Additional reporting by Colleen Jenkins: Editing by Greg McCune, Lisa Von Ahn and Dan Grebler)

Two intelligence officials said three soldiers sweeping the road ahead of a military convoy on the road between the towns of Miran Shah and Razmak in North Waziristan were hit Sunday by a bomb planted near an intersection. Two died and one was wounded. They spoke anonymously because they weren't authorized to speak to media.

The same officials reported a second blast on the Mir Ali-Miran Shah road near a checkpoint, but that wounded only one soldier.

The Pakistani army recently carried out several offensives in tribal regions along the Afghan border but is reluctant to conduct a massive sweep of the militant stronghold of North Waziristan, despite the US urging it to do so.

Also on Sunday, four gunmen riding on motorcycles opened fire on a police patrol in the southern city of Karachi, killing two officers and wounding a third one, said Usman Bajwa, a senior police officer.

Bajwa said the police patrol had deployed in a central neighborhood of Karachi, the country's main commercial hub, where two political workers were similarly gunned down by armed motorcycle riders yesterday.

He said the gunmen fired 15 shots from their pistols into a police vehicle, killing two officers and leaving a third struggling for his life.

The police officer said seven people were gunned down, including a police officer and two political workers, in different incidents in the city yesterday. He said the attacks appeared part of a "plot" to destabilize Karachi.

The volatile megacity frequently witnesses deadly shootings linked to a range of groups, including Islamic militants, political parties, crime gangs, rival ethnic groups, and others.

____

Associated Press reporter Adil Jawad in Karachi contributed to this report.

The reason: On Tuesday, the day after Sen. Frank Lautenberg's death, Christie announced a special election to fill the seat. But instead of holding it in November, when Christie is on the ballot for re-election, the budget-slashing governor scheduled it for Oct. 16, at an expected cost to the state of $12 million.

The move was at odds with Christie's reputation for frugality and the politics-be-damned stand he took last fall, and it infuriated Democrats and some Republicans as well.

Some said Christie clearly doesn't want to be on the same ballot with a strong Democrat for Senate say, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a rising star in the party for fear that that could boost black and Democratic turnout and deny Christie the blowout victory that could make him a strong candidate for the White House in 2016.

Former Rep. Dick Armey, a tea party leader from Texas who was once GOP House majority leader, called the October special election "debilitating stupidity."

In an interview with ABC, he predicted it would backfire with Republicans because Christie was stressing fiscal responsibility as governor, yet willing to waste millions on special elections.

The Star-Ledger, New Jersey's largest newspaper, called it "a shameless move that will waste at least $12 million and risk the integrity of the vote."

The sharp criticism from so many directions is unusual for Christie, whose often combative style and quick wit have made him popular in New Jersey, an attraction as a fundraiser for Republicans across the country and a frequent guest on TV talk shows.

Last year, he worked closely with Obama in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy and hugged the president when he visited storm-devastated parts of New Jersey. That drew criticism from some Republicans, who said he was too cozy with the president days before Obama was re-elected. But the blowback this time is more widespread.

When he unveiled the plan Tuesday, Christie portrayed it as a nonpolitical move designed to uphold democratic principles by giving voters a say in their representation as quickly as possible under state law.

"This is about guaranteeing the people of New Jersey both a choice and a voice in the process in the representation that they deserve in Washington," he said.

Christie also scheduled a Senate primary election for Aug. 13, saying the candidates should be chosen by the people and not party bosses. That will cost the state another $12 million, and set up three elections in a span of less than three months.

"It's as if he gave the residents of this state the finger," Democratic state Sen. Richard Codey said.

"Instead of holding an expensive special election that tries to protect the governor's political vulnerabilities," he said, "the voters should have the opportunity to have their say in the regular election in November."

Booker and Rep. Frank Pallone, both well-financed Democrats, had previously expressed interest in the seat held by Lautenberg, a Democrat whose term expires at the start of 2015. Neither man has said whether he will run in the special election.

If Booker were on the ballot in November, he could bring out Democratic voters who would not bother to show up at the polls for Barbara Buono, the state senator who is challenging Christie for governor. Big Democratic turnout could hurt the GOP's chances of picking up seats in the Legislature.

On the Republican side, some lawmakers are reportedly considering running for the Senate, along with some political outsiders, including Al Leiter, a former major league pitcher who is now a broadcaster. Conservative activist Steve Lonegan, a former mayor of Bogota, N.J., said he is gathering signatures and raising money for a run.

Even though New Jersey elected Christie as governor, a Senate run is expected to be a challenge for any Republican, a state that has 700,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans and has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 1972.

Some Republicans believe their best shot would be for Christie to appoint a strong Republican now and schedule the election for November 2014, giving the GOP choice some time to gain voters' respect.

"From the folks that I've talked with, Chris Christie's glow has diminished," said Don Rogers, a tea party activist in South Carolina, which holds the first-in-the-South presidential primary. Rogers said the special election is the latest issue to give him misgivings about Christie, starting with the governor's willingness to appear with Obama along the Jersey shore shortly before the 2012 election.

Now, with the Senate vacancy, "we're afraid that he might make a moderate decision on this replacement," Rogers said. "If he believes in his own conservative principles and he has an opportunity, he needs to take it he needs to find the most conservative individual."

____

Thomas reported from Bridgewater, N.J.

___

Follow Mulvihill at http://www.twitter.com/geoffmulvihill. Follow Thomas at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas

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PARIS (Reuters) - Second seed Roger Federer produced a thrilling riposte to Gilles Simon's gallant attempt to knock him out of the French Open on Sunday to claim a 6-1 4-6 2-6 6-2 6-3 victory in front of a raucous late-evening crowd on Philippe Chatrier Court.

Averting a mounting crisis in the middle of a spectacular fourth-round match, Federer won the last two sets to reach his 36th consecutive grand slam quarter-final and keep alive his hopes of a second title at Roland Garros.

When 15th seed Simon, roared on by chants of "Gillou", won the third set, Federer looked to be in careering towards the exit door but the 17-times grand slam champion hit back with every weapon in his arsenal to set up a quarter-final with another French hope, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

It was nerve-racking until the end, however, with Federer missing an easy volley when serving for the match at 5-3 to offer Simon hope of a late escape.

Federer then wasted his first match point with an anxious forehand swiped into the net but when a second opportunity came his way Simon pushed a backhand into the tramlines.

"It was beautiful, it's always special to play matches like that," 2009 champion and firm Paris favorite Federer said at courtside. "You always remember matches like this."

The victory was 31-year-old Federer's 58th at the French Open, making him joint leader with Guillermo Vilas and Nicola Pietrangeli on the all-time list of matches won here.

FLUSTERED FEDERER

Whatever the statistics, and Federer has created many of the telling ones down the years, it was the sheer love of the fight that had fans screaming his name too on Sunday.

"At the end of the day, I work hard to be exactly in this situation in a tough match where the crowd is going crazy and you want to stay calm within the storm," told reporters.

"Honestly, for me, it's what I play for."

The Swiss had to dig into his vast repertoire of strokes to subdue Simon - a player who has troubled him before and who won the first two of their five previous meetings.

There were the delicate drop shots, lob volleys, the backhand slices that seem to hang in the air for eternity and then those explosive forehands that few players can return.

Federer even managed to curl one extraordinary winner between the outside of the net post and the umpire's chair to give him a sixth and final set point in the opener.

The stage seemed set for a Federer masterclass but Simon, despite lacking the firepower of those at the very top of the game, was not prepared to go down without a scrap.

He began to make inroads and when Federer stumbled and fell in the sixth game, the Frenchman's chance came. The Swiss ended up on his hands and knees on the red dirt after snagging his toe in the surface and lost his poise.

There was no obvious damage but he was broken in the next game and Simon rammed home the advantage to level the match.

"Perhaps that bothered me a little bit but not very much. Maybe just five minutes," Federer said of his slip.

"He seized his opportunity. He got the advantage and he made my life difficult."

A flustered Federer dropped his serve twice in the third set as Simon, bidding to reach the quarter-finals at his home grand slam for the first time, sensed his chance for a huge upset.

Federer has made a career out of pulling out the stops when required, however, and quickly restored order, overpowering a tiring Simon in the fourth set with some belligerent tennis.

An early break in the fifth gave Federer breathing space and despite a few nervous moments at the end he claimed the 900th Tour victory of his career.

"I knew 900 was on the line," he said. "I didn't know about the Vilas one but I'm just happy I have been able to win a lot of matches throughout my career.

"I'm pleased to give myself an opportunity over and over again. I love this game."

The Parisian crowd clearly love him too.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Sonia Oxley)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Pitbull has taken his blend of American pop music fused with Latin beats from the clubs of Miami to international pop charts, but he now is crossing into film with his first acting role as an animated character in the upcoming movie, "Epic."

Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Perez, has become a staple in the pop music field with lively dance-floor tracks including recent chart hits "Feel This Moment" with Christina Aguilera and "Live it Up" with Jennifer Lopez.

The rapper, 32, plays street-smart frog Bufo in "Epic," due to be released on Friday and which explores a secret universe where the natural world is battling evil forces.

Pitbull talked to Reuters about his film debut, working with Lopez and the origins of his numerous nicknames.

Q: What do you make of this whole animation world you got a chance to work in?

A: Before I didn't understand what it meant to put a voice to animation and see it come to life. But I'm always game for trying new things. I love how those artists could see my voice on the character before it was even drawn up.

Q: How did the animators bring your influence to the character of Bufo the frog? Did they capture your essence?

A: They captured a piece of my essence, absolutely. The suits, the business/hustler, knowing how to navigate his way through the good and bad. Bufo knows how to play the middle. It's business, not personal for him. I think they captured about 75 percent of my essence. The gestures, the hand movements, the way he walks - I think they watched me a lot in the studio when I was there.

Q: Many musical artists have made their way to film. Why haven't you transitioned sooner?

A: It's all about timing. I've had projects on the table but I didn't have the time to do them. This caught me at the right time ... I hope there's a sequel because I would love to see more of Bufo in number two. I have a lot of good ideas for them, ideas that would capture the rest of that 25 percent of the essence they may have missed.

Q: Your stage moniker 'Pitbull' is named after a dog that tends to get a lot of bad press unfortunately.

A: Pitbulls are misunderstood and that's the same thing with me when I first came into the music business. Being Cuban-American made me politically incorrect. My whole life was trying to make people understand that we all come from the same place. It's the same with the dog. The pitbull is a very loyal, very loving dog that doesn't understand the concept of losing. I believe in fighting hard for what you believe in and never giving up.

Q: How important is your Cuban heritage?

A: It's very important. I'm Cuban-American, first generation. The Latin culture is everything. But I'm very careful to not let that box me in. I want to represent (my heritage) and I'm proud of who I am, but it's about letting others know that we are just like everybody else. We don't want people to judge us, we want people to understand us, to see that we've gone through the same things everybody else has gone through and suffered the same struggles.

Q: What were some of the pivotal moments in your career that really changed things for you?

A: The record that took it global was "I Know You Want Me" (in 2009). Before that, I lived in the clubs and in the streets as far as my music. But that song took it to the next level. "Give Me Everything" (in 2011) was a turning point. This record coming out (on May 28) called "Outta Nowhere" will be another turning point I think.

Q: How so?

A: It's a different side of me. It's going to show everything that we've been speaking about here - motivation, believing in yourself, not giving up. With this record, I wanted to come out of nowhere, which is why the name is perfect.

Q: "Live It Up" is your third collaboration with Jennifer Lopez, following "On The Floor" and "Dance Again." What's your partnership like?

A: Jennifer is a hard worker, very professional, gorgeous and she's a walking empire. Anytime I'm around her, I'm watching, learning, studying. It's a natural combination, like a student and teacher. I'm a student all day. I think it would be an honor for Jennifer to watch me grow and say, That kid did learn.'

Q: With all your recent success, do you feel like you've gotten the respect you deserve? Do you feel more relaxed now and less needing to prove yourself?

A: No, I'm never relaxed. I think complacency is a cousin of death. As far as respect, whether they do or don't, to each his own. But I do tell you this much, this is just the beginning. I promise you, it's just the beginning.

(Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Paul Simao)

PARIS (Reuters) - If Novak Djokovic is to be believed then Mahesh Bhupathi has lit the touchpaper for a revolution in tennis.

The Indian doubles specialist is the driving force behind the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), launched earlier this week to great fanfare with a dazzling list of top-rank players already signed up.

World number one Djokovic will be joined in the inaugural edition, scheduled for December 2014, by 11-times grand slam winner Rafa Nadal and U.S. Open holder Andy Murray. Retired grand slam champions Pete Sampras and Carlos Moya will also take part.

Among the women, 15-times major winner Serena Williams and twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka will be the headline acts.

"The players are intrigued and willing to commit and I think we will bring a whole new set of fans to the sport, with a fast-paced entertaining short concept like this," Bhupathi told Reuters in an interview at the French Open in Paris.

The only notable absentees, for now, are Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer, but don't be fooled into thinking the Swiss is not behind the idea - he is.

Whether or not the league, that will take place in six as yet unspecified cities across Asia and will feature players drafted into teams to compete in one-set shootout tennis, soars into orbit or falls flat remains to be seen.

Bhupathi, however, is adamant about one thing - it will be a serious competition and not a glorified exhibition.

"That word is taboo," he said.

The format is fairly straightforward. The six franchises will bid for players at an auction that will take place in Melbourne around the time of next year's Australian Open.

Teams will then compete in men's and women's singles, men's and mixed doubles and a men's legends singles - one set per match, with no advantage scoring.

Djokovic calls the tournament a "revolutionary idea", Nadal says "it will be a big success for sure", while Williams described it as "like a dream come true".

The players talk about innovation but unsurprisingly there are also hefty financial incentives on offer to persuade them to extend their already-lengthy seasons through to the end of the calendar year.

All talk about burnout on the tour seems to have been silenced and replaced with hints that players could choose to miss other tournaments to rest their weary limbs.

"We cannot force anybody to play or not to play," Bhupathi rightly points out.

"Tennis has always been an open market. Even playing at Roland Garros is the option of a player. So we are creating something that we think is exciting."

Will it affect how players approach the tour schedule?

"It could," the 38-year-old added.

"Each player is different and they know their bodies themselves. They will take the breaks as and when they need to make sure they peak at the times they want to during the year."

Cities under consideration to run franchises include Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Bangalore, Calcutta, Doha and Dubai.

At the moment it is restricted solely to Asia but that could change if the concept takes off. Similarly the size and scale of the event could grow if everything goes to plan.

"We would like to spread it, ideally in the first year I don't want to have two teams in India, even if there is demand. We plan to start with six and grow over time," Bhupathi added.

Why tennis needs this league is an intriguing question. Team tennis already exists through the Davis Cup for men, Fed Cup for women and the Hopman Cup for mixed teams. Bhupathi is adamant that those competitions will not be overshadowed.

"I think that tennis has been in a place for many years without any change. Davis Cup and Fed Cup has always been a very exciting platform for players because it is such an individual sport and we get to play a team competition," he said.

"We love being part of a team. We favoritesur football favorites. We all have our basketball favorites. Here we are creating the opportunity for players to be part of a team and part of a community."

If the first step to success was getting the players on board then Bhupathi's league is well-placed.

Federer will not be involved due to other commitments but he likes the concept of broadening the game through Asia.

"It's nice to have another opportunity, and Asia is very strong," he told reporters after booking his spot in the second round at Roland Garros on Sunday.

"I went to play there quite often. That's why I think it's a very good idea."

The appeal of the growing Asian market seems to have caught the imagination. Lleyton Hewitt, who lost in five sets to Gilles Simon under cloudy Parisian skies, is another keen to give it a go.

"The AsiaMiddle East market is massive for tennis," Hewitt told reporters.

"I would definitely look at it, absolutely. I enjoy playing in Asia anyway. I have a pretty big following there. My biggest sponsor is Japanese and I have had a lot of success in China and Japan in the past."

Whether or not the IPTL is set to turn the sport on its axis as Djokovic suggests is up for debate. Bhupathi is circumspect.

"We feel it is a great idea, and a lot of people feel it too," he said. "To see how it is accepted by TV and fans, though, is the most unpredictable element of it."

(Additional reporting by Martyn Herman and Julien Pretot, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

On Comedy Central, Jon Stewart similarly mocked Lerner and her agency's actions during a look at the hearings. Stephen Colbert looked at Majority Leader John Boehner's read on the situation and compared it to a rapper ending a set.

David Letterman is more befuddled by the scandal than outraged. In his monologue, the Late Show host expressed that he couldn't pronounce Benghazi, didn't understand the functions of the IRS and was very interested in a certain type of phone tapping.

Fast forward to 4:00 to see the irony in the IRS' problems with deadlines.