Now, an Australia-led research team has demonstrated a novel idea for chasing down the massive marine mammals. To search for , the group dropped sonar buoys in the Ross Sea west of Antarctica, and listened for whale calls. They triangulated the whale's location from their calls, and then sailed to the right spot.

During the research cruise, the scientists photographed 57 blue whales, collected 23 skin biopsy samples and stuck on two satellite-tracking tags. They also spotted 11 pygmy blue whales and eight humpback whales, among a total 720 cetacean species (the group that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises).

"In many respects our expectations of what we could achieve have been exceeded," the scientists wrote on the expedition's blog.

The deep, resonating song of Antarctic blue whales travels hundreds of kilometers across the Southern Ocean, Brian Miller, of the Australian Antarctic Division and the lead marine mammal acoustician of the mission, said in a statement. The team returned with 626 hours of recordings, with 26,545 blue whale calls analyzed in real time. []

The whale'swill transmit never-before obtained data on how the whales feed near the edge of the Antarctic ice, marine biologist Virginia Andrews-Goff of the Australian Marine Mammals Center said in a statement.

The International Whaling Commission estimates the population of Antarctic blue whales is between 400 and 1,400 individuals. The leviathans were slaughtered to near extinction in the early 1900s by whalers, who took some 340,000 whales, according to a statement from the Australian government.

Researchers worldwide have usedfor decades, including blue whales, humpback whales and right whales. This is the first time that scientists have located whales for tagging and identification by identifying their positions with sonar, the statement said.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Dozens and possibly hundreds of Iowa teachers are receiving notices they could lose their jobs in the next school year.

School districts are sending layoff notices because of a deadline requiring them to notify teachers by April 30 of possible job losses.

District officials say they hope they won't have to follow through on the job cuts, but the inability of state lawmakers to approve a general school funding level forces them to guess on their budgets for the upcoming year.

Galen Howsare, of the Iowa Association of School Boards, says the group knows of at least 83 teachers who have been sent layoff notices, and the actually figure is likely 150 to 250.

This year, school funding has been mired in discussions about Gov. Terry Branstad's proposed education reforms.

PARIS (Reuters) - France's Francois Hollande said he was undeterred by a first year in power marked by economic slowdown and a record slump in his personal popularity, arguing his 5-year presidency would achieve results over time.

In comments to correspondents from Reuters and Agence France Presse a week before the anniversary of his May 2012 election win over Nicolas Sarkozy, Hollande shrugged off polls showing his popularity rating around 25 percent, after the sharpest fall for any president in over half a century.

"I'm aware how serious the situation is. It's a president's duty to stay the course and to look beyond today's squalls. It's called perseverance," Hollande said.

"People can criticize my decisions, think I am on the wrong track or have not taken the right route, but if there is one thing I am sure of it's that I have taken major decisions for France - many more in 10 months than were taken in 10 years."

Hollande, France's first Socialist president since Francois Mitterrand, is squeezed between a business sector clamoring for lower taxes and labor costs, euro zone partners pressing for budget cuts and households hostile to austerity measures.

He said he would persevere with measures to restore growth like corporate tax credits aimed at easing headcount costs and a labor reform set to become law in May.

"It's the president who is held to account, and that's quite legitimate. It's up to me to weigh up what I need to do for the country today. To remain in control by being sure of my ideas."

RALLY THE NATION

After his campaign pledges to revive the flagging industrial sector, end a relentless rise in unemployment and meet deficit-cutting targets, Hollande has had to row back on almost all his economic targets, as factory layoffs continue apace.

While he stands by a goal to turn around unemployment by year-end, few believe he can achieve that. Jobless claims rose for the 23rd straight month in March to an all-time high.

Treading a delicate line as he attempts step-by-step reforms that were not part of his election campaign, Hollande said the country should have faith in him.

"The only thing that counts is the results. I have made promises and I will be judged on them," he said. "My hope is to rally the nation and restore confidence. That will take time, but it's my sole objective."

His economic woes aside, Hollande is also suffering from a perception that since he took power France is losing its voice on European policy. His prime minister said this month that France was losing its leadership role.

Foreign investors are watching closely since the government admitted it would need an extra year to reach a European Union budget deficit ceiling of 3 percent of output.

Inside France, where a scandal over an ex-budget minister's secret Swiss bank account has not helped, polls show a slim majority of people would prefer Sarkozy to be president today.

"I realized a long time ago that I would not go far if I let the commentary get to me," Hollande said. "According to what was said about me as a candidate, I had no chance of becoming president."

(Writing by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

The online game maker's stock fell more than 10 percent in extended trading Wednesday after the first-quarter results came out.

Zynga, which makes "FarmVille" and other games, said Wednesday that it earned $4.1 million, which was breakeven per share. A year earlier, it lost $85.4 million, or 12 cents per share. Adjusted earnings were 1 cent per share in the latest quarter, compared with expectations for a loss of 3 cents.

Revenue fell 18 percent to $263.6 million, from $321 million.

Analysts, on average, had expected revenue of $264.5 million, according to FactSet.

As demand for its Facebook games fades, Zynga has cut jobs, closed game studios and shut down games to reduce expenses and focus only on popular titles. The quarter's expenses fell 34 percent to $268.5 million, from $406.6 million.

The number of people who play Zynga games at least once a month fell 13 percent to 253 million, from 292 million a year earlier. The number of daily players dropped 21 percent to 52 million, from 65 million.

CEO Mark Pincus said in a statement that 2013 will "continue to be a transition year." Zynga, whose games are played mainly on Facebook's website, is working on shifting to mobile games and to its own site off of Facebook.

For the current quarter, Zynga is forecasting an adjusted loss of 3 cents to 4 cents per share on revenue of $225 million to $235 million. Analysts were expecting a loss of 1 cent per share on revenue of $258.1 million.

Shares of San Francisco-based Zynga fell 34 cents, or 10.1 percent, to $3.01 in after-hours trading. The stock had closed up 17 cents, or 5.3 percent, at $3.35 before the results came out.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As Congress sifts through a growing number of requests for targeted relief from automatic spending cuts in coming weeks, advocates seeking funding shifts likely will need to tell a compelling story with potential life-or-death consequences.

Requests without such a strong selling point may find it impossible to gain enough bipartisan support as lawmakers vow not to repeat a swift and controversial action last week to save airline travelers from flight delays caused by automatic "sequestration" spending cuts.

Congress was worried about a toxic public backlash when it moved quickly to allow the Federal Aviation Administration to use some airport improvement funds to pay salaries of air traffic controllers, ending furloughs that had delayed thousands of flights across the country.

When members of Congress return from a recess on Monday, there will be no shortage of other requests to shift funds from other budget accounts awaiting them.

The National Park Service faces closures and cutbacks that will cost jobs in communities that depend on the parks as the summer travel season begins. Some 70,000 children may be shut out of the Head Start preschool program for low-income families while funding for Meals on Wheels, cancer research and some treatments for Medicare patients will be cut.

The Pentagon is expected to ask for more authority to move up to $7.5 billion within its budget to cover costs for training and military operations in Afghanistan. With troops still in harm's way, that request likely will face few objections.

More needs will pile up As the across-the-board spending cuts - $85 billion through September 30 - take hold. But most will fall on deaf ears as lawmakers insist that a comprehensive budget deal is needed to resolve sequester cuts, not individual fixes.

"With the possible exception of life-threatening issues, there will be plenty of pleas from people who represent worthy causes that get ignored," said Greg Valliere, chief political strategist at Potomac Research, an investment consulting firm.

"It's extremely unlikely that House Republicans will be willing to grant exceptions for national parks, Meals on Wheels or teachers," he said.

The sequester cuts that took effect March 1 were conceived in 2011 as a way to force the White House and Congress to find an alternative budget deal rather than have spending cuts kick in automatically. Policymakers failed to reach such an agreement and now must deal with the fallout from the cuts, which total will total $1.2 trillion over 10 years unless replaced.

Last month's flight delays created a mix of pressure from the airline industry and constituents facing a universally loathed problem that both parties could rally around.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, however, is not inclined to pursue additional one-off measures to deal with sequester, a Democratic leadership aide said. Reid would prefer to press forward with his proposal to simply delay the cuts through September 30 in order to buy more time for a broader budget deal.

"I just don't see another one-off bill that's going to rise to the same level as flight delays," a senior House Republican aide said.

Many House Republicans also are concerned about giving the Obama administration more authority to move money between budget accounts at federal agencies, which circumvents Congress' constitutional powers to direct spending.

In the case of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Republican aide said there is concern that such budget shifts could inadvertently give the agency power to help fund implementation of Obama's healthcare reform law, which many Republicans deeply despise and want to repeal.

SAY NO TO CANCER PATIENTS?

But funding cutbacks for some Medicare cancer treatments and cancer research studies also could be difficult for many lawmakers to resist.

The most concerted effort in this area is a Republican House bill that would exempt Medicare reimbursements on expensive cancer drugs administered at doctors' offices and clinics - one of the few portions of the healthcare program for the elderly that is subject to the sequester. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) would have to shift cuts in these reimbursement rates elsewhere under the measure.

The bill's author, Representative Renee Ellmers of North Carolina, a Tea Party favorite, argues that because of the sequester, oncology clinics have been sending patients to hospitals to get their drugs.

But hospital treatment costs, which are not subject to sequester, are far higher - an average increase of $6,500 per patient per year, according to one study. Ellmers argues that this circumvents the whole point of sequester spending cuts.

"We don't want to see treatments delayed, and some patients on fixed incomes might skip treatment altogether if they are forced to go across town to a hospital," said Ellmers, who spent two decades as a surgical nurse before winning a seat in Congress in 2010.

The measure has substantial bipartisan support, with 51 cosponsors including 11 Democrats. Separately, 124 House members from both parties signed a letter to the CMS director asking that "any available flexibility be used to direct the cuts away from patients."

A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner declined to comment on the bill's prospects for passage, referring questions about it to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

THREAT TO CANCER TRIALS

Cancer research doctors also say further sequester funding cutbacks could ultimately cost lives.

Dr. Scott Lippman, director of the University of California-San Diego Moores Cancer Center, said the sequester will mean fewer clinical trials for promising therapies, and some patients ultimately will be turned away from these trials. Research on new treatments also could be slowed.

"This going to harm patients," Lippman said. "This is going to prevent patients from getting treatments that could save their lives."

At a time when advancements in cancer research are moving very quickly with new gene-based discoveries, he said now is "not the time to be slamming on the brakes."

While no trials have been canceled yet due to sequester alone, research centers are working hard to try to cut everything else that they can, said Dr. Edward Partridge, director of the University of Alabama-Birmingham's Comprehensive Cancer Center. But the choices will be difficult.

"We will do everything we can to maintain our current clinical trial volume," he said. "Even if it's at the expense of new discovery. I hope (sequester) doesn't last too long so that we have to withdraw the possibility of clinical trials for patients. That would be a disaster."

(Reporting By David Lawder; Editing by Fred Barbash and Bill Trott)

Twenty-four Premier League players are among the top 100 richest sportsmen in Britain and Ireland.

Rooney's fortune has risen by six million pounds from 2012 and his combined wealth with wife Coleen is estimated at 64 million pounds.

United team mate Rio Ferdinand is ranked second on 42 million pounds while Stoke City striker Michael Owen is third on 38 million.

Values are based on identifiable wealth including land, property, assets including art and race horses, and shares in publicly quoted companies.

Former England captain David Beckham, now playing for Paris St Germain, is ranked 11th in the Sunday Times world sporting rich list with a worth of 165 million pounds.

World number one golfer Tiger Woods is top of that chart on 570 million pounds.

Premier League top 10:

1. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) 51 million pounds

2. Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) 42 million

3. Michael Owen (Stoke City) 38 million

=4. Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) 34 million

=4. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) 34 million

6. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) 33 million

7. Fernando Torres (Chelsea) 26 million

8. John Terry (Chelsea) 24 million

9. Joe Cole (West Ham United) 21 million

10. Petr Cech (Chelsea) 20 million

($1 = 0.6455 British pounds) (Reporting by Josh Reich; editing by Tony Jimenez)

After being accused of shoplifting from a Derry, N.H., thrift store called Finders Keepers, Ruben Pavon is arguing that he was simply confused by the store's name.

that surveillance video shows Pavon taking a grill from the store's porch. Pavon told WMUR, "I grabbed the box. It was a fire pit, something like that. It turned into a grill, and I took it home."

It wasn't the first time Pavon helped himself to what he says he thought was free merchandise. He also told WMUR:

I thought it was there for the taking. The sign did say "Finders Keepers." So I took that DVD player, took it home. A couple of weeks later, the stuff is still there on the porch, so I'm thinking to myself, 'Finders Keepers. They probably just put stuff out there for people to take.'"

WMUR also spoke with store owner Laura Barker, who remains dubious about Pavon's reasoning:

I don't know of any stores where there's free stuff. It would be nice if there were. I'd be there on a regular basis myself.

Thefor Finders Keepers explains that a portion of its items "are donations, in which the proceeds of those items go to help purchasing 'needs' of local community organizations specifically to help children in need."

Pavon has returned all the items to the store. Local police are continuing to investigate. WMUR reports that there is still no word on whether criminal charges will be filed. Nor is there word on whether Barker intends to change the name of her store to Not for Free.

Video from WMUR below:

I work in the field of social services. Every day I am confronted with families who struggle with more children than they can care for and with behavioral and emotional problems. Frankly, it has turned me off. I am terrified of all the "what ifs."

I can't talk to my family because I don't want to tell them they have created part of my problem. My in-laws can't understand why we don't have children yet.

My husband keeps insisting "everything will be fine." I love him deeply and he would make an amazing father. My heart wants this, but my head isn't sure. I can't picture our future without children, but the fear of actually having them brings me to tears. Can you help me? -- SCARED TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP

DEAR SCARED: Children don't come with 100 percent, money-back guarantees. What they need in order to thrive is parents who love each other and them, and who are willing to put forth the time and energy to raise them. I don't know what went wrong in your siblings' marriages, but it appears their kids have been used as pawns rather than having their own interests put first. If both parents cooperated in the interests of the children there would be no battles.

Please do not allow the dysfunction you have seen in your work to influence your decision. You and your husband will not be having more children than you can afford, and I assume you are approaching the idea of parenthood in a mature fashion. I would caution you about one thing, however. Having a child because of pressure from your in-laws would be a poor reason to embark upon parenthood.

DEAR ABBY: I'm at a crossroads. I have been married for 15 years and have two children. I love my wife and have been content with this life for a long time. However, for years I have felt like something was missing.

I recently become close friends with a man who is in the same situation. One day he confided that he is gay and has known it for more than 10 years. He told me he, too, had been content with his life but had grown increasingly depressed before we met.

As our friendship has developed I have come to realize that I'm gay as well. It was a struggle to finally admit this to myself, but I accept that it's the truth. My friend and I have been exploring our sexuality together, and he says he is happier than he has been in years.

Both of us love our wives and children; however, we desperately need to fulfill our own needs as well. Do you have any advice on the best way to move forward that will have minimal impact on everyone involved? -- IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION

DEAR IN: You say you have known for years that something was missing. Well, it is possible that your wives have felt the same way, and may have blamed themselves for it. That's why it is important for you and your friend to explain everything to them honestly.

It would be helpful for everyone who will be affected to seek counseling and receive the emotional support they will need through this life-changing transition. You and your lover should go online and find the nearest gay and lesbian community center. (Visit www.lgbtcenters.org for a complete list.) Your wives should contact the Straight Spouse Network, which has been mentioned in my column many times. It can be reached at www.straightspouse.org.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby ator P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Good advice for everyone -- teens to seniors -- is in "The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It." To order, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Anger Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

Empathy promotes meaningful relationships, better communication, and problem-solving skills. It also promotes greater understanding between people of different backgrounds, and it is an essential building block for a secure, prosperous community. This course examines recent social research into empathy and other “prosocial” behaviors, as well as recommended strategies and practices for guiding young children through the early phases of empathy’s long developmental process. Objectives of this course include understanding the difference between empathy and sympathy, defining the “warm glow effect,” and identifying appropriate strategies for promoting and reinforcing altruistic behavior in the early childhood environment.

"This course shows that empathy isn’t just about being nice or thoughtful. Empathy is a vital life skill and a major factor in personal relationships and communication," says Maria C. Taylor, President and CEO of CCEI. "Our empathy and prosocial behaviors training course shows early childhood professionals why this topic is as important for children as it is for adults.”

This course is a one-hour, beginner-level training, available for purchase through online enrollment now. CCEI students with active, unlimited individual or center-based subscriptions can enroll in this course at no additional cost when logged in to their account. Upon successful completion of the course, students will receive 0.1 IACET CEU.

For more information on ChildCare Education Institute, visitor call 1.800.499.9907, Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5 pm EST.

About CCEI

ChildCare Education Institute provides high-quality, online professional development courses and programs for educators in an array of child care settings, including , preschool centers, prekindergarten classrooms, nanny care, and more. Over 100 English and Spanish child care courses are available online to meet licensing, recognition program, and . CCEI also has online certification programs that provide the coursework requirement for national credentials including the CDA, Director’s Credential, and Early Childhood Credential.CCEI is nationally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), approved by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) to award IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and authorized under the Nonpublic Postsecondary Educational Institutions Act of 1990, license number 837.

Janice RiceChildCare Education Institute1-800-499-9907 531

The site brings together people looking to learn an instrument, sing, or read music with those who can teach those skill sets. Lessons are given either online or ‘on-tour’ and available sessions can be accessed via the site which is complete with teacher profiles, session scheduling, message support and an e-commerce store. BandHappy is one of the first online communities of its kind for aspiring, experienced and professional musicians. The Drupal CMS based site allowed r2i to deliver all the required back-end database functionality as well as a simple, user-friendly interface for site visitors.

R2i was selected as a finalist among 114 nominees and is in the company of other high profile Drupal Partners for final selection. R2i Chief Technology Officer, Chris Chodnicki, commented, “Acquia is an important partner for us and we are thrilled to have been recognized at this level for the BandHappy site.”

As an Acquia Partner,to help clients create, publish and manage dynamic digital content as well as leverage social interactions and monitor important customer metrics. In addition to BandHappy, r2i has designed, developed and deployed sites using Drupal for clients in industries such as education, technology, healthcare and consumer products which include Salsa Labs, Moodlerooms, Echo360, GetWellNetwork, Privia and Radcliffe Jewelers.

About R2integrated

R2integrated (“r2i”) is a high growth, next-generation digital/social marketing and technology firm specializing in creating meaningful customer engagement in the ever-changing world of peer-to-peer interactions. R2i provides advanced expertise in content and social media marketing and is able to bridge the gap between marketing disciplines and the advanced technologies required for 21st century execution. The company offers a comprehensive set of professional services and technology products including social/digital marketing strategy and programs, social/consumer data analysis technology, content strategy and content distribution technology, and reporting and analytics – all geared toward customer acquisition. R2i clients include Microsoft, Under Armour, Black and Decker, Time Warner Cable and Hershey’s.

Natalie StainesR2Integrated410-369-3689