Facebook Bug Exposed Email Addresses, Phone Numbers Of 6 Million Users

On Friday, Facebook admitted that a bug made the private contact information -- either email addresses or phone numbers -- of 6 million users accidentally accessible to Facebookers who downloaded their account histories onto their own computers. Compared to Facebook's over 1 billion total members, 6 million isn't much. But any security flaw has the potential to frighten people away from a website.

A bug allowed "some of a person?s contact information (email or phone number) to be accessed by people who either had some contact information about that person or some connection to them," Facebook wrote in a note on its security page. Using the network's "Download Your Information" tool, some Facebook members were inadvertently sent the phone numbers or email address of Facebook friends that were otherwise private. Facebook assured users that the bug was fixed within a day, and that there is no evidence that the information was used maliciously.

The bug was found not by Facebook's team, but by someone going through Facebook's "white hat" hacker program, which offers a bounty for anyone who can find bugs on the site, paying a minimum reward of $500 per bug. The bounty is awarded "based on [the bug's] severity and creativity," according to Facebook's White Hat page. In April, HuffPost profiled one of Facebook's most prolific bug finders, Nir Goldshlager.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/facebook-bug_n_3480739.html

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NBA Finals 2013: 5 Things Of Note From Seven Heat-Spurs Games (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

San Antonio Spurs v Miami Heat - Game 7

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat looks to pass against Manu Ginobili #20 and Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter during Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals at AmericanAirlines Arena on June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

San Antonio Spurs v Miami Heat - Game 7

MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: Tim Duncan #21 of the San Antonio Spurs passes the ball against Chris Bosh #1 of the Miami Heat in the first quarter during Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals at AmericanAirlines Arena on June 20, 2013 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

LeBron James,Manu Ginobili

The Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) moves the ball against San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili (20) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Kawhi Leonard ,Hea's Mario

The San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (2) moves the ball against Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) shoots against San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili (20) of Argentina during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Tony Parker,Mike Miller

San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker (9) shoots against the Miami Heat's Mike Miller (13) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

San Antonio Spurs' Danny Green (4) shoots over Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Tim Duncan

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) dunks the ball against the Miami Heat during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) and the Miami Heat's Chris Bosh (1) work during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

A fan holds a sign before the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Erik Spoelstra

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts to play against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Tim Duncan ,Dwyane Wade

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) works for the ball against and Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Tony Parker

San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker (9) reacts to play against the Miami Heat during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Gregg Popovich

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich speaks to players during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships against the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Tony Parker,Gregg Popovich

San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker (9) and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich speak during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships against the Miami Heat, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Tim Duncan ,Chris Bosh

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) blocks the Miami Heat's Chris Bosh (1) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Ray allen, Kawhi Leonard

The Miami Heat's Ray Allen (34) shoots against San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (2) and Boris Diaw (33) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Gary Neal , Ray allen

The San Antonio Spurs' Gary Neal (14) shoots as the Miami Heat's Ray Allen (34) defends during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Tim Duncan,Chris Andersen

The San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) shoots against Miami Heat's Chris Andersen (11) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

LeBron James ,Mario Chalmers

The Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) speaks with Mario Chalmers (15) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships against the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

LeBron James, Chris Andersen ,Kawhi Leonard

Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) and Chris Andersen (11) defend San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (2) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Chris Bosh ,Kawhi Leonard

Miami Heat's Chris Bosh (1) defends San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (2) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Tim Duncan,Dwyane Wade

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) and the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) work during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

LeBron James ,Erik Spoelstra

Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) calls a play as Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra looks on during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships against the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Manu Ginobili

The San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili (20) shoots against the Miami Heat during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Kawhi Leonard ,LeBron James

San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (2) blocks a shot by Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Tim Duncan, Chris Bosh

The San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) blocks a shot by the Miami Heat's Chris Bosh (1) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Tim Duncan ,Dan Craford

San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) talks to NBA official Dan Craford (43) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships against the Miami Heat, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Mario Chalmers (,Tim Duncan

The Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) shoots against the San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Chris Bosh,LeBron James

The Miami Heat's Chris Bosh and LeBron James sit on the bench during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships against the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Drake

Aubrey Drake Graham, known as Drake watches play between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Heat fans react while watching the Game 7 in the NBA Finals between the Heat and the San Antonio Spurs in Miami, on Thursday, June 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

Miami Heat fans react while watching the Game 7 in the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

Rashard Lewis,Monty McCutchen

The San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker (9) argues a call with NBA official Monty McCutchen (13) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships against the Miami Heat, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

LeBron James , Danny Green

The Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) shoots against the San Antonio Spurs' Danny Green (4) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Heat fans react while watching the Game 7 in the NBA Finals between the Heat and the San Antonio Spurs in Miami, on Thursday, June 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

Chris Andersen

Miami Heat power forward Chris Andersen (11) gets the crowd to cheer against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Chris Andersen,Tony Parker

Miami Heat's Chris Andersen (11) defends against San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker (9) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Kawhi Leonard ,LeBron James

San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (2) defends against Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Manu Ginobili ,Gregg Popovich

The San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili (20) speaks with head coach Gregg Popovich during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships against the Miami Heat, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Pat Riley

Miami Heat president Pat Riley and his wife Chris watch action before the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships against the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Julia Dale sings the national anthem before the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Dwyane Wade

The Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade warms up before Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

LeBron James

The Miami Heat's LeBron James warms up before Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Chris Andersen

The Miami Heat's Chris Andersen (11) warms up before Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Dylan Roston, 13, of Miami, watches teams swarm up before the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Manu Ginobili

San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili stretches before Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Steve Mitchell, Pool)

Mike Miller

The Miami Heat' Mike Miller warms up before Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Norris Cole

Miami Heat's Norris Cole warms up before Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Norris Cole

Miami Heat's Norris Cole warms up before Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Steve Mitchell, Pool)

Nelson Gomez, right, and his family friend Joshua Castaneda arrive for Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013 in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/21/nba-finals-2013-heat-spurs_n_3476656.html

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China artist Ai Weiwei protests and mocks in album

BEIJING (AP) ? He is no musician, but dissident artist Ai Weiwei is using music to convey his criticism and mockery of China's authoritarian state.

On the second anniversary of his 81-day secret detention, Ai released his first music album "The Divine Comedy," which includes the previously released single, "Dumbass."

The song is meant to reconstruct his detention, which was part of an overall crackdown on dissent in 2011. Ai's subsequent conviction for tax evasion has been seen by his supporters as punishment for his activism.

The full album released Saturday has five other songs documenting Ai's experiences with police and sharing his reflection on China's current conditions.

Musician Zuoxiao Zuzhou, a friend of Ai, wrote the music, with influences from pop, rock, punk and heavy metal. Ai's vocals appear to spoken more than sang, and the lyrics include obscenities to express his anger at what he sees as a repressive police state.

"I had been thinking about how to recover from the trauma. And I came up with the idea of using music to convey a sentiment that is tremendously secret, and private, to the public," Ai said last month when "Dumbass" was released.

A sculptor, designer and documentary-maker, Ai has irked Beijing by using his art and online profile to draw attention to injustices in China and the need for greater transparency and rule of law.

After his release in June 2011, Ai's design firm was slapped with a $2.4 million tax bill, which he fought unsuccessfully in the Chinese courts.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-artist-ai-weiwei-protests-mocks-album-083410514.html

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What the Solar Impulse's under-the-radar flight says about the future of solar energy

The journey was slow, but successful, and the creators of the aircraft believe they've demonstrated the possibilities of solar energy ? on the ground

On May 3, the Solar Impulse, a conspicuously lanky solar-powered aircraft created at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, lifted off the runway at the Moffett Airfield near San Francisco to fanfare and international media attention. Forty-five days later, on June 16, it concluded its expedition, delivering its pilots safely to Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. ? an event which likely flew entirely under your radar, says The Washington Post's Dominic Basulto.

To be fair, the Solar Impulse isn't a spectacle like a rocket ship, or even the new Airbus "Flossie." Though it has the wingspan of a jumbo jet, the whole craft weighs 3,500 pounds ? about as much as a small car ? and can support just a tiny two-seat cockpit with no amenities, not even plumbing. Each seat is "like a really bad economy seat on an airliner," Gregory Blatt, a managing director of the company told The New York Times.

SEE ALSO: The strange homicide case linked to Patriots star Aaron Hernandez [Updated]

And it doesn't exactly whiz through the air, either. Its 12,000 photovoltaic cells push the craft to an average cruising speed of just 44 mph. For an idea of what such a speed looks like on an airplane, see this video of the Solar Impulse landing in Cincinnati:

SEE ALSO: Why Men's Wearhouse's George Zimmer is a lot like Steve Jobs

But the Solar Impulse was not built with the future of commercial solar air travel in mind. Those involved insist that the project is largely symbolic, an opportunity to show the possibilities of solar energy.

"On the ground, the potential is huge and is readily available," Solar Impulse CEO Andre Borschberg told The Associated Press.

SEE ALSO: Michael Hastings Trutherism

Ernest Moniz, the head of the Department of Energy agreed that the plane probably won't change the way we fly ? but that it could impact the way we drive, build buildings, and power appliances.

Another possible angle for what the Solar Impulse's 45-day journey could symbolize: How long it is taking to fund, develop, and start using solar technology. The first photoelectric cell was built in 1888 by Russian physicist Aleksandr Stoletov. Only now (under the pressure of climate change and oil scarcity) are we transforming it into a viable energy source.

SEE ALSO: The last word: He said he was leaving. She ignored him.

Which isn't to say solar use isn't accelerating. The first quarter of 2013 was the biggest ever for the industry: Across the U.S., 723 megawatts of solar power were installed, bringing the total to 7,962 megawatts. For context, one megawatt of power can sustain about 1000 homes for one hour. We may even be on the cusp of a solar boom.

But Basulto thinks the enthusiasm gap between the time of Solar Impulse's take-off in California and its landing in Washington D.C. might say something about our collective attention span when it comes to renewable energy:

Solar Impulse's journey, in many ways, is a microcosm of our nation's love/hate relationship with renewable energy. We love the promise of clean energy and celebrate the arrival of the latest green gizmos, but we have very little patience for renewable energy strategies that take years, if not decades, to pay off. Our ability to embrace the journey of a zero-fuel airplane over a sustained, 45-day flight from San Francisco to Washington offers a gut-check: Are we, as a nation, able to sustain the march to a zero-fuel economy. [Washington Post]

Still, the Solar Impulse team isn't letting up. "The plane's designers say the successor airplane, already under development, needs crucial but incremental improvements," says the Times. The next version will have plumbing, and each seat "will be like a good business-class seat." That craft will hopefully be used by 2015 for a journey around the world. In the meantime, perhaps solar energy on the ground can catch up.

SEE ALSO: 4 secret societies you probably don't know about

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/solar-impulses-under-radar-flight-says-future-solar-143000275.html

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Hillary Clinton would like to see a woman U.S. president

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton has fed speculation that she might run for the White House in 2016 by telling an audience in Canada that she would like to see a woman president in the United States in her lifetime.

"Let me say this, hypothetically speaking, I really do hope that we have a woman president in my lifetime," Clinton told a private audience in Toronto. "And whether it's next time or the next time after that, it really depends on women stepping up and subjecting themselves to the political process, which is very difficult."

Clinton, a Democrat who was secretary of state under President Barack Obama, a former senator from New York and is the wife of former President Bill Clinton, is said to be undecided whether to seek the presidency in 2016.

Many Democrats and Republicans in the United States are expecting her to run, although the 65-year-old Clinton has said she needed to rest after four years as a globe-trotting secretary of state.

Polls have indicated she is far and away the most popular potential Democratic candidate for 2016, and that most Americans would prefer her to several possible Republican contenders.

Clinton picked up an endorsement on Tuesday from Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, who announced she is supporting a group encouraging Clinton to run for the White House.

McCaskill, who backed Obama over Clinton in the Democratic primaries in 2008, became the first member of Congress to announce her support for Clinton.

She praised the political action committee called Ready for Hillary for using the Internet to build support in the hope that Clinton will run.

Last week Clinton started her official Twitter account, describing herself as, among other things, a "wife, mom, lawyer, women & kids advocate." She alluded to her future as "TBD" - to be determined.

In her speech in Toronto, delivered on Thursday and posted on YouTube on Friday, Clinton said electing a woman president would "would send exactly the right historic signal to girls, women as well as boys and men. And I will certainly vote for the right woman to be president."

(Reporting By Steve Holland; editing by Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hillary-clinton-see-woman-u-president-205335237.html

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Google Mine service reportedly leaked, lets Google+ friends share real goods

Google is big on sharing all things virtual, but it hasn't done a lot to spread the wealth in the physical world. That could change soon: Google Operating System claims to have spotted an in-development Google Mine service that can simplify lending tangible goods. Users can list what they're sharing, offer items to their Google+ circles and keep track of who has what. The web version can reportedly show a collection in 3D through a WebGL viewer named Katamari, and there's also an Android app in tow.

The feature set sounds ideal for generous Google+ users; the real question is whether we'll get to use any of it. Mine is supposedly limited to internal testing for now, and only some of Google's initiatives ever leave its campus. Google hasn't confirmed the effort, but the company tells us that it's "always experimenting" with features and doesn't have anything to share "at this time." Connected borrowers will just have to be patient, then -- assuming the service launches at all.

Filed under: Internet, Google

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google Operating System

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/xnnyfywo8zU/

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Taliban offer adds urgency to Idaho POW rally

AAA??Jun. 22, 2013?4:24 AM ET
Taliban offer adds urgency to Idaho POW rally
By JOHN MILLERBy JOHN MILLER, Associated Press??

A POW-MIA flag flies in front of a pharmacy displaying a sign in support of bringing home U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who is currently being held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan, in Hailey, Idaho, Friday, June 21, 2013. The Afghan war, and the taking of this POW, may have long faded from the minds of most Americans. But for this community in the shadow of Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains, Bowe Bergdahl and his family's fight to free him are "omnipresent," said local Wesley Deklotz. "It's a whole community of people that are keeping him in their thoughts." (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A POW-MIA flag flies in front of a pharmacy displaying a sign in support of bringing home U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who is currently being held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan, in Hailey, Idaho, Friday, June 21, 2013. The Afghan war, and the taking of this POW, may have long faded from the minds of most Americans. But for this community in the shadow of Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains, Bowe Bergdahl and his family's fight to free him are "omnipresent," said local Wesley Deklotz. "It's a whole community of people that are keeping him in their thoughts." (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

This Friday, June 21, 2013 photo shows a yellow ribbon tied to a tree and a banner honoring captive U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in Hailey, Idaho. The Afghan war, and the taking of Bergdahl, may have long faded from the minds of most Americans. But for this community in the shadow of Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains, Bowe Bergdahl and his family's fight to free him are "omnipresent," said local Wesley Deklotz. "It's a whole community of people that are keeping him in their thoughts." (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

POW-MIA flags are installed at a park in support of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who is currently being held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan, in Hailey, Idaho, Friday, June 21, 2013. The Afghan war, and the taking of Bergdahl, may have long faded from the minds of most Americans. But for this community in the shadow of Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains, Bowe Bergdahl and his family's fight to free him are "omnipresent," said local Wesley Deklotz. "It's a whole community of people that are keeping him in their thoughts." (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Calvin Miller, right, and Taylor Heitzman look at a POW-MIA flag installed in support of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who is currently being held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan, in Hailey, Idaho, Friday, June 21, 2013. The Afghan war, and the taking of this Berghdahl, may have long faded from the minds of most Americans. But for this community in the shadow of Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains, Bowe Bergdahl and his family's fight to free him are "omnipresent," said local Wesley Deklotz. "It's a whole community of people that are keeping him in their thoughts." (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's boyhood home near Hailey, Idaho, is seen on Thursday, June 20, 2013. The Taliban on Thursday proposed a deal in which they would free Bergdahl, who has been held captive for four years, in exchange for five of their most senior operatives at Guantanamo Bay. (AP Photo/John Miller)

HAILEY, Idaho (AP) ? The father and mother of the only known U.S. prisoner of war plan to speak on Saturday afternoon to a big crowd in their central Idaho hometown just days after his Taliban captors announced they want to exchange him for prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay.

Bob and Jani Bergdahl were already on a list of speakers at the "Bring Bowe Back" celebration in Hailey, Idaho, when the Taliban proposed the prisoner swap on Thursday.

Organizer Stefanie O'Neill said the parents of U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, captured four years ago June 30, haven't wavered in their pledge to address those who gather, a group that will include as many as 1,000 POW-MIA activists aboard motorcycles riding into town.

Though yellow ribbons on Main Street trees and "Bring Bowe Home" placards in Hailey shop windows are a constant reminder of the 27-year-old Bergdahl's captivity, O'Neill said the Taliban offer has lent an addition element of urgency ? and hope ? to the event.

"We're not a community without Bowe," O'Neill said. "We're doing our best, but we need him back."

Bob Bergdahl plans to ride his son's dirt bike as part of the motorcycle procession that will travel north on Idaho State Highway 75 to Hailey's Hop Porter Park. That's where young four Norway maples have been planted overlooking the children's playground to commemorate each of the four years Bowe Bergdahl been held captive following his June 30, 2009 capture in Afghanistan.

He's believed held somewhere in Pakistan, but the Taliban said they would free him in exchange for five of their most senior operatives at Guantanamo Bay, the American installation on the southeastern tip of Cuba that's housed suspected terrorists following the Sept. 11 attacks.

The militant group's proposition came just days ahead of possible talks between a U.S. delegation and Taliban members in Qatar.

The discussions would be the first U.S.-Taliban talks in nearly 1 1/2 years, and the prospect that they could include discussions over Bergdahl have raised his family's spirits in Hailey, according to Donna Thibedeau-Eddy, a family friend.

The discussions are just the latest good news Bob and Jani Bergdahl have received in recent weeks. On June 6, they announced they had received a letter in Bowe's handwriting, the first since he was taken prisoner, shuttled through the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-22-Captured%20Soldier-Rally/id-a898b6226b134eb18f981effdff560da

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