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What Did The World's Most Notorious Criminals Request for Their Last Meals? In our minds, the story of notorious criminals usually ends when they finally end up behind bars, but just like most criminals on death row, they're also granted a last meal. What they chose says a lot about them, and adds a personal and (somewhat) humanizing element to the equation. So read on to learn what some of the world's most notorious criminals ate for their final meal. Ted Bundy This notorious serial killer, who confessed to 30 murders but may have committed even more, declined a special meal before his 1989 execution, so he was given the meal that the Florida prison he was incarcerated in typically gave to others on death row: medium-rare steak, eggs over easy, toast with butter and jelly, hash browns, milk, coffee, and juice. He didn't eat any of it. Adolf Eichmann Before this Nazi senior officer was executed in Israel in 1962, his final request was a bottle of Carmel, an Israeli red wine. He drank about half of the bottle. John Wayne Gacy This serial killer, who murdered at least 33 young men, requested a dozen fried shrimp, a bucket of KFC original recipe fried chicken, French fries, and a pound of strawberries before his execution in 1980. Bruno Hauptmann Back in 1939, the convicted kidnapper and murderer of aviation ace Charles Lindbergh's baby, Bruno Richard Hauptmann, ate a final meal of chicken, French fries, buttered peas, celery, olives, cherries, and a slice of cake. Peter Kürten Known as "The Vampire of Düsseldorf" Peter Kürten was convicted of committing a series of sexual assaults and murders around that German city in 1929. Before his execution in 1931, he requested Wienerschnitzel, fried potatoes, and a bottle of white wine. He requested seconds, and was given them. Timothy McVeigh The mastermind of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing requested two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream for his final meal before his 2001 execution. John Allen Muhammad The Beltway Sniper who terrorized the D.C. area in 2002 was executed in 2009 after requesting a final meal of chicken with red sauce and cake. Danny Rolling The serial killer known as the Gainesville Ripper. sentenced to death for murdering eight people, was executed in 2006. His final meal was lobster tail, butterfly shrimp, baked potato, strawberry cheesecake, and sweet tea. Ruth Snyder A photo of the electric-chair execution of husband-killer Ruth Snyder at New York's Sing Sing in 1928 was splashed over one of the most famous newspaper front pages of all time . For her final meal, she requested chicken parmesan with pasta Alfredo, ice cream, two milkshakes, and a 12-pack of grape soda. Karla Faye Tucker Karla Faye Tucker, sentenced to death for murdering two people in cold blood before becoming the subject of an international movement advocating commutation of the sentence, was the first woman executed in the U.S. in 14 years when she was given a lethal injection in 1998. For her final meal, she famously requested a banana, a peach, and a garden salad with ranch dressing. Aileen Wuornos Convicted of the murders of seven men in Florida in 1989 and 1990, Wuornos was sentenced to death and executed in 2002. She declined a special meal, and instead had a hamburger, some snack food, and coffee from the prison's canteen.
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Doc Rivers on the loss to the Toronto Raptors.
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Richie Incognito will visit the Bills on Saturday and take a physical according to ESPN's James Walker . The Buffalo News reports the visit is just "a formality" and that Incognito is going to become a member of the Bills. According to the report, Incognito "was a high priority target for Rex Ryan." MORE: Bush angry at comments | Ryan updates tattoo for Bills | Rice's Stickum reveal | PHOTOS: NFL's richest owners Incognito made national headlines when he was indefinitely suspended by the league in November 2013 for the bullying incident regarding teammate Jonathan Martin. His suspension was lifted in February 2014 and in March Incognito became a free agent. He was only contacted by a few teams, not signing with any. The troubled offensive lineman will join the Bills' offseason roster, which can hold up to 90 players. He'll need to prove his worth in order to make the 53-man cut when the regular season rolls around. This is not Incognito's first time on Buffalo's roster. He played three games with the Bills in 2009 after being claimed off waivers from St. Louis. In four seasons with the Rams, Incognito was penalized 38 times, including seven unnecessary roughness penalties, the most in the league during that span. His release came after a pair of roughness penalties in a 47-7 loss to the Titan.
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Capitals Nicklas Backstrom scored the game-winner in a 3-2 shootout victory over the Ducks at home on Friday.
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Immediately after Russell Wilson threw a game-ending interception to Malcolm Butler, Marshawn Lynch appeared to be laughing and smiling from ear-to-ear in a new video thats been released. We'd expect a much different reaction from Lynch after his team blew a potential Super Bowl-winning touchdown on 2nd & goal when Russell Wilson threw an interception rather than simply handing the ball to 'Beast Mode.'
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ESPN reporter Marc Stein recorded a live segment for SportsCenter in the hallway of the Phillips Arena in Atlanta recently. Apparently Stein thought the backdrop of a hallway with people walking by was perfect for live television. It is, unless a couple of goofballs happen to be there.
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The Sixers' 10-day point guard led a valiant third and fourth-quarter rally. But it was too little, too late. BOSTON Brett Brown's voice was hoarse, his face red, his eyes glassy the effects of storming up and down the sideline, pleading his team for its best effort while leading a fight that was nothing but an uphill battle. "We just try to remember who we are even though we didn't have any point guards," Brown said. "You can still find ways to do better defensively. I thought we reclaimed who we are in the third period. That's the nature of this group, we've done this a lot." After facing a 60-42 deficit at halftime, the Sixers outscored the Celtics 27-15 in the third quarter, trimming Boston's lead to just six. Brown kept the lineup of Hollis Thompson , K.J. McDaniels , Luc Mbah a Moute, Henry Sims and recently signed Tim Frazier to open the fourth, and Philly managed to make it an 80-77 game with 8:14 left to play following a Thompson triple. Then as Frazier said post-game, basketball is a game of runs Boston flipped the switch, used a 19-7 run of it's own to claim 99-84 lead with 2:52 remaining. Brown called timeout to rally the troops, but the game had already been decided. "They're a team that's hanging around and trying to make the playoffs," Brown said of the Celtics. "All the good teams have something you can call upon that can, bam, change a game. [ Marcus Thornton ] went whack, whack, they hit another three. It set the table for the rest of the game." Behind big first half performances from Jared Sullinger and Avery Bradley , the Boston Celtics built a 60-42 halftime lead. With starting point guard Michael Carter-Williams sidelined with an ailing right foot, Brown looked to JaKarr Sampson to begin the game with lead ball-handling duties. PointKarr didn't exactly work to Brown's plans. As a team, the Sixers struggled mightily on offense, shooting just 30 percent in the first quarter. As a team, the Sixers' 11 first-half turnovers resulted into 14 points for Boston. Frazier did manage to right the ship, however. Making his NBA debut, the former Penn State point guard dished 11 assists to just two turnovers and grabbed five rebounds in 35 minutes of action leading the Sixers' rally. Thompson (16 points) and Sims (12 points) also delivered strong performances off the bench. Mbah a Moute chipped in a team-high 18 points on 7-14 shooting. His progression as an offensive player continues to be entertaining. In the end, it's another loss with positives sprinkled in left and right. The Sixers are back in action tomorrow vs. Charlotte. It seems unlikely we'll see Carter-Williams dressed for game action on Saturday, let alone before the All-Star break out of precaution.
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2015 auction season now in full swing as rare cars go under the hammer in Paris, including Mussolini's Alfa Romeo 60 of the world's rarest vehicles go under the hammer Back for its second year, the RM Auctions sale at Retromobile featured 60 of the world's finest and rarest automobiles. As expected, a few cars topped a million Euros (approx. $1.13M US Dollars) in the sale room, although a number of others failed to meet their pre-auction estimates. Here we take you through the highlights of the auction held in Paris. Ferrari 250 GTL Lusso Sold for €1,450,000 ($1,640,675) The Ferrari 250 GTL Lusso is perhaps one of Pininfarina's finest creations. First seen at the 1962 Paris Motor Show, the GTL encapsulated all that was good about '50s grand tourers, yet added a greater level of elegance for the 1960s. A contributing factor to the final sale price of this particular GTL was the fact it had never been seen at auction before. Alfa Romeo 6C2500 Sport Berlinetta High bid of €1,800,000 ($2,036,700) Known as the "Mussolini Mistress", this 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C2500 sold for a remarkable amount of money. Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, gifted this car to his favoured mistress, Claretta Petacci. Had this Alfa Romeo sold for $2 million, it would have created quite a stir. As it happens, it didn't reach its reserve. AC Ace-Bristol Sold for €224,000 ($253,000) Before the iconic AC Cobra came this, the AC Ace-Bristol. This particular example left the factory in Thames Ditton on the 6th March 1957 and it still retains its original 2.0-liter Bristol engine. According to RM Auctions, it is "ideal for fast travel in high style". Jaguar XK120 High bid of €240,000 ($271,500) The Jaguar XK120 is a stalwart of the classic car auction calendar, but we never get tired of seeing them. This 1949 example was sold new in Canada and was subject to a complete restoration in 1990. Wonder if the F-Type Convertible will attract such prices in six decades' time? Ferrari Testarossa Sold for $168,000. This glorious 1989 Ferrari Testarossa was offered without reserve, so there was a potential bargain in the offering. Despite this, it achieved a solid price, with bidders clearly remembering their misspent youth playing Out Run in the arcades or watching Miami Vice on TV. Then again… Citroen 2CV Charleston Sold for €14,000 ($15,800) We interrupt this gallery of fine exotica to bring you news of a Tin Snail. The auction was in Paris after all. The Citroen 2CV Charleston was the first car to go under the hammer and - thanks to a top-notch restoration - it sold for a healthy price. Lancia Stratos HF Stradale Sold for €386,400 ($437,200) Just how wonderful does this Lancia Stratos look? Not only that, it's a one-owner car and it still wears its original Italian registration. There may be a slight delay to this gallery as we're struggling to contain ourselves. Maserati Sebring 3700GT Sold for €168,000 ($190,000) This Maserati Sebring 3700GT Series II is notable for more than doubling its pre-auction estimate. There are a number of things in its favor, not least the fact that it was the actual 1967 Barcelona Motor Show car. Maserati Ghibli 4.7 Spyder Sold for €550,000 ($622,000) The Maserati Ghibli was a big hit at the 1966 Turin Motor Show, but a mere 125 Spyders were actually built. This particular example boasts factory air conditioning and a Becker Europa radio. Worth more than half a million dollars of anyone's money. Aston Martin DB5 Sold for €840,000 ($950,000) Another car to smash its pre-auction estimate. It is, of course, the Aston Martin DB5. We always thought the DB5 looked great in Goldfinger , but now we've seen this one wearing white-wall tires, we're not so sure... Bentley 4.5-liter 'Honeymoon Express' Sold for €672,000 ($760,000) This was Bentley's very own 1938 Earls Court Motor Show display car and - thanks to a lack of rear seats - was nicknamed the 'Honeymoon Express'. It was restored at a cost of over half a million dollars, making the final sale price seem like a bit of a bargain. Porsche 904 Carrera GTS Sold for €1,428,000 ($1,615,000) A big price was expected for this Porsche 904 Carrera GTS and it didn't disappoint. Thanks to an extensive competition history and eligibility for future historic events and rallies, bidding was strong. Look out for this one on the circuits of the world. Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 Sold for €476,000 ($539,000) It all started with a disagreement between tractor-maker, Ferruccio Lamborghini, and Enzo Ferrari. And the rest, as they say, is history. For all the supercars and bedroom wall poster cars to wear a Lamborghini badge, few cars can top the elegance and sophistication of the 400 GT. Beautiful. Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Sold for €705,600 ($798,000) And speaking of beautiful creations, this has to be up there with the very best Ferraris of all time. A succession of famous owners, along with a full matching-numbers European specification, helped this Daytona achieve a healthy sum. Can't help but feel it's incredibly good value for such an iconic Ferrari. Iso Grifo A3/C Stradale Sold for €1,036,000 ($1,172,000) This Iso Grifo has been dubbed the "Green Apple". No prizes for guessing why. We can't remember the last time a Granny Smith sold for over a million dollars. Ferrari F40 Sold for €1,176,000 ($1,330,000) The Ferrari F40 just gets better with age. This 1990 car has been owned by the same family since new and has only covered a tiny 745 miles. Seems like such a waste to us. Surely you'd want to drive it. Like, everyday. Lancia 037 Stradale Sold for €336,000 ($380,000) It was only a matter of time before the prices of exotic Lancias caught up with their Italian thoroughbred cousins. The Lancia 037 is an iconic car of the 1980s, so the auction price is no surprise. This is a one-owner example with just 8,600 miles on the clock. Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight High bid of €925,000 ($1,045,000) Despite attracting a highest bid knocking on the door of a million dollars, this Porsche 911 Carrera RS Lightweight failed to reach its pre-auction estimate. One of only 200 built. Porsche 911 S factory race car High bid of €1,050,000 ($1,188,000) Another million-plus-dollar Porsche, and another that didn't match pre-auction expectations. One of only six factory-built 1969 911 S rally cars and the winner of the 1969 Acropolis Rally. This car also competed at Le Mans on no fewer than three occasions. Panhard et Levassor X82 Dynamic 160 Berline Sold for €13,440 ($15,000) Did you take your brave pills this morning? Then you might fancy the challenge of restoring this 1949 Panhard et Levassor X82 Dynamic 160 Berline. it's only a hunch, but we don't think you'll find off-the-shelf parts for this down at your local Pep Boys. Lamborghini Countach LP400S Sold for €392,000 ($445,000) One of only 105 Countach LP400S Series II examples built and one of only three cars to be upgraded by Bob Wallace with twin turbochargers. We reckon this could be a bit of a handful. Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Super Carabinieri Sold for €31,360 ($35,000) To the person who bought this Alfa Romeo Giulia police car, please do the right thing and source three Mini Coopers to reenact the famous scenes from The Italian Job. Ferrari 308 GTB Group B Sold for €291,200 ($329,500) What's not to like about a Ferrari 308 GTB converted to rally racing specification? Nothing. Just imagine driving this around on a Saturday morning. You might get noticed. Delahaye 135S High bid of €1,025,000 ($1,160,000) This ex-Ecurie France Delahaye 135S raced at Le Mans in 1937, 1938 and 1939 and is one of only 16 cars constructed. Even at $1.1 million, it failed to reach its reserve. Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopio High bid of €950,000 ($1,075,000) One of only 150 Periscopio models ever produced, this particular Countach was delivered new in Australia. Even at over a million dollars, it failed to reach its reserve. Ferrari 365 GTC/4 Sold for €224,000 ($253,000) For some reason, this Ferrari 365 GTC/4 really appeals. With a 340-hp, 4.4-liter V12 engine, understated Pininfarina styling and 2+2 seating arrangement, it's a classic Q-car. The Argento Auteuil paint obviously helps. Alpine A110 1600S Sold for €128,800 ($145,700) You've gotta love this. The Alpine A110 is appealing in itself, but this one was a class winner at the 1980 Madeira Rally. And with the Alpine name set for a comeback, interest and values in earlier cars can only rise. BMW Z8 Sold for €184,800 ($208,000) Made famous by James Bond, the initial reception for the BMW Z8 was lukewarm. But since then its popularity has been on the rise, as have the values of good examples. And with just 20,000 miles on the clock, this is a good example. Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster Sold for €1,232,000 ($1,400,000) We wrap things up with the majesty of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster. The most appealing aspect of this particular SL is its originality. It's so very classy.
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ATLANTA (AP) -- The Atlanta Hawks climbed back to the top of the NBA standings by leaning on their depth. Jeff Teague scored 23 points and the Atlanta Hawks overcame Golden State's one-two backcourt punch with balance, beating the Warriors 124-116 on Friday night in a showdown between the NBA's two conference leaders. Seven Hawks scored in double figures. BOX SCORE: HAWKS 124, WARRIORS 116 "I think we share the ball more than they do," said Atlanta's Dennis Schroder, who had nine points and seven assists off the bench. "I think that's why we won the game tonight." The anticipated matchup did not disappoint. It was tied 52-all at halftime and Atlanta led by four entering the final period. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Mike Scott and Kyle Korver, who each had 17 points, helped stretch the lead. The Hawks (42-9, .824) passed the Warriors (39-9, .813) for the league's best record. It was tempting for all -- with the possible exception of Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer -- to view the game as a possible NBA finals preview. "I don't think one bit about that," Budenholzer said without a smile after the game. The Warriors leaned on their one-two punch of Klay Thompson, who had 29 points, and Stephen Curry, who had 26 with nine assists. Golden State had only two other scorers in double figures. Al Horford had 12 points and 14 rebounds, despite playing only eight minutes in the second half due to foul trouble, and Paul Millsap had 21. Nine of the 11 points Teague scored in the final frame came on free throws. "They were good," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. "They were better than us. We broke down defensively. They had a lot to do with that because of the way they stretch you out." Atlanta led 100-90 with 8:32 remaining. Golden State cut it to six points when Horford was charged with an offensive foul -- his fifth. Horford drew a technical when protesting the call. He had to leave the game, just as he did with 8:21 remaining in the third, when he drew his fourth foul, also on a charge. Less than three minutes later, Golden State's Draymond Green drew a technical for arguing a foul call. TIP-INS Warriors: Golden State had its three-game winning streak snapped. ... Curry had 15 points in the third period. ... Had their five-game winning streak over the Hawks end with their first loss in Atlanta since Dec. 29, 2010. ... Curry has at least one 3-pointer in 58 consecutive road games, the NBA's longest active streak. ... Harrison Barnes and Green each had 12 points. Green had a career-high 20 rebounds, the team's first 20-rebound game since Andrew Bogut grabbed that many on Dec. 21, 2012. Hawks: Atlanta had 72 second-half points. ... G Shelvin Mack was in uniform but did not play after being inactive nine straight games with a left calf strain. ... Horford, Teague and Millsap were handed their All-Star jerseys in a pregame ceremony. ... The Hawks said about 170 credentials were issued for the game -- more than for any Atlanta playoff game last season. KERR'S COMEDY With the Warriors in the middle of a stretch with four games in five nights, coach Steve Kerr was asked before the game if he plans to rest any players against Atlanta. "I am. I've decided to rest Steph, Klay, Draymond and Bogut," Kerr said, naming four starters. Just kidding. Kerr added with a laugh: "Can I get fined for a joke?" THREE FOR ALL The game brought together three contenders in next week's NBA Three-Point Contest at the All-Star game. The "Splash Brothers" of Curry and Thompson and Atlanta's Korver will join five others in the contest. Korver had support from other long-range shooters. Kent Bazemore made each of his three 3s in the first half. Scott hit back-to-back 3s at the end of the third to give Atlanta an 89-85 lead entering the final quarter. UP NEXT Warriors: Visit Knicks on Saturday Hawks: Visit Grizzlies on Sunday.
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ATLANTA Atlanta's balance overcame Golden State's one-two backcourt punch as Jeff Teague scored 23 to lead seven players in double figures and the Hawks beat the Warriors 124-116 on Friday night in a showdown between the NBA's conference leaders. The anticipated matchup did not disappoint. It was tied 52-all at halftime and Atlanta led by four entering the final period. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Mike Scott and Kyle Korver, who each had 17 points, helped stretch the lead. The one-two punch of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson did do some damage. Thompson scored 29 points and Curry had 26 for Golden State, which had its three-game winning streak snapped. Al Horford had 12 points and 14 rebounds despite having his playing time limited by foul trouble in the second half. Paul Millsap had 21. Teague had 11 points in the final period, most coming on free throws. Atlanta led 100-90 with 8:32 remaining. Golden State cut it to six points when Horford was charged with an offensive foul his fifth. Horford drew a technical when protesting the call. He had to leave the game, just as he did with 8:21 remaining in the third, when he drew his fourth foul, also on a charge. Less than three minutes later, Golden State's Draymond Green drew a technical for arguing a foul call. The Hawks pulled even late in the half with five quick points. Following a drive and finger-roll layup by Dennis Schroder, Horford's steal set up Korver's 3-pointer for a 34-all tie. Curry made only three of nine shots in the half. He had more success with his slashing drives through Atlanta's defense than he did when making only one of five 3s in the half. Curry had two late driving layups, and two free throws by Thompson with one-tenth of a second remaining tied the game at 52-all at half. The game brought together three contenders in the Three-Point Contest on Feb. 14, one day before the NBA All-Star game. The "Splash Brothers" of Curry and Thompson and Atlanta's Korver will join five others in the contest. Korver had support from other long-range shooters. Kent Bazemore made each of his three 3s in the first half. Scott hit back-to-back 3s at the end of the third to give Atlanta an 89-85 lead entering the final quarter. TIP-INS Warriors: Curry had 15 points in the third period. ... Golden State had its five-game winning streak over the Hawks end with their first loss in Atlanta since Dec. 29, 2010. ... Curry has at least one 3-pointer in 58 consecutive road games, the NBA's longest active streak. ... Harrison Barnes and Green, who each had 12 points, were Golden State's only other scorers in double figures. Hawks: Atlanta had 72 second-half points. ... G Shelvin Mack was in uniform but did not play after being inactive nine straight games with a left calf strain. ... Horford, Teague and Millsap were handed their All-Star jerseys in a pregame ceremony. ... The Hawks said about 170 credentials were issued for the game more than for any Atlanta playoff game last season. UP NEXT Warriors: Visit Knicks on Saturday Hawks: Visit Grizzlies on Sunday.
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While Dallas Cowboy fans are still hung up about Dez Bryant's catch or non catch against the Packers, the superstar wide receiver is back to work. If you've ever questioned Bryant's dedication, you'll think again after seeing his crazy ab workout routine.
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'Off the Record,' 2/6/15: A look back at some of the most memorable moments of an iconic president who sure loved America
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The University of British Columbia Okanagan is offering a four-year course dedicated to footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. Kevin Egan weighs in on the unusual program.
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NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Long-time New Jersey Devil Patrik Elias finally joined the 400-goal club. The "achievement" for the Toronto Maple Leafs on the same night was no cause for celebration. Elias ended a nine-game goal-scoring drought with his 400th career tally and the Devils sent the Maple Leafs a franchise-record 11th straight loss, 4-1 Friday night. "Yeah, finally, that's how it felt," said Elias, who earlier this season picked up his 600th assist and 1,000th point. "It seems good to finally get on the board. It's been a while. It's been a strange year." Elias, who has spent his entire 17-year NHL career with the Devils, became the 91st player in league history to score 400 goals with a shot from inside the right circle early in the second period off a nice pass by Travis Zajac. It came less than a minute after Elias hit the post. The goal came with Elias' daughter, Sophia, in attendance at the Prudential Center, marking the first time the toddler has seen him score, Elias believes. "It's a great accomplishment to score 400 goals in this league," Zajac said of Elias, who has played on two of the Devils' three Stanley Cup winners. "He is a pretty special player for this team for a long time." Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said Elias is an all-purpose player who plays at both ends of the ice. "He has the highest hockey sense you can have," Lamoriello said. Cory Schneider had 33 saves, giving up a third-period power-play goal to Tyler Bozak. Tuomo Ruutu, Steve Bernier and Jaromir Jagr also scored as the streaking Devils won their third straight for the first time since the start of the season and improved to 8-2-2 in the last dozen games. The Maple Leafs' skid breaks the old mark set by the 1966-67 team. That group rebounded with a 10-game unbeaten streak (eight wins, two ties) and won the Stanley Cup, the last time Toronto was in a Cup final. "These are not the kind of records you want to set," Bozak said. "It's awful." The Maple Leafs will have a chance to end the streak Saturday against Edmonton, the NHL's second-worst team. Reimer used blunts words to describe the Maple Leafs' streak. "When things are going the way they're going, we have to find a way to rally around each other," he said. "We have to smarten up and play with passion, play like men, play with resolve. We don't have that right now." Ruutu had given the Devils the lead midway through the first period, aided by a lucky bounce off the boards behind the net. Ruutu made a cross-ice pass to Mark Fraser at the left point, but Fraser's shot was wide of the net. The puck came out the right side and Ruutu slid the puck in off the skate of goaltender James Reimer, who could not get to the goal post quick enough. Bernier extended the lead to 3-0 later in the second period with his sixth goal in eight games. Reimer made a pad save on a shot by Adam Larsson from the right point, but the rebound hit the back of Bernier's skate and went into the net. "Whenever we made a mistake, it ends up in the back of the net," Bozak said. Until Bozak scored with 8:09 left in regulation, the closest the Maple Leafs came was a shot off the crossbar by former Devil David Clarkson in the first period. Bozak got his 15th by tapping the rebound of Phil Kessel's shot into an open net. Kessel's shot hit off the crossbar and the Devils seemed to stop playing, thinking the shot went in the net. Jagr scored into an empty net for his 716th career goal, one behind Phil Esposito for fifth in NHL history. NOTES: Devils F Adam Henrique celebrated his 25th birthday. ...Kessel was lucky not to be cut when hit in the face by the stick of Toronto D Cody Franson in a first-period scramble in front of the Leafs net. ...Toronto D Dion Phaneuf missed his fifth straight game with an upper-body injury. ...Devils RW Michael Ryder has been a healthy scratch for five straight games. ...New Jersey was 4-0-1 on the just completed five-game homestand. ...Keith Kinkaid will start in goal for the Devils in Montreal on Saturday night.
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Marc-Andre Fleury racked up 21 saves on the way to his franchise-record eighth shutout of the season on Friday night. The Penguins knocked off the Flames 4-0.
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Ryan Johansen comments on the Blue Jackets' 7-1 win over the Blues.
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Corey Schneider stopped 33 Maple Leafs shots and gave up a lone goal in the Devils 4-1 win on Friday. Schneider improved to 7-1-1 in his last nine games.
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INDIANAPOLIS George Hill was just looking to get to the free throw line when he heaved up an awkward 3-pointer. Instead, he put his Pacers in position to end the Cavaliers' winning streak. C.J. Miles scored 26 points, Hill converted a key four-point play and the Indiana Pacers ended the Cleveland Cavaliers' 12-game winning streak, 103-99 Friday night. BOX SCORE: PACERS 103, CAVS 99 Trailing by one with 1:26 to play, Kyrie Irving fouled Hill off a ball screen while shooting an off-balance, one-handed 3. Hill made the 3 and the free throw to extend Indiana's lead to three points. Hill finished with 20 points. "I just wanted to make a play. Shots weren't falling for me at the time," Hill said. "I was trying to figure out ways to get to the free throw line and I knew (Irving) was pressing over up over the screen. (I) tried to draw the foul and it worked to our advantage." In the first half, it looked as if Indiana couldn't get anything working to its advantage. Cleveland was hot from the floor despite playing on the second of back-to-back games. The Cavs shot 51 percent and made five 3s in the first half including a 3 from Irving with 0.5 seconds left in the second quarter. The Cavs (31-21) continued to pile on, leading by as many as 13 points in the third quarter. But Cleveland struggled to maintain the lead. The Pacers (19-32) played perhaps their grittiest game of the season and pushed back, closing out the final four minutes of the third quarter on a 14-2 run that brought them within three points. "There was a point where we said it's just about hanging in," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "They (Cleveland) played last night. We just wanted to keep wearing them down." After wearing them down in the third, Miles led a surge in the fourth quarter, scoring 16. Miles hit a 3-pointer with five minutes left that gave the Pacers their first lead of the game. The lead changed seven times over next four minutes until Indiana pulled away with less than a minute to go. J.R. Smith had two 3-pointers in the final 12 seconds and finished with 17 points. "(After struggling early) I got a dunk, I got a layup. I saw it and it was just (about) staying confident," Miles said. "Then I got a couple looks and it was on from there. They play well and they execute well, we were just able to make some plays and win the game." David West grabbed 13 rebounds and had 20 points, recording his third double-double of the season. The Pacers have won two straight, with both wins coming against conference opponents. Irving had one of his best performances of the season overshadowed by the loss. He scored 29 points and added five assists. LeBron James had 25 points, five assists and six rebounds in his first game in Indianapolis since last season's Eastern Conference finals with Miami. "I thought we had a really good chance to win this game tonight," James said. "They played an excellent game. I watch a lot of their games and they don't normally make shots like they did tonight. Late in the game we didn't execute like I believe we're capable of doing. We gave up too many points and a lot of them came in the fourth quarter." James went to the bench at the end of the game due to a sore ankle. He also appeared to injure his ankle when he was also fouled by Roy Hibbert in the fourth quarter. It was ruled a flagrant 1 and James walked to the bench holding his wrist. "(James) got hit quite a few times tonight," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said. "He took a couple fouls that were not easy. He is a little banged up as it is. We're going to see how (James) feels tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully he'll play (Sunday) if he can't, then he won't." TIP-INS Cavaliers: The Cavaliers fell one win short of tying their franchise-best winning streak at 13-games. They had two 13-game streaks in 2010, LeBron's final season before going to Miami. Kyrie Irving has never won in Indianapolis Pacers: All five starters scored in double figures. Indiana is 2-3 this season when that happens. UP NEXT: Indiana: travels to Charlotte Sunday. Cleveland: hosts the Lakers Sunday.
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PORTLAND, Maine A Republican congressman is brushing off criticism from conservatives angry that he didn't vote to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law. U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin of Maine joined Reps. Bob Dold of Illinois and John Katko of New York to become the only three Republicans to vote this week against a proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Poliquin said he opposes the law but believes a replacement plan needs to be developed first. Furthermore, the House has voted several times to repeal the law and it has never become a reality, he said. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result," the freshman representing the vast, rural 2nd District said Friday. "I'm doing exactly what I told the voters I would do, which is to come down here and fix problems." Some conservative groups are condemning Poliquin for his action, including the national board of the libertarian-leaning Republican Liberty Caucus, which voted Thursday to rescind its endorsement of him. "We were both stunned and disappointed by Rep. Poliquin's vote," Matt Nye, national chair of the Republican Liberty Caucus, said in a statement. The Campaign for Liberty, a group founded by former Texas Rep. Ron Paul, also slammed Poliquin this week, saying he broke his pledge to "support and cast every vote for legislation that will repeal or defund ObamaCare." The House voted 239-186 to repeal the health care law. All three of the Republicans who voted against the measure were elected in districts won by Obama. Katko also said he would vote to repeal Obama's health care law if there's a replacement. Dold previously opposed the Affordable Care Act but said it's time to stop talking about its flaws and to start talking about fixing them. "Casting yet another symbolic vote for full repeal of the law, without any replacement legislation, simply distracts us from the work that must be done to drive costs down, restore access to care and make healthcare work for everyone," he said in a statement. Poliquin said during his 2012 Senate campaign that one of his priorities in Congress would be to repeal the health care law, but has stressed more recently the need to fix the existing law. The congressman wants to replace the law with a "free-market alternative," like one outlined by some GOP members this week that would eliminate insurance marketplaces and abolish taxes the law imposes on medical devices, among other things. Poliquin hasn't endorsed the plan, but said any replacement must require health insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions and help the more than 60,000 Maine residents who already have signed up for coverage on the exchange. Nye dismissed the idea that Congress must pass an alternative plan before the health care law can be repealed. "Poliquin's reasoning is analogous to cutting off your arm at work and saying you're not going to stanch the bleeding until you've worked out a new safety policy with management," he said. ___ Follow Alanna Durkin at http://www.twitter.com/aedurkin
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Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the Ed O'Bannon class-action antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA should be awarded less than 20% of the nearly $50.9 million in attorneys' fees and other costs they are seeking in the case, the association argued in a filing Friday night. This past August, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled that the NCAA's limits on what major-college football and men's basketball players can receive for playing sports "unreasonably restrain trade" in violation of antitrust laws. She also issued an injunction that would the create a system under which Bowl Subdivision football and Division I men's basketball players would be able to receive not only scholarships covering their full cost of attending school but also what amounts to deferred compensation in exchange for their participation and the schools' use of their names, images and likenesses. The case did not include a financial damages component, but Wilken also ruled that the plaintiffs "shall recover their costs from the NCAA." In a filing that underwent a final revision in November, the plaintiffs led by Michael Hausfeld's firm, Hausfeld LLP wrote that they are seeking attorneys' fees of $45,573,985 and recoverable costs and expenses of $5,295,062. They also asked for consideration of "an upward adjustment" of the final amount awarded because the case "carried an exceptional risk of defeat and required a tremendous amount of time and labor that in turn precluded other employment." The NCAA has appealed the ruling and the accompanying injunction to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has scheduled oral argument for March 17. In the meantime, Wilken has handed oversight of the fees-and-costs battle to Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins. On Friday night, the NCAA asked Cousins to reduce the requested fees by at least $36.9 million and the requested costs by more than $4.9 million. The NCAA argued that the plaintiffs changed their legal approach more than three years into a case that began in July 2009, and the lawyers essentially should not get paid for the work they did during those early years. They also said that even after changing legal theories, the plaintiffs "were only partially successful," that O'Bannon and the original named plaintiffs are getting no benefit from the injunction that Wilken issued, and that the injunction even if it survives appeal is "only a fraction" of what had been sought by the plaintiffs. During the latter stages of the trial this past June, the plaintiffs offered an array of suggestions of what could be allowed under an injunction, including the prospect of college athletes being allowed to receive money from endorsements. "Plaintiffs' requested fees and costs are far beyond what is permissible given this limited success," the NCAA wrote. "Plaintiffs should recover nothing for the unsuccessful claims pursued on behalf of the original named plaintiffs, and the fees and costs they incurred while pursuing injunctive relief on behalf of the post-2012 class must be reduced to reflect their limited success." The NCAA also contended that the more than 30 other law firms that helped the Hausfeld firm with the case "added very little of substance, but padded (the fee total) by billing thousands of hours of useless time." In addition, the NCAA cited allegations regarding Hausfeld LLP billing practices made by a former Hausfeld LLP partner and member of the plaintiffs' legal team, Jon King. In a wrongful termination suit against Hausfeld LLP that ended up being dismissed, King, according to the NCAA, "publicly admitted that Hausfeld LLP engaged in a 'scheme' of 'overstaffing' this case 'resulting in massive inefficiency and a stunning amount of attorney time being spent.' ... The billing records confirm King's admission counsel padded the file with duplicative and unproductive work to inflate their fees." The plaintiffs will be allowed to file a reply brief by March 9.
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This is going to be awesome, I've totally got this! Say hello to the next Lindsey Vonn, everybody. Geez this chairlift is putting us up pretty high. And this "slope" seems a lot more like the edge of a cliff yikes that's steep. Can I take the chairlift back down? How "injured" do I have to be in order to have ski patrol come get me? Giving this a shot… going good, staying on my feet, OK… I stood for at least 10 seconds though. Damn these seven-year-olds! How do they get so good? There's no way everyone else is this uncomfortable in their boots. It's pure torture. OK, I think I've almost got the hang of it. Just a few more months of nothing but skiing and I'll be as good as that seven-year-old!
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Antonio Banderas, 54, is on form. The Spanish star will shortly play Pablo Picasso in "33 Dias," and will be in Terrence Malick's next film, "Knight of Cups." Relaxed, the actor sat down with a few journalists to discuss playing a pirate in the new "Spongebob Squarepants" movie, as well as hiking to Machu Picchu with his daughter, and why he wants to leave Hollywood. Q. You play a pirate in "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water." What was that like? A: "Pirates are very interesting to play. There's a paradigm with them, in terms of freedom, people playing out of the box. Everybody loves that. There is something very interesting about them. "That particular pirate... is a character inside his own narration, not only a pirate but a cook. And it's fun to see how this can connect with a kid's mind. "It was fun, imaginative and physically very demanding. It looks nothing like me. To get there everyday at 8:00 am to get that beard... it was like a raccoon attacked you. The happiest moment of the day was when I could take it off and scratch." Q. "Shrek," "Puss in Boots," "SpongeBob" -- you are in a lot of children's movies. Do you have a kid's mind too? A: "I guess so. When you're 25, you don't want to say you have a kid's mind. You want to be the man. But I'm 54, so then it's good to say you have a kid's mind. So I do, in a way, in the perception I have of life. I believe a lot in senses. I'm not a cerebral guy -- what I touch, what I feel, what I smell, what I eat. It's very important, sensuality. I like the smell of the ocean, Malaga (Spain), the springtime. "I have a house in Marbella (Spain) and two small apartments in the middle of Malaga. But to live there again... no. I will probably move to New York (from Los Angeles). Q. You travel a lot. Is that important to you? A. "Yes. This year, I've been shooting in Argentina, then before that in Colombia and I've been with my daughter to Peru to visit the Inca trail, Machu Picchu. That was fantastic. It's hard. It's not an easy thing. It's 4,000 meters (13,120 feet), but spiritually it was an amazing experience at this particular time of my life. We made a deal that each year, just her and me we go somewhere in the world. "I have to get her out of Hollywood because this is not real... Hollywood is not a place anymore, it became a brand. Q. Why do you love New York? "Because it is more European. You can walk. You don't know who's rich, who's not. In Los Angeles, it is what you have. In New York, it is what you are. I love theater and there are 50 theaters there at your disposal. Cultural life is enormous, even in the conversations, in bars, restaurants, clubs, museums. At the same time, it is in the middle. I have Spain in six hours, Hollywood in five. "Los Angeles for me (is) beautiful, but I don't understand. This is a quintessentially American city and I am very European. I need sidewalks. Everywhere you go, you need a car. In New York, I don't want to have a car." Q. Would you like to live in Malaga again one day? "Absolutely. I'm a professional Malagan. Not that is it the best in the world. It is good for me. I love it. Overall, it is impossible for me to stop loving Malaga. It's like Spain. I'm not like a patriot but I know that I love my country, because when things are going bad, I suffer. And when things are going good, I enjoy it. It is that simple."
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The 46th NAACP Image Awards aired tonight on TV One and we have the complete list of winners!
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Bradley Cooper could make it third time lucky at the Oscars this month, after being nominated a rare three consecutive times for Hollywood's highest awards. The 40-year-old is shortlisted for best actor for his role in the controversial blockbuster "American Sniper" as former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, one of America's most famous warriors in the second Iraq war. It follows his nod in the same category for "Silver Linings Playbook" in 2013, and one for best supporting actor for "American Hustle" last year -- a three-time feat last achieved more than a decade ago by Renee Zellweger (2001-2003). For many critics, the best actor race this year is between Britain's Eddie Redmayne ("the Theory of Everything") and veteran Batman star Michael Keaton ("Birdman.") But Cooper is hoping to sneak up on the two frontrunners to pick off the prize at the February 22 Academy Awards. "I think this is Bradley Cooper's best performance and it's his third consecutive nomination," Tim Gray, awards editor at industry journal Variety, told AFP. "I still think Keaton and Redmayne are the frontrunners, but it's been a crazy year, so anything is possible." And he added: "With five nominees, you don't need a majority to win -- you just need enough voters who are passionate about the work, and 'American Sniper' seems to be inspiring a lot of passion." Born in Philadelphia and the son of a stockbroker, Cooper graduated from Washington's Georgetown University in English in 1997, before heading to New York to enroll at the Actors Studio Drama School at New School University. - Small screen start - He focused on stage work, with his final thesis performance in Bernard Pomerance's "The Elephant Man," while launching his television career opposite Sarah Jessica Parker on "Sex and the City." He missed his own graduation ceremony because of his first big-screen role, "Wet Hot American Summer" in 2001, followed by "Bending All the Rules" the following year. After moving to Los Angeles to pursue his Tinseltown dreams, he starred mostly on the small screen, before hitting the big time with 2009's "The Hangover," about four guys bachelor partying a little too much in Vegas. Cooper, who was briefly married in 2006-2007 and has dated "Bridget Jones" actress Zellweger, repeated the trick with "The Hangover Part II" in 2011, the same year he was named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine. "Silver Linings Playbook" was a clear attempt to add some acting heft to his celebrity status, with Cooper playing a character battling bipolar disorder in the romantic comedy. In "American Hustle," in which he co-starred with Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale, he played a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent in a story based on a 1970s FBI sting operation known as ABSCAM. Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper" has broken box office records since opening across the United States last month. But the film reignited a bitter debate about the US invasion of Iraq, with conservatives hailing it as a long overdue tribute to veterans, while critics slammed the movie as an attempt to whitewash the US occupation. Cooper was modest when asked about his Oscars chances at the traditional Oscar Nominees' Luncheon on February 2. "I'm just so fortunate the Academy has noticed it three times, it's insane... You never think about whether you will wind up here but you hope people will watch it and it will somehow have an impact," he said.
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Maria Sharapova leads Russia in their Fed Cup World Group opener against Poland this weekend looking to take a step closer to the 2016 Olympics. It will be the first meeting between the two countries and a rare Fed Cup appearance by 2012 Olympic silver medallist Sharapova, who must compete in the women's team event if she wants to bid for gold in Rio next year. The Russian star, runner-up to Serena Williams at the Australian Open last Saturday, has played just three ties for Russia since her 2008 debut and has a 3-1 singles record. Champions the Czech Republic open their defence against Canada in Quebec City, as 2014 runners-up Germany host Australia in Stuttgart and France travel to play Italy, last year's semi-finalists, in Genoa. The hardcourt clash on Saturday and Sunday at Krakow Arena will see 27-year-old Sharapova return to Fed Cup for the first time since February 2012. Attention will also be focussed on her new team captain Anastasia Myskina, who a decade ago threatened to pull out of the Russian team if Sharapova was selected. Myskina, the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2004, the year she spearheaded their first Fed Cup victory, retired as a player in 2007 and took over the Fed Cup captaincy in 2014. Russia are favourites with world number two Sharapova joined by 27th-ranked Sveltana Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam winner, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (34), and Vitalia Diatchenko (82). World Group newcomers Poland will be led by former Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska, ranked eighth, after her run to the fourth round of the Australian Open, alongside her younger sister Urszula, ranked 135. Alicja Rosolska and Klaudia Jans-Ignacik will be on doubles duty for Poland. In Quebec City, the Czech holders are favourites having won all five of their previous meetings with the Canadians, despite being without top players Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova. World number 20 Karolina Pliskova, 68th-ranked Tereza Smitkova, 107th-ranked Denisa Allertova and doubles specialist Lucie Hradecka, will line out in the first meeting between the two sides since 2002. - Won three of last four titles - "I think the team that's going to Canada is good enough to succeed," said Czech team captain Petr Pala, whose side have won three of the last four titles. Canada, whose best result was a semi-final in 1988, will be without world number seven Eugenie Bouchard. In Stuttgart, Australia face Germany for the third time in four years. Germany won last year's semi-final in Brisbane, but Australia's Samantha Stosur believes their chances are improved with three players ranked inside the top 60. "I don't think we've had a team this solid on the rankings for quite a while," 25th-ranked Stosur said. Stosur will be joined by 35th-ranked Casey Dellacqua, Jarmila Gajdosova (54) and Olivia Rogowksa (157). Seven-time winners Australia have not lifted the trophy since 1974, but are boosted by winning in Stuttgart in 2012 to secure their return to the competition's top tier. Germany have a strong side with world number 10 Angelique Kerber, Andrea Petkovic (12), Sabine Lisicki (28) and Julia Goerges (69). France captain Amelie Mauresmo also arrives from Melbourne and her coaching role with Australian Open men's runner-up Andy Murray. Mauresmo will be counting on Alize Cornet (19), Caroline Garcia (36), Kristina Mladenovic (71) and Pauline Parmentier (86) for their claycourt tie in Italy. Italy, winners of four titles in the last decade, are without top ranked Flavia Pennetta, but their team includes Sara Errani 14th, Camilia Giorgi (31), Roberta Vinci (40) and Karin Knapp (53). World Group II also has a smattering of stardust with both Serena and Venus Williams appearing for the United States against Argentina in Buenos Aires.
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At an age when most kids are preoccupied with friends and school, Kayla Jean Mueller devoted herself to helping those in need around the world. She volunteered with aid groups in her home state of Arizona and later in countries such as India and Turkey. In August 2013, she was abducted in the Syrian city of Aleppo as she left a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders. A purported statement from Islamic State militants said Friday that a Jordanian airstrike had killed the 26-year-old Mueller, who was being held in the northern militant stronghold of Raqqa. Her parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, said they remained hopeful that she was still alive and appealed to her captors to contact them privately. As they awaited verification of the claim, the family shared some details about Mueller. "The common thread of Kayla's life has been her quiet leadership and strong desire to serve others," a family statement said. As a high school student at Tri City College Prep in Prescott, Mueller picked up awards for her volunteer efforts with groups such as AmeriCorps, America's Promise and Big Brothers Big Sisters. She told her hometown newspaper, the Daily Courier, in 2007 that she was interested in world affairs and wanted to work with people in the strife-torn Darfur region of Sudan. After graduating from Northern Arizona University in 2009, she lived and worked with aid groups in northern India, Israel and the Palestinian territories. She returned to Arizona in 2011, where she worked for an HIV/AIDS clinic and volunteered for a women's shelter. Late that year, she moved to Provence, in southeastern France, to learn French while working as an au pair in preparation for a move to Africa. But the plight of families fleeing the violence in Syria drew her to neighboring Turkey in December 2012. She worked with the aid groups Support to Life and the Danish Refugee Council. "Kayla found this work heartbreaking but compelling; she is extremely devoted to the people of Syria," her family said. "When asked what kept her going in her mission, she said, 'I find God in the suffering eyes reflected in mine, if this is how you are revealed to me, this is how I will forever seek you.'" Mueller shared some of her experiences with the Prescott Kiwanis Club in late May 2013, including a story of trying to reunite a father with his 6-year-old son after a bombing at a refugee camp in Turkey. She eventually found the boy as he came out of surgery at a hospital, but the man's wife had been killed. "This story is not rare in Syria," Mueller said, according to an article in the Daily Courier. "This is the reality for Syrians two and a half years on. When Syrians hear I'm an American, they ask, 'Where is the world?' All I can do is cry with them, because I don't know." She made a promise that day: "For as long as I live, I will not let this suffering be normal," she said. "It's important to stop and realize what we have, why we have it and how privileged we are." Two months later, Mueller accompanied a friend on a trip to Aleppo. Members of the Spanish chapter of Doctors Without Borders were surprised to see her show up at one of their structures with a technician sent by a company it contracted to perform repairs, the group said in a statement Friday. The repairs took longer than expected, and the pair were harbored overnight at the hospital in Aleppo for their safety, the statement said. The next day, Aug. 4, the Doctors Without Borders team organized transportation for them to the Aleppo bus station - from which they planned to depart for Turkey. Mueller never made it. She was captured during the drive.
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Los Angeles The civil rights drama "Selma" won top honors at the NAACP Image Awards in a ceremony that took sharp notice of snubs of African-American artists and their work by the Oscars. "This is more than a movie," Oprah Winfrey, who was a "Selma" producer and appeared in it, said Friday in accepting the trophy for outstanding motion picture. "It's important that we all know who we are so we know where we're going, and claiming the glory." "Selma," which dramatizes events surrounding the 1965 Alabama voting rights marches led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, also captured best actor honors for David Oyelowo, who played King. "I want to take this opportunity to say I thank the Lord I was able to play one of the most transcendent human beings who ever walked the planet," Oyelowo said. Awards host Anthony Anderson, the "black-ish" star whose freshman ABC sitcom was a big TV winner Friday, opened the night with a jab at the Academy Awards, which this year has an all-white slate of acting nominees. The critically acclaimed "Selma," although a best-picture and best-song nominee at the Feb. 22 Oscars, failed to garner bids for Oyelowo or director Ava DuVernay. In January, it received a Golden Globe award for best song. "People are up in arms because they feel the other award shows have snubbed us. So what. We've got our own show, right?" Anderson said. He then launched into a number that included the lyrics: "Writing, directing, no respect from this city," and a refrain, "Forget the Oscars, hallelujah," the Emmys and Golden Globes. Taraji P. Henson was a double winner: she was named best actress in a movie for "No Good Deed" and entertainer of the year. Henson, star of the new Fox midseason hit "Empire, is enjoying an especially good 2015. On the TV side, Anderson won the award for best comedy series actor for "black-ish," which was honored as best comedy series and captured a best actress trophy for Tracee Ellis Ross. "To be able to do show about raising our black families every day is a blessing," said "black-ish" creator and producer Kenya Barris. "How to Get Away with Murder" was named best drama series, with star Viola Davis named best actress in a drama. "Criminal Minds" star Shemar Moore was named best actor in a drama series. Spike Lee received the NAACP President's Award, which recognizes those who have combined career success and public service. In his speech, the filmmaker addressed the obstacles facing blacks. "This stuff is rigged. It's not set up for us to win. It's always been like that. Since we were stolen from mother Africa ... we always find to make a way," he said, lifting his trophy. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the first African-American to hold that office, accepted the NAACP Chairman's Award honoring distinguished public service. He said he was honored to carry on the Justice Department's legacy that included ensuring "the most sacred of American rights, the right to vote." Holder, who is leaving the job after six years, called on the nation to "reject the forces of hate and division." Veteran music industry executive Clive Davis, who nurtured the careers of artists including Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Alicia Keys, received the Vanguard Award, which recognizes work that increases understanding of racial and social issues. He realized early in his career that African-Americans were being "pigeon-holed" as R&B artists and losing out on financial and career opportunities because of that, Davis said. He said he was proud to be honored for his efforts to help black artists reach their full potential. The 46th NAACP Image Awards, given by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People civil rights group, aired on TV One.
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entertainment
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RotoWire.com's Mark Taylor reveals which under the radar drivers you should keep an eye out for in your fantasy league.
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We give 120 seconds of Glory to Columbus Blue Jackets players Nick Foligno and Ryan Johansen, who both recorded their 20th goal of the season on Friday night.
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College basketball player Lauren Hill Lauren Hill holds a sign made for her, which she keeps in her room in Cincinnati. Mount St. Joseph's Lauren Hill, left, smiles at Pat Summitt after receiving the Pat Summitt Award during halftime of her first game against Hiram University on Nov. 2, 2014. Hill gets a hug from her dad Brent. At left is brother Nathan, 17. Her mom, Lisa and sister, Erin, 14, were also there to congratulate her after she was awarded the Pat Summitt Most Courageous award. Lauren Hill, an advocate for pediatric brain cancer, was presented with an honorary doctorate from Mount St. Joseph University on Feb. 7, 2015. Lauren Hill of Mount St. Joseph shoots to score her second basket during the game against Hiram at Cintas Center on Nov. 2, 2014. Lauren Hill, a 19-year-old Mount St. Joseph college basketball player, is battling an inoperable brain tumor. Hill gets a fist-bump during practice. Hill puts up a layup during practice. Hill's first basketball game with Mount St. Joseph's was moved to earlier in the season. Hill's first game was moved at Xavier due to the large crowd. NCAA granted special permission to open the season early. Hill, right, cheers on her team during her first NCAA college basketball game against Hiram University at Xavier University. Hill receives a pass during her first game. Hill was awarded the Pat Summitt Most Courageous award by the board of directors of the United States Basketball Writers Association. The award is usually given out during the Women's Final Four. At right is Pat Summitt, former head coach ofthe Tennessee Lady Vols. Hill gets a hug from her dad Brent. At left is brother Nathan, 17. Her mom, Lisa and sister, Erin, 14, were also there to congratulate her after she was awarded the Pat Summitt Most Courageous award. Hill with Dr. Mariko DeWire, from Cincinnati Children's Medical Center. Lauren Hill warms up before her game against Hiram University on Nov. 2, 2014.
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Many words were used to describe Tony McCoy and his extraordinary, unrepeatable achievements at Newbury on Saturday after the most successful jump jockey the sport has seen, or will ever see, announced that the 2014-15 campaign, the 20th he will conclude as the runaway champion, will also be his last. Incredible, astonishing, brilliant and driven were just a few of the words used to describe him. Another, which sums up both the man and the remarkable things that he has done, is unbroken. McCoy has spent more than two decades engaged in one of the most demanding and attritional of all sporting professions, riding not just more winners but also more horses than any National Hunt jockey in history. He has, like every jump jockey, suffered broken bones and head-scrambling, concussive falls, with the chance of a more serious injury career-ending or even life-changing ever present whenever he climbs into the saddle. Yet McCoy will emerge on the other side not just as an undisputed, unbeaten champion of his sport, the title-winner in every one of his 20 seasons as a senior rider, but he will also do so on his own terms. He chose the moment to announce his retirement with the same sense of timing and theatre that marked some of his best rides, like the Grand National victory on Don't Push It in 2010 that arrived just when everyone had started to think that it never would. McCoy's wife, Chanelle, and his agent, Dave Roberts, were at Newbury and knew what was coming, but everyone else was momentarily stunned by the jockey's announcement. Even Nick Luck, Channel 4 Racing's normally unflappable anchorman, was visibly trembling when the cameras cut away after McCoy had climbed down from his 200th winner of the season and immediately announced that he will hang up his boots at the end of April. It is no coincidence that McCoy has been ever-present for the two decades when National Hunt racing has grown significantly from its roots as a country sport into a major sporting industry. He epitomises the new professionalism of the winter game, a man prepared to go anywhere for a winner, and test his body to the limits when recovering from injury and wasting to do a low weight. Nothing seems to stop him, and his constant presence at the top of the National Hunt championship has been familiar and reassuring since he arrived from Ireland and immediately won the conditionals' championship in 1995. At times, McCoy has broken records with such regularity, reaching and then extending landmarks that many thought would stand forever, that it has been possible to take him a little for granted. The stunned silence that greeted his announcement at Newbury was the sound of several thousand racing professionals and fans coming to terms with the thought that an established part of their everyday lives was about to disappear. Everyone knew it would happen eventually, and that given the risks attached to every ride, it could happen at any time, but it was not something anyone wanted to think about. The first National Hunt season without McCoy will be a strange one for sure. Richard Johnson, a rider who would have been the champion many times but for McCoy, is the early favourite to inherit the title, but there is no chance at all that Johnson will ever approach his many achievements. In that sense, McCoy is irreplaceable. No one in National Hunt racing seriously expects that McCoy's career total of winners, which is nearly 1,500 ahead of Johnson's career total, will be beaten. Ruby Walsh, the next jockey in the list, has yet to reach 2,500 winners, which means McCoy has ridden almost two for every one that Walsh has booted home. And if there is anything to match the sheer size of McCoy's career total in its capacity to astonish, it is the fact that he has compiled it in a sport that can wipe out its participants with such instant and unexpected brutality. Somehow, McCoy has faced up to sheer chance and stared it out. Had anyone suggested, back in 1995 as he set out on his first season as a senior jockey, that McCoy would still be riding in 2015, then it would have seemed certain that somewhere along the line, he would have had the odd bad year. A nasty fall, a serious injury or even just a poor run of form from his main stables, but something, somewhere to keep him out of action long enough for someone else to grab the championship. It never happened. Despite all the falls and setbacks, the myriad of moments when his career was in the balance and bad luck was ready to step in, McCoy has emerged unbroken and unbowed, but also with the modesty and humility of a true champion, one who knows that it takes luck to make the most of an exceptional talent. When McCoy rode his 4,000th winner, at Towcester, in November 2013, , he said he felt "proud for the first time" of what he had achieved. Racing, though, has long since been proud of McCoy and in awe of his sheer, all-consuming commitment and drive in the business of riding winners. He has inspired a generation of young jump jockeys, who know that whatever they might achieve in the game, McCoy has done things they can never hope to equal. Mere numbers can never fully sum up what McCoy has achieved and how much he has meant to National Hunt racing and its followers, but here are a few more. In his 20 seasons as a senior jockey, he has not only been the champion by a wide margin, but he has also recorded a strike-rate above 20%, better than one winner in every five rides. This season he has defied the ageing process still further by nearly one winner in every three, and had it not been for an injury earlier in the campaign, McCoy might well be closing in on 300 winners in a season, a total that would be unthinkable for any other jockey in Britain, either on the Flat or over jumps. McCoy has won more than £1m in prize money in every one of those 20 seasons, and in addition to the Grand National a race that has eluded many other top National Hunt jockeys down the years he has also won almost every other major race in the calendar at least once. All that remains now is for jump racing, which, thanks in part to McCoy, is much bigger and better established now than it was 20 years ago, to say goodbye. The next two-and-a-half months will give everyone a final chance to witness one of the greatest sportsmen Britain has seen doing what he has done better than anyone else in history, and see it up close for themselves. Next week, he is due to ride at Ayr, Kelso, Chepstow and Catterick. Make a date if you can because never again will Britain's racecourses see a jockey like Tony McCoy. More on MSN Sport: Tony McCoy announces he will retire at the end of the season (The Independent) Champion jockey's career in pictures (MSN)
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The NBA fined Chris Paul $25,000 after the L.A. Clippers guard made controversial comments about a female referee.
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As noted last night, you're all to remain on high alert today as we wait for the Padres to sign James Shields . Things looked promising in the morning with news about momentum, gains and heat. Sources: Talks between Padres, Shields have heated up & are gaining momentum. Shields likes idea of pitching in SD. Scott Miller (@ScottMillerBbl) February 7, 2015 After not talking yesterday, Scott Miller says that today there's been a flurry of talks between the Padres and Shields' agent, but progress has stopped over a disagreement. His sources used a tennis metaphor saying the ball was in Shields' court now. This is just a hunch, but I bet they're arguing over money! Update: Impasse now between Padres & Shields after flurry of talks over last several hours. Sources: Ball in Shields' court. Scott Miller (@ScottMillerBbl) February 7, 2015 There's still hope though because Buster Olney's sources say that San Diego will still probably be Shields' destination. As noted here Friday, folks who've been involved in the Shields conversations believe he's probably headed to the Padres. Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 7, 2015 I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to hold my breath until further notice.
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The man expected to run Cuba after Raul Castro steps down is nearly 30 years the president's junior and is regularly on Facebook in this Internet-starved country. He is considered personable, with a certain charm, but has been careful to keep a low political profile. Miguel Diaz-Canel's appointment as first vice president is the most concrete signal that a generational change of leadership may hover on the horizon in Cuba, matching a demographic shift that makes the island's population one of the youngest in the hemisphere. Castro, 83, plucked Diaz-Canel from relative obscurity and appointed him to his new position in 2013 as he announced that he planned to leave office in 2018. That set Diaz-Canel up as heir apparent, especially after other possible candidates were unceremoniously dumped when they were secretly recorded talking about their ambitions. That is still a no-no, and Diaz-Canel has taken pains not to steal the limelight from Castro or the president's 88-year-old brother, Fidel, the legendary revolutionary commander and former president who has not been seen in public in months amid rumors of failing health. A new set of photographs of Fidel Castro popped up this week in official media. The circumstances mean Diaz-Canel has yet to make much of a mark. On an island where around 80% of the population has never known a president who wasn't named Castro, many Cubans are struggling to figure out who he is. Asked who he thought would be the next president of Cuba, Jose Hernandez, 83, a retired farm worker in the Cuban city of Mariel, said: "It will be Raul." Diaz-Canel, Hernandez said, "is a good negotiator who will help our community. But Raul is the president. There is nothing but Castro in our heads." Cuba's younger generation is more receptive to new leadership, but many agree that whoever comes next has a herculean task to court the powerful military, restructure the economy and guide the normalization process with the United States that was announced in December. "We've lived many years with a dynasty," said Katrina Morejon, a health worker in her 20s from Havana. "People are tired of what's happening." Key leaders of the army, of which Raul Castro is still the supreme commander, control several segments of the economy and will have to be carefully cultivated if Diaz-Canel is to work well with them. Diaz-Canel was born more than a year after the Cuban Revolution led by the Castro brothers ousted dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Raul Castro is expected in the final years of his government to continue with slow but important reforms in the economy, allowing a measure of free enterprise and lifting some restrictions on trade and travel. Whether it is enough as relations with the United States change will be the big test. The goals stated by Cuba and the U.S. after decades of animosity include elevating diplomatic representations in both countries to full embassies rather than the limited "interests sections." Handling the new relationship will put pressure on whoever is president of Cuba. Castro has made it clear that better diplomatic ties with Washington should not change Cuba's domestic, political or economic system, nor its intolerance of dissent. At 54, Diaz-Canel, a trained engineer with a full head of salt-and-pepper hair, is the freshest face in the highest echelons of Cuban power. He recognizes the importance of Cuba joining the Internet age, somewhat against the official grain, people who know him say. A 1982 graduate of the Marta Abreu University of Las Villas with an electrical engineering degree, Diaz-Canel essentially paid his dues, putting hard, careful work ahead of the overt ambition that has felled many an up-and-comer on the Cuban political landscape. His work on behalf of the state has included teaching at the university level, running local governments, serving as a minister of education and holding regional Communist Party leadership posts. He was assigned management of what Cuban officials consider major areas of accomplishment by the revolution: education, sports and biotechnology. He also did an all-important stint in Nicaragua, representing the Communist Party before like-minded Sandinista leaders. Much of his personal life has been kept private. He is thought to be married with children. Tall, with strong features, he is well-liked by Cubans in the provinces, many of whom see him as down-to-earth and accessible. His Facebook page has photographs of Diaz-Canel with workers, Raul Castro and others during visits to factories in Villa Clara and elsewhere. He is usually shown in a white guayabera, or a sports jacket and open-collar shirt. Someone has posted items calling him MDC, and at one point nominating him to run the country, saying, "MDC rocks!" "He is well-liked, young, well-educated, and he's gone through all the different hoops," said Rafael Betancourt, a professor at the University of Havana. That he is admired in the often snippy world of university circles, Betancourt said, "is very significant" and shows he has talent for handling people. It appears the Cuban leadership is gradually, gingerly trying to elevate his profile. He has been sent abroad representing Castro, especially to friendly nations like Venezuela and Laos. It's always a delicate balancing act, however. In a speech in Mexico in December, he managed to mention both Castros in the first three paragraphs of his comments, then quote Raul twice more. Communist-controlled press on the island has started to run fairly regular articles about Diaz-Canel's activities: his trip to Santiago de Cuba, his visit with workers in Santa Clara. But there are no big billboards promoting Diaz-Canel; most such public advertising is still limited to a Castro or, especially, the five Cuban intelligence agents who were recently released from jail in the U.S., two because they finished their sentences and three as part of the deal to jump-start detente with the U.S. They are regarded as heroes in Cuba; the posters are out-of-date, still demanding freedom for the men. Diaz-Canel is nowhere to be seen. "He is too much in the shadows of Raul," said Arturo Lopez Levy, a former Cuban intelligence agent who knew Diaz-Canel in their hometown of Santa Clara and who now teaches in New York. "A good signal to send to the world now that things are changing would be to give him a more prominent role." If he were the son of a corporate boss brought into the firm, Diaz-Canel would fit the bill, having been assigned to Communist Party leadership posts in important provinces like Holguin and Villa Clara. There, people who know him say he cultivated good relationships with local military officials, some of whom have recently been promoted to key leadership posts. His real distinction, people say, has been in social media and computer technology, an area where Cuba lags notoriously behind the rest of the world. Few Cubans have open access to the Internet, but Diaz-Canel knows its importance to any future growth in business, trade, tourism and education, analysts say. "The development of information technology is essential to the search for new solutions to development problems" in Latin America, Diaz-Canel said in the Mexico speech. "But the digital gap is also a reality among our countries, and between our countries and other countries, which we must overcome if we want to eliminate social and economic inequalities." Later, however, when he listed Cuba's successes, he did not return to the theme of information technology. "He understands that to prevent a brain drain, you have to give [Cubans] an opportunity to participate massively in the expansion of the Internet," said an American analyst of Cuban affairs who did not want to be quoted speaking about Diaz-Canel. Whether such an expansion project is yet allowed remains unclear. Diaz-Canel is also often praised as a hands-on problem solver, someone who could get things done at the grass-roots level and understands the politics of persuasion. He once defended a gay theater group against local officials who wanted to shut it down, earning respect among some of Cuba's most marginalized citizens. Diaz-Canel's gradual ascension comes with a little-noticed, still-slight change in the Cuban political hierarchy. Rafael Hernandez, a political commentator and editor of Temas magazine in Cuba, said conventional wisdom often holds that "the Cuban leadership is the same, you have Fidel and then Raul, and it's more or less the same thing." But, he says, closer examination shows a changing leadership that includes more women and Afro-Cubans, long excluded, than ever before. That may bode well for Diaz-Canel's future leadership, but many Cuba-watchers agree that it will ultimately be the military that calls the shots. "The military may not be a threat, but it will always be there," Lopez Levy said. Diaz-Canel "has an arduous road to walk."
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BOSTON (AP) -- A little lineup switch brought big inside scoring and helped No. 12 North Carolina overpower Boston College. Isaiah Hicks scored a career-high 21 points in just his second start of the season, Brice Johnson had 20 with 10 rebounds and the Tar Heels beat the Eagles 79-68 on Saturday to snap a two-game losing streak. "We switched rotation with our bigs because we saw some things and we thought we could take advantage of it with Brice and Isaiah at the same time," guard Marcus Paige said. "Usually he plays behind Brice and doesn't get as many opportunities offensively. Today, we played them together and he showed us he's capable of being a real threat inside," he said. Hicks found out during pregame warmups that he'd be starting and figured he'd see the ball a lot. "Kind of, yeah, I knew it," Hicks said. "Coming in, Coach was saying we had an advantage inside, so the bigs should be working." Paige added 13 points, all coming in the final 11 minutes for the Tar Heels (18-6, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Olivier Hanlan paced Boston College (9-13, 1-9) with a season-high 30 points, and Aaron Brown scored 18 with six boards. "Isaiah, needless to say, gave us a huge game," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "It was a contrast of two teams. Our strength is getting the ball inside and theirs is Hanlan driving to the basket." The Tar Heels outscored BC 46-32 in the paint. BC coach Jim Christian knew his team played hard, but just didn't have enough in the closing minutes. "The last five minutes is a byproduct of how much work you put in," he said. "It's a byproduct of you not wanting to lose." Playing in front of a near-capacity crowd that was half-filled with fans wearing Carolina blue, the Tar Heels took control with a 13-3 run midway into the second half. Hicks had a pair of baskets and the team's leading scorer, Marcus Paige, capped it with his first basket of the game, a 3-pointer from the left wing that made it 58-45 with 11 minutes to play. The teams were tied at halftime and BC took a 38-36 edge on Brown's basket in the lane before the Tar Heels scored the next six points. After the Eagles cut it to 45-42 on Dimitri Batten's driving shot, North Carolina went on its key run. BC closed it to five points three times in the closing five minutes, but North Carolina hit a few baskets to stay in control. Coming off consecutive losses to ranked teams (then-No. 10 Louisville and No. 3 Virginia), the Tar Heels played sloppily in a foul-filled opening half that didn't generate much of a flow. North Carolina had two possessions in the opening three minutes when it threw passes into the backcourt for violations. The teams were whistled for 11 fouls apiece and combined for 15 turnovers (North Carolina had 10) and went to the locker room tied at 36 at halftime. TIP-INS North Carolina: The Tar Heels pounded the ball inside much of the game, especially when BC's 7-footer Dennis Clifford went to the bench with early foul trouble. They hit 20 of 27 free throw attempts. Boston College: F Will Magarity, a 6-foot-11 forward who spells Clifford, missed his second straight game with to a concussion. He'll likely return for the next game. TIME FOR A CHANGE "When you lose two in a row you can't say everything's rosy," Williams said. "I wasn't going to panic. I wasn't going to jump off a building, but you had to try something different." WHAT WAS THAT! Johnson went up for what looked like a contested dunk with 11 minutes left in the game. TV replays appeared to show the ball going through the rim, but quickly bouncing up and back out as it hit a player's body. Play just continued. NOT QUITE ENOUGH "That's as hard as our team can play," Christian said. "They can't play any harder, but that's not going to win in the ACC." UP NEXT North Carolina: At Pittsburgh next Saturday. Boston College: Hosts Syracuse on Wednesday.
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Bobbi Kristina Brown was facing legal trouble just days before she was found unconscious in a bathtub at her Atlanta home. A warrant was issued for the 21-year-old on Jan. 28 from the Alpharetta Municipal Court in Georgia, ABC News reports. It was issued after Brown failed to appear in court two weeks prior on "a charge of operating a 2010 Lexus with an expired tag." The warrant has since been dismissed. "In light of recent events involving (Ms.) Brown, we are not focused on the warrant issue. In fact, we asked the court to dismiss the warrant and recall it -- which they did," Executive Public Information Officer George Gordon told Us Weekly in a statement. "The important issue is we hope the grieving family and friends find comfort during this difficult period." Brown, the daughter of the late Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, remains hospitalized after being discovered face-down in a bathtub last week by family friend Max Lomas on Jan. 31. She has been placed in a medically induced coma to improve her chances of recovery, but her condition is not improving, according to reports. Family members are holding a vigil at her bedside at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, where she was transferred earlier in the week. On Friday it was revealed that Atlanta cops are investigating her partner Nick Gordon as a person of interest in the incident, with law enforcement sources investigating whether there had been a possible altercation prior to discovery of Brown slumped over in her bathtub. News of the probe came shortly after her grandmother, Cissy Houston, 81, arrived at the hospital. According to sources close to the family, Brown would not be taken off life support without Houston's presence.
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When moons march across the face of Jupiter, it looks pretty amazing. So, when word got out that the three largest moons of Jupiter were marching all at once in a rare triplet-transit event on Jan. 23, people got very excited. Even NASA and the European Space Agency turned the Hubble Space Telescope's cameras on Jupiter to get a piece of the action. Now, the images are out and they do not disappoint! Above, is one of the breathtaking color images that Hubble took. Rarely do we get a chance to see three moons transit, or cross in front of, Jupiter simultaneously. In fact, a triple-transit like this won't happen again until Dec. of 2032. Hubble took multiple pictures of the event. The image below marks the start of the triple-transit as Jupiter's moon, Callisto, embarks on its crossing, shown in the lower left corner. The yellow moon you see in the middle is Jupiter's volcanic moon, Io. And the dark circle in the upper right is the shadow of the icy water world, Europa the actual moon is not visible in the photo. By the end, Europa's shadow has disappeared and the moon slowly marches into view in the lower left corner of the image below. Comparing the pictures below and above, you'll see that Io traveled significantly farther than Callisto during the event. That's because Io is the closest of the three moons and, therefore, orbits the fastest. There's even an amazing vine of the entire transit: Hubble wasn't the only instrument tracking the event. Plenty of amateur astronomers who took the opportunity to get some incredible shots. Here's some of their incredible work: NOW WATCH: Astronomers Just Discovered A Mysterious Spacetime-Bending Object From A Galaxy-On-Galaxy Collision
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Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer didn't waste much time filling the void left by former running backs coach Stan Drayton after Drayton took a coaching position with the Chicago Bears. According to Irish Illustrated , Notre Dame's former running backs coach Tony Alford will replace Drayton in the same position for the Buckeyes. Like Drayton, Alford is considered one of the top recruiters in the nation. Alford first became a member of the Fighting Irish coaching staff in 2009 during the final season of Charlie Weis' tenure.
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) -- Rico Gathers had 17 points and 17 rebounds, and No. 19 Baylor used a strong start to beat No. 15 West Virginia 87-69 on Saturday. The Bears (18-5, 6-4 Big 12) went ahead by 22 points midway through the first half and cruised from there, leading by as many as 26 points after halftime. Only a late 9-0 run helped the Mountaineers avoid the worst home loss in Bob Huggins' eight seasons as their coach. It was Huggins' worst two-game stretch. West Virginia was coming off a 19-point loss at Oklahoma on Tuesday. In both games, West Virginia's full-court press that had victimized so many other opponents backfired. Baylor was able to break free for open shots and made 55 percent of its field-goal attempts. With five players in double figures, the Bears simply had too many ways to score. Baylor already had three players in double figures by halftime, when it led by 14 and matched a season-high with 46 points. West Virginia couldn't trim the deficit to single digits in the second half, and fans headed to the exits with 5 minutes left in the game. Devin Williams, who had missed the previous game with flu-like symptoms, scored 20 points and Jevon Carter added 13 for West Virginia (18-5, 6-4). Gathers earned his 12th double-double of the season. Baylor's Royce O'Neale and Taurean Prince had 15 points apiece while Al Freeman and Kenny Chery added 11 points each. Baylor answered West Virginia's pressure from the start by throwing long passes for uncontested 3-pointers. The Bears made four of them during a 21-0 early run for a 23-3 lead. West Virginia had trouble getting off shots close to the basket without being swatted away, and the Mountaineers made no mid- or long-range jumpers before Carter sank a 3-pointer with six minutes left until halftime. TIP-INS: Baylor: The Bears have won on all three trips to Morgantown since West Virginia joined the Big 12 two years ago. West Virginia: The Mountaineers have lost two straight for the first time this season. Leading scorer Juwan Staten was held to six points. UP NEXT: Baylor hosts Oklahoma State on Monday. West Virginia hosts Kansas State on Wednesday.
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Now that the 2014 NFL season is over, it's time to take a look into preparations for the 2015 season with the NFL scouting combine less than two weeks away in Indianapolis. This is one in a series of team-by-team looks at the needs of each NFC team. Other NFC divisions will be posted throughout the day. Tomorrow, a team-by-team look at the AFC's offseason needs for 2015. CAROLINA PANTHERS The Panthers had a six-game losing streak and then rallied from 3-8-1 with seven rookie starters to win their second straight NFC South title plus a wild-card game against the Arizona Cardinals. Coach Ron Rivera survived a massive offseason overhaul, including the retirement of left tackle Jordan Gross, receiver Steve Smith's release and Brandon LaFell's free-agent departure. The Panthers also overcame the loss of 2013 sack leader Greg Hardy, who remains on Commissioner Roger Goodell's exempt list awaiting appeal of his conviction for assaulting an ex-girlfriend and communicating threats. Expect the Panthers to move on. Contract issues: With an estimated $14 million in salary-cap space, Cam Newton is the team's most pressing issue as the quarterback's rookie contract expires at the end of the 2015 season. Star linebacker Luke Kuechly's contract is also up after next season. Running back DeAngelo Williams is likely out. Draft pickings: Carolina needs to find a blindside protector for Newton following the failed Byron Bell experiment. The Panthers are well positioned to pick a left tackle with the 25th overall selection. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS Saints quarterback Drew Brees summed up a disappointing 7-9 season as one of his most frustrating since signing with the franchise in 2006. For the second time in three years, the defense was awful. Brees suggested that the losses of veteran leaders such as safety Roman Harper and running back Darren Sproles contributed to derailing a young team that never found its way. Contract issues: The biggest decision concerns free-agent running back Mark Ingram, who is coming off his finest season with 964 yards and nine touchdowns. Veteran center Jonathan Goodwin likely won't be back. The Saints are $21 million over the 2015 cap. Draft pickings: The Saints need to upgrade a feeble pass rush with the 13th overall pick after Cam Jordan and Junior Galette took a step back this season. ATLANTA FALCONS This is Dan Quinn's team now. Time will tell if the former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator is the right choice to reshape a defense that hasn't measured up during the Matt Ryan era. Ryan is two seasons removed from leading a 13-3 team to the NFC Championship Game. An awful, 32nd- ranked defense is why Mike Smith was fired and Quinn hired to remake the Falcons into a balanced contender. With Steven Jackson turning 32 and Devonta Freeman coming off a disappointing rookie year, the Falcons need to find a viable running complement to Ryan. Contract issues: Julio Jones, 26, enters the final year of his contract coming off a monster year when he finished third with 104 receptions and 1,593 yards. Locking up Jones is key. Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon is a playmaker, but he is coming off a torn Achilles and his contract is up. Draft pickings: Expect the Falcons to address their woeful pass rush with the eighth overall pick. The Falcons finished with only 22 sacks and have lacked a double-digit sacker since John Abraham left after the 2013 season. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Lovie Smith was adamant upon his hiring that Josh McCown was good enough to lead the Buccaneers where they hoped to go. Now Smith is forced to find his franchise answer after a train-wreck, two-win season. Rookie receiving sensation Mike Evans proved a cornerstone playmaker. But Smith needs to retool his offensive line and run game in order to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Contract issues : The team has $25 million in cap space, but is expected to move on from defensive ends Da'Quan Bowers and Adrian Clayborn. Though $43.7 million defensive end Michael Johnson was a disappointment with just four sacks, he is expected to rebound. Draft pickings: The first overall pick provides Smith a huge chance to restore hope. Given Florida State star Jameis Winston's checkered past, Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota is the surer bet for a franchise that can't afford to miss. *** Follow Jim Corbett on Twitter @ByJimCorbett
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CNN's Kyung Lah reads a statement from hostage Kayla Mueller's family to ISIS.
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PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia University coach Herb Magee has become the second NCAA men's basketball coach to win 1,000 games. Magee hit the milestone with the Rams' 80-60 win over Post on Saturday. He has won all 1,000 games over 48 seasons at the 3,600-student private Division II university in Philadelphia. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is the only men's coach to win 1,000 games. Krzyzewski won his 1,000th game on Jan. 25 against St. John's at Madison Square Garden. Magee needed two tries after the Rams (15-6, 9-3 Central Athletic Collegiate Conference) lost this week to Wilmington. "Relief. I don't make that up," Magee said. "That's the way I felt. Ask my wife, she'll tell you. It's been a tough situation because the hype is there and everyone is pulling for us as a team but they're really pulling for me to get 1,000 wins because they know how important it is. It means a lot." The 73-year-old Magee coached Saturday at the tiny campus court at the Gallagher Center that only holds about 1,200 fans on a few rows of bleachers. Former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Phillies executive Dave Montgomery were at the game. Two sets of students painted their chests "(hash)MAGEE1K!," the other "HERB." "We Are The Champions" played from the loudspeaker in celebration and some students rushed to the center of the court. Magee didn't really celebrate, going right over to shake hands with the Post coach and players. He was then swarmed by TV cameras and did a live interview with ESPN. Magee took the microphone on the court and thanked the students. "One of the reasons we won that game is because of fan enthusiasm," he said. Magee has earned all of his victories at Philly U and has become a local hoops icon and a Naismith Hall of Fame coach. He set the school's scoring record (then known as Philadelphia Textile), bypassed a shot with the Boston Celtics to take a job at the school as an assistant, then became head coach in 1967. He led the program to a national championship in 1970. Magee earned win No. 1 in his first game as coach with a 62-50 victory over Trenton State (now The College of New Jersey) on Dec. 1, 1967. Magee has had only one losing season and built his career with regular 20-win seasons and NCAA tournament appearances. He turned Philly U into one of the premier D-II programs and was responsible for two banners hanging in the rafters at the gym: His retired No. 4 and one celebrating his Aug. 12, 2011, enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "Three years ago, any part of my ego that wasn't satisfied was satisfied when I was inducted into the Hall of Fame," Magee said. "Nothing can touch that as far as you are concerned as an individual. But this is a tremendous team goal. "Not that I set out trying to make the Hall of Fame and win 1,000 games but there are two things right there I'm very proud of." Another banner was rolled down from the rafters after the game that said, "1,000 Wins, Men's Basketball, Coach Herb Magee, 1967-2015." His overall record is 1,000-398. Nick Schlitzer scored 18 points, Derek Johnson had 17 points and the Rams made 12 of 22 3-pointers.
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NEW YORK (AP) Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins was suspended for one game without pay by the NBA on Saturday for initiating and making head-to-head contact with New Orleans' Tyreke Evans. The incident occurred in the first quarter of the Thunder's 116-113 home loss to the Pelicans on Friday night. Perkins and Evans were called for technical fouls on the play. Perkins will miss the Thunder's home game Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Watch highlights of the Red Storm's win over the Bluejays.
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Villanova wore 1985 throwback uniforms in a nod to its national championship season and played selected highlights from that title game on the big screen. The Wildcats created a few more for this season's reel against the latest version of a Georgetown team that - 30 years later - still could not solve its Big East rival. Darrun Hilliard scored 15 points and Josh Hart had 13 to help No. 7 Villanova avenge its worst game of the season with a 69-53 win over No. 24 Georgetown on Saturday. The Hoyas thumped the Wildcats 78-58 in the first game on Jan. 19. In the second matchup of the longtime conference rivals, the Wildcats (21-2, 8-2) raced to a 17-point lead and never looked back in their fourth straight win. They've won eight of nine and have played up to their billing as the preseason Big East favorite. ''They looked like we did last game and they looked like we did,'' Villanova coach Jay Wright said Villanova upset Georgetown in the 1985 national championship contest known as ''The Perfect Game'' and continued to look like a contender to at least make it back to the Final Four for the second time under Wright. The Wildcats hit 12 of 24 3-pointers and led by as many as 24 in their latest romp against a conference rival. L.J. Peak scored 15 points for the Hoyas (15-8, 7-5). With losses this week to Providence and Villanova, the Hoyas are sure to fall out of the Top 25. With a packed house of 20,587 at the Wells Fargo Center adding to the big-game feel, the Wildcats quickly squashed any thoughts of a Georgetown sweep. Hilliard converted a four-point play early before the 3-point barrage started. The Wildcats came in shooting 36 percent from 3-point range and were nailing them with the ease of fastbreak layups. Hilliard and Dylan Ennis hit consecutive 3s for a 12-7 lead that sparked the rout. Ennis hit one for a 10-point lead, Ryan Arcidiacono made it 27-13 with his and the Wildcats finished 7 of 13 in the half. Wright said the Wildcats stuck with the game plan they had in the first game against the Hoyas. But the Wildcats were focused this time out to execute the Xs and Os that they failed to understand the first time. Wright said he stressed adhering to the scouting - not revenge - as the focus. ''We don't look at it as revenge,'' Hilliard said. ''We just take it as our next game.'' The Hoyas never got untracked offensively. They missed 7 of 8 3s in the half and received no meaningful production from leading scorers D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (15.8 ppg) and Joshua Smith (11.9). Smith-Rivera was scoreless in the first half and Smith only scored two points on a combined 1 of 6 shooting. They finished just 4 of 11 from the floor for nine points. ''When you play a good defensive team like they are, you're not going to get one pass, two pass, open looks,'' Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. ''You have to have the discipline to stay with what you're doing. Keep moving, keep executing and hopefully something will open up.'' In the first game, Smith-Rivera scored 17 for the Hoyas, who pulled away early with a 17-0 run on the way to a 42-20 halftime lead. Georgetown shot 60 percent in the first half and 51 percent for the game. ''We were trying to be aggressive and we wanted to attack the basketball a lot more,'' Georgetown guard Jabril Trawick said. ''We just didn't bring it like we're supposed to.'' With a cold offense, the Hoyas never made a serious attempt at a second-half comeback. The Hoyas missed a whopping 16 of 17 3-point attempts. Kris Jenkins kept the good times rolling for the Wildcats in the second half. He hit consecutive 3s for a 51-29 lead and made the Wildcats 10 of 18 from 3-point range. TIP-INS Georgetown: Georgetown opened a stretch of four road games out of the next six. ... The Hoyas shot 30 percent from the floor. With all the misses, they did hold a 39-34 rebounding edge. Villanova: Wright pulled forward Daniel Ochefu from the starting lineup for a minor academic issue. Ochefu sat out just a few minutes before he entered the game. Hart got the start. BIG SWING The Big East could be decided in the next week when the Wildcats hit the road to play Providence and Butler. They can create some distance with wins against the next two teams in the standings. ''I have no interest in what that says about our team,'' Wright said. UP NEXT Georgetown plays Tuesday at Seton Hall. Villanova plays Wednesday at Providence.
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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Ryan Spangler scored 21 points and Buddy Hield had 16 points and 10 rebounds as No. 21 Oklahoma won its fourth consecutive Big 12 game, 68-56 over TCU on Saturday. Oklahoma (16-7, 7-4) scored the first nine points of the game but then fell behind by seven. The Sooners took the lead for good with a 10-0 run over the final 3 minutes of the first half. The Sooners got even at 28 with 1:35 left in the half after Spangler's blocked shot led to a breakaway by Hield, the Big 12 leading scorer. Instead of the easy layup, Hield gave the ball back to Spangler for an emphatic slam dunk. Spangler's free throw with 51 seconds left broke the tie, and Isaiah Cousins ended the half with a slam to make it 31-28. TCU (14-9, 1-9) missed its first 13 shots, and its first credited make came on a goaltending goal nearly 5 minutes into the game. Brandon Parrish had a 3-pointer with 14:15 left in the half for the first basket the Horned Frogs put through the rim -- on their 16th attempt. Just more than 10 minutes later, the Frogs were ahead 28-21 when Chris Washburn made a layup on a pass from Kyan Anderson. But they didn't score the rest of the half. Kenrich Williams has 10 points and nine rebounds to lead TCU, which has lost six in a row -- all against Top 25 tames. Cousins finished with 11 points while TaShawn Thomas had eight points and 10 rebounds. Cousins hit a 3-pointer from the left wing early in the second half to give Oklahoma a 36-30 lead, and the game was never closer after that. Spangler then drew a charge on a drive by Williams, and the ensuing Sooners possession ended with a driving layup by Thomas. TIP-INS Oklahoma: The Sooners lead the series against TCU 15-2. ... Spangler, who was 9-of-12 shooting, hit a 3-pointer from the left corner in the final minute after the Frogs cut their deficit to single digits. TCU: After none of their first 15 shots went through the hoop, the Horned Frogs made 22 of 58 shots (38 percent) the rest of the game. ... The Horned Frogs' last three losses have been by at least 12 points, all since a 64-61 loss to No. 8 Kansas in its previous home game Jan. 28 when a tying 3-point ricocheted off the back iron as time expired. UP NEXT: Oklahoma plays at home Monday night against No. 11 Iowa State. TCU is at No. 25 Texas on Wednesday night.
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Branislav Ivanovic's second-half goal earned Chelsea a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa as the Premier League leaders moved seven points clear at the top on Saturday. Manchester City's draw against Hull enabled Jose Mourinho's side to extend their lead in the title race as the Blues boss finally claimed a first ever win at Villa Park in six attempts. Villa's goal drought had ended at precisely the 11-hour mark after Jores Okore had cancelled out Eden Hazard's opener, yet Serbia defender Ivanovic had the final say with his winner midway through the second half. It was not until that goal had gone in that Villa manager Paul Lambert opted to introduce Christian Benteke, whom he dropped from his starting line-up, but the Belgian striker couldn't stop his team sliding to within two points of the relegation zone. A positive afternoon for Chelsea was completed when deadline day signing Juan Cuadrado, a Colombia international, was handed a 79th-minute debut as a substitute. The corresponding fixture between these sides last term was a tempestuous affair - two Chelsea players, Willian and Ramires, and Mourinho were all dismissed - and this contest was much the same. Villa, of course, won that contest after a display of discipline culminated in Fabian Delph's late strike. If Lambert had a similar game plan this time, however, it had imploded by the eighth minute as Chelsea moved ahead. Chelsea's two Brazilian midfielders, Oscar and Willian, were at the heart of it, the latter moving menacingly towards goal before his cross-shot was seamlessly swept home by Hazard. It was a 13th strike of the campaign for the Belgium international and only the second goal Mourinho had seen his side ever score at Villa Park. - Villa frustration - Villa supporters struggled to contain their mounting frustrations and a cluster of fans held up placards with big arrows which they pointed towards Thibaut Courtois' goal. Lambert expressed his bitter disappointment at the manner in which his team "threw the towel in" during their 5-0 thrashing at Arsenal last weekend. There was no repeat of that lethargy in this feisty encounter. While Villa struggled to create clear cut openings, Chelsea defender Gary Cahill could count himself somewhat fortunate to escape when Gabriel Agbonlahor's shot appeared to strike his arm inside the penalty area. Mourinho's team lacked their early fluency and it was Villa who made the more purposeful opening to the second half, with Andreas Weimann driving a shot narrowly over the crossbar. Then, finally, came the moment Lambert and Villa's beleaguered support had been waiting for. Carles Gil hoodwinked Oscar before accelerating down the left channel to cross to the far post where Okore escaped his marker to head home. Cue delirium at Villa Park as what will go down as the worst run in the club's 141-year existence finally came to an end. Mourinho has had few fond memories to previously recall at this stadium, yet his side at least had time on their side. Swiftly, they reasserted their authority on the match with Willian twice seeing efforts flash agonisingly wide before the breakthrough arrived in the 66th minute. Okore, having failed to clear his lines, turned from hero to villain as possession was gifted back to Cesar Azpilicueta, whose cross was emphatically converted by Ivanovic's fine left-footed half-volley. Within two minutes Benteke had been called upon, but he couldn't make a difference. Instead it was left, predictably, to Mourinho to take centre stage at the final whistle as he ventured onto the pitch to orchestrate the visiting Chelsea supporters' celebrations.
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One of the biggest obstacles to buying Samsung's Gear VR is... well, trying the darn thing. How do you know whether or not you'll like this phone-powered virtual reality headset without strapping it on your head first? That won't be too much of a problem in the near future, so long as you live in the right areas. Best Buy is rolling out Gear VR demos to 100 retail stores across the US, starting on February 8th. If you can pay a visit, a staffer will give you a whirlwind tour of the wearable that should help you make an informed decision. Just don't expect to buy the device then and there, no matter how much you're enamored by it -- despite the in-store showcase, you'll still have to visit an online store to bring a Gear VR home. Best Buy
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Meteorologist Janice Dean reports
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Maria Sharapova defeated Urszula Radwanska 6-0, 6-3 as Russia took a 2-0 lead over Poland in the Fed Cup World Group Saturday with the superstar taking a first step towards the Rio Olympics. Svetlana Kuznetsova earlier saw off Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the tie at Krakow as four-time champions Russia edged closer towards the semi-finals. French Open champion Sharapova is playing just her fourth Fed Cup tie since her 2008 debut but in order to make the Olympics next year all players have to make themselves available for the annual women's team tournament. The world number two's win was also a perfect tonic coming a week after her defeat to Serena Williams in the Australian Open final. Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam champion, had already beaten the elder Radwanska sister in 10 of their 14 meetings. Kuznetsova, playing her 17th Fed Cup tie, took victory with an ace on her first match point after two hours and 17 minutes. Sunday's opening reverse singles will be between Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska with the Pole having to win to keep the tie alive. Sharapova holds an 11-2 advantage in meetings between the two and has not lost to Radwanska since the Miami final in 2012. "It was important to start strong. I had a little bit of a let down in the second set and she got a bit steadier," said Sharapova after hitting 30 winners in her 80-minute win. "I'm happy to get through in straight sets." In Genoa, 2013 champions Italy lead France 2-0. Sara Errani defeated Caroline Garcia 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 to give Italy the lead. Camila Giorgi, the world number 31, then made it 2-0 with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Alize Cornet, ranked 19th. With their four Fed Cup crowns (2006, 2009, 2010, 2013), Italy, who are unbeaten at home since 2008, are firm favourites to make the semi-finals. In Stuttgart, Australia got off to a good start against Germany as world number 54 Jarmila Gajdosova beat 10th-ranked Angelique Kerber 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. But the hosts levelled when Andrea Petkovic triumphed in a three-hour marathon with Samantha Stosur, winning 6-4, 3-6, 12-10. "That is definitely one of the highlights of my career which I will keep in my mind," said Petkovic, a 2014 French Open semi-finalist, who was willed on by the vocal Stuttgart crowd. "I spent half of the time trying to control my emotions. Fifty percent of the time I had goose-bumps because of the atmosphere." The winners of the tie will face either Russia or Poland for a place in the final. Italy or France will face either champions Czech Republic or Canada, who are meeting in Quebec, in the semi-finals. In World Group II, meanwhile, the United States, a record 17-time champions, eased to a 2-0 lead over Argentina at Buenos Aires thanks to the Williams sisters. Venus got things underway with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Paula Ormaechea before world number one Serena defeated Maria Irigoyen, a lowly 197 in the rankings, 7-5, 6-0.
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12th-ranked North Carolina got a combined 41 points from big men Brice Johnson and Isaiah Hicks on its way to a 79-68 win over Boston College. The Tar Heels snap a 2-game losing streak and move to 8-3 in the ACC, while the Eagles drop to 1-9 in conference play.
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Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels have invited the newly-crowned Miss Universe Paulina Vega, a native of the country's Caribbean coast, to attend their peace negotiations with the government, a bid to end 50 years of fighting. The 22-year-old Vega, a business student and model from the northern city of Barranquilla, was named Miss Universe in late January and has said in interviews that she would be willing to travel to the talks. "We have read with interest your desire to contribute with your good works to reaching peace," the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, said in a statement on their website late on Friday. "We salute your willingness to travel to Havana, at this time we invite you to make a visit," added the FARC, which has been holding negotiations with the government in Cuba since late 2012. The FARC did not say how Vega's visit would help advance the peace talks. She has yet to respond to the invitation. Representatives at the talks have so far reached agreement on three of five agenda points, including land reform, an end to the illegal drugs trade and political participation for ex-guerrillas. (Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by David Gregorio)
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Announcement comes in the wake of questions over Williams' credibility
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An FBI official tells CNN that the terror group ISIS is recruiting inside the United States.
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Brian Williams, acknowledging that the scrutiny and criticism he was attracting was becoming a distraction for his network, said on Saturday that he was stepping aside as anchor of NBC's "Nightly News" for the next several days. In a memo to the NBC News staff, Mr. Williams said that Lester Holt, the anchor for "Dateline," would step in as the network dealt with the crisis caused by Mr. Williams's admission that he had misled the public with an account of a helicopter incident in Iraq. "In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions," Mr. Williams said in the two-paragraph memo. Mr. Williams is both anchor and managing editor for "NBC Nightly News." Mr. Williams did not say exactly when he expected to return to the anchor chair. "Upon my return, I will continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us," he said. Richard F. Hanley, a journalism professor at Quinnipiac University, said Mr. Williams's decision would help avert an awkward situation in which his newscast was overshadowed by the attention on his own problems. "It would be impossible for him to be as confident a reader of news with this over his head," Mr. Hanley said. "The audience would be thinking of that and not the news he was reporting on." The move will also give NBC more time to sort out the issue and also to assemble a contingency plan should Mr. Williams be forced to resign, Mr. Hanley said. "One of the interesting things about this is there is no set date for return," he said. "It is ambiguous, which suggests that NBC executives are going to undertake a full investigation and not let him back on the air until that investigation is complete." The news came a day after it was revealed that NBC was starting an internal "fact-checking" investigation into Mr. Williams that would review the Iraq incident, which occurred in 2003, as well as other examples of his reporting, including during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The investigation will be led by Richard Esposito, the head of NBC's investigative unit. Since Wednesday, when Mr. Williams acknowledged his error during his newscast and apologized for it, he has been the target of a wave of criticism, with some military veterans, media critics and viewers calling for his resignation. Indeed, not only has Mr. Williams's reputation taken a hit but the broader credibility of NBC's news division has also been questioned, media analysts said. "It may be just one bad apple, but he came out of the system," said Mark Feldstein, a journalism professor at the University of Maryland who previously worked at NBC News. In his newscast on Wednesday, Mr. Williams said he had embellished an account of an incident in 2003; over the years he came to say that he was in a helicopter that was hit by enemy fire, an assertion he now says is not true. He now says he was in a trailing helicopter, and that he "conflated" the two aircraft. He made no mention of the matter during his newscasts on Thursday and Friday. The attention on the Iraq mistake has brought the rest of Mr. Williams's career under a microscope. Some blogs and media outlets questioned Mr. Williams's description of what he saw while reporting on Hurricane Katrina. Should Mr. Williams be forced out of the anchor chair, it would be a major setback for NBC's news division, which is in a fierce competition for viewers. So far this season, NBC has averaged 9.3 million total viewers for its nightly broadcast, compared with 8.7 million for ABC and 7.3 million for CBS, according to Nielsen. The evening broadcast has remained a stable block for NBC even as its "Today" and "Meet the Press" shows have faced challenges. As such, top executives have not focused on succession planning for the "NBC Nightly News" because it did not appear necessary. In December, the network extended Mr. Williams's contract. The terms were reported to be as much as $10 million per year for five years. "There is really nobody on the NBC news bench who can replace Williams in terms of his projection and presence on the nightly broadcast," Mr. Hanley said. "Just look at the problems the 'Today' show had in trying to assemble a team that could reverse its fortunes there."
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15 food myths busted Did you know that honey is no better than white sugar, egg fat is not harmful, and frozen vegetables have same amount of nutrients, if not more, than fresh vegetables? Click through for more facts. Eggs are bad for heart Popular belief is that eggs can be harmful to one's heart because they are high in dietary cholesterol. However, studies at Royal School of Medicine at UK have revealed that dietary cholesterol has nothing to do with blood cholesterol or any heart disease. In fact, it is the increase in the level of saturated fat that leads to a heart disease. Eggs contain very low level of saturated fat. Source: DailyMail Fresh vegetables better than frozen ones Many studies have claimed that frozen fruits and vegetables can be as nutritious as the fresh ones. According to researchers, a fresh fruit or vegetable starts losing its nutrients once it's picked up from the farm, and by the time it reaches the local grocery store, it has lost lot of nutrients. On the other hand, a frozen fruit is immediately processed once it is picked and as a result, better retains its nutrient levels. Source: ABC Health and Wellbeing Eating late in night is bad for health Contrary to the popular belief, nutritionists have claimed that eating late in the night does not impact one's weight. In fact, it is the total amount of calories consumed during the entire day and night that determines how much weight you will lose or gain. Source: West Virginia University Six mini-meals are healthier than eating two large meals A 2013 study presented at American Diabetes Association dismissed the theory that frequent, small meals can help in quicker weight loss. The study, which involved observation of 54 participants over a period of 12 weeks, found that eating two large meals a day led to faster decrease in body mass index a measure of body fat based on height and weight. Source: Bloomberg The only heart-friendly alcohol is red wine Researchers have claimed that other liquors, if consumed in moderate quantity, also have the same health benefits as red wine. All alcoholic drinks have ethanol that raise the level of good cholesterol in bloodstream, decreasing the risk of heart attacks. Source: CNN Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy A study by researchers at the Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia, suggested that low-fat versions of dairy products are nutritious as well as low in calories and fat. People consuming low-calorie diet lost more weight than people consuming low-dairy diet. Also, people who had dairy in their diet had the least stomach fat, lower blood pressure and better chances of avoiding diabetes. Source: Independent.co.uk Honey is better than sugar While honey is more natural than white sugar, it packs a bit more calories. It also contains fructose, which when consumed in excess, contributes to obesity and other health problems. Source: DailyMail Organic foods are more nutritious than conventional In 2012, the researchers at Stanford University claimed that organic foods are not more nutritious than the conventional ones. They also said that although conventional food have slightly higher pesticide residue, they aren't more than the safety limits. Brown bread is better than white It is not necessary that every brown bread is made of whole grain and is rich with all the ingredients that you need to stay healthy. The brown color of the bread may be due to coloring agents or fiber flakes sprinkled on it. Therefore, it is more advisable to look for breads made of whole grains that are richer in fiber, protein and vitamins. Source: Huffington Post Everyone needs a lot of protein Though protein is important for health, excessive intake of it can be dangerous for liver and kidneys. Ideally, protein should make up 10-15 per cent of your daily diet, which is roughly around 55g for men and 45g for women. Source: Independent.co.uk Carbohydrates make you fat Many people think that cutting carbohydrates in their meal will help them lose weight and get healthy. Experts think otherwise. According to Jean Harvey-Berino, head of the department of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Vermont, there is nothing inherently fattening about carbohydrates. Complex carbs in grains, fruits and vegetables provide energy to the body and thus are very important. The carbs to be avoided are the simple or refined ones present in foods made of white flour and soda. Source: Eating Well and West Virginia University Only vigorous exercise can help in weight loss Though vigorous exercise will help you lose calories in short period of time, moderate exercises such as walking, cycling, and dancing are equally beneficial in the long run. Also, it is useful to backup your physical activities with lower-calorie diet every day. Source: Prevention.com Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight Skipping meals is not a good idea if you are looking to shed weight. It is observed that people who skip meals feel hungrier and end up eating more than what they would have otherwise. Source: West Virginia University Adding salt to the pot adds sodium to the food Adding salt to cooking water is likely to make your food more nutritious! American author Harold McGee, who writes on food science, says, "Salt in the cooking water reduces the leaching of nutrients from vegetables into the water." Besides, it reduces the cooking time and reduces the chances of nutrients loss due to overcooking. Source: CNN Fried foods are always too fatty According to a study conducted by Spain's Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in 2012, there is no relation between fried food and risk of heart disease. The researchers claimed that it is the type of oil used for frying that determines whether the food is healthy or not. However, they added a word of caution saying that the results might differ in other countries. Source: Eating Well
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Aging can be tough on the body. While you make healthy food choices and keep up your exercise, it can still feel like it's just not enough. There's no magic pill, but there are some options you can try. Dr. Martica Heaner , a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist, has compiled 15 foods with vitamins and nutrients thought to have anti-aging properties. BING: Find other anti-aging tips Flaxseeds Grind fresh and sprinkle on foods. Full of DNA-boosting Omega 3s, zinc, selenium. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of flaxseeds Spinach Antioxidants Vitamins A and C may prevent age-related neurological decline. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of spinach Grapes Antioxidant polyphenols, resveratrol, aids cell repair and is linked to anti-ageing. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of grapes Red snapper High in Omega 3 fats that can reduce oxidative damage to cells. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of red snapper Yams Great source of antioxidants Vitamins A and C that can reduce oxidative stress on cells. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of yams Almonds High in antioxidant Vitamin E and a good source of zinc and iron. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of almonds Oysters Contains antioxidant selenium, as well as DNA-boosting Vitamin D and Zinc. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of oysters Canola oil Contains Omega 3 fats as well as antioxidant Vitamin E. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of canola oil Collard greens Good source of Vitamin A, folate and fiber, all linked to longer DNA strands. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of collard greens Dark chocolate Contains the antioxidant resveratrol, thought to fight ageing cells. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of dark chocolate Chia seeds A whole grain high in Omega 3 fats, minerals and calcium. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of chia seeds Bell peppers Aids in DNA repair from antioxidant beta carotene and vitamin C. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of bell peppers Guacamole Good source of telomere-lengthening vitamins C and E and folate. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of guacamole Peanut butter Rich in DNA-improving nutrients: Vitamin E, folate and, even, resveratrol. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of peanut butter Cod Good source of choline, used in nerve cell walls, that may prevent aging atrophy. Click here to know the nutritional benefits of cod
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OLEAN, N.Y. (AP) -- The buzzer was no match again for St. Bonaventure guard Marcus Posley. Neither was VCU's stifling defense Saturday. Posley split two defenders and scooped in a 6-footer off the backboard at the buzzer to give the Bonnies a 73-71 victory over the injury-depleted No. 18 Rams. It was the second consecutive game Posley sealed as time ran out. On Wednesday, he went end-to-end in the final 5 seconds and scored on a layup in a 62-61 victory at Davidson. "It's definitely nerve-racking," said the junior guard, who finished with 15 points. "I'm just very grateful to be in that position. And to hit two back-to-back like that, it's a crazy feeling." Crazy also might describe the frenzied celebration that followed Posley's basket. As students mobbed the court, Bonnies forward Dion Wright stood on the scorers' table with his arms raised. "He's the heart and soul of our team," coach Mark Schmidt said about Posley, the junior college transfer who is leading the Bonnies in scoring. "To be involved in two games like that against two teams that we're not supposed to beat and we pull it out in the end. It's exciting. It's why you coach." Wright had 19 points and added eight rebounds in a game St. Bonaventure (13-8, 6-4 Atlantic 10) never trailed. Terry Larrier scored 15 points and JeQuan Lewis had 14 for VCU, while Jordan Burgess had 11 rebounds. VCU (18-5, 8-2) has lost two of three, with the troubles coinciding with injuries that have hit the Rams' starting lineup. Already missing guard Briante Weber, who sustained a season-ending knee injury last weekend, the Rams played St. Bonaventure without leading scorer Treveon Graham. He's listed as day to day after aggravating an ankle injury in a 72-60 win at George Mason on Wednesday night. "We knew coming in that without Tre and Bri, our margin for error was a little bit smaller," VCU coach Shaka Smart said. "I'm proud of the way our guys showed fight throughout the game. We just didn't get quite enough stops to win." The Rams overcame a 10-point deficit with 10 minutes left to pull into a tie on what became their last possession. After Bonnies center Youssou Ndoye's 6-foot attempt was too hard off the backboard with 26 seconds left, the Rams scrambled down the court with Jordan Burgess hitting an easy jumper with 17 seconds left. Back came the Bonnies, who were out of timeouts. Posley began with the ball on left wing, and then worked his way to the top of the key. With just over 2 seconds left, he drove to his right between VCU defenders Mo Alie-Cox and Doug Brooks. Posley then worked around Jordan Burgess and got a side-armed shot off high off the backboard. "It was just a little up and under," Posley said. "I was able to get it off and have enough of a look at it." The Rams dubbed HAVOC pressing defense didn't have much bite against St. Bonaventure, which was quick in pushing the ball up the court. The Rams defense is clearly missing Weber, who was leading the nation in steals before he was hurt. The Rams entered the game ranked third in the nation in forcing 17.3 turnovers and getting 10.3 steals per game. On Saturday, they forced just nine turnovers, matching a season low, and had five steals. QUOTES OF THE NIGHT "When you're 18, 19, 20-years-old, you shouldn't get tired. Just play," Schmidt on having four of his five starters log more than 33 minutes, and playing just three reserves. TIP-INS VCU: Senior forward Jarred Guest made his first start of the season in place of Graham. The Rams had a seven-game road win streak snapped. ... Though VCU entered the game with nine players who had scored in double-figures this season, Graham and Weber accounted for 502 combined points -- nearly a third of the Rams' offense. St. Bonaventure: The Bonnies had won their previous two games against ranked opponents, both last season. They beat then No. 19 St. Louis 71-68 in the A10 quarterfinals, and knocked off No. 21 Massachusetts 78-65 at home on Jan. 29 to snap what had been a 24-game skid against ranked teams. UP NEXT VCU: Hosts La Salle on Wednesday night. St. Bonaventure: Hosts UMass on Wednesday night.
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President Obama discusses the role his mother played in his life in a new video released by the White House on Saturday. "My mom, like a lot of single moms, had to struggle, to work. Then she went to school, raised me and raised my sister," Obama says in the video when asked who most influenced his life. Obama added he was most proud of his mother "probably when she finished her PhD. finally, 'cause it took her a long time. She had to work, she had to raise kids. It was a victory of her spirit." Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, passed away in 1995 at the age of 52. The president's comments came while welcoming to the Oval Office this week Vidal Chastanet and his Brooklyn middle school principal for a feature on the Humans of New York blog. Obama offered the 13-year-old student life advice, shown in a series of posts on the site's Facebook page . Asked by Nadia Lopez, principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy, when Obama has felt "broken," he replied, "I tend to have a pretty buoyant spirit." The video ends with Obama telling his guests, "You don't do things alone. Nobody does things alone. Everybody always needs support."
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Georgia Tech got scoring from 8 players, including 3 in double figures, on their way to a 73-59 win over Wake Forest. Charles Mitchell led the Yellow Jackets with 15 points and 6 rebounds, while Cornelius Hudson led the Demon Deacons with a game-high 19 points.
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Bruce Jenner was involved in a fatal three-car accident in Southern California on Saturday, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman said.
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Kyle Collinsworth reached double-figures in points, rebounds and assists for the fifth time this season in BYU's 87-68 victory over LMU this afternoon. He's now recorded more triple-doubles in a single season than any player in NCAA Division I history. His four triple-doubles previously recorded this season came against Pacific (17 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists), San Francisco (12, 12, 10), Gonzaga (13, 10, 10) and Hawai'i (19, 12, 10). Four players have recorded four triple-doubles in a single season. Michael Anderson first set the old record with Drexel in 1986. Brian Shaw of UC Santa Barbara tied it in 1988. Most recently Stephane Lasme recorded four triple-doubles at UMass in 2007. The most impressive name with four triple-doubles in a season is 10-time NBA all-star Jason Kidd, who achieved the feat in 1994 at Cal. This record was set less than a year after he tore his ACL in the WCC Tournament against Gonzaga. Collinsworth is the only player to tally more than one triple-double so far this season. And there's plenty of reason to believe he won't stop at five. Collinsworth averages 13.6 points, six assists and 8.8 rebounds per game. Ten times this season he has recorded double-doubles, all of the 10+ points and 10+ rebounds variety. It's not just Collinsworth's multifaceted skill-set that makes this record-setting season possible. Dave Rose's Cougars play an extremely up-tempo style that averages just over 72 possessions per game. That gives Collinsworth, who at 6' 6" tall plays point guard, plenty of chances to stuff the stat sheet. According to KenPom, while on the floor he takes 21.2% of the Cougars shots, assists on an additional 35% of them (29th best in the country) and pulls down 23% of the defensive rebounds (73rd best in the country). Collinsworth's ability to crash the boards from the point guard position he's third in the country in rebounds per game among guards, Branden Dawson and Terry Tarpey rank above him but are listed as guard/forwards by Michigan State and William and Mary respectively is partially a factor of the Cougars' short roster. With a frontcourt hampered by injury Dave Rose has started a four guard line-up on numerous occasions this season. Kyle Collinsworth is a do-it-all player on the right team at the right time. He's taken full advantage and has been rewarded with the NCAA single-season record for triple-doubles.
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Cristiano Ronaldo says that Real Madrid is a better team than Atletico Madrid despite being thrashed 4-0 on Saturday. Goals from Tiago, Saul, Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic handed Diego Simeone's men a famous victory at the Vicente Calderon and cut the gap between the two sides in La Liga to four points. But Ronaldo, who endured a difficult game after returning from suspension, is remaining defiant despite admitting that his team played poorly. "Real Madrid are better than Atletico but we have to prove it on the field," the Portuguese told reporters. "Anyway, I think we will win the Liga title at the end of the season. "Nothing worked today. It is a day to forget. Real Madrid can never lose 4-0 against any team. We lacked enthusiasm and we were not mentally or physically fresh. There was little recovery time from Wednesday's game [against Sevilla]." Ronaldo, who celebrated his 30th birthday on Thursday, doesn't believe that Madrid should panic despite its heavy defeat. "The team is fine, but today we made a big mistake," he said. "These were three points that we lost. No more. Not four points." Madrid remains top of La Liga with 54 points from 22 games but second placed Barcelona can close to within one point if it wins on Sunday against Athletic Bilbao.
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CASA GRANDE, Ariz. The annual Running of the Gourds Festival, an event that celebrates the fruit's growing popularity, has taken over Pinal County this weekend. The Pinal Fairgrounds & Event Center has been a gourd-lover's paradise since Friday. Wuertz Gourd Farm, a family-owned gourd farm, has been putting on the festival for the past 12 years. There will be more than 60,000 gourds for sale, co-owner Waylon Wuertz said. About 120 vendors will be showing roughly 5,000 pieces of art. "The diversity of all the gourd art is just amazing," Wuertz told the Casa Grande Dispatch (http://bit.ly/1xAIbVt). A gourd is a type of fruit characterized by a hard shell and is often used for artwork. The items for sale at the festival range from $5 knick-knacks to $15,000 high-end art pieces, Wuertz said. Artists use gourds to make everything from hats to utensils. The festivities will also include the return of Flash Gourden, a "gourd superhero" who sits on the front of a bicycle while someone else pedals. Children will also be able to learn about the uses of gourds in "kindergourden" classes. There are classes for adults too. Despite all the groan-worthy gourd puns, the fruit's use as the foundation for artwork is taken very seriously. A juried art show has drawn nearly 500 entries, Wuertz said. Last year's three-day event drew nearly 12,000 people, according to organizers. The festival runs through Sunday. Wuertz is a fourth-generation farmer who started growing gourds as a business in 2002. The Wuertz family has been farming in the Casa Grande and Coolidge area since 1929. ___ Information from: Casa Grande Dispatch.
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It's likely there's someone in your family who's known as the food vacuum, or the garbage disposal. The brother who'll clean everything off his plate within minutes and sometimes seconds. To some, scarfing down food is natural, and the ability is often associated with growing teenage boys or grown men more so than women. A group of researchers from Semyung University in South Korea wanted to better understand what the chewing and eating differences were between men and women, and how chewing patterns had an effect on weight. In their study , which was published in the journal Physiology & Behavior , they found that men and women had vastly different chewing "performances," and that obesity also had an effect on chewing and eating behaviors. While we do it every day without thinking about it, chewing has an important role as the first step in the digestive process. Chewing is sometimes referred to as mastication: the process of teeth grinding down food to increase the surface area of food, making it more easily broken down by enzymes. The study was partially motivated by the authors' desire to investigate obesity therapies, such as modified eating behaviors. The way you chew your food, and how fast you do it, can have quite an impact on how much food you consume in a given amount of time. Generally, people who are obese often have much faster chewing tendencies, as well as a bigger bite size, than people of normal weight. Some other research, interestingly, has shown that eating more slowly may actually be linked to weight loss: since it prolongs the regulation of ghrelin, also known as the hunger hormone, and helps you feel more satisfied from less food. Twenty-four males and 24 females participated in the study, and had electrodes attached to their jaw muscles. Each participant was given 152 grams of boiled white rice, and asked to eat it while the researchers measured their bite size; the quantity of food, in grams, ingested every minute; the number of chews per mouthful, and the total number of chews, among other things. The authors found that males were more likely to chew faster and have a bigger bite size than females, while females were more likely to chew more times per gram of food, making their meals last longer. While the study found a significant difference between the chewing patterns of men and women, it did not fully explain whether chewing was directly related to weight gain or weight loss. Sure, chewing quickly and swallowing huge amounts of food in a short period of time might be a factor in obesity but so are a myriad of other things like physical inactivity, depression, and genetics. The researchers concluded that they'll need more research, but they hope that at some point the information will be used to develop obesity therapies. "[C]hewing influences a range of cognitive and emotional functions, which are different in both under- and overweight patients compared with normal weight controls," the authors wrote in their conclusion. "In addition, the modulation of eating behavior through chewing can be used as specific feedback to normalize food intake and, thus, normalize body weight." Source: Park S, Shin W. Differences in eating behaviors and masticatory performances by gender and obesity status. Physiology & Behavior , 2015.
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Italian veteran Andreas Seppi, the man who sent Roger Federer crashing out of the Australian Open, continued his impressive form by reaching the Zagreb ATP final. The 30-year-old Seppi ended a 10-match losing streak against 17-time major winner Federer in Melbourne last month on his way to the fourth round. In Doha, in the first week of the year, the 30-year-old reached the semi-finals. On Saturday, the world number 41 beat Spaniard Marcel Granollers, the eighth seed, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 to make the final. "I felt much better in the second set, that's why I played much better. It was not easy since I had an excellent opponent," said fifth-seeded Seppi. On Sunday, he will face Spain's third-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez after the 31-year-old defeated Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, 6-4, 6-4. "I was a bit nervous when I served for the match, but it is understandable since a lot was at stake," said Garcia-Lopez. "I did not start well, I lost my serve early but I found a good rhythm. I'm happy to be in the final."
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Everton and Liverpool could not be separated on Saturday as the 224th Merseyside derby ended in a 0-0 draw. The visitors created more chances, and went closest to a breakthrough when Jordon Ibe - making only his second Premier League start - rattled the post with a drive from distance midway through the first half. Steven Gerrard, featuring in what could be his final league derby, also went close on a couple of occasions but even the introduction of Daniel Sturridge early in the second half could not help Liverpool find a winner. A tense affair threatened to boil over 12 minutes from time when a disagreement between Muhamed Besic and Ibe sparked a brief altercation between the two sets of players. Referee Anthony Taylor cautioned Besic, Steven Naismith and Jordan Henderson before tempers were calmed. For Everton, it was a 10th consecutive Merseyside derby without victory in all competitions, dating back to its last success in October 2010. The draw leaves Roberto Martinez's men 12th in the table with just two Premier League wins in 12, while Liverpool is five places better off having lost just one of its past dozen top-flight outings. Liverpool was first to threaten in the 10th minute when Joel Robles tipped away Gerrard's free kick that was heading for the top corner. The visitors suffered a blow when Lucas Leiva had to be withdrawn on the quarter-hour with what looked like an injury to his left thigh. He was replaced by Joe Allen. Two minutes later, Raheem Sterling's deflected shot rolled across the box and Robles had to rush smartly across his line to deny Ibe from close range. Ibe went even closer in the 27th minute when he raced forward into space and thumped an effort off the left-hand post with Robles beaten. Kevin Mirallas sent a free kick narrowly wide from 30 yards at the start of the second half, although Simon Mignolet looked to have it covered at his near post. Liverpool hit back with Sterling twice shooting straight at Robles before an acrobatic Gerrard effort was headed over the crossbar by Naismith. With 55 minutes gone, Brendan Rodgers brought on Sturridge in place of Philippe Coutinho in a bid to break the deadlock. Everton responded with a change of its own as Aaron Lennon, signed on loan from Tottenham on transfer deadline day, replaced Mirallas. With five minutes remaining there was one final chance for the hosts when Seamus Coleman saw his effort parried behind by Mignolet, as the game ended with honors even.
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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- John Groce was as proud of Illinois' resolve as Tom Izzo was angry at Michigan State's recurring problems. The Fighting Illini overcame adversity throughout a 59-54 win over the Spartans Saturday afternoon, particularly when a rare dead-ball technical at the foul line offered Michigan State a win that wasn't accepted. ''It was one of those grinders with both teams really going at it, throwing haymakers,'' Groce said after the third consecutive win for Illinois (16-8, 6-5 Big Ten). ''I was most proud of the way we responded and were able to make plays on the next possession.'' Malcolm Hill was 8 of 9 at the line and scored 19 points for Illinois. Kendrick Nunn added 14 points and Nnanna Egwu had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Illini. Denzel Valentine had 16 points and seven rebounds for the Spartans (15-8, 6-4), but fouled out after missing a 6-foot shot that would have given his team a 56-55 lead. And Travis Trice was held to six points on 2-for-10 shooting from the field, 1 of 5 from distance and 1 of 3 on free throws ''Free throws and stops, that's what killed us,'' Trice said. ''It's lack of focus and missed free throws at the end. It's simple. We didn't execute.'' After the Fighting Illini were called for a technical, Michigan State got just two points from four free throws and Valentine missed his shot on the same possession. The Spartans were 7 of 18 at the line, showing why they entered the game 14th in the conference in free throws and 321st in the nation. ''To me it's utterly unacceptable,'' Izzo said of his team's inability to convert. ''I'll take full and complete responsibility for it. Probably not the most disappointed I've been but the maddest I've been. I can't stomach it.'' Illinois was 12 of 16 at the line and shot 41 percent from the field to the Spartans' 38.5 percent. Michigan State didn't reach 40 percent in any category. The score was tied at 39 when two free throws from Nunn, a putback by Egwu and a 3-pointer by Ahmad Starks gave the Illini a seven-point lead. But after a Starks steal, Trice came from behind to block a layup, setting up Branden Dawson's basket at the other end. That switched the momentum, and two 3-pointers from Valentine helped cut the deficit to 49-47. When Valentine missed an open 15-footer to tie and Dawson failed on a tip-in, Illinois went up 51-47 on a tougher tip try by Austin Colbert. Dawson's tip-in made it 51-49. But he turned the ball over on a pass in traffic, setting up two Jaylon Tate free throws for a four-point lead with 1:59 left. Trice answered with a 3-pointer with 1:20 remaining before Nunn scored on a drive to make it 55-52. But when Trice was hit by Tate after making the front end of a one-and-one, Michigan State got three more foul shots with 33 seconds left and made just one of them. ''The ball went through the hoop, and the ball became dead,'' referee Terry Wymer said. ''No. 1 (Tate) backed into him in an unnecessary manner and made contact with him at that point. That's why we called a dead-ball contact technical foul.'' That second free throw by Bryn Forbes was the last point the Spartans would score. Hill took over from there, going 4 of 4 at the stripe in the last 15 seconds after no-chance shots by Valentine and Trice. ''It's really big to come to Michigan State and beat a team that plays so hard,'' Egwu said after leading that effort at both ends. ''To come into their building and play this way is the best part of it.'' --- TIP-INS Illinois: The Illini were without top-scorer Rayvonte Rice for the ninth straight game, six with a fractured left hand and three for an indefinite team suspension. Aaron Cosby also sat for the third straight game at Groce's discretion. Michigan State: Tom Izzo remained fourth in career Big Ten victories with 227 in 19 1/2 seasons, one shy of the total of Purdue's Ward ''Piggy'' Lambert. Bob Knight had 353 wins in 29 years at Indiana, and Gene Keady had 265 in 25 years with the Boilermakers. REBOUNDING WOES Branden Dawson, the Big Ten leading rebounder at 10.1 per game coming in - failed to reach double-figure boards for just the second time in 10 games after finishing with six. UP NEXT Illinois hosts Michigan Thursday night. Michigan State visits Northwestern Tuesday night.
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Member of the Wildcats' 1985 championship team reminisce about beating the favored Georgetown Hoyas 30 years later.
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A preliminary rat study out of the University of Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) points to the possibility that certain components in marijuana might be helpful in treating chronic stress-related depression. The study , published in The Journal of Neuroscience , focused primarily on endocannabinoids chemicals in the brain that are quite similar to the chemicals known as cannabinoids in marijuana. Endocannabinoids are involved in appetite, memory, mood, and pain sensations. They're also involved in the psychoactive effects that cannabis has on us, as well as brain functions like cognition, behavior, and emotions. The researchers found that in animal models, chronic stress reduced the production of endocannabinoids, which in turn led to depressive symptoms. "Chronic stress is one of the major causes of depression," said Samir Haj-Dahmane, a senior research scientist at RIA, in the press release . "Using compounds derived from cannabis marijuana to restore normal endocannabinoid function could potentially help stabilize moods and ease depression." But the authors are quick to note that the research is preliminary, and more evidence will be needed to back up their claims not to mention they'd have to test this in humans for it to really be seen as effective. Marijuana And Mental Health The marijuana and depression debate has been going on for years now, and this study may add to the discussion but it doesn't end it. It's complicated. Every individual is different, and the matter is made even more complex due to the wide variety of marijuana strains available, each one affecting individuals uniquely. Depression treatments must be tailored to fit each person; one depressed patient might benefit from cannabis, while another might find their anxiety is heightened from the drug. However, the limited research that does exist involving marijuana's beneficial health effects has found that it might assist in battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety , stress, and even chronic pain. A team of researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) completed a study on weed and anxiety, finding that relief from stress was one of the main reasons why people use it. "Cannabis and its derivatives have profound effects on a wide variety of behavioral and neural functions, ranging from feeding and metabolism to pain and cognition," the authors wrote. "However, epidemiological studies have indicated that the most common self-reported reason for using cannabis is rooted in its ability to reduce feelings of stress, tension, and anxiety." So it's true. Cannabis can target the endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for anxiety and fear in the human brain. But is cannabis the best way to get there and keep things in order? That's a question that still hasn't been answered. No one is saying marijuana is a cure for depression, but it's certainly an area of research that should be further explored. Source: Haj-Dahmane S, Shen R. Chronic Stress Impairs α1-Adrenoceptor-Induced Endocannabinoid-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus. The Journal of Neuroscience . 2015.
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SAN DIEGO (AP) -- J.B. Holmes birdied all but one of the par 5s at Torrey Pines and escaped with bogey on his one big miss Saturday, giving him a 4-under 68 to join Harris English at the top of a crowded leaderboard in the Farmers Insurance Open. Given this is the South Course at Torrey Pines, Sunday might be more about survival than shootout. "This is a U.S. Open golf course," English said. "And you've got to treat it like that." English led by as many as three shots early in the third round until his streak of 39 holes at par or better ended with a double bogey on No. 4. He lost the lead again late in his round with a poor chip on the 16th and had to settle for a 1-over 73. They were at 9-under 207 with a host of contenders behind them. Of the 12 players separated by only two shots going into the final round, all but three have won on the PGA Tour and two them -- Jimmy Walker and Bill Haas -- have won in the last month. In the previous four events this year, two in Hawaii and two in the desert, a score like 73 would be enough to send someone out of contention. The South Course at Torrey Pines, host of the 2008 U.S. Open, is different with its length and its thick rough. Jhonattan Vegas, two shots behind, hit one tee shot on the 14th hole that missed the fairway by a few feet and he had to stoop over just to see his golf ball. "It's a battle out there," English said. "I had a tough stretch on 4 ... I had a tough go on 16. But you've got to grind." The 68 by Holmes, Carlos Ortiz and defending champion Scott Stallings, who was three shots behind, was the low score in the third round. "Guys are getting bunched," Walker said. "You've got par 5s that are tough, and a lot of them are unreachable." Walker did his part. Standing in the 18th fairway, 261 yards from the hole and a slight breeze in his face, he decided at the last minute to go up one club with a 3-wood, choked up slightly and hit a cut. It wound up about 12 feet by the hole, and his eagle putt to share the lead touched the right side of the cup. He tapped in for a 70. Holmes is on the A-list of power players, and while his length helped, his short game led to birdies. He got up-and-down from a bunker on No. 6, reached the greenside bunker in two shots on the 603-yard 13th hole and had to lay up on the 18th after driving into the rough. He holed a 12-footer for birdie. He was tied for the lead until pulling his tee shot into a hazard left of the 17th fairway, and then putting the next shot into a bunker. But he got up-and-down to escape with bogey and had a share of the lead when English made his late bogey. "This golf course is a big, ball-striking course," Holmes said. "So you've got to hit it in the fairway, you've got to hit some good shots and give yourself a chance for some birdies. ... The rough, it probably plays worse than it did at the U.S. Open when they had it here in 2008." Lucas Glover, emerging from a tough stretch of poor putting, had a 70 and will be in the final group with Holmes and English, a close friend. No shot was more memorable for Chad Campbell than his hole-in-one on the picturesque third hole with a pitching wedge. He played well the other 17 holes for a 70 and is in the hunt for his first victory in more than seven years. Others at 8-under 208 were Spencer Levin (70) and Nick Watney, who made all pars on the back nine for a 72. Day, at No. 8 in the world the only player from the top 10 to make cut, holed out on the 17th for eagle to salvage a mediocre day and shot 71. He was only two shots behind. English, a two-time winner on tour, figured anything under par on Sunday might be good enough to win. Or maybe not. He later said anyone within five shots of the lead could not be counted out in the final round at Torrey Pines. If that's the case, 31 players are still in the picture.
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In Rex Ryan, new Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula trusts. Richie Incognito, the infamously exiled guard at the center of the locker-room bullying scandal in 2013 involving Jonathan Martin, is the smash-mouth, road-grading guard Ryan believes he can harness. Incognito was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in November 2013 for harassing Martin. He was reinstated in February 2014 and had tryouts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos, but ultimately no team was willing to sign him and deal with the possible public-relations backlash. That the Bills, who announced an agreement with the free agent guard Saturday afternoon, are now the team giving Incognito a chance says everything about the personnel power Ryan wields after being hired by Pegula in Jan to replace Doug Marrone. 14. Ryan has vowed to "build a bully" in Buffalo, and his first notable addition is the most notorious bully in the NFL. This is not a look-at-me move. Incognito is a nasty, punishing blocker who epitomizes Ryan's vision. The question is whether Incognito has changed as a person and a teammate to justify Ryan's faith and keep the move from backfiring. And with one of the league's most renowned player's coach's willing to put his neck on the line, Incognito surely understands he will need to remain on his best behavior and prove in this likely last NFL chance at 31, he is indeed Ryan's ideal upgrade for a Bills offensive line that had a pair of weak-link starting guards in Kraig Urbik and Erik Pears. With new offensive coordinator Greg Roman's former San Francisco 49ers guard Mike Iupati likely available in free agency starting on March 10, it is telltale that Ryan would start his remake of the Bills offensive line by signing Incognito, who is regarded a more complete guard than Iupati, who struggled in pass protection last season. When Pegula hired Ryan to replace Marrone following Marrone exercising his $4 million out clause, Pegula committed to a defensive-minded old-school football coach whose New York Jets rode a "ground and pound'' approach to back-to-back AFC Championship games in Ryan's first two seasons in 2009 and 2010. In Ryan, Pegula has ultimate trust not only to lead his locker room, but to lead the Bills back to the playoffs for the first time since 1999 -- beginning a once-toxic player Ryan is convinced will be the last guy to let him down.
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SALEM, Ore. (AP) Facing the biggest crisis of his decades-long political career, Gov. John Kitzhaber finds himself increasingly isolated. Few of Kitzhaber's fellow Democrats are sticking up for him as he confronts a barrage of criticism, calls for his resignation and, potentially, a recall petition. After simmering for months, influence-peddling allegations boiled over on Kitzhaber last week, when an editorial by the Oregonian newspaper calling for his resignation shined a national spotlight on the controversy. On Friday, another newspaper, the Yamhill Valley News-Register in McMinnville, followed suit, saying Kitzhaber has "ardently resisted coming straight." "While you have enjoyed many successes, your once-admirable legacy has become soiled by your refusal to recognize and rectify wrong turns," the newspaper's editorial team wrote in a letter to Kitzhaber. Unlike the Oregonian, which endorsed Kitzhaber's re-election bid last year, the McMinnville paper had endorsed Kitzhaber's Republican rival, Dennis Richardson. A series of newspaper reports since October have revealed that Kitzhaber's fiancée, Cylvia Hayes, did paid consulting work for organizations with an interest in Oregon public policy. During the same period, she worked as an unpaid adviser in the governor's office on some of the same issues. Kitzhaber has said repeatedly that he and Hayes took care to avoid conflicts, and a state ethics commission will decide whether conflict-of-interest laws were broken. Kitzhaber's troubles overshadowed the first week of the legislative session as Democrats moved aggressively to advance some of their top priorities, including a measure to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions that Kitzhaber and Hayes strongly support. In response to questions about the growing controversy surrounding Kitzhaber, legislative leaders demurred. "This session is off to a productive start," House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, said in a statement. "As the Oregon Government Ethics Commission does its job, we must remain focused on our job as legislators, which is to serve Oregonians by advancing policies that improve people's lives and strengthen our state." Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, offered his compassion, but he also said he's focused on his own job. Spokespeople for Courtney and Kotek declined to say whether the leaders believed Kitzhaber could effectively govern after the Oregonian editorial said he could not do so. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, a Democrat, called the allegations "very serious" and "troubling" and said she's exploring her legal options. A spokesman for Secretary of State Kate Brown, also a Democrat, declined to make her available for an interview. Kitzhaber did get praise from one former rival, former Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, a Democrat who lost to Kitzhaber in the 2010 primary for governor. Bradbury told The Associated Press that the controversy has been "really quite overblown." "He's going to be able to move forward effectively, and it's just going to take a while to get over these humps," Bradbury said. "He's a hell of a good governor, and he's going to continue to perform." Meanwhile, newly released public records revealed more details about Hayes' work advocating a client's agenda. Emails released to the Oregonian by the Department of Administrative Services showed she instructed state officials to help implement a policy known as the genuine progress indicator, which she was being paid to promote. The genuine progress indicator is an alternative to the gross domestic product, which uses health and environmental data to help measure economic success. Hayes was paid by Demos, a New York-based nonprofit, to promote the policy. The emails show Hayes orchestrated an effort aimed at implementing the genuine progress indicator into the state budget, according to The Oregonian. When Michael Jordan, the state's chief operating officer, said he couldn't attend a meeting on the issue at the governor's mansion, Hayes replied: "Not good. We went forward with this date because you had committed to attending." The records also show that Kitzhaber himself intervened to urge Jordan to hire a former Maryland official who worked on the genuine progress indicator in that state, the newspaper reported. He was eventually hired on a yearlong contract worth about $65,000. Demos distanced itself from Hayes. "Although we were assured that the contract was reviewed by Oregon counsel, we now know that we should not have trusted Ms. Hayes to carefully monitor the balance between her public and private roles," Demos' spokeswoman, Elextra Gray, said in a statement to the Oregonian.
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Bode Miller, who crashed out of the world championships and had to undergo surgery for a torn tendon, says he is "leaning" towards retirement from competitive ski racing. The 37-year-old six-time Olympic medallist says nothing is official because he hasn't made up his mind completely but a series of subpar results and a string of injuries over the past few years has him thinking about stepping away for good. "I tried retiring a couple of times and it just didn't really stick so, but at some point enough things conspire together and it does stick," he told American broadcaster NBC on Saturday. "I'm not one of those people who needs a grand showing off or parade or anything. I just won't be there. I'm leaning pretty heavy towards not going out there anymore." Miller was charging down the super-G course on Thursday when he crashed through a gate one minute into the race which sent him tumbling backwards down the icy track. Both his skis came off and one of them appeared to cross under him, slicing open his right leg open and severing a hamstring tendon. His split times were the fastest of all the racers including eventual super-G gold medallist Hannes Reichelt. Miller was making his season debut after undergoing back surgery for a herniated disc in November. Four-time Olympian Miller is one of the most decorated US skiers of all-time. He has a total of 11 Olympic and World Championship medals, including a gold in the super combined at the 2010 Vancouver Games. It has never paid to make predictions about Miller but if this is his farewell appearance then it is certainly not the way he expected to go out. Miller was seeking to become the oldest gold medallist in an individual event at the world championships. He also needed one more win to tie Aksel Lund Svindal, Gustav Thoni, Ingemar Stenmark and Kjetil Andre Aamodt in third place among men with five world titles.
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BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) Bart Bryant holed out with a 6-iron from 195 yards on the par-5 18th hole Saturday for the first double eagle on the Champions Tour since 2010, giving him a share of the second-round lead in the Allianz Championship. Bryant had bogeyed four of his previous seven holes to fall off the pace before his second shot at No. 18 landed on the front of the green and rolled into the hole for his first career albatross. Bryant finished with a 3-under 69 to join Paul Goydos, Tom Pernice Jr. and Canada's Rod Spittle atop the leaderboard at 9-under 135. Spittle had a 66, and Goydos and Pernice shot 69. ''I was going to hit a 5-iron, but I thought if I got the 6-iron high enough it would just clear the bunker,'' Bryant said. ''I never saw it go in. That sure made up for a lot of bad shots.'' Keith Fergus was the last player to make a double eagle on the 50-and-over tour, accomplishing the rare feat in the 2010 SAS Championship. Reigning player of the year Bernhard Langer had a 70 to reach 7 under. He was tied for fifth with Olin Browne (67), Guy Boros (68) and Mark Brooks (69). Twelve players were within three shots of the lead.
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Watch as Duke's Justise Winslow chases down Notre Dame's Demetrius Jackson on the fast break and rises up for the huge block.
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CINCINNATI -- Reds general manager Walt Jocketty has been in search of bullpen help this offseason. He added a veteran piece Saturday by signing Burke Badenhop to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2016. The Reds also signed righthander Kevin Gregg to a minor league contract with an invitation to the Major League camp, but the signing of Badenhop, a native of Perrysburg who went to Bowling Green State University and turns 32 years old on Sunday, provides an experienced arm who can bridge the middle and late innings as the Reds try to get the ball to closer Aroldis Chapman. The Reds traded Jonathan Broxton, who had been the main setup man ahead of Chapman, to Milwaukee last August. The bullpen's 4.11 ERA was next-to-last in the National League last season. Manager Bryan Price has repeatedly voiced his confidence that Sam LeCure and J.J. Hoover can bounce back from down seasons but the Reds will look at as many arms as possible to rectify their bullpen issues. Badenhop is coming off his most productive season in a seven-year career. He appeared in 70 games for Boston with a 2.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. He allowed just one home run in 289 batters faced and had a career-best 1.59 ground ball-to-fly ball ratio. Lefthander Ismael Guillon was designated for assignment to make room for Badenhop on the 40-man roster. Gregg has saved 177 games in his career, including 33 games two years ago with the Chicago Cubs. Gregg pitched in just 12 games last season with Miami before undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. Reds pitchers and catchers report to Goodyear, Ariz., for the start of spring training on Feb. 18.
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Marcus Posley hit another huge game-winning shot Saturday, this time it was a layup to upset No. 18 VCU 73-71. Posley racked up 15 points and 6 rebounds in the win.
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Teabags can help your feet. In more ways than one.
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#4 Duke exploded in the first half to a 50-24 lead, shooting 81% on its way to a 90-60 rout over #10 Notre Dame. Jahlil Okafor (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Justise Winslow (19 points, 11 rebounds) each had double-doubles, while sophomore Matt Jones scored a career-high 17 points. Duke improves to 5-1 this season against Top 25 opponents.
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By now you've probably heard of the new book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing , by organization expert Marie Kondo. It's gotten a lot of attention and coverage due to Marie's unconventional and slightly wacky, yet apparently eye-opening and yes, life-changing, approach to decluttering. I haven't read it yet, but my Mom recently did, and the other night we got to talking about it. I recalled her showing me the NYT article about the book a while back since she knows I've always had a thing for decluttering and organizing. At the time I thought it seemed interesting, but because I've always been really good at decluttering, organizing, and getting rid of things, I didn't feel like the book was something I would need to read. I guess I figured I had nothing left to learn, but after talking to my Mom about the book, I think I may have been mistaken... After reading the book, my Mom was really impressed with Marie's unique approach and many of the techniques involved. One philosophy that the author uses really struck us both. It's more of a thought process than an action - and that, of course, makes perfect sense, because the things we buy, the things we have a hard time getting rid of, and our possessions in general - they're so psychological. It all has to do with our emotions and the meaning we attach to possessions. So, as my Mom described it to me, Marie says you must use a certain phrase when going through your belongings. Instead of saying "what do I want to get rid of?" which is the approach that most organizational philosophies use, Marie says you must think: "What do I want to keep?" That simple phrase struck me so much! What a mindset shift. First of all, it turns the process from a negative one to a positive, and makes it feel more like a fun undertaking: what do I get to keep ? What wonderful collection of items that I LOVE am I going to wind up with? It makes it feel like you're weeding, and at the end will be left with a beautiful bunch of flowers - or, lovely possessions. It also places the emphasis on keeping a small, carefully selected number of things (because how much can you really LOVE), and getting rid of the vast majority of, basically, crap that we all cling to. image source Talking to my Mom made me realize that I definitely need to read this book and implement some of the strategies in my apartment. Not to toot my own horn, but I really am good at getting rid of things that I don't love or use. I'm definitely not a minimalist but I hate clutter and I just love to get rid of things that I consider to be "stagnant" - i.e., things that just sit there, not being utilized. However, I have an Achilles heel: my books. And I know why. It's not only because I love reading, but I also love books as a design element. I love them as a personal collection that says something about who you are and what you're interested in. Whenever I walk into someone's home, the first thing I tend to gravitate toward is their bookshelf. Somehow you can always strike up a conversation about the books they have that you've both read, or the books they have that you want to read, or whatever. When looking at Pinterest or any room, nothing draws me in more than an absolutely huge, stuffed bookshelf. I mean, wall to wall, library ladder and all ( like this ). I feel like you can never have enough books...but there is a caveat. You have to have the ROOM for all of those books! Because of all of this, I've onto books that I've read and thought were just so-so (and that I won't read again), because they were okay , and I feel like one day I'm going to have a giant bookshelf, and I'll be able to fill it with all of these books. I didn't see the point in getting rid of them! Whereas with my closet, I dream of a relatively sparse wardrobe, only populated by a small number of items that fit perfectly and that I love, with books, I just envision having the big, eclectically stuffed bookshelf. But, after talking to my Mom and thinking about Marie's philosophy, I've realized two things. The first is that I don't live in a space currently that can accommodate a giant, wall to wall bookshelf. I do not have a library in my home. I kept telling myself "but one day I might!" And yes, one day I might. And if I ever do, I'm sure at that point I'll have no problem buying tons of books and and I'll have a blast filling my brand new bookshelves. But I need to live within the parameters of the space that I currently inhabit, and my possessions need to fit within that space. It's like people who hold onto clothes that are two sizes too small because they're planning to lose weight and wear them. You can't live for future, might-happen-someday goals like that. You need to live in the present within the parameters of your present situation. The second thing I've realized is I need to let go of things that I don't love! With a lot of my books, I kept thinking to myself "I might reread that!" But really? Is that true? My to-read list is a mile long, so why would I ever spend time re-reading a book that I only felt lukewarm about the first time around? Oh, the ways we delude ourselves into keeping stuff . Truthfully, this is still a work in progress. I'm currently weeding through my book collection, and even with those ones that I didn't love, when I pick them up, I think of something that I liked about them, and feel compelled to put them back on the shelf. It's just really interesting, because with literally everything else in my possession, I truly have no problem tossing things in the give-away pile - and indeed, derive real enjoyment and satisfaction from doing so. But, we all have our weak spots! In the interest of being real, here's a perfectly unstyled, poorly lit, crappy picture of some of the books I've culled from my collection (this is the corner where I keep things that are going to make their way out of my apartment, to the thrift store or Goodwill or whatnot): Keepin' it real, folks. The thing is, I just shouldn't even look through the pile again, because if I do I'm sure I'll find some justification for putting many of them back onto my shelves. image source My Mom also came up with a great strategy. As she goes through her things and finds stuff to get rid of, she's making collections to give to people in her life that she thinks may enjoy them. Her thought is to give them to her loved ones and friends by simply saying "I'm paring down my belongings, and I thought you might like this." She's found that she's gaining more pleasure from the idea of gifting these nice items to people who may enjoy them than she does from having the items just stagnating on her shelf. Isn't that nice? To read more from York Avenue, click here!
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lifestyle
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Mike Ribeiro's game-winning goal against the Rangers Saturday was his 700th career point. Ribeiro reached the milestone in only 917 career games.
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The attorney for Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle issued a statement Saturday denying claims made by the player's ex-girlfriend that he threatened her with a gun in a hotel room. Police arrested Randle early Tuesday and cited him for unlawful possession of a controlled substance after his ex-girlfriend, Dalia Jacobs, called 911 to report a domestic disturbance involving Randle at a Wichita, Kan. hotel. Jacobs, who has a son with Randle, alleged Randle got aggressive after a party in the room and pulled out a gun after she tried to leave the room with their son. Jacobs alleged that as she put their son in the car, Randle waved the gun at them and threatened to shoot out the tires. She said he then shattered a car window with his fist. MORE: Girlfriend's claim | Suh wants to play for Seahawks | PHOTOS: NFL players arrested in 2015 Wichita police dropped the drug charge against Randle Friday, but are still investigating the domestic disturbance allegations. Gary Ayers, an attorney with the law firm that is representing Randle, has denied those allegations. "Joseph Randle regrets that he was recently involved in a party in a Wichita, Kansas hotel that ended with the Wichita Police being called," Ayers stated. "There are no criminal charges. A woman who was present at the party has filed a protection from abuse lawsuit , which Randle believes to have no merit. Randle asked the woman to leave the party and go home, which she refused to do. "Contrary to the woman's allegations, Randle did not threaten her or brandish a gun at any time. Randle has retained counsel who will contact the Wichita police to offer cooperation with any further investigation they may want to conduct. Until that time, Randle has been advised by counsel to not discuss the incident. He very much appreciates the many statements of support from his family, friends, and fans." It's Randle's second arrest in the past few months. In October, he was charged with shoplifting at a Dillard's department store, stealing $80 worth of cologne and $40 in underwear. The Cowboys fined him $29,500. Randle has rushed for 507 yard and five touchdowns in two seasons with the Cowboys.
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SAN DIEGO Three years ago, Spencer Levin was becoming a regular presence on the PGA Tour, a player many thought was destined to break his maiden on the toughest Tour in the world. A year removed from winning $2.3 million and finishing 31st on the money list, Levin, a native of California, began his 2012 season in fine fashion. While he did blow a 6-shot lead in the final round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, it looked and felt like a bump in the road for Levin instead of a dead end. He bounced back quickly the following week he contended in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am before tying for ninth. Six months later, however, his life turned upside down. In August 2012, his stepbrother, Blake Wiklund, died unexpectedly at age 28. A few weeks later, Levin tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb and had surgery that October to reattach the ligament. And on Sept. 5, 2012, the chain-smoking Levin had his last cigarette. That's a lot to handle and it wasn't easy at times. But Levin, his love for competitive golf having returned, has battled back from those three life-altering events and is in contention again. With a 2-under-par 70 on the rugged South Course at sun-splashed, picturesque Torrey Pines, Levin is in a five-way tie for third entering Sunday's final round, just a shot behind Harris English and J.B. Holmes. "When I first came back after the injury, my attitude was bad and I just wasn't enjoying playing golf," Levin, 30, said Saturday. "And that got on my mind because I started thinking that I should be loving to play golf and I've got a great job. But I'm back to being myself again. "All is good." Two years ago it was not. In 2013 he played eight times on the Web.com Tour before shutting it down for the rest of the year because of his injury and an indifferent outlook toward the game. In 2014, he played 20 events on the PGA Tour and missed 11 cuts, 10 coming in his last 12 events. Playing against the best players in the world is tough enough, but when you're in a fog and coming back from an injury to one of the two hands that hold the club, that's a huge hill to climb. But Levin kept climbing. "When I came back last year I think I needed a taste for golf again," said Levin, who once was his own worst enemy as he often beat himself up for bad shots. "This year I'm accepting bad shots better. This game is a lot of ups and downs. And I'm realizing that again, and I'm not as hard on myself anymore." A big boost for his attitude and confidence came last fall. Levin started the 2014-15 wrap-around season on a medical exemption. He had a few events to earn enough points to get his full status back for the rest of the year. In the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, he made an 8-footer on the final hole to finish in a tie for 56th and earn just enough points to get his status back. "That made my winter a lot better," Levin said. "I didn't have to worry about my status all through the winter." Instead, he's once again determined to capture his first Tour title and move up in the world golf rankings. Once ranked inside the top 100 in the world, he now is 409th. "I never had sat out of golf for a long time, and when I went through it, it's a really long time," Levin said. "I realized how much I miss being out here." And he's healthier now that he no longer smokes. "I definitely feel like I have more energy now and I am calmer on the course," Levin said. "And I know at least I did something good for myself by quitting. " … I needed to do something good for myself, because I don't work out and I don't eat that great. I had to do something so I wasn't so stressed out. It was easier for me to quit because I wasn't playing competitive golf. " … I enjoy playing golf again. I'm very thankful to be out here."
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sports
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Pats tight end Rob Gronkowski "spiked" the puck at the Boston Bruins game, while "Michigan University" will battle Michigan State on the ice.
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MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Bronson Koenig scored a season-high 16 points, Sam Dekker also had 16 and No. 5 Wisconsin won its sixth straight by beating Northwestern 65-50 on Saturday. Nigel Hayes added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Badgers (21-2, 9-1 Big Ten), who are off to their best start since going 21-1 in 2006-7. Wisconsin overpowered the Wildcats (10-13, 1-9) with its athleticism to open a big early lead. Dekker started the scoring for Wisconsin with a 3 before later darting through the interior of the 2-3 zone for a dunk. The agile 6-foot-7 forward also converted an alley-oop from Josh Gasser for another slam during a game-opening 21-4 run. Alex Olah had 15 points for Northwestern. The Big Ten's last-place team extended its losing streak to nine. The Wildcats did narrow a 21-point deficit against the conference leaders to 11 with 1 minute left on a 3-pointer by Tre Demps. Otherwise, it was another trying afternoon for coach Chris Collins. When he wasn't pleading for calls from officials in the first half, Collins could often be found on the sideline with arms crossed across his chest and a frustrated look on his face. Northwestern opened the game shooting 2 of 12 while falling behind by 17. They were outrebounded 24-12 in the first half and 39-25 on the afternoon. Leading by 16 at the break, the Badgers' biggest challenge in the second half was making sure that they kept their concentration while playing with a big lead. In Wisconsin's previous game, Indiana cut a 30-point deficit in half in the second half. While forwards Dekker and Hayes controlled the opening 20 minutes on Saturday, point guard Koenig paced the Badgers out of the locker room at halftime with two 3s and a tough, leaning layup with the shot clock winding down that maintained a 21-point lead with about 12 minutes left in the game. TIP-INS Northwestern: 6-foot-5 guard JerShon Cobb picked up two fouls at 9:40 of the first half - before and after a stoppage of play - while trying to guard the 6-foot-8 Hayes in the post. Cobb picked up a third foul 2 minutes later and went scoreless for the game. ... The Wildcats' only Big Ten win came in their conference opener, a 51-47 victory at Rutgers on Dec. 30. Wisconsin: The Badgers' 9-1 start in the Big Ten matched its best in conference play since 1914. ... Gasser had a season-high nine rebounds in his school-record 127th career start. UP NEXT Northwestern: hosts Michigan State on Tuesday. Wisconsin: at Nebraska on Tuesday.
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PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) -- Gerina Piller topped the leaderboard at 10 under Saturday when third-round play in the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic was suspended because of darkness. Piller was 3 under for the round with nine holes left on Atlantis Resort's Ocean Club course. She made 40-foot birdie putts on Nos. 3 and 4. "Just minimize the mistakes, and fairways and greens," Piller said. "I mean, the wind could switch at any second, it can." Play was delayed Thursday because of rain and slowed Friday by high wind. Lexi Thompson was a stroke back along with Sandra Gal, Brooke Pancake, Kelly Shon, Sei Young Kim and Perrine Delacour. Thompson was 7 under for the round with two holes left. Gal had nine holes to go, Pancake 11, Shon eight, Kim 11, and Delacour six. Second-ranked Inbee Park and No. 3 Stacy Lewis were in the group at 8 under. Park had 11 holes left, and Lewis three. Top-ranked Lydia Ko was 4 under with three holes left. "I feel good," said Lewis, 6 under for the round. "I would have liked to have finished that round off today, but just going to bed with a good number posted so far, I'm looking forward to tomorrow." Thompson played alongside Lewis. "We were talking about that we probably had the best golf going on today, we had so many birdies," Thompson said. "The first two days we were ball-striking it well, just didn't make that many putts, but today we were definitely feeding off each other off of birdies." Only two groups finished the third round Saturday. Michelle Wie missed the cut Saturday morning, finishing at 5 over.
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We know that vaccines aren't a partisan issue . There are pro- and anti-vaxxers on both sides of the political spectrum. Even the science-minded President has, at times, equivocated on the issue. But as the vaccine debate took on a political pitch this week with Republicans firing back at Obama's suggestion that parents "get your kids vaccinated" how and why people believe what they do about immunizations was on the minds of many. I called Brendan Nyhan, a political scientist at Dartmouth who specializes in the sometimes magical thinking people have in politics and health care. In a study on perceptions of flu shots, he found correcting myths had the opposite of the desired effect on the most vaccine-skeptical among us. In another study on the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, he found that myth-busting actually increased some parents' wariness about the shot. In his political research , he has demonstrated that giving people corrective information can deepen their misperceptions findings that dishearten any debunker. Here's our interview about why it's so hard to get people to change their minds about vaccines, why corrective information fails, and how to prevent vaccine denialism in the first place. What follows has been lightly edited for clarity. Julia Belluz: If I had to briefly sum up your research findings, I'd say: it's near impossible to change peoples' minds. Are vaccine beliefs any different from other types of beliefs? Brendan Nyhan: Vaccine beliefs are a lot like the political beliefs my co-author [Jason Reifler] and I study. People feel passionately, they are not inclined to hear contradictory messages, and there are all sorts of myths circulating. The way people reason about vaccines, it's the same as the way people reason about other controversial topics. JB: And yet the evidence on the benefits of vaccines is overwhelming. Why is it so hard to get some parents on side? BN: The benefit is not tangible in any way. It's not a case where your child is sick, you get a medicine, they get better, and you can see it. With vaccines, your child is well, you give them a vaccine, they stay well. The only potential downside is the perspective of certain parents who focus on these myths about side effects. That's really tough. That's part of the reason vaccines historically have been so controversial. It goes back to the very first vaccines, not just the MMR-autism scare in 1998. People have always been suspicious of vaccines. There has always been an instinctive response to the idea of using a disease to protect yourself against the disease. It gives people the heebie jeebies. Finally, many of the diseases that vaccines prevent today are essentially invisible in the US. Vaccines are a victim of their own success here. JB: Who most influences parents' thinking about vaccination? BN: Parents rate their child's doctor as their most-trusted source on vaccines by far. For all the coverage of Jenny McCarthy, parents tell us their pediatrician is who they trust and listen to. That's why providers are so important. For similar reasons, we should promote vaccines from the bottom up within communities that are at risk of not getting vaccinated. During the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, there was a moment when the medical teams were trying to fight the epidemic by communicating the science of how to prevent the spread of the diseases. But they weren't trusted. When they started working with community leaders and using those leaders in turn to work with people within communities, that's when they started changing peoples' practices. In the US, most places have very good levels of vaccination. The US doesn't have a vaccine crisis. We have pockets of un- and under-vaccinated people that create potential hotspots. It's important to be targeted in our approach. In all those places where people are vaccinating, we don't want to scare them. JB: You've written about the "backfire effects" of being too hard in trying to convince people to see another point of view. How does that relate to vaccines and how should we address the vaccine-hesitant? BN: My co-authors and I have found that corrective information about controversial issues like vaccines is often ineffective and can even have counterproductive effects. In this case, we found that debunking myths about the MMR vaccine and the flu shot can make people who have the least positive views of vaccines less likely to intend to vaccinate rather than more. A better approach is to help healthcare providers communicate more effectively. There are too many providers who are too accommodating in their language about alternative schedules or selective vaccination. When my son was born, we went to a pediatric practice in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the first thing they said to us was: 'We're willing to work with you on vaccines.' I interpreted that as meaning, 'We're open to negotiating vaccines with you.' We said, 'No, no, we want everything.' But the danger is that if that's your opening offer as a doctor, parents may take it. JB: How does the language doctors use impact whether people vaccinate their kids or not? BN: Studies have found that providers who use presumptive language, saying, 'It's time for some shots,' are much more likely to have successful vaccine compliance than providers who use participatory language like, 'What do you think about shots?' It's of course important to respect patient autonomy but I think, at the same time, the language providers use gives patients a cue about the strength of the medical evidence. If you roll into the emergency room on a stretcher with a gun shot wound, no one says, 'How do you feel about getting bullets out of you?' They say, 'We need to get this out of you now.' There is a move in medicine toward participatory approaches in contexts in which the benefits are less clear. But this is an area where the science is very clear and the language we use should reflect that. JB: There's a movement that seems to be bubbling up in the US: the " vaccine delayers ." These parents who don't quite refuse vaccines, but they opt for alternative vaccine schedules, delaying some shots and skipping others. What do you make of it? BN: It's a tough issue because a certain group of parents are used to being in charge of their kids' healthcare and customizing their own personal healthcare in a way that seems consistent with alternative vaccine schedules. People have an idea that they know what their child needs and what their child is ready for. But federal schedules are based on the best-available science. Making up your own is just delaying protecting your kid. The danger is they increase the amount of time kids are at risk for these diseases. JB: Knowing that it's hard to change peoples' minds, how do you deal with vaccine denialism? BN: The best approach is to create conditions where you don't have to change as many minds in first place. We should protect the social consensus around vaccination and prevent it from being politicized, from turning into a partisan debate between Chris Christie and Rand Paul on one hand and Obama on the other. That would be the fastest way to squander the gains we have made and create conditions where some of these diseases could return.
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news
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Authorities in as many as 19 states are reporting significant increases in fraudulent activity from third-party tax preparation services. TurboTax is back online and the company says that users who have already filed have nothing to worry about. CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger joins "CBS This Morning: Saturday" to discuss the latest.
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finance
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Nicole Harris went into her bathroom Wednesday night and walked out with an unexpected baby in her arms the next morning. The Tennessee woman didn't feel well, but once she got to the bathroom, she soon figured out she was in labor despite the fact that she'd had no pregnancy symptoms and no idea she was expecting, WATE reports. She got into the bathtub and delivered 6-pound, 7-ounce baby Jeremiah, cut the umbilical cord, cleaned and wrapped up the baby, then woke up boyfriend Jeremy Hill who was in bed through the whole thing and asked him to call 911. "I sat in the tub. I just [thought] that would be a safe spot and not on the floor or whatever," Harris explains. Adds Hill, "When I woke up, she had a baby in her arms." But, as ABC 7 reports, Hill apparently was a bit more suspicious than Harris that she might be expecting: "I was just thinking, 'We might have a long nine months ahead of us. You might be pregnant,'" he says. "And, boom. It was like, you don't have nine months. You have now." At the hospital, it was determined Jeremiah is healthy and full-term, and friends are collecting baby items for the unprepared couple. (This sort of thing may seem rare, but there are many recent examples .)
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health
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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has again hit out at Manchester City for what he perceives to be a blatant disregard for Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, claiming the Etihad outfit does not deserve to be the champion of England. Both Chelsea and City made big purchases in January, with Juan Cuadrado moving to London for 24.8 million pounds and Wilfried Bony joining Manuel Pellegrini's side for £27 million. But Mourinho is unhappy that Chelsea's signing of Cuadrado was funded largely through the sale of Andre Schurrle, while City, which was last year fined for failing to comply with FFP regulations, splashed out on Bony despite only releasing Matija Nastasic and Scott Sinclair on loan. "It's something that was explained 18 months ago when I met our owner [Roman Abramovich] and the club board before I joined," Mourinho told reporters when asked about FFP. "It was explained the profile of club Mr. Abramovich wants, with total respect to the FFP rules. To keep the team strong, with the possibility to compete against the ones financially more powerful or against the ones who don't care and don't respect FFP, we had to work very hard. "In my area, I tried to do that, analyzing the players we can sell and those we can buy. But when it goes to numbers, it goes out of my control. It's a good challenge. The only thing that is not nice is that you compete against the ones who don't follow the same rules. That's the only problem. I don't think a team can be champions when you are punished, and it's happened before, because you didn't comply with FFP." Mourinho, whose side tops the table by five points ahead of Saturday's game at Aston Villa, says he is frustrated by alleged double standards. When asked what the best deterrent would be, said: "Points [deduction], of course."
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Police have opened a criminal investigation into the boyfriend of Bobbi Kristina Brown, US media reported, one week after the 21-year old daughter of late singing legend Whitney Houston was pulled unconscious from a bathtub. CNN and TMZ reported Saturday that a criminal investigation has been launched against Nick Gordon, who reportedly said that he found Brown non-responsive in the bathtub of their home near Atlanta, Georgia. The incident appeared to have eerie echoes of Houston's fatal accidental drowning nearly three years ago in a Los Angeles tub. But news reports said Saturday that Brown, who is in the hospital in a medically induced coma, sustained unexplained injuries prior to the incident. The reports, which provided no details as to the nature of the injuries the young woman is said to have, say authorities reportedly are also suspicious because she was found face down in the bathtub. TMZ wrote that it was told by multiple sources that there is a history of violence between Brown and boyfriend Gordon and that police are looking into a possible altercation more than an hour before Brown was found. Reports call Gordon Brown's boyfriend, saying there are no official documents showing they were ever legally married, although the couple presented themselves in public as husband and wife. Singing star Whitney Houston died in February 2012 when she was found in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on the eve of the music industry's annual Grammy Awards show. Coroners concluded that the singer died by accidental drowning, with cocaine use and heart disease as contributing factors.
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news
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ISIS claimed a Jordanian airstrike killed an American hostage the group was holding. How does the U.S. investigate these claims?
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video
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It's hard to believe that fresh pasta dough is made from such humble ingredients as flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt, but it's true. While the task might seem daunting on the outset, keep reading to get the lay of the land - it's easier than it seems - and then dig into a bowl of your favorite dish. Source: Andrew Armenante Sift the Dry Ingredients Sift the dry ingredients -- for eight portions of pasta: 3 1/2 cups type 00 flour and a generous pinch of salt -- together onto a clean work surface. Watch: Flour Used for Making Laminated Pasta (00:40) Add the Eggs Make a well in the mound of flour that's large enough to accommodate four large eggs. Crack the eggs into the well and then begin to incorporate them into the flour with clean fingertips, pulling in the flour bit by bit. Keep at it until the eggs are evenly distributed and a shaggy dough forms. Watch: Making Pasta Dough in a Food Processor (2:12) Knead the Dough Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it's smooth and elastic. If the dough appears very dry and won't come together, add water one tablespoon at a time. If it's too soft, add flour one tablespoon at a time. Source: Andrew Armenante Watch: Kneading Pasta Dough (1:44) Let the Dough Rest Let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes under a clean dish towel. This allows the moisture from the eggs (and water, if needed) to distribute throughout the doughy mass, making it easier to work with. Watch: Flavor Variations in Pasta Dough (00:59) Divide the Dough Into Workable Portions Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into six even portions. Work with one chunk of dough at a time, covering the rest with the dish towel so that they won't dry out. Watch: Practice Using a Bench Scraper (1:21) Prep the Dough For the Pasta Roller Lightly dust the piece of pasta dough with flour and pat it out into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Roll Out the Dough Starting on the lowest setting (1 on a KitchenAid pasta roller attachment), pass the dough through the machine. Fold the sheet of dough in half lengthwise, pressing it firmly together, then pass it through on the lowest setting three to four more times, or until the dough is smooth and silky. Continue to pass the dough through the pasta roller, adjusting it one notch at a time (do not fold the dough onto itself) until it reaches the desired thinness. If the sheet of pasta becomes too long and unmanageable to work with, cut it into two smaller portions and roll them out one at a time. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, storing the rolled-out sheets of pasta between clean dish towels. Source: Andrew Armenante Watch: Rolling Pasta Dough (3:02) Cut the Dough Down to Size Whether the homemade pasta is destined for ravioli, lasagna, or wide ribbons like fettuccine, tagliatelle, or linguini, now is the time to form it into its final shape. For ravioli, follow these easy instructions. For lasagna, trim the sheets to fit in a casserole dish. For tagliatelle and other ribbon-like strands of pasta, portion it out with a pizza cutter, sharp paring knife, or the fettuccine or linguini attachments on your pasta roller. Watch: Shapes & Variations of Pasta Dough (4:24)
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foodanddrink
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Sophy Robson demonstrates how to do Valentine's Day nail art.
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College football head coaches making at least $3 million No. 26 (tie): Dan Mullen, Mississippi State, $3,000,000. Mullen's pay jumped from $1.2 million in 2010 to $2.5 million in 2011. Since then, he's received a pair of $100,000 raises and then a $300,000 boost after last season. He may be headed for a lot more after a 2013 campaign in which the Bulldogs have been ranked No. 1. No. 26 (tie): Bobby Petrino, Louisville, $3,000,000. A year ago at Western Kentucky, Petrino was making a little more than $850,000 and could have gotten $355,000 in bonuses. This season, he could have gotten as much as $1,266,667 and he will get $500,000 because of the team's NCAA Academic Progress Rate figure alone. But he's been in the $3 million club before, while at Arkansas. No. 25: Hugh Freeze, Mississippi, $3,018,000. This season, Freeze is making roughly 15 times what he was making as Arkansas State's coach in 2011. He made $1.5 million in 2012, his first year at Mississippi, where he inherited a team that had gone 2-10 in 2011 and led it to a 7-6 mark. He then got $2 million last season, when the Rebels went 8-5. No. 24: Bo Pelini, Nebraska, $3,077,646. Pelini moved above the $3 million mark this season with a $100,000 pay increase that had been scheduled to occur under his contract. No. 23: Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia, $3,080,000. Holgorsen's pay includes a $200,000 raise scheduled by his contract, as well as a one-time retention payment of $300,000 he was to receive on March 1, 2014. He received a one-time retention payment of $50,000 in 2013. No. 22: Art Briles, Baylor, $3,135,146. Because Baylor is a private school, Briles' total is the one reported on the university's most recently available federal income tax returns, which cover compensation for the 2012 calendar year, including benefits and bonuses paid. It was more than $700,000 greater than his total for 2011. He was given a contract extension in November 2013. No. 21: Dabo Swinney, Clemson, $3,175,100. In 2013, Clemson had 11 wins for a second consecutive season and its best year-end ranking since 1981. Swinney then got an eight-year deal and a more than $1.1 million increase in basic annual pay. Excluding bonuses, he got just over $2.5 million for the 2013 season, but $500,000 was one-time pay for completing a three-year portion of his contract. No. 20: Bret Bielema, Arkansas, $3,214,000. Now in his second season at Arkansas after seven as Wisconsin's head coach, Bielema's annual pay from the school was unchanged from last season but it's $600,000 more than he was making in his final season at Wisconsin. No. 19: Jim Mora, UCLA, $3,250,000. Mora drew interest from Washington after leading the Bruins went 10-3 last season. UCLA responded with a two-year extension through Jan. 15, 2020; a $950,000 raise for Mora, whose bonus maximum went up by $180,000 to $930,000; and $1.1 million in additional money for assistant coaches' pay. No. 18: Rich Rodriguez, Arizona, $3,298,500. A new contract this year more than tripled Rodriguez's potential bonus total to $2.125 million. The deal also has a complex longevity pay setup involving master limited partnership units held by the University of Arizona Foundation. Rodriguez annually vests in portions of the units' value -- $773,500 for this year, according to Arizona Board of Regents documents. No. 17: Mark Richt, Georgia, 3,314,000. Richt's $3.2 million in compensation from the school was increased after the 2012 season, and it remained unchanged for the 2013. He went from being tied for the SEC's fourth-highest annual school-based compensation to being tied for seventh. No. 16: Gary Pinkel, Missouri, $3,400,000. Last season, the Tigers went 12-2, reached the SEC championship game and won the Cotton Bowl. Pinkel was rewarded with a three-year contract extension through Dec. 31, 2020; a $550,000 raise and changes to his bonus package that more than doubled its maximum value to $1.825 million. No. 15: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State, $3,500,000. Gundy's pay has been on smaller, scheduled increases since he made a nearly $1.2 million leap to $3.275 million following the 2011 season, when the Cowboys went 12-1 after going 11-2 in 2010. Jimbo Fisher can make an additional $200,000 if Florida State finishes the season undefeated. No. 13: Chris Petersen, Washington, $3,681,720. While at Boise State, Petersen became one of the top-paid coaches outside a power conference. This season, he's the highest-paid football coach at a Pac-12 public school. In addition to the amount shown, Washington paid his $750,000 buyout to Boise State and agreed to cover as much as $500,000 in income taxes on that amount, if needed. No. 12: Gus Malzahn, Auburn, $3,854,500. When Malzahn left Auburn's offensive coordinator job to become Arkansas State's head coach in 2012, he took a nearly 35% pay cut to a little more than $850,000. Having returned to the Tigers as head coach and led them to the BCS national title game last season, he's now making 4½ times that. No. 11: Gary Patterson, TCU, $4,008,150. The private school's most recently available federal tax returns -- which cover all forms of pay for the 2012 calendar year -- say nearly $475,000 of Patterson's total was in the form of previously earned deferred compensation, including $400,000 that the university said it had reported as part of his pay in prior years. No. 10: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina, $4,016,900. After enjoying its third consecutive 11-win season, South Carolina awarded Spurrier a $700,000 increase, which moved his basic pay to $4 million, and a one-year extension through Dec. 31, 2018. It was the 11th amendment of Spurrier's contract in his 10 years at the school. No. 9: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa, $4,075,000. Ferentz's ascent to the $4 million-a-year club was the product of increases that had been scheduled to occur under a contract that began in 2010 and runs through Jan. 31, 2020. But this year's $100,000 rise was the last one scheduled to occur. No. 8: James Franklin, Penn State, $4,300,000. In addition to Franklin's compensation for this season which is over $1 million more than the amount Penn State was paying Bill O'Brien last season -- Penn State paid the $1.5 million that Franklin owed Vanderbilt as a buyout. According to Vanderbilt's tax returns, Franklin had a little more than $2.7 million in basic pay for the 2012 calendar year. No. 7: Les Miles, LSU, $4,369,582. Miles' basic pay from the school remained unchanged from last season's $4.3 million, the figure to which it rose in 2013 after several seasons at $3.75 million a year. His self-reported athletically related outside income declined by about $90,000 over last season's. No. 6: Urban Meyer, Ohio State, $4,536,640. Meyer won his first 24 games with the Buckeyes, so even after losses in last season's Big Ten title game and Orange Bowl, he received an 8% raise in most parts of his basic annual pay a total of nearly $330,000. His overall pay fell from last season, when he got a $450,000 payment for completing the first two years of his contract. No. 5: Charlie Strong, Texas, $5,000,270. In addition to giving Strong $1.3 million more than he had been making at Louisville, Texas paid Louisville $4.375 million to assume his contract. In 2010, Strong was making $1.6 million from Louisville. No. 4: Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M, $5,006,000. Following the last of Johnny Manziel's two epic seasons, Sumlin got a $1.9 million raise as part of a six-year deal that was fully guaranteed for $30 million. Sumlin's combined annual pay rate during his last two seasons at Houston 2010 and 2011 was $2.2 million. No. 3: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma, $5,058,333. The Sooners went 11-2 last season, including a win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. That helped prompt the school to push Stoops' pay above the $5 million mark, from the more than $4.7 million he made in 2013. No. 2: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State, $5,636,145. Dantanio's compensation for this contract year includes a $2 million one-time payment for completing a five-year period as Michigan State's head coach. But it also includes the nearly $1.7 million raise he got after leading the Spartans to the Big Ten title and a win in the Rose Bowl. He now has a rolling six-year contract, up from a five-year rolling deal. No. 1: Nick Saban, Alabama, $7,160,187. Alabama didn't alter Saban's contract after winning the 2012 national title, but the school made up for it after last season. Saban's basic pay from the school increased by about $1.4 million over the roughly $5.5 million he'd been set to make this season. Plus, two years were added to his deal, so it now runs through Jan. 31, 2022.
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Kat Kissick has preferred bearded men for as long as she can remember. "It's a personality indicator that maybe this man likes to have fun, maybe they're creative, maybe they're just trying to express their individuality," says Kissick, 40, who lives in St. Louis. So when she saw a Facebook post a few weeks ago about Bristlr , a dating website and app for men with beards and the people attracted to those men, she signed up without hesitation. "I want to meet some interesting people. I want to have some good conversation," she says. "And if I end up making out with someone with a beard, that's OK too." Kissick is far from alone in her predilection for scruffy gentlemen; she's one of 60,000 people around the world, from Iceland to Iraq, who have signed up for Bristlr since its launch last October. At Bristlr's helm is John Kershaw, a bearded, 28-year-old software developer who lives in Manchester, England. One day last fall, Kershaw was thinking about how he could contribute to the growing "on-demand" economy of Uber, Airbnb and online dating. "I was stroking my beard and thinking there's got to be something that I can come up with," he says. The answer, he realized, was right under his nose. The tagline came first: "Connecting those with beards to those who want to stroke beards." Kershaw says he was mostly joking when he posted a signup page on Facebook for the service, then yet to be developed. To his surprise, 70 people showed interest within a week. "I felt like my bluff had been called," he says, and so he got busy launching a website and app. That initial tagline stuck. Bloggers helped spread the word, and membership has doubled every month, he says. Most users come from the United States and United Kingdom; membership is also strong in Brazil, France, Canada and the Netherlands. Around 4,000 people are active on the service each day, 47 percent of whom register as having beards. Kershaw says he gets some money from merchandise and donations, but that barely covers the cost of his morning coffee. The site and app are simple; as with Tinder and other popular online-dating services, users "heart" other users, and those who match can interact. Bristlr has some innovations that mainstream services don't, such as a gender-neutral design (users select whether they want potential matches with or without beards, but not male or female). The site also notes or, publicly shames users who send the exact same message to multiple people. Users can also search for people by words in their profiles and set their geographic range for matches to as wide as "global." Indeed, many users tell Newsweek they've been chatting up people far from home. "For two weeks now I've been getting nonstop messages from all over the world," says Steve Lax, 31, a bearded user in Florida. He says he's been using Google Translate to exchange messages with a woman in Brazil. He hasn't gone on any Bristlr dates yet but has plans for a few meet-ups. A Bristlr user named Lisa says she went on a bowling date in Washington, D.C. It went well, she says, but the pair didn't click. Another user, Liz in Brooklyn, New York, met a guy for beers and burgers, and says she's even run into two ex-boyfriends on the service. Rob Ruminski, 37, who runs a video production company in Melbourne, Australia, says that within seconds of his first Bristlr date, the woman ran her hands through his beard. "Women every day deal with aspects of their appearance being highlighted or fetishized, but to have the shoe on the other foot is educational," he says. As articles have pointed out , Bristlr's popularity coincides with that of the lumbersexual, a term that a blogger for Gear Junkie has said he coined last November . The blogger described the lumbersexual as "bar-hopping, but he looks like he could fell a Norway Pine…. His backpack carries a MacBook Air, but looks like it should carry a lumberjack's axe." Cosmopolitan , People , Time and others picked up on the portmanteau, which even made its way overseas. "The rise of the lumbersexual is definitely a global phenomenon," Kershaw says. Indeed, the U.K.'s Daily Mail and Telegraph jumped on the trend. Ruminski, the Bristlr user, says the trend is "alive and well in Melbourne…. Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm in Australia or I'm in Portland." Admiration for bearded men isn't new, however. "It's an ongoing, off-and-on-again love affair that we've been having with the beard since antiquity," says Mark Johnston, an associate professor at the University of Windsor and author of Beard Fetish in Early Modern England . Various cultures have embraced beards at different times, such as during the Elizabethan era, when Johnston says beards may have served as "a marker of masculinity" during a period when "the nation was somewhat effeminized" under a female ruler. Dr. Allan Peterkin, a Toronto-based psychiatrist and author of One Thousand Beards: A Cultural History of Facial Hair , says society has likely reached peak beard. "Men are freer now to make grooming decisions and keep their jobs than at any time in history," he says. Though wartime cultural values and Army regulations kept American men clean-shaven during the first half of the 20th century, Peterkin says, the decades since have each had unique facial-hair styles, especially within countercultures. Now, however, beards have moved into the mainstream and are for the first time in more than a century equated with style and grooming, appearing in the pages of fashion magazines. "From the mid-'90s there's been no turning back," Peterkin says. Then there are those who take beard admiration to a whole other level. Pogonophilia means sexual arousal from touching a beard or having a beard touched. Some in academia have said that research on the subject is lacking, but at least one study shows that women perceive men with full beards as healthier and as having greater parenting ability. Kershaw isn't the only one carving out Internet space for pogonophiles. A dating website called Beardiful.com launched in June 2011 as a site "for guys with beards, who are looking for prospective dates that are into the scruff." And in December 2014, Lumbermatch.com went live as "a community and dating site for beard growers and those who love them." Its other tagline: "Where beardies meet beauties." Lumbermatch creator Kevin Gillem, a married, 33-year-old air traffic controller who lives in California, says his site evolved from a Twitter account he made last fall, @TruLumbersexual . On Twitter, he posted photos of men with impressive beards and soon had women contacting him, asking where they could find such men. He decided to become a part-time matchmaker. Most of Lumbermatch's 4,000 users are women, Gillem says, and in their early to mid-20s. An app for iOS and Android is forthcoming. Gillem adds that he learned of Bristlr only after launching his own site. Don't expect the competition between Bristlr and Lumbermatch to get hairy. "There's plenty of room for all these services," Kershaw says. "We're clearly all correct in our love for beards."
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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Saturday morning that voters will see stark differences between himself and Hillary Clinton if the two both decide to run for the White House in 2016. "Trust me, there will be a real clash of ideas," Sanders said on MSNBC's "Up with Steve Kornacki." "I happen to like and respect Hillary Clinton, but I suspect on issues like massive investments in infrastructure, on real tax reform, on the need to deal in a very bold way with the planetary crisis of climate change, with the transpacific partnership, I suspect we will have some real differences." Sanders is flirting with entering the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, but Clinton is a prohibitive favorite. Despite her huge lead for the nomination in opinion polls, however, there are signs of discontent among progressives, especially when it comes to Clinton's economic worldview. If Sanders runs, he'd likely trumpet the goals of the progressive wing of the party, which wants bold policies aimed at addressing rising income inequality. "I think we need a political revolution in this country, we need to get people once again actively involved in the political process and take on the people who have the real power in America," Sanders said. He added that income inequality is at its starkest since 1929 and that, since the 2008 recession, the vast majority of all new income generated has gone to the wealthiest one percent. His wish-list includes robust infrastructure spending, raising the minimum wage and a "national health care program that guarantees health care" to all. His proposals would both increase government spending and expand the bounds of government more generally neither of which are things that Republicans are likely to support. But Sanders said that if progressives can rally a majority of Americans behind their message, they could force change in Congress. "If some of us are successful in mobilizing the American people and in a sense, giving the Republicans an offer they can't refuse, yes, we can be successful," he said. "We may not get everything we want, I think we can push the Republicans to raise the minimum wage a lot higher than it is right now."
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Maria Sharapova defeated Urszula Radwanska 6-0, 6-3 as Russia took a 2-0 lead over Poland in the Fed Cup World Group Saturday with the superstar taking a first step towards the Rio Olympics. Svetlana Kuznetsova earlier saw off Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the tie at Krakow as four-time champions Russia edged closer towards the semi-finals. French Open champion Sharapova is playing just her fourth Fed Cup tie since her 2008 debut but in order to make the Olympics next year all players have to make themselves available for the annual team tournament. The world number two's win was also a perfect tonic coming a week after her defeat to Serena Williams in the Australian Open final. Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam champion, had already beaten the elder Radwanska sister in 10 of their 14 meetings. AFP
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Six years and 13 nominations later, Katy Perry has yet to win a GRAMMY award.
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