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According to Jay Glazer, the Saints have traded tight end Jimmy Graham and a fourth-round pick to the Seahawks for center Max Unger and a first-round pick.
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video
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Attention all candy fans: your favorite candies (ie Sour Patch Kids, Starburst, and Sweetarts) are now in jelly bean form this Easter season. Since we've reviewed all the chocolate bunnies available at Target, we thought it only fair to do the same with jelly beans. With what should you fill those Easter eggs and baskets? Let this jelly bean ranking be your guide. Jelly Belly Kids Mix These beans are just plain classic, plus they have the best texture and most unique flavors. 4.25/5 stars Starburst Original Jellybeans The flavors actually taste like true Starburst candy. While some tasters enjoyed the texture, others found it too gritty and expected it to be chewy like normal Starburst. 4/5 stars Starburst Jellybeans Sour These beans are just slightly sour while retaining iconic Starburst flavors. Some tasters didn't love the grainy texture, but most praised these beans for having a better texture and flavor than Sour Patch Kids. 4/5 stars Sour Patch Jelly Beans These beans are definitely not as sour as standard Sour Patch Kids, but they are less messy to eat and could be good for movie theater snacking. Most people complained that these beans just aren't sour enough. These don't have the jelly consistency of the original candy; however, the beans do have an addictive crunchiness. 3.75/5 stars Sweetarts Jelly Beans The ratings for this bag of jelly beans swayed from "best ever" to "completely terrible." Those who love sour candies thought Wonka nailed the Sweetarts flavor in these jelly beans, while others thought the beans tasted chalky. 3/5 stars Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans Fans of Jolly Rancher will appreciate the flavor of these beans plus the added bonus that they won't stick to the roof of your mouth like the hard candies. However, others thought the beans tasted and smelled artificial and had difficulty chewing the beans themselves. 3/5 stars Starburst Crazy Beans The fun of these beans is in the surprise color inside, and while some tasters enjoyed having two flavors in one, others found these beans just a little too crazy. The texture is on the sticky side, and the flavors don't really taste distinctly like Starburst. 2.75/5 stars Brach's Tiny Jelly Bird Eggs Look, tasters agree that these beans are nothing special, but they do remind us of childhood and therefore earn a few points for nostalgia. This might be a #BasicJellyBean, but it's one that deserves a spot in at least one candy bowl this Easter. 2.5/5 stars Laffy Taffy Flavored Jelly Beans Tasters found these beans to be chewy and sticky like Laffy Taffy, but they don't taste anything like the candy. One positive reviewer likened these to chewy vitamins, but sweeter. 2/5 stars
| 0 | 10,901 |
foodanddrink
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During its annual press conference at its company headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany on Tuesday, the premium automobile manufacturer underlined its aim to offer 60 different models before the end of the decade and its determination to take on both the Range Rover and the Tesla Model X in the SUV market. Audi already offers 52 different cars in its current lineup and that huge choice helped it to achieve record sales of 1.74 million automobiles for the financial year. At the moment, that huge selection contains three SUVs -- the Q3, the Q5 and the new range-topping Q7, which made its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. However, by next year the company is planning to add a baby Q1 model to the line-up which will compete with everything from the Nissan Juke to the Mercedes-Benz GLA. Although it will resemble the company's A1 premium supermini the Q1 will be more aggressively styled in order to be more attractive to young, affluent drivers and to men. The overwhelming majority of current A1 drivers are women. At the other extreme of this rapidly growing range will sit a Q8 model that will line up alongside the current Range Rover as a competitor. It will take its styling cues from the Audi Prologue concept car that debuted at the LA Auto Show in November and will be offered with five or with seven seats. It will also have a choice of potent V6 and V8 engines. The company likens the flagship SUV to one of its premium executive cars, albeit one that will be able to travel as comfortably over a ploughed field as it will along the autobahn. Perhaps the biggest surprise from the event was the confirmation that a coupe-style SUV is also in development which will be called the Q6 and will be 100% electrically powered. All four wheels will be powered by electric motors and as such will be a competitor as much for the upcoming Tesla Model X as it will be for the BMW X6 or the Mercedes GLC. Across its entire future range, Audi pledged to reduce emissions, improve fuel efficacy and to continue its pioneering work into active safety and semi-autonomous driving technologies. Over the past year it has hired 4,500 new employees with expertise in lightweight construction, connectivity and electric mobility.
| 9 | 10,902 |
autos
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FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- Boston Red Sox starter Justin Masterson kept up his strong spring by pitching three perfect innings Tuesday in a 5-1 win over the split-squad Tampa Bay Rays. ''Able to throw strikes, be in the zone, making progress,'' he said. Masterson struck out four as the Red Sox stretched their Grapefruit League winning streak to five. In five spring innings, Masterson has yet to surrender a run. Masterson allowed only one ball out of the infield. The Rays seemed baffled at times by his sinkers. ''It means they're not ready yet,'' Masterson said. ''I'm getting lucky. For me, it's really about hitting spots and today was pretty good as we kind of moved around, stayed in the middle.'' The 6-foot-6 righty was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox in December and figures to be a key part of a rotation also featuring Clay Buchholz, Rick Porcello, and Wade Miley. Red Sox manager John Farrell likes what he's seeing from Masterson not only in two games, but also in his bullpen throwing sessions. ''I think with each outing Justin is making, we're seeing more sink to his fastball,'' Farrell said. ''The ability to make an adjustment more readily from pitch to pitch. And just a pitcher who is becoming more aggressive.'' Pitching well is helping Masterson's confidence as opening day is now less than a month away. ''My confidence has been high because everything has been great,'' Masterson said. Masterson looked so strong after three innings that it appeared he could have gone for a fourth inning.'' ''No thank you,'' Masterson said. ''Three was enough.'' Masterson, who split last year between Cleveland and St. Louis, is coming off a season in which he spent time on the disabled list with right knee inflammation. He's also dealt with an oblique issue. Farrell has observed a healthy Masterson in camp. ''But with each bullpen, each outing that he makes I think he's gaining confidence,'' Farrell said. Another plus for Boston was the return of right fielder Shane Victorino after sitting out the past three games to rest his legs. ''He brings tons of energy. Brings a lot of the crowd and Vic is a great player,'' Masterson said. ''Look at him today, started the game off with a walk. Great eye right there. He's a guy who can make stuff happen. When he's feeling good he'll be running around, catching balls in the outfield. He'll just be a pest. That's what makes him so great. He's just a pest at the plate,'' he said. New Red Sox left fielder Hanley Ramirez hit an RBI double. Jackie Bradley Jr., competing for playing time in the Boston outfield, doubled and singled with a walk. He's 5 for 13 this spring. UP NEXT Rays: Jake Odorizzi starts against the Twins. Red Sox: Joe Kelly starts against the Yankees in Tampa, Florida.
| 1 | 10,903 |
sports
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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho taunted Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday ahead of the teams' Champions League last 16 second leg, accusing them of committing systematic fouls and producing sterile approach play. PSG largely controlled the first leg in Paris, which ended 1-1, enjoying 54 percent of possession and registering 11 shots on goal to Chelsea's one, but that one attempt yielded an away goal for Branislav Ivanovic that puts the London club in the driving seat ahead of Wednesday's return leg. Chelsea winger Eden Hazard was the victim of nine fouls at the Parc des Princes -- a record for a Champions League match -- and Mourinho said that the French champions' approach had been too aggressive. "I was surprised in that game because a team with fantastic players was the team with the record of fouls, was the team that was making foul after foul, was the team that stopped Hazard with fouls every time, was the team attacking the player in possession with two or three players with very aggressive actions," Mourinho said. "Even with players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a typical attacking player, he was coming back and tackling Hazard from behind to stop counter-attacks. "I thought an English team would never be surprised by aggressivity because of the aggressivity we have in our country. "During this season we've played teams from the Championship and League One in the cups, a team from League Two, I think, Shrewsbury (in the League Cup), but the most aggressive team was Paris Saint-Germain. "For me it was a real surprise. With players of such quality, I was expecting more football." Mourinho also responded sarcastically when it was put to him by a French journalist at the eve-of-match press conference that PSG had dominated the first leg. "It depends on your concept of football," Mourinho replied. "What is dominate? If it's number of chances, yes, Paris had more chances than us. If dominate is to stop the opposition play, making foul after foul, then yes, they dominated. "If dominate is to have the ball and move the ball without progression, yes they dominated. They dominated in everything except the result." - Matic fit to play - PSG coach Laurent Blanc had used his own pre-match media conference to warn his players not to succumb to Chelsea striker Diego Costa's "games", but Mourinho refused to take the bait when he was asked for his reaction. "I don't want to know what he told me (said)," Mourinho said. "You can tell me, but I don't answer." Apart from the injured John Mikel Obi, Chelsea will be at full-strength for the game at Stamford Bridge, with Mourinho revealing that midfield lynchpin Nemanja Matic is fit to start. The Serbia international has missed two games through suspension and also injured his ankle during the celebrations that followed Chelsea's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup final. "I told him we won two very important matches without him. So maybe he's not so important," Mourinho said with a smile. "He was laughing. I said, 'Why are you laughing?' But yes, he's very important for us. We did well without him, but we're happy to have him back. "He's fit to play, but (has had) no football for a couple of weeks and no training because he was really injured. He's going to play tomorrow in his normal position."
| 1 | 10,904 |
sports
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When it comes to getting a healthy glow, the statistics speak for themselves and indoor tanning is not the way to go. Krystin Goodwin (@krystingoodwin) has the hazards of indoor tanning and some alternatives to reduce your risk of exposure.
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video
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A women's group has started a campaign calling on Target Corp (TGT.N) to raise its hourly wages, as pressure builds on retailers to follow Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) in boosting worker pay. UltraViolet, a group which advocates for women's issues, said it has taken out online ads in three states and started an online petition pressing Target to increase its wages. So far it has attracted nearly 25,000 signatures, the group said on Tuesday. The move comes on the heels of Wal-Mart's announcement last month that it was lifting its minimum wage to $9 an hour in April and to $10 for current employees in 2016, above the federal minimum of $7.25. The owner of apparel retailer T.J. Maxx followed with a similar announcement a few days later. Gap Inc (GPS.N) had lifted its pay last year. "Wal-Mart, Gap and TJMaxx have done it and now it's time for Target to step up and do the same," said Karin Roland, organizing director at UltraViolet, which claims 600,000 members. "A higher minimum wage is essential to women's economic security." Roland said she believes the campaign is the first one in which a labor group is singling out Target on wages. Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder did not comment on UltraViolet specifically but said the company was committed to paying competitive wages, while noting that all workers at its roughly 1,800 stores made more than the federal minimum. "We've got a history of being very competitive in the wages we offer our team members. Our goal, and it continues to be my goal, is to make sure we attract the best team in retail," Chief Executive Brian Cornell told reporters last week. Target said last week it would shed several thousand jobs, mainly at its Minneapolis headquarters, as part of a restructuring to cut $2 billion in costs. It unveiled some details of that plan Tuesday, saying 1,700 employees had been notified they would lose their jobs. The online ads - which say "Did you know there's a Walmart near you that pays higher minimum wage than Target?" - are being aired near three large Target stores in Minneapolis, Pennsylvania and Nebraska. Ultraviolet has worked in the past with Fight for 15, a group pushing for a $15 minimum wage. Among other campaigns it has also pressured the National Football League on domestic violence. (Reporting by Nathan Layne; Editing by Richard Chang)
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finance
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Among the flurry of NFL trades Tuesday, the Rams are set to move on from quarterback Sam Bradford. St. Louis swapped Bradford for quarterback Nick Foles in a trade with Philadelphia, ESPN was first to report Tuesday. Draft pick compensation will be included, but details are not yet known. MORE: SN's free agency tracker, live updates The move comes despite general manager Les Snead saying last month at the NFL Combine that "deleting" Bradford from the roster was not an option . Bradford was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and was the Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for 3,512 yards with 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. But the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma missed time in 2011 with a shoulder injury and suffered season-ending ACL injuries each of the last two seasons. He started all 16 games in 2012, throwing for a career-high 3,702 yards with 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Bradford reunites with former offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who ran the St. Louis offense during Bradford's rookie year. Shurmur then left to accept the head coaching job in Cleveland, but was fired after two seasons before taking over as Philadelphia's offensive coordinator in 2013. Foles had his best NFL season in 2013, throwing for 2,891 yards with 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions. The third-year pro from Arizona regressed last year with 2,163, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight starts. He suffered a shoulder injury before breaking a collarbone during a win over Houston last November.
| 1 | 10,907 |
sports
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Your maid of honor is a DIY -maven whose love of dogs knows no bounds, while your best man's idea of fun is an hour of carpentry with his Golden Retriever by his side. They seem like a match made in heaven but should you be their matchmaker? "Weddings make people feel extra love inside," says Ashley Espinal, owner of Dulce Dream Events . "A bride and groom may use their own wedding to set up friends because it's the easiest way to show them what they can achieve in their relationships. Watching your friends fall in love and then commit to each other in front of their loved ones is the ultimate proof that love reigns." If you've got the love bug and are eager to spread the itch, together, you and your fiancé can chat about who in your wedding party might hit it off. "If you feel strongly about how you know they'll make sparks fly, go for it!" Espinal says. "Playing cupid has its rewards, too." Just beware: If your instincts were wrong, the ill-match "could have long term consequences that can affect you as well," Espinal says, including wedding party members who are anything but happy on your big day. For this reason, it might be best to set your friends up after you tie the knot. You could also use your wedding as a opportunity to help a friend who's expressed an interest in finding The One at your reception . "Weddings will always be considered a symbol of love and everyone attending is there to support and celebrate it," Espinal says. "Looking for love or at least hoping you'll find it in that setting is more than natural and of course expected. It's like looking for a rose in a sea of flowers. You'll be sure to find one eventually!"
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lifestyle
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CNN's Jake Tapper speaks with Brianna Keilar about why Hillary Clinton used a private email account at the State Department.
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news
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Is a private club level hotel room really better?
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travel
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Top French athletes are among the 10 dead after 2 helicopters collide in Argentina. CNN's Don Riddell reports.
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news
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. Bill Self has seen plenty of years where two particularly strong Big 12 teams, if they play well, almost seem destined to meet here in the tournament championship, as if on a collision course. Well, this is not one of those years. Of all the conference tournaments that ensue this week nationwide, none may match the event here in terms of competitiveness and unpredictability. Seven potential NCAA tournament teams, all of which rate among the top 45 in the Ratings Percentage Index, comprise the nation's strongest and deepest conference. Fran Fraschilla, the ESPN analyst, said at least six or seven of the league's 10 teams have a realistic chance to win the Big 12 tournament. "Does the Big 12 have a Kentucky? Absolutely not," Fraschilla said. "But this league is more balanced than it has ever been." Even with five teams ranked among the top 18, there is no juggernaut. And the fact that Kansas won the regular season title outright, marking the 11th consecutive season that the Jayhawks captured at least a share of the crown, is no indication that they will win the tournament in Kansas City. Larry Brown, a former Kansas coach, said it's a credit to Self that Kansas managed to win the league this season because "I think this is the worst Kansas team in 10 years." One of the youngest teams in the nation, the 10th-ranked Jayhawks lack a true interior presence. Accentuating that issue is the fact that junior Perry Ellis, the team leader in points and rebounding, missed Saturday's game at Oklahoma with a sprained right knee. Kansas freshman Cliff Alexander, the team's second-leading rebounder, missed his third consecutive game because of an ongoing NCAA investigation into his eligibility. Though there is no shortage of talent on his roster, Self conceded that this Kansas team isn't quite like some of the others that he has had during his 12-year tenure. But he doesn't agree with Brown, adding that he has had some "different" teams but not necessarily a worst one. "It's not quite where it has been in the past," Self added. "But the guys do try hard. They compete hard. They think they are going to win every game." Fraschilla said Self has gotten more out of this Kansas team than any he has had. But winning the conference tournament title will be a formidable task. Most of the league teams are capable of knocking off an elite team. Among the 15 teams in the nation that have the most wins against top 25 opponents this year, seven are from the Big 12. And for the first time in Big 12 history, every team in the league has at least one win against a top 25 team. There are plenty of teams that could compete for the tournament title, potentially improving their seeding because the NCAA tournament selection committee would consider most of the victories garnered in the league quality ones. Of the seven Big 12 teams that could reach the NCAAs, five of those teams Kansas, Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma and West Virginia could earn seeds of six or better. If you're looking for a dark horse in the Big 12 tournament, keep an eye on Baylor. The 16th-ranked Bears were picked as a middle-of-the-pack team in the league. They have excelled, ranking first nationally in offensive rebounding percentage. Coach Scott Drew has reached two Elite Eights during his Baylor tenure, but one can argue this has been his best coaching job because of the dearth of guaranteed NBA players on the roster. "Anyone who thinks Scott Drew hasn't done one of the great rebuilding jobs in the history of college basketball obviously has some sort of agenda against him," Fraschilla said. "He has grown as a coach. The fewer All-Americans he has, the better coaching job he is doing." Others to watch include West Virginia, which stopped a two-game losing streak Saturday by beating Oklahoma State despite the absence of leading scorer Juwan Staten and Gary Browne. Coach Bob Huggins told reporters after the game that it was unclear whether either or both could be healthy enough to play in the Mountaineers' Big 12 tournament game Thursday against Baylor. Texas followed its critical victory against Baylor by beating Kansas State at home Saturday. As they lurk on the fringes of the NCAA tournament, the Longhorns can ill-afford a loss to Texas Tech in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament if they want to feel relatively confident about reaching the NCAAs. Even with Kansas shorthanded, Oklahoma looked strong Saturday ekeing out a victory against the Jayhawks in its first game since giving up a 22-0 second-half run at Iowa State. It shouldn't surprise anyone if Buddy Hield, the league's player of the year, and teammates make a strong run this week in Kansas City. "The league," Self said, "has been the best it has ever been … We could win three games or we could lose the first. I think there are a lot of teams playing in the tournament who could say the same thing. It is going to be a great tournament."
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sports
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Darrelle Revis wasn't the only Patriot cornerback with a pending option. New England also had an option decision to make on Brandon Browner and the Patriots declined to pick his option up, making him a free agent. The Patriots opted against exercising Browner's $2 million roster bonus, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe . Browner will instead hit the market for the second straight season. The 30-year-old spent one season with the Patriots after signing a three-year deal worth $16.8 million last season. The deal only included $1 million in guaranteed money, giving the Patriots the option to move on after a year. According to Albert Breer of NFL.com, Browner declined to take a paycut to stay with New England . Injuries and penalties have been some what of an issue for Browner in recent seasons. He started nine games for New England last year during the regular season after playing in eight the year before. When he's on the field, however, he's one of the most physical corners in the NFL. That style won't fit every team in the league, but Browner is expected to draw interest from multiple teams, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports .
| 1 | 10,913 |
sports
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A tissue-box-sized goodie-bag of shampoos, perfumes and beauty products shows up on Rachel Guarisco's porch every month in rural Lexington, Virginia. Guarisco, a 21-year-old senior at Washington & Lee University, has had cosmetics shipped straight to her home since her freshman year through Birchbox a subscription-based third-party service that mails monthly assortments of mostly travel-sized toiletries across the country, with international operations in Canada, France, Spain, the U.K. and Belgium. "Normally, you'd have to drive to Sephora, which is an hour away from us, spend $60 on a full-sized thing and find out you don't even like it," says Guarisco. "The advantage to this is having all the samples and having a bunch of different brands. You can find what you want without having to go anywhere." There are plenty of other benefits: The cosmetically savvy get to sample new products. Beauty beginners avoid wandering through store aisles filled with confusing options. Birchbox's business partners gain access to potential new clients. And Birchbox itself profits off of subscription fees. Everyone wins except for the physical stores where cosmetic purchases would otherwise take place. Digital shopping's slow erosion into brick-and-mortar retail sales isn't new: E-commerce's share of total domestic retail sales has expanded for 11 consecutive quarters and has not contracted quarter-to-quarter since the Census Bureau started tracking the metric in 1999. Steadily declining in-store traffic isn't entirely new, either. Consumers' retail trips in November and December, the two biggest shopping months out of the year, dropped from 35 billion visits in 2010 to 17.3 billion visits in 2013, according to a report from Cushman & Wakefield , based on data from 60,000 stores compiled by ShopperTrak analytics company. Retail traffic fell 11.4 percent year-over-year in November 2014 and another 7.1 percent in December, according to RetailNext analytics firm. What is new is the impact those two trends have on places that cater to middle-class shoppers. While the country's most wealthy keep the luxury brands in business, the rest of America is abandoning semi-luxury or "aspirational" brands in favor of cheaper alternatives. "E-commerce is really another nail in the coffin of many malls," says Howard Davidowitz, founder and chairman of Davidowitz & Associates retail consulting and investment banking firm. "A lot of malls will close. They'll be used for alternative uses: a hospital, a condo." More than two dozen malls have shuttered their doors since 2010, according to Green Street Advisors real estate research company, and another 60 are particularly at risk of closure. "If you look at what's happening in America, where the country is, where the people are, the middle class has been decimated. The top group has never been richer by a tremendous multiple, and the middle class and low-end are getting destroyed," says Davidowitz. "This is very complex, and tremendous numbers of malls are closing and will close because they simply won't be viable, because the middle class in our country is dramatically less financially viable than they used to be." In 2013, the country's real median household income , which strips inflationary effects out of the equation and gives a relatively accurate barometer of middle class personal finance trends, sat at $51,939, down from $56,436 in 2007 and $56,895 in 1999. Though job growth has ballooned in recent months, the most recent real median household income was still down 8 percent from where it was 6 years prior. American households that bring in at least $100,000 annually account for 65 percent of all apparel and entertainment spending in the U.S., according to Green Street Advisors. And those who make at least $150,000 account for 28 percent of total apparel and entertainment spending. This upper echelon of earners has helped keep luxury brands consistent in the U.S. A National Retail Federation study compiled which brands Americans view as the most luxurious. Of the top 10 luxury brands which includes Apple, Louis Vuitton and Mercedes, among others only Gucci and Coach did not see record revenue or sales in their most recent annual financial reports. Many of the top luxury brands have retail locations, but they are usually in larger, more successful malls the most elite of which are known as A++ malls close to "superZIPs," or ZIP codes in the top 5 percent based on incomes and educational achievements, according to Green Street Advisors. A++ malls are expected to make an average of $945 in sales per square foot of retail space in 2015; a C+ mall, on the other hand, will only see $310 in sales per square foot this year, less than a third of A++ sales. Luxury brands typically anchor A++ establishments, helping attract shoppers and providing outlets for more expensive purchases. But the country's more average malls are typically filled by more modestly-priced brands. A reported 88 percent of C+ malls contain either a JCPenney or a Sears store (or both), according to Green Street Advisors. Only 31 percent of A++ malls have one or the other (or both). "The luxury malls are golden. If you take the top 500 malls, they're terrific, and the stores in them are doing well. Wealth in America has never been better for the top group of people," says Davidowitz. "The middle class is getting killed. The upper class is doing great. And that reflects itself in what is going on in the malls. The two biggest middle-class stores in America are Sears and Penney's, and they're getting crushed." In January 2014, JCPenney announced that it would shutter 33 of its stores across the U.S.; this January, they said nearly 40 more stores would close, most of them by April 4. A reported 2,250 jobs will be lost in the most recent round of closures, according to the Associated Press . Sears Holdings Corp., which also owns the Kmart brand, saw its fourth consecutive year of profit and revenue declines in 2014. The company maintains more than 1,700 Sears and Kmart locations across the country; five years ago, that number was 3,523, according to the AP . "If you're a middle-class mall, and those are your anchors, what are you going to do?" asks Davidowitz, noting that "dollar stores" and stand-alone discount retailers like Walmart and T.J. Maxx have attracted traditional mall-goers who are now looking for cheaper alternatives. "The combination of e-commerce, what's happening to the middle class and everything else is really bad news for the malls. It's a tough business." Evidence of a "permanent shift in consumer behavior" is also mounting, says Neely Tamminga, a managing director and research analyst at Piper Jaffray & Co. investment bank and asset management firm. "We talked to a thousand women on a panel every six months to gauge their spending behavior," says Tamminga, who is involved in an ongoing research project through Piper Jaffray that began in the fall of 2013. "No matter how we ask the question, we are seeing an overall shift away from frequently going to the mall." The spending dynamics between online shopping and in-store purchases are also affected by the fact that more people are using computers and mobile devices to browse inventories and compare prices, Tamminga says. A reported 87 percent of smartphone and tablet owners use a mobile device for shopping activities, according to an annual retail report from The Nielsen Company . But only 59 percent of respondents said online shopping was actually their favorite way to shop. Many still prefer going to a store after comparing prices online. "By the time [a shopper] shows up to the store, she's more educated, more thought-through on all of the things she buys at the mall," says Tamminga. "No one ever wonders what they're going to buy by the time they get in their car and go to the mall. They know what they're going to buy. They know down to the store and possibly if it's actually in that store and in which aisle." "That shift of 'search before purch' is where we think has been a dramatic shift in consumer behavior," she says. "That doesn't eradicate the importance of malls, but we do believe retailers have to be more mindful as to how they then cater to their consumers through the search process." Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report
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BALTIMORE (AP) The Baltimore Ravens have traded nine-year defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to the Detroit Lions. The move, designed to create salary cap space, was announced by the team Tuesday. Details of the deal were not immediately available. Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome was attempting to renegotiate Ngata's contract, but the two sides apparently did not reach an accord. Ngata is due $8.5 million next season and has a $16 million salary cap figure. The 31-year-old Ngata is a five-time Pro Bowler. He started in 12 games last season before serving a four-game suspension for using Adderall. Ngata will fill the void for the Lions left by the departure of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is expected to sign with the Miami Dolphins. The Ravens are also expected to lose standout wide receiver Torrey Smith, linebacker Pernell McPhee and tight end Owen Daniels to free agency. --- Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL
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sports
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Maybe you have a sore throat or an itchy rash and you want care now. But it's too late for office hours or you live far from a medical clinic. Or maybe your overbooked doctor can't squeeze you in. One possible solution: your computer. We're not talking about e-mailing your regular physician. The newest trend is online health services that let you connect 24/7 with a provider you have never met. About 800,000 people in the U.S. have already turned to such services with names such as Amwell, Call the Doc, Doctor on Demand, and MDLive and more are expected to go to the sites soon. Should you use one? "Maybe, but only in limited circum­stances and only with great care," says John Santa, M.D., medical adviser for Consumer Reports and co-author of a 2014 report on the trend in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Here are five questions to consider before signing on with a digital doctor. 1. How sick are you? Virtual visits aren't for emergencies. If you're bleeding badly or suspect a broken bone or heart attack, go to an emergency room. Online docs aren't ideal for chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease, either. "For that, you still need the oversight of one doctor," Santa says. Virtual doctoring should be reserved for garden-­variety problems such as aller­gies, coughs, and diarrhea as well as ear, sinus, and urinary-tract infections. (See our advice for when to use urgent care and retail health clinics.) Read more about how to choose a doctor and a hospital, including our Ratings of more than 4,000 hospitals nationwide. 2. Can you trust the site? That's not always easy to know. "Online doctoring is still the Wild West," Santa says. Watch for red flags, including sites that market supplements or other products, don't share the training and licensing status of their providers, urge you to get tests unrelated to your immediate complaint, and make it difficult for you to find or understand their privacy policies. Programs that meet patient-privacy standards, can prove that their sites adhere to federal and state laws, and ensure that providers are licensed can be accredited by the American Telemedicine Association. 3. How much will it cost? Certain sites post fees up front. Doctor on Demand, for example, charges $40 for a 15-minute video-chat with a physician. Others have you sign in for that info. You'll probably have to pay out of your own pocket. Insurers that limit you to in-network providers won't cover the costs; even those that give broader access, including Medicare, rarely cover online docs. But you might be able to use money in a health savings account or flexible-spending account. 4. What about drugs? Many sites have a limited list of drugs they'll prescribe, such as antihistamines and anti-fungals. And don't rush to accept prescriptions that sites offer. Prescribing antibiotics, for example, should usually be based on a physical exam or lab test, something your online doctor can't do. Certain sites won't prescribe "lifestyle" drugs such as sildenafil (Viagra). And no site should prescribe opioids or other controlled substances. 5. What about aftercare? Online care isn't designed to be ongoing. But follow-up care should always be discussed. Find out how long it should take for you to feel better and what to do if you don't, Santa says. Your online provider should forward information to your regular doctor. You should tell your doctor, too. "Patients should have documentation of all care, including tests and treatments, in one place," Santa says. Joel Keehn This article also appeared in the March 2015 issue of Consumer Reports on Health. More from Consumer Reports: The best washing machines for $800 or less Most fun to drive cars 5 ways to keep your utility bills in check Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.
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Celebs who wear waist trainers Move over Spanx, Hollywood has new figure-slimming obsession known as the waist trainer. Click through as Wonderwall.com takes a look at our favorite celebs cinching their mid-section, starting with Amber Rose, who posted this photo on Instagram on June 5, 2015 with the caption: "Milfin In My @LittleTinyWaist Cincher👙 Lost Two Inches Off My Waist So Far! Two More Inches To Go😉" "Waist training every day of the week has been helping and helped my look at the Vmas with @waistedbykeke --Jenelle Evans, who posted this to Instagram on Aug. 31, 2015. "After Having My Son I Started Waist Training With @Girlycurves_ To Get My Pre Baby Body Back. Loving The Results! Thank You @Girlycurves." "I'm really obsessed with waist training! Thank you @premadonna87 for my new waist shapers! #whatsawaist" --Kim Kardashian West, who posted this photo on Instagram on Oct. 29, 2014. "Every MOM needs a little extra help sometimes. Thanks @1800Cinchers for helping me out. www.1800cinchers.com #1800cinchers" --Snooki, who posted this photo on Instagram on Nov. 17, 2014 "I am obsessed with my new waist shaper from@premadonna87!!! I mean how cute is this shaper?!?! ..." --Khloe Kardashian, who posted this photo on Instagram on Feb, 24, 2015 "Soooo you guys finally talked me into trying a waist trainer! I can't believe how tiny it makes my waist I'm obsessed with @nowaistclique waist trainer and it doesn't show through my clothes!" --Kim Zolciak-Bermann, who posted this photo on Instagram on March 4, 2015 "Starting my Monday with a little waist training before I go to the gym! #onamission #waistgangsociety Go over to @premadonna87 or @pre_shop to get yours!" --Kourtney Kardashian, who posted this photo on Instagram on March 2, 2015 "Thanksgiving is over its time to get back poppin in my waist shaper by @premadonna87 #WaistGang" --Amber Rose, who posted this photo on Instagram on Nov. 30, 2015 "#hourglass #waisttraining #nophotoshopnecessary." --Kim Kardashian West, who posted this photo on Aug. 21, 2014 "I have been Waist Training with my @girlycurves_ Waist Cincher for almost a month and I absolutely LOVE my results 😍 I lost 2 inches off my waist so far" --JWoww, who posted this on Feb. 26, 2015 "Raining out but I'm about to do a quick workout️ While waist training with my baby girl waist shaper from @premadonna87 ! #blacchyna" --Blac Chyna, who posted this photo on Instagram on Jan. 10, 2015 "Officially joined the #waistgang Thank you @PreMadonna87 & @Pre_Shop! #snatched #waistgangsociety" --Cassie, who posted this photo on Instagram on Feb. 28, 2015 Khloe Kardashian flaunts her slim midsection on May 2, 2014. "I love my waist trainer from @premadonna87! Miss @blacchyna has me obsessed!!! Who doesn't love to feel tight and right?!?" Khloe wrote. "On set using my @premadonna87's waist trainer before I shoot! #premadonna87 is my fave! @pre_shop #waistgangsociety" --Kim Kardashian West, who posted this photo on Instagram on Jan. 13, 2015
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entertainment
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America's Best Pepperoni Pizzas #7 The Backspace, Austin, Texas With a pedigree that includes a degree from the Culinary Institute of America and stops at the French Laundry and Café Boulud, it's not a huge surprise that chef Shawn Cirkiel has found huge success with his restaurant Parkside but culinary degrees and high-falutin' restaurant experience don't necessarily mean that you can make a great pizza. Luckily for Austin, Cirkiel does, serving pizza cooked in a wood-fired brick oven from Naples at a temperature of 900 degrees. There are six pies on the menu at The Backspace, featuring toppings like fennel sausage, roasted peppers, and roasted mushrooms, but the one that garnered our enough of our experts' votes to come in at #92 is the Pepperoni Americano: picante salame, tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Pair it with an aranciata, just like in Naples, or enjoy it Texas-style with a glass bottle of Mexican Coke. #6 Pizza Brain, Philadelphia, Pa. "Increase the piece!" It's the world's first pizza museum, for heaven's sake, and those in the know know that when you're craving great pizza in Philly, you need go no further than this nineteenth-century brick building in Kensington. There, you'll eat thin-crust pizza cooked in the double-deck gas-fired oven at the cash-only joint Kickstarted in 2012 by Ryan Anderson, Joseph Hunter, Brian Dwyer, and Michael Carter. As you wait for the crew to cook your pie, bask in Pizza Brain's unique ambience, check out their pizza memorabilia museum (featuring what the Guinness Book of World Records called the largest collection of pizza memorabilia in the world), or rummage through their pizza tattoo book for a few laughs. Pizza Brain's "Jane" is their version of a Margherita a cheesy trifecta of mozzarella, aged provolone, and grana padano blended with basil and that's a good place to begin. The salty and satisfying Forbes Waggensense is the one that was ranked #80 by our panel: it features mozzarella, fontina, Grana Padano, basil, smoked pepperoni, and tomato sauce. #5 Delancey, Seattle, Wash. Those critical of the Pacific Northwest pizza scene need to back up. Let's put this in context: Washington became the 42nd state in 1889, 16 years before Gennaro Lombardi opened America's first pizzeria… in New York City. Washington and Oregon (though Oregon has 30 years on its neighbor) deserve some credit for working without a century-long tradition backing them up. Consider Seattle's Delancey, which Brandon Pettit, a former New York music student, opened with his wife in 2009. The idea for Delancey (named for Pettit's favorite subway stop in Manhattan) grew out of his longing for the pizzas he grew up with in New York and New Jersey. As The New York Times noted, "the dough has an intense, slightly sourdough-like flavor from Mr. Pettit's two-day fermentation process, and the topping combinations offered are basic but use the freshest seasonal ingredients available." There are 9 pies on the menu including the "Brooklyn," inspired by Di Fara's cheese pie, and the white pie (with house-made ricotta, slivered garlic, and grana padano), but Delancey noted (and panelists voted for) the pepperoni pie as the one you should seek out. It came in at #74, and is the fifth-best pepperoni pizza in America, according to our 78-expert panel. #4 Santillo's Brick Oven Pizza, Elizabeth, N.J. What can you say about Al Santillo? Santillo may be the least well-known great pizza tradition curator in America, the gatekeeper to three generations of pizza-making and one of the most unique pizzerias in America. The man has tomato sauce running through his veins. Al Santillo's grandfather, who had long made focaccia for his family at home, decided to try it as a business in 1950. "He wanted to keep the place open in the evening and make a little more money, so he started making pizza," his grandson Al has noted. "In 1957, he bought the brick oven I use now." It's an oven Al says is called a low-arch, one whose every brick was cut by hand, and which he insists "permits infinite possibilities in temperature and character." Pizza infinity is difficult to conceive, but Santillo's is something you just have to experience for yourself. You can only do takeout from Al's living room it houses the massive cathedral-like oven that requires a 20-foot-long peel to retrieve the pizzas. And be prepared to order by the year Al preserves every pizza style he can for posterity. They range from the 1940 Genuine Tomato Pie (no cheese) to the 2011 San Marzano "Tomatoes Over the Cheese" Pizza. But there are other intriguing options, like lasagna pizza, thin-pan, Roman-style, Italian bread, and an off-the-menu grandpa pie as well. The way to go here, though, is the popular Sicilian pizza, topped with pepperoni, mozzarella, and pizza sauce it's so good it snagged the #51 spot on our compilation. #2 Lombardi's, New York, N.Y. Anybody interested in tracing America's love affair with pizza back to its beginning will inevitably be led to Lombardi's. Gennaro Lombardi opened a grocery store on Manhattan's Lower East Side in 1897, and in 1905 he started selling tomato pies wrapped in paper and tied with a string. His customers were mostly workers of Italian descent who took them to their jobs (because most couldn't afford the entire pie, it was sold by the piece). The pizzeria was run by the Lombardi family first by Gennaro's son, John, and then his grandson, Jerry until it closed in 1984. It was reopened 10 years later a block away from the original location by Jerry Lombardi and John Brescio, a childhood friend. These days, Lombardi's almost always seems packed. There's a thin crust pizza: a cornicione that doesn't have much bubble or puff, and that boasts a thorough layering of a sauce that's tangy and not overly sweet or salty. There's no shredded mozzarella just the fresh stuff, well spread out. Even if you're not a fan of fresh cheese on your pie, you'll probably love it. Is it New York City's best pizza? No, that honor was bestowed upon Di Fara's in Brooklyn. Still, Lombardi's is a touchstone. And when looking out on New York's pizza landscape, the devotion to a pie from a time when pizza didn't mean artful charring and contrived, golden-tiled ovens is comforting, even if that just means the pizza of 1994. It's so comforting, their version of a pepperoni pie with that fresh mozzarella, a san marzano tomato, Romano cheese, fresh basil, and Rosa Grande pepperoni took #34 on our ranking. #1 Lucali, Brooklyn, N.Y. Take a pinch of Di Fara's Dom DeMarco, add a dash of the murals of Gino's of Long Beach, stretch the amount of un-sauced classic Coney Island Totonno's crust a bit wider, add in a few intangibles, and you may be getting close to the pizza experience that Mark Iacono has become famous for in his Carroll Gardens pizzeria Lucali, open since 2006. The crust has that classic New York thin-crust style with whispers of the old-school execution praised at the city's most storied institutions. Eating a pizza in the warm, softly lit environs of Lucali, you wonder how Iacono magically and mysteriously inherited from Gennaro Lombardi pizza primogeniture. Iacono, who survived a serious stabbing a few years ago that left him, as late as last year, with no feeling in about 50 percent of his body, hasn't seemed to slow down, continuing to draw crowds and fans at the original Brooklyn spot. He's receiving the same accolades in his newer Miami location. It took the very respectable #18 spot on our most recent list, and is the highest-ranked pepperoni pizza in America, according to our experts.
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foodanddrink
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Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) slammed Democrats for threatening to block an anti-human trafficking proposal because of abortion language included in the bill. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, introduced by Cornyn, includes additional resources for law enforcement and establishes a fund to raise money for victims. The legislation also includes the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits funding from being spent on abortions. A Democratic aide said that Democrats were unaware that the provision was in the legislation. "It remains to be seen what the solution is. There's one way to make this bill bipartisan again, and that's to address this issue," the aide said. "This just shouldn't be a partisan legislation. It's about ending human slavery." But Cornyn dismissed the notion that Democrats didn't know what they were voting on. "The idea that there's been some sort of ambush is just preposterous, it's just not credible," he said from the Senate floor. "They object to language that has been the law of the land for 39 years." The legislation passed unanimously earlier this year out of the Judiciary Committee. "You think they didn't read the bill before they put their name on it?" Cornyn asked, referring to the bill's Democratic cosponsors. "Our friends across the aisle have some outstanding staff. ... I don't believe that they would have missed a reference in this legislation." If senators weren't informed that the legislation included the abortion provision, Cornyn had some frank advice: "If that's true, I'd get new staff." The Democratic opposition is a sharp turn from Monday, when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) urged their colleagues to support the bill. Cornyn said that Democrats supported President Obama's healthcare law even though it also included the Hyde Amendment. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) suggested that they were separate issues. "I hope we're not going to get into a question where we compare apples with oranges and forget what we're supposed to be doing," he said, taking to the Senate floor after Cornyn spoke. Acknowledging that the legislation likely wasn't going to be voted on Tuesday, Leahy urged his colleagues to come together and try to reach an agreement so that the legislation could pass. "Let's not let political gotcha games stop us from legislation that might protect these people," he said.
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What are the odds that an auntie and nephew would be born 34 minutes apart on the same day in the same hospital? Not very good. But that's exactly what happened this month in Florida, as Bay News 9 reports . "I've been doing this for 29 years, over 14,000 deliveries, and I've never had a mom and daughter deliver the same day," said Dr. Zakhary of Tampa General Hospital, where the related bundles of joy were delivered. Angela Patram, 37, knew she and her daughter Teranisha Billups, 20, were due to give birth in the same month. But then Billups went into labor two weeks early. "I wanted her to deliver with me being in here, and me to deliver with her being there, and it just didn't work out," Billups told Bay News 9. She and her mother plan on raising their newest additions as best friends. "We were texting back and forth sending pictures back and forth and that was the only way to communicate," Patram said of the simultaneous deliveries. Adding more irony to the spectacular events, Patram said she got home from the hospital and saw the movie "Father of the Bride 2" on television, a Steve Martin and Diane Keaton film that portrays a mother and daughter giving birth at the same time. Share This on Facebook? Images via Getty Images/Bay News 9
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lifestyle
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U.S. senators on Tuesday introduced the most comprehensive legislation on medical marijuana ever brought before Congress, a bipartisan effort aimed at ending federal restrictions on the increasingly accepted treatment. Twenty-three states already allow the use of cannabis to treat medical conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS) and epilepsy, but federal law still exposes users of the drug to potential investigation and arrest. "Highly-trained officials in our country -- doctors and scientists, medical personnel -- are unable to prescribe and recommend drugs that could alleviate the pain and suffering of their patients," Senate Democrat Cory Booker told reporters. "Today we join together to say enough is enough," he added. "Our federal government has long overstepped the boundaries of common sense, fiscal prudence and compassion with its marijuana laws." The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act would remove federal penalties and restrictions for producing, distributing and possessing marijuana for medical purposes, provided there is compliance with state law. It would give military veterans access to medical marijuana in states where it is legal, and it would crucially allow financial institutions to provide banking services to marijuana businesses. It would also reclassify marijuana from "Schedule I" to "Schedule II," eliminating current barriers to research and recognizing the acceptable medical use of the drug. Senator Rand Paul, a likely 2016 Republican presidential candidate, pointed to the "tens of thousands of people in our country who have diseases that are incurable and that would like to seek palliative treatment." Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said current law was "clearly a case of ideology getting in the way of scientific progress." The New York Democrat highlighted the case of constituents whose sick children were in desperate need of treatment unavailable through traditional medications. Under current law, people who travel to states where medical marijuana is legal would be subject to arrest for crossing state borders and returning home with the drug. "When a child doesn't have 100 seizures a day, their brain can actually develop, and they can grow, they can have more moments with their families, with their friends. They can develop emotionally," Gillibrand said. Advocacy group Americans for Safe Access called the legislation "groundbreaking." Congress last year passed a one-year funding measure including a section that prohibited the Justice Department from using funds to interfere in states' implementation of their medical marijuana laws. ASA says Tuesday's bill goes further by codifying the change, and expanding restrictions on interference with state medical marijuana laws to all federal agencies. Sandy Fiola, who was diagnosed with MS in 1988, described medical marijuana as an answer to her prayers, after exhausting traditional medicine options. "In the early stages of my illness, I did not sleep for about four years," she said, with Booker at her side. "I obtained some (marijuana) and I tried it. The next thing I knew it was morning, and I cried when I woke up," she said.
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A young harbor seal was stuck on a snowbank in Maine. It was having some trouble getting itself back into the water, so local police stepped in to help out. Gillian Pensavalle (@GillianWithaG) has the story.
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So you think you know all about the royal families around the world? If your answer is yes, then check out the images and guess the princes and princesses from their childhood photographs. Guess this baby who is third in line to the British Crown. Hint: he will soon have a brother or sister to play with. Prince George of Cambridge A quintessential prince charming, guess this baby who is also a trained RAF-Search-and-Rescue pilot. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge Can you tell who is this girl? Hint: she's one of the most loved royal fashionistas Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge Guess this prince who's known for his wild lifestyle and on-and-off relationships Harry, Prince Henry of Wales Guess this heir apparent to the British Crown? Charles, Prince of Wales Angelic smile and chubby cheeks, can you tell who is this royal baby? Queen Elizabeth II Guess this prince who is better known for his latest controversial case. Prince Andrew, Duke of York Guess this princess who was voted as BBC's Sports Personality in 1971. Princess Anne Last year's Sony hacking revealed her salary. Can you tell who is this princess from the British Royal family? Princess Beatrice This spirited princess moved to Big Apple in 2013 and walks to work every day...any guesses? Princess Eugenie Despite being a member of the British Royal family, she doesn't hold any royal title. Guess this 'princess' who is a well-known equestrian champion. Zara Phillips Guess this teenager princess from Europe who has already impressed the world with her great oratory skills. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium The only Asian on our list, this princess is fond of tennis. Guess who is she? Princess Aiko of Japan Seen here with her mother Princess Caroline, can you guess this princess known for her ice-skating skills? Princess Alexandra of Hanover Guess this princess who is from the family directly linked to Prophet Mohammed. Princess Salma of Jordan
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Two girls perform Irish step dancing in the rain until they are spooked by thunder.
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video
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A girl tries to jump on a horses back and ends up jumping clean over it.
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Our workout hairstyle (low bun, wide black headband) was just given fashion's ultimate stamp of approval: That of Karl Lagerfeld. The iconic designer sent the Chanel Fall 2015 collection down the Paris runway earlier today, complete with the elevated take on gym hair and we've taken notice. While Chanel was the latest runway to showcase the style, they weren't the first of the Fall/Winter 2015 collections to do so. Labels like Richard Chai and Fendi also included easy-to-wear hair, discovering what we've always known: Nothing saves styling time like a solid headband. Check out the best moments from Fashion Month now below. After all, it'll be way easier to get to work in the morning looking chic after an hour at the gym with this trick up our sleeve, right? Chanel Richard Chai Honor Fendi Proenza Schouler RELATED: Tommy Hilfiger Wants You On His Team Gym Socks Just Got the Fashion Seal of Approval Who Knew Your Ponytail Could Be So Chic? These Designers Did!
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lifestyle
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We're always on Duchess Catherine hair-watch here at Lipstick.com, and today we have an exciting development to report: Everyone's favorite modern-day princess has tried something totally new to change her half-up hairstyle ! Here's a peek. While attending a service at Westminster Abbey today, the Duchess was showing off two cute bumps her growing baby belly, and a sizable bouffant in the back of her hairstyle. It added the perfect amount of balance behind her fascinator hat, plus just the slightest touch of Brigitte Bardot-esque, retro sassiness. Side twists joined in a mini bun served as the foundation that held the bump's height steady. See, I told you: clever and cute! What do you think of Duchess Kate's latest twist on the half-up look? She may have officially done every possible variation at this point!
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lifestyle
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In 2010, to prepare its dealers for the launch of a new sales promotion, the U.K. arm of Chevrolet commissioned Geoffrey Beattie, a professor of psychology at the University of Manchester, to devise a handshake that would "offer peace of mind and reassurance to its customers." Here's what Beattie came up with: PH = √ (e2 + ve2)(d2) + (cg + dr)2 + π{(42)(42)}2 + (vi + t + te)2 + {(42 )(42)}2 (e) is eye contact (1=none; 5=direct) 5; (ve) is verbal greeting (1=totally inappropriate; 5=totally appropriate) 5; (d) is Duchenne smile - smiling in eyes and mouth, plus symmetry on both sides of face, and slower offset (1=totally non-Duchenne smile (false smile); 5=totally Duchenne) 5; (cg) completeness of grip (1=very incomplete; 5=full) 5; (dr) is dryness of hand (1=damp; 5=dry) 4; (s) is strength (1= weak; 5=strong) 3; (p) is position of hand (1=back towards own body; 5=other person's bodily zone) 3; (vi) is vigour (1=too low/too high; 5=mid) 3; (t) is temperature of hands (1=too cold/too hot; 5=mid) 3; (te) is texture of hands (5=mid; 1=too rough/too smooth) 3; (c) is control (1=low; 5=high) 3; (du) is duration (1= brief; 5=long) 3. Chevrolet, the company announced that July, now had the mathematical formula for a perfect handshake, with 12 variables ranging from the sincerity of the shaker's smile down to the ideal degree of sweatiness, though the simplified version that made its way into the staff training materials dry palm, firm grip, eye contact could also be described as "common sense." But beneath the weirdness of the whole campaign, Chevrolet actually had a fair point. Hands offered forth for a shake timid or strong, lingering or prematurely withdrawn can reveal a lot, especially between people who might otherwise reveal very little to one another. Many historians believe that the handshake originated not as a greeting, but as, to borrow Chevrolet's phrasing, something that would "offer peace of mind and reassurance" by allowing two people to prove that neither was carrying a weapon. But new research proposes another theory: that the most important information relayed by a handshake isn't conveyed through touch at all. Rather, according to a team of neurobiologists from Israel's Weizmann Institute, the original handshake was all about smell. In a paper published last week in the journal eLife , the researchers argue that the custom of shaking hands may have evolved primarily as an excuse for people to judge each other by way of scent, gleaning information from the chemicals passed from palm to palm. For the study, neurobiology researchers at Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science secretly filmed 271 volunteers over the span of a few minutes as they interacted with a researcher, who either did or did not shake the subject's hand upon entering the room. When the subjects were left alone, those who had shaken sniffed their hands more than twice as much as those who hadn't demonstrating, the authors said, that the shake itself had transmitted something worth sniffing. Strangely, the researchers also noticed that the effect was strongly gendered. After shaking hands, people tended to sniff their right hands more if the researcher had been of the same gender, and the left hand if the researcher was the opposite gender. The study's authors didn't have an explanation for why this might be the case but the important finding, they said, is that the sniffing happened at all. "We can argue that this serves an evolutionary purpose," said Idan Frumin, a Ph.D. candidate at the Weizmann Institute and the lead author of the study. "We don't necessarily know what's transferred, but we're pretty sure that it's relevant information. Otherwise we wouldn't have found this behavior." To test whether a handshake alone was enough to transfer scent, the researchers first shook hands with 10 volunteers while wearing surgical gloves. When they analyzed the gloves to see what chemicals they had picked up from touching another person's bare palm, they found three "chemosignals," or chemicals thought to convey some kind of information about the person whose body created them. One study found that chemosignals in women's tears, for example, may dampen sexual arousal in heterosexual men; another found that chemosignals in the sweat of people experiencing fear may inspire fear in those who smell it as well. (Frumin was also quick to clarify that the "chemosignals" transmitted by the handshake were different than "pheromones," a contentious term among scientists studying smell. "Pheromones are species-wide it's the same chemical across the whole species," he explained, while chemosignals are "specific signals that are unique to each individual, like an olfactory fingerprint.") After tallying up the amount of hand-sniffing that took place, Frumin and his colleagues measured nasal airflow on an additional set of volunteers to make sure the pattern wasn't just nervous face-touching. (One study found that people touch their faces an average of 3.6 times per hour, while another put it as high as 15.7. Either way, it happens a lot.) When people put their hands near their noses, the researchers found, they tended to take in twice as much air as when they were breathing normally. "In other words," the authors wrote, "when subjects brought their hands to their nose, they concurrently sniffed." But the handshake itself isn't the evolutionary end game after all, the gesture is the norm only in certain segments of the world. Rather, Frumin said, it's one culturally specific means towards a more universal end: "In Western culture, it's not very common to have close physical contact," he explained. "The handshake is basically the only acceptable way of touching and getting chemicals passed between people," he explained. A handshake does in one part of the world what a cheek kiss does in another. For example, the so-called "Eskimo kiss" commonly portrayed as two people rubbing the tips of their noses together is actually a misinterpretation of the kunik , an Inuit greeting in which one person presses the nose against another person's skin and inhales. In fact, the handshake and the kiss used to convey very different things in the U.S. may stem from the same place. "Many anthropologists believe that first 'kisses' may have been delivered via our noses rather than our lips, as we closely inhaled the scent of our loved one's cheeks," Sheril Kirshenbaum wrote in her book The Science of Kissing . "As humans developed better language skills, smell probably became less necessary for recognizing one's relatives, but remained an important means to strengthen the bonds between people … Despite all the variability, affectionate nibbling and muzzling may be rooted in our common evolutionary lineage." If the eLife study's findings are true, then the handshake is its own strange little study in contrasts: the go-to gesture for strangers and co-workers, also incredibly intimate; a practice governed by social norms, built on a basic biological instinct. A boardroom formality, boiled down to humans' animal need to get to know each other. For all of Chevrolet's complicated calculations, a perfect handshake may only be as good as the hand-sniffing that follows. More on MSN: Study sniffs out handshake origin (Press Association) Handshakes That Grab Respect (Huffington Post) Why Li's Handshake With Queen Is Uncomfortable (Sky News)
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lifestyle
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It's that time of year again. No, I'm not talking about March Madness. I'm talking about taxes. The April 15deadline is fast approaching and, if you're like most Americans, you haven't filed your taxes yet. But don't put it off too long. One common error many young filers make is missing the deadline. "A big mistake is that ... millennials say, 'Oh, April 15 they don't really mean that'," said Annette Nellen, certified public accountant and professor of accounting and finance at San Jose State University. "No they really mean it. You can get extensions to file, but not to pay." Even if you ask for and get an extension, you need to file a form requesting it by the deadline. And if you're granted an extension of time to file your return, that doesn't mean you have an extension of time to pay whatever you owe in taxes. You can still get hit with a failure-to-pay penalty. "Those deadlines are serious," said Nellen. Here are other common and potentially costly errors people make, and how you can avoid them. Some of the most frequently made errors, tax preparers say, are the result of simple typos and mistakes in math calculations. One way to help prevent calculation errors is to file electronically. "If you e-file, it is also a quicker way to get a refund and to get it processed," said Nellen, who sees everyone moving to electronic filing at some point. According to the Internal Revenue Service , at least 70 percent of taxpayers already prefer filing electronically over snail mail. You can use a tax e-filing product like Turbotax or, if you made less than $60,000 in 2014, you can use the IRS's free file program. But it's still important to double check each field to make sure the information you entered is correct. At the least, minor errors can result in delays in getting a refund. But they can also up your chances of an audit or, in the worst case, cost you money in penalties. When it comes to paying Uncle Sam, everyone wants to know what's deductible. One big deduction that many millennials can take: student loan interest. If you don't itemize your expenses and your income falls within certain limits, you can deduct up to $2,500 on the interest you paid on your student loans in 2014. Other deductions are less obvious. If you relocated for a new job or if you were transferred to a new location and your employer didn't cover your moving costs, for example, those costs are deductible. Start shouting "show me the money!" because you can lower your taxable income by thousands of dollars if you deduct moving expenses like the cost of moving your furniture and traveling to the new location. Just note that in order to write off your move, your new workplace must be at least 50 miles farther from your old home and you must work full time. If you are itemizing your deductions or your situation is complex say, you have a couple different jobs, freelance, or live in one state but work in another it may make sense to get an accountant to ensure you don't miss out on potential deductions, said Larry Luxenberg, a certified financial planner at Lexington Avenue Capital Management in New York. Nellen also recommends reviewing the Pub 17 tax guide on the IRS website so t hat you don't miss out on money or set yourself up to get audited because of simple mistakes. Once you complete your filing, the fun part begins if you're owed a refund… free money! But experts say don't treat it that way. "With tax refunds, the average amount for millennials in the U.S. is about $3,000," said p ersonal bankruptcy lawyer William Waldner of Midtown Bankruptcy in New Yor k. "It's human nature for people to want to go out and have fun with this money." But financial advisors caution against that. Luxenberg suggests the best way to use that refund is to treat it the same as a paycheck and use it to pay down debt or bulk up savings. "It's a matter of priority," he explained. "Build up your emergency fund, pay down high-cost debt, then start saving and investing."
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finance
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President Obama said he first learned "through news reports" that Hillary Clinton used a private email system when she was his secretary of state. But it turns out he did know she used a private email address, at least for some official business. The White House now says the two leaders traded emails and "the president was aware of her email address." Clinton, a potential presidential candidate in 2016, has come under criticism after the New York Times reported on March 2 that she exclusively used a private email account (registered to clintonemail.com) to conduct government business while secretary of state from January 2009 to February 2013 . At the request of the State Department, Clinton two months ago turned over 55,000 pages of emails that involved government business, the Times reported. Obama was asked about Clinton's emails during an interview with CBS News correspondent Bill Plante on March 7. Plante, March 7 : Mr. President, when did you first learn that Hillary Clinton used an email system outside the U.S. government for official business while she was secretary of state? Obama: The same time everybody else learned it through news reports. Obama's answer to Plante begged the question of whether the president emailed Clinton and, if so, how did he not know Clinton was using a private account? Two days after the president's interview aired on CBS, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest clarified that the two leaders, obviously, did exchange emails and he knew her email address. Earnest, who made his remarks at about 44:45 into his press briefing, said the president didn't know that she had a personal email server and did not have a government account. Earnest, March 9 : [T]he president was referring specifically to the arrangement associated with Secretary Clinton's email. Yes, the president was aware of her email address. He traded emails with her. That shouldn't be a surprise that the president of the United States is going to trade emails with the secretary of state. But the president was not aware of the fact that this was a personal email server and that this was the email address that she was using exclusively for all her business. The president was not aware of that until that had been more widely reported. The existence of Clinton's private email account actually has been publicly known since March 2013, when the Smoking Gun wrote several stories about a hacker who broke into the AOL account of former Clinton aide Sidney Blumenthal. Smoking Gun showed screen grabs of emails Blumenthal had sent to Clinton's private email account, [email protected] , when she was secretary of state. "Blumenthal's memos and e-mails to Clinton were sent to her at a non-governmental e-mail address through the web domain 'clintonemail.com,' " Smoking Gun reported on March 18, 2013 . As Politico explained at the time : "The hacker had apparently sorted the mail to list (and possibly download) the Word files attached to these specific emails, which include foreign policy and intelligence memos that were sent to Clinton when she served as Secretary of State." That's why State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf dismissed the latest controversy over Clinton's email as "not news." "I would also point out that the notion that she had this email account is certainly not news; it's been reported on for more than two years at this point," Harf said at a briefing on March 3 in response to the Times story. "So I was a little surprised although maybe I shouldn't have been by some of the breathless reporting coming out last night, but I guess that's the nature of where we are today." Marcel Lehel Lazar of Romania, who hacked into Blumenthal's AOL account, was widely known as "Guccifer" and received more publicity for hacking into the personal email accounts of people more famous than a former Clinton aide. He also hacked into the account of a family member of George W. Bush to reveal the former president's self portraits. In June, he was sentenced to four years in jail in Romania. A week later, he was indicted on charges of "wire fraud, unauthorized access to a protected computer, aggravated identity theft, cyberstalking and obstruction of justice," according to a Justice Department press release . Justice Department, June 12, 2014 : According to the indictment, from December 2012 to January 2014, Lazar hacked into the email and social media accounts of high-profile victims, including a family member of two former U.S. presidents, a former U.S. Cabinet member, a former member of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and a former presidential advisor. We asked the White House if the president was referring to the March 2013 or March 2015 media reports when he told CBS that he learned about Clinton's email account "[t]he same time everybody else learned it through news reports." The White House, however, declined further comment. Eugene Kiely
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The popularity of butt implants has surged in the last year, according to new data, perhaps spurred by the popularity of the curvaceous reality TV star. "There are plenty of people that are fascinated by watching Kim Kardashian or Nicki Minaj or some of these women who have larger bottoms, and they strive for that," said Dr. Michael Edwards, the president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, which collected the data. Though liposuction, breast augmentation and Botox remain the most popular cosmetic procedures, buttock augmentation has grown dramatically in the last year. In addition, a technique for freezing and killing excess fat tissue has also become more popular, the data suggest. Most common procedures In 2014, more than 10 million procedures were performed by board-certified plastic surgeons, according to the data. The most popular surgical procedure was liposuction, a method of removing fat from the body, followed by breast augmentation, Edwards said. Liposuction is a surgical procedure that requires a fairly long recovery process. Although the most typical side effects are bruising, swelling and baggy skin around the affected area, the procedure can sometimes damage nerves and skin permanently. In the worst cases, the procedure can become deadly if fat or blood clots travel from the affected region into the lungs. The most popular nonsurgical procedure remains Botox, followed by procedures that use fillers to plump up the face and lips, such as Juvederm. Botox is very safe , with a low risk of temporary side effects such as drooping eyelids, according to a 2014 study in the journal JAMA Dermatology. Fillers also have a low risk of side effects such as lumpiness and beading, according to the study. Coming up from behind But buttock augmentation which can involve either grafting fat onto the buttocks from elsewhere in the body, or silicone implants that are placed over the buttock muscles has surged a dramatic 86 percent since 2013. Although the procedure is generally safe, it's important that a trained, board-certified professional performs the operation, because the procedure does have some risks, Edwards said. For instance, silicone implants must be placed correctly or they may migrate out of place. Serious complications can happen when material from fat grafts or silicone injections cause infections, with potentially deadly consequences, Edwards said. A woman who called herself the " Michelangelo of butt injections ," recently went on trial for murder because prosecutors allege she injected a client, who later died, with industrial-grade silicone used to lubricate car engines, according to website of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Fat removal Nonsurgical fat removal, typically done by applying a cold device to a person's belly, thighs or love handles to kill fat cells, has increased by 43 percent since 2013, according to the data. The idea behind the treatment is once the fat cells freeze, they split open and the body reabsorbs them. The most common side effect is simply not being happy with how it looks afterwards. (A technique using lasers to bust fat cells is also available, but is less popular because it is more uncomfortable, Edwards said.) The procedure doesn't work for large amounts of fat, which are typically better dealt with by liposuction, Edwards said. "It's not meant for weight loss, it's meant for contour changes," he told Live Science.
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health
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By Larry Brown Johnny Manziel must be really dedicated to trying to get over his personal problems, because the guy is still in rehab going on nearly six weeks now. Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine revealed on Monday that Manziel is still in rehab. Manziel's people announced on Feb. 2 that the quarterback entered rehab on Jan. 28 . Whatever Manziel is in for, we agree with Brian Hoyer who said it was a "big step and very mature" of the former Heisman Trophy winner. Best of luck to Manziel in correcting his issues. And as far as the Browns are concerned, there is still plenty of time before their offseason program begins anyway.
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sports
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NATO's Black Sea members Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey joined four other alliance states in a multinational naval exercise on Tuesday just across the water from the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia last year. The naval rapid reaction force in the Black Sea drills consists of a United States flagship, the guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg, and ships from the six other participating states. Canada, Germany and Italy are also taking part. NATO has held a series of exercises in eastern Europe since Moscow's move into the region to reassure members jittery about Russian intentions in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. The training will include simulated anti-air and anti-submarine warfare exercises, as well as simulated small boat attacks and basic ship handling maneuvers, a Bulgarian navy spokesman told Reuters. Last week, Russia's defense ministry said its forces had begun large-scale military exercises in southern Russia and in disputed territories on Russia's borders, including the Crimea region. Relations between Russia and the West are their most strained since the Cold War. Ukraine and the West accuse Moscow of directing a separatist assault in eastern Ukraine with its own troops and weapons. Russia denies those accusations. Once a close ally of the Soviet Union, Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004 and is one of six eastern European countries that will host new command units staffed with national and NATO soldiers being set up in response to the Ukraine crisis.
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news
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BOSTON (Reuters) - Jurors in the trial on Tuesday of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev got to see the blood-stained message that prosecutors say he wrote on the inside of a boat he was hiding in before his violent capture, explaining his reasoning for killing innocent people. "We Muslims are one body you hurt one you hurt us all," the message read, citing what it said was aggression in Muslim lands. "I don't like killing innocent people it is forbidden in islam, but due to said (…) it is allowed," the message read, with a word missing due to a bullet hole. Boston Police Officer Todd Brown identified a photograph of the message, displayed to the jury on screens in U.S. District Court in Boston, showing bullet holes and blood dripping over the words. Tsarnaev, 21, is accused of killing three people and injuring 264 with a pair of homemade bombs at the race's crowded finish line on April 15, 2013, as well as fatally shooting a police officer three days later as he and his brother tried to flee the city. Federal prosecutors contend that Tsarnaev, who emigrated with his family from Chechnya, was driven by an extremist view of Islam and a desire to strike back at the United States in revenge for military campaigns in Muslim-dominated countries. Defense lawyers argue that his older brother, 26-year-old Tamerlan, was the driving force behind the attacks and that his younger brother followed him out of a sense of submission. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died four days after the bombing when his younger brother inadvertently ran him over with a car as he fled a gunbattle with police. Tsarnaev, who was shot and seriously injured before being captured in a dry-docked boat in Watertown, just outside Boston, faces the death penalty if convicted. Earlier on Tuesday, an FBI agent testified that Tsarnaev attended the world renowned race the year before the attack and posted an ominous tweet about people being "defeated." FBI agent Stephen Kimball said Tsarnaev, using the Twitter handle J_Tsar, wrote "they will spend their money and they will regret it and then they will be defeated" on April 16, 2012, the day of that year's marathon. Kimball said "yes" when asked if the FBI believed he attended the race in 2012. Defense attorney Miriam Conrad questioned Kimball about other tweets from Tsarnaev, including ones citing rap lyrics, and jokes like "I want to study a broad or two". "Is it fair to say that in addition to the 45 tweets that the government chose for you to introduce, there are a lot of tweets about things like girls, cars, food, sleep, homework, complaining about studying," she asked. "Yes," Kimball responded. Conrad also pointed out that a background photo on one of Tsarnaev's two Twitter accounts was of the city of Grozny in Chechnya, not of Mecca, the sacred city for Muslims in Saudi Arabia, as Kimball had earlier suggested. Other FBI agents on Tuesday described how some 3,000 piece of evidence, including shrapnel and body parts, were retrieved from the blast sites near the marathon finish line, some on surrounding rooftops as high as four-stories. The jury has heard from 33 witnesses, including victims and emergency workers, during the trial's first four days. That brisk pace reflects the fact that defense lawyers, who opened their case by acknowledging Tsarnaev committed the crimes, have so far cross-examined only four witnesses. The bombing killed Martin Richard, 8; Krystle Campbell, 29, and Lingzi Lu, 23. Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier, 27, was shot to death three days later. (Additional reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Tom Brown)
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news
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The top Communist official in China's Xinjiang said Tuesday that extremists from the mainly Muslim region have been apprehended after returning from fighting in Syria with the Islamic State group. Zhang Chunxian, party head in Xinjiang, told reporters that the radicals were caught when a terror plot was recently uncovered, reported the Global Times, which is affiliated with the ruling party mouthpiece People's Daily. He said that they had returned to Xinjiang, the homeland of China's Uighur ethnic minority, to participate in violent terror plots, the report said. He apparently gave no details, including the number of people apprehended. Other Chinese media carried similar reports, but did not specifically mention Syria. Fighters for the IS jihadist group have taken control of a wide swathe of Iraq and Syria and drawn global revulsion by filming the beheadings and killings of captives, including foreign civilian aid workers and journalists. Xinjiang, in far western China, has seen a wave of unrest, labelled by authorities as "terrorism" and blamed on "separatists", which has sometimes spread to other parts of the country. Among the most shocking attacks was a deadly rampage by knife-wielding assailants at a train station at Kunming in China's southwest in March, when 31 people were killed and four attackers died. More than 30 people were killed in an assault on a market in the Xinjiang regional capital Urumqi in May, prompting China to launch a crackdown, detaining hundreds of people described as suspected terrorists. Beijing has consistently warned that radical forces from outside the country have inspired terror attacks in the resource-rich, mainly Muslim region bordering Central Asia, as well as outside it. China regularly accuses what it says are exiled Uighur separatist groups such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and the Turkestan Islamic Party of being behind attacks. But overseas experts doubt the strength of the groups and their links to global terrorism, with some saying China exaggerates the threat to justify tough security measures in Xinjiang. Rights groups say that harsh police treatment of Uighurs and government campaigns against religious practices, such as the wearing of veils, has led to violence. China defends its policies, arguing that it has boosted economic development in the area and that it upholds minority and religious rights in a country with 56 recognised ethnic groups. Zhang said that 230 government employees were killed in the Xinjiang violence in 2013, the People's Daily reported, without specifying their ethnicities. More than 450 people were killed in Xinjiang last year, a rights group said last week -- with three times as many deaths among members of the mainly Muslim Uighur minority than ethnic Han Chinese. Information in the area is strictly controlled by authorities, and the Washington-based Uyghur Human Rights Project used data from Chinese and overseas media reports for its analysis, giving ranges for most of its figures.
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news
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Texas has six executions scheduled between now and the end of April but prison officials said on Tuesday they do not have enough of the chemical used in its lethal injections for all of them. "We currently have enough in our supply to carry out two more executions," said Jason Clark, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Texas, which has accounted for 37 percent of all the executions in the United States since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, has been using the sedative pentobarbital in its executions for the past few years. "I can tell you that the agency continues to explore all options, including to continue to use pentobarbital or other drugs in the execution process," Clark said. The next execution in Texas is planned for Wednesday, when Manuel Vasquez is set to be put to death in Huntsville. In previous cases, the state has been able to obtain fresh supplies from an undisclosed source when it has run short of pentobarbital. Texas and several other states have had to search for new drugs for their lethal injection cocktails after many pharmaceutical companies, mostly in Europe, imposed sales bans about four years ago because they objected to having medications made for other purposes used in lethal injections. Several states including Texas have turned to lightly regulated compounding pharmacies, which can mix chemicals for use as pharmaceuticals, to make their lethal injection compounds. Lawyers for death row inmates have said this could lead to impure mixtures that could cause undue suffering and violate U.S. constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. In January, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to temporarily block the execution of three Oklahoma inmates who are challenging the state's choice of chemicals for lethal injections. (Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott)
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news
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Calcium and protein claims make string cheese, yogurt and other dairy products looks so good for you. But not everything in the dairy case is a good nutritional choice.
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video
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What is "women's work?" Anything you can think of. Whether it's the work of keeping a home and raising a family, building and inspiring a community, or bringing home a wage from a daily job, the wide variety of work women do is worth celebrating. Women are one of the largest growing forces in the global economy -- even though they are paid less than men worldwide. In 2011, the World Bank revealed that women make up 40 percent of the world's labor force, but hold just 1 percent of the world's wealth. From building wind turbines to harvesting bananas, fighting fires to rolling cigars, here are 39 images of working women all over the globe: A Pakistani woman arranges bricks as she works at a brick factory on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, March 8, 2010. (Muhammed Muheisen/AP) Dancer performs on a float during Viradouro samba school parade at the sambodrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 28, 2006. (Andre Penner/AP) Nepalese women shelter under umbrellas as they work to remove weed from a paddy field in Chitwan, about 44 miles southwest of Katmandu, Nepal, Sunday, Aug.1, 2010. (/APGemunu Amarasinghe/AP) A North Korean woman works at the Kim Jong Suk Pyongyang textile factory, Thursday, July 31, 2014, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Wong Maye-E/AP) In this Wednesday, March, 5, 2014 photo, Afghan women boxers practice at the Kabul stadium boxing club. (Massoud Hossaini/AP) An Indian female laborer works at a brick factory in Allahabad on March 7, 2013. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images) Pallaqueras, female gold miners, search for gold on a load of waste rock from the gold mines on Aug. 4 2012 in La Rinconada, Peru. (Jan Sochor/Latincontent/Getty Images) A Bedouin woman of the Al-Qiyaan tribe stands while working outside her house on Dec. 5, 2013 At the Bedouin village of Umm Al-Hiran, Israel. (Uriel Sinai/Getty Images) A woman working on her wooden weaving loom in the countryside of Bhutan. (Andrew Eio/Getty Images) Mandy Diehr, employee of the Landgut Pretschen farm, checks the maturity of chicory plants on Jan. 2, 2014 in Pretschen, eastern Germany. (PATRICK PLEUL/AFP/Getty Images) Students in the nutrition technology department working on acid base volumetric analysis at the Beuth technical college on Oct. 31, 2013 in Berlin, Germany. (Thomas Koehler/Photothek via Getty Images) A female engineer hand-builds a M157 5.5L V8 bi-turbo engine at the Mercedes-AMG engine production factory in Affalterbach, Germany. (Tim Graham/Getty Images) An Akha Hilltribe woman picks Oolong #17 tea leaves during a harvest at the Suwirun Tea farm in the hills outside of Chaing Rai Nov. 11, 2012 in Chiang Rai, Thailand. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images) Portrait of American artist and illustrator Tara McPherson in her studio in New York, on Aug. 24, 2013. (Joby Sessions/Computer Arts Magazine/Getty Images) A Cuban woman works in the H. Upmann cigar factory on Feb. 26, 2015 in Havana, Cuba. (Sven Creutzmann/Mambo Photo/Getty Images) Liu Shujian, a 90-year-old lady, continues her electro welding work at Wanshousi Street on Dec. 5, 2014 in Shenyang, Liaoning province of China. (ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images) A woman works at a plant of porcelain manufacturing society JL Coquet in Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat near Limoges, France on July 5, 2013. (MEHDI FEDOUACH/AFP/Getty Images) Batik craftswomen apply melted wax to fine cotton textiles to produce characteristic figurative designs at a workshop in Solo city in Central Java, Indonesia on June 29, 2009. (ROMEO GACAD/AFP/Getty Images) Indian actress Vemi Rephung from Nagaland (C) takes a break during the shooting of a song sequence on the sets of the forthcoming Bollywood movie - "Go Goa Gone" at Filmcity in Mumbai on April 8, 2013. (INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images) Women working in a ginger and spice factory, selecting ginger roots in the Fort Cochin area on Nov. 23, 2011 in Cochin, Kerala, India. (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images) A woman distributes salt in Baie des Moustiques, Port de Paix in Haiti on April 3, 2014. (HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images) Palestinian woman Amal Abu-Rqayiq works at her small carpentry work-shop in the Nusseirat refugee camp in the Gaza City, Gaza on March 8, 2014. Amal is a 40-year-old divorcee and working in a male-dominated profession to help raise a daughter with special needs. (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) A young African woman at work in the fields, watering crops just outside Bangui pictured on March 13, 2014 near Bangui, Central African Republic. (Thomas Koehler/Photothek/Getty Images) Workers handle rubber sheets as they pass through a rubber sheet washing machine at the Thai Hua Rubber Pcl factory in Samnuktong, Rayong province, Thailand, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014. (Dario Pignatelli/Bloomberg/Getty Images) An employee of the Lemaitre Demeestere company works with a linen loom on April 16, 2013 in Halluin, northern France. (PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images) An employee stands in front of bottles at a winery in Tbilisi on Feb. 11, 2013. (VANO SHLAMOV/AFP/Getty Images) Women taking part in a cash for work program run by the French non-governmental organization Action Against Hunger to build dikes to hold water pose on March 21, 2012 near the village of Palboa, 300 kms northeast of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. (RAPHAEL DE BENGY/AFP/Getty Images) Day laborers carry bananas during a harvest in a field in the district of Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh, India, on Friday, Oct. 19, 2012. (Sanjit Das/Bloomberg/Getty Images) Cristina Isidro Salazar (left) and Felicitas Contreras Santiago repair their truck so they can deliver wood to construction sites around town on Oct. 30, 2006 in the town of San Pablo Huixtepec, Mexico. (Dana Romanoff/Getty Images) An Indian woman works collecting salt in the salt pans near Dhrangadhra, Gujarat. (Malcolm Chapman/Getty Images) Mahboubeh Khoshsolat, one of the only women's fire and rescue units in the Middle East, slides down the fire pole at Fire Station No. 9 Oct. 5, 2005 in the city of Karaj, west of the Iranian capital Tehran. (Scott Peterson/Getty Images) Women pose on a shea butter production line for the French cosmetics company L'Occitane in Leo, south-central Burkina Faso, on Jan. 24, 2014. (LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images) Photo taken on January 22, 2014, shows women working on a carpet in a tiny factory in Kostandovo, a small village in Bulgaria's southern Rhodope mountains. (DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images) A Pakistani woman potter gives the final touches to earthen pots at a workshop on the outskirts of Lahore on June 9, 2011. (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images) A picture taken on July 8, 2013 shows a woman working on a wind turbine at a plant of Gamesa in the Northern Spanish village of Aoiz, Navarra province. (RAFA RIVAS/AFP/Getty Images) An Iraqi woman works to collect salt from a water course near Latifiyah, about 20 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq. Wednesday, March 25, 2009. (Alaa al-Marjani/AP) Bedouin shop owner, Farawna Nasra Abu Adjin, 50, fashions a pillow by hand in her workshop started with a micro-finance loan from the Sawa Group, in the southern Israeli Bedouin city of Rahat on Aug. 6, 2008 (Getty) This picture taken on January 22, 2014 shows women working on a carpet in a tiny factory in Kostandovo, a small village in Bulgaria's southern Rhodope mountains. (DIMITAR DILKOFF via Getty Images) First woman taxi driver of Afghanistan Sara Bahai works for the women who aren't allowed to use taxis without their first degree men relatives. Balkh, Afghanistan, August 23, 2014. (Photo by Sayed Khodaberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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lifestyle
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They say time is money, and it's true: Americans collectively have $224 billion in accumulated vacation time at private-sector corporations. A new report commissioned by the U.S. Travel Association says this massive amount of unused vacation time, nearly half the size of the federal deficit, can languish on companies' books for months or years. "The average vacation liability per employee totals $1,898, and in some companies studied is more than $12,000 per employee," the report says. The USTA says there are indications that this practice is increasing. "It's telling that the liability grew by $65.6 billion from 2014 to 2015," says Cait DeBaun, spokeswoman for the association's Project: Time Off initiative. "This isn't surprising, as Americans are taking the least amount of vacation time in nearly four decades." (The USTA's mission is to get people to take more vacations.) When we don't use our vacation time, it's the equivalent of leaving money on the table. We forfeit more than $52 billion in unused time off (rollover days that expire, etc.) every year, and American workers roll over an average of more than a workweek from one year to the next. Surprisingly, those who work for the smallest companies roll over the least amount of vacation time: People who work for companies with fewer than 100 people roll over an average of less than five days, while people at companies with five or fewer people only roll over a couple of days each year. (It's possible that people at smaller companies might get fewer vacation days and have less to roll over.) But American workers should pay attention: More companies are stopping the practice of letting workers roll over their accrued vacation and adopting "use it or lose it" policies. More than a quarter now have these kinds of policies, the report says. In other countries, concern about the effect all work and no play has on workers' outlook and output has leaders considering legislation to fix the problem. Japanese lawmakers are looking into a requirement that would make employees take all of their allotted vacation time. But since the United States doesn't even have a law requiring workers get paid time off (unlike most other developed countries), that's unlikely to emerge as a solution anytime soon. Although 80% of workers said they would more readily use their vacation time if encouraged to by their boss, many say they don't get the message that taking a vacation is OK. For employees stuck in a corporate culture where taking time off is frowned on, there are numerous benefits to bucking the system and taking the time off to which you're entitled. HR experts say forgoing vacation isn't just costing us money, but it's taking a toll on our mental health, as well. The Society for Human Resource Management says three out of four HR pros say people who take most or all of their vacation perform better than those who take less. "Happy employees are more likely to stay in their jobs, helping employers keep talent in place and turnover costs down," the report says.
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Glendale police arrested a Cincinnati Reds minor-league prospect early Saturday morning after he was accused of knocking his girlfriend unconscious with a large rock outside a restaurant near 51st Avenue and Thunderbird Road, court records show. Tanner Jeremy Rahier, 21, denied throwing rocks at the woman and told investigators he did not know her, according to a probable cause statement. Rahier was booked into jail on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault with intent to injure. He has since been released. Glendale police say Rahier got into an argument with a bartender at Pullano's Pizza and refused to pay his tab. Rahier's girlfriend led him outside, where he began arguing with her. Rahier started throwing rocks at his girlfriend, police said. One rock, about 8-inches in diameter, reportedly hit the woman on the left side of her head, caused a deep cut and knocked her unconscious, according to the probable cause statement. Rahier ran from the scene, but police apprehended him close to the restaurant, said Sgt. David Vidaure, a Glendale police spokesman. Emergency crews transported the woman to the hospital, where she underwent tests and doctors said she may need stitches, police said. She told investigators she'd been dating Rahier for about a month and that their relationship was non-sexual, records show. Glendale police said that Rahier, who had previously been arrested in Oklahoma for public intoxication, was under the influence when the incident occurred. The Reds chose Rahier, a California native, in the second round of the 2012 draft, according to the Minor League Baseball website, MiLB.com. Last year, the right-handed third baseman played for the Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League and hit for a .238 average with 9 home runs and 54 runs batted in. The Reds' spring training facilities are located in Goodyear. A spokesman for the team declined to comment on the incident. Casey and MacDonald-Evoy write for the Cinncinati Enquirer, a Gannett property
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sports
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Avoiding being tracked online is nearly impossible, but here are a few ways to reduce the risk. 1. SECURE WEBMAIL WITH EXTENSIONS If you're using a popular webmail service, such as Gmail or Yahoo Mail, and you don't or can't make the switch to a more secure service, then consider installing Mailvelope. Mailvelope is a browser extension for Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox that brings OpenPGP encryption to your webmail service. Similar extensions exist, such as SecureGmail, which encrypts and decrypts emails you send through Gmail. Using this extension means the unencrypted text should never reach Google servers. Recipients will need to install the extension in order to decrypt and read the encrypted email. 2. INCOGNITO This is perhaps one of the most basic privacy options that just about anyone can take advantage of. The top four most popular browsers - Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Safari - have a private browsing mode, which can be found in their respective settings menus. With private browsing activated, your browser will not store cookies or internet history on your computer. This has very limited uses and is perhaps really only effective at hiding your browsing history from your significant other, siblings or parents. Private browsing does not securely hide your identity or browsing activities beyond your local machine as your IP address can still be tracked. 3. DON'T USE SOCIAL MEDIA The amount of personal data that social networking sites like Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter have harvested from their billions of users is shocking. Head to facebook.com/settings and click 'Download a copy of your Facebook data' and you might be surprised to see just how much information is on file. Everything from who you have poked, what events you have or have not attended and when and where you have logged into your account is logged and saved. Similar levels of data harvesting occurs on all major social media sites. This is the price you pay for using a 'free' service. The only sure-fire way to avoid giving up this information is to delete your accounts entirely. A word of warning, 'deactivating' your account is not the same as deleting it. Deactivating your account is sort of like putting it into hibernation - all your information is stored and can be re-activated if you have second thoughts. Always delete rather than deactivate an account if you wish to completely wipe it. 4. BLOCK AND MANAGE TRACKERS A large amount of websites track and collect the browsing habits of the users that visit them. These trackers are invisible and most people aren't aware that they're being tracked. Ghostery is a free browser extension - available on all major web browsers - that will reveal these trackers, also known as web bugs. You can then decide which web bugs you're comfortable with tracking you and which ones you'd like to block. In total, Ghostery keeps track of over 1,900 companies. Each company has a profile in the Ghostery Knowledge Library, allowing you to better understand who and why someone is keeping tabs on you and what action you would like to take. 5. ENCRYPTED EMAIL Most of the well known and popular email services - Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, Outlook - are not particularly privacy-friendly. For full Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encrypted emails, consider signing up to a more secure provider. Hushmail is currently very popular, it provides a private email account with no ads, built-in encryption and unlimited email aliases. A limited free service is offered, with more features available for a monthly subscription fee. However, Hushmail is not above the law and in the past it has been forced to reveal user data to U.S. authorities following a court order. The company also logs user IP addresses. MyKolab is a similar service that has not revealed any user information in the past, however, they are also obliged to provide access to lawful interception requests so this still remains a possibility. 6. TEMPORARY EMAIL Disposable Email Addresses (DEAs) are anonymous and temporary. They allow users to quickly create new email addresses as-and-when they're needed, which can then be disposed of after use. This is particularly useful for avoiding spam when filling in forms on websites that require an email address to proceed. Keeping your real email address away from spammers is crucial to protecting your identity online and DEAs are a great solution. Popular providers of this service include Guerrilla Mail and Mailinator, although there are hundreds out there to choose from. Most DEAs are not particularly secure, so it is not advised to use these services to send sensitive information - rather, use them as a way to avoid giving away your own information in situations where you are obliged to do so. 7. VPN Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are one of the most effective ways to protect your privacy online. A VPN essentially hides your IP address - your unique online identifier - and runs all your online data via a secure and encrypted virtual tunnel, which can keep websites from tracking your online activity or even knowing which country you're browsing from. These days, there are many VPNs to choose from. Hotspot Shield, TorGuard, CyberGhost and HideMyAss are some of the more popular ones that are currently available. Most of them require a small monthly subscription fee and they don't all provide the same list of features, so it's worth shopping around for a VPN that suits you. 8. TOR Originally developed with the U.S. Navy in mind as a way to protect government communications, Tor is a network of "virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet." Tor's anonymity network allows access to the 'deep' or 'hidden' web, where websites can be created anonymously and individuals can communicate privately with each other. When using the Tor browser - which can be downloaded for free from torproject.org - it is very difficult for websites or individuals to track your online activity and location. However, while Tor is quite effective at protecting your online anonymity, it can be slow, complicated and restricting. It's also worth noting that while the network can and has been used for good, it has also been used for illicit purposes, such as selling drugs and distributing images of child abuse. 9. PROXY SERVER A proxy server is a computer through which your online activity can be processed, essentially acting as an intermediary between your computer and the internet. As such, this can be a great way to maintain your online anonymity as the proxy basically masks your IP address with its own. If the proxy is based in a different country than your own, you can fool websites and trackers into thinking you're browsing from a completely different continent. There are many ways to use proxies and there are various free and paid services on offer. HideMyAss.com/proxy has a limited free web proxy service that you can start using immediately if you'd like try it out. 10. HTTPS EVERYWHERE Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is the encrypted version of HTTP, the technology protocol which determines how web servers and browsers respond to commands and how messages are sent and received. The Electronic Frontier Foundation's (EFF) HTTPS Everywhere is a neat little extension - available on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera - that forces websites to use HTTPS, even when they default to the less secure and unencrypted HTTP. By EFF's own admission it's still feasible for "some attackers to break HTTPS," but it's certainly not a bad idea to install their extension as HTTPS is still far more secure than HTTP and will certainly help to protect your privacy and consequently maintain your anonymity. EFF is a nonprofit organisation that seeks to defend civil liberties in the digital world. 11. DESTROY COOKIES Cookies are little bits of code that are automatically downloaded from a website and stored on your system. Cookies allow websites to quickly and easily remember if you've been there before - if you have, the website may then alter certain variables based on the information that has been stored in the cookie in order to give you a more personalised and potentially useful experience. However, some cookies can be very intrusive, logging information such as how long you've been visiting a particular website, how many clicks you've made and what content you seem to prefer reading. It doesn't hurt, then, to occasionally wipe your system of any and all cookies. Admittedly this won't do a huge amount to protect your anonymity, but it will make it harder for websites to learn and understand your viewing habits. You can delete cookies from within your browser, but to make sure you nuke the lot, you can use an app like CCleaner, which is free and powerful. Related: DuckDuckGo: the plucky upstart taking on Google with stealth searches 12. USE ALTERNATIVE SEARCH ENGINES Like most people, you probably use Google to search for things online. Google is an undeniably accurate, fast and efficient search engine, however, this is largely helped by its personalised search system. This is a feature that uses your past search history, rather than just relying on the terms you've typed into the search bar, to present you with results that are more relevant to your personal tastes. To do this, Google keeps track of your search habits in a number of ways, including browser cookies. You can turn off this personalised search by clicking Search Tools > All Results > Verbatim. But if you really want to make sure Google isn't tracking your searches, consider using a different search engine entirely, such as DuckDuckGo, which promises never to track your searches and "emphasizes protecting searchers' privacy and avoiding filter bubble of personalized search results." 13. USE ALTERNATIVE BROWSERS While Google Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer are popular, they're not as secure as they have the potential to be. If you would like a more guarded browsing experience that has a more earnest approach to secure web browsing, consider trying out a privacy-focused browser such as Dooble, Comodo Dragon or SRWare Iron. However, do bear in mind that the additional security methods are fairly limited and will do little to protect your overall anonymity on their own, rather, this should be used in conjunction with other measures. Additionally, you can probably get a comparably secure service by disabling third-party cookies and blocking all location data in your regular browser's settings and installing various privacy and anonymity-focused extensions and plugins such as Ghostery or Mailvelope. 14. DITCH DROPBOX Edward Snowden has called Dropbox - a cloud storage service - 'hostile to privacy'. That's pretty damning. If you're worried about sharing your files through this system, there are a number of good alternatives out there which offer better privacy. Snowden himself recommends Spideroak, which describes itself as a zero-knowledge encrypted data backup, share, sync, access and storage service. You can use a limited version of this as part of their free trial, which can be found on their website. A fully featured subscription is available for $12 a month. However, if you're just looking to quickly share small or large files anonymously for free, give OnionShare a go. It doesn't have as many features as Spideroak, but it gets the job done. 15. CHANGE YOUR PHONE Staying anonymous while using a smartphone can be tricky business. Many apps will want access to all sorts of settings on your device by default, which you may not be aware of and which you will have to manually manage with each new app installation and update. Furthermore, connecting to public networks while on the go is also a great way of potentially exposing your data to nefarious snoopers. While both Apple's iOS 8 and Android's Lollipop now have good encryption measures by default, there is another more extreme option in the form of The Blackphone. This is an 'NSA-proof' smartphone that claims to provide privacy features for texts, emails, web browsing and phone calls. Reviews so far have been mostly positive but at around £400 (about R7 400,00), it's not cheap. 16. USE A PASSWORD MANAGER If you've got a password that can be easily guessed, cracked or stolen, because you have a bad memory for that sort of thing, then you can say goodbye to your anonymity. This is especially true if you use the same password for everything, or across multiple websites and/or services. A great way to improve your password security is to use a password manager, like LastPass. LastPass saves all of your passwords and only requires you to remember one master password, making multiple different passwords a lot less of a headache to manage, which in turn improves your online security and protects your anonymity. 17. SECURITY FOCUSED OPERATING SYSTEMS There are security focused email service providers, security focused smartphones and security focused web browsers, but have you considered using a security focused operating system? Whonix is exactly that - an open source OS that focuses on anonymity, privacy and security. Based on the Tor network, Whonix is about as anonymous as an OS can get before it all becomes too inconvenient for normal use. Whonix runs in two parts, "one solely runs Tor and acts as a gateway… The other… is on a completely isolated network. Only connections through Tor are possible." You can download it for free from whonix.org. 18. ANONYMOUS CURRENCY Darkcoin is an open source digital cryptographic currency based on the Bitcoin software code. It is intended to be a more private version of Bitcoin (which typically prides itself on its transparency) and it claims to be the world's first anonymous cryptocurrency. Finding merchants that accept Darkcoin can be tough (Darkcoin has its own merchant directory which you can browse here http://tinyurl.com/qzo398u) but when you do, your financial transactions are well hidden and, in theory, entirely anonymous. 19. VIRTUAL MACHINES Using a virtual machine is a great way to work on sensitive files (or to open dubious ones) without the fear of online snooping or potentially infecting your main system. A virtual machine is essentially a second 'virtual' computer that you host within your main operating system as an application. So let's say you want to download a JPG from an email attachment, but you're worried that it's infected with a keylogger or some other form of virus that could jeopardize your anonymity. Firstly, if you suspect this to be the case, you shouldn't download it at all. But one method to more safely examine the file if you absolutely must is to use virtualization software, such as VirtualBox, to install a virtual machine onto your system. It's best to use a secure OS for this, so something Linux based isn't a bad idea. You can then download the file on the virtual machine before turning the internet on your virtual machine off and opening the JPG. Once you're done with the file, you can delete it along with your virtual system, leaving no traces behind and no potential security issues. 20. AVOID JAVASCRIPT JavaScript is used all over the web and can provide detailed information about your system to any website that uses it. This is almost always used completely harmlessly and is often used to improve your browsing experience or funnel more personalised and relevant adverts your way. However, some of this personal or system information can and has been leaked in the past. Disabling JavaScript completely is not really a viable solution as a large amount of websites require you to accept JavaScript in order for them to display correctly. However, you can install an extension into your browser that will allow you to blacklist or whitelist JavaScript activity, giving you more control over how and where your information is being used. NoScript and ScriptSafe are both popular choices and very easy to use. 21. DESTROY ALL TECHNOLOGY AND LIVE IN A CAVE Ultimately, the only way to truly stay anonymous online is to never go online in the first place. If you've already used the internet, delete any and all accounts you've ever created, turn your computer off and smash it to pieces. You will still leave a digital footprint of some sort in your wake, but hopefully it's not particularly significant. If you're using this extreme method, you should also smash up your smart phone, your tablet and your smart TV (they're listening to us now). Now that you have purged all connected technology from your life, you may wish to live in self-imposed exile, perhaps in a cave, so that you are not tempted to re-enter the online world. Don't tell anyone about this and you will successfully have acquired complete anonymity. Probably.
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news
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Jamie Greenberg meets up with Dr. Ava Shamban and talk about pregnancy and skincare.
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lifestyle
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FALL RIVER, Mass. Aaron Hernandez's cell phone was off the AT&T network for roughly 20 hours around the time that Odin Lloyd was killed. Using phone records and the testimony of AT&T engineer Christopher Ritchell, prosecutor Patrick Bomberg showed jurors in Hernandez's murder trial that the former NFL star's BlackBerry was not connected to the company's network beginning late the night of June 16, 2013. By that time, prosecutors allege Hernandez had made arrangements to meet with Lloyd and had summoned two associates from his hometown of Bristol, Conn., to his house in North Attleboro, Mass. Hernandez's phone was off the network until the evening the next day. Bomberg left unsaid whether the phone was deliberately turned off or had a dead battery. He displayed records on the monitors in the courtroom indicating that Hernandez's phone received nine text messages at the same time 8:35 p.m. on June 17, 2013. Ritchell told the jury that when a phone is off the network it receives no messages instead, they are held in a queue until the device is turned back on. "When we see a large number like that it indicates they all came flooding in at the same time," he said. In fact, the records show that one of the texts was from Lloyd, who by that point, according to prosecutors, had been dead for more than 17 hours. Prosecutors have asserted that Lloyd was shot and killed between 3:23 and 3:27 a.m. on June 17, 2013. Prosecutors have alleged that Hernandez, the former star tight end of the New England Patriots, "orchestrated" Lloyd's murder, arranging to meet the 27-year-old semi-pro football player and at the same time summoning two associates, Ernest Wallace Jr. and Carlos Ortiz, from Bristol, Connecticut to his home in North Attleboro. From there, the trio allegedly set out for Boston roughly an hour's drive at about 1:10 a.m. on June 17, 2013. After picking up Lloyd in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, Hernandez allegedly drove the group back to North Attleboro, pulling into a secluded area in an industrial park less than a mile from the player's mansion. Hernandez faces one count of murder and two firearms charges in the slaying of Lloyd, who was dating Shaneah Jenkins, the sister of Hernandez's fiancee. Prosecutors have not said who they believe fired the fatal shots, and Ortiz and Wallace have also been charged with murder and will be tried separately. Under a Massachusetts law often referred to as "joint venture," a person can be convicted of murder even if someone else carried out the actual killing. To prove that, prosecutors would have to convince the jury that Hernandez knowingly participated in the killing and did so with intent. Tuesday's disclosure that Hernandez's phone was off in the hours leading up to the murder dovetailed with earlier testimony about the roughly 70 minutes before Lloyd was picked up outside the home he shared with his mother and sister. During that time, five phone calls were placed to Lloyd not from Hernandez's phone but from Wallace's. The last of those calls was placed just moments before a Nissan Altima rented to Hernandez pulled up in front of Lloyd's home. Prosecutors allege that Hernandez was at the wheel, that Wallace was in the front passenger seat, and that Ortiz was in the rear seat on the driver's side. Cell phone records and tracking data have been a key part of the prosecution's case. They have previously shown the jury data that tracked the movements of Lloyd's phone from the time he was picked up until the time he died and beyond. Even though he was allegedly killed early the morning of June 17, 2013, his phone was on and continued to connect to the network for hours. Hernandez has separately been indicted on multiple murder and assault charges in a July 16, 2012 shooting in South Boston that left two men dead and another wounded. In the Boston killings, prosecutors have alleged that Hernandez became enraged after a man bumped him on a nightclub dance floor, spilling his drink, and failed to apologize. They alleged that Hernandez later followed the man and his friends as they drove away from the club, then pulled up next to their car at a stoplight and opened fire with a .38-caliber revolver, killing Daniel De Abreu, 29, and Safiro Furtado, 28, and wounding another man. That trial originally was scheduled to begin May 28, but the judge there indicated recently he would push it back given the anticipated length of the trial in the Lloyd case. No new trial date has been set.
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sports
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Following the lead of Chevrolet, Honda revealed its newest aerodynamic body kit for the 2015 IndyCar racing series. The design shown here is for road course and short oval tracks; Honda plans to reveal its high-speed oval aero kit later. The new Honda IndyCar aerodynamic package features an aggressive set of small wings at the front of the car, along with restyled side skirts and a new rear wing. Honda initially developed the aerodynamic parts in computer simulations, before testing the car to a wind tunnel, and finally to six days of on-track development. See More Industry & Racing News "We've been encouraged by the performance of the new Honda aero kits in testing, but of course the end goal is to win races, the Indy 500 and the championship," Honda Performance Development president Art St. Cyr said in a statement. "We believe we have a superior aerodynamic and engine package." Honda was the sole engine supplier in the IndyCar series from 2006 to 2012, when Chevrolet joined. Honda uses the same Dallara DP15 racing chassis as does Chevrolet. Under current IndyCar rules, all cars must use a 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine, which make roughly 600-700 hp and rev to 12,000 rpm. The 2015 Honda IndyCar designs will first debut publicly at an open test event March 16-17 in Birmingham, Alabama, before the season-opener race at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Florida, on March 29.
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autos
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Get buzzed with these coffee infused cocktails that are both tasty and caffinated. These cocktails have espresso, drip, and instant coffee to ensure that you will be able to whip up one of these adult beverages with what you have on hand. Iced Coffee Rum Kicker Move past vodka red bulls and onto coffee cocktails. This iced coffee is slightly sweet and laced with dark rum a complex drink perfect for cool days and warm nights! Get the recipe from Lynsey Loves Food. Midnight Mule Midnight Mules might only have 3 ingredients but each one packs a punch. The coffee in this cocktail comes from coffee stout, a rich beer perfect for this refreshing cocktail. Get the recipe from Chase the Flavors. Iced Coffee Cocktail Cold brew is the secret to making strong coffee with notes of caramel that will pair perfectly with a touch of your favorite vodka. Get the recipe from Jelly Toast. Affogato Speciale This boozy affogato coffee, liquor, and ice cream is the best thing that ever happened to cocktail hour. Get the recipe from Shutterbean. Coffee Margarita Tequila meets coffee in this exciting and innovate cocktail. Get the recipe from The Chic Site. Adult Coffee Chiller If you have any whipped cream vodka on hand, you should go whip up one of these drinks ASAP! Get the recipe from Happy Food Healhty Life. White Russian How could we overlook the classic White Russian. This cocktail is basically a classic White Russian, but comes with a few little twists. Our favorite? A dollop of whipped cream! Get the recipe from Earnest Home Co. Coffee Granita This cocktail is a little more time consuming than others, it will take about 2 and a half hours to make, but it is 100% worth it. The finished cocktail is the magical place between milkshake and iced coffee. Get the recipe from Cooks with Cocktails. Chocolate Vodka Espresso Espresso has never tasted so good. Get the recipe from Cooks with Cocktails. Caffè Latte Cocktail Shake Coconut, milk, coffee, booze this cocktail has all the makings of a classic. Get the recipe from Cookbooks 365. Dirty Sexy Coffee Drink Choose carefully who you serve this cocktail to because they will love you forever after, it is just that good. Get the recipe from She Eats. Tiramisu Cocktail This is not simply a cocktail, it is a cake-tail! Get the recipe from Capture by Lucy. Frozen Mudslide Even coffee loving, alcohol drinking adults can enjoy a sweet and nostalgic (if still boozy) milkshake every once in awhile. Get the recipe from A Night Owl Blog. Boozy Salted Caramel Mocha Take your love of salted caramel mochas to the next level with this recipe there's no going back now. Get the recipe from Bell'Alimento. Espresso Martini If sweet, blended, concoctions are not your thing, shake up a batch of these espresso-infused martinis. Get the recipe from A Beautiful Mess. Homemade Baileys Irish Cream Bailey's Irish Cream is a must have for many of these coffee cocktails so why not just make your own? It is both cheaper and more delicious. Get the recipe from Averie Cooks.
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foodanddrink
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CKE Restaurants CEO Andrew Puzder discusses how energy prices are impacting his business' bottom line.
| 3 | 10,946 |
finance
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Kids who want soda with their burgers or chicken nuggets and fries are going to have to look extra hard to find it. Burger King has now joined the ranks of fast-food chains that are dropping soda from their menus for kids. Though children will still have the option of ordering soda if they want to, the default kids menu will not list or market it. Instead, kids will be able to get fat-free milk, low-fat chocolate milk or 100 percent apple juice. The move occurred a month ago, but Burger King has not announced the change until now. McDonald's and Wendy's two other big burger vendors also have made the change. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, soda is the leading source of calories in children's diets, and its consumption promotes diabetes, tooth decay, obesity and heart disease. The menu changes by fast-food joints come amid growing pressure from parent and nutrition groups. In recent years, the federal government has been raising awareness about childhood obesity, which affects 18 percent of American kids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Congress in 2010 passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act to address nutrition content in school breakfasts, lunches and vending machines, and first lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign has shined a spotlight on the issue. "While this is a great first step we urge all fast-food restaurants to further improve upon their healthy options for children and adults by serving whole grain rolls, offering more fruit and vegetable options, reducing sodium across the menu, and adopting a comprehensive policy to limit the marketing of unhealthy food to children," Monifa Bandale, senior campaign director of the Food Power project for grass-roots organization MomsRising.org, said in a statement on the move by Burger King. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report
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finance
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Marvelous Melbourne It may not have the easy sex appeal of beachy, sunny Sydney, but Australia's biggest city has charm in spades. It's home to many of the country's premier arts organizations, creative subcultures, laid-back people who appreciate a certain quality of life, and one of the world's best restaurant scenes. (More about that in my next post.) Melbourne is a manageable size, with most of its attractions within an easy tram ride or walk within the central business district or in a few nearby suburbs (which would be called neighborhoods in most other cities it's that compact). While there's not much of the exotic, there's a pleasingly diverse population, and foreignness can be overrated: Sometimes it's nice to go someplace where you speak the language (more or less), don't worry constantly about being robbed and know you can eat salad and drink water. (Disclosure: I spent a week in Melbourne as a guest of Tourism Victoria.) Here are ten things that make a visit more than worth the long flight. Trendy laneways and traditional arcades I didn't get all the fuss about laneways and arcades what we'd call alleys and shopping malls in the U.S., and a big selling point for Melbourne until I showed up for a tour with Hidden Secrets. For a big city, Melbourne does the small-scale remarkably well. There's the underground (literally) Campbell Arcade with its zine shop and café that operates on the honor system; Centre Place with its sidewalk café scene that puts Paris to shame; the Royal Arcade with its grand old architecture (from 1869) and super-specialized boutiques (one sells only Russian babushka dolls); Degraves Street with its posh little shops (the all-things-Melbourne home wares shop Clementine's is a standout); and dozens more. Rooftop watering holes Melbourne's generally low-slung skyline means rooftop bars aren't vertigo-inducing, just closer to the sky. The bar atop the seven-story Curtin House is popular with tourists and locals, especially during the summer film series (through April 4). Others worth checking out: Siglo , atop the European café with its views of the grand architecture of Parliament House and St. Patrick's Cathedral; and Bomba , where the rooftop bar is stocked with many vermouths to whet your appetite for the Spanish tapas in the restaurant downstairs. Social good dining Australia has its shares of big benefactors, but philanthropy is very much a grassroots, bottom-up phenomenon. A growing number of entrepreneurs have tapped into this, opening restaurants whose profits go to worthy causes. Shebeen's owners modeled their venture after the street bars they encountered while volunteering in Africa with an assist from some of the city's old hospitality hands and donate 100% of their profits to projects in the developing world. Proceeds at Feast of Merit go to YGAP, an Australian nonprofit that funds local social entrepreneurs to start projects in their own communities. And Charcoal Lane goes a step farther, not just supporting Aboriginal communities but employing and training Aboriginal and disadvantaged young people to prepare and serve meals made with native ingredients. Cool indie hotels The welcome desk at the Adelphi looks like a carriage being pulled by a giant mesh horse. Zigzag carpets and splashes of pink enliven the 34 guest rooms. Seating in the lobby lounge takes the form of swinging couches, and its menu is focused on specialty desserts. Clearly people had a lot of fun putting this place together. But it also works, with good service and comfortable rooms, and a great location in the heart of the CBD. Taking several pages from the same playbook, the Ovolo , part of a Hong Kong based brand, has a playful, colorful design in its studios and suites; aggressively upbeat music in the elevator (good luck getting R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People" out of your head); and a social happy hour with free drinks every afternoon in the lobby. Shopping in Fitzroy It's the East Williamsbug of Melbourne. On weekends, the Rose Street Artists' Market is a showplace for the artisanal, Etsy set. The rest of the neighborhood is home to the city's best indie designers, from the gender-transcending fashion of Et Al to the screen-printed T-shirts of Tomorrow Never Knows. Christine Talk about hidden gems. Christine Barro, a former accessories buyer at Georges (the Bergdorf's of Melbourne, back in the day), opened this jewel box of a boutique in a basement she didn't want window shoppers 15 years ago. She caters to women of a certain age and certain tax bracket, not with labels but with outstanding craftsmanship and design. Physical culture Visiting Melbourne means serious eating and drinking, so it's a good thing the city is blooming with Pilates studios, boxing gyms, yoga shalas, and CrossFit boxes. With no language barrier, it's easy to drop in. One Hot Yoga & Pilates has an especially spa-like space and some top teachers (and the Pilates is merely warm, not Bikram-level hot). As for proper spas, Aurora in the Prince Hotel is a cocoon of luxury pampering, with its own product range and unusual treatments like the Kitya Karnu, a scrub, massage and mini facial done in a private steam room. A (state-sponsored) spirit of collaboration There's a strong co-working spirit here, as seen in artist-run initiatives, the shared studios and showrooms for emerging artists in the Nicholas Building (downstairs from the rooftop bar at Curtin House), and quirky multi-hyphenate endeavors like Captains of Industry, where a hipster-rific café shares space with jewelry designers, a bespoke shoemaker and a barber. The city has historically supported creative entrepreneurs and microbusinesses in any little pocket of a laneway they can fit into the popular Switchboard Café occupies a former switchboard under a flight of stairs and is so compact the baristas can't quite stand up straight designates certain laneways for street art (and keeps every other street pristine) and auditions buskers to make sure that only the best get permits to play. Mornington Peninsula, less than two hours away Make a day trip for beautiful eucalyptus forest, picturesque beaches dotted with colorful cabanas, wine tastings at vineyards, and various degrees of adrenaline, ranging from horseback winery tours to " tree surfing " (somewhere between empowering Outward Bound style challenge course and self-guided zip lining). Or just eat, sip and sit. Foxeys Hangout (named for a nearby tree where trappers used to display their wares) makes award-winning wines and a fine light lunch, and lets guests blend their own sparkling. There's a guerrilla tree knitting initiative. Getting to Melbourne, frankly, is not easy. It takes time about 15 hours from Los Angeles or San Francisco. But Qantas makes the journey as pleasant as possible, with lie-flat beds upstairs in its A380s, comfortable business class and better-than-endurable economy, with good food and ample entertainment choices. The snazzy new lounge in L.A. has the energy of a nightclub, along with very good food and drink. The first class lounge in Melbourne has a menu devised by Aussie star chef Nigel Perry and dressed-up waiters who are quick to offer Bollinger with breakfast.
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travel
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Ouch. Jadeveon Clowney had a rough rookie season in the NFL. He dealt with a hernia surgery and a concussion before a microfracture surgery on his knee ended his year. Now, his offseason is getting painful? Why? Because Sports Radio 610 in Houston is reporting that Clowney was bitten by teammate DJ Swearinger's dog last week. The bite was called "minor" by the Pearland police department and the dog's vaccinations are good until early April. Nonetheless, Clowney went to the emergency room because the bite broke the skin. Pearland police were alerted by hospital staff as the latter are required to report animal bites to police. Swearinger's dog -- a pit bull -- was issued a home quarantine, which is standard procedure for any incident involving a bite. "Animal control handled it as a standard call," said Pearland police lieutenant Patrick Savage. "Standard procedures were followed by our humane department and the animal control officer who went out there."
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sports
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Once again, it has come time for your regularly scheduled reminder that Hafthor Bjornsson is a Norse titan in human flesh and someone we should all fear at night. Taking time away from his crammed schedule of skull-pulping and pillaging as Ser Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane on HBO's Game of Thrones, Bjornsson continues to bend the realm of possibility with his participation in international strongman competitions. After breaking a 1,000-year-old world record during the World's Strongest Viking competition back in February by carrying a 30-foot, 1,433-pound log, Bjornsson added another notch to his belt with a world-record throw at the 2015 Arnold Sports Festival. The 6'9", 419-pound Icelandic weightlifter posted videos (h/t BroBible.com's J. Camm ) of the feat to Instagram. With one arm, he managed to toss a 56-pound kettle bell 19 feet and three inches into the air. The Icelander wrote in his caption (sic) that the record was a nice uptick from a poor start to the competition: I had ups & downs at the Arnold Strongman Classic this past weekend. I did an awful mistake in the deadlift which cost me alot of points! Yesterday made me feel a little bit better though. I did a weight for height event on the main stage. I went over 19'3 with a 56lbs weight and that is a New World Record!! We can only presume this means Bjornsson displayed poor form while uprooting a standalone condo. As for the kettle bell toss, let's put the feat into perspective: With one arm, Bjornsson threw a metal ball weighing 14 pounds heavier than the largest 18th century cannonball nearly 20 feet into the air. That's nearly twice the height of a basketball rim! Couple this with his past strongman performances, which include earning the title of "Europe's Strongest Man ripping his shirt to proclaim himself the "king of stones," and you begin to appreciate how much HBO lucked out to have happened upon this uniquely qualified individual in casting. Also, for kicks, here's Bjornsson and another giant man combining to provide a human pull-up station for another competitor. The Mountain That Lifts: a nice guy, but a far scarier prospect than The Mountain That Rides. Dan is on Twitter , withering away as he waits for the Winds of Winter.
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sports
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The Central Intelligence Agency has been working for years to break encryption on Apple devices, to spy on communications of iPhone and iPad users, a report said Tuesday. Investigative news site The Intercept, citing leaked secret documents, said the effort began in 2006 as Apple was preparing to launch its first iPhone. The report said the researchers were based at Sandia National Laboratories and presented their findings at a secret CIA conference, according to documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. The research is consistent with a broader US government program to analyze secure communications and break encryption, using a "black budget," as outlined in earlier documents leaked by Snowden. The report would mean US intelligence services may be able to tap into what has been believed to be secure communications using Apple mobile devices. Neither Apple not the CIA responded to an AFP request for comment. Apple and Google both announced last year they were hardening their encryption on devices powered by their mobile software, which would not even give the companies access. That would prevent the government from gaining access even with a legal warrant. According to The Intercept, the security researchers sought access to the keys used to encrypt data stored on Apple's devices. They aimed to get into the built-in "firmware" to gain secret access, according to the report. The documents did not reveal how successful the spy efforts were, but they suggest a long effort to thwart encryption to keep data private. The report said NSA personnel also participated in the 2012 conference where findings were presented. US officials have said intelligence efforts are aimed at thwarting terror plots and that privacy safeguards are in place for US nationals.
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finance
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Despite a wealth of data supporting the argument that both prostate cancer and breast cancer appear more often in families with a history of each type, far less research into these cancers, which are the most common among men and women, respectively, has looked at the risks of developing one if there is a family history of the other. But a new study has investigated and discovered that link. While not always the most fatal, prostate cancer and breast cancer remain the most commonly diagnosed cancers among men and women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 128.3 men for every 100,000 suffer from prostate cancer, while 122 women per 100,000 suffer from breast cancer both diseases nearly twice as common as the next form, lung cancer. New evidence suggests the genetic link between the two cancers may be stronger than previously thought. "This is not the first study to examine this relationship," said Jennifer L. Beebe-Dimmer, lead author of the study from Karmanos Cancer Institute, to Reuters Health . "But it is one of the larger to date, if not the largest study." Beebe-Dimmer and her colleagues analyzed data on more than 78,000 women from the Women's Health Initiative. Each participant was over the age of 50 and cancer-free when the study was launched in 1993. By 2009, roughly 3,500 women had developed breast cancer, and they were 14 percent more likely to have received a diagnosis if someone in their family was already diagnosed with prostate cancer. Women were also 80 percent more likely to develop breast cancer if both prostate and breast cancer ran in their families. Cancer arises from errors in a person's DNA during replication. For the last 40 years, scientists have studied the link between prostate cancer and breast cancer via the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which seem to explain some of the clustering, said Mary-Claire King of the University of Washington School of Medicine, adding that other factors may also play a role. "Both of these cancers are relatively common, so that it is possible when cancers are diagnosed in multiple family members it may be due to chance," she told Reuters. "It may also be an exposure to something in the environment." Ultimately, researchers caution against making a mountain out of a molehill. The greatest determinant for whether someone should undergo genetic testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes is whether there is a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Further research is still needed to determine which genes predict a person's risk for cancer given a first-degree relative's prior case. Source: Beebe-Dimmer J, Yee C, Cote M, et al. Familial clustering of breast and prostate cancer and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in the Women's Health Initiative Study. Cancer . 2015.
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health
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The Bengals signed Devon Still to the practice squad this past season to help him pay for his daughter's cancer treatment, and he ultimately made his way back to the 53-man roster. The Bengals want Devon Still back in Cincinnati, but he's still deciding on what's best for him and his family. It was revealed Tuesday that the Bengals were not tendering the restricted free agent, leaving Still free for any team to sign. However, Paul Dehner reports that Cincinnati has in fact offered Still a one-year contract. Now, it's just a matter of what Still wants to do. Does he take the offer the Bengals gave him, or does he pursue a deal with another team, one that may offer more pay, years and/or closer proximity to Leah Still's place of treatment in Philadelphia. As Leah continues her battle with pediatric cancer, Still wants to be with her as often as possible, and it's unclear what he really wants to do next year. Might a team like Philadelphia or Pittsburgh offer Still a contract? Maybe not, but I'd be willing to guess Still is willing to look into it. Then again, maybe he wishes only to stay in Cincinnati, and it's just a matter of when he accepts their contract offer. Still, now a fourth-year player, played two seasons with the team before being cut in August last year, prior to the start of the season. The following day, the Bengals re-signed Still to the practice squad to help him pay for his daughter's cancer treatment. As a member of the practice squad, Still did not have to travel with the team on road trips, but was still given access to the NFL's elite benefits package, which assists in caring for Leah. On September 10, it was announced that Still was being moved to active status. In the game that followed, Still notched three tackles against the Atlanta Falcons. He finished the year with 19 total tackles.
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sports
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Sanitation worker Kevin McGill went to jail for picking up trash earlier in the morning than an Atlanta suburb's city ordinance allows.
| 5 | 10,954 |
news
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This post is an excerpt from My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag by Jolie Kerr. Kerr also writes a regular cleaning advice column for Deadspin. There is a whole boatload of weird and wonderful ways to treat sweat stains that employ everything from baking soda to crushed-up aspirin. There's also a host of sweat stain removal products with absurd names like PitStop. They are all great options, and we'll talk through them and then finish up with some suggestions as to how you can prevent or at least reduce these sorts of stains from happening in the first place. But first let's talk a little bit about the science part of why these kinds of stains happen: even though we usually refer to them as "sweat stains," more often than not they're actually being caused by the deodorant/antiperspirant most of us use. The primary active ingredient in most deodorants is alcohol; in antiperspirant the active ingredient is aluminum. However, if you've switched away from antiperspirants, you should be aware that some straight-up deodorants also contain aluminum. The aluminum reacts to sweat, which is a protein, and causes yellowing just in the same way that bleach will cause sweat and other protein stains to appear more yellow. The last science-y thing I want to tell you and then I promise I'll stop and get back to soap and such is that cotton, which is obviously a common material on which one might find a sweat stain, is also a protein. So the aluminum in deodorant is reacting not only with your sweat (protein) but also with your shirt itself. Thank you for bearing with me through that excruciating science lesson; as a reward, here are a whole bunch of things you can try to get those stains out. The Vinegar Approach Mix one tablespoon of white vinegar into a half cup of water and soak the soiled shirt in that solution for thirty minutes before laundering as usual. If the stains are really bad, you'll want to agitate the shirt while it's in the cleaning solution by rubbing the stained area against itself. That latter bit of advice applies across the board, actually. The Oxi Technique By now you know that I love OxiClean in a deeply unnatural way. If you promise not to slap a scarlet A on me for being some sort of sexual deviant, I'll admit that sometimes I whisper sweet nothings to my bucket of Oxi. So it will surprise you not to learn that I consider Oxi to be one of the best products out there when it comes to getting ugly yellow pit stains out from shirts. But a curious thing happened when I started recommending it to people for this purpose: some would come back to let me know that the Oxi didn't do a thing to help cure their pit stains, while others were practically rapturous describing the miracle visited unto their white T-shirts. Because I heard both of these refrains often enough, I put no small amount of thought into this bizarre disparity, and I'm pretty sure I know wherein lies the problem. My theory is this: the people for whom Oxi didn't work were just adding a scoop of the stuff to the wash, expecting that everything would come out looking brand-new. That's just not the way that stain treatment works, so we have to be a bit more aggressive and strategic in our applications of Oxi. To really get the most out of your Oxi, it's best to use it as a paste or soaking agent. The powder form of Oxi dissolves best in warm or hot water and won't really make a thick, fully dissolved paste but it will make something that works well enough that you shouldn't worry too much about the sort of weird consistency. If you can, though, throw the Oxi in some water, let it dissolve, and put the stained garment in for a swim. You'll also want to get in there and agitate things a bit; I find that with heavily soiled items, spending some time rubbing the fabric against itself to really work the cleaning solution in and the gunky substances out is the way to go. The Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda Method This is one that comes from a reader of mine, which are always my favorite kind of tips. I love old folk remedies and such. We should all look into being a little bit more old-fashioned! The recipe she gave me goes like this: 1. Take one part water, one part hydrogen peroxide, and one part baking soda. 2. Mix into a paste and spoon out onto sweat stains. 3. Use your fingers to work the paste into the shirts. 4. Wash on cold, then tumble dry. She swears (and I believe her!) that this method will take out the oldest and yellowest of stains. From My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag by Jolie Kerr. Copyright © 2014 by Jolie Kerr. Reprinted by permission of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
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lifestyle
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Discovering great apps is like finding a needle in a manure pile. The App Stores are overrun with crap, and anything decent has a dozen clones. But AppCrawlr lets you compare feature checklists and reviews to find the best app for any purpose. While a genius technology, AppCrawlr's two-man operation never became a household name. So today, AppCrawlr announced it's been acquired by desktop software discovery site Softonic , which is trying to get serious about mobile. Both founders are coming aboard, and for now AppCrawlr will keep running as its own site while its tech is built into Softonic, but eventually it may be shut down. I first caught wind of AppCrawlr at SXSW 2013 when it's co-founder David Schorr came to a TechCrunch Office Hours session to meet and pitch writers. I was blown away by what he'd built. AppCrawlr doesn't just put apps into generic categories. It crunches reviews and release notes to determine exactly what an app does, what it's best and worst for, and whether it's the best app of its kind. You can filter by use cases like "Helps you: earn money", "meet new friends", "fall asleep", and more. It's a true semantic search engine for apps, and we need it more than ever. With millions of apps to choose from, and install ads ever-present on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, it's tough to know what to trust. AppCrawlr's review-scraping big data engine can't always tell the difference between features and descriptions, sometimes labeling "Super Fun" as a function of a photo editing app alongside "filter options". The design is a bit amateur as well. But it gives a much deeper understanding of an app's purpose, people's most and least favorite things about it, stability, alternatives, and related apps. To get this utility to the masses, though, AppCrawlr needed the nearly two-decade old Softonic's help. Co-founder Joel Fisher tells me "to grow globally and to apply the technology to its full potential, it was very compelling for us to join a larger company that has both the resources and the shared vision to make a much bigger impact." Now Softonic is in the process of building AppCrawlr's functionality into its desktop software discovery site. "Softonic has over 100 million monthly users who come to our service looking for desktop software and mobile apps to solve a problem or enhance their lives" the company's corporate marketing director Diana Castelltort tells me. "Over time, we expect a continued shift from desktop to mobile and our products and services will reflect this change." AppCrawlr will make that happen smarter and faster. With everyone aware of the app discovery problem, you'd think startups would be flooding into the space. But there's been surprisingly little innovation on pure app comparison and discovery since Apple acquired review site Chomp …and then basically did nothing with it. Install ads, Product Hunt, and contextual homescreens like Aviate and Everything.me are all taking different angles to solve the problem. But with AppCrawlr on its side, old school desktop player Softonic could show these n00bs how it's done.
| 5 | 10,956 |
news
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Our spy photographers got the best look yet at the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLC, the next version of the crossover formerly known as the GLK-Class . Now that the camouflage has lifted, it's obvious that the new GLC will go for a smoother, curvier design than its boxy predecessor. The GLC has a lower, more sloped nose than today's GLK, with gently curved bodysides, a sloped rear liftgate, and a curving silhouette topped by chrome roof rails. The crossover will be renamed Mercedes-Benz GLC when it launches this summer to fall in line with Mercedes' new alphanumeric naming scheme. The GLK-Class becomes the GLC-Class because all crossovers receive the "GL" prefix, and the GLK is related to the C-Class sedan in terms of size and pricing. Related Link: See more Future Cars News Also similar to the C-Class is the interior of this Mercedes-Benz GLC prototype. Like the AUTOMOBILE All-Stars-winning sedan, the GLC features a large color screen atop its dashboard, a trio of circular air vents, and a row of switches on a center stack that curves downward to meet the center console. There, Mercedes' new touch controller and traditional rotary controller allow the driver to operate the infotainment screen. It's likely the new Mercedes-Benz GLC will use the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four and the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 engines from the new C-Class sedan. Earlier spy photos also showed that Mercedes-AMG is developing a high-performance version of the new crossover, which could pack a version of the C63's twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 engine, or the uprated 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 from the C450 AMG Sport. Look for more details closer to the launch of the Mercedes-Benz GLC this summer.
| 9 | 10,957 |
autos
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A Quick and Effective Core Workout A strong core is essential for just about any physical activity imaginable. Strong and sleek abs are just one of the many positive side effects of this quick and effective circuit. Directions: Warm up with three minutes of light cardio. Perform each three-exercise circuit twice. Cool down with three minutes of stretching. Circuit One: Cat Cow Series Reps: Five in each position Start on all fours with hands directly under shoulders with hips and knees aligned. First, inhale to look up to arch your back for the "cow" portion of the move; then, exhale, pulling the abs to the spine and rounding your back like a scared cat. Repeat for a total of five reps. Next, keeping your spine parallel to the floor, bend sideways to look at your butt, and then switch sides. Repeat for a total of five reps. Finish the series twisting the spine by reaching your right arm toward the ceiling on an inhale. Exhale and rotate through your ribs to reach your arm toward the left. Repeat for a total of five reps, and then switch sides. This series is great for creating spinal mobility, warming up your back, and waking up your core muscles. Circuit One: Bird Dog Reps: 10 each side Begin on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Bring your abs to your spine to keep your torso stable as you reach your right arm forward and left leg back. Reach through your left heel to engage the muscles on the back of the leg and your butt. Bend your arm and leg to touch your right elbow to your left knee under your torso. This completes one rep. After completing 10, switch sides. The simple move, also known as quadruped, works your abs and back simultaneously, making it one of the simplest core exercises around. Circuit One: Alternating Backward Lunge With Side Stretch Reps: 20, alternating legs Stand with your hands at your waist, and step back with your right leg into a deep lunge. Increase the stretch by lifting your right arm overhead and reaching to the left. Press through your left heel as you return to standing to fire up the glutes, and repeat this move on the other side. This move stretches the front of the hips while testing your balance and working your glutes. Circuit Two: Elbow Plank Side Step Reps: 20, alternating sides Start in an elbow plank. Keep your pelvis stable as you reach your left leg out to the left, gently tapping your toes on the ground. Bring your foot back into a plank. Repeat the same movement with your right leg. Challenge your plank by stepping your leg to the side. To modify this exercise, just hold the elbow plank for 30 seconds. Circuit Two: Squat With Overhead Reach Reps: 15 Begin with your feet slightly wider than hip's width apart and toes pointed slightly outward. Raise your arms up until your upper arms are even with your ears. Keeping your weight in your heels, sit back into your deep squat. Make sure your knees do not go beyond your toes or roll in or out of alignment. Keep your abs engaged as you squat. Deepen your abdominal engagement as you press through your heels to return to standing to complete one rep. Do 15 reps. Your core is challenged more by keeping the arms overhead. Circuit Two: Rotating Deadlift Reps: 12, each side Stand on your left leg with the right leg behind you with a bit of weight on your toes for balance; both knees are slightly bent. Place your hands behind head. Pull your abs toward your spine and keep your back straight as you hinge forward from your hips until your torso is almost parallel to floor. With a flat back, press through your left heel and return to standing as you twist your ribs and shoulders to the left. Your pelvis should stay still. This completes one rep. Do 12 reps, and then switch sides. The addition of the twist while standing works the obliques and waist. Circuit Three: Single-Leg Touch Reps: 15, each side Begin standing with all your weight on your left foot. Keeping your spine long, reach forward, bending your left knee and touching your right fingers to the ground. Keep your abs engaged to keep your torso stable. Your right leg will go behind you to help you balance. Press your left heel into the ground as you lift your torso up to return to standing, bringing the right toes to touch next to the left foot. This completes one rep. Do 15 reps on each side. Strong glutes will help keep your pelvis stable in many activities, and your abs will need to be working to maintain your balance in this move! Circuit Three: Side Elbow Plank Reps: Hold for 30 seconds, working up to 60 seconds Place your right elbow on the ground. Extend both legs out so that your body is in one straight line. Flex both feet so that you're balancing on the outside edge of your right foot. To modify, bend your left knee and place the sole of your left foot on the floor for extra support. Place your left hand behind your head. Reach your bottom inner thigh to the ceiling to help keep your waist lifting away from the floor. Maintain this position without letting the hips sag toward the floor. This move is great for toning and tightening the sides of your waist and helps with lateral stability. Circuit Three: Full-Body Bridge Reps: 15 Begin seated with your hands behind you and your fingers pointed away from you. Press the heels of your feet and hands into the ground as you raise your pelvis off the floor until it is in line with your shoulders and knees. Keep your torso in one solid piece as you lower your pelvis back to the ground to complete one rep. Do 15 reps. A strong back is part of a strong core! This exercise is great for working the muscles that stabilize the lower back.
| 7 | 10,958 |
health
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Real Madrid is chasing a spot in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals and further entries into the competition's record books when it hosts Schalke on Tuesday. The defending champions enhanced their status as the most successful European club of all time when they beat neighbor Atletico Madrid to collect a 10th Champions League crown in May. Victory over Schalke would be Real's 11th straight win in the competition, following a 2-0 triumph in the first leg of the last-16 tie in Gelsenkirchen last month, and this would represent a Champions League record. Additionally, Carlo Ancelotti's men are chasing a record-equaling 12th straight home win in Europe's premier club tournament, although they will do so following a domestic setback at the the weekend. Real went down to a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, allowing bitter rival Barcelona to return to the top of La Liga with a 6-1 demolition of Rayo Vallecano the following day. Defeat to Athletic followed a 1-1 draw against Villarreal, and Ancelotti has urged his all-star attack to start firing again as soon as possible. "The team is compact and focused on the targets that we have to keep fighting for," he told Real's official website. "We have to fix the problems quickly. It sounds strange to say that Real Madrid has attacking problems when we have scored so many goals this season, but it is the truth." Schalke must hope these unusual misfiring tendencies continue, having endured the Real attack at its most brutal last season. At the same stage of the Champions League, the Spanish giants beat their Bundesliga opponents 6-1 on the road before closing out a 9-2 aggregate scoreline. The assignment remains an incredibly tough one for Schalke, which won for the first time in five games across all competitions on Saturday 3-1 against Hoffenheim. Christian Fuchs opened the scoring over the weekend and told Schalke's official website: "We head to Madrid in high spirits. No one will be betting on us to turn it around, but there's a chance that it could happen." Madrid could welcome back influential midfielder Luka Modric, who has been sidelined with a thigh injury since November, but captain Sergio Ramos (hamstring) and playmaker James Rodriguez (toe) will miss out once more. Kevin-Prince Boateng's booking during the first leg means he is unavailable to Schalke coach Roberto Di Matteo because of suspension.
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sports
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It was a surprise finale at Valentino's Paris Fashion Show. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson modeled in character as their respective roles from the hit 2001 movie, 'Zoolander.' Buzz60's Leigh Scheps (@LeighTVReporter) shows us the video.
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video
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Zoos have a long history. As early as 2500 BC, Egyptian aristocrats created menageries; in 1520, the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II maintained one of the earliest animal collections in the Western Hemisphere. Today about 175 million people visit zoos across the globe every year. But despite their history, as well as arguments from conservationists and educators that they're necessary, Outside Magazine contributor Tim Zimmermann says it's time that zoos permanently close their gates. "What we definitely know is that many animals suffer in zoos," Zimmermann says. "There are high mortality rates, there are injuries and there's depression. The science and research also shows that wide-ranging animals the animals that are most popular for people to see, like tigers and bears are the animals that do worst in the zoos." He argues there are plenty of other ways to see and learn about animals in the modern age, everything from visiting your own backyard to watching YouTube videos and televised nature specials. Zimmermann says it's also unclear what people actually learn from visiting zoos. "Zoos are intended to educate and promote conservation, but most of the studies done by the zoo industry on this topic really ask people whether they thought they learned something rather than whether they actually learned something," he says. Zimmermann isn't launching an all-out attack on zoos; he concedes many have made an effort to improve the facilities that house animals. But that can't hide the fact that certain animals simply do not do well in zoos, he says. Many facilities even employ anti-depressants to curb the unhappiness felt by animals. "No matter how natural the tiger enclosure is, for example, it's still minuscule compared to the range a tiger in the wild would have to roam," Zimmermann says. "If you want to teach people about tigers and get children excited about tigers, there may be a better way to do that." Though many argue that zoos serve a purpose in terms of conservation, Zimmermann's research has found that's just not the case. "Less than 1 percent of the species kept in zoos are actually part of serious conservation [efforts]," he says. "I think much more could be done by targeting specific species that really do need conservation." In fact, he argues, zoos can actually harm more effective measures of conservation in the long run. "There have been studies done on how people think about conservation and the future of species in the wild," he says. "That sort of research shows that seeing animals in zoos cared for by humans, and hearing about a zoo's conservation plans, reintroduction plans and breeding plans sometimes tends to make people think that animals are doing better in the wild [than they really are.]" Zimmermann proposes a shift from urban zoos to sanctuary-style habitats and parks that provide animals with more room to roam and more authentic lifestyles. Not only might that lead to happier animals, he says, it could also provide immense value by letting people see animals live in their natural habitats. "There's an idea that somehow it's a right for everyone to see the animals they want to see, when they want to see them," he says. "I tend to feel like it's a privilege to see animals live and it's a privilege to see them in nature." This story is based on an interview from PRI's The Takeaway , a public radio program that invites you to be part of the American conversation.
| 5 | 10,961 |
news
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Our personalities are placed into two categories: introvert or extrovert. The differences between these opposing categories are clear, but subsets within these personality types make it far more complex. According to a recent study published in the journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience , just like there are multiple types of introverts, there are also two types of extroverts agentic and affiliative both influenced by the brain's gray matter. Researchers have long explored the roots of introversion and extroversion. The distinct anatomical differences in the brains of introverts and extroverts can help explain why the reward systems of extroverts respond differently than those of introverts. Extroverts tend to respond strongly to adventures, social challenges, or taking risks, which stimulates the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens. Meanwhile, introverts tend to have larger, thicker gray matter in the prefrontal cortex the brain region responsible for abstract thought and decision-making. This upholds to introverts' tendencies to analyze things before making a decision, while extroverts possess a "live in the moment" attitude and take risks rather than think everything through. Erica Grodin and Tara White, authors of the study at Brown University, believe these differences within personality types can not only be reflected between introverts and extroverts, but within the two types of extroversion. Agentic extroversion is associated with the "go-getter" attitude, which is a person who is more assertive, persistent, and achievement-driven. Then there's affiliative extroversion, which is the "people person" who is friendly, emotionally warm, and good with ice breakers. MRI shows differences in gray matter for both extroversion personality types. Brown University For the study, the researchers used the Multidimensional Personality questionnaire Brief Form, structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and voxel-based morphometry for a sample of 83 healthy adult male and female volunteers, aged 18 to 54, to see the relationship between neurology and personality. When White and Gordin examined the 83 volunteers' brain scans (not all of whom were extroverted people), they found an apparent difference upon comparing the scans of those on the self-reported agentic side with those who self-reported affiliative. The findings revealed it's all a gray matter. All extroverts had a greater volume in the medial orbitofrontal cortex the region of the brain that sits between the eyes. Those who identified as agentic extroversion did not show an increase in gray matter in any other brain regions. However, people who identified with agentic extroversion had greater volume in other areas, including the left parahippocampal gyrus, left cingulate gyrus, left caudate, and left precentral gyrus in both men and women, and the right nucleus accumbens in men but not women, White told New York mag's Science of Us in an interview. In other words, the right nucelus accumbens is involved the brain's reward system, and the other parts help identify rewards and help drive you toward them. "The fact that that's validated in the brain is really exciting. There's a deep reality there," White said in the press release . The findings help us learn more about the neural core of everyday emotions and the differences between these emotions and the people they are associated with. The self-reported data also shows people are more in tune with their emotions than we'd like to think. Science has yet to determine whether personality traits are assigned at birth or whether we acquire larger volumes associated with either extroversion personality type. Source: Grodin EN and White TL. The neuroanatomical delineation of agentic and affiliative extraversion. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience . 2015.
| 7 | 10,962 |
health
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Anyone who cares about his health already knows to purge the cupboard of refined carbohydrates and added sugars your white breads, your Tropicanas. And yet many of us live with a rising dread that we are accidentally ingesting terrible things that we don't even know are terrible, or that are more terrible than we'd allowed ourselves to believe. So we canvassed a panel of experts, from coaches to nutritionists, and asked them to pick ONE thing you should cut out of their diet if you want to eat healthier and drop weight. Abby Calcutt, registered dietitian/nutritionist and health-and-wellness coach (Boston) "Cut out Arizona Iced Tea. It's a nice example of a beverage loaded with more sugar than you need in a day, masked with the healthy and healthful label of' 'iced tea.' And while you're at it, eat foods with more fiber in them: fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains ." What You're Missing : One 20 oz. can of Arizona Iced Tea (with lemon flavor) one of the few companies that doesn't list nutrition facts on its site is loaded with 59 grams of sugar. Stacy Sims, Stanford Exercise Physiologist (San Francisco) "If I had to choose one food thing, I would choose low/nonfat fruity Greek yogurts. There is such a buzz about Greek yogurt being so great for you, and it's one of the fastest growing categories in the dairy aisle. But now it has gone overboard with pre-blended granola in it, dessert-like flavors (chocolate anyone?), the sugar content and additives have pushed all the goodness out of Greek yogurt." What You're Missing : Chobani's Blackberry Fruit on the Bottom Greek Yogurt has 120 calories and, with 15 grams, more sugar than Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Lori Zanini, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Los Angeles) "Flavored coffee creamers! Most coffee creamers seem so innocent because they are added to our coffee in small amounts. What we usually don't realize is that the majority of coffee creamers contain hydrogenated oils, which are trans fats that can actually harm our heart health by lowering our good cholesterol and increasing our bad cholesterol while providing additional, empty calories. Since this is likely a daily habit, with multiple cups of coffee, the small amounts can add up to a big health risk. Skip the creamer and drink your coffee black to make your diet healthier today." What You're Missing: One serving of Coffee-mate Extra Sweet & Creamy and we know you're putting in more than that one tablespoon packs 40 calories, 9 percent of your daily saturated fat, and six grams of sugar. Chris Bennett, Nike+ Running Global Head Coach (New York City) "Stop drinking soda. That includes diet soda, too! It hurts me to even say this, because I love soda. My personal preference is a classic, specifically Coca-Cola Classic. I'll even tell you how I like it in a red aluminum can, not a plastic bottle. Regardless, it's the worst. But soda (any kind of soda) is the easiest thing to take out of your diet because it's so easily replaceable. And the best part is that it's replaceable with something extraordinary water. I am not a big fan of people trying to live Spartan lifestyles, nor am I a believer in fad diets and crash weight-loss plans. But if guys knock soda out of their daily routine and just replace it with water, they will lose weight. They will have more energy. They will be better hydrated. They will recover better. They will look better. They will be doing less damage to their teeth, their bones, their liver, and their kidneys. They will simply be better. What You're Missing : One 12 oz. can of Coca-Cola Classic has 140 calories and 39 grams of sugar. Jim White, dietitian and gym owner (Virginia Beach, Virginia) "Sweet cereals: As delicious as Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Reese's Puffs cereal may sound, I suggest only consuming these cereals on occasion. That is if you have the self-control to keep these in the cabinet and not eat the whole box. Otherwise, choose high fiber cereals with eight grams of sugar or fewer per serving. Many cereals advertise well by appearing healthy with 'fresh fruit' and 'healthy whole grains,' but will typically be loaded with refined sugars with little-to-no benefit for your body. Look for whole grains on the ingredient list, not just the front of the box, and at least three grams of fiber per serving. Add a handful of fresh fruit, a few raw almonds, or one tablespoon of ground flaxseed to help fully satisfy you instead of doubling up the serving size." What You're Missing: One serving of Cinnamon Toast Crunch again, assuming you don't eat the whole goddamn box has 130 calories and 9 grams of sugar. Reese's Puffs will set you back 120 calories and 10 grams of sugar. Brandon McDaniel, Los Angeles Dodgers strength and conditioning coach "The biggest thing I see is guys reaching for a granola bar or fruit bar because they have been told that grains are healthy for them. These bars typically have a lot of poor ingredients, high amounts of sugar and are highly processed. I always push our guys towards a real food option that has a balanced amount of carbs, fat and protein." What You're Missing: Remember those Nature Valley Granola bars you ate as a kid? Well they have 120 calories and 12 grams of sugar.
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health
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8 Healthy Junk Foods It's a gluten-free, non-fat and reduced calorie world we're living in these days. But it doesn't have to be that way. Did you know that there are junk foods that are healthy? Don't get all excited thinking that a bag of Skittles is now categorized as a fruit. Common sense still prevails. However, there are some foods that are traditionally thought of as "junk food" that now fall into the "healthy food" category. Chips Chips done right can actually be good for you, that means either preparing your own homemade potato chips or choosing a healthier version of a traditional chip. Kettle Chips are a great choice because they are made from high-fiber, high-protein beans and whole grain. Eat them with some delicious guacamole and you'll never miss greasy chips again. Chocolate Yeah, right. Chocolate. Healthy? Nonsense! Your eyes are not deceiving you. Chocolate has many health benefits. The key is selecting a dark chocolate--not a Cadbury Egg. Dark chocolate contains a bean called cacao which packs a big punch. It's good for your heart, helps in diabetes prevention, reduces stress and the list goes on. Just remember that moderation is important. Red wine Resveratrol is my new best friend. It's found in red wine and it has magical powers. In studies done on animals, it's been shown to prevent damage to blood vessels, reduce "bad" cholesterol and prevent blood clots. This has been shown in animals, not people, however, I'm willing to consider myself an animal and assume these benefits transfer to me as well. Cookies Oatmeal and ginger cookies are your healthiest choices for a down and dirty cookie. If you want to throw graham crackers into the cookie category, those are a nice choice as well. They are relatively low in sugar and calories. Top them with peanut butter and you'll kill two birds with one stone: sweet and salty. Popsicles Grab all of your favorite fruits and veggies. It's time to take the traditional popsicle to the next-level. Healthy popsicles are so easy to make, and the best thing is you can do them in batches and always have a healthy snack ready and waiting for you. Get all of your essential vitamins and minerals in a delicious treat. These are great for the whole family! Coffee All moms can attest to the magical powers of coffee. This must-have beverage is often the only thing that can power us through an entire day. No need to feel guilty indulging in this caffeine-packed beverage. Several studies suggest that coffee helps prevent diabetes and can lower the risk of liver disease. Go easy on the sugar and sip away! Ice cream There's no denying that ice cream isn't exactly a true health food, but stick with me here. Aside from all of the negative aspects, there are some silver linings to this delicious bowl of yum. Ice cream has bone-strengthening calcium and phosphorus, the potassium is great for lowering your blood pressure, B vitamins for energy and protein to aid in tissue repair and cell growth. So blind-eye to the negatives and enjoy all of the positives that ice cream brings to the table. Cheese I could eat cheese on anything. Cheese on crackers, cheese on veggies, cheese on cheese. Have you ever heard anyone say, "Stop. Stop! That's too much cheese!" Never. Calcium is one of the nutrients that is most lacking in the American diet. Especially when it comes to women. Lucky for us, it's one of the main ingredients in cheese! As if that wasn't enough to sell you on it, cheese also contains protein, Vitamin A and Vitamin B12. More cheese, please! As you can see, there are many junk foods that are healthy. It's simply a matter of moderation, common sense and throwing away preconceived notions. Food isn't something that we should feel bad about. Choose foods that are healthy, tasty and rich in nutrient. But just as important, choose foods that make you happy.
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health
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If you're not ready for the designated hitter to be part of National League baseball, your time to get ready is getting shorter by the day. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when, and more than that, it's a matter of how. Tony Clark, the players union chief and himself a designated hitter 101 times during his career, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Monday the " topic has come up, independent of us bringing it up ." This is the result of Major League Baseball's move to two 15-team leagues, necessitating interleague play every day throughout the season, meaning that come September, some contenders are playing games under the other league's rules. MORE: SN ranks the top 10 designated hitters ever Having a uniform set of rules across baseball would solve this problem, not to mention the simple annoyance of having a major professional sport playing with two different sets of rules since 1973. Getting rid of the DH entirely is not something that is going to happen. David Ortiz remains one of the best-known players in the game, and extending the careers of stars makes the game more marketable. Do you really think Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols, two of the best hitters of their generation, are going to be playing first base regularly in their 40s? The Yankees might not be completely thrilled to be welcoming Alex Rodriguez back this year, but they need his bat and they will be damn glad they can put a man who turns 40 in July into their lineup as a DH rather than as a third baseman with two surgically repaired hips. These are people who put butts in seats and draw eyeballs to televisions, and the owners would be idiots to suggest doing away with that concept. That is where the poker game takes place. Installation of the designated hitter in the National League is a collective bargaining issue, and talks for a new CBA are expected to begin next winter. Traditionally, the DH has been viewed as something that the owners could use as a bargaining chip to extract something they wanted from the players, because DH jobs have tended to go to highly paid veteran sluggers, and opening more than a dozen such jobs in the National League would be nice for the union. Now, though, there is incentive for the owners to want to add the DH to the National League, and not just from a competitive equity standpoint in pennant races. New commissioner Rob Manfred has been looking at the major leagues' recent dip in offense as something that is troublesome, and while that notion is debatable, what is very clear is that an easy way to boost scoring would be to take 15 pitchers' spots out of batting orders and replace them with men paid exclusively to swing bats. Even if there are owners who debate the notion that offense needs to be pumped up, or who cling to love of strategy and double-switches, there is another factor that should sing to them: protecting your investment. The only two nine-figure contracts given out in free agency this winter went to National League pitchers Jon Lester with Chicago and Max Scherzer with Washington, while Brandon McCarthy and James Shields also were among the 10 most lucrative signings, going to Los Angeles and San Diego, respectively. MLB 2015: Impact rookies | Players under pressure While injuries to pitchers while hitting are rare, they certainly do happen, and what owner wants to be stuck in a situation with a major asset compromised because of something unrelated to his primary job? It's one thing for a pitcher to blow out his elbow throwing a fastball, and quite another for him to tear up his knee running the bases. Likewise, adding the DH to the National League would allow clubs in the Senior Circuit to give partial rest to star hitters, keeping them more effective over the long haul while still contributing to the cause. How happy would the world champion Giants be to be able to slot Buster Posey in as their DH once a week? One of San Francisco's best players was a shell of himself in last year's playoffs, in part because of the toll taken on his body from catching every day. The benefits of the DH are there for both sides, with opposition coming largely on sentimental grounds. If both the players and the owners recognize this, and the DH no longer is viewed as a bargaining chip which is what Clark was hinting at by saying that it's been brought up independently of the union bringing it up you will see designated hitters in National League parks sooner than later.
| 1 | 10,965 |
sports
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Sugar companies played a large role in shaping early federal research policy on dental care in ways that still hinder American public health, according to an analysis of hundreds of documents tracing an industry advisor's correspondence from the late 1960s. The documents show a clear link between the industry's suggested research priorities and those adopted by a federal program created to research tooth decay prevention. Though producers acknowledged as early as the 1950s that sugar is linked to tooth decay, industry leaders refuted suggestions that Americans should cut back on sugar. Instead, they promoted investment in the development of sealants and a tooth decay vaccine so as not to conflict with the marketing of their products. Meanwhile, the industry leveraged its close ties to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) to ensure that federal research funding reflected its priorities. The methods the sugar industry deployed to win favor with federal agencies are similar to those that the tobacco industry relied on to push its pro-smoking agenda at the time. The researcher who uncovered the documents says the priorities set by the sugar industry in the late 1960s have carried long-lasting effects on how sugar fares in federal policy on nutrition and dental health. Today, sugar lobbyists are challenging scientifically-based recommendations put forth by the U.S. government to limit sugar intake and more clearly label its presence in foods. Dr. Cristin Kearns, a dentist and postdoctoral researcher at University of California, San Francisco, accessed the records of Roger Adams , a chemist and former advisory board member of a leading industry group known as the International Sugar Research Foundation, through a public archive housed at the University of Illinois. Adams' private correspondence provided a window into the methods lobbyists used to shape an initiative to fight cavities and other cases of tooth decay called the National Caries Program of the NIDCR, a division of the National Institute of Health, in the late 1960s. Kearns outlined her research in an article published on Tuesday in PLOS Medicine. As early as 1950, the sugar industry admitted that sugar caused tooth decay, according to an annual report of the Sugar Research Foundation, a predecessor of the organization that Adams served. "There is evidence tending to show that carbohydrates, including sugar, and perhaps other food types, are implicated in tooth decay," the report states. The authors of that same report also outlined a pro-sugar research agenda that would be closely followed for decades to come, and largely adopted by federal researchers. Instead of limiting sugar intake perhaps the simplest, cheapest and most effective way to avoid the associated tooth decay leading sugar organizations partnered with the chocolate and confections industries to sponsor research on ways to prevent tooth decay while still allowing people to continue eating as much sugar as they wished. Or, as the annual report put it, "The ultimate aim of the Foundation in dental research has been to discover effective means of controlling tooth decay by methods other than restricting carbohydrate intake." Years later, when federal administrators at agencies including the NIDCR (then known as the National Institute of Dental Research) began to hint that they were interested in funding research to prevent cavities, the sugar industry began to push harder for an agenda to fight tooth decay through technologies that would eliminate the agencies' need to suggest a reduction of sugar as part of a tooth-friendly diet. To advance that idea, the Sugar Research Foundation co-sponsored a project to study enzymes that would break up the plaque which forms on teeth and traps in the harmful acids acquired by eating sugary substances. The group also funded attempts to develop a vaccine against tooth decay. The project's leader, Bertram Cohen from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, once explained his research focus by saying, "Why should people be denied pleasure? It would obviously be far better to eliminate the harmful effects," according to Kearns' findings. Eventually, that approach also made its way into the agenda set by federal researchers for the National Caries Program, which was meant to investigate the causes of tooth decay and develop ways to prevent it. Kearns' research suggests a private-public overlap may have grown from a series of meetings separately held by the steering committee of the National Caries Program and a task force on tooth decay convened by International Sugar Research Foundation. Both groups met in October of 1969 and every member of the federal program also served on the industry's task force, except for Robert J. Fitzgerald, a microbiologist at NIDCR whose research had helped to establish the link between sugar and tooth decay. Not long after, the NIDCR adopted a set of research priorities that closely reflected those proposed by the industry. In fact, an analysis that Kearns ran of the two proposals showed that 78 percent of the industry's recommendations were "directly incorporated" into the NIDCR's research outline for the National Caries Program in 1971. Nearly half or 40 percent of the language that appeared in the federal program's outline was lifted verbatim or closely paraphrased from the industry document. These priorities emphasized the need for research into enzymes, tooth decay vaccines and protective sealants. "It was pretty shocking to see three-fourths of the sugar industry report incorporated into our most venerable research institution, which is funded by taxpayer dollars and not acting in the public's best interest," Kearns says. The industry's success was celebrated in a document sent to Adams and other advisory board members by the International Sugar Research Foundation right before the NIDCR's research priorities were made public. "The correlation between sugar and tooth decay -- a practical concern of the sugar industry for many years -- may become a purely academic issue within the foreseeable future," the report stated. This connection brings to light the role of the sugar industry in shaping federal research priorities decades ago an influence that Kearns says still weighs heavily on the government's recommendations for sugar intake. "I think the dental community has always been behind restricting sugar intake -- no one would argue with that -- but it's really fallen to individual dentists to educate their patients," she says. "We haven't really had any federal policy to help consumers be aware of how much sugar they're actually eating." Still today, tooth decay remains the most common chronic disease in children and adults in the U.S., according to the NIDCR . Only this year, a federal advisory committee has suggested the nation's dietary guidelines recommend that Americans cut back their intake of added sugars to no more than 10 percent of total calories consumed in a day and the Food and Drug Administration is considering whether "added sugars" should be listed in a separate line on nutrition labels. The Sugar Association , a leading industry group which spun off from the Sugar Research Foundation but has engaged in similar work, has opposed both measures along with other industry groups. The Sugar Association responded to Kearns' research by referring to a passage from the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans which deflects blame for tooth decay onto non-fluoridated bottled water. "We question the relevance of attempts to dredge up history when decades of modern science has provided answers regarding the role of diet in the pathogenesis of dental caries," the organization said in a statement. "The reality is experts in this field agree: Cavities are lessened by a combination of smart snacking choices, whether sugar, starches, juices or any other fermentable carbohydrate; and responsible dental care, particularly reducing the time of carbohydrate exposure to the teeth before brushing." Kearns draws a parallel between the tactics of the sugar industry and those of the Tobacco Industry Research Committee , the group formed by tobacco companies in 1954 to counter claims that its products were harmful with industry-sponsored scientific research focused on dispelling safety concerns without scaling back sales. Kearns' co-author, Dr. Stanton Glantz , a researcher focused on tobacco control at UCSF, once helped reveal the role of the tobacco industry in shaping public health and has assisted with the publication of 80 million pages of industry documents in the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library housed by UCSF. "Our findings are a wake-up call for government officials charged with protecting the public health, as well as public health advocates, to understand that the sugar industry, like the tobacco industry, seeks to protect profits over public health," Glantz said in a statement. The NIDCR, which invested $37 million into research on tooth decay in 2014, says that today, the sugar industry may only weigh in on research priorities and policies through the agency's public comment process. "There are many protections in place to make sure there are no conflicts of interest among the researchers or others advising the Institute," Dr. Lillian Shum, director of research grants for NIDCR, says. She adds that while the agency does publish educational materials that recommend limiting sugar intake in order to maintain dental health, the agency also suggests other measures including protective sealants and regular visits to a dentist as part of a holistic approach. Kearns says she hopes her work will bring industry interests to light at a critical time for public health, and while 92 percent of adults suffer from some form of tooth decay, according to the NIDCR . She supports the FDA's revised nutrition label and the suggestion made by the advisory committee to place a limit on the amount of added sugars in a healthy diet. "We have another shot at it here," she says.
| 3 | 10,966 |
finance
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The Audi Q7 e-tron TDI Quattro debuted at the Geneva auto show with a new plug-in hybrid powertrain that pairs an electric motor with a turbodiesel V-6 engine. We hadn't previously heard plans about this car coming to the U.S., but now Automotive News Europe is reporting that the plug-in Audi Q7 will reach our shores with a slightly different powertrain. This report says that the U.S.-spec Audi Q7 e-tron will use a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder engine instead of the turbodiesel V-6 in the European car. It should still have the same Quattro all-wheel-drive system, eight-speed automatic transmission, and electric drivetrain as the TDI diesel version, though we don't know how the gasoline engine will affect the TDI's combined power of 373 hp or quoted efficiency number of 118 mpg combined. The e-tron TDI is also said to have an electric-only driving range of 35 miles on a full charge, which could change slightly for the gasoline version. See more fuel economy cars news Audi development chief Ulrich Hackenberg did not completely rule out the possibility of a diesel Audi Q7 e-tron for the U.S., though, as he told ANE that the diesel hybrid could eventually reach the states if there is enough demand. We'll still have to wait a while before we see any e-tron variant here, as it will likely reach the U.S. in mid-2016 after going on sale in Europe that spring. The Q7 is Audi's second plug-in hybrid model after the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron that's scheduled to reach the U.S. sometime this year. The standard 2016 Audi Q7, which reaches the U.S. this summer, will also be offered with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6, along with a possible TDI version with a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6. The Q7 e-tron will sit at the top of the SUV's lineup, with prices likely to top $70,000 given the most expensive outgoing Audi Q7 TDI costs $65,825.
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autos
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Andre Johnson and Frank Gore are headed to the Indianapolis Colts instead of the Philadelphia Eagles , according to a report from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com . Johnson, 33, was released by the Houston Texans on Monday and didn't waste any time on the market before finding a destination. According to Zierlein, Johnson got in touch with Gore, his former college teammate at the University of Miami, who is also set to become a free agent on Tuesday afternoon after 10 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers , and the pair decided on the Colts together. The Eagles were previously thought to be the leaders for Gore , but the 31-year-old running back reportedly changed his mind and balked on the idea of a deal in Philadelphia. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports , Gore told a friend that he was concerned about Chip Kelly's intense and overbearing demeanor as well as offseason moves made by the Eagles. According to Zierlein, the Eagles were also interested in bringing in Johnson, but the pair of Gore and Johnson elected to go elsewhere. Johnson owns every major receiving record in Texans history, while Gore leaves San Francisco as the all-time leading rusher for the 49ers. The Colts finished third in the NFL in total offense in 2014, but have holes that Gore and Johnson can fill. Trent Richardson was the team's leading rusher with just 519 yards and 3.3 yards per carry, and no team passed the ball more than the Colts. T.Y. Hilton was the team's leading wide receiver, but the receiving corps is now thin with the departure of Reggie Wayne.
| 1 | 10,968 |
sports
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"India's Daughter," the BBC documentary about the 2012 gang rape of Jyoti Singh, made its U.S. premiere at Baruch College in New York City on Monday despite the film's suppression in India. Meryl Streep and Freida Pinto attended the event , which included a vigil and a post-film panel discussion on women's rights . Directed by Leslee Udwin, the film examines the global-headline making rape and assault of 23-year-old Singh , who died from internal injuries sustained during the attack. According to the Guardian, the documentary was set to air Sunday on an Indian television station before the premiere was halted by court order , which Indian authorities say was meant to maintain public order. The film had sparked controversy the week prior , due to an interview with one of the convicted rapists in which he blamed Singh for her own assault. "A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy," he says in the film. "A decent girl won't roam around at 9 o'clock at night. ... Housework and housekeeping is for girls, not roaming in discos and bars at night doing wrong things, wearing wrong clothes." During discussions surrounding the film's screening, Udwin, Streep and Pinto each emphasized the global cultural implications of the violence portrayed in the film. "What is worse than violence?" Streep said. "Violence sanctioned by misogyny ." "This is not just an India problem; this is a problem that inflicts almost every country in the world ," Pinto, who served as a producer on the film, told The Associated Press. "There's not a single country in 2015 that is free of sexual violence against women." "The disease is not rape, and the disease is not human trafficking," Urwin said. "The disease is gender inequality . And all these things are the metastases of the primary tumor." Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-656-HOPE for the National Sexual Assault Hotline .
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entertainment
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@BgLou34 wants to know if Johnny Manziel is taking rehab more seriously than you thought.
| 1 | 10,970 |
sports
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Porto has been dealt a blow ahead of the second leg of its UEFA Champions League last-16 tie against Basel, with Jackson Martinez ruled out because of a thigh muscle tear. Two-time European champion Porto heads into Tuesday's match, which will see the teams start on level terms following a 1-1 draw Feb. 18, in fine form, having stretched its winning run in the Primeira Liga to six games with a 1-0 triumph at Braga on Friday. However, the victory over Braga was dampened by Martinez's withdrawal midway through the second half. The Colombia international is now facing a spell on the sidelines, yet Porto can still call on an in-form forward in the shape of on-loan Barcelona man Cristian Tello. It was Tello who scored the only goal against Braga, five days after he had registered a hat trick in a 3-0 home win over Sporting. Julen Lopetegui's side is one of only three teams yet to lose in the Champions League this season, along with Real Madrid and Chelsea - and is seeking to reach the quarterfinals for only the second time since winning the competition in 2004. Danilo's 79th-minute penalty canceled out Derlis Gonzalez's early opener for Basel in the first leg, giving Porto the advantage of an away goal. Porto can also take heart from the fact it has lost only once in seven meetings with Swiss sides in European competition, while it also has avoided defeat in its last eight European home games. Adrian Lopez (thigh) and Oliver Torres (shoulder) join Martinez in being unavailable to Lopetegui as Basel coach Paulo Sousa, twice a Champions League winner during his playing career, returns to his homeland. Basel has only reached the last eight of Europe's premier club competition once before, in 1974, and is without a win in five visits to Portugal. However, while the omens do not look good for Sousa's side, it too is in good form, with a 3-0 victory over Thun at the weekend making it three wins in a row for the Swiss Super League leaders. Sousa will be able to call upon Fabian Schar, available again after suspension, but Marek Suchy misses out through a one-match ban of his own, while Ivan Ivanov is out with a knee injury.
| 1 | 10,971 |
sports
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It may seem like mortgage rates have been vacillating in a tight range, brushing up against 4 percent on the 30-year fixed and then falling back. Rates, however, are still considerably lower than they were a year ago. That translates into far more buying power for the average consumer, heading into the busiest housing season of the year. But how much more? John Burns Real Estate Consulting looked at the typical American family, earning $60,000 a year. They can afford about $1,800 a month for the mortgage payment, given a normal amount of other debt. For a 30-year fixed-rate loan, back in 2000, when rates were 8 percent, that would have qualified them for a $245,000 loan. At 4 percent, which is where rates are headed today, they can qualify for a $377,000 loan. "In other words, each 1 percent drop in interest rates in the last 15 years has allowed home sellers to raise price 12 percent," according to the firm. Rates at this time last year were at about 4.5 percent, so that allows for 9 percent price appreciation on homes. That, however, is just on housing affordability. We've seen prices in some markets rise more dramatically due to short supply. In California, for example, prices shot up in 2013 and 2014. Weakened affordability hit sales hard in January, even as supply increased. "While the statewide unsold inventory index in January jumped to the highest level in nearly three years, the increase can be attributed in large part due to the drop in sales," said Leslie Appleton-Young, chief economist for the California Association of Realtors. Favorable interest rates are supporting buyer traffic, according to a February survey of real estate agents by Credit Suisse, but low supply is still a sticking point in most markets. "Comments on low inventories were more prominent, with agents largely seeing limited selection adversely impacting transactions but lifting prices as competition per quality listing intensifies. Additionally, comments on buyer resistance to rising home prices were more pronounced," according to the survey. Weekly mortgage applications are set to be released Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. EDT.
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finance
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See how this record-breaking treehouse was built - in just 76 seconds!
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video
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Britain's BBC said on Tuesday it had suspended Jeremy Clarkson, the presenter of the globally popular 'Top Gear' show, after he was involved in a fracas with one of the broadcaster's producers. "Following a fracas with a BBC producer, Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended pending an investigation," the broadcaster said in a statement. "No one else has been suspended." The BBC said the car-focused show would not be broadcast on Sunday. Jeremy Clarkson's Most Controversial Moments Top Gear has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched factual television show of all time, with episodes broadcast in more than 200 countries and territories. Clarkson, 54, has been censured in the past by the BBC and has courted controversy on several occasions during his time on the magazine-style show. The BBC said it would not comment any further on the matter and Clarkson could not immediately be reached. A friend of Prime Minister David Cameron, Clarkson became the popular face of Top Gear by mixing a passion for cars with blunt banter and swagger that offended, among others, environmental groups, mental health charities and cyclists. Clarkson was called before BBC bosses last year after a British newspaper reported he had been heard using the word "nigger" as he recited an old version of the rhyme "Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe" to choose between cars in filming two years earlier. The 54-year old presenter later apologized for any offence caused by the reports about the use of the word. He wrote in his Sun newspaper column in May that he had been told by the BBC that if he made "one more offensive remark, anywhere at any time, I will be sacked". But he was back in hot water in October when the show sparked a diplomatic incident between Britain and Argentina, two countries which went to war in 1982. A Top Gear television crew was forced to flee Argentina after driving a Porsche 928 GT with the registration number H982 FKL - which some people suggested could refer to the Falklands conflict. Despite or even because of years of controversy, however, Top Gear has become one of the BBC's most successful and lucrative programs. It was even recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched factual television show of all time. The BBC said it would say nothing further on the matter and Clarkson could not be reached for comment. His manager and his assistant did not immediately return calls requesting comment. (Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Kate Holton)
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autos
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A lawsuit filed Tuesday by the operator of Wikipedia and other organizations challenges the US government's mass online surveillance programs, claiming that tapping into the Internet "backbone" is illegal. The lawsuit was filed in Maryland federal court by the Wikimedia Foundation, Amnesty International USA, Human Rights Watch and other organizations. It said the effort by the National Security Agency and other intelligence services "exceeds the scope of the authority that Congress provided" and violates US constitutional guarantees. "We're filing suit today on behalf of our readers and editors everywhere," said Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, in a statement. "Surveillance erodes the original promise of the Internet: an open space for collaboration and experimentation, and a place free from fear." The lawsuit claims that by tapping into the Internet backbone, "the NSA is seizing Americans' communications en masse while they are in transit, and it is searching the contents of substantially all international text-based communications," effectively sweeping up data of many people unrelated to the effort to thwart terrorism. - 'Spying on everyone' - "Rather than limit itself to monitoring Americans' communications with the foreign targets, the NSA is spying on everyone, trying to find out who might be talking or reading about those targets," said Patrick Toomey of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the organizations. "As a result, countless innocent people will be caught up in the NSA's massive net." The lawsuit argues that based on documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the NSA intercepts virtually all Internet communications flowing across the network of high-capacity cables, switches, and routers that make up the Internet backbone. Also joining the suit are The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Pen American Center, Global Fund for Women, The Nation Magazine, The Rutherford Institute, and Washington Office on Latin America. The defendants include the NSA and chief Michael Rogers, the office of the Director of National Intelligence and its chief James Clapper, and US Attorney General Eric Holder. Asked about the suit, a Department of Justice spokeswoman said only that the agency "is reviewing the complaint." A similar lawsuit was filed last year by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. A 2013 lawsuit from Amnesty International on similar ground was dismissed because the courts found the group lacked "standing," or evidence showing it had suffered damage from the surveillance. Wikimedia argued however that the vast surveillance program has had a direct impact because leaked documents suggested intelligence services had direct access to Wikipedia. "Because these disclosures revealed that the government specifically targeted Wikipedia and its users, we believe we have more than sufficient evidence to establish standing," the group said in a statement. Snowden has said that the 2013 ruling contributed to his decision to expose the NSA's surveillance activities a few months later.
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A lot has changed for UFC welterweight contender Matt Brown, recently. He's had fight dates, and opponents change for him. He had to leave one of his coaches behind after the two of them got into an argument and then fist fight. The TUF veteran also decided to keep his training camps closer to home, as opposed to going out of his native Ohio, as was his custom for awhile. That decision was first prompted by Brown the husband and father. "The main thing was my family," he tells FOX Sports. "I wanted to try and not get too far away from them." For his UFC 185 bout this Saturday in Dallas against former champion Johny Hendricks , Brown has traveled a couple hours away from his home of Columbus to train in Cleveland at the Strong Style gym. The family man in Brown made the decision to stay in Ohio for camp, but the fighter also came to be very happy with the change. "I didn't know this camp here in Cleveland was so good," he says. "They are really god and it's only a couple hours away so it's easy enough for the family to come visit on weekends or after workouts." So, it seems clear that the change in camps has been good for Brown. All the rest (brawling with a former coach, having opponents and fight dates changed) would seem to be distracting, though. After ten-plus years in MMA, and over thirty fights, Brown insists that change and uncertainty don't rattle him. "I don't know what it is, maybe it is just my mentality but I just worry about the day," he explains. "I wake up every day and train as hard as I can. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. I could die tomorrow, who knows? I've had a lot of fight changes in my career. I've had a lot of injuries, a lot of coaching changes. Everything is always changing, all the time. I just wake up, eat, train, go to bed, and do it again." Brown can't pretend that the violent friction between he and a former Jiu Jitsu coach was a positive, but he does insist that he's in a better spot, now, for having split with the instructor. "I think it was a blessing in disguise," he says. "It was a long time coming. It wasn't just a situation where we got mad and we had a fight, right away. It was something that happened over a period of time. I think it was a blessing in disguise. Good riddance." One other change that Brown had to go through in the past year was going through a loss. Prior to his close decision loss to now champion Robbie Lawler last July, Brown had won seven straight fights, dating back to 2012. After fighting Lawler so close, and seeing "Ruthless" go on to beat Hendricks in December and become UFC welterweight champion, the whole world may be more willing to believe what Brown had been saying for years - That he was ready to fight and beat the very best in the world. "I believed it before hand, and I believed it afterwards," he says. "I could've and should've beaten Lawler. I'm not going to say I did win, just I could've and should've. I can win that fight. I can beat any man in the world, under the right circumstances , as people say (laughs). When I'm on point, and everything is going right, I'm every bit good enough to be the world champion. Not everything always goes right, of course. That's the whole thing in MMA. If everything worked out perfect, it would be a different sport." As such, Brown has focused his training on getting himself as close to perfect as is possible. With all the changes, Brown hasn't concerned himself with what Hendricks will try to do to him, on Saturday. Hendricks has shown a willingness to go toe-to-toe and slug it out, and also fought with a more conservative wrestling style. Brown doesn't know which Hendricks will show up, but isn't too worried, either way. For Brown, it's always about going out there and doing what he wants to do, not simply reacting to his opponent. "I don't care how he fights," Brown says. "He's got to worry about what I've got to do. I'm coming after him. I'm going to put him where I want him to be. That's who wins the fight, right? The guy who gets the other guy to do what he wants. I plan on imposing my will."
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sports
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The top 1% of earners captured all of the growth Income inequality has widened in all 50 states in the last few decades. More recently, as the United States recovered from the latest recession, the gap between the richest and poorest residents in many states has increased. From 2009 to 2012, a period of economic recovery in the U.S., income growth has varied considerably between states but not between income brackets. Top earners have disproportionately captured the bulk of the income growth across all states. Based on "The Increasingly Unequal States of America," a report published by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 states where incomes of the top 1% of earners grew the fastest from 2009 to 2012. Income was measured before taxes and included income from wages, salaries, pensions, profits, dividends, interest, rents, and realized capital gains. All government transfers as well as non-taxable benefits were excluded from income figures. Over the 2009-2012 period, 105.5% of all of the income growth was captured by the top 1%. In other words, the top 1% of earners captured all of the growth, and more, as incomes of other cohorts declined. Additionally, the top 1% of earners accounted for at least half of income growth in 39 states over that time. In four of the 10 states California, Colorado, Michigan, and Massachusetts average income increased exclusively for the top 1%, while it declined for the bottom 99%. West Virginia was the only state where the income growth among the bottom 99% exceeded that of the top 1%. No income bracket reported faster income growth than the top 1% in any of the 10 states. The richest 20% of earners in these 10 states also had fast-growing incomes. Incomes among the top quintile grew by at least 1.3% in seven of the 10 states from 2009 to 2013, versus the comparable national growth rate of 0.4%. People living in the states where incomes among the top 1% grew the fastest from 2009 to 2012 also had relatively high incomes across the board. The median household income in all but four of the 10 states exceeded the national median income of $52,250 in 2013. Click ahead for five states where the rich are getting richer, and then visit 24/7 Wall St. for the complete report . 5. Colorado > Income growth, top 1% 2009-2012: 48.4% > Income growth, bottom 99% 2009-2012: -1.0% (17th lowest) > Avg. income top 1%: $1,347,381 (12th highest) > Avg. income bottom 99%: $50,367 (12th highest) Like most of the 10 states where the rich are getting richer, Colorado is one of the better educated states in the nation. Nearly 38% of its residents held a bachelor's degrees or higher in 2013, higher than in every state except for Massachusetts. The state's top 1% of earners had the fifth largest income growth from 2009 to 2012. The income growth of the top-earning Coloradans represented 112.6% of all income growth in the state during the period, one of the highest figures. Meanwhile, income of the bottom 99% fell 1%. As the wealthiest Americans tend to rely more heavily on unearned income, dividend growth in Colorado may account in part for the disparate income growth. Dividends paid to Colorado residents grew by 29.9% from 2009 through 2012, 11th highest in the country. Read More: States With the Highest Gas Prices 4. California > Income growth, top 1% 2009-2012: 49.6% > Income growth, bottom 99% 2009-2012: -3.0% (6th lowest) > Avg. income top 1%: $1,598,161 (5th highest) > Avg. income bottom 99%: $45,775 (21st highest) The average income growth rate of the top 1% in the Golden State was 49.6%, almost 53 percentage points more than the growth rate of the state's bottom 99%, whose incomes contracted by 3.0%. The state's top 1% had an average income of $1.6 million in 2012, fifth highest in the country, while the average income of the bottom 1% was $45,775. The income of the top 1% was 34.9 times the income of the bottom 99%, the fifth highest gap in the country. California has the second highest concentration of information jobs second only to Colorado. The concentration is largely due to the presence of Silicon Valley where some of the highest-paying jobs in the nation can be found. Dividend payments to Californians grew by nearly $300 billion from 2009 to 2012, by far the largest growth in the nation. As the most populous state in the country, California paid more in total wages in 2013 than any other state. Wage payouts increased by $404.1 billion from 2012 to 2013, the largest nominal increase. Read More: The Best (and Worst) Paying Cities for Women 3. Texas > Income growth, top 1% 2009-2012: 50.2% > Income growth, bottom 99% 2009-2012: 1.7% (23rd lowest) > Avg. income top 1%: $1,499,944 (8th highest) > Avg. income bottom 99%: $46,102 (19th highest) Average real income in Texas grew by 50.2% from 2009 to 2012, with 86.8% of that growth going to the top 1%. The average annual income of the top 1% was just under $1.5 million in 2012, while the average income of the bottom 99% was $46,102, a difference of $1.45 million, one of the largest such gaps. Texas had the third highest percentage of jobs in the high-paying construction sector, which may account for the high wages across the state. The BLS reported strong growth in the construction sector from 2010, which may partly explain Texas' wage grow rate of 16.8% from 2009 through 2013. Texas also had the second fastest nominal wage growth in the nation for that period, due in large part to its status as the second most populous state in the country. Aggregate dividends paid to Texans rose by $169.8 billion from 2009 to 2012, the second highest increase in the country. Much of this growth likely went to the top 1%, who rely on unearned income far more than people in lower income brackets. Read More: 10 Disappearing Middle Class Jobs 2. North Dakota > Income growth, top 1% 2009-2012: 103.6% > Income growth, bottom 99% 2009-2012: 21.2% (the highest) > Avg. income top 1%: $1,566,183 (6th highest) > Avg. income bottom 99%: $59,931 (3rd highest) The average income of North Dakota's top 1% grew by 103.6% during 2009-12, second most in the country. By 2012, the average income of the state's top 1% of earners was $1,556,183, sixth highest in the country. This was also just over $1.5 million more than the average income of the state's bottom 99%. Overall average income in North Dakota increased by 32.4%, the largest growth rate in the country from 2009-12. The mining and construction sectors have grown dramatically in North Dakota since 2009 and largely account for the spike in income growth. Compensation for labor was a huge driver. However, dividends, which are mostly enjoyed by top earners, grew by $9.4 billion from 2009 to 2012, higher than the wage and salary increase of $8.13 billion. Read More: States With the Highest Gas Prices 1. Wyoming > Income growth, top 1% 2009-2012: 283.60% > Income growth, bottom 99% 2009-2012: n/a > Avg. income top 1%: $5,078,696 (the highest) > Avg. income bottom 99%: n/a The average annual income of the top 1% in Wyoming was the nation's highest at $5.1 million in 2012, driven in large part by unearned income dividends rather than wages. Nearly half of all personal income growth from 2009 through 2012 was from dividend payments. This was the largest share in the country, perhaps not surprising for a state that counts members of the Walton family, owners of Wal-Mart, among its residents. Inequality widened dramatically in Wyoming during 2009-12, as the income of the top 1% grew by a staggering 283.6%. This was almost certainly due to the fortunes of just a handful of individuals. According to a national magazine ranking, there are six billionaires in Wyoming. In a state with such a small population, these individuals have a substantial impact on income figures. Visit 24/7 Wall St. for the complete report
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finance
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OKLAHOMA CITY Two fundraising websites have been established for a black cook at the University of Oklahoma fraternity that was banned from campus and closed by its national leaders because of a racist chant captured on video. The sites each seek to raise $50,000 for Sigma Alpha Epsilon's cook, identified only as Howard. An Indiegogo site reported having raised more than $39,000 Monday morning while a GoFundMe site reported raising more than $12,000. The organizers of both sites mention having lived in the fraternity house. Messages seeking comment were left with them. The fraternity chapter was disbanded over a video posted online that shows several people on a bus participating in a chant that included a racial slur, referenced lynching and indicated black students would never be admitted to OU's chapter of the fraternity.
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news
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When you pull out your wallet to pay for a meal or a mani-pedi, you might assume the most expensive part of your bill was that steak or the trendy designs on your toenails. But insiders will tell you that the real money-makers are the wine you ordered with dinner or the extra products you bought at the salon after getting pampered. U.S. News looked at three industries where the biggest profit drivers may surprise you. 1. Restaurants On a typical day, total restaurant industry sales across the U.S. reach $1.9 billion, according to the National Restaurant Association. Much of a restaurant's profit comes not from food, but drinks. "The most profitable place in a restaurant is the bar," says Greg Wank, a partner at the accounting firm Anchin, Block & Anchin who specializes in the food and beverage industry. "The margins on beer, soda, wine and spirits is very high, so it's always beneficial if they're very crowded, and people have to wait at the bar for their tables." In fact, Wank says a restaurant's gross margin at the bar is typically around 70 to 75 percent (pricey bottles of wine might have an even higher margin, but often their purpose on the menu is to make more moderate-priced vintages seem affordable). Meanwhile, food might be closer to 60 percent. No surprise then that your server will immediately offer you something to drink once you're seated. "[Restaurants] used to have the dinner specials, and now they have cocktail specials," Wank says. "There's definitely encouragement to sample something new or different." With mixed drinks, the biggest variable is the size of the bartender's pour. "A big cost monitor for a restaurant owner is to really train their bartenders on how much they're supposed to pour in a mixed drink because that's going to dramatically impact the margins," Wank says. When it comes to food, profit margins vary depending on the type of restaurant. Mexican restaurants with a heavy focus on beans and rice might have better margins than, say, a steak or seafood restaurant. The steakhouse or seafood joint might charge more for each item, but the costs of ingredients are likely higher than the Mexican restaurant's. Of course, restaurant owners sometimes try to steer patrons toward certain menu items through rotating specials. "Dinner specials every night are typically going to be profitable items," Wank says. "Ask the waiter what's good tonight, and they're going to be pushing a more profitable dish." 2. Salons The salon and spa industry draws more than $40 billion in annual sales, according to a 2012 report from the Professional Beauty Association. While services such as hair coloring, waxing and manicuring may be the reason customers book appointments, salons often make more money from the shampoos, lotions and other extras customers buy in the salon. Rowena Yeager, owner of Studio Wish Salon in Twinsburg, Ohio, and a Professional Beauty Association member, notes that over time beauty product packages have shrunk , similar to what's happened with food packages. "There's a specific product line that has gone down in their sizes but kept their prices the same," she says. Cost-conscious consumers may want to consider the price per ounce, but with greater consumer awareness about the ingredients in the beauty products, that may not be the most important factor for everyone. "The consumer is very concerned about what's in the bottle more than the shape of the bottle," Yeager says. "The quality of what's inside is the most important thing." 3. Car Dealerships In 2013, total revenue at new car dealerships reached $730 billion, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. The average dealership had sales of $41 million, with gross profits around $5.5 million. Surely the sale of flashy, new cars must make up the bulk of those millions? Not quite. "New car dealers don't make the majority of their profits on new cars themselves," says Mike Rabkin, owner of From Car to Finish, a national new car negotiating service. Nearly half of a dealership's profits come from the service and parts departments, he says. "Finance and insurance products, while a small portion of the dealer's total revenue, make up a disproportionate [amount] of the dealer's profit," Rabkin explains. "These include items such as vehicle financing, extended service contracts and other types of insurance coverage, and physical items and treatments added to the vehicle at the dealership." For instance, when you buy a car , your bill might include items such as floor mats and mud guards as part of an " appearance package " that you may be able to remove or get for free during the negotiation process. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report
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finance
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As part of the Intel Science Talent Search , 40 student finalists from across the country were given a chance to show off their research and possibly win some excellent prizes to help keep it going. Here are just a few of those human rays of light leading science and technological innovation today plus their words of wisdom for us mere mortals. Changing the world isn't easy, but we're glad these gals are up to the challenge. Kriti Lall, 17, of Fremont, CA, was inspired to look into water treatment after volunteering in a village in India. She learned that arsenic poisoning from drinking water is a huge problem nearly 137 million people in 70 countries suffer from it, according to a 2007 study . To combat this, she genetically engineered bacteria so that they get rid of the arsenic in water through a technique called " bioremediation ." (More precisely, these bacteria convert arsenic into a different form that's much easier to remove from water.) Lall also built a bioreactor that only cost $8 using commonly found materials such as pipes and gravel. The setup is easy to implement and it's efficient: It can remove arsenic from water at a rate of four gallons per hour. Her Advice To Us: "Our school's motto is 'Women learning, women leading' and that's really emphasized throughout everything we do," Lall says. "We are all treated as responsible adults who have full capabilities regardless of gender... It just becomes second nature to us. Like, if someone asks, 'Can you do this?' Yeah, of course we can." "Stereotypes exist," she continues, "but they shouldn't define you or your capabilities in any way. What you can do is really only defined by you; it's not defined by anyone else. You set your own limits." Emily Ashkin, 17, of Matthews, NC, first started looking into oncology research at age 11, just after her mother was diagnosed with skin cancer. Over the next few years, she learned that although immunotherapy can be successful in using the body's own immune system to fight off cancer cells, it doesn't work for everyone because those cancer cells are able to hide themselves. So, Ashkin's work has focused on finding a way to lift those cells' masks. She's already had a lot of success: When one protein, TOP1 , is blocked, the cell masks come off rendering the cancer cells easier for the system to recognize. Hopefully, by combining this with other treatments, it will make immunotherapy work for a wider range of patients. Her Advice To Us: "It's so easy to see all these male scientists making such an impact in their field, and we forget about the women," Ashkin says. "But, I've had a unique experience [in that] one of the first labs I worked in was an all-female lab. It taught me that women can make a difference. We can easily prove ourselves to be just as intelligent just as impactful as men." Ashkin's tip for women is "to want it. If you're the only woman in the room, show your pride... No matter what, you're still able to make a difference." Anvita Gupta, 17, of Scottsdale, AZ, started a computer science club for middle schoolers after watching three quarters of the girls in her AP computer science class drop out even though they had better grades than the boys. Her own early experiences in robotics inspired her to get other girls hooked: "I liked seeing how something I wrote on the computer could translate into a motion of this machine," she says. "I thought if we could introduce girls to experiences like that from a younger age, maybe we can get those girls invested in the field. Once that happens, I think they're much less likely to leave." Now, the girls in that class are working on making their own apps, including one that helps people learn CPR; it tells you when you're applying the right amount of pressure. "To see the change in their attitudes has been really nice," Gupta says. "They came in to class saying 'Oh, I'm not a technical person,' but now they're making all these things that I think a lot of even the most technical people couldn't do." Gupta's own work focuses on using computer science to direct the discovery of new medical therapies for illnesses such as cancer, Ebola, and tuberculosis. For instance, she's been working on ways to find the most influential proteins in pancreatic cancer. Her Advice To Us: "Stick with it. Everyone has trouble learning these new technologies. You're at the same place as everyone else, so just stick with it and believe in yourself."
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lifestyle
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The long-teased Xbox One March update is finally here, and it's bringing some features that you may have missed if you're familiar with the PlayStation 4. You can now take screenshots of whatever you're doing, whether it's to brag about your score (through messages or Twitter), set a custom background or save it to OneDrive for posterity. It should also be easier to both find and recognize friends. There's now a suggested friends list, and you can share your real name if buddies wouldn't know who you are based on your gamertag alone. Between these and more Xbox-specific updates (such as tile transparency controls and spam reporting), you'll probably want to upgrade your Xbox as soon as you can -- if just so you can rub your victories in your rivals' faces. Major Nelson
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news
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The president was asked about a letter written to the leaders of Iran by GOP senators undermining the potential nuclear deal by the president.
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news
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Confessions from the exam room You arrive to your doctor's office on time maybe even five minutes early insurance card and co-payment in hand. Yet despite your penchant for punctuality, you're left languishing for what seems to be an eternity in the waiting room. Then, when you finally win the equivalent of the lottery because the nurse calls your name, indicating it's your turn to slip into a drafty paper gown, you realize you've got to wait another 20 minutes in the exam room before the doctor will finally "see you now." If you wonder, while your feet dangle over the side of the cold exam table, why in the world your doctor is always running late, you're not alone. "Patients who arrive late constantly back up a doctor's day. One late patient can throw off an entire day's appointment schedule," says Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D., an internist in Anniston, Alabama., and author of "Set Free to Live Free: Breaking Through the 7 Lies Women Tell Themselves." But patients' punctuality or lack of isn't the only reason your doctor never seems to be on time. These confessions from the exam room offer interesting perspectives on why doctors are always late. They're given a list Bob Linden, M.D., a recently retired board-certified internist and geriatrician, and author of "The Rise & Fall of the American Medical Empire: A Trench Doctor's View of the Past, Present, and Future of the U.S. Healthcare System," says '"the list" was what often detained him. "I knew disaster was imminent if, as the medical visit was coming to an end, the patient was fumbling for a paper in their purse or trouser pocket," he says. That's because that paper was often filled with scores of additional questions or concerns. "The list often came out after reviewing numerous medical illnesses a patient had. That's when a patient would say, 'By the way, Doc, can I just ask a few more questions?' I would simply smile and say, 'Sure, what are they?' with the full realization that this meant falling behind another 10 minutes. But I never had the heart to turn the person down." And Linden says if this happened even just two or three times a day, which was not uncommon, patients could be left waiting as much as half an hour or more. They're getting the hard sell The next time you're hung up at the doctor's or dentist's office, pop-ins by pharmaceutical and other sales reps could be to blame. "Sales reps just 'stop by' unannounced to sell dental or office supplies a lot. Some of these sale reps can be persistent and talkative and don't know get the hint that we either don't have time to talk about the product at that particular time or that we're just not interested and we need to get back to our patients," says Catrise Austin, M.D., a cosmetic and general dentist in New York City who treats celebrities, and author of "5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile: How the Stars Get That Perfect Smile and How You Can Too!" They like to chat "I often get lost in patients' lives, stories, families, as well as their hearts and heartaches," says Elizabeth VanderVeer, M.D., an internist in Portland, Ore. She says it's quite common to see a patient for a routine or non-surgical appointment, like giving a Botox injection, and notice the patient is unusually quiet or "off." So VanderVeer says she stops the exam or procedure to sit down and inquire about what is going on. "I am often speechless, or brought to tears, by how my patients answer my question 'What's going on? I notice you're not yourself today.' I have heard answers such as 'my husband died last night.' Or 'today is the one-year anniversary of when my son passed away from cancer.' The list goes on and on, but no matter what, they get my full attention even if it means running late." Doctors also get caught up in good news, too. So they'll swap stories about kids graduating from college, upcoming grandkids or job promotions. "You can teach a monkey to inject Botox, but you cannot replace human compassion and being there for your patient in good times and bad," VanderVeer says. So when it comes to being compassionate, she will risk being late. They're mired in red tape "Occasionally, committee meetings run longer than planned and make me late," says David Gelber, M.D., a general vascular surgeon in Houston and author of "Behind the Mask: The Mystique of Surgery and the Surgeons Who Perform Them." "Sometimes insurance companies require physician-to-physician discussions on why a certain treatment is preferred before approving it. This can take up valuable clinic time," says Ringland S. Murray, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist in Chattanooga, Tenn. And Linden says practice guidelines also slow things down. "These are bundles of recommendations suggested to doctors by experts in a specific field on how to practice medicine when dealing with an individual disease." In fact, in 2005 researchers in the Duke University medical school's Department of Community and Family Medicine calculated it would take a physician 3.5 hours per day to administer care for just 10 chronic medical conditions that the research group reviewed. If the illnesses were uncontrolled, the requirement increased to 10.6 hours per day. The researchers found it would take an additional 7.4 hours per day to explain and discuss the illnesses based on preventive-care recommendations set forth by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. "As you can imagine, discussions relating to the pros and cons of screenings for prostate and colon cancer can be very time-consuming and put a physician significantly behind, because these guidelines grow every year," says Linden. They can't manage time Richard Castellano, M.D., a certified facial plastic surgeon who has performed more than 3,000 procedures, admits he is often late and says it's partly because he's not good at time management. "Arrogance in the culture of medicine that the team and patients can wait on doctors," he says. So it's not uncommon for doctors to overbook themselves. They had a family emergency Yep, that's right, doctors are people, too. So their kids get sick, their baby sitter bails and, sadly, their dog dies. Jennifer Shine Dyer, M.D., a pediatrician and pediatric endocrinologist, says the latter once caused her day to run out of control. "I was running late because I couldn't stop crying after my husband told me over the phone that my dog was deathly ill from cancer," she says. The time she needed to process the news and collect her thoughts meant Dyer's patients had to wait longer than expected. "My patients and their families were extremely kind as I spoke to them with swollen eyes and tears the rest of the day." They're giving bad news Telling patients that they're sicker than they expected, or that their test results weren't as good as hoped, isn't something that can be rushed. "Giving bad news, or news that will be tough to hear, can take longer than the time allotted for the appointment," says Murray. "It's essential to devote extra time to these patients, even if it means the rest of the day will get backed up." They hear the call of nature Austin says she's also run late because she had to squeeze in a trip to the loo. And sometimes that trip takes longer than planned, or comes at an inopportune time. "I'll put off a trip to the bathroom for a whole hour sometimes, just so I don't have to stop and get behind. But sometimes nature just calls!" Dalton-Smith agrees, noting, "Sometimes doctors run late because they have to eat and take care of regular bodily needs like using the bathroom. Patients have to remember their doctors are human, so some have medical issues like diabetes and may need to stop for a second to grab a snack before their own blood sugar drops too low."
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health
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A model nearly 9 months pregnant has been posting baby bump pictures on Instagram. As Buzz60's Leigh Scheps explains, it's her still toned tummy that's got everyone talking.
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video
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Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and writer and director of the film "Rosewater," said he knows who would win if former President Bill Clinton ever faced off against his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at the polls. While being interviewed by Alastair Campbell, who served as communications director for former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Stewart said Bill Clinton could run for office again tomorrow and "win by a landslide the scale of which people would be stunned by." "He brought an air of understanding and competence that has rarely been seen and people view it now with great nostalgia," Stewart said in the interview, featured in the April issue of British GQ . Stewart predicted Bill Clinton would have such luck at the polls even against Hillary, who is reportedly eyeing a presidential campaign launch in early April. Do people look to Hillary with hope? People look to anyone with hope. But there's some exhaustion of empire. How many Clintons and Bushes can get to run the country? But Bill Clinton would get elected by a landslide. Against Hillary? He would be elected against anyone by a landslide. Hillary Clinton has been under fire since The New York Times reported she exclusively used a private email address while working at the State Department. Bill Clinton declined to weigh in on the controversy when approached by reporters on Sunday. "I have an opinion, but I have a bias," Clinton said . When asked what his opinion was, Clinton responded, "That I shouldn't be making news on this." For more from Stewart, visit British GQ .
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news
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Would you want to check your watch as much as your phone? Start shopping for a smartwatch, and you'll notice no matter what the make and model that the ability to show notifications from your phone is touted as one of the major selling points. But is this feature actually such a benefit in everyday use? No need to take your phone out of your pocket, because your tweets are right there on your watch. Leave your mobile in your desk drawer, because your emails come straight to your wrist. Manage your texts without launching apps, unlocking screens or even typing. It's all here. There are tales of early Apple Watch testers barely using their iPhones because they're managing everything on their wrists. "I like to be able to look at my watch without pulling my phone out all the time," said Apple's Kevin Lynch during Monday's Apple Watch event, as he walked the audience through numerous app demonstrations. In many smartwatch sales pitches we're promised freedom from our smartphones: less time checking our mobiles and more time interacting in the real world and focusing on what's in front of us. Here's the potential problem: the exact opposite happens, and you become more attached to scanning for notifications, not less. The Tiny Screen That Eats The World Everyone who owns a smartphone knows the temptation there is to look for a new tweet, email, text or IM every couple of minutes, even when you haven't felt a buzz or heard a tone. Drop your phone into a bag or turn it upside on a table and that temptation is diminished somewhat. But if it's right there on your wrist, it never goes away. The accessibility and always-on nature of wearables offer some great opportunities, but allowing relentless smartphone chatter to intrude even further into our real lives should not be one of them. The data suggests that on average we're checking our phones more than 100 times a day . Are we sure we know what we're doing by transferring that urge to a screen that's even closer and requires no unlocking? I've tested several Android Wear smartwatches over the last year as part of my duties as a tech journalist. I found that the act of checking my wrist was so easy a quick movement and glance that I was doing it almost constantly. And that's a problem if you have anything else to do (like pretending to listen to a presentation). In my experience, these devices didn't give me more time to focus on the real world (whether that means friends, work, dinner or a movie), they actually made me more distracted. It was harder than ever to stay in the moment, whether my watch was chiming or not, because the option to escape was always there. Alerts, Alerts Everywhere That wasn't the only problem. If you've got your computer set up to show phone alerts as well, like I have, then that's three devices going off every time something new happens. With a system like Apple's iMessage or Google Hangouts configured you could have even more. Of course, you can cut down and manage this overload without too much effort though it still does take effort, one of the countless small adjustments our personal technology seems to require of us on a regular basis. Even when I did so, though, it still felt like Twitter, Facebook, Gmail and their brethren were encroaching even further into my personal space. In most cases you're just going to pull your mobile out anyway, to get a better look at what's just happened. For me, having notifications on my wrist became a gateway drug to even more smartphone use, not a cure or a replacement for it. I've been a "dumb watch" wearer for many years, and once the review units had been packed away and sent back, it came as something of a relief to be able to once more check the time without knowing which apps were clamouring for my attention. What Does Belong On Your Wrist? That's not to say smartwatches are a bad idea unwholesome devices that will inevitably suck us further and further into the digital app vortex. But how we use them, and what's displayed on them, needs some serious thought. Take being able to walk through an airport gate with your arms full of luggage, for example, or paying for a transaction with a wave of your wrist, or getting navigation directions via haptic feedback while your hands are on the handlebars of your bike. These are all genuinely useful real-world applications. Then there are the extensive health and fitness tracking features available on most smartwatch models and much more suited to a wearable than a smartphone. Being able to actually check the time with a glance via a range of personalized watch faces shouldn't be forgotten either. Even alerts have their place: pop-ups when your flight is delayed, perhaps, or a meeting is about to start, or there's a weather warning. Google Now is making some useful progress with context-sensitive notifications that only show up when needed, and it'll be interesting to see if Apple does anything similar. But a smartwatch used primarily as an extension of a mobile phone? Or even worse, a shrunk-down mobile phone? That's a less appealing prospect. Smartwatch makers, app developers and end users should think long and hard about what makes these wearables compelling. It's not being able to check your emails on your wrist. Image via Apple
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Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C) suggested Tuesday that something about the leaked reports of a federal corruption investigation surrounding Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) doesn't add up. Graham suggested that the leak was unfair for not only Menendez but to Americans at large. "Leaking the investigation or the possible outcome is not fair to any American," he told reporters. Reports surfaced late last week that the Department of Justice was working to bring criminal charges against the New Jersey Democrat. Graham also questioned the timing of the leak, suggesting that it came after Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made it clear he wanted to review a deal on Iran. "It came to light after a bold speech by Senator Menendez that he wants to look at the deal too," the South Carolina Republican said. "I don't know what happened, but it sure doesn't smell right." Menendez has been a vocal Democratic critic of the administration's Iran policy. But he was also one of the first Democrats to condemn Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) after he tried to fast track a vote on legislation that would allow Congress to weigh in on a deal with Iran. Menendez and other Democrats vowed to block the legislation if it was brought up before March 24 or didn't go through the Foreign Relations Committee.
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For better or worse, we are about the enter the age of smart everything. Whatever you think of that proposition, the fact is that sensors, the tiny devices that fuel the Internet of Things are getting smaller and cheaper all the time. As they do, we will start to see them transmitting data from some highly unlikely intelligent devices, while tracking everything from road conditions to building health to cars to industrial equipment. The Internet of Things is a term that's being bandied about with increasing frequency these days. You could think of it as the "cloud" of 2015 that buzzword that marketers put in absolutely everything because it makes their company sound cool and hip. The Internet of Things in actuality involves a network of smart sensors collecting data. As the sensors grow ever cheaper, and the network grows ever larger, the more data we can collect to make ever more intelligent decisions (at least in theory). On The Edge Of A Major Shift Nils Herzberg, global co-lead for IoT at SAP says the beauty of sensors that they bring real-time data to applications. "Customers run applications for business critical processes, which could run better with real-time awareness," Herzberg said. He says when sensors provide real-time information, customers can make better decisions, rather than using guess work. The reason why we're seeing more talk about the Internet of Things is the diminishing size and cost of sensor technologies, says James Bailey, managing director of the mobility practice at Accenture. "Our perspective is that cost of both the sensors and devices is approaching free and the size is approaching invisible. Our perspective is literally everything will have IOT technology at some point," he said. James Bailey, Accenture Bailey believes that we are not there yet, but as these devices get smaller and cheaper, the technology will become ubiquitous. "The key thing is understanding the value proposition being provided the different economic parties [involved]," he explained. What he means that the same sensor data may used differently, depending on the industry. "It's driven by the business case," he said. "If there is a use case driving tremendous value, we would see more of a transformational project." Making Use Of The Data But once, we collect the data, we have to do something. We have to use it to take actions to improve our business processes, or it doesn't really help us at all. Sensors can feed a company data to make highly inefficient processes much more efficient, but SAP's Herzberg says the proliferation of that data has become so massive that companies are overwhelmed and humans can't keep up with it. Then software takes over the task of finding correlation, and a step beyond that companies may turn to prediction capabilities that will tune themselves. That evolution takes a certain critical mass of sensors in the network and software that can begin to make better use of the data the sensors are collecting. For now, he says SAP is one of a number of companies including IBM, Microsoft and countless startups working on making better predictions. As Herzberg says, once you have been able to collect the data from a sensors, you can begin to build increasingly complex sets of predictions. "You can start modeling and create a more complex system and modeling dependencies between things," he explained. SAP is working with the Port of Hamburg to help reduce traffic congestion around the port. It found that 70 percent of trucks arrive too early, whether the ship is ready to receive the cargo or not. Sensors could let the system know a ship hadn't docked yet, and communicate this to truckers before they drive into the port area. This could reduce congestion and pollution around the port. Moving To Smart Everything Sensors are not just the domain of industry though. Our phones are full of sensors from the GPS to the accelerometer to the compass, all of them feeding data to apps and to the cloud. So is that Apple Watch, Apple announced yesterday. I recently wrote about Humanyze, a new startup that has created a smart employee badge to help track employee movements and social interactions throughout the day and correlate the data to company goals. As I wrote about the badge, "They developed a smart employee badge with a microphone, accelerometer, bluetooth connection and other tools typically found in a smart phone." If you want further proof that we are entering the age of smart everything, consider that Oral B has a smart toothbrush . The toothbrush uses Bluetooth and a mobile app to capture data about your tooth brushing habits. It includes a timer to make sure you're brushing for a full two minutes, and it maps your brushing so if you concentrate really hard on your bottom front and give short shrift to your upper molars, the app lets you know and gives you feedback. You can even share your toothbrushing data with your dentist or hygienist and an Oral B spokesperson told me me at an event at Mobile World Congress last week, that you own your toothbrushing data, so you're not even sharing it with the company. If that doesn't strike your fancy, how about the Johnny Walker smart scotch bottle that protects the product along the supply chain ensuring that nobody has opened it along the journey or how about a smart car? I wrote last week about a new Volvo that uses sensors to detect black ice and transmits data to the cloud, where it can warn other drivers coming down the same road about the impending danger. There are companies using sensors to track shipments; to warn when perishables in warehouses might be going bad; that tell you when a piece of equipment is about to fail; when to heat or cool our houses or office buildings; track school busses and use cases we probably haven't even imagined. These sensors will add information to an ever-growing network of connected devices producing mountains of data. The trick will be harnessing all of this information instead of drowning in it. But if you consider what Tim O'Reilly once said, " The guy with the most data wins ," then we're about to make the race a whole lot more interesting.
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Let's take a look at some of the things fantasy owners should keep in mind about each National League team's offense as we project their lineups. Arizona Diamondbacks LF David Peralta CF A.J. Pollock 1B Paul Goldschmidt RF Mark Trumbo 2B Aaron Hill 3B Yasmany Tomas SS Chris Owings C Tuffy Gosewisch The lineup hinges on the ability of Cuban import Tomas to play adequate defense at the hot corner. If he sticks, the D'backs still have plenty of overall depth in the outfield with Ender Inciarte and Cody Ross. If he doesn't, prospect Jake Lamb could see meaningful at-bats at third. Pollock missed half of the season with a broken hand, but he's a breakout-in-waiting after batting .302 and slugging .498. Goldschmidt and Trumbo are 30-homer threats. Keep an eye on prospect Pete O'Brien, who's the club's best offensive threat behind the plate. Atlanta Braves RF Nick Markakis SS Andrelton Simmons 1B Freddie Freeman 3B Chris Johnson 2B Alberto Callaspo LF Zoilo Almonte C Christian Bethancourt CF Eury Perez Markakis is slowly working his way back from offseason neck surgery. He expects to be ready by the time the regular season starts. Freeman walked in a career-high 12.7% of his plate appearances last season; look for that number to go even higher in 2015. Callaspo has a .330 career on-base percentage, but it was .290 last year. It might only be a matter of time before top prospect Jose Peraza arrives to take over the starting spot at second. Speedy Perez likely will hold down the job in center for the first month until Melvin (formerly B.J.) Upton returns from a foot injury. Chicago Cubs CF Dexter Fowler LF Chris Coghlan SS Starlin Castro 1B Anthony Rizzo RF Jorge Soler C Miguel Montero 3B Arismendy Alcantara 2B Javier Baez Fowler and his .366 career on-base percentage are well-suited for the top of the order. Rizzo had 32 homers and a .913 on-base-plus-slugging percentage at age 24. The Cubs are in no hurry to add top third-base prospect Kris Bryant to the 40-man roster. A debut in late May or early June seems realistic. Baez possesses light-tower power, but he also hit .169 and struck out in 41.5% of his plate appearances last season after being promoted from the minors. Look for Tommy La Stella or Alcantara to be in the mix at second if Baez continues to have trouble making contact. Mike Olt could see playing time at third until Bryant is called up. Cincinnati Reds CF Billy Hamilton 3B Todd Frazier 1B Joey Votto C Devin Mesoraco RF Jay Bruce LF Marlon Byrd 2B Brandon Phillips SS Zack Cozart A modest 20- to 30-point increase in Hamilton's on-base percentage could lead to upwards of 60 steals and 90 runs. Manager Bryan Price wants the team to be aggressive on the basepaths , so don't be surprised if Frazier swipes 20 again in addition to hitting 30 homers. If Votto and Bruce are healthy, there's no way this offense will rank 28th in scoring again. Mesoraco is one of the game's few legitimate power-hitting catchers. Colorado Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon RF Carlos Gonzalez SS Troy Tulowitzki 1B Justin Morneau 3B Nolan Arenado LF Corey Dickerson C Nick Hundley 2B DJ LeMahieu The key to this offense is simple: Tulowitzki (an average of 88 games the past three seasons) and Gonzalez (average of 105 over the same span) must stay healthy. Both are being eased into spring games and could get extra days off during the regular season. Blackmon led the team with 28 steals, and Dickerson was tops in homers with 24. Drew Stubbs could spell either against lefties. Arenado played in 111 games but hit 18 homers with a .500 slugging percentage. Morneau is the reigning NL batting champion (.319). Wilin Rosario totaled 49 homers in 2012 and 2013, but his defensive issues behind the plate make him the secondary option to Hundley and a possibility at first base against lefties. Los Angeles Dodgers SS Jimmy Rollins LF Carl Crawford RF Yasiel Puig 1B Adrian Gonzalez 2B Howie Kendrick C Yasmani Grandal CF Joc Pederson 3B Juan Uribe Even at 36, Rollins can be counted on for at least 20 steals and 600 at-bats. Crawford and Puig should run more frequently as the Dodgers offense looks to make up for the offseason losses of Dee Gordon, Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp. Top prospect Pederson will get every opportunity to win the job in center field. He's a much better defender than veteran Andre Ethier, and he's coming off a 33-homer, 30-steal season in the minor leagues. OF-1B Scott Van Slyke will see plenty of action against left-handed starters, so he could be a valuable late-rounder in deep leagues. Miami Marlins 2B Dee Gordon LF Christian Yelich RF Giancarlo Stanton 1B Michael Morse 3B Martin Prado CF Marcell Ozuna C Jarrod Saltalamacchia SS Adeiny Hechavarria Gordon (majors-best 64 steals) should continue to get the green light, though he needs to get on base more. Yelich (.365 OBP in two MLB seasons) and Prado (.340 career) could easily fill the top two spots. Stanton likely would have topped 40 home runs if he hadn't been hit in the face by a pitch and missed the final three weeks of the season. Veterans Morse and Prado join Ozuna, 24, to provide ample lineup protection. However, this lineup will produce a lot of strikeouts for opposing pitchers. Milwaukee Brewers 2B Scooter Gennett C Jonathan Lucroy RF Ryan Braun 3B Aramis Ramirez CF Carlos Gomez 1B Adam Lind LF Khris Davis SS Jean Segura Is Gennett leadoff material? He is against right-handed pitchers as his .307/.338/.464 slash line (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) against them last season shows. He'll likely hit eighth vs. lefties. Gomez could wind up in the leadoff spot, but that would be a waste of his power skills as 17 of his 23 home runs last season came with the bases empty. Lucroy's ailing hamstring is progressing ahead of schedule, and he might be ready for opening day. Braun seems to be fully recovered from the thumb injury that hampered him for the past two years. Lind destroys right-handed pitchers (.510 career slugging percentage). New York Mets CF Juan Lagares RF Curtis Granderson 3B David Wright 1B Lucas Duda LF Michael Cuddyer 2B Daniel Murphy C Travis d'Arnaud SS Wilmer Flores Lagares' superior defense will keep him in the lineup every day, but he'll need to prove last year's .341 batting average on balls in play wasn't a fluke to stay at the top of the batting order. Wright posted career lows in home runs (eight), stolen bases (8-for-13) and walk rate (7.2%). A shoulder issue might be partly to blame, but it's fair to ask if he's beginning the inevitable decline at age 32. Shoulder and hamstring injuries limited Cuddyer to 49 games last season. Will he be as much of an offensive force after leaving Colorado? Duda is coming off a career year (30 homers, 92 RBI), but he struggles terribly against lefties. 1B-OF John Mayberry Jr. (.243/.341/.571 vs. lefties in 2014) makes a nice platoon partner. Ruben Tejada, 25, and prospect Dilson Herrera, 21, will compete with Flores for the starting job at short. Philadelphia Phillies CF Ben Revere 2B Chase Utley C Carlos Ruiz 1B Ryan Howard RF Domonic Brown LF Grady Sizemore 3B Cody Asche SS Freddy Galvis The rebuilding Phillies might have the most difficult lineup to figure out with the one lock being Revere in the leadoff spot. He should be good for a .300 average and 40 steals, but will the other hitters be able to drive him in? Again, there's the seemingly annual conundrum of whether to split up the big left-handed bats of Utley and Howard. But except for Ruiz and switch-hitting Galvis, everyone else is left-handed as well. 1B-OF Darin Ruf and 3B prospect Maikel Franco could be in position to take advantage. An All-Star two years ago, Brown (.235, 10 home runs in 2014) is entering a make-or-break season at age 27. Pittsburgh Pirates 3B Josh Harrison LF Starling Marte CF Andrew McCutchen 2B Neil Walker 1B Pedro Alvarez SS Jordy Mercer RF Gregory Polanco C Francisco Cervelli The emergence of Harrison (.315, 13 homers, 18 steals) was a revelation last season and allows Alvarez to move across the diamond and not worry as much about his defense. Perhaps a return to the 30 homers Alvarez hit in 2012 and 2013 could be in store as well. Marte, 26, is a popular breakout candidate with almost all of his advanced metrics trending upward. Polanco needs to show he can hit lefties before fantasy owners can fully buy in to his tantalizing power/speed potential. Walker led all second basemen in homers last year with 23. Mercer is the incumbent at short, but Jung-Ho Kang could unseat him if he shows he can hit major league pitching anywhere close to the way he did last year in the Korean league (40 homers, 117 RBI, .739 slugging percentage in 117 games). St. Louis Cardinals 3B Matt Carpenter RF Jason Heyward LF Matt Holliday 1B Matt Adams C Yadier Molina SS Jhonny Peralta 2B Kolten Wong CF Jon Jay Carpenter doesn't have fantasy eligibility at second base anymore, but don't downgrade him too far because he'll still get on base often and score plenty. Heyward looks like a good fit for the No. 2 spot, but any move lower in the order would give him more chances to drive in runs and steal bases. Veterans Holliday, Molina and Peralta are all at least 32 so be careful paying for last year's stats. Adams could sit against tough left-handers in favor of Mark Reynolds. Now firmly established as a starter, Wong is a nice breakout candidate after hitting 12 homers and stealing 20 bases in 113 games. San Diego Padres CF Wil Myers 1B Yonder Alonso RF Matt Kemp LF Justin Upton 2B Jedd Gyorko 3B Will Middlebrooks C Derek Norris SS Alexi Amarista Myers is the early favorite to lead off, but Yangervis Solarte could be in the mix if he earns a majority of the playing time at third base ahead of Middlebrooks. If that's the case, Alonso likely will end up hitting behind Upton and receive more RBI opportunities. Upton and Kemp were acquired to give the majors' lowest-scoring offense an infusion of power. They should still be home run threats, despite playing half of their games in one of MLB's most pitcher-friendly parks. Former starting outfielders Cameron Maybin and Will Venable have been relegated to the bench. Gyorko hit 23 homers in 2013 but 10 last season as he battled foot problems. He's a good rebound candidate who should come cheaply. San Francisco Giants CF Angel Pagan LF Nori Aoki 1B Brandon Belt C Buster Posey 3B Casey McGehee RF Gregor Blanco 2B Joe Panik SS Brandon Crawford Right fielder Hunter Pence's broken forearm creates a major stumbling block for an offense that lost 3B Pablo Sandoval and 1B-OF Michael Morse to free agency. Fortunately for the Giants, Pence isn't expected to miss much more than the first month of the regular season. Juan Perez or playoff hero Travis Ishikawa could get a temporary bump in playing time. Belt looked like he was on his way to shattering his career high in home runs, but a thumb injury and a concussion limited him to 61 games. A power breakout in his age-27 season shouldn't surprise anyone. MVP candidate Posey will start at first against some lefties, with Andrew Susac taking over behind the plate. Washington Nationals CF Denard Span 3B Anthony Rendon LF Jayson Werth 1B Ryan Zimmerman RF Bryce Harper SS Ian Desmond C Wilson Ramos 2B Yunel Escobar Span posted a career-high 31 steals last season at age 30, but he is out 4-6 weeks after surgery to repair an abdominal muscle. Rookie Michael Taylor should step in until Span is ready. Rendon led the NL with 111 runs, and his eligibility at two shallow positions (second and third bases) makes him exceptionally valuable in NL-only leagues. Werth had shoulder surgery in January and likely will begin the season on the disabled list, opening up early at-bats for Nate McLouth if he can recover from his own shoulder surgery. Zimmerman's move to first should give his shoulder and hamstring a better chance to stay healthy. It also will qualify him at a third position, in addition to eligibility at third base and outfield. Harper, 22, made significant strides last season against left-handed pitchers. If he stays healthy, he could put up MVP-caliber numbers.
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MUNICH (AP) The only time Bayern Munich went out of a European competition after drawing the first leg away 0-0 was in 1981 against Liverpool, which advanced with a 1-1 draw in Munich. The other five times, the Bavarians went through and they hope to do it again on Wednesday against Shakhtar Donetsk. Bayern only managed a 0-0 draw in Ukraine and will have to be wary of Shakhtar's counterattack. The Ukrainian team will go through with any draw other than 0-0. Here are some things to know about Wednesday's match: --- BAYERN'S VULNERABILITY If Pep Guardiola's team has one weak link it is defending against counterattacks. Guardiola's lateral defenders often move into the midfield to give his team an advantage there. But that can make the back vulnerable to counterattacks, as demonstrated by Real Madrid in last season's 4-0 semifinal win in Munich. ''Their forwards are as fast as the wind,'' Bayern director Matthias Sammer said of Donetsk. ''We are ready but we are also modest and we know that we are facing a dangerous opponent.'' --- GOOD FOR BUNDESLIGA Guardiola thinks Shakhtar is good enough for the Bundesliga. ''If Shakhtar was playing in the Bundesliga, it would be contesting for the title. If we let them run, then we'll be kaputt,'' Guardiola said of Shakhtar's strength on the break. ''We have to control the counter and create more chances than in the first leg,'' Guardiola said, adding that Bayern's elimination would be ''a big problem for me.'' --- KNOWING THEIR JOB The Donetsk team is stacked with Brazilians and Bayern players think stopping the forwards will do the job. ''Donetsk is dangerous, but it only had one chance in the home leg,'' Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said. ''It's a game we simply have to go out and win. We like these situations. ''We know we have to be cautious and keep their counterattacks under control,'' Neuer said. --- DANTE OUT? Dante, Bayern's other Brazilian defender apart from Rafinha, has been struggling in recent matches and was substituted after only 32 minutes in Saturday's 3-1 win in Hannover. Guardiola insisted after the match that the move was tactical, since he brought in a forward, Robert Lewandowski, for Dante. But the German media is speculating that Dante may be released by Bayern once the season is over. --- EXTRA MOTIVATION Shakhtar has been forced to play its games away from its home in Donetsk because of the unrest in eastern Ukraine. Some players feel this may not be such a handicap. ''The fact that we are a long way away from home, our only motivation is to play to win, so that our people in Donetsk can support us and rejoice with us,'' Shakhtar defender Yaroslav Rakitskiy. ''The most important thing is that we didn't concede a goal. We have a good chance now to beat Bayern. We will see on the day.''
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The biggest cities in the United States can often be the most alluring for travelers. These sprawling metropolises offer art, culture, renowned sports teams, trendy restaurants and swanky nightlife venues. Still, even as these cities widen your horizons and expand your worldview, they also have a tendency to drain your bank account. Los Angeles Do tread in the footsteps (and handprints) of the stars for free in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre. If you want to shop, but don't want to max out your credit cards, pick up a souvenir or two in Venice Beach (a great people-watching spot) or check out Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade or Santa Monica Place. For a magnificent view of the Pacific Coast, take a jog or a walk in Palisades Park. You should also plan on stopping by the gorgeous Getty Center and Getty Villa, both of which offer free admission. Eat tacos, ramen and dumplings in LA. These three staples are quite affordable if you know where to look: West LA's Santouka Ramen, LA proper's Luscious Dumplings and downtown's Mariscos Jalisco. Stay in a room centralized to the attractions you're interested in seeing. LA is a sprawling beast of a city with terrible traffic, so you'll want to stay as close as possible to the things to do. Absolutely do not spend all of your time and gas money driving around this enormous city. Plan your itinerary carefully and steer clear of the 405 Freeway to make the most of your time in LA. New York City Do visit the Museum of Modern Art when it's free on Friday afternoons from 4 to 8 p.m. Or, visit the Guggenheim and name your own admission price on Saturdays, from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. During the day, spend time strolling through Central Park: all that green won't cost you any of your own. Buy same-day discount theater tickets through TDF, or book very far in advance for free admittance to a TV show taping. Eat bagels, pizza and really just about any cuisine imaginable, and you won't break the bank. However, if you're looking to dine in the city's multi-starred establishments, book your trip during one of NYC's twice-annual restaurant weeks when more affordable prix-fixe menus are available. You'll be able to dine at some of the city's top restaurants, such as the East Village's Narcissa or Central Park's Tavern on the Green, for a fraction of the cost. Stay in outer boroughs like Queens or Brooklyn (instead of Manhattan) to save some cash. You might also consider booking your stay through Airbnb. Rooms or entire apartments can be cheaper than hotels, plus you'll have access to more cost-effective amenities, including a kitchen. Regardless of where you choose to hang your hat, make sure you're within walking distance of a subway station to travel through the city quickly and cheaply. Absolutely do not take taxis. Discipline yourself to take public transportation and you'll have already saved some serious cash. Miami Do spend lots of time basking in the sun. Even if you're not staying at a beachfront hotel with complimentary lounge chairs and towel service, you can still share the sand at Lummus Park in South Beach. You'll just need to tote your own towel. When it comes to nightlife, bypass the city's expensive clubs in favor of its more affordable cultural events. If you plan your trip for the second Saturday of the month, you'll be to take advantage of the free art walk in the Wynwood Arts District. You can also view films outside at New World Center on Wednesdays and Thursdays through May 28, thanks to the Miami Beach SoundScape Cinema Series. Eat very well during Miami Spice, an event that takes place from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30, where some of Miami's best restaurants offer prix-fixe, three-course menus at lunch and dinner for $23 and $39, respectively. You can also hunt out some affordable mom and pop Cuban eateries in Little Havana. Stay in one of the city's smaller hotels. Places like Freehand Miami, Sanctuary South Beach, Yve Hotel Miami or The Vagabond Hotel, all of which boast central locations at a fraction of the rates of neighboring resorts. Absolutely do not stick around the resort for your meals. Some of the city's hotels contain numerous restaurants that offer mediocre food for gut-wrenching prices Chicago Do view the Windy City from the Navy Pier, the Lincoln Park Zoo and the reflection of "The Bean" in Millennium Park. Each of these vantage points can be enjoyed free of charge. If you want to see several of the city's top attractions, but don't want to shell out the pricey admission fees for each, it would be worth your while to purchase a Chicago City Pass. The pass grants you entrance to five popular attractions, including the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago, for under $100. Eat some deep dish pizza. Lou Malnati's, Gino's East and Giordano's are all popular places. Consult Chicago Mag for further recommendations on tasty dishes, each less than $10. Stay in the city. Even if you score a good room rate out by O'Hare Airport, (and there are usually great room rates out that way), you'll be paying the difference in the frustration it takes to commute the hour or so into the city each day. Absolutely do not rent a car. You can get most places in the city by mass transit, and parking fees can cost you anywhere from $30 to $60 a day. San Francisco Do take a cable car ride. For just a handful of dollars, visitors can enjoy the iconic experience of traversing the city's steep hills on a San Fran cable car. Visits to Alcatraz Island and Muir Woods, two of the city's must-dos, will run you a bit more. However, if you book a combined tour through a company like Viator, you can save. Touring the city's colorful neighborhoods on foot is absolutely free; stop by Alamo Square's "Painted Ladies" while on your jaunt. You can also walk across the Golden Gate Bridge for free, and then climb to Battery Spencer on the Marin County side of the bridge for a postcard-worthy photo op. Starting in late spring, a handful of festivals are free to the public, including Shakespeare in the Park and SFJazz Summerfest. Eat in the Mission District. Experts suggest places like San Jalisco, Taqueria Cancún and Old Jerusalem because they are as delicious as they are cheap. You might also venture to the congregation of food trucks at the SOMA StrEat Food Park. Stay in small boutique hotels and bed-and-breakfasts rather than brand-backed properties. Try out the Inn on Castro or Nob Hill Inn for decent-priced room rates in interesting neighborhoods. Absolutely do not rent a car in San Francisco. Parking fees are exorbitant, and the city's efficient public transportation system makes it easy to get around.
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Masai Ujiri had some not-too-kind words for the Brooklyn Nets during last year's playoffs. And apparently, he doesn't regret them. The Toronto Raptors general manager made headlines during last season's first-round playoff series against the Nets by screaming, "F--- Brooklyn!" at a Raptors fan rally. Ujiri incurred a fine after the incident and did issue an apology, but he doesn't seem too sorry for those comments now. From ESPN's Mike Mazzeo : Clearly, Ujiri isn't the biggest fan of the Nets ... for whatever reason. So now he has one-sided rivalries with both the teams located in New York. The former Denver Nuggets GM once absconded with loads of talent from the Knicks for Carmelo Anthony. Then, after arriving in Toronto, he dialed up the orange and blue again to, somehow, finagle multiple draft picks for what was left of Andrea Bargnani. Knicks fans haven't forgiven him. Now, it appears Ujiri is just trying to jeer all 25 million who call the Tri-State area home. Unfortunately, it's becoming more and more unlikely Ujiri will get his wish to see Brooklyn in the postseason. The 25-36 Nets may only be 2.5 games back of the No. 8 seed in the East, but they're current losers of three straight and sit 11th overall in the conference. It doesn't appear there's any way they could finish higher than seventh. Toronto, meanwhile, has relinquished its top-two seeding, which it's held almost all season, to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Having lost eight of their past nine, the Raptors seem unlikely to regain that standing. So, Ujiri isn't going to get what he wants, but at least we can watch some fun trash talk from a GM. When do we ever get to see that?
| 1 | 10,992 |
sports
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If you're an advertiser, it's likely someone on Facebook is talking about your product. But what are they saying? And who, specifically, is doing all the talking? Those are answers Facebook is now offering to marketers. The company announced Tuesday that advertisers can mine "topic data" from Facebook posts basically scrape those posts for keywords and phrases in hopes of understanding what people are saying about a particular product. That means if Coke wants to find out what people are saying about Pepsi, it can get that info as one anonymous batch of data. Coke can then see the group's general demographic info like gender, age, and location to determine which specific subgroups are interested in the search term. Advertisers can also see associated words, that is, words that appear regularly alongside the target word. In this example, associated words might be "thirsty" or "challenge." The point of all this is to give marketers a better idea of what Facebook users are saying about certain topics or keywords, Matt Idema, Facebook director for ads product marketing told Re/code in an interview. The result will be more relevant Facebook ads, he said, or perhaps even an altered product roadmap if companies find people are clamoring for one product over the other. The cost for users is that advertisers will be gleaning this information from Facebook posts, both public or privately shared. (The only exception is posts you share to "only me.") This data will be anonymized, Idema said, which means you may be just one of a thousand males from California talking about a specific product. The new data collection means Facebook is taking stock of the things you share on the service. But that's not new, said Idema, as Facebook already does this to show you ads targeted to your particular demographic. The difference is that it used to keep this data internally. An advertiser could select a target audience, but Facebook was the one administering the ads and looking at the data. Now it's offering this general data to those outside Facebook. For now, Facebook won't make any money off this topic data, said Idema. The benefit to the social network is that advertisers will know more about the Facebook audience. And for Facebook, the theory is that companies will be encouraged to use the info to run more ads on Facebook, so that's where the money is ultimately supposed to come in. The company is partnering with DataSift to license the information, which, as it happens, is also one of only two independent companies that resells Twitter's full stream of tweets. Topic data is available beginning Tuesday in the U.S. and U.K., according to Idema. It'll expand internationally eventually, but no timeline has been set.
| 5 | 10,993 |
news
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Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez told his fiancée that he had gotten drunk and taken a man he is accused of murdering to an apartment he rented near the team's stadium, according to a text message shown in court on Tuesday. Hernandez, 25, is accused of killing semiprofessional football player Odin Lloyd, who was dating his fiancée's sister, and is on trial at Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River, Massachusetts, on murder and firearms charges. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Prosecutors contend the former NFL star and two friends, Ernest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz, picked up Lloyd at his Boston home in the early hours of June 17, 2013, and drove him to an industrial park near Hernandez's house in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, where his bullet-riddled body was found later that day. Wallace and Ortiz have also been charged with murder and will be tried separately. On Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bomberg showed jurors a text message on Lloyd's cell phone that prosecutors have said was sent by Hernandez to his fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins, two days before the murder, referring to Lloyd and saying he had made a mistake. "I didn't mean to but got drunk ... and O took care of me an somehow tol him bout my other spot and I just woke up buggin im sorry and on way home," the message read. Jenkins was listed in Lloyd's phone as "Boss Lady." The "other spot" was a reference to an apartment Hernandez rented in Franklin, Massachusetts, where police also discovered five boxes of .45-caliber cartridges during their investigation of the shooting. Lloyd was killed with a .45-caliber handgun, but the weapon used in the murder has not been recovered. On Monday, a woman who babysat Hernandez's and Jenkins' daughter testified that the former tight end drove her and a friend to the Franklin apartment after they bumped into him while leaving a Boston nightclub around 2 a.m. on June 15, 2013. Jennifer Fortier said Lloyd was riding in the passenger seat of the SUV driven by Hernandez, and that they said they were going to "the spot." At the apartment, Fortier said Hernandez kissed her before she asked him to stop. Hernandez's defense team has argued their client had no reason to kill Lloyd because the two were friends. (Reporting by Daniel Lovering; Editing by Scott Malone and Eric Beech)
| 1 | 10,994 |
sports
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It's a tough day for the S&P. Is a market correction on the horizon? And is now the time to get protection? With CNBC's Courtney Reagan and the Futures Now Traders.
| 3 | 10,995 |
finance
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We tend to be wary when it comes to the meat or dairy products in our refrigerator, but rarely err on the side of caution when it comes to our vegetables. A report issued by the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC), a partnership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has revealed the top sources of foodborne illnesses, and it appears we have to be more vigilant in the vegetable aisle at the supermarket. According to the CDC , 48 million people or one out of every six Americans suffer from a foodborne illness each year. An additional 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die. Estimating illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths caused by foodborne illnesses remains an important health practice. This is the first time all three federal agencies have combined data on food safety. IFSAC researchers focused on the four most common and severe pathogens, including E.coli O157, Salmonella , Campylobacter , and Listeria . These four pathogens result in 1.9 million cases of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. each year. Data included around 1,000 foodborne illness outbreaks that occurred between 1998 and 2012. "The pathogens were chosen because of the frequency or severity of the illnesses they cause, and because targeted interventions can have a significant impact in reducing them," the FDA said in a statement . Seedy vegetables, such as tomatoes or zucchini, accounted for 18 percent of Salmonella cases compared to fruit at 12 percent, eggs at 12 percent, chicken at 10 percent, beef at nine percent, pork at eight percent, and sprouts at eight percent. Beef and vegetable row crops, like leafy vegetables, also accounted for over 80 percent of all E. coli O157 cases. Fruit accounted for half of all Listeria illnesses, while 31 percent of cases were attributed to dairy. The number of Listeria cases attributed to fruit reflected a single large outbreak in 2011 linked to cantaloupes. Dairy also contributed to 66 percent of Campylobacter cases along with smaller percentages from chicken, seafood, and vegetables. The majority of dairy outbreaks covered by the report were due to raw milk or cheese produced from raw milk. Attribution of foodborne illnesses is often a complicated endeavor based on how many different foods we can find at a grocery store. Tracking the source of a foodborne illness would be much easier if we ate food items one at a time. However, we generally consume an array of different ingredients in one bite. To simplify the attribution of sources of foodborne illnesses, the CDC has developed a basic list of 17 food categories based on the nature of the food source, such as fish, beef, or leafy vegetables. Source: Foodborne Illness Source Attribution Estimates for Salmonella , Escherichia coli O157 ( E. coli O157), Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), and Campylobacter using Outbreak Surveillance Data. 2015.
| 7 | 10,996 |
health
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The New England Patriots will not pick up Darrelle Revis' $20 million option, which makes Revis a free agent. What team do you see making a run for Revis Island?
| 1 | 10,997 |
sports
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There's a big story in cosmetic health care today. A Food and Drug Administration panel has voted unanimously to recommend approval of a double chin-reducing injectable drug, the The Wall Street Journal reports . Here's how the company puts it : KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:KYTH) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee has voted unanimously to support the approval of ATX-101 (deoxycholic acid) injection for improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe convexity or fullness associated with submental fat in adults, which is often referred to as a double chin.... Investors have generally been excited about the drug: though shares in developer Kythera Biopharmaceuticals are down by around 1.5% since the announcement, they are up nearly 60 percent since talk of the drug started to emerge last summer. "We are pleased that the FDA advisory committee recognized the importance of providing patients with a clinically-proven treatment option specifically developed to contour submental fullness, a much-cited yet undertreated facial aesthetic complaint," chief medical officer Frederick C. Beddingfield. The could launch as soon as later this year. One analyst cited by the Journal expects sales of the drug, dubbed ATX-101, to raise upward of $300 million annually. That would be good news for Kythera, which recently reported a $135 million loss for 2014. They're planning a $125 million share offering to develop the drug if it's approved, the Journal reported.
| 7 | 10,998 |
health
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PARMA, Ohio (AP) Police say a group of adults attacked employees at a Chuck E. Cheese's in a Cleveland suburb when a manager didn't respond quickly enough to a complaint about a malfunctioning photo booth. A Parma police spokesman says six employees of the child friendly restaurant and arcade were attacked and injured Sunday night. Lt. Kevin Riley said Tuesday that police have a number of leads and tips and hope to make arrests in the next few days. He says at least five men attacked the employees of the Irving, Texas-based chain while a dozen partygoers urged them on. The attack apparently began after a woman told the manager a photo booth wasn't working and the manager told her she'd have to wait.
| 5 | 10,999 |
news
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