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Longhorn head coach Rick Barnes talks Iowa State, after defeating Texas Tech in the first round of the Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship.
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By Larry Brown Police responded to a stabbing that occurred inside TD Garden Wednesday night just before the ending of the Celtics-Grizzlies game. Boston police spokesman David Estrada said the victim, a male, was taken to Mass. General Hospital, The Boston Globe reports . The man does not have life-threatening injuries. The stabbing reportedly occurred around 9:45 p.m. just before the ending of the game. No arrests have been made and no suspects are in custody. The team undoubtedly has to be concerned about how a fan was able to get a knife (or whatever weapon was used) past security. We knew Celtics fans could be a rowdy bunch , but you never expect someone to be stabbed during a game.
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Indonesia signaled on Thursday that it was not likely to execute foreigners on death row for at least the next 16 days after the attorney general's office said that a group of 10 convicts would be executed together. The 10 people convicted of drugs offences have mostly been transferred to the prison island of Nusakambangan for execution by firing squad. They include citizens of Australia, France, Brazil, the Philippines, Ghana, Nigeria and Indonesia. On Thursday, an appeal by two Australians in the group against the rejection of a clemency request by the president was postponed until March 19. A decision on a separate court appeal by a French convict was postponed on Wednesday until March 25. "There has been no change of plans from the AGO that all executions will be all at once," the attorney general's spokesman Tony Spontana told reporters, adding that sentences would not be carried out until "everything is clear". However, Spontana added later than an option of carrying out the executions in smaller groups was still being discussed by officials but no decision had been made. If the appeals are rejected, the government will still have to give 72 hours notice before it carries out the executions. Australia has been pursuing an eleventh-hour campaign to save the lives of its citizens Myuran Sukumaran, 33, and Andrew Chan, 31, convicted in 2005 as the ringleaders of a plot to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia. Australia's campaign and repeated pleas for mercy have helped ramp up diplomatic tensions with Indonesia. Indonesia has harsh penalties for drug trafficking and resumed executions in 2013 after a five-year gap. Five foreigners were among six people executed last month, the first executions since President Joko Widodo took office in October. "There has been a lot of pressure from the international community," Widodo told reporters on Thursday, adding that he had not had any direct contact with Australian representatives aside from communication with Prime Minister Tony Abbott two weeks ago. "I have conveyed many times - this is the sovereignty of our law," Widodo added. "I don't have to repeat myself." Among those on death row, a Filipina convict has appealed to the Supreme Court and a decision could come as early as this week, local media reported. Brazilian national Rodrigo Gularte's family has pleaded for clemency on the grounds of mental illness. The attorney general told reporters in Jakarta last week the prisoner was being examined by medical professionals. Officials were still waiting for the results. Australia's offer to pay for the costs of imprisoning its citizens for life as an alternative to execution was rejected by the Indonesian foreign office on Thursday. "We emphasize that this is not an issue of negotiation," spokesman Armanatha Nasir told reporters. "This is upholding the law. If a country starts to negotiate law, that is a form of violation. So I emphasize that there is no negotiation." Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she had not heard of any rejection after talks with her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi. "These were preliminary discussions. I'm yet to have a response on that specific issue," Bishop told reporters in Perth. Bishop however said Marsudi rejected an offer of a prisoner swap, with the Australians being exchanged for three Indonesians being held in Australia. (Additional reporting by Cindy Silviana in Jakarta and Colin Packham in Sydney; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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How many women gain too much weight during pregnancy?
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By Ricky Doyle While Pablo Sandoval didn't exactly rip the San Francisco Giants, the Boston Red Sox third baseman's recent critical comments still were surprising. Just ask Giants assistant general manager Bobby Evans, who handles most of San Francisco's contract negotiations. Sandoval told Bleacher Report's Scott Miller the decision to leave San Francisco and sign with Boston over the offseason was "not hard at all" because he felt disrespected by the Giants' approach to discussions. Evans, clearly taken aback by the comments , saw things differently. "I was never given any indication that Pablo was 'done with the Giants,' " Evans told The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo. "In fact, he was apologetic that he could not accept our offer at the time and that he needed to wait, and he expressed to me that he wanted to stay with the Giants. And we certainly wanted him to stay with us as well." According to Evans, the Giants offered Sandoval a four-year contract extension last spring training worth $85 million. The deal also included a vesting option that had very reasonable incentives, Evans told Cafardo, yet Sandoval decided to play out the season and test free agency. Sandoval ultimately signed a five-year, $95 million contract with the Red Sox in November, and the two-time All-Star has said several times he left money on the table to sign with Boston. According to Evans, the Giants, who made their first offseason offer the day after their World Series parade, matched the Red Sox's offer and were prepared to increase their bid if it meant bringing back a franchise cornerstone. "This is a player who was extremely popular with our fan base," Evans told Cafardo. "I hope he'll always be looked upon in a very positive way and that he can look back with appreciation of what he helped accomplish, being a huge part of three championships." Sandoval was asked about his comments Tuesday at Red Sox spring training in Fort Myers. The 28-year-old defended his stance , though he also chose to focus on his love for Boston rather than any lingering animosity toward San Francisco. Perhaps most surprising to Evans was that Sandoval told Miller he only missed manager Bruce Bochy and outfielder Hunter Pence from his days in San Francisco. After all, Kung Fu Panda seemed like such a happy-go-lucky guy throughout his seven seasons in the Bay Area. "Pablo was a great teammate and I know he loved all of his teammates," Evans told Cafardo. "That's not the Pablo I remember or that his teammates remember. He showed a great caring for everyone. "I don't take what he said literally. I give him the benefit of the doubt. He's an emotional guy, very passionate about the game. I don't hold this as an example of who he is. "He was a great player for us and we appreciate everything he did." Sandoval's exit from San Francisco wasn't a disaster, nor was it as amicable as originally believed. Perhaps it's time to simply focus on the future.
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All five Dukes touch the ball before Derrick Colter drains the three-pointer as Duquesne defeats Saint Louis picking up its first A-10 tournament victory in six years.
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Adam Scott tied for fourth at the WGC-Cadillac Championship after a three-month layoff from golf. Scott spoke about getting back into the swing of things.
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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho believes Paris Saint-Germain defender David Luiz should be suspended for the Champions League quarterfinals after appearing to elbow Diego Costa during their last-16 tie on Wednesday. The former Chelsea defender fought a running battle with the Blues striker throughout the fixture, which finished 2-2 and saw PSG advance to the last eight via the away goals rule, and the pair clashed off the ball before Luiz scored a dramatic header to force extra time. The Brazilian was named UEFA's Man of the Match for his decisive performance but Mourinho insists that Luiz should be suspended for the next round if it can be proven that he intended to hurt Costa, while he also believes that Zlatan Ibrahimovic should have his red card rescinded. The Sweden international was dismissed in the first half after a late tackle on Oscar, but Mourinho who was also aggrieved that his side was not awarded a penalty believes that Bjorn Kuiper's decision to brandish the red card was a harsh one. "The David [Luiz] elbow I didn't see, but when UEFA gives him the Man of the Match I have to believe there is no elbow," he told reporters. "He played very, very well and I have to believe no elbow because I can't believe that UEFA gives the Man of the Match to someone that made an aggression. "So maybe because they cannot give us the penalty now, they can do what is fair from the disciplinary point of view and suspend David and let Ibra play the quarterfinals, because he deserves it." Costa was also at the center of Mourinho's penalty appeals, with the Spain international going down in the box after being clipped by Edinson Cavani, and the Portuguese has criticized the role of the fifth official in the decision. "It's a clear penalty on Diego Costa and once more I think it's a waste of time and money to have the officials on the side of the goal because normally they do nothing," he added. "If he's there just to see if the ball crosses the line, the goal-line technology is obviously much better. "If he can't see a penalty 10 meters in front of him where it's completely clean, it's a waste of time and money. The official there does absolutely nothing."
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The seventh seeded Longhorns defeat number 10 Texas Tech 65-53 on their way to the quarterfinals. Hear what head coach Rick Barnes has to say about the win.
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Alibaba is investing $200 million in SnapChat, a messaging app that allows users to send disappearing photos and is currently banned in China, according to a person at Alibaba who is familiar with the deal. Key to the deal was Imran Khan, who was hired by Snapchat as Chief Strategy Officer last December, the source said. Khan was formerly head of Asia investment banking at Credit Suisse and was instrumental to executing Alibaba's massive IPO in the U.S.. Khan has been credited for raising Credit Suisse's stature in tech banking. Alibaba was in talks with Snapchat last year but the rumored investment did not take place ahead of its IPO. Bloomberg reported that the latest round would give Snapchat a $15 billion valuation, which the source declined to confirm. Snapchat had previously raised close to $650 million in six rounds of funding and turned down a $3 billion acquisition offer from Facebook. Its investors include Yahoo and Alibaba's Chinese rival Tencent. The app allows users to send photos and texts to friends that disappear after a few seconds. It has captured more than 100 million monthly active users but is yet to generate revenue. The company's co-founders, 24-year-old Evan Spiegel and 26-year-old Bobby Murphy, are among the world's youngest billionaires with a net worth of $1.5 billion each. With a market cap of over $200 billion and a large amount of cash on hand, Alibaba has been investing heavily overseas, targeting companies that could potentially help expand its e-commerce business and mobile presence. Some of the major deals include a $215 million investment in chat app Tango, and contribution to a $250 million round in ridesharing app Lyft. Although the exact synergy between Snapchat and Alibaba's businesses is still unclear, China's e-commerce giant has been pushing into new markets outside of the mainland. Last year, Alibaba held its annual Single's Day sale simultaneously in China and abroad for the first time. But traffic on its Tmall Global has remained "a fraction of that on Alibaba's other marketplaces," reported the WSJ in December.
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NEW YORK (AP) New York City's mayor has unveiled a comprehensive plan to curb jail violence after a visit to the problem-plagued Rikers Island jail complex. On Thursday, Bill de Blasio toured a newly opened 250-bed unit that jail officials call the Department of Correction's most dangerous. There currently are only 17 inmates housed in the highly restrictive unit. Under the new plan, officials say the "toughest, most violent inmates" will be housed together. Inmates affiliated with gangs will be separated. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that five inmates were stabbed or slashed in the week since officials locked down four Rikers facilities for 34 hours. The city is negotiating a settlement to a class-action lawsuit alleging widespread guard brutality. Federal attorneys have joined that suit.
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CNN's Jason Carroll looks at how the Greek college system struggles to break free of its segregated history.
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The Mountain West Network chats with New Mexico senior guard Antiesha Brown after the Lobos defeated defending tournament champion Fresno State, 64-53, in the second semifinal game of the 2015 Mountain West Basketball Championships.
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The Presidents' Trophy is awarded to the NHL team with the most points in the regular season, and the Ducks and Canadiens are tied for the lead. Will one of the two finish on top?
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Dwayne Wade on the Miami Heat win against the Brooklyn Nets, 104-98.
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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao held a press conference to promote their upcoming fight, and Mayweather didn't seem too enthusiastic.
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OKLAHOMA CITY Russell Westbrook kicked away another ball on the way to another triple-double, this time a notable performance thanks to his 10 turnovers. And there's a lesson to be learned in this for all: No matter how good Russell Westbrook has been, it's not good enough. Not this year, anyway. Maybe if Kevin Durant had been part of the program for say, oh, maybe a few more games here and there, but not this year. Not in this NBA economy. The Thunder lost to the Clippers Wednesday 120-108 on a night where Westbrook didn't carry the day and the team like we're so used to him doing. Yes, the Thunder guard who has won every award the NBA hands out and announces in the past day, week and month, but the other side of the story is that while Westbrook has been great, the Thunder are a ninth-place team. A half-game behind the New Orleans Pelicans who are playing without the pressure or expectation the Thunder burden on a daily basis. There were no MVPs handed out to Westbrook Wednesday. He was just 5-of-14 shooting for 24 points and the 10 turnovers. There are no MVPs handed out to players on ninth-place teams that miss the playoffs either. Hard to say at this point if OKC will be in the postseason, but it's easy to assume that unless Westbrook reaches another level or Durant starts playing some games, there will be no MVP for anyone in a Thunder jersey, no playoffs and no satisfaction. "Russ had a rough night," coach Scott Brooks said. "He's been beyond good for a long time. It wasn't one of his better nights. He'll bounce back. We struggled tonight. Tonight they (Clippers) had their way." Things probably get a bit better as soon as Friday, too. The Timberwovles come into town, followed by the Bulls on Sunday, so the Thunder and Westbrook will get a chance to steer the narrative back toward the one where he dominates and the Thunder become worthy of a team on the way to the playoffs. But until then you kind of have to wonder what it will take to get this team into the postseason because near impossible to believe that in a season where Westbrook has been compared to Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the past few weeks this team needs help to get into the playoffs. Yet, here we are. What an odd, strange journey it's been. Seems like it shouldn't quite be like this. "In my last four years we've been one of the top two teams in the West," Westbrook said. "It's not a test for us." And in the past four years we haven't looked at the standings from the bottom up, either. Sure, we can enjoy what Westbrook has done this season while, at the same time, looking forward to what he might do. But looking at late April without basketball isn't a sight people around here are used to seeing. And something is going to have to change to make sure that doesn't happen. Follow Andrew Gilman on Twitter: @andrewgilmanOK MORE FROM FOX SPORTS SOUTHWEST: - Ranking NFL quarterback salaries - College football's highest paid coaches in 2014 - Oldest player on every NBA team - Highest paid player of each NBA team - Ten reasons why we're glad baseball is back
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The Mountain West Network chats with New Mexico head coach Yvonne Sanchez after the Lobos defeated defending tournament champion Fresno State, 64-53, in the second semifinal game of the 2015 Mountain West Basketball Championships.
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Highlights of Semifinal Game 2 of the 2015 Mountain West Basketball Tournament as No. 2 seed New Mexico defeats No. 3 seed Fresno State.
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LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points and pulled down 14 rebounds as Portland held off the Houston Rockets for a 105-100 NBA win. Nicolas Batum had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Robin Lopez contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds Wednesday for the Trail Blazers, who have won six of their last seven games. Corey Brewer finished with 23 points for Houston, who saw a two-game winning streak snapped. After Aldridge scored five straight points to stretch Portland's lead to 89-79 early in the fourth quarter, Brewer took over. With team-mate James Harden struggling, Brewer scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to keep Houston in it. A three-pointer from Brewer with 49.9 seconds left pulled the Rockets within three, and he trimmed the deficit to one after picking off Damian Lillard at midcourt and driving for a dunk. Portland's Aaron Afflalo made two free throws to rebuild Portland's lead to three with 12.7 seconds left, and after Brewer missed a potential game-tying three-pointer Lillard sealed the win with two free throws. Harden, who scored a combined 89 points in the previous two games against the Blazers this season, was held to 18 points on 7-of-19 shooting. Before the game, Portland players showed their support for team-mate Wesley Matthews, who had surgery on Wednesday to repair a ruptured left Achilles tendon, by wearing T-shirts bearing the legend "With Wes." The 28-year-old shooting guard was injured last week and will miss the rest of the season.
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FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) With measured remarks and a conciliatory tone, police, political leaders and civil-rights activists on Thursday sought to tamp down tensions after two police officers were shot in front of the Ferguson Police Department during a protest. The officers were quickly released from the hospital, but St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said they could have easily been killed and called the attack "an ambush." Several people were taken in for questioning after a SWAT team converged on a Ferguson home near the shooting site, but they were later released, and no arrests were made. The shootings marked the first time in eight months of tension in Ferguson that officers were shot at a protest, and the bloodshed threatened to inflame the already fraught relationship between police and protesters just as the city seeks reforms in the wake of a withering Justice Department report on racial bias in its law-enforcement practices. The attack also seemed to create another layer of race-related mistrust after a week in which an unarmed young black man was killed by a white officer in Madison, Wisconsin, and a University of Oklahoma fraternity chapter was thrown off campus after a video surfaced showing members singing a racist chant. In Washington, President Barack Obama took to Twitter to relay his prayers to the officers and to denounce violence against police. "Path to justice is one all of us must travel together," Obama wrote, signing the tweet with his initials to indicate the president personally composed it. Attorney General Eric Holder said the gunman was "a damn punk" who was "trying to sow discord in an area that was trying to get its act together, trying to bring together a community that had been fractured for too long." The shots were fired early Thursday just as a small crowd of protesters began to break up after a late-night demonstration that unfolded hours after the resignation of Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson. The shots were believed to come from a handgun across the street from the police department, which has been a national focal point since the fatal Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown, who was black and unarmed, by a white police officer. The gunman may have fired from up to 120 yards away, a distance longer than a football field. But with a line of roughly 20 officers standing in front of the building, the shooter did not have to be particularly accurate to hit two of them, Belmar said. "We're lucky by God's grace we didn't lose two officers last night," he said. A 41-year-old St. Louis County officer was shot in the right shoulder, the bullet exiting through his back. A 32-year-old officer from Webster Groves was wearing a riot helmet with the face shield up. He was shot in the right cheek, just below the eye, and the bullet lodged behind his ear. Tensions have been high in Ferguson since August and escalated in November after a St. Louis County grand jury declined to prosecute Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Brown. Justice Department investigators concurred with that finding in a report released March 4. But a separate Justice Department report released that same day found racial profiling in the Ferguson police force, and a municipal court system driven by profit, largely on the backs of black and low-income residents. In the week after the report, Ferguson's court clerk was fired and the municipal judge, two police officers and the city manager voluntarily stepped aside. Wilson resigned in November. John Gaskin III, a St. Louis community activist, speculated that the shooting was conducted by outside agitators intent on hijacking attention from peaceful, reform-minded protesters. Activists "cannot afford these kinds of incidents happening, because that gets us absolutely nowhere." In a statement, Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III and the city council said, although they respect the right to protest peacefully, "we cannot continue to move forward under threats of violence and destruction to our community. We ask our residents and clergy in this area to partner with us as we make our way through this process." Belmar said he reached out to civil-rights leaders, asking them to urge peace. He treaded lightly in response to questions about how police will prepare for other potential demonstrations, saying he would seek officers from other departments. Officers from St. Louis County and the Missouri State Highway Patrol planned to take over protest security in Ferguson on Thursday evening. Not everyone was conciliatory. Jeff Roorda, spokesman for the St. Louis police union, said the shooting was evidence that many people are not satisfied with Jackson's resignation. "What they wanted was to kill police officers, and that's what they tried to do," Roorda said. He called for nighttime curfews. St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger said there are no plans to institute a curfew. In amateur video of the shooting accessed by The Associated Press, two shots ring out and a man is heard screaming out in pain. Someone at the scene, unseen and unidentified in the video, says: "Acknowledgement nine months ago would have kept that from happening." Officers saw some alarming trends prior to the shooting, Belmar said. Fist fights broke out among protesters. Rather than staying in one group in a parking lot across from the police station, demonstrators were spread out over a wide area. Some reportedly threw rocks and bottles. Three people were arrested. Though the crowd was small compared with some earlier protests, with fewer than 200, Ferguson officers were concerned enough to ask officers from neighboring towns to assist. By 10 p.m., 69 officers had responded, Belmar said. Some protesters said there was a different vibe than most nights. "It was a very rowdy group," said Kristie Johnson, 32, who has been a frequent protester. "They were fighting each other. A lot of people out here tonight we haven't seen before." Marciay Pitchford, 20, said she was near the street. "All of sudden gun shots came through and everybody just started running," she said. "It seemed like they were just trying to shoot any police officer. It came from behind our heads." ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Josh Lederman in Washington, Greg Moore and Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, and Summer Ballentine and Marie French in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.
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Rangers general manager Jon Daniels spoke about Yu Darvish's injury and all signs point to surgery for the pitcher next week. Do you think he will come back better than ever?
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Chicago pitcher Jon Lester pitched three scoreless innings on Wednesday in the Cubs 4-3 victory over the Dodgers. Lester gave up three hits and struck out two batters.
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The Toronto Blue Jays are a strong offensive team that may be even better this year. Here are my top five Blue Jays for fantasy baseball purposes in 2015. Fantasy baseball owners may not think of the Toronto Blue Jays as a team flush with good fantasy options, but they have top-tier options at multiple spots across the diamond. Here are my top five Blue Jays for fantasy owners in 2015. 5. P Aaron Sanchez Marcus Stroman's knee injury may put Sanchez in Toronto's starting rotation, but it's also possible he pitches out of the bullpen and eventually becomes the closer. Either way, I like Sanchez as an asset to fantasy owners and he is worth targeting late in mixed league drafts. 4. SS Jose Reyes Reyes stayed fairly healthy last year (143 games), and he again posted solid across the board numbers (.287, nine home runs, 51 RBI, 30 stolen bases and 94 runs scored). Durability concerns aren't going away, but Reyes' multi-category production still puts him in the upper echelon of fantasy shortstops even with a high level of risk attached. 3. OF Jose Bautista After two injury-marred seasons, Bautista played 155 games in 2014 and his numbers (.286, 35 home runs, 103 RBI and 101 runs scored) rebounded in concert with good health. "Joey Bats" is an asset in leagues that use on-base percentage as a category (.403 in 2014), and he may be eligible at first base (12 games played last year) is some leagues. 2. 1B Edwin Encarnacion A strained right quad kept Encarnacion out for more than a month last year, but he still hit 34 home runs and drove in 98 runs along with 75 runs scored. His age (32) and potential durability concerns have to be on the radar of fantasy owners, but all things considered Encarnacion is an under-appreciated three-category fantasy producer (home runs, RBI, runs) that won't hurt you in a fourth (batting average). 1. 3B Josh Donaldson Donaldson followed his 2013 breakout (24 home runs and 93 RBI) with more home runs (29) and RBI (98) in 2014. Moving to a much more hitter-friendly home park puts 30 home runs and 100 RBI into the realm of possibility, with a batting average somewhere between last year (.255) and 2013 (.301). It would not be a big surprise to see Donaldson finish 2015 as the top fantasy third baseman.
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Plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon and cosmetic dentist Dr. Bill Dorfman examine a woman who was disfigured in a car accident and explain what procedures could help improve her quality of life.
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Speaking publicly Wednesday at Halas Hall for the first time since agreeing to trade receiver Brandon Marshall to the Jets, Bears general manager Ryan Pace didn't delve too deeply into his decision-making process. "Going forward, we felt that this was best for us," Pace said. "And quite frankly, it's the best situation for him too. So that's where we're at." The Bears officially sent Marshall and a seventh-round draft pick to the Jets in exchange for a fifth-round pick Tuesday. Pressed on the move, Pace declined to specify the factors that weighed most heavily into the separation from Marshall, a five-time Pro Bowl standout whose mercurial personality also caused significant tension during his time with the team. Pace characterized the trade compensation as "fair" and said Marshall was "understanding" of the move. "We like to keep a lot of those conversations internal," Pace said. "But I think we both feel good about where we're at right now." Backup plans: Bears coach John Fox offered some heartfelt praise for quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who signed a one-year extension Friday to remain as Jay Cutler's backup. Fox worked with Clausen in 2011 when he was a rookie with the Panthers. And the Bears coach asserted that in his review of Clausen's Week 16 start against the Lions last season as well as the preseason film from August, he has seen noticeable development. "I've seen a guy who has matured. ... I've seen him grow as a quarterback," Fox said. "So he'll get that opportunity. Obviously he was a guy we felt good enough about re-signing. And I'm excited to watch his growth moving forward." Veterans combine set: The NFL has unveiled the participant list for its inaugural veteran combine Feb. 22 in Tempe, Ariz., just ahead of the league meetings. The combine will be held, the league said, as a means of consolidating veteran free-agent tryouts into one location. The 103-player invitee list includes former Bears Michael Bush, Nate Collins, Zach Minter, Jerrod Johnson and Harvey Unga. Other eye-catching players scheduled to work out include Felix Jones, Mikel Leshoure and Michael Sam. [email protected]
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BEIJING A month before Apple Inc.'s smartwatch hits the market, China's thriving copycat manufacturers are selling lookalikes, some openly advertised as Apple copies. "Apple Smart Watch with Bluetooth Bracelet," says one vendor on Alibaba Group's popular Taobao e-commerce website. Photos on the vendor's page appear to be the real Apple Watch. It says features on the Chinese version include text messaging and a music player. It starts at 288 yuan ($45), or one-eighth the $349 price of the cheapest Apple Watch. Alibaba, which listed on the New York Stock Exchange last year after a record initial public offering, has faced criticism in the past for hosting the sale of counterfeit goods. It says it has been taking steps to reduce the problem. The flood of "me too" smartwatches reflects China's mix of skilled electronics manufacturers and a growing consumer market for bargain-price style. Most of the world's personal computers and mobile phones are assembled in China. But this country's own companies are only starting to develop design skills and the ability to create breakthrough products. That has led to the rise of an industry known as "shanzhai," or "mountain forts" hundreds of small, anonymous manufacturers that quickly copy the design or features of popular foreign mobile phones or other products at a fraction of the price. At least eight vendors on Taobao advertised watches as "Apple Watch" or "Apple Watch lookalike." Most said they were compatible with Apple's iOS or Google Inc.'s rival Android operating system. One vendor jokingly used Chinese slang for a vulgar rich person, offering an "All-New Apple Tyrant Gold Mobile Phone-Supporting Watch" for 288 yuan ($45). Eight vendors failed to respond to questions from The Associated Press sent through their Taobao accounts. Asked whether it had taken action against any sellers, Alibaba said in a statement, "Alibaba Group is dedicated to the fight against counterfeits. We work closely with our government partners, brands and industry associations to tackle this issue at its source. We also utilize technology like data mining and big data to scrub our platforms of counterfeits." Alibaba faced controversy in January after a Chinese government agency accused the company of lax oversight and allowing vendors to sell counterfeit goods on Taobao. The two sides settled their dispute a few days later. The agency said its report had no legal force and Alibaba promised to tighten its oversight of vendors. Apple, based in Cupertino, California, says buyers in China and Hong Kong can pre-order its watch beginning April 10, the same day it takes orders in the United States, Japan, Britain, France and Germany. Most previous Apple products were released in China weeks or months after other markets. That fueled a trade in iPhones that were smuggled in for sale to gadget fans who were willing to pay a premium. Apple lookalikes also are on sale in markets in the southern city of Shenzhen, "the mainland's best place to shop for ... hi-tech knockoffs," according to the Hong Kong newspaper The South China Morning Post. "Shanzhai Apple Watches in Shenzhen Less Than 1 Day After Launch," said a headline on Internet portal Sohu.com. ___ AP researcher Zhao Liang contributed.
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In a battle of All-Star point guards, it was Chris Paul that came out on top. CP3 had 33 points & 9 assists while Russell Westbrook committed a career-high 10 turnovers in the Clippers' road win.
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Will Ferrell has raked in box office millions over a career built playing the earnest goofball in a string of sports movies that's seen him do it all from lacing up his skates, starting his engines and hitting nothing but net. Now he shifts from the silver screen to the baseball diamond for one of his wackiest stunts yet. Let's play all 9! The comedian plans to play every position while making appearances at five Arizona spring training games on Thursday. The event will be filmed for an upcoming HBO special in conjunction with the Funny or Die website co-founded by Ferrell. HBO said Ferrell is dedicating his special to fighting cancer. He also will honor Bert Campaneris being the first to play all nine positions in a major league game five decades ago. The comedian plans to play every position while making appearances at five Arizona spring training games on Thursday. He will play for all 10 teams involved, HBO and Major League Baseball announced Wednesday. The event will be filmed for an upcoming HBO special in conjunction with the Funny or Die website co-founded by Ferrell. HBO said Ferrell is dedicating his special to fighting cancer. He also will honor Bert Campaneris' feat of playing nine positions in a game five decades ago. Ferrell was expected at: Seattle Mariners-Oakland Athletics, 3 p.m. game start; Chicago Cubs-Los Angeles Angels, 4:10 p.m.; Cincinnati Reds-Arizona Diamondbacks, 5:10 p.m.; San Francisco Giants-Chicago White Sox, 7:05 p.m.; and Los Angeles Dodgers-San Diego Padres, 9:15 p.m. He might not have an Oscar but Ferrell has shined as the MVP in several sports starring roles. Here are some of his best: ____ LIVE, FROM NEW YORK: Holy Cow! Ferrell batted 1.000 with his bobblehead and boozy spin on Chicago Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray on "Saturday Night Live." While Caray was a real life Bud Man, Ferrell had a more culinary take in his non sequiturs, asking, "If you were a hot dog, if you were starving, would you eat yourself?" and "Hey! Would you eat the moon if it were made of ribs?" And why did Caray like the sun? "I like it 'cause it's like the King of Planets." In 2012, Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, promoting their movie "The Campaign," threw out the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game. But Ferrell didn't limit himself to the befuddled broadcaster on "SNL." He portrayed an awkward Spartan cheerleader who always ended with "The Perfect Cheer." _____ START YOUR ENGINES: Ferrell was ready to shake 'n' bake when he lampooned NASCAR in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." So what if the 2006 movie didn't exactly paint the good ol' boys in the most flattering light? Ferrell took the checkered flag in the manic comedy with his spin as the redneck race car driver with a complete disconnect from reality who just wanted to turn left in his No 26 Wonder Bread car and make his daddy proud. It might also include Ferrell's most famous movie quote: "If you ain't first, you're last." _____ NOTHING BUT NET: Ferrell starred as Jackie Moon, a singer-turned-basketball owner in the American Basketball Association. Moon pulled triple duty as owner, coach and starting power forward for the fledging Flint Tropics as he tries to squeeze his way into the NBA. Ferrell remained true to the 1970s era by taking six months to grow out his own fantastic 'fro. The best bit may come from the way Jackie Moon made his money with the insanely catchy 1970 R&B hit "Love Me Sexy," a Barry White rip-off that contains lines like: "Baby, wake up. We're naked. And we're sexy." Ferrell returned to basketball this year for the upcoming film, "Daddy's Home." Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg attended a New Orleans Pelicans game in January and filmed two takes of a scene for the movie during halftime. The scene involved Ferrell's character winning a chance to make a half-court shot for prizes during an NBA game involving the Lakers. Ferrell's character then gets belligerent and the scene turns temporarily chaotic. He even plunks a cheerleader in the face with a basketball. _____ ICE CAPADES: Ferrell broke out the hot sequins, flowing locks and all the ice dancing he could muster as sex-addicted skater Chazz Michael Michaels in "Blades of Glory." Ferrell's an arrogant rebel of a men's champ, Jon Heder's his finicky rival, and the two end up teaming as the first men's pair after they're barred for life from solo competition. CMM exclaims: "Thank you Denver, The City by the Bay. John Denver." Hey, who can ever go wrong with a John Denver reference? ____ GOOOOOOOAL: Ferrell shared the screen with former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka in "Kicking and Screaming." Ferrell is a reluctant soccer coach trying to coax his ragtag band of boys into winners as he rages wildly out of control with a hefty mix power and caffeine and takes aim on the soccer moms (and dads) who can't stay out of the way of a kids game. His Phil Weston character eventually sees the error of his ways and wins with sportsmanship and laughs. ____ EXTRA INNINGS: Frank! The! Tank! Ferrell proved in "Old School" that not even frat boys had mastered the sport of drinking like 30-something pledge Frank "The Tank" Ricard. He was going streaking, just not the winning kind. ... Wooooo! Ferrell channeled his inner Ric Flair with bleach-blond hair, snazzy suits and a supersized attitude to match his wrestling personna as sleazy car dealer Ashley Schaeffer in HBO's "Eastbound and Down." ... Think a running back trying to find a hole through the Steel Curtain was tough? Ferrell's Buddy the Elf had to pass through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then walked through the Lincoln Tunnel before he found his home in New York. ... Ready to rumble? Ferrell was in for the fight of his life when "Anchorman's" Ron Burgundy led his news team in an over-the-top smackdown with San Diego's, umm, other elite news crews.
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Max Scherzer induced a double play and recorded one strikeout against Giancarlo Stanton on Tuesday. Scherzer recently spoke about facing Stanton.
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The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the NHL's regular season points leader. The season is nearing the end and John Tavares is currently in the lead. Do you think he will finish on top?
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A project in the Australian Outback that will more than double the country's large-scale solar output should begin generating its initial power as early as this week, according to First Solar Inc. The A$290 million ($220 million) Nyngan solar plant in New South Wales state will start at 25 megawatts before increasing to full capacity of 102 megawatts, said Jack Curtis, Asia- Pacific manager at First Solar, a partner in the project led by AGL Energy Ltd. The plant will be fully operational by July, Sydney-based AGL said last week. The solar project is expected to be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere until a 141-megawatt First Solar project in Chile begins in late 2015, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. AGL and First Solar, the U.S. panel manufacturer, are also building a 53-megawatt solar plant in Broken Hill, west of Nyngan in New South Wales. "What was really constraining the large-scale solar market was the fact that it just hadn't been done before, so there was a lot of misconception around the execution and cost challenges," Curtis said. "It can only get more efficient." While the government says Australia has the highest average solar radiation per square meter of any continent, solar accounted for less than 2 percent of its electricity generation in 2013, the Clean Energy Council estimated. As much as 4.1 gigawatts of large-scale solar photovoltaic capacity is forecast to start in Australia through 2021, about 85 times current output, according to a January report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Combined, the Nyngan and Broken Hill projects are estimated to cost about A$440 million, with the Australian and state governments providing A$232 million in funding. They will produce enough energy to supply more than 50,000 homes in New South Wales, according to AGL's website. A compromise between the government and the opposition Labor party on where to set the 2020 renewable energy target would revive investment in the industry. Spending on large renewable energy projects has tumbled in Australia amid uncertainty over the future of the country's policy.
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They may bring in cash, but from Italy to Thailand some are asking, "Could tourists be more trouble than they're worth?"
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As you might imagine, astronauts typically need to stay laser-focused on their missions -- even a brief distraction could lead to a broken part or some other crisis. They won't have to worry about keeping their eyes (and hands) on the ball if NASA has its way. It's teaming up with Osterhout Design Group to explore the use of both augmented reality and virtual reality glasses for astronauts, whether they're in space or safely on terra firma . Among the possibilities are "assisted reality" glasses that identify equipment controls or provide checklists, saving crews the hassle of checking manuals when they're rushing to fix a crucial machine. There's no timetable for when NASA expects this smart apparel to show up, but here's hoping that it's ready relatively soon. ODG (BusinessWire)
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NAVARRE, Fla. Military search crews have found the core of the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed amid dense fog during a Florida training mission, killing 11 people. The flight recorder is still in the wreckage, which settled below about 25 feet of water in the middle of Santa Rosa Sound, authorities said. With the discovery of the copter's shattered core, which has been inspected by divers, the response officially changed from search-and-rescue to search-and-recovery, Col. Monte Cannon, vice-commander of the 96th Test Wing, said at Eglin Air Force Base. "It was certainly a high-impact crash," said Eglin Fire Chief Mark Giuliano. "Very, very, very dense fog" still complicates recovery efforts, Giuliano added. There's almost no visibility at the crash site, and search crews in boats are moving as slowly as they can in the rough surf to avoid running into each other or wreckage from the crash, he said. One of the Marines killed was Kerry Kemp, who was based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, said his sister-in-law, Lora Waraksa of Port Washington, Wisconsin. She and her sister, Jenna Kemp, were notified by the Marines overnight that Kerry Kemp's remains had been found. Kemp was a "proud Marine, a loving husband and most wonderful father," with a child about 1 year old, she said. The military is not yet releasing the names of those killed, nor any details about them, Cannon said. Neither has it described the cause of the crash, which happened Tuesday night in weather conditions so bad that another helicopter turned back. The same fog and crashing Gulf waves surrounded a pier where a large gathering held vigil Wednesday night, creating a somber backdrop to the songs, tears and prayers of people with strong ties to the military and the sprawling Eglin Air Force Base. Dozens of airmen walked the shores of Santa Rosa Sound on Thursday, and the Coast Guard searched for debris in the water, said Mike Spaits, a base spokesman. Pieces of clothing and bits of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter have washed ashore, and homeowners have contacted the military to pick it up, he said. "My heart is really hurt right now knowing these people were here just on training knowing they went and left their family members and did not give that goodbye, you know, because they weren't going off to war," a tearful Dolly Edwards, herself the wife of a Marine, said at the vigil. Jack Cullen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Mobile, Alabama, said Thursday's dense sea fog could persist through Friday, which is common when warm southern air meets cold water this time of year. The helicopter that crashed had a veteran crew from Hammond, Louisiana, that served multiple tours in Iraq and helped humanitarian missions after Gulf Coast hurricanes and the BP oil spill. They were carrying "unconventional warriors" from the Marines Special Operations Command. Like the Army's Green Berets and the Navy's SEALs, they were highly trained to endure grueling conditions and sensitive assignments on land and at sea, from seizing ships to special reconnaissance missions and direct action inside hostile territory. Tuesday night's training involved practicing "insertion and extraction missions," using small boats and helicopters to get troops into and out of a target site, said Capt. Barry Morris, spokesman for the Marine Corps Special Operations Command at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The helicopter crashed in a strip of water between the mainland of the Florida Panhandle and a long barrier island facing the Gulf. Military officials said search crews were focused on a 6-mile stretch of the sound. Kim Urr, 62, who works at a nearby campground, said she heard the crash at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. "It sounded like something metal either being hit or falling over, that's what it sounded like. And there were two booms afterward, similar to what you hear with ordnance booms, but more muffled," Urr said. Human remains were found Wednesday, and debris was seen floating in the sound. "We saw gloves, a uniform with a last name on it," said Alan Collinsworth, a hotel desk clerk. Lots of debris was floating past the hotel's waterfront. "We were very shocked." President Barack Obama has promised a thorough investigation. ___ Associated Press contributors include Lolita C. Baldor in Washington; Jason Dearen in Gainesville, Florida; Freida Frisaro in Miami; Kevin McGill and Stacey Plaisance in Hammond, Louisiana; and Emery P. Dalesio at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina
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A MODEL has hit the big time despite suffering from a rare genetic condition that severely affects her appearance. Melanie Gaydos, 26, was born with Ectodermal Dysplasia, a condition that has left her hair, teeth and skin undeveloped. She often draws stares from other models that are not used to her unconventional look while on set. Melanie's modelling career started to take off when she posed for her photographer boyfriend after moving to New York City four years ago. Videographer / Director: Ruaridh Connellan Producer: Jack McKay / Nick Johnson Editor: Ian Phillips / Sonia Estal
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Google has stopped selling the Nexus 5 , the company's 2014 flagship Android smartphone. A Google spokesperson told The Verge today that "while some inventory of Nexus 5 still exists (with our retail and carrier partners), our focus is on the Nexus 6 at this time." Searches for the older model on Google's new hardware store show that the Nexus 5 is no longer available for purchase direct from Google. The Nexus 5 is no longer available to buy on the Google Store The news corroborates a report released at the tail end of 2014 that said Google had discontinued production of the well-liked phone , and once stocks were depleted, it was "gone." Google disputed the claim at the time, telling The Verge that the Nexus 5 would "continue to be available for sale on Google Play and through select retailers in Q1 2015." The timing of this new statement means both were correct Google did indeed plan to stop selling the Nexus 5, but its supplies kept it in stock for the first quarter of 2015. The effective retirement of the Nexus 5 comes as Google tweaks its storefront to separate hardware and digital products. Previously the Nexus 5 along with other Google and Android devices such as smartwatches and Chromebooks was sold by the Google Play Store, alongside digital products like apps, music, and movies. As of today, the search giant has split software and hardware up, moving the latter to a new destination simply called the Google Store.
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TCU picked up its first ever Big 12 Tournament victory thanks in large part to Chris Washburn's 16 points as the Horned Frogs held off Kansas State 67-65.
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Eleven US soldiers are feared dead after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training mission off the coast of the US state of Florida. The helicopter was first reported missing amid heavy fog on Tuesday evening at around 8:30pm local time (01:30 UTC) and an intensive search was still underway Wednesday evening along the coast near the Air Force base in Eglin, Florida. Human remains have washed ashore near the base, a military spokeswoman told Reuters news agency. A US military official speaking anonymously said the 11 service members on board were presumed dead. "Today is a tough day for the Louisiana National Guard," General Glenn Curtis said during a televised news briefing following the crash. "This will remain a search-and-rescue operation until further notice," he added. Seven marines and four helicopter crew members comprised the soldiers on board. The Marines were part of a special operations unit based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, while the four crew members were serving in the Louisiana National Guard. US President Barack Obama spoke by phone with the soldiers' commanding officers and "expressed his condolences to the families, fellow service members and communities" of the missing soldiers. The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was participating in a routine exercise near the base in Eglin about 50 miles (80 km) east of the city of Pensacola. A second Black Hawk was scheduled to take part in the same exercise, but did not. The other helicopter "started to take off and then realized, I guess that the weather was a condition and turned around," Curtis said. The crash would represent one of the deadliest training accidents for US military personnel in years. In February 2012, seven soldiers were killed in a helicopter collision during a nighttime training mission along the border of California and Arizona. And in 2013, seven marines lost their lives during a live-fire exercise at a Nevada munitions depot when a mortar round exploded prematurely.
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Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams have to pay up for ripping off "Blurred Lines." T.I. is in the clear, though.
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BOISE, Idaho One person was in custody Wednesday and police were searching for other suspects after finding two men and a woman dead in a home in the Boise foothills. "It's hard for me to fathom even after 31 years of law enforcement what could possibly motivate somebody to do to these people what they did," Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney said. "The person could still be on the loose." Raney declined to speculate on a motive or say if anything was missing from the home. He said the victims were related, and the killings occurred sometime between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning. Names weren't released and he declined to release many details about the ongoing investigation. He said police were looking for suspects linked to a gold 2003 Subaru Legacy that was in the area when the killings occurred. He said the vehicle likely appeared in areas around Boise, and he asked that anyone who saw it to report it to police. Police arrested someone Wednesday at an electronics store in Boise but Raney declined to say how the person might have been connected to the crime. The person has not been identified by police. Raney called the killings "heinous." "That's probably an understatement," he said. The killings took place in what records say is a three-bedroom, three-bathroom home on about 20 acres with a total value of about $800,000. Authorities say the property has horses and other buildings. He said police responded after a family member called Tuesday. "I've probably not seen a bloodier or more violent murder occur," said Raney. He said other law enforcement agencies were investigating, including the U.S. Marshals Service.
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A U.S. Army soldier accused of running a prostitution ring at Fort Hood, one of the largest Army bases in the country, pled guilty on Wednesday to 15 charges related to the accusation, officials said on Wednesday. Sergeant 1st Class Gregory McQueen is expected to be sentenced as early as Thursday at the court-martial after pleading guilty to charges including conspiracy to solicit prostitution, adultery and dereliction of duty, the base said in a statement. Lawyers said he could face up to about 40 years in prison. He accepted a plea deal where several other charges were dropped, including abusive sexual contact. A female soldier, who was not identified by name, said during testimony that McQueen approached her when she was a 20-year-old single mother struggling to pay her student loan bills, according to the report on TV station KWTX. The witness said McQueen told her to take pictures of herself so he could connect her with high-ranking officers who would pay to have sex with her, according to the report. The Fort Hood case was part of a spate of sex-related incidents in the military that have prompted Congress to look at ways to make top brass more accountable for the conduct of soldiers. (Additional reporting by Lisa Maria Garza; Editing by Eric Walsh)
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UNLV's Christian Wood made a lasting impression with the hometown fans Wednesday as he threw down this two-handed slam in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
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You think you know everything about Disneyland? Wrong. 41 Insane Facts You Definitely Don't Know About Disneyland You think you know everything about Disneyland ? Wrong. There's some mind-blowing facts out there that even the ultimate Disney fan doesn't know. Check out all the fascinating things we discovered about the happiest place on earth and test your knowledge. Related Stars Love Disneyland as Much as You Do! 39 Disney World Facts That Even Die-Hard Fans Don't Know Every Disney Fan Should Complete This Incredible Bucket List Originally, Walt Disney envisioned Disneyland in Burbank, CA, right across the street from Walt Disney Studios. Related 49 International Disney Park Differences Only Hardcore Fans Will Notice All the plants in Tomorrowland are edible. There is a fake pet cemetery hidden behind the Haunted Mansion. Disneyland only had 18 attractions on opening day. Fourteen of those attractions are still running today. Mickey Mouse ear hats are the most popular Disneyland Resort souvenirs of all time. The purple teacup and the orange one with diamond shapes on it are the fastest spinners on the Mad Tea Party ride. Every year, 2.8 million churros are sold at Disneyland. The gold trimmings on the outside of the It's a Small World ride are made of real 22 karat gold. There is a basketball court at the top of the Matterhorn. Employees go shoot hoops on their breaks. The abominable snowman in the Matterhorn is named Harold. Disneyland was built in one year. Michelle Pfeiffer worked at Disneyland as Alice from Alice in Wonderland in the 1970s. Related 15 Disney World Tips You Need to Know Before Your Next Vacation There's a secret apartment hidden in Disneyland's fire station. The light in the window is supposed to symbolize Walt's presence. About 200 feral cats live in Disneyland to keep rodents away. Many of them are nocturnal, so a sighting during the day is rare. When it opened in 1959, the Disneyland Monorail was the first daily operating monorail in the Western Hemisphere. The water features in Disneyland are green or brown to hide the vehicle tracks and filtration systems. The Haunted Mansion has 999 ghosts in it. Employees weren't allowed to grow mustaches until 2000. Walt Disney wanted his employees to be clean shaven. Pirates of the Caribbean originally wasn't supposed to be a ride - it was first planned to be a walk-through attraction. The same plan was made for the Haunted Mansion. Real human skeletons were used as props when Pirates of the Caribbean first opened. Today there is only one human skull left in the ride - the one attached to the headboard of the bed with the fake skeleton in it. Disneyland park announcer Bill Rodgers and California Adventure park announcer Camille Dixon are married. Related Every Disney Fan Should Complete This Incredible Bucket List Steve Martin worked at Disneyland in the '50s selling guidebooks and working in the magic shop. Club 33 is the only location in Disneyland where you can buy alcohol. You can score a drink in California Adventure too. Walt Disney loved spending time with park guests so much that he would sometimes wait in line with them. Related 11 Fascinating Facts About Walt Disney The ghost voice on one of the busts in the Haunted Mansion is the same voice that sang "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." His name is Thurl Ravenscroft. Related 36 Reasons You Should Stay FAR AWAY From Disneyland During Halloween Time In 1995, there was a time capsule buried in Sleeping Beauty's Castle. It will be opened on Disneyland's 80th anniversary: July 17, 2035. The first few years the park was open, it was closed Mondays and Tuesdays on the off-season. It cost $3.50 to get into the park when it first opened. Walt Disney wanted to build a theme park after taking his daughters to a merry-go-round. There was a tobacco shop on Main Street until 1991. There was a lingerie shop as well - it only lasted six months and closed in 1956. The drawbridge on Sleeping Beauty's Castle is real and can be raised or lowered. There have only ever been three unscheduled days the park had to close. The days were the national day of mourning after John F. Kennedy was killed, after the Northridge earthquake in 1994, and on 9/11. Eleven-year-old George Lucas was at the park on opening day. When you wait in line for Star Tours, an overhead speaker will page Egroeg Sacul, which is George Lucas spelled backward. The props in Indiana Jones's office when you're waiting in line for the ride are real props from the movie franchise. Three babies have been born in Disneyland. Disneyland does not sell gum on purpose to keep the grounds clean. They also don't sell unshelled peanuts. When a guest vomits in Disneyland, employees use the term "Code V." On Disneyland's opening day, the asphalt did not set in time. Women's heels kept sinking into the ground. For many years, anyone was able to own a piece of Disneyland by buying a brick for $150. It lines the path right outside the ticket entrance. Related Stars Love Disneyland as Much as You Do! 49 International Disney Park Differences Only Hardcore Fans Will Notice 15 Disney World Tips You Need to Know Before Your Next Vacation Every Disney Fan Should Complete This Incredible Bucket List Pin it!
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What are these car chase suspects tossing out the windows? CNN's Jeanne Moos reports they're taking pot shots.
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There might be no person better qualified to illuminate on the bitter rivalry that exists between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets than Bill Parcells. "The Tuna" should know all about how Darrelle Revis' big switch resonates. The Hall of Fame coach once was knee-deep in the middle of the fray, having lived with the rivalry from both sides. Think the bad blood is really boiling now? "I don't know about that," Parcells told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday. "Time goes on. It's different now. I just don't know if it's like it used to be." Times might have changed, but the feud has gone on for so long that Revis' decision to dismiss the chance to go after another Super Bowl with the Patriots and return to the Jets on a five-year, $70 million contract while a tampering charge New England filed against New York is pending comes along just in time to provide a new, salacious chapter. During the mid-1990s, Parcells bolted to the Jets for a chance to shop for his own groceries after coaching the Patriots in a Super Bowl. Then Curtis Martin followed him to the Jets. Bill Belichick became the Patriots coach, after bolting from the Jets. Eric Mangini, a former Belichick assistant-turned-Jets coach, turned in the Patriots to ignite the Spygate controversy. And Rex Ryan kept it lively while fielding a team that was competitive enough for a while to upset the Patriots in an AFC playoff game. That's the stuff of rivalries. Now this. New England will recover from losing Revis, but it's a body blow nonetheless. Plus, Revis now has a better understanding than ever of "The Patriot Way." "He really respects the Patriots immensely," Revis' uncle, Sean Gilbert, told USA TODAY Sports. "Now he wants to take what he learned from them back to New York." Imagine how Jets owner Woody Johnson felt seeing Revis stand in Belichick's midst as they celebrated a Super Bowl victory in February, just months after New York didn't make a play for the four-time all-pro cornerback when his deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went sour. Johnson, who fueled the tampering charge in December when he publicly expressed wanting Revis back, seemingly has made amends for the mistake of last offseason by signing off on the deal that fully guarantees a whopping $39 million for the NFL's most accomplished mercenary. "It's just a different era," Parcells said. "People are doing business different ways. And there's a premium being paid for the cornerback position. You just can't get enough corners." If only the Jets had tried so hard last year, when Ryan was all in for bringing Revis back. Maybe it would have been enough to slow Belichick's roll toward winning a fourth Super Bowl, with a rebuilt secondary that took on Revis' aggressive and physical shutdown coverage. Maybe since-fired Jets general manager John Idzik shouldn't have traded Revis to Tampa Bay in the first place; at the time, he was rehabbing a torn knee ligament. All's forgiven. That's what $39 million can do. The dollars surely can make the heart flutter. With the guaranteed money in the pact, Revis' career earnings will at least hit $123 million, which is pretty phenomenal for a non-quarterback. Reportedly, the Patriots' offer to keep Revis would have guaranteed him $35 million. But even with the $4 million difference, Gilbert said that, with three other teams also showing interest, his nephew was torn over his decision to leave New England. The Jets are turning over a new page with new coach Todd Bowles getting his big shot, but even if there is a good bet he will build a big-time defense, the quarterback situation is, well, a work in progress. Revis, 29, has only so much time left. Gilbert said winning the Super Bowl meant so much to Revis, who had pretty much accomplished everything else in his illustrious career. "It's tough for players a lot of times, because their emotions get involved," said Gilbert, who, positioned alongside agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, has been Revis' adviser throughout his career. "But we try to take the emotions out of it and make a business decision." It's business indeed. But given that it also involves Jets-Patriots, there's no shortage of emotion.
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MOSCOW A Soyuz capsule carrying two Russians and an American landed in Kazakhstan on Thursday, ending the astronauts' nearly six months aboard the International Space Station. The capsule carried Russians Alexander Samokutayev and Elena Serova and NASA's Barry Wilmore. They blasted off for the space station on Sept. 26. The capsule landed upright in heavy fog southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan on the Kazakh steppes. Despite the poor visibility, recovery workers arrived within several minutes and all three astronauts were extracted within a half-hour. They were taken to recliner-style chairs set up near the capsule to begin their readjustment to gravity and undergo brief medical tests. All three appeared in good condition. And Serova smiled broadly as she sat in the chair bundled up against temperatures a few degrees below freezing. Three other astronauts remain aboard the space station. They will be joined by three others on March 27; two of those -- Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko -- are to spend a full year on the ISS.
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By Matt Lombardi On February 28, the basketball world lost a beloved member when former NBA star Anthony Mason passed away from congestive heart failure. Wednesday night, his son Antoine, who plays for the Auburn Tigers, paid tribute to him on his sneakers. Mason wrote "RIP DAD" on the front of his shoes, along with "God", "Fam" and "Ball" underneath. It was Mason's first game since the passing of his father. [ Click here to see the photo ] Mason scored four points in 18 minutes and helped lead his team to a victory over Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
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Toronto Maple Leafs center Tyler Bozak scored in the shootout to give the Leafs 4-3 edge over the Buffalo Sabres.
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Top dogs Alaska musher Dallas Seavey holds his lead dogs "Reef" and "Hero" after winning his second consecutive Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Nome, Alaska on March 18. Seavey crossed the finish line about 30 miles ahead of his father Mitch Seavey. STORY: Veteran musher wins again Finish line Veteran Alaska musher Dallas Seavey drives his dog team to a second consecutive victory of the Iditarod Sled Dog race at 4:13 a.m. in Nome, Alaska March 18. Seavey arrived at the Nome finish line of the 1,000-mile sled dog race after 8 days, 18 hours and 13 minutes on the trail. Readying the burled arch Volunteers help raise the Iditarod finishers banner at the burled arch finish line on March 16 in Nome, Alaska. Charting progress Jennifer Markham of Lafayette, Louisiana, helps prepare the musher's progress chart on March 16 in Nome, Alaska. Her church in Louisiana takes part in the Alaska Mission, and will spend a total of two weeks in both Anchorage and Nome as part of the church's Iditarod Outreach. On the trail Jeff King and his team head out onto the snow covered frozen Chena River during the official start of the 2015 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race in Fairbanks, Alaska, March 9. At the start Dogs from two-time Iditarod champion, Mitch Seavey prepare to run at the official start of the 2015 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race in Fairbanks, Alaska, March 9. Yard party Jonathan Bradish, Ashley Wright, Emilie Wright and Bryant Wright applaud as Travis Beals passes their house during the start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race in Fairbanks, Alaska, March 9. Ceremonial start Musher Wade Marrs of Wasilla, Alaska, leads his team on March 7 during the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska. Sniffing the air Two dogs in look out holes from truck of musher Justin Savidis of Willow, Alaska, before the ceremonial run of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 7. Happy to go Excited dogs in the team for musher Cindy Abbott, of Irvine, Calif., jump and bark as they await their turn to move to the starting gate during the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 7. Watching them go Musher Peter Kaiser of Bethel, Alaska, leads his team past spectators Saturday, March 7, 2015, during the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska. Waiting to run Harold waits to take a training run with Steve Watkins Jr. who is preparing to compete in the Iditarod and climb Mt. Everest on Feb. 20 in Knik, Alaska. Going for a training run Grant stands up to greet Steve Watkins Jr. as they get ready for a training run as he prepares to compete in the Iditarod and climb Mt. Everest on Feb. 20 in Knik, Alaska. Lack of snow In this photo taken on March 5 are bare patches of grass and mud on sled dog trails in Anchorage, Alaska. Warm weather and barren trails south of the Alaska Range prompted race officials to move the official start of the race from the greater Anchorage area to Fairbanks, Alaska.
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Snap reactions as NFL free agency rolled into its second day: NUMBERS GAME The initial numbers floated on monster NFL contracts often lie. In the case of all-pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh's megadeal with the Dolphins, they're about as real as it gets. According to details obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the Dolphins gave Suh a $25.5 million signing bonus. His base salaries in 2015 ($985,000), 2016 ($23.485 million) and 2017 ($9.985 million) also are fully guaranteed for a cool three-year take (including $15,000 annual workout bonuses) of $60 million. That not only outdistances J.J. Watt's deal for the richest signed by a defensive player, but is on the level of the top quarterbacks in terms of guaranteed money. Suh's cap numbers over the life of the six-year, $114.375 million deal will be QB-esque as well. After counting just $6.1 million against the cap in 2015, Suh's number will spike to $28.6 million in 2016, then go to $15.1 million in 2017, $22.1 million in 2018, $24.1 million in 2019 and $18.375 million in 2020. That's something the Dolphins will have to work around when it comes time to pay Ryan Tannehill on his second contract. Bottom line: If the size of the paycheck equals the amount of pressure, consider the pressure on Suh as high as it gets. CHIP IN CHARGE Chip Kelly has made abundantly clear he will bow to no NFL convention, whether as the Eagles' coach or now their de facto general manager. So, his fierce defense of Tuesday's quarterback swap a deal that required him to send a second-round pick along with Nick Foles to St. Louis for often-injured former No. 1 pick Sam Bradford, who's coming off a re-torn ACL and due almost $13 million in a contract year was no surprise. (Claiming he'd already been offered, and turned down, a first-round pick for Bradford was a clever twist.) Chip the Coach is as smart as they come. In barely two months, Chip the GM has traded away running back LeSean McCoy, let top receiver Jeremy Maclin bolt for Kansas City and thrown top dollar $10.5 million a year at ex-Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell. Kelly made clear Wednesday he'll have final say in the draft room this year, too. Perhaps Kelly is outsmarting everyone in the personnel room as he does plenty on the field. But he's a neophyte as an NFL roster builder, and maneuvering against the grain at minimum has set him up for a lot of scrutiny in the months to come. WIN NOW Spending resources on declining players is always risky business. So what can be made of the Colts' investments in receiver Andre Johnson (age 33), tackle Todd Herremans (32), linebacker Trent Cole (32) and running back Frank Gore (31)? The way the Colts went out the past two seasons, with lopsided losses to the Patriots, surely left the impression rising quarterback Andrew Luck needs more support around him. And GM Ryan Grigson clearly believes the championship window is open now for a roster that wasn't young to begin with. If nothing else, the veterans coming in mostly have remained durable. Johnson and Cole have missed one game each over the past three seasons. Gore hasn't missed one since he fractured a hip in 2010. BY THE NUMBERS The Raiders are using their heap of salary cap space to keep their cap healthy in the long run and give themselves an escape plan if big deals don't work out. Take the five-year, $44.5 million contract GM Reggie McKenzie used to lure center Rodney Hudson from the Chiefs. Instead of a signing bonus, which would be prorated over five years for cap purposes, the Raiders gave Hudson a $6.9 million roster bonus as part of $13 million in 2015 compensation. The roster bonus hits the cap all at once, which is fine, because Oakland opened free agency with close to $60 million in cap space. Hudson's $7.35 million salary in 2016 is guaranteed for injury only until next March. So, if he flops, the Raiders could dump him after one season with no penalty. That's not McKenzie's plan, but busts happen. The Buccaneers used a similar structure to land prized free agent end Michael Johnson on a five-year, $43.75 million contract in 2014. They paid him $9 million for one disappointing season and cut him Wednesday. CUTLER OR BUST Bears GM Ryan Pace went on the record to clear up any confusion: Jay Cutler is his quarterback for 2015. But was there ever really a choice? Cutler is due $15.5 million fully guaranteed this season, and $10 million of his $16 million base salary for 2016 becomes guaranteed Thursday. Releasing him wouldn't work, since they owed him that $15.5 million regardless. No team was likely to give up substantial return in a trade to take on that contract after a tumultuous season that saw Cutler benched at one point for Jimmy Clausen. And even if the Bears could move him, who exactly would they put under center? The draft class is widely viewed by scouts as weak. There are so few options in free agency that 35-year-old Josh McCown can command $6.25 million guaranteed from the Browns (his seventh NFL stop), and fellow journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick dealt from the Texans to the Jets on Wednesday for a conditional draft pick has some sort of trade value. At age 31, Cutler still hasn't come close to living up to his immense physical gifts. But there's something for new offensive coordinator Adam Gase to work with, and for all intents and purposes, the Bears' hands were tied regardless. *** Follow reporter Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero
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Watch NC State turn some great defense against Pitt into a fast break jam by Ralston Turner in this ACC Must See Moment!
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EASTON, Pa. (AP) -- Nick Lindner scored 25 points and Lafayette held off several second-half runs by American to win the Patriot League tournament title with a 65-63 victory over the Eagles on Wednesday night. The fourth-seeded Leopards (20-12) became the lowest seed to win the league tournament title - and its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament - in its 25-year history. After defending champion and sixth-seeded American (17-16) took 55-53 lead on Marko Vasic's 3-point play with 5:07 left, the Lafayette got consecutive 3-pointers from Seth Hinrichs and Zach Rufer to regain the lead for good. With Lafayette up 61-60, Lindner hit a driving shot with 38 seconds left. After American's John Schoof missed a 3, Lindner hit two free throws to seal it. Lindner, a sophomore point guard, was named tournament MVP. Hinrichs added 16 points. Vasic finished with 15 points to lead the Eagles. Lafayette opened up its biggest lead at 40-27 early in the second half on consecutive 3-pointers by Bryce Scott and Michael Hoffman, but American responded with seven in a row to pull within six on Pee Wee Gardner's basket with 15:47 remaining. Lafayette then led 48-36 after three consecutive pull-up jumpers by Hinrichs, but American scored nine straight points to pull to 50-47 with less than 9 minutes left. Lindner scored 16 points in the first half to give Lafayette a 34-25 lead at the break. American had nine field goals and 10 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. The Eagles led until Lindner hit an open 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Leopards a 17-15 lead with 10:45 to go in the first half. Lafayette led the rest of the half. Lafayette, which made 13 of 19 shots (68.4 percent) in the opening half, had runs of 11-0 and 7-0 to create a little cushion. Lindner's drive with 1:40 remaining gave the Leopards their biggest lead of the half at 30-21. --- TIP INS Lafayette: The Leopards last won a league tournament title in 2000, the second of two in a row. They were 0-4 in Patriot League finals before Wednesday. American: The Eagles finished the regular season with a losing record in league play (8-10) for just the second time since joining the Patriot League in 2001-02 season. Their sixth-place finish also was their lowest in their 14-year affiliation with the league. However, they beat Lehigh in the quarterfinals and second-seeded Colgate in the semis. UP NEXT Lafayette: NCAA Tournament. American: Possible NIT or CIT bid.
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Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is pushing back hard against conservative claims that the Republicans' recent letter to Iranian leaders, which has infuriated the White House amidst delicate nuclear talks, is akin to her 2007 visit to Syria against the wishes of the Bush administration. The office of the House minority leader issued a scathing statement Wednesday night saying her meeting with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was part of a bipartisan effort conducted through the Bush administration to negotiate a peace deal with Damascus and accusing the Republicans of launching a "desperate" defense of their Iran letter to mask criticisms coming from both sides of the aisle. "The desperate hyperventilation by Republicans and conservative talkers over the intense, national backlash to this letter has caused them to search for a Democratic equivalent to the dangerous precedent set by 47 Republican Senators," said Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill. "The fact is, there is simply not one." The letter, endorsed by all but seven Senate Republicans, is an attempt to undercut a potential nuclear deal being negotiated between Iran, the Obama administration and five other world powers a deal the Republicans fear will leave the Iranians fully capable of manufacturing nuclear weapons. The Republicans, who are pushing instead for tougher sanctions, warned Iranian leaders that any agreement could be abolished when Obama's term ends less than two years from now. "The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen, and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time," reads the letter, spearheaded by freshman Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). But the effort has drawn a backlash from even a number of Republicans, who say it will only embolden the Iranians while leaving the United States in a tougher position to stifle Iran's nuclear program if the talks fail. "I just didn't feel that it was appropriate or productive at this point," said Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.). "These are tough enough negotiations as it stands, and introducing this kind of letter I didn't think would be helpful." Pushing back, Republicans on and off Capitol Hill have defended the letter by comparing it to Pelosi's 2007 trip to Syria. "To those upset about #Iran letter, how did you feel when Pelosi went to Syria in 2007 to meet face to face with Assad, against WH wishes?" Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) tweeted Tuesday. William Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard, piled on Wednesday, saying the letter is a "useful statement" and invoking Pelosi's Syria visit as a precedent. "Nancy Pelosi went to see Bashar Assad in 2007," Kristol said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "I think that was questionable, but I didn't criticize her patriotism." The 2007 meeting between Assad and then-Speaker Pelosi came as the Bush administration was opposed to direct talks with the Syrian leader, whose support for terrorist groups led to an official policy of diplomatic isolation. The visit drew a sharp rebuke from conservatives in and out of the administration. Pat Buchanan, the former Republican presidential candidate, characterized it as a "thumb in the eye of the president of the United States." Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for President Bush's National Security Council, said the "unilateral trip" was both "unfortunate" and "counterproductive." And then-Vice President Dick Cheney argued that such foreign policy issues are to be handled by the president, not congressional leaders. "I think it is, in fact, bad behavior on her part," Cheney told Rush Limbaugh at the time. "She doesn't represent the administration. The president is the one who conducts foreign policy, not the Speaker of the House." On Tuesday's episode of "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart highlighted liberals including Hillary Clinton and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) who supported Pelosi's 2007 trip but ripped the GOP's Iran letter, as well as conservatives such as John Bolton and Sean Hannity who criticized Pelosi's trip but praised today's Senate Republicans. Hammill emphasized Wednesday that Pelosi's delegation included then-Rep. David Hobson (R-Ohio), a senior defense appropriator; it was preceded just days earlier by a similar visit to Damascus by GOP Reps. Joseph Pitts (Pa.), Robert Aderholt (Ala.) and former GOP Rep. Frank Wolf (Va.); and Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.) met with Assad just a day after Pelosi did a meeting that led Johndroe to comment, "We just don't think this is helpful." While Pelosi was the most senior U.S. representative, Hammill also noted that she coordinated the visit with support from the administration. "This visit was organized by the Bush State Department, executed by the Bush Defense Department, and officials from the Bush Administration's Embassy at the time in Damascus even sat in the meeting with President Assad," Hammill said. "As Republican Congressman David Hobson said at the time about the delegation's visit to Syria, 'I think we actually helped the administration's position by showing there's not dissension.' "The comparison between the Republican Senator letter to Iran and Leader's Pelosi bipartisan delegation to the Middle East in 2007 does not stand up to any level of scrutiny," he charged.
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Goaltender Cam Talbot made 28 saves in the Rangers 3-1 win over the Capitals on Wednesday. New York moved to first place in the Metropolitan Division with the victory.
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For the majority of NFL players, retirement isn't a choice. It's a reality that hits after being called into a general manager's office and released or after a contract expires without a new offer or after an injury has made it impossible to continue playing. When players are drafted into the NFL, they are told the average career lasts three to four years. And now the medical research tied to football and concussions adds another layer of concern about the long-term harm football can do to players' bodies. It's all a reminder to save money, plan for the future and savor every snap. So when in the span of five days four veterans San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker, Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jason Worilds and Oakland Raiders running back Maurice Jones-Drew chose to leave the NFL at the age of 30 or younger, it sent shock waves throughout the league, even as teams made blockbuster trades and players signed lucrative contracts. "Twenty years ago, guys weren't informed about how this game affects you long term," said former NFL cornerback Champ Bailey, who last year retired at 36. "But now there's so much information out there. Nobody wants to be handicapped when they're in their 40s. That definitely plays a role. I think the fact that we've seen a lot of older players go through that, it's a little scary now." Willis, a seven-time Pro Bowler, thought his feet had failed him and he wouldn't be healthy enough to play at a high level. Locker, a first-round pick in 2011, said in a statement his passion for the sport was gone. For Jones-Drew and Worilds, each said he was leaving football to pursue other interests. As Willis bid a tearful goodbye to San Francisco this week (he was the only one of the four to have an official retirement ceremony), he made it clear this wasn't a decision about money. "Honestly, I pay attention to guys when they're finished playing, walking around and they've got no hips or they can't play with their kids or they can't play a pickup basketball game or they can barely walk or their fingers are all like this and people see that and feel sorry then, but nobody knows it's because you played those few extra years," Willis said. "And for me, I just feel like my life, there's more to football than this and football has been everything to me and it has provided an amazing platform for me to build upon now. So that's been in my heart. It's my health first and everything else kind of just makes sense around it." All the players who announced their retirement this week had this in common: Each walked away from more money. Willis had three years and nearly $20 million in base salary remaining on his contract, while Worilds and Locker were each prepared to become unrestricted free agents for the first time. The market for Worilds, one of the best young pass rushers available, was expected to be particularly hot. Jones-Drew, who likely would have been cut, probably could have landed a short-term deal somewhere. The NFL and the NFL Players Association say they don't have precise statistics on when players choose to retire, in part because many players' careers just end without fanfare or formal statements. But the league uses the 3.5 years as a guideline for the average career, with estimates that for players who become starters in the league (such as Worilds), careers tend to last about eight years. For Pro Bowl players such as Willis or Jones-Drew, careers tend to last at least a decade. Still, a union spokesman said the outside world shouldn't be so surprised to see players, no matter what their stature, choosing to leave on their terms. "This happens a lot," union spokesman Carl Francis told USA TODAY Sports. "It goes to show that our players have other interests. It's a product of our players taking advantage of post-career programs, and I just think it's a part of the process of players playing the game but also planning for their futures." Indeed, plenty of other players have retired with good years of football remaining, including Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders, who retired in 1998 at 30, and Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer, who had to pay back $3.5 million to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after choosing to retire at 34 rather than play in Tampa. Last year, former Steelers and Cardinals running back Rashard Mendenhall left the NFL at 26 to pursue a Hollywood writing career. For as resolute as Willis was in his farewell address that he was ready to leave, he seemed less set on what would come next. Unlike Mendenhall, who has moved to Los Angeles and is working for HBO, Willis didn't have a set plan. He was looking forward to doing what he wanted, when he wanted, free from the rigors of a training schedule or mandatory workout dates. Bailey had the same attitude, he said, when he signed his retirement papers in November. But five months later, he's grown restless with a life of leisure and he figures most recent NFL retirees feel the same. Even after earning more than $100 million in his 15-year career, and having watched his brother, Boss Bailey, be forced into an early retirement because of knee injuries, Bailey wished he had been more prepared for life after football. As he prepares himself to start a career in broadcasting, he said he hopes Willis, Locker, Jones-Drew and Worilds each are ready for the major lifestyle change that's coming. "You want to try to save as much as you can, and you want to have an idea of what you want to do. One thing that is going to hit you is your lifestyle is going to change. You're not going to be busy, you're not going to have any structure, so you have to be a really disciplined person to be able to handle retirement," Bailey said. "It's going to be so different. If you're a strong-willed person, you'll make it." Yet there are other veterans trying to prolong their careers, delaying retirement for as long as possible. That group this year includes former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who was told by the Colts recently that he would not be re-signed. If he's going to play in 2015 at 36, it won't be in Indianapolis. "I always tell a guy, 'Do what you want. If you don't want to play, don't play. If you want to play, play,' " Bailey said. "Don't worry about the pride thing or looking bad. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play this game, so if you want to play, play. "But if you don't, don't feel bad about walking away either. This is your career, your life. Live it how you want." *** Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @ByLindsayHJones
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- TCU rolled into the Big 12 tournament full of confidence, three straight losses to end the regular season doing nothing to hurt their frame of mind. That confidence came in handy down the stretch Wednesday night. Chris Washburn and Kyan Anderson scored 16 points apiece, and No. 9 seed TCU made enough stops on defense to beat Kansas State 67-65 for its first Big 12 tournament victory. ''We ended the season on a high note. We felt like overall we played well, even though we didn't finish our games,'' said Trey Zeigler, who added 15 points for the Horned Frogs. ''We came in here and we knew Kansas State was a good team, and me and Kyan just tried to make sure we did everything we could do as senior captains.'' TCU had built a 58-46 lead with 6 1/2 minutes left, but the Wildcats managed to trim it to 64-62 when Nino Williams converted a three-point play with about a minute to go. Zeigler slashed to the rim at the other end and took a no-look pass from Anderson, getting fouled in the process. He calmly made both foul shots to give the Horned Frogs a four-point cushion, and Williams missed a long 3-pointer at the other end that put the game away. The Horned Frogs, who improved to 4-0 against the Wildcats in postseason play, now get a date with top-seeded Kansas in the quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon. ''Premiere team in this league, one of the premiere teams in the country,'' TCU coach Trent Johnson said. ''No basketball program has a more storied tradition than they do and we've got to find a way to compete at a high level in a short period of time.'' Thomas Gipson had 16 points and Williams finished with 13 for the No. 8 seed Wildcats (15-17), who finished the season with a losing record for the first time since 2003. It was a disappointing end to a frustrating season, one marked by a series of injuries to key players and off-the-court discord involving several others. ''It was a tough way to learn. We were close but we just didn't have it,'' Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said. ''It's just a shame. We had enough tools to be better than we were.'' The Horned Frogs went on a 16-2 run in the first half while Williams and Gipson were on the bench in foul trouble to build a 35-27 lead by the break. Washburn added a jumper right out of the locker room, keeping a heavily pro-Kansas State crowd silent. That's when Kansas State made its first run of the game. Williams and Gipson did most of the work, but diminutive guard Jevon Thomas - briefly kicked off the team last week - also contributed a basket. Eventually, the Wildcats had crept within 41-39 with 16 minutes to go. TCU regained control after Anderson knocked down a deep 3, taking advantage of a stretch in which the Wildcats went 2 for 16 from the field to push its lead back to 12. That's when Kansas State made its second run of the game. Just about everyone got into the act, and the Wildcats cut the lead to 64-62 when Williams converted the three-point play. The Horned Frogs simply made too many plays down the stretch. ''It's just disappointing it had to end like this,'' Gipson said. ''It just seems like we always dig ourselves a hole.'' SEEDS MATTER The Wildcats finished in a three-way tie for sixth in the league, but got the No. 8 seed because of tiebreakers. The loss dropped them to 1-5 with that seed in the tournament. DEEP THREAT Anderson matched a season high with four 3-pointers, two of them from well beyond the NBA arc. It was the most by a TCU player in three Big 12 tournament games. ''We thought it was going to be our game,'' he said. ''It's just the mentality we have.'' TIP-INS TCU: Washburn finished 8 of 11 from the field. He also had eight rebounds. ... Karviar Shepherd had nine points and nine boards. ... TCU improved to 17-3 when leading at the half. Kansas State finished in a three-way tie for sixth in the league, but was given the No. 8 seed due to tiebreakers. ... Marcus Foster was held scoreless, going 0 for 5 from the field. UP NEXT TCU lost both of its games to the Jayhawks this season. Kansas State heads into the offseason.
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Europe's largest oil companies are gaining support from an unlikely source as they confront the industry's worst slump since the financial crisis: lower oil prices. Although better known for their oil fields, refineries, and petrol stations, BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Total SA are also the world's biggest oil traders, handling enough crude and refined products every day to meet the consumption of Japan, India, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. The trio's sway in commodities trading, largely unknown outside the industry, is set to pay off in 2015 as the bear market allows traders to generate higher returns by storing cheap oil today to sell at higher prices later and using lower prices to make more bets with the same capital. "Volatility has increased dramatically over the last three or four months," said Mike Conway, the head of Shell's trading and supply business. "Parts of your business that are volatility driven are probably doing pretty well." While companies are shy about revealing the financial results from their trading business, a look at the last major bear market provides clues to the opportunity they have today. In the first quarter of 2009, BP said it made $500 million above its normal level of profits from trading. That means that trading accounted for, at the very least, 20 percent of BP's adjusted income of $2.38 billion that quarter. From dealing floors that resemble the operations of Wall Street banks in cities including Geneva, London, Houston, Chicago and Singapore, oil trading could provide BP, Shell and Total with an edge over U.S. rivals Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp., which sell their own production, but largely eschew pure trading as a means of generating profits. European Trio Few other publicly-listed oil companies trade at the scale of the European trio, although Statoil ASA, Eni SpA and OAO Lukoil all have trading desks. The amount of crude oil and fuel traded each day by the three European majors together dwarf the combined size of independent traders such as Vitol, Glencore, Trafigura, Mercuria, Gunvor, based on company statements and people familiar with the market. "The trading arms of the oil producers have the opportunity to monetize significant opportunities this year," said Roland Rechtsteiner, a partner at consultants Oliver Wyman, who specializes in advising commodity-trading businesses. The last time that a European oil major disclosed the profitability of its trading operation was a decade ago, when BP said it made $2.97 billion in 2005, or about 10 percent of the company's total earnings that year. Without giving away concrete financial results, the companies have indicated income from trading already rose in the fourth quarter of 2014 as oil prices fell. Stronger Results Brian Gilvary, BP Chief Financial Officer, said on Feb. 3 the group has benefited from an "improved result from supply and trading." Gilvary ran BP's trading arm from 2005 to 2009. "We're in a very strong commodity trading position," Shell CFO Simon Henry said in a call with analysts on a Jan. 29. "Our ability to take advantage of volatility is some protection to mitigate the low price environment." BP and Shell declined to comment further. Total didn't respond to requests for comment. Although extra profits from trading won't offset the much larger loss of revenue from lower oil prices, it could help the three companies to weather the crisis and, perhaps more importantly, beat analysts' estimates. Analysts estimate BP's adjusted net income will drop to $6.2 billion in 2015, highlighting the impact a boost from trading could have in the final results. Beyond the large oil producers, trading executives are optimistic they could reap strong profits in 2015. Ivan Glasenberg, chief executive officer of Glencore, said on March 2 that if the market continues as in the first two months, oil trading "could have a blow-out year" in 2015. Bear Markets In the past, oil trading houses have enjoyed stronger returns during bear markets. Vitol, the world's largest independent oil trader, had record income of $2.28 billion in 2009, up from $1.36 billion in 2008, according to the company's accounts. Fitch Ratings anticipates that oil traders "are likely to report healthy earnings in 2015 as they benefit from volatile oil prices." Several factors explain the expected rise in income. First, after years of steady prices, volatility has surged, allowing traders to make more bets about the direction of the market. Second, oversupply has pushed oil prices into a structure called contango -- a relatively rare situation where forward prices are higher than current prices, allowing traders to buy oil cheap, store the commodity and sell later. Third, lower prices mean it takes less capital to make trades. Price Difference The price difference between a Brent contract for immediate delivery and the one-year forward -- a measure of the contango - - stood at minus $7.18 a barrel on Wednesday. The spread hit an all-time high of minus $17.93 in December 2008. Brent for delivery in April traded at $58.09 a barrel on Thursday, 46 percent lower than a year ago. In addition to crude oil, BP and its rivals trade almost every refined product, from gasoline to fuel oil, plus electricity, petrochemicals, natural gas, currencies and even metals. On top of their own production from oil fields and refineries, the trio buys commodities from third parties. The three companies also make significant bets in the derivatives commodities markets. Such is the scale of BP and Shell in the financial market that both are registered swap dealers in the U.S. under the Dodd-Frank act. Together with agricultural trader Cargill Inc., they're the only non-financial firms among nearly 50 banks, insurers, brokers and others registered as swap dealers. Market Intelligence BP said on its website that its global trading activity generates a huge amount of market intelligence that other companies do not have. "This gives us a clear advantage in converting up-to-the- minute data into effective market calls," it says. The large trading businesses Europe's oil majors have aren't mirrored at rivals in the U.S. That's largely the result of mergers in the late 1990s and 2000s where the acquiring companies had a non-trading culture that prevailed. As such Mobil trading slowly disappeared when it combined with Exxon, while Texaco followed suit after merging with Chevron. BP employs in its Integrated Supply and Trading business, as the trading arm is known, about 3,000 people in trading floors in London, Chicago, Singapore and several other cities. Total Oil Trading SA, or Totsa, employs 500 in hubs in Geneva, Houston and Singapore. Shell International Trading and Shipping Company, known in the industry as Stasco, does not disclose the number of employees. The trio trades at least 15 million barrels a day of crude and oil refined products, according to estimates from industry executives compiled by Bloomberg News. To contact the reporter on this story: Javier Blas in London at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Will Kennedy at [email protected] Dylan Griffiths
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MONROEVILLE, Ala. The doubts arose almost immediately when HarperCollins announced last month that it would release a rediscovered book by Harper Lee: Did Ms. Lee 88, publicity-shy and famously resistant to producing a follow-up to her masterpiece, "To Kill a Mockingbird" really want to publish a second novel that she wrote and set aside more than a half-century ago? Weeks later, that question remains a matter of passionate debate. Despite reassurances from her publisher, lawyer and literary agent that Ms. Lee has enthusiastically endorsed the publication, the controversy over the new book, "Go Set a Watchman," has divided some residents of her hometown here, as well as longtime friends who live elsewhere. One faction argues that Ms. Lee's mental health is too shaky for her to have knowingly authorized the new book, while the other just as vigorously affirms her competence. Now the State of Alabama has been drawn into the debate. Responding to at least one complaint of potential elder abuse related to the publication of "Watchman," investigators interviewed Ms. Lee last month at the assisted living facility where she resides. They have also interviewed employees at the facility, called the Meadows, as well as several friends and acquaintances. It remains unclear what, if anything, will come out of the investigation, now more than a month old. One person informed of the substance of the interviews, who did not want to speak for attribution because the inquiry was ongoing, said Ms. Lee appeared capable of understanding questions and provided cogent answers to investigators. The fact that the state has undertaken an inquiry highlights the scrutiny that Ms. Lee's publisher and lawyer are facing as they prepare to release one of the most hotly anticipated titles in decades. And the spectacle of a very public debate about Ms. Lee's mental condition and true intentions has added an operatic blemish to what should have been a triumphant moment for HarperCollins and the millions of fans who have clamored for decades for Ms. Lee to produce another book. A lot is at stake, including the legacy of one of the country's most beloved authors. Many wonder whether "Watchman," which was rejected by a publisher in the mid-1950s and then rewritten as "Mockingbird," will turn out to be a flawed, amateur work when it is released in July, and a disappointing coda to a career that has been defined by one outsize hit. With an investigation involving Monroeville's most famous resident underway, friends and acquaintances who have come forward in recent weeks have offered conflicting accounts of Ms. Lee's mental state, with some describing her as engaging, lively and sharp, and others painting her as childlike, ornery, depressed and often confused. Several people said that her condition varied depending on the day. Ms. Lee known to many as Nelle, her legal first name had a stroke in 2007 and has severe hearing and vision problems. But friends who visit her regularly say she can communicate well and hold lengthy conversations if visitors yell in her ear or write questions down for her to read under a special machine. (A black marker is kept in her room for this purpose.) Philip Sanchez, a lawyer who was a pallbearer at the funeral for Ms. Lee's older sister, Alice, last year, and visits Ms. Lee regularly, said he is not prepared to judge whether Ms. Lee is capable of consenting to publish the book. "It's a call only God or a doctor can make," he said. "I am more concerned that Nelle is content than the discussion of her cognizance." Wayne Flynt, the Alabama historian and a friend of Ms. Lee, said the author is mentally fit, engaged and can recite long passages of literature. When he visited her a few weeks ago after hearing reports that she was depressed, they spoke about his grandson and she laughed at the stories he told. He said he believed Ms. Lee was capable of assenting to the publication of "Watchman." But he also said she occasionally has problems with her short-term memory. When he asked her about her new novel, he said she seemed to be "in her own world" at first, and asked, "What novel?" Reminding her of "Watchman," he told her "You must be so proud," and she responded with "I'm not so sure anymore," Mr. Flynt recalled. The only statements from Ms. Lee about the new publication affirming her enthusiasm have come through her lawyer, Tonja B. Carter, who handles her day-to-day affairs. Ms. Carter came across the manuscript in August and negotiated the book deal with HarperCollins. Over the course of a week, Ms. Carter did not return a phone call and text messages seeking comment, and she did not make Ms. Lee available for an interview. A lawyer for Ms. Carter, Bobby Segall, declined to comment. In a previous interview with The New York Times, she described Ms. Lee's excitement that "Go Set a Watchman" would be published, and stressed she would never go against the author's wishes. One person who said that he had filed an anonymous complaint with the state is a doctor who has known Ms. Lee for years. The doctor said in an interview said that he had called Alabama's adult protective services hotline and asked the state to investigate whether Ms. Lee was too infirm to have fully consented to the publication of "Watchman." The doctor, who has not treated Ms. Lee and asked to remain anonymous because the divisive nature of the issue, said he had been alarmed by reports of her frailty and by an account from someone he trusted who visited Ms. Lee last fall after the death of her sister, and said she was largely uncommunicative, lying in a fetal position in bed in the middle of the afternoon. The investigation is being led by the state's Human Resources Department with the help of the Alabama Securities Commission, which among other things, works to prevent financial fraud against the elderly. Barry Spear, a spokesman for the Human Resources Department, said he could not comment on any investigation, noting that such inquiries are confidential. But he said investigations into elder abuse were done at the discretion of the department, based on an initial assessment of the complaint, and they can involve law enforcement if there is evidence of financial exploitation. Caseworkers generally talk to people who may be victims to evaluate their physical, mental and emotional state, and they interview doctors, family members, caretakers and friends, Mr. Spear said. In some cases, an investigation may involve subpoenaing financial and other records. Among the records that may be available are cognitive assessments of Ms. Lee by the staff of the Meadows. The facility agreed to make such monthly assessments on each resident as part of a settlement of a 2014 review by inspectors of the Alabama Department of Public Health. Several of Ms. Lee's friends and two of her caretakers said that they had been interviewed by investigators. Marcella Harrington, an aide paid by Ms. Lee's lawyer to sit with her regularly, said in an interview that investigators had asked her if Ms. Lee could recognize friends and if she was receiving proper care. Ms. Harrington said she told them that Ms. Lee is lucid and aware of the book. Asked by a reporter whether Ms. Lee was mentally alert, Ms. Harrington said, "As far as I know, she is." Others who met with investigators painted a different picture of Ms. Lee's condition. The writer Marja Mills, who lived next to the Lee sisters in Monroeville for about 18 months beginning in the fall of 2004 and wrote a book about the experience, "The Mockingbird Next Door: Life With Harper Lee," recently met with investigators. She shared excerpts from a transcript of what she said was a recorded conversation she had in 2010 with Alice, who died in November at 103. In the conversation, recorded with Alice's consent, Alice described her sister as having serious memory lapses during discussions about her personal affairs, Ms. Mills said. "She doesn't know from one minute to the other what she's told anybody," Alice said of her sister, according to those excerpts. "She's surprised at anything that she hears because she doesn't remember anything that's ever been said about it." Ms. Lee's publisher and literary agent have dismissed suggestions that she is too mentally infirm to consent to publishing "Watchman." Michael Morrison, the president and publisher of HarperCollins, said he and Jonathan Burnham, the senior vice president and publisher of Harper, visited Ms. Lee over two days in February, the week after the new book was announced." She was in great spirits, and we talked about how much we love "Go Set a Watchman" and the details of the publication," Mr. Morrison said in a statement to The Times. "It was a great meeting, and as expected, she was humorous, intelligent and gracious." Through a HarperCollins spokeswoman, Mr. Morrison said the company was aware of the state's inquiry but had not been contacted by investigators. Andrew Nurnberg, the agent handling international rights for "Watchman," has brushed off reports that Ms. Lee is somehow being taken advantage of as "nonsense." But skeptics point to a different picture of Ms. Lee that emerged in a 2013 lawsuit she filed against her former literary agent, in which she said he had "engaged in a scheme to dupe" her by hiding royalty payments and appropriating the copyright to "Mockingbird." In the lawsuit, which was confidentially settled, she was portrayed by one of her lawyersas infirm and vulnerable to those she trusts. As the debate over Ms. Lee's condition continues, amplified by the investigation, what was once a source of pride in this small town is now a flash point, with much of the animosity settling on Ms. Carter. Some residents of Monroeville, a town of about 6,300, seem resentful of her, calling her aggressive and needlessly protective of her client in ways that have isolated Ms. Lee from some longtime friends. Others say Ms. Carter is a dutiful steward of Ms. Lee's affairs and have noted that Alice Lee had retained Ms. Carter as the lawyer on her will. "Ms. Carter has been with the Lee sisters for many, many years, and she is a first-rate lawyer," Greg Norris, a probate judge and president of the Monroe County Commission, said. Mr. Norris worries that the fractious debate over the new book could erode Monroeville's literary legacy. "I just don't know why people would be so negative," he said. "We are a poor rural county and this new book puts us on the map again."
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Houston head football coach Tom Herman believes that Heisman Trophy voting shouldn't take place until after the College Football Playoffs are finished. Do you agree with Herman? #120Talk
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By Larry Brown Sam Presti heard the rumor that he would consider trading franchise icon Kevin Durant and shot it down forcefully. The rumor started when former Portland exec and now ESPN analyst Tom Penn told Colin Cowherd that he would expect Presti to trade Durant if the 2014 league MVP does not commit to re-signing with the Thunder long term. Presti was emphatic in denying that he would trade Durant. "It's ludicrous to assert that we would trade Kevin," Presti told The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry Wednesday. "There's no way to measure what he represents to our organization on and off the floor. He has helped build this organization from the ground up and personifies the Thunder: past, present and future. When he's done playing there will be streets named after him throughout the state and younger generations of Oklahomans will learn about the role Kevin has played in elevating this community in ways beyond basketball." GMs across all sports, take note: That is how to shoot down a trade rumor. Presti could not have put it more perfectly than that. Durant means everything to that franchise, city and region. They will never do anything other than try to keep him with the team. OKC knows there is a lot of chatter about Durant eventually leaving after his contract expires following next season, and it certainly did not help when Durant hinted that he might not be "loyal" to the team next time his contract talks come up. But some of his recent Twitter action does indicate Durant might return to OKC . You know they want him. And after seeing comments like that from his GM, KD has to feel really comfortable with the franchise. Those words would go a long way towards convincing me to stay with a team.
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The ACC Network's Debbie Antonelli caught up with the star of NC State's ACC Tournament win, Anthony Barber, to talk his huge game against Pittsburgh. Barber dropped a career-high 34 points, as the Wolfpack advance to the quarterfinals to face #2 Duke.
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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The superstar point guard trying to lead a team without its high-scoring forward had his way Wednesday night. Only this time, it wasn't Russell Westbrook. It was Chris Paul. BOX SCORE: CLIPPERS 120, THUNDER 108 Paul had 33 points and nine assists, J.J. Redick added 25 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat Oklahoma City 120-108, ending the Thunder's seven-game home winning streak. DeAndre Jordan had 18 points and 17 rebounds for the Clippers, who are fighting for a top-four seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Oklahoma City is battling to merely make the field and fell a half-game behind the New Orleans Pelicans in the race for the final playoff spot. Both teams are playing for extended stretches without their standout forwards: Kevin Durant for the Thunder, Blake Griffin for the Clippers. In their absence, Paul fared better than his All-Star counterpart. Westbrook, who had recorded triple-doubles in five of Oklahoma City's previous six games, finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and a career-high 10 turnovers. "He's human, I guess, so he struggled a little bit, which was great," Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers said. Then he praised Paul. "He's competitive, so you want to play well in the matchup. You want to always win your matchup. But I think he wants to win the game," Rivers said. "Everyone else talks about all that other stuff. I think CP came into the game thinking, `Let's beat Oklahoma' and I think that's why he played well." Anthony Morrow came off the bench to score 26 points for the Thunder, who could get Durant back from a foot injury in a week or two, coach Scott Brooks said before the game. Los Angeles went 15 of 30 from behind the arc and controlled the game throughout. Paul went 5 of 8 from 3-point range while Matt Barnes scored 22 points on 6-of-7 shooting on 3s. "All over the floor defensively, we struggled tonight," Brooks said. "They played a great basketball game. Chris Paul, I thought he had the game under control. . They had their way. The ball was playing with a lot of freedom tonight." The Clippers jumped to a 28-11 lead, but Morrow led a comeback with five first-half 3-pointers. Oklahoma City tied it at 47 midway through the second quarter, but Paul hit a pair of 3-pointers in the next two minutes as Los Angeles re-established control. The Clippers pushed their lead to 86-66 with 6:53 left in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Paul. The advantage eventually peaked at 22 points. Oklahoma City came no closer than 13 points the rest of the way. ------ TIP-INS Clippers: Going for a loose ball in the closing seconds of the first half, Paul dived into Kevin Durant's brother, Tony Durant, who was sitting in a courtside seat. Tony Durant shook his right leg as if he were in pain, but was able to walk around at halftime ... Jordan went 5 of 6 from the foul line in the first half after entering the game shooting 40.1 percent for the season. He finished the game 12 of 22 ... Paul's 20 first-half points were a season high. Thunder: For a time in the second quarter, the Thunder experimented with a two-center lineup, playing Kanter and Steven Adams together for the first time to bolster their interior defense. Kanter remained as the starter at the position and scored 18 points ... Morrow went 6 of 9 from 3-point range, setting a season high for made 3s ... After taking a hard foul from Barnes midway through the first quarter, Westbrook threw down the protective mask he's worn over his face since undergoing surgery for a fractured cheek bone. STAR UPDATES Brooks said Durant was re-evaluated Wednesday and that while the 2014 NBA MVP "is progressing" and "had another good workout day today," he isn't ready to return to the lineup. Durant has missed 37 games with an assortment of foot and ankle injuries and hasn't played since Feb. 19. He had surgery Feb. 22 to replace a screw that was causing discomfort in the right foot that he broke during the preseason. Rivers hinted that Griffin is "very close" to returning but wouldn't be more specific than that. Griffin last played on Feb. 6, after which he underwent surgery to remove a staph infection from his elbow. He did not travel with the Clippers to Oklahoma City, which is his hometown. UP NEXT Clippers: Visit Dallas on Friday. Thunder: Host Minnesota on Friday.
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Vitamin retailer's labeling practice is under fire
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Some troubled Los Angeles veterans are getting help through an unlikely source: orphaned parrots. The West L.A. campus of the Department of Veterans Affairs has an exotic-bird rescue facility on its sprawling 387-acre campus. It houses 21 aviaries with nearly 40 parrots that are part of a unique animal-assisted therapy program for veterans coping with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, alcoholism and other ailments. The Feathered Friends program at the VA Medical Center gives veterans a chance to work through their issues by caring for orphaned exotic birds. "Trauma has many tentacles," said Navy veteran Matthew Simmons, director of operations at Serenity Park Parrot Sanctuary. Simmons' wife, psychologist Lorin Lindner, established Serenity Park. At the facility, veterans volunteer to feed and clean up after the orphaned birds, often nursing the animals back to health. The program has had a "huge success rate" with the veterans "that no one gave a chance to succeed ... me included," said Simmons, who was a yeoman during Operation Desert Storm. Another such success story is Lillyin Love, a Coast Guard helicopter search-and-rescue veteran who had PTSD. "I don't even know if I'd be here without this place," said Love, who was diagnosed in 2001 and has cycled through the VA's psychiatric ward many times. The bird sanctuary "keeps me out of the hospital," she said, adding, "It keeps me sane. It's the best therapy for myself that I've found to live a more fulfilling, rewarding life." Love calls the sanctuary her "oasis of peace" and says the parrots are like her kids. "This place gave me structure in my life ... and the birds helped to get me out of myself," she said. "They taught me a lot about patience, responsibility, particularly trust, learning to have a commitment [and] to stay in the moment, stay present." Others, such as Navy veteran James Minick, echoed Love's sentiments about the therapy program. "It's a neat thing," he said, "how people and animals that have had trauma and bad experiences can get together and basically help each other." The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks motivated the 42-year-old Ohio native to join the Navy, where he had a career in aviation for 10 years. Minick helps Simmons manage Serenity Park and says he has come a long way from a time following his service when he struggled with alcoholism and once attempted to commit suicide. The softspoken Minick credits the bird sanctuary with his new outlook. "When veterans come here," he said, "I see their eyes when they see a parrot and there's a connection. It's like a smile from the inside, and it looks like some of these guys haven't smiled in years." Simmons, who also runs another animal-assisted therapy program outside of the VA at the Lockwood Animal Rescue Center in the Los Padres National Forest (this time with wolves), compares the parrots to the veterans in the program. "They don't know if they're wild or domestic," he said. Simmons credits the program's back-to-nature approach for its success with veterans coping with a slew of psychological issues. "Anger and resentment are not going to solve this problem," he said. "Clinical diagnosis will solve some. But what it is, is it's an inside job, and we've got to give them the tools to heal internally ... outside the brick and mortar."
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Adam Wainwright sits down with Ken Rosenthal to discuss coming back from surgery, how he fought through injury in the postseason and more.
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Powdered alcohol could be sold in the U.S. this summer. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau on Tuesday approved labels for a powdered alcohol called Palcohol. Arizona-based Lipsmark LLC, the maker of a booze powder that can be mixed with water like instant tea or lemonade, hopes to begin selling the product soon. The green light by the alcohol and tobacco tax agency follows a scientific review of Palcohol by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That agency issued a statement last summer, saying it didn't have concerns about the ingredients of the product and didn't find a legal basis to block it. Alcohol is regulated at the state level so once a product receives federal approval it can go on sale in most states. In the case of Palcohol, several states have adopted pre-emptive bans and several more are gearing up to ban powdered alcohol. Lipsmark says Palcohol will come in several varieties a vodka and a rum, and in three cocktails Cosmopolitan, Lemon Drop and Powderita, which is designed to taste like a margarita. It has shown the powder in foil pouches that hold the equivalent of one shot of alcohol and can take six ounces of liquid. A Lipsmark spokeswoman said the company is trying to secure patents for Palcohol and aims to get production ramped up for distribution this summer. She declined to comment on any distribution agreements. The company also plans to make an industrial formulation of powdered alcohol for use for medicinal and manufacturing purposes. The product, a powder that holds alcohol, sparked controversy last year when its original approval by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau was temporarily rescinded. Opponents raised concerns that it might be abused by being sprinkled on food, snorted or used to spike drinks. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) last year sent a letter to the FDA encouraging it to ban the product before it became "the Kool-Aid of teen binge drinking." He subsequently introduced legislation in the Senate that would ban powdered alcohol sales nationwide. The bill was referred to committee in November. South Carolina, Louisiana and Vermont last year passed laws banning powdered alcohol. Several states are weighing similar legislation now, including Mississippi, Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, North Dakota, New York, New Jersey and Washington. The product would need to get approval from state alcohol boards to be sold in 17 beverage control states such as Oregon and Virginia. Pennsylvania already issued a ruling saying it couldn't be sold by its control board, according to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association. While several states have banned sales of powdered alcohol fearing underage use, large states including California, Florida and New York have no laws that would limit its distribution. "All of our regulations are geared toward alcohol as a liquid," said Pamela Erickson, the former director of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. "We have no real experience with alcohol in a powdered form and don't even know what some of the dangers might be." Company founder Mark Phillips has taken to YouTube to rebut critics, calling their allegations "completely false." He said he created the product because he hikes, backpacks and likes "to have a drink when I get to my destination." On a previous version of the company's website, Palcohol acknowledged that it could be added to food but advised people to add it to food "after a dish is cooked as the alcohol will burn off if you cook with it." It discouraged people from snorting it because "you would feel all pain for little gain." Mr. Phillips wasn't available for comment. A spokeswoman said he has no scientific training but hired scientists to help him develop the product. He has written a book about wine called "Swallow This: The Progressive Approach to Wine" and hosted a show on wine tasting that aired on PBS. Write to Tripp Mickle at [email protected]
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CNN's Drew Griffin talks with Rep. Aaron Schock regarding questions about whether he is spending taxpayer money on lavish trips and gifts.
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Watch as Mandell Thomas gets the steal and finishes with the dunk.
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DALLAS A handful of protesters took to the street in front of the home of a former University of Oklahoma student and fraternity member who was shown in a video leading a racist chant aboard a bus. About 20 demonstrators Wednesday evening marched up and down the North Dallas residential street in front of the home of Parker Rice. Watching them were about two dozen news media representatives and six police officers. The protesters chanted, "Racism is taught," and, "Racism is a choice." Rice has apologized for the chant he led along with another Sigma Alpha Epsilon member aboard a bus last weekend. The chant referenced lynching and indicated black students would never be admitted to OU's chapter of SAE. Rice has said he's withdrawn from the university.
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Lindsay Lohan is catching a lot of heat or tweeting the 'N-word,' then deleting it before anyone could see. But, oh we saw!
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FORT WORTH, Texas A Texas man is suing the store where he bought two e-cigarette batteries after the devices exploded in his pocket, leaving him with severe burns on the lower part of his body. Attorneys for David Powell and his wife, Shaye, filed a lawsuit in Tarrant County civil court this week against Vixen Vapors, a local chain that specializes in e-cigarettes and associated products. The Arlington family is seeking more than $1 million in damages. Powell, who bought two rechargeable lithium-ion high-drain batteries at the chain's Pantego store, had them in the front pocket of his shorts while playing kickball with a niece and a nephew at his grandparents' house last year, according to Jim Ross, his attorney. The batteries, which Ross said were not hit during the game, "suddenly and unexpectedly exploded, causing a scathing hot mixture of shrapnel" to burn the flesh on Powell's thighs and genitals, according to court documents. "He described it like those Fourth of July sparklers," Ross said. "A hot, fizzing kind of explosion. Not a loud kaboom, (more like) a sizzling star. The sparks were shooting from his crotch area." Powell was treated for first- and second-degree burns at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Jason Amon, the attorney for Vixen Vapors, made it clear Tuesday that the company did not make the battery involved in the case. Nonetheless, the company is taking steps to address the situation by "working on the displays for all of our locations." While the batteries were not pulled from the shelves, Vixen Vapors has posters in its stores advising people to store the batteries in a safety box when not in use. Employees were also trained, before the incident, to tell customers how to handle the batteries and to offer a safety box with each purchase, Amon said. "Vixen Vapors is committed to producing and selling the highest-quality e-cigarette products, and we work hard to educate our customers on their proper use and storage," Amon said. "We believe that if a product is defective, then its manufacturer should take responsibility." Powell's lawsuit says Vixen Vapors sold batteries that were "unreasonably dangerous" and "failed to conform to the applicable design standards and specifications." The lawsuit, which will try to determine where Vixen Vapors got the batteries, also says that there were safer designs and that the store should have warned consumers about possible hazards. E-cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes, are battery-operated and often look like real cigarettes. They are built around a heating element, a cartridge that contains nicotine and other chemicals, and an atomizer that converts the chemicals into vapor for the user to inhale. A report from the U.S. Fire Administration in October discussed the dangers associated with e-cigarette fires and explosions. It quoted media reports citing at least 25 incidents involving e-cigarette batteries from 2009 to 2014. Media reports generally characterized those incidents as explosions accompanied by a loud noise, a flash, smoke, flames, and the vigorous ejection of the battery and other parts. Eighty percent of the incidents reportedly occurred while the batteries were being charged. A variety of charging sources were reported, including laptop, automobile and desktop USB ports. While the failure of lithium-ion batteries is rare, the report says, it is reasonable to expect the number of failures to increase as e-cigarettes grow in popularity. It recommended that manufacturers consider changing to a different style of electrical connection. Ross said that more needs to be done to regulate how these devices are made and that steps need to be taken to determine who is going to oversee regulation. "Are we putting a product on the market that is dangerous to people and we're not doing anything about it?" Ross asked. (This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.)
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INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) --Playing competitive tennis for the first time in over 18 months, Mardy Fish battled for 2 hours, 36 minutes Thursday before losing to fellow American Ryan Harrison, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3) in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open. Fish had two match points at 15-40 in the 10th game of the third set, but Harrison wiggled free. After both held serve to force the 12-point tiebreaker, Harrison won three points in a row to go up 5-2. Fish's double fault gave Harrison match point and the 22-year-old closed it out with an ace. The 33-year-old Fish, once ranked No. 7 in the world, had not played on the ATP Tour since Aug. 20, 2013, because of heart problems that have plagued him since March 2012. A finalist in 2008, when he lost to Novak Djokovic, Fish said that despite the long layoff the loss to Harrison "stings a little bit." But there were positives. "I've worked really hard in the past 3 1/2 months to get back in shape," Fish said, "So, I don't have any issues sort of during a match or after a match. I worked extremely hard to put myself in the best position to not have to worry about things when I was out there -- if I was out of shape or if I didn't feel well or if it was going to be a long match or a hot match or something like that, when a lot more things creep into your head." American wild-card Tim Smyczek was among those advancing as the men began play in this two-week, $10.7 million tournament, but two-time champion Daniela Hantuchova was among those eliminated on the second day of women's action. The 2002 and 2007 winner was a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 loser to Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic. Vera Zvonareva, the 2009 champion, also lost, 6-1, 6-1 to qualifier Polona Hercog of Slovakia, and Chinese qualifier Lin Zhu ousted 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy. The men will conclude their first round Friday, while the women begin second round play, highlighted by Serena Williams's return after a 14-year absence. Williams will face Monica Niculescu of Romania on Friday night.
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TORONTO (AP) -- Tyler Bozak tied the score late in regulation and then had the only goal in the shootout to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night. Jonathan Bernier had 30 saves through overtime and then stopped all three shots he faced in the tiebreaker. Brandon Kozun and Leo Komarov also scored in regulation for Toronto. Rookie defenseman Andrew MacWilliam had an assist for his first point in his NHL debut. Johan Larsson, Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson scored for the Sabres. Anders Lindback finished with 31 saves, including one highlight-reel glove stop in overtime on Komarov. Bozak's power-play goal with 3:25 remaining tied the score as he tipped in a shot by Phil Kessel. Moulson had put the Sabres ahead with 8:10 to go in the second period. Dion Phaneuf gave the puck away to Moulson on Larsson's goal at 6:52 of the first that opened the scoring. Kozun and Komarov scored 21 seconds apart, the fastest consecutive goals of the season, to give the Leafs the lead with 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the period. Joffrey Lupul lost his handle on the puck to Moulson, and Ennis was wide open in front to tie it at 2-2 with just under 4 minutes left in the first. NOTES: Nazem Kadri was again a healthy scratch for the Leafs, who decided to extend the center's punishment to three games for a pattern of off-ice problems. Kadri missed a team meeting Sunday, and president Brendan Shanahan said Wednesday morning that the 24-year-old ''needs to start making better decisions.'' ... Leafs D Stephane Robidas will have shoulder surgery Thursday.
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MIAMI (AP) -- Less than a half-hour before the Miami Heat left their locker room for warmups, they had no idea if Chris Andersen would be able to play. He wound up starting and starring. BOX SCORE: HEAT 104, NETS 98 Dwyane Wade scored 28 points and added nine assists, Andersen - taking suspended center Hassan Whiteside's spot in the lineup - tied a career high with 18 points and set a season high with 14 rebounds, and the Heat completed a season sweep of the Brooklyn Nets with a 104-98 victory Wednesday night. ''When I know I've got to step up, I'll step up,'' said Andersen, who's dealing with a number of injuries, most recently a leg contusion. ''And I'll try to get the job done.'' He did more than try. Andersen made 8 of 9 shots, helped stake the Heat to a big early lead and helped them hang on in the final moments. ''He gives you everything he has,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''That's what it's about right now in that locker room. Guys are fighting for each other. They're playing with pain for each other ... not for themselves, but for the next guy. You love to see that.'' Goran Dragic added 17 points in his return to the Heat lineup. Miami went 7-0 against New York's teams this season - 4-0 against the Nets, 3-0 against the Knicks - and moved back into the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, helped by Sacramento beating Charlotte earlier Wednesday night. Deron Williams and Jarrett Jack each scored 18 points for the Nets. Brook Lopez finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds, Thaddeus Young had 15 points and Joe Johnson 12 for Brooklyn, which lost its fifth straight and saw its playoff chances further dwindle. ''You keep fighting until the end,'' Nets coach Lionel Hollins said. ''As long as I have breath and as long as I'm coach, I'm going to keep fighting.'' The Nets were within six midway through the third, but Miami ended the quarter on a 13-4 run to take an 82-67 lead. Jack scored 16 points in the fourth for Brooklyn, but the Nets never got closer than five in the final moments. ''It's definitely tough right now,'' Williams said. ''It's not a good feeling. We had a chance to control our destiny and we're throwing it away.'' Andersen had the first 10-point first quarter of his NBA career and Miami led by 18 in the first half before settling on a 62-51 lead at the break. Andersen had 14 points - already a season high - by halftime, and some of the other banged-up Miami players came up big as well. Wade had 13 by halftime despite missing the shootaround earlier in the day because of headaches. Dragic returned to the lineup after a two-game absence because of a lower back contusion and had 12 points at intermission. ''We didn't play a great game,'' Wade said, ''but we did enough.'' Brooklyn shot 52 percent in the second half to Miami's 39 percent, but the Heat never ceded the lead. TIP-INS Nets: G-F Sergey Karasev's season officially ends Thursday when he has surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament, a dislocated patella and multiple loose bodies in his right knee. He was hurt in Brooklyn's loss to New Orleans on Tuesday. ... Alan Anderson (bruised tailbone) didn't play. ... The Nets went 4-0 against Miami in the 2013-14 regular season and are 1-8 against the Heat since. Heat: Miami made its first nine shots. ... Chris Bosh (blood clots, out for season) was on the Miami bench for the second straight game. ... Miami had two turnovers in the first half, a season-low, and finished with a 26-9 edge in points off giveaways. ... Miami used its 27th starting lineup. Henry Walker has started five games - with five different lineups. ... Deng reached double-figures for the 600th time. ... Whiteside served his one-game suspension for elbowing Boston's Kelly Olynyk on Monday. FLYING BIRD It was the first double-double of the season for Andersen, and the 22nd of his career. The player known as ''Birdman'' came into Wednesday with one double-double in his last 236 games. JOHNSON'S STRUGGLES Johnson shot 3 for 11, making him 19 for 56 against the Heat this season - 34 percent. UP NEXT Nets: At Philadelphia on Saturday night. Heat: At Toronto on Friday night.
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- New York Rangers goalie Cam Talbot found himself in a difficult spot, facing a 5-on-3 power play with two of the NHL's top three scorers on the ice for the Washington Capitals. With a flick of the wrist Wednesday night, Talbot came through with a tough-as-can-be stop, helping the Rangers move atop the Metropolitan Division with a 3-1 victory over Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and the rest of the Capitals. Ovechkin scored his 45th goal and 21st on a power play -- both best in the NHL -- but otherwise was quieted by the Rangers. Of Talbot's 28 saves, the most spectacular was his glove grab early in the second period of a close-in shot from Backstrom during a scoreless two-man advantage for Washington that lasted 78 seconds. Talbot snatched the puck right at the goal line. The play was reviewed and the original ruling of no-goal stood. "I just kind of instinctively reached back, and luckily, it ended up in my glove," said Talbot, who is 4-0-1 in his past five games and 12-2-3 since No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist went out with a neck injury. "To take away their momentum on their power play, which they feed off so much, was a big momentum boost for us, that's for sure." Capitals coach Barry Trotz agreed. "Anytime you're 5-on-3 for a minute-plus, and you don't score, and (they) get a big save from (their) goaltender," Trotz said, "it lifts their bench." Martin St. Louis, Carl Hagelin and J.T. Miller each scored for New York. Backstrom, who entered the day tied with Ovechkin for No. 2 in the league in points, was held scoreless. Most of the postgame chatter was about Talbot. "He made four brilliant saves that were Grade-A and kept us right there," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said, "and we were able to pull it off." A night after a 2-1 victory at the New York Islanders, the Rangers moved a point ahead of their city rivals to take over first place with exactly a month left in the regular season. No club in the NHL has more points than the Rangers' 91. "They've got the `mojo' going right now," Washington's Matt Niskanen said. The Rangers were on the second half of a back-to-back during a season-long five-game road trip and the Capitals have been resting since Saturday during a season-long five-game homestand. Still, the visitors looked much more active and fresh. New York outshot Washington 24-13 through the first two periods, including 12-4 in the second. "I felt pretty good, actually," Talbot said. "It took a little bit for my legs to get into it there. Once I made a few saves, I was able to settle down and just tried to not do too much and try to save my energy." The Capitals were without two of their top five defensemen, Brooks Orpik (who missed his first game all season with a lower-body injury) and Mike Green (upper-body injury). They were forced to use youngsters Nate Schmidt and Cameron Schilling, instead. "I don't think anyone looked out of place," Washington defenseman Karl Alzner said. But the Capitals made a couple of mistakes -- including defenseman John Carlson's intercepted pass that set up St. Louis' clincher with 2 1/2 minutes remaining -- and that was enough to make the difference. Well, that -- and Talbot's "massive save," as New York's Marc Staal called it. NOTES: Ovechkin became one of five players in NHL history with at least seven seasons of 45 goals or more. The others, according to the Capitals: Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy, Mario Lemieux and Marcel Dionne. ... Rangers F Kevin Klein left the ice in the final minute after taking a puck off his left arm; Vigneault said he was being evaluated. ... Capitals C Jay Beagle didn't play in the third period after taking a hit along the boards from Rangers D Dan Girardi. Trotz said Beagle has an upper-body injury -- but not a concussion. ... The Rangers are off until Saturday, when they play at Buffalo; the Capitals host Dallas on Friday.
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PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Bulls had enough healthy players to outlast the lowly 76ers. Aaron Brooks scored seven of his season-high 31 points in overtime to help short-handed Chicago beat the Philadelphia 76ers 104-95 on Wednesday night. BOX SCORE: BULLS 104, 76ERS 95 (OT) ''We got it done without our guys and it felt good,'' Brooks said. ''This team is resilient. It's going to make us better in the long run.'' Pau Gasol had 27 points and 16 rebounds, and Nikola Mirotic finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls. They snapped a three-game skid without four regulars and three of their top five scorers. The Bulls dressed only 10 players and were without Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah. That's nearly 57 points out of their lineup. Rose had knee surgery Feb. 27, but said Monday that he hopes to return this season, targeting 4-to-6 weeks for a comeback from yet another knee injury. Butler (elbow) missed his sixth straight game, and Gibson (ankle) sat out his seventh in a row. Noah (knee) was a late scratch. It was also the fifth game in seven days for Chicago. ''It's a valuable win for us,'' Gasol said. ''A lot of handicaps but we got it done. That gives us confidence.'' Ish Smith led Philadelphia with a career-high 23 points, Isaiah Canaan added 20 and Robert Covington had 12. The 76ers have lost 10 of 12 overall and 10 of 11 against the Bulls. Brooks had 13 points entering the fourth quarter but got hot in the final 12 minutes of regulation and continued it in the extra session. His layup to start overtime broke a 92-all tie he hit a 3-pointer to make it 103-94 with 1 minute, 3 seconds left in overtime. ''We had a lot of guys step up and we needed everyone,'' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''We have a lot of guys out. Just find a way to scratch out wins, hold the fort until we can get some guys back and we go from there. You'd like to have everyone out there so you're building your rhythm. But it's not the case for us, hasn't been the case all year. So, whoever we have, let's go.'' The Bulls looked in command up 74-63 after E'Twaun Moore's layup to open the fourth quarter. But the 76ers surged in front with a 17-5 run. It remained close from that point, and Smith put Philadelphia ahead with a pair of free throws with 56.8 seconds left. After a Chicago miss, Jerami Grant made two free throws with 43 seconds left to give the 76ers a 92-89 lead. Brooks tied it with a 3-pointer from the wing with 33.2 seconds left. Canaan missed a layup with 25 seconds left, but Tony Snell turned it over on the Bulls' possession. Luc Mbah a Moute's 16-footer that would've won it went off the rim. ''I would back him shooting that midrange shot to win a game 10 times outs of 10,'' Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said. SHOOTING STRUGGLES Philadelphia missed its first 12 shots of the second half and went 7:39 without a point. The Bulls only scored nine points over that stretch though and led 60-51 before Covington's layup finally ended the 76ers' drought with 4:21 left in the quarter. Mike Dunleavy hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to give the Bulls a 72-63 advantage entering the fourth. EMBIID OK Brown said before the game that center Joel Embiid can remove a walking boot following a positive checkup on Monday in Los Angeles. Embiid, the third pick in last June's draft, has been out all season with a right foot injury, and there were concerns in Philadelphia that he may have re-injured it while dunking in warmups Saturday night. TIP-INS Bulls: Dunleavy scored a season-high 27 points in the Bulls' 118-115 win over the 76ers in Philadelphia on Nov. 7. ... Chicago's last three losses all came by 10 or more points. ... Gasol had his 44th double-double. 76ers: Nerlens Noel and Thomas Robinson had 15 rebounds apiece. The 76ers tied a franchise-high tying 41 3-point attempts, finishing 11-for-41. Philadelphia shot 48 percent (12-for-25) from the free-throw line. UP NEXT Bulls: At Charlotte on Friday night. 76ers: Host Sacramento on Friday night.
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You might be expecting a riff on one of Jay Z's lyrics to preface the news that stockholders have apparently approved Hova's bid for music-streaming outfit Aspiro. Sorry, it's not happening; instead, the excellent photo above will just have to suffice. Anyhow, with today's looming deadline to make a decision, Swedish news outlet E24 reports that Aspiro's minority shareholders have decided it was best to accept the 464 million Krona (roughly $56 million) bid from S. Carter Enterprises' "Project Panther." Next up? Most likely, an official announcement from both parties and then something from a governing trade body saying that the sale's been approved. If you need something to do until then, you could always dig an old Samsung phone out of the drawer, fire up the Magna Carta app and remind yourself of Jay's last streaming move. E24 (translated)
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A Canadian lawmaker explained why he left the room during a vote, blaming it on tight underwear. CNN's Anderson Cooper has more.
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All Kendall Jenner's Instagram selfies paid off! We knew she was gunning for a campaign as soon as she started posing in her #mycalvins.
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Golf.com claimed that Nike held the rights to the name "Tiger Woods," but now Woods' manager, Mark Steinberg, says that Tiger has always owned his own name.
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Flying an unmanned aerial vehicle isn't usually the hard part, getting it on and off the ground is. But thanks to the addition of an all-terrain hovercraft skirt, the Russian Federation's newest hybrid UAV will be able land and launch virtually any surface --from snow and sand to lakes and waterways, even stone-riddled roadways strewn with pebbles up to about 8 inches tall -- all while riding a protective cushion of air. Code-named Chirok (roughly translated, "Teal"), this model is the latest reconnaissance and strike drone (RSD) to come out of United Instrument Corporation (UIC), a division of the state-owned Rostec company. The Chirok's 1:5 scale prototype made its debut at last year at Russia's MAKS air show (which you can see below). This year, the company is coming with an operational prototype. This full-size model -- which has already been constructed -- sports full-composite construction, a 10-meter wingspan, weighs 750 kg, and should be ready for flight testing by the 2015 trade show's August opening, according to a statement from Rostec. The company is also reportedly working on a larger, 2-ton variant though it's in the early concept phase. It's designed with a 19,000-foot operational ceiling and a 1,550-mile service range and is rumored to even be powerful enough to carry up to three people in addition to a variety of internally-stowed guided, unguided, and smart munitions. Plus, given its composite composition, the Chirok should be pretty stealthy as well. However, given that many of the the UAV' systems remain classified, there's no real way to confirm any of these assertions until flight tests actually commence. Until then, you can see a brief clip of the Chirok at around the 4:25 mark of the promotional video below. Rostec
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Antidepressant use during pregnancy does not increase the risk of asthma in children, new study finds.
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Bo Pelini's son Patrick posted a video of his dad driving his car seemingly acting like a goblin. Does this show you a different side of Pelini?
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SAN JOSE, Calif. Before the Sharks' 2-1 shootout victory Monday against the Penguins, San Jose coach Todd McLellan warned his players who had yet to face Sidney Crosby and company this year they might see something a little different this season. Just a little bit of defense. "When you think 'Pittsburgh,' you think dynamic offensive players, one-on-one skill, power play," McClellan said. "And they are that. But they haven't given up very much. "They've got that skill and that ability, that's still there. It's just they're not giving you anything for free anymore." In the final three games of a four-game West Coast road trip last week wins against Anaheim and Los Angeles and the shootout loss to the Sharks the Penguins held opponents under their season average for goals per game. On the year, the Penguins rank fourth in the NHL with 2.36 goals allowed per game. They ranked 10th a year ago (2.49 goals allowed per game) and 12th two years ago (2.48). "I think it's something we've been committed to all year," Crosby said. "Regardless of some of the scores, I think our mentality has been to make sure that we take care of things in our own end, make sure that we're structured." Defenseman Ben Lovejoy, reacquired from the Ducks at the trade deadline last week, said the defensive coverage responsibilities are slightly different from his first stint with the Penguins under former coach Dan Bylsma. The new system allows for more zone, rather than just strict man-to-man, and Lovejoy said the defense helps limit the options opposing players have in the attacking zone. "I really like the style of defense we're playing," Lovejoy said. "I think it's incredibly smart." Beyond just the scheme, there's a defensive mentality that is necessary for a team to be successful in that end of the ice. All 18 skaters have to be committed to their defensive responsibilities. "It's impossible to play defense with just your six defensemen," Lovejoy said. "You need the forwards coming back hard and wanting to be in the right position, not wanting to cheat in the offensive zone." Of course, one of the most significant reasons for the defensive success has been the man in net. Marc-Andre Fleury is having one of the best seasons of his career, if not the best. Fleury leads the NHL this season with nine shutouts earning his most recent Saturday in the 1-0 overtime win in Los Angeles and his 2.14 goals-against average and .925 save percentage would both be career bests if he can keep them up. In the victory against the Kings and the shootout loss to the Sharks, Fleury was sharp to help keep the opposition at bay as the Penguins struggled to score. "With [Fleury] playing the way he has, he's probably bailed us out of some mistakes," Crosby said. "It makes everybody look that much better. I think in general we have been pretty committed that way." • NOTE The Penguins announced Wednesday that former player Gary Roberts will oversee the philosophy and off-ice training regimen at the Sports Performance Complex of the team's new UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry. The complex, scheduled to open in August, will serve as the new practice home for the Penguins, as well as incorporating community hockey and sports development, and a public sports medicine facility. Roberts, 48, played two seasons for the Penguins from 2006-08 as part of a 21-year NHL career. Sam Werner: [email protected] and Twitter @SWernerPG.
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INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) -- Sloane Stephens rallied from a two-game deficit in the second set to beat Chanelle Scheepers 7-5, 7-5 in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open on Wednesday night. The victory in the 1-hour, 39-minute match snapped the 21-year-old American's three-match losing streak and set up a second-round meeting with 13th-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany. Stephens reached the quarterfinals last year when ranked 18th in the world. But she fell out of the top 20 after Wimbledon, missed much of the fall with a left wrist injury and has slipped to No. 42. Stephens was the last of the seven Americans in action on an overcast opening day in the two-week event at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. She was joined in the second round by Alison Riske, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia; wild-card Sachia Vickery, whose 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6) win over Alla Kudryavtseva left the Russian in tears; and wild-card Irina Falconi, a 7-6 (6), 6-4 winner over Croatia's Ajla Tomljanovic. Louisa Chirico, another U.S. wild card ranked 148th in the world, lost to Donna Vekic of Croatia, 6-4, 6-3; Nicole Gibbs lost a 6-3, 7-5 decision to Peru's Monica Puig; and Grace Min was beaten by Marina Erakovic of New Zealand, 6-3, 6-1. In other matches, Heather Watson of Britain topped Julia Goerges of Germany 6-4, 5-7, 6-3; Elena Vesnina of Russia beat qualifier Kateryna Kozlova of Ukraine 6-3, 6-3; qualifier Daria Gavrilova of Russia ousted Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain 6-3, 6-4; and Mona Barthels of Germany outlasted Kristina Mladenovic of France 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
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The UN Security Council has failed to implement resolutions to protect and help civilians in Syria, a report by a group of 21 aid agencies says. The agencies - including Save the Children and Oxfam - say it has been the "worst year" for civilians as the conflict enters its fifth year. Another humanitarian report says 83% of the lights in Syria have gone out since the conflict began in March 2011. The UN secretary general says the long-term aim remains a political solution. "The bitter reality is that the Security Council has failed to implement its resolutions," said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. "Parties to the conflict have acted with impunity and ignored the Security Council's demands, civilians are not protected and their access to relief has not improved," he added. The "Failing Syria" report by the 21 aid agencies says: People are not protected: 2014 was the deadliest year of the conflict in Syria, with at least 76,000 Syrians killed Aid access has not improved: 4.8m people in need reside in areas defined by the UN as "hard to reach", one million more than in 2013 Needs have increased: 5.6m children are in need of aid, a 31% increase since 2013 The humanitarian response has decreased compared to needs: In 2013, 71% of the funds needed to support civilians inside Syria and refugees in neighbouring countries were provided. In 2014, this had declined to 57% Separately, a UN-backed report by the Syrian Centre for Policy Research said four years of armed conflict, economic disintegration and social fragmentation in Syria have forced some 10m people to flee their homes and reduced life expectancy by two decades - from nearly 76 years of age to 56. It said the conflict had had a "catastrophic" impact. On Wednesday, a group of more than 100 humanitarian and human rights organisations released satellite imagery showing that the number of lights visible over Syria at night had fallen by 83% since March 2011. The data was collected by Xi Li, a researcher from the University of Wuhan in China. The organisations said they believed such a dramatic drop was because of a number of factors, including infrastructural damage. Also on Wednesday, Medecins Sans Frontieres said a massive increase in medical assistance was urgently required. In its report, it said from the estimated 2,500 doctors who worked in Aleppo, Syria's second biggest city, before the conflict, fewer than 100 now remain. The rest have fled, become internally displaced or have been kidnapped or killed. It said this has left a "catastrophic gap in expertise and experience in medical care".
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NEW YORK (AP) Brandon Marshall might be in for a race to get his familiar No. 15 jersey. The Jets' newest wide receiver, whose trade from Chicago to New York became official Tuesday, has worn the same jersey number for most of his NFL career. But it currently belongs to backup receiver Saalim Hakim, who issued a challenge to Marshall in a video posted on his Instagram page Wednesday night. The speedy Hakim declared that he wants to race Marshall in a 40-yard dash to earn the jersey number. Hakim says Marshall can have the number if he beats him. But, if Hakim wins, ''he can give me $25,000 and he can have the number.'' Marshall wore No. 15 during his first four NFL seasons in Denver, then No. 19 in Miami for two seasons before going back to 15 in Chicago the last three years. --- AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL
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BOGOTA - Somewhere along the coast of Brazil, two American tourists are preparing to head up the Amazon River and slowly make their way toward the Venezuelan border. What happens when they arrive there, however, may be the real adventure. Over the last week and a half, Venezuela has abruptly and haphazardly rolled out new visa requirements for U.S. tourists. President Nicolas Maduro made the announcement Feb. 28 and the law was published on March 3, but until recently some of Venezuela's embassies said they didn't have the documentation needed to issue the visas. The new obstacle has caught the business and tourism community by surprise. Tucan Travel, based in London, runs overland trips through Brazil, across Venezuela, and into Colombia. Two of the travelers in the current group are from the United States, said Jess Millet, the communications director for the organization. "Some of the American clients started traveling from Quito [Ecuador] in November and they were just informed about the visa changes on Saturday," she said. Even if they could approach a consulate, the embassy says it could take up to 90 days to process a visa. So the two travelers "have decided they will take their chances at the border," Millet said. American Airlines, which has two flights a day from the United States to Caracas and five a week to Maracaibo, has been letting its clients know about the changes. It's also giving them the opportunity to cancel or change their trips without cost, the company said. But others haven't been so lucky. Paul Stanley, with Angel-Eco Tours in Venezuela, runs trips to Angel Falls (the world's tallest waterfall) and Canaima National Park. He said a few of his clients only found out about the visa requirement when they went to board their flights in the United States. "This was so sudden that it has caught people by surprise," he said. "We're trying to look through our reservations now and let people know." Even the Venezuelan government seems to have been taken off guard. Days after the legislation went into effect, some embassies said they hadn't received instructions about issuing the visas. The Venezuelan embassy in Washington did not make the visa requirements public until Thursday night - almost 72 hours after the law went into effect. Now, travelers on the hunt for visas, must contact the Venezuelan embassy or one of seven consulates: Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Adriana Kostencki, an immigration lawyer in Miami and a president of the Venezuelan-American Chamber of Commerce, said South Florida travelers are being particularly hard hit. Since Venezuela closed its Miami consulate in 2012, the closest office is more than 600 miles away in New Orleans. One of her clients, a U.S. citizen for over 25 years with an expired Venezuelan passport, is traveling to San Francisco next week to get a visa - because that was the only consulate that answered the phone. Kostencki has also been contacted by Venezuelans who traveled to South Florida with minors who are U.S. citizens. Suddenly, their children may need visas and they're not sure how to get the whole family back home. Adding to the confusion are varying airline policies. While some airlines are requiring U.S. passport holders to have a visa, others will allow U.S. citizens who were born in Venezuela to travel with an expired Venezuelan passport if they have an unexpired U.S. passport, Kostencki said. "In theory under international law you cannot be denied entry to your own country," she explained. But it's still unclear how immigration authorities in Venezuela will handle these cases, she said. Answers are hard to find. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the consulate websites provided by the embassy were down, and the consular section in Washington was not answering the phones. But the embassy website lays out the requirements. Along with run-of-the-mill documents, travelers will need to show rent or home ownership records, and bank statements. For travelers going overland, the requirements are even trickier. The embassy in Colombia, which borders Venezuela, is asking applicants for notarized copies of their criminal records and proof of employment - documents that the casual backpacker might not have handy. "Let's just say that we're not looking forward to the effect this will have on tourism," said Rafael Guerra, the secretary of ConseTurismo, an association of Venezuelan tourism companies. "Measures like this can only have a negative impact on activity in the country." In truth, the flow of U.S. tourists to Venezuela had already slowed to a trickle. Years of deteriorating relations, and the steady drumbeat of bad news out of Caracas has spooked all but the most adventurous travelers. The Ministry of Tourism says the country receives 36,000 U.S. visitors a year, but some in the industry believe the figure is inflated. Even so, for the country to turn its back on the U.S. market, which spends more on international travel than every nation but China and Germany, is unfortunate, Guerra said. The new visa regulations come at a time when many thought the industry might be a bright spot amid falling crude prices. New exchange-rate rules make the country more affordable for those with dollars and the country is a short flight from South Florida. "The United States is a natural market," Guerra said. For President Nicolas Maudro, the visa measure is about fairness and protecting the fatherland. After all, Venezuelan travelers to the United States need visas - and the process for getting one can be long, grueling and expensive. In addition, Maduro has long-accused the United States of being behind alleged coup plots. He said the visa requirements will allow the government to keep tabs on who's coming in and out of the country. The rules make Venezuela - along with Brazil - the second country in South America to require pre-departure visas. Bolivia also requires a visa, but it can be purchased upon arrival at the airport. And Argentina requires the payment of a reciprocal fee prior to embarkation. With all that Venezuela has to offer travelers, the new rules are a shame, said Stanley. "This country is so beautiful and tourism could be a huge thing down here," he said. "If it was just done right."
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Though Roger Federer has not won a grand slam singles title since he claimed the Wimbledon crown in 2012, the Swiss master believes he is playing some of the best tennis of his career at the age of 33. He outclassed his long-time rival, Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic, with a brilliant all-round display in the final of the Dubai Championships earlier this month and cannot recall ever serving better. "I feel like I am playing very well," Federer, a 17-times grand slam singles champion, told reporters on Wednesday while preparing for the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Well Tennis Garden. "I am serving as good as I ever have, I am playing very good attacking tennis and I am playing very committed, which is maybe something I haven't always done throughout my career." Asked if there was anything he could no longer do on the court as he approaches his mid-thirties that was effortless for him a decade ago, Federer replied: "Not really. "I have a hard time remembering back how I felt in 2002," he added, sparking loud laughter in the interview room. "(Ten years ago) I felt like I was more insecure with my game, I was more worried about a bad day. "Today I don't feel like I have that many bad days any more. Maybe sometimes you just come out and it's just not working. That sometimes happens and it happened very few times in the years when I was very dominant." Federer returns this week to one of his favorite venues, having claimed four titles at Indian Wells, including a unique run of three in a row from 2004-2006. Asked why he felt no one had managed to match his feat since by winning at least two consecutive BNP Paribas Open crowns, Federer replied: "I just think it's a coincidence. "If you are playing well here, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to win this one a few times in a row, to be honest." The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells is the first of back-to-back Masters 1000 events on the ATP Tour, with the Miami Open scheduled to follow from March 25. Though the two tournaments are extremely well run and attract the best players in the world, Federer has never been a big fan of them being squeezed together. "I don't mind the 10 days but when it's back-to-back 10 days there's a lot of time that gets wasted, especially for those who lose (in the) first round," he said. (Editing by Nick Mulvenney)
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Did the Eagles trade for Sam Bradford just to use him to trade for Marcus Mariota? Our friends at the Football Fix take a closer look.
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Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy will miss the next two weeks with an upper body injury. How much will the Islanders miss Leddy over the next five days?
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Darrelle Revis insisted that his big decision to bolt from the New England Patriots to the New York Jets this week didn't solely come down to money. That's easy to say when you've just finalized a five-year, $70 million contract that was apparently the best offer on the table no doubt the ultimate lure to return to your NFL roots. The deal fully guarantees $39 million for Revis. "The bigger decision for me was to come back home," Revis told reporters during a conference call on Wednesday night. "I have a history with the Jets. I felt like it was a no-brainer." It all adds up to the all-pro cornerback switching sides in one of the NFL's most heated rivalries. He was the enemy. Now he's the enemy. Or something like that. "The enemy thing we're rivals," Revis said. "I was on both sides of the fence, and I'm back in the green and white. It's football. It's competition. My experiences on both sides of the fence have been awesome." Revis, whose four first-team all-pro selections have been topped by just three defensive backs since 1970 Ronnie Lott, Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson achieved the ultimate team triumph of winning a Super Bowl during his one season with the Patriots. Although he says he's come back with the mission to win a championship with the Jets, it projects to be a lot more difficult with a rebuilding team than it would have been with New England. "We have a lot of work to do," he said. Revis, 29, described the events of this week, when he became a free agent after the Patriots elected not to pick up a $20 million option year for 2015, have been "surreal." "But at the same time, it's exciting," he added. Revis' respect for the Patriots was evident, as he addressed his tenure and departure with the most successful NFL franchise of this generation. He called his time in New England "a pretty awesome experience" and considered himself "like a sponge" in picking up knowledge about the Patriots' operation that he will now bring to their arch rival. Asked what will be the most significant takeaway from his time with the Patriots, Revis expressed a deep appreciation for Bill Belichick. "There's so much stuff I learned, football-wise from Bill," he said. "He's going to be a Hall of Fame coach. Just to be able to sit in a room with a Hall of Fame coach … I learned a lot." And now he's taking it home.
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GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) -- Sheldon McClellan stepped up at both ends of the court and helped Miami win a game it absolutely could not afford to lose. McClellan scored 16 points, keyed the defensive effort on Virginia Tech's most potent shooter and never left the floor during the Hurricanes' 59-49 win Wednesday night in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. ''He played 40 minutes of just terrific basketball,'' coach Jim Larranaga said. ''I went to take him out once, and I turned to my staff, and they said, `No, he never really gets tired.''' Davon Reed added 10 points and hit an important 3-pointer with about 5 minutes left that helped the sixth-seeded Hurricanes (21-11) avoid a loss that would have been catastrophic to their NCAA tournament hopes. The Hurricanes will face No. 11 Notre Dame (26-5), the tournament's third seed, in the quarterfinals Thursday. Adam Smith and Ahmed Hill each scored 10 points for the 14th-seeded Hokies (11-22), who were just 3 of 15 from 3-point range and struggled to get to the foul line, finishing 4 of 8 from the stripe. Yet they gave the Hurricanes all they could handle. Miami - which twice this season beat Virginia Tech by at least 21 points - never led by double figures until the final minute. ''To never get to the bonus really hurts us and puts even more pressure on our perimeter to make shots,'' coach Buzz Williams said. ''Why it was a game ... (the staff's) adjustments were superb and I thought the execution of the adjustments by players arguably was as good as it's been all year defensively.'' Smith's 3 with 55.6 seconds left made it a two-possession game. McClellan followed with two free throws, Justin Bibbs turned it over for Virginia Tech and Manu Lecomte added two foul shots with 36.3 seconds left to put Miami up 58-49 and effectively seal Miami's third straight win. This was one the Hurricanes - the very definition of a bubble team - could not afford to lose with their best win, a road victory over No. 2 Duke, offset by losses to lower-division teams Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Yet this one was very much in peril for them when Smith pulled the Hokies to 44-43 with his layup with 5 1/2 minutes left. Reed followed by swishing a 3 over Hill at the 5-minute mark, Lecomte hit two free throws and Deandre Bennett added a 3 to push the lead to 52-45 with just over 2 minutes left. Virginia Tech took its only lead of the second half when Jalen Hudson's across-the-lane drive made it 38-37 with just under 9 minutes left. Hudson, who scored a season-best 32 points in a victory over Wake Forest one day earlier, finished with five on 2-of-7 shooting. ''I told (the coaching staff) that I wanted to guard him,'' McClellan said. ''My mindset was, just, stop him, and the offense will come.'' --- TIP-INS: Virginia Tech: The Hokies, who had a season-low four turnovers one day earlier against Wake Forest, had nearly twice as many (seven) in the first half alone. ... They've won multiple games in an ACC tournament only once (2011). Miami: The Hurricanes have won at least one ACC tournament game every year since 2009 and have not been upset by a lower-seeded team since then. The team to knock them off then? Virginia Tech. INJURY WATCH: Miami guard Angel Rodriguez, who missed three games with a sprained right wrist, checked in with 5:25 left in the first half. There certainly was nothing wrong with his legs - he blew through the Tech defense and got to the rim on consecutive possessions, converting one slick layup and drawing a foul on the other. He finished with five points on 1-of-4 shooting with an assist in 10 minutes. UP NEXT: Virginia Tech: Season over. Miami: Plays No. 11 Notre Dame on Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament. --- Follow Joedy McCreary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joedyap
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By John Ferensen The race for the eighth seed in the Western Conference gets more interesting by the day. First, let's talk about the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have managed to hold onto the final playoff spot without the services of Kevin Durant, who has missed the last nine games due to complications from foot surgery earlier this season. Durant was re-evaluated on Wednesday and will be out another 1-2 weeks . That's the bad news well, some of the bad news. How about some good news (before we get to the rest of the bad): seven of the Thunder's next eight games are at home, and, in case you missed it, Russell Westbrook has been on a tear as of late . Now, for the rest of that bad news: despite Westbrook's historic run, the Thunder haven't managed to break free of the pesky New Orleans Pelicans. After a 7-game winning streak to snag the eighth seed, the Pels responded with a 9-2 run in their last ten games, including a 6-1 record without Anthony Davis. The Thunder are just 3-3 since the start of Westbrook's triple-double run, while Davis is tossing up epic double-doubles . In fact, after Tuesday night's win over the Brooklyn Nets, the Pels moved into a virtual tie for the eighth seed, and only trail OKC due to winning percentage. The thing to remember here is that (bad news alert!) thanks to a ridiculous game-winning buzzer-beater three-pointer by Davis the Pels own the tie breaker (3-1) over the Thunder. Should both teams finish the season with the same record, OKC is the odd man out. While nobody trusts Monty Williams to coach his way out of a paper bag, the Pels don't appear to be going away, and should make for an interesting final stretch. Meanwhile, a third team to keep an eye on right now is the Dallas Mavericks, who could find themselves in an unexpected race for either a seventh or eighth seed. The Mavs are in a slump, having lost five of their last seven games. A 4.5-game lead is tough to overcome in such a short amount of time, but their brutal final schedule won't do them any favors.
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Nobody likes to pay taxes and most people think they pay too much . But some of us would actually be willing to pay more taxes if we could be assured that the money would be spent on truly valuable programs. What we are willing to pay more for varies depending on when you were born. Related: The 10 Best States for Taxes in 2015 Here are three things Americans are willing to pay more for, according to a new Bankrate.com report released Thursday: Free Education Forty-three percent of millennials said they are willing to pay higher taxes in exchange for free college tuition for all students. The average cost of tuition and fees for the 2014-2015 school year was $31,231 at private colleges, $9,139 for state residents at public colleges and $22,958 for out-of-state residents attending public universities, according to the College Board . That does not include room and board. Related: 26 Most Overlooked Tax Deductions Better Infrastructure For senior citizens, the most important thing is infrastructure. They told Bankrate.com they would be willing to pay higher taxes if that money would support repairing and rebuilding roads, bridges and mass transit. Our infrastructure is indeed in dire need of an upgrade. An estimated $3.6 trillion investment would be needed by 2020 to fix it, according to The American Society of Civil Engineers' 2013 report card . Free Health Care Although our country has made progress on the path to having universal health care because of the Affordable Care Act, we're still far away from free healthcare like they have in many European countries. Still, 22 percent of all Americans surveyed would welcome higher taxes if that would lead to free health care for anyone who needs it. What about you? For what would you be willing to pay more taxes? Please comment below. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: 10 Facts the IRS Doesn't Want You to Know Unintended Consequences of Obama's Tax Cut s The 10 Most Livable Cities in America
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CALGARY (AP) -- Johnny Gaudreau and Matt Stajan each scored two goals, leading the Calgary Flames to a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night. Sean Monahan and Jiri Hudler also scored for the Flames (37-25-5), who returned to play at the Scotiabank Saddledome for the first time since a 6-3 loss to the Ducks on Feb. 20. With the win, the Flames moved within one point of the Vancouver Canucks (38-24-4) for second place in the Pacific Division. Kris Russell had three assists to give him eight points in his past three games, while his defense partner Dennis Wideman set up a pair of goals. Ryan Getzlaf had two goals for the Ducks (42-20-7), and Hampus Lindholm also scored. Kari Ramo stopped 29 shots for Calgary. Anaheim goalie John Gibson finished with 17 saves. It wasn't a great start for the Flames as Getzlaf picked off an errant pass by David Jones in the Calgary zone and quickly beat Ramo with a shot over his left pad to put the Ducks up 1-0 just 22 seconds into the game. Getzlaf scored again at 2:51 when he deposited a rebound into a wide open Calgary net with Ramo out of position after stopping the initial shot by Ryan Kesler. The Flames then fought back with goals by Stajan and Gaudreau before the end of the first period. Calgary then scored three goals on four shots in the second to build up a 5-2 lead. Stajan redirected a pass from Michael Ferland past Gibson at 7:28. Monahan scored during Calgary's man advantage 85 seconds later. Gaudreau scored another power-play goal for Calgary at 13:59 before Lindholm wired a point shot past Ramo exactly five minutes later to pull the Ducks within two goals. Despite being outshot 9-3 in the third by the Ducks, Hudler scored the lone goal of the period at 15:17. NOTES: Gaudreau now has 18 goals with 32 assists in 66 games. He's the first Flames rookie to reach 50 points since Jarome Iginla had 21 goals and 29 assists in the 1996-97 season. ... While the Tim Hortons Brier was being contested at the Saddledome from Feb. 28 to March 8, the Flames went 4-2-1 on their season-high road trip.
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Isaiah Taylor had 12 points and seven assists to lead Texas to a date with No. 2 seed Iowa State on Thursday in the Big 12 Championship.
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Lafayette won the Patriot League Tournament on Wednesday by defeating American 65-63 in the final. Nick Lindner led the Leopards with 25 points.
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27-year-old US Marshal Josie Wells was fatally shot during a shootout at a motel in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. CNN's Randi Kaye has more.
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