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Monica Niculescu rolled over Aleksandra Krunic 6-2, 6-1 to book a second round clash with Serena Williams at Indian Wells, where the American returns this week after a 14-year hiatus. Reigning Australian Open champ Williams is one of 32 seeded players who received a first-round bye at the joint ATP Masters and WTA tournament in the California desert. Top seed Williams is competing in the tournament for the first time since her self-imposed exile began in 2001. She claimed two singles titles in 1999 and 2001. AFP
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Senate GOP leadership is staying away from a proposal to ensure undocumented immigrants don't get tax break payouts from the government, with the party still smarting from a battle over Department of Homeland Security funding. Senior Republicans generally say they support the goals of the bill from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that seeks to keep immigrants protected from deportation by President Obama's executive actions from claiming several years' worth of earned income tax credits. But with the most recent immigration fight having just finished, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has said he's still examining the legislation, and even GOP leaders who openly back the measure say now is not the right time to push hard for the measure. "It's more of a longer-term project," said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (Texas), one of the 10 GOP co-sponsors of the bill. Conservative lawmakers and outside groups are still angry that the GOP didn't continue the fight to withhold Department of Homeland Security funding, which they viewed as the best avenue to combat Obama's decision to shield millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally from deportation. "I'm clearly one of those who thinks that we need to continue to push very aggressively and that we should have pushed harder earlier," said Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), another co-sponsor on the tax credit bill. But with a federal court having blocked Obama's executive actions, Senate Republicans have increased their focus on other issues, including an anti-human-trafficking bill and nuclear negotiations with Iran. Top Senate Republicans say lawmakers will have to deal with immigration again but now are less sure about when the matter will return as a central focus on Capitol Hill. The Senate is scheduled to deal with its budget at the end of March, and leadership aides have simply said Grassley's measure is in the Finance Committee's hands now. "It's an issue that's always going to be with us," Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, said about immigration. Grassley's bill would bar unauthorized immigrants shielded by Obama from claiming the earned income tax credit, a refundable tax break aimed at working families, for years they worked in the U.S. illegally. Immigrants protected by Obama's executive actions late last year could potentially receive work permits and a Social Security card, which also allows them to claim the earned income credit. And the IRS has made it clear that those workers would be able to seek payments of the credit for up to three previous years, which Grassley calls a loophole that should be closed. Grassley said Wednesday that he had yet to press his case with leadership about his bill and that his first priority would be talking up the measure with Hatch. But the Iowa Republican also said that any reluctance GOP leaders might have about his bill might fade when they're trying to cobble together packages for Medicare's "doc fix" and the Highway Trust Fund, both of which face deadlines in the coming months. "I don't know very many people in the Republican Party that want to fritter away $1.7 billion," Grassley said, pointing to how much congressional scorekeepers say his measure will raise over a decade. The proposal also underscores the challenges Republicans face heading into the 2016 election season after support for the GOP among Hispanics continued to plummet in the last presidential election. Republican strategists and some lawmakers have said the party has to repair its relationship with Hispanic voters ahead of 2016, and some of the leading contenders for the GOP nomination, including former Gov. Jeb Bush (Fla.), have more centrist records on the issue. But the GOP's base is also full of hard-liners on immigration who oppose congressional efforts to broadly revamp immigration laws. And potential presidential hopefuls like Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) were among those pressing the hardest for Republicans to keep up the fight on Homeland Security funding. Hatch, who supported the Senate's 2013 immigration bill, said this week that he'd "certainly take an interest in" the measure introduced by the former Finance panel chairman, Grassley, and six other members of the tax-writing panel. The Utah Republican has pressed the Obama administration on a related issue, seeking more information from the Social Security Administration about how many new numbers they plan to assign because of Obama's immigration actions. But Hatch also acknowledged that he wanted to take a deeper look at Grassley's bill, and that finding common ground on immigration remained a challenge for Republicans. "I don't know that I'd call it a divide," Hatch said. "But there are different attitudes and different feelings and different bills even." Thune said that Grassley's bill could get "a good amount of support" if it hit the Senate floor, given Republicans' past concern about the amount of fraud connected to the earned income credit and other refundable tax credits. But other Republicans also wondered about pushing a measure that would almost certainly run into a wall of Democratic opposition. "I think they could get behind it," Sen. Richard Burr (N.C.) said of his fellow Republicans. "The question is, can you get it through the Senate?"
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SAN FRANCISCO In less than a month, people in the U.S. will be able to subscribe to HBO without a cable or satellite TV subscription. The stand-alone HBO Now streaming service unveiled this week will debut in time for the April 12 season premiere of "Game of Thrones." HBO and ESPN have long been cited as a chief reason people keep their pay-TV bundles, amid a growing practice of "cord cutting." But last month, Dish started making ESPN available as part of a $20-a-month online television package called Sling TV. Now, HBO will offer its movies and shows over the Internet for $15 a month. Thus far, people who want to watch HBO but don't have a cable or satellite contract have had to borrow friends' or parents' passwords to access HBO's streaming service, HBO Go. Now, they can subscribe and clear their conscience. But HBO says it doesn't believe the online-only offering will accelerate cord cutting. Rather, HBO is targeting the 80 million U.S. homes that don't already have HBO. That includes some 10 million broadband-only homes not just cord cutters, but the younger "cord nevers" who have never subscribed to traditional TV. Here are some things to know before you rush out to cancel your service: A BARGAIN? HBO is bucking the trend by charging $15 a month. Netflix, Hulu Plus and other major online video services cost less than $10 each. As part of pay-TV packages, HBO starts at $10 through Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Many providers include HBO for free as part of promotions for pricier packages. So consider this: If you want both HBO and ESPN, you're paying $35 a month without a cable package. Figure that the price of your Internet access will go up by $20 when it's unshackled from a TV bundle. You'll have to gauge this against how much you pay now for Internet access and your cable or satellite package that includes hundreds of channels. NOW VS GO HBO Now isn't the same as regular HBO. The pay-TV version gives you about 20 traditional channels, including ones in Spanish, and entitles you to the HBO Go streaming app. HBO Now won't have the traditional channels, but you can watch new episodes of shows in real time, just as you can on HBO Go. Both Now and Go will have a similar library of movies and shows available through their apps. That includes past and current seasons of HBO shows, along with hundreds of movies, including those from Universal, Fox, Warner Bros. and Summit. (Time Warner Inc. owns both HBO and Warner Bros.) Differences will mostly be on the back end: Apple Inc. not the pay-TV provider is handling HBO Now billing, at least initially. Major League Baseball, which has a robust streaming network to deliver its games online, will handle the technical aspects. MLB's involvement means the user interface on Now will differ from Go, which HBO handles in-house. HBO also owns the Cinemax channel, but that's not part of either offering. SIGNING UP The service is available in the U.S. only. Apple has a three-month exclusivity deal with HBO. During that time, people can sign up only through an Apple TV streaming device or HBO Now's app on iPhones and iPads. Macs aren't eligible. Apple will pull credit card information directly from its iTunes service, so customers won't have to fill out screens of forms. After subscribing, customers are free to watch on Android and Windows devices through a Web browser. HBO plans to expand to other devices after the three months are up. HBO is offering the first month free, and there's no minimum commitment. So after "Games of Thrones" is over for the season, fans can cancel until the next season. HBO is counting on people staying after discovering other shows available through the app.
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The way it used to work was simple. Mercedes made a two-door version of the iconic S-Class , slapped a CL badge on the butt, and counted the cash. Wealthy folks -- typically men between the ages of 50 and 60 who earn between $600,000 and $2 million a year -- would buy one and then another, then get bored with CLs and purchase a Bentley Continental GT . Rinse, wash, repeat. The volume was low and the design was a secondary priority, but the margins were dripping with green. Recently, a few things happened. One is that Mercedes has simplified its naming conventions. Part of the renaming process is that what we used to know as the CL is now called the S-Class Coupe. Another is that somebody in Stuttgart wised up and asked, "Why the hell are we losing customers to Bentley?" Finally, the biggest two-door Mercedes makes is beautiful. An actual knockout. The resulting object d'art -- this top-of-the-heap S65 AMG Coupe -- has left my head spinning. Pardon me for speaking in jabs, but I'm feeling punchy. The dark and sparkly green S65 AMG Coupe is gorgeous, inside and out. The interior is the finest I've ever seen on a production car, full stop. The $1,300 Designo lacquer flowing-lines trim framing the dashboard is stunning. The lines fan out like a comet's tail, reminiscent of the brightwork on prewar deco cars. Specifically it calls to mind the fender vents of a Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe. Consider it a must-have option. The unique, curved dash reminds me of a Pagani Huayra. The new baller Benz makes that Italian exotic the possessor of the second-finest interior extant. You like those gorgeous, drilled Burmester speaker grilles? The S65 Coupe is stuffed with them. Every direction you look there's one more -- above the seatbelt opening, taking up half the door, between the rear seats -- everywhere. The ample, comfy, massaging seats are not only massively adjustable, they're downright handsome, too. The entire automotive industry had better come and take a gander. No one's seen anything like the inside of this baby. Related Link: See buying specs on the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class You can probably get a similar interior in a S63 or (God forbid) a S550 Coupe, but that would be like an inside-out Fierroghini. Let's talk about what makes the S65 AMG so ultra-decadent, up to the $233,525 starting price. Namely, the hand-built 6.0-liter, twin-turbo V-12 that produces 621 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. Internally known as the M275, this V-12 has been around for more than a decade, but 738 lb-ft of torque is 738 lb-ft of torque. That's more than any Bentley Continental GT has to offer, though somewhat less than the bananas Mulsanne Speed and its 811 lb-ft of twist. But never mind the cars from Crewe. You know of any other 4,753-pound, RWD coupes that can hit 60 mph in 4.0 seconds flat? I did not think so. Well, OK, the Dodge Challenger Hellcat weighs a few mink stoles less and does so in 3.7 seconds. But the Hellcat doesn't have a champagne fridge located between the rear seats. The S65 Coupe runs through the quarter-mile in 12.3 seconds at 117.8 mph. It stops from 60 mph in a tidy 106 feet; credit the ridiculous (and optional) carbon-ceramic brakes. It can pull a max lateral acceleration of 0.92 g. Not that it matters to anyone in the world, but this big, beautiful AMG completes our figure-eight course in 24.9 seconds, exactly the same as a Volkswagen Golf R. Pretty slick, if you ask me. Let's not overlook Dynamic Curve, part of the tragicomically named Magic Body Control suspension. MBC uses the built-in stereo cameras to look at the road surface ahead and adjust the suspension accordingly. I like to think of MBC as speed-bump delete. Using the same cameras, Dynamic Curve looks at the twists and turns ahead and actively leans the S65 Coupe into a corner. The results, while not exactly magic, are close. The overall sense of suffocating luxury is increased to drowning in it when you smoothly and confidently tackle a convoluted canyon. Think of it as image stabilization for a car. Instead hurling you towards the door, the active body lean pushes your rump into the seat. Moreover, the steering feel suddenly seems glazed. What won't they think of next? Related Story: 2015 Best Cars for Families If you're wondering, yes, I have some gripes. One is that the heavy doors don't have little detents in the hinges. So if you're pointing even slightly uphill and try to get out of the car, the door will try to close against you. Not elegant. Also, the throttle needs to be remapped. We know that when fully opened up, the mighty M275 V-12 is a thoroughbred beast. But the S65 Coupe feels laggy around town. I found myself -- just like in the Mercedes-Maybach S600 -- driving around with the transmission/throttle in Sport mode. Luckily, AMG is wise enough to leave Sport engaged even after you exit the vehicle and then turn the car back on. But really, you shouldn't have to press anything. Moreover, why are they in any way hiding the fury of the engine? I (ha ha) just paid $252,000 for the car. Let me have all of it! Oh, and while the fridge is cute, it really eats into the trunk space. And why no humidor? The gripes are minor and shouldn't be the focus of your feelings about the S65 AMG Coupe. I'm a lucky son of a bitch who gets to drive a sickening amount of AMG products. But aside from the G63 6x6, I've never seen so many people stop and freak out over anything from Affalterbach. The big coupe -- especially in this paint color -- stinks of special. It possesses that all-important X-factor, that almost indefinable attribute that separates the S65 AMG Coupe from nearly everything else on the road. If I had the money I would buy it, but this car goes beyond that. The Bentley Continental and Rolls-Royce Wraith are also big, sexy, expensive, luxury coupes with even more impressive badges. But can I honestly claim they're better cars? Not anymore. Related Story: 19 Most Dependable Cars on the Road 2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe BASE PRICE $233,525 PRICE AS TESTED $252,675 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD, 4-pass, 2-door coupe ENGINE 6.0L/621-hp/738-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 48-valve V-12 TRANSMISSION 7-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,753 lb (53/47%) WHEELBASE 115.9 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 198.6 x 74.8 x 56.1 in 0-60 MPH 4.0 sec QUARTER MILE 12.3 sec @ 117.8 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 106 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.92 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 24.9 sec @ 0.82 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 13/21/16 mpg ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY 259/160 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.24 lb/mile
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So long, winter! These simple projects will infuse your home with a breath of fresh country air. Convert a Colander Into a Planter Forget flower pots! Turn your favorite flowers into this easy DIY display. Get the tutorial . Make a Bird Feeder Out of Dinnerware Give your birds a brand new perch by turning old dishes into a chic bird feeder. Get the tutorial . Patio Pavers Jazz up your backyard by turning plain cement steps into these brightly patterned patio pavers. Get the tutorial . Hang Up Your Boots Install a metal grommet (grommet kit, $8; homedepot.com ) on the back of each rain boot. Loop a piece of burlap ribbon through grommets. Place a 3-inch-wide cylindrical vase in both boot heels; stabilize with tissue paper if needed. Fill vase with water and seasonal blooms. (We used a mix of hydrangeas and daisies.) Tie ends of ribbon together and hang on a nail. Build a Trellis Headboard Using 1-by-4-inch boards, construct a frame with desired height and width (ours measures 6 ½ feet tall and extends 1 inch beyond the mattress on each side). Have your hardware store cut a piece of garden lattice to fit within the frame and affix to back with finishing nails. Use a picture hanger to mount a small mirror three quarters of the way up the headboard. Paint assembled piece in desired color. For a tonal effect that adds depth without overpowering the space, choose two similar shades of one color. (Headboard: Haven, Sherwin-Williams; Wall: Apple Blossom, Benjamin Moore) Freshen Up Your Sofa With Floral Pillows These feminine fabrics give neutral furniture a fresh-from-the-garden makeover. Tip: All you need is a yard of fabric to make a 16" x 16" throw pillow. 1. Gazebo Cornflower: $30/yard; calicocorners.com 2. Rosa: $219/yard; raoultextiles.com for stores 3. Udaipur: In indigo, $137/yard; peterdunhamtextiles.com for store 4. Asters Honey: $15/yard; joann.com 5. Malindi Floral: In blossom, $20/yard; lsfabrics.com 6. For similar styles, try joann.com 7. English Garden Fabric: $32/yard; minted.com Revive an Old Piece With Botanicals Make paper photocopies of a botanical fabric, then use a utility knife to cut out desired portions of the print. With dresser drawers closed and pulls removed, map out placement of botanicals, then decoupage to dresser using a medium-strength adhesive like Mod Podge (available at craft stores). Once dry, carefully run a razor blade between drawers so they open properly. Finish with a coat of clear acrylic sealant. Replace a Pantry Door With a Screen Door This switch adds eye-catching country character to the kitchen. For an even bigger impact, paint it a cheerful hue (try Byte Blue by Sherwin-Williams). The small surface area requires only a sample-size pot of paint to get the job done. Decorated Eggs Robin's Egg: To create the base color shown above, add two drops of green food coloring to standard blue egg dye, and then dye egg. Once dry, dip a fine-tipped paintbrush in a small bowl of brown liquid ink (available at craft stores) and splatter on the egg. Paper Napkin Egg: Unfold a paper napkin and cut into ½-inch-wide strips. Use Mod Podge and a small paintbrush to adhere strips to the egg, lining up the pattern and trimming away any excess napkin. Once covered, let dry, then apply a final coat of Mod Podge. Twine Egg: Use a small paintbrush to apply crafter's glue onto the top of an egg. Starting in the center of the top, wrap twine (we used four-ply) into a tight circle. Continue to brush on glue and wrap the egg until it is completely covered. (You will use approximately 12 feet of twine.) Trim excess. Gilded Vases Upgrade your picnic table with gilded DIY vases and votives. Use a foam brush to apply adhesive to the outside of a mason jar in small, irregular patches. When the sticky substance turns clear in about 30 minutes press on sheets of gold leaf. Then, rub away excess flecks with a paper towel for a lovely weathered patina. (Speedball gold-leaf kit with leaf and adhesive, $10.97; dickblick.com ) Hatch a Prettier Seating Plan A carrier pigeon, clad in a vintage-postcard print could there be a wittier way to convey your wedding's pecking order? We fell for the concept upon spying it in Clare Youngs's Book Art (Cico, $21.95). Then we simplified the process for you: Just print our placecard art onto 8½"W x 11"L card stock, cut out, and fold in half as directed. To equip each pigeon with a message, write a guest's name on a 5/16"W x 6"L strip of paper and curl the ends by wrapping them around a pencil. Then loop the strip around the bird's front leg before perching him atop a plate. Plus: See more place card ideas » Stenciled Animal Mugs Look no further than the nearest pasture for inspiration to dress up plain dishware. To duplicate these mugs, print and cut out the animal shapes. Use these templates for Cow , Sheep , and Pig shapes. Place each shape atop a small piece of contact paper and outline it in pencil. Cut out with a craft knife; then discard the paper inside the outline. Peel away the backing and affix the stencil to a clean, dry mug, making sure to center the image. Following the package directions, use a soft brush to fill in the outline with dishwasher-safe PermEnamel paint ($3.49 for two ounces, joann.com ); let set for a few minutes. Carefully remove the contact paper, clean up any edges with a damp cotton swab, and allow the paint to cure for 10 days. Dress Up a Plain Mirror To fashion this pretty piece, print out our template , sized to fit an 11¾"W ×16"H mirror ($19.99; kmart.com ). Trim the template as directed and place the resulting hand-mirror shape atop contact paper. Outline; then cut out. Peel away the backing and center the shape, sticky side down, on the mirror. Spray the mirror's surface with a coat of no-prime acrylic paint we used Montana Gold's Bazooka Joe ($6.83 for 13½ ounces; dickblick.com ). Let dry for 30 minutes; then peel off contact paper. Bamboo Shade Transform a plain window shade with a sweet stencil. Painting this birdcage motif is a snap, thanks to a goof-proof stencil ($26; 9"W x 14"H; designerstencils.com ). Simply center the stencil on the front side of a bamboo shade ours cost $21.50 at pearlriver.com so that the top of the design lines up with the top of the shade; secure with painter's tape. Following the stencil package directions, use a stencil brush ($1.99; joann.com ) and acrylic paint to gently tamp the design onto the shade. Let dry for 30 minutes, then apply a second coat. Wait another 30 minutes before carefully removing the stencil. Allow the shade to dry for an hour before hanging. Pump Up a Plain Mason Jar Repurpose the classic Mason jar as a soap or lotion dispenser in your bathroom. Step 1: First, measure and mark the center of the jar's lid. Step 2: Using a 1/2" high-speed steel drill bit (about $10; local hardware store), drill a hole to fit the width of a soap dispenser pump. We used pumps from old lotion bottles. Step 3: Fill the jar with liquid soap, screw the lid back on, and insert the pump. You may need to trim the bottom of the pump to fit your jar. Curtain Tieback To create this handy hook, drill a small hole approximately one inch in from the end of the fork's handle. Hold the utensil faceup, then use pliers to bend the prongs back toward the handle, making sure to form a rounded C shape rather than a V. Finish by screwing the tieback into your window molding. Create A Hankie Table Runner Inspired by Amy Barickman's latest book, Hankie Style , this craft breathes new life into old-fashioned linens. To make a table runner, measure the length of your table (plus overhang) to determine how many hankies you'll need (we used ten 12-inch squares for an 82-inch-long table). To connect the first two, flip them pattern side down, overlapping the edges by about ⅜ inch; pin, then stitch together. Continue attaching handkerchiefs in this manner until the runner is complete. Make Your Own Vases Floral foam and glass marbles aren't the only ways to hold flowers aloft. Instead, a bunch of vintage milk bottles gives this arrangement featured in Decorating with Flowers by Paula Pryke its structure. Simply line up nine same-size vessels in three rows of three. Then wrap gardener's twine around the grouping twice and tie the ends. Finish the blooming display by placing two to three stems in each container. Smart idea: Separate the milk bottles and flowers afterwards to give to your guests as party favors. Craft A Spring Sachet To make a sachet, cut a four-inch square from a hankie. With the pattern side up, fold three corners toward the square's center. Hand-stitch the sides together. Turn the sachet inside out, press, and sew a decorative button atop the flap. Fill the pouch with dried lavender, then secure the flap with some hidden hand-sewn stitches. Speckled Jars Use pretty pastels to coat Mason jars in festive colors. Get the tutorial at Mason Jar Crafts Love . Renew An Old Phone Bench Create the perfect spot for pulling off boots and sorting letters by rescuing a relic from the rotary-dial days. To begin, pop off the cushion, remove any existing upholstery and padding, and measure the remaining seat base. Cut a piece of three-inch-thick memory foam to those dimensions. Enlarge dimensions by five inches on all four sides and cut fabric (red houndstooth, $9.99 per yard; premierprintsfabric.com ) and cotton batting to this size. Next, place foam atop the seat base and wrap tightly with batting, using a staple gun to secure the batting to the base's bottom; repeat with fabric. Finally, lightly sand the wood surfaces and wipe clean with a damp rag. After priming, apply two coats of glossy white paint, allowing time to dry in between. To finish, reattach the new seat. Dress Up a Tank Top To embellish a tank top, cut a 14-inch-square, scalloped-edged hankie into two pieces. Fold under the cut sides and hem, as directed by the templates. Place the shorter piece atop the longer one so the top edges align; stitch together, leaving a ¼-inch allowance. Finally, fold under the unfinished top edge, then center it below the tank's neck seam (as shown) and sew into place. Patchwork Pillow Put your fabric remnants to good use by turning them into a unique patchwork pillowcase. Wallpaper Tree Any blank surface becomes an enchanted forest with this patterned mural made from wallpaper scraps. Step 1: Using this photo for reference, sketch a basic tree trunk on the back side of a sheet of wallpaper (you may want to practice first on butcher paper). Once you have your desired shape and height, cut out. Step 2: On the back of another piece of the same wallpaper, again using this photo as a guide, draw branches of various sizes and shapes including a group of three attached limbs for the treetop. Cut out the branches. Step 3: Apply the paper trunk, then the branches, to your wall with ready-made paste. Step 4: While the tree dries, trim remnants of other brightly patterned wallpapers into leaf shapes you'll need about 60. Paste these to the wall so they appear to be sprouting from the branches. Striped Tablecloth Painted lines transform humble canvas into a fancy tablecloth with French country flavor. STEP 1: Wash and tumble dry a natural-colored canvas drop cloth ours measured six by nine feet ($8.44; hardwareworld.com ) a few times to soften the fabric. STEP 2: Lay the cloth flat. Run a strip of 1/4-inch grout tape down the middle of the fabric widthwise. Then run two additional pieces of tape on each side of the first, spacing them 1/4 inch apart (you'll have five strips total). STEP 3: Squirt some red fabric paint ($1.89 for two ounces; createforless.com ) onto a paper plate and dab a brush in it, off-loading any extra paint onto a paper towel. Working in short strokes, lightly brush the paint on the cloth between the taped areas to catch the grain of the canvas. STEP 4: Continue to layer the pigment until it appears as dark as desired. Remove the tape once the paint has dried according to the package instructions. Book Bag Take a beloved hardcover off the shelf and put it on your shoulder by transforming it into a smart-looking purse. All you'll need, in addition to the book itself, is half a yard of fabric, a $4.99 handle kit, some ribbon, a button and a free afternoon. Doily Vase Tightly wrap a doily around a vase. Snip away any excess, then hand-stitch the doily securely in place to create a snug fit. A clear glass vase creates an elegant illusion, but experiment with different vases and doilies to find a combination you like. Personalized Lampshade Add your own personal touch to a lampshade by wrapping fabric around a self-stick shade. Finish off with ribbon and a floral pin. Button Curtain Tieback Choose a 10-inch roll (per panel) of narrow ribbon (we used double-faced satin). Thread through a large button about 18 inches from one end; sew smaller buttons at random intervals. String a large button at other end. Tack first large button to wall. Drape ribbon around curtain; wind end around the tacked large button, allowing some ribbon to hang. Ribbon Shoes Bright taffeta ribbon and a hot-glue gun are all you need to give a pair of shoes a quick and easy update. Get the full instructions to embellish these flats » Bandanna Napkin Ring To fit standard dinner napkins, cut a bandanna into 6- by 9-inch strips. Fold each strip in thirds lengthwise, then fold in thirds widthwise. Sew a button on one end, about 1 inch from the edge. (Choose any colorful loose buttons you may have on hand; they don't need to match.) Then cut a corresponding buttonhole on the opposite end of the strip. Heart-Shaped Sachets Freshen up drawers with heart-shaped sachets. Cut two heart shapes out of your favorite fabric, place printed sides facing each other, and sew edges, leaving space to add filling. Then fill with potpourri, stitch up, and enjoy! Customized Carryall Keep crafting supplies portable and easy to find by stitching a fabric purse organizer (we found this one at the Container Store) to the outside of a sturdy canvas tote. Fill the multiple pockets with the items you use most. Lavender Heart Card For a thoughtful gift, create one of these simple lavender-filled-heart cards. First, cut card stock to desired size and fold vertically in the center. Cut two heart shapes from printed muslin. Stitch them together, outsides in, leaving a small opening; invert the hearts; and loosely fill with lavender. Stitch the opening closed and attach the heart to the card. Pocket Board Transform a flea-market picture frame into a pretty and practical pocket organizer with some mat board. Once suspended, the wall display lets you show off favorite photographs, postcards, or notes. Gardeners can even store seed packets or colorful keepsakes. Lace Doily Handbag Make it any size! For the lining, cut two fabric circles, about 3/4 inch smaller than the two doilies. Right sides together, sew together the lining pieces, leaving an opening at the top; turn right side out. Sandwich lining between doilies and topstitch through all layers (lining included), leaving an opening at the top. From a runner, cut a wide handle, folding it lengthwise in thirds. Machine-stitch down its length. At the lining's opening, turn under the raw edges; stitch the ends of the handle inside. Erasers Transform your erasers from dull to delightful. Glue scraps of vintage fabric, wallpaper, and old ads to the backs of standard erasers for retro appeal. Cheerful children's blocks are reinvented as erasers simply by gluing a piece of felt to one side. Felted Bag Felted yarn creates a durable and cheery tote bag. Instructions: Felted Tote Bag Make Rose Napkin Rings Brighten up your table for entertaining with these floral table accessories. Buy faux roses in your favorite hues at a crafts store, then sew them, singly or in pairs, onto regular hair elastics with a few stitches. Crocheted Tea Towels Ready-made edgings and borders, available by the yard at fabric stores or adapted from flea-market finds, make it easy to transform even the simplest home textiles into vintage-style home accessories. You can machine- or hand-stitch the filigree embellishments to almost any fabric surface dish towels, bath towels, bedding, or attire in an afternoon. Bandanna Hangers Not only decorative, these bandanna covers also prevent strappy tops and dresses from slipping off hangers. 1. Fold a bandanna in half; slip a hanger in between fabric so its bottom meets the fold (fabric should cover the hanger's front and back). 2. Trace the shape of the hanger's arms on the bandanna; cut, leaving room for the hook and a 1/2-inch hem on the side of the bandanna facing up. 3. Fold hem over the hanger's arm, pulling the back side of the bandanna up to meet it, and secure with fabric glue; let dry. 4. Trim any remaining excess fabric. Floral Favors Fashioned with small, sweet flowers from the garden or even the supermarket, nosegays make perfect party favors (or boutonnieres at a country wedding). Tie them with homemade ribbons that are made with pinking shears from floral fabrics. To keep the flowers fresh, cut them the morning of your party. You might want to provide small vases or containers so guests can tote them home. Floral Tote For a simple tote, cut about 10 yard-long strips of floral fabric in varying widths. Sew the strips together to make one large piece of fabric. Fold "fabric" in half, trim to desired shape, stitch sides and hem top, then finish with a large vintage button and a premade wicker handle from a crafts store. Fabric-Lined Baskets A roll of bakery twine, pinking shears, and hot glue are all that's needed to repurpose a well-worn-though-cherished quilt into a pretty basket liner. Instructions: How to Make Fabric-Lined Baskets Ribbon Tablecloth Weave ribbons in your favorite colors over a solid fabric background to create an unexpected and inspiring tablecloth. Ribbon Lampshade Add a fun stripe pattern to a lampshade with different shades of ribbon. Cut 3/4-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon in lengths equal to height of shade plus 1/2 inch. Hot glue to shade, overlapping pieces and allowing 1/2 inch to hang below the bottom edge. Turn under loose pieces; hot glue to underside. Cut a piece of grosgrain the length of the perimeter of the top of the shade. Fold lengthwise; press. Hot glue to top of shade, positioning fold on wire frame. Polka-Dot Pincushion A pincushion is an easy and practical first project. Take two 4 1/2-inch squares of muslin, decorate one with polka dots, sew the cushion together, and stuff it. Portable Crafts Organizer This portable crafts organizer starts with an inexpensive tote bag, or a square of fabric-covered cardboard. Stitch four same-size pockets of different patterns onto the tote or fabric. Attach fabric-strip handle and hang. For more detail, use ready-made appliqués or cut out eye-catching floral motifs from a fabric remnant. Adhere with iron-on backing or whipstitch onto the organizer's pockets. Felt Easter Chick These adorable felt Easter chicks can be molded into any position you like (these ones are dancing!). For a more kid-friendly crafting version, you can omit the wire legs. Get the tutorial at Myrtle and Eunice . Jelly Bean Tree Simply hot-glue jelly beans to the ends of branches to create a jelly bean tree that's as attractive as it is delicious. Get the tutorial at Crafty Sisters .
| 4 | 11,804 |
lifestyle
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German airline Lufthansa said Thursday it expects to see a "tangible" improvement in its underlying earnings this year after profits nosedived in 2014. "Lufthansa expects to post a tangible improvement in its operating result, though this will continue to be saddled by fleet re-equipment project costs," the airline said in a statement. The carrier said it expects earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to amount to "over 1.5 billion euros" ($1.6 billion) in 2015, "a substantial improvement on the 2014 group operating result." EBIT for 2014 amounted to 1.2 billion euros. Last year, Lufthansa's profits nosedived, hit by various factors, including changes in the value of a convertible bond it had issued in 2012, and losses on its options for fuel price hedging. Strike action by its pilots also weighed on earnings. Lufthansa's net profit amounted to just 55 million euros in 2014, down from 313 million euros a year earlier, while revenues were unchanged at 30 billion euros. Strike costs totalled 62 million euros in November and December alone and 232 million euros for the whole year. "Our results for 2014 show us clearly where we currently stand," said chief executive Carsten Spohr. "On the one hand, all the business segments are profitable and ... we achieved our projection in a far-from-easy year. At the same time, though, with our high investments in modern aircraft and premium services, we simply have to further increase our operating profit. For this we need competitive structures; and that's what we continue to consistently work on," Spohr said.
| 3 | 11,805 |
finance
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The vada pav wasn't always Mumbai's favourite snack. In 1971, from a nondescript food stall outside the city's Dadar railway station, Ashok Vaidya started serving a gastronomic invention for hungry train commuters. His recipe wasn't rocket science: The vada is essentially a spicy potato ball, dipped in a coating of spiced-up chickpea batter and deep fried in hot oil. It is then tucked inside a soft bread called pav and served with green chillies and red chutney. But the concoction worked and as the queues snaked around Vaidya's stall, it caught the attention of workers from the Shiv Sena, Maharashtra's right-wing political party that has flitted in and out of power since its formation in the 1960s. Around the same time, the Shiv Sena itself was grumbling against two south Indian delicacies that had become Bombay (as it was known then) staples the dosa and the idli. That's because "Bal Thackeray, the founder of the Shiv Sena, accused south Indians of taking jobs that 'rightly' belonged to the Marathi manoos ," Harris Solomon, a professor of cultural anthropology in Duke University, wrote in a paper last month . So, Shiv Sena workers began encouraging members to set up stalls around the party's outposts across the city. Solomon's study "The Taste No Chef Can Give: Processing Street Food in Mumbai" is based on 18 months of field research in India's financial capital, and is an attempt to understand how the Shiv Sena branded the vada pav as its own. By the 1980s, as Mumbai's textile mills began to shut down, the Shiv Sena made a cunning culinary manoeuvre. Mill workers who lost their jobs to the closures had begun putting up vada pav stalls around those factories that were still running. And their colleagues in these establishments reciprocated by buying from them. The Shiv Sena swiftly capitalised on this sentiment. "The Shiv Sena stepped in and offered unlicensed hawkers protection from city officials and police, for a price. It began as a few rupees each day, but over time would indebt street vendors to the Shiv Sena in amounts of hundreds or even thousands of rupees a week," explained Solomon. "It was this milieu that gave birth to the Shiv Sena's own origin story of the vada pav : the authentic snack that sustained workers in times of labour trouble." But not every snack that had right-wing backing became a rage. Shiv Sena's success with the vada pav in the eighties, for instance, is in contrast to its failure in the nineties to claim ownership over a rural Maharashtrian dish, zhunka bhakar . The party had wanted to create employment around this porridge-and-bread offering, but the vendors didn't stick to it for long. Instead, they turned to Chinese food. In 2008, Shiv Sena attempted to boost employment in the state using vada pav . It wanted to train people to make the snack and sell it on the streets of Mumbai. The party teamed up with McDonald's and Coca-Cola to lend "slick consumer appeal to their logo and food-cart design," wrote Solomon. Ironically, only a few years before that, the Sena had violently opposed McDonald's for allegedly mixing beef extract in its French fries. At a convention, Thackeray's son, Uddhav, invited 27 vendors at Shivaji Park to prepare thousands of free vada pav. " The winning recipe would become the official one of the Shiv vada pav ," Solomon reported. Next, the Shiv Sena forced its vada pav plans through Mumbai's municipal administration where some non-Sena members claimed that those carts would violate street hawking regulations and got 125 carts out on the streets to sell "Shiv vada pav." Opposition parties, predictably, tried to counter. But the Congress' poha , a snack made out of beaten rice flakes, could do little to blunt the fiery vada pav. Yet, like every great Indian snack, even the Vada Pao's origins are disputed. Food writer Vikram Doctor credited different settlements in the region to the origin of the humble snack. In Solomon's conversation with Doctor, the latter told him the pav belonged to either the Portuguese, or the Goan and Irani immigrants who opened the first bakeries in Maharashtra's capital. Vada , however, comes from the state itself. Another version attributed the invention to Hindu immigrants to Bombay from Pakistan's Sindh Province during Partition. They often carried a Sindhi's staple spiced potatoes and bread during the long rail journeys.
| 0 | 11,806 |
foodanddrink
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SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) Residents of the town of Sprague expressed relief Thursday that an arrest has been made in the attempted kidnapping of a 22-month-old toddler from a city park an incident that drew wide attention after it was caught on surveillance video. A 15-year-old boy who lives in Sprague was arrested Wednesday, Lincoln County Sheriff Wade Magers said. "They're so relieved," said Dorothy Giddings, an antique store owner in Sprague who was involved in the rescue of the toddler on Sunday. "The only sad part is it is a young boy who lives here in town." Sprague is a farm town of about 500 people located about 40 miles west of Spokane along Interstate 90. The parents of the toddler expressed praise for their two older children, who chased the kidnapper and screamed for help. "They have a motherly instinct," Michael Wright told The Spokesman-Review about his two older children. "We're going to watch each other closer and even more diligently than we did before." Giddings said the 15-year-old boy lived with his family, but did not socialize much with other teenagers. He apparently wore a disguise during the attempted abduction to mask his identity, she said. Authorities announced the arrest on Wednesday afternoon, culminating a tense four days in Sprague. "Deputies and detectives have worked relentlessly on this case," Magers said in a press release. They started focusing on the arrested suspect in the past 24 hours. "Additional evidence, interviews, DNA collection, and surveillance" were carried out, Magers said. "A search warrant was executed at the suspect's residence." The identity of the youth was being withheld because he is a juvenile. The dramatic surveillance video footage showed a male running down a sidewalk with the toddler in his arms last Sunday. The child's two siblings screamed and chased him. The scene ended after two teenage boys joined the chase, and the man put down the toddler and fled. The toddler was not hurt. One of the kidnap victim's young siblings also positively identified the suspect, Magers said. The 15-year-old was booked into a juvenile detention facility on suspicion of second-degree kidnapping, Magers said. The Lincoln County Prosecutor's Office will make the formal charging decisions. Magers thanked the media for distributing pictures of the suspect and the public for providing tips. The incident began after Michael Wright left his three children with a baby sitter in Sprague on Sunday while he went to work. The children Brenden, 10, Delicia, 8, and the toddler were playing unsupervised in a city park near the sitter's house. Sheriff's deputies said the suspect talked with the children for a few minutes, then scooped the toddler out of his stroller and ran down the street. Surveillance video from a grocery store showed the kidnapper running, child in arms, with Delicia chasing and Brenden not far behind. Delicia's screams alerted Giddings, who was working at her antique store downtown. Giddings said she realized what was happening and sent her grandson Andrew Crane, 15, and his friend Isaac Yow, 16, to chase the man. As the older boys approached, the kidnapper put the child down in a vacant lot and fled, the sheriff's office said. No vehicle was seen with the kidnapper, who was initially described by the sheriff's office as about 30 years old, 6-foot to 6-foot-2, with a thin build, brown hair and a mustache. Giddings said Crane and Yow knew the kidnapper from school, although they did not recognize him Sunday. "He was wearing glasses and a fake mustache," she said.
| 5 | 11,807 |
news
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Your financial adviser may be a great guy or gal, and he or she may add a lot of value to your financial life. I have no idea how much they charge you, and they may be worth every nickel. But I can't let this simple, astonishing fact go unreported. No matter how well your adviser's investment performance has been, you could have beaten them into a cocked hat over the years with a portfolio that cost you around $500, or about as much as a new iPad. And before members of the Jack Bogle cult jump up and down and cheer, I've got some bad news for them too: The same really cheap portfolio would have beaten typical stock index funds as well. I'm not talking about being clever or taking advantage of the benefits of hindsight to buy Apple . I'm talking, quite the reverse, of being as random, stupid and foolish as possible. I'm talking about a portfolio that consists simply of putting an equal amount of money into 50 or so stocks, picked completely at random from around the world. Thanks to the Internet, today you could buy 50 such stocks for under $500, even if you are running a portfolio of $1 million, or $10 million. That is a fraction of the cost of an index fund. (Actually, in theory, you could run it even cheaper, as many online brokers will give you a lot of "free" trades when you first sign up.) Rob Arnott told me that once you've picked a sample of at least 30 stocks, you should get most of the benefits of diversification. We all know that, over the long term, most "actively managed" mutual funds (those in which the manager picks stocks) have done worse after fees than a simple index fund, such as one that follows the benchmark S&P 500 Index of the largest U.S. stocks. What is less well-known is that index funds, in turn, have tended to do worse before or after fees than an "equally weighted" portfolio of stocks. For example, if you had put $100 on Dec. 31, 1974, into a fund that exactly followed the MSCI US stock index, and reinvested all dividends, you'd have about $9,600 today. But if you'd put that $100 into a fund that tracked the equally weighted MSCI US stock index, you'd have twice as much more than $18,000. The standard index allocates more of your money into the biggest and most popular stocks in the index, and less into the smaller, less popular ones. The equal-weighted index, as the name implies, allocates the same amount to each stock. The same degree of outperformance is true for global indices as well. You don't need to own every stock to try to match an equal-weighted portfolio. A broad sample, chosen at random, should do it. A few years ago, Rob Arnott and his team at Research Affiliates, an investment advisory firm in Newport Beach, Calif., ran analyses of random picks for U.S. stocks since the 1960s. Their conclusion: The random sample beat the standard, or "capitalization-weighted" index, almost every time. Arnott told me that once you've picked a sample of at least 30 stocks, you should get most of the benefits of diversification. Someone who wanted to take it further could easily go to, say, 50 stocks. At today's trading costs, the extra expense is pretty minor. Recently, Ross Kerber at Reuters picked up on the stunning long-term success of the Voya Corporate Leaders Trust, a mutual fund that hasn't made many changes to its portfolio since the 1930s. The trust, which holds a fixed portfolio of 22 blue-chip companies, has, for example, beaten the S&P 500 stock index by a wide margin since 1970. It may not be as surprising as it sounds. When we invest in an equal-weighted portfolio, we are putting more of our money into smaller companies and into less fashionable "value" companies, and both of those features have helped boost performance over the years. The success of equally weighted portfolios helps expose one of the fundamental problems with index funds. After claiming they don't try to pick stocks, they do or rather, they let the so-called "wisdom of crowds" pick them. Index funds put a big chunk of your money into the most popular stocks of today. For example, a fund that supposedly diversifies across all 500 stocks in the S&P 500 actually is putting about 10% of your money into only five companies (Apple, Exxon Mobil , Microsoft , Johnson & Johnson and Berkshire Hathaway ), according to Voya research. They may be great stocks, but don't tell me the funds aren't picking them. Apple alone accounts for about 3.5% of the S&P 500, or 15 times as much as the average stock. Even rebalancing this equally weighted portfolio wouldn't be too complicated. There's a lot of research that says you could get away with rebalancing only once a year, and that you wouldn't need to trade each of the 50 stocks only those that had deviated more than about 10% from the "average" weight. What you do with this information is up to you. There are certainly no guarantees that equal weights will continue to beat the indexes in the future. But it's food for thought.
| 3 | 11,808 |
finance
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In the months after I had my first child, I was plagued by a variety of gruesome visions. I'd be walking down the stairs, holding my son in a blanket, and picture myself falling and smashing our heads into the wall at the bottom. I'd be driving to Target with him in the backseat and picture a head-on collision at 50 mph. I'd see him wide-eyed underwater in the bathtub, struggling to breathe. I thought I was going crazy. I thought I had become some morbid, fearful person due to lack of sleep. Then I talked to another new mom. "I do that all the time, too!" she said. We were both relieved. And we came up with a perfectly logical reason for envisioning the horrific deaths of our children on a daily basis: We were practicing being good moms. It makes sense. Our brains were warning us of all the dangers that could happen, so we would protect our children. So we would walk down stairs carefully, so we would drive more defensively, so we wouldn't run to answer the phone with our children in the bathtub. We were good moms. Fast forward seven years and my visions have become less frequent, but they still occur. Only now I also see a depressed young man walking into my son's school and shooting the children as they eat lunch. I see sections of sports stadiums blowing up and cars driving through storefront windows into groups of people. Things like that. Things out of my control. A while ago, my dad said to me, while arguing that too many of my generation are helicopter parents, "You're all walking around scared. It's like you're shell-shocked." And it hit me we are. We are shell-shocked. And maybe we aren't on the front lines, and maybe it's disrespectful to suggest we suffer the same as the men and women who are. But we parents have suffered from the slow, insidious, creeping terror of the last two decades. In our 20s, we saw airplanes turn to fireballs as they hit buildings; we watched people fall from the tops of those buildings on live television. But since even before that, we've been provided with 24-hour coverage of "Breaking News" war and otherwise, home and abroad. Bombings, hangings, beheadings, burnings, stonings, suicide bombings, infanticide, children locked in hot cars, children burned in microwaves, children thrown over bridges, children dry-drowned, children stolen, children molested, children buried. Then we had children. As the news cycle spins ever onward, it takes more work to be happy, I think. It's hard to avoid bad news, as media compete for our fragmented attention. They pound the news harder and ever more repetitively, until "Breaking News" never even leaves the screen. Yesterday, the moment I turned on the television to find Peter Rabbit for my four-year-old, before I could change the channel, we heard, "A Jordanian pilot has been burned alive by ISIS." News sites now often include, WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT, a warning that ignores the inherent question of whether it's ethical to display someone's death in a storefront window. Death is for sale everywhere. We can know the lurid, sad, thrilling, boring details of many of our friends' lives on social media, and of any of the thousands of bloggers and essayists. We know not only about the "possible molester" at a nearby park through neighborhood gossip; we know about the ones in Toledo, Sacramento, and Hartford, too. We know not only about the deaths of our own family members, but about the deaths of others whom we never met. We read mournful words and, for a moment, we live them. People like to say the Internet made the world small. We are one global society. We have Etsy customers in Puerto Rico, colleagues in Amsterdam, online pals in Japan. But that's a disservice, really. The world is not small. The world is enormous. You can plug any question into Google and have an answer because someone put it there. That's how big the world is. You can search, "How to clean a P-trap," and get a dozen videos because there are enough people out in the world that some of them made plumbing videos. So it takes work to remember: Yes, death is for sale everywhere, but that doesn't make it ours. Death is all around. But it's not always all around us. The world is big. Our lives are small. Reading about missing children makes many parents believe the world is more dangerous than it used to be, even though statistically it's not. Stranger danger is real, but it's not common. If we want to protect our children, we should helicopter around family, neighbors, coaches, and clergy. They're more likely to abuse a child than any stranger. I've learned to protect myself a bit, lest I truly become the crazed, morbid person I feared I was. I don't watch a lot of local news. I don't watch videos of beheadings. I don't read articles and posts about the deaths of children. I try to know enough to avoid ignorance, but not so much that I know cynicism and sadness in my bones. I try to remember that just because I read it, doesn't mean I have to pretend it might happen and add one more rock to my fortress. And I put on repeat: I cannot create a bubble around my children. I cannot create a bubble around my children. I cannot create a bubble around my children. I can simply try to protect myself, so I can be a happier person and raise happier kids. So I can let my children play outside alone and nurture independence and, therefore, confidence. So I can let them talk to a stranger and learn to be led by empathy instead of fear, and then go on to create a better, safer world for themselves. Let's make a pact. Let's watch fewer minutes of violence news each day, read fewer posts about sick children if ours are healthy, worry less about things we can't control (everything), and recognize the world for the enormous and mostly wonderful place it is. Let's look at the trees with our kids. Let's let them fail sometimes and feel sad so they can know happiness. Let's talk with strangers. Then maybe instead of hovering over our children, we can ride along the waves with them, up and down, down and up. Doesn't that sound nice? Not ignorance but bliss anyway.
| 4 | 11,809 |
lifestyle
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Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull have confidence, reliability and "a plan" to beat the Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in the new Formula One season, starting with Sunday's Australian Grand Prix. The Australian is now Red Bull's lead driver after the defection of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel to Ferrari and he is confident the team can recapture old glories. World drivers' champion Hamilton and last year's race winner Rosberg are expected to take up where dominant Mercedes left off last year in this weekend's season opener, but Ricciardo said Red Bull have a plan to win. Ricciardo spectacularly launched his 2014 season by finishing second in Melbourne, only for officials to disqualify him over a technical infringement. Twelve months on and Red Bull are in a better place after testing and ready to throw down the gauntlet to Mercedes, he said. Mercedes won the constructors' championship last season and although Red Bull were runners-up they were still nearly 300 points behind. "If you look back on last year for sure we're in a better position this year," Ricciardo said. "We're coming here this weekend with a lot more confidence and reliability and we've actually got a plan for Sunday where last year it was a case of putting the car on the track and hope to see the chequered flag." - Extra pace - Ricciardo said after a year behind the wheel at Red Bull he was a better driver and the team was determined to close the gap on dominant Mercedes. "Within the team there is a lot that has progressed since then and with myself I've moved along," he said. "I feel I am a more evolved driver and have a bigger impact in the team after spending the 12 months there. "I think it's all on the table ready for us to use and pursue to put up another strong fight so I am looking forward to that this year." Ricciardo conceded that Mercedes have the extra pace in their cars as shown in pre-season testing, but it was a close tussle behind them. "It looks pretty close within that group and we'll see what happens on track but it does look like the Mercs have a bit of pace again this year," he said. "For that last spot on the podium it looks pretty close between us, Ferrari and Williams and I am sure there will be few other players coming into the mix. "Testing doesn't really show everything and I think what it did show was that the Mercs are quick, but it's close behind them." Ricciardo said the influential designer Adrian Newey was still around the Red Bull team, providing his experience heading into the new season despite his intention to step down. "The vibes are still good, still strong. Adrian Newey is here this weekend and I've been asked a little bit about him and how much he's stepped back," Ricciardo said. "I don't want to put him in the spotlight but he was at all the pre-season tests and he's here this weekend and looks like he's already done more than usually thought he would. "So I think he's very much much interested in the RB 11 (car) and from what I can see the team definitely wants to get back on top."
| 1 | 11,810 |
sports
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Liam Neeson is planning to quit action films. The 62-year-old actor has become famous for starring in action-thrillers such as the 'Taken' trilogy despite having starred in films such as 'Schindler's List' and 'Star Wars' in the past, but he's now confessed he wants to move on from the genre in the next couple of years. He said: ''Maybe two more years - if God spares me, and I'm healthy. But after that, I'll stop [the action], I think.'' Neeson reprised his role as former secret agent and security expert Bryan Mills in 'Taken 3' earlier this year and admits the success of the action franchise has seen him inundated with offers for other movies but that he's well aware it can't go on forever. According to the Guardian newspaper, he explained: ''I'm in a very, career-wise, great place. The success certainly of the Taken films, Hollywood seems to see me in a different light. I get sent quite a few action-orientated scripts, which is great. I'm not knocking it. It's very flattering. But there is a limit of course.'' In addition to his success in the action genre, however, Neeson also starred in 'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane's comedy-western 'A Million Ways to Die In The West' last year and is set to work with him again on 'Ted 2' this summer. Meanwhile, he will next star in 'Run All Night', recently wrapped filming on 'A Monster Calls' and is currently filming for his role as Father Ferreira in 'Silence'.
| 6 | 11,811 |
entertainment
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Travel bags come in many shapes and sizes . Now, they can transform into entirely new pieces of luggage, too. Online retailer Combatant Gentlemen launched its first weekender bag on Thursday and at first glance, the product looks like any run-of-the-mill duffel. A peek inside reveals that it's so much more. The innovative product opens up into a garment bag large enough for two suits with three pockets for toiletries and even two pockets for shoes. The garment bag then zips up into the shape of a duffel bag, so owners can fill the bag with more items. Gone are the days of having to pack suits only to see them wrinkle, or having to bring an additional piece of luggage to hold toiletries and other clothes. For $100, you can silently rejoice in the fact that people around you see just a simple bag, but you know it's so much more. Check out the video above to see the bag in action.
| 2 | 11,812 |
travel
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Here are seven techniques to help yourself get home sooner or prevent a bad delay altogether: Check for free changes ahead of time When severe weather is about to strike, airlines often give you the option to change to another day ahead of time, free of charge. These notices usually get posted a day or two before the weather event on the carriers' travel alerts pages. Here are the pages for American , Delta , Southwest , United , and US Airways . Check early and you'll beat the rush for the first seats after the storm clears. Spot a delay before everyone else If the inbound aircraft for your flight is late, the airline often won't notify you that your flight is delayed until after that plane arrives. But there are ways to check the status of a plane that's flying in and predict possible delays hours ahead of time. United and American let you check the status of your inbound aircraft via links from their flight status pages. For other airlines, use FlightAware.com . Enter your flight number, look for the "Track Inbound Flight" link, and you'll see if your plane is going to land late. If it looks like a delay is probable, you can get a head start on making other plans. (One caveat: Sometimes the airline will substitute a different plane to get you out on time, so keep an eye on the status when your original departure time approaches.) Rebook without an agent The first instinct of most people when a flight is cancelled is to stand in line at a service counter or get on the phone. But while you're waiting, use your smartphone browser to see if you can rebook on your own for free. Delta offers the feature consistently via both its app and website for even the smallest of delays. Just pull up your reservation and you'll see the option to rebook. United is rolling out this feature for larger delays if you have the latest version of its app. Get free access to your airline's website while in flight Few things are more frustrating than being on a flight with a tight connection and being helpless to do anything about it until you land. On flights with Wi-Fi, though, most airlines give you free access to the airline's own website, so you can use your smartphone to check the status of your connection, see options, and sometimes rebook before you land. Use international numbers to get ahead In dire situations, when the airline call centers have hour-plus hold times, consider using Skype from your smartphone to call an international number for your airline. Sometimes those numbers lead to different agents who will pick up faster. Here are numbers for American , Delta , United , and US Airways . Look for extra sections When things get really bad, airlines sometimes add extra flights called "extra sections" at hubs to get people moving. They're hard to spot, but sometimes they'll show up if you do a flight-status search for your destination. Otherwise keep an eye on the departure board for flights to your destination that weren't displaying before. It's possible those are extra sections that have space. Don't accept the first option you're given When an airline tells you it will be three days before you can get home, don't buy it. In bad weather, seats are constantly changing hands. So if you don't like what you're given, be persistent but polite and keep checking for options on your smartphone. In addition to your airline's tools, Kayak and Google Flights are great about showing creative options you can feed to an agent. While airlines aren't required to rebook you on other airlines, sometimes they can, especially if your flight is cancelled outright. See more ways to manage air travel delays on CNTraveler.com More from Condé Nast Traveler Private Islands That Cost Less Than a NYC Apartment The Most Underrated American Cities How Not to Look Like a Tourist in Paris
| 2 | 11,813 |
travel
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Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic accused Chelsea's players of acting like "babies" after he was sent off during his side's triumphant draw at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League. Ibrahimovic was shown a straight red card by Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers in the 32nd minute of Wednesday's game following a 50-50 challenge with Oscar, despite the fact that both players had seemed equally committed to the tackle. Kuipers was quickly surrounding by Chelsea players in the immediate aftermath of the incident and Ibrahimovic expressed irritation with their behaviour. "I don't know if I have to get angry or start to laugh," he told reporters at Stamford Bridge. "For me, when I saw the red card I was like, 'The guy doesn't know what he's doing.' "That is not the worst. The worst is when I got the red card, all the Chelsea players come around. It felt like I had a lot of babies around me." Despite Ibrahimovic's dismissal, PSG twice came from behind to force a 2-2 extra-time draw that took the French champions into the quarter-finals on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw. "It was an amazing performance because we were playing with one less (player)," Ibrahimovic added. "They played with big hearts. It's not easy to play with 10 guys, especially against a team like Chelsea. We showed quality and big heart." PSG coach Laurent Blanc coach suggested after the game that his club would ask European governing body UEFA to review Ibrahimovic's dismissal.
| 1 | 11,814 |
sports
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Eyefi is releasing a new Wi-Fi-enabled SD card today that's meant to make transferring RAW photos from a card to a computer more convenient for photographers. The new card is called the Mobi Pro , and it'll be the first in Eyefi's Mobi line that's capable of handling RAW files and connecting to local Wi-Fi networks. Earlier Eyefi cards were also capable of those feats, but Eyefi is now bringing those abilities to the Mobi line, which is supposed to be easier to set up than its other cards. Selective sync may not be as convenient as it sounds The Mobi Pro also has one other big new feature: selective sync. Other Eyefi cards work by automatically syncing all of your photos from the card to your phone or computer, but the Mobi Pro will, optionally, let you choose which photos to sync. That should be a huge help, although the implementation sounds less than convenient. To choose which photos to sync, you'll have to mark each one for write protection on the camera, which isn't always a quick thing to do. Like other Mobi cards, the Mobi Pro will primarily sync photos over to your phone. Because it's able to connect to local Wi-Fi networks, it's also able to sync straight to a desktop, if that's what you prefer. As for those huge RAW files, those will only be stored on a phone until Mobi's mobile app can push them up to the cloud and over to your desktop. Eyefi expects that most people will primarily use the card to get RAW files to their desktop, but its cloud service can also hang onto them, without any limits, so long as you're subscribed. The Mobi Pro is only available in a single 32GB, Class 10 model. It'll sell for $99.99, replacing the old Pro X2 card. The Mobi Pro will also include one year of access to Eyefi's cloud-storage service , which offers unlimited storage for $49.99 per year. Of course, for pros, plugging an SD card into a reader isn't exactly the roughest part of their workflow, so Eyefi's new card may not make a lot of sense for everyone. Then again, it could be a good choice if you're also in the market for a new MacBook .
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1. Going Into Debt There is a lot to like about credit card rewards. Cardholders can earn valuable points, miles and cash back just for spending money on things that they would normally buy. But at the same time, the temptation of rewards can lead cardholders to make unwise decisions that will ultimately cost them more money than any rewards earned were worth. Here are six situations when chasing credit card rewards can lead you down a bad path. The most valuable rewards offered might be worth about 5% of the amount spent (here are some of the best rewards credit cards out there ). But even when you can earn those rate of returns, you are wasting 95% of your money if the purchases you make are wasteful. This might seem clear, but card issuers know that some of their customers have rewards on their mind when they use their credit card, and this can entice people to overspend, either consciously or not. Overspending and getting yourself into debt can have a significant impact on your credit scores. 2. Overspending to Earn a Sign-Up Bonus Credit card sign-up bonuses can be incredibly generous offers to earn hundred of dollars worth of points, miles or cash back. Nevertheless, these offers usually require cardholders to reach a minimum spending threshold within a limited time period. So when a cardholder has to spend thousands of dollars in order to earn their bonus of points or miles, it can lead them to make unnecessary purchases. And just as before, the points or miles earned are rarely, if ever, worth it if cardholders spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars unnecessarily. 3. Using a Rewards Credit Card When You Already Have Credit Card Debt If you have credit card debt, like roughly half of all Americans, then you should not be shopping around for a rewards credit card . That's because rewards cards almost always have higher interest rates than comparable, non-rewards credit cards. The additional interest charges you incur will typically cost more than any rewards you are earning. In addition, being rewarded for spending more money is probably the last thing that you need if you are having problems managing the credit card debt you already have. 4. Having to Overspend to Redeem Rewards Even when you are successful at earning rewards without incurring debt , there can be additional costs to redeem rewards. For example, airline credit card users who have accumulated plenty of miles may want to redeem them for a flight to take a nice vacation. But just having a free flight does not mean that the vacation itself will be affordable. Credit card users will still end up paying for hotels, car rentals, food and tourist attractions on a typical vacation, and the airfare costs might have only been a fraction of the total expenses. In other situations, those who are redeeming airline miles may still have to pay fuel surcharges imposed by some foreign carriers, which can add up to more than $1,000 in some cases for an award ticket. 5. Missing Out on Other Perks Rewards cards have great perks associated with them, but there are also other benefits that rewards cards may not offer. For example, cards with the most competitive offers for interest-free promotional financing are not typically rewards cards. For example, Chase Slate features 15 months of interest-free financing on new purchases and balance transfers , and is the only such offer with no balance transfer fee. Unfortunately, this card does not offer any rewards. Other non-rewards cards may be offered by the bank or credit union where you have a checking or savings account, which can be very convenient. 6. Paying Too Much in Annual Fees Rewards credit cards can charge considerable annual fees, up to $450 in some cases. In many cases, these fees can be worth it, but for other cardholders it is a waste of money. Credit card users who continue to pay these fees out of habit, without considering the value of the benefits they receive from these cards, are often receiving poor value. Note: It's important to remember that interest rates, fees and terms for credit cards , loans and other financial products frequently change. As a result, rates, fees and terms for credit cards , loans and other financial products cited in these articles may have changed since the date of publication. Please be sure to verify current rates, fees and terms with credit card issuers, banks or other financial institutions directly. More on MSN Money: 9 consumer goods that will last forever 4 ways to save big money without using coupons 5 credit card tips for traveling abroad
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The gulf between Singapore Changi Airport and other major hubs around the world has widened yet again, after it took the title of World's Best Airport for the third year in a row. Of the 550 airports considered, Changi emerged the winner at the 2015 World Airport Awards by Skytrax, taking the top spot for offering features like tropical rooftop gardens, movie theaters, free foot massages and free sight-seeing tours into the city for flyers with long airport layovers. Announced out of Paris Wednesday, the ranking is based on the results of 13.02 million surveys completed by respondents from 112 different nationalities, who rated airports for services like check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and dining. This year's results differ little from last year, with Incheon International Airport in South Korea, Munich Airport, and Hong Kong International Airport rounding out the same four spots in 2015. Conspicuously absent on the top 10 list are North American airports. Changi Airport has raised the bar in airport planning, elevating what used to be a just place of transit into a local destination in and of itself. Designed to take the stress out of flying, the hub features mini green oases such as butterfly, bamboo and orchid-themed gardens. The Entertainment Deck includes video gaming areas, a movie theater, aviation gallery and playground. And passengers with a layover of at least five hours can take a free, two-hour sightseeing tour around the city. Meanwhile, specs for the newest addition to the hub, Jewel Changi Airport, are likewise impressive. When the Jewel Changi Airport outside Terminal 1 is complete, the sprawling 10-level complex will boast an indoor forest; walking trails and gardens; and a 40-meter tall Rain Vortex, the world's tallest indoor waterfall that will cascade through the core of the glass, biodome complex. In the Airports Council International's Airport Service Quality Awards released last month, Seoul's Incheon International took the top spot among the 550,000 travelers polled across 300 airports for its customer service. And when it comes to the most reliable airport in the world, that title goes to Munich, which posted the best on-time performance in the OAG Punctuality League 2014 report released in January. Here are the world's best airports 2015 according to Skytrax: 1. Singapore Changi Airport 2. Incheon International Airport 3. Munich Airport 4. Hong Kong International Airport 5. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) 6. Zurich Airport 7. Central Japan International Airport 8. London Heathrow Airport 9. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport 10. Beijing Capital International Airport
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Two police officers were shot in Ferguson, Missouri hours after the city's police chief resigned. CNN's Sara Sidner reports.
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British newspapers and pundits rounded on Chelsea and manager Jose Mourinho on Thursday following their Champions League elimination, branding them "a team who will never really be loved". Chelsea fell to French champions Paris Saint-Germain on away goals following a stormy and ill-tempered 2-2 draw in the second leg of their last 16 tie at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. The home side's players came in for strong criticism after they surrounded referee Bjorn Kuipers in the aftermath of a first-half foul on Oscar by Zlatan Ibrahimovic that saw the PSG striker harshly shown a straight red card. The Daily Mail labelled Chelsea "The Bully Boys", using a photograph to flag up the fact that "NINE players" had encircled the Dutch official and describing their conduct as "deplorable". Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter said "there will be little sorrow for their (Chelsea's) departure outside Stamford Bridge", beneath a headline branding the evening a "night of ignominy". Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher laid the blame at Mourinho's door, accusing the Portuguese of instilling a culture of gamesmanship at the club. "The worst bit of dirty tricks was from Chelsea, surrounding the referee. The reaction was disgraceful," said the Sky Sports pundit. "Jose Mourinho could end up being the most successful manager ever with the trophies he goes on to win in his career, but I don't think him and his teams will be ever be loved because of actions like that. "Does Mourinho care? I don't think he probably cares. I think it's sad." His fellow pundit Graeme Souness added: "This PSG team is just full of technique, a really good footballing team, and they had to put up with stuff which I find really, really unappealing." - Premier League 'miles away' - Prior to the game, Mourinho had accused PSG of playing with unnecessary aggression in the first leg, which finished 1-1, and The Guardian felt the Portuguese's "toxic tone" had influenced Kuipers. Chelsea's failure to seize the initiative after Ibrahimovic's early dismissal was also criticised, with PSG having continued to boss proceedings despite playing with a numerical disadvantage for an hour and a half. "Even against 10 men for so much of the game, they were second-best in just about every department," said Olivier Kay in The Times. Writing for the paper, former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino said: "We have known for a long time that Jose Mourinho is a master of his own destiny. "Increasingly, though, he is beginning to look like a master of deception too." The tabloids stuck the boot in, with The Sun's back page screaming 'Eiffel Shower' and the Daily Mirror branding Mourinho's misfiring players 'Euro Trash'. "Chelsea got exactly what they deserved: nothing," The Sun added. Underpinning the headlines was a fear that with Chelsea out and Manchester City and Arsenal on the brink of elimination after first-leg losses to Barcelona and Monaco respectively, England could have no representatives in the quarter-finals for the second time in three years. "We're supposed to be the richest league in the world with some of the best players," Carragher added. "We are miles away and we're getting kidded."
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Saving a million dollars for retirement does not require amazing stock picking skills or a lavish compensation package. For many people, a comfortable retirement can be obtained through simple investment strategies utilized at the right time. I'll take a look at three ways to push your retirement savings toward a million dollars or more. 1. Starting early Time is a valuable thing and using it right could have a big impact on meeting your retirement goals. Due to the effects of compound interest, an individual who starts saving in their 20s or 30s can wind up with far more in their retirement portfolio even if they contribute the same amount of money in total. Consider a scenario where the investments earn a modest 5% annual return and the individual retires at 65 years old. If this person contributed $100,000 by age 25, they would have over $700,000 by retirement, but if that person made this contribution at age 45, they would only have about $265,000 by retirement. Starting early also gives a person more time to make more contributions. If the person in the previous example also began contributing $100 per month at age 25, their retirement portfolio would be worth nearly $850,000 by retirement. But starting with the $100,000 at age 45 and only adding $100 a month from there would result in a retirement portfolio worth a little over $300,000. While it can be tough for people early in their careers to have extra money to save, it's worth keeping in mind that a dollar saved and invested at age 25 is worth more than twice as much as a dollar saved at age 45 based on a 5% return. 2. Tax-advantaged plans While taxes can take a big bite out of your returns, there are ways to reduce the amount you owe to Uncle Sam. In fact, the government encourages us to use tax-advantaged retirement plans to build our retirement portfolios. Traditional IRAs and 401(k) plans let you deduct the contributions from your income taxes upfront, and also allow the money to grow on a tax-deferred basis. But the money is not tax-free forever. Distributions from the plan, which become mandatory after age 70.5, are taxed at ordinary income rates. But even with this taken into account, IRAs and 401(k) plans can be important tools to let your money compound away tax-deferred as you save for your retirement goal. And there's another advantage the often accompanies 401(k) plans. As defined benefit plans have become less common among businesses, many employers have replaced them with defined contribution plans. In many cases, these plans come with a 401(k) match where the employer will contribute extra money to an employee's 401(k) plan in proportion to the employee's contribution. In saving for retirement, taking advantage of these matches is often the best investment you can make because it provides an immediate bonus to your savings and does not entail the investment risk normally required to grow money. Even just by getting another $100 per month in employer match during a 20-year career can mean nearly another $40,000 in retirement when earning a 5% annual return. 3. Avoiding fees Fees from various funds can easily eat into your returns without you realizing it. While a 2% per year fee may not sound like much, it can mean significantly less in your retirement portfolio when paid over the long term. Consider that if you put away $100,000 for 20 years and earned a 5% return, you would have over $265,000 by the end. But with just a 2% annual fee, your $265,000 drops to just over $177,000. Investing with no fees is difficult, but using index funds over actively managed ones can reduce fees dramatically. Fees for a broad-based S&P 500 index fund are only around 0.1% annually, and even many index funds holding international stocks can be had for well less than a 1% annual fee. Extra fees are one of the big reasons why Warren Buffett, despite knowing all sorts of money managers, has asked that his heirs put his money 90% in low-fee S&P 500 index funds and 10% in short-term government bonds. Overall, fees can be a major drain on your retirement savings, so make sure you aren't overpaying as even fees that appear small can cost you big in the long-run. Saving for retirement Saving for retirement is a decades-long process, but starting early, using tax-advantaged accounts, and avoiding excessive fees can play a big role in helping you meet your retirement goal. The article 3 Investment Tips That Could Make You a Millionaire originally appeared on Fool.com. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days . We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy . Copyright © 1995 - 2015 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy . Related on MSN Money: The only 5 investments you'll ever need
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Enough of Apple Watches. Tucked into Tim Cook's keynote on Monday was a nod to something much more significant. "Every major car brand," he declared, "has committed to delivering CarPlay, with more than 40 new models of cars shipping with CarPlay, only a year after launch." CarPlay Cupertino's proprietary twin to Google's Android Auto is Apple's recipe for integrating its devices with every vehicle in the world. And while you may never have heard of either, they offer a window into the most intriguing environment around for debating our future relationships with technology. Why do I think that a field I sincerely hope won't become known as "drivables" matters more than wearables? Because, despite the hype, technologists have yet to demonstrate that most people either need or want to connect their smartphones to their wrists and faces. When it comes to driving and being driven, however or simply sharing a public space with vehicles of any kind we're already knee-deep in unrealised needs, anxieties and desires. For those of us who do drive, the moment we get behind the wheel we are embarking upon the most skilled, perilous and logistically fraught act of our daily lives. We're sitting inside the most expensive hunk of consumer technology we own. We're expected to operate this pricey and potentially lethal device safely, in public, alongside tens of thousands of other people. And we have also brought with us a world of information that we wish seamlessly to connect to our vehicle's systems which in turn demands intuitive, hands-free interactions like voice control and context-sensitive response. Little wonder tech companies are salivating over the prospects. Much has been made of self-driving cars over the last few years and rightly so, given how radical a demonstration they offer of the cutting edge of artificial intelligence. When it comes to the practicalities of vehicles and roads, though, the real story is machine assistance. We're already getting used to cars that can park themselves, maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, and detect when we're starting to nod off. What's next? The key question is not whether autonomous systems will take over, but rather how they might help us to improve our own performance. And this in turn means asking what we mean by human performance. So much current technology is designed to distract to capture brief attention, to place adverts for a few seconds in front of eyeballs that it's easy to imagine the future as more of the same. We strap a tiny second screen to our wrist; we lodge an even tinier one in front of an eye; we seek more effortless status updates, more variables tracked, more abstraction of everyday experience into metrics. This is the model. It's hardly a set of principles designed to assist our performance in tasks requiring both excellence and consistency or where the price of failure is as high as it can get. Let's be clear: I'm not arguing that cars are going to save the world, or even that making and buying more of the things is a good idea. It's just that, seen in the right light, they can help us think differently and more richly about human-machine interactions. For if vehicles are where an "everything, anywhere, anytime" culture meets the limitations of the human animal, they're also a place that urgently begs us to explore the full nature of our attention, focus and capabilities; and to do so collectively, in terms of physical as well as virtual space. After all, roads aren't a free-for all: they're a test bed for governments, public servants and legislators as well as private companies and citizens. They self-evidently demand legislation balancing safety and responsibility, not to mention massive public investment and oversight. Inscrutable algorithms and blanket claims cut little ice in this arena: testing, transparency and accountability are the order of the day (privacy and security concerns are quite another story). Both digital libertarians and secrecy-loving corporations could learn a lot. Through all of this, there is also a need for developing interfaces that present information to people in the form of a rich experience that people are good at processing: things like head-up displays projected across the windscreen so you don't need to look down at dials; visually intuitive real-time representations of fuel consumption and power allocation; a smart navigation system suitably and safely mapped onto the vehicle's own systems, with due consideration of what "smart" and "safely" ought to mean. There's something far more interesting going on here than in Apple's story of space-age bling. Visions of a digital future shouldn't be defined by solid gold status symbols and constant interruptions. We must ask more of our tools by allowing them to ask more of us.
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Nationally, the average price for a gallon of gas is just $2.47, down about a dollar from what it cost at this time last year. In fact, fuel this spring could be the cheapest it's been since 2009, according to GasBuddy , a forum for real-time prices. Hotel prices in the United States, however, are up five percent on average, says Hotels.com . But with savvy planning, you can take advantage of low gas prices and find a hotel deal for springtime vacation. Here are our picks for five drivable destinations offering particularly good values this season. Amelia Island, Florida If you're determined to relax on a Florida beach this spring, visit Amelia Island. Located just south of the Georgia state line, it offers drivers coming from points north fast access to a Florida beach no need to trek down the peninsula. It's close to metro Jacksonville, too, where Travelocity saw hotel prices increase only slightly. At around $100 a night, they're still a deal compared to other Florida destinations. Reno, Nevada Of the 50 most popular domestic destinations for Americans, Reno (29) had the lowest average hotel cost at just $83 a night, Hotels.com says. For West Coasters, it's a cheaper drivable alternative to Las Vegas, and it's also a solid hedge against spring's unpredictable weather: If it's cold, ski; if it's warm, golf or whitewater raft; and if it's just outright miserable, gamble. Louisville, Kentucky Kentucky's largest city is within a day's drive of 50 percent of the U.S. population. Room prices averaged just $123 a night, $14 below the national average, according to Hotels.com. The ponies start racing at Churchill Downs on April 25, while the restaurant and bar scene is a winner year-round (good bets are MilkWood , Feast BBQ , and The Holy Grale ). Louisville's the ideal base for exploring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail too. Napa Valley, California While it's still pricier than other destinations, Hotels.com found that rates in Napa Valley are trending downward. For example, hotel prices in St. Helena dropped 13 percent compared to the previous year. And while The French Laundry is closed for renovations, you can experience Thomas Keller's cuisine at a pop-up restaurant, Ad Lib , at Napa's Silverado Resort and Spa . Book your trip soon, though: It's slated to close on March 16, but its run may yet be extended. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee After the brutal winter for much of the country this year, hiking, cycling, and wildlife viewing should appeal even more than usual this spring. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park , which offers all of those activities, is just a day's drive from many cities that have been hammered this winter, including Boston, Chicago, and Dallas. (It is, in fact, America's most-visited national park.) The Sugarlands Visitor Center, one of four in the park, is just 38 miles south of Knoxville, where Travelocity reports rooms are averaging $100 a night around spring break 10 percent less than what they cost at the same time last year. See more great American road trip destinations on CNTraveler.com More from Condé Nast Traveler Private Islands That Cost Less Than a NYC Apartment The Most Underrated American Cities How Not to Look Like a Tourist in Paris
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AUSTIN, Texas A broken elevator almost canceled part of the first photo-op of 2015 for new Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the first U.S. governor in nearly 30 years to use a wheelchair. Without the elevator, Abbott and a teenager with cerebral palsy would have been unable to get to the third floor of an Austin high school, where they were to unveil new automatic doors at a ribbon-cutting event. Thanks to a fingers-crossed fix, the elevator was repaired in time. But the snag demonstrated the complications involved when the state's highest-ranking public official is paralyzed from the waist down. Abbott's physical limitations provide more exposure to the difficulties faced by disabled Americans, and the new governor could be an asset to organizations pressing for changes to ease the public lives of the disabled in Texas and elsewhere. But while advocates take some pride in having a governor with visible disabilities, their optimism is muted by Abbott's record. And the Republican is making clear that his agenda doesn't include some major reforms sought by agencies representing the disabled, including a proposal to get Texas to stop fighting lawsuits brought under the American Disabilities Act. Efforts to close state centers for people with intellectual disabilities another priority for disability groups could also fail in the first legislative session under Abbott, who has ordered lawmakers to prioritize tax cuts and border security. "He talks about the economic environment, job creation. He talks about universities getting to top tiers. But very little about health care," said Dennis Borrel, executive director of Coalition with Texans for Disabilities. "To me, that tells me there is ground to be made." The governor says the visibility of his position alone is an asset to the disabled, and he believes they will benefit from his economic agenda, along with the rest of the state. "One of the things that people with disabilities want as much as anything else is economic opportunity," Abbott said. "Having the chief executive of the state be a person with a disability sends a message to employers across the state that they can hire people with disabilities." The disabled in the U.S. are unemployed at a rate that is roughly double the rest of the population. The 57-year-old Abbott has used a wheelchair since he was hit by a falling tree while taking a jog as a young law student in 1984. The story is a major part of his public persona. As an icebreaker, he often makes quips about his injury: "Christopher Reeve was faster than a speeding bullet. I was slower than a falling tree." His "spine of steel" is a well-worn line in screeds against Washington. Abbott says he will make a bigger impact on disability issues than any of his predecessors and won early praise for recommending an extra $105 million to ease the backlog of disabled Texans needing personal assistants. But that amount would still keep pay for those workers near fast-food wages in a job plagued by high turnover. Disabled people are also disappointed that Abbott who sued the Obama administration 30 times as attorney general is bent on keeping Texas among a handful of states that use a legal doctrine known as sovereign immunity to try to avoid being sued under the American Disabilities Act, which was adopted 25 years ago. Abbott has cited a duty to protect taxpayers from court costs, and he has signaled that he will not support a bill that would let the lawsuits go forward. He promises to leave a mark in other ways, but there is visible tension: The teenager with cerebral palsy at the Austin high school, who had an Abbott bumper sticker on his wheelchair, discovered that someone surreptitiously slapped an "ADA civil rights" logo over his Abbott sticker while attending an Americans with Disabilities Act anniversary celebration. The group United Cerebral Palsy, which conducts a state-by-state ranking of disability access across the nation, puts Texas next to last in how well its Medicaid programs serve residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Even the building where Abbott goes to work each day has notable shortcomings: There is no wheelchair access at the Capitol's main entrance, where most rallies and events are held. Abbott is the first Texas governor to use a wheelchair and the first in the U.S. since Alabama's George Wallace left office in 1987. A collapsible metal ramp the state purchased for Abbott to ascend the dais in the House and Senate is among the few modifications made to accommodate a governor in a wheelchair. Rhode Island congressman Jim Langevin, a Democrat who is the first quadriplegic elected to the U.S. House, received a customized lectern and forced the chamber to finally make the speaker's rostrum wheelchair accessible. He said he feels a responsibility to bring down barriers for others with disabilities and says he can relate to Abbott in some ways. "I don't think we should depend on Gov. Abbott simply because he uses a wheelchair to be a leader," said Lex Frieden, a quadriplegic in Houston and one of the architects of the American Disabilities Act. "This should not be an area that any leader ignores." ___ Follow Paul J. Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pauljweber .
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French defence minister announces contribution to regional military campaign against Nigerian armed group. France will be increasing its West African force battling armed groups as part of efforts to back regional forces fighting Nigerian group Boko Haram, Jean-Yves Le Drian, France's defence minister said. Le Drian said on Wednesday that the troops would provide support to forces fighting around Lake Chad, where Boko Haram has in recent months increasingly threatened Nigeria's neighbours. France has headquartered its more than 3,000-strong Sahel counter-insurgency force, Barkhane, in the Chadian capital N'Djamena, some 50km from the Nigerian border. "We will slightly increase the numbers on Barkhane," Le Drian told reporters in Paris without giving specific details. Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin have mobilised forces this year to help Nigeria defeat Boko Haram after it seized territory and staged cross-border attacks. "We do not intend to take part in the fighting," Le Drian said. Until now those troops have largely been tasked with tracking al Qaeda-linked fighters spanning across the Sahara from Mauritania in the west and southern Libya in the east. France has, however, already sent about 40 military advisers to Niger's southern border with Nigeria to help coordinate military action by the regional powers fighting Boko Haram and has been operating reconnaissance missions near the Nigerian border and sharing intelligence. It is expected to reduce its 2,000 strong contingent in the Central African Republic to deploy more to Barkhane, defence and military sources have said. France, which has the UN Security Council presidency, is also pushing for a resolution by early April that would back a 10,000-strong African force to fight Boko Haram, providing it crucial financing to carry out operations.
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From unique coffee shops to museums to public parks, Charleston, SC is not only a great place to vacation- but also to get work done!
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Holly Firfer reports on how you can have your cocktail and drink it, too at Nashville International Airport
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The walls of Kind Love in Denver are covered with professional artwork from local artists while the marble countertops and Italian leather couches are reminiscent of spending the day in a spa. Kind Love is a medical dispensary which serves a different clientele female Baby Boomers who want to purchase medical marijuana and mingle with other professionals in an upscale setting. "We want women to feel comfortable and have the professional laid-back experience with good energy, instead of feeling like you are about to get raided," said Leif Olsen, the founder of Kind Love. New customers will have a harder time finding dispensaries which remind them of the Grateful Dead or Bob Marley eras. As they set foot inside Colorado dispensaries, they probably won't encounter rundown display cases topped with haphazardly assembled used glass jars containing cannabis or walk on worn carpet from 30 years ago with a mishmash of cast-off furniture and secondhand artwork. What is cropping up more frequently are dispensaries which resemble an "Apple store or Starbucks and are very clean and more approachable with sitting areas and couches for different groups," said Olivia Mannix, co-founder of Cannabrand, a Denver-based marketing firm for cannabis companies. Industry Focusing on Rebranding The marijuana industry is rebranding itself to attract more mainstream customers , set itself apart from the crowd to find loyal users and generate returns for its investors, especially as more states are set to legalize adult or recreational use. Customers are demanding more now and are eschewing the days of dropping by a dispensary with rusted bars on its windows, buying a brownie or another edible with a sticker whose lettering is smudged because it was printed from a home computer or not knowing how many milligrams of THC and other cannabinoids are in the product. The industry is reshaping itself since the " perception of the stoner is not what it used to be ," said Doug Leighton, managing director of Dutchess Capital, a Boston hedge fund which started investing in the cannabis industry in 2012. The founders of startup companies they work with are not people who are "sitting on the couch eating Doritos," but ones " who start work at 5 a.m. and carry themselves in a professional way ." Colorado, Washington, Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C. have approved adult use of marijuana and at least six states are likely to regulate the adult-use cannabis industry in the next four years, including Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, California, Nevada and Hawaii. The legal marijuana markets are currently generating $1.53 billion in revenue a year and are estimated to reach $10.2 billion in five years, according to The ArcView Group , a cannabis investment and research firm based in San Francisco. The market now views marijuana as a " wellness product " and is growing rapidly because "people realized the world didn't end when Colorado legalized marijuana," Leighton said. Since many customers have not used marijuana since high school or college, they are also seeking better quality for the products they buy now. Whether it is cannabis, edibles or vaporizers, the items need to be "high quality like what you buy at Williams and Sonoma or an Apple product," Leighton said. "Stoners aren't the same anymore they are older and have more money." From incubators to startup companies, 85% of the firms have adopted this new image as the industry has shifted from a cottage business to become more mainstream and commercialized while only 15% still remain "dark and dirty" and refuse to evolve, he said. California Rushing to Beat Imitators In California, business owners are rushing to reshape their companies with more sophisticated packaging and logos and providing quality customer service so they can beat their competitors and emerge as the favorites among consumers. Getting ahead of the crowd now is crucial since the state will vote on legalizing marijuana for adult use in 2016, with many business owners who expect the legal market to start in 2018. The consensus is that the proposition will easily pass among voters, which means there will be a huge shift in the industry in California as many companies will not survive in a regulated market. Auntie Dolores, a Berkeley, Calif. wholesale distributor, tests its gourmet baked goods each month voluntarily because its consumers "seek out products which are consistently the same every time they purchase it," said Lauren Fraser, president of Auntie Dolores. The testing also confirms the amount of cannabinoids in each product so the products are labeled properly. Customers are aware that eating six pecans yields 10 milligrams of cannabinoids when they purchase a bag of glazed pecans. While the testing is not required since the market remains unregulated, the company does so because "we have a duty to our customers and we want to know what every batch yields," Fraser said. What remains at stake as more players appear in the market is instilling brand loyalty now before California approves adult use because if customers dislike a product, "they probably won't try it again," Fraser said. Although plenty of companies can exist in an unregulated environment, the concern is to transpire as a company which produces high quality goods and avoid a negative stigma among consumers who have had a bad experience. While Colorado and Washington have mandated testing for edibles, adopting those "best practices" in California will now" carve out an opportunity for the company and elevate the industry," she said. Colorado Fine-Tunes Industry Between retail and medical marijuana, Colorado generated more than $60 million in tax and licensing revenue in 2014. The competition is starting to become fierce as companies attempt to attract Millennials, Gen X-ers and Baby Boomers, so businesses need to differentiate themselves by creating attractive packaging, advertising and aesthetics that appeal to a mainstream consumer, said Cannabrand's Mannix. "We're really under the spotlight here as the trailblazers, so we want to make sure what we do is compliant and lead by example," Mannix said. "It's really amazing to be part of this industry and we want to pave the way for everyone else." While the marijuana industry is booming in Colorado and purchasing cannabis is "like picking up a six pack of beer, pot does not sell itself," she added. Cannabrand, accordingly, does research to come up with a brand that will appeal to a certain target market. Millennials, for example, might want a vibe that's more fun, and Gen X-ers may want to use an iPad to order a product inside a dispensary, Mannix said. Aside from appealing to more customers, the industry still has its work cut out in educating the public about the positive medicinal qualities so that people understand "cannabis is really a medicine and is a better alternative to alcohol and recreational substances," she said. "In the future, people will be more aware and understand that using cannabis is like having a glass of wine or going to a bar," Mannix added. --Written by Ellen Chang for MainStreet
| 3 | 11,827 |
finance
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Former McLaren Formula One chief Martin Whitmarsh has joined Britain's bid to return the America's Cup to its shores for the first time after being named as CEO of Ben Ainslie Racing on Thursday. Whitmarsh will work alongside Britain's most successful Olympic sailor whose team is attempting to earn the right to challenge holders Oracle Team USA at the 35th America's Cup in 2017. Team principle Ainslie said Whitmarsh's expertise from a career spent in the high-tech world of car racing makes him the perfect fit for the world's most famous sailing race, often described as F1 on water. "I'm delighted that Martin is joining us," four-times Olympic gold medalist Ainslie said in a statement. "When we first started to put together the plan for BAR, McLaren were one of the aspirations. "So it's particularly appropriate to have one of the original architects of that model as our new CEO." Whitmarsh, who spent 25 years at McLaren and succeeded Ron Dennis as team principal in 2009, will move to BAR's purpose-built base in Portsmouth in April. "After 25 years at McLaren it's great to be able to turn my energies and experience to such an exciting sporting and technical challenge," he said. "I hope my experience will help BAR in its aspiration for a sustainable business model, along with the clear goal of winning the America's Cup and bringing it back to British waters." Adrian Newey, who worked as a designer with Whitmarsh at McLaren and is still with the Red Bull team, is also part of Ainslie's team. Britain has never won the America's Cup since the inaugural race was held in 1851 off the Isle of Wight. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
| 1 | 11,828 |
sports
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My kids get more screen time than they probably should. Because occasionally mommy needs time to get stuff done around the house without being asked what she's doing fifty times in a row. But how do you know if your child is spending too much time on your phone or tablet? Here are 15 signs (that are completely made up and have no medical standing whatsoever) your kid might be addicted: 1. You know the words to most of your kid's favorite YouTube videos. Including at least one in a foreign language. 2. No matter how many times you clean the screen, it is always covered in tiny, greasy streaks. 3. You have chosen restaurants based solely on their WiFi availability. 4. Your memory is always full because your child is constantly playing with the camera. Right now, you probably have at least a hundred pictures of the floor and ceiling. And another hundred "selfies" they took making the same exact face. 5. You know what Surprise Egg videos are. You don't understand them. Or why they have millions of views. But you're aware of their existence. 6. You've learned to disable in-app purchases. The hard way. 7. You've learned to log out of all social media accounts so your kids don't post on them. The hard way. 8. Your child has a nickname for their favorite electronic device. 9. You own at least one back-up electronic device just in case the battery dies. 10. In fact, you own at least three chargers (including one for the car) to avoid it dying at all costs. 11. At some point, your kid has tried to "swipe" everything, from the TV to magazines to picture frames. 12. You never know where anything is because your child is constantly moving all the apps into a single folder. 13. You simply don't understand how anyone ever potty trained before smart phones and tablets were invented. 14. The first words your child learned to read were "Skip Ad." 15. When it freezes or something goes wrong, you ask your child to fix it for you. You might be one of the parents who limit screen time which I both respect and admire. But if you've ever tried to call tech support with a kid hanging from each leg, you understand. Any parent who has tried to subdue a hangry toddler while waiting for their food at a restaurant understands. Sometimes having peace is better than being right. And, sometimes, some extra screen time is better than losing what's left of your sanity.
| 4 | 11,829 |
lifestyle
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An Afghan artist has been forced into hiding after receiving death threats for dressing in a metal suit showing the female form.
| 5 | 11,830 |
news
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The FBI may have spotted a missing Cleveland 14-year-old girl now a 21-year-old woman in Rhode Island eight years after she vanished. Officials are working to track down a woman who could be Ashley Summers after she was photographed at a Warwick ATM surveillance video last October alongside an unidentified man. Local police released the image because the woman is a suspect in a rash of identification thefts across the state, CNN reported . When Summers' step-grandmother stumbled upon the image online in January, she said it looked like missing Ashley. The FBI put up a billboard and ramped up its social media campaign this week, hoping the public can help identify the woman in the photo. "This is an incredible lookalike," Special Agent Vicki Anderson of the FBI Cleveland Division said. "We've had other supposed lookalikes, but nothing that has looked this similar. We consider this a huge tip for us." She continued: "There's nothing that tells us that it is her, but there's nothing telling us that it's not her either." The teenager was last seen on July 6, 2007 after she fought with her mom, NBC News reported. Summers went to stay with her great uncle after the fight, and never came home. In 2013, when three missing women were discovered in Ariel Castro's Cleveland house , Summers' family hoped their daughter would turn up, too. The Castro house was five blocks from where Summers was last seen and his captives were taken within four years of her disappearance.
| 5 | 11,831 |
news
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An inquiry by the UK government into the bulk interception of communications data has cleared the country's spy agencies of wrong-doing. The report by the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) said that the UK's spies "do not seek to circumvent the law," and that their activities do not constitute "blanket surveillance" or "indiscriminate surveillance." However, the report condemns the legal framework surrounding digital surveillance in the UK, saying it is "unnecessarily complicated and crucially lacks transparency." "The current, overly complicated, legislation." The inquiry by the ISC was launched in 2013 after leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the extent of online surveillance by both the US and UK. "In a democratic society," says the heavily-censored report, "those powers cannot be unconstrained: limits and safeguards are essential." The report concludes that its findings are "reassuring," but that they "do not obviate the need for a thorough overhaul of the current, overly complicated, legislation." The ISC states that the bulk interception of data by GCHQ and other UK spy agencies is necessary not only to investigate specific threats, but also discover new leads. GCHQ reportedly targets a "very small percentage of the 'bearers' that make up the internet" (these bearers are described as international fibre optic cables carrying up to 10 gigabits of data per second), and that only a "very tiny percentage" of communications that are collected are actually opened by analysts. "fewer than *** of *** per cent of the items that transit the internet are read." However, it's difficult to judge just how small this percentage actually is, as any concrete figures are censored. For example, the report says with regards to the interception of messages: "In practice, this means that fewer than *** of *** per cent of the items that transit the internet in one day are ever selected to be read by a GCHQ analyst." A separate report from the UK's Interception of Communication Commissioner's Office (IOCCO) also published today offers a little more insight. It says that in 2014, the UK issued 2,795 warrants to intercept communications data, that is, to open up and read a message's content. Of these, says the IOCCO, 60 were "interception errors," a category that includes mistakes ranging from "over-collection" to "unauthorized selection." Access to Communications data was authorized half a million times In 2014, however, the UK also saw more than half a million authorizations (517,236) for police and law enforcement agencies to access "communications data." In the ISC's report this category is defined as "the details about a communication the 'who, when and where' but not the content of what was said or written." The IOCCO says that although there were "some examples where [these] powers had been used improperly or unnecessarily," on the whole it was happy that there was no "significant institutional overuse" of communications data. The report by the ISC also said that a small number of staff at intelligence agencies in the UK had been dismissed for inappropriately accessing data. One GCHQ staff member is mentioned as being "dismissed" for "misusing access to GCHQ's systems," while an undisclosed number of individuals from other agencies have been "disciplined or in some cases dismissed." Lord Butler of Brockwell, one of the ISC members, said that there were only "very small single figures of abuse."
| 5 | 11,832 |
news
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Japanese scientists have succeeded in transmitting energy wirelessly, in a key step that could one day make solar power generation in space a possibility, an official said Thursday. Researchers used microwaves to deliver 1.8 kilowatts of power -- enough to run an electric kettle -- through the air with pinpoint accuracy to a receiver 55 metres (170 feet) away. While the distance was not huge, the technology could pave the way for mankind to eventually tap the vast amount of solar energy available in space and use it here on Earth, a spokesman for The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said. "This was the first time anyone has managed to send a high output of nearly two kilowatts of electric power via microwaves to a small target, using a delicate directivity control device," he said. JAXA has been working on devising Space Solar Power Systems for years, the spokesman said. Solar power generation in space has many advantages over its Earth-based cousin, notably the permanent availability of energy, regardless of weather or time of day. While man-made satellites, such as the International Space Station, have long since been able to use the solar energy that washes over them from the sun, getting that power down to Earth where people can use it has been the thing of science fiction. But the Japanese research offers the possibility that humans will one day be able to farm an inexhaustible source of energy in space. The idea, said the JAXA spokesman, would be for microwave-transmitting solar satellites -- which would have sunlight-gathering panels and antennae -- to be set up about 36,000 kilometres (22,300 miles) from the earth. "But it could take decades before we see practical application of the technology -- maybe in the 2040s or later," he said. "There are a number of challenges to overcome, such as how to send huge structures into space, how to construct them and how to maintain them." The idea of space-based solar power generation emerged among US researchers in the 1960s and Japan's SSPS programme, chiefly financed by the industry ministry, started in 2009, he said. Resource-poor Japan has to import huge amounts of fossil fuel. It has become substantially more dependent on these imports as its nuclear power industry shut down in the aftermath of the disaster at Fukushima in 2011.
| 5 | 11,833 |
news
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The father of baby Lily, who rescuers found after her mother's car flipped into a Utah river, says she's doing great. Read more at KUTV.
| 5 | 11,834 |
news
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The Department of Homeland Security is investigating another incident of misconduct by two senior Secret Service agents, White House officials say.
| 5 | 11,835 |
news
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The entry of copycat biotech drugs into the U.S. market could cut prices of expensive medications by 40 percent to 50 percent, depending on the level of competition among drugmakers, a top executive at CVS Health (CVS) told Reuters. CVS is one of the largest U.S. pharmacy benefit managers and, along with rival Express Scripts (ESRX) , has put unprecedented pressure on global pharmaceutical makers to lower prices for its clients. The comments by CVS Health Chief Medical Officer Troyen Brennan suggest U.S. drug benefit managers will be pressing for much steeper discounts on new biosimilar drugs than the 20 percent to 30 percent widely expected by Wall Street. Depending on how similar treatments are, and on demand from doctors and patients, biosimilar pricing could more closely track the face-off among branded drugs, Brennan said in an interview on Wednesday. Generic versions of traditional pharmaceuticals can usher in discounts of as much as 98 percent. Biosimilars retain a much higher margin due to their more complicated manufacturing process, which can create a new version of a biotechnology drug but not an exact copy. "As a result of that, with these new ones coming on we are probably going to be seeing something that looks like more of a situation where there are multiple brands," Brennan said. "In the past that didn't give you 98 percent discounts. In the past, that would give you 40 to 50 percent discounts." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved on Friday the first biosimilar drug for use in the country, a copy of Amgen's (AMGN) Neupogen cancer treatment that was made by Novartis (NOVN-CH) . Pricing on the biosimilar has yet to be determined. Drugmakers that are racing to develop biosimilars include Pfizer (PFE) and Hospira (HSP) . In Europe, Hospira already sells copycat versions of Neupogen and Merck's (MRK) and Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) arthritis drug Remicade. Other biosimilar players include Amgen, Biogen Idec (BIIB) , Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries (TEVA-IL) , and Mylan (MYL) . Biologic drugs have already been approved in Europe, but pricing varies as each country has a role in negotiating drug costs. Earlier this year, Express Scripts and CVS pitted two novel treatments for hepatitis C against each other to wrest large price cuts from their manufacturers, Gilead Sciences (GILD) and AbbVie (ABBV) . Brennan said they are likely to use similar tactics as more biosimilars enter the marketplace. That could mean excluding one of the drugs from their reimbursement list for most patients, requiring patients to try the less expensive treatment first or insisting they give prior approval before a patient begins the medication based on their specific medical history, he explained. Brennan sees competitive pressure ahead for drugs that treat auto-immune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and colitis. AbbVie's Humira for arthritis and Remicade are billion-dollar biotech franchises that are close to facing biosimilar versions made by others. Express Scripts estimates that about $250 billion could be saved in the next decade if biosimilars for 11 different biological drugs are approved in the United States as expected. "Whenever you are engaging in greater competition, we should be able to take advantage of that to get a lower price," Brennan said.
| 3 | 11,836 |
finance
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You are eligible for Medicare when you turn 65. But these days, the decision to sign up is not a slam-dunk. For example, after you enroll in Medicare, you can no longer contribute to a health savings account. If, however, you work for a company with fewer than 20 employees, you usually don't have a choice: Medicare Part A, which covers hospitalization, must be your primary insurance. The decision to sign up or not also depends on whether you're receiving Social Security benefits and whether your spouse has coverage through your health insurance. If you miss key deadlines, you could have a gap in coverage, miss out on valuable tax breaks or get stuck with a penalty for the rest of your life. The Social Security rule If you enroll in Social Security before age 65, you'll automatically be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B when you turn 65. Part A covers hospital costs and is premium-free if you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years. Part B covers outpatient care, such as doctor visits, x-rays and tests, and costs most people $104.90 per month in 2015. Part B premiums are deducted from your Social Security benefits. You'll receive your Medicare card in the mail three months before your 65th birthday. If you're still working and don't want Part B yet, you can send back the card and have it reissued for Part A only, but you can't turn down Part A if you're enrolled in Social Security. Call Social Security at 800-772-1213 with details about your situation to make sure you won't be penalized for enrolling late in Part B. If you haven't claimed Social Security benefits, enrollment in Medicare isn't automatic. If neither you nor your spouse has employer health coverage, you should sign up for both Part A and Part B. Go to SocialSecurity.gov to sign up three months before or after the month you turn 65--even if you aren't signing up for Social Security. If you miss the seven-month window, you'll be able to enroll in Medicare only at limited times during the year (from January through March, with coverage starting July 1), and you may have to pay a lifetime late-enrollment penalty of 10% of the current Part B premium for every year you should have been enrolled in Part B. If you have employer coverage If you have coverage through an employer with 20 or more employees, you don't have to sign up for Medicare when you turn 65 because the group policy pays first and Medicare pays second. (If your spouse is covered under your policy, the same rules apply.) Most people with employer coverage enroll in Part A at 65 because it's free (unless they want to contribute to a health savings account). But you don't have to sign up for Part B if you're happy with your existing coverage. You'll avoid a future penalty as long as you sign up for Part B within eight months of leaving your job. If you work for a company with fewer than 20 employees, however, Medicare is considered your primary coverage and your employer's insurance pays second. You generally must sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B at 65, although sometimes small employers negotiate with their insurers to provide primary coverage to people over 65. If your employer says it will cover your outpatient costs first, "it's really important to get that in writing," says Casey Schwarz, of the Medicare Rights Center. Only coverage from a current employer with 20 or more employees counts as primary coverage. Retiree health insurance and coverage under COBRA, the law that allows a temporary extension of employer benefits, don't count. So if you don't sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B at age 65, you could have coverage gaps and face the lifetime penalty. Medicare rules for federal employees who are 65 and older and still working are the same as they are for employees still working for other large employers. But the rules are different for federal retiree coverage than for other retiree coverage. If you haven't signed up for Medicare, federal retiree coverage is the primary insurance (Medicare pays first if you have it). But if you change your mind and miss the window for signing up after you leave your job, you will face a late-enrollment penalty. If you didn't enroll in Part B at 65 because you had coverage through your employer (even if you signed up for Part A), you'll need to sign up within eight months of leaving your job to avoid the penalty. You won't be able to enroll online, because you'll need to provide evidence of "creditable coverage" from your employer from the time you turned 65. Joan Baraba of Chesterfield, Mo., was still working as a banking executive when she turned 65 in July 2013. She and her husband, Edward, had good coverage through her employer, so he signed up for Part A at 65, and she waited to sign up for benefits. A few months before she retired in July 2014, she applied for parts A and B and Edward applied for Part B. Doing so was complicated because they had to provide evidence that they had been covered by her employer since age 65. "It took several months to go through the process," she says. She recommends starting the paperwork six months before you plan to retire, so you don't have a gap in coverage. HSA versus Medicare An HSA, which must be paired with a high-deductible policy, offers tax advantages, and some employers contribute money, too. But you can't contribute to an HSA after you sign up for Medicare Part A or Part B. Before you delay signing up for Medicare to continue contributing to an HSA, do a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the HSA tax breaks, employer contributions and other benefits are more valuable than free Part A, recommends Elaine Wong Eakin, of California Health Advocates. That's what Ken Kleban, a lawyer in St. Louis, did before he turned 65 this year. "It was going to cost me thousands more dollars to go on Medicare," he says. He kept his company's high-deductible plan for himself and his wife, Jackie, and delayed signing up for Medicare so he could continue making pretax contributions to the HSA. Kleban will reassess his decision to choose the HSA instead of Medicare every year. But he plans to use the HSA for his post-retirement medical expenses. He has paid out of pocket rather than tap his HSA for many medical expenses so the money in the HSA would grow tax-free. He has several manila folders with eligible medical bills he incurred since opening the HSA six years ago, for which he can withdraw funds tax-free even after he signs up for Medicare. You can also use HSA money tax-free to pay Medicare Part B, Part D and Medicare Advantage (but not medigap) premiums. Adding up the cost of Medicare Before you decide to sign up for Medicare or stay on an employer's health plan, compare all the costs. Your employer's coverage may be less expensive. You don't pay a premium for Medicare Part A, which covers hospitalization. But for Medicare Part B, which covers outpatient care, most people pay $104.90 per month. Single enrollees earning more than $85,000 and married enrollees filing jointly and earning more than $170,000 pay $146.90 to $335.70 per person per month. Unless you have retiree health insurance, you'll probably want a medigap policy to help cover co-payments and deductibles, and a Part D drug plan to cover prescription drugs. Part D averages $32 per person (plus a high-income surcharge that boosts premiums by $12.30 to $70.80 per person if income is above $85,000 for singles or $170,000 for couples). The most popular medigap policy, Plan F, has a median premium of $172 per month, according to Weiss Ratings. Even without the high-income surcharges, your monthly costs to sign up for Part B, medigap insurance and Part D will run about $309 per person per month. You may be able to save money by buying a Medicare Advantage plan, which offers medical and drug coverage through a private network of providers; you pay the Part B premium plus an average Medicare Advantage premium of $33.90 a month. You can get help with Medicare decisions from the Medicare Rights Center ( www.medicarerights.org ; 1-800-333-4114) or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program ( www.shiptalk.org ; 1-800-633-4227). Copyright 2015 The Kiplinger Washington Editors
| 3 | 11,837 |
finance
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VW is moving closer to becoming the world's largest automaker, reports CNBC's Phil LeBeau, and is expanding its production in China, as it attempts to reshape the industry.
| 3 | 11,838 |
finance
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U.S. stocks climbed, after equities had their biggest two-day selloff in six weeks, as banks rose and an unexpected drop in retail sales bolstered the case for keeping interest rates low. Morgan Stanley, American Express Co. and Citigroup Inc. added at least 1.9 percent as they announced dividend payments and details on share buybacks after approval from the Federal Reserve following stress tests. Intel Corp. slid after cutting its first-quarter revenue outlook. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index advanced 0.9 percent to 2,058.03 at 12:46 p.m. in New York, after losing 1.9 percent in the previous two sessions. The gauge has climbed back to its average price for the past 50 days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 176.15 points, or 1 percent, to 17,811.54. Both indexes posted their strongest gains in a month. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.5 percent. "I think this is a question of the bad news is good news, which is a reversal of what we had Friday when we got killed," Donald Selkin, the chief market strategist at New York-based National Securities, which oversees $3 billion, said in a phone interview. "The only reason it's good is in policy because it throws a wet blanket over the surety of them raising rates." Concern the Fed may start raising interest rates amid a pickup in the economic recovery has weighed on equities this year. Policy makers next meet on March 17-18. Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly decreased in February for a third consecutive month as inclement weather and low wage gains restrained shoppers. The 0.6 percent drop followed a 0.8 percent decrease in January, Commerce Department figures showed Thursday in Washington. The median forecast of 86 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 0.3 percent gain. Claims Drop The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits declined more than forecast last week, returning to a level consistent with an improving labor market. Initial claims dropped 36,000 to a three-week low of 289,000, a Labor Department report said. A preliminary report on Friday will show consumer sentiment held steady this month, economists forecast. Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of the U.S. economy. The dollar weakened versus the euro for the first time in three days as investors questioned whether gains of more than 2 percent this week will prompt the Fed to soften its stance on the timing of an interest-rate increase. "The weakness in the market has been based on that strong dollar," Selkin said. "The dollar's a little weaker today so maybe that'll help." Dollar Impact The greenback's rise to a 12-year high versus the euro has helped drag American stocks down 2.8 percent since a record on March 2, amid concern earnings growth will be lower than investors project. The rising dollar hurts technology companies disproportionately as it reduces the value of foreign-currency earnings when they are repatriated back to the U.S. Technology is the biggest industry in the S&P 500 with a 20 percent weighting, accounting for 19.3 percent of the index's operating earnings last year, data compiled by S&P Dow Jones Indices show. Intel fell 4.4 percent to its lowest since October after the world's largest chipmaker said first-quarter sales will be less than forecast, citing lower-than-anticipated demand for corporate computers and weakening economies, particularly in Europe. Semiconductor companies in the benchmark index declined 1.5 percent after yesterday snapping a six-day losing streak. Intel's lower sales outlook also weighed on Microsoft Corp., with its shares falling 1.8 percent. Banks Rally Nine of 10 main groups in the S&P 500 advanced Thursday. Utility, phone, consumer discretionary and financial companies all added at least 1.3 percent. Energy slipped as oil prices retreated. Morgan Stanley rose 4.5 percent after boosting its payout to 15 cents a share, from 10 cents, and saying it will buy back as much as $3.1 billion of its own stock. American Express climbed 1.9 percent after unexpectedly raising its dividend. The company also increased the amount of authorized share repurchases to $6.6 billion. Citigroup added 2.7 percent after Fed approval to pay 5 cents a share in dividends and buy back as much as $7.8 billion of stock during the next five quarters, up from $1.2 billion over the past four. Mattel Inc. rose 3.4 percent after Wednesday reaching its lowest level since August 2011. Shares had dropped 7.3 percent since March 2. Tiffany & Co. climbed 2.8 percent after hitting its lowest in more than a year on Tuesday. The luxury retailer's shares had slid 7.1 percent since March 2. Charter Communications Inc. climbed 6.1 percent after people with knowledge of the matter said the cable company is in talks to acquire billionaire Si Newhouse Jr.'s Bright House Networks. Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. tumbled 26 percent after postponing a new drug application and saying its chief executive officer retired.
| 3 | 11,839 |
finance
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Sebastian Vettel is convinced Ferrari have a better car than the one that stuttered through a winless season last year but has played down his team's chances of upsetting Mercedes at Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
| 8 | 11,840 |
video
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Americans may hate the annual tax-filing season, but they certainly welcome the refunds that are issued each year. In fact, more than half of those who participated in Bankrate's March Money Pulse survey say that they expect to get or have already received their IRS tax refund from the Treasury Department. That's not surprising. The IRS reports that most taxpayers do get money back each year when they file their returns. What is surprising is that this phenomenon continues, despite the best efforts of tax and financial advisers to teach the public more efficient money management skills. Many interest-free loans to Uncle Sam Money managers regularly counsel taxpayers against having too much income tax withheld from paychecks. While this will produce a refund upon filing, it means that taxpayers surrender use of their own money for months. The worker essentially provides the federal government a 12-month (or longer) interest-free loan. "Most people think getting money back is a good thing, a windfall, but you're simply getting your own money back," says CFP professional Douglas Boneparth, vice president at Life and Wealth Planning in New York City. The average refund amount so far this year is around $3,000. "That's $250 a month you could have used throughout the year for saving or spending," says Boneparth. Refunds preferred across all income levels The desire for a refund is strong at all income levels. More than half of respondents in the Bankrate Money Pulse poll say they prefer tax refunds to breaking even at filing time or owing Uncle Sam a bit. And nearly 4 in 10 (38 percent) of all Americans say they would like a big IRS tax refund. Preferences for a refund by income category Preference $75,000+ $50,000 to $74,999 $30,000 to $49,999 Less than $30,000 Large refund 32% 39% 41% 40% Small refund 21% 24% 21% 17% Total who want some amount of refund 53% 63% 62% 57% Bankrate.com Money Pulse survey, March 12, 2015 Only 27 percent of Americans say they want to hit that tax sweet spot of not getting a refund, but not owing Uncle Sam any money when they file their 1040 forms. Laurie Ziegler, an enrolled agent with Sass Accounting in Saukville, Wisconsin, is not surprised about the refund preference. "I do encounter it a lot," says Ziegler, who is working her 23rd filing season as a tax preparer. In fact, one of Ziegler's clients is getting a five-figure refund because the filer doesn't want to owe the IRS. When it comes to taxes, says Ziegler, people typically want to err on the side of caution. Forced tax-savings accounts Many taxpayers also use their annual refunds as forced savings accounts. That's somewhat understandable, considering interest rates on most liquid savings instruments are so low. But you also limit your access. "You can't go to (the) IRS to get money to replace the furnace," says Ziegler. Still, many taxpayers apparently are comfortable with leaving their money in Uncle Sam's hands. "We're creatures of habit," says Ziegler. "If it's not broke, don't fix it. But it is broke." "Is (forced savings) a good excuse? No, it is not. There's no excuse for improper planning," says Boneparth. "From a financial perspective, the reality is that it's an inefficient, inferior way to save." Dealing with debt What is surprising and a bit more encouraging from a financial standpoint is that more than a third (34 percent) of tax refund recipients plan to use the money to pay down debt. Another 33 percent plan to save or invest the tax cash. About a quarter of poll respondents say they will spend their refunds on necessities, such as groceries or utility bills. What will you do with your tax refund? Plan to use tax refund to February 2015* March 2010 Pay down debt 34% 30% Save or invest 33% 28% Spend on necessities (food, utilities) 26% 26% Splurge (vacation, shopping spree) 3% 7% None of above/don't know 3% 9% *Based on respondents who expect to or have already received refunds. Source: Bankrate.com Money Pulse survey, March 12, 2015 Retailers will be dismayed to learn that only 3 percent of taxpayers plan to splurge with their tax refunds. Overall, taxpayers this year are a bit more conservative with their refunds than they were when surveyed five years ago. "People are still very, very nervous about the future," says Tim Gagnon, a tax attorney and accounting faculty member at Northeastern University in Boston. "They had to take on more debt and see a refund as an opportunity to get some of it down so they won't be so leveraged." That's a laudable goal. Still, Gagnon would like to see taxpayers get their money throughout the year. Those who wait for an annual lump-sum refund not only waste use of their money while interest charges on debt grow, Gagnon says, but they also run the risk of not getting the money when they expect or need it if they encounter tax return processing delays. All taxes are local When asked what programs they would be most willing to pay higher taxes for, Americans narrowly favored higher education. Not surprisingly, the free tuition option was particularly popular among 18- to 29-year-olds, chosen by 43 percent in that age group. Tax planning beyond refunds While the general lack of tax planning is disconcerting, Chris Browning, an assistant professor of personal financial planning in the department of personal financial planning at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, is somewhat more sanguine. Browning says there actually is some planning behind getting a refund. The problem is that many taxpayers don't go beyond that. "There generally is too little understanding of the trade-offs between getting a tax refund or not," says Browning. "What you plan to do with a refund is what you could have done anyway with your money earlier." And, says Browning, many people don't realize that tax planning is not just fancy financial maneuvering. Something as simple as filing a new W-4 to adjust withholding is tax planning. It's a way to be more proactive in how to receive your money, says Browning. Still, the receipt of a large refund that's used for generally sound financial purposes could be viewed as the optimal suboptimal situation, says the Texas Tech professor. "The optimal thing would be for people to have a zero tax refund and zero tax liability, to plan it right to maximize their money for optimal consumption over a set period, such as a tax year," Browning says. "But if saving through a tax refund leads to people having money to set aside for saving, paying down or paying off debt, it's not the optimal, but it could be the suboptimal solution." Who's afraid of the stock market? And how often do Americans check their bank and retirement accounts online? For the answers to these questions, be sure to return for Bankrate's savings and investing Money Pulse on April 9. Methodology: Bankrate's poll was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, which obtained the data via telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,003 adults living in the continental U.S. Telephone interviews were conducted by landline (502) and cellphone (501, including 276 without a landline phone) in English and Spanish from Feb. 26 to March 1, 2015. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
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The bull market for stocks celebrated its six-year birthday on Monday. However, the equity rally is but a wee child alongside the bond bull market. Long-term U.S. bond yields climbed to nearly 15% in 1981, but they've declined for the better part of the past 35 years. As a result, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index has posted a negative return in just three calendar years since 1980, and even those losses were remarkably small: 3% in 1994, less than 1% in 1999, and 2% in 2013. The net effect of this long and hospitable period for bonds is that investors can be lulled into a sense of complacency over the asset class. And even the ones who know that bonds won't always have it so good may struggle to determine how their bond investments might behave in a more trying period. Whereas a glance at 2008 results can provide equity investors with a shortcut way to assess the risks in a prospective or current holding, bond-fund investors need to dig a little deeper to gain knowledge of the risks that could lurk within their portfolios. The answer isn't to omit bonds from your portfolio entirely, as high-quality bonds can serve as valuable shock absorbers, potentially even gaining value when stocks fall. (That's not something you'll get with cash.) But given that the bond party is apt to be much closer to its end than the beginning, it's a good time to take stock of those risks. Here are some guideposts that investors can use to conduct their own due diligence. The Surgical Time-Period View Because bonds have had it so good for so long, trailing-period returns will tend to look pretty rosy overall. Even for bond funds that buy low-quality credits, such as Loomis Sayles Bond LSBDX, their abysmal 2008 losses have been obscured by strong returns ever since, as investors have been in "bring on the risk" mode. Thus, investors who aim to sniff out risks by examining past performance will want to focus on a few specific time periods. 2008 Just as performance during this bear-market year serves as a great gauge for the riskiness of equity funds, it also provides a good depiction of the economic sensitivity and liquidity of bond funds. Lower-quality bonds suffered losses on par with equities in some cases, so a very poor showing that year--in either absolute or relative terms--could be a signal that a fund maintains a junky portfolio. Even funds that don't reside in the high-yield, multisector, bank-loan, or non-traditional-bond categories struggled that year due to outsized exposure to lower-rated corporate or mortgage-backed bonds. But junky portfolios weren't the only ones to struggle in 2008. That year also proved challenging for high-quality but less-liquid bond types such as Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities and municipal bonds; as large investors had to unload them to meet redemptions in a hurry, they were forced to sell them at fire-sale prices, thereby depressing returns across the sectors. Of course, many funds cleaned up their acts following unexpectedly large 2008 losses, so a weak showing that year shouldn't automatically signal a risky portfolio. At a minimum, however, investors who see steep 2008 losses should take a look at what risk factors lurk inside the portfolio. The Second Quarter of 2013 Whereas 2008 highlighted which funds were running with lower-quality bond portfolios, the second quarter of 2013 punished those funds that were sensitive to interest-rate changes. The Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index lost 2.3% during the quarter, whereas more rate-sensitive bond types lost much more than that. For example, long-term Treasury funds lost 6%, on average, during that three-month period, and the typical Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities fund lost just as much. If you're concerned about how your fund will behave in a rising-rate environment, examining its performance during this time period--and comparing it with its category peers--can help you know what to expect. The Portfolio View Ultimately, a fund's portfolio will provide the best forward-looking view of the risks that could lurk in its future. After all, a fund's manager or strategy may have changed since the last challenging bond market environment, so its past returns may not apply. Fund prospectuses, meanwhile, will typically cite a laundry list of risk factors, some of which are likely to be relevant to the particular fund and some that are much less relevant. A fund's portfolio, by contrast, provides many relevant clues about what to expect going forward. Here are the key elements to focus on. Duration: For high-quality bond funds, duration can provide a quick-and-dirty way to assess how interest-rate changes are apt to affect a portfolio. You often hear that a fund will lose roughly as much as its duration in a one-year period in which rates trend up by one percentage point. That's a good start, but it doesn't take into account that the investor also benefits slightly in a rising-rate environment because the yield itself ticks higher when rates go up, thereby offsetting the decline in the bonds' prices. This article discusses how to conduct a quick duration stress test of your holdings, as well as the limitations of the stress test for some types of bond funds. Credit Quality: As yields have slunk lower over the past several years, many funds have dipped down the credit-quality ladder in an effort to plump up their payouts. That's been a good bet to make: The economy has strengthened, and with it, the prices of lower-quality bonds. The opposite scenario, meanwhile, will tend to be challenging for lower-quality bonds and can lead to real losses. Many core-type short- and intermediate-term bond funds have specific parameters around how much they can invest in true junk bonds--those rated BB and below. That said, it's not unusual for such funds to have average credit qualities in the BBB and A range; such bonds will tend to fare worse than AA and AAA rated bonds in a flight to quality like 2008. Foreign-Bond Exposure: Morningstar's Portfolio page will also depict whether a fund owns foreign bonds. This is not a big risk factor in and of itself, particularly if the fund owns dollar-denominated bonds from high-quality issuers in developed markets. But if you see a large slug of foreign bonds in a portfolio, it can be worth doing a little more digging. Are the bonds denominated in dollars or foreign currencies? The latter can bring more volatility--for example, foreign-currency-denominated bond funds have recently slumped amid the dollar's ascent. Does the fund own bonds from developed or developing markets? Does it own foreign-government bonds or corporates? (Both developing-markets and foreign corporate bonds will tend to be more volatile than government bonds issued by developed-markets nations, though past is not prologue: Foreign governments in developed markets have plenty of problems, too.) Exposure to Other Asset Classes: Morningstar's Portfolio tab will also provide a view of a bond fund's total asset allocation, which can also provide clues about its prospective risks. For most high-quality core-type bond funds, the portfolio will be denominated by bonds but may also feature a small stake in cash, either to offset the risks elsewhere in the portfolio or because bonds have matured but haven't yet been replaced. However, for more exotic bond-fund types--such as nontraditional, multisector, and high yield--the portfolios may include exposure to stocks as well as "other" asset classes, usually convertibles and preferred stocks. As with lower-quality bonds, exposure to these asset classes will tend to heighten volatility in weakening economic environments and/or when equities sell off, though it can enhance returns when times are good. Yield: Many investors shop for bond funds based on their yields, but the connection between a higher yield and higher risk is pretty direct and intuitive. Yield is so scarce these days that you can bet that if investors could find higher-yielding bonds without a lot of extra risk, they'd snap them up in a hurry, pushing their prices up and their yields down in the process. Of course, some funds deliver higher yields than their peers because their expenses are lower; but in the absence of low expenses, a high yield relative to category peers will tend to indicate extra risk-taking. Morningstar.com doesn't provide benchmarks for assessing whether a fund's yield is high or low relative to its peers, so here are median SEC yields for a few categories; you can use them to gauge whether your fund's yield signals that additional risks could be present. Intermediate-Term Bond: 1.73% Short-Term Bond: 0.67% Bank-Loan: 3.29% Multisector Bond: 3.10 Nontraditional Bond: 1.30% Muni-National Intermediate: 0.89%
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BMW said Thursday it achieved its fifth record year in succession in 2014 on the back of buoyant demand for its vehicles. "We continued to perform well during the past year, achieving new highs for sales volume, revenues and group earnings," boasted chief executive Norbert Reithofer. "Tailwinds caused by high customer demand for our vehicles worldwide are driving up sales volumes," he said. BMW said it sold a total 2.118 million vehicles worldwide in 2014, 7.9 percent more than in the previous year. Group revenues rose 5.7 percent to 80.4 billion euros ($85 billion). Underlying or operating profit grew by 14.3 percent to 9.118 billion euros, "thanks primarily to sales volume growth and a high-value model mix," BMW said. Net profit was up 9.2 percent at 5.817 billion euros, "also a new record high for the BMW group." BMW said it wanted shareholders to participate in the rise in profits and would propose an increased dividend of 2.90 euros per common share and 2.92 euros per preferred share for 2014, up from 2.60 euros and 2.62 euros respectively earlier. Looking ahead, the car maker said it targets further sales growth this year. "In view of our attractive model range and the market launch of 15 new models or model revisions over the course of 2015, the BMW group forecasts an increase in sales volume worldwide," it said.
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HUNTINGTON STATION, N.Y. A Suffolk County police officer was shot and wounded while confronting a suspect who fled a traffic stop, and police officials say the officer is expected to survive. A suspect was arrested about an hour after the shooting, which occurred just before midnight Wednesday. Officer Mark Collins, a 12-year veteran assigned to the Gang Unit in the Second Precinct, was in plain clothes and driving an unmarked vehicle when he stopped a car for a vehicle and traffic violation on Route 25 in Huntington Station. He was wounded in the neck and hip and hospitalized in serious condition. Police Commissioner Edward Webber said there were four people in the car and one of them, the alleged shooter, ran from the vehicle when Collins and two other officers approached. Webber said Collins chased the man, whose identity police are withholding, and confronted him about a block away. Webber said the suspect fired twice at the officer, striking him in the neck and hip. The suspect fled and was arrested about an hour later "after an intense search," Webber said. "He is a hero and we are thankful that his injuries, although serious, are not worse," Webber said of Collins. At an early morning news conference at Stony Brook University Hospital, where Collins was brought by police helicopter, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said the officer was in "serious condition" and remains in a medically-induced coma in the intensive care unit. Bellone said that Collins was "speaking and able to communicate" when he arrived at the hospital. Collins "confronted evil and fortunately, angels were on his side," Bellone added. "While we are at home, sleeping comfortably in our beds, these officers are out there working to apprehend the people who are doing harm," he said. "We are grateful tonight that the officer has a good prognosis." Dr. James Vosswinkel, the hospital's chief of trauma and emergency surgery, said Collins' injuries do not appear to be life-threatening and that the officer "has a very favorable prognosis." Webber said the suspect was in custody and that charges against him were pending. He said the other people in the vehicle had been temporarily detained and were being questioned. Collins is married with no children. He was named the Suffolk County Police Officer of the Year in 2008. ___ Information from: Newsday, http://www.newsday.com
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It's become an American tradition when you're expecting your first baby, you drop a few hundred bucks to go to "birth classes" in which both expecting mom and expecting dad are educated about the birth process and taught techniques to deal with the pain of labor. The most iconic of these techniques, immortalized in countless movies and bad sitcoms, is the Lamaze breathing. By concentrating on one's breath, a laboring woman learns to control the sensations of her body being twisted inside out. She learns to turn a painful experience into an empowering one. Whatever. Maybe it's because I was too broke to afford the actual in-person class and instead opted for renting the 5 DVD set from the local library. But that Lamaze stuff just didn't work for me. I'd also taken countless yoga and movement classes where we learned to use our breath to relax and control tension. But once I was in labor, no breathing method alone was going to relax me. Though I found the Lamaze breathing exercises completely useless for their intended purpose, I have discovered what they are REALLY good for: That moment when your three-year-old hits you in the face during a time-out. Breathe. The time your husband comes home and asks why, when you are home all day and not "working," the house looks like a Tasmanian devil ran through it. Breathe. When one of your child's grandparents brings over the toy that makes noises louder than any surround-sound speakers, the toy that you specifically asked them NOT to buy… Breathe. When you're "touched out" from a baby that's been on the boob all day and your husband complains that you don't want to cuddle enough. Breathe. When your bank account is approaching zero, you've got a sick kid and a huge deductible in your prescription coverage. Breathe. When everything is falling apart around you, pull that baby's head in close, nuzzle your nose in their soft hair, and just BREATHE . (And then maybe grab a glass of wine.)
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lifestyle
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About three-quarters of taxpayers receive a refund , according to 2014 data from the Internal Revenue Service. If you're among the roughly 27% whose returns are processed and you owe money, you have an important question to answer: How will you pay? Perhaps more important: Can you afford to pay? If you have the cash on hand, you have the option of paying by directly transferring funds from your bank account, writing and mailing a check to the IRS (or your state government, if you owe state taxes) or paying with a credit or debit card . If you're paying with a debit card, the payment processing company will charge a fee of $3.89 to $3.95, but credit card payments require a convenience fee based on the amount you're paying. If the fee outweighs the benefits of paying electronically, consider another payment method. If you can't afford the entire amount due, you should contact the IRS about your payment options. Even if you won't be able to pay the taxes by the deadline, it's in your best interest to make as much of a payment as you can before April 18 to avoid failure-to-pay penalties, according to the IRS website. Request a Short Extension You can ask for an additional 60 to 120 days to pay your debt by filling out an Online Payment Agreement application on the IRS website (you can also call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to set up the payment agreement). Paying as much as you can afford by the deadline will minimize the amount you pay in penalties and interest later, as will a shorter payment agreement. The amount you owe by the end of your extension will be calculated to include interest accrued to the end date, so if you plan to pay the full amount before the end of your extension, call the IRS to recalculate what you owe. Apply for an Installment Agreement If you need more than 120 days to be able to pay the full debt , apply for an installment agreement. You also have the option of submitting Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request, in writing or calling the IRS, but the online application is a faster route. You will be required to pay a one-time fee for entering an installment agreement. Once it's set up, you will have a minimum monthly payment and due date, much like other bills, the difference being you dictate how much you can pay each month and what day you'd like the payment due. Use an Alternative Payment Method You could finance your tax burden with a credit card or personal loan, if you'd rather manage those instruments than deal with the IRS. Keep in mind there's a credit card processing fee a percentage of what you owe in addition to whatever APR your card carries, so that can be a costly option. The APR for late tax payments is 3%, which is pretty low, but you also need to consider the fees associated with late tax payments and setting up an installment plan. It's up to you to determine the best option for your budget and your credit standing. Using a loan or credit card to pay your taxes can impact your credit. (You can get a free credit report summary on Credit.com to see how an increased debt load would impact your scores.) The most important thing is to pay what you can by the deadline, because a tax lien and tax debt collectors could cause financial problems, too. This article originally appeared on Credit.com .
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The creators of Breaking Bad have a simple request for some of the most mischievous fans of the show: Stop throwing pizza on the roof of the Walter White house! Jen Markham has the story.
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On Thursday, Lumber Liquidators will hold a conference call with investors. The company's management is expected to address recent reports that some of its laminate flooring is unsafe for consumers. On March 1, CBS's "60 Minutes" detailed apparent violations in the company's China factories. The the investigative reporters tested its flooring and found levels of formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical, that violate standards set by the California Air Resources Board (gauged by what's called the CARB II test). It also spoke to a worker undercover, who said the flooring is unsafe. The company has since said that all its products are CARB II-compliant. In a note Tuesday, Stifel home furnishings analyst John A. Baugh wrote that given the report, "the company and its brand is guilty until proven innocent." Baugh said these are the 5 key questions Lumber Liquidators needs to address: How much the company has earned on imported Chinese laminate flooring that's been sold or installed in the US? Stifel estimates that over the last 12 months, this amounts to $100 million, or 10% of revenues. It could cost the company more than that to replace their customers' flooring. What specific tests does Lumber Liquidators conduct to make sure it's CARB II-compliant? Lumber Liquidators said 60 Minutes used an "improper" test, and published some data on its independent test results. Even if Lumber Liquidators flooring is compliant, how does its levels of formaldehyde compare with the competition? Customers may still distrust the company if its flooring is compliant but contains higher levels of the chemical. How much insurance coverage does the company have, and would there be significant financial costs? Have customers been flooding the company with questions or asking for their flooring to be removed? "We have and remain on the sidelines on the stock until we feel better informed about the questions we raise in this note and the potential exposure," Baugh wrote. On Tuesday, the company's shares rallied more than 11% after short-seller Citron Research said in a note that the sell-off may have been " largely overdone ." Shares fell more than 14% yesterday as a number of class action lawsuits emerged. NOW WATCH: Nationwide's Super Bowl commercial about dead children is about corporate profits ... in a way that we can all appreciate
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Fergsuon protest A Ferguson police officer tries to separate a supporter of Michael Brown (R) from a Ferguson police supporter, outside the Ferguson Police Department and Municipal Court in Ferguson, Missouri, March 15, 2015. Fergsuon protest A group of demonstrators in support of the police hold U.S. flags and signs as they gather in front of the Ferguson Police Department and Municipal Court in Ferguson, Missouri, March 15, 2015. Fergsuon protest St. Louis County District Attorney Robert McCulloch speaks at a press conference about an arrest in connection with the shooting at the Ferguson Police Department that left two police officers wounded, in Clayton, Missouri, March 15, 2015. Fergsuon protest This photo provided by the St. Louis County Police Department on March 15, 2015 shows Jeffrey Williams. Williams, 20, is charged with two counts of first-degree assault, one count of firing a weapon from a vehicle and three counts of armed criminal action in connection with the shooting of two police officers who were keeping watch over a demonstration outside the Ferguson Police Department on March 12. Fergsuon protest A protester is detained during a demonstration against what they say is police brutality after the Ferguson shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, by a white police officer, in St. Louis, Missouri, March 14, 2015. Fergsuon protest Protesters march through the streets as they demonstrate against what they say is police brutality after the Ferguson shooting of Michael Brown in St. Louis, Missouri, March 14, 2015. Fergsuon protest A protester wears tape over her mouth during a silent demonstration in St. Louis, Missouri, March 14, 2015. Fergsuon protest Demonstrators visit the Michael Brown memorial to say a prayer in Ferguson, Missouri on March 13, 2015. Ferguson protest A demonstrator supporting shooting victim Michael Brown (R) and a supporter of police officers are seen outside the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri, March 13, 2015. Ferguson protest A man walks by the burned out remains of a business in Ferguson, Missouri, March 13, 2015. Ferguson protest A police officer removes a demonstrator from the middle of the street during a protest in front of the police station, March 12, 2015 in Ferguson, Missouri. Ferguson protest A protestor shouts during a demonstration outside the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri, March 12, 2015. Ferguson protest Protesters demonstrate across the street from the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri, March 12, 2015. Ferguson protest People take part in a candlelight vigil Thursday, March 12, 2015, in Ferguson, Mo. Ferguson protest A man holds a protest sign outside the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri, March 12, 2015. Ferguson protest A St. Louis County investigative team canvasses the neighborhood near the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri, asking residents if they have any information about the shooting of two police officers, March 12. Ferguson protest A St. Louis County investigative team canvasses the neighborhood near the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri, March 12, 2015,. Ferguson protest A police officer pulls up the tape marking the perimeter around the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri, March 12, 2015. Ferguson protest Police take cover after two officers were shot while standing guard in front of the Ferguson Police Station on March 12, 2015, in Ferguson, Mo. Ferguson protest Police crime scene personnel investigate the scene outside the Ferguson Police Department on March 12, 2015 in Ferguson, Mo. Ferguson protest Law enforcement officials secure the crime scene and continue to search for evidence outside the police station after two officers were shot and wounded on March 12, 2015 in Ferguson, Mo. Ferguson protest A K-9 unit patrols outside the police station after two officers were shot and wounded on March 12, 2015 in Ferguson, Mo. Ferguson protest Ferguson, Mo., Mayor James Knowles III announces the resignation of police chief Thomas Jackson during a news conference, March 11, 2015. Ferguson protest Protestors demonstrate outside the Ferguson Police Department, March 11, 2015. Ferguson protest Protesters sit outside the Ferguson Police Department and Municipal Court building, March 11, 2015. Ferguson protest A protester chants in front of a flag which reads, "Racism lives here", outside the Ferguson Police Department and Municipal Court building, March 11, 2015. Ferguson protest A protester confronts a police officer outside the Ferguson Police Department, March 11, 2015. Ferguson protest Protestors hold up their hands in front of a police car during a protest outside the Ferguson Police Department, March 11, 2015. Ferguson protest Police and protesters square off, March 11, 2015. Ferguson protest Police in riot gear respond to demonstrators blocking traffic during a protest, March 11, 2015. Ferguson protest A demonstrator is detained and arrested during the protest. Ferguson protest Police stand guard moments after gun shots were fired outside the Ferguson Police Department, March 12, 2015. Ferguson protest Police gather outside the Ferguson Police Department after two officers were shot on March 12, 2015. Ferguson protest Police photograph a helmet as they investigate the scene where two police officers were shot outside the Ferguson Police Department, March 12, 2015.
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The daughter of the murdered Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov talks to the BBC about her father's death and says his killing was politically motivated.
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news
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It's as American as apple pie and twice as wobbly, but what's really inside Jell-O? Aside from collagen, the translucent gelatin sweet treat features collagen, sugar, artificial flavoring, and, oh yeah, chopped-up pig and cow hides soaked in acid.
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video
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Madonna says Warren Beatty was an incredible lover. The 56-year-old singer dated her 'Dick Tracy' co-star for 15 months in the early 1990s and admitted the lothario - who also dated the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Elle Macpherson and Julie Christie - lived up to his reputation in the bedroom. She said: "Yes, he was [an incredible lover]. I'm not going to lie." And Madonna - who has four children, Lourdes, 18, Rocco, 14, David and Mercy, both nine - was just as confident about her own sexual skills. Asked if she asked him how she compared to his past lovers, she said: "I have confidence in my skills." The 'Heartbreak City' hitmaker also admitted her song 'Vogue' was inspired by Warren's colourful love life and written in just a few hours. In an interview with Sirius XM DJ Howard Stern, she said: "I had seen people 'voguing.' Warren asked me to write a song for 'Dick Tracy' and I was thinking about all of the movie stars. Warren grew up in that era and he dated all of Hollywood, basically." In the early 1980s, Madonna - who was previously married to Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie - dated late artist Jean Michel Basquiat but left him because of his heroin addiction. She said: "We always think we can fix people and we can't...just change yourself." After ending their relationship, the artist demanded The 'Ray of Light' star gave back all the paintings he had given her and then destroyed them. She recalled: "I loved him....when I broke up with him he made me give them all back to him, and then he painted over all of them black."
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entertainment
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Reigning Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton says Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo was impressive last season and is looking forward to fighting the Australian in this year's F1 world championship
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Greece and its international creditors were to begin fiscal talks in Athens on Thursday, with technical experts getting to grips on drawing up a new economic plan for the troubled eurozone nation. Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said a "fact-finding mission" would gather data to assist the talks held in Brussels. "There will be a fact-finding mission in Greece, reporting to the Brussels group, assisting the Brussels group in its deliberations," Varoufakis told France24 in an interview while on a visit to Paris. A finance ministry source had earlier told AFP that the experts would first gather fiscal data, and that discussions on structural reforms and banks would be held next week. The breakthrough came after six weeks of difficult talks between the EU-IMF-ECB creditors and the radical Greek government that came to power in January with the promise to tear up the country's austerity-driven bailout. The new government's aggressive stance quickly alienated Greece's creditors, who want the new government to respect the terms of the 240-billion-euro ($255-billion) bailout signed by its predecessors. With many promised reforms still incomplete, Athens has received no money from the remaining bailout funds, and the state is now desperate for cash. This month alone, Greece must find some 6.0 billion euros to meet its debts -- including 1.5 billion euros to the International Monetary Fund. Varoufakis insisted that Greece would be able to pay. He said the creditors and Greece "have taken measures" and would come to an agreement to address what he called "a relatively small cashflow problem." On Wednesday, Athens snapped up 1.3 billion euros offered by creditors in a new issue of three-month treasury bills, but at a higher interest rate of 2.7 percent. Reports on Wednesday said the government was also turning to its pension and agricultural assistance funds for emergency cash to pay government salaries. On Monday, Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem blamed Greece for wasting precious time. "We have spent two weeks discussing who meets who, where and in what format, and it's a complete waste of time," said Dijsselbloem, who is also Dutch finance minister. Athens has insisted on dismantling the previous system of EU-IMF-ECB fiscal audits, conducted by a team of experts from the three institutions known as the 'troika'. The Greek government now calls the creditors 'institutions'. Athens is arguing that the austerity programme that has plunged thousands of families into poverty should be relaxed, a demand opposed by Germany and other eurozone creditor nations. In turn, Greece this week ramped up pressure on Germany to compensate victims of Nazi wartime atrocities and repay a forced war loan. "A debt must be a debt and a debt everywhere... especially those which are weighed down by historical significance," Varoufakis said in the France24 interview. "Unless of course, we all decide that debts can be forgiven and can be restructured," he added. Berlin argues that the issue of reparations to Greece has already been settled in 1960 as part of an agreement with several European governments. In a new search for allies, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday will meet with OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria in Paris, followed by European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and European Parliament president Martin Schulz in Brussels on Friday.
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The American College of Sports Medicine released its "Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2015" that gives the sports and fitness industry insight into what's driving their market. The editors of ACSM's Health and Fitness Journal ® survey health and fitness professionals worldwide about trends to determine what has lasting appeal and can impact the industry and what might be fizzling out of favor. For their purposes, trends are defined as a general development that takes some time to gain popularity, but has longevity. Fads are what I refer to as "fashion fitness" exercise programs or devices that come on the scene quickly, but almost as rapidly lose their appeal. I'm a strong proponent of high-intensity workouts that use body weight the result of the findings from a study I co-authored with Brett Klika (High-Intensity Circuit Training Using Body Weight: Maximum Results with Minimal Investment). I was delighted to see my fellow colleagues ranked body weight training and high-intensity interval training in the ACSM survey as numbers one and two, respectively, and remarked that they're trends to watch. I think they have staying power for several reasons. For one, body weight training is not "new"; in fact, people have been using their own body weight for centuries as a form of resistance training. This type of workout offers convenience because it's obviously very portable, requires no special equipment and is inexpensive. High-intensity interval training has gained in popularity over the past several years, partly because it's been re-packaged by some fitness products and programs. It's defined as short bouts of intense exercise followed by a minimal period of rest. I think it will continue to be popular because of its efficiency; you can get a great workout in less than 30 minutes. These are all reasons why I blended two workouts in the Johnson & Johnson Official 7-Minute Workout App™: to give the convenience of a body weight workout combined with the efficiency of high-intensity intervals. The ACSM survey reinforced the deletion of four trends that had appeared to be strong for several years but have now dropped off the list, including Zumba ® , indoor cycling, stability ball and Pilates, which supports the theory that these were fads and not trends. The survey suggests that Zumba ® , indoor cycling and Pilates have run their course, but here's my take on it. Those surveyed may believe indoor cycling is going downhill. But if it works for you, keep pedaling. With its high-intensity interval approach, indoor cycling can be a terrific workout, and if you enjoy it, that's what matters. However, if you're just wearing your SoulCycle shirt to be on the cutting edge, you might lose sight of the underlying reason why you have it on, which is to improve your fitness level. The same goes for wearable fitness tracking devices. It can be a statement that you have the latest in fitness technology, but I vote for function over form. Part of its function is to motivate wearers to increase their steps during the day and get more movement in their life. However, if it just becomes another thing buzzing at you to remind you to take some action, then it's going to be relegated quickly to the junk drawer. What works for me is to draw upon my personal mission to be a healthy and fit dad, spouse and employee to get my daily steps in, rather than an external device. The ACSM survey got me thinking about what I've been noticing regarding exercise trends. When I go to my wife's gym, I see a lot more people doing a workout that's facilitated by smartphones. Not long ago, they would be with a trainer and a clipboard or following a workout pulled out of a fitness magazine. Certified fitness trainers are certainly highly relevant (in fact, educated, certified and experienced fitness professionals ranked number three on the ACSM survey), but I foresee a merging of the technical app with the live trainer. Smartphone fitness technology will get more sophisticated, but it can't completely replace a personal trainer because inherently they are personal . One of the benefits of personal trainers is their high level of engagement: They can physically correct form and have the ability to motivate and push their clients beyond their comfort zone. Plus, when you have an appointment with your trainer, you often feel a level of responsibility to show up. Your iPhone doesn't get insulted if you stand it up for a workout session. My point is that personal workout technology is gaining in popularity, and I don't see that waning nor replacing a live trainer. If anything, it's an excellent option for busy professionals and others who can't often take large blocks of time for exercise, but who want an effective and efficient workout to increase their fitness levels. I believe exercise programs and techniques are evolutionary, not revolutionary. New approaches, packaging and devices are always appearing, and the body of exercise science is growing; however, exercise can't be reinvented. Because it's my life work, I'm very interested in keeping tabs on what's new and popular and determining how exercise can be a part of everyone's every day. While I'm wary of "fashion fitness," I do believe that if it gives you an efficient workout and pushes you to enhance your fitness levels, by all means go for it and don't listen to what's hot or not. I, for one, am not hanging up my indoor cycling shoes. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report
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A POWERFUL supercar goes full throttle UP a steep ski slope in arctic conditions. Shot in 2013 by Swedish filmmaker Fredrik Jönsson, 39, this incredible footage shows a 700 horsepower Nissan GT-R speeding up a snowy hill - faster than most skiers going the other way. And with temperatures dipping to a bone-chilling -24 degrees Celsius, the production team had to work fast to stop the camera lenses freezing over. But despite the difficult conditions in Kåbdalis, Sweden, Fredrik said he wanted to film something he had never seen before. Videographer / Director: Fredrik Jönsson / Redhouse Media Producer: Nick Johnson Editor: Kyle Waters
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Utah is poised to bring back death by firing squad. Republican state Rep. Paul Ray introduced the legislation in December, calling firing squads "the most humane" method out of all options. The legislation, which passed the state Senate on Tuesday, would require the use of a firing squad if lethal injection drugs are unavailable. The bill now goes to Republican Gov. Gary Herbert, who has not said whether he will sign it. Ray said he began drafting the bill last March, before a host of executions by lethal injection last year in Oklahoma, Arizona and Ohio in which inmates appeared to writhe in pain and gasp for air. Witnesses said a condemned murderer in Arizona snorted and struggled for breath for more than 90 minutes before he died. Those executions have stirred debate about allowing alternative methods. This, coupled with a national shortage of the anesthetic that is part of the three-drug cocktail used in some lethal injections, has complicated the most-used method of capital punishment. Here's a look at the some of the questions surrounding Utah's proposal. Question: Has Utah used firing squads before? Answer: Utah allowed inmates to choose death by firing squad after the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. The state adopted lethal injection as its preferred method in 2004 after heightened media attention, but that didn't apply to inmates already on death row. Inmates who chose execution by firing squad before May 3, 2004, are entitled to that method. Q: What other states use firing squads? A: Oklahoma authorizes firing squads only if lethal injection and electrocution are held unconstitutional. The state would first use the electric chair if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Utah is essentially the only state where firing squad is a viable option, said Richard Dieter, executive director of the center. Q: When was the last death by firing squad in the U.S.? A: The last firing squad execution occurred in Utah in 2010, when Ronnie Lee Gardner chose the method. Q: Are any other states considering firing squads now? A: Wyoming proposed a bill that would allow firing squads, but it fell apart Friday. Arkansas is considering a similar bill, Dieter said, but it has not passed either chamber of the Legislature. Q: Are firing squads effective? A: Execution by firing squad is not foolproof. Dieter recalled a case in Utah from 1879 when a firing squad missed murderer Wallace Wilkerson's heart. Wilkerson wanted to face the executioners without a hood over his face as a show of bravery. With a white target pinned over his heart, Wallace straightened up and braced himself. But that move raised the target and the firing squad missed, according to newspaper reports. It took him 27 minutes to die. "Compared to a botched execution, I guess firing squad is at least quick," Dieter said. "But compared to a properly administered lethal injection, it's a step backward." Q: Is the use of firing squads humane? A: Proponents argue that the method is more humane than lethal injection. Lethal injections, they say, can lead to prolonged suffering if improperly administered. Paul Cassell, a criminal law professor at the University of Utah, said Ray's proposal was a "common-sense backup plan." Those who oppose the legislation appear to be essentially motivated by opposition to the death penalty, not to this method of execution, he said. "The first choice for an execution is lethal injection, in Utah and elsewhere," Cassell said. "But death penalty opponents have succeeded in making the availability of the required drugs uncertain." To avoid any unnecessary delay of executions and further trauma to victims' families it makes sense to have an alternative method in place, he argued. Q: What do opponents of capital punishment say? A: Death penalty opponents say their distaste for the legislation is two-pronged: They disagree with the death penalty, but also find execution by firing squad especially egregious. If the shooters miss the heart, the inmate could bleed to death slowly. "This particularly barbaric method does draw attention to the barbaric nature of the practice," said Anna Brower, a public policy advocate with the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah. "We've rushed to make sure we have a way to kill people instead of questioning whether the death penalty is a responsible way to handle criminals in Utah." Q: Do other countries use firing squads? A: Yes. For example, an Indonesian firing squad executed six convicted drug traffickers in January, five of them foreigners. Two years ago, Somalia's government used a firing squad to execute a man convicted of murdering a journalist. A Saudi firing squad killed seven men convicted of armed robbery in 2013. Q: How are firing squads used in Utah? A: The inmate is typically bound to a chair with a leather strap, with a hood over the head, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Then, a doctor pins a target over the inmate's heart. Five shooters one of them given a gun with blank rounds fire at the inmate. The chair is surrounded by sandbags to absorb the inmate's blood. Q: Is the use of firing squads tied to Utah's founding by Mormons? A: There has been speculation that the practice was once tied to the Mormon principle of "blood atonement," which says certain sins are so serious that people must spill their blood to make amends. Today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints renounces any connection between firing squads and blood atonement. "Mormons disown that idea now," Dieter said. "They say, 'We do not require bloodletting.'" The church said in a statement that it regards capital punishment as "a matter to be decided solely by the prescribed processes of civil law. We neither promote nor oppose capital punishment."
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CHICAGO As 17-year-old Brania Jackson gave birth to her son and held him for the first time, the newborn never cried or opened his eyes. Physicians thought nothing of it initially, until they lifted his eyelids for an examination and saw only flesh underneath. Jordy Jackson was born Nov. 10 without eyes, a shock to his family and physicians at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, about three hours southwest of Chicago. He has an extremely rare congenital disorder called anophthalmia, a condition sometimes caused by genetic anomalies. "I didn't know what to do, didn't know what to say, didn't know what to feel emotionally," said Jackson, a high school junior, as she and her boyfriend, Kyle Jackson, 18, were feeding their son in her Peoria Heights home. Amid the whir of midnight bottles, diaper changes and schoolwork, the young parents and their families are preparing for an intense schedule of visual, occupational and physical therapies for Jordy. Unlike some who are blind or visually impaired but still have eyes, he was born into total darkness without even the ability to perceive light, the sensation that helps guide circadian rhythm and separates day from night. Family members who knew the unanticipated pregnancy would be challenging from the start quickly rallied to support the newborn upon learning his diagnosis, calling him "a blessing." And as Jordy learns to roll over and crawl and walk without sight, his mother and father say they'll be learning to read and write in Braille. Last week, Jordy's family took him to his first appointment for cosmetic treatments and eventually prosthetic eyes at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. Brania Jackson is excited to one day see her son's face with irises and pupils just like other children, though she knows he won't be looking back. Jordy's relatives list the sights they wish they could show him. The sky. The ocean. Colors. Beautiful things. And his family. "All the people he loves and who love him," said his grandmother Niatese Giles, Brania Jackson's mother, who helps care for him. "But he will know us by feeling us." Jackson recently had "I love Jordy" tattooed in Braille on her right shoulder blade. Everyone in the family plans to ink a similar phrase in raised bumps on their own bodies. Giles, who grew up on Chicago's South Side, said her message to Jordy will be encased in a picture of an eye. "Because I'll be his eyes," she said. Jordy looked like any other infant as he slept cradled in his mother's arms, but beneath his deep eyelids is just smooth, glossy flesh. The 3-month-old has no ocular tissue, optic nerve or any vestige of an eye on either side, according to a neonatologist who treated him. When he awakened hungry for a bottle, he balled his little fists, and tiny tears streamed down his cheeks. His head tilted slightly in the direction of his mother's soft voice and the deep baritone of his father, sitting beside them. But the baby's eyelids never opened. Brania Jackson has been dating Kyle Jackson now a freshman at Robert Morris University in Peoria for about two years, ever since they met at the concession stand of a football game between their rival high schools. When morning sickness hit, she said she felt scared and overwhelmed at the prospect of unexpected motherhood. Giles was initially disappointed: She wanted this for her daughter, just much later in her life. Despite these mixed emotions, the grandmother and parents-to-be were excited as they watched the fetus grow in a series of three ultrasounds. They said there was never a hint of any defect. Because the eyes are such a small part of the body and mainly comprised of water, anophthalmia isn't usually detected through a typical fetal ultrasound, said Dr. M. Jawad Javed, the neonatologist who treated Jordy. He was born at 2:37 a.m. Brania Jackson said the 5-pound, 5-ounce baby never cried or opened his eyes, but she didn't think anything of it. Kyle Jackson said he was awestruck as he held his son for the first time, looking over every part of his 18 inches and counting all the fingers and toes. He never thought to lift the baby's eyelids. The physicians and nurses initially thought the newborn just wasn't ready to open his eyes. They didn't pick up on the abnormality until he was taken to the nursery and they realized it was difficult to pry open his eyes, Javed said. "When they opened his eyelids to do an eye examination, there was darkness underneath," said Javed, adding that after genetic testing and an MRI, the cause of Jordy's anophthalmia is still unknown. A day after the elation of giving birth, Brania Jackson wept in her hospital bed after learning her son would never see. Anophthalmia affects around 1 to 3 in 100,000 live births internationally, though experts say these estimates are very rough. And anophthalmia of both eyes like Jordy's is considered even rarer: In some cases the condition can affect one eye, or the eyes can be present but extremely small, a related disorder called microphthalmia. Relatives began reading about the condition online and grew more fearful as they realized it can be present with other abnormalities of the body and brain. "I couldn't fix it," Giles said, tearing up at the memory. "And that broke my heart. Because she's still my child, even though she's a mom too." Brania Jackson recalled holding the newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit, as relatives formed a circle around her, clasped hands and prayed for her son. Around them were other infants on feeding tubes and ventilators. They knew that not all infants in the NICU get to go home and, despite their sorrow that Jordy would never see, they were grateful his life wasn't at risk. Then there was joyful news: An MRI and further examinations indicated Jordy's brain was functioning typically and there were no other significant abnormalities, though physicians will continue evaluating his development as he grows, Javed said. "I'm not sad for Jordy," said his grandmother Gena Chatmon, Kyle Jackson's mother. "There's no reason to be sad for Jordy. We're grateful he's here. God doesn't make mistakes." A prosthetic eye is an amazing thing a customized, detailed work of art mimicking the look of the natural eye, down to the pattern of veins crisscrossing the white of the eyes, said Dr. Pete Setabutr, director of Oculoplastics and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. "When a person with a prosthetic is walking down the street, a majority of people can't tell," said Setabutr, who has treated cases like Jordy's. He said patients like Jordy are first fitted for a series of clear plastic shells called conformers, which are placed in eye sockets to ensure the face develops properly, Setabutr said. It will likely be years before Jordy will get prosthetic eyes that look like natural eyeballs, which patients can remove and reinsert with their own hands, prostheses that are recreated and refitted throughout life, Setabutr said "I think there is a social aspect, not only for the family but also for the patient," he said. "It just helps to blend in socially. The eye is one of the first places you look at when you look at a person." While growing up and learning without sight is formidable, experts say children are particularly adept at acclimating. "Kids are really amazing in their resilience," said Dr. Brian Brooks, chief of the Ophthalmic Genetics branch of the National Eye Institute in Maryland, who has treated similar cases. "I think the child will be more adaptable than say you or I would be if we suddenly lost eyesight. This child will grow up knowing nothing else." Jordy's relatives believe that in some ways, his anomaly could prove to be a blessing. Chatmon thinks he'll be less vain. "He'll be more genuine than a lot of us," she said. Giles takes comfort that her grandson will live his life without viewing horrible sights. He'll never see images of war, hunger or cruelty. "He won't have to feel the pain that we go through," she said. "That's a beautiful thing."
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Headsets that transport users into a virtual world are becoming increasingly popular, WSJ's George Downs offers his tips on headset etiquette.
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Anne-Marie Faiola had spent a year as a corrections officer when she decided that working in a prison and witnessing the constant cycle of crime, neglect, and abuse was not for her. "It was not a good fit for my personality, which is sunny side up all the time," Faiola says. To cheer herself up, Faiola made soap every night. She was self-taught: By reading chemistry books and scouring online chat rooms, she learned everything she needed to know. Soon she was selling her soaps and making thousands of dollars at craft shows every weekend. After months of deliberation, Faiola quit her corrections job in 1998, put $15,000 on a credit card, and turned her part-time soap business into a full-time gig. She was 20 years old. It wasn't an easy transition; she landed herself in debt and had to reevaluate her finances . But now Faiola is the CEO of two successful businesses: Bramble Berry Soap Supplies , a national retail company offering all-natural soaps and toiletries; and Handmade Beauty Box , a newly launched subscription service that delivers DIY beauty projects. She is also a published author, blogger , and YouTube star . We interviewed Faiola as part of our Fast Track Q&A series , in which we're asking various small-business owners the same 11 questions about their professional and personal inspirations. She shared her amazing story, which, believe it or not, involves breast milk and Russian dwarf hamsters. Read more in the series » BI Studios: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Anne-Marie Faiola : I decided that I wanted to be in the FBI at the age of 14. I loved the traditional concept of good and evil, good guys versus bad guys. And I wanted to be a good guy. I loved the whole concept of order out of chaos and that there were people out there protecting citizens going about their daily business. I got a degree in psychology with an emphasis on criminal justice and applied to be in the FBI. They told me to get a job in corrections and come back the next year. That's how I became a corrections officer. How did you get the idea for your business? Bramble Berry came about because I loved making soap, and it turned out that people buy handmade soap. I realized that I could help women all over the world start making businesses of their own. Handmade Beauty Box evolved out of the idea that I wanted life to be easier for people to make their own DIY products. There are so many ingredients and products out there that it can get overwhelming, but Handmade Beauty Box is designed to be a mini personal lab that arrives at your doorstep every month and makes it easier for you. How did you pick the name for your business? I actually wanted to call it "Bramble" because I wanted to do something that was fun and whimsical. Bramble seemed like a nice, unisex name. It evoked purples and greens and the colors I really liked. But Bramble.com was taken, so I came up with Bramble Berry, which I didn't know was a generic name for a berry that falls off a bramble. For Handmade Beauty Box, we wanted something that said what the product was. Unlike Bramble Berry, where we weren't sure if we wanted to expand into other things, Handmade Beauty Box is exactly what it sounds like. What is the biggest risk you've taken in your career? It was quitting my job at the age of 20 and supporting my family since my husband at the time now my ex-husband was a student. I was a corrections officer at medium- and minimum-security prisons and found myself becoming increasingly despondent over my ability to change anything within the system. It was a cycle of crime and abuse. So many people in prison didn't know any other way and didn't have good role models. I would come home and make so much soap that I had to sell it; it took me six months to ramp up the soap business. I look back on that 20-year-old putting $15,000 on a credit card and marvel at the guts that it took. What's the strangest request you've ever gotten from a customer? We get a lot of really interesting, fun, and unique requests from customers, but the strangest question I can remember is, "How do I make soap using my breast milk?" There's an entire population of women who feel very strongly about breast-milk-based soaps being the best thing for their children's skin. We help them with the formulas and talk them through how to make sure the breast milk comes through as complete as it possibly can. What is your greatest talent (professional or otherwise)? I am ridiculously, boringly persistent. When I look back at all the trials and tribulations through Bramble Berry and Handmade Beauty Box, I am most proud of the fact that when I have a plan and set it into motion, I work on that plan every single day. I've always been extremely goal-oriented. If you look at my office, you wouldn't say it's terribly organized, but I'm organized with my thought process and how I lay out my life. It's a very deliberate life, and I derive great pleasure from organizing my schedule. What's the first job you ever had? I had two legitimate first real jobs around the same time. I worked as a piano player in a ballet studio and a medical file clerk in my dad's office. He was a doctor and has always run his own medical clinic. All of the doctors' kids were allowed to work there so long as they weren't treated special. What's the weirdest job you've ever had? In high school, I bred and sold Russian dwarf hamsters. It's kind of hilarious. I would run ads in the local newspapers and sell these little hamsters all throughout the area and I loved it. I loved retail sales and interacting with people. I would drive in my 1998 Ford S4 all over Lewis County delivering hamsters to people's houses and taking cash payments. My parents must have been so freaked out. Which entrepreneur or business personality do you most admire? Richard Branson is someone I really admire. First of all, he seems to have a genuine joy in what he does and seems to appreciate how lucky and blessed he is with his business and his life. That gratitude comes through in all his interviews. Also, Oprah is so authentic in how she has built her businesses and deliberate about building them around her passions. For example, she and Deepak Chopra are doing a huge meditation series they're selling meditation courses for $30 because she's passionate about meditation and figuring out how to share it with others. If you had a superpower, what would it be? I would like to be able to stop time so that I am the only one who can keep moving. I want an extra couple of hours in the day to get my own work done. What advice would you give to an aspiring small-business owner? Here's some advice from business guru Jim Collins: "Fire bullets, not cannonballs." Try out something small and then move onto doing it larger. Don't quit your job, sell your couch, and put all your money into cupcake magnets from China. Build up your business before you make the leap. It's not an all-or-nothing game when you start. Turn off the TV and keep your day job until it is untenable to do both. Secondly, read everything you can. Learn from the best of the best. There are so many amazing books, podcasts, YouTube videos, and magazines. You can learn from every single business guru you have ever wanted to learn from. You don't have to go at it alone. Learn more about how Anne-Marie Faiola achieved her financial goals.
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A GOP member of the House Select Committee on Benghazi says "all options are on the table" to gain access to Hillary Clinton's private email server. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) said the full House could even vote to issue a subpoena for the device. While members of the panel "certainly believe that that shouldn't be necessary … I think all options are on the table right now. It's unclear exactly where this will go," Brooks said during an interview with Fox News' "On the Record." "This is highly unusual that we find ourselves in this situation," she added, noting the select panel had already issued a subpoena for the emails from Clinton's private account. "So I do believe when we get back to Washington next week, we will be talking about what all of our options might be. But I would urge her not to require us to go down that path." Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), the chairman of the select committee investigating the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, has urged Clinton to hand her private server over to a third party to confirm that sensitive emails were not deleted. On Wednesday, Gowdy acknowledged that his panel lacks the authority to obtain the server. "The House as a whole may have the authority to seize personal property. My committee does not. But rather than have that protracted legal battle, I don't know why she doesn't just turn the server over," Gowdy said during an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." Brooks said that Clinton "should want to offer up her server, should want an independent body to resolve these issues." While she wouldn't suggest an arbiter, Brooks suggested the server could be turn over to a retired federal judge or an inspector general. "We certainly as a country have come together on really tough issues in a bipartisan way and I think we can do that if we find and can find that third party arbiter. I would encourage her to turn that over to whoever we can agree to," she said. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) has also suggested that his panel could issue subpoenas and hold hearings on Clinton's emails and private server.
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After CEO Dick Costolo admitted that Twitter "suck[s] at dealing with abuse," the company is trying to improve the way it handles revenge porn, the posting of nude or sexual images or videos publicly without the subject's consent. It marks Twitter's second move toward defeating trolls after it made it more difficult for users to be "doxxed," or have their private information exposed against their will. Twitter added "intimate photos or videos" to its list of confidential information that users cannot post without the subject's consent (emphasis our own): Private information : You may not publish or post other people's private and confidential information, such as credit card numbers, street address or Social Security/National Identity numbers, without their express authorization and permission. You may not post intimate photos or videos that were taken or distributed without the subject's consent. The company also updated its abusive behavior policy to include the posting of revenge porn: Users may not make direct, specific threats of violence against others, including threats against a person or group on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, or disability. In addition, users may not post intimate photos or videos that were taken or distributed without the subject's consent. Twitter, though, admits that posting such material isn't always in clear-cut violation of its terms of service. What if, for instance, a photo has already reached all corners of the internet (like during the celebrity hacking scandal ) and is then posted to Twitter? Though doing so is still a depraved act, it may not necessarily be against Twitter's rules: Keep in mind that although you may consider certain information to be private, not all postings of such information may be a violation of this policy. We may consider the context and nature of the information posted, local privacy laws, and other case-specific facts when determining if this policy has been violated. For example, if information was previously posted or displayed elsewhere on the Internet prior to being put on Twitter, it may not be a violation of this policy. Twitter told BuzzFeed News that images in violation of this new policy will be deleted and the offender's account locked. Users could also face permanent suspension if Twitter deems their intent was to harass. The company won't, however, ban IP addresses or provide them to law enforcement, except "in response to valid legal requests." The changes in Twitter's rules comes only a month after Reddit explicitly banned revenge porn and pledged to remove all images in violation of that new policy. A community as large and diverse as Reddit is rather difficult to police , so it's unlikely to ever truly rid itself of these kinds of images.
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Footballers and sit down and brace yourself, for your mind is about to be blown are very good at football. And the really good footballers like those out on the pitch last night for Paris Saint-Germain's hilarious humbling of Chelsea well, those guys are absolutely amazing at football. Ridiculously good. Best in the world, some of them. So why do they do stupid things? We're not talking about basic ordinary mistakes here, a pass that goes awry or a moment's lack of control. Football at the highest level is exceptionally difficult (to the point most attacking moves, even the good ones, end in failure) and, thanks to bad form or miscommunication or over-ambition, these things happen. But every now and then a footballer does something so inexplicable that no justification presents itself, and the only response is to blink, stare, wonder, and slowly shake one's head. Or laugh loudly, depending. Football has a phrase for these, "moments of madness," and last night's extra time delivered two absolute beauties. In the first period of extra time, Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma jumped for a header in the PSG box. Well ... Zouma jumped for a header. The Brazilian, who is PSG's captain and one of the most experienced and skilled defenders in the world, went up for a feeble impression of a volleyball block, lightly brushed the ball with his hands, and gave Chelsea a penalty and what should have been a winner. You could see it on his face afterwards, the question and the answer, a two-line tragedy with just one character. "What the hell have I done, Thiago?" "Don't ask me, Thiago. I've no idea." Speaking of excellent defenders, there is perhaps nobody on earth with such a rarified and advanced understanding of the art of penalty box interference as Chelsea's captain John Terry . Much of defending is simply about getting in the way, and nobody beats Terry when it comes to that. And as that last corner came over, there was Chelsea's captain, wrestling with ... hang on, that's his own teammate! They're marking each other! And they've left Thiago Silva free to loop his redemption over the goalkeeper! Oh dear. John Terry marking Gary Cahill for Thiago Silva's equaliser last night. Effort, lads. pic.twitter.com/5lBhLeRwbG Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 12, 2015 Why humans make mistakes is a fascinating question with several answers floating around. A 2013 study concluded that people make mistakes not when the brain accidentally miscalculates, but when it receives flawed or "noisy" information and acts on that, a mental version of the 'garbage in, garbage out' principle. If so, one can only wonder at exactly the level of the noise required to make Silva conclude that the rules of the game had been temporarily suspended, or to make Terry and Cahill forget which colour shirt was the right colour shirt. But whatever the reasons, one thing is certain: mistakes like these the proper clanger, the profoundly dropped bollock are one of the most enjoyable sights on a football pitch. After all, being good at something is as much about eliminating errors as it is about nebulous things like talent, and the best football teams tend to be those that make next to no cock-ups. So mistakes like these aren't just funny in themselves, though they are. They're also a reminder that perfection is not for the likes of us, even for the best of us. On top of the game, and despite their radically contrasting styles, Terry and Silva are near-immaculate. What last nights exchange of brainfades reinforced is the "near-"; there is within all humanity, even the most capable, a trace of inherent clownishness. Ordinary mistakes can be minimised, can be trained away, but however good you are, and however confident you feel, there is always the chance that the universe will, for no apparent reason and with no apparent warning, reach down and tie your shoelaces together. These aren't moments of madness; they're moments of mortality. As such, these mistakes connect player to civilian, superstar to fan. Stick any member of the crowd on the pitch and they wouldn't be able to rise, salmon-coloured, and reproduce SIlva's winning goal. But they might well end up misplacing their mind and slapping the ball away, or accidentally blocking their own teammate at a corner. As the old saying goes, "To err is human, and to err really, really embarrassingly on international television at a crucial moment in your career is just as human, but much funnier, and we'd like to see more of it, please and thank you."
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It's the No. 1 question for the No. 1 team heading into the 2015 college football season. Who is going to start at quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes? Get ready to hear that question a million more times, and don't expect an answer anytime soon from coach Urban Meyer. It's more than just a "fairly unique" situation, however. This is an unprecedented situation where three quarterbacks on the same team could win a Heisman Trophy and a national championship. So who starts? Here are five questions that need answered first. 1 Can Cardale pull ahead in the spring? This is Cardale Jones' time to shine. He's already a hometown hero for leading Ohio State to wins against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon, and the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder turned down a shot at the NFL Draft in order to return. Jones has the advantage of being full go in spring practice while Barrett (ankle) and Miller (labrum) are recovering from injuries. Jones likely will get most of the reps in the spring game April 18, and a strong showing in front of a probable-record crowd will force the question heading into the summer. Once again, how can you tell this kid, "No?" 2 Will Braxton Miller stay put? Miller is taking the biggest risk of the three quarterbacks; the potential risk of heading into the 2016 NFL Draft without two years of game tape. That's not to say Miller can't win the job. He's 28-8 as a starter with Ohio State, including a 24-2 record with Meyer as head coach. He's also a senior. While rumors of Miller transferring or switching positions continue to swirl, none of that is concrete. 3 Who could forget about J.T. Barrett? Barrett set a single-season Big Ten record with 45 total touchdowns last season, and he's embodied "team player" throughout his time in Columbus. That was reflected in his comments to the Columbus Dispatch on Wednesday. "People think Braxton should get it because Braxton was there for three years. Or I should get it because I played well for 11 games. Or Cardale should get it for (his performance in the postseason).That's not the point of it. Nobody is going to be given anything. Let's just knock that out." Barrett, a redshirt sophomore, wouldn't necessarily lose anything by not starting this year, because no matter what he'll be the front-runner in 2016. 4 Could Meyer make it work with all three? If anybody could do it, it's Meyer. He's repeatedly said he likes all three quarterbacks, and it wouldn't be impossible to work all three into a weekly game plan. Meyer is going to answer the quarterback question at every press conference from here until September, and perhaps into the regular season. The bottom line is Ohio State quarterbacks have combined for 96 passing touchdowns, 43 rushing TDs and just 28 interceptions the last three seasons. Meyer made it work with Miller and Kenny Guiton in 2012-13; he can make it work with three QBs in 2015. 5 Seriously, who starts? It might not matter. Ohio State has three quarterbacks fully-capable of leading the Buckeyes in their defense of the national championship, and whoever starts is going to put up monster numbers. Ask three different Ohio State fans and you might get three different answers, but the decision rests on Meyer, and we likely won't know until the week leading up to the Labor Day opener at Virginia Tech. Whoever starts will feel that pressure given the Hokies are the only team to give Ohio State a regular-season loss under Meyer. Pressed for a guess, Jones takes the first snap, but there is no wrong answer here.
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Lumber Liquidators shares surged as the company looked to placate investors with a conference call and presentation addressing the recent 60 Minutes allegations its laminate flooring is unsafe. Shares are up 11% to $36.30 after being halted earlier pending news. The Toana, Va.-based company released the presentation portion earlier this morning prior to a conference call. Among other things the company pointed out is an offer of free indoor air quality testing to qualifying consumers at no cost. Timothy Collins discussed Lumber Liquidations on Tuesday on Real Money in " Lumber Liquidators: An Unreality Show " (Paywall) "Although we remain very confident in the safety of our products, we understand how this story caused concern," CEO Rob Lynch said during the conference call to discuss the presentation . Lumber Liquidators' stock has been on a bumpy ride this month following a '60 Minutes' report on March 1 that alleged that most of its laminate flooring product had much higher levels of formaldehyde than is acceptable under California law. The stock is down 49% over the past month as of Wednesday's close. Whitney Tilson, managing director of Kase Capital, who is short Lumber Liquidator shares, isn't sold on the presentation. He said the conference call was "a continuation of the company's campaign of distraction and deception," according to Reuters . "I believe it's a better short today than it was before the '60 Minutes' story aired. I'm confident that the stock has much more downside ahead as the facts emerge and the company reports earnings over time, especially in light of the high valuation (currently more than 13x pre-crisis 2015 estimates)," Tilson wrote in an emailed statement. Yet activist investor Robert Chapman sees the stock as a buying opportunity. Chapman told CNBC on Wednesday that he had taken a long position in Lumber Liquidators despite the report. As part of the presentation, Lumber Liquidators also provided financial updates for the first quarter, but said it could not provide guidance for 2015 "until we gain greater clarity surrounding this event." Lumber Liquidators said first-quarter comparable store sales were down 12.7% in the nine days since the 60 Minutes report aired. For the quarter, the company forecasted comps to range between being down 4.4% to being up 0.5%. It also said net sales are expected to range between $253.6 million to $256.6 million. Analysts were expecting revenue of $276 million for the quarter, according to Thomson Reuters . However, reactions by Wall Street analysts were mixed. While Lumber Liquidators successfully "put some points on the board" in its attempt to fight back from the damaging segment, "this is a situation where we're telling investors to stay away," said KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Brad Thomas. "We have no idea what developments will arise tomorrow, next week [or] the subsequent week." Thomas has a hold rating on the company. "Lumber Liquidators is a company that I have worked with going back to its IPO, so I know the management team and the company very well. But it's clear there is at least a PR issue and potentially a legal issue that will be an overhang for an extended period of time," Thomas said. Timothy Collins discussed Lumber Liquidations on Monday on Real Money in " Finding Fault With Lumber Liquidators " (Paywall) Credit Suisse analyst Seth Sigman wrote in a note on Thursday prior to the conference call that "initial color from the LL presentation suggests a sales drop that isn't too surprising, helpful details on LL's safety and quality assurance approach, and some data points that should ease the near-term liquidity concerns." That said, "our concern is that the deck still suggests a defensive stance by management, with details light on changes the company would make to reassure investors that these concerns would not derail the growth story again. Explaining that will be key," Sigman wrote, who rates the company's stock neutral. "Assuming the midpoint of LL's updated [first-quarter] guidance, we are arriving at 23 cents of earnings per share, versus consensus expectations of 44 cents. While a severe EPS miss was anticipated for the first quarter, the bigger question is EPS guidance for the remainder of the year. However, for now, we believe LL's approach of not updating their annual EPS guidance is wise, given it is unsure how long customer fallout from the 60 Minutes story will continue," Sigman wrote. Lumber Liquidators' "sales reduction is directionally consistent with our estimate cuts, though it is unclear why the high end of the range is based on trends for the period from the 60 minutes report through quarter end aligning with sales since the report, i.e. the high-end implies no improvement and the low-end implies incremental deceleration," wrote Goldman Sachs Matthew Fassler. He also rates the company neutral. "One possibility is that the sales metrics over the past few days reflect fulfillment of prior orders, while new orders have fallen steeply; another is that the firm is taking a more conservative posture. The company did not address the findings of 60 Minutes' tests directly, though it did take issue with the 'deconstructive test' that drove conclusions in the story," Fassler added.
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Murray State coach Steve Prohm has a message for the NCAA tournament selection committee. "If you put us in, we'll win. I won't say we'll go to the Final Four, but I know we'd win two or three games at least," Prohm told USA TODAY Sports. "Every year, there's a team that sneaks in that the bracketologists and stat guys miss. I think we can be that team this year. I have great faith the NCAA (committee) will make the right decision by putting us in the field." Murray State, ranked No. 24 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll last week, saw its 25-game winning streak end against Belmont on a last-second game-winner in a thrilling Ohio Valley tournament championship game . At first glance, Murray State's 27-5 record seems worthy of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Upon closer inspection, the Racers' credentials include a Ratings Percentage Index of 67 and a strength of schedule of 235 . "There's absolutely no chance this team gets in," said USA TODAY Sports bracketologist Shelby Mast, who had Murray State as a No. 12 seed before the conference tournament loss. "The committee asks teams to challenge themselves in the non-conference schedule. Whether they tried to or not is irrelevant. When the committee looks at their schedule, it's too weak. They're a great team that would have been fun in the (NCAA) tournament, but their best win came against Illinois State. That's one top-100 win." Murray State's situation is not out of the ordinary. For every mid-major that becomes a darling by staging an improbable NCAA tournament run, there are those who have otherwise NCAA-worthy seasons marred by one poorly timed loss in their conference tournament. As of Thursday, eight top seeds have failed to win their league tournament and earn NCAA bids. Wofford, a projected No. 12 seed in USA TODAY Sports' bracketology, narrowly escaped an upset in the Southern Conference tournament by an 11-22 Furman team that would have become the worst statistical team to ever play in the NCAA tournament. Iona finds itself in the same situation as Murray State. The Gaels handily won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season with a 17-3 record but came up short in the conference tournament championship, falling 79-69 to Manhattan, and missing out on the league's automatic bid to the NCAAs. "What I tell our guys is 'win the conference tournament or set your sights on the NIT,' " Iona coach Tim Cluess said. "We know that going into it because we're a one-bid league. "It stinks, but it's the history of March Madness no one talks about. We're the Cinderellas that don't get a chance. … If the NCAA (committee) thinks we deserve a bid, we'll run with that. But we won't set ourselves up for disappointment." The path for a mid-major to garner an at-large bid is a difficult task that has only gotten more challenging due to conference realignment. Last season, BYU was the only true mid-major outside the power conference realm to make the NCAA tournament as an at-large entrant. That was the lowest number since the NCAA field expanded to 68 teams in 2011, and the number has steadily decreased since six mid-majors earned at-large bids in 2006. Prohm said the tournament's First Four play-in games annually should feature two mid-major teams with résumés such as Murray State and Iona. "It'd be different if we were losing 90-60 in these games, but we're elite mid-majors and we've proven in the past we can win games in the (NCAA) tournament," Prohm said. Cluess proposes that every regular-season champion be granted the conference's automatic bid. Only the Ivy League does not play in a conference tournament, instead awarding its bid to its regular-season champion. "Why even play a whole regular season otherwise?" Cluess said. "Why not throw the balls out and just meet in March?" Green Bay coach Brian Wardle, whose team finished second in the regular season Horizon League race and lost to Valparaiso in the conference tournament final on Tuesday, concurred. "I think it would be better to consider a three-month body of work vs. a three-day body of work," Wardle said. "It's a double-edged sword. This year we finished second so we wanted that shot." Green Bay had an NCAA tournament-worthy profile last season, sporting a 24-6 record that included a victory against No. 1 seed Virginia. But the team's best player, Keifer Sykes, had a sprained ankle in the Horizon League tournament. The Phoenix lost in the Horizon semifinals and did not make the NCAA field. "If we didn't get in last year, we know we're not getting in this year," Wardle said. Though one solution scheduling better seems simple, it's not. Mid-major coaches' biggest headaches come with trying to put together a non-conference schedule that bolsters RPI and will allow their team to have a tournament-worthy profile. "Getting an at-large bid as a mid-major is almost impossible," Wardle said. "We have a difficult path and it's mainly because of scheduling. "You hear a bracket guy say, 'Their strength of schedule is in the 200s, they're not getting in.' There's nothing we can do about it. You have to play teams in your conference that bring numbers down. And then you're limited on resources and getting teams to play you in the non-conference." Cluess said, "If you're a good mid-major, good programs won't play at your place. They don't have the guts. You're playing 75% of your games on the road. Look at road victories for high-major teams. Those numbers are very low. The fact of the matter is, it's difficult to win on the road wherever you are."
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Opt For Flexible Furniture Arrangements Shawn's living room serves as not only his escape from the bustle of city life, but also his entertaining space, which means it has to be flexible enough to accommodate guests. "I usually have friends over for cocktails before dinner. We all gather in the living area, I set some snacks out on the coffee table, and I take some stools from the dining table and pull them around. The room can be a little flexible with the furniture arrangement," he says. "Not everything is so static [that] you're afraid to move something and have it look out of place."Grounded in a quiet palette of blues, grays, and creams, this living space perfectly captures Shawn's sophisticated style. Style Bookshelves For Form & Function "I love bookshelves that feel a little layered and a little eclectic," says Shawn, whose own bookcase is a proud combination of beautiful gifts from friends, art tomes for inspiration, a few mini filing cabinets, and plenty of boxes. "Organization, organization, organization," he says. "The more stuff you can pare down, get rid of, and stash away, the better."Shawn anchored the vignette on top of his bookcase with a framed drawing and a set of Josef Frank candlesticks. Look For Double-Duty Pieces In true small-space fashion, Shawn's dining table pulls double-duty as his work desk. "Everything about it is perfect... It's only about 26 inches tall, so when you're sitting at it, it feels a little more loungey than a regular dining table," says Shawn. The low profile of the curvy, triangular piece has one additional advantage: "It gives the illusion of taller ceilings." Instead of traditional dining chairs, Shawn surrounds the table with stools from his furniture collection. A lava-rock lamp, which is among his favorite pieces in the apartment, complements the dining table's sculptural shape. Embrace Unexpected Storage Solutions For a handsome but also unexpected way to stow away kitchenware in his small apartment, Shawn uses a vintage Scandinavian teak dresser. "I found a sweet little cabinet for all the stuff that would normally be in my kitchen drawers," he explains. "It...also serves as a place for me to drop my keys when I come in from the front door." When guests are over, he also routinely transforms the surface into an impromptu bar via a tray topped with bottles.A multidrawer dresser is ideal for storing small items. "It's having a spot for everything and thinking about the real functionality of things," says Shawn. "Ask: What purpose can the furniture serve? Does it provide extra storage?" Edit Ruthlessly But Thoughtfully Even though space is at a premium, items that bear personal meaning always make the cut for Shawn. His secret is to edit down to only those items that truly reflect his history, passions, and personal style. For instance, "I love objects that have a more organic nature," he says. "I have a beautiful leaf by Buccellati, which is among my very favorite things." The tray also serves as a curated catchall.A vintage matchbox, found at an estate sale when Shawn was 17 years old, earns a spot in his display as does a swordlike letter opener, another estate-sale find. Curate Your Cupboards "I love a universal glass," says Shawn. "I like one type of glass, and I serve everything in it." Murano glasses used for both wine and cocktails are stored in neat rows next to matching Heath Ceramics bowls and dishes, a selection that seems perfectly suited to their owner's simplified take on sophisticated living. Vintage silver trays that belonged to Shawn's mother are stored propped up rather than lying flat, for an eye-catching, layered look.A glass-front kitchen cupboard brings to mind an old-fashioned butler's pantry and is filled with Shawn's everyday dishware. Forgo A Messy Bed One of the most important things Shawn strives for is a sleeping space that feels warm and private to him but appears orderly and clean to others. "My bedroom is open to my living room, so when I have people over, they're seeing everything," says Shawn. To warm up the dark wood of the bed and the bedside tables, he layers on luxe, ultra-soft textures: a quilted blanket, a fuzzy throw, and a plush Moroccan rug. "I love the feel of a duvet and duvet cover, but I just don't love how it looks...a little messy. So, I always end up using a beautiful quilted blanket or coverlet."A headboard inset with black cork adds yet another textural layer to the bedroom. Add Storage Everywhere In a small home, the more floor space a piece takes up, the more important it is that said piece also provides storage. Shawn's nightstands, which he designed for his furniture collection, sport open shelves to house bookshelf overflow as well as nightly reads. The top is just big enough for a few select bedside items. "It's about reducing elements so that it doesn't feel chaotic so that it feels clean and livable."A conical concrete table lamp sits atop a book-filled nightstand with smart, open shelves.
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If you are counting the days to retirement because you hate your job, career expert Kerry Hannon has a message for you: "Stick with it." Burnout is one of the biggest problems in the workplace, especially for older workers. An annual survey on retirement by the Employee Benefit Research Institute consistently finds that about half of workers retire earlier than they expected - and that job burnout is a key factor. But sticking it out is important to retirement security, Hannon says in her new book "Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness" (Wiley, 2015). These are usually the highest-earning years of your career, she argues. And staying employed helps with everything from retirement account contributions to enabling a delayed filing for Social Security benefits. Reuters asked Hannon for her tips on how older workers can stay engaged and on the job: Q: Why is the idea of "falling in love with your job" important for older workers nearing retirement? A: The people I interview have this palpable fear about outliving their money. They want to find work - full- or part-time. But even with the improved economy, if you're over 50 and looking for work, it's still hard - it takes almost 30 months longer to find a job than it does for younger people - ageism is still rampant. So, if you have a job, for gosh sakes, you should hang on to it. Q: But what if your job is really awful? A: There still are things you can do to find some joy around the edges - to make the job come alive for you. But it might not be specific to the job. Then, if you really need to make a change, by all means do so, but don't leave your current job until you have a new one. Q: What are some examples of finding "joy around the edges?" A: Perhaps you don't love what you do, but you do really like your co-workers or the mission of the organization. It might be the challenge of learning something new, or working from home - the things that circle around the job itself. Extracurriculars tied to the job are one good way to get re-engaged. Many companies offer the opportunity to do volunteer work right within the organization. If you can find a volunteer gig through your employer, that can help build relationships with co-workers and bonds across departments that you might never have had otherwise. And it gets you out of your own head and gives you perspective on the needs of others. A couple examples that I mention in the book: The National Institutes of Health has its own orchestra that plays gigs at assisted living centers and hospices. Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc has an employee choir. You might find it by telecommuting. Research shows that telecommuting employees are happier, more loyal and have fewer absences. If you don't have a boss hovering over you, that can give you a sense of flexibility about getting your work done. Q: How about learning to love the job itself? A: Learning a new work-related skill can be key. When you learn something new, your brain shifts. If your employer sponsors workshops or skill-based learning, they may not think of offering it to you if you're older than 50 - but you can raise your hand and ask for it. Q: How do life values change as we get older, and how does that affect the way we relate to our jobs? A: When we are younger, our work is our life on so many levels. In your twenties and thirties, your social friends usually are your work friends. Your identity is tied up in who you are and your job. And, we are establishing ourselves in our fields. But as we age we have families and more outside interests. In your fifties, you probably aren't pushing your way up the ladder, perhaps even doing something that wasn't your primary career. So, work loses its emphasis, but you want those hours to be fulfilling. (The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.) (Editing by Beth Pinsker and Paul Simao)
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Nong Khiaw, Lao
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The University of Oklahoma football team released a statement Thursday morning calling for further investigation of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chapter on their Norman, Okla., campus and pledged continued protest. Through his Twitter account, Sooners quarterback Trevor Knight posted a statement that said, "We have not practiced this week, and we will not be practicing today as we demonstrate silently on Owen Field during our normal practice time. "We will not forget about this during spring break, and upon our return to the practice field on Monday, March 23, we will continue to address this issue in our media opportunities and by wearing black during our practices." Members of SAE, one of the nation's largest college fraternities, were shown in a video, which was recorded Saturday, using racial slurs and making at least one reference to lynching. The statement said the football team is committed to showing that student-athletes at Oklahoma are a truly integrated part of the university community. It also called for additional punishiment for SAE beyond expulsions that already have happened. On Wednesday members of the basketball team said they were encouraged about the discussion the incident has fostered in the Norman community.
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Outdoor CCTV cameras in Yingxiu, China captured a rare sight: a giant panda just wandering around the town and using the crosswalk to cross the street. Jen Markham (@jenmarkham) has the remarkable video.
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What was once a tenuous offseason full of questions has now become full-blown uncertainty and soul searching. This is the damage a busload of idiots can inflict. If it wasn't bad enough at Oklahoma; if losing by 34 in a bowl game to cap a five-loss season didn't have the Sooners' teetering on collapse, they're now careening into a critical crossroads moment because of the one thing any team, any organization, can't possibly navigate without further fallout. Racism. MORE: Top 10 football programs | SN's 50 best players | Time for Heisman to make change The word itself is utterly repulsive, its strength fueled by bigotry, hate, ignorance, fear and finally, destruction. Now here we have the Oklahoma football team, a bit player at ground zero of the racism controversy swirling in Norman , but a distinctively marked casualty of collateral damage from 30,000 feet. There are two ways this can end: what can't be left unsaid of left to simmer and ignore can either break the OU football team or galvanize it. "It's sad the ignorance that can still be there with some people," Sooners coach Bob Stoops told the Tulsa World. "It's just appalling." We're not even a week into the fallout of members of an OU fraternity's racist chants caught on video and imploding on social media, and already a recruit for 2016 has reopened his recruitment and said he will not play at OU. The Sooners have postponed two practices this week, and the entire team players, coaches, support staff showed up for a campus protest. Players have taken to social media to voice their displeasure, including this potentially revealing tweet from defensive end Charles Tapper : "It hurts and many other frats have been saying racial things… And we truly have set back and just had to take it." Those are damning words. Sad words. Surreal words. While OU president David Boren has done everything possible to strongly react to the incident and put the university in proactive mode, this will linger. Racism is the cancer that can never be cured, only hidden and overlooked until the next idiot opens his or her mouth and, once again, removes all doubt. So this is where we find the OU football team, which before we were all reminded yet again that racism is alive and thriving, was simply trying to find a way to win games in 2015. They'll spend the next five months busting their tails to return OU to the nation's elite, all with the knowledge that the very students they're playing for on fall Saturdays might just be like those idiots on the bus. UPDATE: Sooners call for further investigation, release statement Thursday Is it any different at any other university? Probably not. But it's different at OU because the idiots on the bus opened their mouths and removed all doubt and left a gaping hole in our sense of hope that it is different. "We all work with beautiful young men and women of all races," Stoops said. "It's just very little gets me choked up. But that hurt." And it's going to continue to hurt throughout the program, throughout the university, throughout a tough, grueling offseason and into a season where one key injury, one tough loss, one controversial loss, and the whole season could turn. That's where Stoops might just be the perfect guy to handle the fallout. Say what you want about his brash (and blatantly honest) personality and bravado; criticize him for how the team has regressed of late or what he said two summers ago that players already are paid . But there aren't many coaches who care more, invest more, in players than Stoops sometimes, to the point of it being counterproductive. This former walkon turned All-American at Iowa knows the value of a college education and what the sport and academics mean to a teenager. Two summers ago, he was ripped for saying if players get their degree and work hard, hell, they could be make $5 million a year just like him. His point: the world is your oyster - but no one is going to hand it to you. That idea, though, got lost in the narrative of a million-dollar coach telling players they shouldn't be paid. Most recently, he gave troubled wideout Dorial Green-Beckham and freshman RB Joe Mixon second chances after most schools wouldn't touch either player. On the surface, the narrative was Stoops doing anything to win. Then DGB was ruled ineligible to play (and Stoops declared he wanted DGB to get back in school and focus on a degree, anyway), and Mixon was suspended for a year and a freshman named Semaje Perine set the NCAA single-game rushing record to reinforce Stoops mantra to Mixon and every other player that, yep, no one is going to hand it to you. On the field, in the classroom or in life. That's why the hardscrabble, tough-guy coach from Youngstown, Ohio, choked up. It's more than an ugly word or a football game. It's real life. It's young men believing they can achieve anything and be anything no matter the obstacle. Until the next idiot opens his mouth.
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Their nightmare at the 2015 ICC World Cup is almost over, but can England avoid one final humiliation.
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The splashy signings are (mostly) finalized, with DeMarco Murray reportedly leaning toward signing with the Eagles. Entering Day 3 of the NFL's new league year, we're officially in the second wave of free agency. Here's a quick scan of the market to see the best remaining players available. 1. Greg Hardy, DE, 26 2014 with the Panthers: four tackles, one sack, one forced fumble in one game Any team that signs Hardy knows it's bringing on a lot of baggage, and even then, the NFL could still levy a suspension even though his domestic violence case was dismissed after he reached a civil suit agreement. Going on talent alone, Hardy (6-foot-4, 275 pounds) is one of the top young pass rushers in the NFL after he collected 26 sacks in his previous two years. And with the rest of free agency's pass rushers off the board, Hardy's value increases even more. But he's still on the commissioner's exempt list, however, and may not come off of it for some time, so it's a risky signing no matter what. HOT READS : Suh's money is real Possible destinations : Even if the price on Hardy comes down, the Panthers are reportedly not interested in bringing him back. Other destinations include the Cowboys, the Raiders, the Jaguars and the Falcons. There's a chance Hardy goes unsigned for a while, and if he does eventually complete a deal, expect it to be a short-term contract with very little guaranteed money. 2. Nick Fairley, DT, 27 2014 with the Lions: 14 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble in eight games This is a case of a very talented player with several off-field issues surrounding him. But when his head is in the game, Fairley is a space-eating (6-foot-4, 308-pound) menace. Of course, it helped playing next to Ndamukong Suh, but Fairley's 11.5 sacks in a 28-game span from 2012-13 showed glimpses of what he can be in the NFL. MORE : Should DeMarco Murray join the Eagles? Possible destinations : Even though the Lions struck out on signing Suh, their trade for Haloti Ngata likely takes them out of the running for Fairley. He reportedly visited the Bengals and is set to visit the Rams. Expect Fairley to continue to draw interest from several other teams, too. 3. Brian Orakpo, OLB, 28 2014 with Washington: 24 tackles, 0.5 sacks in seven games Orakpo is coming off of yet another torn pectoral muscle the third of his career which ended his season after seven games, so he may come at a bargain. But the 6-foot-4, 257-pound pass rusher is still a quality player. He did struggle last year before his injury, but with 40 career sacks in 71 games, Orakpo could help a team, but he needs to stay healthy to do so. BELL : Darrelle Revis says it wasn't just about the money Possible destinations : Washington used the franchise tag on him in 2014, spending $11.45 million. If he stays, expect his salary to come at a mark well below that. Orakpo visited the Titans , but the Cardinals are another option, too. 4. Terrance Knighton, DT, 28 2014 with the Broncos: 30 tackles, two sacks, three passes defended in 16 games Most of Knighton's contributions don't come out on box scores. But what the 6-foot-3, 331-pound Knighton does do is occupy and engage space and offensive linemen, which allows his teammates lanes to make plays. Set to enter his seventh season in the league, Knighton has been durable and consistent, starting all 37 games he has played for Denver, including the playoffs. MORE : Early winners and losers of NFL trades Possible destinations : It's looking more and more like Knighton might be moving on from the Broncos. There's a chance a long-term deal gets done, but the Patriots, the Ravens, the Bears and Washington are among the teams who have reportedly shown interest. 5. Charles Clay, TE, 26 2014 with the Dolphins: 58 receptions, 605 yards, three touchdowns in 14 games The Dolphins designated the transition tag on Clay, meaning he can sign with other teams without the new franchise compensating Miami, which would have the opportunity to match the offer. This allows the Dolphins to see what the market value is for Clay, and not overpay. But if a team's proposal exceeds what Miami is willing to pay, Clay could be on the move. He's a dynamic and versatile threat that can line up in different spots. Could be on the verge of stardom. BELL : Chip Kelly baffles with latest moves Possible destinations : The Dolphins have the inside track, and likely would match any offer that would be in the $7-million-to-$8-million range. But the Bills have let it be known publicly that they're very interested, and Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum confirmed that Clay is set to visit the Browns. The Broncos and the Falcons could also be viable options. ** Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @Lorenzo_G_Reyes
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There's no two ways around it: Strength training is critically important to your health, not just for building toned, defined muscles. It's as important as choosing not to smoke, eating healthy whole foods, going for an annual doctor's visit, and flossing your teeth. It's something you'll want to make a part of your lifestyle permanently, not just for a month before the start of bikini season. Check out these five little-known benefits of strength training: 1. Weight Loss That Stays Off Building lean muscle is the most effective way to lower your body fat and stay trim for life. To understand how muscle works its magic, it helps to know a little about the tissue itself. For one, it's more densely packed than fat; flab takes up about 18 percent more space on your body. So the more muscle you have, the leaner your body will look simply because it's more compact. The second reason more muscle is better for weight loss: Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. In other words, it requires significantly more calories of energy to maintain than fat does. So more muscle means more calorie burn around the clock. Strength training, therefore, offers a double-barreled benefit for trimming down, which was apparent in a study published by the American College of Sports Medicine. The study showed that women who strength trained two to three times a week gained 2 pounds of lean muscle and lost 3.5 pounds of fat over the course of just 2 months. 2. A Decrease in Belly Fat Strength training is becoming increasingly important in the war against obesity as researchers continue to show evidence of resistance exercise's powerful impact on fat reduction, particularly in the abdominal region. Studies of women who have taken up strength training show a reduction of intra-abdominal fat (the most dangerous fat, which forms around your abdominal organs). What's more, research suggests that regular strength training can help women avoid weight gain as they get older. In a study at the University of Minnesota, two groups of overweight women were monitored for 2 years. Those women who did twice-weekly strength-training routines of 10 exercises targeting the major muscle groups gained 67 percent less abdominal fat than another group of sedentary women who did not strength train. 3. A Faster Metabolism Building more lean muscle mass delivers a dual impact on the number of calories you burn while doing nothing, what's referred to as your resting metabolism. First, as you've already learned, more muscle requires more energy for simple tissue maintenance. Second, every time you strength train, your workout causes microtraumas, or tiny tears, throughout your muscle tissue that require lots of energy for repair and rebuilding. Studies by Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., of the American College of Sports Medicine found resistance training stimulates increased muscle protein turnover, elevating the resting metabolic rate of beginners by an average of 5 percent for 3 full days after a weight-lifting workout. Westcott's research suggests that strength training regularly may boost your resting metabolic rate by up to 9 percent, enough to burn 100 extra calories per day! Cardio-only workouts burn calories initially while you are working out, but they don't deliver the kind of afterburn that strength training does. 4. A Younger Body After age 30, everyone starts to lose 3 to 8 percent of her muscle mass every 10 years, and that percentage increases to as much as 10 percent starting in the fifth decade of life. No wonder we put on weight as we age. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that for every pound of muscle a person loses, she will typically gain a pound of fat! The type of muscle we lose plays a significant role in how quickly we show the signs of aging. There are two types of muscle fibers -- fast-twitch and slow-twitch. Slow-twitch muscles are responsible for endurance and fast-twitch for generating power. We lose significantly more fast-twitch muscle fibers as we age, which is important to know because fast-twitch muscles are the ones we need for sports performance and for pushing ourselves out of a chair. Fast-twitch are known as the longevity muscle fibers; you need them to stay strong and active as you age. So how do we save them? By using powerful movements during strength-training workouts. 5. Improved Mood Balance your hormones each time you pick up a barbell. Strength training has been associated with a substantial decrease in monthly hormone fluctuations. Weight training reduces cortisol, a stress hormone in your bloodstream that quickens your heartbeat, feeds your brain extra oxygen, and unleashes energy from fat and glucose. While elevated cortisol levels can be good in a pinch, tapping your cortisol bank can cause unrelenting stress and leave you feeling tired. Incorporating resistance training and short bouts of cardio will better manage your cortisol levels to prevent spikes that leave you feeling spent. Similarly, testosterone plays a crucial role in your energy levels and hormone balance. Too little can leave you feeling sluggish, depressed, and disinterested in your significant other. Lifting weights lights up natural testosterone levels in your body, which can improve your sex drive, muscle strength, bone density, and metabolism. Improving your mood could be beneficial to your career, too. Research published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that workers were 15 percent more productive on days they made time to exercise, and they were 15 percent more tolerant of their coworkers. This post was excerpted from Holly Perkins' upcoming book, Women's Health Lift to Get Lean. More on MSN: 6 Surprising Things That Can Lower Your I.Q. 7 Things Your Gas Is Trying to Tell You 10 Super Healthy Foods You've Never Heard Of
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Nike just launched a shoppable Instagram feed specifically for its @NikeWomen handle, joining plenty of brands and bloggers including Vogue , Kate Spade, The Coveteur (and us! ) who have tried out the social shopping approach. However, instead of reaching out to a third-party company to handle the logistics, Nike created its own shoppable Instagram in-house to have more control over each part of the process. The steps are pretty painless: Instagram captions point users toward the link in @NikeWomen's bio, which redirects to Nike's all-new Instagram shop on Nike.com. The shop looks exactly like @NikeWomen's Instagram feed, and when users click on a photo they'll be taken to the product pages for each item depicted in the image. The shoppable feed launched today in North America, Western Europe, Central Eastern Europe and Japan.
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lifestyle
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Hillary Clinton may be the presumptive Democratic frontrunner in the 2016 presidential race, but she is by no means the party's "inevitable" nominee, a likely challenger said Thursday. "Maybe that's the way it is today," former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley acknowledged on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "Most years there is the inevitable frontrunner. And that inevitable frontrunner is inevitable right up until he or she is no longer inevitable," he added. The timing of O'Malley's jab is notable. Clinton is embroiled in controversy about her use of a private email account for her entire four years as secretary of state, and her Tuesday press conference did little to quell the furor. A New York Times report Thursday said congressional Democrats were nevertheless desperate for Hillary to run in 2016, saying she is "simply too big to fail." While Clinton tops all polls on who Democrats would pick for president, O'Malley countered the notion that the most powerful woman in American politics was a lock for the nomination. And he stressed that if he threw his hat in the ring, he would not be aiming for a consolation prize, such as the vice presidency or a cabinet post. "I would be running not only to win but to govern well, to make the case to the people of the country there are better choices we can make together that will make wages go up and to make college more affordable for our kids again," O'Malley said. He said he expected a "robust conversation" among Democrats during the campaign. But O'Malley appeared unwilling to unsheathe the knives just yet, declining to say whether Clinton did anything wrong in her email kerfuffle. He said he will announce his political intentions this spring. Clinton observers expect her to do the same. Last week, when Maryland's long-serving Senator Barbara Mikulski announced she would not seek re-election in 2016, instead of jumping into the battle to replace her, O'Malley begged off. Still, he has a long way to go -- on the calendar and in polls. An NBC survey this week showed Clinton with 86 percent support, versus just 11 percent for O'Malley. "Am I really up to 11 percent?" he asked with a grin.
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If you're feeling run down, it may be what you're eating. Krystin Goodwin (@krystingoodwin) has a few foodie tips to enhance your energy and fuel your body with nutritious foods.
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video
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Tired of staring at a white screen every time you open a blank tab in Chrome? Google has released a new extension that replaces Chrome's utilitarian new tab screen with classic works of art. The extension can either be set to give you a new artwork each day or a new artwork each time you open a tab, all displayed in a way that covers the entirety of the screen. The results are really nice at least, so long as you're into the art that Chrome's showing you. That'll include works from van Gogh, Seurat, Cézanne, and a pretty wide variety of other artists. They're sourced from a number of different museums, all brought together by Google's Cultural Institute, which is something of an online history and art museum. As Engadget points out , Google also offers a similar extension that replaces the tab screen with images from Google Earth.
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Since my recommitment to running last fall, I have made a few changes to my daily routine that are helping me improve my performance in races and at practice. Each of these changes are known training staples, but it has taken me years to implement them religiously. Here are the five most significant changes that I have made to improve my running: 1. Stretching Ever since I encountered the "V-Sit Reach" as part of the Presidential Physical Fitness test in gym class, I knew that flexibility was not my strong suit. So it's not surprising that stretching was not a part of training that I enjoy. It was typical of me to use excuses getting to class or work to shorten my stretch after practice or to blow it off all together. I share all of that only to emphasize how important I consider stretching to be now. Although I am sure I would still fail the "V-Sit Reach" for my age, I'm motivated to stretch by knowing how much better my legs will feel for the following workout or run. I use a short stretch rope routine after each practice to make sure that I hit each of the muscles. As uncomfortable as it may be to stretch when tight, the next run is usually far worse if I skip my stretching routine. 2. Strides To me, a stride is a sprint at 70 90 percent effort for about 80 100 meters. After an hour run at a steady pace, strides force me to change gears, which increases blood flow. The result is looser-feeling legs. Strides can be really uncomfortable and feel forced when my legs are tight and tired, but I try to include them after recovery and long runs. I usually need strides most on the days they feel the worst. 3. Sleep Sleep is an obvious aid for improving racing and training performances. Although for many people it is not realistic to always get a full night's rest, I consider it part of my job now to do so. I operate optimally on about nine hours of sleep. I also aim for consistency in when I go to sleep so that my body knows when to be awake. So, all nine-hour windows are not considered equal. For example, I usually go to sleep between 10 and 11 p.m. If I stay up until 2 a.m. and still get nine hours, my next day isn't typically energetic. No surprise. But sleep consistency is an important change that I have made recently to benefit my running. 4. Massage Thankfully, New Balance has provided access to a professional massage therapist for my training group. Professional massage is an aspect of recovery that I would not otherwise be able to afford on a frequent basis. These sessions are not the luxurious spa-like experience some people might imagine, because they are often quite painful!\ But access to professional massage is a luxury that I really appreciate. Outside of these appointments, and per the recommendation of the therapists I have worked with, I try to be diligent about self-massage. Foam rollers, tennis balls, and softballs are all examples of easy-to-find self-massage tools. Taking a few minutes to roll tight muscles over helps accelerate recovery. 5. Fruits and veggies When grocery shopping, I make it a goal to have a colorful shopping cart. I head directly for the produce section to grab a variety of fruits and vegetables. I have replaced chips and hummus with carrots and hummus as an afternoon snack. I like to eat apples (honey crisp!) with peanut butter for dessert. I'm making a conscious effort to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my diet now than I used to. An added benefit is that I have had to learn how to cook different types of food. Recently, I started adding beets as a vegetable side to my dinners. My next race is the 5,000m at Mt. SAC on April 16, still several weeks away. Until then, I'll focus on these five areas, along with quality workouts, as I prepare in this final training block before the start of my outdoor season.
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health
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Behold the visage of this 7-foot long, 480 million-year-old Aegirocassis benmoulae , a massive, segmented creature that is described as looking something like a lobster mixed with a centipede. The fossilized remains of a spectacular Aegirocassis benmoulae found in Morocco were detailed in a Nature study published this week. The species belongs to a group of animals called anomalocaridids that are distant relatives of arthropods, and were poorly understood until very recently. This particular fossil is unusual in that it was preserved in three dimensions likely due to a storm or some other violent event that quickly buried the creature in the seafloor. If you have any aversion to animals with segmented bodies and exoskeletons, this probably wouldn't be your first choice of a swimming companion. But Aegirocassis benmoulae was a filter feeder who munched on plankton and used flaps along his segmented body to propel through the water. Despite looking like a terror sent up from the creepy crawly depths, it is technically related to the lobster, and due to rigorous experiments we know humans are capable of eating bugs. So, the only question now is how many buckets of drawn butter would we need to go along with this guy?
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Sony, Vox Media and Showtime all announced on Wednesday that they would be joining the rush to provide streaming video on demand in some fashion or another. Their moves follow HBO's announcement this week that it will finally launch its standalone HBO Now video streaming service in an exclusive partnership with Apple for the first time, allowing customers to watch HBO shows without paying for a traditional cable package. Make no mistake, the scales have tipped. Even old school media heads have ceded that streaming is the future of video. "Clearly the bundle is changing. The days of the 500-channel universe are over," CBS chief Les Moonves said Wednesday at an investor conference. "The days of the 150-channel universe in the home are not necessarily over but they're changing rapidly. People are slicing it and dicing it in different ways." As that slicing and dicing accelerates, the scramble for the crown in that streaming space is now turning into the battle for the Iron Throne. More and more contenders keep entering the fray. More players are joining the content production game, too, as owning a sizable back catalog has taken a backseat to generating original hits. New content and in particular, new content with buzz has become king. As shows like the adored and adorable Broad City or Drunk History both of which started as web series and are now on Comedy Central have proven, the barrier to entry as a content creator is lower than it has ever been. As shows like the adored and adorable Broad City or Drunk History have proven, the barrier to entry as a content creator is lower than it has ever been. So how do these new players stack up? Showtime said it would push out its own version of an HBO Now-style, direct-to-consumer service… at some point "in the not-too-distant future." For Showtime, this is obviously an attempt to compete with the massive popularity of HBO Go, the app that went a long way toward breaking down HBO's old cable paywall, and HBO Now, which launched with the benefit of Apple's public relations glitz. Though Showtime does not have the same number of zeitgeist-defining shows as its key rival, it has had a fair amount of critical and commercial success through the past decade with shows like Homeland, Dexter, Californication, Masters of Sex and Shameless . Vox , with its plan to produce original video content, seems to be trying to ape the success of Vice Media, the video news company that, as of late last year, had a valuation around $2.5 billion to go with its ambitious IPO plans. Despite its immense and rapid success, Vox is still primarily a web based entity, dealing with the ever diminishing returns of the revenue-for-page-views model. Video content is both where the advertising dollars and the eyeballs are. Sony 's announcement, on the other hand, was both the least surprising and the least clear. For almost a decade, Sony has been using its gaming devices as streaming boxes for services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and HBO Go. Sony lost the television wars to Samsung, the movie wars to Disney and the dignity wars to hackers who may or may not have been North Korean. It needed to do something. The rumor that Sony was developing its own streaming service, PlayStation Vue, had been floating around for the better part of a year, and the move seemed like a no-brainer. Sony lost the television wars to Samsung, the movie wars to Disney and the dignity wars to hackers who may or may not have been North Korean. Rather than introducing a full slate of original content for its streaming service, Sony announced that it would partner with existing networks owned by CBC Corp, Viacom, Comcast, NBC Universal and 21 st Century Fox. One significant holdout: Walt Disney, and its ESPN channels. Live sports, and the lack of quality streaming options for watching games, have been one important factor preventing more cable subscribers from cutting the cord. Sony is gambling that its PlayStation 4 can stand out from all the other streaming media devices out there. It has sold more than 20 million PS4 consoles since its launch in 2013, and is expecting the console to go on sale in China shortly. PlayStation Vue will be available on the PlayStation 3 and a version of the app for Apple products will also help its viability. Sony's first attempt to create original programming to draw in subscribers launched this week in the form of a comic-book adaptation called Powers , which has gotten somewhat underwhelming reviews. Sony had to start somewhere, but it may already be too late to the game. What seems most problematic about Sony's set up is that, while it does provide the escape from the traditional cable package that has been a thorn in the side of cord-cutters for so long, it is essentially is repackaging the same material in a new skin. Sony is essentially offering a cheaper alternative to the standard cable package, giving viewers access to channels such as MTV, CMT, BET and Nickelodeon. Increasingly, though, these channels have evolved to become part of the downside of a cable subscription the networks that add to your monthly bills but don't offer much reason for large audiences to tune in. The complaint that MTV sucks is so old that it could walk into a bar without being carded. Take MTV for instance. The complaint that MTV sucks is so old that it could walk into a bar without being carded, but now that the network has evolved (several times) from its music video days, no one's exactly clear what it is anymore. Even current complaints about its programing seem to be referencing an MTV that hasn't existed in half a decade. Put simply, who watches MTV? And who would pay for that content on a standalone basis? Of the Viacom offerings, only Comedy Central (which has just lost Stephen Colbert and shortly will lose Jon Stewart) continues to produce buzzworthy products. Even the ostensibly highbrow networks long ago shed their purpose, and audience, in exchange for cheap reality content that can drive ratings in the short term. Nonstop Shark Week and 24 hours of Pawn Stars have driven all of the meaning out of The History Channel and Discovery in the same way that Music is no longer the "M" in MTV. Even BBC America has become dedicated to constant airings of Top Gear . These are the products of an infrastructure that used to (barely) support the 500 channel framework. With slashed production budgets, declining ratings and ever fewer advertising dollars pouring in, it would make more sense to put these properties out their misery than to attempt to bring them into the streaming age. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: The App-Selling Power of Kate Upton's Cleavage Could Video Games in Schools Power Up Learning? Why Cord-Cutters Should Care About Net Neutrality
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7 Surprising Things That Age You First, the not-so-surprising: Eating junk, being a couch potato, smoking and stress can all shorten your life span and make you look older, too. There's also a hefty amount of luck involved when it comes to aging. "You have to pick the right parents," as Marie Bernard, deputy director of the National Institute on Aging, puts it. "It isn't the majority necessarily, but some of one's fate is based upon the longevity of prior generations." Now, for the lesser known factors that influence how fast and how well you age. 1. Allergies As if your dog fur allergy isn't pesky enough ("Sorry kids, no puppies!"), pet and some other allergies like hay fever can make you look older, says Jessica Krant, a dermatologist at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York. "The chronic inflammation of the delicate membranes of the eye lead to swelling and itching, which leads to darkening of the skin," she says. The good news? Allergy-induced wrinkles and dark spots may be more treatable than age-related blemishes, she says. 2. Your bed Sleep too little and put yourself at risk for a host of health problems, but sleep too much (more than eight or nine hours nightly) and you might shorten your life, studies suggest. That bed can also crimp or even prohibit recovery from injury in old age, says John Rush, president of the age management medicine company Cenegenics, noting that 70 percent of older Americans who fracture their hips die within one year. "Why?" he asks. "Because they don't move." 3. Your skinny jeans You already know that being overweight or obese is a surefire way to up your chances of croaking too soon, but did you know being too skinny has its risks, too? "If you are [an older person who's] very, very thin with little fat tissue ... you don't have the reserves to be able to fight off that illness in a way that people who have a little more weight on them are able to," Bernard says. 4. Retiring Your brain, that is. "Remaining mentally active is probably key to reducing that trajectory of daily activity decline even with healthy aging," says Gregory G. Brown, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Anything that keeps your thinking, judgment and planning abilities active be it learning new recipes or joining an exercise class can help, he says. 5. Your headphones Old people, poor hearing according to stereotypes, the two go hand in hand. But hearing loss is not entirely inevitable if you limit your headphone use to about one hour a day and keep the volume low enough that the people around you can't hear it, Bernard says. "Once you have lost your ability to really hear well and interact with your environment … it really does isolate you," she says. 6. Loneliness Speaking of isolation, it as well as feelings of loneliness seems to contribute to a shorter life span and is associated with a poorer quality of life as we age, Bernard says. While some people are content with just a few close friends, they can face particular challenges if everyone in their network is around the same age, she adds. "As people become ill or die, then you are very likely to run into problems with isolation or loneliness," she says. 7. Processed carbs "If it comes in a bag or a box, don't eat it," Rush tells his patients. That's because processed foods, and particularly white carbohydrates such as pasta, bread and cereal, raise blood sugar and insulin, and in effect, contribute to inflammation a cause of diseases ranging from obesity to arthritis. Eating a whole foods diet, he says, helps maintain a lower insulin level and staves off that inflammatory process. As a result, he says, "you age better and more slowly."
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health
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By Jason Rowan Kate Upton and some very adorable canines made an appearance on Wednesday at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla., to support a cause of great personal meaning importance: Animal adoption. The supermodel's showing was all part of the Grand Slam Adoption Event the Nationals were holding during a spring training game against the Detroit Tigers. It's probably no coincidence that Justin Verlander, her longtime boyfriend , happens to be a member of that very team. Upton, who grew up in nearby Melbourne, Fla., worked with Brevard County Sheriff Office's animal services unit on the special event. "I think it's really important to bring awareness to adopt dogs instead of shop them," Upton said, via Cut4 . "There's millions of dogs who die in shelters every year and people get new pets every year, so it's time for them to go to the shelter." Upton is equally committed in her personal life as it relates to the cause, having previously adopted two dogs of her own. Verlander's beloved dog , Riley, a Heinz 57 mix apparently also is a rescued animal. Upton last July begged Verlander on social media for a new puppy as well, so it's clear the baseball star/swimsuit model supercouple are serious animal lovers.
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sports
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New for 2015 The 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan gains some new standard features including VW Car-Net connected services, Media Device Interface with iPod cable, rearview camera, and a new touchscreen audio system. R-Line trims gain a revised rear bumper for the 2015 model year. Vehicle Summary The 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan is a small five-passenger crossover sold in five grades and front- or all-wheel-drive variations. Its sole powertrain is a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 rated at 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. Overview The 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan's powertrain is an excellent unit that provides good power and smooth acceleration. Handling is subpar for the class and the crossover "felt tall and tippy" around corners especially when compared to competitors like the Ford Escape and Mazda CX-5, which possess better driving dynamics. Ride quality is poor with the car's suspension transmitting bumps into cabin. Fuel economy is average for the class with front-drive crossovers rated at 21/26 mpg city/highway and 20/26 mpg with all-wheel drive. Space inside the 2015 Tiguan crossover is slightly smaller with up to 56.1 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down. Leather upholstery, an upgraded audio system, navigation, and power seats are available in higher trims, and make the interior feel more upscale. However, the seats are hard and flat, making them uncomfortable for long journeys. The 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan's price is a weak point since it can skyrocket past $34,000 (including destination) for a fully loaded model.The 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan has a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA (out of a possible five stars). What We Think The 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan is showing its age especially compared to newer entries from other automakers. In a 2012/2013 Compact Crossover SUV Comparison Test , we said that the crossover's only strength is its powertrain, which is smooth, and gives the car good acceleration. However, the crossover's handling, small interior and uncomfortable seats make it a less viable choice. In a 2012 First Test , we noted that the cargo area isn't as usable because of its inability to carry long items and lack of a full flat load floor when the rear seats are folded. Additionally, seats are "hard and flat" while the driving position is awkward. You'll Like Strong turbo-four Good acceleration You Won't Like Expensive Bumpy ride Hard seats Key Competitors Toyota RAV4 Honda CR-V Mazda CX-5 Ford Escape Nissan Rogue Rating 2 star
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autos
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Low oil prices are currently forcing a restructuring inside the United States oil industry. The U.S. cannot produce shale oil as cheaply as OPEC and it is much more sensitive to oil prices than Saudi Arabia, therefore the promises of an American manufacturing renaissance and other economic benefits have not materialized. Because of this it has become impossible for the U.S. to become independent of OPEC, Canada, Mexico or other oil producing nations. Dan Dicker, energy contributor at TheStreet, highlights these themes in his soon-to-be-released book, 'Shale Boom, Shale Bust - The Myth of Saudi America'.
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finance
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PLN catches up with the Lehigh women's basketball program as the Mountain Hawks prepare to face American in the 2015 Patriot League championship game on Saturday, March 14.
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sports
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Honda is launching a new ad campaign warning of the risks of Takata airbags that could explode too forcefully, in a bid to encourage owners to have their recalled vehicles as soon as possible. Many automakers, including Honda, have recalled millions of cars due to the defective Takata airbags. The ad campaign, which begins on Monday March 16, will consist of full-page color ads in 120 newspapers nationwide, as well as 30-second radio spots in 110 different markets. The effort comes as Honda seeks to bolster its safety reputation after the automaker admitted that it underreported safety defects and recall issues to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The print ads, pictured below, give clear instructions on how vehicle owners can check if their car needs a recall repair. "The goals of this campaign are to save lives and prevent injuries," American Honda executive vice president John Mendel said in a statement. "Honda hopes that this new consumer information campaign will bolster our existing and continuing efforts to reach our customers and maximize the vehicle repair completion rates associated with recalls to replace Takata airbag inflators." According to NHTSA, U.S. automakers have recalled 17 million cars since 2008 for problems with Takata airbags >. Honda says the Takata airbag recall affects the 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2007 Pilot, and 2006 Ridgeline, plus the 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2002-2003 Acura TL, 2003 Acura CL, and 2005 Acura RL. Source: Honda
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Fashion Weeks: Weirdest and worst moments This season's fashion shows made headlines not only because of the famous designers, their collections and celebrity attendees, but also for kids' tantrums, animal rights controversy, ludicrous outfits and more. Click through to take a look at some upsetting and odd moments during the various fashion shows. Kanye West x Adidas Originals Singer Kanye West set himself up to be judged as a designer with his Adidas Originals collection during the New York Fashion Week on February 12. Although famed fashion journalist Cathy Horyn opined that the singer needs to graduate fashion school first, ardent fans of Kanye may find reasons to cut him slack. North West tantrum While dad Kanye West showcased his Adidas Originals collection, daughter North wasn't too pleased. The toddler threw a tantrum sitting in her mom's lap on the front row. Vogue editor Anna Wintour seemed distinctly unimpressed with the noisy affair, while singer Beyonce tried keeping her eyes consciously off the toddler. Eventually, Kim Kardashian had to carry her daughter backstage to calm her. Fashionably late The veteran supermodel arrived late for the Burberry show on February 23 in London. Strutting in at mid-show, she parted the crowd of showgoers and took her seat in the front row! PETA fights back PETA activists wearing fox, bunny and sheep masks protested at the beginning of the Berlin Fashion Week on January 19. The pro-animal rights organisation also condemned Fendi for their "Haute Fourrure" collection. The collection, which will be showcased in July, will display Fendi's expertise in fur. PETA protesters renamed the collection "Haute Horreur". Kate Moss scuffles with paparazzi Supermodel Kate Moss did not like it when a photographer tried to get inside an A-list party venue during Paris Fashion Week. She lunged at the photographer and dragged him aside, before security guards could intervene. Hood by Air at Fall Studios One may call it haute couture but you might think twice before wearing this outfit outside your home, or even inside it. Here, a model walks the runway for Hood by Air at Fall Studios on February 15 in New York City. Keep clicking for more bizarre fashions from this season's fashion weeks. Comme Des Garcons collection It was a little too much to grasp even for fashion gurus when models walked the runway showcasing the Comme Des Garcons collection during Paris Fashion Week on March 7. Sophia Webster presentation A model is seen in Sophia Webster creation (appropriately named Freak Like Me) during London Fashion Week on February 22. Junya Watanabe show A model walks the runway at the Junya Watanabe Autumn Winter fashion show during Paris Fashion Week on March 7. Antonio Urzi collection A model walks the runway wearing Antonio Urzi collection at the FTL Moda fashion show during New York Fashion Week on February 15. Teflar show A model walks the runway at the Teflar show during New York Fashion Week on February 15.
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Shots are fired. Screams, groans, obscenities and car horns. And then a voice cuts through the din. "Acknowledgement nine months ago would've kept that from happenin'!" What? I restart the raw video somebody posted online and watch last night's shooting of two police officers in Ferguson, for a third and fourth time. At the 30-second mark, a clear, strong voice startles me again. "Acknowledgement nine months ago would've kept that from happenin'!" What does that mean? Why did he say it? The person (it sounds like a man, but I can't be sure) says nothing more, but I can't shake the questions. What possesses a person in the instant after a gun's discharge to justify the violence? With two officers bleeding a few feet away and nobody in the crowd guaranteed a next breath, this idiot is making excuses for the shooter. It's not known whether the voice belonged to one of about 70 protesters gathered outside the police headquarters after the resignation of Chief Thomas Jackson. "Black lives matter," they chanted. Jackson oversaw a department that systematically violated the constitutional rights of its black residents, according to a scathing Justice Department report. The Justice Department also concluded that there was no reliable evidence to counter Officer Darren Wilson's claim that he feared for his life when he shot unarmed Michael Brown, sparking waves of protests and riots in the St. Louis suburb. The report discredits the protest's founding narrative, finding no credible evidence that Brown was shot as he raised his hands in surrender ("Hands up, don't shoot" ). I feel for Brown's family and friends, who can't get Michael back. I feel for Wilson, who can't get his job or reputation back. I feel for the people of Ferguson who are treated like dirt by officers they pay to protect them. But I don't get this guy: "Acknowledgement nine months ago would've kept that from happenin'!" Does he think the shooting could have been prevented had Wilson's right to protect himself been acknowledged nine months ago? Probably not. Does he think the shooting could have been avoided had decades of police abuse been acknowledged nine months ago? Does he see the shooting as a fair response to police racism and injustice? I suspect he was making the second point, and it troubles me because of what lies behind it: A primal quid pro quo in which we convince ourselves that this bad action justifies or excuses that bad action. From childhood, we're taught by our parents, teachers and preachers to rise above this ugly impulse. They tell us: "Two wrongs don't make a right." I have a theory: Among the many ways our culture is coarsening is the erosion of our parents' principle. From Wall Street to Main Street and in Hollywood and Washington, our role models and leaders are dodging accountability with an amoral defense: "Yes, I made a mistake, but somebody else did, too!" "I'm bad, but he's worse!" "She did it first!" In other words, two wrongs make it feel right. Steroid abusers in baseball say, "Everybody does it." Bankers peddle bad mortgages "to keep up with competition." A writer plagiarizes a story, a singer steals a song. They say, "My stuff gets pilfered all the time." We're enablers. When somebody we know or support gets in trouble, we rush to their defense. "He's not the only one who does it!" We condone behavior in our leaders and role models that we don't accept from our kids. You might defend a drug-flaunting musician by arguing that "other rock stars do it" and then go home to your pot-smoking kid and say, "I don't care if everybody does it. You don't." "Two wrongs make it feel right" ought to be the motto of Washington, where I work. Not a news cycle goes by without one group of partisans justifying abhorrent behavior by pointing to the bad deeds of another group of partisans. Hillary Clinton seizes control of her government-related emails by storing them on a secret, rule-breaking server. Does she accept responsibility and make amends? No. Her supporters say: Jeb Bush did it too! Forty-seven Republican senators seek to undercut delicate negotiations between the White House and Iran, an extraordinary insult to the office of the presidency. Do they acknowledge that their political stunt could backfire on the United States and set a precedent that future GOP presidents might regret? Some do, cautiously, but most don't. Nancy Pelosi did it first! Spoiled brats. President Obama and GOP leaders each blame the other for gridlock. "He started it!" Obama says Republicans pledged to block his agenda in 2009 (as if this isn't a perennial empty threat) and Republicans say Obama never bothered to work with them (as if that's completely true). Each set of leaders is enabled by professional partisans who don't demand better of "our side." Most members of the general public go along with the farce, supporting one of two parties that compete to be the least worst. We choose one that isn't quite as bad as the other. We settle. That never works. Two wrongs hasn't made anything right in Ferguson. It's not the answer in pop culture, sports or business. And certainly not in Washington, where the race to the bottom continues. More on MSN: Ferguson shootings: When did two wrongs make it right? (National Journal) Photos: Protests in Ferguson (Reuters) Video: 'Gunshots sounded like a firecracker: Witness (Reuters)
| 5 | 11,890 |
news
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Marc Faber says that he is more bearish than ever. But the editor of the Gloom, Boom & Doom Report still thinks the U.S. stocks could still be the best bet for safety.
| 3 | 11,891 |
finance
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Terry Pratchett , author of the Discworld series of fantasy novels, has died at age 66, it has been announced. His passing was announced online in a statement by Transworld Publishers managing director Larry Finlay , in which he called the writer "one of [the world's] brightest, sharpest minds," and noted that "Terry enriched the planet like few before him. As all who read him know, Discworld was his vehicle to satirize this world: he did so brilliantly, with great skill, enormous humor and constant invention." Originally a journalist, Pratchett's first novel The Carpet People was published in 1971. A couple of science fiction novels followed before, in 1983, his novel The Color of Magic created the Discworld, a parody of fantasy tropes that evolved to become the basis of far broader satire. Thirty nine additional novels in the series followed, with a final installment completed last year to be published this fall. (Books in the series have been adapted into short films and television in Pratchett's native United Kingdom.) Pratchett had received a number of awards for his work, including the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010, and the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2011. Additionally, he was awarded a knighthood for services to literature in 2009. Pratchett, who announced in Dec. 2007 that he was suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease, died at home surrounded by his family on Thursday. He is survived by his wife, Lyn , and their daughter Rhianna .
| 6 | 11,892 |
entertainment
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With the Houston Texans in pursuit of free agent nose tackle Vince Wilfork , news arrived this morning from Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that there are three deals on the table for Wilfork, all 2-year deals worth $10 million, from three different AFC teams. The Indianapolis Colts and Texans are the known teams trying to land Wilfork, but whether they are two of the teams with deals currently on the table is not known. The Texans are an attractive spot for Wilfork with New England ties all over the facility and within the coaching staff. The Colts are also a real possibility, with former University of Miami alumni Andre Johnson and Frank Gore having signed over the last day. Wilfork has not visited the Texans and according someone close to the organization have expressed their hope that the Wilfork situation does not drag on too long. Signs are pointing to the Texans as having a deal on the table for Wilfork, but time will only tell.
| 1 | 11,893 |
sports
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Retro Dishes You Won't Believe Existed Retro Dishes You Won't Believe Existed In food, as in life, trends come and go, then come back again. Certain foods, like fondue, rose to prominence in the 1960s before falling by the wayside, but later came back into vogue. While the resurgence of certain once-trendy foods is welcome, there are some retro delicacies we'd be happy to never see again. Ham and Bananas Hollandaise Yes, this is just what it sounds like: In McCall's 1973 Great American Recipe Card Collection, bananas are given a truly royal treatment that involves ham and hollandaise. Why did anyone think that this was a good idea? Liver Sausage Pineapple Liver sausage exists (it's usually called liverwurst), as do pineapples. Why a Better Homes and Gardens employee thought to sculpt a giant glob of liver sausage to look like a pineapple, the world will never know. Yes, to make this dish, someone mixed a whole lot of liver sausage with gelatin, formed it into a big tube, covered it with a lemony, mayonnaise-based… shell (?), then topped it with a pineapple top. To think of all the time it took to make this dish… that's time that could have been much better spent. Frosted Ribbon Loaf The name of this dish reveals absolutely nothing about the finished product, except for the fact that it's a loaf. So let's slice it open and see what's inside! Down through the cream cheese frosting (at least it's not mayo) and into what looks like white bread, ham, and eggs. No thanks. Lime Cheese Salad Back in the day, Jell-O spent many years trying very hard to get people to use their product in savory applications. Take this dish: It starts with a ring of lime Jell-O mixed with vinegar, onion, cottage cheese, and mayo, and is finished by filling in the ring with a "seafood salad" that contains no identifiable seafood. It appears as though the only cheeses readily available in 50s kitchens were of the cottage, cream, and American varieties. Super Salad Loaf We're not sure what's so "super" about this salad loaf besides the fact that the recipe calls for a 1 ½-pound block of baloney with the center scooped out and mashed peas shoved inside. While this dish dates all the way back to the World War II era, it was a sad, sad harbinger of things to come. Frozen Cheese Salad Even the broccoli looks like it's sad to be included in this circa-1974 dish. It's partnered with a frozen block of cottage cheese, blue cheese, and buttermilk. The secret ingredient? Barbecue sauce. Spam N' Limas This dish proudly describes itself as Spanish-inspired. It involves slices of Spam tucked into a mixture of lima beans, canned tomatoes, onions, green peppers, celery leaves, and some lard for good measure. We have a feeling that the bottom of this pan is hiding a giant pool of grease. Jellied Chicken Salad The fact that this looks almost identical to the contents of a can of Fancy Feast says a lot about either the high quality of Fancy Feast or the poor quality of this dish. We're assuming that this "salad" was intended for those who weren't fans of mayo: just swap it with gelatin, it's the '50s way! Christmas Candle Salad This "salad" (seriously, did every cold dish in the '50s qualify as a salad?) is wrong on so many levels that we don't even know to begin. In fact, we won't. Tropical Hamburger It was a simpler time, when all you had to do in order to call something "tropical" was top it with pineapple slices and a Maraschino cherry. This is more of a meatloaf (the beef mixture also contains egg, milk, and bread crumbs), and it's brushed with a pineapple-based cornstarch slurry while it's broiling. We have a feeling that this was never served anywhere south of "very well done."
| 0 | 11,894 |
foodanddrink
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Researchers at the University of Geneva studied chameleons in Madagascar to unlock how they alter their skin cells to change colors.
| 8 | 11,895 |
video
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You can't help but admire DARPA's tech, even when it could track you down and murder you. However, the military agency's latest program actually wants to make it harder to find folks and their valuable data. Named after right-to-privacy pioneer, Supreme Court Judge Louis Dembitz Brandeis, the Brandeis program "would allow individuals, enterprises and US government agencies to keep personal and/or proprietary information private." We imagine that the emphasis is on "government agencies," though DARPA said its systems would work for everybody. Reading between the lines, we'd say the US government has seen one too many cyber-attacks , and wants its top eggheads on the job protecting confidential information. DARPA said that with current methods of protection, "most consumers do not have effective mechanisms to protect their own data, and the people with with whom we share data are often not effective at providing adequate protection." As an example, it referred to the recent theft of 80 million social security numbers from health insurance provider Anthem. It added that security systems that are actually strong enough to prevent data theft often "deplete the larger value of the information at hand" by restricting access excessively. Most consumers do not have effective mechanisms to protect their own data, and the people with with whom we share data are often not effective at providing adequate protection. The potential benefits of such data protection are huge, according to the mad science division. For one, if researchers could access your genetic information with no risk of revealing your identity, they could tailor medical therapy to your individual genetics. In another example, cities could be made more energy- and traffic-efficient if data from companies, individuals and government could safely be crowdsourced. While DARPA has no specific plan, it's now soliciting private proposals with the aim of running three 18-month trial phases. It "seeks to explore how users can understand, interact with and control data in their systems and in cyberspace... (with) intended benefits such as 'only share photos with approved family and friends.' " The goal is to completely remake data privacy within four-and-a-half years -- a tall order, but DARPA has a pretty decent track record in difficult projects. DARPA
| 5 | 11,896 |
news
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) NASA launched four identical spacecraft Thursday on a billion-dollar mission to study the explosive give-and-take of the Earth and sun's magnetic fields. The unmanned Atlas rocket and NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft soared into a clear late-night sky, right on time, to cheers and applause. The quartet of observatories will be placed into an oblong orbit stretching tens of thousands of miles into the magnetosphere nearly halfway to the moon at one point. They will fly in pyramid formation, between 6 miles and 250 miles apart, to provide 3-D views of magnetic reconnection on the smallest of scales. Magnetic reconnection is what happens when magnetic fields like those around Earth and the sun come together, break apart, then come together again, releasing vast energy. This repeated process drives the aurora, as well as solar storms that can disrupt communications and power on Earth. Data from this two-year mission should help scientists better understand so-called space weather. Each observatory resembles a giant octagonal wheel, stretching more than 11 feet across and 4 feet high, and weighing 3,000 pounds apiece. They're numbered and stacked like tires on top of the rocket, with No. 4 popping free first more than an hour after liftoff, followed every five minutes by another. Once the long, sensor-laden booms are extended in a few days, each spacecraft could span a baseball field. Principal investigator Jim Burch from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio said measurements will be made down to the electron scale, significantly smaller than previous heliophysics missions. In all, there are 100 science sensors. Primary science-gathering will begin this summer, following a five-month checkout. The findings from the $1.1 billion mission will be useful in understanding magnetic reconnection throughout the universe. Closer to home, space weather scientists along with everyone on Earth hopefully will benefit. "We're not setting out here to solve space weather," Burch said. "We're setting out to learn the fundamental features of magnetic reconnection because that's what drives space weather." ___ Online: NASA: http://mms.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html Southwest Research Institute: http://www.swri.org
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news
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BERLIN German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Thursday a letter sent by 47 Republican senators to Iran's leaders is affecting talks over Iran's nuclear program, increasing doubts in Tehran over whether the U.S., Germany and others were negotiating in good faith. "This is not just an American domestic political issue," Mr. Steinmeier said of the Republicans' move, during a visit to Washington. "It affects the negotiations we are holding in Geneva because, of course, mistrust is growing on the other side the Iranian side as to whether our side is truly serious about these negotiations," he added. Germany is among the six countries alongside the U.S., U.K., Russia, China, and France negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program, in talks that have largely taken place in Geneva in recent months. Mr. Steinmeier met with Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday and said there had been recent progress in the talks but not all hurdles had been overcome. Write to Anton Troianovski at [email protected]
| 5 | 11,898 |
news
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Smiley is a beautiful golden retriever who was born without eyes but is still able to work as a therapy dog for St. John's Ambulance in Canada. Keri Lumm (@thekerilumm) reports on this story that is sure to make you smile.
| 8 | 11,899 |
video
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