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Tibetans believe that when a Dalai Lama their preeminent political and spiritual leader dies, his spirit reincarnates in a newborn's body, carrying on the lineage. But the 79-year-old current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has long said the line could end with him . The Chinese government disagrees. The notionally atheistic Communist Party has decided it has authority over the Dalai Lama's future lives. "The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama has to be endorsed by the central government, not by any other sides, including the Dalai Lama himself," said the religious affairs head of China's political advisory body, on the sidelines of important government meetings yesterday. This most publicly vocal Beijing has been on the issue of the Dalai Lama's succession. The question is: why is the Chinese government so interested about an ancient religious rite? Perhaps because the Dalai Lama directly challenges its authority when he says the Tibetan people should decide whether his lineage continues. Allowing Tibetans that kind of power would not suit the Chinese government at all. Tibet holds great value for China. It has a vast supply of mineral wealth, including China's biggest copper deposits. Its snows and glaciers are a critical water source in a country on the brink of a water crisis. It is also a strategic buffer against India . And any Tibetan challenge to Beijing's authority could inspire similar movements in other restive regions. As a result, the Chinese government has repeatedly tried to undermine and discredit the Dalai Lama's authority, political an religious. In 1995, for instance, Beijing refused to accept his confirmation of the 11th Panchen Lama, another important Tibetan Buddhist figure. Instead, it allegedly kidnapping the boy and anointed its own candidate . The Chinese government has long smeared the Dalai Lama, calling him a " splittist " and " wolf in monk's robes. " But lately it's been taking something of a " softer" approach . The government officially declared Buddhism " an ancient Chinese religion ." More recently, there have been tantalizing suggestions that the Dalai Lama could be welcome to return to Tibet. The Dalai Lama has given no indication that he's interested in engaging with Beijing. As for Tibetans, in the past few years, scores have protested Chinese rule by setting themselves on fire . Was yesterday's pique due to frustration over the failure of Beijing's charm offensive? That's unclear. But it does harken back to a Chinese Communist Party tradition: ham-fisted bullying.
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If you think the new 'Hello Barbie' is disturbing, here's a reminder of some other questionable talking toys from the past.
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Patrick Jones (@Patrick_E_Jones) has the top 5 athletes who make the most money from sponsored tweets. What sport do you think has the most money in it?
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The Islamic State is one of the most well-funded terrorist organizations in the world. So where does it get its money?
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Henrik Stenson was asked about the PGA Tour's drug testing program at the Valspar Championship on Wednesday, no-doubt in response to John Daly calling the whole process a "joke." The question was pretty simple: "If you were running the program, would you be more inclined to test you after winning Deutsche Bank or the following week?" Stenson responded by saying that, basically, he's not even sure if there are any PEDs in existence that can help someone play better golf. Except it was a little more colorful than that: "It depends on what you're looking for and I mean there's rules for everything that's on those lists but, again, I've said that before. Long and straight. Viagra might be the only one that's going to get you anywhere. I don't know. What else? I don't know what else you take for performance enhancement in golf. I don't know." "Long and straight." That's Stenson's motto, and he proved as much early during the first round of the tournament. More from Golf Digest: Golf Digest's 2015 Hot List Equipment Guide Everything You Need To Know About The Upcoming PGA Tour Season Rory and Tiger's Similar Career Paths
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New for 2015 The 2015 Volkswagen Passat adds a new Technology Package for S and Wolfsburg trims, which includes a rearview camera, an eight-speaker audio system, and satellite radio. SEL models receive rain-sensing wipers as standard equipment. A new 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel I-4 with 150 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque replaces an older, less-powerful unit with the same displacement and cylinder count for the 2015 model year. It's paired to a six-speed manual or dual-clutch automatic transmission. Vehicle Summary The 2015 Volkswagen Passat is a front-drive midsize family sedan sold in five grades and with three engine choices. It is the only car in its class offered with a diesel powertrain and offers impressive fuel economy. Overview In addition to the diesel powertrain the 2015 Passat is also available two gas-powered engines: a turbocharged 1.8-liter I-4 with 170 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque and a 3.6-liter V-6 with 280 hp and 258 lb-ft. The turbo-four is paired to a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic while the V-6 is available only with the automatic. Fuel economy is class-competitive with diesel Passats achieving the best gas mileage at 30/44 mpg city/highway with the manual and 30/42 mpg with the dual-clutch automatic. Opting for the 1.8-liter turbo-four drops those numbers down to 24/35 mpg with the manual and 24/36 mpg with the automatic, while V-6 models achieve a decent 20/28 mpg. Acceleration and handling are 2015 Passat Strong suits with good power for passing and merging in all engines and a well-tuned chassis that nicely balances a smooth ride and good handling. V-6-equipped sedans, in particular, possess impressive acceleration, which make it one of the quickest family sedans on the market. While the conservative exterior of the 2015 Passat is less stylish, it has more interior space than some of its competitors. Front and rear seating is generous even for taller adults, and trunk space is a generous 15.9 cubic feet. Build quality is good with high-grade materials used in the cabin's construction while available features such leather upholstery, navigation, Fender Premium Audio, and VW Car-Net make the car feel more upscale. The 2015 Volkswagen Passat has a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA (out of a possible five stars What We Think The Volkswagen Passat was the Motor Trend 2012 Car of the Year because it provides an excellent balance of space, practicality, driving dynamics and fuel efficiency, making a superb overall package in the midsize sedan segment. The 2015 model continues this by offering three great powertrains, a capable chassis, and a roomy cabin that can seat five adults comfortably. In a 2011/2012 Comparison against the Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata, the Volkswagen Passat won due to its excellent road manners, brisk acceleration, and fuel-efficient diesel engine. We also noted in our long-term verdict of a 2012 model that the diesel-powered Passat is an excellent car for long distance driving due to its over 800-mile range in one tank with the manual transmission. During its stay, our 2012 Passat TDI exceeded its EPA fuel economy figures, especially during road trips where the car achieved nearly 50 mpg. The 2015 Passat remains a car that focuses on "focuses on bona-fide family sedan requirements while delivering a notably superior driving experience." You'll Like Fuel-efficient diesel engine Good ride and handling balance Roomy interior You Won't Like V-6 only available on the top-of-the-line trim Conservative exterior styling No all-wheel-drive option Key Competitors Toyota Camry Honda Accord Nissan Altima Mazda6 Ford Fusion Rating 4 star
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Last night, Recode reported that Apple had removed Nike's Fuelband and Jawbone's Up24 fitness trackers from retail both online and in stores. And since the timing coincides with the impending launch of Apple Watch, some are floating the idea that Apple might've made this move in an attempt to rid its retail shelves of other wearable competition. This morning I walked over to Apple's store in Grand Central Terminal and can confirm that yes, both the Fuelband and Up24 are history. If they're gone from one flagship store, you can bet the same products aren't in any other Apple location; the company is meticulous about consistent presentation across its retail chain. These are old products we're talking about But one fitness tracker from Jawbone does remain: the $49.95 Up Move that's a better fit for your pocket than your wrist. And in keeping that product on its shelves, Apple is perhaps sending a message that it's not trying to stomp out third-party products (which, if we're being honest, it would have every right to do at the Apple Store .) Instead, the reason that the Fuelband SE and Up24 are no longer sold by Apple is probably because they're both really old. And one of them's a dead-end product that Apple should've halted sales of long ago. After the Fuelband SE's release in October 2013 , Nike officially bowed out of making fitness-oriented hardware . And sure, that still bums me out since I think the Fuelband came closest to hitting the right formula because of its simplicity. But the Fuelband exiting Apple's retail stores was inevitable. If anything, Cupertino did its longtime friend a favor by keeping it around so long. Too long. Apple's not alone in stepping away from the Fuelband, either. If you want one from Best Buy, you've got to buy it online and color / sizing options are nonexistent. A really great and cheap fitness tracker is still on Apple Store shelves The Jawbone decision is a bit more questionable. You can still find the Up24 on Best Buy and Walmart shelves, and Jawbone has continued to deliver updates to its Up fitness apps. The company was also quick to embrace Apple's Healthkit platform. We're also fans of the thing; in the middle of last year, we named the Up24 as the best fitness tracker you could buy . But like the Fuelband, the Up24 is aging. It was announced in November 2013 , and Jawbone has pushed back the launch of its successor , the Up3, leaving customers in the dark on a ship date. For all we know, the retail agreement between Jawbone and Apple on the Up24 might've just expired. A customer at Apple's Grand Central Terminal store grabs Jawbone's Up Move fitness tracker. And again, the Up Move remains at Apple retail stores for now. If the Up24 or Fuelband were seen as undesirable threats to the Apple Watch's fitness features, why not the Up Move? It offers much of the same functionality as Up24: step counting, calories burned, sleep quality, and so on. And it does that stuff for 50 bucks. If anything could give fitness-minded customers pause in buying the $350 Apple Watch Sport, it's probably the tiny little health tracker that's priced $300 cheaper. Keep in mind that none of these products can monitor your heart rate, which is a cornerstone feature of Apple Watch. Maybe Apple is holding onto the Move for the simple reason that it's a semi-recent product announced in November . And maybe it's selling better than the more expensive trackers ever did. if Apple removed the trackers because of the Watch's coming release, it's probably because the luxurious Apple Watch buying experience Tim Cook outlined during Monday's event calls for plenty of space. And before it pulls Apple-branded HDMI cables and (soon) USB-C adapters from its shelves, you can bet that Apple will cut third-party accessories first. Obviously this isn't great news for Jawbone, but it like Fitbit still has Walmart and Best Buy to fall back on. Those aren't small stores. Is Apple afraid of Fitbit, Jawbone, or other competition? Likely not. If the Up3 were on the market right now, maybe you'd be able to pick between it and the Apple Watch come April 24th. But that's not the case. Oh, and Apple, you'll probably want to change this icon on your store pretty soon.
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LONDON (AP) Fantasy writer Terry Pratchett, creator of the "Discworld" series and author of more than 70 books, has died. He was 66. Pratchett, who suffered from a rare form of early onset Alzheimer's disease, had earned wide respect in Britain and beyond with his dignified campaign for the right of critically ill patients to choose assisted suicide. Transworld Publishers said Pratchett died Thursday at his home, "with his cat sleeping on his bed surrounded by his family." Transworld's managing director Larry Finlay said "the world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds." Pratchett's ability to write and speak had deteriorated in recent years as the disease progressed. But with his characteristic black fedora and neatly trimmed white beard he remained a familiar figure in the public eye. He completed his final book in the summer of 2014. Pratchett was best known for "Discworld," a series of more than 40 comic novels set in a teeming fantasy world. He has sold more than 65 million books worldwide, and his novels have been translated into several dozen languages. The author disclosed his condition in 2007. His doctors at first believed he had suffered a stroke, but found him to have an unusual form of Alzheimer's He tried to be optimistic with his millions of fans, assuring them on his website that the condition didn't seem to be immediately life-threatening. "Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful," he said. As he lost the ability to write on a computer, he turned to a dictation system that allowed him to keep producing fictional works, his agent Colin Smythe said. "It may have changed his prose style slightly," Smythe said. "The real problem is the difficulty of revising it." Pratchett didn't shy away from the emotional public debate about assisted suicide. He used the prestigious Richard Dimbleby lecture in February 2010 to argue the logic of allowing people to end their lives at a time they chose. He said assisted suicide should be decriminalized and that suicide panels should be set up to judge cases, and offered his own case as an example. In the lecture, Pratchett said there was no reason to believe a cure for his disease was imminent. He said he could live his remaining years more fully if he knew he would be allowed to end his life before the disease claimed him. "I have vowed that rather than let Alzheimer's take me, I would take it," he said. "I would live my life as ever to the full and die, before the disease mounted its last attack, in my own home, in a chair on the lawn, with a brandy in my hand to wash down whatever modern version of the Brompton Cocktail some helpful medic could supply. And with Thomas Tallis on my iPod, I would shake hands with death." Pratchett was born and raised in the town of Beaconsfield, northwest of London. He described himself as a nondescript student who attended a technical high school because he felt woodwork would be more interesting than Latin. He was also interested in radios and computers. His first short story, "The Hades Business," was published in a school magazine when he was 13 and was published commercially two years later. He used his proceeds to buy a typewriter and wrote regularly for the rest of the life, turning to journalism and writing novels in his spare time until the success of his fictional works allowed him to concentrate on them full time. Pratchett married Lyn Purves in 1968 and published his first novel, "The Carpet People," three years later in 1971. The "Discworld" series began in 1983 with the publication of "The Colour of Magic." It became more popular over time as the imaginary world Pratchett created became more detailed and complex. Pratchett also published a series of well-regarded award-winning novels aimed at young readers. He received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2009 for his services to literature. He also contributed $1 million to Alzheimer's disease research and urged the scientific community to make it a higher priority. Pratchett is survived by his wife and their daughter, Rhianna.
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GREENSBORO, N.C. Justin Anderson came back for No. 3 Virginia, and Florida State threatened a comeback of its own. Then Malcolm Brogdon helped the Cavaliers put away the victory. Brogdon scored all 10 of his points in the final nine minutes of Virginia's 58-44 victory over the Seminoles on Thursday in an Atlantic Coast Conference quarterfinal. BOX SCORE: VIRGINIA 58, FLORIDA ST. 44 "Malcolm is wired to be aggressive, and I want him to be aggressive," coach Tony Bennett said. Mike Tobey and Evan Nolte had 11 points apiece, with Nolte making three 3-pointers, for the top-seeded and defending tournament champion Cavaliers (29-2). They never trailed, led by 17 and shot 47.5 percent in earning a return trip to the semifinals. They also welcomed Anderson from injury. The key guard had missed eight games after breaking his finger and then undergoing an appendectomy. Xavier Rathan-Mayes had 13 points to lead the ninth-seeded Seminoles (17-16). They hit just one field goal during the final 7 minutes and were denied their third semifinal appearance since 2009. "We dug a hole for ourselves," coach Leonard Hamilton said. "Whenever you give a team of that caliber that working margin, obviously, you put yourself in a very difficult situation." Still, Florida State twice made it a five-point game in the second half, the last coming on Rathan-Mayes' layup with just over 7 minutes remaining. Tobey countered with a dunk two possessions later, and at the other end Florida State's Montay Brandon was called for an offensive foul that incensed Hamilton who was hit with a technical foul by official Sean Hull, but later said he didn't think the call affected the outcome. Brogdon hit both free throws to put the Cavaliers up 48-39 with 5:29 remaining. He then added two more free throws before his jumper with about 2½ minutes remaining put Virginia back up by double figures at 52-42. That sent the Cavaliers into a Friday semifinal where they will face either No. 14 Louisville or No. 19 North Carolina. But their most important stat line belonged to Anderson mainly because, for the first time in a long while, he actually had one. The junior checked in to applause with 15:22 left in the first half, and he went down hard when his only shot of the half was blocked by Jarquez Smith with about 2:15 remaining. He played three minutes in the second half and did not score, finishing 0 for 2 with two rebounds. "Of course he looked rusty," Bennett said. "But my hope is the next time he's out there, he's better, and you just kind of have to go through that." STAT SHEET Virginia shot 63 percent in the first half but just 33 percent in the second. ... The Cavaliers held a 31-23 rebounding advantage. ... Virginia, which finished with 14 turnovers, has had at least 13 in three straight games. Just twice in their first 28 games did the Cavaliers have that many giveaways. INJURY WATCH The Cavaliers got a scare when ACC defensive player of the year Darion Atkins hurt his right ankle during a collision with Michael Ojo with 16:10 remaining. Atkins walked off with the help of team staffers, had the ankle re-taped and checked back in with 13:10 left. TIP-INS Florida State: Rathan-Mayes was coming off a 30-point performance in the second round against Clemson in which he became the first freshman in ACC history with three 30-point games in one season. Virginia: The Cavaliers are 29-2 for the second time in school history, with the only other time coming in 1981-82 with Ralph Sampson. UP NEXT Florida State: Awaits possible NIT berth. Virginia: Plays either No. 14 Louisville or No. 19 North Carolina on Friday in the semifinals. ___ Follow Joedy McCreary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joedyap
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The arrivals of Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy gave the New York Islanders a needed boost back to playoff contention. Now, Boychuk will be staying with the Islanders long-term after agreeing to a seven-year extension on Thursday. The deal is worth $42 million, according to a person with knowledge of the contract, who asked not to be identified because the numbers aren't being made public. Leddy, who turns 24 this month, signed a seven-year, $38.5 million extension last month. Boychuk, 31, would have become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Boychuk (Boston Bruins) and Leddy (Chicago Blackhawks) were grabbed by general manager Garth Snow in trades right before the season started because their former teams were having salary cap woes. They have become the top two Islanders defensemen, with Boychuk scoring 32 points and Leddy 29. They have matching 56.3% Corsi ratings and plus-minus ratings of plus 17. The Islanders, who finished with 79 points last season, already have 90 to rank sixth in the NHL.
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Will Ferrell is taking the field for 10 teams in five Cactus League games and plans to play every position on the field. As part of a new HBO special for Funny or Die, Ferrell teamed up with the MLB to raise money to support the fight against cancer.
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After three races this season, Tony Stewart has a best finish of 30th and is mired a dreadful 34th in the Sprint Cup Series standings. On the polar opposite end of the spectrum is Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick, who has a win and two second-place finishes and sits atop the the points. So what, if anything, is Harvick's No. 4 team doing to help improve the No. 14 team of his team owner and friend -- a three-time Sprint Cup champion? In short: As much as possible. The only problem is that it's not as simple as simply plugging Harvick's setups into Stewart's cars. If it was that easy, Stewart's team would already be performing at a higher level. "So much to do with it is style, and a lot of that is just communication between you and your engineers and just everybody being on the same page," Harvick, the reigning the Sprint Cup Series champion, said during a stop earlier this week at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. "If we just put my stuff in Tony's car, it'd be hard to just say that that's going to fix all the problems, but I think right now everybody's just in an analyzing phase of really trying to understand exactly what direction we need to go to help, and that's what we'll continue to do." Harvick having the upper hand on his boss is nothing new. Since joining Stewart-Haas at the beginning of 2014, Harvick has won six races -- including the all-important, winner-take-all championship finale last November at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Stewart, although he did miss three races last season following an incident that claimed the life of sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr., hasn't been to Victory Lane since winning at Dover International Speedway on June 2, 2013. Stewart, who missed the final 15 races of 2013 while nursing a leg injury, hasn't won since crew chief Chad Johnston replaced Steve Addington ahead of the 2014 season. Entering 2015 on the heels of his first winless season since joining NASCAR's top series as a rookie in 1999, Stewart hoped to make his woes from the past two years a distant memory by getting off to a strong start. Instead, he crashed in the Daytona 500 and struggled mightily with the handling of his car at both Atlanta Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway the past two weekends. Harvick, who looks every bit the contender to capture a second consecutive series crown, is eager and willing to help. He's just not sure how much he actually can. "I think right now you have to zero in on exactly what they're fighting," Harvick said. "We would do that regardless. I think as you look at the packages and the way we (Stewart-Haas drivers) all drive, they're drastically different in throttle traces and steering traces and feels, whether it's myself or Danica (Patrick) or Tony. Everybody wants something different in their car." Harvick wouldn't change a thing about his Rodney Childers-led team, however. "The biggest thing that we're fortunate to have going for us is Rodney and I just had so much time to really sit and work on everything and just talk about every little detail before we even went to the racetrack," said Harvick, who has been paired with Childers since 2014. "I get in my cars and I never have to touch anything, I never have to move anything; it's just always perfect. I'm in a fortunate spot, but we're all-in on trying to figure out exactly what Tony needs and really helping him get back to where he needs to be."
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You can still buy shares in the bankrupt retailer RadioShack (RSHCQ) , if you really want, but even the company will tell you there really isn't much point. More than 1 million shares of RadioShack stock traded Thursday, closing at 18.45 cents. It went as high as 37 cents in the last month. But the company, in a statement Thursday, stressed that its stock will have no value at all at the conclusion of its bankruptcy proceedings. "RadioShack said it believes that the claims of its secured and unsecured creditors will not be fully satisfied, leading to the conclusion that RadioShack common stock has no value," the company said. RadioShack filed for bankruptcy protection on Feb. 5. It has since closed stores all over the country.
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The FCC's new net neutrality rules for Internet providers are out today and they are as long (400 pages!) and dense (1,777 footnotes!) as promised. Broadly, the rules are as previously advertised . They prohibit broadband providers (wired and wireless) from blocking or throttling legal Internet content. They also don't allow broadband providers to offer paid, prioritized fast-lane services to content companies. But there are plenty of smaller provisions tucked into the text that could have an impact on consumers' Internet service. Here are a few things that could soon change for consumers (based on a quick read) along with excerpts from the rules: Coffee Shops and Libraries Can Still Stop "House of Cards" Binge-Watching Sorry, you're still not going to be able to watch Netflix on a plane or download big data files in your local coffee shop. The new net neutrality rules won't apply to restaurants, airlines, libraries or other companies that offer free Wi-Fi service to customers. So they'll still be able to block you from checking out various websites or apps while you're using their Internet access. "We again decline to apply the open Internet rules to premises operators such as coffee shops, bookstores, airlines, private end-user networks (e.g. libraries and universities), and other businesses that acquire broadband Internet access service from a broadband provider to enable patrons to access the Internet from their respective establishments. … Applying the open Internet rules to the provision of broadband service by premises operators would have a dampening effect on these entities' ability and incentive to offer these services." No New Fees … Yet One of the main talking points for opponents of the new rules is that consumers will soon have to pay more for Internet service. That's because the FCC is re-regulating Internet service under old rules written for phone networks and phone users have to pay a monthly fee into the Universal Service Fund, which subsidizes phone and Internet services in rural areas and for low-income people. The rules say there will be no new federal USF fees on broadband service because of these rules; states won't be able to charge them either. "With respect to universal service, we conclude that the imposition of state-level contributions on broadband providers that do not presently contribute would be inconsistent with our decision at the present time to forbear from mandatory federal USF contributions, and therefore we preempt any state from imposing any new state USF contributions on broadband at least until the Commission rules on whether to provide for such contributions ." (Emphasis is Re/code's .) Here's the thing: the FCC has been looking at requiring broadband subscribers to start paying into the USF fund for the past few years. They're due to get recommendations on whether to do that next month. So while your monthly bill won't go up right now because of a new USF fee, there's a decent chance it might in the future. AT&T's Unlimited Data Users May Soon Be in Luck AT&T's practice of automatically downgrading the speed of unlimited data users once they've used a certain amount of data each month could be in trouble under the new rules. AT&T reserves the right to throttle the small (roughly 3 percent) number of subscribers who've managed to cling to their unlimited data plans, which the wireless giant stopped offering years ago. The new rules don't allow broadband providers to throttle data, but there is a huge loophole baked into the rules that allows companies to limit data or speeds to manage their networks. "The record broadly supports maintaining an exception for reasonable network management. We agree that a network management exception to the no-blocking rule, the no-throttling rule, and the no-unreasonable interference/disadvantage standard is necessary for broadband providers to optimize overall network performance and maintain a consistent quality experience for consumers while carrying a variety of traffic over their networks." So while companies like AT&T can throttle under the FCC's rules, they have to be doing it because of network congestion issues, not as a business decision. "For a practice to even be considered under this exception, a broadband Internet access service provider must first show that the practice is primarily motivated by a technical network management justification rather than other business justifications." AT&T's policy appears to be more of a business decision than a network issue, although the company would probably disagree. An AT&T spokesman Thursday pointed to a presentation the company gave the FCC last month which explained how its throttling plan wouldn't run afoul of net neutrality rules. Sponsored Data Plans Are Okay Unless the FCC Says They're Not A main question about the new rules has been what it means for nascent efforts in the wireless industry to offer sponsored data (or "zero rating") plans. Under such plans, consumers can access an application or service without having the data count against monthly data caps. T-Mobile probably has the most popular plan right now with its Music Freedom plan, which allows data-cap-free access to streaming music services. FCC officials won't say such plans automatically violate the rules, but they do suggest that they're going to take a hard look at them if they get complaints. "We are mindful of the concerns raised in the record that sponsored data plans have the potential to distort competition by allowing service providers to pick and choose among content and application providers to feature on different service plans. At the same time, new service offerings, depending on how they are structured, could benefit consumers and competition. Accordingly, we will look at and assess such practices under the no-unreasonable interference/disadvantage standard, based on the facts of each individual case, and take action as necessary." Data Caps Are Still Allowed Sorry, unlimited data lovers, the FCC isn't planning to get involved to prohibit Internet providers (wired or wireless) from selling service with data caps. "The record also reflects differing views over some broadband providers' practices with respect to usage allowances (also called "data caps"). Usage allowances place limits on the volume of data downloaded by the end user during a fixed period. Once a cap has been reached, the speed at which the end user can access the Internet may be reduced to a slower speed, or the end user may be charged for excess data. … … Given the unresolved debate concerning the benefits and drawbacks of data allowances and usage-based pricing plans, we decline to make blanket findings about these practices and will address concerns under the no-unreasonable interference/disadvantage on a case-by-case basis." No Paid Fast Lanes (For the Most Part) FCC officials have taken great pains to note that the new rules won't allow Internet providers to offer fast-lane priority service to companies. Except they left the door cracked open for some kinds of "specialized services" that would offer faster, more reliable access to consumers. "The Commission may waive the ban on paid prioritization only if the petitioner demonstrates that the practice would provide some significant public interest benefit and would not harm the open nature of the Internet." The FCC offered a few examples of "specialized services" that it thinks would be okay, such as Internet phone service, remote health monitoring systems or electrical monitoring systems used by utilities. Not mentioned? Fast-lane "specialized" access for things like online gaming. More Transparency The new rules require broadband providers to be a bit more open about what consumers will have to pay for service and what limits, if any, there are on their service. Internet providers will be required to clearly disclose: " Price the full monthly service charge. Any promotional rates should be clearly noted as such, specify the duration of the promotional period, and note the full monthly service charge the consumer will incur after the expiration of the promotional period. Other Fees - all additional one time and/or recurring fees and/or surcharges the consumer may incur either to initiate, maintain, or discontinue service, including the name, definition, and cost of each additional fee. These may include modem rental fees, installation fees, service charges, and early termination fees, among others. Data Caps and Allowances any data caps or allowances that are a part of the plan the consumer is purchasing, as well as the consequences of exceeding the cap or allowance (e.g., additional charges, loss of service for the remainder of the billing cycle)."
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CHICAGO (AP) -- D.J. Newbill and Penn State are used to playing tight Big Ten games, and all that experience is paying off right now. Newbill scored 18 points, and the Nittany Lions shut down Iowa in the second half of a 67-58 victory on Thursday in the conference tournament. BOX SCORE: PENN STATE 67, IOWA 58 "We've been in too many games coming down to one possession, one stop, one rebound," Newbill said. "We've learned from that. I think we're a different team than we are now. We're looking for a dogfight." Ten of Penn State's 14 Big Ten losses this season were by nine points or less, including an 84-77 overtime thriller against Purdue on Jan. 17. Next up for the Nittany Lions (18-15) is a rematch with the Boilermakers in the quarterfinals. Ross Travis scored a season-high 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting for the 13th-seeded Nittany Lions, who advanced with a 68-65 victory over Nebraska on the first day of the tourney. Geno Thorpe scored seven of his 11 points in the second half. It's the best Big Ten run for Penn State since it lost to Ohio State in the 2011 final. "I think we can take something from each of those close losses," Travis said. "One thing I remember from Purdue is they play hard, just like us." Aaron White had 21 points and 13 rebounds for Iowa (21-11), which had won six in a row and eight of 10. Jarrod Uthoff finished with 17 points and seven boards. The Hawkeyes had a 49-34 advantage on the glass, but shot just 22 percent (7 for 32) in the second half and 26.3 percent for the game. Coach Fran McCaffery also was whistled for a costly technical that Newbill turned into four points. "We gave up 48 points in the second half. That's more of where we lost the game rather than the shooting percentage," White said. Penn State used a 15-2 run to take a 36-34 lead on Thorpe's layup with 11:01 to go. The Nittany Lions were clinging to a two-point lead when McCaffery's technical led to two foul shots and a pullup jumper for Newbill with about 7 minutes left. McCaffery declined to talk about the call after the game. The Hawkeyes had a chance to tie it with a minute to go, but Uthoff missed a jumper and Travis had a key three-point play to help the Nittany Lions hold on for the victory. "In the second half we found our confidence," Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said. "We saw the ball go through the basket a little bit more, got a few more stops than we did in the first half. Luckily we made some shots." Penn State was looking for a measure of revenge for an 81-77 overtime loss to Iowa on Feb. 28, part of a season-ending slide of eight losses in 10 games. The Nittany Lions had a 12-point lead in the first half of their previous meeting with the Hawkeyes, and the teams were tied at 74 with 47 seconds left in the extra period. The rematch got off to an ugly start. Penn State missed 17 of its first 21 shots and went without a field goal for a nine-minute stretch in the first half. Iowa waited almost five minutes for its first basket. Uthoff blocked Thorpe's layup in the final seconds, sending Iowa to the locker room with a 27-19 lead. The Hawkeyes held Penn State to 25 percent shooting in the first half, but the Nittany Lions made 15 of 28 shots after the break. "They shot it well," McCaffery said. "We made some mistakes, I think. They took advantage of those mistakes. But they made some shots at a critical juncture in the game." TIP-INS Penn State: Newbill has scored in double digits in 32 of 33 games this season. ... Thorpe had a career-high six steals. ... The 19 points in the first half matched a season low for a half. Iowa: Senior C Gabriel Olaseni tied a season high with five blocks. ... The Hawkeyes have dropped each of their four games on a neutral court this season. ... Iowa went 15 for 17 at the line in the second half and 25 for 31 for the game. ... It was White's 16th career double-double. UP NEXT Penn State takes on Purdue on Friday. Iowa waits for a likely NCAA Tournament berth.
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Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) said his suspicions that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would use his address to Congress last week to bolster his own reelection campaign have come true. The Israeli Likud Party, which Netanyahu leads, released a campaign advertisement Thursday that includes footage from Netanyahu's speech to Congress last week. Members of Congress are shown applauding as Netanyahu speaks at the House dais. Cohen, who is Jewish, was among the more than 50 Democrats who skipped Netanyahu's speech. The Tennessee Democrat said he suspected Netanyahu would use the footage for campaign ads ahead of the Israeli elections next week, given that he had done so in the past. "I had hoped this prediction might have had a chilling effect and caused the prime minister to reconsider before using Congress as a campaign backdrop. Instead, my fears have been realized," Cohen said in a statement. Cohen noted that members of Congress are banned from using congressional proceedings for their own campaign ads, arguing a foreign leader should be held to the same standard. "The use of Congressional proceedings in campaign ads is prohibited for members of Congress, and Prime Minister Netanyahu's predictable use of this footage is one of several reasons I did not attend his speech. I am saddened that Congress is once again being turned into theater and that the prime minister made our Capitol into a studio for his political ads, complete with teleprompters and a live studio audience," Cohen concluded. Netanyahu denied that his speech was meant to bolster his reelection prospects in Israel. The prime minister focused on criticizing the international negotiations over Iran's nuclear program during his remarks, but addressed the controversial nature of his appearance shortly after stepping up to the microphone. "I know that my speech has been the subject of much controversy. I deeply regret that some perceive my being here as political. That was never my intention," Netanyahu said.
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Gelatin certainly doesn't conjure up the most delicious food imagery jiggly neon mounds with chunks of mystery fruit...Yuck. But it might be time to rethink the oddball ingredient, thanks to a growing movement among everyone from athletes to arthritics, all who are downing the stuff and claiming big benefits like less joint pain, speedier injury recovery, better sleep, improved digestion, glowing skin, and more. But can ground-up cow bits really boost your health that significantly? Here, we get the lowdown from Laura Schoenfeld, RD, a holistic nutritionist. First, what exactly is gelatin? Is it really, like, hooves and stuff? Gelatin most often comes from cows, pigs, and occasionally fish, and is primarily made up of collagenous joints, tendons, and connective tissues, which are dried and ground into a powder. There are two main types of gelatin sold: Regular gelatin and hydrolyzed collagen gelatin. Regular contains whole proteins and turns into a gel when added to liquids; while hydrolyzed gelatin is broken down into individual amino acids, so it doesn't gel. The health benefits for each are the same, so what you pick is simply a matter of preference: Regular gelatin is what you would use to make Jell-O style desserts or gummies, while the hydrolyzed variety can be added to liquids like smoothies and coffee without messing with the texture. Gelatin capsules are available, too. They have the same ingredients and benefits, but tend to be more expensive. What about vegan gelatin? Is that a thing? By nature, gelatin is an animal product, so vegan "gelatin" often made from ingredients like carrageenan, sugar, and various gums (e.g. locust bean gum) don't offer similar health benefits, and may even aggravate the gut if consumed in large quantities. For a more environmentally-friendly and ethical gelatin than one you'd find at your average grocery store, opt for a brand that's made from components of grass-fed or pastured cows like Great Lakes. How much gelatin should people take if they want to try it? For a powder, 1 to 2 Tbsp per day should be enough; and for a capsule supplement, follow manufacturer instructions. You can also drink bone broth (which is high in gelatin) or eat gelatin-rich cuts of meat (anything that is on the bone or has connective tissue attached) such as shank, oxtail, and even pig's feet. What are the proven perks? From what I've heard, this stuff sounds magical. Gelatin is high in several amino acids, including glycine, which can be hard to find in other foods. On one hand, these amino acids are not considered essential, meaning your body can make them from other amino acids. However, they can be conditionally essential, meaning your body has higher needs for them than what it can provide. This is especially true for people who are very active, older adults, pregnant women, people with joint or bone injuries, or people who eat a lot of meat. Here are some things consuming gelatin may help with: Protect against excess meat consumption: Some evidence suggests that consuming adequate glycine, present in gelatin, helps counteract the negative effects of an amino acid in meat called methionine. The problem with methionine: too much raises homocysteine levels in the body, which can neutralize B vitamins and up your risk for heart disease and certain cancers. Boost gut health: The amino acids in gelatin feed the lining of the gut, which helps heal inflammatory damage you may incur from a poor diet, medication use, food sensitivities, or a leaky gut. Ease achy joints: The body can use gelatin's amino acids to rebuild collagen, cartilage, and connective tissues in joints. Research shows that athletes who take gelatin experience less pain in their joints. Boost skin and nail health: Since gelatin's amino acids rebuild collagen throughout the body, this can also mean big benefits to skin and nails: The protein is the primary structural elements that helps keep skin smooth and nails strong. Can't I just eat more Jell-O? Yeah, pretty much. But you might want to avoid the boxed mixes, as they're often loaded with artificial colors and flavors, and sugar. I really enjoy making homemade herbal tea gelatin cubes using regular gelatin. Combine 3 cups hot brewed tea, ¼ cup raw honey, and 3 Tbsp gelatin powder in a bowl; pour into silicone ice tray or mold; and allow to set overnight.
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INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Serena Williams said on Thursday her decision to end a 14-year boycott of the BNP Paribas Open after suffering racist abuse in the 2001 final came down to "timing" and being the "right opportunity." Williams had skipped the showpiece event at the glitzy desert resort after winning her second title there by beating Kim Clijsters in a final marred by the behavior of some fans who booed and heckled the American and her family. "The whole point of me coming back was not to necessarily focus on what happened 14 years ago," Williams, 33, told a packed news conference at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. "It was more to focus on how I felt and that it was the right opportunity for me to come back now. I kind of let that go (what happened in 2001). I just felt like, 'This is time.' "There's not one thing that said I should come back, that I should come back in 2015. I didn't even know if I would be playing in this year. I just felt like it was the right time for me to come back here and try to be the best that I can be." (Editing by Frank Pingue)
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Swatch Group, the world's bestselling watchmaker, is to introduce models that can make contactless payments and display data sent by smartphones. The Swiss company's chief executive said the first of the tech-enhanced timepieces would go on sale in May. But he said he had no plans to sell the kinds of fully featured smartwatches being offered by Apple, Motorola, Pebble and others. Swatch accounts for 18% of all watch sales, according to industry data. The company, which makes devices under the Omega, Breguet, Calvin Klein, Rado and other brands, as well as its own, has consistently increased its market share over the past five years. It recently reported 8.7bn Swiss francs ($9.2bn; £6.2bn) of sales for its last financial year, a 3% improvement on the previous period. However, some observers believe it and other mainstream watchmakers face disruption from tech industry giants who have begun selling wearable products. NFC and Bluetooth Swatch's chief executive Nick Hayek said his company was planning to introduce two types of wireless communication tech to its wristwear: NFC (near-field communication) - a chip that can be used to trigger contactless payments and open hotel doors and other compatible locks. The first NFC-capable watches are set to be released in two months. Bluetooth - this chip will allow watches to send and receive data to smartphones. This could be used to show news updates, text messages and other notifications. Mr Hayek said the first Bluetooth-enabled models were due in "the summer" Swatch said it had teamed up with China UnionPay, a Chinese credit card association, to provide touchless payments in that country. Reuters news agency reported that a similar deal with Visa is believed to be in the works for other parts of the world. However, Mr Hayek indicated that Swatch would leave it up to others to unlock the full potential of its moves. "Whatever usage you want, you ask some creative people to create some apps and then our chip has different layers that you can program yourself - we give it to you," he told a press conference in the Swiss town of Corgemont. "You buy your Swatch, the one you like, and then you configure it." He added that he believed that his company's expertise in manufacturing "ultra-low power" watches gave it an advantage over tech firms, whose products typically need to be recharged daily. But he made clear that he had no intention of developing a product to go head-to-head with Android Wear or Apple's Watch OS. "We are not a consumer electronics company," he said. "We are not going to transform and put the mobile phone on the wrist. Let the others do it. Samsung did it, Sony did it. Everybody does it." But Swatch is releasing an update to its existing fitness tracker. The new waterproof Swatch Touch Zero One is targeted at beach volleyball players and can track their number of footsteps and measure how hard they smack the ball with their hands. It uses one of the company's standard batteries, which Swatch says lasts months between needing to be swapped. Lesson from history Earlier this week, Elmar Mock - one of Swatch's original engineers, who now heads the Creaholic consultancy - said his former employer risked underestimating the threat it faced from Silicon Valley "It's understandable why [luxury brands] Breguet, Rolex, Cartier or Patek Philippe are disinterested," he told the Swissinfo news site. "Swatch, on the other hand, should be taking a leading role. "Swiss watchmakers seem to have forgotten how they underestimated Japanese quartz watches in the 1970s as mere gadgets and not real watches. That mistake led to the near-collapse of the watch industry." However, one industry analyst told the BBC he thought that Swatch was relatively well placed to maintain its lead. "I like that Swatch has its own strategy - we have seen so many me-too products over the past year, and it's good that Swatch is putting a very strong focus on battery power," said Pascal Koenig, of the Smartwatch Group consultancy. "It also has desirable strong brands, a very good retail network - especially in Asia - good production and impressive hardware know-how. "I do think, however, that Swatch is not good on the software side. It needs to do more on apps. "But it has a lot of cash on its balance sheet that could be used for an acquisition to help with that." Other leading watchmakers, including Fossil and Tag Heuer, are expected to outline their smartwatch strategies at the Baselworld trade show in Switzerland next week.
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Need a good night's sleep? Just spray this bottle on your skin and you'll fall asleep in no time! Sean Dowling (@seandowlingtv) has more details.
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SANTIAGO, Chile A member of the late Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's brutal secret police who's been accused of murder taught for more than a decade at the Pentagon's premier university, despite repeated complaints by his colleagues about his past. Jaime Garcia Covarrubias is charged in criminal court in Santiago with being the mastermind in the execution-style slayings of seven people in 1973, according to court documents. McClatchy also interviewed an accuser who identified Garcia Covarrubias as the person who sexually tortured him. Despite knowing of the allegations, State and Defense department officials allowed Garcia Covarrubias to retain his visa and continue working at a school affiliated with the National Defense University until last year. Human rights groups also question the school's selection of a second professor, Colombia's former top military commander. Some Latin America experts said the hirings by the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies reflected a continuing inclination by the U.S government to overlook human rights violations in Latin America, especially in countries where it funded efforts to quash leftists. But those experts were especially troubled by Garcia Covarrubias' long tenure at one of the nation's most renowned defense institutions. "His hiring undermines our moral authority on both human rights and in the war on terror," said Chris Simmons, a former Defense Intelligence Agency and Army intelligence officer from 1982 to 2010 who specializes in Latin America. "If he is in fact guilty of what he is accused of, he is a terrorist. Then who are we to tell other countries how they should be fighting terrorism?" To his supporters, Garcia Covarrubias is a brilliant thinker with a Ph.D. and purveyor of leadership skills. To his alleged victims, he's a sadistic torturer with a penchant for horsewhips and perversity. A 2008 Chilean military document reviewed by McClatchy identified Garcia Covarrubias as a member of the Direccion de Inteligencia Nacional, the feared spy agency known by its acronym DINA. "DINA was simply the most sinister agency in Latin America," said Peter Kornbluh, a senior analyst with the National Security Archive, which secured the release of U.S. government classified documents underscoring the complicit relationship between the U.S. and Pinochet. "Anyone associated with that agency should never have been allowed into this country, let alone given this job." Officials with the Pentagon, the State Department and the school refused to comment. Garcia Covarrubias is now back in Chile, ordered by an investigative judge in January 2014 to remain in the country while an inquiry continues into his alleged role in the deaths of seven people in Temuco weeks after the U.S.-backed Pinochet coup on Sept. 11, 1973. His case is one of 108 involving tortured, disappeared or murdered supporters of the deposed elected president, Salvador Allende. More than 3,000 people died at the hands of the regime, and in 2003, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell offered regrets for U.S. involvement in the coup, calling it "not a part of American history that we're proud of." Garcia Covarrubias' attorney, Jose Luis Lopez, declined to make his client available for an interview. He also refused to respond to a detailed list of questions or to provide a description of the jobs Garcia Covarrubias held under Pinochet. "The problem is that the info and questions are based on erroneous information and totally biased against Jaime Garcia," Lopez, who is based in Santiago, wrote in an email. The center's officials who hired and renewed Garcia Covarrubias' contracts say he was a highly qualified professor and minimize the allegations against him. "We made inquiries with people in the region, in Chile and so forth, and were never given anything negative about Jaime," said Margaret Daly Hayes, the center's first director. "He was vetted by the U.S. government, by the (U.S.) Embassy. They obviously didn't have anything either or he wouldn't have been hired." McClatchy, however, located one of his alleged victims, who described being brutalized by him. "They submitted us to torture, twice a day. We were submerged in feces," Herman Carrasco, who's now a real estate agent, told McClatchy in Chile. "They stuck rifle barrels in our anuses." According to Carrasco, the torture unfolded in October and November 1973 lorded over by the horsewhip-wielding Garcia Covarrubias and included electric shock administered to eyelids, genitals and other sensitive areas of the body. "He was the person who tortured us, with his face shown," said Carrasco, who added that he'd known Garcia Covarrubias from social events before the coup. "He forced us into sexual acts, which shows that besides ferocious cruelty there was a level of psychopathic behavior." When Garcia Covarrubias was hired in 2001, and through his first three-year contract renewal, his name was not publicly linked to the feared DINA. But in 2008, the Chilean military presented a list of 1,097 DINA members to Chilean Judge Alejandro Solis. Although his name was on it, Garcia Covarrubias told an Argentine newspaper in 2010 that he only taught in the national intelligence school. "I never was an operative," he said, citing his low rank at the time. "As a lieutenant, I was never an instructor of torture techniques." The DINA link matters. DINA was disbanded and reorganized into a new agency in 1977, a year after Chile's ex-Foreign Minister Orlando Letelier and his American aide were killed in a car bombing on Washington's Embassy Row. The killings and other assassinations outside Chile were attributed to DINA. The Nixon administration's support of a regime that relied on rampant torture helped galvanize the human rights movement in the United States. Garcia Covarrubias also has denied working late in the regime as a speechwriter for Pinochet, saying he was just an official in the secretariat of the presidency. On his LinkedIn professional profile, Garcia Covarrubias lists himself as director of the country's war college and boasts that he commanded forces. As early as 2008, some of his colleagues at the center were questioning his past. Martin Edwin Andersen, the center's former communications director, tried to talk to the school's top officials about the charismatic Chilean. Emails show he was repeatedly scolded for raising the matter. Kenneth LaPlante, then-deputy director at the center, acknowledged receiving Andersen's complaint and said he personally had reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Chile in 2008 to find out whether the allegations had any merit. "They told us there were only allegations but nothing had been proven," he said. LaPlante said Homeland Security officials "provisionally revoked" Garcia Covarrubias' visa in or around 2011. But Homeland Security also granted him "parole" to remain in the country while seeking permanent residency. "I asked them, 'Which is it? Should he be in this country or not?'" LaPlante recalled. "I kept being told these were just allegations and he had all the rights of a U.S. employee." The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which processes applications for permanent residency, did not respond to a reporter's questions. McClatchy, however, also learned that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigative office authorized to pursue criminal charges or expel foreign human rights violators was notified of the Garcia Covarrubias case in 2011. An ICE spokeswoman declined to say what action was taken, if any. Despite very graphic torture accusations against Garcia Covarrubias, U.S. officials are rallying behind him. Former center director Richard Downie recalled that then-U.S. Ambassador to Chile Paul Simons was "incensed" in 2008 that Garcia Covarrubias' visa was in question. Simons did not respond to McClatchy's requests for comment. Former deputy director LaPlante said he'd resisted calls to remove Garcia Covarrubias because the former professor had denied the allegations. However, LaPlante acknowledged feeling conflicted since his friend became linked publicly to DINA. "If I had known and I had been the one hiring him, I can tell you it would have been a disqualifier," said LaPlante, adding, "But isn't that guilt by association?" Hayes, who hired Garcia Covarrubias, stressed that he would have been too young to be "in any kind of command position" in DINA. Asked whether it was a disqualifier, she said it depended "on what he might have been doing at the time." "Someone who has previously worked with the CIA might not have been excluded from hiring," she offered. McClatchy asked the CIA whether Garcia Covarrubias had ever worked with the agency. "No comment," said Kali Caldwell, a CIA spokeswoman. As the center supported Garcia Covarrubias, it pushed out Andersen in retaliation, the former communications chief said. Last September, Andersen filed a complaint with the Pentagon's inspector general, with the support of then-Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich. An inspector general spokeswoman declined to comment. "It's shameful that at a time the U.S. prestige as a democracy is under attack, that the National Defense University could be playing footsie with a former state terrorism agent," Andersen said. The details uncovered about Garcia Covarrubias have prompted demands from several members of Congress for a Pentagon accounting of how he was hired and retained his job. "The American people deserve to know that adequate vetting of such individuals would be routine," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., author of the "Leahy Law," which restricts U.S. assistance to foreign security forces that violate human rights. While most of the concerns focused on Garcia Covarrubias, the center also took heat in 2006 for hiring Colombian Gen. Carlos Ospina Ovalle. As army commander, he turned the tables in a decades-old guerrilla war while simultaneously crushing drug cartels. Ospina Ovalle left the center last year and took a post at another National Defense University school. He was hired at the request of the Colombian government and was popular with U.S. military leaders, recalls Downie, the center's director at the time. "The Colombians wanted, for his own safety, to get him out of Colombia," said Downie. "This is a guy we certainly wanted to have as a professor." Human rights groups, however, criticized the general's hiring and continued employment at the National Defense University. They point to his earlier command in Antioquia province, where right-wing paramilitaries ran roughshod and were linked to the military. "Antioquia in the late 1990s ... is less than one degree of separation from working with the paramilitaries," said Adam Isacson, a senior associate specializing in military matters for the Washington Office on Latin America. "If he has not, it's some miracle that he managed to be the one clean officer." "Having officers like that, the implicit message is that human rights takes a backseat," said Isacson. (McClatchy special correspondent Helen Hughes in Santiago, Chile, and Tish Wells contributed to this report.)
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Nearly 60,000 opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline are urging Hillary Clinton to avoid a "conflict of interest" for her impending presidential bid and return Clinton Foundation donations from foreign governments. "Rejection of the tar sands pipeline by President Obama is looking more likely every day. So you can bet foreign oil companies are setting their sights on the next president of the United States hoping for approval in two years," the liberal group CREDO Action says on its website. The petition urges Hillary Clinton to "immediately return Clinton Foundation contributions from foreign governments. These contributions create a clear and unnecessary conflict of interest as you prepare to run for President." Critics from across political ideologies have questioned the foundation's acceptance of foreign funds. The U.S. bars candidates from accepting foreign money. Both Bill and Hillary Clinton have within the past week defended the donations, which have raised questions since The Wall Street Journal reported last month the foundation dropped its self-imposed ban, put in place during Clinton's tenure as secretary of State. The Canadian government agency pushing for U.S. approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline donated between $250,000 and $500,000 to the Clinton group last year, according to the Journal , which noted that the State Department's initial environmental impact report on Keystone came during Clinton's time as secretary. Several Middle Eastern countries have also donated millions of dollars to the foundation. Over the weekend, Bill Clinton said the foundation has "done a lot more good than harm." Hillary Clinton similarly defended the foundation during her Tuesday press conference at the United Nations when asked about donations from countries that treat women poorly amid questions over her private email use. "There can't be any mistake about my passion concerning women's rights here at home and around the world," she said. "I think that people who want to support the foundation know full well what it is we stand for and what we're working on."
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Adidas could be facing yet another threat from its rivals. Both Nike and Under Armour are in a good position to steal Adidas' NBA sponsorship contract when that deal expires in 2017, say Citigroup analysts Kate McShane and Corinna Van der Ghinst. What's at stake is a sport with millions of viewers and a key foothold in the US sportswear market. It's by far the largest in the world, valued at more than three times the next largest market, China. Basketball sneakers make up a significant part of that. According to market researcher , NPD Group, the US basketball sneaker category is worth about $1.8 billion and continues to grow. Nike, which between its own brand and its subsidiary Jordan brand completely controls that market, could seek to secure that dominance with a pre-emptive bid, say McShane and Van der Ghinst. (Nike already sponsors by far the most NBA players. Why not just sponsor the whole league?) Under Armour, however, has been stepping up its game against Nike, launching the Curry One sneaker with NBA star Stephen Curry. It may want to make an all-out push into basketball sneakers by adding its name to the list of league sponsors. And as McShane and Van der Ghinst note, the "NBA's fairly well-developed international business would also be good timing for Under Armour's accelerating international expansion plans." It's doubtful Adidas would willingly let go of its NBA sponsorship, which it has held since 2006 . As its position in the US sportswear market overall has slipped , leaving it behind Nike and Under Armour, the company has pledged to spend more money signing US athletes. Its focus will be on baseball and football Adidas already started by giving out $100,000 a piece to select NFL prospects but it's unlikely to ignore basketball entirely. According to McShane and Van der Ghinst, Adidas sees the sponsorship as "vital to its North American business." Last time around it reportedly spent upwards of $400 million to win it. Yet Adidas' current CEO, Herbert Hainer, is scheduled to step down in 2017, and the company is already working with him on a " generation change ." Perhaps it won't be the only change for Adidas.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) An attorney for Kansas forward Cliff Alexander says the freshman has answered all requests for information from the NCAA as it investigates whether a member of his family received improper benefits from an NBA agent. Paul K. Stafford also said in the statement Thursday that Alexander has been willing to be interviewed by the NCAA since March 2, two days after the organization informed Kansas of its concerns and Alexander was held out of a game against Texas. Alexander was held out of the Jayhawks' final three regular-season games, and coach Bill Self said Wednesday that he does not anticipate him playing in the Big 12 tournament. Stafford issued his statement shortly before Kansas played TCU in the quarterfinals.
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Tough Mom Decisions I Have to Make Every Day There are many very important decisions to be made when you decide to have children. Sure there are the very major decisions, such as do you have a natural birth or get an epidural, breastfeed or bottle-feed, let the baby cry it out or co-sleep? But there are also the everyday decisions, important choices I find myself having to make, and some days they just may determine whether I stay afloat or drown. It's like I'm performing parenting triage on a daily basis. 1. Greasy hair or greasy stovetop? I can either undo the top knot that has been sitting on the top of my head for the past 30 hours and work shampoo through my mangled mane, or I can work soft soap and a sponge through the beef stroganoff grime sitting on the stovetop while the little one takes her mid-morning nap. 2. Shave my legs or wax my mustache? I'm either Burt Reynolds on top or Burt Reynolds on bottom. Perhaps not an everyday choice, but when the time does come to wax the Lorax stache, there is a time allocation decision to be made. It's either hair-free legs or hair-free lips. There is really scarcely a time, these days, where it all syncs up and I'm a completely hairless cat. I'm either Burt Reynolds on top or Burt Reynolds on bottom. 3. Do I give my toddler an actual bath or just wipe her down with wipes? Some nights, time gets away from me. And so does energy. Add an unwilling toddler who proceeds to sweep your leg every time you utter the word "bath" and well, the decision's pretty much been made. Wipe down. 4. Two or three cups of coffee? 'Cuz one ain't gonna cut it, sister. 5. Have lunch at a trendy lunch spot with your girlfriends or sit alone at home and eat a sandwich while you read a magazine? Do you socialize and catch up with friends or hideout like a hermit? Alone time is a hot commodity when you are a mother of a small child. So, the decision does have to be made. Do you socialize and catch up with friends or hideout like a hermit eating Cheetoh puffs and a half-thawed Uncrustables off of a paper plate on your bed while you read a recent-ish issue of US Weekly? 6. Make her eat her veggies or not get kicked in the face? Some days, you get kicked in the face. Other days, you let her eat Teddy Grahams and bread for dinner. 7. Change her food-splattered shirt before you go to the park or just let it ride? Some days, the ghost of the perfectionist who used to exist pre-kid shows up and wins, and I change my toddler's outfit three to four times a day. But other days, my daughter spends the day looking like she's just done a color run, but instead of being covered in brightly colored paint, she's covered in ketchup, marker and dirt (and hopefully not fecal material). 8. Sleep in a toddler-size bed with my 2-year-old or put my 2-year-old in my bed? Let's face it, we're sleeping together no matter what, so the question is, in what environment do I choose to get a really crappy night's sleep? 9. Let her have my phone or my computer? When there's just nothing else to tame the beast, an important decision must be made: Which device do I give her? Some days it's phone, where I run the risk of her making several Facetime calls to her cousins in London. Other days, it's the computer, where I run the risk of finger-painted spit "Olafs" on my screen or coins in my SD drive. 10. Wine or chocolate? Or both? Do I eat a whole chocolate bar or drink a very large glass of wine after the human T-Rex has finally gone to sleep? Who am I kidding? The only right answer is both.
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ALLEGAN, Mich. Authorities say a 32-year-old man fatally shot a woman and her two children before returning to their mobile home in western Michigan and setting it ablaze. WOOD-TV reports that Corey LaValley was arraigned Thursday on three counts of open murder, second-degree arson and gun possession charges. No lawyer was listed for LaValley. The bodies of 33-year-old Debra Sheppard; her 12-year-old daughter, Emma McComber; and son Corey LaValley Jr. were found Tuesday in Dorr Township, southwest of Grand Rapids. Corey LaValley Jr., a fifth-grader, was LaValley's and Sheppard's son. The sheriff's department says LaValley and Sheppard had dated and lived together. The victims are believed to have been shot Monday evening and the fire was set the next day. LaValley was arrested 65 miles away in Eaton County.
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two out of three people in the United States with cancer that has spread to nearby tissue live at least five years after they are diagnosed, according to a federal study released on Thursday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked patients diagnosed from 2003 to 2010 and found that the overall five-year survival rate for invasive cancer was 65 percent. A goal of a federal program called Healthy People 2020 is to reach a rate of 71.7 percent. Five-year survival rates were highest for patients aged 45 and younger at 81 percent and for those with prostate cancer, 97 percent, or female breast cancer, 88 percent. Invasive lung cancer, which often spreads to the brain or bones, had the lowest rate at 18 percent. "Four decades ago, survival was about half at five years," Lisa Richardson, who directs the CDC's division of cancer prevention and control, told Reuters. "Over the years, the trends have been up, and I believe we're going to continue to see those trends." She credited improved diagnostic tools and treatment for the improved survival rates. Although therapies for some cancers have improved over the years, cancer epidemiologists warn that early diagnosis can produce a misleading view of survival rates. Even if tumors are detected when they are small, patients might not live to an older age than they would have if detection had happened later; they just live more years knowing they have cancer and are more likely to be counted as five-year survivors. Richardson urged patients diagnosed with invasive cancer to work with their doctors to get appropriate treatment and screenings and to adopt healthy habits. "If they smoke, quit; maintain a healthy weight and exercise," she said. Survival rates varied by race. Among black patients with invasive cancer, 60 percent survived at least five years, while 65 percent of white patients did. The disparity, Richardson said, could be because black Americans have higher rates of chronic illnesses, such as type-2 diabetes, as well as less access to quality health care. (Reporting by David Beasley; Editing by Sharon Begley and Lisa Von Ahn)
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On March 12, 1985, Larry Bird had one of the best performances of his career, dropping 60 points on the Atlanta Hawks. Here's that torching in all its glory : A great story has also lived on from that game. When Bird started rolling, hitting shot after shot, he began to call what he was going to do -- how he was going to score, who he was going to score against and so on. According to legend, coming down the court on his last shot of the game he said "in the trainer's lap -- who wants it?" Meaning, he was about to hit a deep 3-pointer in some poor soul's face. "Then I think Reggie Brown, I'm not sure who it was, ran out after him," Doc Rivers, playing on that Hawks team, recalled about that night . "He shot this high rainbow, it goes in. Reggie bumps into him and accidentally knocks him on our trainer's lap. So it was exactly what he said. It was an accident, but it was almost fate. They show a shot of our bench -- Cliff Livingston and Eddie Johnson are standing up giving each other high fives." It's one of the many great trash talking stories that have been credited to Bird, who is remembered as one of the most cold-hearted bastards (in a good way) to ever play in the NBA. It's a significant part of what makes him one of the sports best characters. Since trash talking tales are always fun -- hell, I'm a Lakers fan and love these Bird tales -- here are 13 other times when Bird was brutally ruthless. (Note: These are all according to various tales found on the Internet, details of which may have been fudged over the years. They're fun regardless -- just take them for what they're worth. Enjoy.) 1. Bird humiliates the entire Dallas Mavericks bench On one trip to Dallas, Bird told the Mavericks entire bench how he was going to get the ball on the next play and he would hit a 3. "So you got that?" Bird said. "I'm gonna stand right here. I'm not going to move. They'll pass me the ball, and the next sound you hear will be the ball hitting the bottom of the net." Bird then nailed the 3 and winked at the Mavs. 2. Bird tells the Pacers to get a prayer George McCloud was a rookie for Indiana in the 1989-90 season and was told to guard Bird during one game. How does Bird respond? He turns to Indiana's bench and says, "Hey I know you guys are desperate, but can't you find someone who at least has a prayer?" 3. Bird uses a timeless childhood quip Bird was being guarded by Charles Smith of the New York Knicks and right as he released a shot he'd make to beat the Knicks, Bird said, "Sorry Charlie." Just cold. 4. Bird relentlessly taunts Dennis Rodman When Dennis Rodman was playing for Detroit early in his career, he got assigned to Bird during a game against Boston. Bird made four consecutive baskets and proceeded to tell Pistons coach Chuck Daly, "Who's guarding me, Chuck? Is anyone guarding me? You better get someone on me or I'm gonna go for 60." No matter how close up Rodman would get to Bird, trying to deny him the ball, Bird would playfully yell to teammates to hurry up and get him the ball "before they notice nobody is guarding me." 5. Bird wants to know the scoring record Bird was known for going into opposing buildings and asking various people to find out what the scoring record was so he could break it. Sometimes he'd even ask his opponent. When the opponent would ask Bird why, No. 33 would respond, "Well, you're guarding me, aren't you?" 6. Bird is just so mean to poor Ben Poquette Facing Chicago once, the Bulls put Ben Poquette on Bird. You've probably never heard of Ben Poquette, which was exactly Bird's point when, on the way to 33 points in the first half, he looked at Bulls coach Doug Collins and said, "Ben Poquette? Are you f---ing kidding me?" 7. Bird says Merry Christmas to Chuck Person Person went by the nickname "Rifleman" and said he was "going bird hunting" when Indiana faced Boston on Christmas Day. So before the game, Bird said he had a present for Person. After releasing a 3-pointer in front of Person on Indiana's bench, Bird turned and wished him a "merry f---ing Christmas." The shot then went in. 8. Bird tells it straight to Reggie Miller Miller is known as a superb trash-talker in his own right, which explains why he even had the balls to try to rattle Bird. Miller, then a rookie, was trying to get in Bird's head at the free-throw line when Bird looked at him and said, "Rook, I am the best f---ing shooter in the league. In the league, understand? And you're up here trying to f---ing tell me something?" Lesson learned. 9. Bird tells McDaniel exactly how he's gonna get beat Seattle's Xavier McDaniel was once guarding Bird when Larry explained to him on the court, "I'm going to get the ball right here and I am going to shoot it right in your face." Bird got the pass, found the spot he told McDaniel he would and then buried the shot. "I didn't mean to leave two seconds on the clock," Bird told McDaniel after the bucket. 10. Bird gives Aguirre the truth What was Mark Aguirre thinking that one time when he hit a 3 on Bird and said, "Take a look at that." The audacity! Bird responded by hitting three consecutive 3s and coldly saying to Aguirre, "You're out of your league." 11. Bird was even ruthless to his teammates Bird didn't save his biting commentary just for opponents. If he had a point to make to his teammates, well, they would receive it. Former teammate ML Carr once shared an example: "Larry said, 'You guys want to win the game? Give me the ball and get out of the way.'" 12. Bird runs a heat check Bird was on fire one time against the Utah Jazz, hitting everything. As has become abundantly clear here, he liked to talk to opposing benches during these times. So Bird launches a shot and tells the Jazz bench it was merely a "heat check" to see how hot he was. Later, he runs by Jazz coach Frank Layden and said, "Hey, Frank, haven't you got anyone on the bench who can guard me?" Layden looked down his bench and then back at Bird: "No." 13. Bird knows where to find Craig Hodges It was no surprise that Bird was dominant in the All Star Game 3-point shooting contest, winning the first three events beginning with the inaugural one in 1985-86. Before the event would even start he would ask the others participating who was competing for second place. When Craig Hodges won in '89-90, with Bird not participating, he was asked whether his victory needed an asterisk because he didn't go against Bird. "He knows where to find me," Hodges said. The words were taken to Bird for a response, who said, "Yeah -- at the end of the Bulls' bench." Damn. (h/t Viral Hoops, YouTube, NBA and others) Teddy Mitrosilis works in content production at FOX Sports Digital. Follow him on Twitter @TMitrosilis and email him at [email protected].
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Within minutes of posting a 2015 Ford Edge photo on Instagram, the comments already showed a consistent theme: "Looks like the RAV4," wrote mrbrightside725; "Doesn't the new Edge look like the Santa Fe?" asked rdederick; "Nice Honda CR-V," noted danieljay6910. But it was j_runemova_23's post that stood out most: "Looks like everything else all-together." The popular Web meme I SEEN'T IT! instantly came to mind. My Instagram insta-poll was clear: The Edge's design is a little too familiar. But Kevin George, the Ford Edge's chief designer, seemed to see this coming the night before at the program's Scottsdale, Arizona, home base. "We didn't want to reinvent what we had," he said as he pointed out its uncomplicated exterior and familiar proportions. "We wanted to leverage the good." And out here in the intense Arizona sunlight on state Route 188, the actual Edge (as compared with my posted pic) appears simultaneously handsome and modern to the max though not as in-your-face as, say, the 2015 Nissan Murano, a key competitor. "It's a runner now," George said. "Slender but muscular. Ford Edge Model Overview " The 2015 Edge's ground-up redesign adds 1 inch to the predecessor's wheelbase, a bit less than 2 inches to its height, and nearly 4 inches to its length. Horizontal, all-LED lamps now adorn the steeply raked section aft of the C-pillar, and at the front the simplified nose incorporates slim headlights and a familial three-bar grille (with Active Grille Shutters for models with EcoBoost engines). Behind those grilles purrs a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 with 315 horses for the nimble Sport version (its only engine) or a 245-horse, 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-four powering the front-drive Titanium trim (also available with a 3.5-liter V-6 and all-wheel drive). Both sport six-speed automatic transmissions with paddle shifters that I put to very good use on Route 188's frequent steep hills. The twin-scroll 2.0-liter might not be as punchy (needing a few extra milliseconds and a downshift to carry momentum up the same hill), but it's capable just not as fluid as the smoother 2.7. (Hard to beat 350 lb-ft available at just 2,750 rpm.) A runner? You betcha, Mr. George. Slideshow: Ford Edge The 2015 Edge's swiftness is helped by a structure 50 pounds lighter and all-new independent rear suspension, and although it's still a top-heavy people-mover (of course), on curvaceous pavement cutting through the Tonto National Forest, both flavors of the Edge responded deftly with a sense of refined sturdiness. Predictably, the Edge Sport was even defter yet, given its 265/40R21 Pirelli Scorpion Verde all-season tires, 10 percent stiffer springs, monotube rear dampers, and thicker anti-roll bars. But curiously, it simultaneously delivered a suppler ride than the front-drive Titanium model rolling on 20-inch alloys, which tended to bounce over bigger obstacles rather than absorb them as the Sport did. The cooled and heated 10-way power adjustable front seats of the Edge Titanium and Sport are good news for those bumps and corners, but what's even more noticeable inside is the crossover's big stride in quietness. Robust insulation and body seals, acoustic windshield and underbody panels, and in the case of the Titanium acoustic glass for the front passenger doors all work together to quell cabin noise to a remarkable extent. Wind gust patter isn't all that gets hushed. Even the Sport AWD's optional 21-inch wheels are felt more than heard, helped, no doubt, by the Active Noise Cancellation system, which pumps opposing sound waves into the space via Sony's audio system. The Titanium FWD is no less silent. Research more SUVs here The end of my drive gave a good chance to climb around the 2015 Edge's interior. Every front and rear capacity headroom, legroom, shoulder room, hiproom has seen modest growth. So too has cargo space behind the second row (39.2 cu ft versus 32.2). And everywhere around me, softer, higher-quality, painted, and plated accents decorate high-touch areas. Storage cubbies galore populate the dash, center console, doors, and even the space beside both knees, with 10 count 'em, 10 cupholders for knickknacks and beverages. Folks occupying the rear 60/40 split seat have cubbies, too, plus two 12-volt plugs that ought to keep device-toting kids quiet four hours. Outdoorsy-types will enjoy the Sport's Panoramic Vista Roof that expands the cabin's already airy feel. Best Cars for Families Meanwhile, lazy types can opt for the Enhanced Park Assist package that teams perpendicular parking, parallel parking, and park out assist technologies. The new 180-degree front camera makes pulling out of parking spots or alleys a stress-free task, and in a trial, the ensemble worked flawlessly in parallel and perpendicular situations, needing me to only brake and engage forward or reverse. It does the rest. For years, the Ford Edge has been the sales king in the heated two-row-SUV segment. So like a breakout singer crafting a sophomore album, getting this one right is imperative, especially now that it's headed to European and Chinese customers. Although the Edge may not wow the avatars of Instagram, the ahhhs it'll receive for the beautiful accomplishments beneath its skin ought to keep it looking plenty good in the sales race.
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SALT LAKE CITY A jury found a Utah doctor guilty of murder Thursday in the 2011 death of his cancer researcher ex-wife in a largely circumstantial case that came together after pleas from the woman's family and friends. Salt Lake City pediatrician John Brickman Wall, 51, was convicted of killing the woman amid a bitter custody dispute. He faces up to life in prison. The jury of three women and five men deliberated for about seven hours before reaching the verdict late Thursday night. Prosecutors alleged Wall attacked 49-year-old Uta von Schwedler with a knife, dosed her with an anti-anxiety drug Xanax and drowned her in her bathtub. Defense attorneys countered that the theory was unbelievable, and it was more likely von Schwedler killed herself. Her death initially was treated as a suicide. But family and friends pushed for more investigation, saying the researcher showed no signs of wanting to end her life. The couple's oldest son, Pelle Wall, said publicly that he thought his father killed his mother. After the verdict was read, the 21-year-old college student thanked police for years of investigation and "uncommon persistence." He spoke at the courthouse in Salt Lake City surrounded by more than two dozen supporters. "We have spent the last three and half years seeking justice for my mother, and today that quest is finally at an end," he said. Prosecutor Matthew Janzen said Pelle Wall played an important part in the case, one of many pieces that formed the largely circumstantial case. John Wall sat with his hands folded and shoulders bent, staring down as the verdict was read and blinking rapidly as his frown deepened. The defendant's sister, Wendy Wall, maintained her brother's innocence. "This verdict will not bring Uta back," she said in a statement. "Now, to that tragedy has been added the conviction of an innocent man." The evidence in the case was unusual: A medical examiner thought the shallow cuts on von Schwedler's wrists and leg looked like she was defending herself from an attack, but he couldn't explain the fatal level of Xanax in her system. Forensic experts had very different interpretations of the scene. For the prosecution, spilled antihistamine pills on the floor, a house in disarray and bloodstains in von Schwedler's bed showed she was attacked. The defense said the home revealed signs of a troubled woman who died trying to calm herself with medication. "The state just can't throw up a whole bunch of theories," John Wall's lawyer Fred Metos said during closing arguments Thursday. He added self-injury is a rare side effect of Xanax. Prosecutors said von Schwedler studied childhood leukemia and recently made a discovery that could help find new treatments for the disease. She had no prescription for Xanax, but John Wall filled a large one for his mother months before his ex-wife's death. "He resented her efforts to see the children, to talk with the children, to text the children, to email the children," prosecutor Nick D'Alesandro said during closings. "He just couldn't stop talking about how much he hated her." The night of their mother's death, the former couple's four children were staying at John Wall's house. The next morning, he wasn't at home when they woke up. Instead, he went to a car wash and had the interior of his car cleaned, including a pinkish stain, according to prosecutors. He came to work with a scratch on his face and injury to his eye; he said the family dog scratched him while he slept. Police knocked on John Wall's door that night, hours after von Schwedler's boyfriend found her body. During an intense interrogation, John Wall denied having anything to do with her death. The couple's oldest daughter, 19-year-old Malkie Wall, testified that her father returned home deeply troubled and asking his children if he was a monster. His lawyers said he broke down after police made him question his sanity, but there's no proof he was in von Schwedler's house.
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Greg Sankey will replace the retiring Mike Slive as commissioner of the Southeastern Conference. Vanderbilt Chancellor Nick Zeppos, the president of the SEC presidents and chancellors, announced Sankey's appointment on Thursday. Slive, the SEC's commissioner since 2002, said in October he would retire effective July 31. Sankey is in his 13th year with the SEC and has served as the conference's executive associate commissioner and chief operating officer for the league office since 2012. Before joining the SEC staff, Sankey was the Southland Conference commissioner for nearly seven years. Arkansas Chancellor David Gearhart headed the search committee that decided on Slive's replacement. Gearhart said in a release, ''Greg possesses all of the traits we were searching for in the next commissioner of the SEC.'' ''He has shown tremendous leadership in his existing role in the conference office and he exudes a passion for the student-athlete that is critical for the new era of college athletics that we have entered,'' Gearhart said. ''He is the right person to lead the SEC at an important time in our history.'' Sankey, who will be introduced at a news conference Friday morning in Nashville before the SEC men's basketball tournament, has the challenging task of replacing one of the most powerful figures in all of college sports. Under Slive's leadership, the SEC became the nation's most premier football conference, dug out from under a pile of NCAA compliance issues and won seven consecutive BCS titles from 2006-12. In a release, Sankey said he was ''honored'' to follow Slive as the SEC's commissioner. Sankey is in his 13th year with the SEC and has served as the conference's executive associate commissioner and chief operating officer for the league office since 2012. Before joining the SEC staff, Sankey was the Southland Conference commissioner for nearly seven years. ''I think it was a great hire,'' Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan said after his Gators beat Alabama at the SEC tournament in Nashville. ''I think he's really smart. I think he's bright. I think he gets the big picture. He's been involved in a lot of different committees,'' Donovan said. ''I think he has a really good pulse on the NCAA. I think he has a really good pulse on where college athletics are going. ... I really believe they hired a great guy.'' Sankey has helped the SEC reshape its governance, enforcement and compliance program. He also has directed the SEC's championships staff. He is active within the NCAA committee structure, which includes his current service on the Division I Legislative Council, Committee on Academic Performance and the NCAA Committee on Infractions, for which he currently serves as chairman.
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A German biologist who promised to pay 100,000 euros to anyone who could prove that the measles was indeed a virus was ordered by a court on Thursday to hand over the money. The man had made the promise in 2011 on his website, saying anyone who could offer scientific proof of the existence of the virus would receive the $106,000 reward. He denies the existence of the virus and says he believes the illness to be psychosomatic. A German doctor gathered various scientific publications on the subject and claimed the reward, but the biologist refuted the findings. The court in Ravensburg in Germany's southwest ruled that the doctor had offered sufficient proof. However, the biologist has maintained his stance. "It is a psychosomatic illness," he told regional paper Suedkurier. "People become ill after traumatic separations." Last month, a toddler suffering from measles died in Berlin amid the country's worst outbreak in years, rekindling a debate on vaccinations. A recent outbreak in the United States also led to controversy over some families' decisions to refuse vaccines. The World Health Organization has called on European nations to step up vaccinations against the highly contagious virus after an outbreak of over 22,000 cases across the continent since 2014. Measles causes fever and rash, and in severe cases can lead to pneumonia or brain swelling, sometimes fatal. The disease is highly contagious because it is transmitted through the air.
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McLEAN, Va. When Fairfax County, Virginia, police officer Sharif Issa (ISS'-eh) pulled up on the scene of a car in flames, he said to himself, "I'm glad there is no one in that car." But there was a man in the car, disoriented and confused. Issa pulled him to safety before the car burned to its shell. Then Issa charged him with driving while intoxicated. Fairfax County Police say it happened Saturday afternoon in the parking lot of an American Legion post in McLean. When Issa arrived, witnesses told him there was a man inside the burning car, which had struck a tree. Police say Issa grabbed the man by the hand and led him away from the car. Issa conducted sobriety tests on the 38-year-old man and charged him with DWI.
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Give credit to Springfield Mayor J. Michael Houston: The man is putting on a brave face. Here he is pictured giving the keys to the city of Springfield, Illinois, to Cobra Commander , the supreme leader of the nefarious Cobra "terrorist organization." It is, no doubt, a slickly produced stunt designed to convince Americans that it's just business as usual in Flower City. Make no mistake: Cobra Commander now holds a U.S. capital city in his leather-begloved hands. Here are some answers to your pressing questions about this developing news story because learning is half the battle . What happens next? With the keys to the city in hand, Cobra Commander can unlock basically all of Springfield. The Springfield Muni Opera . The Prairie Art Alliance galleries. Anything, really. He might want to get some key copies cut, so look for him at the hardware store. Sure, that's just being careful. What about after that? Putting Springfield's 117,000 residents into re-education camps will be no small task. Young and able citizens will likely be conscripted under Baroness Anastasia DeCobray ; those not fit for Cobra may be subject to medical experimentation by Dr. Mindbender. What's under his mask? I don't know. How would I know that? I'm writing from a press release here. Do senior officials in Cobra Command also get keys? No; Cobra Commander does not share power willingly. Definitely nothing for Serpentor . Things still aren't great between the two of them since Cobra Commander engineered that assassination attempt on his life . Frankly, in-fighting within Cobra's leadership structure tends to curb the group's civic ambitions. However, Tomax and Xamot compete annually in the Twin Cities Marathon; and Destro , who maintains fortresses in Scotland and Trans-Carpathia , has been known to serve as Grand Marshall in New York's Tartan Day Parade . What about Mumm-Ra ? While London considered building a death pyramid in the 1820s , and Memphis constructed a pyramid arena in 1991 (now a Bass Pro Shops retail outlet ), no city has yet earned the endorsement of Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living . Okay, what about Skeletor ? What a silly question! Skeletor is a fictional character from He-Man . What drew Cobra Commander to Springfield, Illinois? Possibly the International G.I. Joe Collectors' Convention , which is scheduled for April 9 12. Or maybe it's the fact that Springfield is the one-time home and final resting place of President Abraham Lincoln, a real American hero. For what it's worth, Cobra Commander's conquest of Springfield is a homecoming of sorts: The Cobra organization has roots in Springfield . Has Cobra Commander tried anything like this before? Cobra Commander once stormed the city of Millville, N.Y. , promising a complete transformation of the upstate Rust Belt town. "New prosperity! New jobs! New industry! New commerce! All this, coupled with an end to crime and immorality!" he pledged, at the cost of "a few insignificant personal freedoms that you won't even miss much!" In the end, Cobra Commander's promises were too good to be true. He got as far as issuing mandatory voter ID cards before the U.S. military was summoned to stop him. Is this the first time someone has tried to bend Springfield to his own mad vision of socially engineered authoritarianism? No. Vachel Lindsay, the Springfield poet known as the "Prairie Troubadour," wrote a novel, The Golden Book of Springfield (1920), that imagined Springfield as an anarchistic, socialistic utopia . Snake Eyes or Storm Shadow ? Close contest , but in deadly ninja combat, advantage: Cobra. H/T io9
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PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) -- Brian Davis takes pride in his short game, which saved him from a rough finish Thursday and gave him the lead in the Valspar Championship. Coming off back-to-back bogeys, Davis chipped in from 25 feet on the ninth green at Innisbrook for a 6-under 65, giving him a one-shot lead over past champion Sean O'Hair and Ricky Barnes after the opening round. For the 40-year-old Davis, it was the perfect finish to go with what had been an ideal start. Starting on the back nine of the Copperhead course, he missed three birdie chances inside 15 feet and still went out in 30. There wasn't a hint of trouble until a three-putt from 45 feet on No. 7 and a poor chip at the par-3 eighth that led to bogey. And right when he thought he had hit a good approach on No. 9, he heard nothing. "I expected a clap and nobody clapped," he said. His chip came out with more over-spin because of the grain in the grass and might have gone about 6 feet by the hole except that it struck the pin. "Delighted," the Englishman said. O'Hair got even more evidence that his game is turning around by making eight birdies in the morning for a 66. Barnes, playing in the afternoon, was tied for the lead until he three-putted the par-3 17th from 35 feet and missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the last hole. Henrik Stenson, at No. 3 the highest-ranked player in the field, made his debut at Innisbrook by dressing in the same colors as the volunteers, though it wasn't intentional, and none of the volunteers had matching pants to go with his periwinkle shirt. He didn't like the swing he had on the range, though he hit enough good iron shots early on to get by. Stenson hit wedge into the par-4 ninth for a final birdie and a bogey-free 67. He was in a group that included Justin Thomas and Puerto Rico Open winner Alex Cejka. Thomas opened with nine straight pars, a bogey on the par-5 first hole, and then five birdies. Stenson played with Adam Scott, who made four straight bogeys on his back nine that ruined a good round. He had a birdie on the final hole for a 71. Also in the group was Jordan Spieth, slowed by a double bogey in his round of 70. "Fell asleep out there for about 30 minutes," Scott said. The Copperhead course didn't have a lot of bite with its green, soft conditions. Thomas was among those who had mud on the golf ball, which led to his bogey at No. 1. It still was the sturdy test that makes it so popular. Even without much wind and a mostly overcast sky, the course average was about 71.4 "The golf course was there -- no wind and fairly soft -- so you have to try to make your score today if you could," Davis said. It wasn't there for John Daly. He opened with a double bogey when he three-putted from 5 feet. He later four-putted for triple bogey on the 14th hole. A birdie on the final hole gave him an 81, but there was a sliver of good news at the end of his long day. He wasn't selected for drug testing. "No, that's tomorrow," said Daly, with a grin. He said on his SiriusXM radio show Tuesday that night the PGA Tour didn't have random testing because he has been picked at Innisbrook the last six years. O'Hair won at Innisbrook in 2008, though he has fallen on lean times. He has had to earn his card at the Web.com Tour Finals each of the last two years. "The last two years have been disappointing for me," O'Hair said. "I lost really everything. I lost my ball-striking and kind of lost my mind, lost confidence as far as how I play the game because I like to hit a lot of different shots and I got very swing-oriented." DIVOTS: Course owners said Thursday the Copperhead course will go through an extensive restoration this summer, primarily to replace the grass in the fairways and rough, to rebuild the greens and reshape some of the bunkers to the original Larry Packard design. "Hopefully, they don't mess around with the design too much because I think we've got a really good golf course here," Scott said. ... Padraig Harrington, in his first start since winning the Honda Classic, opened with a 76. ... Georgia Tech senior Ollie Schniederjans, in his first PGA Tour event, made a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for an even-par 71.
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Defense attorneys for Sarah Gumm, the Waukegan babysitter accused of murdering a 3-month-old girl, want her trial pushed back to June 1. Gumm, 36, is currently scheduled for trial on April 27, though it was has been delayed before. The case dates back to July 27, 2012, when Gumm allegedly slammed the baby's head on a table when the girl, Rylan Koopmeiners, became fussy while Gumm was changing her diaper. Authorities have said Gumm left the child alone twice earlier that day. Prosecutors objected to another trial delay. Lake County Circuit Court Judge Victoria Rossetti is expected to rule it Tuesday. "This case has been pending for quite some time. ... We can't keep continuing it over and over again," Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Eric Kalata said at a pretrial hearing Thursday. But attorney Greg Nikitas, who joined Gumm's defense team in February, said he needed more time to get up to speed on a complicated case. "I don't think it's fair to Ms. Gumm to ask us to be ready in a month," another defense attorney, Jed Stone, said in court Thursday. Though Gumm's attorneys had previously indicated that she wanted to go to trial and cease plea deal talks, Nikitas said after the hearing that the defense team will "explore all of Sarah's options" for resolving the case. Kalata said the two sides were "not even close" to a plea deal. Gumm appeared in court Thursday in handcuffs and shackles wearing the dark blue prison uniform, her long brown hair now reaching down to the middle of her back. She faces charges of first-degree murder and aggravated battery. [email protected]
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More than 10,000 people have now died from the Ebola virus, almost all of them in west Africa, the World Health Organization said Thursday. The three hardest-hit countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia have recorded 24,350 cases and 10,004 deaths since the epidemic began more than a year ago, the UN body said. There have also been six deaths in Mali, one in the United States and eight in Nigeria, all of which have since been declared Ebola-free. More on MSN: Ebola Briton lands in UK (Press Association) Vladimir Putin health fears: Kremlin denies rumours President is ill after he cancels second meeting in two days (The Independent) Boy, 15, Held In Attempted Kidnap Of Toddler (Sky News)
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A study is discovering Americans born between 1980 and 2000 are some of the most useless when stacked up against peers in 22 countries. Patrick Jones (@Patrick_E_Jones) explains.
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A biotech company thinks it has the answer to double chins an injection, of course. An FDA advisory panel has cleared a treatment from Kythera Pharmaceuticals called ATX-101, reports the Wall Street Journal . If the FDA goes along with the recommendation, as it usually does, the injections could win final approval in May and be available from dermatologists a month or two later. Reuters offers this explanation of how it works: The drug "is a formulation of synthetically derived deoxycholic acid, which destroys fat under the chin, leaving surrounding tissue largely unaffected." It would be the first such treatment designed to remove specific fat deposits, and the company's stock has tripled since it went public in 2012. Kythera hasn't released pricing, but the treatment actually a series of shots that would be given in a doctor's office would presumably be cheaper than than below-the-chin liposuction, which can cost more than $5,000. "My biggest concern is once it is approved, people will start to use it for other areas of the face or for larger volumes (of fat) in other areas," the president of the Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery tells NBC News . In the wrong hands, it could make things worse, he adds. The FDA panel gave the green light after 19 clinical trials involving 2,600 patients. (When the Quaker Oats guy got a makeover, his double chin went away .) This article originally appeared on Newser: Injection to Fix Double Chin May Be Available Soon
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health
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Kristen Bell just became a mom for the second time around, and when we caught up with her in LA recently, we talked about parenting clichés, date nights with her husband, Dax Shepard, and why she hasn't let her daughter Lincoln watch Frozen.
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entertainment
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People who maintain a healthy lifestyle could see a reduced risk for developing dementia, according to a new study out of Finland.
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health
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How much do you need to retire? According to a new Legg Mason survey, the new magic number is $2.5 million. Insight, with Patricia Powell, Wealth Health.
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finance
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WASHINGTON While a soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan, Tom Cotton wielded some of the military's most sophisticated firearms. Today it's letters that appear to be Sen. Cotton's weapon of choice. He fired off a missive read 'round the world this week that has catapulted the lanky, 37-year-old freshman senator from Arkansas into the spotlight, to the forefront of the debate over a nuclear deal with Iran and possibly, just possibly, to the head of the Republican presidential class of 2020. Cotton authored a letter to Iran's leaders co-signed by 46 other Republican senators warning them against a nuclear deal with the Obama administration and asserting that any pact probably wouldn't survive once President Barack Obama left the White House. The White House condemned the letter as a "flagrant, partisan attempt to interfere." The New York Daily News blasted Cotton and his fellow signatories as traitors in boldface type. More than 160,000 people signed a petition demanding that Cotton and his colleagues be brought up on charges of violating an 18th-century U.S. treason law that "forbids unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments." Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., in a tweet, dismissively called Cotton "Tehran Tom." But for those who know him, and conservatives who love him, the letter was Typical Tom. To admirers, Cotton is the conservative dream from central casting: a farm-raised, Harvard University- and Harvard Law School-educated former 101st Airborne Division member who isn't afraid to tell it like it is. "Sarah Palin with a Harvard degree," in the words of a Salon article last month. "If the Koch brothers tried to grow a politician in a laboratory, it would have grown Tom Cotton," said Janine Parry, a University of Arkansas political science professor. What you get, according to acquaintances and observers, is a different kind of Republican, one who appeals to tea party and establishment wings of the party. Unlike newer senators such as Rand Paul, R-Ky., who sometimes question American intervention overseas, Cotton is an unabashed hawk. "He really does want to take to task elements of his party who press for isolationism," said Jay Barth, a politics professor at Hendrix College in Conway, Ark. "He wants to stake his claim on the foreign policy front." Cotton offered a preview of things to come at a hearing last month where he blasted Obama's desire to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. "We should be sending more terrorists there for further interrogation to keep this country safe," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, every last one of them can rot in hell. But as long as they don't do that, they can rot in Guantanamo Bay." But his hawkish stance also found him siding with Obama. As a member of the House of Representatives, he and Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., wrote an opinion piece in The Washington Post in 2013 urging fellow Republicans to back the president's plan to use military force in Syria. "Congress has its own constitutional duty to defend U.S. interests, and those interests shouldn't be neglected simply because we have doubts about Obama," the two lawmakers wrote. Cotton was raised on a cattle farm in Dardanelle, Ark. population 4,693 by parents who were Democrats who voted for Bill Clinton for governor and president. Their son gravitated toward Republican conservatism. He told The Atlantic last year that Clinton's presidency, particularly "the tax increases that passed in the summer and fall of 1993, and also cutting and running from Mogadishu after the battle of Mogadishu" turned him against liberalism. At Harvard, Cotton connected with the small core of conservatives there, particularly government professor Harvey Mansfield. He introduced Cotton to like-minded students and academics, such as Stephan and Abigail Thernstrom. Cotton served as a researcher for the couple. "He's super-smart, a man of integrity and a straight talker," said Abigail Thernstrom, who served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights during George W. Bush's presidency. "You may not like what he has to say, but what you see is what you get." Cotton joined the Army after the 2001 terrorist attacks and saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan. While deployed, he wrote a scathing letter to The New York Times complaining about a story on the Bush administration tracking terrorist financing. "By the time we return home," he wrote, "maybe you will be in your rightful place: not at the Pulitzer announcements, but behind bars." The letter went unpublished, but it became a hit on conservative websites. "His experience in the military helped shape his focus," Abigail Thernstrom said. "He's not running for president in 2016, but I don't think foreign policy is going away as a major issue for Americans, and Tom will be at the forefront in that discussion." After leaving the Army, Cotton went to work in 2009 for McKinsey & Co., a management consulting group, and contemplated a run against then-Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark. Instead, he successfully ran for an open House seat in 2012. He took on Sen. Mark Pryor last year and defeated the Democratic incumbent in red state Arkansas by 17 points. Cotton's win was notable not only for its wide margin but also for the demeanor of the candidate. In a state known for charismatic elected officials such as Clinton and Republican former Gov. Mike Huckabee, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, Cotton was seen as charm-challenged and somewhat stiff on the campaign trail. "You used to have to shake hands and kiss babies, literally. It was largely about personality," Parry said. "He skipped a couple of key events, and he was disciplined about his talking points to the point of being robotic. It didn't hurt him; he won by 17 points." Arkansas Republican state Sen. Bart Hester said Cotton's letter to Iran had increased his stature back home and among conservatives nationwide, raising questions about a White House run. "He's already 7 feet tall and bulletproof," Hester said of the 6-foot-5 Cotton. "And his mystique continues to grow." Even before the "Dear Ayatollah" letter, Hester was working on a bill to change state law to allow Cotton to seek re-election to his Senate seat while running for president or vice president. That bill was scheduled for debate in the state Legislature on Thursday. Hester predicted it would pass and that Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson would sign it next week. "I talked to Tom about it and he didn't wave me off," Hester said. "He certainly likes having options."
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news
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10 Ingenious Terms Other Languages Use to Talk About Food English has adopted words from many different languages, but these ones unfortunately didn't make it. Drachenfutter (German) Nobody does compound words like the Germans. Drachenfutter (literal translation: dragon fodder) refers to the food a man uses to mollify his wife or girlfriend after he has annoyed her. Empacho (Spanish) We do have a word for this in English: food coma! However, the Mexican interpretation of this term is a little more serious. It refers to the abdominal pain that hits you after you have eaten a very big meal when the pain is severe enough that it can lead to vomiting. Engili (Telegu) Telegu, a language spoken in South India, has a word for a piece of food that has already been bitten into. It's not innocuous, though; engili also translates to "defiled food." Lalew (Filipino) On the opposite pole from "grief bacon," lalew refers to someone who is so devastated that he or she eschews eating altogether. Madárlátta (Hungarian) Madárlátta refers to food one takes along on a picnic or hike, but does not eat. The literal translation is "bird seen," which signifies that a bird has seen the food being carried. Pesamenteiro (Portuguese) When someone goes to a funeral on the pretext of offering condolences, but is actually only there for the free food. People had to do it often enough for there to be a word for it, right? Pisan zapra (Malay) Pisan zapra refers to the time it takes to eat a banana. If only there was a word for that horrible wet chewing noise people make when they eat the mushy fruit … Shemomedjamo (Georgian) Every food-lover is guilty of shemomedjamo: continuing to eat food even though there is no room left in their stomachs. Suilk (Scots) Suilk is an old term for the act of swallowing food very, very audibly. Not sure why such we don't use such a useful term in English!
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foodanddrink
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Rumors are swirling today about the possible illness or even death of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mainstream media outlets have reported that he may be sick. Social media jokers used the hashtag #ПутинУмер ("Putin is dead") to speculate that he will be buried topless a reference to his fondness for posing for bare-chested photos or that he couldn't possibly die, because "it's not profitable." Putin is almost certainly going to re-emerge in a few days looking none the worse for wear. But this isn't the first time rumors of this kind have caught on and the fact that he can't cancel a couple of meetings without causing a frenzy of speculation hints at a deeper truth about Russia, and the state of Putin's regime. These rumors stem from fear and uncertainty about what happens after Putin. No one knows who would assume power if he died, got sick, or otherwise left office. That instability is a real danger, even if the death rumors are probably false. Why hasn't Putin been seen since March 5? The rumors began on Wednesday after Putin cancelled a visit to Kazakhstan this week. An anonymous Kazakh government official told Reuters that "it looks like he has fallen ill." Reuters later reported that Putin had also rescheduled a meeting with officials from Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region, which was set to take place on March 11, but has now been postponed to March 18. Putin has not been seen in public since March 5. Although the Kremlin has released footage of meetings that supposedly took place on March 10 and 11, there is significant online speculation that those were actually taped the previous week. Analysts and online enthusiasts have eagerly scrutinized the footage, noting that Putin had apparently worn the same outfit to meetings on multiple days, and examined photographs to determine whether a desk calendar in the background shows the same or different dates. Putin's spokesperson Dmitri Peskov immediately denied that the president was ill, insisting: "He has meetings all the time. He has meetings today, tomorrow. I don't know which ones we will make public." Rumors of Putin's demise have been greatly exaggerated But Peskov's denial has not been enough to stop the rumors. Theories, both light-hearted and serious, swirled online and in different media outlets: Putin has had a stroke! Putin is recovering from plastic surgery! Putin is battling with his intelligence agency over the murder of Boris Nemtsov ! The idea that Putin would schedule plastic surgery for a week when he was supposed to have multiple public meetings seems highly implausible. And while it's possible that he's ill, it's equally likely that Putin is fine, and has withdrawn from public view for reasons of his own. The Brookings Institution's Hannah Thoburn told me that there was just no way to know the real reason for his absence from public life. "For all we know he probably has the flu, or just wanted to hang out with his daughters or something. You never know what it is." Rumors that Putin is ill or injured arise with some regularity. "These sort of rumors happen all the time," Thoburn told me. "Is Putin sick? Is he this, is he that? Did he have plastic surgery?" In 2012 , Putin cancelled and postponed foreign trips for more than a month. Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko said Putin had suffered a spinal injury during a judo bout, and there were rumors that he was seriously injured. But Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev denied that Putin had hurt his back, and eventually the president reappeared. The truth behind the rumors: they reveal a frightening weakness in the Russian state The rumors may not be true, but that does not mean they are irrelevant. They speak to Russians' nervousness about what would happen if Putin really were to become incapacitated. Because power is so centralized around him, there is no fallback plan for what would happen if he really were to suddenly become unable to rule. A system of government that rests on the health of a single man is very fragile, and that fragility that weakness is frightening. University of Pittsburgh research fellow Sean Guillory explained via email that the rumors "say a lot" in that "they excite both the desire and fears of many people, likely at the same time." Some Russians may want Putin gone but fear that "if he is, what comes next?" Thoburn agreed. The rumors, she said, "get to the problem with having only one central figure" in the Russian government. She noted that if the US president or the German chancellor were to suddenly take ill or have a stroke, there would be other means of succession and other instruments of government to fill that void while a replacement was found. But in Russia right now, "you don't have that." That does expose a certain fragility in the system that scares Russians a little bit." That's very serious. "If both the system and the integrity of the nation state are so centered on one person, whether it's a Tzar or whether it's Putin or some other leader," Thoburn said, "it becomes very dangerous." And if the system is so centralized but there is no system set up for succession, "the system itself is not viable in the long term." How did Russian politics become so centered around one man? Since coming to power in 2000, Putin and his supporters in the Kremlin have deliberately silenced political opposition. The president, Russia scholar Mark Galeotti explained to me in an interview several months ago, is "very jealous of power." That has prevented him from anointing a successor among his allies, because he is unwilling to give that kind of authority to someone else. Indeed, Galeotti said, "There's nothing that's more of a career killer than being discussed as a potential successor to Putin." And although opposition figures have periodically surfaced, they have for the most part been prominent individuals who'd found success in other arenas, such as oligarch-turned-activist Mikhail Khodorkovsky or chess-champion-turned-activist Garry Kasparov. They were essentially one-man operations dissidents, rather than true political opposition. Is succession Russia's most frightening political weakness? Guillory explained that succession is a longstanding weakness of the Russian system. Going back to the times of the Tsars, and throughout the Soviet era, Russia has had "a historical problem with succession, especially when the successor isn't pre-anointed by the leader." As a result, power transfers lead to political instability, and sometimes even violence. The current rumors around Putin's whereabouts, Guillory suggested, "are tapping into this fact that is known and feared by many in Russia." And in Russia today, there is no clear succession plan in place. Technically, of course, there is: Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev would take over if Putin were to suddenly die or become incapacitated. But the real question isn't who would assume Putin's office, but who would assume his role : who would really take power after he is gone. That question remains unanswered. That is a significant source of potential instability for Russia, and it deserves to be taken seriously, even if the rumors themselves do not. It is easy to mistake Putin's personal control over the levers of power in Russia for a sign of strength after all, it makes him look like an especially powerful leader. But for Russia, it is a weakness. And that means that for the rest of the world, and for Russians, it is a potential source of instability and danger. Apres Putin, le deluge?
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news
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You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't hit snooze or experience the mid-afternoon slump every once in a while, but if you constantly feel like you're dragging it may be time to take a closer look at your routine. If you don't have a related health condition and are getting enough shut eye each night, you may be to blame for the constant fatigue. Here are 8 energy-zapping habits that you can change today. 1. You're eating too much sugar. While the candy jar is an obvious culprit, refined carbohydrates like white bread and rice, chips, and cereal are a major source of sugar , too. This type of simple sugar is digested quickly by the body, leading to a dip in blood sugar levels that leaves you feeling fatigued. Be sure to replace refined carbs with whole grain varieties for a lasting energy boost. 2. You aren't exercising enough. It may seem counterintuitive that exerting energy will actually increase it, but adding a workout to your daily routine will give you a short-term energy boost. Plus, regular exercise improves sleep quality, which will ultimately leave you feeling more well rested. 3. You're skipping breakfast. After an entire night without food, a healthy breakfast helps stabilize blood sugar levels and fuel your body throughout the morning. When you skip the important meal, your body is running on empty leaving you famished by lunchtime and more likely to make unhealthy choices that will cause that midafternoon dip in blood sugar. Aim for a high-fiber option like oatmeal, avocado toast, egg scrambles, and smoothies, which are all easy meals that will fill you up and power you through to lunch. 4. You're sitting too much. Not only is sitting for prolonged periods of time harmful to your health (just one hour of sitting affects your heart!), but it's a major energy zapper as well. Standing up and moving for even a few minutes helps get your blood circulating through your body and increases the oxygen in your blood, ultimately sending more oxygen to your brain which increases alertness. If you work a desk job, try this move more plan to keep your blood pumping. 5. You're drinking too much caffeine. Whether it's a can of soda or constant refills of your coffee mug, many of the beverages we reach for when we feel tired are packed with caffeine a stimulant that will give you a quick jolt, but can also leave you crashing soon after if you ingest too much. Plus, if you're drinking caffeinated beverages into the afternoon, they may start to have an effect on your sleep quality. If you're a coffee drinker, switch to water late-morning and replace soda with seltzer for a bubbly afternoon pick-me-up without the crash. 6. You're dehydrated. We all know the importance of drinking enough water and even mild dehydration can have adverse effects on your energy level , mood, and concentration. Aim for at least one glass of water per hour while sitting at your desk, and be sure to fill your bottle up even more if you're doing strenuous activity or are outdoors in high temperatures. 7. You have poor posture. A study found that slouched walking decreased energy levels while exacerbating symptoms of depression. The good news: Simply altering body posture to a more upright position instantly boosted mood and energy, while enabling participants to more easily come up with positive thoughts. So sit up straight! Set reminders on your phone or calendar throughout the day to remind yourself to check in with your posture and straighten up. 8. You're not snacking smart. If you're running to the vending machine for a quick afternoon snack, your selection most likely high in simple carbs and sugar will take your energy levels in the wrong direction. Instead choose a snack that has a combo of protein and complex carbs for an energy boost that will last throughout the afternoon. Think trail mix, veggies and hummus, or peanut butter on whole wheat toast.
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health
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Much like marathon runners, everything goes fine for a drone until it hits a wall. Only, unlike marathoners, in the case of drones the wall is usually a literal wall. A new crowdfunding project available on Kickstarter called the eBumper4 wants to change that, by retrofitting drones with four sonar sensors, so they can detect walls before they crash into them. This isn't the first time people have put sonar on drones, but most earlier versions are DIY rigs by hobbyists . Panoptes' sonar bumpers are aimed beyond the build-it-yourself crowd, and can make for easy commercial drone retrofits. Made by Panoptes Systems, eBumper4 is right now only available for DJI's Phantom 2 and 3DRobotics' Iris+ lines of drones, but the principles of design are universal enough that if successful, it's likely the concept would work for other quadcopters. With sonar facing forward right, left, and up, the eBumper4 lets drones detect nearby walls and ceilings, and then keeps it from colliding into them. In order for the sonar to work, the bumper-equipped drone can't fly at full speed, instead limited to a pace more like walking. The sonar sends out a signal that bounces off objects. By determining the time between when the signal leaves and when the sensor reads the bounce back, the sonar can see how far away an object is. If it's too close, the drone will stop flying towards it. Because of the speed limitations and the few models currently compatible, sonar bumpers aren't a guaranteed answer to the challenge of sense-and-avoid for all drones. For faster drones, the Army started testing its own, different system years ago , and a working system is something the FAA absolutely wants to make drone flights safe for all aircraft. Still, the sonar is a good first step for one of the more technologically challenging parts of adding drones into the airspace, and for pilots with a tendency to crash quadcopters , bumpers could be a life-saver.
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news
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General Motors Co (GM.N) is recalling about 64,000 Chevrolet Volt hybrid electric cars for a software update to prevent carbon monoxide buildup when a driver forgets to shut off the vehicle, Automotive News reported on Thursday, citing a statement from the company. GM is aware of two injuries related to the issue, Automotive News said. The company is recalling cars from the 2011-2013 model years for a software update to limit how long the car can be left idling, the website said. (http://bit.ly/1GwWujT) GM could not be immediately reached for comment. The company also told dealers to halt deliveries of about 2,300 Chevrolet Trax and Buick Encore small crossovers from model year 2015 for a pending safety recall to fix a potential loss of electric power steering, Automotive News reported. GM had informed the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the recalls, the website said, citing memos from the company. (Reporting by Radhika Rukmangadhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Simon Jennings)
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autos
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DALLAS (AP) Jeff Gordon eased up on NASCAR after discussing track safety issues with officials behind closed doors. Gordon said Thursday he was ''getting a little bit ahead of himself'' when he questioned where NASCAR was with planned installations of SAFER barriers after hitting a concrete wall two weekends ago in Atlanta. The energy-absorbing barriers are common at tracks, but not installed in every place a car might crash. The popular driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet said Tuesday's meeting with officials was ''informative.'' The series began installing softer walls on portions of most tracks in 2002. He spoke at an event in downtown Dallas honoring Gordon during his final full season as a Sprint Cup driver. The first of two Texas races in NASCAR's top series is April 11.
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autos
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Running back Ryan Mathews agreed to a deal with the Eagles on Wednesday, but he hadn't signed it. When reports surfaced Thursday that DeMarco Murray was on his way to Philadelphia with intentions to commit to a deal of his own, many speculated the former Charger got cold feet. But Mathews is sticking to the plan, joining what's now one of the more formidable backfields in football. The Eagles signed Mathews to a three-year deal worth $11.5 million, according to NFL Network . The signing comes on the heels of Murray's reported five-year, $42 million deal. MORE: Murray perfect for Chip Kelly's plan | Free-agent signings tracker Mathews, 27, has battled injuries throughout his career but has topped 1,000 yards in a season twice. He played in just six games last season and rushed for 330 yards with three touchdowns. The Eagles, who traded LeSean McCoy last week, still have shifty Darren Sproles and third-year pro Chris Polk on the roster.
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sports
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Lyft has upped the stakes in its ambitious drive to take on Uber, saying Thursday it raised $530 million in a funding round led by Japanese ecommerce giant Rakuten to fuel expansion in the US and abroad. The latest investments peg the value of Lyft at $2.5 billion, media reports said, making it a significant but smaller ride-sharing rival to the globally oriented Uber, valued at $41 billion. "We will accelerate more quickly toward a world where every seat is filled and every driver and passenger is empowered to join together in improving our economy, environment and local communities," San Francisco-based Lyft said in a blog post. "We will deepen our presence in the 65 markets where we operate and expand into new cities." In a statement from Tokyo, Rakuten said it was putting in $300 million as the lead investor in the latest funding round. "We have seen the future and this is it," said Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and chief executive of Rakuten. "By empowering human connection, the sharing economy is going to fundamentally transform the service industry and benefit society. We believe businesses like Lyft that unlock the latent potential that exists in people and society hold the key to the future." The statement said the new funding will allow Lyft "to continue growing its service and invest in both domestic and overseas expansion." The statement did not indicate which countries Lyft planned to serve. Its website shows it operates in 28 US states as well as the capital Washington. Like its rivals, Lyft uses a smartphone app which allows a driver and rider to connect, using location-based technology in the handsets. Lyft said it was working on improving "technology that reduces traffic, takes cars off the road, builds community and improves the economy." Uber has expanded to some 200 cities worldwide in more than 50 countries since launching in 2010. Both services have faced obstacles with local regulators and complaints from traditional taxi services about unfair competition.
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finance
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These international fun zones make swingsets look like ancient relics. Brumleby Playground, Copenhagen This topsy-turvy playground's centerpiece consists of three warped houses connected by balancing bridges and equipped with climbing grips on the walls and slides from the windows. For fans of traditional parks, Brumleby also has roll overbars, seesaws and swings. Photo courtesy of Monstrum . Nishi-Rokugo, Japan About 3,000 tires were used to create dinosaurs, monsters, bridges, slides and swings at this cool sand-bottom playground in Tokyo. The best part about this rubber Utopia is that it's not just for kids: while the little ones frolic about, parents can grab a tire and tube down a specially designed concrete slide. Photo courtesy of MentalFloss . Parque Gulliver, Spain Your own little Lilliputians will love this giant sculptural jungle gym inspired by the beloved children's book. Kids can ascend the stairs up Gulliver's arms and legs, slide down his waistcoat and hair, explore the caves in his sleeves and climb the ropes that hold him down. Photo courtesy of Playscapes Takino Hillside, Japan Inspired by images from nature, the children's playground at this park is built into a hillside, offering a unique sensory experience with varied lighting, changing sounds, bouncing hills and giant beehive playhouses. The gorgeous Rainbow Nest Dome pictured here is the playground's most beloved attraction. Photo courtesy of Climbing Frames Plikta Park, Sweden Inspired by the sea life collection at the town's history museum, this park includes six sharks and one enormous blue whale that kids can climb on, crawl through, slide down and jump off from. The 50-foot whale has a netted mouth that your own little fish can fight his or her way through, to explore the animal's pink and white belly. Photo courtesy of Monstrum Ghost Train, Peru Old train ruins were given a makeover to create this colorful playground made from trashed and recycled materials. Horse-shaped tire swings, zip lines and a number of climbing walls adorn this one-time eyesore meant for kids and adults alike. Photo courtesy of Basurama City Museum, Missouri Created from repurposed industrial objects that kids are encouraged to touch and climb, City Museum is essentially one massive jungle gym. Indoor features include a giant slinky, 10-story slide and secret tunnels. Outside the museum is MonstroCity, where airplane fuselages, fire trucks and wrought-iron netting create a post-apocalyptic scene that kids can scale and slide their way around. Photo courtesy of City Museum Parc de Belleville, France While adults enjoy a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower, kids can traverse wood climbing walls, bridges and towers at this imaginative park built on a hillside. Safety is not a priority concrete, rather than rubber breaks falls so paranoid parents should steer clear. Photo courtesy of BASE Clemyjontri Park, Virginia Equipped with wheelchair ramps, nonslip surfaces and special safety features, Clemyjontri is one of the few playgrounds in the world where kids with disabilities can play alongside those without. The 2-acre park consists of four colorful, themed areas that surround a working carousel. Photo courtesy of Fairfax County Boadilla del Monte, Spain This chic play spot outside Madrid is also a stunning piece of architecture. In addition to typical playground equipment, dramatic shapes throughout the airy space create playful shadows that challenge children's imaginations and enhance their understanding of spatial relationships. Photo courtesy of Navadijos Tarsoly Arquitecto Sculptural Playground, Germany The giant spatial structure that makes up the majority of this park is artistic, bold and, most importantly, fun. Two undulating green steel pipes, connected by a tensioned climbing net, wind in and out of existing trees making for a continuous play path that offers endless adventure. Photo courtesy of ANNABAU Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Singapore Most of the animal-shaped tile and sand playgrounds once popular in Singapore have been knocked down and replaced with safer varietals. This 1970s multicolored dragon, featuring a coiled and climbable body, is one of the few old-school parks still standing. Photo courtesy of Justin Zhuang Yerba Buena, California In addition to 130,000 square feet of open play space and a turn-of-the-century carousel, this rooftop recreation area hosts an ice-skating rink and bowling center. Interactive play features include a hedge maze, sandcircle, giant xylophone, tube slide, stream and fountain. Photo courtesy of Yerba Buena Gardens The Science Playground, N.Y. Part of the New York Hall of Science, children learn principles of sound, energy, motion and simple machines as they play at this 60,000-square-foot space. Features include a 3-D spider web, massive seesaw and vertical wave machine. Photo courtesy of Tripadvisor Adventure Playground, California There's no fancy equipment at this make-your-own-adventure play space where staff members encourage children to build their own forts, boats and towers using the tools provided. Kids who feel the need for speed can hop on the park's zipline for some less cerebral fun. Photo courtesy of AmberDusick
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lifestyle
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If the Dallas Cowboys reached the conclusion that DeMarco Murray's production was replaceable and he simply wasn't worth $8 million a year, it's hard to fault them for letting him go. Bidding wars are fertile ground for mistakes, even when they involve one of your own. A team generally is better off letting a player walk than going beyond the value it placed on him and in turn stressing its resources. If the value the Cowboys placed on Murray was affected by the idea of a soft market for running backs, however, it was a miscalculation that ignored what's been happening around the NFL in recent months. A year ago, the running backs who got paid the best in free agency Ben Tate, Chris Johnson, Knowshon Moreno, Donald Brown and Toby Gerhart all settled for deals spanning three years or fewer in the $3 million to $4 million per year range. There was good reason nobody got rich, though. It was a lousy, injury-riddled group. Those five rushed for 1,731 yards combined last season, or a little less than Murray's NFL-leading 1,845. The position plays a role, absolutely. But it's still about the value of each player which is why the best running backs all seem to be getting paid now. Jamaal Charles didn't report to training camp last July until the Kansas City Chiefs tacked on two years and $18.1 million to the two years remaining on his contract. Marshawn Lynch reported late, too, before Seattle gave him a $1 million raise. Seven months later, the Seahawks had ridden Lynch to another Super Bowl appearance and agreed to reward him with a two-year, $24 million extension, with $12 million fully guaranteed in 2015. LeSean McCoy will make $16 million in 2015 as part of the five-year, $40 million contract he signed with the Buffalo Bills to complete a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles, who replaced him by giving Murray similar money on a deal agreed to Thursday. Meanwhile, Adrian Peterson continues to discuss his future with the Minnesota Vikings, who want to keep their embattled superstar and seem less likely than ever to ask him to reduce the $13 million he's due in 2015. Are any running backs getting paid like Ndamukong Suh, who got $60 million in guarantees on the six-year deal he signed with the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday? Not even close. None of them are getting elite quarterback money, either, though it's worth noting Peyton Manning just signed a restructured contract with the Denver Broncos that reduced his base pay in 2015 to $15 million a shade less than McCoy will make this year in Buffalo. Peterson's seven-year deal, which included $36 million in guarantees and averaged more than $14 million a year, has stood as the standard for running backs since 2011. At that time, Manning and Tom Brady were making $18 million annually a league-high figure at least seven quarterback contracts (and now Suh's) have since surpassed. But look at it this way: In 2011, there were four running backs with contracts averaging $8 million or more per year. Now, if the initial numbers are accurate on Murray's deal five years and up to $42 million, with $21 million in guarantees there are six. The bank-breaking money may not be there, particularly in terms of guarantees on long-term deals. Running backs' skills simply can depreciate too quickly to make that kind of commitment. But the market for difference-makers hasn't collapsed and never will. Dallas owner Jerry Jones released a statement Thursday night that cited the investments the team has made in quarterback Tony Romo, receiver Dez Bryant and left tackle Tyron Smith and said the team was comfortable with the offer made to Murray, who "would be a Cowboy" if there were no salary cap. There are ways to maneuver around the cap, though, even in a situation as tight as the Cowboys'. If they wanted to pony up for Murray, another simple restructure of Romo's contract to lower his $27.773 million cap number this year could've freed up space (though it also would have pushed some problems into the future). Perhaps the Cowboys' refusal to do that was a reflection of how they feel about Murray, 27, who battled injuries over his first three seasons before thriving last year behind the NFL's top offensive line. Or perhaps they're eyeing a talented crop of rookie runners. But if the Cowboys were in any way operating on the belief Murray wouldn't get a better offer elsewhere, all they had to do was look around to know they'd probably be wrong. *** Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero
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WASHINGTON Among the many thousands of emails Jeb Bush received as Florida governor are a string of notes from campaign donors asking favors and making suggestions. Invariably, Bush responded quickly. Sometimes, he appointed a person a donor had recommended for a position. Other times, he rejected advice about a piece of legislation. It's an insight into Bush's work as governor that's possible only because his emails are open for review, something not yet available for those sent and received by Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state. Like Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, Bush used a personal email address and private server. But, positioning himself as a transparent candidate if he runs for the Republican nomination, he has posted online more than 275,000 emails from his two terms in office. Initially, the emails that drew attention concerned Bush's correspondence about continuing or removing life support for Terri Schiavo, the federal raid to resolve the Elian Gonzalez custody battle and Florida's pivotal role in the 2000 presidential election. Yet a review by The Associated Press of Jeb Bush's emails found that prominent donors to Bush and his family regularly urged him to appoint candidates for judgeships, public boards and other positions. One suggested Bush appoint a political supporter's step-daughter to a hospital board and asked the governor to support funding for his alma mater. One Palm Beach County fundraiser told Bush, the best man at his wedding, that companies hired him "because of my association with the administration and you." Bush spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said it was not uncommon for the public to make such suggestions to Bush and that recommendations were routed "through appropriate channels." Did fundraisers carry special influence? "No. Absolutely not," Campbell said. She did not respond to AP's questions about specific emails involving two fundraisers, but one of them, Mark Guzzetta, said Bush denied his requests just as frequently as he granted them. "We always joked it would be better to be a stranger with no connection," Guzzetta said. "He was so deliberate because he wanted to make sure we received no special favors." Bush freely gave out his personal email address during his time in office and often received notes of inquiry, complaint and thanks. Last month, Bush put the emails he said were related to his work in state government on a website, a move he and his aides said was designed to show his administration was open and in touch with constituents. Bush was required by Florida's notably strong public records law to provide the state with all correspondence related to state government after he left office, and those emails were publicly available before Bush created his website. Like Clinton, Bush decided which messages were considered personal and not subject to disclosure. In 2007, he said he had received and sent about 550,000 emails via his personal address, meaning a significant number remain private. Among those to email him was a longtime Bush family supporter, William "Bill" Becker, a Florida citrus grower. He was among the circle of loyalists invited to huddle with Bush in December to hear about his presidential ambitions. Nine years ago, Becker wrote as the citrus industry dealt with advertising budget shortfalls triggered by Hurricane Wilma. "It seems whenever I am in touch with you it is for a favor and I hate to have to do so again," he wrote, asking the governor to support a funding supplement. "A good word from you to the leadership would very likely salvage the matter and be of huge help to the industry," Becker wrote that day, April 29, 2006. Bush wrote back the same day. "We made the pitch to the speaker, president and appropriations chairs. We shall see." Earlier that month, Becker wrote Bush asking the governor to call about a citrus industry initiative. "Calling right now," Bush replied that day, April 3, 2006. Becker, who did not respond to three interview requests from AP, chaired the "Ag for Bush Coalition" in 2004, supporting the presidential re-election campaign of Bush's brother, George W. Bush. Two years earlier, Jeb Bush flew aboard Becker's Cessna while campaigning for governor. Becker is a steady supporter of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a nonprofit founded by Bush in 2008, giving between $25,001 and $50,000 each year from 2012-14. When Becker was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 2011, a clip outlining his industry career included photos of him standing with George W. Bush and hosting a fundraiser for Jeb Bush. In 2002, Becker urged Bush to fill an open slot on the Florida Citrus Commission which Becker once chaired with a candidate who had twice failed to make the cut. "She and her family have been loyal supporters," Becker wrote. "You met her at the Governor's Mansion on one occasion and I believe you may have met her at the Florida House event at our home. I believe she is immensely well qualified to serve on the Florida Citrus Commission." Nine days later, after Bush made the appointment, Becker wrote back: "Many thanks for an expedited and wonderful appointment." Becker also wrote urging the governor to back funding for his alma mater, Florida Southern College, and suggested that Bush appoint candidates to the Indian River Hospital Board on Florida's east coast. One candidate was the step-daughter of a fellow citrus industry official, who, Becker told the governor, "has been a loyal supporter whenever I have called on your behalf. He has never failed to respond to the maximum extent possible. To my knowledge, he has never, until now, asked for anything but good government in return." Bush told Becker he would look into the matter. But by then, another candidate had been recommended and the appointment was due. Becker's favorite did join the board, but her tenure began after Bush's term. Another financial backer who sought to sway Bush was Guzzetta, a Boca Raton real estate developer who was finance co-chairman of Bush's gubernatorial campaign. Bush was best man at Guzzetta's wedding, and in 1997, before he became governor, he brokered the $46 million sale of a vacant IBM office park in Boca Raton to Blue Lake Ltd., whose partners included Guzzetta. In email messages, Guzzetta urged Bush to make appointments for judgeships, a property insurance commission and the Florida Transportation Commission, among other slots. He also introduced out-of-town business people to Bush and urged the governor to approve or deny specific bills. In 2001, as Bush was poised to fill a vacant judgeship in the Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Guzzetta opined about the three candidates. All were Democrats, but one, he noted, "is the wife of a personal friend and good Republican ... (maybe we'll get her to convert to a Republican.)" A month later, Bush chose her. But Guzzetta said his friendship with Bush "probably hurt me more than helped me." "Clearly could I have picked up the phone? Yes," he said. "Would that have helped with the other stuff? No." Bush supported some bills Guzzetta lobbied for but, in at least one case, vetoed another. In addition, Guzzetta had pressed Bush to help settle a long-simmering lawsuit over a stalled development project in an environmentally sensitive tract of land in Indian River County. Guzzetta said he was not personally involved in the Lost Tree Islands development of upscale homes and golf course, but got involved at a friend's request. "Really, it was Jeb standing in the way of it," he said. In May 2000, Guzzetta wrote Bush expressing frustration. "When companies or individuals come to me these days for the purpose of hiring me, it's not because of my wonderful relationship with the president of the Senate or with the Speaker of the House it's because of my association with the administration and you," he wrote. "When you shut me down and shut me out it's frustrating but not only frustrating, worse than that it's very frightening. Frightening because I rely upon this income to support my family," he wrote. Guzzetta told the AP he was "referring to the perception, not the reality" that he had special access to Bush. Bush's email files do not show a reply from the governor, and Guzzetta said that Bush failed to help resolve the dispute and stepped away from the issue. But in 2003, the matter did settle, when the city of Vero Beach, town of Indian River Shores and Indian River County bought the property from developers for $15.1 million. When the deal closed, a project developer thanked Bush, who, in turn, lauded project backers for resolving the dispute. A state agency, the Florida Communities Trust, provided a grant to help close the purchase. "The owners of Lost Tree agreed to sell their property for substantially less than the appraised value," Chuck Bayer, president of Lost Tree Village Corporation, wrote Bush in February 2003. "I also want to personally thank you for listening to our cause and our plight as we battled the various groups hoping to 'take' our property. This was a good ending for all and was achieved partially due to your and to the State's help." In 2004, Guzzetta said he was seeking to become a national committeeman for the Republican National Committee. He turned to Bush, who affectionately referred to him as "Markus" at times. "By the way, thanks for listening last night to all the issues," Guzzetta wrote Bush on Nov. 18, 2004. "I really need you to go to bat for me re. the appointment and request that you keep it high on the list, without your help I would not know where to begin." Guzzetta said his pursuit of the national slot "went nowhere," and he turned his attention to another Florida real estate project. Another member of the inner circle gathered in December was Jim Blosser, a retired Fort Lauderdale lobbyist. Blosser was a fundraising "pioneer" in George W. Bush's presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004, and served as Broward Finance Chairman for Jeb Bush's runs for governor. Blosser urged Bush to make appointments, ranging from a college board of trustees to a local school board. In an interview, Blosser said citizens have a duty to point the governor to worthy candidates. Should Bush rise to the White House, he said, he would do so again. "I don't do that lightly," Blosser said. "I am not ashamed of that. I am not embarrassed by that." ___ Follow Steve Peoples on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/sppeoples
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Chris Brown Chris Brown wants to "start making changes" to the way he refers to women. The 'Loyal' hitmaker has reportedly been left "humbled" by the news that he has a baby daughter, Royalty, and wants to show his appreciation for women through his music. A source shared: "It's been getting under his skin when he's performed 'Loyal' and 'Ayo' and other songs on his tour because he's straight up dogging women in the lyrics. "He would hate for someone to one day call his daughter a bitch or a hoe. That would make him very upset and he would have a big problem with someone disrespecting his daughter. "Everyday he realizes he's a father, to a girl no less, and he wants to start making changes to raise his girl right and to be a good example of a man." The 25-year-old singer is also believed to be "regretting" some of his past lyric choices. The source continued to HollywoodLife.com: "The baby has humbled him in a way and he regrets some of the music he's made, particularly the words he's used to describe women. "He really doesn't want to continue making music where he's calling women bitches and hoes and other derogatory words."
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SAN FRANCISCO Two San Francisco federal judges say juries will have to decide whether drivers for Uber and Lyft were independent contractors, or employees of the ride-hailing companies with all of the protections and benefits the state affords regular workers. The rulings have potentially expensive ramifications for Uber and Lyft. Two former Lyft drivers and four current Uber drivers have filed two separate lawsuits alleging that they were misclassified as independent contractors and thus deprived of California's minimum wage, reimbursement for work-related expenses, and other protections. The plaintiffs seek class-action status on behalf of current and former drivers in California. Lyft and Uber dispute the claims and had asked the courts to issue summary judgments against the plaintiffs. But in respective rulings filed Wednesday, U.S. District Judges Edward M. Chen and Vince Chhabria said only a jury could decide the issues because evidence could sway a reasonable jury in either direction. They agreed that California laws are "outmoded," and even suggested that laws may at some point be written specifically to address the so-called "sharing economy." But until then, the burden would be on Uber and Lyft to prove drivers weren't employees. Lyft and Uber declined to comment on the rulings. The ride-hailing companies each operate apps that link would-be riders up with nearby drivers. Payment is made via the apps and Uber and Lyft cut checks to drivers for the rides, after taking a commission of about 20 percent. Privately held Uber has raised nearly $6 billon since it started six years ago and is valued at about $40 billion. Its ride-hailing network is available in more than 250 cities in 50 countries. The company has faced legal and regulatory challenges, concerns about rider safety and the screening of its drivers, and criticism of how it has raised prices during storms and other high-demand periods. Smaller rival Lyft, known for previously putting pink mustaches on drivers' cars, is in 65 markets and recently raised $530 million in new funding. Reports value the 3-year-old company at over $2 billion. One plaintiff, Patrick Cotter, drove for Lyft for four months while also working for Facebook. He was fired after using a substitute vehicle to give rides, rather than the car Lyft approved. Another, Alejandra Maciel, drove for Lyft for six weeks in 2013 and was fired after getting passenger ratings in the bottom 5 percent of drivers. They contend Lyft owes them money because it should have paid them as employees, not independent contractors. Chhabria wrote in his ruling that a central question is whether Lyft's right to control drivers' working environment its setting of rules for behavior while driving and fire them at will makes them employees instead of contractors. However, the flexibility afforded by the Lyft business model to drivers they set their own hours and can reject or ignore ride requests means reasonable people could differ on whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. "The jury in this case will be handed a square peg and asked to choose between two round holes," Chhabria wrote, noting what he called "California's outmoded test for classifying workers." The Uber case involves plaintiffs Douglas O'Connor and Thomas Colopy, who drive mainly for Uber's "UberBlack" service which transports passengers in black sedans or other limousine-like vehicles and Matthew Manahan and Elie Gurfinkel, who drive principally for Uber's "uberX" service in their own cars. Chen noted that each of them signed contracts with Uber that explicitly state that the relationship between the transportation providers and Uber "is solely that of independent contracting parties." But Chen called Uber's argument that it is merely a technology company and not in the transportation business "strains credulity." "Uber is no more a 'technology company' than Yellow Cab is a 'technology company' because it uses CB radios to dispatch taxi cabs," Chen wrote. However, he agreed that California's traditional employment test evolved in an economy very different from today's and that prior cases don't address all of the challenges presented by Uber's business mode. The two cases turn on a complex area of state law that will likely be the focus of more disputes, said law professor Eric Goldman, who is director of Santa Clara University's High Tech Law Institute. "There are lots of other sharing economy services that create new ways of people working together," he said. "This is going to come up for other online marketplaces." In the cases involving Uber and Lyft, Goldman said both judges seem skeptical of the companies' arguments that their drivers are independent contractors. "We'll have to see what the juries say," he added, "but certainly if I'm Uber and Lyft, I'm thinking carefully about my Plan B."
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By Tim D. Griffin From the beginning of this offseason, the Seattle Mariners have had one clear goal: make the 2015 postseason. They haven't sniffed the postseason since back-to-back ALCS trips in 2000 and 2001. During that span of thirteen seasons, they were under .500 eight times. But, it's a new day in Seattle. The first steps back were taken last year committing to Robinson Cano , a sure boost for the offense. Seattle rose from 71-91 in 2013 to 87-75 last season. Here are three things that may help them take that next step. 1) A deep starting rotation . Any rotation whose ace is Felix Hernandez is going to be good. The 2010 A.L. Cy Young winner sizzled going 15-6 with a 2.14 ERA and 248 strike outs in 236 IP. The rotation last year was bolstered by Chris Young , who the Mariners signed after he was waived at the end of Spring Training by Washington, and rookie Roenis Elias . Both had surprising seasons, but they faded late. Elias only picked up two wins in eight starts in August and September. The Mariners needing to rely upon Elias and Young was brought about by injuries to James Paxton and Hisashi Iwakuma . Iwakuma didn't make his first start until May, and he had some rough starts in May and June rounding back into form. Paxton after making his first two starts of last season was out until August. The Mariners, though, have seven quality starters to make up for possible injuries: Hernandez, Iwakuma, J.A. Happ (who came over from Toronto in the Michael Saunders trade), Paxton, Elias, Erasmo Ramirez , and Taijuan Walker . Because of roster logistics, Erasmo Ramirez is likely to get the fifth starter role out of Spring Training since Seattle would have to put him on waivers if they optioned him to Tacoma again. But both Elias and Walker can step in for injury or if a starter struggles. Nelson Cruz brings his big bat to Seattle, and, along with Kyle Seager and Robinson Cano, may make up the best 3-4-5 in baseball. 2) The best 3-4-5 in baseball? Usually when we talk about Seattle's offense, it is their lack of runs or power. Cano was a first step. The Mariners took another step this offseason adding Nelson Cruz. Cruz had a career-high in HR (40) and RBI (108) last season in Baltimore. Do I expect him to put up those kind of numbers hitting in Safeco Field? No, but Cruz may be the best slugger since Seattle's line-up sported Alex Rodriguez and Edgar Martinez . Throw into that mix young third baseman Kyle Seager, who had another dynamite season at the plate hitting .268 with 25 HR and 96 RBI, and this 3-4-5 is going to push runs across for the Seattle Mariners. 3) The revamped outfield . The outfield was another problem for Seattle. The Mariners' Opening Day outfield was Abraham Almonte , Michael Saunders, and Dustin Ackley . Of those three, only Ackley remains on the Mariners' roster. This is another field of concern where the Mariners took their first steps last season acquiring Austin Jackson to man center field in the David Price trade with Detroit and Tampa Bay. Seattle upgraded their right field position in a couple of separate trades with San Diego landing Seth Smith and the Cubs acquiring Justin Ruggiano . Look for the outfield in 2015 to hit for more power, and, more importantly, set the table for the new 3-4-5 combination. Seattle was 18th in MLB in runs scored last season, and 27th in OBP. With this new roster, those numbers should go up, and if they do it won't be 14 seasons without a postseason birth.
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The human eye... isn't it amazing?
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Perk up your flat booty with super-effective curtsy lunges. Fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates a great, glute-building exercise in this video.
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health
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Derek Theler, star of ABC Family's 'Baby Daddy,' and his actress girlfriend Christina Ochoa are getting traction on social media for sharing pictures paying tribute to Discovery's hit show 'Naked and Afraid.' Krystin Goodwin (@krystingoodwin) has the bold pictures.
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An Indonesian woman says she'll marry whoever buys her house. You don't need to marry her, you could just buy it, but why not move into someone's heart as well as a new home. Patrick Jones (@Patrick_E_Jones) reports.
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This morning Robert Bigelow budget hotel billionaire; paranormal investigator; space entrepreneur unveiled the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), which will soon ship to Kennedy Space Center, stowed in a SpaceX rocket. It will launch in September, expand, dock with the International Space Station, and become sort of a test chamber slash astronaut lounge. It is also depending on who you talk to probably the shape of much to come, in terms of extraterrestrial habitation. I arrived at Bigelow Aerospace's North Las Vegas headquarters early, the desert morning bright, still mercifully cool, storm clouds draped over distant snow-spattered mountains. A poster on the wall at the security check caught my eye a fuzzy image of a small oblong craft in orbit around an earth-like planet. Along the bottom, in big blocky letters was a single word: "Believe." The guard had on the company patch, bearing the company logo, which at first looked to me like two slanted footballs followed by a swooping line. Then I realized it was an alien head. Bigelow's interest in space began with his grandparents' encounter with an alien craft, up near those mountains the storm clouds clung to. He was born and raised in Vegas, and heard their story of this terrifying encounter with a mysterious craft as a young boy, and his fascination with the mysteries of the universe never left him. Only, for forty years, he was too busy amassing a fortune in real estate, primarily via his Budget Suites chain outposts for travelers on extended stays throughout the desert Southwest. Bigelow Aerospace, founded 15 years ago, is a perfect melding of his real estate and extraterrestrial interests. The company makes habitats for regions even harsher than the desert. Right now, it's low earth orbit. But eventually, maybe even soon (fifteen years to twenty), these habitats will be on the moon, housing all sorts of corporate, science, and government types (prospectors, all). The serious money, on earth and in space, has always been in business travelers. Right now Bigelow (the company and the man) is still very much in the proving phases. Two of the company's modules the Genesis I and II have launched and inflated without incident. The BEAM is the biggest, most serious step, and the result of a $17.8 million NASA contract. Today's unveiling is a victory for the man and his company. But always hovering in the background is that eventual lunar goal. Van Morrison's "Moondance" plays on the loudspeaker just before he steps onto the stage. And looming behind him, a prototype of the Olympus inflatable craft, a single habitat larger than the whole ISS, complete with a docking station, a possible waystation, a lunar lander transport, or moon orbiter, or low earth orbit hotel. "Two and a half years ago, they were laughing at us. Not anymore," Bigelow says, swaying slightly behind the podium. A tall and slender drink of water, the man bears most of all the aspect of a handsome old cowboy, a space cowboy. His turns of phrase can sound oddly detached and clinical. When someone asks him about if his inflatables might have use here on earth, he says that though he's sure some folks at the company have been thinking about the "terrestrial application," he's "been singularly focused on the space location." The hangers are so large it is difficult to grasp the actual size of things. When I go in the clean room to see the BEAM folded down, deflated, ready for transport it is a bit of a letdown. It's a pretty small thing. That's the point, though. In just four and a half minutes, when it's ready, it will expand to about 110 square meters. Two more BEAMs, this size or maybe larger, are going to be ready by 2017. The only holdup is the rockets to get it there. "Our bet is that transportation is at hand," the cowboy tells the crowd. He's "been singularly focused on the space location." With Bigelow on stage is William Gerstenmaier, NASA's Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations, a mouthful of a title that means, basically, these days, chief wrangler of all these private space companies cropping up. The Japanese delegation filled with both private and public agencies and companies is here, one of them tells me, because "this is big. This is the technology to believe in." Bigelow and Gerstenmaier mostly talk about what the BEAM will be doing once its docked. Namely, proving itself. Nothing like this has been part of the ISS before. It will sound different, it will retain heat differently, it will be a completely different space, it'll be spacier, and maybe better. Maybe the astronauts will prefer it. Maybe it will turn into a kind of hangout spot. Near the end, a French reporter asks when all this will be profitable. Bigelow replies, "Have you been talking to my wife?" Then: "My background is in practically every avenue of real estate, so I'm still learning. You can be all dressed up as a cowgirl with the boots and the hat, but without a horse, you're incomplete. We're waiting on the transportation. This particular field, no pun intended, has enormous expansion possibilities."
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Holders Sevilla, with a record-breaking 13 second goal, Everton, and Wolfsburg were all on top after Thursday's Europa League last 16 first round ties. Sevilla ran off with their all-Spanish clash at Villarreal 3-1, Victor Machin 'Vitolo creating competition history with his grease-lightning opener. At Everton's Goodison Park, Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku gave his Premier League club a slender advantage against Dynamo Kiev, his late penalty securing a 2-1 win. Roberto Martinez's team fell behind in the 14th minute to an Oleg Gusev strike, but they equalised six minutes before half time when Lukaku's power and poise helped him lay on a goal for Scottish forward Steven Naismith. The Toffees, who once again gave a better showing in Europe than they have managed for most of a disappointing domestic campaign, pushed hard for a second half winner and finally broke down the Dynamo defence in the 82nd minute. Referee Carlos Velasco Carballo awarded a spot-kick for handball by Danilo Silva and Lukaku converted, making him Everton's all-time record European scorer with seven goals. Martinez's men will head to the Ukraine for next week's second leg in Kiev knowing they are still in with a chance of reaching the quarter-finals as the only remaining British side in the competition. "We learned that when we have got that tempo in our play and when we use the character we have we are a very strong team," Martinez said. "Overall it was a very good performance and the reaction shows we are a very good team. We are not favourites as the home team always has a little advantage. "Now we are looking forward to the second leg as we travel well in Europe." In Naples, Gonzalo Higuain's hat-trick inspired Rafael Benitez's Napoli to a 3-1 win over Dinamo Moscow. "It was a difficult game, especially after their goal. Thankfully we won and we'll head to Russia with a fairly good advantage. We'll suffer in the second leg, but Napoli can qualify," Higuain told Mediaset. The all Serie A affair between Fiorentina and Roma ended 1-1. Two other Italian clubs suffered travel sickness, three-time champions Inter Milan coming away from their visit to Vfl Wolfsburg 3-1 losers, and Torino going down 2-0 at Zenit St Petersburg. Kevin de Bruyne lifted Wolfsburg past Inter despite Roberto Mancini's men looking to have the upper hand over their high-flying Bundesliga hosts when Rodrigo Palacio put the Serie A visitors into a sixth minute lead. But de Bruyne set up Naldo for the German side's first-half equaliser, then with a little help from Inter's stand-in goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo he scored a second-half double. Wolves will now fancy their prospects of securing a ticket to the last eight at the San Siro next week. "Disappointing" was how Inter skipper Andrea Ranocchia summed up the outcome, before suggesting all was by no means lost. "We started well but our focus is already on the return leg," he reflected. "We scored a goal here and want to make sure it counts at the San Siro. We're making too many stupid mistakes, but we've still got 90 minutes to qualify. We're confident." Andre Villas-Boas' Zenit St Petersburg also have an option on the next round after Axel Witsel and former Italian defender Domenco Criscito saw off Torino who were reduced to 10 men after Marco Benassi's first-half red card. "It's a pity, while we were on level terms we had a firm grip on the game," stated Torino captain Kamil Glik. "But the red card for Benassi ruined our plans. But it will be a different story in the second leg in our stadium. We still believe." Dutch champions Ajax go into their second leg against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk trailing 1-0 after the Ukrainians took the first-leg honours thanks to a first-half goal from Roman Zozulya in Kiev. In Belgium, Club Brugge edged Besiktas of Turkey 2-1.
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In the Northeast, almost all school districts are on board with the farm-to-table movement but the rest of the country is still pretty far behind, according to this map from the US Department of Agriculture's Farm-to-School census : In New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Delaware, Maryland, and Rhode Island, at least 90 percent of school districts have some kind of farm-to-school program in place, meaning either they buy local produce or they have school gardens. At the other end of the scale, fewer than 25 percent of school districts in South Dakota, Nebraska, Mississippi, Texas, Nevada, Wyoming, and Arkansas have farm-to-school programs. But even in states that have embraced the farm-to-table movement, local foods are a small share of the budget. Only 2 percent of Maine schools' food budget is spent locally. The locavore leader is arguably no surprise Oregon. True, just 66 percent of its school districts have some kind of farm-to-school program, less than leading states like Vermont. But in those districts, 24 percent of the food budget is spent on local foods, a greater percentage than anyone else. (h/t NPR's The Salt )
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GREENSBORO - North Carolina grew up Thursday, a very private development conducted in very public fashion. The Tar Heels, in plain view of everyone, over the course of a single game, became the team they thought they could be. The team they thought they would be. Will it last? That's anyone's guess. Consistency hasn't been North Carolina's strongest attribute this season. But in Thursday's 70-60 win over Louisville in the ACC quarterfinals, the Tar Heels grew up - or took a giant step forward, if you prefer. "Move forward," North Carolina's J.P. Tokoto said. "I like that one better." BOX SCORE: NORTH CAROLINA 70, LOUISVILLE 60 Still, there was no debating the progress shown on the court Thursday, especially in areas where the Tar Heels have often struggled. "I hope so," North Carolina guard Marcus Paige said. "I hope it's not a one-time thing. The pieces are coming together." The Tar Heels had their toughness challenged at the most elemental level in a very public way. By Louisville's Montrezl Harrell. By an uncharacteristically livid Roy Williams. By a Louisville team that came back from a double-digit deficit to beat them once this season already. And they answered on every count. No one was singled out more than Brice Johnson, who was manhandled by Harrell in the first half before Williams called a timeout, threw his suit coat and stormed directly into Johnson's chest, red-faced and irate. Johnson's a full foot taller than Williams, but he shrank in the face of the onslaught. Williams then moved on to Tokoto, whose overall play he would later compliment but did not rate very highly at that particular moment. Paige, who qualifies as an expert on the subject, said it was the angriest he had seen Williams since the loss to Butler in Hawaii two seasons ago. Between Williams in the timeout and a long line of assistant coaches at halftime, Johnson got the message. He responded with 20 of his 22 points after that, not only a riposte to Harrell and Williams but to his frequent late-game fades. Johnson and Kennedy Meeks, weary after a week of illness, scored 14 of Carolina's final 18 points, but their defense was even more important. "When we get them to compete on the other end of the floor, that's when we go from a good team to a team that can really contend," Paige said. Johnson has always been capable of being dominating like this in the paint but is too often more of a passive figure. But when he waved off Paige on a fast break and dunked the ball himself, on one notable play, he assumed a new authority on the court. "I wasn't playing the way I should have been playing in the first half, and in the second half I decided to man up and just be able to come out and play," Johnson said. "Just be a man." Johnson's contributions topped a list of positive developments for North Carolina, a long list of so many things the Tar Heels have struggled with this season that came up the right way Thursday. From Johnson and Meeks to Joel Berry's continuing development - he hit two first-half 3-pointers that saved North Carolina from early annihilation - to the ability to close out a game with a late lead, the Tar Heels, perhaps for the first time, met their own expectations. "I just feel like our team is coming together," North Carolina guard Nate Britt said. "We have so many players who can contribute in so many different ways. Everyone is comfortable with what they do and how they can help this team out, and I felt we showed it today." The Tar Heels face Virginia in the semifinals, a relentless basketball machine that exposes even the smallest flaws in the opposition. This may have been a turning point or a one-game trend, but it won't take long Friday to figure out which one it was. DeCock: [email protected], @LukeDeCock, 919-829-8947
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Amateur video appears to show fierce fighting between rebel groups, government forces, Kurds and Islamic State militants in Syria. Nathan Frandino reports.
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Owning a home near the coffee giant has its perks. Having a Starbucks right down the street can be great for home values , according to new research in the book " Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate ." Authors Spencer Rascoff and Stan Humphries found that homes within a quarter-mile of a Starbucks rose in value an average of 96 percent between 1997 and 2014, compared with 65 percent for all U.S. homes. The jolt is stronger in some markets than others. Here are listings near Starbucks locations in the 10 metro areas with the greatest "Starbucks Effect," based on the metros Zillow analyzed. The markets are ranked by the difference between the value appreciation of homes near Starbucks and those not near Starbucks between 1997 and 2014. Boston, MA 36 A St UNIT 5C, South Boston, MA For sale: $849,000 Starbucks Effect: 45.4 percentage points This 2-bedroom, 2-bath, loft-style home in a boutique building is around the block from a Starbucks in a metro area where being located near the java giant boosted values by 45.4 percent between 1997 and 2014. Being deep in the heart of Dunkin' Donuts country, the condo is also around the corner from one of those which "Zillow Talk" found caffeinates values as well, but not like a Starbucks. Check out more homes for sale in Boston | Find local real estate agents Philadelphia, PA 424 Martin St, Philadelphia, PA For sale: $239,000 Starbucks Effect: 31 percentage points This 4-bedroom, 1.5-bath town house features exposed brick walls, an eat-in kitchen and a full basement with walk-out access to the yard. And you can keep on walking, just down the street to the Starbucks that gives a triple-shot jolt to values in the Philadelphia metro area. See more listings in Philadelphia | Find local real estate agents Washington, DC 748 Van Buren St NW, Washington, DC For sale: $589,000 Starbucks Effect: 29.6 percentage points Here's a brick colonial that's walking distance to Starbucks, tennis courts and the Metro. The living room opens onto a screened porch, and the lower level features a rec room with a gas fireplace plus a craft room and work area. View more homes for sale in Washington, DC | Find local real estate agents Chicago, IL 4244 N Tripp Ave, Chicago, IL For sale: $575,000 Starbucks Effect: 28.9 percentage points This 1906 charmer includes an expansive, remodeled kitchen as well as a great room, living room and dining room plus a finished lower level. The 2,700-square-foot home has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths and an oversized lot with a deck and patio. Check out more Chicago listings | Find local real estate agents Baltimore, MD 3203 Abell Ave,Baltimore, MD For sale: $279,900 Starbucks Effect: 24.6 percentage points This town house, built in 1900, still has its original hardwood floors and moldings, but the windows and kitchen have been upgraded including stainless-steel appliances, granite countertops and new cabinets. See more listings in Baltimore | Find local real estate agents Portland, OR 4605 NE Beech St, Portland, OR For sale: $515,000 Starbucks Effect: 21.9 percentage points This 4-bedroom, 3-bath home is on a quiet street just one block from Starbucks, restaurants and jazz clubs. See more Portland, OR homes for sale | Find local real estate agents Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL 1000 West Ave APT 516, Miami Beach, FL For sale: $455,000 Starbucks Effect: 20.7 percentage points This 1-bedroom, 1-bath condo in South Beach has water views and a Starbucks just a block away. The building features a swimming pool on Biscayne Bay. View more Miami-Fort Lauderdale listings | Find local real estate agents Atlanta, GA 239 Midvale Dr NE, Atlanta, GA For sale: $500,000 Starbucks Effect: 20.5 percentage points This 3-bedroom, 2-bath home features a master suite with a walk-in closet, sitting area and garden tub. The backyard boasts a covered deck with a flat-screen television overlooking an in-ground swimming pool and pool house. Check out more Atlanta homes for sale | Find local real estate agents Seattle, WA 2324 1st Ave APT 213, Seattle, WA For sale: $315,000 Starbucks Effect: 15.6 percentage points This 630-square-foot loft in Seattle's hip Belltown neighborhood has two levels and floor-to-ceiling windows. It includes vast in-condo storage plus parking and secured storage outside the unit. A rooftop deck boasts views of the Space Needle. View more Seattle listings | Find local real estate agents Riverside, CA 6874 Palomar Way, Riverside, CA For sale: $279,000 Starbucks Effect: 14.3 percentage points This 1950 charmer in the heart of Riverside has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and its original hardwood floors. There's also a bonus room and a spacious back yard with a large patio and a detached two-car garage. See more listings in Riverside, CA | Find local real estate agents
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Seydou Keita scored an equalizer for the second time in as many weeks to give Roma a precious away goal, as it drew 1-1 with domestic rival Fiorentina in the first leg of a UEFA Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday. After falling 11 points behind leader Juventus in Serie A and exiting the Coppa Italia to Fiorentina last month, Roma will know the Europa League provides its last realistic hope of success this term. Roma appeared to be on track for another disappointing result at the Stadio Artemio Franchi as Josip Ilicic gave host Fiorentina a 17th-minute lead. Adem Ljajic saw a penalty, which had been controversially awarded, saved by Neto on the hour mark as Roma sought a response. Yet it was Keita - Roma's scorer in a 1-1 draw with Juventus 10 days ago - who had the final say with a well-placed header to give Roma a narrow advantage ahead of the return leg in seven days. Chances were few and far between early on, but Ilicic took advantage of the first real opportunity of the match following a quick Fiorentina counterattack. Mohamed Salah broke clear after intercepting a poor pass from Daniele De Rossi and expertly slipped Ilicic through to lash home beyond Skorupski at the near post. De Rossi was substituted in favor of Miralem Pjanic because of an apparent injury five minutes later and Roma, despite enjoying plenty of possession, struggled to break down the home defense. However, Rudi Garcia's men should have leveled a minute before the interval when Ljajic spooned the ball over the bar from point-blank range after Alessandro Florenzi had been denied by Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto. Roma was handed a huge lifeline in the 59th minute as Neto was harshly adjudged to have brought down Juan Iturbe as the forward raced towards goal. But Ljajic again fluffed his lines as his low penalty was kept out by Neto diving to his right. Neto's heroics appeared to spur Fiorentina on as it pushed for a second, with Ilicic and Borja Valero both firing wide from the edge of the area. Roma's reward finally arrived when Keita met Florenzi's corner with a powerful header directed down into the ground and past Neto.
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Gonzalo Higuain put Dynamo Moscow on the brink in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday as his hat trick eased Napoli to a 3-1 last-16 first-leg victory. The Argentine forward proved too hot to handle for the visitors as he netted his first European treble against a Dynamo side reduced to 10 men early in the second half after Roman Zobnin's dismissal. Kevin Kuranyi's fifth Europa League goal of the season had given Dynamo an ideal start two minutes in, although Higuain leveled with an expert header before the half-hour mark. The Argentina international then put Napoli on top as he converted a 31st-minute penalty. Zobnin saw red early in the second half to dent Dynamo's hopes of a comeback and Higuain added a third against the Russian Premier League side five minutes short of the hour. While Stanislav Cherchesov's side will take comfort from the away goal, Higuain's first-leg heroics may yet prove enough to take Napoli through going into the return encounter next week. Napoli had built up a record five consecutive Europa League clean sheets prior to Thursday's clash, but fell behind as Kuranyi powered Mathieu Valbuena's corner past Mariano Andujar. While the hosts almost leveled through Jose Callejon's header, Napoli's early woes continued when Kalidou Koulibaly was forced off injured. Dries Mertens somehow failed to convert a cross from the left before Kuranyi headed over the crossbar in a lively opening 20 minutes. Napoli did draw level prior to the break, however, as Higuain took his tally for the season to 21 with a glancing header off Faouzi Ghoulam's delivery. Aleksei Kozlov's foul on Mertens then allowed Napoli to take the lead as Higuain made no mistake from the spot. The balance of power continued to shift Napoli's way after the break when Zobnin was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on Ghoulam. The Serie A side began to put clear daylight between itself and its opponents as Higuain chested the ball, turned and finished inside the area to ensure an end to Dynamo's unbeaten run in this season's competition. Christopher Samba's looping header almost allowed Dynamo back into the game, but his effort ended up nestling on the roof of the net, with Higuain's quality proving the difference as Napoli took a big step toward its first UEFA quarterfinal since 1988-89.
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The surviving cast and crew of the ill-fated reality show "Dropped" wander aimlessly around their hotel, waiting to testify on the accident that killed their friends and colleagues, then return home to France. The hotel, the Picas Negras, is a star attraction in Villa Union, a small town at the edge of Route 76 in Argentina's remote, mountainous northwest. Its restaurant, currently closed to the public, is considered one of the best in the region. That is where Olympic champion swimmer Alain Bernard, figure skater Philippe Candeloro, cyclist Jeannie Longo and snowboarder Anne-Flore Marxer, as well as two dozen production crew members, cross paths at mealtimes. They kill time as best they can the rest of the day, glued to their phones -- their only contact with their distraught families -- and giving the occasional interview to journalists at the back of the hotel. None are very keen to talk about the twin helicopter crash that killed Olympic champion swimmer Camille Muffat, renowned sailor Florence Arthaud and Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine, as well as five French TV crew members and two Argentine pilots. Or about the helpless feeling of watching the two helicopters burn on the stark scrubland outside the nearby town of Villa Castelli after colliding in mid-air. The judge assigned to the case, Daniel Herrera, began questioning the French nationals Thursday and said they could return home in the next 48 hours. Bernard told AFP he felt like he was living "a bad dream." "I just want to testify in the inquiry and go home. And go visit Camille's parents," he said. Figure skater Philippe Candeloro said: "We're left asking ourselves, 'Why them and not us?'" Grieve and wait Julien Magne, program director at Adventure Line Productions, said the cast and crew were "at the disposal of the (Argentine) justice system" for the inquiry. Until then, they grieve and wait. "We're in mourning. We lost friends who we'd worked with for 15 years in some cases," Magne said. His voice breaks as he remembers Lucie Mei-Dalby, a journalist and mother of two killed in the crash. Outside, police guard the hotel and TV trucks stand by. The French consul and Judge Herrera come and go. Inside, three French psychologists who flew in Wednesday night are available for counseling. Nestled between the Famatina mountains and the foothills of the Andes, the two-storey hotel melts into the surrounding landscape, its ochre walls matching the color of the earth in this far-flung region of La Rioja province. Villa Union is a base camp for adventure tourism in the province, one of the poorest in Argentina. Here, wealthy foreigners pay up to $800 a day to jump off cliff faces with hang gliders, trek through the rugged terrain or go on off-road adventures in 4x4s. It is a world apart from the lives of ordinary locals in an area where the average monthly salary is $533. Since the crash, the cast and crew of "Dropped" have seen little of La Rioja but the hotel. Across Route 76, local Natalia Diaz is absorbed by the scene. "I never saw so many French people all at once," she said.
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By Ricky Doyle The Red Sox have a new No. 31. He's a lefty. And he's also 31-years-old. It's reliever Dana Eveland, who signed a minor league contract with Boston over the offseason. But don't get any crazy ideas. Eveland isn't looking to replace Jon Lester, who became a franchise cornerstone while wearing No. 31 for eight seasons with the Red Sox. Eveland is just trying to do his job. "It was the (number) I was given," Eveland recently told the Boston Herald's Jason Mastrodonato, who was brave enough to press the Sox hurler on the issue. "To me, it's just another number. The 20th different one I've had, probably. I'm not stealing his name, just borrowing his number." Fair enough. Eveland already has a full plate, seeing as how he's an underdog to earn a spot in the Red Sox's major league bullpen to begin the season. The nine-year veteran probably couldn't be bothered by such inquiries, especially having worn 10 different team/number combinations at the major league level, according to Baseball Reference, since first entering the league in 2005. "Not a person in here has mentioned it," Eveland told Mastrodonato. "I've heard it from a fan, he was the only person I've heard it from." Give credit to Mastrodonato for posing the question. After all, No. 31 forever will hold a special place in the hearts of Red Sox fans, regardless of what Eveland does for Boston. But at the end of the day, Eveland is keeping his eyes on the prize, which right now entails an opportunity to pitch in the majors. "I would accept (a minor league) assignment because of the organization I'm in right now and the way they've treated me since they signed me and since I got here," Eveland told Mastrodonato. "It's been phenomenal. … I want to win a World Series and this is as good a place you can possibly be right now going into this season. I just want an opportunity." Perhaps Eveland will change his number if he ever reaches the majors with Boston. But even if he doesn't, Lester surely would be proud that his former Sox digits currently are being worn with professionalism.
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Why is this home being pelted by pizzas? CNN's Jeanne Moos reports fans of "Breaking Bad" are peppering it with pepperoni.
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Amber Rose's scandalous selfies are actually orchestrated by a man- go figure!! Her assistant tells all!
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If a picture is worth a thousand words... Men everywhere are wincing in pain at the sight of this image. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. Michael's freakishly long arm came in handy when trying to get the last piece of pepperoni on pizza night. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. This is like one of those stereograms someone posts on their Facebook Newsfeed where if you stare at it long enough you'll find the hidden object...which in this case, is a child's face. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. "Excuse me, but people who walk on water get to go first." Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes GOOOOOOALLLLLLLL. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. What's scarier? That the toddler already knows how to read a novel, or that she might be the evil spawn of Linda Blair? Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. You have to wonder who's more scared at this point, the kid or the ball. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. We're pretty sure this was not an impromptu game of limbo... Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. We wonder if she got those at Bubble Crafters Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. When dad said "let's go get some air," this wasn't really what he meant. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. Ladies and gentleman, meet the world's most excited hockey fans. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. When you see it, you'll know Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. It's all fun and games until your head falls off. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. This should be the image next to the word "Parenthood" in the dictionary. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. If it makes you feel better, kid, they say it's good luck. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. This kid doesn't go to the Bellagio's dancing water show, the Bellagio COMES TO HIM. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. There might not be a Tums big enough for that. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. Thankfully fetuses can't wear high heels. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. This would be even funnier if the Chariots of Fire theme song was playing in the background. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. Competitive tubing duo Mark and Lisa knew their new move was risky, but that it would change the way lake sports were viewed forever. They were right... Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. "You wanna feed me peas? I'll show you some peas!" Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook. He's such a show-off. Photo via Imgur Love this? Follow us on Facebook.
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lifestyle
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European allies are joining the Obama administration in criticizing Republican congressional interjection into nuclear negotiations with Iran, saying that an open letter from Republican senators to Iranian leaders has been counterproductive and comes at a particularly sensitive time in the talks. "Suddenly, Iran can say to us: 'Are your proposals actually trustworthy if 47 senators say that no matter what the government agrees to, we can subsequently take it off the table?' " German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said during a visit to Washington. "This is no small matter we're talking about," Steinmeier warned in remarks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "This is not just an issue of American domestic politics." Germany, France and Britain, along with Russia and China, are U.S. negotiating partners in the Iran talks. Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, took aim at Washington, saying that political divisions in the United States made Iranian negotiators question the Obama administration's ability to follow through with any agreement. "Of course I am worried, because the other side is known for opacity, deceit and backstabbing," Khamenei said Thursday, according to Iran's Mehr News Agency. European allies are alarmed by U.S. political tensions on a host of foreign policy issues. President Obama has so far resisted demands from a bipartisan congressional majority to send lethal military equipment to Ukraine. Germany and France, which helped negotiate a sputtering cease-fire between the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed separatists, have said Western arms shipments would only escalate the conflict and undermine a possible solution. [ Who are the seven GOP senators who didn't sign? ] Republicans, in turn, have struck back at European criticism. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) said that what he considered U.S. and European capitulation to Iran was reminiscent of Western appeasement of Adolf Hitler. "I believe we are at a moment like Munich in 1938," Cruz said on the Hugh Hewitt radio show on Thursday. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) extended the World War II metaphor to Ukraine in a direct attack on Steinmeier."The foreign minister of Germany is the same guy that refuses, in his government, to enact any restrictions on the behavior of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, who is slaughtering Ukrainians as we speak. He has no credibility." Steinmeier, McCain said, "is in the Neville Chamberlain school of diplomacy," a reference to the British prewar prime minister who signed the 1938 Munich agreement conceding the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Hitler's Germany. Secretary of State John F. Kerry told lawmakers Wednesday that the letter to Iran by 47 Republican senators "risks undermining the confidence that foreign governments in thousands of important agreements commit to. It purports to tell the world that if you want to have any confidence in your dealings with America, they have to negotiate with 535 members of Congress." The letter warned Iran that any nuclear agreement signed by Obama could be revoked "by the stroke of a pen" by any future president, and that Congress could modify its terms "at any time." Some of the letter's backers have sought political cover as they were flooded with broad-based rebukes. On Friday, one signer, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told Bloomberg journalists that he now questions the decision to address the letter to Iran's leaders. "I suppose the only regret is who it's addressed to," Johnson said. "But the content of the letter . . . none whatsoever." [ Some Republicans surprised by the backlash ] Obama further added to the White House backlash in comments reported Friday: "I am embarrassed" for the letter signers, he was quoted as saying. "For them to address a letter to the ayatollah who, they claim, is our mortal enemy and their basic argument to them is: Don't deal with our president because you can't trust him to follow through on an agreement," Obama said in an interview with Vice media that is expected to be released Monday, according to the AFP news agency. Earlier this week, Vice President Biden called the letter "a highly misleading signal to friend and foe alike that our commander-in-chief cannot deliver on America's commitments a message that is as false as it is dangerous." Kerry and the other negotiators will meet with Iranian officials next week in Lausanne, Switzerland, for another round of talks. The administration has said a framework for a deal must be agreed to by the end of this month if technical details are to be completed before the negotiating deadline at the end of June. Negotiators have said that deadline will not be extended. U.S. and European officials have cited recent progress in the negotiations, while cautioning that a deal may not be possible. Outstanding issues are said to include the future status of Iran's underground nuclear-enrichment facility at Fordow, near the city of Qom, and aspects of Iran's nuclear research and development program. Obama has said the goal is to block Iran's path to a nuclear weapon in a lasting and verifiable way. Opponents have insisted that Iran's nuclear capability which Tehran says is designed only for legitimate, peaceful energy purposes must be destroyed. Even before Steinmeier's visit on Thursday, Germany, Britain and France had repeatedly expressed concern about congressional interference in the talks. Ambassadors from the three Western European countries have been a frequent presence on Capitol Hill, trying to persuade lawmakers to hold off on new Iran sanctions or any other legislation related to the negotiations while they are underway. Following publication of the letter Sunday night, French Ambassador Gerard Araud, a diplomat of long experience in this country and a prolific user of social media, posted a Twitter link to the letter and his own comment that "for a foreigner, Washington can be full of surprise." In London on Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told a parliamentary committee that new legislation on Iran "could become a spanner in the works" and "have an unpredictable effect on leadership opinion and public opinion in Tehran." Brian Murphy and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report.
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GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) Roy Williams was fuming. The North Carolina coach ripped off his jacket and flung it into a chair in disgust. He stomped around his players during a first-half timeout, screaming for them to play tougher or watch Louisville run away with their Atlantic Coast Conference tournament matchup. Brice Johnson heard every word. BOX SCORE: UNC 70 LOUISVILLE 60 "My manhood was definitely challenged," he said. Johnson responded by scoring 18 of his 22 points after halftime to help the 19th-ranked Tar Heels outlast the 14th-ranked Cardinals 70-60 on Thursday in the quarterfinals. Marcus Paige added 13 points for the fifth-seeded Tar Heels (23-10), who took control in the final 7 minutes to take the third tough matchup between the teams this season. UNC used an 8-0 run to finally push ahead for good, with Kennedy Meeks coming up with some key plays despite being limited by a recent illness. The Tar Heels then went 6-for-6 at the line in the final minute to seal it and earn a semifinal date with No. 3 Virginia. To listen to Williams, though, the reason for UNC's first win against a higher-seeded team in a dozen years was more effort than Xs and Os. "They manned up and decided to play better in the second half," Williams said. Terry Rozier scored 20 to lead the fourth-seeded Cardinals (24-8), who shot just 8 for 36 (22 percent) after halftime -- including a 5 1/2-minute drought that tipped a tight contest toward UNC. Louisville missed 15 of its last 17 shots, a remarkable turnaround considering the Cardinals shot 52 percent in the first half and appeared to have early control. And the Cardinals finished just 4 for 22 from 3-point range in its ACC tournament debut. "We had our way against man-to-man," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "They switched to zone and we went cold. We had a lot of good looks but we just couldn't put the shots down." Just as with the previous matchups, this one was another fight -- and in all three games, the winning team overcame a double-figure deficit. Meeks played a big role in that. The 6-foot-9 sophomore had missed the UNC's ACC tournament opener because of illness and a fever, which caused him to miss two practices. He looked as if he was laboring through much of his court time, only to knock over Mangok Mathiang to muscle in a shot inside then follow with a stickback to cap UNC's 8-0 run to a 64-57 lead with just under 4 minutes left. He followed that by blocking a baseline drive by Rozier. "I think it was important," Meeks said of his play. "But at the same time, I think the team effort was there for us, at all times." ------ TIP-INS Louisville: Montrezl Harrell had 14 points and 12 rebounds. ... Wayne Blackshear added 18 points and three 3-pointers. ... Louisville finished with a 15-10 edge on the offensive glass, but scored just eight second-chance points. UNC: Justin Jackson added 10 points. ... UNC shot 50 percent after halftime. ... Freshman Theo Pinson missed his second straight game due to soreness in his left foot. He had recently returned from a monthlong absence after breaking that foot in late January. BLOWN BIG LEADS No big lead was safe in this three-game series. UNC rallied from 13 down in the second half to beat Louisville at home on Paige's late layup, then the Cardinals rallied from 18 down in the second half to win in overtime. Louisville led 30-20 on Blackshear's 3-pointer with 5:18 left in the first half Thursday. WILLIAMS PASSES ALLEN Williams earned his 746th career win to pass former Kansas coach Phog Allen for 15th on the Division I wins list. Allen's name is on the home arena for Kansas, where Williams earned 418 of his wins over 15 years. "I've been very fortunate, had big-time players that were willing to take all my antics and screaming at them and then turn around and play better basketball like Brice did today," Williams said. "I didn't realize that. That's pretty neat." UP NEXT Louisville will play in the NCAA Tournament. UNC will play top-seeded Virginia on Friday night. ------ Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap
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Raising the legal age for buying cigarettes wouldn't just postpone teenagers' smoking habits, it would prevent some of them from ever starting at all, according to a federally funded study from a nonprofit research institute. Most adults begin smoking when they are young. Almost 90 percent of people who have smoked daily first tried it before they were 19. And so, according to the study from the Institute of Medicine, pushing back the legal age for buying cigarettes could make a significant dent in smoking rates. Most states allow purchases at age 18, but the study projected some a dip in smoking rates if it were raised nationwide to 19 and an even larger one should it be set at 21. The added impact drops off when the age is raised from 21 to 25, according to the report. The greatest proportionate reduction in starting smoking would be among 15- to 17-year-olds, according to the report, in part because raising the age to 21 is that it provides greater distance between legal tobacco users and teenage users. Therefore, social circles of smokers and nonsmokers are less likely to overlap. The Food and Drug Administration contracted with the Institution to prepare the report as part of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. That same law, however, blocked the FDA from raising the legal age above 18, instead leaving that decision to the states. It's unclear whether how many will choose to do so. Four states Alaska, Alabama, New Jersey and Utah have set it at 19. New York City and some other localities have raised the legal age to 21, but no states have done so to date. Smoking rates have greatly decreased in recent decades, but it remains pervasive: 18 percent of adults smoke and there are almost 480,000 smoking-related deaths yearly. The debate over whether to raise the purchasing age is an old one. While it is widely understood that it can decrease smoking rates, most states opt to leave it at 18 because other adult activities also become permissible then, said Karmen Hanson, a tobacco policy analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures. "It's just one of those adult choice decisions that legislators in some states feel that is on the same level as something like military service," she said. The FDA received the report a few days ago and is still deciding how to present it to Congress.
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Want to feel guilty and lose your breath laughing all at once, but you don't want to leave the comfort of your couch? Thanks to a very ugly Sacramento Kings-Charlotte Hornets basketball game on Wednesday night, now you can! An unsuspecting (phone-watching) fan (person who needed an excuse to leave the house) got a face full of sweaty orange rubber, thanks to a play that started with (what else?) a Lance Stephenson decision.
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Although more Americans have health insurance coverage, 25 percent of non-elderly Americans don't have enough liquid assets to cover the deductible on their health insurance plan, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation . The report finds that many consumers don't have the cash on hand to cover the cost of a mid-range deductible or $1,200 for an individual or $2,400 per family. High deductible health plans require that consumers cover their health care costs out of pocket until they've met their deductible. The goal of such plans is to keep costs down by encouraging consumers to consider the costs and benefits of health care before purchasing it. "It's really up to the consumer with these plans to comparison shop and look for cost savings when making medical decisions,' says Kevin Coleman of HealthPocket.com. For consumers, that means negotiating for any non-emergency services and evaluating medical bills for potential errors. "The big challenge is when it's about you or someone you love, you lack objectivity, which means you lack leverage," says Sarah O'Leary, CEO of patient advocacy company Exhale Health. High-deductible plans, especially those paired with a funded health savings account may be a good alternative for those that are healthy or have the financial means to cover the costs of a medical emergency. However, the KFF report finds that as deductibles creep beyond the scope of savings, consumers are likely to either put off care or rack up medical debt. A Gallup poll released last December found that one in three Americans have put off treatment for themselves or a family member because of cost the highest rate in the history of the poll. There may be good reason: A separate report released also released in December by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that about half of all debt that goes to collections agencies represents medical bills. Such statistics suggest that while Obamacare has succeeded in expanding access to health insurance to most Americans, the law has much more work to do when it comes to the goal of making care affordable for everyday consumers. Increasingly, consumers are turning to high deductible plans not because they're the best option for their family, but because those are the plans with affordable premiums or the only type of plan offered by their employer. (Nearly one in five employers offers only a high-deductible plan to workers.) "High deductibles are going to continue to be a problem [for some consumers] until we can get costs under control or figure out how to get people to save more money," says Barbara Gniewek, principal with PwC's Human Resource Services practice. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Doh! Obamacare Website Botches Subsidies for 800,000 Thousands to Get Booted From Obamacare Plans How Obamacare Will Impact Your 2014 Taxes
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Disney will ban smoking in all its future movies aimed towards kids. Bob Iger said the company will "absolutely prohibit" the use of smoking in Disney films rated PG-13 and under at Thursday's annual shareholder meeting during a Q&A session. "We are extending our policy to prohibit smoking in movies across the board: Marvel, Lucas, Pixar, and Disney films," said Iger, according to The Wrap . Iger said the only exception will be in films which involve historical figures known for smoking. "For instance, we've been doing a movie on Abraham Lincoln, he was a smoker, and we would consider that acceptable," said Iger. "But in terms of any new characters that are created for any of those films, under any of those labels, we will absolutely prohibit smoking in any of those films." Disney previously put a smoking ban in place to movies produced by the company after 2007. The company details its no-smoking policy in films on its website. Here's the outline , which was last updated March 20, 2012: Disney policy prohibits product placement or promotion deals with respect to tobacco products for any movie it produces and Disney includes a statement to this effect on any movie in which tobacco products are depicted for which Disney is the sole or lead producer. Disney has determined not to depict cigarette smoking in movies produced by it after 2007 and distributed under the Disney label. Disney discourages depictions of cigarette smoking in movies produced in the United States for which a Disney entity is the sole or lead producer and which are released either as a Touchstone movie or Marvel movie, and seeks to limit cigarette smoking in those movies that are not rated "R" to: scenes in which smoking is part of the historical, biographical or cultural context of the scene oris important to the character or scene from a factual or creative standpoint, or scenes in which cigarette smoking is portrayed in an unfavorable light or the negative consequences of smoking are emphasized; Disney will place anti-smoking public service announcements on DVD's of new and newly re-mastered titles, not rated "R," that depict cigarette smoking and will work with theater owners to encourage the exhibition of an anti-smoking public service announcement before the theatrical exhibition of any such movie. Disney will include provisions in third-party distribution agreements for movies it distributes that are produced by others in the United States and for which principal photography has not begun at the time the third-party distribution agreement is signed advising filmmakers that it discourages depictions of cigarette smoking in movies that are not rated "R." For movies produced outside the United States or where Disney's influence over the content of films is limited (such as movies co-produced by Disney), Disney seeks to discourage depiction of smoking in movies that are not rated "R" where we believe it is appropriate and practical to do so. Disney regularly reviews the incidence of depictions of smoking in movies distributed by Disney entities. Compiled results of such reviews will be made public. NOW WATCH: The First 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Trailer Is Here!
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PHOENIX -- The 1-mile racetrack in nearby Avondale is known as Phoenix International Raceway. But officials might as well call it something else: Harvickland. Kevin Harvick has made Phoenix his personal playground the last couple years, and that doesn't figure to change with Sunday's CampingWorld.com 500. Why would it? Harvick, who has won three straight Phoenix races and four of the last five, is faster than ever. He's coming off both the 2014 Sprint Cup Series title and his first win of the season, which came last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. At November's Phoenix race, Harvick showed up needing a win to advance to NASCAR's four-driver, winner-take-all championship race. He promptly went out and led 85% of the laps en route to his sixth career Phoenix win the all-time record. So how is the competition supposed to stop him from doing it again? "Wreck him, maybe?" Richard Petty Motorsports driver Aric Almirola joked this week. "Everybody is playing catch-up when we go there." It's not just Phoenix where Harvick has been dominant. His No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team is in the midst of an incredible streak dating to last fall: Harvick has finished no worse than second in six consecutive races, becoming the first driver to do so since Jeff Gordon in 1996. Everyone in the garage knows Harvick is the one to beat these days, no matter the track. Phoenix only makes him scarier. After Harvick's Las Vegas win, Kasey Kahne crew chief Keith Rodden sent Harvick crew chief Rodney Childers a text message that said, "Well, at least we have a shot (at Phoenix) since you're going to Kevin's worst track." "If anybody doesn't know, that's a joke," Rodden said this week. "Harvick owns Phoenix since they repaved it. But we're up for the challenge." That desire to not roll over is exactly why Harvick said he's trying to block out the noise heading into Sunday's race. He's aware of the streak and knows Phoenix is an ideal opportunity to continue it, but he won't get overconfident about his success. "It's one of those things where you just want to keep your head down and ignore things as much as possible," Harvick said this week. "... You have to keep that even-keel approach. Because the next week, this sport has a way of beating you down into the ground in one moment. So you can't ever let your guard down." Harvick got a reminder when he showed up to Las Vegas last week. The team figured it would start with the 2014 Vegas setup, since Harvick showed speed there - leading 23 laps - before a mechanical problem relegated him to a 41st-place finish. But when he hit the track for practice and qualifying, the setup was "out to lunch," Harvick said. It took adjustments Saturday to get the car driving better again, which he said was a "good verification last year's (setups) won't work." "You expect to go (to Phoenix) and be competitive," he said. "It can change so fast, though. ... The way the sport evolves, you can't be scared to come to the racetrack with something different." His competitors will be ready. Almirola said a fast team like Harvick's only makes everyone else work harder to come up with new setups and lighter cars in an attempt to match the speed. And then there's always a chance Harvick's team could make a mistake or find bad luck as was the case during several near-wins last year. "I don't think anybody is going to Phoenix handing Kevin the trophy," Almirola said. "They know he's a really good bet if you want to go back through Vegas on your way to Phoenix but we'll all show up and expect to go race him." Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck
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FALL RIVER, Mass. Bristol County prosecutors on Thursday showed jurors a "Get Done" list on the Blackberry of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez that included the item: "Send rounds." The item, according to prosecutors, was a reference to rounds of ammunition. It was unclear when the list was created. It was displayed a few minutes before court broke for lunch recess and included other innocuous items and tasks like "fish oils," "All plays in new binder," "film of our defense," and "Cleats from stadium." Testimony in Hernandez's murder trial this week has focused on the weapon used to kill Lloyd, which was never recovered. Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bomberg displayed the list on the courtroom monitor during re-direct examination of Kyle Aspinwall, a district manager for Glock Inc. On Wednesday, Aspinwall viewed surveillance footage captured minutes after the 2013 homicide of Odin Lloyd and identified a black object in Hernandez's hands as a firearm. Aspinwall testified that the weapon was a .45 caliber Glock 21 the same make and model as the murder weapon. Defense lawyer Jamie Sultan spent most of the morning grilling Aspinwall over his identification, and presenting an array of alternative theories including an iPad and a soft pellet gun in an effort to undermine the Glock representative's testimony. At the core of the defense argument is an assertion that it is nearly impossible from the surveillance footage to determine to any degree of certainty the object in Hernandez's hands. Sultan began cross-examining the witness Thursday morning after he was unsuccessful in three attempts to block or toss out Aspinwall's testimony. "Do you have specialized training in identifying weapons from grainy videos?" Sultan asked. "Do you have supernatural powers of vision?" The defense lawyer played a series of surveillance clips that were captured in the same time frame as the footage in which Aspinwall identified the gun around 3:30 a.m. on June 17, 2013, minutes after Lloyd sent his last text to his sister. In several shots, Hernandez is holding a glowing object in his hand. Sultan asked if it appeared to be an iPad. Aspinwall said he could not make a positive identification. "I'm not asking you to make a positive identification, I'm asking you if it appears to be Mr. Hernandez holding an iPad," Sultan said. "It appears to be Mr. Hernandez holding something in his hand that has a white glow to it," the Glock rep. testified. Sultan also used the surveillance photos to implicate Carlos Ortiz, one of the Bristol, Conn. men charged as Hernandez's co-defendants. He pointed to a black object in Ortiz's hands in one of the shots captured shortly after the men pulled into the driveway at Hernandez's North Attleborough, Mass., home. Ortiz who is not expected to testify because he was deemed unreliable as a witness previously told investigators he carried a "deuce deuce," a .22 caliber gun, into the house after the shooting. Aspinwall said he could to identify the black object in Ortiz's hands. Sultan produced a soft pellet gun in court and suggested that it resembled a Glock. In the surveillance footage, Hernandez is holding the gun with a "reverse grip" by the muzzle. "You would never hold a real gun like this because you could blow your hand off, right?" Sultan asked the witness. "It's just not the proper way to hold a gun," Aspinwall said. In redirect examination, Bomberg established that Sultan had modified the orange muzzle of the soft pellet gun by painting it black. "Are you aware of anyone who goes pellet gun shooting at 3:30 in the morning?" Bomberg asked. "No I am not," Aspinwall said. Hernandez is on trial for murder and two illegal firearms charges.
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You're not imagining things. The first few days of 2015 NFL free agency have seen more trades involving major players than normal the most in recent memory. You're also not imagining this: After becoming practically obsolete, big trades like these could become the rule, rather than the exception. And don't be surprised if a player on the market next year is Drew Brees. MORE: Making sense of Saints' moves | What Jimmy Graham does for Seahawks Brees' contract is the kind that may have the Saints again looking for trade partners, as his cap numbers this year and next have New Orleans in the middle of a huge salary dump. With the exception of his age (36), Brees fits the criteria for players moved during this week's blockbuster trades: Brandon Marshall, LeSean McCoy, Haloti Ngata, Sam Bradford (to an extent) and Jimmy Graham (in multiple ways). They're valued players with some productive years left but have just a year or so left on backloaded contracts and cap numbers that teams can no longer swallow. Brees' cap hit this year is $26.4 million. Next season, the final year of the monster deal he signed in 2012, it's $27.4 million. New Orleans had to unload key players, including guard Ben Grubbs on Thursday and, of course, Graham on Tuesday after just one season of his big contract. It will come down to how much another team thinks Brees is worth not just contractually, but in what it's willing to give up in order to avoid free agency competition for the future Hall of Famer if he gets released. That's been the difference this year compared to past free agency periods, says former agent and NFL capologist J.I. Halsell: Believing a player can help enough to warrant giving up assets. "You look at Brandon Marshall final year of his deal, 30-plus years old, a few injuries, but still productive. Let's get something in return," Halsell told Sporting News, describing the Bears' mindset when deciding to part with the Pro Bowl receiver. On the other side, he continued, the Jets needed him, made room for him under their cap (mainly by later releasing Percy Harvin) and made sure they didn't lose a bidding war. "You see a team willing to jump the line to get that player, and you make that deal," he said. FREE AGENCY 2015: Team-by-team signing tracker The Bears received two draft picks for Marshall. The Ravens sent Ngata (due $16.5 million this year) and a pick to the Lions and received two picks. McCoy turns 27 in July, but running back age is accelerated for these purposes, and the Eagles preferred to get out from under his $10.25 million cap number for this year. Graham turns 29 late in the season, and his cap hit doubled this year to $8 million before it goes up the next two years. And Bradford, notoriously, is due nearly $13 million in the final year of his rookie deal and thus is no longer a Ram, but an Eagle. Those guys were deemed worth giving up something for as opposed to Harvin, who has baggage to go with his big contract. Same goes for former Texans receiver Andre Johnson, who is 33 and had a cap number of $16 million. Johnson and Harvin were the moves everyone recognizes: Players who were shopped briefly but then let go because no team wanted to pay for someone they could soon get in free agency. The market this year was tilted, though, largely because the backloaded contract that's cap-friendly in the early years is now the norm. Teams still want to wiggle out from under the big payoff later, but the players they're unloading are now worth the price to others. The same could be said soon for Brees. It's not guaranteed to happen in 2016, but don't be surprised when it does.
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JUPITER, Fla. -- Adam Wainwright continues to hold out hope of starting the April 5 opener against the Cubs at Chicago, though he has yet to pitch in an exhibition game this spring. The right-hander continued his recovery from a strained abdominal muscle Thursday by throwing 40 pitches in two simulated innings. It was the second time in four days that he threw live batting practice. "It's a good test," Wainwright said. "I love seeing hitters. They tell you what your stuff needs to do. Today, the goal was to try and start honing in some of those pitches. I did on about 80 percent of them. And I threw some really bad pitches that got hit." Wainwright won't be cleared to pitch in an exhibition game, until he is able to run and take part in fielding practice. Wainwright is hoping to reach that stage by the beginning of next week. "I want to be out there taking grounders and running station to station and leading groups and doing all that, too," Wainwright said. If Wainwright keeps progressing, he should have enough time to make three Grapefruit League starts. The veteran believes that will allow hum time to build enough arm strength to pitch in a regular-season game. To get to that point, Wainwright would need to be ready to pitch in a game by the end of next week. "I would never say 'no, I'm not ready, under any circumstance,'" Wainwright said. "I always want the ball. I always want to be out there. I want to pitch in the opener. I want to be that guy." Wainwright, 33, went 20-9 with a 2.27 ERA in 32 starts last season as he helped the Cardinals win the National League Central. He also led the NL with three shutouts. -----------------------------------------------
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IRBIL, Iraq Iraqi security forces and Iranian-backed Shiite Muslim militias appeared Thursday to be on the verge of victory in a two-week effort to recapture Saddam Hussein's hometown from the Islamic State, which has held the symbolically important city since June. But the seemingly certain triumph of a force with little Sunni Muslim participation in the center of Iraq's Sunni heartland has raised another troubling issue: the extension of Iran's influence in a country where the Shiite Muslim neighbor is already the most significant outside player. The forces that appeared Thursday to have cornered the last Islamic State fighters in central Tikrit are dominated by Iranian military advisers. The Iraqi Shiite militias are all Iranian trained. And the offensive itself is being directed on the ground by Iran's most influential general, Qassem Suleimani, who has been a thorn in American efforts to pacify Iraq since the early days of the U.S. occupation of this country. To add to American unease, there are credible reports that Iranian troops and fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement are participating in the Tikrit operation, and other reports that the Shiite militias and even U.S.-trained Iraqi troops have engaged in retaliatory attacks against Sunni residents. Those reports have convinced many Sunnis that the long-frayed relationship between Iraq's Sunni and Shiite sects is now completely broken. "It's a Persian-led invasion of the Sunni triangle," said one prominent leader of a Sunni tribe who has fled both the central government and the Islamic State for the safety of the Kurdish capital of Irbil. "We see Iranian troops and generals leading the fighting and the only Iraqi army units which once represented all Iraqis now only represent the Shiite parties and their Iranian leadership." He asked not to be identified because of fears he could be targeted by both sides of the increasingly bitter conflict. "Look around Baghdad now and what do you see?" he asked rhetorically. "Posters dedicated to militia leaders, Iranian generals and even Khamenei," referring to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Daash is a poison to all Muslims, but the Persians have become a cancer to Iraq," he said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. Then, referring to the 8-year-long war Iraq under Saddam fought against Iran in the 1980s, he summed up: "What they could not do in the 1980s they have done now with American help, which is enslave Iraq." The tribal leader pointed out that tens of thousands of Sunnis have offered to help the central government in Baghdad fight the Islamic State, but that the government of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, a Shiite, has rejected requests for arms from the Sunni tribes. Even the populist Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose Mahdi Army battled Americans troops throughout the U.S. occupation, has refused to allow his militia to join the Tikrit operation because of what he claims is a constant pattern of innocent Sunnis being murdered or abused by other Shiite militias and the security forces. He's been a vocal advocate for a government investigation into allegations of abuse. But in Iraq's tribal culture, the abuses of the Islamic State, most famously with the execution in Tikrit of at least 1,000 Shiite air force cadets and soldiers, are likely to make such an investigation impossible. The past becomes prologue as partisans recall events dating back decades, including the aftermath of the 1990-91 Gulf War, when Shiites rose up after U.S. troops expelled Iraq's army from Kuwait, only to discover the Americans unwilling to join their assault on Saddam. "Blood for blood," said Abu Barazan, a Sunni from Tikrit who fled the fighting for the safety of Irbil last month. "Saddam crushed the Shiites in 1991, so when the Americans crushed Saddam it was the Shiites' turn to take Baghdad. And of course they did it with Iran's help then as they do with Iran's help today. Any Sunni support for the Islamic State was revenge for the behavior of the Shiites towards the Sunnis after the Americans came, and now we see the Shiite taking their revenge." "When the Americans came, not all of us, even in Tikrit, were unhappy Saddam was removed, but we didn't know they'd hand us over to Iran when they did come," he added. Inside Tikrit itself, the operation appeared to be slowly drawing to a conclusion, although the lack of any real Sunni tribal support is likely to make it difficult for the Shiite militias to establish true authority over an area that, like much of the Middle East, tends to prefer to be policed by locals well known to the community. Col. Salah al Obeidi, a special operations commander in the Salahuddin Operations Center that oversees the Tikrit operation, said in an interview that Iraqi forces had pushed into the city center from the south and the west, trapping the remnants of the Islamic State inside the city against the Tigris River. Still, he said, the risk from roadside bombs, snipers and suicide bombers had slowed their progress. The United States has remained on the sidelines. Not a single American plane has flown a combat mission in support of the push, though the Iraqi air force has flown more than 1,300 helicopter gunship and air-support missions in the last two weeks, Obeidi said. He said recently acquired Russian-made Mi-35 attack helicopters had made a tremendous difference in the fighting. (Prothero is a McClatchy special correspondent. McClatchy special correspondents in Irbil and Salahuddin province contributed to this report. Their names are being withheld for security reasons.)
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Jump training, or plyometrics, are a great way to burn calories without taking up a lot of space. Try this series of moves, demonstrated in this video by fitness expert Kristin McGee, to get your heart pumping and shed pounds.
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During an exhibition match Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, Grigor Dimitrov let a young boy take his place against Roger Federer at the BNP Paribas Showdown.
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SALT LAKE CITY Gov. Gary Herbert on Thursday signed into law an anti-discrimination measure that earned the support of the Mormon church amid a crowd that brought smiling clergy members together with LGBT activists draped in rainbow flags. Hundreds of people packed the rotunda and the staircase behind the governor to witness the unusual public signing ceremony Thursday night. The crowd roared when Herbert proudly held up a freshly inked copy of the bill. Herbert's signature was the final step for the proposal, which flew through the Legislature after it was unveiled last week with the endorsement of the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many Utah lawmakers and the Republican governor are members of the church. The law protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents from discrimination in housing and employment, a step activists have been pushing for years, while also creating exemptions for religious organizations and protecting religious speech in the workplace. "I have no doubt that the eyes of the nation are upon us," Herbert said, calling lawmakers' attempt to strike a balance between religious freedom and LGBT equality a "historic occasion." The governor's decision to sign the bill before the legislative session had ended was rare, demonstrating the importance state officials have given a landmark bill they believe could serve as a model for other states grappling with how to reconcile gay rights and religious rights. His stately introduction was followed by more straightforward comments from one of the bill's sponsors, Republican Sen. Steve Urquhart, who strode to the podium wearing red pants and exclaimed, "How cool is this?" Urquhart went on to say that religious liberty and LGBT equality are not mutually exclusive but both "pillars in the pantheon of freedom." Before Thursday's ceremony, a jubilant Sen. Jim Dabakis, a Salt Lake City Democrat and the only openly gay member of the Legislature, was liberally hugging members of the crowd. Dabakis even pulled Gayle Ruzicka, an opponent of the bill and president of conservative family values group Utah Eagle Forum, into an embrace. "I did not expect this in Utah. I thought we'd be the very last state," said Douglas Birch, 37, who snapped a selfie with his friend Josh Bingham after the signing. "I never thought this would happen when I was still under 50," said Marcie Collette, a University of Utah employee who attended the event to show support for her LGBT friends. A Colorado native, she said she's found Utahans to be a compassionate people and hopes the legislation signed Thursday will help the world see that. The law makes it illegal to base hiring, firing and other employment decisions on someone's sexual orientation or gender identity. It also prohibits considering those factors in housing decisions, like whether to rent or sell a house or provide a home loan. But religious organizations and affiliated organizations like schools and hospitals are exempt from the law, as is the Boy Scouts of America, which has a ban on gay adult Scout leaders and has close ties to the LDS church. The legislation also states that religious individuals can express their beliefs in the workplace without retribution, as long as they are not harassing someone and the speech doesn't interfere with the company's core business. The bill doesn't address thornier discrimination questions about whether a business can refuse to serve someone for religious reasons, such as a wedding photographer who objects to photographing a same-sex marriage. And lawmakers left some of the language intentionally vague, leaving room for interpretation but also creating the potential for the law to be applied unevenly. For instance, it allows employers to adopt "reasonable dress and grooming standards" and "reasonable rules and policies" for gender-specific restrooms and other facilities, as long as they also accommodate transgender people. Lawmakers say they didn't define a "reasonable" regulation to give employers the flexibility necessary to find solutions to unique situations. LGBT advocates who've been pushing the issue at Utah's Legislature for more than half a dozen years have celebrated the bill and the church's endorsement, which has offered the kind of broad support they need to pass an anti-discrimination law in conservative Utah. They haven't publicly expressed concerns about the concessions they made. Conservative critics like Ruzicka argue that the bill creates special protections for gay and transgender people and doesn't go far enough to protect religious rights. Although the compromise didn't result in a bill that was ideal for either group, representatives from all sides appeared overjoyed Thursday night. The bill's co-sponsor, Republican Rep. Stuart Adams, teared up during the ceremony. Dabakis called Adams "a hero" and embraced a Mormon church representative. "Some will call it momentous," said Rep. Brad Dee, who sponsored the bill in the House. "I just call it Utah."
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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins spent 21 minutes building a massive lead over the Edmonton Oilers and the next 30 doing their best to give it away. Poor backchecking. Spotty decision-making. The details that have been a hallmark during Pittsburgh's recent surge vanished. BOX SCORE: PENGUINS 6, OILERS 4 Steve Downie and Patric Hornqvist restored order just in time, scoring just over a minute apart late in the third period to help the Penguins avoid an embarrassing collapse with a 6-4 win on Thursday night. Downie's 12th goal of the season on a rebound at 14:38 put Pittsburgh back in front after the Penguins let a four-goal advantage slip away. Hornqvist doubled it 1:06 later with a snap shot from the left circle to help the Penguins win for the seventh time in nine games. ''We were lazy,'' Hornqvist said. ''We were comfortable. We didn't work hard enough to win. That can't happen again. Now we've learned our lesson. We have to stay with it.'' If the Penguins want to stay in the thick of the clustered Metropolitan Division, they don't really have a choice. Brandon Sutter scored twice for Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby added his 23rd goal of the season and finished with three points. David Perron netted his 11th since coming to Pittsburgh from Edmonton in January and added an assist. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 25 shots but Pittsburgh needed an unlikely wake-up call from the Western Conference's worst team to win. ''There are swings in games, but we don't (want to) allow it to swing that far away and grab it back as quick as you can,'' Crosby said. Anton Lander, Jordan Eberle, Benoit Pouliot and Derek Roy scored for the Oilers, who have lost six straight. Yet the blowout that appeared in the offing when Crosby made it 4-0 just 1:01 into the second never materialized. Pittsburgh let the Oilers turn a listless rout into something far more compelling. Roy tied it 4-4 when he batted down a botched clearing attempt and knocked the puck past Fleury 10:04 into the third. ''We got better as the game went on,'' Edmonton coach Todd Nelson said. ''We battled back. We never quit, and against a team like that we can take something away from this game.'' Just not a victory. Downie, dropped to the fourth line, reclaimed Pittsburgh's momentum. He pounded a rebound past Richard Bachman - who came in for ineffective goalie Ben Scrivens early in the second period - to put the Penguins back up. Hornqvist, off an assist from Crosby, gave Pittsburgh the breathing room it needed. It wasn't quite the homecoming the Penguins expected after retooling at the trade deadline last week. They brought defenseman Lovejoy back into the fold and acquired Ian Cole for some needed depth at the blue line. The results were consecutive wins over Anaheim and Los Angeles followed by a shootout loss to San Jose. Given a rare two-day break upon their return from the West, Pittsburgh's legs were plenty fresh for the sagging Oilers. Earning just their second win in Pittsburgh since 1993 hardly seemed like an option after the Oilers fell behind 3-0 before 15 minutes elapsed. Sutter gave the Penguins the lead 4:16 in, breaking in alone on Scrivens and deking to his backhand to leave Scrivens badly out of position for his fourth shorthanded goal of the season, tied for the NHL lead. Sutter's even-strength goal just over five minutes later required far less skill. He flipped in a rebound off Downie's shot for his first multi-goal game since April 6, 2014, against Colorado. Crosby chased down a puck behind the Edmonton net and fed a streaking Perron racing in from the left circle later in the first. By the time Crosby powered in his 23rd goal of the season on the power play 1:01 into the second, the Penguins led 4-0 and Scrivens was done. The Oilers, surprisingly, were not. Lander and Eberle pulled Edmonton within two on a pair of dirty goals around the net as they crashed in on Fleury. When Pouliot flicked a shot over Fleury's shoulder 4:51 into the third the Oilers were within striking distance. NOTES: Penguins center Evgeni Malkin assisted on Crosby's goal for his 700th NHL point (268 goals, 432 assists). ... Pittsburgh D Christian Ehrhoff missed his 18th game since sustaining concussion-like symptoms against New Jersey on Jan. 28. Ehrhoff skated with the team Thursday morning and could return on Saturday against Detroit.
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Going through airport security is a miserable experience, but airports are at least starting to figure out ways to get you through the line quicker. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport says that the median wait time in its security lines has dropped by a third, going from 13.2 minutes to 8.9 minutes, after installing a system that tracks travelers' phones to estimate how much traffic each line has. The system allows the airport to display to passengers how long the wait in each of its security lines is. It also allows the airport to adjust its resources to respond to demand. Uses Wi-Fi to see how many devices (and people) are nearby The airport's tracking system, made by Blip Systems, looks for devices over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Blip Systems says that it collects each device's unique identifier (MAC address) and then uses that information to determine how many people are present in a given area. There are certainly some security concerns related to tracking like that, but the information it's collecting can only show so much that your device is present and, theoretically , that's increasingly little . Blip Systems also says that it anonymizes all data. Plus, everyone is already going through airport security, so it's not like the system would be breaching some bastion of privacy. The calculations determining airport wait time were all made by Purdue University, the airport says. Purdue is said to have taken the initial measurement in 2011 using proof-of-concept tracking tech. It then used Blip Systems' measurements to determine this latest calculation during the same time period late last year. If the technology hasn't changed in that time, the measurement should be consistent. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport installed the system over the summer, supposedly becoming the first airport in the US to do so. It isn't the first airport with the system worldwide, however. In an article last June, Bloomberg noted that it had already been installed in 20 airports, including in Amsterdam, Dubai, and Toronto. And improving security lines may be just the start. Bloomberg reports that Blip Systems believes its trackers could eventually be used to determine how many people are in different airport stores and restaurants, potentially even tracking movement around a terminal. That may be less appealing to travelers, but it's hard to argue much with cutting down security lines.
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SANTA ANA, Calif. A judge on Thursday yanked the Orange County district attorney's office off the case of a convicted mass killer after finding sheriff's deputies lied or withheld information about the use of jailhouse snitches used to gather evidence for prosecutors. Judge Thomas M. Goethals turned over the case of Scott Dekraai to the California attorney general's office after concluding that two sheriff's deputies "either intentionally lied or willfully withheld material evidence" on the stand and that the county prosecutor is responsible for their actions. The ruling dealt a blow to prosecutors' efforts to impose the death penalty on 45-year-old Dekraai, a former tugboat operator who pleaded guilty to killing his ex-wife and seven others in a 2011 shooting rampage at a Seal Beach hair salon. Defense attorneys wanted the death penalty thrown out but Goethals refused. While Goethals' ruling is limited to Dekraai, the extensive hearing into the use of jailhouse informants in Orange County raised many questions about how evidence is gathered and used. Defense attorneys in other cases may raise similar claims based on what was revealed. The ruling followed a yearlong courtroom duel over allegations that authorities misused jailhouse informants, hid evidence and lied on the witness stand. Paul Wilson, whose wife Christy was killed in the onslaught, said he was stunned and angered by the judge's decision. He said while he felt prosecutors were not to blame, he wished they'd let the state move the case forward for the sake of victims' families. "My nightmare continues," Wilson told reporters. "None of the other stuff that's involved the jailhouse informants talking to somebody, the evidence the sheriffs withheld or did not withhold who cares? The fundamentals of the case is that he killed those eight people that day and he needs to pay for that." In his ruling, Goethals also limited the evidence that can be presented during the penalty phase of Dekraai's case, noting key jail housing records were not turned over to Dekraai's lawyer for nearly two years. "In this case, the District Attorney's conflict of interest is not imaginary. It apparently stems from his loyalty to his law enforcement partners at the expense of his other constitutional and statutory obligations," Goethals said in the order, which he stayed to allow time for an appeal. Dekraai's lawyer, Scott Sanders, declined to immediately comment on the ruling. The state attorney general's office is also reviewing it, said David Beltran, an agency spokesman. Assistant District Attorney Dan Wagner said his office was still deciding whether to appeal and regretted that victims' families would suffer another delay. "It's a very rare thing for a prosecutor's office to be recused. It's a high standard and respectfully we disagree that the defense has met that standard," Wagner told reporters. He declined to discuss Goethals' findings about deputies. Last year, Sanders, an assistant public defender, accused prosecutors of trying to cover up a jailhouse informant program that had trained snitches to sidle up to high-profile defendants and elicit information in violation of their constitutional rights. After months of testimony, the judge barred prosecutors from using an informant's testimony and found they failed to turn over crucial evidence about the snitch to Dekraai, but let the case proceed. The case was heading toward the penalty phase when Sanders uncovered jail records that he believed could explain how authorities had used the snitch to chat up Dekraai. It also raised questions for him about why prosecutors had failed to turn over evidence and the honesty of sheriff's deputies, who did not previously disclose the existence of the records during testimony about how inmates' movements were tracked. Lt. Jeff Hallock, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said the agency was disappointed but will continue an internal investigation into the allegations that deputies lied. Deputies were not trained to deal with discovery requirements, relied on prosecutors' legal expertise and testified to the best of their ability, said Tom Dominguez, president of the county's association of deputy sheriffs. Dominguez also noted jail records are considered confidential. "There is no indication that any materials were intentionally left out of the record keeping system," he said in a statement. Two defendants in Orange County have seen their cases affected by the informants' hearing, including a gang member who got a shorter sentence for a killing. Kate Corrigan, who helped start the county's criminal defense bar association, said she hopes the state will not only take on the Dekraai case but investigate the allegations. "The DA's office was the only law enforcement agency looking into whether violations of the constitution had occurred," she said. "Now, we no longer have the fox tending the hen house." ___ Associated Press Writer Gillian Flaccus in Tustin, California, contributed to this report.
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PHOENIX Convicted murderer Jodi Arias will have to go without phone calls and video chats in jail for now unless they have to do with legal matters, the Maricopa County sheriff said Thursday. Sheriff Joe Arpaio said that Arias violated several rules, and the jail will enforce disciplinary restrictions for six weeks. According to Arpaio, there was evidence that Arias was trying to avoid having conversations monitored by using other inmates to make phone calls for her. She also is accused of speaking with minors through the jail's video visitation system. "Arias needs to understand that while she is in my jail, she is to obey all the rules and breaking them has consequences," Arpaio said in a news release. Other suspended privileges include being able to order commissary items. According to the sheriff, Arias sometimes spend around $100 in a week on candy and other food items. But for now, she will have to stick to the two vegetarian meals served daily by the jail. Earlier in the week, Arpaio also banned 10 of Arias' visitors, including two 15-year-olds. All of them were found to have violated rules for visits, Arpaio said. Some used cellphones to take photos, and others used false names to gain access to Arias. A jury last week reached an impasse on whether to sentence Arias to death for killing her former lover, leading to a mistrial and the removal of the death penalty as a possible punishment. The lone holdout juror against the death penalty has reportedly been receiving death threats. Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery on Thursday called for an end to the threats, saying there was no justification for such attacks. Jurors' decisions "must be respected if we are to expect fellow citizens to willingly serve in the future," he said. Arias was convicted of murder in Travis Alexander's death at a 2013 trial that became a global sensation with its revelations about her sexual relationship with the victim and that she had slit his throat so deeply he was nearly decapitated. A new jury was picked to decide her punishment after the first jury deadlocked on that question. The judge in the retrial will decide on April 13 whether Arias will spend the rest of her life in prison or if she will be eligible for release after serving 25 years.
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Will Ferrell took the field in all five Cactus League games Thursday and played all nine positions. We ask B-Mac what the reaction would be if he did the something like this in the NFL.
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On the quest for love singles have a list of desirable traits they're looking for in an ideal partner. Shared values, physical attraction, and an emotional connection are among the factors that come into play, but there's an irresistible personality trait that's ranked higher than a degree, good genes, or religion. According to a study published in the American Journal of Play, when it comes to desirable attributes in sexual selection playfulness is important regardless of gender, but why? Generally, playfulness is synonymous with children, adventure, and fun. The adjective is less socially accepted among adults when it comes to social manifestations, and rather is regarded as Peter Pan syndrome people with the body of an adult but the mind of a child. However, psychologists believe the existence of a playful cognitive style or personality derives from situations, activities, and psychological qualities that attribute to someone being playful. Playfulness may not be so distanced from adulthood, especially when it comes to relationships. Rene T. Proyer and Lisa Wagner from the Department of Psychology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, sought to examine the role of playfulness in intimate relationships, based off Penn State professor and head of the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management Garry Chick's adult playfulness theory . Chick theorizes playfulness serves as an evolutionary role in human mating preferences by signaling positive qualities to potential long-term mates. The researchers were interested in testing the role of two moderators: individual differences in playfulness as personality trait and in relationship status. More than 320 young adults, aged 18 to 44 years, were polled from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria for the study. Sixty-two percent were single, and 38 percent were in a relationship. First, the researchers considered individual differences in playfulness by asking the participants to examine a list of 16 characteristics on the Preferences Concerning Potential Mates rating scale, and indicate whether or not they found them desirable in a future or potential partner for a long-term relationship. Examples included humor, fun loving, kind, and understanding, exciting personality among many others. Lastly, the participants were asked to describe themselves based on the Short Measure of Adult Playfulness (SMAP), which assesses playfulness based on playful experiences along with frequent display of playful activities, such as "I am a playful person." The findings revealed friendliness, intelligence, humor and a fun tendency were among the top desired traits in a mate, while playfulness ranked behind the favorites for both men and women. "Therefore, this personality trait also seems important for the choice of partner -- at least more so than the partner having a degree, good genes or being religious," said Proyer in the press release . Moreover, the researchers found participants who described themselves as playful also valued playfulness, humor, and a laid-bac attitude, a fun tendency and creativity in their potential partner. Interestingly, those who were in relationships assessed themselves as more playful compared to their single counterparts. "Although we should be cautious while interpreting the data, this could be an indication that playful people are actually perceived as more attractive partners or that playfulness increasingly develops in the relationship," Proyer said. Similarly, a 2011 study published in the journal of Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice found playfulness in adults was associated with "good character." A level of playfulness in adults relates to positive psychological functioning and overall well-being. In adulthood, it's the ability to transform situations in flexible, creative and humorous ways. Perhaps laughter and playfulness really is the best medicine, even when it comes to matters of the heart. Sources: Proyer RT and Wagner L. Playfulness in Adults Revisited: The Signal Theory in German Speakers. American Journal of Play . 2015. Proyer RT and Ruch W. The virtuousness of adult playfulness: the relation of playfulness with strengths of character. Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice . 2011.
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LAS VEGAS -- Asked what triggered Arizona's second-half turnaround Thursday, coach Sean Miller needed just one word to get to the point. "Execution," he said. After muddling through a half with a California team they hammered twice by 62 total points during the regular season, the No. 5 Wildcats gradually pulled away in the second half for a 73-51 victory in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals at MGM Grand Garden Arena. BOX SCORE: ARIZONA 73, CAL 51 Freshman forward Stanley Johnson scored 19 points to lead four Arizona players in double figures as the Wildcats (29-3) advanced to Friday night's first semifinal against either USC or UCLA. Leading just 33-27 at halftime after a first half in which it killed momentum with turnovers and was outrebounded by a middle-of-the-pack rebounding side, Arizona looked more like a Top 5 team as the day progressed. It sank 48 percent of its shots from the field in the second half, made all 12 of its free throws and committed only three turnovers. The conference's regular season-champs also bounced back on the boards to achieve a 37-36 edge over the eighth-seeded Golden Bears. "They played well in the first half and we were stagnant," said Wildcats point guard T.J. McConnell, who finished with 13 points and six assists in a typically solid performance. After guard Jabari Bird sank a 3-pointer 34 seconds into the second half to pull California within three points, Arizona hit the figurative X button. Scoring on five of its next six trips, it opened a 44-32 lead with 15:50 left. The Bears (18-15), which walloped Washington State 84-59 on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals, never got the margin below 10 for the remainder of the game. They sank just 34.4 percent from the floor, unable to finish around the rim or do enough damage on 3s, where they were only 4-of-14. "It's tough when you don't establish a post presence," California coach Cuonzo Martin said. "You have to get some production around the rim to be successful against a good team. You have to give all the credit to the defense." Guard Tyrone Wallace pumped in 19 points for the Bears but needed 20 shots to do it, hitting just eight. Bird scored 10, but forward David Kravish managed just six points on 3-of-13 marksmanship a day after lighting Washington State up for a career-high 25 points. Kravish and Arizona forward Brandon Ashley, who scored 15 points on just seven shots from the field, appeared to exchange shoves with 2:41 left in the game. The officials went to the replay monitor and assessed technicals to each, although neither was tossed. "Sportsmanship, play hard, play physical, but there's a line we don't want any of them to cross," Miller said of the incident. "But I didn't think it was as scary as that three to five second was. I thought both guys held serve and we moved on." Forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 10 points, including a spectacular dunk in the first half, while guarding no less than eight different players. While it wasn't the Wildcats' best performance, it was still one good enough to bag a routine win against a desperate team. "They always look for a battle," Ashley said. "We were expecting a battle and that's exactly what we got." NOTES: Arizona entered the game ranked third in adjusted defensive efficiency, yielding just 0.87 points per possession. ... California dropped to 8-85 all time against teams ranked in the top five of the Associated Press' Top 25 poll. ... Wildcats football coach Rich Rodriguez sat across from the Arizona bench and had both feet in the air after a dunk early in the second half by F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. -----------------------------------------------
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A late penalty and a superb assist from Romelu Lukaku helped Everton come from behind to beat Dynamo Kyiv 2-1 in the first leg of their last-16 UEFA Europa League tie on Thursday. Everton now has the upper hand heading into next week's second leg, despite a wretched first 30 minutes at Goodison Park. Oleh Husyev's near-post flick gave Dynamo a deserved 14th-minute lead and the visiting side only looked like extending its lead in the early stages. Roberto Martinez's side was simply not at the races, but Lukaku - dominant in the Europa League of late - sparked Everton to life, first hitting the crossbar with a 25-yard free-kick before he set up Steven Naismith's 39th-minute equalizer in stunning fashion. The Belgium international beat three players before finding Naismith, and he then put his own name on the scoresheet eight minutes from time after Danilo Silva was adjudged to have handled Leon Osman's cross. Lukaku's spot kick was far from perfect, but it snuck in as he bagged his seventh goal in his last four Europa League matches to give Everton victory. Everton looked anxious at the back in the early stages, with a series of crosses causing panic and one of them - hacked away for a corner by James McCarthy - led to Dynamo's opener. Andriy Yarmolenko's ball in from the right was superbly flicked on at the near post by Husyev, who nipped in front of McCarthy to volley home. Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard was alert to keep out a fierce Sergiy Sydorchuk drive from 30 yards as Dynamo searched for a second, while at the other end, Oleksandr Shovkovskiy was relieved to see a Lukaku effort from distance sail over after he charged off his line and fluffed a clearance. The restless mood at Goodison Park was summed up when a poor Antolin Alcaraz back-pass, which almost played Dieumerci Mbokani in, was met with fury from the home fans. Everton turned the screw just before the break, though, as Lukaku's free kick flicked the top of the crossbar and Phil Jagielka had a header cleared off the line by Silva. And the host then restored parity when Lukaku beat three defenders with a storming run forward that showcased his speed and power, before he released Naismith, who curled past the onrushing Shovkovskiy from 12 yards. The goal was just what Everton needed to lift spirits and the English club picked up where it left off in an impressive start to the second half. First, Naismith sent a glancing header just wide before Luke Garbutt's fierce free kick forced a corner. Naismith again won the header, but could only nod onto the chest of Lukaku, as Shovkovskiy rushed off his line to clear the danger. Mbokani jumped above Jagielka and headed onto the roof of the net from eight yards for the visiting team, but Everton, now controlling the game, continued to surge forward, as Arouna Kone and Gareth Barry spurned half-chances. Dynamo offered the odd reminder of its ability, as shown when Yarmolenko shot over, but in Lukaku, Everton had the game's best player. And after referee Carlos Velasco pointed to the spot after Silva's indiscretion, Lukaku stepped up to score from 12 yards, even if Shovkovskiy got a trailing leg to his effort, as the home side celebrated a character-building victory.
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Ten reputed members and associates of a New Jersey crime family thought to be the inspiration for the hit show "The Sopranos" were arrested on Thursday and charged with plotting to commit murder, sell drugs and run a high-end prostitution ring, officials said. The murder plot involved a reputed DeCavalcante organized crime family captain who sought permission from other members to hire an outlaw biker gang to kill a rival, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. Members of the DeCavalcante crime family also plotted to deal cocaine and operate a high-end escort service targeting businessmen and professionals in southern New Jersey, he said in a statement. "Though its ranks have been thinned by countless convictions and its own internal bloodletting, traditional organized crime remains a real problem," Fishman said. The DeCavalcante crime family has widely been considered to be the inspiration for "The Sopranos," a series about a fictitious organized crime family based in New Jersey that ran on HBO from 1999 to 2007. Several "Sopranos" plot lines closely resembled crimes attributed to the DeCavalcante family, and some characters in the series were similar to actual members of the family. "Sopranos" creator David Chase said he often got story ideas from crime stories in local New Jersey newspapers. (Reporting by Ellen Wulfhorst in New York; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
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Foursquare's bringing some much needed simplicity to its standalone Swarm app today, removing the old "plans" feature that let users publicly (and awkwardly) ask all of their friends to hang out. That's been ditched in favor of a private messaging system. "We think it will bring up the value of neighborhood sharing, which lets you see your friends' general proximity, and we hope that this will help people start reaching out to their nearby friends a little more often," product manager Nick Burton told TechCrunch . That gives off the impression that not many people were using the old plans functionality anyway. Messages can be sent individually, in group chats, or blasts to everyone in case you did for some reason prefer the old way. Swarm says you can even message people who don't use the app. Your location will be displayed for any messages you fire off on a map, which is a bit more specific than the neighborhood that's usually attached to a user's name. Swarm's messages also include read receipts, so you can be absolutely sure your friend didn't miss that request to grab lunch. They just ignored it. Swarm says users can expect "a lot more fun" in a future update, which could bring Swarm closer to the "personality of the older versions of Foursquare." That's assuming you've stuck with Foursquare's grand divorce experiment in the first place.
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A documentary filmmaker who witnessed the shooting of two police officers in Ferguson, Missouri shares his experience on the ground.
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(Bloomberg) -- Technology makes it a lot easier to cheat today, according to reformed con artist Frank Abagnale. The man who made $2.5 million in the 1960s as a teenager faking identities as an airline pilot, lawyer and doctor now works with the FBI and others on cybercrime. He even had a role in the investigation into last year's JPMorgan Chase & Co. hack, he said in an interview this week near Trafalgar Square in London. Abagnale became famous after the 2002 Steven Spielberg movie "Catch Me If You Can," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, based on his autobiography. He's spent the past four decades working with the FBI spotting fraud, and says the advances in technology and the over-sharing trends propagated by social media sites like Facebook have made it much easier to create false identities with a few personal details. When he did it, he had to assume an entirely new identity and life. "What I did 50 years ago as a teenage boy is 4,000 times easier to do today because of technology," Abagnale said. "Technology breeds crime. It always has, and always will." Abagnale said he was in London to speak with government officials about fighting fraud. He declined to detail what he did for the FBI on the hacking case, or whom he met with from the U.K. government. Abagnale spent five years in French, Swedish and American prisons after being arrested in France in 1970. The U.S. government released him on the condition he would help teach and assist federal law enforcement agencies. He's the only person the FBI has done that with in its 107-year history, he says. Undercover Work "I owe a debt to my country 800 times greater than I could ever repay," says Abagnale, who met his wife when he went undercover for the FBI as an orphanage social worker named Bill Mattison. "That's why I'm still with the FBI, and will be there until I can't do anything any longer." Paul Bresson, an FBI spokesman, declined to comment and said he couldn't verify the accuracy of Abagnale's information. He's written books on his life and fighting identity theft, helped develop fraud detection software, and speaks regularly at conferences and universities. To illustrate how easily hackers can get inside computer systems, he often tosses a bunch of USB sticks marked "confidential" around the parking lot before a presentation. People who pick them up and stick them in their computers are greeted with a message saying "this is a test and you've failed." No matter how much money companies invest in cybersecurity, people are the biggest risk, as seen with the JPMorgan hack last year. In that breach, millions of customer accounts were jeopardized when hackers used an employee's user name and password to worm their way into the bank's network, people with knowledge of the investigation have said. The FBI and other agencies are investigating. Weakest Link "The technology works but we're always dealing with that weakest link, the human beings," he says. "You need to teach your employees that whether you're the receptionist on the phone or you're the officer of the company," everyone's a target for a hacker. While security is tighter now, a new challenge is that often no human contact is needed to defraud someone, he says. It can all be done by computer from the other side of the planet. People like his son are preparing for new risks, as cyberthreats become even greater and more dangerous for individuals, Abagnale said. His son qualified as an FBI agent nine years ago and, according to Abagnale, received a congratulatory card from Tom Hanks, who played the agent who captured Abagnale in "Catch Me If You Can." In five years, it'll be possible to control things like pacemakers and car brakes from thousands of miles away, whereas today you'd have to be within 35 feet, Abagnale said. "When I look back at my life now, I'm not amazed by what I did at 16 to 21." What's really amazing, he said, was "to do something incredible with my life after that." --With assistance from Tom Schoenberg in Washington. To contact the reporter on this story: Suzi Ring in London at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Heather Smith at [email protected] Edward Evans
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