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The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday asked an appeals court to stay a judge's ruling that blocked President Barack Obama's recent immigration actions. The Justice Department filed a motion asking for a stay with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The Obama administration will defend expanding a program that defers deportation for certain immigrants who arrived in the United States as children, Justice said in a court filing. (Reporting by Julia Edwards; Writing by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
| 5 | 12,100 |
news
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DeMarco Murray will be in Philadelphia today, a development first reported by ESPN , evidently hoping the Eagles will bid for the 2014 NFL rushing king's services. Is making a move within the NFC East a good idea for Murray, who played his first four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys but is now the most prominent unsigned free agent? Reasons to join the Eagles 1. Chance to produce: In two years under coach Chip Kelly, the Eagles offense has ranked in the top five league-wide in points scored and yards gained. Since-traded LeSean McCoy won the rushing title in 2013, a year before Murray took the crown, and still ran for 1,319 yards in 2014 even though it was perceived as a down season. Joining the Eagles would also reunite Murray with his buddy Sam Bradford, a three-year college teammate at Oklahoma. They'd both be new to the Eagles but would bring previously established rapport. 2. Good offensive line: Murray's detractors might claim he's largely a product of a Dallas offensive line that features three Pro Bowlers. Whatever the case, joining the Eagles would allow him to continue working behind excellent blocking with LT Jason Peters, LG Evan Mathis and C Jason Kelce all among the elite at their respective positions. 3. Chance to win: After spending his first three NFL years wallowing at .500, Murray finally enjoyed his first postseason trip in 2014 in large part due to his efforts, which earned offensive player of the year honors. The Eagles missed the playoffs last year but claimed the NFC East title in 2013 and have won 10 games in both years under Kelly despite a defense that has ranked near the bottom of the league. If Murray really is steamed the Cowboys wouldn't find a way to retain him as a core part of their program, what better way of trying to stick it to them than by playing for a formidable rival? Reasons to play elsewhere 1. Cash in: Coming off an 1,845-yard campaign and now 27 years old, Murray's bargaining power as a running back will never be greater than it is now. And though he played every game last year, durability hasn't exactly been his calling card given he missed 11 contests in his first three seasons. If financially securing the future for himself and his family is important to Murray, this would be the time to take the megabucks he would command from cap-rich teams like the Raiders or Jaguars rather than the more modest deal he'd have to accept from the Eagles. 2. Heavy box: Though Kelly's play designs tend to create room for his players to operate, Murray might not enjoy the space he did with Dallas. There's no Dez Bryant in Philadelphia to deter the strong safety from creeping toward the line to stuff the run game. And opposing defenses will likely feel far more comfortable daring Bradford to beat them than they would Tony Romo. 3. Timeshare: As explosive as Kelly's offense is and as friendly as it was to McCoy in 2013, Murray will probably no longer be able to showcase himself as a workhorse. Darren Sproles replaced McCoy as the primary receiving threat out of the backfield last year, Chris Polk's role steadily expanded, and the Eagles just signed former Pro Bowl RB Ryan Mathews to a three-year deal with no expectation he'd be gathering dust. Probably not a formula that would make Murray a coveted free agent if he were to reach the market again in the future. *** Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis
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sports
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BERLIN Archaeologists say two pretzels unearthed during a dig on the banks of the Danube in the German city of Regensburg could be more than 300 years old and are little different to the doughy product available in the state's famous beer halls today. Dorothee Ott, spokeswoman for the Bavarian Office for Historical Conservation, said Thursday the pretzel fragments went on display this week at the Regensburg Historical Museum. Ott says the pretzels and other baked goods found were badly burned, which is why they survived the centuries. Archaeologists believe they were discarded from a bakery that was once on the site. Carbon dating places their creation between 1700 and 1800. Taking into account about 15 percent shrinkage, Ott says "it's a normal pretzel, maybe a little smaller than today."
| 5 | 12,102 |
news
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After struggling to emerge from the Ebola outbreak, West Africa now faces a dangerous wave of measles cases because over-burdened hospitals were unable to keep up with vaccinations, researchers said Thursday. Some 100,000 more children could get measles, in addition to the 127,000 cases already anticipated among children who have not been vaccinated against measles in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the three nations hardest by the Ebola epidemic, said the study in the journal Science. Researchers forecast that on top of the 7,000 measles deaths that the countries would normally anticipate, anywhere between 2,000 and 16,000 additional children would likely die from measles, all because of a year-and-a-half of Ebola-related disruptions in the health care system. "The large numbers we project sound pretty bad but they're not unprecedented," said lead author Justin Lessler, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "Between 2010 and 2013, a measles outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo resulted in 294,000 cases and over 5,000 deaths," he said, noting that the DRC measles outbreak followed years of unrest, not an Ebola epidemic. Measles outbreaks often follow humanitarian crises, as vaccination rates decline because of violence, fear of infection, and health systems that are overwhelmed with casualties and deaths. The latest outbreak of Ebola in West Africa is the worst in history, killing more than 10,000 of the more than 24,000 people infected, according to the World Health Organization. Researchers estimate that measles immunizations in the region -- typically ranging between 60 and 80 percent of children -- had fallen by 75 percent because of the Ebola crisis. That would mean that after 18 months of healthcare disruptions, more than 1.12 million children aged between nine months and five years would be vulnerable to measles -- up from 778,000 prior to the crisis, the study said. - 'Incredibly contagious' - Measles causes fever and rash, and complications can include pneumonia, fatal brain swelling, blindness and hearing loss. About 84 percent of children worldwide are vaccinated against measles by their first birthday, according to the WHO. But more than 90 percent need to be vaccinated in order to maintain herd immunity, health authorities say. The virus's particles can remain infectious on surfaces and in the air for up to two hours. "It's so incredibly contagious compared to other vaccine preventable diseases," said Lessler. "It's one of the first diseases for which we lose our (herd) protection against an outbreak." There have been some measles cases in West Africa since the Ebola outbreak began, but so far the region has avoided a large outbreak. Researchers said the best way to ward off another public health emergency is to make a fresh push for childhood vaccinations in the region, including measles, polio and whooping cough, along with delivery of anti-malaria bed netting and medication, and doses of Vitamin A which can boost child health. "Measles is not the only health threat that has been made worse by the Ebola crisis and may not even be the worst. But it's certainly one we can do something about," said Lessler.
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health
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Ben Johnston-Krase, a pastor in Racine, Wisconsin, has stepped down from his role at the First Presbyterian Church to set up a new church that will be based on a farm and will be called Farm Church. The idea, which came to Johnson-Krase in a dream, "will have a primary premise of feeding people, both urban and rural, through produce raised on the farm," according to the Racine Journal Times . Though the new ministry setting is somewhat unconventional, pastor Johnson-Krase noted that the Presbyterian faith has often made efforts to connect with worshippers outside a traditional setting, with some ministries meeting in individual homes or even doubling as running groups. Though the pastor has no previous experience in farming, he will be assisted by a fellow Presbyterian pastor in Kentucky who has worked in organic farming. Eventually, the church will serve as a ministry for local families who are interested in helping the community through agricultural initiatives. "Central to the Farm Church will be to establish programs like farm to food pantry programs, farm to elementary school cafeteria programs, and perhaps providing food to senior living facilities and prisons," reports the Racine Journal Times. "The ministers also want to set up shop in an area near food deserts urban and rural areas lacking adequate access to fresh produce."
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foodanddrink
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PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) -- Morten Orum Madsen of Denmark finished with a hole-in-one and an eagle for a 7-under 63 to share the first-round lead at the Tshwane Open on Thursday. Madsen was joined by David Horsey of England, who was bogey-free with seven birdies around the par-70 Pretoria Country Club course. They are a shot ahead of Wallie Coetsee and Brett Rumford at the last event of a three-tournament swing for the European Tour in South Africa. Madsen, whose only win on the European Tour came in South Africa in 2013, had four birdies and a bogey before his remarkable finish. He spun his tee shot back into the hole on No. 8, his 17th, for his ace. He then eagled the par-5 No. 9 after reaching the green in two with a pinpoint long iron. "That was fantastic," Madsen said. "For the last couple of weeks I've been hitting some shots that were really close and I said to my caddie that a hole-in-one was on the cards pretty soon." At first, Madsen didn't realize he'd holed the tee shot on the short hole. He then threw up his arms and said, "it's in, it's in," before high-fiving his playing partners. Horsey made a late charge to match Madsen's 63, picking up four birdies in his final seven holes. South Africa's Coetsee and Australia's Rumford share third. Former Ryder Cup winner Edoardo Molinari is also competing in the South African capital and opened with a 66 for a tie for ninth. European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke carded a 71.
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sports
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The Bears' new management and quarterback Jay Cutler were thrown together by circumstance. General manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox were brought in after Phil Emery and Marc Trestman failed to bring the team to the playoffs. Cutler was traded for in 2009, then re-signed to a monster contract by Emery last season. Without a willing trade partner or a better option, Cutler is the Bears' quarterback. Pace said so at a press conference on Wednesday. "We went through the process of thoroughly evaluating our roster and we're moving forward with Jay Cutler as our starting quarterback," Pace said. "We've spent time with him on a personal basis, just getting to know him as a person. Just being thorough with all that, that helped us come to this conclusion." MORE: This Bears rebuild is going to be painful It's not a ringing endorsement as much as an acknowledgement of the situation. But that doesn't mean they can't make it work. Cutler is 31, and hasn't played a full season since 2009. He has shown an ability to bounce back from injuries, but that ability doesn't last forever. If he hasn't started to worry about his legacy yet, he should. His last playoff game was after the 2010 season, and he hasn't come close to a Super Bowl. He's been through three head coaches during his time in Chicago, and Adam Gase will be his fifth offensive coordinator. MORE: Early NFL retirements are starting a trend Pinning all of the Bears' troubles on Cutler isn't fair, as the defense's implosion under Trestman was more to blame. But if Cutler wants to be known as more than the quarterback with tons of potential but little success, he has to make it work with Fox and Pace. He has to do it without Brandon Marshall, his close friend and the receiver he's worked with in both Denver and Chicago. Instead, he will have newly-signed receiver Eddie Royal and Gase, one of the most sought-after offensive coordinators on the market, in addition to Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte. He has a head coach who has been to the Super Bowl twice, and with the way his contract is structured, he likely is in Chicago for at least another two seasons. Cutler has plenty to work with in his latest fresh start. It's not the perfect start to a working relationship, but will that matter if the Bears end the season well?
| 1 | 12,106 |
sports
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This spring, Ram will offer two limited-edition trucks -- the Ram 1500 Ignition Orange Sport and the Ram 1500 Black Sport. Each special-edition model will be limited to 1000 units when production begins in April. Both models are based off the Crew Cab trim level, adding unique interior and exterior design elements. Available in 4x2 and 4x4 versions, the special trucks will be available for just $1595 more than regular Ram 1500 Sport models. The Ignition Orange Sport model, as you'd expect, features a bright orange exterior paint job with a bold Mopar decal on the sport hood. Inside, look for orange accent stitching through the cabin, unique badging on the seats and headrests, and colored accent sport mesh on the seat inserts. On Black Sport models, the exterior looks particularly sinister thanks to large 20-inch black wheels and a cabin filled with black leather and black chrome accents. Ram 1500 slideshow and pricing Just like regular Ram 1500 Sport models, these trucks are powered by a 395-hp 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine with an eight-speed Torqueflite automatic transmission. Both trucks feature an 8.4-inch Uconnect system with navigation and standard rearview camera. Customers can start ordering their special-edition models this week. Pricing for these models starts at $43,810, including $1195 destination. Source: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Hottest Trucks from the Detroit Autorama
| 9 | 12,107 |
autos
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Britney Spears Britney Spears is being lined up to perform at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show. The 'Toxic' hitmaker - who previously took to the stage at the prestigious sporting event alongside Aerosmith, 'NSYNC, Nelly and Mary J. Blige in 2001 - will reportedly play a part in the interval entertainment at next year's showpiece NFL game. A source said: "She's definitely doing a part in the Super Bowl halftime show next year. "The details haven't totally been worked out yet, but it will be huge." The 33-year-old singer is said to be looking for a new challenge following the success of her Las Vegas residency and sees the coveted slot as the ideal platform. The source added to National Enquirer magazine: "She's ready to do something massive." According to the insider, Britney will be joined on stage by a number of famous friends, likely to include 'Wrecking Ball' hitmaker Miley Cyrus as the two share a management team. The 2015 Super Bowl saw Katy Perry take to the stage for the halftime show and she was joined by Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott. Previous performers have included Madonna, Beyonce - who was joined by Destiny's Child bandmates Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland for part of her slot - Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Who and the Rolling Stones.
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entertainment
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The world's largest particle accelerator, which famously discovered the long-sought Higgs boson in 2012, will soon start up again at almost double the energy of its first run. After a two-year hiatus for upgrades, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland, will be able to produce particle collisions at an energy of 13 teraelectron volts (TeV) by May, compared to the 8-TeV collisions during previous operations, CERN officials said at a news conference today (March 12). By looking at these higher-energy collisions, researchers hope to see beyond the Standard Model of particle physics , the reigning theory that describes the fundamental particles and how they interact. This could include finding other Higgs bosons, or producing dark matter, the mysterious substance that makes up about 85 percent of the total matter in the universe, researchers said. [ Beyond Higgs: 5 Elusive Particles That May Lurk in the Universe ] "We're headed again into unexplored territory," said David Charlton, a spokesman for ATLAS, one of two LHC experiments that found evidence in July 2012 of a particle bearing the characteristics of the Higgs boson , a particle thought to give all other particles their mass. The LHC consists of a 17-mile-long (27 kilometers) ring of superconducting magnets that accelerates particles to near the speed of light . The LHC produces two beams of protons, and collides them at four locations inside the machine. To make the magnets superconductive, they are chilled using liquid helium to minus 456.3 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 271.3 degrees Celsius), a temperature colder than outer space. In its first season of operation, which lasted from 2009 to 2012, the LHC was able to produce collisions at energies of up to 8 TeV. The discovery of a Higgs-like particle whose existence scientists had long theorized helped confirm the Standard Model, the theory that has successfully explained nearly all of experimental particle physics. But in order to look beyond this model and discover new physics, higher-energy collisions are needed. During its two-year shutdown, the LHC underwent substantial maintenance and upgrades, Frederick Bordry, CERN's director of accelerators and technology, said at the news conference. These included strengthening the connection between the magnets, improving the protection against a superconductive breakdown (or quenching) of the magnets, improving the radiation protection and cooling systems, and doubling the number of "bunches" of protons injected into the collider to produce more collisions, Bordry said. Over the weekend, technicians performed the first test to inject particle beams into the LHC. The collider will be up and running within two weeks, but it will take about two months before the LHC will achieve the first collisions for physics, said Ralph Heuer, CERN's director general. [ Wacky Physics: The Coolest Little Particles in Nature ] Meanwhile, researchers can't wait to look for new physics. One of their prime focuses will be the Higgs boson. For example, scientists want to see if the particle decays in unexpected ways, and whether there might be other Higgs bosons. "In families with only one child, the child behaves completely different from if it were in a family with 10 children," Heuer said. If the Higgs turns out to be one of many, it will have different properties from the Standard Model, and "we will have a clue where to go," Heuer added. Another area the upgraded LHC will be able to probe is dark matter , which has not yet been directly detected. That will be one of the focuses of CMS, the other experiment that found evidence of the Higgs, said CMS spokesman Tiziano Camporesi. Einstein's famous equation E = mc^2 says that mass is equivalent to energy. "So, if we want to produce a new state of matter, we need to have the energy to produce it," Camporesi said. In addition to the Higgs and dark matter, the LHC could give scientists a glimpse of the conditions present immediately after the Big Bang. ALICE, another LHC experiment, will now be able to study conditions that are "even hotter, even longer-lived and even more violent" than before, ALICE spokesman Johannes Wessels said today. Throughout the news conference, scientists kept repeating the phrase, "if nature is kind to us." But what happens if the researchers don't find anything? Even if the LHC doesn't find any new particles, it could still accumulate data that will improve the precision of its measurements, the researchers said. "If we don't find something directly, we might well find something indirectly," Heuer said. Follow Tanya Lewis on Twitter . Follow us @livescience , Facebook & Google+ . Original article on Live Science . Gallery: Search for the Higgs Boson Twisted Physics: 7 Mind-Blowing Findings The 9 Biggest Unsolved Mysteries in Physics
| 5 | 12,109 |
news
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Herb Greenberg, Pacific Square Research, weighs in on Apple becoming a member of the S&P 4 percent club.
| 3 | 12,110 |
finance
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HAVANA Cuba has allowed the launch of the island's first known free, public Internet service at a Havana cultural center that quietly began offering open Wi-Fi in recent weeks. Dozens of youths have been flocking each day to the center run by famed artist Kcho, whose spokeswoman said state telecom Etecsa approved the move in a small but unprecedented loosening of Cuba's strict Internet regulations. The service is slow compared with what Internet users are accustomed to in much of the world. But connectivity-starved islanders said it's a boon that lets them access Facebook, read news of the world and communicate with friends and family overseas. "I come as often as I can," said Adonis Ortiz, a 20-year-old sporting a gold chain and an American-flag bandanna around his neck. He was video-chatting with his father in the United States, whom he last saw in person nine years ago. "Thanks to this service I can talk to him," Ortiz said. Kcho has close ties to the Cuban government: Fidel Castro last appeared in public at the opening of the arts center in January 2014. He said Thursday that the Wi-Fi comes from his personal Internet connection, authorized through the Ministry of Culture, with a speed of 2 mbps. He declined to reveal how much he pays, but ADSL service at that bandwidth generally runs around $900 a month in Cuba. The artist said he opened up the hotspot to encourage Cubans to connect and familiarize themselves with the Internet. "This is an unusual thing, and it's only possible through the will to do it and absorb the costs," Kcho told The Associated Press. "It is expensive, but the benefit is tremendous. ... I have something that is great and powerful. I can share it, and I am doing so." In the courtyard of his cultural center in western Havana, tech-savvy Millennials lounged in wicker chairs beneath a white canopy, tapping away on laptops and tablets. More were glued to smartphones as they sat on the sidewalk outside. A sign on the exterior wall announced the password: a famous 1956 shout by revolutionary figure Juan Almeida that translates as, "Here, nobody surrenders!" Cuba has some of the lowest connectivity rates on the planet, with dial-up accounts closely restricted and at-home broadband almost unheard of except in the case of foreigners who pay hundreds of dollars a month for the service in a country where the average salary is around $20 a month. The country's Internet capability was greatly boosted by the completion of an undersea fiber-optic cable from Venezuela that came online in January 2013. Authorities say Cuba must prioritize its bandwidth for uses that are deemed to benefit society, such as schools and workplaces. Critics say government prohibitions are the main obstacle to access, although the state has gradually been loosening some controls. Authorities have opened hundreds of Internet salons where an hour online costs $4.50, at speeds far lower than those at Kcho's studio. A 2014 report by Akamai Technologies found average Internet connectivity speeds around 10.5 mbps in the United States and 23.6 mbps in world leader South Korea. Globally, the average was about 3.9 mbps. With dozens of users at any given time, the signal strength of Kcho's Wi-Fi gets diluted. One user said he sometimes swings by in the middle of the night when nobody else is around and finds it to be unbelievably fast. ___ Andrea Rodriguez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ARodriguezAP
| 5 | 12,111 |
news
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NASA tested its largest and most powerful rocket booster ever in an effort to propel future spacecrafts farther into deep space.
| 8 | 12,112 |
video
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Perfect mermaid waves are just a night's sleep away. After a long, stressful day, we just want to tuck ourselves into bed and start counting sheep. But as the beauty girl in our group of friends, we have a certain level of grooming maintenance we must adhere to. Even our significant other would be concerned if we went a few days without a manicure (sound familiar?). While there is merit to staying up late to practice those superlong Korean skin care rituals, it's sometimes relieving to try a lazy girl hack before bed so that you wake up looking gorgeous. After lots of trial and error, we've found the best ways to maximize beauty sleep - just keep reading and try them tonight! Take it from Jennifer Aniston's stylist Chris McMillan - you don't have to painstakingly craft beach waves with hot tools, potions, and your precious time. Instead, he suggests priming your hair with Living Proof Perfect Hair Day ($26), and dividing it into two sections along a center part (four if you have a thick mane). Then, twist the sections away from your face into a bun and pass out. When you let down your hair in the morning, you'll have effortlessly glossy, cascading waves. Prevent those dreaded manicure creases. Any gal who has painted her nails before bed knows the risks: You can smudge your nails or wake up with weird sheet creases on your claws. Prevent both but wearing these old-school nail caps ($4). Though they may be designed for nail polish removal (just fill with acetone, soak, and remove), they can also act as miniature shields for your carefully-created nail art. Soothe a parched pucker. Don't let your dried-out pout be the reason you forsake matte lipstick in the morning! Slather on a potent lip treatment like Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask ($26) before bed. Bite Beauty's formula contains healing jojoba oil and antioxidant-rich resveratrol to restore your lips to their soft, pillowy glory while you sleep. Brighten up in the dark. Unfortunately, dark spot-fighting ingredients vitamin C can't be used in the morning. According to Dr. Dennis Gross, sunlight can break down the powerful molecule. To get most out of this ingredient, apply a treatment like Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Hydra-Pure Vitamin C Brightening Serum ($95) before bed. The unique primer-like consistency of this formula makes it comfortable to layer with other evening beauty products. DIY a faux keratin treatment. We're addicted to the mirror-like finish of a fresh keratin hair treatment, so we re-create it on the regular with a budget-friendly alternative - coconut oil! Apply a generous amount of Cocovit Coconut Oil ($38) to your mane before bed, then either put your hair up in a shower cap or protect your pillow with a towel. Rinse out thoroughly upon waking, then revel in the smooth silkiness of your strands. Get beauty rest without ruining your makeup. Look, we all know we're supposed to wash our face before bed, but sometimes . . . we just want to preserve an amazing cat eye. The Daily Concepts Sleep Mask ($12) has contoured eye cups that don't smush your face. We're wearing it on our next transatlantic flight so we can step off looking fresh and rejuvenated instead of haggard. Wake up without wrinkles. Silk pillowcases are on the beds of beauty girls everywhere the smooth finish helps prevent breakouts, hair breakage, and even wrinkles. But the IluminageSkin Rejuvenating Pillowcase With Copper Oxide ($60) goes one step further by incorporating copper ions into the fabric. Copper has been clinical proven to promote healing, prevent infection, and iron out wrinkles. Smell sweet without the spritz. Even though perfume is a major morning pick-me-up, it's often the beauty step we forget on a busy day. Try slathering on a fragranced lotion before bed instead. Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter ($22) nourishes rough, dry skin while infusing it with a vanilla, bergamot, and strawberry blend. It'll make you feel sexy if you remembered to wear matching underwear. Sleep in your makeup without remorse. Some occasions call for wearing foundation all night. Superlate concerts, working the graveyard shift, those unexpected intimate sleepovers . . . Instead of rocking a skin-smothering complexion corrector, we use the ultralightweight Dr. Jart BB Night ($38). Like your standard BB cream, it has antiaging and hydration benefits, but the cool white gel-cream adjusts to match your skin tone - and is specially formulated so it won't cause breakouts. Wake up looking like you sleepwalked to the salon. There are few things worse in the beauty world than hitting the sheets knowing you're about to muss up your fresh blowout. That's why we load up our hair with Kevin Murphy Fresh Hair Dry Cleaning Spray ($25) before piling it on top of our heads in a topknot. When we wake up, the formula has absorbed so strands look as polished and pristine as the day before. (The formula's lemon-vanilla cake scent is just a huge bonus.) Stave off night sweats. Whether you're prone to hot flashes or can't live without your electric blanket, it (literally) stinks feeling like you've been shvitzing in a sauna all night. Spray down the parts of your body that typically get sweaty with a long-lasting deodorant like Dove Dry Spray Clear Tone ($6). Zap pesky pimples. Even if you have good skin, you must know the trials of those lurking, painful pimples that crop up overnight. We've long relied on Mario Badescu Drying Lotion ($17) to stop the swelling - just a little dab before bed shrinks them practically before our eyes. But if you consider yourself crafty, why not DIY your own overnight acne treatment? Stop staining your bedclothes. Unless you have some major free time, you're likely to reserve self-tanner application for the evening. Doing so allows formulas to truly sink in (and not irritate you with that DHA smell). But if you're a night-owl tanner, then you'll need a pair of dark, breathable sleepwear like this Ralph Lauren Jersey Pajamas set ($78). You won't sweat off and streak the formula in the loose cotton. Just get yourself some matching colored sheets, too, so you can avoid that bottle of bleach entirely. Relax during your REM cycle. Fragrance is said to be a powerful factor in your mood. Ease into slumber with the help of essential oils, like Bath and Body Works Lavender Chamomile Pillow Mist ($10). Lavender and chamomile essential oils are famous for their soothing, sleep-inducing properties. Even your migraine will feel a little less powerful after a few deep inhales. Soften tough tootsies. As warm weather approaches, we're gearing up to rock our pedicure-flaunting pumps and sandals. You, too? Kick up your foot care routine to make sure your toes are ready in time. Bliss Softening Socks ($52) are lined with a moisturizing gel that will smooth away cracks and calluses in your tired, Winter-worn feet while you sleep. Smooth away stress with a facial massage. There are some major benefits to facial massages: Firmer skin, a tighter jawline, and reduced anxiety are just a few reasons to incorporate it into your nightly routine. Using an oil will help your fingers glide over your face easily, letting your massage last as long as you'd like. We like the luxe, multitasking formula of Chantecaille Rose de Mai Face Oil ($185) - roses have antiaging and brightening benefits. Make your scalp work double time. Some believe that your hair grows faster overnight. The theory seems valid - after all, many of your body's cells (including your skin!) regenerate as you sleep. Even if hair growth doesn't depend on the time of day, we apply Women's Rogaine Foam ($40) to our thinning parts before bed just in case. Firm your face in one step. Sleeping masks are the hottest trend in skin care right now for good reason - they're made for us lazy beauty girls. Treatments like Olay Regenerist Luminous Overnight Mask ($28) penetrate deep in the skin while you sleep; so when you wash your face in the morning, your bright complexion won't even need concealer. Hydrate your complexion without skin care products. You already know the respiratory health benefits of a humidifier, but don't ignore what it can do for your skin! Leave it on overnight and you'll wake up to firmer, softer-looking skin. This chic Swizz-Style humidifier ($129) also features a fragrance dispenser to mist out your favorite scent. So luxe!
| 4 | 12,113 |
lifestyle
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The Hollywood Reporter is on the front lines reporting about America's celeb-induced obsession with augmented butts. While women in 2004 Googled for tips about making their butts smaller, these queries are far outnumbered in 2014 by searches for tips about how to make their butts bigger, according to the magazine. And plastic surgeons are happy to help out in the quest for an Amber Rose-esque figure. The Brazilian butt lift in which fat is lipo-ed out of trouble areas like bellies and thighs and then injected into patients' backsides to enlarge and "pop" the butt is America's fastest growing cosmetic procedure. It starts at $9,500, involves 10 injections in each cheek, and doesn't sound like an easy surgery to bounce back from, considering patients aren't supposed to sit down for two weeks. Just know, not every butt lift will result in the perfect bubble butt. Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Gabriel Chiu is quoted as saying: "What makes a successful buttocks augmentation are technique, technology and time. That's the difference between a 'mass produced' and a 'bespoke' butt." For those who don't want to go under the knife, consider Booty Pop padded underwear, a brand that's seen sales increase 40% in the past six months. Booty Pop co-founder Lisa Reisler, who started the brand back in 2010, told The Hollywood Reporter: "We are now selling a pad that's 40 percent larger than when we launched, and there are tons of requests. It used to be if your husband said your booty looked big in jeans, it was an insult. Now, it's a compliment. The power of celebrities over body image is immense."
| 7 | 12,114 |
health
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Pro Bowl CB Darrelle Revis arrives at 1 Jets Drive prior to inking his free agency deal. To see more Jets videos download the Jets DeskSite.
| 1 | 12,115 |
sports
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Two Secret Service agents suspected of driving under the influence and striking a White House security barricade disrupted an active bomb investigation and may have driven over the suspicious package itself, according to current and former government officials familiar with the incident. These and other new details about the March 4 incident emerged Thursday from interviews and police records obtained by The Washington Post. The episode has prompted questions from lawmakers about whether the newly appointed leaders of the Secret Service are capable of turning around the troubled agency. Among the lawmakers' questions: Whether a Secret Service supervisor, as witnesses have alleged, ordered officers to let the agents go home without facing sobriety testing. An investigation by the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general is centering on the possible misconduct of two senior agents, including a top supervisor on President Obama's protective detail. The incident unfolded on a hectic night for Secret Service officers guarding the White House. About 10:25 that night, a Pennsylvania woman hopped out of her blue Toyota near the southeast entrance of the White House on 15th Street NW, and, holding a package wrapped in a green shirt, approached an agent. "I'm holding an [expletive] bomb," she yelled, according to a government official with knowledge of the incident. The woman then put the object on the ground and retreated to her car, the official said. The agent ran to the car and opened the front passenger door and ordered the woman to get out. But she then put the car in reverse and accelerated, striking the agent with the open door. The agent reached inside the car and forced it into park, said the government official, but the woman was able to shift it back into drive and drive forward, again hitting the agent and forcing him to jump out of the way. The woman then sped off. Police quickly secured the area with tape and called an explosives inspection team to check the package for potential explosive materials or other dangers. But shortly before 11 p.m., the two high-ranking Secret Service agents, returning from a work party at a Chinatown bar about eight blocks from the White House, drove their government car through the crime scene. According to people familiar with the incident, they drove through police tape and then hit a temporary barricade, using the car to push aside some barrels. An agency official said Thursday that the car was not damaged. The episode was caught on surveillance video. Investigators who have reviewed the tape of the incident say the pair either drove very close to or over the suspicious item wrapped in the shirt, one law enforcement official said. Secret Service officers on duty considered the agents' behavior to be erratic and suspected they were drunk, according to current and former officials familiar with the incident. The officers wanted to arrest the agents but a more senior supervisor at the complex told them to let the agents go, the officials said. Meanwhile, at 11:45 p.m. the police explosives team determined the suspicious item was not a threat and gave the complex the all clear. The item was a book. Secret Service officers found the woman two days later to question her about her threats on the White House. A government official said she has had contact with the Secret Service in the past, and that the agency had her photo on file. On Thursday, a government official said a warrant for the woman's arrest had been issued through a D.C. court, charging her with assault with a dangerous weapon, the car. The warrant remains sealed and it was unclear on Thursday whether the woman was in custody. The Secret Service agents under investigation are Mark Connolly, the second-in-command on Obama's detail, and George Ogilvie, a senior supervisor in the Washington field office. Through a Secret Service spokesman, Connolly and Ogilvie declined to comment. An agency official said the two employees had been moved to "non-supervisory, non-operational assignments." They were not put on administrative leave, which has been a typical procedure when agents are under investigation for alleged misconduct. The incident has presented an early test for Secret Service Director Joseph P. Clancy, who was appointed last month by Obama following a string of embarrassing agency missteps and security lapses. On Thursday, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said he was concerned that the events of March 4 suggest some in the Secret Service feel they are above the law. "The director needs to send a message. He needs to signal there is going to be new accountability in the agency," Chaffetz said. "We're still learning all the facts, but I'm still not very impressed by how this is going." Asked Thursday about the reports of the Secret Service accident, a spokesman for Obama said aboard Air Force One that the president retains full confidence in Clancy. Alice Crites contributed to this report.
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Actor Robert Carradine , who starred in the 1980s Revenge of the Nerds movies, was seriously injured in a head-on car accident last week in Colorado, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. According to the police report, Carradine crossed the dividing line and slammed into a semi-truck driving in the opposite direction. Both vehicles were estimated to be traveling at sixty miles per hour. A local newspaper posted a photo of Carradine's car after the accident on Facebook . Firefighters removed the actor from his car and he was rushed to the hospital with "incapacitating" injuries. His wife, who was also in the car, was injured as well. Carradine was reportedly cited for careless driving but the report states that drugs and alcohol were not suspected to be a factor. Carradine was transported to a nearby hospital via ambulance.
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Forensic experts in Italy said Thursday they had reconstructed the DNA of a national war hero and poet by analysing semen he left on a handkerchief given to a lover 100 years ago. In a global first, the proto-fascist warmonger Gabriele D'Annunzio's DNA was reconstructed without exhuming his remains, forensic police said, raising hopes the technique could be used to solve cold cases. D'Annunzio (1863-1938) gave the semen-splashed hankie to his lover, Countess Olga Levi Brunner, in 1916 as a souvenir after a night of passion. Police in Cagliari in Sicily analysed the handkerchief, a letter the countess had penned to her beau and an ivory toothbrush conserved in the archives of the Vittoriale degli Italiani foundation. Using a crimescope light they identified splotches of a liquid on the material not visible to the naked eye and compared the DNA results with that of Federico D'Annunzio, the right-wing revolutionary's great grandson. Foundation chief Giordano Bruno Guerri joked that the experiment might even open the door to the future cloning of historical figures even if their remains have been lost. "Nobody wants to clone D'Annunzio, but nobody knows what changes will take place in science and society. It's good the DNA has been collected," he said. In 1919, D'Annunzio seized the city of Fiume, in what is now Croatia, to set up an independent state. The state, which had a charter that foreshadowed the later Italian fascist system, fell a year later after a bombardment by the Italian navy. His poems are still studied today in Italian schools.
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With its giant robots and fast, approachable gameplay, the original Titanfall was a refreshing take on the multiplayer first-person shooter . But it wasn't available to everyone, launching exclusively on Microsoft platforms including the Xbox One, 360, and PC. That's about to change: IGN reports that the sequel will be coming to the PS4 in addition to the PC and Xbox One. "It'll be multiplatform," Respawn CEO Vince Zampella said. "We haven't figured it out yet." The original game launched last March as the first release from Respawn, a new studio made up of veterans from Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward. Unlike most FPS games, it had no real single-player campaign , instead focusing on multiplayer battles between real players. Rumors that the sequel would no longer be a Microsoft exclusive have been swirling since around the time Titanfall launched last year . During a 2013 investors call, Zampella said that the studio would eventually make a game for the PS4. "Just not the first Titanfall ," he said at the time. While the sequel has been long expected, this is the first time the studio has confirmed it's in development. No real details about the sequel including whether it will be called Titanfall 2 or something else have been revealed, so it's unclear whether or not it will maintain a similar focus on online play. "I think it takes a while to figure that out," Zampella told IGN , "and we haven't figured it out yet."
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WASHINGTON Fueled by higher stock and home values, Americans' net worth reached a record high in the final three months of 2014. Household wealth rose 1.9 percent during the October-December quarter to nearly $83 trillion, the Federal Reserve said Thursday. Stock and mutual fund portfolios gained $742 billion, while the value of Americans' homes rose $356 billion. The typical household didn't benefit much, though. Most of the wealth remains concentrated among richer families. The wealthiest 10 percent of U.S. households own about 80 percent of stocks. Still, greater wealth could help lift spending and economic growth. Higher stock and home values can make people feel more financially secure and more willing to spend, and consumer spending fuels about 70 percent of the economy. The Fed's figures aren't adjusted for population growth or inflation. Household wealth, or net worth, reflects the value of homes, stocks and other assets minus mortgages, credit cards and other debts U.S. corporations are also seeing sharp improvements in their finances, the Fed report showed. Businesses amassed $2 trillion in cash by the end of last year a record high up from less than $1.9 trillion three months earlier. Cash-rich corporations could spend more on investments in machinery, computers and other equipment. That would make workers more productive and accelerate economic growth. They could also use some of their cash to raise pay at a time when many employees have been stuck with stagnant wages. Some economists have criticized publicly traded companies for spending heavily on repurchasing their own shares, which boosts profits and serves shareholders rather than employees. Businesses are also taking advantage of low interest rates by taking on more debt, which typically signals confidence in the economy and future growth. Business debt rose 7.2 percent in the fourth quarter, the sharpest quarterly increase in more than six years. During the Great Recession, which officially ended in June 2009, Americans' net worth plummeted as stock and home values sank. Household wealth tumbled to $55 trillion in the first quarter of 2009 from a pre-recession peak of $67.9 trillion. Wealth didn't surpass that peak until the third quarter of 2012.
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Imagine this: São Paulo, South America's largest city and economic hub, will run out of water by June . That's what Brazil's federal government is predicting. The region is in its worst drought in 80 years . The reservoir that supplies half the city is only 12 percent full. The government has begun rationing water, though haphazardly. Many people in São Paulo are worried their future may look a lot like what happened last year in the small, nearby city of Itu. Last August, without warning, the city's homes had their water supplies shut off . Residents had to use public taps, and neighbors fought neighbors as dozens of people swarmed around the faucet. The outage went on for weeks, stretching into September. Itu resident Alexandre Oliveira remembers it as "a water war." Oliveira volunteered as a water carrier for homebound neighbors, but others charged for the service and became known as "water traffickers." Emergency water trucks were eventually called in, but there weren't enough. When they did arrive, some residents blocked the trucks with flaming barricades to make sure they didn't leave before every house on the street got water. But in some low-income neighborhoods, the water trucks never came at all. Elsa Barbosa, who lives in the favela of Chácaras Reunidas Ypê on the edge of Itu, eventually started to use water from a disused old well. "We had to boil it a lot," she says. "There were stomach aches and vomiting." The crisis in Itu only passed when Brazil's rainy season began in November, and now many are bracing for a repeat in São Paulo. The problem starts with unusually hot and dry weather. There is "a huge mass of hot air that is covering a big part of the South American continent," says physicist Delcio Rodrigues with the Alliance for Water. The heat is partly why rainfall around São Paulo's biggest reservoir has been a third below it's normal average for the last two years. Part of that is cyclical, but Rodrigues says it's also "connected with some human activities," including global warming and deforestation in the Amazon. Twenty percent of the Amazon is deforested, which Rodrigues says helps heat the atmosphere over Brazil and cut down on the rainwater that's usually pumped south from the Amazon. Waste, corruption and poor maintenance of infrastructure have also played a role in the water crisis. Perhaps worst of all, São Paulo's state government saw it all coming. Six years ago, they warned of a water crisis by this year, 2015, if São Paulo didn't restore deforested parts of its watershed. Yet little was done. Even as the reservoir that supplies half the city hit its lowest point in history last year, politicians and the media focused on the World Cup and elections. On national television, São Paulo's governor promised there would not be a water shortage. Now the predicted water crisis is here. Water shutoffs are affecting roughly 40 percent of homes in the city, mostly in low-income areas, and residents are lining up at hearings to demand action. "I'm using bath water to flush my toilet and rainwater to water my yard," one man said at a recent City Council Environment Committee hearing. "I don't know what else to do." Many people have turned to capturing rainwater, but that can bring its own problems. Cases of dengue fever, spread by mosquitos that breed in standing water, have almost tripled in São Paulo over the last year. And it's not just households that are feeling the pinch: Courts are canceling sessions , big farms are scaling back operations and schools and businesses are cutting time . Skies have finally started to open up and dump rain over São Paulo in the last few weeks. That's taken some of the edge off of the mood of desperation, and the governor has told residents that he's trying to avoid more rationing . The government is also planning to upgrade parts of the water system to make more available. But people are worried these are only stopgaps. Pipes are still being shut off in parts of the city every day, and that's left people like biologist Cesar Pegoraro exasperated. "I'm going to take a bath in the mall because there's water there," Pegoraro says. "We're thinking of having an event called, 'Let's all go to the mall and wash our armpits.'" Part Two of Catherine Osborn's series on São Paulo's water shortage.
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For the first time ever, Apple is inviting regular users to test out an upcoming iOS update. The company has launched a page where interested iPhone owners can sign up to trial iOS 8.3 before it's released to all consumers later this year. Apple's signup page, pictured above, suggests it's gained valuable feedback by running a public beta of OS X on the desktop, and now it's extending the program to cover iOS as well. 9to5Mac first reported Apple's plans to open up its mobile operating system for wider testing beyond the app developers who typically receive advance access to iOS updates. It's worth nothing that we've so far been unable to access the iOS signup page, so it's unclear if Apple is limiting the beta to randomly selected users; the OS X program was first-come, first-served. Plenty of mentions of iOS are visible in the FAQ section, though. The link to sign up is here. If all you see is information on the OS X Yosemite program, you may be out of luck. We've pinged Apple for comment regarding just how it's handling the iOS beta. After enrolling an iPhone, you'll need to install a package file that clears your device for beta software. Once that's done, presumably you'll be able to install iOS 8.3, which features new emoji, wireless CarPlay, easier logins for Google users, and bug fixes. But keep in mind this is a beta version, so you'll likely run into some glitches and bugs that won't be present in the final version whenever it's released. The current version of iOS, version 8.2, was released after Monday's Apple Watch event and added support for the company's coming wearable.
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Now this will brighten your day! Actor Robert Downey Jr. recently became a real superhero to 7-year-old Alex, who was born with a partially developed arm. The Iron Man star teamed up with Albert Manero, a mechanical engineering student at the University of Central Florida and gave him a red and gold bionic arm, which was made to look like the superhero's. On Thursday, the actor posted the video to his Facebook page showing him bringing a smile to the young fans face. Check out this inspiring story here!
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Chip Kelly didn't merely acquire the NFL's rushing champ Thursday for his up-tempo offense. He weakened his toughest competition in the NFC East in the process. It's a double victory for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys only have themselves to blame. RELATED How the Cowboys can replace Murray Top 10 biggest surprises of NFL free agency DeMarco Murray managed to get the type of deal from the Eagles reportedly $42 million over five years, with $21 million guaranteed that his old employer could not quite stomach. Now the Cowboys will pay in another way. Jerry Jones always knew there was a chance that Murray would bolt but I'd bet he figured the big offer would come from the likes of the downtrodden Jacksonville Jaguars or Oakland Raiders, who for all of their salary cap room are still a hard sell for winning a championship. Instead, it was Kelly who seized the moment. See, it's personal, too. Murray, who rushed for 1,845 yards and was NFL Offensive Player of the Year, gave the Cowboys every bit to deploy the balanced, physical philosophy they developed to coincide with the investments on the O-line and Tony Romo. But when it came time to talk cheese, they essentially told a man who set the franchise's rushing record, that he wasn't that special, that at a certain price, they'd plug in another back to run behind their fortress of an offensive line. If that didn't insult Murray, it should have. Two years from now, the Cowboys' decision to hold the line on the max they'd pay Murray who got an average of $8.4 million per year may seem brilliant. Two years from now, this flurry of moves by Kelly with his up-tempo offseason may prove to be a stroke of genius…or it could blow up in his face like the second coming of The Philly Dream Team. Murray, remember, had over 400 touches last season and until 2014 had never proven durable enough to last an entire season. Yet Thursday, at the moment, it scores as a coup for Kelly. Talk about some quick thinking. In a matter of a week, Kelly's first-team running back has morphed from LeSean McCoy to Frank Gore to Ryan Mathews to Murray. No doubt, Kelly has a plan. But don't tell me that last week, it revolved around Murray. Sometimes, plans must be adjusted on the fly, and that's what Kelly has done so brilliantly, it seems, by dealing Dallas a blow and adding another major weapon. Much has been made of Murray calling Kelly to fuel "mutual interest" after the Eagles opened the league year on Tuesday by trading for quarterback Sam Bradford, who happened to be Murray's roommate at Oklahoma when they played in a speed offense that is strikingly similar to the Eagles' scheme. Maybe that's exactly how it happened, that Murray who didn't start on this path wanting to leave Dallas and was seen at an NBA game with coach Jason Garrett on Tuesday night -- was trying to drive up the price or get his price. Memo to Dallas: Running backs make offensive lines even better. That was Murray's contribution to the evolution in Dallas that was so essential to their rise to the NFC East title. Now the whole program has a big X-factor. This is seemingly a good time to be on the lookout for a rookie running back, with the draft crop proclaimed to be one of the deepest in years. Another setback for Dallas was the loss of O-line guru Bill Callahan, who also fled to a division rival, Washington, and took with him his easily-overlooked value as arguably the best in the business for teaching the nuances that make great offensive lines. Murray's new line will love him. He may not have the open-field explosiveness of McCoy, but he might be a better fit in the Eagles offense because of his quick-slashing style and versatility. He can run inside or outside. He can protect and catch. And he answered the durability question last season, finishing his 392-carry campaign with a fractured hand. Murray is just the type of running back the Cowboys could use about now. But rather than locking him up to a long-term deal like maybe the day after he broke Jim Brown's NFL record by opening the season with eight consecutive 100-yard games they gambled on the marketplace. And Kelly is glad that they did. *** Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell
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THURSDAY, March 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Offering a fresh spin on the red-blue political divide, new research suggests that Americans who lean liberal may be a little bit happier than their conservative counterparts. The finding -- though far from definitive -- comes from a series of related studies that attempted to grade happiness based on the way roughly 5,000 people of varying political stripes spoke and smiled. "When we looked at both behavior and political ideology, we found that liberals actually express greater happiness than conservatives," said study lead author Sean Wojcik, who conducted the research while a doctoral candidate in the department of psychology and social behavior at the University of California, Irvine. "But it's worth noting that the difference was pretty small," Wojcik added. "So I want to be cautious. The results were significant. And strikingly consistent. But it's not that liberals were elated, and conservatives were depressed. We did find a happiness gap. But that gap was small." Wojcik and his colleagues reported their findings in the March 13 issue of the journal Science . Wojcik said the finding that liberals seem slightly happier runs counter to several recent studies that found a small happiness gap favoring conservatives. That earlier research was based on "self-reports" -- meaning happiness levels were graded on whether study participants agreed or disagreed with statements such as: "In most ways my life is close to ideal." But Wojcik said there can be problems with self-reports. An initial life satisfaction survey that Wojcik's team conducted with more than 1,400 men and women found that, while conservatives say they are happier, they're also more likely than liberals to enhance and elevate their own testimonials. This may owe to conservatives' political ideology that can emphasize traits such as individualism, he said. With that in mind, Wojcik and his team based their happiness evaluations not on survey responses but on documented behavior. The researchers started with the 113th Congress, which concluded its two-year run on Jan. 3, 2015. Texts drawn from the congressional record of 2013 -- along with 18 years of prior congressional notes -- were analyzed. The result: more conservative members of Congress were a little less likely to use positive language than their liberal colleagues, the study authors said. A photographic analysis further determined that conservative members tended to offer slightly less "intense" smiles, according to the study authors. In contrast, liberals in Congress tended to use more positive language. And, to a modest degree, their smiles were both more intense and more "genuine," the new study claimed. The study authors then looked at the texts of more than 47,000 Twitter updates posted by conservatives and liberals in the general public. The researchers said they also analyzed the smiles in more than 450 photographs posted to the business networking site LinkedIn. Political liberals edged out conservatives when it came to verbal and facial signs of happiness and life satisfaction, the study authors contended. Wojcik stressed that the real message of the study isn't that liberals are necessarily happier, but rather that there are many ways to gauge happiness, all of which should be considered when exploring the subject. "Ultimately, it's not really fair to say that one group is definitively happier than the other," he said. "Because really, it depends on how you define and measure happiness. And that ends up becoming a very complex philosophical question." Stacey Tiberio, a research associate with the Oregon Social Learning Center in Eugene, cautioned that while the study may hint at a relationship between political leanings and happiness, it doesn't prove cause-and-effect. "It's a very interesting study," she said, "largely because there's a ton of research that shows how biased self-reporting can be, and how we are very likely to think and endorse and say something about ourselves that isn't a completely reliable indicator of what's really going on. And here they [the researchers behind the new study] didn't rely on self-reports," Tiberio added. "But while you can relate the two variables to each other -- politics and happiness -- it doesn't actually mean that one caused the other," Tiberio said. "It doesn't mean that being more conservative causes you to be happier." More information For more on happiness, visit the American Psychological Association .
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SN NFL analyst Ross Tucker discusses whether or not he believes Eagles coach Chip Kelly will look to draft Marcus Mariota.
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It may not be happy hour yet, but we're already thirsty after reading this: New research reveals how our drinking habits change as we get older and how different women's and men's alcohol habits actually are. The study, published in this month's issue of BMC Medicine , looked at drinking data from nine different groups of participants in the U.K., where the legal age to consume alcohol is 18. This included measures of drinking habits for nearly 60,000 participants from their teenage years into their 90s. Their results showed that, on average, women drank less throughout their lives than men did. However, they both followed the same basic pattern. For both men and women, the most booze-heavy years began in the late teens, peaked around 25, and then declined. But, men drank much more than women at every age, peaking at an average of up to 14 drinks per person per week, and then began to decrease dramatically in their 30s. Women, however, peaked at about four to five drinks per week and stayed there until their 70s (check out the graph below). Because the data are weekly averages, this doesn't mean that everyone is drinking the same amount every day. Instead, as we might expect, daily drinking amounts can vary wildly depending on what night of the week that big party's happening. So, not only are the amount of drinks changing as we age, so are the ways in which we drink. Most of this follows along with common sense: Drinking is the most fun when it's a new thing in your life and all those hangovers haven't quite caught up with you yet. But, we were a little surprised to see such huge gender differences here. This may simply be due to how women tend to drink for instance, these results suggest we're more likely than men to drink only on special occasions. However, it's interesting to note that even when these participants got pretty far up there in years, their drinking never stopped. Presumably, our senior years are when we'll finally have the time to sip cocktails on sunny patios and reminisce about the good ol' days without having to worry about any Monday-morning consequences. Cheers to that.
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Dallas gambled and lost. DeMarco Murray is set to sign a contract with the division-rival Eagles (adding insult to injury). This leaves the Cowboys with a hole a pretty big one, too. Murray accounted for a whopping 36.8 % (2,261:6,138) of Dallas' total offensive yards in 2014. The team made the playoffs for the first time since 2009, in large part, because of a rebuilt offensive line and Murray's outstanding production. Backup Joseph Randle proved to be effective despite the small sample size (51 carries, 343 yards, three touchdowns), but faces an uncertain future as he deals with legal issues stemming from an alleged domestic dispute on Feb. 3. Now the Cowboys have to figure out how to replace Murray. But lucky for the franchise, there are a lot of good options in place. NFL Draft Though the NFL hasn't seen a running back drafted in the first round since 2012, this year's class could see the trend bucked with several talented players eligible. Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon and Georgia's Todd Gurley are the consensus top two prospects, but the class is also deep. MORE : Early winners and losers from NFL trades The Cowboys hold the 27th-overall selection in the first round and likely wouldn't have to move up to pluck one of those two. At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds with a 4.53 40-yard dash time, Gordon has been compared to Murray for his blend of power, speed and production. Gurley, meanwhile, is an exceptional athlete with gifted explosiveness who is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. HOT READS : Suh's money is real Though neither player would be an improvement over Murray, drafting one of these two would bring in a young player with a lot of upside. More importantly, that player would come on a rookie deal that would be much cheaper than what the Cowboys wanted to offer Murray. Free agency There are still a few options available on the market that Dallas could turn to and sign. If Dallas went this route, however, it would raise one question: Why would the Cowboys seek another free agent if they didn't sign Murray? MORE : The five best available free agents It's pretty clear, based on Dallas' decision to let Murray walk, that the Cowboys aren't willing to spend top dollar for a running back. The Eagles gave Murray a five-year, $42 million deal. If Dallas does sign a back, it's safe to expect the price to be much lower. Reggie Bush, C.J. Spiller, Stevan Ridley, Ahmad Bradshaw, Pierre Thomas and Knowshon Moreno are the most notable free agents left on the market. Though one or more of these players would provide a bit of relief, none is even close to an upgrade to Murray. Trade Remember that ESPN the Magazine profile on Jerry Jones ? The one in which Don Van Natta suggested Adrian Peterson told Jones he wanted to play for the Cowboys? Well maybe it's closer than we think. Several things would need to fall into place, but Peterson has expressed concerns about returning to the Vikings , now that his suspension has been vacated. Peterson is under contract with the Vikings, who have said they would like him to return, through 2017. MORE : Adrian Peterson huddles with Vikings owners If Peterson really has reservations about a return to Minnesota, the Vikings could explore a trade to Dallas. After all, it's tough to have one of your team's best players unhappy with the working environment. Though Peterson will turn 30 in the end of March, he should be fresh off after playing just one game this season after he was placed on the commissioner's exempt list as he dealt with his child abuse case. Peterson, who is from Texas, has actually addressed this before. In December 2013, he opened the door on ESPN Radio's SVP & Russillo : "You know, I'd be a liar if I said it's something that hasn't crossed my mind before. But I've also said to myself it would be so amazing to be one of those players who stays with one team his entire career, it would be good if I could do that. But being from Texas, I've always wondered, wow, it would be cool to play in Dallas, to play back home. Or to play in Houston."
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laos For Adventure: Laos If you want enough stories to fill a book, head to this Southeast Asian country, which is slightly less traveled than its coastal counterparts. "It's spectacularly beautiful, it's very diverse, the food is delicious," Bourdain says. "You can really step back in time. There are mystical and magical parts of Laos. It's visited more and more these days, but there are still places like the Plain of Jars that I think would be enchanting and an adventure and life-changing in a good way." One thing you must do? "Eat laap. Eat really good laap." Bourdain_opener kyoto For Total Relaxation: Kyoto While most travelers opt for beachside sunning, Bourdain's choice is less sandy and more serene. "Go to a ryokan, a traditional Japanese country inn from the 18th or 17th century, and you can just pull the plug and do absolutely nothing," Bourdain says. "You just sleep, eat, soak in an onsen, get massages. Japan is one of the hardest working countries I've ever visited, but they've got relaxation down to a science." Tokyo_Rome For Incredible Food: Tokyo or Rome Doing both in one trip is likely a stretch for most of us, but for Bourdain these two culinary destinations are tied. "Tokyo, because of sheer volume and awesomeness, and Rome come on, it's Rome," Bourdain says. Word to the wise: Do your research first. "It's perfectly possible, if not likely, that you're going to have a bad meal in Rome," Bourdain says, "so you need to find out where the Romans are going." In Tokyo, seek out soba noodles, plain buckwheat noodles dipped in a savory broth. In Rome, find the best cacio e pepe. "Learn how good a simple thing like soba noodles are, so austere and so plain," Bourdain says. "When you understand how truly awesome those things can be, you have reached a plateau of enlightenment and pleasure." vietnam For The Ultimate Vacation: VietnamIn last season's Parts Unknown, Bourdain called Vietnam "my first love as far as travel destinations, a place that changed my life when I first went there." So, if you want a single country for an all-in-one trip, Vietnam is it. "It's a perfect mix of food, people, scenery, beaches, everything," he says. And, yes, there is a lot more than pho.
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Which one are you?
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Martha Stewart finally has her coffee kiosk. America's favorite hostess just opened up her very first café with her Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia company, inside the historic Starrett-Lehigh building in west Chelsea in New York City. The no-frills café will sell handcrafted tea and espresso drinks, as well as a rotating selection of pastries. "I am thrilled to open the Martha Stewart Café," Stewart said in a statement. "It's a place inspired by my world travels where anyone can come and enjoy a smooth, well-balanced, beautifully handcrafted cappuccino, latte, macchiato, or just plain Americano. In addition, you must try our artisanal teas they are the finest available anywhere." The café will be partnering with the local, family-owned Kobrick Coffee Co. , which will be making a custom bean mix for the café. The mix is called Martha's Blend, and will be used in both hot and cold espresso beverages. The café will also sell artisanal teas from Wei Bertram of Connecticut-based Arogya Tea. Martha also picked out her favorite local pastries from ChikaLicious , Baked , Bien Cuit , and Balthazar ; look for a rotating selection of treats.
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Global sales of tablet computers will see only slim growth in 2015, in a further cooling of a segment that was red-hot two years ago, a market tracker said. IDC said it expects tablet sales growth of just 2.1 per cent this year, after an increase of 4.4 per cent in 2014 and more than 50 per cent in 2013. Tablets appeared to be on a tear two years earlier, but the market is being eroded by use of large-screen smartphones or "phablets" as well as slimmed-down laptop computers. IDC said it expects "low but positive growth" for the market, with increased focus in the business sector and some gains for Microsoft Windows in the tablet market. "Despite the growing popularity of phablets, there still remains a portion of the market that wants to use a larger device so they can tailor their experience to the appropriate screen size," said IDC analyst Jitesh Ubrani. "Meanwhile, an increasing number of vendors behind small tablets are reducing prices and adopting features like voice calling to entice consumers to purchase their products over competing phablets, making the dynamics of phablets vs voice-capable tablets an interesting one to watch." The Google Android system is expected to retain around 67 per cent of the market this year, with its share slipping a bit to 62.9 per cent by 2019, IDC said. Apple's iOS platform used on the iPad is forecast to see a slight market erosion but still account for around one of every four tablets sold through 2019, according to IDC. Windows meanwhile will likely see its share grow from 5.1 per cent in 2014 to 14.1 per cent in 2019, according to IDC. "Microsoft is doing a lot of good things right now and we believe the launch of Windows 10 later this year will not only have a significant impact on Microsoft's share of the market, but on the industry as a whole," said Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC's head of tablet research. "There is an appetite for a platform that can provide a productivity experience that remains consistent across multiple form factors and device types, and we believe Microsoft is well positioned to capture some of that demand." * Microsoft publishes MSN
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When NASCAR announced its new 2015 rules package last September, many observers believed one of the biggest results would be a modest decline in speeds compared to 2014. A reduction of horsepower on Sprint Cup Series cars from 850 to 725, combined with a lowering of the rear spoiler from eight to six inches, figured to make the cars both slower at the end of the straightaways and harder to drive in the corners. But in two races with the new rules package (the 2014 package was used at Daytona), speeds have not dropped off. They've actually gone up. The question is why. It turns out there are likely multiple factors involved -- ranging from weather conditions to the type of tire Goodyear brings to the track on a given weekend. But there is another, more static, explanation for why the pole speeds at both Atlanta Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway the past two weekends actually eclipsed the pole speeds from these same tracks in 2014. "Our entry speed into the corner is slower because we have less horsepower, and because our entry speed is slower, it allows us to run faster across the center of the corner and we still have a relatively large amount of downforce on these cars," said driver Aric Almirola. "Like in qualifying at Atlanta and Vegas, you hear all the drivers talk about it -- we're really, really close to wide open, if not, some of the guys are wide open, and we're just going extremely fast across the middle of the corner, and the only way to really make us go any slower in the middle of the corner is to make us go faster at the end of the straightaway. So we have to slow down, or take a bunch of downforce off the car. "Obviously going fast at the end of the straightaways is not something that's in everybody's best interest," he said. "I don't think NASCAR or anybody else wants to see us running 230 miles per hour at the end of the straightaway." Joey Logano's pole speed of 194.683 mph at Atlanta two weekends ago was more than four miles per hour faster than Kevin Harvick's pole lap of 190.398 at AMS last Labor Day weekend. Last weekend at Las Vegas, Jeff Gordon recorded a fast qualifying lap of 194.679 mph -- still quite a bit faster than Logano's pole lap of 193.278 from a year earlier. While the difference at Atlanta can be partly attributed to cool late February temperatures versus the relative warmth of early September, differences in temperature aren't solely to blame for this year's faster speeds. "We had speculated we would see end-of-straightaway speeds drop by 2 to 3 mph, and that's about what we saw," said Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR senior vice president of innovation and racing development. "We did speculate that the corner speeds could go up a bit because we took some mass out of the car. We did calculate the speeds would go down because we took downforce down, but the other element in there is you bring a tire with more grip and the corner speeds go up, and that's one of the issues: A softer tire gives more grip where you'll get more tire falloff, but then what happens is the corner speed goes up, so this is the Rubik's Cube that is trying to be solved. How do you get softer tires to give more tire falloff without driving the corner speed way up? That's one of our dilemmas." Almirola, for one, hasn't been surprised to see speeds rise this season, even with the changes in downforce and horsepower. "Everything's just evolving. You see it year after year after year -- we just keep getting faster and faster and faster, and it's because there's a lot of smart people in that garage area that work on these race cars," the Richard Petty Motorsports driver said. "So it's a tough challenge for NASCAR to try and slow them down because that's what those guys get paid to do. There's a lot of people in that garage that get paid a lot of money to figure out ways to make our race cars go faster, and they've been able to do it time and time again no matter what the rule changes are." Keith Rodden, the crew chief on Kasey Kahne's No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, likewise didn't expect to see the drop-off in speeds this year that others initially did. "When you go 220 into the corner, the front end pushes, so you have to brake and you have to slow down a lot more," he said. "Well, if now you're going 200 into the corner, you don't have to quite slow down as much. So you don't overrun the fronts or make the front tires slide on entry and lose grip, so now you're able to kind of stay in there and keep the car turning a little bit and go. I think some of it's (also) the track condition and some of it's the tires." No matter the cause of the increase, NASCAR simply wants to make sure the speeds don't rise to a level it deems unsafe. "Obviously safety's a very big concern," Stefanyshyn said. "We look at the ultimate speeds and some of the (testing) work we did last year in Michigan with a lot of the aero work and aerodynamic devices off the car. We were approaching 226 mph, which for us is at the threshold where we begin to feel uncomfortable. So we have to manage the speed and the safety as part of this whole package."
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Iceland on Thursday announced it was dropping its bid to join the European Union in line with pledges made two years ago by its then new eurosceptic government. Iceland first applied for EU membership in 2009 but Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson said in a statement that the centre-right government had informed current EU president Latvia and the European Commission of its decision to annul the application. "Iceland's interests are better served outside the European Union," the minister wrote on his website. Iceland first applied for EU membership under a leftist government in 2009, when the country was badly shaken by an economic crisis that saw the Icelandic krona lose almost half its value, making eurozone membership an attractive prospect. But the thorny issue of fishing quotas was seen as a key obstacle to joining the bloc, although it was never brought up in the accession talks. Fishing represents an important part of the Icelandic economy, and it was never made clear how differences between Brussels and Reykjavik could be patched over on the subject. Thousands of protesters had thronged the streets of Reykjavik last year to demand a referendum after the government said it was dropping its EU membership bid without a popular vote. But opinion polls more recently began to show growing resistance among Icelanders to EU membership. The head of the Social Democratic opposition, Arni Pall Arnasson, however lamented that the government had taken the decision without approval from a majority in parliament. - Clawing back - When the centrist Progress Party and the right-wing Independence Party came to power in 2013 they suspended the talks with Brussels. Iceland has said it wants to maintain "close ties and cooperation" with the EU, and indeed already benefits from such links. The North Atlantic island is a member of Europe's visa-free Schengen area and the European Economic Area. That allows it to export seafood to the mainland tariff-free and helps boost tourism, which is crucial to the country's foreign exchange earnings. Iceland has clawed its way back from the demise of its bloated financial sector in 2008, with official figures showing this week that GDP reached record levels last year. At constant prices, Iceland's GDP grew by 1.9 percent in 2014 to beat a GDP record dating back to pre-crisis levels, according to Statistics Iceland. However, "GDP per capita remains lower than in 2008, and while there is no shortage of jobs, we lack jobs that pay well, especially for young graduates," University of Iceland economics professor Asgeir Jonsson told AFP. For many Icelanders, joining the EU has not been a major priority, with concern instead over how to pay back loans taken on when the economy seemed to be booming before the crash. The small Nordic country was hit hard as the crash of US investment bank Lehman Brothers caused the collapse of its three largest banks. Without effective oversight, Iceland's banks had taken out massive cheap loans abroad, scooping up assets worth several times the island's annual output. Iceland then became the first Western European nation in 25 years to appeal to the International Monetary Fund to save its battered economy.
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Vince Gilliam and Jonathan Banks are begging fans to stop.
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LONDON (AP) The English Football Association has fined West Ham striker Carlton Cole 20,000 pounds ($30,000) for an offensive tweet. Cole was also warned about his future conduct over the Twitter exchange with a Tottenham supporter after West Ham's 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane last month. Cole replied with expletives after being asked: ''When your own team-mates don't kick the ball out when you're lying injured for 2 mins, you think it's time to call it a day?'' The FA says Cole ''admitted posting a comment on his Twitter account which was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute.'' This season, the FA has handed out bans for social media posts to Queens Park Rangers defender Rio Ferdinand, Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli, and Stoke defender Robert Huth, who is on loan at Leicester.
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FRANKFORT, Ky. Another iconic bourbon brand in Kentucky has been targeted in a heist, but this time authorities say they have arrested a suspect caught with the stash of pricey whiskey in his backyard. Franklin County sheriff's deputies responding to a tip recovered five barrels each filled with bourbon that were taken from the Wild Turkey Distillery at nearby Lawrenceburg, Sheriff Pat Melton said Thursday. One arrest has been made so far as authorities continue to look into the pilfering of the popular whiskey that was still aging, the sheriff said. "This investigation is going in several different directions," Melton said in an interview. "We're following up on our leads as we speak." Each barrel is believed to carry a value of $3,700 to $6,000, but Wild Turkey officials took samples to determine the exact worth, the sheriff said. Labeling on each barrel had been spray-painted over, he said. Bourbon coming off the still is put in new, charred oak barrels for aging in warehouses, an age-old process that gives the whiskey its distinctive taste and color. Melton couldn't yet say if the heist was connected with the unsolved 2013 theft of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon and rye whiskey. That hard-to-get whiskey was taken from the Buffalo Trace Distillery at Frankfort. "We are looking at that as this (investigation) goes out in different directions," Melton said. That heist netted 195 bottles or 65 cases of 20-year-old Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve bourbon and 27 bottles or nine cases of 13-year-old Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye. The missing whiskey had a retail value at the time of about $26,000. Officers executing a search warrant found the five barrels of Wild Turkey bourbon behind a shed in the backyard of a Frankfort residence, Melton said. The sheriff declined comment on what the suspect allegedly intended to do with the whiskey. "They were sitting on the ground in the mud behind the shed," he said. Gilbert Thomas Curtsinger, 45, was arrested Wednesday evening on charges including receiving stolen property over $10,000, the sheriff said. Other charges were second-degree possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, he said. Authorities also found about 25 firearms and a couple of silencers, he said. Curtsinger pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday in Franklin County District Court. He was released on bond, and a preliminary hearing was set for March 17. Curtsinger's attorney, Kevin Fox, declined to discuss the case in a phone interview. "It's way too early to comment on the case," Fox said. "There's a whole lot that we don't know yet." The Wild Turkey brand is owned by Italian-based Gruppo Campari. Its U.S. subsidiary thanked the authorities for their work on the case and said it had begun its own internal investigation. "We take this matter very seriously and support the pursuit of full legal action against anyone found in violation of local, state or federal government laws related to our business," Campari America, the U.S. subsidiary of Gruppo Campari, said in a statement. Kentucky is home to about 95 percent of the world's bourbon production with brands such as Jim Beam, Evan Williams, Wild Turkey, Four Roses and Woodford Reserve.
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The New York Rangers found themselves on the wrong side of a five-on-three penalty kill against the Washington Capitals Wednesday. Joel Ward collected the puck on Cam Talbot's right side and flung the puck across the goal crease to a waiting Nicklas Backstrom, who fired the puck up high and toward the net. Talbot slid across and snared it right on the goal line. The save was so unbelievable, it had to be reviewed. "Ward (had) so many options there, so I had to be as patient as possible," Talbot said. "When he zipped it across the crease there, that was pretty much the worst option for us. I kind of instinctively reached back and luckily it ended up in my glove." These days pucks are finding Talbot's glove, his pads, his chest -- pretty much everywhere but the net. Wednesday's masterpiece save was just one of his 28 in the 3-1 Rangers win against the Capitals. "Talbot made some big saves for us," defenseman Marc Staal said after the win. "In that type of game, in a back-to-back, that's what you need from your goalie, and he delivered." Tuesday, Talbot stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced against the New York Islanders, who at the time were the top team in the Metropolitan Division. Talbot continues to string together strong performances, especially on the road. In fact, the 27-year-old goaltender is the first Ranger ever to allow one goal or fewer in four consecutive starts as a visitor. All this from a career NHL backup. Rangers starter Henrik Lundqvist, considered one of the league's top goalies, has been out since Feb. 4 with a vascular injury after taking a shot from Carolina Hurricanes forward Brad Malone to the throat. Initially there was some concern when Talbot took over as the top option for New York. In his first 10 games after the Lundqvist injury, Talbot recorded just a .903 save percentage. But in the seven games since, it has ballooned to .950, third in the entire league among goaltenders who have played at least five games from Feb. 26 to March 11. And in those last seven games, he has surrendered just 11 goals. "[Talbot] played real well for us last year," head coach Alain Vigneault said. "Prior to Hank's injury, he was playing some good hockey. Now we needed it to come through, and that's what he's done for our group. I've said all along, when Hank or Cam are in goal, our guys are confident." Lundqvist is still easing into practice, taking some low shots on Tuesday from his goalie coach, Benoit Allaire. There's still no clear timetable for his return; fortunately for the Rangers, they may not be as desperate for their top goalie. Since Talbot has taken over, the Rangers have gone 12-2-3, adding 27 points and have jumped right to the top with the NHL's best record. Talbot has emerged as a premier option for the New York Rangers.
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President Obama's proposed 2016 budget would trim federal deficits by $1.2 trillion over the coming 10 years when compared to current law, the Congressional Budget Office said Thursday. That's not to say that total debt would come down from its current, historically high levels. The analysis found that if current law were left unchanged, the U.S. government's fiscal deficits would total $7.2 trillion between 2016 and 2025. If the president's budget were enacted, the country would instead add $6 trillion to the national debt as increased spending is offset by higher revenue from the president's proposed tax increases on top earners. The report estimates that the president's budget would have little effect on the federal deficit in 2015 and would reduce the deficits relative to the current baseline every year from 2016 to 2025. Annual deficits would climb to $801 billion by 2025, compared to the current projection of $1.04 trillion. Public debt as a share of the economy would stay almost exactly where it is today, edging down from 74.1 percent in 2014 to a projected 73.1 percent in 2025. The largest driver of savings in the president's budget is a dramatic cut in money directed to Afghanistan and other foreign military endeavors through the Overseas Contingency Operations fund. If current law were extended, that fund would be allocated $74 billion a year, with adjustments for inflation. The Obama budget foresees a cut to $58 billion in 2016, and then $27 billion a year going forward. That accounts for $532 billion in savings nearly half of the difference between the president's 10-year deficit and current law. CBO also projects that the president's plan to close tax loopholes and eliminate some deductions and exclusions would bring in an additional $526 billion in revenue over 10 years. Proposed changes to the Medicare program would net out to $240 billion in reduced spending over 10 years. Comprehensive immigration reform would generate a net reduction of another $158 billion. The savings are offset in part by increased discretionary spending of $371 billion over 10 years, and boosted by a reduction in net interest costs relative to current projections. A key point in most of the descriptions here is that they represent a "net" effect on the budget. For example, Obama's proposal would generate some $1.8 trillion in additional revenue for the government through changes to the tax code and other laws. However, hundreds of billions of those dollars would wind up not in federal coffers, but redistributed back to other taxpayers through changes in allowable deductions, tax credits and other programs. Of course, the president's budget request in never adopted as written. In fact, it is ritually declared "dead on arrival" by the president's political opponents, after which Congress tries and, lately at least, usually fails to adopt a budget resolution of its own. On Wednesday, before the CBO report was released, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) delivered remarks at a hearing that suggested that Obama's budget, which adds to the deficit every year just less than current law would is going to be a particularly hard sell with the GOP. "Over the past six years, we have learned that wasteful Washington spending doesn't solve problems, it only side-steps them," he said. "By spending responsibly and putting our fiscal books in order in a balanced and responsible way, we can restore the trust that we have broken with the American people." He added, "A balanced budget is essential for strong economic growth and job creation….This is not only possible, it is doable and it is what the American people want and deserve." Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Nuclear Treaty with Russia May Be Breaking Down Rubio Suggests Obama Is Letting Iran Dictate U.S. War Policy Iraqi Forces Have ISIS on the Run in Tikrit
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DENVER Husband-and-wife meth users disarmed a Colorado wildlife officer and a sheriff's deputy then forced them to their knees along a desolate mountain highway before the husband was killed in a struggle, police reports released Thursday show. The man had handcuffed the deputy and held both officers at gunpoint with their own weapons before the wildlife officer overpowered him, took back his gun and shot him to death Monday near the small town of Dinosaur in northwestern Colorado, about 10 miles from the Utah border. Neither officer was injured during the encounter that began after they found the couple's abandoned Ford Explorer on the side of the road. Georgie Hand, 43, faces charges including attempted first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery and disarming a peace officer. Her husband, James Damon, 46, died at the scene. The police reports provide new details about the harrowing struggle. After finding the SUV, wildlife officer Nathan Martinez followed a set of footsteps to the couple, who were sitting on a hillside. Damon aimed a handgun at Martinez and ordered him to keep his hands up as Hand pulled the officer's weapon from his holster, the reports state. They forced Martinez to sit down and toss his radio onto the ground. Damon asked if he had a wife and kids, finally saying, "'How do we get out of this, how does everybody walk away alive?'" Hand told investigators, according to the reports. Pointing Martinez's own gun at him, the couple then led him down the hill toward Moffat County Deputy Bhrent Shock. Hand told investigators her husband pointed his gun at Shock's face and ordered him to the ground, where Damon stripped him of his gun, radio and stun gun before handcuffing his right hand to his duty belt. Damon then pressed the gun into the back of the deputy's head. Martinez threw the keys to his vehicle toward Damon and told the pair they could take it and go, according to the reports. Hand walked away and Martinez told investigators that Damon ordered the officers to their knees near the Ford. Martinez could see the deputy's handgun in one of Damon's hands and his own weapon in the other. "At this point, Officer Martinez knew they were going to die, but he wasn't going to die without a fight," the police report says. He "made the decision to disarm Damon and get his own handgun back." Some details of the struggle were hazy. Martinez told investigators he didn't remember at what point the gun fired, but that it malfunctioned before he was finally able to fire a shot into Damon's back. The officers then arrested Hand, who was still holding a handgun. A judge on Wednesday ordered Hand to remain in jail without bond. Court records do not list an attorney who could comment on the allegations against her. Hand told investigators she and Damon had been injecting meth at least once a day throughout the week, according to the reports. The pair were wanted in Wasatch County, Utah, on charges of burglary, theft and forgery, according to court records. They were accused of using a stolen credit card and checks to make thousands of dollars of purchases at a Wal-Mart and elsewhere in December. Authorities in Chaffee County, Colorado, were seeking them on suspicion of stealing credit cards, ski equipment, electronics and other items from cars and pawning them. Chaffee County authorities issued warrants for their arrests in February. Shock and Martinez have been placed on administrative leave, a standard practice after an officer-involved shooting. The district attorney's critical incident response team was investigating.
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NEW YORK Villanova called timeout and inserted Big East Sixth Man of the Year Josh Hart into the lineup. Just like that, a close game turned into a rout. Hart scored 20 points, including 11 straight to spark a huge first-half run, and fourth-ranked Villanova ensured it would stick around at the conference tournament a bit longer this time with an 84-49 victory over Marquette in Thursday's quarterfinals. BOX SCORE: VILLANOVA 84, MARQUETTE 49 Also the No. 1 seed a year ago, the Wildcats lost their first game in New York on a last-second shot to Seton Hall in this round. On Thursday, things were over much earlier as Villanova made 17 of 29 3-point attempts to win its 13th straight. The 17 3s tied a Big East Tournament record. Hart made his first six field goals and first five 3-point attempts before finally missing more than four minutes into the second half. He was also one of the defenders who hounded Marquette sharp-shooter Matt Carlino into a quiet afternoon. "He's the perfect sixth man in that he can come in to fill any spot, any position, or any role whatever you need at the time," coach Jay Wright said. After the Golden Eagles pulled to 18-16 midway through the first half, Hart hit three 3-pointers and made a tough layup to spark a 17-0 run. Hart drained another 3 with 11 seconds left in the half to send the Wildcats into the locker room with a 39-21 lead. "After the first couple, you just get in a rhythm, get confidence, and my teammates did a great job finding me," he said. "I really wasn't thinking. I was just shooting." Ninth-seeded Marquette (13-19) had crushed Seton Hall 78-56 on Wednesday night, but Villanova (30-2) shut down nearly everything that had worked so well in that game. Carlino, who tied a Big East Tournament record with eight 3-pointers a day earlier, missed all five of his shots in the first half. Carlino finished with just five points after scoring 26 against the Pirates. Derrick Wilson, who had 14 assists and just two turnovers Wednesday, committed nine turnovers. He led Marquette with 11 points and nine assists. The Wildcats essentially have six starters when it comes to production and minutes. Hart just happens to begin games on the bench. Darrun Hilliard leads the way with 14.2 points per game, then five players average between 9.3 and 10.7. On Thursday, Hilliard had 13 points and eight assists. The Golden Eagles came out in a zone, but Villanova hit some long early 3-pointers to force a tired defense into man-to-man. "I don't know if they could play much better," Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski said. "Certainly, I don't think they could shoot much better than they did." The Wildcats would likely lock up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a title at Madison Square Garden, though Wright insisted a No. 2 seed would be just fine. Villanova certainly looked like one of the top four teams in the country Thursday, mindful of last year's slip-up. "There's no doubt it's in the back of your mind," Wright said. "We didn't talk about it. I just think the experience of that is a part of these guys now. So I think they came really, really focused and ready for anything." BEST AND WORST The 35-point margin was Villanova's biggest Big East Tournament win in school history and the worst loss ever for Marquette in the tourney. TIP-INS Villanova: The Wildcats matched the most wins in school history. The 2008-09 Final Four squad went 30-8. ... Villanova has defeated Marquette in six straight meetings. Marquette: After shooting 56.9 percent and committing just 11 turnovers Wednesday, the Golden Eagles shot 39.1 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 22 times. UP NEXT Villanova faces fourth-seeded Providence in the semifinals Friday. Marquette finished 13-19 in its first season under Wojciechowski.
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Whether you're brainstorming around the conference table at work, crowding around a bar with friends, or trying to elbow yourself into the last standing spot on the subway, life is full of micro-battles between introverts and extroverts. When it comes to Fashion Week, there are those who'll keep their heads down and run for cover, dodging the swarms of photographers to beeline for the entrance, and then there are the people who savor the moments just before a show. As a group that loves clicking through street style slideshows, we just have to say: Bless those fashion extroverts. They dress with purpose not only to brighten their own day, but to catch a nod or a wink from passersby, too. They use their clothes as a tool to make friends, say hello, and garner the attention of likeminded souls. In their pursuit of boldness, they become addictive to take in and study, and when there are so many brave dressers packed in such a small place, like, say, Paris Fashion Week, the sartorial energy almost becomes electric. For a little contact high (and outfit ideas worth breaking out of your shell to try), click through to check out what the bold girls wore all week in Paris. Balance your splashy accessories (or outerwear) with classic staples, like a brown work belt and a structured shoulder bag. Make your layers really work for you by belting an open cardigan and turning up the cuffs of your button-up. Double denim? Try quadruple denim, like Elisa Nalin shows here. (We're counting the bag, too). adidas Superstar Shoes, $80, available at adidas. Yes, your hair counts as an accessory. With purple and tangerine locks, Nell Kalonji's and Emma Wyman's looks are always colorful, even if their clothes are all neutral. Even a simple shirt and pants can be totally dramatic in oversized, billowing shapes. To keep your thigh-high boots and miniskirt from looking too clubby, wear an ugly-pretty jacket in a non-flashy pattern. If you're doing all black, make sure each piece really counts. A pussy bow and poet sleeve in a romantic shape (like Anya Ziourova's) just need a simple trouser to really sing. Magic-hour sunlight doesn't hurt, either. Jason Wu top and pants. They may be just a shirt, skirt, and boots, but each piece in Susie Lau's ensemble makes a statement on its own. Together, they're a whole story. Roksanda top, Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes. A coat with an otherworldly shape lets you get away with wearing the simplest black basics underneath. Wear your silky suit with your party heels for a Studio 54-inspired look. A T-shirt like Christine Centenera's brings after-hours sex appeal into the daylight. It's all in the details. Leather cut-out appliqués take Tiffany Hsu's basic, black jacket to that next next level. Loewe jacket. Erdem by Linda Farrow Gallery Erdem 4, $481, available at Linda Farrow. Bare shoulders in a fuzzy, furry knit? The juxtaposition makes this look so compelling. Two women who understand the importance of the perfect ankle crop. With wide palazzo pants, choose not to wear heels for a much cooler vibe. Always go for a black ribbon, as seen on Ella Catliff. Kate Spade sunglasses. Milly Couture Tweed Cleo Coat, $895, available at Milly; Milly Tweed Clutch, $375, available at Milly. If your pants start losing their crisp, ironed pleats, just increase the sass in your stride. Instead of wearing your oversized sweater with skinny jeans, try it with a drawstring lounge pant like Aimee Song's. It might feel weird at first, but trust us it works. THEPERFEXT April Fringe Suede Jacket, $1495, available at Forward By Elyse Walker. There's that one-hand tuck! A good leather jacket can be an even better leather jacket with some well-placed iron-ons. A floor-length maxi like Christene Barberich's only looks more dramatic with a floor-length coat. Shake up your blazer-shirt-and-trouser combo with fun prints, weird color combos, and a buddy to show off with. Why not wear an impressive gown out before noon? It's a sure way to get 'em snapping. Go find all those sleeveless turtlenecks you passed over at thrift shops last year. Consider wearing your belt on top of your sweater for a trick that feels wrong, but looks right. Dress up your LBD by layering a sparkly top underneath it. Next time, just pay the fine at the bowling alley and walk out with their shoes. Full-on matchy-matchy always works if you have the right attitude about it and Kristina Bazan does. Kenzo suit, Dior bag. It's all about that architectural heel. The fact that it matches the stripes in the skirt is just icing on the cake. Some of the most creative uses of sheer fabrics we've seen. Stella McCartney Elyse Shoes, $1080, available at Stella McCartney. A gold star for this painted-on coat! A fluid, flowy boho gown looks better with flats and rock-star sunglasses. Aquazurra Christy Lace-Up Flats, $675, available at Barneys New York. Skull-and-bone buttons and a faux-fur skull motif make this punk schoolgirl outfit completely delightful. Thank Commes (and Michelle Elie) for this one. Comme des Garçons coat. Long and lean, with a pop of jewel tone. Denim and army green can look almost regal when they come in silhouettes like these. Proenza Schouler 10MM Woven Patent Cage Sandals, $597, available at LUISAVIAROMA. You could wear something delicate and pretty with a ball skirt. Or, you could wear your favorite jersey tee. Two denim DIYs to consider. '90s mom on the inside layer, '80s mom on the outside layer. Miss your platforms? Bring 'em back, like Tiffany Hsu did. An outer layer with some bulk means you can leave your jacket at home. Dior So Real 48mm Sunglasses, $505, available at Nordstrom. Let your trench coat take center stage with nude accessories and an Anna Karina 'do. The key to a sexy all-black look is knowing which parts to show off (and, just as importantly, which parts to keep covered). Caroline Vreeland and Shea Marie have it down. Mugler dress; top and skirt. Remember: Fringe is the most fun thing to wear, ever. Enjoy it! Pernille Teisbaek sure does. Ganni jacket, Chloé bag. Have your own Marlene Dietrich moment with wide trousers and flat shoes. Mix your washed-out pastels with bright, clean whites like Candela Novembre does. Iceberg coat, Vionet dress, Marni bag, Santoni shoes. '70s-style Western jackets are back in a big way. Knee-high boots, a felt blazer, and a denim jumper can look as classic as a Le Smoking suit. Ladylike shoes meet a badass pair of sunnies. Saint Laurent bag. Equal parts silly and saccharine, this dress only works on those ready to commit to full-on cuteness. Layer a scarf underneath a shawl coat and keep it in place with a belt, like Nicole Warne does. Elie Saab coat, I Love Mr. Mittens scarf, J. Brand jeans, Aquazzura heels. One print, three ways, as seen on Candela Novembre. Kenzo Neon Canvas and Leather Bucket Bag, $400, available at NET-A-PORTER. Not-so-mellow yellow. Zip up a vest over a gown for a tough-meets-pretty silhouette that really makes an impact. Kenzo top, pants, and clutch; Jimmy Choo shoes. Don't let the holidays be the only time you wear velvet. Saint Laurent Classic Small Monogram Saint Laurent Tassel Satchel in Black Leather, $1890, available at Saint Laurent. Cartoonish stickers give a basic varsity jacket a new outlook. Mira Mikati jacket. World, meet the saddle bag of your dreams. Chloé bag. Try mixing sailor pants with All Stars like Julia Sarr-Jamois does. J.W. Anderson jacket. Big ponchos and light leather: Kristina Bazan brings a little bit of LA to Paris. Chloé bag. If you've got a showpiece dress like Ece Sukan does, don't let anything else steal its thunder. Let your turtleneck be the foundation, and layer everything else your necklace, your tank, and even the drawstring waist of your sweats over it. This is what ladylike looks like in 2015. Windows to your soles. Because a pretty heel would have been too obvious. A skirt like that deserves a twirl (or 50). An LBD with a soft spot on Kate Foley. Fendi coat. Dress up a corporate, navy suit with a bold chain. The old model-off-duty look (moto jacket, T-shirt, skinnies) gets a modern-day upgrade. A short sailor-suit set is adorable but not juvenile on Irene Kim. Fleamadonna top, Chanel bag. A sweater with that much personality can't not put a skip in Chiara Ferragni's step. Delpozo sweater, Chiara Ferragni Collection shoes. A blazer-jeans-and-heels look that's anything but expected. Gold chain on gold trim on a gold bag on Giovanna Battaglia. Pro tip, courtesy of Elizabeth von Guttman: Overdo it on the pockets. It's not a bad idea to make your intentions 100% clear. Cropped baby bells in the wild. There are just three shades of gray here, but a whole lot more action. Two-faced works. Nothing beats a short skirt and high boots except a swingy bag. Layering a stiff skirt over a flowy one creates dramatic results. Big flares require bigger fringe. Princess cape? Pair it with jeans for an offbeat combination. Straight out of The Brady Bunch and onto Leandra Medine. Natasha Zinko jacket. What's that thing about 90% of your heat escaping from your head?
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lifestyle
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The president's statement was punctuated by this unambiguous declaration: "I loved Spock." When Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played the iconic Star Trek star, died two weeks ago, the White House stopped to take official notice. "Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek's optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity's future," President Obama said, praising Nimoy's portrayal of Spock. The production of official condolence statements represents the most idiosyncratic of White House processes. There are no formal rules; decisions are made spontaneously and largely reflect the personality and inclinations of the sitting president. Two days after Spock, the president paid homage to Minnie Minoso , an Afro-Cuban baseball player who rose though the ranks of the Negro League before becoming "Mr. White Sox." "Minnie may have been passed over by the Baseball Hall of Fame during his lifetime, but for me and for generations of black and Latino young people, Minnie's quintessentially American story embodies far more than a plaque ever could," the Obama statement read. "In some ways the president is speaking for himself with these statements, but he's also saying something for the country," said Jon Favreau , who as head of speechwriting during Obama's first term was tasked with helping oversee the process. "For Obama, the elevation of cultural leaders has been important," Favreau added, people who ordinary Americans feel a connection to and who have helped shape the nation's social fabric. On Tuesday, the White House noted the death of the Rev. Willie T. Barrow. The announcement described Barrow as "a Civil Rights icon and a Chicago institution, a 'Little Warrior' in pursuit of justice for all God's children." It was not always this way. Hoover Institution research fellow Peter Robinson , who served as one of Ronald Reagan's speechwriters, said in an e-mail, "As I recall, the Reagan administration tended to restrict condolences to people who had served in office, with the exception, of course, of Hollywood figures whom the Reagans themselves had known." Individual presidents' personal preferences can be clearly seen in whom they chose to commemorate. A Washington Post analysis shows that more than 27 percent of Obama's statements have recognized African Americans, as compared to 12.5 percent of President George W. Bush's. And the current president has issued more statements than his predecessors on Latinos, Asian Americans and Native Americans, as well as social activists and civil rights leaders. The list includes Wilma Mankiller, Percy Sutton and Ann Nixon Cooper , whom he lauded in his 2008 election night victory speech and died a year later at age 107. Bush, for his part, weighed in more frequently on the deaths of religious leaders, Republicans, Arab dignitaries and animals (since the Bushes' cat India and dog Spot died while he was serving). The honorees encompassed the Iraqi Christian leader Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho , Afghanistan's last king Mohammed Zahir Shah and Jerry Falwell. The statements are largely written by White House aides, but the chief executive will often weigh in if it's a sufficiently high-profile figure. On Sept. 14, 1998, according to documents from the Clinton Library , President Bill Clinton tinkered with his speechwriter Jeff Shesol 's draft of a statement honoring Alabama Democratic Gov. George Wallace, who evolved from a hardline segregationist to a more conciliatory figure. At the end, referring to the late governor's decision to embrace the politics of social inclusion, Clinton scribbled in his round cursive writing, "For that all Americans can be grateful." White House officials declined to discuss how condolence statements are issued. But according to both current and former senior administration officials, it is a process that involves some of Obama's top aides, including his chief of staff, senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and a group of senior communications staffers such as the head of speechwriting, communications director and press secretary. Under past presidents, by contrast, most statements were handled by the Office of Presidential Correspondence, with the speechwriting staff weighing in on only the most important deaths. Favreau said that under Obama the White House has tended to make more, rather than fewer, statements about someone's passing, since there is little cost to doling out extra honors: "It's not like the president has so many condolence statements to make." And the statements, which Obama almost always personally signs off on, often include personal references. In a joint statement the Obamas issued in 2013 about the death of the actress and civil rights activist Ruby Dee , they noted that they had seen her in Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" on their first date. Sometimes, either the wording of a statement or the fact that one isn't issued stirs controversy. Washington Times columnist Joseph Curl complained that "half-white Barack Obama" honored African American pop superstars Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, but did not issue a statement on the death of The Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch. And they can prompt internal debate at the White House. In his book, "How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life," Robinson, of Hoover, recounts how he and speechwriter Josh Gilder fought back in 1985 when the staff secretary at the time, Peter Chew, struck a line describing the late Ambassador John Davis Lodge as a "fighter against Communism." Gilder challenged Chew, who agreed to restore the conservative mantra. A decade later, Clinton and his aides were discussing whether to issue a statement on the death of grunge icon Kurt Cobain, who had committed suicide. A staffer came into the Oval Office to explain why Cobain was so important to young people; to make the point to the Baby Boomer president, the aide compared Cobain to a member of the Beatles The White House eventually decided against a statement, but the discussion left enough of an impression on Clinton that when the members of Pearl Jam visited him in the Oval Office the next day, the president asked Eddie Vedder if he should give a national address on Cobain's death . (Vedder advised against it, suggesting such high-level attention could spur copycat suicides.) In most instances, White House condolence statements represent a scramble. There are no pre-written statements on the sick or the elderly. When Richard Nixon died in April 1994, his family gave Clinton's staff a couple of hours advance notice that they were going to announce his passing. Donald A. Baer , who had just come on as chief speechwriter, remembered "there was nobody around," and he was tasked with the job of helping Clinton eulogize one of the nation's most polarizing political figures. "I had never written anything like that before, and I had only been there for a month," Baer said in an interview, adding that he did a little research and consulted with a couple of former Nixon aides before drafting a short statement Clinton read in the Rose Garden that evening. Despite the rush, Clinton was pleased enough with the outcome that he didn't understand why Baer would need to write a totally different eulogy for him to deliver at Nixon's funeral in California some days later. "But I really liked that thing I read the other night," the president told him. Still, the experience was searing enough that later on in the administration Michael Waldman, who succeeded Baer as Clinton's head speechwriter, instructed Shesol to prepare a eulogy about Reagan when he fell ill during Clinton's second term. "But there was always another speech to be written that was urgent business. I never quite finished it," Shesol said, adding that he kept "an ominous Reagan binder on my shelf for a better part of three years," which was unlabeled in order to avoid spooking people. In the same way, White House chief of staff Andy Card woke George W. Bush up in the middle of the night in January 2006 when they were attending the G-8 in France to inform him then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had suffered a massive stroke . "He was such a global figure. There was language prepared and preparation for a more expanded statement," recalled Anita McBride, who served as Laura Bush's chief of staff. "In the White House you are always prepared, but you always have to react on a moment's notice." Sharon didn't die until 2014, long after Bush had left office, in the same way that Reagan passed away in 2004 , duirng Bush's tenure. On some occasions, senior administration officials leave their own mark on White House condolence statements. Jarrett, Favreau recalled, "brought it to everyone's attention" in 2011 that the rapper Heavy D had died and suggested Obama honor him "because he was a very important figure in music, and in the African American community." The Rev. Al Sharpton read Obama's letter of condolence at the New York rapper's funeral, in which the president lauded his "infectious optimism and many contributions to American music." The crowd roared its approval. And Shesol, a former cartoonist, managed to persuade his superiors to issue a presidential statement on both the retirement of "Peanuts" creator Charles M. Schulz in December 1999, as well as his death just two months later. The characters Schultz created, Clinton said on Feb. 13, 2000, did not just add amusement to Americans' daily lives. "The hopeful and hapless Charlie Brown, the joyful Snoopy, the soulful Linus even the 'crabby' Lucy give voice, day after day, to what makes us human." In the end, these presidential statements tell us not only about the life of a person who has just departed but about the country they leave behind "It's a tiny little tone poem. It's a very little constrained piece of writing," Shesol said, adding one needs to capture the sadness of the moment "without being maudlin about it. You want to give them their due. This might well be the last thing the president ever says about them." Philip Bump contributed to this report.
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news
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Environment and Public Works chairman Jim Inhofe is calling on President Obama to demand the resignation of the troubled head of a troubled safety agency over management issues and charges that he violated the Federal Records Act by using personal email. In a letter to the White House obtained by National Journal , the Oklahoma Republican and Sen. Michael Rounds, R-S.D., say that Chemical Safety Board chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso should be removed before his term ends in a few months because of a "record of failed CSB leadership." The letter comes a week after members on both sides of the aisle at a House Oversight Committee called for Moure-Eraso's resignation at a testy hearing . It marks the first time the Senate has weighed in on CSB management. Moure-Eraso's term ends in June, but the Senators write that "it is our strong view that restoring the public's confidence in the CSB cannot wait that long, saying the agency "can no longer continue to operate credibly under this leadership." "There is no doubt that the CSB serves a critical public safety role," the letter states. "However, based on the aforementioned findings, there is also no doubt that Chairman Moure-Eraso has lost the confidence of CSB staff, the EPA [Inspector General], and members of both parties in Congress." The White House has not commented on Moure-Eraso's status, but did last week nominate a new chairman for the CSB for a term starting in June. Oversight chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and ranking member Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and other Oversight Committee members called on Moure-Eraso to step down last week at a hearing that focused on the use of personal email accounts for official business, a violation of the Federal Records Act A report from the EPA Inspector General, which oversees CSB, last month found that Moure-Eraso and two top officials had used personal accounts to evade other CSB employees. Documents revealed at the Oversight Committee hearing found that the practice had continued even after Moure-Eraso had assured Congress it had stopped. Moure-Eraso's tenure has also been dogged by charges of mismanagement, intimidation and dysfunction within the agency. Several senior investigators have left in recent years citing a toxic work environment and CSB consistently has among the lowest morale in surveys of federal agencies. Last week's hearing also touched on revelations that an employee may have been demoted after working with an outside firm on a management evaluation and speaking to Congressional staff.
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news
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We've all been told to avoid red wine, dark berries, and black coffee in our quests for pearly whites, but what about foods that actually brighten your smile? Try these natural solutions for a brilliant beam. Strawberries They may be bright red, but malic acid, a chief component of this summery fruit, acts as a natural astringent to remove surface tooth discoloration, says Dr. Irwin Smigel, president of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics. Fresh, juicy strawberries taste great in any meal -- salads, desserts, cereal -- and are widely available at farmers markets, so getting your daily dose is both simple and delicious. Seeds and nuts Chewing these lightly abrasive, hard foods rubs plaque and stains off the surface of teeth, says Dr. Matthew Messina, a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. Pop a few almonds for a mid-afternoon snack they're full of protein, healthy fats, and the crunch you need to get pearly whites. Onions Although they may not be the ideal pre-date snack, the notoriously bad-for-breath alliums could be beneficial to teeth. Because they're colorless, they won't cause surface stains, says Messina, adding that after eating them you're more likely to brush which is a surefire way to get whiter teeth. Apples The loud crunch you hear when you bite into this hard fruit may be annoying, but it's also good for your choppers. Apples' crispiness strengthens gums, and their high water content increases saliva production, dispersing and neutralizing colonies of bacteria that lead to bad breath and plaque, says Smigel. Baking soda Take a toothpaste break and try brushing with this common ingredient. Baking soda is a base, like bleach, notes Messina, and the "soda" which is actually a form of salt in this pantry staple is a mild abrasive that works to scrub off plaque and surface stains. Celery and carrots The same high water content that makes these veggies great for your waistline and your health also helps them whiten your teeth by stimulating saliva production, which aids in washing away food debris and strengthening gums, according to Smigel. Broccoli Unlike beets and cranberries, this crunchy vegetable doesn't stay stuck to teeth, so it won't cause unsightly surface stains, says Messina. Throw some raw broccoli into your lunch the florets will scrub the surface of teeth, giving them a brief and natural midday brush. Cheese Hard cheese, like the little blocks you get on those delicious appetizer trays, is full of calcium, which strengthens teeth and gums, explains Smigel. Plus, most cheeses are near colorless, meaning they won't stain your teeth. So go ahead, order that cheese plate. Oranges This bright fruit contains citrus, an acid that can wear away tooth enamel if ingested in large doses, making teeth whiter but at a cost, says Messina. So while we don't recommend gulping down bags of oranges in the spirit of a bright smile, a juicy helping once in a while is good for your pearly whites, and thanks to loads of vitamin C, your overall health too. Water Drink lots of water to keep your mouth hydrated and your smile bright, advises Smigel, who recommends sipping and swishing between glasses of wine and when eating dark, pigmented foods to prevent staining. However, while water reduces the acidity in your mouth and the resulting damage to your enamel, Dr. Smigel warns against imbibing too much sparkling water, which has greater potential to erode enamel and harm teeth. Pears Smigel recommends munching on a pear to neutralize pesky odor-causing and staining bacteria colonies on teeth. Increased saliva production brought on by this sweet, delicious fruit also washes away food debris, leaving teeth clean and sparkling. Milk and yogurt These dairy products are teeth superfoods. Their high calcium content strengthens teeth, making enamel healthier and whiter, says Messina. But be warned: Not all calcium-rich foods like spinach with its dark, stain-causing pigmentation have the same effect. Chow down on a high-protein Greek yogurt for a snack, or pair after-dinner cookies with a cold glass of milk to get that gleam.
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health
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Mar 12, 2015; 2:30 PM ET It was a sight to see in Bennington, Nebraska when a llama escaped sending its owner on a crazy chase.
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video
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The BBC has revealed a new microcomputer as part of its Make It Digital campaign. Currently called the Micro Bit, it's aimed at getting young students ready to code from an early age. Similar to a Raspberry Pi and about half the size of a credit card, the device will be made available to secondary schools across the country, with enough for every Year 7 student to have one. The BBC has a legacy in pioneering computing in UK schools. In the 1980s, it released the BBC Micro, which became a staple of the classroom and was for many their first introduction to computing. Micro Bit will allow kids to learn the basics of coding as a fundamental part of their education, placing it on par with other "basics" such as math and literacy. The Make It Digital campaign is a nationwide initiative that will foster creativity and skills, with a view to preparing the next generation for a rapidly changing job market. This story originally appeared on Wired UK .
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news
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It isn't yet clear whether Lyft and Uber drivers should be considered contractors or employees, according to two federal judges ruling on separate employment lawsuits yesterday in San Francisco. Two US District Judges, Edward Chen and Vince Chhabria, are presiding over lawsuits in which groups of Uber and Lyft workers seek to be ruled that they are employees, not independent contractors. California law has tests for determining whether workers are employees or contractors, but those tests are "outmoded," according to Judge Chhabria. "Because the test provides nothing remotely close to a clear answer, it will often be for juries to decide," he wrote in his Wednesday order. "The jury in this case will be handed a square peg and asked to choose between two round holes. "A reasonable jury could go either way," Chhabria continued, writing in the Lyft case . "Accordingly, there must be a trial." The ride-sharing companies had sought to halt the lawsuits at an early stage, but now may have to fight them through to a trial. Drivers in both cases are seeking class-action status. If Uber or Lyft drivers are ruled to be employees, they'll be entitled to reimbursement for gas and vehicle maintenance, among other expenses, according to Reuters . A Los Angeles Times story published at an earlier part of this case noted that Uber had more than 160,000 active drivers in 161 cities in December. Lyft, which operates in more than 60 cities, did not reveal its driver count.
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news
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A destructive insect's growing resistance to genetically modified corn seeds is costing American farmers as much as $2 billion annually, and now U.S. regulators may weigh in on the matter with moves that could affect both farmers and corporate agriculture giants such as Monsanto (MON) . The western corn rootworm appears to have evolved to eat the corn that was bioengineered to defeat it . That has led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to consider limits to continuous corn planting experts say the practice of planting corn for three or more years in the same field has helped rootworms build up resistance. "The GMO crops are available, and they've done a great job for a long time, but now we have a very formidable adversary with the western corn rootworm," said Brad Howe, a corn grower who farms in Gilman, Illinois , near where some rootworm resistance problems have been found. "They seem to be a pest that is able to constantly adapt to its environment and continue to change. So we've been fighting it and fighting it." According to the EPA, the government is considering a "proposed framework intended to delay the corn rootworm pest becoming resistant to corn genetically engineered to produce Bt pesticides." Bt refers to Bacillus thuringiensis, a soil-dwelling bacteria that is used as a biological pesticide. Public comments for the proposal are due on Monday of next week. "On balance, we see little risk for Monsanto in the EPA's proposal, a low probability that the EPA will take more decisive action, and little change to the way farmers grow corn," said CLSA analyst Mark Connelly in a research note. "In a worst-case scenario, the hit to corn sales would be largely mitigated by higher sales elsewhere, and in other crops." Monsanto's corn seed business has accounted for about half of its consolidated annual gross profits. Citi Research recently indicated that Monsanto's corn seed is gaining share, citing a survey of farmers in the Corn Belt. The western corn rootworm has been around in the Corn Belt for decades but the voracious bugs started gaining resistance in the past several years to several varieties of engineered corn that utilize insect-specific toxin proteins, experts say. Rotating intermittently from corn to soybeans usually gets rid of the problem, but not always. "Nobody understands how widespread it is," said Bruce Hibbard, a research entomologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "For most of the United States, rotation of crops is the best and most simple solution. But there is an area in east central Illinois and western Indiana where the western corn rootworm has also evolved resistance to crop rotation." The EPA's proposed framework to fight corn rootworm resistance is to require crop rotation as well as the use of corn varieties containing more than one Bt toxin. The agency cited recent reports that have documented corn rootworm resistance to two Bt traits in the Corn Belt. Plantings of Bt corn varieties reached 80 percent of U.S. corn acreage in 2014, up from 29 percent in 2003, according to the USDA. "Nothing is a silver bullet and completely 100 percent protected," said Tom Eickhoff, agronomic systems lead at Monsanto. "We never want to rely completely on one method to control insects and strongly encourage farmers to use multiple techniques for managing insects on their farm." Monsanto's Genuity SmartStax seed product, licensed from the Dow AgroSciences unit of Dow Chemical (DOW) , utilizes a bug-killing technology with multiple Bt traits. The SmartStax product is running at roughly $320 a bag, according to farmer Howe. "You're paying a premium for the multiple traits and multiple modes of action for both above- and below-the-ground pests," he said. "Things are very tight this year for the extra added cost of the seed and fertilizers." Meanwhile, Indiana corn farmer Brian Scott said he's backed off buying the Bt corn over the last few years, because he's not in an area directly affected by the western rootworm. "I'm not super scared about it," he said. "There are ways to manage it. We actually saved money backing off buying the Bt corn rootworm traits."
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finance
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I'm one of those people who don't correctly pronounce the "mapo" in mapo tofu or the "Tso" in General Tso's chicken. When The New Yorker office was still in midtown, where a favorite lunch spot was the restaurant Szechuan Gourmet, I avoided calling the place by name and insisted on inviting colleagues to the "spicy Chinese joint." This is weird for a host of reasons, not least because I am Sichuanese (Pinyin standardized spelling: "Si," not "Sze") born, bred, and brined. I have eaten mapo tofu for as long as I've been on a solid-food diet, though it's not my standard order at Szechuan Gourmet, where I sometimes choose the General, which a friend once described as "the best kind of Chinese food because it's Chinese food without the weird stuff." Perhaps the only thing stranger than my circuitous locution in English is my sheepishness in ordering General Tso's in Chinese in front of other Chinese people, uttering a name that is simultaneously so evidently Chinese and not-Chinese that its very pronunciation presents, at least to this neurotic immigrant, a paralyzing problem of cultural fidelity and perfidy. "The Search for General Tso," a jovial feature-length documentary that probes the origins of this iconic poultry dish, seems to share my interest in this dilemma (if not my overgrown anxiety). Ten years ago, Ian Cheney was driving across the United States on his way to make another film (about corn) when he stopped for the night, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and ordered his old standby at the only restaurant open: a Chinese one. "Something about this time and place and town made me wonder: who is this General Tso?" Cheney said in an interview with the Web site FERNTV. To explore that question, he teamed up with Jennifer 8. Lee, who wrote about the dish in her 2008 book, "The Fortune Cookie Chronicle." The pair embarked on a bi-continental investigation, flitting between the East and the West in pursuit of the recipe's provenance. The General's chicken may be ubiquitous, but the ability to say his name certainly is not. "I feel like no matter what restaurant you go to there's always a different spelling of General Tso," a woman from Queens quips in the documentary. "Up in Chico, we just call it General's Chicken," a San Francisco native says, shrugging. My favorite response comes from a man who makes no pretense of hiding his ignorance: "Do you even pronounce the 't' or just the 'so'? I kind of just blur it a bit, that way nobody knows if I'm saying it right or not." I have adopted this same blurring tactic for Chinese words or rather, for bastardized Chinese words for as long as I can remember. Some people associate linguistic mastery with ability to dream in another tongue; I equate fitting in with the ability to speak Chinese the way my authentically American friends do, stressing all the wrong syllables and planting false tones where there are none. But "The Search for General Tso" is a detective story devoted to the art of un-blurring and disentangling: the "t" from the "so," the meat from the myth. Though the myth sometimes proves surprisingly illuminating. "He, uh, had his private chef cook this dish, you know, even when he went to battle," a man in Manhattan improvised when queried about Tso's background. "I imagine General Tso as almost a bearded Mongolian warrior. He's on a horse, for sure, riding wildly," another interviewee posits grandly. But the most sensible answer comes from a snowy-haired grandmother gesticulating in a heather-colored zip-up sweater: "I think they just named it because it sounds exotic, after somebody nobody's ever heard of." She's wrong to an extent but the sentiment gets at the heart of the documentary, which is really a quest narrative in which the chicken is a Trojan horse for America's history of complicated and choleric relationships with those deemed suspicious or disquietingly "exotic." General Tso was a real person, a celebrated and formidable commander who lived in the nineteenth century and led the Qing Dynasty Army during the Taiping Rebellion, one of the country's bloodiest civil wars. His real name was Zuo Zongtang, and he might very well have loved poultry but his namesake chicken dish wouldn't be invented until a hundred years after his death. "The Search for General Tso" spans the history of Chinese immigration in America, beginning with the San Francisco gold rush and the Chinese Exclusion of Act of 1882 (a gallingly xenophobic piece of legislation), continuing all the way up to Nixon's visit to China and America's subsequent Chinese-food renaissance, and covering all the requisite racism and bigotry in between. It turns out that a curious thing happened when Chinese-Americans tried to escape the legal persecutions designed to run them out their new home. Rather than fleeing back across the Pacific, they dispersed from their urban enclaves and filled the heartland of America. From Flagstone, Arizona, to Hammond, Louisiana, Chinese families eked out a living with a portable and practical skill: they fed people. Cheney films several intergenerational pairs of restaurant proprietors, whose family histories offer moving portraits of adaptation. The recipes may vary but certain themes persist: perseverance, enterprise, and clever permutations of what Americans believed to be quintessentially Chinese foods hello, peanut-butter eggroll! which actually had nothing to do with China. Dynasty noodle soup. Cashew chicken. Chop suey. America's palate was easier to master than the mercurial moods of its politicians. And, over time, the Chinese understanding of American taste became enmeshed in Chinese immigrants' own untethering from the old country in the process of becoming "American." This is not a new story, of course. Once upon a time, pizza was an ethnic food. It says something about Chinese food in America that it has emerged as a fixture in the traditions of other minorities, most spectacularly on Christmas, when consuming cartons of greasy lo mein is all but codified custom in Jewish households. According to Ed Schoenfeld, the proprietor of Red Farm, one of the better-known Asian-fusion establishments in New York, Chinese restaurants were the "easiest place to trick yourself into thinking you were eating Kosher food." In the documentary, a Jewish author from Saratoga recounts his childhood experience of eating spring rolls. He comically remembers a piece of advice from his father "If you can't identify it, it's O.K. to eat" which, while less than rabbinical, had the benefit of instantly rendering the entire Chinese menu "safe trief." It's easy to see how the mysterious quality of Chinese food might appeal to Americans. And, equally pertinent, the power of mystery also helped to shape the immigrant experience. The Chinese arrived in a new place, a place steeped in mystery, only to discover that it was they who were regarded as the mystery, to be kept at bay by those who could claim earlier disembarkation. Mysterious laws were passed and repealed, but when two hundred million Americans sat in front of their television screens salivating at whatever morsels Nixon was plucking at with bamboo sticks, the mystery was promoted to a sanctioned aspiration. At New York's Shun Lee Palace, the first upscale Chinese restaurant in America, which opened its doors in the same year as Nixon's visit to China, the President's menu was replicated and served for months. Chinese food was just mysterious enough to preserve America's notion of its own broadmindedness. (Is it so surprising to learn that General Tso's chicken came to America when a Shun Lee employee cribbed the recipe from another immigrant, who fled his native Hunan Province, in mainland China, for Taiwan in 1949 and commemorated his homeland by naming one of his creations after a home-town celebrity?) Ultimately, the origin story of General Tso's chicken is far less flavorful than the tale of its ascendancy in the United States. As a fried, saucy meat, General Tso's possessed both a definitively foreign-sounding name and a pleasantly familiar all-American crunch. Nobody expects a person, a practice, or a recipe, once exported, to remain entirely free of new influence, but the General outdid itself. Haplessly imported and ingeniously promoted, it became a billion-dollar blockbuster and a point of pride for its makers. There is a triumph that comes from mastering the palate of your host so well that you may, at your own discretion, reveal your own conception of the exotic. I am so thoroughly American that I can spot and correctly mispronounce those tricky Chinese words that have no syllabic equivalent in English! Is it a sense of belonging that I momentarily gain (even if it's only in my head) when I say "Sichuan" or "mapo" in a way that signals my knack at convincingly feigning a non-Chinese? Recently, I've realized that I do the same thing with the names of Chinese cities and with the words "kowtow," "ginseng," and even "tofu" (which should be more of a DOU-fu). There is a particular joy I take in purposely butchering their pronunciations or, depending on how you look at it, in getting them just right. I have the same trouble with my own name, Jiayang, which contains a sound that doesn't exist in English and is often mangled in the mouth of potential acquaintances. I remember the exact moment, during my sophomore year of high school, when a girl with a chirpy voice and a Boston accent (with whom, I should add, I am no longer friends, not even on Facebook) told me that the "jia" syllable in my name was too exhausting and that she was christening me "Jai-yang" instead "like the tea!" That stuck, even if nothing else about her did. An ostensibly Chinese name made into a South Asian beverage! I would, in due time, start introducing myself Chai-young and steal her rhyming reminder as well. An identity a touch easier on the tongue. At the time, this felt like a betrayal, like all those times in my life when I found myself somehow parked under a neon sign spelled in fake-brushstroke curlicues. I point to a combo special of General Tso's with a side of pu-pu platter (conspicuously not pronouncing the names) while chatting with an exhausted but giddy waitress in Sichuanese. She's been in America for all of three months and is asking me with a kindly look of concern "Do I really want to be ordering that? That's more of a foreigner special and not at all spicy despite the chili-pepper star . . . ." and I'm nodding and smiling and fumbling for a way to say that I agree, that the dish truly is quite mild, and that it's O.K. and maybe not so important because after all, I know exactly how, and why, it's made.
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Vallon Pont d'Arc, a village in southern France, will soon debut the largest decorated cave replica in the world - an exhibit that pays tribute to the nearby treasure of the Chauvet Cave, one of the world's most extraordinary sites for prehistoric cave paintings. The Pont d'Arc Cave will open to the public on April 25. Inside the replica Pont d'Arc Cave, more than 400 paintings, drawings and engravings cover the walls. This rock art faithfully copies the Ice Age work inside the Chauvet Cave - drawings that are estimated to be between 36,000 and 25,000 years old. Shown here: A section of the replica's horse panel, drawn on an undulating wall. The limestone Chauvet Cave, with its Paleolithic paintings, came to light in 1994. It's named for the leader of the team of cavers who discovered the space, Jean-Marie Chauvet. Here, in the replica cave, handprints join a drawing of a horned animal. The animals depicted in the original cave drawings are predominately predatory species. This image from the Pont d'Arc Cave shows an expressive rendering of lions. An early visitor views artwork in the Pont d'Arc Cave. The replica is a 1:1 reproduction, and includes the major anthropological elements as well as the drawings. The handprints on the wall, and animal skulls found in the original cave, are reproduced here. A detailed view of animal figures in the life-size replica of the Chauvet Cave. The Ice Age artists drew hundreds of animal figures, including ibex, rhinoceroses, mammoths, stags, horses, lions and bears. To preserve the art in the original cave, and its delicate environment, the Chauvet Cave has been securely sealed off. The Lascaux Cave, another famous prehistoric art site, has been fighting a mold infestation brought on by its exposure to visitors. Viewers get an early look at the drawings in the Pont d'Arc Cave. The original cave art is some of the most extensive and well-preserved in the world. Detail of the rock art in the life-size replica of the Chauvet Cave. The original cave was the subject of a 3-D documentary film by director Werner Herzog, "The Cave of Forgotten Dreams." Visitors use a walkway to explore the Pont d'Arc Cave. The pathway winds through the reproduction space and includes areas to pause and observe the artwork. The temperature and humidity of the original have been reproduced as well, to give a truly immersive experience in the Pont d'Arc Cave. The Ardeche river flows under the Pont d'Arc, a natural rock archway, in Vallon Pont d'Arc, France. The building that holds the Pont d'Arc Cave. In addition to the cave, the space offers exhibits on Paleolithic man and on the construction of the replica. Xavier Fabre (left) and Vincent Speller (right), architects of Pont d'Arc Cave, stand in their replica. MSN Travel: See a video about the Chauvet Cave
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travel
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It's hard to believe, but Bring It On turns 15 this year. That's right; if it were a person, it would be in high school. Today on The Buzz, we're calling out the top hits from the year 2000. You might be surprised to hear that it's been so long since some of these fantastic movies hit theaters - take a look!
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video
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Former Navy intelligence analyst Samuel L. Morison, who received a presidential pardon in 2001 after being convicted of passing secret ship photos to a British publication, pleaded guilty on Thursday to stealing records related to his naval historian grandfather. Samuel L. Morison, 70, of Crofton, Maryland, entered the guilty plea in Baltimore's U.S. District Court to theft of government property and was sentenced to two years of probation, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. Morison was accused in June 2014 of offering to sell to a bookstore owner U.S. records relating to the work of his late grandfather, Pulitzer Prize-winning naval historian Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison, during World War Two. President Franklin Roosevelt had assigned the elder Morison to write a history of U.S. wartime naval operations. The bookstore owner was alleged to have taken the records on consignment to sell them on eBay. Agents with the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration found that the documents offered for sale online belonged to the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, the prosecutor's statement said. A search of Morison's residence turned up about 34 boxes of his grandfather's papers suspected of being taken from the Navy Archives. Morison had served as a part-time researcher at the archives, the statement said. U.S. District Judge William Quarles Jr. sentenced Morison to probation with two conditions: that Morison not get access to any library or archives without his probation officer's permission, and that he help investigators identify government property in his possession. In imposing the sentence, Quarles cited Morison's failing health, military service and cooperation with investigators. Morison was convicted in 1985 of illegally passing secret photographs of Soviet ships to the publication Jane's Defense Weekly and was sentenced to two years in prison. He was the first person convicted under the U.S. Espionage Act for divulging secrets to the press. In 2001, President Bill Clinton pardoned Morison despite the opposition of the CIA. The elder Morison wrote a 15-volume history of U.S. naval operations during World War Two. He won Pulitzer Prizes for his biographies of Christopher Columbus and of U.S. Revolutionary War sailor John Paul Jones. (Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Will Dunham)
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news
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Starbucks is introducing cold brew coffee , and the world just got a little more hipster . On March 31, the coffee behemoth will start selling Starbucks Cold Brew in 2,800 stores across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern United States. If you live in Boston or San Francisco, where the company has been testing the new product, you may have already gotten a taste. You could call cold brew the artisanal way of making coffee, so of course it's become associated with hipster culture . Made with cold water instead of hot, it's a slower method of making coffee that requires some advanced planning and typically a manual steeping process. Starbucks has already tried assimilating into Williamsburg , Brooklyn's hipster Disneyland. It stands to reason that it would introduce cold brew coffee. We're not complaining. Cold brew coffee has a milder, smoother and often sweeter taste than iced coffee that was first made with hot water. It can be up to 67 percent less acidic than hot coffee (or the iced coffee that comes from it). Starbucks has been testing its new product since last summer. After testing different roast levels, beans, brewing time and styles of cold brewing, the company settled on a blend that consists of coffee from Latin America and Africa, a press release explains. The new cold coffee will brew for 20 hours to achieve "the right balance of sweetness with citrusy and chocolate notes." With spring around the corner, and iced coffee season about to hit full bloom, this announcement couldn't have come at a better time. Something may indeed be lost in picking up a cold brew coffee at the global coffee giant rather than at your local coffee store, run by your local hipsters . But if this means we'll see even one fewer Tiramisu Frappuccino out there, we'll take it. Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest and Tumblr .
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A first-half strike from Roman Zozulya handed Dnipro a 1-0 victory over Ajax and a narrow advantage in their UEFA Europa League last-16 tie. In a first leg full of missed opportunities at the Olympic National Sports Complex on Thursday, Zozulya made the most of his chance as Dnipro also denied Ajax a valuable away goal. After Thulani Serero and Yevhen Seleznyov both wasted gilt-edged openings inside the first 10 minutes, Zozulya opened his Europa League account for the season, but will miss the return game after picking up a second-half yellow card. The forward fired past Jasper Cillessen after half an hour to give Dnipro the lead, although Ajax should have been level at the break Joel Veltman conspiring to miss in front of an open goal. Frank de Boer was able to recall Arkadiusz Milik following a hamstring problem, but his side drew blanks going forward as Myron Markevych's men saw out the victory with relative comfort. Ajax started strongly in Kiev and should have led after five minutes when Serero sprung the offside trap, only to see his attempted lob thwarted by Denis Boyko. The hosts gradually got on top and broke the deadlock when Zozulya found space in the area following Yevhen Konoplyanka's cutback and fired past Cillessen. A divot in the pitch appeared to help the ball beyond the Ajax goalkeeper, and Cillessen was then quickly called on to keep Seleznyov's long-range effort out. Veltman's difficult half continued as he scooped Davy Klaassen's knockdown over the crossbar with an open goal to aim and Dnipro aimed to punish the visitors' profligacy when Seleznyov again fired at Cillessen from distance after the break. The Netherlands international continued to be busy, this time saving Artem Fedetskiy's testing close-range header before Douglas was required to clear Ricardo van Rhijn's delivery, with Milik lying in wait. Brazilian defender Douglas was again on hand to clear the danger from Anwar El Ghazi's cross, as Dnipro showed why its clean sheet record at home stretches back three games to the start of December. In contrast, Ajax's seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end as it was made to lament its costly first-half misses. Dnipro dented the Dutch champions' hopes of winning silverware this season ahead of the second leg in Amsterdam later this month.
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Zenit capitalized on Marco Benassi's first-half dismissal for Torino to seal a 2-0 home victory in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League last-16 meeting. Torino had kept its opponent comfortably at bay for the first half an hour of Thursday's meeting at the Stadion Petrovsky, but Benassi's sending off for two bookable offenses gave Zenit a huge boost. Managed by Andre Villas-Boas, winner of this competition in 2011 with Porto, Zenit took full advantage of Benassi's red card to take a significant step towards the quarterfinals. The home side took the lead when Axel Witsel - the man fouled by Benassi for his second yellow - applied a close-range finish in the 38th minute. Witsel was the beneficiary of a kind rebound, and it was a similar story for Domenico Criscito's second after the interval when Hulk's shot off the post ran perfectly into his path. Victory continued Zenit's fine form since it returned from its midseason break, with Villas-Boas' men now having recorded four consecutive wins in all competitions without conceding. Zenit had the better of the opening exchanges, with Torino content to sit back and try to frustrate its opponent. But its job was made much more difficult when Benassi - earlier cautioned for a cynical foul on Hulk - was shown a second yellow card shortly before the half hour for a high challenge on Witsel. Seven minutes before halftime, Zenit capitalized on its numerical advantage to open the scoring. Witsel was the man to break the deadlock, converting a rebound after Padelli had parried Igor Smolnikov's initial effort back into the danger zone. Zenit thought it had doubled the lead five minutes later when Jose Rondon tucked home, but the striker's effort was ruled out for a marginal offside call. The home side continued to dominate after the interval, and Padelli's right foot kept out Hulk's effort following good link-up play with Danny. Hulk and Danny combined to great effect again in the 53rd minute and when the former's shot came back off the upright, Criscito - formerly of Torino's city rival Juventus - was on hand to slot the ball into the empty net. The remainder of the game proved largely uneventful, and Torino - unbeaten in its six home matches in this season's competition - will be tasked with turning around a two-goal deficit in next week's return leg.
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It's nearly time for the annual Easter Jeep Safari , and Fiat Chrysler is once again preparing a barrage of concept vehicles to debut at the event. Now, the automaker has teased the Jeep Chief and Wrangler Red Rock Responder, two of seven special Jeep vehicles bound for Moab. Very little info was provided, but from the teaser sketches it appears both models are Wrangler-based. The Jeep Chief gets retro-style graphics and taillights, while the Red Rock Responder gets a truck bed and a Jeep Performance Parts decal. FCA says that Jeep Performance Parts will be featured on all seven of the vehicles debuting at Moab. The concepts will join the many others that have preceded them in past years, including the two Jeep Cherokees, three Wranglers, and one Grand Cherokee that debuted last year . Farther back in 2012 , Jeep brought out the Mighty FC concept , a tribute to the Jeep Forward Control vehicles built from 1956 to 1965; and the J-12 concept, a retro-styled stretched Wrangler pickup. We'll see what Jeep has in store at the 49th annual Easter Jeep Safari on March 28, when the event begins in Moab, Utah. But before then, Jeep says to expect info and images for the full lineup of concepts next week. Stay tuned. Source: Jeep
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Club Brugge came from behind to earn a 2-1 victory over Besiktas in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League last 16 tie on Thursday. Gokhan Tore had fired the Turkish side in front 26 seconds into the second half, but Tom De Sutter slid in just after the hour mark to convert his team's first effort on target. And a 79th-minute Lior Refaelov penalty ensured the hosts head into the second leg with a valuable advantage. De Sutter had earlier seen a goal disallowed during a first half that offered little by way of entertainment. Tore's strike almost immediately after the restart sparked the game into life and Besiktas looked set to build on its victory as Demba Ba probed the home defense. However, De Sutter restored parity in the 62nd minute before Felipe Gedoz was felled in the box to present Refaelov with the chance to snare victory. The Israel international duly dispatched into the bottom right-hand corner to earn the home side a hard-fought win. After a quiet opening eight minutes, there was a momentary delay when a rogue sprinkler broke rank to give the pitch a mid-match soak, but it was Club Brugge's joy that was dampened when De Sutter saw a 13th-minute goal ruled out. The attacker headed in from a corner, only to see his effort chalked off for taking out Ersan Gulum as he looked to make contact with the ball. De Sutter and Gulum clashed again moments later this time the former earning a booking for a poorly judged tackle. Goal scoring opportunities were at a premium during a cagey first half, but another incident involving De Sutter and Gulum led to a glorious chance for Club Brugge to break the deadlock. This time it was De Sutter on the receiving end of a clumsy Gulum challenge, but Davy De Fauw could not turn the ball in after goalkeeper Cenk Gonen had struggled to deal with the resulting free kick. Having failed to trouble home stopper Mathew Ryan for the duration of the first half, Besiktas had the Australia international beaten almost immediately after the interval. Tore picked up the ball on the edge of the box before dancing his way through a series of defenders to rifle a left-footed strike beyond Ryan. Besiktas certainly looked to have come to life after the break, with Ba trying his luck from distance on a couple of occasions. However, Club Brugge netted a leveller against the run of play when De Sutter slid in to divert Gedoz's low drive beyond Gonen. Gonen then got down well to keep out a curling Laurens De Bock free kick, but he was helpless to prevent Refaelov's spot kick from nestling in the back of the net. Having provided the assist for his side's opener, Gedoz - a half-time substitute - went down theatrically under the challenge of Serdar Kurtulus, with Refaelov making no mistake from 12 yards. Refaelov could have made it 3-1 in the closing stages, but directed his header just over the crossbar.
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Tipoff: AT&T Center, San Antonio, 9:30 p.m. ET. Records: Cavaliers 41-25; Spurs 40-23. TV: TNT. Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega, AM 1590 WAKR (Akron) Projected Starters Cavaliers: C Timofey Mozgov; PF Kevin Love; SF LeBron James; SG J.R. Smith; PG Kyrie Irving. Spurs: C Tiago Splitter; PF Tim Duncan; SF Kawhi Leonard; SG Danny Green; PG Tony Parker. Injury Report Cavaliers: SF Shawn Marion (hip) doubtful; C Anderson Varejao (Achilles) out. Spurs: PF Tim Duncan (elbow) probable; SG Manu Ginobili (sick) questionable. Dribbles 1. The Cavaliers are an NBA-best 22-5 since Jan. 15. The defending champion Spurs have won six in a row. During that stretch, the Spurs are averaging 112.2 points per game. "It should be a good one," LeBron James said. 2. Spurs supersub Manu Ginobili is sick and missed Tuesday's 117-107 win over the Raptors. The Spurs did not practice Wednesday, and Ginobili was not at shootaround. He is listed as a game-time decision, but it sounds as if Ginobili will indeed play. 3. Meanwhile, Tim Duncan hyperextended his left elbow in a fourth-quarter collision with Tiago Splitter and Raptors' big man Amir Johnson. It happened in the final minute of the game. Duncan put up shots at shootaround with a wrap on his elbow, but the injury does not appear serious. As of Thursday afternoon, Duncan was expected to play vs. the Cavs. 4. LeBron has struggled against the Spurs, both as a member of the Cavs and the Heat. The Cavs have lost 10 straight in the series, dating back to when LeBron was with the team the first time. 5. The biggest issue for LeBron in recent years has been the defense, strength and skills of Kawhi Leonard. Not too many players match up with LeBron athletically, but Leonard is right there. "He's very sound," James said. "I think what also helps him is the anchors that he has behind him in Timmy (Duncan), (Tiago) Splitter and the rest of those guys." 6. While the Spurs have been together forever, the Cavs are relatively new unit with only four players back from last season. One of those players, Anderson Varejao, is out for the season. That leaves Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova as returnees. Those three, along with Kevin Love, have never experienced the playoffs. The core of the Spurs, meanwhile, has won four titles. Duncan and coach Gregg Popovich own five. 7. LeBron on the Spurs: "They're going to have a high motor and share the ball. It's a team that has so much chemistry because they've spent so much time together and they have championship DNA." 8. The Cavs will have to continue to look for Love and Timofey Mozgov and try to establish some scoring underneath. It worked very well in Tuesday's 127-94 rout in Dallas. They also pushed the ball and ran the break, mostly behind Kyrie Irving. James committed just two turnovers vs. the Mavericks, and it's because he didn't need to handle the ball as much. 9. This will be a big test for both teams. The Spurs own the experience and intelligence and the Cavs are younger and more athletic. They also now have their own Danny Green in J.R. Smith, who has been an explosive spot-up shooter and willing defender since arriving to the Cavs in a January trade. 10. And while Iman Shumpert doesn't have the credentials of Ginobili, Shumpert has been Ginobili-like for the Cavs off the bench. Shumpert can score, handle the ball and get after it on D. He went for seven points, six assists and a whopping six steals against the Mavs. "I don't know how many points he scored and I don't care," Cavs coach David Blatt said of Shumpert. "He made an impact on the game." 11. After Thursday night, the Cavs are off until Sunday (at Orlando). So don't be surprised if most of the starters play big minutes against the Spurs. That is, assuming the game is close. 12. Danny Green on the Cavs: "They are playing at a high level. They've got some great guys and great players. And they're playing well together. They're starting to mesh at a key time. It's going to be a good matchup."
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Months ago, Pioneer kindly offered to install an AVIC 5000-NEX head unit to replace the barebones stock unit in our long-term Subaru Forester XT. They were partnering with Apple to show off the new Apple CarPlay and offered us an early peek at the system. I became quite accustomed to having the capability of talking to my phone through the Pioneer unit in the Subaru, but there were some glitches at times with the system. During Apple maps navigation, the map display would sometimes only show the bottom or top half of the names of the freeways or roads it was guiding me to. This made it difficult where there were multiple freeways intersecting at an interchange. Other times, I would input a destination, and the map would come up on the screen as a blank grid. Point A and point B would be shown with no line connecting the two and no map information to give context. At another point, the map guidance would only come up on half the screen, showing part of the map that didn't include my current position at the time with the other half of the screen just black. These incidents only happened occasionally and would prompt me to unplug my phone and revert to Google maps with the phone wedged into the top cubby of the dash. Apple CarPlay also makes it convenient to use voice command to pull up music on my iPhone. Most of the time it had no problem understanding me when I gave it a command to play a particular artist or song. There was one particular artist, however, that Siri could not decipher without about a dozen attempts. I would say "Siri, play artist Sara Bareilles," and nine times out of 10 she would play Sarah McLachlan. Because McLachlan and Bareilles sound just alike, right? I would alter my pronunciation and inevitable get more irritable (and louder) as the attempts increased. Strangely enough, when Siri did finally understand what I was saying, she would repeat the name back to me, just as I had pronounced it the first time. Not Pioneer's or Subaru's fault, obviously, but maddening just the same. Despite these glitches, I've been really happy with the Pioneer's ability to pair with my phone to play music and provide Apple maps GPS. With the Subie's loan coming to a close, I had to take the vehicle back to Pioneer to have the 5000-NEX uninstalled. The moment I left Pioneer's parking lot, I instinctively pushed the voice command button on my steering wheel to have my phone guide me back home, but there was no familiar Siri prompt. Just silence. Clearly, I was immediately missing the Pioneer system and was disappointed it was no longer there. For more on our long-term 2014 Subaru Forester 2.0XT: Arrival Update 1: First Service Visit, and an Interior Niggle Update 2: Installing a New Head Unit, Using CarPlay Update 3: Color Quirks Update 4: The "Sport" in "Utility" test
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autos
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Apache CEO John Christmann discusses cash flow, capex spending, and crude prices.
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finance
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The New Orleans Saints are ready for an overhaul. After going 7-9 last season, the Saints are reportedly shopping "everyone but Drew Brees and Brandin Cooks ," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler . The team has already sent tight end Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks and offensive guard Ben Grubbs to the Kansas City Chiefs since the start of free agency at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The quick trigger by the Saints front office suggests that last season REALLY didn't sit well. The Saints missed the playoffs despite playing in perhaps the worst division in the NFL. Their final two losses came by a combined 47 points to the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons , their NFC South rivals. When discussing the Jimmy Graham trade, general manager Mickey Loomis said that the team wants to place an emphasis on defense this offseason . By acquiring a first round pick from the Seahawks and a fifth round pick from the Chiefs , it appears the Saints are also placing an emphasis on youth. The Saints also bolstered the running game by signing running back Mark Ingram to a four-year extension and taking one of the best run-blocking centers in football in Max Unger from the Seahawks. Those moves coupled with reports that the team is trying to trade wide receiver Kenny Stills suggest that New Orleans may be trying to make over its pass-happy, Brees-heavy identity entirely. Brees isn't going anywhere, but perhaps only because he is owed $54 million over the next two seasons. The 35-year-old will be 37by the time his contract with the Saints expires, meaning that the New Orleans may also be making drastic moves to prepare for life after their Hall of Fame quarterback is no longer effective. Whatever the thinking, the Saints are being proactive. We'll see if that's a good thing.
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LAKELAND, Fla. Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez came back to his locker stall with a bat in his hand and sweat on his brow this morning. " It's going OK, " Martinez said of his fourth day of live batting practice while rehabbing from knee surgery. "It just feels good to get back to work with the guys and be around with the team. "Pretty much, I started doing a new workout for the knee. We started this week, putting a little more weight (on it)." Martinez, 36, said he started out taking 15 swings from each side of the plate and has been building up. He previously had been limited to soft toss in the batting cage. Martinez has been running on an anti-gravity treadmill but might try running on the field today. "I haven't done it since surgery," he said. Asked about his patience level, Martinez, who was runner-up for the AL MVP last season, said: "It's tough. When you really like to play, you don't want to sit down and watch your team go out there and play." Getting his swings in has kept him from getting overanxious. Martinez said that when he's fully healthy, he doesn't see why he couldn't get in some work at first base. "It's all what they decide," Martinez said. "I like to be on the field." Sipple writes for the Detroit Free Press, a Gannett property
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After their sharp drop late last year, oil prices have been trading in a relatively steady band for more than a month, raising an obvious question: Has the market hit a bottom? A number of fundamentals suggest not yet: Global storage levels are brimming. Economies in the U.S., Europe and Asia are all mixed, clouding demand forecasts. And some of the world's biggest producers including Saudi Arabia, its fellow OPEC members and Russia are still pumping at full speed. All of that means the global glut of oil that caused the big price drop in the first place isn't likely to ease soon. Still, some investors and analysts expect a new market equilibrium to eventually take hold, one based on the assumption that U.S. shale producers can react to prices much faster than conventional drillers. Some say it may already be happening. "We think (shale production) is a lot more responsive to price changes," said Antoine Halff, head of oil and markets at the International Energy Agency, the global watchdog for consuming countries, in a recent speech. "This will make this recovery much different than previous ones…we see the market to be a little more smooth and balanced than in previous price swings." U.S. shale production is now a key component of global supply growing from almost nothing to 3.6 million barrels a day last year, according to the IEA. That is still a fraction of the approximately 30 million barrels of crude that members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pump each day. But shale capacity can be switched on and off much more quickly than conventional wells, providing a more-immediate supply response to price moves, analysts say. Shale producers drill more wells than conventional producers. Those wells can vary widely in costs, but to curb output, producers can simply slow down the drilling and completion work of some of these wells. That is a lot easier than "shutting in" production or turning wells off which can be costly and take months or even years to reverse. Oil lost more than half its value in the last six months of last year and into the first weeks of 2015, the type of huge swing that has happened only once a decade or so over the past half century. Prices recouped some of their losses in early February and have since stabilized. U.S. crude has been trading between about $47 per barrel to $53 per barrel. Still, that is well below the $107 a barrel it fetched in June of last year. Brent, the international benchmark, has been stuck in a recent range of around $56-$62 per barrel. Late Thursday in New York, U.S. crude was down nearly 2.3% on the day, trading around $47. Last week, money managers increased their bullish bets on the direction of Brent, boosting long positions by about 5%, according to data provided by Intercontinental Exchange Inc. At the same time, though, traders pared back long positions on U.S. crude, according to U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data. Georgi S. Slavov, head of research at London-based commodities brokerage Marex Spectron, said crude hit its floor, at least for now, as Brent approached $40 a barrel in January. At that level, about half of the world's output wasn't profitable, he figures, suggesting producers would have to pull back. "When oil came close to $40 in January, production capacity was quickly withdrawn, which caused the rebound," he said. "This forms the floor." Indeed, the number of U.S. oil drilling rigs a proxy for activity in the oil industry has fallen sharply since prices headed south last year. There are now about 40% fewer rigs working since a peak in October. That hasn't yet translated into a drop in actual output, even though it has squelched production capacity. The U.S. Energy Information Administration earlier this week forecast that output in four of the five biggest shale production areas in the U.S. will fall next month, though overall production is still expected to rise by about 1,000 barrels a day. Still, the magnitude of the U.S. drilling pullback is enough to support prices, Mr. Slavov said. At the same time, at $60 a barrel, "this spare capacity is brought back," making that level an approximate "ceiling," he said. Write to Georgi Kantchev at [email protected] and Bill Spindle at [email protected]
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In the early 20th century, Chicago was one of the most crime-ridden places in America. After the passage of Prohibition, in 1920, powerful gangs of bootleggers, gangsters, and smugglers formed to profit from illegal alcohol trafficking. Al Capone, Bugs Moran, and John Dillinger and their gangs became household names that were equal parts criminals and celebrities. The Chicago Tribune, one of the preeminent newspapers at the time, was there to photograph it all, including the ruthless criminals who ruled the Chicago underworld and the hero policemen who brought them down. The Tribune recently opened its archives for a new book, "Gangsters & Grifters: Classic Crime Photos from the Chicago Tribune," which shows the paper's photos from the era. Agate Publishing has agreed to share some of those photos with us here, and you can check out the rest in the book. Stunning vintage photos document one of the most notorious eras in American crime In the early 20th century, Chicago was one of the most crime-ridden places in America. After the passage of Prohibition, in 1920, powerful gangs of bootleggers, gangsters, and smugglers formed to profit from illegal alcohol trafficking. Al Capone, Bugs Moran, and John Dillinger and their gangs became household names that were equal parts criminals and celebrities. The Chicago Tribune, one of the preeminent newspapers at the time, was there to photograph it all, including the ruthless criminals who ruled the Chicago underworld and the hero policemen who brought them down. The Tribune recently opened its archives for a new book, "Gangsters & Grifters: Classic Crime Photos from the Chicago Tribune," which shows the paper's photos from the era. Agate Publishing has agreed to share some of those photos with us here, and you can check out the rest in the book. John Dillinger was one of the most notorious bank robbers and gangsters during the Depression. As media reports detailed his daring exploits, he became increasingly famous, eventually being named "Public Enemy No. 1." Here, Dillinger (center) is handcuffed to Deputy Sheriff R. M. Pierce during a court hearing in Crown Point, Indiana, in 1934. Dillinger was charged with killing police officer William O' Malley during a bank robbery in East Chicago, Indiana, a month earlier. This photo shows the county jail at Crown Point as Dillinger arrived on January 30. Because of fears that his gang would try to rescue Dillinger, heavily armed guards surrounded the courthouse. Before Dillinger could stand trial in March, he would break out of the jail with a wooden gun. On March 8, 1931, 1,500 convicts at Stateville Prison in Crest Hill, Illinois, rioted, setting multiple buildings on fire. Here, state policemen retake control of the facility. Numerous buildings in Stateville, like this one, were designed according to the "panopticon" concept championed by philosopher Jeremy Bentham. In the photo above, Richard Loeb (left) and Nathan Leopold (right) stare at each other after confessing to the kidnapping and killing of 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks on May 21, 1924, in Chicago. The duo were wealthy students from the University of Chicago who said they killed Franks to commit the "perfect crime." It was called "the crime of the century," and both Loeb and Leopold gained fame. George Stathatos was a tavern owner and gambler in Chicago during the 1940s. He was suspected to be part of a gang that robbed crime-syndicate handbooks, which listed prominent members in gangs as well as listing of bribes. Here, his sister, Agnes Stathatos, cries after identifying George's body. He was found in his car with two bullets in his head, apparently killed in retaliation. On April 28, 1929, off-duty Chicago policeman Sidney Block, seen here, shot a fashionably dressed gunman who had held up two nearby stores. Block reportedly told the gunman to stop as he drew his gun. The robber refused, telling Block to "Go to hell!" Grace Druggan was the wife of Terry "Machine Gun" Druggan, an Irish-American bootlegger and crime boss. Grace is seen here in court on March 7, 1941, to get custody of her 3-year-old son. The two had a custody agreement that allowed Druggan to see the boy on the weekends, but one week he refused to bring him back. Grace Duggan committed suicide in 1946. William Heirens was known as "The Lipstick Killer." In 1946, he was convicted of kidnapping and killing 6-year-old Suzanne Degnan. Heirens was also convicted of murdering Frances Brown, 33, and Josephine Ross, 43 in 1945. Heirens got his nickname because he wrote, "For heaven's sake, catch me before I kill more. I cannot control myself," on the wall of Brown's apartment in lipstick. He is seen in this photo surrounded by Detective Chief Walter Storms on his left and Captain Michael Ahern on the right. In this photo 22-year-old Gertrude "Billie" Murphy is being brought in for questioning in the murder of Michael Stopec in 1927. Supposedly, Stopec and the person suspected of killing him, Henry Guardino, were rivals for Murphy's affection. Before the murder, Murphy had told Guardino that she was leaving him in favor of Stopec. Rose Neary was found dead in her apartment on June 2, 1939. She was strangled by a radio cord in her kitchen, before a towel was placed over her head and she was hit with a claw hammer. Though her murder was never solved, police suspected her chauffeur, Edward Donovan, who owed her $2,000 from a loan.
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Forensic experts in Italy said Thursday they had reconstructed the DNA of a national war hero and poet by analysing semen he left on a handkerchief given to a lover 100 years ago. In a global first, the proto-fascist warmonger Gabriele D'Annunzio's DNA was reconstructed without exhuming his remains, forensic police said, raising hopes the technique could be used to solve cold cases. D'Annunzio (1863-1938) gave the semen-splashed hankie to his lover, Countess Olga Levi Brunner, in 1916 as a souvenir after a night of passion. Police in Cagliari on Sardinia analysed the handkerchief, a letter the countess had penned to her beau and an ivory toothbrush conserved in the archives of the Vittoriale degli Italiani foundation. Using a crimescope light they identified splotches of a liquid on the material not visible to the naked eye and compared the DNA results with that of Federico D'Annunzio, the right-wing revolutionary's great grandson. Foundation chief Giordano Bruno Guerri joked that the experiment might even open the door to the future cloning of historical figures even if their remains have been lost. "Nobody wants to clone D'Annunzio, but nobody knows what changes will take place in science and society. It's good the DNA has been collected," he said. In 1919, D'Annunzio seized the city of Fiume, in what is now Croatia, to set up an independent state. The state, which had a charter that foreshadowed the later Italian fascist system, fell a year later after a bombardment by the Italian navy. His poems are still studied today in Italian schools.
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Hillary Clinton fans can't access her official emails yet, but they may soon be able to download and print a free 3D "ready-for-action figure" of the political powerhouse, thanks to a firm keen to see her run for president. FCTRY, the Brooklyn-based production studio behind the 2008 Barack Obama action figure that became a hit seller during his successful White House bid, is creating an "iconic" Clinton doll, complete with baby-blue pantsuit. "We want to kickstart this product, and jumpstart Hillary's campaign all at the same time," FCTRY co-founder Jason Feinberg says in a two-minute, 43-second video pitch to cloudfunding platform Kickstarter introduced this week. "Honestly, the world kind of needs a Hillary action figure," he added. The jury is still out on that. But while the project has yet to fully get off the ground, it looked increasingly likely it would. Of the $15,000 needed on Kickstarter before production can begin, FCTRY had already received $10,917 as of Thursday. The action figure was designed by renowned artist Mike Leavitt. Supporters can reserve a first-edition Hillary figure for a contribution of $15. For those short of cash, the doll's creators have teamed up with website Thingiverse to allow free downloads of a 3D-printable Hillary. The jokes on social media came quick, with one person on Twitter wondering whether the doll's accessories included two mobile phones or just one -- a nod to the current controversy over Clinton's emails. Clinton, a former first lady and US senator, used a private email account while heading the State Department, as a matter of "convenience," she said, to not have to lug around two devices.
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The most sophisticated defense systems in the world, including high-powered assault weapons and Buk missile launchers, were up for sale at this year's IDEX Conference in Abu Dhabi. CNN's Deborah Feyerick attended the conference and saw a major marketing presence for China, Russia, Turkey, Sudan and others.
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Inter goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo endured a night to forget as three errors from him proved costly in a 3-1 UEFA Europa League defeat at Wolfsburg on Thursday. All is not lost for the Italian giants, who host the second leg of the last-16 clash at San Siro next week, but coach Roberto Mancini will surely be annoyed at the manner of their defeat, as Kevin De Bruyne struck twice for Wolfsburg. Rodrigo Palacio gave Inter the lead in the fifth minute but the Italian side was pegged back before the break when Carrizo spilled a Naldo header. While there were excuses for the goalkeeper on that occasion, namely a complete lack of marking, he was solely to blame for Wolfsburg's second as De Bruyne opened his account 27 minutes from time. Given a back pass from substitute Nemanja Vidic, Carrizo completely fluffed a clearance, only finding Vieirinha on the right flank, and he stormed into the penalty area before cutting back for De Bruyne to do the rest. Carrizo's night of misery continued when he was wrong-footed by De Bruyne's 75th-minute free kick, which, despite being an effort he really should have saved, crept into the right corner. The visitors took the lead when their intense press reaped an early reward. Andre Schurrle, under serious pressure from Danilo D'Ambrosio, volleyed an errant pass at Mauro Icardi and the Inter man cleverly slid in Palacio. Having been put through on goal, the forward kept his cool to slot past Diego Benaglio and delight the traveling fans. Wolfsburg, which left itself open on the break, saw Schurrle waste a pair of chances before Carrizo made an excellent reaction save to keep out Daniel Caligiuri's near-post header. Carrizo should have done better from the resulting corner, though, as Wolfsburg leveled proceedings in the 28th minute. De Bruyne's ball fell to an unmarked Naldo, and the central defender's fierce header from 9 yards was too hot to handle for Carrizo, who could only help it into the roof of the net. Buoyed by its goal, Wolfsburg ended the half stronger, with right back Vieirinha drawing a good save from Carrizo after a mazy run two minutes before the break. Caliguiri and Ricardo Rodriguez came close with efforts from distance after the resumption as Wolfsburg picked up where it left off, before Palacio spurned a great chance in the 57th minute. Davide Santon played in the Argentinian, who took a touch before smashing an effort into the side netting. Inter introduced Vidic in a bid to stem Wolfsburg's flow but the change indirectly led to another goal, as his pass to Carrizo sparked a scramble that ended when De Bruyne slotted Vierinha's ball into the bottom-left corner. And the Belgian did not have long to wait for a second goal, curling a 20-yard free kick past Carrizo to open up a two-goal lead, which remained after both Icardi and De Bruyne wasted late chances.
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If people could not get cigarettes until the age of 21, lives would be saved because fewer people would start smoking, said a report by the Institute of Medicine on Thursday. Most smokers begin their habit when they are young. Some 90 percent of smokers say they first tried a cigarette by the time they turned 19, and nearly all the rest experimented by the age of 26. A committee of experts tasked by the US Food and Drug Administration with studying scientific literature on smoking looked at how changing the age of being able to access cigarettes -- whether 19, 21 or 25 -- would impact smoking rates. If the legal age were raised to 19, smoking prevalence would drop by three percent by the year 2100, it found. Were the legal age set at 21, there would be a 12 percent decrease in smoking prevalence by the end of the century. And if the minimum legal age were set at 25, there would be a 16 percent decrease in smoking prevalence by the year 2100. No recommendation was made by the report, which will be delivered to government agencies. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 granted the FDA broad authorities over tobacco products, but barred it from establishing a nationwide minimum legal age for tobacco products that would be higher than 18 years of age. Despite decades of public health efforts to reduce smoking, 40 million Americans -- or about one in five adults -- continue to smoke. Cigarettes are sold in most states to customers age 18 and over. Four states (Alabama, Alaska, New Jersey, and Utah) have set the minimum age to 19, and New York City and several other localities nationwide have raised it to 21. "While the development of some cognitive abilities is achieved by age 16, the parts of the brain most responsible for decision making, impulse control, and peer susceptibility and conformity continue to develop until about age 25," said committee chair Richard Bonnie, director of the Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "A balance needs to be struck between the personal interests of young adults in being allowed to make their own choices and society's legitimate concerns about protecting the public health and discouraging young people from making decisions they may later regret, due to their vulnerability to nicotine addiction and immaturity of judgment." Cigarette smoking causes cancer and has been linked to diabetes, heart disease and premature death. The committee also found that if the minimum age were raised to 21 nationwide, there would be approximately 249,000 fewer premature deaths among today's youth, including 45,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer. "By assessing the public health implications of raising the minimum age for accessing tobacco products, this report aims to provide the scientific guidance that states and localities need when evaluating new policies to achieve the ultimate goal -- the reduction and eventual elimination of tobacco use by children and youth," said Victor Dzau, president of the Institute of Medicine.
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Two years ago, a jury chose not to commit Miami-Dade serial rapist Juan F. Vega to indefinite locked-down confinement after he finished 25 years in prison. Despite the jury's verdict, a judge nevertheless shipped Vega off to a secure therapy center for sexual predators - a legal first that drew indignation from defense lawyers. This week, a Miami-Dade appeals court upheld the decision of the judge, meaning Vega will remain at the Florida Civil Commitment Center in Arcadia. And because the Third District Court of Appeal did not issue a written opinion, defense lawyers will have a tougher time appealing the ruling. "We're committing Mr. Vega despite the fact that a jury said, 'Let him go,' " said his defense lawyer, Andrew Rier. "And to not issue a written opinion is an injustice." The decision of Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Migna Sanchez-Llorens was believed to be the first time in Florida that a court has sent a convicted sex predator into civil confinement over a jury's verdict. The appeals court decision is bound to rekindle debate over the Florida law that allows sexual predators to be detained indefinitely after their prison terms. The Third DCA's decision on Wednesday came just two weeks after a panel of judges heard oral arguments on Vega's case. Vega, 51, was committed under the 1998 Jimmy Ryce Act, a law that allows for the indefinite detention of sexual predators deemed too dangerous to be allowed back into society after serving their prison term. The law was named after 9-year-old Jimmy Ryce, who was kidnapped, raped and killed in South Miami-Dade in 1995. Under Florida law, as a sex offender or rapist is nearing the end of his prison term, the Florida Department of Children and Families evaluates the person and recommends to prosecutors whether he should be committed to civil confinement. After release, the convict is placed in Arcadia pending a trial, which is considered a civil matter. They are not considered "defendants" but "respondents," and are never housed in a jail. Jurors at a trial must find by "clear and convincing evidence" that the person is a sexually violent predator. The verdicts have to be unanimous. If the jurors are deadlocked - but the majority wants to commit - prosecutors are afforded a new trial. In Vega's case, there was a 3-3 split - which defense lawyers believed was supposed to result in the person being automatically released from the Arcadia center. The jury's failure to reach a unanimous verdict surprised prosecutors, who almost always win the civil commitment trials. Sanchez-Llorens, saying Vega was a clear danger to society, ordered him committed on a "directed verdict" requested by prosecutors. Vega's crimes were undoubtedly vicious. In the early 1980s, he kidnapped women between the ages of 15 and 28 off the streets or bus stops, raping them in isolated wooded areas. He was arrested in 1985 after a Miami-Dade detective, while interviewing a victim at the crime scene, spotted the man's red truck drive by. In all, prosecutors said he was linked to attacks on six women. He pleaded guilty and agreed to a 30-year term, of which he did 25 years. At the two-week-long civil trial, prosecutors said Vega tried to escape prison custody three times, once successfully. And three psychologists, in testimony and reports, said Vega suffers from mental disorders, including "sexual sadism" and a personality disorder. His attorneys and a defense psychologist insisted that the state's inexact science could not predict that Vega would commit more crimes if he were let out.
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Editor's note: Nathan Wilson is co-founder and CTO of Nara Logics, a big data intelligence company creating a brain-based AI platform. There's a pragmatic approach to the great artificial intelligence debate , one that responsibly answers both the trepidations and aspirations of top scientists and technologists in this field. I agree that anyone concerned with technology should be jolted awake by the warning that Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk Bill Gates and many scientists have now delivered. The early days of "let's see what happens" with AI should justifiably be over. There is simply too much at stake in the coming decades with new technology that is already fundamentally challenging our privacy and autonomy as individuals and our attention and consciousness as human beings. However, the new path raised by Musk and colleagues is equally risky. By drawing neon-sign outlines around what we fear most, we risk manifesting these exact fears into reality. By demonizing a crucial discipline, we make it less likely to be the chosen destination for many moral contributors and pursuits. A "third way" exists to navigate the exploration of AI. When the Internet started, despite its military DNA, key contributors infused and amplified a "spirit" of openness, wonder and exploration that remains responsible for its positive outcomes around the globe today. It is possible this very spirit, rather than a culture of fear, will be crucial to incubating a nascent AI that resonates with our ideals. By drawing neon-sign outlines around what we fear most, we risk manifesting these exact fears into reality. Just as Carl Sagan urged us to approach extraterrestrial intelligence with an instinct of trust rather than a "guns drawn" suspicion, there is wisdom in employing the same logic with artificial intelligence in such encounters, to quote William James, the belief will create the fact, and our creations take on the character of our temper. Applying this spirit has three practical dimensions that are critical for defining this third approach and separating it from both rampant optimism and disabling fear. First, a mandate to focus on a closer time horizon. Pundits are often drawn to the most intellectually stimulating ideas that are decades or even centuries away. But fundamental issues in the technosphere that will impact our "AI nature" are being decided right now. Battles for how we approach privacy, how we avoid digital overload and cyborgization, and how we interact in a machine-assisted world are being won and lost now. This will reverberate in user interfaces and compute-power direction for decades to come, when AI starts to really get going. Simply put, as with children, we must hurl ourselves in to shaping AI in its early years, not by injecting it with post-hoc rules once it gets to college, which is essentially the approach of the open letter. Second, for nascent AI to grow up well-adjusted with a moral and logical compass, it must be exposed to many voices and not just raised by cold logic. It's encouraging to see social scientists, entrepreneurs and even philosophers like Nick Bostrom contributing foundationally to this discussion. We should not be afraid to go deep with basic research. This is another reason why we need more women and minorities in tech to add diverse and stabilizing perspectives. We need contributions from neuroscientists and psychologists that study cognition. Finally, we need to change the emphasis of our tech development from brunch apps in Silicon Valley to problems of the world at large this will determine the goals and evolution of our AI decades from now more than any theoretical seat belts and crash helmets we might try to put in place later. Finally, to nurture the moral, humanity-supporting applications of AI, we should not be afraid to go deep with basic research, because this will teach us more about who we are and thus help erode the real challenge of AI, that it is not "people vs. nature" but "people vs. themselves." Toward this end, a growing number of academic researchers and a new breed of companies and technologies like Google's DeepMind, Vicarious, IBM Watson and our team at Nara Logics are developing a primitive new class of "brain AI." This sort of boundary-pushing is a natural area of concern, but such explorations should not be shunted this brain-like AI is application-neutral and brings us closer to understanding our own minds, morals and decision-making processes, thus uncovering the definitions for human-supportive applications. It is only with this deeper exploration and self-knowledge of our own mechanics that we can arbitrate and reconcile the concerns that will increasingly arise. As Bill Gates said, "I… don't understand why some people are not concerned." Accepting that wisdom, we propose a "selective optimism" to excite, rather than a blanket concern to inhibit, as a more dexterous way to sculpt our outcome. In that spirit, if AI can be made into an ally in our own self-discovery and development, our society will experience the same degree of wonder and positivity as we did at the dawn of the space age, as well as the remarkable progress and openness brought by the Internet age.
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Global sales of tablet computers will see only slim growth in 2015, in a further cooling of a segment that was red-hot two years ago, a market tracker said Thursday. IDC said it expects tablet sales growth of just 2.1 percent this year, after an increase of 4.4 percent in 2014 and more than 50 percent in 2013. Tablets appeared to be on a tear two years earlier, but the market is being eroded by use of large-screen smartphones or "phablets" as well as slimmed-down laptop computers. IDC said it expects "low but positive growth" for the market, with increased focus in the business sector and some gains for Microsoft Windows in the tablet market. "Despite the growing popularity of phablets, there still remains a portion of the market that wants to use a larger device so they can tailor their experience to the appropriate screen size," said IDC analyst Jitesh Ubrani. "Meanwhile, an increasing number of vendors behind small tablets are reducing prices and adopting features like voice calling to entice consumers to purchase their products over competing phablets, making the dynamics of phablets vs voice-capable tablets an interesting one to watch." The Google Android system is expected to retain around 67 percent of the market this year, with its share slipping a bit to 62.9 percent by 2019, IDC said. Apple's iOS platform used on the iPad is forecast to see a slight market erosion but still account for around one of every four tablets sold through 2019, according to IDC. Windows meanwhile will likely see its share grow from 5.1 percent in 2014 to 14.1 percent in 2019, according to IDC. "Microsoft is doing a lot of good things right now and we believe the launch of Windows 10 later this year will not only have a significant impact on Microsoft's share of the market, but on the industry as a whole," said Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC's head of tablet research. "There is an appetite for a platform that can provide a productivity experience that remains consistent across multiple form factors and device types, and we believe Microsoft is well positioned to capture some of that demand."
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How do you reconstruct a civilization's history when it has been literally trampled underfoot? Some of Rome's roads through the Balkans are largely forgotten, others still in use, and others we only know about because of documents from travelers explaining a route that matches ruined Roman distance markers. Hoping to get a better grasp of how these road networks worked in the Balkans between the 1st century BC and 4th century AD, researchers turned to an unlikely research assistant: slime mold. Published in The Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports , a new study details how " slime mould imitates development " of these roads, by figuring out the most efficient way to travel between cities. That is, if the cities were made of yummy treats. Slime molds are a natural choice for studying transportation networks. Searching for nourishment, slime molds extend tendrils outwards and then migrate to large food sources. When placed on a map of the United States with oatmeal clusters indicating large cities (slime molds love oatmeal), a mold plotted out an alternate inter-urban transport network. For the research team headed by Vasilis Evangelidis and comprising members from both Greece and the United Kingdom, a slime mold placed onto a map of the Balkans ate its way into recreating a Roman network of military roads. Using a map of the Balkans made of agar gel, the researchers placed oat flakes in the locations of 17 major Roman cities. The mold was placed initially on the oat flake for Thessaloniki, a city in the northern Aegean region that was a major urban center at the time (and still the second-largest city in Greece today). The researchers ran the experiment 18 times, with the mold starting its spread from Thessaloniki for each run. The molds recreated with remarkable accuracy a network of roads similar to that used by the ancient Romans, even tracing out paths of relatively unknown and obscure roads like the West-Pontian road traveling northeast though the Balkans. In the future, researchers hope that projects like this can assist with archaeological research, as another way to gain insight into human behaviors of the past. Still, the researchers clarify, "the experiment (at least at this stage) must be seen primarily as a first attempt to apply the technique in a well studied subject (Roman road networks) and, foremost, as a step towards a new interdisciplinary approach in archaeology."
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NEW YORK New York City police say a 16-year-old girl has been arrested and others are being sought after an assault captured on video showed a group attacking a 15-year-old classmate. The video shows a group attacking the teenage girl at a McDonald's in Brooklyn on Monday while a dozen onlookers cheer. Police say McDonald's workers called 911, but apparently no one in the crowd tried to help. NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce says Thursday that one girl was arrested. Her name wasn't released. She attended the same high school as the victim, who suffered black eyes and bruising, police say. Police say the victim and other witnesses were refusing to speak to police.
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10 Desserts Made Better by Irish Whiskey Enjoy These Boozy Recipes Irish whiskey is a staple ingredient for many of your favorite St. Patrick's Day cocktails , but have you considered using it in your party desserts? Well, friend, if you're looking to satiate yourself and imbibe simultaneously, have we got the recipe roundup for you. Our classic chocolate whiskey cake recipe will have your guests drowning in a chocolate euphoria. The honey-whiskey popcorn recipe will satisfy those sweet-and-savory fanatics. Yogurt Irish cupcakes will keep that party buzz going. And there's much more. Boozy Irish Potato Candies Irish potato candies have very little to do with actual potatoes. An old Philadelphia tradition created to acknowledge the Irish potato "famine," these sweet cream cheese- and coconut-rolled treats are dusted in cinnamon to look like little potatoes. Add some authentic Irish whiskey to them and you'll definitely increase their "Irishness." Get the Boozy Irish Potato Candy Recipe Celtic Apple Crumble with Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce "Apples have always played an important part in Irish folklore, tradition, and diet, so it's no surprise to find apple desserts in great supply and variety," says Margaret Johnson, Irish food expert and cookbook author. "This apple crumble, sometimes called 'apple crunch' when the apples are first cooked to soften them, is flavored with a respectable dose of Irish whiskey and topped with a buttery oatmeal crumble. Serve it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce (recipe follows)." Johnson uses Kerrygold Irish butter to make this crumble. The butter, churned from the milk of grass-fed cows that graze in Ireland's lush pastures, has a creamy richness and a remarkably golden color from the beta-carotene in the grass. It is the preferred butter of many seasoned bakers. Recipe courtesy of Kerrygold Butter . Get the Celtic Apple Crumble with Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tart Looking for a little boozy decadence? This whiskey-infused dessert with baked pecans and ooey-gooey chocolate will absolutely hit the spot! To see more recipes like this, visit Great Performances . Get the Chocolate Caramel Pecan Tart Recipe Chocolate Mousse with Oranges and Whiskey British culinary master Michel Roux Jr.'s rich and fluffy chocolate mousse, spiked with whiskey, is perfect for a St. Patrick's Day treat. Get the Chocolate Mousse with Oranges and Whiskey Recipe Chocolate Whiskey Cake A decadent treat made with whiskey-soaked raisins and a whiskey-infused glaze. It is a must-try for any dessert, chocolate, or whiskey fan. Get the Chocolate Whiskey Cake Recipe Honey-Whiskey Popcorn Looking for a treat that is boozy, salty, and sweet? We've got exactly what you've been craving. This recipe makes for a fabulous St. Patrick's Day party dish; just be sure to warn guests of its alcoholic content! Get the Honey Whiskey Popcorn Recipe Luck of the Irish Cream This everso slightly healthier recipe is perfect if you're looking for a liquid and boozy dessert to cap of your Paddy's Day celebrations. Plus, it won't destroy your diet. For more recipes like this one, check out Kate Runs . Get the Luck of the Irish Cream Recipe Maia Yogurt Irish Brownies These brownies are super boozy and super indulgent. With layers of chocolate and liquor to get through, make sure that you don't get behind the wheel after a few of these bad boys! Get the Maia Yogurt Irish Brownies Recipe Whiskey Irish Soda Bread Irish soda bread is a time-honored, traditional Irish recipe. Mixed with an assortment of spices or dried fruits, Irish soda bread really absorbs the nuances of whatever subtle ingredients are used. It takes on a whole new dimension when bold whiskey is infused into the dough. Recipe courtesy of Celebrity Chef & TV Personality Kristin Sollenne Get the Whiskey Irish Soda Bread Recipe Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Irish Whiskey, Honey and Cream To really get in the St. Patrick's Day spirit this year, start your day off right with a bowl of steel-cut oats made with Irish whiskey. It's a great way to kick of St. Patrick's Day or to fight a nasty hangover the morning after. Watch the video here . Get the Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Irish Whiskey, Honey and Cream Recipe
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At least one person is shooting down the Braxton Miller transfer rumors. It happens to be teammate J.T. Barrett. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports Barrett , speaking with reporters after Thursday's practice, made his feelings clear. "I'm not Braxton, but being that I do talk to him every day, I think that would be something me and you both be shocked if he was to leave. I think it's ridiculous honestly," Barrett said. MORE: Who will start at Ohio State in 2015? Our early guess Miller missed last season with a shoulder injury and returns as a senior. He'll be in a battle with Barrett, who set the Big Ten single-season record for touchdowns (45) and Cardale Jones, who led the Buckeyes to wins against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon en route to the national championship. It's set up to be an unprecedented battle for a starting job heading into 2015. Miller did not speak with reporters Thursday. Barrett, however, was quick to dispel rumors of a possible transfer. Miller would be able to play right away for another school. "Some of the things talking about Braxton leaving Ohio State, I think that's really silly," Barrett said. Source: Northeast Ohio Media Group
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GETTING a $50 ticket for missing a red light is unpleasant enough. But when it is received in the mail without warning, generated from an unmarked camera, it can cause resentment. "If there were signs up, yes, I'd feel differently," said Dan Rosenbaum after he received his camera-based ticket for an infraction in Brooklyn. Mr. Rosenbaum's reaction is common among drivers who question whether the cameras are deployed to prevent accidents or to generate revenue. The absence of a caution sign can raise suspicions. In New York, there are red-light cameras at 150 intersections; none of the cameras are marked. The idea is to keep drivers vigilant. "We want people to obey the law everywhere," said Polly Trottenberg, commissioner of the city's Transportation Department. Drivers are increasingly being alerted to the cameras through other means from navigation devices to traffic apps like Waze, which allows drivers to mark the location of cameras and radar traps. "I use Waze, even when I know where I'm going," said Bobby Orbach, a technology entrepreneur in Brooklyn who has also received an automated $50 fine. "It will say, watch out, red-light camera ahead." On an average day in New York, Waze users report 74,000 incidents, including accidents, construction zones and the presence of police, according to the company, which is owned by Google. Many municipalities welcome such technology and see it as a deterrent that helps improve traffic safety. Pennsylvania, for example, publishes the location of Philadelphia's 28 cameras online. Drivers see warnings not only on electronic devices but also on signs mandated by law that are posted at each monitored intersection, according to Daniel Farley, the manager for traffic signal and operational analysis at the Pennsylvania Transportation Department. "Transparency is part of the program," Mr. Farley said. Mr. Farley says he believes that the program has increased safety. An independent report issued in 2011 by the Pennsylvania State Transportation Advisory Committee looked at 10 automatic camera systems that had been installed for three years or more in the Philadelphia area and found that while rates varied depending on the intersection, the total number of crashes at those locations declined by about 24 percent. "In general, it's more likely to be effective if the program is publicized," said Anne McCartt, a senior researcher at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Although there is no specific research on posted warning signs and their deterrent effect, she said, "You want to not just enforce the law but publicize the enforcement." Ms. McCartt points to additional studies demonstrating the effectiveness of such programs. A 2005 review by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international public health organization, found that there was a 13 to 29 percent reduction in all types of injury-related crashes and a 24 percent reduction in T-bone or right-angle injury-related crashes at intersections using camera enforcement. While reducing right-angle collisions is a major goal, some critics have suggested that the cameras lead to an increase in rear-end collisions. A 2005 study by the Federal Highway Administration looked at red-light camera programs in seven cities and found that while they accounted for a 25 percent drop in front-to-side collisions, there was a 15 percent increase in rear-end accidents. In addition to questions about effectiveness, the debate over whether such information should be made public has led to conflicting practices. Nokia supplies its Here mapping and navigation software to several automakers. In Europe, Here includes information on the location of photo enforcement cameras, but similar alerts are omitted in the United States. Ford delivers the alerts to drivers who have its Sync system in Europe, China and Australia, but not in the United States, even though there are no national laws precluding their use. Some cities have reduced the number of cameras or even gotten rid of them altogether. According to the I.I.H.S., the number of communities with red-light cameras fell from 540 in 2012 to 466 as of this month. While New York City has recently been adding speed cameras, revenue from existing red-light cameras has been falling. Those cameras generated $28 million in 2014, down from $71 million in 2011, said Ms. Trottenberg, the transportation commissioner. New York has no plans to remove the cameras, but falling revenue can cause other municipalities to abandon these programs. Increased political pressure is another motivation. In Chicago, after reports that some lights were rigged to ensnare drivers, Mayor Rahm Emanuel promised this week to remove cameras at 25 of the city's 174 intersections covered in the program. Jesus Garcia, who is running against Mr. Emanuel for mayor, had already pledged to eliminate the cameras entirely.
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MESA, Ariz. (AP) -- Telling everyone "I'm a five-tool guy," Will Ferrell was off on his barnstorming tour Thursday through five Arizona spring training games. Wearing No. 19 for every team, the star of "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," "Elf" and many other movies played shortstop for the Oakland Athletics, second base for the Seattle Mariners, center field for the Los Angeles Angels and first base for the Chicago Cubs. As a surprise, he pinch hit, rather unsuccessfully, for the Cubs and spent a little time as their third base coach, holding up signs, one of which said, "Remember These Games Don't Count." Then it was off to Scottsdale, for the Cincinnati Reds vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks. The comedian planned to play for 10 teams in five spring training games, playing every position along the way. His police escorted caravan was to drive to his first three stops, then he was to take a helicopter from the Diamondbacks' spring home in Scottsdale to the Chicago White Sox's field in Glendale. And it was all for a good cause, he said. Before his odyssey began, Ferrell told a radio interviewer that he expected to raise $1 million to be used for college scholarships for cancer survivors. The entire tour was being chronicled by HBO for an upcoming special. Memorabilia from his journey is to be sold at auction on MLB.com with proceeds going to Cancer for College and Stand Up to Cancer. Ferrell had his usual (false) bravado on display. In the A's clubhouse before the game, he told shortstop Marcus Semien, "I could catch fire today and you could be on a bus back to Triple-A." In his interview on MLB radio, he said "I'm actually hoping that my acting career is over after today." "I think it's pretty much the feeling out here that I'm going to land with one of these clubs," Ferrell said. "These teams need a clubhouse presence and my presence is a flabby 47-year-old guy that doesn't know how to play. But I have life experience and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done." Oakland scored three runs in the ninth inning to beat Seattle 4-3, leading A's manager Bob Melvin to say, `It looked like it took us until that last inning to get over the fact that we traded Will Ferrell." Ferrell arrived early at HoHoKam Park, spring training home of the A's, telling people as he entered that he was in "beast mode." He took batting practice with the Athletics, actually hitting a couple up the middle. When he took the field at shortstop, the crowd cheered when he fielded a warmup grounder and threw it perfectly to first base. "I never would have thought Will Ferrell would play second base behind me," Seattle pitcher Jordan Pries said. "Honestly, I didn't want anything to go that way, but I was just trying to pitch. Once the ball leaves my hand, I have no control. I didn't realize what a spectacle, a circus, it was going to be. You want to get your work in but you want to have fun, too." Alas, he never touched the ball during play for the A's and Mariners. In Tempe for the Cubs-Angels, he replaced Mike Trout in center field, taking Trout's hat and glove. He cleanly fielded a single and threw it to the infield and the crowd roared. He wasn't so successful at the plate for the Cubs, striking out on three pitches. He played for only one out at first, leaving after a batter flew out to left. This was just the latest, perhaps most ambitious, of Ferrell's forays into sports and injection of his character into the world at large. In 2010, he pitched, albeit briefly, for the Triple-A Round Rock Express, wearing a fake mustache in the guise of "Rojo Johnson," a pitcher with a fiery temperament. He threw one pitch behind the Nashville batter. As he left the field, he ripped off the mustache and waved triumphantly to the crowd. Two years later, he and fellow actor Zach Galifianakis invaded a Cubs game, throwing out the first pitch then hilariously butchering the introduction of the lineups. They said Alfonso Soriano was from Scotland and pitcher Jeff Samardzija led the league with 450 strikeouts. That same year, Ferrell introduced the Chicago Bulls lineup and said Luol Deng "collects birds and has a pet dolphin named Chachi." The rapid baseball journey also commemorated the time, 50 years ago, that Bert Campaneris played all nine positions in a game. "I don't know why he played all five positions," Ferrell said in the radio interview. "I guess some of the other guys were sick."
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You might think it's only you. But trust us, it's not. Pretty much every girl who works out has done these 14 things they just don't want to 'fess up. 1. Sniff-Checking Your Pits During lat pulldowns, downdog, you name it. 2. "Borrowing" Toiletries from the Locker Room The cost of that bottle of Kiehl's body wash is built into the membership fee, right? 3. Checking Out Another Girl at the Gym Because either 1) her workout wear is awesome, or 2) you're wondering what moves she's used to get a butt like that. 4. Peeking at Others' Cardio-Machine Displays ...And immediately changing the level on yours. 5. Living Off of Dry Shampoo Seriously, who has time to wash her hair after every workout? 6. Getting Anxious When Someone Picks Up a Piece of Equipment You're Going to Use Even if you shouldn't need it for a good 30 minutes. 7. Mentally Correcting Other People's Form Would he think it was helpful or snooty if you told him that he's squatting wrong ? It's a constant internal debate you have. 8. Getting Furious When Someone Steals "Your" Locker There are at least 100 lockers in this gym and she just had to take yours?!?! 9. Reusing Sports Bras Which one did your wear during your recovery workout? That one shouldn't be too sweaty, right? 10. Cutting Your Workout Short the Second Your Phone Dies Because life fact: No music , no workout. 11. Using the Mirrors to Check Out Guys After all, motivation comes in lots of different forms. 12. Planning Your Workout According to Your Leg Hair You haven't shaved? You need to wear pants, so you guess today will be a light day. 13. Being Weirded Out When Someone Hops on the Elliptical Next to You ...Even though five other machines are available. Seriously, dude? You don't want some personal space? 14. Getting Psyched When You Have to Raise the Cable Machine 's Weight Because that means you're stronger than whoever last used the machine.
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New for 2015 The 2015 Mazda3 is now available with a power moonroof in the s Touring trim but the HID headlights are now exclusive to the s Grand Touring model. A six-speed manual transmission is now available with the larger 2.5-liter I-4 engine. All models except the base i SV trim, which is only available in the sedan, come standard with the Mazda Connect infotainment system featuring a seven-inch touchscreen. All i Touring 3s gain a standard rearview camera while a power moonroof is now part of the available i Touring Technology package. Vehicle Summary The 2015 Mazda3 is a compact car available in sedan or hatchback body styles and is one of the most engaging vehicles to drive in its class. It became the third model in Mazda's lineup to receive the full suite of Skyactiv technologies, featuring ultra-high compression ratio engines, improved transmission, lighter and stronger bodies, taut and rigid chassis, brake energy regeneration, and a host of safety aids. Overview Two engines are available in the 2015 Mazda3: a 2.0-liter I-4 with 155 hp and 150 lb-ft of torque in the Mazda 3 i and a 2.5-liter I-4 rated at 184 hp and 185 lb-ft in the Mazda 3 s. Both engines can be paired to a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Fuel economy is excellent with automatic-equipped 2.0-liter sedan being the most efficient at 30/41 mpg city/highway. Opting for the manual drops those numbers down to 29/41 mpg while hatchbacks achieve 30/40 mpg with the automatic and 29/40 mpg with the manual. The larger 2.5-liter is just as fuel efficient with sedans achieving 25/37 mpg with the manual, and 28/39 mpg with the automatic. Hatchbacks equipped with the larger engine are rated at 26/35 mpg with the manual and 27/37 with the automatic. The s Grand Touring model with an automatic transmission is available with a Technology package that includes a brake energy regeneration system called i-ELOOP, which improves fuel economy to 29/40 mpg in the sedan and 28/39 mpg in the hatchback. Among compact cars, the 2015 Mazda3 is one of the best-handling vehicles, along with the new Volkswagen Golf. The 2015 Mazda3's taut chassis and suspension tuning is ideal for spirited drives through twisty roads without sacrificing ride comfort even with the larger 18-inch wheels. The car's steering is also one of the best, providing good feedback to the driver. Acceleration is good with both engines, giving the car ample power for passing and merging. For those looking for the most potent acceleration, the larger 2.5-liter I-4 provides even more horsepower and torque while still offering impressive fuel economy. Interior space is good for the class, however rear seat passengers may not have as much space, since the swoopy styling cuts into headroom. Cargo space is generous especially with the hatch, which has up to 47.1 cubic feet of volume with the split-folding rear seats are folded. Mazda offers a long list of tech and convenience features especially in the 3 s that make the car feel upscale including a head-up display, Smart City Brake Support, navigation, blind spot warning, rearview camera, two-tone leather upholstery, and Mazda Connect infotainment, which includes access to smartphone apps such as Pandora and Stitcher. Build quality is excellent with soft-touch materials in touch points and in the dash as well high-grade leather and leatherette upholstery in higher trim levels. However, the car sacrifices some refinement in favor lightness and engaging driving dynamics with a cabin that is slightly noisier than some of its competitors. The NHTSA gave the 2015 Mazda3 a five-star overall safety rating (out of a possible five stars). In IIHS evaluations, the 2014 model earned the organization's highest award, a Top Safety Pick+. What We Think The 2015 Mazda3's combination of engaging driving dynamics, impressive fuel economy, attractive styling, and premium-feeling interior makes it one of the top choices among compact cars. In a 2014 Big Test review that compared seven compact cars, the Mazda3 won because it of it was the most fun to drive, fuel-efficient, and had a long list of available features and safety aids that made it the more complete package. While the models with the smaller 2.0-liter have generous equipment and impressive driving dynamics, variants equipped with the more powerful 2.5-liter build upon that, offering even more gadgets, stronger acceleration, and better handling. We said in a 2014 First Test review that the 3's "grin-inducing performance carries over to the street" and that it "can be rotated with the throttle like a rear-drive car." The interior is also a strong point with high-quality materials and a lot of tech features that make the car feel upscale. However, in a 2014 First Drive review , we noted that refinement is slightly behind some of the competition with some exterior noise entering the passenger compartment. You'll Like Superb handling without sacrificing ride quality Great fuel economy Tech-laden cabin You Won't Like i-ELOOP should be standard on 2.5-liter models Cabin can get noisy Rear seating is snug Key Competitors Ford Focus Honda Civic Kia Forte Volkswagen Golf Toyota Corolla Rating 5 star
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The Islamic State group welcomed a pledge of allegiance made to it by Boko Haram and vowed to press with its expansion, according to an audiotape Thursday purportedly from its spokesman. "We announce to you to the good news of the expansion of the caliphate to West Africa because the caliph... has accepted the allegiance of our brothers of the Sunni group for preaching and the jihad," IS spokesman Mohammed al-Adnani said in the message, using the Arabic name for Nigeria's Boko Haram extremist group. In the tape of some 30 minutes, Adnani urges Muslims to join militants in West Africa and played down "victories" by the US-led coalition and Iraqi forces against his group. The Sunni radical Sunni movement has seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria and declared an Islamic "caliphate" there. It has also drawn expressions of allegiance from jihadists in Egypt and Libya. On Saturday, an audiotape attributed to Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said "we announce our allegiance to the Caliph of the Muslims, Ibrahim ibn Awad ibn Ibrahim al-Husseini al-Qurashi," referring to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Security analysts have said that pledge may only have propaganda value in the short term but could lead to closer links in the future. Shekau has previously mentioned Baghdadi in videos but stopped short of pledging formal allegiance. But there have been increasing signs that the Nigerian militants, whose six-year insurgency has claimed more than 13,000 lives and left 1.5 million people homeless, have been seeking a closer tie-up. IS's Adnani said Muslims must support Boko Haram in West Africa, and claimed that the Islamic State was growing in strength and expanding. "Our caliphate is resisting and it is advancing in the right direction. We are fighting the Crusaders and the rafidah (Shiites) and day by day the Islamic State is becoming strong," he said. The tape's release comes as US Security Council diplomats are drafting a resolution to shore up a regional force fighting Boko Haram, and as Iraqi forces were tightening the noose on IS in Tikrit. Iraqi forces entered IS-held Tikrit, in the northern province of Salaheddin, on Wednesday after a 10-day push to wrest the city back from the jihadists. A combination of army, police and volunteer forces moved into northern and southern Tikrit, the hometown of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and a main IS stronghold after making major gains around the city. But Adnani said IS "continues to resist.... and the victories proclaimed by the coalition are only illusions", claiming that only "inches of land" in Iraq had been recaptured by loyalist forces. And he insisted that the group is "sure of its victory" regardless of the challenges it is facing. "God is on our side and give us the strength to combat this armada of Crusader countries," he said. For months, IS has been targeted with air strikes from a coalition led by the United States and already suffered territorial setbacks in Syria and Iraq.
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Asking a guy to prom: do or don't? How about doing your own makeup? Wearing flats? Bella Thorne gives you her take with our rapid-fire questions, prom edition.
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New for 2015 The 2015 Mazda5 is no longer available with a manual transmission. Vehicle Summary The 2015 Mazda5 is a smaller-than-average size minivan with seating for up to six passengers. Its only engine is a 2.5-liter I-4 with 157 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy is average, at 21/28 mpg city/highway. Overview The 2015 Mazda5's driving dynamics are "the most car-like of all the minivan alternatives" with a well-tuned chassis based on the last generation Mazda3, giving the car sharp handling. Steering feel is also a strong point. Acceleration is decent considering the car's weight, with enough power for passing and merging maneuvers at highway speeds. Interior space in the 2015 Mazda5 is decent for passengers in the first and second rows; however, the third row is cramped and the center passage to get to them is on the narrow side. Cargo space, on the other hand, is generous, with up to 97.7 cubic feet of volume with the second and third rows folded. However, not many tech features are offered on the Mazda5, since the optional navigation system was discontinued after the 2012 model year refresh. On the other hand, Bluetooth and USB connection are standard while a rear seat entertainment system is a dealer-installed option. The NHTSA has not crash tested the 2015 Mazda5. In IIHS evaluations, a 2014 earned a good score in two categories, acceptable in head restraints and seats, marginal in side impact, and poor in the small overlap front test (good is the highest possible score). What We Think While the 2015 Mazda5 remains a viable choice, its aging powertrain and lack of tech features prevent it from being a competitive offering. In a 2012 First Test review , we said that the minivan has a usable interior with many storage cubbies and plenty of space for cargo when the second and third rows are folded. However, it isn't ideal for hauling adult passenger due to its cramped third row. Additionally, it doesn't have as many tech features as found in two-row crossovers or larger seven- and eight-passenger minivans such as a rearview camera, blind spot warning, and navigation. In a 2014 First Test review , we said that the minivan drives well despite being so tall, but the overly aggressive anti-lock braking system (ABS) intervenes in an abrupt manner, causing the car to become unsettled. You'll Like Good driving dynamics for a minivan Generous cargo space You Won't Like Dated powertrain and interior Cramped third row Not much tech features Key Competitors Ford C-Max Fiat 500L Honda CR-V Toyota RAV4 Dodge Grand Caravan Rating 2 star
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Celebrity before-and-after photos that show remarkably little change Sandra Bullock At Vanity Fair's 2004 Oscars party (left), when she was 40 years old, and 11 years later. Rob Lowe Like his character on "Parks and Recreation," Rob Lowe now 50 appears to have hit the genetic jackpot. These photos were taken 14 years apart. Demi Moore Demi Moore admitted to Letterman in 2008 that she indulges in leech therapy, a process said to detoxify the blood, to stay young. Here she is in 2000 (at left) and 14 years later. Keanu Reeves At left, a 34-year-old Reeves attends the premiere of "The Matrix" in 1999. At right, looking good 15 years later. Sarah Jessica Parker At left, the "Sex and the City" star in 2004, when she was 39. At right, a more recent photo of the actress, who celebrates her 50th birthday this month. Ellen DeGeneres At the 46th Emmy Awards in 1994 (left) and preparing to host the Oscars, two decades later. Brad Pitt At left, a 45-year-old Brad Pitt hits the red carpet in 2008. Six years it looks as though he hasn't aged a day. Michelle Pfeiffer Now 56, Michelle Pfeiffer attributes her ageless beauty to her vegan diet. The photo at left was taken 15 years ago. John Stamos The "Full House" star may be 51, but he still looks like the Uncle Jesse we knew in the '90s. Vanessa Williams The stunning singer-actress in 1997 (left) and in 2014. Michelle Obama At left, graduating from high school as salutatorian of her class in 1981. At right, the first lady at 51. Jodie Foster Flashing a peace sign at the 1989 Academy Awards. At right, Jodie Foster, now 52, attends the Golden Globe Awards.
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PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) -- Adrian Otaegui of Spain shot an 8-under 62 Friday to take a two-shot lead at the Tshwane Open in South Africa. Otaegui had a small chance to shoot the first 59 in European Tour history when he needed to pick up two shots on the last two holes. But he settled for par on No. 17 after just missing a chip-in for birdie, and then bogeyed his last hole, his only dropped shot of the day. The 22-year-old Otaegui still made nine birdies at the par-70 Pretoria Country Club, jumping 18 places up the leaderboard and moving to 11-under 129. South Africa's Merrick Bremner was second on 9 under after a 66. Overnight co-leader David Horsey dropped three shots off the lead in a tie for third on 8 under with Keith Horne, Edoardo Molinari and Trevor Fisher Jr. Fisher, who won the Africa Open last weekend, made four straight birdies from No. 6, but also had three bogeys in his 66. Former Ryder Cup winner Molinari was in position for his first victory on the tour in five years after a second straight 66, with four birdies and no bogeys. Morten Orum Madsen of Denmark, who shared the first-round lead with Horsey, dropped to a tie for 13th after a 72. European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke boosted his chances of a top-10 finish with a 67 to move to 2 under.
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It's official! A "Frozen" sequel is definitely happening. Disney announced "Frozen 2" is in the works. Variety reported the news . The 2013 movie has grossed over $1.2 billion at theaters, making it the highest-grossing animated picture of all time. "Frozen" writer and director Jennifer Lee immediately took to Twitter after the news was released. A short, "Frozen Fever" will debut in theaters exclusively in front of Disney's live-action "Cinderella" this weekend. NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'
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Debate over whether image is patriotic
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Several automakers have issued recalls, with Toyota issuing one for several of its models including the RAV4 EV and Camry. The new 2015 Genesis sedan has also been recalled for an issue with the light assembly, while Chevrolet has recalled newer Cruze models since they can potentially roll away. Honda voluntarily recalled a small amount of Accords and CR-Vs. 2012-2014 Toyota RAV4 EV; 2014-2015 Toyota RAV4; 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid The Problem: Components in the propulsion system in certain RAV4 EVs may cause the vehicle to shift to neutral due to a software issue. This could also trigger a "Check EV System" warning message on the instrument panel as well as the malfunction indicator lamp. If the vehicle shifts into neutral, there will be complete loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash. As for the other vehicles, a circuit board for the electric power steering may have been damaged during assembly and can result in the loss of power steering assist. Although drivers can still steer manually, the loss of power means increased steering effort at low speeds, also increasing the risk of a crash. The Fix: Owners will receive a letter from Toyota by first class mail. Dealers will pair the electric vehicle traction motor assembly on the RAV4 EVs, and inspect the steering column assembly on the other vehicles. If those vehicles are affected, dealers will replace the power steering electronic control unit. Number of Vehicles Potentially Affected: A total of 112,500 Toyota vehicles have been recalled, with 2500 of those being 2012-2014 RAV4 EVs. The other 110,000 cars are split among the 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Toyota RAV4s. 2015 Hyundai Genesis sedan The Problem: In certain 2015 Genesis sedans , water could leak into the rear light assembly and cause an incorrect gear display on the instrument panel or delay in the engagement of a selected gear. If the incorrect gear is displayed, the vehicle may move in an unintended direction, increasing the risk of a crash. The Fix: Dealers will apply pads on affected vehicles, which will help prevent water intrusion into the lamp housing. They will do this free of charge, and owners can call Hyundai at 1-855-671-3059 for more information. The recall number is 128. Number of Vehicles Potentially Affected: 24,400 2015 Genesis sedans manufactured between February 21, 2014 to January 24, 2015 are affected. 2015 Chevrolet Cruze The Problem: Certain 2015 Cruze sedans may be equipped with improperly fastened parking brake cable brackets. This could cause the parking brake bracket to separate, which means the brake won't be able to hold the vehicle in place, increasing the risk of a rollaway and a crash. The Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the left-rear and right-rear parking brake bracket bolts and tighten them if necessary. All this will be done free of charge to the owner. The recall is expected to begin this month. Number of Vehicles Potentially Affected: 1733 2015 Cruze vehicles manufactured between February 4, 2015 and February 9, 2015 are included in this recall. 2014-2015 Honda Accord; 2015 Honda CR-V The Problem: Honda has voluntarily recalled certain 2014- 2015 Honda Accords with the four-cylinder engine as well as 2015 Honda CR-V models. The automaker says that some of these models may have been equipped with improperly torqued bolts during engine assembly. If the connecting rod bolt comes loose, it could damage the engine and cause it to stall, which could potentially lead to a crash. Honda says no injuries or crashes have been related to the issue. The Fix: Mailed notifications will be sent later this month, but Honda can also be reached at (800) 999-1009. Owners can then take their vehicles to their dealer, which will replace the engine short block for free. Number of Vehicles Affected: A total of 137 2014-2015 four-cylinder Honda Accords and 2015 CR-Vs are affected by this recall. Source: NHTSA, Honda, Toyota
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autos
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PHILADELPHIA Young Arsenal midfielder Gedion Zelalem has been exciting American fans ever since he first surfaced as a possible option for the United States, but the giddiness over Gedion isn't limited to the team's supporters. Jurgen Klinsmann is a fan. And as much as he is fully aware that Zelalem is still just an 18-year-old who remains several steps away from seeing playing time at Arsenal, Klinsmann believes Zelalem has the talent to help the U.S. team. "(Zelalem) is a special case. He's a special player," Klinsmann told a small group of reporters Wednesday. "I think he's already at a level that he can definitely play on the senior team." The German-born Zelalem is currently eligible to play for Germany and Ethiopia, but he is not automatically eligible for the United States despite having spent his formative years, from ages 9 to 16 living in Maryland. Zelalem wants to play for the U.S. and is in the process of trying to gain eligibility. To do so, Zelalem must receive a special waiver from FIFA, a waiver he is in the process of trying to secure but one he has yet to receive. "The process is ongoing," U.S. Soccer spokesman Neil Buethe said Thursday of Zelalem's request for a waiver. "There is no update at this time." Complicating matters is Germany's growing interest in trying to convince Zelalem to play for the European powerhouse. There is a belief that Germany's desire to land Zelalem is putting pressure on FIFA to not just rubberstamping Zelalem's U.S. eligibility. If and when Zelalem does receive the FIFA waiver to play for the U.S., he will be eligible to play for the U.S. Under-20 national team, which will compete in the Under-20 World Cup this summer, and the Under-23 national team, which will attempt to qualify for the Olympics in the fall. Before he joins those teams, Klinsmann is hoping to see Zelalem with the senior team as soon as possible, preferably before he takes part in youth national team duty. "Definitely I would like to see him with me first," Klinsmann said. "I want to kind of see how he interacts with the whole group and what level he's in, and then for the next dates then totally open then to have him play with the U-23s or with (U.S. Under-20 coach Tab Ramos)." It remains unclear just how long Zelalem's appeal process to FIFA will take, but what is clear is that if FIFA does approve Zelalem's eligibility for the U.S., Klinsmann will be ready to welcome him with open arms.
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If at first you don't succeed, obsessively analyze your failure, sell the results online for three dollars, and then try, try again. That appears to be the life guide of Paul Chabot, who, within days of losing his 2014 House election to now-Rep. Pete Aguilar, began a meticulous campaign postmortem. The California Republican's political autopsy eventually grew so exhaustive that it became a published e-book on what went wrong. The 40-page report is a free download on Chabot's website and, as of Wednesday, can be found on sale online for $2.99. At that price, it's clear Chabot isn't in it for the money. He had his staff compile the report he said it took them about a week because he's running again, and he hopes to learn from his mistakes. At a time when most House challengers have yet to declare their intentions, Chabot already is in full swing: He announced in mid-February and is courting party officials in the hopes of getting more help this time around. For a losing candidate to attempt to sell a guide to victory is idiosyncratic, as is the refusal to take time off after an intense campaign and painful loss, but both actions reflect an approach that has carried Chabot from the early, dark days of his life. Chabot says he entered a rehab center at only 12 years old, a bid to recover from an alcohol and marijuana addiction that began after his parents divorced and his family lost their house. It worked: He completed his treatment and redirected his focus, and by the end of high school, he says, he was prom king, class president, and a youth cadet in a sheriff explorer program. "I think my resiliency characteristic came from then. I never relapsed." Chabot, now 40, solidified his grit in the military, serving in the Iraq War as a reserve military intelligence officer for the Office of Naval Intelligence and Defense Intelligence Agency. When he returned in 2008, he wrote his own analysis of how to combat terrorism; a move not dissimilar to his post-loss autopsy. Chabot says he's fascinated by stories of resilience "how people in organizations survive in difficult, turbulent times without failure," he explains and he has penned several books on the subject. So how does Chabot explain his 2014 loss? Chabot claims he could have won if the National Republican Congressional Committee invested in his race. Without the support from its "Young Gun" program that elevates swing district candidates, he said donors followed suit and focused on other key races. Chabot raised nearly $470,000 compared to Aguilar's $2.2 million. (Aguilar's office declined to comment on Chabot's analysis or the 2016 rematch.) Yet Chabot says he's not above reproach for his campaign: He admitted that he relied too heavily on the expectation of NRCC funding and now must exercise his own fundraising muscle before he gets support and a coveted spot in the program from the national party and other donors. He's making daily calls to potential donors and strengthening his name recognition among voters, and he has already met with George Nassar, the NRCC's new west regional director. Chabot's loss was stinging: He placed first in California's non-partisan, top-two open primary with a 10-point lead, while Aguilar endured a grueling intra-Democratic competition with three other Democrats and barely snuck into the general. But then, Aguilar's campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee churned out a slew of negative attack ads against Chabot and embarked on a fundraising spree. The wide margin Chabot established in the primary fizzled out weeks before the election he says he lacked the funding to get his message out and he lost by less than 3 percentage points. This time around, Chabot may have a head start, but he'll also face new challenges: The next time he's on the ballot, he'll share it with presidential candidates. And in recent cycles, presidential elections have meant much higher turnout among Latinos , a key part of Aguilar's coalition.
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news
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pic.twitter.com/XL12skIPK4 Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) March 13, 2015 Kathy Griffin has followed in Kelly Osbourne's footsteps by leaving E!'s Fashion Police. The comedian completed only seven episodes, but cited a difference in style and creative direction from the show in a lengthy paragraph pictured in a tweet. She hinted that the decision to quit harkened back to the Zendaya Coleman debacle , in which fellow host Giuliana Rancic made racially insensitive comments about the actress. After explaining that she's a comedian who doesn't fear an offensive joke, Griffin writes, "But I do not want to use my comedy to contribute to a culture of unattainable perfectionism and intolerance toward difference."
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lifestyle
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We've all been there...
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video
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This British artist creates huge concrete sculptures that are arranged to form huge underwater installations. The aim is to help revitalize coral reefs. We caught up with the artist in the Canary Isles.
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video
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DeMarco Murray to the Eagles is a done deal. The two sides finalized a five-year contract reportedly worth $42 million for the free agent running back Thursday evening. "I'm excited to be here," Murray said Thursday night during a televised press conference. "Dallas will have a special place in my heart. I will always miss those guys. It's a great organization in Dallas." MORE: Murray a perfect fit | Cowboys fans already burning his jersey | Free agency updates So why did he leave? "It's a great opportunity for me to win the Super Bowl," Murray said to an applause at the Eagles facility. "It's not easy and there's a lot of work that needs to be done." Eagles coach Chip Kelly said Murray was "offered more money at other places," but was ecstatic that Murray decided to come to Philadelphia. "We thought he'd be out of our price range," Kelly said Thursday. Murray was the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year last season after rushing for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns. He holds no ill will toward the Cowboys, but said it was "time to move on." "You always hope to remain with the same team, but there are business decisions," Murray said. "Four years being there and the relationships you make, they become your family. It was a brotherhood there and those guys will never be forgotten." The Eagles swapped quarterbacks with the Rams on Tuesday, trading Nick Foles for Sam Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner and top pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Bradford was also a teammate of Murray at Oklahoma. Kelly gave Bradford some of the credit for luring Murray to Philadelphia. "Sam is a great friend of mine, like a brother to me," Murray said of his college roommate. "It was a huge influence once I heard he was being traded here. He texted me immediately and said, 'Let's go win it.'" Kelly did not speak to Murray until Wednesday, but said he had three running backs targeted after the teams traded LeSean McCoy to Buffalo. The Eagles went after free agents Frank Gore, Ryan Mathews and Murray and signed two of them. Gore had initially agreed on terms with the Eagles, but changed his mind and signed with the Colts. Mathews agreed to a three-year deal on Wednesday and finalized that contract on Thursday with Murray in the building. Also on the Eagles roster is Darren Sproles, whom Kelly referred to as a "Swiss Army knife." Kelly denied the thought that McCoy wasn't the right type of back to fit his offensive system. "I've had all different types of backs and had great success," said Kelly, who coached at the University of Oregon from 2007-2012 before taking over as the Eagles coach. "You lose a special player like that, you'd better get some really good football players to replace him. "You've got to run the football in this league. That's what I've always believed." Murray said his decision wasn't based on money and he confirmed Kelly's statement that Murray had received more lucrative offers. "I'm excited to work with these guys," Murray said. "It's going to be a bright future." Cowboys owner Jerry Jones issued a statement Thursday night thanking Murray for "his contributions to the Dallas Cowboys" and said that, without a salary cap, Murray would still be a member of the Cowboys. "He is a quality person, a very good football player, and a player that we wanted to keep," Jones wrote. "This came down to an allocation of dollars within the management of the salary cap. Obviously there is emotion involved in these decisions, but it is critical that there be must be discipline involved as well. If it were a question of having an open checkbook with no salary cap constraints, we all know things would have worked out differently. "We have recently made significant commitments to top players who are currently on the team, specifically at key positions such as quarterback, left tackle and wide receiver, and we were comfortable with the offer that we made to DeMarco to include him in that structure. These are difficult decisions that are part of the NFL. They are decisions that take into account the entire team, the current economic structure of the team, and the financial concerns for the short- and long-term future of the team. "At the end of the day, this is about finding the best way to collectively fit all of the individual pieces together, in terms of talent, offensive players, defensive players and dollars under the salary cap structure that gives you the best chance to have a championship team."
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After a decade of hosting "Mad Money," Jim Cramer received a phone call that perhaps shocked him more than any other. Cramer was left with a deer in the headlights look, whenApple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook called to wish Cramer a happy 10th anniversary. Of course, Cramer immediately took the opportunity to question Cook on the possible positive downstream effects of the new Apple Watch. The "Mad Money" host elaborated by saying that Apple is not only just about fun technology gadgets, it is also the health company and credit card company of the future. Those are the two areas of growth that Cramer sees Apple gaining the most strength in currently. Cook said that the watch's impact on health has been so strong that within the first 24 hours of announcing the research kit some 11,000 people signed up for a study in cardiovascular disease through Stanford University. Cook said it would typically have taken 50 medical centers an entire year to sign up that many people. "Research kit is an absolute gamechanger," Cook said. Cramer has always advised investors that when it comes to Apple you should own it, not trade it. The "Mad Money" host asked Cook if he agrees with this mantra. "For people that have owned the stock for 10 years, our stock price 10 years ago when you started 'Mad Money' was less than $6 on a split adjusted bases. So you can bet those people are extremely happy right now," Cook responded. While Jim Cramer was celebrating a decade of "Mad Money" on Thursday, he could not forget the central mission of the show. He knows that it is still his responsibility to explain to investors what happened in the stock market so they can produce a profit. Cramer can clearly see that the rally of the dollar has gripped the worldwide economy and wreaked havoc overseas. He is especially worried about Latin America, in particular the Brazilian company Petrobras (PETR'-BR) , which at one time had a $350 billion market capitalization. Today, it is only worth $34 billion. "I mention this seemingly far away situation because it's my job not just to bring you ideas, but to put them in context, explain them thematically, tell you if they can hurt your pocketbook or your portfolio," said the "Mad Money" host. Cramer saw that almost every large move in the market on Thursday was connected to currency. Almost all of the global stress was connected to the fact that after a long freefall, the euro finally gained a bit of strength against the dollar. That sent buyers flooding back into the U.S. stock market. "This was a day of good sailing in a sea of worldwide uncertainty. Recognize the positives, but don't get complacent," Cramer said. And just like Cramer has done for the past 10 years, he will be there to help investors figure out the next plan of action and navigate through the rough seas. Stay the course, and Cramer will be with you all the way. In his years on the show, Cramer has honed his ability to spot cycles. He can smell a cycle from far away and knows when it will transcend into a multiyear money-making machine. Right now, Cramer sees that we are right in the middle of an aerospace cycle. Airlines are rolling in cash, thanks to the major decline in the cost of oil. This is exactly why Cramer is convinced that Boeing will crush the competition and head higher. He sat down with Boeing (BA) CEO Jim McNerney to find out how taking a long-term perspective in planning has paid off for the company. "You've got to have a 20-year perspective on the market...The people that we compete with who don't take that long view; they don't satisfy customers as well. You've got a 25-year relationship with the customer after you sell them stuff," McNerney said. Cramer also took the time to remind investors on this anniversary, while it is good to have skepticism in investing, sometimes you need to pinch yourself and keep going when the company is a best of breed stock. He applies that advice to Chipotle (CMG) , which may seem as though it has run up too much, making you feel like you've missed the boat. However, Cramer still thinks it has a lot of life in it. Chipotle has revolutionized the food industry by selling delicious and locally sourced food. The concept of integrity in food has helped the company to massively rally since it went public nine years ago. To find out more on what Chipotle could have in store for the future, Cramer spoke with director and co-CEO Monty Moran. Moran attributed the success of Chipotle to various factors including the use of the best tasting ingredients, an eye for sustainability and team members that believe in the mission of the company. "That combination produces a really great dining experience and is something that is really genuine and resonates with our customers," Moran said. In the Lightning Round, Cramer gave his take on a few caller favorite stocks, just as he has done for the last 10 years: Novavax (NVAX) : "You're right to be concerned, and this is not the kind of market for Novavax. If you want to go spec, you do Regeneron (REGN) . You would have to buy one share versus 100, but that's what I would go for." Lam Research (LRCX) : "It's really good! You have to be careful because there's a good chance someone will downgrade it tomorrow because of the Intel, but I like Lam."
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finance
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Panthers shoot down Jets to keep pace with Bruins. The Florida Panthers kept the bear hunt alive with a big 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets at the BB&T Center. The victory allowed the Cats to finish off the season-high, seven-game homestand with a 4-2-1 record. Florida actually got off to good start in this one before going into hibernation mode for about ten minutes. The Jets carried the play, but didn't test starter Dan Ellis too often. The Cats woke back up to bag the game's first goal at 16:28 and it was a dandy. Dave Bolland fed a streaking Derek MacKenzie , who laid out and deflected the puck off Michael Hutchinson 's shoulder and into the net. Shawn Thornton picked up the second assist on MacKenzie's fifth of the season. The Panthers buzzed Hutchinson the rest of the way to finish with an 8-6 advantage in shots. The first half of the second period was pretty uneventful. The Panthers killed off a Jets power play before getting one of their own, thanks to a cross-checking minor on Toby Enstrom . The Cats failed to muster a shot on goal and paid for it ten seconds after the penalty expired when Mark Scheifele sniped one past Ellis. Blake Wheeler and Adam Pardy collected the helpers on the young forward's eleventh goal. The Cats responded to the Winnipeg score, pressuring Hutchinson and drawing a second man-advantage chance. This time the power play clicked with Brad Boyes knocking the puck into a yawning net from in close, with the assists going to Jonathan Huberdeau and Jaromir "Moves Like" Jagr at 17:07. Enstrom returned to the sin bin late in the frame, but the Cats couldn't convert before the buzzer sounded. The Jets killed off the remaining 49 seconds of Enstrom's penalty to start the final frame. The Cats had some good chances early, but Hutchinson came up big, and got some help when Nick Bjugstad missed an empty-net, to keep it a one-goal game. Winnipeg tied the tilt at the 6:13 mark when Drew Stafford gathered a bouncing puck and put it off the post and by a helpless Ellis, Michael Frolik and Jiri Tlusty recorded the helpers on the even-strength marker.The Cats penalty-kill came up big, negating an unsportsmanlike conduct call midway through the stanza. The game-winner came with 3:53 remaining in regulation, when Huberdeau and Jagr combined to set up Aleksander Barkov for a pretty wrist shot. The assist was Huberdeau's 100th career point. Bjugstad completed the scoring with a shot into an empty Jets cage after a Jussi Jokinen steal. Ellis finished with 18 stops to pick up his second win in a row, while Winnipeg goaler Hutchinson turned aside 16 of the 19 shots he faced. Let go of your feelings in the comment section and join us tomorrow for the A.M. Recap. Good night from the BB&T!
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sports
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Masahiro Tanaka threw two scoreless innings and retired all six batters he faced as the Yankees held off the Braves 3-2 in Thursday's Spring Training action.
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sports
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MIAMI (AP) Former Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron signed a two-year contract Thursday with the Miami Dolphins, giving them a possible replacement for Charles Clay. The Dolphins gave Clay a transition tag last week, but he has since been courted by the Buffalo Bills. Cameron missed five games last year with the Cleveland Browns because of a concussion, his third in three seasons. He made the Pro Bowl in 2013, when he had 80 catches for 917 yards and seven touchdowns. Cleveland made an offer to Cameron, who expressed his desire to stay with the team at the end of last season. But he reached a deal with the Dolphins after visiting them Thursday. Cameron had 130 career catches in four seasons with the Browns, who selected the former college basketball player in the fourth round in 2011. ''He is a young, proven Pro Bowl performer with playmaking ability,'' Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey said in a statement. Clay, a four-year starter for Miami, had 58 catches last season for 605 yards and three scores but was slowed by a knee injury. Cornerback T.J. Heath, who played in two games late last season with Miami, signed a $585,000, one-year deal. --- AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL
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