text
stringlengths 5
144k
| label
int64 0
9
| id
int64 0
100k
| label_text
stringclasses 10
values |
|---|---|---|---|
Florida State QB Jameis Winston is headed to the NFL after two seasons leading the Seminoles. Campus Insiders' Doug Chapman and Pete Fiutak discuss where the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner fits at the next level. | 1 | 2,000 | sports |
The best-selling luxury crossover in the U.S. is due for a major redesign soon in the form of a lighter, sleeker body. Our spy photographers captured the very first images of the 2016 Lexus RX out testing in Europe and discovered a number of significant updates. It appears the RX has grown in size to differentiate itself from the compact NX . Although its dimensions are larger, the RX should lose weight thanks to the use of aluminum in the hood, doors, and tailgate. Perhaps this modification could also boost the RX's current fuel economy rating of 18/25 mpg city/highway. The RX of today is available with a standard 270-hp 3.5-liter V-6, but details of the next-gen model's powertrain options remain scarce. Look at the front of the vehicle and you'll notice an edgier grille with more vertical slats, comparable to the NX. As in the outgoing RX , look for a bold spoiler and dramatic character lines that run across the side of the vehicle. Under the hood, we expect the RX will continue to offer six-cylinder and hybrid powertrain options. To compete with the likes of the Acura MDX , the new Lexus may also feature a seven-passenger configuration as an alternative to the standard five-seat model. Hopefully it will borrow the NX's revised Remote Touch interface that has a more responsive touchpad instead of the outdated mouse on the current RX. Photo source: Chris Doane Automotive | 9 | 2,001 | autos |
After struggling this past season, Colin Kaepernick has hired two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner to help train and teach him. Is this a good move for Kaepernick? | 1 | 2,002 | sports |
The Grinch stole the Kremlin this year, as Vladimir Putin cancelled Russia's traditional Christmas-New Year vacation for his entire cabinet. Plunging oil prices combined with a collapsing ruble have sent Russia's economy skidding, and Putin wanted solutions from his crack policy team. None was forthcoming. The New Year started with another sizeable sell-off in the ruble, sending panicky Muscovites into the stores trying to exchange their sinking currency for refrigerators and other hard goods. Emergency measures supporting the ruble -- jacking up interest rates and draining foreign currency reserves and clobbered Russia's finances. Reserves are now below $400 billion for the first time since 2009. Moreover, the economy is expected to shrink by as much as 5 percent this year. At the peak of the financial crisis, everyone was in trouble. Today, Russia is the outlier. Related: Putin Threatens to Move Nukes Into Crimea as Ruble Tumbles Though the Saudis could intervene and stabilize oil prices (and Russia's revenue) in a heartbeat, confidence in the Russian economy has been shattered , and rightly so. Putin has for years touted his country's strength in oil and gas, instead of pushing economic reform and diversification. At the same time, he has flagrantly abused the rule of law, deposing corporate leaders and taking over companies at will, trampling what passes in Moscow for investor rights. The country is profoundly corrupt ; it ranks 136 th of 174 nations in Transparency International's 2014 survey -- below Nigeria, Mozambique and Pakistan. The country is in shambles. Unfortunately, a weakened Russia may be more threatening than ever. Instead of caroling, on December 25 Putin released a new military doctrine the first since 2010. The new policy identifies NATO and U.S. activities as major foreign threats, and warns of internal efforts to destabilize the country. Aggression towards the West is Putin's lifeline. His efforts to blame higher mortgage costs and rampant inflation on the United States and NATO distract Russians from the truth. In a country where information is tightly controlled, he is able to sell a fairy tale of victimhood to a people enamored of his machismo and deeply suspicious of the West. Backing up his bellicosity, Putin has sent submarines, possibly equipped with nuclear warheads, to stir up mischief and shatter nerves in Europe and across the Atlantic. Recent dodges and feints from Russian military aircraft and continued skirmishes in Ukraine keep everyone on edge. The U.S. recently complained about Russia's newly-developed cruise missile, and threatened retaliation. According to The Guardian , the U.S. military sent the first of two experimental blimps into the skies over Washington the day after Christmas, designed to detect incoming missiles. You know Putin's misbehavior is deteriorating when the U.S. calls him out on possible infractions of nuclear arms treaties infractions that we normally ignore in hopes that he will stay within the dotted lines. Related: Vladimir Putin's Three Biggest Headaches What is the best resolution here for the United States? Is a humbled Russia a more compliant Russia? Doubtful. It is unimaginable that Putin will fess up to his multifold failings his missteps with the economy and his alienating foreign policy and seek rapprochement with the West. That is not in his DNA, and would surely sap his personal popularity. Though there are whispers of regime change, any coup would doubtless be squashed by the crafty ex-KGB leader. Putin will need a graceful climb-down, and that will in turn require a bottoming of oil prices (we may be close) and a diplomatic initiative that could ultimately lead to rebuilding relations with the West. The key could be Syria. The humanitarian crisis in Syria is appalling and costly. Millions of refugees are flooding Europe and Jordan, burdening economies and infrastructure. More than 200,000 people have died, the economy has shrunk by 40 percent, unemployment is above 50 percent and the rape and slaughter continue. The world watches with horror but has failed to act. Assad's regime is increasingly isolated ; Putin is one of the few world leaders continuing to support Syria's embattled president. As Syria's major weapons supplier, Putin has clout. He can play a role in bringing Assad to the table a role he embraced in 2013 when he brokered a deal to remove Syria's chemical weapons . Though the resulting investigation into Assad's chemical weapons trove has been riddled with obfuscation and cheating, much like the supposed nuclear back-down in Iran, the U.N.-managed effort allowed the U.S. recovery from its humiliating stumble over Obama's "red line." Today, it is Putin who needs cover. Were Putin to offer up that meaningful mediation in the Syria conflict, the West could reward his involvement by relaxing the sanctions. Russia's economy could start to heal, and Europe's prospects would brighten. Related: Putin's New Storyline Oil Shock Has a Silver Lining In 2013, The New York Times published an op-ed by Putin in which he claimed, "From the outset, Russia has advocated peaceful dialogue enabling Syrians to develop a compromise plan for their own future. We are not protecting the Syrian government, but international law." Putin's affection for international law is questionable, but he has clearly put his country forward as willing to broker peace talks. The Obama administration should call him out on this offer. The rise of ISIS complicates matters, no doubt. But, the effort could begin to rebuild bridges to Russia, defusing dangerous tensions. Though Americans might enjoy this rare period where it appears that tough measures from the U.S. have battered our old foe, we would be giving up little, in return for an important assist in the Middle East. The U.S. will go back to 3 percent growth, watching the NFL, and badgering our elected officials. Russians will go back to a corrupt society, uncertain prospects and a leader who takes them backwards. Make no mistake -- we still win this round. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: These Five Issues Will Impact Oil Prices in 2015 Why the Dollar's Big Rebound Is a Mixed Blessing Fallout from Obama's Russia Strategy Is Spreading through Europe | 3 | 2,003 | finance |
Seymon Varlamov stops 54 shots as the Colorado Avalanche shut out the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0. The Avs scored their 2 goals in the first 1:17. | 1 | 2,004 | sports |
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 on Tuesday to end Montreal's 6-game winning streak. Tyler Johnson scored 2 goals to lift the Lightning to a win. | 1 | 2,005 | sports |
The price of Brent Crude has fallen below $50 a barrell for the first time since May 2009 due to slowing global growth and increased supply. Ciara Lee looks at the impact of the drop. | 3 | 2,006 | finance |
The Baseball Hall of Fame announced it's Class of 2015 on Tuesday, but Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds were left out. Will either of these guys ever make it in? | 1 | 2,007 | sports |
An opponent Ohio State and Oregon have in common is Michigan State. We take a look at which of these CFP National Championship teams played better against Sparty. | 1 | 2,008 | sports |
The Green Bay Packers will host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in the divisional round of the playoffs. We look at the ridiculous stats of Aaron Rodgers when he plays at Lambeau Field. | 1 | 2,009 | sports |
I recently found this video I took of Pudge when she was less than a year old laying on her back and playing with my finger as I sat next to her. | 8 | 2,010 | video |
Mike Piazza was left out of the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday as he only received 69.9% of the votes. Did Piazza get snubbed? | 1 | 2,011 | sports |
The Texas Rangers had their worst record since 1985 last season, so how are they making up for that? We look at the moves the Rangers have made this offseaon. Can they turn it around in 2015? | 1 | 2,012 | sports |
Don't think you can afford the hottest tech products? Check out these cheaper alternatives to gadgets such as the Oculus Rift and GoPro Hero4. STANDOUT GADGETS Consumers have more choices than ever when it comes to gadgets, including a range of options in categories that didn't even exist a few years ago. In 2014 we saw the ascension of 3D printers, smartwatches, drones, and action cameras. Cheapism.com took 10 of the most innovative products on the market and found less costly but highly rated versions of each. VIRTUAL REALITY KIT The Oculus Rift, a $350 virtual reality headset, has been met with considerable hype. Not to be outdone, Samsung has produced a VR headset as well ($200) and Sony is working on one codenamed Morpheus. Google's Cardboard (yes, it's literally made out of cardboard) is a much cheaper way to experience virtual reality. The kits cost $15 to $50 and work with select smartphones and a growing number of apps. 3D PRINTER Just a few years ago, it was hard to imagine that a reasonably priced 3D printer would be available for the masses, or even to imagine a 3D printer at all. Today, there are several low-priced options to choose from. The $800 Da Vinci 1.0 AiO from XYZPrinting comes preassembled and calibrated. You can hop on the website Thingiverse, download a digital model, and get printing right away. ACTION CAMERA A New York Times reviewer prefers a basic action camera, such as the $100 Polaroid Cube, over a $400 GoPro. GoPro's recent lineup also includes a base model, the Hero ($130), which stands out as a high-quality, low-cost video camera. Although the Hero's battery life doesn't quite stand up to competitors such as the Cube or HTC Re ($200), the camera can take a beating and keep going. The many available attachments help tailor it to any situation. STYLISH SMARTWATCH Some of the latest smartwatches aim to add style and affordability to what could otherwise be a geeky, niche item. Among them are the Asus ZenWatch ($200), Pebble Steel ($180), Motorola Moto 360 ($250), and just-announced Withings Activite Pop ($150, coming soon). Which is best? They've all received enthusiastic reviews or previews thus far, so it may come down to which style and price fits you best. DESKTOP MICROPHONE Did the hit podcast "Serial" ignite your interest in starting a podcast of your own? First things first: You need a professional mic to capture your story. Beginners don't need to go overboard and spend hundreds, though. The Blue Microphones lineup includes inexpensive mics such as Snowball ($60) and Nessie ($63). Almost all of the company's products garner positive reviews. PET ACTIVITY MONITOR A high-tech collar can track your pet's location and behavior, providing an easy way to find a lost pet or just see what your dog is up to while you're out for the day. Tagg ($120) and Voyce ($299 plus $15 per month, available soon) are two much-talked-about options, but Whistle is similar and costs less ($99). Like activity monitors for people, this device sends data to an app where users can set goals for their dogs and see summaries of their daily activity. QUADCOPTER One of 2014's biggest (and perhaps most dangerous) tech gifts was a quadcopter, aka a drone. DIY kits and ready-made models cost anywhere from $20 to more than $1,000. Gizmodo identified a sweet spot of about $35 to $90 for beginners, with specifics depending on the experience and needs of the operator. STREAMING MEDIA PLAYER Many consumers advocate cutting the cord and switching from a cable or satellite subscription to a streaming media player. Even after buying a set-top box and subscribing to Netflix and/or Hulu, the savings are immense. Amazon, Google, and Roku have also come out with smaller streaming sticks that offer most of the capabilities of a full-fledged player for $50 or less. They're all recommended by many experts, but the Roku Streaming Stick ($49) generally wins out because of its content options and user-friendly interface. PORTABLE SOUND BAR Although audiophiles may look down on anything but the ultimate sound system, the TDK Life on Record Trek Max A34 wireless speaker ($130) is a far cry from a smartphone dock. The speaker is reasonably sized, with good sound, and water-resistant for poolside listening. It syncs to mobile devices using Bluetooth or NFC, and USB ports allow for easy charging. LED LIGHT BULBS LED light bulbs save money on electricity by using a lower wattage to generate the same amount of light as an incandescent or compact fluorescent light bulb. Although each LED bulb can be relatively expensive initially, buyers can break even in about a year and half -- leaving another 20 years or so of money- and energy-saving usage. The latest LED bulbs are dimmable and many cost $20 or more, but Osram's 60-watt equivalent (it draws only 8.5 watts) costs $10. | 4 | 2,013 | lifestyle |
Nothing solidifies Winter like a great coat - and even though some cities are refusing to cool off this year (ahem, Los Angeles), we're not letting that get in the way of our cold-weather outerwear. We headed over to Nordstrom at The Grove to show you the three coat styles you need in your arsenal right now. Shop the looks below! On Allison: DVF top, Tibi shorts; look 1: Trina Turk coat, Theory sweater and pants, Saint Laurent loafers, Loeffler Randall bag; look 2: Burberry vest, Tibi top, Rag and Bone pants, Charlotte Olympica flats, Stella McCartney bag; look 3: Veda jacket, Tamara Mellon top, T by Alexander Wang skirt, Vince shoes, Loeffler Randall bag | 8 | 2,014 | video |
CNBC's Jim Cramer weighs in on oil's supply and demand issue, and its impact on the broader market. | 3 | 2,015 | finance |
The most important, bizarre, interesting and entertaining stats you need to know about the 2015 College Football National Championship game: 1939: First NCAA basketball tournament Why is the first-ever NCAA basketball tournament relevant to the first-ever college football tournament? Because they both featured the same two teams. Oregon and Ohio State met in the 1939 NCAA Tournament final in the first-ever NCAA tourney. The Ducks topped the Bucks 46-33 for the championship in the 16-team, two-region tourney. 11,654: Difference in Marcus Mariota's and Cardale Jones' career yards Cardale Jones has started two games in two seasons at Ohio State. He has 1,007 total yards of offense in his entire career 876 this season and 131 in 2013. That's only 11,654 yards behind Marcus Mariota's career total of 12,661 yards. Jones has 621 career passing yards and 386 career rushing yards with seven total touchdowns. Mariota has 10,463 yards passing, 2,198 yards rushing and 132 total touchdowns. 460.34: Cardale Jones' QB rating on third-and-long Jones was spectacular on third down against Alabama. More specifically, he has been excellent on third and long for Ohio State. On third and six yards or less, Jones hasn't completed a pass all season (0-for-5) but on third and seven yards or more, Jones has a passer rating of 460.34. He's 7-for-10 with 186 yards and two touchdowns without an INT. 7.2: Ohio State's average recruiting ranking the last five years Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes have been building their roster with an SEC blueprint. With an average national class ranking of 7.2, Ohio State has the fourth-best roster in the nation in 2014 (tied with LSU) behind only Alabama, Florida State and Florida. Meyer has signed three consecutive top-five classes since arriving following the 2011 season, giving OSU the "combine" advantage over Oregon. 15.6: Oregon's average recruiting ranking the last five years The Ducks' average recruiting ranking over the last five seasons is 15.6 nationally. That is good for 14th. Oregon falls behind the five listed above and (in order) USC, Texas, Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Michigan and Tennessee. Oregon hasn't had a class ranked better than 12th in the last five cycles and Mark Helfrich has landed the No. 21 (2014) and No. 19 (2013) classes respectively. 92.2 Oregon, Ohio State combined points per game Offense shouldn't be an issue for either team in the season's final game. Oregon is second in the nation in scoring at 47.2 points per game while Ohio State is fifth in the nation at 45.0. No team in the nation scored more touchdowns this year than these two teams. Oregon leads the country with 88 touchdowns and OSU is tied for second (Marshall) with 84 touchdowns. 56,435,000: Viewers for the Playoff semifinals According to ESPN, the two College Football Playoff semifinals drew the two largest cable audiences in history. The Rose Bowl set a cable record with 28,164,000 viewers, based on a 14.8 rating. That record was broken later that night by the Sugar Bowl with 28,271,000 million viewers, based on a 15.2 rating. 21.7: Highest-rated BCS title game It should come as no surprise that Texas-USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl ending the '05 season was the highest-rated BCS title game. In fact, it wasn't really close. No other game ever reached an 18 rating. Six different title games landed a 17 rating: Oklahoma-Florida State (17.8), Florida State-Virginia Tech (17.5), Florida-Ohio State (17.4), Alabama-Texas (17.2), Ohio State-Miami (17.2) and Tennessee-Florida State (17.2). 119th: Oregon's national ranking in penalties One area of weakness for the Ducks has been their discipline on the field. Oregon ranks 119th nationally in both penalties per game (8.1) and penalty yards per game (72.8). The Buckeyes aren't elite in this category but are significantly better than the Ducks, ranking 47th in penalty yards per game (48.6) and penalties per game (5.6). Nov. 23, 2013: Last time Oregon lost the turnover battle Turnovers are the name of the game in football and few teams take care of the football and create turnovers better than the Ducks. Oregon was the only team in the nation that never lost the turnover battle this season. In fact, the last time the Ducks had a negative in the TO column was Nov. 23, 2013 when it lost to Arizona in the desert (-3). Oregon leads the nation with just 10 giveaways and is 10th nationally with 30 takeaways. Both the Ducks and Bucks forced seven turnovers in their last two games and both are +5 in their last two. 4.76: Ohio State's yards per play allowed against Power 5 teams The Buckeyes were 18th nationally this year with a tidy 4.86 yards per play allowed. But against Power 5 teams, Ohio State was even better at 4.76 yards per play good for seventh nationally. The Ducks allowed 5.44 yards per play against Power 5 teams (40th) but have tightened up of late, giving up just 4.49 yards per play in their last four games. Six: Times Urban Meyer has been an underdog at Ohio State Oregon is favored by a touchdown over Ohio State. It marks just the sixth time since arriving in Columbus that Urban Meyer has been an underdog, including the past three games. What happened in all five previous games? Ohio State has won outright every time, beating Michigan State (-2) and Wisconsin (-1) in 2012 and Michigan State (-3.5), Wisconsin (-4) and Alabama (-7.5) this season. Six also is the number of Top 15 teams Oregon will have played after facing OSU. 192.3: Rushing yards OSU gained over Alabama's average allowed The Crimson Tide entered last week's Playoff game leading the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 88.7 yards per game on the ground. Behind Jones and Ezekiel Elliott, the Buckeyes rushed for 281 yards or 192.3 more yards than Alabama normally allows. For what it's worth, the Ducks are 51st in the nation in rush defense at 156.1 yards allowed per game. | 1 | 2,016 | sports |
CNBC's Kelli Grant discusses how to cut spending and save extra cash. | 8 | 2,017 | video |
Jon Steinberg, Daily Mail North America CEO, provides his outlook for Apple Watch and how the new device will stack up against competition. CNBC's Jon Fortt provides insight. | 3 | 2,018 | finance |
The "Squawk on the Street" news team discusses the sales rise for JC Penney over the holiday shopping season. | 3 | 2,019 | finance |
Use these appliance maintenance tips to lengthen the lives of your refrigerator, washer and more. Stay Out of the Store! With most major home appliances costing hundreds to thousands, it pays to get as many years of use from them as you can. Even though each products exact lifespan depends on the model, a little TLC goes a long way. From how often to clean them to which parts to keep tabs on, following the manufacturers care manual and referring to the tips that follow will save you big. Refrigerators and Freezers According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), refrigerators can last up to 13 years, while freezers have a lifespan of 11 to 12. To get the most out of your fridge, Rick Muscoplat of The Family Handyman Magazine advises dusting off the compressor coilsusually in the back or bottomevery six months. Skip doing this, and the coils wont effectively remove heat from inside, which causes the appliances compressor to run longer and hotterand fail faster. Another part to pay attention to: the doors rubber gaskets, which keep in the cold on both refrigerators and freezers. Keep them sealed tightly by regularly scrubbing off food and debris with soap and warm water, suggests Mariska Krause of Abt Electronics and Appliances. Then, dry them off with a towel or sponge. One last tip: Dont overfill your fridge or freezer. That blocks airflow and makes it tougher to cool newer additionsand overworks the appliance. Microwaves The speedy cooking tool can last about 10 years, but to get the most meals out of yours, clean it often and well, Muscoplat advises. Particles left for too long can turn into carbon, resulting in appliance-damaging electrical sparking, says Eric Kleinert, author of Troubleshooting and Repairing Major Appliances. The best way to clean: Heat up a microwave-safe glass of water until the liquid boils. The steam will loosen any stuck-on gunk inside. Then, you can easily remove it all with dishwashing soap and water. Electric Stoves Cleaning is also the secret to getting your electric range stove to keep heating for 13 years or longer. Too much buildup and the appliance overworks itself, shortening its life, says Muscoplat. For glass-top models, use a glass cleaner at least twice a week. For models with burners, clean all removable parts and the area around the igniter with warm water and mild detergent to avoid a fire hazard and subpar heating. Gas Stoves Although these tend to outlast electric stoves by two years, cleaning them is equally crucial. Wipe up debris and spills from the burners often being careful not to touch the igniter to avoid the ports getting clogged, which takes a toll on the stove's efficiency. Use soapy water to clean the grills to keep them heating up as they should. Air Conditioners Despite their intense use in the hot summer months, air conditioners can keep cooling for 10 to 15 years. To get yours to stand the test of time (and temperatures), clean the filters every 225 to 360 hours of operation (or every nine to 15 straight days of use; more often for pet owners and allergy sufferers), says Kleinert. Just rinse the filters in the sink with a damp cloth and soap, explains Krause. Use a blow dryer once a week to shoot dust out of the vents. Dishwashers You'll get about nine years out of this appliance if you keep the door gaskets and bottom edge of it clean, which prevents leaks. Water and bleach are all you need, says Kleinert. Also, clear out objects in the pump area and spray arms. Otherwise, they can clog the drain system and prevent dishes from getting spick and span. Washing Machines Clothes washers tend to stick around at least 10 years, one more year if it's a front-loader and three more if it's a top-loader. Their staying power depends on replacing brittle hoses with steel-clad ones to avoid flooding. Also, never slam a washer or dryer door. That can break the door switch, according to Muscoplat. And even though you want to spend as little time doing laundry as possible, stick to the manufacturer's recommended load weight. Overstuffing your appliance can wear out the motor and drive belts. Dryers Washers counterparts lifespan is similar, at about 13 to 14 years. As with washing machines, avoid going over the manufacturer's recommended load weight. Muscoplat advises cleaning the lint filter after each use with a brush or paper towel. Leftover lint will collect in the burner or heater element area and then start building up in the vent. The result: longer drying times, thanks to limited airflow, and a higher risk of starting a fire. Lastly, clean the aluminum vent pipe twice a year with a vent brush. Any built-up lint there is another fire hazard. | 4 | 2,020 | lifestyle |
Former Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone had an interview with the New York Jets on Tuesday and according to reports, the interview did not go well. What is next for Marrone. | 1 | 2,021 | sports |
We can get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that we often forget to think of others. But a small gesture of kindness can not only make someone else's entire day, but it can also make you feel good. So why not spread the love and try a random act of kindness today? Here are 109 ideas to get you started: 1. Help an elderly person cross the street. 2. Help a younger sibling with homework or college and scholarship applications. 3. Let a car merge in front of you and do it with a smile. 4. Participate in a beach cleanup. 5. Adopt an animal from the shelter. 6. Help rebuild destroyed homes and communities. 7. Pay the toll for the car behind you. 8. Introduce yourself to neighbors and bring baked goods or sweets. 9. Buy an extra cup of coffee in the morning and give to a co-worker. 10. Wash your roommate's dishes for them. 11. Smile at people. 12. Open the door for someone. 13. Help someone with their bags or luggage. 14. Offer to take a picture for tourists. 15. Leave a nice note for your partner. 16. Pay for the coffee for the person behind you. 17. Share your class notes with a classmate. 18. Help a friend move. 19. Talk to someone new and make a new friend. 20. Make your roommate's bed for them. 21. Help a lost tourist find his or her way 22. Pick up litter and put it in a trash can. 23. Make a homemade treat for your pet. 24. Forgive yourself for any mistakes you've made. 25. Mentor someone. 26. Give a generous tip to your waiter. 27. Use a reusable water bottle or cup to help the environment. 28. Plan a vacation for your parents. 29. Bring a welcome gift to new neighbors. 30. Respond to emails or texts promptly. 31. Befriend a lonely person. 32. Reach out to someone you haven't talked to in a while. 33. Compliment a stranger. 34. Eat and buy local. 35. Let someone take your parking spot. 36. Plan a scavenger hunt for your kids. 37. Buy or make a DIY toy for your pet. 38. Volunteer to give a tour of your school. 39. Don't honk at cars (or people). 40. Bring sweet treats to the office to share. 41. Treat yourself to a nice long bath. 42. Donate your blood at a blood drive. 43. Sit with someone who is eating alone. 44. Read to the elderly. 45. Tell your parents you love them and how much you appreciate everything they have done for you. 46. Let someone go in front of you at the cashier. 47. Donate clothes and shoes to the needy. 48. Clean up after someone in the lunchroom or cafeteria. 49. Give your partner a massage. 50. Recommend your favorite restaurant to a tourist. 51. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. 52. Wash your partner's car for them. 53. Let go of old grudges. 54. Help your kids build a tree house. 55. Do your sibling's household chore. 56. Praise a child to the parents while the child is present. 57. Hold the elevator door for others. 58. Offer someone a piece of gum. 59. Bring misplaced shopping carts back to the designated area. 60. Organize a study session for your classmates. 61. Send a photo in a frame to your parents (or grandparents). 62. Offer to babysit your friends' kids for free. 63. Donate your locks of hair. 64. Tell someone you've fought with that you're sorry and that you forgive them. 65. Sign up to be an organ donor. 66. Leave extra time in a parking meter. 67. Pay for your friend's tab. 68. Return a lost item to the owner. 69. Visit a nursing home and make a new friend. 70. If it rains a lot in your area, give an umbrella to a homeless person. 71. Be kind to someone you dislike. 72. Encourage someone who is working hard at the gym. 73. Vacuum the floor for your roommate. 74. Take a shorter shower to conserve water. 75. Make a donation in your name to a charity you care about. 76. Bring homemade food, like a lasagna or casserole, to a new mom or single mom. 77. Teach a child how to ride a bike. 78. Bring a homeless person some food and a drink. 79. Send a care package to your children, friends, or elderly parents. 80. Email your boss or professor and tell them how much you love learning from them. 81. Say "good morning" and "thank you" to public service workers (bus drivers, police officers, mail carriers, and firefighters). 82. Help a friend hunt for a job. 83. Let your friend vent and listen to her problems. 84. Make a playlist for your friends. 85. Let someone else take your seat on public transportation. 86. Praise the work of others. 87. Tell a street performer how amazing he or she is. 88. Share your umbrella with someone who didn't bring one. 89. Cook a meal for your partner. 90. Help someone carry groceries to the car. 91. Offer to work late for a co-worker who needs to leave early 92. Donate books to the local library or bookstore. 93. Let go of the stress in your life by having an at-home spa day. 94. Volunteer at an animal shelter during adoption events. 95. Sponsor a child in a developing country. 96. Write a letter to your former schoolteachers and tell them how much they influenced you. 97. Ride your bike to work or school. 98. Help someone change the tires. 99. Sign up for a bone marrow donation. 100. Volunteer at a disabled student's learning center. 101. Fold the laundry for your partner. 102. Offer your seat on a plane so a family or couple can sit together. 103. Support your own and your friends' kids at their recitals and games. 104. Be proud of all your accomplishments. 105. Participate in a fund-raiser or donation. 106. Tell your partner that he or she looks extra handsome or beautiful today. 107. Offer to pick up your friend's children after school. 108. Offer to pet-sit for your friend for free. 109. Hug someone you love like you mean it. | 4 | 2,022 | lifestyle |
Jeff Bagwell was left out of the Baseball Hall of Fame for his fifth year being on the ballot. Bagwell only received 55.7% of the voting this year. Does Bagwell deserve to be in the Hall? | 1 | 2,023 | sports |
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest says President Obama is aware of the Paris terror attack and says the United States will assist however possible. | 8 | 2,024 | video |
Ah, the season of love. Valentine's Day is about couples, sure, but we also tend to feel the love around the season for our friends and family. To celebrate these warm feelings of good will, we scoured Etsy for the sweetest love-filled prints and posters to give your significant other, a newlywed couple, or for a friend for their housewarming. Get ready to feel the amour! You are my sunshine ($50-$67) What I have in you is what every person in the world is searching for ($5) Coffee and love are best when they are hot ($12-$36) I want to have adventures with you ($9) I find you to be more beautiful every time I look at you ($5) Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies ($11-$15) I like you and I love you ($20) All you need is love ($19-$29) Amour French heart ($25) You're my lobster ($18) You are loved ($18) You complete me ($12) Mr. and Mrs. Coffee ($18-$57) And I love I love I love you ($12-$34) If I know what love is, it is because of you ($4) Personalized love story ($40) Like forever ever ($20-$32) All you need is love ($15) Live well, laugh often, love always ($18-$42) Love dictionary page art print ($11) And they lived happily ever after ($20-$52) Watercolor heart painting ($18) Home is wherever I'm with you ($22) Love is us ($18) Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies ($79) I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart ($10-$35) Kiss art ($15) Love lives here ($4) | 4 | 2,025 | lifestyle |
Bao Bao is an adorable Giant Panda cub and she just had her first snow day. Gillian Pensavalle (@GillianWithaG) has the adorable video. | 8 | 2,026 | video |
Snow-covered trails and stunning views await you in these cross-country skiing spots. Snowmass Where: Aspen, Colorado Boasting more than 95 kilometers of cross country ski trails, Aspen Snowmass is one of the largest free groomed cross country ski systems in North America. The trails connect the ski villages of Aspen, Snowmass, and Basalt and provide opportune places for pit stops. A wide array of trails offer terrains that range from beginner levels up to the most advanced, challenging runs. Scale the scenic Mt. Daly for some of the best views as the sun reflects off of its nearly 14,000-foot peak. Insider Tip: When the sun sets, unwind to the live music and fun atmosphere of the historic Red Onion restaurant. Located in downtown Aspen, the Colorado landmark building has been standing since 1892. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley Travel Guide The Summit at Snoqualmie Where: Snoqualmie Pass, Washington About an hour outside of Seattle, The Summit at Snoqualmie offers 50 kilometers of groomed cross country trails throughout its varied terrain. Four sections of the mountain range offer challenges and rewarding sights for the physically inclined. A favorite among cross country skiers is the Hidden Valley trail that journeys through the open valley between Mt. Catherine and Mt. Hyak. A new chair lift is currently being installed to add more access to the numerous cross country trails. Insider Tip: Take a seat in one of the giant inner tubes on site and let gravity do its duty at The Summit at Snoqualmie's tubing hill . This custom built hillside drop adds a thrilling twist to the day. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys Travel Guide Schweitzer Mountain Where: Sandpoint, Idaho Nearly every day is a snow day at Schweitzer Mountain as cross country skiers take to the 32 kilometer stretch of fine trails and even finer views. For the beginners, start with Schweitzer's Picnic Point Out and Back trail, a designated 5 kilometer round trip circuit that starts at the village trailhead and continues through the mountainside. Make sure to pack some food as the picnic setting provides the ideal opportunity for lunch before heading back. The panoramic views paired with the challenging yet often accessible terrain make Schweitzer notable for its cross country excellence. Insider Tip: Release the tension from a long day of physical activity at the Solstice Spa on campus. Opt for the Thai massage (50 minutes, $90; 70 minutes, $110; 120 minutes, $200), which features acupressure, compression, and assisted stretching to soothe energy flow and relax tense muscles. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Idaho Guide Lone Mountain Ranch Where: Big Sky, Montana Yellowstone National Park's picture-perfect, near-constant snowfalls bring skiers to Lone Mountain Ranch 's 85 kilometer trail system each winter. Notable for the pristine condition of the trails, southwest Montana's destination ski resort uses state-of-the-art equipment to maintain the bending paths throughout the Rocky Mountains. Opt for one of the guided tours Lone Mountain Ranch offers, where experts seek out animal tracks and make pit stops at stunning vistas. Insider Tip: The Big Sky Blue Moon Bakery in Big Sky serves up the perfect homemade treats to accompany you on your ski journey. Make sure to pick up the tasty brownies, pecan bars, and peanut butter bars to munch on during your visit. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Helena, Bozeman, and Southwest Montana Travel Guide Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Where: Jackson Hole, Wyoming Jackson Hole 's vast recreational trails are the perfect destination for cross country skiers seeking the serene majesty of the Grand Teton. Start in Jackson Hole at the Teton Pines Country Club and Resort, where 16 kilometers of well-maintained trails wind through the countryside. The mountainside's Shooting Star Nordic Track also offers a sloping path that spans 15 kilometers and takes adventurers through a host of terrains. Your tour of the trails brings you close to the native moose, deer, coyotes, and bald eagles often seen in the outback. Insider Tip: Continue to explore the rugged land from a new angle by paragliding . There's no experience necessary to fly in tandem from one of the great mountain cliffs, where you can soar over the snow-dusted tree tops and admire the trails from a bird's eye-view. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Jackson Hole and Northwest Wyoming Travel Guide Whiteface Where: Lake Placid, New York Home of the 1980 winter Olympics, Lake Placid's Whiteface Mountain offers world class cross country ski trails that extend 50 kilometers throughout the Adirondacks. Explore the beauty of the lake, the towering Mt. Van Hoevenberg, and the dense white pines on the quiet hush of the ski. Known for their biathlon, Whiteface offers visitors the opportunity to experience the adventure of the U.S. team's training course with group and private lessons, as well as equipment rentals. Insider Tip: Power up for the day's activities with a breakfast at Chair 6 , the Lake Placid restaurant that uses local ingredients to serve up American comfort classics such as corned beef hash and their famous southern-style sausage biscuits. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's The Adirondacks and Thousand Islands Travel Guide Bolton Valley Where: Bolton Valley, Vermont The awe-inspiring views of Bolton Valley 's 5,000 acres alongside Mt. Mansfield make cross country skiing a highlight of Bolton Valley's winter operations. An impressive 100 kilometers of trail, with 15 kilometers groomed, take you through a scenic loop around the freshwater pond. Bolton Valley's Nordic Center is a hub for the area, as skiers corral at the Center for trail maps, guided tours, lessons, and rentals. The area's annual average 300 inches of snowfall paired with the onsite snowmaking system guarantees a white, wintry adventure throughout the entire season. Insider Tip: After you've worked up an appetite on the trails, head over to the popular Prohibition Pig in Waterbury, where the local beers on tap and duck fat fries rule. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Vermont Travel Guide Telluride Ski Resort Where: Telluride, Colorado Make your way up to the top of Lift 10 for Telluride Ski Resort 's TopAten Snowshoe and Nordic Area where 10 kilometers of well-manicured trails await high in the sky. The acclaimed trails take skiers through snow-covered evergreens and rolling meadows and provide spectacular views of Prospect Bowl, Palmyra Peak and the surrounding San Juan Mountains. For the more advanced cross country skiers, winding trails to Alta Lakes on National Forest trails are just off site. Insider Tip: The Telluride Fire Festival is an exciting annual weekend long festival celebrating the many ways flames are manipulated and transformed into performance art. This year's event will run from January 15 through 19. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Southwest Colorado Travel Guide Soldier Hollow Cross Country Resort Where: Midway, Utah Soldier Hollow Cross Country Resort in the Wasatch Mountains State Park takes great pride in its manicured cross country trails throughout the scenic Heber Valley. The resort, created for the 2002 Olympics held in Salt Lake City, was the site of the biathlon and cross country skiing events. Featuring the world's largest snowmaking system for cross country skiing, the 31 kilometers of trails range from beginner to Olympic standard. Start the day on the beginner's City Slicker trail before trying the more challenging 4 kilometer Roller Coaster trail, a free-falling, winding, banked-turn course that attracts cross country skiers from around the world. Insider's Tip: Stop by Tony's Tacos in town for the excellent and affordable tacos, as well as generous plates of classic Mexican dishes. The Super Nachos are a must at this fun local joint. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Utah Travel Guide Mt. Bachelor Where: Bend, Oregon Winter has a way of lingering longer than usual at Mt. Bachelor , which has one of the longest ski seasons in the Northwest. Serving as a training ground for many professional cross country skiers, including the U.S. Ski Team, Mt. Bachelor's snow, paired with its steady sunshine, make for ideal conditions. The impressive 56 kilometers of trails through the Deschutes National Forest range in difficulty, with some double diamond courses demanding warrior-strength to conquer the 600-foot elevation gains. Insider Tip: The physical exertion of many of Mt. Bachelor's trails can take its toll on your ski gear. Stop by the Bend Factory Stores for great deals on all the ski necessities. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Central Oregon Travel Guide | 2 | 2,027 | travel |
Although they've been able to both outscore opponents and survive defensive battles, the Dallas Mavericks have been vulnerable on the boards during their winning streak. That doesn't bode well with rebounding machine Andre Drummond and the Detroit Pistons coming to town Wednesday night, when one of these teams will emerge with a current league-best seventh straight win (7:30 p.m. pregame, 8 p.m. tip-off on FOX Sports Detroit). Dallas (26-10) averaged 111.2 points while shooting 41.0 percent from 3-point range in its previous five games before limiting Brooklyn to 39.3 percent shooting - and 3 of 25 from 3 - in Monday's 96-88 victory. The Mavericks had to rally back from a 14-point deficit after they hadn't trailed by more than seven in any of the first five wins. They held the Nets to 30 points over the second and third quarters after allowing 35 in the first 12 minutes. "We picked it up," coach Rick Carlisle said. "It was like a pillow fight defensively in the first quarter." Dirk Nowitzki finished with 15 points and made a clinching 3-pointer in overtime to move past Moses Malone on the NBA's career scoring list. He's averaged 29.3 points in his last nine home games versus Detroit. "You couldn't have a more fitting situation than Dirk hitting a three to pass Moses Malone for seventh on the all-time scoring list," Carlisle told the team's official website. "It's unbelievable, so it's a great team win for us. It's a terrific trip. And now we have to re-gather and get one at home." The Mavericks, who have won 11 of 12 against the Pistons (11-23), now seek their first seven-game run since winning eight in a row late in the 2010-11 season. They've won six straight home meetings with Detroit. Dallas has been able to continue its winning ways despite a minus-7.0 rebounding margin, though that could be more difficult against a Detroit team that owns a plus-4.2 margin over its six straight victories. Drummond, second in the league with 13.2 boards per game, has four 20-rebound efforts in his last nine games and is averaging 16.0 points and 15.7 boards while shooting 59.7 percent over the past 12. The third-year center had 20 points and 17 rebounds Tuesday as the Pistons overcame an 18-point deficit for a stunning 105-104 victory at San Antonio. Following an errant inbounds pass, Brandon Jennings went the other way to score the winner with 0.1 seconds left as Detroit remained unbeaten since waiving Josh Smith on Dec. 22. "We are getting better," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "If you stay in there, sometimes you get a break. We had a very good break at the end. We got lucky at the end. Our resolve to stay in the game right down to the last few seconds was huge." The Pistons are playing well at both ends, averaging 107.8 points during the streak - 13.4 more than they were putting up - while allowing 89.2 per game over their last five. They haven't won seven in a row since 2008-09. Drummond had 19 points and 24 rebounds in the first meeting Dec. 17, but Dallas held its own with a 45-42 edge on the glass in a 117-106 road win. Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler combined for 66 points and 26 boards. Since scoring a season-high 29 in his return to Boston on Jan. 2, Rajon Rondo has totaled six points on 3-of-19 shooting. The four-time All-Star, however, contributed 14 assists and 10 rebounds against the Nets. The Mavericks have won 12 of 13 versus Eastern Conference opponents. | 1 | 2,028 | sports |
Some rules are made to be broken others bent, ever so slightly. Here are 10 civilly disobedient dogs who are pushing the boundaries when it comes to following orders to keep out of the kitchen. More from The Dodo:Mystified Pit Bull Is Terrified Of First-Ever Encounter With ... A PineappleDog Ate Homework, Vet ConfirmsBulldog Recreates T-Rex Chase Scene From 'Jurassic Park' 10 Cute Dogs Testing The Limits Of The "Keep Out Of The Kitchen" Rule By Stephen Messenger Some rules are made to be broken others bent, ever so slightly. Here are 10 civilly disobedient dogs who are pushing the boundaries when it comes to following orders to keep out of the kitchen. More from The Dodo: Mystified Pit Bull Is Terrified Of First-Ever Encounter With ... A Pineapple Dog Ate Homework, Vet Confirms Bulldog Recreates T-Rex Chase Scene From 'Jurassic Park' Photo: Courtesy of The Dodo. "Were you cooking something delicious? I hadn't noticed." Photo: Courtesy of The Dodo. "Oh, would you look at that. My paw slipped." Photo: Courtesy of The Dodo. "This step isn't technically part of the kitchen. Go ahead, call the architect." Photo: Courtesy of The Dodo. "So, what sort of leeway can I expect here, you know, as a puppy?" Photo: Courtesy of The Dodo. "You're cool with this, right?" Photo: Courtesy of The Dodo. "Am I really 'in' the kitchen if two-thirds of me is 'out' of it?" Photo: Courtesy of The Dodo. "Rules, schmules. Look at this face." Photo: Courtesy of The Dodo. "Good, you're home. Oh, and you brought takeout. Listen, we need to talk..." Photo: Courtesy of The Dodo. "You know, we could end this silliness right now. Just say the word." Photo: Courtesy of The Dodo. "And, what happens if I do...this?" | 4 | 2,029 | lifestyle |
Not every low-share-price stock is a clunker If you're looking for cheap stocks to buy now, you don't necessarily need to scrounge for microcap penny stocks with no profits and thin volume. In fact, some of the best cheap stocks right now include companies valued at as much as $8 billion, companies that are soundly profitable and companies that boast clients including Microsoft (MSFT) and Google (GOOG). But to find the best, you have to do some research beyond share price. I always encourage all investors to do their homework after checking out initial recommendations, but the following list of cheap stocks to buy should get you started on your quest to invest in strong companies that have a low share price. The following list of nine cheap stocks includes tech stocks, energy stocks and financial stocks. It also includes income investments, with dividend payers yielding as much as 4%. So you don't have to settle for penny stocks. Instead, start with this list of stable companies with low share prices and you'll see what I'm talking about. AK Steel (AKS) Market Cap: $880 million Industry: Materials AK Steel (AKS) produces steel for use in industrial and electrical applications. This stock was gutted by a one-two punch of the commodity crash of 2008 and the Great Recession in the wake of the financial crisis, with its price plummeting from over $70 a share to a low of around $6 in about nine months. But after bottoming at less than $3 a share last year, prices have more than doubled to current levels. The worst of the commodity crash seems to be over, with stable pricing for materials and most materials stocks right-sized for weaker demand out of China and the West. AK Steel is forecast to finally return to profitability in 2014 as a result. There is undoubtedly risk here, since AK Steel is a cyclical stock that does best amid strong industrial and manufacturing demand; Case in point, a lot of strength in AKS stock recently has come from a resurgent auto sector and increased demand for a steel as a result. Thus, a rollback in demand could result in a rollback in AKS … but if you believe that the worst is behind us, this materials stock will give you a good foothold in the resurgence of global manufacturing in the years ahead. The Female Health Co. (FHCO) Market Cap: $200 million Sector: Healthcare The Female Health Co. (FHCO) is a very small stock that averages about 150,000 shares daily so make sure you understand the potential for volatility before you even consider investing. But the strangeness of this stock makes it too enticing to leave out. Female Health's main business is reducing risk for women through consumer health products, primarily the FC2 female condom. And it's a good business, too Female Health is soundly profitable and has partnerships with institutions like public health clinics and not-for-profits. Who knew? Whatever you think about the product, the stock has paid a dividend like clockwork since 2010, increasing it to 7 cents quarterly last year for a yield of more than 4%. Sustained sales and profits since the company went public in 2009 show that while it hasn't created a breakout product, FHCO can at least deliver consistent enough income to deliver a steady dividend. And since FHCO is paying about half of next year's expected earnings in dividends, the payout is sustainable enough to make investors feel comfortable with a 4% yield going forward. Shares are flat in the last year or so, but given the nice income, there is a good hedge against further volatility in this long-term healthcare play. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (GLDD) Market Cap: $545 million Industry: Construction & Engineering Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (GLDD) is a pretty unsexy company. For those unfamiliar with the process, dredging involves underwater excavation. Typically this involves either deepening shipping lanes to facilitate travel, or moving sand in beach replenishment efforts to protect against erosion. Great Lakes serves not just its namesake region, but also the East Coast, West Coast and Gulf of Mexico region. Now, GLDD has had a rough go since its initial rebound during the 2009 snapback. Great Lakes has had trouble staying above $9 for long, and last year the stock saw trouble as earnings releases kept getting pushed back culminated at last by a restatement of two quarters of results, and the resignation of the current COO and former CFO Bruce Biemeck as a result. However, after shares tumbled by about a third to a low under $7, they staged a fairly steady rally back to about $9 across the last year or so. What with increased industrial and manufacturing business in the U.S., shipping lanes are increasingly important and governments are finally seeing a recovery in their tax base to allow dredging projects to take place. GLDD clearly is a cyclical play, as much of an infrastructure investment as a highway company. But while the 2013 earnings restatement created problems for the stock, that's soundly in the rear-view mirror, and investors can capitalize on the recovery and pessimistic sentiment by placing a bet on GLDD in 2014. Groupon (GRPN) Market Cap: $5.6 billion Industry: Internet Retail Groupon (GRPN) has staged a pretty impressive turnaround in the past year. After bottoming under $3 in late 2012, embattled founder and CEO Andrew Mason quit and a cascade of structural changes and analyst upgrades resulted in the stock surging across 2013. Lately, however, that turnaround has lost a bit of momentum as revenue beat expectations but guidance was disappointing at the end of February. However, the stock is still up more than 50% in the past 12 months even after a sharp sell-off on this news. Look, the history of Groupon is not good. But the company appears to be soundly on the path to profitability and remains a pretty attractive acquisition target at the very least as big players like Google and Amazon (AMZN) enter the "daily deals" space. Plus, investors that can look past some of the bad press to the tremendous potential of this online couponing stock could cash in big time in the years ahead. There's no doubt that this kind of deals business remains in demand with consumers and will continue to be an important part of the advertising and marketing space going forward. And Groupon remains one of the biggest players in the space. With a forward price-to-earnings of about 30, GRPN is still risky. But given its history and investor pessimism, you still have time to enter at a good price and ride the wave higher. CBIZ Inc. (CBZ) Market Cap: $448 million Industry: Business Services CBIZ Inc. (CBIZ) is a professional services company that helps businesses and government agencies deal with their payrolls and regulatory requirements. A short list of services CBIZ provides includes managing employee benefits, helping with taxes and streamlining billing and accounts receivable. CBIZ is very much a cyclical investment, as the company is heavily reliant on broader business trends to lift its top line. The company has really struggled to find growth over the last few years, but shares of CBZ stock have run up about 40% in the last 12 months in anticipation of a better environment ahead. With unemployment on the decline and more businesses looking to hire, CBIZ services will be in increasing demand. Furthermore, in February, CBIZ acquired Ohio-based Lewis Birch & Ricardo, a professional tax advisory and consultancy firm. The deal will add about $10 million in annual revenue to CBIZ. That isn't huge, but considering the company did under $700 million in total sales last year, this acquisition will add a few percentage points of growth. And if the economy keeps humming along? Well, the deal will give CBIZ even more leverage to profit from increased demand for its services. Lionbridge Technologies (LIOX) Market Cap: $447 million Industry: Software Lionbridge (LIOX) is a perfect small-cap play. The stock is up more than 80% in the last 12 months, showing strong momentum, but remains soundly under $10 a share. The company is soundly profitable and has posted 11 consecutive quarters of revenue growth, according to Standard & Poor's data. So what does Lionbridge do, exactly? Well, the company focuses on language translation software, with major clients that include Microsoft and Google, among others. In the past few years, the company has grappled with cutbacks and soft enterprise spending but has managed to retain enough big firms and filled in the blanks with smaller ones to keep the business moving in the right direction. Case in point: LIOX's recent acquisition of key China clients that will deliver an additional $3 million in revenue news that sparked a nearly double-digit rally in one day for the stock. Margins could improve along with sales in the coming quarters to boost this cheap stock even higher. LIOX just reported record quarterly revenue in its Q4 2013 report, for instance, showing 12% year-over-year growth. Net income also nearly doubled over 2012 numbers. While there's always the risk that businesses will spend less on IT, recent improvement shows that LIOX has momentum on its side right now and remains a hot tech play. Furthermore, translation technology in this age of global internet connectivity remains a great opportunity for growth. Exco Resources (XCO) Market Cap: $1.4 billion Industry: Energy Exco Resources (XCO) has admittedly had a rough 12 months or so. The onshore oil and natural gas play is focused mainly on shale operations in east Texas, north Louisiana, Appalachia and the Permian Basin in west Texas. And with dirt-cheap natural gas prices and oversupply issues, it has been a rough going for a host of energy stocks, including XCO. The good news, however, is that Exco is the right size for these lean times and should be able to bounce back in 2014. For instance, in fiscal 2012, EXCO cut back by reducing drilling rigs from 24 to just 5, as well as slashing more than 60% of its contractors and one-sixth of its full-time workers. The restructuring hit the company hard, but these efforts are putting it back on track. Revenue has increased year-over-year for four consecutive quarters, and the company is projected to return to profitability this year. In the meantime? XCO stock yields nearly 4% in dividends a decent incentive to be patient with Exco stock. Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) Market Cap: $8.1 billion Industry: Financials One sector of the stock market that has big potential in 2014 is the banking sector. In the last six months, the Financial SPDR (XLF) is up about 8% roughly twice the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Regional bank stocks are some of the best-performing stocks among the financial sector. Among them is Huntington Bancshares (HBAN), which is up by about 15% in the past six months. Broadly speaking, smaller banks can be a bit safer than the big players like Bank of America (BAC) or JPMorgan Chase (JPM) because they aren't exposed to the same risks of massive lawsuits over subprime mortgages, and they don't operate aggressive trading desks that could cost them a fortune if the bets go bad. Furthermore, as big bank stocks face the yoke of increased regulation and less growth in the years ahead, the easiest way for them to grow is via acquisitions meaning smaller players like HBAN are very attractive as a way for major financial stocks to increase their assets and regional footprint. Advanced Semiconductor (ASX) Market Cap: $8.3 billion Industry: Semiconductors Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASX) builds and distributes integrated circuits and other electronics. While that's not as sexy as other chipmakers that play to mobile, it's still a good business, considering the general demand for microchips in everything from cars to computers to TVs. The Taiwan-based company is close to many Asian electronics manufacturers. And regardless of whether those manufacturers crank out something as hot as the iPhone from Apple (AAPL), ASX still will have a strong baseline simply because of how many high-tech devices exist in the world. Moreover, ASX is not a chip designer, so it doesn't have the same big margins as the companies who create the next hot chip … but it also doesn't have the same risk. Advanced Semiconductor's diverse business makes it a stable player for the long haul, and not as finicky as companies that rely heavily on laptops an desktops. That stability also is reflected in the form of a 3.3% dividend yield. In a post-PC age, there are assuredly sexier tech plays out there. But ASX is up 33% in the last year and boasts a decent dividend. You'd be hard pressed to find a cheap tech stock that packs the same punch. Jeff Reeves is the editor of InvestorPlace.com and the author of " The Frugal Investor's Guide to Finding Great Stocks ." Write him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter via @JeffReevesIP. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. | 3 | 2,030 | finance |
...but it still makes you look like a dork. | 8 | 2,031 | video |
A dog is found abandoned at a train station along with a suitcase full of his things, prompting an outpouring of offers to adopt him. Jen Markham has the story. | 8 | 2,032 | video |
We're forever puzzled by baby-name trends. Thanks to creative celebrities, geographic monikers and food-inspired names are all the rage these days. However, the naming crazes aren't confined just to humans. What we call our purry friends is just as susceptible to surges in popularity. According to an infographic created by Vocativ, Bella is currently the most common cat name in America, beating out other top contenders like Lily and Lucy in a whopping 15 states. Some regions are more original than others. (Props to the people of New Mexico for their tribute to The Lion King.) A search for "Bella the cat" on Instagram shows just how many felines are christened with this pet name du jour. They're a pretty bunch after all, the word means "beautiful" in Italian who come in all breeds and colors. From Siamese to tuxedos, click ahead for the 15 cutest Bellas we found. Photographed by Mark Iantosca. We're forever puzzled by baby-name trends. Thanks to creative celebrities, geographic monikers and food-inspired names are all the rage these days. However, the naming crazes aren't confined just to humans. What we call our purry friends is just as susceptible to surges in popularity.According to an infographic created by Vocativ, Bella is currently the most common cat name in America, beating out other top contenders like Lily and Lucy in a whopping 15 states. Some regions are more original than others. (Props to the people of New Mexico for their tribute to The Lion King.) A search for "Bella the cat" on Instagram shows just how many felines are christened with this pet name du jour. They're a pretty bunch after all, the word means "beautiful" in Italian who come in all breeds and colors. From Siamese to tuxedos, click ahead for the 15 cutest Bellas we found. Photo: Via @bella_the__cat. This Bella is model material, and she knows it. Photo: Via @bellatheeyebrowcat. She gives strong eyebrow game and has a beauty mark that rivals Kate Upton's. Photo: Via @jriveras69. We can get lost in those baby blues. Photo: Via @jolleygood14. "Come hither, human. Thou shalt provide me warmth." Photo: Via @rachaelpaveley. This Bella rocks a ginger goatee like no other. Photo: Via @bellathe.catt. We've never met a cat who doesn't love empty paper boxes. Photo: Via @bellathecatstagram. Yarn bows are the hottest accessories this season. Photo: Via @bella_the_cat123. She is not okay with you taking down the Christmas tree. Photo: Via @bella_the_cat_01. "I don't know about the other Bellas, but I enjoy long rides along the beach." Photo: Via @atillarch. This cutie is not afraid of heights she has nine lives, after all. Photo: Via @tasharideout. How can you resist those puppy kitty eyes? Photo: Via @hamzahsalvatore. #IWokeUpLikeThis. Photo: Via @bella_thecat. This Bella is a listener. Photo: Via @vibhuzinsta. Can she be any fluffier? Photo: Via @charlottejean. Is it nap time yet? | 4 | 2,033 | lifestyle |
Don't have time to watch the full snap. Five words: :) | 8 | 2,034 | video |
What Does 1,000 Calories Look Like at Different Fast Food Chains? By now it's common knowledge that the majority of fast food offerings aren't exactly good for you. Sure, you can eat a salad at McDonald's for an under-300 calorie meal, but most fast food customers are ordering the high-cal classics burgers, chicken nuggets, fries and chasing them down with cokes and milkshakes. We've rounded up some easy ways to down 1,000 calories in one sitting at nine major fast food chains. You'd be surprised by how easy it is. McDonald's One Premium Crispy Club Sandwich paired with a medium fries equals out to 1,010 calories. Opt for a McChicken and a small fries instead for only 600 calories. Burger King A Double Whopper with Cheese, without the fries or any other sides, contains 1,070 calories. If you've gotta have a Whopper, make it a single, which contains 510 calories without mayo. Wendy's That Quarter-Pound Single with Cheese with a side of chili cheese fries tops out at 980 calories. Opt for a Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe instead. It has 230 fewer calories. Add an order of small fries and your meal will only contain 660 calories. Chick-Fil-A An original Chicken Sandwich at Chick Fil-A contains 440 calories, and paired with a small chocolate milkshake you'll be at 990 calories. Skip the milkshake and opt for an unsweetened iced tea instead. Taco Bell Want a side of Nachos Supreme with your Mexican Pizza? That'll run you exactly 1,000 calories. Pick one or the other, or complement one of them with a Fresco Soft Taco, which contains 160 calories or less. KFC One breast, thigh, drumstick, and wing in other words, a half fried chicken clocks in at 870 calories, and if you decide to splurge on one more wing that'll put you above the 1,000 mark. Instead, go for either the breast (320 calories) or the thigh (290 calories), or even better, opt for the Kentucky Grilled Chicken; a breast, wing, drumstick, and thigh contains only 560 calories. Chipotle Want your carnitas burrito topped with rice, beans, and guacamole? Then expect to eat right around 1,000 calories. If you're looking to make your burrito as healthy as possible, skip the add-ons like cheese and sour cream and load up on the vegetables or, even better, for a burrito bowl, which foregoes the 300-calorie tortilla completely. Shake Shack A Single Shackburger at Shake Shack contains 490 calories. Should you decide to top it off with a root beer float or creamsicle float you'll be right at 1,000 calories. A Single Cheeseburger contains 50 fewer calories than a Shackburger. Replace the float with an unsweetened iced tea it's calorie free. White Castle A White Castle Original Slider contains 140 calories, so if you decide to down seven of them in a sitting, that's 980 calories. They may look small, but they definitely add up. Stick to a few (I know, it's not easy). And while the new Veggie Slider may be vegetable based, it actually contains 10 more calories than the Original. | 7 | 2,035 | health |
The MLS released the 2015 regular season schedule on Wednesday. Kevin Egan talks about the matches to look forward to this season. | 1 | 2,036 | sports |
5 Overrated Exercises, And The Moves You Should Do Instead No doubt, any exercise is better than no exercise at all. So, while it's silly to say that an exercise is "useless," it's not unfair to say that some exercises are definitely more worthy of your time than others; that some of the more commonly used moves are, overrated, if you will. If you're in need of new ways to make your gym sessions more challenging, try swapping in these moves that may be more worthy of your time. Overrated: Seated Row This exercise mainly targets muscles in the back and shoulders. However, instead of assuming a seated position (something you likely do all day long in an office), for many it makes sense to put these body parts to work with a more challenging alternative to the traditional row exercise. Upgrade: Renegade Row Instead of the seated row, assume the plank position for an alternating dumbbell row, which will require greater engagement from your core as well other stabilizer muscles in your shoulders and lower body. In order to properly engage your back muscles, be sure to lift your elbows straight back, keeping your arms close to your side, and to squeeze your shoulder blades as you lift your arm. Overrated: Dumbbell Bench Press The bench press is great for those who are specifically aiming to target the chest muscles. But for exercisers who want more bang for their buck, the reclining position assumed for a bench press doesn't do much for the rest of the body. Upgrade: Push-Up Variations The push-up, and all of its many variations, is one of the best exercises for building total body strength. In addition to targeting the muscles in your chest, when performing a push-up stabilizer muscles in your arms, shoulders, core, and even your legs are engaged. When you've mastered the traditional push-up, opt for more challenging variations of the exercise, like the decline push-up, pictured here, which increases the difficulty by altering your center of gravity. Overrated: Seated Leg Press Sure, this popular gym machine effectively targets major lower-body muscles, but with so many alternative exercises that are more challenging and functional (meaning they translate into strength you can use in everyday life) it doesn't make sense to exercise your legs by plopping your bottom into a chair. Upgrade: Sumo Squat with Upright Kettlebell Row This exercise challenges your lower- and upper-body by combining two moves in one. The squat will help to build strength and stability in your quads, glutes, and inner thighs and the upright row will effectively engage your shoulder muscles for increased upper-body strength. Not to mention, compared to a seated exercise, the quick, fluid motion of this move will increase your heart rate for a bigger calorie burn. Overrated: Seated Shoulder Press The biggest downside to this exercise is, you guessed it, the fact that it's performed in a seated position. Just like with the seated row, for many of us it doesn't make sense to spend any of our time at the gym sitting down; especially not when you can target the same muscles with exercises that put the entire body to work. Upgrade: Plank Walk-ups While putting many of the major shoulder muscles to work, the plank walk-up also forces you to engage your core, as well as stabilizer muscles in the arms and lower body (just like with the renegade row). Starting in a high-plank position, lower down onto your right forearm and then your left. Pause for a beat before lifting up with your left arm and then your right to return to high-plank position (this counts as one repetition). Overrated: Crunches Not only are crunches overrated, but for some they can be downright dangerous. According to Dr. Stuart McGill, director of the Spine Biomechanics Laboratory at the University of Waterloo and author of Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance , crunches (or sit-ups as they're sometimes referred to), biomechanically speaking, are one of the worst exercises you can do. "If you take a wire coat hanger and bend it over and over again, eventually the metal will fatigue and break," he explained. "The same theory applies to your spine." Upgrade: Boat Pose Hold Isometric exercises, like the boat pose hold pictured here, don't create any change in the length of the muscle engaged but are still effective at building strength because they require the muscle to remain contracted for an extended period of time. This is a more effective abdominal exercise because it can help to improve "muscle stiffness", which McGill says is an essential component of true core fitness. | 7 | 2,037 | health |
We're forever puzzled by baby-name trends. Thanks to creative celebrities, geographic monikers and food-inspired names are all the rage these days. However, the naming crazes aren't confined just to humans. What we call our purry friends is just as susceptible to surges in popularity. According to an infographic created by Vocativ, Bella is currently the most common cat name in America, beating out other top contenders like Lily and Lucy in a whopping 15 states. Some regions are more original than others. (Props to the people of New Mexico for their tribute to The Lion King .) A search for "Bella the cat" on Instagram shows just how many felines are christened with this pet name du jour. They're a pretty bunch after all, the word means "beautiful" in Italian who come in all breeds and colors. From Siamese to tuxedos, click ahead for the 15 cutest Bellas we found. This Bella is model material, and she knows it. She gives strong eyebrow game and has a beauty mark that rivals Kate Upton's. We can get lost in those baby blues. "Come hither, human. Thou shalt provide me warmth." This Bella rocks a ginger goatee like no other. We've never met a cat who doesn't love empty paper boxes. Yarn bows are the hottest accessories this season. She is not okay with you taking down the Christmas tree. "I don't know about the other Bellas, but I enjoy long rides along the beach." This cutie is not afraid of heights she has nine lives, after all. How can you resist those puppy kitty eyes? #IWokeUpLikeThis. This Bella is a listener. Can she be any fluffier? Is it nap time yet? | 4 | 2,038 | lifestyle |
Parisians pay tribute to the 12 victims of an attack at French magazine Charlie Hebdo's headquarters, placing flowers and candles near the scene. Rough Cut (no reporter narration). | 5 | 2,039 | news |
ST. LOUIS -- City officials said Wednesday that the owner of the Rams isn't returning their calls, so they plan to work directly with the NFL on efforts to keep a team -- any team -- in St. Louis amid speculation the Rams are headed back to Los Angeles. Rams billionaire owner Stan Kroenke is part of a joint venture that announced plans Monday for an 80,000-seat stadium in the Los Angeles suburbs, a move that could soon return the NFL to the nation's second-largest market and the home of the Rams from 1946 until they moved to St. Louis in 1995. The move would have to wait at least a year -- the NFL has said no team moves would be allowed in 2015. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon isn't giving up on the Rams. "St. Louis is an NFL city," Nixon said Wednesday. "I don't think it's too late to keep the Rams." But city leaders are hedging their bets, saying the plan now is to work directly with the NFL -- not the Rams. The change in philosophy is due in part to the fact that Kroenke won't take calls from Mayor Francis Slay or other city leaders, said Maggie Crane, Slay's spokeswoman. "He hasn't responded, he hasn't called back, he hasn't done anything," Crane said of Kroenke. "After a while you sort of get the hint," said Jeff Rainford, the mayor's chief of staff. Messages left Wednesday at Kroenke's office were not returned. A Rams spokesman declined comment. "The NFL can make money in St. Louis," Rainford said. "It may end up being the Rams with this owner, the Rams with a different owner, a different team with a different owner." Rainford said St. Louis can make a compelling argument to remain an NFL city: It is the nation's 20th-largest market, with a loyal fan base that sold out every game at the Edward Jones Dome from the team's arrival until a long run of bad play. The Rams haven't had a winning record since 2003. If not the Rams, it isn't clear which team St. Louis might pursue. The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders play in aging stadiums and have been mentioned as potential Los Angeles transplants, but it isn't clear if either would consider a move to the Midwest. There is no talk of expansion. St. Louis has been through this before. The Chicago Cardinals moved here in 1960 and stayed until 1987. Unhappy with sharing Busch Stadium with the baseball Cardinals, owner Bill Bidwill moved the team to Arizona. By the early 1990s, a domed stadium was being built with taxpayer money. St. Louis missed out on an expansion team in 1993 when the league awarded franchises to Jacksonville and Carolina. But in 1995, Rams owner Georgia Frontiere took the Rams back to her hometown. Kroenke bought in as minority owner. Frontiere died and, in 2010, Kroenke bought the team. Meanwhile, the dome -- small and outdated by NFL standards -- became a point of contention. Negotiations about improvements have gone nowhere. With the threat of the Rams' departure looming, Nixon in November appointed former Anheuser-Busch executive David Peacock and veteran attorney Robert Blitz to spearhead an effort looking at a new stadium. They are expected to deliver a report to Nixon by Friday. One plan would call for a new stadium near the Mississippi River, not far from the Gateway Arch. Paying for it is the next hurdle. The dome was built 20 years ago with 30-year bonds. The state of Missouri pays $12 million annually toward the debt; the city and St. Louis County pay $6 million each. There appears to be no appetite for new public funding. Missouri Senate Majority Leader Ron Richard, a Republican, said it was doubtful that lawmakers would approve new spending for a football team when the state has so many other needs. Nixon and Rainford said no new taxes or fees would be used for the new stadium, but Nixon has hinted that the bonds for the dome could be extended. Anheuser-Busch is one of the NFL's largest advertisers and Peacock worked directly with the league on advertising and marketing while with the brewing giant. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame advisory board. Blitz was part of the legal team that helped bring the Rams to St. Louis and is legal counsel to the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority. | 1 | 2,040 | sports |
Thousands gathered at Place de la Republique in Paris to mourn the victims of the Charlie Hebdo shooting that killed 12 people. | 8 | 2,041 | video |
Yoga Poses You Should Do Every Morning Morning yoga can help you start your day calm, centered and strong. So, we turned to professional SUP Yoga Instructor Gillian Gibree to get the scoop on the best morning moves. Gibree has been passionate about water sports and yoga for years, even starting her own business Paddle Into Fitness to train other potential SUP yoga instructors. A big advocate of morning yoga, Gibree highlights seven key moves to help you feel resilient and refreshed as you start your day. Child's Pose Benefits: Calms and relaxes the body, slows the mind and opens the hips. Begin in child's pose with big toes touching, knees out wide and fingertips reaching forward. Allow the hips to sink down toward the ground, with your forehead on the mat. Take some time to settle in here, perhaps swaying the hips side to side, rolling out the forehead. Take three deep cleansing breaths big inhale with full expansion of the lungs and slow open mouth exhales releasing everything out. Cat Cow Pose Benefits: Warms up and strengthens the spine and neck, and improves posture. Come into a table top position, placing the hands under shoulders and knees hip width distance apart. Spread fingers wide and keep the neck neutral. Moving into cat/cow, Inhale for cow lift the gaze, dip the belly. On the exhale curl and round like a cat, tucking the chin into the chest while tailbone tucks under. Inhale for cow, exhale cat. Continue to move through cat/cow continuing breathing, finding any other organic movements to warm up the spine. Sun Bird Pose Benefits: Activates and strengthens the core, arms, legs and glutes. From table top position, extend the right fingertips forward at shoulder height while extending the left toes back. Keep the hips square, core engaged, with one long line of energy from fingertips to toes. Find three rounds of breath here. For an added challenge: round the spine and draw the elbow in towards the knee then breathe. Inhale lengthen, exhale curl three times. Release into table top and repeat on the opposite side. Thread the Needle Benefits: Stretches the shoulders, upper back and neck. Inhale to twist open, reach the right arm up, exhale thread the arm through and then bring right shoulder and right ear down to the ground, while keeping the hips square. One option find the bind by wrapping the left hand behind the back, reaching for the inner thigh. Release and repeat on left side. Rabbit Pose Benefits: Elongates the spine and opens up and stretches the shoulder blades and upper back. From table top draw the knees together. Tuck the chin towards the chest and bring the crown of the head down to the ground, with forehead touching the knees (or as close as comfortable). Bring the hands behind you and grab the ankles. Exhale out. On the inhale, lift the hips high while pulling on the ankles, creating an opening across the shoulder blades and stretch along the spine, with little to no weight on the crown. Release and slowly roll back up. Plank Benefits: Activates the core muscles and builds strength throughout the body. Plant the palms, step the feet back into a high plank with shoulders stacked over wrists. Draw the crown forward and the heels back. Tailbone slightly tucks, activating the core muscles. Relax between the shoulder blades. Find three rounds of breath here full inhalation and slow exhalations. Down Dog Pose Benefits: Strengthens the shoulders and stretches the hamstrings. Lift the hips high and come to downward facing dog. Peddle out the feet, take deep knee bends, find any movements before settling into your dog. Find an inverted V, with a long flat spine, neck relaxed between the shoulders. Draw the heels down while pressing the shoulders away from the ears. Remain here for three breaths. | 7 | 2,042 | health |
Campus Insiders' Doug Chapman and Pete Fiutak break down all facets of the College Football Playoff National Championship, including the mascots, cheerleaders and uniforms. | 1 | 2,043 | sports |
Denver Broncos' QB Peyton Manning discusses the importance of home field advantage and the sense of urgency surrounding the team during playoffs. To see more Broncos videos download the Broncos DeskSite. | 1 | 2,044 | sports |
Did you fall for the comfort and moblity of jeggings only to later realize that you were wearing leggings with faux pockets and printed-on stitches? Yeah - we fell for those too, along with a slew of other choice trends that we've been bamboozled by. Allison McNamara and Jordan Feldman break 'em down on We Spy Style. On Allison: Tory Burch skirt and top | 4 | 2,045 | lifestyle |
The year in amazing money With the curtain now drawn on 2014, it's time to reveal my annual list of most-shocking money facts I discovered in the last year. Here are the 10 most fascinating financial factoids I stumbled across in 2014 that pertain to your money, not all of which originated in 2014. 10. $558,328.83: The Cost of Every Item Advertised During the 2014 Super Bowl This staggering calculation comes from writer and former "The Price Is Right" contestant Alex Zeldin on Guff.com. Just for the record, the vast majority of that expenditure would be on automobiles advertised during the game you'd get about a dozen and a half vehicles, for a total of almost $557,000. And if you're wondering, all cost figures are before taxes. 9. 73 Percent of Parents Ages 40 to 59 Support a Boomerang Child A 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center found that a staggering 73 percent of parents ages 40 to 59 have helped to financially support an adult child in the last year. Where did that financial support go? A 2013 survey by Bank of America Merrill Lynch found that, of parents who supported their grown children over the last five years, about 10 percent helped with credit card debit, student loans, and insurance, while 15 to 20 percent said that their help went toward health care costs, car loans, cell phone bills, and rent or mortgage expenses. The biggest shocker? In 36 percent of cases, parents forking over dough to their adult kids weren't sure how their money was being used. 8. Men Are More Likely to Make Tipsy Purchases Two booze-related spending studies caught my attention in 2014. First, a 2014 study by CreditCards.com reported that 13 percent of men admitted to buying items they hadn't intended to buy while they were under the influence of alcohol; that's compared to only about 5 percent of women. This is supported by a 2012 Nielsen study, which showed that 31 percent of all purchases in liquor stores are impulse buys, with the most being shelled out on fancy, premixed bottled cocktails. So, I guess if you're a guy who's already been drinking and you stumble into a liquor store, you should just throw in the towel, load a couple of bottles of kumquat-flavored schnapps daiquiris in your shopping cart and head for checkout. 7. Millennials Believe Losing a Phone Is Worse Than Auto Theft A 2013 Zipcar study found that many millennials value their phones more than their cars. Nearly 40 percent of millennials believe losing their phones would be a bigger hardship than losing their automobiles, while only 16 percent of people age 35 and up felt the same way. Millennials also said their phone use allows them to cut back on driving, as 47 percent of them said they substitute texting, email, and video chats for meeting with friends in person. At the same time, a 2013 Kent State University research study found that cell phone use was linked to anxiety, lower grades and reduced happiness in students. 6. Credit Reports Reveal Errors 25 Percent of the Time According to a 2013 study from the Federal Trade Commission, more than 25 percent of consumers who took the time to check their credit reports identified errors that might affect their credit scores. This might partially explain why, according to an article in Time magazine, a whopping 56 percent of Americans have subprime credit. Looks like more people should be taking advantage of their free yearly credit reports. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to provide a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months, upon your request. 5. Cyberattacks Cost the Global Economy $500 Billion Annually It seems like nearly everyone was a victim of cyberattacks in 2014, or at least became worried due to the sheer number of them and their scope. According to a 2013 report by McAfee, cyberattacks on companies are costing the global economy an estimated $500 billion per year. In case you're curious, that's roughly the size of Norway's GDP. 4. Women Hit the Glass Ceiling Sooner (and by $35K Less) According to a 2012 study by PayScale, the average ages at which pay peaks and stops growing significantly faster than inflation for U.S. workers with a college degree or higher is age 39 for women and 48 for men.The typical pay for such a male worker at age 48 is $95,000 per year, and the average pay for his female counterpart is only $60,000 per year when it peaks at age 39. So not only do men earn more than women, but men earn higher wages sooner and for a longer period of time. 3. People Buy More Harry Potter Books, Corollas and Lay's Chips Than You Realize The folks at FinancesOnline.com are obviously as enamored with whacky financial facts as I am, having compiled their own comparison of "10 Best-Selling Products in the World." Among their fascinating findings: 450 million copies of Harry Potter books have been sold since 1997, which is equivalent to 90 percent of all books sold in the world in 2013. 40.7 million Toyota Corollas have been sold since 1966, which if put bumper-to-bumper would stretched from New York City to Los Angeles 48 times over. 633 million bags of Lay's potato chips are sold each year in the U.S. alone; in total, weighing more than an aircraft carrier. 2. Forget the 1 Percent, It's More About the Top 85 People In my opinion, the rapidly growing wealth gap in the U.S. and around the world is one of the most critical issues facing civilization today. Over the last few years, we've heard a lot about the "top 1 percent," and the wealth they control is indeed staggering: in 2014 Oxfam reported that just 1 percent of the world's population controls nearly half of the planet's wealth. But now, even within that top 1 percent, the relative divides are growing: Oxfam said that the world's 85 richest people now own as much as the poorest 50 percent of humanity. Eighty-five people is roughly the capacity of a public bus, which is something I'm guessing you don't know if you're among that busload of super wealthy folks. 1. Less Is More (and Longer) When It Comes to Marriage This from researchers at Emory University: The more money spent on an engagement ring, the greater the chance that the marriage will end in divorce. For example, couples who spent $2,000 to $4,000 on an engagement ring were 1.3 times more likely to get divorced than those who spent $500 to $2,000 on a ring. And the same research showed that weddings costing $20,000 or more were 3.5 times more likely to end up in divorce that weddings costing $5,000 to $10,000. With the average U.S. wedding now costing more than $30,000, I guess today's weddings vows should be, "For richer, for poorer, until debt do us part." | 3 | 2,046 | finance |
It was 1984 when we first met Whitney Houston. In our flashback you can see the then-21 year old's innocence -- plus she was kind of shy! | 8 | 2,047 | video |
Over 2,000 classic MS-DOS games are available to play online for free, including Oregon Trail and Street Fighter II. Gillian Pensavalle (@GillianWithaG) feels like she's in her grade school computer room all over again. | 8 | 2,048 | video |
The selling was mercifully stayed on Wednesday thanks, yet again, to the Federal Reserve filling the headlines. Also helping were reports that Germany could be open to negotiating Greek debt payments with Athens, quelling fears of a "Grexit" from the eurozone. This time, it was the release of the December meeting minutes which featured multiple references to the drop in oil prices and foreign economic pressures. Although policymakers noted these negatives would prove temporary hurdles, the fact they were even acknowledged was enough to get the buyers out of the shadows. In the end, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.2% or more than 200 points, the S&P 500 gained 1.2%, the Nasdaq gained 1.3%, and the Russell 2000 gained 1.3%. Crude oil jumped 63 cents a barrel to close at $48.56. Treasury bonds were unchanged. 5 Things That Could Shake the Market Healthcare stocks led the way thanks to a surge in biotechs, as the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (ETF) (IBB) climbed 3.7%. Consumer staples also were strong, rising 1.7%. J C Penney Company Inc (JCP) gained 20.3% on a better-than-expected 3.7% increase in same-store sales for November and December. Technically, a bounce here isn't surprising given the S&P 500 has shown a propensity to pirouette off of its 125-day moving average since late 2012. And it just so happens that the 125-day level coincides with the psychologically important 2,000 price level. So the bulls weren't going to give this line in the sand up without a fight. The chart above shows how the only significant violation of this level happened back in October and was turned around by hints from Fed officials that another round of bond buying stimulus could be unleashed if the U.S. economy lost momentum. Fast forward a few months, and the December meeting minutes confirm that the Fed's first rate hike since 2006 is coming in the next six months or so. It'll be interesting to see how investors react to this reality as the year progresses. Despite the bounce in stocks, bonds, credit and currencies were not singing the same tune, and instead continued to warn of deeper woes. German and Japanese bond yields are near record lows. The U.S. 10-year is at levels not seen since early 2013. Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts are looking for crude oil to fall into the $30s before stabilizing, keeping the pressure on energy stocks, corporate earnings growth and business investment spending. Another wrinkle to keep an eye on is the breakdown in the euro-yen cross exchange rate a proxy for risk appetite in the market. Concerns over the fate of the euro, the Greek election and whether the European Central Bank will finally unveil a government bond buying stimulus program at its next policy meeting later this month has pushed the euro lower in a big way. Stocks, especially Japan's Nikkei average, have yet to acknowledge the drop in the yen "carry trade" represented by the euro-yen rate. But, if current trends continue, they will soon have no choice. I believe precious metals could be the beneficiary of all this, given the yen's behavior lately looks similar to the leadup to the late 1990s Asian financial crisis (which, like now, was catalyzed by an extreme drop in the yen). In response, I have recommended the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners (GDXJ) up 3.4% since added to my Edge subscribers as it emerges from a three-month consolidation zone . Anthony Mirhaydari is founder of the Edge and Edge Pro investment advisory newsletters. More From InvestorPlace 5 Stocks to Buy for January JCPenneys Hot Holiday Sales: Is JCP Stock a Legit Rebound Play? 3 Under-the-Radar Value Stocks The post FOMC, Oil Rebound Shake the Bulls Awake appeared first on InvestorPlace . | 3 | 2,049 | finance |
The Kepler Space Telescope was launched to probe deep into the galaxy on the hunt for distant planets. | 8 | 2,050 | video |
Is this adorable koala really getting his nails done? CNN's Jeanne Moos reports why it's actually more "cure" than "manicure." | 8 | 2,051 | video |
Here's what we officially know about the 2016 Toyota Tacoma : Nothing. Toyota isn't going to release any information about the new midsize pickup until Monday, when the truck will be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. However, Toyota did let us take a look at the next-generation pickup early, and here are a few pictures. The Tacoma is sweet from nearly every angle, though you can be the judge about how different it looks. To me, it looks newer and prettier, but not particularly different. There's a big air dam below the front bumper to help fuel efficiency, there are some nice creases in the hood for additional ripples, and those big 20-inch wheels always look great. But the big changes are going to have happen inside the cabin, as well as with performance. It's fairly easy to speculate that there will be a number of improvements, because it has been nearly a decade since the Tacoma was seriously updated. From what we've gathered, there won't be any changes in models, and the trims will be the same with the base, a Limited, and the TRD off-road package. There will be two cab configurations: the extended cab, which Toyota calls Access Cab, and the bigger crew cab, which Toyota calls a Double Cab. Additionally, we suspect Toyota will go with two bed configurations: a regular and a long bed. A good guess is that Toyota will dump the 4.0-liter V-6 and opt for a much feistier 3.5-liter V-6 that produces at least 270 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque, out-muscling the 4.0 by 34 ponies. The Tacoma might be stuck with the 2.7-liter four-cylinder for a few more years. We have not heard anything about a potential diesel in the Tacoma's future, but would certainly welcome one, and Toyota has plenty to choose from overseas. We'd also venture a guess that a six-speed transmission will come with the new Tacoma, leaving the four- and five-speed trannies in the dust. That change is long overdue. While Tacoma currently owns the midsize pickup segment, it's going to have a fight on its hands with the new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon coming online. In 2014, Toyota had 64 percent of the midsize pickup market of 240,000 vehicles. The next closest was the Nissan Frontier, which had 31 percent. GM captured 4.6 percent. Those numbers are going to dramatically change in 2015. It will be even more interesting to see if GM steals Tacoma or Frontier sales. The midsize truck segment grew 6 percent in 2014 and our gut says that it will grow by 10 percent this year, bringing in new buyers to the market. For people who want a small pickup with good capability, 2015 will be the best year in a long time to buy one. | 9 | 2,052 | autos |
Daniel Cormier gives his thoughts on his loss to Jon Jones at UFC 182 and Jones entering rehab following the fight. | 1 | 2,053 | sports |
The next three years will bring three new Scion products, two of which will be revealed at the 2015 New York auto show in April. The first will be a production version of the iM concept that debuted in L.A., while the second was revealed today to be an all-new sedan -- a first for the niche brand. While nothing else was revealed about the upcoming sedan, rumors have swirled that the new model is one of two new subcompacts set to begin production at Mazda's Salamanca, Mexico plant alongside the new Mazda 2. One of those cars is the next-gen Toyota Yaris, while the other is likely a Scion-branded model based on the Yaris to replace the outgoing xD. Since it will be built by Mazda, it's also likely it will use a Mazda Skyactiv powertrain, possibly the 1.5-liter four-cylinder that's slated for the U.S.-spec 2016 Mazda 2. We won't know for sure until the sedan is revealed in New York in April. Scion also confirmed that the iM name of its L.A. show concept will carry over to the production model. We don't expect that car to change much from the hatchback we saw late last year, since Scion claims the production iM "will carry forward some of the sporty looks and versatility displayed in the concept version." The iM concept looked much like the Euro-market Toyota Auris when it first debuted in the City of Angels, emphasizing its sportiness with a low and wide stance, deep air intakes, and geometric grille inserts. The concept was also equipped with an adjustable-height racing suspension, with Scion boasting the iM would have excellent fuel efficiency, sporty handling, and a low cost of entry -- under $20,000, according to Scion. | 9 | 2,054 | autos |
It's the worst part of moving and the reason we accept and live with outdated styles: the price tag on new home furnishings. When furniture costs an arm and a leg, there's never a good time to implement a full-room refresh. And when you're living on pennies, you're often left with the options to pick furnishings from a big-box store and assemble on your own or DIY everything often a time suck. Fortunately, we've sought out the most affordable retailers with style that really gets you more bang for your buck. Click through for our 10 favorites. Wayfair A good dining room table can really set you back several hundred bucks. But Wayfair has plenty of 3- to 5-piece sets available for under $300, so you can find something great whether for your own home or the kids' first apartment. Shown is the Monarch Specialties Inc. 3 Piece Dining Set , $174.95. Related: 10 Alternatives to a Formal Dining Room Urban Outfitters It's not always easy to find a sofa you love for a price you can stomach. But believe it or not, Urban Outfitters mostly known for clothing and accessories has about a dozen sofas for under $1,000. Shown is the Anywhere Sofa in Green , on sale for $259.99. Related: Couch Surfing Top 10 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Sofa Muji Here's one for lovers of modern design: Muji emphasizes functionality, simplicity in design, and quality materials. Check out the popular Japanese furniture company for cookware, tables, chairs, and adjustable shelves. Shown is the Stacking Shelf in Walnut, $239.95. Related: 10 Insanely Creative Shelves You Can DIY Craigslist Use Craigslist to find cast-off antiques at a steal. If you know how to haggle, you'll feel right at home on the site, which connects you to individuals selling goods in major city "markets." And remember, Craigslist doesn't just have furniture you could find your next roommate, apartment, or job on the site too. Shown is a set of four dining seats, $40. HomeGoods With products varying a bit store to store (and no online shop), HomeGoods offers a real treasure hunt. The prize? Something for everyone, all at 20 to a whopping 60 percent off of department store prices. You could conceivably outfit your home in a single trip to HomeGoods with its array of furniture, kitchen supplies , rugs, bedding, and wall decor. Shown is the Oversize Gray Tufted Arm Chair with Burlap detail, $299.99. World Market Whether you're shopping online or in stores, World Market offers an ever-changing, always eclectic selection of furniture and housewares, much of it sourced internationally . Choose from baskets made in Bali, pottery made in Portugal, and sophisticated, quality furniture made here and abroad. Shown is the Modular Kitchen Wall Storage Collection , starting at $19.99 Related: 17 Brands Born and Loved in the U.S.A. Chairish Turn to Chairish for vintage finds from design devotees looking to let go of their decor, furniture, accessories, and more. You'll see items as low as $45 on the same page as a high-end styles in the $1,000s. Scout the site as you would a high-tech antique market you can sort by style, price, and even locality if you're looking for only treasure you can pick up from nearby. Shown is a set of Twin Sheraton Style Maple Field Beds , $100.00. Sauder Furniture Sauder Furniture started as a one-man business that was based in a barn . Even today, 80 years after its founding, the company still makes 90 percent of its furniture in America in Archibold, OH, to be exact, the same tiny town where it began. At Sauder, you get ready-to-assemble furniture made of real wood, and you get it for a real bargain. Shown is the Edgewater Collection Computer Desk and Organizer Hutch , $319.98 Overstock.com Finding a good-quality area rug that doesn't make you cringe at the cost can be a challenge. With its large variety of styles and prices starting at $10.99, Overstock has the answer and then some. This online megastore sells over a million different products, all at a fraction of the retail price. Shown is Artistic Weavers Hand-woven Macy Chevron Cotton Area Rug , $32.95 TINI (This Is Not IKEA) Not only does this Los Angeles based store have a great selection of vintage furniture and accessories, but the prices are extremely reasonable and almost comparable to that of Craigslist. Listed styles range from mid-century modern to industrial, with each piece carefully selected for its unique, one-of-kind-look. No ready-to-assemble furniture here, folks; this is not IKEA. Shown are Wooden Distressed Nightstands with Doors , $195 each. | 4 | 2,055 | lifestyle |
2015 will be a pressure cooker for these execs A new year indicates a fresh start, but for CEOs in the Fortune 500 and beyond, 2015 will be a pressure cooker as their attempts to turn around struggling businesses or mend damaged brands are put to the test. Click ahead for seven chief executives who will be put to the test in the coming year, as they confront struggling business lines, activist investors and corporate splits. Don Thompson McDonald's During the fast-food giant's third quarter earnings call, CEO Don Thompson, head of McDonald's since 2012, said that the restaurant's results fell "short of our expectations." That's putting it lightly. McDonald's latest earnings report showed the fourth straight quarter of negative same-store sales in the U.S. and an overall 30% drop in profit. Next year will likely prove whether Thompson's proposed fixes a customizable burger platform, a regional approach to the menu, and digital investments do the trick. Travis Kalanick Uber At the end of 2014, a flurry of controversies swirled around car-sharing service Uber. First there was an exec's comments about seeking revenge against its media critics. Then came an Uber driver's alleged rape of a female passenger in Dehli. And finally, the app's surge pricing during Sydney's hostage crisis. Those events piled atop longstanding criticism that Uber skirts liability for passengers' safety and underpays its drivers. There's no doubt Uber is financially healthy it's valued at $40 billion but it'll be up to CEO Travis Kalanick to repair the company's social reputation in 2015. Michael Lynton Sony Entertainment No corporation faced as big a media firestorm in late 2014 than the one that's still slamming Sony Pictures. The hacking of the film studio's network in November set off a series of crises: the release of sensitive employee data, controversial leaked emails from Sony execs, a callout from President Obama over the studio's initial decision to pull the movie "The Interview" from distribution, and criticism from film industry big wigs that Sony failed to uphold free speech. On December 23, Sony reversed course and announced that it would put out a limited release of "The Interview" in theaters starting on Christmas Day. The controversies have landed in the lap of CEO Michael Lynton, who has the enormous task of picking up the pieces in the coming year. Ginni Rometty IBM Fortune's headline about IBM's latest earnings is awfully telling: "Ginni Rometty's terrible, horrible (no good, very bad) day." The October piece told of worse-than-expected results: IBM's tenth quarter of consecutive revenue decline, a 4% decline in sales from a year ago, and a 10% drop in operating earnings during the same period the previous year. The results tarnished what had been a positive albeit slow transformation for the company that centered on its divestiture of poor-performing units and investment in mobile, cloud, and cognitive computing. We'll see if Fortune's Most Powerful Woman can capitalize on that progress in 2015 without any significant hiccups. Meg Whitman Hewlett-Packard The word "turnaround" has been associated with Hewlett-Packard and CEO Meg Whitman for years, as the company attempts to keep up with the evolving tech space, and 2015 will be no different. In October, HP announced that it will split in two, with its computer and printer business making up one company and its corporate hardware and services operations constituting the other. Whitman said the division will help the two companies respond more quickly to industry changes. Perhaps the coming year will prove her right. Indra Nooyi PepsiCo Activist investor Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management has made PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi's seat especially hot this year by calling on the beverage and snack company to split in two. Nooyi has argued that Pepsi's size as a single entity is an asset in a tough retail market a point strengthened by the food and beverage company's better-than-expected third quarter results. But consumers' evolving eating and drinking habits have prompted Pespsi to make big bets to try to win over a more discerning public. "We are rolling the dice on a lot of new ideas right now," Nooyi said in December. Marissa Mayer Yahoo Since taking over Yahoo in 2012, CEO Marissa Mayer has swapped products in and out of the company's arsenal while scooping up dozens of startups Tumblr, most notably and hiring big-name journalists like Katie Couric. Such moves have failed to revive the Internet company thus far and have instead prompted activist Starboard Value LP to call for its breakup or sale. As if turning the company around wasn't pressure enough, Mayer now has at her disposal bundles of cash from Alibaba's IPO. All eyes are on her to see what she'll do with it. | 3 | 2,056 | finance |
At the young age of 12, Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler has made a name for herself thanks to her moves in Sia's "Chandelier" video. Now she's back for the singer's new video for "Elastic Heart," which finds her caught in a cage with a naked Shia LaBeouf. | 8 | 2,057 | video |
FOX Sports South announcer Bob Rathbun discusses the Atlanta Hawks' ongoing success, potential All-Stars and more in this week's column: 1. The Hawks' magnificent run continues as they rattled off the NBA's best record in December and started January with three straight wins over the Jazz, Trail Blazers and Clippers. Is this team playing the best basketball in the league? That's always hard to say. Things seem to change day by day -- just look at Detroit and what they've done over the past week or so. You'd have to put the Hawks right there near the top of the league, if not at the very top, though. What's been so encouraging for this team is how they've performed on the road, racking up a 12-5 record and going out west and putting wins together, including these past three. The success that the Hawks have had against Western Conference teams is, I think, what gets most people's attention. When you beat the perceived better conference and you do it convincingly and you do it on the road -- that's going to get everyone's attention. Has anything surprised you about this ridiculous first-half start? I think the one thing that has been shocking has been the way that the Hawks have won their games. They haven't won these games at the buzzer. They are simply killing opponents. They've won seven straight road games and have had a double-digit lead in all seven. That's unheard of in the NBA. That, to me, is what's so staggering. They've earned it. They've played well. They are a team, they're together, they're defending like crazy. Their offense has been unstoppable. If they get out of the gate slowly, it doesn't matter. They were down 11-2 early the other night against the Clippers, and by two minutes to go in the first quarter they had the lead. It just doesn't faze them if they get down. They've got great bounce-back ability and just an unshakeable confidence right now. It's one of the greatest rolls in the history of the franchise. 3. Does the success of the Hawks under coach Mike Budenholzer, building off of the long-tenured success of San Antonio's system, signal a change in how teams approach winning in the NBA? Does the sport look like it's becoming team-oriented on a nightly basis? Well, it may. The NBA is a league of copy-cats, but this is the way basketball should be played. This is not a new concept. You go back to the great teams in NBA history -- I mean, how many Hall of Famers were on the Boston Celtics during their incredible run of winning eight straight NBA titles and 11 out of 13 championships? They had Hall of Famers -- not All-Stars, Hall of Famers -- at practically every position and you didn't worry about whose team it was and who was getting the shots and who was getting the points. It was team basketball. That is what the league is returning to. I must say that in today's day and age, this is a fresh concept, because it's not easy to get guys to buy into this system when they have been programmed since birth to be a superstar. The star takes all the shots. The star gets all the responsibility. The star gets paid the big money. It's somewhat programmed by an AAU culture that stardom is more important than team. So yes, this is a little different than what we're seeing on the basketball landscape as a whole. But this is the way basketball is supposed to be played, and if it brings us closer to those times then I'm all for it. Approaching the midseason point, are the Hawks in position to receive some national recognition in the form of accolades and All-Star nods? Yes and yes. I think what Budenholzer has done in coming to Atlanta to install his program certainly deserved league-wide recognition. That system gets sort of labeled with this San Antonio moniker -- and yes, there's some truth to that -- but he's his own man and he has brought his own system. It's offense that really features a lot of triangle principles with his own twists and he's done a great job of adapting to the players available. I think he's been great. I think his staff has done a remarkable job. They lost a key guy in former assistant Quin Snyder, who is now the head coach of the Jazz, and they haven't missed a beat. And yes, the Hawks are going to be rewarded with All-Star nominations and here's why: the Eastern Conference pick the reserves, and not the fans. They know what's going on. When we were in Dallas, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said, "I can see the Hawks coming out of the East." Most people around the country that cover the NBA just sort of rolled their eyes and thought it was just coachspeak. Well, Clippers coach Doc Rivers said before the game Monday night, "I think the Hawks might be the best team in the NBA." When coaches are saying these things, they're not saying it for shock value. They say it because they believe it, because they've got to scheme against them. They've got to come up with a way to stop them and what they're seeing on tape does not lie. To answer the question about All-Stars: I think the Hawks are going to have two. I think Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap will both be on the Eastern Conference team right now because I think it's important you reward winning over statistics. These guys have both, but if you've got to pick between Player A and Player B, pick the guy who's leading your team to wins. Throughout this recent run, is there a player not getting enough recognition on this Hawks team? I think the one guy that has been overlooked coming off the bench, and I don't think he's going to be overlooked for much longer, is Thabo Sefolosha. As a newcomer to the system, it took a while for him to get his feet wet and understand what Budenholzer wanted offensively and defensively. As great a defender as Sefolosha is, now that he's gotten comfortable with the defensive schemes we are watching his play take off. At the offensive end, his shot is coming back, he's got that 3-point touch back and he has been magnificent off the bench. I think that makes the Hawks even better, because they've got a lock-down defender they can bring in the game, a guy that can pick them up offensively. That's been one of the key aspects of this team's success is how good the second unit has been. When you have very little drop-off when the second unit is on the floor, if any at all, that can make you a championship team. I think we're seeing that develop for the Hawks. | 1 | 2,058 | sports |
Sleep Number unveiled its SleepIQ Kids bed at the Consumer Electronics Show and as Mara Montalbano (@maramontalbano) shows us, while it can encourage a more restful night's sleep it doesn't actually put kids to sleep. | 8 | 2,059 | video |
As Jim McElwain prepares to take over as head coach at Florida, Chris Doering joins us to have a look at his supporting cast. Can McElwain have success with this coaching staff? | 1 | 2,060 | sports |
"Fast" and "soup" are two words that don't often go together, but when they do, it's like magic. Sure, many recipes require hours of simmering on the stovetop (or in a slow cooker), but others still can be ready in a weeknight-friendly timeframe. Bust out your best soup spoons, because we've rounded up 10 soups that come together in under an hour, ranging from butternut squash and pumpkin ramen to broccoli-cheddar soup. Source: Cooking for Keeps, Nicole Perry, Alexandra's Kitchen, Top With Cinnamon Creamy Butternut Squash Soup Creamy but not heavy, this pureed butternut squash soup is even tastier the second day, making it a great candidate for leftovers. Photo: Nicole Perry Browse: More soup recipes to inspire Spicy Tomato Soup With Grilled Cheese Croutons If you're particularly short on time, float a handful of Goldfish or Cheez-Its atop this spicy tomato soup instead of the gooey grilled cheese croutons. Photo: Nicole Perry Browse: Grilled cheese recipes to go with your soup Spicy Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Ramen Give ramen a Fall-ready spin by adding a dollop of pumpkin puree and chunks of butternut squash. Source: Cooking for Keeps Related: DIY instant noodles Miso Soup Skip the so-so packet and make supersavory miso soup from scratch . Photo: Anna Monette Roberts Browse: More recipes with miso Chickpea Soup With Garlic Tortilla Triangles With its brothy base, abundance of carrots and celery, and noodles, this cold-busting soup shares much in common with chicken noodle. Where it diverges is by swapping a handful of chickpeas for the poultry, making it vegan-friendly (provided you use vegetable broth). Source: Top With Cinnamon Browse: More recipes with chickpeas Cider-Spiked Butternut Squash Soup Thanks to a few ingenious shortcuts, cider-spiked butternut squash soup can be ready in under 30 minutes. Source: Alexandra's Kitchen Browse: Popular recipes with butternut squash Green Garlic Soup Four types of alliums - green garlic, scallions, leeks, and chives - combine forces for a recipe that's ultrasimple to prepare but never short on flavor. Photo: Nicole Perry Related: Recipes to cook with kids Kale, White Bean, and Meatball Soup This hearty option packs three of our favorite things - kale, meatballs, and white beans - into one brothy, piping-hot bow l. Photo: Nicole Perry Browse: More popular kale recipes Chicken Noodle Soup If you have the extra time, follow the directions in this recipe to cook the chicken from scratch (it'll result in the best flavor). Busy weeknight? Pick up a rotisserie chicken and use that meat instead. Photo: Anna Monette Roberts Related: 60+ recipes to warm kids up during a polar vortex Broccoli-Cheddar Soup Broccoli-cheddar soup can edge into heavy territory but not this lighter, brighter take that gets its creaminess from Greek yogurt. Photo: Anna Monette Roberts Browse: Popular broccoli recipes | 0 | 2,061 | foodanddrink |
20 standouts from Forbes' 30 Under 30 list In the past, youth was a handicap to professional success. Getting older meant more resources, more knowledge, more money. No more. Those who grew up in the tech age see things differently. Their ambitions are way bigger and perfectly suited to the dynamic, entrepreneurial and impatient digital world they grew up in. If you want to change the world, being under 30 is now an advantage. This, our fourth annual celebration of 30 Under 30s, is bigger than ever: 20 categories showcasing 600 millennials no repeats from years past and every single one hand-selected by a blue-ribbon panel of expert judges. Some are names you already know: Blake Lively, James Harden, Iggy Azalea and Michelle Phan. Others are superstars in their own realms, such as Emily Weiss, Sam Altman, Austin McChord, Nat Turner, and Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre. Glossier founder Weiss, 29, went from Vogue assistant moonlighting as a beauty blogger to captaining a $10 million funded ecommerce site backed by the likes of Ken Lerer and Joshua Kushner (30U30 Class of 2012). Altman, 29, is the handpicked successor to Paul Graham, cofounder of Y Combinator, Silicon Valley's premier accelerator. And then there's McChord, 29, founder of $100 million (sales) emergency back up and data protection service Datto, who refused a 9-figure acquisition offer for no other reason than "I loved my job and there was more ground for us to cover." Flatiron Health's 28-year-old cofounder Turner is set on improving cancer outcomes with big data by compiling and analyzing individual doctor-patient interactions as one big cancer trial. To date he's raised $138 million, including $100 million from Google. Bayer and McIntyre, both 29, are the brains behind Ecovative, which uses mushroom-engineered materials for packaging that won't spend 10,000 years decomposing in a landfill buh bye, Styrofoam. How good are we at picking tomorrow's superstars? Virtual reality pioneer Palmer Luckey, 22, this year's cover profile and a member of the Class of 2014, sold his company, Oculus VR, to Facebook in July for $2 billion. Evan Spiegel, 24, and Bobby Murphy, 26, cofounders of Snapchat and 2014′s cover, raised $485 million last year and has a reported valuation of at least $10 billion and that's after turning down a said $3 billion acquisition offer from Facebook in 2013. David Karp, the 28-year-old founder of Tumblr and the previous year's cover, sold his company in 2013 to Yahoo for $1.1 billion. And none have done better than Malala Yousafzi, 17, the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. A walk through of the process: There are 20 categories of 30 people. Nominations poured in from social media (check out our #my30Under30 campaign) and others. Each category was assigned to seasoned FORBES reporters, who researched candidates and worked to vet the finalists with a panel of expert judges in the field, among them billionaires Sara Blakely and Steve Balmer, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, famed restaurateur Danny Meyer, Makerbot CEO Jenny Lawton, David Coleman, CEO of the College Board, and musician Taylor Hansen. Click ahead to see 20 world-beaters aged 30 and under, and then see the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes . The Class of 2015 By The Numbers: 20: Categories 600: Winners 2,500+: Contenders 10,000+: Nominations 84%: College degrees 67%: Zero college debt 36%: Immigrants or first-generation 20%: Married 14: Average age they chose their dream job 12 p.m.: Average bedtime No. 1 dream mentor: Elon Musk No. 1 can't-live-without gadget: iPhone Just 1 word for success: Persistence 30 Under 30 Category: Art & Style Michelle Phan, 27 Founder, ipsy YouTube sensation Michelle Phan's Vietnamese immigrant father was a compulsive gambler who disappeared when she was 6 years old. After her mother's second divorce she was reduced to sleeping on the floor of their cramped apartment. At one point the family was on food stamps. Then, when Phan was 15, she started writing a blog that described the fantasy life she wished she had, with lots of money and plenty of time to get dolled up. In 2007, in response to a query from two readers who asked how she did her makeup, she made a seven-minute how-to video and posted it on YouTube. "I didn't think anyone would watch it but those two girls," she says. Instead, 40,000 views a week poured in, with followers hungry for tips like how to make a facial mask out of unscented organic kitty litter. In 2012, her Internet popularity exploding, she started ipsy, a subscription cosmetics company that's expected to yield $120 million in revenues in 2015. She's also got a line of makeup at L'Oréal, a music venture that promotes artists on social media and a deal with reality-TV giant Endemol for an online lifestyle channel. "I feel like this is just the beginning," she says. See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Education Alex Klein, 24 Cofounder, Kano Teaching kids how to code is a hot topic -- and a personal challenge for Alex Klein. In 2012 his then-6-year-old cousin, Micah, dared Klein to invent a computer kit that's as simple and fun to build and LEGOs. That ask became an obsession and turned into Kano, a DIY hacker toy based on a small computer board called Raspberry Pi. Illustrated storybook guides show kids how to design games like Pong and Snake, hack Minecraft and create websites, music, art and more. Klein and his cofounders took to Kickstarter in November 2013 looking to raise $100,000 in 30 days and wound up getting that much in just 16 hours. By the end of the campaign they had raised $1.5 million from backers in 86 countries, including Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak and Kickstarter CEO Yancey Strickler, and to date have shipped more than 20,000 of the $150 kits around the world. "We want to put the power to create technology in anyone's hands," says Klein. "This generation just wants to pull the pieces together, build something cool and express themselves." See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Energy Brennan Potts, 29 Cofounder, Titanium Exploration Partners Even with oil prices plummeting, fracking remains a boom industry, especially in South Texas' energy rich Eagle Ford Shale, where wily operators can extract oil for as little as $40 per barrel. That opportunity has attracted a fresh generation of energy entrepreneurs like Brennan Potts, who teamed up with two older oil & gas veterans to form Titanium Exploration Partners in 2014. The firm has raised $300 million in private equity funding (fracking is capital intensive) and amassed interests in over 25,000 acres and 100 wells. Potts splits his time between evaluating new investments and managing the drilling on the properties that Titanium already owns. "We started this company in my home in Dallas and actually invested our first $20 million off my kitchen table." Before Titanium, Potts worked in business development at Valor Petroleum and at Upland Oil & Gas, where he worked on a deal to acquire drilling rights on 39 million acres in Peru. "Any success that I've enjoyed to date has been because people have believed in my ability early in my career." See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Finance Ryan Israel, 29 Partner, Pershing Square Capital Management On a Friday afternoon in 2008, Israel was a sitting at his desk at Goldman Sachs when he received a call out of the blue from Scott Ferguson, then a deputy at billionaire activist investor William Ackman's hedge fund, about an opening at Pershing Square. Israel soon met Ackman, and the two bonded over their love of Warren Buffett and value investing. "Bill was the first person I met who knew more about Buffett and was more in love with Buffett than even I was," says Israel. The Wharton-educated Israel was a key player in Pershing Square's home-run investment in Burger King and represents the $18 billion hedge fund firm on the board of Platform Specialty Products, the publicly traded specialty chemicals producer. What's it like working for one of the most high-profile and combative hedge fund managers on the planet? "We have arguments even when we agree," says Israel. See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Food & Drink Jason Wang, 28 Founder, Caviar While working in San Francisco's financial district one day in 2012, Jason Wang and his colleagues found themselves craving Ike's Place sandwiches for lunch. Problem was, Ike's doesn't deliver and the trip across town and back would have taken a couple of hours. "We asked ourselves, why can't the good restaurants deliver?" Wang, recalls. "Why is it the mediocre and generic pizza, Thai, Indian restaurants on every single delivery website?" With this thought, Caviar was born: A premium food delivery service that brings a city's best cuisine to your doorstep for a flat fee of $4.99 think Má Pêche in NYC or Michael Solomonov's Federal Donuts in Philadelphia. After raising $15 million in venture capital from elite outfits like Tiger Global and Andreesen Horowitz, Wang's site was acquired by Jack Dorsey's Square for $90 million last August. That cash has fueled further expansion: Caviar now operates in 15 cities across the country and has grown from 10 to 110 employees in the last 12 months. See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Games Jeffrey Rosen, 28 Cofounder, Humble Bundle If asking customers to "pay what you want" seems like a good way to kill a business, then telling them "don't give us a penny" sounds like suicide. But Jeffrey Rosen's digital game store does just that and it's making money and saving the world in the process. When Humble Bundle started selling collections of low-budget "indie" PC games in 2010, it invited customers to name their price and to specify how the payment should be divided, between creator, store and a pre-selected charity. "We let people give it all to charity if they like," says Rosen, "so they trust us and feel good about their purchase." Now the company's also selling games for major publishers including Electronic Arts and Warner Brothers, expanding into music and audiobooks, and has received more than $4.5 million in backing from Sequoia Capital, SV Angel and Y Combinator. Best of all: In December, the company announced it has raised more than $50 million for charity over the last four years. "That's when it really clicks," says Rosen. "It's like 'Wow, we've done something really good.'" See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Healthcare Nat Turner, 28 Cofounder, Flatiron Health Vital medical data is often handwritten in charts using inconsistent notation and formatting, robbing researchers of the opportunity to use computers to analyze every interaction between a doctor and a patient as they would in a clinical trial. Tackling this problem is Nat Turner, a born entrepreneur who sold an earlier company to Google for a reported $81 million. Turner and his cofounder, Zach Weinberg, started two companies together prior to Flatiron: an online food delivery service and Invite Media, an Internet advertising concern (the one Google bought). But "Zach and I's heart wasn't in online advertising," says Turner. Improving cancer care seems a worthier cause. Doctors pay to use the data analytics system, but the big revenue will come from selling what Flatiron learns to drug concerns and insurers. The company has raised $138 million from backers, including $100 million from Google. See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Hollywood & Entertainment Blake Lively, 27 Actor-founder, Preserve As a kid, Lively idolized Martha Stewart, and hoped to create her own lifestyle brand one day. But when a starring role in "Gossip Girl" came along when she was 19, Lively deferred her entrepreneurial dreams to chase the spotlight. Seven years later, Lively has established herself as one of the brightest stars in Hollywood, and she's looking to leverage that fame into business success, launching her first web site, Preserve, last summer. Taking a page from Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop playbook, Preserve sells clothes, food and home goods that reflect Lively's taste in U.S.-made artisanal goods, crafts and foods. "I have the unfair advantage of having an existing brand," she says. Preserve is no hobby for Lively: The actress is personally involved in everything from uploading photos to raising money. Her mantra: Don't stop striving. "I'll never feel like I arrived. The people I look up to the most are the people that are continuing to up their game." See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Law & Policy Daniel Lewis, 28 Cofounder, Ravel Law Lawyers spend some 30% of their time (much more if they are junior associates at a big firm) researching prior cases, looking for ways to make their arguments more persuasive. And for decades the estimated $10 billion-a-year legal research market was dominated by two huge players: Westlaw and LexisNexis, neither of which had much incentive to innovate. Enter Daniel Lewis. While in law school at Stanford, Lewis realized that the existing research tools for lawyers were antiquated and ill-suited for the Google-generation. Along with his cofounder, Nik Reed, Lewis raised nearly $10 million in venture capital and launched Ravel, which uses data-visualization and open-source case data to speed and improve the research process. After only two years on the market, the tool is already being used at about half of the nation's biggest law firms and the top 20 law schools - and has particularly taken off at elite law-schools like Harvard, Yale and Berkeley. "We've seen great enthusiasm from the up-and-coming generation of new associates and lawyers -- this helps folks do the kind of lawyering they wanted to do when they joined the law profession to start with." See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Manufacturing & Industry Eben Bayer, 29 Cofounder, Ecovative Growing green packaging material out of mushrooms might seem like the stuff of science fiction, but it's exactly what Eben Bayer is doing at Ecovative. Bayer cofounded the company in 2010 with his friend Gavin McIntyre, whom he met while they were both studying mechanical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. Since then Ecovative has raised over $14 million in funding, and its 65 employees already produce packaging for companies like Dell and Steelcase. The process involves using agricultural waste to grow mushrooms and, more important, their binding vegetative roots known as mycelium in mold for 96 to 120 hours. The resulting material is tough enough to keep your laptop safe during shipping but won't spend 10,000 years decomposing in a landfill. Best of all, the mushroom stuff costs the same even less than traditional Styrofoam. "We don't go into a situation with a customer unless we can match their pricing or do better," Bayer says. "That's how you're going to get real scale and have real impact." Next: mushroom-engineered materials that can be used to make cheap furniture sans the formaldehyde and other nasty chemicals in traditional pressboard. See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Marketing & Advertising Jan Rezab, 27 Cofounder, Socialbakers In its early days, Facebook felt like the Wild West to marketers. The avalanche of consumer eyeballs to the site was tantalizing, but it was tough to make sense of it as a branding opportunity or measure the effectiveness of advertising efforts on the social network. Jan Rezab wanted to bring order to that chaos. "We started Socialbakers because we saw a huge potential in Facebook," says Rezab of his six-year-old social-media analytics company that has amassed more than $34 million in venture funding. The Prague-based company, which helps brands monitor their impact on social media, has the largest social-media data pool of any social analytics company. It has more than 300 employees, 11 offices worldwide and 2,500 clients, including Nestle, Lenovo and Western Union. The company, valued at $200 million, doubled revenues in 2014 -- although it remains unprofitable. Socialbakers is Rezab's second company; he started his first, mobile-games business Redboss, at age 14. "I wanted to live my life fast and figure things out early," said Rezab. "I'm just a person striving for speed. It's in my DNA, it's in everything I do. I watch movies at two times the speed; don't ask me why. Over time, your brain just adapts." See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Media Danielle Weisberg, 28 & Carly Zakin, 28 Cofounders, theSkimm Oprah is a subscriber, Sarah Jessica Parker reads it, and they are not alone: Over one million people, 20% of whom are men, receive theSkimm's "news you need to know" in their inbox every morning. Weisberg and Zakin met while studying abroad in Rome; when they reconnected at NBC News after graduation they noticed they were serving as "information concierges" to educated friends who didn't have time to follow current events. Frustrated by the lack of a future they saw for themselves in the news business they loved, and puzzled no one was appealing to their generation, the two quit their jobs and three days later sent their first Skimm. Four days after that Hoda Kotb mentioned the site on the Today Show and Zakin's inbox crashed. In the past year they've raised an additional $6.25 million, increased their staff to eight and partnered with Oprah.com. "Our goal is to make news a lifestyle brand," says Zakin, noting the newsletter is just the first part. Who are they still hoping to sign up? Says Weisberg: "Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, and every candidate running for election in 2016." See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Music Tyler Hubbard. 27 & Brian Kelley, 29 Musicians, Florida Georgia Line Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley perform the same ritual before every concert they gather friends, family, band and crew into a circle, then say a prayer and a chant before adding one final flourish. "We usually take a shot of Fireball," says Hubbard. Adds Kelley: "Saturday night, maybe another shot." Why? Because as one of the duo's songs goes: "It'z Just What We Do." Over the past three years Florida Georgia Line and its boozy, genre-bending brand of country has propelled it from utter anonymity to mainstream stardom. Hubbard and Kelley met at Belmont University in Nashville, bonding over their love of country, rock and rap; they quickly launched a band named after the geographical boundary between their home states. Their smash single "Cruise" moved 8 million units in barely two years en route to becoming the most-downloaded country song of all time and helped them earn $24 million last year thanks partly to a remix featuring rapper Nelly. Their new album Anything Goes, with its rock and reggae-tinged songs, sold 197,000 copies its opening week. "Country's more of a lifestyle," says Kelley. "The music's always going to evolve." See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Retail & Ecommerce Emily Weiss, 29 Founder, Glossier The former Vogue and W Magazine fashion assistant and NYU grad started beauty blog Into The Gloss as a side project in 2010, working on it from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. before her day job. It quickly blossomed from sceney favorite to genuine must-read, generating some 10 million page views a month -- and, crucially, a cult following -- 60% of readers check in almost daily. After three years interviewing celebs and fashionistas about their beauty habits and testing a heap of products, Weiss discovered a huge gap in the (old-fashioned and rife for disruption) beauty market: stuff that feels luxurious without being frou-frou, and is accessible and affordable. After raising $2 million and hiring folks from Index Ventures, Google and cosmetics giant MAC, Weiss launched Glossier in October, a direct-to-consumer line of beauty products that, she says, "You'll want to be friends with." A month after launching her first collection of useful, prettily packaged and inexpensive creams and balms, Weiss announced Glossier had raised an additional $8.4 million in a Series A round led by Thrive Capital and existing investors including Lerer Hippeau, Forerunner Ventures and Bonobos' Andy Dunn to scale up. See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Science Nevada Sanchez, 26 Cofounder, Butterfly Network When he was 10 and growing up in New Mexico, Nevada Sanchez told his parents, a florist and a drywaller, that he wanted to start a technology company when he grew up. They told him to go to MIT. Eight years later, he did just that, and while still an undergrad started working in the laboratory of Max Tegmark, a physicist who designed radio telescopes. Tegmark was approached by Jonathan Rothberg, one of the creators of next-generation DNA sequencing. Rothberg wanted to use the radio telescope tech to create ultrasound devices that could image the body more accurately and, eventually, use sound waves to perform surgery. "The opportunity was there and I thought I would go for it," Sanchez says. He became employee number one at Butterfly Network, which has raised $100 million in seed funding and whose first device should hit the market next year. See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Social Entrepreneurs Kiah Williams, 28 Cofounder, SIRUM It's outrageous: Every year $5 billion worth of unexpired prescription medicine in the U.S. is destroyed unopened, usually by hospitals and nursing homes when the patient they were originally prescribed for dies or otherwise no longer needs the meds. Meanwhile, some 50 million Americans don't fill their prescriptions, usually because the drugs cost too much. After the passage of so-called Good Samaritan laws (now on the books in some 40 states) made donations of unused medications legally viable starting in the mid-2000s, Kiah Williams left the Clinton Foundation to team up with her fellow Stanford grads Adam Kircher and George Wang to develop SIRUM (Supporting Initiatives to Redistribute Unused Medicine). The non-profit currently works with 12 healthcare sites (largely in California, but also in Colorado and Oregon) and has so-far distributed $3 million worth of meds to some 20,000 patients. "We're like the Match.com for unused drugs." Next-up: national expansion. See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Sports James Harden, 25 Shooting guard, Houston Rockets As a chubby teenager with asthma, James Harden knew his NBA dream was a "long shot." But the future superstar forced himself to get up early before school to jack up shots in the gym and lift weights. That work eventually earned Harden a scholarship to Arizona State, where he played for two years before being drafted third overall in 2009 by the Oklahoma City Thunder. More than five years later, Harden is living out his fantasy, now as the starting shooting guard for the Houston Rockets with an Olympic gold medal to his name. "Most of the days I didn't want to get up, it was too early," he says, looking back at his teenage years when he was unknown and, yes, beardless. "But I had to, and it definitely paid off." Today, Harden is one of the league's most likeable--and marketable--players, complete with prodigious facial hair and a quirky fashion sense. His on-court talent earned him a five-year, $80 million contract extension in 2012, while his off-court charisma has led to endorsements with Nike, Foot Locker and sports drink company BodyArmor. "Sometimes you're just born and gifted with something," he says of his eccentricities. "The beard, the mohawk, the way I dress, it's just instilled in me." See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Consumer Technology Alan Schaaf, 27 Founder, Imgur Alan Schaaf hated the tedious process of sharing images on the Web. In 2009, as a student at Ohio University, he built a simple uploader, Imgur, in two weeks and shared with the Reddit community. It was a hit. Today Imgur is the biggest image platform on the Internet, attracting 150 million unique visitors and 5.5 billion page views a month. "Imgur is now a staple of the Internet," says Schaaf. "We get people sucked in we're the best place to explore the Internet's images." For five years Schaaf bootstrapped the platform, paying the bills with display ads before raising $40 million from Andreessen Horowitz in April 2014. This year Schaaf will focus on native ads and working directly with brands to help them create content. "Imgur gives you a sense of serendipity," says Schaaf. "You unexpectedly come across something you weren't looking for, but glad you've found it." See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Enterprise Technology Austin McChord, 29 Founder, Datto Do you love your work enough to pass up a 9-figure payday? That's the question Austin McChord had to answer when an established security firm offered to buy him out (at the time he was the company's sole shareholder) for more than $100 million. "I said no because there's more ground for us to cover," McChord explains. "I loved my job and the people working at the company." Datto provides emergency back-up and data protection services to large firms who trust it to get them back online - fast. When Hurricane Sandy took down a New York City-area high-frequency trading firm, Datto had them back online in a matter of minutes and it claims it can restore IT-services in a matter of seconds now. That speed and reliability has translated into spectacular growth: the seven-year old firm is profitable, nudging $100 million in sales and has more than 330 employees. Last year, McChord took his first outside funding, $25 million from GeneralCatalyst, looking to tap its expertise and "play for real." See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes 30 Under 30 Category: Venture Capital Sam Altman, 29 President, Y Combinator Since the legendary computer programmer and entrepreneur Paul Graham founded Y Combinator along with 3 others) in 2005, the accelerator has funded and coached more than 730 start-ups. Nearly thirty of those firms now have market valuations in excess of $100 million and some (Dropbox, Airbnb, Stripe) are worth billions. So when Graham decided he wasn't the right person to continue to grow Y Combinator, some were surprised that his handpicked successor wasn't a name-brand venture capitalist or superstar entrepreneur, but a hyper-kinetic, virtually unknown 20-something named Sam Altman. Altman a Y Combinator grad himself who built and sold (for $43.4 million) a moderately successful location-based services company called Loopt officially took over the accelerator in February and has big plans to expand the number of companies in the program by a factor of 10 over the next decade. "We want to have an impact. It's cool that you can make a list of the problems in the world and then fund companies to solve them." See the complete 30 under 30 package at Forbes | 3 | 2,062 | finance |
The 2015 Power List 2015 Power List The most influential people in the automotive industry are not only the CEOs. Certainly, the top person at any company is vitally important. They run the business part of the auto industry, after all, and we've seen what happens when an automaker loses focus or makes poor decisions. However, the motors that drive the industry are the designers and engineers, the folks who create tomorrow's cars and shape the future of the automotive landscape. No 12-year-old boy tapes a picture of Sergio Marchionne or Martin Winterkorn to his bedroom wall. That boy ogles 911s and Corvettes and Hellcats, all of which are at the top of their game in 2015. It's the cars that matter to him. It's the cars that matter to us. There are, of course, agitators and provocateurs in the auto industry, those who go against conventional wisdom and chart a new course that others eventually follow. They are important, too, as their ideas and actions challenge the industry to rethink its conception of design or powertrains or what customers want as opposed to what they need. Then there are the outsiders, people not from the auto industry but whose views and actions directly impact it, making their influence equally important, whether they are regulating emissions or inspiring people and furthering car culture. Everyone plays a role, and the 50 most influential earn a spot on our 2015 Power List. 50. Michael Horn CEO, Volkswagen of America 2014 Rank: 44 Although VW appears to be going gangbusters around the world, sales have fallen off in America. That turf is Horn's, who has been at the helm of Volkswagen of America for the past year. The new COTYwinning Golf should help, but Horn needs VW to find some new crossovers quick, or it'll be time to dust off the resume. 49. Stefano Domenicali Audi 2014 Rank: Not Ranked The former Ferrari Formula 1 boss recently moved to Audi to work in "service and mobility," Audi says. But it's clear Domenicali was brought on to help bring Audi up to speed for F1 racing by 2016. He has just been tapped to head the FIA's Single-Seater Commission, which organizes the ladder of formula racing up to but excluding Formula 1. In his new role, Domenicali's primary responsibility will be developing young open-wheel racing talent. What better position to be in for Audi's F1 future? 48. Håkan Samuelsson President and CEO, Volvo Car Group 2014 Rank: Not Ranked The goals for Volvo are clear: Hit 100,000 unit sales in the U.S. by 2016 and 800,000 sales around the globe by 2020. If Samuelsson can deliver, his Chinese owner, Geely, should change his title to Jim Phelps, the original man to run "Mission: Impossible." But a slew of new cars coming and no real marketing budget are just two of many problems this Swedish brand known for safety is going to have to overcome. 47. Ken Block Hoonigan Racing - Professional Driver 2014 Rank: Not Ranked No one can get America more excited about non-NASCAR motorsports than Ken Block. Although he's pretty good at rally racing (in its latest stadium-and-social-media-friendly incarnation, Global Rally Cross), he's even better at promoting it and his auto/outlaw image. Block's annual stuntastic Gymkhana mini-features are as close to guaranteed viral as they come. Why? The driving, for sure, but the machines he jumps into are simply incredible, including his latest, an 850-horsepower AWD 1965 Mustang. 46. Yoshinori Asahi Honda - Designer 2014 Rank: Not Ranked For Honda, the Fit and the NSX fall on opposite ends of the spectrum. One shows how far the engineer-first company can stretch its imagination and performance abilities, and the other must relay those same characteristics for less than $20,000. And there's a reason Asahi has helped design both of them. He's just that good. 45. Tetsuo Iwamura President and CEO, America Honda 2014 Rank: 46 Under Iwamura's leadership, Honda is poised to experience continued growth in the U.S. With the Takata airbag recall rocking the boat a bit, new vehicles, such as the CR-V, Motor Trend's SUV of the Year , and the soon-to-be-released HR-V small crossover, should help calm the waters. 44. Dave Zuchowski CEO Hyundai Motor America 2014 Rank: Not Ranked After talking the helm of Hyundai Motor America on January 1, Zuchowski has seen tepid growth of the Korean-based carmaker in the U.S. Perhaps the new Sonata and Genesis sedans will help spur lagging car sales. If not, Zuchowski's tenure at the head of Hyundai in America will be short-lived. 43. Harald Krüger BMW CEO 2014 Rank: Not Ranked Krüger takes control of BMW in May, replacing Norbert Reithofer. The former head of personnel and sales for Mini and Rolls-Royce, Krüger, a mechanical engineer by trade, has a well-rounded resume to lead BMW, including helping construct BMW's factory in South Carolina. He has been on BMW's management board since 2008. 42. Thomas Doll Subaru of America President and COO 2014 Rank: 40 Few brands have seen the success Subaru has in America. Doll, who became president of Subaru of America in 2013, has helped create the 10th-largest brand in America. Subaru outsells GMC, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz and hit sales of more than 500,000 units in 2014, a year ahead of Doll's own forecast. The challenge will be continuing 20-percent sales increases year over year. 41. Matthias Müller Porsche CEO 2014 Rank: 25 Porsche's sales growth continues to outpace the auto industry and even its luxury counterparts. Müller's leadership has helped provide the steady hand that brought the popular Macan. In 2015, a refreshed 911 will add to the brand's growing appeal. 40. Jerry Seinfeld 2014 Rank: Not Ranked The comedian icon of the '90s has become a cult car connoisseur with his recent web series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee." Each episode stars a classic car and a comedian who makes Seinfeld laugh. Perhaps it's a way to show off his $15 million car collection, but it also passes along the love of cars to another generation. 39. Shiro Nakamura Nissan - Senior Vice President, Design and Chief Creative Officer 2014 Rank: Not Ranked Nissan's senior vice president of design continues to push dramatic styles into concept (Infiniti Q80 Inspiration) and production (2015 Murano) vehicles. He will be the force to translate those dramatic design cues throughout Nissan's lineup as the carmaker begins to outpace some of its closest competition in America. 38. Ian Callum Jaguar - Director of Design 2014 Rank: 34 Jaguar's renaissance started with Callum's pen. The F-Type marks an important new chapter. Next year, the XE arrives in all of its sumptuousness. Then a new XF is expected to come out, as well. These striking vehicles should push Jaguar's profile even higher throughout the world. 37. Dennis Williams UAW President 2014 Rank: Not Ranked The newly elected UAW president already has his work cut out for him. Volkswagen workers in Tennessee barely rejected joining the UAW, and other foreign carmakers have resisted UAW overtures. Once one of the strongest unions in the world, the UAW must create inroads into more plants or find itself becoming even weaker in the future. 36. Gina McCarthy Environmental Protection Agency - Administrator 2014 Rank: Not Ranked No government agency in the U.S. strikes more fear into the hearts of automakers than the EPA, which regulates automotive tailpipe emissions in order to help curb pollution and increase efficiency. A change in regulation can cost carmakers billions. In the coming years, the EPA hopes to alter the composition of gasoline, demand higher mileage from vehicles, and impose other regs that will hold carmakers' feet to the fire. 35. Mike Manley Environmental Protection Agency - Administrator 2014 Rank: Not Ranked No government agency in the U.S. strikes more fear into the hearts of automakers than the EPA, which regulates automotive tailpipe emissions in order to help curb pollution and increase efficiency. A change in regulation can cost carmakers billions. In the coming years, the EPA hopes to alter the composition of gasoline, demand higher mileage from vehicles, and impose other regs that will hold carmakers' feet to the fire. 34. Barb Samardzich Ford - COO Europe 2014 Rank: 50 Although European sales continue to underperform for all carmakers, Samardzich's career path does not appear to have the same ups and downs. Heading up Ford Europe's operations adds to her resume of important management and engineering positions held worldwide, and she remains a key executive ready for bigger challenges ahead. 33. Stephen Odell Ford - Executive Vice President, Global Marketing, Sales and Service 2014 Rank: Not Ranked Swapping his Ford position of president, Europe, Middle East, and Africa with Jim Farley, Odell moves into a critical position to maintain Ford's growth. It also moves him to Dearborn, where he will have the direct attention of CEO Mark Fields. 32. Gerry McGovern Land Rover Design Director 2014 Rank: Not Ranked Land Rover continues its design rebirth under the influence of McGovern's pen. Sales for the brand have continued to climb as it rolls out beautiful new products such as the Discovery Sport and Discovery. In the coming years, the refreshed Range Rover Evoque and Sport will arrive, enhancing an extremely well-done lineup. 31. Jim Lentz Toyota CEO North America 2014 Rank: Not Ranked Lentz, a 33-year veteran at Toyota, has done a fantastic job continuing Toyota's sales growth and overseeing the resurgence of the company's luxury brand, Lexus. Now, Lentz must ensure successful launches of the next-gen Prius and Tacoma, as well as convince his Southern California-based staff that relocating to the company's new headquarters in Plano, Texas, will be worth the trip. 30. Tomomi Nakamura CEO Subaru of America 2014 Rank: Not Ranked Subaru's transition of CEOs in North America appears to be seamless; the company increased U.S. sales in 2014 by 21 percent. With a new WRX, Legacy, and Outback in the lineup, not to mention a refreshed Impreza, Nakamura, who replaced Takeshi Tachimori in April, should expect the company's growth to continue. 29. Adrian Lund Insurance Institute Highway Safety President 2014 Rank: 35 When everyone passes a test, it's time to change the test. The IIHS did so two years ago after studying what kinds of accidents Americans were still dying in. That began IIHS' small overlap frontal crash test. Because an IIHS approval is so important to consumers, it's also important to carmakers. It may take years to see how many lives were saved from this additional test, but it won't take as long to see how many cars are sold based on test ratings. 28. Adrian van Hooydonk BMW Chief Designer 2014 Rank: 33 BMW has an offering for nearly everyone, and van Hooydonk signs off on all of those designs. As the brand continues to expand, van Hooydonk will have to continue to stretch the consumer's imagination. The i3 and i8 show how far those designs can go, but the biggest test will come in 2015: the 7 Series. 27. Johan de Nysschen Cadillac President 2014 Rank: 31 It appears de Nysschen has a plan for Cadillac. Shortly after he left Infiniti, Cadillac announced it would move its headquarters to New York City. GM's luxury brand has fallen short in sales, and de Nysschen's radical approach might just serve as the jolt needed to hit the restart button. Of course, there are other problems still to sort out, such as future crossovers, the flailing ELR, and defining a new flagship. We recommend losing those alphanumeric names. 26. Michael Mauer Porsche Chief Designer 2014 Rank: 37 Porsche's chief designer continues to push the look of future Porsches, the Macan being the most recent and dramatic. Those vehicles will certainly help Porsche grow. Next year the 911 will undergo a "minor" refresh, but we all know that if you're changing the 911, there's nothing minor about it. 25. Li Shufu Geely Chairman 2014 Ranking: Not Ranked Shufu saved Volvo and now has Geely ready to start selling cars outside of China. Ultimately, that will mean America, where Geely has started a design studio to study Western style. It is only a matter of time before a Chinese carmaker enters the U.S. market -- and we suspect it could be Geely. 24. Takanobu Ito Honda President, CEO 2014 Rank: 22 As Honda struggles with recalls, many because of faulty Takata airbags, its top officials have said the company has faltered and might not reach its goal of 6 million vehicles sold during its fiscal year. That jibes with Ito being called out by two Honda chiefs, saying the company needs to refocus on quality. Recalls aside, Honda has started to show signs of life again with its crossovers and cars, especially the new CR-V, Motor Trend's SUV of the Year. Meanwhile, Acura remains a work in progress and unable to gain much traction. 23. Chung Mong-Koo Hyundai Chairman 2014 Rank: 13 The Korean-based carmaker has struggled this past year in some regions, though it expects to top 8 million worldwide sales between Hyundai and its sister company, Kia. However, the chairman put down $10 billion for a chunk of land to build a new headquarters instead of spending that money on R&D, causing the company's stock to drop. 22. Walter de Silva Head of Volkswagen Group Design 2014 Rank: 9 With eight car brands, three truck brands, and one motorcycle brand under his authority, de Silva's influence can be seen on nearly every street corner around the world. From the Golf to the 911 to the Flying Spur, his vehicles possess elegance and sophistication. A future generation of car designers will draw inspiration from them for years to come. 21. Moray Callum Ford Vice President, Design 2014 Rank: 30 Ford's top designer must oversee all of Ford's work and has proven worthy of the task with the launch of the F-150 and Mustang, two of Ford's most iconic vehicles. Meanwhile, as he settles into his position, Callum will still have to see new life driven into Lincoln while maintaining success of the Ford brand. 20. Robert Hegbloom Ram CEO 2014 Ranking: Not Ranked Named to lead the Ram brand in August, Hegbloom is the consummate truck guy. He's a natural fit to head Ram, which just so happens to be the fastest-growing truck brand in the U.S., with a total volume approaching 450,000 units for 2014. Maintaining that performance will be difficult, but not impossible. 19. Ed Welburn General Motors Vice President of Global Design 2014 Rank: 17 Welburn has helped guide GM into a design revival with such offerings as the Corvette Z06 and the Colorado, Motor Trend's Truck of the Year . He has also committed all of the brands to improving interiors. The work of his teams has not gone unnoticed. 18. Herbert Diess Head of Volkswagen Brand 2014 Rank: Not Ranked The former head of BMW's development has moved to the VW Group to lead the company's core brand. When he takes the reins directly from Winterkorn, Diess will become one of the select few rumored to be a viable replacement for Winterkorn as CEO. 17. Tadge Juechter Chevrolet Corvette Chief Engineer 2014 Rank: 48 Juechter has delivered the best Corvette Stingray and Z06 the world has ever seen. Although the C7 was impressive, the Z06 is the only car in the world that offers million-dollar performance for $80,000. The only question for Juechter now: What can he deliver next? Our guess: mid-engine. 16. Tobias Moers Mercedes-AMG Chief Executive 2014 Rank: Not Ranked Moers' work at AMG has continued to redefine luxury-sport machines and Mercedes-Benz. This self-styled Swabian woodsman is the engineering force behind AMG's coveted Black Series cars. His next big test will be the Mercedes-AMG GT, which launches in 2015. This front-engine, twin-turbocharged V-8 will go head to head with the Porsche 911. 15. Raj Nair Ford Chief Technical Officer, Global Product Development 2014 Rank: 24 Having successfully launched the Mustang and all-new aluminum F-150, Nair continues to push his teams for innovation, technology, and new products. For example, the incredible work behind Ford's new 5.2-liter flat-plane-crank V-8. It's 500-plus horsepower of surprise, and a very welcome surprise at that. 14. Thomas Weber Mercedes - Board member, Head of Research and Car Development 2014 Rank: 16 Mercedes continues to outpace many of its competitors with refined technology and safety features. Just look at the S-Class and its impact on the rest of Mercedes' lineup. Mercedes is also working on a self-driving car, much like everyone else, but no one else has Weber working with them. That could make all the difference in the world. 13. Cyrus Pallonji Mistry Tata Chairman 2014 Rank: Not Ranked As Tata Motors looks to regain ground in its homeland, India, it must also continue with its aggressive plans to build up Land Rover and Jaguar. Mistry took over for the charismatic Ratan Tata at the end of 2012 as only the second leader from outside the family in the company's nearly 150 years. 12. Elon Musk Tesla CEO 2014 Rank: 29 Musk made three big moves last year: He opened up Tesla's patents on EV technology, announced an even higher-tech dual motor for the Model S, and broke ground on a multibillion dollar lithium-ion "Gigafactory" in Nevada. But the next few years will determine Musk's real power in the automotive world. If Tesla can successfully launch the Model X crossover and build an affordable electric car (less than $40,000) with a range of more than 200 miles, Musk might reach his 500,000 vehicles by 2020 and change the world. If not, he still has SpaceX. 11. Mark Fields Ford CEO 2014 Rank: 5 Since taking over for the famed Alan Mulally, Fields has continued the One Ford vision, perhaps to the company's detriment. Without a true premium brand, Ford is losing ground. Premium brands only make up 10 to 12 percent of total global sales, but they deliver half of the global profits, and Ford's Lincoln badge remains wounded and ineffective. Under his watch, Ford has launched the aluminum F-150 and revived the Mustang GT350. But Lincoln remains in the midst of a makeover. How Ford handles Lincoln -- and China -- will be Fields' legacy. 10. Ferdinand Piëch Volkswagen Chairman 2014 Rank: 7 VW's largest stockholder collects brands the way other people collect stamps. He brought Ducati into the VW fold and last year was rumored to consider a merger with Fiat that envisioned VW taking the reins of Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram. Piëch might have moved more to the background at VW, but do not underestimate his influence behind the scenes. 9. Peter Schreyer Hyundai/Kia Design Chief 2014 Rank: 8 Schreyer is the most influential designer in the world. Now that he will head both Kia and Hyundai design, expectations should rise for both brands. Already, we've seen how Hyundai's fluidic sculpture 2.0 on the Sonata and Genesis has refined both vehicles. Up next will be the Hyundai Elantra and the groundbreaking Kia Optima. 8. Mark Reuss General Motors - Vice President, Global Product Development, Purchasing, and Supply Chain 2014 Rank: 10 A driving force behind GM's recent product revival, Reuss is willing to take chances on vehicles such as the Colorado, Motor Trend's Truck of the Year, and the Corvette Z06, a sub-six-figure supercar. But it's a thankless job, as he will only be as good as the next vehicle. Down the road that includes a Cadillac flagship, a third-gen Chevy Equinox, and GM's popular Lambda crossovers, the Traverse, Acadia, and Enclave. 7. Dieter Zetsche Mercedes-Benz Chairman 2014 Rank: 26 Mercedes' growth continues to outpace other luxury brands as the company adds more vehicles to its lineup and improves the overall quality of its newest offerings. The carmaker has also redefined how it will name cars in the future, simplifying the nomenclature for global consumers. The S-Class (by any name) is an incredible machine. But so are all of Mercedes' latest offerings, all the way down to the CLA. The automaker's outlook remains strong. 6. Carlos Ghosn Renault/Nissan Chairman, CEO 2014 Rank: 23 Running multiple car companies at the same time has its ups and downs. Currently, however, it appears things are on the upswing. Nissan has shown resilience in sales with many of its new products and remains just a few thousand vehicles from unseating Honda as America's No. 4 brand. Ghosn has also remained committed to electric vehicle sales. All told, Nissan and Renault have sold more than 200,000 EVs in four years, roughly 58 percent of the market. 5. Ulrich Hackenberg Volkswagen - Board Member/Head of Research and Development 2014 Ranking: 6 Hackenberg does more than see into the future of what cars will become -- he creates it. Few people have as much influence on the way cars will look, act, and perform as Hackenberg. Electric turbos, autonomous driving, hydrogen fuel cells: Hackenberg understands and promotes them all. His genius seems limited by only the laws of physics, and even those he seems to bend. 4. Akio Toyoda Toyota Motor Company - President and CEO 2014 Rank: 2 While other carmakers strive to take the No. 1 spot for global sales, Toyoda has kept it year over year. Toyoda has staved off others with a good offense and a strong cadence of vehicle introductions. In 2014, Toyota said it was going to double down on its engines and focus more on turbocharging and direct injection, which should allow it to reclaim its fuel-sipping reputation, but Lexus remains a challenge as the luxury brand struggles with its identity. Outlook: Toyota continues to move forward with vehicles consumers want. Americans eagerly await the new Prius due at the end of 2015. 3. Sergio Marchionne Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Chairman, CEO 2014 Rank: 4 No one has done more this year than Marchionne. He finalized the Chrysler sale, successfully merged it with Fiat, and took the family public, creating a Dutch-based car company with a global headquarters in London and roots in Italy and America. Now Marchionne will spin off Ferrari and nearly $1 billion of debt while continuing to build up all the brands and the new stock, which continues to rise in value. 2. Mary Barra General Motors CEO 2014 Ranking: 3 Why she's No. 2: Few leaders start their job testifying in front of a contentious Congress, but that's what Barra faced. She took over for Daniel Akerson in January, began a recall of millions of vehicles in February, and headed to Washington in March. Barra's upfront and honest approach has been refreshing in a litigious world in which no one ever wants to admit the slightest wrongdoing. Instead, she has started to transform the company's corporate culture, maintained solid sales, and overseen a revival of excellent new vehicles ranging from the outrageously great (and Motor Trend's Best Driver's Car ) Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 to the return of the midsize Chevrolet Colorado ( Motor Trend's Truck of the Year ). However, the corporate culture at GM remains Barra's biggest challenge. Outlook: Although the ignition recall remains open, GM can now focus on breathing new life into its luxury brand, Cadillac, and introducing vehicles such as the new Chevy Volt, a Buick crossover, and the Cadillac CT6. 1. Martin Winterkorn Volkswagen AG Board of Management Chairman 2014 Rank: 1 VW's master plan to be the No. 1 carmaker by 2018 meant hitting at least 10 million vehicle sales by then. Under Winterkorn's leadership, VW reached that goal four years early. He has done it with great cars and seems poised to do the same with crossovers -- VW's Achilles' heel. Expect hurdles in the future: rising emissions standards, waning Chinese sales, and an underperforming U.S. market. None of those seems impossible to overcome, especially with his innate ability to put the right people in the right positions. He continues to move executives around for his eventual succession, but it remains to be seen how much power he'll relinquish. Outlook: The new Golf, Motor Trend Car of the Year, is just the start of what VW can do with its ingenious MQB platform. VW might not own the No. 1 carmaker by volume title yet. But it will. | 9 | 2,063 | autos |
Drinking can be a fast way to gain pounds, but there are a few cocktail recipes that are less calories and still delicious. Krystin Goodwin (@krystingoodwin) has a few healthier cocktail options to reduce the guilt and the calories! | 0 | 2,064 | foodanddrink |
Go ahead, admit it: You were actually rooting for Ohio State to slay the dragon of the SEC, Alabama, weren't you? Those two straight sacks on 'Bama's final, ill-fated drive nearly brought you off the couch at the end of a long and memorable day of college football, didn't they? And you'll do it again just as fervently on Monday when the Buckeyes, so reviled in our part of the country, try to do the same thing against Oregon with the national championship on the line in Arlington, Texas. Of course, the PC thing to say right now is that you really weren't cheering on the Buckeyes as much as you were hoping that the Big Ten wouldn't yet again live up to everyone's expectations and flop when the competition stiffened at bowl time. This is the time of year, after all, when conferences establish their reputations. And for most of the last decade, which includes seven straight national titles, the SEC has dominated college football. Then the calendar struck 2015, and a funny thing happened. Wisconsin, of the Big Ten, won a see-saw battle with SEC power Auburn in overtime in the Outback Bowl. Then Michigan State, of the Big Ten, staged an improbable and phenomenal comeback over Baylor, a Big 12 co-champion that was snubbed by the college football playoff selection committee. And Ohio State barged from a 15-point deficit to a fairly comfortable win over Alabama, the alleged best team in the nation -- until New Year's Day. That put an exclamation point on an extraordinary day for the Big Ten. In fact, when you consider the news conference a couple days earlier in Ann Arbor, when Michigan introduced Jim Harbaugh as its new coach, this was one of the best week's ever for Big Ten football. And now we're all pulling for Ohio State to keep it going for one more game. Then we can line up at the shower. Kidding aside, and with much due respect, everyone in this conference, from Ann Arbor to Iowa City, Madison to Happy Valley, owes a debt of gratitude to Ohio State and what coach Urban Meyer has done in three rather tumultuous and impressive seasons in Columbus. (Pardon me. I just read the previous paragraph aloud and threw up in my mouth a little bit.) Meyer knew how to beat the SEC because he'd done it routinely, winning two national titles while coaching Florida. In fact, the Gators' 41-14 win over Ohio State in Meyer's second year there kicked off that streak of seven straight national titles by SEC teams. But perhaps the biggest challenge of his career to date, despite the impressive record he compiled since arriving at OSU, was convincing his players they were not only worthy of this opportunity in the inaugural college football playoff -- but capable of doing what nearly everyone said was impossible: beating an Alabama team that seemed primed for a fourth national title in six years under coach Nick Saban. Meyer was able to do that, he said, thanks to a titanic assist from Wisconsin. The Buckeyes were enjoying their pre-game meal last Thursday when Badgers kicker Rafael Gaglianone's 25-yard field goal in OT beat Auburn, 34-31. "I'll tell you when I think the tide turned a little bit," Meyer said, probably not intending the pun, "when Wisconsin beat Auburn." Wisconsin, which the Buckeyes -- using a third-team quarterback in his first collegiate start -- beat 59-0 in the Big Ten Championship game. Auburn, which rolled up a ton of yards before narrowly losing to archrival Alabama, 55-44, in their annual Iron Bowl clash. If Wisconsin, a team you dominated, could beat Auburn, why couldn't Oho State beat Alabama? That's precisely the kind of logic coaches avoid, at least publicly, when confronted by it from fans and media. Yet here Meyer was using it with his team. And it worked. Of course, it helps to have great players -- the kind who can play anywhere in the country, not just in the Big Ten because they're not fast enough to play in the SEC or the Pac-12. Meyer has been able to broaden and level the recruiting playing field for OSU, bringing in players like Georgia's J.T. Barrett, the freshman quarterback who had replaced the injured Braxton Miller so efficiently until he was injured in Ann Arbor in the last week of the Big Ten's regular season. And Florida safety Vonn Bell, among many others from SEC country. With speed to match any team and any conference in the country, Meyer was able to spread his offense to stretch defenses sideline to sideline, like he did Florida. He added even more tempo to his offense at Ohio State. At the same time, he deployed two long-established trademarks of successful Big Ten football: a dominating offensive line and a power run game. The results are undeniable. Just ask Alabama, which lost to a bigger, faster and better team -- from the Big Ten. This is a watershed moment for a conference that is no longer being mocked and maligned to the point of national ridicule. It's also a wake-up call for the SEC. But as bad as things were in bowl season, with Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and LSU all losing, the SEC isn't going away. It will remain a conference to be reckoned with, and we all know that. But here's what the all of college football knows and understands as well: The Big Ten is here to play, too. National Championship prediction: Ohio State 43, Oregon 40. | 1 | 2,065 | sports |
Photos: Sarah Lipoff, Jenny Sugar How many individual foods can claim their very own national holiday? Peanut butter can! The average person consumes an average of six pounds of peanut better in a year (gulp), and we wouldn't be surprised if some kids out there manage to take down even more. While the obvious way to enjoy it is with a good old-fashioned PB&J, we've rounded up 12 more sweet, savory, and family-friendly ways to pay homage to the mighty peanut. Creamy Peanut Butter Dip With Fruit Photo: Jenny Sugar Dips don't have to be calorie-laden and served alongside chips. This creamy peanut butter dip is made with nonfat Greek yogurt and can be scooped up with whatever fruit you fancy. Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies Photo: Jenny Sugar Chewy, nutty, and supremely satisfying, peanut butter oatmeal sandwich cookies are a delicious way to serve up dessert. Peanut Butter Banana Muffins Photo: Sarah Lipoff Whip up a bunch of peanut butter banana muffins in the beginning of the week, and you'll have breakfast covered through Friday. Peanut Butter Popcorn Photo: Sarah Lipoff Peanut butter popcorn is a healthy after-school snack and is easily portable for road trips, soccer games, or trips to the park. Thai Peanut Noodles Photo: Sarah Lipoff Elevate your peanut-butter-focused meals beyond PB&J with these savory Thai peanut noodles . You can keep the dish vegetarian or supplement it with protein-rich chicken, steak, or tofu. Creamy Peanut Butter Apples With Grapes Photo: Jenny Sugar A fruit-filled way to incorporate peanut butter into your day, creamy peanut butter apples with grapes make a yummy snack that your kiddos can help concoct. Peanut Butter Brownies With Chocolate Chunks Photo: Lauren Hendrickson If they've finished their veggies, treat them to a decadent peanut butter brownie with chocolate chunks - sinfully good! Frozen Nutty Banana Nibblers Photo: Jenny Sugar For a guilt-free take on dessert (and one that you'll be happy to feed to your kids), pop a batch of frozen, nutty banana nibblers into the freezer. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blondies Photo: Nicole Perry How do you improve upon an already perfect candy? Bake it into blondies! Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blondies are guaranteed to satisfy the sweet tooth (or teeth) in your life. Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie Photo: Jaime Young Start your kids' days off with a protein-packed peanut butter smoothie . Banana Boat S'mores Take one gloriously gooey bite of these banana boat s'mores , and you'll be a happy camper - fitting, given their outdoor origins. No camping trip on the books? No worries! Watch the video to learn how to make these peanut-butter-cup-stuffed beauties at home. Trust us: you're gonna want s'more. Waffle 'Wich Photo: Nancy Einhart Who needs a traditional PB&J sandwich when you can substitute the bread with waffles? That's just what this fabulously decadent comfort recipe does using Eggo cinnamon waffles, peanut butter, and your favorite jelly . | 0 | 2,066 | foodanddrink |
World's first personal robot RoboDynamics is working to develop Luna - the first human size personal robot designed for everyday use. Luna would be able to walk the dog or serve you drinks. InPutter Designed by Ingeniarius, the InPutter is a golf club which monitors around 16 variables that includes the players swing, angles and power generated in a shot and gives instant feedback by transmitting the data on your preferred device. Cliphit drum kit Developed by the Japanese company Korg, this gadget is composed of three clips with internal sensors which transforms the surface it's attached to into a drum kit. Wireless Christmas lights Powered by Aura, a US based company, has solved our wire woes by developing a magnetic ring that will transmit power to LED lights - which will act as Christmas lights, when activated. XOO Belt To charge your smartphone Designed by Nifty, a US-based company, the belt comes in brown and black leather style fitted with tiny charger of 2,100mAh capacity and a USB port connected to the buckle and leather. Cinnibird pen for food decoration Hungarian designers have developed a hand-held kitchen gadget that allows you to draw and write on your drinks and food. AirWheel Simply balance your body in the direction you want to travel and your AirWheel will take you there and last up to 28 miles on a single charge. Fart pill Made from 100 percent natural ingredients, Christian Poincheval, a 65 year-old Frenchman has created a pill that makes your fart smell like chocolates or flowers! Remote controlled golf trolley Australian Ian Edwards has developed a remote-controlled gadget that lugs your golf clubs around much to the relief of the golfers. Bitbite: Eating habit tracker An Israeli company has developed a device that monitors a person's eating habits and provides real-time dietary suggestions that is displayed on a smartphone. Bus that runs on poo A UK based company has developed this 40-seater Bio-Bus which generates enough power to travel up to 300km on a full tank of treated food waste and human poo. Bike that grows with your child Designed by an Ireland engineer Simon Evans, a 6.6 kg cycle made from high-grade aluminium is specifically aimed for children between the ages of two to seven. It has three different adjustable sizes that allows you to increase the height of the bike as your child grows taller. Hologram viewers US-based company Bleen Inc. has developed a gadget that projects holographic 3D images. Lamps made from real bread Experimenting with food and design, Yukiko Morita from Japan created a unique lampshade made entirely out of bread. First the design is hollowed out of flour, water and salt, then a resin coating is applied to prevent mildew and finally LED bulbs are fixed inside. Inflatable baby incubator Englishman James Roberts, a 23-year-old engineer, has designed a collapsible incubator that runs off a battery which lasts 24 hours. Submarine sports car This prototype fitted with propellers and two water jets mounted behind rotating louvres at the front. This two-seater car, costing $2,000,000, is powered by six 48-volt Lithium-ion batteries, can reach a speed of 75 mph on land and two knots when submerged. 'Roofbi' for rain protection Frenchman Arnaud Sarfati has created a quirky canopy weighing 2.5 kg that unfolds over a bicycle rider and protect him from the rain. VSSL outdoor utility tools Canadian Todd Weimer created a unique device 20 cm long that can hold 15 essential items including a first aid kit, compass, matches, whistle, razor blade, mirror, can opener, LED light, a wire saw and more. Folding bicycle helmet Bicycle riders have a reason to smile since Philippe Arrouart has invented a folding helmet that one can then stow away into their bag. The suitcase that doubles as a scooter Slovenian designed Bostjan Zagar has developed a suitcase that is literally for people on the go. Electroluminescent motorcycle helmets Canadian Thomas Plywaczewski has designed helmets inspired from the movie Tron (2010) that light up at night and help improve rider safety. Stain free chef jackets MasterChef Australia mentor Chef Adrian Li has used nanotechnology to create a revolutionary chef's jacket that does not stain. Starfish - Child left in car warning device 26-year old father Matthew Sheets has designed a unique weight-activated sensor that lets the parent know if their child is still on its car seat. A biodegradable urn Keep the memory of your loved alive by converting their cremated ashes into a living tree. An urn helps you do just that the main part contains the ashes while another top capsule contains seeds mixed with soil and nutrients. Glow-in-the-dark highway Smart Highway, the world's first glow-in-the-dark road, charges during the day and sees the edges of the road illuminated at night by Tron-like lighting. Flat Memo water bottle The same shape as a piece of paper, the memobottle is a slimline, reusable water bottle which slides into your bag next to your laptop. | 5 | 2,067 | news |
Some have wondered if Marcus Mariota is simply a product of a phenomenal offensive system at Oregon and will struggle at the NFL level. Jim Mora thinks those people are insane. During an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Tuesday, Mora praised Mariota for being one of the best college quarterbacks and pro prospects he has ever seen. "I've played him twice, I've watched him a ton of times," the UCLA coach said. "He is going to be a spectacular NFL quarterback. He's poised, he's big, he's fast, he's physical. "There are people who question his arm strength. … He has zero flaws. This is as great a quarterback as I've ever seen at this point in his career. I love the kid. I love his personality." It has widely been assumed that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will select Mariota with the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and Mora says they might as well turn in their draft card for him now. Although, Mora did say he would not be surprised if Mariota decides to honor his commitment to Oregon and return for his senior season. That's unlikely to happen. It would be incredibly difficult for Mariota to play another year of college ball when he is the consensus No. 1 overall pick and has people making comparisons like this for him. Regardless of what Rex Ryan thinks of Mariota's pro outlook , the Oregon star's stock can't get any higher. | 1 | 2,068 | sports |
7 Things That Cost Women More The gender pay gap often takes the spotlight when it comes to women's financial issues. But on the spending side of the equation is an equally worrisome problem: Women must pay more for many things, including some big-budget items. The higher costs are not necessarily due to discriminatory practices. (And the difference in price doesn't always favor men. For example, a Y chromosome typically bumps up prices for life and car insurance.) Still, that doesn't make bigger bills for women any easier to manage. What will help is knowing to expect them. When establishing short-term budgets and long-term financial plans, recognize that gender is a factor, and plan accordingly. You need to be prepared to pay more for the following seven items if you've got double Xs. Retirement Good news: Women are expected to live longer than ever before. Bad news: A longer life requires a bigger nest egg.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for babies born in 2012, females will outlive males by nearly five years a life expectancy of 81.2 years for women and 76.4 years for men. Those extra 4.8 years at the end of life can be particularly costly and will greatly affect retirement savings plans. "When you live longer, you'll likely run into medical issues that need to be taken into account as part of your living expenses," says Nicole Mayer, financial adviser with RPG Life Transition Specialists, in River Woods, Ill. "So certainly saving more for retirement for a female is important." How to spend less: There's no getting around the need for a bigger nest egg to cover your longer life span, but you can take steps to avoid shortchanging yourself in retirement. If you're married, boost your survivor payouts from your spouse's pension and Social Security benefits. And married or not, maximize your own retirement savings throughout your career by putting extra emphasis on retirement benefits when evaluating new jobs, making catch-up contributions once you turn 50, and more. See The Rules of Retirement for Women for additional guidance. Cars More good news: Ladies are closing the car-cost gap, at least on the younger end of the age spectrum. But women over age 65 continue to pay significantly more for cars than buyers of any other demographic. In a 1995 study in which actors negotiated new-car purchases with unwitting dealers, economists Ian Ayres and Peter Siegelman showed that white males were routinely quoted lower prices than black or female test buyers. Nearly two decades later, a new study analyzing more than 10 million new-car sales in the U.S. between 2002 and 2007 indicates that men and women between the ages of 25 and 30 pay nearly equal prices for the same car type. Unfortunately, 65- to 70-year-old women tend to pay about $103 more, on average, than men of the same age and $213 more than all buyers in their twenties. What causes this price drift with age? "One popular theory is that older people don't research as much," says economist Ambarish Chandra, co-author of this study along with Sumeet Gulati and James Sallee. How to spend less: Before you visit the dealership, use sites such as Edmunds.com, KBB.com or Truecar.com to compare actual prices paid by other buyers so you can negotiate for the best new-car deal. Or consider a car-buying service, which is ideal for people who simply hate to haggle. Health Care Women spend, on average, $1,136 out of pocket on health care per year, or 26% more than men ($838 per person), according to 2010 data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Younger women tend to face the biggest bills. Women between ages 19 and 44 spend 54% more out of pocket on health care than men of the same age, mainly due to the high cost of bearing kids. But longer lifespans for women also mean greater health care costs later in life. Out-of-pocket medical spending for women age 65 and older totaled $2,721 per person in 2010, 31% more than the average $2,073 spent by men 65 and older. How to spend less: Take advantage of flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts when possible, to save on taxes. You can also trim spending with strategies as simple as staying in your insurer's network or switching to generic drugs. See 50 Ways to Cut Your Health Care Costs for more money-saving tactics. Personal Care The costs of daily upkeep may not seem like much, but they do add up and more so for women. A 2011 study, "The Cost of Doing Femininity," found that men's deodorant, for example, costs just $1.15 per ounce, while women's deodorant costs $1.44 per ounce. Razors for men are $2.67 each; for women, $3.00 each. Even President Obama has publicly lamented the inequity of dry cleaning: The average cost to clean a man's shirt is $2.06 -- yet it's $3.95 for a woman's shirt. To be clear, such price differences are not always due to discrimination. Products for men and women are produced and marketed differently. But those differences point to a bigger issue. "It simply costs women more to perform the culturally expected functions of femininity than for men to match up with cultural expectations of masculinity," says sociologist Nicholas Guittar, co-author of the study. How to spend less: To affect the bigger picture, talk to your dry cleaner or other service provider who practices gendered pricing. "It may not impact that one interaction, but an increased cultural dialogue holds a lot of value," says Guittar.In the meantime, stock up for less at drugstores (makeup, hair-care products, nail-care products) and dollar stores (deodorant, hair brushes, shampoo). Or simply buy gender-neutral products or the cheaper men's products. Clothes Again, the importance of appearances plagues a woman's pocketbook (which, by the way, is a good example of apparel that women, not men, are expected to own). As Australian morning-show anchor Karl Stefanovic recently demonstrated by wearing the same suit on air nearly every day for a year, men can often get away with spending less by owning fewer clothes. Though Stefanovic's female coanchor, Lisa Wilkinson, often faces harsh criticism for her appearance, nobody noticed his apparent lack of fashion sense. "I'm judged on my interviews, my appalling sense of humor, on how I do my job, basically," he told Fairfax Media, "whereas women are quite often judged on what they're wearing or how their hair is." Not only are women expected to vary their outfits more, but individual clothing items for women are often priced higher. For example, designer jeans from Diesel range from $128 to $748 for men and $158 to (brace yourself) $1,398 for women. How to spend less: Stock your wardrobe with attire that's both versatile and timeless. Items such as a single-breasted, one- or two-button blazer and a pencil skirt that hits mid knee can be worn separately or together for many occasions and for many years to come. With such classic style, you might even consider spending more on fewer, higher-quality items that will likely last longer and save you money in the long run. Annuities Women's longevity, once again, wears down their wallets when it comes to certain types of annuities. Monthly payouts for immediate single-life annuities are based in part on life expectancy. Because women tend to live longer, they must invest much more to get the same monthly annuity payout that a man would. For example, according to estimates from immediateannuities.com, a 65-year-old man from Virginia can purchase an annuity that will pay him $2,000 a month for the rest of his life for about $360,000. A Virginia woman of the same age would need to pay more than $380,000 for the same annuity. How to spend less: For equal payouts, you can opt to set a defined schedule. For example, a 65-year-old Virginia resident can buy an annuity that will pay $2,000 a month for ten years for about $220,000, regardless of gender. If you outlive those payments, you can purchase another annuity later. (If you don't, the money goes to a beneficiary as scheduled.) Unfortunately, in the long run (should you be so lucky), this strategy of building an annuity ladder may wind up costing you more. But an upside to laddering: annuities purchased later may come with bigger payouts if interest rates rise. Long-Term-Care Insurance Most long-term-care insurers charge single women about 40% to 60% more than single men for new policies, according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. The reason for such a drastic price disparity is that women tend to live longer and make more claims than men. For example, Genworth the first big insurer to introduce gendered pricing for long-term-care insurance estimates that a 55-year-old single man from Colorado would pay an annual premium of about $1,500 for a policy with a $150 daily benefit for three years. A single woman of the same age would face an annual premium of nearly $1,900 for the same policy in Colorado. How to spend less: You can generally avoid the extra charge if you buy a policy as a couple. If the Colorado man and woman cited above bought the same plan together, they'd each pay about $1,300 a year. Married or single, you should check whether your employer offers long-term-care coverage; insurers still charge men and women the same amount for plans purchased through an employer. See Options for Covering Long-Term-Care Costs. | 3 | 2,069 | finance |
Love is in the air! Valentine's Day might not be your favorite holiday as an adult (pressure!), but kids make it so much more fun - especially if you pick up a heart-filled find or two for them from Etsy! Red-and-White Baby Hat For babies 0 to 12 months old, this red-and-white knit hat ($21) from Etsy's Pitterpants comes with a removable felt heart clip. Black Heart One-Piece and Leggings Make Valentine's Day a bit more modern with this black heart and polka-dot leggings set ($30) from Etsy's Bmod Designs , available in sizes for babes 3 to 24 months old. Robot Love T-Shirt In sizes for newborns through 24 months, Etsy vendor Happy Goat Designs ' "robot with a heart" onesie ($14) features a cute robot graphic on a super-soft garnet red background. Felt Red Heart Garland Add a little love to your kids' rooms with Etsy vendor Lullaby Mobiles ' red heart banner ($49), made from eco-friendly felt and white satin ribbon. Gold Glitter Headband Hearts don't have to be red or pink. Etsy vendor Bloomz's gold glitter headband ($5) is the perfect way to add some sparkle to Valentine's Day. Retro Ribbon and Lace Dress For girls ages 1 to 6, this retro ribbon and lace dress (starts at $46) from Etsy's Faith Works 4 U is made of red cotton twill fabric and a layer of ribbon and lace, with heart buttons. T. Rex Onesie and Leg Warmers Dinos and hearts go together like, well, let's just say for Valentine's Day, it works. This onesie and leg warmers set ($27) from Etsy's kakabaka comes in sizes for kids 0 to 18 months. Purple Heart Headband It's hard to find anything cuter than a little girl in a headband. This purple heart headband ($4) from Etsy's BB Gifts and More is a sweet departure from pink and red, and the satin-lined headband should fit most little heads! Clip-On Bow Tie Your little man will be fighting off the girls in this adorable clip-on bow tie ($22) from Etsy's Nice Buzz . There are limited opportunities for mama to dress up her little man, so carpe Valentine's Day! The Typewriter Tee Most tots growing up today will never see an actual working typewriter. This sweet heart-printing typewriter tee ($22) from Etsy's I Married Mr Rogers is probably the closest they'll ever get. | 4 | 2,070 | lifestyle |
New England Patriots' DT Vince Wilfork discusses the matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, Justin Forsett's skills and playing your best football during the playoffs. To see more Patriots videos download the Patriots DeskSite. | 1 | 2,071 | sports |
Sources tell CNBC President Obama will announce a significant reduction in the FHA's annual insurance premium, reports CNBC's Diana Olick. | 3 | 2,072 | finance |
From farm fields to urban centers Where do you find poverty in America? To find out, 24/7 Wall St. took a look at the poorest county in each state based on data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. In each state, there was at least one county with a median annual household income more than $7,000 lower than the state's median income. Virginia and Maryland had counties with median incomes over $35,000 lower than that of the state. The population of 24 of these poorest counties was predominantly rural. Eight had 100% rural populations. However, in some states, the poorest counties were largely urban. For example, the poorest counties in New York and Pennsylvania had 100% urban populations as of 2010. In many of these counties, residents struggled with low educational attainment and limited job opportunities. In the five years through 2013, the percentage of adults who had attained at least a bachelor's degree was below the comparable national figure of 28.8% in 45 of the 50 counties. There were exceptions. In Washington and Wyoming's poorest counties, nearly half of the adult residents had attained at least a bachelor's degree. While some of the counties had decent job markets, the unemployment rate of 36 of the poorest counties was above the national rate of 7.4% in 2013. Notably, nearly one in five workers in Apache County, Ariz., was unemployed. To identify the poorest counties in each state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed five-year estimated median annual household incomes from 2009 through 2013 from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS). Five-year estimated educational attainment rates also came from the Census Bureau. Annual unemployment rates are for 2013 and came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Figures on the percentage of populations that are classified as urban or rural are from the Census Bureau's 2010 decennial census. Click through this slideshow to see the poorest counties in each state, from the highest overall poverty level to the lowest. Related at 24/7 Wall St.: America's Best and Worst School Systems The Most Dangerous States in America States Where People Live Longest 1. Shannon County, South Dakota > County median household income, 2009-2013: $25,648 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $49,495 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 53.2% > Unemployment, 2013: 12.9% As in other especially poor areas, Shannon County's job market was relatively weak. The area's unemployment rate of 12.9% in 2013 may partly explain low incomes. Shannon County residents also struggled with poverty. More than 53% of the area's population lived below the poverty line over the five years through 2013, by far the highest such rate of any of the 50 countries reviewed. Children, who tend to be disproportionately impacted by poverty, were even more likely to live in poverty. More than 60% of children in the area lived in poverty between 2009 and 2013. Nearly 41% of adults did not have health insurance over the five-year period through 2013, the worst rate among all counties reviewed. 2. Holmes County, Mississippi > County median household income, 2009-2013: $22,325 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $39,031 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 43.5% > Unemployment, 2013: 16.5% Mississippi had the lowest median annual household income of any state over the five years through 2013, at just $39,031 no other state had a median income of less than $40,000. A typical household in Mississippi's poorest county, Holmes, earned just $22,325 annually over that period. Area residents also suffered from high poverty rates. More than 43% of Holmes residents and 62.4% of children lived in poverty between 2009 and 2013, both among the highest rates reviewed. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: America's Worst Run Companies 3. Madison Parish, Louisiana > County median household income, 2009-2013: $25,498 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $44,874 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 40.3% > Unemployment, 2013: 9.7% Less than three-quarters of Madison Parish residents had completed at least high school, one of the lowest rates reviewed. While nearly 30% of Americans had at least a bachelor's degree, that rate was just 11.2% in Madison Parish. Poor educational attainment rates likely explain in part the low incomes in the area. Over the five years through 2013, a typical Madison household made just $25,498, the lowest in the state and the eighth lowest compared to other poor counties in each of the states. The area's poverty rate was also especially high greater than 40% over the five years through 2013. The rate for children was far worse, at 59.2% over that period. 4. Starr County, Texas > County median household income, 2009-2013: $24,927 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $51,900 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 39.2% > Unemployment, 2013: 15.4% With a median annual household income of less than $25,000 between 2009 and 2013 less than half the comparable state figure Starr County was one of the poorest in the nation. Low incomes were likely related to a range of economic factors in the area: Nearly 40% of residents did not have health insurance during the five years through 2013; a majority of children were estimated to be living in poverty over that period; and 15.4% of the workforce was unemployed in 2013. All of these figures were among the nation's worst. In addition, just 45% of adults had finished at least high school, and 8.6% had at least a bachelor's degree, both among the lowest rates nationwide. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: America's Best and Worst School Systems 5. Sumter County, Alabama > County median household income, 2009-2013: $22,186 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $43,253 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 38.0% > Unemployment, 2013: 9.9% Alabama had a median annual household income of $43,253 over the five years through 2013, one of the lowest in the nation. A typical Sumter County households earned barely more than half of that figure, with a median annual household income of $22,186 between 2009 and 2013. Sumter County also had one of the nation's highest poverty rates. Between 2009 and 2013, 38% of residents lived in poverty, versus the comparable national poverty rate of 15.4%. 6. McDowell County, West Virginia > County median household income, 2009-2013: $22,252 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $41,043 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 36.3% > Unemployment, 2013: 10.0% Due in large part to especially low incomes in McDowell County, nearly 51% of county residents lived in poverty between 2009 and 2013, versus the comparable national rate of 15.4%. McDowell County children were also much more likely to live in poverty than children in other counties. More than 77% of county minors were estimated to have lived in poverty over that period, higher than in the vast majority of regions. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The Most Dangerous States in America 7. Apache County, Arizona > County median household income, 2009-2013: $31,476 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $49,774 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 36.2% > Unemployment, 2013: 19.8% Residents of Arizona's poorest county clearly struggled with poverty over the five years through 2013. Apache County's poverty rate of more than 36% was more than double the national rate of 15.4% and one of the highest among states' poorest counties. Apache also had one of the highest unemployment rates in 2013, at nearly 20%. 8 (tie). Allendale County, South Carolina > County median household income, 2009-2013: $25,252 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $44,779 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 36.0% > Unemployment, 2013: 14.0% Allendale County's 2013 unemployment rate of 14% was among the higher rates nationwide and considerably higher than the national rate of 7.4%. The area's relatively weak job market may help explain the remarkably low incomes among residents. Between 2009 and 2013, the median annual household income in Allendale was just $25,252, less than half the national figure of $53,046. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The Best and Worst Run States in America -- A Survey of All 50 8 (tie). Rolette County, North Dakota > County median household income, 2009-2013: $31,336 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $53,741 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 36.0% > Unemployment, 2013: 12.9% More than 34% of Rolette County residents did not have health insurance during the five years through 2013, versus 14.9% nationwide. The low coverage rate was likely the result of the low incomes and weak job market. Nearly 13% of the workforce was unemployed in 2013, versus the national unemployment rate of 7.4%. 10. Madison County, Idaho > County median household income, 2009-2013: $32,059 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $46,767 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 35.8% > Unemployment, 2013: 4.6% With a median household income of $32,059 between 2009 and 2013, Madison is Idaho's poorest county. Despite the low incomes, residents had relatively high educational attainment rates. Nearly 95% of adults had attained at least a high school diploma, and nearly 34% had completed at least a bachelor's degree during the five years through 2013. Both figures were among the highest reviewed. However, low incomes likely made it difficult for residents to own their homes. Less than half of housing units in Madison were owned by their occupants, one of the lower homeownership rates. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: States Where People Live the Longest 11. Whitman County, Washington > County median household income, 2009-2013: $36,257 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $59,478 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 32.6% > Unemployment, 2013: 6.2% While Washington residents earned nearly $60,000 annually between 2009 and 2013, a typical Whitman County household earned over $23,000 less. Despite the low incomes, however, residents were exceptionally well educated. Nearly half of adults in the county had attained at least a bachelor's degree during the five years through 2013, one of the highest rates. The region also had a extremely strong high school attainment rate, with 96.2% of adults having completed at least high school. 12. Scotland County, North Carolina > County median household income, 2009-2013: $29,592 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $46,334 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 32.3% > Unemployment, 2013: 14.6% A typical household in Scotland County earned an annual income of less than $30,000 over the five years through 2013, substantially lower than the state and national median household incomes. The county's job market was particularly weak, with an unemployment rate of 14.6%, nearly double the national rate in 2013. Additionally, as in most of the poorest counties in each state, Scotland residents had low college attainment rates. While nearly 29% of Americans had at least a bachelor's degree during the five years through 2013, just over 14% of Scotland residents had such a degree. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The Most Dangerous States in America 13. Athens County, Ohio > County median household income, 2009-2013: $33,823 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $48,308 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 31.7% > Unemployment, 2013: 8.4% Nearly 32% of Athens County residents lived in poverty over the five years through 2013, more than double the national figure of 15.4%. While children are almost always more likely to live in poverty than adults in the United States, this was not the case in Athens County, where nearly 29% of children lived in poverty. However, this rate was much higher than the comparable national rate of 21.3%. County households had such low incomes that owning a home was also out of reach for many area residents. Over the five years through 2013, less than 57% of housing units were owned by occupants, versus the national homeownership rate of 64.9%. 14. Lee County, Arkansas > County median household income, 2009-2013: $25,034 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $40,768 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 31.5% > Unemployment, 2013: 11.2% During the five years through 2013, Arkansas had a median annual household income of less than $41,000, lower than in every state except for Mississippi. A typical household in Lee County, the state's poorest, earned nearly $16,000 less than the statewide figure. As in other poor counties, Lee residents had relatively low educational attainment rates. Just 7.1% of adults had completed at least a bachelor's degree between 2009 and 2013, and 70.1% had finished at least high school, some of the lower rates among the 50 counties reviewed. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: America's Most (and Least) Healthy States 15. Telfair County, Georgia 47. Telfair County, Georgia > County median household income, 2009-2013: $26,634 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $49,179 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 30.5% > Unemployment, 2013: 15.6% Telfair County is the poorest in Georgia as well as poorer than all but nine of the other poorest counties reviewed. Over the five years through 2013, a typical household in Telfair County earned $26,634, nearly half the national five-year median household income of $53,046. The low incomes may be partly due to the area's weak job market. Telfair's unemployment rate was 15.6% in 2013, nearly the highest rate reviewed, and considerably higher than the national rate of 7.4% that year. 16. Jackson County, Illinois > County median household income, 2009-2013: $33,479 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $56,797 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 30.4% > Unemployment, 2013: 7.9% With a median annual household income of just $33,479 over the five years through 2013 $23,318 less than the statewide figure Jackson was Illinois's poorest county. Despite the low incomes, area residents were well-educated. More than 35% of Jackson County adults had at least a bachelor's degree over that period, one of the higher rates reviewed. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The 10 Worst Countries for Women 17. McCreary County, Kentucky > County median household income, 2009-2013: $20,972 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $43,036 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 30.3% > Unemployment, 2013: 13.5% During the five years prior to 2013, McCreary County households had a median annual income of less than $21,000, the lowest county-level income in Kentucky and in the nation. The low area incomes were likely due in part to poor educational attainment rates. Less than 70% of adults had at least a high school diploma during the five years through 2013, and just 7.3% had at least a bachelor's degree. For context, 86% of adults nationwide had at least a high school while 28.8% had at least a bachelor's degree. McCreary County's job market was also relatively weak, as 13.5% of the workforce was unemployed last year, versus the national rate of 7.4%. 18. Bronx County, New York > County median household income, 2009-2013: $34,388 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $58,003 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 29.8% > Unemployment, 2013: 11.8% Less than 70% of adults living in the Bronx had attained at least a high school diploma, one of the lowest attainment rates in the country. Poor education among residents likely contributed to the area's low incomes. Low incomes, in turn, made it exceedingly difficult for residents to afford owning their homes. Less than one in five housing units in the Bronx were occupied by the homeowner, versus close to two-thirds of housing units across the nation. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: States Where People Live Longest 19. Grundy County, Tennessee > County median household income, 2009-2013: $26,814 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $44,298 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 29.7% > Unemployment, 2013: 9.5% A typical household in Grundy County earned less than $27,000 annually between 2009 and 2013. This was especially poor even in Tennessee, where statewide incomes tended to be among the lowest in the nation. Low educational attainment rates partly explain the relatively low incomes. Only 10% of Grundy adults had at least a bachelor's degree, and just 70.5% had completed at least high school, both among the lower rates reviewed. 20. Lake County, Michigan > County median household income, 2009-2013: $29,379 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $48,411 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 27.9% > Unemployment, 2013: 13.1% Lake County, Michigan's unemployment rate of nearly 12% in 2013 well above the national rate of 7.4% may have contributed to the area's low incomes. A typical household earned $29,379 annually over the five years through 2013, the lowest in the state and considerably lower than the national figure of $53,046. Low college attainment rates may also explain in part the low incomes. Just 8.4% of area adults had attained at least a bachelor's degree during the five years through 2013, one of the lowest figures reviewed. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The 10 Dying (and 10 Thriving) U.S. Industries 21. Oregon County, Missouri > County median household income, 2009-2013: $27,743 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $47,380 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 27.7% > Unemployment, 2013: 6.6% A less-educated population tends to earn lower incomes, and Oregon County, Missouri is no exception. Less than one in 10 area residents had at least a bachelor's degree during the five years through 2013, barely one-third of the national figure. Despite the low incomes, residents were more likely to own their homes than in many other poor counties. More than 76% of housing units were owned by their occupants, versus the national homeownership rate of less than 65%. 22. Malheur County, Oregon > County median household income, 2009-2013: $35,578 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $50,229 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 27.4% > Unemployment, 2013: 8.7% As in the poorest counties in other states, low incomes among Malheur County residents can be partly attributed to low educational attainment rates. Just 13.1% of adults in the region had at least a bachelor's degree during the five years through 2013, versus the national figure of nearly 29%. Poverty was also prevalent in the area. Between 2009 and 2013, 27.4% of Malheur residents lived below the poverty line. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: America's Best and Worst School Systems 23. Martinsville, Virginia > County median household income, 2009-2013: $28,116 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $63,907 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 27.2% > Unemployment, 2013: 12.1% Residents in poor counties even the poorest counties in relatively wealthy states tend to have higher incomes compared to the poorest counties in less well-off states. Virginia, however, appears to be the exception to this pattern. In Martinsville, the poorest area in Virginia, a typical household earned $28,116 annually between 2009 and 2013, nearly $36,000 less than the statewide figure. 24. San Juan County, Utah > County median household income, 2009-2013: $40,492 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $58,821 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 27.1% > Unemployment, 2013: 9.3% While San Juan County households earned far less than most Americans, they were among the most likely to own their own homes. More than 81% of county housing units were owned by their occupants, one of the highest homeownership rates nationwide. Low incomes still likely had a negative impact on residents. For example, more than 27% of residents went without health insurance during the five years through 2013, versus just under 15% nationwide. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The Most Dangerous States in America 25 (tie). Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania > County median household income, 2009-2013: $37,192 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $52,548 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 26.5% > Unemployment, 2013: 10.0% While most of the poorest counties in each state tend to have relatively small populations, Philadelphia is one of several exceptions. Often, living expenses in urban areas can be higher, making Philadelphia's low incomes more of a financial burden than in other states' poorest counties. Also, just 53.3% of housing units in the county were owned by their occupants. Nearly 65% of U.S. housing units, by contrast, were owned by occupants. Poverty was also a problem in the area, as 26.5% of residents lived below the poverty line during the five years through 2013. 25 (tie). Pushmataha County, Oklahoma > County median household income, 2009-2013: $29,897 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $45,339 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 26.5% > Unemployment, 2013: 7.6% Pushmataha County households had a median annual income of less than $30,000 between 2009 and 2013, the poorest in Oklahoma. Perhaps due in part to the low incomes, residents also had relatively low health insurance coverage rates. More than 27% did not have health care insurance over the five years through 2013, versus the comparable national figure of 14.9%. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The Best and Worst Run States in America -- A Survey of All 50 27. Putnam County, Florida > County median household income, 2009-2013: $32,497 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $46,956 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 26.4% > Unemployment, 2013: 9.4% Putnam County residents are the poorest in Florida. Last year, 9.4% of the county's workforce was unemployed, versus a national unemployment rate of 7.4%. As in the poorest counties in most states, Putnam residents had relatively low educational attainment rates. Just 11.4% of adults had at least a bachelor's degree during the five years through 2013, a fraction of the comparable national figure. 28. Albany County, Wyoming > County median household income, 2009-2013: $42,774 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $57,406 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 26.0% > Unemployment, 2013: 4.0% A typical family in Albany County earned $42,774 a year between 2009 and the 2013, the lowest median annual household income in Wyoming. While this was substantially lower than the corresponding national figure of $53,046, Albany was far wealthier than other poor regions in other states. Residents were also exceptionally well-educated. Nearly half of the area's adults had a bachelor's degree during the five years through 2013, versus less than 29% of all Americans. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: America's Best Run Companies 29. Otero County, Colorado > County median household income, 2009-2013: $33,848 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $58,433 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 25.2% > Unemployment, 2013: 8.8% As in many other low-income areas, many children in Ortero County were considered poor 42.4% lived in poverty during the five years through 2013, nearly double the comparable national rate. Residents were also far less likely than most Americans to have completed college. While 28.8% of Americans had at least a bachelor's degree during the five years through 2013, only 15.5% of Otero residents had such a degree. The contrast is even more stark when compared to Colorado residents, who tend to be among the nation's most educated. 30. Lake County, California > County median household income, 2009-2013: $36,548 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $61,094 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 25.0% > Unemployment, 2013: 11.9% As in many low-income areas, California's Lake County had a relatively high poverty rate. The county's poverty rate between 2009 and 2013 was 25%, versus a national rate of 15.4%. More than 35% of children were estimated to be living in poverty over that period as well, considerably higher than the national rate of 21.3%. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: America's Fastest Growing Beer Brands 31. Somerset County, Maryland > County median household income, 2009-2013: $38,447 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $73,538 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 23.4% > Unemployment, 2013: 9.9% During the five years through 2013, Maryland households had a median annual income of $73,538, the highest of any state. While wealthy states tend to have wealthier localities across the board, Somserset County, the poorest in Maryland was still relatively poor. A typical household earned less than $38,500 between 2009 and 2013, more than $35,000 less than the comparable state figure. Poor educational attainment among county residents may be partially the reason for the low incomes 14.2% of area adults had at least a bachelor's degree during the five years through 2013, less than half the comparable national rate of 28.8%. 32. Fayette County, Indiana > County median household income, 2009-2013: $37,391 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $48,248 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 23.0% > Unemployment, 2013: 10.3% Less than 9% of Fayette County adults had completed at least a bachelor's degree in the five years through 2013, a fraction of the national rate of 28.8%. The poor college attainment rate may have exacerbated the area's poverty rate, as residents may have also found it more difficult to find a job without a higher education. Nearly one in three children lived in poverty between 2009 and 2013, and more than one in 10 labor force participants were unemployed, both well above the respective national rates Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The Cities With the Largest Homes 33. Bethel Census Area, Alaska > County median household income, 2009-2013: $51,689 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $70,760 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 22.8% > Unemployment, 2013: 15.4% A typical household in Bethel the poorest part of Alaska earned nearly $52,000 annually between 2009 and 2013. While this figure was over $19,000 lower than the state's median household income, Bethel households did not earn much less than a typical American household. Bethel's unemployment rate, on the other hand, was quite high, at 15.4% in 2013. 34. Sierra County, New Mexico > County median household income, 2009-2013: $27,430 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $44,927 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 22.6% > Unemployment, 2013: 6.2% Like in most of New Mexico, Sierra County residents earned relatively little compared to most Americans. County households had a median annual income of $27,430 between 2009 and 2013, nearly half the national income of $53,046. However, the county's job market, as measured by unemployment, was relatively strong. Just 6.2% of the area's workforce was unemployed in 2013, lower than the national rate. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The Most Dangerous States in America 35. Sanders County, Montana > County median household income, 2009-2013: $32,881 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $46,230 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 22.0% > Unemployment, 2013: 12.6% As in the poorest counties in a majority of states, the job market in Sanders County was relatively weak. In 2013, nearly 13% of the workforce was unemployed, versus the national unemployment rate of 7.4%. In addition, more than one-third of children were estimated to be living in poverty between 2009 and 2013, versus 21.3% of children across the U.S. during that time. 36. Crawford County, Kansas > County median household income, 2009-2013: $37,378 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $51,332 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 20.6% > Unemployment, 2013: 5.6% Between 2009 and 2013, more than one in five Crawford County residents lived in poverty, versus the national figure of 15.4%. The area's unemployment rate, on the other hand, was relatively low, at 5.6%. While residents living in the poorest counties of other states tended to have relatively poor educational attainment rates, 90.2% of Crawford adults had completed at least high school over the five year period through 2013. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: States With the Shortest Life Expectancies 37. Ashland County, Wisconsin > County median household income, 2009-2013: $38,550 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $52,413 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 18.8% > Unemployment, 2013: 9.0% Nearly 22% of Ashland County residents had attained at least a bachelor's degree between 2009 and 2013. While this figure was high relative to the poorest counties in other states, it was substantially lower than the national college attainment rate of nearly 29%. At any rate, households in the county were quite poor. Children are usually disproportionately affected by poverty: More than 30% of children in Ashland County lived in poverty, versus the comparable national rate of 21.3%. 38. Piscataquis County, Maine > County median household income, 2009-2013: $36,646 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $48,453 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 18.5% > Unemployment, 2013: 9.6% A typical household in Piscatuquis County, Maine earned $36,646 annually between 2009 and 2013, the lowest in the state, and considerably lower than the comparable national figure of $53,046. As in the poorest counties in many other states, the job market in Piscatuquis was relatively weak. Ten percent of workforce participants were unemployed in 2013, versus the national unemployment rate of 7.4% that year. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: America's Most (and Least) Healthy States Also at 24/7 Wall St.: 10 Best Cities for Waiters 39. Hawaii County, Hawaii > County median household income, 2009-2013: $51,250 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $67,402 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 18.3% > Unemployment, 2013: 6.8% With a median annual household income of $51,250 between 2009 and 2013, people living in Hawaii's poorest county were not especially poor when compared to the rest of the nation. However, this figure may be somewhat misleading because of the state's remarkably high cost of living. At any rate, county residents were well-educated, and the area's job market was relatively strong. Ninety-one percent of county adults had at least a high school diploma over the five years through 2013, versus 86% nationally. Also, 6.8% of labor force participants were unemployed in 2013, versus the national unemployment rate of 7.4%. 40. Nye County, Nevada > County median household income, 2009-2013: $39,876 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $52,800 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 18% > Unemployment, 2013: 11.9% As in the poorest counties in many other states, the population of Nye County dropped slightly between the middles of 2012 and 2013. Nye's 2013 unemployment rate of nearly 12% may have encouraged many residents to relocate from the area. The relatively poor job market may also explain in part the low area incomes. A typical Nye household earned less than $40,000 between 2009 and 2013, nearly $13,000 less than the statewide median household income over that time. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: America's Most (and Least) Healthy States 41. Cumberland County, New Jersey > County median household income, 2009-2013: $50,750 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $71,629 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 17.5% > Unemployment, 2013: 12.2% Over the five years through 2013, a typical New Jersey household earned $71,629 annually, the second-highest median household income of any state. Typical Cumberland County households earned $50,750 annually over that period, nearly $21,000 less than the statewide figure, but not remarkably lower than the national median. Despite the moderately high incomes, Cumberland residents had lower educational attainment rates compared to most Americans. 42. Providence County, Rhode Island > County median household income, 2009-2013: $49,297 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $56,361 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 17.1% > Unemployment, 2013: 10.2% Providence County residents, the poorest in Rhode Island, were not especially poor compared with the rest of the state. A typical household in the area earned more than $49,000 annually between 2009 and 2013, just $7,064 less than the comparable median household income for the state. One reason for the small disparity between the county and its overall state may be the relatively small size of Rhode Island. The state is divided into just five counties. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The Most Corrupt Countries in the World 43. Wadena County, Minnesota > County median household income, 2009-2013: $36,928 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $59,836 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 16.9% > Unemployment, 2013: 7.1% While Wadena County households had far lower incomes than Minnesotans as a whole between 2009 and 2013, county residents had relatively good health coverage. Just 9.2% of residents did not have health insurance over the five years through 2013, a national uninsured rate of nearly 15%. The county's unemployment rate was also slightly lower than the national rate of 7.4% in 2013. 44. Orleans County, Vermont > County median household income, 2009-2013: $41,953 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $54,267 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 15.4% > Unemployment, 2013: 6.2% Vermont households had a median income of $54,267 between 2009 and 2013, slightly higher than the comparable national figure. But a typical household in Orleans County the state's poorest earned much less, with a median annual income of nearly $42,000. While the poorest counties in many other states, less than 10% of Orleans residents did not have health insurance between 2009 and 2013, which was also better than the national figure of nearly 15%. The county's 2013 unemployment rate of 6.2% was also lower than the national rate. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The 7 Worst Investments of 2014 45. Appanoose County, Iowa > County median household income, 2009-2013: $39,208 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $51,843 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 15.2% > Unemployment, 2013: 6.4% A typical Appanoose household earned less than $40,000 annually between 2009 and 2013, less than in any other county in Iowa. By contrast, the state's median annual household income over that period was $51,843, slightly lower than the national figure. While area residents had relatively low incomes, Appanoose's 2013 unemployment rate of 6.4% was lower than the national rate of 7.4%. 46 (tie). Coos County, New Hampshire 10. Coos County, New Hampshire > County median household income, 2009-2013: $41,985 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $64,916 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 13.4% > Unemployment, 2013: 6.4% As in other wealthy states, residents living in the poorest county in New Hampshire were not especially burdened financially. A typical household earned less than $42,000 annually over the five years through 2013, considerably less than the national figure of $53,046. However, the poverty rate was 13.4%, and the unemployment rate was 6.4%, both lower than the national rates of 15.4% and 7.4%, respectively. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: America's Best and Worst School Systems 46 (tie). Sussex County, Delaware > County median household income, 2009-2013: $52,710 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $59,878 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 13.4% > Unemployment, 2013: 6.7% Income is relatively well-distributed in Delaware. A typical household in Sussex Delaware's poorest county earned just $7,168 less than the state's median annual household income between 2009 and 2013. The county's poverty rate was also a relatively low 13.4% between 2009 and 2013, versus the comparable national figure of 15.4%. Similarly, the county's unemployment rate of 6.7% in 2013 was lower than the national rate of 7.4% that year. 48. Berkshire County, Massachusetts > County median household income, 2009-2013: $48,450 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $66,866 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 12.8% > Unemployment, 2013: 7.1% Massachusetts residents are some of the nation's wealthiest. Between 2009 and 2013, the state's poorest county had a median annual household income of $48,450, not especially poor compared to other counties reviewed. As in the rest of the state, Berkshire County residents benefited from exceptionally high health insurance coverage. Just 3.3% of residents did not have health insurance over the five years through 2013, one of the best rates nationwide. Also at 24/7 Wall St.: The Safest States in America 49. Red Willow County, Nebraska > County median household income, 2009-2013: $42,345 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $51,672 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 12.7% > Unemployment, 2013: 3.1% Households located in Red Willow County had an annual median income of $42,345 over the five years prior to 2013, the lowest in Nebraska, and $10,000 lower than the comparable state figure. While incomes were relatively low, residents were much better off than residents of the poorest counties in most other states. The unemployment rate, for example, was just 3.1% in 2013, the lowest among the poorest counties for each state. Additionally, less than 13% of people lived in poverty between 2009 and 2013, versus the national figure of 15.4%. 50. Windham County, Connecticut > County median household income, 2009-2013: $59,333 > State median household income, 2009-2013: $69,461 > Poverty rate, 2009-2013: 11.4% > Unemployment, 2013: 8.7% People living in the poorest county in Connecticut still had higher incomes than most American households. While Windham County residents earned much less than the majority of Connecticut residents between 2009 and 2013, a typical household in Windham earned nearly $60,000 annually over that period, well above the national median. Residents also benefited from high health insurance coverage rates, and low poverty rates. Less than 9% went without health insurance between 2009 and 2013, and 11.4% lived in poverty. Children also were much less likely to live in poverty than most in America. While more than one in five American children lived in poverty during the five year period through 2013, less than 15% did in Windham County. By Thomas C. Frohlich Related at 24/7 Wall St.: Most and Least Tax-Friendly States for Business States Where Poverty is Worse than You Think America's Most (and Least) Healthy States | 3 | 2,073 | finance |
Snow fell in parts of the Middle East on Wednesday as a powerful winter storm swept through the region, killing two Syrian refugees in Lebanon and forcing thousands who have fled their country's civil war to huddle for warmth in tents in refugee camps. A Syrian boy looks out through his tent door covered in snow at a refugee camp in Deir Zannoun village, in the Bekaa valley, east Lebanon, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. The storm dumped rain and hail on Lebanon's coast and heavy snows in the mountains and central Bekaa Valley, where gas stations, banks, schools and most shops closed. Weather proved particularly trying for the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who live in tents and makeshift shelters in the Bekaa. A man prays by his grandfather's gave at a graveyard covered in snow in the rebel-held city of Douma, northeast of the capital Damascus, on January 7, 2015. Palestinian men help clear snow off a road during a winter storm in the West Bank city of Ramallah on January 7, 2015. A Syrian man uses a wooden stick to remove the snow from the top of his tent, at a refugee camp in Deir Zannoun village, in the Bekaa valley, east Lebanon, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. Syrian refugees stand amidst a snow storm at an unofficial camp on the road between Riyaq and Baalbek in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley, near the border with Syria. Members of Free Syrian Army walk towards their position site along a street covered with snow during the clashes with Assad Regime Forces in southern Arbin town of Damascus, Syria on January 07, 2015. A man walks on a street in Jerusalem during snow fall January 7, 2015. A Syrian woman holds a snowball aiming it at family members after heavy snow fall in the residential neighborhood of Jaramana in southern Damascus, on January 7, 2015. Lebanese policemen remove a fallen pine tree from the middle of a street in Chtoura, Bekaa Valley, east Lebanon, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. Children make a snowman in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. The snowfall brought traffic to a near standstill in the capital, Damascus, and prompted the Education Ministry to shutter school and universities for two days. A Lebanese man walks on main road covered by the snow, in Chtoura town, in the Bekaa valley, east Lebanon, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. Syrian children play in the snow outside their apartment buildings in the residential neighborhood of Jaramana in southern Damascus, on January 7, 2015. Snow covered street in Ramallah, West Bank on January 07, 2015. Syrians throw snow at each other at a refugee camp in Deir Zannoun village, in the Bekaa valley, east Lebanon, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. A snow plough opens the road during a heavy snowstorm in Mdeirej area, eastern Lebanon January 7, 2015. A man pulls a heater along a street during snow fall in the besieged town of Arbeen in the eastern Ghouta of Damascus January 7, 2015. A man performs a stunt on a snowboard in the village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli Occupied Golan Heights on January 7, 2015 as a heavy snow storm hit the region. A Syrian refugee boy reacts as he stands barefoot on snow outside a tent at a refugee camp in Zahle, in the Bekaa valley of Lebanon on January 7, 2015. | 5 | 2,074 | news |
The NFL playoffs never go according to plan. Wild-card weekend produced one big surprise, and the divisional round is bound to bring at least one more. Where will that happen this time? The best bet is at Lambeau Field: MORE: David Steele's picks | Weather report | Opening lines NFC Game of the Week Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers (Sunday 1:05 p.m. ET, FOX). The Packers won't face either of their previous two playoff nemeses, the Giants or 49ers. But the Cowboys come into Green Bay with a similar feel of those teams. It takes a physical, strong-willed team to get the job done, and the Cowboys, 8-0 on the road to match the Packers' perfection at home, more than fit the profile. There is little margin for error. On top of controlling the clock and shortening the game, the Cowboys must finish in the red zone, because with Aaron Rodgers and his wide receivers, the Packers will score on a quick strike or two. Good news for Dallas, it should be able to run the ball and pound away on Green Bay. DeMarco Murray and the offensive line will be hard to slow down. The Packers can't overcommit men to the box because they have been burned often by receivers of Dez Bryant's ilk. The more effective running, the less chances for Dom Capers to confuse Tony Romo with blitzes, an issue in the first half against Detroit. What you have developing is the expected shootout between the game's two most efficient quarterbacks this season. The Cowboys' bend but don't break team defense will help so the Packers can't just put this game out of reach early, like with most Lambeau foes this season. Rodgers' injured calf doesn't need to be a big factor, but just enough for the suddenly more healthier Romo to be closer to even ground with him. There's just something about these Cowboys, and they will continue to defy odds in a hard-fought thriller. Cowboys 31, Packers 30 AFC Game of the Week Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (Saturday 4:35 p.m. ET, NBC). If you haven't heard anything about how Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh have had Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's number in the playoffs, you probably wouldn't be reading this. That's been the talk around the Patriots all week, why Flacco has outdueled Brady in one-and-done time. More of that has to do with a Ravens' defense that's been built to slow down Brady, and a Patriots' defense that's had its flaws for Flacco to exploit. While New England, with the Broncos in mind, upgraded its secondary with Darrelle Revis, the improved unit works pretty well against Baltimore's offense, too. The Ravens have struggled to run well of late, and Revis can take hot speedster Torrey Smith out of the game. Brady, meanwhile, will find a way to pick apart the Ravens' much weaker secondary. In a game where the yards will be tough to get and big plays will be few, look for Brady to out-grit Flacco, well aware of that recent history. Patriots 20, Ravens 17 AFC Rematch of the Week Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos (Sunday 4:40 p.m. ET, CBS) . The Colts don't have Robert Mathis to go after Peyton Manning. The Broncos do have Von Miller to go after Andrew Luck. Let's start there. While Denver's offensive line has thrived in being an effective run-blocking unit to take pressure off Manning, Indianapolis has struggled to establish balance for Luck all season. Luck has excelled at making things work in a one-dimensional offense, because he's a tough mother and keeps delivering big plays after every big hit. But that will catch up to him because of a Miller-led pass rush and Chris Harris Jr. cleaning up for a much-improved Broncos secondary. In the Week 1 meeting of Manning and Luck, Denver held on to win, 31-24. Luck will make it interesting again, but ultimately, Manning having the stronger supporting cast all around makes the difference. Broncos 30, Colts 20 NFC Rematch of the Week Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks (Saturday 8:15 p.m. ET, FOX). The Seahawks are pretty solid 11-point favorites. That's despite the fact Seattle won by scores of 12-7 and 13-9 in two games at Carolina over the past two seasons. The Panthers' only chance is to make this one just as ugly, which is possible, given the way their defense has been playing . But that defense will get a huge wake-up call after playing the dormant Cardinals with no quarterback or running game. The Seahawks with Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch are a different challenge all together. The degree of difficulty is raised as the Panthers will be without a key player, tackle Star Lotulelei . The prospects aren't good for Cam Newton to move the ball well, given his offensive line will have trouble with Seattle's pass rush and his receivers have little chance against the secondary. Wilson will have a better chance to improvise and make the bigger plays with his arm and feet. That line isn't too big at all for the reigning champs. Seahawks 26, Panthers 13 Stats of the Week Last week's record: 3-1 (not so wild) Season-to-date record: 172-87-1 (seven more to go) Locks record: 13-4 Upsets record: 10-7 | 1 | 2,075 | sports |
Pistons streak past Mavericks Detroit Pistons guard D.J. Augustin drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) and forward Greg Smith (4) on Wednesday in Dallas. Augustin scored 26 points off bench as the Pistons defeated the Mavericks 108-95 to win their seventh straight. IMAGES: NBA SEASON That's why he's the Big Unit National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Craig Biggio, second from right, and Pedro Martinez, right, react with laughter as John Smoltz, left, stands on his chair to place a cap on Randy Johnson's head, after they received Hall of Fame uniforms during a press conference, Wednesday in New York. The four will be inducted into the hall in Cooperstown, N.Y., in July. Unbearably cute Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova poses with a koala named "Sinnamon" on the sidelines of the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on Wednesday. IMAGES: BEST OF MARIA SHARAPOVA Just too easy Calgary Flames goalie Jonas Hiller watches as Detroit Red Wings left wing Justin Abdelkader scores a goal during the third period on Wednesday in Calgary. Detroit Red Wings won 3-2. IMAGES: NHL SEASON Using his head Jose Maria Gimenez of Atletico de Madrid scores their second goal across goalkeeper Keylor Navas of Real Madrid CF during the Copa del Rey Round of 16 first leg match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid CF at Vicente Calderon Stadium on Wednesday in Madrid. Athletico won 2-0. Making tracks Norwegian overall leader Marit Bjoergen competes during the women's 5 km Individual classic style competition of the "Tour de Ski" Cross Country World Cup on Wednesday in the Italian Alpine resort of Toblach. Bjoergen won the competition ahead of compatriots Therese Johaug and Heidi Weng. Scrapping in the paint Kelly Olynyk of the Boston Celtics, left, battles Brook Lopez of the Brooklyn Nets for a rebound at the Barclays Center on Wednesday in New York City. The Celtics won 89-81. IMAGES: NBA SEASON Dusty road A rider competes during the Stage 4 of the Dakar 2015 between Chilecito and Copiapo, Chile, on Wednesday. Dancing in the Big D The Dallas Mavericks dancers perform during game between against the Detroit Pistons in Dallas on Wednesday. IMAGES: NBA DANCERS Game face Sumo grand champion Hakuho of Mongolia performs his ring entry forms to dedicate to the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo Wednesday. The Shinto ritual is part of the annual New Year's celebrations at the shrine. Big serve Andy Murray of Great Britain serves in his match against Jerzy Janowicz of Poland during day four of the 2015 Hopman Cup at Perth Arena on Wednesday in Perth, Australia. A coach's pain Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy reacts to a missed basket by one of his players against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday in Dallas. The Pistons made enough shots to beat the Mavericks 108-95 to run their winning streak to seven. IMAGES: NBA SEASON Hanging out Dongfeng Race Team's Kevin Escoffier's daily routine brings him to every pointy end on the boat during Leg 3 between Abu Dhabi, UAE and Sanya, China. The Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 is the 12th running of this ocean marathon. Fast company Sprinter Marcel Kittel of Germany smiles during the launch of Team GIANT-Alpecin at the Fench Embassy on Wednesday in Berlin. Picking up the loose change Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Mitchell Wilbekin (10) and Duke Blue Devils guard Quinn Cook (2) chase a loose ball at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday in Winston-Salem, N.C. IMAGES 2014-15 COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON Go team go! Virginia Commonwealth Rams cheerleaders cheer on the court during a stoppage in play against the Davidson Wildcats at Stuart Siegel Center on Wednesday in Richmond, Va. IMAGES: COLLEGE CHEERLEADERS Coloring a wintry scene Participants compete behind snow-covered trees during the women's 4x6 kilometers relay race at the Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof, central Germany, on Wednesday. Czech Republic won the competition. Overtime game winner Patrice Bergeron #37 of the Boston Bruins tips a puck past Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in overtime at Consol Energy Center on Wednesday in Pittsburgh. IMAGES: 2014-15 NHL SEASON The Rocket becomes an icon Rod Laver, who was named an Icon of Queensland Tennis, stands next to his commemorative busts during a special on-court ceremony during day four of the 2015 Brisbane International at Pat Rafter Arena on Wednesday in Brisbane, Australia. IMAGES: TENNIS GREATS: NOVAK DJOKOVIC AND OTHER PLAYERS AT NUMBER ONE Teamwork Virginia's Mike Tobey (10) blocks the shot by N.C. State's Cody Martin (15) as Virginia's Marial Shayok (4) also defends during the first half on Wednesday at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va. IMAGES 2014-15 COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON Not so friendly skies A seagull swoops at a Sky TV drone covering cricket on day five of the second international Test cricket match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand on Wednesday. The chase is on KTM rider Marc Coma of Spain drives during the 4th stage of the Dakar Rally 2015, from Chilecito to Copiapo on Wednesday. . Poaching it away Baylor guard/forward Ishmail Wainright (24) is forced to pass the ball out from beneath the basket as Kansas's Brannen Greene (14) and Jamari Traylor (31) defend in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, on Wednesday, in Waco, Texas. Wainright was fouled on the play. IMAGES 2014-15 COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON Eating up the distance Winner Alexey Poltoranin of Kazakhstan one meter before finish line and victory in the Mens 10.0 km Individual, Classic Tour de Ski on Wednesday in Toblach Hochpustertal, Italy. Fitting tribute Spectators dressed as former Australian cricketer and commentator Richie Benaud pose during day two of the Fourth Test match between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. Faulty defense Anthony Forde of Walsall scores the opening goal during the Johnstone's Paint Northern Area Final, First Leg match between Preston North End and Walsall at Deepdale on Wednesday in Preston, England. IMAGES: PREVIOUS DAY'S PHOTOS | 1 | 2,076 | sports |
Ohio State insider Beanie Wells shares his thoughts on the battle between the Buckeyes and the Ducks, including Ezekiel Elliott's rush yards, OSU's secret weapon and if Cardale Jones will be the starting QB in 2015. | 1 | 2,077 | sports |
Paris Deputy Mayor Patrick Klugman shares details on the people suspected in the Paris shooting. | 8 | 2,078 | video |
John Miller and Bill Bratton offer insights following the Charlie Hebdo attack, in the process weighing in on the status of the investigation in France | 5 | 2,079 | news |
Rakeem Christmas' dunk was enough to give Syracuse the 46-45 win over Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets would miss a would-be buzzer-beater to end the game. | 1 | 2,080 | sports |
Researchers at the University of Rochester create a 3-D, transmitting, continuously multidirectional cloaking device. | 8 | 2,081 | video |
Yes, we're officially one week into the New Year, but that doesn't mean your only opportunity to set a healthy resolution is in the past. Make these small changes to your lifestyle and start seeing (and feeling) big results in 2016! Add intervals : Maximize your cardio with intervals. Playing with the speed burns more calories than working at a steady pace and it also revs up your metabolism. Ditch dairy : Eliminating dairy from your diet can make a big difference in your health. If you can't say goodbye forever, try eating it at only one meal a day. Lift more : Grabbing heavier weights can be the swift kick your muscles need to show off your strong and toned physique. Don't be afraid to up the ante. Cut the condiments : Save tons of calories from your meal by cutting out mayo, ketchup, or fatty salad dressing. Sub these healthier condiments instead. Try a new class : CrossFit? Bikram? Krav Maga? Try something new to keep your body guessing and see results sooner. Drink more water : From boosting your metabolism to improving your immunity, water is the one elixir you need more of in 2016. Make a point to sip all day. Make a homemade breakfast : Take the time to enjoy a healthy recipe in the morning, or make these breakfasts in advance to grab when you're on the go. Eat more protein : This macronutrient makes a huge difference when it comes to losing weight and staying energized. Make sure you're getting enough every day. Skip the second cup : Bow out of your second cup of coffee, and start opting for green tea instead. Your body will thank you later in the night! Plan on Sunday : Pencil in your workouts for the week on Sunday evening. You're much more likely to make them happen if a plan in already in place. Make over your desk : Before you head home every night, take a few minutes to clean up and de-clutter. Keeping your workspace Zen keeps you more productive at the office. Choose color : Add colorful fruits and veggies to every meal. You'll be fueling your body with quality nutrition and building a healthy (delicious) lifestyle. Tack on 10 minutes : You don't need to reinvent the wheel at every workout. Simply tack on an additional 10 minutes to your cardio and strength-training plan to challenge your body. Say yes : Whether it's a new ingredient, intimidating class, or glass of green juice, just say yes. You'll never know until you try. Get to bed : Hit the hay earlier, and make sure you're getting at least seven hours of sleep every night. You'll start waking up feeling fabulous, energized, and ready to embrace the day. | 7 | 2,082 | health |
David Blatt comments on Kyrie Irving and more after Cleveland's 105-93 loss to Houston. | 1 | 2,083 | sports |
There's a report that the Thunder talked with the Nets about trading for Brook Lopez, but Brooklyn passed because they were on a hot streak. How would he have fit in on the Thunder? | 1 | 2,084 | sports |
Just days after defending his title, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Bones Jones has entered a drug rehabilitation center. In a statement, Jones said, "I want to apologize to my fiancé, my children, as well as my mother, father, and brothers for the mistake that I made. I also want to apologize to the UFC, my coaches, my sponsors and equally important to my fans. I am taking this treatment program very seriously." | 8 | 2,085 | video |
The Los Angeles Police Department have finally recovered OJ Simpson's Heisman Trophy that was stolen from USC back in 1994. There were no leads on the case until November when a man called the university in an alleged effort to authenticate the trophy. He told USC officials that he had bought the Heisman from a friend, according to TMZ. | 1 | 2,086 | sports |
Filmmaker Ayaan Hirsi Ali who is on al Qaeda's most wanted list and former extremist Maajid Nawaz discuss their experiences questioning the faith. | 8 | 2,087 | video |
LG built a custom watch for Android, but never told us what software it was running. Tonight we discovered that it's webOS. | 8 | 2,088 | video |
Louisville found itself trailing at half, but used a 17-0 run in the 2nd half and a burst from Chris Jones to secure a win at home over Clemson. | 1 | 2,089 | sports |
They make them and they break them just like us! It's That Time Again Still haven't settled on a resolution for 2018? Click though to see how 15 stars approach this annual tradition. Bill Murray "I would say resolving to make a resolution is the most important thing." Marilyn Monroe "Go to class ... without fail ... never miss actor's studio sessions ... start attending Clurman lectures also Lee Strassberg's directors lectures at theater wing enquire about both ... keep looking around me only much more so observing ... take at least one class at university in literature ... try to find someone to take dancing from ... try to enjoy myself when I can I'll be miserable enough as it is." From Monroe's 1955 diary Conan O'Brien "I usually make ones that are like I want to gain a lot of abdominal weight. That way I'm not disappointed." Mia Farrow "Resolution: I will not take anything for granted ever again." Joan Rivers "I make the same three resolutions every single year: 1. Only make faces at blind people. 2. Tell crying orphans to suck it up. Nobody wants to hear them whine. Nobody wants them, period; that's why they're oprhans. 3. Lose weight. I love to eat. I bought a picture of the Last Supper just to look at the food." Jimmy Stewart "I've decided to stop trying to put on weight. No matter how I saturate myself with milk and butter and eggs, I still stay thin as a string bean. So now I'm going to forget it, and eat what I like. And it won't be milk and butter and eggs!" Helen Mirren "Stop procrastinating. That's my New Year's resolution for everybody, but mostly for myself. Don't procrastinate. Just don't. I have my whole life, and every year I have to make the same resolution because I always procrastinate." Nora Ephron "I resolve to eat more waffles, even though this resolution is in direct conflict with my most important resolution of the New Year, which is to lose two pounds. Waffles are amazing. When I'm dying, I don't want to regret not having eaten more of them." Paul Newman "I will jump in the river that runs through our backyard, every morning. Why? Just to get my heart started." Julianne Moore "I want to not hurt myself while exercising." Woody Guthrie "Play and sing good, dance better, help win war beat Fascism." "New Year's Rulin's," 1943 Amy Poehler "I'm not a big New Year's resolution person, but I do like to make a list of detailed wishes or things that I'd like to manifest very detailed, because I find that the more detailed you are, the more likely they are to come true. I do make that list usually at about 11:58 p.m., very furiously on a cocktail napkin or something." Susan Sontag "I want to make a New Year's prayer, not a resolution. I'm praying for courage." Sontag's 1972 diary Kevin Bacon "I don't like to make promises to myself that I might not be able to keep because then, you know, whatever, you feel like an idiot. So I don't do it." Kathy Griffin "My resolutions are to eat more carbs, be more negative, swear more and offend more people than I did [this year]." | 6 | 2,090 | entertainment |
Baylor forward Johnathan Motley would have had an awesome dunk in Wednesday's loss to Kansas, but the play was waved off due to a controversial charging call. | 1 | 2,091 | sports |
One of Duke's super frosh, Justise Winslow, scored a career-high 20 points in the Blue Devils' 73-65 win over Wake Forest. Winslow added 7 rebounds and a pair of blocks, as the #2 Duke moves to 14-0 on the season. | 1 | 2,092 | sports |
Detroit's first line took care of business against the Flames on Wednesday, chipping a pair of goals in a 3-2 win. Zetterberg also potted the 800th goal of his career in the victory. | 1 | 2,093 | sports |
Rick Nash, Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello combined for three goals to lead the Rangers to a 4-1 win on the pond. | 1 | 2,094 | sports |
All good things must come to an end, and after precisely 22,830 miles, I've said a reluctant goodbye to the 2014 Land Rover Range Rover that has been my daily driver for the past year. I already know I'm going to miss its quiet comfort and restrained opulence, as well as its discreetly confident, go-anywhere demeanor. Fast-moving freeway? Rocky trail? Sandy beach? Cratered city streets? Snowy mountain pass? Country club driveway? No problem. Drive on. Range Rover reliability is still a favorite meme of the Internet's armchair experts, many of whom posted dire predictions of expensive problems after my introduction story. In the interest of objective reporting, here's a full list of everything that went wrong with the Range Rover over the past year: 1) The rubber covering started to peel off the remote key. 2) A small plastic tab on the tow-hitch cover snapped while it was being removed, meaning the cover wouldn't quite sit straight when replaced afterwards. 3) Er … that's it. I picked up a nail in the left rear tire in suburban L.A., which resulted in a $20 puncture repair, and I blew a right rear tire on a rock in Utah, which required a replacement to be shipped in from our friends at Tire Rack. The scheduled 15,000-mile service took place at 16,386 miles and cost $290.36. The oil and oil filter were changed, the usual checks and inspections made, and the car returned from Land Rover Pasadena cleaned and washed. My final few months with the Range Rover included a 2,000-mile Thanksgiving road trip from L.A. to Utah, Colorado, and Arizona that included everything from brisk freeway cruising to low-range rock crawling and elevations that, according to the handy 4x4 Info mode on sat-nav screen, ranged from more than 11,000 feet (snow-clad Engineer Pass in Colorado) to almost 90 feet below sea level (on the I-10 near Palm Springs, California). That trip saw the Range Rover return its best fuel economy number -- 21.6 mpg for the 419 miles from Durango, Colorado, to Globe, Arizona -- and cover a record 482.9 miles from Globe back to El Segundo, California, before the 26-gallon gas tank was topped up with premium unleaded. Overall fuel consumption for the 22,830 miles, roughly a third of which was highway cruising or freeway driving, came out at 16.9 mpg, reasonable for a 340-hp, 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 hauling 5,170 pounds of luxury SUV. The on-board trip computer proved routinely optimistic to the tune of 3 to 4 mpg, but manual calculations suggested the Rangie would routinely return around 20 mpg cruising at 75-85 mph on the highway, with consumption dropping to the low teens in stop-start running around town. Speaking of stop-start, the Range Rover comes with this feature as the default running mode. I switched it off, preferring to keep the engine idling for the relatively short times the car was stationary. A couple of powertrain engineers I've spoken with have suggested stop-start is really only useful in passing European fuel economy tests, and that with frequent use you may actually consume more gas because of the need to over-fuel the engine on restart. From its elegant design to its commanding driving position, superb ride quality, and accurate steering, there's a lot I love about the Range Rover. So what didn't I like? The information and entertainment user interface. Whether it was programming the sat-nav, searching for music, switching on the heated front seats, or accessing and actuating a dozen other functions, the center-mounted touchscreen was an exercise in frustration. It's quite a stretch across the cabin, for a start, and the system reacts slowly. Jaguar Land Rover needs to come up with a better, faster, more intuitive user interface. A console-mounted rotary knob, as used with Audi's MMI or Mercedes-Benz's COMAND systems would be ideal, but JLR's interior designers would have to figure out how to make that work with the rotary gear selector, whose stately rise-from-console on startup is one of the signature party tricks of the car. What would I change if I had my time over again? Very little. I'm still not convinced it's worth spending $18,500 more to get the 510-hp supercharged V-8, although its midrange punch is immensely satisfying. The available 20-, 21-, and 22-inch wheels look fabulous, but the base 19-inch wheel/tire combination is very comfortable -- perfect for a luxury car. The Pirelli Scorpion 235/65R19 all-season tire could use a touch more dry-weather grip, though, and is an unusual size, as I discovered trying to find a replacement in Moab, Utah, on Thanksgiving eve (a big shoutout to Chip at Chip's Grand Tire Pros for finding a used Goodyear 265/60R19 as an emergency spare). I'd probably spend $1,750 on the optional glass panoramic roof. We could have used it sightseeing in the Colorado Rockies. If JLR tossed me the keys to the Scotia Grey Range Rover I've now lived with for a year and said, "Keep it," I'd be happy. A quiet, comfortable, elegant luxury car with the versatility of a wagon and the go-anywhere capability of, well, a Land Rover, the 2014 Range Rover is the one vehicle that truly does it all. More on our long-term 2014 Land Rover Range Rover: Arrival Update 1: The Light Stuff Update 2: Finding the Sweet Spot Update 3: Sound Advice Update 4: Body Language Update 5: Room to Move Our Car SERVICE LIFE 22,830 mi BASE PRICE $83,645 OPTIONS Vision Assist Pack ($2,160: Terrain Response 2, adaptive headlights, surround-view exterior cameras, blind-spot monitoring), Meridian 19-speaker sound system ($1,850), adaptive cruise control ($1,295), Tow Pack ($900: hitch receiver, full-size spare wheel) PRICE AS TESTED $89,850 AVG ECON 16.9 mpg PROBLEM AREAS None MAINTENANCE COST $290.36 (oil change, inspection) NORMAL-WEAR COST $0 3-YEAR RESIDUAL VALUE* $44,925 RECALLS Side airbag connectors, front turn signals, tire-pressure monitoring system *Automotive Lease Guide data 2014 Land Rover Range Rover POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, 4WD ENGINE TYPE Supercharged 90-deg V-6, alum block/heads VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 182.7 cu in/2,995 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 10.5:1 POWER (SAE NET) 340 hp @ 6,500 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 332 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm REDLINE 6,800 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 15.2 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.73:1/2.49:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Control arms, air springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, air springs, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 16.6-19.4:1 (est) TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 3.0 BRAKES, F;R 13.8-in vented disc; 13.8-in vented disc, ABS WHEELS, F;R 7.5 x 19-in, cast aluminum TIRES, F;R 235/65R19 109V M+S Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 115.0 in TRACK, F/R 66.5/66.3 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 196.8 x 78.1 x 72.3 in GROUND CLEARANCE 8.7-11.6 in APPRCH/DEPART ANGLE 26.0-34.7/24.6-29.6 deg TURNING CIRCLE 40.4 ft CURB WEIGHT 5,170 lb WEIGHT DIST., F/R 49/51% TOWING CAPACITY 7,716 lb SEATING CAPACITY 5 HEADROOM, F/R 42.5/39.2 in LEGROOM, F/R 39.1/40.2 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 60.7/59.4 in CARGO VOLUME BEH F/R 71.7/32.1 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 2.1 sec 0-40 3.2 0-50 4.5 0-60 6.1 0-70 7.9 0-80 10.3 0-90 13.2 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 3.2 QUARTER MILE 14.6 sec @ 94.0 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 124 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.71 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 28.6 sec @ 0.61 g (avg) TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,600 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $83,645 PRICE AS TESTED $89,850 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/yes AIRBAGS Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, driver knee BASIC WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 4 yrs/50,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 27.7 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 17/23/19 mpg ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY 198/147 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.01 lb/mile REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB 16.6/22.9/19.0 mpg RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium | 9 | 2,095 | autos |
Aphrodisiacs can stimulate a lagging libido or set the mood of your mind and body to help you achieve greater sexual health and functioning. An aphrodisiac is a substance such as food, drink, drug or scent that induces or arouses feelings of sexual desire. These substances are notorious for having a powerful impact on the mind and body triggering the release of chemicals in the brain and stimulating the sex organs. The most effective aphrodisiacs enhance aspects of the sensory experience, evoking an increase in sex drive, improvement in performance and helping you to achieve greater sexual satisfaction. Certain foods are believed to have aphrodisiac properties being integrally tied to your mood and overall sense of well-being. Whether you want to boost fertility, improve the urge to merge or increase lubrication, these five foods will have you craving a little extra time between the sheets. Avocado Avocado is a rich source of vitamin E, aiding the body in the production of hormones like testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. These hormones circulate in your bloodstream and stimulate sexual responses, such as clitoral swelling and vaginal lubrication. Eggs Eggs are a reliable source of L-arginine, which when acted upon by enzymes in your body increase production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide has a dilating effect on the blood vessels. Many drugs used to treat impotence and high blood pressure work by raising nitric oxide levels, and many herbs and foods that enhance arousal work through the same mechanism. Peaches Peaches have high vitamin C content, which have been shown to improve sperm count and reduce sperm clumping. Plus, vitamin C is a potent antioxidant boosting immunity for you and your partner. Dark chocolate Researchers have found countless benefits linked to the consumption of chocolate, in moderate portions, including the high PEA (phenylethylamine) content. PEA fuels the release of endorphins and serotonin natural mood-boosters which will improve your longing for a little one-on-one time with your lover. Be certain to choose dark chocolates that contain at least 65 percent cacao. Chile Peppers Capsaicin, the chemical that makes peppers spicy, can spice up your sex drive. This chemical increases circulation, which will get your blood pumping. It also stimulates nerve endings that contribute to arousal. Next time you want to spice things up in the bedroom, make your meal fiery with red Chile peppers, jalapenos or the hot, hot habanero. | 7 | 2,096 | health |
One day after 12 people were killed at the office of Charlie Hebdo, a police officer south of Paris was also shot and killed. CNN's Jim Bittermann reports. | 8 | 2,097 | video |
Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman previews the Ravens-Patriots game and whether Baltimore can win again in New England. | 1 | 2,098 | sports |
The Clippers domination over the Lakers is so complete these last few seasons, that the best highlight to come out of the Clippers 114-89 win Wednesday was Steve Ballmer's dance moves. And that impromptu show was ridiculously awesome. The best highlight wasn't Blake Griffin's windmill dunk. And Kobe Bryant missed his first eight shots and scored just four points, so he didn't have any highlights. Fergie, up from her courtside seat next to Ballmer, gave a surprise performance between the first and second quarters by singing her new hit "L.A. Love" with a flash mob. And an unplanned yet awesome dance off by Ballmer. "Normal game," Griffin said with much sarcasm. A normal game in this rivalry got upstaged by a dancing owner. Even Mark Cuban hasn't done something quite so quirky. Clippers games are becoming the new hot ticket for celebrities and in keeping with his theme to be hardcore, Ballmer started dancing next to Gillian Zucker, president of business operations. He had his arms waving, hands clapping, legs lifting to the beat, or not. It was ridiculously awesome. He stole the show, in khakis and a red-striped polo, being comfortable in his own skin and interesting way of dancing. You know the Clippers have a leg up in this rivalry when a dancing owner takes the focus off the game. Matt Barnes played brilliant defense against Bryant, and before the game, he tweeted that he felt like "$h!t." No matter. Barnes also had the line of the night on Ballmer's dancing: "You can't have everything." The Clippers don't have everything, but they did get their 24th win and stayed at fifth in the Western Conference standings. They were grooving offensively and defensively. The Lakers lost their 25th The Clippers' pounding of the Lakers was so real that all five Clippers starters - Griffin, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick and Barnes - scored in double figures and didn't play in the fourth quarter. That gave them plenty of time to digest the Ballmer boogie. "I'll put it this way, he danced exactly as I expected him to dance," Griffin said while laughing. "His enthusiasm was amazing. It was fun. Cool atmosphere." Griffin had 27 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. And a good view of Ballmer's antics, since Ballmer sits next to the basket that's closest to the Clippers bench. Coaches and players are usually focused in a team huddle between quarters, but it was hard not to notice the scene on the court, with Fergie and Co., and Ballmer letting loose. Doc Rivers weighed on the routine as well. Sort of. "No comment, "Rivers laughed. "Our relationship is too new." Said Paul: "He was feeling good tonight. I think it's cool - seriously - to see how much fun he's having. I think our fans feed off that." Everyone who has social media is feeding off that. There's nothing to not love, unless you're a Lakers fan who cared about the outcome of the game or that Byron Scott called the Lakers "soft" after the game. Bryant already did that earlier this year. Back to Ballmer. Ballmer danced as though no one was watching, but we're all watching. And it upstaged the Clippers and Lakers. That's how far this rivalry has come in favor of the Clippers. Ballmer and his dance moves were that awesome. | 1 | 2,099 | sports |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.