text
stringlengths 5
144k
| label
int64 0
9
| id
int64 0
100k
| label_text
stringclasses 10
values |
|---|---|---|---|
A perk of this job is driving a lot of new cars every year. With so many coming and going, it's easy not to get too attached to any of them. There are a few, though, that I actually miss once they're gone, and our long-term 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport is one of those cars. Our Red Obsession-painted CTS Vsport joined the fleet by virtue of winning our 2014 Car of the Year award. The award, of course, went to the entire CTS line, but although we loved all the CTS models, we're car enthusiasts, and when given a choice of which to spend a year with, we went with the fastest. And we do mean fastest. Our Vsport's only option is the red paint. This car is as light and performance-focused as it gets. Reducing weight was a primary goal for Cadillac's engineers, and the payoff is in the car's nimble, responsive chassis. It turns this leather-filled luxury sedan into a sports car at every twisting freeway on-ramp, adding a silver lining to even the worst commute. Its powerful, lag-free twin-turbo V-6 and intelligent eight-speed automatic make merging and overtaking an opportunity for a little fun, and that's just in the city. Related link: Research the Cadillac CTS Get the Vsport out on a country road and dial up the computer's performance modes, and the Vsport becomes a serious sports sedan. The steering weights up nicely, the chassis responds instantly and smoothly to your inputs, the brakes provide excellent feedback and don't fade, the transmission's always in the right gear, and the engine's got all the power the car could need. There are plenty of luxury sedans you can drive fast, but few are this fun and rewarding. Not speccing any options did have a drawback or two. The base analog instrument cluster is uninspired at best and unbefitting the car. One or two people also complained the standard seat doesn't adjust enough to make them comfortable on long trips nothing deal-breaking, but enough to make you think twice about not checking a few more boxes on the order form. Six months isn't enough. I wish the Vsport had been mine for the whole year. The only other common complaint was against Cadillac's CUE information and entertainment system. Some people absolutely hate it, but if you can make it over the steep learning curve and understand how to operate it, it's perfectly serviceable. Once you know how to touch it properly, it responds pretty well. Everyone hated BMW's iDrive at first, but given enough development it became lauded. CUE can and should follow that path. A complaint was also lodged against Cadillac's safety seat, as some folks just don't like the vibrating seat. Personally, I greatly prefer a slight vibration under my backside to loud, irritating beeps or a shaking steering wheel. One thing we couldn't complain much about was the car's reliability. The Vsport made three trips to the dealer, and one of those was for a screw in the tire that could've been handled at any tire shop had the dealer not been conveniently located. It set us back $29.95. The first stop was for a routine oil change at 7,000 miles that was covered by Cadillac's limited free maintenance program. Its final trip, at 13,000 miles, was spurred both by the need for another oil change and by a warning message. Our car was struck by a small casting defect in the rear differential that allowed the high-pressure fluid reservoir to slowly leak down. The defect afflicted fewer than 100 CTS Vsport prototypes and engineering development cars, all of which are owned by GM (including ours). Although the problem didn't affect the drivability of the car in any way, Cadillac replaced the differential free of charge. During that trip to the dealer, the only real malfunction we ever had from the car -- a bad tire pressure sensor -- was also addressed. During the Vsport's stay, GM's massive ignition switch recall struck. It didn't affect our car, but the scandal spurred GM and other automakers to issue recalls for every last potential problem they could think of. In our case, this included a recall for the windshield wiper control module and one for the automatic transmission shift cable. Both were replaced for free. Just before the car was slated to be returned, another recall was issued for the chassis control module. As the recalls and repairs happened to coincide with oil changes, the CTS didn't make any unscheduled trips to the dealer. Thanks to the warranty and Cadillac's limited free maintenance plan, our total out-of-pocket cost was just $29.95 for the tire patch. We can't complain about the Vsport's fuel efficiency, either. Although the EPA rates it at 16/24/18 mpg city/highway/combined, our Real MPG testing showed considerably better results of 19.9/27.4/22.7 mpg city/highway/combined. Under our editors' lead feet, we recorded an average of 18.9 mpg at the pump, still beating the EPA's combined number. A year later, the CTS Vsport continues to be everything we wanted it to be. It's a quiet, comfortable, and refined luxury sedan that seamlessly morphs into a powerful, precise cornering machine at the drop of a hat. It's immensely fun to drive at all times yet never feels crude or punishing, and it's one of the few press cars I'll truly miss. More on our long-term 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport: Arrival Update 1: A Second Opinion Update 2: Getting to My Happy Place Update 3: Differential Frustrations Update 4: Taking It for Granted Update 5: On Cue Our Car SERVICE LIFE 19,770 mi BASE PRICE $59,995 OPTIONS Red Obsession Tintcoat paint ($995) PRICE AS TESTED $60,990 AVG ECON/CO2 18.9 mpg / 1.03 lb/mi PROBLEM AREAS Rear differential carrier, TPMS sensor MAINTENANCE COST $0 (oil change, tire rotation, inspection) NORMAL-WEAR COST $0 3-YEAR RESIDUAL VALUE* $26,226 RECALLS Windshield wiper system, transmission shift cable, front seat brackets, chassis electronic module *Automotive Lease Guide data 2014 Cadillac CTS Vsport POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD ENGINE TYPE Twin-turbo 60-deg V-6, alum block/heads VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 217.5 cu in/3564 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 10.2:1 POWER (SAE NET) 420 hp @ 5,750 rpm* TORQUE (SAE NET) 430 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm* REDLINE 6,500 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 9.4 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 2.85:1/1.97:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 15.4:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.5 BRAKES, F;R 13.6-in vented disc; 12.4-in vented disc, ABS WHEELS, F;R 8.5 x 18-in; 9.5 x 18-in, cast aluminum TIRES, F;R 245/40R18 93Y; 275/35R18 95Y Pirelli P Zero Run Flat DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 114.6 in TRACK, F/R 61.4/61.7 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 195.5 x 72.2 x 57.2 in TURNING CIRCLE 36.7 ft CURB WEIGHT 3,938 lb WEIGHT DIST., F/R 52/48% SEATING CAPACITY 5 HEADROOM, F/R 39.2/37.5 in LEGROOM, F/R 42.6/35.4 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 56.9/54.8 in CARGO VOLUME 13.7 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.7 sec 0-40 2.6 0-50 3.4 0-60 4.5 0-70 5.9 0-80 7.3 0-90 9.0 0-100 10.8 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 2.2 QUARTER MILE 13.0 sec @ 109.4 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 100 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.96 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 24.5 sec @ 0.78 g (avg) TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,500 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $59,995 PRICE AS TESTED $60,990 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/yes AIRBAGS Dual front, f/r side, f/r curtain, front knee BASIC WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 6 yrs/70,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 6 yrs/70,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 19.0 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 16/24/18 mpg ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY 211/140 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.03 lb/mile REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB 20/27/23 mpg RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium *SAE Certified | 9 | 3,200 | autos |
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. An attorney defending the Boy Scouts against a sex abuse lawsuit in California says the organization acknowledges mistakes in the past but now has a robust child protection program in place. Lawyer Nicholas Heldt said Monday in his opening statement that from 2003 to 2007, only 27 adult volunteers were kicked out annually for sexually abusing Scouts, although there were 1.5 million volunteers nationally. The statement came in a lawsuit by a 20-year-old man who is seeking punitive damages against the Scouts after being molested by a volunteer in 2007. His attorney, Tim Hale, told a jury in Santa Barbara that the Scouts didn't provide enough education to prevent abuse. Superior Court Judge Donna Geck has ruled that years of sealed files containing allegations of sexual misconduct can be used as evidence at the trial. | 5 | 3,201 | news |
We told you a few months ago it was coming ( MT December 2014 ) , and we were right. Now that the all-new Ford GT is finally out, we've been turning over every rock looking for every last detail on the car. First, the basics: The mid-engine GT utilizes a carbon-fiber tub with aluminum front and rear sub-frames, carbon-fiber bodywork, a "600-plus horsepower" race-derived 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 engine, pushrod inboard suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It'll go on-sale at the end of 2016, just before the expiration of the 50th anniversary year of Ford's first overall win at Le Mans with the original GT40. Now, to the details. Though Ford declined to pop the engine cover, we've learned a few things about the powertrain. The engine is essentially a street-legal version of the 600-horsepower Roush-Yates-built power plant found in the Riley Technologies Daytona Prototype racecar. Per Ford, the race engine uses 70 percent stock parts, including the block and heads. It's been upfitted with a direct- and port-fuel-injection system and roller finger-followers on the valvetrain, and it's claimed three racing victories in its rookie season including the 12 Hours of Sebring. All in, Ford Performance Director Dave Pericak says the engine's done over 15,000 race miles at the hands of Chip Ganassi Racing, which is rumored to be the team taking the GT back to Le Mans for Ford next year. Feeding the engine are two turbochargers, but not where you might expect them. Like the Daytona Prototype car, they're mounted just ahead of the rear wheels, out in the sponsons (the humps housing the rear wheels) for optimal weight distribution. They draw air from the intake on the rocker panel and feed it into intercoolers also mounted in the sponsons, then the cooled air travels through the hollow flying buttress up to the roof of the car then down into the engine. Air used to cool the intercoolers enters via intakes on the sponsons and exits through vents in the centers of the taillight rings. While you'd expect such long ductwork to cause considerable turbo lag, Performance Vehicle Chief Engineer Jamal Hameedi tells us Ford's modeled and tested the design extensively and it's not a big deal (at least not at LeMans). After all, it seems to work for the Daytona Prototype. How it'll work on a street car, which doesn't spend its life at full throttle, remains to be seen. All that power is channeled to a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission being developed by Getrag. Given the cost, Ford is looking for other products that could use the gearbox, or at least the technology developed for it. Power, of course, is nothing without control. Primary control of the GT comes from its race-derived, inboard-mounted torsion beam and pushrod suspension with adjustable ride height. Per Vice President of Global Product Development and major car guy Raj Nair, suspension supplier Multimatic is a "partner" in the project. This leads us to believe that, as with the Daytona Prototype cars, the GT runs Multimatic's DSSV shock absorbers, also found on everything from Le Mans cars to F1 cars and street machines like the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. Rumor has it Multimatic may also be the manufacturer of the Le Mans-bound GT racecar. The company also likely supplies the hinges for the upward-opening doors, which unlike past GTs don't include a chunk of the roof. Additional control comes from the racecar-like bodywork. It's no coincidence the GT resembles a Daytona Prototype car, as Ford's lead production designer Garen Nicoghosian and Ford Racing's chief aerodynamicist Bernie Marcus helped design the body of the Daytona Prototype. Final styling on the GT was done by Chris Svensson, Design Director for The Americas, under the watchful eye of styling boss Moray Callum. The body work also features active aerodynamic elements, including the rear wing, which adjusts for optimal downforce or drag and can tilt straight up to act as an air brake. Under the car, Tony Greco, who was project manager on the last Ford GT and is now project manager for Raptor, tells us the car features underbody diffuser flaps which open and close as needed, similarly to those on the Bugatti Veyron. The final piece of the puzzle is the tire and wheel package. The wheels are 20 inches all around, and while Ford made no mention of it, it's possible they're Carbon Revolution carbon-fiber hybrid wheels like those on the new Shelby GT350R . Nair mused that such a set-up, carbon-fiber wheels on a carbon-fiber car, would make sense. Regardless of what they're made of, they're wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires designed specifically for the GT. The big, lingering question is: how much of the show car will make it to production? With the car on-sale in less than two years, though, there's no time to change anything major now. Hard as it may be to believe, Svensson tells us the body work is "99 percent production," so what you see is almost exactly what you'll get. The same does not go for the interior, which we're told is just a mock-up and will change significantly for the production car. Given the short time until production begins, it's likely the seats won't change much. They're molded into the carbon-fiber tub and the steering wheel and pedals adjust instead. The other question is where Ford got the chassis. Per Callum and Svensson, the car was designed in just 14 months, and it was done in a secret studio in the basement of Ford's Dearborn design center. Only a handful of designers, engineers, and executives knew of the car's existence. All of this makes one wonder where and how Ford cooked-up an all-new carbon-fiber tub, aluminum front and rear sub-frames, and a race-derived suspension so quickly. We'd bet Riley Technologies was consulted on the suspension given the similarities in design, and industry rumors strongly suggest Multimatic will not only be building the racecars, but the street cars as well. Multimatic, as you may recall, built the Aston Martin One-77's carbon-fiber chassis. Incidentally, that car also used DSSV shocks. What does it all weigh? Daytona Prototypes under 3.5 liters strive to meet the minimum allowed curb weight of just 2225 pounds, and while this car will no doubt be saddled with additional equipment such as airbags, the extensive use of carbon-fiber could realistically keep the car in the range of 3000 pounds or less. Lastly, one has to wonder what such an incredible performance car will cost. The last Ford GT cost $140,000 to $150,000, but our sources with production and manufacturing expertise say this car will be significantly more expensive thanks to the technologies it employs. Best guess: around $300,000, and expect production to be very limited, a few hundred per year at best. | 9 | 3,202 | autos |
Serena Williams has her eyes set on a sixth Australian Open championship after beating Spaniard Gabrine Muguruza (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) to set up an exciting quarterfinals clash with last year's runner-up Dominika Cibulkova. The 11th-seed Slovak has shown flashes of her form from 2014, dispatching two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the fourth round. Williams has started on the back-foot in her last two matches, with Elina Svitovina beating the American in the first set before powering back to win, and Mugurunza's clean-hitting forcing the 33-year-old to come from behind. But the world number one, who will likely have to win the tournament to protect that spot, is aware that complacency could cost her against the diminutive Cibulkova. "I didn't start out so well and she did everything she needed to do in the first set," said Williams. "I just decided to do my best, stay focused and relax. "She's a really good player," replied Williams when asked about Cibulkova. "I mean, to be her size, she hits so hard and she plays so well," the American said of her next opponent. "She's just such a power, compact, great player. I just have to stay focused and not underestimate her. She actually almost beat me before. I want to make sure I come ready and prepared." Vintage Venus Meanwhile, elder sister Venus continues to impress in Melbourne as she progressed to the last-eight of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2010. The 34-year-old, who suffers from Sjogren's syndrome, an energy-sapping condition, defeated sixth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. Williams sets up an all-American quarterfinal against the unseeded Madison Keys who has beaten Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova en route to the last-eight. A win over the talented Keys would reignite one of the all-time classic battles in Tennis - Venus against Serena in the semifinals. rd/apc (AFP, AP) | 1 | 3,203 | sports |
Since October 2014, Tesco has done all it can to rid itself of its loss-making digital download service Blinkbox. TalkTalk came to its rescue, picking up Blinkbox Movies and its broadband services earlier this month, but the fate of its Music and Books businesses remained unclear -- until today. In an announcement this morning, the supermarket giant confirmed it has offloaded Blinkbox Music to Guvera, a music streaming company that has offered users access to its free ad-supported service since 2008. But what about Books? The Book Seller reports that Tesco will close down the service at the end of next month after talks with Waterstones did not reach a conclusion. The retailer was believed to be in exclusive talks to acquire the e-book service and now up to 60 staff could now be made redundant. "We have taken the decision to close our e-book service Blinkbox Books," said a Blinkbox spokesperson. "The service will close by the end of February." And so, Tesco's involvement with the Blinkbox is coming to an end after a turbulent few years. It all started when the company attempted to take on the might of iTunes and Spotify by acquiring Peter Gabriel's We7 for £10.8 million in June 2012. It then picked up Andy McNab's e-book platform, Mobcast, for £4.5 million three months later. While its services had millions of users, Tesco couldn't turn Blinkbox into a money-making venture -- now it's up to TalkTalk and Guvera to keep them moving forward (and look after existing customers). Blinkbox , The Book Seller | 3 | 3,204 | finance |
An employee at a Home Depot store in New York City shot and killed a store manager and then himself Sunday, the NYPD said. | 8 | 3,205 | video |
This year, 11 countries across Africa are holding key national elections, significant since it wasn't too long ago that the vast majority of the continent was run by a mix of military dictators and "president-for-lifers." And yet it is clear that the economic development everyone is counting on will not be possible without political stability. Indeed, even though few African countries have attained wide recognition as full-fledged competitive democracies, investors are lining up. According to the World Bank, foreign direct investment (FDI) grew 16% to a "near-record $43 billion in 2013." The first major polls opened last week in Zambia, and Edgar Lungu, leader of the ruling Patriotic Front party has been declared the winner with 48.3% of the vote. It was a tight election, with him winning by just 27,000 votes. It's among the six really worth watching closely over the next year. 1. Country : Zambia Population : 15 million GDP : $26.8 billion When : Jan 20 Who : The presidential by-election came 90 days after the death of the populist Michael Sata in October. The race was down to two front-runners. The ruling party's Patriotic Front and current Defense Minister Edgar Lungu has been declared the winner. He was challenged by the leader of the opposition party United Party for National Development Hakainde Hichilema. Why you need to pay attention : At the centre of the election debate is the future of mining, the country's biggest and most important economic sector. The current Patriotic Front-led government's institution of a 20% hike in mining royalties has raised concerns with investors. The opposition has promised to roll back the tax rise. What they're saying: "It is going to be difficult for whoever comes in. They are going to either have to backtrack on promises or, if they go ahead with them, they will quickly see a lot of problems, which could feed in to a weaker exchange rate, rising inflation and higher interest rates." Tobias Rasmussen, the International Monetary Fund's representative in Zambia. 2. Country : Nigeria Population : 178.5 million. GDP : $521.8 billion. When : Feb 14 Who : The incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan has until recent weeks been seen as favorite to retain power. However, retired general and former head of state Muhammadu Buhari is presenting the most serious challenge to the People's Democratic Party's (PDP) stranglehold on power since the end of military rule in 1999. Why you need to pay attention : Africa's largest economy has been struggling with high unemployment, plummeting oil prices, a devalued currency, and mind-boggling corruption scandals. On top of that is the deadly threat of Boko Haram, whose recent attack is feared to have left 2,000 people dead. There's a growing concern the Nigerian problem, thus far contained to the northeast, will spread across the country and deeper into neighboring countries. What they're saying : "I do not want him to grow up in a country where brothers are killing themselves… where people cannot afford to travel to parts of their country out of fear." Akin Oyebode, a finance analyst and former soldier speaking of his 19-month-old son. 3. Country : Sudan Population : 38.8 million. GDP : $66.6 billion. When : April 4 Who : The incumbent President Omar al-Bashir came to power in a coup in 1989. The only sitting head of state with a standing warrant from the International Criminal Court, due to alleged war crimes in Darfur, he had indicated he would step down but changed his mind. The former Prime Minister Sadiq Al-Mahdi is the leading opposition figure challenging al-Bashir for the presidency. Why you need to pay attention : Once Africa's largest country by land area, Sudan is holding its first election since parting ways with South Sudan in 2011. But will the election be truly free and fair? The opposition have said unless political freedoms and basic human rights are improved elections will prove to be cosmetic. There's increasing talk that they might not take part in electoral process. What they're saying : "[T]he political parties should join the free competition, be honest, clear and serious and avoid launching prejudgments on the results of the elections before they are conducted." president Omar al-Bashir 4. Country : Ethiopia Population : 96.5 million. GDP : $47.5 billion. When : May 24th, 2015 Who : Hailemariam Desalegn, the incumbent prime minister who inherited the post after the death of long-term leader Meles Zenawi, is expected to easily secure victory. It is unclear who will challenge him for the post, with the opposition recently suggesting that they are being blocked from taking part in the process. Why you need to pay attention : Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. However, it has an atrocious human rights record and regularly imprisons journalists. In an ironic twist, some have accused the country of leveraging its position as an important US ally in the war on terrorism to avoid criticisms for some its egregious undermining of political freedoms. What they're saying : "The reason why there's so much repression, the reason why there's so much muzzling of the press, the reason why the Ethiopian government is arresting opposition figures inside the country is precisely because they know that this is a despised government. It cannot last a day in an environment of freedom." Berhanu Nega, professor of economics at Bucknell University and former leader of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy in Ethiopia. 5. Country : Tanzania Population : 50.8 million GDP : $33.2 billion When : October 2015 Who : The ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi, which has ruled the country since independence in 1961, is expected to remain in power. The internal party nomination for the presidency is the most open it has ever been. Former prime minister Lowassa is considered a front-runner. But stiff competition in the form of the current PM Mizengo Pinda, foreign minister Bernard Membe and deputy minister of science and technology January Makamba should keep things interesting. The opposition has said that they aim to unify behind a single candidate with Wilbroad Slaa, the losing candidate in 2005, likely to be the nominee. Why you need to pay attention : The second biggest economy in East Africa has enjoyed strong economic growth, averaging more than 6% annual GDP growth in the last few years. It is a strong diplomatic and security ally of the US as demonstrated by president Barack Obama choice of Tanzania as one of the three countries he visited on the continent in 2013. An emerging oil and gas economy, analysts argue, however, that the pace of reforms for a better business environment has been slow. What they're saying : "One reason Tanzania has difficulties attracting investment is the inefficiency of the government." Lu Youqing, the Chinese ambassador. 6. Country : Burkina Faso Population : 16.9 million GDP : $11.6 billion When : November, 2015 Who : Following the forced resignation of long-term President Captain Blaise Compaoré by a popular uprising, the country has been governed by a transitional government lead by the former foreign minister Michel Kafando. It is not yet clear whether the 72-year old will run for the permanent role. Compaore's old party Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) will compete in the elections. So too will other opposition parties. Why you need to pay attention: This a chance for democracy to be re-established in Burkina Faso following Compaore's 27-year rule. Burkina Faso is an important ally of the US and France in their fight against violent extremists in the Sahel. The fifth largest gold producer on the continent, analysts are curious to see whether the election will settle the uncertainty that has gripped the country since October 2014. What they're saying: "The insurgency has restored dignity to Burkina Faso. Our dear country will now know a before and an after October 31st, 2014.″ Lieutenant-Colonel and current prime minister Yacouba Isaac Zida who briefly assumed power in the aftermath of former president Blaise Compaoré's resignation. | 5 | 3,206 | news |
WARSAW, Poland A decade ago, 1,500 Holocaust survivors traveled to Auschwitz to mark the 60th anniversary of the death camp's liberation. On Tuesday, for the 70th anniversary, organizers are expecting 300, the youngest in their 70s. "In 10 years there might be just one," said Zygmunt Shipper, an 85-year-old survivor who will attend the event in southern Poland to pay homage to the millions killed by the Third Reich. In recent years, Shipper has been traveling around Britain to share his story with school groups, hoping to reach as many people as he can while he has the strength. "The children cry, and I tell them to talk to their parents and brothers and sisters and ask them 'why do we do it and why do we hate?'" he said. "We mustn't forget what happened." But as the world moves inevitably closer to a post-survivor era, some Jewish leaders fear that people are already starting to forget. And they warn that the anti-Semitic hatred and violence that are on the rise, particularly in Europe, could partly be linked to fading memories of the Holocaust. Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, says that the recent massacres in Paris, which targeted Jews and newspaper satirists, are proof of growing hatred and extremism. It's a message he plans to stress in a speech Tuesday at the former site of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where the Nazis killed more than 1.1 million people, most of them Jews. "Shortly after World War II, after we saw the reality of Auschwitz and the other death camps, no normal person wanted to be associated with the anti-Semitism of the Nazis," Lauder said. "But, as the Holocaust grows more distant and survivors disappear, extremists grow more bold in targeting Jews. Stoked by a false narrative that blames Israel for a litany of the world's problems, anti-Semitism is resurgent and deadly." Distance from the Holocaust is only one factor behind the rising anti-Semitism, and experts also fault the ease with which hateful propaganda is spread on the Internet and the growing presence of radical Islam in Europe. In Hungary and Greece, far-right movements have grown stronger amid economic decline. "Fading memories are one reason for the rise in anti-Semitism, but anti-Semitism was always there," said Abraham Foxman, national director of the U.S.-based Anti-Defamation League and a survivor himself. "We have hidden it, made it unacceptable, made it un-PC, but we never really eliminated it. The consciousness of what anti-Semitism was, of Auschwitz, was prevalent; it kept the lid on it. It wasn't acceptable to be anti-Semitic." Despite the troubling trend, there are also reasons for hope. Mainstream society has become more vigilant, and Holocaust educators say that interest in the Holocaust keeps growing. Also, anti-Semitism remains a huge taboo for most politicians and mainstream societies in the West. Political opposition to anti-Semitism will be underlined by the presence Tuesday of the presidents of Germany, France and Poland, along with many other European leaders and royalty. In Germany, which has stressed Holocaust education for years, leaders, media and most citizens show little tolerance for anti-Semitism. A recent example came just days ago, when a photo surfaced of an anti-immigrant leader, Lutz Bachmann, sporting an Adolf Hitler moustache and his hair combed over like the Fuehrer. Comments also emerged in which he called refugees "cattle" and "filthy." Though he called the photo a joke, German leaders and the media found nothing funny. Their condemnation was swift and resolute, and Bachmann immediately resigned from his role as a head of the anti-immigrant group he helped found, PEGIDA. But condemnation of anti-Semitism hasn't stopped it from growing in Muslim immigrant communities in Germany. Since the Gaza war last summer, there has been an increase in attacks against Israelis, synagogues and Jewish institutions. In Paris last summer anti-Israel protests turned violent, and anti-Jewish fury was on display in Belgium and Italy. "Everybody is afraid, everybody," said Levi Salomon, the spokesman for the Berlin Jewish Forum for Democracy and against Anti-Semitism which tracks anti-Semitic crimes and helps victims. "In Germany it is not as extreme as in other countries. We haven't had any murder cases yet, but still people are worried." In recent years there have also been deadly attacks on Jews. Last May a shooting killed three people at the Jewish Museum in Brussels and in 2012 a rabbi and three children were murdered in the French city of Toulouse. One troubling question: Could anti-Semitism grow even more in coming years, when school children will no longer be able to have the life-altering experience of learning about the Holocaust directly from someone who was ripped away from a mother, who endured indescribable hunger, cold and torture, who witnessed chimneys spew out the smoke of burning bodies? Holocaust educators are struggling to film as many survivor testimonies for future generations as possible, but there is no replacing the emotional impact of hearing directly from a survivor. Eva Umlauf, an Auschwitz survivor who lives in Munich and also speaks to school classes, believes the culture of remembrance will inevitably change because "the era of the survivors is coming to an end soon" she just doesn't know how. She observes that German youth already have much greater emotional distance to the war than earlier generations. "Their perception of the Holocaust is abstract. These kids are already the children of those born long after the end of the war there isn't really a direct connection anymore to the great-grandparents who lived at that time in Germany," said Umlauf, who was born in 1942 in a labor camp for Jews in Slovakia. In November 1944, at the age of 23 months, she was taken to Auschwitz with her pregnant mother. Today the 72-year-old is believed to be the youngest survivor who will attend Tuesday's commemorations. Yad Vashem chairman Avner Shalev also laments that the world will be a poorer place without the survivors and the moral example they set. By and large, he says, they are individuals who saw the worst of humankind but still mustered the energy after the war to rebuild their lives, putting their faith again in humanity's best side. "The most astonishing fact for me and many others is that the heritage of the survivors is a very optimistic one," Shalev said. "They didn't come out of the war desperate and bitter human beings who wanted to take revenge." That optimism, Shalev says, gives many of them hope that the world will continue to remember what happened to them "maybe not for eternity but for a long time." ___ Associated Press writer Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report. _____ Follow Vanessa Gera on Twitter at twitter.com/VanessaGera | 5 | 3,207 | news |
It's time for Congress to get down to business. With the State of the Union in the rearview mirror, and Republicans settling into power in the House and Senate, the pomp and circumstance of a new congressional session is rapidly giving way to the grind of legislating. While President Obama and Republican leaders have expressed a desire to work together, there appears to be little overlap between their agendas, with the White House already issuing vetoes for several Republican proposals. For anything to be accomplished, lawmakers will have to act fast, as they have perhaps six to nine months before the presidential race becomes an all-consuming pursuit. Here's a look at the major legislative areas where an Obama signature is most likely, ranked from most likely to least. 1. Cybersecurity. The recent Sony hack could provide momentum for legislation dealing with the explosion of cyber threats against private companies. The president has urged Congress to pass measures to facilitate coordination on cyber threats between the private and public sectors, and to create nationwide cyber defense standards. House Republicans have passed cybersecurity bills in the last two sessions of Congress and have an expressed openness to working with the White House on the issue. Still, fights over privacy have thwarted legislation in the past, and there's no guarantee lawmakers can thread the needle this time. 2. Trade. There's a strong case to be made that trade is the policy area most ripe for deal making in 2015. But doubts about whether President Obama can get Democrats onboard make legislation far from a sure thing, despite support from leading Republicans such as Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.). Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) reiterated his opposition last week to approving "fast-track" authority that would help Obama expedite trade deals. Many Democrats, echoing the views of labor unions, believe that trade deals hurt American workers by forcing them to compete with low-wage labor in foreign countries. The White House has said it will "work hard" to secure Democratic votes for fast-track authority. The power would limit Congress to only a simple up-or-down vote on a final deal, which the White House says would give trade partners reassurance that Congress would not try to alter the terms of a deal. 3. ISIS war authorization . Congress stopped short of a full-scale authorization of military force (AUMF) against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) last September, instead approving a short-term authorization to train Syrian rebels against the group. But some members of Congress are pushing for a vote on the AUMF in the new Congress, and Obama urged a vote in his State of the Union. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said last week that a new AUMF could come up for a vote in the spring, after the White House formally sends an authorization proposal to Congress. Still, whether lawmakers will be willing to take a tough vote on the use of military force remains to be seen. 4. Infrastructure spending. Republicans are signaling an interest in a funding increase for domestic transportation projects despite disagreements with Democrats over how to pay for it. "While I strongly disagree with [President Obama's] core policies, I do believe there is an opportunity for both parties to find common ground on issues to strengthen our nation's economy, such as infrastructure," House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said in a statement last week. Many transportation advocates have pushed raising the federal gas tax, which has not been increased since 1993 and provides about $34 billion in revenue annually. Obama called for a "bipartisan infrastructure plan" in his State of the Union but didn't call for an increase in the gas tax, which is a nonstarter with many Republicans. 5. Patriot Act changes. Parts of the Patriot Act, which authorized spying programs in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, will expire on June 1. Congress will debate how to reauthorize those provisions, with some lawmakers likely to question whether they should be renewed at all. The most controversial portion is Section 215, which the National Security Agency (NSA) uses to authorize the bulk collection of data about Americans' phone calls. Lawmakers may turn to a short-term extension if they can't agree on a broader proposal. 6. Medical device tax. House Republicans have voted over 50 times to repeal or modify ObamaCare, and are now pushing targeted changes to the law in hopes of drawing Democratic support. The most promising target is the healthcare law's medical device tax, a 2.3 percent excise tax that helps fund the law's expansion of insurance coverage. A bill to repeal the law's 2.3 percent sales tax on medical devices could get 60 votes in the Senate with the help of centrist Democrats and even more liberal members like Minnesota Democratic Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar. But whether Obama would accept the bill is unclear, as he has vowed not to sign any legislation that he believes undermines his signature legislative achievement. 7. Tax reform. President Obama's "Robin Hood" proposal that would raise taxes on the wealthy isn't going anywhere, and the two parties remain worlds apart on individual tax reform. But the Obama administration and Republicans both suggested last week that there could be room for agreement on an overhaul of the tax code for businesses. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has said bipartisan support exists for reducing the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 28 percent. Ryan, whose committee deals with tax policy, further suggested that both sides could reach agreement to bolster the earned income tax credit, which provides a break for people with low-to-moderate salaries. 8. Keystone XL pipeline. Republicans made legislation approving construction of the pipeline one of their top priorities after taking power in January. The House passed a measure during the first week of the session, and the Senate has been debating an identical bill throughout this month. But the House vote didn't achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto threat from President Obama, and the Senate is unlikely to secure 67 votes, either. That doesn't mean an Obama veto will be the end of the Keystone fight. The House approval earlier this month was the tenth Keystone vote since 2011, and the third in sixth months, as the GOP sought to ratchet up pressure on Obama. More votes on the issue are probably a sure bet even if they have no real chance of becoming law. Cory Bennett, Kevin Cirilli, Keith Laing and Julian Hattem contributed. | 5 | 3,208 | news |
A Chinese court has heard what is believed to be the country's first lawsuit over gay workplace discrimination, in a case that could have wide repercussions. The plaintiff was fired from his job after he was revealed as gay in a viral online video, and his action was heard last week by the Nanshan District People's Court in the southern metropolis of Shenzhen. "We're very optimistic," Liu Xiaohu, a lawyer for the plaintiff, told AFP, adding that the case "will definitely have an impact" on views of gay rights in China. The Communist government only decriminalised homosexuality in 1997, and listed it as a mental illness for another four years. More recently tolerance has grown in larger Chinese cities, but conservative attitudes remain deeply engrained and workplace discrimination against gays and lesbians is common. The Shenzhen case was filed in November by a man using the pseudonym Mu Yi. It is the first of its kind in the country, according to the China office of rights group PFLAG. Mu, who is gay, was filmed by police in October arguing with another gay man on a Shenzhen street. The video went viral soon after it was posted online, with some users making their own videos playing on a speech made by the other participant in the dispute, who was wearing a "little red hat". A week later, Mu was fired from his job as a designer. Mu sued in November, claiming that his employer fired him because the video revealed him as gay. The employer maintains that Mu's firing was not linked to his sexual orientation, and says it dismissed him for reasons including his "poor service attitude" and improper attire, according to the Guangzhou-based Yangcheng Evening News. Mu is seeking an apology as well as 50,000 yuan ($8,000) in compensation, the outlet said. A decision on the lawsuit -- which has become known as the "Little Red Hat" case -- is expected within the next three months, Liu said. | 5 | 3,209 | news |
Almost 200 million people in East Asia moved to urban areas in the decade to 2010, the World Bank said on Monday, creating a massive challenge to the region's planners. About 36 percent of people in the region -- which under the World Bank's definition includes Northeast and Southeast Asia -- were living in urban areas as of 2010, up from 29 percent ten years before. This suggests the region will see decades more of further population shifts, it said in a report released Monday. The report contains data gathered through satellite imagery and "geospatial" mapping which the bank said should help planners ensure that policies will benefit a larger number of those moving to cities, especially the poor. "For the first time, the data compares urban areas and their population in a consistent manner across East Asia, providing governments and local leaders with a better understanding of the shape and scale of the growth so they can get urbanisation right -- creating opportunities for all," the bank said. The data shows that urban areas in East Asia expanded at an average rate of 2.4 percent per year during the decade, with urban land reaching 134,800 square kilometres (71,043 square miles) in 2010. Urban populations rose at a faster rate of 3.0 percent, according to the report, which also found a direct link between urbanisation and income growth. The region had 869 urban areas with more than 100,000 people, including eight "megacities" with a population of over 10 million as of 2010, according to the report. China's Pearl River Delta, which incudes Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan and Dongguan, has overtaken Tokyo as the world's largest urban area both in size and population, it said. As of 2010, the report stated that there were 42 million inhabitants in the Pearl River Delta, a population larger than that of Argentina, Canada or Malaysia. World Bank urban development expert Abhas Jha said he hopes the report will push policy makers to a shift from a "car centric" to a "people centric" strategy in growing cities like Jakarta and Bangkok. "Massive traffic congestions in urban cities calls for a new paradigm shift in urban planning to move from a car-centric to people-centric urban plan," he told reporters in a video conference from Singapore, adding that a more efficient public transportation system could be one way to alleviate this problem. The report however said that despite the population shift, data shows that only less than one percent of the total area studied is urbanised. "Only 36 percent of the total population is urban -- suggesting that the region's urban expansion has only just begun," it said. | 5 | 3,210 | news |
Motorola's Nexus 6 almost had a fingerprint sensor, but Apple spoiled the idea. In an interview with UK newspaper The Telegraph , former CEO Dennis Woodside (who now leads Dropbox) reveals that the handset's dimple was supposed to play home to a discreet recessed sensor, but its supplier couldn't meet its quality demands. "Apple bought the best supplier," Woodside explains, "so the second-best supplier was the only one available to everyone else in the industry and they weren't there yet." At least Moto didn't just, y'know, throw one in anyway. We've known about Google's ambitions to match Apple's TouchID with its own fingerprint solution since December. An Ars Technica investigation of the Nexus 6's firmware revealed support for the feature was removed late in the development cycle -- presumably when Motorola worked out the sensor wasn't up to scratch. Apparently, there was an API that all Android devices and developers could tap into, opening the door to things like payment authentication and app security measures. Given the work that Google's already put into this, dont' be surprised to see such features coming to Android soon. The Telegraph | 3 | 3,211 | finance |
After having come back from a crisis in the 1990s, IBM is once again in the midst of a massive and massively difficult transformation. The company, under CEO Ginni Rometty, is rumored to be planning the biggest shakeup in its history as it tries to find a path toward new growth. But the challenges facing IBM and Rometty have been clear for some time. The first signs of trouble emerged more than a decade ago for IBM. In 2004, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon stunned the technology world when he abruptly canceled the Wall Street bank's $5 billion contract for IBM to run its computer networks. Dimon had decided that his bank could do the work cheaper itself. Related: 6 Brands That May Not Make It Through 2015 At the time, outsourcing was all the rage and Armonk, New York-based IBM was one if its leading cheerleaders. The company acquired PricewaterhouseCoopers' consulting group for $3.5 billion in 2002 with the intent of building up its Services business selling "solutions" rather than just hardware or software. For a while the strategy worked. Even as margins in IBM's hardware and software businesses came under pressure, IBM's services revenue surged from $46.2 billion in 2004 to $60.1 billion in 2011, an increase of 30 percent. Lately, though, growth in the business has evaporated. Revenue fell in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and the decline continued in 2014: What IBM calls "Global Technology Services," which includes IT outsourcing, saw revenue drop 3.7 percent to $37.1 billion. IBM's "Global Business Services," which focuses on higher-end management consultants, saw a similar drop. Revenue in that operation dropped 3 percent to $17.1 billion. Related: IBM Misses Revenue Targets Again Rometty has moved the company further away from chips and hardware, selling off businesses that generated sales but not profits. She pushed IBM further into areas such as data analytics and cloud computing. The growth in cloud computing, in particular, had caught IBM off guard. "They weren't blind to it," Morningstar analyst Peter Wahlstrom said in an interview, but "they didn't have the right suite of products." In October, Rometty told investors that the company needed to adapt faster to changing market conditions. Those high-profile businesses have been making double-digit revenue gains, with cloud computing revenues growing by 50 percent year-over-year in each quarter of 2014. (For all of 2013, IBM reported $4.4 billion in cloud revenue.) Still, that's still a drop in the bucket for a company expected to report 2014 sales topping $100 billion and the growth there hasn't been enough to offset the declines in IBM's traditional businesses, like services. Related: States Turn to Cloud Computing for Cost Savings "Our strategic direction is clear and compelling, and we have made a lot of progress," said IBM Chief Financial Officer Martin Shroeter in an earnings conference call with analysts last Tuesday. "We have been successful in shifting to the higher value areas of enterprise IT. The strong revenue growth in our strategic imperatives confirms that, as does the overall profitability of our business." Many on Wall Street are considerably less optimistic about Big Blue's prospects, or the timetable for its turnaround, and the quarterly results the company announced last week didn't help convince those skeptics. Though its profit excluding one-time items was $5.81 per share, exceeding Wall Street expectations, IBM reported its 11th straight quarter of flat or declining growth. Its revenue was a disappointing $24.1 billion. The company's guidance for the months ahead also lagged Wall Street's expectations. Disappointing Wall Street has become the trend for IBM. The stock was the worst performer among the 30 in the Dow Jones industrial average last year, marking the second year in a row IBM had that dubious distinction. The weakness has ratcheted up pressure on Rometty, who angered investors in October when she abandoned a 2015 profit forecast that had been issued in 2012 by per predecessor, Sam Palmisano. Supporters argue that Rometty is making the right moves by focusing on areas with the greatest long-term potential, even if it means angering investors more focused on near-term results. And Rometty is expected to push ahead with more changes in the coming weeks, including during IBM's Feb. 26 investor meeting. "Now that IBM has put the financial roadmap out to pasture and pressure on management is high, we expect CEO Ginni Rometty to be aggressive in the transformation of IBM," Steve Milunovich, an analyst with UBS, wrote in a note released before the earnings report last week. Milunovich has a "neutral" rating on IBM. "We hear rumblings of management changes coming, perhaps in the second level of executives if not those most visible to investors." Related: IBM to Spend $1.2 Billion to Expand Cloud Services The changes may not be enough, or they may not take hold quickly enough, to satisfy Wall Street. Meanwhile, rivals such as Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) and eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) have earned kudos from investors for their plans to split themselves into multiple companies. Some money managers, such as Timothy Ghriskey, who helps manage $1.5 billion for Solaris Asset Management, think that IBM should consider following their lead. Ghriskey says Rometty has an opportunity to do "something radical" by splitting up the company. Ghriskey notes that the "jury is still out" on whether that strategy is the right call. Though Morningstar analyst Wahlstrom likened IBM to a "battleship," he doesn't support splitting the company up, saying the company's three main businesses complement one another. That's a view echoed by IBM spokesperson Ian Colley, who noted in an email that the company was "constantly evolving to stay at the innovative edge of the industry." IBM, though, needs to convince Wall Street, its customers and employees that it can back up its noble-sounding words with more action. The next steps will likely come very soon. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Unintended Consequences of Obama's Tax Cuts The Great Decoupling: Why the U.S. Is Divorcing Global Markets The IRS Tax Scam That Can Rob You Blind | 3 | 3,212 | finance |
Brain implants are limited right now -- they typically measure just one thing at a time, and their stiff wiring can wreck tissue if the device stays in place for long enough. Neither of those problems will matter if MIT's flexible fiber implant becomes a practical reality, though. The school's researchers have developed very thin (almost nanoscale), flexible polymer fibers that have customizable channels for carrying chemicals, electricity and light. These strands could not only treat a patient with drugs and light stimulation, but measure the response with electrodes; you'd know whether or not your medicine is working. The bendy, unintrusive design should also be safe for your body, making it possible to tackle long-term illnesses. The current fiber production method is slow, and it'll likely be a long while before you find it in a hospital. However, the breakthrough raises the possibility that doctors will eventually have a comprehensive way of fighting Parkinson's and other neurological disorders. It may not lead to cures, but it could easily improve your quality of life if you're ever a patient -- you'd get just the right treatments delivered directly to your brain, even if your condition changes over time. MIT News , Nature | 5 | 3,213 | news |
Coffee shop operator's push into food is working | 3 | 3,214 | finance |
Former Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside has confessed that the dimple at the back of the Nexus 6 was originally intended to play host to a fingerprint sensor . Back in 2011, Motorola was a pioneer in bringing fingerprint recognition to its Atrix 4G smartphone, however the company it used then, Authentec, was purchased by Apple a year later for a price of $356 million. Authentec were, in Woodside's judgment, the best supplier around and "the second best supplier was the only one available to everyone else in the industry and they weren't there yet." So, with Apple snatching up the best and the rest not being good enough, the Nexus 6 was left without biometric authentication. The decision not to implement a second-rate fingerprint sensor was probably the right one for Motorola and Google. Devices like the HTC One max have shown what the alternative is: a slow and buggy experience that puts users off trying to use the feature at all. Apple's Touch ID fingerprint scanner, on the other hand, is consistently accurate and fast and sits in a more comfortable spot at the front of the device. It might have been nice to see that same functionality in the Nexus 6 as well, but that exclusivity over the best technology in the market is what Apple paid millions of dollars for. | 5 | 3,215 | news |
Heart disease, obesity and diabetes have become epidemics in America. Those trends should not improve soon, as obesity levels hit 27.7% last year. The drag on the American health industry and the overall economy will not, therefore improve. According to a report from Gallup researchers: The percentage of U.S. adults who are obese continued to trend upward in 2014, reaching 27.7%. This is up more than two percentage points since 2008 and is the highest obesity rate Gallup and Healthways have measured in seven years of tracking it. More Americans who were previously overweight have now moved into the obese category, while the percentage who are at normal weight has remained stable since 2013. Medical measurements define a body mass index (BMI) of between 25 to 30 as "overweight" and above 30 as "obese." "Normal" BMI is 18.5 to 25. At the highest end of obesity, "morbidly obese" (with BMI above 40) Americans made up 4% of the population, which is a seven-year high. Among the eldest in the population, the situation has worsened: Obesity rates have increased at least marginally in 2014 compared with 2008 across nearly all major U.S. demographic groups. Since 2008, Americans aged 65 and older have seen the sharpest uptick in obesity, a four-percentage-point increase to 27.4%. This is followed by increases among 45- to 64-year-olds (3.5 points). Obesity combined with age is a prescription for health disaster, although this is not part of the Gallup conclusions. Finally, "well-being" among the obese is worse than it is among those with normal weight: Americans of a normal weight have the highest average well-being (64.5), followed by those who are overweight but not obese (63.0). Underweight Americans (62.2) have lower well-being than those who are overweight. Americans who are obese have the lowest well-being across weight groups. The scale runs from 0 to 100. The research group defines well-being this way: The Well-Being Index measures Americans' perceptions of their lives and their daily experiences through five interrelated elements that make up well-being: sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, relationship to community, and physical health. Being fat hurts more than physical health. Methodology: Results are based on telephone interviews conducted Jan. 2 to Dec. 30, 2014, as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey, with a random sample of 167,029 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±1 percentage point at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. | 5 | 3,216 | news |
Sling TV hasn't changed much since we saw it unveiled at CES, but starting today, Dish will begin sending out the first invites for its over-the-top internet TV service. For $20 (and without any commitments or other gimmicks), you get a smattering of channels led by ESPN that can be streamed live anywhere; when you're mobile, you can watch Sling TV on your smartphone, tablet, or PC. At home, it'll work with set-top boxes like Amazon's Fire TV, Roku 3, and the Nexus Player, along with Microsoft's Xbox One console and Samsung TVs. Within a couple weeks, Sling TV will be ready for its full-fledged consumer debut, and I've just spent a few days testing the service to see if it's indeed worth making a switch from cable . After testing Sling TV across iOS, Android, and on Roku 3, I've come away fairly impressed. The app's design is consistent and straightforward across platforms, and hopping between channels is effortless. Channels start playing quickly, with barely any buffering time needed before they're streaming at HD resolution. Obviously that could change depending on your connection, but Sling looked fantastic on my iPhone 6 Plus and Nexus 6 when watching over LTE. And at home on the Roku, I didn't notice any significant downgrade compared to cable. The mobile apps let you choose a maximum quality setting if you're concerned about eating through your smartphone's data cap, and the Android version in particular makes it very easy to check what quality you're seeing at any moment. You'll probably want to leave video-on-demand rentals for your home Wi-Fi connection, though. ESPN is the big sell As we've said before, Sling TV's channel lineup is tiny when lined up against your average cable bundle. ESPN is obviously the standout, and it can't be overlooked. If you're someone who rarely watches anything beyond live sports, Sling may give you a way to save some money versus paying Comcast, Time Warner, or Dish for a full channel package. ESPN2 is also available, and there's more good news: when Sling TV launches, subscribers will gain full access to the Watch ESPN mobile app. After CES, it wasn't exactly clear whether that would be part of the $20 subscription fee, and it's good to see that ESPN has included it in the deal. Sling says a $5 sports add-on pack will add additional ESPN programming sometime in the near future. But some bad always trails behind the good. Licensing deals between the NFL and Verizon mean Sling TV customers will be hit with blackouts when trying to stream games on a smartphone. What if you're not a sports fan? That could be where Sling gets less appealing depending on which shows you watch. You've still got TBS, TNT, CNN, Travel Channel, Food Network, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, ABC Family, and the Disney Channel to choose from. There are a few others, and at launch you've also got the option of purchasing two $5 add-ons that get you more channels. A "Kids" package tacks on a couple extra Disney networks, and "News" adds HLN and Bloomberg. Just don't be fooled; you absolutely will feel the hole in Sling TV's programming lineup. If you're not a fan of Supernatural or American Dad , there will be dire, frightening moments ahead. Dish just hopes your existing Netflix and Hulu Plus subscriptions will be enough to make up for gaps in its lineup. Can you wait to watch Better Call Saul until the next day? If the channel list gets too thin, you can always turn to movie rentals. Here, Sling TV offers exactly the same type of thing you'd get from more traditional cable providers. As just one example, renting Lucy in HD will run $4.99, and you've got 24 hours to finish it after hitting play. (Sling TV doesn't support offline playback, so if your internet drops, so will your movie.) The rest could use work You really shouldn't bother with Sling's movies section, though. Most people already have better ways of watching the same content on a phone or in the living room through Amazon , iTunes, Google Play, Netflix, and so on. If you're left with nothing else, Sling at least makes it easy to filter movies by Tomatometer score. The TV isn't free of faults, either. It's very much limited to the basics. Say goodbye to the idea of a DVR, for one. A measly few channels let you pause and rewind live TV, or even jump back a few days to catch episodes you've missed. That's great and all, but it doesn't apply to the channels you'd actually want to watch. ESPN, Disney, CNN, TNT, and TBS don't allow it, which also means there's no skipping commercials for those networks. Sling TV can't remind you about upcoming shows, nor is there any way to cherrypick your favorite networks you've always got to scroll through the whole list or browse genre sections (news, entertainment, family, etc.). That's not an issue now, but if Sling TV's channel lineup grows, the menu system will need some fixing up. None of this ruins the experience, but each is a good reminder that walking away from big cable brings sacrifices. One unfortunate aspect could be a deal breaker for some customers though, and that's Sling TV's single-device limit. You can only watch in one place at any one time. Hoping to sit back and watch TV on the Roku while your kid watches Disney Channel from a tablet? Sorry. No can do. But if you're able to deal with that and are left wondering whether Sling TV is worth trying, the answer is "definitely." This doesn't have to be about cord cutting or taking the fight to Comcast. If you're barely watching TV as is and the math works out in your favor (with Netflix and/or Hulu included), it could simply make for a great way to cut down on your bills every month. That's reason enough for me to give it a fair chance and I don't even love sports. Dish will be giving everyone a week-long free trial and Xbox One owners get an entire month to test out the service. (The company also plans to bundle Sling TV with an unspecified third-party streaming device.) What's here is already a decent foundation. There are very few bells and whistles, but the app works fine for what it is. And for many subscribers, all Sling TV needs to be is a $20 gateway to ESPN. It's most certainly that and a little more. Now Dish just needs to keep working on the other part. It's not the only company turning its focus to internet TV. | 5 | 3,217 | news |
This is the first week in history that Americans can get subscription TV, over the Web, without having to sign up for cable. I don't think it's the end of traditional pay TV, but I do think it's a very big deal . At the very least, this is a fascinating real-world experiment: If you're not paying for pay TV, will you start paying for Dish Network's $20 a month Sling TV service , which gives you ESPN and some other channels, delivered over the Internet? If you are paying for pay TV, are you going to swap it out for a combination of Sling TV and some other Web video, like Netflix? We won't know the results for months, and likely years. And it will get even more interesting in a few months, when HBO starts Web subscriptions, too , and the notion of building a real "a la carte" TV service becomes a reality. But I'm eager to get this started, and it's going to kick off today. Dish says some people who have registered via its Sling.com site will start getting invites at midnight Monday night, and says the service will be widely available in the next couple weeks. So at a minimum, we'll start getting reports and reviews from the general public very soon. In the meantime, I've been playing with Sling TV for a few days, so I can offer up my impressions. It's not a review! Re/code will have one of those once we've had a chance to really put this thing through its paces. But for now: It seems to stream just fine but better on smaller screens . I tried Sling TV on an iPhone 5s, an original iPad Mini, and on my 43-inch Samsung plasma TV, via a Roku 3 box. The video quality was fine for all three, but seemed sharpest on my iPhone both at home, where I've got pretty decent (50 Mbps) Time Warner Cable broadband, and on the go, via Verizon LTE. On the bigger screens particularly on my TV the image occasionally looked a little stuttery, particularly during live sports. Sling's Web site, by the way, doesn't claim that it's going to deliver HD-quality streams to your devices. But it does say that its streams should be " virtually indistinguishable from the quality you would find on a traditional pay-tv provider's HD experience." It's about live, for now. Some of the channels that deliver streams to Sling TV, like Scripps' Food Network, let you pause and rewind shows, or watch them again after they've aired. But for now, the only way to stream ESPN or Turner's networks including CNN and ESPN is in real time. If you try to pause the streams or do anything else, you'll get an error message. Dish executive Roger Lynch, who is heading up Sling TV, says this is a rights issue, and that he expects to get it resolved with Turner over time. For ESPN, though, it's unlikely to change. I do wonder what that will mean for Dish's target audience, which has grown up with the idea you watch TV shows when you want to watch them not when a TV show is "on." You'll need the right box. Sling TV will stream to most laptops, tablets and phones. But getting it your TV will require some hardware. For now, that means you'll need a Roku box or streaming stick, or Amazon's Fire TV or streaming stick. That also means your Google Chromecast or Apple TV won't do you much good. While Lynch tells me I should theoretically be able to use Apple TV's Airplay mirroring feature to get Sling onto my TV, he doesn't recommend it. And in any case I could never get it to work. Related: Sling is going to give anyone who signs on for at least three months of service a discount of up to $50 to help them buy certain devices like the Roku 3. Keep it to yourself. The pay TV guys refer to Sling TV as a "personal subscription service," which is an awkward way of saying: You can only watch a single stream of TV at a time. Which means that if you're streaming college basketball on your phone, your roommates can't watch CNN on the TV at the same time. It also means you'll want to think twice before handing out your login and password to your pals, HBO GO-style. New TV, old ads. This one probably won't mean much to you unless you're in the business of buying or selling ads. But for the record: Sling carries a full (unskippable) ad load. That means that when the network you're watching cuts to commercials on conventional TV, you get an ad break on Sling TV as well. That doesn't mean you'll see the same ads: In theory, some of Sling's programmers may want to show you different ads than a cable TV audience, though in practice I think they'll have a way to go before they figure out how to target individual streamers. It also means that in some cases, you may not see any ads at all: When ESPN cut to a commercial break on regular TV, it just showed me an ESPN logo for the duration. Fine with me. The takeaway: At a bare minimum, Sling delivers what it says it will a package of ESPN and a dozen other channels, streamed live over the Web, which you can watch anywhere in the U.S. It's also pretty minimalist: It doesn't offer the same bells and whistles that a conventional pay TV service has. Dish's bet is that there's an audience that will be happy to pay $20 for that. Now we get to find out. | 3 | 3,218 | finance |
Japan is working to rescue its remaining citizen being held by ISIS after a video suggests that the other hostage was killed. CNN's Will Ripley has more. | 8 | 3,219 | video |
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams stormed into the Australian Open quarter-finals Monday, rolling back the years to down Polish sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in three gruelling sets. The 34-year-old won 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to reach the final eight of a major for the first time since 2010, setting up an all-American quarter-final with unseeded teenager Madison Keys. | 1 | 3,220 | sports |
Frozen is coming to the high seas. Disney Cruise Line has announced plans to bring the record-breaking animated film to life for its onboard guests this summer, on select sailings to Europe and Alaska. Overnight, as guests slumber, the ship will be transformed into a wintry wonderland with icicles and snowflakes forming miraculously in the atrium lobby and grand staircase to recreate Queen Elsa's mountain-top palace. For one day, the summer cruise ship will enter a deep freeze with favorite Frozen characters like Elsa, Anna, Sven and Olaf coming aboard for meet and greets with their fans. Activities include a deck party, a new song and show production, Frozen -themed dinner, chocolate scavenger hunt and snowman-building. Guests on cruises bound for Norway can also opt for shore excursions to Alesund, one of the places that inspired the storybook setting of the film's fictional town of Arendelle. Seven and nine-night voyages are also available for sailings through Norwegian fjords, with ports of call at Stavanger, Alesund, Geiranger, Molde, Olden and Bergen. For more info, visit disneycruise.com. | 2 | 3,221 | travel |
Airline travelers are going nowhere fast because of the blizzard bearing down on the Northeast. By early Monday evening, more than 6,700 U.S. flights through Tuesday had already been scrubbed, according to tracking service FlightAware.com. Most were to or from cities in the storm's path, from Washington through New York to Boston. And 2,000 flights had been delayed. Cancelations and delays will spill over into Wednesday, if not longer. Airlines cancel flights before storms arrive to prevent passengers from driving to the airport and getting stranded in the terminal. Airlines also want to avoid having their planes stuck at snowed-in airports. Most major U.S. carriers said they would allow passengers ticketed to, from or through the Northeast through Tuesday or Wednesday to change their plans without getting hit by a reservation-changing fee, typically $200. But stranded travelers could still have extra costs. When weather causes delays, airlines have no legal obligation to find a hotel room or provide meals for stranded travelers, "although they might do so as a courtesy," said George Hobica, founder of the travel website airfarewatchdog.com. He advised travelers to check the terms of the credit card they used to book the trip some include coverage for hotels and meals when flights are canceled due to weather. The National Weather Service predicted that 2 to 3 feet of snow would fall in a 250-mile stretch of the Northeast, including the New York and Boston areas. Philadelphia was bracing for 14 to 18 inches. The blizzard in the Northeast was having ripple effects for travelers and airports across the country. Despite temperatures in the 70s and just light rain, 60 departures were canceled at Los Angeles International Airport, many of them bound for New York or Boston. San Francisco and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airports each had more than 50 departures wiped out. What some major airlines are reporting: UNITED AIRLINES Will not fly Tuesday in New York, Boston or Philadelphia. Spokeswoman Mary Ryan said the airline would limit operations at Newark, New Jersey, and New York's LaGuardia and Kennedy airports on Monday night and cancel all Tuesday flights at those airports. Callers were also experiencing long times on hold because of the heavy volume. AMERICAN AIRLINES American, its US Airways subsidiary and their regional affiliates planned to suspend operations late Monday at LaGuardia, Kennedy, Newark, Boston and Philadelphia and run a "very limited" schedule in the Northeast on Tuesday, said spokeswoman Andrea Huguely. DELTA AIR LINES Has already canceled 960 flights scheduled for Tuesday and expects to shut down at Boston's Logan Airport and offer limited flights at LaGuardia and Kennedy airports, said spokesman Morgan Durrant. Durrant said Delta might cancel some flights Wednesday morning. SOUTHWEST Has already canceled nearly 50 Wednesday flights, said spokesman Brad Hawkins. ___ David Koenig can be reached at http://twitter.com/airlinewriter | 2 | 3,222 | travel |
From Angry Birds and Candy Crush Saga to Draw Something, Clash of Clans and SongPop: the mobile gaming world has had its fair share of crazes since Apple and Google launched their app stores in 2008. Now you can add Trivia Crack to the list. The game has only just launched in the UK, but it's already hugely popular in the US and Latin America, with more than 100m downloads so far and currently around 800k more every day. So what is Trivia Crack, and why is it proving so popular? It's the work of Argentinian developer Etermax, which launched the game in its home continent in late 2013, before adapting it for English-speaking players in mid-2014. The game currently available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone is a trivia quiz where players answer questions in subjects including entertainment, art, science, history and geography, chosen by spinning an on-screen wheel. As they answer more questions, they unlock virtual characters, while competing head-to-head against other players. It does for trivia what Draw Something did for scribbling and SongPop did for music, essentially. Trivia Crack is free to download, and makes its money from a blend of advertisements and in-app purchases of spins, coins and boosts to the number of "lives" a player has. They can also choose to buy a premium version of the game that removes the ads. Trivia Crack is the latest mobile gaming craze. Etermax is hoping that its localised questions the new UK version of Trivia Crack includes questions on Prince George, Cheryl Cole and other local figures will prolong its popularity around the world. The company is also tapping its community of players to keep the questions fresh: they can submit their own and rate those of other players, as well as translating questions into their own language. Trivia Crack currently has around 1m active questions according to Recode , with 2,000 more added every day. This is not the first trivia game to take the mobile apps world by storm. Icelandic developer Plain Vanilla had a big hit with its QuizUp game in 2013, and raised $22m of funding that December to continue growing. By June 2014 it had 20 million registered users, but Trivia Crack's growth puts that in the shade. On Apple's US App Store, for example, Trivia Crack is currently the most popular free app, the premium version is the most popular paid app, and they are respectively 11th and 12th on the top-grossing chart. QuizUp has dropped out of the top 200 in all those charts, which illustrates the dangers of mobile gaming crazes players can tire of them. Draw Something and SongPop's fleeting moments in the spotlight offer further warnings that while Trivia Crack may be popular now, Etermax's challenge is to ensure it's not a different story a few months down the line. • Adventure Time: new game gets kids to create their own levels | 5 | 3,223 | news |
The ruble has fallen by over 3% against the dollar after Barack Obama threatened to step up measures against Russia following further violence in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. Speaking at a news conference in New Delhi during his visit to India, Obama said he was "deeply concerned" over events in Ukraine in recent days. Local authorities in Mariupol said anti-government rebels had been firing rockets from long-range GRAD missile systems resulting in 30 deaths and 83 injuries, according to Reuters . While Moscow officially denies that it has provided troops or equipment to the rebels Obama was clear in his statement that he believes these the separatists have received "Russian backing, Russian equipment, Russian financing, Russian training and Russian troops". He said that he plans to look at all options to respond to this latest act "short of military confrontation". The prospect of further sanctions, coupled with another fall in the price of crude oil, has hit the Russian currency sending it down 3% to 65.5 rubles to the dollar. Russia's currency has fallen by almost 50% over the past year as the collapse in the price of oil and Western sanctions over its role in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine has battered the country's economic prospects. The latest falls come as the country continues its battle to avoid a full-scale banking crisis driven by the collapse in the value of the ruble, with analysts suggesting that bailouts could cost the government a further $40 billion (£26.64 billion) this year. The government has already been forced to inject $2.4 billion into financial institutions last month, including state-owned lenders VTB and Gazprombank. A recent letter from Anatoly Aksakov , the president of the Association of Regional Banks of Russia, to the Russian central bank laid out the scale of the problems facing the sector (emphasis added): "The situation in the Russian banking market is a serious concern. Despite some stabilisation in the foreign exchange market and the expected inflow of tax and budgetary resources, banks are experiencing acute shortage of liquidity. According to bankers, skyrocketing interest rates caused an increase in the key rate, already launched the process of losing the solvency of companies. Bankers believe that the preservation of the current situation will cause a wave of bankruptcies not only credit institutions but also a number of enterprises and companies ." The central bank earlier told companies in Russia that it would ignore downgrades by Western credit ratings agencies in order to allow downgraded firms to access liquidity and is widely tipped to cut rates this month by between 2-3% in an effort to further ease pressure on the banking system. | 3 | 3,224 | finance |
The snow is on its way and singles everywhere are frantically searching the personal ads of Craigslist hoping to find someone to snuggle up to before they're trapped in their apartments for a few days. An estimated 2-3 feet of snow is due in the NYC area, a storm that officials are calling "historic." So why not take advantage and try to fall in love? One ad from a guy states: As we sit on the brink of a major snowstorm and prepare for a nearly shut-down NYC, I'm seeking a single 20- or 30-something female who shares my excitement for snow days and wants to create the semi-romantic, mildly productive yet equally fun adult version. I'm talking endless movies, cookies, whiskey and red wine, occasional work on a strictly as-needed basis, potential igloo-making in a private garden and making out. Here's that full ad: A woman wrote the following in her search: "Bad weather doesn't keep you inside either, right? Anyone want to do brunch? Looking for someone with long term potential, not interested in NSA encounter. Please attach recent photo. There's been too many fellas who send pictures when they were 50 lbs lighter. Happy snow day!" (FYI, NSA = No Strings Attached.) A lot of the ads are NSFW, but here's a pretty great one (IN ALL CAPS!): There are dozens of ads on the site right now ( you can peruse all of them by clicking here ) and they'll likely multiply two-fold as the day goes on and the snow starts falling. | 3 | 3,225 | finance |
What if we told you that you were one of the wealthiest people in the world? Before you scratch your head and check your wallet, pause for a moment and think about the assets in your life. Not just the dollar bills in the safe, but the other valuables you have. The ones that actually matter. Sure, money can buy a lot of things -- but that's it. They're just things . Material possessions are great, but happiness doesn't come from the items we own. It comes from a toddler's giggle or your mom's cooking. It shows up on a sunny day or seeing your best friend walk down the aisle. When it comes down to it, the riches in our bank accounts don't compare to the seven riches below. Here's evidence that the best things in life don't cost a single penny. Hugs. Admit it, there's nothing like a warm embrace from someone you care about. Hugs can do a lot more than just make you feel good for a split moment. Research shows they may lower your blood pressure and boost your heart . Not bad for a small (and free!) gesture. Friends and family. You can't put a price point on your loved ones. They're worth everything without costing a single dime (except for maybe those few bucks you let them borrow for that smoothie when they were short). It's a small price to pay when you consider the real value they add to your life. Studies suggest that friendships bring huge health perks, from increased longevity to improved mood . Smiles. Pro-tip: The more you grin, the more joy you'll feel . According to one 2012 study, people who received a smile from strangers felt a greater sense of social connectedness . And who doesn't want to feel like they belong? Not to mention those "knowing smiles" you share with your best friends after an inside joke. So go on and flash those pearly whites. Sleep. Happiness is a satisfying nap or a good night's rest. Sometimes there's just no better feeling than crawling into a comfortable bed and letting our minds drift away to dreamland. The body and brain suffers dramatically without proper sleep . Better health for just a little more shuteye? That's invaluable. Laughter. It's hard not to feel your absolute best when you're in the middle of a belly-aching fit of laughter. It also has incredible health benefits. Research suggests that laughing may boost our memory and can lower stress . Hey, the giggles look good on you (and they probably cost less than that shirt). Happy memories. Let's be honest, who hasn't replayed some of their best times in their head? (Bonus points if you let it play in a montage like a movie.) Nostalgia is one of our mind's greatest indulgences -- and it's totally OK to embrace it. Studies have found that nostalgia can decrease loneliness and anxiety . Think back on your perfect prom or your wonderful wedding day. Research shows we spend 47 percent of our waking hours daydreaming , so why not put it to good use? Love. The Beatles were most certainly onto something when they crooned in their 1960s hit, "All You Need Is Love." Feeling accepted is crucial to our emotional wellness. We're happier, our immune system is stronger and even our heart health is improved when we're around the people we love, Woman's Day reported . Sounds like a richer, fuller life to us. So, go hug your best friend, kiss your significant other, create good memories with your family and make a stranger feel loved with a simple smile (and then go to sleep). All without draining your pocketbook. This GPS Guide is part of a series of posts designed to bring you back to balance when you're feeling off course.GPS Guides are our way of showing you what has relieved others' stress in the hopes that you will be able to identify solutions that work for you. We all have de-stressing "secret weapons" that we pull out in times of tension or anxiety, whether they be photos that relax us or make us smile, songs that bring us back to our heart, quotes or poems that create a feeling of harmony or meditative exercises that help us find a sense of silence and calm. We encourage you to visit our other GPS Guides here , and share with us your own personal tips for finding peace, balance and tranquility. | 7 | 3,226 | health |
LOS ANGELES James Harden had 37 points and eight rebounds, and the Houston Rockets rolled to a 99-87 victory over the Lakers on Sunday night, sending Los Angeles to its eighth straight defeat. Harden hit four 3-pointers, and the NBA's leading scorer added five assists in the Rockets' third victory in four games. Josh Smith and Jason Terry had 11 points apiece as Houston cruised to its fourth straight road victory over the Lakers even without Dwight Howard, who sat out after injuring his right ankle two days ago. Carlos Boozer scored 18 points for the Lakers, who are on their longest losing streak in nearly 10 years. The Lakers weren't terribly competitive until the fourth quarter of their latest game without Kobe Bryant, who could be out for the season. Houston took a 25-point lead in the third quarter and coasted to the win, allowing the Lakers to creep within 89-78 before Harden returned and kept the Rockets on top. Harden scored at least 33 points in his fourth straight game. Los Angeles hadn't lost eight straight games since March 2005. The Lakers missed the playoffs that season for the only time in Bryant's career before last year. Nick Young played just nine minutes for the Lakers, getting benched for the second half. The entertaining shooting guard hadn't played in a game without scoring since he joined his hometown team before last season. Rookie Jordan Clarkson had eight points on 2-for-10 shooting and five turnovers in his second start for the Lakers, while Jeremy Lin had 14 points and six assists off the bench after being a healthy scratch in Friday's loss at San Antonio. The Lakers could find out Monday whether Bryant needs season-ending surgery on his torn right rotator cuff. Coach Byron Scott hasn't given up optimism for an eventual return by the third-leading scorer in NBA history. "I think we all hold out hope that it goes well, (and) they say he doesn't need surgery or anything like that," Scott said. "Maybe rehabilitation for a few weeks or a month or whatever the case may be. But that's the positive part of me hoping that happens." TIP-INS Rockets: Joey Dorsey started in Howard's place, scoring four points. ... Coach Kevin McHale is uncertain when Howard will return to the lineup. At least his absence spared him the relentless booing he'll likely face from Lakers fans for the rest of his career after he spurned the club in free agency in 2013. ... Harden is a Los Angeles native who attended Artesia High School. Lakers: Scott showed up slightly late to Staples Center after forgetting that the Lakers' Sunday game time is an hour earlier than every other night. The 53-year-old coach claimed he "had a senior moment." ... Los Angeles opened a three-game homestand. ... Rookie big man Tarik Black, who was waived by Houston last month, had three points and five rebounds for the Lakers. He had missed the last two games with a sprained right ankle. UP NEXT: Rockets: Host Dallas on Wednesday. Lakers: Host Washington on Tuesday. | 1 | 3,227 | sports |
NEW ORLEANS -- In his three NBA seasons, New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis has produced some breathtaking, made-for-Sportscenter moments -- swooping dunks, nasty blocked shots and clutch free throws. But what the All-Star forward showcased Sunday night in the Pelicans' 109-106 comeback victory over the Dallas Mavericks was a soaring wingspan that probably belongs on another NBA planet. BOX SCORE: PELICANS 109, MAVERICKS 106 Davis scored a team-high 28 points and made four critical foul shots in the final 12.3 seconds, but it was his in-the-clouds interception of a desperation inbounds pass from Rajon Rondo with 9.4 seconds remaining that sealed the victory and left the sellout crowd at the Smoothie King Center slack-jawed. Davis had just given the Pelicans a 107-106 lead with 12.3 seconds left after being fouled by Tyson Chandler as guard Tyreke Evans tried to inbounds the ball to him. Then, with Dallas setting up just inside halfcourt with no timeouts left, Rondo tried desperately to get the ball in the hands of shooting guard Monta Ellis, who already had scored a game-high 36 points on 16 of 27 shooting. But Ellis was double-teamed, forcing Rondo to look elsewhere. Rondo tried to float a high pass toward the center of the court to forward Dirk Nowitzki, but Davis swooped in for the interception, fell to the floor and was fouled again, setting up two more foul shots at 9.4 seconds. "Coach said it perfect in the huddle -- we were going to go with our normal package," Davis said. "He made a great call. He said whoever's on the ball take Monta out and don't let him get it. Dirk was the only one left to score the ball, so I just tried to deny him the ball and make him force a hang-time pass knowing that I could probably get a piece of it." Davis did more than get a piece of it. He gobbled it up. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle was blaming himself for some possible confusion on the play. At first, forward Chandler Parsons was going to make the inbounds pass, but Carlisle switched up by having Rondo make the pass. "Rondo's been in that situation more than Parsons has, and they had already deflected one," Carlisle said. But Carlisle indicated he had forgotten to remind the team in the timeout that they could inbound the ball toward the backcourt. Ellis was sandwiched in the frontcourt near the center-court line, and Rondo had nowhere else to throw the ball. "As a player, you have to know as well that you can get (a pass in the) backcourt, and I forgot about it," Ellis said. "It's no one to blame. We played hard. They just got the ball." "They did a good job taking Monta away," Nowitzki said. "It's an easy play when you have a timeout, but we didn't have one left so kinda had to throw it up and it's hard to lob it up over one the longest guys in the league." The Pelicans (23-21) earned their season-high third consecutive win and their first victory in 10 games against Dallas (30-15). Guard Tyreke Evans had 24 points and 12 assists for New Orleans, and forward Ryan Anderson added 18, all in the first half. In addition to Ellis' 36, Nowitzki had 24 points for Dallas. New Orleans coach Monty Williams said he was most pleased with the way the Pelicans, leading most of the game, refused to crumble after surrendering the lead late due to Ellis' shooting heroics. "When they did make a run and took the lead, our guys had a chance to fold," Williams said. "When (Davis) did get (the ball), he came through. It takes a lot to knock down the free throws the way he did and make the defensive play he did at the end ... and have the wherewithal to call timeout. Most 21-year-olds don't play like that." NOTES: Dallas had a scare when C Tyson Chandler bumped knees with F Anthony Davis midway through the third quarter. After limping badly to the locker room, Chandler returned in the fourth. "Once I could put some pressure on it, I wanted to go back and play," Chandler said. ... Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said his priority before the All-Star break will be to improve his team's rebounding. Heading into Sunday's action, the Mavericks were being out-rebounded by an average of 3.5 a game. "It's an issue, a challenge, that we have to take on collectively," Carlisle said. "There's no one guy who's going to jump up and get five more per game. This week we're playing five (games) in seven days. Everybody can get three or four more rebounds this week." ... Pelicans coach Monty Williams said Dallas PG Rajon Rondo has the ball in his hands more than Jameer Nelson did and always "tries to set other guys up. In the West ... he'll be open a lot more. Teams will leave him more. He loves to get out in transition and is always looking for the open guy." ... Carlisle has taken notice of Davis' expanded shooting range. "He hasn't made a 3, but he's due to make a 3," Carlisle said. ----------------------------------------------- | 1 | 3,228 | sports |
A bear-hug, a nuclear breakthrough and a promise to deepen defence ties Obama's landmark trip to India is off to a flying start. The US president is in India for a three-day visit his second official tour of the country in an attempt to develop a stronger relationship between the two nations. Already, the bonhomie between Obama and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi with the two leaders embracing several times in the last 24-hours has raised eyebrows in many countries. And, India's neighbours, Pakistan and China, are observing this developing relationship with a hawk's eye. Here is a look at what leading publications in these two countries have to say about the US president's visit to India. In its editorial "Obama's India visit," Dawn, one of Pakistan's leading newspapers, argued that India is unfairly targeting Pakistan on the issue of terrorism. To be sure, there is an element of playing to the gallery involved in all such visits. Indian officialdom and its relatively nationalist media will likely try and elicit further comments on Pakistan from Mr Obama and other American officials that can be used by India to portray Pakistan in an even more negative manner. If they are to fail in that objective, perhaps some Indian official himself will say something provocative in the next three days to grab the headlines. A news report "Obama's visit: Pakistan hopes US will raise issue of LoC violations," dated Jan. 26, says Obama can help reduce the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. They (Pakistan authorities) also expect the US leader to persuade Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resume the stalled peace process with neighboring Pakistan. Islamabad has blamed New Delhi for the ceasefire violations along the LoC and working boundary in a bid to distract its security forces from the ongoing fight against terrorism. Daily Times described Obama's visit as a "big development" in its Jan. 25 editorial titled "Pak-India-US triangle." According to the column, the US needs to build strong relationships with both Indian and Pakistan, and cannot alienate either of the two South Asian countries. A triangular conundrum exists among Pakistan, India and the US. It is the policy of the US to build friendly relations with both India and Pakistan, and not with one at the expense of the other. During the ongoing recession, the huge potential of the Indian economy has become vital for the US. India is potentially a very big market for the US. The piece goes on to say: The US knows the difficulties of Pakistan and it has understood terrorism cannot be eliminated through a military crackdown only. That is why Washington has not discontinued its aid programme for Islamabad despite hostile opposition from the Republican-dominated US Congress. The other factor behind this love-hate relationship is the strategic importance of Pakistan in the region. The US is still dependent on Pakistan's political, diplomatic and military help to deal with the situation in Afghanistan post-withdrawal. In its editorial titled "Obama's progress," the newspaper described the US president's decision to not visit Pakistan as an "implicit snub." It goes on to add that Obama's India visit doesn't augur well for China and Pakistan. India is currently in a battle with China to be the primary regional power and any signs that the US is decisively shifting towards it will not be taken too well in Beijing. For Pakistan the worry may be that greater economic cooperation will automatically be followed by further political cooperation, leaving Pakistan out in the cold. In its op-ed titled "India, China mustn't fall into trap of rivalry set by the West" dated Jan. 26, Global Times argues that the West (including US) is trying to pit the two Asian superpowers against each other and neither of them should fall prey to it. The West is egging India on to be fully prepared for "threats" posed by its large neighbor. Considering the fact that both sides still have territorial disputes and will probably have wider engagement at many levels, this so-called rivalry between India and China will not stop making headlines in Western media. As both are emerging powers, which have the huge potential of being important forces in the international community, China and India should see more space for cooperation instead of contention. This agreement is fundamental to bilateral relations. The Chinese state-run news agency isn't reading too much into Obama's India visit, or the camaraderie he shares with Modi. In an op-ed piece titled "U.S., India unlikely on same page," the author Tian Dongdong says: However, the shortened three-day visit is more symbolic than pragmatic, given the long-standing division between the two giants, which may be as huge as the distance between them. Three days are surely not enough for Obama and Modi to become true friends, given their hard differences on issues like climate change, agricultural disputes and nuclear energy cooperation. The piece concludes: With such a long list of differences on the table, Obama will face a hard job to have his Indian friends on the same page. In an op-ed titled "What Obama's visit means to China," Swaran Singh, a professor at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, says Modi's efforts to forge close ties with major superpowers of the world can be a tricky task. In the piece, he writes Although India's DNA will never allow it to become a close ally of the US and its leadership can never be imprudent enough to adopt a policy of containing China, there is no doubt that China's continuous rise has become a matter of concern for New Delhi. Although it could lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings, Modi sees no contradiction in pursuing friendly ties with both, the US and China. Calibrating various competing interests and balancing various competing domestic constituencies calls for bold initiatives at home and diplomatic finesse in foreign policy. | 3 | 3,229 | finance |
Until recently, drones couldn't be used in the U.S. to film movies or TV shows. A change in FAA regulations gave Hollywood freedom to use drones on set. | 5 | 3,230 | news |
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah players always try to find the best shot on every possession. That's why the Utes lead the Pac-12 in shooting and rank second in 3-point field-goal percentage and scoring. Dakarai Tucker scored a career-high 19 points and Brandon Taylor added 14 to lead Utah to a 77-56 victory over Washington on Sunday. ''We do a great job as a team at not forcing shots a lot,'' Taylor said. ''We're very patient offensively. We may get sped up and turn the ball over sometimes but, for the most part, we've done a good job and we've grown so much in having a great pace offensively and getting what we call `five shots''' Tucker and Taylor combined to make eight 3-pointers, giving No. 12 Utah (16-3, 6-1 Pac-12) its 15th straight home victory dating to last season. All six of the Utes' Pac-12 conference wins have come by double-digit margins. Strong shooting helped Utah lead from the start in this latest blowout win. The Utes shot 28 for 52 (54 percent) from the field, including 11 for 18 (61 percent) on 3-pointers. ''It really starts with our guys playing together and trusting each other,'' Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak said. ''When we have somebody that forces the issue and forces a shot, it really sticks out like a sore thumb on our team. It's just not the way that we play.'' Andrew Andrews had 19 points to lead Washington. Robert Upshaw chipped in 13 points, nine rebounds and five blocks for the Huskies (14-5, 3-4) who saw their three-game winning streak end. ''They played good defense,'' Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said. ''When you're playing against them on the offensive end, you just have very, very little room for error. You can't make a mistake because they have multiple shooters out there with that basketball the entire time.'' Utah made baskets on its first four possessions to open the game - highlighted by a 3-pointer from Jordan Loveridge that gave him 1,000 points for his career at Utah. It helped his team take a 10-2 lead. Delon Wright stole the ball and fed Tucker for a layup to give the Utes their first double-digit lead at 18-7. Utah eventually went up 29-14 on the strength of back-to-back 3-pointers from Tucker and Loveridge. Washington climbed back into the game behind strong perimeter shooting from Andrews. He made all four 3-pointers he attempted in the first half. The final one capped a 12-2 run that helped the Huskies cut Utah's lead to 31-26. The Utes scored baskets on their next three possessions - including back-to-back layups from Jakob Poeltl - to halt the run and push their lead back to nine. The Huskies cut the deficit to 43-38 early in the second half on three consecutive baskets - capped by a jumper by Upshaw. That's as close as it got before Utah pulled away from the perimeter. Starting with a jumper from Loveridge, the Utes went on a 23-3 run to put the game out of reach. Utah scored on seven straight possessions during the run - highlighted by three straight Tucker 3-pointers - and took a 66-41 lead with 9:43 remaining. Washington missed eight of nine shots in that decisive stretch. For Utah, it emphasized that, once again, strong defense laid the foundation for explosive offense. ''Basketball is a little bit unique because it's always flowing,'' Krystkowiak said. ''Most times, people think you gain confidence from offense. But this is an example where we're gaining some confidence knowing we can defend some people and it makes the game fun at the other end.'' --- TIP INS Utah: Jakob Poeltl returned to the starting lineup after missing a game with a sprained ankle. Poeltl finished with six points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes. ... The Utes assisted on 12 of 14 baskets in the first half. ... Utah has won all five Pac-12 home games by an average margin of 24.8 points per contest. Washington: Before facing Utah, the Huskies had won all five games where they trailed at halftime this season. Three of those victories came on the road. ... Huskies center Robert Upshaw leads the nation in blocked shots (4.4 per game). Washington ranks sixth nationally in the category with 6.7 blocks per contest. 1,000 POINT CLUB: Jordan Loveridge became the 37th player in Utah history to score at least 1,000 career points. The most recent Ute player to do it was forward Jason Washburn in the 2012-13 season. ''It really is awesome,'' Krystkowiak said. ''I don't know how many he's going to end up with, but it's neat. Any time you can score 1,000 points, it says a lot about you. Jordan continues to do a good job.'' UP NEXT Utah: At UCLA on Thursday. Washington: Hosts Stanford on Wednesday. | 1 | 3,231 | sports |
Rovers have a tough time getting across Mars' vast, unforgiving landscape. They can't see very far ahead, and the crew back home can only offer so much help by looking at orbital imagery. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory may have a clever solution to that problem, though: an aerial robot scout. Its proposed Mars Helicopter drone would fly ahead of rovers and give operators a much better view of the Martian terrain, helping them plot the quickest route to interesting locales. It could even find a safe spot to deposit samples that future rovers would pick up. The robotic chopper currently exists as just a tech demo, and it'll take some testing to prove that this small automaton (it's 3.6 feet from blade to blade) is ready for the Red Planet. If it makes the cut, though, it could let Mars rovers cover much more ground than they have so far -- JPL estimates that these machines could travel three times further in a given day. The project could easily be worthwhile if it means both completing missions faster and discovering things about Mars that would otherwise go unnoticed. Jet Propulsion Laboratory | 5 | 3,232 | news |
Chelsea and Manchester City will be looking to bounce back from FA Cup defeats ahead of their Premier clash next Saturday. | 8 | 3,233 | video |
Wall Street analysts' forecasts have a habit of tending toward optimism. Considering what is going on with oil and the dollar, right now they are tending toward the ridiculous. Companies are in the midst of reporting fourth-quarter numbers, and so far the news has been less than good. As of Friday, with results from 90 companies in, estimates called for S&P 500 earnings to be up just 3.5% from a year earlier, according to Thomson Reuters. This was a shade below the 4% analysts were looking for at the start of the year. Typically, the earnings-growth estimate drifts up as results come in and companies clear the bars analysts have set for them. The sharp decline in oil prices is a big reason overall earnings growth is so weak. Absent an estimated 24% decline in energy-sector profits, S&P 500 earnings would be on track for an increase of about 7%. Meanwhile, the strong dollar also is cutting into the money U.S. companies are drawing from their overseas operations. On Friday, Kimberly-Clark said foreign-exchange weakness clipped its fourth-quarter sales by 4%; McDonald's said a quarter of its 20% decline in net income was due to currency effects. The effects of oil and the dollar look as if they will only intensify in the quarters to come. Crude oil now is fetching about $45 a barrel, which compares with an average daily price of $73.20 in the fourth quarter. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index shows the dollar is now 8% stronger against other major currencies relative to its average level in the fourth quarter. Moreover, the effects of dollar strength on profits come with a lag. That is partly because some companies hedge against currency swings and partly because many globally traded goods are priced in dollars. Yet analysts are remarkably upbeat on where earnings are headed. For the full year, they expect S&P 500 earnings will increase roughly 6%, not far off 2014's gain of about 7%. Much of this growth is supposed to occur during the latter part of the year. In the fourth quarter of 2015, analysts estimate S&P 500 earnings will be about 11% above their year-earlier level. A look across estimates for different sectors shows how difficult that level of growth will be to achieve. First, energy-sector earnings in the fourth quarter of this year are expected to show an 18% decline from a year earlier. That seems large, but it looks to be based on overoptimistic assumptions on where oil is heading. Looking only at Wall Street firms that this month have updated the forecasts they submit to FactSet, the average estimate for the price of crude oil in the fourth quarter is $64.56 a barrel, 42% above Friday's level. Consumer-staples companies ones like Coca-Cola and Colgate-Palmolive that sell everyday consumer goods are expected to show earnings growth of 8.8% in the fourth quarter of 2015, versus 0.2% last quarter. This is despite their hefty exposures to foreign currencies. The technology and industrials sectors, which also do a great deal of business overseas, also are expected to show strong growth. As is the materials sector, which includes many companies that are exposed to weakening commodity prices. The major beneficiaries of lower oil prices and the rising dollar are U.S. consumers. They will be able to use the money they save on gas and imported goods to buy more elsewhere. But the consumer-discretionary sector made up of companies such as retailers that most directly benefit from stepped-up consumer spending accounts for only about a 10th of total S&P 500 earnings. What's more, analysts forecast profits for the sector will increase at a double-digit-percentage rate through this year, with fourth-quarter 2015 earnings 18% higher than a year earlier. Eventually, analysts will need to temper their enthusiasm. But investors may not have the luxury of waiting for reality to sink in. Write to Justin Lahart at [email protected] | 3 | 3,234 | finance |
KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii (AP) Miguel Angel Jimenez rallied to win the Champions Tour's season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship, birdieing six of the final nine holes Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Mark O'Meara. The Spaniard closed with a 6-under 66 for his second victory in three career starts on the 50-and-over tour. He broke a tie with O'Meara with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th. "It was uphill against the grain and into the wind," said Jimenez, a 21-time winner on the European Tour. "I knew I had to hit it hard." Jimenez won the Greater Gwinnett Championship last year, a week after finishing fourth in the Masters. In his other Champions Tour start, he tied for eighth in the Senior British Open in July. In May, he won the Spanish Open at 50 years, 133 days to break his own record as the oldest European Tour champion. Jimenez finished at 17-under 199 at Hualalai Golf Club. He played the 12 par 5s in 12 under with an eagle and 10 birdies. After making two birdies and a double bogey on the front nine, he birdied Nos. 10, 11, 13-15 and 17 and closed with a two-putt par. O'Meara shot a 64. The two-time Champions Tour winner finished second for the 15th time. "People remember the winner, not second place," O'Meara said. "I'm disappointed, but Miguel played well when he had to." Fred Couples was third at 14 under, following his second-round 64 with a 66. Rocco Mediate, tied with Jimenez for the second-round lead, had a 70 to finish fourth at 13 under. The 40-player field featured major champions from the last five years, other tournament winners in the last two seasons and sponsor invitees. | 1 | 3,235 | sports |
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The "A" on Patrick Kane's sweater shined brightly under the spotlight when the Blackhawks winger skated to center ice and raised his stick to salute the crowd during introductions for the NHL All-Star Game. Kane served as an alternate captain for Sunday's game at Nationwide Arena, won by Team Toews 17-12 over Team Foligno. The Flyers' Jakub Voracek had three goals and three assists, John Tavares of the Islanders scored four times and the Hawks' Jonathan Toews and the Bruins' Patrice Bergeron each had a goal and four assists to lead Team Toews. The NHL's decision to make Kane an alternate had more to do with the personality he brought to the All-Star fantasy draft Friday night, but having a letter on his sweater was a source of pride for the Buffalo native, who at 26 continues to develop into a leader for the Hawks. "It's cool and exciting," said Kane, who has been an alternate captain during several exhibition games for the Hawks throughout his career. "It's one of those things, especially in preseason when you know you have a chance to wear an 'A' you're looking forward to seeing if there's something on your jersey." While Toews, Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp are the designated leaders with letters for the Hawks, Kane tries to display his qualities through hard work. "There are different ways to lead," Kane said. "We have some vocal guys on the team who do a great job of leading by what they say. I don't really have to worry about being too vocal. ... Sometimes, by the way you play you can lead by example and showing how you can be prepared for a game. As time has gone on I think I've developed it, especially over the past few years." Hawks coach Joel Quenneville has seen Kane's progression into a veteran who has assumed leadership role. "He's definitely absorbed some of those leadership responsibilities every year," Quenneville said. "He's matured in a real good way and I think he wants to be as great as he can be every time he hits the ice, which is a great leadership quality. But I really think ... he's excited about being part of (the team and the organization) and making a contribution on a regular basis. I think that's a good quality of leadership." Kane's knack for making big plays - see Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final when he scored the winning goal in overtime against the Flyers to give the Hawks their first championship in 49 years - contributes to his growing reputation as a leader. "He's always been that player that wants to play big in the big games," Toews said. "(But) you never see him satisfied. He always wants to be better and to prove himself as one of the best players in the world. He's understanding, too, that he could be at the top of the scoring list all the time, but being part of (the Hawks), with the talent we have," sacrifices need to be made for the team's goals. "It takes guys like Kane understanding that and I think he really does," Toews said. "It goes to show his leadership skills." Kane let others enjoy most of the spotlight during the All-Star Game, finishing with two goals and an assist playing on Team Foligno. "You try to have fun with it," Kane said. "That's all we're really doing out there is having fun and trying to show our skill at the same time." [email protected] Twitter @ChrisKuc | 1 | 3,236 | sports |
MELBOURNE, Australia Serena Williams avenged her heaviest Grand Slam defeat with a comeback 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Garbine Muguruza on Monday to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals. The top-ranked Williams was pushed all the way by No. 24-seeded Muguruza, who matched her in the heavy-hitting rallies, and who had conceded only four games to her in a second-round upset last year at the French Open. Five-time Australian Open winner Williams next faces Dominika Cibulkova, who reproduced the kind of tennis that helped her reach the final here last year as she beat two-time champion Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Defending champion Stan Wawrinka beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-6 (2), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8) to move into the men's quarterfinals, where he'll play either No. 5 Kei Nishikori or No. 9 David Ferrer. Williams appeared to be laboring at times, and had a serious cough. She struggled with her serve in the first set, winning only one of a dozen points on her second serve as the 21-year-old Spaniard went on the attack. She couldn't convert her six break-point chances, while Muguruza broke her twice. "She hits the ball really, really big, really, really hard," Williams said. "Someone in the crowd was like 'C'mon Serena use spin' and I was like 'OK.' There's coaches everywhere out here! Thank you." Williams hasn't advanced past the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park since winning her last title here in 2010. There was a lot to distract her. In the first set, a six planes were doing coordinated loops and tricks in the sky over Rod Laver Arena, as part of the national day celebrations in downtown Melbourne. She had difficulty breathing at times, and had heaving coughing fit into a towel at a changeover. "I've been a little sick the past couple days but I just love it here," Williams said, when asked if she'd swallowed a fly. "When I got down, I was thinking, "What can I do now? Whatever happens, I thought, I've won this five times." She gradually picked up power in the second set, broke for a 5-3 lead and then fired three aces and a service winner to level the match at 1-1, screaming as she pumped her fist. After missing break points on Muguruza's serve in the opening game of the third, Williams saved six break points and needed almost 13 minutes to hold. Her confidence up, Williams broke for a 3-2 lead and dominated the rest of the match. She'll need every bit of confidence against the 1.61-meter (5-foot-3) Cibulkova, who pounded 44 winners and broke former No. 1-ranked Azarenka's serve seven times to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the sixth time. The No. 10-ranked Cibulkova lost the final here last year to the now-retired Li Na, and is back in that kind of form. "I just walked onto the court and all great memories came to my mind," she said, reflecting on how her run last year is inspiring her at the Australian Open, "I thought 'I'm a great player and I can do it.'" "As you can see, I'm not the tallest player on tour, I need to have something extra if I want to beat these top players," she said of her heavy ground strokes. "This is my energy on the court, this is how I play." Azarenka, unseeded this year after her ranking slipped into the 40s following an injury-interrupted 2014, won the Australian title in 2012 and '13 and reached the quarterfinals last year. She opened the tournament with a win over 2013 semifinalist Sloane Stephens and then defeated No. 8-seeded Caroline Wozniacki the U.S. Open finalist last year and former No. 1 and No. 25 Barbora Zahlavov Stryova. Rain showers forced the roofs on all three stadium courts to be closed early, but they opened for later matches when the weather cleared. | 1 | 3,237 | sports |
(Bloomberg) -- Yahoo! Inc. on Tuesday is expected to reveal something most companies usually try to keep secret: how it plans to avoid a multibillion-dollar tax bill. The Web portal has spent more than a year figuring out how to cash out a chunk of its $40 billion stake in China-based Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Typically, a U.S. company faces a federal tax bill of about 35 percent when it sells stock in another enterprise for cash. Yahoo took a $3 billion tax hit last year when it sold about $10 billion in Alibaba shares. This time around, activist investors are leaning on the Sunnyvale, California-based company to be more savvy. Marissa Mayer, Yahoo's chief executive officer, probably will maintain at least part of the Alibaba holding to keep a finger in China's fast-growing Web market. Were Yahoo to sell the entire stake, it could face a federal tax bill of as much as $14 billion. Here are some of Yahoo's options to avoid capital-gains tax, both legal: Mimicking Malone Last summer, John Malone's Liberty Ventures wanted to avoid taxes on selling its stake in travel website TripAdvisor Inc. Liberty did so by transferring that stake, as well as online costume-retailer BuySeasons, to a new unit created specifically for the deal. Under the plan, the new unit took out a $400 million bank loan. Most of that cash was destined for Liberty and the new unit's stock spun off to Liberty shareholders. The expectation was that TripAdvisor would acquire the new unit in exchange for the travel site's own stock. TripAdvisor also agreed to repay the $400 million loan. When it's all wrapped up, Liberty Ventures gets cash and exits TripAdvisor -- without incurring the tax bill a straight sale would trigger. Liberty's shareholders get stock in TripAdvisor as though Liberty had distributed its holding in the site to its own investors. Liberty's investors also don't face taxes on the deal. In Yahoo's case, it would spin off its stake into a new entity, which would borrow money and distribute the cash to the Internet company. "The tax savings sort of gets carved up between the two parties and they each get a chunk," said Robert Willens, an independent tax-accounting analyst in New York City. Channeling Buffett Another option is to follow Warren Buffett's lead, with what's known in tax circles as the cash-rich split. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Graham Holdings Co. last March agreed to a deal that lets Buffett's company unload its stake in the former Washington Post Co. while avoiding capital-gains tax. That deal called for Graham to transfer cash and a Miami television business -- combined, roughly equal to Berkshire Hathaway's investment -- into a new subsidiary. Graham then shifts stock in that new unit to Berkshire Hathaway, while Buffett's company moves its Graham stake back to the media company. Economically, it's as though Berkshire Hathaway sold its Graham stake for cash -- and a TV station. But because the deal is structured as an exchange of shares, not a straight-up sale, it gets tax-free treatment. Were Yahoo to follow this route, it would exchange Alibaba shares for a stake in a new unit that would consist mostly of cash. Alibaba would have to shed some assets for Yahoo to get the advantage of such a deal; a cash-only transaction probably would trigger a tax bill. Accounting experts say it shouldn't be difficult to find something to throw in the pot. | 5 | 3,238 | news |
Jennifer Aniston is up for a Screen Actors Guild Award tomorrow thanks to her role in Cake. And even though Jennifer looks barefaced in the movie, we can expect to see her looking like her usual radiant self on the SAG Awards red carpet. We set out to discover how, exactly, Jennifer gets her skin ready for the spotlight during award season. The answer was waiting for us at New York's Mario Badescu Skin Care, a hot-spot salon loved by stars including Jennifer, Heidi Klum, Naomi Campbell, and many more. | 4 | 3,239 | lifestyle |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Stan Wawrinka stayed in contention for a second consecutive Australian Open title with a 7-6 (2) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8) win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on Monday to advance to the quarterfinals. Wawrinka saved four set points in the last tiebreaker while trailing 6-2, then saved a fifth before clinching the 3-hour, 2-minute match on his second match point. The win helped Wawrinka get some payback against Garcia-Lopez for an unwanted record. Last year at the French Open, the Spanish player beat him in the first round, making Wawrinka the first first-time major winner to lose his opening match at the subsequent Grand Slam since Lleyton Hewitt lost at the 2002 Australian Open after winning the 2001 U.S. Open. | 1 | 3,240 | sports |
Podium finish Novak Djokovic of Serbia holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after winning his men's final match as Andy Murray of Great Britain looks on during day 14 of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on February 1, 2015 in Melbourne. One for the ball kids Novak Djokovic of Serbia, center, holding the trophy, poses with ball kids, after defeating Andy Murray of Britain in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015. Mauled in Melbourne Andy Murray of Britain reacts to a lost point to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015. Thank heavens Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Andy Murray of Britain in their men's singles final match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne February 1, 2015. Off-court support Kim Sears, fiancee of Andy Murray of Britain, left, and his fitness coach Matt Little, right, react as they watch his men's singles final against Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne. Murray's army Fans of Andy Murray of Great Britain watch at Rod Laver Arena in the men's final match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during day 14 of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne. Mama mia!! Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini of Italy kiss their trophy after defeating Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut of France in their men's doubles final match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne. Mixed celebration Martina Hingis of Switzerland and Leander Paes of India celebrate winning their final mixed doubles match against Kristina Mladenovic of France and Daniel Nestor of Canada during day 14 of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. Champions line up Serena Williams of the U.S. holds the trophy with runner-up Maria Sharapova of Russia accompanied by three-time Australian Open champion Martina Navratilova, in the women's singles final. Victor and the vanquished Serena Williams of the United States and Maria Sharapova of Russia stand at the presentation after Williams won their women's final match. On cloud 9 Serena Williams of the US celebrates after victory in her women's singles final match against Russia's Maria Sharapova. The clean up Court attendants dry the court with towels during a rain delay during the women's singles final match between Serena Williams of the U.S. and Maria Sharapova of Russia. Eye on the ball Maria Sharapova of Russia stretches to hit a return to Serena Williams of the U.S. during their women's singles final match. Vamos Novak! Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates winning a point against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during their men's singles semi-final match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne January 30, 2015. Djokovic defeated Wawrinka to win the match. Supporting Stan Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland fans watch him in his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during day 12 of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 30, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. Aiming high Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland serves to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their men's singles semi-final match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne January 30, 2015. Ready to be thrashed Novak Djokovic of Serbia makes a backhand return to Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2015. Hip hip Murray! Andy Murray of Britain celebrates after defeating Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29. Covering it all Photographers shoot the action at Rod Laver Arena during day 11 of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29 in Melbourne, Australia. Berdych bites Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic bites a ball during his semifinal match against Andy Murray of Britain at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29. Prime audience U.S. country and western singer Kenny Rogers, center, and former Australian champion tennis player Evonne Goolagong Cawley, center left, watch during the semifinal match between Andy Murray of Britain and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan 29. Merry Maria Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates after defeating compatriot Ekaterina Makarova in their women's singles semi-final match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne Jan 29. Welcome to the club Rod Laver (L) presents Todd Woodbridge with his official Hall of Fame ring during the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan 29 in Melbourne, Australia. Dejected Ektarina Ekaterina Makarova of Russia reacts after missing a shot against compatriot Maria Sharapova during their women's singles semi-final match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne Jan 29. Still friends Serena Williams (R) of the U.S. speaks with compatriot Madison Keys after serena won their women's singles semifinal match at the Australian Open on Jan. 29. Djokovic surges ahead Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Milos Raonic of Canada in their men's singles quarter-final match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne on Jan. 28. Serena celebrates Serena Williams of the U.S. celebrates after defeating Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open on Jan. 28. Following the flight Novak Djokovic of Serbia stretches for a backhand in his quarterfinal match against Milos Raonic of Canada during day 10 of the Australian Open on Jan. 28. Djokovic won the match. Shielding from sun A supporter of Novak Djokovic of Serbia shields his eyes from the sun before the start the men's singles quarter-final match between Djokovic and Milos Raonic of Canada at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne on Jan. 28. Keys beats Venus Madison Keys of the United States plays a backhand in her quarterfinal match en route to defeating Venus Williams of the United States during day 10. Venus goes down swinging Venus Williams of the U.S. stretches to hit a return to compatriot Madison Keys during their women's singles quarterfinal match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne on Jan. 28. Venus lost the match to Keys. All done Kei Nishikori of Japan reacts after losing his quarterfinal match against Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland on Jan. 28. Sign time Madison Keys of the U.S. signs autographs after defeating compatriate Madison Brengle in their women's singles fourth-round match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne. Hate it when that happens Venus Williams of the U.S. gets her hair caught in a nail as she prepares to serve to compatriot Madison Keys during their women's singles quarter-final match at the Australian Open on Jan. 28. Stretching to victory Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland stretches to hit a return to Kei Nishikori of Japan during their men's singles quarterfinal match at the Australian Open on Jan. 28. Wawrinka won the match. All smiles before the match A supporter cheers for Japan's Kei Nishikori ahead of his men's singles match against Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka on Jan. 28. Wawrinka won the match. Merry Murray Britain's Andy Murray celebrates after victory in his men's singles match against Australia's Nick Kyrgios. Ace fans Members of the crowd hold up a sign during the men's singles quarter-final match between Andy Murray of Britain and Nick Kyrgios of Australia at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne January 27, 2015. Tossed up Nick Kyrgios of Australia throws his racquet after missing a return against Andy Murray of Britain during their men's singles quarter-final match. Support Down Under Supporters of Australia's Nick Kyrgios cheer ahead of his quarterfinal match against Andy Murray of Britain. Serving it up Maria Sharapova of Russia serves to Eugenie Bouchard of Canada during their women's singles quarter-final match. Pink poetry in motion Eugenie Bouchard of Canada plays a shot to Maria Sharapova of Russia during their quarterfinal match on Jan. 27 in Melbourne, Australia. Star sign Maria Sharapova of Russia signs autographs after defeating Eugenie Bouchard of Canada in their women's singles quarter-final match. Game face Ekaterina Makarova of Russia eyes the ball as she prepares to hit a return to Simona Halep of Romania during their women's singles quarterfinal on Jan. 27 in Melbourne, Australia. Makarova won 6-4, 6-0. Stretched to the limit Simona Halep of Romania stretches out for a return to Ekaterina Makarova of Russia during their quarterfinal match on Jan. 27 in Melbourne, Australia. Berdych beats Nadal Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych celebrates after victory in his men's singles match against Spain's Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Jan. 27. Berdych won 6-2, 6-0, 7-6. Breaking a sweat Sweat drips from the nose of Rafael Nadal of Spain as he reacts to missing a shot against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during their men's singles quarter-final match. All eyes on Berdych Ester Satorova, model and fiancee of Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic is pictured after Berdych defeated Rafael Nadal of Spain in their men's singles quarter-final match at the Australian Open on Jan. 27. Ready to launch Rafael Nadal of Spain serves to Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during their men's singles quarter-final match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Tuesday. Nadal fell to Berdych in three sets. Looking over her shoulder Serena Williams of the U.S. eyes a return to Garbine Muguruza of Spain during their fourth-round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. Williams won 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. The stadium is named after him Former Australian tennis champion Rod Laver watches the women's singles match between Agnieszka Radwanska and Venus Williams on Jan. 26 in Melbourne, Australia. Venus on the run Venus Williams of the U.S. chases down a shot to Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during their fourth-round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. Williams advanced with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 win. A real stretch Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland stretches out for a shot to Venus Williams of the U.S. during their fourth-round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. Down, and eventually out Victoria Azarenka of Belarus falls to the court as she plays Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia during their fourth-round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia. Cibulkova won 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Tall order Milos Raonic of Canada plays a shot to Feliciano Lopez of Spain during their fourth-round match on Jan. 26 in Melbourne, Australia. Raonic won the match in five sets. A thinking man's game Feliciano Lopez looks on in his fourth-round match against Milos Raonic during day eight of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 26 in Melbourne, Australia. Pumped up Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia celebrates winning her fourth-round match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during day eight of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. Elevation gain Kei Nishikori of Japan plays a forehand in his fourth-round match against David Ferrer of Spain during Day 8 of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. Nishikori won the match 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Bryan brothers bounced Bob Bryan of the United States and Mike Bryan of the United States in action in their third-round doubles match against Dominic Inglot of Great Britain and Florin Mergea of Romania during Day 8 of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. The Bryans lost 6-7, 3-6. High toss David Ferrer of Spain serves to Kei Nishikori of Japan during their men's singles fourth-round match at the Australian Open 2015 tennis tournament in Melbourne. Dueling cameras Rafael Nadal takes a picture of a TV camera after defeating South Africa's Kevin Anderson. Nadal won 7-5, 6-1, 6-4. Elevating Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych serves to Bernard Tomic of Australia during their men's singles fourth-round match. Berdych beat Tomic 6-2, 7-6, 6-2. Time to exhale Spain's David Ferrer reacts after defeating France's Gilles Simon 6-2, 7-5, 5-7, 7-6(4) during their men's singles third round match. Murray on top of his game Andy Murray of Britain jumps to hit a return to Joao Sousa of Portugal during their men's singles third round match on Jan. 23. Isner loses it John Isner of the US throws his racquet to the court after losing the second set against Luxembourg's Gilles Muller. Isner lost to Muller 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6), 6-4. Stan Wawrinka rolls Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland stretches to hit a return to Jarkko Nieminen of Finland during their third round match. Wawrinka defeated Nieminen 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Selfies of the stars Eugenie Bouchard of Canada takes a "selfie" using a spectator's phone after defeating Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands during their women's singles second round match on Jan. 21. View from above Spectators watch the third round match between Novak Djokovic and Fernando Verdasco. Federer falls Swiss star Roger Federer reacts to an error in his third round match against Andreas Seppi of Italy. The four-time champion lost 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-6 (7-5) to the world number 46. Any Murray on top Andy Murray of Great Britain plays a forehand on his way to a 6-1 6-1 7-5 victory over Joao Sousa of Portugal, to set up a last-16 match against Grigor Dimitrov. Eugenie Bouchard Eugenie Bouchard defeated Caroline Garcia 7-5 6-0 to advance into the fourth round. Dominant Maria Sharapova entered the fourth round beating Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan 6-1, 6-1. Lucie Hradecka Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic returns to Julia Goerges of Germany during their third round encounter. Goerges was the eventual winner, triumphing 7-7 (8-6) 7-5. Irina-Camelia Begu serves Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania serves to German player Carina Witthoeft on her way to a 6-4 6-4 victory. Sportsmen Novak Djokovic is congratulated by Andrey Kuznetsov after his comfortable 6-0 6-1 6-4 victory to reach round three. Your turn Unseeded two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka signs autographs after claiming another big scalp in eighth seed Caroline Wozniacki. Ferrer on top Ninth seed David Ferrer battled back from a set down to beat Sergiy Stakhovsky in four. Serena exults World number one Serena Williams marches on with a 7-5 6-0 win over Russia's Vera Zvonareva. Joy and relief An exhausted-looking David Ferrer of Spain reacts after defeating Gilles Simon of France during their men's singles third round match on Jan. 24. Strong support for Murray Fans show their support for the sixth seed Andy Murray. Nadal celebrates Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating Tim Smyczek of the U.S. during their second round match. The Spaniard had to call for the trainer on the way to victory 6-2 3-6 6-7(2) 6-3 7-5. On ice Kei Nishikori of Japan reacts as he puts an ice pack on his shoulder during his 6-4 7-6(1) 6-2 win over Nicolas Almagro of Spain. Pulled in two directions Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic falls onto the court after missing a shot against Julia Goerges of Germany during their women's singles third round match on Jan. 23. Happy Hewitt Home favourite Lleyton Hewitt roars after beating Zhang Ze of China in four sets 6-3 1-6 6-0 6-4. Monfils chases down a victory Gael Monfils runs to hit a return to fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille during his thrilling five-set win 6-7(3) 3-6 6-4 6-1 6-4. Striking a pose Caroline Wozniacki reacts as a member of the crowd takes a photograph of her. Long reach Novak Djokovic of Serbia is in action during the match against Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia during day two of the 2015 Australian Open. Djokovic won 6 3, 6 2, 6 4. Italian intensity Sara Errani of Italy celebrates a point in her second round match against Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain during day three of the 2015 Australian Open on Jan. 21. Sharapova serves up a victory Maria Sharapova of Russia serves against Petra Martic of Croatia during their women's singles first round match at the Australian Open on Jan. 19. Wozniacki's power stroke Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark plays a forehand in her first round match against Taylor Townsend of the United States during day two of the Australian Open on Jan. 20. Adding her Casey Dellacqua Casey Dellacqua of Australia signs autographs after defeating Yvonne Meusburger 6-4, 6-0 in the first round. Fan engagement Milos Raonic takes a 'selfie' with fans after defeating Illya Marchenko 7 6(3), 7 6(3), 6 3 in the first round. Opening round celebration Marinko Matosevic of Australia celebrates winning his first round match against Alexander Kudryavtsev of Russia during day one of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 19. | 1 | 3,241 | sports |
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Blue Jackets forward Ryan Johansen spent the past few days showing off Columbus to his fellow NHL All-Stars. On Sunday, Johansen did some showing off of his own by winning an online fan vote to be named the game's MVP. "It's been really cool. It hasn't hit me yet for sure," he said. "This is something I'll remember for a very long time." The fourth-year forward, and first-time All-Star won despite being on the short end of Team Foligno's 17-12 loss to Team Toews. Johansen led the team captained by Blue Jackets teammate Nick Foligno with four points (two goals and two assists) and won a new car to go with the honor. He beat out two Team Toews players -- New York Islanders forward John Tavares and Boston's Patrice Bergeron. The three were announced as the MVP finalists early in the third period, when the vote on Twitter began in the first time fans have determined the winner. Though the vote amounted to a popularity contest, Johansen's fellow All-Stars called the honor deserving. "Ryan played great," said Bergeron, who had a goal and four assists. "There were a lot of guys who had great nights." That included Philadelphia's Jakub Voracek, who had a game-leading six points (three goals, three assists) to tie the All-Star record set by Mario Lemieux in 1988. "Joey deserved it, the way he handled the weekend overall," Voracek said, referring to Johansen. "Him and Nick Foligno, I'm sure, have been under a lot of the spotlight. They did a great job. It was well deserved." Tavares, meanwhile, matched an All-Star record in becoming the sixth player to score four goals. Johansen has emerged as a fan favorite in Columbus after getting off to an uncertain start to the season. As a restricted free agent, he held out the first two-plus weeks of training camp before signing a three-year, $12 million contract in October. The 2010 first-round draft pick has since delivered on that potential by leading the Blue Jackets with 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) in 45 games. On Sunday, Johansen's first goal tied the game at 2 at 11:05 of the first period, when he skated out of the left corner and snapped a shot in off the far post. Johansen scored his second goal 5 minutes later, when he one-timed in a pass from Alex Ovechkin. Johansen then capped off his night by setting up goals by Foligno and Brent Burns. "This weekend is definitely a confidence booster," Johansen said. "But it's important to not get too high, not get too low." Then there is the challenge he and the Blue Jackets face when they resume the season on Tuesday. That is when Johansen and Foligno will go from playing on the same line as Ovechkin to hosting him and the Washington Capitals. At 20-22-3, the Blue Jackets are 13th in the Eastern Conference -- 14 points out of a playoff spot. They also have numerous injuries to overcome, including the loss of Sergie Bobrovsky, who is out indefinitely after he hurt his groin last week. "I think we have a good focus for when we get back, and knowing that we have a job to do," Johansen said. "We've enjoyed this weekend a lot. But after tonight, we'll refocus on playing Washington." | 1 | 3,242 | sports |
The SAG Awards are often seen as a good indicator of who will win the Oscars actors make up the biggest part of the Academy voting body but the biggest surprises at the ceremony were in the TV categories, including Netflix cleaning up and "Modern Family" finally getting snubbed. Still, Eddie Redmayne , along with "Birdman," made for some surprises in the film races. See below the 8 biggest snubs and surprises from the film and TV categories at the 2015 Golden Globes. Surprise: Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything" Going into the SAG Awards, lead actor was considered a showdown between Michael Keaton for "Birdman" and Eddie Redmayne for "The Theory of Everything." Most were giving the edge to Keaton, a beloved veteran who showed a sense of humor playing a former superhero attempting a comeback. But in the end, it was Redmayne's transformative performance as Stephen Hawking that took home the top prize. Surprise: "Birdman," Best Ensemble "Birdman" winning the top prize isn't such a surprise, but nothing was certain going into the ceremony thanks to stiff competition from the likes of "Boyhood" and "The Imitation Game." But in the end, actors chose to reward a love letter to performers starring some of the best working today. SURPRISE: Uzo Aduba, "Orange is the New Black" Since SAG combines supporting and lead races into one category, she faced industry heavyweights like Edie Falco, Amy Poehler and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Her triumph shows that orange is indeed the new black in Hollywood. SURPRISE: William H. Macy , "Shameless" Even he was surprised, a fact Macy acknowledged in his acceptance speech. With the show's gutsy category switch to comedy, he edged out last year's champ, "Modern Family's" Ty Burrell, as well as "Big Bang Theory" star and multiple Emmy winner Jim Parsons. SNUB: "Modern Family" Long a SAG favorite, the ABC sitcom went home empty-handed despite four nominations, losing in the comedy ensemble, actor, and actress races. SNUB: Matthew McConaughey, "True Detective" He never won a major award for the HBO anthology. He lost the Emmy to Bryan Cranston, the SAG Award to Kevin Spacey, and the Golden Globe to Billy Bob Thornton. SURPRISE: "Downton Abbey" In a night of upsets, the PBS upstairs/downstairs hit seemed a long shot to claim the top drama prize. Then again, it's won before, and it's always a sentimental favorite. SURPRISE: Mark Ruffalo, "The Normal Heart" He's gone head-to-head with Billy Bob Thornton in the movies/mini race throughout awards season. This is his first win: Thornton won the Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Award (Benedict Cumberbatch claimed the Emmy). | 6 | 3,243 | entertainment |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Dominika Cibulkova reproduced the kind of tennis that helped her reach the final last year as she beat two-time champion Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the fourth round of the Australian Open. Under the closed roof at Rod Laver Arena, Cibulkova pounded 44 winners, including a dozen on her backhand side, and broke former No. 1-ranked Azarenka's serve seven times Monday to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the sixth time. The No. 10-ranked Cibulkova, who lost the final here last year to the now-retired Li Na, next faces either top-ranked Serena Williams or Garbine Muguruza. Azarenka, unseeded this year after her ranking slipped into the 40s following an injury-interrupted 2014, won the Australian title in 2012 and '13 and reached the quarterfinals last year. She opened the tournament with a win over 2013 semifinalist Sloane Stephens and then defeated No. 8-seeded Caroline Wozniacki -- the U.S. Open finalist last year and former No. 1 -- and No. 25 Barbora Zahlavov Stryova. She won the first two games of the fourth-round match, too, before Cibulkova broke back and went on a six-game roll. Azarenka controlled the second set, despite slipping twice to the court, and was on level terms in the third until Cibulkova got the decisive break in the seventh game. Cibulkova held to take a 5-3 lead, chasing a slice backhand into the corner and whipping a forehand crosscourt on game point, and then broke Azarenka's serve again. "I just walked onto the court and all great memories came to my mind," she said, reflecting on how her run last year is inspiring her at the Australian Open, "I thought `I'm a great player and I can do it.'" The 1.61-meter (5-foot-3) Cibulkova used a powerful backhand to win important points in the first set, and then relied on her backhand to maximum effect. "As you can see, I'm not the tallest player on tour, I need to have something extra if I want to beat these top players," she said. "This is my energy on the court, this is how I play." Rain showers forced the roofs on all three stadium courts to be closed early, but they opened for later matches when the weather cleared. Play had to be stopped briefly when part of the new retractable roof on Margaret Court Arena leaked. | 1 | 3,244 | sports |
Josh Gordon could be facing a one-year ban after reportedly failing a drug test for alcohol consumption. | 1 | 3,245 | sports |
The number of Internet users in China has risen to nearly 650 million, authorities said over the weekend, as the world's largest online population continues to rise. There were 648 million Internet users in China at the end of 2014, according to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the official Xinhua news agency reported. The figure represents an increase of 30 million over 2013. China defines its online population as those who have used the Internet at least once in the last six months. China already had more web users than any other country in the world. It is home to a huge e-commerce market and the web has been used by citizens to spotlight government abuses, creating a concern for the ruling Communist Party. Beijing maintains tight controls over the Internet, blocking websites it deems politically sensitive in a system dubbed the "Great Firewall of China" and encouraging social media companies to censor user-generated content. | 5 | 3,246 | news |
With no party predicted to win outright in May, Britain is expected to face one of four outcomes all of which will require coalition or negotiation that will test the parties' leadership. 1. Conservative minority government If Labour loses as much in Scotland as it could gain in England, and the Conservatives snap up a few handy gains from their Liberal Democrat partners, on election night 2015 just as in 2010 the only durable government would be headed by the Tories. But with David Cameron having failed for a second time to secure for his party the overall majority that it still imagines to be its entitlement, the PM can only cling on to the party leadership into a second term by demonstrating that he can do things differently, which means cutting the rump Lib Dems loose and seeking to govern alone. The most immediate challenge is charting a path through a mostly-hostile House of Commons for a Queen's speech and, a little later, a budget. Not far behind is getting the 2017 in/out referendum on Europe agreed. Cameron long ago made this a personal "red line" for remaining in office, and his party will not let him forget it. The players In scrambling together the vote-by-vote parliamentary alliance he needs to survive, Cameron may well turn first to the unionists of Northern Ireland. The Ulster Unionist party has close historic ties with the Tories. The harder-line Democratic Unionists will certainly be there, with Westminster leader Nigel Dodds the man making deals on the ground, with the DUP's founding member, leader and first minister, Peter Robinson, an influence in the background. Even if Ukip has a so-so election, the former Tory Douglas Carswell can expect to hold Clacton, and will be one obvious person to do business with. If it does much better, the party could have 10 or more MPs, including Nigel Farage who is set to run in South Thanet. But if the Tories fall substantially short of the magic 326 seats that give a majority, they are likely to need to go back to the Lib Dems too. It might be that Nick Clegg is still the man to talk to, but even if the students of Sheffield Hallam don't give him the boot, his own party might; in which case, it might be necessary to cut a deal with a more instinctively anti-Conservative leader, such as Tim Farron or Vince Cable. The deals The Democratic Unionists would bargain hard and in the traditional hard currency of financial privileges for the province. Northern Ireland faces perennial public spending pressures which would surely come into play, but so too would its hopes of setting its own corporation tax rate, to try to woo business away from the Republic, where the rate is just 12.5%. London has made sympathetic noises, but is currently buying time in negotiations, not least because it fears emboldening Scottish nationalists who are demanding the same freedom. But if unionist votes were needed to get a Queen's speech through, demands for devolution on corporation and almost anything else could soon be agreed. For Ukip, Nigel Farage has made plain that the first and most important issue would be that EU referendum. His party would want it brought forward probably to autumn 2015 and might insist that Cameron commit to giving Eurosceptic ministers the freedom to campaign for an out vote, or even attempt to bind him into campaigning for that himself. A second coalition with the Tories could shatter an already-demoralised and shrunken Liberal Democrat party. It would need something substantial and bankable in return, not subject to a referendum like Clegg's disastrous plebiscite on the alternative vote. An immediate commitment to proportional representation in local government would be an obvious example. 2. Labour minority government Working-class Tories have always had doubts about Cameron, and in 2015 they could desert him in droves. Right around the southern English coast, and through pinched Midlands suburbs, Ukip could take enough votes to knock the Conservatives out of contention, but rarely enough to win. There might be little enthusiasm for Ed Miliband, but after five years of austerity the chance to "get the Tories out" could be enough to bring Labour voters home, and to stem the feared blood-letting in Scotland. Labour would fall short of the winning line, but Miliband's Commons bloc could still be the biggest. But how will he get to No 10? He might fancy a nice stable deal with the Lib Dems, but having lacked the popularity to win the election outright, Miliband would lack the authority within his own tribe to stitch one together. Disraeli wrote that England did not love coalitions, but Labour which has never forgotten the betrayal of National Government in 1931 positively despises them. He is condemned to survive by continuous haggling in a minority government. The players The most straightforward first call would be to Alasdair McDonnell, leader of Norther Ireland's SDLP, which has historically regarded itself as Labour's sister party. If the Greens have a good election, Caroline Lucas will be back in Brighton, together with one or two new colleagues, although almost certainly not party leader Natalie Bennett, who is contesting a rock-solid Labour seat at Holborn and St Pancras. That likely leaves Lucas in charge of negotiating with Miliband. The scale of Lib Dem losses would most likely prompt Clegg to resign immediately. Vince Cable could take over, paving the way for deals with Labour. On the nationalist benches, Elfyn Llwyd of Plaid Cymru and Angus Robertson of the SNP are the notional Westminster leaders, but with Alex Salmond newly-returned for Gordon, few are under any illusions that bigger players are not also involved. The deals From Holyrood, first minister and new SNP leader Nicola Strugeon has suggested that non-renewal of Trident could be a deal-breaker for her party, and in this scenario her call could resonate with several of the other votes that Miliband would need to buy. Both Plaid and the Greens are firmly against nuclear weapons, and for the Lib Dems in some moods, too, opposition to Trident has been a badge of radicalism. In 2010, they stood against like-for-like replacement of the submarines, a policy that has since got lost in reviews. But diminished in strength and desperately seeking to differentiate themselves from their erstwhile coalition partners in 2015, they could go further and call for Trident to go entirely and then push a reluctant Labour leadership to do the same. Many Labour MPs and activists might be happy with this disarming outcome from this informal "rainbow coalition", as they would also be if the nationlists and the Greens could persuade Labour to ease up on the pace of austerity. But on both defence and the economy, where Miliband is painfully sensitive to being caricatured as an old-fashioned left-winger, he will be especially reluctant to be seen to be allowing to the political fringes to dictate the agenda, so he will seek to minimise the concessions. 3. Lib Dems as kingmakers again The Lib Dems could lose half their seats and still be the deciding factor in the next government. If the two big parties are more or less tied on two-hundred and eighty-something a piece, then although somewhat reduced, the Lib Dem parliamentary tribe is more powerful than ever with a free hand to pick the prime minister. The players Although he avoided outright oblivion, Nick Clegg now follows a fairly disappointing election in 2010 with a considerable loss of both votes and seats, which makes survival a challenge. Miliband has a decision to make: whether or not to call for Clegg to go, on the basis that his past relationship with Cameron precludes him approaching his rival prospective partners in an even-handed way. The Labour tribe would expect this, but it could have the perverse effect of rallying Lib Dem loyalists to Clegg. Should Clegg wish to hang on, and succeed, his twin priorities would be reaffirming the virtues of coalition in general, and justifying his post-2010 record in particular. The former would point to entering serious negotiations with Labour, but the latter would ultimately curtail his flexibility towards Miliband, especially in relation to austerity. All this would make a fresh deal with the Tories more likely. But should Clegg go, the obvious replacements Tim Farron or Vince Cable would probably regard it as their mission to disentangle the struggling party from the Tories, and some sort of accommodation with Labour becomes more likely, although it may be that the instinctively oppositional Farron, in particular, would prefer an informal arrangement to back Miliband in passing a budget, rather than another exhausting coalition. The deals If Clegg survives and is cutting deals with Cameron again, he would want cast-iron guarantees on the constitutional reforms he feels he was cheated of last time: a specific plan and timetable for Lords reform in place of the warm words of 2010, PR for local government elections and, perhaps, major new powers for councils. He would also push for more money on his other pet projects: the pupil premium in education, and a higher personal tax allowance, which he might this time take care to prevent the Tories extending to higher-rate taxpayers. The wildcard could be the EU referendum, which Cameron is committed to, and Clegg hasn't ruled out, but parts of his party may recoil from. If Farron or particularly Cable were dealing with Labour, they might try to push specific "invest to grow" public spending propositions within a still generally austere fiscal framework, as well as progressive tax rises. But they would also demand reassurances on civil liberties, in particular a guarantee that there would be no attempt to reinvigorate the "snooper's charter", as well as constitutional commitments on things like reforming the Lords. A cash-strapped party relieved to have survived one election may also be concerned to see that there will be no early amendment to or manoeuvring around the fixed-term parliament act. 4. The SNP grab the whip hand The SNP post-referendum march could see it taking 40-plus of Westminster's 59 seats. The bulk of this gain would be, of course, at Labour's expense, but elsewhere in the UK it fared reasonably well, picking up 40-odd seats from a Ukip-sapped Tory party in England and Wales, which left the two parties tied. The Lib Dems, meanwhile, had an even worse night than everyone had predicted losing substantially to the SNP, Labour and the Conservatives, to return to Westminster with just shy of 20 seats, far too few to push either big party across the winning line. The players Angus Robertson may be the SNP's notional Westminster leader, but after this sort of transformative result, it is plainly not up to him, but to the SNP's biggest beasts to decide how to play their cards, specifically first minister Nicola Sturgeon, and the newly-elected MP for Gordon, Alex Salmond. Despite his profile and his presence in the Commons, Sturgeon counts for more, because as party leader she wields all the patronage, and just as importantly is unencumbered by his personal promise not to seek another referendum. The arithmetic now dictates that nobody can govern without SNP acquiescence, which rules out the Tories, whom they had pre-committed to keeping out of power. But though all-conquering in Scotland, the SNP is still not quite big enough to give Labour a stable working majority, so Plaid Cymru, Northern Irish MPs and the rump Lib Dems could all be part of the discussion if there were serious efforts to build an enduring coalition. But will there be any such efforts? The Nationalists, who now have the votes to break any plausible government in Westminster, may have many priorities, but it should not be assumed that the stability of government in London is one. The deals Although the SNP has talked about Trident and protecting parts of public spending, after its landslide win, the party's expanded and excited base expects an early return to Scotland's constitutional future, and Sturgeon does not disappoint. Rapidly, she points out that it was Salmond and not she who said he would never fight another referendum, and gives a major speech suggesting that after the "betrayal" of the Smith commission on devolution the general election makes plain that 2014's no vote cannot be regarded as Scotland's final word. Specifically, she might demand immediate "home rule" over all taxes and social security, while also seeking to exert a pull on reserved matters such as defence and demanding legislation for some form of referendum a few years down the road. All the traditional, UK-wide parties retain their notional unionism, but there are growing doubts about whether the Nationlist tide can any longer be turned. And Labour, suddenly so diminished in Scotland, no longer has the same partisan reason for regarding national divorce as so unconscionable that it would rather stay out of power than talk turkey with the SNP. | 5 | 3,247 | news |
COLUMBUS, Ohio Alex Ovechkin charged from behind the net and brushed past an official, spreading his wide arms on a mission to protect. All weekend, the Washington Capitals' forward and captain had embraced the role of class clown, and now during the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, he found another chance to summon some laughs. Two skaters from each team had already drawn close, mimicking the post-whistle scrums typical during the regular season, so Ovechkin hoped to agitate or something like that. He grabbed defensemen Mark Giordano and Brent Seabrook and wrapped them tight. He felt a stick tap his legs, so he went after someone else. Soon, everyone was moving together in one massive group hug. "Yeah, start a good thing," Ovechkin said. An avalanche of goals, absent of any defense, snapped several all-star game records in a 17-12 victory for the team captained by Chicago forward Jonathan Toews over the squad helmed by Columbus forward Nick Foligno, so Ovechkin did what he could to inject entertainment into his fifth appearance and sixth selection. He cherry-picked breakouts but deferred on open shots, finishing with three assists. When Seabrook lost his stick early into the third period, Ovechkin beat him to it and dragged it further out of reach. He did not win the MVP honor the fan vote awarded that to Ovechkin's linemate, forward Ryan Johansen, who had four points or the accompanying car he had begged for so much, the reason later becoming clear: He said he was going to donate a four-door sedan to the NoVa Cool Cats, a Northern Virginia hockey team for children with special needs. "I'm not disappointed," Ovechkin said. "It's going to be a couple surprises soon." Even without stops or whistles, Sunday night plodded along with all the intensity of a leisurely stroll through the park. Zero hits were recorded. Only 12 shots were blocked. Florida goaltender Roberto Luongo allowed four goals on 17 shots during the first period, then spent the third tweeting from the bench, faring better than Pittsburgh's Marc Andre-Fleury, who allowed an all-star game-worst seven goals during the second period and was subjected to mocking cheers from the Nationwide Arena crowd each time he touched the puck. "I feel for the goalies," said Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar, one of only two skaters who didn't record a point. While the NHL unveiled its new tracking system, loading computer chips into sweaters and pucks, the 10 rafter cameras captured a night unfolding, it seemed, at quarter-speed. Skaters acted like pylons, playing defense standing still, hanging goaltenders out to dry. With time, the game became less about celebrating the actual goals and more about muffing ears for the building's deafening cannon blast, sounding each time Team Foligno found the net. But at least goals were scored. Lots of them. Twenty-four players registered at least two points. Everyone on Team Toews tallied at least one, and only Kopitar and Buffalo forward Zemgus Girgensons were left blank. Philadelphia forward Jakub Voracek and New York Islanders forward John Tavares matched single-game marks with six points and four goals, respectively, and the 29 total goals broke the old all-star game mark set in 2001, when the format pitted North America against the World. Since then, only eight all-star games had been played, canceled twice because of lockouts and not scheduled twice more because of the Olympics. The latest model, which began in 2011, offered NHL-chosen captains the luxury of picking pick their teams in a fantasy draft, which Ovechkin spent begging for a car Friday night, stealing the spotlight yet again. "He's got one of the best personalities in hockey, and you watch him, he's such a great ambassador for the game," Foligno said Saturday after Ovechkin fell in both the hardest shot competition and breakaway challenge. Skating on the top line with Foligno and Johansen, both members of the Columbus Blue Jackets, whom the Capitals will face Tuesday upon returning from the all-star break, Ovechkin played a secondary role, the NHL's fourth-leading goal-scorer this season yet only one of eight skaters on his squad not to find the net. Once Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane shoveled a backhander and cut Team Toews's lead to 15-11, tying the all-star game record for aggregate goals, even the cannon was dormant. A flag waved from the perch, but no boom was heard. "Kind of feels like summer hockey a little bit, where there's a lot of breakaways, a lot of odd-man rushes," Kane said. "I think as the game goes on it gets a little bit more competitive and you probably see a better game from a fan's standpoint. The last half of the game is probably a little more fun to watch. It's fun." | 1 | 3,248 | sports |
Searching for Super Bowl highlights next week after the big game? They'll be available, legally, straight from the source. The NFL has protected its video as fiercely as any league, pushing most users to its website or to its broadcast partners. On Monday, the league and YouTube announced a partnership between two of the most powerful brands in the marketplace, creating an official NFL channel on the video website. Clips will also be directly viewable through simple Google searches. Content posted daily to the portal by the league will include game previews, in-game highlights, post-game recaps and clips featuring news, analysis, fantasy football advice and other original programming from NFL Network and NFL.com. Highlight packages from the current postseason were already viewable Sunday, and plenty of Super Bowl programming was scheduled to appear throughout the week and after the game. Game highlights and other content will also be available through Google's search engine, which will display official NFL videos along with related news and information in a box at the top of the page. Kickoff times and broadcast information for every NFL game will be prominently displayed. Google acquired YouTube in 2006. The tandem previously formed partnerships with the other three major American sports leagues, MLB, the NBA and the NHL. Google has been trying to mine more revenue from YouTube, which is positioned for further growth as consumers continue to shift toward online and mobile viewing and away from live television. "We continue to see an insatiable appetite for digital video content, and this partnership further expands fans' ability to discover and access NFL content throughout the year," Hans Schroeder, the NFL's senior vice president of media strategy, business development and sales, said in a statement distributed by the league. Previously, the NFL videos that popped up in a YouTube search weren't sanctioned. The NFL, like many other entities and organizations, has used a YouTube tool called "Content ID" to be able to block unlicensed videos. Football fans still flocked to the site, of course. Maybe they pulled up one of those "Bad Lip Reading" montages of silly voice-overs accompanying game clips. Or in the hunt for that favorite highlight "Odell Beckham Jr. one-handed catch," for instance they found a bunch of shaky camera-phone videos that some New York Giants fan took of the TV screen. Now those searches will be more fruitful. The billion-dollar question, then, is whether this partnership will pave the way for eventual live streaming of games through the YouTube site rather than over the air or on cable. Probably not anytime soon, though. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said "the focus is on non-live highlights." He added that "the agreement will provide tremendous exposure for our broadcast partners." YouTube spokesman Matt McLernon, pointing to the site's past streaming of live Olympic events, said the opportunity is there and the technology is waiting if the league were to decide to do so. "We would welcome it with open arms if the NFL or any other league" wanted to show live games on the site, McLernon said. Terms of the deal were not provided. But it's a safe bet that it's worth a lot of money. The league, citing Nielsen data, said the 2014 regular season reached 202.3 million unique viewers, representing 80 percent of all television homes and 68 percent of potential viewers in the U.S., and NFL games accounted for the entire top 20 and 45 of the top 50 most-watched television shows last fall. | 3 | 3,249 | finance |
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott marked his country's national day Monday by honouring Britain's Prince Philip with a knighthood, sparking criticism from the opposition of being in a "time warp". Abbott said Queen Elizabeth II had accepted his recommendation that her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, be awarded the nation's highest honour as a Knight of the Order of Australia. "This honour recognises the contribution of the Duke of Edinburgh to Australia throughout the Queen's sixty-two year reign," the conservative leader and keen monarchist said in a statement. "Prince Philip's long life of service and dedication should be honoured by Australia," he said, adding that Prince Philip's son Charles, the Prince of Wales, was appointed a Knight of the Order of Australia in 1981. Abbott reintroduced knights and dames to the country's honours list in 2014, prompting ridicule from opposition Labor lawmakers who said it was proof the prime minister was behind the times. Republicans, who are in favour of cutting Australia's ties to the British monarchy, accused Abbott at the time of "turning the clock back to a colonial frame of mind that we have outgrown as a nation". Opposition leader Bill Shorten, who on the weekend called for a mature debate on becoming a republic and having an Australian head of state, said the surprise decision was out of step with the public mindset. "I think that on Australia Day -- where we're talking about Australia, Australian identity -- the government's managed to find a British royal to give a medal to, a knighthood to," he told Fairfax radio. "I just think giving our top award to a British royal is anachronistic. To be honest it's a bit of a time warp. I wasn't quite sure it was serious until I realised it was." Shorten said his complaint was not with Prince Philip, simply the fact he is a British royal. "Why would we give him our top Australian honour? He's already got a lot of them," he said. Abbott defended his decision, saying the queen's husband is the patron of hundreds of Australian organisations and the "inspiration and wellspring" of the Duke of Edinburgh awards which have provided leadership training to tens of thousands of young people. Asked to respond to criticism on social media, much of which has appeared under the hashtag #jokeknighthood, he replied: "I'll leave social media to its own devices. "Social media is kind of like electronic graffiti and I think that in the media you make a big mistake to pay too much attention to social media," he told reporters. "The monarchy has been an important part of Australia's life since 1788 and Prince Philip has been a great servant of Australia," he said. "I am just really pleased in his 90s, towards the end of a life of service and duty, we in this country are able to properly acknowledge what he has done for us." Prince Philip, who is known for his politically incorrect gaffes, asked an Aboriginal businessman on a 2002 trip to Australia: "Do you still throw spears at each other?" Prince Philip was named a knight along with retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, who led Australia's initial response to the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft MH370 and downed flight MH17 in Ukraine. Houston, who served in the armed forces for more than 40 years and became Chief of the Defence Force in 2005 before retiring in 2011, said he was surprised by the honour. "I am still Angus Houston and most of the things I've been involved in have involved leadership, but I would be very quick to say that it's the people I've worked with that have delivered the outcomes that have been achieved," he told the ABC. "It's a great honour to be recognised in this way but I'd like people to still call me Angus." Knights and dames were introduced into Australia's system of honours in 1976 by then-prime minister Malcolm Fraser, but abolished a decade later by Bob Hawke. Previously, Australians had been honoured through the British Imperial System. | 5 | 3,250 | news |
Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving wasn't voted as an All-Star Game starter and it will cost him over $7 million. We ask Brian Geltzeiler about the situation. | 1 | 3,251 | sports |
This year's Super Bowl tickets are the most expensive ever. Are there too many corporate tickets and not enough affordable tickets for fans of the teams? | 1 | 3,252 | sports |
Brooklyn and Charlotte are discussing a trade involving Joe Johnson and Lance Stephenson. The guys share their thoughts on a possible deal. | 1 | 3,253 | sports |
The Patriots and Seahawks don't have any five-star recruits coming out of high school on their rosters. Are the rankings relevant or are they just for the fans? | 1 | 3,254 | sports |
Coach K picked up his 1,000th career win and has had some great teams over the past few decades. What five players would you put on Coach K's dream team? | 1 | 3,255 | sports |
Grocery stores across the Tri-State Area were swamped with people on Sunday bracing for an incoming Nor'easter with blizzard conditions. CBS2's Valerie Castro reports. | 3 | 3,256 | finance |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Mike and Bob Bryan lost in the third round of men's doubles at the Australian Open on Monday, the second straight year the twin brothers have failed to reach the quarterfinals. The top-seeded Bryans lost to 14th-seeded Dominic Inglot of Britain and Florin Mergea of Romania 7-6 (4), 6-3. The Bryans have captured six of their 16 career Grand Slam doubles titles at the Australian Open - their most successful major. They fell in the third round last year, as well. The Bryans finished with the No. 1 doubles ranking last season for a record 10th time in the last 12 years, capturing 10 titles and compiling a 64-12 record. | 1 | 3,257 | sports |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Madison Keys advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 6-2, 6-4 win over good friend and fellow American Madison Brengle in a battle of the Madisons at the Australian Open on Monday. The 19-year-old Keys dominated the match, hitting 38 winners to just three for Brengle and breaking her opponent four times. It was the first time since Jennifer Capriati played Amy Frazier at the 2002 U.S. Open that two Americans besides the Williams sisters played each other this late in a Grand Slam. Keys said after the match, ''You know it's always hard just even being in this situation, then on top of it playing a friend.'' Keys, who had never previously been beyond the third round of a major, is now coached by three-time major winner Lindsay Davenport. | 1 | 3,258 | sports |
Being a social-media celebrity can be a lucrative business. Some top bloggers can rake in an income of $100,000 a year from advertising that appears on their blog. On Twitter, an influential name can command $100 for writing a tweet mentioning a sponsor's product, while a YouTube sensation can get $25,000 for making a video that talks about an advertiser. But getting to that level isn't easy. Attracting a lasting audience and eager advertisers takes planning and constant adjustment along the way. "It's short-form content, but it's a long game," says Rob Fishman, co-founder of Niche, a service that matches social-media personalities with advertisers. Here's what the pros have to say about the best techniques for turning online celebrity into a well-paying career. It's not just about the numbers. A gaudy number of followers isn't enough to attract revenue. Advertisers want people with a passionate following. "We're looking to see if they are retweeted, being favorited, liked," says Tricia Melton, senior vice president of entertainment marketing and branding for Turner Broadcasting System, Turner Network Television and Turner Classic Movies. Engaging with the audience through venues like chat rooms can help get followers excited and help a would-be social-media star figure out what topics to focus on or avoid. "Social media is designed to be social, but a lot of people forget that," says Ted Murphy, chief executive of Izea, an agency that has helped organize social-media campaigns for Unilever, Walmart, ConAgra Foods and other big brands. Just the facts? No way. Presenting information isn't enough. To break into the upper ranks of social-media stars and capture the attention of advertisers, personality is key. "People connect with people," says Chris Pirillo, founder of Lockergnome, a site dedicated to commenting on new technologies through lively and funny videos. "They don't connect with information." Indeed, some of the biggest social stars don't present any information at all. Jerome Jarre built a million-person following on Vine the service that lets people post six-second videos by filming friendly encounters with strangers on the street. Video is king. If there is one trend that stands out in the industry, it's the move to video. "The big money is in blog posts and long-form YouTube videos," says Mr. Murphy of Izea. "Advertisers will pay a premium for long form." Video has several advantages for advertisers. Clips are easily shared and played over and over. Advertisements associated with videos draw more attention, and the audience is more engaged. And, of course, video is another chance to showcase personality. "People get to see you as a person," says Mr. Pirillo, the gadget reviewer. "Videos connect in a way photos can't." Flexibility is crucial. Would-be stars shouldn't be afraid of switching gears to avoid getting stale and potentially losing the audience's interest, experts say. In the mid-2000s, former marketing executive Wendy Piersall was struggling to generate revenue with her blogs on mother-related issues, until a post on children's activities in 2007 made the home page of Digg and sent her traffic soaring. "I thought, really, kids' activities?" she says. She took the cue and launched a children's activities-focused blog, WooJr.Com, which at its peak in 2012 attracted 5.5 million page views and more than 1 million unique visitors in one month, which made her popular with advertising networks. That year, Ms. Piersall pulled in $82,000, primarily from advertising from kid's activities sites related to WooJr.com. Similarly, back in 2013, Chris Ashbach's family-run site, LiveDan330, was generating thousands of hits a month for its gardening tips. But there was a problem. "Gardening season was great until the gardening season was over," Mr. Ashbach says. To compensate, Mr. Ashbach decided to add food and home-improvement tips to the site, using family members and guest bloggers. The result? The site attracted more than 1.5 million page views a month and won over such advertisers as J.C. Penney and Hammer Stahl Cutlery. LiveDan330 earned $15,000 in its first year, and pulled in about $85,000 in 2014, primarily through sponsored content, says Mr. Ashbach, who works on the site full-time. Find new ways to get paid. Find new ways to get paid.Too many social-media startups rely on one or two sources of revenue, when they should be developing as many streams as possible. Ms. Piersall expanded from blogging to writing how-to books. Mr. Pirillo's users can pay for extra content, such as exclusive reviews. Fewer than 1,000 people have offered money, "but those people are supporting the endeavor in a way that 135,000 are not," he says. Don't wait for sponsors to come to you. Pounding the pavement is crucial for would-be stars, experts say. Advertisers may take a long time to get wind of an online success during which time money isn't coming in. To raise the profile of LiveDan330, Mr. Ashbach started attending gardening-industry trade shows, where he could meet potential advertisers. And Zach Glassman, who traded commodities in Hong Kong before launching a travel site for articles and his photos, cold-called tourism agencies and public-relations firms that worked with travel companies. "A lot of it has to do with hustling," he says. "For me it was all about finding like-minded brands and brands I want to be associated with." His recent clients for PassionPassport.com have included Ford, which hired Mr. Glassman to take pictures of its new Mustang and post them on his Instagram account, and the New Orleans tourism agency, which paid for him to travel to the city and post about his experiences. Don't be a shill. The fastest-growing revenue source in social media is native advertising, the practice of advertisers paying content creators to write, tweet or provide media around their products. But this can be a trap. Creators who promote advertisers too much will drive away their audience and risk losing credibility. Ms. Piersall says she limits her advertising to about 3% of her posts. "You can't just go out and blast sales messages," she says. "People will tune you out." Many successful entrepreneurs clearly label sponsored posts. And they are careful to avoid anything that sounds like a sales pitch. Mr. Ashbach includes a disclaimer on sponsored blog posts noting, "All opinions are 100 percent mine." Professionalism pays off. A wacky, anarchist persona may help generate a following, but it may scare away advertisers, experts say. Likewise, it's important to keep your site looking professional. "It's not to say don't take risks," says Mr. Fishman of Niche. "But if you're going to do it full time, you need to recognize that brands will look through your history." Finally, if you're committed to creating a business through social media, a part-time effort won't work. When Ms. Piersall cut back on her online activity to focus on other projects, her revenue plummeted to about $25,000 a year from $80,000. "I got lazy with it," she says. Mr. Brass is a writer in Miami. He can be reached at [email protected]. | 3 | 3,259 | finance |
As gray whales make their annual migration from Alaska to Mexico, California whale watching companies are reporting record numbers of whales being sighted. | 8 | 3,260 | video |
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil slid in early Asian trade on Monday, with U.S. crude falling close to a six-year low, after Greece's election results heightened uncertainty in the euro zone and depressed the bloc's currency against the dollar. Greece's left-wing Syriza appeared on course to trounce the ruling conservatives in Sunday's snap election, setting up a possible confrontation with international creditors. March Brent crude fell 37 cents to $48.42 a barrel by 0226 GMT, wiping out light gains made on Friday after the death of the Saudi King Abdullah but off an early low of $47.85. West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery was trading down 46 cents at $45.13 a barrel. Front-month WTI earlier slid to an intraday low of $44.35, just above $44.20 hit on Jan. 13, which was the lowest since April 2009. Global financial markets reacted to the Greek election on Monday with the euro dropping to near an 11-year low against the dollar. [MKTS/GLOB] The common currency came under pressure on Friday after the European Central Bank said it would flood markets with over a trillion euros, more than expected, to prevent the euro zone from sliding into deflation. "We saw the dollar rally again on Friday and this is largely on the back of ECB stimulus measures and the euro," Barnabas Gan, an economist at OCBC Bank in Singapore. "Oil being a dollar-denominated commodity has been depressed by a stronger dollar." Money managers cut their net long U.S. crude futures and options positions in the week to Jan. 20, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission said on Friday. In Saudi Arabia, new King Salman was quick to keep veteran oil minister Ali al-Naimi on Friday, in a message aimed at calming a jittery energy market following the death of King Abdullah. In the United States, a swath of the East Coast from Philadelphia to New York City to Maine was bracing for a potentially historic blizzard on Monday. | 3 | 3,261 | finance |
(Bloomberg) -- Airlines scrapped thousands of U.S. flights ahead of a blizzard that the National Weather Service said may dump as much as 3 feet of snow on northern New Jersey, New York City and parts of southern New England. The tally of today's cancellations of more than 1,400 by industry data tracker FlightAware.com is likely to rise as the storm develops. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines Inc. scrubbed about 600 flights and JetBlue Airways Corp. some 280. "For Tuesday, airlines have already canceled 1,013 flights and we expect this number to rise very significantly over the next day or two, reaching thousands of cancellations across the Northeast," FlightAware said in an e-mailed bulletin. Preliminary cancellations in the face of foul weather help carriers in two ways. First, they are able to move planes, passengers and crews out of harm's way. Second, relocating aircraft to unaffected airports lets the airlines resume service faster once flight conditions improve. JetBlue will cancel about 525 flights on Tuesday and 190 on Wednesday, according to an e-mailed statement. Southwest Airlines scrapped more than 130 flights today, the company said in a statement on its website. United Airlines and American Airlines have posted advisory notes on their websites and social media accounts that some of their flights could be affected by the storm. The New York area is the busiest U.S. travel market, home to three airports -- LaGuardia, Kennedy and New Jersey's Newark Liberty -- that are hubs for domestic and international travel. The trio ranked at the top of FlightAware's list of airports with the most scrapped flights for Monday. A blizzard warning has been posted from New Jersey to Maine's border with Canada. The weather service's forecast for as much as 36 inches (91 centimeters) of snow in the northeast compares with the 26.9-inch accumulation in February 2006 that marked New York's biggest storm. --With assistance from Brian K. Sullivan in Boston. To contact the reporters on this story: Edward Dufner in Dallas at [email protected]; Kyunghee Park in Singapore at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anand Krishnamoorthy at [email protected]; Edward Dufner at [email protected] Kevin Miller | 5 | 3,262 | news |
NEW DELHI President Barack Obama on Monday took in a grand display of Indian military hardware, marching bands and elaborately dressed camels, becoming the first American leader to be honored as chief guest at India's annual Republic Day festivities. The crowd erupted in cheers as Obama, along with first lady Michelle Obama, emerged from his armored limousine and took his place on the rain-soaked parade route in the capital of New Delhi. The parade was the centerpiece of Obama's three-day visit to India, which is aimed at strengthening a relationship between the world's largest democracies that has at times been fraught with tension and suspicion. Obama's attendance at the Republic Day celebrations was unlike any other event he has participated in during his overseas travel as president. He spent about two hours on an outdoor viewing platform, an unusual amount of time given Secret Service security concerns. Obama nodded in approval as Indian tanks and rocket launchers, some of them Russian-made, rolled down the parade route and air force jets sped by overhead. Republic Day marks the anniversary of India's democratic constitution taking force in 1950. Beyond the show of military power, the parade included ornate floats highlighting India's cultural diversity. Obama gave a thumbs-up to the acrobatic balancing act of several groups of men on motorbikes, while Mrs. Obama smiled broadly at dance performance by young children. Following the parade, the Obamas were to attend a reception with dignitaries at Rashtrapati Bhawan, the sprawling presidential palace. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation for Obama to attend the parade surprised White House officials. After some internal deliberation, Obama ultimately decided to attend and has sought to use the visit to turn his burgeoning personal friendship with Modi into policy breakthroughs. U.S. officials have welcomed Modi's efforts to forge deeper ties with Washington, despite his own difficult history with the U.S. Modi was denied a visa to visit the U.S. in 2005, three years after religious riots killed more than 1,000 Muslims in the Indian state where he was the top elected official. Officials in both countries say Obama and Modi developed an easy chemistry when they first met in Washington last fall. The two leaders spent several hours together Sunday and heralded their close relationship. Obama said Modi's "strong personal commitment to the U.S.-India relationship gives us an opportunity to further energize these efforts." And the Indian leader declared that "the chemistry that has brought Barack and me closer has also brought Washington and Delhi closer." Obama and Modi heralded progress on defense and climate change, as well as breakthroughs on an impasse over implementing a landmark civil nuclear deal their countries agreed to in 2008. While details on the nuclear breakthrough were scarce, U.S. officials said the governments had overcome their differences on two fronts: U.S. insistence on tracking fissile material it supplied to India and American business concerns with India's liability rules that could impact their legal responsibilities in the event of a nuclear power plant accident. Officials said it would be up to U.S. companies to determine whether the new agreements with India adequately addressed their concerns. Several American business leaders were joining Obama in New Delhi, including the chief executives of Disney, PepsiCo and Marriott. They were to join Indian executives at a business leaders' summit later Monday. Obama was to close the visit Tuesday with a speech to young people. He had planned to tour the Taj Mahal, India's famed white marble monument of love, but scrapped that stop and instead will go to Saudi Arabia to pay respects to the royal family following King Abdullah's death. ___ Follow Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Naqvi at http://twitter.com/Mnaqvi10 | 5 | 3,263 | news |
ARAR, Saudi Arabia At 3 a.m. on a cold desert night earlier this month, four Islamic State militants carrying guns, grenades and cash slipped into Saudi Arabia here through a hole in the new heavy fencing that separates this country from Iraq. They were immediately spotted by Saudi border guards in a state-of-the-art control room 35 miles away, appearing first as blips on radar, then as ghostly white figures on night-vision cameras scanning the desolate desert landscape. Heavily armed troops were dispatched to confront them. When the battle ended, the four intruders all Saudi citizens and three Saudi soldiers were dead, including the local base commander, who was killed when a militant pretending to surrender detonated a suicide vest. "Thanks to God and our new systems, we are ready for whatever they try," said the new commander, Ali Mohammed Assiri, whose troops have now been issued orders to shoot on sight anyone breaching the border. "If you are not willing to defend the country, you don't deserve to live in it." Except for Syria and Iraq, where the Islamic State controls territory, no country is more directly threatened by Islamist militants than Saudi Arabia, which the extremists regard as a traitor to Islam for Riyadh's close associations with the United States and the West. No king of Saudi Arabia has ascended to the throne amid more regional turmoil than King Salman, who was crowned Friday upon the death of his brother King Abdullah. With war raging in Syria and tensions with Iran increasing, Saudi Arabia is threatened by a disintegration of the national government in Yemen across its southern border and by the Islamic State militants who are dominating the Iraqi desert just over its northern border. Salman indirectly mentioned the threat of rising violence and regional instability on Friday in his first speech to the Saudi people, saying that "the Arab and Islamic nation is in dire need today to be united and maintain solidarity." Militants have staged four attacks inside the kingdom in the past six months, resulting in the deaths of eight civilians, 11 police or border guards and 13 militants, according to Saudi officials. As in the recent attacks in Paris on the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper and a kosher supermarket, most of the Saudi attacks have been carried out by homegrown radicals influenced or trained by the Islamic State, al-Qaeda or other extremist groups. Saudi authorities said that they have arrested 293 people in connection with the incidents and that 260 of them are Saudi nationals. Saudi officials are anticipating more attacks, either by some of the 2,200 or so Saudi citizens they say have gone to fight with the Islamic State in Syria or Iraq, or by others who infiltrate Saudi Arabia's borders, especially the nearly 600-mile frontier with Iraq, which runs mainly through empty desert. "They are targeting Saudi Arabia, and they want to have a very big terrorist act in this country," said Gen. Mansour al-Turki, spokesman for the Interior Ministry. The Saudi government has responded by sharply beefing up border security and by creating new laws that give the government broad power to arrest anyone who joins, or even praises, the radical groups which has led to complaints from human rights groups that the laws are being unfairly used against activists who merely criticize the government. Officials have also made it illegal for imams in the country's 85,000 mosques to give sermons sympathizing with religious extremists. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has launched the al-Sakinah Campaign for Dialogue, an anti-radicalization program that includes a Web site offering anonymous counseling. "We are also educating the imams to tell people that what ISIS is saying is against Islam," said Tawfeeq al-Sediry, Saudi Arabia's deputy minister of Islamic affairs. "They represent violence. We represent the real Islam." Saudi officials said they have also tightened controls on charities suspected of channeling money to radicals. Wealthy Saudi individuals are widely believed to be a significant source of funding for the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Critics point to that funding as evidence that many Saudis quietly support the Islamic State, seeing it as a Sunni Muslim force fighting to protect other Sunnis, especially in Syria and Iraq, where Shiite Muslims control the government with the support of Saudi Arabia's chief rival, Iran. "In the Middle East, it's nothing new: You create your own terrorists, then pretend you are fighting them," said Ali al-Ahmed, a Saudi activist who runs the Institute for Gulf Affairs in Washington. "The Saudis didn't even invent it, but they're good at it." Ahmed said the Saudi government is "playing both sides" to give "the appearance that they are the good guys." "They get a lot of political traction out of it," Ahmed said. "To the Americans, they are the guardians of safety, and no matter how horrible they are on human rights, the way they treat women and all that, they are the ones who are keeping things under control. Really, they are very clever." Awadh al-Badi, a researcher and scholar at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, rejects those assertions. He says the Islamic State is offering arguments that attract some idealistic young Muslims. Islamic State leaders say they want to establish a vast Islamic caliphate or "khalifa," including taking control of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, which are in Saudi Arabia. "For many young people, the idea of khalifa is the idea of the great Islam," Badi said. "The idea itself is attractive to many people who aspire to see a return of Islamic dignity and influence." One Western diplomat based in Riyadh said Saudi cooperation in the fight against Islamist militants has been unwavering. He noted that Saudi Arabia has joined the U.S.-led military coalition against the Islamic State and sent fighter jets to bomb militant targets including one F-16 piloted by King Salman's son Prince Khaled. "We have had to fight the perception that the Saudis are not doing enough," the diplomat said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. "From here, we think they are doing plenty. They tell us, 'We've been fighting these guys and their ilk for 12 years, so don't tell us how to fight these people.'" The kingdom faced a wave of al-Qaeda attacks in the mid-2000s, but officials were able to stop them with a fierce crackdown that resulted in the jailing of thousands of suspected militants. The decree issued last spring making it illegal to belong to or publicly support the Islamic State and other radical groups has slowed the flow of Saudis joining the militants, said Turki, the Interior Ministry spokesman, because it allows police to arrest anyone trying to go as well as those returning. The most visible sign of Saudi Arabia's response to the rising militant threat is the extensive new system of fences, ditches, razor wire and berms along the border with Iraq, which stretches from the border with Kuwait in the east to Jordan in the west. King Abdullah inaugurated the barrier system in September after six years of construction on the project, which was initially conceived as a defense against the sectarian chaos in Iraq but is now primarily a defense against the Islamic State. Saudi officials have also embarked on a multiyear project to similarly fortify all the thousands of miles of land borders, with Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and especially Yemen where the government was recently toppled by rebels aligned with Iran, Saudi Arabia's main rival for power in the region. Sometimes jokingly referred to as the "Great Wall," the Iraq border defense system involves two high fences topped with concertina wire, backed by deep ditches and tall sand berms designed to make it impossible for any vehicle to cross. The physical barriers are reinforced by technological ones, with 40 radar towers, each 125 feet high, that constantly sweep a radius of nearly 25 miles looking for any movement. Each tower is fitted with two cameras one for daytime, one for night that can zoom in on objects up to 12 miles away. At the border's main control room, at the border guard base in Arar, a town of about 100,000 people in the empty desert nearly 600 miles northwest of Riyadh, operators sit at computer monitors watching 24 hours a day. When radar spots something moving in a suspicious place, the operators use a mouse to swivel the camera in its direction. Most of the time it's nothing dangerous a camel or a shepherd's dog but in the pre-dawn hours of Jan. 5, it was four heavily armed militants. Not far from a remote and desolate border crossing, which is only open during the hajj pilgrimage season, the four militants slipped through a hole left by a construction crew working on the fence. Turki said the men were trying to get to Arar, where police arrested three Saudis and four Syrians suspected of plotting with the infiltrators. The four militants were carrying nearly $20,000 in cash, four suicide vests, six grenades, five assault rifles and pistols and two silencers. "Even if they got to Arar, were they waiting for the people to rise with them? I doubt it," said Badi, the King Faisal Center scholar. "They send messages: We are capable of coming to you. We will target you. Terrorism will come to you. "It's the same idea as the attacks in France," he said. "They are not planning to take over France, but they send a message that they can do this." | 5 | 3,264 | news |
Julia Roberts, Julianne Moore, Lupita Nyong'o walk the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild awards. | 6 | 3,265 | entertainment |
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Stephen Curry had 22 points and 11 assists, Klay Thompson scored 31 points and the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 114-111 on Sunday night for their 19th consecutive home win. BOX SCORE: WARRIORS 114, CELTICS 111 Andrew Bogut added 13 points and 13 rebounds and Draymond Green had 14 points to help the Warriors to stay unbeaten in 14 games against the Eastern Conference this season. Golden State also improved its NBA-best record to 36-6. The Warriors had won their previous four games by an average of 26.5 points and maintained a double-digit lead against the Celtics for most of the game. Jared Sullinger had 26 points and nine rebounds for Boston. The Celtics have lost four of six. Two nights after scoring an NBA-record 37 points in the third quarter of Golden State's 126-101 win over Sacramento, Thompson was 11 for 19 from the field and 6 for 8 at the line. He had 18 points in the second half. Curry helped the Warriors keep rolling with his 15th double-double this season. The leading vote-getter for the All-Star game, Curry scored nine points in the third quarter and had two momentum-shifting plays. The diminutive point guard scored on a baseline dunk and did a pull-up on the rim, and then made a behind-the-back pass to Andre Iguodala for an easy layup. Curry later scored on a driving layup with 2:24 left in the fourth and Thompson followed with a short jumper. Thompson also made a pair of free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining to help seal the win. The Celtics trailed by as much as 10 in the second quarter but closed to 51-49 on back-to-back buckets by Tyler Zeller. Curry sank two free throws with 7.8 seconds left, and then got three more a few moments later when he tried to beat the buzzer and was fouled by James Young near midcourt. Curry made all three to put the Warriors up 56-49 at the break. --- TIP-INS Celtics: F Kelly Olynyk missed his second consecutive game with a sprained right ankle. ... Boston is still one win shy of 200 against the Warriors. ... Marcus Smart did not attend the game due to personal reasons. Warriors: Thompson needs 24 3-pointers to move into second place on the team's career chart behind Curry. Thompson has made 677 3s. ... The Warriors are the first team to go 14-0 against the East since the 1971-72 Lakers won their first 19. UP NEXT Celtics: At Utah on Monday. Warriors: Host Chicago on Tuesday. | 1 | 3,266 | sports |
Use of intranasal steroid medications for allergies causes a small but statistically significant growth reduction in children, an Allegheny Health Network clinical trial has determined, marking the first time such a connection has been shown. The study, to be published in today's online version of the journal Pediatrics, is the first such trial to be conducted in accordance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Previous studies had found that nasal corticosteroids had no impact on children's growth, but those clinical trials had design flaws that produced conflicting results, leading to the new FDA guidelines followed in the AHN study. The clinical trial involving 216 children ages 3 to 9 with allergic rhinitis found that those who used the steroid nasal spray had average growth of 5.65 centimeters over the 12-month study conducted at Allegheny General Hospital and numerous other sites nationwide as opposed to growth of 6.09 centimeters for those given a placebo. The danger to children is widespread because 10 percent to 40 percent of children worldwide have allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever. The risk is exacerbated by the fact the FDA in October 2013 approved triamcinolone acetonide nasal spray, with brand names including Nasacort, for over-the-counter sales, said David P. Skoner, the lead author of the study. That could lead to parents self-diagnosing children who aren't really allergic and improperly administering the medication to them, said Dr. Skoner, director of AHN's Division of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Although the drug is an effective medication that can be used safely, it should be used only under a doctor's supervision and only after tests confirm the child has allergies, Dr. Skoner warned. "It should not be available for unregulated, unmonitored use," said Dr. Skoner, who testified before the FDA in 2013 in opposition to making the medication available over the counter. "A parent picking this up and giving it to a child, first of all, might not have the right diagnosis and if the recommended dose doesn't have the desired result, the natural tendency in the U.S. is to double the dose. If you do that and it's not monitored by a physician there are going to be side effects of excessive steroid use." He said that because steroids are "the most effective therapy for nasal allergies and for asthma as well, therein lies part of the problem. You may have a child treated with inhaled steroids for asthma and then you start giving them nasal steroids. There have not been a lot of studies done, but my prediction is the outcome is worse with two steroids." That's what happened to Maci Lee, the daughter of Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee, who three years ago, at the age of 8, developed growth and life-threatening adrenal gland suppression from long-term use of both nasal and inhaled corticosteroids for nasal allergies and suspected asthma. Her mother, Kristen, said in an interview that even though Maci didn't look right or feel right, her pediatrician dismissed her mother's fears that it was because of the steroids. Years earlier Kristen Lee learned to question medical authority in dealing with the eventual successful cancer treatment of Maci's older brother, Jaxon. Again unsatisfied with medical treatment, she took Maci to an endocrinologist who diagnosed the problem and referred Maci to Dr. Skoner. Under Dr. Skoner's care, Maci was weaned off the medication and now at 11 years of age is healthy and of normal height and size but must daily take growth hormones until she reaches puberty. In a prepared statement for the 2013 FDA hearing, Kristen Lee argued against making the drug available over the counter, saying it was "truly unbelievable" the agency was even considering the idea. "Maci would have died if I didn't keep pushing. It's clear there's not enough awareness. Parents need to be informed," she said. That's why she and Dr. Skoner are forming a nonprofit corporation named Maci's TEAMS (Teaching Everyone About Medication Safety). The foundation will present Web-based and in-person instruction for physicians about the dosing of steroids for children and the side effects and a website for parents of children seeking guidance about steroid use. "There are a lot of steroids being used by children, many with combined nasal and lung administration, so there is a great need for education by doctors and patients," Dr. Skoner said. "Kristen's case nicely illustrates that." Michael A. Fuoco: [email protected] or 412-263-1968 . | 5 | 3,267 | news |
Editor's note : Tadhg Kelly is a games industry consultant, freelance designer and the creator of leading design blog What Games Are. You can follow him on Twitter here . The question I'm always asking of any invention in the games-tech space is "can I see it being used every day?". Or is it slight, a novelty or built on shaky assumptions of use patterns? Though early enthusiasm for such inventions tends toward "yes", much of the time the true answer is "no". Of course sometimes I'm right, sometimes wrong. Wrongness often (depressingly) arrives dressed in the uniforms of causes. Something HAS to work to solve a big problem I perceive therefore therefore therefore… This is less reasoning than buying a marketing story, but reason eventually prevails. I could never, for example, see Kinect fomenting long term change in the gaming market. Though Microsoft sold a lot of Kinects by following the Wii wave, the devices were too flaky. I have similar doubts about the real appeal of the smart watch for apps and games , and also about virtual reality ( a la Oculus Rift ). VR is impressive tech, but nobody's even close to explaining how it's supposed to be a business. Real change often comes slowly and such as new platforms, new ways to play and so on looks rather ordinary. Facebook's platform, for example, seemed incidental at first. We game developers were mostly nonplussed that it could ever be a thing because it was so trivial. But it rocked our world. The numbers started to roll in and we started to pay attention in a hurry. Twas ever thus. So it's with that in mind that I want to go out on a limb and say I think Microsoft is onto something with the HoloLens. I'm referring to a technology that the company showed at its Windows 10 event earlier this week. It seems to be an augmented reality system capable of projecting faux-holograms to an eyepiece you wear. The net effect is the wearer "sees" a hologram in space all around him, and to back this up Microsoft's presentation showed high concept uses like a designer working on an application on a monitor, but with a projected 3D model appearing to the side. That kind of thing. The HoloLens is not the first device to enter the facespace. That conversation has been occupied for a while by Oculus at the power end and Google Glass at the convenience end. In essence HoloLens is trying to blend the two, forming a high definition augmented reality system within a constrained space. Of course this all sounds enthusiastic and pretty hokey, and the reality of such a device would likely be more ordinary. (I don't for example, really see office workers walking around wearing bulky headsets just to be on Skype calls.) But I do think it's more interesting than it initially appears, especially for gaming. It can solve a perennial UI problem. In many games the screen area is cluttered by a HUD, that is the numbers that show you how much health your character has left, or experience points or levels. Those numbers are an essential aspect of a game's feedback system, but they bring a visual noise with them. In some cases they hem in the world of the game and make it less impactful. For games that are trying to be immersive or story-driven, for example, experience point counters dinging away at the top of the screen can be distracting. Conversely UI elements also need to be constrained so that they don't interfere with the main game too much. So games often have muddled UI/world compromises that never feel quite right. In other words they're like this: Now with the HoloLens idea (as explained) the everyday use of the system is not to create over-elaborate holograms doing funky stuff whose utility is likely nil after the first day playing it. Rather it's simple: It lets a game designer push all those awkward UI elements out of the main screen. Like so: Its seems trivial, but think about it. How many action, roleplaying, storytelling and other games would be improved by having 30% more screen area dedicated to the game world? And how cool would it be to have lots of numbers floating in mid-space to the sides of the game rather than be hemmed in by constraints of the game world? Plenty. And that would be of great interest to many players such as Call of Duty fans and the like. A solid segment of them would buy that peripheral if it worked. So what's the downside? Well to be honest, it's Microsoft's tendency to get lost in Microsoft-world. Here's an example: A couple of years ago I faulted Microsoft's original vision of the Xbox One as being far too grandiose and trying to solve big problems that no real-world person had. One example was the TV enhancement features of the console, a massively complicated system that amounted to little more than a slightly faster menu for your Comcast box. Though the company has come on a ways from those heady heights, it still tends to get a bit swooped up in what technology might do, to the point that it forgets what it should probably do. Another example: I was recently given an Xbox One for Christmas (no Kinect) and it's a powerful gaming machine. It plays Grand Theft Auto V , Geometry Wars 3 , Alien Isolation and a bunch of other games just great. I'm not wild about the joypad (something about the positioning of the central buttons feels slightly off) but it works well enough. Its big problem, on the other hand, is the user interface for accessing games, movies and other content. It's a complete mess with a variety of use-patterns that make sort-of sense within their different sections yet adhere to no discernible overall logic. Microsoft often gets itself wrapped up in these kinds of problems, creating many of them in one release and then clawing back from the brink in the next. Windows 10, for example, does not look like a shining beacon on a hill. It's good in reflection only of how Windows 8 was terrible, and even at that the company seems determined to jam as much cross-ecosystem widgets in as it possibly can. So the issue is whether Microsoft can make HoloLens real, or will it get lost in fantasy. My big hope for HoloLens is that it'll come out as a coherent product that works with Xboxes and PCs to make cool UIs for games. That's it's "every day" use. My big fear is that it becomes another Surface. Not the modern one, the old interactive-table which was a neat idea that never found its way into the light of day. My fear is that HoloLens becomes another Kinect 2, so mangled by ambitions that nobody in the company can make a simple case for why it exists. My fear is that Microsoft gets too all-encompassing with HoloLens, tying too many bells and whistles to it and losing its simple appeal. All I want to do is play games that do cool things to make UI work better. Microsoft please just sell me that. | 5 | 3,268 | news |
The third annual B2G West Coast Bowl is in the books. Tons of top flight recruits from across the country took to the field at Warren High School Sunday afternoon for their final high school contest before moving on the next level. In the end, it was Team Speed coached by former NFL wide recover Matthew Hatchette stunning the Terrell Owens-led Team Impact 24-19. Here are the top local performers: Serra WR Deontay Burnett (Team Speed) - The game MVP was the star among stars on Sunday. Burnett caught two touchdown passes, including a 70-yarder in the first half from Stellar Prep's Cameron Burston. It put Speed up 14-10 and it was a lead they would not relinquish. Team Impact was thought to have the most talent but thanks to the Washington State commit Team Speed came away with the win. Rancho Verde QB Sheriron Jones (Team Impact) - The Tennessee Vol commit was responsible for getting the scoring started in the game with a two-yard touchdown rush in the first quarter. At the conclusion of the night he left with the most impressive hardware available. Jones was named the 2014 West Coast Bowl Player of the Year. Serra LB John Houston (Team Impact) - The highest rated player in the game looked every bit the part on Sunday. In Houston fashion he turned heads by showing how easily he moves in space. Houston also recovered a fumble. Vista Murrieta DL Tevita Mu'onga (Team Impact) - The BYU commit was just a force in the interior of the Impact defensive line. He forced a fumble in the first quarter to set up Impact's first score. He also blocked a punt but that was called back because it was against game rules. Still, he was a constant in the Team Speed backfield. Serra QB/TE Caleb Wilson (Team Impact) - The Old Dominion quarterback commit was a tight end in Sunday's game. After being the performer of the week during practices it translated over to the game where he looked extremely comfortable as a pass catcher. Long Beach Poly TE CeeJhay French-Love (Team Speed) - The Jackrabbit looks the part of a Division I tight end and he played like it on Sunday as an integral part of the offense for the winning team. Hamilton ATH Jericho Flowers (Team Impact) - Flowers showed a tremendous burst in the return game. He shortened the field for Impact whenever he got his hands on the ball. Flowers also had a part in the pass game as a receiver. | 1 | 3,269 | sports |
Pharrell Williams wanted to be a soul singer. The 'Happy' hitmaker - who is known for his collaborations with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Robin Thicke - has revealed that when he was younger, his ''dream'' was to perform soul music. He told The Observer newspaper: ''[Soul] was the dream back then. But then I started writing songs, and producing them, and realised I could love that just as much. ''When I was growing up, doing something like this never seemed like a possibility. It wasn't on my wish list. I just figured I'd study my ass off and try to be some kind of art professor.'' The 41-year-old singer puts his successful collaborations down to the fact that he lets the other artist do what they prefer. He added: ''I say to the artist, whether it be Beyoncé or Usher, what do you want to do? ''And when they tell me, I say, OK, let's do it like this. It's real simple.'' Meanwhile, Pharrell previously revealed that he took inspiration from legendary soul singer, Curtis Mayfield, when making the chart-topping track, 'Happy'. He said: ''I was pretending to be the masterful Curtis Mayfield. ''I hope he likes it, I'm trying to do what he would've done.'' | 6 | 3,270 | entertainment |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori advanced to the Australian Open quarterfinals on Monday with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win over No. 9-seeded David Ferrer of Spain. Hundreds of Japanese fans, many waving flags and some in traditional costumes, cheered Nishikori on from the stands at Rod Laver Arena. The fifth-seeded Nishikori, a quarterfinalist here in 2012, will play defending champion Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals. Nishikori held a 6-3 edge in career meetings against Ferrer coming into the match, but it was 1-1 at Grand Slam tournaments. As an 18-year-old Nishikori beat Ferrer in the third round of the 2008 U.S. Open - his second career major. Ferrer beat Nishikori at the Australian Open two years ago in the fourth round. | 1 | 3,271 | sports |
Serena Williams avenged last year's French Open loss to Garbine Muguruza at the Australian Open on Monday, overhauling the hard-hitting Spaniard 2-6 6-3 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals. The 24th seed Muguruza stunned Williams in the second round at Roland Garros and another upset looked on the cards as the rising 21-year-old tore through the first set with a barrage of winners from the baseline. Top seed Williams woke up and her serve, so often her savior, became almost impenetrable. After saving six break points in a marathon second game of the deciding set, Williams then broke Muguruza twice before sealing the match when her opponent blasted a forehand long. Williams will play last year's losing finalist Dominika Cibulkova for a place in the semi-finals. (Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by John O'Brien) | 1 | 3,272 | sports |
Eddie Redmayne's adorable award season continued with his big win at the SAG Awards, and the actor was moved to tears when his name was announced. In the press room, Eddie talked about how surprised he was to win the award and explained why he got so choked up when his name was called. Watch! | 8 | 3,273 | video |
Everyone knows what the formula for entrepreneurial success is supposed to look like. Come up with a great idea. Write a great business plan. And then raise a boatload of money to make it all a reality. That final step is where so many entrepreneurs falter either they can't get the cash they want, or the very thought of getting it is so daunting they just drop their dream entirely. But it doesn't have to be that way. Small-business people can find the cash they need to grow without going hat in hand to reluctant bankers, pleading with relatives or pandering to venture investors. They can, in fact, launch a business with almost nothing but salesmanship and the willingness to take a risk. How? By financing the company with their customers' cash. It isn't a new idea in fact, variations on the strategy have been used by many savvy businesses, from Microsoft to Banana Republic to eBay, as they grew from upstarts to household names. But many entrepreneurs who have gotten an earful of the conventional wisdom on financing may not realize that there are alternatives out there, and just how simple those alternatives can be to implement, especially when they can use the Internet to improve their reach and keep down overhead. For instance, businesses can act as middlemen between buyers and sellers and avoid putting up cash themselves at the start. Or they might offer subscription models, where customers pay in advance and so provide the businesses with capital to make the products. Or they might offer deals for a limited time, so that customers snap up the merchandise before the business has to pay its suppliers. Of course, entrepreneurs can't finance every business with customers' funds. Some, like brick-and-mortar stores, are just too capital-intensive. But for businesses that fit the model, this can be a perfect way to get under way without leaving the company staggering under debt or beholden to the demands of investors. And even if the companies end up needing lenders or investors later on to expand their reach, they can get deals on much better terms than they could at the start. Here's a closer look at these strategies, and how some entrepreneurs used them to build successful businesses. Get the Money Up Front Pay-in-advance models have been around practically forever and are the most straightforward of the five customer-funded models. Most service businesses run this way. Do you want to remodel your kitchen? You'll pay at least part of the fees to your designer and builder in advance, to help them cover their costs for the project. Do you want to fly to Denver next Tuesday? You'll pay for your airline ticket today. Thus, implementing a pay-in-advance model is as simple as finding a good reason why a customer would be willing to pay in advance at least in part and having the courage to ask for the money. Take Bangalore's Vinay Gupta, who founded Via in 2006 and proceeded to build it into a giant in the Indian travel industry. How? By asking India's mom-and-pop travel agents for a $5,000 deposit in return for real-time ticketing capability and better commissions than the airlines were giving them. Signing up 200 agents in the first few months gave Mr. Gupta $1 million in cash, his customers' cash, with which to start and grow his business. Last year, Via generated a reported $500 million in revenue, serving travel agents in India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Decades earlier, Mel and Patricia Ziegler got Banana Republic started by getting their customers' money up front $1 for the Banana Republic mail-order catalog, please and setting up 30-day credit terms with suppliers. The business took off when media personalities, including WOR radio's John Gambling, got intrigued enough by the merchandise, and Mel's vivid and quirky prose, to talk about the new catalog on air. Collect Cash Like Clockwork In subscription models, which are as familiar and nearly as straightforward as pay-in-advance models, the customer pays up front for goods (say, a box of organic veggies) or services (think newspapers or cable TV), which are then delivered in serial fashion over some period. Why are so many subscription models popping up these days, offering just about everything from the wine of the month to men's underwear? Because of the ease with which nearly any Internet-based business can be started today. Krishnan Ganesh started TutorVista in 2005 with three Indian teachers and a VOIP Internet connection reaching American teens who needed help with their homework. He quickly learned that $100-per-month subscriptions for "all you can learn" paid monthly in advance were just what the teens' parents wanted. When renewal rates after the trial period quickly materialized at north of 50%, growing the business was simply a matter of adding more fuel. Venture-capital funds provided it, and the business took off. Could TutorVista have continued to grow without the VC infusion? Of course. But not at the astonishing pace that Mr. Ganesh had in mind. Mr. Ganesh later sold the business, which had by then become the largest employer of teachers in India, to Pearson for more than $200 million. One warning: Subscription models work best when what they're offering is perishable in some sense today's news, or the veggies or regularly used or consumed, like Salesforce.com software or household electricity. For durables, such as underwear or shoes, delivered monthly, customer fatigue often sets in, or the shoe rack or underwear drawer gets full. Put Yourself in The Middle of the Deal Another common approach for customer funding these days is to act as matchmaker, bringing together buyers and sellers. Think eBay, Expedia and many more, who don't own or even touch what is bought and sold, and make money by taking a share of the transactions. With the cost of creating websites at all-time lows, matchmakers' principal costs are those of getting suppliers on board and getting buyers to show up. Happily, neither of these is likely to require much cash, at least at the outset. Getting buyers is a matter of optimizing one's website so that the search engines find it, or using paid adwords on Google and other search engines. (And, with luck, customers will click on the matchmaker's site and start spending money before the matchmaker has to pay for the ad.) Ramping up suppliers can be as straightforward as knocking on their doors. Today's matchmaker poster child is Airbnb. Brian Chesky and his co-founders put the site together in 2007 as a way to pay their rent, by offering up space in their own San Francisco apartment for local conference-goers. By narrowly focusing on events that were too big for the local hotel inventory, they built their business one step at a time until they landed a CNN interview at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in 2008. They won a spot in Y Combinator, and landed venture capital, allowing the fledgling business to ramp up its growth, and the rest is history: over 1 million listings in over 190 countries. But beware. One key to profitable growth using matchmaker models is to build both supply and demand in balanced fashion, with neither racing far ahead of the other. Too much or too little of either won't only waste the money you spent getting them on board, but you'll also run into trouble: unhappy suppliers who sign on but get few added sales, or disappointed buyers who come to your site but don't find what they want. Give Them a Deadline for Buying In scarcity models, instead of attempting to sell as much as they can as often as they can, for the highest price they can (as most sellers do), sellers sell a limited amount for a limited time, and typically at bargain prices. "Buy it now," they tell their customers, "because when it's gone, it's gone, and there won't be any more." Doing so enables them to turn their inventory so quickly that they've been paid by their customers long before they have to pay their suppliers. The customers' cash is then used to fund the operation and growth of the business. Consider vente-privee.com's Jacques-Antoine Granjon and his partners, who created the flash-sales phenomenon in 1985, and then moved online in 2001. The company offered a limited quantity of goods unwanted or overstocked inventory from Parisian designer-apparel makers at discounted prices in three-to-five-day sales. The business collected immediate credit-card payment from "members" but didn't buy stock until it had already been purchased by members. That meant Mr. Granjon didn't need any additional capital to grow what became France's most popular fashion brand. There's a downside here, though, that many of today's flash-sales merchants didn't anticipate. Because it's so easy to get into selling closeout merchandise online, these days there are so many merchants in most categories that they have to compete to get their hands on their suppliers' unwanted goods. So, what do the suppliers do? They raise the prices, of course, and sometimes they simply make more of the stuff to satisfy the merchants' voracious appetites. Transform What You Offer As we've seen, most service businesses are able to operate using pay-in-advance models. But pure service businesses can be tough to scale past a certain point. So some canny entrepreneurs use the money they make from selling services to create products that are even more profitable. Bill Gates and Paul Allen got started by writing customized software for most of the early PC makers, which I would call a service business. Then they made the transition to a product business when they started selling Windows, Word, Excel and the rest in shrink-wrapped boxes. That's when Microsoft's value really took off, as selling millions of copies of software-in-a-box is far more scalable than writing operating systems one at a time. The cash earned from the original service business largely funded the development of the application software. Claus Moseholm and Balder Olrik launched GoViral, a viral-video production company, in 2003. They funded their company's startup and growth with the proceeds of one successful campaign after another. Two years later, a new partner, Jimmy Maymann, helped steer the company out of video creation and turned its attention to building the necessary technology platform to host such content and to effectively measure the reach each virally distributed video achieved. In 2011, GoViral was sold for $97 million. Dr. Mullins, an associate professor at London Business School, is the author of "The Customer-Funded Business: Start, Finance, or Grow Your Company with Your Customers' Cash." He can be reached at [email protected]. | 3 | 3,274 | finance |
Quarterback Tom Brady is not the last vestige remaining from the New England Patriots' last Super Bowl champions. Brady, of course, is the offensive face of the franchise, having led the Patriots to championships in 2001, 2003 and 2004. And defensive tackle Vince Wilfork is the defensive force, having joined the Patriots as a first-round draft pick in 2004 and still clogging up the line of scrimmage for the NFL's ninth-best defense against the run. Wilfork, a massive 6-foot-2, 325 pounder, is savoring his fourth trip to the Super Bowl. New England beat Philadelphia in Super Bowl XXXIX in Wilfork's rookie season but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII when the Patriots were bidding to become the first 18-0 team in NFL history, and to the Giants again in Super Bowl XLVI three years ago. He's put those games behind him heading into Super Bowl XLIX against Seattle on Sunday. "I don't think those Super Bowls have anything to do with this one," said Wilfork, 33. "I won't think one time about being in the previous Super Bowls I've been in. I've been in three and lost two and won one. It's different. Every season is different. Every team is different. My teammates are different. Coaches are different. Everything is different, so you really can't dwell over how many you won, how many you lost. It's all about now. "It's very special to be at this point. We played one of the most important games just to get to this point and now all of a sudden, everything you played for is right before your eyes." Playing in his fourth Super Bowl is also meaningful to Wilfork because he suffered a season-ending Achilles' injury in the fourth game of the 2013 season. The Patriots came up one game short of the Super Bowl last year, losing at Denver in the AFC Championship Game. "Me being out last year, it (stunk) to see my team lose in the AFC Championship, and my goal was to come back and help this team to get to where we didn't get last year and to play at this level and to be in this game and win and walk off the field and have the guys so excited about this feeling, that's what it's all about," Wilfork said. "It was never about how well I can come back, because at the end of the day I'm a football player. Not once I never thought about how would I play or would I be afraid to take a step or take on a double team or do this. My main goal was to get healthy and help this team win ballgames." Wilfork, a Patriots team captain for the seventh straight year, did his part this season by starting all 16 games. Not only did he make 47 tackles and record a sack, Wilfork's biggest play was intercepting a deflected pass in the final minute that preserved a 16-9 victory over Oakland on Sept. 21. The Raiders were inside the New England 10 when Wilfork came up with his third career interception. Wilfork made another save after the Patriots beat Indianapolis 45-7 in the AFC Championship Game. As he was driving home, Wilfork came upon an overturned SUV and assisted a Massachusetts State Police trooper in pulling the driver out of the upended vehicle. "I saw the lady in there, and I asked her was she OK, could she move, and grabbed her hand and kind of talked her through, got her up and actually pulled her out of the window," Wilfork said. "I actually opened up the door and pulled her out. It wasn't a big deal. It was just seeing somebody who needed help and I helped them." Wilfork never hesitated in lending a hand. "My job right then and there was to help the person in the car," he said. "I was just lucky to help. I don't want anything from it. If I see that a million times, I'll do it a million times, no matter what the situation may be. Luckily, my wife and I were able to actually help and be there when it happened and get her to safety." As it turned out, the woman Wilfork pulled to safety was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. That mattered little to Wilfork and his wife, Bianca. "You kind of reflect on life a bit," he said. "Here I am, won the most important game of our season and flash right in front of your eyes, your life, somebody that's in danger. I didn't think about anything that was going on in my life at the time. The only thing I thought about was seeing there was somebody in there and getting them to safety. "After I did and drove off, my wife and I kind of talked in the car and just said, 'Things are a lot more precious in life other than games or anything you accomplish in life.' There are some things out there that are more important and it showed last night. Even though we won the AFC Championship, there was a life in danger, so we were just happy to help." To reach Randy Covitz, call 816-234-4796 or send email to [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @randycovitz. | 1 | 3,275 | sports |
DENVER (AP) -- John Wall scored six of his 19 points in overtime and had 16 assists as the Washington Wizards beat the Denver Nuggets 117-115 on Sunday night. Kris Humphries had a season-high 21 points and 14 rebounds to help Washington stop a two-game skid. BOX SCORE: WIZARDS 117, NUGGETS 115 Ty Lawson had 31 points and 12 assists in his return to the Nuggets' lineup. Lawson missed a tying jumper in the waning seconds of overtime. Lawson was back after missing Friday's game after being arrested on suspicion of driving while impaired early Friday morning. Lawson returned to practice Saturday. The Wizards, who got in early Sunday morning after a loss in Portland, had more jump in overtime. They scored the first six points and appeared to have the game locked up when Wall hit two free throws to give Washington a 117-112 lead with 10.2 seconds left. Wilson Chandler, who finished with 20 points and nine rebounds, hit a 3-pointer to cut it to two. Lawson stole Paul Pierce's inbound pass but missed a short jumper with 1.1 seconds left. Three straight buckets Kevin Seraphin to start the fourth gave the Wizards an 89-87 lead. After two free throws tied it, Bradley Beal converted a three-point play and Andre Miller hit a jumper as the shot clock expired to make it 94-89 with 7:27 left. Lawson took over for the Nuggets. He hit a 3-pointer an two jumpers to give Denver a 101-99 lead late in the fourth. Humphries' tip-in tied it but Darrell Arthur made a 19-footer to put Denver back ahead. The game was tied at 105 when Lawson stripped Wall of the ball. Kenneth Faried was fouled with 1.4 seconds left but missed both free throws and the game went into overtime. TIP-INS Wizards: Have five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Wall's 17.2 per game. ... Washington is 24-1 overall and 8-0 on the road when holding opponents to less than 100 points. ... Nene is shooting .660 over his last five games. Nuggets: G Erick Green was recalled from Fort Wayne of the NBA D-League. Green was sent down to the Mad Ants on Tuesday. ... Nuggets C JaVale McGee was back in street clothes after suiting up but not playing Friday. He has missed 24 games with a lower left leg strain. ... G Arron Afflalo is second in franchise history in 3-point shooting percentage. UP NEXT Wizards: At L.A. Lakers on Tuesday. Nuggets: At L.A. Clippers on Monday. | 1 | 3,276 | sports |
Darryl Sutter's son, Chris, helped his dad coach Team Foligno in the NHL All-Star came on Sunday. Chris gave a fist bump to Bobby Ryan, and talked strategy with Alex Ovechkin and Patrick Kane. | 1 | 3,277 | sports |
Not content with spinning out apps for stickers inside Messenger , Groups and new addition Rooms , Facebook has launched another standalone app. Facebook Lite , which some may recall as a simplified version of its mobile website from 2009-2010, is specifically designed for low-end Android devices in emerging markets. TechCrunch understands that the app was quietly launched in a handful of countries in Asia and Africa over the weekend Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Zimbabwe to be precise where it is being testing with a view to further expansions. That said, a wider launch is not a certainty and Facebook could quietly can the project if it doesn't believe it is worth pursuing. The app has been built to accommodate low-end and dated Android devices, and users who are on 2G/poor quality internet connections. Its based on Snaptu, Facebook's feature phone client, but includes some native Android features, such as push notifications and camera integration, to make the experience a more sophisticated one. Why is Facebook launching yet another app? Smartphone sales are soaring in India, which was the fastest growing market in Asia Pacific in Q3 2014, while there's huge potential in Africa and Southeast Asia where mobile will be (or already is) the primary internet platform for millions. Even though Facebook retooled its Android app specifically for emerging markets last year, it is making sure that it offers a good experience to any user not matter their device or network connection. Facebook already has its Internet.org project , which provides free access to a range of mobile internet services including, of course, Facebook and this is separate to it, we understand. Internet.org is currently limited to a selection of countries in Africa at this point and, since it is being developed in partnership with carriers and other telecom industry players , launches are time and resource intensive: so why not pull together a 'Lite' app that can potentially be pushed to millions overnight, that's Facebook's thinking here. If you're in one of the aforementioned eight countries where Facebook Lite has launched and you have an Android phone then you can check it out here . The early signs seem positive. The app has already crossed 10,000 downloads at the time of writing, with a 4.6 rating from an initial 693 reviewers. The few early users tweeting about it seem impressed too. Got "Facebook Lite" on my phone!!! feeling excited Apeksha Ranasinghe (@APRanasinghe) January 24, 2015 . @facebook Facebook Lite is awesome :) (y) #lka Amhar (@ESoftie) January 23, 2015 Facebook lite app!!! yabbbaa finally a perfect app from Facebook!!! :) Komban (@Banned_tweeter) January 21, 2015 | 5 | 3,278 | news |
Every year, stars get together at the SAG Awards to congratulate each other on how awesome they all are with a lavish, unhosted ceremony that speeds along at a quick pace because everyone wants to get their naked man sculptures and hit up the after parties. | 6 | 3,279 | entertainment |
Celebrating the world-famous Jaisalmer Desert Festival in India's Rajasthan state, Lonely Planet presents a look into some of the most essential destinations in this magical part of the world. Jaisalmer The fort of Jaisalmer is a breathtaking sight: a massive sandcastle rising from the sandy plains like a mirage from a bygone era. No place better evokes exotic camel-train trade routes and desert mystery. Ninety-nine bastions encircle the fort's still-inhabited twisting lanes. Inside are shops swaddled in bright embroideries, a royal palace and numerous businesses looking for your tourist rupee. Beneath the ramparts the narrow streets of the old city conceal magnificent havelis (grand homes), all carved from the same golden-honey sandstone as the fort hence Jaisalmer's designation as the Golden City. Mandawa Once a quiet little market town, Mandawa is now Shekhawati's most frequented destination on the tourist trail, featuring gorgeous painted havelis. Settled in the 18th century and fortified by the dominant merchant families, the town's fort was built by Sardul Singh's youngest son in 1760, though inhabited much later, and has some fine frescoes in what is nowadays an upmarket hotel. Jodhpur The ancient capital of the kingdom of Marwar, Jodhpur rewards the traveler with Rajasthan's most spectacular fort and from its ramparts one of India's most iconic views. Mehrangarh seems to emerge organically from its rocky pedestal to protect the Blue City. From this elevated perch the old city of Jodhpur, a maze of blue-block houses, is like an ocean surrounding an island fortress. Beyond the teeming city, jeep safaris explore the home of the desert-dwelling Bishnoi, a people who have been protecting the natural environment for aeons. Bikaner Bikaner is a vibrant, dust-swirling desert town with a fabulous fort and an energising outpost feel. It's less dominated by tourism than many other Rajastan cities, though it has plenty of hotels and a busy camel-safari scene. Few people come to Bikaner without taking a trip out to the notorious Karni Mata Temple at Deshnok, where the pilgrims worship thousands of holy rats. Mount Abu Rajasthan's only hill station sits among green forests on the state's highest mountain, close to the Gujarat border. Quite unlike anywhere else in the state, Mt Abu provides Rajasthanis, Gujaratis and a steady flow of foreign tourists with respite from scorching temperatures and arid terrain. The mountain is of great spiritual importance for both Hindus and Jains and has over 80 temples and shrines, most notably the exquisite Jain temples at Delwara, built between 400 and 1000 years ago. It is said that the artisans working on the temples were paid according to the amount of dust they collected, encouraging them to carve ever more intricately, and the resulting marble work is a dizzyingly intense collection of delicate milky kaleidoscope patterns. Ranthambhore National Park There are only a handful of places left to see the magnificent tiger in the wild. At Ranthombhore National Park, your chances of spotting a tiger are good. This former hunting reserve of the maharajas of Jaipur is a majestic setting for a tiger safari. There are lush ravines and crocodile-infested lakes, and a crumbling fort straight out of the Jungle Book. Bundi Bundi is a sufficient backwater for those escaping the crowds of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. The picturesque decaying palace tumbles down a rocky slope beneath the ramparts of the fort of Taragarh. Inside the once-luxurious palace are evocative but fading gold-and-turquoise murals. Come evening, bats by the score fly out through spotlights and into the night. Jaipur The colorful, chaotic streets of Rajasthan's capital ebb and flow with a heady brew of old and new. Careering buses dodge dawdling camels, leisurely cycle-rickshaws frustrate swarms of motorbikes, and buzzing autorickshaws watch for easy prey. In the midst of this mayhem, the splendors of Jaipur's majestic past are islands of relative calm. At the city's heart, the City Palace continues to house the former royal family; the Jantar Mantar, the royal observatory, maintains a heavenly aspect; and the honeycomb Hawa Mahal gazes on the bazaar below. And just out of sight, in the arid hill country surrounding the city, is the fairy-tale grandeur of Amber Fort. Pushkar Pushkar's extraordinary camel fair is Rajasthan's signature event, combining Hindu spiritualism, camel commerce and cultural celebration. The camels, cattle and Mawaristeeds arrive early so that the dealing can be done before the frivolity of the fair takes over and before the full-moon ceremony of Kartik Purnima, when pilgrims gather and set candles afloat in a holy lake. Udaipur Following the fall of Chittorgarh, Maharana Udai Singh II moved the Mewar capital to Udaipur in 1568. The city is dominated by the sprawling City Palace that hugs the eastern shoreline of Udaipur's centerpiece, Lake Pichola. The enormous complex houses a museum, a couple of swish heritage hotels and the erstwhile royals. The mirror-surface lake, in turn, hosts one of Rajasthan's most renowned palaces, the wedding-cake Lake Palace, now also an exclusive five-star hotel and occasional movie set. | 2 | 3,280 | travel |
Sure, donning Carnival garb and samba-ing the night away in Rio is an absolute must, but you'll be selling yourself short if the fun stops there. From jaguar-lurking wetlands to pristine shores, lush, beautiful Brazil pulsates with exotic adventure. Here are 10 must-sees and -dos found beyond Rio's city limits. Iguaçu Falls No matter the number of waterfalls you've checked off your bucket list, no matter how many times you have thought to yourself you'd be just fine never seeing another waterfall again, Iguaçu Falls will stomp all over your idea of water trickling over the edge of a cliff. The thunderous roar of 275 falls crashing across the Brazil and Argentina border floors even the most jaded traveler. Salvador The capital of Afro-Brazil, Salvador is famous for capoeira, Candomblé, Olodum, colonial Portuguese architecture, African street food and one of the oldest lighthouses in the Americas. Today's lively Bahian capital offers a unique fusion of two vibrant cultures. The festive music and nightlife scene culminates in February with one of Brazil's best Carnivals. The Pantanal Few places can match the wildlife watching experience provided by the Pantanal, a remote wetland in the heart of Mato Grosso. From cute capybaras to stately storks, the animal life abounds and is easy to see in the open marshy surroundings. There's also no better place in South America to see the elusive jaguar! Ouro Preto The 18th-century streets of Ouro Preto veer between one baroque masterpiece and the next. You can admire the sculpted masterpieces of Aleijadinho, discover the 18th-century African tribal king turned folk hero Chico-Rei and gaze upon opulent gilded churches. The Holy Week processions are among the country's most spectacular. Fernando de Noronha This archipelago of one 6 mile-long island and 20 smaller ones, 217 miles out into the Atlantic from Natal, has everything a tropical getaway should have jaw-dropping scenery and seascapes, fine beaches, the best diving and snorkeling in the country, good surfing, memorable hikes and plentiful visible wildlife. São Paulo Nights Rivaling the frenetic pace of New York, the modernism of Tokyo and the prices of Moscow but swamping all of them in options, São Paulo is home to a pool of 20 million potential foodies, clubbers and cocktail connoisseurs and nearly 30,000 restaurants, bars and clubs to satiate them. From the contemporary gourmet haunts to bohemian bars in Vila Madalena, it's a gluttonous avalanche of bolinhos, booze and beats that outruns the sunrise on most nights. Brasília architecture What the city of the future really needed to back up its claim to be the harbinger of Brazil's 'new dawn' was an architect capable of designing buildings that looked the part. In Oscar Niemeyer they found the right man for the job. The 'crown of thorns' Catedral Metropolitana is a religious masterwork and the interplanetary Teatro Nacional is out of this world! Brasília is a city overloaded with architectural gems designed by a genius inspired by the concept of a better future. Lençóis Maranhenses Of all Brazil's landscape spectacles, the most unexpected has to be the Lençóis Maranhenses in Maranhão a wide expanse of high dunes resembling lençóis (bed sheets) spread across the landscape. From around March to September (best in July and August) the dunes are partnered by thousands of crystal-clear, freshwater lagoons from rainwater filling the hollows between them. Recife & Olinda These two contrasting Northeastern neighbors with an intertwined history and shared culture make a heady double act. Recife is the big-city big sister with skyscrapers and traffic, but also a fascinating historic center becoming more appealing through renovations and new museums and restaurants. Cute, tree-covered Olinda has tranquil winding lanes, colonial churches and artists' galleries. Their vibrant shared heritage comes together at Carnival with riotous street festivities. Beaches of Santa Catarina Santa Catarina is synonymous with the good life and that has a whole lot to do with its sun-toasted shores. Whether you hang out in Florianópolis, where an easy path to paradise boasts 42 idyllic beaches sitting within an hour's drive, or head south of the capital to Guarda do Embaú, one of Brazil's best surfing spots, or Praia do Rosa, the state's most sophisticated beach resort, a powerful punch of wow will greet you the first time you dig your toes into the state's unspoiled sands. | 2 | 3,281 | travel |
Australia will look to become just the second team to win a World Cup final on their own soil when a tournament rich in sub-plots featuring serial under-achievers South Africa and Afghanistan's fairytale debut starts next month. Champions in 1987, 1999, 2003 and 2007, Australia are amongst the favourites to lift the trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 29 at the end of an exhausting six-week event. The 14-nation competition gets underway on February 14 and is being played at seven venues in Australia and seven in New Zealand. The top four in each group qualify for the quarter-finals. Now in its 40th year, the World Cup has only once been won by a team playing in front of a home crowd, with India shrugging off the crushing pressure of mass expectation in 2011. The Australians have only lost one of their last 11 one-day internationals and accounted for South Africa 4-1 in a home series in November. Australia can boast a strong core of key players -- David Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson and possibly skipper Michael Clarke, depending upon his fitness. Given Smith's phenomenal form with the bat -- three ODI centuries since October -- there are those who say Australia may not even miss Clarke's leadership and batting. Despite their smooth progress to the final of the ongoing Tri-Nations series, there remain question marks over Australia's on-field behaviour. Warner has come in for widespread criticism following his oafish "speak English" rant at India batsman Rohit Sharma. Dashing De Villiers South Africa's hopes of ending their World Cup hoodoo will rest with some of the finest players currently active. Proteas captain AB de Villiers is the number-one ranked ODI batsman and will arrive at the tournament after displaying dazzling form in a recent home series against the West Indies, including the fastest one-day international century, made off just 31 balls. Hashim Amla has reached a succession of milestones in fewer innings than anyone else - 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 and most recently 5,000 ODI runs. In Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, South Africa have two of the most potent fast bowlers in the world, while new ball bowler Vernon Philander has has the accuracy to exploit any life in a pitch. With Sharma, the only batsman with two 200s in one-day internationals, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India possess destructive batting firepower. But the champions' frail bowling attack remains a worry, as was evident during the recent Test series in Australia where the hosts piled up 500-plus totals in each of the four matches during a 2-0 win. Ajmal absence India start their campaign against bitter rivals Pakistan in Adelaide on February 15. Pakistan, who won their only World Cup in Australia in 1992, have endured a chaotic build-up with match-winning spinner Saeed Ajmal suspended because of a suspect action, while Misbah-ul Haq and Shahid Afridi have vied for the captaincy. Misbah knows his attack will miss Ajmal but believes giant seamer Mohammad Irfan -- the tallest-ever bowler to play international cricket at 7 feet, one inch -- could provide the X-factor. Australia and England will meet on the first day in Melbourne just as New Zealand start their campaign against 1996 champions Sri Lanka in Christchurch. England's ODI record has been poor in recent times, with series defeats in Sri Lanka and against India at home. West Indies won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979 and were runners-up in 1983. Since then, their best performance was a run to the semi-finals in 1996. The Caribbean side will be led by 23-year-old Barbados fast bowler Jason Holder who has taken over from Dwayne Bravo, axed for his role in the abandoned tour of India last year. Sri Lanka, runners-up in the last two World Cups, go into the event with their confidence battered by a 4-1 series loss to New Zealand. The Kiwis, meanwhile, are six-time semi-finalists but will fancy their chances of a first final appearance with all of their pool games being played on familiar home grounds. They are also in form. In the fifth ODI in Dunedin on Friday, Luke Ronchi and Grant Elliott shared a world record 267-run sixth wicket stand. Afghanistan will be many 'neutrals' choice to progress out of the pool stages even if that scenario appears unlikely. Making their debut at the World Cup, it has been an incredible journey for Afghanistan whose players learnt the game as a refugees while their beloved sport was once banned by the Taliban. As with all major sports events, there will be a focus on security and New Zealand World Cup chief executive Therese Walsh has warned of strict measures. "There will be security profiling, there'll be random pat downs, there will be bag searches," she said. | 1 | 3,282 | sports |
Motorola has a history of operating in China stretching all the way back to 1987, and today the company marks its return to "the biggest and most exciting smartphone market" with the launch of its full smartphone portfolio. This morning, Motorola President and COO Rick Osterloh announced the 2014 Moto X and LTE-capable Moto G for the Chinese market, along with a Moto X Pro that is essentially a rebadged Nexus 6. The Moto Hint Bluetooth earpiece is also coming to China, along with the Moto Maker phone customization service and, eventually, the Moto 360 smartwatch. China will be the first country in Asia to get the benefit of Moto Maker "in the next few months," but availability of the 360 watch looks to be a bit further out. The Moto X will be the first smartphone to run Android Lollipop in China, according to Motorola, and the company has again reiterated its "pure Android" approach. Instead of layering on skins or customizations, Moto focuses on optimizing the speed and quality of basic interactions like touch sensitivity and launching the camera. "When you buy a Moto phone, we don't forget about you," said Product Marketing VP Steve Sinclair, and Motorola's recent track record of issuing the latest Android updates within days of availability speaks to that commitment. Moto is of course promising to bring that same level of service to its Chinese customers, who'll be able to buy the Moto X shortly or sign up for the Moto G and Moto X Pro, with both expected after the turn of the Chinese New Year , which is on February 19th. | 5 | 3,283 | news |
A Turkish court has ordered Facebook to block a number of pages deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammad, threatening to stop access to the whole social networking site if it does not comply, local media reported. The order made by the court on Sunday followed a request by a prosecutor, state broadcaster TRT reported. No one from Facebook was immediately available for comment. It was the latest move to crack down on material seen as offending religious sensibilities in the largely Muslim nation, where the government of President Tayyip Erdogan is seen pursuing an Islamist-leaning agenda. Earlier this month, prosecutors launched an inquiry into a newspaper which reprinted parts of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in the wake of an attack by Islamic militants on its offices in Paris. (Reporting by Gulsen Solaker; Writing by Jonny Hogg; Editing by Daren Butler and Andrew Heavens) | 5 | 3,284 | news |
Australia are wary of UAE causing another Asian Cup upset as they prepare for Tuesday's semi-final. | 8 | 3,285 | video |
Nearly half of U.S. workers say they routinely put in more than 50 hours on the job each week, often without overtime pay. But employers should probably start politely declining the "free" gift, new research suggests. So-called "work martyrs" give hundreds of hours in free labor to their employers every year, encouraged by always-on gadgets, work through nights, weekends, and vacations. Trading sleep or fun for unpaid work is obviously a bad deal for employees, but there's a growing body of evidence that even apparently "free" labor might not be a good deal for employers, either. Research that attempts to quantify the relationship between hours worked and productivity found that employee output falls sharply after a 50-hour work-week, and falls off a cliff after 55 hours so much so that someone who puts in 70 hours produces nothing more with those extra 15 hours, according to a study published last year by John Pencavel of Stanford University. Longer hours have also been connected to absenteeism and employee turnover. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even has an entire website devoted to the effects of long working hours even if workers aren't paid for this extra time. It's not free, Pencavel points out. "There are ancillary costs of long working hours such as the expenses of running complementary machinery and of providing light, heat, ventilation, and supervisory labor," he said in the study. The idea that work hours can be cut without a drop in productivity should be good news for both American workers and their bosses, who routinely put in more hours than seem productive. In a Gallup poll last year, 4 in 10 Americans said they work more than 50 hours every week, and 2 in 10 more than 60 hours. The average work week was 47 hours. Despite the research, don't expect Americans to be better about getting home for dinner any time soon. Not only are hours worked per week on the rise, but technology seems to be irresistibly driving the trend. A recent Pew survey found that 35 percent of adults say the Internet, email and cellphones have increased their hours worked. For office workers, the number rises to 47 percent. Also contributing to this nonvirtuous cycle of overwork: Employees are trading sleep for work. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine examined detailed time-use studies and found that people who said they slept six hours or less at night worked 1.5 hours more than others who got more sleep. "The evidence that time spent working was the most prominent sleep thief was overwhelming," lead study author Mathias Basner said when the results were released last month. "It was evident across all sociodemographic strata and no matter how we approached the question." Sleep-deprivation is also a productivity killer , but Pencavel's research more directly addresses productivity declines as a function of hours worked. He used a unique dataset from a World War I munitions factory, where productivity was easy to measure and the need for output was infinite. Pencavel's real contribution comes in spotting the productivity cliff. Other research has demonstrated more hours don't necessarily equal more results, but his research suggests a natural limit to work days and work weeks. Pencavel calls it a "highly nonlinear effect." "At 35 hours, an additional five hours to the length of the working week has consequences for the effective labor input that are quite different from an additional five hours starting at 48 hours," he writes. Of course, working at a munitions factory isn't the same as working in an office for starters, productivity measures are far more elusive for knowledge workers but Basner's research builds on plenty of other evidence about the futility of overwork. While short bursts of intense work with overtime can be productive, and aren't always harmful , in the long run, excessive hours are counterproductive. "The simple reality is that work, both mental and physical, results in fatigue that limits the cognitive and bodily resources people have to put towards their work," said Ken Matos, senior director of research at the Families and Work Institute think tank. "When they are not thinking clearly or moving as quickly or precisely they must work more slowly to maintain quality and safety requirements." It's not fair to blame overwork exclusively on employers or middle managers. Plenty of workers bring it on themselves. In her book "What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekend," Laura Vanderkam argues that many workers simply lack the self-discipline to set proper boundaries between work and home, and to finish all the nonemergency work tasks between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Others thrive on the sense of self-importance they feel from working late or on weekends. "You have to set an appointment to get off the grid as surely as to go on it," she wrote. And employers are hardly ignoring the issue. Work-life balance programs are in vogue, and there are celebrated cases of executives like Facebook's (FB) Sheryl Sandberg being very public about their efforts to be home for dinner, notes Russell Clayton, a management professor at Saint Leo University. Many firms fail, however, because the efforts are largely symbolic, he said. "There's oftentimes a disconnect between the company mantra and the standards supervisors are holding their employees to," he said. "For example, Company XYZ's top exec comes out and says that he or she makes it a point to leave each workday by 5:30 pm and believes each of his/her employees should do the same. ... But if my immediate supervisor at Company XYZ doesn't see value in that, then it is unlikely that I'll have the freedom to routinely leave at a reasonable hour. It's similar to the way companies will have 'family-friendly' policies such as flextime or work-from-home. The policy is there, but if your direct supervisor doesn't allow you to use it ... it's useless." At least as useless as those unpaid overtime hours workers put in after falling off the productivity cliff. | 3 | 3,286 | finance |
DUBLIN Aer Lingus announced Monday that British Airways parent IAG has made an improved takeover offer of 2.55 euros ($2.85) per share, and the board of the Irish airline says it is considering the proposal. The offer the third by IAG in the past month values Aer Lingus at more than 1.3 billion euros ($1.45 billion). Unlike previous offers, the Aer Lingus board did not reject this offer outright. Instead, Aer Lingus said acceptance of IAG's all-cash offer would require "irrevocable commitments" from the two biggest shareholders: rival budget carrier Ryanair and the Irish government. Ryanair has a nearly 30-percent stake, the government 25 percent. Monday's published offer is higher than the figure of 2.50 euros per share that airline officials circulated to British and Irish media over the weekend. It includes payment of an extra 5 cent dividend per share. IAG, which was formed in 2009 by a merger between British Airways and Spanish carrier Iberia, is led by Willie Walsh, the Irishman who was chief executive of Aer Lingus from 2001 to 2005. It long has been considered a logical suitor for Aer Lingus following the failure of three hostile takeover bids by Dublin competitor Ryanair. Walsh opened IAG's bidding last month with a 2.30 euros-per-share offer, and raised it to 2.40 euros. The move coincided with the imminent departure of Aer Lingus chief executive Christoph Mueller, who is taking the same position at troubled Malaysia Airlines. Aer Lingus is most prized for its ownership of 24 landing slots at Heathrow Airport near London, British Airways' primary base. Those are valued at 400 million euros ($450 million) alone. Aer Lingus also has a profitable, growing trans-Atlantic network to the United States operating from two Irish airports that, uniquely in Europe, allow U.S.-bound passengers to clear American immigration and customs checks on Irish soil. Industry analysts believe IAG could funnel hundreds of thousands of European travelers annually to the United States through Irish airports rather than overcrowded Heathrow. The government is pulling Ireland out of six years of austerity, and the offer would deliver an estimated 335 million euros to reduce debt. But surrendering the remaining state hold on Aer Lingus an emotional totem of Irish independence, with its emerald green fuselages and shamrock-bedecked tailfins risks bringing the government into conflict with nationalist opposition leaders and labor unions, which fear cuts to Aer Lingus' 3,900-strong unionized work force. | 3 | 3,287 | finance |
Many of us have that friend, the one who is always rushing off to the gym, heading out for a run, just getting home from yoga -- and always inviting you to come along. Before you begrudge her for trying, let's give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she's not trying to make you feel lazy , but instead genuinely excited to share her passion for fitness with a friend. It's not unheard of, after all. Working out with a pal is essentially multi-tasking: You get to fit in your fitness while catching up, and for many, it's a source of motivation and a built-in accountability method. But -- like any relationship you'd like to last -- finding the perfect exercise partner can take some work. That's why we asked Jessica Matthews , senior health and fitness expert for the American Council on Exercise and assistant professor of health and exercise science at Miramar College in San Diego, Calif. for her best advice for finding a match made in fitness heaven. The very first thing you need to do is figure out why you want to work out with someone else, she says, because there are different types of gym buddies. You might be looking for someone who can act like a cheerleader on a long run when the course gets hilly. Or you might be looking for someone who can meet you at the gym at 6 a.m. so you won't hit snooze when the alarm goes off. Or you might want someone who knows his or her way around the weight room and can show you a thing or two. Any of those options, and plenty more, is fine, but you won't find what you're looking for if you don't know what you want. Simply knowing what you want won't exactly deliver that perfect person to your doorstep, but it's a step in the right direction. From there, many of the most common challenges are entirely (thankfully) within your control. Here are a few of those struggles -- and what to do about 'em. When one of you is faster... No one wants to be left in the dust on a bike ride or lapped on the track, so you may feel most comfortable starting out in certain activities with someone of a similar fitness ability. However, research suggests that working out with someone at a slightly higher fitness level might help you push yourself harder , says Matthews, which could be just the motivation you need. Inspiring as it might be, if your exercise bud is too much more advanced than you, you might feel a little overconfident in trying some of the tougher stuff. Matthews cautions that in some instances, this could even be unsafe and lead to injuries for the under-prepared. But that doesn't mean your fitlationship is doomed. "You don't have to be mirror images," she says. Exercise is scaleable, meaning there is a way to make just about every movement "more suitable to a wider variety of fitness levels," she says. In fact, that's the basic premise of group exercise classes. You're all doing the same workout, but with options to choose from to accommodate the entire group. "You can still work out with a partner and get those motivational benefits, but you don't have to necessarily do the same identical movement," says Matthews. When you have different goals... And not just weight loss or racing goals. Each individual workout session can have a different motive, and that can determine whether you're going to chat on side-by-side ellipticals or put in your headphones and pump up the jams. Varying goals for a workout are only problematic if you haven't come clean about what those expectations are. "Having those [expectations] clear and up front makes a big difference," says Matthews. You'll probably have to have "The Talk" of sorts, in which you lay out what you're looking for and discuss with your potential partner if those stipulations align with his or her own. Don't be surprised, says Matthews, if your workout personality doesn't perfectly match that of your significant other or best friend. You can still have wonderful relationships with these people outside of exercise, we promise! But in some instances, your exercise goals may align better with someone you don't know as well, which may actually strengthen some of those bonds and expand your social circles, says Matthews. When you have different schedules... You might be the most compatible of workout personalities and yet completely unable to find a free hour you both share. Don't forget to cover the logistics in The Talk: What time of day and which days of the week do you want to work out? What do you like to do for exercise? How long is your workout going to last? The latter is especially important if you're planning on carpooling (or walking together) to your exercise destination. If your workouts aren't the same, explain to your partner what you have planned for the day, says Matthews. Not only will that hold you additionally accountable to doing what you said you would, it also solidifies a plan before anyone has time to loiter by the water fountain. When you're feeling like you don't measure up... There may be days when your workout partner's performance feels less like motivation and more like showing off. Maybe you're not running as fast or lifting as much weight or you don't look like she does in your skivvies. But keep in mind, says Matthews, that these judgments all begin in your own mind. "There isn't a quintessential picture of what a 'good workout' looks like," or how fast a "fit" person can run or the "ideal" weight, she says. "We have to stop in our own minds comparing our experiences to other people's experiences. We do a lot of judging in our lives on a day-to-day basis, and exercise ... doesn't have to be another place to compare yourself to others." Rather than push yourself to the brink of injury to match her, put your own performance in perspective. "At one point in time, [every] person was at the same place you are, they had to progress through the same phases," says Matthews. "Pushing yourself to a place that's not safe or appropriate, at the end of the day, is not going to get you faster to your goals," she says. Listen to your body to help you identify where you feel comfortable, and be proud of being exactly there. | 7 | 3,288 | health |
A layoff might be a kick in the butt now, but it could also take a bite out of your Social Security benefits later. Think of it as the takeaway that keeps on taking, whether you were just starting your career or, even more markedly, if you're 10 to 15 years from your planned retirement. Each situation differs, but the Social Security Administration's online calculators indicate a midcareer job separation could cost you $40,000 over 25 years of retirement. And if you have a spouse relying on your earnings to collect benefits equaling half of yours, that could inflate the loss to $60,000. "Higher lifetime earnings result in higher benefits," the administration says. "If there were some years when you did not work or had low earnings, your benefit amount may be lower than if you had worked steadily." Jim Steele, 57 and laid off in 2013 from an information technology position in Conway, Arkansas, has been working toward a programming degree. Upon checking his retirement benefit estimate online, he said he was concerned about his projected Social Security benefit falling. "It's just one more reason to get back to work as quickly as possible," Steele said. He's not alone. About 4.6 million workers a month left their jobs in 2014, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates . That's about the population of Philadelphia and Chicago combined . A little over half of those workers quit; about one in three were let go involuntarily through layoffs and other discharges. More than one in three unemployed workers stayed out of the workforce 27 weeks or longer, BLS says . Late-career job loss: The double whammy The Social Security Administration bases your retirement benefit on your top 35 years of earnings after they're indexed and averaged monthly. Lop off a few years of earnings, and that monthly average can drop significantly, leading to a lower " primary insurance amount ," the benefit you'd get at " normal retirement age ," which is 66 for most people retiring now, 67 for those born in 1960 and later. You will collect less than the monthly primary amount if you retire early, as young 62 ; you get more if you delay, up to age 70. Losing your job after age 45 can add insult to your earnings injury. The BLS says workers' earnings usually peak between age 45 and 64. That means higher wages you expected to earn will no longer be available to boost your monthly average, which will be calculated on wages lower than you'd likely earn if you'd stay in your job. A $135 swing in monthly benefits, a typical result from a late-career job loss, would add up to $40,500 over 25 years. Age of enlightenment Social Security benefits may seem a long way off. Allan Townsend, 50, laid off in 2014 from a senior site manager role at Microsoft, where he'd worked nearly nine years, said Social Security was "not even on my radar" when MoneyTalksNews.com first asked him about his potentially lower benefit. "In fact, my entire focus is on finding a new job. … I've always thought myself as part of the 'doomed-to-work-forever generation.'" After further consideration, he signed up for an online Social Security account and checked his online statement. It showed how much he could expect to collect at age 62, 67 and 70 based on his 31 years of "taxed Social Security earnings" and "current earnings rate, if you continue working," a key consideration. "I am trying to find a new position that is at least equal in pay. I'm motivated more now. … Lots of good information is available. I would recommend everyone taking the time to do it [sign up for a my Social Security account ]." Coping after buyout Mike Rynearson took a company buyout from his photo editing job in 2008 at age 53 after 25-plus years at The Arizona Republic newspaper. At the time it was estimated that if he never paid into Social Security again and started collecting reduced early retirement benefits at age 62, his benefit would be $33 less each month than if he had kept working at the same pay; for an age 66 retirement, the difference would be $90 a month. Over a 25-year retirement, that difference would add up to $9,900 for early retirement, $27,000 for normal retirement age. "It doesn't seem like a lot each month, but it really does add up over time," Rynearson said. He and partner Deirdre Hamill, a photojournalist laid off later from the Republic, started a travel documentary photography business , which, while rich in globe-trotting opportunities, is not particularly profitable. "My yearly income dropped significantly over the last six-plus years, so my projected monthly benefit dropped accordingly, also just as predicted," Rynearson told MoneyTalksNews.com. Now that he's 59-1/2, Rynearson no longer has to pay a 10 percent penalty on early withdrawal from his private retirement savings accounts. He said he expects to begin drawing Social Security benefits at age 62. Maximizing your benefits For many of us, Social Security benefits make up a substantial chunk of retirement income. In 2014, the average individual retired worker received a $1,294 monthly Social Security benefit; couples, $2,111. Just over half of elderly married couples and nearly three out of four elderly singles receive at least 50 percent of their incomes from Social Security, the administration says. So it's worth strategizing to get the most from them. You can check out your benefits by signing up for an online Social Security account or using Social Security's Retirement Estimator or even its Quick Calculator . The calculators let you test different retirement ages and future earnings amounts. The easiest way to get a bigger monthly Social Security check is to delay your retirement date, if you can wait. Many people don't. The New York Times says 41 percent of men and 46 percent of women reaching age 62 apply for Social Security. Your primary insurance amount is reduced 8 percent a year for each year you retire before reaching your normal retirement age. But if you were born in 1943 or later, you will get an additional 8 percent per year for each year you delay benefits, up to age 70. To delay, you may have to draw on your private retirement savings, such as 401(k) or IRA accounts, or find some kind of job. Married couples have more options, especially if one spouse has reached full retirement age and still works. A spouse may claim benefits based on his or her own earnings record or apply for a benefit of up to 50 percent of the other spouse's full retirement benefit. Married couples may take advantage of file-and-suspend rules as explained by the Social Security Administration: "If your current spouse is [at] full retirement age, he or she can apply for retirement benefits and then request to have payments suspended. That way, you can receive spouse's benefits and he or she can continue to earn delayed retirement credits until age 70." While the Social Security calculators let you test scenarios for free, private software solutions are also available. | 3 | 3,289 | finance |
Novak Djokovic will contest his 23rd consecutive grand slam quarter-final after easing past Luxembourg journeyman Gilles Muller 6-4 7-5 7-5 at the Australian Open on Monday. Djokovic was pushed by the 42nd-ranked Muller, a big-serving left-hander with the shots to rally with the top seed, but the four-times champion was almost bullet-proof on serve and cut the 31-year-old down repeatedly when he rushed to the net. It wasn't until the sixth game of the third set that Muller had a chance on the Serb's serve but the former junior world number one could not take it despite four break points. Djokovic struck a string of sumptuous winners to break Muller in the 11th game of the third set and served out the final game to love to book a quarter-final clash with Canadian eighth seed Milos Raonic. | 1 | 3,290 | sports |
Let's take a moment to marvel at the wonder that is smartphones. Sure, they may ruin our relationships and make us worse parents , but they can do so much good. They can save us money , make us money and, don't forget, take some pretty swell photographs , too. But seriously, despite the negatives that come from the seemingly inescapable need to check our phones every 45 seconds, smartphones really do have plenty of positives. Now that we're into the tax season, Money Talks News finance expert Stacy Johnson has one more reason to love them. He's compiled a list of the best smartphone apps to help you organize your records and file your tax return. Check out his picks in the video below, and then keep reading for a couple of bonus apps as well as links to all of them. Apps to get organized Let's start with the apps that help you organize your records. Your life will be easier if you use these apps throughout the year rather than trying to wade through a pile of receipts in January, but procrastination is a personal friend of mine, so I understand if you're going the pile-of-receipts route. Here are five apps to help you dissect your records and easily find what you need when filling in your tax forms. Shoeboxed : Around since 2007, Shoeboxed provides a painless way to pull, categorize and store information from receipts. You simply send your documents to the company, and one of its workers will process and verify the information. The app works in conjunction with the Shoeboxed website and is compatible with other organizational tools such as Gmail and Evernote. A free version of Shoeboxed is available, but that requires you to self-process almost all your receipts. For $9.95 a month, Shoeboxed will do the heavy lifting and process and categorize up to 1,000 documents a month. OneReceipt : For a totally free version of the same concept, try OneReceipt . Use your iPhone to take photos of receipts and then index and store the info. Android users are out of luck when it comes to an app, although they can still sign up for an account online. Expensify : If you have a small business, Expensify might be right up your alley, although it could certainly work for individuals, too. The app lets users take photographs of receipts as well as import data from banks and credit cards. All that information is used to create and store organized expense sheets. Individuals can get a free account with 10 receipt scans a month. For anything more than that, sign up for a team account starting at $5 a month. Slice : One final receipt organizer worth noting is Slice . This app is really intended to organize online shopping by recording purchases and tracking packages. That said, it could work for your tax records, too, if you make a lot of business-related purchases online. Slice links with your email account to pull and store e-receipt data. Best of all, Slice is free. PowerWallet : PowerWallet is our pick for a comprehensive money management system. It links to your bank and financial accounts to track spending and organize expenses. You can also use it to create a budget and set up bill alerts. Power Wallet is free to sign up. Apps to find deductions Once you have your receipts and financial records organized, you should be able to quickly pull up many of the numbers you need. However, there are also specific apps that can make it even easier to claim certain deductions. To squeeze a couple more dollars into your refund, try adding one or more of these apps to your smartphone. MileIQ: If you travel frequently for business and have an iPhone, MileIQ may become your favorite new app. All you have to do is install it, and the app automatically tracks all your travel and logs it into reports that can be used for either a tax deduction or submitted for employer reimbursement. MileBug : For those with an Android or Windows phone, MileBug does essentially the same thing as MileIQ. This app is available for iPhones as well and can create reports in either a CSV or HTML format. ItsDeductible : Offered by tax software provider TurboTax, ItsDeductible is a free way to track your donations either online or on your iPhone. The app is set up to track everything from drop-offs at the thrift store to cash donations to mileage. For donated items, the app will even give you a suggested resale value to use when calculating your itemized deductions. TurboTax users can import data from ItsDeductible to their tax forms. iDonatedIt : Another useful app for tracking non-cash donations is iDonatedIt . Like ItsDeductible, this app is only available for Apple devices. In addition to recording donations and their value, iDonatedIt lets you attach photos for documentation. deductr : This final app really bundles up just about everything offered by the nine apps above and delivers it in one sleek interface. Deductr is a mileage tracker, an expense organizer and a time management system all rolled into one. It will also flag you about potential deductions based on your spending. There is also one other thing deductr is: expensive. It costs $19.95 a month or $199 a year, making this a best bet for small-business owners rather than individuals. Apps to make filing easy At last, it's time to file your return, and there may be no need to pull out the laptop or fire up your desktop computer for this. Instead, consider whether you can use one of these tax apps to file your taxes and track your refund. H&R Block : Watch this spiffy commercial to see how the H&R Block app can have you filing your taxes in less time than it takes to get a mocha latte. H&R Block has several apps that can be used to file a return, estimate taxes or track your refund. The apps are free, but there is a fee to submit your forms. For example, sending a 1040EZ form via the app will set you back $9.95. TurboTax : Not to be outdone, TurboTax also has a mobile app that allows users to take photos of their W-2s and automatically fill in their tax forms. As with H&R Block, the app may be free, but there could be a cost if you want to submit your paperwork to the IRS. TaxACT : Another major player in the online tax prep business is TaxACT. Like its competition, the TaxACT Express app lets you take a photo of your W-2 and complete your form on your phone. One big difference is that TaxACT will both prepare and e-file simple federal and state returns for free. Taxsoftware.com : In the event there is no way you'll get your tax forms done by April 15, Taxsoftware.com offers an app for Apple users to submit Form 4868. The form gives you a six-month extension on filing your return. However, if you think you owe money, be aware that filing a 4868 doesn't give you an extension on paying, so you may still end up with late fees. But at least you'll avoid the late filing fee, which can be 5 percent of what you owe. Taxsoftware.com charges 99 cents for this app. IRS2Go : Finally, our list wouldn't be complete if we didn't mention the IRS's official tax app. Known as IRS2Go , this free app for Apple and Android devices will help you locate free tax preparation services, allow you to request copies of your tax records and, of course, track the status of your refund. I don't recommend using your smartphone to ignore your kids or avoid your work, but I do suggest downloading an app or two to make filing your taxes a little less painful. Will you be using an app this year? Let us know your favorites (and which ones we should avoid) by leaving a comment below or on our Facebook page . | 3 | 3,291 | finance |
Russia blamed Kiev on Monday for a surge in fighting in Ukraine and warned the West that any attempt to increase economic pressure on Moscow would be "absolutely destructive" blackmail. Pro-Moscow separatists, backed by what NATO says are Russian troops, have launched an offensive in southeastern Ukraine and President Barack Obama said Washington was considering all options short of military action to isolate Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any Russian involvement in the fighting and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the West of whipping up anti-Russian hysteria to justify extending economic sanctions against Moscow. "Instead of increasing pressure on those who refuse to engage in dialogue to resolve the conflict peacefully, we see renewed talks about blackmailing Russia economically," RIA news agency quoted Peskov as saying. "Russia has never agreed with such threats and such threats and blackmail have never led to anything and never will ... renewed threats of increased economic pressure on Russia are an absolutely destructive, unjustified and ultimately short-sighted approach." Lavrov said the separatists in Ukraine were responding to attacks by government forces and the only way forward was through direct dialogue. "We see attempts to derail the peace process and attempts again and again by the Kiev leadership to solve the problem by using force to suppress the southeast. These attempts lead nowhere," Lavrov told a news conference. The European Union has called an emergency meeting of foreign ministers of its 28 member states for Thursday. "We expect our Western partners ... not to do anything that gives the Kiev authorities the impression that all their actions automatically will win support in the West," Lavrov said. He accused the West of "chronic" finger-pointing at Moscow over the Ukraine conflict, in which more than 5,000 people have been killed in more than nine months of fighting. Lavrov said it would have been naive to believe the separatists would accept being shelled by government forces without responding. He said the rebels had started actions to "eliminate the positions from which the Ukrainian armed forces had shelled populated areas with heavy weapons". (Additional reporting by Lidia Kelly and Polina Devitt, Writing by Timothy Heritage, editing by Elizabeth Piper) | 5 | 3,292 | news |
John King, Jackie Kucinich and Jonathan Martin weigh in on a tweet by Larry King about Mitt Romney and his plans for 2016. | 8 | 3,293 | video |
It may be freezing where you live, but a warm vacation is still possible without scrambling for your passport. The average winter temperature is 78 degrees in Waikiki and airfares to Oahu are often lowest from January through March, so pack your flip-flops and head for the beach. Waikiki, located on the south shore of Oahu, is known for its long and calm beach, views of Diamond Head, and a high concentration of hotels. But just because it's a tourist destination doesn't mean you can't enjoy it like a local. Waikiki is a great place to find hotel bargains, great food, drinks, and entertainment for the whole family. Making the trip even more affordable, you can easily enjoy Waikiki without a car. Shoreline Hotel Waikiki Big beachfront resorts are expensive, but if you're willing to sacrifice being on the water, you can find a room for a fraction of the cost. The Shoreline Hotel Waikiki is a perfect example, and it's just a short walk from the beach. The 1970s building features a hip yet tropical aesthetic that's easy on the eyes. It's a smaller, boutique-style hotel with perks like pineapple iced tea in the lobby, free WiFi, and no pesky resort fees. Right now, book a "Choose Your Own Adventure Package" and enjoy a four-night stay with rates starting at $596. Then choose an activity, such as a tour by small plane or pedal bike, at a 20 percent discount. Marukame Udon When it comes to dining, skip the familiar chains and follow the Japanese tourists who line up at Marukame Udon for freshly made noodles at bargain basement prices. Bowls of udon start at just $3.75 and you can add different toppings and sides, such as tempura shrimp or fried chicken. Enjoy your noodles hot or cold with soup or a dipping sauce. Kids will particularly enjoy watching the noodles being made to order. Tiki's Grill and Bar Another pick popular with those in the know is Tiki's Grill and Bar . It has great views of the beach and a menu of local favorites prepared by chef Ronnie Nasuti, who boasts considerable fine dining chops. At lunch, try the perfectly seared Hawaiian ahi salad or loco moco, an island favorite consisting of a Big Island beef patty over rice with fried eggs, topped with a rich brown gravy and crunchy onions. There's a kid's menu, too, and happy hour with live music. Top of Waikiki Watching the sunset is a favorite for visitors and locals alike. If you head to Top of Waikiki , the revolving bar and restaurant, you'll get a view of the ocean and views of the city as the bar slowly spins 360 degrees. The exciting new bar menu that launched in January offers classic cocktails with a tropical twist, like a gin basil gimlet, Hawi Wallbanger, a Harvey Wallbanger with passionfruit, or tradewinds Manhattan with whiskey, dark rum, and cinnamon infused vermouth. Featured cocktails are bargain priced from 4:30 to 7 pm and from 9 to 11pm. Wai'olu Ocean View Lounge Every Friday at 7:45 pm there is a fireworks show over Waikiki. Though the show is sponsored by the Hilton Hawaiian Village , the best viewing is at the chic Wai'olu Ocean View Lounge on the sixth floor of the Trump Hotel Waikiki. Snack on sushi rolls from their sunset menu and indulge in one of their special cocktails for $9 every evening from 3 to 6 pm, and be sure to stick around for a front-seat view of the fireworks. Royal Hawaiian Center Sunburned? If you want an activity away from the beach, the Royal Hawaiian Center offers a wide variety of cultural classes all for free. Here you can learn lomilomi massage or how to make a lei. Each ukelele class offers 25 instruments available for students to borrow and is appropriate for adults and kids alike. Most evenings, you'll also find local entertainment in the early evening. Kuhio Beach Torchlighting and Hula Show Another place to enjoy local entertainment with hula and music from top performers is at the Kūhiō Beach Torchlighting and Hula Show . The free shows are held every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm (6:00 to 7:00 pm in January). Bring a beach chair or a towel to sit on. Like the rest of Waikiki, the show will leave you feeling full of aloha. ]]> | 2 | 3,294 | travel |
While the Patriots and Seahawks are gearing up to hit the field, you've got some gearing up of your own to do. With the much-anticipated game just a week away, it's crunch time for you to prepare your house for the perfect Super Bowl viewing party. Looking for a new screen that'll make you feel like you're on the sidelines without paying the price for a front-row seat? Check out the six best TV deals for this year's big game. Sceptre 32-inch HDTV from Wal-Mart If affordability is most important to you, a smaller TV with a substantial price cut and excellent customer reviews may be the way to go. Retail superstore Wal-Mart is selling the Sceptre X322BV-HDR 32-inch HDTV with ultra-slim metal brush bezel online for just $168 (regularly $199.99). The HDTV has 720p resolution, a swivel base, three HDMI ports and a USB port. Put it on a stand or mount it on your wall (stand and mount sold separately) for a TV that will look as good in your house as the price does on your receipt. [Read: The Best Days to Shop for Everything .] RCA 40-inch HDTV from Sears What's a better play than a great deal on a midsize TV? You can snatch up the RCA 40-inch 1080p rear-lit LED HDTV from Sears for only $269.99 (regularly $349.99). This well-priced, medium-size TV is ideal for any family room. The device has a 60Hz image refresh rate, two integrated HDMI inputs and one USB input. You'll also receive a remote control, stand and wall-mount option included with your purchase. This price and size are a good combination for those who want a clear view of the end zone without breaking the bank. LG Electronics 55-inch HDTV from Best Buy You don't have to be a football fanatic to want a new TV for the game. If you're in it for the halftime show or even just for the memorable commercials, Best Buy has a blowout TV sale with a variety of models that can suit your needs. For example, the electronics giant is offering the LG 55-inch LED HDTV for $499.99 (regularly $649.99). You'll enjoy the TV's 1080p HD resolution and 60Hz image refresh rate during those action-packed moments when the game gets down to the wire. Best Buy also offers free delivery on TVs that are 51 inches and larger, making this deal an even more impressive touchdown. LG Electronics 55-inch Smart LED TV from Amazon The big game calls for a big screen, and if you're a big fan looking for an electronics device that will match the size of your team spirit, you may want to shop online for your new addition. Amazon is offering the LG Electronics 55-inch Smart LED TV for $799 (regularly $1,299.99) as part of the online marketplace's Big Game Specials. This TV has 1080p resolution, a 120Hz image refresh rate, smart connectivity technology and three HDMI connections. The promotion is available while supplies last, and Amazon's Big Game Specials are moving fast, so you'll want to act quickly. If you do make this move, remember to take shipping and delivery time into consideration so the big game won't come and go before your TV shows up. Sony 60-inch HDTV from Best Buy Hike! If those 55-inch sets aren't big enough for you, try upping your screen by 5 more inches. The Sony 60-inch LED Smart HDTV is available from Best Buy for $799.99. This is an impressive $200 off the regular price of $999.99. This particular football-watching device boasts a 1080p resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, three HDMI inputs, one USB input and a tabletop stand. As we mentioned with the last deal, you'll also get free delivery from Best Buy for this TV. Just ensure it arrives before Feb. 1. Vizio 70-inch HDTV from Wal-Mart It doesn't matter which team you're rooting for, there's one thing fans on both sides of the field can agree on: the desire for an enjoyable game-watching experience. How about a 70-inch HDTV for just $1,298? Wal-Mart is currently advertising the Vizio 70-inch LED Smart HDTV for $1,298. Compare this price to that of another 70-inch model the Sharp Aquos HD 70-inch LED 1080p Smart HDTV from Best Buy is $1,399.99. The Vizio model includes 1080p resolution, a 120Hz image refresh rate and built-in Wi-Fi. With this deal from Wal-Mart, you'll be paying less for your whole TV set than you would for an average ticket at this year's NFL season-ending game. That'll make you the MVP of your party (and household) for sure. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report | 3 | 3,295 | finance |
CNBC's Phil LeBeau reports billionaire investor George Soros may snap up a big stake in a large car dealership group. | 3 | 3,296 | finance |
What if you went to your regular pharmacy expecting a co-pay of $10 for a 90-day supply of generic medication and you were told that this time it would be $100? It happened to one of Dr. David Belk's patients. The drug in question was the generic for Prozac, and the patient decided to look elsewhere for a better deal. He later showed Belk, who practices in Alameda, Calif. and runs Truecostofhealthcare.org, the receipt for $22.50 for a year's supply of the medication from Costco. Welcome to the wacky, mystery-cloaked world of prescription pricing. It's hard to pick a single winner: Drugstores, pharmaceutical companies and insurers have all benefited, Belk said. But it's easy to pick the losers: healthcare consumers. Healthcare is expensive, and it can be maddening to discover you've been paying several dollars per tablet for a medicine when a similar one that cost pennies would have worked. While it's important to look after your physical health, it's also important to understand you don't always get what you pay for. There are times when cheaper is just as good, and if you can choose, you might want to try an alternative. Substituting? We Do It All the Time Belk compared it to going to the grocery store, planning to buy some hamburger for dinner only to discover that hamburger was now $50 a pound. How many people would decide they would rather eat chicken or pork chops? Or even sirloin? Except that if it's a prescription, you can't decide to try something else. It's that $50-a-pound hamburger or nothing, unless you take the time to call the doctor's office to see if a cheaper drug in the same class might work as well. (But be warned, Belk said: Most doctors have no idea what medications cost. Nor can pharmacists tell you which drug in the same class is cheaper there's no simple way to check.) Drugs in the same class are routinely substituted for one another, Belk said, noting that hospitals do not stock all of the choices within a class of drugs in their pharmacies too much would be wasted. If a patient needs an ACE inhibitor, for example, the doctor typically chooses among the ones available at the hospital pharmacy. It's not so different from checking the formulary from your insurance to see which drugs would be covered and choosing among those. Belk said switching to another drug in the same class is not about getting an inferior product. When one company comes up with a revolutionary treatment, he said, others rush to see if they can produce something similar. And what is patented is the molecule, Belk explained, so if another company can come up with a slightly different molecular structure that has the desired clinical effect, it can also patent that (a longer-acting medication, for example). Happily for consumers, many life-extending drugs from the 1970s and '80s are now generic. Great news, right? Only some of us are having experiences akin to seeing $50-a-pound hamburger. Luckily, the price movement isn't all up. Belk wrote about it in a blog post : I did a survey of what pharmacies in the US have paid for 1,240 listings (including different doses and preparations) of over 400 generic prescription medications each quarter from October 4, 2012 through January 7, 2015). I tracked how the price of each listing changed each quarter and in total. Among my findings: Nearly half of the generic listings (604 in total) actually went down in price during this time. Among these, 349 listings went down 10% or more, 38 went down 50% or more and 14 of them decreased by at least 90% in price. That's the good news. On the other hand Nearly half of the generic listings surveyed (607 in total) went up in price many way up. Among these, 314 of the listings went up at least 50% in price, 240 of the listings (20%) at least doubled in price, 87 went up at least five times in price and 42 of them went up ten or more times in price since October, 2012. That means that although about half the prices dropped, the declines were more modest than the gains. While 38 prices decreased by at least half, 240 increased by at least half and three times as many went up tenfold as decreased that much. And there seems to be little or no discernible reason for huge price differences (sometimes) in capsules or tablets. Or lower doses that cost more than higher ones. Healthcare costs can topple budgets that are otherwise workable, and it is often difficult for healthcare consumers to know the price of the treatments they will receive ahead of time. And medical bills that you can't afford to pay can potentially affect the health of your credit , leading to additional stress as you try to regain or maintain good health. So when there is an opportunity to know some of the costs of various alternatives, it may be wise to take it. Where Consumers Have Some Control What can you do to control costs of prescriptions? First, educate yourself, particularly if you have a chronic condition that requires medication. Your insurance likely has a formulary . It is also possible to find out from Costco what a given prescription will cost, and Costco bases its prescription prices on cost. (Belk said he's not out to promote Costco, but its prices correlate with its costs, and that is not necessarily true elsewhere.) So prices there can give you a rough estimate of what drugstores are paying for the medicine. Belk also said it is perfectly OK to take a printout to the doctor to ask if there's anything on the approved list that would work. (He also said some doctors resist, often because they're used to prescribing a certain medication and are uncomfortable with change, or because they have a financial interest in a drug company.) Second, don't assume you'll get the lowest price by using your insurance coverage. Check to see if your medication (or its generic equivalent) is available via your insurance's mail-order pharmacy at a price lower than Costco's. Finally, you can't assume that the lowest price for a refill is the same place you got the prescription last time. When your 90-day supply runs out, you'll likely need to do all this again. If you're paying $10 for a 90-day prescription at Wal-Mart, it may not be worth it to shop around. But discovering that the co-pay that was $20 last quarter is now $100 isn't something you want to do at the pharmacy window. This article originally appeared on Credit.com . | 3 | 3,297 | finance |
The collapse in oil prices has hammered energy stocks, but it isn't slowing large merger and acquisition activity among companies that are building the infrastructure for North American shale exploration. Pipeline giants Energy Transfer Partners and Regency Energy Partners said on Monday they will merge in a $18 billion cash and stock deal that will create the second largest energy infrastructure company in the U.S., with significant exposure to promising shale deposits in Texas such as the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford, and the Marcellus and Utica shales of Appalachia. The deal also is a direct response to a dramatic tumble oil prices and its potential impact on the finances of both companies. "In light of the current volatility in commodity prices and the changes in the capital markets, it became apparent over the last several months that Regency needed more scale and diversification, along with an investment grade balance sheet, to continue its growth," Mike Bradley, CEO of Regency said in a statement. "As a result, the combination with ETP became a logical transaction, as we believe that this merger will create significant immediate and long-term value for our unitholders. The merger will also allow Regency and ETP to consolidate our complementary midstream operations in the Permian and West Texas areas. The ability to bring those operations together under one roof is expected to create tremendous value for the unitholders of the combined partnerships," Bradley added. Consolidation of energy explorers and infrastructure providers could prove a trend worth watching in 2015, as firms respond to the headwinds of tumbling prices by combining operations and improving their balance sheets. Like a $34.6 billion merger between Baker Hughes and Halliburton, the Energy Transfer and Regency deal includes a large stock consideration and promises significant synergy. Unitholders of Regency will receive 0.4066 Energy Transfer Partners common units and a cash payment of $0.32 share, reflecting a total price of $26.89 based on Jan. 23 closing prices. While that deal comes at a premium to Regency's most recent closing price, it comes well below trading prices at the beginning of December. Nonetheless, the significant stock component to the deal may bridge issues on pricing since Regency unitholders will benefit from any rising performance of the combined entities stock. Both companies said on Monday they expect the merger to create "substantial cost savings, capital efficiencies and valuable ancillary benefits for both Regency's and ETP's unitholders," without specifying a dollar amount. In the case of Halliburton's acquisition of Baker Hughes, 36% of the deal came in stock , surprising analysts but potentially underscoring the importance of getting a deal done quickly and giving shareholders the ability to benefit from a recovery in oil over the long-term. Energy Transfer Partners will assume $6.8 billion in Recency's net debt but there will be limited new debt created by the merger, which is anticipated to have no impact to Energy Transfer Partners credit ratings and could drive an upgrade for Regency. As such, both companies are likely to see the deal as a shoring up of their balance sheets, potentially boosting future M&A prospects. Energy Transfer Partners said Monday's deal is expected to be a "growth platform" for the combined company, indicating deals are on the horizon. The merger also continues a trend in the master limited partnership (MLP) sector of using deals to redo financial arrangements between publicly traded limited partnership interests and general partnerships. In the case of the merger of Recency and Energy Transfer Partners, the general partner that controls both companies, Energy Transfer Equity, has agreed to reduce incentive distributions it receives from Energy Transfer Partners by $320 million over a five-year period. It also potentially lays the groundwork for Energy Transfer Equity to eventually consolidate its MLPs, as Kinder Morgan did in a $71 billion mega deal that closed in November. That deal was a direct response to Kinder's stagnant share price in the first half of 2014, and helped insulate Richard Kinder's pipeline empire from oil price headwinds. It also paved the way for Kinder to continue its acquisitive ways . Energy Transfer Partners shares were falling over 4% in early Monday trading, while Regency shares were trading higher by over 7.5%. Energy Transfer Equity shares were rising over 2%. Barclays acted as financial advisor to Energy Transfer Partners and Richards Layton & Finger acted as legal counsel to its conflicts committee, while Latham & Watkins acted as legal counsel. JPMorgan Chase was financial advisor to Regency, while Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP acted as legal counsel to its conflicts committee. | 3 | 3,298 | finance |
The average U.S. credit score has gone up recently, but not by much. Of course, the way those figures change year over year depend on the model you're looking at, considering there are so many different credit scores out there. Based on numbers FICO provided, the average hit a low of 686 in October 2009, but it was up to 690 in October 2013, the most recent year-over-year data available. Experian provided more limited data on VantageScore 3.0, showing that the score went up in the last year (from 664 in 2013 to 666 in 2014), but the most recent average is still well below pre-crisis levels for the scoring model (679 in 2007) and where it was in the peak of the recession (667 in 2010). Despite the varying figures, experts from FICO and Experian said the same thing: Consumers' credit took a hit as a result of economic downturn, but things are turning around. The fact that the average is no longer declining is significant. "It was a very dismal economic era there for a while and people had no confidence," said Rod Griffin, Experian's Director of Public Education. "I think improving scores tells us that people are much more confident in their economic situation." Looking at the distribution of those credit scores show progress, as well. There's a smaller percentage of consumers with the worst scores (300-499) now than there was during the downturn, FICO's data shows. Even though that deep subprime segment of consumers has consistently been the smallest, it grew a little in 2008 and 2009, peaking at 7.3% of consumers in April 2009, but it fell to 5.4% by April 2014. On the other end of the spectrum, consumers with the highest credit scores consistently made up one of the largest groups throughout the downturn. Throughout 2008, 2009 and 2010, consumers with scores between 800 and 850 made up between 17.9% and 18.7% of scoreable consumers (it fluctuated), and as of April 2014, it was the largest group, with 19.3% of consumers. "Fewer and fewer consumers are stretched to make their payments," said Ethan Dornhelm, principal scientist of the Scores Development Group at FICO. Dornhelm said there was some concern about consumers sliding back into bad credit habits as the hardships of economic downturn faded with time, but that doesn't seem to be the case. "As of thus far, consumers are continuing to exercise caution and restraint," he said. On a personal level, your credit score will fluctuate, but as long as you consistently practice good debt management, like making payments on time, keeping outstanding balances low and sparingly applying for new credit, your credit history should continue to gain strength. You can check your progress by getting your free credit scores online . This article originally appeared on Credit.com . | 3 | 3,299 | finance |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.