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Maria Sharapova showed she was in no mood to be replaced by the younger generation just yet as she demolished seventh seed Eugenie Bouchard 6-3 6-2 in 78 minutes to advance to the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Tuesday. The 27-year-old Russian has now beaten the talented Canadian 20-year-old in each of their four meetings, three of which have been at grand slams. The second seed jumped on a clearly nervous Bouchard in the first game of the match by breaking serve and not allowing her opponent to settle. The early setback affected the Canadian's timing as she made 20 unforced errors, before Sharapova broke again in the ninth game to take the first set in 41 minutes. The five-times grand slam winner made another fast start in the second set, racing through her first service game and breaking in the fourth to give her the opening needed to set up a semi-final against 10th-seeded compatriot Ekaterina Makarova. (Reporting by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by John O'Brien) | 1 | 3,600 | sports |
With the All-Star break behind them, the Penguins lineup for a home game tonight against the Winnipeg Jets could look very familiar. If you watch Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins games. Monday, the Penguins called up centers Andrew Ebbett and Scott Wilson, right winger Bryan Rust and defenseman Scott Harrington from their American Hockey League affiliate. With Evgeni Malkin being placed on injured reserve due to an undisclosed ailment and Sidney Crosby also out with an undisclosed injury which required an injection to treat, the Penguins will not have their top two centers in the lineup. Neither player participated in practice Monday at Consol Energy Center. "Sid should [return] fairly soon," coach Mike Johnston said. "After the injection he had, he has to wait so many days and his days are basically up [Monday]. I would expect he would be able to return soon." "[Malkin], until he skates, we won't know. I don't anticipate him skating over next three or four days for sure." Regardless of his health, the NHL will not permit Crosby to play tonight after he skipped on- and off-ice obligations involving the All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio, this weekend. League rules require any All-Star selection to miss the next game his team plays if he skips the event. Johnston does not object to the rule. "I do think it's fair because I don't think you want to leave it open at any time for a player to make a decision to forgo an All-Star Game," Johnston said. "I don't know if it's ever happened before but I think the league, in ensuring it won't happen, has put those steps in. So, I do think that's fair, yeah." The NHL and the NHL Players Association do not officially regard this as a suspension. Meanwhile, the Penguins defense could get a boost with the potential returns of Kris Letang and Simon Despres. Letang, who suffered a head injury Dec. 20 after he was boarded and charged by Philadelphia Flyers enter Zac Rinaldo, is optimistic he will play tonight. "Yeah, I think so," Letang said. "That was the practice we wanted to have no problem with it, and it went really well." Letang said he passed all concussion testing. Despres missed the past two games due to an illness and was able to partly recuperate on a trip to Jamaica with centers Zach Sill and Brandon Sutter on the All-Star break. "It was my first time in Jamaica," Despres said. "We got some sun, enjoyed the ocean. Just got to relax a little bit. I'm still feeling sick. I'm not 100 percent. I went there to recover." Left winger David Perron left practice early due to an illness, but he is expected to play tonight. "He left practice early because he had some cold symptoms," Johnston said. "We just didn't want to wear him down, so he took half of practice. That was the plan. He'll get a morning skate [today]. I anticipate he'll be fine." Right winger Patric Hornqvist participated in his first full practice since a suspected foot injury Dec. 27. He did not speak with the media. Hornqvist and left winger Blake Comeau (wrist) each took part in a workout with strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar before practice. "Hornqvist pretty well did every drill in practice his first time," Johnston said. "His conditioning looks to be very good. Didn't seem to miss very much out there. Now that he's out there in regular practice. He's getting close enough that he could probably play at any time." "Comeau just skated with [Kadar] early. He won't be joining regular practice until at least five, six, seven days from now." | 1 | 3,601 | sports |
CNN Severe Weather Expert Derek Van Dam joins Don Lemon with insight into the future of the Blizzard of 2015 | 8 | 3,602 | video |
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 108-98, on Sunday. Despite losing, Kevin Durant still managed to have some fun during the game. After throwing down a ridiculous dunk towards the end of the first half on Sunday, Durant could be seen taunting LeBron. | 8 | 3,603 | video |
Lance Armstrong was asked by the BBC if it's time for fans to forgive the former cyclist. The guys discuss Armstrong's quote. | 1 | 3,604 | sports |
PHOENIX -- Let's take a break from beating up the New England Patriots and go after the real villains in Super Bowl XLIX the Seattle Seahawks. Pete Carroll is a more detestable coach than Bill Belichick. Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman and Doug Baldwin are more dislikable players than Tom Brady. Even the Seattle fans are more obnoxious than Patriots fans. Remember their crybabying after Super Bowl XL? Doesn't it just make you sick that one of the teams has to win the big game Sunday night? It will be hard to watch Carroll hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the second consecutive season. A Seattle win would match the two national championships he won at Southern California in 2003 and 2004. That second title at USC has an asterisk, though. The NCAA vacated the Trojans' final two wins in 2004 and their 12 wins in 2005 when it came down on the program for giving players improper benefits. That scandal led to star running back Reggie Bush giving back the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005. And they say Belichick plays loose with the rules? What's most galling about Carroll is that he bailed out on USC to take the Seattle job and the millions that went with it in January 2010, about five months before the NCAA sanctions. Of course, he has said he never would have left if he knew the program was going to take such a hard hit. "I'm absolutely shocked and disappointed in the findings of the NCAA … I would have stayed there to do what we needed to do to resolve the problem." And they say Belichick plays loose with the truth? Trouble seems to follow Carroll. In his tenure at Seattle, at least six players have had issues with performance-enhancing drugs or the NFL's substance-abuse program. A seventh Sherman appealed the results of his test for PEDs in 2012 and beat the league. Maybe it shouldn't be surprising that the Seahawks have won so much. Sherman is a terrific player, an All-Pro player three years running, the best cornerback in the league. Humility doesn't prevent him from pointing that out. He is the face of the look-at-me NFL. Sherman became famous last season after the NFC championship when he verbally attacked San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree after breaking up a game-saving pass for Crabtree in the end zone. "When you try that with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that's the result you're going to get," he told Fox in an on-field interview. He was pretty disgusting. Baldwin delivered the notable rant after the Seahawks came from way down to beat the Green Bay Packers in this season's NFC championship. "Angry Doug Baldwin," his teammates call him and think he's amusing. First, he called out national broadcasters and Hall of Famers Deion Sanders and Cris Carter for questioning the Seattle wide receivers, then he threw an X-rated tirade at media outside the Seahawks locker room for having the nerve to doubt the Seattle team. He was really disgusting. But Sherman and Baldwin are sweet guys compared to Lynch. The NFL has threatened to penalize the Seahawks 15 yards if he scores a touchdown in the Super Bowl and celebrates by grabbing his crotch. The ever-diligent Carroll has promised to discuss the situation with Lynch. You can't make up this stuff. The league fined Lynch $20,000 for grabbing his crotch after he scored the winning touchdown against the Packers and fined him $11,050 for doing the same thing after a touchdown earlier this season. This seems to be a trend with the Seahawks. Wide receiver Chris Matthews also was fined $11,050 for grabbing his own crotch after Lynch's touchdown against Green Bay. All of this is beyond disgusting. Here's the best part: The NFL started selling NFC championship posters for $150 after the Seattle win with Lynch's crotch-grab as one of the featured pictures. Predictably and not for the first time, the league was accused of hypocrisy. It quickly pulled the poster, admitting it made "a mistake." Imagine that. It has been some build-up to Super Bowl XLIX, right? In a perverse way, the NFL probably is happy we're talking so much about deflated footballs and crotch-grabbing. Otherwise, we would be talking about concussions and domestic abuse. Roger Goodell wants that? Today is media day. Everyone will be watching Lynch. No, not for that. To see if he actually, you know, says something intelligent. He has been fined $100,000 for not meeting league-mandated media requirements. "We do our talk with our play," helpful teammate Russell Okung offered. The Seahawks do that very well. No one will be surprised if Carroll, Lynch, Sherman and the others bring a second Super Bowl title back to Seattle. Seahawks fans figure they have that coming. They still are whining that their team should have won Super Bowl XL against the Steelers after the 2005 season. Mike Holmgren, the Seattle coach that day, summed up their feelings when he said, "We knew it was going to be tough going up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts, as well." Please. And they say they're poor losers in New England. Ron Cook: [email protected]. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Cook and Poni" show weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan. | 1 | 3,605 | sports |
If there's an industrial wasteland where a great European city hits the water -- London, Berlin, Amsterdam, you name it -- it's slated for a major makeover. Derelict areas on the wrong side of the river -- what we in the USA might call "the wrong side of the tracks" -- are being rejuvenated with modern buildings and fresh greenery. My pick for one of Europe's most impressive urban overhauls is London's Docklands. In the early 1800s, the Docklands was the home port of "the empire upon which the sun never set" -- so it became the world's leading harbor. But after being destroyed by Nazi bombers during World War II, the Docklands struggled and declined. Several decades later, investors realized the area was ripe for redevelopment, construction took off, and the neighborhood called Canary Wharf was born. Hop on the Tube to go out there and immerse yourself in today's London. Where sailors once drank grog and stevedores unloaded cargo, thousands of office workers (the stevedores of the Information Age) populate a forest of skyscrapers, towering high above the remnants of the Industrial Age. Like most of Europe's redevelopment projects, Canary Wharf was designed with a futuristic people-friendliness. Locals enjoy plenty of green spaces, art-filled plazas, trendy cafes, and pedestrian bridges that arc over waterways. Yet traces of its illustrious shipping roots can still be found. For instance, a row of 19th-century brick warehouses still lines the canal. An old sugar warehouse now houses the Museum of London Docklands, which tells the story of the world's busiest 19th-century port. Of any place in Europe, Berlin is a work in progress -- a place you need to be in every couple of years to see how it's developing. One way to take it all in is to enjoy the vibrant scene along the Spree River. During the Cold War, Berlin turned its back on its riverbank. Much of it was a militarized "death strip" -- part of the Berlin Wall that separated people on the East from the West. The East German regime even put nets underwater to stymie those swimming to the West for freedom. What's most remarkable about Berlin is how it's gone from a home base of aggression to the capital of chill. Today the riverbank is a people-friendly park lined with impromptu "beachside" beer gardens with imported sand, BBQs in pocket parks, and locals walking their dogs, taking a lazy bike ride, or jogging against the backdrop of stunning new governmental architecture. It's easy to join the scene -- just grab a drink and lounge chair, walk or bike along the trail that leads from the cathedral to the main train station, or hop aboard a riverboat cruise. Another city in transition is Amsterdam, where a new north-to-south subway line is being built. This will move much of the transportation clutter across the wide IJ waterway to Amsterdam's (until now) underdeveloped north bank. Long neglected as a sleepy residential zone, this side of the water -- which will get a huge boost when the new transit hub opens -- is on its way to becoming a smart people-zone. Heralding the coming gentrification of this area is the striking new EYE Film Institute, with a complex of museum spaces, theaters playing art films, and a trendy terrace cafe with great waterside seating. One of the most exciting revitalization projects in all of Europe is in Oslo (though, being Norwegian, maybe I'm biased). Oslo is a classic old Norwegian city. But in recent visits, I've been amazed at some of the dramatic changes going on here. The main construction centers around an ambitious urban renewal project called Fjord City (Fjordbyen). In a few years, Oslo's waterfront will be a five-mile-long strolling and biking promenade -- with nearly all traffic zipping through the city in underground tunnels. Oslo's harborfront was dominated by the Aker Brygge shipyard until it closed in 1986. Today Aker Brygge is a promenade -- each night it's a Nordic paseo. I like to enjoy the scene with a simple picnic from a grocery store. The harborfront comes with lots of picnic tables, comfy wooden lounges for two, and places where those citizens who can't afford the pricey restaurants can still enjoy the same views. One harbor over from Aker Brygge, Oslo's striking Opera House -- opened in 2008 -- is still the talk of the town. Its white-marble roof famously slopes into the fjord, creating a public plaza, allowing the people of Oslo to literally walk on top of the theater they helped fund. Inside, a state-of-the-art, 1,400-seat performance hall brings ballet and opera to the masses. All across Europe, cities are investing in the future and reinventing themselves. And, after a lifetime of traveling there, I never get bored. With ever-changing cityscapes and a dedication to good living, Europe's cities keep me on my toes. (Rick Steves ( www.ricksteves.com ) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.) | 2 | 3,606 | travel |
AMES, Iowa (AP) -- Georges Niang scored 19 points, Bryce Dejean-Jones had 18 and 15th-ranked Iowa State held off No. 19 Texas 89-86 on Monday night. Jameel McKay had 14 points for the Cyclones (15-4, 5-2 Big 12), who bounced back from a loss at last-place Texas Tech by running up a huge lead that nearly slipped away. Iowa State broke open a tight game with a 27-12 run and went ahead by 21 with 11:36 left. The Longhorns answered with a furious rally that pulled them to 87-84 on Jonathan Holmes' 3-pointer with 22 seconds left. Javan Felix scored 20 points and Isaiah Taylor had 17 for Texas (14-6, 3-4), which has dropped consecutive games for the second time this month. The Cyclones and Longhorns were widely believed to be among the strongest challengers to Kansas' 10-year hold on the Big 12 title. But Iowa State's 78-73 loss to the Red Raiders on Saturday and the 75-62 defeat Texas took against the Jayhawks in Austin left each team searching for a response. The Cyclones beat the Longhorns - barely - by going around them. Iowa State compensated for a major size disadvantage by attacking the Longhorns' zone with precise ball movement, and back-to-back alley-oops from Niang to McKay put the Cyclones ahead 36-23. Niang opened the second half with a 3 to help Iowa State jump ahead 47-30, and a transition dunk by Monte Morris put the Cyclones up 51-33. Still, it took free throws from Niang and McKay in the final 20 seconds to stave off what would have been a crushing defeat for Iowa State. Morris had 13 points and six assists for Iowa State, which allowed 61 points in the second half. Holmes had 17 points with 10 rebounds, and freshman Myles Turner scored in double figures for the fourth time in five games with 16 points. --- TIPS-INS Texas: The Longhorns grabbed eight offensive rebounds in the first 12 minutes. ... Felix and Taylor combined for 31 points in the second half. Iowa State: The Cyclones stuck with their usual starting lineup and scored on their first five possessions. Iowa State let Texas Tech go ahead by 19 points in less than 13 minutes. UP NEXT Texas plays at Baylor on Saturday. Iowa State hosts TCU on Saturday. | 1 | 3,607 | sports |
NEW ORLEANS -- This is rarefied air for the New Orleans Pelicans, and they love the crisp, sweet aroma of it all. In routing the Philadelphia 76ers 99-74 Monday night at the Smoothie King Center behind forward Anthony Davis' game-high 32 points and 10 rebounds, the Pelicans posted their season-high fourth consecutive victory. New Orleans (24-21) moved three games above .500 for the first time since the 2010-11 season, Monty Williams' first as head coach. After hovering around .500 for the first half of the season -- winning one and losing one with maddening consistency -- they now seem to be hitting their stride. With the Pelicans recording two straight wins to open a season-high, six-game home stretch, Williams wants the team to be anything but satisfied. "I told our guys tonight that there's going to be a lot of discussion about streaks and playoff contention," Williams said. "Our goal is to play one game at a time. We're thankful for the win, thankful for the winning streak. I'd like a 20-game win streak. We're don't want to try to talk like we're San Antonio or Golden State. I'm not downplaying it. I'm just sticking to the course." Davis made five layups and five dunks in shooting 12-for-19 from the floor, and he recorded his 26th double-double of the season. It was the 12th time this season Davis scored at least 30 points, and he credited the Pelicans' guards, especially Tyreke Evans, who had 12 assists. "They definitely set me up and gave me the ball where I could score," Davis said. "That's all they care about, moving the ball. It doesn't matter who scores. Hitting me early is going to open the lane for them later in the game." The Pelicans had 28 assists on 39 made field goals. The 76ers, who beat New Orleans 96-81 at home on Jan. 16 while Davis was sidelined with a sore toe, lost for the 10th time in 11 road games. Reserve guard K.J. McDaniels led Philadelphia (8-37) with 16 points. Sixers coach Brett Brown said watching Davis up close was similar to watching a thoroughbred going through his paces. Davis scored 19 of his 32 points in the first half as New Orleans built a 52-43 lead. "He is a stud," Brown said. "He is just one of those rare cornerstones of a program that you can build around. I think Monty has done an excellent job of featuring him and finding ways to go to him, and the other players complement him. He is just one of the elite players in the league." Playing its second game in two nights, New Orleans led by as many as 25 points in the third quarter and coasted home. Forward Ryan Anderson had 19 points off the bench, and guard Eric Gordon added 13 points. "We really moved the ball well tonight," Anderson said. "Tyreke can really control the game, and Anthony, man, he just showed what he could do all over the floor. It was just a fun game to watch him. Our team's confidence is at an all-time high. It's just fun basketball." The Pelicans' dunk fest continued in the third quarter, with Davis pouring in 13 points and flashing his jumping ability. His right-hand bank shot and free throw started a 20-6 run that built the Pelicans' lead to 81-59. Davis also had a fastbreak dunk down the middle off a three-on-two on a nifty feed by Gordon. The Pelicans outscored the 76ers 33-19 in the quarter to build an 85-62 lead. The Pelicans held the Sixers to just 31 second-half points, the second-lowest output for a half by Philadelphia this season. Second-year 76ers center Nerlens Noel, who like Davis played at Kentucky, struggled from the floor, hitting just one of nine shots and scoring two points. "I think I probably should have slowed my mind down," Noel said, referring to his nervousness about facing Davis for the first time. "I was thinking about my game too much. I need to have the mindset of playing within myself." Davis said the Pelicans are now poised to take off in the second half of the season. "We got tired of that .500 basketball," Davis said. "Coach told us we had to put a couple of wins together. We're just coming out playing hard and trying to rattle teams with our intensity and our energy and let the defense lead to our offense." NOTES: Philadelphia PG Michael Carter-Williams missed the game because of an upper-respiratory infection. "It's just been a progressive illness that has finally caught up with him," coach Brett Brown said. Larry Drew II, who is on his second 10-day contract, started in his place and scored four points. ... Pelicans coach Monty Williams said he was encouraged by his team's recent defensive efforts. In winning six of their past eight games, the Pelicans allowed only one opponent to break the 100-point mark, averaging 90.8 points allowed. "We've learned how to defend consistently," Williams said. ... Williams was still wowed by F Anthony Davis' swooping steal of an inbounds pass against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday that sealed the victory. "A.D. just made a great play," Williams said. "That's a testament to the workout regimen that he has in the summertime. His first year, he couldn't hold that position." ----------------------------------------------- | 1 | 3,608 | sports |
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Anthony Davis had 32 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots, and the New Orleans Pelicans stretched their season-long winning streak to four games with a 99-74 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. BOX SCORE: PELICANS 99, 76ERS 74 Ryan Anderson scored 19 points and Eric Gordon added 13 for New Orleans, while Tyreke Evans tied a season high - set one night earlier - with 12 assists. K.J. McDaniels scored 16 points for the 76ers, who lost their sixth straight. Henry Sims and Luc Mbah a Moute had 14 points. Philadelphia played without Michael Carter-Williams, who was sidelined by an upper respiratory infection. Davis was 12-of-19 shooting, including five layups and five crowd-pleasing dunks, and made all eight of his free throws as New Orleans (24-21) went three games above .500 for the first time since coach Monty Williams' first season in 2010-11. Davis had his second 13-point quarter of the game in the third period, and his last two free throws gave New Orleans its largest lead at 85-60. Davis and the rest of New Orleans' starters, including Gordon and Evans, did not play in the fourth quarter. The Pelicans outshot the Sixers 45.3 percent (39 of 86) to 34.6 percent (28 of 81) and outrebounded Philadelphia 52-38. Half of Davis' rebounds came on the offensive end, several leading to putbacks. He also had three steals and three assists while not turning the ball over once. He may have been his most animated after his pass from the top of the key led to Omer Asik's layup as he was fouled. Asik finished with 10 points. Davis had 13 points in the first quarter, highlighted by an alley-oop jam in which he caught Evans' lob with his right hand while soaring toward the hoop and slammed it down in one well-timed motion over a defender cutting across his path. His early surge helped the Pelicans race to a 31-19 lead early in the second quarter, but with Davis getting a rest, the Sixers used a 14-3 run to cut their deficit to 34-33. Davis returned shortly afterward and the Pelicans gradually rebuilt their lead to 13 when Gordon's 3 made it 52-39. The Sixers closed to 52-43 by halftime on Mbah a Moute's turnaround bank shot, which gave him 10 points in the half. TIP-INS 76ers: The Sixers won the first of the two meetings the teams have this season on Jan. 16 in Philadelphia, 96-81. That was also the last time they won a game. ... Philadelphia fell to 5-19 on the road. ... Because of a major snow storm in the Northeast, the Sixers decided to spend Monday night in the Big Easy instead of flying out right after the game. They were scheduled to fly home Tuesday morning. Pelicans: New Orleans improved its home record to 10 games above .500 at 15-5. ... The victory pulled the Pelicans to 1 1/2 games behind Phoenix for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference. UP NEXT 76ers: Host Detroit on Wednesday. Pelicans: Host Denver on Wednesday. | 1 | 3,609 | sports |
By Vincent Frank. We already know that St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke seems to be willing to do anything to move his team back to Southern California. And while there are still a ton of hurdles left in the way of a possible relocation to Los Angeles, there are some around the National Football League who are quietly applauding Kroenke's efforts. These efforts include a plan to build a state of the art NFL venue in Inglewood, California. The Rams owner bought a 60-acre plot of land in the Southern California city last January, which is approved for a NFL stadium, but the 238-acre lot surrounding it isn't. That plot of land is owned by Stockbridge Capital Group, who is working with the Kroenke to build the new venue. This plan has reportedly been met with applause around league circles. "It's a bold move by Stan," a league source told NFL Media's Albert Breer. "Whether it results in a stadium at the site billed by the parties, whether it's the Rams going in, or a different team, or two teams, that much we don't know." Kroenke originally laid out the plan to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at an owners meeting in December. And for his part, the commissioner had decided at that point to focus on possible relocation to Southern California after working on the league's new personal conduct policy, which was obviously placed on the front burner at that time. As Breer notes, the next two steps are rather simple in nature. The Rams need to provide notice to the city of St. Louis that they are going to a year-be-year lease at the Edward Jones Dome by Wednesday, after which they will likely present the city of Inglewood the 8,500 votes necessary to set up a vote on the project. While there are still a ton of different obstacles in the way here, the NFL Media Insider did indicate that a potential move by the Rams to Southern California in 2016 or 2017 is "trending towards a likelihood." Reports have previously indicated that Kroenke could bypass a league-wide vote that would require 24 owners to approve the move. Based on this new information, that might not be necessary. The other aspect that Breer points out is that the Rams would be open to playing at Dodger Stadium or the Rose Bowl until a new stadium is finished. And for his part, Kroenke isn't against sharing the potential venue with another NFL team. As we have indicated in numerous articles in the past, the momentum clearly seems to be here for a NFL team to move to Los Angeles in the not-so-distant future. It now appears that the Rams are the clear front-runners at this point. | 1 | 3,610 | sports |
After allegations that the NFL is investigating a Patriots' locker room attendant in connection with #DeflateGate surfaced, Bill Belichick took the opportunity to not say anything about it. | 8 | 3,611 | video |
The Big Ten was expected to have a down season. But the league isn't meeting those expectations. It's worse than everyone thought. "I thought (teams) would take a step back, but not that far," said Jerry Palm, bracketologist for CBSSportscom. "The big wins aren't there." Except for rock-solid Wisconsin and Maryland and a budding Indiana team, the league has failed to reach even the middling preseason predictions. With a host of returning players and some transfers to add depth, it seemed in the preseason that Illinois was a team that could take advantage of a weaker conference. If there ever was a season to maneuver up the ranks and secure an NCAA tournament spot, this was it. "Eight teams' beat writers are thinking the same thing," Palm said. Selection Sunday is still more than six weeks away on March 15. A lot of work can be done before then. But it's not looking rosy for many Big Ten teams, including Illinois. In Palm's latest mock bracket, he has Wisconsin, Maryland, Indiana and Iowa as tournament teams. Michigan State and Ohio State are in the play-in games. ESPN places the same six teams in its bracket. Palm said Indiana isn't totally safe yet as the Hoosiers are just getting into the meat of their schedule. Besides Michigan State, Iowa and Ohio State, Palm also considers Illinois (13-8, 3-5) a bubble team. Illini fans can continue to hope. But keep in mind: It's extremely rare for a 13-loss team to make the tournament. Last season, North Carolina State was the only at-large team with 13 losses to earn a tournament invitation. Ten of 14 Big Ten teams are already more than halfway to 13 losses. Purdue, Illinois and Minnesota each have eight losses. Illinois' tournament hopes suffered a major blow with the loss of Rayvonte Rice to a broken hand. The Illini also have seen injuries to point guard Tracy Abrams, who is missing the entire season with a knee injury, and starter Aaron Cosby, who will miss a week or two with an eye injury. But don't expect sympathy from the selection committee. "If their profile doesn't warrant selection, (the committee is) not going to give a lesser-profile team with an injury consideration over a team that earned it," Palm said. Illinois' RPI of 58 is helpful, but a 1-5 road record is a black eye. "They're beyond the point of (getting away with) doing just all right," Palm said. All hope is not lost, though. Illinois is expected to see Rice return. There are opportunities to make a splash with road games remaining at Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa. With a week off before playing Penn State at home on Saturday, Illinois is eager to regroup. "It's the first chance we've had in a long time here to reevaluate and hit the reset button and address some things that could make us better," Illini coach John Groce said. He's not alone. Plenty of teams will be scheming to figure out how to end the regular season with a flourish. Nebraska did it last season, winning 10 of its final 13 games to make the tournament after a dismal start. Besides Wisconsin and Maryland - the league's safe bets - only Indiana has begun to separate from the group. Now is the time for someone to make a move and join them. "Anyone can get hot," Palm said, "and play their way in." [email protected] Twitter @sryantribune | 1 | 3,612 | sports |
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Jamal Crawford scored 19 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Clippers held off the Denver Nuggets 102-98 Monday night for their fifth straight victory. BOX SCORE: CLIPPERS 102, NUGGETS 98 Crawford scored their final five points and had a key save that led to a basket in the closing seconds, when the Clippers completed their biggest comeback of the season after being down by 16 earlier in the game. Matt Barnes added 18 points for Los Angeles, and Blake Griffin had 14 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. Chris Paul scored 15 points. Ty Lawson led the Nuggets with 19 points and 11 assists. Arron Afflalo scored 18 points, Wilson Chandler had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Jusuf Nurkic had 10 rebounds in Denver's seventh straight loss. The Clippers trailed by 10 early in the fourth before Crawford found his shooting touch. He hit a tying 3-pointer, and then followed with another basket that made it 94-92 with 2:30 remaining. Afflalo tied it again before the Clippers' fans exploded on Barnes' go-ahead basket. Paul's pass was on its way out of bounds before Crawford saved it and passed to Barnes as Crawford was running out of bounds on the baseline. Barnes converted for a 96-94 lead. Crawford converted three free throws to make it 99-94. Chandler's floater and two free throws by Darrell Arthur drew the Nuggets to 99-98. Crawford made two trips to the line in the final 5 seconds, hitting 3 of 4 free throws to seal the victory. Denver led 77-69 going into the fourth, having padded its lead with an 11-0 run in the third. The Clippers' defense started getting stops with five minutes left in the second quarter, triggering their transition game. They outscored the Nuggets 22-6 to take a 50-47 lead at the break. Griffin scored a layup off an alley-oop pass from Paul after Griffin got the offensive rebound. On the Clippers' next possession, Griffin returned the favor with an alley-oop pass that Jordan dunked on. The Nuggets came out strongly to start the game, shooting 59 percent and building a 16-point lead in the first quarter. Chandler hit back-to-back 3-pointers while scoring their first 10 points before Kenneth Faried and Afflalo teamed on a 12-0 run. TIP-INS Nuggets: They lost their third in a row on the road, where they are 6-15. Clippers: The previous largest deficit they overcame this season was 14 points against Portland on Nov. 8. ... They evened the season series 1-1. UP NEXT Nuggets: At New Orleans on Wednesday. Clippers: At Utah on Wednesday in the opener of their eight-game Grammy trip. | 1 | 3,613 | sports |
Ava DuVernay, the director of the Martin Luther King historical movie "Selma", is set to again team up with the film's star David Oyelowo for a new project about Hurricane Katrina. DuVernay and Oyelowo, who were both finalists at this year's Golden Globes, will "develop a new narrative feature film chronicling a sweeping love story and complex murder mystery during the time of Hurricane Katrina," Participant Media said Monday. The project will mark the pair's third collaboration after "Middle of Nowhere" and "Selma", which has been nominated for this year's Academy Award for Best Picture. "Hurricane Katrina is one of the most important social and environmental stories of our time," said one of the new film's producers, Jonathan King. "DuVernay has shown herself to be highly skilled at bringing intimacy and contemporary urgency to epic events." The director said the film would "explore the complexities of intimate relationships within times of chaos, while also examining the chaos itself." Participant said Oyelowo, 38, was in negotiations to produce and star in the film. | 6 | 3,614 | entertainment |
Raymond Mwesiga's "darling kid sister" had much to live for, but when she needed medical help after a car crash, Uganda's overstretched health system fatally failed her. Distracted by her toddler while driving her new car, 22-year-old Sandra Mbabazi had a "minor" accident and didn't seem to be badly hurt. A passerby took her to a private health facility in Buwama, some 65 kilometres (40 miles) from Uganda's capital Kampala. "She had internal bleeding and needed quick attention," Mwesiga, 34, told AFP. "But there were not enough skilled doctors to look at her. She had already lost a lot of time and they were still procrastinating about this and that, so she passed away," he said. "She should still be alive." In Uganda such stories of people dying because of medical neglect are all too common. But with the country plagued by a shortage of health workers, anger is mounting over government plans to "export" at least 241 medical workers to Trinidad and Tobago. The medics, according to a 2014 advertisement by Uganda's foreign ministry, were requested by the Caribbean nation to "strengthen its health service sector". But Ugandan activists claim the east African nation can ill afford to lose skilled staff and argue that more people will die needlessly if the plan goes ahead. They point out that Trinidad and Tobago already has a doctor to patient ratio that is 12 times better than Uganda's. The Institute of Public Policy and Research (IPPR), a Ugandan think-tank, is suing the government in what it says is one of the first ever public interest litigation cases concerning a medical "brain drain". In a petition filed in the High Court in December, the IPPR argues that government recruitment of public health workers for another government violates the constitutional rights of Ugandans to access basic medical services. The group is seeking an interim injunction to halt the "imminent" export of the workers, with a hearing set for this week. "Thousands of people will die, thousands die already," IPPR director Justinian Kateera told AFP, pointing out that already 16 women die each day through complications related to childbirth -- and that an exodus of midwives would be a disaster. - 'Important case for Africa' - The IPPR says the shortlist of health workers set to leave includes scores of nurses and midwives as well as anaesthetists, psychiatrists, ophthalmologists, radiographers, gynaecologists, paediatricians, pathologists and surgeons. One of Uganda's three neurosurgeons had also been shortlisted, Kateera added. "Our health systems are weak because of our inability to retain medics," he said, asserting that the case will "settle jurisprudence on an issue that has afflicted Africa for ages, as revealed by the recent Ebola outbreak." Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa were also "badly affected" by medical brain drains, he added. In Uganda, 42 percent of vacancies remain unfilled, and according to a 2012 British Medical Journal study the country has fewer than 5,000 doctors for 35 million people, with 50 specialists having left in search of better pay overseas in the past decade, while the bulk of new graduates prefer to look for jobs abroad too. Many shortlisted under the latest scheme, such as 47-year-old trauma nurse Santina Obin, say they would prefer to remain in Uganda. But Obin added that conditions were tough and that her net monthly salary of 700,000 shillings ($245 dollars) was too little and often not paid on time. Such salaries are comparable to those of other civil servants in Uganda, which has a GDP per capita of $572. Members of parliament, on the other hand, enjoy wages of over $6,000 a month. "We are underpaid, we have a lot of patients and few personnel," Obin told AFP. While details of what she could earn abroad have not been given, it is expected to be several times more and to include a raft of benefits such as free housing. Hence the scheme drew at least 400 applicants, the majority from public hospitals and health centres. Uganda's attorney general has argued that it is the constitutional right of all professionals to seek gainful employment anywhere, while the ministry of health says it had not been involved in the recruiting process. The planned export has been criticised by the United States, which gives $400 million in aid to Uganda's health sector every year. Mwesiga, whose wife gave birth to a stillborn baby as well as losing his sister in the road accident, is due to give evidence in the case. "I want to be sure that I'm going to get adequate and good medical care," Mwesiga said. | 7 | 3,615 | health |
There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but the overweight in Mexico City will be glad to hear there is such a thing as a free subway ride. Concerned health officials in the Mexican capital hope to get residents in shape by offering free journeys in return for them burning a few extra calories. From Monday, dozens of stations in the city's metro system have been equipped with special machines that, in exchange for 10 squats, will tell passengers how many calories they burned and give them a token for a free ride. The so-called "health stations" are a novel way for health chiefs to draw attention to Mexico's dismal obesity levels. According to official figures, 70 percent of adults and nearly a third of children are overweight or obese, surpassing even the United States. "Levels of excess weight and obesity concern us greatly. For me, it's the number one public health problem," the capital's health secretary Jose Armando Ahued Ortega said as he introduced the project, devised by leftist mayor Miguel Angel Mancera. Thirty squat-counting machines have been installed across the city, which will also hand out pedometers to the first 80,000 users to help them track their energy output. With more than five million daily users, the subway is a vital means of transport in the megalopolis. Metro tickets in December 2013 went up from three to five pesos ($0.20 to $0.34), generating fierce criticism from commuters in a country where the minimum wage is 70 pesos a day. | 7 | 3,616 | health |
Rafael Nadal did not look for excuses after a limp Australian Open exit to Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, one of the worst Grand Slam performances in his long career. The Spanish world number three crashed out 6-2, 6-0, 7-6 (7/5) against the Czech seventh seed he had beaten the last 17 times they met. Asked about his "so-so" match, Nadal quickly corrected the reporter: "No, not a so-so game today, it was very bad. You can say that, no problem. "I didn't play with the right intensity, with the right rhythm," he added. "I didn't compete the way I wanted to compete in the first two sets and that's something that I don't like." AFP | 1 | 3,617 | sports |
Dubai ended London Heathrow airport's decades of dominance as the world's top international air hub last year, buoyed by surging passenger numbers at local carrier Emirates with its record-breaking fleet of wide-body jets. Dubai International Airport boosted passenger numbers 6.1 percent to 70.5 million in 2014, almost all of them traveling to or from locations outside the United Arab Emirates, according to a statement today. That took it past Heathrow, which attracted 68.09 million international travelers in 2014. Dubai has used its location at a geographical crossroads between Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East to establish itself as a base for inter-continental transfer flights, with Emirates already the world's No. 1 carrier by international traffic. The sheikhdom is building a new hub at Al Maktoum airport which could one day handle 240 million passengers, just as growth at Heathrow is stymied by the constraints of its two runways and political wrangling over whether to add a third. "We're planning to overtake ourselves," Paul Griffiths, chief executive officer of Dubai Airports, which owns both bases, told Bloomberg Television, adding that the bigger challenge may be to carry on growing volumes while providing "the level of service on the ground that passengers on Emirates experience in the air." A380 Splurge Emirates has transformed Dubai's role in the aviation industry with the world's biggest twin-aisle fleet, built around orders for 140 Airbus Group NV A380 superjumbos. Still, runway repairs clipped Dubai International's capacity by about one-quarter for 80 days last summer, limiting expansion to the extent that the airport failed to overtake Heathrow's overall tally of 73.4 million passengers, including 5.3 million who traveled on domestic flights. That should be rectified this year, Griffiths said in an interview, with an anticipated passenger total of 79 million eclipsing Europe's busiest airport by all metrics. The opening of Concourse D later this year will lift Dubai International's capacity to 90 million people, allowing for further growth before the main expansion of the Al Maktoum site. Measured by total customers, the two hubs continue to lag behind Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, home base to Delta Air Lines Inc., which recorded 96.2 million travelers in the 12 months through November, based on the latest figures on its website, and Beijing Capital, which lured 86.1 million in 2014. The U.S. and Chinese airports get most passengers from domestic flights. Heathrow, where British Airways is based, ranked third in the world behind Atlanta and Beijing in 2013, according to Airports Council International, with Dubai seventh after Tokyo Haneda, Chicago O'Hare and Los Angeles International. ACI has yet to publish a full set of data for 2014. At Dubai's neighbor Abu Dhabi International airport, home base to Etihad Airways, the third-biggest Gulf carrier, passenger numbers rose 20 percent last year to 20 million, with a total of 24 million projected for 2015. | 3 | 3,618 | finance |
After making a name for itself in fashion, textiles and furniture, Missoni is making its first foray into tableware. The new collection from the Italian design house includes a tea set, a coffee service set, individual bowls, serving bowls, flatware and placemats. All of these new tableware items are available in four patterns: one with stripes and lotus flowers, another with a floral motif, a third with mushroom-like shapes and a fourth with Missoni's signature zigzags. The tea and coffee service sets are produced in collaboration with Richard Ginori 1735, a prestigious Italian porcelain maker founded in the 18th century. Rosita Missoni founded the Missoni fashion house 60 years ago with her husband Ottavio. In 1997, she passed on the fashion side of the business to her children in order to focus entirely on the Missoni Home collections. More information: www.missonihome.it | 4 | 3,619 | lifestyle |
Marca report today that Florentino Pérez will not go Zidane join any other club at the end of this season because he thinks the French is Ancelotti's natural successor for Real Madrid's bench. Even though Real Madrid will more than likely sign Ancelotti to an extension, Pérez still wants to keep Zidane close in case something strange happened. It would probably be good to see if Zidane can be a good coach in elite football, but according to this report, Pérez would not want Zidane to leave Real Madrid. Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid Castilla have recovered after a terrible start to the 2014-2015 season and are currently leading the table of their Segunda División B group. It's never easy to promote to Segunda División, but that will certainly be Castilla's goal after the signing of Martin Ødegaard. It will be interesting to see if Castilla have what it takes to be back in Segunda under Zidane. | 1 | 3,620 | sports |
A Pakistani cricketer on tour in New Zealand was hit for six when he saw what he believed was a ghost haunting him in his hotel room, the team manager said Tuesday. Haris Sohail was convinced a "supernatural" presence was haunting him when he awoke Saturday night to find his bed moving, team manager Naveed Akram Cheema said. Cheema told Fairfax media that Sohail called a member of the coaching staff who arrived to find the 26-year-old all-rounder "visibly shaken". Sohail, a left-arm spinner and middle-order batsman, spent the rest of the night in the coach's room at the Rydges Latimer hotel in Christchurch before being moved to another room. The cricketer tweeted on Sunday, "Allah always answers your duas". A dua is a form of Muslim prayer. One of his followers tweeted back: "It's nice to hear that you recovered from that incident in New Zealand. May Allah protect you." Another replied: "You've faced down Shaitaan (the devil), the Kiwis should be easy. Best wishes." The hotel's management declined to comment on the incident, referring enquiries to Pakistan team officials who explained that the cricketer was suffering from a fever at the time. "We think it was the fever that caused it (but) the player still believes his bed was shaken by something and it was a supernatural something," Cheema said, adding that Sohail had been examined by the team doctor and was found to be in good health. Sohail was reportedly unable to train for two days after the incident and scored six when batting at number four Tuesday against a New Zealand President's XI. The 4.5-star Rydges Latimer has been rebuilt since the 2011 earthquake that devastated Christchurch and claimed 185 lives. There have been no overnight earthquakes recorded in Christchurch since the Pakistan team arrived. It is not the first time an international cricketer has complained of ghostly goings-on in the night. In 2005 several of the Australian party complained of paranormal activity at Lumley Castle hotel, which looms over Durham county's Riverside ground. The 600-year-old castle is rumoured to be haunted by Lily, an aristocratic lady murdered in the 14th century. | 5 | 3,621 | news |
Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott was on Tuesday facing a backlash over his surprise move to knight Britain's Prince Philip which has prompted ridicule and questions about his leadership even from conservative supporters. Abbott, whose personal approval rating has plunged in recent opinion polls, said the decision to make the Duke of Edinburgh -- the 93-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II -- a knight of Australia was his own initiative for Australia Day on Monday. But it provoked anger within Abbott's Liberal-National coalition, with unnamed politicians reportedly describing the move as "stupid" and "near impossible" to explain to ordinary Australians. Liberal-National parliamentarian Warren Entsch said: "For the life of me, I can't understand why" Abbott would knight a British royal. Entsch said he was "not pushing for a change in leader, I'm looking for significant change in leadership". Sydney's Daily Telegraph, which dubbed the story "Abbott's Knightmare", quoted a government politician as saying "the feedback is horrendous". Another unnamed MP said the move was "a stupid announcement" and "manifestly amazing in the worst possible way", the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. Government frontbencher Michaelia Cash defended the call Tuesday, saying Prince Philip was "extremely deserving" for the contributions he had made to Australia over many years. "The backlash will be the backlash. Some people don't agree with the decision," she said. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann agreed Philip had made significant contributions but did not want to be drawn on the issue. "I'm not a commentator," he said. "That was a decision that was made by the prime minister." Those outside conservative politics spoke freely. "This is a bit like giving Bill Gates an abacus," independent Senator Nick Xenophon said of the award to the Duke who already boasts a long list of titles. "I don't know what he's going to do with it." Abbott, a life-long admirer of British royalty, faced accusations of being in a "time warp" when he reintroduced the titles of dame and knight in Australia last year and has struggled to get his message out and backtracked on several policies. "Already vulnerable over his idiosyncratic revival of British imperial honours... Abbott can ill-afford to alienate his colleagues right now," wrote The Sydney Morning Herald's chief political correspondent Mark Kenny. "Yet his bizarre selection of the husband of the British monarch for Australia's top civic award has done just that. Ridicule abounds." The Australian newspaper said in an editorial that the decision lacked leadership and gave those who would lampoon Abbott a "right royal charter". The fact that Abbott made the announcement on Australia's national day stoked emotions further. "It's Australia Day, we are not a bunch of tossers, let's get it right," Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles said. | 5 | 3,622 | news |
Mitchell Rivard scanned through the House Members' Handbook in 2013, proofreading as he went, when a line gave him pause: Personnel decisions must be free from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, and more. Nowhere did it mention sexual orientation or gender identity. Inserting the language into an individual office policy was an easy decision for Rivard's boss, Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan. Though LGBT staffers such as Rivard, who is gay go without official House-wide employment protections, this wouldn't be the case for Kildee's own staff. Many individual members have made the same decision as Kildee, but others have not. So House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and some other advocates want them done in bulk. That's why Hoyer sent a letter to fellow House Democrats Monday night urging them to add these protections to their individual policies, and attached a sample workplace anti-discrimination policy that includes protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It was signed by Rep. Jared Polis, LGBT Equality Caucus cochair; Rep. Robert Brady, the House Administration Committee ranking member; and Rep. Mike Honda. "It is critical that we demonstrate to our hardworking LGBT employees in the House not only that their work is valued but that they are valued and protected as individuals and as Americans," Hoyer said in an emailed statement, adding that he hopes members of both parties " put this policy in place for their offices." A recent call for change In December, Hoyer penned a letter to House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions urging that the chamber protect LGBT staffers from employment discrimination in the House rules package. Sessions told National Journal that he mulled over the request, talked to some lawyers, and ultimately decided to leave it out. "I look at this as an at-will contract and an agreement and a relationship between a member and whoever they hire," the Texas Republican said. Sessions said the current federal law providing general workplace protections guides the House rules, and that it's a good law. That rejection prompted Hoyer to craft his own antidiscrimination template, an effort to address a loophole in the workplace rights act guiding Congress. Called the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, it grants labor, workplace safety, and civil rights to more than 30,000 employees in the House, the Senate, and some legislative branch agencies. The act addresses some forms of discrimination, protecting employees from prejudice on a list of bases including race, national origin, color, sex, religion, and disability. "I think that Congress should be leading rather than following," Honda told National Journal . "The lack of this consideration just only shows the Rules Committee leadership is not up to date, and they are consciously avoiding including this in the list of folks that need to be protected." In the past, House Speaker John Boehner has opposed a federal bill, saying that people are already protected in the workplace and that adding more protections could provide a basis for "frivolous lawsuits" that potentially burden businesses. "I am opposed to discrimination of any kind in the workplace and anyplace else," Boehner said in a 2013 press conference. His office had not responded to a request for further comment as of Monday evening. Instead, some states and presidents have been leading the charge for inclusion. In 1998, President Clinton added sexual orientation to a previous executive order barring several forms of discrimination against federal employees. In July, President Obama added gender identity to the list. Yet, this doesn't pertain to the legislative branch nor the nation as a whole. Since there isn't a federal law protecting the nation's LGBT community from employment discrimination, the passage of such protections is left up to the states. As many as 21 states and Washington, D.C., prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation; 18 states' and the District's laws also include gender identity, according to the Human Rights Campaign. In the legislative branch, it's different. A wholesale change requires passing a federal law. The House, Senate, or individual offices could alter their rules, and this change would allow an employer to take personnel action against those who allegedly discriminate. But an alleged victim wouldn't necessarily be able to take the matter to court because it's not against federal law (though there have been some limited exceptions). A changing tide The meeting spot needed to be off Capitol Hill. In the late 1980s, Bob Witeck was coordinating a discussion among a group of gay congressional employees and staff for what was then called the Human Rights Campaign Fund. These meetings weren't unusual, and they opened communication on gay-rights issues between Hill staff and political/legislative advocates, sharing plans and strategies among the group in a safer way than direct lobbying. At the time, some of the staffers were still closeted in their own offices, said Witeck, a former Hill staffer. Some feared for their jobs. Others felt that upward mobility in their career was at stake. "Staying in the closet was safer, safer, safer," Witeck said, "especially if you wanted to get ahead, you wanted to get promoted, you wanted to have a job." And even if in private a lawmaker was supportive or apathetic, political optics remained a worry. "As any congressional staffer, one rule you always have to take into consideration is, very clearly, don't embarrass your boss," said Witeck, who came out to his colleagues and boss, GOP Sen. Bob Packwood of Oregon, while working on the Hill. This traditionally closeted culture has since opened. Justin Unga, communications director for Rep. Katherine Clark, went from working for a small business in Arizona where he went back in the closet, worried that his boss wouldn't be accepting to Capitol Hill, where he is comfortably out. But enumerated employment protections would still be a welcome change. "It would certainly help me feel a lot better," Unga said. "I've been in a position where no such protections exist, and I had to change portions of myself to stay in a job where I otherwise would be in jeopardy." Currently, employment-discrimination claims on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity aren't tracked. If anywhere, these data would come from the Office of Compliance which is charged with enforcing the Congressional Accountability Act and thus collects discrimination complaints but since sexual orientation and gender identity aren't protected classes, the office doesn't have data on such violations. And because the act requires that claims remain confidential, it could not disclose if it ever receives such complaints, according to Scott Mulligan, Office of Compliance deputy executive director. Herein lies a catch-22. "It's always really tricky," said Sarah Warbelow, the Human Rights Campaign's legal director. "One of the challenges [is] when there are not protections for people under the law, they don't complain because they don't feel that they have a remedy." But that doesn't mean HRC hasn't heard such complaints. While the advocacy organization doesn't provide direct services, it does receive calls from those with discrimination allegations asking where to turn. "Over the years, we've definitely received complaints for individuals in all areas of government about experiencing discrimination either based on their sexual orientation and gender identity," Warbelow said. A societal switch In addition to Hoyer's sample policy, the LGBT Congressional Staff Association has taken on the issue, informing new and veteran lawmakers of changes they could make to their office policies to expand discrimination protections for their employees. "We've been working to make sure offices know to check their own policies," said Rivard, the association's spokesman, "because some of them very well may not have enumerated provisions for sexual orientation and gender identity even though they may be an ally of the LGBT community and want to protect all their employees. They may just not know." Many Democratic members include this in writing in their handbook and all practice it on a day-to-day basis, according to Drew Hammill, a spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. In 2010, the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was repealed. In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a law blocking federal recognition of same-sex marriages. And as of this year, 89 percent of Fortune 500 companies include sexual orientation in their antidiscrimination policies; 66 percent include gender identity, according to HRC's Corporate Equality Index 2015 . "That's a sea change," said former Hill staffer Robert Raben, "but that's a sea change in culture. Congress has had nothing to do with it." This stands in stark contrast to the early 1990s, when Raben helped found the LGBT Congressional Staff Association. That year, some members of the Oklahoma delegation refused to hire LGBT employees. So some aides already working in House offices decided to formally organize, showing the lawmakers the community was already present inside the Capitol. And it started with just a handful of staffers, those who knew their bosses would support them, said Raben, who worked for one of the first openly gay members, Rep. Barney Frank. "There were dozens and dozens of more closeted men and women who were delighted that we were doing this," Raben said, "but didn't want to put their name on anything." | 5 | 3,623 | news |
Russell Westbrook drove the lane for some huge field goals and Reggie Jackson nailed key second half free throws as the Oklahoma City Thunder easily beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 92-84. The Thunder cruised to the victory Monday despite missing superstar forward Kevin Durant, who sat out with a sprained toe. Durant injured his left big toe in the fourth quarter of Sunday's NBA contest against Cleveland. This was the 24th game Durant has missed this season after not playing in just 16 contests over his first seven seasons. Westbrook tallied 18 points and five assists and Serge Ibaka had 13 points and pulled down 19 rebounds as the Thunder won for the fourth time in their last six contests. Westbrook shot just seven-of-22 from the field in front of the crowd of 18,200 at Chesapeake Energy Arena but he battled through his shooting difficulties. Thaddeus Young finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, Andrew Wiggins provided 23 points and Gorgui Dieng snatched 18 rebounds for Minnesota, which has dropped five consecutive games. The Thunder led 21-19 late in the opening quarter before creating some breathing room following a 17-5 surge that stretched into the second. Anthony Morrow and Jackson jump-started the run with baskets and Oklahoma City led 25-19 after the first quarter. Dion Waiters banked in a fadeaway jumper and then drained a thee-pointer before finding Jackson on an alley-oop dunk to cap the run and give the Thunder a 38-24 cushion halfway through the second quarter. Perry Jones' reverse layup at the first half buzzer gave the Thunder a 48-40 lead at halftime. Consecutive Young baskets finished off a 10-2 flurry to help Minnesota pull within 57-54 midway through the third quarter. Oklahoma City answered by closing the third on an 8-2 run. Jackson sank three free throws to help extend the lead and give the Thunder a 65-56 margin after three. Minnesota never got closer than seven points in the final quarter. | 1 | 3,624 | sports |
Facebook, the world's most popular social network, and its Instagram photo site were interrupted temporarily, provoking panic, rumours of a hack, and jokes of how more than one billion users were struggling to cope. "This was not the result of a third party attack," Facebook said in a statement after its services were restored. The outage "occurred after we introduced a change that affected our configuration systems," it added. The breakdown reportedly lasted an hour and hit users in the United States, Europe and Asia, with both sites showing error messages. With users disabled from posting selfies or the latest details of their personal lives, many rushed to Twitter to complain and joke, with "#facebookdown" and "#SocialMeltdown2015" rapidly trending. Some joked about how they had been able to read real books during the enforced social media pause. "Status Update: Facebook is Down!!!" Twitter user @kingpodge posted, in a photographed handwritten note. "It's, like, really snowing in New York and now Facebook and Instagram are down. The hipster apocalypse has begun," tweeted another user, @jessbrammar, as a snowstorm swept across the east coast of the United States. "Things to do during #SocialMeldown2015 1. Take a selfie 2. Melt down further because we can't instagram it," posted @YashiDP. "#facebookdown and I hope it never gets up again! Imagine the lives that would be saved!" tweeted @nikonical. Some suggested that hacking group Lizard Squad had been responsible for the outage, after a tweet on the group's Twitter account read: "Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, AIM, Hipchat #offline #LizardSquad." Reports said that Tinder, AIM, Hipchat and My Space had also been affected. Lizard Squad has claimed to be behind a series hacks of Microsoft and Sony gaming networks over Christmas. The group also claimed an attack on the website of Malaysia Airlines on Monday, referencing the Islamic State jihadists and threatening to expose data taken from the carrier's servers. Facebook, which is headquartered in California, has more than 1.35 billion active users each month. More than 80 per cent of its daily active users are outside the United States and Canada. Though much of its traffic is driven by seemingly banal or inconsequential posts, it is a vital tool for countless businesses and organisations and a key forum for communication in countries with repressive governments. The last time Facebook was down was last September. | 3 | 3,625 | finance |
The team behind a new Scientology documentary making a splash at the Sundance film festival hit back Tuesday after leaders of the controversial group slammed the movie as one-sided. The firestorm erupted after the world premiere in Park City of "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief," directed by Oscar-winner Alex Gibney. Based on a book by Pulitzer prize-winning writer Lawrence Wright, the movie makes allegations about the Church of Scientology and blames high-profile members Tom Cruise and John Travolta for not exposing alleged abuses. "We hold people like Tom Cruise and John Travolta and others responsible for not demanding change inside that church," Wright told industry journal Variety. "By not speaking out, it's a kind of an endorsement and I think that's why we're right and properly critical," Gibney added. Sunday's screening in the Utah mountain resort was held amid tight security and speculation about possible protests, although in the end nothing materialized. In a statement issued Monday, the church took direct aim at the filmmakers and HBO, which is set to air the film. "The accusations made in the film are entirely false and alleged without ever asking the church," it said, noting that it had taken out a full-page ad in the New York Times last month to denounce the movie. "Despite repeated requests over three months, Mr. Gibney and HBO refused to provide the Church with any of the allegations in the film so it could respond," added the statement. - 'Obsessive, disgruntled' - It called Gibney's sources "the usual collection of obsessive, disgruntled former church members kicked out as long as 30 years ago for malfeasance, who have a documented history of making up lies about the church for money. Gibney rebuffed the suggestion that he had not reached out to the church for comment to be included in the film. "We reached out for interviews with the people that were relevant to our story. Scientology wanted to send us a delegation of 25 unidentified individuals, presumably to smear the people in our film," he told Variety. "I wasn't interested in that." Sunday night's screening of "Going Clear" was packed, leaving many festival-goers literally out in the cold. The film includes interviews with former church members, and raises questions about the treatment of members and the organization's nonprofit, tax-exempt status. It also recounts Cruise's marriage to fellow A-lister Nicole Kidman in detail. A former top church official claims in the film that Cruise distanced himself from Scientology while married to Kidman, and alleges the church ordered him to "facilitate the breakup" of the couple. Journalist Tony Ortega, an acknowledged expert on Scientology, said the church was making a mistake by trying to smear the filmmakers. "We have to think that's going to backfire in Hollywood, where these are respected figures, and there is going to be some serious discussion about this movie among the people of film-land," he said in a blog post. "Just keep smearing people, Scientology. At some point, Tom Cruise and John Travolta are going to have to answer for that, along with all the rest." Gibney won an Academy Award in 2008 for best documentary feature for his film "Taxi To the Dark Side." He was also nominated in 2006 for "Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room." He is also known for 2013's "The Armstrong Lie," about disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. | 6 | 3,626 | entertainment |
Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, ageing survivors and dignitaries gather at the site synonymous with the Holocaust on Tuesday to honour victims and sound the alarm over a fresh wave of anti-Semitism. On the eve of the landmark event, which is expected to draw several heads of state, a leading Jewish organisation was echoed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Hollywood mogul Steven Spielberg in highlighting violence against Jews in modern-day Europe. Europe is "close to" a new exodus of Jews, European Jewish Congress chief Moshe Kantor warned at a Holocaust forum in the Czech capital Prague. "Jihadism is very close to Nazism. One could even say that they are two faces of the same evil," he added. Merkel said it was a "disgrace" that Jews in Germany faced insults, threats or violence, as she joined survivors Monday in Berlin observing 70 years since the liberation of Auschwitz by the Soviet Red Army. Spielberg pointed to what he termed "the growing effort to banish Jews from Europe" amid a rise in anti-Semitism on the continent underscored by the deadly Islamist attack on a Jewish kosher grocery in Paris earlier this month. Underscoring the trend, France's main Jewish agency CRIF released figures on Tuesday that showed anti-Semitic acts in the country, home to Europe's largest Jewish population, doubling in 2014 to 851, compared to 423 the previous year. Ahead of Tuesday's ceremonies, Spielberg -- who won an Oscar for the Holocaust drama "Schindler's List" and who has also videotaped the testimony of 58,000 survivors -- met with hundreds of them, mostly in their nineties, in Krakow, southern Poland. - Royals in attendance - Royals from Belgium and The Netherlands are expected to be in attendance, as are more than a dozen presidents and prime ministers from across the globe. French President Francois Hollande, German President Joachim Gauck and Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko are to participate, but Russia, the United States and Israel have chosen to send lower-ranking representatives. The Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz -- a former aide to Saint Pope John Paul II -- will be there on behalf of the Holy See. Also attending is Celina Biniaz, elegant at 83, who was among the 1,200 Jews who escaped Auschwitz by being placed on Oskar Schindler's famous list. As a child she left the death camp to work in a nearby factory run by the German industrialist. "I so wish they would settle that problem in the Middle East because I so believe that it has a definite impact on what's happening with anti-Semitism all over Europe," Biniaz, who came from California for the ceremonies, told AFP. "The Muslims have been disenfranchised and their young have no hope for the future, so they are desperate and it sounds glamorous for them to join things like ISIS," she said, referring to the Islamic State jihadist group that has captured swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. - 'A bomb would have helped' - For survivor David Wisnia, his return to Auschwitz is bringing on nightmares and flashbacks for the first time. "It's a lifetime ago really," the 88-year-old said. "Last night sleeping... here, I had a horrible dream and woke up and looked out the window and sort of thought that I was back in Birkenau in cell block 14 where I started in 1942," he told journalists ahead of Tuesday's ceremonies. Part of Nazi German dictator Adolf Hitler's genocide plan against European Jews, dubbed the "Final Solution", Auschwitz-Birkenau operated in the then-occupied southern Polish town of Oswiecim between June 1940 and January 1945. Of the more than 1.3 million people imprisoned there, some 1.1 million -- mainly European Jews -- perished, either asphyxiated in the gas chambers or claimed by starvation, exhaustion and disease. In all, the Nazis killed six million of pre-war Europe's 11 million Jews. Historical records show that by 1942, the Polish resistance was providing Allied powers and Jewish community leaders in the US with the first detailed eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust. But inexplicably, Washington and London failed to act against the six death camps the Nazis set up in occupied Poland. "The debate as to why the Allies did not bomb the supply lines to Auschwitz remains unresolved," survivor Marcel Tuchman told AFP in Krakow Monday. "Whether it was a sinister reason behind it or whether it was just tactical, in that they didn't want to divert their air force remains unclear," the 93-year-old said. "A little bomb in the proper place, it would have really helped." | 5 | 3,627 | news |
Discussing quantitative easing, Gerry Fowler, global head of equity and derivative strategy at BNP Paribas, explains why he thinks the euro is like a "hot potato" - no one wants to hold them for too long. | 3 | 3,628 | finance |
Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, will cut its massive workforce, the company told Reuters, as the Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier faces declining revenue growth and rising wages in China. Under its flagship unit Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd (2317.TW), the group currently employs about 1.3 million people during peak production times, making it one of the largest private employers in the world. Special assistant to the chairman and group spokesman Louis Woo did not specify a timeframe or target for the reduction, but noted that labor costs had more than doubled since 2010, when the company faced intense media scrutiny following a spate of worker suicides. "We've basically stabilized (our workforce) in the last three years," Woo said. When asked if the company plans to reduce overall headcount, he responded "yes". Revenue growth at the conglomerate tumbled to 1.3 percent in 2013 and only partially recovered to 6.5 percent last year after a long string of double-digit increases from 2003 to 2012. That decade saw the firm ride an explosion of popularity in PCs, smartphones and tablets, largely driven by its main client Apple, but now it is feeling the effects of falling growth and prices in the gadget markets it supplies, a trend that is expected to continue. Growth in smartphone sales will halve this year from 26 percent in 2014, according to researcher IDC, while PC sales will contract by 3 percent. Similarly, the average smartphone will sell for 19 percent less in 2018 than last year's $297. "Even if technology is improving, the price will still come down," Woo said. "We've come to accept that, our customers have come to accept that." Automation will be key to keeping labor costs under control in the long-term, Woo said, as the company pushes to have robotic arms complete mundane tasks currently done by workers. But Woo noted that company chairman Terry Gou's previously stated goal of 1 million robots was "a generic concept" rather than a firm target. (Editing by Will Waterman) | 5 | 3,629 | news |
Chef René Redzepi's Noma restaurant has become a fixture atop the world's best restaurant list due in part to its cultivation of unique ingredients that reflect the unforgiving Nordic climate. But for his latest creation at a pop-up restaurant in Tokyo, Redzepi may have outdone himself. Noma Tokyo's tasting menu, which costs 149,500 yen ($1,265) for two people, has a showstopper opening course: jumbo shrimp, so recently killed that they are still twitching, served with about a dozen tiny black ants for seasoning. The dish is a take on botan ebi , or shrimp sushi, with the ants providing "flavors of the Nagano forest." Businessweek explains that the dish takes advantage "of the bugs' natural reserves of formic acid, which can mimic the sourness of citrus." A reviewer for the Japan Times said that the ants' "little pinpricks of sharp acidity" are "a perfect accent for the sweet, pink flesh" of the shrimp. Using ants is actually old hat for Noma, which has served them at its Copenhagen flagship with beef tartar , among other dishes. And perhaps the insect fine dining trend will eventually trickle down to less exclusive restaurants especially since we should all be eating insects, anyway . And how does Noma harvest its ants? By hand, of course: | 5 | 3,630 | news |
Pinki Goolsby was laid off in 2010 from her job as a purchasing agent, and worried that, at 63, her age would prevent her from ever being employed again . Her son Shane Keinz, 41, a former business owner and talented chef, was newly relocated in Florida, and looking for work. Her other son, Matt Holt, 35, is an MBA who was selling health insurance but wasn't thrilled with the corporate world; earlier in his career he had been the co-owner of a restaurant in West Palm Beach. All three knew that Shane's culinary skills and his conviction that stuffed burgers were the next big foodie thing could somehow be the solution to their collective employment issues . Together they launched Full Belly Stuffed Burgers in Bradenton, Fla., where their mission was to elevate the humble burger to a gourmet experience. Business Rationale Americans will never stop eating burgers, but the market is saturated, the trio knew. Their value proposition: "Put a new spin on a classic and make it better than anybody else. And make sure that something truly differentiates you in our case, that every burger is hand-crafted every morning, and that the flavors are inspired," Shane explained. Stuffings include sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, peppers and various cheeses. Two of the more popular menu items are the Matty Melt, which is stuffed, however unlikely, with maple-cured bacon and peanut butter, and the Jalapeño Popper Burger. Getting Started The trio started modestly, selling stuffed burgers at three farmers markets in Sarasota and Tampa cooked on a grill at the market, and also available packaged for customers to grill at home. They also catered special events. After three years, they had developed solid experience not just with sourcing but with direct interactions with customers. When people kept asking about a restaurant where they could get a stuffed burger whenever they wanted, the family knew it had a marketable idea . "I'm a firm believer in going where the market takes you," Matt said. The venture was completely self-financed . The three owners cashed in 401(k)s , earmarked a small inheritance from Pinki's mother, and pooled their savings ("every dime," Matt said) to scrape together the $35,000 they needed to launch the restaurant. In the two years they've been open, they've spent little on marketing and advertising, relying mostly on a devoted customer base and word of mouth to keep the restaurant full. They're also beginning to partner with other like-minded small businesses in the area. In July, Full Belly teamed up with a craft brewery, Big Top Brewing Company, for a prix-fixe beer pairing dinner, and later in the year did a "tap-takeover" with the Darwin Brewing company, featuring four of its craft beers at the restaurant. Seeing Results Full Belly has been a solid performer since it opened, with 4.5 stars on both Yelp and Trip Advisor. The family is considering a move to a bigger, better location when the current lease, in a strip mall that lost its anchor right before the restaurant's grand opening, is up in three years. Another future plan is to grow through franchising, according to Matt, which would bring in more revenue more quickly than growing organically. Business Realities In the restaurant business, margins are tight, hours are long, and customers are fickle. You have to be satisfied with slow growth. This isn't the kind of business that will get you rich overnight, Matt said. Working with family is a bit of a "faith walk," he added. Personalities can and do conflict. But at Full Belly, there's a clear division of labor and little overlapping of functions, which helps avoid friction. Shane is the creative force, both with décor and menu; Matt the business expert; Pinki the operations head. (Or, as the sons put it, Shane's the talent, Matt's the brains and Pinki's the muscle.) All will give feedback and support to the other, but otherwise each person runs his or her own wheelhouse. Lessons Learned From Shane: Involve your customers. "We're always trying out new recipes, and we test them with a few trusted people before we put anything new on the menu," Shane said. But it's not just about new flavors and combinations, he pointed out. "We also have to consider the cost of the raw ingredients and how well any stuffing works in production. Pinki is already making 1,000 burgers a week by hand, so I don't want anything that's too complicated or time consuming for her." The owners also engage their customers with a monthly specialty burger selected from customer recommendations. That keeps people thinking about stuffed burgers, and the novelty is something that really appeals to regulars hungry (literally) for different burger choices. From Matt: Understand what you don't know as much as what you do know. In other words, when you do your research, keep asking about what you need to consider that you haven't yet addressed. You don't want to get blindsided because you weren't completely informed, or were naïve about something. From Pinki: If you want to be an entrepreneur, know that what you're getting yourself into is not just a puddle of water, it's a swimming pool and you are going to have to swim around and know where the sides are. Also, if you're going to put in 12-hour days, you'd better be passionate about what you do and who you work with. Image courtesy Full Belly Stuffed Burgers This article originally appeared on Credit.com . | 3 | 3,631 | finance |
Bob Dylan's songs often feature surreal and cryptic lyrics. Many academic papers and even entire college courses have been devoted to trying to interpret them. The legendary singer songwriter is also extremely commercially savvy. He has a new album coming out next month, and in what might prove to be a clever stunt, he's giving away 50,000 CD copies of it to members of the AARP (American Association of Retired People). This is significant for the music industry, and we'll get to that. But comments Dylan made in an interview with AARP Magazine to promote the album and the giveaway are arguably even more interesting: The government's not going to create jobs. It doesn't have to. People have to create jobs, and these big billionaires are the ones who can do it. This sounds like classic conservative economics, a surprising thing for the anti-establishment hero of the 1960s to say. Indeed, one libertarian blog immediately seized on the comment. (To be fair, Dylan has spent the better part of the past 50 years trying to distance himself from his original persona. In recent years he's embraced corporate sponsorships in a way that would have been unthinkable not that long ago. Last year, the great man was even featured in a Super Bowl commercial.) But Dylan went on to point out the problem with relying on billionaires to create jobs: "We don't see that happening." And sure enough, subsequent comments are much more consistent with his progressive persona. They imply that, like many people, he is quite concerned about rising inequality in the US. We see crime and inner cities exploding with people who have nothing to do, turning to drink and drugs. They could all have work created for them by all these hotshot billionaires. For sure that would create lot of happiness. Now, I'm not saying they have to I'm not talking about communism but what do they [billionaires] do with their money? Instead of putting his stock in actual policy proposals (paywall) designed to reduce inequality, Dylan seems to think the only way to deal with the issue to hope billionaires have a moral epiphany. "[N]o one can tell them what to do. God's got to lead them," he says. Still, Dylan's music industry instincts have never steered him wrong. His album giveaway is the second such move by a music megastar in recent months. It's much more targeted than U2's (highly lucrative but heavily criticized) deal with Apple to forcibly implant its latest album on millions of iPhones last year; although Dylan's last studio album, Tempest , only sold 274,000 copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan, so it's still a big deal. It represents more compelling evidence that the era of music ownership is drawing to a close. It is being rapidly replaced by music-renting through subscription-based streaming services. Artists are being forced to make most of their money out of live performing, something Dylan is more than OK with, since he has been (quite incredibly) on a never-ending tour since 1988. So clearly Dylan understands the music business better than almost anyone else. But when it comes economics, his views are a bit more difficult to understand. Just like many of his songs. | 5 | 3,632 | news |
The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets will wear specially designed uniforms as a way of marketing the game to Chinese fans during the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations, the NBA said. The Rockets will wear the Chinese-themed uniforms when they host the Toronto Raptors on February 21, a day after the Warriors take to the court at home in their special Year of the Goat uniforms against the defending league champion San Antonio Spurs. Several other NBA teams, including the Raptors and Sacramento Kings, are expected to celebrate the new year by holding fan giveaways and having dancers and musicians perform during halftimes of their games. The NBA also plans to increase the number of games they stream live into China. | 1 | 3,633 | sports |
A Florida woman allegedly drowned a two-week-old Doberman in a US airport toilet because she wasn't allowed to board a flight with the puppy, media reports said. Cynthia Anderson, 56, was arrested on Friday on animal abuse charges, The Grand Island Independent newspaper said. Anderson tried to board a flight at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport but was denied access to the plane because the dog was so young and not properly contained. Grand Island Police Sergeant Stan Steele told the newspaper that it appeared the woman then took the little dog to an airport bathroom, where she allegedly drowned it in a toilet bowl. "The cause of death was determined to be drowning," Steele told the newspaper. | 5 | 3,634 | news |
Kate Moss arrived at a birthday party in a helicopter after splashing out £6,000 on a private jet. The 41-year-old model was cheered as she touched down at the Craigellachie Hotel in the Scottish Highlands to celebrate nutritionist Rose Ferguson's birthday, but her fellow guests Sadie Frost, Noel Gallagher and Nick Grimshaw headed to the venue on flights from London's Gatwick with budget airline easyJet. A source said: "Kate had been at a fashion show in Paris on Friday, so she was flown in on a private jet at the start of the weekend." It was the easiest way to get up there. But everyone else was coming from London so most of them just took easyJet flights. Nobody had any airs and graces about it." When they saw Kate and Jamie Hince chopper in, everyone cheered - she really did arrive in style, even if the others didn't manage quite such a glamorous entrance." While Rose's guests may have saved some money on their easyJet flight - which can cost less than £40 from Gatwick to Aberdeen - they didn't hold back when they got to the bar as some downed £3,000 bottles of Grants whisky until 10.30am. Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie DJ'd at the bash but it was a different sort of sound which got Sadie in the mood as she couldn't get enough of the bagpipes and even persuaded the piper to let her have a blow on his instrument. The source added to the Daily Mirror newspaper: "The whole lodge was taken over, but the gang still descended on the Copper Dog bar area downstairs." The party was raging until gone 10am - and all the guests, not just Kate, got a bottle of the £3k whisky with their names embossed on it." A piper played 'Happy Birthday' to Rose, and guests had haggis, neeps and tatties." Kate also took her husband Jamie Hince along to the bash but the weekend looked to have taken its toll on The Kills rocker as he was spotted sweating at Aberdeen airport while pushing the blonde star's luggage, which included more than five suitcases and other designer bags. | 6 | 3,635 | entertainment |
NEW YORK ( TheStreet ) -- Which job is the best? Banker? Lawyer? Doctor? Starting quarterback for the New England Patriots ? While it might seem obvious to name jobs that are lucrative, a new report by Glassdoor, an online job review website, ranked the best jobs for 2015 and money is just one factor of many. The report identifies 25 specific jobs with the highest overall Glassdoor Job Score as measured by: earnings potential (average annual base salary), career opportunities, and number of open job listings over the past three months on Glassdoor. The results may surprise you. For instance, while finance managers had the highest average annual base pay at $122,865, the position ranked No. 5 on Glassdoor's list. Meanwhile, software engineer, ranked No. 2 on the list because it had the most current job openings, 104,828 in total. Here are the top 12 jobs in 2015. 12. Mechanical Engineer Job Score: 4.4 A mechanical engineer is responsible for designing, developing and testing mechanical and thermal devices, which can includes machines, engines and other tools and devices. Number of Job Openings: 16,065 Average Base Salary: $73,015 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.3 11. Solutions Architect Job Score: 4.4 A solutions architect is responsible for designing and organizing computer systems and custom applications used by companies. While similar to IT consultants, this role is more focused on the development and implementation of an interface that any employee can use to make their job easier and more efficient. Number of Job Openings: 3,982 Average Base Salary: $121,657 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.4 10. Sales Manager Job Score: 4.4 A sales manager is responsible for management and leadership of a team of employees who sell and promote a company's product or services to increase revenue. Number of Job Openings: 26,193 Average Base Salary: $76,556 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.3 9. Data Scientist Job Score: 4.4 A data scientist creates data sets and leverage existing data sets to analyze and make processes more effective and efficient for business. They also leverage large amounts of data to help guide business and other important decisions. Number of Job Openings: 3,449 Average Base Salary: $104,476 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.8 8. Product Manager Job Score: 4.5 A product manager works closely with engineering, sales, marketing and all relevant teams to ensure a product meets overall strategy and goals, including maximizing business value and user experience. Number of Job Openings: 10,294 Average Base Salary: $113,363 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.3 7. Database Administrator Job Score: 4.5 A database administrator is an IT professional responsible for maintaining and monitoring the database. Number of Job Openings: 9,790 Average Base Salary: $97,835 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.4 6. Marketing Manager Job Score: 4.6 A marketing manager is responsible for planning the marketing strategy and programs for companies, which can include product development, trend monitoring, customer targeting and acquisition, email marketing, and advertising, among other duties. Number of Job Openings: 14,647 Average Base Salary: $100,130 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.4 5. Finance Manager Job Score: 4.6 A finance manager is responsible for managing the finances of companies. Regular duties include producing financial reports, budgets and profit projection. Number of Job Openings: 9,728 Average Base Salary: $122,865 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.4 4. Human Resources Manager Job Score: 4.6 A human resources manager oversees recruiting, interviewing, hiring and all employee-related needs within an organization. Number of Job Openings: 8,073 Average Base Salary: $96,443 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.6 3. Business Development Manager Job Score: 4.6 A business development manager works on strategic partnerships to help an organization improve its market position and financial growth. Number of Job Openings: 11,616 Average Base Salary: $94,907 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.5 2. Software Engineer Job Score: 4.6 A software engineer applies the principals of software engineering to the design, development, maintenance, testing and evaluation of the software, applications or systems that make software work. Number of Job Openings: 104,828 Average Base Salary: $98,074 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.3 1. Physician Assistant Job Score: 4.8 A physician assistant is a certified medical professional who practices on a team under the supervision of a physician. They are educated to examine and diagnose patients and provide treatment. Number of Job Openings: 45,484 Average Base Salary: $111,376 Career Opportunities Rating: 3.5 | 3 | 3,636 | finance |
Facebook and Instagram were both taken offline this morning around 1AM ET, with hacker group Lizard Squad hinting that they may have been responsible. The social network's help site for developers reports downtime on both Facebook and Instagram's API servers "from 22:10 until 23:10 PST." The note adds that "our engineers identified the cause of the outage and recovered the site quickly." Tinder also reported being knocked offline, sending a tweet earlier this morning saying : "EVERYBODY PANIC! #Blizzard? North Korea? #TindernetApocalypse." The site said that it had recovered an hour later, reassuring users: "PS: Your matches aren't gone, just logout and log back in!" Work messaging client Hipchat was also affected, and claims it is still working on restoring its services . Hacking group Lizard Squad, who previously claimed responsibility for the attacks on Xbox Live and the PlayStation network over Christmas , suggested that they might have had a hand in these recent outages. A pinned tweet on the group's Twitter account simply says "Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, AIM, Hipchat #offline #LizardSquad," while an alleged member of the group tweeted a picture of himself holding a sign saying "dox me" with the caption "For all the mad people." Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, AIM, Hipchat #offline #LizardSquad Lizard Squad (@LizardMafia) January 27, 2015 | 5 | 3,637 | news |
If you've been experiencing random disconnection with your Xbox One's controller, there may be relief in site, according to a Major Nelson blog post. The latest preview features a controller update that's supposed to fix "(stability) issues submitted by customers and preview participants." We're not sure if that means it specifically addresses the disconnection problem, but we've asked Microsoft for more info. Meanwhile, the controller will also connect to the Xbox in around two seconds now instead of five, a boon only to the truly impatient. Preview members can get the fix by downloading the console update, then connecting their controller to the console with a USB cable and following the instructions here. Xbox (Major Nelson) | 3 | 3,638 | finance |
"Why Did I Buy So Many Carrots?" | 8 | 3,639 | video |
Coca-cola didn't want to release their commercial before the big game, but they did want to tease us all by welcoming us to the internet... but why!?! | 8 | 3,640 | video |
Ekaterina Makarova continued her impressive rise as a grand slam contender by dismantling listless third seed Simona Halep 6-4 6-0 to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Tuesday. The 10th-seeded Russian, who made her maiden grand slam semi-final at the U.S. Open last year, leaped on Romanian Halep's serve, breaking her twice in the first set and three times in the second to roar to a 5-0 lead. A shell-shocked Halep was utterly overwhelmed and meekly surrendered the match by crunching a backhand wide of the tramlines after 69 minutes. Makarova will play the winner of Maria Sharapova and Eugenie Bouchard for a place in the final. | 1 | 3,641 | sports |
On a normal day, Heat guard Dwyane Wade would have been the headliner. He put together one of the most efficient performances of the season in Sunday's victory against the Chicago Bulls. He shot the ball well. His health wasn't an issue. He just picked the wrong day for it to happen. Wade scored 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting but was overshadowed by center Hassan Whiteside's triple-double. Still, the Heat may have returned to South Florida as losers instead of winners of two in a row if not for Wade. "I've been struggling with my shot lately," Wade said. "It was good to get the ball to go in. Once I hit a couple, it felt normal again. My legs felt good. It was good to really step up in the fourth quarter." Wade did most of the damage on the perimeter, with several of his shots coming during key stretches. Most of them occurred after the Bulls gained momentum. "It was probably one of his more efficient games in this building," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We needed to put the ball in his hands just to settle us in the fourth quarter. It was getting a little bit disjointed. The ball wasn't going where it needed to go so we simplified it and put it in his hands and let him make the plays from there." Becoming a better shooter has been one of Wade's main focuses as he enters the late stages of his career. Sunday was his first game shooting above 50 percent since Jan 29 against the Orlando Magic, a string of nine games. "He hit his pull-up jumpshots, which most analytics say is a bad shot," Spoelstra said. "But he's built a career on paint and pull-ups." After a day off, the Heat now attempt to win three straight for the first time since starting the season 3-0. They play the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena. "That's kind of the next part we wanted to get to," center Chris Bosh said. "We were having some games where we let go. Even if we were going to lose, we still want to compete. There were some games we didn't compete the whole time. I think now we're getting to the point now, win or lose, it's going to be a tough game for the other team." Still confident in Cole Guard Norris Cole was a surprise omission from the rotation against the Bulls. Cole did not play because rookie Shabazz Napier received all the backup minutes behind Mario Chalmers. "This is not an indictment," Spoelstra said. "I shortened the rotation. He was the next man. There were a handful of times I was ready to put him in the game. The way this season has been going, everybody has to be ready every single game." Cole has played just 20 minutes the past three games. He began the year as the starter before losing the job to Chalmers. Whiteside no longer a mystery The Heat aren't kidding when they say Whiteside came out of nowhere. Many had never heard of him when he was signed last November. After recording a franchise-record 12 blocks versus Chicago, he is now a household name. "I said, 'Where did he come from," Chris Bosh said. "You research his D-League numbers and he was doing the same thing in the D-League. He said he was shooting 90 percent and I was like, 'Yeah, whatever." You look and it's like, 'he's close.' It's truly remarkable he was able to slip through the cracks."' It made some wonder what would have happened if Whiteside were around last year against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. "We didn't have that during championship runs," Wade said. "That was the one missing piece... A guy like Hassan, he's special. You can't teach what he has. He has great timing." [email protected] | 1 | 3,642 | sports |
Tickets for Super Bowl XLIX, which will be held in Glendale, Arizona, soared this weekend to an average of $6,000 per ticket. | 3 | 3,643 | finance |
PHOENIX Kam Chancellor knew all about the dreaded label that hung over his name one no football player ever wants to hear: tweener. That was five years ago, when he was projected as a hybrid defender out of Virginia Tech. Looking back now, it almost makes him chuckle that he fell to the fifth round in the 2010 draft to the Seattle Seahawks. "I really don't know why I was passed over," he said. "They didn't know if I was going to be a safety or a linebacker. My speed was very questionable, they said. But you can't take the football out of a player. I feel like I was always a football player with a knack for the ball and I was a student of the game." Now, a different label characterizes Chancellor's play for the Seahawks: enforcer. And though he's not the most important defender on Seattle's vaunted defense, his role is impossible to ignore. Chancellor intimidates. And with unparalleled size and strength for a safety, the 6-foot-3, 232-pounder gives Seattle's defense a unique ability that others in the NFL can't quite copy. If the Seahawks become the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the 2004 New England Patriots, Chancellor figures to be a big reason why. "I do like to be the enforcer," Chancellor said Monday at the Arizona Grand Resort, where the team is staying before Super Bowl XLIX. "It just fits my type of play. I like to be physical because I like contact. I like to deliver big blows. I like making game-changing hits. I get that from watching a guy like (former Washington safety) Sean Taylor. It just pumps me up and gets me ready." Like so many other players on Seattle's defense, opposing quarterbacks know where Chancellor is before the snap. In many ways, Chancellor is a perfect fit for Seattle's defense. Because fellow safety Earl Thomas ranges from sideline to sideline and corners Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell can lock up opposing receivers, Chancellor is free to adapt and vary his responsibilities from play to play. He can roam the center of the field, come in run support, and deliver ferocious hits to receivers who dare to come across the middle. "We have always, as far back as I can remember, formulated schemes that allow you to draw individual strengths that you have," coach Pete Carroll said. "That is what we do. We try to find the unique qualities that our guys do have … and put them in position to do things they're really good at. And then we try to grow them. We found that when we do that, players can have success early in their careers and they can start to develop a confidence and they can build on that. "So it's really on the coaches to have the flexibility to adapt to the strengths that you do have." Chancellor, a former quarterback in high school, excels at anticipating and reacting quickly. He was huge in Seattle's divisional round victory against the Carolina Panthers, logging 11 tackles and one interception, which was returned for a touchdown. He was also instrumental in Seattle's NFC Championship Game victory against the Green Bay Packers. But there's another label perhaps a more important one that Chancellor has come to embody for the Seahawks. In November, the Seahawks looked far from a Super Bowl contender. The team was rife with tension, stemming from an October trade that shipped receiver Percy Harvin to the Jets. Reports of friction and different factions in Seattle's locker room emerged. The team then held a meeting to address the disagreement that had taken over. Chancellor, according to several Seahawks players, was one of the most vocal members of the team, offering an emotional speech. It may be one of the pivotal moments that helped inspire the Seahawks to get to this point. Said Earl Thomas: "You can't reproduce what Kam brings to this team." *** Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @Lorenzo_G_Reyes | 1 | 3,644 | sports |
PHILADELPHIA A former Philadelphia police officer honored by the White House before a downward spiral that left him in custody on $60 million bail has been sentenced to probation. Richard DeCoatsworth was sentenced Monday for assaulting a live-in girlfriend after he was cleared of a string of felony charges. DeCoatsworth had sat with first lady Michelle Obama at the 2009 State of the Union address after he was shot in the face chasing a suspect. His lawyers have said he became addicted to painkillers and heroin afterward. DeCoatsworth had been charged with raping prostitutes at gunpoint. The Philadelphia Inquirer (http://goo.gl/c6SBeZ) reports a judge Monday ordered him to undergo counseling and serve 18 months of probation. A defense lawyer says the 28-year-old hopes to work at an animal shelter in Florida. ___ Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.inquirer.com | 5 | 3,645 | news |
Some completely treatable health ailments can put a damper on your sexual allure. Here are 12 turn-offs to treat so that your partner stays turned on. Red flags Who doesn't want to be sexy and alluring or hot and studly? The problem is that some treatable health or hygiene issues can shake your special someone straight out of the mood.Sexual attraction is a complex and multi-faceted phenomenon. But at its heart is the evolutionary drive to seek out mates with whom to procreate. Signs of strength, stamina, fertility, security and good genes all play a role in the mating game and whether your partner is turned off or on. Even a kiss is a testing tool for some. A 2007 study in the journal Evolutionary Psychology found that women used kissing to assess potential mates, while men used it as a tool to step up the chances that procreation would take place. Be on the lookout for these 12 red flags that can kill your sex life. -- By Martica Heaner PhD Sweaty armpits Getting hot and bothered usually involves a little sweating, too. As sexual arousal and affection increase, so does body temperature and sweating. But some people sweat too much.An estimated 2 percent to 3 percent of the population suffer from hyperhidrosis, a condition in which a person sweats excessively unprovoked by heat, humidity or stress. Excessive sweating can also stem from medical conditions including heart disease, anxiety disorders or cancer, and sweating can be a side effect of some medications.You can stay dry when things start getting hot by heeding environmental conditions (use the A/C when it gets hot) and with good hygiene showers and antiperspirant. With severe cases of sweating, see a doctor. Medical treatments include extra-strong antiperspirants, medications that inhibit sweat glands and even Botox, the compound injected into faces to diminish wrinkles. The Botulinum toxin type A is used to block underarm nerves to reduce sweating. Body odor, greasy hair, stinky clothes Clean is sexy. Here's why: Good hygiene signals good health. So, when it comes to propagating the human species, a clean body is a turn-on. Perhaps the most visible sign of poor hygiene is body odor. Causes include bad breath that is so pervasive it creates a smelly cloud as well as uncontrolled sweat. (Even if sweat doesn't stink at first, it will. Bacteria flourish in moisture, and it's the bacteria that create the odor.)While different people and cultures have different thresholds of cleanliness, if you expect to get lucky, being super clean is a smart move. And don't cover icky smells with mints, mouthwash or perfume/cologne. Rid odor from the source. That means one shower daily more if you have a physical job or work out plus brushing, flossing, tongue scraping and using antiperspirant. Don't re-wear clothes, especially workout gear. Bacteria from even a slight amount of sweat will make them stink. Flab From an evolutionary perspective, we tend to be attracted to those who appear healthy enough to procreate and provide. Someone who is flabby and out of shape screams "unfit for mating." Regardless of body fat (especially since a little extra may be protective), being fit and firm are signs of fertility. "Women like men to have stamina and strength. And men like women to have stamina and curves but firm curves" says Hardy Pollard, personal trainer at The Houstonian Health and Fitness Club in Houston. To beef up stamina and get strong and firm, do a combo of both cardio and weight training. "If you leave out strength training, it's easy to get flabby fast," Pollard says. For tips on a cardio and strength program, consult a personal trainer. Bad skin Healthy sperm and eggs come from healthy bodies. So when eyeing a potential partner, it's instinctive to notice surface signs of health. Many Eastern health traditions assess visible parts of the body, such as a person's tongue and skin, as indicators of health.Poor facial skin is usually a sign that something is amiss. Not only can some nutritional deficiencies be displayed as acne or pale skin, certain diets can induce inflammatory responses that show up on the skin. "Dairy products such as milk and cheese can contribute to acne in some people," explains Dr. Diane Downing, a physician and wellness director at the Well & Being at Willow Stream Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz. "In addition, a diet high in processed carbs, high sugar and high fat foods can affect whether a person is prone to getting acne."Her tips? Eat fresh vegetables, fruit and whole grains, and include healthy-skin promoting Omega-3s (in fish, ground flaxseed, walnuts and soybeans.) Bad breath A sniff of foul breath can be a deal breaker. In the 2007 Evolutionary Psychology study, women indicated that breath was very important when deciding to kiss someone. And if you've been silently rejected for a stinky mouth, you may never know most people are too polite to shout "Ew! You have bad breath!"And this could be you: A 2003 report by the American Dental Association says that around 50 percent of the population has bad breath at one time or another, and a whopping 25 percent have chronic halitosis."The most common causes are plaque on the back of your tongue and periodontal disease," says Richard Downs, DDS, a breath specialist based in Dubuque, Iowa. Although a dentist can provide a thorough assessment, you can quickly test by licking, then sniffing, the back of your hand. Treatment includes daily brushing and flossing, as well as using a tongue scraper when you brush. Serious cases may require dental procedures. Poor posture Slouching fashion-model style can look cool at first glance. But if that's really how you hold yourself, you come across as weak if you're a guy and insecure if you're a girl. "Standing tall and strutting with your chest held high shouts body confidence and sexual confidence and is extremely appealing," Pollard says.Improving your posture requires a two-pronged approach: posture-enhancing exercises plus maintaining all-day good posture. "A couple of back exercises in the morning is not enough to make up for 10 waking hours of slumping," Pollard explains. "You need to be constantly aware of your alignment and stand, sit and walk tall." What are some specific posture-improving moves you can do? Pollard recommends hamstring and chest stretches so you don't slouch from tight muscles. Back-strengthening moves include the Upper Back Band Squeeze, the One-arm Row and the Ball Shoulder Raise. Low energy Low energy leads to low mojo. When lethargic, you probably don't feel up for much action. And fatigue may make you less attractive. A 2010 study in the British Medical Journal had people rate the attractiveness of those who had been photographed after a good night's sleep and again after having slept for only five hours. The sleep-deprived were rated as looking less healthy and significantly less attractive.Feeling fatigued results from many factors. "A common culprit is eating processed carbs, low-quality fast foods, and drinking too much alcohol or caffeinated drinks," Downing says. Not drinking enough water to stay well hydrated and not eating enough calories to match your body's energy needs can also send energy plummeting. Not exercising can leave you fatigued too, Pollard says. "It's a catch-22, you're tired and don't want to work out, and that keeps you tired. But if you eat well and work out, you'll sleep better and have more energy and be more inclined to work out." Whiny voice People with lower voices tend to be perceived as having sexier voices. But the voice of seduction is usually low and sultry. A 2010 study in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior found that men and women lower the pitch of their voices and show more signs of physiological arousal when talking with someone to whom they are attracted. While you might not be able to consciously change the pitch of your voice, what you choose to talk about may dictate how soothing or annoying your voice is. Nagging and complaining can give your voice a whiny quality. A negative vibe can also sap the energy out of your partner. Drinking too much While a shared cocktail or glass of wine can loosen things up, a person who drinks too much scores a zero on the turn-on scale. Not only is someone who is slurring their words not sexy, but alcohol is a depressant with powerfully negative effects on the reproductive system.Alcohol can shrink testosterone levels in men. In a 1976 study in the New England Journal of Medicine, men were given alcohol for four weeks. Levels of testosterone and the production of it started to fall after five days and significantly decreased by the end of the study period. In heavy drinkers, this prolonged drop in testosterone can lead to man boobs and other feminizing features. Women who drink heavily can disrupt their hormone levels, resulting in irregular or stopped menstrual cycles and impaired ovulation. Condoms Being open about sex and your STD status creates an emotional intimacy that can bring you closer, according to Regan Hofmann, global health consultant and author of I Have Something To Tell You, a memoir about her life as an openly HIV-positive woman. The conventional wisdom is that wearing condoms puts a damper on some of the sensations of sex. "But most people don't realize that, put on correctly, condoms can enhance pleasure," says Hofmann. ""If it fits correctly, the slight difference in sensation compared to skin on skin is more than compensated for by the knowledge that you are being safe and empowered that your partner cares enough about safety too," she says. And using a condom doesn't have to be a fumbling experience. "Practice how to put it on in a sexy way." Monogamy Too much of a good thing gets old fast. That's why the lust that bonds couples tends to fizzle out. There may be a neurological basis: "The brain is wired to seek and enjoy novel, rather than predictable, pleasures," explains Susan Carnell PhD, research psychologist at Columbia University in New York and blogger for Psychology Today. When a new stimulus is presented whether it's a yummy food or a yummy person brain pleasure and reward areas are activated and the hormone dopamine is released. But the same old, same old may blunt this response.That doesn't mean you need to dump your soul mate. "You may be able to outwit the brain's reward pathways to 'trick' dopamine neurons into firing, Carnell says. "Get creative and do something with your partner that you wouldn't normally." You might also try being together in moderation to give neurons a chance to see your honey as 'new' again. "Distance can make the brain grow fonder," she says. Negativity and self-disparaging comments Complaints are a downer. Even if you think your butt is too big, your partner probably doesn't or may love big butts. So, nix the body-bashing comments. Instead, wrap yourself in a big smile that oozes self-confidence. A 2010 study in the journal Psychological Science asked people to assess photos of women shown with either a neutral expression or a smile. The photos showing the smile were rated to be the most attractive.Smiles are a turn-on: A 2008 study in the journal Social Behavior and Personality had a 20-year-old woman who had been rated by 15 men to be of 'average' physical attractiveness walk into a bar and smile at men who were sitting alone at a table. Another researcher observed whether she was then approached by the man. She repeated the drill, but without smiling. Significantly more men continued to glance at her and approach her if she had smiled at them. | 4 | 3,646 | lifestyle |
Don't have a cardiologist pal on speed dial? No worries, we've got plenty, and they shared their bottom-line insider advice. What top heart docs want you to know By now you know the basics of keeping your heart in shape: You're all over the Mediterranean diet and you do that cardio. But thanks to conflicting headlines running amok, the details get confusing: Should I take aspirin? How hard do I really need to work out? That's why we went to leading cardiologists and asked them to level with us about what heart-health habits women absolutely need. Check out their straight-up answers. Skip food fads "So many trends come and go. A gluten-free diet is not worth your time unless you have celiac disease or a real gluten sensitivity. If you're considering Paleo, forget it! It's not heart-healthy to bypass beans, legumes or whole grains (which are proven to lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar)." Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, director of women's heart health at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and author of Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum's Heart Book Eat better fish "The American Heart Association recommends eating fish twice a week, but that doesn't mean just anything from the ocean. Fish like tilapia or orange roughy contain basically zero omega-3 fatty acids, which lower triglycerides and inflammation. And shrimp and lobsterthey're not even fish! Eat salmon, herring, tuna and anchovies. They have the highest levels of omega-3s." Leslie Cho, MD, director of the Women's Cardiovascular Center at the Cleveland Clinic Quit worrying about salt "The long-standing salt limit is 1,500 milligrams a day, but some studies show that blood pressure rises only when salt intake tops 3,500mg daily. If your kidneys are healthy, you probably don't need to cut all added salt from your diet. Instead, avoid processed foods, which are real sodium bombs." Holly Andersen, MD, director of education and outreach for the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at the New York--Presbyterian Hospital Pass on the Aspirin "Despite all the studies about aspirin's heart benefits, it's not for everyone. The term baby aspirin makes it seem benign, like, "Babies take it!" but one danger is bleeding. If you're under 65 with no risk factors, daily aspirin is not helpful." Dr. Cho Find your happy place "Chronic daily stress ups blood pressure and can lead to depression and anxiety. Have dinner with your girlfriends or listen to music. I use apps: Happify, which has daily gratitude activities, is a good one." Stacey Rosen, MD, vice president of women's health at the Katz Institute for Women's Health, North Shore-LIJ Health System Say no to sugar "We cardiologists pushed everyone to eat low-fat, and as a result, food manufacturers have added more sugar to things like crackers and cereals. When you eat too much sugar, your body may stop getting the message to feel full. Focus on protein and healthy fats instead of refined carbs." Dr. Andersen Pay attention to your pregnancies "Most women don't know this, but your pregnancies can tell you a lot about your future heart risk. Since your blood volume rises so much (blood flow just to the uterus increases eightfold), pregnancy is like a stress test. If you had pregnancy-related high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes, you're at greater risk as you age." Chrisandra Shufelt, MD, associate director of the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles Build muscles "Strength training revs your metabolic rate, so you burn more calories at rest. This may keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels low and helps prevent metabolic syndrome, a major risk factor for heart disease. Use weights or your own body: I have a 15-minute daily routine that includes planks, sit-ups and push-ups. " Dr. Steinbaum Laugh it up "Laughter is huge. Fifteen minutes of laughter is equivalent to 30 minutes of aerobic activity in terms of what it can do for cardiovascular health." Dr. Andersen Don't go to bed angry "Studies show that a healthy marriage decreases heart disease risk. When you have problems with your husband, that stress you feel is the inflammatory markers going up. The longer you let it bother you, the worse it gets for your heart. Maintaining a stable, happy relationship really matters." Dr. Steinbaum Don't turn to hormones "It's true that heart risk goes way up once estrogen starts to drop as women age; estrogen helps maintain the flexibility of our arteries and helps keep our LDL (bad) cholesterol low. But studies show that adding synthetic estrogen doesn't work the same way. You can use hormone therapy in the short term to help with menopause symptoms but it won't protect your heart." Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at the NYU Langone Medical Center Go nuts for nuts "I snack on walnuts, almonds, pecans and more. They help increase HDL (good) cholesterol, and people who eat nuts seem to live longer with less disease. I proportion them in baggies (about a quarter-cup scoop each) so when I get hungry, I won't eat the doughnuts people bring to the office." Dr. Andersen Just move already "Whatever exercise you can do consistently is the best exercise for your heart. Have fun with it. Boosting intensity is always great, but work up to it or you may burn out or get hurt. " Dr. Cho Put your job second "Women who say their jobs are stressful are more likely to die of heart disease. But so much of the pressure we feel is actually self-imposed. There's nothing wrong with wanting to do well at work, but most people aren't going to get fired for eating lunch away from their desks. So do it: Get out of the office to eat, take a break when you need one, go home on time. Don't let your job steal your health." Dr. Andersen Cheers to your heart There's no magic elixir for a healthy life, but that's not to say that your drink can't affect your ticker. Here's your beverage update. Good Green tea: For every extra cup you sip a day, you may reduce your coronary artery disease risk by 10 percent, according to a recent review. Brew your own for best results. Coffee: Jacking up your java by at least a cup a day may lower your risk of type 2 diabetes (which raises your heart risk), per a new study. Bad Energy drinks: A 2014 study linked guzzling energy drinks with angina (chest pain), irregular heartbeat and death. One can is OK, but why not choose espresso instead? Soda: A 12-ounce can is your entire daily sugar limit and then some! Overdoing it on sweets raises triglycerides and may reduce HDL (good) cholesterol. It's Complicated Wine: Unwinding with a glass of red or white vino can protect against cardiovascular disease but only if you also exercise, according to a 2014 Czech study. The wine-drinking participants who experienced a rise in levels of good cholesterol were those who worked their bodies at least two times a week. | 7 | 3,647 | health |
To prevent heart attacks, avoid unhealthy food, and eat foods rich in nutrients, fiber, and healthy fats. Heart-healthy foods While deaths due to heart disease have dropped in recent years, it's still the No. 1 killer of Americans . The good news is that we now know a ton about how to prevent cardiovascular disease, which includes both strokes and heart attacks. It's clear that healthy eating and living (like exercising more!) can make a huge difference. Read on to see what you should be including in your diet to keep your ticker happy for decades to come. Salmon Salmon and other fatty fish such as sardines and mackerel are the superstars of heart-healthy foods. That's because they contain copious amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, shown in studies to lower the risk of arrhythmia (irregular heart beat) and atherosclerosis (plaque build-up in the arteries) and decrease triglycerides. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish and preferably fatty fish at least twice a week. Omega-3 fatty acids are also available as dietary supplements. Oatmeal Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber, which can lower cholesterol. "It acts as a sponge in the digestive tract and soaks up the cholesterol so it is eliminated from the body and not absorbed into the bloodstream," says Lauren Graf, a registered dietician and co-director of the Cardiac Wellness Program at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Graf recommends avoiding instant oatmeal, which often contains sugar, and heading instead for old-fashioned or even quick-cooking oats. Other whole grains such as bread, pasta and grits are also good for the heart as long as they still contain the entire grain. Blueberries Not just blueberries, but strawberries and other berries as well. According to one recent study , women aged 25 through 42 who ate more than three servings of blueberries and strawberries a week had a 32% lower risk of heart attack compared with those who ate less. The authors of the study attributed the benefit to compounds known as anthocyanins, flavonoids (which are antioxidants) that may decrease blood pressure and dilate blood vessels. Anthocyanins give plants their red and blue colors. Dark chocolate Several studies have now shown that dark chocolate may benefit your heart, including one in 2012 that found that daily chocolate consumption could reduce nonfatal heart attacks and stroke in people at high risk for these problems. The findings applied only to dark chocolate, meaning chocolate made up of at least 60-70% cocoa. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids called polyphenols, which may help blood pressure, clotting, and inflammation. Unfortunately, milk chocolate and most candy bars don't make the grade when it comes to protecting your heart. Citrus fruits Women who consume high amounts of the flavonoids found in oranges and grapefruits have a 19% lower risk of ischemic stroke (caused by a clot) than women who don't get as much of these compounds, a recent study found. Citrus fruits are also high in vitamin C, which has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease. Beware of citrus juices that contain added sugar. And be aware that grapefruit products may interfere with the action of the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins. Soy Soy products, including tofu and soy milk, are a good way to add protein to your diet without unhealthy fats and cholesterol. Soy products contain high levels of polyunsaturated fats (good for your health), fiber, vitamins, and minerals. What's more, soy may reduce blood pressure in people who eat a diet high in refined carbohydrates. And compared with milk or other proteins, soy protein can actually decrease LDL or "bad" cholesterol. Potatoes There's no reason to shun potatoes because they're white and look like a "bad" starch. As long as they're not deep fried, potatoes can be good for your heart. They're rich in potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. And they're high in fiber, which can lower the risk for heart disease. "They are definitely not a junk food or refined carbohydrate," says Graf. "They have a lot of health benefits." Tomatoes Tomato consumption in the U.S. has been rising and that's a good thing. Like potatoes, tomatoes are high in heart-healthy potassium. Plus, they're a good source of the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid that may help get rid of "bad" cholesterol, keep blood vessels open, and lower heart attack risk. And because they're low in calories and low in sugar, they don't detract from an already-healthy diet. "They're excellent for the body in a number of ways," says Graf. Nuts This includes almonds, walnuts, pistachios, peanuts and macadamia nuts, all of which contain good-for-your-heart fiber. They also contain vitamin E, which helps lower bad cholesterol. And some, like walnuts, are high in omega-3 fatty acids. "Some people in the past have avoided nuts because they're higher in fat, but most of the studies show that people who consume nuts daily are leaner than people who don't," says Graf. And leaner people are at a lower risk for heart problems. Look for varieties that don't have a lot of added salt. Legumes Because they come from plants, legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas are an excellent source of protein without a lot of unhealthy fat. One study found that people who ate legumes at least four times a week had a 22% lower risk of heart disease compared with those who consumed them less than once a week. And legumes may help control blood sugar in people with diabetes. Lowering blood sugar levels is key in helping people avoid diabetes complications, one of which is heart disease. Extra-virgin olive oil In a landmark study , people at high risk for heart disease who followed the Mediterranean diet (high in grains, fruits, vegetables) supplemented by nuts and at least four tablespoons a day of olive oil reduced their risk of heart attacks, strokes, and dying by 30%. Olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce both cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Olives themselves -- both green and black -- are another source of "good" fat, says Graf. And they "add a lot of flavor to salads," she notes. Red wine Red wine, or small amounts of any type of alcohol, are thought to lower heart disease risk. (Higher amounts, more than a drink or two a day, can actually increase risk.) While some say a polyphenol found in red wine, resveratrol, gives that beverage an added benefit, research suggests that any type of alcohol in moderation works. As with coffee, though, none of these properties are a reason to start drinking alcohol, says Graf. You can also get resveratrol from non-alcohol sources, like natural peanut butter and grapes. Green tea Long a favorite in Asia, green tea has grown more popular in the West and may bring with it significant health benefits. One recent study found that people who drank four or more cups of green tea daily had a 20% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke compared with people who "seldom" imbibed the beverage. The findings echo a previous study that found lower rates of death, including death from heart disease, among avid drinkers of green tea. Antioxidants known as catechins may be responsible for the effect. Broccoli, spinach and kale When it comes to your health, you really can't go wrong with vegetables. But green vegetables may give an extra boost to your heart. These are high in carotenoids, which act as antioxidants and free your body of potentially harmful compounds. They're also high in fiber and contain tons of vitamins and minerals. Kale also has some omega-3 fatty acids. "Green vegetables are super health-promoting foods," says Graf. Coffee Another widely consumed beveragecoffeemay also promote heart health. One study found a 10 to 15% lower risk of dying from heart disease or other causes in men and women who drank six or more cups of coffee a day. Other research has found that even two cups a day could lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke by 30%. It's not clear where the benefit comes from and the news isn't necessarily a reason to pick up the habit. "If you're already drinking coffee and enjoying it, continue," says Graf. "If not, there's no reason to start." Flax seeds Flax seeds as well as the ultra-chic (among the health conscious) chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, says Graf. That's one reason they're good for your heart. Another reason is their high fiber content. Plus, there are a million ways to enjoy them. Try them ground up with other heart-healthy foods, such as dried blueberries, cranberries, or oatmeal or even blended with soy milk and fruit to create a smoothie . Avocado These soft, tasty fruits have a well-established reputation for providing the body and heart with healthy fats. Like olive oil, they're rich in the monounsaturated fats that may lower heart disease risk factors, such as cholesterol. They're also high in antioxidants and in potassium, says Graf. They can be eaten on their own or blended into guacamole, perhaps with some heart-promoting tomatoes. Pomegranate Pomegranates contains numerous antioxidants, including heart-promoting polyphenols and anthocyanins which may help stave off hardening of the arteries. One study of heart disease patients found that a daily dose of pomegranate juice over three months showed improvements in blood flow to the heart. Ultimately, though, it's important to have variety in your diet. If you don't like pomegranates or can't afford them, reach for apples, which also contain plenty of health-promoting compounds, says Graf. | 7 | 3,648 | health |
Robin van Persie admits he is unsure over his long-term future at Manchester United. Goal UK exclusively revealed in November that United had planned to open contract talks with the Dutchman this month, and is wary of losing him for free when his big-money deal expires next summer. But Van Persie concedes that he may not see out his career at Old Trafford. "It is not up to me. For the moment I am staying here for 18 months," he told reporters. "I can't look into the future. I don't know what is going to happen after that. We shall have to wait and see." The striker also underlined his confidence in United manager Louis van Gaal, his former coach at international level with the Netherlands. "I've known him for over two years and I know how he works," said Van Persie. "Every year I still believe in him, we work together. "We are trying everything we can to win games, but not only that, we want to do it in a nice way as well. That is a process and in that process we have to be honest and give everything we can." | 1 | 3,649 | sports |
(Bloomberg) -- From the vantage point John Manley had in his office some 40 floors up, it actually looked like the snow was blowing up from the ground rather than falling from the sky as the first dose of winter storm Juno said hello to Manhattan. "I'm going to make a break for it around 3:30 today then see what happens," Manley, the 60-year-old chief equity strategist for Wells Fargo Funds Management, said in a phone interview, contemplating his plans to get home to Westchester before the worst of a snowstorm that may be measured by the foot. Severe weather on the U.S. East Coast was presenting its biggest test to the resiliency of the financial industry since Hurricane Sandy in 2012 as workers booked hotel rooms, tested backup generators and dusted off business-continuity plans. Financial markets prepared to remain open even as public transportation planned to shut down, with New Jersey Transit saying its trains would stop running for two days. Nasdaq OMX Group Inc.'s data center in Carteret, New Jersey, was prepared for a power failure with backup generators containing fuel to run for at least 72 hours and "redundant backup fuel supply contracts" ready to bring more if needed, Tom Wittman, executive vice president for global equities at the exchange operator, wrote in an e-mail to customers. The last time the New York Stock Exchange cut trading hours for snow was on Jan. 8, 1996, when a blizzard dropped more than 20 inches on New York City. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused the longest weather-related shutdown for American equities since 1888 as exchanges closed for two days. 'Affect Liquidity' Exchanges stayed open during a severe snowstorm in 2010, and volume held up. Although nationwide trading slowed 19 percent from the five-day average, more than 8 billion shares changed hands on Feb. 10, 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. This storm's wind-driven snow may fall as fast as four inches per hour and is poised to bring travel and commerce to a standstill from New York to Boston. "If you make the case that the East Coast houses the majority of firms, this event could definitely affect liquidity," Frank Ingarra, head trader at Greenwich, Connecticut-based NorthCoast Asset Management LLC, said by phone. "It looks like it's going to be an extreme event. No matter what, I'm coming in on foot or hitch-hiking a ride from somebody's snow mobile tomorrow." For many Wall Street employees, the storm will mean spending the night in a hotel paid for by their firm rather than taking a train or car home to the suburbs. Miami For others, it can even mean being stranded in different cities. Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, a consultant and trainer at MRV Associates, will be late coming home from a foreign-exchange conference at the Trump International Beach Resort in Miami. "I have been stuck in Sudan and Kazakhstan, so Miami's pretty good," she said. "We're so used to being Type A in finance, but you can't control everything. You cannot defeat Mother Nature. It's just a reminder there are things you can do nothing about. I just had to take a step back and say, 'Is my husband safe? Are my children safe? Yes.'" Michael McDougall, a senior director at Societe Generale's Newedge unit in New York who lives in Pennsylvania, said he will catch the movie "Taken 3" after work before retiring to a hotel room booked by his firm. "The only other time I stayed in the city was during Hurricane Sandy," said McDougall, who leads a team of four people tracking sugar and grain markets. 'Same Predicament' Just like in today's electronic markets, the blizzard means traders need to react quickly to take advantage of opportunities. While some of his co-workers secured hotel rooms across from Interactive Brokers Group Inc.'s office in Greenwich, Connecticut, Steve Sosnick could not. Sosnick, equity risk manager at Timber Hill LLC, the firm's market-making unit, may not be able to get to work tomorrow. "I have no idea when I'll get my street snow-plowed," Sosnick said by phone. Graham Leighton, a trader at Marex Spectron Group in New York, said colleagues were telling clients whom to contact in the London and Hong Kong offices if they were unavailable. "And I suspect our clients will be in the same predicament that we're in," Leighton said. Business continuity plans were being invoked at home, too. Manley said he's got plenty of firewood and Remy Martin in the house in case the power goes out. His two four-wheel drive cars are pointing out of the driveway. "You just have to be ready to roll with the punches," he said. "The same skills that people use so well in their everyday lives, they don't apply them well to the market." --With assistance from Oliver Renick, Luzi Ann Javier, Joe Deaux, Annabelle Ju and Michelle F. Davis in New York and Brian K. Sullivan in Boston. To contact the reporters on this story: Callie Bost in New York at [email protected]; Lananh Nguyen in Miami at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeff Sutherland at [email protected] Michael P. Regan | 3 | 3,650 | finance |
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Alabama is getting used to heart-thumping finishes, for better and worse. The Crimson Tide split a pair of two-point games last week to continue a trend of outcomes that aren't decided until the final shot comes down going into Tuesday night's game with Florida at Coleman Coliseum. Three of Alabama's last four games, and five of the last 11, have been decided by one or two points. No other SEC team has had as many such games except Auburn (also five). ''Everything you go through, you want to use it to make you better,'' Tide coach Anthony Grant said on Monday. ''Obviously we've had some tough defeats in close games and a great victory the other day in a game where we had guys step up. It's all a part of the process.'' It's been a painful part at times for Alabama (13-6, 3-3 Southeastern Conference), which is still trying to make its first NCAA tournament in three years. The three losses by one or two points hurt the already shaky case for the Tide, which stands 50th in the NCAA's RPI. How those five nail biters ended: -Alabama overcame an eight-point deficit late to beat Auburn 57-55 Saturday night on Rodney Cooper's putback with 5.8 seconds left. Levi Randolph scored nine points over the final 4:29. ''They were able to come back from a deficit and he was able to step up and make big shots,'' Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. ''That was probably the most impressive thing for me, was his performance.'' -Bobby Portis's buzzer-beating putback in overtime gave Arkansas a 93-91 win two nights earlier. -Randolph's 3-pointer hit the rim as time ran out in a 68-66 loss at South Carolina. -Appalachian State missed a contested 3-pointer in the final seconds to allow Alabama to escape with a 60-59 win. -The Tide blew an 11-point lead in the final six minutes of a 53-52 loss at No. 12 Wichita State. Florida, incidentally, is 0-4 in games where one two-point basket was the difference, including Saturday's 72-71 loss to Mississippi. The Gators are on a three-game losing streak and haven't dropped four in a row since 2008. Gators coach Billy Donovan isn't promising a turnaround - or discounting the possibility. ''We've shown no signs of consistency,'' Donovan said. ''Now, we're working on those things, but I haven't seen any signs that make me say, `Yeah, we're OK, we're OK.' (Or) `We're not OK.' For me, as a coach, I love going on the court with these guys. I love coaching them and being around them. If this was an attitude or behavioral issue, I'd be a lot more disappointed. It's not that at all. ''It's the consistency of being able to do it night in and night out for 40 minutes, practice in and practice out for 40 minutes.'' --- AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Gainesville, Florida, contributed to this report. | 1 | 3,651 | sports |
The Ford Raptor was one of the 2015 Detroit auto show's biggest surprises, though every debut from that show inevitably took a backseat to the Ford GT . We now have a better idea of what to expect from the EcoBoost-powered Raptor, as Ford group president of global product development Raj Nair just let slip how much power the off-road-focused pickup makes. Nair made the comments during an interview at this past weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona. Speaking of the EcoBoost V-6 engine that powers the Ford-Riley Daytona Prototype race cars , Nair said, "The development we're doing here in racing we're taking right back into the production car, so a lot of what we learned we're putting back into the F-150 Raptor getting 450 hp…this same engine's going to go in our Ford GT at over 600 hp. So it's straight from production to racing, back to production." Related link: Research the Ford F-150 So there you have it. The next Ford F-150 Raptor will make 450 hp, or 39 ponies more than the outgoing model's 411 hp from a 6.2-liter V-8. The product boss made no mention of torque, but you can likely expect it to exceed the current Raptor's 434 lb-ft. However much it ends up making, Ford's chief engineer for global performance vehicles Jamal Hameedi promises the next Raptor will outperform its predecessor . "You have to drive it. The engine is so capable and the thing with trucks is that you want a lot of torque -- a lot of low-speed torque -- and this engine is just vastly superior to the V-8 in terms of low-RPM torque. Like not even close," Hameedi told us in a recent interview. Though some have voiced doubts that the EcoBoost V-6 is a worthy powerplant for the Raptor and the Ford GT, the engine did propel Chip Ganassi Racing and its Ford-Riley DP to an overall win at the 24 Hours of Daytona this year. We'll have to wait until we drive an EcoBoost-powered Raptor to find out if racing success translates to off-road capability. Stay tuned. Source: Fox Sports | 9 | 3,652 | autos |
Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX) said on Tuesday it is restructuring its international tariffs to absorb fuel surcharges into base fares, adding that lower oil prices put airlines in a better position to invest in new aircraft, lounges and routes. The move will not reduce overall prices as base fares will be increased to cover the scrapping of breakout fuel surcharges, but the restructure will benefit passengers who use frequent flyer points to buy fares. Qantas was prompted into the change by arch rival Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd (VAH.AX), which removed its last remaining fuel surcharges, on its U.S. route, last week. Analysts say removing the term "fuel surcharge" from bookings pages was a significant marketing move. Qantas, which earns around A$1 billion ($790 million) annually from fuel surcharges, had been keen to keep the separate billing until fuel prices had moved to a sustainable low. Oil is now about 60 percent cheaper than it was at its June peak, but Qantas said international air fares remained extremely competitive and were significantly lower than when surcharges were first introduced 10 years ago. "If you look at the trends in global aviation over the past decade, costs and competition have been increasing while fares and airline margins have been falling," Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said in a statement. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that the net profit airlines make per passenger this year will rise by just $1 compared with last year, from $6 to $7. Joyce said Qantas would continue to price its fares competitively, adding that lower oil prices could help put the industry on a more sustainable footing. "It means airlines are in a better position to invest in new aircraft, new lounges and new routes that ultimately benefit customers," he said. (Reporting by Jane Wardell; Editing by Stephen Coates) | 3 | 3,653 | finance |
Ray Lewis talks about the Patriots a lot these days. After saying the tuck rule was the " only reason we know Tom Brady ," the former Raven is back with more to say about the New England team. On ESPN's Pro Bowl pregame show, Lewis mentioned the warning the NFL gave Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch regarding his gold cleats , and mentioned the Patriots wins are tainted at this point. MORE: Ten worst Super Bowl performances | God answers media questions | Pressing Super Bowl questions "Marshawn Lynch, the league clearly said to him, 'If you come out of the tunnel with those shoes on, we will not only suspend you for this game, but we will suspend you for the Super Bowl.' Now we're back at another place where we let a team go into an AFC championship, and if it's proven that they played with deflated balls ... because if it's not cheating, then the Colts should have had the same option to play with the same balls. So we're at a place now where we're going to celebrate an organization once again, put an asterisk by it, because they went into a championship game." Lewis was once under national attention for something other than the hard hits he delivered on the field. The former linebacker has been accused of murder, and later cheating by using a banned substance . He's not the first person that comes to mind when honesty and integrity are brought up. For those who think his comments are merely based on his former, and perhaps still current, rivalry with the Patriots, he reassures that is not the reason. "Every time we talk about the Patriots, you have the Patriots fans … you get all the talk about the jealousy of them and all that," Lewis said. "I won two Super Bowls, I've been Defensive Player of the Year, I've been MVP of the Super Bowl, I've went to New England and won so I'm not jealous of them at all." Lewis does have all of that going for him, but his rant has a "people who live in glass houses" type of vibe. | 1 | 3,654 | sports |
Emma Watson will be wearing an iconic yellow dress soon! | 8 | 3,655 | video |
There's really never a good time to sneeze. Judgmental eyes note how well you've covered your mouth. And that second and third sneeze? That's when the co-workers start scooting their chairs away from your cubicle, fearful of the contaminated air that surrounds you. So why can't we just sneeze once and be done with it? According to Popular Science, it's because we're wimpy sneezers whose first go at clearing our nasal passages is apparently low on our list of evolutionary achievements. Sneezes are caused by irritation in the lining of the nasal cavity, which releases inflammatory histamines. These in turn stimulate the nerve endings that produce the actual action of sneezing the explosive push of air that is meant to clear irritants from the nose. Follow-up sneezes occur because the irritant is still there. Sometimes it takes successive efforts to blow out that last lingering particle. For those who suffer from allergies to things like pollens and pet hair, it's very common to need multiple sneezes to do the trick. Other non-illness-inducing sneeze-causers include perfume, dust and even cold air. Unfortunately, when irritants are blown from the nose, it often comes with mucus. And this is probably why sneezers get a bad rap. If the sneezer is sick with a virus like a cold or the flu, the infected mucus can spread the illness. But don't assume that someone sneezing a bunch is carrying a virus. As mentioned, airborne allergens can easily cause a multi-sneeze attack. Then again, you don't even need to have an irritant in your nose to sneeze. Popular Science reports that there is something called "photic sneeze reflex," which is a genetic condition that causes one to sneeze simply by looking at bright lights. It's estimated to affect 18 to 20 percent of the population, and while scientists aren't exactly sure why it happens, they think it may have to do with the pupil's rapid adjustment to brightness. | 7 | 3,656 | health |
Asian shares hit fresh highs on Tuesday, as investors deemed a Greek exit from the euro zone unlikely despite an election victory by anti-austerity party Syriza in Sunday's snap election. Chinese equities bucked the rising trend as new data served up fresh concerns about the impact of a cooling economy. "I think a 'Grexit' isn't wanted by people in Greece and I don't think the country [under a new government] will storm out of the euro zone because the consequences will be a systemic crisis for the Greeks, but not so for the rest of Europe," Geoff Lewis, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, told CNBC Asia's " Squawk Box ." A modestly higher finish by U.S. stocks overnight also helped sentiment. The Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 added 0.3 percent each, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished little changed, as investors mulled results from Greek elections and a massive blizzard bearing down on the East Coast. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve kicks off its monthly policy meeting later on Tuesday. Mainland indices down China's benchmark Shanghai Composite index trimmed losses to 0.9 percent in a broad-based slump, following government data that showed an 8 percent slump in industrial profits from a year earlier. Property heavyweights were among the biggest losers for the day, with China Merchants Property (Z24-CN) and Poly Real Estate (48-SZ) plunging 5.2 and 4.7 percent each. Vanke (Z2-CN) , Gemdale and Shanghai Shimao made losses between 3 and 4.1 percent. Apart from insurers like China Pacific Insurance (1601-SZ) and Ping An Insurance (1318-SZ) which retreated 1.7 and 2.2.percent each, Bank of China (1988-SZ) and Bank of Communication closed down more than 3 percent. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index took cues from Shanghai to head down 0.8 percent. Nikkei rallies 1.7% Japan's key Nikkei 225 index hit a four-week high, supported by a softer yen trading above the 118 handle against the U.S. dollar. Among blue-chip majors, Canon (7751.T-JP) and Mitsubishi Electric (6503.T-JP) tacked on nearly 2 percent each, while Toyota Motor (7203.T-JP) , which is in the news for planning a switch to a merit-based pay for its factory workers, climbed 1.3 percent. Shares of the country's second largest bank by market capital Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T-JP) was up 2 percent ahead of third quarter earnings data. Insurer Tokio Marine Holdings (8766.T-JP) also finished 3 percent higher. ASX adds 0.8% Australia's benchmark S&P ASX 200 (.AXJO) index closed up at a more than two-month high following an extended weekend, while the Australian dollar (USDAUD=) bounced off Monday's six-year low to trade at $0.7931 to the dollar. The big four lenders led advances, as investors turned to equities that will ride out ongoing volatility, noted IG's market strategist Evan Lucas. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA-AU) notched up 1.6 percent, while National (NAB-AU) Australia Bank (NAB-AU) , ANZ Banking () and Westpac (WBC-AU) made gains between 0.7 to 1.2 percent. However, weakness in iron ore prices weighed on mining shares, capping gains on the bourse. Fortescue Metal (FMG-AU) halved losses to close down 2.4 percent, while BHP BIlliton (BHP-AU) and Rio Tinto (RIO-AU) fell 1.5 and 0.1 percent, respectively. Kospi rises 0.9% South Korean shares settled at a one-month high as energy-related counters enjoyed a rare reprieve on the back of bargain hunting. LG Chem and S-Oil (1095-KR) jumped 6.4 and 5.8 percent each, while SK Innovation (9677-KR) surged 4.3 percent. Utility Kepco and Korea Gas (3646-KR) also rallied 4.3 and 1 percent, respectively. Samsung SDI (640-KR) closed up 0.8 percent despite fourth-quarter earnings missing market expectations. But Kia Motors (27-KR) tanked for the fifth consecutive session, down 2.3 percent on Tuesday, on concerns about the automaker's earnings outlook. | 3 | 3,657 | finance |
WASHINGTON President Barack Obama's health care law will cost about 20 percent less over the next decade than originally projected, the Congressional Budget Office reported Monday, in part because lower-than-expected health care inflation has led to smaller premiums. So far, the number of uninsured Americans has dropped by about 12 million. By the end of 2016, 24 million fewer Americans will lack insurance, the nonpartisan budget office forecast. Excluding immigrants in the country illegally, who are not eligible for coverage under the law, only about 8 percent of Americans under age 65 will lack insurance by the time Obama leaves office, the budget office's latest report on the law estimates. Of the Americans who will remain uninsured once enrollment has fully ramped up, the budget office estimates that about 30 percent will be people in the U.S. without legal authorization. An additional 10 percent will be people who are too poor to buy insurance on the exchanges, but who live in states that have not expanded Medicaid. The remaining 60 percent will be people who choose to not buy insurance or enroll in Medicaid. Those forecasts assume that Obamacare remains in its current state for the rest of the president's tenure, a projection that could be significantly upset by the Supreme Court this year. The high court is set to rule by June on a challenge to the law's grant of subsidies to insurance consumers in many states. The budget office, noting that its estimates of the law's costs have dropped repeatedly, said the smaller price tag was "attributable to many factors." Two of the largest were "the slowdown in the growth of health care costs" and the Supreme Court's decision in 2012 to allow states to opt out of expanding the Medicaid program for the poor. About half the states have so far declined to expand Medicaid to all impoverished adults, as the law allows. Because the federal government pays the cost of that expansion, the states that have declined have held down federal spending. Several of those states are reconsidering, however, and the budget office projects that additional states will decide to expand Medicaid over the next several years. Overall, the budget office projects that insuring people under Obamacare will cost roughly $1.35 trillion over the next decade. Most of that money goes to subsidizing the cost of insurance for working-class and middle-class families and to the expanded Medicaid program. The report suggests that projected price tag could drop again later this year. An estimate of future premiums, currently in its "early stages," seems to suggest lower costs, the report said. For this year, the budget office estimates that about 12 million Americans will buy insurance on the new online markets, known as exchanges, which the law created. The total on the exchanges will rise to 21 million in 2016, the report forecast. Enrollment in Medicaid and the related Children's Health Insurance Program is higher by 8 million as a result of the new law, the budget office estimates, and that figure is expected to rise to 16 million by 2016. Those increases in coverage will be partially offset by a reduction in the number of Americans receiving coverage at work, which the budget office expects to see in future years, as well as some smaller shifts in the insurance market. The budget office expects that between 9 million and 10 million fewer Americans will have coverage through their workplaces by 2018. | 5 | 3,658 | news |
37 police commandos and six Muslim rebels were killed during fighting in southern Philippines. CNN's Amara Walker and Michael Holmes report. | 5 | 3,659 | news |
Is the market a sick patient right now, or healthy enough to invest? Jim Cramer has his own way of taking the pulse of the market, and has calculated that it's actually remarkably healthy. The "Mad Money" host defines as healthy market as one that gives investors a chance to participate, and that's just what it is doing. To help spot the opportunities, Cramer listed eight signs of a healthy market. A few of the signs include merger and acquisition activity, reduction of overseas worries and IPO's doing well such as Box (BOX) , and the upcoming Shake Shack IPO. "My only regret is not being even more bullish than I was because Box was a total homerun. That's what happens in a real good market," said the "Mad Money" host. The "Mad Money" host doesn't play around when it comes to hamburgers. In fact, perhaps McDonald's should listen to this one. Why does Cramer want to gobble up Shake Shack? First, is the potential for growth. Currently it has 63 locations, and only 36 of those are in the U.S. Ultimately it believes it can open 450 locations, just in the U.S. alone. That is an unbelievable growth trajectory. "I have to believe the earnings power four or five years from now could be ultimately enormous," he said. America's largest chocolate maker is facing a sticky situation with analysts this week. Last Friday, Hershey (HSY) was a hit with its second downgrade of the week, causing the stock to pull back. It was also upgraded twice in one week, leaving Jim Cramer perplexed. Could this be a good time for a sweet opportunity on Hershey? "The stock has run, and it's not exactly cheap. I recommend putting half of your position before Hershey reports next week, and then if for some reason it sells off after the quarter, you can use that weakness to buy some more," said Cramer. What the heck happened to Kimberly-Clark (KMB) ? The consumer packaged goods company that makes everything from diapers to baby wipes to Kleenex tissues, reported a 2 cent earnings miss from a $1.37 basis. As a result, the stock was taken to the wood shed. A company like Kimberly-Clark benefits from lower oil prices, since petroleum is a major ingredient in packaging materials. However the company took a hit due to the strong U.S. dollar and overseas sales, especially in Venezuela . Nevertheless, Cramer still thinks that this is a well-run company that will do well in the future. To find out more, he spoke with Kimberly-Clark chairman and CEO Thomas Falk. "We'd expect to do another 800 million to a billion in repurchases this year and increase the dividend, bid single digits, which will be the 43rd consecutive dividend increase...So it's a great track record of shareholder value creation," said Falk, The energy space also reached a pivotal point on Monday. In Cramer's opinion, oil has to stay around $45 right now, or it could be bad news in store. Same goes for natural gas; $3 is the current price it has to stay for it to make it or break it. "Those are the black magical levels where our homegrown shales become uneconomic to drill for most U.S. companies," the "Mad Money" host added. What worries Cramer the most, is that he doesn't know if oil and natural gas can hold at these key levels based on the excess of supply in the U.S. And the same goes for Russia, Iraq and Iran. Though, there are positive signs that he is seeing. Worldwide economic activity should get a boost from low prices and stimulate demand, and shale wells deplete faster. However, Cramer wants investors to keep these signs at the forefront of their attention. Otherwise there will be major estimate cuts, and it will be ugly. | 3 | 3,660 | finance |
The number of complaints received by Britain's Financial Ombudsman Service about the mis-selling of loan insurance by banks and other financial services firms fell in the fourth quarter of 2014, the service said on Tuesday. Banks have already set aside 24 billion pounds ($36 billion) to compensate customers mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) in what has become Britain's costliest consumer finance scandal. The policies were meant to protect borrowers in the event of sickness or unemployment but were often sold to those who would have been ineligible to claim. The ombudsman, which deals with cases in which banks and their customers cannot settle a dispute, said it still received about 4,000 complaints a week about mis-sold loan insurance between October and December last year, raising the prospect banks will need to set aside more for compensation. Last month, Chief Financial Ombudsman Carline Wayman said banks and other financial services firms were likely to be paying out compensation for years to come. Lloyds Banking Group has so far set aside 11.3 billion pounds for compensation, more than any other bank. Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC have also set aside billions of pounds. About three out of five cases relating to PPI were settled in favor of the consumer between April and December last year, the ombudsman said. After PPI, bank accounts and mortgages were the next most complained about financial products. The ombudsman said it received 74,357 new complaints during the fourth quarter, of which 48,516 related to PPI. That represented a decline on the 57,094 new PPI cases taken on by the ombudsman in the previous quarter and a slowdown from a peak of 12,000 cases a week in late 2012. (Reporting by Matt Scuffham; Editing by Mark Potter) | 3 | 3,661 | finance |
Zac Rinaldo was suspended eight games by the NHL's department of player safety for last week's hit on Penguins defenseman Kris Letang , the league announced Monday evening. Philadelphia's Zac Rinaldo has been suspended for eight games for charging and boarding Pittsburgh's Kris Letang. NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 27, 2015 Here's video of the hit: There's no full explanation from the league as they usually give, presumably because half of the player safety department was on a bus from Columbus to New York today. But it's as clear as day: boarding, charging, whatever you want to call it. It was an illegal hit and eight games is a fair suspension. It's the longest suspension of Rinaldo's career. He's now been suspended three times at the NHL level. He'll be eligible to return to the Flyers lineup against the Blue Jackets on February 17. | 1 | 3,662 | sports |
Some may avoid cooking flaky fish over the stovetop, because residual anxiety from poorly flipped pancakes and broken fried egg yolks still haunt them in the kitchen. But I promise, it's not going to be like that. No sir, not this time! You're equipped with the right technique to perfectly pan-sear salmon every time. Start with a good pan! A well-seasoned cast iron pan or nonstick skillet are the easiest to work with. Place the pan over a medium-high heat and let that pan become hot. You'll know it's hot enough when a splash of water sizzles and evaporates quickly. Grease that sucker up with about a tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter that cooks at high temperatures without smoking) or high-heat oil like peanut or canola. Let the oil heat through, about a minute. Place the salmon fillet skin side down on the pan. Let it cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes (if it's a thin fillet) and up to 4 minutes (if it's a thick 2-inch fillet). Don't touch it (the skin might stick and tear); set an alarm instead. While it's cooking, liberally sprinkle salt over the top of the fish. When the bottom half of the fish appears opaque, use a spatula to flip it. You'll know the skin side has finished searing when it's easy to wedge the spatula between the salmon and the pan. Otherwise, if it's sticky, let it cook for a minute or so more, and try again. Turn down the heat to medium and cook the other side an additional 2-3 minutes more (this side will cook faster). Remove from heat. Residual heat will cause carryover cooking, so serve the salmon immediately. | 0 | 3,663 | foodanddrink |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Nashville Predators are back at work ready to prove the best start in franchise history is no fluke, even with goaltender Pekka Rinne still sidelined. And they want a fast start coming off the All-Star break. ''It's very critical,'' forward James Neal said Monday. ''I think everyone's got the same mindset coming back from the break. We want to gain ground, and you want to make up as many points as you can. ... We've got to be ready here, and ... I think everyone just kind of recharged, really got their energy back and ready to go.'' Well, not everyone got to rest over the long All-Star weekend. Coach Peter Laviolette and his assistants worked the game and got the win with Team Toews in Columbus along with defenseman Shea Weber, who won the hardest shot competition with a 108.5 mph blast, and rookie Filip Forsberg who scored the first goals by a Predator in an All-Star game. At the All-Star break, the Predators lead the NHL with a .722 winning percentage. Anaheim has a league-best 68 points - three ahead of Nashville, which has two games in hand on the Ducks. Nashville (30-10-5) has gotten at least a point in 11 of the last 12 games going into the break and also lead the Central Division at 12-3-2, matching the wins they got in the division all last season. Laviolette tried to help his Predators get back up to speed Monday by pushing them through practice and drills quickly. ''It gets harder and harder,'' Laviolette said. ''The more is at stake as the season winds on here. The teams always will be fighting for something now. The playoffs, once you get through January and reach the halfway point of February, it starts to really narrow in on the playoff picture and what's happening around the league. So it doesn't get any easier than that.'' Rinne skated Monday, but the league's top winning goalie's return from an injured knee remains unchanged. He hurt his knee Jan. 13 and still is expected to miss between three and five weeks. The Predators managed three points in three games without him before the break. Carter Hutton at least got his first win in net for Nashville this season with a 4-3 victory over Washington on Jan. 16 and just missed a second in a 2-1 overtime loss at Montreal last week. Laviolette said Hutton has given the Predators a chance to win and thinks they will play hard in front of the goaltender. The Predators also recalled Marek Mazanec from Milwaukee in the AHL on Monday. Laviolette declined to say whether Hutton or Mazanec will be in net Tuesday night against Colorado. Hutton is 1-4-3 this season. ''He definitely deserves better,'' center Mike Fisher said. ''He's played some good games where we couldn't score in front of him. We know he's a good goaltender. We'll focus on what we need to do as a team no matter who's back there.'' Nashville currently leads the league allowing only 2.24 goals per game and ninth scoring an average of 2.96 goals per game. The Predators take a seven-game winning streak on home ice into Tuesday night's game, and another win will tie the franchise record set between Jan. 6 and Feb. 8, 2007. Then Nashville hits the road for three straight road games at St. Louis, Colorado and Pittsburgh as part of a tough stretch of four games in six nights. Fisher said the Predators just have to keep focusing on themselves and trying to play better. ''We've managed to be consistent throughout,'' Fisher said. ''We got to keep that going.'' | 1 | 3,664 | sports |
Nearly 30 German video bloggers with a total of 3.5 million subscribers are all using hashtag #YouGeHA to sensitize younger audiences to topics like racism, homophobia or discrimination of people with disabilities. But not every social media campaign has good intentions. | 5 | 3,665 | news |
Ahead of what could be a historic blizzard in the Northeast, people in Times Square still find time to slip and take 'selfies' in the winter weather. | 8 | 3,666 | video |
The best thing about the Super Bowl is be it the game, the commercials, the halftime show or just the snacks -- there's a little something for everyone. | 8 | 3,667 | video |
The Winnipeg Jets have taken off and are on course to land in the playoffs, an experience their passionate fans haven't enjoyed in nearly 20 years. ''At this point in the season, obviously it becomes a little bit more realistic,'' left wing Evander Kane said. ''But we don't pay too much attention to that. We're just focused on the 20-some-odd guys we have in the room and the job we need to do ourselves.'' They've been doing that job well. The Jets went 6-0-1 in their last seven games before the All-Star break to take a firm grip on the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference into the final stretch. They're in fourth place in the daunting Central Division, five points behind leader Nashville. ''I love our room. We've stuck together all year. We had a tough start to the season,'' right wing Blake Wheeler said. ''We've made a commitment to each other to just do the right things and stick with what works. I think we've put a lot of individual stuff behind us and just rallied around our team and our group and what we're good at. I think that makes playing this game with these guys a lot of fun.'' The old Jets went one-and-done in the 1996 playoffs, their last year in Winnipeg before moving to Arizona to become the Coyotes. The NHL returned to Manitoba in 2011, but the franchise that floundered in Atlanta as the Thrashers has qualified for the postseason only once in 15 years (in 2007). The new Jets have been competitive most of the time, but this season the breakthrough has been obvious. ''They've been unbelievable this year. They're a big, fast strong team. They play a good team game,'' Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook said. ''We played them three times now and lost to them all three times. They're tough games every time we play them. They're going to be a team to beat.'' The professorial conductor of the success this season is coach Paul Maurice, who was hired a little over a year ago after the firing of Claude Julien. He has injected some liveliness into his relatively young team, pushing a punishing style with back-checking forwards yet enough speed and skill to play a puck-possession game. All-Star Dustin Byfuglien, now a permanent presence on the first blue line pairing where he's most comfortable after spending some time on the wing, is 10th in the league with 144 hits. The Jets lead the NHL in penalty minutes. They're in the middle of the pack in scoring, with well-balanced production along the top two lines. ''They have a lot of meat on that team. They play hard. They play fast, and they come after you. It reminds me a lot of our team,'' said center Anze Kopitar of the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. Maurice reflected last week on the progress from those pressure-filled early days of his tenure. Even this season, the Jets have overcome a rash of injuries on defense and a four-game October losing streak when they were outscored 13-2 after winning their opener. ''There was a lot of frustration. They were playing hard. They wanted to play better,'' Maurice said. ''And now, I think the general feel in there is that we've been pretty good. We're on the right path. When you stand behind the bench, the players call the game, too. They know what's going on.'' Goaltending has been perhaps the biggest strength, with rookie Michael Hutchinson taking more and more turns from Ondrej Pavelec, who has been vastly improved himself from a year ago. Hutchinson is second in the NHL with a 1.90 goals-against average. Jets fans chanted his name as their last game before the break wound down, a 4-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Though a limited amount of tickets are still made available for each home date at the MTS Centre, a base of 13,000 season tickets for the 15,000-seat arena has made the full house a nightly occurrence. ''We've definitely turned a corner up there,'' Byfuglien said. ''Our game has come a long way. Our locker room is better. We've handled things a lot better. ... It's definitely changed. It's a good thing, and it's fun to be a part of.'' --- AP Sports Writer Rusty Miller and AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow contributed to this report from Columbus, Ohio. | 1 | 3,668 | sports |
Refresh with invigorating scents that wake you up. Simply toss one of these shower bombs in your shower and enjoy the enveloping smells that help make your day great. Made with vibrant-smelling essential oils combined with baking soda, the shower bombs elevate mornings to a whole new level. And a collection of these homemade shower bombs would also make a great gift for someone you love. What You Need: Small mixing bowl 1 cup baking soda 1/2 cup citric acid 1/2 cup cornstarch 30 drops orange essential oil 30 drops lavender essential oil 30 drops lemongrass essential oil Spray bottle filled with water Silicone mold Directions: Mix together the baking soda, citric acid, and cornstarch in a small mixing bowl, breaking up any lumps. The baking soda and cornstarch help hold together the bombs, while the citric acid gives the refreshers a bit of fizz. Slowly add the essential oils, and mix. Orange is a great scent that calms while refreshing. Lavender rejuvenates along with the lemongrass. Give the mixture a spritz of water, and then stir. Continue spritzing and stirring until the mixture resembles wet sand. Now press into silicone molds, and let set until dry, which can take up to eight hours. Carefully pop out of molds. The next time you need a bit of rejuvenation, toss a shower bomb in the bottom of your shower and enjoy the wonderful scent. You can even add to a bath for an invigorating soak. | 4 | 3,669 | lifestyle |
EA Sports has released their Super Bowl XLIX prediction, and the Patriots come out on top 28-24. Richard Sherman is on the cover of this year's game. Fair or foul to pick against their cover boy? | 1 | 3,670 | sports |
On Friday's "Real Time With Bill Maher," Howard Dean said there was maybe "a lot of intersection" between people seeing Clint Eastwood's "American Sniper" and members of the Tea Party. "There's a lot of anger in this country. And the people who go see this movie are people who are very angry," Dean said about the film, which focuses on the life of Chris Kyle, a deceased Navy SEAL who has been called the deadliest sniper in U.S. military history . "This guy basically says, 'I'm going to fight on your side.' They bite for it." Dean's comments didn't sit well with many conservatives , including Gary Sinise . On Monday, the actor posted a rebuttal to Dean that called out the former governor for making "stupid blanket statements." "I saw 'American Sniper' and would not consider myself to be an angry person. You certainly have a right to make stupid blanket statements, suggesting that all people who see this film are angry, but how is that helpful sir?" Sinise wrote on his WhoSay page . "Do you also suggest that everyone at Warner Brothers is angry because they released the film? That Clint Eastwood, Jason Hall, Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller and the rest of the cast and crew are angry because they made the film? Chris Kyle's story deserved to be told. It tells a story of the stress that multiple deployments have on one military family, a family representative of thousands of military families. It helps to communicate the toll that the war on terror has taken on our defenders. Defenders and families who need our support. I will admit that perhaps somewhere among the masses of people who are going to see the film there may be a few that might have some anger or have been angry at some point in their lives, but, with all due respect, what the hell are you talking about?" The battle over "American Sniper" has raged on in the wake of the film's record-breaking box office, with cultural figures like Sinise, Kid Rock and Sarah Palin attacking Dean, Seth Rogen and Michael Moore for their comments on the drama. Eastwood has stayed at a distance from the debate, but he did discuss the film during an event this past weekend. The director noted that "American Sniper" had "anti-war" values at its core because of how it depicts Kyle's struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder. Eastwood had earlier said the film wasn't political in nature . | 6 | 3,671 | entertainment |
Hotels have long been an integral part of travel, whether they're booked for business trips, family vacations or anything in between. In fact, the hotel industry generated $163 billion in revenue in 2013, up nearly 6 percent from 2012, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association's 2014 Lodging Industry Profile . But with the rise of home-sharing and vacation rental businesses like Airbnb and HomeAway, the industry is being forced to improve upon the status quo and find new ways to appeal to travelers. So how are hotels managing to do that? Exceptional services and unique amenities. Here's a look at some of the hottest trends on the rise. Mobile bookings Being able to snag a single room or multiple accommodations from your smartphone has made hotel bookings that much easier. In the tech-loving culture of 2015, around 75 percent of U.S. travelers own a smartphone and those numbers are expected to increase, according to a 2014 study by travel market research company Phocuswright. Today, 80 percent of all mobile travel bookings are for hotel stays, said Scott Garner, chief commercial officer for travel data analysis company ADARA, adding he doesn't see that slowing down in the future. "There's also a rapid rise in last-minute bookings," Garner said. "You could be at the airport heading to your destination and have not even booked a hotel yet, and you can do that on the fly pretty easily." Mobile booking and apps like HotelTonight enable travelers to grab a last-minute room and, in many cases, a great deal. A 2014 American Hotel & Lodging Association survey that polled more than 9,600 properties found that 33 percent of participating hotels offer mobile apps (up from 23 percent in 2012), so expect to see even more diving into the mobile market this year. Tech-savvy amenities and features Hotels are also appealing to tech-obsessed travelers by offering the latest and greatest amenities to make a stay more convenient for guests. A few examples include in-room touchscreen controls that operate everything from the television and lighting to the curtains and thermostat (seen in the St. Regis San Francisco and ARIA Resort & Casino) and complimentary iPads available for use in hotels like the Weekapaug Inn, XV Beacon and SLS South Beach, among others. Some properties (including some Hyatt and Starwood hotels) have even taken a cue from airports, offering check-in kiosks to streamline and simplify the process for travelers, while Starwood has gone even further by introducing SPG Keyless. This smartphone app allows Starwood Preferred Guest members to use their phone to unlock their room door. Just 10 of the brand's nearly 1,200 properties currently participate, though all W Hotels, Aloft Hotels and Element Hotels are expected to offer the program in 2015. And here's something that will bring travelers a sense of relief: Those pesky fees for in-room Wi-Fi access are becoming a thing of the past. Hyatt announced that starting in February, all its properties will offer free in-room Wi-Fi access, joining the likes of Loews Hotels, Joie De Vivre and La Quinta properties, among others. Plus, several hotel brands, including Marriott, Omni, Kimpton and InterContinental, grant complimentary Wi-Fi access to guests who join their free loyalty programs. A recent American Hotel & Lodging Association survey confirmed the trend in its findings, noting that fewer hotels charge for Internet access, with only 11 percent of respondents saying they impose a fee (down from 23 percent in 2012). Focus on health and wellness Working out and eating well may not be on every globetrotter's agenda, but many business travelers and health nuts appreciate staying fit while on the go and being able to find a well-balanced meal and hotels are taking note. Some brands boast fitness-focused programs to help guests maintain their exercise regimen during their stays. A prime example is Westin, which touts the RunWESTIN program where running concierges lead guests on 3- to 5-mile routes through town (Westin even partnered with New Balance to lend shoes and workout gear to lodgers for $5), in addition to its WestinWORKOUT gyms stocked with weight-training equipment and cardio machines. Meanwhile, Kimpton hotels provide yoga mats in every room, along with workout routines accessible on the television, as well as complimentary bikes. Many hotels are using scheduled renovations to improve their fitness centers with additional machines and newer equipment. And still, some properties house sprawling gyms with not-just-your-average cardio and weight-lifting gear. The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa's private health club has more than 300 machines and offers daily exercise classes, while The Venetian Las Vegas is home to a 40-foot rock climbing wall and a cycling studio in addition to a Canyon Ranch SpaClub outpost. When it comes to dining, properties are always aiming to impress guests with tasty dishes, but a number of hotels are introducing fresh cuisine options and health-specific venues like juice bars to appease travelers. Dining was another area examined by the AH&LA's 2014 survey, and a record 74 percent of respondents said they offer healthy menu choices for guests. For example, Fairmont's Lifestyle Cuisine program provides a wealth of healthy culinary options (and can even cater to specialized diets) to choose from in the chain's restaurants, room service and even for business meeting meals. Trump Hotels' Wellness Program, Westin's SuperFoodsRx program and IHG's wellness-focused EVEN Hotels brand provide further evidence of hotels embracing a renewed interest in health and wellness on the road. Providing a pleasant stay for pets, too Sure, plenty of hotels allow pets. But some properties have really upped the ante, welcoming pets as what they are an extension of the family and treating them to top-notch customer service. Loews Hotels' Loews Loves Pets, Kimpton Hotels' Very Important Pets and W Hotels' Pets Are Welcome (P.A.W.) programs are a few of the brand-backed offerings for travelers and their furry companions. These particular programs provide animals with everything from welcome treats, bowls, and beds, to specialized room service menus and pet massages. Pet stays at Kimpton hotels are free; Loews and W hotels charge an extra fee but the hotels' added amenities sweeten the deal. Smaller hotels are even getting in on the action: New York City's Soho Grand welcomes pets free of charge, and with perks like toys, bedding and leashes, plus a park that features a dog run and small garden with fire hydrant water stations. Across the country, the Peninsula Beverly Hills pampers pets with special menus, walks, personalized towels and doggie beds. As for the future of animals joining their owners on vacation? The AH&LA's 2012 survey found that more hotels reported allowing pets than ever before (61 percent of respondents up from 52 percent in 2010), so it's likely Americans will continue traveling with their pets in 2015. | 2 | 3,672 | travel |
The Obama administration has announced a major change to the way the federal government pays doctors and hospitals under Medicare. It's an historic attempt to shift away from the traditional, costly fee-for-service model and quell the ballooning costs of health care. Here's the plan: Starting next year, the federal government will begin paying Medicare providers based on their performance, rather than on the number of surgeries, check-ups or CT-scans they perform. Under the proposal, 30 percent of Medicare's $362 billion in annual payments will be tied to performance. Health officials expect that will increase to 50 percent by 2018. Sylvia Mathews Burwell , secretary of Health and Human Services, said the goals are meant to drive transformative change. Proponents of the pay-for-performance initiative say it is an effective way to slow health spending while improving the quality of care. It has the support of major industry trade groups and leaders, including the American Medical Association (AMA) and America's Health Insurance Plans. "Today's announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services aligns with the American Medical Association's commitment to work toward innovative care delivery reform that will promote high-quality and efficient care for our nation's seniors who count on Medicare, while reducing the administrative and regulatory burdens physicians face today." Robert M. Wah, M.D., president of the AMA, said in a statement . Patient advocate groups also threw their support behind the announcement. "The transition away from fee-for-service is an important next step towards better care and lower costs in the Medicare program," Joe Ditré, Families USA's director of enterprise and innovation, said in a statement. "Since private insurers often follow Medicare's lead, the announcement is likely to have a profound and positive impact." The plan focuses on patient outcomes. If patients fare well, their doctors are paid more; if the results are poor, doctors are paid less. The administration says about 20 percent of traditional Medicare payments are already going through similar programs that emphasize care, such as accountable care organizations and bundled payments. They hope to expand that reach significantly. WHY THIS MATTERS One unanswered question is tort reform. Is this plan placing doctors in a catch 22 if they don't protect themselves by prescribing the scan, the medication or the surgery to protect themselves against lawsuits? "Advancing a patient-centered health system requires a fundamental transformation in how we pay for and deliver care. Today's announcement is a major step forward in achieving that goal," America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) CEO Karen Ignagni said in a statement. Even so, questions remain on whether pay-for-performance programs actually achieve worthwhile results in quality as well as cost savings. In September, CMS released a report evaluating the ACA's pilot programs and found mixed results. While the agency said patient results improved, cost savings were questionable. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: The 10 Worst Places for Obamacare in 2015 Health Care Costs, Confusion Have Many Avoiding the Doctor How Obamacare Will Impact Your 2014 Taxes | 3 | 3,673 | finance |
News, notes and random dribbles from around the NBA: 1. With Brandon Jennings out for the season with a torn Achilles, the Pistons are on the lookout for a point guard. Jennings suffered the injury Saturday at Milwaukee. "Not being able to play basketball is the worst thing," he tweeted. 2. The Pistons aren't looking for an All-Star and they won't be trading any of the key parts to their rotation. So don't buy these ridiculous rumors of them moving big man Greg Monroe for Thunder guard Reggie Jackson. 3. Instead, the Pistons are content to let backup D.J. Augustin lead them from here. Augustin scored a career-high 35 points in his first start since the Jennings injury -- a close loss to the Raptors. Still, the Pistons are exploring the market for someone to spell Augustin on a regular basis. 4. Free agency very well may be an option for the Pistons. Former backup Peyton Siva is currently with Erie of the NBA D-League. Jordan Farmar, Marquis Teague (D-League) and Nolan Smith (Turkey) are other names worth noting. 5. Lorenzo Brown may be another consideration. He is currently playing for the Pistons' D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids. The Pistons also reportedly expressed interest in Pablo Prigioni, who has fallen out of the rotation with the Knicks. 6. The Cavaliers are also seeking reserve point guard help. Second-year man Matthew Dellavedova has clearly struggled this season, and the Cavs need someone steady behind Kyrie Irving. Like the Pistons, the Cavs are more likely to go the free-agent route. But with things going well for LeBron James and friends, there doesn't appear to be any rush. 7. Another D-League point man to watch: Jorge Gutierrez of the Cavs' D-League affiliate in Canton. Gutierrez had some productive moments as a backup with the Nets last season. He was traded to the 76ers in December, then waived the next day. The Bucks have displayed the strongest interest in Gutierrez lately. 8. As for Reggie Jackson, there likely is some truth to the talk that he'll be moved. The Thunder can't really afford to keep both Jackson and newcomer Dion Waiters, obtained in a trade two weeks ago. And since Waiters isn't going anywhere anytime soon ... it appears Jackson will be the one to go. Basically, it will be a surprise if Jackson remains with OKC following the Feb. 19 trading deadline. 9. The Nets and Hornets continue to discuss a trade involving Hornets guard Lance Stephenson, according to multiple reports. The latest say the Nets would part with swingman Joe Johnson, who is struggling mightily with tendonitis in his right knee and left ankle. "We don't have time to have guys rest and sit, like some other teams do," Johnson told Brooklyn reporters. "We just don't have the roster for that. So I just have to play through it." 10. Point guards Norris Cole (Heat) and Ramon Sessions (Kings) are reportedly being eyed by the Hornets as possible replacements for Kemba Walker, according to Yahoo Sports. The website reported Walker is contemplating knee surgery, which would keep him sidelined in the neighborhood of six weeks. 11. One thing that is quite clear is the Heat are exploring all sorts of things involving Cole. He hasn't been nearly as effective since LeBron James departed in free agency. That, and the Heat believe rookie Shabazz Napier has a much bigger upside than Cole. 12. From Elias Sports Bureau: Each of the Hawks' starting five reached double-digits in points in Sunday's win over the Timberwolves, led by Paul Millsap's 20. It marked the 12th time this season that Atlanta's starters each scored at least 10 points in a game. No other NBA team has more than eight games of that kind this season. | 1 | 3,674 | sports |
David Carr won a Super Bowl with the Giants in 2011, and we ask him what the week leading up to the big game is like. | 1 | 3,675 | sports |
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) Devin Davis' sophomore season is officially over at Indiana. On Monday, coach Tom Crean said that the 6-foot-7 forward will miss the rest of the season even though he continues to progress from a brain injury sustained Nov. 1. He was hurt when teammate Emmitt Holt hit Davis with a car. Holt was not cited in the accident, which resulted in Davis' hospitalization, but he was suspended for four games. ''Right now, he (Davis) has got a lot of different things he's having to deal with and continuing to build his therapy,'' Crean told ESPNU for a podcast. ''But he's making progress, the doctors say he's making progress and his attitude, like I said, is great. There's certainly no way he's going to play this year, obviously, but hopefully he's going to have a full recovery and an even better understanding and maturity to be able to go next year.'' Davis returned to his hometown of Indianapolis for rehab after he was released from a hospital in Bloomington, Indiana. When Davis began his rehab, Crean left the door open for a possible return this season. That is not going to happen. No. 22 Indiana (15-5, 4-2 Big Ten) has somehow managed to overcome the injury and three early-season suspensions to stay in contention for the conference title. Things could soon get even trickier. With junior forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea expected to be sidelined until at least mid-February because of a right knee injury, the Hoosiers (15-5, 4-2 Big Ten) were dealt another blow in Sunday's loss at Ohio State. Starting guard Robert Johnson left during the first half of the game with what appeared to be a left knee injury. While he returned about midway through the second half, the Hoosiers don't know if Johnson will be able to play Wednesday night at Purdue. Johnson is averaging 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds. His loss would be yet another blow to a team that is already undersized and stretched for depth. And the cause of Johnson's injury was distressing, too. ''When he fell, there was actually it looked like a red folder or papers that were laying on the floor close enough to the court that he slipped on, that were on the baseline by the cheerleaders,'' Crean said during Monday's weekly Big Ten conference call. ''It's one of those inadvertent things you hope never happens, but it did and, and it was that they were just laying there as he finished his layup.'' He added: ''I don't think it's anything that's going to be long-lasting, but there's still nothing that says it's going to be OK for this game (Purdue), either.'' If Johnson can't go, the likely starter would be junior guard Nick Zeisloft, a 3-point shooting specialist who transferred to Indiana from Illinois State during the summer. Zeisloft has made five starts this season, is averaging 6.0 points and replaced Johnson to start the second half Sunday. | 1 | 3,676 | sports |
Look younger now You can't stop time, but you can turn back the clock to achieve more youthful-looking hair, hands, and skin. And you don't need to submit yourself to plastic surgery, buy expensive salon treatments, or stock a medicine cabinet full of lotions and potions, either. All you need to do is examine your everyday habits and make simple anti-aging tweaks to your routine. 13 everyday habits that age you 14 foods that make you look older Skip the heat styling Youthful hair has bounce and shine, but using a flat iron, curling iron, or hair dryer can lead to dull, flat strands that add years to your overall appearance. "I'm seeing lots of damage and breakage from women using multiple heat styling tools," says Francesca J. Fusco, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Turn back the clock: Declare a two-day-a-week heat-free holiday where you give your locks a rest from heat styling tools, suggests Dr. Fusco says. Master the wet bun, let your hair air-dry, or skip washing your hair altogether and spritz on a dry shampoo if needed. 15 ways exercise makes you look and feel younger Use lotion on your hands The skin on the backs of your hands is very thin, which makes it prone to accelerated aging compared to the rest of your body. And when dry air saps moisture from skin, your hands look even older than they should. Using lotion helps; pick one that contains sunscreen, suggests Dr. Fusco: "It will greatly reduce sun damage, which appears as brown spots and wrinkles." Turn back the clock: Rub an SPF 30 moisturizer onto the backs of your hands every morning. Apply SPF every day Dermatologists always preach about wearing sunscreen every single day to protect against skin cancer, but slathering on the SPF is also the most effective tool in your anti-aging arsenal. A 2013 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people who applied SPF three or four days a week were less likely to suffer from skin aging compared to those who applied it at their discretion after a 4.5-year follow-up. Turn back the clock: SPF 30 is the gold-standard dermatologists recommend. Apply it every day, rain or shine. And use more than you think you need -- most people apply as little as one-quarter of the recommended dose, says the American Academy of Dermatology. Rule of thumb: use a shot-glass worth of sunscreen every time. Avoid foods that stain your teeth White teeth are seen as a sign of good health and youthfulness, says Emanuel Layliev, a dentist at the New York Center for Cosmetic Dentistry. Dark, hot, sticky foods like barbecue sauce or soy sauce are some of the worst stain-causing culprits, he says. Red wine, coffee, and cola are also notorious tooth-stainers. Turn back the clock: Teeth-saving swaps are easy -- and can be delicious. Instead of using barbecue sauce on your chicken breast, for example, top it with a fruity mango salsa or fresh herbs. Skip the dark soda in favor of seltzer (you shouldn't be drinking soda anyway, even diet). Paint your nails The part of your body that often reveals your real age isn't your face -- it's your hands, according to a study from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. One trick for fooling others into thinking you're younger than you really are: wear nail polish. Along with wearing jewelry, polish offers a welcome distraction from imperfections, the study says. Turn back the clock: For an anti-aging mani, go for jewel-toned hues (think rich purples and reds), which offer a burst of color without being too intense. Exercise regularly "Exercise improves healthy circulation, which allows skin to look its best," says Dr. Fusco. (Bonus: it'll also improve circulation to reduce undereye bags.) Plus, a new study from McMaster University in Canada found that exercise may reverse skin aging . Besides, when you're in shape, you naturally look younger. Turn back the clock: Count it as one more reason to clock your 30 minutes of exercise every day. Watch your sodium intake Eating salty foods can make you retain water, resulting in a puffy look -- especially in the area below the eyes. Turn back the clock: Banish the bloat by searching for hidden sources of sodium in your diet. Salt lurks everywhere -- bread, cereal, condiments, sauces, deli meats, and even some sweet baked goods are loaded with it. Keep your smartphone addiction under control Over time, keeping your head down when you're texting or scrolling through Facebook promotes wrinkles that ring your neck, notes Dr. Fusco. Any movement you repeat over and over eventually etches in lines permanently. Turn back the clock: Think about where you text most in your office, on your couch and hang photos (of family, friends, places you've been) nearby at eye-level and use those as a reminder to keep your head up while using your phone. Rinse with mouthwash daily If you're already in a daily mouthwash habit, you're on the right track. These bacteria-killing rinses flush away particles on and between teeth, while also cleaning gums, says Dr. Layliev. The result: cleaner teeth free of yellowing and pinker gums (as opposed to red, a sign of gum disease). Turn back the clock: Rinse with an alcohol-free and artificial dye-free mouthwash. Eat high-protein foods When you want hair that looks healthy, you've got to start at the basics, and that means eating an adequate amount of protein to maintain normal hair production, says Kevin Pinski, MD, a dermatologist at Pinski Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery in Chicago. The nutrient serves as the building block of strong hair. Turn back the clock: Most women should eat about 46 grams of protein a day (more if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or a competitive athlete). For reference, a 3-ounce serving of salmon supplies 22 grams, while a glass of low-fat milk contains 8 grams. Take care of wet hair If you've laid off the heat styling and pumped up your protein intake but still are dealing with dull, thin hair, then your post-shower habits may be to blame. Brushing wet hair when strands are at their weakest can cause breakage that leads to flyaways and unruly strands. Turn back the clock: Never brush wet hair. When you get out of the shower, use a wide-toothed comb with blunt tips, says Dr. Pinski. Eat your greens Greens are nature's toothbrushes. "Fiber-rich vegetables like spinach, lettuce, and broccoli help naturally clean teeth," says Dr. Layliev. Their fiber can prevent plaque from sticking to enamel. (Of course, you still have to brush every morning and night and floss daily, he says.) Another bonus: a diet brimming with veggies perks up your complexion, shows a study in PLOS One. People who ate about three servings of carotenoid-packed produce found in dark leafy greens and broccoli were perceived as having a healthier and more attractive skin tone . Turn back the clock: Just as the USDA suggests, aim to fill half your plate with vegetables. That will help you get the 2.5 cups of vegetables they recommend women younger than 50 eat per day. Handle your stress head-on Stress not only makes you freak out on the inside it shows on the outside. It shores up inflammatory processes in skin that can exacerbate conditions like psoriasis, acne, and eczema, says a report in the journal Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. Turn back the clock: Social support plays a huge role in stress levels, the researchers note, so make sure you're meeting up with friends. Also consider relaxation techniques like breathing exercises or journal writing. Get enough sleep "During deep sleep, the body produces greater quantities of estrogen and progesterone," says Dr. Pinski. These boost your skin's natural repair mechanisms, so you look more radiant when you wake up. "The hormones also help prevent acne," he says. Turn back the clock: If you stay up watching reruns of The Big Bang Theory (even though you've already seen the episodes) because you're avoiding going to bed, set a strict TV curfew. Try more soothing bedtime rituals that help you unwind mentally, like drink a mug of hot milk and honey, suggests Dr. Pinski. | 7 | 3,677 | health |
Joan Rivers' daughter is suing Yorksville Endoscopy clinic for medical malpractice. Melissa Rivers has submitted papers to the Manhattan Supreme Court, where she accuses the medical staff of "incompetency", which the suit alleges led to the death of the 81-year-old television personality in September last year.In a statement, she said: "The level of medical mismanagement, incompetency, disrespect and outrageous behaviour is shocking and frankly, almost incomprehensible." Joan's personal doctor, Gwen S. Korovin, has been accused of performing two unplanned biopsies on the former 'Fashion Police' star. According to the papers, Gwen, the head of the Yorksville Endoscopy medical clinic, Dr. Lawrence Cohen, an anesthesiologist named Renuka Bankulla and others "failed to properly observe and monitor Joan Rivers' vital signs which were deteriorating." The lawsuit continues to state that Renuka had "voiced her concern about the presence of airway edema and the possibility of airway compromise with further manipulation" but was told by Lawrence not to be "paranoid". Lawrence then allegedly made a joke, telling Renuka, "You're such a curious cat. You always want to know what's going on" when she asked to use a mirror to see Joan's vocal chords. The papers then state that he took out his phone and snapped a picture of Joan whilst she was sedated, apparently telling those in the room, "Maybe Joan Rivers will like to see these in the recovery area." At around 9:28 am, the suit states that Joan's heart rate slowed and her oxygen dropped below 90 per cent, with the anesthesiologist reportedly struggling with an oxygen mask and failing "to demand or request a crash cart be brought into the room". Papers submitted to the court accused Renuka of "waiting minutes" before asking for help. An emergency tracheotomy kit was ordered but the procedure was never performed, the suit continues. The suit specified that a 911 call was made at 9:40 am but that was 12 minutes after an emergency warning, "blue code", was first given. Gwen then reportedly fled the building, with the lawsuit alleging that she did this because she wanted to "avoid getting caught"." By leaving the procedure room, [she] abandoned her patient, Joan Rivers," the suit continues. A falsified patient chart that failed to mention the two procedures done by Gwen was reportedly submitted by Lawrence. The comedian "suffered hypoventilation, airway obstruction, hypoxemia and severe and prolonged hypoxia which caused cerebral anoxia and eventual death", according to the papers.Melissa Rivers and the executors of Joan's estate have filed the suit against Yorkville Endoscopy, the parent company Frontier Healthcare and gastroenterologist Lawrence Cohen as well as Joan's personal doctor, Gwen Koravin, and the three anesthesiologists involved in the throat procedure. They are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. | 6 | 3,678 | entertainment |
Brazilian state-controlled oil company Petróleo Brasileiro SA could take a charge of about 52 billion reais ($20 billion) in its delayed third-quarter results to reduce the value of some assets, a Veja magazine blog said on Monday. The impairment equals 42 percent of the market value of Petrobras (PETR4.SA), as the company is known, Veja's Mercados blog said, citing sources close to the company. A Petrobras spokeswoman declined to comment on the report but reiterated the company's plan to release third-quarter results on Tuesday. On Friday, O Globo newspaper reported that a 10 billion real write-off and a 30 percent cut in capital spending this year were under consideration to help Petrobras preserve cash amid the impact of a contract-fixing, bribery and political kickback scandal. Petrobras faces limited access to financial markets as a result of the scandal and falling oil prices. Petrobras pledged to invest about $44 billion a year under a five-year, $221 billion investment plan announced last year, but it warned in December that it would cut spending. Veja's Mercados blog did not specify which areas would be targeted in the write-off. The blog also said Petrobras hired Deloitte Consulting LLP to help decide the "size and scope" of planned impairments. Third-quarter results, originally scheduled for release in November, were delayed after a probe of corruption at Petrobras led auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers to refuse to certify the company's accounts. Reuters reported on Jan. 6 that Petrobras' third-quarter results were likely to reflect the full amount of write-downs from the scandal. Police, prosecutors and suspects arrested in the case said Petrobras executives conspired with construction and engineering companies to inflate the value of contracts for refineries, ships and other goods and services. They said some of the excess charges were then kicked back to executives, politicians and political parties as bribes and campaign contributions. About 40 people have been arrested in the case, including three former Petrobras senior executives and senior executives of some of Brazil's largest construction and engineering companies. (Reporting by Guillermo Parra-Bernal; Editing by Dan Grebler) | 3 | 3,679 | finance |
Rex Lee takes a moment from his day to help Brett Favre with his pronunciation. | 8 | 3,680 | video |
The St. Louis Rams have shown interest in Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. The guys discuss if Foles would be a good fit in St. Louis. | 1 | 3,681 | sports |
As far as captain John Tavares is concerned, it was a covert operation that allowed the New York Islanders to acquire the final assets needed to be a true Stanley Cup contender. Negotiations must have been on a strict need-to-know basis, because the Islanders' top player was as surprised as everyone else when general manager Garth Snow announced in October that he had traded for defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy. "It was out of the blue for me," Tavares said. "Garth is a kind of guy who holds things tight to his chest. I think to pull something like that off you have to be under the radar." Eighteen weeks later, the trades seem like a completing-the-jigsaw-puzzle moment, like the addition of GPS to automobiles or bacon to anything. "That really solidified our team," Tavares said. "You look at all of the pieces that we have added, and then you add those two guys, proven players, great guys in the locker room, tremendous skill set, different in their own way, but what we needed." Boychuk is a gritty, two-way performer, owner of a booming shot but, more important, a highly competitive spirit. As soon as he stepped into the lineup, the Islanders were instantly harder to play against. Leddy added sparkle to the back end. A brilliant skater, he can distribute the puck and create magic. His acquisition is like mixing an additive into high-octane fuel. Slowly, the Islanders had built a dangerous offense, thanks to solid drafting. But these two players gave the Islanders' engine more pep and a greater roar. These moves came on top of the offseason acquisition and signing of Jaroslav Halak, who has given the team its most intriguing goaltending since Rick DiPietro was healthy and performing at a high level. The Nashville Predators might be the NHL's biggest surprise, but what they have accomplished isn't a shock. Given general manager David Poile's long history of keeping his teams competitive, it seemed plausible the Predators could make a quick fix and get back in the hunt after missing the playoffs for a couple of seasons. The Islanders' rise has had more of a wow factor. People around the NHL are talking about the Islanders because they have the league's second-best offense, an improving defense and a goaltender who has the potential to steal a game now and then. The Islanders, who lead the Metropolitan Division by three points, are 16-4-0 at home in their final season on Long Island. They move to Brooklyn next season. Halak said the Islanders' fan support had impressed him. "Every single game, they have been like our sixth skater on the ice," he said. "Hopefully they will find a way to bring us luck the rest of the way. They have been a big part of our success at home." While the Islanders aren't a Stanley Cup favorite, they are the NHL's most intriguing contender. Monday's announcement that forward Kyle Okposo would be sidelined for six to eight weeks with an upper body injury is hurtful but not catastrophic. That's how far this team has come. Tavares saw this coming, and that's why he locked himself in with the Islanders long term. He wanted to be the one leading the ascent when the flag was planted on the top of the mountain. "I really thought it's been a long time since the Islanders have had any Stanley Cup success or playoff success and I can be a part of something like that. I thought it could be pretty special," he said. "Certainly there is a long way to go and we are still trying to get there, but I've certainly enjoyed every bit of it." Tavares' presence as the Islanders' leader is another reason the NHL community is fascinated by the potential of this team. He has that Steve Yzerman/Jonathan Toews/Sidney Crosby aura about him. People think he knows the way to get you where you need to go. Plus, he's in the prime of his career. Although Snow doesn't fill in his captain before making big trades, Tavares believes in Snow. "I know Garth is very passionate and adamant about what we are trying to accomplish here, and that message has been very strong and very clear," he said. The only real concern about the Islanders at this point is that they have no history together in the postseason. The franchise has missed the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons. Playoff experience matters. One thought is that the Islanders have to lose together in the playoffs before they can figure out how to win together. But they understand their strengths and weaknesses, and that is the first step to success this season. Right now the Boychuk and Leddy trades are viewed as missing-piece acquisitions. If the Islanders have the kind of success their fans hope they will, those trades will go down as two of the more important trades in NHL history, just below the 1979 one that brought Butch Goring to the Islanders before their run of four consecutive Cups. Other under-the-radar contenders: -Montreal Canadiens: No one seems to take them seriously, even though they have been consistent performers this season. Goalie Carey Price can win a series by himself. -Boston Bruins: After a slow start, they are starting to get back to their old winning ways. With Claude Julien behind the bench, they are always a threat in the postseason. -Winnipeg Jets: They have two fewer points than the Chicago Blackhawks. Since Paul Maurice took over last season, they've been a team on the rise. | 1 | 3,682 | sports |
SEATTLE (AP) -- Washington dismissed center Robert Upshaw, the national leader in blocked shots, from its program for a violation of team rules on Monday, a severe blow to the Huskies hopes of getting back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011. Washington coach Lorenzo Romar announced the dismissal in a statement. No other details were given by the school. "We wish Rob well as he moves forward in his life, and we will do our best to support him in the future," Romar said in a statement. Upshaw led the nation averaging 4.6 blocks per game and was already Washington's single-season record holder for blocked shots with 85 blocks in 19 games. He was averaging 10.9 points per game and 8.2 rebounds, mostly coming off the bench. Upshaw had made four starts, most of those coming when Jernard Jarreau went down with a knee injury. Upshaw had provided Washington an athletic presence in the middle, his first season with the Huskies after transferring from Fresno State and sitting out one year. The timing of the dismissal was surprising, given Upshaw's performance on Sunday night in a loss at No. 11 Utah. Upshaw had 13 points, nine rebounds and six blocks in Washington's 77-56 loss to the Utes. He spoke to reporters after the game. Washington's depth will be severely tested, starting with Wednesday night's game against Stanford. The Huskies have eight scholarship players available and guard Darin Johnson missed the past two games with a leg injury. | 1 | 3,683 | sports |
In the first weeks of a new Congress, House Democrats are like an army in retreat: They're outnumbered, isolated, and divided over how or if to make a stand. Even the weather is being uncooperative: Later this week, as a blizzard envelops the Northeast, they'll head to Philadelphia for rallying cries and tough discussions about the future of their party. And before that retreat, members will have to address a growing debate over whether the party's reluctance to impose term limits on its committee leaders is stifling opportunities for the up-and-comers who will define the party's future. Public details about the retreat are so far sparse, though President Obama is slated to address the caucus Thursday, followed by Vice President Joe Biden the day after. While the gathering will no doubt feature its share of rah-rah moments, senior staffers for both moderate and progressive coalitions within the caucus agreed that its substance will center on the search for a consensus economic message. "There seems to be a debate happening about what kind of economic populism House Democrats are going to be pushing this Congress," said one aide to a prominent liberal member. The staffer requested anonymity to discuss internal debates, comparing members who want to grow the gross domestic product and ease regulations with those who seek to raise the minimum wage and put curbs on Wall Street. "Those conversations will happen at the retreat," he added. "Coming out of the retreat, people want there to be a tight definition of the things we see as economic populism." "There's definitely a sizable faction that is dissatisfied with the direction of the messaging," said a moderate aide who also requested anonymity. "A number of those members are planning to attend to make those concerns known.… There's going to be some pretty frank conversations about the future direction of the party. It's growth versus fairness." The staffer said many members are frustrated that party leadership did not take a lesson from the midterm elections in which Democrats' fairness-focused message was drubbed at the polls. Obama is expected to mention trade in his address, and many Democrats have opposed his request to speed up trade deals by bypassing congressional input an issue that divides many business-friendly lawmakers from the economic liberals. Some are also concerned the White House may be willing to cut a deal on tax reform with Republicans without consulting Hill Democrats first. The caucus will head to Philadelphia on Wednesday, weather permitting, but Tuesday will likely expose other tensions as members meet to begin a discussion over term limits, led by Rep. Karen Bass. Unlike Republicans, Democrats do not limit how many years their members may spend atop committees. Younger members say that's created a logjam in which promising legislators find little opportunity for advancement. A Bass aide emphasized that the rules meetings are not solely a term-limits battle, although that seems to be the issue many members seem eager to address. Tuesday's gathering will look at the history and reasons behind caucus rules, followed by later meetings to discuss individual statutes. Another topic expected to come up is proxy voting an issue that exploded into the spotlight last November when Rep. Tammy Duckworth, unable to travel due to her late-stage pregnancy, was denied a vote in chairmanship elections. The aide did not offer a timeline for how long the process will take, and the term-limit issue has been a divisive one. "Term limits are a great idea," said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. "We should do them in conjunction with achieving the other goals we have, which are inclusion and diversity, and I think that's possible. I think it will encourage new members to take on more responsibility, and I think that's all positive." Rep. Daniel Lipinski said he wasn't ready to support a specific proposal, but said "it would be good to have an opportunity for new blood to come up and have that chance to take leadership roles." Still, he wasn't optimistic the caucus would embrace any reforms. "This is not something that Democrats have done before; I don't think we're going to make a change right now." For some, the lack of term limits is a diversity issue. "We pride ourself as a caucus on being the most diverse, whether that's LGBT or women or minorities," said Rep. Patrick Murphy. "Well, what about the age piece? We are truly underrepresented on that front." He went on to say that term limits are important for retaining young talent. "It's just so far out of reach right now that people kind of throw up their hands," he said. "I've spoken with some of my younger colleagues who want to know that there is at least an opportunity in the near future to become that ranking member or chair." Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which has traditionally opposed term limits, dismissed such grumblings as selfish and impatient. "At a time when our numbers are anemic, I'm not able to understand why we would create controversy inside the caucus," said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. "I think it's terrible that we've created this microwave society where nobody wants to wait on anything. It's like this kid who says, 'I just turned 18, where's my car?' " He joked that he spent his early days in Congress on the "baby row" of the Financial Services Committee, but that allowing seniority to run its course had allowed him to rise within the ranks. "An overwhelming number of CBC members would oppose any change to implementing term limits," added Caucus Chairman G.K. Butterfield. "I don't see a necessity for it.… I think we ought to take the same energy and concentrate on our messaging." Even Rep. Cedric Richmond, a third-termer who might stand to gain from term limits, stood with his CBC colleagues in opposing the change. "There's some value to length of service," he said. "I think seniority's important." As for lack of opportunities for young members? "I haven't heard that, and I don't have those frustrations." One alternative, proposed by Rep. Eric Swalwell, would be to create the position of vice ranking member to open up more official roles for future leaders. "We've got a lot of talent, and you want to use your talent the best you can," he said. However, most of his colleagues were unfamiliar with the proposal, and some expressed concerns that it could create an heir apparent within committees. | 5 | 3,684 | news |
SpaceX and Boeing (BA) plan to build space "taxis" that can American astronauts to the International Space Station by 2017, and both companies appeared together at a NASA press conference Monday to unveil updates in the space agency's commercial crew carrier competition. NASA has awarded Boeing $4.6 billion and SpaceX $2.6 billion to develop and operate the taxis, and thereby reduce U.S. dependence on Russia . Currently, the Russian Federal Space Agency, or Roscosmos, charges NASA about $70 million a seat to send astronauts to the space station. With Boeing and/or SpaceX, the cost will be reduced to around $58 million a seat. "I don't ever, ever want to write another check to Roscosmos," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Boeing is about to celebrate its first 100 years in business, and its commercial airplane segment brings in nearly $70 billion. "I believe firmly that when the company celebrates its second hundred years, there will be a division of Boeing that's building commercial space vehicles, that will be of that magnitude, of that size," said John Elbon, who heads up Boeing's space exploration division. Manufacture of his company's proposed space taxi, called the CST-100, will begin later this year. Boeing plans to have the first uncrewed test flight in April 2017, and the first crewed flight in July 2017. "Never before in the history of human space flight has there been so much going on all at once," Elbon said. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell estimated the first crewed flight of her company's capsule called the Dragon 2 could be sooner, by early 2017. SpaceX is working on a number of upgrades to ensure the Dragon "is as reliable as it could possibly be, and ultimately we plan for it to be the most reliable spaceship flying crew ever." NASA's Bolden justified funding two separate development programs by pointing to what's happened on the cargo mission side. The agency offered contracts to both SpaceX and Orbital Sciences (ORB) to shuttle supplies to the space station, a decision which now looks wise after Orbital Sciences' rocket blew up on launch last fall. "You've heard both of them say they think they'll be flying by 2017," Bolden said of SpaceX and Boeing's taxi efforts. "If we can make that date, I'm a happy camper." Monday marked the first time NASA had updated the public on the space taxi competition since a third company, Sierra Nevada, challenged the selection of Boeing and SpaceX. The Government Accountability Office overruled the challenge. NASA's Kathy Lueders said having an American space taxi will do more than save money, it will also double science and research capabilities aboard the space station. And even as the two companies are "frenemies" competing against each other, they are also collaborating. Later this year, a new international docking adaptor will be flown and installed on the space station. The docking adaptor is being built by Boeing. It will be shipped aboard a SpaceX rocket. "The world of low-earth orbit belongs to industry. It doesn't belong to government. It doesn't belong to NASA at all," said Bolden. By contracting out these missions to private enterprise for less money, NASA can focus more resources on getting to Mars with the Orion program and the new Space Launch System rocket. NASA has been criticized for continuing to fund the space station, but Bolden praised President Barack Obama 's decision to keep the program going through 2024. He said it will allow private enterprise to continue developing low-earth orbit technology that can be used "as a springboard" to get deeper into space. Sometime after 2024, NASA will dismantle the space station, and Bolden suggested that future similar research can be conducted through private ventures such as Bigelow Aerospace and its space habitats. As for Mars, NASA currently has no plans to contract with SpaceX to get to the red planet, even though CEO Elon Musk has made it clear that Mars is his goal. "I think it's going to take a village, frankly, to get to Mars," said Shotwell. "I'm sure it's going to be a collaborative effort." Bolden seemed to agree. "Everyone wants to see competition, but going to Mars is hard. Let me say that one more time: Going to Mars is hard. I think everyone on this stage realizes nobody is going to do it by themselves." | 3 | 3,685 | finance |
WASHINGTON The federal debt is set to explode over the next decade even as the budget deficit is projected to reach its lowest level of the Obama presidency, the Congressional Budget Office said Monday. The annual deficit should total $468 billion for the 2015 fiscal year, which will end Sept. 30, the nonpartisan budget office said. That's a tad better than the $483 billion in fiscal 2014, and it amounts to about 2.6 percent of the overall economy, the smallest percentage since 2007 and just a hair under the 50-year average. The improving deficit numbers are temporary, however. Budget deficits are projected to begin going up again in 2018, and to nearly double by 2024 as retiring baby boomers strain the health and retirement systems, the economy grows more slowly and interest on the nation's outstanding debt rises. By 2025, the annual budget deficit is forecast to hit 4 percent of the overall economy, much higher than the 2.7 percent historical average. Every year's deficit adds to the debt, which already stands at $18 trillion by one measure and which would be much higher if not for the historically low costs of borrowing, which have allowed the U.S. government to retire or roll over debt with unusually low costs. Think of it as the government refinancing existing debt. The Federal Reserve is set this year to start gradually ratcheting up lending rates across the economy, and that will eventually translate into higher borrowing costs for the government as well. CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf cautioned in a news conference Monday that interest "payments by the government have been quite low." The federal government is expected to spend $277 billion on interest on the debt in the current fiscal year. That's projected to soar to $827 billion by 2025. As a percentage of the economy, it would more than double from 1.3 percent in 2015 to 3 percent in 2025. Simply put, it will cost the government more to borrow in coming years to pay bills already incurred. Consequently, the $13.4 trillion in debt held by the public projected for 2015, which would be akin to 74 percent of the overall economy, is projected to swell to $21.6 trillion by 2025, when it would total 79 percent of the economy. As recently as 2007, before the Great Recession, it was equal to about 35 percent of the economy. It's as if for every $100 you earn, you have outstanding debts equal to almost $80. "Federal debt remains greater relative to the (overall economy) than at any time since just after World War II," the CBO report says. The CBO looked at federal debt held by the public, which excludes obligations under Social Security, Medicare and government pensions. When those are all factored in, it's called gross debt and that number is now north of $18 trillion. Particularly challenging about the costs of long-term debt and the projected return to higher deficits is that they're driven by hard-to-cut entitlement programs for the elderly, such as Social Security and Medicare, as well as Medicaid, the state-run health program for lower-income Americans. The past two presidents have had special commissions recommend fixes, only to be ignored by Congress and the White House. "A debt this large doesn't come overnight. We make promises we pay for with gimmicks and IOUs," said Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyo., the new chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. "It will be a challenge, but I want to change that. The habit of spending now and paying later is deeply ingrained. As a country we aren't paying it forward." The rising deficits and debt come despite what the CBO said was good budget news from the Affordable Care Act, shorthanded as Obamacare. "We had a significant downward revision to the (projected) costs over the next decade," said Elmendorf, the CBO chief. Revising an earlier revision, the CBO now thinks that the cost of the health care law, for its first five years of existence, will be about 20 percent lower, or $139 billion, than anticipated in March 2010, when the act became law. Its expected costs over this period are also 7 percent lower than projected just last April. Opponents of the health care law will surely point to the CBO's projections of surging enrollment in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program: 13 million to 16 million new participants per year from 2016 to 2025. The CBO also projects fewer people having employer-provided health care, and moving into self-purchased insurance or Medicaid. The CBO report cautioned, however, that a new program by definition doesn't have a lot of data to pull from, and the health care projections are preliminary. The CBO now projects that in 2025 there will be 24 million to 27 million fewer uninsured Americans than there would be in the absence of the health care law. Still, roughly 1 in 9 U.S. residents under 65 would remain uninsured in that year. | 5 | 3,686 | news |
Your smile is one of your best assets. Here's how to keep it sparkling. Healthy teeth, healthy smile? Your smile is one of your best assets, so, of course, you want to keep it sparkling. But even if you brush, use white strips, and visit your dentist twice a year, it may not be enough. Here are some factors that can wreak havoc on your teeth and gums, and put a serious damper on your smile. Sports drinks In the last decade, sports beverages have become increasingly popular, but they aren't great for your teeth. "Scientific research has found that the pH levels in many sports drinks could lead to tooth erosion due to their high concentration of acidic components, which could wear away at the tooth's enamel," says David F. Halpern, DMD, FAGD, president of the Academy of General Dentistry. Additionally, these drinks are often high in sugars that act as "food" for acid-producing bacteria, which then sneak into the cracks and crevices in your teeth, causing cavities and tooth decay. Bottled water Tap water often contains fluoride -- about 60% of people in the U.S. have fluoride in their water supply. However, most bottled waters contain less fluoride than recommended for good oral health (it will be listed as an ingredient on the label if it is an additive). "Fluoride makes the entire tooth structure more resistant to decay and promotes remineralization, which aids in repairing early decay before damage is even visible," explains Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson, Charles H. Perle, DMD, FAGD. "Studies have confirmed [that] the most effective source of fluoride is water fluoridation." Diabetes Diabetes reduces the body's resistance to infection, so you're at a risk for gum disease. Brushing, flossing, and monitoring your blood sugar can help. "Diabetes is directly related to periodontal disease, so seeing the dentist and having your triglycerides and cholesterol levels checked on a regular basis is also crucial," stresses Perle. Perle also points out that research has shown that diabetics can reduce the amount of insulin they need to take by maintaining good gum health. Tobacco Smoking turns your teeth yellow, but it can be much more damaging than that. "Using any form of tobacco can harm your teeth and gums in a number of ways," says Halpern. "It can cause throat, lung, and mouth cancer, and even death. Additionally, the tar from tobacco forms a sticky film on teeth, which harbors bacteria that promote acid production and create irritating toxins, both of which cause gum inflammation, tooth decay, and loss." Wine Wine drinkers beware: Regular wine consumption can harm tooth enamel. According to Halpern, wine's acidity can dissolve the tooth structure, and both red and white wine can increase dental staining. Still, you don't have to give up your regular glass of vino to save your smile. "Enamel erosion develops when wine drinkers swish the wine, keeping it in constant contact with the enamel, so instead, take small sips and rinse with water when you're done drinking," advises Perle. Pregnancy It's especially important to take care of your teeth and gums when you're expecting, since studies show a link between untreated gum disease and pre-term and low-birth-weight babies. "Changes in hormone levels during pregnancy, particularly surges in estrogen and progesterone, can cause inflammation of the gums, which can lead to gingivitis (red, swollen, tender gums that are more likely to bleed) and put you at risk for infection," says Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson, Gigi Meinecke, DDS, FAGD. If you have morning sickness, rinse your mouth with water or rub your teeth with a paste of baking soda and water to neutralize the acid caused by vomiting, since it can lead to tooth decay. Diet pills Even though they may seem like a quick way to trim your waist, diet pills can also be a fast track to gum disease and tooth decay. "Like many over-the-counter and prescription medications, diet pills decrease salivary flow, which causes dry mouth and puts you at risk for gum disease, tooth decay, cavities, and discomfort," says Halpern. Bottom line: A balanced diet and exercise are the safest way to lose weight and protect your smile. Teeth grinding Teeth grinding, or bruxism, can affect your jaw, cause pain, and even change the appearance of your face. "People who have otherwise healthy teeth and gums can clench so often and so hard that over time, they wear away their tooth's enamel, causing chipping and sensitivity," says Halpern. Stress and anger can increase nighttime teeth grinding. "Finding ways to alleviate these feelings can help, but it's also important to see your dentist, who can recommend solutions like a custom night guard," advises Perle. Candy Contrary to what mom said, sugar won't directly rot your teeth -- but the acid produced when you eat sugar and carbohydrates can. "Naturally occurring bacteria in the mouth devour sugar, creating acids that attack tooth enamel, which can lead to decay and a host of other problems, including gingivitis and cavities," says Halpern. The worst thing you can do is leave sugar lingering on your teeth and gums. Eating any amount of candy and brushing and flossing immediately is actually less damaging than not brushing after eating one piece before bedtime, says Halpern. If you can't brush after a snack attack, eat cheese or yogurt, or chew sugarless gum to boost saliva flow and neutralize acids. Puberty The hormonal surge that occurs during puberty can cause more than acne -- it can also result in swollen gums that are more sensitive to plaque. This can lead to gum infections, gingivitis, and mouth sores, say Halpern. "But typically the gums only respond in such a manner if hygiene care is poor," he adds. Make sure your teen brushes and flosses daily, and sees a dentist regularly. Dry mouth A dry mouth isn't just unpleasant, it's bad for your teeth. Saliva washes away cavity-causing bacteria and neutralizes harmful acids. "Without saliva, you would lose your teeth much fasterit helps prevent tooth decay and other oral health problems," says Meinecke. Drink lots of water, chew sugarless gum, use a fluoride toothpaste or rinse, and consider over-the-counter artificial saliva substitutes. See your doctor if it's a frequent problem. Dieting Restrictive diets and poor eating habits can deprive you of the vitamins and nutrients necessary for a beautiful smile. It's especially important to get enough folate, B vitamins, protein, calcium, and vitamin Call of which are considered essential for healthy teeth and gums. "Poor nutrition can affect your entire immune system, increasing your susceptibility to many disorders and infections, including periodontal disease," says Halpern. Hot drinks Your hot-drink habit may be one reason your teeth look a little dingy. "Black tea and coffee contain stain-promoting tannins that lodge into the pits and grooves of the tooth enamel, producing a rough, stained surface, which is sticky and can retain decay-producing bacteria," says Halpern. Consume such beverages in moderation, drink more water every day, and add milk to your coffee or tea to help neutralize the acids, says Perle. Aging As you age, you're more susceptible to decay near old fillings or root surfaces unprotected by receding gums. But there's no reason you can't keep your teeth. Oral disease -- not aging per se -- is the danger. Bumping up your fluoride protection is key. And if you have arthritis, there are dental products that can make brushing and flossing less painful. "Seniors who brush regularly with fluoride toothpaste or use fluoride rinses or gels regularly have fewer cavities," adds Meinecke. Birth control pills Because oral contraceptives mimic pregnancy, they can also lead to gum inflammation and infections, including gingivitis. Additionally, some studies have shown that women who use birth control pills may have more trouble healing after tooth extractions and are twice as likely to develop painful dry sockets where the tooth used to be. If you use birth control pills, it's not a bad idea to discuss their effect with your dentist before major procedures. Not flossing Although many of us are much more diligent about brushing than flossing, they are equally important. "Flossing every day is one of the best things you can do to take care of your teeth. It's the single most important factor in preventing periodontal disease, which affects more than 50% of adults," says Meinecke. Flossing helps remove plaque and debris that sticks to teeth and gums, and gives you a brighter smile by polishing the tooth's surface; it even helps control bad breath. Brushing at the wrong time Although we've been taught to brush after every meal, depending on what you eat or drink, that's not always the best advice. "After consuming high-acid food or drinks, like wine, coffee, citrus fruits, and soft drinks, rinse with water to neutralize the acids, but wait an hour before reaching for the toothpaste," says Meinecke. "Brushing teeth immediately after drinking carbonated drinks and acidic foods can cause erosion." Overzealous whitening It is not clear whether bleaching erodes tooth enamel, but it can increase sensitivity, especially when done too often. Even at-home whitening treatments should be used with moderation, as some whitening toothpastes and gels contain abrasive ingredients that can increase tooth sensitivity, which can be painful. Plus, as you get older, whitening products can only do so much, so after a certain point, using more won't necessarily do anything for your smile. Soft drinks Soft drinks are chock-full of sugar, which puts you at a risk for cavities, tooth decay, and gum infections, and dark colas can also stain your teeth, leaving you with a lackluster smile. Meinecke recommends drinking soda through a straw and rinsing with water or chewing sugar-free gum after consumption to neutralize the acids. She also recommends waiting at least an hour before brushing. Citrus and acidic food "Although lemons, grapefruits, and citrus juices don't directly cause cavities, like soft drinks, they contain acids, which cause erosion of the tooth enamel, weakening the tooth and making it prone to decay," says Meinecke. Waiting to brush, rinsing your mouth with water, or chewing sugar-free gum can help. In particular, consider xylitol, a natural sweetener found in plants and fruits that was FDA approved as a food additive in 1986. Found in sugar-free gum, mints, and toothpastes, xylitol can inhibit the cavity-causing oral bacteria. "Dentists will often recommend patients chew at least two pieces per day if they are at high risk for developing cavities," explains Meinecke. | 7 | 3,687 | health |
WASHINGTON The Justice Department has been building a national database to track in real time the movement of vehicles around the U.S., a secret domestic intelligence-gathering program that scans and stores hundreds of millions of records about motorists, according to current and former officials and government documents. The primary goal of the license-plate tracking program, run by the Drug Enforcement Administration, is to seize cars, cash and other assets to combat drug trafficking, according to one government document. But the database's use has expanded to hunt for vehicles associated with numerous other potential crimes, from kidnappings to killings to rape suspects, say people familiar with the matter. Officials have publicly said that they track vehicles near the border with Mexico to help fight drug cartels. What hasn't been previously disclosed is that the DEA has spent years working to expand the database "throughout the United States,'' according to one email reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Many state and local law-enforcement agencies are accessing the database for a variety of investigations, according to people familiar with the program, putting a wealth of information in the hands of local officials who can track vehicles in real time on major roadways. The database raises new questions about privacy and the scope of government surveillance. The existence of the program and its expansion were described in interviews with current and former government officials, and in documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union through a Freedom of Information Act request and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. It is unclear if any court oversees or approves the intelligence-gathering. A spokesman for Justice Department, which includes the DEA, said the program complies with federal law. "It is not new that the DEA uses the license-plate reader program to arrest criminals and stop the flow of drugs in areas of high trafficking intensity,'' the spokesman said. Sen. Patrick Leahy, senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the government's use of license-plate readers "raises significant privacy concerns. The fact that this intrusive technology is potentially being used to expand the reach of the government's asset-forfeiture efforts is of even greater concern.'' The senator called for "additional accountability'' and said Americans shouldn't have to fear "their locations and movements are constantly being tracked and stored in a massive government database.'' The DEA program collects data about vehicle movements, including time, direction and location, from high-tech cameras placed strategically on major highways. Many devices also record visual images of drivers and passengers, which are sometimes clear enough for investigators to confirm identities, according to DEA documents and people familiar with the program. The documents show that the DEA also uses license-plate readers operated by state, local and federal law-enforcement agencies to feed into its own network and create a far-reaching, constantly updating database of electronic eyes scanning traffic on the roads to steer police toward suspects. The law-enforcement scanners are different from those used to collect tolls. By 2011, the DEA had about 100 cameras feeding into the database, the documents show. On Interstate 95 in New Jersey, license-plate readers feed data to the DEA giving law-enforcement personnel around the country the ability to search for a suspect vehicle on one of the country's busiest highways. One undated internal document shows the program also gathers data from license-plate readers in Florida and Georgia. "Any database that collects detailed location information about Americans not suspected of crimes raises very serious privacy questions,'' said Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst at the ACLU. "It's unconscionable that technology with such far-reaching potential would be deployed in such secrecy. People might disagree about exactly how we should use such powerful surveillance technologies, but it should be democratically decided, it shouldn't be done in secret.'' License-plate readers are already used in the U.S. by companies to collect debts and repossess vehicles, and by local police departments to solve crimes. In 2010, the DEA said in internal documents that the database aided in the seizure of 98 kilograms of cocaine, 8,336 kilograms of marijuana and the collection of $866,380. It also has been connected to the Amber Alert system, to help authorities find abducted children, according to people familiar with the program. One email written in 2010 said the primary purpose of the program was asset forfeiture a controversial practice in which law-enforcement agencies seize cars, cash and other valuables from suspected criminals. The practice is increasingly coming under attack because of instances when law-enforcement officers take such assets without evidence of a crime. The document said, "…DEA has designed this program to assist with locating, identifying, and seizing bulk currency, guns, and other illicit contraband moving along the southwest border and throughout the United States. With that said, we want to insure we can collect and manage all the data and IT responsibilities that will come with the work to insure the program meets its goals, of which asset forfeiture is primary.' A number of lawmakers have been planning to offer legislation to rein in what they call abuses of asset-forfeiture laws. The Justice Department recently announced it was ending its role in one type of asset seizure, known as "adoptions,'' a process by which local officials take property, then have the assets adopted and sold by the federal government. Often, that allows the local agency to keep a higher percentage of the money from the seizure. The policy change doesn't affect the bulk of asset seizures in the U.S. The national vehicle database program was launched in 2008 and opened to participating state and local authorities a year later. The initial focus was on tracking cars moving on or near the Southwest border, in order to follow the movements of drugs and drug money, according to officials and documents. Requests to search the database are handled by the El Paso Intelligence Center in Texas, which is known as EPIC in law enforcement circles. EPIC is staffed around the clock to both take in and send out information about "hits'' on requested license plates. The effort began in border states like Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, but the goal has always been expansion, according to current and former federal officials and documents. Officials wouldn't say how many other states are now feeding data into the system, citing concerns that disclosing such information could help criminals avoid detection. The federal program hasn't always been embraced by states. At a 2012 hearing, Utah lawmakers balked when DEA officials sought to have license-plate readers in the state feed into the database one of the few times the agency has provided even limited facts about the program. That same year, a DEA official made a general reference to the program at a congressional field hearing about the Southwest border, saying it was built to monitor and target vehicles used to transport bulk cash and other contraband. Under questioning from Utah lawmakers, the agency said the program began with an effort to track drug shipments on the Southwest border, and the government wanted to add monitors on major drug-trafficking routes like Utah's Interstate 15, in order to hunt a wide array of criminals. That alarmed privacy advocates, who noted at the time that the DEA's map of major drug routes included most of the national highway system. The agency has reduced the time it holds the data from two years to 3 months, according to a Justice Department spokesman. The EPIC database allows any police agency that participates to quickly search records of many states for information about a vehicle. One May 2010 redacted email says: "Anyone can request information from our [license-plate reader] program, federal, state, or local, just need to be a vetted EPIC user.…'' The data are also shared with U.S. border officials, according to an undated memorandum of understanding between the DEA and Customs and Border Protection officials. That document shows the two agencies specifically said that lawmakers might never specifically fund the work, stating: "this in no way implies that Congress will appropriate funds for such expenditures.'' The disclosure of the DEA's license-plate reader database comes on the heels of other revelations in recent months about the Justice Department, as well as the agencies it runs, gathering data about innocent Americans as it searches for criminals. In November, The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Marshals Service flies planes carrying devices that mimic cellphone towers in order to scan the identifying information of Americans' phones as it searches for criminal suspects and fugitives. Justice Department officials have said the program is legal. Earlier this month, the DEA filed court documents indicating that for more than a decade it had gathered the phone records of Americans calling foreign countries, without judicial oversight, to sift through that data looking for drug suspects. That program was canceled in 2013. Write to Devlin Barrett at [email protected] | 5 | 3,688 | news |
The embattled euro held onto modest gains early on Tuesday, having bounced off an 11-year trough as investors decided to take profits on extremely bearish positions. The common currency last traded at $1.1245 (EUR=), off Monday's low of $1.1098 - a level not seen since September 2003. Investors sold the euro first thing this week after the Greeks voted in a new hardline, anti-bailout government led by Alexis Tsipras. However, buyers emerged in London and New York. "Perhaps the market rightly or wrongly is pinning some hopes on Mr Tsipras being more conciliatory," David de Garis, senior economist at National Australia Bank, wrote in a note to clients. "In any case, the market will be paying close attention to news that could well see more euro volatility for now at least." "Markets now wait for details on Tsipras's policies and how much compromise he is willing to embrace in his dealings with international creditors," he wrote. Short euro positions were further squeezed after a survey showed German business morale rose to its highest level in six months in January, climbing for a third consecutive month. As a result, the euro firmed broadly. Against the yen, it rose to 133.15 (EURJPY=R), from a 16-month trough of 130.16. The rebound in the common currency knocked the dollar index (.DXY) off an 11-year peak of 95.481 to 94.869. The greenback managed to firm slightly on its Japanese peer, reaching 118.44 (JPY=) from Monday's low of 117.26. Still, it remained well within a 117.00/119.00 range seen for a week. Overall, the major currencies saw a relatively tame session in part due to a lack of major economic data and as many players in New York braced for a blizzard sweeping across the northeast coast of the United States. The U.S. Federal Reserve starts a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday and investors are keen to hear its take on the rash of policy easings from the euro zone to Canada and Switzerland. The general assumption is the Fed will acknowledge the uncertain global outlook and stick to its promise to be patient on tightening. Yet expectations remain that it will start raising rates by mid-year, a trajectory that implies further broad-based gains for the dollar. One key development on Monday was Standard & Poor's decision to cut Russia's sovereign credit rating to junk status, bringing it below investment grade for the first time in a decade. The rouble weakened in New York and could see more action when the local market opens. The dollar last traded at 68.79 rubles (RUB=) (RUBUTSTN=MCX), up from Monday's low around 63.81. (Editing by Richard Borsuk) | 3 | 3,689 | finance |
Tiger makes his 2015 PGA TOUR debut in Phoenix on Thursday, and the big focus is the new design of the course. Will this help or hurt Tiger? | 1 | 3,690 | sports |
PHOENIX Take a PR nightmare, any PR nightmare, and the NFL will find a way to make it worse. This season alone could serve as an entire case study for what not to do in a crisis. Whether it was its woeful handling of the Ray Rice, Greg Hardy and Adrian Peterson domestic abuse cases, its brass-knuckled dealings with the players union or Deflategate, the NFL somehow managed to bungle it every time. "If I were them," Arizona Sen. John McCain told USA TODAY Sports, "I would review my whole PR scheme." Let's review the league's botched efforts: It is mind-boggling to look back at the biggest issues the NFL faced this year, and see just how badly it botched them: DOMESTIC ABUSE Roger Goodell couldn't have looked more out of touch with his initial response to the cases involving Rice and Peterson. He initially suspended Rice for two games, less than the Baltimore Ravens running back would have gotten if he'd been busted for a DUI, and later defended himself by saying he had no idea of the severity of what had happened. Never mind that it didn't take a Mensa candidate to watch the first video which showed Rice dragging his unconscious wife out of the elevator and know something very bad had gone down. "I think these controversies would have gone away a lot easier if they had approached them from, 'How are the American people going to react to seeing the video of a professional football player knock out his wife?'" McCain said. Instead, it took a firestorm of fan outrage and concern from sponsors before Goodell and the NFL realized they might need to view domestic abuse of women and children a little more seriously. Even then, it would be weeks before Goodell did anything other than hold painfully awkward news conferences and make vague promises to "get it right." The NFL couldn't even manage a quick PSA for its game broadcasts, going weeks before finally airing one that had been produced previously by the "No More" organization. (Don't get me started on the fact the NFL was still asking fans to "Help us start the conversation" in Week 17.) MUELLER REPORT When The Associated Press reported that someone had sent the NFL a copy of the second Rice videotape months before it aired on TMZ , contradicting the claim by the Ravens and the NFL that they'd had no knowledge of it, Goodell announced an "independent" investigation. And by independent, I mean one with connections to the NFL. No one has questioned the integrity of former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller. Far from it. But when the public already thinks you're hiding something, it's best not to give them any more reason to be suspicious. Hire someone who is completely objective. Oh, it's probably also better if lowners would hold off on votes of confidence until the investigation concludes. Call me crazy, but expressing unwavering support for Goodell didn't inspire confidence that the NFL was interested in anything but covering its butt. PLAYER DISCIPLINE Even when the NFL got something right, it still went wrong. Toughening the player conduct policy was absolutely the right thing to do. It was long overdue, too.But pushing the changes through without the cooperation of the NFL Players Association only ensures there will be (more) lawyers. The players don't trust Goodell to be fair, as we saw when Peterson refused to meet with the commissioner and the NFL's team of experts. An arbitrator's decision to overturn Rice's indefinite suspension because she felt Goodell overreached only furthers the mistrust. The sole focus, for both sides, should be on repairing the long-term damage that abuse does to both victims and abusers and preventing it from occurring in the future. Instead, the new conduct policy has drawn the battle lines in the turf war even deeper. HEALTH AND SAFETY On consecutive plays, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and tight end Heath Miller took vicious hits to the head on consecutive plays and wobbled off the field. Within minutes, however, both were back in the game. Did I mention this was a playoff game? The NFL swears nothing is more important than safety, and it's doing everything it can to protect the long-term health of its players. But it sure does make you wonder when, week after week, we see players take nasty blows and never miss a snap. DEFLATEGATE How hard is it to determine the chain of command of the footballs used by the New England Patriots during the AFC Championship? Sloths move faster than the NFL's investigation into Deflategate. It's no big deal or anything. It's just the integrity of the game at stake to say nothing of the reputations of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots, one of the league's premier teams. Yet every day, the NFL fiddles while some new allegation or innuendo drags everybody a little further into the mud. Investigator Ted Wells announced Monday that the investigation will run "at least several more weeks." He also said it would be best for all if everyone just stopped talking about it. Good luck with that. Perhaps he's unaware, but Tuesday is Super Bowl Media Day, when reporters and I use that term loosely for some of them from around the world get an hour with both the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, able to ask pretty much anything they want. Just imagine: Belichick getting the same question over and over for 60 minutes. Or Marshawn Lynch getting an hour of quality time with the media that he loves so much. Nope, nothing could go wrong there. | 1 | 3,691 | sports |
Nationwide teases us with this brief look into their upcoming football commercial that has Mindy Kaling feeling like she's invisible. | 8 | 3,692 | video |
"Authentic," "tech savvy" and "instant gratification" ... all phrases commonly used to describe the millennial generation, which is defined as those born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. Studies show this group is tech-savvy, likes to travel and prefers to spend money on experiences rather than materialistic items. While millennials may not be the majority of travel consumers at the moment (according to AARP , baby boomers are still spending plenty), they will be soon. "Over the next five to 10 years, millennials will become the biggest customer segment for hotels worldwide, and hotel brands are rushing to meet and exceed the needs of these travelers," said Signature Travel Network Vice President Ignacio Maza. In fact, by 2025, Gen Y will account for 75 percent of the workforce, according to a 2014 study by Deloitte , a company that provides audit, consulting, tax and advisory services. Many hotels are now trying figure out what this generation, encompassing 8 million individuals, according to the U.S. Census, is looking for. "Hotels are starting to have to listen to their customers in a different way, and that's a result of the millennial voice," said Donna Quadri-Felitti, clinical associate professor of hospitality and tourism at New York University. From catering to Gen Y's always connected tendencies to providing anything but cookie cutter experiences, here are some ways hotels are appealing to millennials. Tailored technology Millennials expect to be connected to the Internet and at high speeds wherever they are without paying more for it. "Connectivity is one of the strongest threads that is not going to change over time," Quadri-Felitti said. Many hotels are upgrading their connectivity to offer high-speed wireless Internet at no extra cost. Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto, for example, even provides a complimentary digital newspaper and magazine service on any device connected to the hotel's Wi-Fi. Communicating with these customers via their preferred channels like text messaging and social media is also increasing in importance. Hotel Irvine, which recently underwent a major renovation that in large part was designed to appeal to millennials, allows guests to text the hotel for anything from extra towels to a late check-in. The hotel is also adding the option to check in and out via smartphone in 2015. Hotel Teatro in downtown Denver has a dedicated social media concierge, who provides recommendations for local activities and accommodates special requests throughout guests' stays. In one case, after learning of a guest's birthday on Twitter, the concierge was able to give her a personal birthday greeting upon her arrival. Some brands are even rewarding guests with additional points or free stays for mentions of the property on social media . There are also apps like HelloTel that allow guests to find and connect with fellow travelers staying at the property. While that might seem intrusive to older generations, Quadri-Felitti explained that because millennials have grown up in a world where they can connect to people they don't know via online platforms, "they don't have the same trepidations about other cultures and strangers." Streamlined design One of the biggest ways this generation of travelers has influenced hotel design is the elimination of the traditional lobby in lieu of a more open, communal space. "The millennials don't mind sitting down at a table with people they don't know, whether it be eating or sitting down at a computer," said Sam Cicero, founder of the Cicero's Development Corporation, a hospitality construction company. Quadri-Felitti calls this characteristic "at once alone and together," which is the idea of sitting together but working separately. "Millennials are interested in collaboration and social interaction … they want to get out of their rooms and be with other people. … or at least have the option to be with other people," said Bob Neal, principal at architecture firm Cooper Carry. At Hotel Irvine, the first floor is more of an interactive social center than a traditional lobby, with a front desk, bar, restaurant and lounge. "We've integrated all those areas and transformed the hotel so all those spaces work together," explained Ralph Grippo, president of The Irvine Company Resort Properties. To create a more communal space, the hotel added a 9-foot TV, high-speed Internet and even a signature scent to provide a sense of place. But the millennial influence doesn't stop at structural design. The artwork you'll find in hotels these days is more abstract and colorful; gone are the traditional matted pictures that once lined hotel hallways. The Alexander Hotel in downtown Indianapolis has even partnered with a museum the Indianapolis Museum of Art to display pieces that reflect the city's heritage. At The Goodland hotel in Santa Barbara, California, owners employed graffiti artists to design works of art and brought in well-known surfers to ensure the displayed memorabilia was an authentic expression of Southern California's surfing culture. The hotel also hosts an artist in residence in the retro Airstream that sits outside. Inside guest rooms, you'll find a more modular, streamlined look think open closets, tables instead of traditional desks and sleek glass showers instead of old-school tubs. Cicero said millennials prefer this open feel, as it allows them to get what they need more quickly. A twist on service In an effort to cater to millennials' need for instant gratification, hospitality properties are revamping the hotel transaction from start to finish. "Millennials want to do things on their own terms: check in virtually, choose to interact with the hosts or to use a virtual concierge, sleep in and have breakfast too," said Rob Blood, founder and CEO of Lark Hotels in New England. "They want to leave a hotel experience and a destination having had a unique experience, and feeling connected to the stay." At Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts in Aruba, you can check in online in advance of your arrival. Instead of waiting in long lobby lines, guests are greeted curbside by their personal concierge and escorted directly to their rooms where the check-in process is finalized on a tablet device. "We think it's less about [loyalty program] points and it's a bit more about personalizing [the experience]," said Grippo, with Hotel Irvine. "Is the experience unique or is it just transactional? If it's an experience and unique, how does it make me feel?" Hotels are also adding unusual and very specific concierge services. From a record concierge at The Goodland in Santa Barbara who helps you select vinyls to play on each room's Crosley turntable to a sneaker stylist that provides access to limited-edition kicks at Dream Downtown in New York to a beer concierge at Hotel Vermont and a tequila concierge at CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa. ACME Hotel Company in Chicago has a new take on room service called Knock and Drop. "Instead of receiving a silver tray, you get a brown paper bag outside your door at the time you requested; there's no need to fumble for your robe or tip money," said Gene Kornota, principal of Rebel Hospitality, which owns and operates ACME. Value-added amenities Quadri-Felitti noted that since millennials grew up during the last recession, they are more cost-conscious, which she said must extend beyond the room. Armed with this knowledge, many properties are eliminating fees and adding more amenities and benefits included in the overall cost of the stay. Complimentary in-room water for this health-conscious generation is increasingly common, and Hotel Irvine has even eliminated a mainstay: the minibar. Instead, guests enjoy a complimentary grab-and-go-style breakfast, or they can have any item from the first floor "marketplace," which offers prepared sandwiches, snacks and drinks, delivered to their room with no service fee. Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts provides guests with an air dehumidifier, air purifier, cellphone charger, microwave, minifridge and a complimentary iPad during their stays. Meanwhile, Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos tout "The Sound of Your Stay" program, which gives music-loving guests playlists for download, a Fender electric guitar rental with in-room jam sessions and in-room delivery of professional DJ equipment and mixing lessons all at no additional cost. Pumping up fitness Health and exercise are important to millennials, and both chain and boutique hotels have taken notice, upping the ante on their fitness programs and facilities. Many properties offer house bikes that guests may borrow to explore the area, while other brands, such as Kimpton, provide yoga mats in every room. Westin offers a dedicated running concierge at many properties to lead groups of guests on a local 3- to 5-mile run. Meanwhile, Hotel Palomar Chicago and L'Auberge de Sedona, both allow guests to join weekly morning runs with the property's general manager. The WestinWORKOUT program lets lodgers book guest rooms equipped with a selection of fitness equipment, such as treadmills, dumbbells and stability balls, and for $5, travelers can borrow New Balance running shoes and men's and women's exercise apparel. Throughout all Trump Collection Hotels, complimentary Under Armour clothes and iPods are available for guests. Making millennials happy means rethinking traditional processes and procedures, but it's likely to pay off for hotels that make the time. Said Gary Plourde, owner and innkeeper at Christmas Farm Inn & Spa in Jackson, New Hampshire, "You win their loyalty and their referrals when you get it right." | 2 | 3,693 | travel |
MELBOURNE, Australia For a day at the Australian Open, it's tennis past vs. tennis future played in the present. Wednesday, three American women will play in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in over 10 years, representing a generational crossroads on the two sides of the net. Venus and Serena Williams are names synonymous with the sport, while 19-year-old Madison Keys is having her breakthrough event. Venus, now 34, meets Keys in one quarterfinal while Serena takes on the No. 11 seed, Dominika Cibulkova, a finalist here a year ago. The winners will meet in the semifinals. Keys' result is one that many inside the sport have waited patiently for from the up-and-comer, who recently acquired former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport as her all-star coach. "With her new coaching team, she's starting to handle things better. There's nobody who has as much talent as Madison," said Brad Gilbert, speaking on ESPN. "I think potentially she's a future No. 1 and a multiple Slam winner." But what Keys can do in the present is what has gotten the world No. 35 into the last eight for the first time in her career. She is joined in the top half of the draw by this sport's most famous sibling duo. "I think (Madison) is great. I'm so excited that she's playing well," world No. 1 Serena said of Keys. "I mean she has such a great spirit about her. She does everything really well. She just has so much unbelievable potential." It's been nearly five years since both Venus and Serena have both made it this far at a major as Venus, now ranked No. 18, has struggled with an energy-sapping auto-immune disease known as Sjogren's Syndrome. While Serena has kept a stranglehold on the world No. 1's ranking and in September won her 18 th Grand Slam, older sister Venus has gone a mediocre 16-13 in the last four years at the majors. "I feel like I've been here before, so it's not like I'm jumping up and down for joy," said Venus, downplaying her fourth round upset win over world No. 6 Agnieszka Radwanska. "I've done this. This is what I'm always going into each tournament thinking I want to do." On Wednesday, Keys will have a special advisor in her box with Davenport, who maintained a 14-13 record against Venus in their career head-to-head. "Lindsay used to hit a clean ball. I loved watching her play," Venus said. "Of course, I didn't love watching her hit those clean balls against (me). Madison hits a clean ball too; she goes for it. So it looks like it's a good match." It was at the 2004 US Open when the U.S. last had three or more women in the quarterfinals of a major: Serena, Davenport and Jennifer Capriati. Keys was just nine years old at the time. In fact, Keys wasn't born yet when Venus made her debut professional debut in Oakland in October of 1994. "Apparently she started playing because she saw Serena and I," Venus said in an on-court interview Monday night. Then joked: "She was watching me in her diapers." That isn't entirely true, but Keys has talked openly about the influence the Williams sisters had on her starting out in the sport, which she played in her parent's driveway in Illinois between two garbage cans. "Just watching (Venus) is inspirational," said Keys, who now lives in Los Angeles. "She's had her health battles. She loves tennis. She's still out here and she's doing it remarkably well. I think that's inspirational. However long, I hope I can be someone similar to that." The yearning for America's next tennis superstar has long loomed among elite players. Separate from Venus and Serena, no man or woman from the U.S. has won a Grand Slam in singles since Andy Roddick did so at the US Open in 2003. Capriati was the last woman to do so outside the Williams family in 2002, at this tournament. Keys appears to have all the tools, but now it's about execution. The chatter around Melbourne Park has been about how quickly her working relationship with Davenport, which began in October, has produced results. "She's 19 years old, so she's young to have this full-time job where she's in the media spotlight and has so much pressure on her because there hasn't been a great American star in the last decade besides Venus and Serena," explained Davenport, who also works as a TV commentator. "One of the things I'm trying to do is just giving her more confidence and then we'll figure out how to construct her career." Wednesday, Keys will construct first-strike points against Williams, a fellow heavy hitter. Serena herself is a heavy favorite in her quarterfinal against Cibulkova, meaning an all-Williams semifinal is possible. The two haven't met at a major since Serena beat Venus in the 2009 Wimbledon final. But first, Venus is determined to book her place in the semis and further into history. "I'm always wishing her the best of luck," Venus said of Keys. "But of course I want to win." | 1 | 3,694 | sports |
NEW YORK (AP) Tom Petty has earned a writing credit on Sam Smith's megahit "Stay With Me" for its similarities to his song "I Won't Back Down." Smith's representative said Monday the publishers of Petty's 1989 hit contacted the publishers of Smith's song, which was one of last year's biggest hits. Smith and "Stay With Me" writers James Napier and William Phillips say they agree their song is similar to Petty's song, written with Jeff Lynne. "Although the likeness was a complete coincidence, all involved came to an immediate and amicable agreement in which Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne are now credited as co-writers of 'Stay With Me' along with Sam Smith, James Napier and William Phillips," they said in a statement. Petty's "I Won't Back Down" peaked at No. 12 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. A representative for Petty declined to comment. "Stay With Me," Smith's debut song, has sold more than 3.5 million tracks and peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. The breakthrough British singer is nominated for six Grammy Awards at next month's show, including song of the year, an honor solely for the writers of a track. The Recording Academy's senior vice president of awards, Bill Freimuth, said Monday that Petty and Lynne would not be added to the nominations list for the song. "Since Lynne and Petty did not do any new writing for this work, we are considering their original work to have been interpolated by Napier, Phillips and Smith for 'Stay With Me,'" Freimuth said in a statement. Lynne and Petty won't be considered Grammy nominees or Grammy recipients should the song win, he said. Rather, they would be given certificates to honor their participation in the work, just like other writers of sampled or interpolated work, he said. Petty is still a contender at the Grammys: His latest album with the Heartbreakers, "Hypnotic Eye," is nominated for best rock album. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart last year. Smith's other nominations include best new artist, album of the year and best pop vocal album for "In the Lonely Hour." ''Stay With Me" is also up for record of the year and best pop solo performance. | 6 | 3,695 | entertainment |
Toyota is showing up to the big game on Sunday with a motivational commercial that will leave you asking why you aren't doing more. | 8 | 3,696 | video |
Pepsi surprised a group of friends playing football with the cutest halftime show you could ever imagine. | 8 | 3,697 | video |
WASHINGTON House Republican leaders Monday pulled a controversial border security bill from a pending vote, citing severe weather conditions in the Northeast and a short congressional work week but opponents said it was yanked because of sagging Republican support. The bill, authored by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, was scheduled for a Wednesday vote. Republican leaders withdrew the bill and canceled all votes Monday as lawmakers faced difficulties getting to Washington because of the Northeastern snowstorm. The Senate met and conducted votes. Pushing back Monday's House votes, leadership officials said, further shortened an already truncated House work week. Lawmakers are scheduled to recess Wednesday so House Democrats can attend a retreat in Philadelphia the rest of the week. The measure requires the Department of Homeland Security to gain "operational control" of the border within five years to prevent illegal crossings into the United States. It also calls for the deployment of new technology along the border, new fencing, and requires the Homeland Security Department to launch a biometric exit system at all entry points within five years. "Chairman McCaul remains laser focused on getting this bill to the floor and passed," Walter Zaykowski, a McCaul spokesman, said in an email. "He will continue to work with members and stakeholders to do so. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans this week." But Republicans, Democrats and outside groups that oppose the bill say dwindling support within Republican ranks, and not snowflakes, was the main reason it was pulled. Several Republicans have complained that McCaul's bill distracted from a bill the House passed earlier this month to fund the Department of Homeland Security through September. The bill, which awaits Senate action, has amendments attached that would reverse several of President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration. "There was significant conservative opposition to moving this bill before Senate passage of our bill stopping the president's lawless, unconstitutional amnesty," said Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan. "With the intervention of both bad weather and already 67 filed amendments, it was the right decision to pull back this bill." Huelskamp added: "This allows the focus to remain where it belongs on Senate consideration of the DHS bill. We must check the president's overreach on immigration before passing new laws for him to ignore." Other Republican lawmakers, including those who espouse securing the border before dealing with a comprehensive overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, have called the bill a weak measure that's a potential stalking horse to amnesty for millions of people who are living in the country illegally. "The most troubling aspect is this Trojan horse thing," freshman Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., said on "The John Fredericks Show," a Virginia radio program. "If you pass a bill called 'border security,' then the other side is going to say, 'Hey, look, we already did it, we passed border security, so now it's time for Step Two, which is amnesty let everyone in, legalize them, because now we have a secure border." Congressional Democrats and the Obama administration don't like McCaul's bill, either. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson called it "unworkable" last week. But Democrats sat back Monday and enjoyed the Republican infighting over the measure. "They can blame inclement weather all they want but we all know it was the storm clouds over this bill and its murky prospects that are the real drivers," said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the House Homeland Security Committee's ranking Democrat. "Interestingly, even the most extreme right-wing elements of the House Republican conference, which the bill was written for, could not get on board with this legislation." | 5 | 3,698 | news |
After it became apparent that Dick LeBeau wouldn't coach for the Arizona Cardinals, news broke today about where he might be expected to land in the NFL. Former NFL executive and current NFL analyst, Gil Brandt, tweeted today that former Steelers ' defensive coordinator, Dick LeBeau is looking to go to the Tennessee Titans . Looking like Dick LeBeau now heading to Titans. Always good to make the wife happy. Seems to be the case here. Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) January 26, 2015 The Hall of Fame coach reportedly was being considered for a job on the staff of the Arizona Cardinals recently, but that prospect ended on Sunday when a report came out that he would not decide to join Bruce Arians. The primary factors in the decision for LeBeau seem to be both the location of his new job, so that he can remain close with his family, and the prospect that he can still be a defensive coordinator in the NFL instead of being a position coach. While the idea of LeBeau coaching against the Pittsburgh Steelers would have become a reality had he joined the Arizona Cardinals, it would take a playoff trip for both the Titans and the Steelers for that to happen in the 2015-2016 NFL season. | 1 | 3,699 | sports |
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