text
stringlengths 5
144k
| label
int64 0
9
| id
int64 0
100k
| label_text
stringclasses 10
values |
|---|---|---|---|
Thinking of a new career? Buying a home? Have you consulted your amygdala? These almond-shaped clusters of neurons deep in the brain may play a vital part in long-term planning, said a study published Monday. Experiments conducted on lab monkey amygdala may also help the search for new treatments for depression, drug addiction, binge eating and other behavioural problems in humans, its authors hope. Until now, planning was thought to be a task generally for the brain's frontal lobe, where "higher order" skills such as weighing the consequences of one's actions and distinguishing between good and bad are located. But scientists led by Fabian Grabenhorst at Britain's University of Cambridge wanted to see how the amygdala -- the organ comprising two cell clusters, one in each temporal lobe located at either side of the brain -- contributes to long-term planning. The amygdala has long been associated with primal and short-term drivers like fear and aggression, but also, more distantly, with behaviour that is linked to reward. Two male rhesus monkeys were put through an experiment in which they were trained to choose between accepting an immediate fruit juice reward, or wait and receive a bigger dose later. The more they restrained themselves, the bigger the reward grew -- and like shrewd investors, both monkeys generally tended to save up. Once the animals were trained, the team implanted electrodes in the monkeys' brains to observe the decision-making sequence. Early in the process, neurons in the amygdala were activated in a pattern that reflected "several trials ahead" whether the monkey would save up towards specific goals, according to the study. "These activity patterns could be used by the frontal lobe to translate goal signals into concrete action plans," Grabenhorst told AFP by email. The monkeys were humanely killed after the experiment, the scientists said, and their brains dissected to verify the electrodes had been implanted in exactly the right spot. "The different types of planning activity we observed were encoded by different amygdala neurons that were closely intermingled," the scientist said. They "could not have been distinguished" by a non-invasive brain scan, he said. The amygdala is an ancient brain structure shared by primates, so what happened in the monkeys very likely happens in our brains, too. The findings, reported in the journal Nature Neuroscience, "may open up new avenues" for treating a range of psychiatric problems, including severe depression, substance addiction and eating disorders, Grabenhorst said. "Amygdala dysfunction is known to underlie a variety of psychiatric disorders," he said. "Some of these disorders are characterised by a lack of motivation to make plans for the future or by a dysfunctional pursuit of rewards." | 5 | 3,700 | news |
By Sam Galanis New England Patriots fans know that there will be a day when Tom Brady isn't the team's quarterback, but when and how he'll go isn't something that people think about often. With the careers of former Patriots stars like Randy Moss in mind, Mark Leibovich tried to tackle this question in a New York Times Magazine profile of the quarterback. Leibovich asked a few people if they think Brady's career for the Pats will end badly, and Tom Brady Sr.'s answer might surprise you. "It will end badly," Brady's father said during the season. "It does end badly. And I know that because I know what Tommy wants to do. He wants to play till he's 70." The signs are there. The Patriots drafted a quarterback in the second round of this past draft - the highest they've drafted one since Brady - and Brady will be 40 years old when his contract is up after the 2017 season. It's difficult to commit to a 40-year-old quarterback, regardless of loyalty. Owner Bob Kraft wouldn't answer Leibovich's question directly and gave a rather cryptic response about what happens behind the scenes. "With all due respect to the media, they don't know what's really going on," Kraft told me. "No one would believe what's really going on." Still, Brady's father thinks that when it's all said and done, it won't matter that Brady has spent the past 15 years with the Patriots. "It's a cold business," Brady Sr. said. "And for as much as you want it to be familial, it isn't." | 1 | 3,701 | sports |
Six more cases of measles have been confirmed in California following an outbreak at Disneyland that began in December, public health officials said on Monday, raising to 74 the total number of people in the state who have been infected. Previously, 68 people in California had been confirmed to have the measles, along with 14 others elsewhere: five in Arizona, three in Utah, two in Washington state, one each in Oregon, Colorado and Nevada, and one in Mexico. The latest tally includes 73 cases documented by the California Department of Public Health and one additional patient reported by the Ventura County Health Care Agency. Most, but not all, of the 88 known cases of measles in California and out of state have been linked to an outbreak that is believed to have begun when an infected person, likely from out of the country, visited the Disneyland resort in Anaheim between Dec. 15 and Dec. 20. Among those infected are at least five Disney employees and a student from a local high school that has ordered its unvaccinated students to stay home until Thursday. Four patients are less than a year old and 11 others are between the ages of 1 and 4. The outbreak has renewed debate over the so-called anti-vaccination movement in which fears about potential side effects of vaccines, fueled by now-debunked theories suggesting a link to autism, have led a small minority of parents to refuse to allow their children to be inoculated. The California health department has said that unvaccinated individuals have been a factor in the outbreak, although some of the infected patients had been inoculated. The Los Angeles Times blasted the anti-vaccination movement in an editorial last week for what it called an "ignorant and self-absorbed rejection of science." Homegrown measles, whose symptoms include rash and fever, was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000. But health officials say cases imported by travelers from overseas continue to infect unvaccinated U.S. residents. The sometimes deadly virus, which is airborne, can spread swiftly among unvaccinated children. There is no specific treatment for measles and most people recover within a few weeks. But in poor and malnourished children and people with reduced immunity, measles can cause serious complications including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea, ear infection and pneumonia (Reporting by Steve Gorman and Dan Whitcomb; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Peter Cooney) | 5 | 3,702 | news |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Maria Sharapova moved closer to another Australian Open title, set to face a fellow Russian in the semifinals who has never beaten her. Sharapova made all the big points look easy Tuesday in defeating 20-year-old Eugenie Bouchard 6-3, 6-2 -- her fourth consecutive win over the Canadian -- and advance to a semifinal against Ekaterina Makarova, who earlier beat third-seeded Simona Halep 6-4, 6-0. "I had to produce a really good performance against Genie," Sharapova said. "She's been playing so confidently and aggressively." The last time Sharapova and Bouchard met -- in the semifinals at the French Open last year -- Bouchard won the first set before Sharapova came back to take the next two. Sharapova then won the title at Roland Garros. This time, Bouchard, who made the finals of Wimbledon and two other Grand Slam semis last year, didn't come close to taking a set, looking flat from the outset while being broken in her opening service game. The Genie Army, a group of young Australian men who croon songs about the Canadian player, was left to sing another day. Sharapova, the 2008 Australian Open champion, has a 5-0 record against Makarova, including wins in the quarterfinals here in 2012 and 2013. In four of those losses, Makarova failed to win a set. "She likes playing here," Sharapova said of Makarova. "She uses that left-handed serve really well. It's always tricky playing a lefty and your compatriot, as well, but one of us will be in the final and that makes me happy." It will be Makarova's second consecutive Grand Slam semifinal. She made her first major semi at last year's U.S. Open, losing to Serena Williams after beating Bouchard in the fourth round. "I'm so comfortable here, it's all the atmosphere and maybe memories from New York that I bring here," said Makarova. The other women's semifinalists will be determined on Wednesday when No. 1-ranked Williams plays last year's finalist, Dominika Cibulkova, and Venus Williams, playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in nearly five years, takes on 19-year-old American Madison Keys. If the Williams sisters play each other in the semifinals, it would be their first meeting in a Grand Slam tournament since the Wimbledon final in 2009 -- won by Serena. Halep, last year's French Open runner-up, was under pressure from Makarova's array of strong forehands to all areas of the court. Serving at 5-3 in the first set, the Romanian saved two set points, but Makarova clinched the opener on the third when Halep netted a backhand. Makarova broke Halep's serve to open the second set, helped by a double-fault. The Russian player then saved three break points in the next game to lead 2-0 and then broke the Romanian player again before shutting out Halep the rest of the way. The 26-year-old Makarova has had her best Grand Slam results at Melbourne Park, advancing to fourth round twice as well as those quarterfinal losses to Sharapova. Last year, she lost to eventual champion Li Na in the fourth round. "I love this court, I'm so happy I came through," said Makarova, who said she ate the same breakfast she's been having all tournament -- yoghurt and toast -- before Tuesday's match. Halep said her nerves got to her. "I was just I was a little bit stressed, I don't know why," the 23-year-old Halep said. "I had experience from last year to play quarterfinals, so it doesn't mean that I felt pressure. I just I didn't feel the game, the ball. It was a very bad day for me." Two men's quarterfinals were set for later Tuesday. Rafael Nadal took on Tomas Berdych and the night match saw Andy Murray play local hope Nick Kyrgios. The winners will meet in the semifinals. The 19-year-old Kyrgios, who beat then-No. 1 Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon last year, defeated Andreas Seppi in the fourth round, the player who knocked Roger Federer out of the tournament. Kyrgios is the first male player since Federer in 2001 to reach two Grand Slam quarterfinals as a teen. | 1 | 3,703 | sports |
Hear from Anthony Davis after the Pelicans' 99-74 win over Philadelphia. | 1 | 3,704 | sports |
Media demand for the Waste Management Phoenix Open got another boost with the announcement that Robert Allenby will hold a news conference Tuesday morning to discuss a bizarre story of violent crime he told police on Jan. 16 in Honolulu. The PGA Tour pro from Australia told police that he was kidnapped, robbed, beaten and thrown from the trunk of a car, suffering serious facial injuries, after leaving a wine bar that night. But his tale has begun to unravel as police and media outlets have interviewed witnesses, and authorities are not investigating assault or kidnapping allegations. Police have launched a robbery investigation, with Allenby claiming that more than $20,000 in purchases has been charged to his credit card. The incident allegedly happened several hours after Allenby missed the cut in the Sony Open, and he withdrew from last week's Humana Challenge. He is in the field for this week's event at TPC Scottsdale. Media reports Monday said that Allenby had spent about two hours at an adult entertainment club after leaving the wine bar and had run up a tab of more than $3,000. Allenby and his caddie, Mick Middlemo, now say they are convinced that he was drugged by other patrons, which caused him to pass out. "You can't go from being perfect to being in the position I was in," Allenby told Golf Channel. "If I was drunk, why didn't I ever wake up? It doesn't make sense." Phoenix Open media director Rob Myers said he received numerous requests Monday for credentials from Australian news outlets when it was announced that Allenby would meet with reporters. With Tiger Woods making his season debut this week and the Super Bowl in the Valley, media interest is at an all-time high for this event. Myers said 805 credentials had been issued as of Monday morning, eclipsing the previous high of 550. A second media facility has been added and media space this year has been expanded by about 1,600 square feet. John Davis contributes to azcentral.com, a Gannett property. | 1 | 3,705 | sports |
Take a listen to the new parody song about Deflate-Gate called "Deflate Me". | 8 | 3,706 | video |
If we have learned anything about Jurgen Klinsmann during his four years as U.S. coach, it's that he isn't afraid to experiment. Whether he is trying players at different positions, or giving newcomers chances in starting roles, or tinkering with tactical systems, Klinsmann has shown a willingness to shake things up. Klinsmann's latest attempt at innovation has him deploying three central defenders in a variation of the 3-5-2 that has grown in popularity in recent times. Klinsmann need only look at CONCACAF's fellow powers, Mexico and Costa Rica, for teams who have enjoyed success implementing a similar system. Built around three central defenders and two wing backs, the formation can function either as a more attack-minded 3-5-2 or more defensive-minded 5-3-2. Klinsmann's desire to try this new approach suddenly puts Wednesday's friendly against Chile into better perspective. Klinsmann is getting the chance to see a team known well for its implementation of the 3-5-2 up close, even if the team the U.S. will face will bear little resemblance to side that looked so good at last summer's World Cup. Chile's best players won't be there on Wednesday, but head coach Jorge Sampaioli will be, and his high-pressing 3-5-2 system should be on display, giving Klinsmann's squad a close-up look at the setup to which the Americans could be ready to transition. is the 3-5-2 a suitable system for the U.S. to install? A look at the player pool suggests it just might be a better fit for the personnel available to Klinsmann. The lack of a true playmaker made the 4-4-2 diamond experiment a mixed bag, while the attempts at deploying a 4-3-3 have produced little in the way of excitement or goals. With fast wide players who could help contribute the pressure and pace vital to succeeding in a 3-5-2, Klinsmann may be on to something. Fabian Johnson was a good right back in a 4-4-2 at the World Cup, but he isn't being used at right back with his club team and in recent national team appearances he has looked like more of a defensive liability. As a wing back in a 3-5-2 Johnson would have less one-on-one defensive responsibility, while having more freedom to attack and be dangerous in the final third. Then there is DeAndre Yedlin, who is an exciting player when he is attacking, but continues to seriously flawed as a defender at the right back position. Klinsmann showed at the World Cup, and in matches afterwards, that he saw Yedlin being more effective further up the field. A role as a wing back could suit Yedlin's strengths perfectly. Other players such as Tim Chandler and Brek Shea could also do well in wing back roles, with Shea a player who appears set for a more defensive role at his new club Orlando City. The 3-5-2 could also suit the central defenders in the pool as well. Jermaine Jones has made a full transition to central defender for the U.S, and he is perfectly suited for the central role in the three-man defense. His leadership qualities and ability to read the game could make him the perfect organizer, even if he is on the older side at age 32. The other center back roles in the 3-5-2 could suit the likes of Matt Besler and Geoff Cameron very well, though players like John Brooks and Omar Gonzalez might have a tougher time in the transition. Then there is the central midfield, which is the engine that will ultimately dictate whether a shift to a 3-5-2 can really succeed. Michael Bradley will be one cornerstone of the central triangle, with Mix Diskerud likely to play a key role as well. Those two players playing in support of a playmaker like Lee Nguyen could prove very effective, particularly with Clint Dempsey allowed to slot into a forward slot alongside Jozy Altidore. The versatility of a 3-5-2 could not only allow Klinsmann the luxury of more defensive stability against tougher opponents, but also allow him to find a way to put players like Yedlin and Johnson on the field in roles that can amplify their strengths while covering for their weaknesses. We will find out Wednesday just how serious Klinsmann is about installing the 3-5-2. If it is something we only see later in the match, then perhaps it is still just a variation to have in the bag of tricks. But if we see 90 minutes of the 3-5-2 against Chile, then that would be a good sign Klinsmann is serious about making the new system work in 2015. | 1 | 3,707 | sports |
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- Just about everything worked for No. 13 North Carolina against Syracuse's zone defense -- once the Tar Heels stopped throwing the ball away. Brice Johnson had 15 of his 17 points after halftime and UNC shot 55 percent to beat Syracuse 93-83 on Monday night. Nate Britt added a career-best 17 points and four 3-pointers for the Tar Heels (17-4, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who pulled away in the final 4 minutes for their sixth straight win. UNC shot 62 percent after halftime and posted the best shooting and scoring totals allowed all season by the Orange (14-7, 5-3) despite committing a season-high 20 turnovers. "Everything looks better, guys, when the ball goes in the basket," coach Roy Williams said. That's happening a lot lately, as UNC shot at least 55 percent for the third time in five games and had its best scoring output in an ACC game this season. Johnson managed one shot attempt before halftime, and Williams -- who has been pushing Johnson to play with consistent intensity -- told the 6-foot-9 junior he had to do more. "He said he needs me to be a big-time player," Johnson said. "I wasn't really doing anything. He just wanted me to get more involved out there." Johnson made all five of his shots after the break, including three straight in the first 90 seconds, and finished with 11 rebounds. He even dove out of bounds for a loose ball near the UNC bench, then was greeted by a huge smile from Williams as he ran back onto the court. Marcus Paige finished with 22 points, six rebounds and eight assists with no turnovers for UNC. Two of his four 3s came during a critical second-half stretch. UNC went 9 for 16 from 3-point range. "I still think the difference was Britt and Paige making the 3s," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. "We could've lived with the inside play if we had done a little bit better job on the 3-point line." Trevor Cooney matched his season high with 28 points for the Orange, while Rakeem Christmas had 22 points and 12 rebounds. Syracuse scored 21 points off turnovers before losing in its first trip to Chapel Hill. ------ TIP-INS Syracuse: Michael Gbinije had 16 points and Tyler Roberson 13. ... With the Orange short-handed due to injuries, Cooney and Christmas both played all 40 minutes. It was Cooney's third straight 40-minute game and Christmas' second in a row. ... Syracuse's five ACC wins have come against teams with a 4-29 combined league record. North Carolina: Kennedy Meeks scored 17 points, 11 after halftime. ... UNC finished with a 42-27 rebounding advantage. ... UNC had 13 turnovers by halftime, more than it had in 11 games this season. ... Williams earned his 741st career win, tying him for 16th place with former Temple coach John Chaney. LOTS OF POINTS No opponent had shot better than 48 percent or scored more than 83 points against Syracuse this season before Monday. UNC's 93 points were the most allowed by Syracuse since Connecticut scored 117 in six overtimes in March 2009. It was the most allowed by the Orange in regulation since Villanova scored 102 in February that same year. UNC scored 45 points in last year's meeting in the Carrier Dome, but scored 58 second-half points Monday. BRITT'S BIG DAY Britt took 15 stitches for a cut lip last week and was shooting 33 percent after switching his shooting hand to his right. But he hit the go-ahead 3 with 8:10 left and finished 4 for 5 on 3s after never hitting more than two before. "I feel like my confidence just grows as I continue to play," Britt said. "This is almost like shooting-wise being a freshman again." UP NEXT Syracuse hosts Virginia Tech on Feb. 3. North Carolina travels to No. 10 Louisville on Saturday. | 1 | 3,708 | sports |
In November, NASCAR simultaneously dodged a bullet and ended up with one of the best championship races in its history. Kevin Harvick won the final race at Homestead, Fla., and the 2014 series title, too. It worked out splendidly - and it was very close to working out badly. Ryan Newman had somehow made the final four of the newly revamped Chase for the Sprint Cup, and he very nearly won it all without winning a race. Newman finished second that Sunday, and only Harvick edging him by exactly half a second kept it all sounding OK for the average sports fan. To my way of thinking, NASCAR's new Chase format remains terrific for the most part. But it needs to close that one obvious loophole - no one should be allowed to win the title without winning a single race. To NASCAR's way of thinking, though, nothing needed to change. Brian France, NASCAR's CEO, said Monday in the kickoff event of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour that everything this season about the Chase would stay exactly the same. "One of the magical parts of this Chase, and we want to make sure we keep it this way, is the simplicity of it," France said. "Win and you get in." That's the thing, though - Newman didn't win, but he still got in. He qualified for the 16-driver playoffs not with a victory, but with a slew of good finishes. As the field kept shrinking throughout the playoffs, he kept making the cut for the same reason. Newman did nothing wrong. That's the way the rules were written, and that's why they need to change. I believe in the format that Dale Jarrett, the NASCAR Hall of Famer and TV analyst, envisioned when I spoke to him just before that race in Homestead. Jarrett said the Chase should be tweaked so that if a driver made it to the final four without a win all season, he would only get to claim the championship with a win in the last race. Otherwise, the title goes to the highest finisher in Homestead who has won at least one race that season. NASCAR didn't take Jarrett up on that one, or anybody else on any other suggestion. It is operating on the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy, while I am operating on "if it's a little bit broke, do fix just that one part" philosophy. France said nothing needed fixing, though, because NASCAR's fans had so embraced the new format. And there's no doubt that resetting the field for the Homestead finale, so that the top four enter the race with an equal number of points, was a stroke of genius. "It's overwhelmingly popular with the most important stakeholder: our fans," France said of the Chase. "The research and data that we've got in over the winter not only suggests that, it determines that loud and clear. They like the fact that it tightened up competition. "They liked the drama down the stretch. They liked the emphasis on winning. And one of the things they told us that they really liked is the idea that we weren't going to change anything, and they strongly suggested that we didn't. And we're not going to." France told me once that a possible champion without a race victory wouldn't be a black mark on the sport, but should instead be considered like an NFL team that enters the playoffs with a losing record, then gets hot and wins the Super Bowl. I understand the argument, but I don't buy it. With that said, NASCAR under France's leadership is generally in good shape. Reports of the sport's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Yes, important tracks such as Charlotte and Talladega have torn out thousands of seats that are no longer needed because of declining attendance. Yes, TV ratings have been mostly dropping for a decade. But sports events are one of the few things people will watch live, rather than DVR-ing them so they can skip the commercials. That means advertisers will pay a premium for ads on those telecasts, and that means networks will pay NASCAR a premium to broadcast them. NASCAR's new set of TV deals with Fox and NBC are for a staggering amount - a 10-year contract that, reports say, will net NASCAR a combined $8.2 billion through the 2024 season. It's a huge increase in TV money. So NASCAR is not going away. Instead, it is becoming a reality TV show. There's no shame in that. The NFL is going that way, too. High-definition TVs have made the at-home experience so good that it is getting harder to attract fans to pro sports venues across America. I just think the Chase could have benefited from that one tweak. Make sure your overall winner actually wins a race. Is that really too much to ask? | 1 | 3,709 | sports |
Watch the Black Knights work the alley-oop to perfection when Milton Washington finds Tanner Plomb for the flush against American. | 1 | 3,710 | sports |
Yahoo! Inc. and its CEO Marissa Mayer are sitting pretty, yet also in a tough spot. Investors expect not only earnings but a nice non-taxable bump on Yahoo's roughly $40 billion stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Yahoo should keep some of Ma's company, but cashing in on even part of Yahoo's shrewd 2005 investment in Alibaba could mean paying the IRS 35%, right? Recall that Yahoo took a $3 billion tax hit when it sold about $10 billion in Alibaba shares. But that was then. More than 18 months ago, Yahoo CFO Ken Goldman complained about U.S. taxes on Yahoo's 2012 $7.6 billion sale of half of its 40% stake in Alibaba. Even then, the goal was far more tax-efficiency. And the calls for improvement have grown to a virtual clamor. As Yahoo announces earnings, the timing for a tax coup is important. For this next batch of sales, Yahoo is expected to be more tax savvy. Yahoo probably will retain stock, not just to avoid an IRS bill of up to $14 billion. Buffett-like, Yahoo should 'sell' in a way that postpones U.S. taxes. One suggestion was to emulate John Malone's Liberty Ventures disposition of travel website TripAdvisor Inc. Liberty created a new unit that borrowed $400 million from banks, so Liberty wound up with most of the cash. Meantime, the new unit's stock was spun off to Liberty shareholders. TripAdvisor then acquired the new unit in exchange for the travel site's stock. TripAdvisor was left to repay the $400 million, while Liberty Ventures (along with the cash) could exit TripAdvisor. Talk about a sale without the tax aftertaste. Similarly, Yahoo could choose to spin off its Alibaba stock into a new entity. The Newco would borrow money and distribute cash to Yahoo. Another flavor of the tax dance would be a cash-rich division, like one orchestrated by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Graham Holdings Co. Buffett's company unloads its stake in the former Washington Post Co. without the bitter tax aftertaste. Graham transfers cash (and a Miami television business) into a new subsidiary. Graham then shifts stock in that new unit to Berkshire Hathaway, which moves its Graham stake back to the media company. Isn't this really Berkshire Hathaway selling its stake in Graham for cash and a TV station? Sort of, but better without taxes. Yahoo might try it, exchanging Alibaba shares for shares in a new unit holding cash. Alibaba would need to shed some assets too, but the stakes should make it worthwhile. Alibaba dominates many businesses in China, with $8.5 billion in sales and $3.8 billion in net income for its year ended in March 2014. Jack Ma started the company in 1999 in his apartment in Hangzhou, China. Although Alibaba went public on the NYSE, Alibaba.com went public in Hong Kong in 2007, going private again in 2012. But this time its U.S. IPO looks different. And it may even out-Amazon Amazon and eBay, with tax as well as non-tax advantages. Alibaba is a Cayman Islands company, yet derives most of its revenue in China. Some licenses and Internet operations are held in separate entities. Alibaba brings together thousands of merchants who join a network, providing a platform to showcase products those merchants provide. In effect, Alibaba brings the world and China together. Its model is revenue sharing, not listing, and the larger the network, the greater the shared benefits. Alibaba's offering materials said its operating companies get favorable tax treatment in China. Qualified high and new technology businesses can pay only 15%, and some software companies pay 10%. There are also tax holidays for qualified software enterprises, with a two-year tax exemption commencing when the company first becomes profitable, and a 50% tax cut for three years thereafter. Yahoo could be learning from the best. For alerts to future tax articles, follow me on Forbes.com. Email me at [email protected]. This discussion is not intended as legal advice, and cannot be relied upon for any purpose without the services of a qualified professional. | 3 | 3,711 | finance |
O Captain! My Captain! Our fearful trip is done ... Robin Ventura is no Walt Whitman, but the White Sox manager senses a clubhouse leadership void following the retirement of captain Paul Konerko and hopes it can be filled by any of a number of candidates. "We're not going to have a captain," Ventura said. "In baseball traditionally you have a guy who has been around for a while, has been in the organization for a while and has earned it. You don't just throw a 'C' on somebody's chest in spring training and expect it to work." Center fielder Adam Eaton says he could become that vocal leader without the captain tag. "I think I will be the most vocal leader in the clubhouse, especially with Adam LaRoche and a couple of the other guys coming in," Eaton said. "They will lead by example as well as be vocal. But being the center fielder, you do have to be vocal. You have to make sure your presence is known at all times. But it's an honor. I don't go seeking leadership, but I hope it just comes naturally." Catcher Tyler Flowers insists he is not a "rah-rah guy," but said, "If there is anything going on that I feel I have to address, I'm not going to be shy." Pitcher Jeff Samardzija also sees himself in that leadership role, despite not being an everyday player. "For a guy who watches the game every day ... and obviously only plays once every fifth day ... I would assume the other four days would be on the top step rooting your guys on," Samardzija said. "So you almost have a coach's point of view when it comes to certain things because you watch if from afar. "When it comes to certain things such as work ethic and attitude on the field, attitude off the field, you can definitely help out in those situations and stay on guys. As long as you're doing your work and working hard and showing that you care, they will listen to you and they will respect you." Ventura said he has no problem with Samardzija assuming a take-charge role along with everyday players. "Pitchers can be leaders," Ventura said. "In every faction of your team you can have a guy that leads. So there usually is a guy who leads who plays every day and there usually is a guy that leads who is part of the (pitching) staff. We will see how that goes." Former Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand, in town for last weekend's celebration of the 2005 World Series championship, remembers how important Konerko was as a team leader. "He taught a lot of the younger guys on the team how to do things the right way. I think what you're going to see is that you bring in a guy like Samardzija and guys who have been around can help facilitate that," Rowand said. [email protected] Twitter @kicker34 | 1 | 3,712 | sports |
Jacque Vaughn on the Magic's 103-94 loss to the Grizzlies. | 1 | 3,713 | sports |
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Memphis Grizzlies closed out their longest homestand of the season by dominating another struggling visitor from the Eastern Conference. BOX SCORE: GRIZZLIES 103, MAGIC 94 Zach Randolph had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Marc Gasol added 16 points and 10 boards, and Memphis beat the Orlando Magic 103-94 on Monday night. The victory, the Grizzlies' third straight, gave them a 4-1 record during the homestand. Randolph was the catalyst early as the Grizzlies, who beat the Philadelphia 76ers 101-83 Saturday, were never really threatened. They had a double-digit advantage midway through the second period and built the lead to 20 before halftime. "He got it going early, and even played 15 minutes straight. Then still got mad when I took him out," Memphis coach Dave Joerger said of Randolph. "I mean, he was rolling .The guy's fantastic." Orlando did tighten things up in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to nine twice, including the final margin, but never got closer, even though the Magic outscored Memphis 21-14 in the final frame. "Twenty-two points in the third and a 14-point fourth quarter (for Memphis), that will give you a chance to win games and compete," Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said. "It's a willingness to get dirty, play together and not mind getting hit." Beno Udrih added 15 points and Jeff Green finished with 12 for Memphis. Randolph also had six assists, leading to hopes of a triple-double that faded with limited minutes in the fourth. "I'm just playing," Randolph said. "I'm feeling good and getting into rhythm and just playing." Orlando, which dropped its sixth in a row, got 18 points and 12 rebounds from Nikola Vucevic. Victor Oladipo also had 18 points and Elfrid Payton had 12 points and six assists, but shot 5 of 14 from the field. Dewayne Dedmon had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Both teams shot 47 percent for the game. The Magic outrebounded Memphis 44-39, and outscored the Grizzlies in the paint -- Memphis' strong suit -- 48-40. "To continue to fight back against a good Memphis team and cut the lead to 10, I think our confidence is pretty good," Vaughn said. Memphis seemed in control in the fourth until Orlando cut it to 101-91, thwarting Joerger's plan to rest most of his starters for the bulk of the final period. Inserting a couple of starters was enough to send Memphis to its eighth straight win over the Magic. "We were hoping (the reserves) could finish, but I think they did a real good job in the first half," Joerger said. ".We just had way too many turnovers. The little stuff is bothering me right now. "Did we get the win? Yes," Joerger added. "And, by and large, we're playing pretty well." ------ TIP-INS: MAGIC: The six-game losing streak matches Orlando's longest slide of the season. ... Vucevic has 27 double-doubles this season. ... Orlando reserve Tobias Harris finished with eight points, marking only the second time in 41 games he's played this season that he didn't reach double figures. Grizzlies: G Tony Allen was inactive with a left ankle sprain. He was injured in Saturday's game against Philadelphia. ... Memphis has not lost a home game to the Magic since Jan. 23. 2008. ... It was Vince Carter's birthday, as the reserve 3-point shooter turned 38. DOUBLING UP Randolph's double-double was the 15th consecutive game in which he played that he reached the mark. It's the longest stretch of consecutive double-doubles in his career. He now has 25 double-doubles on the season. CONLEY INJURED Memphis point guard Mike Conley did not play in the fourth quarter because of a sprained left wrist. His status for Tuesday in Dallas is uncertain. "I just wanted to rest it," Conley said. "It was painful in the second half. We'll see how it goes." UP NEXT: Magic: Host Milwaukee on Thursday. Grizzlies: At Dallas on Tuesday. | 1 | 3,714 | sports |
Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman (Calif.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is expressing support for legislation that would impose new sanctions on Iran if talks fail to reach a deal curbing its nuclear program. "It is not in breach of these negotiations to have sanctions ready to go on July 1st if no deal is reached," Sherman told The Hill after an event hosted by the Israel Allies Foundation Monday evening at the Capitol. The White House has issued a veto threat on any new sanctions legislation passed while the talks between world powers and Iran are ongoing. A sanctions bill, by Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is expected to be introduced as early as this week. Their bill would impose sanctions if the talks fail, but no sooner than July 6, after the June 30 deadline for negotiations. The bill also contains a provision that would allow the president to waive the sanctions every 30 days for an indefinite period of time. Sherman said the president has acknowledged that sanctions have worked to bring Iran to the negotiating table. "They gave the president leverage that he didn't ask for, and whatever success we've had is a result of that effort," he said. The House Foreign Affairs Committee is hosting a hearing Tuesday morning on the state of negotiations. The deadline for talks has already been extended twice and the State Department has floated the possibility of another extension. "Hopefully by June 30th, there'll be a good deal," he added. "[But] for the president to say, it's the sanctions I opposed that brought them to the negotiations -- but don't pass any more sanctions that I oppose? No. "You can be sure Iran has a program ready to go July 1st if the talks break up," he added. "They know what they're going to do the next day." Sherman also defended Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress in March, which was made without notifying the White House. "On the one hand, the White House should not have been blindsided. But on the other hand, until my party does better, its Boehner's rule he gets to invite whoever he wants," said Sherman. | 5 | 3,715 | news |
Iowa State's 89-86 win over Texas on Monday was highlighted by Jameel McKay's emphatic finish. | 1 | 3,716 | sports |
The mother of a 16-month-old boy who authorities say died after being severely beaten by her boyfriend was ordered held Monday in lieu of $250,000 bail, prosecutors said. Dominique Smith, 24, of the 1100 block of West Marquette Road, was charged with one felony count of endangering the life and health of a child, police said. Prosecutors said Smith had left her baby and three other children, ages 5, 4 and 2, with Dantis Porter on several occasions. When Smith arrived home from work on Dec. 23, she saw burns on her youngest child's right thigh and lower leg but she did not take the boy to a hospital, according to court documents. On Christmas Day, Smith took her baby son, Johnny "B.J." Kimble, to his great-aunt's house. When the great-aunt saw burns on B.J.'s hand, thigh and lower leg, she told Smith to take the boy to a hospital, prosecutors said. But Smith didn't do that, authorities said. Between Dec. 26 and Jan. 5, Smith continued to leave her children with Porter on the days she was scheduled to work. During that period she saw more burns on B.J.'s stomach and chest, thought to be from a space heater inside the home, according to court records. Again, B.J. did not go to a hospital and Smith failed to check on him the following days that he was in Porter's care, prosecutors said. On the evening of Jan. 6, Smith came home to find her son unresponsive and slumped over in his stroller. She then told Porter to call for help, according to court documents. The boy was taken to Comer Children's Hospital, where doctors found severe traumatic brain injuries, bilateral skull fractures, a liver laceration, an adrenal hemorrhage, a broken rib and a pulmonary contusion, according to court records. He also had numerous burns on his body that were in various stages of healing, prosecutors said. B.J. was pronounced dead Jan. 9, and an autopsy later found that he died of closed head injuries due to blunt-force impact to the head. Secondary factors in his death were multiple injuries, recent and healing, and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Porter, 28, was charged Jan. 22 with first-degree murder and denied bail. Smith was arrested Sunday and charged. Prosecutors said Smith told officers she knew about her son's injuries because two family members told her to take B.J. to a hospital. She said she didn't take him because she thought he would be taken away. Cook County Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Smith not to have contact with her children or any other child as a condition of her $250,000 bail. | 5 | 3,717 | news |
Kobe Bryant almost joined Michael Jordan in Washington when Jordan signed with the Wizards at the end of his career. The guys react to Bryant's quote. | 1 | 3,718 | sports |
Marcus Paige scored 22 points to lead four Tar Heels in double figures as #13 North Carolina topped Syracuse 93-83 in the Orange's first-ever trip to Chapel Hill. Brice Johnson added 17 points and 11 rebounds for North Carolina, Nate Britt scored a career-high 17 points, and Kennedy Meeks chipped in 17 points and 8 rebounds. Trevor Cooney led all scorers with 28 points and Rakeem Christmas contributed 22 points and 12 rebounds in the loss. North Carolina improves to 7-1 ACC play. | 1 | 3,719 | sports |
When Prince George's police officer Michael Risher arrived at the house on Cherry Hill Road in Beltsville last summer, he found a woman hiding in the basement with her child. Her boyfriend had just stabbed her, he said, and she was bleeding to death. As the woman pleaded for help, Risher decided he couldn't wait for paramedics. He ran to his cruiser for the trauma kit the police department had given him the day before. He tied up the woman's left leg with a tourniquet and packed her wounds with gauze actions doctors later said probably saved her life. "I was thinking, 'This is great,' " said Risher, who has also used his trauma kit to save a 14-year-old stabbing victim. "Instead of going to a scene where someone is hurt and just waiting, I can actually do something to help in the meantime." Success stories like Risher's are becoming more common as a growing number of law enforcement agencies locally and across the nation issue trauma kits and train officers to quickly control bleeding . The idea isn't to have police replace paramedics but to teach police enough about emergency medical care to keep victims from going into shock before professional medics can take over. In many instances, proponents of the equipment say, officers are the first to arrive at an incident. Sometimes, a scene may be declared too unsafe for paramedics to enter. In such cases, a properly trained officer and a trauma kit can save lives. "Police may arrive moments before we do," said Mark Brady, spokesman for the Prince George's County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department. "Those moments do matter in life-and-death situations." The increased use of trauma kits locally comes as police departments around the region are also starting to carry naloxone , a drug that counters the effects of overdoses of heroin and other opiates. Use of naloxone is one tactic in a broad effort to combat a recent nationwide increase in deaths connected to heroin, and an example of how police officers are now expected to intervene quickly in medical emergencies. The demand for trauma kits among law enforcement is due in large part to the rise of active shooter incidents and mass casualties such as the Boston Marathon bombings, said Alex Eastman, interim trauma medical director at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and deputy chief medical officer at the Dallas Police Department. In 2012, the FBI and the American College of Surgeons gathered medical and law enforcement leaders from around the country to review such incidents and come up with ways to improve victim survival rates. They took inspiration from the emergency medical training and supplies soldiers receive for combat situations. "The idea that emerged from that is ingrained in lessons learned from our military partners, and that is no one should die a preventable death from hemorrhage," said Eastman, who was part of the review group. Since 2012, nearly 50 of 71 police departments in the Major City Chiefs Police Association have trained officers to use the kits or are doing so, Eastman said. He said that covers 185,000 law enforcement personnel across the country. Locally, officers in the District, Montgomery County, Fairfax County and other agencies have the kits. Cpl. Matthew Hargus, in charge of training officers in Prince George's, said the most important tool in the kit is a simple tourniquet, which medics and the military alike have relied on for centuries to stop severe bleeding. Providing immediate care is important before "irreversible shock" sets in, Hargus said. In most cases of massive bleeding, victims have a three- to five-minute window in which they must receive care before the blood loss becomes life-threatening, he said. With the help of a federal grant, Prince George's police ordered 2,000 kits, which cost about $50 a piece, for its officers. Nearly everyone in the department has been trained to use them. Officers in the county have used kits to save lives at least 11 times since they were first issued last May. In the past, law enforcement was told to avoid tourniquets. There were concerns about liability, as the potential for nerve damage or causing loss of a limb was too great if a tourniquet was used incorrectly, said Richard Beary, president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. But now that technology has improved and has grown cheaper, the kits have become "cutting edge" among police departments. "It's about saving lives," Beary said. "There's not much chance you can screw it up. It beats standing there watching someone bleed to death." Law enforcement officers also are trained to use the kits on themselves, which is what at least one officer did during the Washington Navy Yard shooting in September 2013, Beary said. Now that trauma kits are becoming more common among law enforcement, Eastman said the next step is to equip bystanders with the tools to stop traumatic bleeding. In emergency situations, good samaritans who aren't necessarily police officers should be allowed to help. "If you're standing at the airport and someone drops dead in front of you, you know to do CPR and go to the wall and go to the [automatic external defibrillator] and shock them," Eastman said. "We want hemorrhage control to be the same," he said. "It shouldn't be a mystery." After saving two lives with his trauma kit, Risher said, he's glad control of severe bleeding isn't a mystery for police officers in Prince George's. "Having this kit shows the public we're not just here to give you a ticket or take you to jail," Risher said. "We're here to help." | 5 | 3,720 | news |
In New Zealand, mountaineering is part of the national psyche; skydiving, mountain biking and jetboating are well established; and illogical activities like bungy jumping are everyday pursuits. Take a cue from the Kiwis and experience New Zealand's legendary great outdoors by tackling these 10 extreme adventures. Bungy jumping Bungy jumping was made famous by Kiwi AJ Hackett's 1986 dive from the Eiffel Tower, after which he teamed up with champion NZ skier Henry van Asch to turn the endeavor into a profitable enterprize. And now you can take the plunge too! Queenstown is a spider web of bungy cords, including AJ Hackett's triad: the 440ft Nevis Bungy (the highest); the 141ft Kawarau Bungy (the original); and the Ledge Bungy (at the highest altitude - diving off a platform 1312ft above Queenstown). Rock Climbing Time to chalk up your fingers and don some natty little rubber shoes. New Zealand is stacked with rock-climbing opportunities, with popular locations on the North Island being Auckland's Mt Eden Quarry, various spots near Lake Taupo, and Humphries Castle and Warwick Castle on Mt Taranaki. On the South Island, try the Port Hills area above Christchurch, plus the marble and limestone mountains of Golden Bay and Takaka Hill provide prime climbing. Jetboating Hold onto your breakfast: passenger-drenching 360-degree spins ahoy! On the South Island, the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers (Queenstown) and the Buller River (Westport) have fab jetboating. On the North Island, the Whanganui, Motu, Rangitaiki and Waikato Rivers (Huka Falls) are excellent for jetboating, and there are sprint jets at the Agrodome near Rotorua. Jetboating around the Bay of Islands in Northland is also de rigueur. Mountaineering NZ has a proud mountaineering history − this was, after all, the home of Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), who, along with Tenzing Norgay, was the first to reach the summit of Mt Everest. The Southern Alps are studded with impressive peaks and challenging climbs. The Aoraki/Mt Cook region is outstanding; other mountaineering areas extend along the spine of the South Island from Tapuaenuku (in the Kaikoura Ranges) and the Nelson Lakes peaks in the north to the rugged southern mountains of Fiordland. Mountain biking NZ is laced with quality mountain-biking opportunities. Rotorua's Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest offers famously good biking, as does the 42 Traverse near National Park Village (close to Tongariro National Park). Not feeling so energetic? Various companies will take you up to the tops of mountains and volcanoes (eg Mt Ruapehu, Christchurch's Port Hills, Cardrona and the Remarkables) so you can hurtle down without the grunt-work of getting to the top first. Mountain bikes can be hired in major towns or adventure-sports centers like Queenstown, Wanaka and Rotorua. Skiing and snowboarding New Zealand is an essential southern-hemisphere destination for snow bunnies, with downhill skiing, cross-country (Nordic) skiing and snowboarding all passionately pursued. The NZ ski season is generally June to October, though it varies considerably from one ski area to another, and can run as late as November. The variety of locations and conditions makes it difficult to rate NZ's ski fields in any particular order. Some people like to be near Queenstown's party scene or Mt Ruapehu's volcanic landscapes; others prefer the quality high-altitude runs on Mt Hutt, uncrowded Rainbow or less-stressed club skiing areas. Scuba diving NZ is prime scuba territory, with warm waters in the north, brilliant sea life and plenty of interesting sites. Up north, get wet at the Bay of Islands Maritime and Historic Park, Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park and the Bay of Plenty. The Poor Knights Islands near Whangarei are reputed to have the best diving in NZ (with the diveable wreck of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior nearby). Down south, the Marlborough Sounds Maritime Park hosts the Mikhail Lermontov, the largest diveable cruise-ship wreck in the world. Skydiving Ready for the ride (and jump) of your life? For most first-time skydivers, a tandem skydive will help you make the leap, even if common sense starts to get the better of you. Tandem jumps involve training with a qualified instructor, then experiencing up to 45 seconds of free fall before your chute opens. The thrill is worth every dollar. Be sure to ask your operator if it has Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) accreditation before you take the plunge. Sea kayaking Sea kayaking is a fantastic way to see the coast, and get close to wildlife. Highly rated sea-kayaking areas in NZ's north include the Hauraki Gulf (particularly off Waiheke and Great Barrier Islands), the Bay of Islands and Coromandel Peninsula; in the south, try the Marlborough Sounds (Picton) and along the coast of Abel Tasman National Park. Fiordland is also a hot spot, with a heap of tour operators in Te Anau, Milford, Doubtful Sound and Manapouri. Horse trekking Ok, so maybe horse riding isn't that extreme, but it's still an excellent way to experience NZ's outdoors. Unlike some other parts of the world where beginners get led by the nose around a paddock, horse trekking in NZ lets you really get out into the countryside, on a farm, in the forest or along a beach. Rides range from one-hour jaunts to week-long, fully catered treks. On the North Island, Taupo, the Coromandel Peninsula, Waitomo, Pakiri and East Cape are top places for an equine encounter. On the South Island, all-day horseback adventures happen around Kaikoura, Nelson, Mt Cook, Lake Tekapo, Hanmer Springs and Dunedin. | 2 | 3,721 | travel |
Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West are "obsessed" with each other. The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star has revealed that her and her husband of eight months have a "normal relationship", despite all the rumours surrounding the pair. She said: "We stay home and hang out, we are truly obsessed with each other. "We have the most normal relationship, if you can call anything about us normal. We have a really normal relationship and we are just happy." The 34-year-old television personality also praised the 'Only One' hitmaker - with whom she has 19-month-old North - and revealed that he is always helpful, often offering her advice and making her lunch. She continued: "I mean, we do everything [together] from right as I was leaving here, like, 'How do I look babe? How does my outfit look?' And you know, he's like 'Eww, those shoes are bad, take those off, here, put these on, OK, are you hungry? Here, let me hurry up and make your lunch before you go.' "We are together all the time and always wanting each other's opinions - and we are just best friends." Meanwhile, Kim has made no secret of the fact that she wants a second child and has revealed that she has turned to divine intervention in the hope she will get pregnant soon. She told Entertainment Tonight!: "We've been trying, we've been trying! I pray about it." This article was from BANG Showbiz and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. | 6 | 3,722 | entertainment |
WASHINGTON The Obama administration outlined ambitious new goals Monday to transform over the next four years the way that the gargantuan Medicare program pays doctors and hospitals, rewarding providers that achieve better outcomes for patients rather than those that just do more. The move away from so-called fee-for-service medicine is a central, if little recognized, goal of the Affordable Care Act, which the president signed five years ago. Most experts believe that this shift is crucial to improving the quality of care that patients receive, while also restraining costs at a time when millions of baby boomers will be entering the nation's primary insurance program for the elderly. Under the goals announced Monday, Medicare will make 30 percent of its direct payments to doctors, hospitals and other providers through alternative payment models by next year, up from nearly nothing four years ago. These models include bonuses for doctors to coordinate patients' care and programs that set a budget for patient care and reward physician practices, hospitals and others who deliver the care under budget while achieving good outcomes for patients. By 2018, half of Medicare's direct payments to providers should be through such models, according to the federal Department of Health and Human Services. In 2014, about 20 percent of direct payments in the fee-for-service Medicare system are made through alternative models, the agency reported. "Today's announcement is about improving the quality of care we receive when we are sick, while at the same time spending our health care dollars more wisely," Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said. The Obama administration did not provide a detailed plan for how this rapid transition would be accomplished. But many of the changes are already underway, spurred in part by the federal health law, which set up experiments designed to change the way that Medicare pays medical providers. Several of these experiments have already yielded substantial savings while improving the quality of care. Similar changes are underway in the private sector, where commercial insurers and major employers are also investing in new payment models. Administration officials said Monday that expansion of the existing Medicare programs probably will be sufficient to meet the new targets. They also plan to develop new programs and increase coordination with private insurers and state governments, which insure millions of the nation's poorest residents through their Medicaid programs. The new goals were broadly hailed by consumer advocates, leading medical providers and insurance industry officials. "Today's announcement will be remembered as a pivotal and transformative moment in making our health care system more patient- and family-centered," said Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, a leading consumer advocacy group. Dr. Douglas E. Henley, chief executive of the American Academy of Family Physicians, also applauded the goals, calling Monday a "bless-your-heart day." Medicare will spend more than $600 billion this year to provide medical insurance to some 50 million elderly and disabled Americans. About a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries receive insurance through a private Medicare Advantage plan; some of these plans already use alternative payment methods designed to reward better-performing doctors and hospitals. But the majority of Medicare beneficiaries are still in what is called the fee-for-service system, a model that reimburses doctors and hospitals based on the number of patient visits, tests and procedures they bill for. This system has long been criticized for encouraging doctors and others to simply do more, rather than rewarding medical providers who prevent complications and help their patients recover more quickly so they don't need further care. | 5 | 3,723 | news |
@KingAndPablo is asking the guys what the Knicks and Nets could have done to make their snow day more fun. | 1 | 3,724 | sports |
@MontezzAllen313 is wondering if Kobe should call it quits after his latest injury. | 1 | 3,725 | sports |
Tomas Berdych played arguably the grand slam quarter-final of his life to end the longest losing streak on the ATP Tour with a 6-2 6-0 7-6(5) victory over Rafa Nadal and advance to the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday. Berdych, who beat the virtually unstoppable and then six-times champion Roger Federer in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2010, had not beaten Nadal in 17 successive matches, tied for the record as the longest losing streak to another player. The seventh-seed started like a runaway train against the 14-times grand slam champion, forcing him deep behind the baseline and painting the tramlines as every shot he attempted appeared to come off. Berdych won the opening set for the first time in a run of seven matches against Nadal, then swept through the second in 25 minutes and despite a third-set fightback by the Spaniard, the damage was done and the Czech moved into a semi-final against either Andy Murray or Nick Kyrgios. "I was definitely ready for it," Berdych said in a courtside interview. "I set up my plan pretty well and stuck with it through the three sets. "I was expecting a tough battle but I was ready for everything and that was the difference." Third seed Nadal had said prior to the tournament that he doubted whether he was mentally or physically ready to challenge for the title after injury and illness hampered the second half of 2014. The 28-year-old Spaniard also suffered from dehydration, cramping and upset stomach to overcome qualifier Tim Smyczek in the second round but had looked imperious in his destruction of 14th-seed Kevin Anderson in the fourth round. Nadal was clutching at his hamstring throughout the early stages of the match and did not seem at his usual pugnacious scrambling best, though Berdych had also upped his aggression level and used his booming serve to maximum effect. The Spaniard recovered in the third set and saved two match points at 6-5 to force it into a tiebreak before Berdych sealed it on his fourth match point to advance into his second successive Melbourne Park semi-final. (Additional reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by John O'Brien) | 1 | 3,726 | sports |
Last year, Courtney Durst was the only student at her high school to take AP English Language and Composition. When she was stressing about her homework, none of her friends could relate. "We're not that full of AP courses, college courses," she says of her school. Durst is a senior at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Junior/Senior High, a seventh- through twelfth-grade school in rural Iowa. The high school has just 255 students, many of whom grew up on farms. It doesn't offer any of the nonprofit College Board's Advanced Placement courses that many larger schools provide for college-bound highschoolers. But every year, a handful of students are able to take AP courses anyway. A University of Iowa program called the Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA) has been giving students like Durst access to free, online Advanced Placement courses since 2001. The online learning partnership offsets some of the disadvantages that can come with being a high-achieving student in a small, isolated school district, providing the chance to take challenging academic courses that many schools can't offer. Over the past five years, an average of 430 students across Iowa have enrolled in courses through IOAPA each year. IOAPA was created with rural districts in mind, but any accredited school in Iowa can participate. Online courses can be prohibitively expensive, and it can be hard for even motivated teenagers to stay on top of their work without a teacher and classmates present. So IOAPA was designed to address both challenges. The university covers the cost of 12 AP courses offered by a company called Apex Learning. Participating schools must put a staff member in charge of logistics and give participating students a mentor teacher at the school. They must also schedule time during the school day for students to work on the online class. The coordinator and mentor can log into the Apex system to monitor the students' progress. Students can only sign up for an IOAPA course that their high school doesn't offer, and no more than six students can sign up for the same course at a given school. That last requirement is meant to encourage schools with lots of interested students to offer their own AP courses, says Kristin Flanary, IOAPA's administrator. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont is too small to sustain an AP program, says Donna Bohlmann, coordinator of the district's talented and gifted program. But she likes to make sure students bound for four-year colleges take at least one online AP course before they graduate. "They really need to understand the rigor that's going to be involved in a four-year program," Bohlmann says. She likes the fact that IOAPA classes challenge students from day one. There's no teacher students can cajole into giving an extension. And there's no need to adjust lesson plans to meet the needs of less-prepared students. Because the classes are tough, Bohlmann doesn't let just anyone sign up. She zeroes in on the school's talented and gifted program, looks at PSAT scores, and sometimes steers students away from science classes. "You really have to be a driven, independent student to handle the rigor" of AP Chemistry, Physics, and Biology, she says. Every year, between two and seven Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont students take an online AP class. Students have other opportunities to challenge themselves, too: the district offers a small number of dual-enrollment courses, which allow students to earn community college credit. Dual-enrollment courses are particularly useful for students who want to go to a public college in-state, as the credits transfer to both community colleges and state universities. Providing access to advanced courses begins with offering them--whether that means dual enrollment, Advanced Placement, online or offline options. But it doesn't end there. Districts also need to highlight those courses and work to prepare as many students to enter them as possible. Otherwise, only teenagers with motivated parents, or who can motivate themselves, will sign up. In Marshalltown, Iowa, the local high school has about 1,500 students and offers seven AP courses in addition to IOAPA. But advanced academics aren't a big priority for the district, which has many low-income students and struggles to meet basic standards on state tests."Most of our focus, by necessity, has to be bringing those un-proficient or language-learner kids up to proficiency," says Susan Fritzell, head of Marshalltown high school's extended learning program. Advanced academics aren't a big priority for the Marshalltown Community School District, which struggles to meet basic standards on state tests. "Most of our focus, by necessity, has to be bringing those un-proficient or language-learner kids up to proficiency," Fritzell says. In Fort Dodge, north of Des Moines, the high school is slowing losing its AP offerings. As AP teachers retire, they aren't being replaced, says Diane Pratt, the school's talented and gifted adviser. She worries that there's a stigma attached to AP courses--that they're viewed as something elitist. She gets the sense that counselors are steering students into dual-enrollment courses instead. After all, going to university used to be something only elites did. Both Durst's parents went to community college. Her dad's a pastor and a wireless technician, and her mom works at a supermarket. She says that in the Eddyville area, there aren't many parents who are lawyers, or doctors, or hold advanced degrees. When her parents were growing up, she says, going to college wasn't a big deal. It's different now. "I think we're all kind of in the same boat," Durst says of her classmates, "where our parents didn't go to college, and now we're expected to." She has her eye on a small, four-year college in northern Iowa. Next America's Education coverage is made possible in part by a grant from the New Venture Fund. | 5 | 3,727 | news |
A Central Florida woman arrived at a Nebraska airport on Friday with three puppies and two dogs but grew desperate when she was told she couldn't fly with the pups because they were too young. Then Volusia County resident Cynthia Anderson allegedly drowned one of the puppies - a Doberman - in an airport bathroom after trying to conceal the pooch in her carry-on luggage, according to the Grand Island Police. The puppies, all believed to be three weeks old or less, were too young to fly, said Grand Island police Capt. Dean Elliott. "Their eyes weren't even open," added Elliott. Dogs must be at least 8 weeks old to fly. The other two puppies were picked up by the woman's parents, Elliot said. It's unknown why the third puppy wasn't also picked up, said Elliott. Anderson, 56, of Edgewater was seen entering a bathroom before another woman reported finding a dead Doberman puppy in the toilet. She also had two older dogs with her that were cleared to travel. The Grand Island Central Nebraska Humane Society assisted in the investigation and found water in the puppy's lungs. They determined the cause of the puppy's death was drowning. The other puppies are being cared for by the Humane Society. "They're doing great," said Laurie Dethloff, executive director with the Humane Society. "They started off a little scared but are adjusting well." She said the organization is working to figure out ownership of the puppies, as well as looking into the condition of the two others dogs who remain with Anderson's parents. In Volusia County, Anderson has a criminal record dating back to 2010, when she was arrested and fined for a charge of retail theft, according to court records. She racked up other robbery-related charges over the next few years. In 2011, she was sentenced to six months probation for grand theft charges. That same year, she was arrested again for issuing a worthless check, records allege. Last year, she was arrested for battery and trespassing in a occupied structure and sentenced again to a six months' probation, records show. She violated that probation and is awaiting sentencing in a grand-theft case from November of last year, records show. Anderson was out on bail and is being held at Hall County Jail on charges of animal abuse. [email protected] | 5 | 3,728 | news |
"CNN Tonight's" Don Lemon and his panel discuss whether a locker room attendant could have deflated the balls during the New England and Indianapolis Colts playoff game. | 8 | 3,729 | video |
Men's seventh seed Tomas Berdych took down the third-seeded Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, winning 6-2, 6-0, 7-6 (7-5). It was an absolutely dominant performance by Berdych for much of the match. His shot placement was incredible throughout the match. It seemed as though he were playing with a wider court than Nadal was, as all of his shots painted the line, whether he was serving or returning. With the win, Berdych advances to the semifinals, where he'll take on either unseeded Nick Kyrgios or No. 6 seed Andy Murray. Berdych came into Tuesday's match (local time, the match took place on Monday night in the United States) having won just one of his last 17 sets against Nadal, and had lost the last 17 matches they'd played against each other, but he either wasn't aware of those stats or they didn't get to his head one bit. Nadal himself was well-aware of said stats, but he insisted that past stats did not matter against a player as good as Berdych. Berdych was dominant from the beginning of the match, taking a 4-2 lead in the first set and battling back from a couple solid points by Nadal to take that frame, 6-2. Nadal was clearly frustrated following that opening set, and Berdych did not let up in the second. He dominated the flow of play whether he was serving or not, and Nadal's serve was missing a lot of its usual pop. On top of that, Nadal was making mistakes, leading to Berdych taking a commanding 5-0 lead in that set. Nadal finally started to fight back on his serve at that point, but still made mental errors to hinder his progress. After two big, big shots to go up 30-0 in the game, Nadal lost his momentum after hitting a ball into the net, allowing Berdych to get back into it. What followed were two brilliant shots from Berdych to go up 40-30 with a set point attempt, and Nadal offered little resistance on said point, giving Berdych the 6-0 second set win. While Berdych kept up his excellent shot placement, Nadal did improve in the third set. He took his first service game without issue (and also had the crowd firmly on his side, as they were loudest every time Nadal put points on the board) and hounded Berdych on his service attempts. Berdych came close to breaking him when up 4-3, but Nadal had a pair of blistering serves to even it up at 4-4 in the third. Then it was Nadal threatening to break Berdych, but after a couple close calls, Berdych held to go up 5-4 in the third. Berdych squandered a break opportunity after that, when Nadal had to go conservative on a second serve but Berdych overshot the return. That put it at 5-5. Berdych held serve the next time around and after a couple bad shots, Nadal was in danger. Berdych had a double match point attempt, but Nadal came back to get to deuce, and eventually forced a tiebreak. Berdych held in the tiebreak, though it was a close one. He had a wide lead at one point, 5-1, but Nadal started to bring it back, getting it to 5-4 with Berdych in front, and with himself serving. But Berdych hit a great forehand winner to set up his third match point. Nadal came back again though, setting up a fourth match point. Berdych put it home there though, getting the win. The top seed, Novak Djokovic, is still in the tournament and is obviously the heavy favorite with both Nadal and Roger Federer, the second seed, out. He'll be facing No. 8 seed Milos Raonic in the quarerfinals on Wednesday (Tuesday night in the United States). | 1 | 3,730 | sports |
Kobe Bryant will undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, ending his 19th season with the Los Angeles Lakers a little past its halfway point. Bryant's last three seasons have been cut short because of injury, starting with a torn Achilles tendon in April 2013, then a fractured bone in his knee last season and now a nagging shoulder soreness aggravated significantly when he dunked against New Orleans last Wednesday. Those around Bryant say he is definitively coming back to play next season because he doesn't want to go out like this. Implied but not stated, he would also not leave $25 million on the table in guaranteed salary and millions more in endorsements. "I don't see Kobe as the kind of guy that wants to leave his legacy on these terms," Lakers coach Byron Scott said Monday. "I think he wants to go out on his own terms." Bryant, 36, plans to be around the Lakers' facility more often than Steve Nash, who is receiving $9.7 million from the team but has been largely absent while sitting out the season because of recurring back problems. Bryant also will be active in free-agent recruiting for the Lakers, including pitches to possible future teammates in July, according to people familiar with his thought process. The Lakers are expected to have enough money to spend on one maximum-salaried free agent or two B-level players. Bryant saw team doctor Steve Lombardo last Friday and sports-medicine specialist Neal ElAttrache on Monday before opting to undergo surgery. He will need several months of rest and rehabilitation but is expected to make a full recovery. "He sounded good," said Scott, who talked to Bryant on the phone Monday. "I probably sounded worse than he did." Bryant played 35 games and made $23.5 million this season, averaging 22.3 points but shooting a career-worst 37.3 percent, well below his career average of 45.4 percent coming into the season. There were moments to remember passing Michael Jordan for third on the NBA's all-time scoring list, accruing a career-high 17 assists against Cleveland and unleashing a 44-point outburst against Golden State. But he also had some head-scratcher moments an eight-for-30 shooting night against Sacramento, a one-for-14 effort against San Antonio and a wild 37-shot, 39-point game against Phoenix. Bryant had become a part-time player before getting injured, sitting out eight of the team's previous 16 games so he could rest. He was also limited to 32 minutes in games he played in the past month. Last season Bryant played only six games after rehabbing from Achilles tendon surgery before sustaining his knee injury, which sidelined him for the rest of the season. All told, Bryant has played in 41 games in the last two seasons. He played in 78 games in 2012-13 before suffering the Achilles injury. "I'd rather have him half the time than none of the time," said Scott, who wasn't sure which Lakers player would try to take Bryant's spot on and off the court. "That's a good question. Guys on that floor have to figure that out," Scott said before seemingly settling on veteran backup forward Carlos Boozer. "If I had to guess, I would say 'Booze.' " The Lakers (12-33) are 2-8 without Bryant heading into Tuesday's game against Washington. They have lost eight consecutive games and own the NBA's fourth-worst record. Their season will end April 15. | 1 | 3,731 | sports |
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Without Kevin Durant, the Thunder seamlessly shifted to their alter ego. BOX SCORE: THUNDER 92, TIMBERWOLVES 84 Russell Westbrook scored 18 points, Serge Ibaka added 13 points and a season-high 19 rebounds, and Oklahoma City gutted out a 92-84 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night. Durant sat out after spraining the big toe on his left foot Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The normally explosive Thunder adjusted and fell back on the the grind-it-out, defense-first approach that kept them competitive while Durant was out for the first 17 games of the season with a broken bone in his right foot. The Thunder won, despite shooting just 42 percent from the field. "I thought we did a good job of playing defense for 48 minutes and not letting our offense dictate our defense," Westbrook said. Westbrook shot just 7 for 22 from the field, but was 4 for 6 and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Thunder remain in control. Ibaka played one of his best games of the season. He made 6 of 13 shots and had two blocks and two steals. Reserves Anthony Morrow and Reggie Jackson each added 14 points to help Oklahoma City's bench outscore Minnesota's 45-21. The Thunder reserves are used to coming up big because Durant has missed 24 games this season. "I think what is the case now is we don't have that shock factor," Thunder forward Nick Collison said. "We understand that we're capable of playing and we're fine." Andrew Wiggins scored 23 points, Thaddeus Young had 22 and Gorgui Dieng had a season-high 18 rebounds for the league-worst Timberwolves, who shot a season-low 34.1 percent from the field. "One thing I love about the guys is we continue to fight and scrap and find ways to get stops," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. Oklahoma City led 25-19 at the end of the first quarter, then pushed the lead to 15 in the second. In the closing seconds of the first half, Nick Collison threw a pass the length of the court. Perry Jones caught the ball off the bounce in front of everyone and scored a reverse layup with 0.5 seconds remaining to give the Thunder a 48-40 lead at the break. Wiggins scored 13 points in the first half to help the Timberwolves stay in the game. Back-to-back baskets by Young cut Oklahoma City's lead to 57-54 midway through the third quarter. With the Thunder leading 62-56 late in the third quarter, Minnesota coach Flip Saunders was issued a technical foul for loudly disagreeing with a call against Wiggins. Jackson made all three free throws to bump Oklahoma City's lead to nine heading into the fourth. Saunders never expected an easier road when he learned Durant wouldn't play. "How are you going to take advantage?" he said. "They have got Westbrook, one of the top five players (in the league) and eight guys that have been to the conference finals. They are still a good team." TIP-INS Timberwolves: F Robbie Hummel is out indefinitely with a broken finger on his right hand he suffered Sunday against Atlanta. ... Kevin Martin missed his 34th consecutive game with a fractured right wrist. He was listed as questionable, but did not dress. Thunder: C Steven Adams, who missed Sunday's game against Cleveland with a migraine, started. ... Jones, who didn't play at all Sunday against Cleveland, started against Minnesota. He finished with six points in 25 minutes. ... C Kendrick Perkins was issued a technical foul with 4:16 left in the second quarter. ON THE RISE Wiggins, the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft, played solid defense on Westbrook. Saunders said he felt Wiggins had potential to be a great defender when the Timberwolves made the deal to get him from Cleveland. "I thought that he could be a great two-way type of player, and I still believe that," Saunders said. "He showed signs of that tonight." QUOTE OF THE NIGHT Brooks' opening statement to the media at his postgame press conference, given the ugliness of the game: "I'm surprised you guys stayed." UP NEXT Timberwolves: Host Boston on Wednesday. Thunder: At New York on Wednesday. | 1 | 3,732 | sports |
U.S. stocks fell sharply Tuesday as a drop in durable goods orders and disappointing results from Caterpillar to Microsoft heightened concern about the economy's strength. Technology shares in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (SPX) plunged 3.3 percent for the biggest drop since November 2011. Microsoft lost 9.3 percent, the most in 18 months, as software-license sales to businesses were below forecasts. Caterpillar plunged 7.2 percent after forecasting 2015 results that trailed estimates as plunging oil prices signal lower demand from energy companies. Procter & Gamble Co. slid 3.5 percent as a surging U.S. dollar cut into its earnings. "Currency headwinds, as well as evidence of a continual deceleration of global growth, is having a major impacts on quarterly results," Chad Morganlander, a money manager at St. Louis-based Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., which oversees about $160 billion, said in a phone interview. "Coupled with that, durable goods orders were somewhat disappointing, which scotches any optimism for today's trading session." The Standard & Poor's 500 Index slipped 1.3 percent to 2,029.61 at 4 p.m. in New York, below its average price for the past 50 days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 291.30 points, or 1.7 percent, to 17,387.40, after losing almost 400 points earlier in the day. Trading in S&P 500 companies was 15 percent above the 30-day average as exchanges opened for a full day despite a snow storm that shut down travel around New York City overnight and during part of the morning. Exchanges Open A travel ban came to an end on Tuesday morning after the storm brought less snow than had been forecast. The National Weather Service downgraded its assessment to a winter storm from a blizzard. The last time snow prompted the New York Stock Exchange to shut down was in 1996, according to the exchange's website. The S&P 500 is trading at 17.1 times the projected earnings of its members, about 16 percent above its 10-year average. The multiple reached a five-year high at the end of last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The measure rallied 1.6 percent last week after the European Central Bank announced a 1.1 trillion-euro ($1.2 trillion) bond-buying plan. Yahoo! Inc. and Apple Inc. are among 27 companies releasing quarterly results on Tuesday. Of the S&P 500 members that have reported profit so far, 75 percent have exceeded projections that analysts have lowered since late last year. Analysts predict profit at S&P 500 companies climbed 1.1 percent in the final three months of 2014, down from an October estimate of 8.5 percent. "Everybody is aware of weakness in crude oil, but you're seeing spillover into large, industrial companies like Caterpillar and that may be giving people pause," Peter Jankovskis, who helps oversee $1.9 billion as co-chief investment officer of Lisle, Illinois-based OakBrook Investments LLC., said in a phone interview. "And certainly Microsoft is a bellwether of the tech industry, and that's another cause that's having people pulling back." Fed Meeting Multinational corporations flooded the market with fourth-quarter results as Federal Reserve officials gather in Washington for a two-day policy meeting. The central bank is trying to determine whether declining oil prices, a slowdown in European growth and any fallout from the Greek elections will threaten the U.S. recovery as it considers raising interest rates. Chair Janet Yellen told reporters after the last meeting not to expect higher borrowing costs before the end of April. Orders for business equipment unexpectedly fell in December for a fourth month, signaling a global growth slowdown is weighing on American companies. Bookings for non-military capital goods excluding aircraft dropped 0.6 percent for a second month, data from the Commerce Department showed. Demand for all durable goods -- items meant to last at least three years -- declined 3.4 percent, the worst performance since August. Slackening demand from Europe and some emerging markets is probably weighing on orders, making companies less willing to invest in new equipment. Purchases of new homes in the U.S. increased 12 percent in December to a 481,000 annualized pace from a 431,000 rate in the prior month, figures from the Commerce Department showed Tuesday in Washington. Consumer confidence in the U.S. increased this month as declining unemployment and lower fuel costs lifted Americans' outlooks. | 3 | 3,733 | finance |
Colin Firth photographed every bruise he got while filming 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' because he was "so proud" of them. The 54-year-old actor spent six months in "very painful" training sessions to get in tip-top physical shape for the action movie - in which he portrays veteran secret agent Harry Hart - and while he got battered and bruised shooting the movie, he was so pleased to be doing his own stunts that he couldn't wait to capture his injuries. He said: "It had to be me and not cheat and cut to a stunt man. It was one camera. The cameraman had to be choreographed as well. "We had loads [of injuries]. But I'm so proud of them - they're trophies!" Because there was always this doubt that anybody was going to believe that I was doing it if anyone got a bruise, or certainly if I got a bruise, it was photographed. "It wasn't, 'Get the nurse,' it was, 'Get the camera.' Show the bruise or the broken tooth. "We were all absolutely delighted we had something to show for it. It's pathetic. Macho." While Colin - who is known for his romantic lead roles in films such as 'Pride and Prejudice' - found it tough to train for the motion picture, he is "craving" another action role. Speaking on ITV's 'Lorraine', he added: "One is always conflicted about anything that feels a bit too much like hard work. It was very, very painful doing the training for it. "But it was one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done and I missed it when it was over. I crave to do it again. "But if somebody said I start next week then I'd have to battle that instinct to sit on the sofa staring into space and haul myself into it again. "If it was decent stuff then I'd do it again." | 6 | 3,734 | entertainment |
Police, prosecutors and the courts in England and Wales are still failing to show enough compassion to victims of crime, according to an independent report. | 5 | 3,735 | news |
Chemicals maker DuPont (DD.N) expects to buy back shares up to $4 billion using the dividend from the spinoff of its performance chemicals business. The company raised its cost reduction target by $300 million to at least $1.3 billion. Net income attributable to DuPont rose to $683 million, or 74 cents per share, in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, from $185 million, or 20 cents per share, a year earlier. Net sales fell 5 percent to $7.38 billion. | 3 | 3,736 | finance |
Apple reports its December quarter financials after the close on Tuesday with expectations and estimates increasing since the company reported its September quarter's results in October. Andy Hargreaves, Pacific Crest's Apple analyst who has been bearish on the shares since early September, published a note that said the announcement could be a positive catalyst for the shares. (Note that I own Apple shares) . Bearish Pacific Crest analyst believes results could be better than expected Pacific Crest's Apple analyst, Andy Hargreaves, has been bearish on Apple's shares since he downgraded them on September 9 before the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were announced. While he isn't changing his long-term concern and pegs Apple's shares fair value at $103 his earnings preview note about Apple definitely has a bullish tone. This is in contrast to his January 14 note where he was expecting in-line results for the December and March quarters. It will be interesting to see what he writes after the quarter is announced especially since so many data points are pointing to very strong iPhone sales. It sounds a bit like Hargreaves is trying to have his cake and eat it too In his list of 5 things to watch on Apple's financial results he believes that the company could report iPhone sales of 70 to 75 million units in the December quarter, meaningfully above his 63.4 million projection (I am estimating 70.3 million). He also believes Apple could be on track to sell 55 million in the March quarter versus his 49.9 million (I am estimating 62 million due to demand and channel fill). His concern lies more in fiscal 2016 which is a year away. Yes it is important to look to the future when analyzing a company and determining a stock price but it does seem like Hargreaves is reaching farther than he should given the unprecedented iPhone demand and the potential that it could carry on for more quarters than he is modeling. Hargreaves wrote "We continue to believe slowing new user growth and a lower replacement rate in the next iPhone cycle will prevent meaningful EPS growth in fiscal 2016 and limit stock appreciation over the next year, but extraordinary current demand for iPhone is likely to drive fiscal 2015 estimates higher exiting Apple's fiscal first quarter report." Hargreaves other items to watch for include: The stronger dollar could negatively impact gross margins by over 200 basis points or 2.0 margin points in calendar 2015 iPad sales will continue to decline. Hargreaves estimates 24 and 15 million in the December and March quarters, respectively. I am at 19.6 and 12 million, respectively, worse than what he is projecting. Operating expenses could be flat or slightly rise in the March quarter due to introducing Apple's Watch Expecting additional debt to be raised to ensure the capital return program continues though 2016 One point he does not bring up that will be critical to how much revenue Apple generated and will going forward is the iPhone's average selling price or ASP. I am estimating that it came in at $690 for the quarter, which is probably $20 to $30 higher than the average analyst. At 70 million iPhones that translates to $1.4 to $2.1 billion in additional revenue and $0.05 to $0.08 of EPS. I have a $130 price target It is always hard to call a short-term move but if my estimates are correct the stock should move higher as I don't think expectations are at that level. I peg a target price of $130 based on a PE multiple of 15 times $8 in calendar EPS getting to $120 and then adding $10 in net cash per share after excluding $10 billion to run the business and paying US taxes on the international cash. | 3 | 3,737 | finance |
In a response to Lizard Squad's claim that it was responsible for the worldwide outages of several social media sites on Tuesday, Facebook, which was one of the affected services, denied that it was hacked by the group. According to the company, its own engineers had caused the anomaly. "Earlier this evening many people had trouble accessing Facebook and Instagram," a Facebook spokeswoman told BBC News. "This was not the result of a third-party attack but instead occurred after we introduced a change that affected our configuration systems… We moved quickly to fix the problem, and both services are back to 100% for everyone." Lizard Squad, a group of hackers sympathetic to the Islamic State group, claimed responsibility for the worldwide outage of several social networking sites on Tuesday. The websites of Facebook and Instagram were down for about 40 minutes. Lizard Squad, which claimed to have hacked the website of Malaysia Airlines on Monday, posted on Twitter that it had also targeted other social networking services, including Tinder, AIM and Hipchat on Tuesday. Another tweet from the group said: "If only we didn't use twitter to communicate..." Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, AIM, Hipchat #offline #LizardSquad Lizard Squad (@LizardMafia) January 27, 2015 Facebook, Instagram and other affected services were back online though Facebook's site was responding slowly, according to some users. It was not clear what caused the outages -- which first occurred around 1:00 a.m. EST -- on both social networking websites. While Facebook said, following the outage, that it was working on a fix, Instagram said on its Twitter account -- the tweet is no longer visible -- that it was aware of an outage and was working to resolve the issue. The Lizard Squad, which had previously taken credit for denial-of-service attacks on Xbox Live and Sony Playstation Network, launched a cyberattack on Malaysia Airlines' website Monday and posted an image of the group's logo on the website's main page, along with the message: "Hacked by LIZARD SQUAD - OFFICIAL CYBER CALIPHATE." On Tuesday, the hacker group also threatened to launch more attacks on the Malaysia Airlines website. More to come soon. Side note: We're still organizing the @MAS email dump, stay tuned for that. Lizard Squad (@LizardMafia) January 27, 2015 During Tuesday's outages, users of both Facebook and Instagram took to Twitter to express their concerns, making #Facebookdown one of the top worldwide trending topics. Here are a few reactions on Twitter: Facebook just went down. Well,99% ppl will be relieved of that damn candy crush & farm vile requests.. #facebookdown Jameshubert (@ImJames_) January 27, 2015 Just had to call someone, open my mouth and speak actual words to wish them a Happy Birthday because #facebookdown :( Ripper (@Ace_Of_Pace) January 27, 2015 "dude i can't believe you called it's been forever!" "are you engaged" "what" "I comment on this" "dude" "Like" "are you okay" #facebookdown Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) January 27, 2015 #FacebookDown , but you needn't be. #GivesYouWings pic.twitter.com/JnVZuNkXdV Red Bull India (@inRedBull) January 27, 2015 | 3 | 3,738 | finance |
Instead of stocking up on filling staples like bread and milk, East Coast residents are running to grocery stores to get kale ahead of the big blizzard that's expected to slam parts of the US. People from New Jersey to Maine are preparing to get hit with two to three feet of snow at the beginning of this week. Weather forecasters have warned of a "crippling and potentially historic" snowstorm. With public transportation shut down in some areas, there's been a run on food in city grocery stores and lines have stretched down the block at some locations in New York City. Panicked blizzard preppers took to Twitter and Instagram to document a kale shortage in New York and Boston: the situation is truly dire, guys. whole foods is out of kale. #blizzard A photo posted by Jessica (@jesstamulynas) on Jan 25, 2015 at 6:37pm PST The great pre-storm Kale Panic of '15. (Yes of course, this is the Gowanus Whole Foods) pic.twitter.com/OS50ntIatK Kat Kinsman (@kittenwithawhip) January 26, 2015 How am I supposed to survive this blizzard without kale!? 😭 #uwsproblems http://t.co/DlbeFjBVc1 pic.twitter.com/eqQBhhW6ZY Laura Murphy (@PennyScientist) January 26, 2015 There's a run on kale. I repeat, Brooklyn is out of kale. #blizzard #NYCblizzard pic.twitter.com/mo0ksUGpUi Aaron Leaf (@aaronleaf) January 26, 2015 Panic before the #boston #blizzard ; didn't even spare the leafy vegetables like kale or escarole !! pic.twitter.com/nwKdrq9U MC (@mic9393) February 8, 2013 Health-conscious New Yorkers clear stores of kale as major blizzard approaches: http://t.co/lfaaQRZ6QT #9News pic.twitter.com/6SYGORArqZ Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) January 27, 2015 DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN GET MORE KALE BEFORE THE BLIZZARD? Nate Abbott (@nabbott) January 26, 2015 Trader Joe's is all out of Kale and Kombucha. I repeat. Trader Joe's is all out of Kale and Kombucha. This is worse than the actual blizzard The Great White Dope (@BigInTheShire) January 25, 2015 Ish just got real... They're out of kale!!!!! #Snowmageddon2015 #snowpocalypse #snowday A photo posted by @dadarocks Adam Cohen (@dadarocks) on Jan 26, 2015 at 5:59am PST | 5 | 3,739 | news |
Jan. 27 -- Paul Griffiths, chief executive officer at Dubai Airports discusses the growth of the airport into the busiest international airport in the world. He speaks with Manus Cranny on "The Pulse." | 3 | 3,740 | finance |
Viola Davis' husband keeps all her awards in his office. The 49-year-old actress - who picked up the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series prize for her role in 'How to Get Away with Murder' at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Sunday, 25 January - says her spouse Julius Tennon is very proud of her career achievements and he loves having her trophies on display. Asked what had happened to her award, Viola - who has won multiple prizes in the past, including three Tony awards and two other SAGs - said: "My husband took it this morning. We stayed at a hotel. He took it home. He loves the trophies." He puts them all in the office and people come over. He says, 'My wife won this in 19-this. She won this in 2000,' and he gets so excited."Despite the critical acclaim 'How to Get Away with Murder' has received, Viola - who has three-year-old daughter Genesis with Julius - is astonished by its legion of famous fans. She told 'Access Hollywood': "There's always people, like Meryl Streep said she saw a couple of episodes, which I'm shocked that she has time to do that."[Lupita Nyong'o said,] 'Aww! You're great!' and I was like, 'You're doing award shows! When do you have time [to watch]? But yeah, a lot of people - even men." One man came up to me and I forget who. It's a big actor. I'm forgetting because I was so nervous and I had to stop and I said, 'You watch the show?' It's not a dude show, you would think. He said, 'No, I watch it every week. It's great.' " | 6 | 3,741 | entertainment |
The Philippines said there was a "high likelihood" a Malaysian militant suspected of being behind the 2002 Bali bombings was killed in a controversial operation in the country's south that left 44 police dead. Sunday's offensive against "high-value targets" including Zulkifli bin Hir -- one of the United States's most wanted militants with a $5 million bounty on his head -- turned into a bloodbath, with President Benigno Aquino ordering a probe into the incident. Nearly 400 highly-trained Philippine policemen took part in the operation in the remote southern farming town of Mamasapano to arrest top militants -- including Zulkifli, who is also known as Marwan -- but were ambushed by Islamist fighters. They managed to escape but strayed into territory controlled by a different militant group, sparking another firefight. "There is a high likelihood according to the participants that Marwan was killed in the operations, but this needs confirmation," Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas told a news conference. While they failed to recover the body of the main target, "they were able to take pictures, and these pictures will undergo a process to determine whether it was Marwan or not." Zulkifli, among the United States's most wanted militants, is a bombmaker for the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group which staged the 2002 bombings in Bali that claimed 202 lives, and other deadly attacks in southeast Asia. A top Malaysian police official on counter-terrorism told the Malay Mail newspaper that Kuala Lumpur was still waiting for information from the Philippine authorities on Zulkifli's fate. Zulkifli, described by the US State Department as a 48-year-old Malaysian militant and a member of JI's central command who had trained as an engineer in the United States, has long been sought by the authorities. Declarations of his death, however, have proved premature in the past. In March 2012 Malaysian counter-terror police denied a Philippine military claim that Zulkifli was killed in an air strike. Police casualties The potential success of targeting Zulkifli was blighted, though, by the police casualties, and the controversy surrounding them will likely prove a major test of a 10-month-old accord intended to end a 40-year insurgency that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Out of 392 "special action force" policemen who took part in the mission, 44 were killed and 12 others wounded, Roxas said. Aquino has ordered an investigation into the Mamasapano incident, and Roxas said the head of the police special action force was relieved of his post pending an inquiry. According to Roxas, the Philippine police were leaving the area where the operation was taking place when they were ambushed by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a group accused of sheltering Zulkifli. The police escaped but then strayed into territory controlled by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), sparking another firefight, the interior secretary said. Philippine authorities have alleged that some of the Bali bombers had fled to the southern Philippines and sought refuge with Muslim rebels waging decades-old armed campaigns against the Manila government. They also say these militants then trained these Filipino rebels in making improvised explosive devices used in Philippine bombings. The mainstream 10,000-strong MILF signed a peace treaty with the government in March last year, but the BIFF, a breakaway faction comprised of several hundred gunmen, was not part of the deal. The MILF said police did not coordinate the operation as required under the ceasefire accord. Zulkifli's group of foreign militants is alleged by the military to have also trained the Abu Sayyaf, a group of Filipino Islamic militants. The Abu Sayyaf is suspected of being behind a car bomb in the southern city of Zamboanga last Friday that killed two people and wounded 50 others. | 5 | 3,742 | news |
More than 10,000 people are suing Japan's leading liberal newspaper over stories on Tokyo's system of wartime sex slavery, which they say have stained their reputation as Japanese nationals. The move is the latest salvo in the battle over Japan's history, which pits an increasingly aggressive revisionist right wing against an ever-more cowed mainstream that accepts the country's guilt over World War II atrocities. The group of plaintiffs, led by Sophia University professor emeritus Shoichi Watanabe, is demanding 10,000 yen ($85) in apparently symbolic compensation each, describing themselves as "Japanese citizens whose honour and credibility were damaged by the false reports made by the Asahi Shimbun", according to court documents. They argue that Asahi reports on the so-called "comfort women" system "have imposed indescribable humiliation not only on former soldiers but also on honourable Japanese citizens... who are labelled as descendents of gang rapists." Despite a dearth of official records, mainstream historians say up to 200,000 women, many from Korea but also from China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan, served Japanese soldiers in military brothels called "comfort stations". Most agree that these women were not willing participants and that the Imperial Japanese Army and wartime government were involved in their enslavement, tacitly or explicitly. Right-wingers, however, say the women were common prostitutes engaged in a commercial exchange, and are fighting a vigorous rear-guard battle to alter the narrative. The Asahi has become the focus of their ire because it published a series of articles in the 1980s based on the now-discredited testimony of a Japanese man who said he had rounded up Korean women to work in military brothels. After years of pressure, the paper retracted the articles, and apologised. The company's president also resigned. Conservatives leapt on the Asahi's climbdown, and nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wants a more sympathetic telling of Japan's history, took the move as proof of a smear. "In the post-war period, the Asahi Shimbun has consistently been haunted by socialistic fantasies, infected by anti-Japanese, self-degrading ideologies," the lawsuit alleges. The paper "never hesitated to humiliate (the men) who so selflessly staked their lives for Japan's independence and modernisation. "The Japanese military complied with international law and maintained high moral standards, with the world's strictest military discipline," the document says. Revisionists typically do not believe the well-documented "Rape of Nanking", in which tens of thousands of Chinese died in a six-week orgy of rape and violence when the Japanese Imperial Army over-ran China's then-capital in 1937. Nor do they accept that their military carried out experiments, including vivisection, on live prisoners in China. The Asahi said it would study the court document before responding. | 5 | 3,743 | news |
Prince is planning a Grammy Awards performance. The 'Purple Rain' singer is set to play a special set at the star-studded ceremony on 8 February at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California, adding to an already impressive line-up including Madonna, AC/DC and Pharrell Williams. A source told Us Weekly: "He has something very, very special in the works." The music icon will join other acts such as Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Usher, Miranda Lambert and Sam Smith if he does perform at the ceremony, which would be his first time singing at the show since 2004. During that performance 11 years ago, the 'Red Corvette' hitmaker sang with Beyoncé - who has racked up six nominations at this year's ceremony - performing a medley of 'Purple Rain', 'Let's Go Crazy' and 'Baby I'm a Star' as well as the 33-year-old musician's debut solo single 'Crazy in Love'. It wouldn't be the 56-year-old performer's first appearance at an awards show this year as he attended the 2015 Golden Globe Awards earlier this month, where he presented the Best Original Song category. | 6 | 3,744 | entertainment |
CNN's Ivan Watson interviews a man returning to Auschwitz for the first time in 70 years since being being a prisoner there. | 8 | 3,745 | video |
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 | 3,746 | news |
We don't have a crystal ball but we do have our pulse on what's hot in the world of weddings. From Wild West weddings on the ranch to bridal jumpsuits and white-glove guest treatment, here's what's new for 2015. Weddings are headed west -- at least in style and design. The big theme of the year is inspired by ranches and lots of leather accents. The details are personal and elevated, but the party has a fun, relaxed vibe. A rustic ranch sets the scene for details like antler motifs, distressed lounges with cowhide rugs and wildflower bouquets. Mix in leather elements to contrast the soft and romantic wedding details in accents like the napkin belly band. Guests can sip on specialty craft beers or mix their own heirloom bourbon cocktails in a copper mug. Your attire can echo the Wild West look in a long-sleeve dress with subtle lace embellishments and an ethereal illusion neckline. Look to designers like Reem Acra, Maggie Sottero and Temperley London for ideas. If your style is totally laid-back and casual, use boho-chic music festivals, like Coachella, to inspire your wedding. Think: a backyard or open-field setting, complete with kitschy details like striped tepees, cocktail hour lounges and picnic-style dining. Keep the colors bright and festive, yet earthy (try sunny yellow and teal paired with terra-cotta). Must-have elements include hand-drawn maps with your invitations and fun, not fussy, wording on your invites (instead of "accept" write "you in?") to really drive home your theme. For the fashion, a gauzy and modern take on the bell-sleeve wedding dress evokes a '70s, Woodstock vibe. Intentionally mismatched bridesmaid dresses will keep the look effortless and easy. Food and drink are taking center stage at weddings this year in an outrageous way. We're talking hanging salad installations, doughnut dessert walls that double as escort cards and beer-garden-inspired stations, complete with beer steins made of ice. You could ask your caterer to help you come up with creative ideas or follow a few innovative couples' lead and actually hire a food stylist to dream up something over the top. This season's runway wedding designs are more playful and dressed down. Jumpsuits, separates and menswear-inspired styles, like these ones by Houghton, Delphine Manivet and Theia, are giving the traditional bridal look a new edge that's a bit celebrity inspired. Remember Olivia Palermo's chic shorts with a tulle overlay and Solange Knowles several jumpsuits? If that's too edgy, then look to the latest accessory trends, which involve bold add-ons such as top hats, ear cuffs and lace gloves. More couples will look to unexpected spots for their wedding venue, like castles, private estates, museums and even caves (yep, you read that right -- the one in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is crazy-beautiful). The best part about a unique venue choice is you don't have to go overboard on all the décor -- you can let the space speak for itself. Keep in mind that if you go this way, the logistics may be trickier than they would in a traditional wedding venue. Marsala, Pantone's Color of the Year, set the tone for 2015's wedding hues. It's a rich wine red that's sophisticated, stylish and versatile. Pair marsala with dusty blue for a pretty, romantic feel (imagine marsala centerpieces paired with blue velvet linens), while a rose gold and marsala palette is glamorous (think: rose gold foil font on a marsala card stock). Bonus: Flowers, like dahlias and peonies, grow naturally in this hot hue, and it's a flattering color for your bridesmaids to wear if you want to make a statement. Casual weddings have reigned for the past five-plus years, but we love that some couples are taking their wedding style in the very opposite direction with lots of opulent details, like a champagne tower, multitier cake and dramatic entrance. If you really want to go over the top, take a page from the new Cinderella movie and actually have it in a castle (a few of our favorite castles and estates are the Biltmore Estate, Oheka Castle and Hearst Castle). Even if your wedding won't be in a castle, you could still add formality to it with touches like hand-delivered invitations and valets to escort guests to their seats at the reception. This is your chance to go all out and wear a big, white ball gown and even a crown. Guys can get fancy too in three-piece suits. | 4 | 3,747 | lifestyle |
A man has spent 15-years transforming a rusty wreck into the vintage car of his dreams. Terrence Cliefe, a retired motor engineer, bought the wreck of a 1916 American LaFrance saloon car in 1998. The pre-war vehicle had been dismantled and was lying as a pile of scrap on the floor of a barn. The car's missing parts were welded by Terry out of bronze and cast iron to match the vehicles original chassis and the engine completely re-assembled. Now 71, Terry has the car of his dreams and has completed the painstaking piece-by-piece restoration. Videographer / Director: Jack Stevens Producer: Amanda Stringfellow Editor: Kyle Waters / Jack Stevens | 8 | 3,748 | video |
Which fashion models have the most inspiring Instagram profiles? Follow them during their whirlwind week at Paris Haute Couture. Karlie Kloss Runway regular Karlie Kloss, who was spotted at Paris Haute Couture week's inaugural Atelier Versace show on Sunday night, has clearly had a fun-packed weekend. The American model and face of L'Oréal Paris packed in some sightseeing in the French capital with her brother, proving modeling is about working hard and playing hard. Several upbeat photos show Karlie in front of the Eiffel Tower. Beneath another picture of the Iron Lady, Karlie jokes, "The only lady in Paris Taller than ME!" instagram.com/karliekloss Anja Rubik Anja Rubik, on the other hand, flaunts the body-sculpting benefits of hard work. The Polish model and Anthony Vaccarello muse recently Instagrammed a "gym time" selfie while lifting weights. Bicep curls aside, her Instagram profile is awash with stylish black and white imagery. Professional portraits, backstage snaps and campaign images for the model's new fragrance, "Original," populate her account, providing a window into this self-proclaimed feminist model's world. instagram.com/anja_rubik Kendall Jenner As Anja reaches the peak of her career, Kendall Jenner is just starting out, but this rising runway star has the fashion world at her feet. Pictures of an exclusive photoshoot for Vogue, a face-off with Cara Delevingne and make-up artist Pat McGrath and a new video for Estée Lauder's Little Black Primer demonstrate the soaring popularity of Chanel's latest muse, who made her Paris Haute Couture week debut last July. Needless to say, all eyes will be on Jenner as she walks for Chanel on Wednesday. instagram.com/kendalljenner Cara Delevingne Other Chanel favorite Cara Delevigne, who currently has 9.3M Instagram followers, greets visitors with "Don't worry, be happy, Embrace your weirdness! Stop labeling, start living." The happy-go-lucky runway model's profile is as refreshing as Delevigne herself. Mixing quirky selfies, funny posters and images of her new Tag Heuer campaign featuring a lion cub, clearly her animal alter eg, this profile is a constant source of humor and positive energy. As she says "Let go of the bad, let in the good." instagram.com/caradelevingne | 4 | 3,749 | lifestyle |
Hosts Australia beat the United Arab Emirates 2-0 to reach the Asian Cup final where they will play South Korea | 8 | 3,750 | video |
One day after looking at the offense and special teams, today focuses on every defensive position, as well as the job that the Packers' coaching staff did during the 2014 season. Defensive line: C Mike Daniels continued his ascension to NFL stardom. He went from playing 48.6 percent of snaps in 2013 up to 63.9 percent of defensive snaps this season. Unlike a year earlier, when more than two-thirds of Daniels' snaps were on passing downs, he was close to a 50-50 split of run and pass in 2014. Daniels had 5.5 sacks, 26 quarterback hurries and three tackles for loss, but his missed tackles rose from two last season up to eight this season. He was the eighth-highest rated defensive end in a 3-4 system based on ProFootballFocus' grading system. The season-ending biceps injury to B.J. Raji in the preseason could have really derailed the Packers at the line of scrimmage, but Letroy Guion emerged after a slow start to fill in quite well. Guion came to Green Bay eager to prove himself on a one-year contract and delivered better-than-expected results. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers likely summed up best what Guion meant to the Packers' defense by saying, "Thank goodness we had Letroy." Green Bay now has to decide whether to re-sign Guion or Raji, both of whom are unrestricted free agents. Datone Jones didn't take the big Year 2 jump that Mike McCarthy always looks for. As a former first-round pick now two years into his career, Jones played a total of only 385 snaps, with two-thirds of those being passing situations. His athleticism is best displayed when rushing quarterbacks, but it remains to be seen if Jones ever develops into an every-down player like Daniels did. Jones had 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and one interception. His ratio of tackles to missed tackles (22:6) needs to improve. Josh Boyd remained the same player in Year 2 that he was as a rookie: serviceable, but replaceable. Two undrafted rookies, Mike Pennel and Luther Robinson, were both part of the active roster. Pennel played just 36 snaps in the final two months of the season after an up-and-down beginning to his NFL career, while Robinson's season ended after a total of 66 snaps with a calf injury. Bruce Gaston was signed in December but never played. Rookie third-round pick Khyri Thornton is on the verge of being a bust. He did nothing to earn a spot on the 53-man roster and spent the year on injured reserve. Linebackers: B-minus The addition of Julius Peppers at outside linebacker worked out better than the Packers could have ever hoped. Not only did Peppers still have plenty left in the tank physically, but the leadership he added was a huge benefit to the entire defense. It was assumed that younger players would look up to Peppers, but it was surprising to see how much of a vocal leader he became. The defense proved how much Peppers' leadership meant by voting him a playoff captain. It's very possible that Green Bay never would have even advanced to play Seattle in the NFC championship game if not for Peppers' forced fumble on DeMarco Murray that otherwise would have likely been a long touchdown run. Peppers had several game-changing plays like that throughout the year, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns. He led the team in forced fumbles with four and was second in sacks with 7.0. Clay Matthews did not have a strong start to the season, but he showed every bit of why he's so valuable in the second half of the year. By being able to seamlessly shift to a position previously unknown to him at inside linebacker, Matthews covered up the biggest hole in the Packers' defense. Without Matthews successfully making that move, Green Bay would have likely continued its defensive struggles, especially against the run. It helped get the Packers' best 11 players on the field more often, because they were certainly better off with an outside linebacker like Mike Neal or Nick Perry on the field rather than an inside linebacker like A.J. Hawk or Brad Jones. Matthews led the team with 11 sacks and seven tackles for loss, while only being charged with four missed tackles. Neal stayed healthy and proved to be Green Bay's preference over Perry, getting nearly twice as many snaps as the 2012 first-round pick. Neal had 4.5 sacks and four tackles for loss, while Perry had 3.0 sacks and one tackle for loss. They each had two missed tackles. Sam Barrington was a big, unexpected help for the Packers at inside linebacker in the second half of the season. Barrington's role increased dramatically from Week 13 on, and, along with Matthews, helped make inside linebacker less of a weakness on the field. He had one sack, three tackles for loss and three missed tackles. All of the work Barrington got should greatly help the 2013 seventh-round pick as he gets ready for his third season. Hawk and Jones both likely played themselves out of jobs on Green Bay's roster for next season. Hawk denied that he was injured, but his speed had dropped considerably and he couldn't keep up anymore. Jones went from being an every-down player in Week 1 to being out of the lineup entirely for seven games, including the NFC championship game. Undrafted rookie and preseason superstar Jayrone Elliott only played 54 snaps, but his performance on special teams and overall talent should keep him around for many years. Andy Mulumba and Nate Palmer didn't make it out of preseason, both landing on injured reserve. Fourth-round pick Carl Bradford, like Thornton, needs to have a great training camp in 2015 to make it to his second year with the Packers. Cornerbacks: B Green Bay doesn't have a player that many in the NFL would classify as a lockdown cornerback. But the starting duo of Sam Shields and Tramon Williams provided a steady, mostly consistent season once again. Williams started every game, while Shields missed two games due to injury directly before the Week 9 bye. The four-year, $39 million contract Shields signed last offseason might have some think he should be the No. 1 cornerback, but he and Williams rarely matched on any wide receiver. Williams had three interceptions and 13 passes defensed, with Shields at two interceptions and nine passes defensed. Shields was picked as an alternate for the Pro Bowl. The Packers almost had too much depth at cornerback in order to give enough snaps to every deserving player. Casey Hayward continued to be a ball hawk with three interceptions and seven passes defensed despite having only 32 targets sent his way. Yet, Hayward played only 435 snaps. Davon House came in and shut down Julio Jones when no one else could. But injuries for House stalled his momentum, as did having to compete every week with Shields, Williams and House. After two memorable plays against Jones at the end of the 259-yard receiving performance, House didn't play a single defensive snap the rest of the year, even after he recovered from a scapula injury. Micah Hyde began the year as a safety but soon was back to the role he assumed as a rookie by playing in the slot. Hyde will never be NFL fast, but his instincts and knack for so often doing the right thing make him a player that the Packers always want on the field in some type of role. That Hyde can now play multiple spots helps his value to the defense tremendously. Sixth-round pick rookie Demetri Goodson didn't play any snaps on defense, but he was a solid special-teams contributor. Veteran Jarrett Bush played only 42 defensive snaps. Safeties: B-minus Last year, Green Bay's safeties were assigned the lowest grade possible, an "F." The addition of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the first round, plus Hyde's ability to play the position early in the season and ease that transition for the rookie, changed everything for the Packers defense. Rather than a debilitating weakness, the safeties did an above average job overall. The biggest difference was in the play of Morgan Burnett, who benefitted from being able to do what he does best by playing closer to the line of scrimmage. There's no question now how much Burnett's performance in 2013 was hindered by having players like M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian next to him. Burnett became an important leader in the secondary, and was somewhat surprisingly voted a playoff captain over more outspoken players like Matthews and Daniels. Green Bay should be set with its duo of Burnett and Clinton-Dix for many years to come. Clinton-Dix needs to cut way down on the missed tackles (he had a team-high 15), but he just turned 22 years old and has the ability downfield in coverage to be a great player. Burnett can now settle into a role that suits him and doesn't have to worry that the other safety will mess up the play like what so often happened with Jennings and McMillian. Sean Richardson was valuable as a bigger body at safety in run-stopping packages. After no interceptions or forced fumbles in 2013, the Packers' safeties had a total of four interceptions and one forced fumble. Clinton-Dix added two more of his own in the NFC championship game in Seattle. Coaching Mike McCarthy: B The season ended about as badly as it could have for McCarthy, whose conservative approach throughout the NFC championship game played a role in Green Bay's collapse. That will likely be how many remember McCarthy's season as head coach in 2014. But there were several bright spots before that. McCarthy's decision during the bye week to move Matthews to inside linebacker worked out incredibly well, he helped orchestrate an offense that led the league in scoring and he found ways in the second half of the season of making sure Eddie Lacy stayed very involved. This grade would have certainly jumped considerably had the Packers not completely fallen apart in the final five minutes of regulation in Seattle. Offensive coaching: B-minus James Campen helped build the best offensive that Green Bay has seen in Aaron Rodgers' time at quarterback. Getting Corey Linsley ready as the starter with no training camp work next to Rodgers made a significant difference in the offense's ability to operate. Sam Gash worked with Lacy constantly on developing into a receiving threat out of the backfield, and it paid off. Alex Van Pelt transitioned from running backs to quarterbacks seamlessly. Van Pelt's work shouldn't be overlooked in the season that Rodgers had. Edgar Bennett couldn't get Jarrett Boykin ready for the No. 3 receiver role, and Davante Adams was too inconsistent to be dependable in that spot. But some credit goes to Bennett for having one of the league's top wide receiver duos with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. The tight end position wasn't good enough, but a lot of that came down to personnel. Richard Rodgers was pressed into a bigger role than the rookie might have been ready for, and nothing that Jerry Fontenot did was enough to get Brandon Bostick ready to play. Defensive coaching: B-minus Capers got just about everything he could have out of the personnel he had to work with. If the Packers had better options at inside linebacker, the drastic decision of moving Matthews never would've had to be made. Joe Whitt believed that he had four cornerbacks who were all very equal in skill. That made divvying up playing time difficult, as Hayward and House are better players than the snaps they were given. Whitt should move up in the coaching ranks in the NFL before long. Darren Perry helped get Clinton-Dix ready to play quickly and got Burnett back on track after a poor 2013. Winston Moss took over all of the linebacker coaching responsibilities, which likely made it easier on Matthews when playing two spots in the second half of the season. Follow Paul Imig on Twitter | 1 | 3,751 | sports |
Mitt Romney has attracted an unlikely supporter in his possible 2016 White House bid: Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Asked if Romney has any shot at defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016, Pelosi told The Hill, "No, no. I mean, he might be a nice person no offense, no offense [but] let's save you time." A smiling Pelosi added, "Let me put it this way I hope he's their nominee." Romney, who ran unsuccessfully in the 2008 Republican primary before being defeated handily by President Obama in 2012, is now weighing a third shot at the White House in 2016. The former Massachusetts governor has been calling donors to size up support he retains after two failed bids. A number of Republicans have criticized his interest, arguing that the party needs to field a fresh face if it hopes to have a chance of taking the presidency next year. But a poll released last week found that Romney has a double-digit lead in the field of potential GOP nominees. In that Rasmussen survey, 24 percent of respondents said they would choose Romney if the Republican primary were held today. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was the closest contender, with 13 percent. Pelosi, the nation's first female Speaker, has made it clear that she'd like to see Clinton succeed Obama. "If she runs, she will win the nomination," Pelosi said. Read more from The Hill: Iowa Republicans not seeing much of Mitt Romney lately | 5 | 3,752 | news |
British sixth seed Andy Murray proved too experienced for Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios, winning in straight sets to reach the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday. Murray, a three-time runner-up, downed the 19-year-old 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 and will face seventh seed Tomas Berdych for a place in the final. | 1 | 3,753 | sports |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Before she walked off Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, Maria Sharapova scrawled a message with a felt-tipped pen on the camera lens for tennis fans everywhere to see: ''Fly high, sing your own song.'' But don't search for any deep meaning in that. The tradition of asking tennis players to sign the camera lens after winning at certain tournaments, gets a bit dull, said the No. 2-ranked player. ''Sometimes I don't even know what I'm writing,'' Sharapova said after beating Eugenie Bouchard to advance to the semifinals. ''You're given a pen,'' she said. ''I feel bored by writing my signature for some many years, so sometimes I change it up.'' By Jocelyn Gecker -- http://twitter.com/jgecker ----- Australian Open Scene follows tennis' Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne as seen by journalists from The Associated Press. It is updated throughout the day. | 1 | 3,754 | sports |
@greens_in_reg wants to know if Kobe Bryant will ever be effective again for a full season. | 1 | 3,755 | sports |
CHARLOTTE Things got better for Danica Patrick last season. Then they got a little worse. She's hopeful they will get better again, she said, but they'll probably get worse again first. Such is the fitful progression to Sprint Cup respectability for the 32-year-old as she enters her third full season with Stewart-Haas Racing. Her process has been complicated by a change from veteran Tony Gibson to Daniel Knost, who enters his second season as a Cup crew chief, and a dearth of off-season testing. "I think the right people know the situation that everyone is in and while last year was definitely better from a lot of perspectives, it's probably going to get worse for a while," Patrick told USA TODAY Sports. Team co-owner Tony Stewart said Patrick's improvement was well-documented internally, particularly in regard to speed. Patrick's 2014 was difficult to assess statistically. She twice set career-best finishes with a seventh at Kansas Speedway in the spring and a sixth at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the fall both on 1.5-mile tracks which comprise much of the schedule. Her qualifying improved by an average of nearly eight spots (22.3), her average finish by more than two (23.7), and Gibson openly pondered her improving chances for a first Cup win even before she ran with the leaders in the late laps at Talladega Superspeedway. She led 15 laps after leading five in her Cup career and produced three of her four Cup top-10s. "The speed she had [in 2014], the results didn't show," Stewart said Tuesday. "From the beginning part of the season to the third part of the season there was an incredible improvement in that category." But Patrick finished one spot lower in the standings 28th than in her second full Cup season and lost Gibson to a crew chief switch that sent him to teammate Kurt Busch for the final three races. With offseason testing banned by NASCAR, Patrick and Knost, who was initially announced as an interim replacement, enter the season with many unknowns with the No. 10 Chevrolet and in their working relationship. "We had gotten to the point as a group [with Gibson] where we were working on the little things and we were clicking really easily and it almost felt like it was on autopilot. I don't know if it was getting relaxing, but probably like that," she said. "It will be hard work again and it will be frustrating and it's going to be learning and it's going to be some great times and there's going to be some bad. I'm ready for the potential." Knost said he and Patrick have focused mostly on changes to the rules packages less horsepower and downforce for the 2015 season. Their frustrating debut at the end of last season 36th at Texas Motor Speedway, 22nd at Phoenix International Raceway and 18th at Homestead-Miami Speedway - allowed them to check a few interpersonal relationship boxes entering 2015. "We've definitely had a few disagreements, maybe a few more than I would have anticipated and at the same time I think we've figured a few things out together," he said. "I've always gotten along with her. I think we have somewhat similar personalities. … We like to joke around but at the same time we're very serious about what we do professionally. We have very high expectations for ourselves and maybe we're a little bit unconventional." SHR vice president of competition Greg Zipadelli said the testing ban likely doesn't hurt Patrick as much now as it would have three years ago. Her next evolution, he said, is dependent on whether Patrick and her team are able to "finish the deal" of translating feedback into fast cars and fast cars into better finishes. Crucial there, Zipadelli said, is siphoning information from teammates Stewart, Kurt Busch and defending series champion Kevin Harvick and allies Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon all of whom have won Cup titles Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne at Hendrick Motorsports. "I think she's to the point now where it's way more about the relationship with her team and her crew, way more about her using the other drivers around her," Zipadelli said. "She's got three of the greatest in the sport and four unbelievable ones across the campus she can go talk to and look at data. "With all that she has, it's about putting those extra details and the confidence in herself to go ask them and take what people are telling her and go apply it for the day." Follow James on Twitter @brantjames | 1 | 3,756 | sports |
The state of your golden years The U.S. elderly population has grown exponentially in recent decades. The number of Americans 65 and older grew from 35 million in 2000 to 41.4 million in 2011 and to an estimated 44.7 million in 2013. This trend is expected to continue as members of the baby boomer generation reach retirement age. While it can be difficult to grow old in some U.S. states, life for seniors is often far worse in many other countries. Still, the United States will face increasingly large challenges. In the coming years, state officials, families, and individuals will need to pay more attention to the needs of the elderly to improve medical care, access to services, infrastructure, or other amenities that become more necessary late in life. HelpAge International evaluates each year the social and economic well-being of elderly country residents in its Global AgeWatch Index. Last year, the United States was among the better places to grow old in the world, at eighth place. However, domestically, each state offers a very different quality of life for its older residents. Based on an independent analysis by 24/7 Wall St., which incorporated a range of income, health, labor, and environmental indicators, Utah is the best state in which to grow old, while Mississippi is the worst. To be considered among the worst states to grow old, senior citizens in the states had to have relatively weak income security, as measured by several indicators. The 2013 median income among families with a head of household 65 and older, for example, did not exceed the comparable national figure of $37,847 in nine of the worst states to grow old. A typical elderly household in Mississippi earned less than $30,000, the least nationwide. Retirees often have fixed income, as they begin to tap into their savings and collect social security. Kate Bunting, CEO of AgeWatch USA, explained that, "It is really important for older people to have reliable access to a guaranteed income." More than 90% of Americans 65 and older in the vast majority of all states received social security income in 2013. The average monthly social security benefit of $1,294, however, was likely not enough for many seniors. As a result, many older Americans relied on non-social security income, such as withdrawals from 401Ks and savings as a supplement. In 2013, 47.9% of Americans 65 and older had such supplemental retirement incomes. More than 50% of older residents in four of the best states to grow old had such incomes. At stake, according to Bunting, is the elderly's "ability to eat nutritious foods, which impacts their health, and their ability to access other critical services." With lower, and often fixed, incomes, elderly Americans are vulnerable financially. In addition, age often brings a host of health problems, causing greater reliance on medical and accessibility services. To determine how the states fare when it comes to health care, we examined health services and outcomes. In the best states, life expectancy was relatively high. In eight of the 10 states, it was at least 80 years. A good education, which can lead to employment opportunities and higher incomes, is also an indication of well-being. While less than one-quarter of Americans 65 and older had at least a bachelor's degree as of 2013, at least 28% of seniors in seven of the best states had attained such a level of education. More than 34% of Colorado's elderly population were college-educated as of 2013, the highest rate nationwide. As older people tend to be more vulnerable to criminals, the best states to grow old also needed to be relatively safe. In all of the 10 states, the violent crime in 2013 was less than 300 incidents per 100,000 people, all among the lower rates reviewed. In addition, policies often shape the quality of life for a state's elderly population. Smart Growth America rated state-level infrastructure policies and their effectiveness in serving all residents, including the elderly. While many states had not passed any such policies, a majority of the best states to grow old had done so in recent years. Bunting suggested that as the aging population grows, it will become increasingly "important that you have the right kinds of policies in place that help support a quality old age." Adapting to these demographic patterns through age-friendly policy, Bunting continued, is "important and worthwhile to do, no matter what age you are." Here are the five best -- and worst -- states to grow old in. WORST: 5. Nevada Median household income (65+): $41,491 (13th highest) Pct. with a disability (65+): 36.2% (23rd highest) Pct. with a bachelor's degree or higher (65+): 22.5% (20th lowest) Violent crime rate: 591.2 per 100,000 residents (3rd highest) The collapse of Nevada's economy as a result of the housing crisis in 2009 is likely still having an effect on the state's residents, including its elderly population. Only 91% of Nevadans aged 55 to 64 were employed in 2013, the lowest rate in the country. Additionally, Nevada had the country's highest rate of residents 65 and older who did not have health insurance, which may have contributed to only 66.1% of all residents having a personal doctor, the lowest rate in the country. Senior citizens in Nevada were also among the country's least likely to have access to healthy and affordable food, with food insecurity identified among 10.4% of older residents. Food insecurity was far from Nevada residents' only problem, as the state also had one of the highest violent crime rates in the country in 2013. WORST: 4. Arkansas Median household income (65+): $31,959 (4th lowest) Pct. with a disability (65+): 42.4% (4th highest) Pct. with a bachelor's degree or higher (65+): 16.8% (3rd lowest) Violent crime rate: 445.7 per 100,000 residents (10th highest) More than 94% of elderly Arkansas residents received social security benefits in 2013, the highest rate among all states. Yet, this income frequently did not meet the financial needs of many older Arkansans, as nearly 13% did not have adequate access to nutritious and affordable food in 2011, the highest rate in the nation. While it is often expected that Americans entering retirement have savings of some kind, just 41.5% of the age group in the state had any retirement income to supplement social security, nearly the lowest figure. As a result, the state had among the higher poverty rates among its elderly population, at 10.5%. In addition, older state residents had low educational attainment rates. Less than 17% had at least a bachelor's degree in 2013, the third lowest rate nationally. WORST: 3. West Virginia Median household income (65+): $31,542 (3rd lowest) Pct. with a disability (65+): 45.5% (the highest) Pct. with a bachelor's degree or higher (65+): 14.2% (the lowest) Violent crime rate: 289.7 per 100,000 residents (23rd lowest) Just over 14% of West Virginia's elderly population had at least a bachelor's degree in 2013, 10 percentage points below the national figure and the lowest in the country. Poor educational outcomes often lead to low incomes. Among the state's senior citizens, a typical household earned $31,542 in 2013, the third lowest figure in the country. Additionally, West Virginia's elderlies were the most likely in the country to have some kind of disability in 2013, with nearly half indicating they were disabled. Low incomes and a high share of disabled residents may prohibit some older residents from taking advantage of services. According to a 2013 OECD report, services in West Virginia were less accessible than all but a few other states. WORST: 2. Louisiana Median household income (65+): $31,230 (2nd lowest) Pct. with a disability (65+): 41.7% (7th highest) Pct. with a bachelor's degree or higher (65+): 18.8% (8th lowest) Violent crime rate: 510.4 per 100,000 residents (5th highest) Older Louisiana residents are among the nation's most financially insecure. A typical household with older occupants had an income of $31,230 in 2013, second only to Mississippi. Compared to seniors in other states, seniors in Louisiana were also some of the least likely to receive social security benefits or other forms of retirement income. Perhaps as a result, nearly 13% of the age group in the state lived in poverty in 2013, the second highest rate in the country. Older Louisiana residents also fared poorly in terms of health. For example, life expectancy at birth was less than 76 years as of 2011, one of the lowest figures. A 2013 assessment of city infrastructure design found that policies implemented in Louisiana in recent years better considered the needs of elderly people and others requiring greater access than most states, which bodes well for the state's future elderly populations. WORST: 1. Mississippi Median household income (65+): $29,511 (the lowest) Pct. with a disability (65+): 45.1% (2nd highest) Pct. with a bachelor's degree or higher (65+): 18.2% (6th lowest) Violent crime rate: 267.4 per 100,000 residents (18th lowest) Mississippi's older population fares poorly based on a wide range of measures, making it the worst state in the nation in which to grow old. Mississippi's elderly population had by many measures the worst income security nationwide. The median income among elderly households was less than $30,000 in 2013, the lowest in the country. Nearly 15% of residents 65 and older lived in poverty that year, also the worst rate. Perhaps as a result of financial burdens, elderly residents had worse health outcomes. More than 45% had a disability, the second highest rate in the country. In addition, accessibility to services in Mississippi was rated worse than in any other state by the OECD. See the full list of The Worst States to Grow Old In here . BEST: 5. Virginia Median household income (65+): $44,440 (5th highest) Pct. with a disability (65+): 33.9% (9th lowest) Pct. with a bachelor's degree or higher (65+): 28.0% (12th highest) Violent crime rate: 187.9 per 100,000 residents (3rd lowest) Older Virginians have far better income security than most elderly Americans. While less than 48% of Americans 65 and older had retirement income to supplement social security benefits in 2013, more than 54% of elderly Virginians had such an income, the fifth highest rate nationwide. State households with at least one elderly member had a median income of $44,440 in 2013, also among the highest incomes in the age group reviewed. As a result, Virginians are much less likely to live in poverty and suffer from food insecurity late in life. Less than 4% of Virginia's elderly population had inadequate access to nutritious and affordable food, the lowest percentage nationwide, and just 7.4% lived in poverty, versus the comparable national figure of nearly 10%. BEST: 4. Vermont Median household income (65+): $35,844 (20th lowest) Pct. with a disability (65+): 34.2% (13th lowest) Pct. with a bachelor's degree or higher (65+): 32.7% (2nd highest) Violent crime rate: 114.9 per 100,000 residents (the lowest) Senior citizens living in Vermont were especially well-educated, which likely helped improve their quality of life. While less than one-quarter of Americans 65 and older had at least a bachelor's degree, nearly one-third of elderly Vermonters were college educated, the second highest rate nationwide. Unlike in many of the best states to grow old, older Vermont residents did not have especially strong income security. The median income among older households was less than $36,000 in 2013, one of the lower rates. However, less than 5% had inadequate access to food, the fourth lowest rate in the country. Vermont also had the lowest violent crime rate in the nation in 2013, with fewer than 115 crimes reported per 100,000 residents. Safety is especially important for older people, as they are often targeted by criminals. BEST: 3. Hawaii Median household income (65+): $55,650 (the highest) Pct. with a disability (65+): 35.6% (25th lowest) Pct. with a bachelor's degree or higher (65+): 26.0% (17th highest) Violent crime rate: 245.3 per 100,000 residents (13th lowest) With the state's 65 and older population accounting for nearly 16% of the overall population in 2013 one of the higher proportions Hawaii is a popular destination for older Americans. Older Hawaiians benefit from an exceptionally strong state health care system. Hawaii was the first state to introduce a near-universal health care system, passing legislation in 1976, which seems to have paid off. Hawaii led the nation in health on a recent OECD survey, and state residents were expected to live 81.3 years in 2011, the highest life expectancy at birth nationwide. Hawaii's elderly population also had strong income security, with a median income for older households of nearly $57,000, the highest such figure nationwide. The relatively high incomes likely helped seniors in the state afford Hawaii's exceptionally high cost of living. BEST: 2. New Hampshire Median household income (65+): $42,406 (11th highest) Pct. with a disability (65+): 34.6% (16th lowest) Pct. with a bachelor's degree or higher (65+): 28.6% (10th highest) Violent crime rate: 199.6 per 100,000 residents (6th lowest) Relatively few senior citizens live in poverty in the best states for older residents. Only 5.6% of New Hampshire's elderly population lived below the poverty line in 2013, the lowest rate of any state except for Alaska. Low poverty rates and high median household incomes among residents 65 and over may allow them better access to safe and nutritious food. As of 2011, roughly 5% of New Hampshire's senior population did not have access to healthy foods, lower than the vast majority of states. Perhaps as a result, life expectancy at birth as of 2011 was one of the highest in the country at 80.3 years. The state was also one of the safest in the country, according to both an OECD report and FBI data, which likely makes it more attractive to older people who may be more vulnerable targets of crimes. BEST: 1. Utah Median household income (65+): $44,384 (6th highest) Pct. with a disability (65+): 36.0% (24th highest) Pct. with a bachelor's degree or higher (65+): 30.9% (3rd highest) Violent crime rate: 209.2 per 100,000 residents (8th lowest) Although the share of its elderly population is nearly the lowest in the country, Utah is nonetheless the best state in the nation in which to grow old. The state fared exceedingly well in all the measures reviewed. Older residents are well-educated, with nearly 31% having attained at least a bachelor's degree as of 2013, the third highest figure in the country. Seniors also have relatively strong income security, due in part to a strong education and traditionally high employment rates among the 55-64 age group. Nearly 97% of Utah residents in that age group were employed in 2013, nearly the highest rate. Utah's elderly households also had a median income of more than $44,000 in 2013, higher than in all but a handful of states. These factors likely helped improve the overall satisfaction not just among the elderly but all residents. More than 91% of residents told Gallup they were satisfied with their city in 2013, the second-highest such rate reviewed. See the full list of Best States to Grow Old In here . | 3 | 3,757 | finance |
Of the Detroit Three, the off-road offerings from General Motors are typically the least aggressive. Since the discontinuation of the Hummer brand in 2010, GM hasn't had a dedicated line of serious off-road vehicles. Chevrolet's Z71 package and GMC's All Terrain trims add upgraded shocks and other upgrades but nothing on the order of the F-150 Raptor or the Ram 2500 Power Wagon. However, that may not be the case for much longer. According to a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, GM filed for a trademark application for "Z71 Trail Boss" this month. The filing additionally identifies "light duty pickup trucks" as the use for the trademark. Related link: Research the Chevrolet Colorado This leaves the door open to using the designation for either the Silverado or the midsize Colorado. The extent of the hardware that would accompany the trim is unknown, but the showing of the Colorado ZR2 concept with remote-reservoir shocks and an integrated winch certainly indicate that GM would like to give its trucks a greater measure of off-road credibility. What would you rather see: a Raptor-fighting Silverado Z71 Trail Boss or a Tacoma TRD Pro foe in the form of a Colorado Z71 Trail Boss? Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office | 9 | 3,758 | autos |
Similar to many Wall Streeters who receive performance-based bonus compensation, NFL players who make it into the postseason are rewarded with bonus checks as part of postseason shares that the NFL distributes. Each season, the NFL sets a predetermined amount to compensate players based on how far their team goes in the playoffs. The bonuses kick in with the wild card and divisional playoff games and grow incrementally as players fight for the ultimate prize, the Vince Lombardi trophy. As the Patriots and Seahawks gear up for America's biggest game of the year in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona, each player on the team's 53-man roster is guaranteed a bonus check of $49,000 just for being in the Super Bowl. For the winning the team, the prize is a little sweeter, with a payout this year of $97,000, according to the 2014 NFL Media Guide. That means the journey from divisional leaders to Super Bowl champions pays out a total of $165,000 this year, a 5.1 percent increase from last season. With the average salary on the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks at $2.1 million, and the median salary at approximately $765,000, the bonus has different significance depending on the player. "It makes a lot more difference, financially, for guys making minimal league salary of $420,000," said Joel Correy, a former sports agent who helped found Premiere Sports and Entertainment. "The bonuses help, but it's nothing like the '60s and '70s, when players depended on these bonuses," says Joe Favorito, Sports Marketing Consultant and professor at Columbia University. For players who made the 2015 Pro Bowl team, there is even more money to be earned. Both the Patriots and Seahawks had five players each selected for the Pro Bowl. Despite not playing in the game as they prepare for the Super Bowl, they will still take half of their Pro Bowl share just for being selected, according to Correy. The winning team earns $55,000 for the Pro Bowl, which is more than the losing Super Bowl team will make. So how does the NFL's postseason pay compare to other sports? The world champion San Francisco Giants earned postseason shares of $388,606 this year for their third World Series in just five seasons. Major League Baseball's money comes from teams' gate receipts, while in football, the postseason shares comes directly from a league pool. In the NBA, the champion San Antonio Spurs earned $275,000 per player 66 percent more than what the Super Bowl XLIX winners will make after they defeated Lebron James' Miami Heat. In hockey, the Los Angeles Kings' second Stanley Cup Victory earned them a team bonus of $3.75 million that was split up among the team, giving each player in excess of $100,000, according to Sportsnet. In the NFL, with 111.5 million fans tuning into Super Bowl XLIX, the biggest payoff may come in the form of exposure. For stars such as quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Tom Brady, it could mean millions in added revenue in the form of sponsorships, according to Favorito. For lesser-known players, Favorito expects that the exposure for playing in the Super Bowl translates in the thousands-of-dollars range. "It's an added bonus for players," says Corry. "It doesn't even factor into most players' thinking," he said. Disclosure: CNBC's sister company NBC Sports broadcasts the Super Bowl. | 3 | 3,759 | finance |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) With two former Vanderbilt football players facing decades in prison after being convicted of the rape of an unconscious student in a dorm room, attention now turns to two of their teammates who have yet to go to trial. It took a jury three hours Tuesday to reach a verdict convicting Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey of multiple charges of aggravated rape and sexual battery. The jury saw powerful video evidence and photographs of the then-21-year-old neuroscience major being sexually assaulted on a dorm room floor. Some of those videos were taken by Vandenburg, who sent them to friends while the attack was ongoing. The jury rejected claims that they were too drunk to know what they were doing, and that a college culture of binge drinking and promiscuous sex should be blamed for the attack. It also rebuffed Vandenburg's argument that he shouldn't be held responsible because he did not have sex with the victim during the attack. As the jury foreman read the decision, Batey was stoic, staring ahead. Vandenburg shook his head "no," appearing stunned. His father cried out, and then briefly left the courtroom. The victim, who cried as each guilty verdict was announced, issued a statement shortly after the defendants were led off to jail. "I want to remind other victims of sexual violence: You are not alone," she said. "You are not to blame." Vandenburg, 21, and Batey, who turned 21 on Tuesday, were taken into custody and await a March 6 sentencing hearing. Prosecutors say Brandon Banks and Jaborian "Tip" McKenzie also were in that dorm room in the early morning hours of Jan. 23, 2013. McKenzie took the stand during the trial and testified that he never touched the woman and only took pictures. Banks is accused of touching the woman and video and statements from prosecutors show the government is likely going to accuse him of being the player who inserted an object into the woman. McKenzie proved to be a powerful witness, describing what happened during the assault when the cameras and the video weren't recording. "As far as the four defendants, he is the least culpable," Deputy District Attorney Tom Thurman said of McKenzie. Still, Vandenburg didn't penetrate the woman and yet he was convicted of multiple counts of aggravated rape because he was considered criminally responsible, prosecutors said. Each aggravated rape charge carries a sentence of 15 to 60 years. The aggravated sexual battery conviction carries a sentence of eight to 30 years. Batey and Vandenburg would likely get sentenced on the lower end because they are first-time offenders. It's not clear whether the judge will decide to run the sentences at the same time. Thurman said a trial date for the two remaining defendants could be set very soon. There is a possibility prosecutors will simply allow them to plead guilty, especially McKenzie, whose role was limited and whose testimony helped convict his former teammates. Vandenburg and Batey were both convicted of four counts of aggravated rape, one count of attempted aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. Additionally, Vandenburg was convicted of tampering with evidence and unlawful photography. ___ Reach Sheila Burke on Twitter www.twitter.com/sheilaburke . | 5 | 3,760 | news |
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The Mormon church announced a campaign Tuesday for new laws that protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination while somehow also protecting people who assert their religious beliefs. "We must find ways to show respect for others whose beliefs, values and behaviors differ from ours while never being forced to deny or abandon our own beliefs, values and behaviors in the process," a church elder, Jeffrey R. Holland, said in announcing the church's position. Mormon leaders did not explain just how it would draw lines between gay rights and religious freedoms, and it's unclear how much common ground the church will gain with this campaign. The church insists it is making no changes in doctrine, and still believes that sex is against the law of God unless it's within a marriage between a man and a woman. But the new approach could profoundly change political calculations in the Mormon strongholds of Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona, where the church and its members play a large civic role. In Utah, where most state lawmakers are Mormon, the announcement was cheered after years of failed efforts to pass anti-discrimination measures. "What the LDS church did today was historic," said Democratic state Sen. Jim Dabakis, who was raised Mormon and is openly gay. "This was a bold, strong, principled statement ... today we are seeing the fruits of civility and respect." The gay-rights group Equality Utah also applauded, saying LGBT rights can co-exist with freedoms of religious individuals. But national advocates on both sides were dismissive. The Rev. Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention called the Mormon leaders "well-intentioned, but naive" about animosity toward religious exemptions. And Sarah Warbelow, legal director for the Human Rights Campaign, called it "deeply flawed." The First Amendment's protection of religious freedom "does not give any of us the right to harm others, and that's what it sounds like the proposal from the Mormon church would do - it would allow a doctor to refuse to care for a lesbian because of his religious beliefs, for example," said James Esskes, who directs the LGBT project of the American Civil Liberties Union. The campaign is the latest example of a shift in tone on gay rights by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which counts 15 million members worldwide. They have moved away from harsh rhetoric and are preaching compassion and acceptance of gays and lesbians now that gay marriage is legal in Washington D.C. and 36 states including Utah. "Accommodating the rights of all people including their religious rights requires wisdom and judgment, compassion and fairness," said Holland, who appeared at a rare news conference with two other apostles from the church's governing Quorum of the Twelve. "Politically, it certainly requires dedication to the highest level of statesmanship. Nothing is achieved if either side resorts to bullying, political point scoring or accusations of bigotry." The Mormon church will back laws that protect "vital religious freedoms for individuals, families, churches and other faith groups while also protecting the rights of our LGBT citizens in such areas as housing, employment and public accommodation in hotels, restaurants and transportation," said Dallin H. Oaks, another apostle. Mormon leaders still want to hire and fire workers based on their religious beliefs as well as behavior standards known as honor codes, which require gays and lesbians to remain celibate or marry someone of the opposite sex. The church also wants legal protections for religious objectors who work in government and health care, such as a physician who refuses to perform an abortion, or provide artificial insemination for a lesbian couple. "It is one of today's great ironies that some people who have fought so hard for LGBT rights now try to deny the rights of others to disagree with their public policy proposals," Oaks said. Accommodations for religious objectors have factored into every state legislative debate over gay rights. But rights advocates have gained leverage as support for same-sex marriage grows. In some states, such as Arizona, even business leaders are on their side, saying broad religious exemptions hurt a state's image. But religious conservatives also mobilized after the U.S. Supreme Court set a broad expansion of gay marriage in motion last year, pressing states to allow some groups, companies and people to refuse some benefits or service for gay spouses. And gay rights groups seeking job and housing protections have faced an uphill battle in the more politically and religiously conservative states. Much has changed since Mormons led a fight against same-sex unions in California. Given the "current contentious atmosphere that exists among people of different views on these subjects," Oaks said, "we wish to promote a more Christian, a more civil and considerate tone." __ Associated Press write Michelle L. Price contributed to this story in Salt Lake City. | 5 | 3,761 | news |
Snoop-thwarting messaging application Wickr on Tuesday began letting Apple mobile gadget users hide pictures in plain sight on their Facebook pages. Wickr Timed Feed (WTF) hosts pictures in a way that keeps them in the control of those doing the posting, and the service gathers no data about images, according to co-founder Nico Sell. Posted pictures self-destruct after 24 hours. "This is truly a breakthrough," Sell told AFP. "Essentially, this is our Instagram-killer." Wickr has been downloaded more than five million times in 196 countries since the start-up launched in 2012, according to Sell. The ultra-private messaging application lets people share messages or pictures that are encrypted in a way that doesn't even let Wickr see them. People also set how long they want messages to last before self-destructing. Versions of the application have been released for Android and Apple mobile devices as well as for computers powered by Macintosh, Windows or Linux software. WTF was added to the free Wickr application made for Apple devices. "We are taking a very complex spy tool, adding a joke and making it something my kids are going to use a hundred times a day," Sell said. Wickr lets people post pictures at leading social network Facebook but, in a twist, uses an old-time spy technique called "steganography." Sell describes steganography as the art of hiding messages in plain sight. When Wickr pictures are posted to Facebook, what appears at the social network are adorable kitten photos instead of the personal images being shared. Friends with Wickr apps installed can double-click on kitten pictures to see what was actually shared online. Those not in a person's Wickr circle, however, will only see baby cats. Even Facebook servers never see the real shared pictures, offering no opportunity to save copies, target ads, collect data or anything else, according to Sell. Hacker mom's solution WTF was inspired by Sell's eldest daughter. The teenager wanted to connect with friends on Facebook but met resistance from her mom, who has been a long-time organizer of the infamous Def Con hacker gathering that takes place annually in Las Vegas. "She knows I don't like Facebook and asked mom to find a way to do it safely," Sell said of her concerns about privacy and control of personal information at popular social networks. "This way, Facebook isn't going to control your photos; they will just see the kitty cat photos." Sell said that WTF may eventually do dog pictures, but as an in-app purchase. For now, kitten pictures will serve as the inside Wickr joke. Worries about snooping by criminals, spies or governments have fueled interest in Wickr, according to Sell. "We are the only secure messaging app that has not had a successful attack," she said. "We are the last man standing." | 5 | 3,762 | news |
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Nine black men arrested for integrating a whites-only South Carolina lunch counter 54 years ago may be heroes in the historic record, but in the record of the law they are still convicted trespassers. That criminal record will soon be erased. On Wednesday, a prosecutor is expected to ask a judge to vacate the arrests and convictions of the men known as the Friendship Nine. The men say that brings both relief and a hope for the future. The eight students at Rock Hill's Friendship Junior College Willie McCleod, Robert McCullough, W.T. "Dub" Massey, Clarence Graham, James Wells, David Williamson Jr., John Gaines and Mack Workman were led by Thomas Gaither, who came to town as an activist with the Congress of Racial Equality. About a year had passed since the sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, helped galvanize the nation's civil rights movement. But change was slow to come to Rock Hill. They decided to act together, getting arrested in February 1961 for ordering lunch from a whites-only counter at McCrory's variety store. Convicted of trespassing and breach of peace, the men opted for a month's hard labor in a chain gang rather than allow bail money to be posted for them by civil rights groups. They did not want to contribute to the coffers of segregationists. That decision drew national headlines, garnering the group the name the "Friendship Nine" and setting the standard for a "jail, no bail" policy emulated by other protesters around the South. Author Kim Johnson took an interest in the men's story, studying their case and publishing a book entitled "No Fear For Freedom: The Story of the Friendship 9" last year. After doing some research, Johnson went to Kevin Brackett, the solicitor for York and Union counties, to see what could be done to give the men a clean slate. "This is an opportunity for us to bring the community together," Johnson told The Associated Press. "To have the records vacated essentially says that it should have never happened in the first place." On Wednesday, Brackett will argue a motion to vacate those convictions before a Rock Hill judge who is expected to do just that. It comes too late for McCullough, who died in 2006. But some of the others returned to town ahead of the hearing to reflect on their experience, telling the AP they hope their actions can still have an impact. "It's been a long wait," Graham said. "We are sure now that we made the right decision for the right reason. Being nonviolent was the best thing that we could have done." The men's names are engraved on the stools at the counter of the restaurant on Main Street, now called the Old Town Bistro. A plaque outside marks the spot where they were arrested. And official and personal apologies have been offered to the men over the years. In 2009, a white man named Elwin Wilson who tried to pull one of the protesters from a stool nearly 50 years earlier returned to the same counter, meeting with some of the men. They forgave him. Massey said he has no regrets. "Everything that happened, happened for a reason," he said. "We have to continue what we're doing. If we're backing off from what we've done, then there's a problem here." And although their records will soon be clean, the men hope their commitment to nonviolence can remain an example for people protesting various issues today. "Maybe it might change some of their minds about some of their actions," Graham said. "Until the hearts change, there won't be any changes. We still insist that nonviolence is the way to go." ___ Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP | 5 | 3,763 | news |
The first family of Instagram is making huge amounts of money by documenting their day-to-day lives. Mother Sarah Phillips and siblings Tom and Liz Eswein have around 1.6m followers between them and even their two adorable dachshunds are getting in on the act. Despite Sarah's husband Reed's best efforts he just cannot seem to match his family's phenomenal social media presence or enthusiasm. The family's obsession started when Liz, 23 saw a gap in the market around three years ago and encouraged her family to snap up valuable user names. The family, who live in New York City, make their money by collaborating with well known brands and guaranteeing them that a certain number of people will see their message. Videographer / Director: Alexandre Ayer Producer: Dan Howlett Editor: Ian Phillips | 8 | 3,764 | video |
Only the Tooth Fairy knows for sure. But race organizers at the World Cup event in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, where Tiger Woods claims a cameraman shouldering a video camera knocked out his front tooth during Woods' surprise visit to see his girlfriend, Lindsey Vonn, win her record 63rd World Cup race, are pretty sure things didn't go exactly as Woods described Tuesday. "There was blood everywhere," Woods claimed as he addressed the gap in accounts of his missing tooth early Tuesday morning in Phoenix as he prepared for the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in his first start of the 2015 season. That claim, however, was disputed by race organizers after Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, made a similar statement following the race, and Tuesday afternoon, Nicola Colli, the secretary general of the race's organizing committee, told the Daily News he was irritated that the mystery of Tiger's tooth remains a story and that there was not "blood everywhere" as Woods has alleged. "I was with him from the tent to the snowmobile that carried him away," Colli said. "There was no blood…If Tiger Woods said that, I don't really know what to say." Colli said the same thing to The Associated Press last week. "I was among those who escorted him from the tent to the snowmobile and there was no such incident," Colli, told the AP in response to Steinberg's statement. "When he arrived he asked for more security, and we rounded up police to look after both him and Lindsey." Woods told reporters the same story Steinberg gave the media after the world's former No. 1 golfer was photographed with an unsightly gap in his famous smile as he congratulated Vonn with a big kiss after the race. "The photographer changed positions and I got hit," Woods said. "It was an accident. ... And yes there was blood everywhere." Witnesses the Daily News has spoken to, however, have denied seeing anything of the sort, saying Woods was not present for the ceremony and spent the interlude in a tent near the finish line, secluded from the photographers who had already notes his presence. Photographs of Woods taken at the event don't appear to show any swelling, bleeding or even discomfort on the face of the 39-year-old golfer. Woods elaborated on his comments later Tuesday. "The dude with video camera on shoulder kneeling right in front of me stood up and turned and caught me square in the mouth," Woods said. "He chipped that one, cracked the other one. ... Luckily, he hit the one I had a root canal on. That's the one that chipped. But the other one had to be fixed as well because it had cracks all through it." Colli told the Daily News that if Woods was injured, it didn't happen at the awards ceremony. And that no other incident had been reported to him in the week since Vonn's historic win. "This for sure did not happen during the awards ceremony," Colli said. "I cannot say if he got injured, for sure not during the ceremony." Steinberg had described a very different version of events. "During a crush of photographers at the awards podium at the World Cup event in Italy, a media member with a shoulder-mounted video camera pushed and surged toward the stage, turned and hit Tiger Woods in the mouth," Steinberg said. Steinberg has not responded to two requests from the Daily News seeking clarification of his allegations against the still-unidentified member of the media he has claimed was responsible for the alleged injury. Woods, meanwhile described a very painful experience, especially on the flight home from Italy. "The flight was a joke," he said at a news conference later Tuesday. "I couldn't eat, couldn't drink until he fixed them, put the temporaries on. I couldn't have anything touch it. Even breathing hurt." He got some laughs when describing how the tooth was knocked out. He said he was wearing his mask while waiting on the mountain so he wouldn't be recognized. "Trying to blend in, because there is not a lot of brown dudes at ski races, OK?" Woods joked. "So that was the whole idea of why I work the mask." Vonn has added her support to Woods version. "When he was in the finish area a cameraman accidentally knocked into him and took out his front tooth," Vonn wrote on Facebook. "He was still in great spirits though and didn't complain once or ask for any special assistance or security. We were both just happy to share the moment together." Woods was already wearing a mask over the lower part of his face when he made his surprise appearance at Cortina d'Ampezzo, a spectacular resort in the Dolomite mountains where Vonn set her record. According to a source close to the golfer, however, Woods may have been in the process of getting the tooth, which was already discolored, repaired. In fact, the tooth in question already held a notable position in the colorful annals of the world's most famous golfer. In late 2009, as his marriage to Elin Nordegren collapsed amid revelations of his serial infidelity, it was reported that Nordegren had hurled a cell phone at him, chipping his tooth (which appeared to be discolored in subsequent photographs). Whatever the situation, Woods was back to normal Tuesday. "All good now," he said. | 1 | 3,765 | sports |
NEW YORK ( TheStreet ) -- Home price gains continue to lose steam. Prices rose 4.3% year-over-year in November, per Tuesday's S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, which tracks prices in 20 metropolitan cities. This is down from 4.5% in October. "The housing market is still moving forward, but we're going forward at a diminishing rate and that has been true at least for the last year," said Craig Lazarra, global head of index investment strategy at S&P Dow Jones Indices in an interview with TheStreet . "A year ago at this time the November 2013 year-over-year increase was almost 14%." Lazarra says the current price trend is natural following the 2008 housing bust. "The rate of increase seems to be leveling out in the positive 4% area," he told TheStreet . "I would be very surprised if the next several months weren't roughly in the same range now." Housing momentum is largely pinned to incomes. While wages still remain tepid, consumers are at least benefiting from low gas prices. But an energy stimulus alone won't necessarily move the dial for home prices. Substantial wage increases are the key ingredient. "Should incomes reaccelerate in the coming year, as many anticipate including consumers (based on recent surveys), there is a good chance house prices will resume their climb back towards their pre-recession peak," ITG Chief Economist Steve Blitz wrote in a note on Tuesday. "It is, however, a long climb given shifting demographics and lack of too easy financing." Aside from prices, mortgage rates affect affordability. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage stands at 3.63%, its lowest point since May 2013, Freddie Mac said last week. With a massive quantitative easing program in Europe, analysts wonder if the Federal Reserve will delay its rate hike, once widely expected to occur in 2015. If consumers think rates will fall further, they may delay home purchases, hoping to score a better deal in the future, causing price increases to decelerate further. Must Read: 11 Dividend Stocks Buffett, Soros and Other Billionaires Love --Written by Scott Gamm in New York. Follow @ScottGamm . | 3 | 3,766 | finance |
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says Daniel Sturridge will only make the bench for the League Cup semi-final second leg agaisnt Chelsea, if he is fit enough to make a contribution. | 8 | 3,767 | video |
A little girl comes home to find a little puppy waiting for her and she cries with joy. | 8 | 3,768 | video |
Danica Patrick, born March 25, 1982, in Beloit, Wis., made her NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in 2010 and her Sprint Cup debut in 2012. Danica Patrick flips the coin at the 2015 GoDaddy Bowl between the Arkansas State Red Wolves and the Toledo Rockets at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 4. Danica Patrick finished a Sprint Cup career-best seventh at the 5-Hour Energy 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 10, 2014. Danica Patrick (10) became the first female driver to lead laps at Talladega Superspeedway during the Aaron's 499 on May 4, 2014. Danica Patrick holds Kevin Harvick's son Keelan before the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 4, 2014. Danica Patrick and country singer Trace Adkins hosted the American Country Awards at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Dec. 10, 2013. Danica Patrick (10), the first woman to start from a Cup pole, leads Jeff Gordon (24) to the green flag at the 2013 Daytona 500. By virtue of winning the pole, Danica Patrick got to pick the first pit stall for the 2013 Daytona 500. Danica Patrick waves to the crowd as she is introduced before the 2013 Daytona 500. Danica Patrick waves to her fans after making NASCAR history by becoming the first woman to win a Sprint Cup pole. Patrick qualified first for the 2013 Daytona 500 on Feb. 17. Danica Patrick poses with the pole winner sign after becoming the first woman to win the Daytona 500 pole position on Feb. 17, 2013. Danica Patrick is nothing but smiles as she addresses the media after winning the pole position for the 2013 Daytona 500. Danica Patrick was the eighth driver out on the track during qualifying for the 2013 Daytona 500. She posted a speed of 196.434 mph, which held up throughout the day. Danica Patrick prepares before heading out onto the track during qualifying for the 2013 Daytona 500. Danica Patrick walks from her hauler to her garage during practice for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, 2013. Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. went public with their romantic crelationship in early 2013 after rumors swirled about the fellow Sprint Cup rookies. Danica Patrick applies makeup before a television interview during NASCAR media day at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 14, 2013. Danica Patrick gets a hand from her crew as she prepares to take the track for qualifying practice for the 2013 Daytona 500. Danica Patrick has formed a tight bond with her team owner and fellow competitor Tony Stewart. In preparation for her first full season as a Sprint Cup driver, Danica Patrick speaks with the press during the NASCAR Media Tour on Jan. 21, 2013. Danica Patrick high-fives fans prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. Danica Patrick (10) lands on top of Paul Menard during a crash on the final lap of the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Danica Patrick behind the wheel during practice for the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Danica Patrick is introduced before the AAA Texas 500 Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. Patrick would go on to finish a career- and season-best 24th. Danica Patrick takes on tires and fuel during a pit stop at the Nov. 4 AAA Texas 500 Sprint Cup race. Patrick was one of 25 drivers to finish on the lead lap. Danica Patrick finished 24th at the AAA Texas 500 Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 4. Danica Patrick waves to the fans during driver introductions at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept 2, 2012 in Hampton, Georgia. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick during qualifying for the AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Aug 31, 2012. Danica Patrick presents the award for Best Team onstage with NBA player Steve Nash at the 2012 ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A on July 11, 2012. Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, leads a group of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on Sept 30, 2012. Pat Summitt, left, head coach emeritus of the Tennessee women's basketball team, greets Danica Patrick before the Food City 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race on Friday, Aug. 24, 2012, in Bristol, Tenn. Summitt was the grand marshal of the race. Danica Patrick starts her car prior to practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug 24, 2012 in Bristol, Tennessee. Danica Patrick sits down for an interview with Pardon the Interruption co-hosts Tony Kornheiser, left, and Michael Wilbon on Feb 21, 2012. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick crashes during the IRWIN Tools Night Race a Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug 25, 2012. Danica Patrick waves to fans during driver introductions prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 26, 2012 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Danica Patrick waves before throwing out a ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Sunday, July 1, 2012. Danica Patrick greets fans on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct 12, 2012 in Charlotte, N.C. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick (left) leads a pack of cars during the AAA 400 at Dover Speedway on Sept 30, 2012. NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Danica Patrick (10) talks to the media during practice for the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 11, 2012. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick during practice for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, 2012. Danica Patrick during practice for the AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Aug. 31, 2012. | 1 | 3,769 | sports |
Where you live plays a huge role in how much you pay for car insurance. To illustrate just how big an effect your ZIP code has on your premiums, online quote-comparison website CarInsurance.com reported in a new study that Detroit, Michigan; Brooklyn, New York; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania have the nation's highest average insurance rates. Relative theft and crime rates in cities play a large part in influencing insurance rates. To compile the list, CarInsurance.com retrieved average car insurance quotes for a fictional 40-year-old driver with a 2014 Honda Accord living in 33,410 different ZIP codes. Nationwide, the average insurance quote for said imaginary driver's 2014 Honda Accord was $1,231. Detroit (ZIP code 48277) topped the list with a $5,109 quote. The full list of the most expensive ZIP codes for car insurance: 1. Detroit, Michigan 48277, $5,109 2. Brooklyn, New York 11226, $3,877 3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19132, $2,760 4. Providence, Rhode Island 02903, $2,749 5. New Orleans, Louisiana 70117, $2,542 6. Los Angeles, California 90029, $2,416 7. Woodbridge, Connecticut 06525, $2,291 8. Baltimore, Maryland 21216, $2,256 9. Miami, Florida 33142, $2,248 10. Royalton, Kentucky 41464, $2,104 The ten cities with the lowest relative insurance rates for the 2014 Honda Accord were: 1. Green Springs, Ohio 44836, $647 2. Arden, North Carolina 28704, $671 3. Saco, Maine 04072, $709 4. Christiansburg, Virginia 24073, $751 5. Boise, Idaho 83706, $753 6. Lake Havasu City, Arizona 86403, $769 7. West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, $770 8. Allouez, Wisconsin 54302, $776 9. Concord, New Hampshire 03303,$785 10. Normal, Illinois 61761, $827 | 9 | 3,770 | autos |
CHARLOTTE Brian Vickers was the ghost of a race driver past at the Michael Waltrip Racing Christmas party this December. So frail was the 31-year-old after undergoing surgery to repair a rejected patch in his heart that he needed 15 minutes to recover from ascending a short flight of stairs to surprise his co-workers. So gaunt was Vickers that Clint Bowyer feared for his life more than his future as a teammate. Vickers got better, again. A week after announcing he had been medically cleared to return for the third Sprint Cup race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8, Vickers was again the image of health, bright-eyed and speaking in forward terms after the latest episode of cardiac problems that have threatened to end his career four different times since 2010. Informed of his options immediate open heart surgery to replace a rejected artificial patch in his heart as his chest was being shaved after he felt ill and checked himself into a hospital, Vickers said he was told he likely wouldn't race again. Even when that prognosis changed, he was again met with a decision on whether it was prudent to return considering his medical history. Vickers missed time after suffering from blood clots in 2010 and 2013 and undergoing a procedure to repair the hole in his heart. "Unfortunately, or fortunately, however you want to look at it, I've had to deal with a lot of these emotions and thoughts several times now: could I ever race again?," he said. "And if I could, would I and do I want to? I don't think from that regard this changed my thoughts on that much. "The could part is out of your control, and that I don't think I gave a lot of thought. I really just left it up to the doctors, and if they said, 'Do you want to?' I think my answer internally was always 'Yes.' " NASCAR will grant Vickers a medical waiver that will allow him to claim a spot in the 16-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup field should he win a race, despite missing the season opening Daytona 500 and the event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Vickers' return is taken as another positive sign for an MWR organization that underperformed woefully last season, with Vickers 22nd in points and Bowyer 19th after finishing ninth in 2013 and second in 2012. Vickers, the Xfinity Series champion in 2003, has three Cup wins, mostly recently in 2013 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Vickers has resumed normal training, he said, including his albeit slower two-mile swims. His remaining medical concern is his sternum, which has not knit fully after being wired together. Vickers said the new patch used to repair the hole in his heart should be stronger than the previous as it utilizes his skin. His heart, he said is "better off than I was before." "My doctors assure me I will be as strong as ever," he said. Brett Moffitt will replace Vickers in the No. 55 Toyota at Atlanta. Team owner Michael Waltrip, who will man the car in the Daytona 500, said he was impressed with Vickers as an employer and a friend. The friend aspect, he said, led him to question whether Vickers was making a wise decision to return. "I said it to the doctors," he said. "I said, 'Are you sure?' And they said 'Yes'. I know they know more about it than I do. Heck, I'm comfortable if he is." And so now is Bowyer. "The difference I saw in Brian from the time he came to that Christmas party where I was really concerned for his life I mean there was no more concern, selfishly about a teammate," Bowyer said. "This guy, he really looked like he wasn't going to make it. I mean, I'm not kidding. To see him now, it's a least a 300-percent improvement from the guy I saw a month ago." "His determination, time and time again has proved us wrong." Follow James on Twitter @brantjames | 1 | 3,771 | sports |
OCALA, Fla. (AP) Well-rested and healthy, Michelle Wie is ready to get back to work. ''I'm very excited for this year,'' said Wie, set to begin play Wednesday in the LPGA Tour's season-opening Coates Golf Championship. ''No major swing changes. Just working on building upon last year. I want to just keep the momentum going, just keep building. ''My goal for this year is the same. I want to be consistent, but at the same time I want to get a little bit better each and every day.'' The 25-year-old Wie won the U.S. Women's Open last year at Pinehurst, then struggled the rest of the season with a stress fracture in her right hand. ''My top priority this year is to stay healthy,'' Wie said. ''I've always kind of struggled with that, so I'm really keeping on top of it. Been working out really hard.'' The sixth-ranked Wie also won last year in her native Hawaii. She's one of eight top-10 players in the field at Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club. Top-ranked Inbee Park also is playing along with No. 2 Lydia Ko, No. 3 Stacy Lewis, No. 5 Suzann Pettersen, No. 8 So Yeon Ryu, No. 9 Karrie Webb and No. 10 Lexi Thompson. Park and Lewis shared the tour lead last year with three titles. Lewis also had six runner-up finishes. ''That's what motivates me this year that last year could have been an unbelievable year,'' Lewis said. ''It was good, but it could have been unbelievable. So that's what I am looking for, I'm looking for a major this year, but I think it's really just about trying to get better every day and making little changes here and there that hopefully pay off in the long run.'' A ball change kept her busy during the offseason. ''Normally, I like to put the clubs away for a few weeks and just get rid of them, but I couldn't this time because I was having to make a golf ball change,'' Lewis said. ''The golf ball I was playing has come off the conforming list, so I had to find a new golf ball. I tested I think about every golf ball on the market. So that's what I did most of December.'' Park is starting the season earlier than she has before. ''I never really played the two first events, but I decided to play this year and get the feel of it early,'' Park said. ''It was a very short offseason, but I feel like I did the things that I really needed to get done. Worked on the swing, worked on rehab, my body.'' Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods' niece, is making her first start as a tour member. She won the Australian Ladies Masters in February and recovered from a second-round 79 at Q-school to earn her tour card in December. ''It feels great to officially finally be a member,'' Woods said. ''I've had the privilege to play a few LPGA events in the past, but to now be a member feels a little different. So I'm excited for this week and to finally tee it up.'' Sadena Parks also is starting her rookie season, giving the tour two black members for the first since 1971. Woods and Parks are the fifth and sixth black members in tour history. | 1 | 3,772 | sports |
Calvin Harris has agreed to a three-year residency in Las Vegas. The 'Under Control' hitmaker has signed a deal with the Hakkasan Group to play at the hospitality company's three Las Vegas venues, Hakkasan Nightclub, Wet Republic at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, and Omnia Nightclub at Caesars Palace. The 31-year-old DJ said: "Hakkasan Group's heritage in part goes right back to the '90s golden era of dance music and I am excited to be able to play a part in this next chapter of its story. "Its venues are some of the best in the world for dance music and the opportunity to be part of the wider group as it develops into other markets and sectors is a really exciting prospect for me as an artist. We have some great ideas up our sleeves." Calvin will also work closely alongside the company, acting as music consultant for the Hakkasan brand as it moves from restaurants and nightclubs into the hotel space, as well as helping the group to develop new event concepts and experiences. Neil Moffitt, Hakkasan's CEO, added: "We are excited to continue our partnership with Calvin Harris as he extends his exclusive residencies with Hakkasan Group. He is a truly sensational artist and we look forward to what he will bring to our most acclaimed venues over the next three years." The collaboration follows an extremely successful year for Calvin after he broke the Spotify record for most streamed song by amassing more than one billion plays for his track 'Blame'. | 6 | 3,773 | entertainment |
We've had a lot of fun with Samsung's Gear VR since we first tried it back in September. Despite the total cost, the untethered portability combined with the decent resolution of the Galaxy Note 4 has made it one of the first successful attempts at making virtual reality plug-and-play . Now, Samsung has released its first ad for the headset in the form of this two-minute video . It's an unfortunately boring representation of an exciting technology the whole thing comes across as more of an instructional video than anything. The spot is full of close-ups of the touchpad being used, the Note 4 being snapped into place, and not-so-thrilling exchanges like this: "And where are you?" "I'm in a really intense battle." We get it virtual reality is a hard technology to showcase. Like is the case with the Oculus Rift, you really have to try these headsets out to understand how startling the experience is. For what it's worth, the best example of advertising virtual reality we've seen involved Volvo sending us an actual product in the form of a skinned version of Google Cardboard last fall. Samsung obviously can't start sending Gear VR and Galaxy Note 4 units to show off its capabilities unless it wants to live up to the hopes of Oculus's Ben Cohen, who told us that " the ideal price for Gear VR is zero ." If you want to try out the Gear VR for yourself, Samsung is displaying the technology at mall kiosks and in brick-and-mortar stores. There, the Gear VR can take you to virtual worlds and away from the boring real one in this ad. | 5 | 3,774 | news |
It's Chocolate Cake Day, but who really needs an excuse to make one of these chocolate-y beauties. Go on, you know you want to. Heavenly chocolate cakes In celebration of Chocolate Cake Day (yes, really) here are some irresistible chocolatey treats to share. Scroll or click through this gallery for mouthwatering recipes honouring one of life's great pleasures. Browse: Even more amazing chocolate cake recipes Nigella Lawson's dense chocolate loaf cake The queen of indulgent puds, Nigella Lawson, shares this sumptuous, rich cake with us. Get the recipe here Chocolate and nectarine cake A lovely, fruity option that's not overtly sweet. Get the recipe here White chocolate cake Like something from a patisserie, with a bit of concentration this showstopper can be made at home. Get the recipe here Chocolate Guinness Cake Guinness and other stouts add a richness and depth to cake, without that boozy overhang. Get the recipe here Flourless chocolate cake This is ideal for people who are gluten-intolerant. Get the recipe here Marbled chocolate bombe cake This beauty will make a centrepiece you'll be proud of. Get the recipe here Coffee & chocolate biscuit cake Coffee and chocolate are a heady combination, but a winning one. Get the recipe here Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream This cake really requires no introduction. Trust us, you won't have a problem finding friendly to indulge with. Get the recipe here Too much chocolate cake Celebrate this sweet holiday with a prize-winning recipe. Get the recipe here Chocolate cookie cake Have your cake (and cookies), and eat them, too. Get the recipe here | 0 | 3,775 | foodanddrink |
A very serious investigation. | 8 | 3,776 | video |
Officials: Fidel Castro supports talks with the U.S. | 8 | 3,777 | video |
Remember that family who sent a bill to the kid who was a no-show to their birthday party? Well I, for one, am a little relieved that the whole thing has been brought up, because this entertaining other kids stuff is expensive. Now that it seems possible to recoup some funds, I've made a list of expenses I'll be invoicing other families for, starting with these… 1. 87 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I've made your kid that he takes one bite of and pushes away. 2. 800 kilowatt hours of electricity used to power the Wii U. 3. The three "must-have" Wii U games that my children learned about from your children. 4. Carpool expenses including mileage, gas and vehicle depreciation. (This Siena isn't getting any younger!) 5. My billable hours for the playdate you decided to "stay for a while" at. 6. Plumber (at holiday rate, Happy Labor Day!) for backed up toilet. 7. Six rolls of toilet paper that your child tried to stuff down said toilet. 8. A variety of art supplies that were not actually used to create anything but were somehow destroyed beyond repair. 9. 18 rolls of paper towels used in trying to teach your kid how to use a regular glass. 10. Goldfish, goldfish, goldfish. 11. The case of ZBars that mysteriously disappeared. 12. The living room rug that according to your kid "wasn't that nice anyway". 13. The wine I had to drink to recover from your visit. 14. 367 Magic Erasers. 15. New balls (all have been sent over the fence or mysteriously lost). 16. One gallon of ice cream that had "too much chocolate" and ended up in a melted puddle on our kitchen table. 17. Two cups of hot chocolate that also had "too much chocolate" and were left to cool on the coffee table. 18. One bag of microwave popcorn that I had been hiding for my Bravo binge that your kid managed to find. And burn. 19. 300 gallons of water from July 2014 when the hose was left on for five hours. 20. Six boxes of Band aids, three tubes of Neosporin (I told your kid at least four times not to eat it.) 21. Three days at a all-inclusive resort in Jamaica. We take credit, but of course cash is preferred. Because of the PTA wrapping paper fiasco of 2012 we've determined we can not take personal checks. Please remit your payment before you send your kid/s to my house again. | 4 | 3,778 | lifestyle |
Samuel Eto'o has completed his move to Sampdoria from Everton, the Premier League club has confirmed. The former Cameroon international arrived at Everton from Chelsea at the start of the season, but made just eight Premier League starts under Roberto Martinez. Eto'o's switch had been widely expected, and the striker was presented to Sampdoria fans on Sunday. The 33-year-old has agreed terms on a two-and-a-half year deal at Samp, and Everton manager Roberto Martinez praised the forward on the club's official website. "We thank Samuel for his efforts and for bringing his know how to the team and to Finch Farm where he passed on some of his terrific experience to all of the young players in particular," he said. "The memory of his performances in Europe stand out especially. On behalf of all Evertonians, we wish him well for the next chapter in his career." | 1 | 3,779 | sports |
AC Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi will have to make without the services of Philippe Mexes in the upcoming weeks after the Frenchman was handed a four-game ban for his red card in the 3-1 Serie A loss against Lazio. The center back was shown a straight red card by referee Paolo Mazzoleni after grabbing Stefano Mauri by his throat in the closing stages of the game, only to then completely lose his temper and proceed to scrap with both Mauri and Lorik Cana. Mexes apologized for his behavior Monday, but he has nonetheless been slapped with a heavy suspension for his actions. The 32-year-old will consequently miss the Serie A games against Parma, Juventus, Empoli and Cesena. Mexes has made nine appearances for Milan in Serie A this term, collecting four yellow cards and one red card in the process. The San Siro side has been struggling to find its best form under Inzaghi and currently sits 11th in the Serie A table with 26 points from 20 games. | 1 | 3,780 | sports |
Need help with allergies or sleeping? Be careful: A new study finds that some sleeping aids and allergy pills, including Benadryl and Nytol, are associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The study looked at "anticholinergic" drugs, which block acetylcholine, a nervous system chemical transmitter, thus causing drowsiness and other side effects. They found that people who took at least 10mg per day of doxepin (a tricyclic antidepressant), 5mg per day of oxybutynin (like bladder control treatment Ditropan), or 4mg per day of diphenhydramine (the aforementioned Nytol and Benadryl) for more than three years were more likely to develop Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, the Guardian reports, noting that those would be considered "higher doses" of the drugs. Why the link? It's not clear, but people with Alzheimer's have a shortage of acetylcholine, the transmitter these drugs block, and the researchers also note that in animals, anticholinergic effects are known to increase beta-amyloid protein levels, another characteristic of Alzheimer's. But, experts caution, it is still not known whether these drugs actually cause dementia, and the lead author of the study notes, "no one should stop taking any therapy without consulting their healthcare provider," though there are alternative therapies available that do not have anticholinergic effects, such as SSRI antidepressants and antihistamines like Claritin. Medical Daily notes that other common drugs, including cardiovascular and gastrointestinal medications, also have anticholinergic effects. (A recent study found that some lost memories could be restored .) | 7 | 3,781 | health |
The story of our current model obsession reads like an origin tale for a contestant on America's Next Top Model , something crafted by a team of writers who know exactly the kind of heartwarming schmaltz that really gets America going. But, this happened without Hollywood's help: Tess Holliday was born in a small town in Mississippi and dreamt of being a model. She was told that her fantasies were just that and was bullied so badly that she dropped out of school. She continued to pursue her goals , though, and is now a bona fide model with a big-deal contract, and she's paving the way for girls like her. Taking that story at face value would be reductive, though; Holliday's tale is even more interesting. While the average model towers over 5-foot-9 and wears a size 2, she stands four inches shorter, wears a size 22, and is adorned with tattoos. And, she's just been signed to MiLk Model Management as the first model of her height and size to be picked up by a major agency. For an industry that prizes thinness in its models over most anything, this move is a controversial but game-changing one. For every person who has suffered from body-image issues, who has doubted her self-worth for not fitting into a certain physical ideal, this is a step forward that proves that beauty doesn't have a singular definition. Holliday doesn't just dispel body-type ideals simply by existing in the fashion industry: she actively promotes acceptance with the hashtag #effyourbeautystandards that shes tarted in 2013. She encouraged people of all shapes and sizes to utilize the hashtag on their selfies, and as the movement grew, she created T-shirts that proudly proclaimed this positive slogan. This year, she launched a media tour where she traveled around the country to share her message and meet fans. "My relationship with my body [has changed]," she says of her sense of self-confidence since taking on her career, which has seen her on the pages of Skorch magazine and repping Domino Dollhouse clothing. "I definitely faked loving myself when I first started [modeling] because I had to, but through the process, I started to see myself differently, and it made me fall in love with every inch, stretch mark, roll, and blemish. I no longer cringe when I get naked, [I] have sex with the lights on, and I appreciate how far my body has carried me in this life." She stands as proof that beauty does not come in a one-size-fits-all package and that, yes, it is possible to be beautiful and fat a concept that may not be as widely accepted as we'd hope. "For so many years, most of us have heard that from family members, friends, society, or even called ourselves [fat] in a negative way," she says. "We have been poisoned by society to think that [being fat is] a bad thing, that it means we are unlovable, unhealthy, and unworthy of living an amazing life. When really, it's all just bullshit. We fear thet hings that we don't understand, and maybe one day people will realize it's just not that big of a deal. Pun intended." Unfortunately, Holliday says she still has to deal with negativity, but it doesn't affect her the same way it did when she was younger. She has a great response to the naysayers who claim she will never succeed in modeling: "I ignore them," she says, "and then check my bank account." While Holliday might be laughing all the way to the bank, what's more important is that her influence is inspiring young people to love themselves and to chase those so-called impossible dreams. "Make sure you really take care of your skin, hair, nails, and body (in whatever way you see fit) and then be as weird as you want," she laughs. "That's pretty much my motto! I do what I want,and bust my ass, and people will notice. You have to work a million times harder, but anything worth having is worth fighting for." More style scoop: Target Defends Only Selling Lilly Pulitzer Plus Sizes Online Exclusive: Every Pic From Target's New Plus Line, AVA & VIV The Next Big Plus Model Is Also A Master's Grad, Philanthropist, & All-Around Badass How To Dress For YOUR Body | 4 | 3,782 | lifestyle |
CHICAGO Tony DeLeonardis was about three years into his retirement when the former Chicago police officer smelled a familiar rat. He had arrested mobsters, drug smugglers, rapists and serial killers during his 38-year career before retiring in 2008 as a sergeant in command of major-case squad detectives. But, DeLeonardis said, there was only one criminal like Michael Paulson. A master safecracker whose career also spanned four decades, Paulson pried, drilled and sawed his way across Chicago and the collar counties with unmatched expertise. DeLeonardis helped send the prolific thief to prison twice previously and even kept his photograph tacked to the wall of a former office. Beneath it a caption read, "Safe burglar extraordinaire." Their paths hadn't crossed in years, but it was Paulson who DeLeonardis thought of when he read an August 2011 Chicago Tribune article about a Barrington sandwich shop burglary. Police released a surveillance photo of the heist. The main thief, masked and wearing gloves while crouched in front of a safe, used power tools to swiftly and skillfully gain entry. DeLeonardis picked up the phone. "There's only one guy who could have cracked that safe," he told police. "Your guy is Michael Paulson. That was his signature." The retired cop's tip appeared to check out. But it would be two more years before police could prove Paulson was the mastermind behind a series of commercial burglaries plaguing the area. In November, Paulson pleaded guilty to felony theft for burglarizing a Gurnee collectible coins shop twice in early 2013. He is serving a 23-year prison term at least his seventh and his longest sentence since his first incarceration in the late 1970s. Most of today's "crash and grab" criminals break open safes after hauling them to another location, according to police. Not Paulson. The detectives who've tracked him said the veteran safecracker drills with precision right at the scene of the crime. The Tribune has chronicled his capers numerous times over the years. In a 1989 prison interview, Paulson told the newspaper that while growing up on the West Side, he became intrigued by television shows popular in the late 1960s, such as "It Takes a Thief," that featured sophisticated criminals. "Alexander Mundy," Paulson told the Tribune back then, referencing the master thief lead character. "I wanted to be something like that. He wasn't hurting nobody." At age 57, Paulson has spent an accumulated 20 years behind bars in Illinois and Arkansas for attempted burglary, burglary, armed robbery and three prison escapes, according to state corrections records. Paulson said he began stealing cars at 13. He torched a tavern a couple of years later as a favor to neighbors who considered it a nuisance, but not before he hauled the bar's safe to his garage and cracked it open, according to his old prison interview. It marked his first safe job, and after he soon mastered the use of a hydraulic metal straightener, often used to pry open locks, his life's vocation had begun. Paulson said he refined his burglary skills by studying electronics manuals. He read up on alarm systems and safes and joined locksmith associations to keep up with industry trends. As the decades passed, and technology advanced, so did Paulson's methods. In all his break-ins, police said, he never left behind a single fingerprint. They said the burglar, always masked and wearing gloves, was thinking about DNA even before technological advances made it a common tool in identifying criminals. For example, police said Paulson told them, he never wore his contact lenses for fear one would fall out during a break-in. Police said Paulson's tools also progressed to include a sophisticated cellular-signal blocker to thwart detection after he cut off an alarm system. For a quick payoff with minimal risk, he always targeted smaller businesses rather than banks and jewelers with more advanced security systems. The high school dropout told the Tribune in 1989 that he liked being his own boss. He always had a partner, but it typically was someone to schlep his tools and listen to a police scanner as Paulson punched, popped and peeled. It was DeLeonardis who put him in prison back then. At the time, Paulson was suspected of about two dozen safe jobs, netting about $50,000, at carwashes, gas stations and other stores, mostly on the city's Northwest Side. Detectives worked the case nonstop for two months. Paulson was sentenced to seven years in prison. At the time, he pledged to the Tribune that his life would be different once he was free. He might write a book about his life of crime. Or, perhaps, he would go into the security business and outsmart the crooks. "I've got morals," Paulson said. "I'm a bad guy, but not your everyday bad guy. I won't go into your house. There are things there that can't be replaced." But, police said, Paulson developed a drug habit after being paroled early and soon returned to safecracking. In early 1992, DeLeonardis arrested him again for another series of burglaries. This time, Paulson was sentenced to 12 years behind bars after he pleaded guilty to eight counts of burglary a crime spree that netted him more than $100,000. Paulson was paroled in 1997, records show. He managed to stay out of prison for the next decade but was back behind bars by 2007 for similar burglaries. It was around then that DeLeonardis retired. He said the photograph of Paulson that he long ago pinned up in a former office was a testament to the hours devoted to finding Paulson, whom he described as a thinking thief. "This type of individual was absolutely rare," he said. "It's a specialty. It's something learned and acquired. With his signature drilling, he was leaving his calling card." Early on Aug. 7, 2011, two burglars broke into a Quiznos sandwich shop in Barrington. Barrington Detective Sgt. Kevin Croke said the lock to the shop's back door was drilled out. Power lines were cut. Croke said one of the masked burglars used power tools to crack a safe. They were in and out in 26 minutes. "This wasn't some local high school kids who threw a rock through the glass of the front door," Croke said. "These were guys who came in equipped, a very professional crew." The detective released details and a surveillance photo to local media. After DeLeonardis read the Tribune's article, he called Croke with the tip on Paulson. "He said there's only one guy who can crack a safe like that. It's a lost art," said Croke, who took the retired cop's hunch seriously. "You never dismiss a lead because otherwise you're going to miss something." Croke researched Paulson's storied past and within days hosted an Aug. 23 meeting with police detectives from a half-dozen area towns with similar unsolved commercial burglaries. The next morning, Croke said, Paulson and his latest partner, Robert Boardman, of Chicago, were arrested during an attempted break-in of a Blue Island business. The suspects refused to cooperate in the Barrington investigation. After none of their burglary tools could be forensically linked to the Quiznos break-in, that investigation reached a dead end. Croke said he closed the case as "offender known unable to prosecute." The detective moved on to other cases, but he didn't forget Michael Paulson. Paulson and Boardman, meanwhile, had been set free on bond. The men pleaded guilty in the Blue Island attempted break-in in exchange for a four-year prison term. They were scheduled to turn themselves in March 22, 2013, but, detectives said, not before one last big job. Police said Paulson later admitted to them that before he went away to prison again, he wanted to leave a nest egg for his wife, Martha. The couple, who owned a home in Lake Villa, filed for federal bankruptcy protection in late 2011. They claimed a half-million dollars of debt in the filing, and Michael Paulson listed his occupation as unemployed. During a six-week span in early 2013, the same Gurnee collectible coin and currency shop got hit twice. Police said the thieves, who on the second break-in drilled into a 1,000-pound safe, made off with about $200,000 worth of coins and cash. They fled without leaving behind a single clue despite the owner's upgraded alarm system and HD-quality video surveillance. Gurnee police Sgt. Jeremy Gaughan said seven officers investigated the burglaries nonstop. Police reviewed red light videos taken at the time of the crimes throughout town. Officers went door to door, passing out fliers and interviewing nearby homeowners and business employees. They even stopped garbage haulers and mail and newspaper carriers to find out if the workers saw anything suspicious on their routes. Gaughan said detectives combed through police reports and videos from coin shop burglaries as far away as LaSalle County. They also consulted with locksmith, alarm and collectible coin experts. On March 21, 2013 eight days after the second break-in Barrington Detective Sgt. Croke spotted a bulletin Gurnee police had put out to area law enforcement agencies. Croke recognized Paulson's signature safecracking and phoned Gaughan. "We had some leads on guys (before Croke's tip), but they were more small-time," Gaughan said. "It didn't fit. These guys (in the coin shop burglaries) were much more sophisticated." Coincidentally, Paulson and Boardman turned themselves in to begin their four-year prison sentences one day after Croke's tip. So, with little else to go on, Gurnee police began reviewing recordings of all of the imprisoned men's phone calls. Gaughan said they listened to hundreds of hours of conversations for months without a single incriminating word. Then, in August 2013, Paulson finally slipped up. He asked his wife if she still had the "shiny things," Gaughan said, and the two began using other code words and talking about gold prices. Gaughan said that was enough for police to obtain a search warrant. During three sweeps that fall of the couple's Lake Villa home and a fourth at a Franklin Park storage unit, police said they recovered about $300,000 worth of stolen coins, jewelry and guns. Police said they also found tools, masks, police scanners, equipment to melt gold, and professional locksmith books. A search of the two-story, 3,300-square-foot home also found a hidden compartment in one of the master bedroom closet floors and a child's stuffed animal filled with stolen jewelry. Gaughan said the merchandise was traced back to burglaries in Elk Grove Village, Tinley Park and Round Lake Beach. He said Paulson agreed to cooperate with police if his wife received leniency. During prison interviews, Gaughan said, Paulson spoke at length about his life of crime. "He wanted to show how good he was," Gaughan said. "He was all about himself. He said, 'If I don't get out, I'm going to teach the young guys how to do this.'" Gaughan said Paulson still doesn't agree that his crimes caused harm. "He still says, 'I'm not hurting anyone. These guys all have insurance,'" Gaughan said. "What he's failing to realize is he's breaking into all these mom-and-pop shops and not everything is collectible under insurance." Prosecutors approved charges in the Gurnee coin shop heists against Paulson, his wife and Boardman on Oct. 18, 2013. One year later, Boardman, 59, was sentenced to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to felony theft. Martha Paulson, 56, received 24 months of probation for her role in the crime. And Paulson, the mastermind, got 23 years after he pleaded guilty in November. Paulson, however, appeared in Lake County court this month asking a judge to reconsider his case, authorities said. If not successful, he isn't eligible for parole until 2025, with day-for-day credit for good behavior. "He's an old-school guy who plays by old-school rules," his attorney Steven Weinberg said. "Within the world he plays, he's considered a stand-up guy. It was business to him." In the Tribune's 1989 prison interview, Michael Paulson reflected on his future. "I'm getting old," said Paulson, then 31. "Everything has changed. They've got computers now. You've got 'America's Most Wanted' on TV. What am I going to do, live on an island?" Perhaps, Paulson said, he'd follow in the footsteps of another infamous safecracker, the late Morris "Red" Rudensky, who wrote a best-selling book about his life in crime. Rudensky, a former cellmate of Al Capone who became literate while in prison, eventually went legit as a security consultant. Back then, DeLeonardis scoffed at Paulson's thoughts of redemption. Let's see who retires first, he said with a laugh. DeLeonardis won. He isn't a bit surprised that Paulson still was on the job long after him. "It's a way of life," he said. Apparently, so is police work. Croke and Gaughan said they wouldn't have been able to crack the safecracker case without the old cop's tip. "I was never one to keep all my clues in my pocket," DeLeonardis said. | 5 | 3,783 | news |
In another bit of good economic news for the White House, a pair of private sector groups that track consumer confidence reported significant positive movement this past week. The Conference Board and Gallup both reported the highest levels of confidence among consumers since the financial crisis ushered in the Great Recession. Gallup's Economic Confidence Index spiked to its highest level ever last week, for five weeks in a row in positive territory. Gallup began tracking the economic confidence of Americans on a daily basis in 2008, and until recently, the poll had never been in positive territory. During the financial crisis and the beginning of the recession, the index plumbed lows of negative 65. Related: The Dark Shadow Hanging Over the Economic Recovery Tuesday's release highlights a sharp upward trend in attitudes toward the economy. In the third quarter of 2014, for example, the index was near negative 20. "Americans continue to feel better about the economy as good as they have at any time since the recession began," wrote Gallup's Rebecca Riffkin. "After a brief dip the prior week, confidence recovered this past week, perhaps helped by President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in which he was able to make clear to a national audience that the economy is getting better." She added, "The president's positive spin on the economy is certainly defensible as most economic measures have been trending in a positive direction over the past year, including official government reports of economic growth and unemployment, but also measures that Gallup tracks, including on employment , company hiring and consumer spending . Why this matters Facing economic growth and a president whose popularity is rebounding, GOP lawmakers who had hoped momentum from the November midterms would drive major conservative changes in Washington may now find they need to trim their sails or be seen as interfering with the recovery. The Conference Board on Tuesday said its Confidence Index had jumped from 93.1 in December 2014 to 102.9 this month. Consumers' judgment of the economic climate and expectations for the future also improved. "Consumer confidence rose sharply in January, and is now at its highest level since August 2007," said Lynn Franco, director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. "A more positive assessment of current business and labor market conditions contributed to the improvement in consumers' view of the present situation." The dual announcements came just a day after another Gallup poll showed that President Obama's approval rating had again risen to the 50 percent level, the highest since 2013, after bottoming out at 38 percent in September. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: S&P Lowers the Ratings Boom on Putin Which States Have the Most Unwanted Babies Taxing the Wealthy Promotes Economic Growth | 3 | 3,784 | finance |
Robert Mandel/Shutterstock Americans are spending an average of two hours per day playing games on mobile devices, up from an hour and 20 minutes in 2012, according to a survey conducted late last year by the NPD Group . The research firm attributed the growth to rising tablet sales and technological improvements, calling those devices "central to the mobile gaming story." Mobile gamers are more likely to make purchases on tablets than on smartphones or iPod Touches, the survey found. The most active mobile gamers, measured against usage of other types of apps on mobile devices, were children age 2 to 12, who played an average of five games per day. However, that group was overshadowed in spending on games by adults age 25 to 44. "This group [adult gamers] also tends to be the decision-makers for their young children's gaming experiences, making them a prime target for developers and marketers alike," NPD analyst Liam Callahan said in a press release. The 5,566 online survey respondents did not report spending less time on console and computer gaming than in the past, and 80 percent of them also played on those platforms. However, mobile devices were where they spent the greatest proportion of their gaming time on average. | 5 | 3,785 | news |
Disney Princesses are trending big-time. Emma Watson just announced that she's going to be starring in the latest installment of Beauty and the Beast , and a new live-action version of Cinderella is coming out later this year. As much as we love Ariel, Belle, and the gang, we're also frustrated with them. You see, our nine-year-old selves believed that their full, voluminous, styled-by-friendly-forest-creatures hair was something we, too, could attain if we just tried hard and sang sweetly enough. Only after years of curling-iron damage and frustration from trying to nail those poufy side-bangs, did we realize that no, Disney-Princess hair is not in the cards for real-life humans. That's the last time we ask a robin for styling advice or try to comb with a fork, that's for sure. It looks like we're not the only ones fed up with these off-base depictions. BuzzFeed illustrator Loryn Brantz recently recreated what Disney Princesses would look like if their hair had to withstand real-life problems, like the elements. Our favorites have to be Pocahontas' wind-blown strands while she belts out "Colors of the Wind" or the all too relatable recreation of Belle getting her hair stuck in her lip gloss. Brantz even made sure to give Jasmine's insanely unrealistic volume (and Aladdin's bangs) a reality check. At last, we can say, "Disney Princesses they're just like us!" Head over to BuzzFeed to check out the rest of 'em, from Mulan to Elsa. Next up, we'd love to see Rapunzel. There's no way a girl with hair that long has no split ends. Also, we're pretty sure Sleeping Beauty wouldn't wake up so polished-looking IRL. ( BuzzFeed ) Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page! | 4 | 3,786 | lifestyle |
The man who crashed a DJI Phantom drone into the White House grounds on Monday morning has now told Secret Service investigators that he had been drinking prior the accident . According to a report in The New York Times, the man also claims the drone belonged a friend, that he was piloting it and lost control, and that he went to bed worried about exactly where it had come back to earth. President Obama and his family weren't in the White House at the time, but in an interview with CNN, Obama said that he has urged the FAA and other federal agencies to examine how domestic drones are being managed. He wants regulators to find ways to ensure drones "aren't dangerous and that they're not violating people's privacy." "We don't really have any kind of regulatory structure at all for it." He also noted that drones could provide tremendous value with new applications around farming and land conservation. But most strikingly, Obama acknowledged the mismatch between the system currently in place and the rapid spread of drone technology. "The drone that landed in the White House you buy in Radio Shack," he told CNN's Fareed Zakaria. "But we don't really have any kind of regulatory structure at all for it." The FAA prohibits flying while under the influence of drugs and alcohol and says that flying over Washington, DC is also banned, but there is no test or licensing required to purchase or operate a unit like the DJI Phantom. But never fear. To help the legions of new pilots entering the skies, the agency put together this helpful video, just in time for the holiday rush. | 5 | 3,787 | news |
WASHINGTON President Barack Obama's former personal assistant has penned a memoir, sidestepping public policy for the most part but dishing on the president's likes and dislikes. Obama loathes fast food, fried foods and mayonnaise, writes Reggie Love, who was the president's "body man," with a spot just outside the Oval Office. He portrays Obama as fastidious about exercise and diet, preferring grilled chicken or fish. When Love delivered fried walleye to him in Iowa, he never lived it down, Love writes. Every "dubious" meal he delivered after that was met with the same critique from Obama: "At least it's not fried walleye." Such tidbits enliven "Power Forward: My Presidential Education," which is not a tell-all given Love's abiding affection for Obama, his partner in basketball, golf, cards and the campaign trail. The book, being published Feb. 3 by Simon & Schuster, says that few saw the Barack Obama that Love did: an "attentive father, a devoted husband, a trash-talking basketball player, a feisty card shark, a loyal and thoughtful friend with a wicked sense of humor." Obama dubbed Love his "iReggie," his "go-to source for all critical, nonpolitical information," according to the book. "I was his DJ, his Kindle, his travel agent," Love writes, "his valet, his daughters' basketball coach, his messenger, his punching bag, his alarm clock, his vending machine, his chief of stuff, his note passer, his spades partner, his party planner, his workout partner, his caterer, his small forward, his buffer, his gatekeeper, his surrogate son ... his friend." The book is heavy on light observations but has Obama taking Love to task, especially after his aide complained about his visiting parents and their friends who came to town for the first inauguration. "Reggie, you never know how long your parents are going to be around. ... There is not a day that goes by that I don't wish my mother was still alive," remarked Obama, who arranged for some face-time with Love's parents in the Oval Office. The president was 34 years old when his 52-year-old mother died of ovarian cancer. There's some towel-slapping in the book, but mostly love. The author says Obama is "as competitive as any person I've met," and he calls the president's memory a "steel trap." Obama favored a breakfast of bacon, eggs and wheat toast, preferred green tea and used regular, 2-milligram Nicorette, Love writes. He explains how he and the president came to coach then-9-year-old Sasha Obama's fourth-grade basketball team. The president had been watching her games with the first lady while delivering a running commentary, saying the girls should be playing zone or running a certain play on offense. After his grumbling, Michelle Obama said: "Why don't you teach them how to play basketball?" They did an experience Love likens to "herding giggling cats." "This is not a slumber party. You have to run hard, throw the ball hard, stand tall and be strong," Love quotes the president telling the girls. Love joined Barack Obama as a junior staffer in his Senate office in 2006. A Duke University graduate, he was on the 2001 NCAA national championship basketball team and later was team captain. The book has passages on Love's upbringing, college years and short stints with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys before he was cut from the teams. After leaving the White House in 2011, Love graduated from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and now is a partner and vice president of Transatlantic Holdings. Love says former basketball star Charles Barkley once called an exhausted Sen. Obama during a presidential campaign stop in Las Vegas and suggested they "hang out." That prompted Obama to joke with the people around him: "Let's just take tomorrow off and go to the Cheetah Club." Love's retort: He'd claim a rain check for "the minute you are the ex-President." | 5 | 3,788 | news |
Your best friends know your favorite band and brunch place and exactly what movie will cheer you up. Sometimes, you may even feel like they know you better than you know yourself. Now, research suggests they might be able to accurately predict some pretty big things like how long you'll live. We've known for a while now that there's a link between personality traits and lifespan. This new study , published online earlier this month in the journal Psychological Science , wanted to take that a step further by looking at whether our friends' ratings of our personalities can more accurately predict our mortality risk than our own self-ratings can. To do so, the researchers used data from a 75-year study observing 600 participants through 2013. The data included participants' self-ratings and their friends' ratings of their personalities. Although the original information was collected using a somewhat outdated personality assessment, the researchers were able to match up the responses to the Big Five traits that are often used now. They were also able to verify the participants' times and places of death through the Social Security Death Index and individual state indices. Their results showed that women who were rated by their peers as being more emotionally stable, agreeable, courteous, and sincere had a 15% reduced mortality risk. For men, mortality risk went down if they were rated by their peers as more open, conscientious, persistent, reliable, and intelligent. Overall, the researchers note, "friends' ratings were better predictors of longevity than were self-reports of personality." Of course, because these are correlational data, there's certainly not enough to say that personality traits can predict your death. But, previous studies have shown that being more agreeable, open, and conscientious may be related to living a healthier life. This is perhaps because those people are more likely to do things like listen to a doctor's advice. So, if you're worried, it might be worth a chat with your friends they could be better for your health than you even realize. | 4 | 3,789 | lifestyle |
Dena Dubal and Jennifer Yokoyama have been plucking at the thread of fate. The researchers at UC San Francisco are fascinated with a longevity gene named for one of the Greek Fates, Klotho. "She spins the thread of life and she is the daughter of Zeus," said Dubal, a physician and neurologist at the university's Memory and Aging Center. "And we have expanded her duties to include boosting brain function." In a study of more than 400 aging people, the UC San Francisco researchers suggest that having a single copy of one variety of that gene seems to give people better executive function and more gray matter in an area prone to the ravages of time. The study was published online Tuesday in the journal Annals of Clinical And Translational Neurology. Their findings may not help us live longer yet but could offer some insight into easing the effects of degenerative disorders of the brain, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Japanese scientists first discovered the Klotho gene in 1997, in a mouse, when they accidentally inserted some DNA code and gummed up its protein-making factory. The mouse suddenly aged, showing signs of hardened arteries, porous bones, atrophied muscles and other indignities of age. Enhancing that gene appeared to do the opposite: prolong the life of the rodent. Since then, researchers have linked the human equivalent of the gene with longevity and improved kidney and heart function. Last year, the UC San Francisco researchers showed that a protein produced by this gene variant correlated with higher cognitive function, both in mice and humans. "Not only did they live longer, but they were smarter," Dubal said. "And they were smarter across the life span, from the young to older ages." But the gene variant is no fountain of youth. How it works remains largely as inscrutable as the Fate for which it was named. Dubal and Yokoyama have focused on the variant of the gene known as the KL-VS haplotype. Genes come in pairs, but when this variant is paired with another that is not identical, it appears to work wonders, largely through higher production of a protein that performs multiple regulatory functions in the body. "Interestingly, if you have two copies of this variant it's been associated with shorter life span," said Yokoyama, who studies neurogenetics. About 20 percent of us have one copy of that variant, while most of the rest of us have other variations. Only about 3 percent of the population has the apparent misfortune of having identical twins of the gene variant. Adding to the complexity is the fact that klotho, the protein, does a lot of things in the body, not all of them tied to aging. Reduced klotho in embryonic mice leads to early postnatal death, poorly formed brain cells and cognitive impairment suggesting that it has something to do with the early development of the brain. That's what interests Dubal's UC San Francisco lab. This time, they looked at a specific area of the cortex. In tests of two groups of more than 200 people each, they found that people with the single copy of the gene variant scored higher than others in tests of working memory, task inhibition and processing speed crucial ingredients to executive function. And a frontal area that is vital to executive function and is linked to many types of cognition was larger, the study found. Again, having two identical copies of the gene variant brought scores and gray matter volume down relative to the one-copy or no-copy groups, continuing a paradox shown in previous studies. Still, Klotho does not appear to be slowing down shrinkage of the brain over time; it just may give the lucky few more gray matter to lose, according to the study. "By having a reserve there of resilience, maybe individuals would be buffered against effects of diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or schizophrenia." Dubal said. Building or shoring up that reserve might mitigate some of the symptoms of neurodegenerative disease, the researchers suggest. "The idea would be if somehow we could increase levels of the klotho protein, similarly to how the genetic variant does, then this perhaps could have a similar effect in augmenting cognition or providing some sort of reserve against disease," Yokoyama said. A lot of unknowns remain to be examined, the researchers cautioned. They want to look more closely at the molecular workings of the gene variants and proteins, using mice, and peer more closely into functional differences in the brains of humans with the lucky gene type. And the genome probably has other things in common with Greek mythology. After all, Klotho had two sister Fates. One measured out the length of the string, and the other snipped it. | 5 | 3,790 | news |
Your best friends know your favorite band and brunch place and exactly what movie will cheer you up. Sometimes, you may even feel like they know you better than you know yourself. Now, research suggests they might be able to accurately predict some pretty big things like how long you'll live. We've known for a while now that there's a link between personality traits and lifespan. This new study, published online earlier this month in the journal Psychological Science , wanted to take that a step further by looking at whether our friends' ratings of our personalities can more accurately predict our mortality risk than our own self-ratings can. To do so, the researchers used data from a 75-year study observing 600 participants through 2013. The data included participants' self-ratings and their friends' ratings of their personalities. Although the original information was collected using a somewhat outdated personality assessment, the researchers were able to match up the responses to the Big Five traits that are often used now. They were also able to verify the participants' times and places of death through the Social Security Death Index and individual state indices. Their results showed that women who were rated by their peers as being more emotionally stable, agreeable, courteous, and sincere had a 15% reduced mortality risk. For men, mortality risk went down if they were rated by their peers as more open, conscientious, persistent, reliable, and intelligent. Overall, the researchers note, "friends' ratings were better predictors of longevity than were self-reports of personality." Of course, because these are correlational data, there's certainly not enough to say that personality traits can predict your death. But, previous studies have shown that being more agreeable, open, and conscientious may be related to living a healthier life. This is perhaps because those people are more likely to do things like listen to a doctor's advice. So, if you're worried, it might be worth a chat with your friends they could be better for your health than you even realize. | 4 | 3,791 | lifestyle |
When you talk to players who played with goalie Martin Brodeur, they don't talk about his long history of winning. They talk about his winning personality. He is an engaging presence, always upbeat, forever confident, and the positive aura he always conveyed might help explain why Brodeur, 42, will announce his retirement Thursday with more wins than any goalie in NHL history. He will become an assistant general manager with the St. Louis Blues. If winning is the criteria by which goalies should be judged, Brodeur leaves his playing days as the greatest goalie in NHL history. In 22 seasons, Brodeur won an NHL-record 691 regular-season games, plus 113 regular-season victories, a record 125 regular-season shutouts, three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup. He won four Vezina Trophies, and was named first- or second-team All-Star seven times. Former NHL goalie Chico Resch always said Brodeur had the late "Terry Sawchuk's competitiveness and Glenn Hall's positive personality." He also will be remembered as one of the best puck-handling goalies to ever play the game. He gave the New Jersey Devils a distinct advantage for two decades because he could clear the puck out of danger or trigger rushes with outlet passes. The trapezoid rule was put in partly to counter the impact that Brodeur, and others like him, had with the puck. Brodeur was always relaxed, never showing signs of feeling pressure. He made his teammates confident because he always looked calm. "He has an internal competitiveness," Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello once said. "If you watch him in practice, he wants to make every save. He wants everything to be perfect. But if it doesn't go well, he doesn't blame anyone." In this era of butterfly goalies who primarily play on their knees, Brodeur was a hybrid goalie. He went down only when there was a reason to go down. He challenged shooters aggressively. No one teaches that hybrid style anymore. But it will make Brodeur a slam-dunk first ballot Hall of Famer. The only unusual aspect of Brodeur's retirement is that he is joining the Blues' management team and not the Devils'. It has been long assumed that Brodeur would eventually end up working with the Devils because of his strong relationship with Lamoriello, But the Blues were impressed with the impact that Brodeur had with the team in his short time there and they convinced him that he could be a great help to the organization working for general manager Doug Armstrong. But the assistant GM job is usually considered a stepping stone position. It is possible that Brodeur eventually could jump from there to a GM job elsewhere, maybe even in New Jersey when Lamoriello retires. | 1 | 3,792 | sports |
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Tiger Woods was all smiles Tuesday -- and with a full set of teeth. Woods gave a play-by-play account of how his front tooth was knocked out in Italy on Jan. 19 while celebrating girlfriend Lindsey Vonn's record 63rd World Cup victory. He said one tooth was chipped and the other was cracked. Both were replaced before he arrived to start his season at the Phoenix Open. He said he wore a skeleton-patterned scarf over his face to avoid being recognized, making a crack about how difficult that can be for a man of black heritage at a World Cup ski race in Italy. "Not a lot of brown dudes at ski races, OK?" he said with a laugh, as cameras clicked at his smile. Woods said when the race was completed, the podium presentation was moved up on a hill for the photographers. He went to the top of the hill, behind the cameras. "All the camera guys are below me on their knees or moving all around, trying to get a picture because she's hugging people, saying congratulations to the other racers as they are coming down," he said. "Some already finished, some are there already in the changing area. Dude with a video camera on his shoulder right in front me, kneeling, stood up and turned and caught me square on the mouth." Woods said he tried to keep his mask on "so the blood is not all over the place." He said the videographer hit the tooth on which he had root canal, chipping it. He said the other tooth had to be fixed, too, because it had cracks through it." The photo of Woods missing a tooth became as big a sensation as Vonn's record victory. There did not appear to be any swelling on Woods' mouth when a photographer captured the image of his mouth slightly open and the scarf lowered. Nicola Colli, the secretary general of the race organizing committee, told The Associated Press he was among those who escorted Woods from the tent to a snowmobile for him to leave "and there was no such incident." "When he arrived he asked for more security and we rounded up police to look after both him and Lindsey," Colli had said. Whether anyone believed the story from a week ago was not his concern. "Dude, you guys ... it's just the way the media is," he said. "It is what it is." Woods is playing his first official PGA Tour event since he missed the cut at the PGA Championship in August. But the biggest topic after he played nine holes under a cloudy sky Tuesday morning was the mystery of his missing tooth. Except that Woods said there was no mystery at all -- except for the attention it received. "It's a new world," he said. "We need to talk about something. Have to fill up space. The story is about Lindsey breaking the record. That's the story. I mean, geez, every sport you get teeth knocked out, and unfortunately I wasn't actually competing and got my teeth knocked out." Asked if his tooth was a cap to begin with, Woods said, "These are permanent, yeah." Woods said the flight home to Florida was the most painful. "I couldn't eat, couldn't drink until he fixed them, put the temporaries on," Woods said. "I couldn't have anything touch it. Even breathing hurt, because any kind of air over the nerve ... the tooth was still alive, was cracked." When asked if the photographer realized what he had done, Woods replied, "He didn't care." | 1 | 3,793 | sports |
The Obama administration already has reached its enrollment goals for Obamacare insurance nationally for the year, with more than two weeks to go in the open-enrollment season. Officials on Tuesday announced that 9.5 million people have signed up for health plans sold through government-run Obamacare exchanges. The administration had said it expected that 9.1 million will have Obamacare coverage by the end of 2015. Open enrollment ends Feb. 15. The vast majority of sign-ups came in the 37 states served by the federally run exchange, HealthCare.gov, which so far had enrolled more than 7.1 million customers in plans as of Jan. 16, according to data released Tuesday . The balance, or about 2.4 million people, signed up for individual insurance plans sold on the 14 exchanges being operated by individual states and the District of Columbia as of Jan. 17, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. Both sets of enrollment tallies reflect customers who were both automatically re-enrolled in the plans they had in 2014, and for customers who have selected new plans for this year. The biggest number of sign-ups came in Florida, whose residents have to use HealthCare.gov, and which has had almost 1.3 million enrollments. California, which is running its own exchange has 1.2 million enrollments so far for 2015, according to officials. For enrollment to be considered official, a customer must pay their premium for the first month. Enrollment numbers released Tuesday do not reflect paying customers. In a breakdown of the data, officials said that 87 percent of HealthCare.gov customers qualified for federal financial aid to help pay their monthly premiums, and that 35 percent of customers, or 2.5 million people, were under the age of 35. Young adults are sought after by Obamacare advocates because they help offset the costs of insuring older, less healthy customers. About 4.16 million HealthCare.gov customers were re-enrolled in a plan sold on that exchange, while 3 million were selecting a plan for the first time, officials said. Just before open enrollment began Nov. 15, there were about 6.7 million paying customers of Obamacare plans nationally. "We're pleased that, nationwide, 9.5 million people are signed up for marketplace coverage. The vast majority are able to lower their costs even further by getting tax credits, making a difference in the lives of so many families," said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. "The deadline to sign up for coverage is just a few weeks away. We are encouraging consumers to visit HealthCare.gov, call the call center or get in touch with a local assister to check out their options for quality, affordable coverage," Burwell said. "We still have a lot of work to do before February 15, but are encouraged by the strong interest we've seen so far." People who fail to have some form of health insurance this year face a potential tax penalty of as much as 2 percent of their taxable household income. | 3 | 3,794 | finance |
Lazy people, meet sleep masks. Sleep masks, lazy people. I just know you'll have a lot in common. Because sleep masks are exactly what they sound like. Slap one on before bed, and instead of rinsing it off like a normal mask, go to sleep. (And no, they're not messy, so you won't have to do even more laundry.) "Sleep masks are already hugely popular in South Korea, where women layer them over serums and creams before going to bed," says Charlotte Cho, a cofounder of Soko Glam, a website that specializes in Korean skin care. Doris Day, a dermatologist in New York City, says, "Their purpose is to create a permeable seal on top of your skin that makes anything underneath it penetrate better." It's kind of the same principle as putting on a heavy night cream over a serum, but the beauty of sleep masks is that they're lighter and tackier, so they stick to your skin instead of gunking up your hair or your pillowcase. A few of our skin-firming and -softening favorites: Garnier Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream,Tata Harper Moisturizing Mask (an all-natural mask with rose oil and avocado proteins), and Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask. | 4 | 3,795 | lifestyle |
By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) - Kids with behavior problems became sexually active earlier than their peers, in a recent study. Having sex early - before age 16 - increases the risk of teen pregnancy, partner violence, sexually transmitted infections and other negative health outcomes, the researchers say. Other studies have found that behaviors like frequent opposition or rule breaking are associated with earlier age of first sexual intercourse or teenage pregnancy, said lead author S. Rachel Skinner of the University of Sydney in Australia, in email to Reuters Health. The new study is larger and more robust, she said. "We were able to disentangle this relationship from many other known risk factors, and demonstrate that (behavior problems are) an independent predictor of earlier age of first sexual intercourse," Skinner said. Her team used data from a long-term study beginning in 1989 that followed almost 3,000 Australian children and their families from birth through age 17. By age 17, 44 percent of boys and 50 percent of girls said they'd had intercourse. Overall, almost 22 percent of boys and 25 percent of girls said they started before age 16, usually around age 15. Parents answered questions about their child's "internalizing" behavior, like withdrawal, physical complaints, anxiety and depression, and "externalizing" behavior, like aggression and criminal behavior. Kids with total behavioral scores high enough to be considered problematic were more likely than other kids to have sex before age 16. High scores on externalizing behavior were associated with having sex before age 16 for both boys and girls, but internalizing behavior was related to age at first intercourse only for boys, according to results in Pediatrics. Bad behavior starting at age five for boys and age 10 for girls increased the likelihood of having sex before age 16 when the authors accounted for other factors like parental age, education attainment and socioeconomic status. Researchers can only speculate about why externalizing behavior and early sexual activity would be connected, Skinner said. "We do know that young people who display externalizing behavior are more likely to take risks, and to be sensation seekers," she said. "They are more likely to take physical risks, for example, while riding motorbikes or skateboarding." Having sex earlier could be part of a pattern of risk-taking, she said. "Delinquent behavior stems from a child not understanding or not caring about the consequences that will result," said Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg, assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Cavazos-Rehg, who was not involved in the new research, told Reuters Health by email, "It does not matter what the behavior is, if the child does not understand or care about consequences, then he or she will most certainly engage in a deviant behavior if temptation should arise. An individual with self-regulation problems as a child is on a trajectory to have these problems as a teen unless someone or something intervenes." For both genders, younger age of the mother, lower level of maternal education, the father of the child not living with the mother and parents who smoke or use drugs increased the risk for early sexual intercourse. "Most of these factors are not changeable by any intervention that we know works," Skinner said. "It is probably better for us to use our understanding of the risk factors of early (first sexual intercourse) to identify those who are vulnerable and make sure they receive support to stay at school, to have goals of a career or work after school, and to ensure they receive well designed sexual health and relationships education from a young age." SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1JBgBjt Pediatrics, online January 26, 2105. | 7 | 3,796 | health |
There was a worldwide crisis when humans tried to log into Facebook and Instagram, and their accounts were unavailable! No one had to suffer in silence though, because Mark Zuckerberg still doesn't own Twitter. Keri Lumm (@thekerilumm) brings you all the best Twitter reactions to this crisis. | 8 | 3,797 | video |
People ordered a ton of vodka, beer, and wine. In preparation for forecasted blizzard Juno, it appeared as if residents of the East Coast did one of two things: Waited in absurd lines to stock up on kale or fortified their booze stocks. An inforgraphic from alcohol delivery app Drizly reveals that many in Boston and New York City preferred to do the latter. As of early Monday afternoon, alcohol purchases in the two cities were up by 477 percent compared to a "typical Monday." When forced to remain indoors, it looks like Bostonians and New Yorkers just prefer to sit around and get blitzed, especially on Absolut Vodka , according to a spokesperson for the app. It was the "top selling product" in cities affected by the Winter Storm Juno as of 7 p.m. yesterday. Of the top 10 drinks ordered, the only other hard liquor that made it on to the list was Tito's Handmade Vodka. Other popular drink orders included cases of Harpoon IPA (2), Miller Lite (3), and Bud Light (7). Wine proved to be a popular libation as well, especially bottles of Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc (4) with reds like Alamos Malbec and two Pinot Noirs rounding out the list. If you live in Boston or New York City and haven't made a vodka purchase yet, Drizly says it will continue to deliver "as long as it is deemed safe to do so," which means you should probably spend your snow day crafting epic bloody marys . | 0 | 3,798 | foodanddrink |
No room? Not a problem! Here are 10 easy ways to maximize the space you do have Make Items Into Art Rather than look around for nonexistent space to stash books, collections or other knick-knacks, display them proudly! Shadow boxes and shelves are both easy ways to use your walls as storage space. Another clever trick in this bedroom: turning the under-the-bed area into drawers. (Via Home-Designing ) Stack Sky High In this small kitchen, shelves go all the way up the wall. The items are so pretty that they don't need to be shut away pots, pans, dishes and silverware make perfect kitchen décor. (Via The Selby ) Look to a Loft The ultimate bedroom space-saver is a lofted bed. Pretty much anything can go underneath it: a desk, a bookcase, a sitting area, a dresser ... the list goes on. Basic, but incredibly effective. (Via FitInHouse ) Build Into Walls Every inch of wall space is maximized in this laundry room. In addition to saving space, this setup is also a timesaver with everything so close together, it's easy to efficiently perform all the steps of your laundry routine. (Via Home-Designing ) Rethink Your Closet A linen closet should be arranged differently than a clothing or junk closet. Look at the whole thing in sections, rather than as one vertical space. Putting shelves throughout the closet helps stack and organize linens more effectively. Other, smaller items can go in baskets or other containers and then be placed on a shelf. (Via TransForm ) Demand Double Duty In a small room, every component should be multifunctional. In this bathroom, the cabinets double as a full-length mirror. Also notice how the space on top of and to the right of the cabinets are utilized even though there's not much room, it's enough to store a few odds and ends. (Via IKEA ) Transform an Armoire What's not to love about a study or workspace that is totally contained, and can be closed away at the end of a project? Old armoires can perform many functions in addition to storage. Don't forget about the insides of doors it's a great place to post papers or hang jewelry. (Via BHG ) Ask More of Walls You may not have space for an actual mudroom ... but that doesn't mean you can't have an area that performs the same function. Together, a collection of shelves, bins and wall hooks can provide everything you need. Don't hang your hooks too high: If you'll only be using them for small coats and backpacks, they can go closer to the ground, and the rest of the wall can be used for more storage. (Via Apartment Therapy ) Roll Out This ingenious kitchen storage solution uses only a few inches of space. Instead of just ignoring the small opening between your refrigerator and the wall or another appliance, use it for a rolling rack. This cabinet on wheels hides neatly away and provides tons of extra storage space. (Via I Heart Organizing ) Think Thin Even the smallest space can be used for storage or a closet. In this bedroom, the narrow area to the left of the desk is put to maximum use as a tall closet. Inside the closet, a combination of shelves and hanger space will provide the best use of space. (Via Home-Designing ) | 4 | 3,799 | lifestyle |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.