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As the US debates drug policy reforms and marijuana legalization, there's one aspect of the war on drugs that remains perplexingly contradictory: some of the most dangerous drugs in the US are legal. Don't believe it? The available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows tobacco, alcohol, and opioid-based prescription painkillers were responsible for more direct deaths than any other drug in 2011. The chart above compares those drug deaths with the best available data for cocaine, heroin, and marijuana deaths. Now, this chart isn't a perfect comparison across the board. One driver of tobacco and alcohol deaths is that both substances are legal and easily available. Other substances would likely be far deadlier if they were as available as tobacco and alcohol. (Heroin-linked deaths in particular have been trending up since 2010, topping 8,200 in 2013, making heroin deadlier overall than cocaine.) And federal data excludes some deaths, particularly less direct illicit drug deaths , which is why the chart focuses on direct health complications for all drugs. Deaths also aren't the only way to compare drugs' harms. Some drugs, such as alcohol and cocaine, may induce dangerous behavior that makes someone more predisposed to violence or crime. Other drugs may trigger underlying mental health problems or psychotic episodes, like hallucinogenics. When evaluating the overall harm caused by drugs, all of these factors should be taken into account. But the absolute numbers for deaths show legality doesn't necessarily correlate with safety. Sometimes, like in the case of alcohol and tobacco, dangerous drugs have been kept legal because they're so ingrained in the US economy and culture that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to try to ban them. Other times, as with prescription painkillers, dangerous drugs are kept legal to serve an important medical purpose. These types of considerations are just some of the many factors that play into drug policymaking, which is very often about picking the best of a lot of bad or mediocre options instead of finding the perfect solution. With those caveats, here's what makes tobacco, alcohol, and prescription painkillers so dangerous, and how policymakers can curb the problem. 1) Tobacco When it comes to deadliness, no single substance comes close to tobacco. To put its risk in perspective, fewer Americans die from reported drug overdoses, traffic accidents, and homicides combined than tobacco-caused health problems like lung cancer and heart disease. The chart at the top of this article actually understates the number of tobacco deaths, since it only considers the most direct causes of deaths and excludes secondhand smoking, perinatal conditions, and residential fires. Overall, cigarette smoking is linked to one in five deaths in the US each year, according to the CDC . Nearly 42,000 of the total 480,000 deaths from smoking are caused by secondhand smoke. US tobacco use has greatly declined in the past several decades, although nearly one in five high school students and adults still smoked cigarettes in 2011. Experts attribute the decline to various factors , including education campaigns, mandatory warning labels, public and workplace smoking bans, and higher taxes on tobacco products. Continuing these efforts, public health officials hope, will continue pushing down the rate of smoking in the US. 2) Alcohol Alcohol-induced health problems, such as liver disease, led to more than 26,000 deaths in 2011. But that actually under-counts the number of deaths caused by alcohol: when including other causes of death like drunk driving and other accidents, the toll rises to 88,000 per year . Even this higher number may understate the more general risk of alcohol. A previous analysis , led by British researcher David Nutt and published in The Lancet , took a comprehensive look at 20 of the world's most popular drugs and the risks they pose in the UK. A conference of drug experts measured all the factors involved mortality, other physical damage, chance of developing dependence, impairment of mental function, effect on crime, and so on and assigned each drug a score. They concluded alcohol is by far the most dangerous drug to society as a whole. What makes alcohol so dangerous? The health effects of excessive drinking and drunk driving are two obvious problems. But there are other major issues rooted in alcohol-induced aggression and erratic behavior: injuries, economic productivity costs, family adversities, and even crime. (Alcohol is a factor in 40 percent of violent crimes, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence .) Still, The Lancet 's report has come under some major criticisms . Although drug policy experts generally agree that alcohol is dangerous and definitely more dangerous than marijuana they argue the report misses some of the nuance behind each drug's harms. For one, it doesn't entirely control for the availability of these drugs, so it's possible heroin and crack cocaine in particular would be ranked higher if they were as readily available as alcohol. And the findings are based on the UK, so the specific scores would likely differ to some extent for the US particularly for meth, which is more widely available in the states. To show the Nutt analysis's flaws, Jon Caulkins, a drug policy expert at Carnegie Mellon University, gave the example of an alien race visiting Earth and asking which land animal is the biggest. If the question is about weight, the African elephant is the biggest land animal. But if it's about height, the giraffe is the biggest. And if the question is about length, the reticulated python is the biggest. "You can always create some composite, but composites are fraught with problems," Caulkins said. "I think it's more misleading than useful." The blunt measures of drug harms present similar issues. Alcohol, tobacco, and prescription painkillers are likely deadlier than other drugs because they are legal, so comparing their aggregate effects to illegal drugs is difficult. Some drugs are very harmful to individuals, but they're so rarely used that they may not be a major public health threat. A few drugs are enormously dangerous in the short-term but not the long-term (heroin), or vice versa (tobacco). And looking at deaths or other harms caused by certain drugs doesn't always account for substances, such as prescription medications, that are often mixed with others, making them more deadly or harmful than they would be alone. Still, experts acknowledge, it's clear alcohol is dangerous and deadly. To curb the deaths and risks linked to alcohol, experts often suggest tighter regulations, taxes, and more education. A previous analysis by the RAND Corporation found that states that sold alcohol through tightly regulated, state-run establishments kept prices higher, reduced access for youth, and decreased drinking overall. And studies show that higher alcohol taxes could reduce consumption and, as a result, the problems the drug causes. 3) Prescription painkillers Opioid-based prescription painkillers have been linked to an increase in overdose deaths since 1999. These deaths frequently involve multiple drugs; the CDC found 31 percent of prescription painkiller-linked overdose deaths in 2011 were also related to benzodiazepines, a legal anti-anxiety drug. Whether these prescription painkiller deaths amount to an "epidemic," as some local, state, and federal officials claim, is a matter of semantic debate in drug policy circles. Regardless of what one labels it, the general point is that prescription painkillers are linked to thousands of deaths each year. (Radley Balko, now of the Washington Post , wrote a great three-part series on the debate around this topic.) Policymakers have responded to the deaths by putting tighter restrictions on the distribution of prescription painkillers and cracking down on " pill mills ," or doctors, clinics, and pharmacies that dispense prescription painkillers unscrupulously or for non-medical reasons. But some research found that these types of crackdowns have pushed some drug users to the more potent and dangerous heroin, indicating that there's a careful balance to strike as policymakers consider more restrictions on prescription painkillers. There's also concerns that restricting painkillers too much makes it more difficult for people to get the medicine they genuinely need for chronic, debilitating pain. A 2011 report from the Institute of Medicine found that many Americans are under-treated for chronic pain. And multiple reports suggest doctors have avoided working in chronic pain treatment because the legal and regulatory hurdles are so big. One way to reduce prescription painkiller deaths may be medical marijuana. One study found that states that allow pot for medicinal purposes have fewer prescription painkiller deaths than one would otherwise expect. Intuitively, this makes sense: marijuana is a potent painkiller, so it can substitute for deadlier and more addictive opioids. But experts caution this field of research needs much more study to see how much of the relationship between medical pot and prescription painkillers is causation instead of correlation. What about illicit drugs? There's admittedly no good federal mortality data on the less direct and long-term impacts of illicit drug use. But there's reason to think the scale of overall deadliness in the chart at the top of the article wouldn't change much with additional data. The deadliness of the harder drugs, like crack and cocaine, is severely limited in part because very few people use such substances, especially in the long-term. About 0.1 percent of the US population 12 and older reported using heroin and roughly 0.6 percent reported using cocaine in the past month, a 2013 federal survey found. (This could change if the illicit drugs were legal and more accessible.) Still, these harder drugs are dangerous. Cocaine and crack can lead to heart attack and stroke, and they can cause violent behaviors that make someone more prone to crime. And heroin poses a massive risk of deadly overdose a risk that only gets worse as someone uses heroin more and more, according to Keith Humphreys , drug policy expert at Stanford University. Marijuana is more widely used, but it's never been conclusively linked to direct deaths or even other medical conditions. The research suggests using marijuana during adolescence could lead to some bad outcomes, particularly worse cognitive function. But studies have failed to conclusively link marijuana to lung disease or psychosis and schizophrenia, despite concerns from critics. Still, marijuana carries some risks. "The main risk of cannabis is losing control of your cannabis intake," Kleiman of UCLA said. "That's going to have consequences in terms of the amount of time you spend not fully functional. When that's hours per day times years, that's bad." Caulkins of Carnegie Mellon University put it another way: "At some level, we know that spending more than half of your waking hours intoxicated for years and years on end is not increasing the likelihood that you'll win a Pulitzer Prize or discover the cure for cancer." But the general point of showing drugs' deadliness isn't to build a perfect rank for how dangerous each drug is. Rather, the purpose is to show that legality doesn't always correlate with safety, so people shouldn't assume that a substance is more dangerous just because it's illegal. | 7 | 3,800 | health |
These spicy and savory Thai beef satays are the perfect appetizers for parties, or a great basis for flavorful lunches and dinners. Chef Max Hardy is a personal chef to several pro football players and created these recipes just for Blue Diamond almonds. Serves: 4-6 Ingredients for Beef Satay: 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. ginger, minced 2 Tbsp. agave ¼ cup sesame oil ¼ cup soy sauce 1 lime, juiced 2 lbs. beef, top round, sliced 3 oz. Blue Diamond Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds (or other spicy, flavorful almonds) Scallions, sliced 16 Bamboo skewers (soaked in water) Ingredients for Thai Dipping Sauce (Makes 8 servings) 3 oz. Blue Diamond Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds ¼ cup honey 2 cloves garlic 2 scallions 3 Tbsp. soy sauce Directions: 1. Slice the beef against the grain into ½ inch wide strips. 2. Thread beef on bamboo skewers. 3. Place into a large glass dish. 4. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oil, lime juice, agave, garlic and ginger. Pour the marinade over the beef. 5. Wrap and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour (overnight if possible). 6. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. 7. Oil the grill gates and place the beef on the grill for 2 minutes on each side. 8. For dipping sauce, pulse 3 oz, BlueDiamond Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds in a food processor until they're a paste. Add all other ingredients from the dipping sauce section and blend until smooth, set aside. 9. Remove beef from heat and place on platter, garnish with Thai dipping sauce, chopped Blue Diamond Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds, and scallions. Nutrition info per serving of beef: 175 calories, 10 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 16 g protein, 4 g carbs, 1 g sugar. Nutrition info per serving of Thai dipping sauce (1/8th of recipe) : 104 calories, 5.5 g fat, 3 g protein, 12 g carbs, 10 g sugar | 7 | 3,801 | health |
Dick Vitale, who has been analyzing college basketball games for ESPN since 1979, nearly gave up on his broadcasting career before it got off the ground. Vitale recently released a book entitled "It's Awesome, Baby," in which he details stories from his life around basketball, including how he nearly quit his gig at ESPN during his first few weeks on the job. A viewer had called ESPN, a new station at the time, to complain about Vitale's eye condition, which Vitale had dealt with since an accident as a child. It made Vitale's left eye seem as if it were wandering, and he had been bullied because of it during his childhood. "It was like a dagger went through me," Vitale said. "It brought back all my memories as a kid. I called up my boss and I said, 'I'm out of here. I don't belong in TV.'" But ESPN convinced Vitale to stay and a Hall of Fame broadcasting career was underway. Vitale, who will call the game between Notre Dame and Duke on Wednesday, said all of the proceeds from his book will benefit pediatric cancer research through the V Foundation. In the book, he gives his thoughts about the quality of the college game today, the so-called one-and-done rule and the impact of agents on the sport. Vitale said one of the biggest changes he has noticed is the improved ability of defense to shut down offenses, lessening the game's entertainment value. "So many games I've done, it's brick city, man," Vitale said. "It's one brick after another. The defenses today, with all the work that's done with assistant coaches, strengths of players, they're able to shut guys down. It's taken away the quickness, the up-and-down pace you like to see." That's why Vitale said he admires Notre Dame, a team that can score in bunches. "They're unique," Vitale said. "They have guys that can shoot the basketball and they execute with great efficiency. ... Coach Mike Brey has a great feel for the game, has a feel for how to get the most out of people." | 1 | 3,802 | sports |
Top seed Serena Williams is aiming to shoot down Slovak pocket rocket Dominika Cibulkova in the Australian Open quarter-finals Wednesday, as resurgent sister Venus plays the generation game with teen Madison Keys. The American siblings, for so long a dominant force in women's tennis, will meet in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time since Wimbledon 2000 if they win their respective last eight clashes. Serena, 33, has progressed in typical fashion so far -- drifting along until she needs to flip the turbo and power past an opponent -- while 34-year-old Venus has been a revelation after a long illness. Serena is chasing her sixth Australian title and 19th Grand Slam overall, which would take her to clear second after Steffi Graf's 22 on the all-time Open-Era tally, with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova also sitting on 18. But she has underperformed at Melbourne Park in recent years and her world number one ranking will be under threat if she fails to down last year's Open finalist Cibulkova and take the title. She faces an opponent in Cibulkova who had struggled since losing the 2014 decider to Li Na but is now brimming with self belief after crashing two-time champion Victoria Azarenka's comeback party. The Slovak said she always felt good playing in Melbourne. "The beginning of the year I always feel fresh. I always feel good from the off-season," she said. Serena has a 4-0 record over 25-year-old Cibulkova but is wary of the pint-sized Slovak, one of the shortest players on tour at 1.61 metres (5'3"), who has tested her in the past. "She's a really good player. I mean, to be her size, she hits so hard and she plays so well," the American said. "She's just such a power, compact, great player. "I just have to stay focused and not underestimate her. She actually almost beat me before. I want to make sure I come ready and prepared." - 'She was in diapers' - Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus, the trailblazer for black women in tennis, faces a new-generation African-American star in Keys who idolised the veteran Williams sister as a child. "She started watching me when she was in diapers," Venus wryly noted of the Florida-based 19-year-old. Venus has a 9-0 record in 2015, including winning the Auckland Classic lead-up event, as she continues a remarkable comeback from a long battle with the energy-sapping Sjogren's Syndrome, which was diagnosed in 2011. She has come through two three-setters on the way to the quarters, admitting she was "in a trance" at the end of her last match against Polish sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska. Keys, who is coached by former Australian Open champion Lindsay Davenport, lost to Venus in their only meeting in 2013 but believes she is ready to step up and become a Grand Slam contender. "I'm just really excited. I think it's a huge opportunity for me. I haven't been in this situation before and I'm going to make the most of it," she said. "But at the same time no matter what, I'm not really going to be satisfied with any win. "I want to be at the end of the tournament holding the trophy up. That's my goal in the long run." | 1 | 3,803 | sports |
Victoria's Secret has debuted its supermodel-filled Super Bowl commercial . The globe-spanning ad features Karlie Kloss, Behati Prinsloo, Lily Aldridge, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and Candice Swanepoel. Set to Brenda Lee's "I'm In The Mood For Love," the 30-second spot shows the Victoria's Secret Angels in a variety of settings. As the clip declares, "In every corner of the world, from Stockholm to Singapore, everyone knows there is magic… in this bag." At which point we see a Victoria's Secret bag. The ad continues, "Let the real games begin." (That means sex!) The commercial is shorter and less Super Bowl-y than a previous clip, released last week, showing many of the same supermodels playing a game of football. But as the company's chief marketing officer explains, "We're not crazy enough to do a commercial where all of our girls are dressed like football players. We do what we do it's two weeks to Valentine's Day." Indeed. The Super Bowl, in case you didn't know, is this coming Sunday, February 1. The New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks will clash for the NFL title in the harsh desert of Arizona, with Idina Menzel singing the national anthem and Katy Perry leading the halftime show. Oh, and there will be plenty of high-profile commercials. | 6 | 3,804 | entertainment |
SpongeBob Squarepants is about to upgrade from a television cartoon to a movie cartoon alongside real, non-cartoon people. It's a tough combo to pull off. For every "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" there's a "Space Jam." Or "Chipmunks." Or "Smurfs." Actually there's more in the red column. Anyway, Angry Nerd is cautiously optimistic for now. | 8 | 3,805 | video |
Apple has just released an update for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch that addresses a number of bugs and adds a couple of new features to the platform. Available for download now, the biggest thing that iOS 8.1.3 addresses is the amount of free space needed to install updates over the air. Prior to this, most updates required gigabytes of free space available to be installed, which many lower cost iOS devices did not have. As a result, adoption of iOS 8 (which needed as much as 4.7GB free to install) has been slower than with other updates to the platform. Apple doesn't say how much the required space was reduced, but we were able to install it on a 16GB iPad mini that only had 445MB of space available. Earlier updates required using iTunes on a Mac or PC to update this iPad. In addition to lowering the storage requirements for updates, iOS 8.1.3 fixes issues with Apple ID logins, multitasking gestures on the iPad, and bugs in Spotlight search results. It also adds configuration options for educators and standardized testing. The update can be downloaded via the Settings app now. | 5 | 3,806 | news |
PHOENIX New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Tuesday he has "no reaction" to the latest reports regarding the NFL's investigation into Deflategate. "I don't have any speculation on anything that's happened," Brady told a few dozen reporters around his podium at Super Bowl XLIX media day. "That'll all play itself out after the season. All the reports that have come out, obviously, those are reports and we'll figure it out later." Attorney Ted Wells, whom the NFL retained to help with the probe, said in a statement Monday that it'll take "at least several more weeks" to complete the investigation into the Patriots' use of underinflated footballs during their AFC Championship Game win over the Indianapolis Colts. The statement came after FOXSports' Jay Glazer reported Tuesday the league investigation had zeroed in on a locker room attendant, who ProFootballTalk.com later reported took both teams' game balls into a bathroom at Gillette Stadium for roughly 90 seconds. Asked if he believes the reports, Brady said, "I have no idea what to believe. So I know how I feel and, like I said, we'll deal with it after the season." Patriots owner Robert Kraft made a strong statement after the team's arrival Monday night, saying he's disappointed in how the NFL has handled the situation and expects an apology if the investigation finds no wrongdoing. Coach Bill Belichick continued to deflect all questions about the subject Tuesday. "We're just focused on Seattle this week," Belichick said. "It's all about Seattle." Patriots owner Robert Kraft briefly talked to reporters Tuesday after issuing a strong statement about the controversy following the team's arrival Monday evening. Asked if he defended Brady, Belichick and the team because he was angry, Kraft responded: "You summed it up perfectly. That's exactly what it was." Contributing: Lorenzo Reyes *** Follow Tom Pelissero on Twitter @TomPelissero | 1 | 3,807 | sports |
Avoid these sinful party snacks and swap for a healthier alternative. The 10 Unhealthiest Super Bowl Snacks For football fans there are certain fares that are a right of passage. You have to have them whether you are at a tailgate or watching the game in your living room. But football fare isn't exactly synonymous with "healthy" and can often result in an extremely over-loaded eating day. After all, according to the USDA, the Super Bowl is the second-largest food consumption day behind Thanksgiving. Unfortunately a lot of those foods are absolutely horrible for you. But there are ways you can make easy swaps without compromising taste. Replace cheesy queso with spicy hummus for a healthier, dipping opinion. Ditch the french friend and swap in some zucchini sticks to fill you up without laying on the calories. These are just some of the easy changes you can make to ensure your Super Bowl Sunday is packed with fun and not fat. Click through our slideshow to find out what foods you should avoid and what you can enjoy instead! Queso If there is one thing a football fan needs on game-day is a bite of queso. This cheesy, spicy treat screams Sunday games, but also screams 40 calories per two tablespoons of dip. Considering it is physically impossible to limit oneself to just one dip of queso, this snack could rack up quite a few calories quickly. Alternative: Instead of zesty queso, try going for spicy hummus . While significantly different in taste you'll still get the heat you crave and will like to pair it with healthier options like cut vegetables. Pigs in a Blanket When game-day arrives there is nothing more iconic than a pig in a blanket. That delicious miniature hot dog may be worse for you than you think. Just one little cocktail size snack comes in at around 66 calories a serving, Alternative: Instead of eating individual pigs in a blanket, try dicing up a full size hot dog and skewering the slices with dill pickle chips, tomatoes and cucumbers or any other healthy option that pairs well. Fries Douse them in cheese, bathe them in bacon or simply salt them, French fries are a popular weakness among game-day grazers. Fries are a beloved treat but they are also a tad dangerous to your diet. Plain, home prepared fries could equal 82 calories per 10 fries. Alternative: Though slightly less comfort-oriented, a great alternative to French fries are vegetable fries , like baked zucchini fries that give you that crunch without the calories. Pizza We are fairly certain that there isn't a Super Bowl party in recorded history that didn't have pizza present. But with one slice of cheese pizza amounting to around 168 calories, it isn't exactly at the top of the healthy list. Alternative: If you are in the camp that can't live without pizza on game day, don't fret. You can turn this into a slightly healthier one by homemaking it or swapping out dough for flatbread personal pizzas ! Potato Chips We challenge you to find a party that is completely chip free--especially a Super Bowl one! It is a shame though, because just 1 ounce of chips (about 15) could be about 160 calories. And really, who can just eat 15 chips? Alternative: A surprising alternative could be thinly sliced and baked apple chips to satisfy that need for a crunch. A more traditional option could be baked chips or sweet potato chips if you aren't ready to steer completely clear of addictive snack. Buffalo Wings Buffalo wings are a must have at any Super Bowl party, but those fried and slathered pieces of chicken heaven could rack up a ton of calories quickly. Just 3 measly wings could be 180 calories which could quickly turn to a lot more since those wings can be a rather small treat! Alternative: Instead of frying and slathering, try baking and dipping ! You can control how much and what kind of condiment to accent your delicious chicken with and you can possibly indulge in a few more wings. 7-Layer Dip The classic 7-layer dip recipe can include everything from beans to cheese to ground beef. Sure it is seriously flavorful, but only 1/4 cup of it will cost you 188 calories to the day and doesn't even include the chip you dipped it in! Alternative: It may not be oozing with cheese, but it is oozing with flavor. This simple 7-layer salad recipe requires little time and only a fork to eat it with! Beef Sliders While sliders with cheese are the perfect party foods, they can increase your calorie intake quickly. At 208 calories a pop, you would have to limit yourself to just one slider if you wanted to enjoy any of the other football fare. Alternative: Instead of going all out with a beef and cheese slider, ditch the cheese and sub in a leaner meat like baked chicken for an equally tasty alternative. Pretzels Munchies are a must for any party, and hard pretzels make the perfect vessel for a variety of dips. Unfortunately, it also makes the perfect vessel for calories, as just 10 twists of a hard salted pretzel could cost you 228 calories! Alternative: Pretzels aren't all bad and don't necessarily have to be sacrificed completely. Try finding whole grain pretzel options that are one 103 calories per 1 ounce or try choosing salt-free pretzels! Nachos With layers of gooey cheese, spicy salsa and thick chunks of chicken, nachos are tough to resist. But even the plainest of nachos that just 6-8 involves chips and cheese can be a whopping 346 calories! Alternative: It may not be as decadent, whole grain tortilla chips with roasted vegetables like onions and peppers with the feta cheese and Greek yogurt jalapeno sauce could do the trick! | 7 | 3,808 | health |
Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen talks about the things you shouldn't do if you find yourself in a snowstorm. | 8 | 3,809 | video |
Portrayals of Disney princesses have long been criticized for perpetuating completely unattainable body standards. When realistic waistlines, busts and hips disappear from the big screen, it spells trouble for girls everywhere who want to look like their favorite characters. That's why we couldn't help but chuckle when we saw these altered images of Disney princesses with hair far more realistic than the lucious locks animators originally drew. Just look at Mulan's hair with the inevitable frizz brought on by humidity: And Ariel's sopping wet hair (she is a mermaid after all): The realistic Disney princess characters are the brainchild of Buzzfeed's Loryn Brantz, who first brought us "Disney Princesses With Realistic Waistlines." She previously spoke to The Huffington Post about why she created the illustrations. "As a woman who loves Disney and has dealt with body image issues, it has been something I've always wanted to comment on, particularly after seeing 'Frozen,'" Brantz said. "While I loved the film, I was horrified that the main female character designs haven't changed since the '60s." Though we couldn't be happier to see Brantz make some much-needed physical changes on our favorite Disney characters, we do have one suggestion for her -- add Princess Tiana! | 4 | 3,810 | lifestyle |
Low prices are a double-edged sword It was not long ago that people were fretting about the possibility of $5-a-gallon gasoline. Now, seeing gas prices steadily backtrack toward $2 a gallon may seem like a dream come true for many consumers. However, that trend is going to such an extreme that the dream could turn into a nightmare. Click ahead for seven reasons to worry about plummeting oil prices. 1. Geopolitical tensions Iran and Russia are two of the world's most dangerous nations, and their economies are both very dependent on oil. Many Americans might take some added pleasure in knowing that falling oil prices hurt those countries, but the plunge has been so steep that those countries might feel threatened enough to lash out in retaliation. A milder price decline would have had the effect of slowing those countries down economically without potentially destabilizing them. 2. The indication of global economic weakness Rapidly falling oil prices may cause some new problems, but what worries many investors is that they are a symptom of an existing problem. Not too long ago, some analysts warned that the appetite for oil on the part of the world's large, developing economies would soon become insatiable. Now there is concern about what the slowing of this demand growth says about the overall growth rate in those economies. 3. U.S. jobs at risk Foreign economies are not the only concern. There are more than 170,000 U.S. jobs directly involved with oil drilling and extraction, and that does not include all the other businesses that support that industry or provide services to oil-producing areas. 4. Financial sector exposure The oil price boom sparked heavy investment in new exploration and extraction. With the drop in prices now making many of those investments unprofitable, banks that lent heavily to finance oil sector investments might start to see an upturn in defaults. 5. The rise of speculation To some extent, the downturn in oil prices was probably a correction of natural market forces, but now speculation seems to be playing a lead role in exacerbating the price collapse. Short-term oil futures are now trading at nearly 30 percent below long-term futures, suggesting that the current price is being artificially depressed by speculators looking for a quick profit by betting on oil continuing to fall. Overly speculative markets are neither stable nor healthy. 6. The setback to conservation and sustainability efforts One of the stocks that has been hurt as oil prices have come down is electric car maker Tesla Motors. This is indicative of how cheaper oil dulls enthusiasm for energy conservation and sustainability efforts, but without those efforts the world will just become more dependent on oil in the long run. 7. The impact on future price cycles When oil prices fall, exploration and production projects are curtailed. This ultimately slows supply and sets the stage for the next upturn in prices. The concern is that a drastic drop in prices could exacerbate both capacity cuts and the ultimate rebound in prices. Oil may well be the single most important commodity in the world. It says something disturbing, then, that something so important could be priced so inefficiently as to range from over $100 dollars a barrel to under $50 in the space of less than a year. | 3 | 3,811 | finance |
Sony Corp plans to cut 1,000 more jobs in its smartphone division, mainly in Europe and China, the Nikkei business daily reported. The cuts are in addition to the 1,000 jobs Sony said it would eliminate in its mobile unit in October, the Nikkei said. Overall, Sony's mobile division workforce will shrink by about 30 percent to 5,000 by the end of the fiscal year ending March 2016, the report said. The company, which competes with Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in the smartphone market, is expected to report the latest cuts in its April-December earnings report on Feb. 4, the newspaper said. Sony could not immediately be reached for comment. | 3 | 3,812 | finance |
It's the new order up against the old guard in Wednesday's men's quarter-finals at the Australian Open with Kei Nishikori facing defending champion Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic trading shots with Novak Djokovic. Much has been made about the generational advance of the younger breed in the Grand Slams and the tennis world will get an insight into whether that is indeed the case in these intriguing match-ups on Rod Laver Arena. Japanese superstar Nishikori ousted Raonic, Wawrinka and Djokovic on the way to losing to Marin Cilic in last year's US Open final when he became the first Asian man to contest a Grand Slam decider. Big-serving Canadian Raonic hasn't beaten world number one and tournament favourite Djokovic in four meetings, but he has been serving up a storm in Melbourne over the past week. Djokovic has looked the player to beat and has yet to drop a set on the way to the last eight as he chases his fifth Australian title and eighth Grand Slam. Raonic, 24, and Nishikori, 25, will be bidding to prevent a Djokovic-Wawrinka semi-final in the top half of the men's draw. "I know what to expect. We practice a lot. We live in the same place (Monte Carlo). We're good friends," Djokovic said of meeting Raonic. "He's very confident. He's been playing some great tennis in the last 15 months. He deserves to be where he is now in the top 10 and coming closer to top five in the world." Djokovic, however, is supremely confident. "I haven't dropped a set, I'm in the quarter-finals. Yes, I had tough matches in the last two rounds, but I had quality opponents. "I've dropped serve only once during the whole tournament. That is very encouraging. Overall it's a positive feeling going into the quarters." Raonic, who became the first Canadian man to reach the Australian quarters in 47 years with his five-set win over Feliciano Lopez, is leading the tournament with 99 aces and has the highest first-serving percentage of 72 from his first four matches. "I'm moving better. I feel like I have it within myself. I've just got to bring it out. I'm going to focus on myself first, make sure that I get my things in order, get my things organised, play my game," Raonic said. - Tough, tough player - Wawrinka, who upset Djokovic in the quarters on the way to beating Rafael Nadal in last year's final, has dropped only one set in reaching the last eight. But his biggest test so far awaits against fifth seeded Nishikori. "I'm happy with the way I'm playing. My game is there. I haven't spent too much energy on the court in the first week," the Swiss said. "Kei's a tough, tough player. He improved a lot last year. He's a great shotmaker. He can make winners, he always takes the ball early. It's always tough to play against him. He doesn't give you a lot of time." Nishikori made surprisingly easy work in disposing of Spanish terrier David Ferrer in straight sets to advance to his third Grand Slam quarter-final. The Japanese star has a losing 1-2 record against Wawrinka, but has looked the part in Melbourne, buoyed by his performances at the US Open. "It's going to be a really tough match. He can hit forehands, backhands -- a great backhand actually. He can hit anywhere on the court, even from the back," he said. "I am feeling a lot of confidence. I've been playing well. It's going to be an exciting match." | 1 | 3,813 | sports |
Sewage brewage is beer made from sewage water. Of course the hipsters in Portland, Oregon want to turn sewage water into beer. Water treatment plant Clean Water Servies of Hillsboro is looking to show off its "high-purity" water cleansing system, which converts waste water into drinkable water. The Oregon Health Authority has approved the company's request to give the cleaned water to a bunch of home brewers who will use the water to brew beer. However, before the beer can be served at events, not at a brewery the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality still needs to sign off, and that's expected to be up for discussion in a public hearing on February 12. Additionally, according to OPB , "Clean Water Services will still need additional state approvals for an amended Recycled Water Reuse Plan before the brews are cleared for drinking." This is the first time Oregon has considered allowing residents to drink purified waste water. | 0 | 3,814 | foodanddrink |
Despite what you may have heard, Millennials actually do like driving. An MTV study examines why Generation Y really is into cars.Surprise, surprise Millennials like cars. A study conducted by MTV found three in four young people would rather give up social media for a day than their car, and 72 percent would rather give up texting, texting , for a week than their car. OMG! It seems like the death of the automobile has been prematurely reported, which we've actually suspected for a while. It also states the obvious: in many parts of the country you simply need a car to get anywhere, and MTV found 8 in 10 Millennials use cars as their most frequent form of transportation. "They are driving and they prefer driving as their No. 1 method of transportation," said Berj Kazanjian, MTV's senior vice president of research. The study created a stir last weekend after it was released at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in San Francisco. But after the dust settled, Kazanjian spoke with Autoblog and explained several reasons Millennials didn't appear to embrace driving as readily as previous generations. Many Millennials are getting their driver's licenses later, he noted, because of graduated driving laws that have made it tougher for teenagers to obtain licenses. While the stricter regulations are credited with improving safety, they have also meant many teens don't earn their licenses until they're 17 or 18 years old or later. Some also push it off until after college if they plan to attend a school where they can't or don't need to have a car. While some previous research indicated that Millennials had less interest in cars, much of the generation has been too young to accurately report on, and the economy was bad for many of their formative years. MTV conducted the study last spring among 3,610 people aged 18 to 34 years old, and even five years ago a good chunk of Millennials couldn't drive or couldn't afford a new car. Put simply: It's more of a myth that Hipsters hate cars. Now, Millennials are coming of age starting careers, families and advancing in society and achieving the necessary buying power to purchase new cars. "The opportunity is there for the auto industry, and it's huge," Kazanjian said. It also brings new challenges, however, as Millennials are more connected than previous generations. A bad test drive or experience at a dealership could result in a tweet sent to thousands of followers or a Facebook rant that hundreds of friends, family and acquaintances read and store in the back of their minds. "Millennials are the first generation in history that can make or break a brand with the push of a button," Kazanjian said. Plus, this isn't just theoretical interest in the automobile. Young people are really driving. Millennials drive an average of 934 miles per month, which is more than Baby Boomers (544 miles) and Generation X (790 miles), as Millennials are more likely to use their free time for road trips and exploration after work and on weekends, the study found. It also looked at other generations' driving habits for comparison. Though MTV highlighted Millennials' interest in cars, it also highlighted an attribute, individuality, that has characterized the generation for years. The study said 87 percent of Millennials enjoy customizing their possessions and experiences and three in four said it's important that their car reflect their personalities. "They see the interior of the car as their own personal living room," Kazanjian said. "Exterior customization is more of an expression of who they want to be." The study also confirmed young people still harbor the age-old aspiration of owning a dream car, he added, but naturally, they want want it their way. "Millennials do feel like 'I'm going to get what I want, and nobody's going to stop me,'" Kazanjian said. Related Video: | 9 | 3,815 | autos |
We all know that Howard Stern is a shock jock but he really surprised us when he said some harsh things about Sam Smith. | 8 | 3,816 | video |
Drew Barrymore enjoys having "a normal life." The 39-year-old actress, who has daughters Olive, two, and Frankie, nine-months, with husband Will Kopelman, has no regrets about taking a step back from her acting career to launch her own cosmetics company, Flower Beauty, as it has enabled her to spend more time at home with her family. The 'Blended' star said: "I love the beauty industry because even on a workday I can wake up with my kids, go to work, come home, bedtime - there's a normal life there." And it's exciting when you have to go on a business trip, as opposed to a film where you're gone for months. I can't do that right now. As you add more onto your plate, particularly family, things have to fall off, or you won't be a good parent." Drew, who had a difficult childhood and was granted legal emancipation from her parents when she was 15, is determined to be a "present parent" for her daughters. She told the February issue of More magazine: "I didn't really have parents, you know? And therefore the kind of parent I will be is a good, present parent." In a way, maybe that was a detriment to my youth, but it'll be the biggest asset to my adulthood." | 6 | 3,817 | entertainment |
On Thursday, the New England Patriots will participate in their second-to-last full practice in advance of Super Bowl XLIX in Phoenix. And while they do that, the murder trial will begin for a man who played a key role in helping them win playoff games only two years ago. But what's most amazing about the fact that the beginning of Aaron Hernandez's murder trial coincides almost perfectly with New England's first Super Bowl appearance since the former tight end's rookie season is the fact very few of us in the football world have noticed. Hernandez's trial not only isn't the largest controversy the NFL is dealing with, but it isn't even the biggest debacle involving the Patriots organization. Deflategate is the talk of the football world now; Hernandez and his alleged actions are old news. Step back and it's a little surprising. I realize Hernandez is no longer a member of the Patriots organization, but he was just a year and a half ago, and now he faces the most serious charges in the history of American professional sports. The jury was officially seated on Monday, but at midnight on the East coast there wasn't a single mention of Hernandez or his trial on the homepages of ESPN.com, CBSSports.com, NFL.com, NBCSports.com, Yahoo! Sports, USA Today and Sports Illustrated. The only major American sports site that had it was FOXSports.com. When the Hernandez charges first broke, this was the only story the sports world was covering. At that point, I wondered if this was going to become the O.J. Simpson trial of our generation. Hernandez isn't as famous as Simpson, but unlike Simpson he was an active player a superstar to boot and he's charged with murdering three people in two separate incidents. But for whatever reason, it seems the nation has sort of lost interest. Maybe that's an indictment on our deteriorating attention spans, or maybe we've just become either a) desensitized to or b) tired of incidents involving athletes allegedly committing heinous crimes. Regardless, it seems Aaron Hernandez has fallen from the national radar. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. And maybe it'll change anyway once the events of the trial become public and we have details to chew on. But for now, as we prepare for the biggest game of the year, I'm happy to be focused on football. Or in the case of deflategate, something in that vicinity. | 1 | 3,818 | sports |
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday it will create a contingency fund and an emergency workforce to respond quickly to crises after strong criticism of the agency's delay in confronting the Ebola epidemic. Director-general Dr. Margaret Chan said at an emergency meeting called to discuss the agency's Ebola response that the outbreak showed the need to strengthen WHO's crisis management and to streamline procedures for recruiting frontline workers. Ebola has been "a mega crisis and it overwhelmed the capacity of WHO", she told a news briefing. "Member states truly understand that the world does need a collective defense mechanism for global health security." In the past year, 21,724 Ebola cases have been reported in nine countries and 8,641 people have died, according to the WHO, which says West Africa's outbreak is ebbing. A resolution seeking major reforms, brought by the United States and South Africa, was adopted by consensus at the meeting of the 34-member executive board. "The WHO we have is not the WHO we need, not the WHO we needed to respond to health emergencies of the magnitude of Ebola," Jimmy Kolker, assistant secretary for global affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told the talks. In the debate, U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) director Tom Frieden said that political considerations often overruled technical expertise at the United Nations agency. "We have given some structure to what we expect in May, which is far-reaching reforms," said Frieden, referring to the WHO's annual meeting of health ministers in May. Major donors welcomed agreement on the emergency fund, which a WHO committee had recommended in 2011 should contain $100 million after the 2009-2010 influenza pandemic. Chan told reporters that the figure was "a good starting point". Bruce Aylward, WHO assistant director-general in charge of the Ebola response, said the agency would need about a workforce of about 1,500 for such emergencies, up from 1,000 currently. "What you see here is the potential for some of the most wide-ranging and sweeping reforms in any area of WHO that we've seen almost since the organization was established," he said. Dr. Dirk Cuypers of Belgium's health service said on behalf of the European Union: "We need to ensure that a clear line of command for all levels of the organization is in place for emergency operations and we need a global work force ready to be deployed in a effective and timely manner." Ebola cases are declining in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Chan said. "But we must maintain the momentum and guard against complacency and donor fatigue." (Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky, Stephen Powell and Michael Urquhart) | 7 | 3,819 | health |
Security-obsessed pop star Taylor Swift has been hacked. On Tuesday, the 25-year-old's Twitter account was breached by some folks who took the opportunity to give themselves a couple of shout-outs. The hacked tweets were deleted about 15 minutes after they were posted, and The Verge reports that Swift's Instagram account was also compromised for a short period of time, as well. A user by the name of @Lizzard, whose Twitter account has now been suspended , threatened to release nude photos of Swift in exchange for Bitcoin payment. In his profile, @Lizzard claimed to be the "Leader of Lizard Squad," and a member of "LulzSec, Anonymous, UGNazi, ISISGang, GoP, globalHell, stc, zf0, htp, el8, GoD. lurk moar" located in North Korea (and as BuzzFeed points out, "Info from Dataminr seems to suggest his ties to North Korea could be legit"). Swift responded to news of the hack via her Tumblr, which she tagged "#HACKERS GONNA HACK HACK HACK HACK HACK." "My Twitter got hacked but don't worry, Twitter is deleting the hacker tweets and locking my account until they can figure out how this happened and get me new passwords. Never a dull moment," she wrote, before later learning news that her Instagram had also been hacked. "Now Instagram. This is going to be a long day," she added . | 6 | 3,820 | entertainment |
Tiger Woods, who had a front tooth knocked out by a video cameraman last week, displayed a full smile Tuesday after a nine-hole practice round ahead of the Phoenix Open. "Every sport you get teeth knocked out," Woods said. "Unfortunately I wasn't actually competing and got teeth knocked out." Just down the road from where the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will meet in Sunday's NFL Super Bowl spectacle, 14-time major winner Woods' first PGA Tour event since the PGA Championship last August after a back injury was commanding the golf world's attention. "My speed is back up again and that's fun," Woods said. "I'm touching numbers I did 15 years ago and that's cool." But far greater than the state of his game was the interest in the state of his teeth after one was chipped and another was cracked on January 19 when he was struck in the mouth while watching cameramen photograph his girlfriend, Lindsey Vonn, after she won her record 63rd World Cup ski race in Italy. "The photographer changed positions and I got hit," Woods said. "It was an accident... luckily he hit the one I had a root canal on." "There was blood everywhere," Woods said, but he flew home and had dental repair work done the next morning. "All good now," Woods said. Woods had been wearing a skeleton mask from a video game over his lower face, trying to conceal his presence at the ski event. "Trying to blend in," Woods said. "There's not a lot of brown dudes at ski races. That was the whole idea of why I wore the mask." Woods said one of his teeth was knocked out and another suffered severe cracks that kept him from eating or drinking until he returned home. "The flight home was a joke," Woods said. "Couldn't eat, couldn't drink until he fixed them. Even breathing hurt. The air rushed over the nerve of the tooth that was cracked." Woods said he was surprised that his missing tooth received so much attention. "New world I guess. We've got to talk about something," Woods said. "The story is about Lindsey breaking the record." Woods dismissed some people not believing the story of how he lost his tooth, saying, "It's just what it is." With Woods, the story is typically about his quest to match the career record of 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus. This will be the first tournament for Woods since turning 39 and no player has won more than three majors beyond his 39th birthday. Woods missed four months recuperating from a back injury before making his comeback last month at the Hero World Challenge, his charity invitational event, at Orlando, Florida. He shared last in a field of 18. Woods is coming to Phoenix, known for a loud and boisterous crowd, for the first time since 2001, when a fan tossed an orange at home and another who heckled him was later found to have a gun. "That's one of the reasons I haven't played it in a while," Woods said of the security issues. "The people here over the years have done a great job of making sure it's a lot more safe." | 1 | 3,821 | sports |
Most of us turn to food experts when we need help with dinner -- cookbooks, cooking shows, food magazines -- but Leonie Anholts, a recent graduate of Academie Artemis, had a better idea: making it into a game. The Netherlands-based designer came up with a food-themed domino game, named Anatomy of a Recipe, that transforms the tedious search of what to cook for dinner from a chore into a game, literally. Anholt's game, a set of domino tiles that each contain a food ingredient cast inside resin, comes with a cookbook. Each tile corresponds to a recipe in the book. The game is played much like traditional dominos, but in this version the last tile played determines which recipe in the book will be made for dinner. The dinner problem has been solved. (This domino is holding a piece of parsley.) While Anholt's Anatomy of a Recipe is not for sale, we're pretty sure you could come up with your own version. Make a game out of dinner and never stress about it again. Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest and Tumblr . H/T Laughing Squid | 0 | 3,822 | foodanddrink |
Senate Republicans will start their attack on President Obama's immigration orders as early as next week, leaders announced Tuesday. With Republicans in both chambers unsure how far to push against Obama's executive action to defer deportations for undocumented young adults and parents of legal U.S. residents, the Senate will take up a House-passed funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security with controversial immigration provisions attached as soon as it wraps up its fourth week on the Keystone XL pipeline, GOP leaders said. The announcement comes as the House has delayed action, for now, on a separate border-security bill that some conservatives say isn't harsh enough. Depending on how long the House stays stalled on its border-security bill, the legislation being debated in the Senate could be the only immigration game in town. Senate leaders hope the Keystone debate will finish soon, although they failed in their first attempt to cut off debate Monday evening, falling short of the 60 votes needed to get to final passage. But several members were absent for that vote, and the floor managers expect that with more votes on amendments, the month-long Keystone debate will finish this week. The testy DHS legislation will be next, up against a Feb. 27 deadline when the funding for the agency runs out. The leaders' announcement gives the Senate three weeks of floor time to focus on the president's actions, taking a few days off for the President's Day holiday. The House-passed funding bill that the Senate will debate includes language to stop the administration's executive action to defer deportations, a benefit that could reach some 4 million unauthorized immigrants. Obama has threatened to veto the bill because of that language. Republicans are incensed that Obama used White House authority to take an action that they believe should be a decision of Congress. Before announcing the deferral program, Republicans have pointed out, Obama repeatedly told immigration-reform advocates that he didn't have the authority. "This is an important fight to have," said Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri. "Sometimes you don't know how these legislative battles go until you have them." Many conservatives both inside and outside the Senate will be watching Republican leaders closely, as some fear the leadership will cave too quickly and move a clean DHS funding bill rather than taking a stand against Obama. It is unclear how the Republican protest in the Senate will play out, given that DHS funding is at risk. Blunt said he hopes the GOP can attract six Democrats to support the Republican bill, but that is unlikely. Most of the Democrats who have been sympathetic to the GOP's views on immigration were unseated in the November elections. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, gave an impassioned speech on the floor Tuesday morning about the need to fund DHS without fighting about the president's actions. Durbin also noted, as he has in the past, that Democrats wanted to fund DHS for an entire year in December. It was Republicans, he said, who insisted on a short-term stopgap funding bill so they could stage their fight on the deferred deportations. Now they get their chance. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to answer a question from National Journal about whether DHS funding is at risk, saying only that "we're turning to DHS as soon as we finish Keystone." Earlier this month, he said the agency would continue to be funded. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the Republican conference chairman, indicated Tuesday that Republicans would not go so far as to allow DHS funding to lapse. DHS agents "have an important job to do. I expect they'll be resourced to do that job," he said. The fight over the president's deferred action program can occur "in a separate way," Thune added. One place where the conversation will begin is the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will hold a confirmation hearing for Obama's attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch this week. GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, a longtime member of the committee and former chairman, said Tuesday that he expects Lynch to support the president on the executive action because she "has to," as his Cabinet pick. "But the question is, how does she support him?" Hatch wondered. Late last year, the Justice Department released an analysis supporting the president's legal authority to determine who is deported and who isn't, but Hatch had some advice for Lynch on that document: that she should form her own opinion. "I would think she needs to study it a little more," he said. | 5 | 3,823 | news |
If you need any more evidence that compact and midsize SUVs are hot, look no further than the Porsche Macan. Despite a pricetag cresting six figures for some fully optioned models, American customers can't get enough of the Teutonic trucklet, Automotive News reports. Some buyers have been reportedly waiting as long as six months to take delivery of their vehicle. Porsche Macan First Drive Porsche's U.S. dealers are pushing hard for a greater allocation of Macans to the U.S. market, but Porsche HQ is constrained by the dual factors of the capacity of the factory in Leipzig, Germany, and strong demand for the model in Europe and other global markets. The Macan has been so successful that it is expected to help Porsche reach its yearly sales goal of 50,000 units in the U.S. three years before its initial 2018 deadline. The Macan is currently offered in the U.S. market in the S model with a 3.0L, 340hp twin-turbocharged V-6, or the Turbo with a 400hp 3.6L twin-turbo V-6. A 3.0L turbodiesel model is expected to be offered in the U.S. market later in 2015 as a 2016 model. There are no current plans to offer the base 2.0L I-4 Macan in the U.S. Porsche Macan pricing | 9 | 3,824 | autos |
It looks like Berger got back together with his breakup Post-It. While attending the Sundance Film Festival, actor Ron Livingston, who played Carrie's beau Berger on "Sex and the City," posed for Cosmopolitan.com with a re-creation of his famous breakup note. ~ I'm sorry. I can't. Don't hate me. ~ Ron Livingston being our favorite Berger 😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍 #Sundance pic.twitter.com/kEEQpJIfDV Charlotte Palermino (@charlotteparler) January 25, 2015 As a little reminder: Livingston is at the festival to support new film "The End of the Tour." Or in a more cosmic sense, so that the world could have this photo. H/T Cosmopolitan | 6 | 3,825 | entertainment |
Brighten dingy laundry with this homemade eco-friendly dry laundry booster. Instead of paying for commercial brands, you can easily make your own with basic ingredients found at any grocery store. And once you pick up the basic ingredients, each batch costs pennies to make. Keep your all-natural booster contained in a small jar so it is handy - and seriously potent - when you're doing laundry. What You'll Need: 2 cups washing soda 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide Mixing bowl Fork Small container Directions: Think of laundry booster as your detergent's best friend. Using washing soda really amps up this laundry helper, while hydrogen peroxide works together with your detergent to help clean your garments. Measure and add the washing soda to a mixing bowl, and then add the hydrogen peroxide. Gently stir with a fork. Use the fork to break up any lumps, creating a sand-like texture. When the mixture interacts with water, it creates bubbles of oxygen, which help lift tough stains and gently whiten whites. Pour the booster into a small container with a lid, and you're all set for tackling the laundry. For tough stains and dingy whites, soak clothes in warm water mixed with 1/4 cup of the laundry booster for 20 minutes or overnight before washing. And you can keep things all natural and make your own homemade eco-friendly liquid laundry detergent . In a rush? Simply add 1/4 cup of booster directly to your next load of laundry to give your detergent a bit of a kick. For more cleaning supplies that won't break the bank, check out our top DIY picks . | 4 | 3,826 | lifestyle |
Golfer Robert Allenby addresses the media regarding an alleged assault that left him beaten and robbed. | 1 | 3,827 | sports |
We have a feeling Kris Jenner won't be getting any "helpful" e-mails about this look. The 59-year-old momager has long been known for her efforts to fit in with the kids. At the Chanel show during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week on Tuesday, however, it seems she actually pulled it off. Clad in an almost head-to-toe Chanel outfit, which may or may not have been swiped from Karl Lagerfeld's closet, Jenner looks incredibly chic, if not a little chilly (she is wearing see-through pants.) We hate to break it to Kendall (who walked in the show,) but the matriarch kind of steals the spotlight here. With New York Fashion Week right around the corner, we're sure Kendall will have plenty of opportunity to garner our attention. For now, however, we're calling this a major fashion win for Kris. Love her or hate her, she pulls off those pants like a boss . | 4 | 3,828 | lifestyle |
AT&T (T) announced robust subscriber growth and delivered quarterly earnings that slightly topped analysts' expectations on Tuesday. The telecom giant posted fourth-quarter earnings of 55 cents per share excluding items, up from 53 cents a share in the year-earlier period. Revenue rose to $34.4 billion from $33.16 billion a year ago. Wall Street had expected the company to deliver quarterly earnings per share of 54 cents on $34.27 billion in revenue after the closing bell, according to consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters. The firm posted a net loss of $4 billion, or 77 cents per share, in the fourth quarter, compared with net income $6.9 billion, or $1.31 per share, in the year-ago quarter. AT&T also reported net subscriber adds of 1.9 million, beating estimates of 1.79 million. Shares of the company rose about 2 percent in after-hours trading. "Over the last year, we've made several moves to significantly transform our business for the future," Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO, said in a media release. "Our transactions with DIRECTV and Mexican wireless companies Iusacell and Nextel Mexico will make us a very different company. We'll be unique in the industry because we'll be able to offer integrated capabilities across a diversified base of services, customers, geographies and technology platforms." The company also highlighted that its total wireless revenues were up 7.7 percent year over year to $19.9 billion. Within that figure, wireless equipment revenues increased 72.3 percent to $4.8 billion, the company said, as "more customers chose equipment installment plans versus subsidized devices." The No. 2 U.S. mobile operator announced Monday that it would acquire bankrupt NII Holding Inc's (NIHDQ) wireless business in Mexico for $1.875 billion. The acquisition will help AT&T create the first-ever North American Mobil Service area to cover over 400 million consumers in Mexico and the United States. The deal is expected to go through by the middle of the year. Last quarter the company announced its wireless operating profit margin decreased as more customers signed up for "mobile share value plans." As for the future, AT&T said it expects 2015 will see continued consolidated revenue growth, adjusted EPS growth in the low single-digit range, expanding margins and improving free cash flow and dividend coverage. The company reaffirmed that it expects capital expenditures to be in the $18 billion range. CNBC's Reem Nasr and Reuters contributed to this report. | 3 | 3,829 | finance |
Kurdish fighters battled the Islamic State group in villages around Kobane on Tuesday, a day after expelling the jihadists from the strategic Syrian town on the Turkish border. The news prompted celebrations among residents who fled across the frontier into Turkey, with thousands gathering at the border and hoping to return, more than four months after the fighting began. The town's recapture marked a key symbolic and strategic blow against IS, but officials warned massive reconstruction was needed and the fight would continue for the surrounding villages. The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) announced the "liberation" of Kobane on Monday, depriving IS of a strategic prize to add to its territory in Syria and Iraq. "Our forces fulfilled the promise of victory," the militia said, cautioning that fighting was not over yet. "The process to ultimately liberate Kobane canton (region) is ahead of us. We pledge that we will successfully carry out this promise as well." There was fighting in villages around the town on Tuesday, both to the southeast and the southwest, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor. Kobane activist Mustafa Ebdi said the US-led coalition fighting IS carried out fresh air strikes around the town on Monday evening and Tuesday morning. - 'Massive destruction' - In Turkey, thousands of Kurds among the 200,000 who fled Kobane and the surrounding area, flocked to the border. Most went to celebrate, but some tried to cross the frontier, which remains officially closed. Turkish security forces used tear gas and water cannon to push back those who approached the barbed wire separating the two countries. Only a handful of people were able to cross, including Idris Nassan, deputy foreign minister for the Kobane regional government. "People are very glad. They are celebrating. Morale is very high," he told AFP from the town. He said the regional government was urging residents not to return yet. "There is massive destruction. At least 50 percent of the city is destroyed," he said. "We are asking them to wait and not come immediately because we don't have basic necessities for them. There is no food, no medicine. We don't have electricity or water." Nassan said the regional government would now appeal to the international community for help. "We need aid. We need experts for reconstruction. We also need weaponry to continue to fight," he said. "This is the first stage, the liberation of Kobane. The next stage is the liberation of the villages." - 'Big blow' against IS - As the Kurdish militia raised their flags over Kobane, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country opposed the idea of a Kurdish-controlled autonomous government in northern Syria. "We do not want a new Iraq. What's this? Northern Iraq," Erdogan told Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper. "A northern Syria there after northern Iraq... It is not possible for us to accept this," he said. The loss of Kobane appeared to be a major blow for IS, which had seemed poised to seize the town after it began its advance on September 16. It lost nearly 1,200 fighters in the battle, of a total of 1,800 killed, despite outgunning YPG forces with sophisticated weaponry captured from Iraqi and Syrian military bases. Analysts said air strikes by the US-led coalition had been key to the YPG's success, taking out some of the jihadists' heavier weaponry and hitting their supply routes. Forces from the Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga, as well as some Syrian Arab opposition forces, also reinforced the YPG in the fight. IS emerged in Syria in 2013, and quickly captured large areas there and in neighbouring Iraq, imposing its harsh interpretation of Islamic law. But analysts said the loss of Kobane could put the brakes on its plans for expansion. "Despite all that manpower, all that sophisticated weaponry, IS couldn't get the city, so it's a big blow for their plans and it's a great achievement for the Kurds," said Kurdish affairs analyst Mutlu Civiroglu. | 5 | 3,830 | news |
Microsoft (MSFT) 's latest earnings report scared many investors its stock is down nearly 10 percent Tuesday morning and analysts are arguing over what that means for the company. One Nomura Securities analyst believes the company's best days might be over. Rick Sherlund told CNBC's " Squawk on the Street " on Tuesday the Seattle-based tech giant has lost its momentum from last year. "They've had a benefit of a great 16-month expansion, and last year you had the migration from the [older] Windows XP, where they ended support, to a newer version of Windows," he said. "You had a tailwind as you're transitioning into the cloud. You had this benefit that's now dissipating, and no one was sure just how much of a benefit that was versus underlying PC demand." So far in 2015, Microsoft's stock is down 9 percent, after rising 24 percent last year. Sherlund said that falling sales of Microsoft products also hindered the company in its latest earnings report. "When you looked under the covers of the December quarter, you realized that while Windows was really down 13 percent, Office was down 13 percent for commercial and 25 [percent] for consumers, it kind of took your breath away," he said. "Then you realize the really tough comparisons are coming up in March and June, so as we say, the honeymoon is over." The recent volatility in the foreign exchange markets has also crippled the company's stock, despite having hedged against it. "Because of the extraordinary move, I guess you just can't hedge for all of that," he said. Nevertheless, another analyst believes the company can rebound. Brent Thill, managing director at UBS, told CNBC's " Squawk Alley " that the tech giant is still outperforming its peers. "Their commercial business is still growing at a high, single-digit growth rate," he said. When you compare to Oracle (ORCL) and other large-cap peers, they're growing at a much bigger pace." Thill added he believes this is just a "blip" for the company, as it will complete a $31 billion buy-back and it has "a lot more recurring revenue given the shift to the cloud." It will take some time for Microsoft to recover, though. "Clearly they'll be in the penalty box for a while," Thill said. Another positive sign for investors is the cultural change that current CEO Satya Nadella has brought to the company. "It's cool to work at Microsoft again," said Spencer Rascoff, Zillow's CEO on Tuesday. "Taking the Microsoft Suite of apps and putting it into IOS [is] a small thing, but it sends a huge statement to the technology community that Microsoft is now platform-agnostic and they're embracing mobile." CNBC's Thomas DiChristopher contributed to this report. | 3 | 3,831 | finance |
When a best man delivers his speech, the groom zips up the best man's fly | 8 | 3,832 | video |
CHARLOTTE Everyone knows Danica Patrick is entering the final year of a three-year contract with Stewart-Haas Racing. But will she be back in 2016? Both she and the team say they hope to continue their relationship beyond 2015. "Absolutely, we would love to see Danica come back," SHR co-owner Gene Haas said Tuesday during NASCAR's media tour. "We want to see Danica succeed as much as anybody does. I think NASCAR wants to see her succeed. So there's an awful lot of vested interest to have Danica succeed in this man's sport. "We're very fortunate to have someone like Danica here." Patrick said "absolutely" when asked if she agreed with Haas' assessment and said SHR "is an amazing team and I've had no issues here." She noted her decision to choose SHR when she was moving to the Sprint Cup Series on a full-time basis and said the team has turned out to be "the closest thing to family." "I didn't even want to run anywhere else, I didn't pick to run anywhere else and I still don't," she said. "I believe in what they do and the hard work they put in and their philosophies and the way they take care of each other." Patrick races alongside friend and team co-owner Tony Stewart, who also raced open wheel as did Patrick; 2014 Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick; and 2004 Cup champion Kurt Busch. Haas wouldn't give a timetable on the negotiations other than to say the process of renewing a contract begins to take place as soon as one begins. "What does she want to do, too?" he said. "Those are important things for her." So if Haas had to predict whether Patrick will be with SHR in 2016, would he see that happening? "Yes I would," he said. Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck | 1 | 3,833 | sports |
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Tiger Woods showed up at his first golf tournament of the year Tuesday morning and, in the midst of yet another personal controversy, told the tooth, nothing but the tooth. Truth. I mean truth, at least according to Tiger. The entire world has been thoroughly informed about the two most important developments in sports over the past week: that the New England Patriots' footballs were deflated in the first half of the AFC championship game, and that Tiger was missing a front tooth in the Italian Alps last week while watching his girlfriend, Olympic gold-medal-winning skier Lindsey Vonn, win her record 63rd World Cup race. Finally, Tiger is talking about what he says happened, so let's get right to it: "Lindsey had finished," Woods told reporters after playing nine practice holes at the Phoenix Open. "I had walked up to the top. I still had my mask on so no one knew who I was, trying to blend in, because there's not a lot of brown dudes at ski races, okay? So that was the whole idea of why I wore the mask." Good to know. We must mention the mask. It wasn't just any old ski mask. It featured the face of a skeleton. Tiger explained that he was wearing that particularly scary look because of the video game, Ghost Recon . And here I thought Tiger chose it because it had plenty of teeth. Anyway, back to Tiger on the mountain: "I was looking down, and all the camera guys were below me on their knees or standing or getting on the ground, moving all around, trying to get a picture because she's hugging people, saying congratulations to the other racers as they are coming down. Some already finished, some are there already in the changing area. "And a dude with one of the video cameras on his shoulder, kneeling right in front of me, stood up and turned and popped me square in the mouth. So he chipped that one, cracked the other one. And so then I'm trying to keep this thing on so the blood is not all over the place, and luckily he hit the one that I had the 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." Now probably is as good a time as any to note that World Cup race officials in Cortina d'Ampezzo said there was no report of any incident involving Woods. And consider Woods' strong assertion to USA TODAY Sports' Steve DiMeglio early Tuesday morning that "there was blood everywhere," even though in every picture of a toothless Woods, there was blood nowhere. But we're interrupting Tiger. Let's allow this to continue: "Oh, Jesus, the flight home was a joke. I couldn't eat. I couldn't drink until (an orthodontist) fixed them, put the temporaries on. I couldn't have anything touch it. Even breathing hurt, because any kind of air rushed over the nerve. The tooth that was still alive was cracked. ... I had to fly home and get it done and first thing in the morning, which was nice." Woods was asked if the photographer who mistakenly turned into him knew what he had done. "He didn't care," Tiger said. Now to the pressing issue of why Tiger's toothlessness has received so much attention. "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, every sport you get teeth knocked out, and unfortunately I wasn't actually competing and got my teeth knocked out." So Tiger went to a ski race and a hockey game broke out. By this point in the news conference, someone had to ask what just about everyone was thinking: Reporter: "So many people are not believing your story." Tiger: "Dude, you guys, it's just the way the media is. It is what it is." Reporter: "It's not just the media." Tiger: "It is just what it is." So that pretty much sums it up. That, and this: "It's going to be a fun year," Tiger said. You can say that again. | 1 | 3,834 | sports |
A man who dresses as the comic superhero Mr. Incredible has been sentenced to 3 years probation after pleading guilty to attacking a woman costumed as Batgirl in a Hollywood Boulevard turf dispute, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Muhammet Bilik, 35, was also ordered to attend anger management therapy, perform 20 days of roadside cleanup and stay away from the so-called Hollywood Entertainment District where the spat erupted. "Hollywood Boulevard is famous around the globe and attracts millions of visitors every year. We must keep it safe," Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said in a statement announcing the plea and sentence. "The characters who interact with children and family along Hollywood Blvd have to obey the law," he said. Prosecutors say Bilik attacked the woman clad as Batgirl, whose civilian identity was not revealed by authorities, following a disagreement over sidewalk territory along a famed stretch of Hollywood Boulevard that draws tourists from around the world. A video of the incident captured by a passerby and posted on YouTube shows Bilik, in his Mr. Incredible costume, slamming Batgirl into a rack of souvenir baseball caps as Chewbacca and Freddy Krueger characters try to intervene. Mr. Incredible is the father of a family of superheroes in the hit 2004 Disney-Pixar film "The Incredibles." (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Eric Beech) | 5 | 3,835 | news |
Thanks to warming climates, two debilitating tropical diseases have taken hold in America's southern shore. The first is dengue, commonly called "break-bone fever," which infects more than 50 million people a year with muscle aches. Its counterpart chikungunya , causes joint pain and agonizing contortions. Both are transmitted by mosquitoes, which have been driven northward into the Florida Keys. As insecticides have proven useless, a promising new plan involving genetically-modified mosquitoes may stop the scourge, but only if it can get approval from the public and the Food and Drug Administration first. The black, tiger-striped mosquitoes that spread the two diseases are called Aedes aegypti, and they are resistant to four of six insecticides designed to destroy them. If left unchecked, these blood-suckers could travel into the Florida mainland and onward throughout the continental U.S., potentially spreading deadly diseases through welts and bites. Since 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued travel warnings for Americans venturing to the Caribbean for this very reason. The Keys' communities have tried many preventative measures, including fumigating areas of standing water where the insects breed. But a British biotech company called Oxitec has its own plans to combat the insects: have the species destroy itself. Oxitec has bred mutant mosquitoes that carry a genetic "kill switch." When these insects mate with the native population, they drastically reduce the insect's birthrate. The company inserted protein fragments from coral, cabbage, the herpes virus, and E.coli bacteria into the insects, which they call OX513A. The protein potpourri creates a lethal gene, which male mosquitoes pass down to their offspring. When a modified male mates with a regular female, this gene kills the fertilized eggs. Oxitec plans to have their insects overwhelm the mosquitoes in the Florida Keys and wipe out the population. "This mosquito is Dr. Frankenstein's monster, plain and simple,'' Helen Wallace, a British environmentalist with the organization GeneWatch, told The New Yorker in 2012 . "To open a box and let these man-made creatures fly free is a risk with dangers we haven't even begun to contemplate." But since 2012, Oxitec has used its mutants in several residential neighborhoods, and after releasing 3.3 million of them in the Cayman Islands , more than 96 percent of the native mosquitos were suppressed, the company said. The plan achieved similar success in a town in Brazil as well. Critics argue that despite the programs' successes in Brazil and the Cayman Islands, Oxitec did not properly inform residents nor obtain their consent. While Oxitec plans to only release male, non-biting mosquitoes, some females may sneak through during the sorting process. These females can and do bite, potentially inserting their modified DNA into people. So far, the firm has said that it has released more than 70 million mutant mosquitoes without receiving reports of any side effects from mosquito bites. Still, more than 135,000 community members in the Florida Keys have signed a petition to prevent the operation. "I think the science is fine, they definitely can kill mosquitoes, but the GMO issue still sticks as something of a thorny issue for the general public," Phil Lounibos, a Florida entomologist said . The FDA has yet to determine if the experimental eradication will get the go-ahead in the U.S. Oxitec has already built a lab in the town of Marathon, Florida with strict safety regulations. The company is doing its best to convince residents of the program's safety. "One of the most effective ways of demonstrating that is to go with a big cage of males, stick your arm in there, and say, 'Look, they're not biting.'" Andrew McKemey, Oxitec's head of field research, told Motherboard . Still, even with safety demonstrations, Florida Key residents like Marilyn Smith are wary. She told the AP that she was not persuaded by Oxitec's efforts to fight mosquito with mosquito. "Why are we being used as the experiment, the guinea pigs, just to see what happens?" To her and her neighbors, deadly diseases are less scary than a bite from the unknown. This article was originally published at http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/01/Genetically-Modified-Mosquitoes-May-Be-Released-in-Florida-Keys/384859/ | 5 | 3,836 | news |
Just in case there are some investors in sovereign debt out there who don't keep up with the news, ratings agency Standard & Poor's on Monday issued a decision confirming what most everyone interested in the field was already thinking: Buying bonds from the Kremlin these days is an extremely risky investment strategy. A month after it telegraphed its intentions, S&P downgraded debt issued by the Russian Federation to "junk" status on Monday, which means that the agency has doubts about the country's ability to pay its debts in the future. A junk rating is considered "below investment grade" and means that in exchange for the added uncertainty of lending to a risky borrower, lenders will demand higher interest rates. Related: Putin Says Ukraine Is NATO's Puppet "The downgrade reflects our view that Russia's monetary policy flexibility has become more limited and its economic growth prospects have weakened," S&P said. Institutional bond investors typically do their own assessments of bonds and borrowers rather than simply relying on rating agencies. The S&P downgrade does, however, mean that many public and private investment funds that are barred by their internal rules from investing in securities below investment grade may soon find Russian bonds off limits. Many of the investment rules for such funds require a "junk" rating from more than one recognized ratings firm before barring investment in sovereign debt, so the S&P call won't be enough. But Moody's, for example, downgraded Russia last week with the warning that further hits to the Kremlin's credit rating are on the way. The S&P analysts warned that they expect Russia's debt rating will fall farther before it improves. The S&P analysts added, "We believe that Russia's financial system is weakening and therefore limiting the Central Bank of Russia's (CBR's) ability to transmit monetary policy. In our opinion, the CBR faces increasingly difficult monetary policy decisions while also trying to support sustainable GDP growth." Related: Putin's Rich Pal Says Russians Will Starve for Vlad Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov on Monday downplayed the S&P decision. "This decision demonstrates the agency's exorbitant pessimism. It ignores a range of factors that characterize strong points of the Russian economy," he said according to government-controlled news agency ITAR-TASS . The currency markets disagreed, driving the Russian ruble to near-record lows against the U.S. dollar and other global benchmark currencies. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Why Putin Is Cornered Like a Rat White House on the Hot Seat on Counter-Terror Tactics Guns, Grenades, and Other Crazy Items the TSA Nabbed in 2014 | 3 | 3,837 | finance |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Thieves in an SUV smashed through the glass doors of the Wells Fargo History Museum in downtown San Francisco and made off with gold nuggets on display. KNTV reports that police haven't made any arrests after an unknown amount of gold nuggets were stolen early Tuesday. Wells Fargo spokesman Ruben Pulido said in a statement that the company is grateful no one was injured and the historic stagecoaches on display weren't damaged. The museum is at the site where Wells Fargo opened for business in 1852. Commuters stopped to look at the aftermath of the robbery and snap pictures, while police surveyed the damage. Shattered glass crunched underneath the tires of a tow truck pulling the green Chevrolet Suburban from the building. Police weren't immediately available for comment. | 5 | 3,838 | news |
FRISCO, Texas (AP) Jason Spezza won't deny that his arrival in Dallas helped create expectations that the Stars struggled to meet early in the season. He's just glad the weight wasn't enough to ruin the season before the Stars reached the All-Star break. ''When you're a team that makes the playoffs and then you add a couple of pieces, the expectations take another step,'' said Spezza, who came in along with Ales Hemsky on the first day of free agency last summer, giving Dallas more firepower to go with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. ''Sometimes it doesn't work like that right off the hop,'' he said. ''And we've kind of had a wishy-washy first half, but fortunately find ourselves not too far on the outside with a chance here to make some ground in the second half.'' Seguin is tied for the NHL lead in goals with 28, and the Stars are fourth in scoring. But Dallas had the worst defense in the league before improvement at the blue line in recent weeks. The net result: The Stars return from the break with a visit to Montreal on Tuesday night, four points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference after ending a five-year playoff drought last season. They believe 11 wins in the past 18 games are a better indicator of their worth than just 10 victories in the first 28. ''We lost a few games and maybe that's part of the reason we couldn't get our traction back there for a little while,'' said Alex Goligoski, a veteran of several offseasons without any expectations in Dallas. ''That's all history. I think we've settled in pretty nice now and it's a 36-game season.'' Dallas had a seven-game losing skid to finish the first month, and allowed five goals each time during another four-game skid. Even when the Stars surged before the break, coach Lindy Ruff left the impression that Kari Lehtonen wasn't a lock as his top goalie. Lehtonen's save percentage is the highest since his first full season nine years ago, and his goals-against average is his worst in six seasons in Dallas. While Lehtonen has shown improvement despite getting pulled from a game against Ottawa that Dallas won two weeks ago, what's saving him the most is that backup Anders Lindback hasn't been much better. ''Kari is still my guy,'' Ruff said. ''It's a tough place to be because he's the reason a lot of times when we're winning games and there's been some nights he's had some tough ones go in and it's probably the reason we've lost.'' Spezza's scoring pace is off significantly, and Hemsky didn't get his first goal until the 22nd game after the pair averaged about a point per game in a brief stint together in Ottawa last season. While Seguin is second in the NHL with 52 points, Benn's scoring is down and Ruff has tinkered at times with his top lines trying to find the right mix. But the Stars are coming out of the break feeling much better than they did in early December. ''I think we found our identity more,'' Spezza said. ''We spent less time talking about how we need to play and more time just going over mistakes we made within our structure. And that's a sign usually that everybody knows what we're doing.'' And perhaps finally adjusting to higher expectations for a franchise that hasn't known that feeling for a while. | 1 | 3,839 | sports |
The U.S. dollar fell on Tuesday, with currency strategists pointing to a surprise drop in U.S. durable goods orders that is feeding into speculation the Federal Reserve might hold off on raising interest rates for longer than had been expected. Investors have bid the dollar up, anticipating that the Fed will start to raise rates around mid-year as the U.S. economy recovers growth momentum at the same time as major central banks in Europe and Japan are loosening policies to spur activity. A report on Tuesday showed U.S. non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, fell 0.6 percent in December after a similar drop in November. "I think for the long dollar position that is in the market, investors do feel comfortable taking some profit after this data. Mostly it feeds into our expectation for Friday's GDP print. Given the durables data, people are more wary of the GDP print and are lightening up their positions," said Richard Cochinos, head of Americas G10 FX strategy at Citi in New York. The latest Reuters poll on advance U.S. fourth-quarter gross domestic product data (USGDPA=ECI) is for 3 percent growth. Dollar losses were trimmed after a U.S. consumer confidence report for January came in at its highest in more than seven years. The data was released as the Federal Reserve's policy-making Federal Open Market Committee began a two-day meeting that finishes on Wednesday. "The risk for the dollar is that the FOMC might sound a little more concerned with regard to the global economy, the impact of low energy prices on their inflation forecast, and the potential impact of the very strong dollar on the economy and the very low wage backdrop," said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange in Washington. "A slightly more cautious tone to the statement tomorrow would effectively push out the time line for an eventual rate hike and that has been one of the pillars of the dollar's rally," Esiner said. The euro (EUR=EBS) rose 1.24 percent to $1.13760, off the session high $1.14230 on the EBS trading platform. That pulls it further away from Monday's 11-year low of $1.1098 after voters in Greece elected an anti-bailout government. The dollar traded down 0.52 percent to 117.85 yen (JPY=EBS). The euro gained 0.75 percent to 134.14 yen (EURJPY=EBS) and climbed 0.90 percent to 1.02510 Swiss francs (EURCHF=EBS). (Additional reporting by Jemima Kelly in London; Editing by Grant McCool and James Dalgleish) | 3 | 3,840 | finance |
HOLLADAY, Utah After losing two straight presidential races, Mitt Romney packed up his home in Massachusetts and journeyed west to Utah, building a mansion here in the foothills of the Wasatch Range that has served as his sanctuary from defeat. Here in the Salt Lake Valley, first settled by his Mormon ancestors, residents look past Romney's electoral shortcomings and revere him as a savior for rescuing the 2002 Olympics. Romney won his highest 2012 vote margin in Utah 73 percent to President Obama's 25 percent. This is also where Romney has been pondering a potential third campaign, calling out to friends and past supporters and praying with his wife, Ann. "He feels very at home here," said John Miller, a close friend in Utah who has been talking with Romney throughout his recent deliberations. "This is a very prayerful thing. . . . In the end, it's really a decision between he and Ann and their belief system, their God. That's the authentic Mitt." If he runs again in 2016, Romney is determined to re-brand himself as authentic, warts and all, and central to that mission is making public what for so long he kept private. He rarely discussed his religious beliefs and practices in his failed 2008 and 2012 races, often confronting suspicion and bigotry with silence as his political consultants urged him to play down his Mormonism. Now, Romney speaks openly about his service as a lay pastor in the Mormon church; recites Scripture to audiences; muses about salvation and the prophet; urges students to marry young and " have a quiver full of kids "; and even cracks jokes about Joseph Smith's polygamy. "He has been reluctant to speak too openly on the campaign trail about his faith out of a concern that people would believe his motivation for running was based on an attempt to convert others to his faith," said Tagg Romney, the eldest of Mitt and Ann's five adult sons. "If he were to run again," he added, "I believe he would be much more willing to open up and share who he is not by asking others to learn the doctrines of his faith, but by speaking of the values of love and service that it has taught him." Romney did just that in November, when he addressed the student body at Brigham Young University, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He talked about how his spirituality had shaped his life. "There may be times in your life when you may feel that it is a bit of a burden being a member of the church," Romney said. "Some folks will think you're not Christian, some may be insulted that you don't drink, and others will think you're trying to be better than them by not swearing. But I can affirm this: Your fellow members of the church will be a blessing to you that far more than compensates." In Holladay, an upscale suburb of Salt Lake City, the Romneys have built a manse complete with a "secret door" hideaway room and an outdoor spa off the master bath. They consider it their primary residence, located near their son, Josh, and his wife and children. Together with another family, the Romneys also bought an 8,700-square-foot ski chalet in nearby Park City. They still own a lakefront estate in Wolfeboro, N.H., and a beach home in the La Jolla area of San Diego that is being renovated to include a car elevator. Last year, the Romneys sold their Boston-area condo ; they stay at Tagg's Belmont, Mass., home when they visit. Although Romney served as governor of Massachusetts and his past campaigns were based in Boston, he recently registered to vote in Utah. Members of his political circle said they are considering making Salt Lake City, the cradle of Mormonism, his 2016 campaign headquarters. Wealthy Mormons throughout the Mountain West played a central role in financing his 2012 campaign, and a 2016 bid would lean heavily on the same network. "He was Utah's favorite adopted son, and now he's a Utahn," said Thomas Wright, a former state GOP chairman. "People here know Mitt, they trust Mitt, they respect Mitt and they still want to call him President Romney." Other locations under preliminary discussion include Boston and Detroit, where the Romney family has roots and enjoys a strong political and financial network. Romney has signaled that poverty would be a central theme of his next campaign. In 2012, Obama's campaign pilloried Romney by portraying him as an out-of-touch plutocrat. In national exit polling , voters who said choosing a candidate who "cares about people like me" was most important went with Obama over Romney, 81 percent to 18 percent. But Romney's friends and family believe he could have overcome such character concerns by talking more about his church service. "He just didn't talk enough about how he, as a man, was able to do so much to help those in need," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), who also is a Mormon. Being a volunteer bishop, as Romney was, is "a high calling in the Mormon church. You spend most of your time helping people with their problems everything from financial problems to work problems to marital problems to sexual problems." In recent remarks to the Republican National Committee, Romney cited his work tending to the poor, sick or otherwise needy people in his church as evidence that he could authentically carry a poverty message and connect with working- and middle-class Americans. "In spite of the comments about the '47 percent,' he now talks about lifting the poor," said friend Fraser Bullock, referring to Romney's 2012 remarks about people dependent on government. "That's something he's done his whole life, but he's done it quietly, ministering his faith and helping people who are struggling with this issue or that issue. That was all hidden last time." In the last campaign, Ann and Tagg Romney as well as Bob White, Romney's close friend and a fellow Bain Capital co-founder advocated internally for showcasing this part of Romney's biography. Testimony from members of Romney's congregation at the Republican National Convention briefly highlighted such themes, but Romney's campaign advisers felt any more attention would distract from his core economic message. "Last time, consultants argued it was a referendum campaign and that that was what the campaign's central message should be," Tagg Romney said. Many Romney allies said that was a fatal mistake. "Mitt and his campaign team chose a strategy of the economy, which I think was a good one, but we're all realizing that people want to see more than that," Bullock said. "They want to see the human being behind all the positions and platforms." While pondering a 2016 campaign, Romney has told friends he would be true to who he is, and that includes a heavy focus on religion. As one former senior campaign official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, put it, "Mitt is not afraid of being a loser losing." Mark DeMoss, an evangelical Christian who has helped Romney navigate faith politics for the past decade, said that Mormonism is "a tremendously important part of his narrative" and that "he ought to share his life's narrative the way he wants to and not according to some political calculus of campaign consultants." The Romney team sees "Mitt," the 2014 Netflix documentary , as a model for the kind of image they hope to project. The film reveals Romney's flashes of raw emotion, both joy and anguish kneeling down in prayer, comforting his crying wife in his lap and scooping up his grandkids in monster hugs. "I always felt that there was this secret that I had," said Greg Whiteley, the film's director. "I'd tell my friends: 'Wait till you see this footage. He really is a different guy.' So if being more candid about his religion is helping to bridge that gap, I think that's a great thing." People close to Romney said he is motivated to run again partly by an obligation to his country and his church, though they discounted the notion that he feels a divine calling. "I don't think he sits there and says, 'God wants me to part the Red Sea and, darn it, it hasn't happened twice, but it'll happen the third time,' " the former campaign official said. "Although Mitt would make a good Moses. Think about it." Robert Costa and Alice Crites in Washington contributed to this report. | 5 | 3,841 | news |
Generous dividend stocks for every corner of the S&P 500 Dividend stocks and diversified portfolios are two investment strategies that never go out of style. After all, a steady stream of payments from dividend stocks give them somewhat of a defensive cushion, as well as the potential to generate superior returns over the long haul. And as for diversification, that's about as important a defensive move you can make, seeing as it's rare for every stock and sector to tumble at the same time. Sectors that are traditionally generous with dividends include telecommunications, utilities and energy, but that doesn't mean other sectors are bereft of quality dividend stocks. Heck, even the tech sector has become a source of dividends as growth slows down for information technology but the cash keeps piling up. The S&P 500 is divided into 10 major sectors, and each one includes at least a handful of names that can be considered high-quality, generous dividend stocks. Drilling down into these names reveals dividend stocks ranging from a restaurant companies to a packaged food firm. One thing they have in common, however, is that they're all dividend stocks yielding at least 3%. Click ahead for one top-notch dividend stock to represent each sector of the market. (Dividend yields as of Jan. 23.) Read more: 5 Boomer Plays With Booming Dividends Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) Sector: Consumer Discretionary DRI Dividend Yield: 3.6% Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) is on the comeback trail. The operator of Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse and Bahama Breeze, among other names, is in the midst of a successful turnaround. The key to this resurgence was DRI's sale of the Red Lobster chain to a private equity buyer for $2.1 billion. Indeed, DRI stock is up 30% since it jettisoned the seafood chain last summer. DRI pays a 55-cent quarterly dividend good for a yield of 3.6%, which is among the highest payouts to be found in the S&P 500′s sector of consumer discretionary stocks. More importantly, the dividend looks sustainable, backed up by a payout ratio of less than 45% and ample cash flow. Altria Group Inc (MO) Sector: Consumer Staples MO Dividend Yield: 3.8% Plenty of investors won't have anything to do with Altria Group Inc (NYSE:MO) because it's a tobacco stock. That's fine. There are other names that generate excellent dividends and good returns. But as for consumer staples, there aren't many dividend stocks paying a yield of at least 3%, and most of the names that do are from the tobacco sector. Indeed, with no growth left, the only thing left for tobacco stocks to deliver is cash to shareholders. MO stock has a payout ratio of 90%, and that's a dividend investors can bank on. Happily, MO also has been good for price appreciation recently. Over the last 52 weeks, Altria has been a market crusher, outperforming the S&P 500 by about 35 percentage points. Chevron Corporation (CVX) Sector: Energy CVX Dividend Yield: 4% True, the energy sector is a traditional sector for dividends, but this is getting ridiculous. Indeed, the energy sector is littered with dividend stocks paying high to insane levels of distributions, but that's only because shares have been hammered so hard by tumbling oil prices. Fortunately, the big, diversified oil majors like Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) are more insulated from the oil shock than the pure-play exploration, production and services companies, and that could make them a bargain these days. CVX has held up reasonably well in the selloff, losing 6% over the last 52 weeks. That's help lift the dividend to 4%, but that's hardly an unsustainable level for this blue chip. Hey, energy investors might as well enjoy a steady and sizable dividend while they wait for oil prices to bounce back. Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF) Sector: Financials CINF Dividend Yield: 3.4% The financial sector was once a gusher of dividends, but ever since the financial crisis, the dividend flood has slowed to a trickle. Stricter capital requirements and federal oversight have made payouts quite thin across the sector. Indeed, the number of S&P 500 financial dividend stocks yielding at least 3% can be counted on one hand. Property and casualty insurer Cincinnati Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:CINF) happens to be one of these names, and business there is looking up. CINF, a top 25 insurance company by net written premiums, is generating annual revenue growth of more than 8%. As good as the dividend is, recent share performance is disappointing. CINF is up just 1% over the past 52 weeks, lagging the broader market by 9 percentage points. Pfizer Inc. (PFE) Sector: Healthcare PFE Dividend Yield: 3.4% A lot of investors roll their eyes at the mention of Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), or indeed at the entire pharmaceutical industry. A loss of blockbuster drugs to generics has left the sector standing with its hands in its pockets, more interested in mergers and acquisitions than new drugs. That's unfair, of course, and Pfizer, a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, proves it. Blockbuster drugs going off patent are hurting PFE, but it does have replacements in the pipeline notably a breakthrough drug for breast cancer. Pharma stocks tend to cycle with their pipelines, and this in-between time has PFE lagging the broader market over the last year. Happily, investors can collect a solid dividend while they wait for PFE's next hit. Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) Sector: Industrials CAT Dividend Yield: 3.3% Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) looked like a can't-lose bet when growth in China was supporting ever-higher prices for commodities. That growth has cooled however, as so has the once mighty commodities supercycle. Talk about bad timing: CAT made a major acquisition in the mining sector right before the bottom fell out of the market. No one knows when and if prices will bounce back, but it might not matter as far as catalysts are concerned. CAT's construction equipment business is ramping up thanks to U.S. growth. As a bet on long-term global economic growth, CAT, a Dow stock, will enjoy more upside eventually. Until then, new money will have to get by with the better-than-average dividend. Seagate Technology PLC (STX) Sector: Information Technology STX Dividend Yield: 3.4% No sector is seeing faster growth in dividends than the tech sector, but the yields still tend to be rather thin. If you're looking payouts above 3%, the pickings are slim. Happily, Seagate Technology PLC (NASDAQ:STX) is the rare tech large-cap with a fat yield. The disk-drive maker was one of the first tech names to institute a dividend more than a decade ago, and it has the wherewithal to keep them coming. Indeed, STX has a payout ratio of just 38%. STX is hardly out of growth, however. Wall Street thinks it will generate compound annual revenue growth of 12%. That's well above the broader market and should eventually push STX back to its market-beating ways after lagging by 6 percentage points over the last year. Dow Chemical Co (DOW) Sector: Materials DOW Dividend Yield: 3.8% Dow Chemical Co (NYSE:DOW) stock has had a volatile and disappointing last few years, so it needs to keep that dividend yield up to make sure investors don't get restless. A payout ratio of less than 50% and $2.7 billion in levered free cash flow over the trailing 12 months means the dividends will keep coming. Recent strategic changes afford Dow Chemical stock a chance for price appreciation, too. For too long, the company was held back by commodity business, as well as other noncore assets. Shedding those operations for about $8 billion should boost growth, which would then flow to the share price. In other shareholder-friendly moves. Capital expenditures are forecast to decline after this year, further supporting DOW's ongoing $6 billion stock repurchase program. AT&T Inc. (T) Sector: Telecommunications T Dividend Yield: 5.6% Telcos are a bastion of fat payouts, and when when it comes to Dow dividend stocks, you can't beat AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T). And the current yield of 5.6% isn't some kind of fluke on a falling share price. T stock has a five-year average yield of 5.5%. There's little growth left in the North American telecom market, so expansion has to come from market share gains and mergers and acquisitions. To that end, T made a huge splash by buying DirecTV (NASDAQ:DTV) for nearly $50 billion last year. DTV is the largest pay-TV provider in the U.S., so AT&T's acquisition will give it much more leverage with media companies in negotiations for ther negotiates for their channels. Maybe that will get shares moving. After all, T stock is a longtime market laggard, so the dividend has to be good. Consolidated Edison, Inc. (ED) Sector: Utilities ED Dividend Yield: 3.7% Utilities are another sector known for dividends, and there are few names more dependable than Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED). Indeed, ED has been paying a steady and rising dividend since 1975, giving it a place on InvestorPlace's list of dependable dividend stocks. Utility stocks have been seeing unusually strong prices gains over the last year or so, as the dividends suck in investors tired of paltry bond yields. That how ED, a long-time market laggard, gain more than 30% over the last year. At some point, interest rates will rise and the appeal of utilities will diminish. If you can ride out the reset in share price, ED promises a steady income stream throughout the process. As of this writing, Dan Burrows did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. | 3 | 3,842 | finance |
Why exercise for more than 10 to 20 minutes at maximum intensity (AMRAP, for time!) when CrossFit tells you that's all you need? Why work out for more than seven minutes when "science" says that 11 percent of an hour, and 4 percent of the week, did the job just fine? In fact, for the Tabata set out there, why waste any more time that four minutes or less of 20-second intervals? I could easily go on. Very short, high-intensity workouts are in like really in and in fact they're even hotter than Hansel right now. These workouts all share similar features: 1. They are very short in duration: anywhere from four minutes to 20 minutes. 2. They are either interval-based or based on workout density (doing as much work as possible, in as little time as possible). 3. They are all intended to be performed at maximum intensity, meaning your heart rate should/will be working at over 85 percent of your maximum heart rate during the workout. They are also incredibly one-dimensional, with a focus that eschews lower intensity work, for longer durations of time, that could be pretty darn beneficial, if not absolutely vital, to your development of optimal and balanced fitness. They in fact create a polarity between what is now thought of as "old school cardio" and the new school of short, dense, maximum intensity workouts. Let's face it: Aerobic "steady-state cardio" (e.g. easy jogging) is as in-fashion as Z. Cavaricci's those of a certain age will remember those or, for the younger set, a trucker hat. The problem is there is less a polarity between the old school and new school, an "either or," and more so a "this and" when it comes to developing balanced, optimal fitness. The idea that working out at a high intensity will lead to better fitness, whether for fat loss or performance, has merit but too often today, we see it applied incorrectly. The shift toward high-intensity training has been so strong that many are even doing it exclusively and vilifying more traditional forms of cardio and weight-training. No other form of exercise has been thrown under the bus more than low-intensity, steady-state aerobic exercise. When was the last time you went for a walk in the park, climbed a few hills on a hike or even lightly jogged on the treadmill, and counted that as a workout? Was there anything wrong with it in the first place? In the past and even today, traditional cardio has also been used incorrectly. Look no further than the person you see at your local gym who jogs on the treadmill every day for an hour, and doesn't do anything else. Perhaps the extreme shift toward high-intensity training was a response to this kind of training. No matter what was responsible for this swing to the opposing end of the spectrum, it's time to find a better balance. It's time to shift the pendulum back to the middle. A Brief Explanation of Energy Systems I hear the word "cardio" slung around as an all-inclusive term to mean anything from walking to sprinting heck, even some powerlifters define cardio as a set of squats with more than five reps! Most folks use "cardio" a catch-all to mean anything that gets you breathing heavier and your heart pumping faster. Using it as a catch-all is problematic, however. Whereas many different activities may elevate our heart rate and increase respiration, thereby developing CARDIO-pulmonary fitness (essentially improving the health and performance of your heart and lungs), lumping it all into the same category is an issue. The same is true of relegating "cardio" to only mean longer, slower, lower-threshold exercise. One way to think about this is considering the phrase "I spent money." Did you use a check, credit card or cash? Or was it a combination of two or all three of these monetary instruments? Simply saying "I spent money" doesn't tell us anything about where the resources were pulled from. The same is true of the energy systems that fuel our body. For purposes of simplicity, we essentially have three energy systems to fuel activities of varying lengths and intensities: 1. Short burst/high intensity (anaerobic); 2. Middle-range/moderate intensity (glycolytic); and 3. Longer duration/low intensity (aerobic). These three sources do not work exclusively, for the most part, but rather as a blend of varying percentages that we draw on when performing varying activities. Using the spending analogy above, this means that sometimes we may pay using 80 percent cash, 10 percent credit card and 10 percent check; while other times we may pay by 10 percent cash, 50 percent credit card and 40 percent check. An entire book could be written on the above, and in fact several have been, but for the purposes of this article and not making your head spin (not to mention saving your training!) I will focus on why you need to stop skimping on longer duration, lower intensity aerobic exercise. Without further ado, and with the caveat that it's about to get nerdy up in here, here are four reasons why: 1. Aerobic capacity. For most gym-goers, a good training program should include work of both low and high intensity. Do one or the other, which seems to be the norm, and results may be less than ideal. Generally speaking, when we work out at a high intensity short, powerful activities such as sprinting or lifting heavy weights we tap into our anaerobic metabolism, which is not oxygen-dependent and great at producing energy in short bursts. The opposite is true when we work out at a low intensity; we tap into aerobic metabolism, which is oxygen-dependent and better at producing stable energy over a long period of time. This capacity for aerobic metabolism is important. Research has actually shown that better aerobic capacity enhances our high-intensity training pursuits. Have you ever tapped out during high-intensity interval sprints ? Better aerobic capacity allows us to delay the onset of anaerobic metabolism and the physiological processes associated with it, including the activation of your body's stress system (the sympathetic nervous system). Since anaerobic metabolism gets capped pretty fast, this means aerobic capacity allows us to save it for when we need it most those last few sprints in the interval. Low-intensity aerobic exercise is a great way to develop this aerobic capacity. 2. Recovery. Along these lines, low-intensity aerobic exercise has also been found to have beneficial effects on markers of recovery in the human body. Research has shown that having good aerobic fitness enhances recovery from bouts of high-intensity exercise and delayed-onset muscle soreness, the hallmark of heavy strength training. Furthermore, how fast does your heart beat during high intensity exercise? Aerobic exercise increases heart rate variability, which measures how quickly your body switches back from an elevated heart rate brought on by the stress system to a normal heart rate modulated by the resting system (the parasympathetic nervous system). Low-intensity aerobic exercise increases this parasympathetic activity, which decreases our heart rate at rest and helps us sleep and recover better for the workouts we have ahead of us. 3. Fat loss. In the gym, we often see people who just lift weights, or just do cardio. Just as a good training program should include both low- and high-intensity work, it should also contain a mixture of both weight training and aerobic exercise. Taking this even further, there's a growing body of research focused on the efficacy of concurrent training, which combines the two modalities in one workout. This research has shown that strength training and low-intensity aerobic exercise can in fact go together. In these studies, concurrent training has been found to increase lean body mass, decrease body fat and have positive effects on markers of obesity, such as abdominal fat mass and waist circumference. Often, these results were better than those achieved by either strength training or aerobic exercise alone. 4. Mental health. Finally and perhaps most importantly, the effects that low-intensity aerobic exercise has on mental health cannot be understated. Exercise is effective as an antidepressant and can alleviate symptoms of depression. Recent research has demonstrated that people with depression or anxiety disorder have low levels of physical activity and sedentary lifestyles. Though it's widely accepted that any form of exercise is good for mental health, for those who have not exercised regularly and are sedentary, low-intensity aerobic exercise might be the easiest and safest way to start. In fact, low-intensity aerobic exercise has very recently been found to be a great addition to cognitive behavioral therapy for people with panic disorder . Thus, if you need something to ease your nerves, it might not be a bad idea to turn to some aerobic exercise. So, in a nutshell: If you want to be a healthy, happy, fast-recovering, ripped, high-intensity machine, don't skip slow, low-intensity exercise. It's time to bring low-intensity, steady-state aerobic exercise back into the fold, just like the trucker hat. (No, not like the trucker hat actually. But maybe like hand-written thank you notes.) It was never a good idea to just do high-intensity interval training, nor was doing just "cardio." Aerobic exercise has potent effects on your training capacity , recovery, body composition and mental health, and it would be unwise to omit it. Now get up and go "beast mode" on that walk. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report | 7 | 3,843 | health |
Celebrity style inspiration: Stripes Celebrities like Emily Blunt, Olivia Munn and Cara Delevingne were seen in stylish striped outfits. Click through to check out how the stars wear their stripes with panache. Emily Blunt Blunt painted an elegant picture in the asymmetrical David Koma dress, studded with embellishments in stripes. Olivia Munn The Newsroom star looked chic in the Giambattista Valli below-the-knee dress. Leighton Meester Meester rocked the Cushnie et Ochs striped dress with cut-out details - brownie points for the green clutch and red lips! Cara Delevingne Delevingne sizzled in the green floor-length gown with spaghetti straps. The gold belt perfectly accentuated her waist, while breaking the monotony of the stripes. Katharine McPhee The singer picked a sexy black-and-white Balmain ensemble, which showed off her figure perfectly. Chloe Grace Moretz The young star paired the white mesh top with a maroon-and-black striped Louis Vuitton skirt. Nicky Hilton The hotel heiress in a multi-coloured Valentino jacket, with pocket and zipper details. Naomie Harris The Altuzarra striped dress picked by Harris had a modern, edgy feel to it. Jennifer Connelly Connelly in a fun Louis Vuitton striped mini dress paired with black lace leggings. Gwen Stefani The singer in a pair of boyfriend jeans and a sequinned T-shirt with colourful patches. Fergie Fergie showed off her toned body in this short embellished Balmain black-and-golden dress. Sienna Miller Miller wore the boho-style metallic-striped Galvan gown with absolute ease. Heather Graham The off-shoulder Naeem Khan dress with colourful stripes worn by Graham was a fun look. Kate Upton Upton looked fabulous in the striped pencil skirt paired with a loose-fitting shirt. Jena Malone The Thom Browne dress picked by Malone had an interesting variety of stripes, perfectly tailored to suit the actor's silhouette. Sofia Coppola The director looked graceful in the black-and-blue culottes with a matching jacket. Tilda Swinton Swinton's straight-cut Schiaparelli sequin-striped dress was an interesting pick. Brittany Snow The John Tucker Must Die actress picked a graceful Naeem Khan halter-necked dress. Paula Abdul Abdul's striped monochromatic attire was both smart and stylish. Mackenzie Foy The Interstellar actor looked cute in her black skirt-striped top combination. | 4 | 3,844 | lifestyle |
(Bloomberg) -- American Airlines Group Inc. fell the most among its U.S. peers after saying that airfares are starting to drop as low-fare domestic rivals add seating capacity in some markets. The squeeze is showing up in an industry gauge of passenger revenue from each seat flown a mile. That benchmark will decline by 2 percent to 4 percent this quarter, American said Tuesday on a conference call -- a forecast that overshadowed news such as a $2 billion stock buyback and $5 billion in 2015 fuel savings. The projected decrease in Prasm, as the figure is known, exceeded the estimates of some analysts and followed forecasts for no change from Delta Air Lines Inc., United Continental Holdings Inc. and Southwest Airlines Co. American "was much weaker than the rest of the industry," said Savanthi Syth, a Raymond James Financial Inc. analyst who expected a decline of 1 percent. "A weak Prasm spooks the market as investors are trying to figure out how much of the fuel price declines airlines will be able to capture." American slid 5 percent to $52.70 at the close in New York. That marked the largest drop among 11 carriers in the Bloomberg U.S. Airlines Index and the biggest tumble since Dec. 16. Seating capacity is increasing in 50 markets, including some trans-Atlantic routes, American said. Many of the cities are served from Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago and Washington, where discounters are expanding, according to the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline, which had to give up flying rights in Dallas and Washington in the 2013 merger with US Airways Group. 'Competing Aggressively' "We're competing aggressively," President Scott Kirby said on the call. "We are matching the fares of our low-cost competitors. When you have that much new capacity in markets, it's going to put pressure on price." Fred Lowrance, an Avondale Partners LLC analyst, estimated that American's Prasm would fall 1.5 percent. He said the airline's first-quarter capacity growth also is lower than his forecast. The airline foresees expansion of 2 percent to 3 percent, down a half-point from earlier projections. "When capacity growth rates are slower, that should give Prasm a boost, all else being equal," Lowrance said by e-mail. "The combination of a slower capacity growth rate and softer Prasm guidance is probably creating a little extra angst." Lowrance, who is based in Nashville, Tennessee, rates American as market outperform. Syth, based in St. Petersburg, Florida, recommends the shares as outperform. No Cuts American sets fares according to demand and has no plans to trim prices because the carrier is paying less for fuel, its biggest expense. The airline will continue operating as if oil, which is refined into jet kerosene, were still $100 a barrel, Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker said, instead of the $46.14 West Texas Intermediate traded at Tuesday. "What we believe is, pricing is tied to demand and demand remains strong," Parker said on the call. "That's what we should base our pricing on." American's new stock buyback follows the completion of an initial $1 billion effort a year ahead of schedule. The latest program is targeted to be finished by the end of 2016, American said. Quarterly profit excluding some items was $1.1 billion, or $1.52 a share, American said. That exceeded the $1.51-a-share average of 18 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. American said it expects to pay $1.73 to $1.78 a gallon for fuel this quarter, compared with $3.06 a year earlier. It doesn't use contracts to protect against price swings in jet kerosene. Carriers including American, Delta and United have used repurchases, dividends or both since 2013 to share cash with investors after bankruptcies, consolidation and nine years of losses through 2009 that totaled $58 billion. American's board approved its first buyback plan in July, as financial benefits accrued faster than expected after the US Airways tie-up in December 2013. The airline also said then that it would pay a dividend, its first since 1980. To contact the reporter on this story: Mary Schlangenstein in Dallas at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Edward Dufner at [email protected] Molly Schuetz | 3 | 3,845 | finance |
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Reformers in the New York Assembly want to rewrite the rules to limit backroom dealing and to disperse power after helping force one of the state's most influential politicians to relinquish authority. In two days of closed-door talks, the Assembly's majority Democrats reached consensus on two major changes: Democratic Speaker Sheldon Silver will vacate his post by Monday, and they'll take two weeks to choose his successor. That's intended to give candidates time to make their intentions clear and colleagues time to evaluate them openly. Silver was accused last week by federal prosecutors of influencing legislation and awarding grants to collect almost $4 million in kickbacks over a decade. He led the chamber for 21 years and exercised strong central control. He declined to immediately resign, predicting he'll be exonerated. | 5 | 3,846 | news |
Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo and Russian supermodel Irina Shayk called it quits at the end of 2014, bringing an end to their five-year relationship. It has been widely speculated that a strained relationship between Shayk and Dolores Aveiro, Cristiano's mother, was the reason behind the split. We take a look at some of the other famous break-ups of superstar athletes, including Tom Brady, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Tom Brady and Bridget Moynahan The Patriots quarterback ended his relationship with the I, Robot star in February 2007. Brady was dating the Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen at the time of his split with Moynahan. He later married Bündchen. Source Rory McIlroy and Caroline Wozniacki Golfer Rory McIlroy's split with his tennis player girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki in May 2014 was sudden. According to news reports, Rory broke up with his fiance in a short three-minute phone call. Source Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn After dating for two years, golfer Tiger Woods and skier Lindsey Vonn mutually decided to end their relationship. Source Derek Jeter and Minka Kelly Jeter and Kelly had a topsy-turvy relationship that began in 2008, when the actress was spotted attending several of the baseball star's games. The relationship lasted for three to four years and there were rumors of an engagement, but they eventually parted ways. Source Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe The former baseball player's nine-month marriage with the Hollywood star ended in October 1954 with Monroe claiming that DiMaggio was cold and indifferent toward her. Source Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian The pressure of starring on a reality TV show Kourtney and Kim Take New York , constant media attention, and conflicting work schedules got to Kris Humphries; and subsequently, led to the end of the 72-day marriage. Kim Kardashian and the NBA star had gotten married in November 2011. Source Tony Parker and Eva Longoria The basketball player split with his wife of three years amidst allegations that he cheated on her. Source Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson The romance that started in late 2007 ended in June 2009. Romo, apparently, broke up with Simpson a day before her 29th birthday. Source Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian NFL running back Reggie Bush dated reality TV star Kim Kardashian from 2007 to 2009 before briefly getting back together and then breaking up again in early 2010. Source Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sarah Brandner After being together for seven years, German soccer star Bastian Schweinsteiger ended his relationship with supermodel girlfriend Sarah Brandner in 2014. The Bayern Munich midfielder reportedly dated tennis ace Ana Ivanovic for some time after his breakup with Brandner. Source Mike Comrie and Hilary Duff Former hockey player Comrie separated from Hilary Duff, his actress-singer wife of more than three years, in January 2014. A source close to Duff told People magazine that "there was no major incident -- no big event between the two of them. They really did drift apart. They have put effort and thought into this decision for a long time. They tried couples therapy, but in the end, they realized at this time, they work better as friends. And they really are great friends." Source Derek Jeter and Vanessa Minnillo MTV host Vanessa Minnillo dated MLB player Derek Jeter in 2003. Source Boris Becker and Barbara Feltus Tennis legend Boris Becker separated from Barbara Feltus, his wife of seven years, in December 2000 following a strain in their marriage. Source Matt Kemp and Rihanna In December 2010, the baseball player called it quits with Rihanna after dating her for almost a year. According to US Weekly magazine, Kemp was fed up with the singer's busy lifestyle. Source Lance Armstrong and Kate Hudson Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong's affair lasted only for a few months and the couple broke up in 2009. Source Mike Tyson and Robin Givens Actress Robin Givens married star boxer Mike Tyson in 1988. According to reports, abuse and infidelity were the major reasons for the breakdown of the marriage after a year. Source Maria Sharapova and Sasha Vujacic Busy international schedules were reportedly cited as a major reason for the breakup between tennis star Maria Sharapova and Slovenian basketball player Sasha Vujacic in August 2012. The two started dating in 2010 and had gotten engaged later in the year. Source Michael Clarke and Lara Bingle The Australian cricketer and his swimsuit model girlfriend called off their engagement in March 2010. Apparently, the relationship could not withstand the model's nude photo scandal. Source Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian The basketball player and the reality TV star ended their four-year old marriage in December 2013 after it was rumored that Odom cheated and used drugs. Source Shane Warne and Liz Hurley In December 2013, former Australian cricketer Shane Warne and actress Elizabeth Hurley announced the end of their relationship in a tweet "The past should be the past & stay there. It destroys the future. Live life for what tomorrow has to offer, not for what happened yesterday." Source Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra Carmen Electra broke up with her husband and basketball player Dennis Rodman after six months of marriage. They had gotten married in a Las Vegas chapel in 1998. Lleyton Hewitt and Kim Clijsters Differences in the planning for the wedding between Kim Clijsters and her to-be in-laws were cited as the reason the two former top-ranked tennis players split. Source Andre Agassi and Brooke Shields Although it looked like an amicable separation, Andre Agassi wrote otherwise in his 2009 autobiography. According to his tell-all, he claimed not-so-loving things about his ex-wife Brooke Shields. "I have a thought no man should have on his wedding day... I wish I had a decoy groom to take my place," he wrote. Source Anna Kournikova and Sergei Federov Tennis player Anna Kournikova married Russian ice hockey player Sergei Fedorov in Moscow in 2001. However, they split the same year when Anna, who denied reports about the marriage, started dating Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias. Source David Justice and Halle Berry Baseball star David Justice and Hollywood actress Halle Berry filed for divorce after three years of marriage. The reasons for the divorce are unknown. Sania Mirza and Sohrab Mirza The Indian tennis ace broke off her engagement with childhood friend Sohrab Mirza citing incompatibility issues. Source Sean Avery and Elisha Cuthbert The hockey player broke up with his actress girlfriend of two years in August 2007 due to complications arising from a long-distance relationship. Source Andre Rison and Lisa Lopes The rocky relationship between NFL wide receiver Andre Rison and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes began in the early 1990s and made headlines due to their constant fights. Rison and Lopes appeared in court following a fight that allegedly saw the former hit the latter. Things got out of hand when she set Rison's shoes on fire in Rison's mansion and the entire house burnt down in the process. Lopes passed away in 2002, ending their tumultuous affiliation. Source Chad Johnson and Evelyn Lozada The NFL player split with his wife Evelyn Lozada, a Dancing with the Stars contestant, 41 days after they got married. Source John McEnroe and Tatum O'Neal Former tennis player split with his actress wife in 1995 after eight years of marriage. Source Dennis Rodman and Madonna The quintessential bad boy of the NBA had a high-profile personal life and his relationship with Madonna was much-publicized during 1994. Though the relationship did not last for long, Rodman claimed that the singer wanted to have his baby. Source Alex Rodriguez and Kate Hudson The baseball player ended his six-month relationship with the actress in December 2009. According to reports in Us magazine, Rodrigues was "turned off" with Hudson's less-than-subtle presence at the Yankee games. Source Marko Jarić and Adriana Lima According to a joint statement released by the couple, the former basketball player split with model Adriana Lima after five years of marriage. Source Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert A fairy-tale romance between two top tennis stars started when Evert met Connors in London during early 1970s while competing at Wimbledon. The two dated for about two years, and were engaged, before it all came to a halt. The reason was a mystery for a long time, but in his 2013 memoir Connors said that the two were unfaithful to each other. Source Pavel Bure and Anna Kournikova NHL player Pavel Bure and Anna Kournikova dated briefly in 2000 before getting married in 2001 and eventually splitting in 2003. Source Rick Fox and Vanessa Williams NBA star Rick Fox started dating actress-singer Vanessa Williams in late 1990s and the couple got married in 1999. The couple had a daughter in 2000 and they split in 2004 after several misunderstandings. Source Chris Evert and Andy Mill Tennis legend Chris Evert split with Andy Mill, her husband for 18 years, in 2006. She later went on to marry golfer Greg Norman, who also happened to be Mill's best friend. Source Ashley Cole and Cheryl In 2004, Chelsea star Ashley Cole began dating singer Cheryl and their relationship garnered a lot of attention from the media. The couple got married in July 2006 in London. The marriage ended in 2010 when Cheryl filed for divorce amid rumors of Ashley's infidelity. Source Greg Norman and Chris Evert Evert's relationship with Norman started while she was still married to Andy Mill. The relationship culminated in marriage, but it didn't last. According to reports, there was an ego clash between the two and they couldn't agree on anything, even where to live. Source Andy Roddick and Mandy Moore The two ended their 18-month relationship in 2004. The reason for their breakup was unclear. Source Chris Evert and John Lloyd A few years after ending her relationship with tennis ace Jimmy Connors, Evert started dating John Lloyd and married him in 1979. Evert was married to Lloyd, who was also a British player, for just under a decade before splitting in 1987. Source Derek Jeter and Jordana Brewster One of the many actresses who dated Derek Jeter, Jordana Brewster was often spotted with the baseball star at several events. The couple began dating around 2001 but parted ways in less than a year. Source Derek Jeter and Lara Dutta Jeter began his relationship with Lara Dutta after she was crowned Miss Universe in 2000, and the couple was spotted in several places, including a New York Knicks NBA game. However, the relationship fizzled out within a year due to unknown reasons. Source Darren Daulton and Lynne Austin Former Playboy Playmate Lynne Austin, who shot to fame with her Hooters restaurant ad campaign, married MLB star Darren Daulton in 1989. The couple had one child together and parted ways in 1995. Source Bret Lee and Liz Kemp The Australian fast bowler confirmed his separation from Elizabeth Kemp, a former podiatrist, in August 2008 after being married to her for two years. Rumor mills blamed the split on Kemp's alleged relationship with a high-profile rugby player. Source Maria Kirilenko and Alex Ovechkin Tennis star Maria Kirilenko began dating NHL MVP Alex Ovechkin in 2011 and got engaged a year later. The couple was expected to tie the knot in 2014 but Kirilenko called off the wedding, saying that there were several reasons behind the decision. Source Alex Rodriguez and Cameron Diaz Hollywood star Cameron Diaz's relationship with baseball superstar A-Rod caught a lot of media attention and the couple was often photographed holidaying together. However, the couple headed for splitsville in 2011 due to lack of matching lifestyles. Source Lance Armstrong and Sheryl Crow Singer Sheryl Crow started was involved in a much-publicised relationship with American cyclist Lance Armstrong, whom she began dating in 2003. The couple got engaged in 2005 but didn't make it to the altar. They split in 2006. Source | 1 | 3,847 | sports |
An ancient human fossil discovered from the seafloor near Taiwan reveals that a primitive group of humans, potentially an unknown species, once lived in Asia, researchers say. These findings suggest that multiple lineages of extinct humans may have coexisted in Asia before the arrival of modern humans in the region about 40,000 years ago, the scientists added. Although modern humans, Homo sapiens , are the only surviving human lineage, others once walked the globe. Extinct human lineages once found in Asia include Neanderthals , the closest extinct relatives of modern humans; Denisovans, whose genetic legacy may extend from Siberia to the Pacific islands of Oceania; Homo erectus , the most likely ancestors to modern humans; and the hobbitlike Homo floresiensis , who lived in Indonesia. These all are hominins the group of species consisting of humans and all their relatives after the split from the chimpanzee lineage. [ The 10 Biggest Mysteries of the First Humans ] Now, scientists have revealed the first ancient human fossil a nearly complete right side of a lower jaw with primitive-looking teeth to be found in Taiwan. The fossil was dredged by a fishing net from the seafloor about 200 to 400 feet (60 to 120 meters) below the surface of the Penghu Channel, located about 15.5 miles (25 kilometers) off the western coast of Taiwan. The channel was part of the Asian mainland during the last ice age , when sea levels were lower. An unknown fisherman sold the fossil, now dubbed Penghu 1, to a local antique shop. A local collector later submitted Penghu 1 to Taiwan's National Museum of Natural Sciences after the researchers noticed its significance. Analysis of trace elements in Penghu 1 suggests the hominin probably lived between 10,000 and 190,000 years ago. The jaw and its teeth look unexpectedly primitive for this age, the researchers said. During the Pleistocene Epoch, which lasted from about 2.6 million years ago to 11,700 years ago, humans generally evolved smaller jaws and teeth , but the new fossil from Taiwan appears larger and more robust than older Homo erectus fossils from Java and northern China. The researchers said Penghu 1 does resemble a 400,000-year-old fossil from Hexian, in southern China, located about 590 miles (950 km) north of the Penghu Channel. The scientists suggest these fossils together represent a distinct group of archaic humans, although they caution that they do not yet have enough evidence to say whether it is a new species or not. "We need other skeletal parts to evaluate the degree of its uniqueness,"study co-author Yousuke Kaifu, a paleoanthropologist at Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, told Live Science. "The question of species can be effectively discussed after those steps." The new findings suggest there were several different groups of archaic humans living in Asia at the same time, some more primitive than others. "Then modern humans dispersed into this region around 50,000 to 40,000 years ago and came across a diverse group of hominins," Kaifu said. "This is a very different, complex and exciting story compared to what I was taught in school." The scientists detailed their findings online today (Jan. 27) in the journal Nature Communications. Follow Live Science @livescience , Facebook & Google+ . Originally published on Live Science . Denisovan Gallery: Tracing the Genetics of Human Ancestors Image Gallery: Our Closest Human Ancestor In Photos: New Human Ancestor Possibly Unearthed in Spanish Cave | 5 | 3,848 | news |
To the average person, 800 mph (1,290 km/h) might seem blisteringly fast. But for a rocket-powered car, that's pretty slow at least to Mark Elvin, lead engineer on a project that aims to break the world land speed record with a supersonic car. The so-called Bloodhound car is designed to go superfast. The goal is to accelerate to 1,000 mph (1,609 km/h) during the ultimate test drive, which is scheduled to take place in 2016. But first, the car will undergo a series of tests at lower speeds and even those test drives could break the existing land speed record . The Bloodhound SSC organization, which is supervising the car's design and build, recently released a "model kit" that shows the different pieces of the vehicle. [ See photos of the rocket-powered Bloodhound car ] "You may walk into the workshop and see the chassis sitting on the bed where we're building it, but that's not all we've got," Elvin told Live Science. "It's a really good way of illustrating to the public that we're deadly serious about this, and we've got a lot of car there." The team hopes that the test runs, slated to take place this summer and fall, will drum up more interest in the project. Testing in South Africa Bloodhound will sniff out the current land speed record of 763 mph (1,227 km/h), held by Thrust SSC, a United Kingdom-based team that was led by Richard Noble, the current leader of the Bloodhound project. Noble held the land speed record between 1983 and 1997. Andy Green, the former driver for Thrust SSC, will also drive the Bloodhound car . If all goes according to plan, Bloodhound will do runway testing in the United Kingdom at speeds of up to 200 mph (322 km/h) in the summer. Next, the team will bring the rocket-powered car to the Kalahari Desert in South Africa to test the vehicle at speeds of up to 800 mph. The planned 2016 test drives will also take place in the Kalahari Desert . But preparing the South African site is no easy task, according to the team. At such high speeds, even a single stone can pose a big threat to the car, so roughly 6,600 tons of pebbles will have to be removed from the testing strip to prevent any problems. The car has been simulated in computer programs, which has helped the engineers make some major design changes. About two years ago, engineers discovered a slightly raised underside to the nose that would generate a little more than a ton of lift at the front of the car. Concerned about how that could affect the car's performance , engineers flattened the underside to reduce the lift problem. 'Nobody's been to these speeds' While the 45-member Bloodhound team thinks it has planned for most of the potential problems the car could encounter, Elvin said there could be unforeseen obstacles. "Nobody has run on this desert before," he said. "Nobody has run a car like this, and nobody's been to these speeds." When the car does its runs on the desert this year, it will take about 2 minutes from start to stop. The car's rocket engines will fire for about 20 seconds in that time, giving the car 60 seconds to reach top speed and another 60 seconds to slow down. The acceleration will produce a sensation of roughly 2.5 times Earth's gravity , which is just slightly less than what space shuttle astronauts feel during their launch into orbit. Officials from a local sporting body will be on hand to verify the timing, which will be done in a manner approved by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (International Federation of the Automobile), Formula 1's governing body. Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace , or Live Science on Twitter @livescience . We're also on Facebook & Google+ . Original article on Live Science . Supersonic! The 10 Fastest Military Airplanes Look Quick: Gallery of the Fastest Beasts on Land Humanoid Robots to Flying Cars: 10 Coolest DARPA Projects | 3 | 3,849 | finance |
The cruise industry is known for its outlandish amenities: on-board climbing walls, floating casinos, nightclubs, and ice spas . And for some time now, cruise companies like the clothing-optional SwingersCruise.com have catered to older swingers, naturists, and "cougars." But cruise lines like hotel chains are trying to find ways to encourage younger travelers to join the 22.2 million people worldwide expected to take a cruise in 2015. Seven new cruise ships are expected to enter the market this year. The average age of a cruise passenger is down from 56 in 2002 (pdf), and 50 in 2011. But with the average cruiser still at the ripe age of 46, according to Cruise Lines International Association's (CLIA) latest industry profile , some cruise lines are trying new tactics to lure younger travelers looking for romance. The Norwegian Epic, a 4,100-capacity ship, features studio cabins priced for solo cruisers, who also have access to the Studio Lounge, a place for singles to meet over drinks . "[The studio cabins] have been doing really well," said Matthew Eichhorst, president of Expedia CruiseShipCenters, a cruise-booking site. "I see many other lines adding them in the future; they're pretty hip." MSC Cruises, an Italian line, also provides condoms, pregnancy tests, lubricants, and the morning-after pill by prescription to its passengers. And last year Singles Cruise, a charter cruise company for single passengers, began chartering cruises based on different age groups (pdf), part of an effort to target younger cruisers, Jody Ryland, vice president of the company, tells Quartz. Catering to the millennial traveler is something cruise lines have been struggling with, Monty Mathisen, managing editor of Cruise Industry News, tells Quartz. That's because access to onboard internet continues to be slow and expensive, and itineraries are often too long for millennials, who don't have a lot of vacation time, Mathisen said. And the add-on charges can blow the vacation budget for young people. But millennials also offer the cruise industry an opportunity. In fact, that age group was the most interested in cruising , with 53% of them saying they would like to take a cruise within the next two years more than "Xers," "boomers," or "matures" according to the MMGY Global 2014 Portrait of American Travelers. The idea of the high seas as a place to fall in love has for some time been embedded in literature and popular culture , and there's some evidence that cruises actually do help spark lust and romance. A survey conducted by the online cruising agency Bon Voyage Cruises found that 14% of cruise passengers say they have found love on the waves , with 41% saying they are still with the partner and 12% eventually marrying them. On the other hand, couples looking to rekindle their romance might consider avoiding cruises. Another survey, by Cruise.co.uk, found that one in five passengers have cheated on their partner during a cruise, with 80% doing so when their partner was onboard. | 2 | 3,850 | travel |
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) Authorities say a 3-year-old boy left alone in a day care van has been found wandering on a New York street. Police tell local media in Rochester that the boy was picked up around 8 a.m. Monday and fell asleep in a back seat of the van. Two workers unloaded the other children but apparently forgot about the toddler. The workers then drove away with the boy still strapped into his seat and parked the van. Police say the boy awoke and got out of the van. A motorist spotted him at around 11 a.m., pulled over and called 911. The boy was treated at a hospital and released. The two workers have been charged with endangering the welfare of a child. | 5 | 3,851 | news |
Access to Facebook, the world's largest social network, and its Instagram photo-sharing site were blocked around the world for up to an hour on Tuesday, which the company said later was due to an internal fault and not an outside attack. The outage at Facebook, which started around 6 am Greenwich Mean Time, appeared to spill over and temporarily slow or block traffic to other major Internet sites, according to web and mobile user reports from around the globe. Matchmaking site Tinder, a unit of IAC/InterActive Corp, and Hipchat, the workplace instant-messaging service of Australian enterprise software company Atlassian, were also down around the same period, but recovered. A hacker group associated with other recent high-profile attacks on other online services sought to claim responsibility for the outages, but Facebook said the fault was its own. "This was not the result of a third-party attack, but instead occurred after we introduced a change that affected our configuration systems," Facebook said. "Both services are back to 100 percent for everyone." Users in the United States and many countries in Asia and Europe reported that they were unable to log on to the websites of Facebook, Instagram and corresponding mobile apps including Facebook and Facebook Messenger. During the outages, Facebook users were greeted with the message: "Sorry, something went wrong. We're working on it and we'll get it fixed as soon as we can." "If you run a service with the capacity (and complexity) to deliver media for hundreds of millions of users, it's inevitable that things don't always go according to plan," said Steve Santorelli, a former London police detective and now a researcher at U.S. threat intelligence firm Team Cymru. Facebook counted more than 1.35 billion web and 1.12 mobile phone users on a monthly basis in September, the latest date for which official figures are available. Earlier on Tuesday a Twitter account that purports to speak for hacker group "Lizard Squad" posted messages suggesting that it was behind an attack that temporarily blocked several major web sites, including Facebook and Instagram. The Lizard Squad is a group of unknown hackers that has taken credit for several high-profile outages, including the attacks that took down the Sony PlayStation Network and Microsoft's Xbox Live network last month. Santorelli said that attacking Internet sites which operate at the size and scale of Facebook via a classic distributed denial of service attack would be a huge undertaking, which, while not entirely impossible, would be "monumentally hard." Denial of service attacks direct thousands of infected computers under an attacker's control to ping a site or sites, thereby slowing or blocking access for regular users. Such attacks can create congestion on branches of the Internet where the site is located, slowing Web traffic and affecting access to unrelated services. As a precaution, Facebook users are advised to change their passwords and review their privacy settings, Santorelli said. | 3 | 3,852 | finance |
SpaceX and Boeing spoke together in public for the first time with NASA and unveiled their plans to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2017. NASA selected the companies last September to build manned spacecraft for its Commercial Crew Program , and both have tight schedules to make. A crucial phase will be the so-called pad abort tests , which "provide astronauts a means of escaping a potentially catastrophic situation," according to NASA. Boeing will run its pad abort tests in February 2017, with an uncrewed flight test in April and a full mission with a test pilot and NASA astronaut slated for July, 2017. Meanwhile, SpaceX's pad abort test and in-flight abort test are scheduled for later this year, with a manned trip planned for 2017. SpaceX's pad abort test will take place on a truss in Cape Canaveral, Florida, rather than an actual Falcon 9 rocket. If it works, the Dragon Capsule's thrusters will fire and carry a test dummy to safety, simulating what could happen in a launch malfunction. The following year, Dragon will be mounted to a modified Falcon 9 rocket for the in-flight tests to demonstrate its ability to abort at altitude. Boeing has yet to detail exactly how it will conduct its own tests on the CST-100 capsule. The missions will be the first to launch humans into space from US craft since the space shuttle was decommissioned in 2011. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket/ Dragon crew capsule , and Boeing's CST-100 capsule (strapped to a Delta V rocket) will also be the first private US vehicles to fly manned missions. They'll allow NASA to increase its crew complement on the ISS from six to seven, enabling personnel to double their research hours to 80 per week. For a more detailed dive, check the entire press conference in the video below. NASA | 5 | 3,853 | news |
Jason Davidson scores a goal as Australia beat United Arab Emirates 2-0 to reach the Asia Cup final and the West Bromwich Albion defender says it is a dream come true. | 8 | 3,854 | video |
WASHINGTON (AP) The top Democrat on the Senate banking committee wants to put the brakes on legislation to levy more sanctions on Iran if no diplomatic agreement can be reached by July to prevent Tehran from being able to develop a nuclear weapon. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said at a hearing Tuesday that the committee should delay a markup on the bill, which has yet to be introduced. He says the sanctions bill, being drafted by Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., is being "hustled through" the committee without adequate review. President Barack Obama says any new sanctions legislation would undermine the ongoing negotiations with Iran. He has threatened to veto it. Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., says sanctions have succeeded where diplomacy has not. | 5 | 3,855 | news |
Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) on Tuesday reported lower quarterly net profit that missed expectations as lower prices for copper, coal and iron ore hurt mining equipment orders, and warned the recent fall in oil prices would make for a difficult year in 2015. The report sent the company's shares down nearly 6 percent in premarket trading. The world's largest maker of construction and mining equipment said it expects only a modest improvement in the global economy in 2015 and gave an earnings outlook for the year below Wall Street estimates. Chief Executive Officer Doug Oberhelman said without a doubt Caterpillar faces a "tough year in 2015." "While 2015 will be difficult, the work we've done to improve our cost structure, market position and quality will position us for better results when the world economy and the key industries we serve improve," Oberhelman added. The Peoria, Illinois-based company reported fourth-quarter net profit of $757 million, down nearly 25 percent from $1.03 billion a year earlier. Caterpillar reported earnings per share of $1.23, compared with $1.54 a year earlier. Analysts expected $1.55 for the most recent quarter. Revenue totaled $14.24 billion, down from $14.4 billion a year earlier, but above expectations of $14.18 billion. Caterpillar said it expects full-year 2015 earnings per share of $4.60, or $4.75 excluding restructuring costs. Analysts estimated $6.67 for the year. | 3 | 3,856 | finance |
Sales of new U.S. single-family homes jumped in December, unwinding the prior month's decline, but the overall trend remained consistent with a gradual housing market improvement. The Commerce Department said on Tuesday that sales increased 11.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 481,000 units. November's sales pace was revised down to 431,000 units from 438,000 units. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast new home sales rising to a 450,000-unit pace last month. New home sales, which account for about 8 percent of the housing market, moved sideways for much of 2014, with a total of 435,000 homes sold compared with 429,000 in 2013. | 3 | 3,857 | finance |
TROON, Scotland (AP) Royal Troon Golf Club, the host of the 2016 British Open, says it will review its male-only membership policy. A statement on Tuesday says Troon will ''shortly undertake a comprehensive review'' which will allow it ''to consider the most appropriate membership policy for the future.'' The news comes following The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews' decision last September to open its membership to women after 260 years of male exclusivity. Royal Troon, formed in 1878, also confirmed plans to share the responsibility of hosting next year's British Open with The Ladies Golf Club in Troon that uses its facilities. It said a joint championship committee has been formed to deliver the event. | 1 | 3,858 | sports |
The captain of the European side that will defend the Ryder Cup against the United States in Minnesota in 2016 will be Darren Clarke or Miguel Angel Jimenez, two stalwarts of the team said on Tuesday. World number two Henrik Stenson and sixth-ranked Sergio Garcia both believe it will be a straight fight between the Northern Irishman and the Spaniard over who replaces 2014 skipper Paul McGinley. "Most likely we're going to see a race between Darren and Miguel," Stenson told reporters on Tuesday ahead of this week's Dubai Desert Classic. "That's the beauty of being part of the Tournament Players Committee that no longer votes for it. I don't have to put any thought into it, I just have to wait like everybody else until the result comes out." The captain used to be decided by the players but it is now down to a five-man panel that includes former skippers McGinley, Jose Maria Olazabal and Colin Montgomerie. "They have got enough experience between them to come up with a good decision," said Swede Stenson who has played in the biennial team event three times. "I believe they haven't met yet. They haven't managed to get that meeting together so I don't know when it's scheduled to happen." Asked if Clarke or Jimenez would be the next captain, Garcia replied: "It looks like that. "I think those are the two big candidates and I think we are all excited to see how it turns out," added Garcia who has made seven Ryder Cup appearances. The Dubai Desert Classic, which features world number one Rory McIlroy, starts on Thursday. (Writing by Tony Jimenez, editing by Ed Osmond) | 1 | 3,859 | sports |
It sounds like the breakthrough that no one was asking for: scientists have announced they have managed to "unboil" an egg. In a disgusting-sounding experiment that you probably shouldn't try at home, an international team of researchers have used urea, one of the main components of urine, and a "vortex fluid device" to uncook a hen's egg. They believe the findings could dramatically reduce costs in processes as far apart as cheese manufacturing and cancer research. The researchers boiled an egg for 20 minutes, before focusing on returning one protein in the egg white to its previous state. The idea was to combat the difficulties that arise when proteins "misfold", forcing scientists to use time-consuming methods to untangle misfolded proteins or expensive methods to ensure the proteins don't get tangled up in the first place. "There are lots of cases of gummy proteins that you spend way too much time scraping off your test tubes, and you want some means of recovering that material," says Gregory Weiss , professor of chemistry and molecular biology and biochemistry at the University of California Irvin. "In our paper, we describe a device for pulling apart tangled proteins and allowing them to refold." First a urea substance was added to turn the cooked white back into a liquid. This was then put into a vortex fluid device, where the tangled proteins were spun and gently pulled apart until they refolded into their proper structure. "They're getting stretched apart, and they snap back," says Weiss. "Sometimes they snap back into their natural shapes." The process is a breakthrough because it only takes minutes. Previous methods of refolding proteins can take days and to avoid this scientists rely on expensive production methods. For instance when making cancer antibodies, scientists use expensive hamster ovary cells because they don't often misfold proteins. Cancer researchers, the pharmaceutical, agricultural and other industries could also save much of the $160bn they spend on proteins each year. "I can't predict how much money it will save, but I can [predict] this will save a ton of time, and time is money," says Weiss. | 5 | 3,860 | news |
Worst ever Grammy fashion disasters The Grammy's red carpet has seen it all. From Vatican-inspired robes to barely-there gowns, celebrities tend to go overboard with their looks. Click through to check out some of the weirdest fashion choices at the Grammy's over the years. Lady Gaga Gaga's outfit at the 2010 Grammy's was nothing but weird. Sticking true to her fashion sense, she was seen in an unusual getup, complete with a headgear. Nicki Minaj Minaj's 2012 Grammy's outfit drew major criticism. The Vatican-inspired red robe by Versace was a major faux pas by the rapper. The previous year, she was seen in a dramatic leopard-printed costume, complete with streaked hair and a massive blonde wig. OK Go The Here It Goes Again rockers in their matching suits and fully-covered face masks were the epitome of weirdness at the 2007 Grammy's. M.I.A. The heavily-pregnant rapper chose a frumpy blue outfit and matching sneakers at the 2009 Grammy's. Later, she changed into a sheer polka-dotted outfit which was equally disastrous. Beyonce At the 2004 Grammy's, Beyonce took home five golden gramophones, but the golden dress she wore was definitely a fashion miss. Pink, Christina Aguilera and Mya The trio picked up their awards at the 2002 Grammy's in lingerie-inspired outfits. Rihanna The singer was seen in a completely sheer dress at the 2011 Grammy's. Quite a daring move! Cher Cher's dress at the 2008 Grammy's was nothing but a complete mess. Lil' Kim The singer's two most outrageous Grammy outfits: the 2002 red biker apparel, accessorised with a Chanel helmet and a multi-coloured waistband, and the 2004 barely-there cut-out teal gown. Paula Abdul While it was a cheerful colour, the metallic embellishments were quite a downer on Abdul's gown at the 2009 Grammy's. Missy Elliott The pink Adidas tracksuit with white sneakers worn by Elliott at the 2003 Grammy's were definitely not red carpet-worthy. Hayley Williams The Paramore singer's sparkly black dress accentuated with the neon pink feather tutu at the 2011 Grammy's was a disappointment. Shakira The singer's loose curls, golden gown and matching pointy-toed boots were the recipe for a fashion disaster at the 2001 Grammy's. Toni Braxton Braxton may have won the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 2001 Grammy's but she's best remembered for her barely-there attire that she chose for the event that year. Christina Aguilera Aguilera's lace-up dress with a front slit and braided hair at the 2001 Grammy's was one of her worst looks ever. Mary J. Blige Blige's oddly-shaped glitter dress combined with a bright yellow fur jacket at the 2004 Grammy's was just not right. Alicia Keys By pairing a plain white tank top with floral-appliqued jeans and layering it with a sheer sari, Keys' red carpet appearance at the 2002 Grammy's was an utter disappointment. Cyndi Lauper The pop icon's ruffled tresses, metallic lipstick, and fruit necklace at the 1984 Grammy's was most certainly a fashion blooper. Macy Gray The 'goofy' T-shirt, embellished denims, and the furry boa-inspired white coat was surely an unusual red carpet choice by the singer at the 2001 Grammy's. Imogen Heap An umbrella on one hand, a frog on the other, and plants in her hair, Heap's accessories at the 2007 Grammy's were shocking. Sheryl Crow Crow's choice of attire a cut-out jumpsuit with a fur overcoat and matching cowboy boots at the 2002 Grammy's was quite puzzling. Traci Bingham The Baywatch star's appearance at the 2001 Grammy's managed to grab all attention. Bingham was seen in pink pants and the upper half of the body being embellished with only pink and silver rhinestones. Bai Ling Ling's Grammy appearances in 2008 and 2009 were nothing but unusual. Her choice of accessories were equally unflattering. Hilary Duff The shimmery dress with lace highlights and dishevelled hair at the 2007 Grammy's wasn't the best look of Duff. Ciara A risky choice, it was too much of a skin show by Ciara at the 2011 Grammy's. Zooey Deschanel Even Deschanel's charm could not salvage the lilac dress which she wore at the 2009 Grammy's. The makeup, too, was equally lacklustre. Destiny's Child At the 2001 Grammy's, band members of Destiny's Child were seen in matching outfits. While the golden satin outfits looked more like glamourised sleepwear, the green gowns too did not quite create an impact. Pink The 2003 Grammy's saw Pink in a black lace ensemble. The pointy-toed boots and the makeup further messed up the already-cluttered look. Brooke Hogan The 2007 Grammy's saw Hogan in a form-fitting satin gown, which clung to her curves in a not-so-flattering way. Margaret Cho The comedian grabbed all attention at the 2004 Grammy's in her sheer gown embellished with peacock feathers at strategic points. Nadeea Nadeea appeared in a negligee-style outfit at the 2010 Grammy's. Two years later, she was seen in a similar style of outfit with almost similar makeup and head accessory. Kate Pierson Pierson's purple dress with the bosom-highlight at the 2013 Grammy's wasn't particularly a flattering sight. Grace Jones Jones chose a muted gold robe, accessorising it with a huge black hat, at the 1984 Grammy's. Dramatic - yes; fashionable - not so much! Kylie Minogue Minogue's appearance at the 2003 Grammy's in a frilled dress was not one of her best red carpet looks. Al Walser The Swiss DJ arrived in an astronaut's ensemble at the 2013 Grammy's. Sasha Gradiva The Russian singer raised a few eyebrows at the 2012 Grammy's, where she paired her feminine gown with an unusual hand accessory - metallic guns. Bonnie McKee The songwriter's 2012 Grammy attire metallic and sheer dress with weird shoulder tassels, and weird heels was a fashion miss. Bootsy Collins Long before Minaj donned the leopard print, Collins sported it at the 2002 Grammy's. The diamond choker and the studded star-imprinted sunglasses added to the weirdness. Avril Lavigne Lavingne's tuxedo look at the 2003 Grammy's was a total fail. Deadmau5 Deadmau5 arrived at the 2012 Grammy's wearing his signature gigantic mouse helmet. | 4 | 3,861 | lifestyle |
International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde has warned that African economies could be hurt by a slowdown in China's economy and an imminent hike in United States interest rates. Lagarde, speaking on Tuesday on a visit to Rwanda, said IMF's global economic forecasts have been revised down over the past few months despite a huge fall in oil prices. Lagarde called for "vigilance" across Africa and added this slower growth has implications for a continent that is now more integrated into the global economy than ever before. "Momentum is slowing in many advanced and emerging economies, including China one of Africa's main trading partners," Lagarde told Rwandan lawmakers in the capital Kigali. Lagarde said the overall outlook for sub-Saharan Africa was promising at close to 5 percent, but growth forecasts for the region have been trimmed due to lower oil and commodity prices. African countries such as Nigeria and South Sudan depend on oil for the majority of their revenues. Lagarde said some African oil exporters will struggle in case oil prices remain low and warned of instability once the United States starts imminent "monetary policy normalization", a move that is expected to see the U.S. raise interest rates. "Even if this process is well-managed and well-communicated and I believe that it has been and will be there could be negative effects for emerging markets and global financial stability. African economies could also be impacted," she said. Hurt by cooling investment, manufacturing and a sagging housing market, China's economy grew 7.4 percent last year, a level not seen since 1990 when the country was hit by sanctions after the Tiananmen Square crackdown. A Reuters poll in January showed China's economic growth was expected to slip to 7 percent this year before dipping to 6.8 percent next year. (Reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana; Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by James Macharia) | 3 | 3,862 | finance |
The Blue Jackets had three players named to the 2015 NHL All-Star roster, but they weren't the only ones taking part in the festivities. A few of the Jackets stayed in town and took part in all the weekend had to offer. Jackets head coach Todd Richards was originally slated to head out of town for a few days, but his family decided to stay in town and take in some of the All-Star activities. He went to Winter Park on Thursday, took in a youth hockey game Saturday morning, visited Fan Fair on Sunday and attended the All-Star game Sunday night. It was the first time Richards has ever been in the concourse of Nationwide Arena during a game. "It was a different experience," Richards said. "You take it for granted - how all these people get in their seats. Everything that was going on in the concourse, people having a good time, shopping in the team store, it was a great event." Richards has been part of All-Star experiences before. He was a three time All-Star playing at the University of Minnesota, a three time All-Star in the IHL and, in 2007, as a coach for one of the squads at the AHL All-Star Classic. He understands why the final event of the weekend, the game itself, is focused on offense and slower play, but that doesn't mean the coach in him stopped wanting to see some more back and forth. "I've been a part of those things," Richards said. "You understand what it's all about. It's about putting on a show, and entertaining people. But you don't want to get hurt and you don't want to hurt anybody else." Speaking of getting hurt, Richards hopes the short break was an opportunity for his players to enjoy a mental and physical reset heading into the final 37 games of the season. "Hopefully it was a break that we can use in a positive way," Richards said. "It's about guys getting away, clearing the mind and spending time with family and friends so when you come back you're reenergized and ready to go. But I guarantee there's 29 other teams that are saying the exact same things." Jackets goaltender Curtis McElhinney is one of the players who took advantage of the break to relax and enjoy some down time while staying around Columbus. McElhinney and his wife attended "The Crease" event that kicked off the All-Star weekend, and they took their children skating on the outdoor rink earlier last week but otherwise they stayed close to home and enjoyed the opportunity to recharge. "I didn't want to get on a plane and travel for a few days," McElhinney said. "It was nice (to stay home). It was quiet and relaxing." McElhinney, who is taking on the starting goaltender role with All-Star Sergei Bobrovsky out with a groin injury, said that any time you can give your body a few extra days rest in an 82-game season it's good to take advantage of that. "It's nice to give your body a few extra days," McElhinney said. "I think, if anything, [I'm] excited to get back at it today." Fedor Tyutin also stayed in town. The All-Star experience seeped into his weekend plans a little bit more. Tyutin was another player who attended The Crease event, and through the weekend he took advantage of the opportunity to hang out with some of the visiting All-Star players including former Jacket Jakub Voracek. "We took the kids one day and went around the Arena District," Tyutin said. "We went on the slide and walked around, it was great. I bet it was one of the best All-Star weekends." Tyutin agrees that a small break can be good for players. Last year's mid-season break was scheduled around the Olympics in Sochi in which Tyutin participated so he didn't get to take advantage of the extra days off. "I can't complain about the break at all," Tyutin said. "You get to reboot and spend some time with the family. My kids don't get a chance to see me too much during the season so I got to spend some time with them." But now the break is over. Richards led an up-tempo practice yesterday focused on re-engaging the players after their time off. "You want to get the pace going," Richards said. "You want to get the mind and the legs back into it but you also know that you're playing a game tomorrow so you're mindful of that." The Jackets will face off against the Washington Capitals tonight in the fourth of five matchups this season. Puck drops at Nationwide Arena at 7 p.m. Pregame coverage begins on FOX Sports Ohio at 6:30 p.m. | 1 | 3,863 | sports |
Apple is set to announce its fourth quarter earnings this afternoon, and analysts expect epic results powered by the runaway success of the company's new iPhone models . Indeed, should expectations be met, the biggest company in the world will not only be the largest contributor to earnings growth in the S&P 500 Information Technology sector, it will single-handedly drive basically all the earnings growth in that sector. The rest of the tech sector combined is estimated to have flat earnings growth last quarter. From FactSet: Apple will be a focus company for the market during the upcoming week, as the company is scheduled to report earnings for the fourth quarter on January 27. The current mean EPS estimate for Q4 2014 is $2.59, compared to year-ago actual EPS of $2.07. Apple is expected to be the largest contributor to earnings growth for the Information Technology sector for Q4 2014. The blended earnings growth rate (combines actual results for companies that have reported and estimated results for companies yet to report) for the Information Technology sector is 3.8%. Excluding Apple, the blended earnings growth rate for the sector falls to 0.1% . If Apple reports actual EPS equal to or above the mean EPS estimate, this will mark the 2nd consecutive quarter that Apple has been the largest contributor to earnings growth for the Information Technology sector . It will also mark the third time in the past four quarters that Apple has been a positive contributor to earnings growth for the sector. These results mark a sharp contrast to 2013, when Apple was a detractor to earnings growth for the Information Technology sector for all four quarters. Looking ahead to 2015, Apple is also expected to be the largest contributor to earnings growth for the Information Technology sector. The estimated earnings growth rate for the Information Technology sector for 2015 is 9.9%. If Apple is excluded, the estimated earnings growth rate for the sector would drop to 8.1% . This is abundantly clear in the following chart from FactSet. The blue bars show overall S&P 500 Information Technology sector earnings growth; the green bars show earnings growth of the sector without Apple included. The Q4 2014 blue bar for the overall sector shows decent growth; the green bar showing growth without Apple is almost invisible: | 3 | 3,864 | finance |
If Nebraska verbal commitment DaiShon Neal was seriously considering playing for new Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh instead of new Nebraska coach Mike Riley, those thoughts disappeared quickly Monday night during a meeting with Wolverines assistant Greg Mattison. Neal's father said his family was insulted by Mattison's assertion that his son's only option for going to Michigan was via football. Abraham Hoskins Jr. told an Omaha radio station: "They said without football, DaiShon wouldn't be able to go to Michigan. Like we couldn't afford to send him there, or that we couldn't get him in academically. Once he said that, we pretty much escorted him out of the house." Neal told the station that Mattison "basically tried to call me stupid in front of my face." Neal, who reaffirmed his commitment to the Cornhuskers, is a defensive end and considered the top prospect in Nebraska. | 1 | 3,865 | sports |
International donors pledged $7.5 billion on Tuesday to immunize 300 million children in poor countries against deadly diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia. At a Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) conference in Berlin, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and the British government topped the donations list at $1.55 billion and $1.5 billion respectively. German development minister Gerd Mueller said the total reached $7.54 billion, surpassing GAVI's target of $7.5 billion, despite a stronger dollar complicating funding efforts. Other major donors included the United States, Norway and Germany. China, a recipient of GAVI assistance early last decade, has now become a donor. "It was a bold ask to world leaders but also a very compelling case," said GAVI chairman Dagfinn Hoybraten. "In the course of five years from 2016 to 2020 we could vaccinate another 300 million children and avert 5-6 million future deaths." Gates, who has donated $4 billion to GAVI since it began 15 years ago, said there had been "amazing" progress but one in 20 children still died before their fifth birthday. "The goal for the next 15 years is to cut that in half again to get it to one in 40," he said. GAVI has provided vaccines to about 500 million children worldwide and saved 6-7 million lives from diseases like pneumonia, hepatitis B, diarrhea and measles, working with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, World Bank and charities. Michael Elliott of anti-poverty group One, calling GAVI a way for rich countries to give "an infinitesimal part of their tax money to save lives". But Save the Children's Jasmine Whitbread said the problems were still huge: "In some of the world's poorest communities only 16 percent of children are reached by vaccines." GAVI funds immunization for countries that cannot afford them, using its buying power to negotiate discounts from the likes of GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres argues that it should strike even tougher deals. Pfizer has said it would cut pneumococcal vaccine prices by 6 percent for poor countries through 2025, including those that outgrow their eligibility for GAVI. GlaxoSmithKline has extended its price-freeze commitment to 10 years for countries graduating from GAVI and Sanofi will expand production of yellow fever vaccine. But GAVI's CEO Seth Berkley called the latest discount for pneumococcal vaccine "small" and said he hoped new manufacturers would emerge to help bring about bigger price reductions. (Editing by Ben Hirschler and Robin Pomeroy) | 7 | 3,866 | health |
WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who disappeared from his base in Afghanistan in 2009 but was released last year in a prisoner swap with the Taliban, will be charged with desertion, according to NBC. The television network, citing senior defense officials, said the charges could come within a week. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report, and Bergdahl's attorney was not immediately available for comment. Last month, the Army said it sent the findings from its investigation to a U.S. general to decide whether to discipline the soldier, who spent five years in captivity after leaving his post. He was released in May in exchange for five prisoners from the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The deal that led to his release was blasted by some Republicans, and some of Bergdahl's fellow soldiers have labeled him a deserter. If officials conclude that Bergdahl broke the U.S. military's rules, they could force him to forfeit hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay accumulated during his captivity and give up future benefits. | 5 | 3,867 | news |
Art rocker PJ Harvey hopes that recording inside a glassed room at Somerset House in central London will help draw on the likes of Elizabeth I, who lived on its grounds before she was queen, and Oliver Cromwell, who lay in state there. A select group of visitors lucky enough to get tickets will watch Harvey, one of England's most original pop artists, chipping away at the coal face of music creation. Polly Jean Harvey, who has balanced eclecticism and mainstream popularity in a career spanning two decades, is recording her ninth album at the arts and cultural center on the River Thames in a celebration of the process of making art rather than the product. "I want it to operate as if we're an exhibition in an art gallery," Harvey said in an interview for a program accompanying the installation, tickets for which sold out in less than half an hour. During a month-long run, "Recording in Progress" will let some 2,000 people watch Harvey and a cast of musicians, producers and engineers through one-way glass in 45-minute visits. There are no guarantees what spectators will see. Emilie Vansuypeene, a 35-year-old musician from Lille, France, was "prepared to see people arguing for 50 minutes over one note". "I didn't know what to expect," Vansuypeene said. Through windows on two sides of a bright white room, a few dozen people watched Harvey, dressed head-to-toe in black, seated amidst a forest of sharp-angled microphone stands and a sea of cables snaking across the floor. She played saxophone while others played guitar, drums, saxophone and bass clarinet over a track that seemed not to belong to any of the songs whose lyrics were hung on the wall. "It was an interesting passage," Vansuypeene said afterwards. "It wasn't just a coffee break." In the program interview -- with Michael Morris, co-director of Artangel, which commissioned the show -- Harvey says she likes Somerset House's riverside location and history. Before hosting a range of government offices, the original Somerset House, built in the 16th century, was a residence of the British throne. "All that history will fuel me and help tap into a different level of consciousness," said Harvey, who also paints, draws, sculpts and writes poetry. Artangel's Morris said the exhibition had exceeded all expectations in terms of spectators' reactions. "I had a hunch that it would be a layered and complex experience," Morris said. "But I think it's worked out even richer than imagined." | 6 | 3,868 | entertainment |
Caterpillar Inc., the world's largest mining and construction equipment maker, forecast 2015 sales and earnings that trailed analysts' estimates as plunging oil prices signal lower demand from energy companies. Earnings will be $4.75 a share excluding restructuring costs, the Peoria, Illinois-based company said in a statement. The average of 27 estimates compiled by Bloomberg was for $6.69 a share. Revenue will fall to about $50 billion, compared with the average estimate of $55.2 billion. The shares fell as much as 7.6. percent, the most intraday in more than three years. "The recent dramatic decline in the price of oil is the most significant reason for the year-over-year decline in our sales and revenues outlook," Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Oberhelman said in the statement. Crude's slump of more than 40 percent in the past six months is the latest headwind for Caterpillar, which had already seen declining orders from the mining industry for its signature yellow machines. In the last two years its revenue has fallen by about $10 billion as coal and iron-ore prices declined. Copper prices are also down in January. The latest outlook represents a marked deterioration from October, when Caterpillar forecast 2015 sales would be flat to slightly higher. 'Significant Headwind' Oberhelman said today that current oil prices are a "significant headwind" for its energy and transportation unit, which makes compressors, pumps and turbines for oil and natural- gas companies. It's also a "negative" for Caterpillar's construction business in oil-producing regions, Oberhelman said. Caterpillar said the outlook for construction equipment sales in China is lower. "We are hopeful the guidance is conservative enough to provide a base level expectation for 2015 but it was a surprise even against lower expectations," said Larry De Maria, an analyst at William Blair & Co. in New York. Caterpillar dropped 6.4 percent to $80.51 at 9:34am in New York. Fourth-quarter profit also missed expectations. Net income fell to $1.23 a share from $1.54 a year earlier. Excluding some items, earnings were $1.35 a share, while the average estimate was for $1.55. Revenue dropped to $14.2 billion from $14.4 billion, matching the average estimate. Retail machinery sales were down 12 percent in the quarter, Caterpillar said Monday. Global Outlook Breaking it down by industry, sales to the resource industry - largely mining companies - slumped 22 percent. Construction was down 9 percent, although there were small gains in North American and Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Caterpillar's sales to energy and transportation customers - a segment that includes rail locomotives as well as oil companies - were up 22 percent. The company also said it doesn't anticipate "significant improvement" in the world economy. It projected growth of about 2.7 percent in 2015, with gains coming mostly from developed countries. The average estimate of economists in a Bloomberg survey is for global growth of 2.76 percent. | 3 | 3,869 | finance |
NEW YORK ( TheStreet ) -- Much to the experts' surprise, the United States may be on the verge of another refinancing boom . The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage has fallen to 3.9%, down from 4.5% last spring. As The New York Times put it in its column "The Upshot," anyone with a mortgage obtained before mid-2011 or between late 2013 and early 2014 might well save money by refinancing now . But the chance to replace a mortgage taken out just 12 months ago highlights a dilemma that many borrowers fail to consider. If these refinancing opportunities come along fairly often, should you do it as soon as it will pay, or wait until you think rates have hit rock bottom? After all, refinancing is not free . Every time you do it you will pay thousands in fees. Refinancing makes sense only if you will have the loan long enough for the lower monthly payment to offset the fees. Accumulating fees from multiple rounds of refinancing means you have to stick around longer. If you had refinanced a year ago and figured it would take three years to break even , you still have two years to go. A refinance done today might break even in a couple of years, adding more time to the break-even period. Stay in the house for many years and the refinancing probably makes sense. If you might leave in three or four years, maybe not. Ideally you would refinance just once. Unless, of course, the rate falls to a new low that just makes your mouth water. Timing the refinancing, then, boils down to a bet on what interest rates will do. If you think they'll fall another half-percentage point or more in the next year or so, it could pay to wait until they do. Rates fell to an historic low of about 3.3% in November 2012. If that happened again, it might pay to refinance a loan taken out today at 3.8% or 3.9%. But that was an historic low. Over the past 40 years, rates have rarely been below 5% and have spent much of the time above 7% . Today's low rates are largely the result of international economic uncertainty, which drives investors to the safety of U.S. bonds. High demand pushes bond prices up, driving prevailing interest rates down . Also, tumbling oil prices have reduced worries about inflation, allowing investors to settle for lower bond yields. Read More: Half of Housing Will Be Fully Recovered in '15 (and Half Won't) Slow economic growth around the world isn't likely to change overnight , and there's no reason to think inflation will pick up suddenly, so current conditions could persist for many months. A scare from an economic jolt, terrorist attack, virus outbreak or other trouble could send mortgage rates down further. But, obviously, that's unpredictable. For the ordinary homeowner, the best approach is think about how much would be enough in savings to make a meaningful difference in the household's finances. Use the Refinance Breakeven calculator to see what you could save if you refinanced today. Then redo the calculation assuming a rate that's 0.25% to 0.50% lower. You may find that waiting for rates to fall further does not offer enough benefit to offset the risk that, if rates go up instead, you'd miss the opportunity you have today. | 3 | 3,870 | finance |
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has shipped the most number of smartphones in China in the fourth quarter, overtaking Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) and homegrown companies such as Xiaomi [XTC.UL] for the first time, according to data firm Canalys. Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launched last September have proved to be popular in Asia despite being costlier than most handsets. "The company is finally riding the large screen and LTE trends in China, which have been vital to its success," Canalys analysts said. (http://bit.ly/1CuJ7B0) Samsung was shunted to the third place, the report said. Apple captured a record 33 percent market share in South Korea in November, according to Hong Kong-based market research company Counterpoint. Apple is slated to report its earnings after markets close on Tuesday. (Reporting by Anya George Tharakan in Bengaluru; Editing by Joyjeet Das) | 5 | 3,871 | news |
Very few foods can cause shouting matches the way pizza can. Despite its origins as a poor-man's snack in Naples, pizza has evolved from humble snack to pop-culture icon, with everyone from The Fat Jew to Miley Cyrus scrambling to align themselves with its glory. And, over time, an entire taxonomy of regional styles from bar pizza in Connecticut, to white pies in Berkeley, CA has developed, and pizza writers all over the country have spilled endless ink on the mottled char of a freshly fired Neapolitan crust. Not only do we have variety, but we've also seen a rise in quality and craftsmanship, thanks to a new generation of pizzaiolos who began importing wood-fire brick ovens from Italy. These revered heating vessels became the centerpieces at many serious pizzerias, reminding us that pizza-making is a tradition to be respected. When it comes to pizza, there is so much to learn, despite its basic ingredients. Which leads us to a larger question: What is the domestic and international scope of pizza, and which places best define its various styles? More than just taste or selecting "the best," how do we consider the full experience of going to a pizzeria and which deserve a place on your bucket list? To tackle these questions comprehensively would be a life-long task. So to help you at least get a start, we hit up a crew of pizza geeks, editors, and bloggers to show us a slice of the pie, so to speak. Here is our esteemed panel: Adam Kuban, proprietor of Margot's Pizza pop-up. You may also know him as the founder of the now-defunct pizza blog Slice, or as one of FWF's 20 Greatest Food Bloggers of All Time. Theresa Nemetz, founder of Milwaukee Food & City Tours Brooks Jones, a.k.a. Pizza Commander, founder of the pizza blog ME, MYSELF & PIE; Jones is currently in the production stage of a feature-length documentary about pizza Jamie Feldmar, senior editor at Tasting Table Scott Wiener, founder of Scott's Pizza Tours, author of Viva La Pizza! The Art of the Pizza Box Joseph Garreffa, tour guide at Scott's Pizza Tours Colin M. Caplan, owner and tour guide of Taste of New Haven; currently writing a book about the history of New Haven pizza Anthony Falco, pizzaiolo at Roberta's in Bushwick Jason Feirman, founder of idreamofpizza.com Paulie "Gee" Giannone, owner of Paulie Gee's in Greenpoint Jonathan Porter, runs Chicago Pizza Tours Nick Schonberger, founding editor at First We Feast Tony Gemignani, 11-time World Pizza champion; owner of Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco; author of The Pizza Bible Here, these pizza pros and enthusiasts share the places they think you need to go before you die. Let the pizza pilgrimage commence. Dominico De Marco drizzles olive oil on a pie at his pizza parlour, Di Fara Pizza in New York. COLONY GRILL Where: Stamford, CT Website: colonygrill.com Kuban says: Chances are you've had New York style pizza, deep dish, and/or Neapolitan. But have you tried bar pizza? Yes, I probably have a vested interest in hipping you to this style of pizza, but there is seriously a reason why I'm obsessed with making it and I have the Colony Grill in Stamford, CT to thank (or maybe blame?) for inspiring my mania. Colony pizzas are ultra-thin, crisp, and abundantly cheesy. But the thing that really sets these pies apart is their lattice of pock-marked cheese. It does more than give Colony's pizzas a unique look: Those little craters all take on a chewy-crisp texture which contrasts with the gooeyness of the rest of the cheese. The pies so thin that you can practically inhale a whole pizza yourself, but it's better to bring friends, of course, and split a number of different pizzas. If you're a meat eater, you HAVE to try a pizza with sausage, which comes from a local sausage-maker across the street. And you can't leave there without ordering a pie drizzled with hot oil, Colony's signature condiment (hot-oil pizzas are marked with a single stinger pepper in the middle). To eat at Colony is to understand immediately what "bar pizza" is all about. Be careful, though, because you may just get hooked. I did. (Photo: Liz Barclay) ZAFFIRO'S PIZZERIA Where: Milwaukee, WI Website: zaffirospizza.com Nemetz says: Most people have no reference point when it comes to defining Milwaukee-style pizza. Our signature pizzas evolved from the Sicilian and Italian immigrants of the late-1800s that came to the area in search of a better life. History began in 1954 for Zaffiro's when two nice Italian boys, John and Liberio "Bobby" Zaffiro, created a pizza unlike anyone had ever seen or tasted before in Milwaukee's "Little Italy." Zaffiro's Pizzeria takes classic Midwest-style pizza to the extreme. Their pizza has a curiously thin crust perhaps a mere two credit cards thick. To yield this perfection, they begin by parbaking their dough, removing it from the oven, flipping it over to dress the pizza, and then returning it to the oven just long enough to finish off the toppings. It is topped with sliced cheese and then ladled with secret recipe sauce to create a signature Milwaukee-style pizza that has consistently been named a favorite among locals and food writers alike. (Photo courtesy Theresa Nemetz) THE CHEESE BOARD COLLECTIVE Where: Berkeley, CA Website: cheeseboardcollective.coop Jones says: When I first stepped foot into Berkeley's Cheeseboard Collective located across the street from Chez Panisse it was like entering another dimension. The place, after all, is a pizza cooperative, meaning that it's owned and operated by the employees themselves. Engineered with an efficiency that would make Henry Ford envious, it's the epitome of Bay Area cool. The pizza itself is a thing to behold too. Cheeseboard has a rotating selection of vegetarian white pies, using fresh local cheeses and in-season produce for their toppings. Whether it's topped with favorites like cilantro aioli and sliced roma tomatoes, or more outlandish picks like corn and key lime, the flavor is always balanced, with each ingredient complementing the other without stealing the show. What really stands out is their unique approach to churning out pies. On any given day, there is only one style of pizza available, all of which are prepared the night before and stowed on multiple-tiered towers. While this requires omitting tomato sauce from the equation, it allows the co-op to order top-quality ingredients at a low cost. Try to snag a seat inside near the live jazz trio, or, better yet, join the ranks of UC Berkeley students on the grassy median out front. (Photo: Cheeseboard Collective ) OVEN GRINDER Where: Chicago, IL Website: chicagopizzaandovengrinder.com Feldmar says: People like to make fun of Chicago deep dish by calling it things like "casserole" and "not real pizza," but those people are idiots. The people who don't like deep dish will almost certainly be horrified by the pizza pot pie at this old-school Lincoln Park brownstone, which is, as its name implies, an individually portioned, pizza-flavored pot pie. What the hell does that mean? It means that a volcanic blob of tomato sauce, sausage nubs, and doorknob-sized mushrooms float around in a puffy dough shell, glued in place with a thick layer of molten cheese. The pie is deposited tableside in the pan in which it was baked, and ceremonially flipped over so the cheese is on top. It's totally excessive, and totally Chicago gross and glorious all at once. (Photo: Oven Grinder ) DI FARA Where: Midwood, NY Website: difara.com Wiener says: Forget the myths and legends about this place most of them aren't true. Dom doesn't use a brick oven (it's a shoddy Bakers Pride deck oven); he doesn't ferment his dough for very long (usually same day); he uses a standard olive oil to finish his pizzas; he doesn't grow his basil in the window; he doesn't use mozzarella di bufala on his regular pie (only the square); he isn't 90 years old (he just turned 78 last month); and he changes his tomatoes all the time. Pizzeria owners will tell you their primary goal is consistency, yet Dom makes one of the least consistent pizzas in New York. If you follow the advice of most master pizzaioli, Dominick Demarco does everything wrong. And that's exactly why this is a Bucket List-worthy pizzeria. Every pizza truly is a unique piece. Don't go expecting perfection although most customers do walk away in a blissful state. Expect an experience so special it could only come from a such a bizarre location in the middle of Hassidic Midwood, Brooklyn. This is a place that was opened in 1965 by a guy who never retired. It's a place that truly defies logic. It's a place that can't last forever. (Photo: AP Photo) AMICO'S PIZZA Where: Livonia, MI Website: amicos-pizza.com Garreffa says: This is the mom-and-pop shop that I grew up in and worked at from the age of 12. It was here that Grande mozzarella was cut and shredded by yours truly, pepperoni sticks were cut by hand, and it was the place that supplied locals with a very distinctly fashioned pizza. Among some of the other popular pizzas, including the BLT and the Breakfast, stands the Square. In oiled rectangle pans, fresh balls of homemade dough would rest and then be gently stretched to the corners. Here, sauce comes first and cheese second; however, it still melts down to the bottom of the pan, creating a perfectly charred, crispy, and chewy all-cheese crust, baked in a deck oven by owners Norm, Larry, and Eric. I have nothing but absolute adoration for this work of art. (Photo: Amico's ) SALLY'S APIZZA Where: New Haven, CT Website: sallysapizza.com Caplan says: The mecca of pizza sits in the small New England city of New Haven, known for Yale, Winchester rifles, and the hamburger sandwich. The southern Italian immigrants (largely from the Amalfi coast) who sailed over with their pizza recipes, perfected them in this city. Called apizza, and pronounced "ah-beets" which is a Campanian dialect New Haven's pizza does not get finer than Sally's Apizza on Wooster Street. Started by Salvatore Consiglio and his mom and brother in 1938, Sally's cooks up a coal-fired, brick-oven pies that jumpstart your taste buds to dance and make your mind wonder how they bake such deliciousness. The Consiglio family, who still run the joint and are cousins with the family that runs the famous Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana one block away, will tell you the quality comes from the love. Sally's thin-crust pies are crispy, chewy, and spongy, and their tomato sauce is simple savory and tangy, salty and pasty. For toppings, start with whole-milk mozzarella and choose the usual range of meats and veggies. But it's their specialty pizzas that are life-changing. The Frank Pepe's original White Clam Pie delivers the briny flavor of clams with oregano, garlic, and olive oil. Their own Sliced Potato pie offers razor thin slices of potato with caramelized onions and rosemary. They have a Summer Special pie of broccoli rabe, garlic, and mozzarella cheese. The lines out the door, the wood paneling and home-style feeling are part of the charm and history of Sally's. Its many fans have included Frank Sinatra, John F. Kennedy, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Gary Trudeau, and so many others. Open from 5-10pm Wed-Sun, Sally's will make you thankful that you chose a pilgrimage to the center of the pizza world. (Photo courtesy Colin M. Caplan) SALERNO'S CAFÉ Where: Old Forge, PA Website: none Schonberger says: The small borough of Old Forge, PA sits five miles southwest of downtown Scranton. Rooted in coal mining and textile production, the area became known for pizza in the '60s and proclaims itself "The Pizza Capital of the World," thanks to a high proportion of pizza "cafes" (not parlors) and a distinct local style. Salerno's Café, located on a residential stretch of Moosic Road, serves a fine representative "cut" (no slices here) of Old Forge's rectangular pizza in its dark front bar. The crust has a light crunch thanks to baking sheet preparation think ubiquitous supermarket staple Ellio's, but slightly more refined. An onion-based sauce and cheese mix of primarily mozzarella and provolone form the most basic toppings; add-ons get as advanced as shrimp but mostly stick to the classics (anchovies, hot sausage, pepperoni, etc). These pizzas won't settle best-of national debates. However, as representative of regional eccentricity, each cut provides an unequaled American moment a reminder of pizza's capacity to kindle community pride and an unparalleled slice of history. (Photo courtesy Liz Barclay) JULIANA'S Where: Brooklyn, NY Website: julianaspizza.com Falco says: In 1992, I traveled across the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time to eat pizza. I was already pizza obsessed, but what I was headed for in Brooklyn was about to blow my mind. Back then, it was called Patsy's. The early 90s were a dark period for NYC pizza. The 80s had seen a boom in Ray's and Ray imitators. Their hallmarks were large pies, a blanket of mozzarella, and sweet sauce. Very few of the first wave New York City coal-fired style pizzerias survived or thrived. Lombardi's was first in New York City, but they had closed in 1984 and wouldn't reopen until 1994 in a new location. Both Patsy's and Totonno's were opened by original Lombardi's pizza-makers, but the Patsy's under the Brooklyn Bridge signaled a rebirth. It was started by Patsy and Carol Grimaldi in 1991 to recreate the original New York City coal-fired pizza style. I distinctly remember the buzz that surrounded it. It was an 'it' restaurant at the time, with celebrities and artists dutifully waiting their turn for pies. This was a time when the pizza craze was all about slice joints. But this was a throw-back, and the Grimaldis were uncompromising. Carol herself reportedly made the mozzarella fresh everyday. The pizzas bigger than typical Neapolitans were charred by the coal oven. They put the mozzarella down first in thin slices, then Parmigiano, then basil, and finally a simple beautiful puree of quality tomatoes. For me it was a revelation, the first great pizza I had ever had. Eventually, Patsy got sued and had to change the name to Grimaldi's. They then sold that pizzeria which now exists as an international chain. In 2012, Grimaldi's moved down the street and Patsy and Carol took over their original pizza spot, naming it Juliana's. Carol passed away in 2014, but Patsy remains at the helm: tall, imposing, with a cigar in his mouth. A pizza legend. Going to Juliana's is an essential stop in anyone's New York City pizza education. I know it was for mine. (Photo: Juliana's ) GREEN DOOR PIZZA BAKERY Where: Jerusalem, Israel Website: none Feirman says: Green Door Pizza Bakery is located in a non-descript alleyway in Jerusalem's Muslim Quarter. Enter through a green door (obviously), walk down a few steps, and head over to the hole in the ground yes, a hole in the ground. In it you'll find a man named Abu Ali, eagerly awaiting to make some pizza for you. Don't mind that he'll likely have a cigarette in one hand, or that there are cats roaming around the place. The pizza contains a pre-made crust that is filled with tomatoes, cheese, and two eggs. It's like a Middle Eastern version of a breakfast pie, which is typically unheard of in the United States. To me, this place represents the universality of pizza. You can find it in every country in the world, in places where you'd least expect it. Is it the best pizza you'll have in your life? Probably not. But it is pizza with a Middle Eastern spin, featuring toppings that combine to taste like shakshuka on a crust. And it's possibly the only opportunity you'll ever have to eat pizza from a man in a hole. (Photo courtesy Jason Fierman) PRINCE STREET PIZZA Where: Manhattan, NY Website: princestpizza.com Giannone says: The Soho Square is the epitome of greatness. It is an "upside down" slice in the tradition of L&B Spumoni Gardens, with the sauce applied after the cheese and finished with a sprinkle of Romano. The crust is unusually light and airy for this style of pizza, with a crisp bottom that is arguably even better on a reheat than if served immediately after it's original bake. If you go, please tell Frankie I sent ya. I assure you he will treat you well. Wanna know why I can guarantee that? He treats everyone well. JOE & PAT'S Where: Staten Island, NY Website: joeandpatspizzany.com Giannone says: Their pizza is like unlike anything I've ever had. It is a large pie that is thin and crackery, with a sauce that has a slight sweetness to it and just the right amount of salty aged mozzarella. The pie is topped with the sauce right to the very end, in the tradition of a tavern or bar pie. When you attempt a folding of the slice it will crack in half on the outer end. An added bonus to the experience is witnessing the pies being baked in their rotating oven. TOTONNO'S Where: Coney Island, NY Website: totonnosconeyisland.com Giannone says: Coney Island's Totonno Pizzeria Napoletana is Brooklyn's oldest pizzeria and serves coal-oven pies. There are a number of pizzerias in New York City that serve up pizza baked in a coal oven, but for me, none have the umami that Totonno's pies have. I believe that tastiness is derived from their selection of fresh mozzarella and the Romano cheese they sprinkle on top. Additionally, their crust has an uneven landscape and a flavor that I have not experienced anywhere else. I always get a plain pie, but as of late, I have become enamored with their white pie as well, which is simply fresh mozzarella, fresh garlic, and a sprinkle of tasty Romano. Eating in Brooklyn's oldest pizzeria adds exponentially to the dining experience the walls are plastered with photos of renowned diners who have frequented this culinary treasure over the years. VITO & NICK'S Where: Chicago, IL Website: vitoandnicks.com Porter says: Vito & Nick's, or is it Nick & Vito's? Depends on whom you ask, but it doesn't really matter. If you have a stuffy attitude, this place ain't for you. If you want to get into a Chicago "Southside" state of mind, bring cash and head on in for the tastiest thin-crust pizza. Sausage is the most popular, but their egg and crushed pepperoni receive high praise, as well as their Italian beef and peppers. All sausage and beef are made in-house, and the cheese comes from just down the road, supplied by the Mancuso family. This is a circular pizza cut into squares, so the outer pieces remain crispy while the inner pieces are foldable. The servers are older than your grandparents, the cooks throw pizza paddles, and the walls are covered in carpet. Pair the pizza with an Old Style, and enjoy the ambiance of some real Chicagoans at a place that's been in business for nearly 100 years. (Photo courtesy Jonathan Porter) PIZZERIA TRIANON Where: Napoli, Italy Website: pizzeriatrianon.it Gemignani says: It was a hot, busy day in Naples, with scooters zooming by like little rockets. By this point I was already a 10-year veteran in the pizza industry, and I owed it to myself to try the real thing. I ventured to Pizzeria Trianon, one of the most popular pizzerias in Naples, which serves VPN-style pizza. The margherita was a prime example of simplicity mozzarella, basil, olive oil, San Marzano tomato sauce, 900 degrees, and an 80-second bake. Each bite was a blissful, revelatory experience. Here I was, a pizza-maker who, at that time, thought he had tried everything and along comes this magical, straight-forward pizza that was so different from all my prior experiences. It was a defining moment in my quest for pizza satisfaction: I knew that I needed to learn this craft. PIZANO'S Where: Chicago, IL Website: pizanoschicago.com Porter says: The original location of Pizano's has a special place in the hearts of food writers and pizza enthusiasts. Opened in 1991 by Rudy Malnati Jr., Pizano's has quietly been the favorite deep dish of people savvy enough to look past the big names. The restaurant is small but worth the wait. Feel free to pre-order and sit at the bar while you wait for a table to open up. When you finally get your pie, you will be pleasantly surprised at how well-portioned their deep dish is compared to the stereotypical massive ones. The cheese is 100% whole-milk mozzarella from the neighbors to the north in Wisconsin; the sauce is a mixture of weekly-sourced plum tomatoes and fresh tomatoes; and the crust is an old family recipe that is shared with no more than five employees. It's all about simple Italian flavors done the Chicago way. | 0 | 3,872 | foodanddrink |
Jan. 27 -- Bloomberg's Scarlet Fu reports on the global market selloff. She speaks on "Market Makers." | 3 | 3,873 | finance |
You've committed to squeezing in a workout between your commute and your desk job, but before you embark on this new regimen, you want to know: when's the best time to exercise to ensure you're getting the most out of it? New research, recently covered by Gretchen Reynolds in The New York Times, suggests that working out early in the morning before you've eaten breakfast helps speed weight loss and boost energy levels by priming the body for an all-day fat burn. The No-Snooze Payoff One of the reasons working out first thing in the morning appears to help us lose weight or at least protect us from gaining it is that it pushes the body to tap into its fat reserves for fuel, as opposed to simply "burning off" our most recent snack or meal. In one recent study, 28 young, healthy men spent 6 weeks eating a hefty diet of 30% more calories and 50% more fat than they'd been eating before. But while some of them spent the 6 weeks stuffing themselves and barely exercising, the others started working out every day. Of those who worked out, half did so first thing in the morning; the other half hit the gym (and did the exact same workout) after a high-carb breakfast. (The fasting exercisers ate the exact same breakfast, they just did so after working out.) At the end of the volunteers' month-and-a-half-long eating fest, the ones who hadn't worked out at all had (unsurprisingly) packed on the pounds about 6 each, to be exact. The ones who'd been exercising after breakfast gained weight too, but only about half as much. In comparison, however, the people who'd worked out daily so long as they hit the gym before breakfast hadn't gained any weight at all. They'd been able to eat a lot of extra food just as much as their fellow volunteers without paying the price in additional pounds. The study was small, short-term, used a very specific eating plan, and only involved men around the age of 21, so it's hard to extrapolate too much from the results. And the fasting exercisers didn't actually lose weight they just didn't gain weight. Still, the experiment provided some of the first evidence that "early morning exercise in the fasted state is more potent than an identical amount of exercise in the fed state," the authors write. Another smaller study helps point out why timing could be so important. In it, two groups of men ran on treadmills until they burned 400 calories (about the equivalent of a small meal or about 3-4 slices of toast). While one group ran on an empty stomach, the other ate a 400-calorie oatmeal breakfast about an hour before their workout. All of the runners burned fat during their workouts, and remained in a heightened fat-burning state after they'd gotten off their treadmills. But both results were more intense for the runners who'd skipped the oatmeal. In other words, exercising after a long period of not eating could be setting us up for a longer, more intense fat burn. Set Your Clocks There's another component of the early morning workout regimen that can help with weight loss, too: daylight. Aligning our internal clocks, or circadian rhythms, with the natural world helps give our metabolisms a boost. One recent study showed that people who basked in bright sunlight within two hours after waking tended to be thinner and better able to manage their weight than people who didn't get any natural light, regardless of what they ate throughout the day. So next time you think about hitting snooze, remember this: an early-morning workout won't just help you meet your fitness goals, but could even give you more energy than those few extra minutes of shuteye. | 7 | 3,874 | health |
On the heels of President Obama's upbeat pronouncements on the economy, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office on Monday forecast modest continued economic growth over the next few years spurred by increased consumer spending, expanded business and residential investment, and plummeting oil prices. But it's not all good news. CBO's latest projections say that real Gross Dometic Product will grow by about three percent in 2015 and 2016 and by two-and-a-half percent in 2017 compared with 2.2 percent in 2014. With this relatively strong economic headwind and continued restraints on government spending, the budget deficit this year and next will be at its lowest levels since 2007, or roughly $468 billion a year. Yet without further intervention by Congress or the Obama administration, deficits will rise again in 2018 as the economy slows and health care and Social Security costs begin to surge as more baby boomers retire, the report says. The CBO has given similar warnings before. The latest report, however, provides economic and budget grist for lawmakers just a week before the president is due to submit his fiscal 2016 budget to Congress. In his State of the Union address last Tuesday night, Obama cited the economic recovery and declining unemployment rate while outlining a series of high-ticket proposals to help middle-income Americans. "At this moment with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry and booming energy production we have risen from the recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth," Obama said. "It is now up to us to choose who we want to be over the next 15 years, and for decades to come." Republican lawmakers say they're also committed to helping the middle class and lifting caps on defense spending to address growing terror threats. But many conservatives and Tea Party members are also concerned about the long-term deficit and debt and are likely to find strong ammunition for that worry in the CBO study. The latest CBO projection shows the deficit climbing from $540 billion in 2015 to $948 billion in 2022 and to more than $1 trillion in 2025. The cumulative deficits over the 2016-to-2025 period would total $7.6 trillion. Spending would surge from roughly 20 percent of GDP this year to about 22 percent in 2025. "This report should pour cold water on claims our debt problems have been solved," said former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (D) and former Sen. Judd Gregg (R) of New Hampshire, the co-chairs of Fix the Debt , an advocacy group, in a statement. "It's true our deficits have fallen tremendously from recession-era highs, but they will soon be rising again." Related: CBO Says Budget Deficit Dipped to $486 Billion in 2014 The increased federal outlays will be driven by a huge increase in retirees, more federal subsidies for health insurance, increasing health care costs per beneficiary and rising interest rates on the federal debt, according to CBO. At the same time, federal revenues are projected to rise significantly, buoyed by the expiration of several tax code provisions that reduced tax liabilities and by the ongoing economic expansion. Assuming no change in current law, CBO projected revenues will equal about 18.5 percent of GDP in 2016 and remain between 18 percent and 18.5 percent through 2025. CBO expects federal debt held by the public will amount to 74 percent of GDP at the end of this fiscal year more than twice what it was at the end of 2007 and higher than in any year since 1950. By 2025, in CBO's projections, federal debt rises to nearly 79 percent of GDP. WHY THIS MATTERS CBO put it best: The large amount of debt might restrict policymakers' ability to use tax and spending policies to respond to unexpected future challenges, such as economic downturns or financial crises. "We need a plan to slow the growth of our debt while speeding the growth of our economy," said Rendell and Gregg. "To do so, Congress and the president need to work together to pursue pro-growth tax and entitlement reform. This isn't about austerity; it's about sustainability, prosperity, and the next generation." Related: Why Budget Experts Are Worried About the Next CBO Chief Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, said lawmakers must tackle fiscal challenges as baby boomers age. "Responsible infrastructure investments will [also] need to be made," she said. "Now is the time to tackle comprehensive tax reform, Pentagon contracting and compensation issues, as well as entitlements." Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Battleground Governor Kasich Draws Battle Lines White House on the Hot Seat on Counter-Terror Tactics IRS Hires Same Contractor That Bungled Obamacare Rollout | 3 | 3,875 | finance |
Is Your State Healthy or Unhealthy? In which part of America are people most affected by poor health, and in which states should people be less concerned? Data from Americashealthrankings.org reveal the state rankings, from most to least healthy. Read on to find out how your state rates. 1. Hawaii -- The Healthiest State Strengths Low prevalence of obesity Low rate of preventable hospitalizations Low rate of cancer deaths Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High incidence of infectious disease Low immunization coverage among children See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 2. Vermont Strengths High rate of high school graduation Low percentage of children in poverty Low violent crime rate Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking Low immunization coverage among children Large disparity in health status by educational attainment See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 3. Massachusetts Strengths Low percentage of uninsured population Ready availability of primary care physicians Low infant mortality rate Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High rate of preventable hospitalizations Large disparity in health status by educational attainment See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 4. Conneticut Strengths Low prevalence of smoking Low occupational fatalities rate High immunization coverage among children Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High rate of preventable hospitalizations Large disparity in health status by educational attainment See mor e at : www.americashealthrankings.org 5. Utah Strengths Low prevalence of smoking Low percentage of children in poverty Low rate of preventable hospitalizations Challenges High rate of drug deaths Low immunization coverage among teens Limited availability of primary care physicians See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 6. Minnesota Strengths Low rate of drug deaths Low prevalence of diabetes Few poor physical health days Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High incidence of pertussis Low per capita public health funding See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 7. New Hampshire Strengths Low incidence of infectious disease High immunization coverage among teens Low infant mortality rate Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High rate of drug deaths Low per capita public health funding See more a t: www.americashealthrankings.org 8. Colorado Strengths Low prevalence of obesity Low prevalence of physical inactivity Low prevalence of diabetes Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High prevalence of low birthweight Large disparity in health status by educational attainment See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 9. North Dakota Strengths Low rate of drug deaths High immunization coverage among teens Low prevalence of low birthweight Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High prevalence of obesity High occupational fatalities rate See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 10. Nebraska Strengths Low rate of drug deaths High rate of high school graduation High immunization coverage among children Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High incidence of Salmonella Large disparity in health status by educational attainment See more a t : www.americashealthrankings.org 11. New Jersey Strengths Low prevalence of smoking Ready availability of dentists Low incidence of infectious disease Challenges High prevalence of low birthweight High rate of preventable hospitalizations Large disparity in health status by educational attainment See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 12. Oregon Strengths Low prevalence of physical inactivity Low prevalence of low birthweight Low rate of preventable hospitalizations Challenges High incidence of pertussis Low immunization coverage among children Many poor mental health days See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 13. Washington Strengths Low prevalence of physical inactivity Low prevalence of low birthweight Low rate of preventable hospitalizations Challenges High rate of drug deaths High incidence of pertussis Large disparity in health status by educational attainment See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 14. New York Strengths High per capita public health funding Ready availability of primary care physicians Ready availability of dentists Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking Low rate of high school graduation Large disparity in health status by educational attainment See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 15. Rhode Island Strengths High immunization coverage among children High immunization coverage among teens Ready availability of primary care physicians Challenges High rate of drug deaths Low rate of high school graduation High percentage of children in poverty See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 16. Maryland Strengths Low prevalence of smoking High immunization coverage among children Ready availability of primary care physicians Challenges High violent crime rate High levels of air pollution High prevalence of low birthweight See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 17. California Strengths Low prevalence of smoking Low prevalence of obesity Low prevalence of physical inactivity Challenges High levels of air pollution Large disparity in health status by educational attainment Moderate violent crime rate See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 18. Idaho Strengths Low incidence of infectious disease High per capita public health funding Low rate of preventable hospitalizations Challenges High levels of air pollution Low immunization coverage among teens Limited availability of primary care physicians See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 19. South Dakota Strengths Low rate of drug deaths Low percentage of children in poverty Low prevalence of low birthweight Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High occupational fatalities rate Low immunization coverage among teens See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 20. Maine Strengths High rate of high school graduation Low violent crime rate Low prevalence of low birthweight Challenges High percentage of children in poverty Low immunization coverage among children Limited availability of dentists See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 21. Virginia Strengths Low rate of drug deaths Low violent crime rate Low percentage of children in poverty Challenges Low immunization coverage among children Low immunization coverage among teens High infant mortality rate See more at : w ww.americashealthrankings.org 22. Montana Strengths Low prevalence of obesity Low levels of air pollution Low prevalence of diabetes Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking Low immunization coverage among teens Limited availability of primary care physicians See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 23. Wisconsin Strengths High rate of high school graduation Low prevalence of diabetes Low prevalence of physical inactivity Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High incidence of infectious disease Low per capita public health funding See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 24. Iowa Strengths Low rate of drug deaths High rate of high school graduation High immunization coverage among children Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High incidence of infectious disease Limited availability of primary care physicians See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 25. Wyoming Strengths Low violent crime rate Low percentage of children in poverty Low levels of air pollution Challenges High occupational fatalities rate High prevalence of low birthweight Limited availability of primary care physicians See more a t: www.americashealthrankings.org 26. Alaska Strengths Low levels of air pollution Low prevalence of low birthweight Low infant mortality rate Challenges High incidence of infectious disease Low immunization coverage among teens Low immunization coverage among children See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 27. Kansas Strengths Low rate of drug deaths High rate of high school graduation Low prevalence of low birthweight Challenges High occupational fatalities rate Low per capita public health funding Low immunization coverage among teens See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 28. Pennsylvania Strengths High rate of high school graduation High immunization coverage among teens High immunization coverage among children Challenges High rate of drug deaths High levels of air pollution Low per capita public health funding See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 29. Arizona Strengths Low prevalence of smoking Low occupational fatalities rate Low rate of preventable hospitalizations Challenges High rate of drug deaths High percentage of children in poverty Low immunization coverage among children See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 30. Illinois Strengths Ready availability of primary care physicians Ready availability of dentists Low occupational fatalities rate Challenges High prevalence of binge drinking High levels of air pollution High rate of preventable hospitalizations See more a t: www.americashealthrankings.org 31. Texas Strengths Low prevalence of smoking Low rate of drug deaths High immunization coverage among teens Challenges High prevalence of physical inactivity High percentage of children in poverty Limited availability of primary care physicians See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 32. Florida Strengths Low prevalence of smoking Low prevalence of obesity Low levels of air pollution Challenges Low rate of high school graduation High incidence of Salmonella Many poor physical health days See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 33. New Mexico Strengths Low levels of air pollution Low prevalence of binge drinking Low prevalence of obesity Challenges High rate of drug deaths Low rate of high school graduation High percentage of children in poverty See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 34. Michigan Strengths Low incidence of infectious disease Ready availability of dentists High immunization coverage among teens Challenges High prevalence of obesity High prevalence of binge drinking Low rate of high school graduation See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 35. Delaware Strengths High per capita public health funding High immunization coverage among teens Low incidence of pertussis Challenges High violent crime rate High infant mortality rate High prevalence of diabetes See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 36. Missouri Strengths High rate of high school graduation Low prevalence of low birthweight Small disparity in health status by educational attainment Challenges High prevalence of smoking High prevalence of physical inactivity Low immunization coverage among teens See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 37. North Carolina Strengths Low prevalence of binge drinking Low incidence of pertussis High immunization coverage among children Challenges High percentage of children in poverty Limited availability of dentists High prevalence of diabetes See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 38. Georgia Strengths Low prevalence of binge drinking Low rate of drug deaths Low occupational fatalities rate Challenges Low rate of high school graduation High prevalence of low birthweight Limited availability of dentists See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 39. Nevada Strengths Low prevalence of obesity Low prevalence of physical inactivity Low incidence of infectious disease Challenges Low rate of high school graduation Low immunization coverage among children High violent crime rate See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 40. Ohio Strengths High rate of high school graduation Low incidence of infectious disease Small disparity in health status by educational attainment Challenges Low immunization coverage among children High rate of preventable hospitalizations High infant mortality rate See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 41. Indiana Strengths Low incidence of infectious disease Low percentage of children in poverty High immunization coverage among teens Challenges High prevalence of obesity High prevalence of physical inactivity High levels of air pollution See more a t : www.americashealthrankings.org 42. South Carolina Strengths Low prevalence of binge drinking Low incidence of pertussis Low rate of preventable hospitalizations Challenges Low rate of high school graduation High prevalence of low birthweight High prevalence of diabetes See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 43. Alabama Strengths Low prevalence of binge drinking High immunization coverage among children Small disparity in health status by educational attainment Challenges High prevalence of low birthweight Limited availability of dentists High prevalence of diabetes See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 44. West Virginia Strengths Low prevalence of binge drinking Low incidence of infectious disease High per capita public health funding Challenges High prevalence of smoking High rate of drug deaths High prevalence of obesity See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 45. Tennessee Strengths Low prevalence of binge drinking Low incidence of pertussis Ready availability of primary care physicians Challenges High prevalence of obesity High prevalence of physical inactivity High violent crime rate See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 46. Oklahoma Strengths Low prevalence of binge drinking Low incidence of pertussis Low prevalence of low birthweight Challenges High prevalence of physical inactivity Low immunization coverage among children Limited availability of primary care physicians See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 47. Kentucky Strengths Low prevalence of binge drinking Low violent crime rate High immunization coverage among children Challenges High prevalence of smoking High percentage of children in poverty High rate of preventable hospitalizations See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 48. Louisiana Strengths Low incidence of pertussis High immunization coverage among teens Small disparity in health status by educational attainment Challenges High incidence of infectious disease High prevalence of low birthweight High rate of preventable hospitalizations See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 49. Arkansas Strengths Low prevalence of binge drinking High per capita public health funding Small disparity in health status by educational attainment Challenges High incidence of infectious disease Low immunization coverage among children Limited availability of dentists See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org 50. Mississippi -- The Least Healthy State Strengths Low prevalence of binge drinking High immunization coverage among children Small disparity in health status by educational attainment Challenges High prevalence of physical inactivity Low immunization coverage among teens High prevalence of low birthweight See more at : www.americashealthrankings.org | 7 | 3,876 | health |
It's been a long time in the making, but Snapchat's new Discover feature is ready to go... and so is the app's transformation from a pure messaging service into a full-blown media destination. Once the app update is in place, a quick tap on a circle icon that lives in the top right corner of the screen takes you away from your inbox and plops in front of a curated selection of stories from media partners like CNN , Yahoo , Vice , ESPN and even Snapchat's own fledgling editorial team. Like those snaps you're scribbled all over and sent, these stories too will disappear into the void, just not as quickly. They're delivered as part of what Snapchat calls "editions" -- bundles of stories crafted by deep-pocketed content partners -- that disappear after 24 hours. Naturally, Snapchat's ideal for pushing videos around, but this is all longer fare that you can skipping through by thumbing the tracking bar at the top of the screen. You'll also see a handful of actual articles peppering those editions too, laden with plenty of photos to keep the sort of Snapchat-encouraged micro-scale attention spans from getting too frazzled. If none of that sounds particularly Snapchatty to you, well, you're not alone on that train of thought. What began as a short-lived way to share life's ridiculous moments with your cadre of young friends has ballooned into a messaging juggernaut helmed by a 22 year old who felt no (or very few) qualms about batting down multi-billion dollar acquisition offers from Facebook . In doing so, Snapchat also found itself in the unenviable position of, you know, trying to make money despite an insane amount of hype and very little to show for its past efforts. That makes Discover the startup's most pronounced attempt at a money grab yet -- reports published prior to the feature's launch claimed that Snapchat would take a (sadly undefined) chunk of ad revenue before passing the rest along its media partners. It's worth noting though that ads are conspicuously absent from the mix so far, save for the occasional sponsorship splash screen making an appearance. Now the question is whether people, regular people, actually ever feel need to explore the newer side of Snapchat. Discover strays juuuuust far enough from the app's core formula to consign itself to a near-future of a weird looks, but the broad swath of publishers flocking to the app means there's a little something for everyone. Snapchat Blog | 5 | 3,877 | news |
The measles outbreak that started in Disneyland and the Disney California Adventure Park is bringing new and mostly unfavorable attention to the anti-vaccination movement. At least 70 people in six states and Mexico have contracted the measles virus since the outbreak began in mid-December, according to the Associated Press . Of the infected, most were from California and between the ages of 7 months and 70 years. The vast majority of people who contracted the once " eliminated " disease were not vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination for everyone 12 months of age and older. In an informal survey conducted by MedPage Today , more than 88 percent of those polled think anti-vaxers are a major threat to public health. James Cherry, MD , a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles, recently told The New York Times that the measles outbreak was "100 percent connected" to the anti-vaccination movement. "It wouldn't have happened otherwise it wouldn't have gone anywhere," Dr. Cherry said. "There are some pretty dumb people out there." The anti-vaccination movement was fueled by a 1998 Lancet study that claimed the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine could cause autism. The study later proved to be fraudulent and was retracted, its author was barred from medical practice, and no other study has established an autism-vaccination link. Still, some people continue to believe the disgraced doctor's false claim. In 2013, Sanjay Gupta, MD, reported how people not getting immunized contributed to an uptick in some diseases like measles and whooping cough, also known as pertussis. In fact, just last year California had the highest rate of whooping cough since 1958. In light of the current measles outbreak, the majority of healthcare professionals and people in the community echo similar concerns, however, vaccination opponents or anti-vaxers are sticking to their guns. "What if they experience it," said Dee Klocke in an LA Times article, commenting on the chance that one of her two children could contract measles. "So what?" Klocke, whose children attend Waldorf School in Orange County, California, where 41 percent of the kindergartners were unvaccinated when they entered school this year, told the Times that she and her husband aren't concerned about their children becoming ill. "Maybe I'm saying that just because it hasn't happened yet," she told the paper. For the Disneyland outbreak, the majority of infected people specifically among children had not been vaccinated, Anthony S. Fauci, MD , director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told PBS. "And it's really unfortunate, because vaccination can prevent all of this. One of the things we do know about measles is that the vaccine that we have is one of the most effective vaccines we have for any viral disease or for any microbe." "So this all could have been shut down if people had gotten vaccinated. That is the real critical issue," Dr. Fauci said. We want to know: Do you think anti-vaxers are irresponsible and putting the public's health at risk? | 7 | 3,878 | health |
Twitter rolled out a new group messaging feature Tuesday, meaning you can now participate in private Direct Message conversations with groups as large as 20 people, according to Jinen Kamdar, product director at the company. The update is Twitter's latest effort to get users to interact more with one another inside the app and even connect with users they've never met before. Unlike regular direct messages, where you can only send a note to people following you, group messages allow everyone in the group to chat whether or not they follow one another. They simply need to be added to the group by someone they follow. Twitter has updated its private messaging feature a number of times in the past year to help compete with the multitude of messaging platforms already in existence. Messaging on Twitter is most popular among the app's "power users," so Twitter has never really competed head-to-head with more focused messaging services like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. It would, however, like to keep its users from leaving the app in order to chat with others, so building out a comparable messaging service can help. Twitter updated Direct Messages in November so users could send tweets privately to one another. Just over a year ago, the company added the ability to send and receive photos in private messages. (Despite the new video feature released Tuesday, you can't send video in a private message unless it's part of a tweet, says Kamdar.) Worth noting: This is the third significant product change we've seen from Twitter in the first month of 2015, including the "while you were away" feature and Twitter's new consumer video product. Twitter has a reputation for shipping products slowly; it's a trend that resulted in the company going through three different product VPs in 2014 alone. But current product VP Kevin Weil, who just took over the role in late October, appears to be moving at a faster clip. The timing is also nice for Twitter stock holders. The company reports Q4 earnings next week and should have ample time to talk up all of its new features to eager investors. | 5 | 3,879 | news |
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) President Barack Obama defended the U.S. government's willingness to cooperate closely with Saudi Arabia on national security despite deep concerns over human rights abuses, as he joined an array of current and former American statesmen Tuesday in paying respects following the death of King Abdullah. Saudi Arabia's status as one of Washington's most important Arab allies has at times appeared to trump U.S. concerns about the terrorist funding that flows from the kingdom and about human rights abuses. But in his meeting with Saudi Arabia's new king, Obama brought up human rights only in broad terms, without citing specific cases, a senior Obama administration official said. Obama, in a CNN interview in advance of his arrival, said he has found it most effective to apply steady pressure over human rights "even as we are getting business done that needs to get done." "Sometimes we need to balance our need to speak to them about human rights issues with immediate concerns we have in terms of counterterrorism or dealing with regional stability," Obama said. During his brief stop in Riyadh, Obama held his first formal meeting with King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Salman, newly installed on the throne following the death of the 90-year-old Abdullah on Friday. The roughly hour-long meeting focused on a bevy of Mideast security issues sectarian divisions in Iraq, the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State group, the precarious situation in Yemen and support for Syrian opposition fighting President Bashar Assad, said the U.S. official who briefed reporters traveling with Obama on condition of anonymity, citing the private nature of the talks. Obama invoked human rights during the sit-down to make the point that tolerance and free speech are necessary to undercut the extremist ideology that fuels terrorist groups. The official said Obama told the king that it's important to ensure citizens have an outlet to express themselves. But the president did not bring up U.S. concerns about Saudi Arabia's flogging of blogger Raif Badawi, who was convicted of insulting Islam and sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes. His first flogging took place in early January in front of dozens of people in the Red Sea city of Jiddah, though a second round has been postponed after a doctor said his wounds from the first lashes had not yet healed. "On this visit, obviously a lot of this is just paying respects to King Abdullah, who in his own fashion presented some modest reform efforts within the kingdom," Obama said before the visit. Stepping off the plane earlier in Riyadh, the president and first lady Michelle Obama were greeted by Salman and a military band playing both countries' national anthems. Some of the all-male Saudi delegation shook hands with Mrs. Obama while others gave her a nod as they passed by. Mrs. Obama wore full-length clothing but no headscarf, as is typical for many Western women in Saudi Arabia, despite the strict dress code for Saudi women appearing in public. Salman formally greeted Obama and the U.S. delegation at the Erga Palace on the outskirts of Riyadh, where dozens of Saudi officials filed through a marble-walled room to greet the Americans under massive crystal chandeliers. Then they sat for a three-course dinner of grilled meats, baked lobster and Arabic and French deserts. Obama cut short his trip to India to spend just a few hours in Riyadh. Further underscoring Saudi Arabia's key role in U.S. foreign policy was the extensive delegation that joined Obama for the visit. Secretary of State John Kerry joined Obama in Riyadh, along with former Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and James Baker III, both of whom served Republican presidents. Former White House national security advisers Brent Scowcroft, Sandy Berger and Stephen Hadley also made the trip, as did Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a frequent critic of Obama's Mideast policy. CIA Director John Brennan and Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command, which overseas military activity in the Middle East, were also taking part in Tuesday's meetings with the Saudis. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have worked in close coordination to address evolving security concerns in the tumultuous region. Most recently, Saudi Arabia became one of a handful of Arab nations that have joined the U.S. in launching airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Yet Obama's presidency has also been marked by occasional strains with the Saudi royal family. Abdullah had pressed the U.S. to take more aggressive action to force Assad from power. The royal family has also been deeply skeptical of Obama's diplomacy with rival Iran. But the senior U.S. official said Salman did not express reservations about ongoing nuclear negotiations with Tehran, merely stating that Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. In his initial days on the throne, the 79-year-old Salman has given little indication that he plans to bring fundamental changes to his country's policies. He's vowed to hew to "the correct policies which Saudi Arabia has followed since its establishment." ___ Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC | 5 | 3,880 | news |
Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results as sales of vaccines and cancer drugs increased, but the company forecast 2015 earnings below Wall Street expectations, citing patent expirations and the stronger dollar. The largest U.S. drugmaker said on Tuesday that it earned $1.23 billion, or 19 cents per share, in the fourth quarter. That compared with $2.57 billion, or 39 cents per share, a year-earlier. Excluding special items, Pfizer earned 54 cents per share. Analysts on average expected 53 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. | 3 | 3,881 | finance |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) One phone call was all it took for Maria Sharapova to shake off whatever it was that almost ended her Australian Open. That call came early on in the tournament when the No. 2-ranked player came very, very close to losing in the second round to a lowly ranked qualifier. That was a bad day- she made 51 unforced errors, faced match point twice and clawed her way back to win. And then her dad called. ''I don't want to face that phone call with my father too many times during a tournament,'' Sharapova said Tuesday after a very different sort of match. The five-time Grand Slam winner moved one step closer to another Australian title, defeating 20-year-old Eugenie Bouchard 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals, making all the big points look easy. The win sets up an all-Russian semifinal against No. 10 Ekaterina Makarova. Asked exactly what her father, Yuri - who taught her to play the game and had coached her for many years - had said, Sharapova chuckled and gave what she called the ''nice version.'' ''It was like, `This is unacceptable,''' she said, smiling and then added that she prefers direct criticism to a glossed-over pep talk. ''I like real people and honesty,'' said the 27-year-old player who is Russian but moved to the United States at the age of 9 to train at the famed Nick Bollettieri tennis academy in Florida. ''I don't need ... people telling me, `You're great, you'll improve in the next one.' If you played a terrible match, you played a terrible match,'' Sharapova said. ''Go out there and change whatever it takes to turn things around.'' During the first week in Melbourne, Sharapova has talked about how much she loves tennis, and competition and pushing her limits, and the power she feels when she steps onto the tennis court and the feeling of wanting to win. It's been awhile since Sharapova won the Australian Open, and that is something she wants to change. Sharapova, the 2008 Australian Open champion and a two-time finalist, has a 5-0 record against Makarova, her semifinal opponent, including wins in the quarterfinals here in 2012 and 2013. In four of those losses, Makarova has failed to win a set. ''It's certainly nice to know that one of us and a Russian will be in the final representing the country here,'' said Sharapova, who also said that when she plays another Russian she tries not to think about it. ''At the end of the day, both of us are trying to win that last point.'' The 26-year-old Makarova said she expected a tough match. ''I never beat her, so it will be tough,'' Makarova said. ''Definitely she's a great fighter.'' | 1 | 3,882 | sports |
Snapchat has partnered with CNN, ESPN and nine other media companies to feature videos and articles on its mobile messaging service, a move that heightens the competition with social networks such as Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc. Snapchat's new Discover service features individual "channels" for its various media partners that include five to 10 stories a day, according to Snapchat, which announced the move on its official blog. After 24 hours the stories disappear, in keeping with Snapchat's trademark feature of private messages that disappear a few seconds after they are viewed by users of the service. The addition of news and entertainment content represents the latest expansion for Los Angeles-based Snapchat, which has become a popular communications tool for teenagers. In November, Snapchat partnered with online payments company Square to offer a service that lets users send money to each other. The new Snapchat features reflect the growing competition among mobile messaging apps and social networks to entice users to spend more time on their free, advertising-supported services. Snapchat, which previously turned down a $3 billion offer to be acquired by Facebook according to a person with knowledge of the matter, has been valued at $10 billion in its most recent fundraising effort, according to media reports. (Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; editing by Matthew Lewis) | 3 | 3,883 | finance |
Things You Didn't Know About Tater Tots There's only one true Tater Tot, produced by Ore-Ida, and we bet that's not the only thing you didn't know about this humble snack. Americans Eat 70 Million Pounds Per Year That's a whole lot of pounds of Tots, more than the entire populations of California and Texas combined! Chefs Like Daniel Boulud and Grant Achatz are Making Their Own At his restaurant Bar Boulud , Daniel Boulud serves homemade tots with pork and caramelized onion, and at Grant Achatz's cocktail bar The Aviary , the chef has served house-made tots that kick the exterior crunchiness, interior creaminess, and potato flavor up to 11. They're Treated with a Chemical That's Also Used to Remove Hair and Feathers from Livestock Not to startle you, but one of the ingredients in Tater Tots is disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, which has many culinary applications and is generally recognized as safe by the FDA. It helps leaven baked goods, maintains color in canned seafood, and in this application, keeps the potatoes from turning off-colors like gray or brown. It's also used to remove stains in leather processing, as a dispersant in oil well drilling, and (mixed with hot water) for hair and feather removal during hog and poultry slaughter. The Name Was Decided via an Employee Contest When Tater Tots were first invented, the Griggs needed to come up with a name, so they held a contest among employees and their friends. Clora Lay Orton, a young housewife, suggested the name tater is slang for potato and tot refers to their small size and took the win. They Come in Six Varieties Ore-Ida, which is owned by Heinz, sells Tater Tots in six varieties: Original , Onion , Mini , Extra Crispy , Extra Crispy Easy (which cook in the microwave), and Crispy Crowns . They're Commonly Used in Midwestern "Hotdish" Casseroles If you're from the Midwest (especially Minnesota and North Dakota) you certainly know what a hotdish casserole is; it's one of the classic regional specialties. Just about everyone has their own recipe, but they usually contain some combination of canned cream soup, ground meat, vegetables, and potatoes, usually of the Tater Tot variety. They're Not Called Tater Tots in Australia In Australia they're called potato gems, potato royals, or potato pom-poms, and in Canada you'll find Tasti Taters. Other imitators include Tater Treats, Spud Puppies, Trader Potato Tots (at Trader Joe's), and Tater Puffs (Whole Foods). They Launched a 2014 Ad Campaign Against "Imi-Taters" Like Corn Flakes and other pioneer brands like Band-Aid and Kleenex, lots of people don't realize that Tater Tot is a proprietary brand name. In order to raise awareness that there' only one official Tater Tot, in 2014 they launched an ad campaign urging consumers to "not be fooled by imi-taters," with Tots disguised as cowboys, pirates, and other silly costumes. They Were Sued to Remove a Cancer-Causing Chemical in 2008 Back in 2008, Ore-Ida was sued along with Frito-Lay and Kettle Foods to reduce the levels of acrylamide in their products, a potentially cancer-causing chemical that appears in foods that are deep-fried. (Ore-Ida agreed to pay $600,000 in penalties for not warning consumers about the dangers, and to cut the level of that chemical in half.) | 0 | 3,884 | foodanddrink |
@KelseyMcQuade wants to know who wins a 3-point contest between Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Kyle Korver, J.J. Redick, and Wesley Matthews. | 1 | 3,885 | sports |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Brian Vickers is eager to get back on the racetrack and prove to everyone he still has what it takes to win Sprint Cup races following emergency open heart surgery last month. ''Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated,'' Vickers said Tuesday during NASCAR's annual media week. ''I am still kicking.'' Vickers will miss the first two Cup races as part of his recovery process, but has been given a clean bill of health to begin racing March 8 at Las Vegas. He will drive the No. 55 Aaron's Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. Vickers said doctors told him that three months will be more than enough time for his chest to heal after they were forced to crack open his sternum on Dec. 15 to repair a hole in his heart for a second time. ''I feel great,'' said Vickers, a three-time Sprint Cup Series winner who had nine top-10 finishes last season and finished 22nd in the final standings. The December setback was the third major health scare for Vickers since 2010. Five years ago he underwent a pair of procedures - one to close a hole in his heart and another to insert a stent into a vein in his left leg. He missed 25 races during the 2010 season. He would miss an additional five races in 2013 after being placed on blood thinners to treat a blood clot in his right calf. Vickers said the latest procedure was the most traumatic and the toughest to recover from, calling it ''painful and extreme.'' He briefly contemplated retiring from racing. ''I have had to deal with a lot of these emotions and thoughts several times now,'' Vickers said. ''Could I ever race again and, if I could, would I want to? ... There was times where I was like, `somebody is trying to tell me something.''' But Vickers said he is driven to win a Sprint Cup championship, and doesn't want to look back later in life in regret passing up a chance to reach that goal. Vickers took over as a full-time driver for Michael Waltrip Racing last year after sharing a seat with Mark Martin in 2012 and most of 2013. His only win in 58 races with MWR came at New Hampshire in 2013. Vickers' toughness has resonated with the man who writes his checks. ''Not a lot of people have gone through what that young man has gone through,'' Waltrip said. ''His determination and his desire to be a champion in the Sprint Cup series is something that motivates our whole team.'' Vickers' latest heart issue came in December when he became ill on the way to a photo shoot. He wound up at Carolinas Medical Center where doctors rushed him into surgery to repair the hole in his heart after his body rejected his artificial patch that was initially used in 2010. At the time, the 31-year-old Vickers was told he may never race again. ''It was a pretty traumatic event going through that,'' Vickers said. ''It was the worst of all the medical procedures I have had to face.'' Through it all, Vickers hasn't lost his sense of humor. He sat on stage Tuesday joking with teammate Clint Bowyer about how doctors replaced his heart with that of a lion. ''Yeah, it's way stronger,'' Bowyer cracked. Waltrip will fill in for Vickers at the Daytona 500, while Brett Moffitt will race the second week at Atlanta. After that, it's all Vickers. He said he has been training feverishly to get healthy. He swam two miles in the pool over the weekend. He's primarily focused on strengthening his chest. ''There was a lot of uncertainty going into the surgery,'' Vickers said. ''Unfortunately I have had to hear that you'll never go racing again too many times in my life. But I've been able to get past that.'' | 1 | 3,886 | sports |
10 Healthy Habits that Keep You Young Smooth skin, a slender body, healthy hair; many of us are after these youthful attributes, and practicing healthy habits can help to maintain them. But taking care of your body can provide benefits that are much deeper, like a decreased risk for many diseases, pain-free joints and muscles, and an overall longer and happier life. "People all over the world spend tons of money on beauty products to counter the effects of aging," says Sophie Jaffe, a certified raw food nutritionist and creator of Philosophie raw food supplements. "They buy creams, serums, and gadgets in the hope that looking their best will help them to feel their best as well, but creating beauty from the inside out just might be a more effective approach." Maintaining your youth may not exactly be easy, but instead of spending your money on overpriced products that probably don't work, you can slow the aging process naturally by following these ten healthy habits. Protecting your skin from the sun "UV exposure causes free radicals to form in your skin and they damage your skin cell's DNA," says Dr. Cynthia Bailey, a board-certified dermatologist and the President and CEO of Advanced Skin Care and Dermatology Physicians. "This leads to skin cancer. It also leads to a series of events in the skin that cause a cycle of skin collagen breakdown and skin thinning." Sleeping well Besides leaving you groggy, irritable, and just plain tired the next day, missing out on quality sleep is associated with a long list of negative effects on your health. According to Rebecca Q. Scott, PhD, a sleep specialist at the New York Sleep Institute and an Assistant Research Professor in the NYU School of Medicine, when poor sleep habits are maintained consistently, you increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and impaired immunity. Eating well As Jaffe mentioned earlier, working to create beauty and health from the inside out may be the most effective way to maintain your youth. "One of the best ways to achieve a beautiful, youthful glow is to make sure that you are getting the proper balance of nutrients your body needs to maintain vibrant health," she said. Not to mention, eating nutrient-rich, whole foods on a regular basis can help to reduce you risk for conditions like type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. Reducing your sugar intake Diets consistently high in sugar have been associated with obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Plus, more directly related to our longevity, a recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that regular consumption of sugary sodas may increase the risk for metabolic disease through accelerated cell aging. The American Heart Association recommends that men limit their daily sugar intake to about 37.5 grams (nine teaspoons) and women to about 25 grams (six teaspoons). Exercising A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when compared with obesity, a sedentary lifestyle may increase the risk of premature death by about 50 percent. In other words, not exercising on a regular basis is a great risk to your health. Data from the study showed that exercisers who burn between 90 and 110 calories a day could reduce the risk of premature death by anywhere from 16 to 30 percent. Not smoking It's no secret that cigarette smoking is hazardous to your health. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S. and it significantly increases your risk for heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. On top of all that, Mayo Clinic says that smoking accelerates the outward aging process by damaging collagen and elastin which can lead to wrinkled skin. Relaxing Chronic stress can put your overall health in great danger. Cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, anxiety, headaches, back and neck pain, and sleep problems are all considered stress-related illnesses. Plus, according to Dr. Cedric Bryant, Chief Science Officer for the American Council on Exercise, stress can lead to a change in insulin and blood sugar levels, leading the body to become more conditioned to store a dangerous type of fat. "Stress signals the storage of visceral fat, which gets stored around the midsection deep within the abdominal region and around organs and is associated with an increased risk for things like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease," he said. Drinking, moderately A recent study in the European Heart Journal found that when compared with those who never drink alcohol, "social drinkers" may have a decreased risk for heart failure. According to The New York Times , the study's senior author, Scott D. Solomon says that "social drinking" (or moderate alcohol consumption) constitutes one drink a day for women and two for men. Once you cross that threshold, "your risk of other types of problems goes up," he said. Practicing good posture According to yoga, tai chi, and qigong instructor Fiona Patterson, constant slouching and poor posture habits can prematurely damage your joints and muscles. Keeping your abdominal muscles strong, sitting up straight, and getting up to move around every hour or so during prolonged periods of sitting can help keep your joints and muscles healthy and reduce your risk for issues like back and neck pain. Drinking water Not only will dehydration lead your skin to look dry and dull, but according to WebMd regularly drinking adequate amounts of water can help prevent weight gain and muscle fatigue. Plus, it helps to maintain healthy kidneys and digestive functions. | 7 | 3,887 | health |
Jan. 27--A teenager accused of stabbing to death her 11-year-old sister following an argument over chores was granted a plea deal Tuesday that will keep her in juvenile detention for at least five years. The girl, who was 14 when she was accused just over a year ago of killing her sister Dora Betancourt with dozens of stab wounds, pleaded guilty in juvenile court to first-degree murder, tearfully telling the Lake County judge: "I am truly sorry." The girl will be formally sentenced later, but prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to a deal that will have her remain in juvenile detention until her 21st birthday. After five years, however, her lawyers will be allowed to petition the court for her parole. The now-15-year-old girl answered "yes" in court when asked if she understood her plea. She and her mother cried in court after a prosecutor described the slaying. She is to receive "intensive mental health services" while in detention, officials said. "We are as sure as we can be that if she receives the treatment she needs," she will not be a danger to the community, Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said. The girl, who has not been named because she was charged as a minor, initially told police that an intruder had broken into the house and killed her sister. She later confessed to police when her story didn't add up, prosecutors have said. She has been held at the Robert W. Depke Juvenile Justice Complex in Vernon Hills since the murder. Her case had been delayed multiple times while lawyers reviewed a psychological evaluation of the accused girl. The teen told officials that she attacked her sister in bed out of anger over an argument the two had the prior evening, according to prosecutors. Authorities have said she told them that Dora was not grateful for her sister pitching in with doing household chores and helping her with her homework. Family members have continued to show up at court hearings in support of the teen, who they described as a prolific reader. Nerheim had previously weighed whether to try to her in adult court where, had been a few months older at the time of the killing, she would have been sent automatically. If she had been tried and convicted as an adult, she could have faced 20 to 60 years in a state penitentiary. Dora attended fifth grade at St. John Lutheran School in Libertyville. She suffered about 40 knife wounds, mostly around her neck, chest and arms, authorities said. A knife and a green shirt lay on the bed. [email protected] | 5 | 3,888 | news |
The Lakers guard wants $6.995 million for the Mediterranean-style gated mansion with its own gym, hair salon and theater. Kobe Bryant took a couple hits last week: one to his rotator cuff, which will be operated on Wednesday, and another to his Southern California estate, which he and his wife Vanessa have been trying to sell for the past year and a half. The Lakers guard dropped the price of the Newport Coast home to $6.995 million last week down $1.564 million from his original listing price in August 2013. The 8,471-square-foot Mediterranean-style home has 4 bedrooms and 7 baths. It's set behind gates in a cul-de-sac within a guarded and gated community. The mansion's amenities include an 850-square-foot gym, hair salon and an in-home theater with its own lobby and wet bar. The yard features an extra-deep, custom-built pool and spa, fire pit and outdoor kitchen in a yard with ocean and city views. Bryant paid $1.7 million for the estate in 1997 and has expanded and remodeled it. Jordan Cohen of Re/Max Olson & Associates has the listing. Living room Living room Kitchen Entryway with stairs Home theater Outdoor patio Pool View from property | 3 | 3,889 | finance |
In the lead-up to this week's blizzard, Mayor de Blasio told New Yorkers to "prepare for something worse than we have seen before" worse than a looping GIF of John Boehner licking his lips. So here's some helpful information to keep you safe and warm until Juno's blown over. Invite your roommates outside for a mandatory house meeting. Once everyone is there, run back inside and lock the door, stealing their precious heat. Eat snow. We can all do our part to get rid of the snow in this environmentally friendly way. Buy Dairy Queen's Blizzard® of the Month. This month, Dairy Queen is offering the Birthday Cake Oreo® Blizzard®. Take a break from eating snow and buy a large one. Eat it. Not only will today feel like your birthday but you will also have consumed enough calories to make it through the rest of the day without eating anything else. (Except snow, which, amazingly, has zero calories!) Encourage bad global-warming jokes. The more people say things like "Huhuhuh, I wouldn't mind a bit of that global 'warming' that those 'scientists' keep jabbering on about!," the more you'll stay warm by pretending to laugh. Pop bottles in the ice, like a blizzard, when we drink we do it right, gettin' slizzard. This advice was originally given by Far East Movement in its 2010 hit song "Like a G6," but it still resonates with many today. Popping bottles in ice and gettin' slizzard are perhaps the most important things you can do to cope with this blizzard. Alcohol keeps you warm, as does whatever "gettin' slizzard" means, probably. Wear ice skates at all times. If you slip on the ice, you'll be able to turn your fall into a beautiful figure-skating move. Think of words that rhyme with "cold." Old, mold, fold, rolled. These all rhyme with "cold." The more words you can think of that rhyme with "cold," the more you'll detract from the strength of the concept of "cold," thereby making yourself impervious to its effects. Rub your hands together with a globule of lava. Best-case scenario: your hands get warmer. Worst-case scenario: your hands burn off and they won't be so cold anymore. Start a fire. Once everyone you know has gathered around the fire for warmth, run inside and steal their precious heat. Sing "Hot In Herre." Nelly's music has long been admired for its warmth-producing qualities. When people begin to act out the song's lyrics and take off all their clothes, you can quickly gather up all those clothes and put them on. Stand at the window of your apartment completely naked. When your neighbors pull up the blinds in the morning to see how much snow there is, they'll be surprised! Partially because there's not as much snow as was predicted, and also because there's some weirdo over there who is flashing them. Prepare for the next blizzard. You never know when the next "potentially historic" weather event will occur, so stay vigilant. Lock yourself in your apartment and stare out the window with a steely grimace on your face, repeating the words "I'm ready for you, you bastard." Phone it in. When the blizzard doesn't actually happen, take the day off work. It's been a rough winter, and you deserve some time to yourself. Send your boss an e-mail saying that you are allergic to snow and that you can't go outside. Hopefully she didn't see you eating all that snow earlier. | 5 | 3,890 | news |
Perks for savers Saving for retirement can decrease your tax bill or boost your refund. But there are also penalties if you take money out of retirement accounts too early or too late. Here's how to minimize taxes on your retirement savings. 401(k) Employees can defer paying income tax on up to $18,000 they contribute to a traditional 401(k), 403(b) or the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan in 2015. Income tax won't be due on this money until it is withdrawn from the account. IRA You can defer income tax on up to $5,500 by contributing to a traditional individual retirement account in 2015. IRA contributions aren't due until April 15, so you can make a contribution shortly before filing your taxes to reduce your tax bill or boost your refund. Roth IRA Roth IRAs have the same contribution limits as traditional IRAs, but the tax treatment is different. Roth IRA contributions are made with after-tax dollars, but withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. Roth 401(k) Roth 401(k)'s don't offer a tax break in the year you make a contribution, but your savings grow without the drag of taxes, and you won't be taxed for withdrawals in retirement from accounts that are at least five years old. Catch-up contributions Workers ages 50 and older can contribute an extra $6,000 to a 401(k) and $1,000 to an IRA as catch-up contributions to boost their retirement nest egg and realize even bigger tax savings. However, you can no longer contribute to a traditional IRA once you reach age 70½. Saver's credit Workers with adjusted gross incomes below $30,500 for singles, $45,750 for heads of household and $61,000 for married couples in 2015 can claim the saver's credit in addition to the tax deduction on their retirement account contributions. The credit is worth between 10 percent and 50 percent of the amount saved in a 401(k) or IRA, up to $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for couples, with bigger credits going to people with lower incomes. Avoid the early withdrawal penalty Retirement account withdrawals before age 59½ typically trigger a 10 percent early-withdrawal tax. But there are a variety of ways to avoid the penalty if you use an IRA withdrawal for certain purposes, such as college costs, buying a first home, paying for large medical bills or purchasing health insurance after a job loss. Remember to take required minimum distributions Withdrawals from 401(k)s and traditional IRAs become required after age 70½. Required minimum distributions are typically calculated by dividing the account balance by an IRS estimate of your life expectancy. Those who fail to withdraw the correct amount face a stiff 50 percent tax penalty on the amount that should have been withdrawn. Delay 401(k) withdrawals while working If you remain employed after age 70½ and don't own 5 percent or more of the company you work for, you can delay withdrawals from your current 401(k), but not IRAs or 401(k)s from previous jobs, until you actually retire. Time your retirement account withdrawals If you accumulate savings in traditional and Roth retirement accounts and taxable investment accounts, you will have some control over how much you will pay in taxes each year because you can time your withdrawals from each type of account. While you will owe income tax on withdrawals from traditional 401(k)s and IRAs, your Roth IRA distributions will provide tax-free retirement income. | 3 | 3,891 | finance |
KFC's newest creation, the Double Down Dog, is getting a lot of attention on social media. The Double Down Dog is a cheese-filled hot dog served in a fried chicken bun. It is currently only sold in the Philippines, and USA Today reports there are no plans to bring the menu item to America. According to the KFC Philippines Facebook, the "all new, outrageously meaty" Double Down Dog will only be sold January 26 and 27 at 11 select locations. Only 50 pieces of the sandwich are available in participating stores each day, and they sell out pretty quick. In fact, KFC Philippines posts photos of the lucky customers with their Double Down Dogs as they sell on Instagram . The Double Down Dog is the latest in the line-up of over-the-top creations from KFC. Americans got a taste of the original Double Down Sandwich, a bacon and cheese sandwich with fried chicken buns, in 2010 and again when it returned in April of last year. Following that, KFC Korea came out with a beefed up version of the Double Down, called the Zinger Double Down King . In October, KFC New Zealand released Double Shell Tacos , tacos filled with fried chicken. Business Insider reports the new menu item represents the current food trend for protein-heavy foods in restaurants since many diners are watching their carb intake. In addition, its popularity on social media is free advertising for the chain. | 0 | 3,892 | foodanddrink |
The Anaheim Ducks have had their share of mumps, bumps and bruises this season. And yet as the NHL returns from the All-Star break, the Ducks have the most points in the league. "We've been through a lot of different (situations) with injuries and all those kind of things," Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf says. "All that stuff is just excuses. Everyone's going through the same things, and we have to show up as professionals and be ready to play again." Getzlaf has been consistently great this season, with a team-best 51 points, while the team around him has been in and out of the lineup and even while star linemate Corey Perry missed 15 games between the mumps and a knee injury. As a result, he's the MVP leader in the latest vote by the 12-member USA TODAY Sports NHL power rankings panel. But again, it's a deeply divided vote. He received five first-place votes, one of six players to get at least one. That's because no one is running away with the scoring race or the goal-scoring race and a goaltender is in the mix this year. Philadelphia Flyers winger Jakub Voracek, who has a four-point lead in scoring race, got two first-place votes. So did Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, who leads the league with 29 wins. Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin and New York Rangers winger Rick Nash, tied for the league, each got a first-place vote, as did Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo. The panel continued to give a slight edge to Calgary's Mark Giordano in the defenseman race over Nashville's Shea Weber, and a pair of Predators continued to lead the other two categories. Rinne, currently out with a lower-body injury, is the top goalie. "Pekka (is) playing unreal," Predators rookie Filip Forsberg said. Forsberg is the runaway rookie leader, a season after he bounced back and forth to the American Hockey League. Everything has come together for him this season. "Our team's been playing really good and that makes everyone way more confident. Obviously, the new coaching staff has changed a lot of things with the way we play," he said. "Playing with Mike Ribeiro basically all year really helped me to develop and have this early success." The Predators held on to the top spot in the team vote, getting seven first-place votes to Anaheim's five. Forsberg credits new coach Peter Laviolette's system with generating enthusiasm on the team. "It's obviously a way more up-tempo game now," "Forsberg said. "As soon as we lose the puck, we're just going to get it right back and play offense." | 1 | 3,893 | sports |
An expert hired by General Motors to handle claims stemming from ignition switch recalls has linked the issue to 50 fatalities. The death toll has increased since the last estimate of 38 in December, and a previous estimate of 27 back in October . Only four days remain for those who want to seek payment for death and injuries caused by faulty ignition switches. GM's compensation expert Kenneth Feinberg revealed the death totals on Monday. Meanwhile, according to a report from the Associated Press , the deputy administrator of the compensation fund expects a wave of claims to surface just before the January 31 deadline, and this could increase the death toll further. GM set aside $400 million last year for payments in the fund, but said this number could end up at $600 million by the end of the program. So far, GM has received 338 death claims and 2730 claims of injury. Of these, 58 death claims have been rejected while 230 additional death claims await review or further documentation. Meanwhile, GM has also rejected 328 injury claims, while 75 have been approved and another 2327 are still in limbo. For more than a decade, GM knew of the ignition switch failures on a number of its older vehicles. But it wasn't until 2014 that GM recalled 2.6 million cars to replace ignition cylinders for cars at risk of stalling when the switch slips out of the "on" position. And after a company-wide safety review that year, GM ended up recalling 30 million vehicles for a variety of issues. Feinberg said he will make a decision on new claims within 90 to 180 days. But work on these claims could extend as far as into the summer. Other groups have estimated that the death toll related to ignition switch failures is much greater than what Feinberg estimates. In March of last year, the Center for Auto Safety argued that 303 deaths could be attributed to front passenger airbags failing to deploy because of the ignition switch defect. Source: Detroit Free Press | 9 | 3,894 | autos |
While the impending blizzard scheduled to hit the Northeast may keep us from leaving home, there is one silver lining: we can enjoy "me" time without any guilt. And what better way to enjoy this forced isolation than with a Netflix binge and pampering beauty treatments? While your pantry is filled with all of the essentials ramen, hot cocoa mix and canned soup it also has the necessary ingredients for beauty DIYs. Try these simple examples below: DIY Exfoliator: Winter is a tricky time of year when it comes to exfoliation. Our dull complexions obviously need the TLC, but because they're more susceptible to dryness, the exfoliation must not strip the skin of moisture. Enter this simple DIY. First, prepare a packet of plain oatmeal with little water to form a thick paste. Then add 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Apply to the face as a scrub and rinse with warm water. Replenishing Hair Mask: Add moisture back to hair with this simple DIY. Mix 2 tablespoons of coconut oil with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Coat the hair with the blend, focusing on the midshaft down to prevent oil buildup at the scalp. Wrap the hair into a bun and cover with a shower cap or towel. Rinse thoroughly in 15 to 30 minutes (or roughly, one episode of Friends ). Hydrating Face Mask: If you do dare to go outside, calm skin after windburn with this simple recipe that also moisturizes. Blend 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Rub onto the face, letting it sit for 20 minutes and then rinse. Negative Space Nail Art: A bare nail coupled with geometric designs is an enduring trend. All you need is scotch tape and some free time to play up your own designs. Create a simple look with one piece placed diagonally along the nail or layer tape over one another for triangular shapes. Paint over the entire surface and then remove the tape. Soothing Foot Bath: Prepare your feet for days of wearing snow boots with this simple scrub by celeb manicurist Skyy Hadley. Mix 2 cups of whole milk with 1 cup of hot water with a drop or two of lavender or vanilla essential oil. Let the feet oak for 5 to 10 minutes. The milk smoothes out calluses while the oil calms the skin. | 4 | 3,895 | lifestyle |
Several vehicles under the Volkswagen Group umbrella have been recalled for the same issue having to do with leaky fuel system parts. The Audi S4, A7, Volkswagen Touareg, and Porsche Panamera S Hybrid are all included in this recall. 2011-2012 Audi S4, S5, Q7; 2012 A6; 2012-2013 A7; 2012 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid The Problem: Certain 2011-2013 Audi models with the 3.0-liter engine and one Volkswagen model have been recalled because there may be a leak in the fuel injection system. The leak can occur as a result of "production tolerance issues" and vehicle vibrations, and increases the risk of a fire. The Fix: The recall is expected to start on March 10, 2015, when Volkswagen will begin notifying owners. At the dealer, workers will replace the fuel rails and seals for free. For more information, owners can call Volkswagen at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi at 1-800-822-2834. Number of Vehicles Potentially Affected: 26,008 total units are affected, with approximately 201 of those being the 2012 Touareg Hybrid. 2011-2012 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid, Panamera S Hybrid The Problem: Like the Audis and Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, certain Porsche Cayenne S Hybrids and Panamera S Hybrids may develop a leak in the fuel injection system, increasing the risk of a fire. The Fix: Although Porsche hasn't provided a notification schedule, it did say dealers would replace the fuel rails for free. For more information, Porsche can be reached at 1-800-767-7243. Number of Vehicles Potentially Affected: This recall includes 1368 2011-2012 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid and Panamera S Hybrids manufactured between April 26, 2011 and August 2, 2012. Source: NHTSA | 9 | 3,896 | autos |
Winter's cold is not reason to resort to processed foods! TC Newman (@PurpleTCNewman) has delicious fruits and vegetables that are in season during the winter. | 7 | 3,897 | health |
The founder of New York state's Rent Is Too Damn High fringe political party was served an eviction notice this month, he claims because the building's owners want to charge more rent for his apartment in a desirable Manhattan neighborhood. "I'm going to fight it to the very last day," said James McMillan III, who founded the Rent Is Too Damn High party, and who ran for governor and president unsuccessfully. "What's happening to me is happening to the people," he said. "They could get a ton of money for that apartment." McMillan filed a federal lawsuit in a court in New York City to try to stop the eviction. He pays $872 per month for his apartment on St Mark's Place, in the fashionable East Village neighborhood. Market rent for one bedroom apartments in the area can be anywhere between $2,600 and $3,800 per month, according to MNS Real Estate . McMillan and the building's owners have been in and out of court since 2009, when McMillan claims the locks were changed on his building and he was never given a key. The event, he said, threw him into a depression and left him "sleeping in my car, in the park and sometimes on the street", according to the filing. Lisco Holdings LLC claims that the apartment is not McMillan's main residence, a requirement for tenants whose apartment is protected from rent hikes through rent stabilization or rent control. McMillan disputes that claim. The company allegedly refused to renew McMillan's lease in April 2011, and has returned several rent checks since. Typically, landlords can't accept rent payments from tenants during eviction proceedings. McMillan's filing claims that Lisco is looking for more than $18,359 in back rent. The 68-year-old Vietnam war veteran is acting as his own attorney in federal court, where he is asking for a judge to stop the eviction and to charge Lisco $1.3m in damages. In city housing court, McMillan is represented by John De Maio Attorneys at Law. If the eviction goes through, he will be kicked out of his apartment on 5 February. | 5 | 3,898 | news |
Lance Armstrong says if he could go back in time to 1995, he would probably dope again. | 8 | 3,899 | video |
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