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Marshawn Lynch responded to every question at Super Bowl Media Day Tuesday with the phrase "I'm here so I won't get fined." Should he and will he be fined? | 8 | 4,000 | video |
There are still a like of what-ifs clinging the Mitsubishi's continued presence here in the U.S, and the automaker hasn't been helping its case with production delays and unfulfilled promises. Mitsubishi has previously indicated a future strategy focusing on plug-in hybrid SUVs and crossovers as the crux of its brand re-imagination, and apparently the next phase of that effort will be a compact crossover concept slated for the Geneva auto show. Mitsubishi released two teaser photos of the upcoming plug-in hybrid concept car, but you don't even have to squint to spot the company's earlier XR-PHEV concept poorly veiled in shadow. The XR-PHEV first debuted at the 2013 Paris auto show (appearing later that year at the Tokyo and Los Angeles shows), focusing on fuel efficiency, low emissions, and lightweight construction. Presumably, this new model would slot in below the Outlander plug-in hybrid. Although Mitsubishi is calling the debut of the front-wheel-drive hybrid concept a "declaration of intent," the company's recent struggles to deliver that make this seem like a hollow gesture. The timeline for the arrival of the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid to U.S. showrooms is still unconfirmed, with deliveries now expected for late 2015 or early 2016, after the model hit the global market in January 2013. The Outlander plug-in uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a pair of 60-kWh electric motors and a 12-kWh lithium-ion battery. Also on deck for Mitsubishi is a rumored successor to the Montero SUV (globally known as the Pajero), which could possibly debut at the Chicago auto show next month. Mitsubishi released a teaser photo claiming the "return of a legend," and it's expected the new Montero will draw from the GC-PHEV concept from the 2013 Tokyo show. Currently, Mitsubushi's best seller in the U.S. is the Outlander Sport, which sold 31,054 units in 2014. While that's a not totally insignificant number considering Mitsubishi's national footprint, there's no doubt it needs to start completing its goals to make waves in the plug-in hybrid arena if it hopes to stick around for the long haul. Source: Mitsubishi | 9 | 4,001 | autos |
NFL commentator and former Patriot Ross Tucker believes it is likely that New England have acted inappropriately regarding deflating game balls in the AFC Championship game. | 1 | 4,002 | sports |
IRBIL, Iraq The Islamic State on Tuesday gave the Japanese and Jordanian governments less than 24 hours to release a female militant who's been on Jordan's death row since 2005, in exchange for the release of a kidnapped Japanese journalist and the life of a captured Jordanian fighter pilot. The demand for the release of Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman involved in the suicide bombings of three luxury hotels in Amman, Jordan, more than nine years ago, highlights how closely linked the Islamic State remains to its predecessor organization, al-Qaida in Iraq, which the United States once thought it had defeated. The operation that led to al-Rishawi's arrest, which killed at least 57, was al-Qaida in Iraq's largest ever outside of Iraq. In a brief voice recording posted on the Internet, Japanese freelance journalist Kenji Goto, speaking English, said that the Islamic State group had told him that he and the pilot, Muadh al-Kasabeh, would be killed unless al-Rishawi was released. Goto's statement was accompanied by a still image of him holding a photo of al-Kasabeh. Jordanian officials said they were attempting to verify the authenticity of the recording. "I've been told this is my last message, and I've also been told the barrier to extracting my freedom is now just the Jordanian government's delaying the handover of Sajida," Goto said. "Tell the Japanese government to put all their political pressure on Jordan. Time is now running very short. It is me for her. What seems to be so difficult to understand? She has been a prisoner for a decade and I've only been a prisoner for a few months." Goto said that "any more delays by the Jordanian government will mean they will be responsible for the death of their pilot, which will then be followed by mine. I only have 24 hours to live and the pilot has even less. ... The ball is now in the Jordanians' court." Jordan has refused to comment, but a Tokyo news agency quoted a Japanese official as saying talks were underway on Monday. There was no immediate response Tuesday to the substance of the new recording from either government. "I hope we can all firmly work hard and join hands to cooperate between the two countries (Japan and Jordan), in order for us to see the day when the Jordanian pilot and our Japanese national Mr. Goto can both safely return to their own countries with smiles on their faces," said Yasuhide Nakayama, a deputy foreign minister and lawmaker who was sent to Amman, according to a translation provided by The Associated Press. The emphasis on winning al-Rishawi's release in exchange for Goto's freedom and the sparing of al-Kasabeh's life marked a change in Islamic State group tactics. Last week, it demanded a ransom of $200 million for Goto and another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa. When the original 72-hour deadline passed without payment, a recording of Goto was posted saying that Yukawa had been killed and that the demand had changed to al-Rishawi's release. The recording Tuesday was the first mention in relation to al-Rishawi of al-Kasabeh, who was captured after his plane crashed during a bombing mission over Raqqa, the Syrian city that is the Islamic State group's de facto capital. Notably, it did not offer al-Kasabeh's release, only that he would be killed if al-Rishawi weren't released. Analysts were at a loss to explain why the demands appeared to be changing so rapidly. Previously, the Islamic State group has demanded ransoms for releasing captives, though it also reportedly had demanded that the United States release another female prisoner, Aafia Siddiqui, in exchange for the lives of three Americans who were subsequently beheaded. Siddiqui was sentenced to 86 years in prison in 2010 for attempting to kill a U.S. military officer in Afghanistan. But the request for al-Rishawi's release was a reminder that the Islamic State is essentially the same organization founded by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to battle American troops in Iraq more than 10 years ago. U.S. forces thought the group had been largely vanquished by the so-called surge of American troops during the George W. Bush administration. Al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2006. The Islamic State group "emphasizes it's inheriting the legacy of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, hence establishing mosques and training camps in his name," said Aymenn al-Tamimi, a fellow for the Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum who specializes in studying radical Islamist groups. Demanding al-Rishawi's release is consistent with the Islamic State group's identification as the modern incarnation of al-Zarqawi's original group. Al-Rishawi and her husband, Hussein Ali al-Shamari, were two of four suicide bombers dispatched against luxury hotels in Amman by al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida in Iraq in 2005. Al-Rishawi, whose brother, Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi, was a top commander and confidant of al-Zarqawi, had been killed in an airstrike earlier in 2005; in a Jordanian court, Sajida said she was motivated by his death to take revenge. At the time of her trial and conviction, she said that she married al-Shamari to allow the two to travel together posing as husband and wife in preparation for the attacks. She survived after her explosive belt malfunctioned and al-Shamari pressed her to leave the room before detonating his own. (Prothero is a McClatchy special correspondent.) | 5 | 4,003 | news |
Twitter on Tuesday began rolling out new group chat and video features as it worked to ramp up use of the one-to-many messaging service. "Private conversations on Twitter are a great complement to the largely public experience on the platform," product director Jinen Kamdar, whose handle is @jinen, said in an online post. "The group function lets you start conversations with any of your followers and they don't all need to follow one another in order to chat." Twitter allows users to send direct messages to one another; the new feature expands that capability to allow shared exchanges involving as many as 20 people, according to Kamdar. The Twitter application for smartphones has also been modified to allow people to easily capture, edit and share videos. The new feature allows for sharing of videos 30-seconds or less in length. "In just a few taps you can add a video to unfolding conversations, share your perspective of a live event, and show your everyday moments instantly, without ever having to leave the app," Kamdar said. Twitter's application for iPhones will also let people upload video from camera rolls on devices, and that capability is to be available soon on Android-powered smartphones. The new features will roll out to all Twitter users in coming weeks. Twitter last week updated its feeds to give users a recap of tweets missed while not connected to the messaging platform. The service last week also announced a partnership with Microsoft Bing to translate tweets in some 40 "language pairs." The enhancements come with Twitter seeking to boost engagement with users amid growth which has been slower than some analysts expected. In October, Twitter said the number of monthly users grew 23 percent from a year earlier to 284 million. A Pew Research Center report showed that among US users, Twitter is behind Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Instagram in the number of users. The San Francisco-based firm has seen its stock buffeted by worry that it isn't growing robustly enough in terms of numbers of users and the amount of time spent at the service. | 5 | 4,004 | news |
Algeria secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday thanks to a 2-0 win against Senegal in their last Group C game in Malabo. On a dramatic evening, Riyad Mahrez set Algeria on their way with the opening goal inside 11 minutes, and for a long time it looked as if both sides would be heading through to the last eight. Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Nabil Bentaleb then produced a superb finish to double Algeria's lead eight minutes from the end to seal a berth in the knock-out stage for Christian Gourcuff's men. However, Ghana's recovery from a goal down to beat South Africa 2-1 in Mongomo meant elimination for Senegal and confirmed that Algeria would have to settle for finishing second in the group. Nevertheless, Africa's best side in the FIFA rankings can now look forward to a quarter-final tie in Malabo on Sunday, while Senegal will have to wait at least another two years to end their search for a first Cup of Nations crown. Algeria created very little in losing 1-0 to Ghana in their last outing, but the Desert Warriors should have been in front inside two minutes on this occasion, with Sofiane Feghouli passing up a glorious chance when left with just the goalkeeper to beat. However, they did not have to wait long to get the breakthrough. The game was only 11 minutes old when a quickly-taken Madjid Bougherra free kick on halfway completely caught out the sleeping five-man Senegal defence, allowing Mahrez to control and tuck home under Bouna Coundoul. It could have been even worse for the Lions of Teranga with the tricky Yacine Brahimi opening up play for Hilal Soudani on the right, but the striker, making his first appearance at the finals, saw his powerful shot beaten away by the 'keeper. Senegal became more of a threat themselves as the half wore on with Southampton's Sadio Mane firing over and Papy Djilobodji sending a long-range free kick narrowly wide. - Accomplished - Coach Alain Giresse was then forced into a change as Pape Souare replaced starting left-back Cheikh Mbengue, who suffered a head wound in a clash with Aissa Mandi. Still they had opportunities to restore parity before the interval, though, as Rais Mbolhi failed to hold a speculative Idrissa Gueye strike and then denied Stephane Badji following a quickly-taken free-kick. The score in the night's other game meant both Algeria and Senegal were heading through at the interval, but Giresse's side were eager to keep their fate in their own hands. The introduction of Newcastle United's Papiss Cisse early in the second half in place of Papa Diop saw Senegal play with three up front and they pinned Algeria back in search of an equaliser. But it was Gourcuff's side who almost netted again with 15 minutes remaining, Kara Mbodj clearing a Saphir Taider shot off the line after Coundoul fumbled a Mahrez cross. And they did increase their lead with eight minutes left, the accomplished Bentaleb beating Coundoul with a thumping strike from the edge of the box after receiving a pass from Feghouli. At that point both sides were still heading through, but a second goal for Ghana moments later in Mongomo ensured that Senegal would be heading home. | 1 | 4,005 | sports |
When we were at camp, our favorite activity was arts and crafts, or as we used to call it: arts and farts and crafts . So consider us excited for Netflix's new "Wet Hot American" summer series . The streaming service released the first teaser for the show on Tuesday, revealing that the entire gang will return for what's being subtitled "First Day of Camp." That means Bradley Cooper , Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks will once again visit Camp Firewood. The series will air this summer , let's hope at 9:30, because we have something at 11:00. | 6 | 4,006 | entertainment |
Apple CEO Tim Cook just announced that the Apple Watch will begin shipping in April. Cook revealed the shipping timeframe during Apple's quarterly earnings call with investors; Apple had a blockbuster quarter backed by massive iPhone sales and huge growth in China. Announced in September of last year, Apple Watch is the company's first major new product since the launch of iPad, and Apple has described the smartwatch as its "most personal device ever." Today's the first time Apple has publicly commented on the product's release date beyond a vague window of "early 2015." And while he got more specific about launch, Cook did not reveal pricing details for the Apple Watch beyond the "starting at $349" we've already heard. Developing... | 5 | 4,007 | news |
Cooking will not only help your waistline, but it can also help your relationship. Doing an activity with your partner can help you both feel more connected and much happier. And cooking has added bonuses for its health, convenience, and joyful qualities. Here are the five benefits of showing power in numbers when in the kitchen. Spend time, not money: A lot of arguments in relationships can stem from personal finances. Not only is cooking at home a cheaper alternative to dining out, but it's also a way to spend quality time with one another. Sure, it might be quicker to have one person cook and the other clean, but when you cook together you have more time to connect and interact. Stay present: When you do active things together such as cooking, you feel connected to your other half, which can help strengthen your bond. Activities like watching TV don't always feel like quality time since it's more difficult to be present or have a discussion. Try to set aside one or two days a week where you can alternate teaching each other recipes and going through the process together. Healthy life, happy wife: Have you noticed that when you exercise and eat healthy you are happier and less stressed? The same can go with cooking healthy meals side by side. Couples are more affectionate when they feel confident in themselves, and getting healthier will do just that. You'll be even happier with your partner for helping you cook a healthy dish and sharing this healthy lifestyle together. Learn and love: Learning each other's favorite foods and likes in the kitchen is exciting. You can teach your partner different methods and techniques based on your particular skills and expertise. Learning what your partner's taste preferences are also shows special attention to their needs and will counterbalance feelings of neglect. Just remember to relax in the kitchen and don't fret over perfecting the dish; this activity is meant to be fun. Pay it forward: Doing something nice like setting time aside to prepare a meal with your partner makes them want to reciprocate the action and do caring things for you. The more energy you put into meeting their needs, the more you will see it circle back. This creates a cycle of good deeds in your relationship and in turn a new you. | 0 | 4,008 | foodanddrink |
In news that took no one by surprise, Tony Stewart indicated on Tuesday that he won't be competing on dirt tracks any time soon. "I'm not going to be in a sprint car for a while," Stewart said. Stewart came out for one of his first meet-and-greets of the 2015 season looking refreshed, refurbished and ready to put a tragedy behind him. Competing in a dirt-track event on Aug. 9 in Canandaigua Motorsports Park in New York, Stewart's car clipped Kevin Ward Jr., who had scrambled out of his car after it became entangled with Stewart's on the previous lap. Ward, 20, was pronounced dead shortly after the accident. Stewart was not charged with any crime after grand jury deliberations. Stewart returned to NASCAR racing in Atlanta in September after missing three races but struggled throughout the rest of the season. He was winless for the first time in his Cup career, with his lowest points finish. Physically, he's also been dealing with recurring pain from another incident Stewart broke his right tibia and fibula in a sprint-car dirt-track crash in Iowa during the 2013 season. Stewart recently had a minor procedure on his leg, part of the extensive rehab and repair work necessary to get him back up to speed physically. "I can promise you that I'm way healed up enough to do what I need to do," he said. "It's not going to be a factor in any race of the season." His emotional well-being is equally important, and Stewart seems ready to roll as well from that standpoint. Several of his friends and associates have noted that Stewart is in a far better frame of mind these days heading to the start of the season in Daytona. "As soon as the calendar flipped to 2015, I put the rest of it behind me and I'm not looking back," Stewart said. "I'm not looking back at all. I'm looking forward and focused on what we've got coming up." Gibbs on 'Deflategate' Joe Gibbs, who coached the Washington Redskins for two stints and to three Super Bowl championships, is like most of us involving the New England Patriots 'Deflategate' controversy: No idea what happened. "It's handled totally different than the way it was my first go-round," said Gibbs, now a successful NASCAR owner. "In the second go-round I didn't pay much attention to it. I think they're going to scrutinize now everything the way it's done, and I think they're probably going to make some changes. "As far as what happened, I don't have a clue." Quotable "Everyone's giving me a hard time about the Packers, but I say, 'At least they play in January.' " Matt Kenseth, reflecting on his Green Bay Packers' loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, and taking a good-natured jab at his owner, Joe Gibbs. | 1 | 4,009 | sports |
The Civil War in color April 9 marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. Click through to learn the story of the Civil War, as seen through these rare colorized photographs. Pictured: A Union cemetery circa 1863. War between North and South The war was fought between the Northern states, known as the Union, and Southern states, known as the Confederates of America, and took place between 1861 and 1865. Pictured: A Union company circa 1863. Central powers Abraham Lincoln was the President of the United States, while Jefferson Davis was the head of the Confederates. Pictured: Abraham Lincoln (left) meets with General McClellan, a Union army leader. Cause of war According to Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James McPherson, "The Civil War started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states." Pictured: Union soldiers resting at a plantation house in Virginia. Movement to abolish slavery "When Abraham Lincoln won the election in 1860 as the first Republican president on a platform pledging to keep slavery out of the territories, seven slave states in the deep South seceded and formed a new nation, the Confederate States of America", explains McPherson. Pictured: Union Army provost marshals. Event that triggered war The war began when the Union soldiers at Fort Sumter, South Carolina were bombarded by the Confederates on April 12, 1861. The event is depicted here on a commemorative stamp from 2011. Battle lines drawn Almost a million troops went on to battle each other along a line that, by the end of 1861, stretched 1200 miles from Virginia to Missouri. Pictured: A Civil War photographer watches the Union Army. Fighting spreads The majority of the war was fought in the states of Virginia and Tennessee. However the conflict spread from southern Pennsylvania and Texas to New Mexico and the Florida coast. Pictured: A Union guard in 1863. General Heintzelman Union Army General Samuel Heintzelman inspects wreckage. Heintzelman was a prominent figure in the early months of the war, rising to the command of a corps. Religion This image by Civil War photographer Matthew Brady shows Father Thomas H. Mooney saying mass in the camp of the 69th New York on June 1, 1861. Winter quarters A lady on horseback and officers near winter quarters. Naval battles The Civil War also had naval battles on the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mississippi River. Pictured: A Union ship in 1861. USS Shawsheen The USS Shawsheen, a steam-operated tugboat built in New York in 1855 and acquired by the Union Navy in 1861, is pictured here in 1863 engaged in a search for mines. The boat was captured by the Confederates in May 1864 and burned. Anaconda Plan Union General-in-Chief Winfield Scott tried to subdue the Confederates by adopting a strategy called the "Anaconda Plan" across the ports of the south and the Mississippi River which was intended to cut their access with the outside world. 'Fighting Joe' Hooker Union General 'Fighting Joe' Hooker, pictured here in Washington D.C. in 1862, had a reputation as a hard-living ladies' man, and is best known for his spectacular defeat by Confederate General Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Weapons and artillery The weapons used during the Civil War included the Napoleon Field Gun, the Minie Ball and the Spencer Repeating Rifle. Pictured: General Daniel Butterfield and his company using a cannon. Butterfield was one of 1,522 recipients of the Medal of Honor during the Civil War. Sherman's neckties 'Sherman's neckties' were a railway destruction tactic used by the Union Army. It involved heating railway rails until they were malleable and twisting them into loops. The Confederacy had limited supplies of iron, so this destruction was difficult to repair. The US Army Signal Corps The US Army Signal Corps, which was founded in 1863. Civil War Hospital A Civil War Hospital in Washington DC. Two-thirds of death during the war were due to disease. Leisure time of soldiers When they were not fighting, soldiers passed the time by writing letters, playing card games, making music and praying. Pictured: A Union drummer boy and sergeants in 1862. Army food While biscuits and coffee were staples, the meal taken by armies during the Civil War included salt pork, corn meal and fruit. Pictured: Union Army barracks near Lexington, Kentucky in 1863. Average age The average age of a Union soldier was 25.8 years. The Confederate average age is unknown. Pictured: A Union locomotive attacked by the Confederacy. The Gettysburg Address Slipping from color to black and white, this is one of only two confirmed pictures of Abraham Lincoln at the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous events in American history. Lincoln is in the center of the picture, hat off, and the tall man to his right wearing a top hat is his bodyguard. The Gettysburg Address, in 1863, saw Lincoln speak of the Civil War struggle leading to a "new birth of freedom" that would bring true equality to all of its citizens. Confederates surrender After four years of war, the Confederates surrendered to the United States in April 1865. Pictured: the Union Army marches into Washington DC in 1865. General Benjamin Franklin Butler Pictured here near New Orleans in 1864, General Butler went on to author the Ku Klux Klan act of 1871, which gave federal authority to prosecute and destroy the Klan in the south, and the Civil Rights Act of 1875. Amendments to the Constitution Before the Confederates states were added in to the United States, the Union added the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the Constitution, which abolished slavery, guaranteed that citizens would receive "equal protection under the law," and granted black men the right to vote. Pictured: Union troops near Brandy Station, Virginia in 1963. Rebuilding process After the war, the occupied southern states were rebuilt by the Union over the course of twenty years known as the Reconstruction Era. Pictured: Union soldiers build a pontoon bridge in Virginia. Deaths in war Around 620,000 soldiers died during the Civil War. The bloodiest single day of battle was on September 17, 1862, when the tally of dead, wounded and missing stood at 22,717. Pictured: Union graves in Cold Harbor, Virginia circa 1864. | 5 | 4,010 | news |
Don't toss out those overripe bananas! With a couple minutes of prep work, they can be transformed into frozen nuggets of gold, perfect for smoothies. Here's the best way to do it: Start with overripe, spotty bananas (they have much more flavor). Peel all of the bananas. Slice them into 1- to 2-inch chunks. (Smaller pieces are much easier on your blender; even a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix, will have trouble breaking down a whole banana.) Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment- (or wax-paper-) lined rimmed sheet pan. Don't just toss the unfrozen chunks into a freezer-safe bag; if you do this, they'll freeze into a brick of banana chunks that'll need to be chipped apart before using. Once frozen, transfer to freezer-safe bags. We like to separate them into individual bags that hold just enough banana chunks for a smoothie, so there's no guesswork (or measuring needed) when you're tired and looking to blitz your way to breakfast. For our go-to smoothie recipe , that means 1 1/2 bananas, but many other recipes use less. Armed with a freezer full of banana bags, you'll always be ready for rich, creamy smoothies, vegan banana "ice cream," banana bread , or oatmeal (toss the chunks into a microwave and heat until thawed before using). | 0 | 4,011 | foodanddrink |
Apple reported a blockbuster quarter on Tuesday, blowing past Wall Street's most optimistic expectations. The company sold almost 9 million more iPhones than expected, while its cash pile ballooned to the point that it could buy about 480 of the S&P 500 companies outright. Apple also revealed during a conference call with analysts that it plans to ship its new Apple Watch wearable device in April of this year. Shares rose 5 percent in after-hours trading. "I think the runaway success of the iPhone 6 plus and that huge hunger particularly in Asia for the large form factor screen is the runaway story of why this set of numbers is so strong," said Max Wolff, chief economist at Manhattan Venture Partners, in a "Closing Bell" interview. Apple Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri told Reuters that the company's China revenue grew 70 percent and that it was not concerned about an economic slowdown there eating into results. Apple reported earnings of $3.06 per share on revenue of $74.6 billion. Both were records. Analysts had expected Apple (AAPL) to report earnings of about $2.60 a share on $67.69 billion in revenue, according to a consensus estimate from Thomson Reuters. Of 43 analysts polled on EPS, the most optimistic of the bunch expected earnings of $2.97 per share. Of 40 analysts polled on revenue, the most optimistic expected sales of $74.27 billion. Sales of iPhones hit 74.5 million units versus a 65.7 million estimate. Sales of the iPad hit 21.4 million units versus a 22.2 million unit estimate. Apple's cash pile rose to almost $178 billion, up 15 percent from the prior quarter. For the current quarter Apple forecast revenue of $52 billion to $55 billion. Analysts expected $53.79 billion. Analysts' revenue expectations going into Tuesday's report were already higher than Apple's own guidance. "Our expectation is, that not only are they going to have a strong quarter, but we think the guidance will prove encouraging, too," R.W. Baird senior analyst Will Power said Monday on CNBC's " Squawk Box ." Analysts were expecting strong iPhone sales figures and encouraging growth in the Chinese market. Apple also has several new products, including its smart watch, in the pipeline, which some traders are betting means even more gains for the stock. Apple offered few new details on the watch during its conference call, other than setting the shipping timeframe. Some had expected the watch to launch in March. Some investors were also looking for news of an increase to Apple's capital return program although the company has typically announced changes to the plan in April. CNBC's Cadie Thompson, Everett Rosenfeld and Tom DiChristopher contributed to this report. | 3 | 4,012 | finance |
(Reuters Health) Trouble sleeping, especially trouble falling asleep, may be associated with high blood pressure, according to a new study from China. This is the first study to show that certain people with insomnia are at risk for high blood pressure, said coauthors Dr. Xiangdong Tang of Sichuan University in China and Dr. Alexandros N. Vgontzas of Penn State University College of Medicine, in a statement to Reuters Health. Insomnia with increased alertness during the day, or hyperarousal, is associated with increased chronic secretion of stress hormones like cortisol, which may lead to hypertension, they wrote. The authors studied about 300 adults, including more than 200 chronic insomniacs who'd had trouble sleeping for at least six months. They all spent one night in the Sleep Medicine Center of West China Hospital and took a sleepiness/alertness test the following day. At night, they were allowed to sleep as they normally would, in sound, light and temperature-controlled rooms. The next day, they were given four 20-minute nap opportunities throughout the day. Researchers measured their "sleep latency," that is, the amount of time it took for the nappers to actually fall asleep, if they were able. Researchers also took their blood pressure readings in the evening and in the morning. Normal sleepers were no more likely to have high blood pressure even if they took longer to fall asleep for a nap. For chronic insomniacs, the longer it took to fall asleep when they tried to nap during the day, the more likely they were to have high blood pressure, even after accounting for age, gender, weight and height, diabetes, and use of alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. Compared to normal sleepers who fell asleep quickly, people with insomnia who took more than 14 minutes to fall asleep during the day were three times as likely to have high blood pressure readings or a doctor's diagnosis of hypertension, the authors report in the journal Hypertension. People who fell asleep in less than 14 minutes, regardless of whether or not they had insomnia, had no increased risk of high blood pressure. About half of insomniacs and a third of the normal sleepers took more than 14 minutes to fall asleep during the day, Tang and Vgontzas wrote in the statement. People who have trouble sleeping should ask their doctors about their blood pressure readings, they wrote. "Insomniacs who have either short sleep at night or show signs of hyperalertness during the day are at risk for hypertension," they wrote. "This is similar to someone who has other risk factors such as obesity, high lipids, smoking, etc." The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for high blood pressure for all adults over the age of 18 every year or so, regardless of sleep patterns, USPSTF chair Dr. Michael LeFevre noted in an email to Reuters Health. Blood pressure screening causes few major harms, LeFevre said. "However, many people who have high blood pressure in (a doctor's) office setting do not have sustained high blood pressure outside of a medical setting," he said. "Making the diagnosis of hypertension based only on office readings may lead to unnecessary treatment." Blood pressure measurements should be repeated outside the doctor's office during the course of the day to confirm high blood pressure before diagnosing hypertension, he said. Most people will need help from a doctor or sleep expert to start falling asleep more quickly, Tang and Vgontzas wrote. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1DdfcvK Hypertension, online January 26, 2015. | 7 | 4,013 | health |
Fergie's sexy, tough-girl style may seem extreme at times, but no matter how long her extensions or how bare her midriff, she doesn't regret a single moment. By 2004, "I knew I was doing sexy," she told Allure 's Judy Bachrach. "So I went for it." In our February issue , Fergie admits to one disaster involving at-home hair color that she'd rather forget and reveals her favorite skin-care products and makeup picks. Her biggest hair regret: "It might have been in junior high I wanted to dye my hair dark, so I put a rinse in my hair, and what came out was like a pea green. Awful! And my mom made me go to school with it till I got it professionally done. I had to go to school like Frenchy from Grease. " The makeup she loves the most: "A nice extended black eyeliner. I would always copy that Marilyn look in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and sing in the mirror. My grandmother used to look like Marilyn Monroe!" Her best skin-care trick: "I do M.A.C. foaming face wash because it gets the skin really clean, then Eight Hour Cream by Elizabeth Arden and La Prairie neck cream. And the La Mer eye cream. I tested different neck creams and eye creams on tour with my makeup artist for, like, two months, and these are the ones that work best for me. Controlled testing!" A typical breakfast: "A shake: kale, romaine, spinach, half a banana, half a pear, half an apple, a little bit of water, and a juiced orange in the Vitamix. It's changed my life. It's like a buzz. It gives me a little sugar boost, but it's all healthy sugar! I did it during my pregnancy. Axl Jack just loves it. We call it Green Goo." The beauty treatment she would not want her husband to see: "I mean, he's walked in on me during my bikini waxing and I'm like, 'OK, honey, hi.' And I'm on all fours.... But he doesn't just leave; he gets curious!" To go behind the scenes of Fergie's February cover shoot, check out her video here. For more with Fergie: • Fergie Walks Us Through Her Style Evolution • Fergie Opens Up About What It Takes to Make a Marriage Work | 4 | 4,014 | lifestyle |
Celeb Engagement Rings Revealed How well do you know celebrity engagement bling? Keep clicking to test your knowledge of the stars' commitment baubles, starting with this stunning rock. When it comes to colorful over-the-top style, this 10.43 yellow diamond engagement ring takes the cake! But which fancy rapper does it belong to? Click to reveal her identity! It's Iggy Azalea! Iggy's basketball beau Nick Young presented her with this sparkly yellow rock in June 2015. Which singer started rocking this massive -- or should we say monstrous -- bauble on Valentine's Day 2015? It's Lady Gaga! The Mother Monster's longtime beau, Taylor Kinney, slipped this heart-shaped Valentine's Day gift on her finger back in February 2015. Can you remember which famous duo were responsible for millions of broken hearts when a certain supernatural hunk slipped this giant rock on his "Modern" woman? It's Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello! The "True Blood" stud popped the question with this planet-sized sparkler on Christmas Day 2014. How gorgeous is this "Avatar" star's emerald pear-shaped engagement ring? We agree! Marco Preggo knocked it out of the park when he proposed to Zoe Saldana with this stunning sparkler. Whoa, Nelly! Which actress sports this massive engagement bling? Jennifer Aniston, of course! It may have been Justin Theroux's birthday when he asked the "Friends" alum to be his wife, but the erstwhile Rachel Green was the one who walked away with the best present -- an 8-carat diamond ring! -- when her beau proposed on Aug. 10, 2012. A black diamond may be an unconventional choice, but apparently not for this " Beverly Hills, 90210 " alum. You got it! Jennie Garth sports a black rock that was given to her by her beau David Abrams when he popped the question. This actress is still pleading the fifth when it comes to her relationship status, but she doesn't need to say a word with this blingy band on her finger! Who is she? Cameron Diaz! The "Annie" actress and Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden became engaged in late 2014 and reportedly tied the knot on Jan. 5, 2015. Can you recall the name of the British barrister responsible for taming Hollywood's longtime most-eligible bachelor? He officially went off the market when he popped the question with this sparkler, which People magazine describes as an "ethically mined emerald-cut diamond estimated at 7-plus carats [featuring] two tapered baguettes set in platinum." It's Amal Alamuddin -- who you may now know as Amal Clooney! George Clooney asked the British beauty to be his wife in early 2014. They made it official on Sept. 27, 2014. We admit it: We were totally jealous when our celebrity crush asked this beautiful blonde to be his wife with this Lorraine Schwartz sparkler. Who is she? Blake Lively! Ryan Reynolds popped the question with a massive ring featuring a flawless, pink oval diamond in a rose-gold setting with pave diamonds. The duo tied the knot in September 2012. Can you remember which actress hit the jackpot when her co-star beau proposed with this rock? Here's a hint: We imagine this duo celebrated their engagement with a couple shots of rum. Now can you guess who she is? Why, it's Amber Heard, of course! She became engaged to "The Rum Diary" co-star Johnny Depp in early 2014. Bazinga! This "Big Bang" actress deserves some pretty big bling -- and she got it! Who is she? Kaley Cuoco! The "Big Bang Theory" actress and tennis pro Ryan Sweeting became engaged in September 2013 after a whirlwind courtship of just three months. They rang in 2014 by tying the knot on New Year's Eve. No, there's no meteor on a collision course with Earth. That's just a certain comedian's massive engagement bling! Do you recognize the owner of this rock? It's Jenny McCarthy! In April 2014, Donnie Wahlberg asked the model-actress to be his wife with this massive rock -- the yellow sapphire is more than 10 carats! Can you believe Jenny actually lost her engagement ring shortly after Donnie popped the question? Fortunately, they recovered the sparkler and are now husband and wife . Which pint-size actress sports this huge engagement ring? Here's a hint: She may be tiny, but her fiance is practically a giant. (He's 6'6"!) It's Hayden Panettiere! The "Nashville" actress and Ukranian boxer Wladimir Klitschko became engaged in 2013. Hayden reportedly helped design the 6-carat diamond sparkler, which set back her fiance $500,000. Which star rocks this engagement ring set with an emerald that was found in a closed-down mine in Muzo, Colombia? It's Halle Berry! Olivier Martinez presented Halle with this one-of-a-kind ring when he popped the question. Jessica Simpson is the lucky lady who wears this $100,000 stunner. For her second marriage, this pop star turned fashion mogul was presented with a 5-carat ruby engagement ring when her football player beau asked for her hand in marriage. "Nude nails with my favorite accessory," a certain Disney alum captioned this photo on Instagram showing off her diamond engagement bling. Which actress had the good sense to get a mani before debuting her rock? Ashley Tisdale! Rocker Christopher French asked the "High School Musical" alum to be his wife in August 2013 during a date night at the top of the Empire State Building. They made it official the following year. Can you remember which actor announced his engagement by sharing this photo of his honey's hands on Instagram? We're surprised they haven't been paralyzed given the size of that finger-crushing sparkler! Who are they? Kevin Hart and Eniko Parrish! The "Wedding Ringer" star popped the question in August 2014. Which celebutante sports this massive rock? Click to find out! Nicky Hilton! She and banking heir James Rothschild became engaged in August 2014. Can't rememeber who wears this rock? Here's a hint: After starring on a popular TV show together, these high-profile actors went their separate ways -- she dated a beloved child star for years, while he married and divorced a veteran A-lister -- only to reunite, fall in love and make it official with the giant rock on her ring finger. Who is she? It's Mila Kunis! She and her "That '70s Show" co-star Ashton Kutcher started dating in 2012 following his split from Demi Moore. Mila, who was previously in a long-term relationship with Macaulay Culkin, debuted her impressive sparkler in February following news that they would be walking down the aisle. Cue the "awwwws!" She's a well-dressed resident of the Big Apple who makes a living as a fashion mogul. So it's fitting that her fiance picked an eye-popping vintage statement ring to pop the question. The 1950s-era ring features a 4-carat European-cut diamond and 16 small sapphires amid interlaced gold bands. Très chic! It's Mary-Kate Olsen, who is now slated to be the first Olsen twin to walk down the aisle. She's engaged to Olivier Sarkozy and as the story goes, the much older French banker tried to put a ring on it in 2013 only to have Mary-Kate press pause on any marriage talk. Good thing she finally said yes -- that ring looks fab on her finger! We're in love with this classic engagement ring that a red-hot TV star is rocking. Can you guess who she is just by looking at her digits? Looks like we're not the only ones who are in love with Allison Williams' engagement bauble. So is she! "I am obsessed with it," she told Seth Meyers during an appearance on his show that also saw her gush about fiance Ricky Van Veen, co-founder of College Humor. The couple have been dating for three years. This reality-TV star turned fashion designer saw her boyfriend get down on one knee during a romantic getaway in Australia. She admitted to crying "a lot" when she was presented with the ring, which features a gorgeous oval stone, rose gold band and three rows of diamonds. The ring belongs to none other than Whitney Port, who accepted her boyfriend Tim Rosenman's proposal in November 2013. The couple met in 2008 while working on the MTV reality show "The City" (Whitney appeared on the series; Tim was an associate producer). This reality-TV star has been married and engaged three times before. But after becoming a mom, her boyfriend decided that it was time to put a ring on his baby mama. Who is she? Yup, it's Kim Kardashian! Kanye West popped the question on her birthday with this Lorraine Schwartz stunner in front of all their family and friends at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Kim and Kanye sure had a stellar 2013! From reality-TV to fashion lines to books, the lady showing off this gorgeous bling has done it all. And she got her happy ending when her boyfriend of a year and a half popped the question in October 2013. Any guesses? Yup, it's Lauren Conrad! The business entrepreneur showed off her stunning 2-carat round-cut diamond from beau William Tell on Instagram. They tied the knot in September 2014. This actress had been dating her NBA playing beau for nearly five years when they decided to take their relationship to the next level. Who is she? Yup! It's Gabrielle Union. Dwayne Wade popped the question with this mega-sparkler over the 2013 holidays. This actress may have been married before, but her new bling seems more suited for her. The vintage-looking ring is set in a long Art Deco setting and was given to her by her Parisian journalist boyfriend. Any guesses? That's right! Scarlett Johansson debuted her ring at the 2013 Venice Film Festival while on the arm of her new fiance, Romain Dauriac. This lady can act and sing and luckily found a job that combines the two on TV. She also got lucky when she found a rapper who liked her so much he put a ring on it. Who might she be? "Glee" star Naya Rivera and Big Sean announced their engagement after only six months of dating in October 2013. The rapper even gave his fiance a necklace to match her finger bling for Christmas. But all the bling in the world wasn't enough to make this relationship work: Naya and Sean parted ways in April 2014. This Oscar-winning actress got engaged to her co-star. And wouldn't you know it -- they were also expecting at the time! Who rocks this ring? Natalie Portman received this $35,000 eco-friendly ring from her now husband and "Black Swan" co-star Benjamin Millepied in December 2010. The stone is an antique, the pave diamonds are certified as conflict-free and the platinum is recycled. This free-spirited pregnant actress told Matt Lauer that her rocker baby daddy's proposal was "very romantic," but was mum on other details. Who is the lucky owner of this bling? Muse rocker Matthew Bellamy proposed to Kate Hudson with this bauble soon after the couple learned they were expecting a child together. The $200,000, nine-carat ring features an emerald-cut diamond and tapered baguettes on the side. Sadly, the duo announced that they were calling it quits in late 2014. This divalicious singer got engaged to her hip-hop honey while on a romantic getaway to Cannes. Who is she? When Beyonce received her $5 million bauble from Jay-Z, he also presented her with a $5,000 version to wear onstage and in public. This reality-TV star is far from old fashioned, but from the looks of this engagement ring, it seems as though she's traditional when it comes to marriage. Can you guess whose diamond this is? Kat Von D is the proud wearer of this elegant four-carat Neil Lane diamond ring, which features a delicate filigree pattern. Jesse James gave it to her when he proposed in January 2011. Sadly, they never made it down the aisle. This pop star was in a tent in India on New Year's Eve with her comedic actor beau when he asked for her hand in marriage. Which songstress once sported this nice piece of ice? It's Katy Perry. But this isn't the bauble Russell Brand originally gave her. After confessing she didn't like the five-carat Cartier ring that he picked out, she returned it for this round-cut diamond on a gold band. Maybe that was a sign of things to come: The duo went their separate ways after about a year of marriage. This actress and mother of three got engaged to her Hollywood agent boyfriend over the winter holidays. Can you guess who's the lucky lady? It's Reese Witherspoon, who accepted Jim Toth's proposal -- and his four-carat, $450,000 Ashoka diamond engagement ring -- in December 2010. Whose bedazzled ring finger is this? LeAnn Rimes and now-hubby Eddie Cibrian designed this $85,000, five-carat oval diamond set in rose gold fleur de lis to create a new ring with an antique feel. This pop singer was at home watching "Parenthood" when her football player boyfriend got down on bended knee. Who rocks this unique trinket? Jessica Simpson was presented with this $100,000 ruby-and-diamond ring in November 2010 by fiance Eric Johnson. Rumor has it that Jess bought it herself! This reality-TV star had only been dating her basketball beau for a month when he gave her this finger candy -- and the two lovebirds promptly scurried down the aisle. Whose ring probably costs more to insure than the average person's rent? Khloe Kardashian scored this 12.5-carat ring from Lamar Odom in September 2009. It's worth $850,000, but that didn't stop Khloe from once losing it in the laundry. Sadly, Khloe and Lamar called it quits after four years of marriage. This May-December relationship between a former teen queen and one of Hollywood's top actors was solidified with a proposal atop the Eiffel Tower. What actress got this when she said, 'Oui'? Katie Holmes said yes to Tom Cruise -- and this six-carat ring worth an estimated $100,000 -- in June 2005. But then the couple said "adios" to each other in June 2012. This former Disney star was relaxing on her Hawaiian hotel balcony with her NHL-playing boyfriend when he popped the question. Whose gorgeous diamond is this? Hilary Duff was so excited when she accepted now-hubby Mike Comrie's proposal (and its accompanying 14-karat princess-cut sparkler worth $1 million), she quickly started taking camera pics to send to family and friends. The couple ended their marriage in January 2014. This singer-actress got engaged to her A-list actor boyfriend at his childhood home in Boston in November 2002. Who sports this pink sparkler? Jennifer Lopez's engagement to Ben Affleck may not have lasted, but her iconic 6.1-carat pink-diamond ring -- which set Ben back over $3 million -- is forever. This stylish supermodel didn't just get this ice around her finger when her now-hubby proposed. He popped the question in an igloo in Whistler, B.C.! Whose lady fingers are weighed down by this bling? Heidi Klum's 12-carat canary diamond ring from singer Seal, which she received in December 2004, is worth a cool $1.5 million. This "American Idol" star said yes to her hockey player boyfriend when he popped the question at his home with this sparkler. Who proudly sports this engagement ring? Carrie Underwood has worn this flawless five-carat canary diamond ring from Ottawa Senators star Mike Fisher since he proposed in December 2009 after a yearlong courtship. This reality-TV star-turned-designer already had two children with her rocker baby daddy when he popped the question. Who's the lucky lady in love? Nicole Richie debuted her four-carat Neil Lane sparkler from Joel Madden in February 2010. The $200,000 bauble, which Nicole helped design, is said to be her "dream ring" and features a round brilliant center stone surrounded by smaller diamonds. This pop star and her dancer beau got engaged three months after meeting while flying home from a leg of her world tour. She had originally proposed to him, but he turned her down so he could ask her. Who scored this nugget of gold in the do-over? Britney Spears reportedly paid $40,000 for her five-carat double-banded engagement ring from Kevin Federline when he proposed in June 2004. Which British beauty received this regal ring while vacationing in Kenya with her now-hubby? Prince William popped the question to Kate Middleton with this 18-carat oval sapphire ring in October 2010. The ring previously belonged to his mother, Princess Diana. This former reality-TV star was on vacation in Cabo when her quarterback boyfriend popped the question with this bling. Who brought this rock back from Mexico as a souvenir? Kristin Cavallari had only been dating fiance Jay Cutler for eight months when he popped the question over Easter weekend with this 5.2-carat diamond ring worth $125,000. The two got married in Nashville in the summer of 2013. This reality-TV crossover star had to dig in the sand with a shovel for her beautiful bauble. Who scored big-time in the sand? Jennifer Hudson helped design this $80,000, six-carat ring with her fiance, David Otunga, and jeweler Neil Lane. She officially received it in September 2008. Which blond actress nabbed this nugget when she got engaged to her handyman host boyfriend of five months? Amy Smart did! The "Justified" actress announced her engagement to HGTV's Carter Oosterhouse at a red carpet event and debuted her four-carat ring only a few days after her man popped the question. | 6 | 4,015 | entertainment |
The two-week-old reprieve from the selling seen earlier this month was shattered Tuesday after Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) fell 9.3% after reporting disappointing forward guidance and suffered a bevy of analyst downgrades as a result. That dragged down the entire tech sector and hit the Dow Jones Industrial Average hard for a loss of 291 points or 1.7%. The S&P 500 lost 1.3%, the Nasdaq lost 1.9%, and the Russell 2000 lost 0.5%. The winter storm in New York was less severe than expected (though it still was doing heavy damage across other parts of the Northeast). And stocks finished off their lows. But the overall impression is that another downward slide is just getting started. 3 Weak Dow Stocks to Sell The list of concerns is growing after a weaker-than-expected U.S. durable goods report suggested that the slowdowns in Europe and Asia are finally having an effect here at home. Orders dropped 3.4% in December for the fourth consecutive contraction and the worst reading since August. The sets the stage for disappointment should the Federal Reserve, at their policy announcement tomorrow, stick with their mid-2015 rate hike timing as is widely expected. Other hurdles include the simmering tension in the eurozone as the new anti-bailout/anti-austerity Syria-led government in Athens prepares for its standoff with the "troika" of the European Union, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. Greek stocks lost 3.5% as investors worried about the wide gap between Syriza's campaign promises and the limited flexibility on bailout terms offered by Troika officials so far. A standoff is coming. And it could result in a Greek exit from the euro, which would immediately shift focus to anti-austerity parties on the rise in Spain, Italy and France. There's more, from increased fighting in Ukraine to the worst decline in Chinese industrial profits since 2011 to signs that the Japanese are realizing the limits of its aggressive money printing stimulus as it worries about the negative impacts of a severely weakened yen. And finally, the shine has been taken off of last week's enthusiasm about the unveiling of the ECB's sovereign bond buying purchase program. Back to earnings. Microsoft wasn't the only source of disappointment, with blue-chip titans Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) and Procter & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG) dropping 7.2% and 3.5%, respectively, today on earnings. A slowdown in PC demand, weak overseas demand, the impact of the collapse in energy prices and currency drag from a strong dollar on repatriated foreign profits were all fingered as problems. As a result, FactSet reports that analysts are now looking for Q1 S&P 500 earnings per share growth of just 0.1% down from 4% at the start of the quarter while revenues are expected to drop 1.9% vs. growth of 1.6% that was expected just a few weeks ago. I've been recommending a defensive posture with a focus on precious metals and put option plays. That strategy was in the sweet spot today, with the VelocityShares Daily 2x VIX Short Term ETN (NASDAQ:TVIX) recommended to Edge subscribers on Monday jumping 7% while the Market Vector Junior Gold Miners ETF (NYSEARCA:GDXJ) recommended on Jan. 6 is carrying a gain of more than 13%. In options, the Feb $37 Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) puts recommended to Edge Pro subscribers on Jan. 14 are up nearly 71% while the Barrick Gold (NYSE:ABX) Feb $11 calls are up nearly 330% since Jan. 13. Anthony Mirhaydari is founder of the Edge and Edge Pro investment advisory newsletters. More From InvestorPlace 3 Reasons to Sit This Market Out 3 Stocks to Dump From Your Portfolio Now 5 Vanguard Funds No One Needs to Own The post Boom Goes the Blue Chips! appeared first on InvestorPlace . | 3 | 4,016 | finance |
Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for inappropriate language toward a fan and then turned to Twitter to vent. Barnes blamed Suns owner Robert Sarver for the incident that took place with 4:28 remaining in the second quarter of the Clippers' 120-100 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday at US Airways Center in Phoenix. Barnes finished the game with four points and five rebounds in 26 minutes. "Another 25k! The part of the story the nba hasn't told you was my language wasnt directed at a fan, I was talkn to the owner of the Suns.... Who was sitting on the baseline & I only said something to him AFTER he cussed at me, BUT because I didn't SNITCH I get fined!! #thecode "I've been fined 50k in the last mnth for kicking a "PAPER"Gatorade cup that had alil bit of water in it that didn't even hit anyone &.... Responding to an OWNER who cussed at me first.. 50,000 dollars for that?? Come on now!" Barnes has a history of drawing fines for his behavior on the court. In December, he was reprimanded by the league and docked $25,000 for throwing a water bottle and directing profane language at fans during a game against the Washington Wizards. The 34-year-old Barnes is averaging 9.8 points per game this season. ----------------------------------------------- | 1 | 4,017 | sports |
It's something you love to do in your spare time, but can you make money from your hobby? | 8 | 4,018 | video |
Various people fall and fly from their swings. | 8 | 4,019 | video |
A lot of people are trying to guess why the NFL's playoffs end in The Super Bowl and most of them are wrong. Patrick Jones (@Patrick_E_Jones) explains. | 8 | 4,020 | video |
Royal China Club in London serves the world's most expensive tea. Alongside a motley crew of outrageously priced exotic edibles, Royal China Club in London also brews the world's most expensive tea. Da Hong Pao, in the oolong family, grows in the high altitude of China's Fujian province and leaves are picked from three legendary bushes. Per The Independent , "these same bushes produced tea which cured the illness of a mother of a Ming dynasty emperor." As the tea leaves grow, workers wipe them with goat's milk for shine. When mature, the leaves are picked and baked over charcoal, then aged for up to 80 years. Royal China Club simmers the leaves for up to eight hours and sells a pot with four servings for £388 or just under $600. According to journalist Oscar Quine who sampled the tea, "Its flavour is similar to that of Japanese brown rice tea . I imagine the woody, umami undertones come from the roasting. They are offset nicely by fragrant top notes I taste peach." | 0 | 4,021 | foodanddrink |
Five rocky alien worlds that are 80 percent as old as the universe itself have been discovered, suggesting that Earth-size planets have been a feature of the Milky Way galaxy almost since its beginning. The newfound exoplanets circle Kepler-444 an 11.2-billion-year-old star about 25 percent smaller than the sun that lies 117 light-years from Earth and are all Venus-size or smaller. All of the worlds are therefore rocky, though scientists know nothing else about their composition. All five alien planets complete an orbit in less than 10 days, meaning they're almost certainly too hot to support life as we know it. But Kepler-444 hints at the existence of other ancient planetary systems that may be more hospitable, researchers said. [ 10 Exoplanets That Could Host Alien Life ] "We now know that Earth-sized planets have formed throughout most of the universe's 13.8-billion-year history, which could provide scope for the existence of ancient life in the galaxy," lead study author Tiago Campante, of the University of Birmingham in England, said in a statement . For perspective, Earth and everything else in our own solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago. Campante and his colleagues discovered Kepler-444 and its five known planets after analyzing data gathered by NASA's Kepler space telescope . Kepler hunts for planets by noting the tiny brightness dips caused when they cross their host star's face from the spacecraft's perspective. Kepler can also pick up brightness changes caused by sound waves within the star that affect its temperature and thus its luminosity. Studying these natural oscillations a strategy known as asteroseismology can help scientists determine a star's size, mass and age. "When asteroseismology emerged about two decades ago, we could only use it on the sun and a few bright stars, but thanks to Kepler, we can now apply the technique to literally thousands of stars," said co-author Daniel Huber, of the University of Sydney in Australia. "Asteroseismology allows us to precisely measure the radius of Kepler-444 and hence the sizes of its planets," he added. "For the smallest planet in the Kepler-444 system, which is slightly larger than Mercury, we measured its size with an uncertainty of only 100 kilometers [62 miles]." The $600 million Kepler mission launched in March 2009, tasked with helping scientists determine how commonly Earth-like planets occur throughout the Milky Way. The spacecraft has discovered more than 1,000 explanets to date, with more than 3,000 additional "candidates" awaiting confirmation by follow-up analysis or observations. Kepler's original planet hunt ended in May 2013, when the second of its four orientation-maintaining reaction wheels failed. But scientists are still combing through the instrument's huge data set, as the new study shows. And Kepler has embarked upon a new mission called K2, which is continuing the exoplanet search but also includes observations of other cosmic objects and phenomena. The new study was published today (Jan. 27) in The Astrophysical Journal. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+ . Follow us @Spacedotcom , Facebook or Google+ . Originally published on Space.com . The Strangest Alien Planets (Gallery) 7 Ways to Discover Alien Planets Gallery: A World of Kepler Planets Copyright 2015 SPACE.com , a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | 5 | 4,022 | news |
Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O) plans to spin off its 15 percent stake in China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA.N), responding to pressure to hand over to shareholders its prized e-commerce investment valued at roughly $40 billion. Shares of Yahoo were up roughly 7 percent at $51.45 in after-hours trading on Tuesday, following the tax-free spin off announcement and earnings which just beat analysts forecasts even as its revenues slightly lagged estimates. Shareholders feel that Yahoo and its stake in Alibaba would be worth more separately, so long as the Alibaba shares are not subject to the standard 35 percent tax rate that would be incurred from selling the shares. "It's the best possible outcome," said BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis. "The main point is that the money goes to shareholders, it doesn't get spent on acquisitions. They don't want to fritter it away." Yahoo's market value is about $45 billion, while its Alibaba stake alone is worth nearly $40 billion, meaning the current Yahoo share price assigns little value to the core business. Some investors believe the email, Web site and other operations are worth between $7 billion and $8 billion. While the spin-off will hold tax advantages for Yahoo and will allow it to simplify its structure, it will also ratchet up pressure on Chief Executive Marissa Mayer to strengthen Yahoo's core media and advertising business. Yahoo's revenue, excluding fees paid to partner websites, declined 1.8 percent year-on-year in the final three months of 2014 to $1.18 billion, just shy of Wall Street expectations. The average analyst polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S called for adjusted revenue of $1.185 billion. Yahoo said it earned 30 cents per share in the fourth quarter, excluding certain items, beating by a penny the consensus forecast of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Yahoo, which is trying to reverse a multi-year decline in revenue, has faced increasing investor pressure more than two years after CEO Mayer took the reins to lead a comeback plan. Activist investor Starboard said in September that it had acquired a significant stake in Yahoo and urged the company to cut costs, consider a merger with AOL Inc (AOL.N) and quickly "monetize" the Asian assets, which exceed the value of Yahoo's actual business. Yahoo said its board of directors has authorized a plan to spin off the stake, tax-free, into a newly formed independent registered investment company. The stock of the company will be distributed pro-rata to Yahoo shareholders and the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2015, Yahoo said. The new entity will include Yahoo's 384 million shares in Alibaba as well as an unspecified "legacy, ancillary" Yahoo business, the company said. Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC.N), Goldman Sachs & Co (GS.N) and J.P. Morgan Securities (JPM.N) are serving as financial advisors on the transaction. The spinoff of the second-largest stake in Alibaba is not expected to have much impact on the management of the fast-growing e-commerce company, but will be an option for investors who for some reason don't want to buy shares in it directly. The stake dates from 2005, when Yahoo bought into Alibaba early, paying $1 billion for a 40 percent stake in a deal credited to the American company's co-founder Jerry Yang. (Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic with contributions from Edwin Chan; Editing by Christian Plumb) | 3 | 4,023 | finance |
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has indicated two Australians convicted of drug offenses will not receive a reprieve from execution, a refusal to pardon that is likely to strain already fragile ties between the two neighbours. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has personally asked for clemency for the two members of the so-called Bali Nine who were arrested at Bali's Denpasar airport in 2005 for attempting to smuggle 8 kg of heroin to Australia. But Widodo, who took office in October, pledged to continue Indonesia's hardline approach to drug traffickers, which saw executions resume in 2013 after a five-year gap. "Imagine every day we have 50 people die because of narcotics, in one year it's 18,000 people because of narcotics," Widodo told CNN. "We are not going to compromise for drug dealers. No compromise, no compromise." Abbott had said Myuran Sukumaran, 33, and Andrew Chan, 31, were reformed characters who had assisted others in prison as he stressed Australia's opposition to the death penalty. Widodo said the decision rested with the courts. "They can ask for amnesty to the president but I tell you there will be no amnesty for drug dealers," he said. He was asked: "So no relief for the Australians?" He responded by shaking his head. It was not immediately clear when the executions might take place. Indonesia's resumption of the death penalty has drawn criticism from human rights activists both at home and abroad. Australia's Foreign Minister Julia Bishop said last week she would not rule out recalling her country's ambassador should the executions be carried out. Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors from Jakarta, while Nigeria summoned the Indonesian ambassador in Abuja to protest against the execution of their citizens earlier this month. Relations between Indonesia and Australia hit a low in late 2013 after reports that Australia had spied on top Indonesian officials, including then-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife. Indonesia froze military and intelligence cooperation with Australia before restoring relations last May. | 5 | 4,024 | news |
A Texas judge decided on Tuesday not to dismiss the criminal case against former Gov. Rick Perry (R), meaning it will likely proceed into the coming months as he considers a run for the White House, the Austin American-Statesman and others reported . The charges against the conservative former governor stem from Perry's decision to tell Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg that if she didn't resign after she was arrested for drunken driving, he would veto some funding to her office. She did not resign, and he vetoed the money. Perry was indicted in August on charges of abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public official. At the time, he called the indictment a political move. "We don't settle political differences with indictments in this country," he said . Perry's lawyers had asked a judge to dismiss the charges against him, saying that Perry's actions were allowed under the veto powers given to the governor in Texas' consitution. Judge Bert Richardson said Tuesday that case could proceed. It was the second request to dismiss the case that has been denied. Perry's attorneys could appeal to a higher court, the Statesman reported, but that would likely take months to resolve itself. Perry's lead attorney said Tuesday they would appeal the decision, something that will likely drag into the coming months. "Governor Perry acted lawfully and properly exercised his power under the law as Governor to protect the public safety and integrity of government," lawyer Tony Buzbee said in a statement. "Continued prosecution of Governor Perry is an outrage and sets a dangerous precedent in our Democracy. America's commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law is at stake in this case, which is why we will immediately appeal this decision to the Third District Court of Appeals." The decision comes right as Republicans considering running for president begin to make their interest known. Perry is among them and despite the legal wrangling over his case, he has continued to suggest he is mulling a run. In public remarks, he has said that he wasn't properly prepared for the race when he ran for president in 2012 and that he has been meeting with experts in the years since to develop a better grasp of policy. "Now I may not run for the presidency in 2016," he said in October. "But if I don't, the reason I don't run is not because I'm not prepared." Several of Perry's potential rivals for the GOP presidential nomination voiced support for the ex-governor in his legal wrangle, among them Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Louisiana Gov. Bovbby Jindal and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. All said the motivation was political. "The district court's decision to allow this case to proceed is both unfortunate and wrong, and it profoundly undermines the rule of law," Cruz said. Updated at 716 p.m. | 5 | 4,025 | news |
Apple announced staggering earnings today, posting $18 billion in profit on $74.6 billion in revenue, driven by the sale of 74.5 million iPhones. That's a record for a corporate profit in a single three-month period. Those sales figures are global, but there is one part of the world that is far and away the biggest driver of Apple's growth: China. Revenue in Greater China was up 157 percent over last quarter and 70 percent year over year, more than double the acceleration seen anywhere else and more than three time the sales growth in Asia or the Americas. Apple has a strange identity in China. iPhones are seen as a status symbol by the rising middle class, who have been snapping up the devices faster than anyone else. The company is courting that market with high-end promotions, like an Apple watch spread on the cover of Vogue China . A striking mix of excessive consumption and ethical concerns At the same time, the biggest black mark on Apple's image continues to be ongoing reports of labor abuses in the Chinese factories that make its devices. The company fired back at the BBC after it released a one-hour documentary that suggested it wasn't doing enough to improve working conditions. China's total revenue still lags behind Europe and the Americas, but analysts believe that Apple now sells more iPhones there than anywhere else in the world, and the earnings numbers released today back up that remarkable growth story. As tech investor Benedict Evans noted in the following chart, the company's performance in China has defied all the critics. To match that demand, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said on today's earnings call that the company plans to expand to 40 stores in the greater China area by 2016. | 5 | 4,026 | news |
CHARLOTTE Approaching the final Sprint Cup race of last season and his ultimately successful bid for the series championship, Kevin Harvick relied on the advice of six-time champion Jimmie Johnson to help him through the weekend. Now, with Harvick a few weeks away from the beginning of the search for a second title in a row, he's looked to another friend motorcycle racing champion Ricky Carmichael for tips. "Ricky Carmichael has kind of been the guy I've talked to about a lot of things that have happened over the past four or five years and what he thinks," Harvick said Tuesday during NASCAR's media tour. "He's given opinions just as my friend. "We've talked about how you get motivated to win a title after you've won one and how you look at the fear of failure after you've succeeded. He tells me the second one comes easier because you know what to expect." He tweeted a photo of Carmichael -- who has won numerous titles and X Games medals -- and Harvick's son Keelan riding at Carmichael's farm on Jan. 21: ''Fun day with @RickyCarmichael at his farm! @KeelanHarvick took his first ride on a motorcycle with the GOAT!'' There are numerous chess moves to anticipate in seeking the Cup championship, particularly with the radical changes that were made to the Chase for the Sprint Cup format last year. No matter how concentrated the preparation and how dedicated the team, tiny gremlins can clog the system. "It's hard to get it all to line up, even if you feel like you're at the top of your game," Harvick said. "I don't think it's out of the question [to win back-to-back titles], but it's going to be hard to do." After admitting that he was a bit on edge approaching his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing last year, Harvick said he's now as comfortable as at any time in his 14-year NASCAR career. "Coming into this situation last year, I was pretty nervous," he said. "There are so many questions in your head. I didn't want to be comfortable. I wanted to experience what we experienced last year, and sometimes you have to make some bold decisions in order to make things like this happen. "Now I'm as comfortable as I've ever been. We're way better prepared going into the season than we were last year. And I'm comfortable because now you don't have those expectations that you haven't lived up to. Now you continue to try to take that to the next level to prepare yourself from a mental, physical and team standpoint and just get better." Harvick, who will turn 40 in December, said he anticipates retiring between 45 and 48 to devote more time to his son, Keelan, now 2. But circumstances could change, he said. "I think for me right now 45 to 48 has always kind of been that number in my head and in our financial planning and where Keelan is going to be in school," he said. "I don't think you ever really know. Everybody I've ever talked to hasn't really known until you get to a point in your life where something happens. "It's how we came to Stewart-Haas, and everything in our life is like it is because of certain situations that have happened, and it leads to other situations. I look at that 45 number because I want to be fair to my son when he grows up. We'll want to be able to share that second half of his school years." Follow Hembree on Twitter @mikehembree | 1 | 4,027 | sports |
Campus Insiders' basketball analyst Digger Phelps tells Shae Peppler that the Jayhawks' win in Austin might be shocking, but it comes down to the leadership of Perry Ellis. | 1 | 4,028 | sports |
First it was Max Allegri's fault. Then it was Clarence Seedorf's. And now, according to those in power, AC Milan's never-ending crisis is all down to Pippo Inzaghi. After just seven months in charge, the Rossoneri coach could now be fired following Tuesday's Coppa Italia quarterfinal defeat to Lazio. Statistically, the striking legend can have no complaints if he gets the ax. Milan is in the bottom half of Serie A, with qualification to next season's Europa League let alone the Champions League already a distant dream. They have won just six of their 20 league games and have begun 2015 with one point from four matches their worst start to a New Year in 74 years. Clearly, changes need to be made at Via Turati. But the scapegoating and sacking of Inzaghi just like Allegri and Seedorf before him is not the solution. It is time to recognize that president Silvio Berlusconi and CEO Adriano Galliani are the real cause of Milan's problems. The duo masterminded the most glorious period in Milan's history after Berlusconi bought the club in 1986. Under revolutionary coach Arrigo Sacchi, they constructed arguably the greatest club team ever starring the likes of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini and romped to successive European Cups. Numerous Ballon d'Or winners and trophies were added over the ensuing two decades as Milan proudly became "Il club piu titolato al mondo" the squad with the most trophies in history. But since their last Champions League success in 2007 when an ageing group of greats featuring Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Rino Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf and Inzaghi himself had one final hurrah on the biggest stage Milan has steadily declined on and off the pitch. The 2011 Scudetto triumph could not mask the fact that the Rossoneri were set to implode both sportingly and financially. While there are many reasons for the depressing demise of Milan including the general decline of Serie A, the effects of the Calciopoli scandal and other economic factors related to Berlusconi's career as a politician and entrepreneur the president and his loyal right-hand man Galliani must take responsibility for running the organization into the ground in recent years. The club's transfer policy has been horrendous, with the list of players signed since 2007 full of rejects, free transfers and high-profile veterans well past their sell-by date. Fernando Torres, Michael Essien, Valter Birsa, Cristian Zaccardo, Nicola Legrottaglie, Emerson, Mancini, the second coming of Kaka and Andriy Shevchenko the roll of stale arrivals goes on and on. There has been no medium or long-term vision from Galliani, no evidence of a progressive project. Worst of all, a host of talented youngsters have been released prematurely including Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and Italy internationals Matteo Darmian and Davide Astori. Money has been squandered on subpar performers. In 2013, Galliani farcically handed Juventus 12 million euros for Alessandro Matri the same figure the Bianconeri paid for Carlos Tevez. Matri scored just once before he was shipped out to Fiorentina the following January, while the Argentine has scored 40 goals in 74 games. It was not the first time Galliani directly aided Juve his senseless decision to allow Andrea Pirlo to leave on a free transfer in 2011 was key to the Bianconeri's rebirth. This has all resulted in the substandard Milan squad we see today. Admittedly, the budget available to Galliani over the past decade has been limited. Berlusconi has been unable and unwilling to invest as he once did and for a team that is second only to Real Madrid in Champions League trophies, this is not acceptable. If Berlusconi is unable to provide the funds required for a big club, then he must either find a partner with means, or sell up. His determination to hold on to power while providing little in return is an insult to fans and, like Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, past glories don't make him or Galliani immune from accountability. "This used to be a serious club. I have never seen Milan being run in a less serious manner than it is now," former midfielder Zvonimir Boban fumed last year. At the ages of 78 and 70, respectively, Berlusconi and Galliani are out of touch with modern football. Milan used to be one of the most innovative clubs in the world, with Jean Pierre Meersseman's scientifically groundbreaking Milan Lab prolonging the careers of Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta into their 40s. Now Milan is trailing in the wake of a new order of modernizers, and this has had a huge impact economically. Milan was one of only two clubs in the 2015 Deloitte Money League (the other being Inter) to see its revenue from 2013-14 decrease from the previous season. The club posted losses of €13.8 million and dropped out of the top 10 of the world's richest teams for the first time ever. The matchday revenue at San Siro for last season was just €24.9 million Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal all surpassed the €100 million mark. "Milan continue to lose pace with the rest of Europe's top clubs and what is particularly holding them back is their facilities and infrastructure," Deloitte's senior manager Austin Houlihan told Goal. "They haven't got modern, up-to-date facilities from which they can generate significant matchday and commercial revenues. "Juventus have shown what having a new stadium can do and, while their home crowds are comparatively small, the uplift from having moved to their new stadium is a model for Milan and the rest of Italian football." Milan is set to miss the Champions League for a second straight season, exacerbating the economic misery over the next two years. Things are so desperate that the club was forced last week to sell the team bus in order to cut costs. Due to Financial Fair Play, even if Berlusconi was prepared to return to his spending levels of the '80s and '90s, Milan would be unable to generate enough income to compete in the transfer market. With the club in such disarray and we have not even mentioned the internal power struggle between Galliani and Berlusconi's daughter Barbara how can the coach possibly be held responsible for the team's failings on the pitch? Sacking Inzaghi will solve nothing. Exactly the same fate will befall his replacement, whether it be Mauro Tassotti, Luciano Spalletti or even a Jose Mourinho or Pep Guardiola. Follow Carlo Garganese on | 1 | 4,029 | sports |
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) Tiger Woods had a full set of teeth and was chomping at the bit to get his season started. In Phoenix, of all places, where he hasn't been in 14 years. That might be the best indication yet that the biggest news on the PGA Tour actually might occur on a golf course. Consider the last week. Even as Jimmy Walker was rolling to a nine-shot victory in the Sony Open, the big story out of Honolulu was what happened to Robert Allenby that caused the bloody scrape on his forehead and the deep bruise in his swollen eye after a night out on the town. Allenby stood by his story Tuesday that he was beaten and robbed, even though he said he has no recollection of the 2 1/2 hours from leaving a wine bar until he wound up in park with homeless people. Two days later, Woods was photographed in Italy, where he went to support Lindsey Vonn as she captured a record 63rd World Cup race in skiing. This was Vonn's big day, and Woods said he was simply trying to blend in by wearing a skeleton-patterned mask across the lower part of his face. He might have pulled it off except when the mask came down one of the most famous athletes in the world was photographed with a missing tooth. ''It's a new world. We need to talk about something,'' Woods said of the attention it created. ''Have to fill up space.'' About the time he was getting his teeth fixed, Dustin Johnson filled up space in a Sports Illustrated story about his leave of absence from the PGA Tour for what he called personal challenges that required professional help. This was the same news group that reported in August that Johnson had failed a third drug test - one for marijuana and two for cocaine - and he was suspended for six months. The PGA Tour denied the report that he was suspended. Johnson said he would not return until his first child was born. A son, Tatum, was born last week. Johnson will return next week in Torrey Pines, his first competition in six months. What a coincidence. So with all this going on, perhaps it was only fitting that an innocuous comment from Allenby on Tuesday generated the most laughs. ''I'm hitting the ball well,'' he said. Golf? We're supposed to be interested in golf? Even Allenby had to stifle his laughter at the timing of the question and his answer. It was reminiscent of the year former Masters chairman Hootie Johnson stood his ground against Martha Burk and her campaign for a female member. The second question in his press conference during a rainy week in Georgia was, ''Is there any consideration to lift, clean and place for the tournament?'' Once the laughter from the absurdity of the question subsided, Johnson replied, ''Well, now we know why we are here.'' And that's where Woods comes in. Not to let the boring details of golf get in the way, but he says he is ahead of schedule in each phase of his game with new swing consultant Chris Como. He is ''cranking up the speed'' on his swing and feels that driving is the best part of his game right now. ''I'm a lot longer than I thought I could ever be again,'' he said. ''I'm touching numbers that I did 15 years ago. So that's cool.'' Even so, nine of the 21 questions were about his teeth. That's to be expected. No one had seen or spoken to Woods since he was in Italy, and there were a fair number of skeptics that a videographer accidentally popped him in the mouth. That should change on Thursday, when Woods tees it up for the first time since the Hero World Challenge in early December, and the first time in an official PGA Tour event since he missed the cut at the PGA Championship. Woods, who missed most of last year with back surgery and recovery, still moves the needle. And he has help at the TPC Scottsdale with the likes of Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler. Phoenix is the most raucous event in golf outside of the Ryder Cup (and now that the U.S. Open has abandoned Bethpage Black). Add the biggest figure in golf to the mix and attendance records are in danger. Woods has played Phoenix only three times, all of them memorable. There was that hole-in-one on the 16th hole in 1997, the time he had fans move a waist-high boulder in the desert, and the fan who threw an orange on the green when he was putting. The lack of security is what drove Woods away. He said he returned because the tournament has made it more secure. He'll find out when he gets to the 16th hole on Thursday afternoon - and Saturday, presuming he makes the cut. The scene is so rowdy, and at times raunchy, that Phoenix isn't for everyone. Players have complained over the years that it has become an outdoor party where golf gets in the way. Allenby is playing, too, though odds are the fans won't be paying attention to his golf. Allenby used to be able to go through 18 holes without much notice if he wasn't playing well. With speculation and rumors about what happened in Honolulu swirling around him, no telling what kind of reception he'll get when he steps into the arena on the 16th hole. One caddie's suggestion: They should chant the theme song from ''Hawaii 5-0.'' | 1 | 4,030 | sports |
Does Marshawn Lynch simply not have the personality to speak to the media? | 1 | 4,031 | sports |
Brian Geltzeiler and Mike Brown both join the crew to discuss whether Lionel Hollins was a poor fit in Brooklyn and how the Nets should move forward. | 1 | 4,032 | sports |
The Pre-Shave For the traditionalist: Most men learn to shave with foams (think Barbasol) that lift hair well but often sap skin dry. Harry's Foaming Shave Gel ($8), however, is loaded with moisture-binding hyaluronic acid and soothing licorice root. For precision work: Guys with defined facial hair should go with a product like Grown Alchemist's Sandalwood & Sage Shaving Gel ($35). It allows a razor to glide smoothly with little lather, so you can see what you're shaving and missing. (The sage also helps balance oily skin.) For Stubborn Scruff: Dealing with tough stubble? Try a hard soap like the Whiskey Wet Shave Soap ($42 with mug) from Portland General Store. Lather up with a shaving brush and spread it around your beard: It removes natural oils, softening hair to make for an easier shave. • • • The Shave For A STREAMLINED routine: Gillette's Fusion ProGlide ($9) features a FlexBall, which allows for side-to-side not just up-and-down swiveling of the razor head, so it can handle different facial contours in a single pass (fewer strokes mean less irritation). For The Man on the Go: When it comes to ease and portability, nothing beats electric, and Philips Norelco's Series 9000 ($249) takes the category into the space age: It works wet or dry, and it charges, cleans, and lubes itself in a docking station. Plus, its angled blades cut closer to the face than other shavers. For THE GUY WITH TIME: Safety razors are best for men with coarse, curly hair (the single blade won't cut too deep, which can lead to ingrown hairs) and those not in a rush, since using one takes practice. The Bevel ($30) is sleek, and the company offers tutorials on its website. • • • The Post-Shave For Sensitive Skin: If you have dry skin, balms work best to rehydrate and treat irritation. Penhaligon's Bayolea Soothing Balm ($55) has nourishing ingredients like shea butter, so you can also use it as a moisturizer. For Oily Skin: For guys who already deal with too much shine, balms can leave you looking greasy. But lightweight gels hydrate while keeping skin matte. The Art of Shaving's After-Shave Gel ($40) contains antiaging grapeseed extract and vitamin C to boost your skin's immunity. For An Old-School Splash: Alcohol-based aftershaves are going the way of the BlackBerry, but Prospector Co.'s Peary & Henson Aftershave ($18) switches out alcohol for disinfecting witch hazel, and the mix of botanicals like coriander, rosemary, and eucalyptus imparts a clean, herbal scent. | 4 | 4,033 | lifestyle |
Every newborn photo shoot is adorable on its own, but add in one of these too-cute-for-words props, and it'll instantly be elevated to the next level. Whether Mom and Dad are major football fans or you're channeling a classic Disney movie, there's an accessory out there for everyone. Here are 25 of our very favorite prop ideas for your beautiful baby's first photo session - and they're all shoppable! Isn't She Pretty in Pink? A stretchy ruffled wrap ($15) offers an extra layer of coverage for your baby girl's first photo shoot. Pair it with a full outfit, or just use it to cover her diaper and bare body. Take a Walk on the Dino Side Roar! This sweet little knit dino ($28) is perfect for welcoming your newborn and as a photo prop for announcing his or her arrival to the world. You can have the set customized in the colors of your choosing, and it's hand-crocheted. Under the Sea Fans of The Little Mermaid can get their baby into the movie from an early age with this Ariel-inspired ensemble ($45). Baby Bunny Ears Choose from taupe or gray bunny-ear hats ($32 each) for your bitty babe's first photos. Mini Moose A crocheted moose hat ($45) makes a perfect accent for a wintry shoot. Let Me Introduce Myself Have a custom baby-name banner ($15) created to add an element of personalization to your little one's first photo shoot. The Grass Is Always Greener . . . Go for an au naturel vibe with this supersoft, stretchy moss blanket ($35). Baby's sure to stay warm and cozy for the duration of the shoot. Simply the Softest Warm up in this wool-mohair blend ensemble ($70). It's custom-made to order. Tiny Little Turtle This baby turtle sports a soft shell , and at just $15, the price point can't be beat. Ahoy, Little Matey! Create a nautical environment for baby's first photo shoot with this pint-size wooden boat ($125). While the initial investment is a bit of a splurge, the boat will serve as a great decor piece in your baby's nursery long after your photo shoot is over. Swing Low, Sweetie Go for a green and organic look with this chunky knit hammock ($48). Hey, Little Pumpkin! For a seasonally appropriate prop, we're loving this little pumpkin set ($40). A coordinating orange hat and cocoon are adorable whether your shoot takes place in a pumpkin patch or the comfort of your own home. Dapper Gent This little guy is ready for his close-up! Can you handle the cuteness of this very grown-up bow tie, suspenders, cap, and diaper cover set ($87)? It's made from 100 percent cotton and is perfect for a baby boy's first photo shoot, or to make a lasting impression at his next special occasion. Snips and Snails . . . He may not be crawling anywhere quite yet, but this sweet snail set ($11-$13) will look great on your little guy or girl. Metamorphosis These couture butterfly wings ($23) come adorned with a golden flower that pops from the center of the wings, making them a really special photo prop for your sweetie's first pics. Headband sold separately. Baby Boy Football Hat This sweet knit football hat ($25) gets a touchdown in our book! Batter Up Etsy seller Mama's Lil Sugar Crochet will customize this newborn baseball hat ($26) for your home team. Fit For a King (or Queen) Your baby may not have a lengthy title like Prince George does, but every child deserves to be treated like royalty. This glitzy minicrown ($10) sets a regal tone. Touchdown! Athletically inclined parents (or just superfans) will love the look of a football hat ($23) in their team's favorite colors. Sweet Dreams No need to worry about what your baby's going to wear for the shoot. Here's an adorably distressed baby bed ($45) that makes a statement - clothing optional! All Girl! This ruffle bloomer and sweet flower headband ($15) make the cutest props for your sweet girl's first baby pictures. And it looks seriously adorable, even when your little cherub is snoozing through her first photo shoot. Prima Ballerina Your little ballerina will look lovely in this tutu and headband set ($45). With a touch of vintage elegance and seriously feminine style, it's a perfect set for birth announcement pics. Go Rustic A burlap and chunky knit blanket combo ($40) can be made to order in the color palette of your choice. Baby Blues This gorgeous knit set ($54) is as cozy as can be. | 4 | 4,034 | lifestyle |
Apple just posted its first quarter results, and as expected, it was a big one. Led once again by record sales of new iPhones and holiday sales of iPads and Macs, Apple posted earnings of $18 billion on $74.6 billion in revenue, far above what it forecasted back in October. By product, Apple sold 74.5 million iPhones, 21.4 million iPads, and 5.52 million Macs. "We'd like to thank our customers for an incredible quarter, which saw demand for Apple products soar to an all-time high," Tim Cook, Apple's CEO said in a statement. "Our revenue grew 30 percent over last year to $74.6 billion, and the execution by our teams to achieve these results was simply phenomenal." The results came in above Apple's own estimates, something that was expected. Apple forecasted its revenue somewhere between $63.5 billion and $66.5 billion. Wall Street was expecting about $67.50 billion according to 40 analysts polled by Yahoo Finance. Apple revenue and profit | Create infographics As usual, Apple is not detailing the makeup of its iPhone sales, something analysts are expected to try and pull out of the company in an after-hours conference call later today. The larger, more expensive iPhone 6 Plus carries a larger profit margin, though consumer polls have shown it wasn't as popular as the smaller model in many regions, including the US. iPad sales at 21.4 million units came in just below what was expected. Apple released new models the iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 in October, meaning they were only on sale for about 7.5 weeks of the quarter. Wall Street was expecting Apple to sell about 21.5 million, down big from the 26 million it sold during the same quarter last year. That's been part of a larger slump for the tablet, which research suggest is being replaced less often than originally believed. Apple has combated in previous quarters that by saying that there has been growth in places like Japan and other markets. Cook has also repeated the argument that the iPad's growth should be viewed as long-term. "I view it as a speed bump, not a huge issue. That said, we want to grow. We don't like negative numbers on these things," Cook told analysts in October . "Over the long arc of time, my own judgement is that iPad has a great future." The Mac continues to be a bright spot for Apple. The 5.2 million it sold this quarter was below the 5.58 million that were expected , but well above the 4.84 million it sold same during the same quarter last year. Helping that was new Mac hardware like the 5K Retina Display iMac and a refresh to the Mac mini in October, as well as mid-year updates to its MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Apple no longer reveals its iPod sales One big change this quarter is that Apple is no longer reporting its iPod unit sales. As of this quarter, Apple now lumps them into a new "other products" category that also includes the Apple TV, Beats headphones, and soon the Apple Watch. That's less of an obfuscation into the numbers and more of a cold hard reality that the iPod is no longer a sizable part of Apple's business . iPod revenue came in at $410 million in the last quarter , making up less than 1 percent of Apple's total revenue. That's a long, long way down from its peak of 55.55 percent of the $5.75 billion in revenue it brought Apple during this same quarter back in 2006 . For its next quarter, Apple expects to pull in revenue between $52 billion and $55 billion. That's right in the middle of the $53.71 billion analysts expected. The big question is whether that quarter, which ends March 15th, will include any sales of the upcoming Apple Watch . Apple has said only that it plans to launch the product early this year, with recent reports suggesting it will launch by the end of March . Apple Watch will require an iPhone to function, something that could bolster iPhone sales but also limit its initial audience in the same as the iPod and Mac back in 2001. Apple's discussing the results with analysts at 5PM ET, which you can tune into here . We'll update this post with any additional details from that call. Developing... | 5 | 4,035 | news |
The Obama administration has decided to drop a plan to tax 529 college savings plan withdrawals. A White House official called the proposed change a "distraction" and said there are plenty of other ways to raise revenue as part of their budget. According to a source familiar with the matter, in addition to GOP complaints, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi had pressed Obama to drop the 529 plan. Obama had proposed raising $1 billion over 10 years by taxing capital gains realized in withdrawals from so-called 529 college savings accounts. The White House cited surveys showing that 70 percent of the assets in such accounts are held by families earning more than $200,000 per year, and noted that higher income families benefit most from the current tax exemption for such gains. In an aim to help the middle class, the White House proposal would then have made permanent the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which provides up to $2,500 per year for families with incomes up to $180,000. It would extend that credit, which is refundable (distributed as a government check) for some families who don't owe federal income taxes, to new categories of students such as those attending classes part time. There was considerable political debate over whether this plan would in fact help or hurt the middle class. CNBC's John Harwood and Matt Cuddy contributed to this report. | 3 | 4,036 | finance |
Students of the Moses Brown School found out school was closed in an epic 'Frozen' parody video. Sean Dowling (@SeanDowlingTV) has the details. | 8 | 4,037 | video |
A tiger at a Russian zoo reveals an intelligent skill only previously seen in bored human children on a snow day: the ability to build a snowman. Jen Markham (@jenmarkham) has the video. | 8 | 4,038 | video |
Martin Brodeur has decided to retire and is now set to be named the assistant GM with St. Louis. Why work with the Blues instead of New Jersey, where he spent 24 years? | 1 | 4,039 | sports |
It may be January, but Motorola is still hoping it can find more people interesting in buying the Moto X at a discount. We've already seen a few nice sales come and go , but the worst laggards among you will have yet another chance to buy it next month. Moto's second-gen flagship on starting February 2nd. For a limited time, the company will offer a one-time use promotional code that takes $140 off any purchase of $499.99 and above before tax is factored in. That's more or less the same deal we saw on Cyber Monday. You'll need to toss in an accessory or two (or a Moto 360) if you only want the $449 32GB Moto X. Choosing the recently launched 64GB Pure Edition for $599.99 is plenty to meet the price requirement. Sadly, the $140 promo can't be used towards the Nexus 6 even if Motorola miraculously has the Google phone in stock. The code must be used by February 14th (Valentine's Day) at 11:59PM ET. If you're not looking to spend that much, or if the Moto G will do the job just fine, Motorola will also take $50 off a pre-tax purchase of at least $249.99. If you forget to request the code on February 2nd, Moto will have another, slightly less appealing sale just a day later. There, you'll be able to take off $100 from pre-tax purchases of $499.99 or $35 off a final receipt of at least $249.99. Yeah, we're at the mid-cycle point, but the Moto X is still one of the better Android experiences you can get. | 3 | 4,040 | finance |
(This version of the Jan. 23rd story corrects name of the University of South Florida in paragraph 16) By Madeline Kennedy (Reuters Health) After a school-based prevention program, European teenagers were about half as likely to attempt suicide or to feel suicidal, a new study shows. Danuta Wasserman, a professor of psychiatry at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said the program was likely successful because students "felt that the power of mastering their feelings, coping with stress and choosing solutions was in their hands and not decided or forced by adults." Suicide is the third leading cause of death between the ages of 10 and 24, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Suicide attempts are even more common, with some research suggesting that 4 to 8 percent of high school students try to kill themselves each year, the CDC says. Those most at risk have a history of suicide attempts, mental illness or substance abuse, or a family history of mental illness and access to lethal methods. In 10 European countries, Wasserman's team randomly assigned 168 high schools - with more than 11,000 students overall - to provide one of three suicide prevention programs, or no program at all. The three programs took different approaches. One program, called Question, Persuade, and Refer, focused on training teachers and administrators to recognize kids at risk. A second, the Youth Aware of Mental Health Program, targeted all students with lectures, role-playing exercises and education about mental health and suicide risk. A third program used mental health professionals to screen at-risk pupils who were referred to them. The researchers compared the number of suicide attempts by students as well as reports of suicidal thoughts after three months of having the programs in place, and again after a year. At three months, none of the programs showed a significant effect. After a year, however, schools with the Youth Aware of Mental Health program had half as many suicide attempts and reports of suicidal ideation as the comparison schools with no intervention. The other two programs showed much smaller differences from the no-intervention schools. In schools with the Youth Aware of Mental Health program, 14 students attempted suicide over the course of the year, and 15 students reported having suicidal thoughts. In the no-intervention schools, there were 34 suicide attempts and 31 reports of suicidal thoughts. In schools with the faculty-focused program, there were 22 suicide attempts and 29 reports of suicidal thinking among students. In the program that used screening by professionals, there were 20 suicide attempts and 22 reports of suicidal thoughts. Dr. David Brent, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh wrote an editorial on the new study in The Lancet. He told Reuters Health that education about suicide, and early detection and treatment, are two important aspects of effective prevention programs, and the Youth Aware of Mental Health program meets both standards. Wasserman said the universal prevention model used in that program is effective because it offers treatment before students show outward signs of risk, and it does not stigmatize anyone. Prediction is very difficult because so many suicide attempts are impulsive, Brent said in an email. He said one weakness of the study is its exclusion of students who had recently attempted suicide, so it is unclear how well the programs would have worked for students at the highest risk. Despite these reservations, Brent said he has faith in such programs and that "suicidal behavior is preventable in adolescents through a school-based intervention protocol." U.S. schools offer several programs that focus on suicide prevention, he said, and the University of South Florida publishes a booklet full of resources on effective school-based suicide prevention called The Guide (http://bit.ly/186FMwO). Wasserman urges parents to advocate for programs like Youth Aware of Mental Health and to convince school authorities that "the health of young people is important." SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1L3NEhX The Lancet, online January 8, 2015. | 7 | 4,041 | health |
President Obama on Tuesday abandoned a proposal to end a major tax benefit of popular college savings accounts used by millions of American families after mounting criticism from lawmakers and parents. White House officials said the backlash against the president's plan became "such a distraction" that it was best to drop the proposal, which would have removed the ability of families to withdraw money tax-free from the savings plans, known as 529s. The administration had tried to frame the elimination of the tax break as a way to redirect more money to middle class families, arguing that the savings plans were being used disproportionately by wealthy families. But the proposal proved to be a serious political miscalculation. At a time when there is more than $1 trillion of outstanding student debt in this country, the 529 plan has become one of the best tools for families to save for college. About 12 million American families rely on them. The administration's proposal to roll back the benefits of 529 plans was like "kicking a ball in your own goal," said Jared Bernstein, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and former economic adviser to Vice President Biden. "The President's plan has the puzzle pieces necessary to bring the middle class back, but this particular piece didn't fit," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who lobbied the White House to drop the plan. Indeed, the 529 proposal had an extremely short lifespan of only a week after critics quickly pounced on it, saying it was tone deaf to the needs and aspirations of ordinary Americans who are looking for any help they can get saving money for college. House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) jumped on the issue and insisted the proposal be stricken from the president's budget. Even liberal house minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) warned Obama that targeting college savings was a political misstep. The congresswoman pressed the case to drop the 529 proposal with senior administration officials on board Air Force One as she flew with the president from India to Saudi Arabia, according to people familiar with the meeting who were not authorized to speak publicly. Another lawmaker who raised objections to Obama's proposal was Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. "This particular proposal undercut the message that they were focused on helping the middle class," Van Hollen said in an interview. "I understand the policy nuances," Van Hollen added. But the way it was designed with no regard, for instance, to income level or the size of the balance in a 529 account "hit everybody indiscriminately," Van Hollen said. The White House originally defended its plan, saying that 70 percent of account balances are held by households making more than $200,000 a year. But the administration quickly realized that the public backlash was jeopardizing the rest of the plan laid out by the president in his State of the Union speech last week. "We're not going to ask Congress to pass the 529 provision so that they can instead focus on delivering a larger package of education tax relief that has bipartisan support," a White House official said Tuesday. Critics of the proposal accused the administration of ignoring the fact that a growing number of Americans earning less than six figures are investing in 529 plans. The College Savings Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for 529s, estimates that 70 percent of account holders earn less than $150,000 based on a 2014 survey conducted by Strategic Insight, a mutual fund research firm. Another 10 percent of account owners have income below $50,000. Families on average contribute $175 a month and amass about $19,774 in their accounts. The Government Accountability Office, however, paints a different picture. Researchers found that nearly half of families with 529 plans made more than $150,000 a year and had median assets of $413,000 25 times higher than the assets for families without the plans. The use of 529 plans surged after George W. Bush rolled out a series of tax cuts in 2001. Before then, any money withdrawn from a 529 plan was treated as ordinary income subject to taxes a rule that Obama wanted to revisit. Very few people used the plans in those days, but that started to change once the tax cuts took effect. Assets in 529 plans have risen from $19.4 billion at the end of 2001 to $245 billion in 2014, according to the Investment Company Institute. Obama was not calling for the abolishment of 529 plans. Families could still defer paying taxes on the plans as the earnings grow, but that would end once they started drawing down their accounts, according to the White House. The administration said its larger goal on college finance is to simplify the jumble of education tax credits currently in the law. The president wants to expand and make permanent the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), which provides families up to $2,500 a year for the tuition, books and supplies. "The 529 provision is a very small component of the president's overall plan," said a White House official on Tuesday. "We proposed it because we thought it was a sensible approach, part of consolidating six programs to two and expanding and better targeting education tax relief for the middle class." The administration has previously touted the benefits of 529 plans. In 2009, then Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said the plans "can be an immensely effective way for Americans to save for college." Geithner said that while the accounts weren't being used broadly enough by middle-income families, the Treasury Department had a series of recommendations to "expand their use, lower investment fees and make them safer for Americans across a wide range of incomes." The Obama family itself has relied on the plans to save for their daughters Sasha and Malia's college education, based on financial disclosures. The couple made contributions of $240,000 in 2007, according to their 2008 tax returns . Steven Mufson and Karen Tumulty contributed to this report. | 5 | 4,042 | news |
When it comes to inspiring one-liners worthy of writing down, nobody does them better than Oprah Winfrey. The media queen turns 61 this week, so to celebrate, we're taking a look at some of her most memorable quotes from over the years - the best of the best. Whether she's empowering graduates with a moving commencement speech or casually chatting about living her best life, Oprah somehow manages to be both poignant and relatable in all sorts of contexts. Read through some of her most thought-provoking words, then Pin Oprah quotes that will make you a better person. On Mistakes and Failure "There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in a different direction.""Learn from every mistake, because every experience, encounter, and particularly your mistakes are there to teach you and force you into being more of who you are." On Living Your Best Life "What we dwell on is who we become.""Align your personality with your purpose, and no one can touch you." On Gratitude "Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." On Setting Goals and Moving Forward "What am I hungry for? Well, I'm hungry to awaken and open people's hearts.""When you have reached the peak of a mountain top . . . you have absolutely no worries. But you have two choices: You can come down from the mountain and spend the rest of your days thinking it was so beautiful there, or you can create a vision, look upward, see the next mountain, and start the climb all over again." On Leadership and Success "That's what true leadership is - to be able to put whatever you're doing in a position that can sustain itself without you having to be the prominent force every day. You want to create an opportunity for other people." On Happiness and Positivity "You have to be responsible for the energy you're putting out into the world.""The commonality in the human experience is the same. We have the same sorrows, and the same triumphs. Joy is joy is joy." | 4 | 4,043 | lifestyle |
Andre Ayew's late diving header secured Ghana a 2-1 win over South Africa and qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals as Group C winners. Mandla Masango gave South Africa the lead in the 17th minute, when he smashed home past Ghana goalkeeper Razak Braimah from outside the box. The Black Stars drew level in the 73rd minute through defender John Boye, whose drilled shot screamed under a diving goalkeeper Nhlanhla Khuzwayo. Ayew then grabbed the winner in the 83rd minute through a diving header off a cross by Abdul Rahman Baba. That left Ghana as Group C winners on six points with Algeria finishing second, also on six points after they beat Senegal 2-0 in the other game being played simultaneously in Malabo. This was Ghana's first win at the Nations Cup against Bafana Bafana after two defeats and a draw. After a tentative start by both teams, Ghana threatened the South Africa goal twice in quick succession by the sixth minute. First, a header by Jonathan Mensah off a Mubarak Wakaso free kick missed the target and moments later, South Africa goalkeeper Khuzwayo failed to hold on to a low drive, Jordan Ayew pounced on the rebound, but it was cleared off the line for a corner by Mathoho. After South Africa went in front against the run of play, Ghana poured forward in search of an equalising goal. A thunderbolt by Abdul Rahman Baba from outside the South Africa area in the 33rd minute was pushed away by goalkeeper Khuzwayo Six minutes later, South Africa striker Bongani Ndulula forced goalkeeper Braimah to dive low and keep out his goal-bound header at the near post. In the 48th minute, skipper Gyan's free kick from a good position narrowly missed the mark as Ghana continued to attack in the hope of getting back into the game. Seven minutes later it was the turn of Wakaso to force the goalkeeper to fumble his low shot drilled from distance for a corner. Celtic ace Wakaso again tried his luck from distance soon after, but again found no joy. Ghana continued to pile on the pressure before they were rewarded in the 73rd minute through Boye and moments later, substitute Kwesi Appiah would have given the Black Stars the lead but his shot was turned away for a corner by the goalkeeper. Their persistence eventually earned them the much-needed winner seven minutes from time and safe passage to the knockout rounds. | 1 | 4,044 | sports |
10 easy and delicious recipes to help you keep your healthy eating resolutions Vegetable Black Bean Soup This is a good way to use up all of your vegetables and warm the cockles of your soul in the process during the dead of winter. Serve with a side of rustic French bread and you've got yourself a hearty and healthy meal. Image and recipe via Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen Turkey Tacos A twist on everybody's favorite taco night, use ground turkey instead of beef for a leaner and healthier option! Use iceberg lettuce shells instead of tortillas for fewer calories and an added crunch. Add black beans, romaine lettuce, some cheese and your favorite hot sauce and have yourself a wintry fiesta! Image via Dashing Dish Quinoa Salad Quinoa is a superfood that is not only a great alternative to rice, but also really great for your health! This recipe is so simple and can easily be made with items that you already have in your pantry. Throw in whatever you like and create your very own homemade burrito bowl. Chipotle ain't got nothin' on you. Image via Diet Hood Brown Rice Jambalaya This dish is filling and definitely is not lacking in flavor. It's a healthy and satisfying meal that is perfect for the cold winter weather. Kicking up the heat will slim your waistline and get you sweating a little bit too. Image via Domesticate Me Roasted Vegetables Buy your favorite vegetables, throw them all in a roasting pan with olive oil and voila! You've got a delicious and nutritious winter meal or side dish! Make enough for leftovers the next few days, too, so you'll have some prepared vegetables and no excuse to not include them in your meals! Image via Foodness Gracious Brown Sugar Honey Marinated Salmon Salmon is one of the best foods for you, as it's packed full of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Since the body can't make omega-3's, the best way to obtain them is through food. This is why you must add a salmon dish to your repertoire, and we love this mouth-watering brown sugar honey salmon to do just that. Add a side of quinoa or brown rice and some steamed broccoli or asparagus, and you've got yourself a meal packed with all things delicious and nutritious! Image via Ambitious Kitchen Homemade Granola Sure you can buy a box from the grocery store, but granola is so easy to make at home, you're going to wonder why you haven't been doing this for years! When you make your own, it's not only healthy but you know everything that's in it, too! You can also play around with your recipe and customize it to your liking! It makes for a great snack that isn't just for breakfast anymore. Image via Lovely Little Kitchen Frittata A healthier option than a quiche because it doesn't have a pie crust, a frittata is sure to fill you up and satisfy you for hours. You can add as many vegetables as you like, and the eggs provide an excellent source of protein, so you stay fuller longer and are less prone to mindless snacking. Sounds good to me! Image via Whole Lifestyle Nutrition Mediterranean Baked Chicken This is a hearty and wholesome dish that is simple to make and will last for days after. This baked chicken dish will fill you up and keep you satisfied for hours, plus it's a one-dish meal so the clean up is a breeze! Image via The Clever Carrot Turkey Chili One of our favorite cold weather meals is a nice hearty bowl of hot chili. A great alternative to your grandma's chili is to substitute some lean ground turkey or white meat chicken. Be sure to add lots of beans and spices to really keep it interesting! Get creative, too and don't be afraid to use what you have and substitute what sounds good to you. Sky's the limit! Also be sure to make a big pot so you'll have chili to last the week. With this in your refrigerator, you'll be less likely to grab the bag of chips and instead heat up a bowl of tasty chili. Image via Snixy Kitchen | 7 | 4,045 | health |
Get inspired for indoor-play with these fabulous cubby houses Marrakesh Magic We love the fanciful colors and textures of this fort featured on Design Sponge . Throw all your decorative pillows and you've got the perfect hideaway. Classic White This clean white tent featured on My Scandinavian Home is beautiful in its simplicity. Looks like the perfect place to catch some afternoon Zzz's… Patterned Blankets Take advantage of all the beautifully patterned blankets you've collected over the years and use them to create the most stunning ceiling to your fort like this one featured on A Little Wit . Light It Up Add some ethereal glow to your fort with some simple white twinkly lights. It will take it to a heavenly new level. See this fort on Etsy . Ikea Collection If you're anything like us, you're obsessed with Ikea. Many of their beautiful blankets came together to make this incredible fort from IKEA . Bed Canopy Fort What's better than a fort? A fort around your bed. You will feel like royalty with this version from Lisa Horten . Bohemian Rhapsody Add a bit of boho luxe to your fort by draping bunting around the top and adding extra pops of color. Looks fun and chic! Learn more at Petra Bindel . Couch Fort Where The Sidewalk Ends offers the perfect set up for the couch potato in your family. Enjoy television and snacks and an awesome fort, all without leaving the sofa. White Teepee Shades of white will mirror the snow outside, but you'll stay nice and warm. It's clean, fresh and pretty. Find this fort on Pinterest . Blanket Party When it comes to forts, we say the more, the merrier. Turn your living room into a full-on blanket party and party hop from fort to fort. Get the full scoop on Sparq Vault . Snowflake Fort It's frozen outside, but that doesn't mean you can't bring the snowy magic inside. Create paper cutouts for snowflakes and twinkly lights to make it extra special, like this fort featured on Belle Bebes . Starry Night Regular night-lights are so last year. Create a night sky for the ceiling of your fort and keep the boogie man at bay, too. Learn more at Jes Goddard . | 4 | 4,046 | lifestyle |
A woman incarcerated 21 years for the death of her 6-year-old daughter is scheduled to be paroled Wednesday, according to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. Teresa Bowman Fargason was convicted of murder following a 1993 trial and was sentenced to life in prison. Fargason's conviction came at a time when people sentenced to life could be eligible for parole after serving seven years. The minimum is now 30 years. She previously was scheduled for release in November, but the release was canceled for an undisclosed reason. While enrolled in a work-release program, Fargason has been working a manufacturing job at a company near Arrendale State Prison, said Lisa Rodriguez-Presley, a Georgia Department of Corrections spokeswoman. The prison is located in Alto in northeast Georgia. She was assigned to the program about a year ago as a condition for her release. Typically, when an inmate is enrolled in the program, the inmate goes into the community to work and returns to prison after his or her shift, Rodriguez-Presley said. Steve Hayes, a spokesman for the Board of Pardons and Paroles, said Fargason has had a "very good institutional record" and has completed several rehabilitation programs. Typically, inmates paroled after serving life are required to wear an electronic monitoring device and have routine meetings with a parole officer, he said. "They are supervised at the highest level," Hayes said. No information has been released about where Fargason will go after she is let out of prison. Rodriguez-Presley said inmates are given a set of civilian clothes to wear when they're released if they don't already have any. They're also allowed to take any personal items they had while in prison. Inmates also get $25, are taken to the closest bus station and given a bus ticket unless they have arranged for family to pick them up, she said. Fargason's daughter, Taylor, was found dead on the side of a Bibb County road June 9, 1991. Her mother maintained she'd disappeared while the two had been shopping at the Forsyth Road Kroger grocery store. Several hairs were in the girl's hand and an imprint from a tire tread was on her arm. Prosecutors argued at her trial that Fargason suffocated her daughter and the tire print matched her tires. Phone calls recorded during a wiretap of Fargason's phone were played at trial. Prosecutors maintained that Fargason admitted to suffocating the girl during a phone call with her boyfriend, but the recording wasn't clear. Fargason's parole was denied in 2000 and 2008, according to parole records. Information from Telegraph archives was used in this report. To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398. | 5 | 4,047 | news |
What if you could buy a car online, the way you buy books and computers? Would it work? Are millions of people willing to bypass going to a dealership and haggling with a salesman, and complete the entire car buying process from home, save for a test drive and final delivery? We're about to find out. In December of 2014, AutoNation, one of the country's largest auto retailers, launched a new process at thirty dealerships in Florida called SmartChoice Express. If successful, AutoNation's "digital storefront" could transform the way we buy cars. Some say this system, or one like it, might even replace the traditional salesman. I say. . . don't hold your breath. While there's no denying the appeal of such a program, and I believe something like it is inevitable in today's digital world, there are some huge problems with trying to reduce something as complex and as fraught with emotion as car buying down to a simple click. The first thing that leaps out at me is that buying on line reverses the traditional order of things by placing the test drive at the very end of the buying process instead of where it belongs, at the beginning. The customer is presumed to be able to make his or her decision based solely on information available online -- without once setting foot in a dealership, or driving a single car, until terms have been agreed upon and a decision to buy has already been made. Well, I don't know about you, but there's no way in the world I 'm going to agree to buy something before I've seen it in person, touched it with my own hands, and driven it. To me, putting the price before the test drive is backwards. Because buying a car is unlike anything else. If you order a book from Amazon you don't need to "test read" it first even though Amazon usually allows you to read a sample If you buy a jacket on line and it doesn't fit you can just send it back. But cars aren't like that. You can't just "send it back" if you don't like it. Cars need to be driven. You can read about them all you want. You can memorize specs and do research for months, but there is no substitute for sitting in a car, seeing how it fits you, and driving it. That requires a dealership -- and a sales consultant. Logistics. Let's talk about one of the most mundane, but fundamental, things about buying a car. There's a lot to do. There's too much involved in buying a car to handle it all on line. Too much minutiae, too much legwork, too many questions that have to be answered, too many niggling details that must be attended to, too many legal bases that have to be covered -- all of which require human assistance. Let me give you one example. Credit applications. Many of you will find this hard to believe, but the average person cannot fill out a credit application completely and accurately without assistance from a salesperson. They leave spaces blank. They forget their work number. They forget to tell us what their monthly mortgage payment is. They incorrectly list their net income (take home pay) instead of their gross, even when it's explained to them that we need the amount they make before taxes and deductions are taken out, not their net (I would say 75% of my customers make this mistake, no matter how it's explained to them). They forget to list previous addresses or previous jobs. They can't remember addresses or phone numbers of references. They even forget to give us their Social Security number. Even when a customer does a credit application online it's never complete and missing info has to be filled in once they arrive at the dealership. Ever wonder why it takes so long to buy a car? Because the whole process can be stopped dead in its tracks if a single piece of critical information is missing from the credit application. A computer can't prevent that from happening, but a salesperson can, and does, every day. Delivery: Someone has to take your new car to the gas station and fill it up. Someone has to fill out the necessary paperwork to get your car cleaned up, then drive it down to Detail so it will be cleaned and ready for you when you get out of F & I. Someone has to find the owner's manuals and extra keys (which can be an adventure in itself) and make sure you get them. Someone has to physically remove the license plates from your trade-in, update the stickers, if there are any, and attach them to your new vehicle (sometimes in the dead of night, in a snowstorm, with a flashlight in your teeth, fighting with rusted and seized bolts). A computer can't do any of this. And finally, doing a thorough and professional delivery. That does not mean tossing you keys and saying "Thanks! See ya later!" It means going over the operation of everything in the vehicle, from how to turn on the headlights to where the release for the gas tank is located to how to set the clock. Again, believe it or not, a lot of people are incapable of figuring these things out on their own. I've seen people fumble for five minutes trying to find the locking lever under the steering wheel that releases the tilting/telescoping feature. Many times, I've had to take the customer's hand and physically guide them to that lever -- or the one that lets the seat slide forward. A computer can't do that. (Oh, and one other thing. When the customer calls a few days later and says "I left my garage door opener in my car," or "ZZ Top Greatest Hits is in the CD player," someone has to walk out to their trade-in and get it for them. A computer . . . well, you know what I'm going to say.) The "No Haggle" Myth. Online systems promise to eliminate haggling, or most of it. While there's no fixed price, the range of negotiation is severely limited. And therein lies the problem. It is supposed that people don't like to haggle. And many people don't. But the fact is, many people love to haggle. There are many reasons. It makes them feel good to think they "won." It impresses their spouse. It's an adrenalin rush. And it gives them bragging rights to tell all their neighbors how they "beat down the price." Take that away and you take away a lot of the fun for many people. What I predict will happen with systems like these is that the customer will select their "Best Price" online (or whatever it's called), and then, once they get to the dealership to complete paperwork or take delivery, that's when the fangs will come out. That's when the real negotiations begin. And for that, you need a capable salesman. So, in essence, what any on line buying process does is delay the haggling until later on in the process. It will not eliminate it. Finally -- and I think this is what will stop on line sales from reaching 100% of any dealer's income -- High Anxiety. I'm not talking about the Mel Brooks movie. I'm talking about the amount of money involved. People often cite The Apple Store or Best Buy as examples of the model that should be followed in car sales. Here's the problem with that. The average Apple computer is, what? $1300? The average flatscreen TV is (again I'm guessing) around $500-$1000. While that's certainly no small chunk of change, the average-- average-- used car in America goes for around $18,000. And the average new car, according to NADA, is over $31,000. What happens when you start thinking about spending that kind of money? Your anxiety level goes through the roof. I don't believe we will ever get to the point where a majority of people will simply click the "BUY" button on their computer and wait for that huge investment in steel, rubber, and glass to show up in their driveway. There's too much risk. Too many unknowns. In short, it's just too scary. We need a person to walk us through the process, answer all our questions, assuage our fears, and convince us it's safe to take the final leap and sign on the dotted line. That person is a salesperson. At some point, we may call him or her something else, and modify the role they play, but I do not for a moment believe we will ever completely eliminate the human interaction that goes on between human beings who are doing the buying, and human beings who doing the selling, from the buying of cars. But who knows? I've been wrong before! More Car Salesman Confidential: Why We Stalk You Dealing With No Credit History Non-Confrontational Buying When the Customer Comes Last How Much Do We Really Make? | 9 | 4,048 | autos |
Regular sleep-wake routines in the household not only help kids get good quality sleep, they also enable age-appropriate sleep duration, according to a new study from Pennsylvania State University in the US. Limited caffeine, a regular bedtime and reduced interaction with technological gizmos in the evening are all aspects of sleep hygiene that lead to improved sleep quality and duration, according to the study, which was published in the journal Sleep Health. The research team set out to understand how families approach sleep and so they assessed a total of 1,103 parents or guardians of children between the ages of 6 and 17 living in the US. Participants -- of which 54 percent were female -- completed surveys and members of the research team interviewed them over the Internet. The grand majority understand the importance of sleep; however, a whopping 90 percent of their offspring didn't sleep as many hours as are recommended for their age group. The researchers provide what they call a conservative estimate that children between the ages of six and 11 should sleep nine hours per night and those between the ages of 12 and 17 should get in at least eight hours of shut-eye per night. What stood in the way in most cases was the intrusion of technology in the bedroom and lack of attention to the child's caffeine consumption, according to the study. "We have previously demonstrated the negative effect that use of light-emitting technology before bedtime can have on sleep, and now in this study we see how parental rules and routines regarding technology can influence the quantity and quality of their children's sleep," says co-author Anne-Marie Chang, assistant professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State. Chang's colleague Orfeu Buxton cited busy schedules that make it hard for both children and parents to get adequate sleep, but reinforced that it should be intertwined in the rhythms of the household and treated as sacred. | 7 | 4,049 | health |
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) One Sundance movie was literally phoned in the transgender prostitute tale "Tangerine." The movie that premiered Friday at the Sundance Film Festival follows two characters Alexandra and Sin-Dee on a wild Christmas Eve night in Los Angeles as one chases after her pimp. It was shot entirely using iPhone 5s phones with anamorphic lens adapters. "It made it more cinematic and we used this great app called Filmic Pro. And all of these combined really I think really gave us a really unique, really different look and that's something that we were trying to achieve with this film, because also the subject matter is kind of different," director Sean Baker said. It was the first major role for transgender actress Mya Taylor, who co-stars with real life friend Kiki Kitana Rodriguez. "Oh, yes. Everything that's in the movie is exactly what goes on in that area with those transgender people," Taylor said. Baker said one of his main motivations behind the film was his desire to shoot at a the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Los Angeles and then finding the story that went with that. "It's a very chaotic area. It's a place that I've always noticed as a very dramatic, colorful area and ... I knew that it would be cinematic," he said. "So, it was just about finding a story to tell that took place there. And so we went in and we sort of introduced ourselves to everybody in the area. We worked our way in with the research process and that's where we met Mya." The movie comes at a moment when transgender characters are being seen more than ever in mainstream media, including Golden Globe winner Jeffrey Tambor's character on the Amazon show "Transparent" and Laverne Cox on Netflix's "Orange is the New Black." "I'm very happy about what's going on with transgender people coming out into the screen, because it's unheard of, you know? ... I'm proud of those shows, I think they're wonderful and this brings a good add-on to it, because it kind of brings you inside some of the lives of transgender people," Taylor said. "Tangerine" was well-received at Sundance but is still searching for a distributor. | 6 | 4,050 | entertainment |
A compilation of time-lapse views from the northeast. | 8 | 4,051 | video |
Branislav Ivanovic's thumping extra-time header sealed Chelsea's spot in the League Cup final after an incident-packed 1-0 victory over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. Neither side could be separated after 90 pulsating minutes in the semifinal second leg before Ivanovic leapt highest to meet Willian's free kick in the 94th minute to wrap up a 2-1 aggregate win and a trip to Wembley in March. However, the match was noteworthy for a series of flashpoints involving Diego Costa, including a stamping incident in each half on Emre Can and Martin Skrtel. The Spain international was at the heart of more contention when he was denied a penalty by referee Michael Oliver after going to ground under a challenge from Skrtel just after the 20 minute mark. Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also made two brilliant one-on-one saves from Alberto Moreno and Philippe Coutinho in the first half that ultimately proved crucial. Victory over Liverpool represents an ideal response for Chelsea after Saturday's 4-2 FA Cup defeat to League One side Bradford City that left manager Jose Mourinho fuming. The Portuguese - who was involved in a touchline exchange with Brendan Rodgers - now has his sights set on a third League Cup title, the first of which came against Liverpool in 2005 and was his first trophy in English football during his first stint at the club. Chelsea had shouts for a penalty waved away in an end-to-end opening when Willian's low shot struck the arm of the sliding Lucas Leiva. Can and Costa were then involved a brief altercation after the latter was lucky to escape punishment for seemingly stamping on the Liverpool midfielder's shin. Costa was in the spotlight again in the 22nd minute as he went to ground when Skrtel looked to have stood on his foot, but referee Oliver was uninterested. At the other end, Steven Gerrard's superb pass picked out the run of Moreno on the left of the area, with the fullback's subsequent shot well parried by Courtois, before the Belgium international saved Coutinho's drive with his foot after the Brazilian waltzed through the Chelsea defense. The home side was dealt a blow when Cesc Fabregas had to be replaced following an accidental collision with team-mate John Terry shortly after the restart. Tempers then threatened to boil over when Costa appeared to tread on Skrtel, leading to an angry coming together between the two players. Eden Hazard, scorer of Chelsea's goal in the first leg, gave a timely reminder of his brilliance with a mazy run that led to him fizzing a shot just wide from 20 yards, before Simon Mignolet made a terrific block with his feet to keep out Costa's deflected half-volley. Liverpool was then fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men in the 67th minute when Jordan Henderson avoided a second yellow card for a deliberate hand ball, before Chelsea's Filipe Luis hobbled off after taking a knock. The breakthrough finally came four minutes into extra time, as Willian's teasing free kick was headed home emphatically by Ivanovic. Henderson could have forced penalties when he put a free header wide from 10 yards, but ultimately Chelsea safely saw out extra time to reach its first final since Mourinho's return in June 2013. | 1 | 4,052 | sports |
Enough is enough, already! Jim Cramer is sick and tired of the same companies whining, over and over again. Apple (AAPL) and Yahoo (YHOO) certainly weren't whining on Tuesday, especially Apple when it crushed earnings estimates to smithereens. Perhaps it is time for these companies to drink a glass of wine and calm down, instead of whining about how the strong dollar is killing earnings and letting the complaints take down the market. But the biggest whiner of them all? Caterpillar (CAT) . Holy cow, Cramer had never seen the enormous amount of whining coming from its CEO. Can someone please hand Caterpillar a little violin? "Throw out the strong-dollar whiners. They aren't worth drinking. Either stick with the domestic plays, or go with those companies that are doing so well that you don't even notice these currency fluctuations," said Cramer. Wouldn't it make sense to just skip the drama, and go for the winners? Drink the wine instead, and don't listen to whining. It seems to Cramer that everyone is talking about the issues with currency, but the only action being taken is to take down stocks to get ahead of the strength of the dollar. However, just because the market tanks on currency concerns does not mean that there is no way to get around it. The "Mad Money" host outlined three groups that are immune to currency wars. First, are the technology stocks that have triumphed over their currency issues. Those are stocks like Honeywell (HON) , General Electric (GE) and Starbucks (SBUX) . Another group are the stocks that have been reset, because they were already down due to currency and came back up. Just look at Kimberly-Clark (KMB) that rallied on Tuesday. The third group, and most important, are the domestic companies that don't have business overseas. "The restaurants, the retailers, they all held right in today and offered you no real bargains at all. These are the stocks to key on. These are the ones where you need a second down day to buy them into weakness." Despite the blizzard bust of the century, Polaris Industries (PII) still managed to thrive. The big maker of snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles was up 5 percent on Tuesday amid a widespread weakness of the market. Polaris reported earnings, and crushed it with a 4 cent earnings beat on a $1.94 basis and higher than expected sales, up 17.7 percent year over year. The "Mad Money" host sat down with Polaris Industries chairman and CEO Scott Wine to get the lay of the land. The CEO explained that while he was happy with the earnings, he considers this to be an ugly win. "Our results were quite good, but we certainly look at not just how our financial results look but how we got there," Wine said. In preparation for the super bowl on Sunday, Jim Cramer is heading to the charts to pit four high quality companies from Seahawk's hometown of Seattle, versus the Patriots' home town of New England. Bob Lang is a technician and senior strategist at ExplosiveOptions.net , and Cramer's colleague at The Street . He turned to the crystal ball of the charts to determine the face-off win. Playing for Seattle is Costco (COST) , Nordstrom (JWN) , Microsoft (MSFT) and the center linebackerStarbucks (SBUX) . Playing for New England is Boston Beer (SAM) , CVS (CVS) , Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) and Dunkin Brands. Looking at the charts, Lang found that the future is leading towards the Seattle stocks. "Now, that doesn't mean the Seahawks will necessarily win this weekend, especially if the Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick can somehow sneak a deflated ball onto the field," Cramer added. Ouch. May the best team win on Sunday! One stock that didn't get smashed was Horizon Pharmaceuticals (HZNP) . This is a company that specializes in unmet medical needs in primary care, specialty care and orphan diseases. In fact, this stock has taken off and spiked 30 percent since just the beginning of the year. Cramer wouldn't be surprised if it went even higher. To get the scoop on where this stock could be headed Cramer spoke with Timothy Walbert, the chairman and CEO of Horizon Pharmaceuticals. Walbert commented on the rapid growth of his company when he stated, "We went from $600 million last year, to $2 billion today so if we keep finding products like that we are going to have a lot of fun." In the Lightning Round, Cramer gave his take on a few caller favorites: Salesforce.com: "I think Salesforce is going to be OK...We are getting a little bit more buy in for the cloud plays, and I think you could be OK. Not sure, but OK." State Bank Financial Corp: "The problem is that they missed the quarter, and a lot of other banks didn't miss the quarter." | 3 | 4,053 | finance |
While a lot of folks in the Northeast are currently working from home due to the first great Snowmageddon of 2015, the whole extended WFH concept has been a major discussion point in recent years. It makes sense doing so may save companies and workers money, and you can often do tasks just as effectively with conference calls, virtual meetings, email, IM, Skype and the like. Plus, speaking from experience here as a work-from-home woman, there's nothing like slaying assignments in your pajamas (every now and then) while also having unlimited snack access when hunger calls. Enter a new study published in Harvard Business Review conducted by Stanford University economics professors Nicholas Bloom and John Roberts, which examined the cost-benefit of working at home versus in the office. The researchers split a group of 255 employees from a Chinese travel agency, Ctrip, into two groups. Over the next nine months, one group was given permission to work from home, while the other group remained in the office. (All workers were willing to work from home, but only half were selected so there would be a control group and an experimental group.) Bloom and Roberts then monitored the productivity of each set for that nine-month time span. All conditions were equal; both home and office employees had the same shift periods, they worked in the same work groups, they had the same managers as before the experiment, and they logged into the same computer system they always had. On major positive notes, home-workers were 13 percent more productive than their in-office counterparts over nine months, the result of a bump in minutes-per-shift due to fewer breaks and sick days. They were also more productive per-minute than office employees, something surveys said was the result of quieter spaces at home. In fact, the experiment was so successful, Ctrip offered all workers a work-from-home option. However, PJs and free-for-all workdays weren't all they're sometimes cracked up to be. The experiment was so awesomely successful, Ctrip gave all its workers the option to work from home if they wished yet half of the at-home group decided to return to the office, and 75 percent of the office workers (once ready and willing to head home) decided to continue working on site. Why? Those who worked at home were lonely, the authors say. Aww. So, if you work from home, be glad you're probably even more crazy-productive than you imagined. And if you work in an office, even if your co-workers bug you from time to time, trust this study as proof you'd miss them if they weren't apart of your day-to-day. Being surrounded by your work buds is a happiness perk! Image Credit: Cultura/Ghislain & Marie David de Lossy | 4 | 4,054 | lifestyle |
For months, we've been waiting for Apple to release more details about its new smartwatch: When will it launch? What will it cost? How long will the battery last? The company didn't answer all of these questions in its announcement today of record-breaking earnings , but CEO Tim Cook did provide a rough launch date: April 2015. That means consumers will have to wait a few more months to get their hands on the Apple Watch, a bit later than many were expecting. (Since showing off the watch last fall, Apple has only said that it'd ship sometime in early 2015.) But as Cook noted, if you divide the year into thirds, then April is still considered early 2015. In any case, Cook doesn't have to wait like everyone else. He's already wearing the watch and he's hooked: I'm using it every day and love it, and I can't live without it. I see we're making great progress on the development of it. The number of developers that are writing apps for it is impressive, and we're seeing some incredible innovation coming out there. | 3 | 4,055 | finance |
Campus Insiders' basketball analyst Jordan Cornette spoils ACC storylines for Shae Peppler, including his reasons for why Jim Boeheim's Orange won't be among the field of 68 come tourney time. | 1 | 4,056 | sports |
Hackers took control of Taylor Swift's Twitter and Instagram accounts on Tuesday, later claiming to have stolen nude photos of the singer-songwriter. The attackers' tweets told Swift's more than 51 million followers to follow the purported leader of notorious hacking group Lizard Squad. The accounts appeared to be quickly recovered, as the hacker's tweets were deleted in less than 20 minutes. Taylor Swift has the fourth most-popular account on Twitter, making the attack one of the most high-profile to have happened on the social network. "Well, now I'm awake," Swift said on Tumblr after finding out about the attack. "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." Soon after, the hackers broke into Swift's Instagram account, which has over 20 million followers, posting a similar message. It was also removed within a few minutes. "Now [my] instagram," she said . "This is going to be a long day." Cause the hackers gonna hack, hack, hack, hack, hack... Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) January 27, 2015 One of the accounts mentioned by the hackers on Swift's Twitter account later claimed to have stolen naked pictures of her. User @Lizzard said it would release the images for a donation in the anonymous cyber-currency Bitcoin. The account has been used since last year, posting links to news reports about hacking incidents related to Lizard Squad, which gained notoriety over the last few months for claiming responsibility for attacks on Microsoft and Sony's gaming networks. The hackers' threat to release private photos of Taylor Swift comes less than a year after the release of a large collection of nude photos of female celebrities popularly known as Celebgate. As of this writing, there is no evidence to support the hackers' claims that nude photos of Swift were stolen. Swift denies that any existed on her accounts, and the claim appears to be an attempt to quickly profit off of the attack. "PS any hackers saying they have 'nudes'? Psssh you'd love that wouldn't you!" Swift said on Twitter . "Have fun photoshopping cause you got NOTHING." I'd like to acknowledge the MVP of the day, @yelyahwilliams , for being the first to text me about the hack this morning. #FriendshipGoals Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) January 27, 2015 | 5 | 4,057 | news |
When it comes to shooting a basketball, Ryan Boatright, like any player, must adjust to the setting. The lighting of the arena, the softness of the rims, the give of the floor in a storied old gymnasium. Just as important is the ball itself. And in the NCAA, players have to get used to different balls pretty much all the time. Ask Boatright about different brands, and the UConn standout can reel off the good and bad of each. The Huskies use the Nike Elite at home, but his favorite is the Wilson Solution. ''The leather just has more grip on `em,'' Boatright said. ''The Adidas balls and the Under Armour balls are a little more slippery, a little more slick, but the Nike balls and the Wilson balls have a little more grip to them for the ball handlers.'' Unlike the NBA, which uses the Spalding ball for all games, the NCAA has no uniform brand for regular-season games. It simply requires the home team to provide the game ball. Rule 16-1 lists specifications for size, weight, color, cover and bounciness. That means a team could be playing with an unfamiliar ball during road games. In a sport where the ''shooter's touch'' matters, the feel of the ball can't be minimized. ''It's certainly a distinct advantage for the home team more than any other sport, in my eyes,'' Nebraska coach Tim Miles said. Minnesota's leading scorer, Andre Hollins, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that part of the reason for the Gophers' poor free-throw shooting in a three-point loss to Nebraska last week was the Adidas ball rolled out by the Cornhuskers. The most popular ball is the Nike Elite, which is used by 17 of the teams in this week's Top 25, not to mention Minnesota. Wilson, Adidas, Under Armour, Spalding and Sterling also are represented in the Top 25. Most conferences use a uniform ball for their postseason tournaments, and the Wilson Solution is the official ball of the NCAA tournament. There are subtle and not-so-subtle differences between balls in the regular season, depending on the brand. Some seem slicker, some tackier; some feel heavier, some lighter; some have grooves that are deeper, some that are wider. ''The feel of a ball is real important,'' Tennessee's Kevin Punter said. ''If you don't have a real good feel on the ball ... Not that it should determine whether you win or not, but of course you want to play with a ball you like.'' Typically, a team practices before a road game with the brand of ball that will be used. The home team also sets out a rack of its balls for warmups. Michigan State's Travis Trice, whose team uses Nike balls at home, didn't seem to have trouble with the Adidas ball at Nebraska, scoring 27 points in a two-point loss last week. He said the brand shouldn't make a difference between winning and losing. ''There's no excuse,'' Trice said, ''as long as it can go through the rim.'' Dan Calandro, who oversees the NCAA Basketball Rules Committee and staff, said to his knowledge there never has been a proposal to establish an official game ball for regular-season games. Reggie Minton, deputy executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, said there's no interest in pursuing the matter among the NABC membership because schools and coaches are required under their contracts with athletic suppliers to use specific balls. Teams whose gear is supplied by Nike typically will use Nike basketballs, same as Adidas teams will use Adidas balls. In college baseball and football, the NCAA has established specs for balls but there are no sanctioned brands for regular-season play. Rawlings is the official supplier for the NCAA baseball tournament. In football, each team provides the balls used by its own offense. Nebraska's Miles said he would support having a uniform regular-season ball if the contractual hang-ups could be worked out. But he also is convinced he has benefited from the current setup, especially when he coached at Colorado State. CSU went to a Spalding ball during his last two seasons at the school. Few, if any, of the Rams' opponents used that brand. In 2011-12, his final season, the Rams won 14 of 15 at home, shooting 49 percent from the field in those games and holding visitors to 41 percent. ''It was a unique ball, and it was hard for our guys to get used to it when we started with it,'' Miles said. ''But we were one of the best offensive teams in the country, so it was doing well for us. But I also think it messed with our opponent, no question about it.'' --- AP Sports Writers Pat Eaton-Robb in Storrs, Connecticut, and Steve Megargee in Knoxville, Tennessee, contributed to this report. | 1 | 4,058 | sports |
Let's be real, most people only use hair masks to fix their severely dry locks or over-processed colored strands. This deep-conditioning treatment is like a last resort when it comes to at-home hair care, especially if you're nervous about what your stylist might do with those split ends. Hair masks are just as beneficial, if not more so, than regular conditioners. Unlike a typical conditioner that rests on the surface of a strand, a hair mask works its way inside the hair cuticle. While the products boast repairing hair damage, regular application of a hair mask can "impart shine, help with manageability and work to nourish the cuticle," according to Joel Warren, master colorist and co-founder of Warren-Tricomi salons. If you've ever wondered about the type of hair mask you should be using or whether you're even applying it correctly, HuffPost Style interviewed four experts and got the answers to your most pressing questions. Here's the lowdown. Once your hair has split, repairing with a hair mask is impossible. This is actually a common misconception, Marie Robinson Salon colorist and Wella Professionals ambassador Mark Debolt told us. "These masks act like a Band-Aid to smooth and mend frayed ends. The only true remedy for split ends is a haircut appointment," said Debolt. However, British celebrity hairstylist Mark Hill noted that using a mask regularly will disguise the damage by packing hair strands with moisture to make them feel thicker and stronger. He added, "It won't cure them, but it will help prevent any more damage." In order to know your hair mask needs, you must know your hair type. For dry or wavy/curly hair that tends to frizz, Warren recommended masks that are intensely moisturizing. For thinner or flatter hair types, this pro suggested looking to masks with proteins to add strength. People who have oily hair usually do not need a conditioning treatment unless their hair is badly damaged, according to Rachel Carter, a stylist at Dyer & Posta salon in Kennesaw, Georgia. They should use a wash-in/wash-out treatment since a hair mask can cause the hair to become oilier. Even though there are different hair masks for different hair types and textures, you should really read the ingredients label. Debolt's favorite hair masks are comprised of unique combinations of oils like almond oil (very hydrating but lightweight and great for finer hair types), jojoba oil (best for fragile, dry ends and highlighted hair) and panthenol (derived from Vitamin B5 that binds with water molecules to moisturize dehydrated hair). Hill said he also favors argan oil for its nourishing and moisturizing properties that leave hair healthy, smooth and shiny, as well as these three ingredients: Wheat proteins -- aids penetration and helps prevent breakage; great for any hair type and particularly finer textures. Keravis -- increases the strength of the hair and protects from heat; best for damaged hair due to heat styling tools. Bamboo/fern extract -- gives structure and strength to the hair; those with fine hair will benefit the most. Hair masks made of henna work wonders for restoring moisture naturally, but beware of build-up. "There are several benefits to using henna hair masks," said Warren. "First, the plant produces a natural, temporary ingredient from its leaf called lawsone, which binds with proteins and helps to seal the cuticle and prevent split ends. Henna also has cooling and conditioning properties that soothe the scalp and prevent itchiness and dandruff, while intensely nourishing the hair." However, Debolt told us we shouldn't get too entranced by the subtle glimmer of tint henna imparts because an accumulation of henna can handicap a colorist's ability to add highlights. Do-it-yourself hair masks really work but it depends on the concoction. "Hair masks are all about moisture," explained Warren. "There are plenty of ingredients found in your kitchen that can be applied to the hair to hydrate it, such as yogurt, mayonnaise, honey and olive oil." Carter advised us to make sure to completely shampoo your homemade mask out when you are finished. Nobody wants to sleep on messy sheets or pillows. To get optimal results, this is how you should apply hair masks: First, shampoo as you normally would. "The warm water opens up the cuticles on your hair. This allows the mask to penetrate into the hair's structure (a regular conditioner only tends to sit on the outside of your hair)," said Hill. Then towel-dry hair and choose the best hair mask for your needs. Spread the product evenly onto locks, from roots to ends, and comb through with your fingers or a wide-tooth comb. Carter's pro tip: those with flat and fine hair types should apply masks to the ends to avoid weighing the hair down. For maximum benefits, Warren recommends leaving hair masks on for 20-30 minutes and covering your head with a warm towel. If hair is extremely damaged, try leaving it on overnight. To remove, rinse with cool water and re-shampoo/condition. In need of hair mask recommendations? Shop the picks below. | 4 | 4,059 | lifestyle |
Lindsay Armada tested positive for the drug Ecstasy and a small amount of alcohol - but prosecutors could never prove that she was impaired on the August 2010 morning she plowed her Lexus into a palm tree off the Palmetto Expressway. But Armada nevertheless paid a price on Tuesday. The former Internet model surrendered to serve five years in prison for the wreck that killed two of her passengers and a left a third in a body cast for six months. "Miss Armada is not walking away scot-free," Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Ellen Sue Venzer told relatives of the victims in court. "She will pay many, many years for her behavior." Armada, sobbing and unable to look at the relatives of the dead watching from the gallery, read from a letter. "I'd trade anything to bring the boys back," said Armada, 25, a mother of two. The dead victims: Nicolas Garzon, 21, and Luis Suarez, 20, a high school baseball standout who had recently signed to play professionally in Venezuela. He was part of two state championship teams at Flanagan High in Pembroke Pines, friends said. Severely injured in the crash was Ashley Tellez. "We lost a lot that day," their friend Jose Gonzalez told the judge. The crash happened on August 22, 2010, at 7 a.m., after the group of friends had been closing out their summer by partying at the clubs Nocturnal and Space in Downtown Miami. According to the state troopers, Armada had been trying to pass a car on the Palmetto but lost control on a curve, crashing into the tree on the side of the highway. A passing motorist estimated her speed to be 90 miles per hour. Armada could not be charged with DUI manslaughter because investigators could not prove when she had taken the Ecstasy drug, and her blood alcohol content level was well below the legal limit. But prosecutors did file charges of vehicular manslaughter. Armada pleaded guilty last year, but was allowed to surrender Tuesday so she'd have time to give birth to her second child. The case had dragged on for years - at one point, Armada rejected a plea deal of two years in prison. Now, she'll do five years behind bars, plus eight years of probation, a period in which she'll be unable to hold a drivers license. Many of Garzon and Suarez's relatives could not bring themselves to attend Tuesday's hearing. "The family's pain is so incredibly raw," prosecutor Eileen Keeley told the judge. "The fact that this case has been going on for so long, it's so very hard for them." | 5 | 4,060 | news |
A new resort on Sri Lanka's southern coast offers high style in a serene cliff-top setting. Cape Weligama Situated on a cliff on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, Cape Weligama is the second property for Resplendent Ceylon hotels (after Ceylon Tea Trails, located in the mountainous interior). Thai architect Lek Bunnag conceived the resort, which comprises 40 villas and suites, on a breathtaking 12-acre site overlooking the Indian Ocean. For more photos of Sri Lanka's Cape Weligama, click here. The Pool Scene The crescent-shaped pool looks out on the Bay of Weligama. For more photos of Sri Lanka's Cape Weligama, click here. The Activities Resort activities include dolphin- and whale-watching, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, and big-game fishing. For more photos of Sri Lanka's Cape Weligama, click here. The Room A guest bath with sea views. The contemporary guest rooms feature custom-made furnishings and include butler service. For more photos of Sri Lanka's Cape Weligama, click here. | 2 | 4,061 | travel |
We've reached the supposed peak of flu season, and true to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) predictions, it's been particularly severe. In part, the flu has reached epidemic proportions because of how ineffective the vaccine made for this particular season has been. At only 23 percent effective, it hasn't been able to protect people the way the CDC intended, and so, despite being vaccinated, some people are still becoming sick, including 5-year-old Kiera Driscoll, who died on Tuesday. Young Kiera's father Patrick Driscoll told Fox 5 Vegas that she first started showing symptoms of the virus on Sunday Jan 18., when she began coughing and developed a fever. The next day, Kiera was taken to a clinic where she was prescribed steroids and a nebulizer, however, she collapsed later in the day. Despite CPR attempts from her mother, neither her nor paramedics were able to revive Kiera, and doctors confirmed she had died from cardiac arrest due to influenza type A the same strain of the virus she was vaccinated against. "Kiera would want us to celebrate life, to take an extra second to tell people around you that you love them," the young girl's aunt Laurel Beckstead told Fox 5 Vegas. "She was the first one to come up and give somebody a hug. She liked everyone. … Even though Kiera has been taken from us unexpectedly, we believe that her time here, her mission, has been fulfilled, and that she is in a better place." Kiera's death adds to 56 pediatric flu deaths that have occurred since Sept. 28 last year. Despite her death, the CDC still recommends getting the flu shot, saying that it can prevent most hospitalizations and death. FOX5 Vegas - KVVU | 7 | 4,062 | health |
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said Tuesday his outfit would give Mercedes a closer-run contest than they did last year come the new Formula One season. Mercedes won the Constructors Championship last season and although Red Bull were runners-up they were still nearly 300 points behind the title-winners. That followed a poor pre-season testing session in Jerez, Spain, with the UK-based Red Bull managing a mere 21 laps in four days. However, Red Bull improved as the campaign wore on, with Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo winning three races. But although new regulations prevent development of the engine, teams can fine tune their systems via the use of 'tokens' and Horner expects Red Bull to push Mercedes from the off this season. "Mercedes are the benchmark, as the reigning champions, as favourites for this year after having a significant advantage at the end of last year," said Horner, ahead of this season's first test in Jerez from Sunday. "Hopefully we will have made significant inroads into that advantage, but the question is 'What have they done over the winter? What have the other teams done?'. "But we have an opportunity this year. You can strategically upgrade over the year on your different power units," added Horner, with French manufacturer Renault supplying Red Bull's engines. "Renault are taking an aggressive development approach to this year, and strategically we just need to decide when we use the tokens in the four engines we have available to us," said Horner, whose team are based in Milton Keynes, north of London. "After the first test last year, hopefully this one cannot be any worse than that. "We managed very few laps over the four days, with the car either stopping on track or setting on fire, so hopefully we've made progress from that point. "It's at least been the most impressive winter we've had as a team in terms of everything coming together, with the car being produced in the shortest time ever, the design staff hitting all their headlines and targets." With four-time world champion Sebastien Vettel having joined Ferrari, Ricciardo now finds himself the senior of Red Bull's two drivers alongside new boy Daniil Kvyat. "The target this year is to win more races and have better results for the title fight, a proper one because last year I was hanging on by a thread," said Ricciardo. "The engine development changes are going to definitely help us. "Everyone is going to improve, that's a fact, but you'd like to think Mercedes' room for improvement is small because they made so much of it last year. "I hope I'm right and they don't have a 50 percent step on top of what they already have, but there is certainly more room for us and Ferrari to make that gap." | 1 | 4,063 | sports |
Apple Inc. unveiled a slew of new products - - from larger-screened iPhones to refreshed Macs -- late last year to rev up growth. The move paid off last quarter with record sales and profit. Apple shares rose as much as 6.7 percent in extended trading after the company reported that sales of iPhones during the quarter ended Dec. 27 rose 46 percent to 74.5 million units, topping analysts' average estimate of 64.9 million. The sales helped push Apple's fiscal first-quarter profit to a record $18 billion, or $3.06 a share, on sales of $74.6 billion. Analysts had predicted profit of $2.60 a share, and revenue of $67.5 billion. Demand for Apple products soared "to an all-time high," Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said in the statement. The quarter that ends in December is typically the most lucrative period for the Cupertino, California-based company because of the holiday shopping season. This year, the scrutiny is even higher since the results provide the first official indicator of how the new products -- which debuted in September and October -- have performed. Apple forecast the momentum would continue, with revenue projected to rise to $52 billion to $55 billion from $45.6 billion during the same period a year ago. Gross margins could widen to 38.5 percent to 39.5 percent compared with 39.3 percent a year earlier. Analysts had predicted revenue would rise in the current quarter to $53.7 billion, with margins at 38.6 percent. Broad, Deep "Ultimately it shows that the cycle is going to be more broad and deep than what investors had expected -- it will be more successful," Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, said in advance of the earnings announcement. Apple shares earlier fell 3.5 percent to $109.13 at the close in New York. Investor enthusiasm for Apple's new products helped push shares to a new high last year, briefly boosting the company's market capitalization to more than $700 billion, a first for a U.S. company. For the just-ended fiscal first quarter, net income rose 38 percent from $13.072 billion a year earlier, while revenue increased 30 percent from $57.6 billion a year ago. The previous profit record of $13.078 billion was set in the fiscal first quarter of 2013. The larger-screened iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which debuted in September in the U.S. and arrived in other major markets like China in October, helped boost margins to 39.9 percent. That topped Apple's forecast in October of 37.5 percent to 38.5 percent and exceeded the average prediction of analysts for 38.5 percent. China Sales Sales were particularly robust in the quarter in China, where revenue rose 70 percent as the company works to expand in the country. Cook has said Apple will open 25 new stores in the country within two years. In the Americas, sales rose 23 percent, while revenue from Europe increased 20 percent, Apple said. The strength of the U.S. dollar posed a challenge for Apple in places such as Russia, where the company briefly halted online sales during the quarter. For the fourth consecutive quarter, iPad unit sales fell, dropping 18 percent to 21.4 million units. Mac sales rose 14 percent to 5.5 million units. New, thinner iPads that were unveiled in October couldn't stop sales of the tablets from declining, as the market has become saturated and some consumers gravitate to bigger-screen smartphones. Apple is looking to fuel iPad sales by teaming up with International Business Machines Corp. to create programs for iPads and iPhones. Apple is also preparing for a larger- screened iPad this year, Bloomberg News has reported. Apple Watch Apple is wading into a new gadget category this year -- smartwatches -- with the rollout of Apple Watch. The company said Tuesday that the watch will become available in April. "Given what we see ahead for Apple in 2015 and beyond, we are even more excited about the company's early-stage ramp in this transformational cycle," Brian White, an analyst with Cantor Fitzgerald, said in note to investors. --With assistance from Beth Mellor in New York. To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Higgins in San Francisco at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Pui-Wing Tam at [email protected] Jillian Ward | 3 | 4,064 | finance |
Robert Allenby held a presser at the Phoenix Open on Tuesday to discuss his wild night in Hawaii. What did the 120 crew take away from his comments? | 1 | 4,065 | sports |
Kim Kardashian West has hired a nutritionist to help her lose weight. The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star, who is married to rapper Kanye West, recently gained 15 pounds after indulging in "really bad" food and wants to learn how to cook healthier meals for the sake of their 19-month-old daughter, North. The 34-year-old beauty said: "I just started seeing a nutritionist because... I eat really bad. "I just started to eat really healthy and work out more and just try to change my lifestyle. Especially when you have a baby, I want to know what to cook and how to cook healthier." Despite wanting to slim-down, Kim admits she and Kanye "have been trying" to have another baby. Asked if they are planning to have a second child, she said: "I hope so, we've been trying. We have been trying. I'm praying about it. I am not pregnant right now, not that I know of, but no, I'm not. I wish I was. I'm about 15 pounds heavier, but I'm not [pregnant.]" Meanwhile, the glamorous star filmed a new T-Mobile ad that will air during the Super Bowl next Sunday (02.01.15) to prove she doesn't take herself too seriously. She told 'Entertainment Tonight': "I think you have to have a sense of humor. The commercial is so funny and I think for once you see I'm kinda poking fun of the idea of the ridiculousness of everyone and their selfies. I love it, I'm a big fan of selfies, I've taken them for decades. I'm always on my phone, I have multiple phones." This article was from BANG Showbiz and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. | 7 | 4,066 | health |
Barack Obama was in Riyadh on Tuesday to pay his respects to the late Saudi King Abdullah. His visit, for which he cut short a much-hyped trip to India, underscores how important the U.S.-Saudi relationship remains to the American leadership. On social media, however, much of the attention has focused on something else: His wife's attire. As noted by the Associated Press , Michelle Obama did not wear a headscarf or veil Tuesday. In Saudi Arabia, that's unusual: The country is one of the few on Earth where women are expected to cover their heads, and most Saudi women wear niqabs. Exceptions are made for foreigners, however, and Michelle who did wear loose clothing that fully covered her arms appears to have been one of them. In photographs from the official events, other foreign female guests are also shown not wearing headscarves. More than 1,500 tweets using the hashtag #ميشيل_أوباما_سفور (roughly, #Michelle_Obama_immodesty) were sent Tuesday, many of which criticized the first lady. Some users pointed out that on a recent trip to Indonesia, Michelle had worn a headscarf. Why not in Saudi Arabia? واشناراه وادويشاه #ميشيل_أوباما_سفور في بلد التوحيد وفي أندونيسيا بحجابها الله أكبر والعزةلله @mshanarm @s_a_aldweesh pic.twitter.com/KvGTO2hgG9 The response wasn't entirely negative Ahram Online notes that some Twitter users said Michelle shouldn't be criticized too much, it being a short, impromptu trip and all. Saudi state television did show images of Michelle and her uncovered head, despite some claims that they had digitally obscured her (a widely circulated video with the first lady entirely blurred seems to have been an amateur production). Still, the Obamas' trip to Saudi Arabia comes at a time of remarkable international criticism of Saudi Arabia's human rights record, prompted largely by the flogging of blogger Raif Badawi for insulting Islam. The trip was apparently designed to be apolitical Obama has said he was "unlikely" to discuss Badawi's case with the new Saudi king. But in Saudi Arabia, the simple act of not covering your head can be political, intentionally or not. | 5 | 4,067 | news |
Like lots of other conditions, public perception of ADHD is riddled with myths. Check out this video learn the difference between myths and facts about ADHD. | 7 | 4,068 | health |
The dollar stepped back from a 11-year peak against a basket of currencies after soft spending data and some disappointing earnings cast doubts about the underlying optimism on the U.S. economic outlook. Investors took profits from recent gains in the U.S. currency ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy announcement later in the day, which they think could show a more dovish bias due to the recent plunge in oil prices. The dollar index (.DXY) posted its biggest fall since early October on Tuesday and slid to 94.010, off a 11-year high of 95.481 hit on Friday. Against the yen, the U.S. currency was little changed at 117.87 yen, but off last week's high of 118.80. The euro ticked up to $1.1362 (EUR=), extending its rebound from a 11-year low of $1.1098 hit on Monday. "I would say the dollar selling we've seen so far is just position adjustments ahead of the major (Fed) event," said Bart Wakabayashi, head of forex at State Street Bank. "But I am a bit nervous that the dollar may have a further leg to go down if the Fed says something negative (about the U.S. economy) given that the market is still very long in the dollar on the whole," he added. Indeed the dollar index is still up more than 4 percent so far this year, and up almost 18 percent since June, as investors have bet the Fed will start raising rates this year on the back of a solid U.S. economic recovery. But data on Tuesday showed non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, fell unexpectedly for a fourth straight month in December. It marked the longest downward stretch since 2012, stoking worries slowing global growth and cheap oil prices are curbing business spending in the U.S., seen as one of the brightest spots in the global economy. While other U.S. data, such as consumer spending and home sales, were more robust, traders are getting worried the Fed could turn even more cautious in its guidance of future rate hikes given plunging oil prices are cooling any inflationary pressure. The dour business investment report came as construction and mining equipment maker Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) reported a nearly 25 percent decline in fourth-quarter profit and warned that falling oil prices would hurt its business in 2015. Elsewhere, the Australian dollar could face renewed pressure if the local consumer price data due at 0030 GMT comes in weaker than expected. The Australian dollar traded at $0.7922 (AUD=D4), not far from 5 1/2-year low of $0.7850 touched on Monday. (Editing by Shri Navaratnam) | 3 | 4,069 | finance |
There's a spider in Britain that's a tad unusual. Instead of spinning "thick" silk threads (in this case, thick means several micrometers), the garden center spider can spin tiny nano-scale threads that are also extremely sticky. This is particularly useful when catching prey, but until recently researchers didn't now how the spider managed to make such sticky silk. Now, researchers say they've figured it out: the garden center spider's silk is sticky because the spider combs and pulls at the tiny threads to charge the fibers. In other words, this spider appears to have figured out how electrostatic interactions work. Combs out the filaments using special hairs on its hind legs In the study, published today in Biology Letters , researchers used three different kinds of microscopy techniques to study organs that produce silk in Uloborus plumipes , the garden center spider. They also filmed the spider's spinning action to see how the organs work. They found that this species has extremely small silk glands that allow it to spin ultra-fine threads. The raw material that the spider uses to make its silk is therefore funneled through very long and narrow ducts. Moreover, the silk is only formed once it goes through the garden center spider's uniquely shaped spigots, tiny structures that make up the spider's spinnerets. But what really caught the researchers' attention is when they realized that the spider was combing out the filaments released by the spigots onto larger core fibers using special hairs on its hind legs. These combing and pulling movements are the reason the silk adheres to the spider's prey so easily: they charge the fibers, causing them bunch up into tiny, sticky wool-like "puffs." The thread's characteristic "puffs," imaged with a Scanning Electron Microscope [Credit: Fritz Vollrath, (Oxford University)] Uloborus plumipes in its web [Credit: Hartmut Kronenberger & Katrin Kronenberger (Oxford University)]: The finding could lead to new kinds of polymer-processing technologies, the researchers say. It might even help scientists come up with their own version of the super sticky nano-scale threads. But in the meantime we're getting something pretty cool out of all of this: amazingly detailed pictures of spider silk threads. | 5 | 4,070 | news |
PHOENIX One of the loudest voices on the Seattle Seahawks defiantly defended the quietest. Cornerback Richard Sherman criticized NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league policy that requires players to attend mandatory media appearances. "I don't think they should be obligated any more than the commissioner is obligated to speak to the media," Sherman said Tuesday at Super Bowl XLIX's media day. "I think that if players are going to be obligated to speak to the media, then every one of the NFL personnel should be obligated to speak to the media weekly. "It's unfortunate. I think that every team should be forced to present certain players. But, obviously, if someone is uncomfortable in front of the media and is uncomfortable answering questions and things like that, you have to find a way to accommodate that as well." Media-shy Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has generated headlines the past two years for his avoidance of reporters and their questions. "I'm here so I won't get fined," Lynch said repeatedly, before leaving Tuesday's session five minutes after it started but fulfilling the minimum requirement. Sherman wasn't alone in defending Lynch. Multiple Seahawks faced the same question: should NFL players be obligated to address the media? "I believe, one, that we have our constitutional rights, freedom of speech and what we want to say," left tackle Russell Okung said. "Obviously, the NFL has certain stipulations in place, and they require us to speak at certain moments. When we all signed our contracts, we all agreed to that. We understand that. But I believe if somebody wants to say something or they choose not to say something, it should be just as fine." Said defensive end Cliff Avril: "I think (Lynch) believes in something, and he stands for it, so I don't blame him. If you believe something, you should definitely stand for it. That's just his opinion on everything." Lynch has violated the NFL's rule on mandatory media appearances, causing the league to fine him $100,000. Players are supposed to be available to reporters during the practice week at the team facility and in the locker room following all games. But though Lynch rarely grants interviews that shed light on his personality, most teammates rave about him. "I won't give any specific stories about Marshawn, but I will say that he is probably one of the best teammates I have ever been around," Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin said. "He is a comedian. He is a supporter. He will get on you when he needs to get on you when you need it. Obviously he doesn't like talking to the media because that is just not him. We all know him in the locker room as the true teddy bear that he is, and we love him for it because, like I said, he is one of the best teammates we have been around." *** Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @Lorenzo_G_Reyes | 1 | 4,071 | sports |
Let's get the bad news out of the way up front. You, my fellow Americans, will not be able to purchase the 2017 Jaguar XE until sometime in early 2016. People in other markets, however, will have Jaguar's newest sexpot much earlier than us Yanks. Why? Unlike the rest of the world, our volume engine will be the 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline I-4 from the new Ingenium family. But that particular powerplant hasn't been finalized, meaning that Jaguar will initially launch the XE with an Ingenium diesel 2.0-liter, an old-school (to put it politely), Ford-derived, 2.0-liter Turbo (same engine you can get in the XF and the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Evoque) and the familiar 340-horsepower 3.0-liter supercharged V-6. Jag is going to wait until the volume engines are both all-new before launching in the biggest, most profitable market. The XE represents a crucial milestone and test for the fabled, much-loved, much-maligned British marque. Jag has tried playing in this space -- the volume and profit-laden BMW 3 Series segment -- before, and the results were terrible. Remember the X-Type? Lots of folks don't, and those who do who happen to be Jaguar employees who wish you'd forget. But that was back in the bad old Ford days when the notion of using a platform initially developed for the Mercury Mystique didn't send Jaguar product planners scrambling toward the lifeboats. Everything has changed under Ratan Tata's stewardship of William Lyons' baby. So much so that the new XE sits upon an all-new aluminum-intensive platform shared (for the time being) with no other car on Earth. The XE's bones aren't even related to the F-Type , which sits upon its own unique chassis. The XE's body-in-white is said to possess 20 percent greater torsional rigidity than the Jaguar XF , a sports sedan I've long praised for its wonderful handling. Moreover, at just 553 pounds, the structure is pretty dang light. Aluminum accounts for 75 percent of the metal, with high-strength steel and lightweight magnesium making up the rest. Quite similar to the underpinnings of the AMG GT in fact. Speaking of Mercedes, the all-aluminum suspension pieces are reminiscent of those found on the SL Roadster , especially the rear components. Up front you'll find two cast A-arms per corner, along with forged knuckles. Jaguar was quick to point out that most of the competition (BMW, Mercedes) use a simpler, cheaper MacPherson strut setup. Out back, things get even more exotic with an "Integral-Link" rear, as opposed to the more common (Hi BMW, everybody else!) five-link setup. Jaguar claims the Integral-Link is not only better at controlling up and down movements, but also fore and aft jostling. Damping is handled by adaptive Bilsteins. The XE also features Jaguar's new electric power steering (EPAS) as well as its torque-vectoring by brake (TVBB). Back to the bad news -- which is actually great news -- I want this car now! I should have known I'd be in for a treat based on several previous experiences in late-model Jaguar sedans, specifically the sporty XF and magnificent XJ . Perhaps my expectations were clouded by how cynically Jaguar approached the old X-Type? Regardless, I was pleasantly shocked by my own smile after about one mile of road time. The first car sampled was the XE S packing the 340 hp, 332-lb-ft of torque supercharged V-6. Sending all that power to the rear wheels is the now ubiquitous (and quite wonderful) eight-speed ZF transmission. The 19-inch wheels are coated in sticky, directional, specially developed Dunlop Sport Maxx RT rubber (225/40/19 front, 255/35/19 rear). Those tires not only hold on like a baby possum, but feature a great combination of elegant ride quality and low road noise. The Porsche GT3 might have Jag's EPAS solution licked in terms of outright wowza, but I've never felt electrically assisted power steering of this caliber on a sports sedan. It's not only that the steering is weighted just about perfectly, but the feel stays excellent all the way through a corner, and that's no small feat. Jaguar made a point to emphasize that it waited years before offering up an EPAS solution because it wanted to make sure it met the brand's reputation for sportiness. To me, that initially sounded like typical marketing BS. Thing is, the steering is revelatory. They might actually be telling the truth! Of course great steering without suspension to match is pointless, and luckily the XE delivers. Again, color me impressed. A true, "proper" Jag needs to have the magical yet elusive combination of grace and pace. The XE S' ride quality is exemplary at normal speeds, and things stay smooth and relaxed up to 120 miles per hour. Then, crack the wheel and you're treated to about the best-handling small premium sports sedan there is. The only obvious competitor in terms of outright handling is the Cadillac ATS . But unlike the small Caddy, the XE isn't burdened by coarse engines or a dim-witted, inelegant transmission. Jag's much-improved infotainment solution is also worlds better than CUE, though still not as polished as MMI (Audi), iDrive (BMW), or COMAND (Mercedes). I look forward to getting those two and the German competitors together on a road somewhere down the line. I also sampled the 180-hp, 316-lb-ft of torque diesel version of the XE (pictured in blue, below), the first of the new Ingenium family of engines. Because of the healthy torque curve, and despite the low redline (5,000 rpm), the diesel XE feels about as good around town as the supercharged version. Obviously the XE S will blow the glowplugs off the diesel on the dragstrip (Jag guesses 4.9 seconds to 60 mph) and do much smokier burnouts as well. But if you're going for the diesel, you don't care about stuff like that anyhow. Conversely, the much less sporting 18-inch tires on the diesel deliver a more jittery ride than the high-horsepower car, as well as less fantastic steering feel. Again, you're buying the diesel for efficiency, not sport. A year from now if you're buying the Jaguar XE S for sport, pat yourself on the back, as you've made a truly inspired decision. Until then… | 9 | 4,072 | autos |
Jose Mourinho has refused to criticize referee Michael Oliver after Chelsea's League Cup semifinal victory over Liverpool because of a potential charge from the Football Association. The Portuguese is already contesting a charge issued to him after his suggestion that there was a "campaign" against Chelsea when Cesc Fabregas was booked for diving against Southampton last month. And despite being visibly incensed by Oliver's failure to award Diego Costa a penalty after the Spaniard went down under a challenge from Martin Skrtel in the first half Tuesday, he insists he is wary of attracting further sanction. "If I speak, people will say 'Mourinho again.' If I speak, the FA will punish me as they always do, or as they always try," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "It's so clear that it's difficult to accept. I have to ask myself, 'Why?' The most important thing is that we won. The supporters were fantastic. This is what we need. A final at Wembley means a lot. Hopefully they can do this in the Premier League and Champions League." Branislav Ivanovic's header in extra time secured Chelsea's place at Wembley, but Mourinho has praised Brendan Rodgers for leading Liverpool "in the right direction." "In the second half, today we were better than them, and also in extra time," the Chelsea boss said. "I want to be honest and say that they were there. They're a very good team. Great work by Brendan changing the shape and the model of play. The way they started the season they were not going in the right direction. He was intelligent enough to change and create a new team. "This is a new Liverpool team and a very difficult opponent. I'm even happier because we beat a very good team over two legs. The difference was a goal." | 1 | 4,073 | sports |
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) French actor Vincent Cassel is linking his Sundance movie "Partisan" about the training of child assassins to the Charlie Hebdo terror attacks. Cassel plays a teacher and mentor to young boys learning how to kill in the film, based on real-life reports from Colombia. He says the themes are relevant to the discussion in France in the wake of the Jan. 7 assault on the satirical newspaper. "What just happened in France with the Charlie Hebdo thing ... the discussion right now in France is very much about education and how come kids popping out of nowhere suddenly decide to go on a jihad and kill people," Cassel said. Cassel, who said he wasn't in Paris at the time of the attacks, stands strongly behind Charlie Hebdo's sometimes provocative philosophy. "I personally think we should be able to make fun of anything. Anything. To make fun of things is actually a very healthy thing," Cassel said. "The minute you censor yourself, it's the end of freedom really." | 6 | 4,074 | entertainment |
SPRINGVILLE, Utah (AP) Benjamin and Kristi Strack often talked about the apocalypse and wanting to leave the evil they saw in the world, but friends and family thought that meant they would one day move somewhere remote and live off the grid. Instead, they overdosed on a lethal combination of methadone, cold medicine and other drugs along with their three children, ages 11, 12 and 14, according to police. There were troubling signs before the five bodies were found in a locked bedroom of their Springville home in September. The couple had struggled with drugs, as well as legal and financial problems. They also had been close friends with a Utah prison inmate serving a life sentence for killing family members in the name of God, slayings chronicled in the 2003 Jon Krakauer book "Under the Banner of Heaven." Investigators determined the parents committed suicide, Springville Police Chief J. Scott Finlayson said at a news conference called Tuesday at the conclusion of the investigation. The younger two children's deaths were ruled homicides, although Finlayson said there were no signs of a struggle. The manner of death for the 14-year-old, Benson Strack, was undetermined. Police said Benson wrote a goodbye letter, leaving some of his belongings to his best friend. The only other recent writing the family left behind was a notebook containing handwritten to-do lists written as if the parents were preparing to go on a long vacation, like feeding the pets and finding someone to watch the house. The five bodies were found Sept. 27 by Kristi Strack's older son from a previous marriage, along with the children's grandmother and a friend. The recording of the 911 call was released by police Tuesday. "Oh my God," says friend Maureen Ledbetter, as grandmother Valerie Sudweeks is heard screaming in the background. "Is this 911? ... Oh my god. The whole family killed themselves." During their investigation, police found years-old letters between Kristi Strack and Dan Lafferty, who is serving a life sentence after being convicted of committing a double-murder with his brother Ron. "Under the Banner of Heaven" is about members of an offshoot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told through the true story of the Laffertys' crimes. The two killed their brother's wife and 15-month old daughter. Ron Lafferty is serving on Utah's death row for the July 1984 slayings of his sister-in-law, Brenda Lafferty, and her baby in American Fork. He claimed to have had a religious revelation sanctioning the slayings because of the victim's resistance to his beliefs in polygamy. Investigators said Kristi Strack was obsessed with the case and struck up a friendship with Dan Lafferty. "It was almost like he talked to her like one of his children," Lt. David Caron said. She and her husband both became close to him, and he had directed his remains to go to them after his death. They hadn't talked to him since 2008 and investigators do not believe the couple's beliefs came from Dan Lafferty, police Cpl. Greg Turnbow said. "He felt really sad they had committed suicide," Caron said. Benjamin Strack's brother Jacob said the final report from investigators wasn't surprising to relatives still mourning the family's deaths. Looking back, the connection to Dan Lafferty was a worrying sign about the couple's mental state, he said. The couple had a history of legal and financial problems and had gone through court-ordered drug treatment several years ago, according to court records, though investigators said they weren't aware of any contact with state child services workers. Benjamin Strack's boss, bricklaying company owner Alex Short, has said it appeared those troubles were behind them. Benjamin Strack hadn't been to work for a week when their bodies were found with cups with a red liquid inside next to each of the bodies. The lethal drug mixture apparently came from a child's sand bucket found behind a door with traces of the same combination of methadone and cold medication that was found the children's systems. Police believe Benjamin Strack died last, of a heroin overdose, because he was the only member of the family who wasn't underneath the bed covers. The methadone used in the deaths was prescribed to Kristi Strack, police said. Springville is a city of about 30,000 near Provo, about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City. | 5 | 4,075 | news |
120's Bryant McFadden chatted with Pats CB Brandon Browner on playing against his former team and asks him to compare both teams' secondaries. | 1 | 4,076 | sports |
Director, Paul Feig tweeted the faces of 4 actresses who will most likely be the next Ghostbusters. | 6 | 4,077 | entertainment |
By Joe Diglio Let's face it: college basketball polls are pretty meaningless. They're essentially hype machines, having no bearing on the season. So to poke fun at college basketball's incessant need to rank things, we'll re-rank the AP top 25 according to other criteria. When preparing for a particular opponent, any strategies you develop basically fall into one of two categories: maximizing your strengths or minimizing your weaknesses. Today I'd like to focus on the latter of those two. Every team has its flaws, some bigger than others. With the teams discussed here this week's AP top 25 teams the weaknesses are relatively small compared to those of other teams across the country. So for some of these it may seem like I'm grasping at straws because these teams are just that good, but don't be surprised if they lose a game or two down the road for the reasons mentioned below. Teams are grouped by the type of weakness they have and listed in order of how troubling their weakness is from least problematic to most: It's All in Your Head 25. Kentucky 24. Villanova 23. Oklahoma These three teams have the least worrisome problems because they're essentially mental issues that they can overcome with some focus to go along with their elite talent. Kentucky just needs to avoid sleepwalking through the rest of the regular season. Oklahoma needs to start games better; the Sooners' opponents have outscored them by 41 points in the first 10 minutes of their four conference losses. And Villanova needs to maintain its flow throughout games. The Wildcats' two losses featured 61 and 68 free throws, respectively. That's a lot of starting and stopping, which likely threw them out of their rhythm, allowing their less talented opponents to stay in the game. Toughen Up 22. Gonzaga 21. Wichita State 20. Miami VCU is the only other team here besides Miami that has a negative rebounding margin, and at least the Rams make up for it with turnovers. The Hurricanes have to be stronger on the glass going forward, especially when they face teams like Louisville and North Carolina. Gonzaga and Wichita State are both extremely talented, but they're also both susceptible against bigger teams. The Bulldogs certainly have height, but that doesn't mean they have strength. They competed well against a physical Arizona team, but Kevin Pangos, Byron Wesley, Domantas Sabonis and Kyle Dranginis all came within one foul of disqualification. The Shockers on the other hand don't have nearly as much size, and outside of Tekele Cotton, they don't have much athleticism either. Obviously it'd be interesting to see any top team take on Kentucky or Virginia just to see if they could win, but I'd be especially interested to see Gonzaga and Wichita State play either of them simply for the physical matchup problems they'd pose. Please, Stop Scoring 19. West Virginia 18. Maryland 17. Georgetown 16. Duke 15. Iowa State It may seem odd to see West Virginia here in a section on bad defense, because the Mountaineers make a living off of turning their aggressive defense into points at the other end. You might blame them for their excessive fouling, but that's a byproduct of their aggression; you can live with that considering how many turnovers they force. No, the problem I have with the Mountaineers is that when they don't force turnovers, they allow buckets far too easily. It's not like they lack size on the interior either; sure they often play a three-guard lineup, but they also rotate four guys who are 6'9". That being said, the 49.6 percent shooting they allow on two-pointers has to improve. The Hoyas, however, do have a problem with fouling. They allow their opponents to shoot 22.6 free throws per game, and it doesn't help that they're knocking down 74.7 percent of those. Georgetown has lost five games by a combined 34 points. In those contests, their opponents have outscored them from the line by 40. Maryland has some good defenders of its own in Jake Layman and Dez Wells, and even freshman Melo Trimble has proven his worth on that end of the floor with a team-high 32 steals. But if you look at the Terrapins' losses and even some of their close wins, they tend to allow opposing wing players to go off against them. I'm looking at you, Jared Nickens. Duke and Iowa State are pretty familiar faces here. The Cyclones have a laissez-faire approach to defense, one the Blue Devils have adopted for stretches throughout the season. A zone defense of all things may have been Mike Krzyzewski's quick fix, but Fred Hoiberg's guys are just going to have to keep shooting the rock if they want to win. They were up 62 44 on Texas last night with ten minutes to go before allowing 42 points(!) over the final quarter of the contest, only to hang on for a three-point win. We Have the Ball, Now What do We do with It? 14. Virginia 13. Kansas 12. Northern Iowa 11. Texas 10. Utah There are a variety of issues here, but the common thread is that they're all on the offensive end. For Texas, it's turnovers. Isaiah Taylor is solid and Javan Felix has a reputation of being one of the better bench guards in the country, but they aren't particularly adept at holding on to the ball. If you combined the two of them, Javiah Fellor would average 3.1 turnovers per 40 minutes. That's not horrible, but it's not great either, especially for a team that has guys like Jonathan Holmes, Cameron Ridley, and Demarcus Holland who together have already committed 108 turnovers. Northern Iowa's weakness comes on the offensive glass, where the Panthers grab only 28.2 percent of their misses. Never was this more damaging than in their disappointing game at Evansville, when the Panthers managed only three rebounds on 25 missed shots in a three-point loss. The Jayhawks' issue isn't as big of a deal, but it's a bit peculiar. Their opponents' block percentage is 14.2 percent, which ranks the Jayhawks 342nd in the country. This is despite the fact that they're 54th in average height . That difference between height and block percentage is the worst in the country. Utah and Virginia's questions stem from the point guard position, but in totally different ways. The Utes can't compete with the best teams in the country unless Delon Wright is playing well we saw that against Arizona but they also have to manage against lesser competition when he has the occasional off night. They may have found an answer Sunday against Washington, when Wright and second leading scorer Jordan Loveridge combined for just 14 points and the Utes still won by 21. Sure, you could say Wright was still a big factor on offense because he had nine assists to only one turnover, but he wouldn't have gotten those assists unless his teammates hit shots, which is exactly what they need to do when he isn't. It's the opposite case for the Cavaliers, who are probably asking for a little more from their point guard, London Perrantes. To be fair, Perrantes really doesn't have to do much. The Cavs' defense is so good, if they scored as many points as the worst team in the country (Grambling State at 49.8 per game) every night, they'd still have eight wins. But what else am I going to complain about, Justin Anderson's goatee? Perrantes' turnovers are up a tick from last season (1.1 to 1.4 per game) and his shooting is down, well, quite a few ticks. After shooting 38.4 percent as a freshman (including 43.7 percent from three), he's now down to 30.2 percent. If you take out his 26-point outburst against Miami, Perrantes is averaging just 3.8 points per game. If he could at least keep defenses honest with the threat of hitting a shot every now and then, Virginia's already hyper efficient offense would take another leap. Not So "Free" Throws 9. Arizona 8. Butler 7. VCU Arizona, Butler, and VCU's free throw percentages are 68.3 percent, 65.9 percent, and 62.8 percent, respectively. The Wildcats' number of missed free throws was greater than the margin of defeat in both of their losses so far this season. Butler lost two such games, while VCU lost one. There's a Lid on the Hoop 6. North Carolina 5. Louisville 4. Baylor The Bears have the best offensive rebounding rate in the country, but at some point you have to wonder how much of that is due to the tenacity of guys like Rico Gathers and how much is due to the fact that they miss close shots. Baylor doesn't shoot a ton of threes and is hitting only 45.2 percent of its twos, meaning its players are mostly already in close when shots go up, and plenty of them aren't falling. Louisville and North Carolina's problem comes from beyond the arc. The Cardinals are just consistently "meh" from three. Meanwhile the Tar Heels can't rely on anyone except Marcus Paige to hit triples, but if Nate Britt continues to play like he did last night when he hit 4-of-5 against Syracuse, that could change. In Search of a Living, Breathing Scholarship Player 3. Indiana 2. Wisconsin 1. Notre Dame These teams' problem is a lack of depth, which, unless the NCAA allows trades (don't rule it out), won't be solved anytime soon. The Hoosiers play 10 guys at least nine minutes per game, but only one of their measures above 6'8": Hanner Mosquera-Perea. With the big man out due to a knee injury, Tom Crean has had to get creative with his lineup. Interestingly enough, Thad Matta responded with a smaller lineup of his own on Sunday as Ohio State took care of Indiana at home. Not a good sign for the Hoosiers. I discussed Wisconsin's issue with Traevon Jackson's injury last week ; as long as his return coincides with the Badgers' tougher games, they'll be fine. Notre Dame, however, isn't in the same boat as the Big Ten pair. The Fighting Irish's lack of depth isn't due to injury; it's just that their main core only goes six deep. Center Zach Auguste is particularly important. They nearly lost to Georgia Tech when he was suspended, allowing the Yellow Jackets to grab 12 offensive rebounds and big man Demarco Cox to score 17 points. Without Auguste or any one of Notre Dame's top six players this team will be in big trouble. Advanced stats courtesy of KenPom.com. | 1 | 4,078 | sports |
A new European commission counter-terror plan will require the blanket collection and storage for up to five years of personal data records of all passengers flying in and out of Europe, the Guardian can reveal. Civil liberty campaigners say the revised European passenger name record plan in the aftermath of the Paris attacks breaches a recent European court of justice ruling that blanket collection of personal data without detailed safeguards is a severe incursion on personal privacy. The European commission plan to be published on Wednesday would require 42 separate pieces of information on every passenger flying in and out of Europe, including their bank card details, home address and meal preferences such as halal, to be stored on a central database for up to five years for access by the police and security services. The proposal, seen by the Guardian, describes itself as a "workable compromise" between European interior ministers, who want to see its swift adoption for all flights within Europe as well as flights in and out of Europe, and the European parliament's civil liberties committee, which blocked the plan nearly two years ago. European interior ministers, including the home secretary, Theresa May, who has been pushing the issue most strongly, agreed in Paris on the day of the "Je Suis Charlie" unity march that their main counter-terrorism priority in tracking foreign fighters was to overturn the European parliament's opposition to the plan. They issued a joint statement saying there was a "crucial and urgent need to move toward an European passenger name record system" and immediate progress will be on the agenda when EU interior ministers meet in Riga on Thursday. The revised plan includes stronger data protection rules and safeguards, but civil liberty campaigners say that its blanket approach to the retention and storage of the personal details of millions of passengers is still unacceptable. Jan Philipp Albrecht, vice-chairman of the European parliament's civil liberties committee, said: "The commission plans are an affront to the critics of the European parliament and the European court of justice who have said that data retention without any link to a certain risk or suspicion isn't proportionate. "It is an open breach of fundamental rights to blanketly retain all passenger data," he added. "Instead of a full take of PNR [passenger name record] data, we need a focus on suspects and risk flights. The Paris attacks have shown that mass retention was not effective in fighting jihadis. "The proposed surveillance of all travellers is a symbolic measure on the cost of EU citizens' civil liberties and effective security." The EU has already concluded agreements with the US, Canada and Australia for passenger name record data to be handed over in advance for flights from the EU to and from those countries so that no-fly lists can be enforced, but there is no such agreement covering the rest of the world, including Asia, Turkey and Pakistan, and Africa. So far, 14 out of the 28 EU member states are in the process of setting up their own national passenger name record system covering flights in and out of their own country, but an EU directive would mean the creation of a super-database of air passenger movements across the entire external EU border. The EU commission's plan includes several key revisions since it was last put forward in 2011. It includes: • Reducing the retention period of the full PNR data to seven days instead of 30 days in the 2011 plan before it is "depersonalised". It would then be retained for five years and would be accessible for four years for criminal cases and five years for cases linked to terrorism. Depersonalisation means that the identity of the passenger is masked, but not removed on the database and can be revealed on application. • Narrowing the purpose to include terrorism and "serious transnational crime" rather the previous definition of "terrorism and serious crime" so that it can only be used for a shorter list of offences relevant to international travel. • Stricter conditions for access to the passenger records, including the appointment of data protection officers to oversee the use of the personal data and its possible international transfer to third countries. In some member states this may be a role for a judge. • Spelling out the rights of passengers to access their data and request modifications or erasure. In points for discussion, a note says legal questions and the strong opposition of the European parliament to the collection of passenger data on all flights within the EU as well means it "could be optional, not mandatory". So it leaves open the possibility of each member state introducing the system on all flights in and out of their countries but it adds that the possibility of a Europe-wide agreement on tracking internal flights can be reviewed within two years. Albrecht said the proposed changes were just window dressing on the blanket collection of everyone's flight data: "It is a joke. They are not safeguards. Depersonalisation does not make the data anonymous. All they have to do is ask a senior officer for the identity to be revealed. "What is needed is a targeted approach based on a proper risk assessment of flights to and from different regions and different groups of people," he said. But Timothy Kirkhope, a Conservative member of the European parliament's civil liberties committee, said a majority could be found for a revised proposal. "I want an agreement that safeguards lives and liberties by offering stronger data protection rules whilst also making it much harder for a radicalised fighter to slip back into Europe undetected," he said earlier this month. "EU heads of government and home affairs ministers would not ask for this agreement unless there were a clear and present need for it." Data targets The House of Lords has said the 42 pieces of passenger data that airlines need to hand over to the police and security services enable aspects of a passenger's history, conduct and behaviour to be deduced The 42 categories are: • passport number • country which issued passport • passport expiry date • given names • last name • gender • date of birth • nationality • passenger name record locator code • date of reservation • date(s) of intended travel • name • other names on passenger name record (PNR) • address • all forms of payment information • billing address • contact telephone numbers • all travel itinerary for specific PNR • frequent flyer information • travel agency • travel agent • code share PNR information • travel status of passenger • split/divided PNR information • email address • ticketing field information • general remarks • ticket number • seat number • date of ticket issued • no-show history • bag tag history • go-show information • other service-related information • special service requests, such as meal preferences • received from information • all historical changes to PNR • number of travellers on PNR • seat information • one-way tickets • any collected advanced passenger information system information • automatic ticketing fare quote | 5 | 4,079 | news |
If the future health of their child doesn't make them think twice about lighting up, a new study shows pregnant women may quit smoking if it means they get some cash. A team of researchers from several universities the UK found 23 percent of women quit smoking during their pregnancy if they were offered a financial incentive to quit in the form of a shopping voucher compared to only nine percent of women who underwent traditional cessation programs. Twelve months later, follow-up tests showed 15 percent from the experimental group and four percent of the control group managed to stay smoke-free. The method's modest success gave the team hope incentives may be an effective add-on to normal programs. "Smoking in pregnancy remains a leading preventable cause of maternal and neonatal ill health and death in the United Kingdom and in most other developed countries," the authors wrote. "This study provides substantial evidence of a promising and potentially cost-effective new intervention to add to present health service support." Smoking while pregnant is by and large one of the most harmful activities to a developing baby's health. Women who smoke face greater rates of miscarriage, complications with the placenta (where the baby receives food and oxygen), early delivery, birth defects, and sudden infant death syndrome. Luckily, like smoking in general, the practice is falling to the wayside. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 percent of women smoke within the last three months of pregnancy. As part of their research, the team collected data on 612 pregnant smokers. They split the women into two groups, measuring each person's individual level of cotinine, a biomarker frequently used to screen for recent exposure to tobacco smoke. One group received up to 400 pounds ($608) of vouchers if they signed up for specific smoking cessation programs and/or managed to quit smoking. The other group followed normal services that included a face-to-face appointment with a smoking cessation adviser, four support calls, and free nicotine replacement therapy for 10 weeks. Ethics and Implications The latest research offers a new, if unusual, way to get women to stop smoking. In their report, the researchers acknowledge there may be some ethical concerns with paying women not to engage in a behavior that is patently dangerous (and one they should just plain know better not to do). In their view, effectiveness must be weighed on a balance. "In addition to effectiveness, an important outcome is cost-effectiveness, particularly the longer term cost per quality adjusted life year gained," they wrote. "In the developed world there is now a clear socioeconomic gradient in smoking, with tobacco use concentrated among the poorest in society. Receipt of financial incentives can contribute to needed household income in advance of the arrival of a baby in low-income households." As evidenced by the 12-month drop off, quitting rates often have trouble staying consistent over the long term. Like weight loss and other major lifestyle changes, smoking cessation is seldom a switch to be flipped. Even if the bulk of the cravings have left, many people experience some residual urge to relapse. "Only a few interventions, such as vaccines, are able to prevent disease," they wrote. "If financial incentives are effective and cost-effective they may well have the future potential to sit with vaccines as an important preventive health care intervention strategy." Source: Tappin D, Bauld L, Purves D, et al. Financial incentives for smoking cessation in pregnancy: randomized controlled trial. BMJ . 2015. | 7 | 4,080 | health |
Heavily armed gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Tripoli favored by Libyan officials and visiting delegations on Tuesday, killing at least nine people, including foreigners, before blowing themselves up with a grenade. Officials said shooting erupted inside the five-star Corinthia Hotel and security forces evacuated guests, including Tripoli's prime minister and an American delegation, after at least two gunmen blasted through the building's reception. It was one of the worst assaults targeting foreigners since the 2011 civil war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi and fractured the oil-producing North African state into fiefdoms of rival armed groups with two national governments, both claiming legitimacy. Militants claiming ties with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria said in a Twitter message they were responsible for the attack, which they said was revenge for the death in the United States of a suspected Libyan al Qaeda operative, according to the SITE monitoring service. But Tripoli officials who have set up their own self-proclaimed government blamed Gaddafi loyalists bent on killing their prime minister, who was at the hotel, and said he was rescued without injury. "The attackers opened fire inside the hotel," Omar Khadrawi, head of Tripoli security, told Reuters. "When the attackers were completely surrounded by the security forces, one of them detonated a grenade, but we don't know if it was deliberate." Tripoli security spokesman Essam Naas told Reuters later that an American and a Frenchman were among five foreigners killed. He said the other foreigners who died at the hotel were Asian but gave no nationalities. The American who was killed was a security contractor working for Virginia-based Crucible LLC, said Alan John, an executive of the company. He said the name of the contractor was not being released at this time and gave no other details. A security officer was also killed in the clashes and three guards died when the attackers set off a car bomb in the car park outside the hotel. Most foreign governments closed their embassies and pulled staff out of Tripoli after factional fighting erupted in the capital last summer. But some diplomats, business and trade delegations still visit the capital. Envoys from the United Nations, which is holding talks in Geneva with some of Libya's warring parties to try to end hostilities, have also been in Tripoli. Libya is caught in a conflict between the two rival factions, one allied with the internationally recognized government, the other with "Libya Dawn" forces who took over Tripoli in the summer and set up their own government. But in Libya's post-revolution chaos, armed groups, from brigades of former rebels to federalist fighters and Islamist militants, have grown in power and control more territory. Islamist militants, including those who claim loyalty to Islamic State, operate in pockets of Libya, especially eastern Benghazi and Derna. Recently, they claimed to have kidnapped two Tunisian journalists, and groups of Egyptians. Foreigners and embassies have also been targeted in shootings, kidnappings and bombings in the past. In 2012, militants attacked the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, killing the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. U.S. officials blamed a Libyan Islamist group, Ansar al Sharia, for orchestrating that attack. REVENGE ATTACK The Corinthia, a luxury high-rise overlooking the capital's coastline, is frequently used by top government and foreign delegations. In 2013, the then-Libyan prime minister was briefly abducted from the hotel by former rebels on the state payroll. On Tuesday, Khadrawi, the capital's security director, said security forces had spirited the Tripoli government's premier, Omar al-Hassi, from the 22nd floor of the hotel, where he was staying, to safety. Four Americans were also rescued, he said. "The attackers were attempting to assassinate him," he said. But SITE monitors, citing social media, said a militant group had claimed the attack as revenge for the death of Abu Anas al-Liby, a suspected al Qaeda member accused of helping plan the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. Liby died in a New York hospital this month ahead of his trial. The Libyan national was snatched by U.S. Special Forces from Tripoli in 2013. Since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Gaddafi, Libya has struggled to find stability and a conflict has gradually emerged between two loose confederations of politicians, armed groups and regional factions. Tripoli is controlled by a faction that is allied to the city of Misrata and their powerful armed forces, but also includes some Islamist-leaning former rebel fighters and politicians allied to the Muslim Brotherhood. They are faced by the internationally recognized government of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni and the elected parliament who now operate out of the east of Libya. Thinni's government is allied to several armed factions, including a former Gaddafi army general battling Islamist militants in Benghazi. (Writing by Patrick Markey and Ulf Laessing; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Jonathan Oatis, Toni Reinhold) | 5 | 4,081 | news |
Microsoft is planning to support extensions in the successor to its Internet Explorer browser. Currently codenamed Spartan, the new browser will be included as part of Windows 10 across PCs, phones, and tablets. Spartan's extension support isn't clear, but Microsoft's browser development team confirmed the feature on Twitter by noting that "we're working on a plan for extensions for a future update to Project Spartan." Spartan's extensions could look a lot like Chrome's ones Internet Explorer 11 currently supports add-ons , but they're not similar to the popular extensions found in Chrome and Firefox. The Verge understands Microsoft is currently testing ways to allow Chrome extension developers to easily port their work across to Spartan. While the extension support might not be identical to that of Chrome, the results could be close. Internet Explorer has lacked fully functional extensions for years now, and Microsoft has relied on its ageing ActiveX technology to extend the functionality of its browser. The new extensions support is likely linked to Microsoft's plans to separate out Spartan from Internet Explorer. While some versions of Windows 10 will ship with Internet Explorer and Spartan for compatibility reasons, the new Spartan browser will use a new rendering engine named Edge . It's similar to Microsoft's existing Trident engine that powers Internet Explorer 11, but it's clear the company is moving away from having to support legacy document modes. We're still waiting to hear a lot more about Spartan, but Microsoft did reveal that the new browser also includes an inking mode to annotate web pages, Cortana digital assistant integration, and reading mode features. Microsoft will ship Spartan as part of Windows 10, but the company has not yet revealed whether it will also become available to Windows 7 or Windows 8 users. | 5 | 4,082 | news |
Hillary Clinton is willing to testify before the House Select Committee that is investigating the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, according to the panel's top Democrat. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) on Tuesday said he has spoken to Clinton about the possibility of testifying at the request of Rep. Trey Gowdy (S.C.), the panel's Republican chairman, and she "did not hesitate for one second." "She said ... I'll do it, period," Cummings said after the committee's third hearing. Cummings said Clinton, who was secretary of State at the time of the Benghazi attacks, indicated to him last year that she "wanted to come in December" to testify but could also come in January. "The fact is that she was very clear," Cummings said. The possibility of an appearance from Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 if she makes a bid, has loomed as the biggest question for the Benghazi panel since its formation last summer. Gowdy first floated the possibility of Clinton testifying late last year, creating the potential for a dramatic confrontation with the former secretary of State over a security failure that some Republicans argue should disqualify her from the presidency. Clinton is "a witness that we would like to talk to. I cannot tell you when," Gowdy said in December. With the race for the White House set to erupt soon, Democrats could be maneuvering to accelerate the work of the Benghazi panel so that it is not investigating Clinton while she is running for the presidency. Gowdy, a former prosecutor, on Tuesday said he and Cummings had initially agreed last year that Clinton should be brought before the panel. But after that discussion, Gowdy said, Cummings had an unexpected change of heart. "The deal I had with Mr. Cummings is we will bring her before the committee within 30 days of receiving all the [State Department] documents responsive to our request," Gowdy said. He said the State Department must hand over the information the panel is seeking, including potentially some of Clinton's emails, before Clinton testifies. "If I were to conclude this investigation having not talked to the secretary of State at the time it would be an incomplete investigation," Gowdy said. "But I can't talk to her until I have the documents that would make that conversation productive. I'm not interested in having a conversation where old allegations are repeated or a shouting match." "I want to ask specific questions rooted in documents," he added. Gowdy said he would be "happy to take her in January, February, March, whenever" but that it was up to the panel's Democrats on "how quickly" they get to her testimony. "I'm willing to work with them on the timing. I'm willing to do it sooner rather than later," Gowdy said. "What I'm not willing to do is do it in a vacuum where I don't have access to the documents." Cummings disputed that he changed his mind about having Clinton appear. "That's not true. I don't know how he could say that because we've never been against it. He asked me to check with her. I did that she said she was willing to come so it was a non-issue," Cummings said. "If the committee wants her to come, she's willing to come," the Democrat added. The spat over Clinton's testimony comes at time of rising partisan tensions on the select committee, with members clashing over how the panel is conducting its investigation. On the eve of an open hearing Tuesday, Cummings released letters in which he accused Republicans of conducting witness interviews in secret and withholding information from the Democratic members of the panel. "I am saddened to report today that there are major, major problems with this committee and its work," Cummings said in his opening statement, adding that its work is moving at a "glacial pace." Gowdy fired back that the criticism was "interesting" coming from Democrats, given that they fought the creation of the panel and have repeatedly threatened to boycott its work. But Gowdy saved most of his ire for the State Department, taking it to task for failing to comply with requests for witness testimony and documents. "This is not a political exercise for us," Gowdy said. "We're going to ratchet it up because I need access to the documents and the witnesses and we need to be able to conclude our work." The House created the select committee last May to investigate the 2012 Benghazi attacks. Republicans argue a new probe was needed to explore unanswered questions about the administration's response to a terrorist assault that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. Democrats have accused the GOP of launching a "witch hunt" against Clinton, and on Tuesday portrayed the panel as a partisan exercise. "Now, more than ever, I'm convinced that my colleagues are in search of a mythical creature a unicorn, that is, a made-up conspiracy that does not exist," said Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.). Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said the Republican majority on the committee made no document requests between May and December, adding that Gowdy's comments about wrapping up their work "boggles the mind." Republicans dismissed the complaints as "ridiculous" and said the five Democrats' on the panel were hypocrites because they have not suggested any witnesses or requested any documents for the probe. "The happiness of the Democrats was never my objective in the first place," Gowdy said after the hearing. "They're looking for a reason to leave." | 5 | 4,083 | news |
PHOENIX It shapes up as Super Bowl XLIX's defining showdown a fast, pulverizing Seattle Seahawks defense led by 6-3, 232-pound strong safety Kam Chancellor attempting to contain 6-6, 265-pound New England Patriots matchup nightmare Rob Gronkowski. The Seahawks play a matchup defense and have the long, strong athletes such as Chancellor to mix and match coverages. They can't allow the explosive Gronkowski free releases off the line of scrimmage since Tom Brady's version of an elite receiver can exploit them with his unique blend of power and speed. The lion's share of the coverage could go to the Chancellor, the lion of Seattle's vaunted defense. He epitomizes the Seahawks' toughness. "He definitely is a big physical guy," Chancellor said of Gronkowski. "It's going to be big on big. That's the go-to guy for them. They definitely want to target him a lot, try to get him the ball; get him in the game. We have to play our defense that is called, be fundamentally sound and play our ball." Gronkowski had 82 receptions for 1,124 yards and 12 regular-season touchdowns, then, plucked another 10 catches, including two touchdowns in New England's playoff wins against the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts. Of course, the big goofball known as Gronk with his customized party bus and demonstrative touchdown spikes couldn't help himself when asked about the prevailing Deflategate allegations -- that 11 of 12 Patriots footballs used in the team's AFC Championship Game rout of the Indianapolis Colts were found inflated below the league-mandated 12 ½ pounds per square inch. "Deflategate has not one thing to do with me besides me and my spikes," Gronkowski said during Tuesday's media day. "Obviously, when you have doubters, you always want to prove your doubters wrong. I mean that's the same way it goes in any field of business. "We want to prove our doubters wrong and we want to play better. And we want to go out there and let them know what's up and play hard." That shouldn't be a problem given how Seattle's hard-hitting defense will come after him. "This is a matchup for the ages," former Patriots defensive end and current NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest told USA TODAY Sports. "Gronk is a beast. But there's not a lot of safeties like Kam at 6-3, 232 who can match tight ends and running backs. Kam has great ball skills. They could also put linebacker K.J. Wright on Gronk underneath and a safety over the top in Earl Thomas." Cornerback Richard Sherman called the 6-4, 246-pound Wright, "The game's best coverage linebacker'' before Seattle's Oct. 26 win against the Carolina Panthers. "He reminds me of Tony Gonzalez when he was in his prime with just his finesse and just always finding a way to get yards after the catch," Wright said referencing the future Hall of Famer. "We know he's a good player and you've got to make sure wherever he's at on the football field. Because more likely the ball is coming his way. "When he does catch them, we've got to hit him; got to tackle him to get him down and make sure he doesn't get those yards after the catch." Gronkowski, still just 25, might be playing his best football after making a remarkable comeback from anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligament right knee tears suffered Dec. 8, 2013. The Patriot who pronounced himself the best dancer on his team hopes to be dancing in the end zone early and often. And his explosive matchup with the Seahawks might well come down to schematic subterfuge and creativity. "I think it's probably more than a few guys who will have an opportunity to cover him," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said when asked whom he expects to cover Gronk. "This isn't a team that plays all man to man. A lot of times it will probably depend on where we put Rob. "If we have him inside, it'll probably be K.J. or Kam also (linebacker Bobby) Wagner has been there, too. If it's zone, it'll be Sherman and Byron Maxwell. You'll see him probably lined up across from or running routes against a lot of people on Sunday." Follow Jim Corbett on Twitter @ByJimCorbett . | 1 | 4,084 | sports |
Back in October, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the newly-launched Apple Pay was already the leader in the contactless payments , with it already been used more than the total of all other competitors combined. Now, we're getting more data around that point according to The Wall Street Journal , Apple Pay accounts for two out of every three dollars spent in contactless payments, but there's a slight caveat there. That only accounts for payments made using Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Still, those are three of the most dominant financiers out there, leaving little doubt that Apple Pay has found a strong foothold in the marketplace. This news comes as part of Apple's Q1 2015 financial earnings , a quarter in which the company posted record revenue and frankly insane iPhone sales of 74.5 million in a single quarter. | 5 | 4,085 | news |
Apple has started the investor call for its huge Q1 2015 earnings release , and CEO Tim Cook took a moment to announce that the company has now shipped more than 1 billion iOS devices. That milestone was hit back in November; Cook says that the specific device was a space grey, 64GB iPhone 6 Plus but he said that "we've saved it here at Apple." He didn't elaborate; maybe the company shipped unit 1,000,000,001 to that customer. To put that number in perspective, Google said it activated more than 1 billion Android devices way back in September of 2013 alongside the announcement of Android KitKat. It's been known that Android's adoption rate has exceeded that of iOS for some time now, but this gives us a clearer picture where the two dominant mobile operating systems stack up. | 5 | 4,086 | news |
The 1960 Porsche 356 Super was one of the cars that launched the Porsche legend. Helmut Pfeifhofer of Gmünd, Austria witnessed the very beginnings of the Porsche brand. | 8 | 4,087 | video |
LONDON (AP) FIFA says English clubs are dominating international transfer spending, accounting for almost 30 percent of the $4.06-billion market. The Global Transfer Market report shows English clubs spent $1.2 billion on players from outside the country in 2014. Spanish clubs are the next biggest spenders with deals worth $700 million, and they generated a global record $667 million from international transfers. Brazil was the most active country in 2014 with 1,335 moves in and out of the country. Spain remains the biggest market for signing players under the age of 18 from abroad. Of 400 applications, 352 were accepted by FIFA. It comes as Barcelona is banned from any signings in 2015 as punishment for breaching the rules when signing minors. Some of Real Madrid's deals are now being looked into. | 1 | 4,088 | sports |
Jenni 'Jwoww' Farley has got new breast implants. The former 'Jersey Shore' star, who originally had her breasts enlarged when she was 21, decided to go under the knife again three weeks ago because she claims breastfeeding her six-month-old daughter, Meilani, took a toll on her figure. Asked if she has been working out to regain her pre-pregnancy figure, she said: "I actually just got my boobs re-done, so I can't go [to the gym]." I love them. They're the same size, I just kind of switched them out from breastfeeding and everything. I'll do another one in a few years [after I've had more children]." But Jenni admits her fiancé, Roger Mathews, wasn't happy about her decision to have the surgery. The 28-year-old star told 'Access Hollywood Live: "He didn't actually [want me to do it]. Roger was like, 'if you have to go do it...' because it's recommended every 10 to 15 years to do it." The reality TV beauty - who is eager to tie the knot "within a year" - previously revealed she was planning to have her implants changed after her best friend Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi's wedding in November. She also insisted at the time that she would never get cosmetic surgery on her face, but refused to rule out Botox. She said: "I don't like wrinkles. But I wouldn't go overboard and get that frozen face when you're trying to cry and look like you're smiling." | 6 | 4,089 | entertainment |
Believe it or not, scientists aren't yet finished discovering new ways to 3D print body parts . A team at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research has developed a 3D printing technique that lets them produce cartilage for repairing damaged tracheas, better known to you and I as windpipes. They use an off-the-shelf 3D printer (in this case, a MakerBot Replicator 2X Experimental) to create a scaffold for the cartilage out of the same PLA filament you'd use for everyday 3D printing projects. After that, they cover the scaffold in a mix of chondrocytes (healthy cartilage cells) and collagen, 'baking' it in a custom bioreactor to make sure the cells grow properly. The new approach is just a proof of concept right now, and researchers estimate that it could take up to five years before it's helping to repair airways in humans. If it works as promised, though, it could do a lot for fixing not just tracheas, but other body parts. Instead of relying on either slow conventional reconstruction methods or expensive biological printers, you could use relatively cheap hardware to get replacements within hours. That, in turn, would both lower medical costs and let patients resume their lives that much sooner. MakerBot | 5 | 4,090 | news |
By Larry Brown The New England Patriots' involvement in the "deflategate" controversy has former Rams quarterback Kurt Warner wondering whether the Pats were up to no good when the teams met in the Super Bowl in 2002. The Patriots pulled off an upset in Super Bowl XXXVI by beating the heavily favored Rams 20-17 to win their first of three championships in four seasons. The outcome of the game was a stunner to many, and the legitimacy of the win was called into question when in 2008, The Boston Herald ran a story saying the Pats videotaped the Rams' walk-through practice leading up to the big game. Though the Herald later apologized for running the story, that report coupled with "spygate" and now "deflategate" has Warner wondering about what the Patriots might have done . "I don't want to believe that there was anything outside of his team beat our team," Warner said at Media Day on Tuesday via the New York Daily News. "That's what I want to believe. Yeah, there's a sliver of a doubt … Was there any advantage they gained in any game? Not just our Super Bowl game, but maybe a game before that to get to the Super Bowl. All those things enter your mind. It's not because I'm bitter. It's not because I say they cheated, because I have no idea." Warner also pointed out that the Pats have not won a Super Bowl since Spygate and wonders if that is due to an advantage they had from cheating. But he does recognize that Bill Belichick is an excellent coach regardless of his tactics. Though Warner says he wonders about what the Pats might have done, he is trying to be diplomatic about it by saying the questions are also unfair to the Pats. "It adds a sliver of doubt, which I think is unfair to everybody," Warner said. "It's unfair to them and their legacy. It's unfair to me and my legacy. I don't want to have to wonder, 'Well, did they beat me fair and square or was there something extra?' That's the unfortunate part that I don't think you'll ever get over, because you know something was done outside the rules. I have no idea how it helped them. I don't know if it gave them an advantage on one play that turned into an interception or touchdown. Or gave them no advantage. I don't know." Warner isn't the only ex-Rams player who has questions. Marshall Faulk says he will never get over having to question whether or not the Patriots cheated in that game . Another person we can add to the list is former Carolina Panthers GM Marty Hurney , whose team lost to the Pats in the big game two years later. He has less of a complaint, though, because more than half of his starting offensive line was involved in a steroids scandal. That sort of cheating by key players should negate whatever the Pats might have done. Unfortunately for Warner, his questions may never be answered. | 1 | 4,091 | sports |
MELBOURNE, Australia -- In September of 2002, the last time two Americans played one another in a Grand Slam semifinal, Madison Keys was just starting the first grade. Now 19 and all grown up, Keys will take on world No. 1 and 18-time major champion Serena Williams in a match that will break that 13-year drought. "It definitely feels amazing," the Illinois native told reporters Wednesday after defeating Serena's sister, Venus, in a three-set quarterfinal. "It's one of those things where you want to feel this way all the time," the world No. 35 continued, flashing her toothy smile. "It's not, you know, this unbelievable excitement either because (I) want to keep winning." Not since the 2009 U.S. Open has one player beaten the Williams sisters back-to-back at a major, Kim Clijsters doing that six years ago en route to her first Grand Slam trophy. That fact isn't lost on Keys, who has never played Serena in her young career. "It's just one of those things where I have to go out, and I have to do my best and really just have to stay focused on my side of the court, because she's obviously very, very good," Keys said. "So if I get too focused on what she's doing I think I can kind of let the moment get away from me." On Keys' side is former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, a coaching relationship that began in October that has given her a shot of confidence. Davenport had a tepid 4-11 record against Williams, including that aforementioned all-American U.S. Open semifinal (which Davenport lost), way back in 2002. "I'm sure she does," said Serena, when asked if Davenport perhaps had insight on how Keys could beat her. "I would hope so." But what Serena won't hope for is anything less than a win, which would put the 33-year-old American into her 23rd major final. Her opponent Tuesday, Dominika Cibulkova, painted the world No. 1 the most dangerous server and returner in women's tennis: When she's on, watch out. "(You) feel under a bigger pressure on serve," said the Slovakian, who was a finalist here a year ago. "She tries to make the rallies much shorter and not (let you) in the rhythm." Keys, for her own part, plays first-strike tennis, too. It's a game modeled after the power that the Williams sisters helped usher into this sport over a decade ago, along with players like Davenport. "Madison hits a really clean ball," added American player Bethanie Mattek-Sands, a friend of Keys'. "She serves huge. She runs around that forehand crosscourt and can really set herself up. She can dictate and is playing with so much confidence right now." Madison Brengle, an American who Keys beat in the fourth round, put it more succintly: "She has a great, great serve." Keys has been serving notice around the tennis world for much of her teenage life. In 2009, she beat Serena 5-1 in a World Team Tennis exhibition set, a "win" that propelled her to next-big-thing status. A New Orleans Saints fanatic and recent Los Angeles transplant, Keys is a Soul Cycle regular, can't stop watching "Game of Thrones" and is first to throw in a quip whenever she gets the chance. How has she been celebrating her success in Australia? One journalist asked. "Well, I've been eating Tim Tams," Keys deadpanned, citing the famous (and delicious) Australian cookie. Keys is a serious tennis threat, however, including against Serena on Thursday. "I am very happy, and I am very excited, but also not getting too far ahead of myself and being too content where I am," she said. The winner of Keys-Williams will face Maria Sharapova or her Russian compatriot Ekaterina Makarova in the final. No American other than Serena has made a Grand Slam final since Venus did at Wimbledon in 2009. (Serena won that all-Williams final.) Will Serena ask big sister for some advice on how to play Keys? "Oh, for sure I'll ask," said the world No. 1, then adding about Keys: "She's playing great. I told her I was really happy that she did well. It's good to see another American, another African-American, in the semifinals playing so well. Regardless, there's going to be an American in the finals, so that is great." It's a match that first-grade Madison, herself a Williams sisters fan, would want to win, too. | 1 | 4,092 | sports |
Heather Klein introduces Don Lemon and CNN into her daughter Anna, a baby born during the Blizzard of 2015 | 5 | 4,093 | news |
MIAMI -- In a difficult NBA season for the Miami Heat filled with injuries and uneven play, the unearthing of promising young center Hassan Whiteside remains their biggest positive to date. On Tuesday at AmericanAirlines Arena, the Heat suffered their 14th loss in 22 home games in a 109-102 defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks. To make matters worse, they also lost Dwyane Wade to a left hamstring injury midway through. Any incremental improvements made seem to take a back seat time and again to factors beyond their control. Perhaps it's no wonder that after yet another frustrating night, Whiteside's poor start actually qualified as a good sign for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. "The positive from tonight is that he struggled in the first half," Spoelstra said. Whiteside is no longer the Heat's hidden gem. The Bucks clearly scouted him beforehand and did their best to limit his impact from the start. Centers Zaza Pachulia and John Henson tried their best to box him out of the paint to limit his rebounding. They played him physically on defense to discourage passes to him and to throw off his shot. Milwaukee's guards penetrated but avoided finishing at the rim to take away his blocking prowess. "I could tell that they weren't even looking at the basket," Whiteside said. "I had maybe one chance (to block a shot). They did a good job of scouting it and not attempting to lay it up." He finished with four points on 1-of-6 shooting at the half but did manage to grab seven rebounds. Although he didn't record a block, he stayed out of foul trouble -- especially important given Chris Andersen was not able to play because of injuries to his back and elbow. "He was frustrated in the first half," Spoelstra said. "He wasn't making the reads, (he was) out of position a few times, but he gathered himself and played much better and with more purpose (and with) more awareness in the second half. That's what you want to see out of a player. How do you respond to tough times?" It was clear from the start of the second half that Whiteside was playing with a different mindset. Maybe it was because Wade was out for the game by then. Maybe he still has that chip on his shoulder from the rest of the NBA telling him he wasn't good enough to play in the league. Whatever the case may be, his second-half totals of 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting as well as nine rebounds gave the Heat a chance to pull through at the end. Though they fell short, Spoelstra was impressed with how his center responded to adversity. "It's usually the makeup of a good player, a guy that can bounce back from one quarter or one half to another half and leave it behind," he said. Whiteside finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds to record his fifth double-double in his past nine games. He's now scored in double figures in nine of his past ten games. "In the first half, I missed a lot of easy tip-ins," Whiteside said. "My teammates just told me to just try to dunk it and go up strong on them. I was really worried about getting offensive fouls because guards, they like to fall over in this league. In the second half I went a lot more aggressive towards the basket." If that's what Whiteside has to do to make the kind of adjustments needed to dominate a game, then this one loss can perhaps provide the kind of learning experience he can apply toward the rest of the season. Once he gets fully adjusted to the NBA game, no amount of good scouting and game planning may be able to truly stop him. "I'm learning every day," he said. "I'm not perfect. It's a learning experience." You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at [email protected] . | 1 | 4,094 | sports |
How will the Boston Bruins fare in the second half of the NHL season? #120Talk | 1 | 4,095 | sports |
OAKLAND, Calif. - Jimmy Butler's illness forced him to miss Tuesday night's 113-111 victory in overtime against the Warriors, preventing the preferred and anticipated battle of the backcourts. For the Warriors, Stephen Curry is a leading most valuable player candidate and Klay Thompson wrote history with his 37-point quarter last week. As for the Bulls, who began a six-game trip, Butler, who missed his fourth game, will learn whether he makes his first All-Star Game on Thursday, while some very encouraging signs are developing for Derrick Rose. The biggest, of course, is that Rose has played in 14 of 15 games in January. This is the stringing games together path that coach Tom Thibodeau has hoped for all season. In fact, Rose has missed just three games since Nov. 24. Rose also is enjoying his best month statistically. He entered Tuesday averaging 19.6 points and 5.2 assists in January, including 39.4 percent 3-point shooting after a horrible start from that range. "I'm finally catching a better rhythm, getting in better condition," Rose said. "My game is coming back slowly." It's hard to remember at times, especially with the exploits of Curry and Thompson and others, that Rose still is in comeback mode. Tuesday marked just his 46th game in the last three NBA seasons. Rose never has wavered from his stance he will regain elite status. "I have a lot of confidence in my game," Rose said. "I'm smarter. I'm picking and choosing when to score and I'm letting the game come to me instead of going out there and just shooting up shots. I have a lot of game that I haven't touched yet." Rose emphasized he can play at a faster pace and get to the free-throw line more often. He certainly showed the former with an aggressive, attacking mentality that produced 30 points - as well as a career-high 11 turnovers. He was great in the clutch with a key assist on a Kirk Hinrich 3-pointer with 15.8 seconds left in regulation and he hit the game-winning basket in overtime. Warriors coach Steve Kerr, whose All-Star backcourt combined for 38 points through three quarters, isn't surprised Rose is trending upward. "He just looks more confident," Kerr said. "It made sense that it was going to take some time for him to get really comfortable." For the second time in a week, Rose raised the need to play with joy and have fun. He did so this time in context of the Warriors, acknowledging their outward state as they took a 19-game home winning streak into Tuesday night. The Bulls have endured a tough stretch of late and Rose is trying to guard against the team getting dispirited. Kerr understands. "All the good teams I played on seemed to enjoy it," he said. "The game is supposed to be fun; that's why we all started playing it in the first place. Sometimes it's tricky in the NBA because you have contracts, you have injuries, you have egos, trades, coaching changes, fans booing, pressure." Rose said he loves playing against Curry, with whom he has teamed to win two world championships with USA Basketball. He almost sounded wistful summarizing the success of Curry and the Warriors. Rose has tasted that before and wants more. "I just want him to continue to make that steady progress," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I don't want him to worry about getting 35 or 40 (points). That's not how we have to play. Just keep being aggressive. The more aggressive he is the better it is for us. "It's not only what he's doing for himself. More importantly, it's what he's doing for our team. When he plays with a lot of aggressiveness, we're a tough team to guard. We put a lot of pressure on people." Layups: Mike Dunleavy participated in most of shootaround and said he's close to returning but missed his 14th straight game with his ankle injury. Tony Snell started but Thibodeau tried Nikola Mirotic at small forward again. ... Joakim Noah said he's feeling the best he has physically all season. ... With Curry and Thompson in the 3-point shootout at All-Star weekend, Kerr reminisced about winning in 1997. He said Michael Jordan sent a bottle of champagne to his hotel room. ... Soft-spoken assistant Adrian Griffin drew a second-quarter technical. [email protected] Twitter @kcjhoop | 1 | 4,096 | sports |
Cam Atkinson comments on getting the win over Washington. | 1 | 4,097 | sports |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Craig Smith scored on a breakaway at 2:46 of overtime and the Nashville Predators beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Tuesday night. Roman Josi also scored for the Predators, who pushed the NHL's best home record to 19-2-1. Mike Ribeiro had three assists and Shea Weber two as Nashville improved to 9-1-3 in its last 13 games. Carter Hutton made 21 saves in earning his second straight home win in place of injured All-Star goalie Pekka Rinne. In overtime, Hutton stopped a shot by Zach Redmond. Ribeiro then passed to Smith, who beat Semyon Varlamov on the glove side. Cody McLeod, Jarome Iginla and Nick Holden scored for Colorado, which entered 10th in the Western Conference but only three points out of the final wild-card spot. | 1 | 4,098 | sports |
Former Alaska governor spoke at the Iowa Freedom Summit | 8 | 4,099 | video |
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